He walked out of the washroom and awkwardly greeted Brisethi. She did not reply. When he glanced at his companion, he saw her sitting at the edge of the bed in an almost catatonic state and realized she was in her own world for the moment. Keeping her in sight using his peripherals, he packed his belongings into his bag. Then he walked over to stand in front of Brisethi, studying her for some time. The silent battle seemed to be a markable improvement from the fits she suffered from before. Etyne hoped that meant she was recovering.
At one point, Brisethi pushed her sleeve up and began to absently pick at a scab. He pushed her arm aside gently and placed his own under her hand instead, hoping she wouldn’t actually draw blood from his flesh. Brisethi didn’t even seem to notice it wasn’t her arm and began scratching at his, still staring blankly in front of her. He held his breath when she went to bite his arm. She barely nibbled at it. After a few moments, her fingers glided across his shoulders and chest, outlining designs. Etyne realized that she was flashing back to the time when she must have used her blood to paint the designs on the wall. He thanked the spirits that she was in one of her more peaceful fits.
She blinked and suddenly met his eyes, quickly withdrawing her hand. “I didn’t fall into unconsciousness this time,” she told him, almost in disbelief.
He slightly shook his head with a smile, placing a hand on her cheek before walking away from her.
-:- -:- -:-
Ekani resisted the urge to check in on Sulica to see if she’d recovered from her episode earlier. Instead, he made his way to the navigation room. Knocking on the door, he poked his head inside before entering. The petty officer at the chart table jumped from his seat with a start.
“Ambassador Vorsen!” he exclaimed, quickly rendering honors. Nervously, he continued, “The Chief and NAVO aren’t here right now, sorry, Sir.”
Ekani smiled reassuringly at the young Kiaran sailor. “Quite alright. How much longer until we reach Vipurg?”
“Are you that tired of my ship already, Vorsen?” said a familiar voice behind him.
Ekani turned to see a tall, burly Kiaran with dark hair and eyes, grinning from ear to ear. He stepped into the space and embraced Ekani, which he heartily returned.
“Lieutenant Simtel,” the ambassador said when they parted. “How have you been, stranger?”
Simtel guffawed and motioned for the young sailor to carry on. He walked over to the navigational equipment and charts for a moment then indicated for Ekani to follow him out of the space. Ekani could hear the sigh of relief from the petty officer as they left. “Good kid,” Simtel said, nodding back at the room. “Nervous as a hound pissing peach pits, though.” They continued walking to the aft side of the ship. “Apologies for not seeing you sooner,” he added.
“I didn’t even know you were on board still. Weren’t you supposed to transfer?” Ekani said, ducking his head to avoid hitting it on a piece of gear roped to the bulkhead.
“I was, but the XO’s old lady just had a baby. So skipper’s got me running about all over creation.” Simtel couldn’t see the blank look on Ekani’s face, but he knew it was there. “Sometimes I forget you’re still a civilian. Executive Officer,” he clarified with a chortle, “Second-in-command of your fancy transport vessel here. Speaking of, I got a good look at the cargo. She’s a pretty-looking one.” He gave Ekani a sidelong glance.
Ekani ignored it and asked, “Just where are you taking me?”
Simtel responded with a mischievous grin. “Remember when we were lads and climbed the tower in Pahl’Kiar? I found a sight darn near as incredible.”
He led Ekani to a ladderwell at the far end of the ship and began climbing. They passed several landings, but Simtel continued on up. Ekani became grateful for his rigorous physical training, required of all Kiaran representatives. Minutes later, they reached the top landing. Simtel stepped off the ladderwell and reached above him to open a hatch. Without a word, Ekani crouched and cupped his hands for Simtel to use as a step. Simtel hoisted himself up and out of the hatch then reached down to grab Ekani’s hands and pull him out.
They stood on top of the bridge, slightly higher than the mast, with nothing preventing them from falling off into the ocean. The view was breathtaking. The sun was high in the sky, illuminating the deep blue water all around. As the ship moved smoothly forward through the calm water, Ekani could see a land mass not so far in the distance.
