Heart of the Kraken (Tales from Darjee)

by Exley, A. W.

  A new group flowed in through the open doors, all clad in identical uniforms of dark brown with a deep purple stripe. Their captain wore extra detailing on his shoulders and a swag of purple tassels.

  "Regulators," Reis said and hocked into a handy spittoon.

  Lawmen and pirate alike rubbed shoulders in the Fancy Garter. While they might be enemies on the ocean, once docked on Lusions they had to pretend to the barest minimum of civility. Which for pirates and Regulators meant trying not to shoot any of the bar staff when personal differences inevitably erupted. Nancy had a strict no bloodshed policy and his automatons and mechanical creatures ensured compliance.

  The Regulator captain blocked their path to the dinner table. "Reis," the man drawled.

  "Shame." The two men squared off.

  The captain of the Regulators was blessed with ample good looks. He possessed a square chin with a deep cleft and high cheek bones any woman would envy. Eyes the blue of a cloudless summer's day were edged in thick black lashes. Dark blond hair with just a smidge of wave was tied back in a neat queue. His form was tall with wide shoulders and narrow hips. Men loathed him on sight for his story book appeal and his handsome face screamed for a broken nose to mar the perfectness. Women took a little longer to reach the conclusion that he was better admired from afar. Once they finished swooning at his feet they soon realised the exquisite form housed a complete arse. Noble birth and good looks crafted an arrogant, self-centred, righteous man. Then as a result of his own rigidity, he fell afoul of the wrong woman in society and found himself banished as Captain Shame of the airship Imprudent.

  "You will hand over the mermaid you stole." Captain Shame's hand rested on the hilt of his sword. Six of his men guarded his back.

  Reis threw back his head and laughed. "Did all the Lusions whores turn you down that you're so desperate to grab my fish? And you haven't even bought dinner before trying to bend me over the table."

  Shame's pale eyes narrowed. "We assisted the stranded vessel Endeavour who had a strangely broken propeller. We know you stole the creature when you looted them. Under Darjee law, I will have it returned so I can deliver it to the Lady Alise myself."

  Reis took another step closer so his nose nearly touched Shame's aquiline appendage and their breath mingled. "I suggest you become intimately acquainted with your own hand because even my fish wouldn't touch you. Now get out of my way." He shouldered past and ignored the roll of anger coming off the other man. There was little he could do and the enormous automaton bouncers were showing interest in the exchange.

  The pirate captain took a booth to one side where the overhead lights didn't quite penetrate and cast a soothing glow.

  Fenton ground his jaw. "I'm going to head back to the Edge and keep watch on Ailin."

  Reis nodded and gestured to a nearby waitress. "Aye, you do that lad. And tell it to be extra polite to old Nancy when he has his chat. I'm going to satisfy my appetites, then I'll return."

  Fenton turned to leave just as a voluptuous woman slipped into the booth and he knew exactly which appetites the captain would slake.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Nancy's words bounced around in Fenton's head. The mermaid's lure only worked on landwalkers. Except he was a landwalker, he breathed air through his mouth and nose into his lungs. He possessed two legs to stride across the deck. But another part of his brain whispered that he also carried the kraken etched on his skin. His life was irrevocably linked with the sea monster. He straddled both worlds – land and aquatic.

  He went about his chores in town with ideas rattling around in his head. Back and forth, he argued with himself as his body went through the motions of stopping at the treasury to draw on his deposits to hold a little spending money and visiting the store to order fresh clothing and boots. His mind was so occupied, it overcame his usual land sickness and only a hint of nausea bubbled in his gut. Once he stepped over the doorway of the bookstore his brain took a break from trying to determine if he was a landwalker or not. His finger ran over the tomes as he sought a new volume to add to his small collection.

  He settled on a poetry book with lines of achingly painful verse that conjured up lost worlds and sacrifices made for enduring love. There was one particular poem he wanted to read to Ailin. He tucked the red leather book into the front pocket of his vest and walked back to the pier. Rather than waiting for the others to return, he flicked a coin to two lads in a dinghy for the trip back to the Razor's Edge.

