[March Short Story] Everett Zelfree and the Celestial Dragon Arcanist

Hey peeps!

Here is this month's short story. It's Zelfree doing his spy-stuff. Hopefully fun. ALSO, one of the side characters from Master Arcanist gets some time to shine, so hopefully you're into clever dragon arcanists, haha

Everett Zelfree and the Celestial Dragon Arcanist

I never cared for freeports. They always became safe havens for pirates. No one ever enforced maritime laws in these backwater towns, which made life hellish for the innocent locals. They were depressing locations, but ones with the most opportunity.

Which was why I was here at Port Vorvid.

Liet Eventide and Gregory Ruma had heard rumors that pirates were disguising themselves as mystic seekers. Apparently, the pirates trick young arcanists by offering them a ride on their vessel, only to kill them out at sea and take their eldrin.

A lowlife practice that wasn’t uncommon in these parts.

Normally, I’d pretend to be a pirate and infiltrate the blackhearts from the inside. I’d gain their trust—as The Faceless—and then “work with them” to achieve their goals. Only then I’d make sure everything failed and pin the blame on someone else.

But today wasn’t one of those days.

My plan for this encounter was to be the bait. Or at least one of the baits, since there were only apprentice arcanists in port as well.

I sat in the middle of a grimy tavern—a place called Moody Wine Bottle—in plain sight, for all to see. Traces, my mimic eldrin, sat in the chair next to me, disguised as a young phoenix. Her golden eyes and brilliant fiery feathers were beautiful, but I preferred her as a mimic. Traces picked at her wings, and swished her long peacock-style tail, spreading soot all over the chair and floor, fussing with every aspect of her new form. I supposed she didn’t like being a phoenix, either.

A fresh-faced phoenix arcanist was staying at the tavern, which suited my needs, since Traces could only transform into creatures who were nearby. I told the tavernkeeper that I was a newly bonded arcanist from one of the distant islands, and no one questioned me further. There were plenty of islands out there, and most people weren’t familiar with them all. It was a plausible story.

“How do you know the pirates will approach you?” Traces whispered. She moved her head closer to me, her long heron neck elegant and graceful, even when she just set her beak down on the table. “We should be out searching for them. Or maybe sneaking aboard their ship. I like sneaking. I’m good at it.”

I smirked as I patted her head. “The last time we crept onto a ship, we were almost caught.”

“That was because you opened one of their fruit barrels and started eating their food!”

“It wasn’t my fault they were all incompetent and taking their sweet time.” Her warm feathers were pleasant to touch. “And don’t you remember how boring it was? Trust me. This will work. And it’ll be easier.”

Traces snorted, and embers fluttered out of her beak.

Then someone approached the table. I glanced up, already smiling, and found myself staring at a man with a gut the size of a rowboat. His puffy neck, which was wider than his head, told me he was suffering from some sort of disease. Or he was half bullfrog.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

The man’s bloodshot eyes drifted to my forehead and then back down to my gaze. Fortunately for me, mimic arcanists had a mark that changed with their eldrin. The seven-pointed star of my mark was woven together with a phoenix—unless the man knew me personally, he’d have no way to detect I was a mimic arcanist.

“I’m with the ship, Tidepool.”

The man scratched at his clothing, the rough linen and wool barely fitting over his gut. It was likely a stolen outfit. Pirates looted bodies for everything they could, since not many tailors would risk working with them.

“What about the Tidepool?” I asked.

“We’ll be liftin’ anchor soon. We’re isle hoppin’ and about to head north to the Crill Isle. From there, we’ll hop a few more ports, and then head around to Fortuna.”

“Wow, how fascinating,” I said, nodding with his words, still smiling.

Unlike the sea thief, I wore a silk shirt, long trousers, and black buckle boots. I didn’t wear the outfit to look good—even though I most certainly did—I wore it because people easily made assumptions based on clothing. All the pirate saw was a well-off man with no armor. He was probably jumping to conclusions as spoke—like how I was weak, probably not combat trained, and carrying coin.

The perfect target.

I caressed Traces on the head. “I’ve never been to the other islands. I just bonded a year ago, and I’ve been slowly venturing further and further, trying to get my bearings.”

All of that was a lie, but it was exactly what the thief wanted to hear.

