by K Hanson
The barkeep shook her head. “Not that I’ve seen. You know you’re welcome to stay here until she shows up.”
“Thanks, Fariha. I hope she makes it, even if it takes her a bit to get here. So when did the Empire stomp down on this place?”
“A couple of years ago, they decided to fortify their border cities, especially the ones closest to Stalsta. Their fleet surrounded the harbor, and they prevented anyone from leaving. Any ship that tried got blown out of the water without a warning shot. Only a couple of crews tried before everyone else gave up on trying to get out. At the same time as they closed the port, the army set up checkpoints on all of the roads coming or going.
Then, once all traffic in or out of the city had been stopped, they came for the criminals. They started with anyone with an outstanding warrant. For weeks, there were multiple executions a day. You may have seen the new addition where the market square used to be.”
Nereyda nodded. “I walked through that part of town. It felt haunted.”
Her host nodded gravely. “Nobody walks there anymore unless they can’t help it. The final stage of the purge came when they went to every home, warehouse, and business, almost every building in the city, looking for illegal goods or merchandise that had been imported without proper documentation. For those caught, some were hung, others were sent to the mines. Some lucky ones got away with a fine and banishment from the city. Of course, some of the people they punished didn’t even know about the things hidden in their homes. It was just leftover contraband, long forgotten by whoever had put it there. The Empire didn’t care about innocence or guilt, just the appearance of punishing criminals.”
“What about the wall? It seems like a huge thing to build in just a couple of years.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it. The Empire hauled in countless wagons and ships of stone, wood, and steel. Hundreds of workers labored around the clock to raise those monstrous walls. Even with those new reinforced walls that they’re using now, it took them less than a year to finish the whole thing. While it’s a barrier to the outside world, to all of us living in the city, it’s a cage. It’s a constant reminder of what the Empire did to this city in the name of justice and security.”
“You’ve managed to scrape by, though, it seems.”
The bartender let out a sad half laugh. “Scrape by is right. Half of our customers ended up on the end of a rope, and the other half left the city after the purge and never came back.”
“Is there anything I can do to help while I’m here?” Nereyda asked.
“I doubt it, unless you can tear down that wall and convince the Empire to leave us alone again. Otherwise, what’s left of the part that you remember of this town is going to wither away.”
“Is anyone left that I would remember from the old Antalia?” Nereyda asked.
“I don’t know who all you knew from the times you came into port. That said, there are still a fair number of the old crowd left. Those that escaped the gallows and didn’t leave slipped into ordinary jobs. Some of them stop by to say hi or grab a drink every now and then. Most of them, though, prefer to avoid reminders of the good old days. It’s too hard on them to remember what, and who, we lost.”
“I’m sorry that I wasn’t here to help.”
“I’m glad you weren’t. You would have gotten yourself killed. The world needs someone like you.”
---
After several days of cleaning every glass and sweeping the floor multiple times a day, just for lack of something else to do, Nereyda was enjoying a mug of ale at the bar when the door to the tavern opened. The person that wandered in had frayed straw-colored hair and a gaunt, pale face.
Brynja. Or what was left of her after her time in the mines.
She looked like she hadn’t had a good meal or full night’s rest since before they got arrested those many months ago. Her appearance made Nereyda pause before greeting her.
After a moment, Nereyda gathered herself and forced a grin as she walked across the floor and embraced her first mate. “Bryn, you made it! I was starting to worry if my message hadn’t gotten to you.” She could feel her friend’s bones through her clothes.
Brynja returned the embrace, but her grasp felt weak. “Hey, Reyda. You actually made it back to us.” She pulled away from Nereyda and gave her a small smile. “I thought I would never leave that place.”
“Well, you’re out now, and we can figure out how to get the rest of our friends out of there.” Nereyda led her friend to the nearest table and pulled out a chair. “Are you hungry? I can get Fariha to throw something together for you.”
“Yes, that would be great.”
“You just sit, and I’ll be back.”
Nereyda walked to the back and told the owner that Brynja had arrived and would like food, if possible.
With hot food on the way, Nereyda returned to sit with Brynja.
“Did you have any trouble getting here from the mines?”
“Without anything for money, it was rough for a while. I had to beg and steal my way to enough coin to pay someone to haul me from town to town. Sorry, it took me a while to get here.”
“No, I’m sorry myself for picking someplace so far from the mines. I just wanted to pick a place I could describe in a way that only you would know what I’m talking about.”
“Makes sense. And I know we have to be careful about how to approach this.”
“You’ve been on the inside. Have you seen anything that could help us get our people out of there?”
“Actually, I managed to convince the guard captain to make sure a section of the wall is clear when I leave a signal in a place that we determined.”
“How did you manage to convince him to go along with that?”
“Don’t worry about that for now. That’s my problem to settle that debt.”
“If there’s anything I can do on that front, let me know. Otherwise, that’s a great start. That at least gets us into the mining complex. What about when we get inside?”
