“Araminth’s the priority!”
“No, we must stop those mere dragons in the Twisted Lands!”
On the deck of the Unsinkable III, My‑re sat on a hog’s head barrel, elbows on her knees and hands resting under her chin. She watched Westwind and Vomarian Fae argue back and forth about their next course of action. The recovering mere dragon Koma lay at her feet, sleeping soundly, so much so that she could hear it snore.
“Varick has Araminth. If he harms her, fire will reign across the region,” Westwind said.
“There is no reason for him to harm her. Those mere dragons traveling through the Twisted Lands pose the direst threat. If they reach their owners and relay that Araminth is dead, the Rirorni Empire could be incinerated. We need to stop them and then find Araminth,” Vomarian explained.
Westwind shook his head. “You’re making a mistake. As long as Araminth is alive and unharmed, nothing will burn. Any hunt is futile in that mad realm. We need to use Koma to track Araminth.”
“Koma is not yours to take,” Vomarian said and stepped closer to the slumbering mere dragon.
“He’s not even your property. If anything, the mere dragon belongs to Araminth. Besides, I found him,” Westwind retorted. “I’m taking him.”
The two stared hard for several heartbeats. They were sizing each other up.
“What do you say My‑re?” Havelock asked, interrupting the tension.
She perked up at her name and looked to the archmage. “Me? I was brought on as a Rirorni translator. I don’t speak dragon and have no desire to get on one’s sore side. I’m not involved.”
“Not involved?” Westwind questioned. “Young lady, you are the most involved one here. You have a relationship with this Varick, who has Araminth, the love of my life.”
“Varick and I were captured together in the Rirorni War as children. I hoped, but until recently, I didn’t even know he lived. While I’m glad he didn’t die, we don’t have a relationship. However, now it seems he has a grudge against me and likely doesn’t want to thank me for that.” She thought it was likely her fault that Varick had captured Araminth, using Koma to search for her. It seemed all she did was bring problems. “It’s best I stay away,” My‑re said.
Havelock began, “Lady Greywand tasked us-”
Interrupting the archmage, Westwind scoffed loudly at the name.
Havelock continued, “Tasked all of us with finding Araminth. We have found she is still alive, and regardless of what you think of Lady Graywand’s ultimate motive, that woman is now in mortal peril. As Lord Protectors, you have sworn an oath to protect the innocent.”
“So, you want to give away our last mere dragon to this Westwind and spend our time finding Araminth?” Vomarian snapped. “Say we do find and rescue her. What about the innocent Rirorni lives that could burn when the mere dragons return to their owners with the misunderstanding that Araminth is dead? I don’t think Varick will harm Araminth anytime soon. We have time to stop Kata and Kuki in the Twisted Lands. Then, with that threat averted, find Araminth.”
Westwind scoffed, “We don’t have time. I can’t face Varick without help. He easily defeated a mere dragon, myself, and Araminth, who knows how to fight, with relative ease. We know nothing else about him except that he wants to find My‑re and likely do great bodily harm to her. There is no telling what he will do. If we wait too long, he might kill Araminth out of spite, and then both the Rirorni Empire and Alastari will burn. If we rescue Araminth and the dragons see her alive, there will be no cause for them to retaliate. Finding Araminth is key.”
Vomarian began to retort, but Havelock raised his hand. “Both arguments have been laid. Each has valid points with great risks associated with it if the wrong choice is made. My‑re is indisputably tied to Varick. Her mettle has been tested throughout this voyage, and no one would question her commitment. She is an essential part of this mission and has yet to make her thoughts known. I believe her opinion warrants consideration.”
“I don’t want-” My‑re began, but Havelock held his hand toward her. “Your view.”
My‑re looked to Westwind and Vomarian. Both seemed confident that she would choose their cause. If the mere dragons navigated the Twisted Lands, the Rirorni Empire might burn with hundreds of thousands of lives lost, including her foster family who raised her. If Araminth were killed, then not only the Rirorni Empire but also all of Alastari would be under threat. She wished Lady Greywand was here to decide for her. She glanced at Havelock, who pulled out a pipe and lit it. He didn’t look at any of them. He wasn’t going to help her make the right decision. The Shagornan Elven crew looked on from all around. Both choices were equally important, and failure to do either had grave consequences. The lesser of two evils.
Sighing, My‑re drew in a breath. “I agree with Westwind. We need to find Araminth and rescue her.”
Vomarian’s face went red at her words, and bellowed, “My‑re, I can’t believe-”
“I also agree with you, elf,” My‑re interrupted, raising her hand and motioning for him to remain quiet. “We need to stop Kata and Kuki in the Twisted Lands.” She then saw Havelock glance her way with a raised eyebrow in curiosity.
“We need to split up.”
“What?” Vomarian and Westwind said in unison. “Splitting the group is never a good idea.”
“Let her speak,” Havelock said. He then nodded for her to continue.
“Right, Varick sounds like a formidable opponent, so Vomarian goes with Westwind.”
“Westwind?”
“You’re the best gladiator on this ship. If anyone has a chance against him, it’s you.”
“What are you going to do then?” Vomarian asked.
“I’m staying away from Varick. My presence would only exacerbate the situation. I will remain onboard the Unsinkable III with Havelock to help navigate it through the Twisted Lands and stop those two mere dragons,” My‑re stated.
Shaking his head, Westwind said, “Navigating through that mad realm is suicide. That place plays tricks on you and pits friend against friend. Besides, we’ll need every Shagornan Elf to help stop Varick. I’ve never seen a more formidable warrior.”
“Then only essential personnel on the Unsinkable III. The rest are to accompany Vomarian and Westwind to rescue Araminth,” My‑re replied.
Vomarian approached and shook his head in doubt. “I think this is the worst idea that’s come out of your mouth. I loathe the idea of splitting up. However, there’s sound logic behind it. So, it looks like you’ll be captain of the ship while I’m gone.”
“Oh, no, Havelock can be captain,” My‑re replied.
“Nope, I am the engineer. They never make great captains,” Havelock commented.
“One of the other Shagornan Elves?” My‑re asked.
Vomarian shook his head. “They have to run the ship, and last I checked, you didn’t know how to tie a proper sailing knot. No, it’s you. I trust no one more.”
My‑re sighed, “Right, I guess that makes me captain.”
Nodding, Vomarian bellowed, “My‑re is acting captain while I’m gone! I only require a skeleton crew to remain! Enough to keep her flying! The rest are with me and Westwind! Gather your weapons and armor! We’re on a Wyld hunt!”
A cheer erupted throughout the ship.
Havelock approached My‑re. “Orders, Captain?”
Captain? My‑re scoffed to herself. She was, at best, a fake, an imposter, and didn’t desire the responsibility to lead or command. What did she understand about a flying ship? She didn’t know what she was doing. Now, Vomarian tasked her to lead a group of elves into a mad realm on a mad dash to find two mere dragons who didn’t aim to be stopped or found. How in the nine hells does anyone expect a positive outcome? She then noticed her hands slightly shaking at her side. She balled her fists to steady them. She breathed in deeply.
“Crew! Once Vomarian, Westwind, and the elves depart with Koma, prepare the ship for takeoff! Set course for the Twisted Lands!”