Chapter 6: A new Day
"…would that be it?" She asked in her soft voice, while making the calculations in a small paper pad.
Her wrinkles looked like cloth. As if they were the remaining of silk, that she used to make her dress, which revealed arms and feet, but nothing more. She manipulated the remaining cloth to paint a smile, while closing a bit her eyes. The two rounded crystals that formed her glasses made light bounce; some of it fell over her reddish gray hair. Age had been merciful with her, yet not enough to let her live forever.
"Yes, miss. That would be it." I answered with a delicate smile, which she glanced at, giving back a generous, honest smile.
Her age gave her a wiser look, and her small body, of around a meter and half, gave her an innocent look. Just an old lady, whose age made her truly strong, as only strong people are always kind.
"Here's your change, young man." She answered with kindness, while giving me the change of my purchase.
Our hands touched, as I was not wearing my cestus, which were waiting in my back pocket, eager for blood. It had tenderness, buried in her flesh. Like when you palpate the paw of a mother bear that is waiting for her cubs to return to her motherly, warm love. They felt so soft, so calm, and so true to her.
"Is there a problem, young man?" She asked with a confused expression in her face; letting more wrinkles, little skin waves, form in her forehead.
Before I knew it, my rough hands here over her hand. I palpate the palm, and then touched my hand with a finger. The texture difference made me realize how you could truly define someone by its hands. Either by how they feel, what they are holding, or what they look.
"None, milady" A rare expression left my mouth, which I used to feel hands similar to hers.
The cheeks spread out, forming a smile. Her eyes closed, and she giggled. Yet, I never let her hand go.
"What are you feeling?" She asked with a smile and open eyes, glancing at my curious expression.
"Kindness" I answered without thinking "Which is absent in the seas" My soul spoke for me.
Her expression turned to a one of concern, her eyes telling me that she feared for me. I could only smile, as the sorrow I felt, was none of her business. It´s a pity to be miserable. Yet it´s pathetic to share it with someone. More, if it´s innocent.
Pure
I took the bag, full of cherries and strawberries, a bit of cranberries here and there, and decided to make a not and take it.
"Good bye" I said with an instinct smile, while turning my back of her, glancing, sadly, at her face frowning with concern.
She, softly said goodbye too. I could not hear it. I had to read it of her lips. The sun was still bright, yet darkness might have attacked her mind. I walked my thoughts off, letting me relax my worried self.
"Hey! Look at where you´re going!" A man, around thirty centimetres, screamed after I had stumbled upon him
I guess I´m not relaxed enough.
"You might stomp over someone in the plaza! It´s a public place" While he left my sight, he talked once more pure rubbish.
A beautiful, roofless bazaar opened in the middle of the flat part owned by the grass lands. A medium sized billboard was hanged in the beginning of the red brick road, which stand around twenty meters to my left. Some store´s, made out of brick with a wooden roof, stood in some spots of the brick road. But, all the other things that made out the bazaar, where just stands composed of just a table, a sign, some hand made products and very nice people.
"I love this place" I said whispering, while the wind passed through my hair, taking my words with it.
I breathed as much air as I could, letting me smell fresh baked cherry pie, a loaf of cheese-bread, some powder, scented candles, cologne and the smell of a red headed lady, who passed to my right, while looking and smiling at me. I turned a bit my head, to look at her. But, she left where I was in just a few seconds, by entering into a store.
Hungry as I was, I decided to approach one of the last stands, big enough to cover three to four, regular sized stands. They were selling goods and food, some medicine here and there, and white plain t-shirts.
A sheet of paper lay inside my left, jean pocket with a pen by its side. I went to the wall by my left, right in front of the stand. The paper was put to the wall, and I started to write a list with everything I needed for a decent, yet delicious homemade breakfast. It was ten and half in the morning, by the way. Everything was pretty basic: A loaf of fresh bread, sweet flour, powdered sugar, a coffee bag, three apples, ham, honey, bacon, tomatoes, garlic, some eggs, pancake mix, beef, some spices, and, finally, chocolate and tomatoes.
"Good morning" I said, while approaching to the stand´s, which had a tent for a roof, counter.
I could appreciate the colours of the tent, which were the ones who belonged to the rainbow. The light came through very kindly, and there was more than enough shadow, yet because of its darkness you were covered by cherry or by violet, some even peach coloured light could cover you.
"Good morning, young gentleman. What can I do for you?" Another man, who could not be older than three years of me, spoke.
"May you give me the items signalled in this list, please?" I answered, while giving him the sheet of paper.
"Hmmm. Quite a lot for a breakfast for one, anyone waiting a meal with you?" He joked after reading the list.