  One of the lads had mechanical legs and Fenton kept his surprise to himself as the lad dropped over the stern. He draped his upper body over the side, a huge grin on his face.

  "We'll have you back to your ship in no time, guv'nor," he said and began to kick. His ore-mancer fabricated limbs moved faster than a natural man could swim, his legs churned the water just below the surface as his friend took up the oars and steered their course.

  True to their word, the boys made quick work of taking out to the ship and they soon nudged her side. Fenton grabbed the rope ladder and climbed up. From on deck, he waved to the two lads as they headed back through the anchored vessels. He found Yusuf sitting at the entrance to the hold, whittling with his savage knife. Tiny particles of wood scattered the deck around his position as he concentrated on the emerging duck. Ever since the big man pocketed the one on the research vessel he devoted his spare time to creating a family to accompany it. Ducks popped up all over the deck and below. There was even one staring at the occupant of the latrine from a tiny nest above the door frame.

  "You and ducks, huh," Fenton muttered as he stepped past into the cool shade and then stood on the last stair and stared. Ailin lazed in the crate with the lid open. A shaft of sunlight came through the little porthole and played over her form. The swims with the kraken revived her body but a sense of lethargy still hung around her. His heart froze at the sight of her, so exotic and sensual. Was there a world in which she could be his?

  She turned and smiled at him. "Ah, my fellow prisoner." A false levity in her words betrayed the warmth in her eyes.

  He took the little poetry book from his jacket pocket. "I have another book for my collection, I will read you new poems tonight." He always tried to find some time during the day to read to Ailin, she listened with rapt attention and through the words of great poets he explored what lay in his heart. He tucked the book behind a netting shelf, safe from getting damp. First, there was a question he longed to ask.

  "How does the siren's glamour work?"

  She leaned on the side of the crate and fixed her deep gaze on him. "Mermaids see men. Not the shallow exteriors but the store of ideas and thoughts they hide deep inside. It allows us to project exactly what they most desire."

  "Is that why your heart is so valuable?" He pulled the box over and sat next to her.

  She turned her face, so her cheek rested on her arm. "Yes. The person who devours a mermaid's living heart takes on the ability to see a man's darkest fears or most ardent longings."

  He let out a low whistle. "No wonder the Lady Alise has such a bounty on you, imagine what her twisted mind would conjure if she knew the fears men hide." Such a thought made him glad to live on the ocean and not within her grasp. He leaned a little closer. "Can you tell me why Yusuf is so obsessed with ducks?"

  She smiled. "They represent what he wants most: family. Making and hiding ducks is a game he would play to entertain his child."

  That made sense. "What about Dinger, what does he hide behind his crude demeanour?"

  She frowned for a moment as she tried to place names to faces. "The short tubby one? He is easy, he thinks no woman will ever love him for who he is, that they are all shallow creatures who only see his exterior. Being loud and obnoxious is his way of trying not to care."

  "And what about me? What do you see when you look at me?" He almost held his breath, did she see his secret?

  She shook her head. "You confuse me. When I look at you, it is like peering into the darkest depths of the ocean. I
see what I desire most, the water's embrace and the caress of the current over my skin."

  Not the answer he expected and her words created more turmoil within him. "I have a small shred of good news. Reis has agreed to another outing off the ship." He reached in and lifted her in his arms. He held her close to his chest, he wished they could stay like this for the meeting so he could protect her from the other men.

  "What's happening?" She wrapped her arms around his neck and her face nestled next to his.

  He ignored the water soaking his shirt, it made the barrier between them lighter and less distinct. Her warmth pressed against him. "The man who rules the Isle of Illusions, Nancy, has asked to meet you."

  She froze, her body going stiff in his arms. She pulled back to meet his gaze, her azure eyes wide with terror. He could imagine what ran through her mind, had they decided to sell her here instead of sailing all the way to Darjee.

  "You are safe, he has given his word," he said. "Nancy has never had the pleasure of conversing with a mermaid and so would like to visit with you. I trust him, Ailin and he promises to shield you. There is a magic about this island and I think he might help us."

