Dire
Water

Story
By

Thomas
Knapp

Based
on MegaTokyo: Endgames By

Fred
Gallagher

Editor

Ray
Kremer

Copyright
2015 Fred Gallagher. MegaTokyo and MegaTokyo: Endgames are
registered trademarks of Fredart Studios LLC

1. Chapter
One: The Orphanage in the Woods

She
was tired and cold. Why had mommy woken her up so early?

“Hush,
little one. Please don't cry. We have to leave.”

Leave?
Why? What was going on?

Her
mother made sure that the coat was closed tight, with the hood
covering almost all of her face. Her tail had been tucked painfully
into the back of the coat, which was the source of her discomfort.

“I
know it hurts, but you can't let anyone see until we're far away from
the palace. Don't talk, don't cry, just let me carry you.”

She
still didn't know what was going on. Why did they have to leave?

“V?
Where V?” She finally asked.

“She
isn't coming. We're going to where I
came
from,”
Her mother said. “We probably won't ever come back.”

That
got
her to cry.

“Baby...
please... stop!” Her mother begged frantically. “You
mustn't make noise! They'll kill us!”

She
abruptly stopped, and blinked. Kill? Who? What?

“Please...
don't ask questions. Just be quiet, keep your ears and tail hidden,
and we'll be all right.”

She
frowned, but stayed silent. Her mother wasn't one to lie. If there
was danger, she needed to listen.

“There's
going to be a changing of the guard soon, and that's when we need to
make our escape.”

She
wasn't really paying attention to her mother at that point. She was
still coming to grips with leaving, and never coming back. She'd
never see Viola again, or Macy, or Darcy, or... anyone. She didn't
know anything about where her mother was from other than it being far
to the south. She knew Viola used to go there with her family, but
that was it.

“Sunay!”

~
~ ~ ~ ~

“Sunay!”

Her
ears twitched, but otherwise she didn't stir. If it was that
important,
Matron Miriam would yell louder.

“SUNAY!”

Like
that.

Sunay
stirred slowly, uncurling from the fetal position before pushing
herself up to hands and knees. With a wide yawn, she pushed her arms
forward to stretch them out, then extended her legs to do the same.
From there, she arched her back, and shook the sleep out of her bones
starting from her shoulders and working down to the tip of her tail.

“SUNAY!”

“Coders!
I'm comin'!” Sunay roared in annoyance. Matron Miriam was
always such a worrywart.

Sunay
dropped to all fours, finding that while it didn't really improve her
speed, she felt more stable navigating the rough forest floor,
allowing her to move faster more confidently. Skipping over exposed
roots and shuffling through tall grass, she burst from the foliage
into the clearing where Miriam's Orphanage resided.

If
you didn't know it was there, chances of your finding it were slim.
As far as Sunay knew, the nearest town in any direction was through
five miles of forest. The only road was a road in name only,
shrouded by low branches and ferns, barely enough to let Miriam's
single horse drawn cart through. Her orphanage was well hidden, and
kept very quiet by anyone who might have known of its existence.

There
was good reason for that. Miriam's Orphanage was a home for lost,
abandoned, or orphaned chimeras.

Chimeras
had a rough life in the Republican Provinces of Avalon, and they kept
to themselves for good reason. Nobles and royalty of the previous
era had curses cast upon their significant others to make sure they
didn't sow their wild oats. Chimeras were the result of such cursed
nobles' lack of faithfulness to their spouses. As a result, such
children were easy to identify and scorn.

On
the other side, in the new age run by the Parliament, chimeras were
still considered members of the noble families that had been
overthrown, and as such were often executed upon capture. Rejected
by their noble parents, and scorned by their commoner kin, there were
very few places of refuge for the hundreds, if not thousands, of poor
literal bastards.

Which
explained Matron Miriam's constant worry whenever Sunay turned up
missing. “How many times have I told you not to go sleeping in
the woods?” she demanded with exasperation.

Sunay
dismissed the concern, like she always did. “And how many
times has nuthin' happened to me?”

“There
are hunting parties from the north this season,” Miriam
scolded. “They are starting fox
hunts.”

Sunay
rolled her eyes. “Ya been sayin' that fer the last five
summers.”

“And
I really wish you would speak properly.”

“Feh.”

“Coders
as my witness, if only you were so influenced by one appearance in
the classroom. You run off against my direct orders, see a pirate
ship from the beach one
time,
and it ruins all the education I tried to push into your skull.”

Sunay
grit her teeth and frowned. So what if that was true? So what if
she wanted to do more than hide in some crumbling old building in the
middle of nowhere, and a life on the lawless seas was the only way
she could do that. So maybe she did
admire
that way of life. What about it?

The
matron surrendered. She turned about, and said, “Hurry up
inside at the very least. Supper is about to start, and the rest of
the kids won't start eating without you.”

Sunay
highly doubted that, but knew it was better to stop arguing and go
inside.

The
orphanage was in fact a converted church... though not the grand
cathedrals devoted to worship of the Coders, the supposed deities
that fashioned the world. This was most likely a church for more
unconventional services, though it wasn't something Matron Miriam
encouraged her many charges to think about. It was a construct of
wood, thatch, and no doubt several prayers that it wouldn't all come
crashing down in the middle of the night.

The
interior at least looked a lot better than the outside. With ten
rooms all neatly divided, it provided enough space for the denizens
to eat and sleep, if little much else. But it was a dry roof over
their heads, which was more than a chimera could expect on her own.

“Matron!
The roof's got a hole again!”

Well...
a mostly
dry
roof.

Megan
was probably the sweetest, innocent, most loving twelve-year-old girl
and would have no doubt been snatched up by the first loving couple
that saw her, if it wasn't for her big drooping black dog ears with
white spots and six thin white whiskers that sprouted from her
cheeks.

Sunay
was fairly lucky with her curse, as her ears and tail could be
somewhat
hidden
if they absolutely had to be. It really hurt her tail to tuck that
bushy thing in her drawers, but she could.
Most chimeras didn't even have that luxury. They had whiskers,
discolored spots, or patches of fur that were extremely difficult to
hide.

Matron
Miriam didn't even need to ask. Sunay knew her role in the
orphanage. “I'll patch it up after dinner.”

“Thank
you, Sunay,” the matron replied tenderly. “I suspect
rain is coming tomorrow. But for now, Kaeli no doubt has dinner
ready.”

Kaeli
was a bear, in both the figurative and literal sense. A large,
imposing woman with a thin brown coat of hair, and looked just like
her animal half when she was on her hands and knees if you weren't
looking particularly closely. Her keen sense of smell made her quite
a capable cook despite the less-than-excellent ingredients the
orphanage had at their disposal.

The
fare was simple, but tasty and plentiful enough to fill bellies,
which was what mattered at the end of the day. This was especially
important for Sunay, who really didn't want to pass out from hunger
while climbing around on the church's roof.

There
was a time when Sunay grumbled about the work she had to do, but as
one of the oldest remaining orphans, she had a responsibility to the
wee ones, and was one of the few suited to do the heavier labor and
maintenance on the aging building. Sunay still didn't know how
Matron Miriam handled such duties by herself without the spryness a
curse like Sunay’s could provide.

Sunay
first hefted a panel of thin flexible pinewood up the ladder and onto
the roof in question. It was fortunate that the southern coast of
Avalon was so warm, because the wood she had to use wouldn't have
kept out even a mild chill, much less the bitter cold Sunay could
vaguely remember from her early years in Caravel, the capital of the
Republic.

She
climbed back down the ladder two more times to get a bucket of tar
and a small bale of straw that would form the patch she needed. With
all the necessary supplies, Sunay finally got to assessing the damage
from above. It wasn't too bad, she had known that from looking it
over from below earlier, but big enough to drench a good section of
the little one's sleeping space if left in disrepair.

The
first thing she had to do was clear enough thatch from the damaged
section so she could lay the pine panel over the hole. This was
probably the hardest part of the project, as dried tar did not like
to release whatever it had in its clutches, and thatch broke too
easily for her to just pry it loose. It required an application of a
hammer and chisel to break up the tar and give her the space she
needed.

Sunay
didn't particularly care exactly where she threw the hunks of debris
as long as they were no longer on the roof. The rest of the orphans
knew she was working, so if they got brained, it was their own damned
fault. She could pick up those scraps later after she was done.

She
stuck a line of five nails between her lips, and swiftly began
hammering the panel to the others, replacing the nails as needed.
Normally, she would try and find supports to nail the wood into, but
there wasn't any sturdier wood around the hole, so she had to
improvise and hope it held through the coming fall storm season. It
should; the fall storms were never as bad as the spring typhoons that
could decimate the coast even hundreds of miles inland. Hopefully
they would have the money and resources to replace that entire
section of the roof before next spring.

With
the panel nailed in, she took a deep breath in preparation for the
second hardest part of the job, churning the tar in the bucket with a
long piece of wood so that it was pliable enough to spread on the
panel. It didn't help at all that the tar had started cooling the
moment it was taken off the heat, making the process even more
difficult than helping Kaeli mix molasses that had managed to damn
near freeze last winter.

Sunay
was sweating heavily by the time she deemed the tar able to be
spread, her chest heaving with each tired breath as she slapped globs
of the sticky black substance on the pine panel, and grunting as she
forced the tar to spread into a thick layer across the wood.

At
least the last part of the process was fairly easy, at least
relatively, spreading the straw over the tar to finish the cover that
would keep the elements at bay. What straw didn't stick would get
blown off by wind, so she didn't waste too much time with the
clean-up. It was getting late, and she wanted to get off that damned
roof.

The
trip down was a lot easier when she only had to bring down the
bucket, and dropped that off outside the kitchen door for Kaeli to
deal with while Sunay went back to collect the bigger pieces of old
tar she had discarded. Those she disposed of in the trash pit at the
edge of the clearing to be burned when it got full enough. Sunay
really didn't want to be there for that. Burning tar smelled
horrible to begin with, and it wasn't going to be any sweeter with
all the other garbage as well.

Kaeli
wasn't entirely happy that Sunay left the tar outside the door rather
than clean it out, at least until she saw Sunay finally slump back
into the building. “Oh! And here I was about to yell at you!”
the bear-woman said. “You're straight tuckered out, aren't
ya?”

“I'll...
scrub the bucket t'morrow,” Sunay said. “Promise ya.”

Kaeli
enveloped Sunay in a big hug, and patted the foxgirl on the top of
the head. “Nah, don't you worry about it. That hole probably
needed a whole lot of work. Let ol' Kaeli take care of it. You get
some rest.”

Sunay
would normally argue, but right now she didn't have the energy to
willingly take on work that someone else was offering to do.
“Thanks, Kae. I'll make it up t'ya.”

“Ah,
you know we don't keep score here.”

Sunay
knew that was true enough. Everyone helped however they could.
There wasn't room for arguments about who did more work and when;
Matron Miriam made sure of that. “'Ave a good night, Kae,”
Sunay said with as pleasant of a smile as she could manage, before
leaving the kitchen and into the main hall.

The
children had shuffled off to their various rooms in anticipation of
sleep, the matron's curfew of in bed by nightfall strictly enforced.
You didn't actually have to be asleep,
and
children rarely were, but you had to at least be in your room so you
could be counted. Miriam was serious about knowing where her charges
were at night.

In
fact, Sunay was a bit surprised to see that the matron wasn't already
on her roll call. Miriam's door was still closed, only the faint
glow of candlelight an indication that she was inside. The foxgirl
pressed her ear against the door, her eyebrows furrowing in
concentration, catching the sounds of sobbing from the other side,
the matron clearly trying to keep the noise as quiet as possible.

“Matron,
ma'am?” Sunay said with concern, also trying to keep her voice
down so that only the matron could hear. “Ya okay in there?”

“Oh!”
Miriam exclaimed before regaining her composure. “Sunay! Come
in, child.”

Something
was very wrong, which Sunay confirmed when she opened the door to see
the matron slumped forward in her chair, head resting on her arms on
the desk in front of her, flanked by two rose scented candles. Those
were sacramental candles.

The
ones Coders' Acolytes burned in remembrance.

Sunay's
ears drooped. “Oh Coders... who was it?”

“Raquel
and John,” Miriam said. “I got the letter from the Line
masters this morning. The convoy heading to Aramathea was found.”

The
“Line” referred to a small underground movement of sorts
that tried to help chimeras, along with political opponents to the
Parliament and general criminals, try to escape Avalon either into
the Free Provinces or the southern empire of Aramathea.

Raquel
and John were two of the “first generation” of orphans
after the revolution, and had tried to get out of the country and
build a life of their own on the Gold Coast. Sunay suspected that
Raquel was pregnant, and probably the driving force that prompted
them to leave the orphanage. Miriam had tried to convince them to
stay... and the matron's instincts had apparently been right.

“I
trust you don't need any details,” Miriam said with blatant
melancholy.

Sunay
knelt down to give the matron a comforting hug. “Nah, I
don't.” How Avalon dealt with chimeras was common knowledge:
you were tied to a post and burned alive. Members of the Church of
the Coders believed that destroyed the animal spirit possessing the
chimera. It was ridiculous of course; even if
the
chimera was “natural” in that fashion, spirits weren't
destroyed by physical fire. And even if that did
work,
the only thing it did for the cursed noble chimeras was give them one
of the most agonizing deaths possible.

It
was during that closeness to the matron that Sunay smelled the
telltale tingle of alcohol, and became aware of the half empty bottle
of wine on Miriam's desk. “Are... are you okay, ma'am?”
Sunay asked, nervously pointing to the bottle.

Miriam
answered by standing up, grabbing a second glass, and pouring out
another round, offering the second glass to Sunay. “Pull up a
chair, child. You probably need it as much as I.”

Sunay
complied, taking and turning one of the chairs on the east wall of
the room. She was no stranger to wine, something Miriam began
allowing the foxgirl to have when she turned fifteen last winter, but
it was still something that wasn't readily offered except on rare
occasions. Sunay took a sip so that the tart liquid could instill
some of its courage, and asked, “Is something else wrong,
ma'am?”

Matron
Miriam normally carried herself with such strength, and it was
disconcerting to see her look so defeated. Miriam slumped backward
in her chair, and shook her head. “Just... remembering all
those who have been lost over the years. Each one hurts. And the
pain builds on itself each time I get such terrible news. Jacob...
Peter... Paul... Mary... poor Mary. Poor, poor, Mary.”

Mary
had been a victim of the bad part of the Line three years ago. As an
underground movement, there was very little in the way of quality
control, and you could just as easily wind up a victim of other less
savory individuals using the Line, or even the Line handlers
themselves. Mary... had been found by other Line handlers, tied up,
raped, and eventually killed after whoever was responsible had tired
of her.

“You're
not going to leave, are you, Sunay?” Miriam asked fearfully.

Sunay
smiled after another swallow of wine. “No plans to, ma'am.
Where woulda I go even if'n I wanted?”

Miriam
cringed at Sunay's butchery of the spoken word, but replied, “Even
if I don't like how you said it, I'm happy to hear it nonetheless.”

The
pair shared a subdued chuckle before the mood quickly turned back to
somber. “I still remember exactly when you and your mother
arrived. I'm so very sorry there was nothing I could do for her.”
Miriam didn’t even try to hide her regret.

Sunay
also was regretful, but for a different reason. “I don't even
'member too much 'bout it, prob'ly why I'm not too upset.”

“You
were so young. Just past your second birthday when you and your
mother arrived in the spring,” Miriam said. This was a story
Sunay had heard before, but she didn't want to interrupt the matron
who clearly needed this vent. “She was so sick to begin with,
afflicted with the 'Noble's Disease.' The bastard who got her
sick... I hope he burns in the white hot coals of the Forsaken Pit.
The Void would be too good for him.”

“All
the hurt and pain chimeras suffer,” Miriam snarled bitterly,
her face twisting with simmering rage. “For what reason?
Because they were the result of base and carnal noblemen abusing
servants? The people hurt most
by
the old ways, and the Republic makes things worse.
How is that the behavior of fair and just gods?”

“It
ain't, but it don' matter, ma'am,” Sunay said. “You been
all the just and fair that I've ever seen.”

“But
I wish I could do so much more. You and yours should have more than
a broken down church hidden in a forest. You should be able to live
freely where you wish. You should be able to marry and have children
without lying with murderers and bandits on an illegal trade route.
I... why can't I give you these things?”

“Because
yer one woman who's doing more than she can already. Nonna us blame
ya at all.”

Miriam
sobbed, her chest heaving with tears she was trying to hold back.
“Sunay, child, can you do the roll call tonight? I don't want
the kids to see me like this.”

“Of
course, ma'am. You... ya just be okay,” Sunay tripped over her
tongue as she repeated, “Okay?”

Miriam
sighed in resignation, “I don't have the energy to correct your
horrible grammar tonight.”

Some
things never changed.

With
a comforting pat on Miriam's shoulder, Sunay left to do the nightly
roll call. It was so important to make sure everyone was present.
Having to do a late night search for a missing child was potentially
dangerous, as visible torches and lanterns in the woods could draw
unwanted attention, even as secluded as the old church was.

The
first room contained the littlest ones. Harold, Artemis, Clive, and
Andrew. Harold, Artemis, and Clive were six, Andrew seven. All of
them had been abandoned to the orphanage, most likely by noblemen or
women who couldn't hide their status with growing children who would
get increasingly more difficult to hide.

Chimeras
didn't get much younger than that at this point, the nobles cursed in
such a fashion having finally found ways out of Avalon, either to the
north in Tortuga, to the east towards the Free Provinces, or
southeast towards Aramathea. If chimera children hadn't fled the
country or found refuge at this point... they likely weren't going
to.

Like
the case of Liam. Liam had literal scales, snake eyes, and a forked
tongue. Matron Miriam had heard about the boy in a nearby town and
discovered upon arrival that he had been beaten then burned to death
days before she got there. A four year old kid.

Liam
didn't last long upon being discovered.

Few
chimeras did.

The
next five rooms held the “second wave” of chimeras, like
Megan, and they represented the majority that remained within the
orphanage. They were all around the ages of ten to twelve, and were
the result of nobles trying to hide shortly after the revolution,
often maliciously abandoning the cursed children born of their
philandering ways rather than risk being outed as a noble. During
the
period
when these
children were found, the animosity wasn't quite as high in the
southern provinces as it was in the north. Those who found
themselves in the right hands were spared, and eventually found their
way to the orphanage.

The
last two rooms were where the “first wave” of orphans
stayed, like Sunay and Kaeli, as well as the few adults who remained
as volunteers. These were chimeras and normal humans who had lived
through the time of the revolution thirteen years ago. Some of them,
like Kaeli, remembered life under the monarchy, and how they'd traded
one life of destitution for another.

These
“old folks” just never got a break.

All
were accounted for, which was a minor mercy, as that was something
that rarely happened whenever there were fifty-seven people to keep
track of. Sunay reported the good news to Matron Miriam, finished
the glass of wine Miriam had poured for her, then retreated to her
room.

She
shared said room with three other people, other “first wave”
orphans, their sleeping bags arranged along the perimeter of the
small space so that there was some
room
to move about in the middle. Kyle was already asleep, no doubt still
recovering from the chill he had managed to acquire two days ago. She
stepped around him, careful not to wake him, and smiled in greeting
to Blake and Penelope who had been talking to each other, quietly,
for that same reason.

Sunay's
sleeping space was tucked into the furthest corner, and unlike the
others she didn't have a sleeping bag, as she found them horribly
uncomfortable. Instead, she had a pile of straw that served suitably
enough for rest, as it allowed her to curl up into a ball with her
tail in front of her face to block out the remaining light.

“You're
not going to leave, are you, Sunay?”

Matron
Miriam's question rung in her head as she closed her eyes. It was
such a terrible question to ask. Of course
she
wanted to leave. Everyone
in
the orphanage did, and it made them feel terrible to even think about
it, because it wasn't the matron's fault.

But
there was a huge world out there, even if it was openly hostile.
Sunay wanted
to
experience more than this small island in the storm. She wanted to
feel the sea air. She wanted to be free. She wanted to live without
fear. She wanted to see
the
places she had heard about in Matron Miriam's tutoring: Aramathea,
Reaht, the Daynelands, the tropical islands, the Forever Seas...

At
least her dreams could go there, and Sunay soon followed thanks to
the fatigue of a hard day's work.

2. Chapter
Two: A Noble Visitor

Sunay
had a system. Matron Miriam would ask her to go out in the forest to
forage for mushrooms. Sunay would pretend it took her hours to find
enough fungi to supplement Kaeli's vegetable stock, when in truth it
took the foxgirl maybe an hour at most. She could then spend the
rest of the time prowling, hunting, and napping in peace and quiet
rather than surrounded by a small army of children.

A
bed of straw was decent enough, but it simply didn't compare to the
slightly moist earth underneath the forest canopy. Compared to the
bustling church, the sounds of the forest were practically silence.
The chirping birds, the hoof fall of deer, the grating howl of a
foxhound...

Wait
a minute.

Uh
oh.

Sunay
thanked the Coders for her animal reflexes as she quickly sprung out
of her ball as the lean, short-haired body of a gray Avalon Foxhound
burst from the foliage with another teeth-grating wail and made a
swift change of direction to match Sunay's attempt to dodge its
charge.

The
fox proved slightly faster than the hound, at least for the first
exchange, as the dog's jaws snapped angrily at empty air.

“Yah!
Git outta here, mutt!” Sunay screamed, hoping that the sound
of a human voice would confuse the beast that smelled fox.

It
did, as the foxhound stopped dead in its tracks as it spun about for
a second charge, dropping onto its hind quarters and tilted its head
trying to process the conflicting information coming from its nose
and ears. Sunay tried to use that indecision to make her escape when
she heard another human voice approaching quickly.

“Nelly!
Come here, girl! Stupid dog... we're not
hunting
foxes today. I just want a nice walk in the woods, is that really
too
much to ask? Nelly!
Come
here now!”

That
caused Sunay to jump, literally up the nearest tree, and that sudden
movement caused the hound to decide that she was more fox than human,
and started barking angrily while clawing at the bark.

Sunay
hissed, “Go 'way, ya damned mutt! Leave me alone!” as
the dog's presumed owner emerged into view, struggling with the
foliage that his hound had handled so easily.

He
didn't exactly have the look of a fox hunter. He was a slight
fellow, dressed for comfort in thin brown pants and a frilled shirt
covered by a cotton vest, the ensemble littered with barbed balls
from the prickly ferns that grew rampant in the forest.

“Nelly!”
he bellowed to the dog that continued to ignore him. “Idiot
dog... why my mother insisted on making me drag you out here...”

The
man grabbed the dog by the collar, and tried to pull the foxhound
away. It almost worked, until the dog lunged out of its presumed
master's grasp and started scratching and howling at Sunay again.

“Coders
curse you, dog, you're not going to find a fox up th...”

At
that point, the boy had looked up, and his eyes met Sunay's despite
her efforts to hide herself in the branches.

His
voice fell, now awestruck. “Okay, I stand corrected.”

He
was a handsome fellow, Sunay had to admit. His hair was a sandy
brown, with bright blue eyes, lightly bronzed skin from the southern
sun, and smooth features that had yet to suffer the wear of time.

Sunay
flattened her ears and prayed to the Coders that he hadn't seen her
tail. He most likely hadn't, because he wasn't cursing her to the
fiery pits and trying to find a torch. “Go away!” she
shouted angrily. “Take your mutt and leave me alone!”

“Oh,
my dear lady, I am so
very
sorry!” he said with earnest apology, again trying to rein in
the dog. “I don't know what has come over her. Are you
alright?”

“I'm
fine! Just go 'way!” Sunay was panicking, and she knew it.
Matron Miriam would be furious at her if she found out about this.

The
boy tried to pull on his dog again, this time losing his grip on the
pull, falling backward and landing square on his rump on top of
Sunay's discarded satchel of mushrooms. He instantly knew something
was wrong due to the softness of the landing, and identified why upon
standing up. “Oh no! I am so very sorry, my dear lady! Were
these yours?”

“It's
fine! Just leave!” Sunay shouted, her voice approaching
frantic.

The
boy shook his head, terrified by the thought. “I couldn't
possibly, my lady! My dog and I ruined your gathering, and I would
be punished so very harshly if I didn't make amends. It's the
gentleman's way!”

“I
don't need yer 'elp! Go!”

The
boy circled the tree, his eyes narrowing in curiosity. Sunay shifted
among the branches to counter, trying as hard as she could to keep as
much obstruction between them as possible.

“It's
hard to tell, but had I known the orphanage had such pretty girls, I
would have defied my father's order and visited in person.”

Sunay
jolted, and she asked nervously, “Ya... know 'bout the
orphanage?”

“My
father is the de facto mayor of Navarre. Where do you think your
matron keeps getting her supplies?”

Sunay
let her ears raise slightly, if for no reason that it wasn't entirely
comfortable to lay them flat for too long. She pushed aside the
branches to offer the boy a better look, and said, “You know...
about us?”

The
boy smiled warmly. “Of course, my lady. My grandfather was
the lord of this land before the Revolution, and my father kept some
authority and our family lands by siding with the rebels.” he
said before his voice shifted, “I'd wager that there's at least
two among your number that could call me brother. It's a mutual
protection, I'm sure.”

“Pretty
bastard move to 'ide your children in our dump of an orphanage,”
Sunay grumbled, deciding she didn't like this boy very much.

“I
agree.”

That
reply took Sunay off guard. “What? You'd want 'im to claim
'is little bastards? You wouldn' be worried that they'd, I dunno...”

“I'm
the youngest of my father's legitimate brats. I don't have much of
an inheritance to steal. What I did have was two good friends who
probably never knew who their father really was and who I have been
forbidden to see since I was nine, when they were shipped off to your
orphanage.”

The
boy tried again to harness his dog, and this time it was successful
enough for him to reattach the lead to the dog's collar. “I am
truly very sorry about Nelly. My mother insists I don't leave the
manor without some
sort
of escort. Please do come down, Nelly is all howl and nothing else,
I promise.”

Getting
down from a tree was always harder than going up, and it wasn't an
easier process when the boy was distracting her.

“You
have a very lovely tail.”

Sunay
blushed and growled, “You better not be talkin' 'bout mah
butt.”

“I
wouldn't dare be so uncouth, my lady.”

Confident
she was finally close enough to the ground to let herself drop the
rest of the way, she fell, landing with a crouch onto the forest
floor. As she straightened, she said, “Coders, if we're gonna
keep talkin', might as well use our names. I'm Sunay.”

“Laron,”
the boy replied, offering his hand in greeting. When Sunay took the
shake, he instead turned hers palm down to drop a kiss on the back of
her hand.

“Oh
please stop, will ya?” she said with a roll of her eyes, even
as she fought back the blush already on her freckled cheeks. She
found a suitable alternate focus of her attention, taking her satchel
from Laron and confirming that the mushrooms inside were indeed
mushed beyond salvage. With a sigh, she dumped out the satchel's
contents and said, “Well, I guess it's back ta work for me.”

Laron
pleaded, “Let me help you, Sunay. It was my dumb dog's fault,
and I would feel terrible leaving you to have to start over all your
work on your own.”

On
one hand, it didn't take her very long at all to gather mushrooms.
On the other, it wouldn't be a bad thing if it took even less. On
the other, other hand, Laron looked like he had exactly zero
experience identifying edible mushrooms. On the other, other, other
hand, Sunay suspected Laron wasn't going to take no for an answer.

She
bent down at the knees to pick up the most intact specimen that had
been in her bag. “I'm lookin' for mushrooms like this. Think
you can handle that?”

Laron
nodded vigorously. “Provided Nelly doesn't try to eat them.
Come on girl, let's see if your nose is good for more than foxes.”

They
parted for their search, but kept in speaking distance so as to
easily find each other. “It's such a shame that chimeras are
so hated now,” Laron said in conversation. “Both of my
siblings were so sweet, even though they were never allowed outside.”

“What
were their names?” Sunay asked. “I probably know them.”

“The
first one to leave was Anders. I was only five at the time. The
younger one was about my age, maybe a little older. She was Raquel.
If I didn't think your matron would tell on me, I would try to find
your orphanage.”

Sunay's
heart sank like a brick in their stomach. “I dunno about
Anders. He left the orphanage 'bout five years ago; we haven't heard
any news about 'im over the Line, so we can only assume that's good.
Raquel... we got word a few days ago that she 'ad been caught by
Republic forces tryin' ta get across the border.”

She
didn't want to say anything else, and she didn't need to. She could
see him between two trees stop in his tracks, and his sobs heaving
his chest.

Sunay
had seen too many people crying recently. She navigated the
distance, ignored Nelly's warning growl, and wrapped her arms around
Laron's shoulders. She didn't know what else to say. When she'd
learned about it, she had wanted to cry too. “Ya both were
real close, eh?”

“Raquel
and I were about the same age. She probably would have been sent to
the orphanage sooner, but my mother didn't want to abandon her.”
He laughed once at the memory. “Funny that, isn't it? My
mother didn't want to abandon my father's illegitimate child.”

“Kinda
odd fer the woman who woulda 'ad 'er 'usband cursed,” Sunay
replied.

Laron
shook his head. “She wasn't the one responsible for the curse.
She honestly wasn't bothered that my father had a mistress. It was
her
mother,
my grandmother, that arranged for some mage to curse him. My mother
encouraged me to be friendly with my chimeric siblings. I would buy
Raquel candy and toys from town and bring them back to her. Her eyes
would light up and she would be so happy.

“And
then my father finally got his way,” Laron whimpered, “and
Raquel was gone and I never saw her again.” He looked at
Sunay, brushing the moisture from his eyes. “Was... was she
happy?”

Sunay
answered, “As 'appy as anyone can be in an orphanage. But when
there's so many around, it can kinda drive ya nutter. She wanted to
have 'er own home, live 'er own life rather than steppin' over little
bratlings all day. But yer right about 'er, she was always smiling,
even when times were rough.”

“Thank
you, Sunay,” he said as he again tried to dry his tears. “But
I promised to help you find some mushrooms, did I not? I'm sure I
can completely break down in the privacy of my room later.”

Sunay
didn't give nearly as much distance this time, no more than a handful
of yards, nimbly picking morels and truffles while making circles
around the considerably less-efficient boy. “Your mother seems
like a real piece o' work. I can't imagine bein' so patient with a
man who slept around on me, much less accepting 'is bastard kids.”

Laron
chuckled. “More along the lines of my mother and father
marrying out of convenience almost two decades ago, knowing that
neither of them really wanted to settle down. As I said, it was my
grandmother who got all wound up about fidelity. But my mother did
believe
that every person deserved love and respect. I admire her for that.”

“Sounds
like a good mother at least.”

“Oh,
my father is hardly some monster, either,” Laron said. “He
doesn't want
to
abandon kids on your orphanage's doorstep the minute they emerge from
the womb, but keeping them locked away for their entire lives isn't
all that great of an option either, especially when you're trying
very hard to not remind Parliament that you were a noble once.”

Sunay
couldn't hide the bitterness in her voice. “Not like we get to
roam free here.”

Laron
cringed. “I... suppose that's true. I am sorry, Sunay. I
shouldn't presume considering how little I know about the orphanage
itself.”

He
went silent, head down intently, as if a cold stare could force
mushrooms out of the earth. Sunay didn't have the heart to tell him
that she had already replaced what she needed. She was enjoying
talking with someone new for a change, even if she was wasting his
time.

Was
that selfish?

“How
many mushrooms do you need?” He then asked.

Sunay
exclaimed, “Oh! Why dontcha bring what you got ta me? I bet
between the two o' us, I've got enough to take back without bein'
scolded.”

He
moved to her, pointing a warning finger at Nelly when the dog
growled, then presented his backpack to Sunay. The foxgirl analyzed
the contents, and got what she figured, maybe four or five usable
samples, and a bunch of fungi that would make Kaeli's lips curl and
potentially orphans' stomachs to churn.

She
dumped all of them into her satchel anyway. She could sort them out
later after they parted, and it wouldn't hurt Laron's feelings.
“This'll do indeed, boy,” she said happily. “Thanks
a bunch for 'elpin out!”

Laron
wrung his hands, and asked, “Do... do you think we can meet
again?”

Sunay
cringed. She'd like that, but if Matron Miriam ever found out, she'd
probably be skinned alive. “I dunno. It's kinda 'ard to set a
meetin' place when I don't know anythin' 'bout what's beyond the
forest, and everythin' in the forest probably looks the exact same to
ya.”

Laron
was clearly hurt by that, but it was something Sunay really couldn't
do anything about. She didn't like it either. She slung her satchel
over her shoulder, and said, “Listen, I gotta go. Our cook is
gonna be wantin' these, and she's prob'ly gonna be mad as it is.
I'll... see ya... maybe... sometime?”

With
that, she dropped to all fours and dashed away, back towards the
familiarity of the orphanage, not giving him a chance at parting in
case he somehow said something that she'd stupidly agree to. She was
so relieved to see the orphanage when she broke through the tree line
that she completely forgot to filter out the bad mushrooms that Laron
had gathered.

Sunay
attempted to do so, but Kaeli noticed her arrival too quickly. “Ey
there, Sunay! I was wondering where you were! Hurry up and get
those 'shrooms here. The broth is almost completely boiled down!”

And
Kaeli immediately identified that Sunay's haul wasn't up to usual
standards once the beargirl inspected the haul, “What in the
burning pit were you doing out there, girl? You know I can't use
these!”

Sunay
knew Kaeli was going to demand an explanation, as she hastily
composed one based on part of the truth. “I... had to dodge
some unwanted company. There were some foxhounds out in the forest,
and I had to rush things while shakin' them off my tail.”

Kaeli
sniffed Sunay's neck. “I thought I smelled something funny.
Damn it all, I'm gonna have to tell the matron about this. They're
getting closer.”

Sunay
waved off the idea. “No! It was my fault! I... I... got to
close to the outer edge of the forest. I was bein' stupid. There's
no reason to panic and worry the matron. She's got enough to worry
about as it is.”

Kaeli
didn't seem entirely convinced by Sunay's explanation, but also
acknowledged the foxgirl's reasoning. “Alright... but you make
sure you keep close from now on, damn it all. The last thing the
orphanage needs are fox hunters tracking your scent here.”

“I
know! I know!” Sunay insisted. “I promise it won't
'appen again, and I promise ya no 'unters are gonna be trackin' my
scent anywhere.”

Sunay
earnestly believed that.

~
~ ~

And
Sunay turned out to be wrong not even a week later.

“Sunay!
Sunay!” Megan called out, dashing around the corner of the
orphanage to where Sunay was busy binding some straw into a bale.

It
was a fairly important job to get done as they had already lost some
straw to rain and the mud that came with it. So Sunay didn't
entirely appreciate being interrupted. “What is it? I'm
busy.”

“The
Matron's calling for you, Sunay,” Megan explained. “She's
not happy.”

Sunay
scoffed, and said, “She's never
happy
wit' me. That's not new.”

“She
still wants you in her room. Double time, she says,” Megan
replied. “I think it has to do with the visitor that came by.”

Sunay's
ears twitched with worry. The orphanage never
got
visitors. Even people who were trying to hide their chimeras had
Matron Miriam come to them.
“Visitor? Who?”

Megan
shrugged, “I don't know. Didn't get the chance to see him. I
guess he knocked on the front door, the matron took one look at him,
and quickly pushed him into her room. A minute or two later, she
sticks her head out the door and screamed your name. I'm surprised
you didn't hear it yourself.”

Sunay
had heard the matron howling, but hadn't paid it much attention. The
foxgirl grunted in frustration, and said, “Alright. Tell Kaeli
she might have to finish tying up this straw. There ain't too much
more to do, but I dunno how long I'll be. All depend on how mad the
matron is.”

Megan
saluted like she was regarding a commanding officer. “Yes,
ma'am!”

Sunay
rolled her eyes, and shooed off the girl, before taking a slow walk
of shame towards the front door of the orphanage. The back door was
far closer, but Sunay wanted to delay the coming reprimand as much as
possible, even if she didn't even know what she had done.

How
could she be tied into any 'visitor' that stumbled onto the
orphanage? She didn't know anyone outside this damned place.

Except...

Her
eyes flared open, and her trudging walk turned into a full sprint.
He couldn't have...

She
burst through the front door without breaking stride, did the same to
Matron Miriam's chambers door, and only came to a full stop once she
was a single stride inside.

He
could have, and he did.

“Hello,
Miss Sunay,” Laron said with a cheeky smile, standing proudly
in the center of the room.

Matron
Miriam was sitting at her desk, hands folded in front of her mouth.
She didn't look enraged
like
Megan had implied, but she wasn't happy either. “Sunay, close
the door,” Miriam ordered quietly.

Sunay
glared at Laron as she complied, and the eye contact prompted the
matron to say, “I take it you do
know
each other.”

“Ma'am,
I believe I told you to go easy on her, as our meeting was my
fault,”
Laron said, surprising Sunay in how boldly he addressed the matron.
No one in the orphanage would get away with talking to her like that.

“You're
lucky I don't send you back home with a tanned backside, boy,”
Miriam snarled.

“Considering
what little coin you accept from my father is the reason this
orphanage exists, taking liberties with my discipline probably
wouldn't be received very well,” Laron countered, maintaining
his smug expression.

Sunay
took three steps to the side, just in case Matron Miriam could
breath
fire like the adults said. She didn't want to be caught in the wake.
Unfortunately, that movement turned the matron's gaze on her.

“And
you... how did you manage to get so careless?”

Laron
interceded again. “I had one of my family's foxhounds with me.
Your charge is nimble and sly, but Nelly is not easily thwarted. She
was nowhere that the licensed hunters are or had any reason to be. I
was on a leisure walk.”

Miriam
gave him a steely gaze, then said, “I meant how could she lead
you here.
If some nasally soft boy could have followed her scent back here,
any of those experienced hunters can as well.”

Sunay's
ears drooped guiltily. She had
thought
she had hidden her trail well.

“You're
forgetting that my father and
mother
know exactly
where
this orphanage is,” Laron corrected, “and that my mother
has no problem with my associating with chimeras. She wanted to know
what happened to Raquel too, after all. Once I showed interest in
the orphanage, she gladly yielded the directions how to get here.
After all, even the youngest son of the family carries more weight
than the lady of the house.”

Miriam
stiffened at the invocation of the name, and even looked a little
guilty. “What do you want, boy?” she finally said
tiredly.

“I
want to help around the orphanage,” Laron declared. “I
know you could use the help. I can also offer additional funds and
supplies.”

“You
want
to
fool around with the fox behind you,” Miriam countered
knowingly. “And even if I felt it was a good match, which I
don't, entertaining the idea is lunacy.”

Laron
put a hand to his chest in dismay. “That you would assume a
gentleman such as myself to be so base as to pursue a courtship with
a lovely young lady he met all of once wounds me!” Seeing
Miriam's exaggerated cocked eyebrow, he added, “Of course I
would enjoy Miss Sunay's company, but I would not
be
so forward without more time spent in said company.”

“I
genuinely want to learn more about the people here,” Laron
continued. “I lost the latter half of Raquel's life. Maybe...
I can get to know others. Besides, I doubt either
of
my parents would approve of your embarrassing me by turning me away.
Do you honestly think I would be here without
at
least their begrudging permission?”

The
matron grunted, “You are
a
right nuisance, that's for sure. All right, for now...
I'll permit this, if only because appealing to your father would be
more trouble than you are. But I swear upon the Coders that made us
all, that it wouldn't take much from you to make that trouble worth
it. Am I understood?”

Laron
smiled in triumph, and bowed deeply. “Yes, ma'am.”

Miriam
finally pulled her hands away from her face, so she could drop her
chin into those same hands tiredly. “Then have Sunay put you
to work, and Sunay, don't you dare
put
him to work on what you were doing.”

“I've
seen 'im try to gather mushrooms. I think I'll start 'im off easy
today,” Sunay said, keeping her voice grumpy even as inwardly
she was going cartwheels. No one had ever
gotten
Matron Miriam to budge on anything.
“Come along, Laron. I think I know what ya can do.”

Sunay
led Laron out of Madam Miriam's chamber, and once the door was closed
behind them they were nearly swallowed up by a tide of curious
chimeras. Sunay understood the curiosity, this was the first new
person to cross that threshold in years.

