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They flew through the night, finally stopping to rest as the sun rose over the horizon. Lyra wanted to keep her presence hidden in case Nedarya had eyes looking out for her. Although it seemed doubtful she’d have any minions in Rhykandria, they figured it was better to be safe. Dusk’s magic had led them towards the ocean as expected. He assumed Cyrilo would be at sea with Captain Duillearga and hoped to meet them away from a major port. Lyra flying at night would only conceal them so much and trying to search through a large port town, even with magic, would waste precious time. If they could help it, Dusk wanted to remain ahead of Nedarya’s potential schedule.
As Lyra slept for the day, Dusk found himself still awake, listening to the sounds of the jungle around him. The trees had thinned and taken on a more familiar appearance as they moved north. But Dusk’s mind was far from their surroundings. Instead he couldn’t shake the thought of the crystalline horn tucked away in his bag. His previous magic to search for Cyrilo hadn’t been enough and left him aching for more. The urge to use the horn again was like an itch that Dusk knew he shouldn’t scratch. He wanted to do more powerful magic, to destroy something. It was an odd feeling that he’d never experienced before, but with the crystal eye gone and having to tap into dangerous resources over and over again, he was starting to feel the side effects he’d been warned about. Thankfully for now they were easy to brush away and he pushed the bag aside, hoping some distance would make it less tempting. He wished he had a book to read while they rested.
After a long while Lex finally stirred from sleep, providing him with some company for the rest of the day. He helped to keep Dusk’s thoughts off the things that could go wrong and what lay in store for them. It was a welcome reprieve. When the sun finally set and twilight took back over the world, Lyra let them climb on her back and they took to the skies once more, heading towards the ocean that Dusk could just barely make out on the far horizon.
They flew well into the deepest parts of the night. Dusk reached out for the magic once more, the sensation feeling less like a jolt this time and more like an exciting prickle on his skin. Sharing the tether with Lyra, she led them forward into the darkness. Having not slept much the day before, Dusk found himself dozing against the spike in front of him, the gentle thrums of Lyra’s wings putting him in a sort of trance.
He didn’t know how much time had passed when he suddenly jolted awake, Lyra’s voice inside his head.
“Dusk!” she said, trying to get his attention.
“What!?” he started, nearly throwing himself off her side and into the open air. “What is it? Is something wrong?”
“You are hard to wake,” Lyra chuckled. “Nothing’s wrong. Look down.”
Dusk rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and leaned over her side, grasping the spike in his opposite hand. Far below them was the conjunction where land met sea. At its edge was a cluster of glowing lights. It looked like a fairly large city, but being as high as they were, he couldn’t say for sure.
“Is that where Cyrilo is?” he asked, letting his thoughts be shared with Lyra.
“That is where your magic has led us, but I can’t be sure of his exact location. He’s not on the water though. You and Lex will have to search the city tomorrow in the daylight to find him.”
“How long until morning?”
“It’s still a handful of hours away. I’ll find a place to land where you can finish resting. Tomorrow it’ll be up to you to find him.”
Dusk nodded but then realized that Lyra couldn’t see him. “Okay,” he replied, feeling a bit sheepish.
Lyra began to make wide lazy circles in the sky, no longer flapping but riding the wind in a downward spiral. The darkness was thick, concealing them on their way down. Dusk couldn’t make out where they were going, but Lyra didn’t seem to be having any issues. Eventually she found an area to land and gave them both a warning before making her descent. Gently she slowed herself and came to rest on a high cliff covered in tall seagrass with nary a sound. Both of them hopped off and stretched as Lyra swung her tail to flatten the grass like she had in Ronja. Between the warm night air and Lex at his side, there was little need for blankets or fire. With Lyra standing watchful guard, they fell asleep once more, nervous about what the next day would bring.
