20 | BLOOD TIES

Time seemed to resume to its normal pace when Cyryl had awakened. August had grown used to her apprentice's eyepatch much quicker than her other companions. Zie was far from the first person she'd met who had one. Personally, she liked it and claimed it built character. The others failed to be taken by her compliment.

Days later, August found herself wedged between Omar and Cyryl once again as they sailed on a ferry back to White Lightning. This time, however, Lang was tagging along. She'd decided to join their group on behalf of her late teacher to finish the work Tuyen started. Lang had determined that Tranquelum should be their next stop because unlike Rubrelum and Verelum, Tranquelum had zero natural disasters affecting the isle. She believed the reason why lied at its Core Gracidea.

August glanced down at the dark brown bag in her lap. It was new; she'd given Omar incos to purchase her a larger knapsack, so Gracie would be less squished inside of it. She'd already spent hours persuading the Shaymin that going to Tranquelum could give them clues on where the rest of her species went. The last thing August needed was for Gracie to become even more upset.

The boat slowed to a stop, tearing August's gaze away from her bag. Unlike last time, they'd taken an early morning ride and reached the coastal city by midday. They climbed out of the Gyarados-shaped vessel and exited the docks in search of a meal. The group split in two with Lang and Omar buying food while August and Cyryl found a place to eat.

A fine sprinkle dusted the town in a sea green mist. It was just heavy enough to dampen hair but so light it didn't soak cloaks. A large pavilion enwrapped in ivy sat at the edge of town as a free place to lounge with its wooden benches and small tables.

As they climbed the steps, August lowered her hood and noticed Cyryl was doing the opposite. Zie ducked zir head and clung to the pirate, hiding zir face. Strangers examined the teen with suspicious glares and provoked August's volatile nerves.

She demanded loudly, "What? Ain't ever seen an eye wound before?"

The strangers jumped in surprise then dropped their stares. An old man's Squirtle withdrew into zir shell. She scoffed. People were lousy, she decided. Annoyed, she led Cyryl to a vacant table and sat down with a grunt.

Seeing Cyryl continue to fidget uncomfortably made her frown. She said, "Don't mind them."

Zie placed zir left cheek onto zir hand, trying to shield zir marred features with zir long fingers. "That's easier said than done. I've never been one to capture people's attention, but now I draw eyes whenever I enter a room with this." Zie gestured to zir eyepatch.

"You know what I think o' scars?"

"What do you think?"

August bent forward and adopted the mellow tone of voice she used with Gracie, saying, "I see someone who bested trouble. The dastard made it out alive, good fo' zir. Scars are the signs o' someone strong, not stupid." She paused. "You're the first one, kid. Sometimes you act like the second, but you're the first."

A tiny grin tugged at Cyryl's lips, accompanied by a breath of laughter. She could practically see the cogs turning in zir mind as zie considered her philosophy.

"It takes guts to join a fight you don't think you'll win, an' you did it. You've shown you're capable; I'm proud o' you." August coughed immediately and turned her head away. Scorching heat crawled up her neck, flustered by her own sentimentality. "Th-that doesn't mean go out there an' start picking fights with people. That's what I'm here for."

Cyryl's smile was as gentle as the touched look in zir gaze. Zie lowered zir hand from zir face and said softly, "Thank you. That truly means a lot to me. You see, I—"

The clinking of armor silenced the magician. A hush fell upon the pavilion as a guardsman and his Palpitoad approached the duo's table. They donned Vere blue sashes and stern expressions, sizing up August and Cyryl with fixed glares.

Shit. August forced herself to relax under the pressure of the public's eye and straightened upright. "Is something wrong?" she questioned.

"It was brought to my attention that a pair of foreigners were disturbing the peace," the guardsman said. His stare lingered on Cyryl's eyepatch, and he adjusted his grip on the silver spear he carried. "I'll have to ask you to relocate to another area."

The Palpitoad nodded. "Pal."

Cyryl hurriedly assured, "We'll leave immediately, sir. We're sorry for the disturbance."

August bit her tongue and copied Cyryl's actions, rising from her seat with exaggerated slowness. The Palpitoad grunted and smacked her chair with zir tail. Her tolerance fizzled, ready to die out with the weakest gust of wind.

