Herald of Shalia 5

by Tamryn Tamer

  “I agree about that,” Madam Gardenia said.

  “This is really fascinating,” Frost said while staring off at the islands. “I wish we had time to visit the islands. I would love to see a nine-tailed Kina.”

  “What makes you think they would meet with a lowly merchant?” Erena laughed.

  “Lord Sebastian is not lowly,” Madam Gardenia said while gripping his arm. “He’s met with kings, queens, and heralds.”

  Their ship sailed past one of the large posts of the golden veil and headed toward a stretch of the city lined with the white and black flags of the Black Crown Company. Frost paid attention to the various flags lining the dock and tried to gauge the relative strength of the companies based on how many docks they seemed to control. It seemed that The Black Crown was in the upper middle.

  “There are seventy-nine companies if that’s what you’re trying to figure out,” Madam Gardenia said. “A majority of them only hold one or two docks in Goldsail but don’t let that fool you. They may have dozens of docks in other ports throughout Nir and some of them even have ports on other continents.”

  “Is that why you wanted a port in…” Frost paused and glanced at Erena. The azure-eyed woman was staring off in the distance in an attempt to appear disinterested but the tilt of her furry white ear suggested she was paying close attention to the conversation. “Is that why you wanted me to purchase you that port?”

  “I want a port because the ports I’m currently using have ridiculous fees and I lose nearly a quarter of my shipments to bandits and thieves,” she replied while clenching her teeth. “Idiot’s in Blackwater can’t even protect their roads.”

  “Hm,” Erena said while glancing at Frost.

  “Do you have something to say?” Madam Gardenia asked.

  “There are only three ports in Zira’s Blackwater Territory,” Erena said. “If Lord Sebastian were to build a fourth port in Blackwater your cargo would still need to travel along the same bandit-filled roads to the city. A port in Seera wouldn’t help you due to the closed borders and a port on the eastern coast of the continent wouldn’t help much due to the distance. A person then might start wondering where this closer and safer port is to be built and then a person might start asking questions that shouldn’t be asked.”

  “Aren’t you a smart one,” Frost said while rubbing her silky hair playfully. “And so soft.”

  “Lord Sebastian,” Madam Gardenia squeezed his arm. “Let’s not get distracted. And if Periwinkle wishes to remain soft, she’ll remember that she’s not to repeat any of our conversations.”

  “I am indeed very soft,” Erena said proudly. “Lord Sebastian.”

  “You little…” Madam Gardenia growled.

  “Ahoy!” a man at the end of the dock shouted while waving a shimmering flag.

  “Prepare to drop anchor boys!” Captain Cage shouted.

  The ship turned toward the dock as the aeromancers began shifting the wind to slow the ship’s approach. Captain Cage gradually shifted the ship until it was parallel to the long wooden pier. He sailed past the men waving silver flags and eventually stopped next to one waving a shimmering red flag.

  “We’ve made it home boys!”

  The crew cheered as they began running around the deck tossing ropes over the edge of the ship and pulling down the sails. A handful of them grabbed long wooden planks and tossed them over the edge, connecting the ship to the wooden pier.

  Frost and the others prepared to disembark.

  “Hold it,” Madam Gardenia said while pushing on his chest. “You’re going to need to stay on board until everything is sorted. “Can I trust you to stay put?”

  “I’ll keep an eye on him,” Erena said, smirking at Madam Gardenia.

  “You do that,” Madam Gardenia said through clenched teeth.

  The beautiful crimson fox stomped across a plank and flagged down an elderly man dressed in bright orange clothing. He was wearing a large tricorn hat and in the center was what looked like a golden badge with a handsome face on it. His long orange trench coat had a comparable coin-like image on the right breast and Frost noticed a similarly decorated book in his hand.

  He watched as the man attempted to ignore Madam Gardenia. It wasn’t until she appeared to threaten him while pointing at her dress that he begrudgingly made his way toward the ship.

  “What’s going on?” Frost asked Erena.

