Beside the Rock and Cloud

by Pete Draper

  Cassi truly was the best at pissing on his bonfire, she did so with ease.

  Carilyo eyed the Katalian flag behind the mast with pride. Each of the diagonal stripes flapped lazily, the thick blue one in the centre rippled, hiding the red above, the yellow beneath wobbled in the wind.

  Through stringent eyes, Carilyo waved the back of his hand at her as though he was swatting a fly. “Kataly was Mama and Papa’s homeland.” He shifted in the chair, scratching at the itchy hairs above his lip, they were ready for shaving again, but his razor was too rusty, he should have replaced it in Cathis. “It made us who we are.” The ulcer flared up again; he should have bought medicine for that in Cathis too.

  “Ha ha ha,” Taylan was thoroughly amused. His fat dry lips remained horizontal; the rough cheeks didn’t move. “And who are you? A drunk, and a miser whose face would crack if it even tried to smile.”

  “Shut your filthy Trakian mouth Taylan,” Barolos snapped. A violent storm brewed in his large blue eyes, the deep crevices around them looked like rocky hill faces, the unshaved hairs between resembled scraggly patches of moss. The ring in his eyebrow shook like it was caught in a tornado. “Dey have kept you earning a wage after Gianlo’s death, you still have a place to live.” Barolos clenched a fist.

  “And for that,” Taylan bowed low, the fake smile on his lips raising the yellow creases around his eye. He scratched at the rash on the back of his neck whilst tipping a chocolate dusted almond into his mouth. “For those five sects, I am eternally grateful.” His lusty voice grew louder, a couple of the crew began to chuckle. “I shall cherish your generosity, even after I transcend to the Complex Plane. My children, and their children will look back on this moment graciously. And they will say ‘Without those five sects, I would not have had an education.’”

  He continued, putting on a thin, child’s voice, “Why do we pray every night Papa?”

  His voice deepened, “Why, we pray to the D’Silva’s, for all those measly coins they gave your grandfather, after all the backbreaking work he put in to keep their lives the way they had grown accustomed to.”

  Descending the steps to the main deck, the black combover was more obvious, with each step the sun lit the scurf on his scalp. Taylan passed some of the crew, the side of Zellsee’s mouth that still had teeth gnawed on a chicken leg, he tore away the skin and meat with his yellow stumps. Rohass gulped beer, the mole on his forehead had more hairs than Taylan’s combover. Even Sofiya was above deck for a change, though she didn’t speak to anyone.

  With a sneery grin, Taylan faced the quarterdeck. He must’ve had something witty to add, but thought better of it.

  “Don’t listen to Taylan,” Barolos said. The waters in his eyes calmed to a bright blue.

  “I never have,” Cassi said.

  “Taylan always looked up to your papa, like Gianlo was his own father.” Barolos looked over Carilyo’s head reminiscently as though their father was sat in the chair. His cleft chin bumped up like firm buttocks when he smiled. “He was as eager to please Gianlo as you were.

  “Taylan was distraught when your papa died, he hasn’t been de same since; for weeks, he was inconsolable. Den de preaching about de Complex Plane started, he was never religious before Gianlo died, you know? He said he had visions of your papa in his sleep. He still blames himself for what happened, I’m sorry for his bitterness towards you.”

  He wriggled a fat finger below an eye, as though there was something crusty under there, but it was clear he was wiping away a tear. One escaped, glistening on his cheek brighter than Cassi’s rings.

  “Gianlo taught you two well,” Barolos said. “You’ve always treated us right and paid us well, despite what Taylan dinks.” Barolos stared down the deck with bitter eyes.

  ‘Treat your crew well and pay them better. But a man’s loyalty cannot be bought, it must be earned.’ Carilyo’s papa taught him well.

  “Thank you Barolos, you always were the best,” Carilyo said. He walked over to the first mate, putting an arm around him. “My papa always said to keep you close. He said you were the best first mate a man could ask for.”

  Another tear rolled down Barolos’ granite cheek. Carilyo tapped him on his firm back, then turned to Cassi.

  “While we’re in Kataly,” Carilyo said hesitantly. “Perhaps we can visit our mama, it wouldn’t take too long to travel to the house. It’s been such a long time since we went together.”

