Tales of the Caravan

by J. Avarez

  "What did you do," Cookie frowned. "For them to trap your spirit?"

  "Not tonight, big red," Gizmo shook his head and waved them off. "We can talk about that some other time. I'll see you ladies in the morning."

  Gizmo closed the door behind him and left them alone again.

  "That's so sad." Said Cookie, softly.

  Sarah agreed. Jayden had told her what an oracle was, but he never told her how they came to be. She remembered his oracle, a black cat named Mira. The oracle was always bitter and miserable, though perhaps it was because Jayden had never paid her much attention. Sarah wouldn't follow his footsteps. Gizmo wouldn't be her slave...that wasn't the kind of captain she wanted to be.

  "Yeah, but don't worry," Sarah looked back at Cookie and shook her shoulder. "He'll lighten up eventually. You sure did with that Charlie fellow."

  The name made her heart jump a bit. Cookie held the side of her rose colored face, her other hand held up her red diamond pendant.

  "He is a sweetheart," said Cookie, staring at her reflection off the diamond’s surface. "But I don't think I could ever be with someone now, I chose the life of a caravan."

  She smiled at Sarah and gave her a wink, her words couldn't have made her captain happier.

  "You my friend, are what they call a man eater," said Sarah. "Just try and keep the heartbreaking to a minimum, okay?”

  Cookie let out an awkward laugh, her red face was then tinted with yellow light. An explosion snapped their eyes forward, and they could see a plume of fire out in the distance. Kyla let out a soft cry that traveled to Sarah's ears. The dragun moved her neck aside to give her owner a better look.

  Sarah rose from the bench and approached the rail of the ship. Yet another bright flash rose up from the horizon.

  Cookie stared with widened eyes, her trembling fingers cut deep into the wooden rail. "What's going on?"

  Sarah squinted and could make out three caravan ships, two of them burned like bonfires over the water. She could feel the ship beginning to shake beneath her feet, the howling screams of the draguns had caused Kyla to tremble with fear. The third caravan ship was set ablaze, leaving just one ship near the wreckage. The black sail that hovered over the ship left Sarah with no doubt.

  "Pirates," Sarah spat, as she took out her pistol and cocked it. "I think it’s an ambush. Kyla!"

  "What are you doing?" Asked Cookie, her eyes wide with fright.

  "They need our help," replied Sarah, her eyes flickering yellow from the fire ahead. "It's caravan code to help a fellow ship in danger."

  She commanded Kyla to proceed, and gave Cookie a pistol of her own. The shaken dragun swam slowly over the calm water, and followed the sound of crackling fire. As they approached, Cookie followed Sarah toward the front of the ship. She had her pistol aimed at the main deck, but saw no movement.

  Through the darkness, Sarah could see several grey figures aboard the ship. Kyla approached beside the vessel with no resistance, and Sarah knew something was wrong. The grey figures stared at her with frightened eyes, their bodies as stiff as logs. Her eyes surveyed the ship in disbelief, the pirates had all been turned to stone.

  They hopped aboard and looked around the main deck. The ship had no dragun attached, as was standard with most pirate ships, but it had a wide array of weapons onboard. Sabers, pistols, and cannons that lined the sides of the wooden ship. The two ladies wandered the main deck and gazed at the stone men, each face looked more horrified than the last.

  "What happened to them?" Asked Cookie.

  "I don't know," said Sarah, touching the face of the ship's captain. "Check the other side, make sure there isn't anyone else onboard."

  The two split in different directions to check the ship. While Sarah looked at their poor petrified faces, she was reminded of what could have done such a thing. Memories of raiding a sacred tomb came flooding back to her, and a treasure too powerful for men to have.

  "Jayden." She muttered, angrily.

  He took it, she thought to herself. She looked up and saw a crow with shining red eyes. The black bird stood at the crow’s nest, with its eyes toward the sky. The blue moon continued to shine bright, its presence had more significance to Sarah than before. A soft cry pulled her gaze toward her dragun. Kyla's shining eyes had started to dim.

  "She's tired," Cookie frowned, approaching the dragun to rub its slippery neck. "We've kept her up too long."

  "You’re right," said Sarah. "Let’s just sweep the ship and take whatever we can. Try not to look at the moon, alright? I heard…uh…that it can be harmful to look at while at sea. We'll rest in our cabins and get an early start in the morning."

  Cookie looked terrified about the moon and kept it out of her gaze. Sarah had a feeling its blue light was what petrified the pirates. She hadn’t enjoyed lying to Cookie, but she thought it best not to cause a panic. She would consult with her mentor, Merla, when they arrived at Port Ruby. Surely she would know more about the blue moon.

  They had begun to search the ship, but it wasn't as bountiful as Sarah had hoped. The ambush looked to be an attempt to replenish funds, or to gather goods for the black market. They did however find a chest full of bronze diamonds, and several barrels of rum and red wine. No time was wasted taking the spoils aboard their ship, though the difference in their strength was glaring. Sarah struggled to carry her first barrel, while Cookie had loaded up her seventh.

