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The salt bite of the air and the raucous call of the gulls entranced Yuuji as their carriage rolled steadily towards the port city of Mabraca. He stuck his entire torso out the window, earning an annoyed look from the driver up front. Nobara grabbed his jacket and tugged him back in.
“You know, the more you gawp around at everything like a new-born turtle – “
“Oh, come on! You’ve never seen the port either! Aren’t you even a little excited?”
“I’m – “
“Not even a little?”
“Well – “
“Not even a teensy – “
“Shut up! Fine! I’m excited, but at least I listened to Gojo. He said not to seem too … studenty, or we’d get taken for a ride the moment we set foot in the harbour. Right, Fushiguro?”
The dark-haired boy looked up from his book, his eyebrows forming a flat line of discontent.
“As far as I’m concerned, you both aren’t exactly gold standards for looking suave and intelligent. Please leave the talking to me.”
“Huh? You wanna say that again?”
“Don’t fight. Fushiguro, get your head out your ass and come look at these birds. They’re fighting over a piece of cheese! It’s even mouldy. Look, look – “
Mabraca was a full day’s journey from the college, which was situated inland, only accessible by a winding mountain pass. The college itself was shrouded in mystery, only those who could practice the art of sorcery being allowed into its legendary halls. The trio of students had changed out of their usual uniforms into civilian clothes to prevent attracting unwanted attention. Decorum was only appreciated by certain audiences. To others, the shiny brass buttons would be a fine bauble to steal and sell at the market. Such was the port city of Mabraca.
Their contact, Magister Kusakabe, would be waiting for them at a local inn. Kusakabe was a teacher at their academy, but he had never instructed them, given that they were still apprentice level. From what the students had gathered, he wasn’t particularly remarkable or outstanding in any field, unlike Gojo, who was a widely recognised and flaunted genius with terrifying levels of magical energy. He didn’t possess the natural charisma and level-headed nature of Magister Nanami either, making him ideal for jobs of a more subtle leaning, scouting locations where someone like him may go completely unnoticed.
The inn where he had taken refuge, Falimar’s Rathouse, was a little cleaner and more cheerful than the name let on, one of many such boarding houses found around the periphery of the main harbour. Alighting from the carriage and stretching out cramped limbs, the three students took a moment to examine their surroundings while trying not to appear too interested. Evening was drawing in, the sunset forming a magnificent russet backdrop to the high-masted caravels, sleek and modest junks and patchwork fishing vessels that bobbed gently at anchor in the gleaming water.
Yuuji grabbed Megumi’s arm and gestured, eyes widening a little. Rising like faint smoke from the sides of every vessel, the spirit swarms were clearly visible to anyone, even those not possessed of strong magical energy. A dark, writhing blanket of them had enclosed the hulls, the occasional dark wisp extracting itself from the mass and diving down, below the surface of water. The men working the vessels took no more notice of them as they did the seagulls, so accustomed were they to their ghostly presence. Occasionally, the students would spot a man on the rigging, or on deck, casually sidestep a rising apparition, but that was all the acknowledgment that the resident spirits received.
“So this is what Gojo was talking about, huh?”
There was a deepening crease between Nobara’s brows.
“They’re so … just look at them. I mean, we were taught about this before, and there were pictures in the textbooks, but still. Back in the countryside, people would run wild and lock all the doors and shutter themselves in if one measly little spirit showed itself in the milking shed. Until the shaman comes along and gets rid of them, that is. And look at these men. Just … continuing as usual.”
Megumi looked no less nonplussed, although doing a slightly better job of hiding it.
“Shows how people can get used to anything if they see it for long enough … even things that aren’t of this world. Let’s go find Kusakabe. This place is getting more crowded by the minute.”
There seemed to be an exodus of sailors and dock workers trailing from their respective berths, eager to appease their appetites and quench their thirst for the eye-watering ale served at the inns. Footfalls echoing off the tar-encrusted cobblestones, the students made their way to the inn, clutching their carry bags and equipment cases. The doorman took their names and nodded, proceeding to show them to a small, enclosed dining area up a polished wooden staircase, where Kusakabe awaited their arrival.
The instructor was seated at the clean, but pock-marked table, a jug of ale at his elbow, some tavern staples including fried shrimp, buttered peas, baked cod and stewed fowl heart, laid out in steaming bowls before him, a loaf of crusty bread at the centre. He nodded in greeting, gesturing for them to sit, lighting up a rolled cigar. The strong scent of tobacco wheeled through the small space and Megumi winced and cracked open the shutter next to him. Kusakabe breathed smoke in the boy’s direction.
“So, Gojo sent his dream team, huh?”
Yuuji, unfazed by this sour greeting, nodded enthusiastically.
“It’s a real pleasure to be working with you, Magister Kusakabe!”
The title was waved away nonchalantly.
“Just Kusakabe will do. No need to advertise our positions and affiliations in these parts. Of course, when you get on the ship, things will be a little different. I trust Gojo sent you with a letter of introduction?”
Megumi nodded and patted his breast pocket.
“He did.”
“Good. I suppose I’ll have the honour of briefing you now. You’re here to test the new device Gojo has been developing to drive away the cursed spirit swarms that infest the ships that lay anchor here. I’m sure your books have given you the background info on that?”
Nobara nodded. “Yeah. The swarms become denser at certain points on the trade routes and slow down the progress of the ships.”
“Right. And this has always had implications for shipping schedules and trade agreements between the provinces. If this problem can be resolved … well. Something that’s been part and parcel of shipping for centuries in these parts will finally come to an end.”
Megumi was frowning.
“Magister Gojo didn’t tell us much about this mission, apart from our main task of testing the device. I was hoping … “
“That I could tell you more? Tough luck, kid. I’m just repeating what the higher ups tell me.”
“So there’s nothing – “
Kusakabe held up a finger.
“Who said there was nothing? Listen closely. I bet you’re all wondering why Gojo even bothered with such a mundane application of his research anyway.”
Nobara’s shoulders sagged.
“Well, yeah, I mean … he’s never bothered with things like this before. We did wonder why. He’s normally caught up in the infestations and he was all excited when he read Magister Nanami’s report of that case he took on in Hyadrin Province last month. The one with the – “
“Ah,” Kusakabe winced. “That thing. Proper hair raiser, that one.”
Nobara waved her hands, emphasizing her point.
“See? He’s not worried about ships and trade routes at all. So why now?”
Kusakabe considered this seriously for a moment before drawing a deep breath.
“Honestly, I can’t say. What I can tell you, from the information I’ve been gathering, is that you need to watch yourselves out there. The spirit swarms have been part of maritime trade to the point where the sailors now sometimes see them as good omens and staple parts of their voyages. Gojo’s device may be helpful, but keep in mind that tradition has deep roots. Not everyone will be pleased about what you’re attempting.”
Yuuji was frowning.
“So your saying we should watch our backs in case anyone tries to sabotage the mission?”
“Not exactly. Gojo’s word and the reputation of the college might be enough to counter those kinds of things, even out here. What I’m saying is that … “
He trailed off, a pinched look appearing at the corners of his mouth.
“What are you saying?” Nobara prompted.