“Hello...”
Laron said nervously, not so much out of fear of chimeras as it was
they were literally clinging to his legs and thus making it difficult
to walk.

“Oi!”
Sunay bellowed, shooing the children away and physically prying
Andrew off Laron's left leg. “Back off the new guy, will ya?
You'll get plenty of chance to get to know 'im.”

“He's
not a chimera!” Clive said, stating the obvious. “Why is
he here? Is he gonna replace the matron?”

That
caused a series of worried mumbles to stir across the younger
orphans, while the older ones rolled their eyes. Sunay quickly
squashed the idea. “He ain't replacin' nobody. He's from
outside the forest, and he's gonna be 'elping out here and there.”

“Which
gets me on point.” Sunay said while poking Laron in the chest.
“You
get
to entertain the bratlings while I
finish
tying up 'ay bales. Don't thank me, you got the tougher job, I'd
bet.”

She
lingered long enough for the mob to damn near swallow Laron up as he
took position in front of the dormant fireplace on the north side of
the main room. Hopefully, the novelty would last long enough for her
to finish working the straw, and she'd be able to rescue him before
the crowd got rowdy.

Kaeli
apparently hadn't gotten time to do anything, as everything was as
Sunay had left it when she returned to the straw pile. She laid out
two long lines of twine on top of a wooden panel, pulled her
pitchfork out of the soft earth, then started shoveling straw onto
the panel. When she had piled enough, she sorted it out so that it
clumped into something roughly resembling a brick, and then tied the
two ends of twine together so that the straw would roughly hold that
shape over the months that it would be in storage.

Storage
was a small shed made from brick that Sunay suspected had once been a
sacrificial altar for the church and its alternative practices. Even
though Matron Miriam swore there was no way anyone
would
be able to smell anything after decades, Sunay and other chimeras
were certain they could smell the remains of burnt human flesh there.

The
number of horror stories that could be told about this place
entertained the orphans on many a dark, sleepless night.

The
shed was nearly full an hour later when Sunay finished the pile that
she had been given to work with. Half of it was going to town on
Miriam's next trip to trade for supplies, the other half would be
used for bedding and patch work over the next few months, just in
time for another cartload to arrive to bundle up for the winter
months.

She
had always wondered why Matron Miriam would bring in a cartload of
straw, have Sunay or one of the other older orphans bale it, then
take those bales back
to
town, at least until Laron's words put it in perspective. It was one
of the ways the noble family assisted the orphanage, no doubt. Have
Miriam take straw from the family lands for little or no cost, then
sell it in town, taking that profit to purchase more necessary
supplies.

It
made sense to her
at
least.

Sunay
pulled the door to the shed closed with a grunt, flipping the bar
that served as a latch around and onto the metal hook that kept it
“closed”, in the sense that it still left a good two
inches of space between the door and the brick wall. That was
something she was going to have to fix before foraging animals
decided it would make for good food.

Now
it was time to see if the bratlings hadn't dismembered Laron in their
excitement.

They
hadn't, and in fact the kids were actually... behaving.
The older ones had lost interest in the visitor by the time Sunay
returned, having gone back to whatever chores they had been given
that day. The younger ones, however, had formed a small semi-circle
around where Laron was sitting, looking up at him with beaming smiles
as he was engaged in story time.

“And
then the Tiger Man jumped off the cliff side, braving the rocks
below.”

Sunay
forced back a chuckle. Laron knew about the Tiger Man. That
was
adorable.

The
Tiger Man was a series of stories that Matron Miriam would tell about
a “natural” chimera born of a woman who had run away from
a horrible father in the long lost land of Scheherazade, and found
protection under a spirit of the jungle. Eventually the woman gave
birth to a child of great strength and tenacity, and learned to care
for all
people
through his mother's lessons.

The
Matron often used such stories as teaching tools; for younger kids,
there were stories that taught basic compassion and the good in
people's hearts. As the orphans grew older, the stories became more
complex, featuring the Tiger Man's own fights with equality, as well
as more negative emotions like how to handle his own anger and rage.

Laron
was telling a tale that none of them had heard yet.

“Did
the Tiger Man make it?” Clive asked, his eyes wide with worry.

“No
one knows,” Laron answered. “He was never seen after that
final hunt. But the Tiger Man was strong and bold. Tales say that
when he's needed, he'll come back.”

Not
the best lesson to teach the bratlings, Sunay thought. There were
plenty
of
times the chimera's hero had been needed. But at the same time, the
little ones didn't seem traumatized by the story.

“I
bet the Tiger Man helps people of the Line take chimeras to new homes
when they're all grown up!” Artemis said hopefully.

“He
might,” Laron said. “The Tiger Man is as mysterious as
he is powerful. There's little knowing where he could be at any
given time.” He then caught Sunay's gaze. “Oh, greetings
Miss Sunay. I take it you've finished your tasks. What time is it?”

“Evening's
breaking, if you have somewhere to be,” she said.

Laron
grimaced. “I do, in fact, and I did not bring a horse with me.
I'll have to do so in the future I think.”

There
were immediate protests from his audience. “I'll be back,
little ones, I promise! But sadly, I have other responsibilities and
a family that would
get
concerned if I'm gone all night.”

Matron
Miriam took that moment to interject. “And just when will you
be back, young man?”

“Well,
I have my tutoring for the next two days, but I have a day free to
volunteer after that. Would that be acceptable, ma'am?”

The
normally gruff matron was trying really hard not to sound
too pleased.
Even she had to admit that Laron had kept the bratlings out of
everyone else's way. “Well, what do the little ones think?
Would that be acceptable?”

The
reply was loud and in unison. “YES!”

“Then
it is settled, we will see you in three days, young man.”
The
matron regarded Sunay, and with a tired sigh said, “Sunay,
escort the boy back to the main road, but do
take
care that you aren't seen.”

“Yes,
ma'am,” Sunay said, flipping her right hand, beckoning Laron to
follow her. “Come on, boy. Best to get ya back 'ome before
yer parents git worried.”

Laron
complied, falling in step behind her and following through the front
doors, nodding in parting to the older orphans still milling about on
their chores, and through the clearing into the forest proper.

“I
can't believe that worked,” Laron finally admitted once he felt
they were safely out of earshot of anyone who could hear.

Sunay
was confused. “What worked?”

“Bluffing
my way into helping out here.”

Sunay's
eyes bulged in fright, and forced herself to keep her voice down.
“You... you lied?”

“Well,
not entirely.
I told my parents I'm volunteering some of my time to the church.
Which I am,
they just don't know that it's Matron Miriam,” he said, biting
his lower lip. “I snuck into my father's study and learned the
directions to the orphanage. My mother probably would
have
told me, but I didn't want to get her in trouble.”

“Your
dad is gonna flay you alive if he finds out!”

“My
father only cares that I am home by sundown. He has enough matters
to deal with and two older sons to manage. My mother is going to be
concerned, but she'll support my initiative here, if she even bothers
to ask. Almost can't believe that I'd thank the Coders for
inattentive parents.”

Sunay
shook her head in disbelief. “You really wanna spend time wit'
me that bad, eh?”

“I've
lived my entire life without a purpose. I'm the kid they're going to
ship off to some church duty anyway once I come of age so that I
don't get any ideas of inheriting any of the family land. Those
little kids smiling when they see me, listening to me tell dumb
stories... it reminded me of how Raquel would get so very happy to
see me. It felt good.”

He
tenderly grasped the back of Sunay's hand, and added, “But I
certainly won't protest to spending more time with a pretty girl like
you.”

She
flattened her ears distastefully, even as her cheeks betrayed the
compliment. “Oh, you hush.”

The
pair stopped just short of where the tree line broke. “I
probably should listen to the matron for once, so this is as far as I
go,” Sunay said in parting. “You promise yer comin'
back?”

“In
three days time,” Laron acknowledged. “I'd return sooner
if I didn't have tutoring to attend to.”

Sunay
then raised herself onto her toes, dropping a shy peck on Laron's
cheek. “Well, there's something for you to think about while
yer waitin'. Ta ta, boy.”

This
time she scampered at top speed simply so that she could explain the
flush on her face by running so fast back to the orphanage. Maybe
Matron Miriam thought entertaining affections for the young man was a
bad idea. Burning pits, even she
thought
it was a bad idea.

But
did it really hurt to dream?

3. Chapter
Three: Over the River and Through the Woods

Laron
didn't help Sunay's conflicted emotions in the slightest. As summer
yielded to fall, the young nobleman had been spending at least two
days a week at the orphanage, entertaining the bratlings and even
helping Kaeli in the kitchen. He had offered to help with more
difficult and potentially dangerous manual labor (like the repairs
Sunay frequently performed), but there was only so far Matron Miriam
was going to bend, especially since she was justifiably terrified
about what would happen were Laron to injure himself.

And
in that same stretch, he made his interest in Sunay painfully clear,
much to Miriam's dismay. Sunay herself gave lip service to Miriam's
reservations, even as the foxgirl reveled in the attention of such a
dashing and sophisticated gentleman. Sunay still didn't think it was
a good idea, mind, but at the same time what healthy young lady
wouldn't
swoon
a little at her own personal fairy-tale prince?

“Would
you like to have lunch with me in town tomorrow?” he whispered
in her ear.

Sunay
nearly slammed her hammer down on her thumb with how the question
completely broke her concentration. The first emotion that stirred
after her brain caught up was anger. “Coders, boy! That is not
a
question ya ask a girl when she's tryin' to fix a wall!”

She
then whirled about to face him and his broadly grinning face. “And
what in the Coders' holy names makes ya think it's a good idea to
take... mmph?”

“Keep
your voice down!” Laron warned as he slapped his hand over her
mouth, then smirked at her hysterical response when he pulled away.
“Do you honestly
thinks
that you'll be set to the stake the minute you step outside the
forest?”

“Uhhh...
yes?”

He
shook his head in disbelief. “Believe it or not, the people of
this area tend to have a very 'live and let live' attitude when it
comes to nobles, and the bastard children that came from those
nobles. You would be more
than
able to blend in with the rest of the outside world. The tail might
take a little creativity...”

“It
don't matter, 'cause the matron would never allow it!”

Laron
rolled his eyes. “That's why you don't
tell
her,
girl. I've seen you gather mushrooms, it normally takes you thirty
minutes, and then you spend the rest of the day napping in the
woods.” He then grinned cheekily and added, “or lately
fooling around with me. Instead of napping, you meet me and we go
into town for lunch.”

Sunay
blushed so red it almost covered her freckles. “Say I agree to
this crazy idea. You're not even here
tomorrow.”

“That's
why
we
go tomorrow. I won't be here, so no one will suspect you're fooling
around outside of the forest. Come on, do you honestly want to stay
cooped up in this clearing all your life?”

Of
course
she
didn't want to be secluded in this orphanage all her life. “But...”

“If
your answer to every potential danger was to hide from it, you'd
never leave your bed, and frankly I've seen your bed. You really
need to assert a little independence once in a while. Otherwise,
you'll wind up a simpering ninny doing whatever you can to endear
yourself to your parents in the hope you'll get a little slice of
inheritance like the second son in my family. Coders, is that
boy
a right mess. You don't even have that
to
try and preserve.”

He
took Sunay's hands, the hammer dropping lifeless from her fingers as
she caught his gaze, and those bright blue eyes that she swore
glimmered like sapphires. “Sunay, I want to show you my
world,
and I want to do it before we're too old and gray to care about being
caught.”

There
was no use trying to resist. At that point, she was putty in his
hands, and she knew it. “Oh... alright. But 'ow are we goin'
to pull this off?”

“We'll
meet at the brook rock tomorrow at noon,” Laron said, referring
to the large granite rock that they had found last month while on one
of their mushroom hunts, that rested along a small tributary that ran
through the southwest portion of the forest. It was a solid landmark
for them to meet illicitly. “From there, I can take us into
town. I know exactly where to go, too. I bet you haven't had a good
hunk of meat since you were born.”

Sunay
had to lick her lips to keep from salivating at the idea. She knew
foxes were carnivorous by nature, but that portion of her diet had to
be limited due to the number of chimeras cursed with herbivorous
forms that found meat inherently distasteful. And what meaty samples
she could
get
were generally of poor quality. “Then it's...”

“A
date. Yes,” Laron said with a wink. “But for now you
should probably pick up that hammer and finish repairing the wall
here. I think Matron Miriam is gonna start to wonder why you
stopped, and will probably blame it on my boyish charms. I wouldn't
blame her if that's the case, I do have such very kissable lips.”

Again,
Sunay blushed, and she pushed him away while trying to hide it. “Then
get outta here so I can work!”

That
loud protest drew Matron Miriam's attention, who threw open her door
and stuck her head around the corner. “Laron! You're here to
work, not flirt! If you can't find something to do that doesn't
involve Sunay, I'll
find
something for you, and I promise you won't
like
it!”

The
little ones playing in the main hall started giggling at the matron's
reprimand, and Laron backed away as if chided, even though he flashed
Sunay a knowing grin. “Understood, ma'am. I do apologize.
Come along, little ones, I think I know of another game I can teach
you.”

The
children cheered, and Sunay smiled warmly while trying to control her
rampant color that had spread to her neck. That distraction allowed
Kaeli to sneak up her, something that the beargirl should never
be
able to do.

“Is
little Sunay about to be very naughty?”
Kaeli asked playfully, startling the foxgirl into dropping her hammer
again.

Scrambling
to pick it up again, Sunay's attempt to hide her guilt was terribly
transparent. “I... I dunno what yer talkin' about.”

“Ol'
Kaeli has some good ears. Your boy there is pretty clever, but it'll
be a frozen day here before two kids pull the rug over my eyes.”

Sunay's
ears dropped in defeat. “Ya... yer not gonna tell the matron,
are ya? If'n I don't go?”

Instead,
Kaeli bellowed, “Matron, I need to borrow Sunay for a minute!
I'll send her right back to patching the wall when I'm done!”
Then with a softer, conspiratorial tone, she beckoned Sunay with a
finger. “Follow me.”

Kaeli's
kitchen was always a warm welcome place, filled with wonderful smells
that made tummies rumble. It was also a safe place where the Matron
Miriam didn't readily go unlike any other room in the orphanage.
Which was a good thing, because Kaeli had some things to say that
would likely make the matron flush with anger.

“I
was ten when the Revolution started. I was eleven when the conflict
spread to this part of the republic. I was thirteen by the time I
found my way to this orphanage. Up until that point, I could walk
freely in the streets of Navarre. I'd be glared at to be sure,
occasionally threatened for being a bastard noble's girl, but I could
walk freely.

“It
doesn't bother me that I can't anymore, because I'm a homebody. I
like settling in one place. It's why I'm still here while everyone
else my age has long
since
tried their hand with the open world. But you, Sunay, you're an
explorer. You want to see the world out there, and you should get
the chance. You should see the streets that I walked down, see how
they've changed, if
they've
changed.”

Sunay's
eyes had narrowed to dots, and her jaw hung loose from the rest of
her head. Was this real?

Kaeli
turned to her left, and pulled a long black box from the top of her
meager spice cabinet. “Your boy isn't wrong. You certainly
could pass off as a completely normal human with just a little bit of
work. Here. I've been sewing this together in my spare time
figuring this day would come eventually.”

Sunay
took the box with trepidation, giving Kaeli large, questioning, eyes.

“Go
on, child. Open it up.”

When
the foxgirl finally complied and lifted the lid, she was greeted with
blouse, skirt, and a hat. The blouse was completely normal, dyed in
a pastel green which matched the skirt. Sunay hadn't worn many
skirts, as they didn't allow the freedom of movement she needed to do
chores, so she was uncertain about it even before discovering it was
long enough for her to trip over if she took too large of a stride.

Kaeli
then took the hat, a brown, floppy... thing... and put it on Sunay's
head so that the loose top draped down the back of her hair, then
patted down the foxgirl's ears. “You'll have to keep your ears
down for it to look right, as well as be careful not to run too fast.
But I think you'll manage just fine.”

Sunay
tried not to cry. She failed.

“Now,
now... no tears. I don't think you'll be running away tomorrow,”
Kaeli said soothingly. “Or at least... you better not. Enjoy
the outside world. Let the rest come in time.”

Sunay
still could manage to find words thanks to the lump in her throat, so
the foxgirl resorted to dropping the box and enveloping Kaeli in a
happy hug.

The
beargirl chuckled. “Awww... you're just the sweetest thing
when you want to be. Now get back to work. I'll leave the box on
top of the spice cabinet, and you can grab it when you leave in the
morning.”

~
~ ~

Sunay
followed those instructions the following morning, though the foxgirl
did
insist on gathering the mushrooms she was allegedly heading out to
fetch, even as Kaeli insisted it wasn't necessary. With the black
box under her arm, she spent the time before the meeting gathering,
and left the satchel hanging from a tree to keep animals from getting
into it while she was in town.

And
even then she arrived at the meeting spot too early. By the time
that she had changed, stuffed the box with her old clothes into her
pack and secured the whole lot in the trees, the sun hadn't even
reached the treetops. She then scaled the five foot rock and settled
onto the flat top, a surface that allowed just enough room for two
teenagers to sit very
close.
She crossed her legs, dropped her elbows onto her knees, and her
head onto her hands. She then exhaled with a puttering sound of
exasperation.

This
was going to be one boring
wait...

It
was no more than half an hour before she first heard the swishing
sound of someone hacking through the underbrush, a fairly common
behavior of hunters trying to clear fox holes. Sunay immediately
vacated her position on the rock, instead using it as a hiding spot
from the slowly approaching noise.

The
sound stopped as her sense of smell kicked in, which eased her
concern and caused her to smile and her heart to do flip-flops. It
was a very familiar, very welcome smell, and Sunay broke from her
hiding place, and moved as swiftly as she could in her skirt towards
her object of affection.

As
a result, she couldn't engage in the flying tackle that she would
have wanted to do, instead waiting for Laron as he appeared through
the trees, sheathing a broad machete that he had been using to clear
a path through the taller weeds.

He
saw her soon after, and gave her his familiar warm, lopsided grin.
“I see I wasn't the only one eager to get a start on the day.”

Sunay
tried to say something, but the words failed to form in her throat,
so she settled for a breathless giggle as his arms circled
comfortably around her waist. This had become a familiar feeling, as
did the loving, open mouthed kiss they shared a breath later.

She
was flushed by the time they parted, and that color only built as he
looked down through the v-neck of her blouse and said, “You
look very nice.”

“Kaeli
made it,” Sunay answered. “She said I should blend in
jus' fine.”

Laron
nodded in confirmation. “Might wonder why a girl would be
wearing such an old style, but since I don't think anyone is going to
think you're some daughter of a wealthy family it certainly won't
raise any questions.”

Sunay
pushed the young man away, dropped her hands on her hips, and shot
him a dark expression. “Are you sayin' I don't look
sophisticated? Ya think I can't pull it off?”

Laron
didn't rise to the bait, and simply replied, “No, but that's
one of the reasons I like you.”

Sunay's
lips twitched into a grin, even as her eyes narrowed. “Kaeli's
right. You are
a
clever boy.”

“I
do try.” He then gestured behind him, and said, “Would
you like to make our way to town, my lady? I have cleared the path
for you so as not to soil your wonderful clothes.”

He
offered his arm, and Sunay slipped hers in the crook of his elbow.
“And such a gentleman too.”

Sunay
knew the forest surrounding Matron Miriam's orphanage pretty well,
which was also how she knew she was getting into the areas she hadn't
explored often. The nerves steadily built as they moved still
further from comfortable environs, to
the point that she was clinging to Laron's arm as if she would fall
up into the open sky as the tree line thinned.

Laron
asked, “You've never been this far away from home, have you?”

“Once,”
Sunay admitted. “When I was nine. Got all the way to the
treeline when Matron Miriam found me. She beat my 'ind end good fer
that one. I know she was tryin' to protect me, I understan' that
there are people out in this world that would love to see me burn...
but at the time I was so sore at 'er.”

“Well...
then I'd say take a look now, because the world lies before you.”

Sure
enough, the trees were now behind her, and said world felt even
bigger than what Matron Miriam taught in her lessons. The grasslands
extended to the south and a slow decline towards what she had been
told was sandy coastline, and to the north... mountains. Real
mountains,
with peaks dusted with a white patches of snow. Sunay had been able
to see the base of that mountain range from as far as she dared walk
down the clearing road, but not
much else.

She
broke away from Laron, drinking in the unobstructed view for the
first time she could clearly remember. It was amazing. She wanted
to go everywhere she could see all at once. From that breathtaking
panorama, the sight of the town of Navarre didn't hold quite as much
interest anymore.

The
town commanded the immediate view, stretching across her vision from
north to south, with farms growing grain and grazing cattle to the
north side, yielding to small wood houses and cabins clustered
together before the brick and mortar streets and buildings of the
town square. Further west, along a gentle incline, was a genuine
castle, with an exterior wall and two square, buttressed towers.

Laron
followed Sunay's line of sight, and said, “Take a guess where
my family lives. I'll give you an up close look later. Let's get on
the road... we don't blend in very well off the beaten path.”

The
road itself was nearby, and much more maintained than the worn path
of dirt that was the orphanage's excuse for a “road.”
This was made of cobblestone and moved to the north, as if giving the
forest where Miriam's orphanage was hidden away a wide berth.

“Navarre
is actually a bit off the beaten path,” Laron explained. “This
area used to be a resort area for royalty and higher ranking nobles.
Good hunting, beaches, mild in the winter when the northern part of
the kingdom like Caravel was buried under inches of snow.”

Sunay's
attention was stolen by the cacophony of hoof beats originating from
a four horse cart, drawing a high bedded cart with wheels taller than
she was. She had thought Patrona, the horse that led Miriam's cart
was big. This cart could have carried enough supplies in a single
trip to maintain the orphanage for a year.

“I
wouldn't look quite
so
amazed, Sunay,” Laron whispered as the cart quickly passed them
on its path into the town, “considering if anyone asks, you're
a merchant's daughter from Lourdis.”

“Lourdis?”
Sunay asked, her voice drifting off. She couldn't rightly explain
why, but that name sounded familiar.

“It's
a bit to the south, and about two days travel to the east. It's the
major trading post in Avalon before the Great Trade Line heads north
towards Caravel. This road here is just a minor branch off that
major trade path. If anyone asks, just make up something about the
Merchant's Guild, and that you rarely had time outside of the Trade
District to really mull about.”

Sunay
pursed her lips thoughtfully, trying to absorb that information.

“I
highly doubt you'll have to make small talk of that nature with
anybody, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared. For the most part, if
you act really shy and let me do the talking, I doubt anyone will
even ask your name.”

Sunay
could do shy. She discovered that much simply because she had
started to cling to Laron's arm again because the increase in people
had equally increased her nerves. She had never seen
so
many people in one place before. Laron patted her hand comfortably,
smiling in amusement at her skittish behavior. The foxgirl glared at
him, then gave a sneer that betrayed a hint of her unusually long
canine teeth.

The
town boundary was a fairly stark transition, as the brick and stone
took over and the grass nigh entirely yielded. Even if the brick was
a drab gray, it was still exhilarating to see the remarkable
construction as opposed to the molding wood, tar, and thatch that
kept her home together. The sense of wonder once again overcame
Sunay's uncertainties, and she marveled at the buildings with their
colorful banners and signs indicating taverns, bakeries, tailors, a
blacksmith...

“What's
a massage parlor?” Sunay asked, pointing at a red and white
sign hanging in front of the peculiarly named “Madame Julia's
Massage Parlor.” She had heard of the other shops before, but
that was a new one.

This
time, Laron blushed all the way down to his neck, and he coughed
nervously. “Best not to worry about that,
my dear.”

“But...
I wanna see!”
Sunay insisted.

“No.
You really don't. Besides, it's not open.”

“Why
not?”

“It
only serves... customers... later at night.”

“Why
would it do that?”

Their
conversation was interrupted by a pair of old men, lounging at a
circular table in front of one of the taverns to Sunay's right,
sipping golden brown beer from crystal clear mugs. “That's
what brothels in Avalon started calling themselves to avoid being
investigated by the Republican Police,” the first said, a
scrawny, shriveled up specimen with about half the required number of
teeth and only strands remaining of a full head of hair.

The
second didn't look quite as weathered by time and age, with a ring of
silver hair around his head and something resembling meat on his
bones, but his tone was just as leery, and sent shivers down Sunay's
spine. “I'm rather surprised that no one's ever asked a pretty
little thing like you to work there.”

Sunay
knew
what
a brothel was, as well as the implication of the men's words,
especially as both men's line of sight were blatantly drawn directly
at Sunay's chest. Disgust shifted to anger quickly. “Why I
oughta,” she snarled angrily, and lunged forward a stride
before Laron stopped her with a hand around her wrist.

“Sunay,
dearie. Don't waste your breath or your fists. Those two aren't
worth it.”

“Ha!
I thought you looked familiar, Laron!” the second man said in
jeering tease. “So what is this about, eh? Trying to get some
fun in before you get shipped off to the church, are you?”

Laron's
lips pursed into a tight line, and Sunay couldn't remember the young
man ever
looking
that annoyed. “Being sent to the church would no doubt be a
better fate than what Marie would do if she learned you were here
rather than at the fishing hole, Mister Henry.”

That
got the second man to snap his mouth shut and his eyes to narrow, and
successfully turned the jovial ire of the first man on him. Laron
took the opportunity to lead Sunay forward, leaving the two old men
to bicker amongst themselves. “Come along, dear. I think you
need some food.”

She
did, actually. A breakfast of oatmeal hadn't set terribly well, as
dreams of meat had invaded her thoughts since Laron put the idea in
her head yesterday. “Yes. Food would be very good.”

Laron
guided her to their left, onto a street heading south, with a cobbler
shop, an inn, and a large farmer's market with carts loaded with
vegetables and bundles of grain to her left. To her right, a
butcher's brick and mortar shop wafted smells of beef and poultry,
followed by a smokehouse next to it with fish and salts.

“Patience.
While I'm sure getting the product straight from the source would
probably be cheaper, part of the goal here is that we don't
have
to cook it ourselves.”

Sunay
stopped, discovering that she had unconsciously been leaning towards
the butcher's shop with each step and dragging Laron with her. She
smiled guiltily, and patted Laron's hand while she allowed him to
guide her back towards the market street.

Past
that market was their destination, another gray brick square
building, this one with a blue and white awning proclaiming the name
of “Louis' Gourmet Cuisine” that covered an exterior
dining space enclosed by an elaborate iron fence with ribbed iron
bars four feet high that crossed over and around each other and
tipped to points. The enclosure itself was well populated, with half
of the tables already occupied with couples and even three families
of at least six people.

There
was an open door in the fence, made from the same material and
pattern, that allowed Sunay and Laron entry, and stepping under the
awning prompted a man dressed neatly in long black slacks and a
frilled white button up shirt to emerge from the interior.

“Welcome,
my friends, to Louis' Gourmet Cuisine,” the waiter said with a
thick accent, drawing his vowels long and seeming to cut sounds short
of what Sunay expected. “Ah, Master Laron, I see you have an
elegant young lady with you today. Could I recommend dining in the
open this day? It looks splendid for autumn.”

Laron
returned the courtesy. “That was
our
intent, good man. Thank you. Perhaps something on the edge so that
the lady can have a good view.”

The
waiter bowed deeply, and said, “Then I know the perfect place.
Do follow me, sir and madam.”

He
led Sunay and Laron to the southwest corner and an open table located
right at that location. “Do you need a menu, or do you know
what you wish to order?”

Laron
nodded, and locked eyes with Sunay. “I think we'll have
something simple today, good man. A garden salad with Aramathean
dressing for two, and then two pound sirloin, one well cooked...”
then with a knowing wink to Sunay, “and one rare.”

“Any
drinks today, sir?”

“How
is the lemonade today?”

The
waiter sounded almost offended. “Excellent as always, young
master.”

“We'll
take a pitcher and two glasses, then.”

“Splendid
choice, my friends. I shall return shortly.”

Despite
the fact that there were people all around, and even one woman
sitting behind Sunay that was so close that the foxgirl's nose curled
from the intensity of her rose perfume, their location felt
intimate
and private. The fence might as well have been a castle wall even as
it offered a spectacular view of the South Forever Sea in the
distance. It was something just short of magical.

If
this was how normal people always lived, she didn't ever
want
to go back to the orphanage, even if she risked being burned at the
stake.

The
waiter returned with their glasses, filled with a pale yellow liquid.
She knew what lemons were, as Kaeli was known to use lemon peels as
a seasoning, and as such was wary that the sour fruit could make for
a good drink. But Laron seemed to enjoy it, and Sunay was
supposed
to blend in.

And
she learned something new, that lemons could
be
something tasty... tart yet sweet on the tongue, the bite becoming
more mild with each sip. She had drank half the glass before
realizing that Laron had stopped after that first sip, the cheerful
face he had put on dropping to reveal a glum frown and downcast eyes.

She
instantly was concerned. Laron never
looked
this gloomy. She set down her glass, reached out to touch his hand.
“Oi,” she asked, “what's wrong?”

His
happy mask popped back into place as their waiter appeared again,
presenting a wide lipped bowl with salad, a small cup filled with a
light amber oil, and two pristine white porcelain plates. Laron
divided the greens and explained, “Well, it ties in with what
one of those old coots said earlier. My father confirmed that I'm
being sent to the monastery in Delhomme next spring. I knew that he
would, of course, but that still doesn't make the news any easier.”

Laron
had talked about this before, though usually in far off terms. She
also knew he really didn't
want
to be a part of the Coders' Truth Church, which had become the
dominant denomination in Avalon.

“Would
that really
be
so bad?” she asked.

“Considering
the Truth Church is the one with the open bounty on people like...”
he stopped himself before referring specifically to Sunay, “chimeras,
yes, it would
be
that bad. My father doesn't get it. It has nothing
to
do with an inheritance. He can give me nothing
for all I care, but I refuse to be an ordained member of that hateful
place.”

Sunay
confirmed Laron's opinion. “I don't blame ya. I wouldn't
either.”

Laron
shook off the doldrums, and forced a smile that Sunay would have
thought was genuine if she didn't know better by now. “Oh,
don't mind my upper class problems. This is supposed to be about
you!”

“About
us,”
Sunay insisted with a grin.

Laron
conceded the point. “Very well. About us.”

He
tapped Sunay's glass with the rim of his, took a drink, then began
eating along with Sunay. The salad wasn't bad, even if the oily
dressing didn't suit the foxgirl's tongue well, but it wasn't meat.
She was promised meat.
Real juicy tender meat.

The
girl would at last get her desires with another visit from their
waiter. It was everything she dreamed of, another immaculately white
plate with one thick slab of meaty goodness, with a light brown and
gray grilled surface dusted with pepper, salt, and a pungent spice
she had never smelled before. And inside... tender, red muscle
tissue that leaked bloody juice.

About
the only way that steak could be any more fresh was if the waiter had
brought out the cow for Sunay to kill herself. She knew she was
drooling, and couldn't help it.

“So...
are you going to eat it or admire it all day?” Laron teased.

“Hush,”
Sunay huffed. “This is beautiful.”

“Well,
bear in mind that I do
have
a curfew.”

Sunay
glared at him, and very deliberately grabbed her knife and fork,
cutting off a large bite and chewing animatedly.

“Good
girl,” he said with a light-hearted laugh, one that Sunay could
tell was legitimate, and caused her to crack a smile.

They
ate in silence again, Laron stealing glances at Sunay, his expression
slowly turning serious with each meeting of their eyes. Halfway
through his steak, he slowed his eating to continue conversation. “I
have friends of the family in Aramathea.”

“Hmm?”
Sunay mumbled, mercifully remembering the matron's lessons about
proper manners that forbid a person from trying to talk with their
mouth full.

“I'm
not going to the church. By the next spring, I'll leave home and
leave the Republic.”

Sunay
swallowed quickly, coughing once because the bite was a little larger
than she had expected. “Your family will let you do that?”

Laron
scoffed. “They can't stop me. I'm of legal age of adulthood as
it is. I have my own papers of travel that do not require my father
or mother's blessing. I could walk straight to the border camp, walk
straight through, and into the Free Provinces separating the two
empires without even the slightest worry. Even if
my
father would be interested in pursuing me, he wouldn't have the clout
to influence the Republican Police way out there.”

Sunay
was interested in what Laron was saying, but the steak was so good.
She had to finish swallowing before she could speak again. “And
the friends in Aramathea come in... how?”

“Well,
they can speak for me when I reach the empire's border, as well as
provide me with work and assistance while I'm there. I'm not some
worthless noble's boy who never learned a trade. I know economics.
I know how to trade and negotiate. It might not be easy, but I can
make it, and even if I can't it will because of my
failures.”

“You're
a lot braver than anyone gives ya credit for, aren'tcha?”

“I
like to think so.”

He
resumed eating, although Sunay had finished before he was even
halfway done. He continued stealing glances at her, his eyes
thoughtful, as if silently contemplating something that he wasn't
sure how to ask. As she was preparing to ask what was on his mind,
they were interrupted one more time by their waiter. “Would
the sir and madam like dessert this day?”

“Whatcha
got?” Sunay asked, the idea of sweets almost as tantalizing as
thoughts of meat.

“We
have spiced apple pastries, chocolate filled crepes, and a vanilla
crème pudding.”

“Yes!”

The
waiter blinked, and queried, “To...”

Sunay
couldn't understand the confusion. “The lot.”

Their
waiter gave Laron a silent, questioning look, and the young man
deferred with a palms up gesture towards Sunay and a smile. “Very
well, madam. I will be right back.”

Dessert
was delicious, even if Laron barely sampled the treats that had been
ordered. He paid the bill in secret, refusing to show Sunay just how
much she had cost him, even when she threatened to punch him.
Instead, he led her to the west side of town, towards his family
castle.

“I
suppose that is
technically
correct,” Laron said when Sunay referred to it as such.
“Though it pales in comparison to some of the grand castles in
larger cities. Don't get me mistaken, it certainly is a luxurious
place to live, but when I think of castles, I tend to think of
something else.”

They
followed the road on the west side of town, about a mile from that
castle, following Laron's arm as he pointed towards the southern
tower. “My room is right on the third level of that tower. I
get such a wonderful view of the sea. I honestly think outside of my
family, that's the thing I'm going to miss the most.”

He
stopped abruptly, and Sunay nearly tripped trying to keep to his
side. “But there's one thing I don't want to miss,” he
said, allowing himself to catch her eyes.

Sunay
quickly got what he meant, and her eyes widened fearfully. She
couldn't speak, every single muscle in her body had frozen.

Laron
took her limp hands, and said, “Sunay, I want you to come with
me. I know this is sudden, and I know we haven't known each other
very long... but you deserve a better life than that orphanage, and I
think I can give it to you.”

The
foxgirl managed to get her mouth working at the very least, not that
she offered much. “But...”

“I
can have papers of travel made for you easily enough. Once you're in
the Free Provinces, there'll be no need to hide who you are, and once
at the Aramathean border you can plead for amnesty. As a chimera,
and knowing what our land does to your kind, there's no reason it
wouldn't be granted.”

“But...”

“This
isn't a decision you have to make right away,” Laron said.
“I'm not going anywhere until winter at the very earliest.
It's a decision I know
you
will be nervous and scared about. But please
think
about it.”

Sunay
was finally able to string words together. “I... I will.”
Sure, it wasn't many
words,
but it was a start.

He
leaned in to kiss her, then pulled up just before contact, his
attention focusing on something over her left shoulder. “Oh
dear... this is unexpected.”

“What
is?” Sunay asking, first turning her head, then the rest of her
body when that wasn't enough to get a look at what was going on
behind her. A large caravan of three wagons, each pulled by two snow
white horses, was crossing the road junction behind her, heading west
towards Laron's family castle. The wagons were far more elaborate
than she had ever seen, covered with royal blue awnings with silver
trim, and pearl sides with glass-covered windows and a door with
brass handles.

At
the rear of each cart a sign hung, bearing a crest of a winding blue
serpent on a white wield, followed by three blue striped
flags. “What is that?”
the foxgirl said with curiosity.

“That
is a train from Snake River,” Laron explained, his voice void
of any emotion. “And judging from the banners, it's an envoy
carrying the Dog of the Republic, Cavalier Norman.”

“The
Dog of the Republic?”

“Cavalier
Norman, as his title suggests, was a knight of the kingdom before the
Revolution. Considering his staunch moral beliefs and championing of
the church, it should have been little surprise that he would turn on
the philandering and corrupt crown when the upheaval finally came.
He earned his current title because the Republic sends him to ferret
out and investigate rumors pertaining to the royal family and deposed
nobility that supported them.”

“Is
that bad?”

Laron
shook his head, and said, “Inconvenient, perhaps. My father is
going to be on his absolute best behavior, but the royal family is
dead, no matter what rumors linger about Princess Viola, and all the
major Royalists went
north
for sanctuary, not south.”

“Viola...”
Sunay whispered. That name sounded
familiar,
but she couldn't figure out from where. She didn't know anybody by
that name.

“She
was the youngest child of King George, and rumor has it that she
somehow fled before the Revolution, which doesn't make one whit of
sense. A princess doesn't just disappear.” The young man
sighed forlornly. “However, I'm afraid this means I'm going to
have to cut our date shorter than I wanted. My father is going to
want the entire family present to entertain our visitors.”

“Oh,”
Sunay replied sadly. “Well... I should be goin' then, eh?”

Laron
flashed a smile. “It would not
be
gentlemanly to leave a woman unattended in a strange town.” He
began walking again, towards the intersection that the caravan had
passed through, and turning the opposite direction, heading east back
in the general direction of the forest and the orphanage.

On
that return trip, Laron said, “I will probably miss my visit to
the orphanage tomorrow. But I promise I'll be back one the first day
of the new week.”

“Okay,”
Sunay said distractedly. She had been looking forward to that visit,
but she forced herself to understand that sometimes, even noble men
had obligations and duties they couldn't shirk.

The
foxgirl grasped Laron's hand as they slipped back into the cover of
the forest, back towards their meeting rock. Once there, he spun her
about into his arms, kissed her soundly, and removed her hat. “You
don't need this silly thing anymore,” he said with a smile, one
that quickly dissolved back into the glumly thoughtful expression
that bothered her.

“Now
what?” Sunay asked.

“You're
a red
fox
chimera. I just noticed that,” he replied, clearly distracted.

“Yah.
And?”

“The
gray is the dominant fox in this part of Avalon. The red... is more
common to the north.”

Sunay
grumbled in annoyance. “I came from the north, so that kinda
makes sense, dontcha think? What about it?”

Laron
flashed another fake smile, and stepped away, giving her back the
hat. “Nothing, I'm sure. Just silly me having silly thoughts
that assuredly mean nothing. I tend to do that.”

That
wasn't much of an answer, but she probably wasn't going to get a
better one without a fight, and she didn't want to soil the dress
Kaeli made. “That you do.”

Laron
shook his head clear of his thoughts, and reached into his pocket.
“I have one last thing for you. A gift I want you to have.”

The
young man presented a small red leather box, which Sunay opened to
reveal a single oval sky blue earring with two small jewels of the
same vivid light blue color hanging from a silver thread off the
bottom, and all connected to a gold hook on the top.

Sunay
gasped, and said, “Laron... it's beautiful...”

“I'm
saving the other earring for if you decide to come with me,” he
said cheekily. “Consider it added... incentive.”

Laron
parted quickly after one more hasty kiss on her cheek, leaving Sunay
to get her pack out of the tree she had hung it from, change to her
regular clothes while sticking the earring into the left pocket of
her trousers, and return to the orphanage.

If
she seemed distracted, no one back at the orphanage asked her about
it; which was a good thing considering she probably wouldn't have
been able to provide a good answer with all the thoughts swimming in
her head.

Things
that she felt like she should know but had no idea how, or why she
felt guilty that she didn't... names that she swore she never heard
before, yet somehow were familiar... wrapping around snippets of
dreams she could barely remember, a hazy recollection of things that
might have happened when she was too young to really understand...
and one request that hung over them all, a very real thing that she
could recall vividly.

“By
the next spring, I will leave home and leave the Republic.”

“Sunay,
I want you to come with me.”

Those
words haunted her even as she curled up on her bed of straw to sleep.
Now that she had seen the outside world, it was so painful to come
back to this wretched mess, and those thoughts made Sunay feel like a
terrible person.

