Noticing Luto and Travos on either side of him but a dozen or so meters behind and above him, he tucked his limbs into his body and straightened, remembering what he had been told and forcing his head to point to the ground, instantly felt the air resistance lessen.
Looking to his left and right Sain saw other groups of jumpers and remembered that there had been another three gunships with their own units of paratroopers doing training jumps, but unlike Travos' unit, those paratroopers were regular soldiers and used parachute's, whereas Travos' unit did not. His unit was essentially special forces and didn't use parachutes. Instead they used fabric gliders and magic to slow their descent and eventually land.
Sain had been thrown into the deep end having never done a jump before. Sure, he had used air magic to soften a landing before, but never from hundreds, or thousands of meters in the sky.
Gulping, he looked down at the rapidly approaching earth and touching fingers to the air crystals in his belt, he drew on the energy, beginning to use it to create short rushes of air in front of him and under his body, sending him shooting downwards at an angle so that he wasn’t just plummeting to the ground.
He gasped in surprise as Travos appeared on his right and Luto on his left with only two to three meters between them. As they came closer to the earth, the officers pulled the tabs at their waist causing small flaps of fabric to open up between their limbs and body, turning them into gliders. Sain copied the men and spread his limbs, instantly feeling the air take to the flaps. Curling his fingers to the palm of his hand, Sain felt the air crystals secured there and pulled on the energy, using it to push more air under him, and keep himself gliding at a near sixty-degree angle.
Remembering that Travos had said that they were all aiming at landing back at the base, which was about ten kilometers away from their launch point, Sain looked forward and found that he could just see the base in the distance, and creating another rush of air beneath him, he pushed himself higher.
Looking over at Luto he saw the man’s lips moving as he chanted to use his magic, whilst Travos simply stared grimly before him, his face a rictus of concentration as his lips moved just barely, his black skin coated with a light sheen of perspiration. Looking forward again, Sain let his mind wander as he glided. All the others in his unit were considered to be elite magic users, some of the best in their Sky Fleet, yet they seemed to struggle considerably with what Sain found easy. Mentally pushing the thought away, he concentrated on keeping himself at the level of his officers so as not to misjudge the fall and screw up.
They had long left behind the paratroopers and the entire unit was now flying in a double triangle formation, their experience letting them all know what to do.
As the base came closer, they all began to drop down, aiming for a field cordoned off with red flags. The area was supposedly only twenty by twenty meters, showing that they really had to be incredibly precise in their landing. As they approached the last dozen meters Sain closed his legs, causing them to shoot in front of him as the fabric between his arms and body pulled the brunt of the air. Noticing the others do the same, he flexed his fingers and curled them in to his palm, feeling for the air crystals sown into the fabric of his fingerless gloves. As his bare fingertips touched the crystals, he pulled all the air magic he could from them and created a strong rush of air beneath his feet, almost stopping him dead. As he hit the ground, he stumbled and rolled forward still having considerable momentum behind him. Doing a few roll’s he stood up shakily less than a meter from a red flag. Snorting, he turned to face the others of the unit, a grin working its way across his face.
Still somewhat shaky, he saw the second group landing behind the first. Travos himself walked up to Sain and slapped a big black hand on his shoulder.
"How fun was that eh kiddo?" he asked in exhilaration.
"That was pretty damn awesome" Sain said back, surprised at the hoarseness of his voice.
"Damn right, now we usually do that every second Friday, depending on what’s happening. But I think you don’t need much practice, except for your landing, but that’s normal" the Major said in a rush, Sain catching most of what was said as his understanding of the language had grown considerably lately.
Turning, Travos looked at the other members of the unit, all looking somewhat fresh after the exertion.
"Alright lads, you know the drill, the rest of the day is yours. Return the equipment and do any needed maintenance, but I expect to see you all at the Yellow Train tonight" he said loudly, accompanied by some chuckling from the other soldiers.
As Travos turned back to Sain he raised an eyebrow at Sain who wore a confused expression.
"What’s up lad?" he asked, that brow still perked.
"What’’s the Yellow Train?" Sain asked curiously, wondering if he had understood the words right.
Grinning, Travos slapped the youth on the shoulder again and then gripped his shoulder with a big meaty hand.
"Its the bases bar kiddo, an old train turned into a pub, and we go there nearly every Friday. Sometimes more frequently. You'll have your first paycheck delivered to the barracks today and I'll be damned if you don't get well and truly pissed tonight" he said grinning.
"But first, come with me, I gotta show you where to hand your gear in and how you should check it for damage first. The biggest thing of note to check is the webbing used for gliding. Make sure it has no holes or the next person to use it will be in for a shock. In a scenario where we would go straight into combat make sure to cut away the webbing. It will only get in the way. But for training we gotta make sure its reusable. Budgets and all that" the Major stated and then laughed.
Letting go of the youth, Travos started walking away in the direction of the hangars, the other unit members in front of him. Sighing, Sain followed after. They had quite a walk ahead.
