A scholar who reveres wizards and a street rat who despises them both find themselves apprenticed to a mage with a dark storied past and discover he is not what either of them expected. They may end up learning more from each other than they do from...
As the interceptor fled from the Ruby Cutlass, Quinn found herself unceremoniously tossed into the hold. It was damp and cold, and Quinn could hear rats scuttling about. She wished she had the cloak Trina had made her, but that was still on board the other ship. Two guards sat on crates, watching over Quinn. One was ugly and pock-marked, the other lean and severe. Watching them with loathing, Quinn wished even more that she still had her sword.
Things were not, however, as bleak as they seemed. While it had not been Quinn's intention to be captured, she was counting it to her advantage. She could use this opportunity to learn something about her captors while they vastly underestimated her capabilities, believing that the wizard they feared was on another ship. In fact, they believed she was the insurance to keep wizards away.
Quinn recalled a popular legend of a band of soldiers who conquered Ibridon Castle, an impregnable fortress by disguising themselves as merchants and farmers and hiding their weapons and armor under the produce. Once inside, the soldiers prepared themselves for battle and achieved victory by slaughtering the enemy from within their own walls. Much like the army of Ibridon, these pirates did not know what they were bringing into their home. She was far from helpless.
"I like this not." The ugly guard muttered, concern etched on his pocked face. Quinn listened carefully to their conversation. "This job's already dangerous 'nough and now making enemies of wizards, are we? What can we do if that one comes after us?"
"Be a blasted fool to try." The skinny one answered. "You 'eard Cap'n Rookplume. Long as we 'ave this one, we're safe. Wizard even looks at us cross, we slit 'er throat"
"And what then? If we kill her, what will stop him? He might have magic to raise her back to life, anyway."
The skinny one warded himself. "Don't even speak that evil, Garrus. You know well as I do, wizard brings anyone back to life, they 'ave no soul. Just a breathing corpse."
"Could be that's enough for him." The ugly one—Garrus—looked about nervously. "Even if not, how long do we hold her? At some point, he's liable to say enough's enough. Round up some friends and come after us to rescue her. I want to be out of this operation afore that happens."
"So, you 'ave enough to buy back your oath of blood, do you? Abandon yer post while cap'n still 'olds your oath coin and you will know only misfortune."
Garrus nodded. "Been saving. Will be tight for me but can scrape it. Soon as we're back to Wavewall, I'm buying back me coin just like Jenk did."
"Then you're a coward, Garrus, just like Jenk. Ain't no wizard assaulting Wavewall. Only one way in and no one can take it. Not even a wizard."
Quinn made note of all the information she'd learned from the two pirates. While she wasn't certain how useful much of that information would be, she found it encouraging that the loyalty of the crew hung by a fraying thread. Hopefully, she could exploit those fears.
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