CHAPTER 5

Into the Drink

Karny, no!” Marrill screamed. Her heart lodged in her throat as her cat sailed through the air, collided with the Wiverwane, and scrambled for purchase on the railing before momentum carried them overboard.

With a yowl of outrage and surprise, Karny plummeted toward the glowing waters of the Pirate Stream. Overhead the tackle squealed. Lines flew from the rigging, trying to snatch the pair midfall.

For a moment, Marrill’s pulse seemed to beat in slow motion.

Ropebone got there in time, she told herself.

It was okay. Karny was safe.

But then she heard the splash. A band tightened around her lungs. “Noooo!” she wailed as she raced to the railing, Fin chasing after her. In the windows of Listerd Light Alley, twisted shapes moved in a cruel mockery of the anguish sweeping through her.

We’re still in the alley. Not out on the open Stream. The water is brackish, she told herself. Karny is fine. But she could already see that the Stream had taken them outward again. The Listerd gas bubbled less. The waters of the Stream glowed golden with magic.

Deadly magic.

“Beast overboard!” Coll hollered, racing out of Ardent’s cabin toward the ship’s wheel. “Heave to!”

Despite their dislike for the cat in question, the pirats scampered dutifully along the yards, hauling up the mainsail and bracing the mainmast square as Coll turned the ship perpendicular to the wind.

Marrill pushed herself out over the railing, farther than she would normally dare. Her eyes scanned the surface frantically, desperate for any sign of Karny or the Wiverwane. With one hand, she swiped away tears to keep her vision from blurring.

But what was she looking for? What would Karny be now? Aflightofowls-atelephonepole-aburstofyellow. Her heart pounded. Her mind, unfettered, raced through horrid possibilities. Thetasteofmarshmallows-anoperamelody-afeelinglikeyou’relostandsofarfromhomeandyouletdowntheonlythingthatlovesyou.

And then, like a miracle, she heard it. A feeble yowl.

Far below, right at the waterline, something clung to the netting strung along the Kraken’s hull. In the dark, the glow of the Stream wasn’t enough for her to see what was there. But she knew immediately the yowl was Karnelius. But was he still Karnelius?

-acatfish-amancat-acaticorn-anoctokitty-acatcallonlyacallnothingleftbutacall-

“I think I see him!” Fin threw a leg over the railing, ready to climb down. Marrill was half over with him when firm hands hauled them both back.

“The creature’s far too close to the water,” Ardent warned. “Allow me.” The wizard pinched at the air and lifted his arm. Karnelius rose toward the deck, as though plucked from the Stream by an invisible hand.

A moment later, a limp Karnelius swung over the railing, dangling in midair by the scruff of his neck. He was drenched, his fur plastered against his skinny frame, making him appear far smaller and more vulnerable than usual. Water dripped from him, forming a glowing puddle on the deck.

“Still a cat! That’s good news,” Ardent announced happily. He frowned. “If odd.”

“Karny!” Marrill scrambled toward the poor, soaked creature, falling to all fours when she neared. Just before she reached him, however, her head slammed into an invisible wall. She looked up to find Ardent holding his palm toward her, stopping her.

“Careful.” He nodded toward the quickly growing puddle of raw magic. “The deck is made of dullwood. You are not. The magic will dissipate shortly, mingling with the air until it is no longer lethal. But not yet.”

Marrill took a deep breath and clutched her hands to her chest to keep from grabbing her cat. “Is… is he okay?” she asked in a trembling voice.

In response, Karnelius twisted against the invisible hand holding him and let out an angry hiss. He swiped at the air, claws bared. All of a sudden, Ardent let out an “ouch!” and the cat dropped to the deck, landing gracefully in a crouch.

Marrill extended her fingers toward him. “It’s okay, Karny,” she cooed. “You’re safe now.”

His one eye flashed. Each twitch of his tail sent droplets of water arcing across the deck. A low grumble sounded from his chest.

And then he began to speak.

I, the Dawn Wizard, being of inscrutable mind and inexplicable body, do hereby bequeath the following to those who will follow:

Marrill froze. She was sure she couldn’t be seeing—or hearing—this. But one glance at the others told her that she wasn’t alone—they’d all heard Karny speak, too. Remy’s eyes were wide, Fin’s mouth open in shock.

