Kaden I
Kaden leaned against the bow of the ship and let his gaze wander through the coastal city of Pelican's Rest. It was a stupid name for a city, he thought. Made even more so by the fact that in his countless excursions into the town itself, he'd yet to see a single pelican.
Why the Lorakians had chosen such a name for their primary port town situated on the far south end of the continent was beyond him. Then again, it hadn't always been the primary port of their kingdom. Azurehold some leagues west earned that distinction centuries before the Scar seared its way through the continent, taking part of the old port town with it. Now Azurehold served as the southernmost Gate for the Wardens constant defense of the continent.
Kaden often wondered what it must have been like, those five centuries earlier, when a contingent of Volkar mages defending their country against the invading Calabarians decided to scorch the earth. He wondered if they knew the exact specifics of the damage their spell would do, and if they understood how long both sides would suffer from the consequences of it. He doubted he'd have the stones to do something he knew could take generations to recover from. Although, for the long-lived Volkar, it wasn't quite as many generations.
Still, in a way it had worked. While Calabar and Volkar would never be called friendly with each other, there was a sort of peace. Both were too busy fighting the creatures that rose from the Scar and assaulted their borders to bother fighting each other. He figured five kilometers of hell between the two countries would do that.
The citizens of Azurehold, well, those that didn't perish in a valiant last stand led by the Lorakian Duke Timon, fled deeper into the continent. Some of them stumbled upon the tiny fishing village of Pelican's Rest and deemed it a good enough spot to start over.
As such, it was one of the newer cities in the country of Lorak. Even gazing from the port Kaden could see the ongoing construction in the distance. In all of his travels, he'd never seen another place that changed quite as rapidly as Pelican's Rest.
He heard a dishearteningly loud thunk and snapped his attention back to the unloading of the ship. Two of the hands were struggling with a large chest and had set it down harder than they should have. Kaden knew he should discipline them for it, or, at the very least, remind them it was their livelihood that they were threatening. But his heart wasn't in it.
The two hands scowled at each other and argued for a few moments before a third joined them and they continued unloading, lifting the chest into the back of one of the carts being organized by the First Mate.
The men glared up at him as they walked back up the ramp and made to unload more of the cargo. Kaden merely greeted their glare with a smile and turned his face to the sun. Part of him knew he should have been helping. In normal circumstances it wouldn't have served him well for the crew to watch his laziness. But he was past normal circumstances.
Instead he took the time to enjoy the cool breeze as the late afternoon sun beat down on him. He always liked the change in temperature that a periodic breeze could bring. He'd miss the feel of it while out at sea. But he doubted he'd miss much else about boats, sailing or completely legitimate seafaring merchant work. Please don't ask too many questions.
When he opened his eyes the deckhands were already loading the next bit of perfectly legitimate merchandise into the cart. The First Mate did not help them and he could sense their annoyance from his perch on the ship at handling the overly heavy trunks. Kaden, for his part, merely kept observing without comment.
He took a moment to check that his belongings were still in his pack at his feet. It was unnecessary, as they obviously wouldn't have gone anywhere. But it was a learned habit from his life.
It probably said something about him that all of his worldly possessions fit into one pack or on his person. Just for good measure he checked the daggers sheathed at his hips. They were still accounted for.
After about an hour they were finally finishing with the last of the carts. There were still a few small boxes left and the hands were going about placing them in progressively more precarious positions as they worked.
"That's not a good look," a voice boomed from behind him. Kaden didn't even bother to turn around and face it.
"So you've said, Captain Torres," he said, continuing to watch the men loading up the cart. He could picture the Captain easily enough without looking at him. He was a large man, dominating any room he was ever a part of. And, as Kaden learned, that included the decks of ships. He wore dark leathers and his usual ostentatious hat topped with an absurd array of pelican feathers donned his head. A leather satchel hung over his shoulder. It jingled when he moved.
"They won't ever want to sail for you if you don't help with the work," the man added.
"I don't think I'll run into that problem," Kaden smiled. He spun around and leaned against the railing on the ship, peering at the larger man.
"You're too good at this to give it up so easily. The sea will call you back," Captain Torres said. "Hell, she probably already is with the way you're peering off into the distance. You'll miss it too much."
"That's your pitch for keeping me on?" Kaden asked. "I expected better."
"You're to the point. It's why you're so good at this," Torres responded.
"I'm good at this because I'm a quick learner, more educated than most, and fantastic with a blade," Kaden countered.
"And you work your ass off. Never underestimate motivation Kaden." Torres said. He stepped up to the railing as well and barked a series of orders at the men attempting to secure the goods on one of the carts. They stiffened at his words and immediately went about fixing their mistake without so much as a comment back to their captain.
"My duties ended when we docked," Kaden smiled.
"Yet you're still on my ship. Whereas your friend has already bolted."
"Arestes needed to stretch his land legs," Kaden shrugged. "Some of us like to get paid before we leave."
"Have I ever not paid you, boy?" Torres grunted.
"Yes."
"When?"
"Our third voyage."
"No one got paid on that one! It was a total bust. I almost lost the ship!"
"Thus you've not paid me before," Kaden smiled.
"I'm going to miss you," Torres said, his features softening. "If I ever find one of my sons I hope he's like you."
"Not your daughters?" Kaden teased.
"If my daughters are like you my head is likely to wind up on a pike," Captain Torres joked. Kaden gave him a weak smile and turned around again to gaze over the town. They settled into silence as the hands finished loading the carts.
"I'll make you First Mate," Captain Torres said.
"Jorge will love that," Kaden commented with a nod toward the man leading the cart filled with goods away from the dock.
"Jorge has enough money for his own fishing boat and is ready to leave the more active life behind," Captain Torres answered. "At best I have him for two or three more voyages. I'll also increase your cut to twenty-five percent rather than the fifteen I'm paying him."
"Generous," Kaden said. "But still, no thank you."
"Thirty," Torres retorted.
