No message from Nespolan or invitation had arrived to dine with the Mors, so I ate with the usual company.

The thought occurred to me more than once that my meals and rooms here were provided freely. At least, I wasn’t paying for them anyway. Dorstark told me a while ago that there were dozens of argenti, guards, and others accompanying Nespolan enjoying the hospitality of the Mors family.

One more would not be imposing on their generosity and I was told to, quite literally, not mention it to our hosts. It was expected that any noble in the kingdom would provide for royal guests, the armies of Norvos, and their accompaniments.

I finished writing about the inscriptions in the new book and was reading Morskov's adventures when a servant arrived to deliver a message. Duke Morstaal, head of the Mors family, invited me to join him for drinks in a drawing room this evening or the next.

There didn’t seem to be a point in waiting until tomorrow, so I asked the servant to lead me there. As we walked I thought over my mentor’s advice. This would be my first time hanging out with a noble other than Nespolan, so etiquette would be important. I knew little of the man and couldn’t help but wonder what he was like, especially in comparison to his forebears.

My few routes through the castle were limited and my explorations had not taken me to the areas where the family themselves dwelt. The differences between the areas I frequented and these were incredible. Most of what I had seen appeared to be leavings, overflow, and outcasts of decorations compared to the lavish accoutrements placed with discerning care here.

I was certain that the structural walls were still stone as they had been below, however many rooms and halls here were covered and dressed with fine woods, murals, and tapestries. The parlor I was led to was beyond unique by comparison to other rooms.

Alone for the moment, I walked around the room to marvel at all the details. It appeared to be designed to resemble the interior of an exquisitely crafted ship melded expertly with a room to entertain nobility. The nautical theme included paintings of portals with only water and the sky as if it were a ship out to sea. Exposed beams were richly carved with filigree. It was all so…

“Remarkable, is it not?”

I spun, startled from my reverie. Just inside the door to the room stood a tall man, at least half a head taller than average from what I’ve seen so far - still short compared to me. His attire was not at all noble-like, again comparing it to others I’ve seen - Nespolan excluded. Instead, his well worn clothes matched what one might see on the docks among their officers and captains.

The resemblance to Morskov went beyond his ensemble. This man shared the same look of the face, down to the deep, haunting blue eyes that stood out so astoundingly in paintings of his ancestor. In nearly every way he looked to be more a man of the sea and not a Duke; scars, leathery skin, and all.

Shaking myself from the stupor, I bowed. “Duke Morstaal I presume?”

“Aye,” he verified with a slight bow of his head. “You look surprised, Sir Sully.”

“I just… I was not… I apologize, your lordship.”

Morstaal bellowed a laugh in a way reserved for the hardiest of travelers. “Not at all necessary, I assure you. Any friend of the Nes family is a friend of mine,” he declared. “And you, sir, are more than a mere friend to that family. You are a savior as I understand it.”

He started speaking again before I could start, “The look on your face was amusing however. Almost as good as the preening, self important nobles that request audiences with me. Which is why I dress down, like this, for many such encounters in the first place.”

If it threw me for a loop, I had to imagine that some stuffy highborn member of polite society would be off balance from the start. With that thought, I couldn’t help but laugh with him.

“I see. If I may ask, was that your intention here as well Duke Morstaal?”

“Please, just Morstaal. And actually, not at all. These clothes,” he said gesturing at his apparel, “are just more comfortable. It is also what I wear among friends, confusing as that may seem.”

The Duke poured two drinks from a crystal container, offering me one, before sitting on a plush couch. “I have heard quite the tale of your arrival and your impressive deeds. Banished gods, I even saw the giant demon with mine own eyes!” He held his drink up and out in a toast, nodding his head at me, “You have the gratitude of all Norvos.”

Humility had been one of my earliest responses when talking with my tutors about that day whenever I was thanked. However I quickly learned that it was fruitless and potentially rude, so I tried to accept it.

With a gulp of my surprisingly strong drink I responded, “To be of service to Norvos.”

“All to the honor and glory of Norvos.”

“If I may ask, why design a room to look like it is part of a ship?”

“Not just a design. It actually was part of a ship. Morskov’s last great ship actually, though he never set foot on her.”

“Why not?”

