by Joe Jackson
The half-brys woman stopped joining her three girlfriends for their evening chats as well, and Kari could honestly say she missed the woman’s company. She knew Eryn was a very private person, so Kari was torn as to whether she should try to coax her friend back out of her shell. Kari procrastinated about it for a few days, but once the lookout spotted land on the western horizon she made the decision to go see how Eryn was doing. For how little she actually knew the half-brys woman, Kari was able to talk her down from the place she’d stranded herself mentally, and convinced Eryn to give things another try.
The rest of the group smiled and greeted the assassin when she came up with Kari, and though he said nothing, Aeligos did flash his part-time lover a smile. The men were practicing their respective combat arts except for Grakin, who sat beside his sister on the bench as usual. When Kari and Eryn stepped up onto the quarterdeck, Sonja relinquished her seat so Kari could sit beside her mate. The scarlet-haired woman sat on the deck and watched Sherman and Katarina take turns attacking Serenjols, each being rebuffed easily.
Kari watched Eryn approach Aeligos. The half-brys woman touched his shoulder while he did a split on the deck. She crouched beside him and the two kissed lightly. Neither said anything, but Kari understood that an apology was in the making. It was almost wonderful to behold, though in the back of her mind, the demonhunter thought that no matter how many times the two made up, they would only end up hurting each other again. Her thoughts were punctuated by Typhonix letting out a sarcastic awwwww.
Eryn and Aeligos fixed Ty with icy glares, but he simply began making kissing noises until he had chased them from the deck completely. “Speed may beat strength every time, but sarcasm beats a cheap relationship every time,” he said, drawing chuckles from Erik and even Serenjols. “One of them is going to kill the other, and I’m not sure which to put my money on.”
“Okay, Ty, that’s enough,” Erik said, prompting the blonde warrior to laugh again.
“How long until we reach port?” Kari called, attracting the first mate’s attention while she had a brief moment between yelling orders to the crew.
“About two and a half hours to reach, and probably another half hour before they let us dock at one of the piers,” Jori-an answered. “You may want to get your things together. Unlike Salkorum, we’ll be spending a couple of nights here while we resupply.”
Her final comment put the group into motion, and they made their way below decks to relax, get out of the way of the busying crew, and make sure their armor and packs were ready to head ashore. Flora was a wealthy port city, the primary landing site on Terrassia for ships coming from Askies, but it also had its fair share of the seedier element and could be a dangerous city. It was imperative that the group go ashore ready for trouble on the off chance they found it; Kari knew trouble often found those who did not expect or prepare for it.
“Everyone should be armed and armored when we head ashore,” Erik said before the men continued to the general quarters. “We’ll all be heading to an inn farther into the city than the docks, and we’ll let Aeligos sniff around to see what sort of trouble we can expect. Don’t bring too much money or anything that’s going to attract attention – we don’t want trouble either finding us or warning anyone where we’re going and what for. Mouths should remain closed as much as possible. Other than that, have a good time.”
Kari chuckled. Erik’s warning sounded a lot like those the drill instructors at the Academy gave when the cadets were allowed to spend time in the city proper. She and Grakin spent a few hours cuddling and reading from the books they had chosen. Soon enough the feel of the ship’s movement lessened and then stopped altogether, and not long after that the call came down that they would be free to disembark soon. After grabbing her coin purse and getting dressed in her armor, Kari belted on her scimitars, drew on her cloak, and followed Grakin outside.
Twilight was settling in around the port as the group gathered on deck, waiting for Galdur to wave them ashore. Captain Galdur and Master Calhoun were down on the pier, speaking to a customs agent who was flanked by two armored guards. Jori-an stood at the top of the gangway to bar anyone from passing until the port authority had given permission, and she watched with folded arms while Calhoun went over the contents and passengers of the ship. The customs agent – a short, balding, bespectacled human – carefully marked off a checklist he was holding and nodded every so often.
