Chapter 37 - First Conquest

  “Tattered sails with Tarmia's red hand. Three shoddy ballistae —one on the left and two on the right. They cannot beat us,” Aki said.

  Eksa's palms bled sweat onto the handles of the helm. The pounding in her chest grew strong until she felt it at the base of her throat. Anticipation for a potential conflict, and the possibility of failure raised her anxiety to a peak that she was all too familiar with.

  The Tarmian ship, Martyr's Breath, had slowed considerably once The Scarlet Reaver's intent was made apparent to them. Eksa began formulating a plan. Aki was the only veteran fighter on her boat. The rest were a ragtag group whose skills in combat Eksa did not know. It was pathetic for a navy and an oversight on her part. Dhorjun had offered to pay for slaves and mercenaries, but there was no way for Eksa to vet anyone recruited from those mediums. No use lamenting now. Can't rely on Viper or Jack's abilities either without exposing them. Eksa began chewing on the skin of her lower lip. She touched the hilt of her father's cutlass, hoping for even a sliver of confidence, but found nothing.

  Aki held out her small flask again. “You seem on the edge of panic, little snake.”

  Eksa grabbed the flask and brought it to her mouth. It stung the moment it touched where she'd been chewing. She pulled the flask away before she'd taken a sip. Drinking was wrong. Not because Aaron said so. But because it would be replacing the thought of Mikael with a drink. What would father do?

  “Captain?” Aki asked, voice lined with a noxious edge of sarcasm.

  Captain. How Eksa had longed to be called that. Now that she was here, she found the burdens of one too heavy to bear. Perhaps that mockery in Aki's tone was deserved. But she was here and she had a duty. Every decision was hers to make and own. Everyone aboard was her responsibility. “They know they can't outrun us with sails like those,” Eksa began. “Nor can they sink us with their weapons. We saddle up beside them and inspect their goods to see if they have the stolen fish.”

  Aki's expression twisted to disappointment. “Are you mad? They've twice the hands on board than us. We should fire immediately to threaten sinking them. They'll have no choice but to jump ship and we can tow the remains back to Eurale.”

  “We can't fire immediately! We need to know if they're the thieves or not!”

  “Girl, in my years of experience, a boat doesn't look like that and not have scum aboard.”

  Eksa could feel her heart pounding. She had the urge to shove the barkeep away. “To Ashes with your experience!” she seethed. “And it's Captain Eksa, not girl! Know your place, Aki. I'll not condone violence and death if it's not a necessity. Dhorjun gave me this ship and demanded results. I'll get them my own way. My decisions are final!”

  Aki glared for a hard moment. She spat then shrugged. “Fine. You've guts enough to stand up to me, but will that hold when they board us —and mark my words, they will if we show even an ounce of weakness.”

  “We will send a few to inspect while the rest remain here, ready to fire the ballistae.” Eksa spied through her glass to get a glimpse of the enemy's number. They had a bit more than double her own. Fear made her rethink her decisions, but pride stayed her hand from agreeing with Aki after that exchange.

  The barkeep crossed her arms. “Right, so your grand plan is to further reduce our numbers by sending in a few to be at their mercy, while a bridge is set between our two ships that anyone can cross?”

  “I hope you're not afraid, Aki. Those seem nothing more than ordinary sailors. Most of them aren't even wearing a shirt.” They were all armed but were spindly like how Jackrin sort of looked a few cycles ago. As if they were men driven to scourging by poor living conditions.

  “Girl—”

  “Captain,” Eksa growled.

  “Captain, you will recall what it is I mentioned about crossing the line and projecting your own insecurities? I can handle them, but you'll be the one to answer Dhorjun when he asks why many good men of our own were lost. Unless we lose too many and can't even man the ship to return home.”

  Eksa ground her teeth and focused on steering The Scarlet Reaver. Aki went too far for a friend sometimes. Offering advice was one thing, but sarcasm and mockery were another. This was the kind of behaviour Mikael would not tolerate on his ship. But Eksa had nothing with which she could threaten the barkeep. She needed Aki here for her own safety from her own crewmembers. She wasn't in control at all.

