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Chapter 2 - Aboard the Tide Runner

22nd Day of Xenar

128 I.E.

Dane woke as his stomach churned and his hammock swayed along with the rough waves of the Azure Sea. He surged up from below deck, not caring about the amount of noise he made as he ran, and rushed to the edge of the ship to throw up. Dane heaved as he coughed up the previous night's dinner. The over-cooked roast tasted just as bad coming up as it had going down.

When the heaving stopped, he paused and stood up to see Aiden sitting down near the bow of the ship, looking up at the sky. There was no one else around except for the night crew, and they were in the cabin or up in the crow's nest. For all intents and purposes, Dane and Aiden were alone on the deck.

"What are you doing up so late?" Dane asked as he moved to sit next to Aiden, crossing his legs beneath him.

"Just looking up at the stars. You can't see them as good in the city." Aiden had a far away, happy look on his face. He raised a hand and pointed to the sky. "Do you see that line of three stars, with two coming up off it in the middle and two more at the edge? That's the Horseman." His finger moved to another set of stars, "And that one that looks like a box, with a small cluster at the top right corner is Ursus, a guardian bear spirit that the minotaur revere."

Dane smirked at him, then let out a quiet laugh. "Neither of them look anything like what they're named after. Shouldn't a constellation be named for what it looks like? You know, like 'Bunch of lines' or the 'Box' constellations?"

"Maybe you're right," Aiden replied, his smile never leaving his face.

Dane sighed and laid down to look directly at the stars, each glittering like a pearl at the bottom of the sea. "It really is beautiful out here. You can't see the stars as well in the city with the Providence hanging over everything."

"Yeah..." Aiden said wistfully, then he rolled over on top of Dane. "Though there's about a dozen other things I'd rather be looking at right now."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Like you, for starters," Aiden said, and tapped Dane on his nose.

"Not that I'm not flattered, but why's that?"

"Because I love you, stupid."

"Oh yeah, I'm feeling the love right now," Dane chuckled.

"Not that way. I mean I love-love you. Not just physically but... you know."

"I know Aiden. I love-love you too." He grinned.

"Smart aleck."

"Hey, that's my line!" Dane chuckled, and they kissed, oblivious to anyone who might be seeing them. Though the penalty for being caught together would be deadly, neither man cared. They were in love, and who could stop them? Both Dane and Aiden knew how to use teleportation magic, and should it come down to running away, they would flee and be gone before anyone could catch them.

Aiden rolled off him and went back to staring up at the night sky. There wasn't a single cloud to obscure the stars, and that made it all the more beautiful. Lying down, Dane felt his stomach settle, and thought it'd be better to just sleep out beneath the blanket of stars rather than below decks in a swaying hammock.

"I know it's been a sore spot for you for a long time," Aiden began cautiously after a moment of silence, "But how did you end up in Rogust anyways? I know I've asked you before but you've always avoided the subject. I figure since we're going up to your home town, now would be the best time to share, right?"

Dane thought on it for a moment, trying to find the right words to say to him. He knew that Aiden had shared a lot with him about his past, his family, and where he came from. He knew a bit about his Knorian heritage, and always involved him in everything he did. However, Dane had never shared anything in return. He hated thinking about Tran, about the people who were still there and, worse yet, the people who had passed away. He did his best to try and forget about it, but fate seemed to be conspiring to remind him at every turn.

"I'd really rather not talk about it," Dane said. "It's in the past, and I'd like to forget it."

"Dane, why won't you talk to me?" Aiden asked, sounding hurt. "We've been together for years, don't I deserve to know? You're hurting. I want to help."

A long silence hung between them, and Dane could feel a twisting in the pit of his stomach, though it wasn't from his nausea. "You deserve to know, but I don't feel like sharing right now. I feel bad for not telling you but I'm not ready to share."

"It's okay. I understand."

Though Aiden had meant to come across as reassuring, the man still sounded hurt by Dane's decision to remain silent. Feeling guilty, he reached out and tenderly gripped his partner's wrist. They said nothing more for a while, before Dane opened his mouth to speak again.

"Colonel Nicoli was the one who brought me to Rogust, along with the rest of the orphaned survivors."

"Huh?" Aiden asked, having partially drifted off during the silence. "What's this now?"