“We have room,” the man said, his thick neck jiggling with each word. “Hammocks. Space for passengers. If you have the coin, we can take ya.”

I patted my pocket. Coins clinked together. “Oh, wonderful. When are you pulling up anchor, exactly?”

“Within the hour.” The man motioned to the door. “Ya gotta be quick about it.”

Another pirate trick. Pirates would insist on leaving quickly so that passengers couldn’t ask around about the ship’s reputation. Most pirates paid off the dock-side taverns and inns, so if I asked anyone here, they’d likely give me a prepared story about how friendly the Tidepoolwas. But if I went into town, where the pirates hadn’t paid anyone, the locals would tell me the truth about the mysterious passengers who went and were never heard from again.

But that kind of investigation would require more than an hour.

It didn’t matter. I already knew this man was a pirate. But I didn’t want to seem too eager.

I rubbed at my chin. “I don’t know if I could pack all my things in that short amount of time. Silk shirts need to be folded ever so properly.”

Traces narrowed her golden eyes and stifled a laugh. She was going to give us away if she didn’t play along. I gave her a quick glance, and she straightened her posture.

“Oh, yes,” Traces said, almost singing her words. “They’re so delicate. Please, my arcanist—we should hurry. I’m not used to living in such squalor conditions.”

Now I wanted to chuckle. She was hamming it up a little too much. But it was fun. The pirate smiled wide, showing off his rotted, yellow teeth. His mother would be proud.

“I’ll get my things packed,” I said, false excitement in my voice. But the pirate didn’t know that. “I’ll meet you at the docks?”

“Aye,” the man said, knocking his knuckles on the edge of the table. “I’ll see ya there.”

***

Port Vorvid wasn’t a large town, but the bay on the island was deep enough to allow for larger boats, even man-o-wars. The night sky, twinkling with a million stars, half-reflected across the small waves on the bay. The shimmering waters were beautiful.

With my sack of clothing—none of which were silk shirts—I walked to the gangplank of the Tidepool. Traces remained a phoenix, hopping at my side, occasionally spreading her wings when she “ran” to keep up with me. I glanced down and offered her a smirk.

“I dislike this form.” She flared up her feathers. “I want to ride on your shoulders.”

“I’d let you up, but I’m afraid you might drop a little present on my fancy shirt.”

Traces whistled a giggle. “Do phoenixes do that?”

I half shrugged. “I don’t know. Do they?”

“Carry me, at least!” she said, her golden eyes wide. “I’m a fancy eldrin, remember? I don’t walk. I have servants who do that for me.”

Not wanting to break character, I knelt, scooped up Traces, and carried her in my arm like a scarlet chicken. The heat of her inner body fueled me forward. I walked up the gangplank, the board of wood creaking under our weight, until I finally made it to the deck of the Tidepool. It was a three masted ship, which surprised me.

But not as much as the magics that surrounded the ship.

Traces poked her head up, and I knew she sensed it as well.

There were multiple mystical creatures on this boat. A jengu—a type of healing mermaid. A storm eel—a foul beast who attacked ships during rough weather in order to drag people overboard.

And a celestial dragon.

“What’s a dragon doing here?” Traces whispered to me, shock in her voice.

I held her phoenix body close and sighed. “I don’t know. But I assume it’s on the boat because the pirates tricked it.”

“Or maybe they killed its arcanist.”

Whatever happened, I would have to save the celestial dragon. They were rare and powerful creatures, and under no circumstance could it be allowed to fall into the hands of pirates. They would either kill it and make items out of its hide or try to bring it to some spoiled nobility who had thoughts of bonding.

From what I understood, celestial dragons only bonded with intelligent individuals who wanted to rule. Clever artificers, tacticians, strategists, and diplomats. It probably had something to do with their birth. Apparently, they were born when star shards struck the corpses of sovereign dragons. An auspicious creation, and one steeped in both magic and mystery.

How did the pirates get their hands on one?

“Let’s search the ship,” Traces muttered.

“Search the ship for what?” someone asked, their voice behind me.

I slowly turned, never braying my surprise, and offered a smile. “Search the ship for our quarters, of course.”

