IX: Caedric

Seven islands made up the Broken Neck. Before the Cataclysm, the pieces of the Neck were connected together, forming a bridge between Tochi and Ylliad. The seven islands are all that remains of such a bridge. But then, Amatera Mountain erupted and the world was changed. The God Amatera sent fire and rock from the sky and plummeted Galia into darkness. Only the dragon God Rota’s sacrifice saved humanity, but it was almost too late.

The fifth island of the Broken Neck slid past the *Danto’s Dance*, and Caedric could see Amatera Mountain in the distance. The peak looked cool today, by the looks of it, and Caedric took it as a good sign.

They left High-Mountain the same night as he was given his task. It only occurred to Caedric the next morning—when he was already on the boat to Dred’al Morinth—that Terissa did not know that he wasn’t going home. *If I don’t make it back, what will happen to her?* The thought made him uneasy and he leaned over the wooden railing of the boat. The wood churned the water as they moved swiftly on. He liked it up top. He liked the breeze on his skin, the smell of the salt and foam, the sounds of the waves crashing and men shouting. For half a moment, he forgot who he was and began imagining that he was some fisherman. Perhaps it was time to go home…

*“You don’t need to know the details of who this boy is. He is, however, dangerous.”*

The peaceful feeling stopped, and the image of the boy returned to his mind. He was below deck. Dorter never told him his name, and he didn’t speak often enough to say it. They shared a cabin as far from the others as possible and he had never left. Caedric brought him his meals, but they rarely spoke. *I know too little of children, save for Terissa.*

“Oi, Moustache,” the captain. Caedric recognised the voice before he turned around. Le’toya was a tall man, thin and wiry with the shadow of a yellow beard on his cheeks. He wore a roughspun brown coat and red trousers that were filled with holes. He spoke with a thick Eastern-Ylliad accent: Guttural and throaty with long, drawn-out syllables; Whenever his lips touched together, his whole mouth would boom.

“Captain,” Caedric nodded to him, and Le’toya looked him up and down.

“Your boy,” he said, tilting his head a little. “He…not come out. No like the sway, question?” *He’s not my boy.*

“I suppose not, he’s not a very social child,” he told him. Whenever someone mentioned the boy to Caedric, he felt as if he had to carefully pick at his words. The wrong phrase or tone might just give away how unfamiliar he was with him.

“We get there soon. No much delay, now. You tell your boy, question? It make him feel better,” Le’toya patted him on the shoulder as he passed by him, walking to the other end of the boat. Caedric’s shoulders relaxed a little. *After we reach Dred’al Morinth, Ytterbron is a month’s ride away, at least. And that’s if we can get a good horse.*

Behind them, the fifth island of the Broken Neck began sinking below the horizon.

\*

The *Danto’s Dance* was a fairly large ship. As they had left High-Mountain, Dorter had dropped a small bag of gold into his hand. Enough for transport and a horse upon arrival. Caedric had chosen the *Danto’s Dance* mainly for its size. Big enough to be inconspicuous while they travelled, small enough not to demand too large an amount of Han. He didn’t even have a sword to take with him.

Caedric didn’t know *why* he wanted to be inconspicuous, but drawing attention to himself definitely didn’t appeal to him. They chose a small alcove towards the stern. No wider than two men and no longer than a horse, the only protection from the outside was a grey blanket held up in the doorway, its bottom frayed and torn.

Caedric pulled it aside and stepped in. The boy was laid in his cot and facing the wall. Both beds were set into the sides of the room and Caedric sat down in his, looking at the bony back of the child before him. *He eats everything I give him, why does he remain so thin?* He doesn’t stir. The only evidence that he is even alive is the slow, rhythmic rise and fall of the boy’s ribs.

*“He is, however, dangerous.”*

*How? What makes a boy so meek, so tiny, as dangerous as he makes out?*

“You want to ask something?” his voice, like his whole body, sounded thin—weak, even—yet it unnerved him nonetheless.

“Yes,” he answered, stealing a glance at the blanket that served as the door. “If you’ll permit me.” Slowly, the boy turned over. He curled up into a ball, pulling the patchwork covers over his shoulder. He looked at Caedric, those two differently-coloured eyes analysing him with faint curiosity. Caedric gulped. They truly were marvellous to look at. Two brilliantly bright and utterly different eyes amidst a dirty, unkempt face.

