Skies of the Empire Page 3

  “Ha.” Kek shook his head. “Not a single copper, actually. So, after the guy threatens to break my legs, he tells me where I can find Veni, which led me mountainside, into Dust Town.” That earned simultaneous, sympathetic groans from Cassidy, Lierre, and Nieves. “Right,” he agreed. “So, I head down that way, thinking I’m probably being followed, so I don’t bother looking for a guard.

  “I’d never been to Dust Town before that day, and I really don’t want to go back,” Kek murmured. “So, the very first thing I notice is this beggar, just sitting in the middle of the street, stroking his . . .”

  Cassidy tried her best to keep listening, but her wounds started to burn incessantly, whisking away her thoughts. She cradled her injured wrist into her lap and rubbed her leg with her free hand. People very rarely survived direct attacks by the Fae, and she’d never heard a trustworthy account of what injuries caused by them were like. As a result, she didn’t know how long she could expect to be in pain; she had heard of cursed wounds that never healed. A tinge of worry crept across her mind. What if this interfered with her ability to work on the ship? The idea that she might have to stop flying with the crew terrified her. The Dreamscape's crew was her family.

  It’s a fresh wound, Cassidy, she told herself, taking slow, steady breaths to calm herself. Of course it still hurts. It’s going to heal, like everything else.

  As she tried and failed to refocus on Kek's story, her mind returned to his mentioning of Hymn. That must have been what he meant. Not 'him.' So why had Cassidy been screaming her name? It made a certain sense that in three days she would dream more than the little bit she remembered, so it was possible she could have kept dreaming of the Fae.

  But is that all it was? she wondered.

  She was brought back from her thoughts by the ringing of the dinner bell.

  ". . . winning me a hundred iron marks!" Kek finished as everyone began to rise.

  The others insisted Cassidy be first up the ladder, in case she were to fall. She tried to protest, insulted by the notion she couldn't make the short climb to the deck, but Nieves grabbed her by the shoulders, whisked her round and pushed her into the iron rungs. She gave Cassidy a quick slap on the rear on her way up.

  "I'll remember that," she muttered. In spite of her protests, she did find the climb more stressful than usual, her wounds straining as she made the journey, but it wasn't nearly enough that she could not make it. Arriving on the deck, she saw that the captain had set all the chairs around the burner, a pot of bubbling stew at the heart of it, and a stack of wooden bowls and spoons beside it.

  The captain herself sat at the far center of the circle, her legs crossed, showing off the pistols strapped to her thigh-high boots. She wore her purple leather coat undone, showcasing her white lacy bodice underneath. Her black, wide-brimmed hat sat askew atop her head, her raven hair cascading from beneath it.

  "Glad to see my First Mate up and about," she said. She had a wide smile across her face.

  Though Kek had followed Cassidy up the ladder, he was the first to sit, choosing to sit to the captain's left. "Captain," he said respectfully.

  "Mr. Valani," she replied with mock formality. She removed her hat and dropped it to the side. Cassidy sat to the right of the captain. Nieves sat in the free spot by Cassidy, leaving Lierre the seat between her and Kek.

  "Captain," they both greeted warmly.

  "No sense waiting, dig in," the captain ordered. Kek was the first to grab a bowl, taking the ladle from inside the pot and scooping up a serving for himself before returning to his seat, followed by Nieves and Lierre. Cassidy rose, serving herself. As she leaned over the steamy concoction, the sweet smells washed over her. She could distinguish the myriad of meats and vegetables mingled with the rare spices acquired across their journeys, all rising up and filling her senses, far more potently than she was used to. She attributed that to her hunger and eagerly filled her bowl.

  Only once Cassidy returned to her seat did the captain rise. She always served herself last, and never took a bite until the rest of the crew had. Cassidy once asked why that was, and her answer was that it was every captain's duty.

  "So, what were you little birds gossiping about?" she asked as she served herself.

  "Kek was finally telling us what happened last time we docked in Revehaven," Nieves answered, mouth half full.

  "To think I missed it," the captain said as she sat down, a frown tugging on her lips.

