Chapter 6
Dark Clouds
“Being a Voyager is more than trips to the archipelago isles to retrieve Starshells, since they don’t wash up on Mesmoria,” Instructor Garcien lectured.
“You’ll need rudimentary skills from every service to survive aboard an Arc.
Traveling to and from the outer islands is only the minimum expectation.
“You’ll need to know how to man all the stations on an Arc, how to judge the conditions of the sea and sky to determine if traveling is safe.
How to recognize the different life forms you may encounter while traveling across the miasma.
How to survive on one of the outer isles.
Every lesson we teach here will help you graduate, and help you after, when you are assigned to Arc operations. ”
I had arrived early for this first lesson, after the rain had spent itself out.
Luckily, I secured myself a bench seat. The courtyard had a limited amount of benches available, and the mossy ground was sticky from the rain.
It was impractical, and others were sitting or sprawling on the ground for this lesson.
The barracks were a floor beneath us, and the rain proved they were not watertight.
Sarina and I had found a room near the back of the outpost and settled into it with a great deal of chattering as we unpacked under the leaky deluge.
It was freeing to have my engagement ring stashed in a drawer, no longer shackling my hand.
Sarina had always dreamed of being an adventurer, which only the Voyager service provided. Her effusive enthusiasm for having qualified was infectious.
“Starshell powder is invaluable for numerous reasons. The most precious quality of it is its ability to be used by Cultivators as fertilizer. Mesmoria's soil is infertile without it. The second most important reason is this.” Instructor Garcien pointed to the Skinscript symbols on her right arm.
“We will cover Skinscript later, but what you need to know is that each glyph enhances a different innate ability, depending on the symbol, size, and location.”
I leaned forward, along with several others. Nobody talked about Skinscript, even those with it inked onto their bodies. Papa had once told me that the Ascendancy had made it taboo to discuss. Maybe becoming a Voyager would be interesting after all.
“Today’s lesson will be the first and most vital survival skill you’ll learn. How to recognize and distinguish different clouds.”
Then again, maybe not. I fought not to lean on my hands. There was a high risk I would fall asleep if I did that, no matter how bright the sun shone.
Instructor Garcien pulled down a thin piece of rolled bark from where it was hooked to the wall. On it were inked drawings of different clouds.
She scraped up a handful of dirt off the stony floor, blowing on it until it formed itself into the shape of a cloud in her palm. It drifted lazily as it expanded, hovering over the front row of benches. A murmur of awe spread through the trainees.
That had to be a Skinscript ability, but which one?
“The clouds, in combination with the wind direction, will warn you before weather reaches you, but they will not protect you from the aftereffects if you're unprepared. If you lose your Arc, you lose everything. A sunken ship is a death sentence for everyone aboard.”
“Weather of any kind agitates the miasmic creatures, and also forms larger more dangerous waves. It also restricts visibility, both for you and for any nasty life forms that rely on sight.” She pointed to the top image on the bark.
Henrik wiggled his eyebrows at me. “I've got some nasty forms myself,” he whispered. I rolled my eyes.
“Is there a question?” Instructor Garcien looked directly at Henrik. “No? Well if you're done talking now, please let me know...by being quiet.”
Henrik's shoulders slumped. He was right, the old Kraken did have teeth.
“You will need to recognize at least eight different types of clouds on sight. Cumulonimbus is the most dangerous. This shape means that a storm is brewing. No Arc should set out if you see these clouds. Nimbostratus and Mammatus clouds,” the cloud of dirt shifted into a new shape, “Are the next most unsafe. These can result in heavy downpour and snowfall.”
I considered the ruddy cloud she held. Memorizing the shapes and names as she continued to read them off would take me a while.
Storms had never scared me, but miasma was deadly enough all on its own, even on a calm day. The image of being tossed around in a storm while surrounded by miasma clung to me like a distant disquiet through the remainder of the day.