***
The city was at least twice the size of Calendia, stretching across at least a full mile of coastline dotted with docks, ships, and other things Dusk didn’t recognize. He and Lex got a good view of it from high on the cliff, but the size of it didn’t really sink in until they passed through the western gates. The streets were crowded, lined with imposing buildings that leaned in over them. Long cords pinned full of clothing and brightly colored fabrics were stretched over the street between open windows.There were rich smells of food and sugar that filled the air, but there was an undertone of stench lingering amongst it. Dusk glanced into one of the alleys and noticed a trough running down the middle to an open grate. It was full of muck and by the smell of it, this was the dumping ground for chamber pots from all the nearby buildings. He assumed it smelled much better after the rain washed it all away into the sewer, but for now the heat of the sun was making it unbearable to move off of the main roadway.
There was an interesting mix of people in the city that Dusk had never seen anywhere else. While Ditania was mostly fair skinned humans, this port city had humans and Rhyka in all shapes, sizes, and colors. The Rhyka caught his attention more than anything. There were a vast array of patterns on their fur that were mesmerizing. Some of them had tufts on the ends of their tails or at the tops of their ears. A few, dressed in more tribal leathers, were heavily muscled with thick faces and large fangs while others, who seemed to belong to the city itself, were slimmer and dressed in light linen clothing.
Dusk was staring fixedly on a heavy Rhyka with a two-handed ax on his back and dense sandy fur when he spotted something else. A tall thin man who looked mostly human except for his dark blue skin and pointed ears, was speaking with the Rhyka. His hair was black and his eyes were the lightest gray, giving him an innately mysterious look. All except his face was covered in a dark cloak even in the oppressive heat of high summer. Dusk tried to point him out to Lex without looking obvious.
“What kind of person is that?”
“He looks like a Trothenar,” Lex replied, glancing at the man. “They live here on the southern continent inside the deep cave systems that run under the mountains. I’ve never seen one before. There aren’t any in Ditania that I know of. I only ran across a tiny passage in a book once, but it wasn’t a lot of information.”
“I spent my whole life thinking there were only humans and animals, but there’s so much more.” Dusk stared with reckless abandon. “Do you think we’ll see any other types of people?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we found all sorts of different races here. I’m sure there are others across the planet and anyone who trades comes here eventually.The southern continent is a merchant's paradise and attracts people from all over Udalara. There aren’t any laws restricting their passage and it’s generally regarded as a safe haven amongst traders. Although they do have a bad pirate problem.”
“You know a lot about this place.” Dusk paused for a moment, realizing what Lex had said. “Pirates?”
“Yes pirates,” he laughed. “I learned a bit from my father long ago, before he was under Tiernan’s control. The reason he and my mother purchased a home in Calendia was to open up a trade route with Inahan. His plan was to expand down to the southern continent eventually.” He glanced around, eyes resting on the carts in the distance set up along the edges of the road. “Let’s get something to eat, then we can start looking for Cyrilo.”
Dusk could barely contain his excitement to try new foods from a different continent. “Okay,” he said eagerly, taking Lex by the hand and leading him forward. “But I want to hear more about the pirates.”
They spent more than a couple hours amongst the food carts. Dusk dragged Lex from booth to booth, looking at what was available and purchasing a small amount of each to share. Lex giggled at his enthusiasm and told him stories he’d heard about the pirates wandering around the southern ocean. Dusk listened in rapt attention while interjecting only to order more food when they came across another cart.
When they were finally stuffed, the afternoon heat making them sleepy, they decided to go find a tavern near the docks to get out of the sun. Dusk figured Cyrilo would be near the boats, so it wouldn’t put them far off on their search. He knew time was of the essence, but the day had been going so well. He’d never seen Lex laugh so much and it made him forget all the troubles of the world for a while, giving him a chance to unwind from the previous weeks of turmoil. As they took their seats in the Verdant Hog Tavern with their tankards, Dusk couldn’t help but slouch back into his seat, feeling more relaxed than he had in a while. Slowly they sipped, exchanging silly insights into the conversations happening around them, making them both giggle ridiculously.
“We should get back to finding Cyrilo,” Lex finally said, draining the last of his tankard. “As much as I love this, we don’t have a lot of time.”
“You’re right,” Dusk sighed, tipping his back as well.
