The Pool of Souls

Chapter 21

The Years Before

Ten year old Todd Byers cowered in fear with his little sister Emily behind his father's desk in the captain's quarters. Emily, a mere seven years old, brown haired, fair skinned and rosy cheeked clutched her arms around Todd's waist. She cried silently, whimpered, and whined in terror from all the commotion outside the door. Todd could smell smoke from the flames that engulfed the ship. He heard the sound of swords clashing, men dying, the explosion of gun powder and cannon fire. Every time he heard the sound of a cannon, seconds later the ship shook violently making dust and debris rain down from the ceiling, and every time Emily would hug him a little tighter.

Pirates were taking over the ship. But why their ship? They were just going home. Why couldn't they just leave them alone? What did they do? The moment the pirate ship rammed into their side Todd's father rushed his children into his cabin giving them orders to keep quiet and hide themselves.

"Toddy I'm scared" Emily said in a trembling whimper. So was Todd, but he knew he had to be brave for his sister. His father would want that. He had to make his father proud, so when his father won the fight he could tell him how brave he was. Father, would take care of the pirates. Father could do anything.

"Don't worry Em, father's out there fighting, it'll all be over soon."

"I want mommy." she cried.

Todd wrapped his arms around Emily and began to rock her. His body was trembling but he hoped Emily didn't notice. "You're going to see her again Em, don't worry. Everything is going to be fine. I'll keep you safe."

"I want mommy." She said again. Todd could feel her tears soaking his sleeve. "Are they gonna hurt us? Don't let them hurt us Toddy."

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Hey, remember that song mother would sing to you before bed?"

"Uh huh" she whined.

"You remember how it goes?" She nodded quickly against him. The ship shook violently from another blow of cannon fire.

"Okay well I need you to sing it now. And don't stop."

Todd started the song and eventually Emily joined in. Her voice trembled in fear but she did as her brother asked of her.

Wind is thin,

Sun warm,

The earth overflows

With good things

Spring is purple jewelry

Flowers on the ground,

Green in the forest…

Good girl Em, now just keep singing. I'm right here. Little Emily sang the song over and over again. Suddenly there was a loud crashing sound and the door was blown right through. The heat and light from the firey embers came with it.

Todd quickly clasped a hand to Emily's mouth to silence her scream. His whole body tensed up when he heard the sound of two people talking, voices he didn't recognize. One sounded deep and gravelly, the other sounded quite feminine. Todd dared to take a peak from around the desk and gestured for Emily to sit still. He looked around the corner of the desk and saw them both.

It was a woman. It was a woman with long black hair and glasses. Her hair was covered by a burgundy colored sash and the bottom half of her face was covered too. The dark brown trench coat she wore was covered in streaks and splashes of dried blood. The man she was with had stringy shoulder length dark brown hair, he was full bearded, and had a large gold hoop earring in his right ear.

"Let's hurry up this ship is going down." Todd heard the woman say "Grab anything that looks like it might be worth something. Maps, gold, precious trinkets any valuables."

The ship was going down, Todd thought where was father was he alright?

"Hey Vause look at this," the man picked up a pretty ornate eye mask from one of the shelves and placed it on his face. "How do I look?"

She turned away from her scavenging to look at him. She laughed and shook her head "Like a fucking idiot."

"I think I look rather dashing, anyways it looks like it might be worth something."

"Well, take it then."

The man proceeded to continue to tear through the cabin, breaking glass, and knocking things over. He filled his sack with what ever he could find. Todd kept his hand over Emily's mouth and put a finger to his lip to signal her to keep quiet.

The man looked over at the one he called Vause "Books? Seriously you're taking books?"

Vause shrugged "The captain no longer has use for them."

"But why?"

"Books are harder to come by. Treasure is a subjective term Haluk. I value gold but I also value books."

"Whatever you say Vause. Hey grab those pearls."

She reached up and snatched them from their stand. Todd almost gasped. His anger rose. Those were for their mom father bought them for her. Where was father? What was happening outside? What did that lady mean he no longer had use for them? Was father in trouble?"