  Cookie was her partner, so Sarah did not want to dwell on any jealous feelings toward her. However, it was impossible not give it a thought. Secretos were what separated ordinary people from the legends of the world. Sarah remembered being told tales in the orphanage about them. Each tale had a different hero, each hero possessed a power that common people could only dream of having.

  She shook away her thoughts and dropped her barrel in exhaustion. Sarah took a deep breath and grabbed the barrel again, to her surprise, it had somehow became as light as a feather. She looked over the wooden container, and saw Cookie's freckled face.

  "I got it, captain." She said.

  Sarah was truly relieved. She thanked Cookie and the two climbed back aboard their ship. Their yawns were evidence that the night had taken its toll. Cookie kissed her captain goodnight and returned to her cabin to rest. Sarah returned to her den, and was reminded that she wasn't alone. She found Gizmo asleep on the captain's desk, his furry head buried within the pages of her atlas.

  She waited for Rocky to walk in before she closed the door behind her. She looked around and got a better look at her private quarters. The den was tinted with blue moonlight, the light came from a large circular window behind her desk. To her right was an empty treasure chest between two bookcases, and to the left she gratefully found her bed. The white mattress was big enough for her grey wolf to rest comfortably next to her.

  She leaned back onto her pillow, with her hands folded over her chest. She thought of Port Ruby, and felt anxious about meeting the Caravan Chancellor. She had to make her case in front of his council, and convince them to take a chance with her. Don't worry about that now, she told herself.

  Tomorrow did not fear her...so neither would she. A yawn dropped her eyelids and threw her into the darkness, her mind free to be at peace within her dreams.

  Chapter 4 A Beauty for a Brute

  There were few things about Mia Rose that the world didn't know. At age nineteen, she was already one of the most influential people in the Red Sea. Her father, Julius Rose, was the Caravan Chancellor. She enjoyed that right. Being the Chancellor’s daughter came with some unique benefits. Her influence on the world was strong, and she had caravan captains bending to her every whim.

  She saw them all as tools of course, who wouldn't? Caravans were nothing but veins. Veins that carried out blood across the Nine Seas. They brought goods to the merchants, and pirates brought goods to the black market. The poor sustained themselves, while the elites enjoyed life without a care. It was a perfect system designed by
the Royals, and she was one of them.

  But today would bring the Royal something else...her one true love would return to Port Ruby.

  "I can't wait," said Mia. She smiled nervously at the mirror in front of her. She wanted nothing but for him to be happy with her. Mia spotted a dot on her thin nose and felt her heart stop. With a panicked hand, she felt what she thought was a pimple. A sigh of relief...it was just a lint ball. "My goodness, I'm so nervous. I just hope he's excited to see me."

  She sat in her bedroom to have her hair treated by her maid, Abigail. Mia wore one of her favorite white dresses, with the intention of making herself irresistible. Her silk dress had white lace over it. The bottom fabric ended just above her knees, and exposed her smooth legs. Her blonde hair was braided beautifully by the maid, as if she wore a crown of golden laced hair.

  "You look like an angel," said Abigail. She gazed into the mirror and looked into Mia’s hazel eyes. "The man would be a fool not to have you."

  Mia looked at her reflection with renewed confidence, her light colored cheeks slowly turned pink.

  "You're right," a closed smile stretched across Mia’s face. "I'm nervous for nothing."

  "That's right, sweet child." Abigail whispered to her ear.

  The maid reached for a white shroud, which laid neatly on Mia's pink canopy bed. Abigail threw the shroud over the dress, and began to stitch it on from the back. The shroud did not cover Mia's front, but rather covered over her arms like sleeves. The beautiful silk shrouds were a custom for Royals to wear. They were enchanted by the Magi, and allowed the sleeves to twirl about on their own.

  The Magi as a people were shunned from Royal society, but they loved their magic when it came to fashion. The purpose was to dazzle and express their dominance. That was how the Royals were. The men sought to conquer the world, and the women sought to spend their riches. Mia was different though. She wouldn't be used like the other Royal women. She was meant for more than to be a conquest for a lustful brute. She was like the legendary white diamonds, known to shine like the sun in the night.

  And what was the purpose of those fabled white diamonds? Why be able to glimmer, only to spend a life buried deep underground? To be hidden, with no way of being noticed by the masses? No. That was a ridiculous answer, in Mia's mind. She existed for the same reason white diamonds do…to be found and cherished for what she was.

  "The island should be quite busy today," said Abigail. "Many young men looking for your father. It must be exciting to make captains out of the lot, no?"

  "I suppose," Mia gently shrugged her shoulders. "I've never been interested in what the caravans do out there. The gods know how treacherous the Nine Seas are, that's why they gave us the mainland."

  "And the eight ports." Abigail pointed out.

  "Yes, of course," Mia then stared out her open window. Beyond the townhouses and factories, she could see a sliver of blue. Beyond that blue horizon was Darkonia, home of the Royals. "I can't wait to see Darkonia again, to finally return home. I can't stand some of these captains, and the pirates are even worse."

  "Yes, I've heard whispers of them on the island," said Abigail. "You want to be careful, sweet child. Pirates can be dangerous, like that one boy. Oh, what was his name?"

