Ines’ consciousness submerged deep in her mind and she smashed her nose against Asaif’s broad and firm back. The oldest Karu didn’t even flinch.
“Ouch.”
“Quiet, girl,” he whispered. Where did reverence go? Ines was the last to claim the place in a pantheon, but the change in Asaif’s attitude was startling. He came to rescue her because she was the Defier and now he called her ‘a girl’!
But it wasn’t the time for discussions. One misstep meant the attention of the city guards. This could cost their lives.
Asaif moved gracefully like a panther, and yet she sensed his tension. Ines has experienced similar episodes when she’s comprehended people in a way that was eerily intimate. She’s known their emotions. The impression has come and gone. She could not rely on it. Not that there was much use for it anyway.
They headed toward the eastern fringe of the Inherited City. Asaif didn’t reveal their destination, but the east meant the jungle she’d been hiding within for the last two years until Marus found her. This man knew her too well, though he needed five months to track her down. They’d spent their entire childhood together. They…
…something collided with Asaif and her rescuer went flying into a wall to her right, which shattered upon the impact.
Suddenly, her feet rooted into the ground; the shock took away Ines’ voice, so the only immediate sounds were thuds of falling bricks from the smashed wall and a quiet groaning of the attacker. It looked he hadn’t expected Asaif’s sturdiness.
Ines made a mental effort to push her feet off the ground and she would succeed if not the well-known voice.
“What the fuck is he made of?”
A spike of terror stabbed Ines’ heart. She knew the ambusher. She looked back the entrance of the alleyway seemed clear. Maybe, she could outrun him? Only if my feet would cooperate
“Don’t even try it, bitch,” Marus said as his enormous silhouette rose from the ground. Cobles beneath Ines’ feet suddenly felt icy. She sensed his rage. An invisible fire blazed so hotly, she could almost touch.
“Leave me alone!” A weak shout came out of her throat. The defiance was pointless. He wasn’t thinking clearly. She believed; she could almost see inside his head if she wanted. The dark streets were empty. The eastern part of the city belonged to the poor. Lamplights were infrequent and rarely repaired. If not for the impressive moonlight they’d drown in the darkness.
Marus made a heavy step toward her, then another. He intended to kill her. She finally began retreating, her right hands traced the wall in search of something she could use to defend herself. Rough bricks grated at her fingertips. The pain of cuts woke something up inside her. Strange vertigo returned.
An inner scream erupted from her chest noiselessly carrying desperate emotions. What the fuck was that? She asked, shocked, in her head.
Marus stopped; his rage wavered. He was shaking his head trying to clear his head. As he struggled with himself another figure rose from the side and swung a fist into Marus’s head. The impetus of the hit sent her ex-husband to the ground.
Asaif hissed. “What the fuck is he made of?”
The strange vertigo effect dissolved, and she staggered back. Asaif caught her before she touched the ground. She felt drained.
“Are you alright, girl?”
“Why are you calling a girl, all of sudden?”
“By now, your name is known throughout the city. A lot of strays live in the abandoned parts. If the guards come asking…”
“Do you realize that he found us already?”
“Yeah,” Asaif grunted. “Who the hell is he?”
“That’s my ex-husband, Marus.”
“Marus…” In Asaif’s mouth, the name sounded like an evil curse. He composed himself and added. “If he found as already. Then others can too. We must hurry up.”
*
Asaif’s judgment turned out to be disastrously accurate. The pursuit caught up an hour after they crossed the eastern rim of the city. Guards with dogs decreased the distance and worse than that, it looked like they were trying to cut them off from the south.
“They are herding us,” Asaif said as they dropped against the fallen moss-covered tree. They were seriously hungry but looking for fruits during the night was dangerous and time-consuming.
“What do you mean?”
“They try to point us toward the north. Directly to the Gleaming Tower.’
“Oh, so the enemy is already onto us?”
“Yes.”