"It's not about the money," Kaden sighed. He knew he may as well have been growling in Beastkin for all the good that would do. For a man like Captain Torres, everything was always about the money.
"I'll move the second back into the crew quarters and let you have that cabin to yourself," Captain Torres offered. Kaden shook his head.
"I just don't think piracy is the life for me, Captain," he answered. It earned him a glare.
"I don't like that word, boy," he said.
"Fine. I don't think being a seafaring merchant with an eye for opportunity is the life for me," Kaden amended with a roll of his eyes. Torres looked annoyed for a few moments, before his shoulders sagged in defeat.
"Such a shame," he said. "I've never seen someone with as much natural aptitude for this life as you."
"I feel like you think that's a compliment," Kaden grinned.
"Of course it is," the captain laughed. "You're going to be a bigger loss than I've felt in years. I'm only a few years away from retiring myself. Jorge is getting out of the game. Hell, The Lost Prince could be yours."
"Sell her to add on to your retirement," Kaden suggested.
"And let some low-rent merchant have her helm? Or worse, some incompetent Lorakian noble playing at being an admiral? I can't do that to her," Captain Torres said. He caressed the wood of the ship and shook his head at the absurd nature of Kaden's suggestion. Kaden nodded his understanding. While it was a nice ship, it had also been Captain Torres's home for thirty years. He'd probably spend his retirement working to keep her in pristine shape just in case there was a need for one more voyage.
"Fair enough," Kaden said. He glanced up at the sails for one last time, remembering the feeling of the breeze on his face as the winds propelled him to parts unknown.
He could see how one could easily fall in love with this life. And part of him knew that, in a way, he had. But it was time for that book to close and for him to find another way. He gave one last smile for the ship and turned back to the captain.
"It's time for me to go," he said. Torres nodded and opened the pack hanging from his shoulder. He dug around in it for a few minutes before taking out a small brown pouch. He flicked his wrist and threw it directly to Kaden.
"For Arestes," he said. Kaden weighed the pouch in his hand for a moment before nodding and tying it to his belt.
"Okay," he said. Captain Torres continued to dig into his bag. He drew another pouch out and slung it at him.
Kaden caught it and weighed it in his hands. It was considerably heavier than the first one.
"For you," Captain Torres said. Kaden nodded again and affixed it to his belt as well.
"Thanks," Kaden said as he adjusted the pouches. They jingled as he moved, which wouldn't be the best thing for walking around town, but he'd deal with that problem when it came up.
He made to leave the ship but the Captain interrupted him by throwing two more large bags at him in quick succession. Their contents may have tripled his pay. He caught both with the same hand and raised his brows at the Captain.
"Those are for those paintings you made me salvage from that Calabarian galley," Captain Torres said. Kaden had convinced the man to save two large paintings from the Captain's Quarters on a previous raid.
Torres scoffed at art, in general. It wasn't that he didn't understand the value of it. It was that the truly valuable was a known commodity and led to questions best left avoided. And the large paintings in thick wooden frames were heavy and cumbersome. And the ship was already on fire and sinking. Easier to grab smaller valuables and get on with it and leave the rest for the depths. But something about the two called to Kaden, and they'd hauled them off the ship with the flames licking at their boots.
"Yeah. Valuable I take it?"
"One was," Torres said. "The one with the four kids. And that's your cut."
"What was it?" Kaden asked. He'd thought both looked too preserved and too cherished to not have some value. But art could be random.
"No idea," Captain Torres admitted. "But with the way the gallery owner was fawning over it and with my threatening to take it elsewhere or keep it, well, I think I got a great deal for it."
"He had to have said more than that," Kaden said.
"It was some missing piece from a collection," Torres said, waving a hand in the air in annoyance as he spoke. Kaden figured the man had only listened up to the price and only heard more while he waited for the payment. "Something about the master of Princess Amelia's art tutor. The jist of it was she's been discreetly writing to any place she could with art world connections trying to find it and offering an obscene sum. Apparently there's a lot of counterfeits and something about the one you saw proved it was legit. I assume you're not going to tell me what?"
"Was just a hunch. I'm surprised you're not taking it to Castle Calabar yourself," Kaden laughed.
"Too inland. I get twitchy too far from the sea," Torres joked.
"That seems weird, though, don't you think?" Kaden asked.
"What?"
"The Blind Princess has an art tutor?" Kaden asked. Torres shrugged his shoulders but cracked a smile.
"Always remember that every bit of gold and silver the Royals spend on their fanciful whims is money they don't spend making our lives harder," Torres said.
"What do perfectly honest seafaring merchants have to fear from the government?"
"I obviously never made you deal with the customs and port officials enough. Back in the day King Valon had a Calabarian official in every port. Locals and the Calabarians hit you up at the same time. It was enough to turn a man to piracy," Torres smirked. Kaden rolled his eyes.
"Fair enough," he said, seeing no reason to continue the conversation. He paused, staring at the captain for a few moments as the awkwardness of the whole situation started to filter in. He found himself unsure of how to act. Which usually meant he'd just flee and call it a day. But that seemed like the wrong response at the moment. Eventually the other man relented and offered out his hand.
"You've been a good crewmate. You know where to find me if you ever change your mind," Captain Torres said. Kaden nodded, feeling oddly emotional in that moment. He could feel tears stinging at the corner of his eyes but he ignored them and took the Captain's hand.
"Thank you for everything," he said. Torres nodded as they shook hands. They didn't see the need for any further conversation. Kaden gave him one last nod before pocketing the larger purses, slinging his pack over his shoulder, and stepping off the boat.
He knew Pelican's Rest well enough to know that it was a few miles stretch of walk from the harbor into the more commercial part of town where he'd be able to find an inn he'd be willing to actually sleep inside for the evening. After that he'd be able to spend tomorrow looking for something cheap for he and Arestes while they spent the next few days figuring out their next steps.
