Halkegenia Online – Chapter 6 – Part 5
The City of York sprawled along the "coast" of Albion, clinging to the edge bluffs and following the curve of the White Isle as it bent sharply northward. A port city built upon the cliffs, York was defended from the North East by the open abyss and from the south by a shear drop that plummeted down to the banks of the river Fosse as it spilled off the edge of the floating continent, contributing to the ever present mists that gave Albion it's title.
With the Rebellion nearly victorious and much of Albion in disarray, York, with its position as an essential port, was a rare pool of relative prosperity. Treasure was lavished on the city which was now a key supply point in the Rebel army's push towards Newcastle. Ships arrived daily from the continent, bringing with them news and the supplies purchased by the Rebels and mercenaries seeking their fortunes in the service of Reconquista. Save for the soldiers standing sentry and the shouts of town criers repeating propaganda, it could be believed that York existed in a happier time.
As midday approached, Yukimura Hayato, Kino, a former mid level knife wielder in the Death Game of SAO, and now a faerie transported to the World of Halkegenia, clung closely to Caramella and Millia as they walked the streets, trying not to become overwhelmed. Kino was no stranger to big cities, and compared to Tokyo, York was barely a small town. But over the past two years the boy had also grown accustomed to the scale of things in Aincrad, where a huge town might have a population of a few hundred. Now, in this town of a mere twenty thousand, the city boy Kino was struggling not to feel like a country bumpkin.
Caramella noticed his skittishness and drew Kino close, squeezing his shoulder like a big sister. With their ears hidden respectively by a broad hat and a scarf, and dressed in appropriate attire, faces smeared with dirt to hide their complexions. The three looked like nothing more than unwashed commoners. Provided they didn't loiter or draw attention to themselves, Millia had been confident that they would be able to slip in and out of the city without much effort.
It felt like they were taking a big risk walking right into an enemy stronghold like this, but Kino understood the reason. The former SAO players needed to get off of Albion, and quickly. Over the past days, they had crept carefully from hiding place to hiding place under the cover of darkness, working their way ever northward. There had been little rest for them. Twice the sentries had stumbled across wandering patrols and they had been forced to break camp and travel through the night lest they be discovered.
Millia had been Insistent that they try to cross the rebel lines and make it to Newcastle, but Asuna was reluctant to chance it. Not only would it be difficult to slip three hundred people past Reconquista's tightening noose, there was no guarantee that they would be welcomed by the Royalists who could well see giving succor to three hundred 'half elves' as further damning themselves.
As they had neared York, Millia had been sent out with Kino and Caramella as escorts, to learn what she could in the passing towns and villages. The news had not been encouraging. The Royalists had been pushed still further back, and with the arrival of additional mercenaries from the continent, it looked like the Rebels were set to lay siege to the fortress city of Newcastle in final preparations to wipe them out. Two weeks, three at most, that was the life expectancy that was being given for the surviving Royalists.
This had prompted Asuna and Arguile to agree to a simple timetable. They were going to get everyone off of Albion within the week. And in order to do that, they were going to need a ship. Well, those weren't in any short supply at least, York was a port city after all. As soon as Asuna and Arguile had settled on their goal, they had brought together the former clearers and begun planning as if they were about to conduct a military operation.
Asuna had taken front and center, Arguile at her side as they poured over a crude map of York, drawn from memory by Millia. With so little to go off of they had only been able to form the rudiments of their plan and speculate on various complications. It was obvious enough that they couldn't simply march into the city and steal a ship. They would have to hijack one, preferably by slipping in with a strike team and stowing away until the vessel had left port. It would then be simple enough to redirect the ship to a pickup point along the "coast" to retrieve the other survivors.
Kino and the others had listened attentively as Asuna systematically outlined the challenges they would need to overcome in order to make the plan a success. They would need to plan how the strike team would infiltrate, decide on the ship to capture and how they would stow away, arrange a pickup location and a backup location to retrieve the rest of their troop, and also plan for an escape route if something went wrong. Looking around, it had been obvious that half of the things Asuna was considering hadn't even crossed the minds of most of the others, even the front liners.
It had left Kino feeling out of his depth, right up until Asuna had looked him in the eye and asked him to accompany Millia and Caramella on an important mission. To conduct the operation, they would need detailed information about the layout of York and its port facilities. They would also need to find a ship that suited their needs. It couldn't be a military vessel, it needed to be a merchant ship so that they wouldn't have any trouble from the crew. All of this information would be relatively easy to acquire once they were within the walls of York. Though the Rebels were secretive about ship arrivals, they were less so about departures, and some amount of traffic was still flowing from the White Isle to the continent of Halkegenia.
