Chapter 11

“Absolutely not!” Quentin yelled, standing up from behind her desk on the Drake. They were gathered in her cabin to discuss the day’s events, and to plan their next steps. All of Wil’s companions were present, as well as Captain Edvard. The rest of his crew, and his first mate, were busy overseeing the repairs.

The meetings with the locals had gone well. Edvard had arranged for materials for the repairs and hired nearly a dozen skilled, local craftspeople to assist the crew. With the additional help, the ship could set sail in under two weeks, just after the Night.

Unfortunately, nothing could be done for the wards. The Drake was sturdy, but it would still be helpless in the face of another storm.

It was after the captain’s report that Wil broke the news of Sophia’s request, resulting in Annabelle’s staunch refusal to entertain the notion.

“Look, even putting aside the moral obligation to help them, do you think the Sea God would let us go without assisting them? He sent a storm that almost sank the ship just to lure us here, I doubt he would be reluctant to send another.” Wil reasoned.

“It doesn’t matter Wil! I’m not letting you risk your life for us again! You’ve done enough already with the wards, now you want to fight a Dragon Turtle? It’s not happening.”

“To be fair, Miss Quentin, Sophia didn’t say anything about fighting the Azure Lord. Just that he wouldn’t respond to any of the Islanders. They only want Wil to sail out to his lair and…speak to him?” Mara said, looking to Wil for confirmation, who nodded at the question.

“Annabelle, I appreciate you looking out for me, but this is something that must happen. I’m not going to risk the Drake, and all your lives, to avoid this. And Mara is right, no one said anything about fighting him. I don’t think anything could fight a Dragon Turtle. I’m just going out to meet with it, that’s all. There and back, quick and easy.” Wil assured her, looking around at the others.

“Nothing is ever ‘quick and easy’ when it comes to a quest from the gods, Junior.” Garman said, shaking his head at him.

“He’s right, but would this also have something to do with the reward she mentioned? Clear skies and making it worth your trouble?” Bell said, grinning at the young mage.

“I’ll admit, a reward from a Dragon Turtle is tempting. Think about it! I can list a dozen spells that trace their origins back to simply observing them, and a hundred more that come from the Elder Dragon’s themselves. This is an opportunity of a lifetime, even if it’s just a quick peek!” Wil exclaimed, standing up from his chair and pacing the room.

“It must be something good, I haven’t seen the kid this excited before. Usually, he’s broody and serious. But I agree with Quentin, this is too risky for you to do alone.” Garman said, throwing his vote in with Annabelle.

“Unfortunately, I must agree with Mr. Brookmoor.” Captain Edvard said. At his words, Quentin’s head whipped around and her eyes stared daggers at the tanned man. With a sigh, he continued.

“The Drake cannot withstand another storm, not with any hope of still reaching Lund. With the wards gone, the guarantee of clear skies and good weather is too good to pass up.” As he spoke, Quentin opened her mouth to argue. Cutting her off with a raised hand, Edvard went on.

“I do not like the idea of placing him in danger again for our sakes, but I have learned that resisting the will of the gods is foolish. Of course, we may ignore this quest and sail onwards, throwing caution to the wind. But the Sea God is not one to be ignored or scorned, he will seek vengeance if we toss his goodwill back in his face. And the crew, they will agree with me, most are respectful of the gods.” Edvard finished, staring down Quentin.

“I still do not like this! I don’t like the idea of the gods just deciding our fates, forcing us to their whims.” Quentin said, squeezing her eyes shut in anger.

“This isn’t something that I am opposed to, Annabelle. Think of it this way, I do this, and we all set sail, happily ever after. I get to study a Dragon Turtle, the Drake stays in one piece, and maybe the reward will be a giant chest of gold? One which I can show off and not let you touch a single gold piece?” Wil joked, grinning at his friend.

Opening her eyes, she shook her head as she slowly formed a grin to match his. Slowly, her face crumbled with worry as she looked at her friend.

“Be honest with me Wil, is this what you want? You’re risking your life for us again.” She said, earnestly looking for an answer.

“Yes, this is what I want to do. Everything I care about in the world is on this ship. Keeping it safe is all I want. And, at least this time, doing it happens to align with something I actually want to pursue as well. I’ve read about them, Annabelle, a real-life mythical creature, one that I can reach out and touch!” Wil was practically bouncing on his toes, his excitement was infectious. Even Garman started to smile at him.

“I don’t see what’s so great about a giant Turtle. It’s big, but so what?” Garman scoffed, trying to calm Wil down.

