Chapter 128: The Man with a Hundred Plans

Book 3, Chapter 27 - The Man with a Hundred Plans

It wasn't enough.

Aki threw back her head in laughter as she retold the story to a new round of drinkers. “You should have seen it. I've not seen two grown men fight over one girl so ferociously. Seventy crowns. Can you imagine?”

Eyes turned to Eksa, gauging her value through coin. She rested her arms on the wooden counter of Aki's bar, half of Dhorjun's crew drinking and screaming behind her. A windowless bar with two lanterns at the sides. Dark otherwise save for a shallow cast of moonlight coming from beneath the front door. Theodore Coraine, a Xenarian nobleman, had offered seventy gold crowns for her, and the offer was denied. Dhorjun wasn't the greedy bastard Eksa thought him to be. He wanted a warship or five well taught shipwrights, but Lord Coraine had declined the offer. But I'm worth it…

Eksa stared at her own dark reflection within a flagon as a snowy layer of foam melted into the ale. Why was she disappointed when she'd at last achieved her dream? Here, she was now a prized member of Eurale's navy, a sailor at last after an arduous four years of slaving and torment. But this didn't feel the right place to be. The environment was familiar, sure.

Drunk sailors screaming over each other, shirts stained, laughing and singing —somewhere someone mumbled the song about Catcher Grey. But Eksa felt so very alone here. Sidelong glances cast her way painted her as an outsider. And elongated stares towards her made her seem an Artifact unprotected, waiting to be stolen. Back home, she was adored by all.

Because father employed them.

There was no hierarchical figure protecting her here. Eksa glanced back. No discipline either by the looks. Mikael's sailors always cut proper figures and kept groomed faces despite egregious behaviour in taverns. These men here… This is a professional navy?

“Why the long face?” Aki asked, sliding over to Eksa from the other side of the counter. She leaned in, face inches away. “You haven't touched your drink.”

“I don't think it's wise to get drunk in a room full of those men,” Eksa said. At least she no longer wore her one piece slave garb. No collar around her neck either, though a fading red line still pressed into her skin like a tattooed choker.

Agram had gotten her a few pairs of new clothes matching Estraean style. A loose and buttoned white shirt with puffed shoulders. The sleeves had buttons, which Eksa undid and rolled up past her elbow lest she drown in her own sweat in these heat wrought lands. Her waist was girded with a black band with white laces. She had a comfortable pair of dark cotton breeches and high leather boots stopping just beneath her kneecaps with heels coming a half inch off the ground. And of course, her cutlass hanging from her waist. I should have asked for a coat too .

“ Those? ” Aki asked, raising a pencil line eyebrow. She popped the cork of an expensive looking bottle and took a satisfied drink. “Probably not wise to get drunk before any man. The trick is to drink and not get drunk. And you, little berry, probably haven't ever tasted alcohol before.”

“I have!” Eksa protested with closed fists, not wanting to seem a child lest she get the respect of one from everyone present. She flushed as she recalled drinking from an unmonitored bottle on her father's desk. He'd caught her coughing on the floor of his study, bottle tipped over, good drink spilt upon a fine rug.

Aki pulled away Eksa's flagon and pushed the dark bottle toward her instead. A much stronger scent rose from the open mouth, one like fresh honey off a comb. Lantern light shone off one side of the glass. Aki cupped her chin and smiled, waiting expectantly. Eksa's fingers slowly curled around the bottle.

She was a part of this crew now. She had to act the part. Had to seem strong to avoid trouble. She twisted the bottle slightly, moving the top from where the barkeep had lain her mouth on it, too embarrassed to share that spot, and slowly brought it to her lips.

Eksa squeezed her eyes shut, remembering her poor first experience with alcohol. She threw her head back and chugged down within a single breath before the stinging sensation hit her throat in full. She slammed the half empty bottle down on the counter and clutched her throat, trying hard not to make a scene. Remnants in her drink mingled with her saliva to form a sweet and sour aftertaste. Eksa focused on the bar counter's wavy lines as she swallowed her own spit to relieve the sting in her throat. The barkeep was smiling at her all the while.

A group of watching men cheered her on and she managed a weak smile. That ought to have earned her some respect. Aki took the bottle, drinking some more while smoothly pocketing loose coins put upon her counter — where are the pockets on that strange outfit?

“Told you I've drank before,” Eksa asserted with a choppy voice, feeling a burning sensation inside. Her confidence felt renewed. Her sense of belonging increased. Her pride swelled and her —she froze, breath caught.