Kino had at first blanched at the request. It felt like the legendary Flash was asking the impossible of a mere mid level player. But when he had looked to the others, the clearers had all nodded in agreement with their leader and given him encouraging looks. In Aincrad he had earned something of a reputation for his poor build, a result of his inability to settle on any one roll. He was good with his knives, but that was mostly because it was the only thing he had stuck with. But now, in Albion, his ability to do a little bit of everything had proven invaluable. He had felt their confidence in him bolstering his own and with only a moments hesitation he had accepted.
In this way, Kino had found himself setting out early down the main road towards York in the company of Millia, Asuna, Arguile and Caramella. While Asuna and Arguile waited some distance from the city, the others would infiltrate. Arriving as the sun rose and the markets began to open for the day, they had slipped in with the masses and been spared hardly a second glance by the city watchmen and soldiers that passed as they went about covertly studying the city.
"This place smells like a pig sty." Caramella muttered as she walked along beside Millia. The air did indeed carry a distinct fetid odor, the product of a hundred open air sewers, all gradually making their way cliffwards to form a less inspiring spray than those generated by Albion's countless waterfalls.
"I rather prefer the country air as well," Millia said, and then emphasized with a smile, "Sister."
Caramella's face soured a little. The sword and shield user had been selected for this operation mostly because her features, heavily inherited from her American father, were much more likely to hold up under mild suspicion. That said, she and Millia really looked nothing at all alike.
Millia was in startlingly good spirits for someone who was knowingly placing herself in so much danger. As she had once said, the crimes for consorting with elves would have her tortured and hanged as a heretic. But over the past week of journeying and living together, be it speaking with Asuna and the Knights of Blood, helping Nishida and the others with cooking, or listening to their stories over the breakfast campfires, a new determination seemed to have blossomed within the woman. Millia had become more than just their guide, she'd become their comrade, and was fast growing invested in their survival.
Kino wondered if it had anything to do with the stories she had told as they traveled. The ones about the Fairy Queen and the Son of Brimir. She kept insisting it was just a fairy tale that had been told across Albion for centuries. But their had been a gleam in her eyes. It had taken Kino a while to place it. Hope. He tried not to think to hard about it after that. Millia was a nice person, he didn't want to see her disappointed.
"The docks are over that way, right?" Kino asked, pointing down a narrow side alley that ended in white light, like a poorly disguised loading area in an old flat display game.
"That's right, some of them. Actually they run all the way around the city." Millia said, her head seemed to suddenly be on a swivel, worry finally starting to etch its way across her face. "There are more Rebels here than I expected, and there will be even more around the docks."
Kino had to agree, there were guards at every street corner, and not like the mercenaries from the first night, or the third line peasant militia they had ambushed a few days ago. These men were fully equipped, clad in proper armor and armed with halberds, crossbows, and more than a few guns. Kino felt his heart tremble every time he saw a guard rest his hand on the grip of a pistol, and he was reminded of his still aching ribs. More than his near death experience from a few days before, the way these men moved frightened him. He'd seen that wariness before, in the clearing guilds, these soldiers were seasoned fighters.
"Well, its a good thing they don't have any business with us now, isn't it sister?" Caramella replied cheekily, giving the smaller woman a slight jab in the ribs before preceding on ahead with Kino in tow.
The dingy back alley slowly lightened and parted as it fed out onto the docks that lined the cliffs of York, and once again, Kino struggled not to look slack jawed. There were sights, there were sounds, smells, the voices of hundreds of people, riotously dressed, conversing and calling back and forth, not just NPC background noise, but real living people. More of them than he had seen in one place since that first day in the Town of Beginnings. But more than just that, there were the ships.
Over a dozen airships were in sight, arriving, departing, or moored at wide slips as men and beasts offloaded cargo just arrived from the continent. To Kino, the ships looked like the ones in the oil paintings scattered around Aincrad. Tall masted sailing ships with their sails rearranged into wide wings that cantilevered out from the sides of sleek wooden hulls. As he watched, a group of dockworkers labored at a winch, guiding the ponderous bulk of the latest arrival in for a landing as the crew rolled up sails and pulled in the masts.
Kino felt a hand on his shoulder and glanced over to see Caramella leaning down. The usually cocky woman had become all business. "I know its like something out of Final Fantasy," Caramella whispered at his side, "But pay attention Kino, we have a job to do, just like the gates."
"Roger." The boy replied reluctantly and took a breath.
From beneath a wide brimmed peasant hat, he began to focus on his surroundings. In Aincrad, that magnificent floating castle, where every level was possessed of its own dangers and wonders, even the mid level players had quickly learned to observe everything and admire nothing. So as much as Kino wanted to find a secluded spot and just watch this scene, he pulled his eyes away and went to work.
Kino started to take everything in, counting off the streets and alleyways and matching them to the map of the city he was slowly beginning to build in his mind. There was a guard tower in the far corner of the docks and it looked like the docks would be lit by lamps at night, though not so many that there wouldn't be some good shadows.