“One step closer to home,” Simtel said aloud what they were both thinking.
Ekani nodded. “I have a question, though. How do you get up here when you’re alone?” he laughed.
Simtel grinned and playfully punched his arm.
-:- -:- -:-
Livian sipped at her hot coffee, sitting at a small table in the inn’s cafe. She had a perfect view overlooking the massive lake which she was only too happy to take advantage of. Silently, she began bidding farewell to the little luxuries she’d been able to indulge in. A bittersweet feeling came over her as she thought about how she’d soon be back in uniform and on her way to resume the expedition training. Her fingers traced the amulet around her neck and the softness of her dress.
An image of her past flashed before her. The last time she had enjoyed coffee outside near a body of water, Elion was sitting across from her. She never meant to allow him to become such an important part of her life. She thought by now, more than halfway through the expedition, she would have forgotten about those feelings.
Korteni joined her with her own mug of hot coffee and a plate of four sweet pastries. She urged Livian to take one but the girl was suddenly in no mood to eat.
“Korteni, may I ask you something?” Livian began.
“Anything,” she replied through a mouthful of pastry.
“How much longer will it hurt?” Livian asked, failing to hold back her tears.
Korteni leaned in immediately. She knew what pain she was referring to when Livian had vaguely told her the story of her young life just a few months ago. “I can’t say that I know how you feel. A broken heart as the result of betrayal isn’t an easy thing to overcome. You want answers from him, you want that happiness back that was stripped from you. We all fear that we may never find the happiness we once had that came with innocence.”
Spare me your psycho-babble nonsense, she wanted to say, “Sorry I asked,” Livian inhaled sharply. Her trust had been brutally betrayed once before, she would never make that mistake again.
Etyne and Brisethi walked up to Korteni and Livian at the patio table. They both grabbed a pastry, thanking them for the treats.
When neither of them replied, Livian found her voice. “It was Korteni who purchased them, Ma’am...I mean...Bri-sethi.”
“Call her ‘Sethi, it’s a less repulsive name,” Etyne teased, eating half of the pastry in one bite.
“At least my mother didn’t name me after a type of butterfly,” Brisethi countered. “Besides, I like the Sethi Pine trees of northern Res’Baveth,” she added defensively.
“Oh, someone’s been researching insects, I see. And it’s not a butterfly. It’s a moth,” he retorted in attempt to regain his masculinity, slowly taking another bite of his pastry only to have a bit of cream fall from it, landing on his coat.
Korteni and Brisethi giggled, but Livian could only stare blankly at the table.
The foreigners finished their quick morning meal and followed Etyne to the central canal hub. Etyne bade the women to wait as he chatted quickly with a few boat owners and paid them in frakshins. Smiles broke out at the discovery that they would take a riverboat to Beccilia instead of walking for two more days.
“She ain’t much, but she’ll get ya where yas need to go,” the owner said with a toothy grin as he welcomed his guests.
The small riverboat had only one deck. Its white and blue paint was faded, but the deck itself looked relatively clean. Half of it was given to a flat portion which presumably carried cargo or supplies. The other half comprised of two cabins. At the back of it was
a wheel meant to churn the water and power the boat forward, helping fight the current when needed. The four travelers entered the cozy guest cabin complete with a table booth, a small bed, a plush lounge chair, and a washroom. The smallest stove they had ever seen was neatly tucked away in a corner with a chimney leading up through the roof.
Livian sunk into the plush chair, relaxing instantly. Her mood had lightened considerably since arriving in Essenar. She began to appreciate the environment of a foreign land and everything it had to offer, almost wishing they could delay longer. Her gratitude increased at the thought of how she wasn’t enduring stressful ship life with the rest of her division, not that her own trip had been a particularly easy one. With the special mission and the close proximity with her superiors, she even had hopes of earning a special achievement medal for her part in saving the incredibly eccentric captain that she still couldn’t quite adjust to. But for every small enjoyment she found, it was only a cruel reminder of the life she shared with Elion. What’s the point of even trying to be happy when my mind refuses to let him go; when my soul won’t pry itself away from his, she sighed heavily.
