“Careful,” he murmured, which made him blush. Lucky, that the light from the lamps was shitty.
“It’s sweet that you care,” she purred. This almost forced him to go beneath the deck. If the rest of the crew would learn about it… better to not think about that scenario.
“By the way, what of our vacations?” Riss asked.
“You can have some on Satori,” Pembroke noted. “An hour or two.”
Riss sighed; then, casually made a somersault off the rail onto the deck. Did she want to give him a heart attack?
“Is that all, cap?”
“For now, yes. Get us out of here, Kinson.”
Chapter 7
Marus
Marus found Hakima’s motionless body at the top tier of the dais. A pool of blood gathered around her head. She was dead. His mind reeled at the realization. Not even the reveal of the cult or the staggering fact that Ines survived her Last Birthday could shake him like this. Nothing compared to this. This woman should be alive for another three weeks. Killing her now… it violated the Inherited Codex. It cracked something inside Marus. His fists were red from the desperate clenching. He wanted to destroy… kill.
Yes, killing the witch will make it better. I need to look into her eyes and see the fleeing life. It’s all her fault!
Soft footsteps sounded in the chamber.
Marus squinted toward the source.
The man in the hazmat suit stopped ten yards from him.
“Who did that?” Marus hissed.
“It’s the consequence of the girl’s escape.”
Marus frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Find her and you’ll become the next governor. This time you’ll receive tools to enforce the Inherited Codex like no one else before. Fail and your end will be imminent.”
Marus was silent for a moment. He considered if he should snap this man’s neck. He badly wanted to. It looked that he was the one who had killed his wife. And yet, a vision of being governor… and the sole ruler for the entire year. The Inherited Codex dictated that the new governor or governess must be at least three months away from the Last Birthday, but if this man could change it.
I could fix Karu.
“Fine.”
*
Ines
Asaif kicked an old but sturdy-looking door in one of the shunned buildings. The Inherited City was too large for its population and many places stood desolated, clawed by time; gradually fell into ruin. This generation of Karu possessed none of their ancestors’ inclination. In another two, maybe three generations the knowledge would disperse and die off.
The only hope to stop this country from its dark fate was her. According to this forty-old man.
Ines the Defier. That’s how they called her.
Apparently, Asaif’s father – Cuin – foretold this. He’d told him about meeting a young girl with an impressive future. But like many Cuin’s gifts, this one had the greatest margin for error. While Ines was Karu’s only salvation she could doom it as easily. Cuin had only shown them possibilities, which the future held, not the certainties. This new knowledge didn’t sit well with her. She didn’t want to die, fine; but being a heroine?
As they entered, the musty air swirled around them. A thick layer of dust settled on the floor and broken furniture. Discolored curtains moved by the draft, swayed stiffly as if they forgot how it was to feel the wind.
Corners in the ceiling have developed mold, which treads reached the center. The sight made Ines shudder. This mold was known as the Breathless because it spoiled the air rendering it unusable. Some parts of Ines's brain pressed the panic button. She wanted to leave this house. Fearing was natural. Something Karu has lost as a society.
Asaif closed the door and gloom returned to its proper places. The curtains gradually went motionless.
“We can stay here till midnight, then the Cult will create a diversion at the other side of the city allowing us to escape unbothered.”
Ines’s mind struggled with reality. Her gaze scanned the room, almost unconsciously, but the chairs were nothing else but piles of trash. She sat down where she stood. In the middle of the room.
“Are you alright?” Asaif asked with a genuine worry in his voice.
“Yes… no,” Ines answered mind absently. “Everything I believed just fell to pieces before my eyes and… and nothing feels real. Who… what am I? And by the way, this is breathless mold, it’ll kill us if we stay another five minutes here.”
Asaif looked up and his brows knitted together. He reached underneath his clothes and pulled a fist-sized yellow fruit. The color of the fruit immediately changed to orange, then to dark red. Satisfied, Asaif tapped the hard skin of the strange fruit and put it on a shelve.
“This will do.’
“What’s this?”
“Breather. It fights this particular mold.”
Ines perked up, as the shock began to disperse.
“You knew this building was affected by the Breathless Mold.”
“Yes, though not because it carried any visible signs. The council silently marked it as dangerous. Guards don’t enter these streets if they can help it and definitely not the buildings.”
“How do you now that?” The sensation of vertigo appeared. This man confused her.
“One of the guards works for us.”
“Us. Who are you, people?”
Asaif claimed the spot in front of her. He crossed his legs in the most uncomfortable way Ines possible. She shivered seeing his nimble body.
“I’m Asaif, son of Cuin. I’m currently the leader of the Cult of Defier and the oldest Karu.”
“The oldest Karu… how?”
“I’m forty this year. My father was forty-one when was killed. We aren’t like you, Ines. Far to the south lay a small lake. It’s a peculiar place. It hosts a unique alga that combats the disease, which decimates Karu. It allows surviving the Last Birthday and many birthdays past that…”
“Why haven’t you said anything?! You could save thousands of Karu! Why?!” Ines raised her voice and Asaif had to silence her. His hand over her mouth smelled pungent and Ines gagged. He let go of her when she calmed down.