They winded their way past the ships. Sleek "Clippers" with immense sails folded flush with their teardrop hulls, like Falcons nesting. Fat cargo ships with smaller sails arranged in complicated rigging. And most intimidating, warships, hulls like fat cigars, covered in gun ports, mostly along their middle but with lots of smaller guns mounted on swivels that could be pointed up or down. Kino swallowed, the very worst thing that could happen would be for the alarm to be raised after they had left port. There was no way they would survive if something like that was sent after them.
"That ship looks like it can kick a lot of ass." Caramella said, clearly impressed.
"She's a ship of the line, so I imagine you're right." Millia agreed as she frowned. "Though, the donkeys she spurred were at the direction of the Royal family not too long ago."
"That's not what that mea . . ." Caramella shook her head, "Never mind, you got the idea. So its a Royalist ship? Did it get captured?"
Millia shook her had sadly. "More likely, it defected when the Rebels captured its home port." The young tutor looked down, hands folded at her waist. "I suppose I can't blame them. The crews have their own families to consider." The last words were spoken like an echo.
Caramella gave a worried look and then glanced to Kino who was as clueless as her. "Anyways." Caramella continued. "We need to find out about the merchant ships. You said we could do that once we got to the docks."
Millia gave a small nod. "Yes, the harbor master's office will have a listing of ship departure schedules and destinations." She smiled weakly, "Though, I don't think we'll be able to book passage without papers."
Seeing some humor returning to the woman's face, Caramella stuck out her tongue and followed behind her as they made their way though the crowds towards a large tile roofed building that hung partway off the edge of the cliffs. There was a sign above the doorway, the Albionese script preceded and followed by a stylized dove.
The inside of the building was constructed of darkly stained wood and was well lit by wide windows and skylights. A small reception area was fronted by a wide desk at which clerks were receiving clients. Most of them considerably better dressed than the three spies. Behind the front desk, Kino could see rows of tables and shelves covered in books and ledgers. More clerks were working furiously in the background, no doubt keeping a list of the days shipped and received goods.
Rather than going to the front desk, Millia turned sharply and walked over to a podium beside the window where a thick book lay open with people jammed closely around it.
When Caramella gave her a questioning look, Millia explained. "Its a schedule of mail ships, most Captains keep aside some space for small parcels. This should give us the destinations and departure times, then its just as simple as going to the dock and asking around." Squeezing closer to get a look over the shoulder of the others, it was several minutes before Millia returned, during which time the two Faeries did their best to look inconspicuous.
Millia returned a moment later and gestured for them to follow. Once they were back out on the street she spoke. "There are six ships departing for Gallia and four for Germania the day after tomorrow. The Gallian boats are all cargo vessels, but there was a clipper marked for Germania called the Sabrina. She was listed as the last to depart. Is something wrong?"
"For such a big port, ten ships leaving in a day doesn't seem like very many." Kino said.
"There were others, but about half were simple charters across the White Isle. On top of that, there are lots of Reconquista flagged vessels in port right now." Millia explained. "This will probably become a staging area soon for the siege of Newcastle."
Instead of returning to the first set of docks, Millia lead them back onto the main street, heading south to where the slips were built over the river Fosse that flowed along the edge of the town. Kino noticed immediately that the ships along this portion of the harbor were decidedly less military, though the activity buzzing around them was no more sedate.
"Oy, careful with that powder!" A voice cried from the deck of one of the ships.
"Shut your gob, its packed tight and shut!" A huge man with bronzed skin shouted back from the dock. Muscles bulged as he carried a barrel big enough to hold Kino on one shoulder
"Just get it into the magazines below decks." The first man shouted in disgust before turning his attention back to the deck above. The bronze skinned man planted the barrel on the ground and turned to retrieve another from a wagon.
"Kino, pay attention." Caramella snapped.
"Oh, right. Sorry!" Kino said, embarassed, he had already let himself be distracted one too many times. For someone who's eyes had been trusted to keep others safe, his former guild leader would have a fit.
The clipper Sabrina turned out to be the last ship along the docks. A sleek looking vessel with a knife thin hull. Her wing/sails were folded smoothly along her sides, giving the impression of a cloth draped zeppelin.
As they neared they could hear a wiry looking bearded man arguing with a rotund customer. Judging by his clothes, and the fact that he could be fat in the middle of a war, Kino thought he was probably nobility. But not the ones with lands and titles, his clothes weren't that fancy, he was probably like Millia, a petty noble. Those who could practice magic and had status above commoners but were not necessarily of a powerful bloodline.
"And I'll have Captain Thorn know about this when he gets back!"
"Hah! Tell him whatever you like." The wiry man laughed. "What do ya think my Da' will do? Spank me? I speak for the Captain on this. The Sabrina's a free agent, we go where the winds of profit take us, unless you think the Good Cromwell would like to make an enemy of every merchant in the Hanza." The young man grinned, revealing yellowed teeth. "Though for the fastest sails in all of Albion, it might be worth it. Now off with you fool. I've got more agreeable," The man eyed Millia and Caramella respectfully, "And attractive customers."