"You wanted me to share, so I'm sharing. I'm only telling this once." Dane looked back up at the starlit sky. He wished he could be flying amongst the cosmos instead of being in a boat for this journey. "When my father died at the orc's hands, I had no one left to take me in. The Colonel was the one to bring me to the orphanage in Rogust." Dane bit at his thumbnail. "I never quite understood it, but something was shady about that man and his unit. I can't quite put my finger on it, but then again I was still young. Even though it was only four years ago, I can hardly recall what happened. Everything back then was like a blur..."

Aiden brought a hand up to cup Dane's face and turn him towards him. The man kissed him and whispered, "Thank you for sharing with me, love."

The two of them remained lying down on the deck for some time, until Dane fell into a light sleep.

The next day, Dane planted himself along the ship's railings, fearing the next time he would become nauseous. He wondered why he had to be prone to seasickness in an empire that thrived because of its navy. Once he was confident that his stomach had settled enough to risk standing up, he wandered over to where a few of his men were casting lines off the port side of teh ship.

Of the four men gathered there, only three of them were trying to catch a fish. Geoffry Surrel was the newest out of them all, and it was obvious with his short frame and naive, youthful smile. His dirty blond hair was trimmed short and tucked beneath a brown leather beret. Dane hadn't had much of a chance to work with the younger boy, but from what he'd seen, Surrel would prove to be a capable soldier in his own right one day.

Joseph Willard was a tall and lanky individual with olive-skin. His head was shaven, and he kept only the thinnest of mustaches on his face. He was the 81st Division's most capable scout since joining the unit only a couple months ago, and Dane had personally chosen him for this mission due to his ability to get the intelligence he required before carrying out an operation.

Remil Locke was the third man fishing off the boat. He was a master of hand to hand combat, and preferred to fight in a style similar to the soldiers of Carsid, where his father had come from. Dane had worked with him on numerous operations since joining the unit, and he liked his honest, conservative approach to dealing with most problems. Locke should have been a Sergeant by now, but he was never granted the opportunity for a promotion. Dane had heard whisperings that Locke may have been held back because of his heritage and darker skin. The fact that Locke was such a capable soldier despite his rank made him consider the validity of such claims.

The final man stood off to the side and was casually chatting with the other three. His name was Robert Welshy, the unit's resident trouble-maker. He had faded red hair and the beginnings of a beard growing on his face, though it looked like it wouldn't get much thicker than a thin goatee. Welshy liked to take advantage of a situation if it allowed him to make someone look like a fool. However, Dane had chosen him for the mission because he was good at what he did. Once he shut his mouth and did his job, he was second to none.

"You guys planning to catch and release?" Dane asked when he stopped next to them and watched their lines drift behind the boat.

"No, we're getting dinner," Surrel replied. His face brightened when he felt a tug on his line, but there was nothing on the hook when he reeled it in.

"The food the empire is providing isn't good enough?" Dane asked, and the man shrugged in response. "How do you plan to cook it when we can't have any open flames on the ship?"

"We were hoping you could do it, Lieutenant," Locke told him. He reeled in a seaweed covered, tattered sandal. "How does that even happen?"

"It's his third one," Welshy remarked.

"Second," Locke corrected.

"Wow, two whole sandals out at sea? Why Locke, you could make a pair with those!" Welshy said with a smirk.

Locke just snorted in derision. "I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same sandal to begin with." He unhooked the tattered leather strap and tossed it back into the water.

"Well, I'd hate to disappoint you," Dane said after clearing his throat. "But I wouldn't be able to cook your fish."

"So you're not as almighty as you act," Welshy sighed and shrugged. "Oh well, we all have our shortcomings."

Ignoring what Welshy was saying, Willard asked, "Why not?"

"Well, I could evoke a simple fireball, but unless I have something to fuel it with it would either scorch the meat or to do nothing to it, depending on the amount of energy I put into it. It's also rather hard for most sorcerers to perform spell work on a boat that's constantly rocking and moving." Dane's stomach churned as the words escaped his lips, and he feared that the remains of his breakfast were soon to follow. "Third, I want to conserve as much of my energy for our mission as possible, since I don't anticipate us getting a sound rest between now and our return trip. Fourth-"

"Alright, we get it already," Welshy cut him off.

"What's mana?" Willard asked. "I know we've been working together for a while now, with both you and Corporal Philem, but I have to admit that I don't know a thing about what you sorcerers can do. Back in my hometown, wizards were regarded with suspicion, or were treated as the stuff of children's stories.."