He stepped off the boat and walked past the cart of goods. The First Mate, Jorge, nodded to him, wishing him well on his journey and in his life. He returned the nod, amazed at how much the man could say while saying nothing.
The finality of it all stuck with him as he wandered through the town. Some general warehouse and storage areas surrounded the docks, looking to take advantage of any merchant they could. Past that the town shifted into a mix of the usual things one would find in any town on the continent. Homes, shops, inns, taverns, it all started to look rather similar no matter where one went.
The sun sank behind the buildings as he entered the main town square. An ornate, gilded fountain featuring the namesake birds of the town adorned the center of the square. Some locals were sitting around it, chatting happily. A few others were standing by the criers board, peering at local adverts. The local magister's office loomed above it all. Kaden peered up at the large stone building, the twin flags of Lorak and Calabar rested listlessly in the calm air.
He wondered how long that would stay.
After the tragedy of the Scar, Calabar rose to assist their southern neighbor. The kingdoms had always been friendly. A portion of the Calabarian army that invaded Volkar all those centuries ago had been Lorakians.
The old myth was that, centuries ago when the continent was divided into smaller kingdoms, the Lorakians sided with the fading dynasty that was the Balmon family. Through a series of decisive and improbable victories the Balmon's gained control of all the kingdoms and united them into present day Calabar. It had cost countless lives, one Balmon King and two Balmon Princes. But, when it was done, the Young King Daron the First created the Kingdom that ruled most of the continent today.
Kaden thought it was kind of a dumb name for the King. There hadn't ever been another King Daron. There'd been a handful of Prince Darons in the centuries since. Always the third son, assuming no daughters in between. As King Daron had been the youngest of three brothers. But none of them had ascended since. He supposed it could have been 'the First' because he was recognized as the first King of the united kingdoms, and not the first named Daron. But, Calabarian naming tradition still called them, say, Valon the Third, for the King Captain Torres held a grudge against, and Marek the Second, for the current ruler of Calabar.
King Daron's reward to Lorak for their support in that ancient war was their independence. Sort of. As Torres said, it hadn't been uncommon for Calabarian officials to be in Lorakian ports. But Lorak never fought against Calabar in the years that followed.
It was, Kaden thought, an apocryphal story. He assumed the ancient Calabarian Kings just didn't have the forces to continue expanding south. And that was likely only compounded by the series of defeats they suffered when they tried to expand north into Kinland. Something that always seemed to be left out of the stories.
Either way, the setting sun sigil of the Balmon Royal family adorned the flag next to the gemini hawks of Lokar. The kingdoms were always close, but independent. It wasn't until recently that a Lokarian magister would consider flying the flag of Calabar. And it all stemmed from tragedy.
He pushed the thoughts from his mind and turned down one of the familiar streets. A few people recognized him. Captain Torres used Pelican's Rest as his home port so he was accustomed to shore leave in the town. He overpaid for some cinnamon dusted bread and tossed some of the silver coins to a few of the local scamps.
It looked altruistic, but he'd been in their position before. And he knew the information that could be gained from befriending the locals. It bought simple things, like they would lie for him without question if any officials came asking, or if a bit of juicy information started around town, he'd be one of the first to know. He didn't think he'd need their services anytime soon but it was better to build credit than to not have any.
The door leading to The Rusty Door tavern was a pristine mahogany and it had been for as long as Kaden had known the tavern. It was painted a reddish orange color that he supposed could have passed for rust if one squinted hard enough, or was drunk, but he'd never bothered to ask if that was intentional or what the story behind it was.
Soft notes of a lyre mixed with the general din of conversation greeted him as he entered. The Door was crowded that evening. It was a popular inn and tavern but the crowd seemed larger than normal. He weaved expertly through it and toward the bar.
A man in his fifties greeted him while serving two others. They rushed off and the man turned to a patron waiting while Kaden leaned on the bar. He turned his gaze around the large open room. Most of the tables were full and some people had even brought chairs up to the stage. He scanned the crowd until he found what he was looking for.
Arestes sat at a booth in the back corner. Two women joined him. One looked perhaps a decade their senior. Her creamy skin contrasted against his friend's as she ran her hand slowly up and down his arm. She was practically perched in his lap, sparing the occasional look to the stage.
The other was one of the Kin. She looked younger than the other woman, but he knew that dating Kin based on appearance was more difficult than humans. She had a woolen ruff around her neck and small horns protruding from her head. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen a sheepkin before. She was paying more attention to the stage than her friend.
Kaden let his eyes shift toward it. Live music wasn't often a feature of The Rusty Door, despite the tavern possessing a small stage tucked into a back corner. And the lack of music was one of his favorite things about the tavern.
A woman held a lyre up by her shoulder and plucked at it with pink painted fingernails. The music felt calming even though the tempo was gradually increasing.
The mass of pink hair gave away her race as readily as the pointed fox ears at the top of her head. Only the Kin had such variety in haircolor. Her hair fell to the middle of her back. She rocked her hips with every few notes, her pink tail, which featured a white-capped tip, circled around her in time with each movement.
She swung her head to the side, her hair flying over one of her shoulders. Her ensemble left most of her back exposed. He could see some pink striping of fur against her otherwise white skin. His eyes flashed to the black harp tattoo on her shoulder. A familiar brand of the guild of Sirens.
"You're kidding me," he said and turned back to face the barman who was just coming to take his order. "You splurged for a Siren, Rob?"
The barman's eyes flashed back and forth but Kaden was the only customer loitering around the bar at that point. The Kin songstress spun around on the stage, bowing down toward the crowd as she plucked at the instrument. As she brought herself back upright she started to sing. Her outfit consisted of a series of veils and cloths that swirled around her as she moved. There seemed to be very little to it, skin visible at every moment, but it still managed to leave everything important to the imagination.
"Sure," Rob grunted as he returned with Kaden's usual drink order.
"I didn't think you had it in you," Kaden laughed. "Trying to squash some competition or what?" Rob shook his head and peered around his bar once more. He ran a hand over his bald head before he spoke, his voice so hushed to prevent potential eavesdropping that Kaden barely made out his words.
