Chapter 5

"Vrai, feeding time." Three days from the colf's home island and she was noticeably bigger. And Brinar had not been kidding when he said the colf would eat a lot. 

Already she had eaten more than expected. Despite the danger, Kasai overheard Sonus talking about hunting the neixe with lightning. Brinar had expressed doubt, but then Kasai had been called away and heard no more.

However, the idea remained in his mind, and he was curious. Could they hunt something that was supposed to be that dangerous with something maybe even more dangerous? And how?

The wolf, however, was healing nicely, surprising everyone with its intelligence and being well-behaved. Sonus suspected the wolf was a pet, an animal that had escaped from someone's home or gotten too far away from its home and gotten captured, though Kasai didn't believe he believed that. 

Sonus surmised that, because of the intelligence it had shown, it understood that not only were people caring for it, but that it was in danger of becoming a pair of boots if it lashed out. Despite some people's doubt about the wolfs intelligence, the animal kept an eye on Sonus after that.

Kasai had even noticed, as the wolf stayed awake more often, he would even turn and not let Sonus out of his sight when the captain would come and talk to Kasai in his room. He thought it was a little funny, if unnerving, after a while.

In the first two days, Kasai had spent time with Brinar and learning to mix medicine that could apply to the wolf. So far, no medicine that was meant for animals had worked. 

After a failed attempt at a difficult mix, Kasai wanted to try something new. He asked Brinar what he would give to a human.

Although skeptical, Brinar acknowledged it was working well. The wolf seemed more comfortable and even stayed awake for longer periods, even allowing Kasai to feed it by hand. While the wolf didn't walk around yet, at least where others could see it, he was taking an interest in Kasai beyond food and medicine.

But now Kasai was just concerned about the colf pup. "Vrai, come here." 

He motioned at the pup, waving his hand to call her over, but she just stared at him and then sneezed, spraying him with snot. She didn't seem to mind the salty sea air, so Kasai figured she was just playing around.

There was a snort behind him and he turned to see Arat heaving the morning cauldron to the edge of the ship. "She's not a dur. She can't be trained, at least not in the same way. And remember how little she is."

"Do you know what I can do then?" Kasai asked; he wanted to train her if he could, at least while she was here. And if they couldn't return her home, then he needed her trained so she wouldn't just be a wild animal aboard a ship.

Arat shrugged and dumped the cauldron's contents overboard. "Brinar might know, but you'd do better just figuring it out yourself. Why not practice with your blades?" He returned to the kitchen, and Vrai trailed behind him, likely expecting more leftovers.

Kasai glanced at the two daggers hanging from his side. So far all he had done was polish them according to Ghor's instructions, and Sonus taught him the proper way to hold them, but he had yet to practice. 

Sonus had given him special thin leather sheathes that would protect the blades from dulling while he practices, though the leather would wear out after a while.

Ghor appeared at that moment, his hair held back with a bandana. "Arat, get back to the mess hall and start preparing for the next watch." Arat nodded and left, while Ghor watched Kasai for a moment. "Practice on the dummies." He jerked his head towards two palla logs that had been lashed together, one taller than the other, and then covered in a loose shirt and a coth stuffed bag that stood for a head. 

A scowling face had been crudely drawn on. The shirt was torn in a few places, showing it had been used before, though the head was untouched. It probably got replaced when it became worn or damaged.

Kasai nodded and held the daggers loosely, but Ghor scoffed. Kasai glanced back. "Am I doing something wrong?" He had to struggle to keep the barb from his voice; the first mate still intimidated him.

Ghor nodded and stood at Kasai's left side, bringing his hands up in front of him as a fist fighter would. "Dual daggers aren't like short swords. You won't have the reach they have, and most daggers aren't made with pommes. Don't hold them loosely or you'll lose them and don't forget to protect your chest."

"Pommes?" Kasai glanced at him and then brought his hands up like Ghor's. One was raised about chest high, the other a little higher, and neither was dead center, but maybe about the width of his shoulders. He tightened his grip on the daggers until his knuckles lightened.

Ghor glanced at him and suddenly struck out, knocking him on the shoulder. Kasai fell immediately, but kept a grip on his daggers. Barely. 

Ghor snorted. "They protect your hands during combat. Also, you need to learn the basics of any combat before you even think of wielding these. It's too easy knocking you over." He stood and turned away, tossing the next words over his shoulder, "you're on the next watch, go get some rest before it starts."

Kasai heard laughter from behind him, but ignored it. Tucking the daggers back into their sheathes, he turned to pick up Vrai, who had come back after her treat.

***

"That's a neixe?" Kasai sat at the stern of the small boat, Vrai in his lap. On the shore, its front legs in the wet sand, stood an enormous beast with massive antlers shaped like a horned cup. 

The creature faced them and bellowed, aggressively pawing the sand. 

Based on the images Kasai had seen in books before, this creature should be less than half that size, skinnier, and with smaller antlers. And he knew neixe were not nearly this aggressive, not even during their mating season. 

