WR: long time no update.. eh? Well here u go.
Fina stirred, she was somewhere warm, the blankets beneath her were more coarse and itchy than she was used to, but right now…. They were sheer bliss. She moaned slightly as she felt her slumber disperse and rolled over. She opened her eyes and found herself staring at a low stone ceiling, there was a glassless square window out of which she could see the cloudless sky, and through which hot air drifted into the cool little room.
Someone was humming in the next room. Gingerly she swung her legs over the bed. What had happened? She shook her head, trying to remember…. She had been sailing.. fighting loopers… then a harpoon! It all came back to her in a rush. She had awoken somewhere hot… she had been sold as a slave.. she had tried to run. Then, something strange had happened, she had felt an enormous surge of energy… she had been about to release her magic, and something had happened. She stared at her hands…
"Ahh, your awake at last. That terrible Xin, I'm sure there was no need to hit you that hard." A cheery voice said.
Fina leapt to her feet and slammed her head into the low roof, she winced and quickly sat down again, looking at the woman who had just entered the room. She was dark skinned, plump and had a broad, kindly face.
"Careful there dear, now then, what's your name?" She said, bustling in and inspecting the bump now forming on the Silvite's skull.
Fina didn't reply, merely trying to slink away from the lady. Where was she!
"Cummon now don't be afraid, I need to know your name, my nephew never got a chance to ask you when he bought you off those pirates."
"I.. I'm your slave?" She breathed.
"Oh now dear, that's the definition of it I suppose, but I hate the word slave, all I need you to do is help me around the kitchen and house, I'm getting a little old you see. Don't worry, you get your own room and everything. That awful man, Kardo who tried to buy you had other things in store for you than a little kitchen work, mark my words child. Now then, I'm still waiting on that name…"
"My name…" Fina paused, if she revealed her name… then… her father might get word of her and take her from here, however, if her father did get word of her and come to save her… she was damned sure she would never be allowed to leave Soltis again, and his wrath would be terrible. Besides… escape could be possible.
"My name is, Maggie." She said, saying the first name that entered her mind.
"Hmm, an unusual name, anyway, Maggie, my name is Celia." The woman seemed to see the girl looking at her belt and searching for any possessions she may have left.
"Ahh, those pirates will still have your things… When they sell slaves here they come round the next morning to the new masters and the old objects that used to belong to them can be bought back from them. If not, well, they sell them and make what money they can from them." Celia told her. "We don't have much, but if you like we can try and retrieve some of your old items, what kind of things did you have, dear?"
Fina looked at her. This woman would never be able to come up with the money for such quality weapons she had carried, they had been crafted for her hand alone, and within a day of leaving the palace they had been lost to her. She sighed and shook her head, all her money had gone too, how could she escape without a ship? How could she get a ship without money to buy one?
"Don't worry about it… I.. I didn't have much." Slowly Fina stood carefully and left the room, entering the kitchen after Celia. The ceiling was higher here and the tall teenager could stand properly and look around. A large clay oven stood in one corner next to a stove. A large wooden table took up most of the rest of the room.
"Well, here it is. Where abouts do you come from Dear? I'd love to try some foreign recipies." Celia said, turning to her, smiling proudly in her tiny kitchen.
Fina blinked, she had never cooked in her life, used to the finest foods, fresh fruit, tender meat and fish… she had no idea how any of it was prepared. All she could do is numbly shake her head.
She was saved from further elaboration when the piece of material that served as a door to the small house was thrown aside and a large man strode in, a rusty sord over his shoulder.
"Farran's just started his watch Celi, ahhh, our new helper eh? Finally up eh?" he asked, coming to inspect Fina closely.
She tried not to look insulted by his lack of courtesy as his looked at her critically, she was used to people dropping to their knees before her, not this.
"Recon you can help my missus, ladle out dinner everyday? Run a couple of errands?" He asked.
Fina took a deep breath and looked directly into his eyes.
"I've always been far better at fighting than I have been at cooking." She said truthfully.
The man burst into fits of laughter, Celia also smiled to herself. It took him a few moments to compose himself enough to talk.
"Ahh, don't feed me that Lass, no woman can fight as well as they can scrub. Least not around here, and you'll forgive me, but you hardly look like the 'warrior' type."