  I'm scared, father. The Flames know I deserve this treatment, but not from a friend.

  “My decisions are final and I would have you relay them to the others,” Eksa repeated. She needed to set a precedent. Needed something with which she could earn loyalty and respect. Confidently made decisions were a step towards that. Correct decisions were what came next.

  Aki grunted and left. No sooner had she done so did Eksa begin doubting herself. Every life on board was her burden. She took in a deep breath, thinking on how else she could gain respect. Violence was the standout answer. Overwhelming violence. Had Dhorjun been on the ship, her plan would be perfect. The sailors of the Empire would not think to challenge that giant. But Eksa wasn't capable of the same kind of overwhelming violence. Aaron is capable of it. And so is Jack. She swallowed. Was her only option to leverage a budding friendship for her own goals?

  “I want everyone lined up and looking alive,” Aki called from behind. She shook the groggy looking sailors of the nightshift that'd been pulled out of their slumber. That got them cursing and moving. Aaron and Jack were there too, the latter wearing his mask.

  Eksa held her breath as The Scarlet Reaver pulled up beside Martyr's Breath. She laid her eyes on the men aboard there and felt her knees buckle at their numbers. “Raise the sails,” she ordered.

  ***

  “Numbers wise, someone's about to become food for the flies,” Jahck said. He tossed a sharpened knife in the air, catching it without looking up. A veil of dull grey found itself before the sun. An azure skyline could still be seen, but far off and quickly thinning. A fine setting for an improper funeral. “Faded light. Should we start singing goodbye?”

  “You're killing ally morale, Jack,” Aaron said. “Keep your thoughts to yourself.”

  “It's still unwise, although, I might change that with my mask.”

  “There was no other way to confirm if they are our quarry. Eksa is too soft to open fire without confirming.”

  “Or she calculated this knowing Viper and I are here,” Jahck hummed. Aaron raised a brow. “I know, I know. She wouldn't do that. Probably… She might though if she knew what I could do with the mask.”

  “Which she doesn't,” Aaron said. “Keep it that way. Better not to get used to artificial powers.”

  Jahck agreed. Tricks were more fun to use as a surprise. It is only when an audience was fully engrossed did a fleeting trick yield the maximum shock. He continued tossing the knife and catching it by the blade. Today, he'd dressed in all white. A blank canvas. Shame paint only came in one shade around these parts.

  The flame haired girl stepped forward. “I am Captain Eksa of Eurale, officer under Admiral Dhorjun. I seek leave to inspect your vessel. We've troubling rumors from fishermen hailing from Kovar about corsairs robbing their entire catch.”

  There were murmurs rippling through the Empire's sailors. Jahck focused his ears on their conversations. It wasn't night, but his senses were strong enough to pick up a few trickles.

  “Ashes! Someone's actually stalked us all this way for fish?”

  “Does fish go for a lot in Kovar?”

  “Thank Flames they didn't fire immediately.”

  Jahck grinned beneath his mask. That all but confirmed that they were indeed the pirates. But there was no reason to inform Eksa of such. Poor girl might just steal the show and order a sinking, and Jahck would lose his chance to paint. No. Such could not be allowed. I am the main character, not her. He began to giggle.

  Aaron elbowed him and flashed a glare.

  “Don't steal this from me,” Jahck whispered. “Not now. You're the one who said we shouldn't rely on artificial powers. This'll be a chance to hone our skills. You can't tell her.”

  Aaron sighed and shook his head.

  “Captain Eksa is welcome to inspect our ship,” said a thick armed man with only a vest for a top. He didn't feel captain like, but he was the largest of the Empire's spindly sailors.

  A wide enough plank of wood for ten people to cross abreast was set on the ledges of both ships, connecting them. Aaron pulled Jahck by the arm before the young captain could give any orders.

