Chapter 213: Who Will Be My Sidekick If You're Dead?

The scraping of chair legs against the pavement stone beneath the dining area sounded as Kasen shot up from his seat. His eyes narrowed as he followed Piers’ gaze beyond the low wall.

“I don’t see anything?” Uncle Dom squinted unsurely and his wife frowned.

Auntie Anita stood up, as well, gripping Uncle Dom’s forearm in her hand. “I see some moving shadows. It’s unnatural.”

“Are you sure?” Uncle Dom asked.

His wife shot him a glare. “I’ve spent half my life wading through these shores at all hours for my research. I know the natural movements of Tres Arcos’ seashore!”

“Are those really pirates?” Robert took a tentative step forward, but was quickly grasped by his father and swept back.

“The cliffs here are settled by old and wealthy families and hundreds of years ago, they were a good target for sea bandits,” Kasen said. His expression darkened. “I didn’t think they’d be so daring now.”

“Can’t we use a charm to loosen the cliff and send them into the water?” Robert asked, looking back up at Kasen.

Kasen shook his head. “No matter how precise we are as charms users, we lack knowledge of the soil composition in the area to accurately use a charm. We could risk a landslide. All those homes would come down. Even we could even go down.”

Robert furrowed his brows and frowned.

“Uncle.” Fiona tugged on Piers’ sleeve as he had one arm around her and Tori to keep them away from the edge. Fiona looked past his shoulder and tried to point. “There are more on that side.”

Both Tori and Piers turned their heads towards the other side of the terrace and could make out a few more human figures attempting to scale the cliffs. Tori’s lips tightened into a line.

“I’ll stay here with the kids and my relatives. Piers, go and ready the knights to intercede.”

“Robi, make silence charms for everyone and activate them,” Kasen told his son as he turned Robert around and knelt down to meet his gaze. “The cellar has thick doors and is not easy to get through. Once inside, barricade yourselves in and hide until we get you. I’m going to go with His Highness.”

Robert nodded his head. “Yes, Dad.”

“Listen to your aunt,” Piers told him in a firm voice.

“Don’t take any unnecessary risks,” Tori said.

“The pirates need to have come from somewhere, so we’ll let a few escape to follow them back,” Kasen told her. He had an ugly expression on his face. “It’s been some time since our coasts have been raided like this.”

“Senior, perhaps you’ve gotten too arrogant.”

“Shut up and go upstairs. Tori, I leave them to you.” Kasen gave his sister a firm look, and she returned it with a nod. The group was ushered into the cellar and Tori and her uncle turned the heavy lever that bolted the wood and iron door in place.

They then followed Kasen and Piers past the rows of wine bottles, crates, and two massive wooden barrels where wine would be kept to age. Kasen and Piers raced to the door that led to the narrow hall going back to the upper levels, and Tori pushed the wooden door closed.

She frowned as it settled in place. While it was still made of thick wood and held together with metal pieces, the lock was a flimsy padlock style panel. It was nowhere near as secure as the door that went outside. What was worse was that the padlock wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

Tori gritted her teeth and held back a swear. Her uncle touched the useless lock panel and turned to Tori with a pale face. “What do we do?”

“You hide.” She put the latch in place and used her dagger to secure it closed. Without a word, she turned around and scanned the cool cellar. Her eyes swept over the worried looks of her aunt, cousin, and niece and nephew.

Auntie Anita held Fiona back against her with one arm while the other held Artemisia firmly beside her. Robert was crouched on the floor beneath one of the dim, sparse yellow light crystals, writing on strips of folded paper with a thick pencil.

As soon as he finished one, he activated it and stuffed it into someone’s hand. “Great Aunt. Keep this on you. Cousin, this one's for you. Fifi, put this under your shirt.” He finished two more and paled. His wide eyes looked up at Tori. “Auntie...I only have two....”

“That’s perfect,” Tori said without a hint of hesitation. “One for uncle. One for you.”

Robert shook his head. He grabbed Uncle Dom’s hand and shoved one charm into it then rushed to Tori. “You wear it.”

