by Kyle Prue
Neil was silent for a moment. “Well then I’m honored to be here.”
“It’s not that simple,” Serena said. “Last we heard they had twenty-three people on the mainland.
“And the three of us makes twenty-six,” Neil said.
Alex and Serena smiled at him hesitantly. He felt like they were about to toss him off of another ship. “So I need to what? Stay with the boat?”
“The ship’s going to a secondary fortress where it’ll be restocked and prepared for another voyage. So no,” Alex said. “How familiar are you with hand-to-hand combat?”
“Any questions that start with ‘how familiar are you with’ probably aren’t useful,” Neil said.
“At least you’ve got a sense of humor,” Alex said. “You’ll have to challenge someone for their place on the island. There are eight Tridenti, so you’ll have eighteen options.”
“You guys really aren’t going to let me rest, are you?” Neil asked.
“You gotta learn how to swim somehow,” Alex said.
Neil didn’t love the idea of challenging someone on the island, but at the moment he had no other options. Alex and Serena were his only friends and the Ocean’s Jaw was his only hope of fitting in somewhere. “So the challenge is always hand-to-hand combat?”
“You got it,” Serena said. “You made pretty quick work of those two guards on the ship. It should be a snap!” She snapped her fingers to illustrate her point. Remarkably, it didn’t make Neil feel any better.
“What if I lose?” Neil asked.
“You’ll be given a row boat and we can point you in the direction of the mainland,” Alex said. “Sorry, Mamba. This is our only option. Trimming the fat keeps all dead weight off of the island.”
“I’m dead weight?” Neil asked.
“Not if you prove you’re more useful than someone else,” Alex said. “Forget about it for now. You can come in, bathe, rest, and eat. Tonight there will be a feast and it’s then that you’ll have to decide who you want to challenge. We’ll discuss it more before then.”
“One of you can’t challenge someone?” Neil asked.
“Afraid not,” Alex said. “Tridenti are guaranteed a spot. It’s the guests that need to fight for a room.”
Alex stood and Serena pulled Neil up. The mansion was even bigger from his current perspective. The entire thing looked to be made of the same material. It was wooden, but not like the ship. It was polished and smooth so that it shined like the sun reflecting off of the water. The pillars out front were as tall as trees and Neil couldn’t help wondering how they’d gotten that much wood onto an island this small. Two banners hung down from a balcony and drifted in the wind. They were copper and teal, adorned with a vicious looking shark. Underneath something was written in small letters. “What’s that?” Neil pointed at the banner.
“It’s our family crest,” Serena said.
“What’s written underneath?” Neil asked.
“It’s our motto,” Alex said. “The shore holds strong.”
“And what’s that mean?”
Serena looked like she wanted to answer, but Alex jumped on the question first. “It’s always been our duty to make sure the Imperials never bring their warships to the shore of Volteria’s mainland and no one is ever able to take advantage of outsiders via the sea. The sea has always been neutral territory for all to take advantage of. And it always will be.”
“Noble cause,” Neil said.
There were giant copper bowls of water set up on either side of the doors. Serena and Alex dipped their hands into the pools. They then pushed the mammoth wooden doors open easily. Neil followed them into the atrium and gasped audibly. The interior somehow looked twice as large as the exterior. They’d put the space to good use as well with shallow pools every few feet and bridges to assist those who wanted to be dry. It was beautifully decorated, but Neil knew the pools had a greater purpose: they were obviously a tactical decision made by the building’s architect. The Tridenti were stronger and faster when touching water, not to mention immortal. Anyone who tried to storm this fortress would meet the Tridenti on their home turf where they were at their strongest.
In the very center of the room a woman stood on one leg. Neil could only see her from the back but could tell she was a Tridenti. Her tan skin and sandy dreadlocked hair gave her away. She was slowly alternating positions silently and with perfect balance. Alex and Serena walked right past her and didn’t bother to say hello. “This is our Mama,” Serena said.
“Mama Tridenti?” Neil asked.
