by Aron Lewes
Vala replied, “Well, for starters, you could be a gentleman and introduce yourself. You haven't been on the sea for so long that you've forgotten how to interact with other people, have you?”
“Of course not. I was just wondering if we should help her out or leave her here.”
Kylin's Chosen stuck out a hand, but all she did was stare at it. In her culture, hand-to-hand contact was incredibly intimate, and to suggest she would willingly take his hand was an insult.
“I'm Wilhelm Stroud, and this is my sister, Vala.” When she didn't take his hand, he retracted it with a shrug. “Do you have a name?”
Kylin couldn't speak—not in front of a human. She might have made an exception for her Chosen, but she couldn't let the other woman hear her voice. Humans only want to hurt you. That thought had been ingrained in her since birth, and she believed it. And yet, Wilhelm had come to her aid. Was it possible that not all humans were the wicked villains from her childhood tales?
Kylin grabbed his arm and pulled him in the direction of the carriages. If he was competent with a bow or blade, she needed his help to rescue her brother.
“Whoa... hold on!” Wilhelm wiggled his arm from her grasp. “It's not a bright idea to head in that direction. That's where the slavers are.”
Vala gave her knuckles a loud crack and asked, “Can't we just take them all down? There's nothing I hate worse than a slaver. They're even worse than rapists and terrorists in my book.”
“That's like saying one type of shit is better than another type of shit. Isn't it enough to say they're all shit?” Wilhelm asked. “Anyway, I'd rather not put myself out. We were hired to take down Taka and that's it.”
“True.” Vala bowed her head at Kylin, who made another attempt to grab her Chosen's arm and drag him toward the carriages. “I bet your little girlfriend agrees with me. She's just itching to go over there and cut some throats.”
“Girlfriend?” Wilhelm's nostrils flared. “You shouldn't say things like that, Vala. She looks like a child.”
“If it's got breasts, it ain't a child.” The kitsune girl was still tugging on Wilhelm's arm, so Vala said, “Maybe you should just grant her wish and go with her? If the bastards are still over there, we can take them out.”
“We can take out twenty slavers?” Wilhelm's eyes rolled at his sister's recklessness. “That sounds like a great plan, Vala.”
Despite his reservations, Wilhelm followed Kylin back to the carriages—but the carriages were gone. Kylin found tracks in the mud, left by the slavers' vehicles. She dropped to the ground beside the tracks, oblivious to the mud soaking through her dress.
Her little brother was gone, and there was no way to get him back. She had officially failed him.
“Excuse me... miss?” Vala tried to get Kylin's attention with a snap of her fingers. She even waved a hand in front of her face, but the young woman was so smothered in grief that she didn't hear or see anyone else. “Miss, is there somewhere we could take you?”
“That's surprisingly kind of you, Vala,” Wilhelm said. “It's rare to see you go out of your way to help someone when there's no money to be made.”
“Piss off.” Vala shut down her brother's remark and tapped on Kylin's shoulder. “Miss, we can't help you if you won't talk to us!”
“Are you sure she even understands our language?” Wilhelm asked.
“Dunno.” Vala's shoulders leapt into an apathetic shrug. “I guess we should just leave her, though. I'm not gonna beg to help her.”
Kylin sprang to her feet and captured Wilhelm's sleeve before they could abandon her. When she tried to pull him in the direction of her village, he shook her off with a chuckle.
“You want to go somewhere? It would be faster on horseback,” Wilhelm said, over-enunciating every word. He didn't think she could understand him otherwise.
Wilhelm followed Vala to the clearing where their horses were tethered. As he untied his mare, he asked Kylin, “Would you like to ride with me or with Vala?”
Kylin made her choice by clinging to Wilhelm's arm.
“See? She understands us,” Vala said, leaping onto the back of her horse. “She just doesn't want to talk.”
“Maybe she can't talk? She could be mute.”
“Nah, she ain't mute. She's just weird,” Vala replied.
Wilhelm mounted and pulled the silent girl onto the horse in front of him. He waited for her to specify a direction, then trotted forward.
