Chapter 18 Silent Currents

  January 31, 2025. Friday. 6:00 pm. Pier 17.

  The Malufan loomed ahead, a metal giant swaying gently against the darkening water. Its name was painted in faded letters on the hull, a ghost of past voyages. Sneaking aboard was easier than I expected. The crew was busy loading crates, their focus elsewhere. My intangibility made sneaking even simpler. I slipped past sightlines, phased through barriers, and avoided the hustle entirely.

  So... why sneak in a ship you were hired to protect?

  It was reconnaissance, and it couldn't be put simpler.

  The captain’s cabin wasn’t hard to find. Most of the ship’s activity revolved around the lower decks, leaving the upper levels relatively quiet. After weaving through a maze of tight corridors and phasing through a few locked doors, I reached the room.

  I entered without a sound, my form passing effortlessly through the wooden wall. The cabin was neat but functional, papers stacked in precise order on a polished desk. A woman sat at the desk, her back to me. She was dressed in military gear: black fatigues with no insignias, and her posture was rigid. Dark skin, short-cropped hair, and a faint streak of silver near her temples. When she turned slightly to reach for a pen, I caught a glimpse of striking blue eyes.

  “Was it His Majesty who sent you?” she asked, her voice steady, almost bored.

  Her back was still turned, but the way she spoke made it clear she wasn’t guessing. She knew I was there. A flicker of surprise tightened my chest, but I suppressed it quickly. She hadn’t turned to face me yet, which meant she didn’t fully know my position... or maybe she just didn’t care.

  “Depends,” I replied, keeping my tone neutral. “Are you the captain of this ship?”

  She chuckled softly, finally swiveling her chair around to meet me. “You’re bold for someone sneaking into my cabin uninvited. What do you want?”

  Her eyes locked onto mine, sharp and assessing. No hesitation, no fear. Just cool, calculated authority. Whoever she was, this woman was used to handling trouble.

  “I’m here to ensure the shipment makes it to its destination,” I said, stepping forward. “Royal sent me.”

  Her lips curled into a small, wry smile. “Of course, he did.”

  She leaned back in her chair, studying me like I was some kind of puzzle. “Tell me something. Why would His Majesty trust a freelancer like you with something this important?”

  Freelancer? How much did she know?

  I regretted burning Sharpy’s business card. I could've used it as a cover if it came to it, but I was rather unsure about which side Sharpy was. Ignoring Royal’s request wasn’t an option. Unlike Seamark, Royal’s request felt personal, and he had asked me face-to-face. Besides, he came to me first, before Seamark did. For me, it was on a first-come, first-served basis. And then there was Sharpy’s offer. Sure, Sharpy approached me earlier, but her offer was merely an invitation, not a direct job request.

  It looked like I was rolling with Royal on this job, after all. That was the safest option.

  I answered the captain, “Because he liked me enough. After all, I killed Sunstrider. But then again, he would be a fool to trust an outsider. I imagine I’m not the sole ‘mercenary’ the Pride hired.”

  It was a calculated response. Name-dropping Sunstrider made her think. It showed my value and credibility while leaving room for a reasonable assessment of the situation.

  The captain leaned back in her chair, her blue eyes scanning me for any hesitation. "You are new," she surmised reasonably. "But yes, you’re right... We need the numbers."

  She gestured toward the map sprawled across the table, her voice steady but serious. "We’ll be sailing to the Eirmon Islands. This is a pickup mission, but it’s not a quiet one. We expect a lot of fighting. Seamark will probably try to rob us before we even set off." She tapped a finger against the map as if emphasizing her point.

  "The duration of the mission will be two weeks, back-to-back," she continued. "To incentivize performance, we’ll be implementing a bonus system: 15,000 marks for every attacker you drop and 100,000 marks for every cape."

  They were not chump change, but still not as much when I was paid to do an assassination mission.

  She turned her sharp gaze back to me, leaning forward slightly. "So, are you still in?"

  I crossed my arms, pretending to weigh her words. In truth, my answer had been decided the moment I stepped onto the Malufan.

  "I’m in," I said, matching her serious tone. "But I’m not here for some bonus system. I assume you’ll pay me regardless, seeing as I’m not exactly crew."

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  The captain smirked faintly. "Of course. But bonuses don’t hurt, do they?"

  "Not at all," I replied. “But I’d rather focus on getting us there alive and with as little chaos as possible.”

  Her smirk faded into a hard line. "Good. You’ll report to my first mate, Jonas. He’ll brief you on positioning and contingency plans. Don’t think you’ll get to skulk in the shadows the whole time. We’ll need your powers where it counts."

  "I’d expect nothing less," I said, nodding.

  I left the cabin. A two-week mission to hostile territory, fighting off Seamark, all while juggling Royal’s expectations... This was going to be far from simple.

  As I turned the corner, I bumped into someone unexpected. “Sharpy,” I said, unable to hide the mischief in my tone. “Fancy seeing you here.”

  The redhead blinked, visibly surprised for a split second before her body language shifted, her stance relaxing. Her quick recovery spoke volumes as she was already assessing the situation, sizing me up.

  “Damn,” she muttered, crossing her arms as a grin tugged at the corner of her lips. “You must have gotten a direct invite like me. And here I thought I could earn a little extra stringing along rookies on this mission.”