Looking shocked the nobleman spluttered once, twice, finally, realizing that he had been betrayed by his own wit, the man turned and stormed off furiously, leaving the young man he had been speaking to with a bemused smirk on his face.
The youth turned to the three spies and greeted them with a surprisingly charming smile. "And how may I help you this lovely afternoon? Seeking to book passage to Germania?"
"If only we'd the money." Millia sighed. "Alas, Noble Sir, we seek only to know what cargo you are carrying and if their might be room in your holds for more."
"Hardly a Noble, Miss, thought master of this ship my father may be. My name is William Thorn, first mate of the Sabrina, and to answer your question, the holds of the Sabrina are small and in high demand, even if hardly a thing is leaving the white Isle these days save rumors and grief." William lamented loudly, even Kino could tell the man was hamming it up. "Though I can't imagine such Ladies as yourselves bringing aboard the latter. Still, lets talk for a bit and maybe we can make a deal. May I ask just what the cargo may be?"
"Wine." Millia said immediately.
"Wine?" William asked.
'Wine?' Kino wondered.
"From the estates of the Windsor family." Millia explained. Kino couldn't miss the way the man's eyes widened.
"A Windsor vintage?" The man asked, suddenly looking around cautiously. "How did you come by such a thing, if I may ask?"
"We are mere commoners sir, only our mother carried an ounce of noble blood, and with her passed on," Millia breathed, "We do what we can to survive. For the last few years we've toiled on the Windsor estate, my brother and sister in the fields and I in the kitchens. When the Good Cromwell's forces arrived, Reconquista stripped the estate to fuel the efforts to liberate us from the tyranny of the Royal family." To her credit, Millia managed not to choke on the words. "However, they missed one of the wine cellars where the Windsors aged their finest stock."
"Is that so?" William crossed his arms, a grin spreading across his face. "Would be a shame, I'm sure the Good Cromwell would be quite sorry to hear he had overlooked such a treasure."
"Truly." Millia agreed, "Though with the Windsor family gone, their former estates are in chaos, we struggle every day just to get by. Which was why we three were tasked with finding a buyer and bringing the casks to market."
"All the way from the Windsor lands?" William asked, looking impressed. "A treacherous journey for a boy and two maidens."
Kino fought to suppress a growing sense of agitation. He was fourteen and not stupid, old enough to understand that while this man was doing business, he was also playing a game with Millia and Caramella, because they were women. Kino didn't like it.
"Who else to make the journey? Our eldest brother is off to war, and our father is too elderly to travel in these times. Alas, that left only us three. Obviously we cannot sell them to anyone in Albion. Reconquista would simply confiscate the casks, and as for the rest, few people can afford even the poorest vintage in these times, it would be a shame to sell at such prices."
"I see." William said, stroking his beard. "Well, it's tempting, I'll give you. They say the Windsor Wine's have a unique bouquet that cannot be matched by anything but the finest Gallian vintages. And my father is quite fond of the stuff. But it'll be the Captain's decision I'm afraid, and he's out on business until later today."
Millia looked stricken with disappointment. "That's quite alright." She said humbly. "We hardly could be so lucky as to find a buyer on our first try. Still, we must consult elsewhere in any case."
"Aye, I can see how that is, but don't hesitant to come back." William bowed apologetically, "I think the Sabrina may be your good omen if you only let her." With that they parted ways with first mate of the Sabrina and headed back down the dock.
"Seems friendly enough." Caramella noted. "Not that it'll matter at sword point. But why wine?"
Millia smiled shyly, "I was just improvising. I needed to think of something that would wet his interest, and I know quite a bit about the wine produced on the Windsor estates. Mostly, I wanted to see if he we would invite us up onto the deck so we could get a look at the cargo they're loading."
"It doesn't do us any good if the ship is leaving port empty. We wouldn't have anyplace to hide." Kino said.
"That's right." Millia agreed.
"He seemed pretty interested about that wine." Caramella said wearily, "You know the first rule of a bluff is to make sure they won't call it, right?"
"Well," Millia said cautiously, "If it comes to that, there may be a way to acquire a few casks. It just occurred to me that the Windsors used to sell to a trading house in the Northern quarter. Since York has kept good order, its likely that a handful of wine casks are still there waiting shipment. And fortunately, I've been to the trading house before, so I know the layout."
"So now you want to add a step to Asuna-sama's plan, steal wine." Caramella said. "You know, we need the crew sober in order to fly the ship."
"It's not for the crew. Its for getting us aboard." Millia said.
"Hide in the wine casks." Kino said.
"Exactly!" Millia agreed. "We drain them down and hide inside them!"