"Toddy?" Emily whispered

"Shhh quiet Em."

"Do you hear something?" Haluk asked as he looked up.

Neither of them wasted a single moment and quickly drew their weapons. Vause drew her pistol and Haluk drew the sword from his belt. Todd quickly clasped his hand back over Emily's mouth.

"I don't think we're alone in here. I smell a rat." Haluk said as he made a show of sniffing around. "Whoever you are you have until the count of three to come out. One.."

Panic had settled in and Todd gave quick instructions to his sister "Alright Em I going to need you to keep really quiet. I'm going to run out and distract them and when you get the chance run out there and find father he'll keep you safe."

"Two…" Footsteps were getting and closer to the desk and Todd heard the clicking sound of a pistol being cocked.

"No Toddy." Emily cried.

"Em I need you to be a brave girl now okay. Do as I say. Remember the words to that song? Just keep singing and when you get the chance I want you to get out of here. Okay?"

Emily quickly nodded.

"Three."

Todd jumped out from behind the desk hands raised in defense "Wait! Please don't"

Haluk quickly reached in and wrapped his arm around Todd's body with his sword to the boy's throat.

"Ah here we are! Here's our little rat!"

Vause still had her gun raised and aimed at the boy. She only lowered it when she came to her senses and realized that it was in fact just a boy.

She let out an annoyed sigh "Relax Haluk," Vause removed the sash from her face "It's just a kid."

Haluk shrugged "Alright then." He pressed his blade harder against Todd's jugular ready to slice it.

"No! Please. I don't want any trouble." Todd pleaded. His eyes wandered down to where his sister sat crouched down peeping from around the desk. Their eyes connected.

"Let him go."

"Really you think I ought too? Kubra said no hostages remember?"

"But it's a kid" Vause said in boredom as she looked at the blade against Todd's throat "Let him go he's not concern."

He didn't listen "So tell me lad are there any other rats hiding around this ship or is it just you?" Haluk's breath was harsh against his cheek.

"Haluk let him go."

"What the hell for? The kid's good as dead anyway. I'll slit his throat and be done with it, add him to that nice pile of bodies outside. You don't want to watch I suggest you look away."

Todd looked at Vause since she seemed the most sympathetic and most reasonable. She was a beautiful lady, arresting green eyes that drew you in but she also had a deadly look about her too. Todd sensed that if you were to simply touch her she'd probably cut off your hand.

"Please" Todd asked Vause "I don't want to cause any trouble. I just want to go home. Can't you all just leave we didn't do anything to you."

Vause's face was emotionless and she looked back up at Haluk "Let's. Go." she said in a deadpan voice.

"Fine then but first things first." Haluk forced the boy down to his knees and kept the sword to his throat.

"Nothing personal lad just captain's orders."

"Haluk!"

"No, please!" Todd shouted "Mercy!" He saw the tears in Emily's eyes as she watched. He mentally prayed for her to stay hidden but that is not what happened.

Right when Haluk was about to slice his throat. Emily bolted out from behind the table to her brother's rescue. She called his name and Todd saw her coming right towards him. Her body jerked back after the sound of Vause's gun went off and in an instant Emily's body lied dead on the floor blood pooling underneath her.

Todd snatched himself away from Haluk and crawled over to Emily " Em! Em! No, no, no, no Em!" His voice cracked with tears "Em!"

"Good shot Vause. You never cease to amaze. Always quick on the draw."

Alex looked at Haluk as if he were mad "She startled me! I just reacted."

"You say that like you're apologizing."

Alex looked down at the grieving boy, crying over the girl's body. Without the pool of blood beneath her one would think she was only sleeping. Alex felt a brief pang of sadness. The boy had been trying to protect her.

The boy lifted his head and looked at Alex in rage. His eyes were pink and tears were coming down his face. He came running at her but Haluk snatched him by the collar and cut the boy's throat. He fell dead to the floor.

Haluk stepped over the body and looked at Alex. "I thought whatever softness you had left died the night your mother died and for a while I thought so. But apparently there is still some there."

"Shut up! We're leaving. Now!"

They left the bodies of the two children, grabbed their sack of goods and left.