"The tattoo moves," he said as he leaned closer to Kaden.
"What, like magic?" Kaden chuckled, his brows raised. There were rumors the tattoos were magical brands, but that seemed like a lot more effort than necessary.
"If magic isn't waterproof, then sure," Rob said.
"Are you watching your customers bathe now?" Kaden teased. "I didn't think you were into animals but you Lorakians always manage to surprise me."
"It's the Calabarian nobility that lusts after the Kin, not the Lorakians," Rob spat back. Based on recent history, Kaden had no choice but to cede the point.
"Still, I didn't get the feeling you were much interested in performers," Kaden said.
"She drew a big couple of crowds down the road. She was paying to perform there, here she works for tips. Always good to have a full bar," the man said.
"How very entrepreneurial of you," Kaden said. The man just stared back at him. A real Siren's performance would have cost the man hundreds of gold for a night. If the Kin girl wanted to fake it for tips, and the barkeep saw no reason to argue with her, well, Kaden figured it wasn't his fight. Instead he picked up his drink, used it to salute the man, and moved to an empty table tucked into the corner by the stairs leading to the rooms above.
The view of the stage was obstructed. But he didn't mind. And it didn't matter. With how much the girl was dancing around the stage as she sang he saw enough of her. He placed the drink down on the table and turned his attention to the new coin pouches.
A young tavern girl pranced over to him and chatted with him for a few moments before he ordered some food. He'd stayed fairly boring with a charcuterie and fruit platter. He flicked a golden coin at her. She fumbled it, stared for a moment, and then rushed off to get him another drink, despite the fact that his was still more than half full.
He started to count out some of the coins, curious as to what his final expedition had earned him. His and Arestes's pouches contained a smattering of coins from all over the world. Some Lorakian, some Calabarian, and even a handful of Volkarian. The differing denominations may have mattered in the past, but it was all worth the same, more or less, these days.
The ones from the paintings, though, were all new Calabarian coins. He peered down at the stamped profile of the young Prince Daron the Dutiful adorning the silver coins. All the Prince had to do to be famous was die an idiot's death by sprinting into a fire.
He counted out the silver coins before turning his attention to the golden ones. Prince Gareth the Good stared back at him. Another victim of another tragedy. He'd died from either the lance that pierced his body, or the horse that fell on him. Kaden figured it didn't make much of a difference if he was dead before or after he hit the ground. In the end, it ended the Tournament of the Betrothal all those years ago, and soured the budding relations between the Calabarians and the Kin.
It was odd for the deceased to appear on Calabarian currency. Gold and Silver were typically reserved for the current king and his queen or heir. The lesser valued copper coins traditionally bore the sunset insignia of Balmon on both sides.
But King Marek was apparently nothing if not sentimental. Of course, all three of his Queens were dead. And as far as he could tell the Calabarians preferred to ignore Princess Amelia. And, if Captain Torres's musing bore any truth then very few in Calabar cared much one way or the other about King Marek. So why not make some easy clout by memorializing his beloved deceased brothers?
He spun a Gareth around the table, staring at it as it flashed between the royal insignia on the back and the face on the front. It brought his mind back to the flags above the magister's office.
Calabar was the dominant power in the country. They had been for centuries. It was such a fact of life that anyone outside of the long-lived Volkarians wouldn't have questioned it. But Kaden found he saw things differently from most others.
There had to be Lorakians that saw the writing on the wall. Even if no one would voice it aloud. King Marek, despite three wives and a rumored handful of mistresses over the last decade plus, remained childless. His current heir, and the only other living member of the Balmon dynasty, was the daughter of his elder brother, Gareth. The blind and scarred Princess Amelia left a fair bit to be desired as a royal heir.
He doubted the general populace of Lorak cared. Hell, he didn't even care all that much if push came to shove. And he was Calabarian by birth. But Amelia's mother had been a Lorakian Duchess and if Amelia ascended the throne she would be the first of the Balmon dynasty to do so while not being a full-blooded Calabarian.
In Kaden's mind that marked a substantial shift in the political landscape. Whether or not anyone else would care? He had no idea. He assumed whatever Lorakian nobility was left made sure there were suitors lining up for Princess Amelia.
She was around his age, a few years younger, so she was certainly of marriageable age for a Princess. But rumors about her appearance were not kind. And the fact that the fire that scarred most of her body also left her blind didn't help. He wondered if either would bother him. But his opinion hardly mattered and it wasn't like nobles were known for their monogamy.
Before he could come up with a decision one way or the other his friend slid into the chair across from him. The ladies of the evening with him sat to either side. The tavern girl returned with his food, glaring at the other women as they leaned toward him. She almost didn't notice when Arestes ordered a round for all four of them.
The girl looked at him. He expected it was because he still had two nearly full drinks. He took a large sip from one and then held up three fingers to her. She nodded and rushed off to Rob and returned with a surprising alacrity with their drinks. It earned her another gold coin. Kaden organized the remaining coins and removed them from view as Arestes started on the platter of meats and cheeses. He offered some to the women who picked through it lazily but otherwise focused on the alcohol.
They talked. But Kaden paid little attention to it. He never did with Arestes's prostitutes. He didn't fault his friend for them. Or find anything wrong with it, really. It wasn't like he'd never utilized a brothel in his life.
And he liked sex as much as any early twenties pirate. The act itself was always enjoyable. It was the after that always left him feeling cold and empty and disinterested. In the end they had their purposes, he supposed. But he suspected they weren't for him.
"She likes you," the sheepkin girl said. Her voice was soft and it took Kaden a moment to realize she was speaking to him. For some reason, it made him want to reach out and touch the woolen ruff around her neck. He didn't act on that urge.
"What? Who?"
"The barkeep's niece," the Kin said, peering over his shoulder as she sipped her drink.