  “She needs a member of the Goldsail Port Authority to grant you a visitor’s permit,” Erena answered. “While Kina are treated better than other demihumans we’re still considered demihumans so it’s likely that he didn’t like having to answer to one. So, she needed to remind him that she’s not just a Kina but also an official member of a company.”

  “I see,” Frost said as they arrived in front of the ship.

  “So, who are you and what is your business in Goldsail?” the man asked while glaring at Frost.

  “Lord Sebastian,” Frost answered. “I’m here to speak with The Black Crown Company about membership and hopefully purchase some slaves before heading back home.”

  “And where exactly is home?” the man asked.

  “I have a few homes,” Frost said, evading the question. Madam Gardenia had informed him previously that lying could get her in trouble so it was best to tell half-truths. “But I primarily operate in Blackwater and Pluma.”

  “What?” the man snapped as he quickly pivoted his head and glared at Madam Gardenia. “I’m sure you’re aware Madam Bloodtail that Pluma is an ally of Rilia. What do you have to say about this?”

  “I also have business interests in Pluma Territory,” Madam Gardenia answered nonchalantly. “I own a tavern, an inn, as well as a brothel in the village of Filan on the border. I own an inn and a tavern in the village of Pluma itself. In the village of Serino I own two small restaurants and am currently in negotiation to build a new brothel. I am also working on acquiring more…”

  “Pluma is an ally of our enemy,” the man said sternly. “Who approved your dealings with them?”

  “Pluma is an ally of Zira,” Madam Gardenia answered confidently. “I have permits to do business in Zira and with their allies.”

  “Ally is a strong word,” Cassia said while stepping beside him.

  “Quiet,” Frost said, elbowing the busty elf.

  “Do you have any business dealings with Rilia?” the man asked, his attention returning to Frost. “Any at all Lord Sebastian?”

  “Yes,” Frost answered confidently. “The Herald of Shalia has been working with Rilia on a large-scale project that I’m heavily invested in. But the project itself benefits Pluma, not Rilia.”

  “I see,” the man said while cracking open his book. “I appreciate your honesty. Is there anybody else on board this ship that has ties to Pluma Territory?”

  “Mitty here has family in Pluma,” Frost said while pointing at Cassia. “And Jasmine, Zinnia, and Iris are employees of Madam Gardenia that operate out of Pluma.”

  “We’re citizens of Nir though,” Jasmine said while reaching inside of her bag and pulling out a small disheveled paper. “I have my identification right here!”

  “Me too,” Iris said while sifting through her pouches. “Somewhere around here.”

  “Mine’s right here,” Zinnia said while pulling out a stained parchment that appeared to be falling apart.

  “I’ll look at those in a moment,” the man said while scanning Cassia. “You are rather high level for an elf. What is your occupation Miss Mitty?”

  “I am Lord Sebastian’s bodyguard,” Cassia answered.

  “I understand that, but I’m curious as to how you’ve attained such a high level. You are the most powerful elf I’ve ever seen,” he said while glaring at her. He was clearly hoping for her to say something like assassination.

  “That is very kind of you to say,” Cassia said while smiling politely.

  “It wasn’t a compliment,” the man said. “Before you were Lord Sebastian’s bodyguard, what was your p
rofession?”

  “I killed monsters,” Cassia said without missing a beat.

  “Monsters?” the man said skeptically. “You must have hunted a lot of monsters.”

  “Yes,” Cassia said with a wicked grin. “I’ve killed thousands of monsters that indiscriminately killed innocent men, women, and children.”

  “Hmph,” the man nodded. “Well the world is better off without the filthy creatures.”

  “I agree with you completely,” Cassia said cheerfully. “Staring into the eyes of those hateful beasts as they bled out on the battlefield was very fulfilling.”

  “That’s enough Mitty,” Frost said while pinching her arm.

  “I’m sorry,” Cassia said, smirking as she stared at the man. “I get a little carried away when I start to think of how much better off the world would be without monsters.”

  “It’s understandable,” the man said. “I wish everybody had your passion when it came to getting rid of the abominations.”

  “Does this mean you’ll approve the permit?” Madam Gardenia asked.

  “Captain Cage!” the man yelled as the captain guided his prisoners above deck. “Is that Captain Everston you have there?”