Caramella let out a long sigh, "Millia, is this something you read in an adventure novel?"
Millia frowned, looking perplexed. "How did you know?"
A strange expression crossed Caramella's face, like something was being held in under immense pressure. "Right then, we'll talk to Asuna-sama about it when we get back, but I don't think she'll like it. Besides, there's a few other ships to investigate, right?"
"The Queen Ann is the next one." Millia agreed. "She's set to depart for Gallia."
The Queen Ann turned out to be a much larger cargo ship, lacking the elegance of the smaller "Clipper", she was wider bodied than the Sabrina with sails that were relatively smaller.
Kino hung back and listened with only half an ear as Millia repeated her spiel about the wine to the Ann's first mate, a gruff looking older man. It gave Kino an opportunity to look around and listen. If he hadn't been distracted by the sight and sound he might have missed it.
"Faeries?"
Kino's eyes widened and he looked about. Where had that come from?
"I'm telling you it happened, a whole island of them off the coast of Tristain. I saw'm myself."
Kino zeroed in on the source of the conversation. Standing along the edge of the dock, a group of sailors was consorting as they smoked. Without even thinking about it, the boy wondered closer.
"Right, more likely you had too much to drink and fell outta your bunk." One man said to his fellow as he stamped down on a cigarette butt.
"Wasn't drunk." The first man murmured, his voice growing so low that Kino had to strain to hear. "Captain had me out on the rigging, I'm not stupid enough to be drunk doing that."
"Eh?" Another sailor said, "I've seen you drunk enough to be that stupid." The others started chuckling at the expense of their fellow.
"Enough, if you don't believe me, ask the Captain! The Captain and first mate spoke with'm."
"Then your Captain must be as touched in the head as you." The detractor shot back.
"Now wait just a minute." A third man entered into the conversation. "I've heard stories about this from some of the Germanian ships that've been docking the last few days. Odd lights flying along the Tristanian coast at night. Our captain has had us plying far North and we arrived over the sea, so I haven't seen it for myself, but I've heard this story from a few others. Supposing they're a race of demi humans."
"Demi humans?" The sailor who had accused the first of being drunk, asked.
"Aye, they look human enough save for some parts, they've got these tails and animal like ears." The man gestured with his hands. "Like cats. Call'm selves something, Catseth, I think."
"Cait Syth." The first sailor corrected. All eyes turned to him. Kino felt his heart thundering in his chest. Cait Syth, that was the name of one of the ALfheim races that Kimura had mentioned! "That's what they called'm selves. Cait Syth. And they really did have cats ears I tells ya, and they claim to be Faeries! You should have seen the ones that boarded us, all youthful beauties with hardly a blemish. Would have mistaken them for noble girls if not for their ears and tales, and those wings."
"Wings? So they can fly?"
"Are you daft? I called'm Faeries, didn't I? How else do you think they boarded us underway? They've got these wings that they summon by magic, like a mage's flying spell." The first sailor was gesticulating wildly in an attempt to properly convey what he was talking about.
"Faeries eh? Ha!" A fourth man shook his head. "Strange times we be living in boys. Wonder if our Captain will try his hand plying the the Tristanian routes next."
"Aye, Faeries are good fortune for travelers o' the wind." A fifth man agreed. "Supposen you don't offend them of course."
"I think you'd lot would offend'm just breathing!" The man who had first spoken about the Faeries said crossly, receiving jabs from his companions.
"Eh? Boy, what are you doing?!" The man who had been the strongest detractor of the story had caught sight of Kino who had now crept up right next to the group of sailors.
"Wha?" Kino began. Before he could say more, the man had grabbed Kino by the front of his shirt.
"Aye, a street urchin by the look'o 'im!" The man who had first mentioned the Faeries said. "Gotta watch your purse around here!"
Glancing down, Kino realized that his hand had come to rest beside a small pouch tied to the man's belt. Licking his lips, Kino tried to come up with an explanation.
"Y-your story sounded exciting!" Kino said quickly. "You really saw Faeries?"
"Poor time to start asking boy." The man who had him by the scruff of the shirt jerked so violently that Kino was sure his teeth were going to rattle. This was bad, he was sure he was strong enough to break lose, but he couldn't make a scene in the middle of the port.
"Oy, Mullen, just let the boy go, even if he's an urchin, you caught him so there's no harm. Lads are drawn by tales of adventure as much as coin, just let him be on his way." The man who had supported the first man's story about the Faeries placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.
Kino nodded desperately. "Please, I didn't mean any harm."
"Stay out o' this Rein, last port my purse got swiped, whole journeys pay right out from under me! I've had about enough of it!" The man holding Kino lifted him from the ground and was beginning to draw his free arm back.
"Hey now Mullen, Don't kill'm!" Rein said desperately. The other sailors were conflicted, the first two were trying to calm their friend while the other two were stepping back. Kino watched as the man's fist began traveling forward, swinging around in an arc that would inevitably connect, painfully. He shut his eyes and clenched up for a blow that never came.