She was on her fourth drink but nothing could drown out the image of that dead girl's body on the floor. Everyone else though seemed to be having a good time. It was a real party at the tavern, Fahri, Aydin, Haluk, the entire crew just smoking, drinking, groping and kissing their women till their hearts content. Alex hated that she couldn't get her mind off of those children. She didn't want to feel anything. She never lingered this long over the dead. Every raid she participated in there were always casualties even children that happened to get indirectly killed in the crossfire but it had never been by her own hand.

She learned to live with the faces of the people she killed that haunted her dreams and her memories. She learned how to move forward and not dwell in the past but she could not get the image of that boy's face out of her head. He looked at her like she was the most hateful person in the world.

"Hey Vause," said a laughing Fahri as he came to sit down beside her. "Why the brooding?"

Alex drank from her mug again. "I killed a kid today, she was young no more than maybe eight years old."

"I heard, Haluk was bragging about it."

"Bragging?" Alex scoffed "Sick fuck."

"Listen it's done, eventually the feelings will pass, just like everything else. You can't dwell on it and obsess, you'll drive yourself mad. It's over. Now get yourself some more drink, find yourself a whore, just fucking enjoy yourself tonight."

Alex patted his wrist "You're right it'll pass. Shit happens."

"Exactly."

Alex took Fahri's advice and continued to drink until she drowned out the thoughts and soon Alex felt nothing. Only the cold beer going down her throat, the opium in her nose, and the cherry flavored lips of a short haired brunette named Viola.

There were three hard knocks that shook the door to Alex's room.

"Alex!" the voice shouted from behind it. The knocking came again.

Alex barely lifted her head from the pillow. She slowly opened her eyes and let out a tired irritated groan before slowly sitting up in her bed. Her head felt heavy and was pulsating painfully at her temples. As the blanket slid from her body into her lap she started to scratch through her wild unruly hair and her arms. She then looked down at herself and under the sheets and realized that she was completely naked. She looked over and saw a woman sleeping soundly right next to her, the brunette. Alex couldn't remember her name or how she got there and didn't put any thought in trying to figure it out. The evidence around the room was enough. Spilled rum and beer bottles, clothes tossed in disarray on the floor. The vial of opium powder Fahri had given her, opened and traces of it lined across the small desk beside the bed. She clearly had a fun night, a shame it was that she couldn't remember it.

She heard the hard knock again, more persistent this time. "Fuck off!" Alex hollered back as she routinely reached for the vial. She held it between her first finger and thumb and dabbed a little bit of the powder onto the flat of her left fist. She snorted it all. It made her nose twitch.

"Vause it's me Fahri, I know you're in there. We've been looking everywhere for you Kubra's pissed wake the fuck up!"

"Alright give me a minute already!" Alex rubbed the sleep from her eyes and searched about for her glasses. She found them beside the vial and lazily placed them on her face.

The girl sleeping next to Alex slept like a rock. She stirred only to change her position in the bed.

The door came crashing open and broke right off the hinges. In came Fahri, eyes bloodshot looking furious and paranoid. Alex jumped and quickly brought up the covers to cover herself.

"Fahri what the fuck get out of here I said give me a minute!"

"You have any idea what hour of the day it is?!"

Alex made a face and gave a light shrug "Do I get three guesses?"

"Cut the shit Vause. The sun rose without you. It's just past midday!"

"Really?" Alex snickered a little. "Holy fuck."

"This isn't joke. The whole crew has been waiting around for hours for you to show up. Kubra is pissed he's got the crew scavenging around to find you."

"Well congratulations looks like you're the lucky winner." She said with a small giggle.

"What happened last night?"

"You got drunk, you had fun like the rest of us, and you and Viola left."

"Who the hell is Viola?"

Fahri pointed over to the woman in the bed.

"Oh."

Fahri's eyes wandered over to the vial on the table and took a long hard look at Alex's face. He shook his head. "I thought I told you to take it easy on the supply. We shouldn't even be taking the stuff Kubra will kill us if he knew. It's starting to show."

"Didn't you want me to enjoy myself?"