In hiding, silence could greatly influence survival, and they both knew that. Tori couldn’t help but be touched. She stroked her nephew’s hair back softly. “Sweetheart, you have to trust your Auntie.” She smiled, took the charm, and activated it, then pressed it against Robert’s chest. The charm stuck and his eyes watered.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Tori’s gentle look didn’t leave her face, even as she knew that her nephew was calling for her.

She looked at everyone else. “Follow me.” She walked them towards the massive wooden barrel that could fit an elephant. She’d seen vats this big in her original world, while she was traveling through Italy and galivanting from agriturismo to agriturismo. She circled the barrel and sure enough, on one side, there was a hole just big enough for a person to go through when they needed to clean or repair the barrel.

Tori flicked her wrist and used the quartz from her bracelet as a light crystal. She knocked on the barrel and found it was empty. That explained why the door used to seal the hole was closed, but latched.

“It smells like wine, but everyone can hide inside. I’m going to close the lid part way and when it’s clear, I’ll open it, all right?” She crouched down beside the hole and stuffed the glowing quartz into Robert’s hand and squeezed him inside first.

Auntie Anita helped lift Fiona into the barrel before her husband and daughter helped her climb in. Artemisia went next and Uncle Dom stood beside the door.

Knowing he couldn’t talk, he motioned for Tori to go inside. She shook her head.

“Uncle, didn’t you hear what Piers said? Listen to me.” She smiled and motioned for him to climb in. Still, Uncle Dom hesitated and shook his head, patting his chest. “Uncle, I know you are my elder, but let’s be realistic. If pirates make it inside, who will stand a better chance? A tenured professor or the daughter of a marquis trained by a Nord Special Training Commander?”

Artemisia stuck her head and arm out, grabbed her father’s pant leg and tugged him in with a frown. She opened her mouth and, though no words were heard, Tori was sure she said, ‘listen to Tori’. Uncle Dom looked helpless and frustrated, but nodded his head and climbed into the barrel.

As soon as he was inside, Tori told Robert to turn off the light crystal. The barrel now seemed cramped with three adults and two children. Tori fumbled with the door, so the hole was covered. In order to prevent any sounds of battle from upsetting those inside, she dragged a crystal around the entire thing.

Satisfied that her family members were hiding well, Tori turned her attention to trying to find something to keep the door to the upper floors locked. She went down the shelves of wine, looking for anything metal and thin, but sturdy enough to wedge in place.

The light crystals were hanging against the wall on little metal baskets and Tori narrowed her eyes. What if she bundled up the chain holding them and used that? She looked around for something to climb on in order to reach one of the hanging lights, when a heavy thud came from the door outside.

She snapped her head towards it and narrowed her eyes. Her hand flew to the crystal beneath her shirt. Voices were coming from outside and the door was banged against. She knew that if pirates were climbing the cliffs to raid homes on either side of the restaurant, it was obvious they’d try to raid the restaurant, too.

Tori needed to keep the other door locked, but at the same time, wanted her dagger for defense.

Why was there nothing else she could use?

She had some confidence in the outside door, so she rushed back to the inner door. The door’s hinges were bolted to the solid limestone that the cliffs were made of. Tori sneered a bit. They really could’ve used such a harder base in Cosora.

She changed crystals on her bracelet and moved her hand over the latch. Ignoring the banging across the cellar, Tori focused her energy on manipulating limestone. Loose dirt was easy to move, but stone? Something that hard and solid? The best she could do was squeeze the door in a few places and squeeze the latch to cause the metal to warp, securing the latch in place.

Tori stumbled back and let out a heavy pant. Her limbs felt a bit unsteady, and she had a slight throb in her. So much energy just to manipulate stone. Water and dirt spoiled her.

With the latch reasonably secured, Tori took back her dagger. She heard a creak of metal coming from the door and then angry yelling.

She carefully walked closer, careful with her steps to stay as quiet as possible. She paused and pinned her dagger under one arm. She lifted her mem crystal and wrote a silence charm on her skin. She moved around and nodded, satisfied that it worked. She also wrote a quick charm for increasing her energy absorption.

