To everyone’s relief the sky darkened as the Crux silently cut through the smooth sea like a hot knife through butter. Her passengers, apart from Eyes and the Second, who was manning the wheel, had finally given into their exhausted body clocks and were sleeping.
The wind gently blew her delicate sails and dark clouds began to block out the weak sun and moon. Rain started to fall on to the dry wood that was her body. Never in her life had she known such anger and resentment sitting deep within her boughs. She had been to lands afar and seen many things as well as many weathers.
Her companions loved her and she knew it. Her body was well maintained and even when they climbed her it was done with care and grace. And she loved them too. It was her job to see them safe and she was proud to do so. Her life had been filled with adventure, love and laughter and all that had changed since she had carried her beloved owner to meet her betrothed. Now her heart ached as she was steered towards the unknown.
Below, inside his swinging hammock, Orlson tossed and turned, threatening at any moment to fall out. In his dreams, he was inside a dark place that stank of rotting flesh. Then odd flashes allowed him to catch a glimpse of a place that he had never seen in his life, but it gave him chills to be there. He could also hear a warm voice calling him. He then heard Bri calling his name and as he neared her face was filled with disgust and horror at him. She was falling on her knees and begging him not to do it, yet he could not escape the look in her eyes. She hated him.
'LAND AHOY!'
His eyes snapped open at Eyes’ holler. Struggling to his feet he kicked the First, who was beneath him.
'Watch what you're doing, you idiot,' he snapped.
'Sorry,' Orlson mumbled, eventually finding his footing.
'You will be, pretty boy,' the First sneered.
'Whatever First,' he replied making his way to the stairwell.
There she was pushing her hair beneath the large floppy hat she liked to wear. He hated her wearing it, because it hid her eyes from view. But that was Bri, always hiding.
Bri reached the deck to be greeted with the familiar smell of home. Gunpowder and burning fires mixed with the fresh rain gave her that warming feeling. Dorcas came up beside her, wrapping a cloak Bri had lent her around her shoulders.
'Is this Hades?' she asked.
'Yes it is,' Bri said almost too defensively.
'It is fantastic. I think I rule the wrong kingdom.' Bri looked at her with surprise, a Zolar complimenting Zilva. 'What?' Dorcas asked noticing Bri’s surprised stare.
'Nothing, it’s something I did not expect you to say,' Bri said smiling.
Dorcas shrugged. 'How long will we be staying?'
'It seems to be night here, though at the moment it is hard to tell, and we are all over the place at the moment. We will go in the morning. That will at least give us time for some rest.'
Once the Crux was safely docked, the crew quickly scattered, not before Bri threw out instructions to meet at dawn. Surrial stood protectively over Xander as though he was gold.
'I do not want you out of my sight,' Surrial said stiffly, eyeing his surroundings with unease.
'You will find an inn called The Royal Moon. You will find it suitable,' Bri said, not hiding her growing frustration at their attitude.
Dorcas took her arm. 'Why don't you show me what is so famous about this island?' she offered.
'Orlson!'
Bri closed her eyes and gritted her teeth at a high squeal that belonged to Croenda. She turned just in time to see Orlson catch the woman in mid leap with a grunt. Her black hair hung wet and long from the rain as she began to shower Orlson with kisses, her breasts threatening to fall out of the low cut dress that she wore.
'What took you so long?' she asked, as he let her drop to her feet. But then her face changed as her hands ran down his arm. 'This is supposed to be off. She was supposed to married,' she spat nodding in Bri’s direction.
Bri made to speak, however, Dorcas stopped her. 'So, these inns,' she said dragging her away from the potential fight.
Xander and Surrial walked through the ramshackle streets of Hades. Music and song also filled the air mixed with smell of cooked pig and other animals. Rain, having turned the streets underfoot to mud made it difficult to walk. Small fires burned in the streets and cooked fish and pigs and made Xander’s stomach grumble, but Surrial urged them to wait until they reached the inn.
Outside the huts, goblins and gypsies gambled drunkenly with dice and cards, which brought cheers and shouts. Xander began to have some understanding as to why Briganti was the way she was. This was a world away from the civilized streets of Zolar, or at least it used to be. He shook the thought of home from his mind, he needed to keep focused.
Finally, they spotted an old thatched building that seemed to be brimming with activity. The sign outside told them it was the inn Bri had recommended. Once inside, they both spotted a table in the corner where Orlson, Clues, Eyes and the woman who had bounded past them at the dock were sitting. By the way she was all over Orlson, Xander guessed that she was Croenda.
The landlady welcomed them with open arms and found them rooms to sleep in, telling them to take a seat and she would bring food and drinks over. It was so rare to find a place run by a woman, but it was easy to see she was not one to be messed with. She was small in stature, but she had a look of murder in her eye if pushed.
Tiredness came quickly to Surrial as he sat down. His dreams on the ship had been filled with nightmares mixed with individual vibrations of the crew.
The princess, Briganti, he found frustrating and tiresome, but he had to admit her strength was something to be envied and that deserved some of his respect. After all, he would have to learn to love her as his High Queen, even if the chemistry between her and her guardian, which was so obvious, disturbed him. Something was not right about that man and as he sat beside him and watched him being pawed by a tramp of a woman he trusted him even less.
'Nice to meet you your majesty,' he heard the woman called Croenda say to Prince Xander.
'Nice to meet you too, I have heard so much about you,' Xander replied.
'Really?’ the woman screeched. 'All good I hope. Although it depends who did the talking,’ she said cryptically ‘Well I must go, it is my turn to entertain the crowds.'
Surrial watched with a curl of his lip as she provocatively moved past the Prince and for once he agreed with the Princess’s opinion, this woman was hateful.
Bri and Dorcas entered the inn just as Croenda was starting her song. Bri felt her mood drop as she watched her walk towards where Orlson and Xander sat, both engrossed in her dance moves.
'Typical, give them a bit of flesh and they’re any bodies,' Dorcas commented, pulling Bri towards the bar. 'Two ales,' she said to the landlady.
The landlady looked at Bri and took her hand gently. 'Give my respects to your mother, Briganti, these are on the house.'
'Thanks I appreciate it,' Bri replied turning back toward the room.
'She is a gypsy right?' Dorcas asked, eyeing Croenda.
Bri nodded gulping down her drink. It was becoming apparent standing there watching Croenda and Orlson, that this was the life he would live once she married. They would no doubt have children, many children. Would they be like him or her? She grabbed the jug and downed its contents. She could not think about it anymore.
'Hey. You'll be ill in the morning,' Dorcas said grabbing the jug from her. 'Look, let’s show these men how we royals do things.'
Bri glanced at her. 'What do you mean?'
Dorcas merely smiled and dragged her off.
Xander could see Surrial was tired and made to get up and leave when suddenly in the middle of Croenda's song and dance, a familiar pair of voices rose above her. Both he and Orlson sat up in their seats with shock for on top of the bar, Dorcas and Briganti stood singing Croenda’s song and judging by her face, Croenda was fuming, as the crowd jumped up and began to
cheer. He had never seen either of them so relaxed and they were both glowing, he sensed a little charm was being worked in an attempt to steal the light from Croenda and it was working. But for what purpose he had no idea, she was not a patch on either of them.
The men in the inn were now on their feet as the two princesses danced on the tables. Croenda, giving up, succumbed to placing herself beside Orlson, but he too got to his feet to watch them. It seemed the place had come alive and the more they danced, the more the place cheered.
Chapter Fifteen
Celestia's Tales: The Lybiria Scales Page 18