"Watch it," she snapped. "Don't you see I'm moving?"

"And why would you be moving?" Lang asked. She appeared from behind the guardsman with Omar in tow, carrying bamboo boxes of food.

The guardsman answered, "Complaints have been filed that these two were harassing the public. They're leaving the premise."

Lang rolled her eyes and set the food on the table. "Is this the behavior of the Waterlily Guard now? You go around punishing any foreigner you see on the excuse that they raised their voice above a whisper?"

August squinted at her newest companion. Where was Lang's common sense? She stood no taller than a Zoroark with the lanky build of a Roselia, yet here she was grilling a towns guard member twice her size. August stepped closer to her. Just in case.

The guardsman shook off his surprise in place of a vexed sneer. "Hold your tongue, girl. Assumptions like those'll—"

"What? Have me removed from the premise?" Lang drew her necklace out from beneath her coat, flashing the pendant's hydrangea at him. "Go ahead. We'll see how this ends."

The guardsman's annoyance swiftly turned to panic, and he bowed his head. "M-my apologies, Miss Dao," he stammered. "I haven't been having the best of luck today. I beg of you not to inform your father of this, this ordeal."

"I'll consider it." She flicked her hair over her shoulder and checked her nails, making the guardsman's teeth gnash. "Our business is done here. Do try to enjoy the rest of your day, officer." Sarcasm drenched her words. "May the sun shine on your path."

Shoulders taut and jaw set, the guardsman and his Palpitoad exited the area. As they left, the remaining four settled at their table and cast the nurse bewildered looks. Lang didn't say anything until she unlidded the boxes and started portioning the food alongside Omar.

"My father comes from a popular line of nobility," she explained. "It's not often that I have to abuse that power, but I think that situation called for it."

August's skin crawled. Lang's story seemed to echo her older sister's. It was with her father's connections to the senior figures at the military academy that Shannon was permitted into the school in the first place. Nightmares of Shannon's corpse beneath Calico's boot flickered through her memory. She stabbed her food.

After they'd finished their early lunch, the group embarked on the trail back to the docks and made it to White Lightning by late evening. To celebrate their discovery, August insisted on having a few drinks at the nearby tavern. All but Omar rejected her request.

August pushed open the door to be met with a welcoming sight. The old tavern had a homey atmosphere with its golden yellow candles and crackling hearth. Enticing scents of roasted meats and sweet deserts had her mouth watering. Around her, shipbuilders and merchants alike spoke in roguish accents familiar to her ear. She had to steer Omar away from the barmaid and her Altaria who sang songs of old on a rickety stage.

She nudged his side and said, "The kids are expecting you. Don't be off looking fo' another place to stay."

"I wasn't thinking that," he protested, embarrassed.

"Aye. Sure you weren't."

"August."

The pirate chuckled and waved off his distress. She let him wander back to the barmaid after they'd shared a drink together, but August stayed by the bar with the company of the tavern-keeper eager to refill her cup. Amusement danced in her gaze as she observed her friend flirt with the green-haired woman. It wasn't often she saw him dropping his brotherly persona to pursue other matters.

Her eyes wandered the rest of the room only to lock on a merchant surrounded by young men. The merchant stood out like a beacon with the violet Delibird by his side. He sat next to the hearth, telling a story which had the others on the edge of their seats. Curious, August joined the group to listen in.

"...Nightkeep is its own little slice of the Distortion World's like, I tell ya. There ain't a worse place in all of Caelum," the merchant claimed, shaking his head.

"What else have you seen there, old man?" a shipbuilder asked through a mouthful of dinner.

The merchant's lips twisted into a sly smirk. "You won't believe me even if I tell ya."

"Go on, go on," the eager listeners urged.

"Alright, alright. I'll tell ya," he said.

August snorted and finished the rest of her drink. Bet he saw a pirate, an' that's the story.

The merchant cleared his throat then said, "It was three nights ago when I was at my ship doing my duties when I see this massive ship pull in. It has green flags an' a black center, but I can't see the pattern 'cause it's too dark for my old eyes. I don't think much of it 'til the next morning. I'm at an inn getting food when I hear arguin'. The lads are shouting 'cause they're scared of the ship that pulled in. No lie, the ship that I saw was the Zoroark's Deceit."