The instructor took a sip of his ale before sighing and starting to roll up another cigar.
“Your Magister, Gojo, may not place a lot of importance on some things. Things like common superstitions, people’s beliefs and the small routines that give them comfort. That’s way below his pay grade. But … sometimes there’s something to those beliefs. Things that may not have existed without the collective will of the people. Many centuries ago, those spirit swarms may have just been the tattered souls of those lost at sea. Now? Who knows what form they’ve taken.”
Yuuji was looking uncharacteristically solemn and Kusakabe examined him for a minute before tapping one end of his cigar against the table and lighting up.
“The world’s not a static place. Neither is the other world where spirits come from. Remember that.”
Morning found them stationed on the docks, near the cargo loading area for the ship they had been assigned to. The sight was breathtaking for Yuuji, who had never been this close to a sea-faring vessel before. The square-rigged carrack, looming majestically over the other vessels, was quite a sight, the intricately carved maiden forming the figurehead tossing her billowing hair out along the bowsprit. The name Percimeran was etched along the port side, named after the stately albatross from legend that had led the first flotilla of settlers in the archipelago through the storm that had threatened to end their voyage forever.
Tearing his eyes away from the dark wooden masts, worn smooth and coated with the patina of many voyages, Yuuji’s gaze tracked along the hull of the vessel where the tell-tale writhing of the spirit swarm crested and dipped all along the sides, moving more vigorously now that the vessel showed signs of preparing to put out at sea. This was the task that they had been assigned; to remove this clustering nuisance, these ghostly growths that evaded scraping off, like the many layers of barnacles that were periodically cleaned from the ships in dry docks. He thought of Kusakabe’s words in the inn the evening before and frowned, turning to Megumi and Nobara.
“You think they’ll be … happy to see them gone? Kusakabe didn’t seem to think so.”
Megumi shrugged, looking around. The sailors hadn’t given the students, now clad in their school’s rugged travel apparel, much more than sideways glances at times. The Captain now came down the wide gangplank, making his way over to them, accompanied by an older man with a flamboyant moustache who seemed, judging by the badges on his shoulder, to the be the first mate. The Captain looked fairly young for his position, no more than forty years, and sported a lean, powerful build, wiry dark hair tied back tightly, and walnut brown skin, weathered heavily at the corners of his shrewd eyes. He came forward and extended a hand, shaking each of theirs’ firmly.
“Captain Edilar at your service. This is my first mate, Sakanagi.”
“Pleasure!” Yuuji chirped, echoing the greeting from Nobara and the nod from Megumi.
“Let’s take this conversation to my cabin. My men will take your belongings on board and to your quarters.”
They followed him back onto the ship. Yuuji spotted a young boy with red hair, who looked no older than the students, wearing a chequered apron and a belt from which hung various cooking utensils. The boy peered back at him curiously before being dragged off, presumably for duty below decks. Edilar led them to his cabin just beneath the aftcastle at the stern of the ship. The ornate double doors were well-reinforced and slid open smoothly. Within, a passage led to the Captain’s quarters, while smaller doors led off to the sides, to the guest quarters where they would be staying for the voyage.
Nobara spotted a large four-poster bed, next to a smaller bunk bed to one side, and shot Yuuji and Megumi a territorial glare. Megumi rolled his eyes, but Yuuji could see him eyeing the bottom bunk and sighed. He didn’t know whether he’d be seasick, considering he had never been on board a ship before, but if Megumi insisted on the bottom bunk, well, Yuuji may just miss the bucket he could be heaving into. Just one time.
The Captain seated himself on the opposite side of an imposing mahogany table and leaned forward on his elbows, eyeing them keenly.
“I’ll be frank. Magister Gojo has funded your project on this ship. Quite a substantial amount, no less. My men are aware of this and offer no complaints. The bonus they get for this voyage, because of this contribution, more than makes up for it.”
Megumi raised an eyebrow.
“So the only reason you agreed to this was – “
Edilar raised a hand.
“Make no mistake. My actions may seem driven by simple greed, but there’s more to it. The Magister has discussed the implications for maritime travel, should this experiment work. More profits in the long run that benefit us all? I’m more than willing to sign up for such a task. But I also know many other captains who wouldn’t.”
Nobara frowned.
“Could you tell us why? If the experiment will help you get rid of the spirit swarms … “
“Magister Gojo …” and here Edilar exchanged a glance with Sakanagi, “I’m familiar with his type. He sees magical ley lines and not the people who live in actual homes over them. He sees powerful sources of natural magic, and not the forest that may be destroyed due to awakening such forces. He sees this ship, my men, me, all as convenient tools to do his exalted work.”
Yuuji opened his mouth indignantly to protest, but Megumi kicked his foot and his words cut off with a squawk. Edilar had seen the exchange and closed his eyes briefly.
“I’m not saying that I don’t respect your Magister. I’ve been in this profession long enough to know the importance of such research. I’ve lived long enough to know that society places more value on some lives compared to others. I can accept that and exist in my place, like a well-oiled cog. What I need to know is if you three are aware of the risks that come with this experiment. And if anything does occur, will you do everything in your power to keep my men safe?”
As thrown as he had been by the conversation at first, Yuuji let out a small breath when he realised that they were now within territory he understood well. Megumi glanced at him and nodded, seeming to understand that the words coming from the pink-haired boy would hold more simplicity and sincerity.
“Captain Edilar, I know that we’re only students, but we didn’t sign up for this kind of work thinking we’d get a cushy life. We’ve seen dangers, we’ve taken many risks. Magister Gojo said this was a simple bit of research, but I know that not all missions go smoothly. Whatever happens, the importance of your lives will always come first. I don’t know what kinda experiences you had before, with sorcerers like us, but we’re not like what you think. Neither is Magister Gojo.”
Something heavy behind Edilar’s gaze eased in that moment. He examined Yuuji a while longer before nodding slowly.
“I see. And that must be why they sent you three.”
The Percimeran set sail that afternoon, magic-crafted navigation devices making night voyages a simple matter. Yuuji, thankfully, was not seasick. He stood on deck with Megumi and Nobara, sipping on a steaming mug of tea that had been brought to him by the red-haired cabin boy who’d introduced himself enthusiastically as ‘Laurie’. The tea was sweet and prepared with pearl milk harvested from shellfish, the iridescence on the surface of the drink reflecting the moonlight.
The night was very chilly and earlier, the students had enlisted the help of some of the sailors in placing Gojo’s anti-swarm devices along the sides of the ship. This had involved activating the devices with magical energy before passing them down to the sailors who clung expertly to strong ropes and fastened the flat, polished bronze plates to the planking all along the sides of the ship. Peering over the edge, Yuuji had been disconcerted to see how the men sometimes disappeared completely within the flocking spirit swarm, emerging with dark shapes clinging to them as they climbed back up the ropes. He was relieved to see that the spirits did not cause any observable ill effects to the sailors, but this created many more questions in his mind.
Taking a sip of his tea, he looked around and, seeing that there were not many others on the poop deck, he edged closer to Megumi and Nobara.
“Oi. There’s something I gotta ask.”
Megumi nodded absently.
“So, remember when Gojo told us that spirits feed off human feelings? I don’t get it. What are these spirits feeding on out here?”