His mischievous smile was followed by a quick yawn. He stands up from the counter, in which his elbows were resting. After a quick beard scratch, and combing his hair with his fingers, he went to what looked as the owner of the stand. A tall guy, pretty muscular, stood in front of me, with a t-shirt inside his beige pants with an overall on top.
"Everything will be ready in around two minutes. The cost is twelve gold coins. Do you mind taking everything in a sac?" He asked.
His beard moved while he talked, and his hair covered his ears. I just nodded, with an almost expression in my face. The one of child would make, if he was either bored or sleepy. Off my pocket, I took the money needed for the goods, and placed them in the counter. He took them all, and by moving his fist up and down, he weighted the coins. It looked like he knew how much a single coin weighted, as he nodded to me, telling me that I had the right quantity.
"Inäi, come." The owner called the young lad who attended me.
"Here, save it and record it in the books" He told the lad his short job.
"Alright, Ennis" The lad answered with laziness, as he was very sleepy.
Ennis, the owner, moved to the back. Between shadows, I saw the same red-headed lady which I encountered before in the middle of the street. Her skin had the colour of a honey-brown, yet the red of her hair stomped over those soft colours. Her skin was rounded, and her arms thin. She decided to put on the overall, the simple uniform of her work. The Lad, named Inäi, passed the list to her, and she and he started to fill a brown fabric sac. Couple minutes later, they filled the medium sized sac. She came to the counter, while moving a lock of her short hair behind her ear. She placed it on top of the counter, with a little difficulty, as her thin arms did not help her a lot. She tried to make any eye contact.
"Thank you…" I whispered.
She, rarely, heard it and decided to lift her face. Her height was around my chest, and her hair fell to her neck. Her skin reflected light, which bounced in my eyes. She must have liked them, as she instantly lowered her head to stop looking at me.
Softly, I raised my right hand and decided to touch her cheeks. She moved her face to me, while I still rubbed the soft skin belonging to her.
"What is your name?" I asked while starting to touch the locks of red hair, which covered her soft ears.
"Huh?" She, softly, answered with an innocent look.
I moved furthermore, very close to the counter, and decided to whisper to her ear the question once more.
"What is your name?" I spoke once more, before taking the sac and leaving that place.
I walked the brick road once more, with the sac over my back being hold by my left hand. Some taps here and there, meant that someone was running. That person must be really skinny too, as the sound was light.
"My name is Nana…" I heard a whisper behind me, by the zone of my back.
A soft skin hugged me, and then left quickly. ¿Should have I looked back? No. It would have been unnecessary. If I think about it, I have done things in this few days that I should have not. I´ve been kind. I´ve been innocent.
I´ve been weak.
There is no place for weaklings when you journey inside the sea. The biggest mirror, in the planet. It will not show your face, but what you truly are. But if you focus too much, you´ll drown.
The path extended just too long, made me anxious about returning to my motorcycle. The heat made me thank the fact that I wasn´t wearing my jacket. I walked what was left of the half a kilometer length of the brick road, in which the bazaar extended. Before returning to my motorcycle, which I left by the side of an oil seller, a battalion passed in front of me. Quickly, and almost by pure animal instinct, I moved to hide in an alley between two storages.
They passed, they marched, and they did not look behind. Corruption was shown during their parade, captained by a woman, when they stole goods, ate the food, robbed the items, and stole the tax money. They moved side to side, slightly breaking formation, to do what they knew better. To put fear into the innocent.
"Hello, my darling. May you please give us the tax money?" One of the soldiers, a mischievous fox, moved to a stand to rob them their effort.
While the talker was blackmailing, the rest ate the fruits that were being sold in that stand. The owners could do nothing but fear and pay, as those little muffin people could not fight back, as, possibly, their punishment would be being eaten. Many of them have been already, as the unfairness of a simple peasant position and royal army gives just disadvantages in life.
"H-here´s all the money…please…don´t hurt us…" With pauses, fear and desperation's, the muffin people were begging for mercy.
They had none. The parade became destruction, as they broke their line just to destroy the efforts of a little family of three. Very few seconds they took to finally send the little table, and fruits to the ground. Between laughs, the miserable bunch left the little destruction they caused. Sitting in the ground, the little three muffins cried, as they knew that it wasn´t the last time they would do it, and in frustration because it wasn´t the first either.
I left the shadowy alley in which I hided, and walked to them. They saw me, and light bounced over the tears that lubricated their eyes. An apple was beside my left foot, which I decided to pick. It was as red as that girl´s hair, or Marceline´s eyes.
"I´ll help you. But, please tell me where to find spare clothes" With a blank expression, I took a bit of the apple and decided to tell them I was going to help.
I threw half of my gold coins I had with me. A total of nineteen gold coins fell to the floor, which they decided to pick up. The father stood up. He shakes my hand while lowering his head, and then told me with his index finger the closest place to buy some spare robes.