“His wife had commissioned it for him shortly before he passed. In his journals he admitted the design was too garish for his tastes,” he chuckled. “Many generations later she was decommissioned and some parts were used to primp expansions to this ever-growing castle of ours.”

It became readily apparent shortly thereafter that no one else would be joining us. We shared a pleasant conversation over the course of a few drinks before the Duke finally asked, “Now that we are accustomed to being in the company of friends, was there a specific reason you requested an audience?”

Initially I had intended to convey my thanks for their hospitality, but that was wiped off the list when I found out that it was somewhat untoward in this situation. There was still the topic of Moskov though, which we hadn’t discussed much.

“There is, though since asking I became aware that part of my reasoning would be uncouth,” I admitted.

“Uncouth? Now you must tell me.”

“I… uh… Just wanted to express my gratitude for the hospitality the Mors have extended.”

“Oh, I thought it was going to be something more intriguing. No need to give thanks, we give it freely. Now, what of the remaining reasons?”

“That aside, I wanted to talk to you about Morskov and Orya.”

“Aye, which we have spoken about, and there are books, historians, and the like besides.”

“Actually, that was the last part of what I wanted to ask for. Access to your family’s private libraries.”

He raised his eyebrow, “For what purpose?”

“I have seen many maps already, but information regarding lands across the great waters is rarely shown. When inquiring about them it was brought to my attention that your family has one of the largest collections of maps in the kingdom.”

“That is true and is something our family has always treasured. It is also something we have guarded jealously.”

I nodded, “I was told that as well.”

“The royal family has always had access to our collected information, but no outsider has been granted more than a tour in some time. Yours is an unparalleled situation and you are an extraordinary individual. So we may make an exception for you,” he swaggered, “if you agree to my request in return.”

A negotiation then? That was unexpected. “What would you ask of me?”

“Two things. First, is that you simply return the favor.”

“I have no grand library, collected knowledge of this world, or anything of the sort.”

“Yet, my boy. Yet. One day you will however, I am certain of it. My salty bones can feel the potential for greatness in its infancy, on the rare occasions I am in its presence.”

“High praise, Morstaal. What if I amount to nothing?”

“Neither you, nor I, believe that Sully. The second thing is that you may not share the knowledge gained within our collection without our express permission.”

“Ever? Without exception?”

“You will likely never receive permission to share it with anyone outside the kingdom. Even the royal family accepts similar restrictions and adheres to them without fail.”

“How would they use it to their benefit then?”

Duke Morstaal’s cunning grin was all the response he would offer.

“Alright, I accept your terms. Upon request, I will grant access to your family of the knowledge I discover and collect from this world with the same restrictions you apply to me.” It did not seem at all prudent to ask how such a thing could be enforced. So, I didn’t.

“You are a clever lad,” he barked in amusement. “Fair enough my boy. What would you request for access to your knowledge not of this world?”

I couldn’t hide my frown, “Unfortunately, nothing presently. I have quite a bit of that and have not decided to share it so openly just yet.”

“Is there nothing we may offer in exchange?”

“I fear that there is nothing you could offer, for now at least.”

“I will only ask once more before letting the matter rest. Know that we could offer a great many things. More than most, and more than you may be able to imagine.”

“Again, I must respectfully decline Duke Morstaal.”

The Duke winked, “Wise choice son. I hope you do not blame an old sailor for trying to strike a bargain though.”

“Not at all. I really do wish that I could just say yes, but I must think about it quite a bit more. There is knowledge of wondrous, and terrifying, things from there.” I stopped myself before saying more as I could see how some knowledge may spin their world into chaos. I wouldn’t free myself of it if I had to choose, but I also recognized it as both a blessing and a burden all the same. “You are… Aren’t you? An old sailor that is.”

He guffawed, “Aye. Noticed that did you?”

“It was unexpected, like your choice of attire.”

“Anyone who wishes to become a prominent member of our family must first find themselves at sea… or be lost to her black depths.”

“So everyone in the Mors family becomes a sailor?”

“Most, not all, are drawn by her song. Few of ours become common sailors though. Officers, captains, navigators, cartographers, merchants, and the like.”

“How much of your life have you sailed?”