Shocked gasps and disbelieving guffaws sounded fell deaf to August's ears. Her grip on her canteen turned bone white.

"It's the truth, I tell ya," the merchant vowed. "An' that's not the end of it. It turns out the Zoroark's Deceit wasn't there for lootin'—it was there for sellin'. Any guesses whose poor arse got taken by the infamous she-captain herself?"

"The Savage Hydreigon," someone guessed.

The person beside him scoffed. "What're you saying? That ship's wreckage was found weeks ago full of dead bodies. Has to be someone else." As soon as he finished, wild assumptions erupted into the air.

"I say the Spinning Web."

"No way! I think it's the Red Roamers."

"The Crooked Beldum!"

"Ol' Rapport's crew."

"Some shit outta luck merchant."

"A Royal Rubre Navy ship."

Everyone quieted at August's bold accusation. She held her breath, waiting for the merchant to call her mad. He had to. The idea was ridiculous and insane and—

"Damn, word travels fast. I didn't know the news had gotten here already." The merchant laughed to himself. "You didn't just get here from Nightkeep yourself, didja?"

August's blood chilled to ice; her hollow chest tightened with dread. She hid her panic, donning an aloof mask as she answered, "No. I got word from someone who got here yesterday."

He shrugged and carried on, saying, "Word has it Cap'n Calico's sellin' the men she got from her attack. It's gonna be a hefty price for Rubre soldiers. I didn't stick around. I bet my life's earnings a fight'll break out over that labor. My ship ain't gonna be the one destroyed in it..."

August abruptly stood up and pushed her way out of the crowd, her mind racing a million knots a minute. The Xatu was truthful. Her instincts took control as she raced out of the tavern and out by the docks. Her nightmares were real. She stood at the edge of the isle, gasping for breath and staring into the never-ending abyss below. The past had finally caught up to her.

She raked her hands through her short hair and pulled at her roots as if doing so would quicken her thought process and provide her with a solution. It failed. She balled her fists and withheld a frustrated scream.

Of course Shannon and Calico came back into her life as soon as she thought she had it figured out. Here she'd assumed she'd be able to solve this mystery and become rich off of it, but fate had other plans. It was all Calico's fault. She was the one who went after Shannon. But how? Why? Was it a coincidence? Or... was it on purpose?

August started pacing. She knew Calico would pursue her, it was why she avoided the Zoroark's Deceit's territory. She knew the territory better than she knew herself; she was even able to draw a map of it for Patel. And Patel died. She bit her lip. Calico must've figured it was impossible to seek out a single person in a world as large as Caelum. She wanted August to come to her. August's pacing halted. Shannon was bait.

If she ignored Calico's ploy, she could continue life as planned. Shannon would spend the rest of her days as a slave, but perhaps Calico would give up. August could have a peaceful life. At the expense of Shannon's. She'd save her newfound friends from danger. Or she'd prolong it. Calico could always come back.

A flood of nausea washed over August. She hunched over and puked.

"August! August? August!"

Heavy footsteps pounded her way then a large hand patted her back. August groaned and wiped the acid from her mouth with the sleeve of her tunic. Her vision blurred.

"I saw you run out here," Omar said, letting her use him for support as she regained her balance. "Do you feel better now? I can carry you back if you feel dizzy."

"I don't know," August moaned, feeling her self-control slip. "I don't know."

He sighed and bent down, offering her his back. "Climb on."

Omar always offered to help her. Cyryl, too. Zie taught her to read. Lang, she'd just met Lang, and the nurse saved her life. Loto clothed her and fed her and saved her shoulder. Gracie gave her support. They all did. So much support. She didn't deserve them. They didn't deserve this.

Tears, August realized as she wiped at her eyes. Those were tears ruining her vision and streaming down her cheeks and making them wet. "No," she croaked.

The shipbuilder spun around, surprised by her cracked voice. He fretted, "Are you hurt? Is it your foot?"

"My foot's fine, it's not the problem. That is!" She stumbled away from him, throwing her hand out towards the open sky.

"What is?" he asked, confused.

She sunk to her knees, burying her face in her hands. "I've done bad. Bad to me, bad to people who know me. I do bad things." She sensed Omar crouching beside her and wrapping an arm around her. "I'm a bad person."