“You're
not going to leave, are you, Sunay?”

Sunay
didn't even want to answer that question to herself, because deep
down she knew what her answer would be, and that it would break
Matron Miriam's heart.

Chapter
Four: Chosen

Laron,
as expected, didn't show up at the time he was supposed to, and Sunay
found it ironic that despite all the snarling and complaining Matron
Miriam had about him being here to begin with that she would get so
very annoyed when he didn't show up.
Sunay
had to pretend that she didn't know why, and the deception made her
feel worse than she already did concerning what was churning in her
heart.

Two
days after that, however, there was no need for deception.

It
was the start of a new week, and Laron still
hadn't
come back.

Now
Sunay
was concerned, and she went into action right after breakfast and
Matron Miriam's prayer session. She entered the kitchen, took the
dress box off of the spice cabinet, and explained to a questioning
Kaeli, “Somethin's wrong. Laron should have come by.”

Kaeli
warned, “Sunay, it's one thing to roam about the outside world
with a guide. It's entirely another to go out on your own.”

“I
know that. I'm scared witless that I'll do somethin' stupid and get
caught. But... this isn't like Laron. He doesn't go back on his
word, and he gave me his word. Somethin's not right.”

“And
if there is? What do you expect to do about it?”

Sunay
set her jaw in the face of Kaeli's protests. “I dunno. It'll
depend on what
is
wrong. I'm not gonna charge in stupidly and start attackin' people,
if that's what yer worried about.”

Kaeli
really didn't want to agree; Sunay could see it in the beargirl's
eyes and how her cheeks trembled.

“It's
probably even nothin'... there were guests from another town that
came by yesterday, and they're probably still lingerin' about,”
Sunay added, and once she remembered that it did
seem
the most likely explanation. But at the same time... the most likely
explanation didn't feel
right.

Kaeli
picked up on that too. “You don't think that's it, do you?”

“Nope.
But if it makes you any less freaked, I'll take it.”

The
older woman finally relented. “Just... please please please...
don't do anything stupid. Find out what's happened, and get back
home as fast as you can, alright?”

“I
will.”

Kaeli
stepped aside, allowing Sunay access to the back door, which the
foxgirl burst out of at a sprint, diving into the cover of the woods
in seconds.

Stopping
at the meeting stone to change, Sunay decided as she was pulling off
her belt to merely pull her skirt over
her
trousers, and leave the blouse behind. She wanted to save time, and
if she needed to move quickly for whatever reason, then she could
just rip the skirt off and haul tail.

The
path that Laron cleared earlier came of benefit, as it hadn't grown
over in the last three days, giving Sunay an easily traversable path
out of the forest and to the outskirts of Navarre.

Even
for the late morning, the town seemed lifeless. The travelers on the
road were uneasy, and the bulk were going away
from
the town, rather than toward
it.
Curiosity wanted her to ask about the exodus, but fear kept her from
talking with people and possibly revealing ignorance of things she
should know.

Two
of the covered carts from the caravan that she and Laron had seen
three days ago were parked on opposite sides of the central square,
and Sunay gave that gathering a wide berth, both because of the mob
of people around it, and because every single one of her instincts
told her to stay away. The outer streets had much less traffic than
the central road as well, which made getting to her destination
easier.

Navarre
Castle's walls would have probably been daunting to the average
human, but Sunay wasn't normal. Foxes were surprisingly nimble
climbers, and even with the skirt, the foxgirl had little trouble
finding the grip she needed to scale the wall and clamber to the top.
Her instincts then took over as she dropped down low to survey her
surroundings and make sure she remained unseen.

Guards
were stationed along the wall near the parapets at equal distances,
but their attention was drawn entirely towards either the interior of
the palace or out towards the town square. The interior had the
other cart from the caravan, and was surrounded by currently
unoccupied horses bearing the insignia of the Republican Police.

This...
was not good.

Kaeli
had told her to run if a situation exactly like this arose, and Sunay
deliberately ignored that advice. She needed to find Laron. She
needed to know he was okay. She told herself exploring further
wouldn't be too dangerous because Laron's room was in the south
tower, and all the activity was on the north side.

Climbing
down
a
wall would a bit trickier than going up, and the wide open courtyard
between the wall and the castle interior was going to be a problem...

Until
a hand slapped over her mouth, and a very strong arm circled around
her waist. The foxgirl panicked, and tried to scream until a low
voice growled angrily in her ear. “If you want to leave this
place alive, you will be silent and follow me.”

Sunay
weighed her options, and had come to conclusion to do whatever this
man said by the time he actually pulled her through a door leading
inside
the
wall. “You're fortunate I recognized you as you approached,”
the man said angrily, quietly taking the steps down despite the heavy
boots he was wearing. She would have easily thought him one of the
guards if it wasn't for the fact that he was behaving very much not
like
them.

“Who...
are ya?” Sunay asked. “'Cause you aren't doin' a very
good job keepin' people out
of
the castle.”

“I
am a guard of the Pontaine family, of which your paramour is a
member,” he answered. “As I said, you're lucky I
recognized you as the woman Master Laron was with in town three days
ago, otherwise I would have had you filled with arrows just for
approaching
the
wall.”

“Do
you
have
a name?”

The
guard shot her a dark glare. “Not one I'm willing to share.
Now stop talking before I decide to perform my proper duties rather
than extend you the courtesy of one last meeting with your boy.”

One
last meeting? It was enough to silence Sunay, since it was clear
this “guard” wasn't in any mood to be answering anything
further. The man went down another flight of stairs, and turned
right, into what was an underground passage that crossed the
courtyard.

“These
tunnels were designed initially as a way to retreat in case an
invader took the wall, but it's also a useful way to move about
largely undetected,” he said sternly. “I figured you
were about to ask.”

Sunay
wasn't actually... and wondered if she should question something so
very convenient to her purpose.

The
tunnel ended in another set of stairs, this time going up, and ending
at the ground floor of the south tower. Sunay was rather surprised
to discover that the interior of the castle was as drab and gray as
the outside, a red carpet with gold-colored trim and wavy designs
covered the primary halls, but outside of that one splash of color,
the rest of the castle was dreary gray and iron from the steps to the
candelabra on the ceilings... which weren't even lit in lieu of plain
torches lining the walls.

“Don't
look nervous or curious,” her escort advised. “That will
draw attention, which will draw questions.”

Chided,
Sunay dropped her head down, and stared intently at her feet.

“And
don't look guilty. That will also
draw
suspicion.”

Sunay
settled for an annoyed snarl, aimed directly at the man in front of
her.

“Better.
Guards get enough disdain from civilians that no one will bat an
eye. Stick with that.”

Well,
he was making that
easy enough to manage.

It
turned out all the pretenses weren't even necessary, as the pair
didn't even pass another guard
in
their march up to the third floor, much less a member of the
Republican Police. Their path came to a stop at a stained oak door
directly across the hall from the stairwell. The guard rapped three
times, and said, “Laron, you have a visitor. I suggest you
make it quick. Republican Police could come for you at any moment.”

Sunay
immediately stepped forward as the door opened slowly. The
Republican Police coming for Laron? Why? Did someone discover his
plans to leave?

Laron
was confused initially as he stuck his head around the door.
“Donovan? I have a visitor?” Then he yelped. “Sunay!
You're alright! Thank the Coders!”

He
quickly pulled the foxgirl inside his room while Sunay's head swam
with bewilderment. He
was
worried about her?
“What
is goin' on Laron? Why are the Republican Police comin' fer ya?”

“There's
no time,” Laron insisted. “You have to get away from this
place as fast as you can. Away from the orphanage, all of Avalon,
you aren't safe here.”

“Why?
What has happened?”

“Cavalier
Norman revealed some indiscretions of my father's and my father
betrayed the orphanage in order to avoid execution. Norman's
mustering a mob to burn down and massacre the whole lot of you.”

Sunay's
knees trembled, and her face disfigured in terror. She was so
petrified by the thought that Laron had to shake her out of her
stupor. “I... have to get back to the orphanage and warn
them!”

She
tried to leave, but Laron held her fast. “No! You
can't!”
“Why
not?” The foxgirl demanded incredulously.

“I
think they're after you,
Sunay.”

“Why
in the burnin' pits would they be after me?”

There
was another rap on the door, and Laron opened it to confirm it was
Donovan rather than the police. “There's no time. You have
to
get out of here, any way you can. You can not
let
the Republican Police or anyone in Avalon find you.” He dashed
to his dresser, and pulled out an envelope. “These are your
travel papers. Keep hidden, and get out of this Coders' forsaken
land.”

“Come
with me then!”

Laron
shook his head. “My family is already being gathered to be sent
to Snake River and the Judges there, where we will be evaluated for
our merit to the Republic. If I were to disappear, it would start a
manhunt. The very notability that would have made it possible for me
to leave without question before makes it impossible for me to leave
now.”

“Master
Laron, I hear footsteps in the damn stairwell. I think it's safe to
say it's the Republic,” Donovan warned angrily from the other
side of the door.

Laron
then shoved Sunay out the door, with one last imperative, “Go!
Now!” He then shut the door and refused the one plea for
answers Sunay was able to voice before Donovan yanked her away.

The
guard led her left, rather than back down the stairwell. “We
have to go around our Republican friends,” he explained.
“Don't make any noise, and if I tell you to run, you do so as
fast as your legs can carry you.”

Sunay
heard what Donovan was saying, but with the immediate adrenaline rush
faded, she had fallen into a deep worried melancholy.

Donovan
tried to reassure her by saying, “Master Laron will be fine.
It's his father that's in trouble. In these cases, the family is
merely gathered as a matter of procedure to keep them from plotting
against Parliamentary action. He's much more concerned for you, even
if I don't know why.”

He
led her into a stairwell on the opposite side of the tower, where
Sunay revealed exactly why by yanking off her skirt. If she needed
to potentially run fast, that garment was only going to get in the
way. “Well, that explains a great deal,” Donovan
grumbled as he turned to see Sunay's tail twitching nervously.

For
a moment, Sunay froze, worried that she had made a terrible mistake
revealing her chimera traits too soon, and that the guard would turn
on her. Instead, Donovan grumbled, “Should have figured Laron
would fall for the first cute girl with a fluffy tail,” then
spun back about and resumed his path.

“You're...
not... upset by it?” Sunay asked.

The
guard scoffed. “Never understood why the church would turn
their ire on the poor sots born of such sinful acts, rather than the
nobles committing
them.
Besides, considering my
birth
was no doubt what prompted Laron's grandmother to curse the fool to
begin with, I really wouldn't have much grounds in which to judge.”

That
explained the familiarity between Laron and the seemingly nondescript
guard.

The
tunnel they entered was different than the one they entered the
castle tower in. Donovan pointed down toward the end of the path,
and said, “This will allow you exit to the south side of the
castle beyond the castle wall, and away from all the commotion. I'm
not sure where you'll need or want to go from there, but at least
you'll be mostly out of sight while you go about it.”

“Thank
ya,” Sunay said.

“You're
welcome. For what little help I've been.” He reached the end
of the tunnel, where a time-worn wooden ladder extended upward.
“From here, I'm afraid to say you are on your own. Good luck.”

Donovan
pushed himself against the wall to give Sunay room to pass, and she
regarded the ladder warily. She was not
heavy,
and she wasn't even sure that rickety thing would hold her weight.
She felt safer digging her fingers into the dirt behind
the
ladder and climbing up that way.

There
wasn't much space at the top of the hole, but she could clearly see
the way out through the crawl space, emerging out into the open sky
after only three meters or so. Looking back, had she not known about
the tunnel, she would have thought it to be nothing more than an
abandoned animal den. Pretty slick escape route in case of an
invasion.

But
her mind quickly turned to the east, and the forest in the distance.
She had to believe she wasn't too late.

Sunay
dropped to all fours, willing every last bit of energy into moving as
fast as she could, even as fatigue built up, and her body protested,
her mind refused to let herself slow. She had
to
be in time... she couldn't afford to be too slow and a minute too
late.

A
clue that she wasn't came from the sound of horse hooves to the
north, and the grumble of a mob in the distance. While she was at
the bottom of a rise, and couldn't see them, she could hear there
were a lot of them and that they were still heading east. That gave
her the surge of adrenaline she needed for a second wind, charging
into the tree line ahead of the mob.

Her
route also gave her a more direct path to the orphanage rather than
the road, but even then Sunay figured she wouldn't have much time.
She more trampled over the forest than through it; weaving through
trees, charging through brush, and even spooking a bear
as
she barreled past without regard for her own safety.

Sunay
burst into the clearing, which mercifully held a still standing
orphanage within, no doubt looking like she had been dragged through
a hedge backwards. Considering how she had plowed through a wide
rose bush not even a minute before, it would have been fairly close
to the truth.

“Matron!”
she screamed with surprising force considering how heavily she was
panting. “Matron! Maaaaaaatron!”

Sunay
opened the front door with her head as much as her hand, still
bellowing out for Matron Miriam. Not surprisingly, the noise drew
the attention of many of the bratlings and Kaeli before Miriam
slammed her door open, irritated by the racket.

“Sunay!
What has gotten into...?”

The
foxgirl interrupted the matron's question, grabbing Miriam by the
collar of her robe, and saying, “Ya have to get everyone outta
here! Now!”

Sunay
knew her behavior would panic the little ones, but there wasn't time
to worry about their sensibilities. Matron Miriam however, didn't
have a grasp of the situation yet. “Whatever for? Sunay, you
are scaring the children!”

“Laron's
dad has ratted us out! There's a mob comin' to burn this whole place
down and everyone in it!”

Miriam
was aghast. “What? How do you know this?”

“You
can yell at me and punish me later! But right now, we need to get
everyone outta here!”

Sunay
knew she looked crazed, and that there was probably little reason to
believe her at first glance, but Matron Miriam was a careful woman
and the orphanage hadn't lasted for years by dismissing threats to
it. The older woman stared straight into Sunay's eyes for a long,
pregnant pause, then shouted, “Kaeli! I need everyone
assembled in the back yard for a roll call, and I need it done fast!”

The
beargirl had been hovering at the doorway to her kitchen, and
immediately jumped to action, saying calmly, “Come along,
little ones. You heard the matron. Let's get to the back, don't
dally now. Hurry up.”

Sunay
expected crying and panic from the youngest children, but the
bratlings put on the bravest faces they could, doing credit to how
Miriam had raised them to be as strong as they needed to be. The
matron didn't break eye contact with Sunay even after she started
walking away, silently chiding the foxgirl even as she showed intense
pain. Miriam didn't need an explanation. She knew how Sunay would
have found out what she had. Betrayal was warring with serendipity,
and Matron Miriam didn't know how she was going to deal with it yet.

“Help
Kaeli and me round up the brood, will you?” the matron finally
ordered, her voice level and calm. “Go out into the front yard
and tell them about the roll call.”

Sunay
complied, the latest burst of adrenaline starting to leave her as she
relayed Miriam's order to the perplexed orphans outside.

Megan's
ears drooped even lower than normal, and said, “It's bad, isn't
it, Sunay?”

“'Fraid
so, Meggy, which is why we can't waste time. It's okay to be scared,
but if ya listen to the matron, and do what she says, it'll be okay.”

The
doggirl dropped her spade in the dirt that she had been digging
around her flowers with. Megan had spent the last year trying to
grow lilies, and now was obviously upset that she had to leave it
behind. The poor flowers might survive what was coming, but it
wasn't likely.

If
the orphans survived today, it was going to be with the clothes they
had on their backs, and nothing else.

Sunay
had finished her task as the sounds of the angry mob she had passed
started reached her ears, most notably the angry howls of hunting
dogs. She wasn't the only one that heard it either, as several of
the other orphans turned their heads towards the approaching noise as
well.

They
were out of time.

“Go!”
Sunay hissed, ushering her fellow orphans towards the back urgently.
Even if they all left now,
they wouldn't have enough distance before the hounds caught their
scent and gave chase, especially with such young ones in the group.

Matron
Miriam made the same assessment once word of the dogs made it to her
ears. “Kaeli, start leading the children along our evacuation
plan. I... I will stay here and keep them busy as long as I can.
But you must leave now.”

“I
think they're after you, Sunay.”

Laron's
words rung in Sunay's head upon Miriam's declaration, and the foxgirl
interjected, “No. I'll stay. The bratlings need you. You're
the only thing keeping them from losing their minds, and they're
gonna need you more than ever now.”

Miriam
would have nothing of it. “Sunay, what do you think you'll...”

“I
don't have time to explain, but I can keep a pack of dogs and their
hunting mutts busy for a long time, I bet. But y'all gotta get
goin', and fast. There's no time to argue. You can yell at me
later.”

She
left out the part where she didn't anticipate there being
a
later.

Sunay
didn't give Matron Miriam or anyone else opportunity to interject,
dropping down and dashing towards the north, towards the road, and to
the approaching mob. The foxgirl figured even if Laron was wrong,
that she'd at least get attention by being a chimera.

If
he was right...
then she wouldn't have to worry about why. That was a plus, wasn't
it?

Sunay
veered slightly off the road to the right and into the brush, slowing
down to try and stay out of detection for as long as possible. She
wanted to get their attention, but not just yet. She saved that big
entrance for once the mob was in sight, and she was able to get a
good luck at who she was up against.

Surprisingly,
she didn't see a lot of uniformed police; the bulk of the mob was
civilian, carrying torches and hunters with bows and straining to
hold back their hounds. In the center of that mass of people was a
man riding a dappled brown and white horse, dressed in noble finery,
a white suit coat and neatly pressed pants with blue stripes that ran
down the sides. His hair was mostly gray with flecks of brown, and
his face carried the look of a man who had seen a few fights in his
days.

That
was no doubt who Laron called Cavalier Norman.

The
hounds picked up her scent, as the two closest to her started
sniffing the air and leaning in her direction. At that point, Sunay
needed to move while she still had the element of surprise. It was
time to see if the Dog of the Republic could outsmart a fox.

She
leaned back then lunged forward, hitting full stride before she even
reached the road. Not even the hounds had time to react as Sunay
charged through the mob, then tackled Cavalier Norman off his horse,
regaining her feet and scampering to the other side of the road
before the group could even fully sort out what had happened.

Sunay
swished her tail animatedly, making sure it caught Cavalier Norman's
attention as he scrambled to his feet, his once immaculate suit now
streaked with dirt. He glared with murderous intent as Sunay
taunted, “Hey, Dog! Lookin' fer me?”

The
Cavalier's eyes bulged, and he pointed directly at the foxgirl while
bellowing, “There! That's the one! Thirty silver to the one
that brings me her corpse!”

Well,
Laron was
right.

Sunay
turned tail and disappeared into the forest, the howls of foxhounds
following on her tail. She wasn't very worried about being chased
down; hounds weren't particularly fast, and hunted foxes through
tenacity and smell rather than speed. She wasn't going to be able to
escape, but that wasn't important.

She
turned her pursuers to the west, away from the orphans whose
evacuation path would take them east. She didn't have a set
destination in mind, but she figured the further north and west she
went, even if it meant taking her out of the forest, the better the
chance the rest of the orphans had to get to something resembling
safety.

South.

The
thought that entered her mind was so out of the blue, and didn't even
feel like hers. It rattled her so much that she actually tripped
over a partially uncovered tree root, and fell flat on her belly and
got a mouthful of damp forest dirt. Going south was insane.
She wouldn't have far to run before she reached the ocean, and on
the beach she'd be easily cornered, if not shot dead.

You
must go South. You have been chosen.

Okay...
now she knew
these
weren't her thoughts. Chosen for what? To die a gruesome death in a
shallow sandy grave? But even as she thought how stupid such a move
would be, her legs seemed to have gained a will of their own, moving
her quickly to the south and the coast. Any attempts to fight that
urge or uncertainty only slowed her down, and she quickly stopped
fighting it. Whatever was in her head, it seemed the better idea to
follow its instructions.

Sunay
knew little about the direction she was going in, having only seen it
from a distance and through the cover of trees and brush. She knew
there was effectively no
cover
for about two miles once the forest broke, only flat grassland with a
gentle decline until it turned to sand.

The
sand was wet and packed well, but there was still far more give than
Sunay liked, and she felt her speed drop sharply the moment her feet
started sinking into the surface. It felt similar to trying to run
through mud, and it wasn't pleasant.

The
hounds were gaining ground as well, though Sunay figured they'd be as
slowed by the wet sand as much as she was. The worry was the men
following
the
hounds, with their bows that would have no concern for the terrain.

West.
You will find safety there.

The
directions still didn't make any sense. To the west, the ground
level started to rise, forming what amounted to a miniature cliff
face, and the beach wrapped around it to form a cove. How would that
be safe? If anything, it would be her grave site if there wasn't
some other access point.

As
she took a sharp turn to right,
that's when she saw the ships in the distance, one a grand galleon if
she remembered her lessons on naval vessels properly, with four huge
masts bearing black and gold sails, striped diagonally from upper
left
to lower
right. With it were three smaller frigates with entirely different
sail patterns, one a white field with a gold leaf, the second red
with a white cross vertical and horizontal, and the third black with
a white skull.

Those
weren't the colors of the Republic of Avalon, nor were they the
colors of Aramathea, which were scarlet and violet by her memory.

They
were the colors of pirate ships.

The
five men gathered in the cove, around the remains of a campfire, were
no doubt members of their crews. Sunay couldn't decide if that was a
good or a bad thing, as while pirates would certainly have no love
for an Avalonian torch mob, she doubted they'd be welcoming some
stranger running up to them torn up from the forest and screaming for
her life.

Yet
her legs kept moving forward, even as she caught the pirates'
attention. She finally stopped, dropping to her elbows, her tail
hanging limp and her ears drooped in fatigue. Sunay forced herself
to look up as one of the pirate rose from a cross-legged sitting
position, and slowly approached with deliberate strides.

Sitting
down he had been nearly as tall as his compatriots, and once standing
he left no doubt of his stature. Sunay figured this giant of a man
was at least nine feet tall, and about as wide, covered from head to
toe in scarves and thick clothing, except for two amber eyes with
vertically slit pupils. He looked overdressed for a northern winter,
much less autumn in the Versilles Province.

He
lorded over the foxgirl in disquieting silence, his head jerked up
upon hearing the howls of the hounds pursuing her. The towering man
then moved towards the approaching dogs, Sunay rolling over and
pushing herself onto her elbow to see just what in the pits he was
thinking.

The
first dog turned the bend into the cove at full speed, and got kicked
to the jaw for its effort. Sunay cringed as she heard bone crack and
flesh tear. The hound took a sickening arc before crashing into the
cove wall, where crunching bone registered again and the dog dropped
lifelessly to the sand.

The
next foxhound pounced, then was intercepted by the back of the
shrouded man's left hand. More gruesome sounds followed, and that
dog skipped twice across the wet beach before, dead before it even
came to a stop. A third used the opening to attack the man's leg,
fangs sinking deep as the dog twisted its head back and forth to try
and take down its victim.

Instead,
the giant man shook the dog off with an effortless flick of his shin,
and with quickness that someone his size should not have possessed
brought that same leg down on the hound's head, crushing its skull in
one continuous motion.

Sunay
was dumbstruck, and wouldn't have been able to say anything more than
incoherent babbling even if she'd had the strength to speak. His
companions had stepped forward in the meantime, helping the foxgirl
to her feet, bemusedly noting her astonishment. “Eh, da Admiral
there is goin' easy on 'em so far. Just wait until you see 'im git
serious,” said the first one, a short, somewhat plump, half
bald man in a red and white striped shirt and black pants.

Another,
a taller lankier fellow, with a furred face like a badger said,
“Lookin' like that's gonna be about now.”

The
remaining dogs had fallen back, instead holding position at the edge
of the cove, barking angrily, while their human support finally
caught up. Seeing the already dead dogs, one of the mob let an arrow
loose, thudding with fatal accuracy into the Admiral's chest.

Or...
should
have
been fatal accuracy. The massive pirate regarded the shot in the
same way Sunay regarded a thorn in her clothing. Distastefully, he
pulled the offending weapon out, snapped it in half, then pounced.

The
giant covered the fifty feet between him and his attacker in one
bound, tackling the bowman, then grabbing him by the neck and
throwing him like he was a rag doll into the mob. From there, the
Admiral drew a black steel serrated tulwar from his belt, and cleaved
another of the mob clean through, from shoulder to hip, in one
stroke.

That
effectively got the mob's attention, and the civilians among the gang
broke with fear, stumbling over themselves and knocking Cavalier
Norman from his horse again as they fled. The Republican Police
units held their ground, but their knees betrayed that the fact that
it wouldn't take much to send them running like frightened children.

As
he pushed himself up to his feet again, Norman bellowed, “Cowards!
Return this instant! It's one
man!”

That
“one man” then tossed aside two of the police
effortlessly, ignored the slash of a third, and grabbed the cavalier
by the neck, and lifting the officer smoothly off the ground. At
that point, even the Republican Police broke ranks, only occasionally
sparing concern towards the cavalier in the pirate's death grip.

The
pirate admiral finally spoke, a deep guttural growl that made Sunay
cringe, and she wasn't even the target of his ire. “This woman
is under my protection from this point forward,” he said. “Any
further attack on her is an attack on my crew.”

He
then threw Norman down under the
cavalier's
horse. “Now be gone. You will not receive another warning.”

Either
out of pride or stupidity, Norman sputtered, “I'll return with
an army if I have to!”

“We
won't be here, so it would be a waste of your time and your manpower.
But if that will make you feel you accomplished something, you are
welcome to do so.”

The
giant man turned about, no longer giving even the slightest concern
to the Republican officer, who climbed back onto his horse and
beckoned the animal into a gallop.

“I
think dat fellow learned 'is lesson,” the short pirate smirked.
“Ya don't mess wit' da Admiral.”

Said
admiral had returned to his crew, stopping directly in front of
Sunay. He probably didn't intend to violate her personal space, but
Sunay discovered her bubble of personal space expanded depending on
how large the other person was. She gulped, twitched her fingers in
a nervous wave, and said, “Hiya. I'm... Sunay. Th... thank
you... maybe?”

“I
am Ahmin, I am the Admiral of the Gold Pirates,” he said
sternly, but without the snarl he had addressed Cavalier Norman with.
“The men with you are Captain Roberts,” gesturing to the
short pirate, “Captain Drake,” to the badger faced man,
“Captain Jones,” to the currently silent man in red, “and
Captain Davey,” to the man in blue.

“A...
pleasure to meet ya... all of ya.”

Admiral
Ahmin said simply, “You have been chosen to join my crew.”

Her
dander rose with such a declarative statement. “And I don't
get a say in the matter?”

“To
those who have been chosen, there is no choice.” He stated it
as factually as if he was telling her the weather. “Your
calling is with us. Though for what it is worth, I think you'd find
us a much more preferable option to being alone in a land that quite
actively wants you dead.”

Sunay
had to admit that was a compelling point.

“You
will serve directly under me on my vessel, the Goldbeard.”

Sunay
nodded timidly.

“Are
you ready to go?” Ahmin asked sternly. “We really don't
have time to dawdle.”

Sunay
then became quite concerned about the orphanage. “Hey... there
were other chimeras... like me. They fled southeast. There was a
plan to evacuate... but I don't know...”

Ahmin
looked over Sunay's shoulder. “Roberts. Find out which
handlers on the Line will be responsible for Miriam and her charges.
Impress upon them that any harm, any at all, that comes to any of
those young and old, will be as harm to my crew.”

Roberts
bowed. “Aye aye, Admiral.”

Sunay's
head whipped back and forth between the two pirates. “Waita
minute... ya know the matron?”

“I
know much about you and the people around you, Sunay. After all, you
have been chosen.”

The
foxgirl had to ask, because it was evident the admiral wasn't talking
merely about being a pirate. “Chosen... for what? By who?”

The
cloth around Ahmin's face shifted upwards. The brigand was smiling.
“If you earn my trust, you will learn. Now are there any other
pressing issues or questions? Because I do wish to set sail quickly
before our Cavalier friend finds more men to throw at us.”

Sunay
looked back to the north. Perhaps Matron Miriam and the orphans were
safe, if she took Admiral Ahmin at his word, but she didn't know if
Laron was going to be all right, or even if he would be released by
the Republic, though if Cavalier Norman represented the typical
Republican supporter, she doubted it.

Thoughts
of the young man reminded her of the gift he had given her, still
tucked away in the pocket of her trousers, still in its red velvet
box. She removed the earring, dropped the box to the sand, then
clipped the piece of jewelry into one of the piercings in her right
ear. That would be her promise... to one day come back and find out
what happened to everyone she cared about, and grieve if need be.

Sunay
then turned to her new crew, and said with a sharp nod, “Yeah.
Let's go.”

4. Chapter
Five: You Are a Pirate

Sunay
had
heard more than a few things about life on a pirate ship before
she actually served on one,
from filthy conditions, violence, and the cutthroat nature that came
from living on whatever you could pillage or kill.

The
Goldbeard
did
not reflect those things, though Sunay wasn't sure if that meant the
stories were wrong or if Admiral Ahmin's craft and crew were the
exception. The ship was expertly maintained with the finest lumber,
the sails frequently replaced with whole cloth, weapons periodically
cleaned and sharpened, and even the decks mopped to a shine
regularly.

Sunay
knew this because she was frequently assigned to that last part over
the last three months,
though Ahmin had
called
a stop to that chore as fall was steadily turning to winter and they
were sailing to the northern provinces of Avalon.

The
labor didn't bother her, she was used to cleaning, and had told Ahmin
so when Jacques, his first mate, first shoved the mop into her hand.
He also assigned her spot repairs when she demonstrated she could
learn how to do so quickly. Honestly, being comfortable with the
harness they dangled her from was the hardest part of the whole
thing.

“Ah,
I'm sure that there's a lot of truth about pirates in the stories
that are told. But I would not be privy to such squalor, which
should tell you all you need to know that the tales need not apply to
this ship and this crew. The Gold Pirates have resources as strong
as any navy on the whole of the continent, don't ever doubt that.”

She
looked up, towards the first platform on the main sail, where Joffe
was reclining in a canvas sling that he had attached to the platform
using some twine, sipping coconut milk straight from the coconut
itself, answering the thought she had just aired.

Joffe
was certainly
not
one that would fit the pirate idiom; he was an educated man, and
didn't pretend otherwise. He was well traveled and well learned,
born in Caravel, was taught philosophy in Aramathea, and how to make
black powder from masters of the craft outside of Reaht, knowledge
nearly lost to the Void when the eastern continent of Xanadu
collapsed nearly thirty years ago.

He
always dressed neatly, though also practically; his canvas trousers
and thick cotton shirt with a leather vest and small bow tie were a
staple outfit of his, yet he would roll up his sleeves if dirty work
was needed. And it frequently was, as his clothes would become
streaked with oil that needed prompt cleaning before it stained
permanently.

She
knew that because she often did laundry as well.

“So
why are
ya
here anyway? Other than for makin' candles?”

Candles
were the term Ahmin coined to refer to the small rockets that the
Goldbeard
and
other ships in the Gold Pirate fleet used to communicate with each
other, with different colors and burst patterns to signal anything
from their presence, to calling for another ship for aid, to even
launching a coordinated attack on a target.

“And
is that not enough?” he replied indignantly. “Why, I
could make a rocket that could propel a ship if I wanted to!”

“Yes,
and probably set half the ship on fire while yer at it.”

Juno
was a “natural” chimera, the result of a pagan ritual in
lands north of what was now Reaht, proving devotion to a “spider
god”, which was the reason for her six blood red eyes arranged
laterally across her face, short bristly gray and brown ticked hair,
and a pair of three inch long fangs that protruded from her upper
lip.

But
despite that fearsome visage, Juno was the gentlest little thing
Sunay had ever met... as long as you weren't a fly. Juno would
definitely hurt a fly. And a mosquito. And any other flying insect
that got a little too close to the ship at night. And rodents. And
occasionally birds. And possibly a sparklebunny, though that was
just hearsay.

So
maybe Juno wasn't
the
gentlest little thing Sunay had ever met. But close.

That
heritage also allowed her to have a spider's “stickiness”,
the girl was able to climb up and down nearly any surface
effortlessly, like the masts, which was why her primary
responsibility was the rigging and the sails, from which she had just
descended face first directly above Joffe's head. The engineer
yelped in surprise, tumbling out of his hammock and falling on his
left side onto the deck with a thump.

“Every...
damn... time...” Joffe grumbled. “You'd think I'd be used
to it by now...”

“You'd
think so!” the spidergirl agreed, spinning around the mast to
avoid Joffe's cot and then landing on the deck with a half flip to
right herself. “Got the replacement rope up on the sails,
Jacques! The rowin' team can take a break!”

Jacques
was the
one responsible for managing much of the day-to-day goings on of the
ship while the admiral handled the large scale planning and
coordination of both this ship and all the others in the fleet.

He
was a bit of an enigma, as unlike the rest of the crew he didn't
freely talk about himself. He wasn't unfriendly or distant, just
that he claimed his life was fairly “boring.” But as
Matron Miriam had liked to say, “a man with gray has seen many
things,” and Jacques definitely had many a silver thread in his
mane of otherwise dark blonde hair.

“I'll
pass the word along,” Jaques said, “Go on and lower the
sails, Juno. Bolin, keep us on course!”

Bolin
was the primary helmsman for the Goldbeard,
having nearly a decade of experience sailing large vessels like the
galleon he was currently steering. He didn't terribly look the part
of a helmsman, being thin and wiry, but his frame betrayed finely
toned arm muscles that, combined with his experience, could handle
the Goldbeard
with
a precision that Sunay would not have thought possible for a ship so
large.

His
identical twin, Balco, manned the crow's nest. Balco kept his blonde
hair long which was rather handy for a couple reasons: first, it
allowed for easy identification between him and his short haired
brother, and secondly was as good of an indicator that he was in the
nest as the red flag at the top of the wooden bucket that was
effectively his station.

“Winter's
Cape! Comin' up ahead! 77 degrees and five miles!”

Jacques
took that announcement and relayed it to Bolin even though that
probably wasn't necessary. Then he turned to Sunay, and ordered,
“Sunay, go down to the admiral's cabin and let him know we are
on our approach. Inform him I have the supply manifest ready and
just need him to sign off on it.”

The
foxgirl gulped nervously, but nonetheless made her move to the
stairwell at the fore side of the boat towards the lower decks. The
interior of the Goldbeard
was
dark, and it took Sunay a moment for her eyes to adjust from the
shift in light. Some pirates claimed wearing a patch over one eye
helped the transition, but the crew of the Goldbeard
by
and large didn't find the practice worth it, especially since it had
a tendency to mess with depth perception.

Once
she felt confident that her eyesight had adjusted, she slowly
navigated the stairway. The lower levels were as tidy and well
maintained as the deck itself, with furs rolled up along the walls in
anticipation of the coming winter, when they would pinned to the
walls to try and provide insulation. Sunay was dubious about how
effective that would be, but at the same time guessed little was
better than none.

Admiral
Ahmin's cabin was on the third deck, at the fore end after all the
cots for the rest of the crew, and she took that walk across the
length of the ship with terrified steps. To be fair, she knew her
fear was completely irrational. If Admiral Ahmin didn't think she
had a use, or just didn't like her for whatever reason, she would not
be on board.

But
rationality wasn't always a comfort when that massive slab of
chimeric humanity was staring you down with an impassive stare.

Sunay
knew he was a chimera. His eyes were slitted, more like those of a
cat than a human, though what type
of
chimera and what animal was influenced on him was a mystery. A
mystery he seemed intent on keeping, as the only person who seemed to
have any
idea
about the details was Jacques, and the first mate was keeping mum on
that score intentionally.

The
admiral's cabin door wasn't any different than any other door on the
ship, except for the fact that it was his. It was always closed, and
surrounded by an aura that said, “Keep Out.” But it was
an aura she had to ignore. Jacques ordered her to do this. The
admiral wouldn't kill her for that.

She
wanted to slap herself when her fist hesitated at the door. Then she
followed it up by barely tapping her knuckles against the wood. She
grumbled to herself, and addressed the door for another attempt when
said door flew inward and the admiral stood in the now open doorway
glaring down at her.

“What
is it?”

He
could have been grumpy. Or not. Sunay's ears still hadn't caught
the difference, if there even was any.

“The
first mate wanted me to tell ya that we're almost to Winter's Cape.”

“Good.”

“And
that he has the manifest ready and just needs you sign off on it.”

“I'll
do that when we drop anchor,” the admiral answered. “Anything
else?”

“N...
no, sir.”

There
was silence for a moment, and Sunay hovered nervously. She knew by
now that she had not been dismissed and thus shouldn't leave, but
didn't want to speak up and potentially upset the admiral for
interrupting his thoughts. Fortunately, he spoke up before she had
to.

“Let
Jacques know that the crew can be dismissed for three hours,”
the admiral ordered. “Stretch your legs, take it easy. I'll
handle the resupply and watch the ship. Dismissed.”

Sunay
wasn't about to argue those orders, both because they were a welcome
surprise and that she really
didn't
want to second guess the admiral. She spun about and made a full
retreat as the admiral slammed his door shut, then dropped to all
fours as she scrambled up the steps to the deck. The foxgirl was
moving so fast she forgot to stop and let her eyes adjust when she
emerged outside, momentarily blinded by the abrupt increase in light.

Staggering,
she bumped straight into Jacques, who only responded with an amused
laugh at the foxgirl's antics. Sunay shot a squinted glare in what
she thought was his direction while blinking repeatedly, then relayed
the admiral's orders to a chorus of hearty cheers.

“Juno!”
the first mate hollered. “Help Sunay ready the boats! We're
gonna need the lot of them!”

The
spidergirl dropped down to the deck, grabbing Sunay by the arm and
leading her to the railing where the rowboats were tied to the side
of the hull. Each one had to be untied from the brackets that held
them, then rigged to the winch that would lower them down to the
water level. It was not an easy process, especially if you needed to
prepare several, so the extra hands were useful.

“Hey,
greenhorn,” Juno said, grabbing Sunay's attention as she was
tying a hitch into a metal loop on the rowboat in front of her. “Yer
comin' with me and the rest of the crew, got it?”

The
foxgirl blinked. Usually the crew went their own separate ways when
given shore leave. Granted, Sunay rarely did more than wander around
and worry about all those she left behind, but she doubted she'd be
terribly good company anyway. “The rest of the crew?”

“This
isn't really shore leave,” Juno explained. “A supply run
rarely takes more than a few hours. Jacques hands the manifest over
to the harbor master, and the shipping company in charge loads 'er
up. Sometimes the admiral gives us all a break like this. So we all
go crash at the nearest pub or tavern, have a couple drinks, and
relax.”

“I'm
too young to drink by Avalonian law,” Sunay noted.

“Yer
not allowed to be a chimera by Avalonian law, either,” Juno
said. “Yer technically a mercenary sailor, not beholden to any
city or country. Besides, the law is that yer not allowed to be
found drunk
before
a certain age. You'll be fine. We can't get roarin' drunk or
anythin' since we aren't stayin' in town anyway. It'll be a good
time. Yer comin', and you don't have the option.”

Sunay
sighed, relenting to what she knew was a lost battle. “Fine,
but don't expect me to lead any drinkin' songs.”

“Nah,
the only halfways decent signer on this ship is Gurgn, and he only
knows Reahtan battle hymns. Not really good celebration material
there.”

That
got Sunay to giggle, which even she admitted was a pretty rare
occurrence along with cracking a smile or being anything like how she
used to be. “Alright, ya win. I take it ya know this place,
then?”

“Jacques
better than the rest of us, but yeah, we've supplied here a few
times. Kinda tucked away and hard to reach for most of the Republic,
so it makes for a good place for those who would like to stay out of
the eyes of Caravel and the Parliament.”

Jacques
stepped in to help them with the last boat. “Which also means
it can get a bit rough,” he said, “and as such, we want
to stick together as a group. If trouble wants to find us that
badly, it's best to face it all as one.”

Sunay
understood the wisdom in that. Perhaps she could find a corner to
slink into quietly and not interrupt anyone else's fun.

“Winter's
Cape! One mile!” Balco shouted.

“I
don't want to get much closer,” Bolin informed. “There's
a shelf comin' up quick, very uneven and rises sharply.”

