A New Beginning

by Alexander W Meurant

  "And let us not forget those that have lost their livelihood to injuries sustained in the line of duty. To Luto Reek and Jebadiah Solt. They will never serve again, but forever will be one of us. One of us!" Travos stated and lifted his bottle a second time, practically draining it as all the others in the room echoed his last words and drank. Sain tilted his head up and drank down half of his own bottle. Stopping he looked back to Travos as the man jumped off the table, a heavy thud sounding. Music started up from somewhere and people started to shift about, the sound of talking picking up again as people went back to mingling with each other. The clatter of game dice and the thud of pool balls hitting each other sounded and Sain surmised this party was far from over.

  Seeing the crowd part Sain blinked as he saw Travos moving through the crowd towards him, that dark look on his face once more. Sain felt that shiver run down his spine a second time and wondered if he should just slip away, but as the urge battled to surface Travos arrived and planted himself before Sain, a large hand being lifted and dropped down onto Sain’s right shoulder. The giant of a Samite squeezed his shoulder almost painfully.

  "You did good Sain. But you could have done far better. When I am sober, I will be talking to you, and maybe even kick your ass. You need to learn to work as part of a team. Things could have been very different" Travos stated, his grip still hard. Sain just gulped and nodded haltingly, afraid his voice would betray his hurt. He felt like he had disappointed Travos somehow. But Lesha had said nothing was his fault, so why was Travos angry?

  The pressure suddenly gone Sain let out a small gasp as Travos took his hand away and without another word disappeared into the crowd leaving Sain feeling rather deflated.

  "Don't let it get to you Sain. The Major is heartbroken. Annabelle was his woman. They fought in the unification war together" Sain heard from his left and he turned to look at the source, his eyes wide. He looked at Roland speechless and the man shrugged with a sad look.

  "They never married. Said that life wasn't for them. It is what it is. Anyway, drink. Get drunk. Enjoy the party and remember those that gave their lives" Roland stated and shrugged once more before moving into the crowd, leaving Sain standing alone. Sain let out a shuddering breath and then tipped back his drink, draining the rest of it. He pushed through the crowd then, making a beeline for one of the fridges. Reaching the kitchen, he looked over a series of platters of food and frowned. He did not have much of an appetite right now, so instead turned to a fridge. Opening it he looked through the large stash of liquor and eyed a bottle of vodka. He plucked that from its position and closed the fridge right before cracking the seal on the bottle.

  Taking a swig, he coughed slightly as the burning liquid ran down his gullet and into his stomach even as he pushed his way outside and came into a small garden area, a few benches strewn around the place, a couple of smoker's trays nearby to them. He could see a few people around as well, having quiet conversations. A few of whom he recognized. He paid them no attention and instead just sat down on one of the benches, his right arm being lifted to rest on the back of the bench.

  Sain sat there in silence, the cool air pleasant on his skin as he looked up at the night sky, his eyes surveying the stars and taking note of the sheer clarity of the sky. The air was so clean here. Nothing like the dirty streets of Rindai. Etherum crystals were supposed to be sources of clean energy, and yet the fire energy required to fill them came from burning coal and timber in great furnaces. Sain felt a sudden sadness come over him and he sighed. Why was he suddenly so sad about pollution? He had never had that feeling before.

  "Because the planet is being destroyed" came that inner voice and Sain scowled.

  "Shut up" he muttered and flicked that bottle up and took a lengthy swig, trying to get drunk and shut that voice up.

  "The only voice you will quieten will be your own, you senseless idiot" came the voice and Sain coughed, spluttering a little. He leant forward and lifted an arm to wipe his mouth along his forearm.

  "Sain" came a familiar voice and Sain turned his gaze sharply to look at the source. He saw Lesha standing nearby, a slightly confused look on her pretty face.

  "You alright? You are muttering to yourself" Lesha stated and she looked at the bottle in his hand, a frown replacing that look of confusion.

  "I am fine. Just, you know, trying to relax" Sain stated and shrugged, diverting his gaze from her, unable to meet her eyes.

  "You aren't supposed to be drinking. Even if Sembak had lifted the ban on you, you have still just been released from hospital from a minor coma and a concussion. It is a bad idea" Lesha stated and then let out a sigh. She strode forward then and Sain instinctively tightened his grip on the bottle, expecting her to take it, but to his surprise she sat next to him on the bench and drank from a bottle of beer in her own hand. Sain hadn't noticed she had one.

  "I'll pretend I didn't see it though. Just this once" Lesha stated and rested back into the bench, her own gaze being lifted to look at the stars in the sky. Sain relaxed a little and flicked his gaze back up to the sky also, taking a swig from his bottle. He sat there in silence with her then, the minutes slowly ticking by awkwardly.

  "Moments like this are quite easy to miss. They just slip by, what with the busy and dangerous lives we live. Sometimes moments like this make it all worthwhile. It is beautiful" Lesha stated quietly and Sain just nodded dumbly, nervous as his heart pounded. Lesha was so close to him. He could feel her thigh touching his. It felt hot and he was struggling not to fidget.