“Still do,” he beamed. “I go out a couple times each spring and summer. Fishing, trade, and patrols mostly.”

I thought he would have given it up like the founder of Orya. “Unlike Morskov then?”

He nodded, “Would not think I could survive a year straight on land if I had to. Bless the man for having wives who called to him stronger than the azure mistress.”

“He had more than one wife?” I hadn’t read about that yet.

“Not really. His wife on land, Morsnima, and his wife that is this land, Orya.”

“You have referred to the sea differently than most I have heard and read. Azure mistress?” Well, I wasn’t going to ask him why his own wife didn’t have her own siren’s song.

He took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh. “It is not a well guarded secret, but we Mors follow an ancient goddess of the vast blue expanses.”

“Not Selev then?”

“Curse that dread name,” he spat. “More ships have been lost praying to that impudent character than have been saved.”

“What of Navi, his lover?”

“Morvida is the goddess of all open waters and has been Navi’s lover… Before she was cast out by a spiteful little sect that gained power in the faiths.”

“Interesting. I meant no offense.”

“It is not you who caused any offense, Sully.”

“Morvida? It is not a coincidence that your family name is similar, is it?”

“When he was granted land and title, Morskov changed the family name to honor her. You can read all this when you visit our libraries, though I fear you do not have much time before you will be leaving Orya.”

I frowned, “I will use the time that I have left to do just that. Though I fear it has been too long since I have slept, and I need to pay off that debt before diving into that well of knowledge.”

“Nor am I as young as I once was,” he yawned. The Duke sat up in his seat quickly, “We have had such a splendid conversation, something nearly slipped my mind. The line of Mors wish to bestow a gift before you leave.” He stood up and walked toward a long table beside the door.

“This is for you,” Morstall beamed, placing a meter long model ship in front of me.

The details were incredible. I leaned in to look it over, genuinely surprised at the design and impressive level of work that must have gone into it. The replica even looked like it could actually float and sail, which I thought was awesome - whether it could or not. Having not inspected any of the boats in the Oryan harbor or dry docks, this thing looked unlike anything I’ve seen.

The hull was that of a large round ship or merchant vessel, with a prominent ram style prow that would sit just above the surface of the water. A giant pointed chin jutting out beneath the figurehead which protruded quite a bit less. Like the super-sized love child of a Spanish galleon and a Grecian warship.

Its most distinguishing feature was the figurehead. The uncanny likeness of a minotaur stood at the front of the bow in a menacing pose. As I looked closer, I realized that it only had half a face with the other half being a bare skull.

Again with the bull and minotaur theme. I was probably never going to separate that from my image. Nonetheless, it was an awesome gift. “You are too kind, Morstaal.”

“Oh, this is not all. It is the representation of your gift.”

“Representation?” I thought. “What do you mean?”

“This is the model of a ship we are building this winter. Your ship.”

“My ship?”

He grabbed a few rolled up plans and laid them out next to the model. “Aye, your ship,” he echoed.

I was interested before when it was just a model, but now that it was going to be a real ship I was fascinated. There were already things I saw that could be improved on the design… but would have to weigh my options on providing input. First off, I’m not a shipwright. And secondly, they would then have access to any improvements thereafter. Maybe that was part of Morstaal’s plan? Clever Duke.

Their system of measurement still seemed bizarre to me, but it seemed like the boat was about one hundredth scale - meaning it would be an impressive sized boat. What on not-Earth would I do with a ship though? His answer was that I could have taken it out to explore if I had chosen to stay in Orya, which he discussed with Nespolan more than a month ago.

I felt slighted as I thought about the possibility and not being informed. That only lasted until he assured me I could have purchased a small fleet of ships with the wealth I was gifted.

If I had no use of the ship when it was finished, they would be willing to use it and split the profits of any voyages with me. That seemed like a good enough plan for now as I wasn’t sure what I would actually do with a ship. He also explained that if I ever did send for it that he would stock and crew the ship for its journey to me, which included a team of magi and ministers.

Magic users were often used by wealthy merchants, nobles, and other benefactors to aid a ship. They could heal crews, assist in repairs somehow, summon favorable winds, defend the ship, put out fires, and bail faster than anyone else. Unlike crew though, they were contracted from the Resolute or bound to someone - still receiving no pay themselves.

