“They made a boat?” Lei had never heard of sahuagin boats before.
Thaask nodded. “The waters are our home, and at that time there was no land. None had thought to rise into the air, and they never would have. The god’s gift was the idea they could not see on their own.”
“What happened?”
“The deep masters could not follow them. They were safe, but time above the waters sapped the strength of the people. Their scales fell and lungs grew weak.” Thaask cocked his head, studying her. “The Devourer spoke to those who remained below, and with his strength they overcame the deep masters. Those who had fled could never return. They gathered floating roots and clots of mud, and slowly they built larger and larger shelters, until eventually those shelters took root and became lands. The world was divided into the nations of land and water, and so it has been to this day.”
“So we’re second cousins?” Lei considered the story for a moment. “But … because these people asked for help and trusted the Traveler, they ended up being banished from their homeland forever. Wouldn’t they have been better off waiting with the others?”
“Yes, but there would have been no land above to bring profit to those below. The world you know would not exist. You would not exist. The powers of your six carry pain and danger, but these are the forces that shape the world, and many who breathe the air know this, those who spawned you among them.”
“What?” Lei’s hand dropped inside the one of the wide pockets of her pouch, and with a thought her staff was in her hand. Lei heard the faintest moan; it might have been the wind, or the soft cry of the darkwood dryad. “What do you mean by that?”
Thaask took a step back, keeping his teeth in view. “I promised you words in exchange for your stone, child, and the Devourer has claimed the stone. I have work to do, and you will have no more words from me. This vessel will leave the Teeth by tomorrow, and we will not meet again.” He took a step sideways, standing to the rail. “Why don’t you ask your gods?”
He slid over the railing in a blur of scales and leather. There was a splash as he struck the water, and an ululating cry from below-the call to summon his mount, perhaps.
When Lei reached the railing, the sahuagin was nowhere to be seen.
CHAPTER 14
Thaask was as good as his word, and the following evening the ship arrived at the port of Stormreach. Lei had finished her work, Lakashtai had emerged from her meditations, and all four of the travelers gathered on the deck to watch as the ship approached the colony.
The shore of Xen’drik was nearly as inhospitable as the Straits of Shargon. Stone columns and massive splinters of rock jutted from the water, and the coast was a sheer cliff. To the southwest, Daine could see a break in the cliffs, a jagged hole miles across. It looked anything but natural; it was as if a giant hammer had come down and blasted a gap in the rock, and knowing the legends of this shattered land, that may have been exactly what had happened.
It soon became clear that this unnatural gap was their destination. A handful of fishing boats were scattered across the rocky bay, and as they approached, a galley of an unfamiliar design came into view. The vessel was long and narrow, with a curving prow that rose high out of the water, and its sail was painted with a complex design of blue and silver lines-a dizzying labyrinth that drew the eye into its depths.
“An ill omen,” Lakashtai said, watching the vessel head out to sea.
“How so?” Daine said.
“That is a Riedran ship, and the people of that land are the servants of the Inspired-and thus, the allies of our enemy. Most likely it is mere coincidence we see it here, for Riedra has as much interest in the wealth of Xen’drik as any other land. The ship is heading away, but I fear to think what it may have left behind.”
Lei shook her head. “Nightmares, brain eaters, sinister agents of doom-don’t you ever have anything cheerful to say?”
“In times such as these, I prefer dark truths to pleasant deception,” Lakashtai replied cooly.
A moment later, the colony itself came into view. Compared to the majestic towers of Sharn, this was an unruly sprawl. Buildings were scattered across the coastline as if dropped by a child. Every building was unique. Some reflected the traditions of different cultures; Daine spotted a building constructed in the Flamic style popular in Thrane and another that seemed to be the work of goblin hands. Stranger than the designs were the materials that were used. There were a few solid houses that might have been plucked from the streets of Fairhaven or Metrol, but many were odd patchwork buildings, using mismatched pieces of stone, chunks of driftwood, or what appeared to be rosy crystal. As they drew closer, Daine could see that a number of the structures incorporated pieces of ships’ hulls, undoubtedly scavenged from vessels that foundered in the deadly harbor.
“The designs are most unusual,” Pierce said, studying the coast. “Have there been many wars to cause such devastation?”
“This is not the result of battle,” Lakashtai replied. “Stormreach is one of the few safe landings on this edge of Xen’drik-and safe is most definitely a relative term. As the people of Eberron took to exploring the seas, many ships were broken on this shore, and the survivors made their way to this place. In time people mastered the seas, and many found this place a welcome refuge. Smugglers and pirates sought a haven from the strength of Galifar, while explorers and scholars yearned for the treasures of legend. In recent years, prospectors have found the land to be rich in dragonshards and other valuable substances, such as the crystal material you see in some of the buildings. The dragonmarked houses came to Stormreach, and the princes of Khorvaire and Sarlona followed in their wake.”
“Which nation claims the land?” Pierce said.
“Stormreach is its own sovereign state, and its lords are descended from the first settlers, but the laws are loose here, and you will find that justice is even harder to find than it is in Sharn. Each lord has his own guards, who do his bidding. The commoner and the traveler must make their own way in the world-force and guile are all that these people respect. We walk a dangerous path, and it will only get worse from here.”
“I am pleased to hear it,” said Pierce. Daine shot a quizzical glance in his direction, but the warforged had nothing more to say.
Soon the Kraken’s Wake pulled into the harbor, and sailors on the piers guided it to an empty slip. There were ships of many nations scattered across the bay. Daine saw a squat dwarven yacht, with a gilded sail and a jewel-encrusted dragon on the prow. There were a number of gnome merchant vessels, which seemed like delicate toys next to the larger Brelish freighters. Next was a black ship-an elven vessel from Aerenal, formed from darkwood and adorned with skulls. An actual tree sprouted in place of a mast, with a web of gossamer sails spread throughout its branches.
“Livewood,” Lei said, pointing to it. “Remember? Sustained by magic. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a dryad in it.”
“And the skulls?” Daine said.
“It’s a common tradition among the sailors of the Aerenal islands,” Lakashtai said. “Rather than rest on land, they prefer to have their bodies bound to the vessel they served on. If the proper rituals are used, the spirit can be bound to the skull, allowing the ship’s priest to speak to the sailors and ask for advice.”
“Charming,” Daine said.
Moments later, the gangplank was lowered. The travelers already had their gear prepared; Lakashtai and the captain exchanged pleasantries and gold as Lei, Daine, and Pierce made their way across the plank.
“Solid land,” Lei said, swaying slightly. “I never thought I could be so happy and so nauseous at the same time.”