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Chapter Type: Social

The door to the admiral’s office boomed open. “What is the meaning of all this laughter? What brief moment of happiness is there in this water closet of a life that remains to me?”

“Ah-ah, Kwan Lun.” Mei said, from where her laughing fit had left her on the floor. “The war has driven the little lizard quite mad.”

To me, she said, “Tell him.”

Two people in official pompous armor entered behind the admiral. He looked less amused to see me. “What do you have to tell me, harbinger of the elementals?”

“Oh, about the elementals, they have claimed the lives of the camp outside the Rice Gate in warning that it is time for humanity to honor the ancient treaty with the Earth. On the other matter...”

“Why would they care NOW?” he asked

“They said something about the inmate army who summoned them being disrespectful.” I said.

.....

“I understand,” he said, “that you are bearing papers that I should sign, and execute you, even though you are a foreigner. Why should I banish you instead?”

“The alternative was to have them shake the island until it cracked.”

He closed his eyes, raised a fist to his beard. “You fool. Such a disaster might have brought us peace as we mourned the fallen, rebuilt the island. Instead, you have slaughtered hundreds of civilians just to rid us of a few thousand soldiers? Do you know what you’ve done?”

Mei spoke up. “He’s prepared to engage in a suicide mission. Tell him.”

“Actually,” I said, “I have two. I must also relay the message of the elementals to every people of the island. But the immediate one is more dangerous. I think I have a way to destroy the ships of the fleet encircling your position.”

“One ship at a time.” Mei sang. “Individual. Specific. Targeted.”

He rested a hand on the hilt of his saber, a heavy curved blade that radiated disinterest. “Speak as though your life depends upon it.”

So I told him my plan, and watched the color drain from his face.

“You are a monster.” he said.

“He sounds like a monster on our side of the conflict.”

The admiral rounded on his officer. “Leave me now, before I have you demoted to secure the northern bath-house.”

The officer nodded, and left.

“And you, Chao Lo? Would you have me forgive this... thing, that understands full well what he has done, and has not taken his life?”

Chao Lo shrugged. “Sounds like he’s about to die to me.”

“Integrity is worth having, Chao Lo. Leave me. Don’t let me see you again until dawn.”

Chao Lo smiled, and bowed. “My wife will be glad to take possession of me for the night.”

“That. Wasn’t.... GO!”

“Loyal officers will tell you what you want to hear, even if they know it will displease you.” Mei said. “An admiral I love once told me this.”

“You may leave, Mei.”

“I may also stay.” They locked eyes for a moment, hers still smiling. “You COULD order me, admiral.”

“I could order my men to fling you from that open window.”

She hid her face with her fan, giggled slightly. “You would miss me before I even struck the ground.”

“Foolish woman! You know my rage, I wouldn’t miss you until after you were already dead.”

“Mm. Good luck replacing me.” She folded up her fan with a snap, and took a swing at me. “You should be doing more talking.”

“Far be it from me to get between such a love.” I said. “There is probable death, and then there is certain death. I do try to avoid both, when I can.”

The admiral looked like he had been issued half a lemon as part of his rations. “This plan of yours has very little of honor about it. This is the way stealth classes wage their wars.”

I remained silent.

“This... Titan swimming power, you have the points for it?”

“I think so.” I said.

I did a System query to make sure it hadn’t vanished during the most recent System reset.

“Yes.” I said. “Not for long, but for short periods of time each day, I can swim at speeds beyond what is normal, akin to what all but the swiftest of sea animals are capable of. Certainly faster than your ships could flee, even if they saw me coming.”

“Flee?” he looked surprised. “You have spent too much time among our warriors to even think that. They would either wait, or bring the battle to you. Our fleets kill whales, the princes of the ocean. Sea serpents dive deep when they see our flag, rather than fight us. Sea dragons warn our ships out of their territories rather than attack recklessly. And you would use... this plan... to attack them?”

“I would, yes. I’m willing to listen to a better plan, if you have one.”

The admiral took two deep breaths. “The rudders.” he said. “You don’t need to sink the vessels. If you can disable the rudders, they can no longer steer as agile as a ship that has one. We have loyal ships in the blockade, but not enough to win in a direct fight. But if only our vessels had rudders, then we would have a chance. Perhaps the mutineer captains would offer to trade their lives for their ships and crew.”

“That does not seem likely, given what I have learned of Daurian warriors.” I said. “But it is possible that your plan will save lives, and it is more likely to succeed than mine. When can I begin?”

He wandered to a window, pointed. “That one, the Sea King’s Blue Beard. They are traitors through and through, and yet they are among the largest and most well armed of the remaining vessels. As their probable flagship, they shall have the most elite crew, the best mages to watch their wards, and the most senior of the rebel captains. If you can disable that vessel, you have the ability to ruin them all. Whenever you can depart, you may attack that vessel with your insane plan.”

He spat out the window. “If you can do this thing for us, I can grant you permission to wear the black headband of the doomed rather than executing you. At least so long as you are useful. But do not become critically injured on these missions; we do not have the portions of food that you are used to.”

“The ocean can provide.” I said. “At least in the short term.” And, I thought, the fishing nets ships dragged behind them were also close to the rudders.

“Very well.” he said. “Leave your discharge paperwork behind. I shall fill it out based on the performance of your mission, tomorrow.”

Titanic swimming was the sort of abusive power that appears in fantastical tales. Four times normal swimming speed, enhanced underwater senses, bonus Charisma to interact with sea beasts and beings. I wasn’t the sea king, but by the laughing gods, I felt like one.

I had been expecting sharks, or perhaps a pod of kraken-spawn, but the ocean around me was filled with fish, a few eels, and other creatures. A squid I saw, double my size and a good part of triple, it altered its path to give me space. There was enough food for both of us.

Like a fool, I let that confidence grow as I came closer to the vessel. I risked diving deeper, using the waters of the ocean to hide me from their sight. I came up almost exactly into the crack between the rudder and the hull.

It was foolish, and reckless. To scale a spell up is more than just an act of will. You could guide magic, but never control it. Even as my Nature mana drained out of me, I began conversion of both Ocean and River mana into more nature, as the wood of one structure reached out, literally forming interlocking branches and roots, then fusing into... well, something wood doesn’t naturally become. The warping of the hull, of the shape of the rudder? These were unintended side effects that I did not mind.

And I was away, drained of all convertable mana, but victorious.

Somehow, I hadn’t set off the wards until the merging began in earnest. I made haste to the fishing nets.

I had meant to use my knife to free four, perhaps six dead fish. Enough to cull my hunger, but not enough to hang around while the crew dropped bamboo bombs all over the water.

But... I was a telepath, and my senses were open, in case there were something sentient watching me. And the cries of smothering fish...

My own thoughts, the first time I’d been above water...

I attacked that net, freed as many as I dared, and left only as the first of the bombs shook the water around me with thunderous roars.