Spinning towards the man, Wil held up his hand and concentrated for a moment. Light and mana coalesced over his hand, forming into a clay figurine. It was a perfect recreation of the Azure Lord he had seen in the book Sophia had shown him. Although it was small, fitting perfectly in his palm, it looked lifelike, as if it would begin to move any moment.

Carefully, he handed the figure to Garman, who held it close to his eyes as he took in the details. The small scales, the leather fin on its head, the spikey shell. It was easy to see the Draconic features of the creature.

“This is it? How big does it get, lad?” Bell asked, peeking over Garman’s shoulder to get a closer look.

“I’m not really sure. I only had the picture for scale, and descriptions in a couple book I’ve read of other Dragon Turtles. Typically, they are described as being over a hundred feet long. But I think the Azure Lord will be quite a bit bigger.” Wil said, pacing the room again.

“A bit bigger than a hundred feet?” Garman said, whistling at the description. He couldn’t imagine the fierce beast he was holding in his hand being that large.

“Just a bit, judging from the picture, and you can’t trust the scale, mind you….it looked to be bigger than the Drake.” Wil said sheepishly, pausing as he pictured it.

“That big? The Drake is over 300 feet long!” Edvard said, eyes wide at the possibility of such a creature living nearby.

“That’s why I need to see it!” Wil said, pacing again. “This is the sort of experience scholars would kill for. The academy is over a thousand years old, and millions of people have graduated from it, but the amount of people that have actual, hands-on experience with a Dragon Turtle can be counted on one hand! Imagine, I’ll be making history, instead of just reading it in some dusty tome!” Wil exclaimed, thinking of what the professors at the academy will say when he sent them a detailed accounting of their encounter.

Wil was a history student, studying things hundreds, if not thousands of years in the past. Even the ruins he had explored in Whitewater and Grand Falls, as amazing as they are, were ancient history, their inhabitants long gone.

This was a living, breathing testament to myth and legend. And he, Wil the Wastrel, the embarrassment of the Academy, would be the one experiencing it. It meant something to him, this opportunity to prove himself, to give back to a community that he did nothing but leech off.

“When do you leave?” Quentin asked, sighing deeply. It was no use, she knew that Wil wouldn’t be deterred from seeing it. He was normally a practical person, and, despite the rumors to the contrary, an intelligent individual. But he was still a scholar and an adventurer, not many could turn down this chance.

“Tomorrow. Sophia will be coming with me to a small, deserted island nearby. Apparently, the Azure Lord has its lair near there, and the islanders leave offerings to him. She’ll drop me off and pick me up when I signal her that I’m ready.” Wil explained, finally sitting back on his chair.

“Did she give any indication of why Lord Azure has not been responding to them?” Edvard asked, curious.

“No, although she mentioned the Sahuagin. Do you know anything about them? It wasn’t a race I am familiar with.” Wil asked, turning to the captain.

At the mention of the name, the tanned captain’s face paled considerably, and he made an odd motion with one hand, extending his pinky and fore finger while curling the rest, a sign to ward off evil.

“Sea Devils! Butchers and flesh eaters.” Edvard spat on the cabin floor, his face twisted with disgust.

“They are rarely seen on the Azure Coast, thank the twins. I’ve sailed my entire life and have only encountered them twice. Each time was a gods damned bloodbath.” The captain swore, something that Wil could not recall the man doing before.

“If they are involved, you must be careful, Mr. Brookmoor. I have never experienced a purer malevolence than the Sahuagin. Do not underestimate their capacity for evil.” Edvard warned.

“Bah, a bunch of fish folk! They’ll bleed just like anything else, Junior. Go see this Azure Lord, maybe bring him some Sahuagin fish heads on a plate, I’m sure that will please the giant turtle. Just watch your back, remember what I taught you in Aachen. Always prepare for the bloody worst.” Garman advised, slapping Wil on the shoulder as he left.

“Be careful, Mr. Brookmoor. Aruna is not the only god of the ocean, the Sahuagin have their own deity, as bloodthirsty and wicked as they are.” Edvard advised.

“I will, Captain. Sophia mentioned they were descended from an Elder Sea Dragon…could that be the deity you heard of?” Wil asked, thinking back to the book she had shown him.

“Maybe, I have not had much opportunity to learn of them. Most humans who see the Sahuagin do not have pleasant experiences, few survive to record the event. If they are descended from an elder dragon, you must be extra vigilant. There is no shame in forgoing this quest, we will find a way for the Drake to carry on.” Edvard said, patting Wil on the shoulder.

All of Wil’s companions offered similar advice, to be cautious and avoid putting himself at risk. But for Wil, an old saying kept revolving around his mind. From crisis, comes opportunity. There was no doubt they were in the midst of a crisis, as was the Island. It would be up to him to resolve it and seize the opportunity in front of him.