Elfborn: The Quest

Plot and Counterplot

"But that isn't all of it," Gabba-Amil added, taking a sip of tea from his own palm-sized cup. "We also believe they were able to use magic users, despite our intelligence that reported the Evindelians' religion forbade such things. If they somehow managed to put some of those sorcerers on shore, we could have a great deal more trouble than we first anticipated when this information first reached us at Central Fleet Command in Wadi Anatoum."

"You have sorcerers out at Dem Lazrahk Point, do you not, admiral?" Hasan looked over at Jordi. "Surely they will be enough to find any enemy sorcerers that may have put ashore. After all, they can't have gone far or be that well armed, can they?"

"It was such a surprise to us to learn they had magic users, we aren't taking anything for granted. Or taking any more chances than we have to, captain," Jordi replied with a shake of his head. "We may not be able to assume their magic users behave like our sorcerers." He looked puzzled, as if stunned that their intelligence could have forgotten something as major as the presence of magic users onboard the enemy fleet. Indeed, it was very unusual, Alliance spies being some of the best in the known world. Something like this didn't just slip by them.

If anything, it was more support for his suspicions that the Evindelians had some sort of faction within their force that was hidden from open knowledge, and able to use magic. Which made them even more dangerous, in Hasan's opinion. Then Gabba-Amil was speaking again and Hasan quickly returned his attention to the senior officer.

"But that is now in the hands of General Olik and his marines." The admiral grimaced. "We need to begin our hunt for the rest of the Quest fleet. And the sooner, the better!"

"Right," Jordi agreed, looking back over at Hasan. "And that's the reason we've summoned you here today, captain. As of now, you now carry the rank of commodore, Commodore Hasan. You'll be commanding elements of both the Northern and Eastern Fleets from your new flagship, the Morning Star. Your task: hunt down the Quest fleet and send it to the bottom of the Meridian, at all costs. Your command crew have already been moved from the Tiger's Claw to the Star and been given their new orders."

Jordi leaned across the desk, a frown on his handsome face.

"Sorry to rush you back to duty even before you had a chance to rest or visit your family, Hasan. But we can ill afford to allow the Questors to reach our shores, or those of Tunis to the east, or even El-biya. And since we seem to be the closest Alliance member nation to the current Quest advance, the whole Alliance is depending on us to stop the Evindelians before they penetrate any deeper."

Hasan carefully put his teacup, the tea inside barely touched, onto Jordi's desk before he stood to salute crisply.

"I understand completely, sir," he said as both Jordi and Gabba-Amil returned his salute. "The safety of Algers and the Alliance is paramount. You can depend on me."

"Of course we can," Jordi returned with a broad smile. "That's why we gave you this assignment. Admiral Gabba-Amil has your orders." As Hasan turned to take the tightly rolled papyrus and linen page, which would state his orders more clearly, Jordi went on.

"We want you and your search fleet to embark from Nakanir Seti first thing in the morning, commodore. You have the evening to spend as you wish. Go to mosque, see your family, do whatever you feel will properly prepare you to find the Quest fleet and, God willing, sink it."

"By the will of God, of course," Hasan said, all the while thinking he would have to hurry to get into town before midday prayers were called, so he could spend as much time with his wives and children as possible. Any thought to his abrupt promotion, his task and the risk of the Evindelians landing on Algers soil was pushed to the back of his mind.