Jacques
shouted down to the lower decks. “Gurgn! Drop anchor! Juno,
raise the sails!”

The
spidergirl dashed to the main mast, disappearing into the rigging, as
the deck trembled slightly and the metallic clatter of the heavy iron
anchor and the chain it was attached to dropped towards the sea
floor.

Seconds
later, the black and gold striped main sail swiftly rose in
opposition to Juno's sliding down the mast with a rope between her
teeth. She tied it down and locked the sails in position before
making an effortless leap to another mast to repeat the process...
all without even touching the deck.

“I
don't think I'll ever stop being amazed watching Juno work,”
Sunay remarked.

Jacques
shook his head. “Greenhorn, I remember days when it could take
five strapping lads to manage the sails. What you're seeing is
Joffe's skill more than Juno's.”

The
scholar scoffed. “Mere child's play, really. Simple machines
that maximize application of work. Any novice engineer could whip up
a few pulleys and rig them together.”

The
first mate laughed softly. “Devising a system that does the
work of five men? Child's play. Making a candle burn purple instead
of orange? That's
the
problem of the ages.”

“It
requires a special kind of salt, I am sure,” Joffe grumbled.
“Sylvite comes close... I think I just need one more
ingredient.”

Ahmin
then appeared from below decks, straightening once he cleared the
doorway. He said nothing as he crossed the deck, stopped in front of
Jacques who pulled out a rolled up sheet of parchment, took said
parchment, looked it over, signed it, handed it back to Jacques, and
retreated to the main mast, where he leaned back with his arms
crossed and his eyes closed.

Sunay's
ears flattened nervously. He looked unhappy, but Jacques and Juno
did not share that concern. “I sometimes think he sends us all
off because it's the only time he can get a good bit of shut eye and
not be cooped up in his cabin,” the spider girl whispered.

“Alright
people, fall in!” Jacques bellowed as the crew congregated.
Juno grabbed Sunay and pushed the foxgirl into formation next to her.

That
had hardly been the first time Juno had done such, but even now Sunay
wondered if that was normal for the “greenhorn”, the term
the crew used to describe the newest or most inexperienced member.
She didn't dare ask, and appear even more novice than she already
was.

Jacques
issued their parting orders, saying, “I wish to reiterate this
is not
shore
leave. It is a supply break. We will stay together, and we will
return together. If you are left behind, consider your conscription
aboard this ship void. I trust there is no confusion.”

Sunay
echoed the rest of the crew in confirmation, and Jacques continued.
“We will disembark following standard protocol. You all know
your normal ship numbers, and you will keep them, with these
exceptions: Second shift crew will take the five boats on the port
side aft. Third shift crew will take the boats on the starboard
side. First shift crew take their normal boat assignments. Juno,
lower the second shift. Sunay, lower the third. You two then join
me on my boat. We will all assemble again once we're on shore.
Dismissed!”

Lowering
the boats was easier than prepping them and a lot easier than raising
them. Once they were tied, they were effectively free floating,
which meant she could push them away from the railing even with them
full, and the “passive resistance” of the pulley, as
Joffe called it, allowed for the weight of the boat and occupants to
lower itself. About the only thing Sunay had to do was make sure the
mechanism didn't break, which was apparently possible though “highly
unlikely with proper maintenance.”

With
her boats away, Sunay moved back to the port side, and the first boat
with Jacques, Juno, and Joffe. Once they were settled in, Ahmin
himself lowered the final boat, and Jacques took the oars to propel
them the remaining distance.

Winter's
Cape wasn't named such because it was a particularly arctic climate,
though like most of Northern Avalon it definitely could
get
cold and snowy. As Sunay understood it, the name came from the
founder being named “Winter.” She hoped to the Coders
that was his surname.

It
wasn't even all that much of a cape, either... a low lying hill that
maybe was fifty feet over sea level at its crest and jutted a quarter
mile out past the rest of the coast. The town itself didn't even
rest on the part that was actually the cape, instead the docks were
on the coastline to the south, and the town a good half mile inland.

The
Harbormaster of Winter's Cape was a seedy-looking sort, hunched over
and using a cane to help with his balance, heavily scarred face and
hands, and an eye patch that was quite possibly covering up a missing
eye. He shambled to meet Jacques, who had pushed his way to the
front of the assembly, and handed over the manifest. “The
galleon off that way. Black and gold sails. Hard to miss it.”

The
Harbormaster nodded and handed off the manifest to his second, a
younger and more healthy boy around Sunay's age. “Get the men
to load up the barge, boy. I trust you can handle that now.”
He then said to Jacques, “I know the Goldbeard.
So does Goldbeard, and I should warn you he and his crew are in
town. Currently makin' a mess of the Main Street Tavern.”

The
first mate rolled his eyes, and muttered, “Wonderful.”

Juno
understood at least. Which was good because Sunay was clueless. “Do
we go back?” the spidergirl asked.

Jacques
scoffed. “No. We have nothing to fear from that wastrel. Him
or
whatever
crew of brigands he's assembled. We'll go to Nathan's Tavern. If
Goldbeard wants to pick a fight, let him. Let's go, people! Time's
a wastin'!”

Sunay
highly doubted that the names of the man and the ship were a
coincidence. “Who's this Goldbeard fella?” she asked
Juno.

“Daynish
raider, Holth Goldbeard is the full name. Not the nicest chap, if
you know what I mean. Sorta guy who never thought the Daynish
Campaigns really were over. Commandeered a galleon from the
Avalonian Navy and used it to raid the coast about fifteen years
ago.”

“The
ship we're using now,” Sunay deduced.

“Got
it in one,” Juno said. “Around that time, the admiral
had just become... well... the admiral, and decided that the
Goldbeard
was too good of a ship for Holth. Now, Holth didn't know who the
Gold Pirates were, and figured he was dealing with some fledgling
pirates with delusions of grandeur. So he challenged the admiral to
a Daynish scrum, the winner getting the other's ship. I wasn't
there, mind, but I can only imagine the look on Holth's face when he
saw that beast appear in front of him.

A
Daynish scrum is pretty much how it sounds, it's like a duel without
silly things like rules or gentlemanly agreements, and I'm told ol'
Holth threw out every trick in the book he could muster, but ya know
the admiral's been around and about no few times. Yer not gonna take
him by surprise very easily. He kicked Holth's tail pretty soundly,
I'm told, to the point that even Holth's crew turned their backs in
shame. Kinda surprised that he's still around after that
humiliation.”

Juno
concluded the tale, saying, “Anyway, Avalon was so happy to
have Holth's little reign of terror over that they gifted the admiral
with the Goldbeard
and called it even.”

Sunay
was naturally skeptical, and her eyebrows dropped as her eyes
narrowed. “Why do I doubt that last part very much?”

Juno
flippantly answered, “'Cause it's a lie. It just sounds like a
good ending to the story. Truth is the admiral kept the ship, and
Avalon didn't care enough to hunt him down, just like they didn't
care too much that Holth had it. The Parliament had, and has, bigger
issues.”

Sunay
could hear the ruckus from the tavern the Harbormaster had mentioned
before they even entered the town square. It made the foxgirl wonder
why this guy wasn't worth the Parliament's attention, but some
foxgirl in an orphanage tucked away in a forest needed a damned army.

Jacques
led the crew around the exterior of the square, and laying out
details as he did so. “Nathan's isn't as large an
establishment, and it's a much nicer place. I don't expect any
rowdiness. We're better than the scum in the square, got it?”

“Aye
aye, sir!” the crew echoed.

Nathan's
lived up to the word of the first mate. It was indeed a fine
establishment, red carpet, stained maple tables and chairs with
velvet covers. The bar was immaculate, with a white cloth draped
across the top. The bartender cringed as the Goldbeard's
crew
filtered in, and the few patrons started to stand nervously to
evacuate.

Jacques
took the lead, and held up one hand in peace. “At ease, good
people, we aren't here to cause or imply any trouble. Is Roland
still the owner of this establishment?”

Juno's
eyebrows rose as an older half bald man emerged from the floor above,
his jaw dropping at the sight of the first mate. Jacques jumped the
counter and met the man halfway down, the pair sharing a quiet, if
emotionally charged, exchange before he vaulted back over the bar and
declared, “Have a seat, everyone. Let's not dally.”

“Greenhorn!”
Juno declared, grabbing Sunay by the shoulder and not giving the
foxgirl much option but to follow her to the table where Bolin and
Balco had already taken seats. Jacques followed a moment later,
carefully managing five small mugs of what Sunay guessed was lager
judging from the deep amber color and large foamy heads. Maybe.

“So...
what was that
about?” Juno queried of the first mate as he slid into the
remaining chair. “How do you know that person?”

Jacques
replied simply, “A relative.”

“So...
you're from around here?” she pressed further.

“My
extended family is. I was raised in the Free Provinces.”

“Why'd
your family leave?”

“You'd
have to ask them.”

This
question and answer period matched what she knew of Jacques. He
didn't talk about himself much.

Juno
then turned to Sunay and said, “See? This
is
why I want you to open up. We already have
one
of you.”

Sunay
sighed dejectedly. She really had
been
a wet blanket since she came on board, and really didn't offer to
many reasons why. “I just didn't wanna depress any of you with
things that no one can do anything about.”

Juno
draped a comforting arm over Sunay's shoulder. “Aww... come on.
You're a chimera from Avalon. We kinda already figure whatever it
is that it probably is rough. We can take it.”

So
Sunay told them. About the orphanage, the conditions, the attempt to
flee from Cavalier Norman... though leaving out the more personal
details, like Laron and the relationship they had. Not even she
wanted
to think too much about that yet.

Juno's
jaw went slack, her eyes glistening. “That's... terrible,”
she whimpered. “H... how sad... I'm... I'm sorry... And I
thought I
had
it rough.”

Jacques
gave the spidergirl a cold stare. “Don't be patronizing.”

“I'm
not!” Juno protested. “That's awful an' terrible an'
sad! No one should have to live a life like that!”

“Because
it's so much better to be raised as the manifestation of a god of
malice and murder?”

Juno
winced, and said meekly, “Oh. That.”

“And
what is that
about?”
Sunay asked accusingly.

“Nothin',”
Juno answered.

Sunay
wasn't about to let the spidergirl off that easily. “Oh no,
you made me spill, now you
get
to share!”

Juno
relented, and said, “It's only fair, I guess. These folks
already know the tale, and I guess I never thought to tell you. Ya
know the part that I was born from a ritual with
some sorta
spider spirit, but what I didn't
say
was that I was supposed to be the avatar of that spider god, and I
was supposed to rain death and destruction on the approaching Reahtan
empire. I guess they didn't realize that I was going to be a kid and
not some fully grown force of death.

“I
was hidden away in a cave by the Cult of the Great Spider until I was
ten, where they tried to train me in being the killer they
envisioned. The admiral and his crew found me just before the
Reahtan Jacques chuckled. “The crew of the Goldbeard
wasn't exactly suited to raise a child. But Juno really didn't have
anywhere else to go, and the Admiral feared she was too dangerous to
be left with the rest of society. What with the bite that carries
a deadly venom and all.”

Juno
smiled to show off those fangs. “Can paralyze and kill a bull
in twenty seconds. People less.”

“And
so you've lived on the Goldbeard
ever since?” Sunay asked, trying very hard not to think about
Juno's teeth and how close they were to the foxgirl's shoulder.

Juno
nodded. “Pretty much. Beats livin' in a cave. And don't
worry, I only generate venom when I want to. I'm not gonna be
killin' anybody by accident.”

Sunay
smiled weakly. “Ya know, that isn't as comforting as ya
probably think it is.” Desperate to change the topic away from
the spider god avatar of murder, she turned her attention to Bolin
and Balco. “Please tell me you two have happier backstories.”

The
twins gave each other a glance, and Balco spoke up. “As normal
as one can expect, I figure,” he said. “Our father
didn't exactly spare the rod, but we weren't hunted by armies or
nothin'. Just yer typical story of 'get so pissed off about your
abusive da that you run off to be sailors' story.”

“And
wind up serving under a massive tower of a man who could flay the
skin off your bones with a look,” Bolin added. “We
didn't start off on the Goldbeard,
of course. We just did shippin' routes for Grace Shipping Company.
Then the Gibraltar Islands became popular, and they started
shipping... other cargo.”

“He's
talking about people,” Balco explained. “The Gibraltar
islands became a boom town for gold prospectors and adventurers
seeking remains of old empires and their lost wealth buried deep
within the volcanoes. Now the latter group went willingly, but it
might
surprise
you that day to day laborers weren't too keen on living on
still-active volcanic islands. So... they were forced to.”

“Slaves,”
Sunay put simply. She didn't need the truth sugarcoated.

“Slaves...
indentured servants... whatever you want to call it. All three major
empires did it, sometimes seizing the poor, sometimes kidnapping
people from nearby Free Provinces. The Grace Shipping Company was
one of the worst, by the end of the gold rush, the slave trade was
pretty much all Grace did. Bolin and I were told to either get with
the new policy or we'd be in the hold rather than on the deck.”

Bolin
wrapped up the tale. “That's how we found our way into the
Gold Pirates. We were approached with helping them break Grace
Shipping's trade, and both my brother and I were all for that. By
the time Grace got wise to our conveniently sailing repeatedly into
pirate raids, we retired from the shipping business, and joined up on
the Goldbeard.”

“So
much for happy tales.” Sunay sighed. “Now I feel really
awful
about bein' such a louse.”

“Oh
come now,” Juno said. “There's no keepin' score when it
comes to tough tales. Besides, none o' us would even be here if we
all came from well-adjusted backgrounds. Yer okay, greenhorn. Yer
okay.”

Jacques
also offered assurance. “The Admiral isn't one to bury bad
news. If he had learned something, and it wasn't good, he'd tell
you. That he hasn't said anything yet means there's hope.”

Sunay
could either be comforted by her crewmates, or dismiss them. Neither
actually changed anything, but one at least made it easier to face
any given day. “Thanks, all of ya. I guess... it'll be okay,
one way or another, huh?”

“Hey!
I hear you miserable Gold Pirates are in there! Why don't you send
out that cheating snake Ahmin and no else needs to get hurt!”

Jacques
cursed under his breath, then muttered more audibly, “Looks
like someone ratted us out.” He stood, and waved off concern
from Roland and the bartender. “I'll handle this, make sure no
one leaves until I give them the clear. Crew, follow me.”

The
Goldbeard's
crew
filed out of the tavern two by two, forming three lines to face their
challengers just outside the tavern door. As Jacques had said
earlier, they likely weren't going to pose much threat, if for no
reason than they were outnumbered forty to six. And they knew it
too, Sunay's ears catching whispering amongst amongst themselves of
the damn fool thinking he was going to fight the Goldbeard's
crew. If it came to a fight, those men would look after their own
skins first.

While
they all certainly lived up to the brigand stereotype, the man who
led them did not... nor did he look nearly old enough to have been
scrapping with the admiral over a decade ago. His hair and braided
beard were a vibrant yellow, his chest, half bare due to the open
jerkin over his shoulders, looked vital and strong, glistening from
what she guessed was oil. He stood straight and tall, true to the
Daynish stereotype. This was a young man, not an old raider.

“Admiral
Ahmin isn't here,” Jacques said. “He's still on his
boat.”

“You
mean, my
boat,”
the Dayne bellowed. “That cheating bastard stole it from my
father.”

Jacques
was not impressed by the claim. “By that line of thinking, the
boat still belongs to the Avalonian Navy that your father stole it
from. Holth is your father then, boy?”

“Horal,
son of Holth, son of Galdberd, Goldbeard by your mangling tongue,”
the Dayne declared proudly. “And your snake of an admiral
should know me well!”

Sunay
wasn't sure when or how the admiral appeared, but the massive chimera
certainly did, right behind the line of buccaneers assembled behind
Horal. “Oh, I do.”

The
admiral's deep voice panicked all five of Horal's men, and the
initially scattered before forming a loose circle around him. The
chimera was not at all impressed, not even acknowledging their
presence as his eyes, narrowed to slits, bored into the young Dayne
that couldn't even match him eye to eye. “I remember you quite
well, boy. You're fortunate that your interference got your father
to stand down in our scrum, because I would have killed him
otherwise.”

“You
killed him just as dead,” Horal accused. “You think he
could face his people after being forced to surrender? His hands had
to cut his own throat. You didn't defeat him, you humiliated him.
And now it's my
honor
on the line. I have to avenge him, and take back what is h...”

The
admiral didn't let Horal finish the sentence, sweeping out the
Dayne's legs then dropping the young man with a shoulder blow. Horal
fell onto his back, then was pinned to the ground by the pirate's
boot on the side of his face.

The
towering chimera growled, “The Goldbeard
is not yours. It was never
yours.
It is mine, and you have no claim to it. I will not
scrum
with you, boy. Not now, not a year from now, not a decade from now.
Now you take your pet weasels and slink back to whatever dinghy you
have stolen for yourself, and leave.”

Only
then, did he step off of Horal, and let the young Dayne regain his
feet. His “weasels” had already fled, and he clearly
wasn't going to get the fight he wanted. “This isn't over,”
he snarled bitterly, even as he fled petulantly.

“Of
course it isn't,” the admiral grumbled quietly to Horal's
retreating back, then exhaled as if it would expel his irritation.
“I hope that fool didn't disrupt your kin, Jacques.”

Jacques
shook his head. “No, sir. He blustered outside and didn't
even set one foot in.”

“Good.
Go back in, pay the bill, and leave them a little extra. Once
that's over with I'll meet you back on the ship. The harbormaster's
crew did their work in good time. Makes no sense to dally,
especially since we've been 'invited' to Tortuga.”

Even
Sunay knew about that place. The keep of Avalon's most powerful
mage, Morgana, and the last official bastion of noble power in the
entire country.

“Invited?
By the Domina?” Jacques asked.

“Yes,”
the admiral replied simply.

“Why
for?”

“Who
knows?” the large pirate said grumpily. “But regardless
of the reasons, it's for good relations to pay our respects. So
let's march, people. Let's not waste time.”

5. Chapter
Six: The Ice Palace of Tortuga

“Ahoy!
Comin' up on Tortuga! 92 degrees and four miles!”

Sunay's
head turned further up, towards the crow's nest where the lookout,
Balco had bellowed his announcement through the horn that ran from
that high location down the mast and flared out towards the helm.

They
supplied normally at certain ports all along the western coast of
Avalon without harassment, another detail that was far different than
what she had been told of pirates. There hadn't been any open sea
battles. They hadn't boarded any ships or taken plunder. They
didn't need to.

Bolin
turned the large wheel while rowing crews in the lower decks helped
fight the current. “Can I get a depth, Juno?”

The
spidergirl tossed a length of rope with a stone tied to the end over
the railing, then once it hit the bottom found the water depth. “Got
about fifty feet, Bolin!”

Large
vessels, like the Goldbeard,
rested
far too low in the water to approach most docks safely, and the docks
connected to Tortuga were clearly among that number. Fifty feet was
not
much
clearance considering ten feet of the craft was below water and that
the sea floor was hardly even, with outcrops, ridges, coral, and
other formations that could easily rip through a wooden hull.

“This'll
have to be close enough. Even if the water was deep, I don't like
the ice as we get closer,” Bolin said, even as he gazed out
into the distance. Tortuga was not close at all... at least another
four miles away. It was going to be a long
row
to shore.

Ahmin
emerged from below decks, straightening with a sigh of relief once he
was out in the open. Bolin immediately relayed the news. “I
donna want to get any closer, Admiral. The water's low already.”

“It
will be fine, Bolin,” the towering pirate replied. “We
won't be supplying, so there won't be any hard rowing in store.
Sunay, you're with me.”

The
foxgirl's eyes bulged. Her? Whatever for?

“No
one else?” Jacques asked as he approached from the bow of the
ship.

“No.
Just Sunay and me. No time for shore leave either. I do not
anticipate a long visit.”

The
crew on the deck all started looking at each other knowingly, and
Sunay did not like it one bit. “What is goin' on here? Why
are you all lookin' like that?”

Ahmin
interrupted, shouting gruffly, “Sunay! To me. Now.”

Sunay
gulped, her mind racing over what she could have possibly done to
earn the Admiral's ire. Everything she had done had met his
approval... unless... could he have been disappointed about her
attempted patch job in the cooking hold two weeks ago? But that
didn't make sense... he even said it was a decent enough job for the
first time she had ever worked with pitch... and it had been properly
fixed within two days after they had dropped anchor at Canary Island.

What
else could she have done? She took pride in her work, and did not
sense that she had upset any of the other crew. Ahmin demanded
respect on his ship, and she felt she followed that to the letter,
going out of her way to not
start
trouble either on or off the ship.

“Sunay!”

The
admiral's order startled her into compliance, the foxgirl shuffling
swiftly towards the giant pirate while trying to ignore the chuckles
from the rest of the crew. Ahmin pointed to the rowboat, silently
ordering to climb in. Sunay lifted her legs over the deck railing
one at a time, sitting down on the fore bench and looking forward
towards Tortuga.

Admiral
Ahmin followed, taking a seat on the aft end, and ordered that the
boat be lowered to the water level. A crank and pulley system did
the work, and Joffe's expert maintenance made the twenty foot descent
smooth with almost no jostling.

The
Admiral himself took to the oars, his powerful strokes cutting
through the calm waters swiftly. Sunay kept her eyes and ears
forward at the rapidly approaching keep that might as well be a city
in its own right. Buildings painted vibrant colors like purple and
even pink circled the main keep all the way to the coastline and even
beyond... a boardwalk supported by poles that plunged into the
shallow waters also held houses and shops above the waters.

The
tower of Tortuga itself was an elaborate sight that commanded
attention, even from a distance. Unlike the castle at Navarre,
Tortuga had the look of an exquisite palace, constructed from what
looked to be white stone almost as vibrant as the snow that painted
the landscape, gradually narrowing from the base to the top with a
pointed purple roof adorned by a silver disc.

“An
astrolabe, if you are wondering,” Ahmin said conversationally,
no doubt following the angle of Sunay's head. “It was
supposedly a gift from one of Domina Morgana's peers upon founding of
her tower, but I suspect she commissioned it herself. The Domina is
quite
vain.”

Sunay
forced herself not to look back and make eye contact with the
admiral, which Ahmin noticed. “Why are acting like I'm about
to gut you and throw you overboard?

The
foxgirl admitted, “Uhh... I dunno? Just a bit unnerved that
it's jus' the two of us.”

The
admiral made a throaty chuckle. “Sunay, if you ever disappoint
me, let me assure you that there will be no doubt that you have done
so. I am not a subtle man, either in stature or manner.”

Sunay
finally had the courage to turn around to face him. “Then...
can I ask what we're doin' here?”

“We
have business with Domina Morgana, though she requested to see you
specifically.”

“Me?
How would she even know about me? And what could she want me for?”

Ahmin
shook his head. “The Domina has a way of knowing things she
shouldn't know, which concerns me to some small degree. As for what
she wants you for, I suspect she could explain her motives far better
than I could guess. Don't worry, I won't be leaving you alone with
her.”

“Would
that be a problem?” Sunay asked.

“One
never knows with that woman.”

The
shallows became very
shallow,
to the point where Sunay could clearly see the bottom despite the
clay tainting the water. While Tortuga didn't rest on some high
cliff or bluff, this was no sandy coastline either. It was a dirty
muck, just like everything else in northern Avalon.

It
felt colder on the rowboat than it did on the deck of the Goldbeard,
and Sunay became acutely aware of her own icy breath as it escaped
her lips. Ahmin didn't seem bothered by the cold... but then again,
Ahmin never seemed bothered by anything. But at least he looked
appropriately dressed for once.

Ice
was the bane of ships, but at the speed they were going, the danger
wasn't nearly as significant, even as the chunks grew thicker the
closer they got to the ice shelf. The common knowledge was that no
snowflake was the same, but Sunay found the same could be true for
any given piece of ice. Some were a murky white, or streaked with
red, brown, and even green. Some were round and some were jagged.
Some floated harmlessly on top of the water, others only showed a
finger above the surface and hid a ship destroying monster beneath.

But
ice around Tortuga was different still... the pieces she saw were
clear as crystal, and some smaller pieces actually had sharp edges
and facets like a jewel, and refracted the sunlight above into
rainbows that splayed out on the side of the boat. Even if Sunay
hadn't known one of the world's most powerful mages held court in
this very keep, she would have guessed the area was magical.

The
sight was so breathtaking that she didn't even realize the boat had
reached the “dock” until it bumped against the boards and
jerked to a stop. A heavily bundled soldier, with furs dyed blue
draped over silvery chain mail came to assist, tossing a thick
mooring rope to Ahmin that they used to secure the boat to the dock.

The
soldier assisted Sunay onto the boardwalk, even though she didn't
particularly need it, and offered a similar hand to Ahmin that was
refused. “You got here in just in time,” the soldier
said. “Too much longer and you'd probably have needed to walk
across the ice.”

Ahmin
noted, “The ocean doesn't normally freeze this far, as I
recall.”

“We've
had some cold winters the last two years. It concerns all of us.”

“Surely
Tortuga prepares for harsh winter.”

“We
do,
yes. We can also get supplies from the south if we're willing to pay
the tax. But our 'friends' up north don't have that luxury. Too
many rough winters in a row means they get more and more willing to
come south and take what they need. If we don't get milder and
shorter winters soon, we could see another Daynish Campaign.”

Ahmin
scoffed. “Not even the most desperate Dayne would think Tortuga
a viable target. I can assure you they haven't stopped singing tales
of the night the sky cried fire and ice. ”

Sunay's
ears twitched at the idea of a tale she hadn't heard yet. She had
grown keen on such stories since leaving Miriam's orphanage.

Ahmin
also knew what that reaction meant, and he laughed before saying, “In
the best of times, Tortuga sits well within the borders of Avalon.
But the northern border of the kingdom and now republic is an oft
changing thing. The last time the line shifted was nearly seventeen
years ago, at the height of the last Daynish Campaigns. The money
and manpower Avalon spent to fight off the invaders drove most of the
population into poverty and prompted the revolution shortly after.
That part you should know.”

He
motioned for her to follow as he moved down the boardwalk, continuing
the story as they began their trek to the keep. “It was during
that period, at the deepest thrust of the invasion, that the Daynes
made their first, and only, attempt on Tortuga. The Chieftain
Hrothkin roused ten thousand of his people to lay siege on the
somewhat fledgling keep founded by the Domina. She was not pleased.

“She
went out alone to hear the chief's demands for tribute, then offered
but one of her own. 'I will spare one man to tell the rest of your
kind what happened to
you
pathetic lot.' As Hrothkin laughed, the Domina raised her arms to
the heavens... and sent the sky crashing down.

“To
the east of here, in the stretch of plain that is now called
Morgana's Wrath, balls of flaming rock and spears of icy slate
decimated the land and all that stood upon it. At the end of the
cataclysm, only two remained standing: the Domina and an unnamed
Dayne that she spared to tell the tale to his people. Since that
time, even when the Daynes have pushed the border south, they have
given Tortuga a wide berth.”

“And
now I see why you wouldn't want me alone wit' her,” Sunay said
with a shiver. “Sounds like she's the sorta girl that could
even hurt you.”

Ahmin
laughed. It was hard to tell just how much the tales from the
Goldbeard's
crew
of the Admiral's invulnerability were true and how much of it was
stretched. Ahmin himself never confirmed or denied them, but Sunay
had already seen him survive enough things that should have
rightfully killed him to never doubt such stories. “Let's say
that I have no desire whatsoever to test that theory. Morgana is
arguably the most powerful mortal being on this continent, even among
her peers. Not even I would try her willingly.”

At
the end of the boardwalk they entered the city proper, and Sunay
imagined that she had stepped twenty years back in time. Until the
Revolution inspired a more low-key, functional, and practical
appearance, all the major cities in Northern Avalon looked like this,
colorful and even garish with colors that should never have been next
to each other like purple and orange for the three story house they
just passed with a bright pink roof.

Sunay
also became keenly aware that she was drawing attention from
passers-by, older men and women specifically stopping to give her a
double take. As a member of the Gold Pirates, and specifically under
Admiral Ahmin's command, she had no fear of displaying her chimera
traits even in public, and had gotten used to the stares she got from
doing so. But this was different, she was getting pointed to and
quiet mumbling amongst themselves.

As
much as she wanted to demand to know just what they thought they were
looking at, Sunay stilled her tongue. Even if she had the protection
of her crew, it was a tenuous allowance where her presence was more
tolerated than accepted. Picking fights wouldn't be prudent.
Instead, she stewed over the quiet gossiping and tried to keep her
head forward as much as possible.

They
stopped at the inner wall of Tortuga, which formed a perfect circle
and separated the central tower from the rest of the city, and the
soldiers there were less welcoming than the one at the dock. They
were two large men with full helmets that obscured their facial
features, even their eyes barely visible through the small slit
afforded.

“State
your business,” the one on the left said. If he was trying to
be intimidating, it wouldn't be easy to do so considering he was
still dwarfed by the towering pirate admiral.

“We
were summoned by the Domina,” Ahmin retorted. “You
should ask her.”

“Names?”

“Ahmin
and Sunay. We are expected.”

The
soldier to the right of the gate turned the corner, and examined a
white slab hanging from a hook. He then nodded to his companion, and
motioned to someone through the gate, causing the steel grate to
slowly raise. “Mind your manners, buccaneer. The Domina might
be in a mood,” he warned courteously.

“Isn't
she always?” Ahmin scoffed, then motioned for Sunay to fall in
step as the gate gave enough clearance for them to enter.

The
inner courtyard was covered in a blanket of snow, with only the
skeletons of trees serving as a reminder that anything grew there.
From this closer vantage point, Sunay could now see that the blocks
that made the tower was actually white marble. “Whelp, that
couldn't have been cheap,” she remarked, pointing at the
stones.

Ahmin
agreed. “No, I doubt it was, especially since those sorts of
quarries are only found in the Free Provinces to the east. And that
marble needs to be carved in a specific way in order for mortar to
take hold, which would be an added expense. As I mentioned, the
Domina is quite vain.”

There
weren't any soldiers at the tower doors, which Sunay found peculiar,
as everywhere else seemed to be teeming with uniformed men. All
of
them men, now that she thought about it. Even the Republican Army
realized they needed women to fill their ranks nowadays.

The
front door opened seemingly on its own, as there wasn't a soul
anywhere inside that could have done it as far as Sunay could see.
The two pirates stepped onto a circular landing with a mosaic pattern
of an astrolabe on the floor. It appeared that the landing was the
entire floor, in fact, as she could see windows with sunlight pouring
in all around the circumference.

The
foxgirl's head jerked upwards when she heard a grinding and clicking
sound from the ceiling, heralding a golden circular staircase
spinning down until it touched the landing floor at the center of the
astrolabe with a click. It was followed by a light, melodic voice
saying, “If only my traders and diplomats were as punctual as a
buccaneer.”

The
clack of high heeled shoes rang down from above, belonging to the
dainty violet shoes that appeared on the golden steps. It was
followed by a woman in a dark purple dress trimmed with silver and
adorned with sapphires cut low in the chest to accentuate an
impressive line of cleavage. A silver tiara adorned her forehead,
encrusted with sapphires, aquamarines, and diamonds. Alabaster skin
and long, waist length hair as black as coal completed the picture of
the traditional image of Avalonian beauty, if not for the fact that
she was close to six feet tall even without
the
heels.

“Being
on time is essential for a proper society. I am sorry your
associates do not share that sentiment.”

The
woman offered her hand palm down, and Ahmin took it with a respectful
bow. “Domina Morgana, this is Sunay, the member of my crew you
asked about.”

Everything
about the Domina's manner was polite and respectful, but there was
something about the mage that made Sunay's skin crawl. Perhaps it
was that Morgana could not be as young as she looked, and was using
some
manner
of magic to appear so radiant.

Or
perhaps it was because the Domina sounded so nice while her eyes
sized up the foxgirl like she was a thick slab of steak. “A
pleasure to meet you, my dear,” Morgana said with a knowing
smile. “I must say, the fox is my favorite animal. The red
fox, specifically, not those dreadfully bland gray ones down south.
I can now see why Cavalier Norman took interest in you.”

Sunay
asked, “You knew 'bout that?”

“After
the fact, but yes. Do understand, I was the one who applied the
chimeric curse upon the king, on behest of the queen after they were
married. She didn't wish any challenges to the throne, and I did not
much like the king. I chose the red fox for that curse. That was no
doubt why you were his target, though how he learned about you, I do
not know.”

Sunay's
eyes flared. “Are you tellin' me that I'm some bastard daughter
of the king?”

Morgana
shrugged. “That is impossible to say. I was hardly the only
mage who cast a chimeric curse for some coin, and I doubt I was the
only one who used the red fox as inspiration. But sadly Norman, by
my experience, does not think of such details, and seeks only to
please the zealous Coders of his imagination and the Parliament that
didn't string him up with the nobility that did not escape its ire.”

Sunay
sensed there was a lie somewhere tucked into that entire exchange,
but couldn't put a finger on where.

The
Domina turned about on the ball of her right foot, and said, “But
that is not why I summoned you, my dear. And fear not, my fine
Admiral, I have something for you as well in exchange.”

Morgana
returned to the stairwell, and glanced back with a sweet, apologetic
smile, “I do apologize for not inviting you up. There was a
bit of an incident recently, and I'm afraid to say that the rest of
the tower is still not suitable for hosting guests.”

She
twiddled her fingers as she climbed the steps, and furnishings
appeared from the thin air around the two pirates, a pair of large
red velvet and mahogany chairs behind them, and a long luxurious
couch of the same materials in front of them. “Do sit down,
darlings,” she said, disappearing into the higher floor. “I
shall be back shortly.”

Sunay
shuddered as she sat. Everything about that woman gave her chills.
This entire damn place gave her chills. A cold, clammy feeling that
spread down her spine to her toes.

“I
can promise you that she is watching us,” Ahmin warned. “And
probably listening too.”

With
that in mind, Sunay straightened as stiff as a board, and determined
to not move unless asked, and not speak unless spoken to.

The
Domina returned ten minutes later, a tan book under her arm and that
same pleasant and unnerving smile upon her face. “I apologize
for the delay. I must admit to being dreadfully unprepared with all
the goings-on.”

Ahmin
queried, “You mentioned there was an incident. Is there some
way we could help?”

Sunay
knew that the admiral wasn't offering any assistance for the sake of
good relations. Something had happened, and he wanted to know more.

Morgana
also seemed to know that. “Nothing that has not already been
handled. A troublesome apprentice that I had to deal with. He
merely caused an unholy mess of things in the process.”

“That
would explain the lack of any other living things in the tower,”
Ahmin noted.

The
veil fell for just a moment from the Domina's face, and the anger
behind it was evident. “I only allow those I trust in my
tower. If I cannot trust anyone, no one enters.”

Ahmin
smiled visibly through his mask. “And yet here we are.”

That
gave Morgana the opportunity to reconstruct the pleasant mask. “Yes,
that you are. I do not believe that trust is misplaced, no?”

“I
would hope not. We've always had an amiable working relationship.”

Morgana
grinned almost predatorily, and lay down in a blatantly suggestive
manner across the couch, setting her book down on the floor, with her
right hand lying across the curve on her thigh, and her left propping
up her chin so as to allow a good line of sight down the low neckline
of her dress. “The extent of which is always
up
for negotiation.”

Sunay
cringed, despite her efforts not to. Those were mental images she
didn't need. The foxgirl wondered how many men would have fallen to
the Domina's charms and never been seen again.

“As
many women who befell the same fate, my dear,” Morgana replied
with a playful wink, startling Sunay into worrying she had expressed
her thoughts unwittingly out loud.

Could
the Domina read minds?

Admiral
Ahmin and Domina Morgana both said at the same time, “No”
and “Yes” respectively, which offered no help at all for
the foxgirl's nerves.

The
large pirate leaned forward, his voice dropping out of pleasantness
and into stern. “Domina, my time is valuable, as is yours. May
I ask what business you have with us today?”

Morgana
moved the fingers of her right hand, and the book in front of her
flapped open, several pages flying out onto a breeze no one could
feel towards the large pirate admiral, who plucked them out of the
air. She locked eyes with Sunay. “Daynish movements over the
last month, and I know you've had trouble keeping agents alive that
far north. There's also some information from my continuing Void
research that might have
some value to you. Hasn't amounted to much for me.”

“Not
as keen on the 'grand mission' as your peers?”

Morgana
huffed. “We have differences in opinion. But that
is
little of your concern. My 'peers' do not particularly like you or
your organization, and I should maintain that confidence. Besides, I
am more interested in the young lady here.”

Sunay
gulped as the Domina's eyes bore holes into hers.

“I
have been interested in 'chosen' people for some time, but I rarely
get the opportunity to talk to one.”

“You...
you've 'eard about my being chosen?” Sunay asked nervously.

Morgana
nodded slowly. “Oh yes, my dear. And not all who are 'chosen'
go into the Admiral's care here. They are all taken by...
something... that guides them in whatever direction it wishes, an
inner voice that sounds like them, feels like them, yet isn't
them.
Would you say you had a similar experience?”

Sunay
looked towards Ahmin for guidance, and the pirate admiral said,
“Answer. It's okay.”

The
foxgirl nodded. “Yes. When I was... runnin' from Cavalier
Norman and 'is mob, there was somethin' that... pulled me towards
Admiral Ahmin. When I resisted, I lost control of my body until I
complied.”

“Normally,
the calling from that inner voice is so subtle that those who have
been chosen never realize their actions aren't their own,; but
sometimes, like in your case, the pull is more extreme. I must know,
can you think of any other time where your actions have been
inconsistent with what you would have done?”

Sunay
shook her head. “I really couldn't say. I... always kinda been
a random sort.”

The
answer appeared more helpful than Sunay figured it would be.
“Interesting,” Morgana almost purred. “Where are
you
from initially?”

“I
had lived in the orphanage outside of Navarre for as long as I can
remember.”

Morgana
pushed herself up to a sitting position, then stood. “That's
all the questions I had. As sudden as it may seem, I do have so very
much to do, and I'm sure you'd rather get your crew as south as
possible before the worst of winter hits.”

Ahmin
followed, accepting Morgana's hand for another bow. “I do,
actually. Thank you for this information, Domina. I hope your
coming days have fewer... incidents.”

“As
do I. Farewell, Admiral. Sunay. May the Coders bless your steps.”

Morgana
retreated back to the higher floors, the stairwell rising behind her,
as the pirates retreated from the keep and back towards their ship.

Sunay
cast wary glances back towards the keep before asking, “And
what was that
little
interrogation about? Do ya know?”

Ahmin
was dividing his attention between the papers in front of him and
making sure he didn't run over anyone as he walked. Nonetheless, he
answered. “Domina Morgana has a bit of a theory that I think
might have some merit. She thinks that the number of 'chosen' people
has been diminishing over the years, and thinks that it is somehow
correlated to the advance of the Void as it has devoured the rest of
the world.”

Sunay
cocked her head. “And 'ow does that
figure?”

“Unlike
Morgana, I actually know
just
how many chosen there are, and she's right; there are
fewer
than there were fifty years ago, or even ten years ago. I don't know
if it's coincidence, or even how
it
would correlate, but there may be unexpected fruit to find there.
I'm inclined to let the Domina pursue it.”

“And
that's why you brought me here then?”

Ahmin
tossed aside the papers he had been holding with a shrug. “It's
not like I didn't know the stuff she gave me already. The Daynes
aren't all that hard to figure out, and I have been given no reason
to interfere in those affairs.”

“So
we came all this way for no reason but to have that... witch... make
me feel like worms were eatin' my bones?”

“No.
I rather like this part of the world. I have no problems taking
excuses to come up this way, especially in winter. I spent most of
my life in tropical climates. The cold and the snow are a welcome
change of pace. And if I'm being rather honest, I rather like
Domina
Morgana, as self-absorbed and insufferable as she can be.”

“You
just like her chest,” Sunay snorted.

“It
is
impressive,
but I've seen better.”

It
was unusual to see the pirate admiral so lighthearted, choosing a
very no nonsense demeanor whenever he addressed his crew or other
public scenarios. It made her smile that he let his guard down
around her.