  "You should complement her. Try and sleep with her. I know you want to. I can feel it in you" came that voice in Sain's mind and he scowled, just pushing it aside and trying to ignore it.

  "It is. It reminds me of my life in the Empire. You could never see the sky there. Smog everywhere" Sain stated and stammered a little. He flicked his gaze to Lesha and saw she was frowning a little whilst she looked up at the sky.

  "That was pathetic. Congratulations. You wasted the moment, you dumbass" the voice snapped at him in his mind. It almost sounded irritated.

  Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Sain thought at himself, determined not to speak out at the voice. Squash it with thoughts.

  "It is going to take more to silence me than a few weak thoughts boy. So, tell you what. You can play wingman this time. I'll take charge" the voice stated and Sain opened his eyes wide. What did the voice mean? Feeling a sudden shift in his internal energy Sain turned to face Lesha. No, he didn't turn. His body did, but not of his volition. And then he spoke. His voice sounded, but not his words. And his voice was confident.

  "But the smog only highlighted the beauty of the city I lived in. The sunsets were vivid. Extraordinarily beautiful. They would light up the entire horizon with this orange glow. The smog accentuated everything in a way. Like the way your eyes serve to accentuate your own beauty" came that confidant and almost cocky voice. Sain was shocked and he felt his mouth twist into a slight smirk, his eyes locked on Lesha who looked at Sain in surprise. She even looked quite shocked by the words, most likely having not expected such a thing from him.

  "What, that's a little extreme of a comparison" Lesha stated, a hint of insecurity in her eyes. Sain could see it. He wanted to avert his gaze but he couldn't. His body was not his to control. No matter how he tried he could not wrench control back.

  "Nonsense. It is not. I have always thought you were beautiful. Since the day I met you. I just struggled to express it. I simply did not have a fitting comparison" came Sain’s voice once more and he felt his left arm raise, the back of his hand brushing against Lesha's jaw and lifting her chin a little. Lesha's eyes widened at the touch but she did not break away from it. She seemed quite taken aback but not uncomfortable. In fact, she seemed to be blushing, as hard as it was to tell on her dark brown skin. Sain felt his mouth change to a slight grin and his eyes crinkle around the edges in amusement.

  Stop it! Stop it! Give me control back! Sain thought at himself, trying to control his own body.
But he couldn't. He had no idea what was happening and how to stop it. This had never happened before.

  "No, it has happened before. You just don't remember it because I saved you from pain. But now I will push you towards pleasure" came the voice in his mind and Sain whimpered in fear internally. His body moved forward, and he felt his lips brush against Lesha's briefly. She broke away a little, her face a mere centimeter from Sain's.

  "No, this is the alcohol. This isn't you" Lesha whispered, a flushed look on her face. Sain's gaze was locked on her eyes even if he had no control and he could see emotions battling over her face. There was embarrassment, uncertainty and an almost hungry look. One of desire.

  "It is not the alcohol. I simply want you. You are beautiful and intelligent. Stunning and graceful. I would be a fool to deny that" Sain's voice murmured softly, teasingly. He felt his right hand loosen and the vodka bottle fall from it, thudding softly into the grass and then he leant forward. No, his body leant forward not of his volition, and easily covered that slight gap between him and Lesha. His lips planted against hers firmly once more and they kissed, her taste flooding through his mouth as his tongue slipped out to glide over her lips. Lesha resisted briefly, her entire demeanor tense before all tension seemed to evaporate and she was suddenly kissing back, full of passion. Sain felt a sick sort of pleasure and glee rush through him and cringed inwardly. Those were not his feeling's. They were someone else's. The feelings of the one in control. What was this? What was going on?

  * * *

  Mehrasa stood on the stern of the boat and listened to the gulls as they circled above. Her brother stood behind her, a heavy bruise set under and around his left eye. As the boat kept moving forward through the ocean Mehrasa turned and looked at her sullen brother. He might have been a bit taller, bigger and stronger than her, but she had spent the last few years beating up boys who got a little too bit touchy with her, whereas her brother had only gotten fit from playing sports, and not through a need to defend himself.

  "Why the sulky look brother" Mehrasa asked of Mehrbad, that smirk still on her face as she lifted her hands and tightened the scarf around her head somewhat. It was uncomfortably warm to wear, but it was so far protecting her from the sun and glare of the sea.

  "You didn't have to hit me sister" Mehrbad stated, his anger mixed with an adolescent sullenness.

  "Yeah, well you didn't have to tell you mates from trying to stop me from getting on the boat either did you. But you did, didn't you? And I socked you one for it" Mehrasa stated and held up her right fist, cocking it back as though she were getting ready to hit Mehrbad again. For his credit he didn't flinch. Only a sour look crossed his face.

  "You have changed recently sister. What has gotten into you?" Mehrbad asked of her, reaching out to grab the boat railing as the vessel rocked under a wave.

  "Yeah, well when I found out you wanted to marry me off to a fisherman in Kulabhar to get another boat, I stopped caring about maintaining a 'good' family image in town. I thought I covered that already" Mehrasa stated and dropped her fist, grabbing the railing as well. Her brother took on a look of surprise and just stared at her for a bit.