Nobara, who had also been listening in, frowned.
“The heck do you mean? We’ve learnt from day one that spirits flock where there are strong seats of human emotion or magical energy. Like at the hospitals, or graveyards. Sailing isn’t easy business, and sometimes ships or sailors are lost at sea, so it makes sense for them to be here too.”
Megumi shook his head slowly.
“Actually, Itadori has a point. It’s been bugging me since we came on board. Swarming behaviour is normal for spirits when something strong calls to them. Like the grief that’s associated with graveyards. But over time, dominance is asserted and higher grade spirits may be born. Which is why we get sent out. To deal with them. But that’s never been the case with ships. No high-grade spirits are ever sighted. It’s one of the things that some texts point out as unusual.”
Nobara hummed thoughtfully.
“Guess we gotta be thankful for once for all that extra reading you do. But what’s the reason for that? Do any of these texts provide a possible explanation for naval swarms?”
“Well, one widely accepted idea is that the swarms feed off the strong energy that comes with a sense of purpose. The sailors live highly active lives and are constantly alert to changes in the sea. Their live their work for months at a time, something not common in other professions. This would explain the absence of high-grades. The swarm is not a manifestation of a negative emotion. It’s just an annoyance, like a life-form from the sea that happens to slow voyages down.”
Yuuji didn’t look very convinced.
“Okay, but if that’s what the spirits are eating, then wouldn’t we see less of it in the sailors? If it’s their motivation or sense of purpose, wouldn’t they all just become … really depressed?”
Nobara snorted.
“Now that’d be a sight. But they’re obviously not, so …”
Megumi gestured to the deck beneath their feet.
“The texts say that the ship possibly acts as a medium that prevents this from happening. That the sailors indirectly pour their energy into the ship and that the spirits feed off this. So they aren’t targeting the sailors directly.”
“Sounds kinda wishy washy to me.” Yuuji shook his head and scratched at his nose. “No wonder Gojo wants to solve this problem. I mean, he probably has something else up his sleeve, but even I can tell that the theories don’t have much backing.”
Megumi downed the last of his tea and turned to go back to their quarters.
“It used to be a subject of intense research, but once sorcerer’s realised they weren’t making much headway, it was abandoned for investigations into more pressing areas. Whatever the case, our experiment will show us what we need to know. Let’s go in. I’m freezing my ass off all of a sudden.”
Yuuji and Nobara clapped their hands over their mouths when they saw the reason for Megumi’s chill. A small, dark shape, one of the spirits from the swarm, was hovering cheekily over the dark-haired boy’s buttocks and wagging back and forth like a dog’s tail.
Over the next few days, the trio familiarized themselves with the ship’s operations, the crew and the layout of the ship. They had been given strict instructions to run the experiment on the fifth day of the voyage, when they would be well and truly away from the ley lines of the mainland and winding their way through the network of islands that formed the archipelago.
On this particular morning, Laurie had joined them for their early training session on the deck. A mist hung thick over the vessel, obscuring their vision of the sea ahead. The rising sun would soon dispel it, but the students were determined to make use of the hours when there were less crew members about. Laurie watched them, eyes glowing with excitement and admiration as they dodged and weaved around each other, magical energy bursting forth on their fists, legs and special weapons.
Once Yuuji collapsed from exhaustion, back flat against the smooth wooden boards, Laurie approached and crouched beside him.
“Ah, I wish I could pull off some of those moves.”
Megumi was ladling fresh water from a nearby barrel and glanced over.
“Anyone can, with enough practice. What makes a difference is the use of magical energy.”
Nobara pinched Laurie’s arm and squinted at him.
“I dunno about that. This one looks a little runty – “
“Hey!”
“But I guess practice does help.”
Yuuji laughed and sat up, gratefully accepting the ladle from Megumi.
“So, you can see it, huh?”
Megumi and Nobara looked confused, but Laurie nodded enthusiastically.
“Yeah! There’s like an … aura around your fists when you fight. Like you’re vibrating the air around you when you move. It makes your bodies look … blurry.”
“Wait – “
Nobara pushed her face into the cabin boy’s abruptly, and he flailed a little before finding his balance.
“You can … see the magical energy?”
Uh, yeah?”
Megumi was considering the boy thoughtfully.
“Not unheard of. There are plenty of people out there, besides sorcerers, who may not be able to use magical energy, but can sense or see it. Most of them don’t really know what they’re seeing, though. They either take it for granted and keep quiet, or tell others and get branded the village nutcase.”
Laurie blanched, freckles standing out against his pale skin.
“Nutcase?”
Nobara grinned.
“Oh yeah. I knew a few of those back in the countryside. Old Granny Guppy, the fortune teller, who’d randomly hit girls really hard in the face and tell them the date of their next menstruation by reading the burst blood vessels in their eyes.”
“Uh – “
“And then there was Sammy the Squirrel Lover. And boy, did he love him some – “
“Anyway,” Yuuji continued hurriedly, “Wouldn’t it be great if Laurie could help in the experiment? He’s got sharp eyes and if he gets up in the crow’s nest, he can make sure we lay the leads correctly when we make the connections to the plates.”
Megumi hummed and nodded.
“An extra set of eyes would be good.”
Laurie was glancing between them, looking as if his birthday celebration had come a month early.
“I – I’d be honoured to help! You name it, I’ll do it!”
Nobara clapped him on the shoulder.
“Then you’re in. No chickening out, now.”
The experiment had to be conducted in broad daylight in order for them to fully record its effectiveness. On the morning of the fifth day at sea, the students ate a quick breakfast at the mess hall, donned their uniforms, readied their equipment and began the preparations. Wire leads within a strong, flexible waterproof coating were attached to the bronze discs on the sides of the ship, with more assistance from the crew. The spirit swarm ebbed and flowed restlessly about them, as if sensing that some great change was about to occur.
The ends of the leads were brought back on board. With careful direction from Laurie, perched far above them in the crow’s nest, the students began to lay down the leads in a carefully measured network of fibre, all along the decks, the masts, hauled up and stretched all the way along the horizontal spars and across to the yardarms on either end. When they were done, the wires gleamed dully in the sun, forming a latticework of metallic lines across the outline of every visible surface.
Some of the sailors were beginning to look a tad uneasy, until Captain Edilar made a well-timed appearance on deck. He strode briskly around the ship, inspecting it and making a show of confidence that the students were very thankful for, before turning and addressing them directly.
“Is everything in order?”
Megumi nodded.
“Yes, Captain. All that’s left is to attach the leads to the resonance device and wait for the result.”
“Good work. You get that set up. I’ll see to the men in the meantime.”
Approaching the crowd of sailors who had clustered around, Edilar nodded to the first mate, Sakanagi. A set of casks were brought on deck and a hatchet was used to crack open the seal on each one. A stir went through the crew as they recognised the pungent pine-scented liquor, runnel, that was an import from one of the volcanic islands in the archipelago. A drink that came with a hefty price tag. Edilar raised a ladle and filled it with the rich, amber liquid, inhaling deeply in appreciation before handing it over to Sakanagi.