“Do you think we haven’t tried?’ Asaif said with resignation. ‘We did. It cost my father’s life and the lake was almost discovered by our foes.”
Why would anyone try to stop them? It made no sense to keep Karu dying so young… and how come she didn’t eat the algae and lived.
“Is that why you rescued me because these foes of yours would come after me?”
“Foes of mine?” Asaif’s face turned into a hardened mask. Emotional cracks disappeared, leaving it unblemished. “They are the enemy of us all. These people want to keep Karu the way we’re now. Why? I don’t know. My father had tried to break into the Gleaming Tower but failed. You’re thinking that they’d let you just be? You survived the endpoint of every Karu’s life. You defied their plan—”
“Wait,” Ines cut in. “Isn’t this enough of evidence that our fate doesn’t need to be like it is currently?”
“Didn’t you hear and see the gathered Karu? They wanted you dead. To them, you’re an abomination.”
“What if they’re right?” Ines whispered. “Maybe, the reason I survived because of witchcraft?”
“That’s absurd, and I don’t think you believe in your own words.”
She didn’t.
“We’ve approached the council many times, we’ve tried to spread rumors about a possibility to survive the Last Birthday and give away the elixir made from the alga. Nothing has worked.”
“We must stop them,” Ines said forcefully.
“Yes, and now, with you can make it.”
Ines relaxed. She no longer considered running from this man. It was time to strike back.
Chapter 8
Pace
Lieutenant Mist was harder than he let out. When the officer with dreadlocks had invited Pace to have a sparring fight underneath the deck, Pace alm
ost laughed at him.
Now, Pace had trouble getting up.
How could I forget how absurdly strong these people can be?
“You aren’t half bad,’ Mist said. “Good durability, nice punch, terrible speed, though and the smell that can kill.”
“You aren’t any better,” Pace muttered from the floor.
Lieutenant snorted. “And of course, no respect for your superiors.”
Pace got to his knees. His muscles burned from exhaustion and bruises. Only adrenaline kept him in the game.
“Since when, respect has become so cheap that all it takes is to wear fancy clothes?”
Mist’s thick lips split in a wide grin.
“Come at me. Show me more than dirty talk.”
Pace attacked.
Good thing that the ship was enforced, or they’d end up causing serious damage to it.
“Mist,” Pace gasped for the air, which in the training quarter was clammy and thick. “Can you teach me the Soul Release?”
“How can anyone in the Wild Peaks know about it? Or was it captain who told you?”
“Can you?”
Every single punch Pace sent toward Mist, was blocked with ease.
“Of course, I can,” lieutenant answered. “It is not like the Soul Release is illegal. It’s just hard to learn.”
“I must learn it fast or I won’t be able to become as strong as you guys.”
“Santori!” A loud shout came from above.
They both looked up.
“Alright, Pace. I’ll lend you a hand, but no complaining.”
Pace extended his hand, and Mist shook it with a smile.
*
Pembroke
The second Pembroke stepped on the pier; the mood of the port reached him.
Santori possessed the main port and two side ports. One of them owned by the government. If Pembroke wanted to investigate the information about the suspicious activity, he’d best send Ed there.
But, first things first.
“What’s the matter?” he asked the first person rushing about.
“Haven’t…” the man with a coil of ropes began in a rude manner, then he noticed Pembroke’s insignia. “I’m sorry. The news reached Santori this morning that a plague decimated Blackport. A rumor has it that everyone aged twenty-one and more is already dead, sir.”
“Blackport, you say?” Pembroke mused the news. “Alright, I need to see with the port master immediately.”
This was bad. Blackport lay closer to Karu than Satori or the Wild Peaks. Captain knew the workings of the world well enough; no natural phenomenon killed so precisely. Even, if that was only a rumor, he needed to check it.
The port master looked up with bushy eyebrows and hard eyes. He was tired and Pembroke saw where the overtaxing of his body was leading. The port master’s fate was grim. But captain knew, there was nothing he could say to change it. His hands trembled as he put away his ledger.
“Captain,” the port master sighed. “I could use someone with your authority here.”
Pembroke frowned. It was a strange thing to say for the port master.
“What’s the matter?”
“I bet you heard the news. Blackport was hit by a nasty plague. I’d tried to send some help there, but then a call from governor Hilon came and I had to cancel it. Apparently, the government doesn’t want civilian ships nowhere near Blackport.”
“Did you speak to the Navy here?”
“They advised me to listen to governor,” the port master’s hands slapped the table. “I know a lot of people in Blackport and they need our help. I have thirty-five qualified doctors on standby here. They’re waiting for a green light.”
This stank of the government machination. If they closed the island; then, they wanted to cover up something ugly. Exactly, a type of things admiral asked Pembroke to investigate. And still, captain had a bad feeling about this. The government possessed an ace up their sleeve. A certain protocol that could see the entire island leveled if they deemed the danger too great.
Everyone there would die.
“I can’t permit you or anyone from Santori to go there,” Pembroke said. “I’ll go there myself.”
