Chapter 2
Nareash admired the handiwork of the ship gently rocking beneath his feet. The captain steered it effortlessly through the calm waters and the crew went through their duties with little fanfare. Though he hadn't lifted a finger in its construction, the design had been his and he couldn't help feeling a sense of pride at its success.
Well, mostly my design.
His fellow students at Estul Island often mocked him for the time he spent studying in the musty library. However, the knowledge he had obtained had been worth every moment of their ridicule. His recollection of Mytarcian shipbuilding techniques had been the catalyst for the designs he created with the Blue Island Clan's shipwrights. Nareash had followed a similar process with Juanoq's blacksmiths when introducing more sophisticated armor and weapons to the Blue Island Clan's military.
And look what my ideas have done for the Blue Island Clan.
His mind wandered back to his last couple of years in Cadonia, especially those last few months after discovering Sacrynon's Scepter. He opened and closed his hands in frustration.
All my efforts there ruined in one moment before they ever had a chance to come to fruition.
"Does something trouble you, Nachun?"
Nareash blinked and turned to Mizak. The old scholar's nose crinkled as he squinted against the sun, emphasizing the crow's feet at his eyes. "No. I was only thinking about how close we are to reaching the lagoon. It will be nice to see something alive above the water again."
When Nareash had spoken with Tobin about his desire to search out the ancient city of Quarnoq, he made it known he would not cross the Great Divide using the route through the wastelands as Hesh's ancestors had centuries before.
Yet even by ship, the High Mage could not escape the sight of the barren land as they sailed east along Hesh's coast, past both Nubinya and the Burnt Sands Desert. The rolling black sand and rock of the wastelands spanned a greater distance than Nareash had imagined. From the safe confines of the ship, he wondered how any of Hesh's ancestors managed to survive that journey.
Mizak pointed toward a cliff that jutted from the dry land. "I double-checked our best map. After we pass that point, it says the land completely changes. We should reach our destination before midday."
Nareash already knew, but allowed the old man to speak his mind in order to keep him enthused. He had obtained the scholar's services before leaving Juanoq, knowing that despite his studies on Hesh, Mizak held a fountain of knowledge the High Mage did not.
Mizak also offered Nareash intellectual conversation he couldn't find elsewhere onboard. Several warriors or members of the ship's crew would show flashes of intelligence, but none offered the insight Tobin had surprised him with from time to time.
I wonder how he's doing.
He shook his head, surprised at the thought. He never thought he would have developed a friendship with Tobin when they had first met in Munai.
Life has a way of surprising you.
Mizak had continued talking, though Nareash had stopped listening. The High Mage waited until the old man's words trailed away before speaking. "I'll be in my cabin reviewing notes. See that someone notifies me once we reach the lagoon."
* * *
Two hours later, Nareash stood at the bow of the ship. As incomprehensible as the ancient maps and texts seemed at times, his assumptions regarding them had been accurate.
