Ulysi Monks

The soft billowing of the wind-filled sail along with the creaking mast seemed loud on a peaceful night. The old man leaned against the rail, his bronzed skin wrinkled with time to the point where no one was even sure how old he was. He had been on the first Sea Lynx, then the second, and now the third. "More than sixty years with this old girl." He patted the railing and drank from the bottle he was carrying. Finally, he offered a drink to the person sharing the moonlit night with him.

"No thanks," Isa said. She felt too stifled in her cabin and had come out to get some night air. "That's a long time."

"My hair and some of my teeth have gone, but that was due to fighting more than anything else." He paused as if remembering something pleasant. "Nothing wrong with my memory, though. Are you oblivious to the company you keep, or don't you know?"

Isa pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders; something about the old man put her on edge. "What do you mean?"

"They altered their names a bit, but I recognize those people you came aboard with. Ulysian Assassins, or as they were more commonly known, the King's Guard."

"The Ulysi order had been around for centuries. I can assure you they are not assassins." Isa leaned back against the rail and fixed him with a curious stare. "They never guarded King Lunsac."

The old man laughed at the words, the sound drifting away into the night air. "King Lunsac... the grandson of the betrayer!"

Isa's eyes widened in surprise. "Those are dangerous words, Mr...?"

"Bane," the old man offered. "You can leave the Mister out of it; no one cares about an old man like me." He took another long swig, slamming the bottle down on the rail with a loud band when he finished. "I'm talking about Demitri, the Rat King."

"You can't be that old. That was..."

"Nearly a hundred years," Bane finished for her. "Cursed to rule without a male heir, the dogs tore him down, friend and foe alike."

Isa knew some of the Beast Empire's history, but if the old man were to be believed, some of the events had been altered. "I read that he stepped down willingly after a long rule. There is no mention of any children."

"Two daughters, both killed during the coup." Bane shrugged slightly. "But what do I know? I'm just an old bird."

They stood in silence for a few minutes before Isa excused herself and returned to her cabin. The old man smiled at the sea. "It's been a good run." Then, nodding to himself, he turned to the shadows on the far side of the deck. "Not talking to you three, of course."

The three monks left the darkness of the rail and spread out as they approached.

"You are well informed," Yun stated. Her hands were clasped behind her; no weapons were visible.

"Am I?" Bane countered. "I ramble when I drink too much. It's a bad habit."

Yun nodded in agreement, wordlessly moving closer.

"Come to try an old man?" Bane's eyes brightened considerably, the air around him thickening to the point of suffocation. "You won't like the result."

All three monks took a step backward, gasping in pain. His words felt sharp, like a cutting blade.

Yun held her hands out in front of her. "There's no need for violence. Our mission here doesn't involve you."

The old man suddenly changed, causing them to retreat several steps. His clawed talons stabbed through the deck of the Sea Lynx. "What is your mission? To protect the girl?" The giant eagle snapped its beak at the end of the sentence.

Yun stared opened mouthed for several seconds. "A winged beastman... It can't be." She glanced at the other two monks and motioned for them to stand down. "When Duscanti returned from the Four Kingdoms fourteen years ago, his daughter was tested by the Magi to ensure he wasn't lying about her lineage."

The feathered head turned slightly as if considering the statement. "They would have killed her if she wasn't Duscanti's descendent."

Yun nodded. "True."

"I see... She was also tested for the Rat King's bloodline. Seems like the old guard is still active." Bane stared at Yun for a moment. "Duscanti doesn't have the Rat King's blood, so it must have been someone from the Four Kingdoms. Where is the mother?"

"Duscanti didn't bring anyone else back with him," Yun replied.

"Protect the girl. I will raze your entire order to the ground if anything happens to her." The golden eagle leaped effortlessly into the air, the wind from its mighty wings buffeting the sail and everyone on deck.

Yun wiped the sweat from her brow while trying to calm her breathing. She glanced at her team; they were similarly shaken. "That was close."

"Too close." The monk called Rafe leaned over the rail to retch suddenly; no one spoke for several minutes while they stood silently on deck.

"This changes nothing," Yabir stated. The third monk was the youngest of the group. "Do you think he headed east?"

Yun nodded. "My guess would be the Four Kingdoms. But, as you said, it changes nothing. If he finds the mother, we'll also assign guards for her."

************

"Seems like a lot to eat," Dem stared at his plate; the server who dished his food piled on all three versions of the main course, which of course, was sand snake.

"Don't overeat," Taigon warned. "Leave some room for the second meal."

"More eating?" Dem's stomach was already protesting. The plate in front of him was more than he would have eaten in four days back in Thaigmaal. He pushed the food around on his plate, sampling a bit of everything. Apparently, the three best methods for preparing sand snakes were sweet, spicy, and very spicy.

"It's a shame about Dem's age," Dern said the words loud enough for those around him to hear. He was sitting on the other side of Taigon. Dem was seated between the Frostridge head and Ranil, the Swiftwind clan chief. "He would do well in the circut hunt."

Taigon nodded in agreement, his pale eyes glancing over the street rat's head to the Swiftwind leader. "Those age limits are in place to protect the younger generation, but given Dem's capability, it might be okay."

Dem ate his food silently, occasionally answering questions whenever someone addressed him. The circut hunt was held at midnight; after that, there would be more eating and drinking. According to Telo, this was all about making contacts with other clan families. Most of the participants would sleep the next day away.

Ranil leaned closer and lowered his voice. Dem hadn't spoken to the Swiftwind clan leader before tonight. "I want you to participate; here's a list. If you can manage one of them that would be great."

Dem pocketed the scrap of paper without anyone noticing. "I wouldn't mind giving it a try." He spoke more than loud enough for those around him to hear.

Within a few moments, the rules were bent to allow Demitri to participate in the circut hunt. A short while later, Ai appeared to escort him back to their tent.

Ai pulled him along, smiling at the dread on his face. "It will be fun, dasai." The shaman had briefed her on Dem's mission. "What does the message say?"

Dem out the scrap of paper and read the two names aloud. "Teya Bearclaw and Ravyn Frostridge. Why not have one of the older Swiftwind members do it?"

"Two new magic users," Ai pursed her lips together while she considered the names.

"Magic? Like what the shaman does?"

Ai nodded. "That's spirit magic. Some folk are blessed with elemental magic."

Dem had seen magic performed at the Inn in Thaigmaal, but it wasn't anything extraordinary. "Does the Swiftwind clan have any magic users?"

Ai smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Nothing worth mentioning. Tam can use a bit of air magic."

Dem laughed at the face she made. "That's why she wins all the archery contests?"

Ai nodded. "Admittedly, she is very good without using it."

"We're getting distracted. What do you want me to do?" Dem glanced at the closed tent flap. "The shaman is coming."

A moment later, the Swiftwind shaman stepped into the doorway. She noted that neither of the tent's occupants was surprised to see her. "You're going to have to tell me how you do that, Dem."

Dem smiled and shrugged.

The shaman lowered her voice and leaned close. "It will be difficult, but try to get the circut of one of those women."

Dem glanced from Ai to the shaman. "Then what, dosu?"

"Talk to them," both answered at the same time.

The shaman grinned suddenly. "If you can't get their circut, don't worry about it."

Dem nodded. "Anything I should know."

Ai placed a brown hand on his shoulder and squeezed. "Protect yourself at all times. Finding a circut is a lot easier than coming back with it. You won't be allowed to bring any weapons."

Dem felt his face break into a wide smile. "Stealing is allowed?"

"More like expected," the shaman replied. "Be careful. Some people are very ruthless."