The powerful hunger kept her mind in a state of dizziness. If it persisted, then her adventure might soon end. Whatever, Marus had wakened up in the alley, was greedily eating her energy.
“Are you alright?”
She wanted to pretend that everything was in the best order. But such a weak lie would become obvious in the next couple of minutes.
“I feel like I’m about to pass out.” Telling truth, especially a difficult one as this, wasn’t easy. Ines didn’t want Asaif to think she couldn’t take care of herself.
Asaif tensed.
“We have no choice but push toward the south.”
“Why the south…?” before he collected his thoughts to answer her, Ines remembered the large boat hidden in the south. Could it be? Was he wanted them to leave the island?
“It seems that the hazmat suits decided to make their move. In the south, we have numerous hideouts and I… you have a substantial following as well. You’ll be protected there.”
Didn’t he know about the boat or preferred to keep it a secret?
“Tell me about the boat,” Ines said.
In the moonlight, Ines saw the shock that bloomed on Asaif’s face.
“How do you know about this?”
Ines smiled. “I’d exiled myself for two years. I used that time to explore the island.”
Asaif sighed. Despite his stupefaction, it seemed that a substantial weight was lifted from his chest.
“I’m glad that you discovered it,” he said. “It’s a gift from past generations. Our last resort.”
Our last resort, words reverberated in Ines's head. An alien notion coiled in her mind. Could a day, she would be forced out of Karu, arrive? Waiting for the Last Birthday was one thing, leaving the island… scope of this made her shiver. What if all there was, was an endless ocean? But what if that was the only hope they had? If Ines would travel the south as Asaif had planned, wouldn’t this put his (she would never call them hers) entire following in danger? What’s more. If the hazmat suits decided to come in open, it may mean they won’t hesitate to kill and destroy everyone who stands in their way. As long as I’m on the island they would keep going after me.
“I made a decision, Asaif,” he turned toward her. “We’re leaving the island. The only way to save Karu is to draw the attention of our enemy from this place.”
“Ines… do you still want to save Karu? After they shunned… abandoned you, why?” Disbelief in his voice sounded genuine. There was more. Something, hidden in his heart. Pain and suffering caused by Karu. She had an urge to ask him about it. In the end, she decided against it. Maybe someday he would tell his story.
“It’s not Karu’s fault. They’re manipulated by the council and the hazmat suits. I don’t even believe the Inherited Codex is anything else but a made-up set of instructions…”
Dogs’ barking sounded alarmingly close. Asaif let go Ines and rose.
“Enough resting, we must run. I’d have to cut our way through them to get to the boat,” he said without offering any further explanations.
Ines got to her feet and immediately dropped to the ground. She didn’t restore her battery after the peculiar eruptions of emotions that completely depleted her. Food has been needed for that.
“Come,” Asaif lifted her effortlessly and put her on his shoulder.
He changed the course now and headed toward the south. The sounds of the chase drew away at first, then returned.
They were getting closer to t
he party from the south. Asaif would have to fight to get them through. If not the dogs, they would be able to hide until the dawn. The density of the bush hampered their path. Long lianas and branches hung on all sides. But Asaif pressed ahead with full speed. If he kept the tempo, they might pass the hunting party, unbothered. This would the best outcome. No more killing.
Her consciousness drifted away.
*
Ines
A random ray of the sun hit her eye and Ines stirred from slumber. Her body was one big sore.
Jolting and smell of a strong scent of Asaif skin told her that she was still on his back. Did he really carry me for the entire night?
One look around was enough to ascertain their location. They close to the place where the boat was hidden. Near the spot lay a small sand beach. They could rest there.
“Asaif, how are you holding on?”
He didn’t reply. Perhaps, he was too tired.
Ines failed to warn him about the sand beach, and when the last slash took off the length of the bush in front of them, Asaif stumbled onto the patch of sand.
Ines went flying, luckily the sand amortized her fall.
