Without a word being audible, the creature and Ilyatha appeared to be holding a conversation. The shadow warrior gestured. The other occasionally nodded. After several minutes passed, Ilyatha bowed deeply and turned to face Maquesta and Koraf.
"I apologize for our rudeness," he communicated, speaking directly to Maquesta. "This is Belwar, a ki-rin. Oh, I see you knew that already. I hope you don't object. I sent out a telepathic distress call while the imps were running amok. Belwar heard it. He has agreed to help us leave this place."
The ki-rin circled the Perechon once at deck level. Ilyatha cocked his head to one side for a minute, then hurried forward. While the ki-rin waited off the bow, Ilyatha secured one end of line to the bowsprit, then threw the other end to Belwar, who caught it in his mouth. With powerful wings, the ki-rin began flying away, dragging the Perechon with him as if it were a toy boat being pulled by a child.
Tailonna began removing the webnets from the groups of hypnotized sea imps, whispering a few words to each group. Under her command, they lined up neatly and in precision filed overboard.
Maquesta threw her arms around Ilyatha and hugged him.
"This night ended far better than I could have hoped. I thought we were all going to die. Thank you. Perhaps this Belwar is a good omen."
"Let me out of here! Hey! I'm in the armory, let me out!"
Koraf was the first to hear the cries coming from the bow of the ship, as he and the rest of the crew cleaned up the debris left behind by the Blood Sea imp attack. He signaled for silence and cocked his head, listening, worried at first that an imp had remained on board and was playing some sort of trick. Then Vartan brushed past him, placing his ear against the armory door for a moment before yanking it open. A red-faced Hvel tumbled out.
"I thought I'd suffocate in there! I thought the imps had taken over the ship! What happened? Why are we still alive?"
Vartan pointed to the ki-rin in the sky, its wings pulling strongly and surely, its coat shimmering a pale, clear gold in the dawning sun. Hvel forgot about being locked up and stared in awe at the magnificent creature. As they watched, the lead Belwar held in his mouth slackened. The ki-rin tilted its wings and began circling back on the Perechon. Hvel and Vartan scrambled out of the way as Belwar dropped the rope, following it down to perch gracefully on the edge of the upper deck.
Maquesta, who had been helping with the clean-up, strode forward to greet the creature and thank it. Since the sun was rising, Ilyatha had retired to his cabin belowdecks.
"Are you the captain?" the ki-rin asked as she approached him, his voice as melodious as the sweet singing of the thrush.
"I am captain of the Perechon, and I wish to thank you," replied Maquesta. "We would have been lost without your help, and other lives besides ours forfeit in consequence," she added, thinking of Melas and Ilyatha's daughter, Sando. "As captain, I accept the debt we owe as my responsibility and pledge to repay it in any way you wish." Maquesta stared into Belwar's glittering violet eyes, encountering great intelligence and compassion there.
"My pay is your smile," Belwar replied. "But tell me, what brings the Perechon to this part of the Blood Sea? You are approaching a dangerous passage between Wavend and Saifhum and the Outer Reach of the Maelstrom. What lies there could pale next to the Blood Sea imps."
Unwilling to reveal the full truth to a creature for the most part unknown to her, despite his brave actions, Maq decided to tell only part of the story.
"We have been hired by Lord Attat of Lacynos to pick up and bring back a special cargo. The sooner we return, the better our reward. I was attempting to save some time with this route."
The violet of Belwar's eyes deepened in anger to dark purple, and his regard hardened.
"Had I known you worked for Lord Attat, I wouldn't have helped you. I would have let the imps kill you and destroy this ship. He is my sworn enemy, and all the hate I hold in my heart is for him." Much of the music left Belwar's voice as he spoke these words. "I want nothing to do with any who traffic with him."
The ki-rin prepared to fly off. Just then, Tailonna glided forward, the shells braided into her long, blue hair clicking together rhythmically. When Belwar caught sight of her he paused and bowed respectfully. Standing next to Maq, Tailonna returned the acknowledgment.
"I fear our captain has told you too little of what we are doing here." Tailonna glanced sideways at Maq, with a look as close to a plea for understanding as one could get from an elf. Maq fumed inwardly at the Dimernesti's effrontery. "She does not understand the origin of your animosity."
Here Tailonna turned to address Maq directly. "When you were in Attat's palace, did you not notice the skin hanging behind the chair on the dais?
Maq thought a minute. That day now seemed so distant. She went back over her walk with her father down the length of that imposing hall. Then she nodded slowly. "Yes, I remember. I didn't recognize what creature the skin came from. It was golden, with scales and wings." Her voice died away. She turned back toward Belwar, who stood now with his head bowed, a great sadness evident in his demeanor.
"That was the skin of a ki-rin," Maq said.
Belwar nodded. He brought his head up, his eyes now flaming with anger. "Yes. It is the skin of my brother, Viyeha. We had been playing a game we sometimes trifled with in and around the peaks of tall mountain ranges. Tag, I think you call it. We were in the Worldscap Mountains, on Karthay. Viyeha misjudged the opening between two peaks and-injured one of his wings. It was serious enough that we had to wait there a few days for it to heal before he could fly again. We used our magical abilities to create a comfortable lair and of course were able to conjure all the food and drink we needed.
"After two days I…" Here Belwar looked down. "I became impatient. I did not enjoy the inactivity. I began leaving for the greater part of each day, telling Viyeha I needed to patrol the island, but really just wanting to get away. On the fifth day when I returned from my flight, I found only the stripped carcass of my dead brother. And I found a great and irreparable sadness in my heart." Belwar's voice choked, and he paused to regain his composure.
"Attat had been leading an expedition into those mountains, trying to capture a new addition for his menagerie, when he stumbled upon our lair. Viyeha was asleep, or he would have anticipated the attack. As it was, the dozen minotaurs and half-dozen ogres Attat led were able to throw a net over my brother and slit his throat." Belwar spoke bitterly.
"An eaglet who nested above the lair witnessed everything and told me. It happened in the morning, soon after I had left. By the time I returned late in the day, Attat and his party must have vacated the island. I could not find them. But I have sworn vengeance. Some day when I find Attat outside his palace fortress, I shall exact it."
"We wish you all speed in doing so," Maq said fervently. 'Tailonna was correct. I was not certain of your sympathies, so I did not tell you the whole story of why we are here. Attat holds leverage over us." She explained to Belwar about Melas; Ilyatha's daughter, Sando; Tailonna's capture; and Bas-Ohn Koraf's situation.