by Susi Wright
Familiar enough with human dialect, Xandor explained the plan to Serafina; he also found a little time to introduce her to some basic concepts of Gaian philosophy, since she was bursting with long-unanswered questions. Questions about her appearance and the physical features of other Gaians, questions about powers – was it truly magic? She had been oppressed for so long, doubted her sanity, it was similar to a dam breaking. Forced to live a life she hated, she had done many things of which she was now ashamed because she did not understand her power. On top of it all, though admittedly a lesser travesty, she had never felt the essential freedom of flight.
At the window earlier, Sumar had informed Xandor that there was an unbarred skylight to the roof on the top landing of the staircase at the end of the hall. He would be waiting there. If they could get to the skylight without being noticed, he could boost her up to Sumar’s waiting arms. Leaving by the front door, Xandor would join the other two on the roof to fly down to the beach over the deserted backstreets.
Serafina’s eyes sparkled with excitement as the time for their escape drew near. “Where will we go?” She had pictured other places and visited them in her mind while ‘entertaining’ her visitors. She wondered what other real places were like. Her dreams often gifted her with an ‘angel’ who scooped her up and flew away. Now she wasn’t dreaming! She was ready for anything, as long as it took her away from here.
“There is a place where we Gaians can live in safety. Humans respect us. We will go there.” Xandor intended to explain the Alliance in more detail later. For now, they had to get safely away. He put his finger to his lips to halt Serafina’s excited flow of whispered questions and went to the door to listen for sounds in the hallway. Nothing there. Beyond that, he could hear the last two customers of the night getting their money’s worth in the rooms along the corridor. They would be leaving very soon. Tuning in, he detected the group of minders, still playing cards in the recreation room downstairs and Madame Cerise discussing the day’s takings with a man who had just arrived. Of course the foreigner who had just boosted those takings by a small fortune was a topic of interest. Xandor readied himself for a certain amount of questioning and attention on his way out. He hoped the drops were still working.
He turned with a start, as Serafina came up behind him to emulate his actions, listening and evaluating the activity in the house. Of course, she had been in the habit of doing this for years. He smiled at their shared talent, feeling a flare of warmth from her eyes that was far from unpleasant. Stoic, he held eye contact. “How are my eyes. . .?” He opened them wider for unnecessary emphasis, waiting for her reply.
She looked a little confused, then disappointed. Her expression hardened, cold resentment creeping back in; she assumed he was fishing for a compliment. Did he want the usual thing before he rescued her? However, with no small amount of self-judgment, she realised her willingness to do anything to get out of this place. Besides, she had expected some condition to be attached to the rescue. Trust was not an easy thing for her to give. In truth, she had felt genuine attraction to this particular man, something that had never happened before. She admitted to herself that he was very easy to look upon. She liked him. A great deal! Perhaps, this one time, she would not mind. . .
Schooling her expression into a seductive smile, she began to focus more intently on Xandor’s open gaze. To demonstrate her willingness to comply, she reached out and ran a finger slowly down his chest, answering him truthfully, glad for once she did not need to lie. “Why, your eyes are. . .beautiful! You are very handsome!’
With a sharp intake of breath, Xandor realised what she must have thought; he fought the tiny worm of temptation which crawled back into his mind to allow the offer to reach fruition. I am a warrior – not a monk! Then rushing to his aid, came the memory of the promise to his father, to search for his betrothed, which he had almost forgotten. Luckily, that promise and his sense of honour, assisted by Sumar’s protecting influence, demanded he rectify the misunderstanding. So, barring all else, he pulled his eyes away from hers with a heavy sigh and frowned. “No – by the Ancestors – you mistake me! I mean, are my eyes still dulled?. . .the drops. . .”
She dropped her hand and gazed at the floor, suddenly ashamed and confused. Taking one step back, she fought to regain her pride before answering quietly. There was a hint of spite, though she could not hide the catch in her voice. “Of course – that is what you meant. Yes, they are dull. . .as dull as can be. . .just like you!”
