Voyages of the Flying Dragon (21 page)

Something had always come up, she supposed. First there was Fronge, then the whole thing with Lenis and Kanu, and then Heidi and her whole Magni scheme. Was that it, or on some level did Missy not want to learn? Her brother had warned her about the Quillblade. The first time she had used it, Raikō had stolen her soul. Then there was the square back in Fronge, where she'd used her powers to control everyone, even if only for a moment. And then there was Erdasche. She'd been out of control, she knew that now, and the Quillblade had lashed out at her because of it. Why risk that again? Who knew what would happen the next time she tried to wield the Quillblade?

But what choice did she have? They had so few weapons to use in the coming war with Ishullanu. Even if Suiteki gained her full powers she would still be just one Totem. Their hopes rested on her succeeding where other Totem had failed. They couldn't afford to discard what could prove valuable in the coming conflict. It might be the only thing standing between them and the Demons. But what use was the
shintai
if Missy couldn't even handle it properly? What if it killed her next time? What if she killed someone else?

No. She wouldn't use the Quillblade again. Not yet. Not until she learned how to do so safely. She needed to speak with Tenjin. It was time to start her training. The next time she picked up the Quillblade, she would know how to use it.

‘Kanu, can you do something for me?' Missy asked. ‘Can you,
will
you hold onto the Quillblade and keep it safe?'

The smile shrank on Kanu's face until his lips were pressed into a thin line. He cradled both arms across his chest as though to shield the
shintai
within his robe. Then he bowed low to her in the Shinzōn fashion.

‘I will do so, Mashu,' he said, still doubled over.

‘Thanks. Um … thank you.'

Kanu straightened. ‘Thank you, Mashu.'

He looked so solemn, so earnest, that Missy just couldn't stand looking at him. She had only meant it as a request, as a favour of sorts, and Kanu had turned it into a decree from Mashu and
thanked
her for it.

Missy turned her face away from the Titan child. ‘Look, I need to talk to Shujinko for a moment. Alone.'

Kanu nodded, only it appeared more like another bow out of the corner of Missy's eye, and backed away from her. Missy bit her lip and walked out of the galley. She didn't really need to speak to Shujinko now that she knew Kanu had the Quillblade, but his was the first name that came to her. She wanted to be away from Kanu for a while.

Just as she was wondering if maybe she would like to speak to Shujinko after all, she knocked heads with him while
ducking under the mast-shaft. They both recoiled and swore, the cabin boy in Shinzōn and Missy in Heiliglander, of all languages.

‘My apologies,' Shujinko said in the common tongue, stepping clear to allow Missy to pass under first. He always spoke so formally, as if he'd learned the common tongue from a textbook rather than a fluent teacher, but sometimes he rounded off his words like a native, which made Missy think he was only trying to sound formal. ‘Are you hurt?'

‘Oh, I'm fine,' Missy said, a little more flippantly than she'd intended. ‘How are you?'

‘I am also fine,' he replied. ‘Shinzōn men have hard heads.'

Missy giggled. She
actually
giggled and then covered her mouth with her hands to stop herself. Shujinko looked offended. The corners of his mouth twitched down, and his eyes narrowed fractionally.

‘I wasn't … I mean, I didn't …' Missy floundered as the blood rushed to her cheeks. ‘I thought you were joking,' she blurted.

Shujinko seemed to consider this for a moment. ‘I was not.'

‘Oh, sorry.' Missy found herself staring at his chin to avoid looking into his eyes. ‘So … um … you're from Nochi?'

Shujinko nodded once. ‘Excuse me. I must report to Mister Hiroshi.'

‘Oh, of course,' Missy mumbled.

The cabin boy ducked under the mast-shaft. Missy hurried above decks, suddenly wanting to feel a nice cold breeze on her face.

‘How did
you
hear about Haven?' Ursula asked. She was sitting, with her feet up on the table, in the Heiliglander airdock officials' office. The Heiliglanders had reluctantly vacated it to give them all somewhere to meet. After Lenis and Lucis had guided the
Hiryū
into a berth, Arthur and Kenji had taken him along to discuss their next port of call with Captain Klinge.

Two men had entered with Ursula and now stood behind her. One was tall and thin with a long, pointed nose. He was dressed in a grey Kystian dress suit, complete with bow tie. He wore a crimson waistcoat beneath his coat, and his boots were so shiny Lenis could see his reflection in them. The other man was short and broad. He had a big bushy moustache and curly black hair. His brows were thick and his nose was wide. He was wearing black leather trousers, a tan-coloured shirt and the largest boots Lenis had ever seen.

‘I get around,' Kenji drawled. Not to be outdone, the
Hiryū
's navigator also had his feet on the table, and he was leaning back so that he was looking at the ceiling rather than at the captain of the
Geschichte
.