  “Yeah,” the captain answered. “Attempted to attack us while under a trade banner. Killed most of their crew but we’ll be handing these ones to the main office.”

  “Under a trade banner,” the man scoffed while glaring at the men. “Bastards. Hope they get sent off to the mines.”

  “The permits,” Madam Gardenia repeated as the man ignored her.

  “What about the Whitetail one here,” the brightly dressed man pointed at Erena. “Was she with them?”

  “Kina business,” Captain Cage said while pointing at Madam Gardenia. “Sold herself into service to save her tails.”

  “Right,” the man scoffed while glaring at Erena with disgust. “Kina business.”

  “The permits!” Madam Gardenia snapped while aggressively stomping her foot. “I am a member of The Black Crown Company and I will not be ignored!”

  “I’ll issue your fucking permits you noisy mongrel,” the man snapped back. “But I suggest you watch your tone. In case nobody told you, the companies have gotten a little tired of catering to you mongrels. If I’m not mistaken, even The Black Crown increased the annual dues of demihumans fivefold.”

  “Excuse me?” Madam Gardenia glanced at Captain Cage and the large man nodded, confirming the statement.

  “Sorry Bloodtail,” Captain Cage shrugged. “The king’s health is failing and the crown prince is known to be less than accepting of demihumans. New leadership decided that the additional fees were warranted since having demis as members of the company could negatively impact future dealings with the nobility.”

  “I see,” Madam Gardenia growled. “Well, long live the king I suppose.”

  “Here are your temporary permits,” the port authority said as he filled out a page in his binder. Two cards magically popped from the binding of the book and he handed them both to Madam Gardenia. “They’re logged. In the event their meeting with The Black Crown goes poorly they’ll only have forty-eight hours to arrange for a ship out of the city.”

  “Understood,” Madam Gardenia said while snatching the slips of paper. “Come on Lord Sebastian. We’ll need to find some accommodations.”

  “Don’t forget about my payment Bloodtail,” Captain Cage shouted.

  “Of course,” Madam Gardenia said. “I always pay what’s owed. Now, come along everybody.”

  “We can finally leave!” Jasmine said cheerfully as she pushed Cassia out of the way and grabbed Frost’s arm. “Great! I have so many places I want to show you!”

  “Yeah!” Zinnia said enthusiastically. “It’ll be so much fun!”

  “Can we go out dancing?” Iris asked excitedly, grabbing Frost’s other free arm. The white-haired Florenne bounced rapidly while pressing her chest against him. “Can we? Can we? Can we?”

  “Can we?” Jasmine asked.

  “Please,” Zinnia asked, her tail wagging excitedly as she stared up at him. “We’ll have so much fun!”

  “Ladies!” Madam Gardenia stomped her foot, the sound echoing off the wooden pier and causing all of the beast girls to stop what they were doing and rush across the plank.

  The women presented their small parchments to the colorfully dressed man and he wrote down some information in his ledger. After a few seconds of examining the cards they dissipated and new ones appeared from the ledger.

  “Replacements,” the man said as he handed them back the cards.

  “I expect you to be on your best behavior while I’m handling things with the company,” Madam Gardenia said. “As for accommodations, you will go to The Ivory Lounge and tell them I sent you.”

  “The Ivory Lounge?” Erena asked while staring at Madam Gardenia. “Surely you can afford a better establishment than that.”

  “The Ivory Lounge is where Lord Sebastian would feel most comfortable,” Madam Gardenia said.

  “He could stay anywhere…” Erena objected.

  “Lord Sebastian prefers the company of demihumans,” Cassia interrupted as she snagged her temporary permit from Madam Gardenia. The violet-eyed elf slipped the paper into her satchel and looked around as if hunting for something. Her eyes stopped at the enormous castle in the center of the city and then moved northeast, eventually stopping on a run-down stone tower. “Unless things have moved significantly, the demihuman district should be over there. Correct?”