In a shadowed corner stared a smooth headed man with a sharp nose, black coat hanging from his shoulders like a slice of night itself. All but the faint glint of fire light in his eyes was visible. Eksa turned back to the counter. The cold stare sapped at her strength. She reached over to where Aki had put her flask, taking a long drink and wiping her mouth with her arm before turning back again. The man was still staring, eyes like daggers waiting to slit her open and drink from her blood. Her throat felt restrained by an invisible collar. Please don't be a Vampire! Please don't be a Vampire! Please don't be a Vampire!

Much of the world thought Blood Drinkers a myth. For Estraea, a nation so close to the Kal'Kar Mountains, it was an entirely different story. They were a terror known to descend once in a while to feed from hapless villagers, though that had stopped last Eksa heard before running away from home.

“You look as if you stare down a rend from the mighty Shuari,” Aki said.

Eksa lifted a finger and pointed it over her shoulder without turning around. “That man in the corner keeps glaring my way. Even though everyone else is smiling at me now.”

Aki took a glance before hopping over the counter and leaning back against it, standing to Eksa's right. She sipped out of her bottle before pouring the rest in Eksa's half empty flagon. “That's Hawthorne. Or Crow as these boys call him. The Man with a Hundred Plans. Cunning fellow with a backup within a backup within a backup in whatever it is he lays his mind to. Dhorjun's first mate and quartermaster of the crew.”

Eksa frowned, realizing what had felt off all along. “The crew… aren't these soldiers? They don't…”

“Seem disciplined?” Aki asked, smirking as Eksa rose the flagon to her mouth. “They know their way with both ropes and blade when necessary. As much as most sailors. But they're not really a navy. More a patrol group keeping the surrounds… clear… of corsairs. The Aegis Basin is held by Lord Coraine of Xenaria. A large percentage of his business is done with Eurale. His is the real navy holding strength in these waters.”

Eksa pouted without realizing. He had that much and he couldn't give a sliver to buy me? A professional navy headed by a handsome and capable man. Eksa wanted to conquer the Basin. She wanted to be the greatest sailor in the area. That was the pinnacle of her dream. Being on Theodore's crew seemed the easiest way.

“Crow stares at you out of jealousy. The crew might be capable, but intelligence wise, they aren't the greatest. He's curious about who it is his captain deemed worth more than seventy crowns. He controls these motley fools and he doesn't like that someone else intelligent has joined. He also isn't too fond of Lord Coraine.”

Eksa considered running away. Of finding some way into Xenaria and pleading to join Theodore. Pleading . That… was wrong. No. She'd disappoint Agram if she did that. And her pride wouldn't allow it anyhow. Lord Coraine had made a mistake by not purchasing her and she intended to prove it to him.

Aki narrowed her eyes at Eksa. “You crushed on him.”

“What?”

“You crushed on Lord Coraine. I see it in your eyes. He's in his mid-thirties you know?”

“I did not!” Eksa cried.

“You're blushing.”

“No I'm —wait. It's too dark in here to tell that. You're lying!” Eksa turned back to her flagon and drained it completely. The room glowed with a strange allure. Fast movements made everything seem a blur. She tried taking a step away from the bar stool and stumbled, dropping the mug and spilling droplets on her new boots. “You put… something in…drink,” she slurred, frowning.

Aki caught her arm. “It's called alcohol, little strawberry. You've had nothing yet. I'll teach you to down three bottles while keeping your head.”

“I wasn't blushing,” Eksa mumbled, seating herself again. She began counting bottles on the shelves to clear her head.

A rough hand grabbed hold of her chin and jerked her head to the side. Eksa blinked, vision fogged. “Seventy crowns? What's so special about this?” said a balding man, greying threads poking out of the lower half of his face. His breath reeked.

Eksa tried pulling her head away, but the man tugged on her arm. He let go of her chin and rested his hand on her collar, feeling her skin. She went rigid, heart pounding as his scarred fingertips crawled about her neckline like an uninvited insect. Eksa fumbled for her cutlass, wrinkling her nose as he opened his mouth again. “Smooth skin. She a princess or some such? Doesn't seem special otherwise. Exotic but not speci—”

Everything happened in a blur. Something slammed against the counter and landed before Eksa's feet with a heavy thud. A dark pair of muscled arms wrapped themselves around her. “Her value is not something you lot can understand,” Aki said. Her bar had gone entirely silent save a few drunks mumbling with their heads laying on their own drool.

The one called Crow continued to glare as Eksa's harasser —bleeding from a now crooked nose, limped towards the dark corner where he hid. Someone tripped the harasser. Crow rose and strode towards the door, pretending uninterested in the atmosphere. His departure spilled a foray of silver light that died as soon as the door shut again, shrouding the bar with more dark than before.

All eyes then turned to Eksa. She shrank back into Aki's embrace, feeling very alone again. “Should we take a walk outside?” the barkeep whispered.

