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I woke long before Cadein did, the rain pounding steadily on the roof of the carriage. For a while I considered asking the driver if he was comfortable, but I figured this was his job and he knew he was doing. The countryside was green and lush, even though the sky was gray. Hours passed as we traveled, Cadein snoring quietly the entire way. As the fields and trees began giving way to farms and small villages Cadein woke, jerking upright and blinking several times before sighing and rubbing his eyes.

"How long was I asleep?" He asked, groggily.

"I don't know." I shrugged.

"We must be nearly there." With a quick glance out the window he nodded, settling back into his seat. "Before we have to hurry to the boat, was there anything on your mind?"

"Plenty," I said, turning my attention from the window to him. "First of all, why am I so important? You didn't tell me at the inn, and now we're here in a carriage on some road. You can't really say we're in a public place."

"I guess you do need to know." Cadein sighed, fiddling with a fastener on his armor before looking out the window. "Sigan, you are the Black One's son. No, don't say anything, let me continue. Sixteen years ago he raped an orcish farmhand in the looting of Alekei. You resulted from that union. The reason we're keeping you from him is that when he was defeated the wizard Konáll placed a blood curse on him, a curse that caused him to be unable to use magic of any kind as long as he never came into contact with any of his blood relatives."

"Seems like a really specific curse." I said, dully.

"Well, before he began his assault on all of the kingdoms he murdered all of his known relatives. Probably to avert this exact type of thing, but he obviously didn't plan on impregnating that farmhand."

"Where is she?" I asked, closing my eyes and trying to assimilate all this information.

"Who?"

"My mother."

"She died during childbirth. Orcish childbirth is...very hard on the mother." I sighed, leaning back against the back of the seat and slumping. "I know it's a lot, but you needed to know." After a moment the carriage slowed to a stop, the horse-master pounding on the door a few instants later. Cadein opened it, speaking quickly to him before gesturing me to follow. The rain was falling heavily, so I tugged up my hood as I fell in step with Cadein. Haliea was a huge town, but somewhat muted by the rain. We walked together down the main street, past a guard post and by an innumerable number of peddlers huddling under covered stalls.

"I think I might come with you, Sigan." Cadein said, as we passed a milk vendor who called for us to try her milk. I thought to stop, but Cadein showed no signs of slowing. "I want to make sure you get there safely."

"Well, if you want." I said, catching up with him.

"There's supposed to be a second agent coming with you, I don't know what they had planned but we'll find out soon enough." As Cadein spoke we came into view of the port, many vessels of all sizes from small fishing skiffs to huge merchant traders in the berths. The masts stuck up like a forest of rigging, but I had little time to admire it before Cadein nudged me towards an overhang on the side of a building. A strongly-built male panther stood there, dressed in the armor of an Imperial soldier. He waved to us as we approached, a smile on his thin face.

"There you are. Just on time." He said, glancing between me and Cadein. "Sergeant Lo'ta, at your service."

"Lo'Ta, what was the plan from here on out?" They spoke quietly, Cadein leaning on the building next to the soldier. I stood awkwardly on the other side of him, shivering slightly.

"Well, I've got a uniform for your friend here, and we'll mix him in on a troop transport that's going to make a stopoff at Hierakon. There he'll get off."

"Who else knows about this?"

"You, I, and him."

"Alright." Cadein said, sighing. He looked at me and smiled. "I'll write to you once you get there. Be safe." With that he walked off towards an inn at the dockside. A part of me wanted to call out to him, to stop him and ask him to come, but a firm hand on my shoulder stopped those thoughts.

"You'll be safe. These men are my men, and loyal to the end. Here, let's get you outfitted." Said the panther, leading me towards a middle-sized and unassuming boat. It was longer and wider than most, with the crest of the Imperial navy on the side.

"Alright." I said, uncertainty in my voice.