  “We'll investigate,” Aaron said, tossing his black coat over to Eksa. The coat landed on her face, muffling any counter reaction she might have had.

  Jahck couldn't stop himself from smiling. A shame no one else could see how happy he was right now. He had his blonde hair in a tail, letting bangs hang over the white of the mask. The hairstyle had grown on him. It cut a sharp figure just like Ning, and it served as a reminder for how fragile people really could be. “Keep Viper with you,” Jahck muttered. “I'll go check below deck.”

  “You already know they have the fishes. Just hang by the entrance and come back. They've probably got ambushes set below.”

  Oh I know. I can hear them already. Jahck giggled. Aaron groaned. The Tarmian sailors gave way as the two stepped aboard Martyr's Breath. Aaron stood guard to the stairs leading below while Jahck whistled on his way down into shadow.

  Dark. Every step caused a creak in the floorboards. A marvelous atmosphere. The first person's heart thumped so loud it almost trounced Jahck's own. He could see quite well within these shadows. “Here fishy fishy,” he sang. He kicked open the door to the wardroom. Someone screamed and came running out with a haphazard thrust. Jahck danced away. “Woops. Missed me!” he cackled. He slit open a fine vessel of red paint and dipped the full length of his knife inside. The assailant dropped with a solemn thud.

  The scent of nectar filled the dark halls. Jack pushed his mask over head and drank his fill, feeling an immediate surge in energy. He could hear another man's creaking steps below deck. There was a third guarding the next stairwell down, and a distinct smell of raw fish mingling with the tempting aroma of blood. Jahck again put on his mask. Not good to rely on it, but a bit of fun wouldn't hurt. He sprinted to the next set of stairs and shrieked in a high pitched voice, using the mask to make him seem as hideous a monster as he could imagine.

  The man guarding the stairs gave off a confused expression rather than screaming like Jahck had expected. He'd conjured an image of Karine rather than a monster. He dispelled the illusion and began laughing, pulling out knives from his sleeves and using the man before him as a dart board. Said dart board fell back and rolled down several steps. Jahck was left wondering which body part had been worth the most points.

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  He shrugged and carried on, jumping down a set of five steps. Here he found what he'd already known was there. Barrels of fish and an unarmed man hastily covering them with wooden lids. His bare chest was littered with tattoos. He stumbled back upon seeing Jahck with a bloodied white shirt.

  “You know you won't get away with this, right?” the man began with a trembling and slightly accented voice. “We've more hands than you. You'll die the moment you go back up.”

  Jahck laughed. “An unexpected twist not of my making. Amusing. I thought you’d beg for your life but you speak threats instead.” He threw open a lid, crinkling his nose at the smell of raw fish. “What, were you trying to pass this off as fermented piss ale? I can smell this stuff from upstairs.” Jahck stepped forward.

  “Look, last chance,” the man said. “Join us and you get to see the light of tomorrow.”

  “Indeed, and a good mourning it will be!” Jahck lunged forward and swung. A sharp crack echoed between the barrels and the man plopped down on his rear. He gasped, mouth opened wide. Blood gushed from his broken nose. A fish slipped out and landed on his head before sliding down into his lap. Jahck squatted down and took out his twisted dagger. “Do me a favor, eh? Give my regards to yesterday and I'll holler at the morrow for you.” He stuck the dagger in the man's chest. The blade turned a shade of crimson. The man croaked, an unsaid plea written in his eyes. The dagger absorbed more and more blood and the corpse became a dried carcass like fishes kept to bake on rooftops. Once brilliant tattoos had deformed into black blotches like rot marks found on old vegetables.

  Jack skewered a fish with a knife and returned to the surface, singing.

  Barrels of fishes

  Their meat so delicious

  Oh treasure hidden underneath!

  Barrels of fishes

  Ten plates & ten dishes

  So many dead beneath my feet!

  Jack flicked his wrist and the fish sailed through the air, landing on the bridge between both vessels and sliding a few feet. “Three now sleep with the fishes —barrels full of them!” he announced, as if the vibrant red masterpiece upon his new white shirt hadn't been evidence enough.