As soon as it was made, she closed her eyes and grounded. A wave of warmth swept through her, steadying her trembling arms.

I love you, crystal. No wonder your name is synonymous with life. Tori adjusted her dagger in front of her and tried to make out the words being said outside the door.

She pressed her back against the wall and lifted her hand, dimming all the light crystals until the cellar was plunged into darkness.

Oh, shit. I should’ve written out increased senses including eyesight before I turned off the lights. Dammit, Tori. You are so responsible when it comes to others.... She let out a heavy breath and went with option two. She closed her eyes and clutched the mem crystal in her hand.

Five familiar heartbeats were pulsing just a few paces away. Her family members.

Next, several jumbled heartbeats outside. Tori was able to identify three separate individuals. As they were yelling, she attempted to find her brother and Piers, but when her senses reached the upper level, there were too many people and it was all a bit chaotic.

Yeah, I’m sure they’re fine. Tori reassured herself and felt the wall shake as the door was slammed again.

“Forget it! Let’s go to the top!”

“There are knights at the top!”

“Knights? What are knights doing here?”

Eating oxtail.... Tori answered their question and laughed to herself. She bit her lips and scolded herself for cracking jokes at such a time. Besides, no one was there to laugh and appreciate her humor.

“Do we have any more of those wind shattering charms?”

Tori raised her brow and stiffened. The what...?

“Captain Flürgen’s only got a handful of them left! He won’t want to waste them!”

“We’re already here and this is the most expensive restaurant in the city. Where else is he going to use them?”

Ooooh, I don’t like where this is going.... Tori frowned.

“Okay, I have one. It’s in me pants! Hold on!”

“What are you doing? Why are you taking off your pants?”

Since they were a bit delayed, Tori dragged her blue crystal across the floor in arcs just beyond the door and scraped Old Sulfae across the stone. She didn’t know how strong a ‘wind shattering’ charm was, but if it had the ability to destroy a door, she needed to reabsorb that energy and direct it elsewhere, where it wouldn’t destroy the cellar or her family hiding in it.

She made one more arc and heard someone yell to charge it.

Tori rushed to a corner, wedged herself against the floor and made a circle around her.

For a moment it was silent, then she heard whistling. She raised her head towards the door. The whistling was coming from air leaking through the cracks in the door. As they grew sharper and louder, the door began to shake. If it shattered, there could be door shrapnel and a loud explosion.

Tori curled herself up in a ball, faced the wall, and kept her back with her leather duster facing the door. She scribbled a noise muffling script onto her silence circle. Just as she finished and activated it, she heard the start of a loud bang, but it quickly faded, as if someone had suddenly pressed ‘mute’.

Warm air from outside flooded in and Tori shot up and turned around, dagger in hand. The door had fallen to the floor, but the dirt and pieces of wood were contained within the arc she’d written. Not a single wine bottle appeared to have toppled over.

She expected the pirates to storm in, but perhaps they were cautious because of the knights. They didn’t enter at once, but seemed to wait and listen.

“I don’t hear anything.”

“They must’ve retreated to the top.”

Tori put her dagger in her left hand and reached across to grab a heavy wine bottle. She hoped it wasn’t too expensive, but it was three against one and all she had was the element of surprise, a dagger, and a lot of frustration and irritation to get out.

She gripped the lower neck of the wine bottle in her hand and weighed it carefully. Too high and the neck would break, too low and it wouldn’t have as good an impact. She remained unmoving in the corner as one man stepped inside. It was darker inside than out, so he was cautious. A single-handed sword was gripped in his right hand and he took slow steps, adjusting to the light.

It would be better if she had some way to stop them in their tracks so she could aim better, but she didn’t have much of a choice. Her heart was beating quickly and she raised the bottle as he turned his head to look in the direction opposite her.

She brought the wine hard and fast down onto the back of his head. The bottle didn’t shatter, but the pirate crumbled to the floor as if he’d fallen asleep in mid-step.

“Horace!”