  “Why would I want to see that crone?” Cassi’s smooth cheeks crushed into a scowl, like paper scrunched into balls. “The money we send her is enough, I don’t need to see her.”

  “Don’t talk about her like that. Katalians always take good care of their mama and I’m no different. It’s Katalian custom.”

  “So is dancing around like an idiot with a handkerchief in each hand on the first day of summer. But you don’t see us rushing to the hills in our braces and buckled shoes, do you?”

  Damn that raised eyebrow of hers was irritating, almost as annoying as the pleased-with-herself smirk across her lips.

  The skies turned a little grey, gradually darkening. The gorgeous sea dulled and all colour died with it. Vicious shards of ice glittered like a thousand swords, beckoning the ship towards them. The sound of splashing waves was replaced with a low ringing. Everyone’s face became expressionless, everybody turned to a pale shadow of nothingness. The alcohol was wearing off.

  “You only get one mama you know,” Carilyo said. He lifted his mama’s rum bottle and wiped mist from one side. After taking a sip, he offered it to Barolos, who half raised a palm to decline. Carilyo’s tongue explored his mouth. The dying ulcer was still fleshy, most of the pain was gone, but a minor sting reminded him of its existence.

  “Too bad we got the one we did.” Cassi scratched the front of a rough tooth. She looked so much like their mother now that she was grown up, the same jet black hair, the same round face and those dark piercing eyes. She also had the same passion for expensive jewellery. Their mama’s necklace, with its gold chain, and swirly pattern of gems of all colours twinkled against her black silk shirt.

  “Her life, it wasn’t easy,” Carilyo sighed. “You are too young to remember when we stayed with her, in that house in Parpey. Her papa was a vile man.” Carilyo’s mind drifted to the night his grandpa returned home, beer bottle in hand. He was too young for what he saw that night.

  He closed his eyes, trying to forget. When he looked at Cassi, all he could see was his mama’s bloody face, the lump on her forehead was huge. Her eye was bloodshot, surrounded by a purple bruise, her thick lip was bloody, and two of her teeth were missing.

  The rum kicked in; light was restored to the sky. Closing his eyes, Carilyo could feel the waves again. Cassi’s spiteful face returned; he’d love to wipe that dirty look from it somehow.

  “Not easy? She’s a drunk. She left Papa to raise us on his own.” The scowl was strong, bringing with it a stare more bitter than the darkest of Katalian chocolate.

  His jaw twitched. Carilyo tried to contain his rage, but Cassi’s bitch-face was too annoying.

  “You’d drink too if you’d seen what we’ve seen!” Carilyo screamed. A few heads looked up from the deck. The blonde boy Luco continued to stare a while after the other eyes had averted, he and Cassi had grown up together. “If you saw the world through my eyes, you’d be a nervous wreck. You would not survive a day living with my issues.”

  Carilyo took another swig from his bottle. Breathing a throaty growl at Cassi, he felt the vapours of rum fizz from his tongue. The sugary bitterness satisfied his taste buds. Savouring the fruity taste, he took another gulp. The ulcer flared up again, making him wince.

  The itchy hair on the corner of his mouth was irritating, he drank again, to try to forget about it. The sky’s golden glow returned; its white aura lit the ripples of the Arrizean Sea.

  Cassi pushed away from her perch, walking towards the steps.

  “Where are you going?” Carilyo asked, watching her sh
adow splay across the deck. She passed Taylan and Luco, who looked up at Carilyo.

  “What’s in the cargo hold?” Cassi demanded. She raised her hands to the side with furious perplexity. Heads turned from Cassi to Carilyo, even Barolos looked with questioning eyes.

  “You’re not to know.” Carilyo gritted his teeth. He looked away, but Barolos’ close presence made him uneasy.

  “Better stop me then.” Cassi turned her head, stomped her foot and marched towards the hatch.

  “I don’t have to!” Carilyo yelled. A casual elbow leaned on the parapet. Undoing the top two buttons of his beige shirt, he unveiled the steel necklace. “The room is locked. I have the only key… right here.” He flicked the shiny bronze key that was attached to his necklace, then tucked it securely into his shirt.

