Port Kibo, Minami

"Rubi, Mimi, wake up."

"Hmmm?" Rubi mumbled. She shifted a little and an unwelcome twinge of pain jerked through her stomach. She twitched a little, pushing on her abdomen. An ugly ache burned in the small of her back in response.

Zodwa was hovering over her.

"Still sore?"

"Yeah." she replied. "Probably for a few more days. Is everyone getting ready to go?"

"Still have to get the boys." they replied.

"Are Kai and Sama still here?"

Zodwa nodded.

"They're down the hall. They ate and then just made themselves right at home."

Rubi sat up and stretched gently. Mimi was already up, repinning her shawl. Hers was smaller and shorter than Rubi's, since she usually wore skirts or dresses like the locals. She looked nice in both.

Rubi had never felt very comfortable in either. She was content to temporarily wear something over her usual short breeches, or long ones in winter, just not forever. She wanted to swim, climb, run, and do whatever she wanted. At least at the end of a visit, she could leave.

"Could you help pin me up, Mimi?"

"Of course." she chimed immediately. "Traditional style, modern youthful style, unmarried and eligible style?"

"Um... traditional is fine. Let's not draw too much attention."

"I'll go get those boys." Zodwa said. "Take'Ichi probably needs some help fixing that pink clay powder to his face. Rose water, I tell you. It's a damn miracle."

"See you downstairs." Rubi said, forcing a smile as another pain jolted through her. "Mimi, is it too soon for some more medicine?"

Mimi tilted her head, thinking while she fastened the pins into the red and gold fabric.

"It is a few hours too early. How do you rate your pain out of five?"

"Around two. Maybe three."

"Any pain in your back?"

"Some. More than yesterday, I'd say three."

"Unusual. Very unusual given the time frame."

"Good thing we're doing the markets tonight. I feel like this pain is going on for longer each time I get it."

"There is a possibility that the illness is progressing even while we remedy the symptoms."

"And not treating the symptoms just isn't an option." Rubi muttered. "Then there's medicine for the side effects. And maybe more medicine for the side effects from those. The list goes on. I just want to find a cure. I've had to deal with this more than half of my life."

The thought of struggling with it for the rest of her life was infuriating.

"All done." Mimi said. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's do this."

They picked up their bags and locked their room behind them, slowly descending the stairs to the lower floor. Gaku was already waiting, stroking his triangular beard in deep thought. The scar running down the middle of his face and nose caught the lamplight, pale and slightly risen. She had never asked how he got it.

"Thinking that hard must hurt." Rubi joked, breaking his concentration.

"Oh, yeah." he said. "Pain is just a consequence for being this smart and beautiful. I am constantly suffering. Good nap?"

"Good enough. It's cozier here than the last place. Quieter."

"And no picking glass out of your hair."

"Well, no one has started a fight yet, so hopefully I won't have to."

"No promises."

She pretended to scowl at him. Then she twitched as a pain spasmed inside her.

"You alright there?" Gaku asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah. I think it's going to be a bad pain day."

"Alright..." he said slowly. "Are you sure you're up to going out tonight? You can rest if you need to, there's no pressure."

"No, no. I want to go out. I'll take some more pain pills soon and I'll feel better. Don't worry."

"If you do need a break, tell me." Gaku insisted. "Please?"

"I will, don't stress. Mimi's always looking out for me."

Take'Ichi, Kagemaru and Zodwa came downstairs to meet them and the two crews filtered out into the street. When doing something frowned upon, like visiting an illegal underground black market, acting natural was essential. The streets were near empty. Windows gently glowed with fire light, and heat and smoke escaped from vents built into the cobbled streets.

The world below them was still awake. There were many stairways and ladders into the underground, but to get where they wanted to go you needed to find the right entry. They walked for a while, heading into one of the poorest parts of the city. Even law enforcement steered clear of this side of town. Eyes were everywhere, passing messages along the rows of houses about the newcomers.

