Author: Liz Luthor (AKA Kiwi)
Disclaimer: I don't own SoA! I never claimed to! Sheesh, it gets old writing these...
Author's Notes: I actually kinda like this chapter, so, y'know, why don't you tell me what you think of it? Hmm?
The yellow Moon was hardly visible through the thick, dark clouds that often covered the Valuan continent. Thunder and lightning were evident everywhere and it was difficult not to be intimidated. I always hated going to Valua. Tonight's client was the captain of a Black Pirate ship. I never liked them much, either. It was turning out to be a pretty unpleasant night. We were to meet at midnight near the Maw of Tartas, and I had to walk the last mile, as I always did. I never let any of my clients see my ship, so I always landed about a mile away from the rendezvous point.
In any case, I was nearing the specified area, and I was in a bad mood. If these guys gave me any trouble, I wouldn't have hesitated to draw my sword (which I pointedly brought after the nightmare the previous night). I was even considering raising the price for my services, because at that point, ten percent was just not cutting it.
Finally, I arrived at the Maw of Tartas. I saw my client standing over on the other side and circled around to him. He had a suspicious glint in his eye and when I approached, he started grinning.
"Alright, here's the deal: I know who you are, kid. Now, my crew and I got a job to do, and you're gonna see to it that we don't get caught-otherwise we'll tell King Enrique your little secret!" I'd faced situations like this before, and none of them actually posed a threat, so I thought I might as well ask.
"Oh? Then who am I?" I slowly reached for my sword as I spoke (just in case).
"Talis Dremond. A 17-year-old, for cryin' out loud! You're pretty sneaky, I'll give ya that," he shook his head. I immediately froze. I didn't expect him to actually know. I was shocked, but I kept my composure nonetheless; I couldn't let this guy see that he'd gotten to me. I still had one way out, but it was a pretty slim chance.
"...How much does the job pay?" I asked.
He smirked and said, "Not that bright, are you? Let me repeat myself: I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. You're not gettin' any payment! Either you do this or your secret's out, kid!!" The man let out an ominous laugh. He was smarter than he looked. I had hoped to decline his offer, but of course this wasn't an offer; this was blackmail.
Vyse downed the rest of his beverage in one gulp and continued to happily devour his meal. Aika poked at her food and occasionally took a sip of her water, more interested in watching her companion eat his fill. A few minutes later, Vyse noticed her unusual behavior.
"What's wrong?" he asked casually.
Aika sighed with distress. "There's nothing to do. I feel like now that we've accomplished so much, there's nothing left for us..."
Vyse gave her a sympathetic look and advised quietly, "You and I should be grateful just to be alive." Aika nodded in agreement, still troubled. He continued, "I know, it's hard... I feel the same way you do. For most Air Pirates, this kind of situation is a nightmare, and we both started out so young... We're only twenty, Aika!"
"That's what I've been thinking. We've seen the whole world... It's funny-that's the kind of thing you dream about when you're a kid, but once you've done something like that, life almost doesn't seem worth living..." Vyse's head snapped up immediately with concern. "Don't worry, Vyse, I'm not about to kill myself. I just don't know what to do about this, you know?"
"...Hey, I'm goin' through the same thing," he consoled her. "But like I said, we've had more than one lucky break in the past. I've decided that no matter what happens, I'm still alive, and for that reason, I will continue to live. Can you imagine how different things would be if Galcian or Ramirez had killed us way back then?"
Aika showed a slight smile and replied, "I guess that is a better mind-set. Thanks, Vyse."
"No problem!" Vyse brightened at the sight of her smile and told her, "I had to convince myself of that, too. It took about two and a half years, but hey, I did it!" He grinned his familiar grin and they left Gordo's Bistro contentedly.
Enrique leaned forward with his chin on his hands as he tried to concentrate on his problem. "It doesn't make any sense, Fina," he determined. Fina sat across from him in the Valuan Grand Palace (which had been rebuilt), also pinned with the problem.
"...Maybe they're lying," she suggested. Enrique quickly dismissed this solution with a shake of his head.
"No. I've considered that theory myself, but convicts don't cover up for their connections when they could be killed for it. Let's go over this again, though: so far, we've caught three thieves who have, in the past, associated with this 'black merchant'. The first, Bryan Kelms, claimed that the black merchant wore a dark cloak and spoke in an Old Lower-Valuan accent, but he knew nothing more. The second offender, Damon Jice, gave us the same information, except he said the man had a slight Nasrean accent. Finally, Adam Greyman, our third man, was able to tell us that the black merchant wears a black cloak, gloves, and boots, he supposedly has a very strong Mid-Ocean accent, and he might have light brown hair. I don't think we can conclude anything from this!" He was visibly stressed, his brow furrowed and his eyes hard (which they seldom were). Moegi, who had been standing in the doorway, drew near her fiancé and began to methodically massage his shoulders. Enrique tried to relax, but he was faced with far too many problems for one man-first, there was this black merchant thing, then the rumors spreading around in the underworld about an assassination toward him, then the ever-present and strenuous responsibility of governing a country... Sure, he was a king, but he was still just twenty years old, and all this pressure was certainly unhealthy for him.
Fina remarked, "Well, either there is more than one black merchant, or the man we are dealing with is quite cultured. He must have been to quite a few different places in the world to be able to utilize such characteristics. Did any of our captives give a height estimate?"
"...Yes, as a matter of fact, Jice said he was probably around six feet. But all that leaves us with is that he's around average male height for anyone between the ages of seventeen and forty-nine and he could live anywhere in the world. Not to mention he might have light brown-ish hair," Enrique summed up. The girls didn't often see his negative side, but they could understand quite well why it'd be coming out now.
Moegi attempted to comfort him. "Please do not worry so much," she begged. "We will figure it all out eventually..."
I couldn't think of what to say. How in Arcadia could I escape this? If I suddenly went traveling with some band of Black Pirates, who knows if I'd ever get back home, or if I'd ever see Raine again... This wasn't my kind of job. People would start suspecting things back in Nasr; they might even claim me a missing person! How could I get out?
Finally, I asked, "...What's this job of yours, anyway?" I was almost positive he wouldn't tell me, but I had to take what I could get.
Fortunately, he was cocky. He grinned somehow bigger and explained, "I've got a plan that's gonna make me and my whole crew rich- even you, if you cooperate." He paused to let the tension build, then said, "We're gonna kill Vyse."
Well, um... Review! Yes, review! PLEASE review! Please?