  Let the finale begin!

  ***

  Sickening though his acts may be, Jackrin's unnecessary theatrics made mellow the anxiety Aaron felt afore a battle. His laughter could also be contagious. A brief few seconds of silence echoed in everyone's thoughts after the self-proclaimed jester had thrown the fish for all to see. A few moments of nothing but waves sloshing against two hulls and flags flapping against a whistling gale.

  Then followed dozens of metal rings, announcing the unsheathing of weapons. And at the end there were screams and insults. Half a dozen focused their attention on Aaron and Jack while the rest of the Tarmians tried boarding The Scarlet Reaver. They were a step behind. Aki had already sprinted across with her powerful and long legs and zoned them away from the bridge with the length of her spear, buying precious few seconds for Eksa's men to board the tattered Empire vessel instead.

  Aaron focused his attention on his own quarrels, lunging to one side before he got surrounded by superior numbers. Black hands and swords rose from beneath his first assailer's feet and severed them with a clean swing. Viper. The man's expression twisted to confusion as he fell flat on his face. Aaron stomped on the back of his head a good few times until he didn't move at all.

  Jackrin in the meantime had sunken two knives into one man and was draining a third of his life through the powers of his twisted dagger.

  Aaron faced the remaining two standing before him, who hesitated upon seeing their ally's severed feet. He rushed the first, stopping a few feet short and delivering a high kick to the man's jaw. As he fell on his side, Viper's black sword stuck out of the shadow covered ship's deck and impaled the man as sure as a stake. Aaron's last opponent, an older man with strands of grey left on a spotted head, dropped his weapon and stuttered words of mercy. Without hesitation, Aaron kicked him in the groin, putting the man on his knees. One hand at the back of the head, and one on the jaw. Then twist. Aaron shut his eyes as he pulled the same maneuver he'd done in the past.

  Crack!

  Carmin and Isabelle's despairing expressions flashed in his mind. The man's pleas for mercy echoed in his head even after the sharp crack of a snapping neck.

  Jackrin's incessant cackles pulled Aaron out of misery. The half-breed was stomping on the ribs of a man, laughing hard each time the man squawked and gasped. It stopped, eventually, once the ribcage was shattered.

  The rest of the battle was unfolding favorably for the Euralites. Aki showed fierce mastery with her spear, and its long reach kept many at bay. It was evident that these pirates were not fighters but rather simple thieves looking to make small earnings through strength of numbers. The largest of them, the one that had responded to Eksa, stood behind everyone and trembled. He held an oar taken from Flames knew where as his weapon. He noticed Aaron and Jack standing over six corpses and he turned to face them, fear very evident in his eyes. Aaron clicked his tongue, feeling a shred of pity.

  This battle wouldn't last if he and Jack attacked the exposed flank now. There was no need to kill further if the enemy's resolve to fight had been broken. Or so Aaron thought up until he saw Eksa charging —stumbling— across the bridge as well. She was screaming. And she had her weapon drawn. Aaron groaned for the second time that afternoon.

  ***

  Aki twisted her arms with sharp motions, snapping the haft of her spear into the jaw of an enemy to her side before spinning the haft vertically to zone away some fool running straight for her. She thrust forward, skewering the man, then pulled out just as fast and stabbed down at the previous man she'd dropped to confirm the kill. A large pocket of space had opened up before and behind her. No one dared approached within five feet of her. So Aki went to them, enjoying the thrill of battle for the fleeting shelter it provided from her own thoughts.

  The point of her spear caught a man's thigh, felling him. He scrambled back like a scuttling crab before she could deal the final blow. She spun her weapon at her side with deadly mastery, further intimidating the enemy fighters. Aki had to admit at being put off by Eksa's orders. They were foolish. It was no strange thing for girls that age to act irrationally —Aki herself had been hot headed at that time. But to deny my advice and further take that disrespectful tone with me… Eksa really knew how to push Aki's buttons, and each incident was making it harder for Aki to feel any sympathy for the girl.