“What?
I
have,” he insisted, mistaking Sunay's appraisal for disbelief.

Sunay
shook her head, and said, “No, that's not... oh never mind.
Let's git back to the ship.”

~
~ ~ ~ ~

“Nice
work, Sunay! You're already gettin' the hang of the sails!”

Sunay
looked down at Juno. Not even two months ago, seeing all six of
those red eyes gleaming at her would have caused her to shiver. But
meeting Domina Morgana in her self-imposed isolation had given the
foxgirl a new definition of “creepy.” After that, Juno's
beady stare was nothing.

“Thanks!
I had a good teacher!” she called down, checking to make sure
she had tied the knot as well as Juno claimed. “But I don't
think I'm ever gonna be able to do all this without a 'arness like ya
can!”

She
had only started learning the role of rigger last week, though she
would have liked warmer waters to try it in. The frigid climate of
the Western Forever Sea off of the Daynelands was
not what
Sunay considered ideal conditions, especially since working with rope
meant she couldn't even wear gloves. Her fingers were already blue
long before she dropped back down to the deck.

She
blew air into her hands, even though she knew that wouldn't help in
the long run. Moist air from her lungs would make her hands feel
warmer for a little bit, then the moisture would dry and her hands
would feel colder.

“Ya
shouldn't do that,” Juno warned.

Sunay
snapped back, “I think yer teachin' me the rigging 'cause you
don't wanna do it in this cold.”

The
spidergirl smiled and tilted her head playfully. “Ya got it in
one!"

“Gloves...
need gloves...” Sunay grumbled, and turned about to find
Jacques holding two black woolen mittens in front of her face. With
a gleeful expression, the foxgirl grabbed them and thrust both hands
into blissful insulation.

“Admiral
on the deck!” Bolin declared in full yell, stirring the rest of
the crew to turn as Ahmin emerged from below.

“I
have received orders from the Administrators. We are shipping off to
warmer waters.”

That
got a hearty cheer, even from Sunay, though she still didn't know
exactly what to think about these unseen “Administrators”
that supposedly governed an entire shadow network both on land and by
sea, or how Admiral Ahmin got those orders.

“Where
we goin', Admiral?” Bolin asked.

Ahmin
frowned. He either didn't like where they were going, didn't want to
leave here, or both. “We're going to the South Forever Sea,
monitoring The Imperial Aramathea, the eastern portion of the empire
specifically. There's apparently some trouble brewing there, and
reports that the Void might be shifting.”

The
cheers turned to concern. The Void hadn't shown any signs of
movement in about three decades, since it consumed
the
continent of Xanadu and half of the Eastern Forever Sea. There was
only one way it could move at this point, and that caused dread to
sink upon the crew. Sunay knew these things from the various tales
of her crewmates, but didn't know
it,
she hadn't seen
the
Void first hand like many of her comrades had.

And
Admiral Ahmin guessed as much. He approached Sunay, and looked down
at her, his eyes narrowing to slits. “Sunay hasn't had the
pleasure of seeing dire water yet, has she?” he said.

“No,
sir,” Jacques replied. “We've not had that duty since she
came aboard.”

The
Admiral ordered to the helm, “I think we have time for one
slight detour, then. Bolin! 270 degrees, full sail. Juno! I'll
need your eyes on the crow's nest! Send Balco down to manage the
sails!”

“Aye
aye, Admiral!” the spidergirl answered, shimmying up the main
mast.

Sunay
was puzzled by the change in duties, and Ahmin explained. “Balco
has the keenest sight I have ever seen, but in this case Juno's eyes
allow her to catch the subtle differences in the water that can mean
living to see tomorrow and sailing into oblivion. It should
be
at least a full day's sail to reach the end of the living world, but
if
the
rumors are true, I don't want to take any chances that it hasn't
advanced from the west as well.”

The
mercy was that the line hadn't
moved
by the time that they heard Juno's cry of, “Dire water! Dead
ahead, half mile out!”

But
that really didn't help Sunay any, because she felt a cold chill
shoot down her back, and the fur on her tail sticking straight on
end. Her ears flattened and she began to cower. This was not
a
pleasant feeling at all, like invisible hands were grabbing her by
the spine and twisting.

Balco
noticed that, and laughed. “Admiral! Lookit the greenhorn!”

Ahmin
did, and his reaction was not humor. “Sunay... you can feel
the dire water nearby, can't you?”

“Is
that
what
this feelin' is?” she said with a shiver, one that she wished
she could blame on the chilly air and waters of the Western Forever
Sea.

Ahmin
put his hands on her shoulders, and said reassuringly, “To have
this sense is rare, Sunay. It's always hardest the first time you
experience it. As you get used to the presence of dire water, it
doesn't affect you as badly.”

The
towering pirate gently pushed Sunay to the port side and ordered out
to the helm, “Bring us alongside the water line, Bolin. Balco,
keep the sails full. Jacques, ready the oarsmen to help push us off
when I give the word.”

Sunay
figured out why the oarsmen would be needed as the Goldbeard
turned.
There were normally very strong winds in the open sea, but here the
air movement died to a breeze and went stagnant. The smell changed
to something that Sunay wouldn't describe as death, but more lacking
life... a sterile and empty scent that gave her shivers all over
again.

Ahmin
had to effectively carry
Sunay
to the railing because her legs began to refuse going any closer,
every muscle stiffening in reluctance and fear. Once there he
pointed out to the west, and asked, “Can you see the
difference? It's near impossible unless you're up close or can see
heat like Juno. But once you see it, there's no mistake.”

The
foxgirl couldn't initially, until Ahmin instructed her towards the
proper location. To someone who didn't know any better, the
transition would be similar to how shallow waters broke into deep
waters from the shoreline. It was not a phenomenon one expected to
see while out in the open seas. The already deep blue turned to
something darker, something not blue nor black, an impossible color
that Sunay couldn't quite wrap her mind around.

But
once she could see the difference, she found herself horrified that
she didn't see it sooner. The dire water didn't move. There were no
waves on the surface, and an ominous purple mist hovered over it. It
was like Ahmin had pulled away an invisible curtain, and what lurked
behind was a featureless horror.

Ahmin
turned his head towards the aft side. “Joffe, you have one of
your candles on the deck somewhere?”

The
scholar sighed in resignation, but retrieved the five inch rocket he
had been toying with on the starboard side, attached it to a leader,
and handed it over to the admiral. “Even if they are one use
only, seems like a waste to use it here,” he said forlornly.

Normally,
rockets like those were pointed upwards, and were used for nearby
Gold Pirate ships to relay positions or distress among themselves
quickly. Ahmin pointed this one almost parallel to the water, aiming
towards the dire water ahead, then lit the wick.

At
the end of the wick, the rocket zipped off the leader with a
crackling hiss, then took off at unnatural speed and with uncanny
accuracy towards the water boundary... then disintegrated. Not with
the telltale pop and colorful burst that she had come to expect, but
with nothing. No flourish, no sound... merely fell apart and
vaporized, even the white smoke trail vanishing like an invisible
hand had chopped it clean, swallowed by the purple mist of the Void.

“That
is what the Void does, it consumes and leaves nothing but dire water
behind. Nothing that crosses that line is ever seen again,”
Ahmin said softly into Sunay's ear. “And that is also one of
our primary duties out on the water... to monitor the dire water, and
to manage evacuations of areas that are in the way of its advance.”

The
pirate admiral turned about, and barked with such volume that it
could be heard on the lower decks, “Get those oars moving!”

The
volume of the order rang in Sunay's ears, and the steady movement
away from dire water shook her mind out of its frozen state, as if
her thoughts and her muscles were slowly defrosting and starting to
work properly again, helped as the invisible curtain of sanity was
pulled back over the sea, and the Void was again invisible to her
gaze. She shuddered once more to work out all the kinks, and
absentmindedly started smoothing out her tail.

That
wasn't the first time she had felt that icy clench in her bones. She
had felt something very similar in Tortuga, specifically in Domina
Morgana's tower, but even she didn't think that made much sense. It
certainly wasn't something she wanted to air openly with the crew
present. Even with their experience with the Void, she could see the
tension when the admiral ordered them to sail this way. They didn't
like being here either, they were just better at not letting it
bother them.

The
admiral did
say
that she was welcome to approach him with any
concerns
she had... but would he willing be receptive to an accusation about
something that he had declared a certain degree of respect for?

“What's
on your mind, Sunay?”

The
foxgirl jerked in fright, spinning about to see Ahmin looking
straight at her. She wasn't exactly sure how to answer because she
wasn't even sure what questions she wanted to ask. Apparently, she
hadn't been masking her uncertainty very well.

Ahmin
turned his head towards the aft side below the helm, where the
stairwell to the lower decks was located behind a door. After
reluctant silent deliberation, he ordered, “Follow me. We'll
talk in my quarters.”

Sunay
followed the admiral as he pulled open the door and ducked down into
the lower decks. Even on a ship as large as the Goldbeard,
there wasn't much head room for people of average stature. Ahmin had
to traverse the halls nearly doubled over and with his shoulders
drawn in. If someone was trying to go the opposite way, Admiral
Ahmin wasn't going to be the one to back up.

Fortunately
for the massive pirate, his cabin was much more accommodating due to
the fact that he had knocked out the entire floor above. It was good
to be the man in charge, as his personal space was at three times
that of anyone else's... although having any
room
to herself would be better that the cot and footlocker she had now.

Although
she'd hardly call Ahmin's cabin palatial either... his bed, while
large, was of exceptionally plain oak, as were the table, chairs, and
standing closet. The only thing that really stuck out as unusual was
a small black iron cabinet with an open padlock and chain on the aft
wall sitting on a shelf.

He
straightened to his full height with a sigh of relief, then hastily
rushed to the oak table in the center, covering up something with his
body that Sunay didn't get a chance to see. He then took whatever it
was, and put it in the iron cabinet before pulling the chain tight
and locking it closed.

Ahmin
offered the most unbelieving of explanations. “Apologies, I
hadn't bothered to tidy up because I wasn't expecting to host
anyone.”

Sunay
closed her eyes. “I didn't see anythin'. Honest. One of those
things I'm not supposed to know about, eh?”

“Not
yet,” he answered cryptically, “but that is a discussion
for a later time. Seeing the dire water really shook you, didn't it?
I am sorry... but it is one of our primary purposes out on the seas.
You were going to have to face it at some point.”

Sunay
shook her head. “It's not that. I... I've felt that way
before.”

That
got
Ahmin's attention, as Sunay should not have had any prior experience
with the Void. “Where?”

“When
we were in Domina Morgana's tower. Not nearly as strong, but the
same sort of clammy feelin'. At the time, I thought she just creeped
me out. But...”

Ahmin
cursed under his breath and mumbled, “Had I known sooner...”
then he quickly added when Sunay cringed in guilt, “It's not
your
fault. You couldn't have known. Domina Morgana no doubt has been
playing with the Void, and had I suspected so at the time, I could
have applied some pressure and found out exactly what
that
'incident' she spoke of entailed. I'm going to have to pass this
on... our orders are clear.”

Sunay
could sense his displeasure. “You don't like that.”

“I...
do not have a particularly high opinion of the Administrator that has
been tasked to watch this region, no. But he is an established
member with holdings in the area, and I am mobile by nature. So I
go, and he stays.”

The
admiral sighed, then admitted, “I don't disagree with the
orders, though. Domina Morgana might
be
playing around with powers she can't control. But we know
that
things are going to get hot in the south for the next few years. The
Gold Pirates need to be there in force to make sure events flow
smoothly.”

“Anything
specific you can tell me yet?”

Ahmin
shook his head. “You will know shortly after I do.”

“If
that was meant to be reassurin', it didn't work,” Sunay said
flatly.

“It
wasn't meant to be.”

“Wonderful...”

6. Chapter
Seven: Good News First

Warmer
weather was always welcome, no matter how much Sunay's red fox
heritage would suggest she should be comfortable in the cold of
Northern Avalon. So, the foxgirl certainly didn't have any problems
whatsoever once her homeland was in the aft, and a rest of the
continent was in the fore.

Admiral
Ahmin had ordered her to become more familiar with all of the crew
and their responsibilities, even though Sunay couldn't understand
why. She was hardly a weakling, but there was no way she'd be able
to pull her weight on the oars, and everyone down on that deck knew
it.

“We're
in free waters now, lassie,” Gurgn said after telling the
rowing team to withdraw their oars. They had hit the ocean currents
that would take them to the southern empire of The Imperial Aramathea
far faster than they could row, even with southern winds heralding
the coming spring.

Gurgn
was a thick heavy-set man with arms like legs and legs like tree
trunks, and even he considered himself too old to be able to handle
the duties, hence his position at the head of the procession calling
out the cadence of the team's strokes. But it was the admiral's
orders to get to know them and what they did, so she was there
watching.

“And
yer point?” the foxgirl said tiredly, with her chin in her
hands.

“You've
never been outside of Avalon, until now.”

“Yer
point?”

Gurgn
exhaled sharply. “Why don't you go topside and see this brand
new world around you?”

Sunay
merely turned her eyes in the rowmaster's direction. “Ya
sure?”

“We're
not complex folk to figure out. If ya wanna visit, we won't stop ya,
but for today, get up there.”

Sunay
smiled slightly, and nearly skipped to the stairwell. She knew that
the sea off of the Free Provinces wouldn't be any different than the
waters of Southern Avalon, but it certainly felt
fresher
and the sky a little brighter once she stepped out onto the deck, and
took a deep breath.

The
day was in truth partly cloudy, which wasn't terribly surprising,
those clouds being the harbinger of the spring storms that would soon
sweep over this part of the continent. Memories of those storms
actually got her worried. “Hey! What're we gonna do if a
cyclone hits on the water?”

Admiral
Ahmin spun about, looking up from the map he was holding. “Sunay!
How very fortuitous. I was about to call for you. As for the
weather, cyclones aren't much of a worry the further south we go. By
the time the really big storm fronts hit this area, we'll be in
Aramathea.”

Jacques
snorted, and added, “We'll only have to worry about typhoons
down there.”

That
didn't sound any better at all to Sunay's ears.

Ahmin
playfully pushed his first mate away, which had the effect of
knocking Jacques off his feet and face-planting him on the deck.
“Anyway, I was going to call for you because we're making one
quick stop in the coast city of Baladon, and I'd like for you to
attend me.”

“Arr?”
Sunay growled, tilting her head with curiosity.

“We're
getting a little bit of shore leave, but there's somewhere I want to
show you,” he said unhelpfully.

The
foxgirl was understandably skeptical. “The last time ya wanted
to show me somethin' I found myself starin' at the Void.”

The
large pirate's mask shifted as his lips turned upward, and he closed
his eyes playfully. “I think you'll find this surprise much
less harrowing.”

She
had no reason not to believe him. Ahmin hadn't ever lied to her
before, after all. But that didn't mean she was entirely buying
whatever he was selling. “Uh huh.”

“Baladon
docks, two miles!” Balco shouted.

Juno
added in, “Two hundred feet. We should be good and clear to
the docks!”

“Then
bring us in, Bolin,” Ahmin said. “Jacques, make sure the
rowers are ready to help slow us down, then have Gurgn drop anchor.”

Baladon
was the primary port for the entire free province of Catalan, which
like most Free Provinces was more of a loose association of
independent city-states than an organized body. Due to this unique
status, the city had a dockside roughly three times larger than the
city itself, and large enough for the Goldbeard
itself
to moor to.

“Alright,
ladies and gentlemen, as you well know, there are less savory pirates
that use this port as well,” Ahmin declared as the crew
assembled on the deck to be dismissed. “Some of you may even
meet old friends here. Regardless, I must insist that you behave
professionally. If you get drunk, you're in the brig for a week. If
you start a fight, you're in the brig for two. And if you so much as
think of participating in any despicable behavior like your
ragamuffin kin, consider yourself lucky if I merely decide to leave
you
here. We are Gold Pirates, and we are above
such
base behavior. Am I understood?”

The
crew called out their agreement in near unison.

“As
always, First Mate Jacques has a duty roster for watching the ship
while we are in port. You will
follow
it. I will know
if
you don't. I and Crewman Sunay will return in three days, and we
will cast off at high sun.” The Admiral then smiled, and said,
“And with all those unpleasant restrictions out of the way, go
have fun, my friends. You've earned it. Dismissed!”

With
a loud cheer, the crew initially tried to rush forward before the
first mate quickly restored order and imposed a line for the crew to
disembark. Ahmin's grin cracked even further, to the point that
Sunay could almost see his cheekbones rise over the fold of his mask.

“I
have a good crew,” he explained upon seeing Sunay's quizzical
expression. “Not everyone can say that, even among my peers in
the Gold Pirates. It does me joy to see them so happy.”

“We're
all clear, Admiral,” Jacques said, approaching the pair.
“Bolin and I will head the first watch, and you are free to
depart. We'll see ya in three days.”

Ahmin
offered his hand, and the pair shook on it. “Yes, you will.
Don't forget to have a little bit of fun yourself.”

“I
will, in the wee hours of the morning after all my old friends are
long since passed out in their rum glasses.”

The
admiral and first mate laughed, and Ahmin used that as parting to
head down the gangplank to the dockside, Sunay falling in step behind
him. Ahmin glanced over his shoulder, and said, “We won't
linger here... because I think you're going to want to spend some
considerable time at our destination, and if we leave now we should
get there come late evening.”

“That
long of a walk?” Sunay asked.

“Walk?
If we were to walk, it'd take the whole three days one way. We're
going to get some assistance to get where we're going.”

The
assistance in this case turned out to be the back of a partially
loaded merchant's cart headed towards Terrasa, a nearby city-state to
the north. Ahmin offered the husband and wife couple a substantial
sum to ride in the back, which the husband was reluctant to take
until his wife arrived carrying a bushel of apples from the market.

The
merchant's wife was a chimera, with a beautiful gray wolf tail and
pointed ears that instantly turned in Sunay's direction. “Oh,
Law, do stop being such a louse and let these people ride with us.
It's not like we don't have the space and we can always use the extra
coin.”

“They
have the look of pirates,” Law countered suspiciously.

“Good,
then they'll ward off any bandits that think us an easy mark.”

The
woman stopped in front of Sunay, and the foxgirl immediately sensed
something different about the wolfgirl. She smelled too much like a
wolf and not nearly enough like a human. It was entirely odd. “I'm
Rola, and you are?”

“Sunay...”

“Charmed,”
Rola replied, then looked down at the basket in her arms and squeaked
in surprise. “I do apologize! I'd offer you more suitable
greetings, but I forgot I picked these up for the trip. I do so
love
apples. Do be quick and get on board, we'd like to make Terrasa by
evening.”

Ahmin
climbed into the back, and was about to offer Sunay a hand when Rola
interrupted. “Oh goodness, no! It will not do to have such a
sweet girl getting jostled and bumped around. Come up front with Law
and me. I promise we don't bite.”

Law
scoffed. “I
don't,
at the very least.”

Rola
glared, and replied, “Only when you ask
for it, love.”

Rola
slid all the way to Law's side as he took the reins of their single
horse cart, and motioned for Sunay to take the seat next to her.
“You're going to have me holding the reins from the end of...”
Law began to protest, then sighed before his wife could even respond.
“Yes. Of course you are.”

With
the riders situated, the cart began its trip down the tributary road
off the Great Trade Line that led towards Terrasa. “You have
the smell of Avalon on you,” Rola said knowingly. “Born
there, I assume?”

Sunay
nodded, on guard with the attentions of this woman. The foxgirl just
couldn't figure out the conflicting messages her senses were getting.
“Yeah.”

“I
spent a lot of time there. Had to wear silly hats and long skirts
all
the time.
Make no mistake, I love
silly
hats and long skirts, but when that's all
you
can wear because people would lose their minds if they saw you...
ugh. And of course, they're the country who created
most
of them with their dreadful curses... ugh! Create 'em and hate 'em,
makes no
sense,
don't you think?”

At
least Sunay could agree with that. “No, it doesn't. I take it
you're not
from
Avalon, then?”

Rola
shook her head animatedly, her long coppery hair causing Law to wince
as it slapped him in the face. “Nope. I was born far to the
north, in the Daynelands, actually. Not that they liked me all that
much up there
by
the time I came home, either.”

Sunay
had a hard time taking that at face value. “You don't look
much like a Dayne.”

“No,
I really don't, do I?” Rola replied with the sort of grin that
made Sunay want to jump right off the cart and scramble high up the
nearest tree. “Spent five years trying to find my way back
home to discover my home wanted to sacrifice me to the Winter Walkers
beyond the Icy Wastes. Coders, what a mess that
was.
Winter Walkers. Pfeh! Absurd!”

Ahmin
started laughing, though Sunay really couldn't think of what was all
that funny. When the foxgirl leaned around to give him a good solid
silent angry stare, he said, “Daynish behavior has always
amused me. It'd be really
funny if it didn't sometimes lead to massive amounts of bloodshed.”

Meanwhile,
Rola quickly concluded her tale. “But fortunately, I had Law
with me, and despite his frail looks and meager strength...”

“Hey...”
her husband protested meekly.

“He
is also remarkably cunning, and shuffled me away from that terrible
place and terrible people. Now, we travel back and forth on these
small roads with mostly peaceful people, where I can display my
traits without fear. I like it. It helps that I'm hardly the only
one like me. A lot of chimeras have settled in this area, especially
around Terrasa. I almost feel like a majority
in
that town.”

A
city of chimeras? Sunay had to admit that did
sound
appealing.

“We
simply must
have
drinks in Terrasa!” Rola exclaimed happily, taking Sunay's
hands in hers.

Ahmin
laughed again, and said, “I suspect we won't have time for
that... we both have somewhere to be, and don't have too much time to
spare if we want to return promptly.”

“Oh,”
Rola said, not hiding her disappointment. “Well, if we are
heading your way, you are always welcome to hop in the back to get
there.”

Sunay
sincerely hoped that didn't happen, at least not until she figured
out just what felt so off about this woman. The foxgirl still
couldn't figure out if Rola wanted to hug her, eat her, or both.

Ahmin
finally let her in on the mystery when they finally parted ways with
the two merchants at the town square of Terrasa, Ahmin leading Sunay
north while Law and Rola went east. “I wonder if that man Law
knows why he's going to have a lot of little wolf chimeras running
around in the near future.”

“I
can't imagine why he wouldn't,” Sunay replied. “Chimeric
curses can linger for generations. Ol' Kaeli back at my orphanage
was the result of her great-grandpa fooling around with one his
wife's handmaidens.”

“True,
but that's not what I meant. The Daynes used to pay homage to the
animal spirits of the north, like the spirit wolves. It was only
recently, after the last Daynish Campaigns twenty some odd years ago,
that they started worshiping the Winter Walkers, which are believed
to be the ghosts of famed Daynish Kings of the past. Just recently,
the story started spreading that if spirits of the land were
sacrificed to the Winter Walkers, that they wouldn't freeze the north
in harsh winter.”

“Oh,”
Sunay said, then it clicked. “Ohhhhhhh... that's
why
she smelled odd to me. She wasn't a chimera at all.”

“Indeed.
And I wonder if Law truly
understands
that.”

“Why?”

The
pirate admiral chuckled. “Because wolves have litters. Five or
six pups are not
uncommon.”

Sunay
shuddered at the thought of birthing that
many
children at once.

Playfully,
Ahmin added, “Red foxes are very much the same in that regard.”

Sunay's
ears flattened, and she clenched her eyes shut while chanting, “No
no no no no no no... I
can't hear ya!”

Due
to that, the foxgirl wasn't watching where she was going, and in a
populated street, that meant you were going to bump into someone
eventually. And Sunay did just that, a very large body judging from
how the foxgirl was jostled. Her eyes flew open and she immediately
began to apologize before she realized who she was addressing... “Oh,
Coders! I am so sor... Kaeli?”

Sunay
didn't want to believe her eyes. She didn't want to believe her nose
that told her that was Kaeli's smell. She didn't want to believe her
ears when the beargirl gasped, and the voice matched as it stammered,
“S... Sun... Sunay? It's... it's you!
You're alive!”

But
there was no doubting the crushing hug and the plump chest her face
was buried in, and the relieved tears pent up for months finally
burst. “Kaeli... it's...”

“Hush
now, dearie. You're alive. We're alive. That's the best all of us
could have hoped for.”

Sunay
allowed her voice to lilt upwards hopefully as she tilted her head to
catch Kaeli's gaze. “We?”

Kaeli
smiled broadly. “You simply must
follow
me.”

The
foxgirl was in a daze, trying to convince herself this wasn't some
hallucination as Kaeli took a turn to the west, out of the shopping
district and into the residential. The beargirl's path stopped at a
three story rectangular building made from red brick and with real,
honest gray shingles.

“It's
nothing spectacular, but it has windows!” Kaeli giggled. “And
the wee ones all have beds! Actually, we all
have
beds, come to think of it. Much better than that crumbling hole we
lived in before!”

Sunay
blinked, still stupefied, tripping over the “we” Kaeli
mentioned earlier. She didn't dare hope that everyone made it out
alive. She could let
herself
hope that and be tragically disappointed. She couldn't...

Kaeli
threw open the front door and cheered, “Hey kiddies! Ol' Kaeli
has a surprise for you! Gather 'round everyone!”

Sunay
couldn't quite see who was stomping about inside due to her position
outside the door and Kaeli's large frame blocking her view. But she
could hear a lot of footprints, the mumbling of many familiar voices,
and so many familiar smells. Even after months, the smells hadn't
changed much.

Kaeli
looked back, and rolled her eyes. “Get in here, girl! Don't
make us all wait!”

Taking
a deep breath, then exhaling it nervously, Sunay stepped over the
threshold and Kaeli moved aside.

Everyone...
was there.

Everyone
she remembered from the orphanage in the woods, and two new faces she
didn't recognize. They all made it.

And
Sunay broke down as she was swamped by all the sounds and smells she
remembered, chanting her name happily while all of her senses drowned
and her eyes blurred with happy tears. Arms came from seemingly
every direction in the form of hugs and welcoming pats.

“Alright,
you brats!” Kaeli interjected. “Let her breathe, for
Coders' sakes!”

Kaeli
had successfully got the mob of chimeras to back down as Matron
Miriam stomped into the landing, initially cross as she demanded,
“What is the meaning of all this racket...”

The
matron then quickly saw the reason, and stopped cold, one hand flying
up to her mouth in surprise. Sunay cringed in anticipation,
remembering the hurt that had laced Miriam's features on the fateful
day they had parted ways. But when the foxgirl finally dared look
the woman who had raised her in the eyes... there wasn't any hurt.
Just tearful joy and relief.

Miriam
nearly flung herself at Sunay, the two embracing warmly and setting
off another torrent of tears. “I know you told me to yell at
you later,” the matron said, “but I don't think I have it
in me anymore.”

“Matron
Miriam goin' soft? Must be all of that fancy livin' you got goin' on
in here,” Sunay teased.

Miriam
then pushed Sunay to arms length, and gave a tight lipped, happy
smile. “I will still
correct
that atrocious diction of yours, however.”

“Ya
won't succeed,” Sunay retorted, even as her own smile betrayed
any real challenge.

Kaeli
then made a yelp of dismay which served to even draw attention away
from the return of their prodigal daughter. “I was so excited
to see Sunay again that I dropped everything I bought in town!”

There
was a deep cough from the front door, and Ahmin's voice asking, “Is
that where I come in?”

The
massive pirate stood just outside the doorway, holding up a brown
leather pack by its black drawstring. “I think you left this,
ma'am.”

Kaeli
yelped in glee, grabbing the pack out of Ahmin's hands, then
astonished at the sight of a person larger than her. “Goodness,
you're a tall one, aren't you? Thanks, kind sir, we really don't
have the money to pay double for food, much less for treats.”

That
perked up ears, at which Kaeli admonished, “You lot will get
them when they're done. Now into the living room with all of you!”

Seeing
Matron Miriam's scrutinizing look at the man in the door, Sunay
introduced him. “This is Admiral Ahmin of the Gold Pirates.
He's been my commander since we parted ways. He's also the guy who
ensured the lot of your safety on the Line.”

Miriam's
eyebrows raised. “Is that so?”

Ahmin
laughed and shook his head. “I merely went through some
contacts to figure out who would be handling you. Once I found out
it was Hugo and Liona, I knew you were in good hands. They're good
folk, and have put a lot of their own wealth and good standing with
the Republic on the line, both figuratively and literally.”

The
invocation of the handlers was enough to convince Miriam that the
massive pirate at least wasn't an immediate threat. “I
apologize, sir, I've spent the better part of two decades wary of
outsiders. It's a habit that has been hard to break.”

“It's
an understandable worry, I've seen it first hand in my days sailing
the waters of Avalon.”

At
that point, Miriam really took a closer look and processed Ahmin's
eyes. “I see. You're chimera too, are you?”

Sunay
knew
that,
of course... but it was still something that surprised her to see
voiced, as it was something her crewmates had warned her to avoid
bringing up. It was indeed something he didn't encourage discussing,
and that trait was evident as he curtly replied, “Yes.”

Harold
and Clive, two of the youngest, had been regarding Ahmin warily. The
two mouseboys likely shared a father due to their similar animal
traits, though not a mother as they looked nothing alike. Harold was
taller with blue eyes and white splotches on his gray ears and hair;
Clive was green eyed and a more solid color all around.

Harold
was also the braver one of the pair, demonstrated as he was the one
who finally broke from the crowd heading to the living room and
standing in the presence of the shrouded and intimidating pirate.
“You're... not gonna eat us, are you?”

Ahmin
laughed, no doubt in an attempt to be disarming, but as he was over
eight feet tall and built like a wall there wasn't really any way he
could really do disarming effectively. Even when he dropped to one
knee, he still loomed over the mouseboy; who was doing everything he
could to keep his knees from visibly shaking.

“Mice
aren't fitting prey for me, child,” Ahmin said, ruffling
Harold's hair playfully. “Besides, cat chimeras don't exist.”

Sunay
froze and tilted her head, actually thinking about it for the first
time, and she honestly could not recall ever seeing or even hearing
about
a cat chimera. Tigers and panthers she had heard of, and knew of one
lion on another Gold Pirate ship... but never a simple cat. She
wondered why that was, until Miriam patted her on the shoulder.
“Your friend has been adopted.”

Harold
and Clive had taken Ahmin's hands, one to each, and were leading him
towards the living room. “I wouldn't worry,” Sunay said.
“I've seen him eat. This entire orphanage wouldn't even be
worth the half-full belly it would give him.”

Miriam
shook her head. “Now why is it that living and working with
pirates actually improved
your
grammar and diction?”

Sunay
winced. “You'd be... amazed how ship life makes bein' able to
speak clearly important. None of us talk great, mind, but we talk
clearly.”

The
matron's accusing stare turned into a warm smile. “Clearly, we
have much to catch up on. Come, sit with me while your commander
entertains the wee ones.”

That
they did, taking two chairs along the perimeter of the polished pine
wood floor of the living room as she looked towards the center where
Ahmin crossed his legs as children eight to eighteen gathered around
in awe of this giant of a man in front of them. His body nearly
blocked the stone hearth fireplace entirely, casting a dim orange
glow around his outline.

The
foxgirl kicked off her shoes and let her toes sink into plush red
carpet, and she snorted mirthfully. “Ya mean to tell me I
leave and then
ya'll
get carpet?”

Miriam
refused to rise to the bait. “We can afford those things when
a certain foxgirl isn't devouring half our food stores at every
sitting,” she teased, before exhaling with content. “We've
been very lucky these last months, considering how badly all those
events could have spun. The citizens of Terrasa helped us restore
this old storehouse and gave so generously to make it look like the
home I had always dreamed of giving. Our older brats help in the
town, working or serving as police and other public services...”

More
happy tears crept down her face as she choked up momentarily. “This
is everything I've ever wanted for the poor children who had no one
else in their lives. It's not easy,
mind. Without the generosity of others I'm not sure how we'd make it
through any given season, but it's more than we've ever had before.
I mean, we have beds now. Real beds with feather mattresses and
pillows.”

Megan
stepped in front of Sunay's vision, holding a tall clear glass with
orange juice. “Here, Sunay!”

The
foxgirl took the glass with a thank you, nearly dropping it when the
doggirl hugged her around the waist. “Oof!” Sunay
grunted. “You've gotten strong.”

“It's
the doggie in me, Kaeli says!” Megan chirped as she pulled
away. “I'm so glad you're okay! We were so
worried
for so
long
that we'd never see you again!”

“Likewise,”
Sunay answered. “It's nothin' short of a minor miracle that
everyone got out of Avalon safely.”

Megan's
ears drooped fully flat, and her face fell. “Not everyone.”

Sunay
began going through names in her head, matching them to the faces she
had seen in the new orphanage. “Oh no... Penelope?”

Miriam
gave Megan a disapproving glance. “Penelope is a night guard at
the city gates, Beckham is part of the city marshals, and is also not
present. They return just before morning. Megan is speaking of
Laron.”

Sunay
jerked, and her eyes darted towards the matron frantically. “What
happened? What happened to Laron?”

Miriam
shooed off Megan towards Ahmin's ongoing story time before turning
her full attention to Sunay. “I've been trying to glean
whatever information I can from merchants who pass through the region
from Avalon. There hasn't been much. The only things I can say for
certain is that Laron's father was executed for treason to the
Republic, and that the family has not returned to Navarre.”

Sunay's
entire body went numb. She had learned from her history lessons and
from her own travels that entire families would “disappear”
on occasion, and that news never
turned
out well. They were either found buried in a shallow ditch
somewhere, found near death or dead in labor camps... or never found
at all.

“We
don't know anything for certain,” Miriam said, trying to soften
the blow.

Sunay
forced herself to smile. “It's alright, ma'am. I've seen and
heard a lot of sad things already. One more ain't gonna break me.
At least I got the good news first this time.”

The
foxgirl forced herself not to dwell on the sad news, instead turning
her attention towards the center of the living room. At this point,
Ahmin had everyone's
attention,
even Kaeli was leaning out of the doorway connecting the kitchen to
the living room.

“Wow...
how do you so much about the Tiger Man, mister?” Artemis asked
in a cute sing-song voice that fit the nightingale that was her
chimeric likeness.

Ahmin
lowered his head, glancing up at Sunay momentarily, then pulling back
the cowl that covered black hair striped with locks of orange, then
tugging down his mask to show a broad nose and prominent cheeks
dotted with tiny white whiskers.

There
was a long beat of silence before the entire room erupted with glee.
Ahmin hushed them, and they complied... eventually. “You must
understand, I was getting a little too
well
known, and there are many things that I do that require me to not be
noticed on sight. So, this is a secret I am sharing with you... but
it must remain a secret to everybody else. Can you do that for me?”

His
answer was a gaggle of silent nods as he replaced his coverings.
Miriam looked over at Sunay. “So all those stories were true?”

Sunay
shrugged. Somehow she doubted any of them were all that true, nor
were the reasons Ahmin gave for covering up his features. “Guess
so.”

“He's
a man with a lot of inner pain, isn't he?”

The
foxgirl shrugged again. “Wouldn't know. He tends to shut down
any talk about himself.”

“Unfortunate,
as pain left to fester is like a wound that never heals.”

The
way Miriam said that while looking directly at Sunay with concern
suggested that the matron wasn't just talking about Ahmin.

“Who
wants cookies?”
Kaeli declared, carrying a large two foot baking pan in both hands.

Not
even the legendary Tiger Man of Scheherazade could match the thrill
of Kaeli's almond delights. The bratlings swarmed around her waist,
while the older ones formed a looser circle behind the tiny swarm of
chimeric humanity. That got another genuine smile to crack Sunay's
face.

Desserts
were time well spent, even if by the time they were done, the sun was
already setting. Even Miriam lost track of time until after the
shadows had stopped being long due to there not being much of a sun
to cast them. “Do you have lodging?” the matron asked.
“We do
have
some spare beds... but...”

Ahmin
eased Miriam's mind. “I have arrangements made. Do not waste
your concerns on us.”

The
orphans groaned in displeasure, and Megan was outright despondent at
the idea that Sunay and Ahmin were leaving. “We'll be back in
the morning, children,” the pirate admiral said. “We
won't leave until morning of the day after. Come Sunay, I would like
to sleep before the sun rises again.”

Sunay
didn't let partings take that much longer with the promises of a
return the next day. She fell in step to the right Ahmin, content to
let silence rule the walk to wherever they were going, despite
Miriam's advice ringing in her head. It didn't seem right... if the
admiral wanted to talk about it, he would.

“Have
to admit, it felt good to take off the mask for a little while.”

Sunay
was so surprised to hear Ahmin speak so openly that it startled her
into a stupor. As a result, her response came out awkwardly well
after the fact. “Then... why don't ya? It's not like the crew
would freak out over a chimera's presence.”

Ahmin
shook his head. “The legend of the Tiger Man of Scheherazade
predates me, believe it or not. There were many such chimeras before
me, due to the rituals of my origin people. In Scheherazade,
whenever the previous Tiger Man passed on, the most worthy virgin in
the land was presented to the Tiger God, to bear his seed and give
birth to the land's chosen hero. For thousands of years, my people
followed that ritual. I was the last; the whole of Scheherazade, and
the Tigris continent, collapsed into the Void when I was three.

“From
the moment I was born, I was burdened with expectations, and a
reputation to follow, a reputation I failed before I was even old
enough to read. That legend, and the memory that I had already
failed it, followed me, especially among the chimeras in Avalon who
were persecuted even before
the
Revolution. I was supposed to be everywhere
at
all times to save those cursed. Even when my own rage at the title
and the burdens it brought boiled over, it was something that was
perversely admired in story.”

The
towering pirate plucked his mask forward, as if he was trying to look
down it. “With this... I am no longer the Tiger Man. I'm,
perhaps ironically, finally allowed to be myself when I wear it.”

Sunay
punched him in the forearm. “Well, I never particularly liked
any of those stories anyway. So yer safe wit' me!”

Ahmin
laughed, his chest visibly trembling from mirth. “I shall keep
that in mind.”

Their
path ended at an inn on the edge of town, Ahmin taking the lead as he
approached the front desk. “I have a reservation for Ahmin.”

The
innkeeper flipped open the book at the counter, turning two pages and
said, “Ah yes. The four bed room.”

Sunay's
left eyebrow rose. A four bed?

“That
would be the one. My colleagues would have reserved it last week.”

“Indeed
they did. Two nights at 30 silver a piece.”

Ahmin
dropped a single gold piece onto the desk, and said, “Consider
the rest a tip for services rendered.”

“Most
generous of you. Abigail will escort you to your room. Should we
make note of any others who will join you?”

The
pirate admiral shook his head. “That won't be necessary, thank
you.”

Abigail
was a chimera herself, a doggirl like Megan though of a shepherd
breed judging from the more prominent nose and pointed ears and dark
black hair. Even after meeting so many chimeras not out of the
orphanage, it was odd to see one that wasn't an orphan working at a
perfectly normal job.

She
was also remarkably chatty among strangers, something that orphans
tended not to be by her experience. “Nice to see some chimeras
from out of town. My mama was from Wynncaster, far to the north.”

Ahmin
played conversational. “Probably ran south during the Daynish
Campaigns, didn't she? That town is actually still
under
Dayne control, if I remember rightly. Having a chimera girl probably
didn't help matters.”

“She
figures her mother-in-law cursed her,” Abigail replied.
“Really didn't wanna be married anyway. Something about an
arranged marriage. So she ran off with my dad when the Daynes came.
I've lived here as long as I can remember. Anyway, here's your room,
folks! If ya need anything, just ring the bell here!”

Abigail
pointed to a large bronze bell outside the door of the room, and
bowed happily before retreating back to wherever she had been before.

“Hunh.
Don't hear about too many women getting cursed like that,”
Sunay noted once they had privacy.

Ahmin
scoffed. “Why? Think the men of Avalon were the only ones with
wandering eyes?”

“No.
Just didn't hear about it too much.”

The
admiral laughed at Sunay's defensive reply as he opened the door to
the room, and ducked under the header to enter. “It was easier
to blame the man for most infidelity, as it was more socially
acceptable, which of course led to noblemen talking more freely about
their infidelity as a badge of honor, which made it easier to blame
them for infidelity. Welcome to the vicious circle of Avalon noble
customs... which were often anything but noble.”