He sat the cup down in front of him and pulled his bag around reluctantly. Dipping his left hand inside he clutched the horn. He noticed the surface was a little less smooth than it had been before and realized the magic he was using was slowly eroding it away. Thankfully the spell wasn’t too using much, but the urge to use more grew every time he touched it. Reaching out with his mind he began to form the runes in his head once more. As they completed their complex pattern Dusk felt it flow out around him and the thread-like tether appeared in his mind, pointing him in the right direction.
“Follow me,” he said, pushing himself up from the table.
Taking Lex by the hand they made their way out of the tavern. Dusk felt the tether pulling to the northeast. He turned a corner heading towards the docks, glad they’d decided to head there in the first place. Unsurprisingly, as soon as they reached the water the tether began pulling him almost due east down the long stretch of road lining the sea. The familiar scent of saltwater and rotting fish met them as soon as they passed beyond the last of the buildings, the rest of the city smells dying away with the breeze. Hundreds of people traveled up and down the road with carts, horse-drawn wagons, and some carrying large barrels on their shoulders. Men and Rhyka alike dashed about, making trades and purchases as they went. Some of the larger ships were well cared for and their crews were dressed equally well, but most were small trade vessels with stained sails and grimy crewmen. The dock road was busier than the city market and everyone seemed to be in a rush. Ships came and went from the docks as they walked, the constant bustle around them making it hard for Dusk to concentrate on the tether.
After fifteen minutes of weaving through the busy merchants, Dusk felt the thread turn sharply north. Glancing to his left he saw a long dark dock stretching out into the water and there, at the very end of it, was Captain Duillearga’s ship, The Zephyr. He doubled his grip on Lex’s hand and pulled him forward, dismissing the magic with a flick of his hand. It had been slowly eating away at the crystal in his bag and he needed to preserve it for the fight ahead. They nearly jogged to the end of the dock before coming to a stop in front of the gangplank. The ship looked just the way it had a few months previous. Heavy ropes secured it to the dock and even a thick chain. There were three guards stationed at the end of the dock only a few feet away, but Dusk paid them no mind. He didn’t think twice as he walked up the gangplank, having been aboard many times before.
But as he reached the top he saw three deck hands look up from their work and their faces grew dark. Immediately they dropped what they were doing, drew their cutlasses, and rushed the both of them.
“Wait!” Dusk cried, holding his hands up. “We’re friends!”
The three crew members stopped an arm’s length from the pair of them, their swords held at the ready as if to skewer them on the spot.
“You don’t come aboard a ship without the captain’s permission,” the woman on the left hissed, her sword tip only a few inches from Dusk’s throat.
“What are your names and what is your business?” the man in the center asked, his dark eyes flicking between them.
“We’ve come here to find Captain Duillearga,” Lex replied, staring down one of the blades. His hands were at his sides, one resting on the pommel of his own sword. “We’ve ridden on this ship before, don’t you recognize us?”
“Everyone is a bit on edge, ignore them,” a familiar accent called from the sterncastle. “Put down your weapons you buffoons! We’re in enough trouble as it is! The last thing we need is you lot giving the guards a reason to board the ship again!”
Dusk looked up to see Cyrilo descending the steps to the main deck, an irritated look on his face. He was wearing Duillearga’s hat and a light cotton shirt that was open all the way down to his belt. A brass handled short sword hung at his side although Dusk could see his knuckles attached to the other side on a small loop of leather. His emerald green eyes flashed towards the crew as they slowly put away their weapons.
“I have no idea how you two got here,” he said, striding forward. “But I’m happy to see you both!”
He pushed the others aside and with outstretched arms, pulled both Dusk and Lex into a hug at the same time.
“It’s so good to see you,” Lex replied over his shoulder. “I wasn’t sure if we ever would again.”
“You two couldn’t have come at a better time.” Cyrilo pulled back, keeping a hand on their shoulders. “I know you just got there, but I’m afraid I need a little bit of help.” He looked between the pair of them. “Ciaran is in jail.”