“Permit?”

“If you’ll…allow me.” He nodded after a moment, but Caedric heard him whisper the word ‘permit’ back to himself. Caedric coughed, unsure where to begin. “Where…I mean…well, let’s begin with: what’s your name?”

“Name?”

“Yes, your name,” he tried to speak carefully, almost like speaking the words too harshly would hurt him. “For instance, my name is Caedric. Caedric Kinkaid.”

“Name…” again, he whispered to himself. “I…don’t have one.”

“No name?” the boy shook his head, keeping his eyes on Caedric. “Dorter, he…he didn’t call you anything? Nothing to identify you?” Another shake of the head.

“There used to be others,” he said. “Like me. No name as well.”

“Others?” he couldn’t help himself. Curiosity and the need to know was getting the better of him. “Other children?”

“Children?” he said. Then: “Yes. Other children.”

“What…what happened to *them*?” the boy shrugged. “Where do you come from, exactly? Do you have any parents?”

“I…” Caedric knew he’d gone too far. The boy was confused—the look was obvious. “Six.”

“What?”

He took a moment to respond. “There were six of us. I think I was the last one.” Caedric felt sick. *What in Shinda’s name were they doing with this boy?*

*“You don’t need to know the details of who this boy is”*

The boy pushed himself up, his stick-thin arms trembling with the effort.

“Why do we go to the south place?” he asked. The ship dipped a little, making Caedric’s stomach lurch as he searched for an answer.

“I…don’t know,” he admitted. The boy seemed not to understand.

“You know the way?”

“Probably. It can’t be hard. Just head south and follow the roads,” he told him. “We’ll need a horse to cross the desert. A unicorn would be better, but we’d need more gold…” he trailed off, knowing that some words would have been lost on the child. *The poor boy has nothing. Not even a name.*

“Why not give me one?” he asked, tilting his head a little.

“Huh?” he had barely heard, too deep in thought for a moment to process the words.

“Name,” he looked at Caedric quizzically. “I’d like one. Can I have yours?”

“That’s…not how they work,” he told him. “Names are usually passed down by your family. If you’re rich, you get a mid-name. If…” he was watching with curiosity, but clearly nothing was going in. “Regardless—”

“Regardless,” he whispered.

“—a name should be something unique, I suppose. Something that identifies you as *you*,” the boy thought for a long moment; his face remained still, but his eyes looked…excited?

“I don’t…I don’t know what to pick,” his shoulders sagged a little. Caedric found himself trying to pick something—the boy probably knew as much about himself as he told him.

“What about Six?” he suggested. *An odd name, of course. But he certainly isn’t what I’d call a normal child.*

“Six?”

“You were the sixth one in your group, right? Whatever it was.”

“Six is a number,” Caedric felt his cheeks begin to burn. *Stupid. What am I doing? He’s supposed to be dangerous, isn’t he?*

“It…could also be a name,” he explained. “You don’t have to pick it, you know.”

“Six,” he tested it out, looking at his lap and almost chewing on the word with his mouth. “Six. My name…is Six.” He looked back up at Caedric. “What is your name?”

He looked into the child’s eyes for a long moment. *What have I committed myself to do? Am I taking an innocent child to the King of Ytterbron? Or am I kidnapping him and selling him to the highest bidder? Something is wrong—I cannot put my finger on it, but it is there.*

*“You’re right, Sir Caedric. You are a coward. If not for you, my brother may still be here.”*

*This is for her, is it not? For our Queen? I will* not *fail the crown once more. I won’t. I can’t.*

Caedric bowed his head towards the boy. “My name is Caedric. Caedric Kinkaid.” He didn’t bother saying “sir” before it. Partly because he wouldn’t understand. Partly.

“Caedric,” he whispered to himself. Then: “My name is Six.”

\*

Night fell soon after, and the child spent the rest of his time in his bed. Caedric didn’t bother trying to make him come out of the room. He had been impressed enough to have had a whole conversation with the lad, so left him alone.