Xandor chose wisely to tamp down his irritation and not issue the reprimand he had been tempted to give, sensing that her present feeling of shame did a good-enough job for now. Instead, he berated himself for the direction of his own thoughts two moments ago. Anyway, they were running out of time. He had caught the sounds of other patrons leaving, one soon after the other, via the stairs. Ignoring her crestfallen expression, he turned away to focus on the mission. It was time to make a move. He opened the door and peered down the hallway.
Feeling justified in the moment to engage in the small physical contact, he replaced his irritation with kindness and offered her his hand to embark on the rescue.
They tiptoed the length of the corridor, almost to the stairwell under the skylight, when a door opened behind them and one of the girls stepped out of her room, staring straight at them. Xandor cursed his lack of foresight but reacted on instinct. “Ah, well met, good woman! Do you have water in your room? We are out of it. . . and I have yet another turn of the sand-timer to go. I am very thirsty – I do not want to waste time going downstairs!” He waggled his eyebrows and rolled his eyes towards Serafina.
The girl smiled knowingly, retreating into her room and emerged seconds later with a jug of water. Xandor took it, drinking straight from the jug as if parched. Wiping his mouth with back of his hand, he thanked her with a grin. He took Serafina’s hand and made as if to return to the room, and the girl, now unconcerned, headed for the privy at the opposite end of the corridor, out of sight. With Serafina in tow, Xandor closed the few metres to the stairwell, scooping her into his arms and boosting her up through the open skylight to Sumar. That done, he returned to the room and closed the door behind him to wait awhile. The next time he left the room, he wanted to be seen.
In those few minutes, he had the surprising foresight to tuck and cover two feather pillows into Serafina’s bed, in case someone checked before locking her in for the night. Beside the bed on a low table, a beautiful green Chuli gemstone necklace caught his attention. He had heard many Tellings of such gems and their particular magical attraction for Gaians. He felt something mystical as he looked upon it. Humans desired them too and a lucrative trading industry had been built from them throughout the Known World. He wondered if Serafina might be attached to this item, but forgotten it in the excitement of the night. Grabbing the necklet, he slipped it into his pocket and exited the room to hurry downstairs, slowing to a feigned stagger as he passed the proprietor and the madam on the way out.
“So! Money, well spent . . .eh?” said the man with a lascivious grin. “You’ll no doubt be back?” He had just counted the takings for the night and was well pleased. Wealthy return customers were always welcome.
Xandor pretended he found it difficult to walk, mumbling something about needing three months to recover and making a quick exit onto the street. Several heartbeats later, he was behind the building, raising his cloak on an up-draught and in less than a blink, he was crouching next to the other two on the mist-shrouded roof.
Sumar slapped his friend on the back and congratulated him in their own tongue. “Well done, my brother. You just overcame a very serious challenge! She has very powerful and misplaced magic that she does not yet understand. I was aware of your struggle – you did well to resist. I am sure some would not! You have explained how we will get to the beach. Our new sister is not afraid.” He smiled and glanced at Serafina who was sitting demurely beside them, appearing not in the least ruffled by the fact she’d just seen
Xandor in flight. “In fact something tells me, she cannot wait!”
With a smile hinting more than a little pride, Xandor approached Serafina, arms outstretched; she smiled back excitedly, allowing him to pick her up and the two warriors launched themselves airborne into the fog, gliding effortlessly over the deserted backstreets and down to the beach. Landing silently on the sand close to the pier, Xandor placed Serafina on her feet and rummaged in the satchel. He came up with the small vial of drops, looking askance as he approached to apply some to her eyes. She nodded and he put one small drop in each eye, studying her closely for the effect. Satisfied with that, he replaced the scarf across her mouth and nose and stood back to consider the total impression. He glanced at Sumar, who nodded, though he looked anxious. Xandor lifted Serafina into his arms to carry her to the boat, checking that she knew her part. “Remember – you are close to death!” She answered him by rolling her eyes and swaying theatrically, as if she was about to faint.