Gaku walked them through the street confidently, knowing that he would be recognised and allowed to walk freely. They approached a stone building that was patched with mismatched planks and thatching. He knocked a rhythm on the wooden door. The peep hole cover was lifted to show a single dark eye.

"Name, alliance, password." said the eye.

"Captain Gaku Omali, the Wanderlust. Athwart."

"Who have you brought with you, Gaku Omali?"

Zodwa stepped to the door to speak in their native tongue, gesturing to Rubi and her crew. The eye studied them and then grunted in acknowledgement. An elderly man opened the door. His back was bent with a lifetime of hard labour. She realised now that the old man's eyes were cloudy, one more so than the other. You rarely saw someone so old living in the slums. Large extended families needed to constantly support each other, often all under the same roof.

As the latches had opened, Rubi's heart rose into her throat, making her glance over her shoulder, checking they were not being followed. Kiramaru was bringing up the rear, already checking their six. The street was empty but she could see silhouettes behind the ragged curtains of the slums.

"Gaku. You're late."

"Yes sir, better late than never." Gaku smiled. "We would like to enter the markets."

"Yes, come through."

The old man said something in isiMingam to an old woman sitting at a loom. She nodded and replied, handing him a key from a long necklace. In the middle of the next room was a well, one that had long dried up. The old man gave Gaku the key.

"Be back before sunrise." he said to him.

Gaku thanked him. The old man watched them roll out a rope ladder and all climb into the well one by one. Rubi understood he might be suspicious of newcomers, but Gaku and Zodwa were familiar faces. If you wanted to enter the markets you needed to bring someone who had been before. No matter who guarded the door, it was always the case. Zodwa had brought Gaku, and Gaku brought Rubi.

At the rocky bottom of the well was a locked door carved into the wall. Through the door they entered the caves and stepped into the light of thousands of candles. A wave of heat, voices and smells came with the light as the underground world sprawled before them. Tunnels and caverns snaked into the rock, the walls lined with rows of barrows and tables stacked high with wicker baskets and boxes of goods. Herbs, jewellry, tinctures, books, preserves, trinkets.

Soot billowed high to the ceiling vents from carts barbecuing and smoking meats. It was hot. People had shed their modest clothing for light home-wear, cooling themselves with woven fans, chatting, laughing and bartering together.

Rubi smiled broadly. This was it.

"Oh my gods." Take'Ichi breathed. He could smell, hear and see so much, so many things he had never sensed before. "All of this exists and the city doesn't know?"

"The right people know." Kagemaru said.

"Alright everyone," Gaku said over the hustle and bustle. "No one goes off on their own. Keep your bags on your front so you don't get pick pocketed. Eat where the locals eat. Don't go anywhere dark. Always barter, if you don't speak isiMingam they'll know you're not a local so you need to barter. Just follow your gut and you'll be fine. Meet back here at the well when the vents close. That will give us an hour or so to get back to the tavern before the sun rises."

"I'm going to spend some quality time with my little, little brother." Kiramaru said, wrapping his arms around his brother. Kagemaru had gone stiff as a board.

"Please no." he grumbled.

"I'm going to go get drunk." Zodwa said. "Udi, Take'Ichi, you coming?"

"I can't drink alcohol." the sprite said. "But I might meet you there later."

"I can, let's go." Rubi said.

"Rubi, we need to purchase supplies." Mimi reminded her.

"Well, if you're done quickly, take that left tunnel and follow it to the end. There's a nice little nook a friend of my family runs."

"Sounds good to me!"

"If I have to spend the time with you, I'd rather be drunk." Kagemaru said. Kiramaru slapped his shoulder and laughed heartily.

"That's the spirit!"

For their similarities, the two brothers were archetypes for an extrovert and an introvert. Rubi knew they loved each other, just in different ways.

Groups headed off together. Take'Ichi, Velvel and Vaal started to look at stalls of strange talismans. Gaku gave a short wave and a sly smile, then followed the brothers, knowing what he was in for.