“Yes sir,” Serena said.
“Those Imperial sailors seemed pretty afraid of her,” Neil said.
“For good reason.” Alex said.
“She’s violent,” Serena elaborated.
He walked around so he could see the front of her. From the back she’d looked like she was in her thirties, but from the front her age was apparent. She had deep wrinkles and he could see the gray streaks that were tied into her dreadlocks. “Yes. She looks quite violent,” Neil said.
“She needs to do this.” Serena said “Daily.”
“Or what’ll happen?” Neil asked.
“It restores her patience,” Alex said. “When she runs out of patience people…” Alex clearly couldn’t find a phrase that sounded good.
“I get it,” Neil said. “Stuff happens.” He followed them past Mama Tridenti and out of the entry hall. “It’s a wonder where you guys get all of your patience. I’d get very tired of trying to explain stuff to me.”
They both laughed. “It makes us feel smarter,” Serena said.
They reached another giant set of doors and two more copper water bowls. Alex dipped his hands and pushed through into the next room. It led to a room that split off into two directions. He followed them through another series of doors until they reached one of their guest rooms. “You’ll find clothes in there,” Alex said. “There are soaps and a bath too. We’ll come get you when it’s time for dinner.”
“I know who you should fight,” Alex said to Neil before he was even fully through the door of Neil’s room. He hadn’t bothered knocking.
“Excellent.” Neil said. “Care to share?”
“There’s a guy who’s been on the island for a few months named George Haxon,” Alex said. “He’s a nasty scoundrel who’s been particularly vocal against certain members of the family. You’ll probably gain some fans here if you take him out.”
Neil didn’t like the idea of fighting anyone for a place on the island, however, he didn’t mind so much if his opponent was considered a nasty scoundrel. Neil hopped off the bed with more spring in his step. “Alright,” Neil said. “How does this work?”
“Tonight Mama Tridenti will stand up during dinner and give a speech. No one knows what it’s about or what it’s gonna be. It’s normally old stories. After she’s done, she’ll ask if anyone has anything else to declare. Sometimes someone will stand up and share a story, but it’s rare. If no one else stands then it’s your turn.”
“I stand up? At your family dinner?” Neil asked.
“Exactly,” Alex said. “Then you say, ‘I dedicate my service to the shore and I demand a seat at this table.’ Mama Tridenti will ask whose seat you demand. And you reply with…?”
“George Haxon?”
“George Haxon,” Alex confirmed. “Then we’ll finish dinner and head down to the fighting pit.”
Neil palms were already sweating at the idea of the fight. “Hand-to-hand means no fire right?”
Alex glanced at Neil’s metal cuff and he remembered that his powers would be hard to summon anyway. “I’m afraid so, mate,” Alex said. “Don’t worry though. Haxon isn’t the most in shape individual. He’s going to try and body slam you. If you can avoid him, it’ll be over quickly.”
“Awesome,” Neil said.
“But seriously, Mamba. Avoid the body slam.”
“Yeah, I got it.” Neil said. “I’m not too worried. There’s no way to be one hu
ndred percent sure, but I bet I’ve fought bigger.”
“That’s a big man,” Neil almost whimpered upon seeing George Haxon in the dining hall. “He’s a giant.”
He could tell Alex wanted to make fun of him, but the seriousness of the situation was grounding. Neil was seated in-between Alex and Serena. She leaned forward to hiss at her brother. “You want Mamba to fight Haxon? Are you trying to kill our only friend?”
“Mamba would also like an answer to that question,” Neil said quietly.
“Relax,” Alex said. “Haxon is Mamba’s best way into good standing here.”
“Every punch is gonna bounce right off of him!” Serena was obviously trying her hardest to keep her voice down. Luckily the mammoth Haxon and his friends were sitting across the room at a different table.
The setup of the room was devised so that there were three tables making an incomplete rectangle with longer tables on the sides. There was an empty chair that looked regal in nature at the middle table. It was empty and most likely reserved for Mama Tridenti. Neil was nervous about meeting her under these circumstances.