Eventually the questioning stopped and the customs agent left, and Captain Galdur turned and motioned for the crew and passengers to come down off the ship. Twenty armed marines and Jori-an remained on board while the rest of the crew waited behind the passengers to disembark, and the Silver Blades and their companions headed down the ramp. Kari remained at the top, looking out over the city as it sat bathed in the deep purples of twilight, and she hesitated. Old memories crept to the surface, clawing their way free from the deep recesses of her mind as she looked out over the city she hadn’t visited for so long. She couldn’t shake the feeling her life would be in danger if she entered the city, though she couldn’t remember why.
Grakin returned to her side after a minute and touched her shoulder lightly. Kari couldn’t help but smile when she met his gaze, bolstered by the presence of her mate. He said nothing but simply took her hand and waited for her to regain her composure, and the two stepped aside to let the crewmen pass by. Kari glanced down to the pier and the curious, glowing-eyed stares of her half-demon companions further encouraged her to swallow her fears and join them. Kari closed her eyes with a sigh, squeezed Grakin’s hand, and then headed down the gangplank to join the rest of the group.
“Is everything all right?” Erik asked softly but sternly, obviously at a loss.
Kari frowned, unsure as to what she could even say. She didn’t want to answer a lot of questions, particularly when she wasn’t sure what the answers were. Something about the city of her birth spooked her, but like with many other facets of her past life, the memories were cloudy and indistinct. She remembered having run away from home, but the reason why was still buried beneath the sands of resurrection. She finally glanced at Grakin before she answered. “I was born and raised here,” she said. “I’ve never liked this city; it was a bad place to grow up.”
Erik clapped her encouragingly on the shoulder. “There’s nothing this place can throw at a demonhunter that she can’t handle,” he said, and Typhonix nodded his agreement.
“Come on, sis, I’ll buy you a double-godhammer,” the blonde warrior said, jabbing Kari lightly in the shoulder as he passed by. Such treatment coming from Typhonix of all people helped to ease Kari’s tensions, and she relaxed a little bit, surrounded by her friends. She couldn’t remember what it was about the city that frightened her so. Her memories were jumbled and disjointed, and she had a hard time figuring out which were real and which were shadows or dreams. She had no problem remembering the things she had done after she’d left the Academy in her previous life, but her life before that was hazy and ethereal, a conglomerate of ghosts and specters of old fears.
Erik led the group away from the docks, and the companions looked over the city. Flora was lovely, named for its botanical gardens and the trees that lined its street, and it was built into the side of a rolling hill that wound up to a rocky cliff to the north. It was a perfect port: a naturally sheltered deep harbor ringed on its third side by a rocky outcropping that likewise protected it from storm surges and other swellings of the sea. Though it was on the eastern coast of Terrassia, ships seeking shelter in its harbor had to approach from the south, as the east side was blocked by the crumbling cliff wall.
High up along the hill were large homes, likely those of the wealthy and noble, built of white stone – possibly marble – that shone in the combined moon and firelight. Zigzagging roads led up the hillside, as the climb was much too steep for a straight road. Even from down on the docks Kari could make out the wonderfully complex waterways that prevented heavy rains from washing away the ter
raced homes. At the highest point of the cliffs Kari could make out a large fire signal, flanked by several catapults that must have served to destroy hostile vessels that ventured too close to the bustling port.
Kari remembered that the eastern coast of Terrassia had long been a favored hunting ground for pirates. The trade route north out of Flora to Dira Ch’Tori and even Castle Tenari – the capital of the tundra-based fures-rir kingdom – was too ripe a target for the raiders to pass up. As the first stopping point between Askies and the rest of Terrassia, Flora was the launching point for imports to pass north to Dira Ch’Tori and the fures-rir people, as well as south and west to Awlsabre and eventually the shakna-rir capital of Aurun Ch’Gurra on the west coast. While gold and silver were rarely to be had, Kari had no doubt that there were syndicates like Kaelin Black’s that could turn a profit off of nearly anything.