Tori’s back was never to the door and as soon as the impact had been made, she turned her attention to the next person in line. There was a particular sequence of movements in long sword designed to deal with multiple opponents by keeping you moving and getting a group to thin out in order to be dealt with one by one.

But one’s movements needed to be quick and fluid.

A crack sounded as the bottom portion of Tori’s wine bottle swung up and made impact with the chin of another man. It sent him flying back outside. He stumbled and then collapsed backwards, hitting his head on the table.

Tori grimaced and let out a little hiss. That was not planned.

The third man yelled and rushed forward as Tori stepped outside. Tori raised her dagger to block a short sword. The man’s attack was a wide, overhead arc, and his body positioning was off. At best, he’d slash her with what aimless force he had.

The sword hit her dagger overhead. She parried it to the side, keeping her dagger between her and the sword, and swung the bottle into the man’s stomach. It wasn’t enough to knock him out as an impact on the head, but it did make him stagger backwards.

His footing was lost even further and he appeared to be reeling from the blow. Her wine bottle swung back down, over his head. She felt the bottle start to give under the abuse and released it before the neck shattered against her hand.

The last blow stunned him rather badly and he fell to the ground. Tori kicked his arm, and it folded down. His scream filled her ears, drowning out the pop of the dislocated arm. He swore at her, and she kicked him again, this time in the ribs. He howled in pain and rolled on the ground, looking at Tori with such hatred that she was almost confused.

They were the ones trying to rob her. If anyone should be angry, it was her.

Tori loomed over him and played with the dagger in her hand. She opened her mouth in hopes of giving a quip, but the silence charm she wrote on herself was still in effect. She frowned a bit. Now would’ve been a good witty heroic quip moment.

“Tori!” A loud thud sounded to one side of the terrace. Kasen’s clothes were ruffled and there was dirt and leaves on his clothes and hair. Where he got the sword, Tori wasn’t sure, but he held one in his arm as easily as an extension of his body.

She opened her mouth to speak, but grumbled and looked at her hand where she’d written the charm. She forgot that charms written with mem on her lasted longer and they hadn’t actually done research on silence charms to see if it could be ended faster. Fuck.... She lowered her head and lifted her mem crystal.

Kasen seemed to understand at once and tapped her hand. “Your mem crystal. Write Old Sulfae for ‘end’ over the line for the silence charm. Not ‘finish’, but ‘end’.”

Tori scribbled the character on to her hand and her eyes widened. “That’s it? That’s all you have to do?” She wasn’t surprised her voice returned at all. “We were letting Instructor Ignatius run around to drain energy when all we had to do was write this? Why didn’t you tell us?”

Under her accusing look, Kasen shrugged. “He needs to exercise more. Sitting around all day over a workbench isn’t good for him.”

The man on the ground shakily rose to his feet and Kasen made a quick movement of his arm, pommeling the man in the throat and sending him back down. "My children?"

"Hidden and safe." As if there was nothing dangerous going on around them, Tori continued to talk. “What’s the situation upstairs?”

“The pirates are coming from the cliff base, so pairs of knights were sent to each of the homes along the street. Sir Dias and the rest of our knights scaled the cliffside. They’re sinking all the boats except for two and those two have tracking charms I’ve told them to place,” Kasen told her.

“What about Piers and Ewan?”

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“Ewan is guarding the top-level entrance of the cellar and I don’t know where Piers went.”

“What do you mean you don’t know where Piers went? Kasen, he’s the First Prince!” Tori nearly yelled.

Kasen opened his mouth to reply, but yelling was heard over the sound of waves. The Guevera knights had set numerous light crystals around the area that shone light as bright as floodlights. She could see pieces of boats that had been broken apart bobbing in the water as four or five men struggled to get into the last remaining boat while another was already rowing away.

A few pirates didn’t even bother coming near the awaiting knights and instead dove into the water.

“Can a charm track over water?” Tori asked as she watched one boat row away.

“Yes, since the energy lingers in the air,” Kasen told her as he dragged the body of the pirate inside out onto the terrace and piled them up. He then placed a charm on them to keep them from moving if they awoke.