“What just happ—” he started to ask.

Ardent cut a hand through the air. “Let the cat finish, young man I don’t recognize.”

First and foremost, to those who would play the Game of Prophecy, I leave a stratagem. You will find it buried in the lines of this very will, should you have the will to find it.

They all held their breath, staring at Karnelius, waiting for him to say more. The cat shook his head and snuffled. Then he let out a sneeze so enormous it made his fur stand on end—his suddenly dry fur, Marrill realized, as though the force of the sneeze had flung every last drop from his body.

Then he sat, lifted a paw, and began to lick it. Grooming himself as though nothing had happened.

With trembling fingers, Marrill reached for her cat, pulling him into her arms. She didn’t care if any residual magic clung to his fur, didn’t care what it might do to her. All she cared about was holding Karny and keeping him safe. He settled against her shoulder and bonked her chin with his forehead. Perfectly normal once again. Or at least as normal as he’d ever been.

Fin was the one to break the shocked silence. “Well, that’s a thing that just happened.” He scratched his head. “So… does anyone actually know what that was?”

Ardent considered the cat with a puzzled expression. “Extraordinary,” he breathed. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“The surviving a dunk in the Stream or the talking cat bit?” Fin asked.

Ardent shook his head. “Either.” He tugged on his beard as he studied the cat.

Suddenly, Marrill straightened. She’d been so worried about Karny that she’d forgotten he wasn’t alone. “Where’s the Wiverwane?” she asked. She spun, scanning the deck. “What happened to it?”

Fin, Remy, and a deckhand raced to the side of the ship, peering over. Ardent stood stock-still, brow furrowed.

Marrill’s stomach felt like it was turning inside out. If something happened to the Wiverwane, she was responsible. She’d been the one to demand it be set free, after all. And it was her cat that had chased it.

“I don’t see it!” Fin called, running down to the back of the ship.

“Nothing over here,” said whoever had gone to the front.

Marrill caught Remy’s eye. Her babysitter shook her head sadly. “Wh-wh-where is it?” Marrill stammered. “It has to still be here. It has to be!”

Coll’s strong hand dropped onto her shoulder. “I’m sorry, Marrill.”

But Ardent raised a finger. “Hold off on being sorry, I’m having a theory.” He chewed a stray hair from his long beard absently. “Oh yes. Hmm. Yes. Oh, that makes… yes… I think… I believe… the Wiverwane is still here, after all!”

Marrill wasn’t the only one confused. Her frown echoed those of her crewmates. “It is? Where?”

“You’re holding it.”

Marrill’s eyes dropped down to her cat. He looked back at her. He seemed unamused. “Karny?”

“The Wiverwanes were a product of the Dawn Wizard, one of the more powerful Dzane,” Ardent explained. “And as we have well established in the past, what the Dzane have made, only the Dzane can destroy. A dunking in the Pirate Stream certainly wouldn’t destroy something like a Wiverwane. But it could… interfere with certain aspects of it.”

He began pacing furiously, a habit he often adopted when thinking. “The Wiverwane was living memory, that we know. And the Pirate Stream couldn’t change that aspect, no. But it could change its form. Make it… more pure. After all, what’s a memory without a place to live, a body to hold it? Why, that power could actually be fueled by the magic, making its owner impervious to—”

Coll cleared his throat. “Human, Ardent. We speak human on this ship. Not wizard.”

“Ah, yes. Apologies.” The wizard spun on one heel, kicking aside the hem of his robe. He looked Marrill dead in the eye. “Simply put, the memories that were the Wiverwane are now living inside your cat.”

Marrill looked at Karny again. He purred lightly. His one eye winked, but she couldn’t for the life of her say it was anything more than normal cattitude. “You mean like my cat ate it?”

“Well, not so much consumption as absorption. That’s my theory at least,” Ardent offered.

That didn’t sound much better. “So… how do we get it out?”

Ardent shrugged. “Difficult to say. At least without further study.” He held out his hands. “May I?”

Marrill bit her lip. After what had just happened, she didn’t want to let go of Karnelius anytime soon. But if Ardent could help, she had to let him try. Reluctantly, she handed Karny over.

Ardent’s expression shifted from one of anticipation to disappointment as he carefully collected the cat. “So the Wiverwane memories no longer transfer when you touch the creature, then.” He pressed his lips together, holding the cat at eye level and considering him. “This puts a dent in our mission to uncover the identity of the Master of the Iron Ship.”