  "I could start over if you like?" Kek offered.

  "I'll spare the girls that," she answered. "But if you're still telling, I'll ask the others to catch me up later."

  Kek swallowed a mouthful of stew. "Right, so I'd just won myself a hundred iron marks in a game of Snakes, and as I'm collecting my winnings, I immediately attract the attention of two very beautiful women — one of them with skin about as dark as Lierre's or Cassidy's, black hair and silver-blue eyes, the other tan with — now that I think of it, if Nieves grew out her hair and smiled once in a while, she'd be a dead ringer for her." Nieves made a face at him, but said nothing as she continued to eat. "Proving my point. Anyway, these women dragged me away and threw me in a carriage."

  "They just carried you away, did they?" the captain asked, an eyebrow raised. "No effort on your part, Valani?"

  "Did you miss the part where I had just won a hundred iron marks?"

  "I suppose that would do it," she replied. "Continue."

  "So, they tell the guys pulling the carriage to head 'home,'" Kek said, pausing his story occasionally to take a bite of his dinner. "Miss Silver-Eyes undoes my belt, and at that very moment her partner starts kissing —"

  Cassidy took a bite of her dinner, and once more her attention slipped. She felt badly, because she was genuinely interested in how these events came together, but at that moment all she could think about was how absolutely wonderful the food was. The savory blend of river eel, rabbit, potatoes, and the various spices from all over the Empire came together so perfectly that for a moment, she forgot everything else. After she swallowed her first mouthful she began to wonder. She'd eaten this before — in fact, it was usual practice to simply throw the last remainders of everything into the pot when their stores ran low, and it was usually a very underwhelming experience. So why was it affecting her so much? She wanted to attribute it to the fact that she hadn't eaten in days, but she was still paranoid about what — if any — affect the Fae had on her. Did they somehow enhance her senses? She'd read stories when things like that happened. Somehow even those stories ended in disaster.

  The growl of her stomach told her she was probably over-thinking it, so she continued eating.

  She tried, yet again, to focus on Kek's story, but gave up before too long.

  The orange sunlight was confined to a small pocket of the horizon, the rest of the sky a green-black shroud. None of the moons had yet shown themselves, and the stars were only just beginning to break through the darkness. As a result, the fire around which the crew sat was the brightest light in sight, obscuring everything beyond the deck in shadow.

  Cassidy looked out into that darkness, thinking back to her dream, of the Dreamscape being swallowed by a similar void. Once more she wondered what happened after that, and why she had been shouting for Hymn.

  She shook her head. Why did it matter to her? It was a fever dream. There was no Hymn, it was just a name she thought up in a dream her panicking mind clung to. Right? Despite her attempts to rationalize, a sailor was superstitious by nature, and she was no exception.

  She sat silently, her thoughts repeating and lingering until eventually she stopped thinking. She sat in stillness and gazed at the pot of stew. Distantly she was aware that she had finished her bowl and wanted to fix a second helping, but she held the empty dish in her hands. From miles away she heard the laughter of her crew as Kek's story unfolded.

  ". . . and that's when Cassidy found me."

  She jolted, giving an unintelligent, "Huh?"

  "I said, that was when you found me," Kek said slowly.

  "Oh, right, that."

  "Were you listening to any of that story?" He sounded indignant and a little hurt.

  Cassidy flushed and looked down.

  "Take it easy on Cassy," the captain said, patting her on the shoulder. "Poor girl's been through a pretty rough ordeal."

  Kek sighed. "Of course."

  "I did want to hear the story," Cassidy whispered. "Sorry."

  "Don't sweat it," he replied. "Maybe another time. Does it hurt, any?"

  Cassidy got up to serve herself another bowl. "A little," she replied. "Burns a bit." She added after a few a few bites. "I'd be lying if I said I'm not a bit worried about what will happen."

  "Navin's breath, Kek," Nieves snapped, "I told you not to spout that superstitious tripe."

  The captain patted Cassidy's shoulder again. "You'll be fine, I promise."

  Somehow that put Cassidy's mind at ease, at least a little. Though she offered no explanation, Cassidy knew she could always trust her. So she nodded.