Rubi headed to the food carts and bought some dried, spiced meat to chew on while they wandered. It would be best to eat something before taking more medication, after all.

They walked, side stepping passed crowded carts, peering over shoulders to see their wares. A bonus of being tall. She hoped the same vendor was still there. An old midwife and her granddaughter had helped her last time. The granddaughter spoke very good Mainlander, but the older lady did not. Mimi had spoken with her mostly, and this time Rubi hoped that they could be less experimental with their treatment. They knew what had helped and what had not. Hopefully with this knowledge the midwife could recommend something similar that would be more effective for her.

Mimi had explained that plants could be related to one another, and when used medicinally, they could yield similar results. Some remedies worked better than others, and staying in the plant families narrowed the margin of error. Different parts of the plants could be more potent, as well as how it was prepared. Some parts were too strong, some were too weak. Rubi had tried root powders, flower brews, herbal tinctures, oils, balms, and pressed tablets like the ones she had now.

While Mimi was familiar with the kind of plants used, there was no way to predict which would work for Rubi personally. It was just trial and error.

"There." Mimi said suddenly, pointing. She was right, the same painted table was set up in almost the exact same spot as last time.

The weathered woman sat in a wicker chair padded with feather pillows, her protege grandchild sitting next to her. They were speaking with a pregnant woman who held a small leather bag of medicine. She was smiling, but she looked exhausted. The old medicine woman put a hand on her swollen belly and grinned broadly with the few remaining teeth she had. Rubi could not understand them, but the positivity in their voices was clear.

"Namkelekile." the granddaughter said, seeing them first. "I remember you."

"I remember you too. It's good to see you here again."

"What can I help you with tonight?"

"Last time, you gave me some pills for my illness and I think we can make some changes so it works better."

"Can you tell me what helped? Grandma will know what to suggest."

Rubi emptied her usual pills onto a shiny metal plate and organised them into their groups. Mimi gave the elderly woman the list of remedies she had written to look over.

"Well, this is what I use for pain, four times a day. It's pretty good, but I think it stops working too soon and I have to wait to take another."

The granddaughter translated this to the medicine woman. She picked up the pill and studied it. She spoke to the younger woman.

"She asks, how many days in a row do you take it?"

Rubi thought for a moment.

"Three days before, the week during, and then three days after."

"Grandma says that's a lot."

The old woman picked through a basket of red flowers that the medicine was sourced from. She picked up a small vial of resin to show them.

"This is the most concentrated form of the same pain medicine." the young woman explained. "She said you can use it for your kind of pain but it can upset the mind if the dose is too strong. It must be used sparingly. Many people become addicted to it. It is the case with many medicines we use for strong pain."

"Mimi distributes my current pills to me, I can trust her to take charge when I'm not up to it." Rubi said.

The old woman rustled in another basket and produced another vial of powder.

"This works to slow the effects of the medicine." she translated. "It means it doesn't take effect all at once, and it can soothe the stomach too." The grandmother pointed to the next tablet in the line up. "This is for the hot pains, yes?"

"Yes. I take it twice a day for a week."

"That's good. Too much can cause kidney pain. Anything else that's helping?"

"I use this root tea for nausea."

"That's good."

"And this tea to help me sleep. I don't think it works as well as it used to."

"This one is very mild, you can increase the dose. Alternatively, you can add some of this pink flower here to the tea. It often helps you stay asleep better and feel more rested. It can stop you dreaming though, if that matters."

The old woman pointed to another basket of unfamiliar, dry yellow clusters and leaves.

"We call this Lion's Foot, it looks like you haven't used this before."

"I don't think so no." Rubi said.

"Many women find this useful, but it is hard to get in these parts. While it doesn't help the pain, it can shorten the episodes of bleeding and overall reduce the time you need to take the other medicines."

"Shorten the episodes?" Rubi asked.

"Some people have found it halves the time spent with symptoms. It can help you lead a much more normal life."

"I spend about two weeks of every month sick." Rubi said. "I'm willing to give anything a go at this point. How would I take it?"