“I can take you to the mine where our crew has been kept. That’s when it will get tricky, though. Sneaking in with two people is one thing. Trying to get out with dozens of prisoners is something else.”
“Can the guard captain keep our section of the wall clear long enough to get them out?”
“He said he'd try, but he doesn’t know how long he can make it work.”
“Okay, so as we’re slipping in, we find a way to get rid of any guards that might spot us trying to escape. Then, once we get our crew, we just need to get out of there as quickly as we can.”
“Just be ready that they may not move as quickly as you’re used to. The mine is…a rough place. Everyone is weaker because of it.”
“I’m sorry I left you there for so long. What happened to you guys in there?”
Brynja stared off into the corner. “It’s not something I want to relive. I’ll just say that there’s a reason you don’t hear about people surviving that place. It’s built to break people.”
“But it didn’t break you. You’re back, and we’ll get everyone else back, too. Before you know it, we’ll all be back on the Raven, and we’ll put this whole thing behind us.”
“I would like that.” Brynja gave a determined nod. “I’ll definitely try to do that, at least.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Nereyda lay on her stomach on the hill overlooking the walls surrounding the mines. “You’re sure that there is a gap in their defenses in this spot?”
“Absolutely. The guard captain said he would rearrange the patrol schedule. From what I see, it looks like he held up his end of the bargain. I don’t see anybody on top of the walls or in the towers in this area. I see the lights from the lanterns up there, but no shadows from any people.”
“Well, if you’re confident, that’s good enough for me. Let’s go get the rest of our people out of there.”
The captain and her first mate jogged down the hill and across the open terrain to reac
h the complex. Nereyda didn’t hear any sound of an alarm being raised as they approached the dark stone wall. Nobody had seen them so far. Now, they just had to climb the wall, sneak into the mines, and get back out with their whole crew before anybody saw them or noticed the missing prisoners. Should be super simple and easy.
From the pack on her back, Nereyda pulled out a crossbow. Instead of a normal firing mechanism, this one was designed to shoot a hook with a length of rope attached to it. Neither Nereyda nor Brynja could throw the hook as high as the wall, but the crossbow would be able to clear the height with ease.
Nereyda aimed it just over the wall and fired. The hook landed on the other side of the wall ledge. Pulling on the rope until the hook felt secure, Nereyda began to climb the wall. Supporting her weight with her arms, she used her legs to do most of the work of walking herself up the wall. By the time she reached the top, her arms ached from the effort. She grabbed the ledge and pulled herself over. She caught her breath as she stood on top of the wall and leaned over to wave to Brynja.
She turned away from the wall and looked to either side. She still didn’t see any sign of the guards. Whatever Brynja had done to win over the guard captain, it had been effective.
Inside the wall, she saw the sprawling mining complex below her. She had always heard that it was a gigantic operation, but even those descriptions didn’t quite capture what she saw now. In what she could see from the torch and lantern light, entrances to dozens of mines stretched out in front of her. Next to each, forges and workshops bellowed smoke as craftsmen worked to turn the ore into useful materials, tools, and weapons. She wondered how many prisoners the Empire had enslaved in the caverns below. Hundreds? Thousands? She didn’t even want to think about how many people had died to make this industrial engine run.
Nereyda heard a grunt behind her and turned back around to see Brynja finishing her climb. Reaching a hand down to her first mate, she pulled her over the ledge.
“Thanks, captain,” panted Brynja as she started to coil the rope around the hook.
“Of course. Do you know where we need to go in here? This place is huge, so it could take a while if we don’t have some idea of where to look.”
“Yes, follow me.”
Brynja led her to one of the towers, where they took a spiral staircase down to the base of the wall. A door opened to the interior of the complex. The first mate peeked outside.
“Okay, captain, it looks clear out there.”
“Lead on.”
They left the tower at a brisk walk across the gravel, keeping their footsteps light.
Once they had made it thirty or so paces into the complex, lanterns lit up on all sides of them.
“Stop right there,” a familiar voice commanded.
Nereyda saw the face of Erhan emerge out of the darkness.
“I’m excited to see you again, pirate.”
Turning to her first mate, she said, “Brynja, I’m so sorry for leading you back here.”
Erhan interrupted, “Actually, you can thank Brynja for our reunion tonight.”
“What are you talking about? What does he mean, Bryn?”
“Reyda, I’m sorry. You don’t know what it was like in there. They whipped us and pushed us until we couldn’t go anymore. They made me torture our crew. When the commander said he’d let our whole crew go in exchange for you, I couldn’t turn him down. I know you would have done the same thing.”
“You should have told me what you were up to. I would gladly have volunteered to go to the mines to get our people out of there. But, if we traded places, I never would have betrayed you to do it. I would have found another way.”
“There was no other way. That mine was killing us.”
Nereyda glared at Erhan. “You used her against me. You broke my first mate and used her.”
“You’re right, I did.” He gave her a proud smile. “Though, Brynja, I’ve decided to modify our deal.”
“What do you mean?” replied Brynja. “I brought you the captain. Now, you release our crew and let us leave. Let’s do it and be done.”
