Pretty Fin- Raging Seas

by Smokey Moment

  “I promised Lance I would return without you. He worries Fin. I worry. Your being here is not the answer. I came to you for advice. And you have given me what I need to be victorious. Now go home. You have children. You cannot risk it,” he said. Fin shook her head. “No! I’m here now. I’m staying. So stop asking me to leave. Now tell me where everyone is at. I need to meet with them tonight. I will go to them. One by one. You find the commanders. I want Arfusei, Ziege, Casio, and Arfusei’s brother Rotiro. I want them to use the Trojian Sea. Swim to the deserted side of the Sabalo Mountain. The side impossible to get to by foot,” she said. Lark looked surprised. No one had been on that side of the mountain. It sat off the sea and was completely dark, as moss and algae didn’t grow there.

  “It’s dark there. We won’t be able to see. I haven’t been there since I was a young boy. And the sea… The men will be afraid of concrum. They come out at night to hunt,” he said. Fin smirked. “I know that. But concrum also stick mostly to the bottom towards the Debauwi Mountains. I have watched them. I have swam where they live. Listened to their high-pitched sounds and the clicking noises they make. It will be fine. Trust me. Do you trust me?” she said. Lark furrowed his brow. He wasn’t sure what sounds she was referring to. He stayed in water more than she did and he didn’t recall any such sounds.

  “Of course,” he replied. “Good! Just tell the men to stick to the surface. Scale the mountain once they have cleared the tall rocky part. I’ll meet you there,” Fin said. Lark stared intently. He grabbed Fin and pulled her to him. They held each other in a loving embrace. “I am glad you’re here. The men will listen to you. Their faith will be renewed,” he said. Fin was worried. She thought of Isla and Nimah. This was their home too. They were princesses. And if she didn’t stay and fight to reunite the world in solidarity and love, there would be no Madaka for them to visit. The city of Mojarro was rightfully theirs. And Fin trusted that Lark would welcome them with open arms if they ever wanted to visit or stay there. But first they had to fight. She wasn’t going anywhere.

  F

  in walked through the streets of Mojarro in a hooded chiton given to her by Lark. He kept clothing hidden in the tall grass in case he needed to move discreetly around town. The soldiers initially prevented the men of Mojarro from covering their faces with hoods but had relaxed a bit with the rules that the citizens refused to follow. They didn’t have enough metal to build a jail big enough to house them all, so the soldiers allowed it so long as the men complied with verbal request to remove it when being spoken to.

  Fin tried to change her walk as she made her way down the paved road toward the easterly arapaimas. She was trying to pass for male since her chiton was not silk. The females wore silk robes with shorter hoods and she would stand out in the material well known as one exclusively for males. Fin was taking a chance. She could see guards sitting on wood benches, laughing and eating food prepared for them by the local citizens of Mojarro. Fin was angered. The soldiers had made the families feed them at a time when food would be scarce. Lark told her of the restrictions to travel along the arapaimas and the seas. No travel meant limited food choices. It was disheartening.

  “Hey you…Get home. It’s too late to be on the streets,” one of the soldier’s yelled out. The soldier was a newly appointed lead soldiers and was taking his position serious. The other soldiers wanted to relax, but he kept them on their toes. They hated him for his strict adherence to the rules which had them exhausted. He had them walking excessively through the towns even when the streets were void of any activity. The soldiers watched as the tough, no nonsense leader approached the weird little man. Fin looked down. She hoped her nervous shaking didn’t get picked up by him. She tried to calm herself. But it was useless. She was a wanted woman. Enemy number one.

  “Yes sir,” Fin said, in the deepest voice she could conjure up, as she continued walking. “I am trying to get home sir,” Fin said. The soldier frowned. “Hold it. Stop!” he yelled. Fin stopped. Her legs trembling, as she heard him approach from behind. “You’re not from around here. Your mock is different. The women here where silk. Where are you from?” he asked. Fin sighed. Her attempt to pass as a man had failed. “I live west of here sir,” Fin said, deepening her voice still. If she changed it now, he would surely pull back her hood. The soldier stood over her. He was tall. Intimidating. Fin looked straight, hoping he would relax and allow her to continue on.

