Tales of Fire and Ruin

Like Smoke in the Night

"There's a fire?"

I slammed the etiquette book shut and rose to my feet. A sinking feeling settled in my stomach as I left Oleander and Ariane in the cabin and marched after Endris, who was already on his way up to the deck again. We climbed the stairs, and I immediately went to the railing and looked up at the cliffs. I didn't see nor smell anything. Around me, Ariane's servants were calmly doing their tasks or standing guard. It appeared Endris had warned no one besides me.

I turned to Endris. "Was that a way to save me from the Wildewall etiquette lessons? Because if that is the case, thank you so much."

"This is no time for jokes." Endris glared at me. "Breathe in deeply! There is smoke coming from the shore."

Oleander stepped beside me, and I nearly jumped. His footsteps were so quiet, I hadn't noticed he had also followed us. "I also smell serpentine powder," Oleander murmured, lowering his tone so only Endris and I could hear him.

I squinted at the shore but saw no fire nor smoke rising. Then I did as Endris suggested and breathed as deeply as I could. The wind gusted into my face, that was when I caught a whiff of what Endris meant, the faintest scent of smoke.

Endris' face darkened. He grabbed my arm. "I don't smell it, but if Oleander is right and there is serpentine powder, this is very dangerous," he said. 

I glanced at Endris, then at Oleander, and finally settled my gaze on the Montbow mansion resting on top of the cliffs again. "What is serpentine powder?" I asked quietly. "Why is that dangerous?"

"It's used to blow up buildings, like the mansion, with a single spark," Endris hastily replied. "If you make the mistake of accidentally igniting that powder with your thunder..." Endris trailed off, letting the heavy end of his sentence hang in the air.

"Blow up buildings?" I repeated. A chill ran down my spine.

Endris' and Oleander's faces lit dimly by the sinking sun looked tense but certain. They both seemed convinced we needed to go. Behind Endris, I saw Ariane climbed up, looking annoyed at my and Oleander's sudden departure. It was for a good cause, however, as she would soon see.

I nodded at Oleander and Endris. "Very well," I said. I stepped away from the railing and faced the crew of the ship. "We need to go!" I boomed. "To the shore!"

Nearly all the men and women looked up from their work, but they didn't otherwise react. I stared at a bunch of blank expressions. "What are you waiting for?" I asked. "Do it."

Ariane chuckled and patted my shoulder. "Dear beloved, you have to understand these are my servants, not yours. They answer to me. And so, if you want to go to the shore, you answer to me too." Ariane's eyes travelled to Endris and Oleander. "You're going to tell me what you boys were whispering about in the corner?"

"They smell smoke. And Oleander smelled serpentine powder," I hissed. "Faintly, but surely. I believe them. We have to go."

Ariane looked at the shore, just like I had. "I smell nothing," she said. "And I see nothing either."

"It's there, lady Seydal," Endris insisted.

"If so, if you smell the powder, that means the powder was lit," Ariane replied. "We would have seen and heard the effects of serpentine powder being lit, don't you think?"

"Ytel's men having a weapon like that is already dangerous," I protested.

"It is not fully dark yet. If someone was approaching the mansion, Nele would have seen them move from the crow's nest," Ariane countered, pointing up at the woman sitting in the nest.