"You can take it in hot tea or slowly infused overnight in cold water. Grandma will write down how much to use and how much you can increase it to."

"That sounds great. Thank you. Mimi, can you sort this out?"

"Of course." she said.

"So..." Rubi said sheepishly to the granddaughter. "How much of the Lion's Foot would I have to take to get this thing to stop all together?"

The young woman shook her head.

"I don't think we have anything that could do that. The monthly cycles are just a part of life, but we can make them more bearable. Some women say that the symptoms get better with age or after having children."

Rubi felt herself grimace automatically.

"Yeah... I don't think I'll want children any time soon. I just wish there was a cure for whatever it is I have."

"It's more common than you think." she replied. "Some just get it worse than others." She paused, looking grim. "I don't know if you're aware, but in some cases the illness means you won't be able to have children at all, and it doesn't ever get better. And those that do, mothers can pass it on to daughters."

"I don't know if my mother had it." Rubi said. "I was five or six when she passed. As for figuring out if I want children, it's not high on my list of priorities. If at all. I'm twenty one, I just want to be doing things right now, you know?"

She thought about the conversation earlier, bringing back that uncomfortable feeling that she might have to return home sooner rather than later. If she was diagnosed as 'barren' now, her brother or cousin was her only hope for the royal family line.

She knew how much her brother did not want the throne. The last time she was at home, when her brother and her father had argued, her condition was less severe. She had no idea then that it would, or could, get worse. What would happen to her if she went home and this came to light? She could see the disappointment in her father's face as if he were sitting in front of her. She thought of a row of old judges deciding what to do with her now, shaking their heads, murmuring to each other. Unmarriageable.

Had her family ever even asked her if she actually wanted to get married and have children one day, or did they just assume she would?

"Managing the pain can be all we can do." the young midwife said. "Grandma can sell you a smaller pill press so you make smaller doses of the pain remedy. If you can, try to reserve it for the worst days. Recording the days in a journal each cycle can help you predict and compare each one."

"Hopefully it can show things getting better."

Mimi packed their purchases into their bags and they paid. It was expensive to be sick, Rubi had learned. The new medicine had only added to that.

"Thanks." Rubi said to Mimi. "I think we're going to have to be thriftier with our supplies this trip. Unless we can pick up some quick work while we're here."

"We will have to ask Gaku. He usually knows where to look."

"Would it be time for more pain herbs yet?" Rubi asked hopefully.

"Yes, would you like to stop somewhere to get a drink?"

"I was hoping we could go find the others at that bar."

Mimi gave her a disapproving look.

"Alcohol is not recommended with these kinds of medicine." she said. "Or only in small quantities."

"I'll have one drink. No overdoing it."

They trekked back to the well and then to the left where Zodwa had directed. Kiramaru was about four drinks deep into his night, followed closely by Zodwa with three empty glasses. Kagemaru locked eyes with Rubi and tipped his glass back deeply. Take'Ichi was sitting quietly in the corner, his hands in his lap and his eyes wide at the quality of the conversation.

Gaku was talking with the barkeeper at the cart of barrels and bottles. He gave her a little wave, but he seemed busy.

"Are you mentally scarring this poor boy?" Rubi said, settling into a seat at the table.

"Which one?" Kiramaru asked, ruffling Kagemaru's hair.

"Well, both I guess. I do need them vaguely functional by the time we set sail."

"I have no idea what's going on." Take'Ichi said in a small voice, sliding his chair closer to Rubi's. "Save me."

Rubi patted his shoulder encouragingly. The two crew eventually regrouped at the bar, more drinks were ordered and sunrise drew closer. After her second drink, Rubi remembered that she had not taken any medicine yet. Her blurred thoughts shrugged it off, the pain mostly forgotten, leading her to order a third glass.

It felt so nice to relax and put her feet up with her friends in a place they could be themselves. Udi and Zodwa were cuddled up on a bench seat, fingers locked together affectionately, and enjoying romantic eye contact in a way forbidden in the society above.