“Captain…”
Pembroke understood the man, but if he allowed anyone to go to Blackport. Innocent people would die. The government didn’t play around.
“If you send a single ship there against the government order. Do you understand the consequence for you, your family and every person on that ship?”
The port master’s face darkened. He trembled.
“Cap,” Riss called from behind. “What’s the matter?”
Pembroke held his eyes for a moment on the port master, then turned around. He could only hope that the man wouldn’t do anything stupid. He knew better than that. Pembroke saw the old poor man’s fate.
“Inform Kinson that we’ll be leaving Santori for Blackport. No questions. This is urgent.”
Riss’ eyes narrowed. She read the mood well enough. She would banter and joke if the order wasn’t a matter of death and life.
Sorry, Riss. I wish I could send you here for a proper vacation. Not like this.
Because of the climate, Santori was the main destination for tourism in this region. White-sanded beaches, azure water. An ideal place to rest and relax. It felt bad denying his crew a little pleasure. Unfortunately, his enemies didn’t rest.
*
Pace saw Riss heading back with haste. Something was not right. They meant to have a few hours for themselves. Pace hoped to see the famous La Blanca beach. He used to live a day of travel from here and yet for the nineteen years his father has never brought him here.
The sun on Santori was hotter, the air drier and thinner. But Pace fell in love with palms and exotic colorful fruits that hung from the trees. The Wild Peaks had hardly any vegetation except scrubs and bushes.
It was fascinating to know that such a beautiful island lay so close to his home. What could they find farther away?
“What’s up, Riss?” he asked as she approached closer. “Aren’t we going to the beach?”
She smiled, but something was off about it. What a terrible actress she is.
“Everything is fine. We must return to our ship.” No shit.
In the daylight, she looked appetizingly. She was lean with a bit of muscle. Judging by the acrobatics on the ship, Riss belonged to people with impressive agility. Should I flirt with her? An idea popped up in his head for the first time.
The question was a serious one. If things got ugly, then being on the same ship would be awkward.
She had a gleam in her eye, but this woman was different. I bet she treats sex like sport. There is no way Riss could have a boyfriend. She seemed too intimidating for that.
Pace nodded to her; waited until she disappeared into the side pier; then, he sneaked out of the main pier. He wanted to know what the captain was up to. If she rushed back, without a question; then, captain didn’t joke around. Something serious was up. No chance that Pace would miss it.
The main street was packed with people, animals, and carts. Perhaps, there was a side street that was only for the personnel of the port and the marines. Spying captain here would not be easy.
Fuck. If I don’t get back fast, Riss will know that didn’t listen to her, and she might look for me. I have to track captain down.
A small fortified building stood aligned with the port’s warehouse.
The Navy base.
It was as small as the one on the Wild Peaks. In the newspapers, Pace has read about huge naval bases that took more space than this entire port. Such bases possessed their own ports. One day he’d see them.
This white and blue building was the only trail Pace had. There was no other place captain could go to.
It turned out that Pace’s intuition was on point. Thanked to the Navy-issued uniform, no one bothered Pace at the entrance to the naval building. Pace walked out into a vast office with mountains of papers
stacked on desks. Some marines frowned; others scratched their heads, but no one approached him.
“I’m looking for someone,” Pace said.
No one reacted.
Before he could stop himself, Pace casually walked up the nearest stack of papers and tilted it. Some papers leafed on the floor; most fell with a racket.
Marines noticed him immediately.
“Are you mad? What’s the matter with you?”
Pace made an idiotic face and waved his hand before his face. “Sorry, such heat here,” he mumbled.
Alerted marines snickered. “Not right in the head, are you?”
“Just looking for my captain, his name is Pembroke. Did you see him?”
There was a moment of tension in the air, before the first marine, short and bearish, spoke up. “Pembroke had left this office a quarter an hour ago. He went to see our captain.”
Pace faked a dumb grin, whirled around, made two steps and stopped.
“Where is your captain?”
“On his warship. There is only one in the port. You won’t have a problem finding it,” the short marine said with a bit of a sardonic flavor in his voice.
Pace had thanked him; then, he ‘accidentally’ tilted another two stacks of papers on his way out.
“Fucking retard!” furious voices, behind Pace, polished his mood.
Time to find captain.
Chapter 9
Ines’ stomach rumbled and twisting pain threatened to paralyze her. By the tradition, she wasn’t allowed to eat on the Last Birthday. They demanded of dying Karu to move on to the next world, pure… and hungry. She expected that Asaif had brought food with him, but he only scratched his head like a forest monkey and shrugged. She could see that food was on his mind, too. Something int the way he avoided the topic nudged her.
He’d told the truth about diversion. The western side of the Inherited City shook with explosions and sounds of clashes. Ines would love to see Hakima’s face right now. She’d punch the ugly apparition. The mere thought that Ines survived the Last Birthday and in three weeks Hakima would die, made her feel better. The sweetness of revenge has never tasted so nourishing. But she also understood that these thoughts were wrong on so many levels. Hatred was evil no matter what.
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