It
was at that point that Sunay learned why Ahmin requested four beds.
He left one for Sunay, then pushed the other three together and laid
down diagonally across the result. He still didn't fit exactly, he
had to bend his knees in a way that couldn't have been completely
comfortable, but a lot better than trying to fold himself onto a
single bed.

Sunay
herself splayed out on her bed. “Then ya must be looking
forward to being away from all that then.”

Ahmin
grunted in indifference. “Not really. Aramathea is a mess of
bureaucracy that treats all
foreigners
equally... equally terribly. You could live there a hundred years
and still not have the same legal respect as a babe that was born
that day in Grand Aramathea. It's a land that cares little about
what you know, and everything about who
you
know.

“Reaht
is a militaristic dictatorship that considers their emperor to be the
mouthpiece of the Coders. There's true equality in that country, if
by equality you mean just as likely as any citizen to die because the
emperor doesn't like your hat that day or get thrown to your death in
any one of the roughly ten thousand campaigns of expansion they
partake in every year.”

“What
about the Free Provinces?” she asked.

“Not
fond of the barely controlled anarchy. Fall to sleep in a town and
wake up the next morning to see it all burning because a larger
city-state decided your town was a blight that had to be removed.
Even in relatively peaceful provinces like this, you're entirely at
the mercy of larger powers that may or not decide you have what they
want, and can take it without consequence.”

Sunay
giggled. “Well, that explains why ya spend yer time on the open
seas.”

“It's
not because I like the tight fit of sea life,” He said
ruefully. “Out there, I'm free... I don't have to be anyone's
hero... I can just be myself.”

He
quickly shifted topics abruptly. “So, since we're both in such
a sharing mood, care to tell me what the matron said that had you all
down before you started pretending to be all happy?”

The
foxgirl took and released a deep breath. She supposed it was
fair.
“There was... a boy named Laron... that I knew in Navarre.
His father was a former lord of the town, and sided with the rebels.
He and I... I guess we were in love, I think. It was only a few
months.”

“Sometimes
a few months is all it can take for strong affection to form,”
Ahmin said.

“Maybe.
Maybe not. But I liked him, and he liked me at the very least.
During all the mess that led me to your camp, his family was being
rounded up and taken to Snake River.”

Ahmin
nodded. “That explains Cavalier Norman's presence. The Dog of
the Republic was investigating nobles who might still be harboring
Royalist ties, and learned through some means that a girl matching
one of Morgana's chimeras was at the orphanage. The chances that you
were a bastard child of King George was high enough that he went on a
fox hunt.”

“But
how would he know that, though? The only person outside of the town
who knew I even existed was...”

Ahmin
interrupted before her theory could wander. “I suspect Lord
Lavin had chimeras of his own at the orphanage, and was supplying
monetary aid. He would want to know exactly what, where, and even
who
he
was giving money to. In investigating something else, Norman either
came upon records of the orphanage, or Lavin offered it willingly to
try and blunt the Republic's judgment of some other
crime
he committed.”

That
would explain Laron's warning, at the very least, that his father had
ratted out the orphanage and why Norman would have been looking for
her specifically. “Do you think I'm some bastard daughter of
the king?” She asked, “Would that explain why that
Cavalier was hunting me?”

“It
would. At this point, the disapproval of the Parliament is so high
that the people, and most certainly the remaining nobility would
quite likely embrace an illegitimate child of King George. As for
the question of whether you
are
such a child, I'm afraid there's no way of knowing. The king was
hardly
the
only noble Morgana was paid to curse, and as she herself claimed, she
was hardly the only one who used the red fox.”

He
looked at her with narrowing eyes. “Why does it matter anyway?”

“It
doesn't,” Sunay answered. “Things were just so crazy
that day that it's nice to kinda figure out why they happened.
Anyway, Laron's father's appeal apparently didn't work. He was
executed.”

“And
the rest of his family disappeared,” Ahmin finished, his eyes
closing in sympathy. “That is unfortunately far too common.
If you wish, I can send an appeal for information for this Laron
fellow. But considering the Administrator in charge, pfeh. I'll
just do it. But... that... will have to be when we get back... to
the ship. Laron was the name, you said?”

Ahmin
yawned, then apologized as he rolled onto his back and closed his
eyes again. “Sorry. I must seem terribly callous.”

“Nah.
Get some sleep.”

Sunay
watched the rise and fall of his chest as it quickly slowed down.
Ahmin had been tired, it would seem. It didn't terribly surprise
her, she can't remember one time that she had caught him sleeping or
waking up. It was astonishing when she thought about it; the degree
that her admiral kept his distance from everyone around him.

“Well,
ya may not like the idea... but yer a hero to me, at any rate,”
she whispered before she curled up into a ball and fell asleep
herself.

7. Chapter
Eight: Fox and Wolf

Kaeli
insisted that Sunay spend some time with her after breakfast, while
the rest of the children were being tutored. Miriam had little
problem with that, fearing that Sunay would have been a distraction
anyway, both with her presence and her 'sinful butchering of proper
language.' Sunay had little problem with it either, especially when
she saw that lessons in the new orphanage were even more orderly and
disciplined than the ones that she bristled against.

“I
can't imagine having four lessons all in a row without a break. And
with four different teachers at that!” she exclaimed.

“Definitely
different from when I was a wee one, that's for sure,” Kaeli
agreed. “Back then, you had one tutor that taught you alone,
provided you had the money and influence to afford it. Bur this way
is better, I think, at least for those who don't have all the money
that can be spent. The bratlings are going to learn more than a
trade, they're learning to think and improve
on
whatever path they take in life.”

Sunay
shrugged. “Guess so.”

“Speaking
of paths in life... you must
tell
me where your adventures have taken you.”

Sunay
didn't think it was all that much, until she started explaining her
travels across the seas of Avalon, and all the port towns and island
cities the crew sailed by or docked at. From Far West Wharf, the
secluded fishing village on a rocky island that as its named implied
was the most western habitable land in all the continent, to the Salt
Cliffs of Pershing's Port, they were places Kaeli had never known of,
or at best only heard of in tales from others.

And
then the beargirl's eyes lit up with wonder when Sunay mentioned
Tortuga. “You've been to Tortuga?
I
would hear so many stories about that place when I was a girl! What
was it like?”

Sunay
really
didn't
want to have this discussion. Those memories still
kinda
made her entire body shiver. “Well it was... colorful.
Although I was there in the winter, so there wasn' much going on.
Just a lot of snow and ice. Domina Morgana had kicked everyone out
of her tower too, so there wasn' even much to see there.”

“You
saw the Domina? Stories say that she has so much magical power that
she doesn't even age. Is that true?”

Sunay
wanted to talk about Morgana even less.
“I dunno. She looked awfully young, even though there's no
way she could be.”

“You
met
her?
In person?”

The
foxgirl could no longer hold back the shivers. “Y... yes.”

“What
was she like? I've heard so many tales about her that say so many
different things that I don't know truth from fiction.”

Sunay
cringed, her ears flat and her tail fluffing from the memory.
“Creeeeeeeeeeeeeepy...” she finally said with a slow
groan.

“Oh,
that's just because Domina Morgana has been so invested in her
research that she rarely interacts with anyone,” interjected
Rola from the doorway.

Sunay's
ears couldn't have lowered any further, which was about the only
reason why the foxgirl didn't look more unnerved when they both she
and Kaeli turned to the sound of Rola's voice.

The
wolf spirit looked bright and happy as ever, with a knowing, playful
smirk that showed off a hint of the woman's left canines. “When
I was in that city many years ago, there weren't many she allowed in
her tower to begin with. Just her and her apprentice, with maybe
two
or three servants to fetch whatever thing the Domina desired. I'm
not sure she even knows
how
to interact with other humans anymore.”

“Rola!”
Kaeli said amiably. “I didn't know you were in town!”

Sunay
pointed between the two, and demanded to the beargirl, “Wait.
You know
her?”

“Oh
yes!” Kaeli answered. “She and her husband are some of
the most kind providers to the orphanage. I don't know how she makes
any money selling stuff to us!”

“We
make enough,” Rola answered cryptically. “Though nothing
for your little ones this time through, which was why we didn't stop
in. Law and I will be heading back to Beredon, then towards the Gold
Coast to get some of the spring crop from Aramathea. By our next
visit, we should have so many wonderful exotic foods for you to play
with.”

Kaeli
clapped in delight. “I so love experimenting!”

“And
good day to you, little fox,” Rola finally said, giving Sunay a
broad, tooth-filled grin.

“Hi,”
Sunay replied quickly, wanting to slink away to anywhere else as soon
as possible.

Kaeli
noticed the reaction, and clicked her tongue disapprovingly at the
foxgirl. “What are you all skittish for? Rola's good folk!”

Rola's
grin never wavered. “Wolves are known to eat foxes when
they're hungry. It's a sad truth.”

“Well,
nice little Rola here isn't gonna eat you or anyone, Sunay. She's
harmless!”

The
wolf spirit's grin broadened beyond what Sunay thought was natural.
“Yes. Harmless.”

Sunay
sincerely doubted that in every way possible.

Rola
pointed flippantly between the two. “So, the two of you know
each other as well?”

“Sunay
here was one of our orphanage while it was still in Avalon. We had
no idea she was even still alive
before
yesterday,” Kaeli said, throwing her right arm around the
foxgirl's shoulders amiably.

Rola
clapped her hands once, and chirped with glee. “Then these have
been pleasant days for both
of
you! They simply must
be
celebrated! Come with me!”

“Do
we have to?” Sunay asked meekly.

Rola
grabbed both by the hands, and started leading them away with far
more strength than her small frame should have possessed. “Yes.
You have to,” She said in a tone that did not encourage
further debate, out of the shopping district and towards the town
square.

Her
destination was another blocky red brick building directly on the
eastern edge of the square. With two distinct stories, Sunay
initially assumed it was an inn, until she saw the letters engraved
in a gray stone block above a pair of thick oak doors stained to near
black: “Hall of the Forlorn Knights.”

“It's
a drinking hall,” Rola explained when she saw Sunay's
confusion. “If you've been the northern parts of Avalon, I
can't believe you haven't seen one. They're inspired by Daynish mead
halls, no doubt, although to find one this far south I'm sure is
peculiar.”

“I've
seen this place before, of course, but never went inside,”
Kaeli said. “What's it like?”

Rola
pushed open the left side door, and grinned saucily. “Like
every tavern you've ever seen, only more. Come!”

The
entry was remarkably plain, by Sunay's estimation, tan carpet and
darkly stained oak with a row of empty coat racks and hooks, most
likely left from the winter months.

A
mostly bald man in his fifties and a violet suit with gold buttons
held position in front of the door on the other side of the entry,
and bowed in recognition as the wolf spirit stepped forward. “Ah,
Madam Rola, it is a pleasure to see you here,” he said. “It's
been since fall, I do believe.”

“Indeed
it has, Oswalt,” Rola replied. “I seek a single table
room if there is one available for me and my guests.”

“Of
course. Step inside, Patton will guide you.”

The
man stepped to the left, pushing open the door in the process and
allowing the three inside. Sunay's eyes ran along the entire hall
the moment she entered, surprised by the sight. It certainly wasn't
like any tavern she had seen, Rola was right about that. What looked
like a two story building was actually one story with a second
balcony level that ran along the perimeter, with individual rooms
along the outside on both levels. The central hall was marked by
three rows of wooden tables, though mostly unoccupied at the moment.

Patton
was the opposite of Oswalt in every way Sunay could see. Where
Oswalt was short, pudgy, and bald, Patton was so lanky that she
wondered if there was any meat on his tall frame, and had a full head
of silver hair. “Madam Rola. come this way. There is a
corner room for you on the second floor.”

“You
need a membership to enter this hall,” Rola said after they had
fallen in step behind Patton. “This central chamber is for the
actual Forlorn Knights, deposed cavaliers who escaped the Avalon
Revolution and didn't want to seek refuge in Tortuga. We could
celebrate
here, but it's so very public and I find being in the open when I
drink terribly distasteful.”

“Membership
here can't be cheap...” Kaeli gasped in wonder.

“It's
not, normally,” Rosa said, looking over her shoulder to flash
another unnerving grin that made Sunay shiver, “but I can be a
very persuasive woman.”

Finally
something Rola said that Sunay had little doubt of its authenticity.

The
stairs to the second floor were on the south side of the hall,
requiring the group to cross nearly the entire length of the chamber
to reach them. On the way, they caught the eyes of many of the
denizens, only to see every single one of them avert
said
gazes when they saw Rola leading the procession.

“They
respect me,” Rola said, tilting her head in the direction of
the population in the hall.

Sunay
suspected Rola saw very little difference, if any, between respect
and fear.

The
steps weren't particularly elaborate, but stained dark and with a
well polished brass handrail that matched the railing on the second
floor balcony. There was also green felt carpet on the second floor
unlike the bare wood of the main hall, along with currently
extinguished candles along the walls. There were ten doors that
Sunay could count, each with a brass bell mounted just outside.

Patton
led the three women to the southwest corner and opened the door on
the west side. “And here you are, ladies. May I get your
first round?”

“The
house special, please,” Rola said.

“As
you wish. I shall return. Do be seated.”

The
room itself was fairly spacious, with enough room for a 6 foot
circular oak table with matching chairs and a white tablecloth. Rola
took the chair with her back to the window, and beckoned; “Well,
come on in!”

Sunay
and Kaeli took chairs opposite Rola, and for a very awkward period,
none of them spoke, which managed to unnerve Sunay even more
than
when the wolf would talk. That silence ruled the room until Patton
returned with a tray bearing three large clear glass mugs filled with
a pale yellow liquid with a small foamy head.

“And
here are your drinks, ladies. Please ring the bell if you need
anything else.”

“We
will, Patton,” Rola acknowledged, and said nothing further
until the attendant had left and closed the door behind him. “Ah!
This place has a wonderful hard lemonade! Just be careful, because
it does have a bit of a kick!”

That
the wolf downed half of her mug without taking a breath suggested
otherwise, until Sunay took a sip and recoiled. It really wasn't
that
strong,
but the burn surprised her. She had lemonade before, and had been
expecting something else, like what she had... back in Navarre...
with...

“Alright,
so what's got you all melancholy all of a sudden? You weren't like
this on the road here,” Rola asked. “And don't tell me
it's because you're scared I'm going to eat you.”

Sunay
really
didn't
want to discuss it, especially to someone like the wolf spirit...
But Kaeli did anyway. “She had a boyfriend in Avalon, the city
of Navarre, whose family was taken by the Republican Police.”

“Oh,”
Rola replied, and her concern sounded genuine.

“The
boy's father was executed, and no one's heard about his family.
Matron Miriam tries to get news wherever she can, but the people who
come through don't know much.”

“Well,
of course not,” Rola agreed. “Those that come through
Terrasa usually take the Southern roads and up north along the coast
of the Western Forever Sea. If the family was taken to the courts in
Snake River, very little news would drift south like that. Snake
River is closer to the Free Provinces and the Northern Great Trade
Line than any of the coastal towns.”

“My
admiral is gonna look into it,” Sunay grumbled, even as she
felt her vision blurring from the drink she was nursing. How much
alcohol was in
this
thing?

“Doesn't
mean I can't,” Rola insisted. “I know exactly who to talk
to and what questions to ask. Rest assured, there are few things the
merchant's guild doesn't
see
if you ask the right people with the right... incentives. I could
probably have news by fall if everything went right. There's even a
Guild Hall in Beredon, just go in, give the bookkeeper your name and
ask if you have any messages from Law and Rola.”

“I'm
gonna be in Aramathea for Coders' knows how long. Might not be
comin' back this way for years.”

Rola
shrugged indifferently. “There's a Merchant's Guild in damn
near every coastal town in the southern empire too. I'll just send
it to the Guild Hall in Grand Aramathea. It'll get there just as
easily.”

Sunay
couldn't fight back the distrust. “Why are you helpin' me?”

“Because
when I was trying to get back home, there was a period where I had a
terrible fight with Law, and... we parted ways. Despite our
argument, I spent the better part of a month worried sick about him.
I remember that feeling of not knowing. I know how terrible it is.
If I can help someone else find something
resembling
ease of mind or at the very least closure, why shouldn't I if it
won't be any trouble at all?”

Sunay's
ears drooped, and Rola reached over to pat the foxgirl's shoulder.
“You poor thing. I honestly was only teasing you with all my
scary little posturing. You're a good, sweet girl... makes me wonder
how you're a pirate at all.”

“Gold
Pirate,”
Sunay asserted, fighting her tongue to move properly, with moderate
success. “We're a differ...en breed.”

“Ah,
well that
explains
it,” Rola said with a wink. “The Gold Pirates are
everywhere. You never really know who could be counted among them,
on land or sea.”

Even
with a mind tipsy from alcohol, Sunay caught the hint. “What
are ya imp... implee... sayin'?”

“That
you never really know, and sometimes you can't
know.
You know?”

That
answer was less than worthless. “No.”

“Good.”

Sunay
had to be getting drunk. Because otherwise this conversation
wouldn't make any sense.

“So,
who is ready for another round?” Rola asked, as she slapped her
empty mug down onto the table, then stood up to ring the bell for
service. “I think I know just what we need... something with a
little more zest to it.”

Another
round might just be what Sunay needed, really. If anything it would
make the silly words stop.

~
~ ~ ~ ~

“And
so then
he
says, 'She's no fox. She's a wolf.
And she's my wife!'”

Sunay's
brain felt like it was being stirred around in her skull, being
startled to whatever excuse for alertness this was by Kaeli and
Rola's boisterous laughter.

“Oh
goodness! He didn't get the metaphor, eh?” Kaeli chortled, her
voice slightly slurred from the drink she had imbibed.

What
happened? Sunay remembered getting another round of... whatever that
drink was. She knew it was strong, but had the second drink really
been enough to knock her out? Had there been a third? There might
have
been a third. She vaguely remembered something
about
a third. Maybe?

“Law
can be dreadfully simple for someone so smart,” Rola confirmed,
her voice not affected but with a good rosy color to her normally
pale cheeks. “Oh! The lightweight's awake!”

Sunay
tried to turn her head to figure out which of the three Rolas was
speaking, and to whom, but trying to do so made her vision spin
worse. “Huh?” the foxgirl finally said, which at the
moment was about the extent her lips would cooperate with her head.

Rola
clicked her tongue and teased, “And you call yourself a pirate?
Shameful!”

“Ah...
Ahmin duddn't has us... drinkin'... on da sherp,” Sunay tried
to say, but wasn't even certain that what came out of her mouth was
even that
coherent.
“End I don do much when we on leaves. Avalawn dunt like peep
mah age drinkin' too muh.”

“Well,
that's
going
to have to change!” Rola teased. “When we meet again, I
expect you to hold your liquor!”

Sunay
would have agreed to about anything if it stopped Rola from yelling.
“Shure.”

“Good.
Because while it was adorable seeing you drunk, I'd rather not have
you offer to groom my tail until I
am
suitably inebriated as well.”

The
foxgirl went pale. Had she done that?

Kaeli
chortled. “You did!
Rola
went white as a ghost! You then straight passed out right on the
table not even a moment later. We had a good laugh about that one.”

Sunay
whimpered, and her ears went flat.

Rola
patted her on the head. “Oh, I was flattered that you found my
tail so pretty. I do take very good care of it. I'd recommend you
do the same, you could have such a lovely, plush tail if you'd take
care of it right.”

Sunay
really was too drunk to put up with being insulted about her tail.
She thought she did
maintain
it well.

Rola
smiled. “Not that it isn't quite nice already, but with the
right soap... you can't just use the same stuff as on your head.
Tail fur is thinner and more densely packed. You need a gentle
shampoo that can get deep to the root. I can grab you some before
you leave tomorrow. You'll love it!”

Coders,
anything
to
get the wolf to shut up. “Shure.” She then looked out
the window and noticed that it was rapidly approaching evening.
“Pits, how long was I out?”

Kaeli
paused to think, then said, “A few hours at least. I was
getting rather worried, but Rola kept checking you out and saying you
were all right, just napping.”

Sunay
rubbed her forehead and groaned. “That explains the start of
this hangover.”

Kaeli
slapped her forehead. “And I need to get back to the orphanage
to get dinner started. I hope you can at least fake being sober,
Sunay, because the matron would have my hide if you stumbled in half
dead.”

Sunay
slapped her cheeks and exhaled with a puttering of her lips. She
focused on the empty mug in front of her, trying to anchor her
vision. It worked somewhat, even if she had to talk slower than
usual. “Yeah. If anyone asks, I'll just tell them I'm feeling
a little under the weather. Probably wouldn't fool Matron Miriam,
but everyone else would buy it, I'm sure.”

In
reality, Sunay only had opportunity to get back to the orphanage and
say farewell, because Ahmin didn't give her opportunity for much
else.

“Rola
and Law are leaving for Beredon tomorrow morning, and have already
offered us use of their cart,” he explained. “Just
because the Gold Pirates aren't poor doesn't mean we shouldn't try
and be frugal. And I think you need your rest, you look a little
ill.”

Ahmin
carried that ruse until they were out of earshot of the orphanage, on
their way back to the inn. “I sincerely hope you'll have
sobered up by the time we return to the ship. I'd hate to have to
put you in the brig for a week.”

Sunay
groaned weakly, and whimpered, “It was... whatever that stuff
Rola had us drink. Wiped me clean, I tell ya.”

After
a beat, the foxgirl then asked, “Are Rola and Law Gold
Pirates?”

“It's
possible,” Ahmin admitted. “Those of us who work on land
generally have to be quieter about their status than we do. I
couldn't tell you conclusively if one or either of them are, as I
don't have that authority. But it is
true
that merchants are often recruited as operatives, as they have the
freedoms necessary to move about and share information easier than
other civilian professions.”

“I
dunno why that's such a big deal,” Sunay said. “Aren't
we pretty much immune from prosecution?”

Ahmin
glared at her. “That's not something we like to invoke terribly
often. The political entities that give
us
that protection put themselves at risk if they have to grant it too
often, nor does it help us much in areas like the Free Provinces and
the Daynelands, where our reach is more limited.

“People
of this continent need to think
that
nothing is amiss. Any random citizen wandering about sniffing around
sensitive areas where they don't belong would cause no amount of
problems that not even the political entities at our disposal could
easily fix, if they could fix it at all.

“But
what I can tell you is that there are
a
lot of us about. We have many duties, as you know. It's difficult
to maintain the balance of powers in this continent so that we don't
have another World War, and with the Void on all sides, this
remaining continent can ill afford such a large scale conflict.”

Sunay
knew the Gold Pirates were a massive organization, but at the same
time, the picture she had formed in her head hadn't reflected that
reality. That she was a part of something so far reaching that you
could cross paths with one of your ilk and never even know it unless
they said something about it was something she hadn't even
considered.

“How
many of us are out there? I mean, roughly?”

Ahmin
shrugged his shoulders. “I don't get a population count. All I
know is the fleet, which numbers three hundred ships of various sizes
and fifty thousand men and women. Operations on land involve more
people, I'm sure, but aren't as coordinated. It's a big world, even
now, Sunay. We need a big operation to handle it all.”

She
remained silent, even as they returned to the inn and settled into
their rooms. As Ahmin dropped down onto his makeshift triple-bed,
she finally asked, “So, on to Aramathea then, eh?”

“Yes.
I will receive a briefing from my captains in the empire shortly
upon arrival in imperial waters. Hopefully, I won't have a chimera
running for her life right into the camp this time.”

That
got Sunay to chuckle. “Why would that be such a bad thing?”

“Because
we can't afford the amount of food two
of
you would eat.”

“Funny
man,” Sunay said with a sneer. “You're just so funny I
forget how funny you are.”

“Get
some sleep, Sunay,” Ahmin ordered. “You aren't yourself
when you're hung over.”

8. Chapter
Nine: Socrato's Death Ray

Admiral
Ahmin met his captains shortly after crossing into the authority of
The Imperial Aramathea, and they swiftly made their way east, though
the admiral didn't explain why initially, only ordering them to full
sail towards the eastern port of Troja.

Sunay
watched forlornly as they passed the diamond glittered cliffs on
which Grand Aramathea stood, even though she knew there was no chance
any word from Rola would be already waiting. She focused on her
work, if only because whatever had gotten Ahmin in such a rush, it
had to be significant enough to stir haste in the pirate admiral.

That
was no
easy
task.

At
least the sights were pretty. Aramathea had that
much
going for it at the very least, it was a very beautiful part of the
continent with a great variety of fertile plains, picturesque cliffs,
sandy beaches, inlets and coves.

Although
the forests left much to be desired as far as she could see. The
trees were dismal, bushy things barely more than bushes, nothing like
the thick-trunked oak and maple trees in the south of Avalon, much
less the mighty evergreens found in the northern part of the
Republic. It was disappointing.

By
the time they got to the eastern side of the empire, the landscape
had become barren, dry and arid.

The
Denali Desert, Ahmin had called it, some of the most inhospitable
lands on the continent outside of the Icy Expanse far north of even
the Daynelands. There weren't even the cactus plants that she had
heard of. There wasn't even sand.

It
was just a dry desolate rocky waste, and Aramathea's interest in it
was simply because of what was underneath
it: mines of coal, silver, gold, and black oil. This was why the
town of Troja was founded on one of the few coastal areas suitable
for a dock, with fresh water nearby from an underground river.

“We
won't be here for long,” Ahmin declared. “Don't even
drop anchor. We are picking up one person, then going right back out
to sea. I shall return shortly.”

The
Goldbeard
was
famous for not having much turnover in crew, members even eschewing
opportunities on other ships to remain under Ahmin's command. Sunay
had been the first addition in nearly two years. This would make two
such additions in less than half that time. A cursory glance at her
crew-mates told her that fact had not
been
missed by those on the deck.

“We're
not lackin' for anythin', are we?” Sunay asked. Ahmin had her
working with the crew duty list under Jacques's supervision over the
last few weeks. “Who could we be addin'?”

“Don't
rightly know,” Jacques said. “He hasn't told me anything
either. I can only guess it's some sort of specialist for whatever
this mission is.”

And
it would also explain why the admiral had been mum about the whole
deal. Ahmin didn't like having to explain everything twice. He'd
wait until he had all the people gathered and have one briefing. Of
course, that led to discussion about what sort of specialist they
were getting... as they couldn't think of what could be needed that
the crew couldn't already handle.

Their
answer would finally come within the hour, as Ahmin returned with a
much smaller man in a desert robe in tow. Upon boarding, he cast
aside the large draping garment, to reveal a middle-aged head of
brown hair streaked with gray, and garb suitable for the heat, a
loose white shirt with elbow length sleeves, and light brown
knee-length trousers cinched at the waist by a white leather belt.

But
what immediately caught everyone else's attention was the satchel
slung over his shoulder, with two red leather-bound books sticking
out of the top. Not even scholars like Joffe carried their books
around.

This
man was a mage.

“Marco,”
he said simply. “It's a pleasure to be working with you.”

Ahmin
didn't allow for pleasantries. “Jacques, go down to the row
deck and grab Gurgn. Then you join Marco, Joffe, Sunay, Juno and
myself in my cabin.”

Sunay's
eyebrows rose. She was going to be part of the briefing? That was a
surprise.

The
admiral beckoned his designated crew to follow him, Jacques
continuing down the stairs after the rest broke off below decks
towards Ahmin's cabin. The massive pirate set up maps and other
documents and schematics while Jacques arrived with the rowmaster.

“Gurgn,
I trust the crew has remained drilled in combat?” the admiral
asked.

“Aye,”
Gurgn answered. “They're as ready to cross blades as they ever
were, even the little fox here.”

Sunay's
eyes narrowed at the use of the pet name. She was sixteen at this
point, and more than the physical equal of damn near everyone on the
crew. How much longer was she going to be the greenhorn?

“Good,”
Ahmin said with a nod. “I know it's been a while for this
crew, but we're needed for a raid, and this crew is the only one I am
comfortable with doing it discreetly.”

Sunay
trembled eagerly at the thought. She knew the Gold Pirates would
occasionally live up to the title, even though the Goldbeard's
crew
hadn't done so since she came aboard. But where regular pirates
raided for food, supplies, and wealth, the Gold Pirates had political
or military reasons to do so... and she doubted this raid would be
any different.

The
first focus of attention was Ahmin pointing to the sea chart, where
he drew a black circle with a charcoal marker. From their current
position it was about two days travel out to sea. “This is
Sacili, pretty much a hunk of volcanic rock sticking out of the ocean
maybe a mile and a half wide at best. The Aramatheans have set up a
military outpost here on this island, where they are constructing a
weapon they think could allow them long-range attack capabilities on
Reahtan interests.”

From
there, he revealed the blueprints for something that Sunay couldn't
make heads or tails of, but that was why Joffe was there. The
engineer snatched up the designs hurriedly, and his eyes danced while
he flipped through each of the five pages. “This... is
Socrato's Death Ray.”

Jacques's
eyebrows cocked in curiosity. “Socrato... isn't he...?”

Ahmin
confirmed, “The Dominus of Kartage, yes. The same man. Don't
let his peaceful and altruistic reputation now fool you. Back in his
younger days, he was a man desperate to prove his worth to the
empire, and his list of potential crimes in his pursuit of power
are... lengthy, to say the least. His additions to the Aramathean
war machine allowed his empire to annex part of Sparia for the first
time in nearly two centuries. He's been on our watch list for some
time... even if our agents in Kartage tell us he's focused on more
productive things now.”

Joffe
hadn't even looked up. “Many of his inventions were practical,
like the ballista. Some were more situational, but still useful.
Then... there is this. The Death Ray. In theory, it would be the
most powerful weapon known to man, harnessing the power of the sun,
focusing it into a single point, and unleashing a beam of intense
heat that could theoretically hit targets miles away.”

Sunay
tilted her head, trying to process the concept. “Would that
even work?”

“In
theory? Yes. In practicality? Not terribly. There were so many
factors that were required before the theory could even manifest. If
there were any clouds in the sky, the weapon didn't have enough
sunlight. And with the way the sun moved in the sky, it required
constant adjustment of the mirrors. A mage could handle those
details, but Socrato was trying to design something that didn't
require use of a mage, as magic users are very rare.”

Joffe
dropped the designs back on the desk, pointing at it. “Someone's
modified Socrato's old blueprints. They've got all the mirrors and
the weapon itself on a rotating mechanism that's linked together to
automatically take sun position into account as the day goes on.
This is what I want you to see, Sir Marco.”

“Just
Marco. I'm Free Province born, raised, and trained,” the mage
corrected. “But yes, I see what you're pointing at. Whoever
redesigned this did away with Socrato's limitations. It's using a
mage and a focusing crystal.”

“An'
what does that do?” Sunay asked.

“A
focusing crystal is something mages use to focus their powers they
are channeling, hence the name. For very complex magical arts, a
focusing crystal is vital in order to handle the tremendous amounts
of energy being released. In this case, a strong enough mage with a
large enough crystal could not only clear the skies to make sure the
weapon has enough sun, he or she could alter the path of the beam
itself, rather than it
traveling
in a straight line.”

Marco's
voice grew grim as he explained the possibilities. “As long as
the weapon was in the sun, the mage in charge could fire it in
practically any direction, as well as bend the beam along the
curvature of the planet. Aramathea could theoretically hit any
target in the world from this location as long as the mage knew what
obstructions were in the way.”

Ahmin
added in summary, “Obviously, such a weapon, if it were to
reach functionality, would completely disrupt the balance of power on
the continent. Our job is to neutralize it before it comes to
fruition. This will require three elements to be successful.”

The
admiral then unrolled a map of the island itself, with points of
interest already marked. He pointed to Marco, and said, “You
are needed first to give us the illusion of an Aramathean ship. That
will allow us to approach the site without too much trouble. After
that, you will go with Sunay when we make landfall. The two of you
will assault the weapon directly, do whatever it takes to destroy the
thing. It is possible that the mage or mages that will use the thing
is already on site, so be ready for that.”

“Easiest
way to do that would be to destroy the focusing crystal,” Marco
said. “There's a reason why Socrato was trying to design this
weapon without using one. Such crystals are quite rare, and at the
size this weapon would need are also quite fragile.”

Ahmin
then pointed to a building on the island's north side. “Juno,
you will be responsible for eliminating Callast, the engineer that
redesigned the weapon. Our intelligence puts him most likely at this
cabin, as well as any designs he may have on site. Other agents have
already taken care of designs on record in Grand Aramathea, these
should be all that are left.”

Then
he met eyes with Jacques and Gurgn. “We and the rest of the
strike team will be providing a distraction for those three. We will
land first, and attack the south side of the island. We have no
established goal, we just want to draw as many Aramatheans in for as
long as we can hold them.”

Marco
then spoke again, reaching into his satchel and pulling out three
tiny while pearls, handing one to Juno, Ahmin, and Sunay. “And
I suppose that is where these come in. These are telepathy stones,
they simulate the mental communication that mages can use to contact
other mages at long distances. Use these to help coordinate our
movements and extraction once the mission is complete.”

Sunay
held it up to her right eye, noticing how the pearl white color was
actually shifting and moving. She wasn't entirely fond of magic
after her experience in Tortuga, and wasn't particularly thrilled
about this either. “How does it work?” she asked, more
out of suspicion than curiosity.

“Just
put in your ear, think about who you're trying to speak to, and talk
normally. If the person you are trying to communicate with is either
a mage or has a similar stone, they'll hear you.”

The
foxgirl still
didn't
like it, but suspected nothing anyone could say would change her
opinion on that score. Reluctantly, she put the object into her
right ear. It fit surprisingly snugly, so well in fact that her
first fear was that she wouldn't be able to get it out. Putting her
mind on Ahmin, she said, “Hello? Can ya hear me?”

“Yes,”
Ahmin answered. “But that would be true anyway as I'm roughly
eight feet from you.”

She
heard an echo of Ahmin's voice in her head that matched his words,
which she guessed was the telepathic stone doing its work just a hint
slower than normal speech. Sunay sighed heavily in resignation; as
long as someone was able to pull it out of her head once this was all
over she'd be able to cope.

“The
distraction team will disembark first on the south side of the
island, then the Goldbeard
will swing to the east, where Juno will disembark. Finally, Sunay
and Marco will disembark on the north side. After that, it will loop
around the island and extract us in that same order. Bear in mind,
there is
the
possibility that your rowboats will be seized or otherwise unable to
sail. You may
have
to swim. It's happened before, right Jacques?”

The
first mate bit his lower lip guiltily, and offered a sheepish smile.
“Yeah, it's happened before. If you hesitate or panic, there's
the chance you won't be able to be extracted. That can be bad news.”

Ahmin
finished the briefing with his final orders. “Once we are all
aboard, Marco, you will need to conjure an invisibility illusion,
that should allow us a fairly easy escape and to shake off pursuit.
Jacques, head to the deck, give Bolin a heading of two hundred and
sixty-six degrees at full sail. The rest of you return to your
assigned posts. If all goes according to plan, we launch the raid at
first light in two days. Dismissed.”

Juno
caught Sunay barely a step past the cabin door. “Wow, first
big mission for ya, and you've got an important job too!” the
spidergirl said.

“Not
the first for you I take it?” Sunay replied.

“Nope!
I've been on a couple over the years. I'm usually the assassin type
like this time, because ya know I'm good at climbing into seemingly
impossible places and I can generate a venom in my fangs that can
kill with one good chomp. But ya know that.”

“And
it doesn't bother ya?”

The
spidergirl shrugged. “I mean, in a way, it's what I was born to
do. This is the sort of thing we do, Sunay. Sometimes it puts us at
odds with people. And sometimes, when yer at odds with people,
deadly violence is the result.”

Juno
patted Sunay on the shoulder playfully as the spidergirl dashed ahead
towards the stairs. “Don't worry!” she called back. “The
admiral wouldn't have given you the job if he didn't trust ya to do
it!”

That
wasn't
what
Sunay was worried about, but if Juno didn't have a problem with her
role, then Sunay really had no business butting in.

“She's
right, you know.”

Sunay
nearly jumped, and she spun about. Marco could move pretty
quietly... unless he was using magic or something.

“You
ever
been involved in a raid?”

Marco
shook his head. “Not something like this. I was a mercenary
fighting for city-states in the Free Provinces during the last
Daynish Campaign, though. I remember my first time in a fight, and
it was pretty damn scary. Do you trust the people around you to have
prepared you properly?”

“Of
course I do!”

“Then
there shouldn't be a problem.”

Sunay
rolled her eyes. “There ain't a problem. I'm fine!”

“Then
why do you seem lost in thought?”

“Because
I really don't like swabbin' the deck, and I'm takin' my sweet time
getting' back up there,” she said, then added, “I'm sure
I'll be a big ol' bundle o' nerves by go time. But for now, I'm
fine. Save the pep talks for then, 'kay?”

Marco
nodded in acknowledgment, stepping around Sunay to go further down
the stairs, where she guessed his cabin was. She doubted he'd be
sleeping on a cot. Lucky bastard. Sunay, meanwhile, returned to the
deck and with a forlorn sigh grabbed her mop and started swabbing.

Sure,
she could die in a raid, but she could also die being swept overboard
by rough seas. At least fighting had be more engaging than this.

~
~ ~ ~ ~

Sacili
was pretty much exactly as Ahmin described it, a hunk of black rock
sticking out of the ocean with nothing notable on its own merits. It
wasn't even jagged like most volcanic rock had a tendency to be; ages
of weathering polishing the surface into a smooth domed shape up to
the center of the tiny island where the Death Ray was installed.

“Seems
we got here just in time,” Ahmin noted, handing his telescopic
lens to Jacques for the first mate to take a look. “It looks
damn near completion to me.”

Jacques
gave a look himself, and beckoned Sunay over. “Get a look at
this, little fox.”

Sunay
momentarily blinked in confusion, wondering why he would be calling
for her, but nonetheless obeyed, taking the lens and putting it up to
her right eye.

Her
first observation was that the designs didn't do the scale of the
machine justice. It had to be at least two hundred feet from edge to
edge of the mirror array, some of them reflecting light back into the
lens and forcing her to squint her eye in order to keep looking.

The
rest of the machination wasn't nearly as eye-catching, a bunch of
gears and shimmering steel with an ivory pedestal in front. On that
pedestal a blood red crystal, tiny in comparison to everything else,
sat on a golden stand. That was the focusing crystal, she guessed.

“That's
what you and Marco have to somehow demolish,” Jacques said into
her ear. “I don't envy you that. It looks pretty heavily
guarded.”

The
statement prompted Sunay to tilt the telescope down, where she did
indeed see a score of Aramathean soldiers, their bronze-plated armor
gleaming, and a wooden cabin which quite likely held more. “Well,
isn't that what yer supposed to try and help with?” she asked.

The
first mate nodded slightly. “That's true. Let's hope we can
do that.”

Ahmin's
voice interrupted the conversation. “Marco, I trust the
illusion is active?”

The
mage had been leaning back against the main mast with his eyes
closed. Had one of his books not been open in front of him, and his
hand hovering over said book and pale blue wisps of energy hovering
inches off the page, Sunay would have thought he was asleep.

In
one abrupt motion, he pulled his hand away, slapped the book shut,
and opened his eyes. “It is. It was difficult reaching out to
so many minds, but they are inherently inclined to believe that only
one of their ships would dare approach anyway. I can't promise the
illusion will hold once we start attacking and they put the hints
together, but it will serve us at least that far.”

“It
will have to do,” Ahmin said with pursed lips. “Assault
team, get to the boats!”

Gurgn
and nine other men of the rowing team comprised the bulk of that
unit, joined by Ahmin and Jacques as they filtered into three of the
rowboats on the port side of the ship. “Bolin! You have the
deck! I trust you have a telepathy stone?”

The
helmsman took one hand off the wheel to tap his right ear and give a
thumbs-up gesture.

Ahmin
took that as silent approval, and climbed into the rear boat as the
first one was lowered to the water.

It
was only when the admiral's rowboat dropped to the water that Sunay
began to feel the tug of nerves building. Ahmin had always been a
stabilizing influence on her, she had discovered, and now she felt
truly on her own.

Marco's
hand dropped onto her shoulder in an attempt to be comforting. “Now
are you ready for a pep talk?”

