I borrowed Corto Maltese of a not very popular comic book by the artist Hugo Pratt. I love them both, so this is sort of a monument to them. Find his stories if you can; I find them fascinating.
Cheer up, I got a corrector in this computer!! No more typos! Except had and ahd because for some reason it doesn't correct that….
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CHAPTER XXV
The Royal Fanelian leviship was in fact, and quite honestly against all odds, a beautiful vessel. Designed to be swift and maneuverable, it was a slick, elegant ship with straight, slightly curved perhaps, lines, and practical on board systems. The sails were wide and square, meant to built up speed, and the engines powerful but silent. Apparently, it was the most modern of designs, and it showed how Van was willing to spend his money on good useful things rather than flashy un-practical objects. The Fanelian crest was on both sides, large and well painted, a thick red and bright gold.
Still, because it was a ship and not a flying hotel, the rooms were small, and Hitomi wished Karyn hadn't made her bring so many clothes. She shared her cabin with Merle. Van was entitled by right to his own cabin, but he willingly shared it with Dryden, so that Millerna and Eries had their own. Allen was not a Lord, so he had a smaller cabin in the crew's side of the ship, along with the small contingent of his own crew he had decided to bring along as an escort to his King and Queen. Moriko's place was thick warm carpet on the hangar, the only place he could fit in properly. He couldn't go around the narrow corridors of the ship, so in the hangar he staid, sometimes helping the men with heavier things, but generally laying about and sleeping. It was his hibernation time after all, and his internal clock was complaining against any minute spent awake.
Gaddess and Allen were marveled at the beauty and smoothness of the ship, and they inspected every aspect of it thoroughly. The Captain, whose name was Corto Maltese, was a patient man. His silence appeared to speak more than his words, and his eyes were a calm alluring gold. Hitomi was surprised.
"Yes." He said smiling that mysterious soft smile of his. "It is a deformation of the same biological glitch Mr. Aradine here has. It is more uncommon than his amongst gypsies, and my mother was a gypsy Mother. Mine look good, but they have no added achievements."
"So, you can't see in the dark?" Jasmine asked.
"Not any better than the rest of you mortals." He said. There was a perpetual ironic humor to his deep voice, and Hitomi liked him automatically.
He was tall and dark, with sharp features and strong body. He was a hell of a man, like Yukari would say.
Right now, he was leaning over the chart table with Van and Hitomi, showing them the air road towards Meridiana, together with his second in command Baquelite.
"I would usually lead you through this narrow throat towards the Zaibachian high valley and straight onto Meridiana. But I believe there is a storm upon us, and I do not want to risk it."
"But what other way would you take, Captain?" Van asked, straightening.
"It is a detour, although it is longer." He shifted the charts and placed on the top the one that had been below. "I can lead the leviship over this cliff and down. This way, when the storm hits the cliffs themselves will shelter us from the worst of it. We will leave the shade of the cliffs into the low section of the Zaibachian valley. This will mean backtracking unto the high part, but it will be safer."
"Would that delay us much?" Hitomi asked.
Corto considered it. "Perhaps we would lose three days. If I may speak frankly, however, I would rather risk arriving late than losing the ship and lives. If a storm were to catch us in the open of the valleys, an emergency landing would be very dangerous."
"You're right. Besides, you clearly know more about this than us, Captain." Van said, calmly slipping his arm around Hitomi's shoulders. "I'm very honored that you agreed to lead us."
Corto smiled enigmatically. "It was no sacrifice. I am an active man, adventurer at my own cost, and Palas is a city too calm for my tastes. More so, gypsy blood does run through my veins, and I would willingly help my mother's Lady."
Hitomi smiled, hugging Van's arm. "That's very kind of you, but you are a free man, I have no claim over you. I can only give orders to those on the Clans, and I don't even really like it."
Corto arched his eyebrows, but politely busied himself in folding the carts. "The commanding deck is open to your every whim, of course." He said when he had finished. "But perhaps I would agree that you stay away. It can be hectic, and while I can appear it, I am not a polite man when I am stressed."