  "Given all you've been through, I'll understand if you want to rest rather than stand watch tonight," the captain said.

  "No, I've slept enough," Cassidy said, rising. "I can still do my duty."

  The captain smiled, her near-gold eyes shining in the firelight. "Glad to hear it."

  The crew stayed at the dinner circle long after they'd finished the stew and turned off the burner, idly chatting. This time Cassidy joined in, laughing and contributing to each discussion as they came. It was almost as though nothing had happened.

  The moons had risen, brightening the sky and illuminating the land below. It was early autumn, so the trio aligned neatly, forming an arc with the smallest, Turye, resting just above the horizon to the west, the second, Meia, mirroring it to the east, and Jiqun, the largest, sitting above them in the middle of the sky. All were full tonight, and the clouds were scarce, so they could see for miles in any direction.

  Lierre was the first to turn in, announcing her departure with a yawn and goodnight wishes. She offered Cassidy one more hug before taking her chair to the storage room under the aftcastle and disappearing down the ladder. Kek followed a few minutes later, and Nieves not long after him, leaving Cassidy and the captain.

  Cassidy took her chair away, as well. She decided it was as good a time as any to check the inventory. There were mushrooms and enough dried meat to last them until they made port, and there was no shortage of water, though they’d run out of brandy and mead. They were down to their last two ice canisters and had nearly spent all of their harpoons and cannon shells in the dragon attack. The cargo they were carrying in from Cielhal was accounted for, and what they could salvage from the dragon battle had been cleaned and sorted.

  As the captain brought her own chair and the cooking pot into the storeroom, Cassidy reported the low supplies.

  “Thanks, Cassy,” she said. “If we’re low on ice canisters, we better not let Kek make breakfast tomorrow.”

  “Not that we have anything for him to cook and catch fire to,” Cassidy noted.

  “He’d find a way.”

  Cassidy giggled at the thought.

  Stepping back into the moonlight, Cassidy stared out into the horizon. She could see the silhouette of the highlands far to the north, a series of forests and rivers decorating the landscape of Asaria between the sea and their destination. She stood by the edge of the ship, looking down at the river they flew over. Despite the distance — they were flying amidst the clouds — she could see silver wisps dancing along the river. What she could not see was what attracted them down there.

  "Oh, Cassy," the captain called.

  "Aye, Captain?" She turned, and the captain threw something at her, which glittered like gold in the moonlight. Cassidy caught it and realized immediately it was the firegland.

  "Without a set, it's not worth a lot," she told her. "Might as well keep it."

  "Thank you, Captain," she said, admiring the now-clean gem. She always found fireglands to be beautiful. She tucked it between her breasts, figuring she'd get a chain for it later, and took to looking toward the horizon for any signs of trouble.

  "So, what did you dream?"

  Cassidy thought about exactly what to say as she watched the world move beneath her. "I was on this ship," she said finally. "But we were in a different place. The ship and I, I mean. The balloon and the engines were gone, but still we sailed the sky.

  "It was strange," she noted. "The sky was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Stars and colorful clouds, and moons enough that you could see at least a couple in every direction. The voice of a Fae spoke to me."

  "Sounds exciting," the captain said wistfully, taking her place at the helm.

  "It was frustrating," Cassidy replied. "She kept calling me a liar."

  The captain snorted loudly.

  "What?" Cassidy asked indignantly.

  When her laughter subsided, she let out a relaxed sigh. "It's nothing," she said, though her lips were still curled into a smile, as though she were holding onto a private joke. "So, other than you being called a liar, what happened?"

  "The ship turned and sailed into a dark void," Cassidy recalled. "I don't remember anything else."

  "Three days you had to dream and that's all you have?"

  "Sorry to disappoint, Captain," Cassidy replied sarcastically. The captain shrugged. "Do you think it means anything?"

  "I've had my own encounters with the Fae, Cassy," she said, her voice laced with musing. "And I can tell you one thing's as sure as the sun rising in the morning; a dream with the Fae always means something."

  "You have? When?"