“Actually, I had a better idea come to me since we made our bargain. You see, we need more privateers to attack merchants from Stalsta. So, what I’m going to do is release half of your crew now so that you can sail a ship for us. If you do well enough for long enough, I’ll let the rest of your crew out.”
Brynja looked devastated. “No. You can’t do this. We had a deal. Let us all go.”
“I’m not done with all of you yet.”
Nereyda spoke up, “So they’re really still your prisoners. They’re just trading one cell for another.”
“You forget,” said Erhan, “that you are all serving sentences for piracy. None of you has finished your sentence, so why should the Empire let you go free? We will use you as we see fit until the term of your punishment is up.”
Nereyda snarled. “You imperials always pride yourselves on your laws and justice, how that separates you from everyone else. What kind of justice is it to make a deal, then break it?”
“It’s the kind of justice a pirate and a witch like you deserves.”
“Witch?” asked Brynja. “What does he mean by a witch?”
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
“Oh, you should worry about it, Brynja,” Erhan warned. “Your beloved captain incinerated an innocent man with nothing but her hands.”
Brynja narrowed her eyes. “I think you’ve hit your quota for lying for a while. Can we just get on with this?”
Erhan shrugged. “Very well. We randomly chose which members of your crew to release. You’ll find them at the gate.” He turned to two of the soldiers with him. “Take Brynja here to meet with her crew and get her the information she needs to find her ship. I’ve also left written instructions on their assignment and how to report back to me.”
One of the guards grabbed Brynja by the arm, but she shook him off. “Don’t touch me.” As she walked away, she looked back. “Reyda, please forgive me. I’m so sorry.”
Nereyda felt both anger and pity toward Bryn. She knew that Brynja had suffered during her time in the mines. Yet, she had turned against her own sister. If the mines were bad enough to make her first mate betray her, Nereyda’s only consolation was that her own arrest would save some of her crew from wasting away in the depths.
Erhan led her farther into the mining complex, to the entrance of one of the mines.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Sweat dripped down Nereyda’s brow as she swung the pickaxe into the wall. The muggy heat this deep in the mine weighed on her like an oppressive blanket, invisible but heavy. She looked at the strangers around her, swinging their own axes as they mined the iron ore from the cavern walls around them
After being captured trying to sneak into the mines, rather than getting the chance to reunite with her crew, Nereyda had been sent into the deepest section of the mine, where the toughest and most valuable ore could be found. This also meant that heat radiated from the very walls of the cave around them. Lanterns lined the walls, but the light they gave off was dim. Each of them had an aura around them as the light scattered through the dense, dusty air.
In the red-gold light, she saw the worn faces of her fellow captives. They were the faces of people who had spent months getting run into the ground and pushed to their physical limits. None of them would look her in the eye as she looked around. Whenever her gaze would pass over one of them, he or she would look away. Most of the time, their eyes were downcast toward the ground.
Whatever had happened in this place, it had turned people into shells of their former selves. It had driven Brynja, her first mate and adopted sister, to betray her, selling her captain for a chance at freedom for herself.
How could she have let them get to her so badly? Brynja should have known that she and Nereyda could have freed their crew without this kind of deal. Brynja should have told her that she had planned something with Erhan and the guard captain. They
could have used that to their advantage and gotten their full crew out, rather than just the half that had gone with Brynja.
Now, thanks to Brynja’s foolishness, they were a crew divided. While one half at least enjoyed some freedom, Nereyda and the rest were now stuck in the mines. Maybe this is how Brynja and the others felt while she had been sailing with Erhan in the Shattered Sea. Seeing what they had to endure down in the mines made her feel even more guilty about enjoying her time on the sea. It hadn’t been her choice to go onto that ship instead of the mines, but she had allowed herself to take pleasure in piloting a ship and feeling the ocean on her face.
Now, even the night she had spent almost getting killed by that storm on her raft seemed like a pleasant memory.
---
“You look familiar,” said a voice from Nereyda’s right.
She turned to see a man with black hair looking at her from where he swung his ax against the wall. “Really? Where do you think you’ve seen me?”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure. It’s just a feeling I have. Maybe it’s just that you look like you could be from where I grew up.”
“Where are you from?”
“Oh, you wouldn’t know it. It’s just a tiny village up in the Shattered Sea.”
“I’ve only been to the Shattered Sea once, and that was when I was pressed into service after being captured as a pirate.”
“Hmm, maybe your parents were Islanders? Even if you don’t remember being there, you have the look of an Islander.”
“I actually don’t even know who my parents are. I’ve never met them. I assume they’re dead now. I was found in a barrel when I was a kid. I don’t remember much before that.”
“Okay. Then maybe your parents actually were Islanders. It’s always been a rough time for us. Maybe they thought you’d have a better chance somewhere else and set you free.”
“I just got lucky that someone found me. If I had been floating much longer than I was, I probably wouldn’t have made it. What about me makes you think I have Islander blood?”
