Negotiating with Captain Tolly is exhausting, but fruitful. We settle on a budget which is slightly higher than I would have preferred, but still well-within the hundred gold per year budget Nicholas set for me for each ship. Tolly did impress me a little – he fought for the able seamen to be paid slightly above average for their labour, in exchange for the officers being paid a little less. Instead, the officers will be offered forage rights – a win for me since they will be responsible for collecting their own wealth.

  Tolly himself waived most of his own salary, normally around seven golder per year of service, in exchange for a small percentage of whatever profit the ship brings us whenever we return back to Moriax with items to sell. A gamble on his part, but one that might earn him far more than the flat salary. I feel confident making him the captain of my ship.

  He’s also promised to speak to other captains among his acquaintance – with any luck, some of them will come for interview tomorrow and I’ll have all four captains before I leave Whalehost.

  That would be good because they’ll be able to spend the time I’m away in Azaarde looking for sailors. Given that each ship needs a minimum crew of thirty, and a maximum of seventy-five, including all officers and specialists – and that was a whole discussion by itself – I don’t envy the captains their task. But it does mean that I need to find the captains or I’ll end up having to do it myself!

  I’ve just decided to leave, following a visit from Emilia, when I hear a knock on the door.

  I exchange glances with my companions.

  “Come in,” I call and the door opens to reveal a familiar face. “Mage Vellus?” I ask with a hint of surprise. And he’s not alone.

  “Lord Markus,” Vellus greets, bowing deeply. “It is an honour to see you again.” The mousey-looking woman next to him also drops into a bow, though I see how her eyes dart around, clearly curious.

  “It’s good to see you too,” I agree politely as they stand up straight again. “Who’s your companion?”

  “This is Mage Thalia,” Vellus introduces while stepping towards the desk.

  “I apologise, I wasn’t expecting two candidates at the same time,” I say calmly as they pause behind the desk. Maybe I should carry some basic furniture around in my Inventory – I’ve got the space, after all.

  “It’s of no concern,” Mage Vellus dismisses, standing in front of the desk instead with his hands tucked into his voluminous sleeves. “Lord Markus, I am still eager to join the expedition. Mage Thalia too. We would very much appreciate it if you would consider us as candidates.”

  “Of course,” I agree. “What can you bring in terms of skills?”

  They look briefly between themselves as if to see who would be the first to speak. In the end, it’s Vellus again.

  “As you know from the last time we encountered each other, I’m capable of creating jets of water – useful for putting out fires – but my focus is on reading and interpreting currents of water. I also can redirect them to a certain extent, though it is tiring. I could noticeably increase the speed of our journey to the Lost Continent, as well as give advance warning of any beasts which might approach us from below.”

  I eye him thoughtfully.

  “The jets of water you create…are they fresh water or salty?”

  “I can produce either,” he answers.

  Unexpected, I think to myself. But useful.

  “And what would you request in terms of payment?”

  “Half a silver per day I use my Skills on the ship or land, and forage rights on the Lost Continent,” Vellus answers promptly.

  Five silvers a tenday is definitely on the more expensive side of the scale, but still on the lower-end for an experienced Classer, and a mage at that. Either he’s still grateful that I didn’t react badly when he attacked me, or he’s so eager to go on this trip that he’s willing to reduce his asking price. Or perhaps it’s because he recognises that bed and board are included.

  “Accepted, as long as you’re willing to fight to defend us,” I agree.

  Vellus considers it for a moment.

  “Agreed. I don’t have many combat-suitable Skills, but what I do have, I’m willing to use in our defence.”

  With that settled, I move onto Mage Thalia.

  “What are you capable of?”

  “I’m a musical bard,” she announces. My eyebrows twitch upwards in slight surprise.

  “And also a mage?”

  “I direct my magic through music,” she clarifies. I gesture in a nonverbal request for her to explain further. She obliges. “I’m a support Class – I can enhance emotions, or calm them. I can offer enhancements such as increased speed or strength or resource regeneration – the effects increase the longer I play and the more mana I put into my efforts. Most relevant to the journey, I can calm beasts – any livestock you bring with you will value my music, and I may be able to deter some beasts from attacking.”

  That sounds pretty useful…Markus, Loran murmurs to me. River and Catch both agree; Bastet is more skeptical.

  “I’ll want a demonstration before finalising our arrangement but assuming that is successful, what would you like as payment for your efforts?”

  Thalia shrugs a little.

  “The same as Vellus, if that is acceptable, my lord. And bed and board, of course,”

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “Acceptable,” I agree. Demonstration pending, it looks like we have our own Pied Piper of Hamelin.

  *****

  “Lord Markus! Welcome back! We missed you at lunch but Lord Nicholas informed me you were otherwise engaged.” It’s Lord Pevril. Honestly, not the person I wanted to meet right now – his cheerfulness and enthusiasm grates on my ears a little after the mental exertion of the day. But I summon up a smile from somewhere and feel the tiredness of my facial muscles – fake smiles are always more wearing than real ones.

  “Lord Pevril, I apologise for my absence. I’ve been touring and trying to find crews for the beautiful ships you have been so kindly building for my expedition.”

  “Oh, it’s nothing, it’s nothing,” Pevril dismisses with a chuckle, though I see the pleasure he tries to hide at my compliment. Then it drops away as a slight frown furrows his brow. “But, Lord Markus, you do not intend to do it all yourself, surely?”

  “Definitely not,” I agree fervently. “Once I’ve found captains for each ship, I’ll leave the task of gathering sufficient crew to them.”