Remy crossed her arms, frowning in confusion. “How’s that now?”

“The Wiverwane carried memories of the Dawn Wizard. I’ve been sifting through them ever since our return from Monerva—barely enough to scratch the surface—but I have seen some most interesting things. It seems the Dawn Wizard crossed paths with the Master more than once.” Ardent winced as Karny’s claws raked across his wrist. Marrill reached for her cat and Ardent handed him over gratefully.

“But…” Marrill said, pondering this. “If the Master is one of your old friends…”

“Then how could he have also met the Dawn Wizard, who died long before I was even born? Excellent question!” He rubbed his beard. “I have no idea. Which is the point. There are still a number of gaps in my knowledge, which I had hoped the Wiverwane might fill, and this development makes that a touch tricky. Still, if what we heard was part of the Dawn Wizard’s will, perhaps there is a way yet.”

He clapped his hands with excitement. “Not to mention the incredible opportunities for research! Imagine Zambfant the Great’s consternation when it turns out I’ve discovered the Stream’s first recorded instance of feline testation! Oh, I wish I could tell Annalessa about this.…”

The wizard looked away. Marrill felt her heart squeeze at the sorrow in his voice. He forced a smile, though, and started toward his cabin, already lost in thought as he mumbled about the research he intended to conduct on the matter.

“You okay?” Fin asked, coming to stand beside her.

She gave him a wan smile. “Yeah, I think so. I guess this means both Karny and the Wiverwane are okay. But…” She clutched her cat tighter. “What if I messed up our chance to figure out who the Master is?”

“Hey, it’s not your fault those two beasts decided to have a high-dive competition,” Fin reassured her.

She wished she believed him. “If I hadn’t forced Ardent to set the Wiverwane free—”

Fin cut her off with a laugh. “When has anyone forced Ardent to do anything?” He leaned his shoulder against hers. “Besides, the part of you that cares about the Wiverwane is the same part of you that remembers who I am.”

She covered a blush by rolling her eyes. “I remember you because you’re my friend.”

“Then, as your friend, I’m telling you not to worry. Ardent seems pretty convinced the Master is one of the Wizards of Meres, which means all we have to do is go down the list until we figure out who it is. Easy peasy.”

“Teeth ahoy!” a girl called from the bow. Marrill looked up. Ahead of them, the Stream funneled into what appeared to be the lower jaw of a massive beast. Enormous, pointy teeth jutted up from the water, hemmed in on either side by slick red walls that looked like the inside of a mouth.

But there was no upper jaw; she was sure of it because stars still shone down from above, as far away as she could see. And the teeth, as jagged and dangerous as they looked, were way too large to pose a danger; the Kraken could easily sail right between them.

“It’s the Ravingorge, everyone,” Coll said, his voice calm. “Remy, take the wheel, and don’t worry: If you mess up, the swallowing will keep us moving downstream. Marrill, you and your cat should probably get belowdecks. It can get a little… gross in here.”

“At least we won’t mind the smell after Listerd Light Alley,” Fin joked, nudging Marrill with his elbow as he started toward the hatch. He glanced around. “Eeeeew. Saliva-covered stomach walls.” He shuddered before ducking inside.

Marrill followed after him. But on the threshold, she froze. Someone moved in the shadows off to her right. A slight figure—a deckhand, Marrill noted with relief—darted through a patch of light and pulled some sort of creature from her pocket. She held it up to her mouth, as though whispering to it, then tossed it up into the night air.

The creature spun, long iridescent wings unspooling from its body. With a soft buzzing sound, its wings began to beat, almost as fast as a hummingbird’s. After a moment of hovering, the thing darted into the blackness, disappearing instantly.

As she ducked through the hatch, Marrill made a mental note to introduce herself to the girl in the morning. Maybe she’d even have the chance to see the glorious winged creature up close.

“Sleep well, everyone!” Ardent cried from the door of his cabin. “When we reach the end of the gorge, the Great Game of Margaham will have already begun.”

And with that, any thoughts of the new deckhand and her bird were completely forgotten. Marrill squeezed her now-enchanted cat close, her mind swirling with curiosity about what kind of games the Stream had in store.