The woman before me had the makings of a queen. Tall stature, long black hair that shined with health, and a clear gaze unclouded with alcohol or opium. She wore a ruffled top, tight trousers, and several belts, some of which held her pistols and sword in place. Her tricorn cap was pushed up enough for me to see her arcanist mark.

A storm eel was wrapped around the seven-point star.

So, the storm eel belonged to her. Interesting.

“I assume you’re the captain?” I asked.

The woman tipped her cap slightly. “You may call me Captain Midly. I run this ship.” She eyed me for a moment, and then held out a hand. “It’s two silver leafs for the full ride to Fortuna. We’re island hoppin’ after all. Stoppin’ at several ports.”

I reached into my trouser pocket, withdrew a pouch, and then tossed her the two coins. They glinted in the moonlight, and the woman manipulated the wind to make sure they landed in her hand.

“Thank you.” Captain Midly smiled, but I could tell it was forced. “And what is your name, son?”

“Jack Luna,” I replied.

Traces slowly turned her head to me, obviously disgusted with my pretend name. I thought it was hilarious. She clearly thought me mad.

“Jack? All right, then. Let me show you to your quarters.” The captain curled a single finger in a come here gesture as she crossed the deck of the ship. The crew went about preparing to cast off, and I mostly ignored them.

None of them were arcanists. Just normal men struggling to get the rigging tied.

Captain Midly showed me to a door under the quarterdeck. She pointed to the handle. “Here ya go.”

This was odd. Normally, the officers of a ship leapt in the area under the quarterdeck. Why were guests here? Was it to make sure they were in a secluded area away from everything else? I supposed so.

I opened the door, gave Captain Midly a quick bow, and then stepped inside. I stood in a narrow hallway with four doors. The sign had been scratched off—one used to read quartermasterand another read navigator. Perhaps they had lost their officers?

I opened the first door and came face to face with a young woman and her mystical creature. A lantern hanging on the wall gave me all the details I needed. The creature was a jengu—a mermaid with dark skin and a frilled tail, much like the bottom of a dress. Jengu were beautiful beyond reason, and often associated with good luck. They could heal people of serious injury, and this jengu sat on the end of the bed, curled around a pile of blankets.

The arcanist, a woman of similar complexion, grabbed the shoulder of her mystical creature. Her arcanist mark was light on her forehead, which meant they had only recently bonded.

“Can I help you?” the young woman asked.

“Oh, sorry, just looking for my room,” I muttered as I backed out. “Never mind me.”

Traces squawked a bit. “My arcanist is just lost.”

The jengu exchanged an odd glance with her arcanist. The two half-smiled and waved to me as I left the cramped room.

That was when I went for the second door. I opened it, hurried inside, and then regretted it. Again, I found myself face to face with someone. But this time, it was a mystery.

A young man sat on a narrow bed, reading a book. He glanced up from the pages when I entered, his eyes wide. Then he jumped to his feet, as though he had been expecting me to attack. When I didn’t move, he exhaled and smoothed his robes. They were fine white cloth with swirls stitched into the sleeves.

He was lithe and tall, and his head almost hit the ceiling of the crowded room.

The young man also had a mystical creature, but I caught my breath when I glanced down at it.

A griffin cub. Young, but large. Fatter than most griffins I had seen. But that was impossible. I felt no griffins around us. None at all. Not even when I was looking at one, apparently.

“A phoenix arcanist?” the man asked. His mark identified him as a griffin arcanist. The star had the half-lion, half-eagle creature wrapped around the points. “I didn’t know there had been twostaying in Port Vorvid.”

As smooth as my silk shirt, I replied, “Oh, yes. I’m not much of a social person, so I tend to keep to myself. People don’t often know I’m in port.”

“What’s your name?”

“Jack Luna,” Traces replied for me, a chuckle on her voice. “My arcanist is from a little-known family who loves the night time.”

I placed a hand on her face. “Never mind her. She gets cranky.” I motioned to him. “I didn’t know there was a griffin arcanist aboard. Can I get your name?”

“Barnett,” he replied. He offered nothing else. “I’m here to, uh, study the islands.”

Something about this entire encounter disturbed me. Barnett kept his gaze on me, not looking away or even relaxing. What was wrong? And why couldn’t I detect his griffin? All mimics arcanists had the ability to sense nearby mystical creatures…

“What island did you say you were from?” Barnett finally asked.