  "Calow." Replied Mia, the name came out like venom in her mouth.

  "Yes, that's the one." The maid reached behind her and grabbed more silk thread.

  "He claims to live the caravan life, but I don't believe him," Mia stared at her angered reflection, her eyebrows clenched a bit more. "And that brute won't leave me alone, he's delusional. As if my father would ever approve of me laying with a pirate, a Dragoon at that!"

  The maid knew it to be true. Dragoons were a dangerous breed, the result of one being born with dragon blood in their veins. There was a time when they had threatened the perfect system of the Royals, a time when their monstrous transformations would leave whole islands ablaze. The emperor thankfully dealt with them many years ago, making a private pact that kept them in line ever since.

  "I don't know about your father," said Abigail. "But I wouldn't disapprove a Dragoon all together. Don't tell your father this, but they've been known to fill a woman with fire." Abigail placed her wrinkled hand on Mia's stomach, and slowly moved it up. "A flame so long, that women have sworn to feel it in their chest."

  Mia looked up at Abigail, the old maid looked down and gave her a sly smirk. She was too embarrassed to admit she had felt something. Mia hadn't been touched in months, not by another man at least. It reminded her how much she wanted that feeling. The idea that Abigail had put forth captured her, her hazel eyes darted just imagining it.

  "I'm done, sweet child...oh dear!"

  Mia looked back and saw Abigail had cut herself with her stitching needle. A line of blood traveled down to her wrist, and drops of red splattered over Mia's pink sheets.

  "Are you alright?" Asked Mia, her eyes wide with concern.

  "Yes dear, please," Abigail extended her other hand as Mia approached. "Not too close. I rather not stain that dress, your father would kill me."

  "Abigail." The Royal spoke as if the maid had said something silly.

  Mia stepped back and extended her hands. Her hazel eyes glowed and a glittering red cloud slowly escaped her palms. It was her Secreto, the red mist. The cloud was made of tiny red flakes, all of them floated together like a glittering red swarm.

  Abigail extended her bleeding hand and the red mist soared toward her. The cloud spun around her fingers and faded into thin air. The blood had vanished and her cut was completely healed. Abigail smiled widely, and slowly turned her hand in front of her face.

  "That power of yours still astonishes me." Said Abigail, softly.

  The maid thanked Mia and hastily changed her bed sheets. The two were escorted soon after by Imperial soldiers. They exited the Chancellor's luxurious mansion and greeted the sunny day. Mia was to arrive at their town hall before noon, and deliver the first round of caravan deliberations. She and her father, along with two other Royals, were responsible for legalizing a caravan to work.

  A long black motorcar waited out front, and drove them through the streets of Port Ruby. The gods blessed the island with a bright blue sky, though the traffic was less to Mia's liking. The town was busy, and the streets were clogged with motorcars. Mia kept her hands over her shaky knees, and constantly peered out her motorcar window. She was anxious to leave, and felt worried the scent of gasoline would latch onto her dress.

  They navigated slowly through the labyrinth of shops and townhouses, till finally they reached their destination. The cobblestone street curved into a circle near the entrance of their town hall. The grey three-story structure looked a bit menacing, with statues of water dragons perched along the roof. Mia stepped out of the vehicle and gave her shroud a sniff, the scent of her fragrance relieved her.

  She entered the building and walked the hallway toward the grand courtroom. Along the beige colored walls were the hopeful captains, waiting to be judged by the court. They eyed Mia with crooked smiles, some even blew her kisses with their cracked lips. She found them all revolting.

  "They're such pigs," said Mia. "You would think they've never seen a woman before."

  "Some of them haven't, child," said Abigail. "At least not for months. Spending time out at sea without the touch of a woman, it can drive a man insane with lust."

  Lust, a curse that never yields. Mia found it difficult to sympathize with men and their insatiable appetites. She would hear stories from the other Royal women, and the tearful confessions of their failing marriages. These weren't hags to be hidden under a bridge. These were beautiful and kind young women, being abused by the men they loved. Beauty wasn't a shield against infidelity, Mia knew that much. The lust in most men simply couldn't be satisfied, and yet women had no qualms throwing wood into the fire.

  "Still with your head in the clouds, huh?"

  Mia blinked and saw a familiar f
ace up ahead. Calow stood by the arched metal door of the grand courtroom. She may have widened her eyes, but she had wished she hadn't. She didn't want to make his smile stretch any further.

  Her reaction wasn't without reason. She still remembered the last time they met, how he confronted a Royal who had invited her to dinner. She remembered Calow's partial transformation, and a fist fight that set the building ablaze. The restaurant still stood in ruins on the main street, and yet looked better than that poor boy's face.

  That wasn't the Calow that stood in front of her. The Calow she remembered smelled of rum, had tangled black hair, and a chubby physique. The Dragoon had changed quite a bit. His head was neatly shaven and exposed his bright red eyes. His almond colored skin looked better than she remembered, and his flab became lean muscle.

  "Calow?" said Mia, in disbelief. "You look," she had almost complimented him, but stopped herself. Instead she cleared her throat and went on coolly. "I didn't recognize you."