  "A few times, all long before we met, Cassy," she said. "Once before the war, twice during. The stories don't quite live up to the truth, I think."

  "What happened?"

  The captain paused, then leaned against the wheel, palming one of the spokes absently. "You've heard the stories of my service to the Empress," she said, and though she kept her tone conversational there was a glimmer of sadness beneath. If Cassidy were not so familiar with the captain, she'd have missed it. "Most of them are about as accurate as a blindfolded drunk facing the wrong target. But some," she added, growing quieter, "some ring true.

  "The first time, though, I was just a little girl, must have been nine or ten," Asier continued, "living in Revehaven. My friends dared me to touch the mountainside. Not the mushroom gardens fenced off with enough iron to build a ship, but the true earth and stone." -

  Cassidy whistled at the proposition.

  "Well, even back then a challenge wasn't going to scare me off, and I lived in the lower part of the city anyway, so I said I'd do it.

  "We found an area where no one was looking to stop us, and I climbed off the city street and down onto the support pillar. Ah, the look on their faces," she laughed. "I'd eat my hat to see that again. So, there I was, still technically in Revehaven, and yet at the same time, a world away, a massive piece of iron beneath my feet the only thing connecting me to the city I knew. Consequently, it was also the only thing stopping me from plummeting to my death. Didn't think about that at the time, though. I climbed down the sloped anchor, right up to the side of the mountain, and slapped it with the flat of my hand. One of the boys watching . . . we called him 'Squeak' from then on, because of the sound he made when I did that."

  "Couldn't you have just climbed up from where the city meets the wall?" Cassidy asked.

  "You know, I thought about that a lot afterward," Asier replied. "But when you're young and foolish, the most dangerous ways seem the most fun." She cleared her throat before resuming her tale. "So, I'd just proven myself the bravest person any of my friends had ever met when I noticed something. Several meters beneath me was a cave. So, being the insufferable showoff I was," she emphasized the word to wave off commentary, "I found some footholds in the mountain and climbed down. You'd think with the way they were screaming I'd cut my own head off and started juggling it." Despite understanding the concern, Cassidy laughed at the visual.

  "Keep going," Cassidy insisted.

  "So, I made my way down, nearly slipping a couple times, and entered the cave." The captain adjusted the wheel slightly when she felt them start to drift, but otherwise paid little heed. "By that point, I could hear my friends above crying, 'Elyia, no!' and 'Come back!' and someone was actually crying, until I entered the cave and everything became quiet. I can still remember the wind, faintly whistling against the cave entrance. It was so soft I almost missed it over the sound of my own heart pounding in my ears."

  "And you found your first Fae inside?"

  "Of course, that's why I started the story, wasn't it?" Asier snapped playfully. "Don't interrupt."

  "Sorry, Captain."

  "Right. Anyway, I went deeper into the cave, and everything became surreal, like walking into a dream." She paused, taking a breath. "I can still feel the sense of vertigo, the sensation like I was walking in water, the way my head was spinning. But I kept walking. My curiosity fueled me, and this was like no adventure I'd had before."

  "Most never do," Cassidy noted softly. "Most seem to like the safety of the cities."

  "True enough."

  Very distantly off the port bow Cassidy saw a ship's silhouette against the sky where the moon had colored the black sky green. She raised her spyglass and determined that whomever it was, they were not on approach, heading southwest.

  "So," Asier said, "I kept going forward. I don't remember being scared, exactly, but I must have been. After all, I was a child, in a cave, and it was dark. But I kept going all the same, because the novelty and the excitement were too much to ignore, and before I understood what happened, I had walked into the Dreamscape.

  "Though I could see and touch the rock all around me, I was certain that I was able to see because of starlight, without a source. And there, at the end of the tunnel, I encountered her.

  "She was surrounded but untouched by taught chains of iron that crossed over one another to form a cage, and she floated in the middle. She was like colored smoke in the shape of a woman curling herself in a ball. I was captivated. For a few years afterward I thought I had been enthralled or possessed, but I'm sure now I was merely in awe of the magic and beauty of what I'd seen. "