“Men, we stand at a crossroads today. For centuries, the spirit swarms have existed alongside us on this second home at sea. I know how some of you must view this. The swarm has become so familiar to us, something we see when we rise at first watch, something we see before we head off to our berths after the last duties of the day. Why take away what is familiar? The answer lies right here.”
He pointed to the badge that decorated the shoulder of his uniform, small iron replicas pinned to the shirts of the sailors around him. The sign of the abacus that declared them all licenced sea merchants.
“We’re men of the sea, through and through, but we’re also men of the coin. Men who supplement the royal treasury and build their own futures into the bargain.”
A small cheer went up among the sailors. Many were looking more at ease now, courage building in the face of the benefits they would reap.
“To make our living on the sea, we must progress. Progress comes in many forms. Sometimes we sign new treaties. Sometimes we curry favour with a new monarch. Sometimes we brave storms and strong currents and sometimes we grease the right palms under the table. This time, we’re going to place our faith in the hands of the esteemed College of Sorcery and its talented students, in the hope that this small step will forge a brand new leap forward for maritime trade and the speed of our voyages to new horizons. Saying goodbye to the swarms, as nostalgic as they seem, may open so many new opportunities for trade, for all of us.”
Ladles had been passed out amongst the men and each had now been provided with a healthy serving of the beautifully scented liquor. Yuuji, Megumi and Nobara, meanwhile, had busied themselves setting up Gojo’s device. As little as they knew about the resonance machine’s workings, they had been taught how to set it up through their teacher’s eagle-eyed instruction. The device itself was a medium-sized wooden box with metal edging, many small blue-backed dials and sensors covering its surface. Plugging in the last lead, Yuuji mopped some dampness from his brow and looked around, noting the jovial atmosphere amongst the sailors that Edilar had managed to create. As mercenary as the man was, Yuuji had to give due praise to his leadership and persuasive nature.
The device was finally ready. Glancing up, Yuuji saw a flash of red high above, where Laurie was watching the proceedings eagerly. Beside him, Megumi and Nobara were readying themselves in that subtle way only other sorcerers would be able to note. As much as they had had assurance from the college authorities that everything would be fine, there was no knowing what the unknown could bring when it came to sorcery. Even students such as themselves were aware of that.
Edilar gave them a small nod and Nobara let out a small breath before flipping the main switch on the left side of the device. A soft thrumming began and the chatter amongst the sailors slowly died away as they watched the resonance machine begin its work. Visible to the students, and probably Laurie, a soft glow began at the points where the leads socketed into the machine. It spread outwards, shifting smoothly along the wires, speeding up slightly as it began to branch to the peripheral areas of the ship.
A soft gong sounded as the first bronze plate on the hull activated. The three students sprang into readiness as the spirit swarm showed its first signs of disturbance and the sailors muttered and began to gather along the rails. Unlike most other sources of magical energy, the spirit swarm was dense enough to be visible, even to those who were not magically gifted.
A second gong sounded, then a third. The swarm began to thrash wildly, the frequency emanating from the device too high for the people on board to make out. Yuuji squinted into the swarm, trying to ascertain whether there was any sign of a high grade spirit yet. Megumi saw the direction of his glance and shook his head.
“Nothing yet. Kugisaki?”
“Nothing on this side either. They’re just … agitated. I’m not picking up any spikes in magical energy.”
More soft chimes from the cymbal-like bronze plates were echoing out across the ship as the swarm responded with almost textbook uniformity, spreading seaward and blowing clear of the hull of the Percimeran. They were successfully dispelling the spirits, Gojo’s resonance device working even better than expected. Yuuji focused on the swarm, a crease building between his brows.
“So … this is working pretty well … “
“I’ll say,” Nobara chimed in, the elation of success clear in her voice. Yuuji shook his head.
“That’s all well and good, but doesn’t something about all of this feel … wrong?”
Megumi’s head snapped around, dark eyes scrutinizing his friend.
“Wrong?”
“I dunno. Like … I mean look at them. They’re not even showing aggression, even though we’ve practically torn them from their energy source. They’re just … “
Looking outward, Megumi began to understand what Yuuji was referring to. The swarm was not even attempting to fight back against the wall of protective energy that was surrounding the entire ship, their movement frantic, plaintive wails and desperate lunges all that they were currently accomplishing. It was almost … pitiable to watch. As if an old organism had been snatched away from its rightful place by usurping newcomers and had no way of re-establishing its place in the natural order. Shaking his head to clear it of such thoughts, Megumi began to make his way to the prow, determined to record the readings at each of the resonance plates, as they’d been instructed.
“Our job is clear. Let’s just get these readings down and – “
The three of them felt it first, Megumi’s entire body slipping automatically into a defensive posture, his hands flying out into the sign of summoning as if by instinct. Beside him, Yuuji’s body curled into a pugilist’s stance, while Nobara’s hammer slid into her hand, nails appearing between her fingers. He was close enough to see her pupils dilate, nostrils flaring slightly as she took a deep, steadying breath.
Something was out there. Something that, somehow, the presence of the spirits had been shielding them from. Up in the crow’s nest, Laurie was shouting something unintelligible, his hand pointing outward, towards the port side of the ship. Like cogs in a well-oiled machine, the three students leapt into action, Yuuji and Nobara surging forward in the direction indicated, while Megumi hung slightly back, hands rapidly forming signs as his spectral hounds bounded through the veil between worlds and onto the deck beside him.
Unlike other spirits, Megumi’s summoned familiars were tangible and clearly visible to all. The sight of the giant hounds caught the attention of the sailors, and they began to cry out warnings and shout for hands on deck. Edilar was close behind the students and Megumi turned to block his path.
“What is it? What’s happening?”
“Captain, stay back.”
“Please tell me! My men can handle the ship while you … do what needs to be done.”
“There’s something out there. I … “
Megumi found that he couldn’t quite voice the knowledge that driving off the spirit swarm had put them all in grave danger. Judging from Edilar’s expression, he understood almost immediately what the boy couldn’t say. Face set in a grim mask of determination, the Captain stepped back and squared his shoulders.
“It’s not your fault. We agreed to this. You just … do what you promised. Keep my men safe. We’ll do the rest.”
“Fine. Tell them to steer clear of the sides of the ship. We’ll – “
At that moment, a sharp, terrible spear of sound rent the air and Megumi’s knees buckled as he clapped his hands over his ears, imbuing them with magical energy to provide some semblance of protection. The sailors weren’t so lucky. Screams and shouts of terror sounded from all sides as the men around them collapsed on the deck, hands clasped over ears, dark blood trickling from between their fingers. Nobara and Yuuji had stopped in their tracks, hands clasped to the sides of their heads, having managed to protect themselves in similar fashion. Nobara swore loudly over the cacophony.
“What the fuck – “
Yuuji’s eyes were suddenly impossibly wide, his gaze heavenward. Slowly, against the drag of time, Megumi lifted his head, watching as the world around him seemed to slow to a crawl. A shape was falling from high above, catching in the sails and sliding down, hands scrabbling ineffectively to gain purchase. As the shape got closer, Megumi made out the terrified face of the boy, Laurie, blood streaming from both ears, the sudden impact of the sound attack having knocked him clean off the crow’s nest.
