Story #40
Ten of Wands
“Pull anchor! Let’s move!” a fiery redhead, who looked to be no more than a teenager, yelled over the whipping desert wind.
Fascinated, Sephie watched as a series of small sails unfurled, like a fanned ridge along a vertical spine. The ship creaked and lifted as mechanical legs pushed against the sand. She grabbed the edge of the boat to steady herself, and watched in wonder as the legs began to rotate, shooting the small ship forward, smoother and faster across the waterless expanse than the bottom-draggers she was used to.
“Amazing!” she couldn’t help exclaiming.
“Welcome to Bestia del Barco, The Boat Beast! I’m Analee!” The girl captain held out her hand to shake, then gestured at the fat, orange and black lizard perched on her shoulder. “This is Ralphie.” The Gila Monster flicked its tongue in response.
“I’m Sephie!”
“I know!” The wind was snatching at their words now that they’d left behind what little cover the boulders at the edge of town had afforded them. Analee nodded toward the captain’s quarters. “Let’s talk!”
Once inside the dark cabin, it took a few moments for Sephie’s eyes to adjust. The cozy space seemed almost soundproofed against the howling wind outside. There was a bunk built into the wall on one side of the room, and shelves with books held in place by rope barriers on the other. In the middle was a heavy wooden desk, the outline visible, backlit by a soft glow coming through the heavy, tempered glass window in the bow. The captain lit a lamp, and she could see that the top of the desk was littered with maps, scrolls, and books, a raised lip of wood keeping the items from sliding off onto the floor.
“What happened back there?” Sephie asked. “Who were those men?”