  “Who do you know?” he asked. “My sister. Sir. She lost her husband in the war. I help with the children,” Fin replied. The soldier furrowed. Suddenly a loud sound came from a home a half block down. The soldier and his comrades ran to the house.

  “What was that loud sound,” he asked, as nearly a dozen of his men forced their way in. The family of four stood near the door in a line. The men’s presence was frightening. The children hid behind their parents out of fear. The wife looked at her husband then looked down. She couldn’t bear looking at the soldiers. They had terrorized many families when they first arrived. She looked at her husband and he nervously stepped forward to address them.

  “My apologies sir. I was trying to rebuild a table and the whole thing caved in,” he said. The soldier looked at the rock-solid table. Dishes had crashed to the ground. The legs were broken in the middle, from what looked like a powerful kick.

  “It is night. How can you see? And besides, this table looks sturdy. The leg is snapped in half. Did you break this on purpose?” he asked. “Oh no! This is new. I have become quite skilled working in the dark. Our hemini plants were taken by soldier’s sir. I have no other choice. I didn’t see the dishes that crashed to the ground. Sorry for the disturbance. It won’t happen again,” the man said.

  “Give him the plant,” he ordered one of the soldier’s, who was holding a hemini plant for light. “Thank you,” the man said as he took the plant. The lead soldier glanced at the faces of the man and his wife. He looked down at their two small children. “Don’t let it happen again. We do not have time to babysit you or tend to you if you injure yourself. Save the work for the morning when there’s light,” he said. The man nodded.

  The soldiers exited the small home and looked around. The man in the heavy dark chiton had vanished. The soldier looked around. He wanted to see the man’s face. Confirm he was a newcomer and not the regular rule breakers that liked to sneak out and visit their friends. He looked back at the family. The disturbance caused a distraction for him. He glared at the man. The man looked back, then nodded to ease the tension, as he slowly closed the door. He looked at his wife. She trembled from fear.

  “I’m sorry my dear. But it was the only way to save the queen,” he said. “How do you know it was her. We could have been killed,” she whispered. “It was her. Basra was the castle’s cook for many years. You know that. I have met the queen many times over the years when my sister was there. I would know her anywhere.”

  The soldiers went back to their post. They quickly forgot about the stranger walking the streets. They figured he was out visiting and nothing more. They wanted visiting kept to a minimum as Andreus had ordered. But the citizens had started treating them kindly. Feeding them, in order to get them to relax some of their rules. It worked. They were allowed to move around more freely as long as the numbers in the streets did not get out of control. Mojarroian’s were taking turns. Designated days for certain citizens to be out. They kept the number low and in turn the soldiers gave them freedoms. To sweeten the deal, food and sweets were given. Soon haku wine was given. Aged, to be more potent. The more inebriated the soldier, the more they got away with. And Andreus absence gave even more freedoms. He was still too ill to make the long swim there. And the soldiers had quickly taken up with their old ways.

  But the lead soldier was suspicious. He was recently made a lead soldier and he was ambitious. If he could find the Lark, Fin, Ziege or Arfusei he would be made lieutenant. He decided to stick to Andreus’ plan and restrict movement more. It was strange that the man with the soft v
oice would flee while he had his back turned. He wondered if something was brewing. “I don’t like this. That man was acting strange. And now he is gone. I want the homes searched again,” he said.

  “What! Tonight! In darkness. Some of these homes don’t have hemini plants. It is too dark to see. We shouldn’t do anything until the king arrives,” he said.

  “No! I say we check. The king will have our heads if he discovers we have not continued looking for Lark and the queen. At least we can say we continued to search for them,” the soldier said. “When does the king arrive?” one soldier asked. “In a few days. We have time to enter every home. I want every room searched. I will talk to Ithicus. He will be the first one the king wants to see. Go! Tell the other’s,” he said, as he walked away.

