Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 93948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93948 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
With the help of elemental magic and Nox’s keen eye, we easily cut through the currents and into a shallow bay with a sandy beach. No docks to speak of; that would invite the aforementioned visitors.
Nox calls out instructions, and even knowing the plan, it still jars me to watch them intentionally run us aground. The ship shudders as it encounters the sandy beach and then shudders again as both air and water elemental users come together to shove it even farther aground, well away from the greedy tide. It leaves us angled in a way that feels dangerous, the deck canting sharply beneath my feet.
Frost grabs me before I can slide more than a foot. “Careful there, Bastian.” Ne grins. “Can’t have you falling and breaking something important.”
“Thanks,” I manage.
Things happen quickly after that. Crew, what little supplies we have left, and gifts for the locals are unloaded. By the time everyone has scaled down the side of the ship to the sand, we have an audience.
The Yothians are a small furred people with dangerously long claws, tufted ears like a hunting cat, and oblong eyes in colors ranging from yellow to a deep green. Their fur is brown with dappled darker patterns, the better to camouflage them in the jungle when they hunt. I’m not entirely certain how they define gender, but the group that meets us wears only small cloths tucked around their hips and nothing else.
Nox moves first, stepping forward and bowing deeply. “Honorable Tia, we come bearing gifts and asking for a boon.”
One of the Yothians in the middle, one slightly shorter and rounder than the rest, steps forward on silent paws. “Nox. Captain Nox, I hear. Congratulations on your promotion.” They rise. “Ask your boon.”
“I would offer the supplies we currently have, as well as a selection of gifts I think your people may enjoy.” Nox draws a deep breath. Their tone is perfectly even, but there’s tension in their shoulders. “In return, I would ask for a small ship to get us to Lyari. And for you to house my crew for a short period of time. Two weeks, perhaps three. They will abide by your laws and won’t cause any trouble.”
Tia’s ears flick back and forth, but they don’t otherwise move. “You know we don’t often welcome strangers into our midst.”
“I know.” Nox doesn’t bend in the least. “But I think you have a vested interest in hearing why we need this boon from you.”
Tia studies Nox for a long moment. “Walk with me.”
Nox easily falls into step with Tia, walking down the beach away from us. Both groups eye each other warily but make no move to cause any trouble. A short while later, the leaders have made their way back to us.
Tia steps forward and spreads their short arms. “You’re welcome within our community.” Their ears flick. “However, if any of you breaks our laws, you will be held accountable by the same laws.”
Nox motions the crew forward. “All right, darlings, gather round. Here’s the lay of the land.” They quickly go through the laws the crew needs to know about. It’s pretty standard stuff—don’t fuck with the locals, don’t damage property, don’t make asses of themselves—with a few interesting caveats. All visitors are barred from the center of the island, which is apparently holy ground to the Yothians.
Nox gets agreements all around and then we’re off, filing after the Yothians into the deep green foliage. Each island in Threshold reflects a portion of the world in the realm its portal leads to, right down to the climate—in this case, a heat sticky and dense enough to swipe your fingers through. Insects drone in a buzz I swear I can feel in my bones. The trees around us are alive with small animals and movement that suggests much larger predators exist just out of sight.
I shiver and glance to where Bowen walks next to me. “I prefer wide-open spaces to this.”
He shrugs, expression carefully locked down the way it so often is. “If something comes at us, I’ll stop it.”
What must it be like to move through the world so sure of your power and its ability to protect? My glamour is incredibly useful when I dare to use it, but I can’t stop acid rain or a giant monster or do anything actually helpful. I’ve worked hard to ensure I’m not a liability in a fight, but I’ll never be as good as Bowen or the other heavy hitters on the crew of the Audacity.
We reach the village before too long. At first glance, there is no village, but as I stare, the details start to emerge. The buildings are built into the trees in a seamless way that means I can’t tell if the inhabitants carved into the trees themselves or did some kind of magic to shift things to make room. The escort Yothians break off, each leading a small group of crew members in a different direction to where they’ll be staying as guests of various households.