‘It doesn't matter how we heard of it,' Arthur interjected. He was sitting next to the navigator with his elbows on the table and his hands clasped together. ‘Haven will provide us with a safe berth for our airships while we visit Kolga's temple, yes?'

Ursula turned from Kenji to Arthur. ‘I wouldn't call it
safe
, exactly. What has he told you about the place?'

‘All I need to know.'

‘Really?' Ursula tried to catch Kenji's eye, but the navigator was steadfastly ignoring her. ‘You told him
everything
he needs to know?'

Kenji abruptly kicked his feet off the table, planted them firmly on the ground, and rose to his feet. ‘Doesn't matter. That's where we're going. Just thought you should know.'

Ursula regarded Kenji coldly before addressing Arthur again. ‘Haven is a place for fools and madmen. There is no authority there. None that you would understand. The strong take what they want from the weak. The smart take from the stupid. Your airship. Your boy.' She nodded her chin in Lenis's direction. ‘Whatever they want. Honest people don't end up in Haven.'

If Arthur was surprised or concerned by her words, he betrayed no hint of it, even to Lenis's senses. ‘We have Magni with us. What is there to fear?'

‘Gustav,' Ursula said over her shoulder to the squat man. ‘Show them.'

The man grinned wickedly and pulled up one of his trouser legs. Where his own leg should have been there was only a thick wooden club running down into his boot. ‘Lost it in Haven, mates. Lost a good shoe with it, too.' The man's grin widened, and Lenis saw he was missing a few teeth. The ones he had left were crooked and yellow. ‘Ain't no place for noble folk such as your good selves. Goddess or no goddess. The folk in Haven ain't the pious type.'

‘Put it away, von Zauberei,' the tall man said. ‘I think they understand well enough without your crudeness.'

The short man laughed and let his trouser leg drop back down. Lenis swallowed. He'd seen people being maimed before in the slave pens, but he never got used to it.

‘
Von
Zauberei?' Arthur asked with genuine curiosity. ‘You're a noble?'

‘At yer service, guvnor,' Gustav said and tugged a forelock of his hair.

‘You seem surprised, Lord Knyght,' the tall man interjected. ‘I would have thought that you of all people would be able to sympathise with poor Gustav here. After all, the higher a person rises, the farther they have to fall.'

Arthur's shoulders tensed. He unclasped his hands and laid them flat on the table. Very deliberately he pushed himself up and faced the tall man squarely. ‘I don't believe I know you.'

‘Charles Mild, at your service.' The tall man bowed stiffly from the waist. ‘A fellow Kystian adrift on the currents of fate.'

Arthur scrutinised the man up and down as if committing every detail of him to memory. Lenis had seen that look on the first officer's face before. If it had ever been directed at him he would have cowered before it. Charles Mild faced it head on, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

‘It's not my place to question the Lightning-Wielder,' Ursula interjected, ‘but I can't understand why she wants us to change course, much less why she would want to go to Haven.'

‘Who can understand the whims of a goddess?' Kenji drawled.

‘You should show more respect for the divine,' Captain Klinge snapped. ‘I'd feel more comfortable if Magni was aboard the
Geschichte
instead of riding with a bunch of heathens.'

‘You have our destination,' Arthur said suddenly. He glanced at Ursula. ‘Magni has made her decision. It is not open for debate. You may follow if you wish.'

Arthur turned and strode out of the room. Kenji followed, and Lenis was quick to fall in behind. The trio remained silent as they returned to the
Hiryū
. It wasn't until they were back on board and standing before the captain that Arthur spoke.

‘She's suspicious.'

The captain sighed. ‘It is to be expected, Lord Knyght. What need would Magni have to make such a detour? I fear our charade will not last much longer, even now that Miss Clemens is awake.'

‘Missy's awake?' Lenis asked.

‘She appears to have made a full recovery, Mister Clemens.'

Lenis nodded, relieved. ‘What do you think Captain Klinge will do?'

The captain glanced over the railing in time to see Ursula, Gustav and Charles leave the airdock official's office. ‘We cannot know. We must continue as we are for now.'

‘Do you think Missy should speak to her as Magni?' Lenis's heart sank, even as he said the words. She had barely survived her last encounter with the Quillblade.

‘I do not believe that will be necessary,' the captain said. ‘Or wise. Miss Baumstochter was able to see through the deception easily enough. Given time, anyone would. It is better if your sister remains out of sight for the remainder of this voyage. Miss Clemens is with Lord Tenjin on the bridge, if you wish to check on her.'