Another hour went by with us just talking about the ship. Once we both yawned in tandem we knew it was time to call it a night. I thanked him again, for everything. Morstaal called a servant to carry the model, which was surprisingly heavy, and I took the copy of my ship’s plans. Before parting he also gave me instructions to call on his nephew, Morslon for access to their libraries and how to find them.

I hadn’t known what to expect when I’d requested the meeting, but it turned out so much better than I could have hoped. It may have taken me a whole sixty seconds to fall asleep after crawling into bed, and that whole night all I dreamt about was my ship.

*****

The sun by itself didn’t wake me as it had most days. Fortunately I requested that the servant who carried the ship model schedule someone to wake me up just after sunrise, just in case.

So many books I’ve read where the protagonist is transported to another world, like my present situation, had spoken about their longing for things from home. Given how prepared I was, that wasn’t really the case for me most of the time. Most of the time was not mornings like this though. I longed for coffee.

Sure, I had some instant coffee, but I hadn’t broken down to open any of it yet. There were some caffeine pills and other light stimulants though, so that is where I sought respite from my bleary eyed state before eating.

I inhaled my food between brief pleasantries with others around me in the dining hall. And, with all that and a trip to the privy finished, I made my way to find Morslon. About half an hour later and I was led into a cavernous expanse of a library.

“How many books are there,” I inquired with wide-eyed enthusiasm.

“Just north of fifty-thousand bound volumes if the accounts are accurate. That does not include the hundreds of maps, which are the envy of all Norvos and rival kingdoms.”

If being the envy of bibliophiles was a sign of wealth and power, the Mors must truly be titans. Of course, I have no basis of comparison in this world as usual, so who knows. It could be a hollow boast, though I doubted that.

“I am to help you locate anything you may need, to make the best use of your time.”

“And to keep an eye on me,” I thought wryly. That wasn’t fair though, I doubted they would fear theft with all the guards in the halls and as a royal guest. It felt odd even thinking about that, being attached to royalty so casually.

“Excellent! The first thing I want to look at are the maps and any books on geography. My goal is to cover this... ‘continent’... hmmm.” I had to pause to think for a moment. “Continuous land? Lands bound between oceans? I must admit, I do not know the word.”

“I believe you mean Obil. It is the name for all the unbroken lands.”

I thought back to the lessons I had in geography, but those had mostly covered Norvos and some of the surrounding regions. “Why have I not heard it before?”

Morslon shrugged, “It is simply not commonly used. Most people do not need to know the name of something so expansive that they will never see it all. It is likely unfathomable to most, besides.”

“Obil,” I said, testing out the word. “Alright, Obil first and then the lands beyond after.”

Morslon led me to the back of the absolutely ginormous library, through a door, and into a smaller map room. We got to work, pulling out half a dozen rolled maps at a time. These first maps were the newest and hopefully most accurate.

He unrolled them and secured them to a map table with a protruding arm at each corner. I looked over the map then took pictures of it on my phone while he was fetching the next one. Hopefully he didn’t see what I was doing, though if he did there was no mention of it.

Of course there were maps of Norvos, including detailed maps of specific domains within the kingdom. The political, resource, trade, and other distinct maps would be great for me to study up on. A couple hours in and we had gotten through nearly a hundred maps of mostly Norvos and the surrounding kingdoms. Unfortunately there were none of Orbil in its entirety.

Moving on to large cabinets with shallow drawers, it was time for older, more esoteric, maps. Some of these were thousands of years old, which likely meant they were less accurate too. The first of these he brought to me were still of Orbil, but distant regions far to the south and east.

Scale and distance were difficult for me to gauge, but if my assumptions were right the continent may rival all of Eurasia! I was just using the distance between various cities, asking travel time by wagon, and some random geography to make that highly uneducated guesstimate.

The continents around Orbil were even worse for me to figure out measurements. One of the experienced captains could probably work me through it all, but so many maps had strange scales and foreign number systems.

Few agreed on all the unambiguous details of the foreign continents, especially inland, but many shared key coastal features. In total there were four other large continents and dozens of islands ranging from archipelago chains to lands like England, Greenland, New Zealand, and as large as Australia.