"What the hell are you doing!" Caramella's voice hammered venomously against Kino's eardrums.
Opening his eyes, Kino starred at the man's fist, bare inches from his face, and the slimmer hand that held it around the wrist. Through the cuff of her blouse, Kino could see the muscles in Caramella's forearm standing out like bands of steel.
The shield and sword user was a full head shorter than the sailor, but even so, he began to loose the fight against her. His arm was first pulled away from Kino, and then twisted around behind his back. The man let out a grunt of pain and Kino fell to the ground as Caramella twisted the man's wrist.
The other sailors watched in disbelief as the tomboyish woman released her victim and delivered a solid kick to his posterior, causing him to stumble forward. The look on Caramella's face was one of sisterly wrath directed at man in front of her. It reminded Kino a lot of his over protective older cousin, who had once beaten up the kids bullying him in school.
This was bad, really bad, he was sure Caramella had acted without thinking. It would have been better if she'd just let the sailor rough him up. Seeing the look on her face, Kino realized that Caramella knew she'd made a mistake, now she had no choice but to ride it out.
The man named Mullen staggered upright, his face darkening with anger. "Stay out of this you little wench!"
Caramella confronted him, hands held before her. "Sorry but I can't stand by while someone bullies a little kid. How about we all act like responsible adults, take a breath, and cool off."
"Come on Mullen, this is a bad idea, the watch is going to get involved and toss you in the stockades." Rein said, trying to calm the other sailor.
"Shove off!" Mullen roared, the big man shifted forward and charged back at Caramella.
The woman spun aside like a matador evading the horns of a bull and ducked low as the sailor came around with another wild swing. If the man had been trying to deliver a blow, it would have passed cleanly over Caramella's head, however, instead of a closed fist, the man's hand was wide open. The fingers scratched along Caramella's forehead and then grabbed hold in her hair and handkerchief.
Reflexively the the former army player wrenched downward, tucking into a forward roll that left the enraged sailor clutching only a few loose hairs . . . and her handkerchief.
Coming out of her roll, Caramella looked about wild eyed. The sailors had all gone still. The air around Kino suddenly felt thick, like it was holding him in place. The sailor, Mullen, stared at the handkerchief in his hand, and then to the woman standing before him. Caramella's face suddenly paled and she reached up to feel the exposed tips of her ears. This was bad, this was very very bad. Kino thought.
Mullen let go of Caramella's handkerchief and slowly took a step back. "E-el-ELF!"
And suddenly all hell broke loose. The scuffle in the corner of the docks, which had previously been ignored, was suddenly the center of attention and all eyes had turned to the Faerie woman. The crowds along the docks, frozen for an instant, suddenly exploded outward like a wave of human flesh. Shrill screams and calls of "Elf! Elf!" Burst across the dock and the surrounding market.
The sailors scattered for their lives, leaving Caramella standing alone, briefly stunned. In the distance, Kino could make out soldiers pressing towards the cause of the disturbance and a shadow suddenly flashed across the docks, looking up, Kino caught sight of a winged serpentine shape silhouetted against the noonday sun. Millia had told them about dragon knights, the mage rider would be at least a skilled line, if not a triangle, and from the air there would be no escape.
The former army player looked to Kino and mouthed 'Millia' before turning on the balls of her feet and breaking into a run, her dress whipping about her. She snatched up her fallen handkerchief before crashing into the confused crowd and making for a side street. The knife user wanted to run after her, but gritted his teeth. That last silent instruction overrode everything else. Caramella was a fighter, and a lot stronger than him, he had to trust her to watch after herself. Running back down the docks to gangway of the Queen Ann, he caught sight of Millia looking about in confusion.
"Kino, what's happening?" The young tutor asked, "Where's Caramella?"
Kino grabbed Millia's hand and began to pull. "She'll be okay, but we have to get out of here, now!"
Kino cut a path into the crowd that was now collapsing into complete chaos, keeping a vice like grip on Millia's hand lest they be separated. The initial wave of living terror that had burst outward from the docks had rebounded as it crashed into the surrounding streets. The people who had seen Caramella first hand had been scattered and formed pockets of shapeless unease among the greater mob shouting cries of "Elf!" and struggling to make their way outward.
From above a pair of dragons swept overhead and circled around. With a sinewy grace, the creatures folded their wings, plummeting from rooftop height and crashing into the ground in a forward run that brought them to a halt behind a troop of soldiers struggling to contain the mob and prevent it from spilling out into the surrounding streets.
"Order! Order!" The man atop the first dragon shouted. "In the name of Lord Cromwell I demand that order be kept! Someone explain what has happened!"
