“Which you’re sure is a monster diamond amid a pile of treasure.”
“Aye.”
“Which you’ve seen in visions.”
“Aye. Many times, both with the keys, and in Aurialastican. Trip saw it once as well.”
“And the visions of a kender are supposed to make me feel better?”
“I’ve seen it, too,” Ula said. “Just once, after I wove the second key into my jewelry. I’m sure it exists.”
“And I’m half sure you’re all mad,” Jerick said. “Following some absurd rhyme, doled out to me a piece at a time by a shipwrecked mariner… I must be mad, too!”
He went to the blue-painted rail and leaned on it, gazing back past Alarl toward Misty Isle-now a tiny blur in the distance. Mik walked up beside the captain and clapped him on the shoulder. “If you turnback now, old friend,” the sailor said jovially, “you’ll never know if I’m right.”
“Aye,” Jerick replied. “I suppose I won’t. Though I’m not sure that would be a bad thing. Show me those keys again.” Mik fished into his waistband and whistled for Trip. The kender slid down from the mast top. “Give me the black key, would you?”
Trip nodded, dug it out of his vest pocket, and handed it to Mik. He and Ula chuckled as Trip scrambled up the mast once more. The sea elf carefully extricated the blue key from her costume and handed it to the sailor.
“Aye,” Jerick said, gazing at the collection in Mik’s hands. “They’re impressive all right. Old, too. Maybe there is something in all your talk.”
“You know,” Mik said, “It hadn’t occurred to me before, but…” He deftly wove the three artifact pieces together into a larger whole. Diamond, opal, and emerald became part of a larger, key-like shape. The conjoined artifact began to glow with a faint blue-white aura.
“Still, one piece missing,” Ula said, her green eyes flashing.
With a sigh, Mik went to disassemble the artifact, but the pieces would not come free.
“Is it stuck?” Ula asked.
“More than stuck,” Mik replied. “I can’t even find the places where the joints were.”
“So which one of us keeps it?” Ula asked. Her green eyes darted from Mik to Jerick.
“I’ve just the place in my sea chest,” Jerick said.
“I’m sure you have,” Mik replied. “But the place I have in mind is just as secure… and vastly more visible.”
The drumchanter set a brutal beat, but Lord Kell’s oarsmen didn’t complain. Kell himself paced the main deck, staring out to sea, as if he could will their quarry to appear. Karista Meinor stayed close by his side. Stormclouds trailed in the boat’s wake, threatening to blot out what remained of a glorious afternoon.
Kell stopped near the bow and peered ahead, his mood mirroring the darkening weather.
“They can’t be too far over the horizon,” Kell said, as much to himself as to the aristocrat.
“Is that what your dragon allies tell you?” Karista asked.
“Aye.”
“And you’re sure you can trust them?”
Kell looked slightly offended. “Of course.”
“The reason I ask,” Karista said deferentially, “is that there may be quite a bit of wealth involved, and the propensity of dragons for treasure is well known. If one of them should find the hoard before we do… can we be sure they would use it for the glory of the Order?”
Kell smiled sympathetically at her and put his arm around her smooth shoulders. “If Lord Thrakdar desired this treasure, he wouldn’t need us to get it. Indeed, I would give it to him gladly, if he asked. That he allows me to pursue this bounty for the glory of the Order is a great honor. To be aided by his consort Tanalish is an honor nearly as great. When you have been in the isles longer, you will understand these things.”
Karista smiled up at him, her steely eyes flashing. “I’m sure I will, milord. I look forward to the… mutual edification our trade pact will bring.”
The lord of the dragon ship gazed into her eyes; she did not turn away. “Aye,” he said quietly. “We have much to learn, you and I.”
“My lord!” a brass-armored warrior called, pointing to the sky. “A dragon comes!”
Kell and Meinor looked up. Far over head, a bright yellow dot, like a shooting star, moved through the darkening sky. It arced lazily toward the ship, angling in from the east, to catch the onrushing wind.
Lower it streaked, resolving itself into the form of a huge brass dragon. The rays of sunlight leaking through the stormfront danced on her wings in a dazzling display. She dove straight for the trireme, not breaking speed at all.
Karista edged closer to Kell and put her hand on the crook of his arm. “Don’t worry,” the lord said. “It’s just Tanalish.”
“I fear, milord, that all dragons look alike to me.”
“Another thing you will learn,” Kell replied. “If she were a hostile, we’d be dead already.” He and Karista moved to one side of the bridge as the dragon swooped toward them.
As Tanalish came in, she stretched and became thinner. Her wings trailed out behind her, becoming long, gossamer silks. Her face grew shorter and rounder. Her body twisted and took a womanly shape.
Flitting under the furled sails, she landed on the deck only three strides away from Benthor Kell. As her bare foot touched down, she was no longer a dragon, but a beautiful young woman.
Her eyes were bright green, like new-born leaves in spring. Her wavy golden hair hung down over her smooth, dark shoulders. Her body was that of a sensual young goddess, and she moved with the fluid grace of a dancer. A shimmering, gossamer gown clung to her perfect form. The dress glittered like brass in the sunshine.
Karista tightened her grip on Kell’s arm, and her breathing became shallow; the ship’s crew instinctively fell to their knees.
“Milady Tanalish,” Kell said, bowing. “What news?” Lady Meinor bowed as well.
“Red Wake is near, Benthor Kell,” the dragon in human form said. “I have seen the people you seek-the sea elf, the kender, and the human-wandering her decks.” Her green eyes flashed. “Shimanloreth is with them, too, and this I do not like.”
“He’s a pale shadow of his former self,” Kell replied. “The wound the overlords gave him grieves him still. I’m sure you can handle him should it become necessary.”
The dragon nodded. “As you wish, Benthor Kell. The storm will break before we reach them, though.”
“This cursed weather,” Kell said. “We’ve had more of it lately than I’ve seen in my whole lifetime.”
Tanalish frowned. “The Veil is weakened,” she said. “Storms seep in from outside. It is a concern.”
“Let the dragon lords worry about such things,” Kell said. “You and I-and lord Thrakdar-must strengthen the Order, lest the encroaching chaos catch us unprepared.” He paced to the bow and gazed toward the onrushing storm. Karista trailed behind.
“We must have these people, Tanalish,” he said. “Or, at least, the keys they’ve stolen. Our mission depends on it.” He turned back to the dragon and gazed into her bright green eyes. “See to it.”
“Your will is mine as my lord’s, Benthor Kell,” Tanalish said, bowing slightly. The dragon-woman leaped over the side of the trireme, transforming as she fell.
Tanalish stretched out her arms, like a cliff diver aiming for the surf. Her glittering yellow gown lengthened, the sparkling metallic flecks on its surface changing to hard brass scales. The dress’ billowing pleats became the leathery membranes between the bones of her wings. Tanalish brushed low over the waves, the armor of her huge belly sending a spray of mist into the sky.
With two quick beats of her titanic wings, the brass dragon soared high into the air once more. She executed a series of tight spirals and disappeared into the advancing clouds.