"Thank you" I say to them, while they smile to me for reasons I don´t know.
The parade of corrupt sons of bitches wasn´t too far, yet I decided to go in a stealth matter to approach them. Hiding in alleys, turning my back to them, entering and exiting the few storages or stores made out of bricks and wood. Anything I could do just to find the correct moment, to face them in privacy. If it wasn´t because I planned to do something that would call payback a step down, I would do it in plain sight. Wanted posters showing my face covered in my old long hair didn´t help either.
"Aye, mates, let´s count the booty of today´s!" A half-drunk guard spoke.
We had exited the bazaar, and were located behind abandoned fabric storage. The guards sat down, extending a large cloth to sit on, like if they were preparing a picnic. Well, maybe they are, as I saw them drop sacs and bags filled with wine, cheese, bread, fruits and other fancy food. Money, gold and jewellery were storage in the little bags each one of them had attached to their leg.
"Such a delicious wine is more of a delight to calm thy thirst by drinking the blood of young grapes. Especially when they are accompanied by fresh cheese, and the tears of the peasantry." The lady, who directed the hounds, spoke.
"Thou treachery to our Queen hast been more than enough. How can thou, thy protectors of the people, commit such act of violence and abuse?" I left my place between the shadows, and walked to the group, expressing my feelings toward those acts of crime.
I´m quite the hypocrite, how can I feel such hate towards crime, when I command criminals?
They were sitting under the shadow of an old tree, whose trunk was shedding bits of wood, and it´s braches were deploying the red and maroon leaves required to fill the autumn landscape. In few seconds, they stood up, and decided to approach me. The cracks of breaking leaves signalled the few bunch remaining of the squad, who were approaching me from behind. A total of eight half guard's half bandits approached me from different angles.
With a deep breath, I used a trick my old captain taught me. He used to call it Breath of the Bear. He used to say, that you could, through a deep breath, recognize the warmth inside a body, and locate a person or animal. Any living thing could be localized with this ability, developed by the great bears to hunt during the great snows and harsh winters.
"Don´t look at me like that, boy. I don´t like that look. You have the eyes of a beast." The commander spoke, reacting to me looking at her.
She was right; I have the eyes of a beast. No. Even a beast would run if it would see what this eyes of mine, have seen. There were two behind me, three to my sides, one left, two rights. Then, in front of me there was the dark lady and her minions. Nothing hard to destroy. At all.
"Do you know why a beast screams?" I asked, while getting my cestus gloves out of my pocket.
"Shut up, you little shit!" One of the minions, by the side of his command, sprinted towards me.
Ironically enough, he called me little. When he was in front of me, he realized that I was taller than him, in without further thought, I inserted my middle and index fingers in his eyes.
"Ah!" He screamed in pain, while some transparent slime left his eye socket accompanied by blood and sobs.
He instantly fell into his knees, and dropped the knife he was going to attack me with. Screams were the only thing leaving his mouth, as not only the pain of his wound was torturing him, but entering a world of darkness must have scared him. He had a gun in a holster attached to his belt, by his back. I grabbed it, and saw that was a modified flintlock, with an eight bullets barrel to each side. A two shot, eighteen rounds flintlock.
"So that can creature may avoid fight, by scaring the other one." I said, while charging the pistol, and grabbing the newly blind minion´s head.
I took his face, and positioned towards me. The pistol was now in the space between his eyes, well, eye sockets, as his eyes are now squished inside his skull. A last sound coming from the pistol came, signalling the enter of the two bullets into each respective barrel. He stopped his screaming and crying, sobbing while preparing for what´s next. He knew how a gun barrel feels like. Cold and dead.
"But, what happens when that animal does not scream? Does not roar?" I asked, while tightening the grip and trigger.
A boom was heard, and remaining's of brain, hair and skull painted the brown leaves red, giving the look of unnatural autumn. The red, cold autumn.
"They just bite" I said, while charging two more bullets.
"Attack the motherfucker" She said with irritation, while unsheathing a long sword, proving she truly belonged to the guard.
The ones behind me tried to go to my arms, but I dodged one and tackled the other one. We fell to the floor, where I was able to hit the guy in the nose, breaking it. The other meaning tried to jump over me, but he could only be surprised as I disarmed him from his knife, not without stabbing him with it in the throat while he still was gripping the handle.
The dagger slashed veins and muscles, giving him a quick, merciful death. I used it to eliminate the bleeding one in the floor. A quick cut to jugulate his neck. I had to be fast, as the remaining five approached me. Two idiot ones came side by side, which allowed me to advance and stab one in the face, and shoot the other one in the heart.
Seeing five corpses in the ground, made me recover the feelings I had lost in this few days. The feeling of bloodthirsty.