Within a moment, Yuuji was gone. Magical energy left a blinding afterimage on the air as the pink-haired boy launched himself high, bounding like lightning born from the ground up, right up the mainmast and onto the first of the horizontal spars. His body arced, using the momentum of his kick off the solid wood to spin in mid-air and snatch the falling form of the cabin boy out of the air. They landed with a solid thump on the deck, Laurie collapsing in a weak, boneless slump, his face pale and traces of vomit streaking the sides of his mouth.
Nobara had already processed the situation and was darting towards the port side of the stern, where Laurie had been pointing initially, her hammer at the ready. She stopped abruptly, arm striking out in an almost reflexive line to prevent Megumi from coming further forward.
They could see it now; the hulking shape that had emerged from the sea. Twice the length and breadth of the Percimeran, the black, pock-marked and barnacled flesh looked almost like a floating island at first glance. That was, until the giant flipper came into view, alongside the serpentine neck, a narrow, coffin-shaped head perched at the end, sightless, white-filmed eyes, each pupil the size of Megumi’s torso, staring out towards the horizon beyond the ship. Although Megumi could sense no direct malevolence from the leviathan itself, the same did not hold true for the creatures that inhabited its surface.
Sirens. He had read about them before, although the illustrations in the books did not do their appearance justice. Depicted as beautiful, deadly apparitions that lured sailors to their deaths in times long past, the entities he could see now were a far cry from those alluring flights of fancy. Iridescent skin with a green, metallic sheen in the sun, sinewy curved bodies, long, sinuous throats with cords that bulged and snaked beneath the skin, and heavy-mawed heads with many rows of teeth, the sirens that clawed about the leviathan’s back were formidable passengers indeed.
Nobara grasped his sleeve, the fingers clutching at her hammer white-knuckled.
“We can take them on. Hold them off for as long as we can. But we can’t keep all the sailors safe like this.”
Megumi nodded.
“The swarm. We need to turn off the resonance machine.”
Yuuji was watching the sirens approach with aggravated eyes.
“Will that work? We’ve driven the swarm off. How long would it take for them to come back? And if they do, will that make any difference? These things have already pin-pointed our location.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’ve got to try.”
Hastily, the three students worked to carry away the bodies of sailors who had been struck down by the unearthly screeching of the sirens, clearing an area on the deck where they could defend the ship unhindered. Yuuji sprang out onto the guardrail, using it as a handhold, the raging magical energy now condensing over his body drawing the siren’s attention to him. As they drew closer, their bare, sleek limbed bodies began to drop below the surface, dark shapes beneath the swelling waves as they cut through the water towards the ship.
A green, clawed hand, fingers darkened as if dipped in ink, shot up out of the water towards Yuuji and he countered by dodging, grabbing the wrist and swinging the screeching shape up, out of the sea. Vulnerable in mid-air, the siren opened its mouth wide, the cords along its throat curling and writhing. Before any further sound could emerge, an energy-imbued nail ricocheted from Nobara’s hammer, sank into its jaw like a whistling missile and blew away half of its face.
The shattered remains of the creature dropped limply back to the sea, just as six more darting shapes leapt towards the ship. Yuuji danced along the rail, his fists trailing pathways of vivid blue energy as he leapt, spun, kicked and charged, driving the spirits away and preventing them from reaching the deck. The aftershock of each of his blows was timed irregularly, catching them off guard. Without a solid pattern of attack they could adapt to, they were reduced to clinging to the sides of the ship, hissing and snarling at him. Megumi hung back, hounds circling, ready to take on any sirens that made their way onto the ship, while Nobara clambered up to the spars on the mizzenmast, the lateen-rigging providing a makeshift shield she could dodge between as she sniped the approaching creatures with charged nails.
Together, they managed to hold off the first wave of sirens that cast themselves with mindless hatred at the vessel. Megumi heard movement behind him and whirled around, wondering why his hounds hadn’t alerted him, when he saw the bedraggled figure of Laurie shuffling forward, ears still sluggishly pulsing blood.
“What are you doing? Get way!”
It was clear that he could no longer hear him, but Laurie’s eyes, wild, terrified and somehow, burning with determination, fixed on his mouth. The boy pointed at his own chest with rapid jabs. Megumi stared for a minute, then gestured at the cords that trailed further in, towards the resonance device. Laurie gave a shaky nod and stumbled back the way he came. Like him, a few of the other sailors were slowly regaining their bearings, rising into wobbly fighting stances. Megumi gritted his teeth and looked away. As things stood, they would only get in his way. He needed to hold them back from the battle so that he could keep his promise to Captain Edilar.
The second wave of sirens was much larger than the first. Yuuji couldn’t, for the life of him, understand how that many of them fitted on the back of the leviathan. There must be somewhere, underwater, where they were emerging from, in addition to those that flocked on the beast’s back. Yuuji tackled three of the quick, sinuous shapes, striking each as they approached, but one slipped past his guard, clawed hands gashing his leg. He slid backward, shaking his head to clear it as more emerged from the water, hideous mouths opening, their song screeching across the water and disorienting him slightly, in spite of his defences.
Nobara gave a loud shout and drew some of their attention away from him, swinging down from the yardarm and kicking away one of the sirens before dropping to the deck. She drew her ‘special’ nails, adapted for close combat, and fired them off in quick succession, each nail scoring excruciating lines of caustic energy across the bodies of the creatures. They backed away from her, screaming in fury as she slowly raised her hammer defensively. Yuuji backed away and joined her, standing with his back against hers, blood slowly soaking through his trouser leg.
Two of the sirens in their peripheral vision suddenly charged, mouths opening wide, and were promptly knocked overboard by the shadowy charge of Megumi’s hounds. Yuuji whooped and dodged more of the attacks, using the hounds’ lithe bodies to weave in and out of the sirens’ sight, striking quickly at weak points where he could. He dragged his heel in a neat arc along the deck, kicking up hot, white sparks, before blowing condensed energy hard in their direction, sending jets of burning steam rocketing across the deck. The sirens caught in his attack barely had time to respond, neat holes blown clean through their torsos and throats.
Nobara was swiping her hammer in wide circles, the edge colliding with the bodies of the attacking sirens, pushing them back temporarily. She hadn’t done much damage, beside the shallow slashes on their flanks, but her devilish grin was one of triumph. A deft sleight of hand, and a straw doll was suddenly slipping into her palm, the hammer scraping across it, depositing blood and flesh from the sirens who had attacked her, all along the scratchy surface. With a shout, she plunged the spiked end of her weapon straight into the straw doll. All around them, the sirens wailed and twisted, bodies floundering as they collapsed on the deck and imploded, greenish-hued flesh spraying across Nobara. She wiped away the remnants, spitting to the side, before glancing across at Yuuji and nodding.
Megumi’s warning shout cut through their temporary satisfaction.
“There’s more approaching to starboard!”
At that moment, the gentle humming that had signalled the functioning of the resonance device abruptly shut off. Laurie had managed to turn the switch. The silence hung like a thick blanket over the ship before being wrenched away by enraged wails from the sirens. They attacked with greater urgency than before, as if trying to snatch back the prey that was so close to escaping their clutches once again. And this time, they had chosen to strike the other side of the vessel, where the sailors had been clustered, away from the students’ battle.