"Ah," Kaden said. Not sure what the point of the conversation was. And figuring she liked the gold coin tips more than anything.
"She does not like that we are at a table with you," the Calabarian prostitute added.
"She's a little young for me," Kaden shrugged. Both women raised their brows, as if such a thing wasn't possible. Given that the tavern girl was relatively pretty he wondered if they thought he was flirting with them. And it wasn't like it was uncommon for fifteen or sixteen year old girls to already be married and with child.
"You'll break her heart with that attitude," the Kin added with a playful pout. "She's just waiting for the brave, rich, merchant to sweep her off of her feet and take her up to her bedroom."
"Then she can keep waiting," Kaden said. The Kin turned to glare at Arestes, who was leaning back in his chair so it was propped only on the two back legs as he sipped an ale.
"You lied to me. Your friend isn't as fun as you," she said.
"He's aware of that," Arestes said with a big, bright smile.
"Never have been," Kaden agreed.
"So why did you insist we leave our comfortable booth to sit with him?" the human asked.
"I was hungry and knew he'd get service faster than I would. Afterall, Nora adores him," Arestes admitted with a smirk. He leaned forward and plucked up a few pieces of pepper-dusted salami before leaning back.
"Well I am the one that picks up the tab," Kaden deadpanned. It was the wrong comment to make as it caused both women to lean more toward him. They'd traveled together for years. And for all his good qualities, Arestes was awful with money. It wasn't that he was a spendthrift or that he wasted it on dumb vices so much that he just seemed to forget about it most of the time.
The man was most at home sitting at a table with various nicknacks around him as he'd try to invent something, or modify something, or in general working with his hands. Anything other than that tended to lose his interest to an extreme degree. Often to the point of forgetting such details like, say, where he put his coin purse last.
It hadn't taken Kaden very long to decide he should control the funds on their travels.
It didn't take Arestes very long to pick up on his mood, either. They watched the Kin songstress for a few moments, the kin in their group seemed most annoyed that Kaden paid her any attention. After another round of drinks Arestes spoke up once more.
"It seems that our booth is still open," he said, peering between the girls. "Why don't we head back there and discuss the rest of the evening?"
"Fine," one of the girls said and they both stood and made their way back to the corner. The sheepkin eyed him and walked away with an exaggerated sway of her hips. Kaden ignored it. Once they were out of earshot Areastes continued.
"Room seven," he said, tossing a key down on the table. "I'm in six. I didn't pay Rob."
"Got it," Kaden said. He reached to his hip and dug into one of the purses. He dug out a small handful of coins and let some playfulness slide into his tone. "Have fun."
"Oh I will," Arestes said as he took the coins. He peered down at them. "Damn, good final haul I take it?"
"One of the paintings was worth it," Kaden said.
"Good eye," Arestes added before plucking his half-empty drink from the table and moving to join the girls.
Nora returned almost the instant they left and asked if there was absolutely anything at all she could possibly do for him. Kaden ordered another drink, opting for some lemon water rather than anything alcoholic. She rushed off to cater to his whim.
When she came back she carried two portions of a lemon ice dessert Rob was known for. She moved one of the chairs next to his and offered him a spoon. He took it but didn't pay much attention to the dessert.
Nora was pretty. Too young for him, he thought. She couldn't have been much over sixteen. To some, he supposed the gap wasn't that much. But as she talked the only thought that filled his head was that she seemed so very young.
Her world revolved around her uncle and the tavern. Very little else mattered. He wasn't even sure she'd ever even stepped foot outside of the city limits. Everything about her worldview felt small.
He couldn't imagine spending the rest of his life in one city, in one tavern, doing the same thing every single day. It didn't even matter if that thing was pleasant. And he suspected a life here in Pelican's Rest could be pleasant. And there were far worse fates than Nora.
But it certainly wouldn't be fair to her. Even if Rob let him live after. Of course, her continued interest in him as he mostly ignored her was cause for some minor concern. But he didn't expect he'd stay in the city for very long. And even if he did, there were plenty of other places to drink at than The Rusty Door.
He wasn't sure how long their conversation lasted. Longer than was necessary for how little they talked about. At some point the music stopped, but that didn't matter much to his own mind. The crowd started to disperse. He saw Arestes disappear to the upper floor with both of the women.
Nora went to clean a few of the tables but returned after a few minutes. She asked if he didn't like his dessert with a playful smile. He shrugged and replied he never was much of a fan of desserts in general. Which just drew out a pointless argument that only ended when Rob barked her name.
Kaden looked toward the bar, expecting to see the barkeep glaring daggers at him. What he saw was the songstress's backside. Nora rushed off to help with whatever he needed and Kaden decided the best course of action was to continue to stare at the Kin.
He could see more of her skin as she leaned against the bar. Some sporadic pink furry striping was visible on her back and her legs, but there was very little of it in general. What she had was the same pink shade of her fluffy pointed ears and her bushy tail. The tail that currently wagged back and forth as she chatted with the barkeep. Rob handed her a drink and nodded in his direction. It was enough of a warning for him to look away and act like he wasn't wondering about what was underneath the tail.
She walked straight to his table and placed her mug down on it. Then she turned and walked away. Kaden looked into her mug to find clear water, which bored him, so instead he peered at her as she went, rather intrigued by, well, what she was doing and not her toned legs and backside.
She spent a few moments checking over her instruments on the stage. It felt oddly ritualistic as he watched. There were only a handful of patrons left in the bar and Nora was spending the end of her evening making sure they weren't wanting for anything.
The Kin moved toward a brown pack at the back of the stage. She dug through it and drew out a frayed brown robe. She threw it on over her costume, wiggling to adjust herself until her tail poked through a hole in the back of it, and proceeded back to the table. She took a seat in the chair Nora had vacated, taking a moment to adjust herself and pull her tail into her lap. She plucked nervously at the white tip
"Hello," he said, resisting the urge to say something far less polite to his uninvited guest.