The
joke at least jolted her out of her uncertainty, and she glared
daggers at the mage who fell back with a chuckle. She didn't need
cheering up. She didn't need encouragement. Ahmin trusted her with
an important job, and she was going to do
it.

Bastard.

“Comin'
up on the next drop point!” Bolin shouted. “Juno!”

The
spidergirl skipped happily to the port side, then climbed up onto the
railing. “Save the boat!” she called out. “I can
sneak up easier by swimmin'!”

Juno
then dove hands first into the sea, barely leaving even a splash as
she entered the water.

Bolin
exhaled and muttered to himself, “You'd think I'd have
remembered that...” then shouted, “Sunay! Marco! Yer
next! Get into position, we'll be swingin' by in ten minutes at
most!”

The
foxgirl examined her equipment quickly to make sure she had what she
needed. A short steel sword hooked to her belt on the left side, and
a dagger on her right. A belt pack contained first aid materials: a
small spool of wrap, sticky herbs to slow bleeding, and a thumb vial
of anti-venom just in case someone on the isle used poisoned darts...
or she got bitten by Juno.

She
had been trained well not just in combat, but how to avoid
it
if at all possible. She was as ready as she was ever going to be.
She looked up over the port side as the Goldbeard
swung
around to the north side of Sacili. She quickly spotted an effective
landing point where a raised wooden wall had been constructed as a
breakwater. “Right there,” she said, pointing it out to
Marco “That's where we'll pull up.”

The
mage nodded, “Good idea. Hopefully our approach won't draw too
much attention.”

At
just that moment, the sound of fighting drifted over the island from
the south side. “I'm betting it won't,” the foxgirl
said. “Let's get in!”

Bolin
agreed three seconds later. “Sunay! Yer up!”

“I
know that!” She shouted back in annoyance, already halfway into
the boat. She sat on the rear bench and situated the oars. She then
looked up at Marco, who was nudging her and telling her to move to
the front.

“I
got the oars,” she growled.

Marco
replied, “I can do better. Promise.”

There
wasn't time to argue. If the mage wanted to row, he could be her
guest. She moved to the front, sat down, and once Marco had also
taken his seat, she gave the thumbs up, and the boat was swiftly
lowered to sea level.

“Alright,
magic-man, let's see your bulging biceps get to work,” Sunay
snarked, crossing her arms with a huff.

The
mage smiled, and flipped open his book. “Why use muscles when
I can use my mind?”

Rowboats
normally didn't move in the wind very well; they rested low in the
water and didn't have any sails. But when the wind was channeled
downward into the stern, that little boat most certainly did move
quite quickly, smoothly, and quietly.

“Okay...”
the foxgirl reluctantly admitted, “perhaps you do have the
right idea.”

Marco
stilled the wind, allowing the rowboat to drift into their
destination behind the breakwater. They hopped out of the boat and
were approaching the edge of the wall when they got their first hint
that something wasn't right.

Resistance
is harder than anticipated, Ahmin
reported. Enemy
units responding quicker than anticipated and in twice the number.
Juno, Sunay, report.

Juno
replied first. Still
swimmin' in, sir. No trouble here yet.

Just
landed, no sign of trouble either, Sunay
added.

For
a man supposedly in the middle of a tougher than expected fight,
Admiral Ahmin didn't seem particularly strained. Then
proceed, but with caution. What I've seen so far differs from the
intelligence we were given. Be prepared for anything out of the
ordinary.

Understood,
Juno
and Sunay said in unison, then the foxgirl turned to Marco. “The
Aramatheans responded to the strike team harder an' faster than we
thought. We're gonna have to keep our eyes open.”

The
mage pointed ahead and upward. “You mean, for up at the top
there?”

There
were going to be a handful of problems with their ascent, Sunay
discovered. The nature of the island gave anybody at the top of the
island excellent sight lines... like the twenty Aramathean bowmen
circling the base of the Death Ray being guarded by another score of
traditional Aramathean Phalanx soldiers with spears and shields.

Before
she could report that to the admiral, Juno had bad news of her own.
My
target isn't here, admiral! Nor are any designs!

There's
at least forty men up at the weapon site too, Sunay
added.

Ahmin's
voice rarely betrayed emotion, but this time the foxgirl could hear
the anger in his voice. They
knew we were coming. They were somehow tipped off. Everyone fall
back, and we'll try to regroup. Bolin, we need extraction!

Well,
we got a little bit of a problem there too, the
helmsman answered. Three
ships are giving us chase, and they've apparently figured out
ship-mounted ballistas. We could definitely get all o' ya, but we
wouldn't be able to get another shot at this without a lot
more
manpower.

Ahmin
growled. Which
we won't be able to rouse before this weapon is completed.

Sunay
also figured that a larger scale attack would reveal the Gold Pirates
as a legitimate power to be reckoned with, and possibly turn the
entire continent on them. They had to do this now... but how?

Juno
then interjected again. I've
got four Phalanx moving in towards me. I think I got their
attention.

Deal
with them however you need to, Ahmin
ordered simply. He clearly was out of patience with this unexpected
turn of events. Sunay,
Marco, hold your position and we'll push through. If they won't pay
us attention, we'll make
them
pay attention.

Ahmin was a nigh invulnerable freak of nature, but she doubted even
he could overpower the forces on this island by himself, and using
the rest of the strike team would no doubt end with a lot of their
people dead. There had
to
be a better option, and she had to find it quickly.

“Hey
mage,” she whispered, “surely you've got somethin' that
can take out a lotta guys.”

“I'm
an illusionist more than an invoker,” Marco replied. “I
know some
spells
that could do harm, but nothing large enough that could neutralize
all
of
them before they turned their weapons on me.”

Sunay
frowned, and her eyebrows furrowed in frantic concentration. There
had to be something
she
could do...

A
glimmer of sunlight caught the focusing crystal at the heart of the
weapon, and sent a flash of blood red light through the gap created
by a Phalanx soldier as he shifted his weight, and that was the
inspiration she needed.

“What
if I got you a focus crystal?”

Marco
snorted. “Then I could probably level half this damn island
with a stray thought. But where are you...” then his thoughts
ground to a halt as he processed exactly what Sunay was implying.
“You're insane.”

“You're
an illusionist, right?” Sunay explained. “Make me
invisible.”

“An
illusion only works if they aren't expecting it. These people know
we're coming.”

“If
they knew where we were comin' from, don'tcha think they woulda just
taken us out by now? I don't think they know exactly how many of us
are...”

And
then Sunay got a bolt of inspiration. “Better idea. Make me
look like, I dunno... how many illusion copies of me do ya think you
could make?”

Marco's
smile told her all she needed to know.

To
the Aramatheans at the top of the island, it must have looked like a
hundred foxgirls charging up the hill. Their panicked cries caught
the attention of the four soldiers who were closing in on Juno, and
in the chaos that followed, Sunay trailed the procession, splitting
the ranks that were throwing themselves at air, and nimbly plucked
the focus crystal from its golden stand, tucking it under her arm...

Then
nearly losing her head to a ball of sizzling fire that zipped right
where it would have been had she not seen it just in time to duck.
The Aramathean mage was many things, but the two most important right
then were that she was an invoker, and could see through the illusion
Marco had cast.

Sunay
decided to test Marco's claim about spell-casting, and made what
would have seemed like a suicidal charge at the mage. But
apparently, she wasn't any quicker to cast another spell than Marco
would be. The woman in fact panicked, allowing Sunay to slap the
book out of her hands and into her face, the foxgirl then using that
moment to springboard off the mage's shoulders.

The
following jump allowed Sunay to clear the melee, and by the time the
Aramathean forces had sorted themselves out, Marco had possession of
one sizable focusing crystal.

“Have
fun!” Sunay chirped, then contacted Ahmin. We've
got the focusing crystal. Marco's gonna use it to do some damage.
Just try and not get killed, okay?

The
admiral replied, I
think we can manage that.

Marco
stepped into the open, but any thought the Aramatheans might have had
to attack him disappeared in a hurricane gale force wind that not
only sent soldiers spinning, but also bent the mirror array's support
beams, knocking them out of alignment or onto the ground where they
shattered into irreparable pieces.

The
woman mage, while able to hold fast against the wind, was so
surprised by the destruction that she turned to assess it and
completely forgot about Marco for that split second he needed to cast
a second spell, this one a bolt of lightning that crashed directly
into the back of her head.

Sunay
might have felt sad about witnessing the woman's death if that same
woman hadn't tried to flambé the foxgirl's skull a minute
earlier.

Excellent
work, Sunay, Ahmin
said, clearly pleased. Juno,
any luck on your end?

No
sir,
the spidergirl replied in frustration.

Sunay
frowned. This wasn't exactly a big island. It's not like he could
have gotten too far unless he had a ship...

Her
eyes immediately turned to the west, the one area where the Gold
Pirates didn't have men stationed, and sure enough, a short, somewhat
portly balding man in a toga was moving as fast as he could towards
the island's dockside with a scroll case slung over his shoulder.

Sunay
smirked, Juno!
West side, the docks! Race ya!

The
spidergirl didn't like those odds. No
fair! Yer closer!

That
much was true, and it was fortunate she was, otherwise Callast might
have been able to make it to the boat that was rapidly approaching to
retrieve him. Instead, Sunay closed the distance in time to grab him
by the back collar of his toga, and yank him off his feet before the
Phalanx even could get clear of their boat.

Callast's
impact with the ground caused him to lose his grip on the scroll
case, which Sunay grabbed herself, deciding that securing the last
remaining designs for the weapon were more important than securing a
kill. It turned out to be the right decision as well, as Juno
arrived on the scene before the engineer could even get back up to
his feet, the spidergirl tackling him face first onto the rock and
biting him soundly on the neck.

At
that point, the Aramathean soldiers were at the end of the docks,
charging towards the two chimera, but the fatal damage had been done,
and both girls fled at top speed towards the center of the island and
the ruined Death Ray. Callast
got bit, Sunay's got the designs.

Everyone
meet at the south side, Ahmin
ordered. It'll
be a tight fit, but we'll be able to get clear of this hornet's nest
faster.

A
tight fit was right as Ahmin jumped into the rowboat next to Sunay as
the last man to hop in. The pair had to take one oar each in order
to get back to the ship, the poor little boat barely sitting above
the water with Jacques and Gurgn making up the rest of the occupants.
It only got more difficult considering the Goldbeard
had
to keep moving in order to evade the pursuing Aramathean ships and
their mounted ballista.

Gurgn
secured one lift rope to the bow end, and Sunay wriggled around
Ahmin, perching herself on the edge of the stern in order to secure
the rope there. She nearly lost her balance when they were jerked
upward, and could hear the straining of the crew trying to pull them
aboard.

The
crew on the deck must have gotten some help soon after because the
straining sounds quieted and the ascent of the rowboat increased.
Sunay jumped to the Goldbeard's
railing
the instant she was able, and Juno sighed in relief, “Oh thank
the Coders! We should be fine now that we don't have to heft Sunay's
weight!”

Sunay
sneered mockingly and moved to help on the ropes, but that point the
last rowboat was already being secured to the rail, and Ahmin jumped
off, landing with a heavy thud on the deck. “Bolin! Full
sail! Two hundred and thirty degrees! We'll adjust our course when
we're clear! Marco, can you give us a good illusion?”

Marco
scoffed. “With this crystal, I could give you a fleet.”

Ahmin
stared the mage down, then in four strides loomed over Marco. “I
would strongly
suggest
that you not get used to possessing that little toy. In fact, why
don't you give it to me right this instant?”

The
admiral held out his hand expectantly, and Marco quickly realized the
wisdom in complying. “Here ya go!” the mage said with a
smile, and dropped the blood-red object into Ahmin's hand.

“Very
good,” Ahmin replied. “Now, prepare for your illusion.
Bolin, hard to port to one hundred and eighty degrees once Marco
gives the word! Jacques, Sunay... follow me.”

Sunay
was again surprised that the admiral was summoning her. What could
he want from her? She took a deep breath and fell into step behind
the first mate, knowing there was only one way to find out.

Ahmin
didn't immediately address the pair once he entered the cabin,
instead first going to the mysterious metal case, and putting the
focusing crystal inside it, a move that confounded Sunay, as it
didn't seem like the crystal could possibly fit in terms of width.
Nonetheless, Ahmin was able to close and lock the cabinet without
trouble, and Sunay knew better than to try and sate her curiosity.

“Sorry
about my standoffishness, but I know that mages can get a little...
crazy with power. It seemed like the better part of valor to detach
Marco from any delusions,” he said simply.

The
three felt the ship quickly change direction, and braced themselves
from falling over. “I take it we're taking him back to Troja?”
Jacques asked.

Ahmin
nodded in confirmation. “He's got other jobs to do. Even among
the Gold Pirates, mages aren't exactly common.”

Jacques
clicked his tongue in disappointment. “Shame. I could have
gotten used to a pocket mage.”

Ahmin
didn't spare any more small talk, instead turning to Sunay. “When
you and Marco approached the weapon site, were you attacked at all?”

Sunay
shook her head. “Nope,” she said. “They were
certainly waiting
for
us, but they didn't advance on our location. They might have known
we were comin', but I don't think they knew where
we
were comin' from.”

Ahmin
sighed in relief. “That was my assessment as well, as they
would have had soldiers waiting for Juno as well. That means the
leak isn't on this ship, of which I am immensely relieved.”

Jacques's
voice
lost any humor. “But there's definitely a leak somewhere.”

“Indeed,
and I don't like it. On one hand, while I'm glad I don't have to
lose trust in anyone aboard this ship, the network of information for
our group is very large, and verifying everyone who might have been
able to share our plans with the Aramatheans will take considerable
amount of time.”

“What
do we do in the meantime?”

“All
ships in Aramathean waters will operate independently from land
operations for now, only contacting our assets ashore when absolutely
necessary.”

Jacques
snorted. “Well, we were used to that during our time in
Avalon.”

“Only
due to incompetence rather than malice,” Ahmin corrected. “For
now, we will maintain observation of the Void. That's something else
we're used to.”

“So...
no shore leave?”

Ahmin
shook his head. “Until we learn more about who is leaking what
information and to whom they are leaking it, this ship, and all
others in this section of the fleet, will do nothing but supplying,
and only at ports we know are clear.”

Sunay's
ears flattened, and she couldn't hold back her disappointment.

Jacques
didn't seem to like the news at all either, and it was
his disappointment
that caused Ahmin to miss hers.
“I know, my friend. I know what was promised. But surely you
understand.”

The
first mate nodded, and it was clear he did, even if he didn't like
it. It must be a personal matter, as those were ones that were not
shared unless offered. As much as Sunay wanted to know, she also
knew better than to pry.

“You're
both dismissed,” Ahmin said. “Thank you for your time.”

The
pair nodded, but as Sunay turned to leave, the admiral had one more
thing to say. “Oh, Sunay. I want to commend you for your
efforts on Sacili. Without your quick thinking and quick action,
that entire mission would have at best been a tragic success, if not
outright failure. I'm sorry that my words are all I can offer in
thanks right now.”

The
praise momentarily buoyed her spirits. Having come to respect Ahmin
as a commander and
as
a person in his own right, it felt very
good
to be thanked for her work. “That'll be enough for now, sir,”
she said, betraying a hint of cheer, then skipped out of the cabin to
return to her post.

But
the happy rush didn't last long, and the melancholy of uncertainty
set in. She only hoped that the parties responsible for this mess
were discovered by fall.

9. Chapter
Ten: Moving On

Sadly,
happy news did not come before fall, nor during. Nor even that
winter, for what little that particular season meant on the south
seas. It wasn't until the following spring that there was any sign
that the winds had changed, when Ahmin emerged onto the deck, and
took a deep breath with a smile that Sunay could see even with the
mask.

“Bolin!”
the admiral bellowed with mirth. “Set a course for Grand
Aramathea! One hundred and eighty nine degrees, full sail! I want
off this boat!”

That
got the attention of the entire crew on the deck. Jacques looked
especially hopeful. “Does that mean...”

The
admiral shrugged. “Message from the Administrator in Grand
Aramathea simply said that the matter is being dealt with, and that
we are clear to come ashore. I'm not going to quibble the semantics,
are you?”

“No,
sir.”

“Then
full sail, Juno! Let's set our feet on some solid land!”

A
rousing cheer from the crew both on and below the deck was a clear
agreement with that sentiment, and within two minutes, the
Goldbeard's
sails caught the wind and the currents, turning north along with the
winds of spring. Sunay's heart jumped into her throat, anticipating
with equal parts hope and fear what could possibly be waiting at the
capital city of The Imperial Aramathea.

Sailors
though they may be, a wooden deck can only sustain a person's feet
for so long before they desperately crave solid earth beneath them.

Sunay
tried to force those emotions down before they turned into an
unstoppable up and down wave. There wasn't even any guarantee that
Rola had got word at all, much less had it sent and delivered. She
was only offering a guess
as
to when she might
have
found news.

That
helped Sunay rein in her emotions about as much as could be expected.
Not at all.

Thus
began the most painfully long week of Sunay's life to that point from
the edges of the living water all the way to the port of destination.
Each day, Sunay found herself gazing over the Goldbeard's
bow,
thinking she could see the diamond glimmer of the cliffs that the
First Capital rested upon. She had been fooling herself, and she
even knew it, and was always disappointed when she accepted the
truth.

Her
antics might have earned a bit more grief if Jacques hadn't shown
equal anticipation of their coming shore leave. The Goldbeard's
first
mate was a naturally reserved sort, talking about himself very little
even to the crew that he had served with for over a decade. She knew
his family was initially from northern Avalon, and his immediate
family left before the Revolution turned everything upside down...
and that was about it.

So
seeing him so visibly excited was both a source of humor and of
curiosity. Sunay tried to subtly suggest she was willing to listen,
but he had not been inclined to approach her. She supposed she could
understand that, as she hadn't told anyone about Laron outside of the
admiral.

But
she eventually forgot about her curiosity once the shimmering face of
the diamond cliffs did
come
into view. Morning had just cracked over the horizon, setting the
diamond colored shelf into a rainbow of colors. It was probably the
most beautiful sight Sunay had ever seen.

Well,
the similar effect outside of Tortuga might have compared, but the
bitter cold up north dampened the mystique.

“How
are we gonna get up there?” Sunay asked. There was a dock that
she could barely see, but there wasn't an access to the top of the
cliff anywhere.

“There's
a boardwalk that slowly climbs the cliff face both for loading and
unloading,” Jacques explained. “It can be hard to see
from a distance, and it can take a while to get to the top, but it's
there.”

“Why
even build such an important city there anyway?”

“It's
a remarkably defensible position. Excellent sight of invading forces
both from the north and
from
sea. Just burn down the boardwalk and it could take naval invaders a
week, if not longer, to get back to the city.”

“Hunh.”
the foxgirl eventually said. “Would be rough if they were ever
besieged though.”

The
first mate shrugged. “There really isn't a good
place
to be under siege.”

“True
enough.”

Jacques
then turned his attention towards the business of getting ready to
approach the dock. “Juno! Main sails only! Garth, get the
starboard gangplank ready and then get to the anchor. Sunay, let
Gurgn know to have the row men ready to help slow us down, then let
the admiral know we're on our approach.”

Juno
literally jumped from the main mast to the aft without ever touching
the deck, drawing up the sails as she swiftly climbed upward, and
Garth had already pulled the gangplank from where it was slotted
between the rail and deck on the starboard side by the time Sunay had
even reached the stairs below decks. At the bottom, she stuck her
head around the entry, and shouted, “All hands to the oars!
We're on our approach!”

The
foxgirl didn't even wait to see if anyone had responded, the frantic
shuffling was enough. She vaulted the steps to the third level two
at a time, and sprinted across the hall to the fore side, and swiftly
rapping on the door to Ahmin's cabin. “Admiral, we're on our
approach.”

“Thank
you, Sunay,” was the muffled response. She could also hear
another
voice
that she didn't recognize, but it was far too quiet to make anything
out.

“Sir?”
she finally asked. “Is everythin' alright?”

“It's
fine, Sunay. I have some quick matters to attend to. Go ahead and
dismiss the crew.”

He
was telling her
to
dismiss the crew? “Sh... shouldn't Jacques do that?”

The
admiral's voice started to reflect annoyance. “If I wanted
Jacques to do it, I would have told you that, don't you think?”

Sunay
didn't want to argue, especially since it didn't sound like Ahmin was
inclined to do so. “O... okay. See ya up there...”

The
foxgirl quickly retreated to the deck, and caught Jacques attention.
“The admiral... wants me to dismiss the crew.”

The
first mate grinned knowingly. “You helped me plan the crew
rotation last evening, remember? You know who's on first call don't
you?”

Sunay
nodded.

“Well
then there shouldn't be a problem. Go ahead and call the crew up.”

It
helped that Jacques didn't have a problem ceding that authority.
Even if it was
merely
a ceremonial one, the chain of command was a very
important
thing on a ship. Even the appearance that someone was stepping out
of line could cause problems among people in very close quarters.

The
foxgirl stopped at the entry of the second deck, and called out, “We
are approaching Grand Aramathea. Those on first call, be ready to go
to your assigned stations. Everyone else, get topside or get left
behind!”

She
repeated that call on the third and fourth decks as well, then fell
in line behind the people making a similar climb, catching one fellow
trying to slip out on his duty in the process: “Torvo, yer in
the mess for the first rotation and you know it! Get down there!”

The
night deckhand stopped in his tracks, and Sunay pushed herself up
against the wall and allowed him to pass her. “Don't worry,”
she whispered in sympathy as he passed, “I'm told the night
life in Grand Aramathea is more fun anyway.”

Sunay
hit the deck and gulped when Ahmin wasn't present, and Jacques was
making no visible attempt to step into the admiral's role, going as
far as to smile and offer her a gesture to take the role herself.
She hesitated, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then walked to
the front of the gathered crew.

She
expected quiet mumbling, she expected confusion. She got neither.
The crew regarded her position with no qualms or questioning. Buoyed
by the respect offered, the foxgirl ordered, “All right, folks.
I think you know the drill by now, and that goes for double
right
now. Ya better all damn well be on yer best behavior, because all
the punishments are gonna be double
if
ya screw up. I trust there won't be any problems.”

“No,
ma'am!” the crew shouted in unison. Sunay kinda liked the
sound of that.

“Second
shift, do not
be
late gettin' back. Either by volunteer or by order, the first shift
can't leave until you return, and it wouldn't be at all fair to them
if yer all lollygaggin', unless you wanna be first shift for the next
shore leave, got it?”

“Yes,
ma'am!”

“Alright
then, I won't waste any more of yer time. Dismissed!”

The
crowd parted around her, then formed a line off the gangplank,
cheering happily in unison. Jacques patted her approvingly on the
shoulder after the crowd had filtered off, and descended to the
dockside himself. That left Sunay to make sure that all of the first
shift crew was in place, then make her leave herself.

And
she had just about hit that gangplank when Ahmin's voice startled
her.

“Sunay.
A word, please.”

The
foxgirl turned around, and could see apology in the admiral eyes as
he said, “You're probably not going to like this, but I have
urgent matters to attend to. Could you manage the first duty shift
for me? I'll return before the shift change, and you can have some
extra time.”

It
was posed as a question, but Sunay knew such things weren't really
requests. It really didn't matter that she didn't want to. Besides,
if Rola had delivered word, it wasn't going to go anywhere within the
next few hours. “Alright. Do yer business, sir.”

“Thank
you. I appreciate it.”

Ahmin
took the march down the gangplank, and left Sunay to monitor the
deck. Watching the ship was a dreadfully boring affair, especially
with the shimmering cliffs and boardwalk so close she could smell the
earth... her own senses taunting her.

But
it was also an important duty. Even in civilized ports, an empty
ship might as well invite thieves and stowaways, both of which meant
trouble for ships with limited supplies, even large ships like the
Goldbeard.
She knew it was important, knew someone
had
to do it, and that Ahmin wasn't someone who took liberties for
frivolous reasons.

And
it also meant that time slowed to a crawl as she eagerly awaited
someone's
return.
It didn't even have to be Ahmin. Anyone of the “command”
crew could suffice, like Bolin or Jacques or Juno. But she damn well
knew
none
of them would be returning even one second before their scheduled
time.

A
small boat with a single mast and sail, painted white with red trim
on the railings floated past the Goldbeard,
barely visible from Sunay's line of sight. It couldn't have been
large enough for more than two people, which she confirmed when the
boat moored onto the dock about fifty feet ahead of the Goldbeard's
bow.
Two young Aramatheans, a man and woman climbed out, trimmed their
sail, tied down their boat, then began their walk to the boardwalk
arm in arm.

Could
that have been her and Laron... had circumstances been different?
Could it still be them if luck was on her side? If the opportunity
even arose, could she part ways with this crew and the purpose they
served? Would that be fair to him if she couldn't? Was it even
worth knowing at all if there was nothing that she could do? Was the
hope
more
important than the truth?

Sunay
didn't particularly like getting philosophical, especially when she
was bored. That was something for people with a lot more brains and
a lot more free time. She forced herself to look away from the happy
couple, and instead up towards the top of the cliff. She certainly
wasn't going to see anybody appear at the top of the boardwalk, but
she could pretend.

Deciding
that standing on the deck was only making her impatience worse, she
tried to occupy herself by patrolling the boat and checking on the
crew still aboard. When that offered barely any distraction, she
slowly trudged up to the deck again... to find Ahmin waiting. She
swore she hadn't been gone that
long
for him to appear without her seeing him coming. The two men on the
deck seemed likewise astounded, like they had just noticed his
presence.

Ahmin
said, “Thank you, Sunay, you are free to go.”

The
foxgirl didn't waste any more time wondering how someone so big could
move so swiftly and undetected, because she had more important things
on her mind. She sprinted down the gangplank, and dropped to all
fours the minute she hit the docks, weaving in and around people as
she approached the series of boardwalks that would take her to the
top of the cliff.

She
slowed once on the incline for two reasons: Firstly, there was an ox
driven cart that blocked her progress, and secondly, the cliffs
looked even prettier up close, and it stole away her attention. It
was almost like diamond colored sand rather than actual diamonds, and
no doubt why the Aramatheans settled here rather than mining
the entire cliff bare. There wouldn't be much value in diamond dust,
really.

She
wondered what could have caused such a phenomenon, as diamond was
awfully hard stuff. It wasn't easily crushed or pulverized.
Whatever had done this, be it natural or godly, it was a powerful
force that Sunay decided she didn't want to meet face to face.

Sunay
got the opportunity to slip around the cart at the next turn, and it
allowed the foxgirl to once again pick up her pace. Even then, it
was still a long walk due to the nature of the winding boardwalks
that didn't have a more direct option that she could access. There
were
ladders,
but they were reserved for Phalanx and emergency use only, and Sunay
really didn't feel like chancing it and getting in trouble.

While
Gold Pirates were usually
released
after no more than twenty-four hours if they were arrested, that
didn't mean Ahmin could allow her to stew for however long he wanted.
So Sunay took the long, high road. At least it was a pretty one.

At
the top of the cliff, there were several gates into the city. One of
them was right in the center, blocked by a barricade and several
Phalanx soldiers, which led to the tall spires of the Imperial
Palace. It was a remarkable sight, each of the fiver towers taller
than anything she had ever seen, and constructed from alabaster
material. While Morgana's tower in Tortuga might have been more
visually stunning, the sheer scale of Grand Aramathea's palace took
the prize.

That
wasn't her destination, however, nor did she doubt the soldiers would
let her through if it was. That did
however,
raise the question of where she was
supposed
to go. She really didn't want to approach one of the many Phalanx
standing vigil at the various gates, firstly because they were very
busy as it was handling the influx of people going in and out of the
city, and secondly because she really didn't want to risk one of
those soldiers having been stationed on Sacili half a year ago.

That
would be awkward.

The
signs didn't help matters either. As far as she could tell, Grand
Aramathea didn't have a dedicated merchant or shopping district. The
only directions to the west were “Foreign Quarter” and
“Lower Quarter”, and “Higher Quarter” to the
east, with “Imperial Quarter” point to the north through
the barricaded gate.

She
exhaled in resignation. There wasn't any way around it.

She
pulled her bandana down as low as she could, and kept her head down,
trying to avoid eye contact as she approached the nearest Phalanx, a
woman with her helmet tucked under her arm, preparing to yield her
station to her relief. “Pardon me,” Sunay asked, “do
you happen to know where the Merchant's Guild here is?”

The
soldier pointed at the gate she was vacating. “It's in the
Foreign Quarter on the north side of the city. I don't remember
exactly where, but there are plenty of Phalanx there that would once
you get to the quarter itself. Just take the main road north and
northeast, and follow the signs to the Foreign Quarter.”

“Thank
you,” the foxgirl said, relieved that she got an answer without
incident, parting as quickly as decency allowed. She presented her
travel papers, that had been slightly exaggerated to claim her as an
unassociated sailor, to the guard manning the city gate, and was
allowed to enter the city itself.

There
was a high wall between her and the Imperial Quarter, and the main
road veered away from that wall towards the heart of the Lower
Quarter. She eschewed the advice of the guard, and continued along
that side path that followed the wall around the palace and
governmental section of the great city.

For
all the splendor she had seen in her short glimpse of the palace, the
Lower Quarter wasn't nearly as magnificent. It wasn't exactly
squalor, though there were certainly some houses that were in
extremely poor repair, but there was no charm to them. They were all
pretty much the same design with the same materials, the only
differences being a splash of color here and there. For the cultural
melting pot of the remaining world, she wasn't seeing much culture so
far.

But
then again, she guessed “Lower Quarter” didn't exactly
refer to elevation. This was the part of town where you built
cheaply and didn't splurge on trivial matters unless you had a
particularly good year. She knew and understood that sort of
mentality.

The
road ended abruptly, and Sunay found herself momentarily lost, as she
had expected it to eventually join with the main street at some
point. She had to double back, wandering residential streets trying
to find her way back to the main road. Fortunately, at this time of
day, those streets were mostly empty, as the people of the city were
at work or school.

Though
the foxgirl did had to sidestep quickly to avoid running into an
Aramathean girl about her age, stomping past with her head down and
grumbling something about not wanting to be a silly shoemaker. Sunay
stopped, and called back angrily, “Oi! Kinda rude!” but
the girl continued on showing no signs of even hearing
the
foxgirl's shout.

It
only helped serve Sunay's sour mood as she wandered though winding
roads that veered off in directions that made no sense, dead ended
with houses in all directions forcing her to wind back, and taking up
an hour of her time simply to find the main road that separated the
homes from the shops.

The
Lower Quarter was a city in its own right, with its own shops and
essential goods, and she suspected the other quarters were the same
way. Grand Aramathea was as much four cities as it was one, and
perhaps by necessity. You could do your daily business without ever
leaving the boundaries of the district you were in. The size and
scale astounded Sunay, as she merged into the main road packed with
people and carts moving in all directions.

There
was barely room to breathe on this road, mostly because it was the
only way to leave the quarter if the road signs were any indication.
Two main roads, one that went from the docks and round the northwest
to the Foreign Quarter, and the other that went east and west between
the Imperial Quarter and the outskirts of the city, and walls forming
the boundary everywhere else.

Crossing
under the arch that separated the Lower Quarter from the Foreign was
like stepping into an entirely different world. Color was everywhere
and the designs were just as varied. She recognized smatterings of
Avalonian architecture, as well as buildings that she had never seen
before from lands long since gone, mixed about with the traditional
Aramathean buildings she had seen in the empire. This
was
the Grand Aramathea she had been expecting. Buildings with tall
steeples and gleaming with bronze, domes, and black shingle...
painted red, yellow, brown, blue... she was so lost in the sight that
she momentarily forgot she had a purpose for her visit.

Directions
to the Merchant's Guild were simple enough. Take the main road to
the center circle, and look due south to the biggest building on that
side of the center. She apparently wouldn't be able to miss it.

She
didn't. It would indeed have been extremely
difficult
to overlook the four story brown brick building angled so that the
corner was facing the road, flying the flags of all three major
empires above the dark stained oak door. She shouldn't have been
surprised by its size, considering it was the heart of organized
trade in the largest city in the continent, but it was still a bit
much to take in.

Sunay
made for the door, and it opened into a beautifully furnished foyer,
wood stained to a deep red brown with brass railings, candle holders
and a chandelier hanging from the high ceiling that revealed all four
floors at the south end with multiple stairways servicing all of
them.

A
semi-circle desk in front of her had seven clerks in white dress
shirts and brown vests, each serving a sizable line of people.
Initially worried she'd be spending all day just to find out if Rola
had even delivered word yet, she was immensely relieved to find spy a
smaller desk bearing a sign labeled “Information and Locations”
above it, manned by a single clerk with only two people in line.

That
line moved so swiftly that both people had been served before Sunay
even got there. The clerk was dressed like all the others, and
looked almost Aramathean, if not for the slightly lighter skin and
coppery hair marking him as more likely Reahtan. His name, etched on
a white tag clipped to his vest, also wasn't Aramathean: 'Gughal'.

“Welcome
to the Merchants' Guild of Grand Aramathea. Can I be of service to
you, miss?” Gughal asked pleasantly, a demeanor that no doubt
came from practice and patience rather than earnest geniality.

The
foxgirl said, “I was told to expect a message from one of your
members in the Free Provinces. Do I need to wait in that line?”

“Not
at all, miss. You want the General Post, which is on the second
floor, Southwest Room 3.”

Well,
that was a general mercy. “Thank ya kindly.”

“Have
a pleasant day, my lady.”

The
walk was remarkably long for being enclosed in one building, and she
discovered that the line at the post wasn't much better than the one
she had feared queuing up for in the foyer. By the time she finally
reached the head of the line, she was in almost as frustrated of a
mood as the men and women manning the desk.

The
clerk serving her looked tired, and his voice reflected a deep fugue.
“Can I help you today?” he said flatly, barely looking
up from the list he was looking over and checking off. She was
honestly amazed his arms hadn't fallen off handing over that crate
that had belonged to the last person in line.

“I
might have a message from Rola,” the foxgirl said.

“Your
name?”

“Sunay.”

“Proof
of Identification, please.”

Sunay
showed her travel papers to the clerk, and said with a tired exhale
of breath, “One moment, please.”

The
foxgirl didn't know exactly what a moment was, but the length of time
that she spent waiting had to have been several. But her heart
jumped when the clerk returned with a yellow envelope bearing Sunay's
name.

“There
is a prompt reply order attached to this message,” he said as
he handed the envelope across the counter. “So unless you want
to get back in line and wait, I would suggest reading it here and
composing your response here at the desk.”

Sunay
had already ripped the envelope open at the narrow edge by the time
he had finished speaking.

Dearest
Little Fox,

I
have news that is both good and bad. My sources in Avalon tell me
that your boyfriend's family was not executed or put to the labor
camps. Sadly, they were forbidden to return to their home, and were
exiled from Avalon instead. Your dear Laron lives. I learned that
some of the Gold Pirates themselves helped the family get out of the
Republic before it decided to change its mind on its selected
punishment, as it is wont to do. That is the good news.

They
now live, albeit modestly, in the Northern Free Provinces, in a place
called Vakulm,to the east of the Great Snake River. and nary a few
days from the Daynelands. I will not lie, it is a precarious place,
and raids even in the best of times are not uncommon... and I fear
that these are not the best of times, and will only get worse. That
is the bad news.

But
what may hurt you deeply, and I shudder to mention it, but I fear I
must. Laron has come to fancy one of the agents that helped him
escape, and they have grown quite close. Should I mention you to
him, let him know that you are well at the very least? Do advise,
little fox, for I do not want to cause undue drama. Write a reply
and hand it to the clerk. They will know how to get it to me.

Sincerely,

The
Big Bad Wolf

Sunay
felt like she had been punched. For a moment, a flare of betrayal
lit in her eyes before sense grabbed her by the throat. There was no
reason for Laron to think she was even still alive.
Besides,
it's not like they had been friends for years and tragically parted.
He had known her for a handful of months at best. How was it his
fault
that she had conjured flights of fancy that didn't reflect reality?

“Do
you have any paper for a reply?” Sunay asked the clerk.

“Yes.
And Madam Rola already covered the return cost, so there is no
charge to you.”

He
offered said paper along with a pen. She hadn't seen anything quite
like this... a clear pen with in the ink inside
the
barrel. It was so fascinating that she initially forgot she was
going to be writing with it. Once she did, she found herself glad
for Matron Miriam's teaching, for while she doubted her penmanship
was at all that beautiful, she didn't have to shame herself asking
the clerk or someone else to write for
her.

Dearest
Big Bad Wolf,

Do
not tell him anything about me. If for some reason he asks one of
your contacts about me, tell him that I was killed by Avalon
Republican Police while trying to flee the country. He's at peace
and happy now, he should stay that way.

With
Thanks,

The
Little Fox

Sunay
had to wipe her eyes with her sleeve as she handed the reply to the
clerk for delivery, but the only thing she regretted about it was
that she referred to Rola as “dearest.” It was probably
a bad idea to encourage the wolf spirit in such a fashion.

The
foxgirl thought she might have thanked the clerk in parting, but
wasn't certain. She knew she had to get out of that place before she
completely broke down, and her eyesight was already starting to blur
with tears. Sunay wasn't certain where exactly she was going, and
didn't really care. She just wanted to find someplace fairly
secluded without a lot of people and have a good cry.

She
found that place on the third floor, at the south corner, in front of
a meeting hall that was unoccupied. She dropped onto her bottom,
curled her knees up against her chest, buried her head in her knees,
and started whimpering, shaking herself with her sobs. All the logic
in the world wasn't going to help right now. This hurt.

She
removed the earring, that had been Laron's present and promise to
her, and held it in her cupped hands. It had taken a bit of a
beating from the salty sea air, but remained intact despite all her
adventures. Had it meant nothing to him? Was it just a worthless
trinket that he had already forgotten about?

“Bad
news, I take it?”

Sunay
recoiled, the words reaching her ear coming from so close that her
initial instinct kicked in before she could recognize the voice and
stop herself from striking Ahmin square in the nose. “Coders!
Don't do
that!”
she snarled, then hiccuped as she tried to regain control of her
lungs.

“I
apologize if this seems incredibly callous, but I do need your help
on matters that are exceptionally time sensitive,” he said,
cutting straight to business. “Can we talk on the way back to
the ship?”

The
foxgirl forced aside her bubbling, and nodded, accepting Ahmin's hand
to help her to her feet. If there was business to be done, and it
had to be important if Ahmin was interrupting her leave for it, then
Sunay needed to get her wits together quick.

Ahmin
led her to a rear exit of the guild hall on the southeast side.
“So... what was
that
all about, if I may ask?” he asked as he pushed open the door
and held it open for Sunay to step through.

“I
got information... about Laron,” she said.

“Oh
no...”

Sunay
shook her head. “It's not like that... it's actually pretty
silly that I'm getting so worked up about it. He and his family are
alive and reasonably well. He's just... he's moved on.”

Ahmin
closed his eyes. “That's not much consolation to you, is it?
Why shouldn't you be saddened?”

“That's
not selfish?”

“It's
only selfish if you wish him to feel as badly as you do.”

She
knew that was supposed to make her feel better. It didn't, but she
appreciated the attempt. “Alright, enough about my whimpering.
What is the important business?”

“We'll
save that for when we're on the ship. There are too many loose eyes
and ears in this city for me to be comfortable discussing sensitive
matters.”

Sunay
understood that, and so kept up the small talk even though she didn't
want to. “Laron and I got real close real quick. Maybe too
quick, I guess,” she said, dangling the earring in her right
hand. “He gave me this... just before we were gonna run off
together. I barely knew him three months, and was ready to run to a
foreign land. Stupid, huh?”

“Desperate
times lead to desperate measures, and for chimeras in Avalon, these
are rather desperate times. Perhaps it was reckless and ill-advised,
but it worked out for the best, right? Sometimes... that's the
comfort you have to take when there isn't really a right
decision.”

“I
guess...” she said. “And if I tell myself that enough, I
might just believe it.”

“That's
the spirit!” Ahmin said.

They
shared a short laugh, and Sunay allowed herself to be entranced by
the sight as she went down the boardwalk back to the docks. It
really was beautiful, seeing the early evening sun reflecting off the
water and the cliffs behind them and casting a rainbow of colors
across the treated wooden planks of the boardwalk.