When the riverboat embarked on its two-day voyage, Korteni retrieved a small box from her bag. She sat next to Brisethi at the table and motioned for Livian to join them. Livian reluctantly climbed out of the soft chair and walked over to take the last seat next to Etyne.
“Liv and I found this game at a vendor. The artwork on the cards reminded me of yours, ‘Sethi,” Korteni excitedly explained, placing the cards and dice on top of the small table.
The cards were already grouped into specific genres of strategies and elements. Korteni gave each companion a deck and left the three dice of different numbered sides in the middle. She explained the card game titled, Fates of the Enchanted, to the best of her and Livian’s knowledge then began her turn by placing down one of the five cards in her hands.
“’Sethi, stop cheating!” Korteni swiped at Brisethi’s hand, which had been turning over every card in her deck.
“I’m looking at the artwork!” She snapped, admiring the incredibly designed mythical creatures before enchanted landscapes. Meanwhile, Etyne consecutively picked up the three dice and dropped them rather loudly to calculate his odds of rolling high numbers.
“By the spirits, you two, can we start the damn game already?” Livian said in exasperation. She pushed her straw-colored hair behind her ears.
All three of the senior personnel looked at her in amazement. Livian, abashed, muttered, “I just want a distraction.” Her three seniors laughed heartily. Both Etyne and Brisethi quickly stopped their unintentionally disruptive antics.
“I’ve found that the more you treat officers like children, the better they behave. I’m glad you’re catching on so quickly, Liv,” Korteni teased, earning her a feigned glare from both officers.
An hour quickly passed as the group played. Brisethi was the only one struggling to understand her deck of cards, constantly losing to everyone else. “This game’s hard,” she whined. “But fun, let’s go again!”
The addicting game lasted them well into evening with short breaks to snack on the bread, fruits and cheeses they had acquired from the street vendors earlier that morning. Finally, Etyne called an end to the game so they could have a proper meal from the boat crew’s catch of the day. Korteni prepared rainbow trout seasoned with lemon and herbs, a specialty dish she had made for Brisethi and Joss on more than one occasion in Sariadne. She extended a heartfelt invitation to the three crew-members to eat with them. The three men, all from the Aspion Empire, appeared as friendly as Granith had been, entertaining their guests with their lute, drums and vocals.
Brisethi was first to exit the cabin for fresh air. The sound of distant coyotes sang to the darkness while the calming splash of the Brennon River soothed her ears. The wide, man-made river was peaceful, flowing in the southward direction for three days at a time as a result of the people of Essenar releasing the gates of Lake Sankling. The next three days it would flow north back to Essenar when Beccilia released the dams of their reservoir to allow their boats to float effortlessly back.
She walked to the aft of the boat and leaned against the railing, taking in view of the celestial sight above. Neither of Falajen’s two moons had yet shown nor her neighboring planets, leaving for an incredibly dark night. A familiar sight she hadn’t seen in months met her gaze. The magnificent presence of their galaxy’s spiral arms cut across the night sky in a billion twinkling lights, spread out in a long tubular shape with light from an unknown source surrounding it from either side. She stared in awe at the incredible expanse before her.
A horrific image of Sulica covered in blood and mounted by a Lantheun guard suddenly flashed across her vision. No, she thought, squeezing her eyes shut and gripping the railing tightly, go away. She focused her mind on anything other than a second image of the same guard coming after her. She stared at the sky again and imagined hundreds of falling stars streaking down from above. The flashes of her tragic experience in Lantheus attempted to cut her down but she only filled her mind with the chaos and destruction that her mystics empowered. She imagined those stars crashing into an abysmal sea, causing tidal waves that reached the skies above. In those skies she formed clouds lit by lightning, caressing the restless sea below. In an instant, a spiraling ring of scarlet luminescence escaped from her vessel like her own miniature galaxy, dissipating into twinkling cerulean sparks. The horrible images of Lantheus were destroyed by her own mystics.