  I chuckled lightly, not missing the teasing edge in her voice. “Hate to disappoint you, but I’ve been in the loop longer than you’d think. Though I’m curious, what’s got an independent like you working with Pride?” It was a lie to say I was in the loop longer, but I needed to appear big.

  Sharpy tilted her head, her sharp eyes narrowing as if trying to decide how much to reveal. “You know how it is. A girl’s gotta make a living, and this gig pays. Plus, it’s not like I’m planning to stick around for Sunday brunch with Royal’s inner circle.”

  “Fair enough,” I said, shrugging.

  Her grin faded slightly as she tilted her mask upwards, her tone replaced by something more serious. “Let’s hope it stays that way. Fair. Otherwise, it means someone’s playing a different game and they plan to screw me bad. I don’t like being screwed. Contrary to fact, I like doing the screwing.”

  I nodded. "Be careful for what you wish for."

  The tension lingered for a moment before she broke it with a sly smile. “So, what’s your play, rookie? Going full guns blazing or sticking to the shadows?”

  “I’ll let the situation decide,” I replied. “But I’ll say this, don’t mistake me for one of those rookies you wanted to string along.”

  Sharpy let out a low chuckle, leaning back against the wall. “Guess we’ll see if you can back that up. Try not to get in my way, yeah?”

  “Same to you,” I said, as we passed each other.

  I had no intention of playing nice with Sharpy. She’d tried to attack me before, and while it hadn’t escalated into anything serious, I wasn’t naive enough to trust her. A wary glance in her direction wouldn’t hurt. Besides, there had to be a deeper reason Royal had personally included me in this operation, and I had a pretty good guess as to what his intentions were.

  After navigating the ship and asking just enough questions to avoid suspicion, I finally found Jonas by the hull. He was hard to miss: a dark-skinned man with sharp eyes and an amiable smile. His military fatigues mirrored the captain’s, lending him an air of authority.

  “So, name?” Jonas asked, looking up from a clipboard he was reviewing.

  “Eclipse,” I said plainly, keeping it professional. “Please call me Eclipse.”

  Jonas nodded with a smile. “Alright, Eclipse. Good to have you aboard. So, what brings you to this fine ship? Not every day we get someone fresh from the usual roster jumping into a Pride gig.”

  I smirked faintly. “It’s a long story. Let’s just say I’ve been... vetted.”

  Jonas gave a low chuckle, clearly amused but not pressing for details. He gestured for me to follow him as he moved further down the hull.

  “So, how many of us mercs are guarding this ship?” I asked, cutting to the chase.

  Jonas tilted his head thoughtfully. “Including you? Eight. A good mix, I’d say, some old hands, some newer faces. Sharpy, you’ve probably met. Then there’s Vortex, a teleport specialist; Marauder, the muscle; and Blackout, who can take down electronics like it’s child’s play. The others are solid but less flashy: grunts who know how to shoot and keep their mouths shut.”

  “Sounds like a decent lineup,” I said. “What about resistance? What are we up against?”

  Jonas shrugged, though his tone grew more serious. “Could be anything, really. Seamark’s crew is the obvious threat, but there are whispers of independent operators sniffing around this shipment too. And then there’s the usual wildcard... Vanguard types, local capes, or just some dumb criminals trying their luck.”

  Hmmm… So Vanguard would also be interested in our cargo, huh?

  “Great,” I muttered, though inwardly I was already calculating my options. “And the cargo?”

  Jonas’s eyes narrowed slightly, his smile finally fading. “Need-to-know, Eclipse. And right now, you don’t need to know.”

  Fair enough, I thought. That answer was as much a warning as it was a dismissal of curiosity.

  Jonas glanced back at me as we stopped near a stack of crates. “Look, kid. You’re here because Royal sees something in you. That’s enough for me. But let me give you a piece of advice: keep your head down, do your job, and don’t get too clever. You’ll live longer that way.”

  I nodded, playing along. “Got it. Just tell me where you need me.”

  Jonas grinned again, but there was a flicker of something calculating in his gaze. “We’ll find you when it’s time. Until then, get familiar with the ship. You’ll be spending a lot of time here.”

  I figured most of the action would happen before we even set sail. That made sense. Seamark or any other opportunists would want to strike while the ship was still vulnerable at port. The real question was which capes would show up, and on which side.

  At least I had some idea of who was in our lineup. The hired hands were a mixed bag, but there was potential there. Still, I wanted to know more about the heavy hitters, the Pride capes. I asked Jonas about them, but his response was predictably frustrating.

  “Need-to-know basis,” he said with a shrug. “If you see them, you’ll know.”

  That wasn’t exactly comforting. Jonas, ever the diplomat, suggested I head to the cabin and get acquainted with the other freelancers. “Might as well see who’s got your back, or doesn’t,” he added with a smirk before walking off.

  Taking his advice, I turned and made my way toward the cabins. The ship’s layout was already familiar enough, thanks to my earlier sneaking around. This time, though, I walked openly, keeping my posture relaxed but alert.

  The cabin designated for the freelancers wasn’t hard to find. The chatter and occasional bursts of laughter gave it away. I opened the door to find a small but well-lit room with a long table in the center. Five people were scattered around, each looking up as I entered.

  Sharpy was the first to speak. “Well, look who decided to mingle. Thought you’d be skulking in the shadows all night, Eclipse... Tacky name, by the way.”