"Aye, but get it under control will you!"

"You worry too much. I can handle this."

"Not from where I'm standing you can't. I can see it in your eyes, your face, and you can't stop scratching yourself."

"Well have you looked at yourself lately? Because you're not looking so great either Fahri. Calm down I got it alright…fuck." Alex said in annoyance. She twisted her body out of the bed with the blanket to cover herself and let her feet touch the cold wooden floor. "I'll take it easy. Kubra isn't going to find out."

Fahri frowned down at her and sniffled a little. He planted both hands on his hips, and shook his head. He reached down on the floor, grabbed Alex's shirt, and threw it at her. "Get your shit together. Get the fuck dressed. We got business, thanks to you we're running behind. And hurry it up I'll be waiting for you downstairs.

Alex and Fahri hastened through the city streets towards the Jackal and arrived just as they were about to raise the gangplank and hoist the anchor. But Alex knew she'd be a fool to think they'd be shoving off without Kubra saying a few words to her. And she was right.

When she boarded the ship there was Kubra glaring down at her. His broad muscles flexed underneath his long trench coat, his strong jaw clenched, and his fingers strummed at the butt of the small shotgun at his belt. Fahri was right, Kubra was pissed. Alex supposed she should be thankful at least that Kubra hadn't greeted her with a smile. Kubra never smiled he thought it to be a sign of weakness. So whenever he did it was usually ironic, a smile of lethal intent rather than of joy. Alex had seen it many times before and so many victims who had fallen prey to it. A calm and smiling Kubra usually meant something deadly, a shot to the head without explanation, the skin flayed from your back, a cannonball tied to your feet and thrown overboard. Either way you could always trust that if Kubra ever smiled in your face the results were never going to be pleasant.

"Glad you finally decided to join us Alex. Care to explain yourself?" Kubra asked in an even tone.

"I lost track of the time. I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Alex caught herself before she could start to scratch at her forearm. Kubra's eyes studied her and Alex silently prayed that Kubra hadn't caught that.

"You said that last time, Alex. And the time before that. This is the third time. What ever you do outside of this ship and this crew is your business but I strongly advise you that what ever it is, if it's starting to affect your business here, more specifically affect my business , then you might want to rethink certain leisure activities. This is the last time I'm going to talk to you about it. Do you understand?"

Alex looked up into his eyes and gave him a quick nod. She briefly glanced over at Fahri who had taken up his post. Fahri gave her a look that said I told you so.

"To your post Vause, we have things to do."

"Aye, captain." Alex said.

All the way until nightfall, the Jackal sailed across the sea until it docked in the city of Bannon. Kubra took Alex, Haluk, Aydin, Fahri, and a couple others into the city streets and they all followed behind Kubra as he strode through the streets towards their destination. Kubra didn't share where they we're going and no one bothered to ask. Most of the time asking wasn't necessary. Kubra made a living selling opium on the market and he had a hand in a couple of the opium plantations that were owned by friends of his. Outside of the crew Kubra had a few handlers here and there. Most of them were people down on their luck, desperate people caught in desperate situations willing to do desperate things, fathers and mothers just looking to feed their families. The arrangement was always simple, sell the opium, take your share, Kubra collects his, and the crew gets theirs.

They arrived at a small simple windowless house made of stone and its roof made of stick and straw. There was an aroma of spicy vegetable stew coming from inside.

Kubra gave the door a few hard taps until a middle aged woman answered the door. She had blonde hair that looked about as dry as the straw that covered their home and blue eyes. She had the look of a hardworking housewife, a look that very much reminded Alex of how tired her mother had always seemed to look after working a long day tidying up their home or from her job at the tavern. The woman was wiping her hands with a rag and eyed all seven of them suspiciously.

"Uh hello, can I help you all?"

Kubra smiled a little and put on his best most charming voice "Ah you must be the wife." He placed his hand in the doorway to keep her from closing it. "Tell me, by any chance is your husband home?"

The woman didn't answer right away. She looked at all of them and Alex could tell she was assessing the threat of the seven strangers at her door all dressed in dark leather, their black sashes, and their weapons. The woman took one look at Alex and some of that tension seemed to lift a little.

