Death Dealers

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Chapter 2: At Sea

The boat tilted and swayed on several axes and the snoring of her bunk mates made it impossible to sleep. When she could no longer take it she rolled out of her hammock and pushed through the door. It was still dark, but she made her way across the deck using the waning moon as light. A raised platform caught her eye. She needed to relax. She climbed the stairs to the platform and fell into the routines of the assassin’s martial arts.

The briney air was cool, but the movements of Chi-con-wu-ee warmed her. To the east, the first rays of light could be seen on the horizon. The boat swayed under her feet but she compensated without thought. She was in a fluid trance and her body seemed to understand what was around it without seeing it. Her chi was focused to a point beyond the norm. She was aware of the duty officer climbing onto the deck, but the platform was large so she didn’t end her routine. After a moment, he cleared his throat and she slowly turned and saluted.

The first thing she noted was that he was young for his rank. He was a sub-captain also known as second mate, making him the third highest officer on the ship, and at most, he was four years older than her. For a moment she wondered if his position was due to skill or politics.

“Impressive...I’ve known a few assassins in my day...few move through the forms so naturally, yet you wear the robes of a healer. You must be the new girl Constance was going on about. She said that you had experience in combat forms. But I didn’t expect this...I am Nicoli Tu-ine Folmer, Second Mate of the Imperial Ship Emperor’s Revenge. My duty assignment is the training of our Marines.”

She knew the house of Folmer, so his political rank had helped him. She signaled for him to join her. He approached, dropping into a defensive stance, and she attacked.

In moments she was impressed. He had more than known some assassins, he had trained with them. While he wasn’t Gareth, Nicoli was her equal or better.

They locked in a lethal dance. Both doing their best to get through the other's attack routines. Chi-con-wu-e was an offensive martial art meant to kill rapidly. It used very few defensive blocks, instead every attack opened up an opportunity for a counterattack. They entwined like two serpents striking out, but twisting around the fangs of their prey.

She was breathing hard, but not exhausted, but she could not get through his lightning attacks. A few times she saw the influence of another martial art in his pose and defense. He would choose to take some blows, to give himself an opportunity to strike her better.

After several minutes of being entwined in combat, she broke free to find a different assault. She rolled backward and stood quickly going through a Ki-lom-ee pose before setting up an attack.

Nicoli took a step back and signaled a stop. “What was that you just did? I’ve never seen that combat form.” His eyes shown with true interest and a hint of lust.

“It is not a combat form. Your stamina is great and I was becoming winded. Ki-lom-ee helps to restore, focus, and realign my chi. I was not the only one to use foreign arts in this duel, but then Chi-con-wu-ee is designed to counter any combat martial art.”

Nicoli nodded, then gave a slight bow of his head. “Master” he intoned.

She returned the salute, “Master”, she replied.

“Join me for breakfast.” He ordered.

***

Breakfast was eaten in the officer’s galley. Nicoli smiled as she sat down. “I like the healers, we wouldn’t do so well on the battlefield without your skills, but it’s refreshing to have one that understands that fighting has a place. You couldn’t have gained that skill if you didn’t respect the art. Who was your master?”

“I learned from Gareth of Kilmora, you’ve likely never heard of him.”

By his reaction to the name, she knew that he had heard of Gareth. She thought he had only been the talk of the school. “Ah,’ so you’re that healer. Esrea, isn’t it.”

She nodded slowly and he smiled. “No, everyone doesn’t know, but some people keep a close eye on the promising candidates. The fact that you chose an assassin as a friend before the difference in your s*x mattered drew attention and conversation. When Gareth became a Magi and you developed the healer’s gift, the discussion grew. I always thought your skills were exaggerated...until today.”

“Why does everyone care? I’ve never cared who slept with who...It’s not like we’re Toroni where men and women are expected to be virgins until they marry...How does that help anything? I want my future husband to know what he is doing.” Despite her words, she blushed a little bit when she realized exactly who she was talking to. At times she spoke out of context.

Nicoli was smiling again.

“Good point,” Constance said as she sat down beside Esrea. “I’m not interrupting anything, I hope.” Her tone stated the opposite.

“Madam, you’re…” he paused. He knew which room Esrea slept in, but her robes were still those of an acolyte.

“Apprentice,” Constance stated. “I decided that this morning. She is simply too skilled to be an Acolyte...I’d almost say Journeyman, but I believe her herb lore is a bit lacking. I’m glad the two of you have met and like each other. It will smooth this journey.” She paused, a slight smile on her face. “He’s never cared for me.”