"Maybe I´m being too merciful with your deaths" I spoke softly, while cleaning with my t-shirt the dagger.
She laughed with her eyes closed. When she stopped, she pointed her sword at me.
"Don´t worry, we won´t with your" She established her plans.
I charged the gun once more and blew the brains out of one of the remaining three guards, proving who had the advantage. The shock of seeing how quick I could take lives, made her doubt of herself, which caused her biggest mistake.
"Do it now, Andros!" She called the one remaining guard beside her.
That guy threw daggers at me, which I dodge easily. If I can dodge bullets, I can surely dodge dagger. Yet, her plan worked. I concentrated too much on the daggers, which allowed her to cut me in the forearm with her blade.
I smiled, seeing it was only superficial. But, she proved that I was not the only one who could cause someone to shed blood.
"It´s over" I said with furious rage, yet with a low tone.
I charged the gun, and shot the remaining bullets into the guy´s body, not letting him die instantly, but of bleeding out. He fell to the floor like what he will be, a corpse. She was shocked, knowing that her only weapon where her guards and sword. But it was now out of bullets. I used my last resource, and threw the dagger at full speed into the lady´s neck.
I saw how in desperation, she pulled it out. A burst of blood bathed her dying flesh as the dagger fell from her hands. The last image she would see would be the heartless image of a warrior. A murderer.
"Huh, so it´s you. Cormac…" She whispered with a smile on her face as she withered away.
She had recognized her assassin.
I glanced at the killing I caused. Eight corpses lay in the floor. Eight corrupted, treacherous corpses lay at my feet, showing what I was now able to do. Showing why I did not belong here anymore. I returned to the alley once more, taking the sac that I dropped before the fight. Before leaving, I decided to take the gold and jewellery they had on their selves, and the sac of bread, cheese and cold cuts of meat, and a new bottle of old wine.
As I approached the red brick road, I saw at the other end the red haired lady, looking at me with fearful eyes, sweating as if she had seen a ghost. I turned by back, and looked at my gloves and shirt covered in blood. She saw something worse than a ghost.
"Why?" She asked with fear, while looking at me with those no more innocent eyes of her.
"Because some people deserve to die" I responded with a blank and menacing expression, causing her to close her eyes in fear.
I walked alone, with adrenaline running through my veins, and blood remembering me who I truly am. My motorcycle was waiting for me at the end of the road, yet I had to return something to the townsfolk. I stood in the middle of the crossed shaped brick road, which extended to the north, south, east or west. I placed what belonged to them in the floor, letting he who wants what belongs to itself, or not, take it.
But, they did not dare to approach. The saw a murderer stand in the middle of the bazaar, placing an unknown object in the ground.
"This is what belong to you, what it was stolen from you people. I…I…have to say that those robbers, will not bother you anymore. Ever again." I said with melancholy, as I did not want to scare that people.
Yet, I did. They were not used to blood. Maybe they were to mild violence and raw language, but not to actual violence. I could only wonder how they would react to the corpses laying under the tree. I left that place as quick as I could, and went to the clothing store the family told me about.
"Hello, what can I help you with?" The owner spoke while riding the newspaper, yet he did not raise his head, so he did not see me.
I chose very quickly my attire. A button white shirt and a black waistcoat. With black pants and black loafers. It was classy, heavy attire, but the only thing you could purchase in a store of this calibre. I left the payment on the counter, took the sacs and left the bazaar. Staying there would be dangerous. Not for me, but for them.
Arriving home with my motorcycle felt good. It had its tank all filled up, meaning I could go later to retrieve the suit made for me by the old man. Without further thought, I quickly went to the kitchen and prepared breakfast. It was only eleven and a quarter, meaning there was still time to eat.
In a bowl, I mixed the pancake batter. I poured it on a pan, and then put the bacon covered in honey. A recipe Jake taught me, with a little addition we use in the sea. Then, I prepared the tomatoes paste, using the fresh tomatoes, spices and garlic. Some bread was sliced and went to the oven, covered in the sauce and grated cheese. Everything smelled delicious.
It was a normal breakfast from here, and the other part a common snack in one of the isles I own. Looking through the house, I found a round table and a chair. I repositioned them close to a window in the second living room, or kitchen, so I could enjoy the singing of the birds while eating. Everything was ready in a couple of minutes, which allowed me to enjoy the rest of the natural, morning light I enjoy so much.
Pour some wine, put some sauce and cheese in the bread, and serve the pancakes with milk and honey syrup. A complete meal for a full day. I started to drink the wine, and eat the bread, with some meat here and there, when I listened to light taps coming from upstairs. I closed my eyes to fully enjoy the taste and smell of the wine and bread.
"Finn…is that you" Her soft voice made me open my eyes instantly.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty. May you join me for breakfast?"