"Sir!" A foot soldier shouted up to the mounted Knight. In one hand he held a primed pistol, the other was clamped around the arm of one of the sailors from earlier, it was Mullen. "This man made the first call. We've an Elf in the city!"
"An Elf?" The Knight said severely. "Sergeant you best explain yourself!"
"Aye Sir, I saw it with my own eyes, ears as pointed as an orc's fangs! Sir Dunwell took flight with his dragon as soon as he saw for himself."
The milling crowd was on the verge of panic as the Knight looked up, shouts beginning to rise among the background murmur. "Order! Order!" The Knight shouted again. "I will have order or I will have you all in chains!" More than the man's voice, the low growling of his mount silenced the crowd. "This is nothing but proof of the weakness of the Royalists, that a heathen Elf could be allowed stand upon the White Isle!"
"Sergeant! I am ordering these docks closed off. Where there is one Elf there may be others! I want these docks searched from top to bottom, nobody leaves until I am satisfied. Fear not Citizens of Albion, we will purge these Elvish dregs and restore the White Isle to its rightful purity!"
"Kino?" Millia whispered, tugging at the boys jacket. "Don't worry about me, you have to escape!" There was fear in her eyes, for herself, and for him.
"No!" Kino hissed. "I can't leave you here! They're going to question everyone, they'll find out that you were with me and Caramella." Kino hissed. The boys eyes darted around, looking for an escape route. The soldiers were pressing in on the crowd, driving them slowly back towards the center of the open market area that fronted the docks. The same scene was being repeated along the other streets, it was like the Reconquista soldiers had experience dealing with riots.
Over the fearful murmurs of the gathered commoners and petty nobles, Kino heard the distant ringing of bells alerting the city to danger and the far off roars of more dragons. He was stunned by how quickly word of danger could spread in a world without phones or message windows. Their window for escape was vanishing with each second. Even if they got past the soldiers, if the city gates were closed, there would be no way to escape without revealing themselves. And once that happened the dragons would be able to run them down.
Kino's eyes at last settled on the far docks and recalling what he had seen when they had first arrived, he grimaced. This was a bad idea, was a very, very bad idea. He'd be endangering lots of innocent people, but if they were captured, he be endangering all of his friends. "Millia, stay here, I'll be right back." The boy pushed Millia into a narrow doorway.
"Kino!"
"Stay here!" He repeated.
Millia began to say something but closed her mouth. "Hurry back."
"Mmm."
With that, the boy ducked back into the crowd, pushing past beneath the notice of the bystanders. As far as anyone was concerned, he was just a street urchin running the docks. He was able to get behind the crowd which was still pressing against the gradual advance of the soldiers. The area around the docks were completely abandoned, even the sailors had evacuated with the calls that an Elf was present.
There along the side of the docks, the wagon loaded with barrels still sat where the bronze skinned man had been offloading it. This was a bad idea, a really bad idea, Kino thought again as crouched past the abandoned stalls. The wagon was still about half loaded. One of the barrels sat fallen on the ground beside it. Kino unsheathed one of his knives, hidden in the sleeve of his shirt, and carefully pried the lid part way open.
Something dark and course spilled dryly from the barrel and for a second he was petrified. He'd watched enough old anime to know what that stuff was and how volatile it could be. Cupping his hands, he scooped up a double handful of the powder and began to work his way back towards the stalls, laying a trail like he had seen in old cartoons and silently praying that this would work like he though it would. Unlike knife fighting and throwing, he didn't have a skill for this.
As the last of the powder spilled from his fingers he fished around in his pocket for the piece of flint he used to start camp fires. Than, flipping his blade he took a breath, said a small prayer to whatever gods presided over gunpowder, and struck the edge of the flint with the back of his knife. A small bust of sparks was produced and spilled over the edge of the powder trail.
The powder ignited with a vicious hiss of sparks and flame. Kino immediately burst into a run. He had no idea how big the explosion would be. Pretty big if movies were anything to go by. But they carried a fair amount aboard ships for their cannons, so it couldn't be that big, right?
No sooner was he pressing back through the crowd than he found out just how wrong he was. The earth shook with a terrible deep boom and a flash of light and heat. Thankfully the cries that followed sounded to be more of fear than pain, but it had the expected effect. The crowd, which the mounted Knights have barely managed to bring to heel, was suddenly driven forward once more, crashing against the startled soldiers and pushing them aside.
Even the mounted Knights were briefly left stunned by the sudden conflagration. This was their chance! Fighting against the human current, Kino struggled back to where he had left Millia.
"Kino!" She cried, and then, "What did you do?!"
"I'll explain once we're out of here!" The boy shouted over the screams and calls of the mob, and grabbing her hand, pulled Millia into the crowd with him. The masses fleeing in terror offered them safety in anonymity, but there was also danger. If they fell, they would be trampled under foot, this wasn't like SAO, town's weren't safe zones. They were in as much danger here as anyplace else.