Van laughed. "Not to worry, we'll stay out of your way, and thank you again for commanding the ship."
"Commanding a ship like this is a pleasure rather than a duty. It doesn't mean I will not charge for it" he added with a smug smile. "but I will enjoy it."
"Flying my ship, or charging me?" Van looked just as smug. His finger laced with Hitomi's, he arched an eyebrow and smiled a crooked smile.
"A ship belongs to the man that commands her, Sir." Corto replied tilting his head. "And it cannot have more than one Master and Commander. This is why I take independent decisions from your own. Otherwise, having me would do nothing. You might as well command it yourself."
Van laughed. "You win, then. The Alzabar is yours."
Corto chuckled quietly, and Hitomi and van let him tend to his duty and went to the common space at the back of the ship, adjacent to the great guymelef hangar.
Topaz was occupying the large couch, lying as long as he was, his head resting on Jasina's thigh as she read a book. Jasmine was playing a card game with Chid and Millerna. Dryden was sitting in a chair in front of a table writing down on his travel note book.
Van sat down on the chair next to him, and it felt natural when Hitomi sat on hi right thigh and peeked over Chid's hand of cards.
"Are you loosing?" she asked.
"Quite miserably too." He answered smiling. "It's good we're not playing for money."
"Or strip—"Jasmine was replying but quickly cut herself. "Ah, I've got Flower."
"Damn." Millerna dropped her cards on the table, facing down.
Hitomi laughed lightly and turned to look at Dryden. "What are you writing down?"
"I'm used to keeping a diary when I travel." The King answered. "Helps me remember everything that happened more clearly. You know, for the days when I'm old and my memory fails."
"Wait—you're not old yet?" Van asked, frowning confused. His smug smile gave him away, though. Hitomi poked his stomach with her finger in punishment. They had taken to do that lately.
"Look, you overgrown baby" Dryden said, looking at him warningly over the rim of his glasses. "You wouldn't recognize a man if you had one right in front of your nose."
"Which I don't at the moment." Van replied.
"You want to question my virility? Because Mill—"
"—erna is busy playing cards with her ten year old nephew." His wife finished sharply.
"What?" Chid blinked. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Dear, you're the only one in this room that's not wrong at all." Jasmine said.
"Hey, we're married." Topaz said sleepily. "The only ones that are out of line here are Hitomi and Van."
"We're not doing anything." Van said, distractedly tugging at the strings that held Hitomi's dress together at the back.
"Well, you can stop 'not doing anything' right about now." Hitomi chided catching his fingers.
"Oh, you've completely lost me." Chid sighed.
Hitomi and Van laughed.
The trip to Meridiana was a long one, and in the confined spaces of the leviship, it was hard to have a moment for yourself. Van and Hitomi were not the kind of couple to need to be in constant touch, even though when they were in fact together, they did touché ach other, but the days on board the Alzabar really did test the boundaries to their patience.
Living with someone is easy when you can turn around and walk away in the face of a fight. When you're in the limited space of a ship, you have to stay and deal with the problem. Neither Hitomi nor Van were the kind to walk away from a fight just to preserve peace, but having that option thrown away was a different sensation altogether. It forced them to cool down and discuss in quiet tones of voice so their arguments wouldn't carry around the vessel. Locking themselves in their separate cabins was childish and pointless.
While Hitomi and van tried to get to a peaceful coexistence with their tempers, Chid and Allen managed to spent some time together. Allen was used to cleaning his Scherezade every morning to make sure the junctions and else was working properly. He generally took it up and practiced, but while the hangar of the Alzabar was big and designed to hold the Escaflowne comfortably, it wasn't a training arena. Making sure the controls of the cockpit worked properly and the sword was sharp was about all Allen could to in the reduced limits of the hangar.
Chid didn't mind. He was still fascinated by Allen's talent, and the Scherezade was a particular object of veneration.
"I can't really reach it." Chid said, taking his arm out of the control of the Scherezade's right arm.
"My arms are longer than yours. Guymelefs are designed for grown men, after all."