"He should be back in about an hour. He had to step out on an errand. May I ask who you are?"

"I'm a friend of his. Kubra Balik, ma'am. A pleasure to meet you."

She squinted her eyes "William never mentioned a friend named Kubra."

"We go way back." Kubra grinned.

"Well, like I said he's gone out and won't be back for another hour or so."

"Oh that's a shame. I was hoping he'd be here."

"Shall I tell William that you stopped by?"

"No, I think we can stand to wait." He looked back over his shoulder and looked at his "We can stand to wait can't we?"

The woman continued to wipe her hands on the rag but it wasn't for filth. She cleared her throat "Well," she said nodding off down the road "There's a tavern and a couple brothels down the way there. If you wish to wait."

"I think we'll wait right here. Besides I can tell by the smell in here you're cooking up something delightful. Much better than the slop they serve in most taverns. Won't you allow us a taste. We've been sailing long and hard and we're starving miss."

The woman looked at them again. She looked nervous and she wasn't doing the best job of hiding it. Kubra made it all too clear that they were coming in one way or another and it was best that she be compliant. Alex answered for her by walking inside before the woman foolishly said anything else.

Kubra ordered two men to stand posted outside while the rest of them came in and filled the inside of the home. With all of them inside it made the space around the home seem so much smaller. Alex set herself down at the wooden table by the hearth near the boiling black cauldron of vegetable stew. Haluk made himself right at home and stirred the ladle in the pot before having a taste.

The woman took a seat right next to Alex and for a while there was awkward silence. Alex could immediately sense her discomfort.

"So what brings you folks into town?" she asked nervously.

The question wasn't really a question that was looking for a genuine answer she was clearly trying to make the situation less awkward and uncomfortable for herself by filling the silence. Kubra obviously knew this as well and decided to humor her by answering the question.

"We're here on business. You see your husband has something that belongs to me and I'm just here to collect. Soon as he gives me what I want, me and my comrades here will be on our way."

"Well what is it? Maybe I can be of some help."

"No my dear sweet lady…" His eyebrows scrunched together. "I'm sorry what's your name?"

"Helen."

He smiled at her "Helen. A pleasure it is. I'm sorry but you can not help with this. The fact that you came to the door and had no idea who I was proves that you can not help in this. It would seem that William has chosen to keep you out of these matters."

"What matters?"

"Don't worry all will be explained in due time."

One of Kubra's men knocked on the door from the outside. "Captain?"

Kubra clapped his hands together "Well, that must be him now."

The door came open and in walked a shaggy brown haired man, long in the face, a stubble of a small beard on his chin. William stopped dead in his footsteps when he saw Kubra seated at the table. Kubra turned around and gave him a friendly wave.

"William, good to see you mate."

"Ku—Kubra what are you doing here?"

"What kind of greeting is that for a friend?"

William set down his pack and started to rub his hands together. Alex could see the beads of sweat on his brow. "I'm sorry uh h-how are you?"

"Oh shut the fuck up." Kubra said as he turned back around to face William's wife. Helen's eyes widened from Kubra's sudden change in attitude.

"Uh Helen why don't you head on back so I can talk to Mr. Balik."

"No, no need to dismiss your wife she ought to be made aware of what's going on here."

"Kubra, please."

"William what's going on?"

Kubra quickly jumped in and spoke up on his behalf "Well Helen, you see my business is involved in the sale and distribution of opium and your husband here is an employee of mine. His job is to go out and sell the opium I give him. He takes a portion and the rest of the earnings are given to me."

"No, no you're wrong. William is a merchant, he sells spices."

Kubra shrugged "Ask him yourself."

William's head hung low.

"William that's not true is it?"

"It was only supposed to be for a while, a little extra money for our home and to help pay our taxes. Business at my shop hasn't been going so well."

"So you arrange a deal with pirates?!"

"It was for us, for our family."

"Well, I can see you both definitely have a lot to talk about so I'll tell you what William, just give me my money, my crew and I will leave and happily leave you both to discuss it."