"If anyone asks, you're a new recruit being taken for training. Make up a name." The panther hurried up a boarding plank from the dock onto the boat, and I followed along. The boat's rocking didn't bother me as much as I thought it would, which was a small comfort.

"In here." The panther said, opening a door and gesturing inside. I entered into what seemed to be a storage room, and he shut the door behind us. He opened a crate, pulling out clothes and checking them against me. "Undress."

"Uh, here?" I asked, nervously wringing the sleeve of my robe. The entire affair with the goblins had made me nervous about such things, not out of a fear that it'd happen again but out of a worry it wouldn't. I shook my head, gritting my teeth and forcing my mind back on track. What the hell was wrong with me?

"Yes." He said. I shrugged off the robe, leaning against the wall to get the boots off.

"Will I get these back?" I asked, handing him the bundle. He didn't seem to notice nor care about my nudity.

"Yes, I'll hide them." He produced a set of clothing, handing them to me. "Dress quickly and go downstairs. We shove off in half an hour." He turned and left with my clothing, leaving me alone in the storeroom. The uniform was simple, a dark tunic and pants as well as simple leather boots. I pulled these on, closing my eyes for a moment and calming myself. If I was the Dark One's child he'd be after me, and not for a social call. If he found me he'd most likely kill me, so keeping myself secret was critical. The panther had told me to choose a new name, so I made one up as I headed out into the hall and down the nearby stairs. Four soldiers sat around a table, cards and dice scattered about on it. At least ten others were scattered about, servicing weapons or talking or reading or sleeping.

"Who are you?" Asked one of the soldiers at the table, standing.

"Aethallyn," I said. "Sergeant Lo'ta sent me down here. Said I was going to come with you guys and get off at Hierakon."

"Did he now?" The soldier walked over, his boots thumping heavily on the wood. He stood easily a head taller than me, a muscular human stripped to the waist. "New recruit?"

"Yessir."

"We'll see." The soldier looked me over again and went back to his game, the other soldiers having already decided that I was uninteresting. I found an unoccupied hammock, sitting softly and watching the other soldiers. They seemed to all be familiar with each other, laughing and joking and drinking like I'd never come down here.

Soon after I came down Lo'ta arrived, standing with his arms crossed over his chest at the foot of the stairs. He didn't even have to clear his throat or anything of the sort before the soldiers gave him their full attention.

"Alright, guys. That boy over there's a new recruit, so don't beat him too badly before we get to Hierakon. Hear me?" The soldiers laughed. "We also picked up a windmage here, so our trip isn't going to be as long as we initially believed. I want all of you, including the recruit, to help out on deck if we're needed, get me?" The soldiers all agreed in unison, and I added in my voice as well. Lo'ta departed, leaving us in peace again.

I saw the windmage on the second day of the trip, when we were called to help with cleaning off the deck. A thin, tall elf, he wore white robes and a golden circlet with a symbol I didn't recognize that was also embroidered into the back of the robe. He stood at the rear of the ship, his hands in the sleeves of his robes as he stared intently at the sails. A stiff wind pushed us along, a wind that didn't seem to spread to the rest of the calm sea.

"That's the windmage?" I asked one of the soldiers, as we scrubbed the deck with small mops. It wasn't unlike mopping the floor of the abbey, a chore I actually enjoyed doing.

"Yep. My brother went into schoolin' to be a mage. Never passed muster and ended up goin' back to the farm." The soldier said, a stocky dwarf with a braided beard. The windmage must have seen me watching him, because he smiled at me before turning his attention back to the sails. I couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder at that, that someone can call up a wind without any real effort. I wanted to be like that; I wanted to be a mage. It was pretty much sealed the further we got, the idea that I wanted to master magic. And if I was to be living with a mage, what better profession could I pick? I mean, I already knew some basic charms like a simple one to tell north and another to light a candle from a distance, but I had never seen much use for them.

A few weeks passed with little to nothing going on. I had halfway expected for the ship to be attacked once we got out to sea, but it never happened. Nothing but open sea and the occasional friendly sea creature. It was actually quite boring.