He laughed and scooped her up. She slumped against him and the three made their way onto the long pier. The drifting fog obscured the far end of the jetty where the boat would be moored, but as they came closer, they made a startling discovery. “Oh, by the Eternal Flame!” cursed Sumar, “I knew it!”
There was no boat.
CHAPTER 15
A Wider Vision
A campfire burned in the rocky gully. Churian and his men had finished tending to the injuries and the family had settled into an exhausted sleep. All of them had gratefully shared the four roasted desert-rabbits that Zenth had hunted before dark and the Gaian warriors were reflecting on the day’s events. Churian had information about this strange family from the account they had given him, how they had come to be so far from their own people.
Most of their tribe had been slaughtered while they had been away getting supplies in another town. The entire region had been invaded and they had barely escaped by running east through the jungle. Luck got them through the inhospitable snow-covered mountain range which formed the border of the Known World. The Impossible Mountains were aptly-named for, over the centuries, countless attempts to make a trade route through them had failed miserably due to the diamond and agronite rock and sheer cliffs. Those people had long given up, deciding it would probably only lead to conflicts and invasion anyway.
The family placed themselves in great danger by coming into contact with humans, unavoidable as they travelled further into unknown territory. Their strange appearance alone invited suspicion and hostility, ending with a beating and maiming at the hands of an ignorant mob of human villagers. To Zenth and Troyan’s knowledge, the only race that openly inhabited the Known World was human and, hidden from their sight, Gaian. Only in the stories of the Ancient Wars, had they heard of other strange people who lived far beyond the borders of this world. The two younger men had fallen into an uneasy silence.
“Speak, Troyan. You, first. I know you both have questions!” prompted Churian.
Troyan opened his mouth, then hesitated. Distracted, he glanced over as one of the children stirred and whimpered. A nightmare? He sighed heavily and returned his attention to Churian.
“Come! You should know by now, I have always encouraged questions! Without them, how can we expect to learn?” Churian smiled patiently.
Heartened, Troyan spoke the words he had been holding back. “Forgive me, Elder Churian, but was it not our quest to find other Gaians?”
“You have a point Troyan, that was the original quest entrusted to Xandor, by Lord Luminor. We all play a part in that, and my place is to advise you from my perception and experience. Perception allows us to see things. Some aspects are clear, some not so. Always, a quest has an organic nature – certain factors cannot be controlled. This quest is no different, in more ways than most. Lord Luminor himself will no doubt by now have reached a similar conclusion. The changes he has set in motion by forming and nurturing the Alliance have ramifications far beyond those we originally envisioned. Our diverse challenges have only just begun!”
Troyan looked perturbed by the panorama of possibilities and challenges that were now laid out before them. Though he by no means lacked courage or commitment, it was nevertheless daunting. He almost wished he hadn’t asked.
Zenth had been considering Churian’s words. Being practical in nature, he glanced over at the sleeping family and asked a pertinent question. “So. . .what are we going to do with them?”
Churian looked pointedly at his student.
Guess!
CHAPTER 16
The Voyage Begins
Sumar and Xandor peered through the swirling fog in stunned silence. From the end of the jetty, it was impossible to see if there were any vessels still moored out there, let alone the Blue Porpoise. Only the creaks of rigging and water sloughing on the hulls in the swell gave away the presence of several ships at anchor. An occasional voice carried across the distance when the offshore breeze dropped for a moment; there were sounds of chains clanging and crew moving about, preparing to weigh anchor.
An impasse. Xandor looked to his friend, puzzled. “I almost expected something like this, but Skrim spoke true did he not?”
“Most certainly – at the time – but as we left town, I knew something was not right!” Sumar looked thoughtful. “Perhaps he drank too much!” He smiled wryly. “That always changes the game!”
“He’s still here.. . .I think!” Xandor had started to believe in his own powers of perception, but still wanted his comrade’s affirmation.