He glanced over the table at Haxon and realized he was staring him down. The man was the largest Neil had ever seen. He reminded Neil of a dress that had been lingering in his mind for some reason. Like the dress, Haxon ‘s body seemed to explode outwardly in a never-ending waterfall. Instead of being made of blue ruffles and lace, he was made of pure body fat and a sweat stained tunic that looked like it had been a bed sheet at some point. His face was decorated with a thick mustache and dynamic pair of muttonchops. His head was completely bald and polka dotted with tiny beads of sweat. “What if he eats me?” Neil asked his friends.
Alex chuckled. Serena stared at the two of them as if that were a legitimate concern. “You can’t tell me you’re not worried about this,” Serena said to Alex.
“I don’t know what to tell you. I’m not a worrier.” He patted Neil on the back. “And I believe in Mamba.”
At that moment the door opened and Mama Tridenti entered. Everyone hushed as she made her way to her chair. With her eyes open, the bags under her eyes were clearer to see and her actual age was more apparent. She smiled at the room and waved her hands dismissively. “Eat. Relax.” Her voice was unnaturally loud and clear for someone her size. “I’ll speak after I’ve eaten and drunk my fill.”
As she sat she glanced pointedly at Neil. He was their twenty-sixth and she knew better than anyone that before the night was up he would be challenging one of her men for a place on the island. Neil glanced back over at Haxon instinctively and to his horror the man was eating a fish whole with one hand. The other was wrapped around his next fish. Every time the man gobbled down a fish, Neil paled a bit. Neil consoled himself with the thought that every fish he ate would slow him down a bit. Neil ate slowly and just enough to give him energy. He hated fish.
The tables were covered end to end with plates full of fish of every shape and size. Even the plates that looked to be of some variety were made from octopus or seaweed or some other seafood. Most of the people sitting at his table were clearly from the sea as well, seeing as they shared the tan Tridenti skin and long sandy hair. He was getting strange looks from a lot of them. Hopefully he’d earn their approval in his fight with Haxon. Unless of course, Haxon stepped on his head and crushed it. Or sat on him and crushed him. Or crushed him in a bear hug. Neil gulped and tried to rid all head-crushing thoughts out of his mind.
Mama Tridenti stood up and everyone stopped speaking at once. She smirked at her apparent power. “The goal of meditation is to clear one’s mind completely.” Her voice boomed even louder than Neil had expected. Maybe breathing underwater for years had strengthened her lung capacity. “However, in the beginning I always find it hard to slip all the way into a meditative state. Worries, obligations and strong feelings rise to the surface. In the early hours of each day, I find my mind drifting to two things more and more often. I think of my children and I think of my empire.”
Serena smiled and Alex rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “My rule has been questioned many times since my father passed away,” Mama Tridenti continued. “Many also questioned my choice of husband when he was alive. It’s easy to let doubt penetrate your mind, and I’ve always maintained that the best course of action when questioned is to look inward. Others have questioned whether I should lead so I ask myself: what makes a good leader?” She turned and faced her offspring directly. “I believe the traits that make a successful leader are also the ones that make a successful mother. A successful mother is one who disregards her sense of self and remembers the joy and opportunities of her children come first. She remembers that her life’s purpose must be to make a world that her children would be lucky to live in. A good mother plants trees even when she knows that she’ll never get to sit in their shade or taste their fruit.”
She turned from her children and faced the rest of the room. “Ask yourselves when you question your fellow Tridenti, whether it be me or anyone else, how far down the line are they looking? Are they thinking about their opportunities or are they thinking about the lives their children might lead?”
A memory resurfaced in Neil’s head. He was small and standing in front of a massive desk. He was being scolded and could feel the guilt and shame arising even now. Despite the fact that Mama Tridenti was described as violent she inspired him. He knew without a doubt that no parent had ever put him first. Mama Tridenti raised her cup into the air and the others followed suit. “I care for you all as my children. I hope you have faith in me and in each other as we dedicate our lives to the shore. If you pledge your lives to your duty, then I will pledge my life to protecting you and toward forging a world that is worth fighting for.”