“I heard them say their Captain’s name is Flürgen.”

Kasen’s face twisted with disbelief and disgust. “Flürgen the Flatulent?”

Tori stared at him. “Pirates actually have names like that?”

Kasen lifted his free hand and rubbed his forehead. “He was a minor pirate years ago and didn’t actually do much damage. Apparently, he only became a pirate to care for his mother...she had bowel issues.”

Tori scrunched her face. “Perhaps it runs in the family....”

Kasen took a heavy breath and released it. “No, he named himself after his mother. She was said to be able to clear a room by herself. That’s also where he got the idea for using air purification charms to be used in piracy. His ship used the charms to move quickly. He was difficult to catch, but we haven’t heard of him in years, so I assumed he retired.”

“Can pirates retire?”

“I suppose so,” Kasen had a dull, tired look on his face. “The knights will deal with the pirates. The imperial knights are making sure the area is clear. Now, where are my kids?”

Tori motioned for him to follow her. She raised her hand and the dark cellar illuminated once more. Kasen looked around the fallen door now that it was lit, and he raised a brow. “You made an energy absorbing barrier?”

“They used a ‘wind shattering charm’ to blow the door open. This room is filled with glass and shelves; wind strong enough to blow down a door could break things, so I had the energy absorbed and deflected,” Tori said. She stopped in front of a massive barrel and knocked a small musical beat on the wood and paused. There were two small knocks in return and Tori smiled. “Safe and sound.”

She opened the small door.

“Robi, Fifi?” Kasen called out to his children at once and almost immediately, two figures shot and rammed into him. He gathered the two against him tightly, kissing the top of their heads as he whispered praises on how he was glad they were safe and was proud of them for being so careful.

Tori helped out her aunt, uncle, and Artemisia. She instructed them to rip their charms before going to the door leading upstairs.

The same knock she’d knocked on the barrel came from the door and Tori knocked twice in response. “Tori, is everything all right?” Ewan’s nervous voice asked. “The knights said they’re clear up here.”

“Everything’s fine. We caught three pirates,” Tori said. “I used some crystal to lock the door, so give me a moment to try to open it.”

She took a deep breath and grounded as she found her terracrystal on her bracelet. She managed to loosen the door a bit, but when she and Ewan opened it, it was much more difficult to move.

“Ewan, where is Piers?” Kasen asked as he stood up, still holding his children against him.

Ewan grimaced and shrank back, as if knowing something that would displease Tori. “He...he followed Sir Dias...to track the pirate ship.”

“Who do you think you are?” Tori’s voice was cold and stern, making the man seated on the sofa in front of her avoid her eyes and keep his head lowered.

“Piers du Soleil.” His voice was quiet and Ewan, who was standing by the closed door of the marquis’ cabin onboard Sur Oro, almost felt bad for him.

“And what is your title?” Each word was spoken with a particular sharp inflection that seemed to cut at Piers.

“Prince of Soleil-”

“First Prince of Soleil!” Tori threw her arms in the air and paced in front of him. “What were you thinking, Piers? Tracking a pirate ship? Pirate ships have pirates on them!”

“Many had already been killed or captured, so the number of pirates on board-”

“Our Guevera knights can manage them by themselves. There was no need for you to join them.” Every sentence she spoke scolded him and Piers didn’t seem to dare lift his head.

“I’m sorry.” She almost didn’t hear his guilt-ridden apology.

Tori took another deep breath and shut her eyes as she stopped in place. “Ewan, go and tell the galley to bring our breakfast here.”

Ewan nodded and slipped out, as if not wanting to get involved. The door closed and Piers lifted his head a bit.

“I am a better swordsman than those knights,” he said.

Tori took another deep breath to try to stay calm. “But you lack the training required for boarding a ship like that. It’s a pirate ship, Piers. We don’t know what was on board. What if they tried to flee and brought you with them? What if they became desperate and tried to sink the ship? You could’ve been tossed into the ocean in complete darkness!”

“I can swim.”