"C'mon, let's go. You're drunk. It's time to sleep off your sadness," he urged, attempting to lift her up.

August wriggled out of his grasp and cried, "My sister got kidnapped! Calico got her. She's going to be sold as a slave."

Omar's jaw dropped, too stunned for words.

She ranted, "It's my fault. Calico got her 'cause she looks like me. She thinks I'll go an' save her. But I can't. Not with you all. Nightkeep's too dangerous. It's the biggest port town there is." She closed her eyes. "I feel shitty, though. Leaving Shannon like that. Damn Calico."

Her sister had ruined her childhood, that was what August had told herself since she was young. Shannon was the reason no one paid her any attention except for Ves who didn't know her. Until recently, she'd never had to interact with her sister as they lived separate lives. That intersection was a mistake. August shouldn't care about saving her. She shouldn't.

Omar rested a hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure Calico has Shannon?"

"I know she does. That flying dastard's bird showed me. Gave me bad dreams ever since."

"Then... let's go save her."

August searched Omar's expression for any signs of uncertainty, knowing quite well how passive he was. He showed none. Compassion, earnest and true, softened his features in a way that reminded her of Gracie.

"No," she rejected immediately, "you can't. It ain't worth the risk when you all have to save the world an' shit."

"Do you think you'll be able to work hard knowing what happened to your sister?" He nodded when she hesitated. "If my family or Cyryl's or Lang's was in Shannon's spot, we'd go save them. No doubt about it. Don't think you're different because you act tough. You're still human. We know that; I know that."

She tried rationalizing, "I ain't even close with her."

"Then you'll get real close when you rescue her, yeah?" Omar hoisted her to her feet as if she were a ragdoll and told her, "This is the right thing to do. You'll see."

August numbly walked beside him, accepting his decision. She said nothing. If she spoke, she feared her terror would spill out, and she'd lose whatever ounce of strength she believed she had left.

⚔️

It was dark. Nothing beyond two strides could be seen. The stench of bodily waste and rotting wounds soured the air so humid that skin was constantly doused in a layer of sweat. Weak coughs and moans of pain echoed throughout the holding cell whenever someone wasn't cursing their luck aloud. Moving was painful. Aching bodies littered the floor, and the chance of stepping on one was higher than preferred.

Still, Shannon slunk through the shadows. With swift, agile steps, she bounded to a bucket of water tied to the bars of the cell and bent down. Using a canister she'd stolen from before, she dipped the cup into the bucket and scratched the bottom.

A serpent lurched the bars, striking the metal with the blunt of zir tail. Crimson red fangs dripping with venom flexed in Shannon's face. She gasped and recoiled, spilling water. Her cup had but three mouthfuls left. She glared daggers at the Seviper as zie slithered away, loathing the smirk on zir scaly face.

Holding the canister to her chest, she tiptoed around her sleeping soldiers. What few men she had left were injured, starving, dehydrated, and on the brink of insanity. She refused to allow her state of mind to come to that. Staying strong in hard times was essential for survival.

Shannon returned to her former position beside the once proud noble of Rubrelum. Prince Dedan wore dirty gauze around his eyes, hiding his scarlet red irises. The pirates couldn't learn they had a prince in their clutches. His eye color was a dead giveaway. It was Shannon's idea to have him feign recent blindness and wear eye protection at all times to keep his identity a secret.

She grabbed Prince Dedan's hand and gave him the canister. "It's not much," she whispered, "but it should stop that tickle in your throat."

He coughed then murmured, "Thank you."

Rage boiled within the lieutenant as she watched her lord greedily gulp down the unsanitary water. This wasn't right. These filthy conditions were meant for criminals, not honorable characters. Being imprisoned by pirates, pirates guided by a magician at that, was the cruelest fate she could possibly imagine. She'd forever have to live with the shame of losing a duel to that blasted captain who bested her in three fell swipes.

A single swipe changes a life, she remembered bitterly. I missed mine, and now I'm being held prisoner in a pirate sanctuary. What did I do to deserve this?

Shannon stared at the gap in the ceiling, longing for the freedom of the sky. Would she ever be able to set sail in it again? Shannon scowled and snapped herself out of her depressing reverie. Of course, she would. She'd escape. She'd escape, or she'd die trying.