  Ithicus was King Andreus’ number one personal guard and friend. He saved Andreus’ life during the first battle with Mojarro, killing King Zander’s personal guard Sparrow. He was Lark, Ziege and Arfusei’s number one enemy second only to Andreus. His presence there was a secret as his life was valuable to the king. They took no chances since King Zander’s men were still unaccounted for. Ithicus was sent to run the entire battalion. And he was their main contact for anything concerning the king.

  The guard shook his head. It was a tall order. There were hundreds of thousands of homes. They had already entered every single one. It took many days. It was an exhausting job. He didn’t see why they needed to repeat such a tedious task. Lark and the queen were smarter than that. It was obvious they were in hiding. Possibly in the Palimora or Trojian Sea. Some suspected that maybe King Nephrus or Queen Rasbora were hiding them.

  A knock at the door startled Ziege. He jumped up from his custom made wood chair with cushions made of cotton. His home was designed elegantly. Jewels supplied from King Zander as a thank you for his service, lined the walls and furniture. The walls were covered with wall paper made from cotton and dyed with vibrant colors using extract from flowers called fire flowers. Bright orange, yellow, and red flowers that were imported from Piratchu. Ziege had made the home perfect for his wife and two daughters. They had relocated to the newly built home. His life was in jeopardy. Some of his closest friends built the home and hid him there. He was protective. He had to be. He was the personal guard to King Zander. And one of the wanted men that a bounty had been placed on.

  Another light tap made Ziege uneasy. The person was persistent. His wife Maoira exited a room and walked towards her husband. A light knock sounded again. Ziege put his hands up, motioning to his wife to keep quiet, as he looked through a slit in the door. Maoira was visibly shaken. Ziege narrowed his eyes. The person had a hood. He reached down to the floor and pulled a knife from under a rug. Maoira shook her head no. She didn’t want to witness anything brutal. “It’s ok,” Ziege whispered. Maoira teared up. She feared an attack. Her husband was a wanted man. Their home was far from the castle. They were sure that their location would be a secret to the few who knew where he stayed.

  “It’s me,” Fin said. Ziege stood still. Shock kept him from moving too quickly. “Your Highness?” he whispered. Fin smiled. She hadn’t heard the words. “Yes,” she said. Ziege looked at Maoira. They smiled excitedly at each other. Ziege opened the door. He needed to see her face. Fin stepped in. She raised her hands slowly and removed her hood. Her eyes filled with tears.

  “Ziege…Maoira…” she said, in a low voice. Maoira ran to Fin and hugged her. “Oh Fin! You’re alive,” she exclaimed. Ziege touched her shoulder. “I have never been happier to see you. We thought you were dead. Lark kept saying you were in the Trojian, but I just didn’t see you living in those waters this long. I thought it was his way of not accepting you were gone. And here you are,” he said. Fin looked piercingly in his eyes. She almost didn’t recognize him from the amount of hair that had grown on his face. But it was him. Those same strong, unwavering eyes that could stare a person down, right through their very soul. She was glad to see him. She looked at his muscular arms. They held the scars of old battles and fresh ones from the torture he endured. Lark had told her of his bravery. It was admirable.

  “We don’t have long. I have to find all of our lieutenants. I must speak with as many men as possible. Can you help me round up men? I need them to travel tonight under the cover of the night sky. Tell them to get to the forest and stick to the inside, where the trees can shield their presence. Tell the men to get to the Trojian Sea and swim to the other side of the Sabalo. Lark and I will be there,” she said. Ziege smiled.

  “Of course I can. But it is dangerous for you. Let me go to Rotiro and Casio. Together, we will get the others,” he said. “It is dangerous for you too. I’d rather die than lose any of you. I can’t. They killed Sparrow. And they want to kill you, Lark and Arfusei. I must help in any way I can. I have the arapaimas. I have the seas. No one is faster than I am in water. They will never catch me. I will stick to the easterly and westerly arapaimas. No more travel by land. They are new here. They are uncertain how and where our rivers lead. Use them to travel as close to the sea as you can. Then use the forest. The soldiers like to stick to the main roads. I noticed that as soon as I got here,” she said. Ziege agreed.