Vala asked, “What is she, anyway? She doesn't look human.” Her gaze was fixed on Kylin's ears, the most unusual part of her.
“She's a kitsune.”
“A what?”
“Kitsune,” Wilhelm repeated. “I believe they're a sort of... shapeshifting fox? They're incredibly rare, and they only live in this part of the world.”
“That sounds like a load of horseshit, but I'll take your word for it,” Vala said. “So, where do you think this girl is taking us?”
“How should I know? I'm not psychic and she's not talking.”
Kylin knew the woods better than anyone in her village. They followed the road for a minute or two, then she thrust out an arm to suggest a new direction. They made a few more turns, and within twenty minutes, they were back in Kylin's village.
She almost wished she hadn't returned. Nearly everything was incinerated and nothing was salvageable. She wandered around the ruined wagons, smacking tears from her cheeks as she explored the smoking remains of her home. Most of the fire had been put out by a recent rain, but there were a few blazes still crackling.
The worst part was the corpses. Anyone who wasn't captured had been killed. Most of her friends' bodies were so burnt, she couldn't identify them by their faces.
Kylin had an extraordinary power that was unique to her: she could ask the souls of the recently deceased to return to their bodies. Here, her power would be worthless. The remains of her friends were too charred, too ruined. Their scorched vessels would have been a prison for any soul.
Wilhelm tapped her arm and asked, “Are you alright?” She didn't respond, but it wasn't hard to guess her answer. “I'm sorry. That was a stupid question. Of course you're not alright.”
Kylin climbed into what was left of the wagon she shared with her brother. On her knees, she rummaged around for something sentimental to salvage from the life she lost. Everything she owned was destroyed, except for a necklace given to her by her father on her eighth birthday. Kylin clutched the necklace against her heart and sobbed when she found it.
“That poor girl's been through some bad shit,” Vala said.
“I can see that, Val. Thank you for stating the obvious.”
Vala punched his arm and mumbled a complaint about his smart ass replies.
Wilhelm waited for Kylin's tears to stop, then he crouched beside her and asked, “Is there anywhere else you can go? We would be willing to take you somewhere.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head.
“Well...” Tossing a glance in his sister's direction, he asked, “Would you like to come with us?”
Vala didn't have to say a word—he could read her disapproval as soon as it appeared on her face. Her nose wrinkled in a way that was far from subtle.
Kylin stood up and climbed out of her ruined wagon. Her knees and dress were caked in mud and ash, but she was too numb to care. She walked back to Wilhelm's horse and gently took its reins.
“Does that mean you want to come?” Wilhelm asked.
Kylin nodded. Vala growled.
“Excellent! Then you're coming with us,” Wilhelm declared. “Also, pay no attention to Vala's sour face. I'm sure she'll be happy to have another female on our ship... maybe.”
Chapter Six
KYLIN HAD NEVER SEEN a ship before, let alone, boarded one. She shielded her eyes from the still-bright light of the descending sun and studied one of the masts. It was so high, it made her feel dizzy to look at it, and the ship's subtle motion didn't help. They had just left the port, and she wa
s unprepared for the the constant sway of a moving ship.
She was even less prepared to meet Vala and Wilhelm's silent crew. Apart from their paleness, they looked like normal people, but they were far from it. They shuffled around the deck, never making eye contact, and the only noises they made were hisses and strained growls.
“Those are The Silenced,” Wilhelm explained. “They're former criminals who've had their souls removed from their bodies. All that's left is an empty husk that mindlessly follows orders. They're quite common in the City-States of Thebes, where Vala and I come from. Let's just say... it discourages people from breaking the law.”
“Don't feel sorry for them,” Vala chimed in. “They're murderers and thieves, the types of folks we're usually sent to kill. We're assassins, by the way... but you've probably figured that out.”
Kylin tapped one of The Silenced as he passed her. His skin was ice cold with a grayish tint, not unlike the skin of a corpse.
“That's Douglas. He's been with us for years,” Vala said. “He's getting a bit old, but he can still swab a deck, so we keep him around.”