"Hi," she said. She let go of her tail and took a sip of the water. Her ears flattened to her head as she swallowed. He'd met a handful of kin in his life. It was obvious she was of the Foxkin tribe. They were one of the more prominent groups in Kinland. She looked almost human. Her face felt perhaps a little pointed, but outside of the tail and the ears she looked as human as any of them.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"You're Kaden, right?" she asked.
"Who's asking?"
"Me?" She looked confused. Kaden raised his brows at her.
"And you are?"
"Oh. Sorry. I'm Seralyse," she said. She turned her gaze from her water back to her tail. She moved to pluck at the fur once more but seemed to think better of it and instead turned her gaze back to him and pressed her hands into her lap. He noticed that her eyes matched her hair.
"A pleasure to meet you," he said.
"What is that?" she asked, gesturing to the dessert.
"Lemon ice," he responded, caught so off guard he couldn't think of anything else to say other than the truth. It was more than half melted but otherwise untouched.
"Can I try it?" she asked.
"Go ahead," he said, still flabbergasted by the start of their conversation. She plucked the spoon out of the melted slush and brought it to her mouth. She sniffed it once and frowned before letting her tongue flip over it.
Her disgust was apparent the instant she tasted it. She furrowed her brows and threw the spoon back down.
"I do not understand why they like lemon so much in this town," she said.
"Lemons are like a third of their economy," Kaden said. Statistically it couldn't be true. But they grew a lot of lemons in this area.
"Lemons are gross," she said.
"I disagree," Kaden said, sipping his lemon drink. They weren't his favorite fruit but at this point he felt like refuting her. Even if he thought arguing would make this conversation last longer than it needed to.
"Humans are weird," Seralyse said.
"Is that what you came over here to talk about?" he asked. "If you're here for anything else I probably can't afford you."
"Well that's rude," she said.
"Well, there's always been that rumor about Sirens," Kaden teased. Her eyes narrowed and for a moment he would have thought she was growling but her expression softened after an instant.
"Completely unfounded. It's fake anyway," she said.
"What is?"
"The Siren tattoo. I draw it on to attract bigger crowds," she admitted.
"I'm sure the guild will love that if they find out," he said. The Sirens' Guild was notoriously overprotective of their secrets and their members. He had little doubt they'd squash some fox songstress for claiming their approval.
"Why?" she asked. "I don't tell anyone I am one. If they ask I deny it. But you do one show where some locals see it and word of mouth spreads."
"That feels dishonest," Kaden said.
"Rob says you're a pirate," she countered.
"I'm a merchant," he defended himself, peering around to see if there were any official looking patrons that evening. He seemed to be in the clear. He did have to admit she made a good point there, though.
"Rob said you'd say that. But that you're a pirate," Seralyse said. She went back to sipping her water.
"I quit, actually," he said. He had no reason to admit that to her. But she'd been honest about vocation and it seemed senseless to not be honest about his.
"He thought you might," Seralyse said.
"You know him well enough that he talks to you?" Kaden asked, looking skeptically at her. Rob didn't share anything with him. Then again, she was a cute, young, Kin songstress with an impressive body and he was, at best, only three of those things.
"It's always impressive what people will share with you when you prove to be a massive boon for their business," Seralyse said. Her tone demonstrated no confidence, though.
"So what do you need with a pirate?" Kaden asked.
"I need transport," she said. He raised his brows.
"I don't have my own ship. You're better off booking passage with someone else. I can give you a few names that I'm sure will be at the docks. Where are you planning? Volkar?" Kaden asked. That seemed the most logical destination. And one of the few she'd need a ship for. He suspected a talented Kin singer could make a great deal of money traveling through their towns. As far as he was aware the Sirens' Guild had no real presence across the scar.
"No. I need to get to Bazaar," Seralyse said.
"I don't know anyone who ships that far north," Kaden said. Bazaar was the main trading hub and the de facto capital of Kinland. It was located in the northernmost country on the continent, nestled into the mountains. "At least not that I'd trust."
"I can't take a boat," she said.
"Why not?" he asked. "It's a long journey, sure. But, well, most Captains would be fine with shooting up the coast to say, well, Rose Harbor is probably your best bet. Sure, you can get more northerly like Calico or Ostia but the roads are better out of Rose Harbor. That's probably the fastest way to get to Kinland."
"The Land of the Kin," Seralyse said.
"Excuse me?"
"It's The Land of the Kin. Or The Land. It is not Kinland. Would you like it if we called Lorakianland?"
"I mean, we sort of do," Kaden shrugged. "And I'm Calabarian. I assumed the skin tone gave it away."
"I was just making a point," she said. "It's insulting."
"I meant no offense," he said. She wasn't telling him anything he didn't know. But it had slipped his mind that it might even be offensive.
"I know," she said. "It will just annoy me if we're to travel together and you keep referring to my home country in a derogatory way."
"We're traveling together now?" he asked. "I didn't agree to anything and I already said I don't have my own ship. I was going to stay in Lorak for a while."
"No you weren't," she countered.
"And you know that how?" Kaden asked.
"You'd have flirted more with the girl," Seralyse said. "If you were planning on staying in Lorak, I think you'd do quite well here. But you're not. And you didn't want to upset her. You know she'd go upstairs with you, if you asked."
"Maybe I prefer the company of men," Kaden said.
"Maybe you do. But then I don't think your friend wouldn't have brought you two women to choose from," she said.
"Those were both for him," he said.
"Sure they were," she said, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, they're a scam."
"You know them?"
"They were at the last tavern I performed at. They followed me here. I don't think Rob gives them the same benefits that the last owner did. Or asks for more of a cut. I'm not sure. I can't pretend to understand the inner workings of their business. Either way they don't like it as much here," she said.
"So then leave?" Kaden added, figuring the solution was easy.
"They're using me," she shrugged.
"Do I need to teach them a lesson?"
"It's nothing so nefarious. And it's not like I don't play up to it to an extent. I wish I could say that performing in a conservative dress paid as well as prancing around a stage almost naked. But it doesn't."