She drank and the rest of the room followed suit. Neil watched her in awe. No wonder everyone here was so carefree. He couldn’t imagine worrying when someone like Mama Tridenti was watching out for him. She then turned directly toward him and he nearly choked on his drink. “Does anyone have anything to declare?”
The room was silent for about ten seconds. Neil wanted to stand, but he felt paralyzed under her gaze. His desire to impress her and find a place to call home finally spurred him into a standing position. “I dedicate my service to the shore and I demand a place at this table.”
Mama Tridenti frowned slightly. “And whose place do you demand?”
Neil tried not to make eye contact with his adversary. “George Haxon’s.”
Haxon dropped a half eaten fish onto his plate in surprise. “And why do you demand it?” she asked.
Neil paled. He didn’t realize that this was part of the process. He looked at Alex for help, but Alex just responded with a shrug. “He’s been vocal against certain members of your family,” Neil said. She raised an eyebrow at him. “And also to keep dead weight off of the island.”
There was a second of silence and then uproarious laughter from a few Tridenti at Neil’s table. Neil realized they thought he was making fun of Haxon because of his weight. Neil wanted to clarify that he had only been quoting Alex, but didn’t know if that was part of the process. Mama Tridenti faced Haxon. “Prepare yourself, George,” she said. “Eat and drink your fill. After dinner I expect to see you in the fighting pit.”
She turned back to Neil and approached him. She leaned in close and Neil’s blood went cold. “What’s your name?”
“Neil Vapros,” he said. “But I have a guppy name.”
“What is it?”
“Mamba.”
She glanced at her son. “Like the snake?”
Neil tried to hold her gaze. “Yes ma’am. I’m told anyway. I’ve never seen a snake.”
“Mamba has no memory of anything before we found him,” Serena said. “Makes him a pretty good recruit, right Mama?”
“If he can hold his own,” Mama Tridenti said and returned to her seat to finish her dinner.
Neil nibbled at his fish. Alex patted him on the shoulder. “No turning back now,” Serena
said.
“You got that right,” Neil said. He avoided making eye contact with Haxon who was shaking with fury as he gobbled down more fish. In a few moments, Neil would be an official member of the island or he’d be rowing his way to Misty Hollow. Wherever that was. There was also the possibility that he’d be crushed to death under Haxon’s foot. As Neil finished his drink he did his best to purge the thought from his mind.
Chapter Fifty
ARKNEY
DARIUS TAURLUM
Darius was no stranger to bars. He’d been in dozens back in Altryon, and to a few outside the walls. Most of the time, people weren’t drinking to have fun; they were doing it because they needed to, because they might go insane under the Emperor’s thumb without it. Apparently, bars in Arkney were the exception. Everyone was shouting to each other and roaming unrestricted. Bars inside Altryon weren’t like this. Usually they weren’t alight with conversation and song. These men were afraid of nothing. “You sure this is the place?” Darius asked Anastasia.
She shushed him. It sounded condescending, but he didn’t mind. They hadn’t kissed since that night in Shipwreck Bay but he still felt that she had a strong hold over him. “Fine,” he said. “Let’s just get out of Arkney as soon as possible. I hear everyone here is a fugitive.”
“That includes you, big guy,” she whispered.
Despite her easygoing attitude he could hear uneasiness in her voice. Arkney was known for one thing only: it had no political alliance. Abington was controlled by the Empire, as was Brightbow, officially. Other cities such as Misty Hollow and Shipwreck Bay had a secret rebel presence that outnumbered the Empire’s. Arkney was different in the fact that it was near the edge of the Empire’s reach and repelled all tax collectors or military intrusion. Yet it also couldn’t be persuaded to join the cause. It sat unoccupied by anyone who wasn’t wanted by the law or ousted from traditional society.
