02 corsair by Forgotten Realms

Author:Forgotten Realms [Realms, Forgotten]
Format: epub
Published: 2010-04-10T11:58:34.065000+00:00

When he was satisfied, he turned gently to run across the wind again. The ship heeled over, but much less than before; it was about the same as running across a stiff breeze in a waterborne vessel. "Ascend normally," he said aloud. This time the bowsprit came up even higher, and the ship seemed to soar upward as she climbed. A glance over his shoulder at the Moonsea dropping away below convinced Geran that he wouldn't ever need to order the ship to ascend at its best rate; he already felt as if he'd better hang on to the helm to make sure he didn't fall over the sternrail. He was surprised to see a small wisp of cloud pass by beneath them. "How high can we go?" he wondered. "The air grows thin and cold atop the highest mountains. If we sail into the high reaches of the sky, wouldn't we encounter the same conditions?" "What little I have read of voyaging in the Sea of Night suggests that we will," Sarth said. "The aether above the world is too rare to breathe, but artifacts such as the compass or magical helms gather it closely about the vesselor so I have read. I recommend a cautious ascent, so that we can turn back if I am mistaken." "A wise suggestion," Geran agreed. He glanced again at the compass and saw that the symbols along its equator were glowing brightly. The skies were darkening overhead, and he could make out the first dim stars glittering in the sky. Symbols and stars ... he smiled at his own thickheadedness. "The compass symbols are constellations!" he said to Sarth and Hamil. "Look, that one right in front of us, that's the Swordsman," he said, pointing at the compass. "And look where our bow is pointedthe Swordsman is rising right in front of us. And that one to the left of it, that must be the Phoenix." Sarth leaned close to inspect the compass. "I think you are right, Geran," he said. "Terrestrial directions must become meaningless in the Sea of Night. With no north, no south, a voyager must find some other way to mark his course. The constellations keep their places in the sky as Toril turns beneath them." Seadrake continued to climb up through the twilight. Galehand peeked over the rail and quickly retreated with a sick look on his face. "Where are we bound?" he asked Geran. "Just how high d'you mean to sail?" "That's a good question," Hamil said. "Where are we bound? I'd sort of hoped it might be obvious once we got aloft, but now I'm not so sure. Kraken Queen could be anywhere!" Geran pondered the question for a moment. Narsk might have had some instruction from the Red Wizards in Mulmaster, but he doubted that Kamoth would have entrusted them with the location of his hidden isle. It was more likely that he'd told Narsk how to find his retreat beforehand. "Kamoth's letters," he murmured.

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