  Cassi’s stamp was louder than thunder, dust shot from the board around her foot. The crew didn’t know whether to look at her or Carilyo, most just stood with slack jaws, staring into space. Taylan’s face wore a smirk. Luco’s wide eyes looked down at Cassi’s shoe, the dust had taken some of the shine away.

  “Stop with the strop Cassi!” Carilyo called down, trying to avoid Taylan’s one-eyed gaze. “You are acting like a chi-uld.” With every word, his voice was a little higher and drawn out, goading her into more of a strop.

  Cassi placed a hand on her hip, the other pointed like a spear. “Pah! If we’re transporting the stolen Trakian crown jewels. I will insist I get to watch your execution myself, before I’m sold off to be some Trakian’s slave.”

  Rogue Trader

  “Go find your friends Cassi,” Cassi mimicked Carilyo, feeling like she had perfected the gormless, drawn-out voice. In truth, the accent was way too deep. She wobbled her head side to side without moving her shoulders, just like her brother. “Get whatever contraband they’ll give you, and bring more rum, so I can guzzle it down my fat throat and throw up while everyone’s looking, you know how much I love to embarrass you Cassi.

  “Pah. He won’t even tell me what he has down there, why should I do what he tells me? Why should I do all the work while he takes in the sights or drinks the afternoon away? That disgusting slob of a brother why did my ancestors curse me with him?” Cassi spoke so fast she could barely understand the words herself.

  With a polish, Cassi had cleaned the dust from her shoes, now they had the same shine as before. She’d put on her best Katalian satin trousers, the bagginess made for a nice cool feeling on her legs. “Why did I bother?” Cassi sighed to herself, the Citta Bassa wasn’t worth dressing up for. Of the seven districts of Puritudo, only the Cerchio Sanguinante was less desirable.

  High stone buildings surrounded all four sides, Cassi descended the steps.

  It was eerily quiet. The Citta Bassa market had become a ghost town since the last time she visited. She wandered up and down the dusty cloth stalls of Puritudo, looking for a familiar face. Half the stalls were empty; the others were filled with newcomers looking seedier than their predecessors, if that was possible.

  She’d never liked it down here even in the best of times, but now it highlighted the poverty Kataly had succumbed to. The type of charismatic people Cassi liked to spend time around were a hundred miles north-west of here in Sildeo, or they’d moved abroad.

  A plump woman sold fruit on one stall, another had rugs and silks, but they looked old and flea-infested. A sleazy looking man with jug ears and a goofy face gave Cassi a sly look, then blew her a kiss. She returned a stare so sharp it hurt her eyes.

  In a gold cage sat a miserable-looking monkey, beside him stood an even more miserable-looking trader. A fat cigar drooped in the corner of his mouth. With a lazy hand, he pulled a strange contraption up to it, relighting the tip. Cassi’s eyes widened at the flame.

  “I see you like my lighter, want one?” He asked.

  Cassi shook her head, “I don’t smoke.”

  The damned heat made her sweat beneath the eye, causing the eyeliner to leak. She wiped it with a finger, trying not to smudge it anymore. Damn, it was hot.

  A couple of secturion guards trudged by, the steel in their armour clunked with each step.

  “Where’s Doltak?” Cassi asked one of them.

  “He packed up and left for Levac a while ago.” The secturion shrugged, the golden edges of his helmet glowed against the black triangles. The sun shone through the hole in the triangular pommel of his sword. Layer upon layer of steel plate protected his body, with a black cloak surrounding it. The two of them must have been roasting.

  Cassi glanced at Rojey’s stall; it had expensive silks, looked like her best bet. She’d always avoided Rojey, not because he looked suspicious, he looked boring.

  “Where are all the traders?” Cassi asked, looking at the empty stalls either side of Rojey’s.

  “There is no money to be made here now,” Rojey said with a blank face and unassuming body language. “Traguro packed up and moved to Traki, others left for Argosa. Since the expansion to the New World, Kataly has suffered.”

  “It always was a sad place for me, I imagine others felt the same.” Cassi looked around at the beautiful sky, too bad it couldn’t heal the wounded country. The market stalls were dilapidated, the wooden frames were old and sagging, the cloth over them was dirty, dusty and stained.

  “Still,” Rojey said. “It is home, and always will be. So, what can I do for you?”

