The Sorcerer's Return (The Sorcerer's Path) (25 page)

“Daebian Giles at your service,” he answered with a sweeping bow. “You said there was still two hours left on your shift
, so I suggest we get busy.”

“We, you say?”

“Yes, we, a word denoting oneself and others. Usually ascribed to a particular group. In this case, our group.”

Lewis nervously licked his lips. “Right, we. Uh, what do you want to do?”

“I simply wish to do my fair share of the detail. Instruct me and I shall obey.”

“Okay. Um, take Bill’s brush and scrub while he swabs.”

“Aye, aye, taskmaster Lewis,” Daebian quipped with a sharp salute.

Daebian knelt next to the bucket of fresh water and began scrubbing while the man called Bill
mopped it up. The work was back-breaking and, although he did not complain, Daebian quickly decided being an ordinary seaman was not for him. If he was going to crew a boat for long, he was destined for a leadership role. Captain rang pleasantly in his head.

“All right, boys, shift’s up,” Lewis announced. “Stow your gear and get ready for
mess.”

Daebian got to his feet, stretched, and followed his fellow deck scrubbers to stow his gear.
One of the men whispered he had a jug of rum stashed away, and the others followed him with a smile to whatever dark nook below decks he had it stashed. Daebian had no interest in the drink even if they would have shared it with a boy of an apparent age of twelve. He made for the bow and climbed out onto the bowsprit. He clambered out onto the rope webbing as easily as a spider and rode the gently rising and plummeting bow as the sea spray peppered his face and the wind blew through his hair. Daebian did not need an entire voyage to know sailing was something he enjoyed.

“Enter,” Zeb gruffly answered the rapping on his door.

Lewis stepped into the Captain’s quarters twisting a knit hat in his hands. “Pardon my interrupting your meal, Captain.” 

“I assume you think
it important. What’s on your mind, Lewis?”

“It’s about the new boy, Sir. He says his father is Lord Giles. Is that the truth, Sir?”

“Aye, he is. Is he causing you grief?”

“No, Sir, not really. He worked well enough today. It’s just I’m unsure how to deal with him. I’m a bit nervous about offending him and losing my job
, sir. I like to think I’m up for able seaman soon, and I don’t want to jeopardize that by ticking off the owner’s kid.”

“I plan on putting you up in the rigging after this voyage. I know Azerick as well as any man, I like to think. He never asked
for special treatment of anyone, and I don’t expect he’d ask it for his boy either. I ain’t gonna treat him much different than I would any man on my ship and you shouldn’t either. If he throws a tantrum, I’ll deal with it,” Zeb replied gruffly.

Lewis bobbed his head as he backed out of Zeb’s cabin. “Thank you, Captain.”

Daebian tied himself to the bowsprit and slept beneath the stars, cradled in the web of supporting ropes. It took him back to the times his mother cradled him in her arms and smiled at him with limitless love and acceptance. Even when she discovered how different he was, she never treated him as anything other than her beloved son. Nibbling at the very edges of his heart, Daebian came as close he ever would at feeling remorse, for he knew he was destined to betray her unrequited love.

“Wake up, boy.”
Daebian opened his eyes and looked up at Lewis standing near his feet. “Shift’s starting soon, so if you want to eat you best hit the mess hall right quick.”

Daebian undid his tether, sprinted across the deck, and
raced down to the mess hall as fast as the narrow passageway and low doorframes allowed. Lewis was correct; the galley workers were already packing up and Daebian was the last to arrive. Being late was a gamble. If you were lucky, the galley workers scooped the last of the food from the pots so they could clean them and you ended up with more than a normal ration. If you were unlucky, you could be quite hungry by the time lunch rolled around. Luck was with him today.

He barely had time to wolf down his meal when a shrill whistle sounded the call for all hands to report to their shift. Daebian ran back to the deck, not wanting to give Lewis any reason to berate him. He should have taken his time.

“You louts grab your mops and brushes. Daebian, you stand fast. I have a special task for you. I spoke with the Captain, and he told me he don’t care whose son you are. He says you get treated like any other sailor, and if you give me lip he’ll toss off the ship.”

“I see. So what is my task?”

“You’re gonna clean the bilges.”

“By myself? It sounds like an unpleasant job. Is this something any of the other sailors would do
by themselves?”

“Don’t matter. It’s what you’re gonna do,” Lewis said with sneer.

“You’re sure this is the route you want to take with me?”

For a moment, Lewis was anything but sure. But Daebian had embarrassed him in front of his crew
, and ego overrode his mind’s urgent warning.

“If you don’t like it, go cry to the Captain.”

Daebian smiled and saluted. “Aye, aye, Mister Lewis.”

He would do as he was told, but this would not be the end of it. Daebian did not cry to anyone about anything. If he had a problem, he solved it
, and Lewis had made himself a problem. Although Daebian’s solutions to problems seemed perfectly logical and reasonable to him, few others would see them that way. Lewis certainly would not.

Daebian
did not work entirely by himself. Others worked the pumps to force most of the stagnant water from the bilge, but he was alone in the fetid water and disgusting muck. He was sure Zeb did not say Lewis could single him out for details that went beyond the normal scope of duties. This work should have an entire detail assigned to it, not just him scooping sludge, climbing back above decks, and tossing it overboard. Lewis was punishing him for what he perceived as backtalk, and obviously had a desire to flex his limited authority.

For three days, Daebian spent his entire shift hauling bucket after back-breaking bucket of putrid sludge up from the hull.
It was easily the worst detail on the ship. The air was foul and the water downright toxic. It was a miserable task even with a proper crew, but Lewis’s desire to punish him for whatever slight he perceived made it torturous. Still, Daebian persevered.

You should kill him. I hunger, and his blood would give us both power.

