Tammi set to wrapping my chest and stomach with the gauze, her movements quick and effortless, befitting any master surgeon. She didn’t speak while she worked, nor did she hum or even make a noise. Then she wrapped my upper arms, shoulders, and armpits—moving my limbs with gentle motions and then waiting for me to hold still while she finished.
When it came time to wrap my upper thigh, I felt more like my normal, awkward self. I kept my new clothes pressed against everything scandalous as she bandaged the parts of my body with major arteries.
“Done,” Tammi said as she scooted away on the bench. “It’ll probably be warm while you wear this. I suggest you drink lots of water and stay in cool locations. Like… below deck.”
“All right.”
Tammi got up and left the washroom, the same forced smile on her face as she closed the door.
Once alone, I quickly dressed in the trousers and shirt. Tammi had been right. The warmth from the wootz cotton made it seem like the dead of summer under my clothes, but I appreciated the fact that I had a layer of protection if I were cut.
I exited the washroom.
Tammi and two other ladies were in the corridor, waiting. They all put on their fake smiles and waited for me to shuffle by before they entered the washroom. Since they weren’t arcanists—they had no marks on their forehead—they couldn’t contract the arcane plague. It was safe for them to dispose of the water and clean the room.
Luthair followed me in the shadows, slipping from one dark patch to the next. The lanterns in the Sun Chaser seemed new and bright, but most had their shutters half-closed, keeping the place dimly lit.
I could see in the dark, thanks to my knightmare magic, so I didn’t mind. I just wondered why.
Karna waited for me near the narrow stairs that led above deck, her radiance dispelling the gloom of the corridor. She swished back her golden hair, motioned for me to follow her, and then leapt up the stairs with the fluid speed and grace of a dancer. As I went up the steps to follow, two other women went down, each carrying rigging for the sails. They didn’t greet me or say a word, so I remained quiet as I stepped around them.
When I emerged on deck, I had to blink back the dazzling sunlight.
The Sun Chaser flew above the clouds, soaring between the white peaks of cumulonimbus and traveling at a faster pace than most sailing ships. The rush of air over the ship rustled everything. Without any cloud cover, the sun shone mercilessly over the deck and crew.
I couldn’t help myself. I walked straight to the ship railing and leaned over to get a better view. The occasional wisp of cloud felt like a light misting of water. And the air—it was so crisp and fresh. Unlike anything I had ever experienced before.
How high were we? I couldn’t see the ground, not through the thick layer of white below us.
“Excited?” Karna asked.
I hadn’t realized she was standing next to me until then. “It’s beautiful up here.”
“I agree.” She tied back her blonde hair with a shimmery piece of blue ribbon. Everything fluttered elegantly in the breeze, both dramatic and striking. “Nothing beats the view from freedom.”
“How long have you been a crew member on the Sun Chaser?” I asked.
Karna tapped the railing, her gaze becoming distant. “Years, I suppose.”
From what I’d heard, the Sun Chaser was home to mercenaries and mystic seekers—people who could be hired for any job, even if it were questionable in nature. That didn’t mean they were blackhearts, just people floating between the order of guild system and the lawlessness of pirates. The crew of the Sun Chaser was made up of outsiders willing to work so long as they liked the price.
“I love it here,” Karna said with a half-smile. “I basically recruited everyone in our crew.” She pointed to a woman scrubbing the deck. “That’s Lin, one of our gunners. And the girl next to her is Hanna. She’s one of our deckhands. At some point you should meet Biyu—she’s the cutest cabin girl.”
“Do you have a position on the ship?” I asked.
Karna straightened her posture and touched her collarbone with one hand. “I’m the quartermaster. And in case you don’t know what that is—”
“I know,” I said. “It’s a position directly under the captain. Some say it’s more important than the first mate, since quartermasters are typically in charge of recruitment, supplies, and training.” There were many stories of quartermasters recruiting people loyal to them and not the captain so that they could cause a mutiny.
Karna pursed her lips. “Hm. You must like sailing.”
“I grew up on the Isle of Ruma. I know my way around ships.” I glanced around, still squinting from the bright sunlight. “Where’s the first mate?”
“We don’t have one.” Karna pushed away from the railing. “C’mon. Let me show you the rest of the ship, like any proper quartermaster should.” Before I could answer, she grabbed my elbow and clung close.
I wanted to shake her away—to remind her I was still dangerous—but holding my arm wouldn’t transfer the plague, so I decided not to act like a paranoid lunatic, and I kept the comments to myself.
Karna led me to the quarterdeck, a raised-up portion near the stern. It was a smaller deck, but with a better view, and I took a moment to stare off into the distance. The blinding white of the clouds almost hurt my eyes as much as the sun. In the distance, beyond gigantic peaks of fluff, a colossal bird burst out of the cloud line. With each powerful flap of its gargantuan wings, the bird went higher into the sky.
“That’s the captain’s roc,” Karna said. “Her name is Mesos.”
The roc, Mesos, had golden feathers, as though carved out of amber. Although huge, and somewhat frightening, I couldn’t help but marvel at her majesty. She had to be larger than an elephant, perhaps the size of a small whale.
Karna pulled me across the quarterdeck, down a small set of stairs. “Over there is the galley. That’s where you get your food. And there is where the lookout sits, on the forecastle deck. Captain Devlin uses his magic to steer the vessel, so the wheel and rudder are just for show.”
The useless parts of the ship confirmed my suspicion: this had once been a ship for sailing. They had taken it from the waters and modified it for the sky, leaving vestigial parts around the airship.
Then Karna pulled me to a door that led below deck. Without boots, the grain of the wood felt odd on the soles of my feet. Everything seemed properly stored, cataloged, and clean, however, so I didn’t fear stepping on loose nails or splinters.
“I can’t wait for you to meet our blacksmith,” Karna said in a singsong voice, like she was teasing me by withholding some information.
I wasn’t in the mood to play games, so I didn’t bother asking.
We descended a short set of stairs, escaping the winds on the deck, and entered a narrow corridor with several doors. One was labeled: Captain’s Quarters. Karna led me beyond that, all the way to the opposite end of the hall. She pointed to a door with no label.
“This is where you and your two associates will sleep.” She smiled wide—genuine and filled with excitement. “Admit it. The Sun Chaser is ten times more wondrous and freeing than your guild back home. Think of this as an adventure.”