  "I will not fear him as long as you stay with me, please." She sighed and turned her face.

  Her lips grazed his neck and his arms tightened around her as they stepped into the bright sunlight. Reis had returned and he approached dangling the silver chain. So delicate it looked as though it should disintegrate in your hands and yet it bound Ailin completely. Even the kraken could not break the links, having to smash a reef when one end became caught.

  Reis slipped it around her waist and touched a switch on his gauntlet. Blue light raced down the metal and flashed under his finger as it made a perfect, unbreakable, join. Then, he took the other end and looped it around Fenton's wrist.

  "What are you doing?" Fenton said.

  "Can't have her slipping away and I doubt Nancy wants the kraken tossing boats out of its way. Let's hope you are enough of an anchor to keep it from fleeing." Another flash and Fenton and Ailin were joined at different ends of the leash. "And this way, if those thieving bastards assembling decide to riot and seize our fish, it's your arm they'll have to take off."

  Crew surrounded Fenton as he took Ailin to the side. From the murderous looks on their faces he figured most of them expected him to jump after her and for the two of them to swim off into the sunset. A simple solution, but he suspected they would harpoon him through the back before he swam twenty feet. Only Timmy wore a grin, the lad excited about his first visit to Lusions and all the wonders his enhanced eye spotted in the dense canopy behind the town.

  "Ready?" he whispered and balanced her body on the railing.

  She nodded and turned in his arms and then dove over the side. The chain sung as it whirred over the railing and then pulled taunt as she hit the limit of her plunge. The tension eased as she bobbed back up and floated next to the ship.

  Fenton climbed over and took the rope ladder to the little jollyboat. The captain took his seat at the stern and four ordinary sailors took up the oars. More men piled into the two larger long boats. Hands resting on swords and pistols the only sign they guarded their payday. There was no trust lost between pirates and given they looted the mermaid, they expected others to have the same plan.

  They rowed the jollyboat toward the pier while Ailin swum on the surface beside. Every now and then her head disappeared as she dove and their link tugged on Fenton's arm. Then she would resurface and smile at him. Each time his heart constricted a little more. She was so beautiful in the water. Agile. Nimble. Free.

  The harbour teemed with boats of all sizes as pirates took to their smaller craft for a closer look at the mermaid. Other crew rowed alongside, their gazes fixed on Ailin and Reis' crew drew pistols to make them keep their distance. The Regulators, with their superior airships, had only tiny four men dinghies to drop in the ocean. The rest fought for space along the beach, many had telescopes to their eyes to watch the spectacle.

  "He's turned this into a damn freak show," Reis muttered at the assembled mass of pirates, lawmen and inhabitants of the island.

  "While Nancy has a point, I'm no happier about it than you," Fenton said, wrenching his gaze from Ailin's nude form cutting through the water. "Perhaps it is better to satisfy their curiosity in public than having them climbing on board to learn the truth of the rumours."

  "Aye," the captain said. "But how many more will climb on board to steal our prize now they know for sure that we have it?" A full lunch and the curvy woman hadn't taken the edge off his suspicious nature.

  Let them, he thought. They would find the kraken waiting for any man who dared try take her from him.

  Nancy sat on the end of the pier and dangled bare feet over the edge, his long tunic ruched up over his knees. His toes just touched the water as he paddled. The sailors eased the little boat to glide up to the timbers with a gentle kiss of greeting. One leapt over the edge and tied the lead rope to an iron ring sunk into the side of the sturdy timbers. Ailin hung close to the boat, hiding from the people crowded on the shore.

  "You lot can go for a walk, I want a private talk with this lovely lady." Nancy jerked a thumb over his shoulder.

  "You promised some sort of protection for my investment. I don't want any of that rabble getting close to my fish." Reis scowled and crossed his arms over his chest.

  "Everything is in hand." Nancy smiled and then waved his arms. He muttered a few words under his breath and a shiver raced over Fenton's skin. A blue light, like that emitted by Reis' gauntlet shot out from under the pier and radiated across the water, like the ripple from a tossed stone. Twenty feet from the jetty, a splash rose into the air and made the shape of a semi-circle surrounding Ailin with Nancy as its central point. "A rudimentary force field with me as its centre. Your lovely mermaid cannot leave nor can any boats cross my line. It will only allow you in or out via this pier."