‘Oh, thanks.' Lenis was strangely reluctant to see his sister. He was glad she had recovered, but where once he would have rushed to her side, now something held him back. His own hands were still sore, though it was hard to say exactly what was wrong with them. They weren't burnt, or cut, or
bruised, but the palms were red from where he had grabbed the Quillblade and the skin on them was still raw.

As the others went about their business, Lenis moved below decks. He would see his sister later, after she had spoken with Tenjin. He wasn't avoiding her. He just didn't want to interrupt whatever it was she was doing with the records keeper. He knew that was a lame excuse even as he thought it up.

Missy saw her brother speak with the captain. She knew Captain Shishi would be telling him that she was all right. She knew that Lenis would come and see her, and she would apologise for being so stupid, and show him what Tenjin was teaching her. He would see that she wasn't going to even touch the Quillblade until she knew what she was doing with it. He would understand and everything would be all right again, like it was before they met Kanu.

Only Lenis didn't come up to the bridge to see her. He didn't even look in her direction as he went below decks. Missy frowned. He was being so childish! He could only avoid her for so long. They were on an airship! There weren't all that many places to hide.

‘Is something the matter?' Tenjin asked gently, and Missy turned to look into his wrinkled face.

‘No, Lord Tenjin, I'm sorry. What were you saying?'

The records keeper was pointing at something in one of his books. ‘The Quillblade is still linked to Raikō, even
though the Lord of Storms has turned into a Demon Lord. His power is still intact. It is still there for you to access, as you have seen, but you must prepare yourself for it.'

Missy nodded and tried to concentrate on what he was saying. Thoughts of her brother kept distracting her. What was his problem? He hadn't been acting like himself for quite some time. If he'd just stop being so silly about everything, they could sort out whatever was bothering him and move on. It wasn't like she was
entirely
to blame for everything that had happened. She had her own stuff to deal with when it came to the Quillblade, but she was doing something about that! He was just moping around like a … like a boy!

‘… electrocute yourself.'

Missy startled. ‘What, sorry?'

Tenjin smiled at her. ‘It is a lot to take in, I know. These simple exercises will help prepare your body for the influx of Raikō's power. I will leave you to study them in your own time. Now, as for the … ah …
negative
effects of the Quillblade, that is much harder to control. You must learn to direct only a small amount into the
shintai
and learn how to draw out only what you need. We won't even begin talking about that until you've read through these.'

Tenjin reached under his desk and pulled out three large volumes. There was a blue one, a green one, and a red one. Each was as thick as her wrist.

‘It'll take me forever to read all that!' Missy cried, and then hurried on, ‘I mean, I've never learned how to read Shinzōn.'

‘Truly?' Tenjin stroked his beard before placing his hands inside his sleeves. ‘I had not considered that. Still, given your talents as a communicator, I am sure you will pick it up quickly.' He opened the green volume and pointed to the first symbol. ‘This character represents
shi
.'

Missy groaned inwardly as she bent down to follow Tenjin's finger, which ran down the page, pointing out each squiggle as he explained its meaning. Learning to use the Quillblade was going to take more effort and a lot more time than she had thought.

After Lenis checked on the Bestia and Suiteki, who was of course hungry but not quite starved enough to leave the pool of warmth shed by the Bestia, he sought out Yami and asked if they could continue his training. He tried to time it so that Shujinko would be busy helping Hiroshi in the kitchen, and in this he was successful. Yami agreed to his request and they spent the next couple of hours sparring together on the
Hiryū
's forecastle. It was literally the furthest place away from Missy that Lenis could get on the
Hiryū
, but he tried not to think of it that way. Instead, he lost himself in the rhythms of striking and blocking, dodging and counterstriking. It wasn't a relaxing way to spend an evening, but he felt better for it.

‘Might I suggest, Lenis,' Yami said after he had finished his last set of movements, ‘that we take this opportunity to avail ourselves of the hospitality of our Heiliglander hosts?'

‘Sorry?'

‘You smell, and I would like a bath.'

Lenis wrinkled his nose and tried to remember the last time he had taken one. Surely it hadn't been as long ago as Nochi. Why was it he could remember the exact moment he had last washed the Bestia or cleaned out their hutch but couldn't quite seem to recall his last bath? When he caught a whiff of himself he supposed it had been at least as long ago as Nochi, and he
was
a little rank. ‘Oh, okay.'

He followed as the Shinzōn swordsman walked down onto the airdock and asked after a bathhouse. They were told there weren't any public bathhouses in town, but there was an inn on the next street over where they could probably find some hot water.

Together they moved down the airdock and crossed the street. Lenis hoped Shujinko had washed out the crews' clothes. The last thing he wanted was to have to wear filthy robes once he got back to the
Hiryū
. When they reached the inn, Yami handed over a few coins, which bought them some clean towels and an escort from the landlord himself to the back room. There were three tubs inside. One was already occupied.