“I didn’t say.” I waved a hand. “You probably haven’t heard of it.”

“I told you—I’m here to study islands. I think I’ve heard of it.” He held his book close to his chest. “I’d like to know.”

“The Isle of Ruma.”

It was one of the few places I knew had phoenixes. Gregory Ruma had discovered the island, after all. People knew there were phoenixes there.

“That’s odd,” Barnett said. “The Isle of Ruma has a bonding ceremony every five years, and the last one was three years ago.”

“Oh, well, I’ve been bonded for three years.”

“Which is even odder you say that…” Barnett narrowed his eyes. “I know the last two arcanists who bonded. Tilda and Vurn are pleasant individuals who do good for the world. I don’t remember a Jack Luna bonding with a phoenix during the ceremony.”

Curse the abyssal hells. I hated it when I got caught in a lie.

I hit myself in the side of the head. “Did I say the Isle of Ruma? I meant the Isle of Guuma. It’s much smaller, and much farther away than Ruma. You’ve definitely not heard of it. Ever.” I inched toward the door, Traces giving me a sarcastic glower. “Well, I need to find my quarters.”

“Wait,” Barnett said.

I stopped with my hand on the door. “Yeah?”

In a serious tone, Barnett whispered, “You should get off the ship while you still can. The crew are pirates, and they intend to kill us once we get into deep waters.”

His statement gave me pause. Traces glanced between me and Barnett, clearly confused on what we should do. Normally, I never revealed myself when I was off thwarting pirates, but this felt like an exception.

“I know they’re pirates,” I said. “That’s why I’m here.”

Barnett lifted a thin eyebrow. He was rather tree-like—tall, lean, lanky. But he held himself with confidence, which I respected. “You? Jack Luna? From the Isle of Guuma? Came to fight pirates? This story doesn’t add up.”

I smirked away his sarcasm. “And what about you, Barnett no-surname? You and your fakegriffin are just here to warn everyone? Is that it?”

Barnett tensed the moment I said the word fake. He stepped closer to the griffin cub and pursed his lips. “How did you know? I thought… I thought our illusions were perfect.” He rubbed at his forehead, examining the griffin mark with his fingers. “No one has been able to tell before.”

“Well, I can.”

The ship rocked as it left the dock.

No matter what happened now, we were in it until the end. I removed my hand from the door and moved closer to Barnett and his “griffin.”

“Who are you really?” I asked. “We’re in this together.”

Barnett exhaled. Then he placed the book on the bed and replied, “You probably won’t believe me, but… I’m a celestial dragon arcanist.” He quickly exhaled and added, “And I know that sounds farfetched—or you might not even know what a celestial dragon is, but it’s true. I’m out traveling from island to island, trying to get a feel for the people.”

Well, the mystery of the dragon was over. We had our answer—it was here in this room.

When I glanced at the griffin, it tilted its head and stared at me. That was an illusion? It was a simple illusion, then. One that didn’t hide anything about their magical essence. A mask. A mask that made Barnett look like a griffin arcanist, and his baby dragon look like a baby griffin.

“Why are you getting a feel for your people?” Traces asked, her feathers fluffing in my arms. “Why not just travel as a dragon arcanist with all your guards and servants?”

“I didn’t want anyone to treat me differently because of my dragon or social status,” Barnett replied matter-of-factly. “I commissioned an illusion item so I could travel around without anyone knowing. So far, I’ve learned a great deal about the islands and their people. Including that some people were going missing on the Tidepool.”

“And you took matters into your own hand?” I asked, skeptical.

Barnett nodded. “Of course. Celestial dragons are powerful. They can teleport, and even evoke crystals. Most mystical creatures—especially those who bond to pirates—tend to fall easily to my might.”

“Maybe normal pirates,” I muttered. “But you’d be in big trouble if we were dealing with dread pirates.”

“Yes, well, I didn’t target any of them, did I? But this ship feels within my capability.”

I liked his confidence. Together, we could handle this. “I think we should work together on this. I’ve dealt with plenty of pirates in my time, and since we’re both hiding secrets, I think we’re going to definitely shock these scoundrels.”

Barnett smiled at the offer. “Perfect. It’ll be pleasant to see a phoenix arcanist at work.”