"What are they doing?"
"Men see a scantily clad Kin and they decide they'd like to try a Kin. She's the only Kin prostitute in town that I'm aware of. They charge ten to fifteen times as much as normal. Sometimes there's even a bidding war."
"How is that a scam?" Harry asked. "It seems like a perfectly reasonable use of the market to me."
"It's not her moon," Seralyse shrugged.
"What?"
"It's a Kin thing," she looked down at her hands in her lap, her face slowly flushing until it nearly matched her hair. "We're not like humans. I mean, we can be, I guess, not that I would really know. But I've heard it's much better when it's our moon."
"I don't see how that matters."
"Well you wouldn't I guess. But from what I gathered she just gets naked and lets her friend wear them out and they split the profits," Seralyse shrugged.
"Good for them. How can you tell all of this?"
"Well, I have rather large ears in case you didn't notice," she said. They twitched when she spoke and he let his gaze shift to them. She wore five earrings between her two ears, all just simple silver loops pierced almost at random into them. It caused her left ear to droop ever so slightly more than her right. "As for the moon bit, well." She stopped talking and made a show of inhaling sharply, three times, through her nose.
"That noticeable?"
"Yes."
"That must make living in Bazaar a bit trying."
"You can feel it coming on. If you're disinterested in breeding you lock yourself away with your family for a while. Otherwise, you get used to it."
"Why are you telling me all of this?"
"The further I get from The Land the more curious I've found people are about my race. And I figured it might get you to trust me," Seralyse said.
"I've already told you what I can. If you need to get to Bazaar I'd suggest finding Captain Dalton or Captain Withers tomorrow at the dock. Either of them will get you to Rose Harbor for a modest fee. Both men are honest," Kaden said.
"I'm going over land," she said.
"That will take months," Kaden said.
"Yes. But I have a caravan full of costumes, instruments and other supplies that I've spent far too long procuring to leave behind. And I've already spoken to your Captain Dalton. He wants ten thousand gold to transport it."
"That's a lot," Kaden whistled. He'd heard of royal dowries that were less than that.
"Quite."
"So why are you talking to me?"
"I want you to accompany me."
"Why?"
"Because the roads in Calabar made me nervous on my way south. I was robbed twice while performing. And I've heard from others that the bandits are only getting bolder," Seralyse said. Kaden shook his head.
"Calabar is much better about crime than Lorak," he said, feeling the need to defend his homeland from any such complaint.
"When was the last time you were there, pirate?" she asked.
"It's been a few years," Kaden admitted. She just raised her thin pink brows and stared at him for a moment.
"On my way back I want to hire some companions to make the trip safer."
"I'm sure there are plenty of mercenaries available."
"There are," she said. "But they don't come as highly recommended as you. Rob in particular says you're honest and that if you agree to a job you'll see it through."
"He just wants to get me away from Nora," Kaden laughed.
"And he said you'd be one of the few willing to make the journey," she continued, ignoring his outburst.
"I can think of far too many better ways to spend my next few months than walking to Bazaar," Kaden said.
"We're not going to walk," she frowned. "I told you I have a caravan of my own. And a couple of horses. There's enough towns along the way that we won't have to sleep in the caravan that much."
"Are you sure you're not propositioning me?" he asked, smirking at her. Her ears flattened against her head and this time she did growl.
"I'm sure my fiance would love that," she said.
"You're engaged and he let you wander the continent?" Kaden asked. From what he'd heard Kin tended to be rather protective of their mates. But for all he knew she could have been on some childhood dream tour.
"Well, not exactly. But I'm not sure why my father would splurge for a Volkar magical missive telling me to return home immediately if he didn't find some use for me. And that seems to be the most obvious use. I'll probably disappoint him and ruin everything when I show up. It wouldn't surprise me if there were already rumors of all the nonsense I was getting myself into. I'm sure I'll be painted a harlot." she frowned as she spoke. "Such a huge slut for the Calabarians. The fact that I've only been kissed like three times in my whole life won't matter." Something shifted in her tone but he couldn't quite place it. A different twang in her cadence or something ever so slightly off. Either way, it was the first time she hadn't spoken the absolute truth. That much he could tell.
"He can afford that but you can't afford a ship home?" Kaden asked.
"He almost certainly called in a bunch of favors and can't actually afford it. So what do you say? Will you join me on my trip home? Rob says you always talk of seeing the world. This is a great opportunity." Her eyes lit up as she made the offer. An innocent excitement filling her face as she spoke. And Kaden knew there was only one possible answer.
"No thanks," he said.
"I'll pay you five hundred gold," she said, her eyes narrowing as she spoke. That was a small fortune. One he could conceivably live on for a few years while he sorted out what he wanted to do with his life if he were frugal enough. But still he shook his head.
"It's too long of a trip, Sera. Can I call you Sera?"
"No. But we can discuss it more when we leave Lorak," she countered.
"I like Pelican's Rest," he said. "You're asking me to leave it for probably over a year. I'm not in a position where I want to do that. I'm sorry."
"Eight hundred," she said. He bit his lip before he spoke. That was more money than he and Arestes had made in all of their voyages on The Lost Prince.
"It's not about the money," he said, feeling like he was using that excuse a lot today. He doubted she had it. But, then again, almost every patron in the tavern had tipped her a handful of silver or a few golden coins that evening. Doing that near nightly would add up. And he had no idea how long she'd been performing or what her expenses were. Hell, he suspected Rob fed her as terms for her performance.
"A thousand," she said. She was frowning as she said it. Which didn't fill him with confidence. He meant to decline one final time but Arestes's face appeared in his head. Five hundred each would set them up for a very, very long time. And it would certainly be enough capital for Arestes to work on a few of his inventions. Which, if they worked, may very well be ways for them to make even more money.
"With the rate you're going, why would I agree to anything right now?" Kaden asked.
"To put me out of my misery?"
