Space Wizards

42. The Map

The once famed and gleaming seaside capital of Vernina Luki was a crumbling shadow of its former glory. Like all great empires, it fluxed in and out of prosperity throughout the centuries. That isn't to say the ruined city was completely unpopulated; it maintained an active trading port and did a robust business on the sinister side of the global economy. 

Luki was a den of iniquity, thieves, and pirates. The smugglers that used the ill-fated town as a port of call understood that no less than twenty-five percent of their cargo would be surrendered in tax to the Pirates of Luhng Island. These dragon worshiping pirates ran the docks that were the lifeblood of Luki. No one ventured into the city from the land side but the few farmers brave or desperate enough to sell to pirates or their sketchy middlemen. 

Though most of the city was abandoned, there were pockets of huddled together slums populated by the discarded families and bastard children of the cult. Street gangs were the only law but they were too busy fighting each other to care much about anything else. When night fell across the gloomy cityscape only the docks were lit with activity. 

The main avenue of the district ran along the port itself and consisted of a pirate run warehouse, a blacksmith, a carpenter, and several torch lit side streets moving inland. The Dickensian alleyways were home to shady taverns, greasy eateries, scandalous brothels, and dingy flophouses. It wasn't the type of place to attract tourists of any ilk. 

For Sabastian de Martín, there was no better situation than to be the one and only tourist in a foreign land. How else would one find themselves invited to dinner with pirate Captains, seduced into love triangles by ladies of the wharf, and serenaded at private concerts by scallywag musicians of unsurpassed talent? Sabastian reveled in total immersion into a new society and for what it's worth, the port of Luki was danger on the waterfront personified. He couldn't have been happier, attempting to blend in, outraging the locals with his personality when he couldn't, and delving into local customs, traditions, and especially exotic cuisines. 

Sabastian was the only customer in The Dead Whale; a run-down eatery for fishermen from the days of old Luki. Outside it looked like any other gloomy old tavern near the docks built into an old stone battlement, but inside was where it truly shined. The pleasant interior was lit by many an oil lantern and a warm hearth. Its rafters and wall joists were constructed of massive whale rib bones. The bar itself was made out of two jawbones fastened together in the middle. The walls were decorated in dusty harpoons, rigging, whale teeth, and soot-blackened paintings depicting leviathans of the deep. 

Sabastian lifted a wooden bowl to his lips and slurped down the last bits of a lobster and swordfish chowder. 

"Mademoiselle, your bisque is truly magnifique."

A large woman behind the bar set down the rag and the mug she was drying with it. "I told you, the name's Maggie. And I ain't no mam-wha-zell. If my husband Jasper was still alive, god rest his soul, he'd box your ears in for saying so. But all the same, I'm glad you like my stew."

"I most certainly do. Best meal I've eaten in weeks." 

"I wouldn't mind you telling that to your pirate friends around here. If in, you have any friends?" 

"I'll spread word near and far of the culinarily delights to be found at Maggie's Dead Whale. To say nothing of the decor," said Sabastian looking about approvingly.

"I don't know nothing about cull-ins or day-cores, but I'd appreciate any business you could send my way. Can I get ya another?" 

"I'll take two, s'il vous plaît. I'm expecting company." 

"Ok then," said Maggie and she began to fill two steins at the tap of a round wooden keg.

As if on cue, the door burst open, and in stepped the surliest salty dog of a one-legged pirate ever to sail the nine seas of Abraxas. A misty chill whirled around him as he kicked the door closed and took off his overcoat with a flourish. He strode across the tavern with heavy boot stomps and the clomp of his peg leg.

"You must be the Frenchman," said the pirate eyeing him with his one good eye. His other was missing, long since healed over, and in need of a patch. 

"But, of course, and you must be the legendary Captain Hali. I was told to be on the lookout for a man of large stature with one eye."

"And one leg," he said kicking a chair out with his wooden appendage and sitting down hard. "Two ales and a bottle of rum!" he yelled right into Maggie's face as she brought two drinks to the table. 

"Here be your ales. I'll go fetch a bottle from the cellar," said Maggie expertly avoiding the pirate's attempt to smack her rear end. 

Hali grabbed a pint and smashed it into de Martín's sloshing foam across the table. They both took big gulps. The pirate wiped the table with his sleeve and brought out a leather-bound tube. 

"You have the trinket? Don't you?" 

"I wouldn't insult you with a meeting if I didn't."

Sabastian set a square crystal shard placed in a tin frame on the table. Hali opened the end of his tube and paused with his hand on the cap. 

"And that's a real sunstone? I don't take kindly to tricks." 

Sabastian held the crystal between Hali and the nearest oil lamp. The pirate looked through the gazing device and saw the image of the lamp split in two. He gave a smile that shone threw his grizzly bearded face.

"You'll be able to chart a coarse on the cloudiest day," said de Martín. 

Hali pulled an old rolled-up piece of vellum out of the tube and flattened it out on the table. Sabastian leaned in with great interest fumbling the sunstone about in his hands.

 "This is the map of the cave systems on the volcanic island not three leagues from these very shores," said Hali. "Climb one of them towers in town on a clear day and you'll see it." 

"Luhng's island?"

"The very same. The docks and pirate fortress are here at the main entrance and deep in here is where is the treasure horde is." Hali smashed a fat finger over what appeared to be the largest room in a cave system. "You'd need an army to get past the fortress gates and the dragon would come out and burn any armada of ships that the pirates called alarm about."

"Tell me about these smaller caves that lead to the back of the island."

"Lava flow tubes. Most of them are dormant, some not so much, they wind around in the dark under the main hall and open out to the waters. One could conceivably use them to sneak in the backway, I suppose," said the pirate scratching his chin, "but you'd still have to contend with the dragon." 

"I see. Shall we call it a trade then?" said Sabastian raising his mug and setting the crystal scope on the map. 

"A trade!" said the Hali and they smashed their mugs together again, took big gulps, and each grabbed their new possessions off the table. 

"Before you go off and get yourself killed I must warn you," said the pirate becoming serious.

"Oh?" 

"I've sold five of these maps before and only one of them actually made it to the treasure room. Those lads met a terrible fate; human barbecues. There be no sneaking up on a dragon."  

"But you stand by the map's accuracy? It does lead to the dragon's lair?" 

"It'll lead you to certain death is what I'm saying," warned the Captain. 

"Good, because if it doesn't, you'll have led yourself to certain death," said Sabastian with a grin. 

He stuffed the map into his belt, touched its buckle, and visible light folded around him until he vanished. 

"Crikey!" said the pirate with a look of astonishment. 

Light footsteps crossed the silent room, three gold coins dropped on the counter, and the door opened to let in the foggy chill of night.