Philip Athans - Whisper of Waves

Ran Ai Yu scrambled to her feet but had to dance back when the chain flashed across her vision, missing her own head by the length of an eyelash. Sparks of burning lightning danced between the links, making the chain all the more terrifying.

The dwarf rolled over and grunted. He sat up and Ran Ai Yu dived on him, pushing him back onto the deck. He must have been very weak still from the blow to the head, otherwise her thin frame would never have moved the sturdy dwarf anywhere he didn’t want to go.

“Devorast!” Hrothgar gasped.

“The chain!” Devorast called at the same time.

Without thinking, Ran Ai Yu reached up and tried for the wildly swinging chain. One attempt after another failed, but finally the chain hit her palm with bruising force and she wrapped her fingers around it. Her arm tingled and sparks began to play around her wrist.

Devorast was there, though she couldn’t imagine how he’d made it across the section of ruined deck.

He took the chain from her with a cryptic smile and said, “Close your eyes.”

His voice was so calm, Ran Ai Yu was certain in that moment that the red-haired man was insane.

She didn’t close her eyes and so was able to see him swing the chain over his head with one hand while pulling with the other in an attempt to hold the thing steady. The smaller fish fought against him like a horse resisting the yoke.

The larger fish left off worrying over the machete in its jaws long enough to make another try for Devorast.

Just like it had the fleeing craftsman, the great jaws came down around Devorast and the man disappeared into the thing’s mouth from the waist up.

But he was still holding the chain, and-

Everything went blue and there was a sound like an animal grunting but so loud it rattled Ran Ai Yu’s eardrums. The sound was so alien, it made her scream. Her vision went white, then black. There were flashes of images like shockingly realistic paintings:

Devorast flying through the air, his face twisted with agony and his body contorted in a massive, all-over convulsion.

Hrothgar jumping out of the way of whatever was happening, but not sure which way to go, so just … jumping.

The two enormous demon eels, connected by the length of chain, lightning meeting lighting from steel blade to iron chain to steel blade.

Lightning meeting lightning.

Blue meeting white.

The giant fish bursting.

Blood.

Electricity.

Screaming.

Ran Ai Yu screaming.

Then merciful darkness and comforting silence.

10 Uktar, the Year of the Helm (1362 DR)

FIRST QUARTER, INNARLITH

Though the attack by the still-unexplained and unidentified demon eels had set back their schedule some, Ran Ai Yu’s ship was ready to depart less than four months later.

“She is fine ship,” the Shou merchant said.

Devorast, whose eyes continuously darted from rail to mast to deck to rigging, always checking for the tiniest imperfection, nodded. Ran Ai Yu did her best to detect any trace of pride in his manner but saw none. He appeared satisfied, but that was all, as if he’d known all along how the ship would turn out and was in no way surprised by his success. Ran Ai Yu found it impossible to feel the same.

“I have never seen like of it,” she said, running the tip of a finger along the rail and admiring the way the light rain beaded on the ceramic surface.

“No ship like it has ever been afloat,” he told her.

“It will be a long voyage back home,” she said, “and we will stop in many ports along the way. You will be busy building more very soon, I know.”

“There’s no need,” he said. “It’s been built already. Let others do it again.”

“Ah,” she said, “I see. You are the first but will sell the plans and-”

“I have no intention of selling the plans,” he said. “You have a copy I made for you, to aid in any repairs you may require should circumstances dictate, but I will destroy mine.”

Ran Ai Yu found herself at a loss for words, less because of what he’d said but because he actually noticed her confusion.

“I have built the best ceramic ship I know how to build,” he said. “I will find a new challenge.”

“You will turn away gold bar after gold bar after gold bar,” she said. “It is bad trade. Bad … business.”

Devorast smiled, even laughed a little, and said, “Your Common improves by the day, and if ‘bad business’ is all I’m ever accused of, I’ll die a happy man.”

Ran Ai Yu could only shake her head.

They stood in silence for a long while, watching the last of Devorast’s shipwrights climb into a dinghy. Hrothgar was the last in, and the dwarf made no mistake about his discomfort on the little boat.

“Coming, then?” Hrothgar called to Devorast. “I can’t swim, you know.”

Ran Ai Yu spared the dwarf the indignity of the laugh she felt bubbling up in her throat. Then she had to hold back a tear when Devorast stepped away from her, turned, and held out his hand.

“Miss Ran Ai Yu,” he said, “I wish you safe journey.”

She took his hand, but when he tried to let go, she wouldn’t let him.

“I wish I could return sooner,” she said. “I have found our work together here rewarding, if not dangerous.”

Devorast nodded but didn’t seem to know what to say. There had been more than the one attack, no shortage of sabotage attempts, and in those months they still didn’t know precisely who had tried to have them killed and the tiled cog destroyed. Ran Ai Yu had suspected at least one, maybe two of the wizards who had offered to transport her and her crew magically back to Shou Lung, but nothing could be proved.

“Still,” she said, “I will avoid the portals through the Weave.”

That made Devorast smile.

“You will have a safe journey,” he said. “I built her well.”

Finally letting go of his hand, Ran Ai Yu said, “There should be a canal.”

Devorast turned to go then stopped.

“I’m sorry?” he said, turning back to face her.

“Today!” the dwarf bellowed from the listing dinghy. “We’re taking on water here for Moradin’s sake.”

“Did you say a canal?” Devorast asked.

“A … what is the word …” she said. “Xiao hua? Joke? That there should be a canal to connect Innarlith with my home in faraway Shou Lung.”

She couldn’t quite fathom the look that Devorast gave her then, and she was distracted by a ruckus on the dinghy. The dwarf argued with the shipwrights and threats flew.

“You have these?” Devorast asked her. “In Shou Lung? Canals, I mean.”

“We do,” she replied with a shrug. “I have sailed the Grand Canal of the Second Emperor myself from my home province of Tierte in the north, south through the hills to Wang Kuo. A canal from here to Shou Lung would be impossible. I think if even the gods were capable of it there would already be a river, no?”

Devorast nodded and sighed.

“Oh, for pity’s sake, Ivar!” Hrothgar bellowed.

With a distracted smile Devorast said to Ran Ai Yu, “Thank you, Miss, for more than you might imagine.”

Ran Ai Yu bowed deeply, as she would to a person of great power and importance-as she would to a king.

“Ivar,” the dwarf growled, “get in the gods bedamned boat!”

Devorast climbed down into the dinghy, and Ran Ai Yu’s crew set sail.

“Jie Zuo,” she said, finally giving her new ship a name.

In Devorast’s Common Tongue: Masterpiece .

12 Hammer, the Year of the Wyvern (1363 DR)

SECOND QUARTER, INNARLITH