The mob crashed out onto the surrounding streets. There was more room to move out here, but not by much and the terrified mass of humanity continued to stretch outward, swallowing up everything in its wake. Racing ahead, Kino followed the back alleys they had traced earlier that morning, Millia panting desperately as she struggled to keep up.
"Kino, I can't . . . I can't keep going!" Millia gasped.
"Please, just a little further!" Kino pleaded, he hadn't realized until just then how weak a normal person was. "We're almost to the head of the crowd."
"I've got her." A voice from earlier said at his side, a wiry shoulder slipped beneath Millia's arm, propping her up. Kino looked to up to the Sabrina's first mate, William looking down at him. "Quite a ruckus this afternoon eh? Nasty business with that powder, though I suppose old Captain Jarno shouldn't have leaped ship at the first sign of trouble, always secure your powder in the magazines, aye?"
"What are you doing here?" Kino asked distrustfully.
The man smiled, "Aye, you see, I was wondering if that was you that did that with the powder back their? Not that I mind, the Sabrina is safe on the far side of the dock, and her wards have just been maintained." Kino didn't answer, the man was probably fishing for an admission. "I just though I'd be out to collect the Captain you see. Its entirely a coincidence that we're going the same direction. And if it does happen that it was you back there, well it just so happens we're off to somewhere you might lay low."
Finally, looking at Millia who was barely standing, he decided to chance it. "Why?"
Seemingly relieved at the admission the man gave a toothy smile. "Anything that causes Reconquista some hell tickles me." The man admitted, "Besides, I want to know what your story is. That lovely miss you were with made off like a sprite the second people starting shouting Elf."
Kino thought quickly, he could probably defend himself if it came to that. And looking to Millia, he realized that he was asking too much of her, physically, to keep up. "Alright, where is this place we're going?"
William's smile widened. "Aye. We want the Black the Dragon, follow me and we'll be on our way."
Kino found himself being towed along behind William. Even though the man was half carrying Millia he moved with a distance eating stride that was not quite comfortable for Kino to either walk or run. The young knife users eyes darted back and forth, looking for any signs of danger. The root they followed took them further into narrow back alleys, the sky closed in above them as second and third floors leaned over the street, turning back, then back again until sounds of the crowd and even the alarm bells grew distant.
Ahead of them, a sign marked with a coal black snake like dragon breathing flames hung beside a narrow doorway fronting a dingy windowed establishment. They were almost there when a hand stretched out and grabbed hold of William, dragging him into shadows, Millia along with him.
"Millia!" Kino shouted hand going to his knife. Before he had so much as moved, he felt a gentle gust of wind and the cold steel of a blade at his throat. A youthful man had appeared beside him, pale skin covered in grime, bright blue eyes shown beneath raggedly cut, greasy black hair.
"You're concern is commendable, but we mean you no harm." The man murmured softly. Despite the blade he had pressed to Kino's throat, the youth seemed much more focused on Millia who finally finding time to catch her breath.
"Stop!" William hissed quickly. "There's no danger."
"For him maybe." A tall, gray bearded man growled from the shadows. "But you on the other hand, what are you doing leaving the ship? And with these alarms everywhere! The Sabrina's your inheritance lad!"
"Ah, sorry Da' . . . Captain." William replied quickly. "But you see, I couldn't leave these two on the docks though, I suspect they've got an interesting story."
"And where did you get it in your head to decide that?" The older man, apparently the Captain of the Sabrina asked.
"You shoulda seen it Da'," William chuckled, "This little urchin set off a half load of gunpowder in the southern plaza. Probably sank old Jarno's ship. Shame he didn't do it inside the magazines.
"The Anna Sophia?" The Captain of the Sabrina asked. "Well, I've been wishing a pox on that fool since he got issued that letter of mark."
"Righ, right." William said. "In any case, the Rebels are probably still running around like headless fire dragons right now trying to get things under control. I left Johann in charge while I came to get you and then caught sight of these two along the way."
"So that's what's causing the bells? Gunpowder?"
"Actually, the gunpowder came later." William said, "Seems we might have en Elf in the city." He nodded to Kino and Millia. "And these two might know something about it."
Without hesitating the Captain of the Sabrina cuffed his first mate across the side of the head. "And your first thought was to bring them here? You bloody idiot! I should'o taken your sister into the skies with me you no good . . ."
"Captain Thorn." The black haired youth said.
"Drinking. . ."
"Captain Thorn." The youth repeated again.
"Womanizing . . ."
"Mister Duran Thorn!" The youth hissed, bringing the Captain of the Sabrina's tirade to a sudden halt.
"It's quite alright." The youth said softly. "Your Son did the right thing." Looking to Millia, the youth smiled warmly. "It's been quite a while, hasn't it Emily?"
'Emily?' Kino thought.
Recognition dawned on the young woman's face. "Prince Wales?"