“And I can’t wait to see your dragon in action.”

***

The Tidepool went out into the ocean at a quick pace. The storm eel magic controlled the winds, filling our sails with haste. I waited in Barnett’s room, examining the edge of my daggers that I kept in my fancy bucket boots. I preferred to wield a sword, but that required carrying one around. If people assumed I didn’t have a weapon, they underestimated me. And that would ultimately be their downfall.

I heated the edge of the dagger until it glowed white hot. Phoenix magic was interesting—both destructive and soothing. I often wondered why such magics came together.

A few hours away from Port Vorvid, and I heard the stomp of movement out on the deck. They were preparing something. Fortunately, no matter how many men with guns and cutlasses they had, they didn’t compare to two arcanists, especially not when one was a dragon arcanist.

Traces could maintain her form as a phoenix—but not forever. Eventually she would shift back. The stronger I became as a mimic arcanist, the longer she could go, but for right now, it was a day or two, max. I also didn’t like shifting forms too often, as reorientating myself, and what my magic could do, often required a good deal of concentration and effort.

I could try to use my chimera aura…

Then Traces could take on the form of all the nearby mystical creatures, all at once… but that had always proven too difficult for me. So I decided to pass. We’d handle the pirates without my aura.

Someone slammed their knuckles on the door, knocking as though they’d blast their way in.

“Cap’n is callin’,” someone shouted. “Everyone out on deck.”

I ended the heat on my blade, waved it around to cool it off, and then tucked it back into my boot.

Then Barnett and I stood, and then left the room. I kept Traces in my arms, her warm phoenix body pleasant. The griffin—the illusioned celestial dragon—stayed close to Barnett’s side, never really speaking to me or to him. I wondered if it were a choice, or if the dragon had some other form of communication.

The chill night winds rushed over the deck as we emerged from the officer’s quarters. The jengu arcanist also walked out with us, her mermaid eldrin crawling along the ground. Most people didn’t know, but the mermaid creatures could live outside the water for long periods of time—and often did. They were more comfortable in the waves, but they also preferred to stay close to their arcanist.

The woman and her eldrin stayed huddled close together.

“What’s the meaning of this?” the jengu arcanist asked.

The crew of the Tidepool was all out on the deck. And to no one’s surprise—well, except the jengu and her arcanist—the pirates were all armed. They held pistols and cutlasses, and a few had nets and ropes, no doubt to snare the eldrin once all the arcanists were dead.

Captain Midly stood near the center mast, one hand on the hilt of her blade. Her storm eel was in the ocean, its body long enough that its head was above the railing on the starboard side. The eel’s mouth was longer than most of its face, and its teeth were tiny, but razor sharp, like fishhooks. When it shrieked, the wind picked up and clouds formed overhead.

“We’ve run into trouble,” Midly stated. “We’re going to have to fight.”

The jengu arcanist glanced around, her eyes wide. “Fight? I’m not… a fighter.”

I set Traces on the deck. “Oh, my,” I said, more dramatic than I should have. “I’ve never been involved in fisticuffs before. I might faint.”

Traces snorted. “My arcanist! Think of your silk shirt! We wouldn’t want it wrinkled.”

We were hamming it up too much now. I was surprised no one caught on. The captain just smirked, as though her plan were working perfectly.

Barnett narrowed his eyes and frowned, clearly disappointed by this whole charade.

Sometimes I couldn’t help myself.

“Just trust in my crew,” the captain said. “We’ll get you out of this.”

The pirates advanced on us, their weapons held tight. When they drew near, one readied his pistol. He planned to shoot me right in the back—like the craven he was—but his plan was laughably telegraphed.

I whirled around, pulled my knife from my boot, and then slashed upward, cutting the man across the arm. He shrieked, dropped his gun, and then stumbled away, his eyes wide.

Before anyone could grasp what had happened, I heated the blade and aimed for the one creature I was actually worried about—the storm eel. I threw the weapon straight at the beast’s head, but the eel was slippery. It dodged at the last moment, the dagger only cutting part of its slimy body near the top of its head.

“Kill them!” the captain shouted. She pointed to me and Barnett. “Quickly!”

When two pirates came up on me, I held out a hand and evoked a torrent of flame. I tried to aim high—to avoid burning the boat—and in the process, I caught their caps ablaze. This worked out, because most of them panicked.