  “Yes, they do. And for that reason, Casio spends a lot of time in the forest. He only exits to get in water after he can no longer tolerate the dryness of his skin. I will go to him. Rotiro is living with a family near the Palimora Sea who is protecting him. He spends some of his time in the sea. He has been secretly meeting with uaru. They have been forced to live at the bottom of the sea. Their large numbers seem to keep the tetra back. I can get word to him,” he said. Fin smiled. “Good! We will defeat them again Ziege. I promise. We just have to outthink them,” she said. Ziege looked away. He paused. “It will be hard. They have confiscated all our weapons. They went to all the guards and soldier’s homes and took every sharp weapon. And we have no access to metal,” he said. Fin could feel he was unsure. She needed him in all his glory. The old Ziege who believed in their power.

  “There is metal in Piratchu. And Panga is still our friend. We can travel to Piratchu through Panga. Speak with Queen Rasbora. She will allow us access to the metal,” Fin said. Ziege paced slowly. Maoira watched her husband closely. She had nursed him through several nervous breakdowns over the torture he endured and the bleak future of their city. And she hoped Fin’s words and presence would keep him together.

  “How do you know you can trust her? Her city is closest to Eulachon. What if he’s threatened her? Already gotten to her… Promised her protection,” he said. Fin looked away. She hadn’t thought of it. Queen Rasbora was headstrong. Fair. But she was a friend of her closest neighbor. It was possible.

  “Ziege…Let me worry about that. I know you’re strong. Powerful. But I also know that out of everyone, you have the biggest heart which means things affect you more. I promise you we have the upper hand. You have the most powerful ally. Me! I just need to go to her. Don’t worry. You just get those men together. As many as you can round up. I’ll see you soon.”

  Z

  iege made good on his promise. Men entered the Trojian in the dead of night, travelling through the arapaimas and the forest, headed to the other side of the Sabalo Mountain. The men came by the thousands. Their quiet presence was impressive. Ziege could barely see their faces. He hoped no enemies stood among them. It was dark. Creepy. Some of the men had never been there before. Legend spoke of a spirit that dwelled there. A dark force there to protect the rarest of gem stones. It was hearsay. Folklore. No one went there. Except Lark and Fin.

  He was a brave and curious child. He played there during the day, gathering stones that he later discovered were yellow diamonds. The rarest and most coveted stones of them all. He never told anyone, as he collected the stones and hid them in the ground near the castle. No one had a yellow diamond. Only Queen Aterra possessed one. A gift from Lark. Aterra never knew it was Lark who brought the stone and placed it on her table. He was happy to bestow such a beautiful stone
to his queen. A woman who was like a mother. The diamond just appeared in her room one day. And she had the stone polished and placed in a ring. The queen cherished the rock, wearing it daily and bragging on its uncommonness. And the discovery of where the gem was from was never revealed. And because the land was forsaken and uncharted, the diamonds stayed hidden. He eventually showed the land to Fin and they snuck there on many occasions to explore the intriguing land. And now it would be headquarters for their secret army.

  “Listen everyone. The Queen will be here shortly. I know it is dark and we are unable to see each other’s faces clearly. But you hear my voice. You know it is I, your king. And we have called you here because it is time,” Lark said. He could hear the men talking proudly among each other. Whispers of encouraging and uplifting words could be heard. Ziege stood next to Lark. The men could see each other’s eyes. They were united in their fight once again. It was a powerful and humbling moment. Lark hugged Ziege then stepped back so Ziege could address the crowd. He wasn’t king. But his role was just as important. He was the city’s most fierce and dedicated soldier. A man who proved he was willing to die for his beloved family and friends. A man tortured to the brink of death and yet still remain silent, refusing to give in. The men admired him. They loved the man he was. And it was time to return the favor.

  “I want to thank each and every one of you for coming. As you know, this had been a long and difficult road. The men of Eulachon have crossed the line at the orders of their king. They have invaded our city and taken what is not theirs. Our women are scared. Our children are terrified. They have stripped men of their power making us appear weak before our own families. But we will restore the faith in them. We will take back what is ours. We will be victorious once again. Because this time, we seek to kill enemy number one. Their king. Andreus,” he said. Fin walked up. The men turned quickly around. Arfusei and Casio walked behind her. The men embraced them.