by Noëlie Frix
“Why is it I can frighten pretty much anyone but you?!” complained the newcomer.
“Maybe you forget who I am, Shadow,” she taunted.
“Unfortunately, Warrior, I cannot forget such a thing.” The boy who looked to be in his late teens, Shadow, was half a head taller than her and dressed in a black suit. His black hair, deep dark eyes, and tan skin contrasted sharply with Heka’s. “That sixth sense of yours is as sharp as ever, I see.”
“Plus you stepped on broken glass,” she smirked impishly.
“I’m losing my edge,” he grumbled.
“Don’t worry, I’ll help you get it back.”
“I’ll have to teach these humans that littering is bad.”
Heka laughed, “Shadow, Knight of the Littering Patrol—has a nice ring to it. But on a more serious note, why are you here, Jason?”
“It’s time for us to go, isn’t it?” he gestured to the alley before them, inviting her to take the lead.
“Unfortunately so,” she groaned, moving forward, with Jason by her side. “At least I had fun making some money first!”
Jason chided, “It was reckless of you to fight those gladiators.”
“I am not reckless. I am actually super careful. In a fight, a warrior must be vigilant in order to win and live. Since I am the Warrior…”
“Well then, Heka, you are the living proof that it is possible to be both. You’re recklessly careful, or carefully reckless…not too sure which,” he winked. “You can be so reckless it gets you in trouble, which usually turns into a battle. But once in battle, you are careful. Seriously, though, you don’t need money, why go through the trouble?”
She winked with a scheming, sly smirk, “I really am broke, just a poor sixteen year old researcher.”
He ignored the lie, “It’s not like you to do anything without purpose.”
“Don’t want to spoil the surprise,” she grinned.
Jason rolled his eyes, resigned, “How was your stay in the city?”
“Totally uneventful,” Heka blatantly lied again, saw his dubious stare and sheepishly admitted, “Well…” she stammered, “I might have kind of gotten into a little skirmish with…the king. But it wasn’t a very big deal.”
“Seriously?!” Jason laughed. “What happened?”
They were almost at the seaport, the streets here wider, cleaner, and unquestionably safer. The buildings were spaced further apart, their white exteriors well-kept, exuding the wealth of merchants.
“One of his guards was trying to take advantage of what he thought to be a poor defenseless girl. Turns out he was wrong, and I knocked him down. Which was totally justified.”
Jason readily agreed, “Indeed.”
“Other guards came, so I decided to be careful and went with them. If it didn’t go well, I could always fight my way out. Plus, I thought it might be neat to meet the king. I’d never met this one before.”
“The word ‘fight’ seems to come up often in your life stories, doesn’t it?”
“You think?” she asked innocently. “So, I got to the palace and talked to King Adalr. I mentioned that, not only are his soldiers incapable of fighting, but it might also be high time to teach them manners. He got a bit angry, so did I. But upon further reflection, he decided he was going to let me go.”
“You are unbelievable! One thing is for sure, you certainly know how to pick your enemies,” his voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Not the first time I’ve heard that, and, strangely, it’s always in that same tone.”
“Probably not the last time either.”
Heka shrugged, “Anyways, the king wasn’t worth a fight. And we managed to leave on good terms, believe it or not!”
Jason shook his head with obvious disbelief, “Only you could pull a crazy stunt like that.”
“Thank you. Better to foster alliances and be safe than start fights and take risks.”
“This advice coming from you?” he asked incredulous. “Give me a break, you’re the epitome of a risk-taker.”
Heka threw him a conspiratorial look then both fell quiet as they approached the guard in charge of the docks. Seagulls cried overhead, weaving in and out of masts, railings and sails. The gray ocean, tinted orange at the horizon, undulated with calm, steady waves. All kinds of ships, from merchants’ clippers and schooners, to royal frigates, passenger cruisers, and fishing boats docked alongside each other in the heavily patrolled harbor.
“What’s your business?” asked the burly guard.