"Right." William said with a nervous tremor in his voice "Wait right here."

"I'm not going anywhere." Kubra said flatly.

William came back and placed a couple small brown bags on the table. Kubra didn't touch them he just looked and strummed his fingers on the table top.

"That hardly looks like enough there William. I gave you ten pounds."

"I didn't sell the rest."

"Oh? Alright then well, give me the rest."

"Uh…" William's eyes looked over at Helen. "I don't…I don't exactly have that either."

"You no longer have the opium? How is that possible?"

"It was stolen from me, last week."

Kubra pinched the skin between his eyebrows "William, why are you lying to me? I don't like liars."

"I'm telling you the truth. It was stolen. But I promise you I will pay you it's worth within a week's time I swear it."

Kubra let out a heavy sigh "Let's see you don't have the money for the opium nor do you have the product. This is quite the problem. What do you suppose I should do?"

"Kubra I will get you your money I swear."

"I've heard enough." he snapped his fingers and his men moved in to quickly grab both Helen and William. Helen began to scream and kick. William shouted protests for them to release Helen and begged for mercy. The men grabbed a chair for each of them and slammed both Helen and William in an individual seat facing across from one another. Alex stood up and tied them both to their chairs with rope.

Haluk came up behind Helen grabbed the back of Helen's neck and brought a knife to her throat. Helen immediately began to cry.

"No. Please not my wife! Leave my her out of this! Don't hurt her she's pregnant."

"Congratulations. If you tell me the truth you will both live to become loving parents. But as you can see we have a problem. The problem is not only do you not possess the opium for distribution but you don't have my money. And I think you're lying to me. If I don't have my money than I can't very well pay my crew. And as you can tell my crew does not take kindly to not being paid. So it would seem that we will have to extract payment in other ways. Your wife for example may be willing to pay off your outstanding fees."

Haluk slithered his other hand to the top of Helen's breast and reached down inside her dress to clasp her in his hand. Haluk eyed poor Helen as he held the knife firmly to his wife's throat and gave her feather light kisses to her cheek as he made a show of stroking Helen's breast. "Oh aye, she's pregnant alright. Her tits are plump."

It made Alex more and more uncomfortable and her eyes averted elsewhere. She wished Kubra would hurry up.

"Kubra please I beg you! Leave Helen be. I will get the money I swear it! Please give me one week and I will have your money."

"Why should I believe you?"

"I swear to you on my life I will have it. I just need more time. Please give me more time."

Kubra nodded "Alright…I believe you."

"You do?"

"No." Kubra drew his gun and shot Helen square in the chest.

"Helen!" William screamed in anguish and tried to throw himself at Helen but his ties would not let him. He wasn't even listening to what Kubra was saying.

"Always remember my friend, if you do business with me, cross me, those closest to you will always pay the price. You're using my supply William. I don't trust users. But you can trust that what I did to your wife is more merciful compared to what I will do to you."

"Helen! Kubra you bastard!"

Kubra grabbed the two sacks of gold and the Jackal crew filed out leaving William to scream in his anguish. Alex was the last to leave and she looked back for just a moment to look at the poor man.

"Alex!" Kubra called out to her.

She obeyed and the moment she stepped outside Kubra slammed the door tight behind him.

"Light me a torch." He commanded.

Kubra drew his knife and lodged it into the door lock. A clever trick he had taught Alex.

One of the men handed Kubra the burning torch and right away Alex knew what was about to happen.

"Captain—I"

Kubra gave her a challenging look and Alex immediately shut her mouth.

He took the torch and lit the straw covered roof. It ignited instantly and in just the span of just a couple of minutes the small home was engulfed in flames. But it wasn't enough for Kubra to simply burn the home. He stood by and watched the burning blaze, they all did. Alex could barely stand to look. Williams tears of sorrow had transformed into screams of hoarse shrieking pain that wouldn't stop. It rang loudly in Alex's ears and they didn't leave until the screaming finally stopped. At least on the outside it did. Inside her head Alex could still hear it. It was a sound she knew would go on hearing for the rest of her life and perhaps that was to be her punishment.