  Cassi watched the secturion guards stroll away, then whipped her head back to him. Her voice sank to a whisper, “What else have you got? That you… don’t have on display?”

  Rojey smirked, gesturing her closer with his index finger. “I have some gold and jewels in the back, amongst other items which are uh, subject to smuggler’s taxes. I’m assuming you are selling in uh, Rockland and Levac?” His eyebrow raised.

  Cassi nodded, trying to look disinterested.

  “Come inside, I’ll show you.” Rojey gestured her with two fingers now as his dark outline slid into the shade, opening the chest. “Come, come.”

  Cassi glanced over her shoulder at the dusty path before entering the shaded stall. She kept a hand firmly on her papa’s sword.

  “Look at this gold from the old Katalian Empire. It’s secturies old. From before the merging of the seas.” He held out a golden goblet with rubies encrusted beneath the rim.

  Cassi took the monocular from her bag, staring at the rubies, they were real. “Impressive,” Cassi said, continuing to look unimpressed.

  He showed more; dull gold coins with ancient ruler’s heads on them, some had Complessa on one side, Zernando on the other.

  “This…” Rojey smiled, holding out the helmet with its sapphires around the front. “This was the helmet of Alissa of Altidore, one of the ten immortals.”

  “Immortals,” Cassi snorted with derision, unable to stop herself. “If she was immortal, how did she die?”

  “Lecastor Cloudhaven’s sword could kill any immortal, as could Levac’s, and the arrows Alissa had. Everyone knows the story.” A frustrated tone escaped Rojey’s smarmy lips.

  “Yes, yes. Whatever.” Cassi waved her arm; she didn’t need the mythology lesson.

  As she leaned back, her bag felt lighter.

  She dipped her hand inside; half the money was gone. Her head flicked sharply, seeing the hooded boy running away.

  “Fuck!” Cassi yelled, then raced after him. She folded the top of her bag back over. The secturion guards were nowhere to be seen. Typical.

  “Get back here you little shit!” Cassi screamed.

  The boy panicked.

  Dropping a few coins from his pockets, he picked up the pace. Some of the vendors snatched up what he dropped, Cassi gave them a stare when she passed by, but saved her breath for running. With a sharp turn at the wall, the thief twisted swiftly. Cassi’s feet scraped as she tried to keep up, a cloud of tiny stones sprayed around her ankles. She hurried after him, feeling a couple of painful stones beneath her toes.

  The boy rolled under a stall, tossing gravel u
p at Cassi. The dusty stones spat in her face and hair; her hand moved too slow to parry them. She had to stop and wipe the dust away with her eyes closed. With her head raised, she could see the boy jogging through the shadows behind the stalls.

  Cassi jumped onto one of the counters, sliding her backside across it.

  The boy was running quickly, but he would be out of breath soon. Cassi knew she would catch him. She thought about the beating she would dish out, maybe she’d cut him with papa’s sword to teach him a lesson. A scar on the cheek, so everyone knows he’s a thief.

  Raising her head, Cassi realised she was daydreaming. He was getting away.

  The chase was tiring. Feeling the irritating stone bounce up and down until it wedged under her heel, she ran on the tiptoe of that foot. The other shoe clicked annoyingly on the uneven ground, with every other step it crunched into the gravel.

  Her teeth gritted in determination as the boy rolled under another stall. Cassi slid under it, feeling the friction rub at her leg. The ground and stones scraped a hole in her trousers. She stood, feeling the sting. The long graze hurt every time her knee straightened.

  The little fuck had made her run and ruined her trousers, worst of all he’d stolen from her. Nobody steals from Cassi D’Silva.

  Pumping her arms, she was gaining on him. The little fuck turned, yelping when he realised how close she was. Swinging and swiping, her arm narrowly missed his back as he leapt over the wall to the old market, a desolate place which backed onto the rocky beach.

  She hadn’t seen the low wall until it was too late. Trying to stop herself, Cassi’s knee collided with it. She toppled forwards, flipping head over tail.

  Her head spun. The open eyes only saw bright lights for a moment.

  The bruise in her knee throbbed as she tried to stand, it took a couple of attempts. She brushed the dust from her expensive clothes. The way her neck bent, she was lucky it didn’t break. The sight when she stood put a beaming smile on her face.