The two winged brothers had finally reached the same level, sinking into their chairs, laughing a little easier and smiling more freely. Kiramaru had said he loved Kagemaru five or six times in a row at one point. Mimi had rescued the little sprite from the other boys and taken him over to the safety of their other sober, or more sober, friends.

"So when did you two go official?" Rubi asked Udi.

His cheeks were especially red thanks to the alcohol, his bouncy, light brown curls tied back in the heat.

"Two months ago, I think." he said.

He had a relatively thick Continental Peninsula accent. Some sounds were more obvious than others, but Rubi admired his commitment to learning Proper. The two languages could not be more different. Zodwa had spent hours with him, helping him master the language beyond the basics. Sometimes, when you spend so much time with another, it could blossom into something wonderful.

Gaku returned to the table, squeezing into the available space, then leaned into Rubi's side.

"They've been really happy," he said. "Took them long enough though. I think everyone else saw where it was going before they even did."

"I think it's sweet." she replied. "They took the time they needed."

"Better late than never." he nodded.

Gaku sighed, exhaling through his nose softly. Rubi felt her body start to lean against him, their shoulders touching. She looked at him, her slightly spinning vision focusing on his freckled nose and at his hooded eyes. They were grey, with a darker ring on the outside. Had she ever noticed his long, dark lashes before?

It occurred to her that every time they saw each other they got drunk, and maybe that made things trickier than they should be. Had they ever spent time together alone and sober, just enjoying each other's company? For a moment, everything around her felt quieter and softer. Those grey eyes had little flecks of hazel in them. So many tiny colours all spiraling together beautifully.

"UMKHOSI!"

A sobering panic hit Rubi like a blow to the head. She knew that isiMingam word. Military police.

She swung around to look at Zodwa for directions. They were up already, rushing to the bar. The bartender shouted and waved his patrons over, pulling up a trap door in the floor.

"Get in, go, go!" Zodwa shouted.

"What about you?" Udi urged. "You're coming too!"

"I'm a local." they replied, squeezing his hand. "I have to help hide the contraband."

Udi kissed their hand and followed the crowd of foreigners into the trap door. There they all crouched in a low tunnel in near total darkness. The locals were hiding their forbidden goods, like the medicines and trinkets they had all seen and purchased before, and disguising their shops with regular wares or as areas to sleep.

These underground tunnels were where most of the poorest people lived, the ones that could not pay rent in the decrepit buildings above. For many, a guaranteed place to sleep and a meagre food ration turned them to a life of indentured servitude likened only to slavery, often generations deep.

This series of caverns had been a place for the desperate to find shelter before the market was formed. Something was dragged over the top of the door above them and the last of the light was extinguished.

"Is everyone alright?" Rubi whispered in the darkness.

"I can't see." Kagemaru whispered back.

"I'm going to make a little light, everyone cover your eyes for a moment."

Rubi rubbed her thumb and index finger in a few circles and a small sphere began to form, pressing her fingers apart. The pinkish orb cast enough light to illuminate some faces. She saw Udi, Gaku, Mimi, Kagemaru and Kiramaru at first.

"Alright, you can look up now. Where's Take'Ichi?" she whispered, a cold weight hitting her stomach. Mimi looked around the crowd. Of all the faces that were there, no bamboo sprite.

"He must be in another hidden tunnel." Kiramaru assured her quietly. "There's at least a dozen down here for escape. If we follow this one we should end up near the market plaza."

"Why are the military police here?" Kagemaru asked.

"They're relatively routine." Gaku said. "A few times a year. I think we just got unlucky tonight."

"You're telling me." Rubi thought to herself. The realisation of her drunken, intrusive thought hit her like a thump to the chest.

"This certainly throws a wrench in the works for tonight." Kiramaru grumbled. "I just wanted to sit and drink in an illegal underground market, not crawl for my life through an abandoned tunnel that may or may not be partially flooded or full of feral rats or worse. I'm wearing white for goodness sake."