Well, that was until the windmage's magic stopped. Just...stopped. Like someone had snuffed its candle. Everyone looked towards him, finding him just as surprised as we were. He gestured in an attempt to rekindle the wind, but nothing happened.

"I guess we're on natural power for now." Said the helmsman, smiling a bit nervously. I had been up on deck watching the waves pass. A ripple of laughter ran through those up on the deck, halting and obviously worried. I scanned across the horizon, hoping to spot some sort of...something. Something to explain why the windmage's magical power had suddenly vanished. Sergeant Lo'ta appeared at the stairs to below, his sword at his hip as he went to the railing at the edge of the boat.

"What happened?" He asked, looking out as well.

"I don't know, sir. The aether isn't responding to my efforts anymore." The windmage said, shaking his head and pacing. "It's like I have no magical ability."

"Perhaps you're just fatigued," Suggested Lo'ta, turning to look up at the windmage on the rear deck. "Get below and get some rest. It's not a problem if we're not going overly fast for today." The windmage nodded and went below. I relaxed a bit, seeing as Lo'ta was calm as well.

"You too." He said to me, nudging me with his knee. "Go."

"Why?"

"Because this whole thing smells like a trap." He looked over at me, eyes all cold steel. "If fighting breaks out, you'll be safer below. Go." I followed his order, returning to the quarters below. It was empty, seeing as most of the soldiers were above either tending to duties or simply relaxing in the sun. I couldn't help but worry, especially when the soldiers came below to arm and armor. Lo'ta was with them, his tail lashing nervously as he handed me a short blade.

"What's this for?" I asked, looking it over. It wasn't anything special, and holding it reminded me of the fine blade I'd lost at the monastery. I gritted my teeth and suppressed the memory quickly.

"Just in case. Keep below, barricade the door if you hear fighting going on." His voice was tense and official, and I found myself reflexively nodding. "I doubt there's really anything going on, but it is best to be careful and slow than careless and dead." With that he finished armoring, he and his soldiers returning to the deck. For some time nothing happened, the entire ship silent save for the creaking of the hull and the crew's boots on the deck.

And then, all at once, everything exploded in action. For an instant there was cries of warning, then abrupt cannon fire. I wasn't even aware the ship was armed with cannons, but the shuddering through the hull was unmistakable. There was a deeper, rumbling series of explosions, and the air of the cabin was suddenly awash with splinters. I dove behind a nearby crate, hitting the deck hard and sliding into the wall with a painful thump. I stayed there for a few moments, panting and trying to beat my brain back into a functioning mode. The sounds of combat rang in my ears, my initial instinct to open up the crate and hide inside. I got to my knees and tried to open the thing, but it was impossible without some type of prying tool. Standing the rest of the way I began dragging things to barricade the door as Lo'ta had suggested, pushing boxes and tables and chairs against it. On the other side of the room a hole the size of my head had been blown in the hull, far enough above the waterline that we didn't stand much chance of sinking. I looked out of it once the door was barricaded, and distinctly wished I hadn't.

A huge ship made of dark wood cruised alongside us, cannons poking out of hatches in the side. Figures moved inside, and I realized that one of the cannons was pointing directly at my head as I looked through the hole. And that cannon had a glowing spot near the back. Things happened very slowly from that point on, as I threw myself aside just as the cannon exploded in fury. I curled as I fell, protecting my head and tumbling along the deck. The shot tore the hole even larger, showering me with wood and splinters as the ball passed through the far wall. The splinters pierced through my clothing and into me, but I hardly felt it at that point. As I struggled to my feet the barricade shook suddenly, a guttural voice screaming a curse on the other side. I staggered to my feet, drawing my blade as the door was forced open. A single orc, hauling an axe easily as tall as him strongarmed his way in, clad in leather armor emblazoned with a flaming fist. He looked nothing like I did, his flesh a dark color instead of a green one. His teeth were pointed and irregular, his hair long and stringy.