He looked down. “I don’t mean to be critical, you’re a skilled healer…”

“But you lack the ability to understand death...boy do you honestly believe a person as knowledgeable as a healer can’t kill. Any fool can kill.” Constance paused for a moment, taking a drink of hot coffee. “Boy, we take the oaths because it is too easy for us. Our meditation poses were developed specifically to restrict our ability to use them as a weapon.” She looked at Esrea. “You are a subject of discussion because you have the training of a healer and the meditation poses of both a healer and a Death Dealer. It has been speculated that Gareth is better at his calling than any of his peers because of his tie to you and your training.” She paused as if considering something. “Gareth has been known to provide medical aid to civilians. He is quite skilled, not on the level of a true healer, but much better than most local apothecaries. He has identities that only help people. The two of you are oddities...we know you could kill if put in the position and we aren’t sure how we would react. In the past, any healer who killed was disbarred regardless of the circumstances...you are too gifted to lose and respected too much in court. We fear the decision we may need to make. Most of the council wouldn’t tell you this, but I believe in letting a person know where they stand.” She stood with her tray. “I’ll let the two of you get back to your conversation.”

Nicoli watched Constance leave. “She likes you. I didn’t think she liked anyone. I swear my aunt sank my first ship just to watch me swim.”

It took her a moment to realize that he was talking about Constance being his aunt. He smiled. “The middle and lower classes like to forget that we go through the same sorting procedures you go through. We have more options only because we understand the test. If you noted over the years that some students were added to the healers and some removed, we understand how those decisions are made. I should have been an assassin, but my father wanted me as a commander and my scores on command potential were high enough. I was forced to take both training programs for five years before I could focus on Naval Command. My other training is very useful and has aided me in advancing through the ranks, but it wasn’t easy.”

“Were you allowed to live with your parents?” She asked.

“Yes, but that wasn’t always to my advantage. In some ways, you had much more freedom. This system is part of what keeps the Empire strong. Spending holidays with your family made you stronger than you might have been if you were always under the same roof.”

She didn’t argue with him, she didn’t know enough about the process he was discussing to argue, she only knew that being pulled from her family at the age of seven hadn’t been easy. She barely knew her brothers and sister. She knew one of her brothers was an assistant to the southern regent and that she would likely get to see him on this tour, but she could barely remember the name of his wife. This was partly her fault. Her profession was notorious for not communicating with family, your colleagues became your family.

“Finish breakfast, your first duty assignment is approaching. Constance might like you, but you would pay for that.” Nicoli stated as he stood with an empty tray.

***

What she had thought was an observation deck was actually a muster deck. Fifty men stood at attention on the flat deck with no masts or other obstructions. The platform could have held twice as many men, but in a moment the men would drill and they needed some space to work out.

The men all wore the silver and green uniform of marines. The woolen uniforms were pressed to perfection. She walked down the ranks of men beside Nicoli. About halfway down the second row of men, she stopped. Something was off with the marine. She could sense it in his aura, but it took her a moment to identify it.

“How long have you had that rasp to your breath?” She asked a man approaching his middle years.

The man straightened even more if that was possible. “Madam?” He asked.

She looked at Constance and the woman came over with a small bowl-shaped device. The man dutifully unbuttoned his uniform coat and unlaced the shirt. Constance listened for a moment, then looked at her. “How did you hear that?” She asked. ‘Never mind.” She looked at the soldier. “Come to the infirmary after duty. This isn’t anything major, but we do want to treat it.” She looked back at Esrea. “We need to talk.”

She pulled Esrea to the other side of the deck. “How did you hear that?” She demanded.

“I didn’t. His ki was off. Chi-ki-wo-nee makes you very sensitive to others’ ki. If you can sense where the body is weak, you know where to attack. You are right...if we are attacked I will defend us in a way that isn’t within our training. When you first said that, I didn’t want to believe you, but it is true. I’ve never had to worry about the protection of others...but now I do. I’m a healer, but we can’t deny that I am something different.”

Constance nodded. “Continue your inspection. When you are done, meet me at the apothecary.”

***

The rest of the inspection went without problems. Esrea excused herself once the inspection was complete and found the apothecary. It was a large room towards the stern of the ship filled with shelves of herbs and equipment for mixing herbs and making potions. A small oven sat on a bed of sand in the center of the room. After the chill of the deck, the room seemed too warm. A dozen healers worked in the room. It wasn’t normal to have so many healers on one ship, but they were being transported to the grand army.

Constance stepped away from a table. “Finish this for me child.” She ordered the acolyte beside her. She waved for Esrea to follow her. She was led into a small store room and the door was closed. “What you did should not have been possible. I read reports of your skill, but this wasn’t mentioned.”

Esrea paused for a moment. “Many healers don’t practice our martial arts daily, I not only practice Ki-lom-ee daily, I spend an equal amount of time aligning my body to Chi-ko-lo-mee. My ki is thus aligned with myself and all others every day.”

Constance was quiet for a moment. “I want you to start leading the healers every day in our art, and I want you to train two healers in the assassins' art. I will adjust your duty schedule to accommodate the extra load. And I know that the assassin's art can’t be learned in a day. Just do what you can.