As he watched, the neixe pawed the ground again, leaving long, deep grooves in the sand. It lowered its head and swung its palmate cupped antlers back and forth, snorting loudly.

Sonus nodded, grinning. "A lot bigger than you thought, huh?"

Kasai nodded mutely. If he were to stand next to this one, its shoulder would clear his head most likely, and that was without the antlers. It was maybe five feet long, with a short tail tipped in hair. This one had dense dark brown fur that rippled almost menacingly, hanging in straggly clumps under its belly.

Brinar grinned and shook his head, keeping his hand on the tiller as he turned to Sonus. "Captain, I don't think we'll be able to land here. That brute won't let us, and even if we can find somewhere to get ashore, either he'll chase us down or another one will. We can try to find a river, but we haven't been here for almost ten years. The shoreline here isn't familiar to any of us, and the rivers are silt rivers; they change positions more often than the shorelines change."

Kasai pet Vrai absentmindedly and watched the shore, trying to ignore the neixe that was still bellowing at them, and was only half paying attention to the others. Arat was with them, as well as three others that Kasai wasn't as familiar with yet. 

Everyone but Sonus and Brinar seemed on edge, eyeing the brute on the shoreline nervously.

"Kasai, I will admit there's something I haven't told you." Kasai's thoughts were interrupted as Sonus spoke to him. "I'm a genetic, and Brinar thinks my ability might be helpful to take down these beasts, at least this one."

"What kind of ability?" Kasai was intrigued now, but surprised. But he felt a little niggling at the back of his mind. This almost seemed expected, though he wasn't sure why.

Sonus paused and glanced at Brinar. The older man shrugged, and Sonus nodded once before turning back to Kasai. "I have the ability to direct lightning." He pulled out his sword, which had been safely in its sheath the entire journey here. "This allows me to direct it by pointing at where I want the lightning strike to go."

Kasai remembered seeing the sword before, but now the lines were dull. The metal didn't gleam as much close up, and after a moment he realized that some of the sheen must've come from Sonus' powers.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Kasai had read a few pages from the book Brinar gave him. 

There were many kinds of genetics in the world, but when it came to elementals, there were only two subtypes. Unity Elementals, who became one with their element, and Telekinetic Elementals, who control their element as an outside force or tool.

Sonus shrugged. "Not really. It can numb my arm for a while if the shock is powerful enough, but mostly not. I usually direct the strike into my sword, then out the tip like a gun does a bullet. But the aftereffects...well, just don't be too close. I can also control the power behind it, at least enough to not kill someone or destroy something, if I concentrate enough."

"Why are you telling me this now?" Kasai asked. He was acutely aware of the other crew members watching Sonus with a mixture of nervousness and eagerness.

"One, because you are part of my crew now. You should know the general abilities of all the crew, even me, since we stand on board together. Two, because Brinar thinks we might take down two or three of the neixe's down, or at least stun them, so we can either get food and run the colf back to her pack, or at least get her home." He sheathed his sword, eyeing the neixe still snorting at them.

"But because you've never seen his ability before, we thought you needed a warning first. That beast is close, so you might feel aftershocks." Brinar explained this calmly, though his face looked a tad nervous.

Kasai tilted his head in confusion. "Do you really think you can take down something with such thick skin?" After having seen them in person now, he understood why Sonus and Devv had reacted the way they did at the market.

Sonus raised an eyebrow at him and jerked his head at the neixe. "Want to see me try?"

***

"I don't understand..." Sonus stepped into the empty cave. Pawprints, some stained with days old blood, dotted the ground. Scratches marred the walls, and a steady dripping sound could be heard. Kasai smelled the tang of blood mixed with mustiness.

Just outside the cave, little piles of chewed bone were scattered about, crunching underfoot. Hoofprints, identical to the neixe by the shore, were pressed deeply into the dirt.

Vrai whined and let out a puppy howl. It echoed through the cold cave, but nothing moved in the blackness and there was no answer. Kasai scratched her ear as she trembled against his chest.

He touched Sonus' arm briefly. "Sir, I think something attacked them." He kept glancing around, trying to spot any other signs that could help them. Other spots of blood, tufts of fur, a broken claw, but no bodies at least.

The air crackled momentarily as Sonus concentrated, but faded as he turned to Kasai. "You're right. I think it was the neixes. They must've gotten one of their bulls up here, maybe a few, and routed the colves, including the pups. We can't leave her here. It's not safe. And the other islands won't be much better." 

His voice was hard, and Kasai thought he might be worried about the neixe's coming back.

Kasai followed him as they left for the riverbank, but said nothing. Vrai whimpered and pawed his chest; Kasai gave her a few pets, but kept his eyes on Sonus. The tension emanating from the captain was almost visible.

Despite the neixe's smoking bodies, the one from the beach who had chased them and two others that followed, Kasai knew Sonus wouldn't aim at him. But he had no doubts about Sonus' power now.