“Know why this ship is named *Danto’s Dance*, question?” Le’toya asked. They were outside, at the front of the ship. The breeze was blowing a little more, now, but the captain didn’t seem to worry about it. Le’toya approached with a dark bottle of something in his hand. He stretched it out towards Caedric, who took it.

“Not a clue, sorry,” he said, pulling the stopper off the bottle. A strong smell filled his lungs when he sniffed it. *Good. Perhaps it will make me feel a little better about this whole situation.*

“Danto was big pirate back in day,” the captain said. While he talked, Caedric took a brave swig of the drink. It burned as it slid down his throat. “Brought pirate lords together. Make them one. Danto Din Salt they call him.” He took the bottle from Caedric, taking a big gulp himself, then rubbed his thin beard. “Big man, he was. He dance and all pirate lords laugh. Join him. Conquer the oceans.”

“What happened to him?” he asked. Le’toya’s face grew still. He handed him the bottle again and this time, it didn’t burn as much.

“Captured,” the captain said. He shook his head with frustration. “Nabbed by some han’ana lord with no balls. Killed him without trial.”

“That’s the way most of those things go, I’m afraid,” Caedric said, yet he lifted the bottle and tipped some of its contents over the side. “Danto Din Salt.” Something lit up in Le’toya’s eyes then. He took the bottle himself and did the same.

“Danto Din Salt,” he repeated.

A yell came from the bow, which drew the captain away. He left the bottle with Caedric, but he didn’t bother drinking any more of it. *Drinking alone is a sad business.* The sky above was deep and black, offering little light past the lamps stationed at regular intervals along the railings. After a while, he found himself thinking of home. Of Vaerill. It had been too long since he’d been there last. *Perhaps I may never go back at all.* He didn’t know how to feel about the idea. Everything he hated about himself had come from there—his poverty,  his blood, his father…

At the same time, he remembered so much about that place. So much so that, when he closed his eyes, he could walk from his old home to the market. He remembered so much about the journey. His mother’s garden, filled with different coloured flowers, the small river with its improvised bridge made of warped old wood, the patches of ruins that he would play in. Vaerill used to be part of a larger city that was destroyed in the War for Tochi; only them, Sea Farm, and Nymme remained of it now. He remembered Yarina’s little hut just a little removed from the street. She had never been the sociable type, but that had made her all the more interesting in Caedric’s eyes.

He was brought back from his trance by the sound of shouting. Not the same off-handed, conversational speech between shipmates, but a more urgent and frenzied. Caedric did not know the language they spoke, but the tone was something he recognised. He turned back towards the ship. People were gathering towards the front, looking out into the dark.

He made his way towards them, walking slowly as he peered out. He scanned the horizon, squinting in the darkness, and eventually saw it.

A shadow—just a shade darker than the black of the night—moved slowly towards them. Caedric felt a cold chill in the air. He could not make out a flag or any identifying features, but for a ship to be out here in the dead of night with no attempt to communicate…

Le’toya had joined the small group, lifting a small eyeglass up and looking through it. He didn’t react to what he saw, simply lowering the device a moment later and saying something to his men.

Immediately, they started moving, running to their posts and raising all the sails. As he passed Caedric, he shook his head slightly. *Pirates, then? This ship has too little weaponry to take on a fully equipped pirate ship…*

He stood there for a few moments, frozen in place. What could he do? He knew not how to work a ship like this. If they truly were pirates, would they kill him simply for associating with their captain?

A blast came from the direction the attacking ship had been, now lost to the darkness once more. He felt it vibrate the air and instinctively ducked down, clutching his ears. Half a second later and the ship gave a wild lurch. *Amatera! Was that a cannon? I’d heard of their power but never imagined this.* When the ship stabilised, its front was leaning down a bit. Screams could be heard below and other crewmates began pouring out, helping to get the ship going. *That was retaliation for trying to run. They’re going to run us into the water!*

“Six…” he remembered. Immediately, he bolted down the opening in the middle of the ship, scrambling down to the lower decks. He ran upwards towards the back of the ship when he heard another blast. This time, the sound came from the *Danto’s Dance.* Someone had fired the ship’s own cannon. *They can barely see anything out there. How do they hope to hit anything?* More shots rang out from both directions, making Caedric’s ears ring. He eventually got to the room, where Six still lay in his bed. He stirred at his entry, looking up with tired eyes.