He charged me, as I had faintly expected. His axe swung where I had been before he began charging, my body rolling to the left and to his side seemingly on its own. My blade found purchase in his thigh, ripping it open and sending him to the ground in a crumpled heap. I didn't take any chances and drove the blade into the back of his skull, twisting once before withdrawing it. My reflexes carried me further as another orc forced his way in, shoving aside the hasty barricade as he did. He swung and I dodged under it, the axe singing a deadly song as I barely avoided it. My blade took residence in the orc's throat, a hot jet of his lifeblood spraying across my right side as he gurgled and fell. Two more came and two more fell, and I was no longer myself. No matter how much I tried I couldn't control my actions, as if I was an outside observer watching through someone else's eyes.

In all I slayed six orcs, their blood dripping off my sword as I staggered back from the door. I finally regained control of myself, my heart pounding furiously and body aching in exhaustion. I was covered in blood, very little of it actually my own. My legs trembled like bridge beams under too much load, my arms weak and nearly useless. Two more orcs appeared at the doorway, wearing the same armor and hauling the same axes as the others I'd killed in my frenzy. I merely dropped my weapon. I couldn't go two rounds with a kitten anymore, let alone one round with two burly adult orcs. They glanced at each other as I looked at them, panting and at my end.

"Fine, kill me, do whatever." I said, between breaths. "I can't fight you anymore." They looked at each other again, the leftmost one producing a length of rope. Goddamnit, always with the ropes. One grabbed me and turned me around as the one with the rope bound my wrists, and they walked me up to the deck.

It was sickening how much blood and gore coated the deck. Limbs, bodies, parts of limbs and parts of bodies were strewn across the wood. Some of them were orcish, but most of them were human or dwarven. Lo'ta was there, of course, wounded and bound. He knelt before a muscular male orc, looking up the length of a sword at his throat.

"And there he is," Said the orc, looking up from Lo'ta before him. He wore a long crimson cloak with an iron breastplate and greaves of the same material. His head was shaven and his face covered in a number of scars including one that cleft his upper lip and exposed a good number of his pointed teeth even when his mouth was closed. Lo'ta glanced over his shoulder, and his defiant expression melted into one of utter defeat.

"What are you going to do now?" He asked the orc, "Kill him in front of me?" The orc ignored him, instead gesturing towards one of the orcs escorting me and barking something in that guttural tongue again. They brought me forward and roughly kicked the knees out from under me, sending me to the deck before the lead orc. He said something in the same tongue to me, grinning as he spoke. I looked up at him, shaking my head. He frowned, then tried again.

"You don't even speak the tongue of your people?" He said, anger in his voice.

"Nope." I said, flatly. I didn't really care if I lived or died at that point. I figured I should be feeling more than numbness and neutrality, but I didn't. The orc snorted and nudged at me with a boot that was covered in gore, looking me over. He looked to one of his subordinates and said something in what I could only figure was Orcish, gesturing at Lo'ta and I. An orc hauled me to my feet and roughly lead me up a boarding plank and onto the dark ship. Lo'ta remained on the ship, and from what I could see by glancing over my shoulder the orcs were tying him to the mast. It was much larger than the original ship, more so belowdecks. In the rear of the ship was a brig with four cells, all of them empty. I was shoved into one, and the orc who had brought me down stood in the doorway of the cell. He wore the same armor as the others, his flesh the same dark color and his eyes slitted like a cat's.

"What the hell more do you want?" I said, rolling over to sit against the back wall. "Oh, let me guess. You haven't had a piece of ass in such a long time you're gonna rape me."

"What? No." He snorted and stepped back, slamming the cell door shut and locking it. "Maybe if you had a cunt I might. Fuckin' freak." With that he walked off, leaving me alone in the stinking cell.

Well.

I guess I'm fucked now.