"I'm not a one-man show," Kaden said.
"Rob said," Seralyse started.
"My friend and I are a packaged deal," Kaden said.
"Well bring him," the kin shrugged her shoulders. "Six eyes are better than four. And when we're not near a town we could run the caravan for longer."
"Horses need rest too," Kaden said.
"Right. Forgot about that," Seralyse said with a slight frown. "I can be a bit of a night owl. I was just thinking with split shifts we could move all day."
"Well with what you're paying you could afford new horses in every town. But it's best to not run them so ragged," Kaden said.
"I know," she frowned. "I wasn't thinking. Was just thinking of how many days it could take off the journey."
"Fair enough."
"So will you do it?" she asked. Kaden frowned. He wanted to say no. His gut told him to refuse and find something better to do with his time. He liked Pelican's Rest. He wanted to stay there for a while. And this would take him away for a long time. And if she was to be believed, could be dangerous.
"Show me your caravan," he ordered. She blinked at him, clearly not expecting that response. But her eyes widened as she realized it wasn't a refusal. She shot to her feet and bolted toward the door of the tavern. Kaden finished his drink and followed. He watched her tail wag with each step she took.
"It's just outside," she said. She was quite agile, moving with grace as she hopped around some patrons leaving and then expertly turned down a side street next to the tavern.
She led him to an elaborate caravan. The wooden box of a structure was large enough to warrant three windows on each side. He'd seen similar vehicles for traveling troupe of actors before but he'd never seen inside one. It was larger than he expected. She dug a key out of the pocket of her robe and opened it, gesturing to the inside as she stepped away.
"Where are the horses?" he asked.
"The stables near the north gate," she said. "Rob lets me park this here because no one uses the side street and it saves him having to waste a room on me."
"I see," Kaden responded. He walked up next to her and peered into the caravan. Pots and pans hung from the ceiling. It was little more than one hall lined with chests. She turned a nook into what appeared to be her bed. She must have liked to sleep curled into a tiny ball to fit.
"Do you like it?" she asked, uncertainty mixing with pride in her. The entire thing looked smaller than the room he'd share with the First Mate aboard the Lost Prince.
"It seems fine," he said. She frowned at his dismissive comment. "Three people for an extended period will be tight."
"It'll be fine," She said. She hopped around him and slipped into the caravan. Moving down to her nook and spinning around to look at him. "Come on. I'll show you."
"Are you inviting me into your bedroom?" he teased.
"No!" she said, blushing as she spoke.
"Are you sure? It sounds a lot like you want me to join you."
"On a journey. Not for…that."
"Hmm."
"That's not on the table. Even if it would make you say yes."
"Good," he said. He reached for the door and made to close it.
"Wait!" she said as he did. He looked back at her, wondering what her next words would be. And wondering what his response would be to them.
"What?"
"So, will you? I wanted to leave soon," she asked.
"I need to talk to Arestes about it. I'll give you an answer in the morning."
"Really?" she asked. "You're not pulling my tail or anything?"
"I'm not saying it will be a yes. But I wouldn't have a reputation for being dependable if I didn't at least give an answer."
"Okay," she said. "I look forward to it then. But it's a thousand in total. Not each. I can't afford each."
"Goodnight, Seralyse," he said, shaking his head as he smiled at her. He let his hand slip from the door, figuring locking her in her own home wasn't the way to end the night. He turned back to the tavern, leaving her to her own devices.
The caravan could be a blessing or a curse. It would have to stick to the roads. Which would be fine until they were closer to Kinland. And it would provide shelter during any weather situation. But it would be cramped with three of them in it at a time. And it would draw attention to them.
Of course, all of that was assuming Arestes didn't laugh at him. And he wasn't about to go on a months-long journey without his best friend.
He re-entered the tavern and walked to the bar. Rob raised his brows at him, as if surprised by his reappearance. He must have thought the Kin girl was more desperate than she seemed.
He paid the man for the rooms, knowing that Arestes hadn't bothered. Rob wouldn't have cared until the morning. But Kaden figured it better to get it out of the way. He was always an early riser, anyway, and figured he'd head to the market early in the morning.
It hit him then that he already knew his answer. He was thinking like a ship's captain, already inventorying the goods he'd want to start with based on the room in the caravan. He'd have to ask what she had on hand, but for now it didn't matter. He'd get some essentials, talk to Arestes, and, if he had his way, be on his way.
If he was honest with himself, he always knew he wanted to visit Kinland at some point in his life. And now he'd make an absurd amount of money to do it. It was a win-win, he thought as he moved up the stairs to his room for the evening.
He felt the excitement of it all pumping through his veins. He always liked the early stages of a new adventure, where things were difficult and where everything was new. It never lasted, everything turned dull and easy after enough time. But for now he had something to look forward to. And that was good enough for the evening.
Long Author's Note: This is probably where I lose people. This story is split evenly into two different segments. Hogwarts, and Campaign. I toyed with a few different ideas for how to go about the 'campaign' portion of this story, much like I did with the staging of the play in Pantomime Fountain. In the end I decided that the best way to do it, is just to do it in prose. I felt doing so created a more cohesive narrative structure.
The interactions between say, Kaden and Seralyse, are early role-playing interactions between Harry and Daphne. The things they discuss, act on, and talk about will all have a bearing on things that Harry and Daphne discuss. It's a bit less prominent in this introductory chapter because a good chunk of it goes into Lore and the world rather than specific interactions. I suspect it will turn off quite a few readers. But it's a sort of dual narrative structure that I wanted to see if I could write. I toyed with only posting the 'Hogwarts' chapters but the story will make far less sense without the campaign parts as the characters develop in ways that mirror each other. I'm not going to blab much more about that here but will delve more into it via PMs if people want, and do talk about it on other platforms.
As always thanks for reading and reviewing I do appreciate it. If you want to support me further I am available on PAT RE ON at TE7writes. There's about ten additional chapters of this story active there and three or four of CtS.