Megumi spun on his heel and dashed forward, hands forming quick signs.
“Nue!”
A shadow fell across his shoulders and he felt the firm grip of the giant bird spirit as it caught him by the shoulders, talons slotting beneath his armpits, and lifting him into the air. Below him, the hounds rushed into battle, snapping and mauling sirens as they ran, limbs crushed and bodies torn within their powerful jaws. Nue swooped and Megumi’s magical energy condensed into fine rapiers that extended from his fists. The razor edges of the weapons sliced through the flocking bodies of sirens, leaving them unsteady before sprays of blood and the sounds of limbs dropping onto the deck signalled that his attack had left its mark.
A small, ragged cheer went up from the sailors and the sight of the student’s battle seemed to instil them with greater survival instinct. Swords and firearms were drawn, the sirens backing away as the sailors formed a protective circle around their more incapacitated comrades. Megumi had a moment to notice that the firearms were of newer issue, the sleek, self-reloading types that had just entered the market, when a sudden spike of magical energy caused his teeth to clamp tightly together. Nue flapped hard, changing tack, drawing him away from the sailors and back in the direction of Yuuji and Nobara.
Something else was crawling out of the sea. It was the thing they had sensed right before the sirens had scrambled their senses with odious song. Megumi exhaled sharply as he saw a large, clawed hand, barnacles clinging to its surface, grasp the railing, actually causing the ship to list to the side slightly as the new spirit clambered on board. It towered over the two students, its body amphibious, huge, swivelling eyes taking in the ship’s defenders. It was a larger version of the sirens, muscular and sinewy. Strange slits decorated its torso and its head looked oddly split, as if its jaws hinged on a vertical axis rather than opening horizontally. Which is exactly what happened at that moment.
The head split open down the middle, eyes still rolling on either side of the hideous flaps, and a long tongue emerged, suddenly diverting into myriad, narrow tendrils. There was a soft rustling, the hiss of hundreds of blades emerging from small pockets in the studded flesh, and the tongue was suddenly transformed into a nightmarish weapon. The tendrils shot with blinding speed towards Yuuji and Nobara, who dodged and weaved desperately out of reach. Nue swooped once again, drawing the creature’s attention away from them. A tendril launched high towards Megumi and he blocked the strike with crossed blades, wincing as the jagged teeth dragged against the smooth surface. This was no ordinary spirit. Each of those razor-sharp teeth was imbued with a hideous amount of cursed energy.
“Draw it back to the water!” Megumi shouted. They couldn’t let this monstrosity anywhere near the sailors.
Down below, Yuuji acknowledged his command by going on the offensive, fists just barely blocking the reinforced tongue as he darted forward. He dropped suddenly beneath one of the flailing tendrils and slid across the deck, dealing powerful blows to each of the spirit’s legs. Although staggered, one of the slits on its torso opened with surprising force, expelling another spiked flesh-whip, sailing through the air straight for Yuuji’s defenceless form. Nobara screamed a warning and her nails came winging through from the side, striking true and pinning the tendril to the side of the ship.
The nails began to send up smoke and exploded, a roar escaping the spirit’s mouth as its flayed parts drew back into the opening on its body. Yuuji scrambled out of the way, eyes widening when he saw the remaining slits on the creature’s body open wide, more of the bone-studded tendrils writhing through the air, straight for Nobara. Faster than she could react, they collided with her body, sending her careening across the deck like a ragdoll. She came up hard against the mainmast, coughing up blood, her clothes ripped and spattered with red.
Nue swooped down, Megumi clasping a hand around Nobara’s arm and dragging her away just in time as the tendrils collided against the mast, sending up a shower of splinters. The wood creaked and groaned at the punishment it was taking and Megumi leapt from Nue’s grasp, drawing the beast’s attention away from Yuuji and Nobara. Fists forming the necessary signs, his giant snake spirit burst from the water, slamming into the creature from behind, jaws planting themselves firmly over its shoulder.
With another enraged roar, the creature thrashed wildly, some of the tendrils catching Yuuji as he dived for safety once more. He let out a sharp cry as the spikes tore along his chest and face, leaving jagged gashes in their wake. Behind them, the sailors were putting up a brave fight against the remaining sirens, the sound of gunfire echoing across the deck. Megumi gritted his teeth and eyed the escape rafts bundled against the side of the ship. Even if they managed to stall the high grade spirit long enough to allow the crew to escape, they wouldn’t last long out there with this behemoth hunting them. They had to try their best to destroy it, here and now.
The sharp pain and dull throbbing in his ears had not abated after the first sound attack, and Laurie had found it difficult at first to orient himself. The damage to his ears had done something strange to his balance. He had always prided himself on having good sea legs, able to keep his footing even in the worst storms, but this was different. The slightest shift in the deck beneath him had him slipping and stumbling. He felt sick to his stomach, his limbs like lead weights, that dreadful pounding in his head growing with every step, but he couldn’t give up now.
Even with this handicap, he had managed to reach the device that had started this entire debacle; the faintly humming resonance device that the students had set up this morning. He couldn’t and wouldn’t blame them for how all of this had turned out. There was no way they could have known that this would happen. And now, they were out there, fighting, keeping the rest of the crew safe from the things that had crawled out of the sea.
Laurie had said, the last time he’d watched them practice, that he’d love to help them in any way he could. The sight of them actually risking their lives, charging headfirst into that crowd of horrors, had snapped some fundamental preservation instinct within him. He knew he would just be a burden to them if he tried anything else. Yuuji had taken such a risky jump to save him as he’d plummeted from the crow’s nest. And so, he did what little he could, what Megumi had asked him to do. He would turn off the device and pray that the swarm would return, whatever good that would do.
His shaky fingers slipped on the lever to the side of the device, the one he’d seen Megumi activate earlier. All around him, the crew were groping their way back to sensibility, the Captain already on his feet and seeming to shout orders, rallying the stronger men around to form a circle. Laurie stumbled upright and felt something hard and cold shoved into his hand. Someone had handed him one of the new pistols they’d used to re-stock the armoury before the voyage. He fumbled with it slightly, fingers slippery with … blood? Ah, his ears were still bleeding. No matter. He could do this. He drew back the safety catch, just as he’d been taught and looked up, just in time to see one of the sirens launch itself at the sailor in front of him, jaws spread wide, teeth clicking over each other in horrendous fashion. He lifted the gun and fired, straight down the gaping throat.
The bullet exploded in a most unnatural fashion, splattering the head and neck of the creature over the deck. Was that supposed to happen? Surely ordinary bullets didn’t … but there was no time to register anything further. The deck shifted once again, listing heavily. What on earth could cause something like that? Laurie’s knee gave out and he slid into a kneeling position, panting heavily. Another siren was circling in predatory fashion to the side, and it screamed shrilly, directing its terrible voice at him. He ducked his head in agony, but it seemed that the damage of the first attack had ruined his ears beyond anything these creatures could further inflict. He was still conscious. He was still here.