* * *
"If he goes to Rehan for a job, he won't be able to get out. You know that right?" Aladeen stated right before his knife chopped down as he continued to cut the onion up into small pieces, seemingly completely unfazed by the sting it brought to most people’s eyes. Mehrasa sat nearby, her legs dangling off the counter she was situated on, her long skirt drifting slightly.
"I know. That pirate is a real piece of work, but seeing as he either wiped out or recruited all the other pirate gangs in the area, he seems to be the only option for Mehrbad" Mehrasa replied and then sighed. Hearing giggles and the patter of feet, the kitchen door suddenly blew open and two little children appeared, both no older than six years old.
"Hey big sis, when you gonna come live here" one of them piped up, Rouna, Aladeen’s little sister. Mehrasa just smiled warmly at the little girl before swinging off of the counter and squatting before the young girl, her younger brother Faha standing behind her with a sullen look on his face. Mehrasa shot him a smile as well, getting a nervous one in return before returning her attention to Rouna.
"Well Rouna, why don't you ask your big brother over there when that will happen" Mehrasa stated and jabbed a thumb over her shoulder at Aladeen. Hearing a scoff she looked over at him, a brow lifted in query.
"Come Mehrasa, don't give them ideas. You know my father already disapproves of you. I already got beaten that time I asked for his blessing to marry you" Aladeen stated and Mehrasa felt her cheerful mood start to ebb away. She remembered that time two years ago, when she and Aladeen had been in the throes of youthful love. Aladeen had asked for permission to marry her, and Aladeen’s father had beaten him badly, saying no son of his would marry a mere fisherman’s daughter, let alone a known pirate's daughter. She shuddered a little and she saw a look of guilt flash across Aladeen's face.
"Oh, Mehrasa, I am sorry, I didn't mean to" Aladeen started to say but his words dropped off and he just sighed, his shoulders slumping a little. Mehrasa shrugged and stood up, patting Rouna on the head. The girl smiled brightly and then giggled before turning on her heel and running out the door, Faha in tow.
"Hey, no running
in the house" Aladeen called out to them, laughter bouncing back into the kitchen.
"Those kids never learn" he muttered before sighing again. Mehrasa took her seat back on the counter and watched Aladeen continue to make dinner for the family, both of them falling into an uncomfortable silence. After a while Aladeen spoke up.
"If Mehrbad does get in with the Rehani pirates, will you go with him?" Aladeen asked quite suddenly, his head still bowed as he concentrated on cutting up the vegetables.
"Yes. I will. He needs someone to watch his back. And well, there isn't really anything else for me to do here by myself anyway" she said softly and then looked up at the clock on the wall, seeing the hands approaching the five o'clock hour.
"Well Alan, I need to scoot I think. Mehrbad has organized dinner with old man Shah's family. I'll see you in a day or two then" she stated and slid off the counter. Aladeen nodded to her, a weak smile on his face. She swore she could see a look of torment in his eyes. She knew his heart had been broken when his father had denied them. Her heart had been broken as well after all. But in this land, family ties were everything.
"Take care Mehrasa. I'll see you later" he replied and they stood there awkwardly for a few moments in silence. Then she turned and made her way to the kitchen door that led outside into the garden. Before long she exited the building and walked through the gardens, remembering them from her childhood. She had spent so much time here, playing with Aladeen and Mehrbad. As the son of the Mayor, Aladeen had been brought up in quite a lavish house, and because of the fact he was the first born son of the Mayor, it would have been seen as an insult to marry a mere fisherman's daughter.
Sighing, Mehrasa left the gardens behind and walked out onto the street, seeing the ocean far below at the bottom of the hill. It was always a pain coming up to the Mayors house. The house was situated on the highest point in the village after all. Starting her trudge down the road she watched as the sun started to set, leaving the ocean aglow in an orange fire. That was a sight she would never get tired of she thought.
Approaching her house midway down the hill, she saw Mehrbad emerge, casting his gaze around. She saw a look of excitement on his face and she rolled her eyes, almost groaning from the childish behavior he displayed. As he saw her, Mehrbad came running up the hill towards her.
"Sister, there you are! Come! Let us go to old man Shah's place now. It will be a grand feast it will!" he exclaimed excitedly as he reached out and grabbed her by the wrist, practically pulling her down after him. She staggered a little but tried to keep up with him, her free hand coming up to tighten the red headscarf about her shoulders and head, lest it fly off in the sea breeze.
As they made their way between rows of houses, Mehrasa looked around her, catching a few people glimpsing out of windows, a few waving at her but most ignoring her. She waved back to those she could but the for the most part kept her concentration on where her feet were going as the sky darkened rapidly around them, eventually leaving them in near darkness. After a few more minutes of walking between houses the pair arrived at their destination, the door to old man Shah's house open in an inviting manner.
Finally letting go of her wrist, Merhbad walked up to the open door and knocked on the frame. There was a brief sound of shuffling footsteps and then a weathered old brown face appeared. Old man Shah was bent almost double and his expression betrayed a look of constant pain.
