Island Confederation

Chapter 18

The Last Sentience

A cool, salty breeze wafted up from the sea as the hot sun beat down on me. Strange birds cackled in the skies, diving in the water for fish. Roughly a week has passed since I met with Rhoskeil. Saongre gave me the spare supplies, as promised, but whether they would be enough is another matter. The anchors on the ships slowly rose as the predominantly Venkí and Isranaoan sailors prepared to set sail. The freed elves, mainly the children, but some of the older ones, marvelled at the raptors, caged and latched on the decks of the ships. The majority stood twelve or so feet tall, a height Itrust would probably never achieve. Tarhívé attempted to put him in with the other raptors, but before Itrust or I could even protest, they lashed out at him. I walked into the captain's quarters where Tarhívé waited, in the candle-lit room, with maps of the Aturah Ocean laid out onto a table. She looked up as I closed the door with a quiet thud.

"Grandma Jáhyn is deeply disappointed in the both of you," Tarhívé said heartbrokenly. "When she finally got me to tell her what was actually going on, she just fainted." Tarhívé looked back down to her maps, and sighed. "Grandma can always tell when someone is lying, but this one time, she hoped she was wrong."

"Tell grandma--"

"No, Kélé, don't try to justify your actions. You and your brother both are two stubborn people. Take after your mother and her father."

I stared up at the ceiling, eyes burning. "Tarhívé, tell grandma I want to see her. I should've realized how this would--"

"She was going to see you after you finished with your plan. She just doesn't know if she's going to lose one or two grandsons along with her son."

I looked at her silently, not knowing what to say or do. I opened my mouth to speak, but no sound came out of my mouth.

"At least there's still some of us in you," Tarhívé said solemnly. A loud sequence of knocks filled the room. A grey green snout poked through the door.

"Come in Itrust," I said.

His eyes flickered around the room, noting me and my cousin, before pushing in a larger, duller raptor, and then walking in himself. The other raptor fidgeted nervously, its neck feathers lacking the iridescence of Itrust's.

"Barrékél," Tarhívé said impatiently, deal with your raptor hear. We need to talk about your actual plans on the marine front.

"Just leave them in," I said as I moved to her side. "I'll deal with them afterwards." Tarhívé rolled her eyes. "Sure," she said.

"The overall plan is a simple island hopping strategy. We move from the east, occupying territory as we go along. However, we must make sure not to engage the Islander fleet head on. As the army takes islands and supplies, you and your fleet need to pick off Islander ships. Take note of any peculiar currents to use them to our advantage and to avoid falling into traps. When we besiege the capital, I want you to blockade them. If my plan with the elven leaders I met works, namely Nobukeita, we shall have their ships as well."

"Very well, but we run the risk of sea serpents. It is breeding season after all."

"We just need to avoid them and hope for the best on that front. We need to save any harpoons we have for the Islander's war serpents."

"I'll have them tipped with Kala fish poison in the event we need them."

"What do you have that can handle hawks?"

"Arrows and magic."

"Will arrows be enough? These are huge birds."

"Hawks can't fly with armor and a rider, so a few well placed arrows will bring down any bird, but I'm more worried about the dragons.