  Perhaps when we return, I can throw a party or something which will allow me – and my companions – to meet everyone, if only for a short moment. And then I can spend a little more time with the officers – just to make sure they’re all suitable.

  “Emilia will help you with that,” Pevril assures me. “Don’t hesitate to ask her for help.”

  “She’s already been a star,” I compliment. “She found one captain for me already and has tried to line up a few interviews for me tomorrow with some potentials.”

  Pevril nods sagely.

  “I’ll never regret hiring that woman. She’s so organised.”

  “And calm,” I agree. He nods with approval on his face. Then that frown creeps back on.

  “I hope that she supplied you with lunch to make up for what you missed!”

  “She did,” I assure him. “Have my other companions been good guests?”

  “The best,” he tells me reassuringly. “They’ve been enjoying the garden.” He hesitates for a moment. “I had a mixture of meat and fish delivered to them earlier – I hope that was acceptable.”

  “That’s very kind of you, thank you.” I’m seized by a sense of curiosity about what everyone thinks about fish – it’s not something any of them are accustomed to. In the end, there was always enough food from the land animals that I never needed to go fishing in the other world. Anyway, these are saltwater fish, presumably, so they would taste different from freshwater fare.

  I exchange a few more words with the affable lord and then leave to catch up with the rest of my Bonded. They turn out to be perfectly happy, enjoying being able to relax for the first time in days – even the ride in the balloon basket hadn’t been completely restful since we’d needed to watch out for potential attackers.

  “How was the fish?” I ask curiously.

  Delicious! Hunter tells me enthusiastically, Happy chiming in a moment later. River and Catch both look at Iandee.

  It was pretty good, he agrees thoughtfully. The two samurans who missed out look at me beseechingly.

  “I’ll see if one of the cooks can send some up for you,” I tell them laughingly while quietly wondering whether this is evidence that they originated from a shared ancestor with the crocodilian neres. Does the taste of fish evoke memories of their heritage?

  Do that, River instructs me imperiously, then ruins the image a moment later when she brushes my cheek with hers and then practically hops over to Hunter to show her the progress she’s made on the rune. I keep smiling as I move over to Kalanthia and the two alcaorises.

  “And what did you think of the fish?” I ask as I scratch the large nunda’s chin. Lathani is already pressed against her shoulder, purring happily.

  It isn’t my favourite, she replies, scrunching her nose slightly and opening her jaw a little as if she’s still trying to replace the taste of it.

  “Well, you might need to get used to it unless you want to become a tattoo on my skin,” I point out. “We’re going to be spending between two and six months at sea. Even if we take plenty of supplies, the chances are we’ll be eating fish at least some of the time on the journey.”

  I can feel the nunda’s annoyance at the idea.

  Perhaps I will, then – sleeping the journey out seems far more appealing than the idea of eating fish, she grumbles. My eyebrows shoot up – is she being serious? That would be unexpected. No, it’s probably hyperbole.

  Sirocco hops on my shoulder and demands attention from my other hand.

  It was interesting, she answers before I pose the question to her. But I prefer meat.

  “Fair enough. What about you?” I ask the alcaorises.

  Noir is equally as enthusiastic as the samurans; Ivor isn’t quite as passionate, but seems to have enjoyed it nonetheless.

  Gazing at the black scales of Noir, I’m reminded about the Class stones that I currently have in my Inventory. I did want to test that, I muse to myself. If he’s open to it. But the way Loran is fidgeting on the other side of the clearing even as he strokes Artemis and Orion who are cuddled up to him reminds me that there’s something else I should do first – if he wants me to.

  Hey, Loran? I call, opting to contact him privately.

  Yes, sir? Uh, Markus?

  Would you like me to come with you to speak to Nicholas about your service contract or would you rather go alone?

  He’s silent for a long moment. Then I feel a sense of resolve swell on his side of the Bond.

  Thank you for the offer, he replies honestly, but I think…I should go alone. I see him shrug. I’m the one who got myself into this, after all.

  If that’s what you’d prefer, that’s fine. Or you can take one of our other companions with you.

  Actually…that would be nice, he admits. A moment and a brief communication over the Bond with Artemis and Orion later, they’re walking with him towards the door to the house. Just as they reach it, I see a dark-green raptorcat galloping over the grass to join them – Trouble apparently doesn’t want to be left behind. Fortunately for everyone's sanity, though, Blaze and Spot elect to stay behind in the garden.

  If you need me, don’t hesitate to reach out, I tell him, feeling a wave of gratitude flow from his side of the Bond in response. I don’t think Nicholas will be difficult about it but one never knows.

  Turning my attention to Noir, I pull out one of the Class stones. It’s one of the Thief ones – though Noir isn’t a thief, his colouring would certainly suit a stealth-based Class. If it even works.

  But first, I have to check if he’s OK with even trying this. I have no idea what it will even do, after all. And Nicholas doesn’t know of anyone who tried to feed a Class stone to a beast – not that I'm sure his information is useful given that it’s a different world, different beasts, and Noir was an exception even in the other world. I haven’t explained too much detail about his condition to Nicholas, but the tentative question I did pose the older Tamer didn’t earn any useful information.

  “What do you think?” I ask the alcaoris after I explain everything to him – risks, possible rewards, and the fact that I can’t predict what might happen.

  The smaller alcaoris seems indecisive. He swings his head to brush against his brother’s. Ivor sends uncertainty down the Bond – and warning. Noir shifts to study the stone with one eye and then the other.

  And then, with a sense of decisiveness, he leans forward to touch it with his nose.

  here!

  here!

  here!

  here