"I know, but I want to learn to maneuver one already." Chid said smiling brightly. "Can't you teach me?"
"I'm a lousy teacher, ask Van." Allen said, helping the boy out of the deep cockpit.
If anyone was a better example of having patience than Allen and Chid, it was Jasina.
While Topaz' injury was almost completely closed, his skull was still fragile, and he needed to stay still more than he had to move. Keeping a man like Topaz Aradine still was a challenge that deserved a prize, if not for achievement, at least for attempting. Yet, Jasina managed it by the simple maneuver of staying late in bed with him in the mornings and being constantly tender and loving. Topaz was like a kitten with her, and under her fingers he melted to her every will.
As the days flew by uneventfully, Hitomi came to admire the relationship Millerna and Dryden had come to achieve. They ahd very different interests, and yet they tried to share as much time together as possible. It was uncommon to see them argue, for they were more appeasing to the other than Hitomi and Van, and both were perfectly willing to glimpse at the other's point of view.
The trip itself was a period of time Hitomi would remember a s a chance to learn a way to live peacefully with Van throughout their differences, and to smoothen the sharp edges of their relationship. It was also a chance for Allen and Chid to get to know each other more thoroughly, and be comfortable. It was more Allen, than Chid, that felt awkward, but Chid had an amazing ability to senses his discomfort and ease it.
It was the beginning of a good relationship.
(break)
Tulio's eyes followed the man as he fell to his knees, and then forward, already dead. Then he looked up at Mikoh, his expression unchanging in the grey light of the early dawn.
"You satisfied? He looks dead this time." he asked.
Mikoh didn't answer. His back was to the creature, but Tulio could sense, even through his rather lacking sensing abilities, that Mikoh was displeased. He wanted to tease him, but Mikoh wasn't the kind of man to be teased.
"So…" Tulio said, looking around distractedly, searching for something to do. "Mikoh… I'm bored! Let's do something interesting."
Mikoh looked over his shoulder. "I thought you were a battle ghoul. I would have imagined you would enjoy a battle."
"Degraded, remember, smartass? Don't be cute, I was like three hundred when you were born."
"You're younger than I thought."
"I'm five hundred…something…"
"I'm thirty two, not two hundred."
"You look a millennia. Seriously, get some sleep."
Mikoh looked at him with disdain.
"Aw, c'mon." Tulio tilted his head. "I know you wanna hit me. C'mon. Hit me."
One week and a half, and the monster already knew every aspect of life that could get a rise out of the usually cold man. He seemed to have a special power to determine which things would upset him more. And a nasty will to go with it and test each and every one. In succession.
Mikoh sheathed his sword and tightened the cape around himself. He surveyed the field littered with dead bodies with calm composure and nodded at his general.
"I'm going back to the household. If anything else arises, let me know at once."
The general nodded. He appeared to have the impulse to say something else, and Tulio guessed it was along the lines of 'get some rest', but he bit back his words.
Tulio snickered. Men were such cowards around Mikoh Bas. Even though he was a battle ghoul, scarcely sensitive to human emotions, he could see through Mikoh. He was a like a frozen lake; covered in thick ice, but melted down below. To a simple minded creature like Tulio, Mikoh was a fragile thing. One crack and the ice snaps. He just had to find the crack.
Finding cracks was his specialty.
"Where we going now?" he asked, catching up to Mikoh's side, matching his long strides.
"Home, I have to see to some paperwork."
"Some men sleep, you know?"
"Blessed be them." Replied Mikoh, who in the last few days had developed an increasing talent for sarcasm. Tulio had that affect on people.
"I thought you said you'd train with the kid today?"
Mikoh paused. "You're right. I had forgotten."
"Well, you oughta sleep before that."
Mikoh shrugged. "I'm fine. I'll just do the paperwork and then pick up Meloi."
He mounted his horse and he and his guards trotted off. Tulio staid behind, thoughtful. He looked over his shoulder to the massacre that had been that almost-revolution and scratched his neck.
Some countries just weren't meant to have Kings. Some Kings just weren't meant to have Kingdoms.