“Yes, I do too. . .the Blue Porpoise is in that direction.” Sumar welcomed the shift in his friend’s consciousness with a knowing smile. He pointed to their right into the thickening fog. “Nature can be friend or foe. Right now, she is Friend!” At that moment, visibility did not extend much past his outstretched finger.
Xandor felt a sudden rush of inner strength and surprised himself by making a confident decision, feeling for the first time that the mantle of leader was beginning to fit. It was just as well, because the decision was his and they were definitely running out of time.
“We must get on that ship! It is impossible to carry Serafina all the way across the sea to Siva. So, we fly aboard – we have no choice – and we confront Skrim. In this fog, we can easily get aboard without being seen. We’ll need to get to his cabin quickly to talk to him. The two crew who were with us earlier know we struck a deal, but the others might not, so we have to be ready for trouble. If we can avoid them all at first, it will be better!” He felt drawn to meet the gaze of the woman in his arms, which had been fixed on him for the last several moments. Unable to avoid the rush of attraction at her beauty, he caught her expression, innocent but intent, studious, strangely probing. She smiled innocuously, obviously having forgotten their earlier misunderstanding. He smiled back, his heart skipping beats; he wondered if the unfamiliar surge of power he had just experienced, and which lingered still, was in any way due to her. If it was, her innocent gaze suggested she was completely unaware of it.
With difficulty, he tore his eyes from the hypnotic warmth of hers to meet Sumar’s. A nod confirmed his friend’s readiness, Xandor re-positioned his passenger in his arms and the two men flung out their cloaks onto the stiffening offshore breeze. A few moments later, benevolently shrouded by heavy fog, they descended unnoticed on the focsle of the vessel, well-hidden behind some barrels that were lashed together.
The door leading to the quarters stood open a few paces away. Several crew members exchanging their usual banter could be heard from the aft deck as they moved around, adjusting rigging and preparing to weigh anchor. They did not seem in any particular hurry.
The question as to why there had been no boat to meet them at the jetty was soon answered when one of the sailors complained sourly to another about their captain. “The buggar always does this! We’ve all ‘ad a bit to drink.. . .but ‘e passes out, and we ‘ave to carry his fat arse aboard and put ‘im in a nice feather bed – while we work our fingers to the
bone to set sail!”
“Aw, shut yer gob, Crickly! That’s his call, he’s the skipper. Y’know we’ll lose our jobs if we don’t do it and get the Porpoise underway before ‘e wakes up. Be ‘appy you’ve a paid job, and get on with it!” countered another man.
Sumar had been right. The failure to send the boat had not been intentional on Skrim’s part, but the situation still had to be rectified. At this moment, Skrim was probably dead-drunk in his cabin. The loud snoring coming from the nearest cabin confirmed that. They had to talk to him.
With most crew members occupied, stowing their hammocks and gear and others working on the rigging, the thick mantle of fog obscured the three figures for the few seconds it took them to dash across the space through the open door. Luckily, Skrim’s cabin door had been left unlocked and in the next moment they were inside, Sumar locking it behind them.
Skrim was lying on his cot, arms and legs akimbo, snoring with his mouth open. Xandor glanced at Sumar with one eyebrow raised. Waking a drunk could be tricky. He could be loud or aggressive and they could not afford a commotion at the moment. Sumar merely tapped his own temple, indicating that he would take care of any aggression, then pointed with his chin at the jug of water on the washstand. Xandor nodded, taking a step forward but halted when Serafina put her hand on his arm. She pointed to herself, to be the one who doused the drunkard awake. She wasn’t certain she remembered his face, but something told her she had met this one before under less than savoury circumstances. There was a distinctly vengeful look on her face.
She wasted no time, scooping up the jug and dumping the entire cold contents over his head. Much of it went in his mouth, causing him to choke and splutter in a worrying way; his one eye flew open and he began to go purple, flailing his arms and legs in panic, trying to take a breath, until Xandor turned him on his side while Sumar calmed him. The two men watched as Skrim slowly took in his surroundings.