“We should be safe,” Ines said hoping to comfort him in some way. If that was even possible. Asaif was cut out of a different material than all other people she has known, including Marus, who except his astonishing strength was a coward and lacked a strong character.
“Not really. They unleashed the dogs,” Asaif said, each breath was shallower. He was regaining his composure. “And at some point, I noticed your ex-husband following us. He won’t give up that easily. We must leave the island now.”
She understood. They had no food and no time to regenerate. But something didn’t add up. If they left now, what about the journey out of the island? Could they survive out in the sea without provisions?
“Asaif…” Ines was about to ask him this when a bunch of dogs shot out of the bush.
From one side a warm breeze from the southern sea, on the other dogs that planned to tear them apart. Asaif’s arm snaked around Ines and he put her behind him. “Stay there. When I tell you to run to the ship, you run. There is a lever that must be unlocked to let the boat into the water. Don’t wait for me.”
“But…”
“No discussion,” Asaif hissed. “You’re the only hope this island has.”
Ines didn’t argue as she hardly could stand.
The dogs made up a half-circle. They growled and snarled, and perhaps their intention wasn’t to kill them…
A large shape exploded out of the bush. A sword ready in Marus’ hands went down immediately.
A loud clank resonated in the air.
“I promised them that I will deliver you alive, bitch,” Marus guttural growl came out him. He didn’t sound like himself. “But I don’t care about their fucking orders. You’re the reason Hakima is dead. You killed her.”
What? Hakima is dead?
“What are you talking about? I did nothing to her.”
Marus’ rage didn’t waver for a second as he fought and talked to her. The clash of their swords sent dogs whimpering, and Asaif in the last moment managed to shove her farther back.
“If you died as every Karu should, she would live!”
“Live? For another three weeks. That’s not life, idiot,” Ines snarled. “Asaif told me the truth. We can live longer. But the hazmat suits don’t want us to. You blamed me for when I’d turned out barren. You told me it had had to be a punishment. Now you try to do this again, saying I am to blame for her death? No. It was her choice. My life is my own and I’ve done nothing to deserve all the pain you’re trying to shove my way, fucker.”
“Die!”
Ines’ words worked, provoking Marus and making him undisciplined. If he fought with recovered Asaif, her rescuer would cut Marus down right away. But running for the entire night with her on his back and no food or water to regain strength, the outcome of the fight was clear. Reckless Marus had a tremendous advantage.
“Go, Ines,” Asaif gasped for the air. “Live.”
It wasn’t a fight anymore. The old man was buying her time. He’s blocked Marus’ attacked and has gotten in his way each time her ex-husband has tried to get close to her.
I can’t… “I can’t,” Ines murmured as her steps slowly carried her to the boat.
When she reached the line of the bushes and trees, she let the tears flow freely.
Ines left the beach. Two men scared the dogs away and she had an uninterrupted way ahead. Behind her, the clanks of metal and cursed sounded. From time to time, Marus yelled after her. Rage was thick in his voice. It was unbelievable that Asaif still held him back.
Her heart skipped a beat when more voices entered the beach. I must hurry up or his sacrifice will be wasted. The boat is not far away.
She rushed toward it, ignoring the pain in her stomach. All that mattered was to… survive… to live.
Chapter 10
Pace
Finding the warship was a piece of cake. After all, the marine in the base said the truth. No other ship in the port was nowhere near the size of its size. The warships needed to be large in order to intimidate pirates. Their fighting capabilities were a different story. Something, Pace didn’t know much about.
In his village, other boys have shared many stories about the Navy and pirates. In some of them, warships could fly.
Pace sneaked through the main pier. He didn’t want to run into Riss or Kinson. There was no chance they would let him go on board of the warship to find captain.
He spied the gangway onto the vessel. As he approached two marines who stood on each side of the gangway raised their hands.
“Who are you, marine?” one of them asked.
“I’m here to deliver a message to captain Pembroke.”
They nodded and stepped aside. Well, this was easy.