Rushing footsteps approached her. “Was that you?” Korteni asked her friend who was hunched over the railing.
Brisethi nodded slowly, sighing in relief from her small victory over her fits. “Was it that bright?” Her face was flushed and sweat glistened on her brow as though she had just been sprinting.
“It was loud, too, are you summoning thunder?” Korteni asked. She walked over, glancing from Brisethi to the sky.
Brisethi wasn’t entirely sure of what happened and merely shrugged. “I prevented myself from falling into a fit.”
“Are you certain?” Korteni worriedly questioned.
“Of course I’m certain, it’s how they always start. I get sucked into the dreadful images, forced to relive them. But I finally fought back the oncoming frenzy instead of the people in them. I don’t know why I summoned the sound of thunder, though.” She bit her lip and her brow furrowed.
Korteni pursed her lips. “I’m worried about you, ‘Sethi. I don’t want them to discharge you. Even though you’re not in the Navy with me, I can’t imagine you sitting at home alone with your thoughts instead of what you do best; training as a warrior.”
Brisethi smiled at her companion’s kind words. “I’ll be fine, I’ve nearly got this under control,” she told herself.
When Brisethi had cooled off from the night air, they returned to the cabin to discuss who would sleep and when in the bed that could barely fit two people comfortably. It was decided that Livian and Korteni would sleep first to allow the two captains to physically train on the deck outside.
“By physically train, I meant you need to help me figure this game out,” Brisethi said, carrying a blanket and the Fates of the Enchanted game.
Etyne smiled and placed his sword back into its scabbard, thankful he wouldn’t have to fear hurting her without a healer. He sat across from her on the blanket while she summoned a red flame into the lantern hanging nearby. “First off,” he started, “the deck of cards you were given is a pretty terrible one. It’s mostly spells and countering. No wonder you struggle, it takes too much thinking.”
“I’m offended,” she said shortly. “Go on.” She examined the other decks she hadn’t been able to see much of earlier.
He handed her the deck that was Korteni’s. It consisted of simpler beasts requiring less dice throwing, and it would counter the deck he chose to use, which had previously been Livian’s. Etyne felt a reminder of the days they had spent in officer training, when he was tutori
ng her in the late hours of night. Except this time, it was on a silly game they would probably never play again.
She grinned excitedly when she won her first round of the game after Etyne’s careful instruction.
“Best two out of three,” Etyne demanded and shuffled his cards.
Once they completed their fifth game, each using yet another set of cards, both of them refrained from playing any more, choosing instead to lay on their backs, staring at the stars above. Brisethi took away the light of the lantern, letting her heavy eyes close.
-:- -:- -:-
“What are we doing?” Ibrienne questioned Kanilas. He had left her alone for hours at a time the past two days, presumably scouting out anything that would be worth exchanging with the Kiaran spy for information on Sulica’s whereabouts. Ibrienne hadn’t minded. She was still disgusted with the whole arrangement.
When Kanilas had burst through the door of inn where they were staying and started blabbering about a brilliant idea he’d had, she was completely lost. He grabbed her hand and began leading her down the street. “I know what to do!” he said.
They turned a corner onto another road. Ibrienne recognized the tavern ahead and dug her heels in to stop Kanilas. “No way,” she said, yanking her hand away. “I’m not going in there until you tell me what is going on.”
Kanilas stared at her in disbelief momentarily. With a shake of his head, he said, “I can’t explain here. We’re too close.”
She crossed her arms. “So let’s go back then.” Seeing the stubborn look on her face, he relented and followed her back to the inn.
It was located in what was known to the locals as mid-town. After months of ship life and running, Ibrienne had chosen a quaint townhouse converted into a small inn on a quiet street near the canal. They returned to the inn and walked around the building to the garden behind it. Ibrienne took a seat on a bench under the gazebo, but Kanilas chose to remain standing.
Spirits of Falajen Page 38