Kylin tapped Douglas' arm a few more times. She wanted to get his attention, to see if there was any life in him. He eventually knocked her away with his elbow and hissed.
“Careful. They look docile, but they can get feisty if they feel threatened,” Vala warned. “The best way to deal with them is to stay out of their way and keep them busy with simple tasks.”
Kylin's skin prickled at the thought of mindless slaves and callous assassins. She didn't want her fear to manifest on her face, so she made herself smile. But it was a disingenuous smile, and the corners of her mouth quivered as she raised them.
Vala asked Wilhelm, “So... how long do you plan to keep your new pet?”
Kylin didn't realize Vala was talking about her until she heard the brother's answer.
“I don't know. I guess we could take her to Stralia. It's not so far away, and it's a big city. Maybe she can find help.”
“Help?” Vala snorted at Wilhelm's answer. “The big city is the worst place for a pretty girl, especially one as exotic as her. If we take her there, the only help she'll find is in a brothel. Mark my words. I've seen a lot of hopeless girls fall into that type of work.”
“Do you have another suggestion?” Wilhelm asked.
“No. Stralia's fine. Maybe we can give her a little money or something. Then I won't feel like we've signed her up for a life of gobbling knobs.”
Kylin didn't understand half of Vala's reply, but it must have been funny, because it made her brother chuckle.
Vala said, “You know, girl... you might actually get along with The Silenced. They're as quiet as you are.”
Kylin said nothing to prove her wrong. She focused on keeping her fake smile while avoiding Vala's eyes.
“Well, I need to use the loo,” Vala announced. “I'm leaving the little girl in your care, Brother. Try to be nice to her.”
Vala dealt a smack to Wilhelm's arm as she strutted away, which had Kylin raising an eyebrow. If the light blow was supposed to be some sort of affectionate gesture, she didn't understand it.
When his sister was gone, Wilhelm said, “I'm sorry if she says anything to offend you. Vala means well, but she's not too good at minding her tongue. She can be a little crass at times.”
Kylin was tempted to reply. He was her Chosen, after all. Would it be so outlandish to break her people's rules for the man who was supposed to be her life-mate?
“I should apologize on my own behalf as well. You just lost everything, and I haven't been very comforting. Vala and I are both like that. We didn't have a very nurturing childhood. We grew up in an orphanage. We—” Wilhelm stopped himself with a tut of laughter. “I don't know why I'm telling you this. It's not like you're interested.”
Kylin's eyebrows snapped together, and she wagged a finger under his nose.
“Are you trying to tell me you are interested?” he asked.
Kylin nodded.
“Alright, well... I was just going to say... the ladies who raised us were pretty nasty. We ran away when Vala was fourteen and I was eight. That was a little more than twenty years ago now. Damn, time flies.” Wilhelm slid backward, away from their silent guest. “Anyway, you're welcome to wander around the ship. If you need anything, The Silenced can get it for you. They might look intimidating and dumb as a stone, but they work hard, and they can follow an order.”
As Wilhelm walked away, he swore he heard the patter of bare feet chasing after him. He stopped, glancing over his shoulder. Sure enough, the girl was following him.
“Did you need something?” he asked. “I'm sorry if that sounds rude, but I've got a lot that needs doing, and a pretty girl will only distract me from those tasks.”
Kylin pointed at the round, shiny object poking out of his pocket, which was unlike anything she had ever seen before. It reminded her of a pocket watch—she had seen one or two of those—but the arrows on Wilhelm's device had no numbers.
“This?” Wilhelm scooped the object from his pocket and held it out to her. “This is a wayspinner. Basically, it's a compass that's been touched by magic. It points us in the direction of our targets.” He gave her an uneasy smile when she took the device from his hand. “Be careful with it. If you break it, it wouldn't be easy to find another one.”
Kylin tapped the glass that covered the wayspinner's arrow. She held it up to her ear and gave it a gentle shake.
“Please don't do that,” he said, reclaiming his device from Kylin. “Why don't you explore the ship? Or, if you'd rather, you can rest in one of the empty rooms. I can point you in the direction of—”
His tongue froze when Kylin started to speak. She only said, “I...” but it was the first noise he heard from her.