Farther down the hillside were less affluent but still impressive homes built of wood or brick, with flat rooftops that allowed their occupants to look out over the port and ocean. They likely belonged to the more well-to-do among the merchant class, the lesser nobles, and possibly even the priests of less-philanthropic churches. While it was unusual for any of the Citarian pantheon’s clergy to use donated wealth for personal gain, the same couldn’t be said of some of the Koryonite deities. Kari didn’t know much about the Koryonite deities, but she had heard about some of their less-than-honorable brethren, and her Order made it a point to watch the clergies and worshipper bases of those deities.
The rest of the city, set on the flat land at the south end, was where the commoners and peasants lived. Flora had farmland to the southwest and a fair number of livestock ranches in the meadows to the northwest, and many of those who worked there either made their homes or had shops in the lower district. They were mostly built of wood with a few made of brick or stone when they formed an intersection or square. The streets were slightly dirty but not unbearably so, a byproduct of the terracing system that washed some small amount of trash and other debris down the hillside when the rains came.
Eventually, Erik stopped in one of the squares that marked an intersection of larger streets and indicated a brick-faced inn called The Ranger’s Respite. Its namesake was an obvious nod toward the god Zitenius, a lesser god who had been a mortal ranger and whose work on Askies was legendary. When the group entered the inn, the innkeeper looked overjoyed to see such a large group of customers arrive, but his face turned to unmasked trepidation upon seeing they were almost all half-demon. He looked the group over slowly and thoroughly, and moved back behind the bar as if it might shield him from possible attack. He was visibly relieved when all but Erik moved to push a few tables together and seated themselves. Kari took a seat with the others while Erik approached the innkeeper. He stood patiently at the bar for a minute while the man continued to stare at him but said nothing.
“Generally, this is where you say ‘what can I do for you,’ and perhaps introduce yourself,” Erik said.
“Of course, of course,” the human said after another few moments, and he pushed his fingers back through his thinning grey hair, only to have it spring right back into place. He was tall and thin, his face decorated with a sparse beard that matched the color of his hair, and he had brown eyes that had no doubt seen nearly every kind of traveler and group imaginable – except the one before him. “Err, what can I do for you?”
“We need rooms for two nights, preferably one for each of us if you can manage that,” Erik said, drawing the light silver chain that held his dog tags forth so that his status became obvious to the nervous man. Kari saw him put three platinum coins on the bar before the innkeeper and the man’s eyes widened, though he didn’t reach for them. “I expect this should cover our stay, including food and drink. If anyone starts to get drunk, you’re to deny them anything but water. I’m not asking you to babysit them, just to make sure you’re not the reason they do something stupid.”
“Certainly. Right now the inn is nearly empty, so you’re welcome to each take your own rooms,” the human said, and he glanced at the group before producing a like number of keys from behind his counter.
“My name’s Erijinkor Tesconis, but you can call me Erik,” the demonhunter said, shaking hands with the innkeeper as the man’s fear dissipated completely, likely due to Erik’s dog tags. “If anyone here gives you trouble, you just let me know and I’ll handle it.”
“Understood, officer,” the innkeeper said. “I’m Clinton Darby, but most folks just call me Clint. My serving girls are Celia and Oksera. If you need anything, you just let them know. I can provide food and drinks for you and your companions now if you like.”
“Please,” Erik said. “Just ale for everyone. They can get stronger drinks after if they like. Did you say one of the serving girls was named Oksera?”
“Yes, she’s fures-rir,” the human said. “I’ll have her bring you your meals.”
Clint walked toward the kitchen door and Erik returned to his companions and took a seat at the head of the combined tables. Kari wondered if ordering ale for everyone was a wise thing to do, and apparently the same thought occurred to Erik when he looked over the human twins. “Food and drinks are coming, and everyone will have their own rooms,” Erik said. He glanced at Kari and Grakin and seemed to blush, adding, “Eh, you two may want to tell the innkeeper you’ll be staying together.”
