Elemental Thief Part I : Child of Calamity

Hunting

The Calamity wasn't the largest ship in Clairval. It sported three masts and ran lower in the water, making it ideal for the calmer summer seas than dangerous winter storms, and less than ideal for most people in the area. The Calamity had been in rough shape when Darya had purchased it in an auction and painstakingly fixed it up and many people, her sister included, had told her she was wasting her time.

But the Calamity could run, and she could fight, with two rows of cannons on both sides and armed to the teeth with sailors that had been hunting pirates and smugglers for most of their lives.

And Darya was back standing at the helm, watching her cut through the waves and run south, feeling the breeze spraying salt across her skin, grinning at the thrill, the excitement and challenge of it all. She glanced to where General Anzael and one of the Rulin fighters stood on the forecastle, their wings slightly open, feet braced, as if expecting to take off into the air at any moment. Perhaps they did. She hadn't expected them to stay with her, but had received an indication that both Vayana and Rulin considered the threat to their nations enough provocation to assist Clairval, though had so far agreed to defer to Clairvalan justice on the matter. Though they had made no promises outright.

It seemed that neither of the Winged nations were thrilled with a man attempting to assist in an attack on their borders. She had the strong suspicion that if she failed, if Clairval failed to arrest and try this man, then they would be complicit and Darya shuddered to think what that might mean to their shaky allies.

She hadn't even stopped in Morningside in her haste to start her hunt.

By the time she had reached the edge of the Wild, Anzael and his Rulin companion were waiting for her, and they took her immediately to her ship, and then they had sailed with her for the past two days. They would round the southern tip of Clairval soon, though land was out of sight on either side of them, and she had stopped looking at the sky for the Royal Guard who were supposed to be joining them.

Instead she looked south, ahead of them, calculating in her head the possibilities of finding the ship she was looking for.

An old Clairvalan warship turned smuggling vessel.

Just then, there was a high-pitched whistle from her crow's nest, and a call of 'Wings on the western horizon'.

Darya saw Anzael take wing, soaring out in that direction before banking and returning to the ship, followed shortly thereafter by a Vayan female and a Rulin male, each carrying a Clairvalan Guard. Darya winced in sympathy as one human turned and was sick over the port side, handing the helm to her second and striding across the deck, frowning as she realised that the Guard, who wasn't ill, was the Queen's Sergeant at Arms himself.

"Apparently, I found someone who was afraid of heights." The female Vayan, who turned out to be Commander Tayver, said.

The woman smirked at Anzael, who was watching the poor human brace herself on the railing, trying to gather whatever control she had, while fighting the rocking of the speeding ship.

"Captain. Lady Darya." Anzael paused, giving her an odd look. "What takes precedence? I could never figure that part out."

"Captain, really. I'm second born, and the Captain of a ship is the slave to no one. As the adage goes." She sighed, offering a shrug, and turned to regard the unknown Rulin. "Welcome to the Calamity."

"Captain Darya, you know Commander Tayver and this is General Xilo." Anzael offered, nodding to the other two, who gave her terse nods.

"We're here out of a mutual interest in a threat to all three of our countries." Xilo said, as if she had asked for an explanation.

She glanced at him, and then at the other Rulin, then back to him. "You two are distinct divisions?"

"He's a Royal." Xilo offered, as if in explanation. "I'm General of the City Guard. King Drakos sent me to Clairval as a representative of Rulin justice, as we handle most crimes and prisoners."

Anzael grinned, giving the other man who had a matching scar, though Anzael was lucky enough to have both his eyes still. "The only reason?"

"Shut it." Xilo growled, which only seemed to amuse Anzael further, leaving Darya shaking her head slowly.

"Alright, so it seems that General Anzael has an affinity for angering all the Rulin he meets. Leaves me wondering why he's chosen to work with them." Darya muttered, shaking her head and nodding out past the bowsprit. "You guys aren't good at searching, are you? Finding me this ship we're looking for?"

Tayver laughed with delight. "Now she's catching on to you, Anzael. Truth is, he has that effect on everyone, so we send him off to annoy others for a break."

"You all wound me." Anzael snorted before nodding to her. "We've searched like this before. We can find our smugglers."

And with a few more words, the four of them took off into the air, Anzael flying with Xilo, and Tayver with the Royal, in practiced formation that made her wonder just how often they patrolled over the water together. She found herself standing, watching after them, with Sir Reynald standing easily on her one side, the other Royal Guard having found her composure and standing off to the side.

"Why did she send you?" Darya asked finally, looking at the man. "You're the one person I would assume needed to stay with her."

"She can do everything she needs to without me." He said simply, meeting her gaze steadily. "And I have strong, though weakly founded, suspicion that this man killed my Lord, My King. My best friend. If he tries to fight, I want to be the one who fights him. I will put him down, and it will be my blade that ends his life. I am the Queen's justice, if I can not bring him back to her."

"Is he responsible for the attack on my sister four years ago?" Darya asked, realising she was thinking it, as she was saying the words.

Reynald offered a shrug, though his expression wasn't as uncommitted. "He is responsible, I think, for a great many things that weakened our country. He was not a fan of those talks, and it was about that time that the King, who was pushing for them, fell ill."

Darya frowned, feeling a dark anger rear its head. She had almost lost her sister then, had been ready to go into war if Val had not refused to take the bait, despite being injured. "And you expect me to let you have him?"

"I'm the soldier, Lady. It's my job." Reynald was silent then, for a long while, before giving her a careful look. "I have failed at a lot of things in my life. But I will not fail in this. We are at an impasse, however. You are Captain of this ship, that sails under Royal authority. I am merely the head of the Royal Guards. Though I carry the authority from the Queen to arrest this man. We are equal in our powers when it comes to dealing with Lord Corvin."

"We'll work it out." Darya grinned at him before motioning to the ship. "I have cabins for all of you, if you want to settle in. It may be a long wait."

Sir Reynald's look was grim. "Thank you, Captain, but no. I'd like to wait out here for a while longer. And if we can be of any help, let me know. Both of us have sailed before."

"Take a moment to get your bearings and then I will find you both something to do within the crew." Darya nodded to him before turning back to watch the rolling sea for a moment, letting the weight of her task truly settle into her mind.

This definitely wasn't like hunting smugglers and pirates on her own time.