  Reis made a noise deep in his throat and climbed to the jetty. "Very well. Mr Fenton will stay, he is rather attached to the fish."

  The other men chuckled as they stepped onto the structure and headed back down to the beach. As they passed through the force field it shimmered and zinged. People crowded the beach, eager for a look at the mythical creature. Some waded out to their knees for a better look. Small boats and dinghies bobbed in the harbour, kept at a distance by the force field. Chatter mingled with the cries of birds and monkeys within the dense green canopy surrounding them.

  Ailin reached out to Fenton and their hands touched for a moment before she swam closer to the unusual man.

  ***

  "Hello," he said. "I'm Zephaniah Nancy, but everyone just calls me Nancy."

  "Hello Nancy, I am Ailin." She trod water by swishing her tail in languid circles, holding her torso up and out of the water. She revelled in being back in the ocean and its sweet caress. If only she could escape the chain Reis used to tether her. A shudder swept through her as she remembered being trapped as the sharks circled and the kraken saved her. Like her chain, there was a link between man and beast. Not that she minded being attached to Fenton, she could live her life knowing he was at the end of the delicate length of silver. If only he would return her feelings, she was sure the kraken would protect them both.

  Nancy clasped his hands. "I'm so pleased to meet you. This is my first time conversing with a mermaid and I have so much to ask you. Do your people have literature?"

  She laughed. "You mean wyrm scratching on paper?"

  Nancy's smile drooped. "Oh blast, I was hoping for new book recommendations."

  "Fenton reads to me from his books. I especially like the cadence of poetry and I am committing my favourite ones to memory." She cocked her head to one side. He looked like one of their elders, old and yet spry with intelligence and curiosity sparkling in his brown eyes.

  "Poetry you say?" Nancy shot a glance to the sailor sitting in the dinghy. "Not what I'd expect a pirate to read."

&nbs
p; "Fenton is not like the others." She wished she had the skill of a poet. Then she would string together the words to tell Fenton of how his quiet strength touched her heart.

  "No, he's quite unique." Nancy winked at her and smiled so broad that his eyes crinkled.

  Fenton said he trusted this man and there was something about his manner that made you smile just for being in his presence. "I have never met an ore-mancer. I do not understand what you do." She turned to stare at Fenton, his broad shoulders slightly hunched as he leaned his forearms on his knees, the chain ran over the side of the boat and disappeared into the water. "Nor what your kind did to Fenton."

  His head jerked up at mention of his past and he shook his head no. How the ore-mancers fused him to the kraken wasn't a subject he wanted to discuss, but Ailin wanted to know. More than that, she needed to understand how the two were linked.

  Nancy chuckled. "I am a lucky man, two unusual specimens to talk with, but I do think your situation is the more pressing, is it not? Let us resolve your issue first, then we can discuss Fenton's many limbed friend."

  She brushed her hands over the surface of the water and let the drips fall from her skin before looking up. "I am to be sold, slaughtered and eaten. They view me as nothing more than a fish." She tossed a glance to the assembled people on the shore. "I have a mind, I have feelings, I have—"

  She dropped her head and sunk lower in the water until only her eyes and the top of her hair showed.

  "You have what, my dear?" Nancy asked in a quiet tone.

  She rose a fraction so he would hear her words. "Desires," she whispered, trying hard not to sneak a glance at Fenton as she said the word. The landwalker set off a strange reaction in her body. Her heart and form ached for him and only the sound of his voice soothed the pain that speared through her. In the darkness, he dominated her dreams where he swum under the ocean with her and oh, when he caught her, their forms fused in a way known only to merfolk.

  Nancy sat in silence for long moments, paddling his feet back and forth. Then he bunched up the silken tunic and the azure folds looked like he scooped the ocean into his lap. He leaned forward and beckoned her closer, as though he wished to share a secret. "Do you know the story of the Curiosity?"