“We’re looking to buy a boat,” said Jason.
“Buy one?” he reacted, obviously amused. “It’s a lot of money, way more than two kids could scrounge up. What is your destination?”
“Syra.” Jason pointed to Heka’s purse, “And we should have enough money.”
“For a trip like this one, you would also need a crew. We have some cruisers that will take you there. It would be cheaper and easier,” he suggested helpfully.
“Those ships are usually filled to the brim with travelers and tourists,” Jason countered.
“Is that a problem?” the guard began to glare at the two suspiciously. “They are actually quite comfortable and not at all overcrowded.”
“Well, you see,” continued Jason, “it’s my sister. She can’t handle crowds. She hates the noise and feels claustrophobic.”
“Your sister, eh?” the guard looked at her then turned back to Jason. “Ah, women, right?!” he snorted derisively, satisfied with Jason’s excuse.
Heka clenched her fists but, through tremendous willpower, managed to keep her mouth shut, forcing a smile.
“There’s a cargo ship bound for Syra. Probably enough room for you, yet small enough that its crewmembers will be few. Stay here.”
“I can’t handle crowds?!” Heka grunted as soon as the guard was out of sight. “Claustrophobic? Really?!”
“Hey!” he protested. “That’s the best I could come up with. And we got what we needed, didn’t we?”
“Hmm…” she said dubious. “You just knew I would hate that.”
“No!” He protested too forcefully. “Of course not. Why would I want to aggravate the mighty Warrior?” he asked jeeringly.
“Because you need a good punch in the face,” she replied, smiling sweetly, clenching her hand into a fist.
“Hey! The guard is coming back!” Jason said hurriedly. My saving grace, he thought.
“Looks like you two got a ride to Syra. There’s only a ten-man crew plus the captain and first mate. You’ll have all the privacy you need, sweetheart.”
“Thanks,” Heka forced herself to say.
The guard picked up his quill and scribbled something down in the manifest, “That’ll be twenty silver pieces for the crown.”
They paid the guard and moved toward the small cargo ship where an elderly man with a thick white beard and kind eyes greeted them.
“Good afternoon. I’m Captain Johnson of the Santa Sia.”
“Good afternoon. I’m Jason, this is Heka.”
“Hello,” she said smiling.
“We’ll leave in about an hour. I’ll have my first mate, Hector, show you to your cabins. We should make it to Syra in just four days.”
“Thank you for taking us,” said Heka.
“You’re welcome. Trust me, being a son of the sea, I can understand wanting some privacy. All I have to say is: Welcome aboard!”
The cabins were plain and modest, yet comfortable. The crew of the Santa Sia was, like its captain, kind and hospitable. They ate dinner out on the deck—some fish, seashells, crabs and seaweed-wrapped rice. Around nine o’clock most of the crew left the deck for their cabins, soon followed by Heka and Jason. Only the captain stayed up, steering the ship ever closer to Syra.
Chapter 3: Four Hundred and Ninety Three
The ship was quiet for the sea was calm and the crew asleep. Jason climbed the wooden steps up to the deck, nearly invisible in the shadows and silent as the grave. The stars shone brig
htly overhead, though a few clouds seemed to be etching their way toward the Santa Sia.
Heka was up as well. Her hands over the railing, looking out over the vast ocean, humming an old song. Jason approached slowly, as silently as possible…She turned to face him when he was just three steps away.
“Close,” she smiled.
“Thank you,” he bowed slightly, mockingly. “Damn those warrior senses!” He paused when he saw the look on her face, “Are you alright?”
He was nearly invisible in the darkness, his hair and clothes seemed to blend in with the night. Only his tan face was clearly visible. His dark brown eyes shone with concern.
“Ugh,” Heka grunted. “No! We’re going to Syra. And we’re going to get her help. She’s awful! She’s arrogant, unpredictable…”
“But loyal, she won’t change sides on us.”
“She has attitude and temper, she’s childish, her favorite pastime is to piss me off, she’s, she’s…” Heka stammered.