The creature charged at him and he fired wildly. He missed, and it bowled him over, rolling hard across the smooth boards, the gun clattering out of his hand. Laurie scrambled up once again and his fingers found the small dagger he always kept in his belt, the one he used for gutting and scaling fish. As measly as the weapon looked in his hand, especially against the creature before him, it was something. He would not give up, not now. They were still fighting, after all.
He opened his mouth and screamed in defiance, a sound he could no longer hear. He knew his vocal cords were working, knew that the sound of gunfire and the shouts of his comrades would be echoing all around him. It was rather lonely, this death, but somewhat peaceful too. He placed both hands on the handle of the small blade holding it out threateningly as the siren stalked towards him.
And then, a hand came down on his shoulder, the grip firm, but gentle. He was pulled to one side, and the siren’s vocal cords suddenly twisted, something like primal fear curving its body into a taut arc. It turned to escape, but a wave of force moved through the air, past Laurie’s body, so powerful that it made the hair on his arms stand on end. The siren was blown out across the deck, colliding with others of its kind, before smashing into the side of the ship. The crushing force did not stop there, bending the supple bodies of the creatures with such ferocity that he could see their bones snap and splinter, pulverising them into an unrecognisable mass of flesh and magical energy.
Mouth hanging open, still feeling the damp, warm seep of blood onto his collar, Laurie turned his head to see who it was that had effected such an attack. It was not one of the students. It was a man he had never seen before. A very tall man, a shock of white hair standing up on the crown of his head, dark robes edged with gold thread adorning his form. He wore a blindfold. His face was youthful and, despite the horror and carnage all around, he was smiling. Captain Edilar was staring across at the man, eyes wide in recognition. Laurie saw his lips form the words ‘Magister Gojo’. The white-haired man nodded in acknowledgement to the Captain and he looked down, somehow seeing Laurie, in spite of the blindfold. He reached down and lightly touched the boy’s damaged ears. Laurie gasped as a soft, soothing sensation trickled into the raw nerve endings, removing the pain almost instantly. ‘Gojo’ smiled again and turned to the other end of the ship. He reached for his blindfold.
Scrambling unsteadily to his feet, Laurie watched, along with the other crew members, as the new arrival disappeared with a crack and reappeared closer to where the students battled … the monstrosity that had come on board. Laurie shuddered, body growing cold as he saw the hulking, nightmarish creature they were pitted against. He took a step forward, noting with horror just how badly they’d been injured. Yuuji was bleeding heavily from numerous jagged slashes all over his body, but he was still crouched and on guard, ready to fight. Megumi and Nobara were faring no better. The dark-haired boy was battered and breathing hard, his face pale, the repeated summoning obviously taking a toll on him. Nobara was slowly getting to her feet, the agony on her face and the limp manner with which her arm hung at her side testament to the injuries she had sustained.
The students looked up, all of their faces taking on a surprised expression when Gojo appeared amongst them. Yuuji’s face split into a broad grin and Nobara slumped slightly. She appeared to be shouting something at Gojo. Megumi looked relieved beyond words. Was this man really that strong? That even these highly trained students, so powerful and competent, looked up to him and had such faith in his abilities?
As if in answer to that question, Gojo raised a hand and curved one of his fingers inwards, held against the palm by his thumb. His blindfold was off, revealing … eyes that shone like brilliant beacons through the gloom and the sea spray. Eyes filled with that something, that undeniable energy, at levels beyond anything someone like Laurie could comprehend.
The creature, like the sirens earlier, seemed to sense something from this man. It rose to its full height, jaws open wide, and every hair-raising slit on its torso slid open, the fleshy projections bearing concentric rings of needle-like, shearing bone blades rippling through the air towards the Magister with blurring speed. Gojo was faster. He disappeared and reappeared once more, even closer to the monster.
One of the seeking tendrils was suddenly arrested in place, held almost carelessly between two of his fingers. Laurie felt another surge of something, of the magical energy that he seemed to be able to see, and it was more powerful than anything he had witnessed yet. It traversed Gojo’s fingers and delved with rapid intensity right into the tendril he held between them, striking the spirit’s body. Beside him, Laurie saw the Captain hold onto his hat as a shockwave of energy collided with the creature, passing right through the centre of its form.
The snaking tendrils slowly dropped, one by one, out of the air. With ghastly sluggishness, the two halves of the monstrous body separated and collapsed onto the deck, rocking the entire ship with their impact. The tendrils that had been coiled and buried within its body spilled out across the deck, slapping against the masts, rolling out so far, they even touched the feet of the sailors who stood on the lower deck. The ship swayed in place, a stillness falling over the scene now that every threat had been dealt with.
Laurie looked around, saw the men slowly rising to their feet, some injured, but all alive. His caught the Captain’s eye and suddenly, his limbs felt terribly heavy, like he was sinking deep, deep beneath the waves, even though he was awake and standing right here. As his legs gave way, someone caught him. The darkness that followed was as still as the sea on a quiet night, and as absolute.
“How is he?”
“He’ll be fine. His hearing will never be at a hundred percent, but he’ll regain it slowly. Some of the damage was beyond what even Magister Ieri could mend after a certain amount of time.”
Yuuji sniffed and scratched at the bandages that swathed his chest and arms. His gaze shifted away from the unconscious form of the red-haired cabin boy with something like guilt. Nobara huffed out an impatient breath.
“So … are you going to tell us yet? Why we had to run that freak show of an experiment? Did you know what would happen?”
Gojo shook his head and sighed.
“Nobara, sweetheart, when will you have more faith in me?”
“When I keel over and – “
Gojo shushed her hurriedly.
“Now, now, you’re a Magister-in-training. You already walk on the risky side. To answer your question … no. I didn’t. I had no idea that would happen.”
Megumi raised an eyebrow.
“Really?”
“Really and truly.”
“You had no idea that dozens of high grade spirits would come crawling out of the sea?”
“Cross my heart and hope to – “
“Oh, you’re gonna die all right,” Nobara growled, cracking her knuckles.
Yuuji sighed.
“It’s not us, Gojo. We’re not the ones who … well. You’re right, you know. We chose this profession. We chose to walk on the risky side. What I don’t get is why you chose to put all those sailors in danger. And don’t tell me some … story about how they signed up for it. They’re ordinary people. They’d have no idea what kind of risks they were signing up for. Why did you hire them?”
Gojo was silent for a minute, but not in a way that seemed particularly contrite. He rose and moved to the window of the small hospital where they were currently situated, back in the port city of Mabraca. Down in the harbour, fully visible from where they were, the Percimeran bobbed in the harbour, now looking slightly worse for wear. The one positive feature about the ship was the dark swarm that had now returned, crowding and surging along the hull, slightly thinner than before, but present nonetheless. Gojo had paid in full for all damages and for the treatment of the crew members who had sustained injuries. He traced a finger over the outline of the ship.
“I’ve never had any interest in trade and transport. You three know that, right?”
Yuuji nodded and Megumi and Nobara exchanged glances. Their instructor was only confirming their earlier suspicions, and those of Magister Kusakabe. Gojo continued, his voice soft and melodious.
“Imagine my surprise when I was approached by Captain Edilar and asked to use his ship as a testing ground for my latest research.”