She
wouldn't trade her time with the Gold Pirates for anything. A quiet
life in the Free Provinces or Aramathea wasn't for her. Not yet.
Maybe not ever. Maybe Ahmin was
right,
and that it all worked out as well as it possibly could have.

“That
earring looks good on you,” Ahmin said casually.

Sunay
had been torn with just throwing it aside, but hadn't been able to
work up the nerve, and the admiral must have noticed that. “Ya
think so?”

“Shame
to just throw it away. Even if the promise has faded, the memories
haven't.”

Deciding
to accept Ahmin's advice, the foxgirl clipped the jewelry back on her
ear. “Very well. I trust yer judgment.”

Ahmin
picked up his pace as they hit the dock, forcing Sunay to have to
occasionally jog to keep up as he made a beeline through the crowd
towards the Goldbeard.
Juno greeted them with a wave and a smile as they went up the
gangplank. “Yer not supposed to be back! Does that mean I get
a break?”

“Afraid
not, Juno. I need to discuss some business with Sunay then we're
heading right back out. Don't worry, Jacques will be back by dusk so
you can enjoy the nightlife.”

“Yay!”
the spidergirl chirped.

Ahmin
chuckled as he ducked into stairwell. “You would not think she
could be the most cold-blooded killer on this entire boat.”

Sunay
agreed. “I sometimes forget that, and I've slept below her for
almost a year.”

The
humor dried up the moment Ahmin closed the door to his cabin. He sat
down onto his bed, hands folded in front of his face. “This is
the deal, Sunay. Our leak in the organization is at work in Grand
Aramathea.”

“I
thought that was settled,” Sunay replied.

“Yes,
that's what I thought too. Then I learned it's because the
Administrator in Grand Aramathea took assumptions that I am rather
displeased with, but feel inclined to pass on.”

Now
Sunay wondered what that had to do with her. Before she could ask,
Ahmin answered for her.

“You
made a bit of a name for yourself on Sacili, both among the Gold
Pirates and
with
whoever our leak is. Your description is floating around Grand
Aramathea, though the Phalanx so far haven't been showing much
interest, and there are a number of potential suspects as to who
could have done it. The Administrator for The Imperial Aramathea
wants you
to
serve as bait to lure our leak out... hence his assumption,
considering he didn't clear any of this with me, and least of all
you.”

Ahmin
was not
happy
about this, and it showed as he dropped his hands and clenched his
fists. “Courtesy tells me to pass that along, but I also wish
to impress upon you that you are not
his
asset. You are under my
authority,
and if you do not wish to do this, I will be more than happy to tell
my colleague in just what orifice he can insert the nearest
candlestick.”

Sunay
took a deep breath, because she really didn't
like
people speaking for her, but... “The alternative is to go back
out into sea with minimal contact with the shore, isn't it?”

Ahmin
cringed as he admitted, “Yes.”

“Then
I'll do it. I ain't gonna like it, but I'll do it.”

The
large pirate sighed in relief. “I appreciate your assistance,
although I'll admit I would have been content telling the
Administrator very specific ways he could fornicate with himself.”

Sunay
shrugged. “Just remind him on occasion that he needed the Fleet
to plug his own leak.”

Ahmin's
eyes lit up. “Oh, that's brilliant. At any rate, here...”

The
foxgirl's ears flattened when Ahmin reached into the metal cabinet,
and handed her a telepathy stone. “Ugh, I hate
these...”

“I
know, but we need to be able to remain in contact with you. We'll be
backtracking through the connections, because we're reasonably
certain there is a chain of informants going on here, and so you are
likely going to have to keep whoever approaches you busy while we do
that. The longer our leak's eyes are on you, the better.

“We've
let word slip that you'll be spending at least part of the night at
The Grue, a tavern in the Northwest of the Foreign Quarter. Our plan
is to see who approaches you, and if they are connected to one of the
suspects our agents on shore have compiled. They believe once they
are able to make that connection, that the network will unravel from
there.”

Sunay
grunted in response. “Unless that someone turns out to be a
whole unit of Phalanx that levels the entire bar.”

“That
is highly
unlikely,”
Ahmin replied. “As I mentioned, the Phalanx in the city
haven't shown much interest in the information, which suggests the
leak is someone outside that chain of command. But the leaks have
been showing specific interest in you, however, and might be willing
to approach you if you make yourself accessible. No, I'm not sure
why they believe that.”

He
paused for a moment in thought, then added, “Though it is
possible
whoever it is has earned some points with the Phalanx by correctly
predicting the attack on Sacili...”

She
was already regretting agreeing to this plan.

~
~ ~ ~ ~

Her
mood didn't improve as the scheme churned into action either.

It
wasn't the tavern's fault. It was actually a pretty nice
establishment, if plain. She had certainly experienced worse places.

The
beer wasn't particularly great, but she had come to expect that. In
addition to her improving alcohol tolerance, Aramathean brews were
notoriously weak. It was a shame because she would have liked
to
have a good buzz going by now, but that wasn't so much the problem,
either.

Sunay
discovered she really
didn't
like the landlubber operations of the Gold Pirates. Their secretive
nature lent itself to scenarios such as these, it would seem... where
someone,
at some
time,
was going to do something
about
her. It was possible that this someone (or someones)
wasn't even going to make their move here.

Coders,
she didn't even know who her
people
were in all this.

She
was used to the Goldbeard,
where she knew everyone by name. Right now, she felt completely
alone, even if Ahmin's voice occasionally rung in her ear. She
didn't like this feeling at all.

It
might not hurt if you looked more approachable. Right now you look
like you're about to bite the first person who enters your range.

At
least the admiral was close enough to be watching, though she
couldn't figure out how. Ahmin rather stood out.

Well,
that's good, because that's exactly how I feel,
she replied.

Then
try not to. You won't get the chance to bite anyone if you don't let
them get close enough.

Sunay
growled silently, but nonetheless perked up her ears and straightened
her back. While she doubted anyone who had ill intent for her would
be dissuaded by her posture, she supposed it didn't hurt to play the
game how her shadowy leaders wanted it.

The
bartender dropped another glass in front of her, and she fought back
the urge to regard it distastefully. It took her a moment to get
over the sight of the distressingly weak pale amber liquid before she
realized she didn't order this.

“Oi!”
the foxgirl hissed, pointing down at the small glass. “This
ain't mine.”

“The
man in the corner table over there bought it for you,” the
bartender answered, pointing to the southwest, where a solitary man
commanded a small booth by the glass window that looked out to the
main road. He stood directly under a series of candles, which cast
him in surprisingly clear lighting considering the time of day,
allowing Sunay a very good look at him.

He
was a remarkably unassuming fellow, brown canvas trousers, with a
similarly colored long sleeve shirt and vest. His features were of a
typical Aramathean male, soft, olive-skinned, brown eyes and dark
brown hair, with nothing particularly unique, no scars, tattoos, or
anything else.

Everything
about him said “perfectly average,” which perhaps
ironically was what made him so very suspicious.

She
was already sliding out of her stool as Ahmin ordered, Go
to him. She
took the drink he purchased, and with slow deliberate steps crossed
the lobby floor, weaving through people and tables, finally locking
eyes with her quarry as she
was
within feet of the booth.

The
foxgirl sat at the empty seat across from him. From this distance,
she could smell his nervousness despite his face remaining calm. “I
do apologize if I startled you, miss, but I rarely see such exotic
beauties around here,” he said candidly. It was very easy to
sound creepy while trying to be friendly to strangers; that he didn't
immediately set off alarms in Sunay's head told her it was either
genuine or carefully practiced.

And
this situation didn't particularly lend itself towards genuine.

“Grand
Aramathea is the meeting point of all the world's cultures,”
Sunay replied coyly. “I think you speak false.”

“Foxes
are rare in the empire,” he answered. “Ever rarer to see
them blessed upon a lady.”

Sunay's
eyes narrowed playfully. “I think I'm going to need your name
before I go too much further into this game.”

The
man sounded genuinely contrite, even to her ears. “Oh
goodness, here I am trying to be charming, and I forget the most
common part of decency. I'm Cassus, a mere scribe, which is probably
why I don't think much of my name and profession.”

Got
it, Ahmin's
voice said. Checks
out, scribe for the Imperial Library, journalist for the Aramathean
Journal... and not
one of the names on our lists of suspects.

Sunay
maintained her smile and eye contact even as she mentally asked, Want
me to bail out?

No.
It just means we need to expand our list. Might take time, so keep
him busy.

Sunay
broadened her smile and internally screamed. How she longed for the
fleet business that went precisely as it was supposed to.

I
have ears, woman, Ahmin
snarled.

Now
the smile was genuine. It hadn't been her intent for that mental
howl to be something Ahmin heard, but that he did was a nice bonus.
She turned her focus back to Cassus. “Sunay. It's a pleasure.”

“I
know, in fact,” he said, an admission that even startled Ahmin,
judging from the curious humm in Sunay's ear. It was definitely an
odd turn in this supposed game to reveal something of that nature so
quickly. “Your name and description have been floating around
the Aramathean Journal. I was curious to see what the interest was
about. Now I do.”

She
leaned forward, dropping her elbows on the table, and resting her
chin on her hands. Sunay wasn't normally one to call attention to
her... assets... but knew how to do so if needed, and certainly fully
intended for the neckline of her shift to drop and reveal a hint of
cleavage. “Oh, and what do they say about me?”

Good,
keep him talking, Ahmin
said. We
might just have an angle here even if he isn't one of our suspects.

“Nothing
specific. Just whispers among my colleagues of a foxgirl named Sunay
arriving in Grand Aramathea for ears not meant to be mine. I was
curious about what all the talk was about. Now I know.”

Sunay
suspected Cassus's fellows were chatting about the events on Sacili
rather than her stunning visage. Chimeras rarely got that sort of
attention, even if they were strikingly beautiful. And while Sunay
didn't think she was at all ugly, she also knew bards weren't going
to be composing sonatas about her freckled face, either.

“You
might not hear this much, but I
find
chimeras enchanting.”

“Yer
right, I don't.” Only... only... from someone who has since
moved on.

“Then
it is a loss for the rest of the world,” Cassus said, reaching
over to touch her arm. “Though in the spirit of fairness, I am
a
scribe by trade, and I am just as fascinated to learn what makes you
so interesting to my colleagues, because I do not think they share my
tastes.”

Play
along for now, Ahmin
advised. We're
trying to match members of the Journal with any of our suspects.
Just string this as long as you can. The longer they think we're
prying into this clown, the longer they'll think we're completely off
track. We might be able to catch them with their guard down.

“Well,
all I can say is that I can't imagine why they would know me or why
they would find me so interesting. I'm just a mercenary sailor,
sailing with a shipping crew from the Free Provinces. There was some
drama about my heritage in Avalon, but I doubt that would be what
caught their ear.”

“It's
caught mine... among other things.”

Sunay
had to fight from rolling her eyes, even though he wasn't lying.
Humans, just like every other animal, had a musk, a scent that
distinctly betrayed arousal. It wasn't quite as strong
as
a wolf or a fox, to be sure, but it was there, and even a normal
human's nose could pick up on it, though unconsciously.

“Well,
if ya must
hear
about my misadventures in my homeland, I suppose I can entertain ya.”
It was an innocuous enough of a topic, really, certainly nothing
that would jeopardize Gold Pirate activities, and would no doubt keep
this fellow's ear.

“Perhaps
we can entertain each other somewhere a little more... private?
And... higher class?” Cassus offered. “No offense to the
clientele at this establishment, but it really isn't suitable for
more than a cheap drink.”

Just
how far am I supposed to “entertain” this boy? Sunay
queried.

Entirely
up to you. Apparently there are agents running about checking every
connection under the sun. If it gets too much for you and they
aren't done, that's their problem as far as I'm concerned.

She
knew she was probably going to regret this. She knew she was
probably only going further with this scheme because she wanted to
“get back” at Laron for “betraying” her. But
why not? She wasn't a matron. She had no intention of being one
either, and Cassus was hardly ugly. Tell
them they'll have all
the
time they need.

“Why,
that sounds like a great idea, Mister Cassus,” Sunay finally
said with a smile and a purr. He stood, offered her his arm, and
when she took it, led her out into the night streets of Grand
Aramathea.

He
stuck to the well lit roads, no doubt out of habit, though with her
it probably wouldn't have mattered. He also wasn't kidding about
“someplace higher class” either, as he made a path
towards the arch that separated the Foreign from the Higher Quarter.

There
wasn't a single building under two stories in the Higher Quarter as
far as she could tell. And she also doubted more than one family
lived in any of them. They were also of quality manufacture, with
brilliant white stone and fire-hardened clay shingles on their roofs.
The streets were impeccable, smooth gray cobblestone with nary even
a lose pebble or piece of litter.

“It's
amazing that for a city that prides itself on a melding of cultures
that it can be so damn uniform,” Sunay noted.

“That's
the Higher Quarter for you. As a rule, my fellows look on the
foreign elements with disdain, even as we reap the benefits of the
trade it brings,” Cassus replied.

“You're
one of these
people,
eh?”

Cassus
shook his head, “In name, I suppose. My brother embraces the
Higher Citizen life more than I do. Though I suppose I can't hate it
too much, all things considered.”

Said
home looked like all the others on the surface, three floors of
immaculate craftsmanship with an astonishingly spacious lawn of
neatly trimmed grass considering they were in the middle of the
largest city left in the world. It wasn't the largest home in the
quarter, or even on the block, but it likely had more value than
every room she had ever slept in combined.

“It's
not much comparatively, but a lot more than most everyone else has.
Come on in.”

Cassus
pushed open the maple wood door, polished with a glossy finish that
glimmered in the dim candlelight from the road. Inside was marble
floors, brown wool throw rugs, obviously expensive oil paintings in
gold leaf frames, and in the living room three white leather lounging
couches with plush cotton pillows of the same color that flanked a
covered fire pit.

He
escorted Sunay to one of the couches, and held up one finger to ask
her to wait. “I'll be right back.”

The
foxgirl snuggled into the cushions and pillows, figuring she might as
well live it up while she can. She probably wasn't going to feel
comfort like this ever again. Cassus returned with a dark tinted
bottle filled with what she guessed was a red liquid. “A
Reahtan Red, my family would probably disown me for the sacrilege,
but the look on your face when presented with our drinks suggested
you wanted something with a bit more bite.”

“Observant
and
civilized?
I am likin' this,” Sunay said in approval as he set a narrow
necked glass down at the glass table in front of her and poured her a
liberal portion of the wine in question. It was a tart grape almost
entirely covered up by an alcoholic sting. “Mmm... distilled,
I see. The Reahtans know how to make a good wine.”

“And
the Avalonians good women,” Cassus said as he took a seat
across from her.

Sunay
snorted, “Not much of a charmer, but at least yer tryin'.”
She then gave her surroundings an exaggerated look around, and said,
“Wonderful place. I feel awfully underdressed for such a fine
establishment in these tattered ol' rags o' mine.”

Cassus
would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb to not get the hint.
Fortunately, he was neither, though he played along. “I could
see if I have something that would fit you, though between my brother
and I, we don't exactly have clothes that would be proper for a
lady,” he said, then paused before adding, “At least, not
since that time our grandmother walked in on my brother playing
dress-up. That was an awkward time.”

Sunay
grinned predatorily as she stood, crossing the distance as she pulled
her shirt over her head and dropped it to the floor, hands working
behind her to untie the wrap over her chest. “Well, I hope
this won't be awkward. I'd hate to have to wasted your time while I
still have so many stories to tell.”

“There
will be plenty of time for tales of foreign lands later,”
Cassus declared, standing to meet Sunay as she rounded the table,
wrapping his arms around her back as the wrap fell off her body.

And
then the door was nearly kicked straight off its hinges, and five
Phalanx burst through, led by a man that Cassus clearly knew, if the
family resemblance hadn't been enough to tip her off.

Cassus
pushed Sunay away and she scrambled for her shirt as the pair was
surrounded. “Damn it, Daneid, we were over this. I get her to
tell me the code, then
you
burst in to arrest her.”

“What?
What code, you...” Sunay began, before a spear head pointed
between her eyes, courtesy of Daneid.

“Plans
change, brother. Your pithy conspiracy theories can wait.”

The
soldier's eyes widened when he finally got a good look at Sunay,
fixating on her bandana. “Void take it...” he then
glared at his brother, and gestured to Sunay with his spear. “Get
her shirt on and take her away,” he ordered his men. “We
have no more than twenty-four hours with this woman, and I don't want
to waste a second of it.”

11. Chapter
Eleven: Moving Up

Gold
Pirates had three rules for when they were apprehended by law
enforcement.

1)
Shut up, and don't say or do anything.

2)
You won't be there long.

3)
If there are any questions, refer to Rule #1.

It
also meant that she had the most boring night in the history of the
world. Every two hours, Lieutenant Daneid would approach her cell,
demand answers to his questions, then stomp away furious when she
refused to answer them. By the third time, she started messing with
him, and she had every intention of continuing to do so when he
showed up a fourth time.

“Listen,
boy, if yer jealous, I'd be more than willing to give ya what I was
about to give yer brother,” she said, leaning back against the
rough brick of her cell in the First Phalanx prison in the Lower
Quarter, because of course, the Higher Quarter wouldn't be saddled
with something like a jail. That would harm property values. “You
don't have to keep visitin' me and playin' coy.”

Daneid
was a true Phalanx officer, he refused to be shoved off course no
matter what Sunay said or did. “I demand to know what your
next target is.”

Gold
Pirate crews didn't even know their next port
for
precisely this reason. But even if she did know, she certainly
wasn't going to tell this golden boy. This was a dance they had done
enough times, she'd think he'd be tired of it by now, “Again, I
don't know what yer talkin' about.”

“Like
the pits you don't,” Daneid snarled. “I had friends on
Sacili. And I know you were there.”

“You
don't know nuthin'.”

“Some
of those friends are dead.”

“Damn
shame.” If he was expecting Sunay to be sad about some mooks
getting killed, he had another thing coming.

“I
have friends from since we were children stationed all over the
empire,” Daneid continued, “and I will do anything I can
to help preserve their lives if I can.” Turning to the guard
at the cell, he ordered, “Open it.”

This
was
a deviation from the normal routine. Daneid stepped inside, and
Sunay stepped up to meet him. Physically, it was a bit of a
mismatch, he had her by a good five inches in both height and width.

“I
have little patience for your games. You will
tell
me what your crew's next target is.”

Sunay
snarled, “And I'm tellin' ya I don't...”

At
that point, Daneid's face contorted in rage, and he shoved Sunay
against the wall, causing the back of her head to bounce painfully
off the brick. While stars swam through her eyes, Daneid pulled her
off the ground and threw her back onto the cot in her cell. “I
don't want to hear any more of your lies!”

He
lorded over the foxgirl, who curled up defensively even as she
remained defiant. “Helena, Baccari, Valus... you don't know
those names, I do. All three will never be coming home because of
you and your pirates.”

“And
smackin' me around ain't gonna send them home, either,” she
spat angrily and her reward for that remark was getting picked up and
thrown across the cell like a rag doll.

She
anticipated something of the sort however, going limp this time and
tucking her head forward. So when Daneid approached this time, she
was anything but dazed, pouncing forward and taking him off guard.
As a result, Daneid was caught mid-stride, losing his balance and his
neck caught the edge of the cot.

The
Phalanx officer howled in pain, and crumpled, but before Sunay could
take any advantage, she was thrown off Daneid and tackled to the
stone floor with a blade pressing against the back of her neck.
Daneid shoved them away and grabbed Sunay under her shoulders, picked
her up, and pinned her against the wall with her hands behind her
back.

With
guards as backup, Sunay wasn't going to be able to put up much of a
fight. She really shouldn't have tried to begin with, and Ahmin
would no doubt give her an earful for it, but listening to that cad's
howl was worth it.

“I
have some powerful friends myself, pirate,” Daneid hissed.
“Maybe I'm willing to take my chances that my influence is a
bit stronger than yours.”

“You
would think wrong, Lieutenant.”

The
female voice that came from the open cell door was extremely certain
of that fact. Sunay couldn't see who that person was until Daneid
peeled away to address the woman in question. “General
Helena?”

A
female general? Sunay thought as she turned about. She wasn't the
typical Aramathean, with copper shoulder length hair and blue eyes
despite bronzed skin. She wasn't particularly all that feminine
either, with well toned muscles visible underneath the leather skirt.

“I'm
here to take custody over your prisoner and release her to her proper
authority. I figured you'd resist a messenger,” Helena
declared, her voice barely above a growl.

“But...
General...”

Helena's
eyes narrowed. “Lieutenant, I understand, which is why I'm not
demanding you lay down your spear right this instant. But our orders
are clear on this matter. The pirate comes with me. Miss Sunay? To
me. Move quickly.”

The
foxgirl sneered with a healthy display of teeth as she passed the
Lieutenant and to the general's side. Helena was even bigger up
close, a towering specimen that Sunay would have believed was a man
if not for the face and slight curve in the general's breastplate.

Helena
spun full about on her right heel, and said simply, “Follow.
Now.”

Sunay
fell in step, and tried to say, “Thank ya for...”

“I
want to release you less than the Lieutenant does,” Helena
snapped, turning her head to eye Sunay coldly, “but I'd rather
not be demoted by defying the Venerated Judge's order.”

Sunay
gulped as Helena's biceps visibly flexed. “U... understood.”

They
passed by the foreman's office, which surprised Sunay as she had
started to turn towards it to finalize the paperwork for her release.
After scrambling to catch up the general's long strides, she was
told, “You were never officially here, by order of the judge.
As a result, there's nothing for you to sign. That's how it works
with your kind, though I have no idea why. How did you not know
that?”

The
foxgirl shrugged indifferently, but otherwise said nothing. She
doubted Helena would believe the truth that Sunay had never been
arrested before anyway.

The
sun was up by the time she emerged outside the jail, blinking her
eyes repeatedly to try and adjust to the drastic shift in lighting.
Once successful, she couldn't decide to be happy or annoyed that only
Ahmin was waiting for her. On one hand, she was relieved to see what
she knew was a friendly face. On the other, it annoyed her that she
still had no idea exactly who she had been working with the entire
operation.

“Have
fun?” Ahmin asked, his voice teasing. “Ya know, we tell
our agents not
to
cause trouble while in custody for a reason.”

Sunay
huffed unrepentantly. If Ahmin was legitimately upset about her
scuffle, he wouldn't bring it up right now in public. “He
deserved it.”

His
only response was a quiet laugh.

“This
had better have been worth our trouble,” Sunay added with a
growl as she followed his silent gesture to his side.

“Not
as worth it as I would have hoped,” the admiral replied, taking
the road back towards the docks. “But better than our
colleagues expected, I am led to believe.”

Sunay
figured she might as well know the details. “How's that?”

“Your
friend Cassus wasn't tied to our leak, as we suspected. But he's
also not much of a journalist either, which is why the people who
were
leaking
Gold Pirate information didn't think much of him lingering about and
overhearing their information trade.”

“But
we found the agent responsible?”

Ahmin
nodded, “Eventually, yes... which is why it regrettably took so
long to get to you. It was actually one of the Administrator's top
assistants, and we wanted to make sure we had this person dead to
rights before we snapped the trap shut. I am sorry.”

“Not
yer fault,” Sunay replied. “Just glad we got the bastard
so that I can get some sleep.”

Ahmin
laughed, and the foxgirl allowed herself a tired smile. “Yeah,
let's get you back to the Goldbeard.”

But
Sunay had one last question once they were on the safety of the ship.
“Cassus mentioned something about a code. What was he
prattling about?” she asked, giving Bolin a nod in greeting
once they were on the deck.

Ahmin
went awkwardly silent, his eyes regarding Sunay warily, as if he
wasn't exactly sure how or even if
he
could answer that question. At the end of that long pause, he
finally said, “He was no doubt referring to the authentication
Administrators and their assistants use in order to communicate
amongst ourselves, though why he thought you would know it is beyond
my guess. Why
he
thought it could be of use to him is a bit more troubling... and
makes me think I need to make another contact with our agents on the
ground.”

Sunay
knew she was overstepping her bounds, but... “Can I ask why?”

Another
long pause, and gestured for Bolin to give them some space. When the
helmsman complied, the admiral lowered his voice. “It's
probably nothing, but it's a little too close together for it to be
mere coincidence. The administrators and their assistants have
specific relics that they use, relics that are unique to those people
and are supposed
to
be destroyed when they resign.”

Sunay
knew what “supposed” implied.

Ahmin
confirmed it. “However, we are discovering these supposedly
destroyed artifacts popping up. Fortunately, no one who has been
finding them has figured out what to do with them. I know one of
them popped up at a black market auction nearly a month ago, but that
it was sold before our agents could secure it.”

“You're
worried Cassus knew who bought it, and knew the code could be used to
access it.”

“It
would be the most devastating access not only to Gold Pirate
operations, but potentially to secrets of the world not meant for
mortal eyes.”

Sunay
groaned. “So where are we goin' now?”

Ahmin
shook his head. “It's not our problem. That's for our agents
on land to handle.”

“Well,
I'm inspired with confidence now.”

“Their
job can be a lot harder than ours, Sunay,” the admiral chided
before he added, “But I won't disagree with you on this one.”

Sunay
yawned again, and she decided that was as good of an indicator to
stop talking and find her way to her cot. “Alright, I'm gonna
go pass out now. That all right with you, sir?”

“Get
some shut eye, Sunay. I need you awake for tonight.”

That
caused the foxgirl to cock a tired eyebrow. “What for?”

Her
commanding officer's eyes glimmtered playfully. “It's a
surprise.”

Sunay's
eyes narrowed. “And this is supposed to help me sleep how?”

Ahmin
shrugged in response.

Knowing
she wasn't going to get anything more out of the admiral, Sunay
grumbled as she made her way below deck and to her cot. The foxgirl
hated surprises for the most part, and that anxiety would have under
normal circumstances kept her awake dreading what was coming. But
being awake for over twenty-four hours and all the adrenaline burned
during the events of said day overcame anything else, and she
collapsed face down onto her cot, asleep nary an instant after her
head dropped onto her pillow.

~
~ ~ ~ ~

It
was a dreamless sleep, or at least no dream she could remember. This
was a good thing, as far as she was concerned, having expected some
gloomy nightmare featuring Laron.

“Hey,
wake up! Come on now! Ya don't wanna be late!”

Juno
was a morning person. And
a
night person, as far as Sunay could tell.

“Ahhmmmup...”
Sunay grumbled, swatting in the general direction of the spidergirl's
voice as she pushed herself up to her elbows, rolled over, and used
her left hand to wipe crust out of her eyes. “What time is
it?”

“Five
hours past by local reckonin',” Juno replied. “We wanna
get to the Silver Doubloon within an hour.”

“Where's
that?” Sunay really didn't want to know, she really wanted
nothing more than another hour of sleep. “Wake me up in a half
hour.”

“It's
in the Lower Quarter, but I'm afraid I can't let ya. Everyone has to
come. Mandatory meetin' and all.”

“Then
who's gonna watch the ship?”

“The
admiral has it covered. Got the support of the local Phalanx. Guess
they're real
apologetic
about somethin'.”

Sunay
slid out of her cot, and straightened her clothes. “Probably
wants me in my best, eh?”

The
“best” clothes really didn't mean much on the Goldbeard.
It was the set of clothes the least beat up by the workday. It
meant canvas trousers that didn't have holes in the knees and a gray
shirt that only had two stains on the collar and no missing buttons.

“That
reminds me that we need to pick up some buttons for ya, huh?”
Juno quipped as the foxgirl put on said shirt. “You keep
poppin' them off, aren'tcha?”

Sunay
glared at the spidergirl. “My chest ain't that
big.”

Juno
grinned as Sunay then promptly sucked in a breath so that she could
fit the top two buttons into their respective slits, earning her
another warning glare.

“Not.
A. Word.”

Juno
made a zipping motion across her mouth, even as the cheeky grin
remained.

Sunay
stepped into her “best” shoes, glad for the excuse to
wear something without a completely worn sole, and grumpily walked
past Juno before stopping. “Yer the one who knows where we're
goin', right?”

“Yep!”
the spidergirl replied. “I was wondering why you were takin'
the lead!”

Sunay
took one step to her left. “Then hurry up so we can get this
over with and I can go back to sleep.”

The
walk roused the foxgirl though, helped by the slight tint of
surprisingly cool air coming from the north once they had scaled the
boardwalk and onto the cliff top. The sun was starting its shift to
amber and giving the surroundings a stunning orange glow on the
mostly pale stucco buildings.

If
she didn't know better, she would have thought such a sight was why
denizens of the Lower Quarter didn't paint their homes.

“It
is
pretty,
isn't it?” Juno asked, though with a tone that didn't expect an
answer. “Almost reminds me of my
home,
though without the crazy cultists and bloody sacrificial rituals.”

Juno
rarely talked about her early years outside of what she had to, so
Sunay seized the opportunity. “How so?”

“The
cave that I was hidden in faced out to the Eastern Forever Sea.
Every morning, the sun would cast this same golden glow into the
cave's interior. I was afraid of it at first, until... until the
Admiral and his crew pulled me out of there.”

“Did
he ever tell you why?”

Juno
shook her head, “Nope. Just that I was Chosen, and had been
from a very young age. I wasn't gonna be any herald of murder, I was
gonna be myself.”

“With
his crew.”

Juno
turned to face Sunay, the spidergirl squinting in the light. “I
couldn't explain it, but it felt right, ya know?”

Sunay
understood that. “Yeah, I suppose it did.”

“Just
like it felt right for ya when ya took charge, right?”

The
foxgirl cringed. She had been a fool to think that little event had
gone without any pushback. Of course
she'd
have issues with that authority usurped by the new girl.

Juno
sensed that reaction, and immediately sighed. “Oh, come off it.
If I had a problem with ya takin' that
little
ceremony, I'd have said so then and there, and ya know it. It was an
honest question. Don't need to be shy.”

That
didn't really help Sunay's nerves any, but she answered as honestly
as she could. “Well... no one seemed to have a problem with it,
did they?”

“Nope,”
Juno confirmed.

“I
guess it... felt... right, I guess?”

The
spidergirl shook her head in dismay. “You really
can't
be afraid of stepping on my toes in the future, girl.”

That
statement was just enough to make Sunay suspicious. “And what
is that
supposed
to mean, huh?”

Juno
grinned broadly, and replied, “Nothin'.”

Sunay's
eyes narrowed. Juno knew something. “Let me guess, I'm pretty
much the only one that doesn't know what this 'surprise' is about.”

“Nah.
No one's told me nothin,” the spidergirl said. “I just
know the people involved a good long time. I know the score by now.”

“But
yer not gonna tell me, are ya?”

“Nope!
I wanna see the look on yer face!”

Sunay
glowered the rest of the way to the Silver Doubloon, which looked
every bit of the wretched dive of a tavern as its name would imply.
It was exactly
the
sort of place you'd expect a group of pirates to assemble for a night
of cheap drinking.

It
was a sore thumb, even in terms of the hovel it resided in: Avalonian
in design with weathered gray wood rather than clay, with many of the
planks showing signs of neglect, either through rot or coming loose
from the frame. The interior didn't strike her as any more
impressive. It was well lit, thanks to the torches
lining
the walls, but that only allowed her to clearly see the poor
condition of the bare floorboards and unstained furnishings.

But
it was likely the only place that would let the lot of them in while
being
able to seat all
of them.

“Ah!
There they are!” Ahmin declared jovially from his position
directly in front of the bar. He held up his mug with his right
hand, and gestured to the table directly before him with his right.
“Take a seat, ladies. The night is young, and I think we all
got some drinking we want to do!”

A
loud cheer followed that statement. “So, does that mean we can
finally start?” a question rose from one of the rowing crew in
the northeast corner.

Ahmin
laughed, a rare sound for the crew to hear. “Yes. It does,”
he said, taking a long pull from his mug to accentuate the point.

At
least the beer wasn't awful,
thank the Coders for Avalonian brews making it to the First Capital.
It was fortunate too, because being suitably buzzed helped Sunay get
through what happened next without a total panic.

An
hour into the celebration, Jacques stood, barking out to get
everyone's attention. “Thank you,” he said once he had
received what he sought, the crew going quiet and turning their heads
towards the first mate. “I'm sure many of you have figured out
that we normally don't have these sort of gatherings, and that
something must be up. Well, you're right.”

Even
with Jacques's smile, everything else about his expression and body
language looked sad. “I hadn't been planning on doing this for
a couple of years yet, but... my family is in some tough times. My
father recently passed away, and... I'm needed back home.”

Sunay's
jaw dropped, reflecting the surprise of the rest of the crew save for
the small handful of people at her table. Ahmin stood to clap a
comforting hand on Jacques shoulder, and Juno patted his thigh as she
held her head down. Bolin and Balco raised their glasses up in
respect before setting them back down, their eyes also downcast.

The
first mate looked down into his mostly empty glass. “I haven't
been home in a long
time.
Coders, my brother and his wife have gone and raised a niece I've
never even met. I want to change that. I need to go home. I've
done my time and have had my adventures.”

“And
where is that,
before you disappear for the last time?” Juno said in
exasperation.

“Oh,
nowhere you've ever heard of,” Jacques said, “but I
suppose it doesn't do any harm to tell ya all at this point. I come
from a little ball of mud called Bakkra. It's literally nothing but
a slab of dirt where we farm potatoes and occasionally find precious
gems settling in the nearby rivers. Live there for twenty some
years, and you'll come to realize why a life on the seas seems
appealing.”

He
ran his hand through his hair, plucking one gray strand. “But
the years are getting' on, and I'm not immortal. Sacili told me that
in every muscle in my body for three days after. Add it to
everything else... and yeah, it's time. Time to be a responsible,
boring old man.”

“Get
your rest and peace,” Ahmin said. “You've earned it. At
least... starting tomorrow. Tonight, you've still got some partying
to do!”

A
loud cheer accompanied that statement, followed by an off-key mess of
a song that Sunay had overheard the rowing team singing.

When
the storms howl,

And
bring me down to my knees,

All
I long for, and desire,

Is
fair winds and following seas.

And
in long days,

And
ages since I've seen trees.

All
I long for, and desire,

Is
fair winds and following seas.

When
the sails end,

And
it's time to take my last leave,

I
am glad for, and remember,

The
fair winds and following seas.

Jacques
tipped an imaginary cap in the direction of the singers, wiping away
the beginning of tears in his eyes, then sitting down before he
embarrassed himself further, disappearing into his mug and
occasionally lifting his head to acknowledge thanks and well wishes
from the crew.

It
was yet another round before Sunay finally had the guts to speak up,
elbowing Juno and teasing, “Well congratulations, you.”

Juno
seemed earnestly confused. “For what?”

Sunay
pointed lazily towards Jacques, “Well, with the first mate
leaving, someone has to take over. Isn't that why you've been
teachin' me the rigging?”

Everyone
else at the table started chuckling, and Juno's eyebrow raised.
“Uh... no. Hasn't Bolin been teaching you how to man the
helm?”

Sunay's
eyes narrowed to dots. “Oh my... Admiral, you can't possibly
be thinkin' of... I mean, I can turn the wheel well enough and all,
but Bolin's...”

The
chuckles turned into chortles, Bolin having to calm himself between
snorts to say, “Goodness no, girl. Balco also was pointin' out
tricks o' the trade in the crow's nest, and you were down in the deep
with Gurgn, but no one expects you to be a lookout or row!”

Jacques
grinned playfully, and said to Ahmin, “You honestly didn't tell
her?”

The
admiral grinned underneath his mask. “I wanted to see the look
on her face. I would have thought learning how to do your job would
have been enough of a clue.”

Sunay
finally put it together. “M... me?”

Ahmin
nodded. “We were
going
to wait a couple more years before handing the duties off to someone
so young, but Jacques and I think you're ready for the task, and
there's no sense keeping him with all the issues back at his home.”

“But...
there's... Juno... and pits, everyone
ahead
of me in the pecking order!”

“And
yet you were the one chosen for the role,” Ahmin said. “Had
been from the moment you signed on.”

“Chosen?
By who?”

“The
Administrators of the Gold Pirates, with my blessing. How they
knew... I couldn't say.”

Juno
poked Sunay back. “We
all
knew it from the get go, but Sacili was no doubt what sold the brass.
What told 'em you were ready. You took that mission by the horns
there, girl.”

“And
you're okay with this?” the foxgirl asked.

Jacques
snorted. “After a bit of this job, I think you'll discover
exactly
why
she's okay with it. The first mate has to be a bit of a jack of all
trades. The day to day dealings of the boat is on your head. It's
not easy, and it's not always fun.”

He
and Ahmin locked eyes, and the first mate cracked a smile. “But
it's worth it when everything goes right, and you find yourself with
the right people.”

“I
suppose it's presumptuous to assume before I ask,” Ahmin said.
“So I ask you, do you accept the role as my first mate?”

“Well,
I guess I gotta, huh?” the foxgirl said, leaning back in her
chair and trying to look confident, even as inside she felt anything
but. “Can't disappoint ya now.”

~
~ ~ ~ ~

It
didn't get much better that following morning, and that wasn't the
hangover speaking either. Things weren't going to be the same. It
was going to be weird not seeing Jacques's stable, constant, reliable
presence on the deck. It was even weirder that the crew would now be
looking to her.

Sunay
no longer had a cot, and it certainly wasn't bunked with Juno above
her. It wasn't much better,
she wasn't used to sleeping in a hammock, but she figured she'd get
used to it in time. One thing she didn't want to do was disrupt the
ship further because she wanted a freakin' cot.

Her
cabin wasn't large, maybe ten feet square if she was being generous,
but she really had no room to complain considering she had a cabin.
She also had a desk with a stack of paper on it, a small chalkboard
and chalk that still carried some of Jacques's handwriting at the top
where they had been working out the duty rosters together.

The
foxgirl decided to leave that handwriting. If it faded with time to
become just a memory, so be it, but she wasn't going to be the one to
erase it. She couldn't, either literally or figuratively. It
wouldn't be right.

Meanwhile,
there wasn't much on the docket for today. The crew was still
recovering from their night of partying, and even Ahmin was giving
them the day to relax and recharge. Shore leave was over, so they
had to be on board, but not much else needed doing.

Sunay
dressed, again sucking in her breath to get the damn shirt on. One
of the things that was coming in today's supply were some new clothes
for her, and she hoped that they didn't get bumped for higher
priority supplies. Because this was getting ridiculous.

The
foxgirl stepped out of her cabin, quietly closing the door behind
her. She was on the aft side of the second deck, across from where
the upper half of Ahmin's cabin was situated, with a long line of
crew cots ahead of her, half of them filled with sleeping crewmates.
She didn't want to wake them... not yet. No reason to, after all.

Tiptoeing
past, even though she probably could have lit one of Joffe's candles
and not roused them, she made it to the stairwell, taking the short
rise up to the main deck and the Aramathean morning, bright and
colorful from the southern sun and the diamond cliffs.

“Ahoy!
First on the deck!”

Sunay
barely tilted her head up as Juno dropped down from the aft mast
rigging, swinging from a loose rope. “Just playin' with some
ideas for the rigging that Joffe scribbled down a while back,”
she said. “Figure it can't hurt to see if they actually work
while we're sittin' here doin' nothin', right?”

“Right,”
Sunay replied distractedly, moving to the starboard railing, but
looking out to sea rather than the cliffs.

Juno
followed, putting a friendly arm around the foxgirl's shoulders.
“Yer ready for this, ya know that, right?”

Sunay
nodded. She wasn't sure how or why she felt that way, but she could
honestly say with confidence, “Yeah, I know I am. I jus' need
to believe it now.”

To
Be Continued...

Other
works by Thomas Knapp

The
Broken Prophecy

The
Sixth Prophet

The
Tower of Kartage

For
more information, visit http://www.tkocreations.com

Other
works by Fred Gallagher

MegaTokyo:
Volumes 1-3

MegaTokyo
Omnibus Vol. 1

Available
from Dark Horse Comics

MegaTokyo:
Volumes 4-6

Available
from DC Comics

For
more information, visit http://www.megatokyo.comHYPERLINK
"HYPERLINK"
or http://www.megagear.com