Barnett was ready. He leapt forward and evoked bluish-white crystals across the deck, the clear stones springing forth out of nowhere, like ice with no chill. They rammed into pirates and threw them off the side of the deck, and in a few instances, the crystals emerged around pirates, trapping them in place.

The shouting and gunshot were intense. The captain took aim and tried to hit Barnett, but his “griffin” disappeared with a pop of air and glitter, and then appeared next to her in an instant. Then the fake griffin evoked crystals, trapping her feet and hips. She shot at the clear stone, but it wasn’t enough to free herself.

A burning sensation shot through my gut. It felt like someone had stabbed me, but I knew it had been a bullet. Thankfully, I was a phoenix arcanist, and I touched my side, hoping to heal the injury before I bled out.

The jengu arcanist ran to me. She placed a hand on my side, her healing faster than my phoenix magic.

I smiled, and when a couple pirates advanced, I lit them up with another river of flames. More bullets whizzed by, but I wasn’t afraid. Traces took to the sky and dove for the pirates on the quarterdeck and on the main mast. Her talons sliced through their weak defenses—leather armor wasn’t enough—and then she laughed when she knocked one of them into the water.

The storm eel ducked down, and I was afraid it would run away.

But it didn’t.

The eel leapt out of the ocean and landed on the deck of the ship. With tiny hook fangs, it lashed out and tried to bite me. I threw more fire over the creature, and then knelt and grabbed my second dagger. With the blade in hand, I slashed at the monster, heating the edge with my magic as we went.

The jengu arcanist stayed behind me.

Another spike of pain shot through my leg, and I knew some of the pirates were getting lucky with their gunshots. The jengu arcanist rushed over and healed me—the bullets popping out of my flesh as everything stitched itself back together.

Barnett blasted the ship full of crystals again, catching half of the eel. It looked trapped, but it slimed its way out of the crystal, slick and uncatchable.

But Barnett had distracted it. I lunged forward, slashed with my heated dagger, and cut into its body. Barnett smiled, disappeared with a puff of glitter, and then reappeared next to the beast. He placed a hand on the injury and evoked more crystals straight into the eel’s body.

The storm eel shrieked as its insides were ripped apart with crystals. Blood gushed from its massive mouth as it shrieked. Wind blasted over the ship, but it wasn’t enough to knock me or Barnett overboard.

Then the creature collapsed to the deck, twitching as the crystals continued to rearrange its guts.

The captain—stuck in crystal—screamed and tried to free herself. But she couldn’t. She just thrashed around in her confines, cursing the entire time.

“I’ll kill you!” she shrieked. “I swear it!”

But the mark on her head faded. She wasn’t going to do anything.

And as soon as the eel was dead, the remaining pirates threw down their weapons and held up their hands.

“I didn’t know griffins could teleport,” the jengu arcanist muttered. “Thank the good stars we were able to defeat them.”

Barnett jogged to my side and motioned to our surroundings. “I can trap them.”

“Not all of them. Make sure we have a few to sail us back to Port Vorvid.” I smiled and patted the man on the shoulder. “See? That was easy.”

“Jack Luna and Barnett No-Surname make a great team.”

I snorted and laughed. “That’s right.”

Traces flew around the main sail, screeching like an eagle. Everyone had been dealt with, and the Tidepoolwas ours. Which meant there would less arcanists who were taken to see and murdered.

I was certain Ruma and Eventide would love reading my report. Just thinking about it made me smile.

The pirates were easily convinced to cooperate. We kept the captain in the hold, and only half a dozen to operate the boat—the rest were tied down or held by crystals.

“So what do you think of the islands?” I asked Barnett as the ship turned and headed back to port. “Like them?”

He nodded. “I’ve found that a few guilds go out of their way to help the people. Some guilds… not so much.” Barnett gave me an odd look. “Do you belong to a guild?”

“I do,” I muttered. I hadn’t told him my name, and I probably never would, but I wanted him to know who had sent me. “The Frith Guild. They’re one of the greatest.”

“Is that so? I’ll keep it in mind.”

The moment land came into sight, I relaxed. It had been a fun evening, but now I was looking forward to returning to the Frith Guild in order for some relaxation.