“What is happening?” he asked.

“We’re being attacked,” he grabbed Six’s hand. “Come on. We need to get above deck.” He looked around momentarily, grabbing the gold and his pack just as the ship gave another lurch. Above, he heard wood snapping and breaking. *Please, don’t be the sails.*

When he emerged up top, clutching Six’s hand, his fears were realised. The ship was drifting aimlessly in the ocean. The cannon had ripped through the floor, running right into the mast, which was now sinking into the sea. People were scrambling, fruitlessly trying to pull the wood up and back onto the ship. Others were trying to signal to the opposing ship, waving their arms wildly. *Surrendering. They’ve already given up…*

Someone grabbed Caedric’s free arm, making him jump. Le’toya pulled him away from the others, who didn’t seem to notice that their captain was no longer giving them orders.

“They come,” he said. “Take ship. Kill me.” He dragged the two of them to the back of the ship, where a small rowboat hung over the side. “You go now, before they come. Maybe don’t see you. If they do, maybe don’t bother. Even so, better luck there than here.”

Six began climbing in wordlessly, but Caedric grabbed Le’toya’s arm. “Come with us. Like you said, they’ll kill you!” he said, but the captain shook his head.

“Can negotiate,” he said. “I maybe help my men survive. They be taken as slaves, yes. But they won’t be dead. Unlike me.”

“I can’t let you do this,” the captain smiled at him, then. *Not another. I won’t let another person die for me.*

“Got it all wrong,” he said. “ I choose this. For my men.” Caedric swallowed. *Why does this keep happening?* Le’toya turned and ran back to the front of the ship, briefly stepping over the scar in the floor where the cannon had run through the wood.

A small hand tugged at his shirt. Six helped him in and they gradually lowered the boat into the water, using a pulley at the sides to bring it down. Caedric took two paddles from under the seats and began rowing just as he heard more yelling. Gruffer, unfamiliar voices joined in the conversation—unrecognisable to his ears.

As they pulled away into the ocean, Caedric could see the pirate’s ship towards the front of the *Dance.* It was somehow smaller than Le’toya’s ship, but he could make out more cannons on its sides.

“He said they would kill him,” Six said, breaking through the silence. “Why?”

He thought for a moment, trying to find the right words. “Because…because they can.”

Bang. Something large splashed into the water nearby.

“Shit!” Caedric yelled, gripping the paddles and rowing faster. “They saw us!” his arms soon began to ache. Six looked back towards the ship, breathing a little faster. *This isn’t going to work. I can’t outrun a ship like that!*

Another bang. This time, it came much closer and the splash covered them both in water.

“That was fast,” Six said, not turning away from the ship.

“Kid…I’m sorry,” Caedric kept trying to row, but his biceps burned with pain. Each pull of the paddle was slower and his breathing was heavy. “I tried. I tried.”

Another bang. A loud, whistling sound came rocketing towards them and Caedric shut his eyes. *My Queen…Terissa…Yarina…I’m sorry.*

The sound stopped. Nothing came. No death. No splash. Caedric opened his eyes and in the dim light, all he could make out was a dark, colourless ball, floating in the air. It remained there, dangling just out of Caedric’s reach and spinning extremely fast. *What in the name of Polo…*

That was when he noticed the boy. Six held out his clutched fist, his eyes were squeezed shut and he looked to be concentrating. *He is doing this…how is he doing this?*

Six opened his fist, and the cannonball shot back. It was gone in an instant, as fast as it had come. The whistling sound returned and moments later, something collided with the pirate ship. Even from a distance, Caedric saw the wood explode, sending chunks flying into the air and people over the edge. The ship visibly shook, hit with more power than the cannon had fired it with.

Caedric was frozen in place, watching as parts of the ship fell into the sea. Six opened his eyes a little, turning to look at him, then fell forward. Caedric caught him before he hit his head, but the boy was already asleep.

As they continued to drift away from the two ships, no more cannons were fired their way and soon, they faded behind the horizon. Caedric held Six for a long time, his mind a mess of thoughts, emotions, worries.

*He just used sorcery. The boy’s a fucking sorcerer.*