  This fight was easy because the enemies were fools, yes, but the two boys that'd gone ahead had somehow not yet died. That masked one's cracked as an old clay pot. But he revels in violence with no hesitation. Hawthorne would lament losing such a valuable pawn.

  Aki swung her spear a handful more times, the battle seeming all but won. It was then she heard the little snake screams. Shuari's burning rends. Aki started after her but stopped. The girl needed a lesson taught to her. Her worldview was too narrow for this twisted corner of Illusterra. She might not get the needed lesson here, but by Shuari, she might learn something of the malice ever present in man. After all, Aki wouldn't always be there to protect her.

  ***

  This is stupid. This is so, so stupid. But Eksa's feet didn’t stop. She twisted her ankle due to the heels on her boots, stumbling and coming dangerously close to the edge of the bridge between both ships. She steadied herself and screamed out her cowardice, renewing her charge across.

  She just couldn't sit back while the rest of her crew were fighting. It wasn't out of responsibility. It was an entirely selfish decision. Eksa prayed that this action brought her some degree of respect from her crewmembers. Especially Aki. She wanted the barkeep to see her as an equal.

  Eksa felt as if her heart were thumping louder than her footfalls. She landed on the deck of Martyr's Breath. Conviction became her fuel. Her intense emotions robbed her of her sense of touch and blurred the edges of her vision. But she felt stronger than she ever had and this strength needed to go somewhere. Eksa rushed past her own vanguard and into the thick of enemy lines.

  Her strength vanished. Fear gripped her like chilling shackles binding the very droplets of her blood.

  Eksa found herself amidst enemies with not an ally nearby. She wanted to turn back but her feet didn't want to slow. They wanted to keep running until she'd broken out of the encirclement. Men came at her, seeing an easy picking. Eksa's breath caught. She heard a hideous squeal escape from her mouth. Embarrassed, she closed her eyes and wildly flailed about with her own cutlass. Tears were squeezed out. She imagined carnage around her. Imagined what it was she was doing, butchering others all because she wanted a bit of respect. That only made her more afraid.

  Eksa collided face first with what felt like a mast. She fell on her rear, cutlass clattering out of her hand. At last she opened her eyes, finding not even a spray of red on her weapon. She risked a glance backwards and found no one dead around where she'd come through. She'd been waving at air the entire time. Eksa picked up her weapon again and tried pushing herself to her feet, but a shadow enveloped her and she fell on her rear again.

  The giant man who'd spoken to her earlier was standing over her, an oar in his hand. He raised the object above his head as if it were a cudgel. Eksa closed her eyes again, picturing Dhorjun standing over her. “Stay away!” she cried, swinging her cutlass blindly again.

  Seconds passed. The attack she was expecting never came. She looked up to see Aaron gripping the hilt of a knife embedded in the large man's side. He dropped the oar. Aaron snarled, pulled out, then stabbed again.

  The man dropped to all fours before Eksa. She squealed and continued to hack at him through teary eyes. Her meager cuts barely dug into the vest he wore. Afraid he'd lash out at her, Eksa attacked harder while screaming. The man grunted and curled up, covering his head with his arms.

  “That's enough!” Aaron cried. He fell upon Eksa and held her tight. “He can't hurt you anymore. You can stop now.”

  She sniffled, dropping her weapon and holding him tight. I'm pitiful. I'm Flaming pitiful and I'm showing this side of myself to Aaron of all people. She blinked hard until the tears stopped. Vision cleared, she saw the extent of damage she'd done. The giant man was still curled up, his thick arms full of thin red lines from where blood flowed. Almost like lash lines that once covered the length of her arms and back. She hated what she'd done, torturing the man when he had no will to fight. He eventually rolled over to his side and clutched the wound Aaron had given him, slowly dying.

  Aaron pulled Eksa to her feet. She turned to face the remainder of the enemies, only to find Jackrin making short work of them from behind while Aki and the rest pressed forward from the front. It ended with only minor injuries from her own crewmembers.

