Chapter Five

The Fifth Law

"Come on!"

Aika grasped Vyse's hand and leapt briskly over the top rung of the ladder. The prospect of a rescue mission excited her; in her mind there would be a big reward at the end, just like in a looting, except it would be less treasure and more praise, and possibly the prospect of less chores and more actual Blue Rogue activity. In her naivety she was completely unprepared for the trauma of a rescue. Suddenly she realised that Vyse had stopped a few paces ahead of her. He was pointing at her open palms.

"What?" she said, slightly irritably. She wanted more than anything to get on the ship, anxious that they might leave without her.

"You haven't got your weapons." Vyse drew back his blue shirt to reveal his cutlass, tucked into his belt.

Aika rolled he eyes. "It's a rescue mission, dur." She tossed her head back in a superior fashion. "We don't need weapons for a rescue mission." At his expression of disbelief, she continued, "What, you think the survivors are going to attack us? Seriously Vyse."

Vyse didn't appreciate Aika's patronisation. "Always be audacious, remember? I can't be audacious without my weapons, right? I thought I was just being prepared, like Dad told us to." He twisted the knife. Aika always had a problem with authority.

Aika snubbed him, rushing ahead. "It's not Dad, it's 'Captain' to you."

Vyse was so annoyed with her that he made sure he beat her to the landing platform. He skidded to a halt in front of the Vice Captain, Briggs. He looked the boy up and down. "Ah, Vyse. In a rush to join us, and running late as usual." Vyse groaned and tramped heavily past the old man onto deck, making Aika giggle. "And Aika too," said Briggs, checking her off his list. "You're in Mabel's group. Please hurry up and find her and receive your bearings."

Aika was happy. She liked Mabel, and that would only make taking her orders easier. Vyse however seemed to think he knew what to do. "What's the big deal?" he called over his shoulder to Aika as they assembled on the starboard side, close to Mabel and assorted other members of the crew. "We can handle this ourselves." The young woman was stood up on an upturned crate, shouting at her companions and handing out supplies of small handheld distress flares, bandages, rope and valuable Curia spells. As the crew passed them back, Aika took the Curia spell from Vyse's eager hands.

"I'll be taking that, thanks," she said, leaving Vyse the bandages, the flare and hoisting the coil of rope onto her shoulder. "And the big deal is that we're not gonna muss this up! This is our chance to show the Captain what we're made of, and we gotta follow orders." She almost bit her tongue.

Vyse was looking at her. She half-expected another retort, but instead he said "I'm glad you're on my team."

Aika was so taken aback that she dropped the rope and blushed. She was about to say something back, when the chains of the ship's anchor began to squeal as it was reeled in. Aika shivered against the night air and huddled into the group, closer to Vyse, hoping that if she brushed him gently with her arm he'd realise she was trying to thank him. He looked at her and winked.

"Ship ahooooooooy!" came the bellow from the crow's nest, and Vyse and Aika could see it, partially lit up like a beacon, smouldering parts of it dropping off into the sky like bones dropping from a skeleton. Aika furrowed her brow in worry. Only now did she realise the danger that the people on that ship were in.

"Don't worry," said Vyse. "We'll be OK." He had yet to decide who he was trying to convince: Aika or himself.