by SM Blooding
I pulled away and stared at the docks. “We’re doing just fine here, Joshua. I would feel better if you were elsewhere.”
He paused, staring at me like I’d lost my mind. Then he hit me upside the head. “Tha’s exactly why I’m here.” He turned back to the docks just as another ship moored, this one with orange sails, the loading platforms already swinging over the rails of the sleek vessel.
Alarm filled me. What I didn’t need on my city were more strangers, people I wasn’t sure I could trust. “I didn’t authorize anyone to dock.”
“Ye didn’t have to.” Joshua’s expression filled with understanding and sorrow as he turned and gripped my shoulder. “We’re here to help ye rebuild your fleet, to get ye back in the air where ye belong.”
I opened my mouth to protest.
He shook me with the hand on my shoulder. “What happened to you affected us, too, Synn. The whole world’s been rocked to its knees. We just want ta help, so don’t be daft, and let us help.”
I took in a deep breath as more ships and a few lethara joined the first at the docks and some of the other levels of the city. “I can’t accept this, Joshua. You need to make them leave.”
He took both my shoulders and put his face in mine, blocking out the docks and filling my line of sight with his freckled face. “Look, you sod. I reckon I know a thing or two abou’ losin’ an entire family. I know how it wracks you. You think you’re the only one who lost someone?”
I knew I wasn’t, but he hadn’t brought this upon his family. I had. I’d all but dared Nix to do this. This was my fault.
He watched my expression, his jaw twitching. “We know,” he said softly, giving me another shake. “You dared ta do something so big, so darin’. Ain’t no one on this world who would’ve thought to do what you did.”
Yeah. Look at what I’d done. I’d invited the enemy into our ranks, and managed to get my family slaughtered in the process.
“You gave us hope.”
Hope. I wanted to laugh. I didn’t.
He pulled away, watching me. “You want to show me what you’re doin’ down there?”
Not really. I watched as materials were lowered onto the decks, more than I needed. I only had a crew for four ships. They were unloading enough materials for an entire fleet. Didn’t they remember I lacked the people to man that many vessels?
What was I going to do? March down to the docks and tell them all to leave? I knew these ships. Some of them were saved from the storm-tossed waters that fateful night Iszak Tokarz had sabotaged the games. There were blue sails, orange, yellow, green, the fin-sailed ships. All manners of banners flew with crests I now recognized.
These were the people who now had a voice.
Joshua let me have my silence and my space, offering nothing but quiet support.
I hoped they didn’t expect anything more from me. They had their league and their leader. I had nothing more to give them.
Turning to Joshua, I nodded and led the way to the dock. “The idea is to make them faster, sleeker, more maneuverable while allowing the planes to land.”
“Tha’s an interesting concept. Have ye figured out how to power it? I see yer buildin’ propellers.”
A ghost of a smile lit my lips as I looked at my dear, dear friend. “Yeah. I figured out how to power them.”
We talked long into the day and night, discussing my designs. By the time Sang set, I had enough materials to build over fifty ships and more people and more materials were still pouring in.
I’d have my fleet back.
And I’d figure out how to exact my revenge.
Justice would wait.
GLOSSARY
Terms
Festos: Name of one of the rocks in the asteroid field
Hebo Kowka: the name of the sky cat shaped ship
Indellas: A group of islands the El'Asim stay close to
Jeng Fu: orange, webbed sailed ship, lined with gun ports
Kala: the large orange sun
Kel'mar: is the name of their planet
Kiwidinok: The wildlands
Koko Nadie: The islands that surround Peacock Rock
lethara: A jellyfish large enough to house an entire city. Letharan is plural
Okaasan: Sakin - mother
optiscope: The large telescope for star charting on the Yussra Samma.
prickleberries: A sweet fruit with curved, green stickers on it's shell
Sang: the small blue sun
sayyd: Adalic - Lord or Sir
Selphie: One of the larger Koko Nadie islands
Families
Bharain: Landsmen, their elemental Mark is Hearth and Home
Deklar: Airmen, their elemental Marks are mixed
El'Asim: Airmen, their elemental Mark is Storm
Furst: Landsmen, their elemental Mark is Earth
Ino: letharan, their elemental Mark is Fire
Kowka Clan: Airmen, their elemental Mark is Air
Leblanc: Watermen, their elemental Mark is Water
Shankara: letharan, their elemental Mark is Air
Umira: Landsmen, their elemental Mark is Spirit
Tokarz: Airmen, their elemental Marks are mixed
Wolowo Tribe: Landsmen, their elemental Mark is Earth
Languages
Adalic: similar to Arabia (El'Asim)
Gearnam: similar to German (Tokarz)
Keltak: similar to Celtic (Dekklar, Bahrain)
Mangarian: similar to Mongolian (Peacock Rock)
Nefertarian: similar to Egypt (Umira)
Sakin: similar to Japanese (Ino)
Vrmuusian: similar to Russion (Kowka)
Yetyan: similar to French (Leblanc)
Time
Season: A season is how long it takes for the moon, Illona, to travel through a quadrant of its orbit around Kel'mar and Kel'mar's orbit around Kala. Seasons are also affected by Kala's rotation around its neighboring sun, Sang. With this in mind, seasons can last months or years.
Spring: This season generally lasts about three months.
Summer: Summer lasts over a year. The apex of this season is the two months of constant sunlight as Sang and Kala both share the sky and never set.
Fall: Fall is very short in comparison to the two major seasons. It lasts for two to three months depending on the type of winter they're transitioning into.
Winter: Winter is the longest season as Kel'mar travels along it's obit around Kala and on the dark side of Sang. This season lasts anywhere from three to five years. Kel'mar's orbit is oblong, as is Kala's. That leaves a very long window for the terrible winters this little moon experiences.
Minutes: There are seventy two minutes in an hour
Hour: There are thirty six hours in a day
Day: This is how long it takes for Illona to rotate on its own axis
Year: A year is how long it takes for Illona to travel around her planet, Kel'Mar
Turn: The time it takes for Kala to complete its rotation around the blue sun, Sang
Centurn: A hundred turns
SM Blooding lives in Colorado with her pet rock, Rockie, Ms. Bird, the Chicken and SistaPITA. It's quite the zoo. She’s taken a break from the piano, which Ms, Bird is quite happy about, and now knows more than one word in Arabic, Basically, she can say hello, good-bye, give it to me, and hurry up!
She’s dated vampires, werewolves, sorcerers, weapons smugglers and US Government assassins. Yes. She has stories.
She’s also an investigator with a local paranormal investigation group, Colorado Paranormal Rescue!
Find out more about at: www.smblooding.com
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
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