  “One of them is,” Madam Gardenia nodded while pointing toward several different sections of the city. “The Ivory Lounge is in the western part of the city. Jasmine will be able to lead you all there. Be sure to avoid any of the wealthy areas as well as anybody with bodyguards. There are few things that nobles and merchants dislike more than demihumans that carry themselves with dignity.”

  “Are you worried about me?” Cassia asked while playfully looping some of Madam Gardenia’s hair around her finger.

  “I am worried about what you’ll do to them,” Madam Gardenia said as she hooked her finger in the metal loop of Cassia’s collar and tugged harshly, causing the violet-eyed elf to moan. “If you cause trouble, I’ll be held responsible. So, don’t cause trouble. Understood?”

  “Understood,” Cassia panted as Madam Gardenia released her.

  “She’ll be good,” Frost reassured Madam Gardenia as he took his permit. “But maybe she should go with you.”

  “It’s cute that you’re worried that something might happen to me but I’ll be fine,” Madam Gardenia said. “Blackwater is more dangerous for a Kina than Goldsail is. You just enjoy yourself while I handle some business and take care of setting up the meeting.”

  “We’ll make sure he enjoys himself,” Jasmine said confidently as her striped tail flailed wildly. “The Menagerie is the best district!”

  “I do like the sound of it,” Frost said. “I assume by the name it’s where the beastkin are located.”

  “That’s right!” Zinnia said excitedly. “And there are a bunch of places for singing, dancing, and music!”

  “I can’t wait,” Iris said. “I’ve never been to The Ivory Lounge! I was too young to get in!”

  “Then we better get going,” Frost said. He leaned down and gave Madam Gardenia a peck on the lips, earning him several grimaces and disgusted looks from onlookers. “Any idea how long you’ll be?”

  “I’ll be back before nightfall,” Madam Gardenia said reassuringly. “I have to make arrangements for the meeting, handle some business at the banker’s guild, and I need to get an idea of the best places to purchase some slave contracts.”

  “Got it, be safe,” Frost said as she turned and walked away, brushing her red fluffy tail in his face as she went.

  “Aww,” Jasmine said playfully. “There she goes marking you again. Periwinkle must have her on edge.”

  “Didn’t I tell you not to call her that,” Frost chuckled. “Anyway, let’s find some
lodging and then maybe you can show me around.” He reached out and grabbed Cassia’s arm as the white-haired elf tried to slink off after Madam Gardenia. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “Oh,” Cassia smirked. “I thought you’d want me to keep an eye on her. For her protection.”

  “She said she'll be fine,” Frost said. “And you’re my bodyguard, remember?”

  “Fine,” Cassia said, pouting like a child that just had their toy snatched away.

  “Follow me!” Jasmine said, eagerly rushing ahead of the group. “Once we get settled in, we can focus on having fun!”

  CHAPTER 25

  People moved through the streets of Goldsail like water in a river, constantly flowing with purpose and never stopping. Whether they were humans, elves, or hobgoblins they walked confidently to their destination while weaving between others heading to their own destinations. Only occasionally did a person shoot them a passing glance before quickly returning to minding their own business.

  It reminded Frost of the cities back home where a person could get stabbed in an alleyway and everybody would be too busy to notice. Frost found himself subconsciously glancing down every alleyway they passed and caught several prostitutes on their knees servicing merchants and laborers.

  The streets of Goldsail were made up of cobblestones so large that he would occasionally need to move to avoid tripping. He was impressed how the citizens of Goldsail naturally managed to avoid them, as if it were second nature.

  The massive city impressed him. In the distance he could see a massive white castle and that was several times larger than the keep in Blackwater. He also noticed several towers in the distance, some recently constructed and others that were in disrepair. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see much else since the buildings on the docks blocked his view.

  The area immediately surrounding the docks was well cared for and consisted of large warehouses. Next to the warehouses were nicer buildings meant for conducting business and behind the nice buildings were large houses in need of repair.

  Many of the shoddy dwellings had multiple entrances and based on the number and types of people he saw exiting and entering them, they were group homes for dockworkers and other laborers. It wasn’t surprising since a city of that size would naturally have housing and density issues. The buildings themselves were mostly stone on the first and second floors but frequently swapped to wood for the higher floors.