Lorcan: Dragonquest

Chapter 19

The sun blazed ferociously down on the ship as it sailed into the harbor of Pogee. They stopped for a day and there was little time to explore, though Lorcan and Cokelli noticed that the language spoken by the locals was different from that of the Anticans. Nonetheless, they were able to make themselves understood as they roamed the market and sampled the food in one of the inns. 

When they returned to the ship that evening Lorcan observed that even though the crew had changed, everyone seemed to know each other and the loading of the ship went smoothly. He sought out Beso, who was standing on deck, leaning on the bulwark, looking out to sea. "What happens now?" he asked.

Beso turned to face him, then turned back again to the sea. "The ship will dock at Nikel, Illure, and many other ports before she arrive at the great city of Telgawa, Gateway to the Lands of the East. It will be many days before we arrive at Telgawa. Why you not get off at Pogee and ride across the land?"

"It seemed wiser to stay with people who know the languages of the people we will be meeting as we travel. And be paid as we go instead of running out of money and turning to banditry to survive."

"Indeed," said Cokelli. "We will arrive at Bhimaa with our good names and get the blessing of the Eldest."

Beso laughed. "Ah, so you take the narrow path of the righteous. The Judge will no doubt be pleased with you."

"Are you still thinking about that, Beso?" asked Lorcan.

"It seems right that a patron would arise who want us to do good, not just make offerings at shrines. Everybody do things for himself, eh? To make his own life better. This Judge, he want us all to do things for others, to make life better for everyone. You should listen to the man when he speak tonight."

"Who?"

"Strozza. He says he has seen this Judge and he will tell us all about it. Come, let us hide from the heat until it is time."

Having nothing better to do, Lorcan and Cokelli complied.

As the heat of the day gave way to a southerly breeze, Strozza went up on deck, trailed by Beso, Henorm, and Heshbon. The other passengers joined them from the lower decks and the captain and some of his crew emerged from the forecastle. Taking a spot on the forecastle deck, Strozza began to speak. "My friends," he said, in a loud voice that reminded Lorcan of the raider chief's lieutenant giving orders, "I stand before you as a humble traveler like yourselves, but was not always thus. I was, I confess, a lieutenant of the raider chief Baldassar, the Terror of Antica, until we were confronted by the Judge himself one stormy day.

"We had arrived at the village of Doga in the north, where vineyards cloak the countryside and cattle roam the fields. There we destroyed the shrines of the Patron Boni and attacked the lord Pagolo. We killed his wife in front of him and threatened to slay him if he would not give up all his gold, for he had hidden it well.

"At the inn where Baldassar held court, master of all he surveyed, the old man crouched begging for his life. Outside, a storm was gathering. We were forcing the villagers to take in our horses and quarter our men. I stood at Baldassar's side and was passing him the knife he was going to torment the old man with ere he slew him. As he reached for it our men began to push each other, jumping as if robigati ran amok among us. Like rats they bit our feet and ran up our legs, causing us to lash out at each other. Something bigger moved between us, lifting our cloaks up over our heads, and throwing us into confusion. I saw with my own eyes how one man's cloak was repeatedly snatched from within his grasp by an unseen hand. He turned and fled when an unearthly breath blew into his ear. We found him later, mad with terror, crying out for mercy from the Jinn and the Borda.