Tori gritted her teeth. She walked in front of him and knelt down. “I know you don’t think that there is any danger because of your superior abilities, and I agree. In terms of sword skill and even swimming, you exceed the level of many people, but you are not invulnerable, Piers.” Her eyes reddened as she looked up at him.

When Ewan told her that Piers had followed Sir Dias, both she and Kasen had demanded that someone call Piers back, but they were already on a boat, making communication by comcry impossible. In addition, they didn’t know where the boat had rowed to, as the boat the knights were on wasn’t tracked.

Tori was almost panicking and couldn’t eat. All she could do was sit on the terrace, hugging Fiona and silently cursing Piers for his irresponsibility. Yes, part of her had confidence in him. She was well aware of what Piers could do, but at the same time, there was never a certainty of things. She knew that firsthand with Kasen.

Kasen knew that firsthand because of her.

They did not leave the restaurant until well past midnight, when Sir Dias called from the naval base nearby and reported that they had commandeered the ship and the surviving pirates were now in custody.

His words of ‘please come and get His Highness’ had sounded almost pleading.

Tori had bid farewell to her niece and nephew, who Kasen sent to stay with Uncle Dom and his family while he finalized things at the base. Several Guevera knights were assigned to them.

Fiona’s little hand had patted Tori’s cheek and assured her that everything would be fine because: “Uncle Piers is very good. I know it.”

Tori had replied. “He is very good, but he did something very bad.”

“Don’t beat him up, Auntie. He sends us gifts.” Tori had snorted a bit, but Fiona’s words relaxed her enough that she didn’t scream at Piers upon the sight of him.

Kasen gave him a long, furious lecture, and eventually sent them off before Piers could wander off.

Tired, Tori had gone to sleep as soon as they got on board, and when she got up that morning, she found Piers sitting on a plush chair pulled to the door of the bedchamber, with his head down. She was so irritated last night, she’d just told him to get some rest and they’d discuss it in the morning.

Now, it was morning. She’d gotten some sleep and rested, but she was still upset.

“Piers, so many people are counting on you. You know better than anyone else the expectations on your shoulders. In a few weeks, your father will name you Crown Prince,” Tori said in a strained voice. “No matter how confident you are, there is always a risk.”

Piers frowned as he kept his eyes lowered. “The body of the Crown Prince is invaluable.”

She felt some pressure on the bridge of her nose. He wasn’t lying; the body of an imperial family was priceless, what more the direct heir to the throne?

“Your father will name you Crown Prince, yes, but your mother only recently started to embrace you after over a decade and a half of not being able to touch you, her eldest son. Your idiot brother worships the ground you walk on and if something happens to you, I don’t think he’d be able to accept it, let alone take your place as heir. And Axton...Axton dedicated his life to helping you. To protecting you. If something happened to you while he was away, he’d never forgive himself.”

Piers’ head seemed to lower his head even further. His voice was almost unheard. “I know.”

“And we haven’t even gotten to me. If something happened to you when you followed Sir Dias, even though I know damn well how you think and what you can do....” She opened her mouth, but the words wouldn’t come out. He was not only her friend, but the one who understood her best. At times, even better than her brothers and Ilyana. When she wanted help, she went to Piers. When she needed something complicated done, she went to Piers.

If there was something she wanted or needed, but didn’t know it yet, Piers would take care of it.

If Piers died...she didn’t know how to describe the feeling. No one liked losing someone they loved.

“Would you be sad?” Piers asked. She lifted her head and saw him looking at her with uncertainty before he averted his eyes.

“Sad?” Tori almost choked out. Her chest tightened as her eyes began to sting. He seemed to have noticed her expression changing from furious and scolding to visibly upset. He sat up and leaned forward, lifting his arms to reach for her as a shadow of panic crossed his face.

“Tori....”

She gritted her teeth and took a deep breath to keep from crying. “Who will be my sidekick if you’re dead?”

She choked back a sob and leaned forward, raising her arms. Piers’ brows knit together as he pulled her closer to him and put his arms around her. He remembered to pat her shoulder and back comfortingly as she sniffled.