“She’s Electra,” Jason supplied.
“Exactly! Actually, we should try to kick-start a new expression, where being referred to as an ‘Electra’ would become a nasty insult.”
“You don’t think you might be exaggerating just a little tiny bit? The fact that she’s your younger sister might explain why you two tend to fight over some pretty ridiculous and insignificant things, but…”
“Insignificant?” she seethed. “Really? This pretentious drama queen who took everything from our mother’s side.”
“Ouch, isn’t that going a little overboard?”
“Barely,” but she seemed to hesitate, like that was going just a tad too far. “But I’m going to have to put up with her for days, probably weeks even!” she paced back and forth across the deck like a caged beast, swearing after her sister without any sign of calming down.
Jason tried for some humor, hoping to reduce the tension, “It’s a well-known fact, however, that the greatest gift in life is having a family.”
She stopped dead in her tracks and glared, “Then hurray for misery!”
“Humor, my dear, it was just a joke. I know you’re going to have to take the high road even though it’s hard, but going to her is the most logical step at this point.”
“I know. We really do need her help,” she sighed heavily.
Jason nodded and decided to change the subject, “Remember when we first met?”
Heka laughed, “I hated you so much.”
“So did I,” he chuckled. “You were immune to my charms.”
“By which you mean your attempts to scare me?” she raised a questioning eyebrow.
“Precisely. I’m really glad we got over our pretty crappy first impressions quickly,” he looked up to the stars, a faraway look in his depthless eyes.
“Me too. How long ago was that even?”
“Well, let’s see, I think I was,” he cocked his head to the side pensively, calculating, “115 that first time. And I’m 608 now, so that’s…”
“493 years,” Heka supplied.
“We’ve known each other for quite a long time, eh?”
“Yes, though our encounters have always been sporadic at best.”
“Except for that crisis fifty years ago,” countered Jason, recalling the first war in which the two of them had closely worked together, with him as her principal intelligence agent.
“Yeah. That was fun,” she fondly remembered.
“Fun?!” he exclaimed. “I got speared through my stomach! You call that fun?”
“I thought it was. You lived after all. Plus, it was nice because no Immortals fought against us. It was fairly easy to resolve.”
“I say ‘I got speared.’ She says ‘easy and fun,’” he incredulously shook his head, baffled. “You’re slightly mad, I think.”
“Probably,” she admitted.
“If we’ve known each other nearly five centuries, how old does that even make you?” he asked.
“At least Andy remembered my birthday,” she playfully guilted him.
“Well I’m pretty sure you didn’t just turn sixteen,” he looked back at her with a mocking sneer.
“It’s my 572nd birthday,” she offered.
“You’re such an old hag, basically is what you’re saying,” he taunted, his hand pushing a rebel strand of hair behind her ear.
“At least I’m not as ancient as you, you 608 year old stalker,” she retorted. “I shouldn’t even be associating with a scoundrel like you.”
“I’m glad you’re brave enough to do so, anyways,” he smiled warmly and unexpectedly kissed her, “happy birthday,” he whispered into her ear, kissing it softly before pulling back and looking down at her flushed face. “I guess it is possible to surprise you, after all,” he smirked triumphantly. “I’m glad I’m still in one piece,” he jokingly patted his chest as though checking for wounds.
“Oh shut up,” she retorted and fiercely grabbed his shirt, pulling his face down to within an inch of hers, “and do that again.”
He wrapped his arm tightly around her, “With pleasure.”
“How long have you had a crush on me?” she nudged.
“Does it matter?”
She thought about it for a moment. “No, it really doesn’t.”
Jason kissed her neck before finding her lips again. Heka wrapped her arms tightly around him. If it was possible to smile while kissing, then she was doing it.
“493 years,” he whispered in her ear. “Longest crush ever.”
“Why did you make me wait so long?”
“I was afraid I wouldn’t survive the attempt.”