Fina looked down at herself, she was still wearing a long dark travelling cloak, it was buttoned down the front and so her fencing clothes were concealed. Now that she noticed her heavy clothing, she suddenly become aware of how hot it was. She looked away from the man who was still laughing and slid out of her cloak, turning and depositing it back into her bed in the tiny room.
She felt a lot cooler now, and turned back to the pair who had bought her.
The man raised a brow at her different ensemble. Running an eye over the crisp linen of her shirt, and leather boots.
"Tell me girl, where have you come from?" he asked, suddenly suspicious.
"I come… I lived in one of the villages in Soltis Island." She muttered quickly.
Celia gasped.
"Oh, my! Soltis… tell me Maggie, what's it like there? I heard that it simply wonderful…" A wistful look had entered her eyes.
Before she could reply, someone banged on the side of the wall outside, requesting entrance.
"Go see who that is will you Baratus?" Celia asked. The large man turned and swept the rug aside.
"Ahh, Xin, thought you'd be along soon." He said.
The tall captain ducked into the room, his eyes instantly finding Fina.
"I hope my wares meet your expectations Baratus? I hate to disappoint…"
"Oh she's a cherub, Xin!" Celia said, "would you like a drink of something? Baratus has some loqua out back…"
"No, I'm only here on business." He said, declining quickly, still looking at Fina through slightly narrowed eyes.
"Ah, yes, the girls things, lets take a look then." Baratus said rubbing his hands together.
The pale captain clicked his tongue and two pirates entered with a bundle and deposited it on the table, and swiftly unwrapped it. Celia's mouth fell open and she gasped, and Baratus' eyes widened considerably.
Fina's weapons lay gleaming on the table. The twin sabres, several flick knives and a long bow and several quivers of arrows. Then, there was an assortment of fine clothing, velvet, leather and linen lay rumpled amongst the arms.
"Oh my…" Breathed Celia. "She.. she had all this?" She asked.
Xin nodded.
"Yes, we recovered it from her ship, which we also brought with us, its down at the docks now."
"She has her own ship?"
Celia suddenly turned on Fina and pointed an accusing finger at her.
"I bet this little urchin stole all this, she said she came from Soltis, all the fine people live there, I bet these were easy pickings for her!" She said.
Fina backed away, how could the sweet, plump woman change so dramatically and accuse her like this?
"I am no thief!" She said, her hands raised.
"How do we know that for sure! None of the rich men on Soltis would let their daughter have her own ship.. much too busy grooming her to marry some rich dolt, must have stolen it... I bet she is just gonna wait till we sleep then…"
"Enough, Baratus." Xin said calmly. "If you no longer wish to keep this slave I shall be willing to take her off your hands."
"Will we get our silver back?" Baratus asked.
"Of course, my good Sir." Xin said, smiling coldly. "This girl had over a thousand gold pieces on her when my men caught her, so I'm hardly out of pocket."
Again this caused the pair to gape.
"That brings me to my next order of business with the pair of you. Your boy…"
"Farran," Celia said, "he's our nephew…"
"Oh? And what of his parents?" Xin asked, his eyes lighting up curiously.
"My sister was his mother, died giving birth to the lad, never knew his arse of a father, my sister was a whore so an unexpected child would come along sooner or later." Baratus said.
"Well then, I saw yesterday he has potential to be a great man…. A great pirate. If you allowed him to sail with me." He raised a hand to stop their immediate protests. "I offer you ten gold coins, I swear the boy will be under my personal protection."
Fina watched the agony on their faces… ten gold coins was probably more money than the pair of them had ever dreamed of…
"Very well." Baratus muttered, angrily, "the boy is on watch, I'll send him down to your ship in an hour."
Xin silently inclined his head, motioning to his men to pick up Fina's belongings, he then grabbed her around the upper arm himself, his long pale fingers like a vice, dragging her out into the blistering heat.
Fina cried out as she almost stumbled, trying to keep up with his long strides.
He pulled her out of the town gates, past a boy, perhaps a year older than her, sat beside a huge black dog. He looked at them curiously as they passed and got to his feet, however other than that he did nothing to stop them. Their eyes locked, and held each other's gaze for as long as possible… until Xin tugged her again, blocking the boy with his body.
Other than the cold hand on her arm, Xin acted as if she was not even there, he silently stalked through his men and into the docks. Fina cast her eyes around, sure enough beside the titanic hull of the ship, her neat little craft bobbed on the airwaves, roped to both the dock and to an iron ring on the side of the red ship. Xin pulled her up the gang plank, and they boarded the slave ship.