  "You never did tell me properly how you found out about that?" Mehrbad asked, suspicion on his face. Mehrasa smirked a little bit, feeling a little gleeful now. She had very quickly come to hate her brother recently. He was just like all the other men of her village. Close minded and unwilling to branch out from the given traditions.

  "I overheard some rumors, and then made some inquiries with the trader. You know that fisherman from Kulabhar murdered his last wife. She got a sickness of the skin and it deformed her face. So, he beat her head in with a brick. A fucking brick. He is a fat fuck who drinks too much, is given to bouts of rage and has ties to the city lord so the law doesn't give a shit about him being a wife killer. And you want to marry me off to the cunt" Mehrasa stated, her voice steadily getting louder and louder until she was shouting the last words.

  The boat crew had all stopped working now and were staring at her with wide eyes and Mehrbad looked about ready to piss himself.

  "Don't speak like that! And, and you can't speak to me like that!" Mehrbad stammered with his eyes open wide and Mehrasa lifted her right fist again threateningly. Her brother flinched this time, no doubt remembering the last time he had made such a declaration.

  "I didn't know all that either. I won’t make you marry him then. Just, just calm down ok" Mehrbad added, seemingly trying to save face as he raised both his hands, palms facing outwards as if to ward off Mehrasa and her threatening manner.

  "Well now you do. And even if you tried to force me, I would have stabbed him on our wedding night anyway" she stated and stepped down from her position at the front of the boat. Stopping just beside her brother she leant closer to him.

  "Oh, and don't think I have forgiven you for giving my inheritance to Shah as a bride price. I found my box of rocks, and the trader I spoke to was taking it to the city to sell on Shah's behalf. I will never, ever forgive you for that" Mehrasa added and then walked past her brother, not waiting for him to give a response. She doubted he would have been able to give a decent one anyway.

  She walked down the boat, stopping at Dante's side, the man holding a look of respect for her. She always found that her father’s oldest friend was quite different to the other men of the village. Maybe because he was well travelled like her father had been.

  "Dante, what was it you told my brother about the job from Rehan?" Mehrasa asked him and received a shrug in return.

  "Not much lass. He was finalizing the job himself apparently. The man I spoke to said it would be a tough job, but the money was massive. Any folks interested in it should gather at port Kairo as soon as they could" Dante replied and shrugged again.

  "So, when we get there, we drop you, your brother and Cabhar off. Then we go home and keep fishing. That’s what we are doing" Dante stated and then stepped forward, stooping to pick up a rope and start coiling it about his shoulder, his dark skin slick with sweat. Mehrasa blinked and shot him a confused glance.

  "You aren't coming with us Dante?" she asked in surprise.

  "No lass, I am not. Pirating is in my past, not my future. And not like an took an oath to your old man saying I’d look after you and shit. Just sort of panned out that way. He actually said, 'Let them do what they want Dante' right before he laughed his head off and got blind drunk" Dante stated and let loose a wry chuckle. Looking past Mehrasa, Dante lifted a hand and gestured to a point in the distance.

  "And there's the port lass. Best get your things ready for departure. We won't be wanting to stay long. That port is not a place you want to dock at overnight" Dante stated and Mehrasa turned, looking down the front of the boat towards the bow. A small smudge had appeared on the horizon. It was a small island practically taken up completely by a massive port. A trading hub it was called, yet in reality, it was home to nearly every pirate in the southern Cassar Alliance.

  Looking up at the sky now, Mehrasa saw it darkening rather quickly, and with next to no moon in the sky, there would be next to no light soon. Sighing, Mehrasa just made her way to the front of the small boat, hefting her backpack over her shoulder that bit more.

  Chapter 21

  * * *

  "What time is it?" Mehrdad asked as he, Mehrasa and Cabhar wandered around the dirty streets of Kairo. The place was filthy, and a thick smog seemed to hang over everything. There were lights everywhere, keeping the streets well-lit even at night and casting lurid shadows into the numerous alleys that ran between the many buildings. Mehrasa caught glimpses of people in those alley’s, many doing things that either had her blushing or scowling.

  "Don't know. But it’s fucking late so stop your whining" Mehrasa snapped as she looked around her, seeing people bustling through the streets. She had never seen this many people out late at night. Hell, she had never seen this many people in one place before.

  "Well, where are we then?" came another question
from her brother and Mehrasa rounded on him, seeing irritation on Cabhar's face as well. The young man had joined them because he wanted adventure, but instead seemed to be having second thoughts because of Mehrbad's sheer level of annoyance.

  "Listen up you dumb fuck. Do you think I have been here before? Do you? I am going off directions from the fucking port master, if he is even one" Mehrasa snapped and looked over Mehrbad's shoulder as she noticed four men watching them curiously. They all had knives strapped to their thighs and looked like they could use them. She had seen quite a few looks like theirs in the last few hours and it unsettled her. She stared at them for a bit more and one of them smirked, stepping forward. He seemed like the leader. But then she got an idea.