A few hours later and I got pictures of everything Morslon thought was worth sharing. I prodded him about what he wasn’t showing and agreed with him after seeing a bunch. Many appeared to be beyond ancient maps or lands which had no reference to Orbil at all. That doesn’t mean I didn’t take pictures of them, because I did. Of course I did. Why wouldn’t I?

Most geography books proved to be somewhat less useful than the maps as they primarily contained histories, cultural information, and details about cities. Some even went into such small details as local plants and wildlife. I set aside a pair of them before asking Morslon to fetch books on commerce, trade, and mercantilism. It seemed like a good segway to me.

I looked up to see him peering over my shoulder while flipping through and taking photos of the second book.

“Sir Sully, may I inquire as to what you are doing with that strange box?”

“Well, shit,” I thought. Caught red handed, with my pants down. Thus far I have basically told the truth and that was working out for me. Keeping track of lies always seemed unnerving and tedious too, which is why I usually tried to avoid it.

“It allows me to capture something like an illustration,” I said while holding the screen up to him.

A more in-depth explanation was necessary after that. Of course, he heard the story about how I arrived, but Morslon was skeptical until I told him a bit more, showing him more of what the phone could do. He was full of questions after that, which I had to put an end to for now or I would make no further progress with this project.

“So, are you going to tell your uncle?”

“Of course. I must.”

“Damnit.” Bribing him didn’t seem right, nor did I think it would actually work. He seemed rather devoted to his family despite being something of a black sheep.

He studied my face as I mulled over what I could do. Perhaps it would be best to just confess to Morstaal myself, directly.

“He will not be upset, I assure you.”

“Why not?”

“Duke Morstaal asked me to accompany you on your trek back to Videm, where I would be returning anyway. I spend the winters there studying and return here some time in the spring or summer each year.”

“Oh…” That didn’t really explain why he wouldn’t be absolutely pissed that I was essentially copying knowledge they were protective of. “Which means?”

“It means, Sir Sully,” Morslon said as he lowered into a kneeling position, “that I would ask if you would take me into your service. I wish to pledge myself to you, if you will have me.”

“You want me to hire you?”

He shook his head, “I would like to be a member of your argenti.”

I stood there, dumbfounded. “I still only vaguely understand what that means.” They weren’t slaves, but they were bound to someone for life. That seemed like a lot of responsibility to take on. “I don’t know if I should, or can, have an argenti.”

“Of course you can. Anyone can, though most are not offered such a pact unless they are a person of import.”

“Is there anything magical about the bond?”

“Some believe there is, but I doubt such claims. Rumors exist to impress loyalty both to and from benefactors.”

That brought up an excellent question. “How is loyalty enforced then?”

“It is largely left up to the individuals to decide, though proven betrayal, by a patron or their argenti, is punishable by death. This is considered one of the more sacred laws within Norvos and why ours are a people who consider themselves to be a more civilized society.”

“What would happen to my argenti should the worst come to pass?”

Morslon remained kneeling on the hard stone, unwavering. “If you were to die? Members of your argenti would have the choice of honoring your will, following your wishes to join another, or returning to the Resolute if they were a member.”

Better than having to follow me to the grave. “Any downsides you think I should know of before I decide? Or, you know, any other benefits?”

“I am afraid of the ocean and can not swim…” He admitted, hanging his head in shame.

“Nothing more? Are you afraid of water in general?”

“Nothing more? That is certainly the most grievous failing I could have among our family. It is why I will never captain a ship or rise to power. And no, just deeper waters. Mostly.”

This wasn’t an easy decision. Not because of his supposed shortcomings, because that didn’t really matter to me. I wouldn’t be going out to sea in the near future. It was difficult because I would be accepting responsibility for the life of another and it wasn’t something I wanted to take lightly.

Thinking about it did nothing to help his nerves, but he never stood or slumped. It had been the single motion - the act of momentarily lowering his head, ashamed because he probably had thalassophobia. Maybe he wasn’t fully aquaphobic. None of that mattered. I was just just thinking in circles around the decision.

“Well, ‘bud’, it seems like you will have a new family. I accept your pledge. I shall do my best to keep you alive, and thriving, at my side.”