"Cap'n, ships ready to sail." A man called from the rigging.
"Good, he said, we sail at sundown, till then, the crew can enjoy themselves in town." He called back, not pausing at all, and finally he reached a door, heaving it open, he thrust Fina before him and followed her inside, closing the door neatly behind him.
She stumbled to her knees, wincing slightly. The pale man walked past her indifferently and sat behind a desk littered with air charts and maps. His pressed his long fingertips together and surveyed her silently over them.
Fina scowled. This man thought he was intimidating? He clearly had never met her father. She stood and crossed her arms, fixing him with a scowl only one from the royal family could muster.
For a moment there was a silent battle of wills… until finally the man smirked and stood, walking to a glass cabinet from which he took a dusty bottle.
"Loqua?" he asked, looking at her. She shook her head. He shrugged, taking a swig, he went back to his desk, this time leaning on its front, regarding her.
"Do you know why I have brought you back here?" He said.
"No" She said simply.
"And you don't know why I have brought that boy Farran aboard? The one who won you at the auction?"
Again she shook her head. He chuckled.
"Very well…. Jase!" he yelled.
Almost instantly a man entered the cabin.
"You called me Cap'n?" he asked.
"I did, please take young…."
"Maggie" She said shortly.
"Young Maggie down to the oar decks and find her a spot will you? And give her some food, she hasn't eaten for almost a day now." He said, turning away.
Fina glared at his back, strongly disliking the man, as she was lead away. What was going to happen to her?
Celeste sighed and sat back, taking her fingers from Aika's burning forehead.
"Well?" Ramirez snapped.
"She is sinking deeper. She's in some kind of dream which she believes to be real. She following the spirit of someone called… Vyse." She said, glancing at the Emperor who looked quizzically at his father.
Ramirez turned and snarled, he stalked to the balcony and gazed out over Arcadia. Somewhere out there, was Fina. He sighed, he was losing both his wife and his daughter.
"So, bring her back." He muttered.
Celeste laughed mirthlessly.
"And what makes you think its that easy? Bringing someone out of the Spirit World is near to impossible, and every moment she gets further away. Its not a simple case of just 'bringing her back'. Aika's spirit still has its own home, and it can't survive without the host for all that long, sooner or later her spirit will be drawn back into her body and she will wake.. but it could be weeks before that happens. It is different for every person. This Vyse doesn't know how long he has, so whatever it is he wants from her, he needs to get her to do it quickly, in case his time runs out." She said.
Ramirez growled, and turned back into the room.
"Son come with me, we need to deploy search squads. Syna, stay here with my wife, there is a patrol at the door if she tries anything." He said gesturing at the dark woman.
"Oh don't worry, Ramirez." Syna muttered, she very rarely used his name, preferring to call him 'Sir', "I'm not totally helpless." She raised her hand and conjured a ball of silver fire.
Celeste snorted.
"You think your magic can match mine!" she said, sounding insulted.
Syna glared at her, her eyes sharp under their heavy lids.
"I could certainly give you a run for your gold." She said quietly.
Vyse chuckled.
"Ladies, I'm sure there will be no need. Father?"
The two men left the room, the two women fuming at each other.
"I've sent out birds to each of the continents, the Ambassadors will read out the message, and signs will go up to tell people to be on the look out. Squads are being sent out to each continent too, they will search each building, and I have half of our Armada Ships in the sky, searching the vessels they come across." Vyse said, looking at his father. Ramirez remained walking beside his son. Vyse was slightly taller than Ramirez was now and far broader across the chest, and he waited for some kind of response... when it was clear none was coming he decided to ask the question that was on his mind.
"Father… who is Vyse? Is it someone Mum used to know? Did, she name me after him?" he asked.
Ramirez growled.
"It doesn't matter." He said.
"I don't care, I want to know, I have a right to! Tell me, that's a direct order!" Vyse said sternly. He wondered how his father would react to that…
Ramirez stopped dead and glared at his son.
"Fine." He hissed. "Vyse was the leader of a group of rebels about 25 years ago. Your mother was part of his crew. I killed Vyse, and it was clear Aika loved him, as she was heart broken. She was taken as a slave of Soltis, and his death has remained with her ever since. Now it seems he has come back to claim her!" He said bluntly.
Vyse blinked. He had never known his mother had been.. a slave.
WR: and that's where I leave it for now I think….