“I’m sorry. I will be more aware of my position and restrain myself in the future,” Piers said as he lowered his head and pressed it on top of Tori's mass of untamed curly hair. “Don’t be angry.”

“Don’t be reckless!”

“I will restrain myself.”

“Irresponsible shithead. We all worked so hard to protect you and you rushed off to die.” There were a few more swear words as Piers held her.

“I’m sorry.” He apologized once more, as if he couldn’t do so enough. “You are right. I will listen to you. You love me the most.”

“I love Fifi the most. Fifi listens to me.” She pried herself off of Piers and wiped her eyes. He didn’t try to talk her out of her statement or insist that he was the favorite.

“Tori,” he began after she got all her anger-cries out.

“What?”

“I followed Sir Dias because I wanted to know who dared try to raid Tres Arcos.”

Tori sneered. “Flürgen the Flatulent. I already know.”

“The southern coasts are rarely raided as many pirates in the shared water avoid Soleil after a purge about sixteen and a half years ago. If a pirate ship to caught in Soleil waters, it will be attacked to destroy immediately.”

“Then how did Flürgen’s ship get close enough to send rowboats and raiders to scale the cliff?” Tori asked with a frown. “There are naval patrols in the area and one of the naval bases is near-by.”

“He wasn’t using what could be identified as a pirate ship,” Piers said. “They were using an old, unassuming Class Four merchant vessel and flying the flag of Nazaria. Sir Dias initially thought that the pirates in the rowboat led them to another ship on purpose, but once the ship was boarded, the pirates were found.”

“Did they steal the ship?”

“Captain Flürgen insists that he did not. The ship was provided to him, and he was hired to raid wealthy estates along the coast. The coast has let down its guard and so pirates wouldn’t be expected, especially in a location where the cliffs are steep.” Piers frowned more so. “He knows very little of who gave him the ship and the mission. Only that they were contracted in Kalgia. And they weren’t the only ones contacted.”

Tori recognized the name. “Kalgia is an old port east of Pargath.”

“It’s old and not usable, but an old port has old ties. It’s not unheard of for unsavory individuals to hide in such places.”

“That doesn’t help us narrow down who hired them.”

Piers nodded. “In the galley, there were large, holed and cracked empty barrels.”

“For supplies.”

“They smelled of cinnamon.”

Tori drew her head back. “Was there any cinnamon?” It was a strong smell and if something porous, like an old wooden barrel, held cinnamon for a long time, the scent could eventually linger.

“No, but they appeared to be the same type of barrels you tracked from the Golden Cow.”

There were three theories Tori could think of that explained the barrels. First, they were old and resold to make back some money when they were no longer suitable for use. Second, the ship was once a legitimate merchant vessel with spices, and the barrels ended up with the pirates after purchase - or theft. Three, whoever paid Flürgen the Flatulent was from the Duraga Federation and, or, a smuggler.

Tori raised her eyes. “Do you think they are connected?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“The bottom of the barrels still have dust from the mines in northern Osten.” The corner of Piers’ lips curled up. “The Duraga Federation lost quite a bit because of your brother and now they are desperate to earn it back. They can only buy supplies to replenish what was lost.”

“How much exactly was lost to Kasey’s mission?”

“A little over a third of the feed and supplies that the Duraga Federation likely needs based on our intelligence.” Tori’s eyes widened. That was a significant dent. To make matters worse, there was now more infighting because of tribes blaming each other and anger over what was lost.

“I didn’t know it was that much.”

“All the storage facilities targeted were valuable. And now, Pargath is no longer cooperating as Soleil’s navy is circling its bay as a precaution. Very few tribes can gather feed and supplies to make up for that which was lost, so they need to buy feed and supplies. However, the power is decentralized. No one wants to pay more, nor do some tribes have money to pay.”

“But no money, no funding to fight. No fight, no expansion.” Tori chewed her lip for a moment. Normally, she would revel in this knowledge. “Then we have to be more careful. It’s one thing if this causes them a hindrance that weakens their federation,” she said as she clenched her jaw. “But a cornered animal bites like it has nothing to lose.”

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