Megumi frowned and sat up straighter.
“Wait, what? He told us that you were the one who – “
“Oh, I’m sure he did. I immediately wondered, you see, how he even knew about my research to begin with. Sure, all of the college’s latest discoveries and progresses are documented in published journals that are open to the public. But these are seldom read by anyone other than sorcerers and academics with specialised interests. As intelligent as the Captain is, there’s no way he would have seen application for my research in maritime trade unless someone else had brought it to his attention and paid him well for it.”
Yuuji looked perplexed.
“But who could have done that? And why?”
“Oh, I have a pretty good idea. But I didn’t tell Captain Edilar, you see. I thought it would be interesting to see how things would play out. And boy, did they ever. You see, I’ve been warned on more than one occasion about the nature of my experimental work and how ‘progress for progresses sake’ is something to be avoided in the world of sorcery. How I should leave the status quo as is and work to curb the magical disturbances in the world like a well-trained dog. I suppose they finally saw a way to make my research backfire spectacularly, in a way that would tarnish my reputation in the academic world for good.”
A slow realisation was dawning in Megumi’s eyes. He let out a low hiss of aggravation.
“The higher-ups. This stinks of them. Don’t tell me they – “
“Oh, they did. Tell me, Megumi dear, when did human life ever rank high in importance to the likes of them? They hired Captain Edilar. They proposed a well-paying deal to a merchant like him, with a full crew of sailors, ripe for the slaughter. As I said before, Edilar’s a smart man. He must have known, on some level, that there was an element of risk involved.”
Nobara nodded slowly, thinking of the conversation they’d had in the Captain’s quarters.
“He sure did. He asked us to look out for his crew.”
“Of course he did. He would have seen it as lower risk, though, considering the task was assigned to three students like yourselves. How bad could things be if you three had been sent by the college? Under my name, no less. And so, you took the same device I’d trained you to use, my handy spirit repelling resonance device, and installed it on the ship.”
“So …” Yuuji was beginning to put things together, “Did the higher-ups know, then? What would happen when the device was turned on? And why did you let us go ahead with the experiment?”
“Oh, there’ve been plenty of speculations over the years. Most of us who’ve experienced sea travel and seen the spirit swarms firsthand theorized that the swarms actually kept the ships safe on long voyages. And that’s now been fully confirmed by my own observations. High density collections of lesser spirits without any higher-grades making an appearance? Not logical. Unless the higher-grade spirits were not where we expected them to be. If the spirit swarms feed on the emotional energy associated with ships and marine ventures, then why are they not evolving to more advanced forms? It’s because that energy is going somewhere.”
Megumi’s eyes widened. “Wait, so you mean – “
“Yes, exactly. The spirit swarms are pacifiers. They flock to ships, the only good sources of energy on the open seas, and keep them safe while channelling that same energy to their ‘bosses’, the aggressive higher grade spirits that exist in the ocean. The swarms are benign mediators that form a fine balance on our seas. They may be a pest to maritime travel, but considering the cost if they were removed … it was obviously not to anyone’s advantage to tamper with them.”
“But they still made the Captain ask you for help … “
“For a good reason, of course. They wanted irrefutable evidence that the crew was wiped out and three students killed or severely injured through my experimental endeavours. Just imagine, Gojo Satoru, most powerful Magister the world has ever seen, talented, brilliant, extraordinary – “
“Yeah, yeah, we get it.”
“ – and reduced to a shell of his former self through sheer guilt and trauma, a man who once had so much promise, now branded a common murderer of innocents. How could I go on, you ask? Oh, as any tragic hero must. Maybe I would destroy my laboratory, burn my years of groundbreaking research to ashes, withdraw from human society altogether and – “
Nobara groaned.
“Oh my God. Will you stop the drama already?”
Gojo sniggered and turned away from the window, but his expression soon became uncharacteristically sombre.
“That’s why I snuck a little sensor into the device. One that would signal me when you turned it on. I admit, it took me a few costly minutes to pinpoint your location out at sea. I didn’t expect you three to be so roughed up before I even got there. But what I’ve seen this time … it proves everything I knew about sorcerer society. They must have known. They must have had some knowledge about what was out there, if they knew how fast the attack would happen. That it would happen even before I got there. And now, thanks to you all and that experiment, I have proof.”
Gojo slipped something out of his pocket. It was a small, sealed evidence tube, one that the students knew he always carried to scenes of magical disturbance when he was out, investigating and conducting missions. Within the tube was a sample of the spirit’s tendril, hooked, razor sharp teeth still projecting. The special seal on the tube prevented the sample from disintegrating, as spirit corpses were wont to do in this realm. Nobara shuddered slightly and Gojo slipped the sample back into his pocket.
“The other samples I obtained are still being analysed back at the lab. We’ll soon know what answers they hold.”
Yuuji’s voice was soft and troubled.
“Gojo … what exactly are you expecting to find?”
The white-haired man smiled and shook his head.
“The less you know about that, the better. I will tell you, of course, when the right time comes. Until then, know this.”
He stepped forward and ruffled Yuuji’s hair. The student squinted studiously at the floor.
“You all handled yourselves really well. You kept those men safe. You did exactly as I would expect from my successors in this shitty world. Be proud. You’ve helped in ways you’re not even aware of yet.”
He glanced down at the harbour, at the ships burnished to gleaming shine by the rays of the setting sun.
“And, I suppose, I have to thank the good ship, Percimeran.”
Many, many leagues from the port city of Mabraca, a month prior to the events that happened during the swarm experiment, the sun was rising over a very different landscape. Red earth, chalky beneath the fingers, the verdant, tropical forest stretching out below as far as the eye could see. The scent of rain was in the air and trees shifted in the slight breeze, the atmosphere charged and anticipatory, as it always was before the harsh storms that tore along the coast in these parts.
The man standing on the cliff raised a hand and stroked slowly over his jaw, feeling the day’s growth of stubble there. It was unusual, for him, at least. He normally went clean-shaven. His hair, usually neatly combed and parted, now hung over his forehead, curling slightly in the morning’s humidity. But this forest was not the place for starched linens and sober uniforms. The dead body at his feet was testament to that.
For hours, they had been hunting, tracking their ever-elusive prey, and now they had been faced with the inevitable. It had claimed another victim. Closing his eyes briefly, the man squatted, strong fingers belying the gentleness with which he closed the lids over the sightless, staring eyes. He stood and glanced back towards the trail, at the puffing form of Ijichi who came over the hill. He too, wore the loose cotton shirt and broad-brimmed hat recommended for these parts, the durable pants tucked into sturdy, waterproof boots.
The assistant took a moment to catch his breath, before handing over the slip of paper in his hand.
“A message. From Magister Gojo. He said to look out for anomalies.”
“Did he? Not surprising.”
Taking the sealed message, the man on the cliff’s edge read slowly, deliberately, before crumpling the paper, the edges spontaneously catching alight in his palm. He turned and stepped away, hefting his rucksack over his shoulder. Ijichi took a moment to examine the body lying there, his face pale, before the other’s smooth, deep voice pulled him away, back to the path.
“Time enough for that later, Ijichi. We have work to do.”
“Yes, Magister Nanami.”