"Shhhhh," Gaku said. "The police will be here soon. Extinguish that thing."

Rubi crushed the orb and it seeped back into her fingers. Darkness swept over them and they waiting, breathing as quietly as they could. Rubi desperately hoped Take'Ichi had found a safe place to hide. Zodwa had stayed behind to help hide the illegal goods. She hoped they were safe too.

Eventually, heavy footsteps became audible. Thick, metal capped boots sounded so much different from the worn leather or reed sandals of the poor. Should they flee down the tunnel now or wait for a sign?

Authoritative voices began to bark overhead. Thank goodness the lookouts had seen the military police so early. There were no sounds of a struggle. Hopefully it would stay that way. Rubi looked into the dark at Gaku for reassurance, who was looking at Mimi. She was listening intently, deciphering and assessing the situation. The tension was thick. Rubi could trust her to decide when enough was enough.

Eventually the voices above seemed to settle and become less aggressive. Rubi had not heard Zodwa's voice at all. She hoped this was a good thing. More time passed. There was no sound of overturned tables or arrests.

"They're leaving." Mimi said extremely quietly. "Someone knew one of the guards and assured them that nothing was going on here."

"Oh thank goodness." Kiramaru sighed. He then quickly put his hands over his mouth, eyes wide, hoping he had not spoken too loudly.

The footsteps of the boots faded into the distance. Someone pulled the cover off the trap door they hid under. Gaku led the way out, everyone filing back into the market tunnel, dusting off their clothes. Thank the Gods the tunnel had not been flooded like Kiramaru had catastrophized.

Zodwa pulled a ragged blanket off of their head and made their way out of a group of sleeping people. Udi pushed to the front and threw his arms around Zodwa.

"Gods, I was so scared they'd take you." he said, his voice shaking.

"I hid for you." they replied, stroking his hair. "As much as I wanted to riot."

"Thank you." Udi whispered, still not letting go.

"Where's Take'Ichi?" Rubi asked. "Has anyone seen him?"

"He just..." Zodwa said, struggling for words. They made some strange hand motions. "He just turned into a stick. Just 'poof!' gone. So I kicked the stick under the bar cart. I didn't know what else to do."

As if on cue, a clattering sound of bottles came from the cart, along with a puff of light olive dust. Take'Ichi started to cough and just like that he was back. He clambered out from under the cart cloth, squashed in tightly, rubbing his eyes.

"What happened?" he asked. "Did someone kick me?"

"Sorry. I panicked." Zodwa said. "I had no idea you could transform like that."

"It doesn't happen very often." he said. "Sometimes I get so scared I revert back to a plant."

Zodwa nodded, not understanding how such a transformation could happen but happy to know why it happened. They looked totally awestruck.

"I've never seen anything like that before." they said. "It was amazing. And terrifying. But completely amazing."

"I thought the same thing." Rubi admitted. She gestured to Mimi, Kagemaru and Kiramaru. "I mean, look at all these weirdos. I should expect anything by now, shouldn't I?"

"Excuse me, I am a beautiful man." Kiramaru intervened.

"It doesn't count if only Mother says it." Kagemaru smirked.

His brother's face contorted as he tried to find a suitable comeback, but none came. Kagemaru smiled in smug victory.

"So..." Gaku said. "Celebratory drink for surviving the raid with no casualties?"

"That sounds good to me." Zodwa agreed. "Rubi?"

"Just one more." Rubi said, holding one finger up to be perfectly clear. "Then we go back to the tavern."

"Of course." the captain replied. "Let's grab a seat and I can tell you about a job the barkeep was telling me about before you arrived and we were so rudely interrupted by the police."

"A job?" Rubi repeated, her heart leaping a little.

"We'll have to stay another day to give everyone time to get organised." he continued. "But it is both lucrative and morally awesome."

"Alright." Rubi said suspiciously."What's the job?"

"It's an escape. We're going to help a bunch of Collectors flee the country."