  Eight enemies had surrendered. Eksa organized her thoughts, pressing a lid on her still bubbling emotions to release later when she was alone. “Tie them up,” she ordered, gesturing to the surrendered pirates. She wiped clean her cutlass and walked back across to her own ship. Aki followed her back.

  “I'll be it,” the barkeep said, “that was… bold of you. Reckless but bold.” Her low tone held something of disappointment for some odd reason.

  Another ship added to Eurale's expanding fleet. But the victory left a bitter taste. I'm getting too accustomed to violence. Eksa scratched her head. Dhorjun would need more recruits to run things. “I've always wondered, but why doesn’t the admiral recruit men from Eurale's official army rather than hire mercenaries whose loyalties are to money? There's a few thousand at least isn't there? We're the farthest kingdom within the Alliance. We could spare a few hands from the city walls.”

  Aki laughed. She threw an arm around Eksa's shoulder and hunched down. “There's a simple reason, little snake. Soldiers are uptight. You know, like mannequins you see before a clothing store, stick up the rear and all. And most of them have families in the city. They just don't know how to kick back and have a good time after a long voyage. And they're more likely to spend on their families than at bars —mine included.” She gave Eksa a hearty slap on the back. “So quit whining unless you want me going out of business, my little snake. Now we head back for Eurale to celebrate your first conquest. Lots of grilled fish to go around now!”

  It made sense, but Eksa didn't find the explanation satisfactory. She twisted her mouth to one side. She didn't like being called little snake. Little berry was much cuter. Aki had begun calling her a snake since that incident at Katur and she'd stuck with it.

  “Have one of the lads grill us some fish tonight,” the barkeep said, wiping her spear point with the edge of her robes. “I'm tired of eating flavorless rice slop.”

  Eksa's frown deepened. “We can't do that. The spoils are the hard earned catch of those poor fishermen. Our first stop is Kovar. We have to return the stolen goods.”

  “Girl—”

  “Captain!” Eksa insisted with a raised voice.

  Aki turned to face her. “With all due respect, Captain, I did not risk my life out there only to have our hard earned goods taken by someone else. They lost the goods. We earned it back. It's ours.”

  “That isn't how this works! King Agram has an understanding with the Xenarians. We have to show our good faith too!” Part of the reasoning was selfish, Eksa knew. She didn't care much for Lord Coraine any longer, but it would be nice if he knew that she'd saved his fishermen from their plight. Be nice too if he regretted not using all he had to purchase me. Even if it was just a little regret.

  “And what of your good faith to the crew? You want to know how to earn a spot in their good graces, reward them appropriately. Let them indulge in the wine and fish we've taken today. Those fishermen are not our concern. They were weak, and thus they were robbed. It is no fault but their own.”

  Eksa stomped her boot and stepped forward. The lid over her emotions disintegrated. “My. Decisions. Are. Final! I won't let disrespect fly again, Aki. You don't get a pass just because we're friends.”

  “It is advice, little snake. You'd do well to take it to heart.”

  “Your advice has been Flaming rubbish since this day's begun. You'd have us be no better than the pirates. The weak deserve to be robbed? By that logic, the weak deserve to be raped as well. For what are you protecting me then? I must be a burden, no?” Eksa clenched her fist. She felt hot and that heat had nowhere to go. It urged her to lash out but she held on, hissing out a breath between grinding teeth and stomping away.

  “Alright, fine,” the barkeep called. “My last few words were insensitive. But you should consider rewarding the men.”

  Eksa wasn't hearing it. She descended below deck, slammed shut the door to her cabin, and screamed. She re-emerged a half hour later, partially drunk, and ordered the ships sail toward Kovar to return the stolen merchandise.

  Some time during the journey, her crewmembers used the retrieved fishes to cook for themselves without being given the order to. Eksa knew of this, but she said nothing, too afraid of retaliation. And she only loathed herself more for it.