The deck of the warship was enormous. The ship possessed four tall masts. His father once told him about warships propelled by steam and coal. But not even the drunkards’ stories spoke of them. How would his dad know about such a thing? Perhaps, it wasn’t even possible to build a ship like this.
Pace expected some kind of buzz on the ship, instead, he found a deadly silence interrupted by the sea breeze. Those who manned the vessel didn’t pay any attention to him. So, Pace decided to make a little tour around. Pembroke’s small brig was so boring that after one day Pace thought to know every nook and cranny.
“Hey!” a young marine in an immaculate uniform and straight as an arrow, posture, approached him. “My name is Toggy Luc. I’m from Kava island. Who are you?”
The marine’s straightforwardness put a smile on Pace.
“I’ve never heard about such a place,” Pace nodded, he looked around trying to figure out if someone was pulling off a prank on him. This guy couldn’t be real.
“It’s a well-known exporter of coffee…”
“Alright, I remember now,” Pace let out a fake laugh. He didn’t have a clue what the coffee was. Maybe it was illegal? What was the drill? Should he report this or arrest him?
“Nice, so who are you?”
“No,’ Pace made a pouting expression
“No?” Toggy Luc repeated, dumbfounded. Soon, he also would think that Pace was retarded and leave him alone. Perhaps, Pace should first ask about his captain and what not. But wouldn’t that warn him?
“No. I don’t remember it.”
Toggy Luc blinked. He must have a hard nut to crack now.
“What… what’s your name?” he stubbornly asked.
Pace squinted at him. No one around paid them any heed. It could be that the guy was genuine.
“Pace.”
“Sorry?”
“My name is Pace, and what’s wrong with your hair? Why the orange color?”
“Your name is Pace? Really?” Toggy Luc asked with a wide stupid grin. Not a grain of sarcasm there. So, people like him truly existed.
“Okay, the introduct
ion is over. Leave me alone.” Pace strode ahead.
“Wait. I didn’t answer all your questions, and you aren’t answered mine.”
So, Toggy Luc tagged along as Pace walked toward the quarterdeck.
“So, what are you doing here and where are you from?”
Pace sighed. Getting rid of this one is going to be a pain.
“Look, I’m searching for someone. I don’t need your help, but I had a hunch that you have your own duties to attend and if you won’t get back to your post. Someone will notice…” Pace suddenly halted before the stairs that led to the quarterdeck. Toggy Luc bumped into him and almost staggered.
“I have an idea,” Pace muttered self-satisfied. He wished to give himself a bit more time before Kinson would try to split his skull, but such an occasion wouldn’t happen for a long time.
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re going with me.”
Toggy Luc stepped back, a little terrified, which was understandable. “Where?” he asked in a high-pitched voice.
“You’re annoying as hell. I like it. I’ll make you a part of our crew.”
“Your crew?”
Pace’s hand closed over Toggy Luc’s forearm. “Come.”
The orange-haired marine’s expression turned into pure panic. He had a funny face to start with. Now, Pace needed to keep himself in check to not erupt into a laughing fit. Having orange eyebrows and a straight but scrawny body must have been tough for him.
“But wait, Pace, please wait,” Toggy whispered not wanting to draw attention as Pace almost dragged him across the deck. Obviously, there was no way under the sun that someone wouldn’t notice them.
“Hey! You two!” Am angry shout come from somewhere in the quarterdeck.
Toggy Luc spun, while Pace only stopped. The hunch didn’t lie. No matter how useless Toggy Luc was, someone on this warship couldn’t stay still for a moment if he or she noticed the orange-haired marine to stay idle or go somewhere without telling them.
“Lieutenant,” Toggy Luc quietly squeaked. Pace felt through his hand how terrified the boy was. He was shivering. Even though Toggy and Pace must have been the same age or very close, Pace couldn’t think of him as someone younger. It wasn’t only a weak attitude and short height or a scrawny body. It struck him that Pembroke might felt the same.
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