The problem was when the two met.
Tulio didn't need his eyes to know that Mikoh didn't want to rule anything. He was a bitter man. It was likely he would be happier if he had a small cabin lost in the forests, and had his life for himself. He liked quiet and books, not battles and blood.
Tulio knew this because Mikoh was nothing at all like himself, and he was a warrior. He was Pan's warrior.
Whose warrior was Mikoh Bas? He didn't' fight for himself, he didn't fight for his country… who else would he lift a blade for?
Certainly not the memory of a father whose whip had left scars on his skin and his mind. Not a mother who had killed herself because she was too weak to face the reality of a husband that had lovers, and had left behind a defenseless child.
But, perhaps, to a man that had nothing to fight for, Meloi was a ray of light. The kid did have a cheerful attitude that changed Mikoh's own behavior, but a half brother wasn't enough to keep a man alive, and Mikoh's boat was sinking and fast.
Mikoh was an okay human.
Humans, to Tulio's immortal eyes, were stupid creatures. They thought they wanted something and so acted accordingly, and were blind to see what they really did wish. Their own minds worked against them, too complicated, too divided.
Tulio could see the truth.
Now he just had to find a way to make Mikoh see it as well. As he focused on trying to keep his Kingdom in one piece and raising Meloi, he would never see it.
Just then, Pan came out from within the curtains of snow and stood next to his son.
"What news?" he asked.
"It's kinda falling apart." Tulio answered. "Can I help?"
Pan paused. "Let us wait, and see. For now, keep him alive."
"No prob." Tulio said nodding. "It's not like he's a withering rose or shit."
"He's stalling." Pan said, looking at his son with a mix of pity and irritation. He really didn't get humans at all.
"For what?"
"The next King."
"He doesn't even have a son!"
If things needed be spelled out… "He's waiting for Meloi to be old enough to take the throne, that's why he's keeping him safe and close."
Tulio stared at his Master. Pan was an intelligent creature, but not this much. This was probably something he had been told by the Glaistig lady or that human, Tigris.
It did make sense. Meloi was the next in line to the throne, but he was young and malleable. If he were to take the throne now, he would be a puppet ruler for his advisors or his mother. Mikoh despised being King, but he couldn't well allow that to happen, so he was ruling in the meantime and raising Meloi to be strong and firm like he was.
That wasn't complicated at all. In fact, it was ridiculously simple.
The stupid revolutionaries were fighting with Mikoh for the throne just to do exactly what Mikoh was going to do eventually; put Meloi in it.
Tulio laughed out loud. It was so stupid!
"Uh, wait." He said suddenly. "Who's helping the revolutionaries?"
Pan sighed. "That's what I sent you here to investigate, you dull rock of a thing."
"Oh, that was my mission? Whoops. Sorry. Won't happen again."
Pan didn't answer. Tulio could think of a sarcastic reply to his own comment, but Pan wasn't a sarcastic creature. Sarcasm was to a great extent a human thing, something he had picked up in the human world of the Earth as he hid in alleys and lived on sewers in New York, happily terrifying any stupid kid that ventured below the streets; even eating some.
Pan was a clean soul, a forest spirit that would not last long in the polluted air of a city. Gaea was his world, a world or honor and word like Earth had been before.
Tulio looked down to his boney hands in thought. This was his world now as well. He should defend it, like Pan was trying to do.
He wasn't the most cunning of creatures, but he wasn't stupid. Whoever was behind the several assassination attempts on Mikoh he had witnessed in the time he had shared with the man, was also behind trying to wipe him and his fellow magical beings out of the face of Gaea.
And he wouldn't allow that.
Which meant, keeping Mikoh alive, Meloi out of the throne, and watch what was going on around. If he found who was helping the revolutionaries, he would find his enemy.
Conclusion, the revolutionaries were his enemies.
He snapped his sharp teeth in delight.
Simplifying things was the best way to understand them.
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I was originally going to introduce Meridiana and Mansur in this chapter, but I figured they deserved their own. At least now we know why Mikoh's in such a mess.
Namariel, out!