Grakin smiled at that, but both he and Kari were surprised when Typhonix piped in, “When are you having a baby?”
“Ty,” Erik said admonishingly.
“What?” the blonde demonhunter asked. “I’m not trying to be a jerk, I’m just curious when I’m going to have a niece or nephew to play with.”
His clarification seemed to ease everyone’s nerves, Kari’s not the least of them. Ty seemed to be warming to her, forgetting whatever suspicions he had over her identity, and it made her glad to fit so well into her mate’s family. Even Erik’s jealousy had finally simmered down into what she assumed was a calm acceptance that he simply missed out on an opportunity, and each day he seemed a little happier for her and Grakin. Kari looked over the large group and realized that if Eryn and Aeligos ever actually became mates, then all but the human twins would be related. That thought warmed her blood a little more.
“We have yet to discuss it,” Grakin said, piercing through Kari’s thoughts. “We certainly will not be trying until after this mission is done.”
Kari nodded. It was no mystery that Grakin’s declaration was intended to satisfy Erik. “I’ll have to ask the Order for some personal time after we finish with this business,” she added. Not only had she and Grakin not discussed it other than her declaration that she would bear him children, but she hadn’t really thought about it. She lived on the road and the thought of settling down and having a family was alien to her; pleasant, but still alien. Ty could barely conceal a grin, and Kari was surprised that such a burly and foul-tempered man would be looking forward to having nieces and nephews to play with. The thought of that sight made her smile.
“You’ve been smiling a lot lately,” Eryn commented, and she leaned her face in her hand as she put her elbow on the table, an amused smirk on her features.
“I know what I said a few weeks ago,” Kari answered. “I was wrong. Life is beautiful.”
“And it’ll look a lot better once ye’ve got some of this in ye,” came the oddly-accented voice of Oksera the barmaid as she approached the table with all ten steins of ale in her hands. She placed the drinks in the center and then made her way back toward the kitchen. She was tall and slender, her eyes and long, straight hair the pale blue that nearly all of her people had – a characteristic that many found odd. It was difficult for most untrained eyes to tell one fures-rir from another, but those like Kari who had spent time among the race knew that observing other features still made it fairly simple. Oksera’s hips were curvy but her breasts were small, which marked her as unmated, and she had a slight overbite, which was common among the low
er class. She was attractive, which left Kari to wonder why she had moved so far south to the warmer climate, away from the cold tundra of her homeland.
It didn’t escape Kari’s notice that the stares of Erik, Typhonix, and Serenjols all followed the scantily-clad woman’s swinging hips as she returned to the kitchen. Due to their cold-impervious natures, the fures-rir were the least likely of any of the rir races to wear clothing, even in their frozen homeland. It made for humorous situations many times, Kari could remember, as they walked around nude or nearly nude while guests to their kingdom were so bundled in clothing that their species couldn’t be recognized. Oksera herself wore a flimsy but colorful outfit that spoke more of modesty than fashion.
Soon enough, Oksera had served dinner to all of them and stood near Erik, looking over the strange group with interest. Her gaze lingered on Kari for a minute. “Ye’re terra-dracon?” she asked simply, and Kari nodded. “First time I’ve ever seen one of yer kind.”
“Would you care to join us?” Erik asked. He was having a hard time moving his stare up the curvy line of Oksera’s hip to eventually meet her eyes.
Oksera laughed. “Ha! That’s not the kind of service Clint pays me to provide. Come up with twenty gold and maybe we’ll talk,” she said with a devilish grin, and Erik put his hand over his face, chuckling lightly. Oksera clapped his shoulder and turned to head back to the kitchen. “That’s what I thought. Enjoy yer meals, I’ll be back to check on ye shortly.”