"But if we can't maneuver through those reefs…" Hinto said.
"That's where Solus comes in," Diran said, turning to the psiforged. "Can you use your psionic abilities to strengthen Tresslar's memory of the proper route through the reefs?"
"Yes," Solus said. "But I can do better than merely strengthen Tresslar's recollection. Once I locate the memory, I can reproduce it and transfer it into each of your minds. That way, we shall all know the route in case something should happen." No one said anything for a moment, and the psiforged added, "Trebaz Sinara is reputed to be a dangerous place, is it not? I wish no harm to Tresslar, but we should prepare for all possibilities."
Yvka nodded appreciatively. "Quite sensible."
"An unnecessary precaution," Tresslar said, "as I am quite capable of taking care of myself, but I see no harm in it. What do I need to do?"
"Just come off to the side with me for a few moments," Solus said. "There will be little discomfort, and the procedure won't take long. After we're done, if each of you would come over to me one by one, I'll implant the route into your minds."
Tresslar and Solus walked off several yards, and the psiforged told the artificer to close his eyes. The construct then gently placed his three-fingered stone hands on the sides of Tresslar's head, and his artificial eyes glowed bright green as the memory transference began.
"I'll have a longboat prepared for you," Thokk said, "along with enough food and water for several days. If you're on the island longer than that…" The dwarf trailed off, leaving the rest of the thought unspoken, though it was clear enough. If Diran and the others remained on Trebaz Sinara that long, they were probably dead.
Onu frowned. "You speak as if our friends are going to be making landfall on their own, but surely we're going with them!"
Thokk stared at the Turnabout's captain with shock, as if the man had suddenly sprouted a second head.
Onu made a grand gesture in the island's direction. "It's Trebaz Sinara, Thokk! According to legend, it holds the wealth of two thousand years of pirate raids! Gold! Dragonshards! Priceless relics! Treasures beyond imagining and number! You can't expect me to stay onboard, lean on the rail, and be content to just look at the island!"
Thokk's face reddened with frustration. "It's too dangerous, Captain! I don't care how much treasure may be waiting for us there, it won't do us any good if we're dead!"
For the first time since Diran and the others had met Onu, the captain's good humor deserted him and his expression clouded over with anger. "Bartalan Thokk-ever the hard-headed businessman without even the most minimal sense of adventure. Well, I am the captain of this ship, and I am going to accompany these good worthies on their journey… unless, of course, you have anything more to say about the matter, First Mate Thokk?"
The dwarf's jaw muscles tightened, and his hands clenched into white-knuckled fists.
"No… Captain!" With that, Thokk spun around and stalked off to see to the preparation of the longboat.
Onu turned to Diran and the others and gave them an apologetic smile. "Forgive me. Thokk is a good man, and I couldn't do without him, but sometimes he oversteps his bounds and needs his leash yanked. You understand." The captain then turned back to the railing and gazed across the water at the fabled island of Trebaz Sinara.
Diran and Ghaji exchanged glances. They understood, all right. They understood that there was far more going on between Onu and Thokk than first met the eye. The question was whether or not their problems were going to interfere with the mission to retrieve Tresslar's dragonwand, and whether that interference would prove a distraction at the wrong time, resulting in disaster for the landing party-or even death.
Ghaji was almost disappointed by how uneventful the passage through the twisting barrier maze of reef was. Thanks to Solus, they all knew the route, so there were no surprises there, and since the psiforged used his telekinetic abilities to move and steer the longboat, there was nothing for any of them to do but sit and enjoy the ride. Trebaz Sinara was reputed to be home to all manner of terrible monsters, and the companions kept close watch as they drew closer to the island, but no ravening creatures burst out of the sea to devour them. Ghaji wasn't foolish enough to believe that meant they were safe, though, and he continually scanned their surroundings for any sign of danger, elemental axe held at the ready.
Tresslar sat in the prow of the boat, revealer held out in front of him, slowly moving it back and forth through the air. Ghaji didn't know what the magical device would do once it detected the dragonwand-make some sort of sound, emit a burst of light-but it did nothing. Either it was failing to function properly, or the dragonwand was out of range, assuming it was even on the island at all.
Hinto sat next to Solus in the back of the longboat, the halfling occasionally reaching out to pat the psiforged's hand. The little pirate looked afraid, but he seemed to be handling it well enough. He'd come a long way since they'd found him shipwrecked in the Mire. No longer did he experience paralyzing bouts of panic. But then again, he'd never faced the sort of dangers that Trebaz Sinara held, and Ghaji wondered if the halfling would be able to manage his fear once they made landfall.
Asenka sat next to Diran in the middle of the longboat, close enough that their knees were touching. Despite the situation, she appeared happy and content, and though it might have seemed incongruous to some given what they would soon be facing, it didn't to Ghaji. He'd been a warrior all of his life, and he knew the importance of appreciating the good moments in life as they came, for those moments were often all too brief and the future uncertain. The orcs had a saying: Live today and let tomorrow take care of itself. It seemed Asenka had decided to do just that.
Ghaji and Yvka sat behind Diran and Asenka, the elf-woman's hand resting lightly on the half-orc's leg. Yvka leaned forward, eyes wide, taking everything in, working to memorize every detail so that she could make a full report to her "associates" in the Shadow Network. Ghaji knew she was also keeping a sharp eye out for anything-treasure, magical artifacts, rare plants or animals-that she might be able to claim and take back to her people. When he'd first met the elf-woman in Port Verge, when Diran and he had been working to unravel the mystery of the Black Fleet, he'd been instantly attracted to Yvka's free spirit and love of adventure. But in the months since then, he'd come to know another side of her. She could be calculating and opportunistic, qualities that admittedly served her well in her profession, but which made it difficult to remain emotionally close to her. At times like these, he couldn't help wondering if Yvka was with him because she truly cared about him or because she'd found their relationship advantageous to her career. Thanks to her association with Ghaji, she'd been able to turn over both Erdis Cai's stronghold of Grimwall and the psi-forge facility in Mount Luster to the Shadow Network. Though he knew he should work harder to trust her, he couldn't help wondering which Yvka loved more: him or the professional opportunities their relationship afforded her.
Leontis sat in the back of the boat in front of Solus and Hinto. Ghaji had never expected to encounter a Silver Flame priest as grim as Diran could sometimes be, but Leontis was that man. He held his longbow with an arrow nocked, prepared for whatever danger might threaten, but he stared straight ahead, eyes focused on a point far more distant than the island looming before them. Ghaji had seen similar looks in the eyes of warriors who had witnessed so much blood and cruelty on the battlefield that they no longer believed life was worth living and were merely marking time until Death finally came for them.