She laughed. “Try to leave me…that’s an attempt you won’t survive.”
“No worries there. This might sound crazy, but I really want to dance with you,” Jason slid his hand down to the small of her back and entwined the fingers of his other hand with hers.
“There’s no music,” she pointedly noted, though she grabbed his waist with her free hand. The clouds had finally reached them, concealing the stars, and a fine drizzle started to fall.
“That’s not true,” he stepped gracefully, leading her into an improvised dance, “the waves crashing against the hull of the ship, the wind rustling the sails, the patter of the rain, it’s a symphony of its own. And the way you move is enthralling all by itself. You don’t need music, only a fool would take his eyes off you.”
“Because I could kill them the instant they look away?” she joked, not quite as poetic as he was.
Jason burst out laughing and sent her twirling away from him before pulling her back tightly against his chest, “You could do that regardless, with your eyes closed.”
“True,” she humbly conceded, “but right now the only reason I’d want to close my eyes would be to feel you better.”
“And I’m the scoundrel?” he teased, dipping her at the waist.
“Indubitably.” They kept dancing until both were drenched by the intensifying rain. They reluctantly walked back belowdecks where they kissed goodnight then went back to their respective cabins.
Warrior slumped onto her bed, and a huge tiger appeared next to her.
“Hey, Sembor,” she said, scratching behind his ears as he purred contentedly. He was magnificent, his striped orange fur resembled Heka’s hair, his green eyes matched her own. When he stood on four paws, he came up to Warrior’s shoulders. Sembor was her life companion. He chose Heka when she was young and, like her, had become immortal. All Immortals had an animal companion, usually matched in their personalities and skills.
“So, what do you think of Jason?” she wondered, stroking his fur.
He sent her a mental response only she could hear. He’s nice, you two go well together, he approved. If only he wore more colors, though.
“Yes,” she chuckled, “but I think it might conflict with his ‘Shadow’ personality a bit. I’m glad you like him.”
You should sleep, Sembor admonished. You will need your rest for what lies ahead.
“Yes, I know,” she snuggled against him, closing her eyes. How was your hunt?
Bountiful and quite fun. Now I need to sleep it off, he pointedly yawned. Goodnight, he nestled his head against her arm.
“Goodnight, Sembor.”
Chapter 4: Storm
When she woke up the next morning, Sembor was already gone, which did not surprise Heka in the least. Companions mastered teleportation, an ability acquired along with their immortality and which still eluded most Immortals. Sembor was probably hunting for breakfast in some wild forest. Heka’s lips quirked with amused nostalgia as she recalled when he’d been little more than a kitten and had liked to bring her gifts in the form of dead prey. By the same token, at that age, she had tried to invent some way for him to wield knives, not realizing his claws and fangs were enough. The foolishness of youth, she mused.
It’s not like you ever really lost it, Sembor mocked, butting in from thousands of miles away.
Excuse me, I’ve nearly six centuries of wisdom under my belt now.
She could almost see Sembor’s sarcastic sneer in her mind, Let’s ask Wisdom what he thinks of it next time we bump into him. Felines were sassy creatures no matter how small, big, young or old, apparently.
Heka cringed, I have a feeling that might come too soon. Anyways, you probably have better things to do than mock me.
I rarely find anything more enjoyable, have a nice day, oh wise one, she heard his distant roar and felt him pounce before the communication was severed.
She shook her head, bemused, and walked out of her room. Captain Johnson was waiting for her, leaning against the hull of the ship, arms crossed. His face seemed to show some amusement and just the smallest hint of angry doubt.
“Good morning,” he greeted.
“Hello,” she frowned, on guard.
“Come, I’ll bring you to the dining room for breakfast, your…brother is waiting for us already.”
Heka followed close behind him, suspicious.
“You’re very different from him, aren’t you?”
“Who?”
“Jason. It doesn’t even look like you have the same parents.”
“I took from my mom’s side,” she explained, though she hated the very thought. Her hand crept closer to her knife.