“Lewis will pay for his insult, Klaraxis, but I cannot do something as overt as killing him in his sleep. I will seize the moment when it appears. Forcing it to come will only create more problems.”

You have a great deal more patience than either of your fathers.

“I have more of a lot things; Things I will show the world when I am grown.”

You are a son to make your father proud—one of us anyway.

It was three days of scrubbing the bilge before the ship finally arrived in Southport. After clearing customs, all hands began unloading the cargo destined for sale or caravans in Southport and bringing aboard the stuff set for sale in Bakhtaran, with exception of the cattle, which they would load in the morning just before setting sail.

The crew was giv
en a night of shore leave, and most of the men headed for one of the more popular inns near the harbor. What little Daebian saw of Southport impressed him. It was much larger and busier than North Haven. It was raw, and all the sights, sounds, and smells gave the place a chaotic feel he liked.

The inn was equally impressive and occupied the bulk of the entire block. It sported at least a hundred tables and three bars. It bustled with hundreds of patrons shouting for mo
re beer, ale, liquor, and food, while a continuous stream of prostitutes led men upstairs. Zeb and the bulk of his crew found space where they could sit mostly together.

“Stay close to me, Daebian,” Zeb ordered. “If you get lost in here, it’s more likely trouble will find ya than any of us.”

Daebian nodded and continued to watch the crowd, always keeping one eye on Lewis who sat two tables to his left.

“How do you like working on the ship?” Zeb asked as they ate their meal.

“I am more tired than I have been in my life, but I like it.”

“Lewis says you been a good worker. He was worried you would raise a fuss doing the labor of a lowly seaman.”

“I look at it like my weapons training. We spend hours practicing the most routine exercises. Thrust, return, guard, over and over. It is tedious and exhausting, but it is necessary to learn before jumping in the ring and sparring. I look at it like that.”

“That’s a real mature attitude you have,” Zeb commended. “I told Lewis I wouldn’t treat you any different than any other sailor, but the truth is, you are the heir
to this operation, and there’s not much to learn doing swabby duty. I wanted to test your attitude more than anything. When we set sail tomorrow, I’m putting you and Lewis up in the rigging. You especially should learn everything there is to a ship since one day you will be giving your captains orders, and you should know what you’re talking about when you do. Had you been a whiner, you’d be scrubbing decks and cleaning bilges the whole trip.”

“Thank you, Captain. Captain, how many men should be in the bilge when it’s being cleaned out?”

“That’s a job for the entire shift. It takes everyone to form the bucket chain to toss the gunk overboard and return the buckets. Any less and it’s not efficient. Why, how many did ya have?”

Daebian smiled. “All we needed. I was just curious.”

He turned his eyes back to Lewis, glad Zeb was not aware of his mistreatment. It could have complicated things had he condoned such treatment. Daebian watched Lewis make for the nearest bar. He had to squeeze through the press of people and drew several displeased looks as he did. One rough sailor in particular looked up from his drink and glared, firing off an expletive at Lewis’ back.

“Captain, I need use the privy. I will be right back.”

“You want someone to go with you? I’m not keen on letting you out of my sight in this place.”

Daebian stroked the black jewel set in the hilt of his blade with his thumb. “I
’m a proficient fighter. I’ll be fine. I’m small enough most people probably won’t notice me anyway.”

Zeb looked unconvinced but nodded, torn between not wanting to be a mother hen to the boy and reluctant about letting him wander off in a place like this. He wished now he had picked a calmer tavern.

I sense intent in your movement. Your moment has arisen?

“It has. Can you help me?”

Minimally, but it should be enough. You feel the thrum of power within me. Reach for it with your mind and shape it to your will. I will show you how.

Daebian focused on the images and feeling
s Klaraxis fed him. The demon was a link to his abyssal power and, through him, Daebian could channel and shape the dark energy to his will. The thread he was able to draw upon was a thin and feeble thing, but there was power in subtlety if properly used.

Daebian slipped behind the sailor who had shown himself be especially unforgiving of Lewis’ jostling and slipped his hand to the small purse at the man’s belt. He untied the strings securing
it in place with unnatural dexterity while using Klaraxis’ infernal power to make himself less noticeable to those around him.

With purse in hand, Daebian watched for Lewis’ return. As he expected, Lewis threaded his way back to his table using nearly the same path he cut just minutes before. Daebian slid through the crowd with the ease of schooner using its sharp prow to cut through the water. Tacking an intercept course with Lewis, Daebian slipped the purse into his pocket as he passed. Lewis never saw Da
ebian as he disappeared back into the masses like a ghost ship in heavy fog.

Daebian tapped the grizzled sailor on the shoulder. “Excuse me, Sir.”

The man jerked his head around, one hand flying to the knife at his hip. “What do ya want, boy?”

Daebian took half a step back and gave the man his most frightened look. “I ju
st saw a man pilfer your purse, sir. I thought I should tell you.”

The sailor’s other hand immediately slapped against his now vacant hip. He leaned forward and grabbed the front of Daebian’s shirt. “What man stole my coin?”

Daebian pointed a shaking finger at Lewis just as he was sitting back down at his table. “That man there. I saw him slip it off your belt and into his right coat pocket.”

Several of the men sitting nearby stood with the sailor and motioned for others of their crew to follow the angry man to Lewis’ table.
Sensing impending violence, patrons began sliding away as the crew barged forward.

“You stole my coin, you scurvy-ridden rat!” the sailor shouted as he glared down at Lewis.

Lewis had to scoot his chair away to stand and face the man. “I didn’t steal no purse!”

Zeb’s crew stood as well and the two sides squared off. Daebian spotted Zeb trying to push through the hostile mass of bodies to prevent bloodshed, but everyone’s attention was focused on the two men facing each other down and impeded his progress.