No matter what he did though, he couldn't shake off the feeling of nervousness. Sonus seemed to understand this and kept his distance.

When they reached the riverbank, only Brinar was waiting for them. He waved as they approached. "I sent the others back with the meat so we wouldn't all...be..." His voice died as he noticed Vrai in Kasai's arms and Sonus' face. "Gone?"

"Destroyed," Sonus replied. 

"Sonus said that he thought neixes routed them." Kasai answered.

Brinar nodded gravely. "I'm not surprised. But that means we have two animals on board now, at least for a little while. Sonus, I think we need to take that wolf back to where it came from. We'll need to make it to Surval, then from there it could be almost a year or more, depending on which direction we take."

Kasai felt a tremor of excitement as he heard about another island, maybe more. He was still worried about Naomi, but he wanted to see more of the world if he could.

"Can we feed them both for that time?" Sonus asked. "That's not a quick journey, no matter which way we take."

Brinar shrugged. "We'll need to stop at Surval no matter which route we go, but we'll make other stops on the way if we go north. We may have to catch a few ships though for more kina's."

Sonus looked at the colf thoughtfully. "Maybe-"

"Captain, we have a problem!" Ghor's voice rang out. 

The alarm in the first mate's voice made Kasai's nerves sing.

The air crackled as Sonus took notice; Kasai learned that this only happened occasionally, usually if Sonus was anxious or alert. It was part of his abilities. He turned to Ghor as the larger man jumped from the boat. "So, what's going on? It's not the Seaborne or Blacksmoke, is it?"

Ghor shook his head, his face grimmer than usual. "No, it's not them. But...well, it's about the wolf."

Sonus shot Kasai a look, who shook his head in confusion, then looked at Ghor. "It didn't attack anyone, did it?"

Brinar laid his hand on Kasai's shoulder, but looked at Ghor. "Ghor, maybe we should just head back for the ship and you can explain there." 

Ghor nodded and Kasai started to follow him, but Brinar held him back.

He spoke quietly to Kasai. "Kasai, I have a feeling I know what happened. I won't explain, in case I'm wrong, but your wolf...there's probably much more to it than we thought. I think I know why we had to treat it the way we did."

Kasai nodded and followed Brinar to the boat, curiosity prickling his skin like needles of flame.

***

"Captain, the, uh, wolf is in Kasai's cabin." North greeted them while the boat was stored on the side of the ship. He wasn't as tense as everyone else, more like amused, but that wasn't all that strange. 

North left for the quarterdeck while Ghor stayed at Sonus' side. Brinar and Kasai followed behind them as they headed for Kasai's cabin. The three older men were grim faced, but Kasai was simply curious.

As they approached the cabin door, Brinar asked Kasai quietly, "Do you hear anything?" The lantern hanging from the wall cast flickering shadows down the cramped hallway; the men's shadows were dancing in jagged motions along the walls.

Kasai shook his head. "No, should I?"

Brinar didn't answer. Sonus opened the door and Kasai heard a click as he brought out a mini en-pist, aiming at someone Kasai couldn't see. "Who are you? Where's the wolf?" His voice took on a threatening tone.

A deep voice answered, the accent strange to Kasai's ears; it came through the nose and sounded rough. The words were shouted, and Kasai guessed the stranger asked for them not to shoot. 

Brinar shot forward with surprising speed. "Wait! Sonus, don't shoot!" He stood between Sonus and the stranger, his hands up. He didn't move, but turned towards Kasai's room.

Brinar spoke in the same language as the stranger, but Kasai couldn't guess what he said. Brinar glanced at the two men holding weapons and waved his hand.

Sonus and Ghor lowered their weapons after a moment, taking a step back. Kasai felt a shiver of static run across his arms; Sonus was clearly not happy about this.

Brinar said something else, his voice low. He didn't relax his stance. Asking if he spoke their language?

"Little." The accent got thicker, but Kasai understood the word at least.

Brinar asked something else in the strange language.

"Little," the stranger repeated, his voice hesitant. Kasai couldn't stay back any longer and moved past Ghor.

Ghor moved to stop him, but Sonus held him back.

Brinar suddenly pulled Kasai forward, asking something. Kasai stumbled slightly, but jerked to a stop when he saw the stranger clearly.

Taller than Sonus, with a lean and muscled body, his skin was pale but tan, like those who live outside all their lives but then get sick and are forced to live where the sun cannot reach them for an extended time. 

His limbs were unusually long and gangly, like a teenager, but he looked older than that. His hair was short but shaggy, a curious dark brown streaked with black. 

Kasai barely registered that he was naked.

His eyes were blue green, and the intensity in them startled Kasai. His face was completely unfamiliar to Kasai, but not his eyes.

"You were the wolf, weren't you?" Kasai asked hesitantly, unsure if the man understood him.

The man froze for a moment, then nodded. "Wolf me, me wolf."

Brinar shook his head, Sonus glared, and Kasai continued to stare at the most peculiar person he had ever encountered.