“Were you going to say something?” he asked.
Kylin was going to say something, but she was drowning in doubt and fear. Even if he was her Chosen, talking to a human was against the rules. She was going against everything she had ever been taught.
But there was no one around to chide her, and if breaking the rules could help her brother, did she really have a choice?
“I...” she started again, pushing her doubts aside. “I need to find my brother.”
Chapter Seven
“AH, THE LITTLE GIRL'S found her voice!” Wilhelm exclaimed. “I'll have to tell Vala the news. Now that you're in a speaking mood, maybe you can fill in some blanks for us, starting with your brother. You say you need to find him?”
Kylin watched him shake a long, white tube from a crushed box. When he lit the tube on fire, she asked, “What's that?”
“It's a cigarette. Want one?”
“N-No.” She cocked her head and continued to stare—at his lips, never his eyes. Wilhelm seemed to be taking smoke into his lungs. Perhaps his white tube was like one of The Elder's pipes? “I, uh... my brother and several others were captured. I thought... maybe your wayspinner could point me in the right direction?”
“Probably.” Wilhelm said. “Look, I don't want to disappoint you, but I doubt Vala would be up for any more detours. Taking you to Stralia is probably the best we can do. There are a lot of people in Stralia... mercenaries and such. You could probably find someone who's looking for work and willing to help you.”
Kylin didn't want just any mercenary. She wanted him—her Chosen. She wanted to tell him about The Resonance, and the pleasurable flutter she felt when they met, but she didn't want to overwhelm him with the peculiarities of her culture. He didn't even know her name.
She decided to remedy that. “My name is Kylin, by the way.”
“It's nice to finally meet you, Kylin,” Wilhelm said. “Why'd you wait so long to tell us that? Why so quiet?”
“It's a kitsune thing,” she admitted. “We try to avoid interactions with humans.”
“I don't blame you. I try to avoid interactions with humans myself.” Wilhelm brought his cigarette to his lips and chortled behind hi
s hand. “So... that's what you are, then? A kitsune?”
“Yes. I'm what they call a vixen, a female kitsune.” One of her tall, fur-tipped ears twitched as she spoke.
“Wow.” When he exhaled, a stream of smoke shot out of his mouth. “I've seen some crazy shit in this world, but I've never seen anything like you.”
“Is that... bad?”
“No, but it's a little intimidating.”
Kylin's eyelashes fluttered at his reply. She was intimidated by him. The other way around didn't make sense. Why would he be intimidated by her?
“Anyway, like I said, you're welcome to wander around the ship,” Wilhelm reiterated. “If you need me for anything, I'll be around.”
Kylin wasn't too disappointed to see the back of his head when he left her. As a child, she fantasized about meeting her Chosen. She imagined some undeniable, instant connection with a man who slayed with his smiles. Wilhelm was disappointing. He was handsome, but apart from that, her first impression wasn't good. He didn't seem especially charming or kind. Worst of all, he scared her. He didn't want to help her brother, and he was a murderer by trade. There was nothing to like about him, save for the fact that he had rescued her.
But he had to be her soul mate. She doubted her heart would lie to her. If a future with Wilhelm was inevitable, she had to try to like him.
Kylin wandered around the deck, as Wilhelm suggested, taking in the sights and sounds of the sea. Big, white birds, gliding on the wind, warbled overhead. A blessing of narwhals raced alongside their ship, their spiral tucks carving a path through the water. As majestic as they were, it was impossible to enjoy the moment while her brother was still in peril.
For twenty minutes, Kylin followed one of The Silenced. It was a boy, not much older than her, with the pallor of a long-dead corpse. He sauntered aimlessly around the deck, devoid of purpose, before stopping to fuss with one of the ship's sails. Kylin never spoke to him, and he never spoke to her. It was as if they were completely invisible to each other.
Another Silenced, aged and male, delivered her supper and motioned for Kylin to follow him. He escorted her to a small bedchamber below deck—presumably her new quarters—and left without a word.