"I didn't expect to be giving a lesson today." Dane closed his eyes to think, trying to come up with the best way to explain how magic worked to a bunch of soldiers who didn't even have the Gift. "Mana is an energy that fills the air, and all living things, to a degree. It's what a mage manipulates to be able to cast a spell. When a sorcerer pulls mana from the network of leylines into his body, he can mold it to create magic. The only problem is that this excess energy ends up interfering with spell work and causing bodily harm when it accumulates."

The three soldiers blinked at him. Welshy seemed utterly uninterested, and stealthily reached over to tug on Locke's line. The man thought he'd caught a fish, but when he checked there was nothing there.

Dane wondered for a moment how he could simplify the explanation for them. "Well put simply, I can only use so much magic before my body absorbs too much mana, and if I do that, I risk killing myself."

"So there's limits to your power," Surrel stated more than asked. "You can't just take this mana from the world around you without regard for consequences." He made a noise halfway betweena grunt and a snort. "Guess the stories about wizards aren't true. I always thought you people could do everything."

"Luckily, we can't," Dane said. "Mana is as much our lifeblood as it is a poison. Even a tiny amount of excess in the body can cause bodily harm. Wounds won't heal, it becomes easier to get sick, and you risk misfiring a spell, which could rebound onto you and hurt you."

"So you can't do everything you want for as long as you want, because it'll end up backfiring on you," Willard stated. He was leaning on his elbows and quietly watching his line. "That makes sense I suppose, and it does keep you mages in check."

Dane didn't miss the choice of words that Willard had used. "I suppose so."

They sat there quietly for a time, until Willard's rod bent sharply and he yanked at it. Just beneath the surface of the waters they could see the shimmer of light off the scales of a fish. He began to cheer as he reeled the fish in.

Dane chuckled and said, "Have fun trying to figure out how to cook that thing. Just remember to stay rested, I'll need you in peak form for the journey to Northpine."

"Yes sir!" They said, saluting. Willard fumbled to hold onto the line as the fish wriggled to try and free itself as he switched hands to give a proper salute. Dane smirked at him before leaving them be.

As Dane ascended to the stern of the ship, he spotted Aiden watching him. He waved a greeting to his lover, and said, "Keeping an eye on things?"

"It's nice to see you out and talking with people for once," Aiden replied, smiling. "You keep to yourself too much, especially since the Mullead incident, and sometimes it looks like you're brooding."

Dane's face soured and he looked down at the water over the edge of the boat. "Easier to move on from a person's death when you don't know anything about them," he whispered. "We almost lost everyone in that operation."

Aiden gave him a light pat on his back. "Buck up, Lieutenant. We made it out of there, and they didn't die in vain. We got the job done, after all." He looked out towards the coast as a flock of gulls flew by, squawking as they passed. "We'll be in Wersgrauff in a couple days. I hope your stomach is settled by then."

"My stomach will be fine as soon as we're on dry ground," Dane groaned. "Just don't remind me of that, I'd rather not think about it right now."

Aiden looked at him and smiled. "Sorry Lieutenant, though forgive me for saying that I noticed you're in higher spirits today than last night."

Dane merely nodded his head, and said nothing more.

The two watched the coast drift by as the ship sailed northward. They watched as the ship passed by numerous fishing villages, which were nothing more than tiny dots in the distance. The wind was in their favor and they sailed quickly towards their destination. Dane was anxious to get back on dry land, if only because his stomach couldn't handle much more of the churning sea. He began to wonder what kind of city Wersgrauff was, and why everyone told him to avoid it when he was growing up. His father always held back that kind of information, and never explained his reasons for why he said the things he said. Looking back on his youth, Dane wondered if he would have even understood Jon's reasons, even if they were explained clearly to him. As the ship continued to sail further north along the coast, his indignation at being treated like an ignorant child continued to bubble beneath the surface of his thoughts.

Though Dane longed to return to Tran, a part of him knew that it would not be the same as before the orc attacks. Would the people he knew even be there anymore? Had the orcs ransacked the village before moving to pillage Northpine? He felt his anger surge up from the depths of his memory and he slammed a dist on the deck's railing. Energy crackled along his arm as mana danced around him. He would get the orcs back for what they did, and he finally had the power to get his revenge.