"Hmmph, it’s you Mehrbad. Come in. You are the last to arrive" the old man grumbled and shot a disapproving look at Mehrasa before stepping away and allowing the two to enter the substantially large house. As Mehrbad entered, Mehrasa followed, old man Shah closing the dwellings door behind them. She looked around at Shah's home and clenched her jaw somewhat. He was a very wealthy man, what with having the only pottery business for at least twenty kilometers in all directions. Hearing a murmur of voices, Mehrasa stepped through a small doorway after her brother and found herself in a very large room, a large open fire situated within the middle of the space.
Around the fireplace was situated about forty people give or take, all seated on pillows surrounding small round tables. Seeing as Shah had been married four times, he had a large family. Of all the surviving children he had, six sons and three daughters, each of them seemed to be attending this dinner with their wives, husbands and children. Flicking her eyes over the group she found Abiha, the youngest child of the family and the only one yet to be wed. She had only just turned seventeen and had been the talk of all the boys in town. Being quite pretty and petite certainly affected that perspective.
As Mehrbad greeted a number of Shah's sons, a woman of perhaps forty years approached Mehrasa and took her hand, guiding her to a pillow at a table with five of the older children, the eldest a boy of perhaps fourteen or fifteen years old. She clenched her jaw and tried not to say anything. It was an insult to her she knew. As the woman left her, Mehrasa took a seat at the table and looked at the food gathered there. It certainly was quite a bit and she felt her tummy rumble as the smell of it tickled her nostrils. She didn’t have the skill to cook food like this.
"How old are you?" the oldest boy suddenly asked her, no hint of respect in his voice. She clenched her jaw that little bit harder and crushed the urge to punch the obstinate teenager in the face.
"I am twenty two. How about you?" Mehrasa asked, trying to keep her annoyance out of her voice.
"Why aren't you married yet?" came another question and Mehrasa's struggle to not hit the kid became that much harder.
"That's none of your business kid" Mehrasa snapped irritably at the teenager. Hearing a clink on a glass Mehrasa turned her gaze to the center of the room, ignoring a muttered insult from the kid. Something about her being a cow.
Seeing Shah had stood up and held a cup of some liquor raised high, Mehrasa listened as all noise in the room quietened down.
"Tonight, we gather to celebrate the betrothal of my youngest daughter Abiha to Merhbad din Esmael. On my daughters eighteen birthday they will be wed. Until then, Mehrbad and his kin are part of this family" Shah stated and raised his cup to his lips. He drank deeply and all the adults did too. Looking down at her own plate and cup she scowled as she realized it was full of water. As an unmarried woman she was still regarded as a child, and was as such treated as one. She was essentially the property of her brother until he chose her a husband. Then she would simply belong to the man that married her.
"So, celebrate tonight. Eat, drink and be merry in my home" Shah finished and sat down, his current wife, the woman who had shown Mehrasa to her seat helping Shah to his pillow. He was ancient, around seventy now, his oldest son being well into his forties. Looking back to her plate Mehrasa picked up the wooden spoon that lay beside it and started to help herself to the dishes of food in the center of the table, the other children following suit.
Ignoring the children and their talking, she just ate her food in silence. Free food always tasted better in her opinion. As the night dragged on, she perked her ears, trying to catch conversations from around her. Many of the adults simply talked about business. Occasionally talk of taxes came up but were brushed away. Politics was a subject that was pretty much never discussed in this sleepy little village by the sea. Their king basically didn't pay them any attention as long as the taxes were paid. It was a peaceful existence in a way.
Occasionally kingdom soldiers would drive through the area and try to recruit some of the young men for wars fought far away, but beyond that, no outsiders really came to this place so the village talk always seemed to go back to gossiping about neighbors and family. It may have been peaceful, but in Mehrasa's opinion, it was boring. Sighing, she closed her eyes and just tried to focus her hearing. Even if it was mostly gossip, information was power. That was what her father had told her a decade ago anyway, and she had never forgotten that.
Hearing her name mentioned, Mehrasa snapped her eyes open and turned her gaze to the source. She could see her brother a few tables away, leaning forward as
he talked to Shah's eldest son, Rami. She just stared, not trusting her ears for a moment.
"She was seen wearing trouser's the other day. Trouser's Mehrbad! You need to marry her off soon, or she may ruin your family image. She is too much like a boy. No man will want to marry her if it goes on" Rami stated, his words slurred as the drink effected his speech. She scowled at him as her brother leant forward.
"I know. It’s terrible. I have tried talking to her. And no man has approached me in years for her hand. It is shameful. She will end up like one of those old crones with no children to look after them" Mehrbad stated, his words slurred as well. Mehrasa felt a surge of anger at her brother. He didn't even defend her. What a prick. She watched more, her anger seething as Rami leant forward even further, a hand tapping the table in a near conspiratory manner.
"Well, how about this. I have a friend in Kulabhar port. He is looking for a new wife. His last one caught an illness and died a few months ago. He has a fleet of fishing boats and is willing to part with one as a bride price. That would give you two boats! You could expand your fishing fleet here" Rami stated and Mehrasa watched in anger as her brother actually nodded his head in agreement, seemingly liking the idea. Even if Mehrbad hated the business, he let other people handle it and just reaped the profits, as slim as they were.
A New Beginning Page 9