Eksa was nudged to her feet before she could nod and slowly herded out the bar. She squinted at the influx of light from a cloudless night sky. “Who's watching your bar?” she asked without turning as Aki continued to nudge her down an empty street, footprints embedded into the sandy pass.

“Off duty guards from the king's palace. You thought I'd walk out and leave a fortune's worth of booze to a crew comprised of foreigners and mercenaries?” Aki skipped ahead of Eksa, flashing a smile and wink together. “I'm one of the intelligent ones on this crew, little berry. I'll leave the business to others for now. Someone needs to watch you after all.”

“I'm not a child,” Eksa grumbled. She was suddenly regretting leaving Agram's palace. Without Aki, Flames knew what would be done to her. Eksa was now very glad for her earlier bargain with the woman. The barkeep was a trained soldier that could protect her.

“Feeling light headed?” the barkeep asked.

“Not too much,” Eksa admitted, realizing they were moving towards the ports. Proximity to the sea. A calming breeze. A familiar smell. Nostalgia embraced her. About a dozen vessels were moored along the docks, thick fibre ropes tying them to posts. One stood out like a sore thumb. A tall vessel with a sleek design, three masts and an array of ballistae lining the deck at the sides. Moonlight shone on a pair of words carved into the bow. The Virulence it read. A creepy name. And of course, standing atop the deck was the black maned brute, Dhorjun —Crow right beside him.

Eksa groaned as Aki led her up the gangplank to the ship. Deckhands scrubbed and mopped the surface, or gathered bundles of rope, organizing them neatly. They were muscled men both shirtless or wearing vests and turbans, all of them bearing arms in the form of daggers or shamshirs. These seemed more proper with what Eksa had in mind of a Euralite navy.

She tried ignoring her new captain and quartermaster, breathing in the smell of the ocean and examining the ship's every crevice. She took slow steps, satisfaction ringing in her ears with every clack of her heels against the deck. A beauty, save for the ship's name. And those two men staring her way, tainting her vision of like an oil stain forever embedded on a fine dress. Eksa found her footsteps shadowed by Dhorjun as he thumped toward her. He stood over her, spiked cudgel at his waist. He was an ogre come to life from a children's story. His great shadow starved her of the sky maidens' blessings, drowning her in darkness.

“She's drunk, Aki,” Dhorjun said, still staring at Eksa. “You made a brat drink.” Bits of food were stuck in his beard. And that crude voice of his…

“Better she learns to hold it in now.”

“Watch her carefully. Theodore wouldn't want her if all she could do was draw maps. I want to find out what and I don't need her groggy from a hangover every day.” Dhorjun turned away, thumping down the gangplank of the ship. His quartermaster disappeared below deck.

Eksa's head began to hurt and her mouth felt very dry. She had a feeling her life here wasn't going to be as glorious as she'd imagined. She followed Aki below deck, hoping to be led somewhere she could just rest. Her girdle felt suffocating as she wondered if she would even be allowed a cabin of her own, being a new addition to the crew. What if she were stuck sleeping with the rest of the crew? Would Aki be there with her?

The dark passage below deck loomed like an unexplored cavern, small lamps hanging off the sides from rusted and crooked nails. Hawthorne entered into a side door and slammed his door shut, hinges groaning. Eksa held her breath, wiping a dampness from her brow as Aki led her further. She let it out in an elongated sigh of relief as the barkeep opened a cabin door to a dark room with a musty smell.

“Your new room,” the woman said. “Used as a storage for old crates that need to be thrown out. You can do that now or do that later if you're too tired. An old bed in the corner. Hard mattress but they're all like that. Solid frame. Won't creak if you jump on it,” she winked.

Eksa blushed at the implication. Aki closed the door behind her, leaving Eksa to wade through a clutter of empty crates to reach the bed, darkness not at all her ally. She carefully stacked the crates on one side, cursing as sharp splinters poked her fingers. Finished at last, she sat down on her new bed, a puff of dust rising with her motion. She cursed again, dusting off the surface. Her head snapped back to the door as she recalled the most important aspect. Eksa threw her weight against it and fingered around for a latch, breathing easy once her room was safely locked. This place was more a wolf's den than a throne room. She would need to adapt while maintaining care.

Eksa undid her belt and loosened the laces of her boots. When's waking hours? When is breakfast served? And oh Flames! Where are the latrines? She hurried to her door and unlocked it again, stumbling in her now loose boots. Aki hasn't left has she? She threw open the door —briefly shocked at her noiseless hinges— and was surprised to find Aki still outside in the hall. She opened her mouth to call out but the barkeep slipped into a cabin. The door creaked shut, the sound of a latch locking into place following not a second after.

Eksa stepped out her room to follow but froze instead. Aki had just gone into Hawthorne's cabin. The events of the night played out before her, making her head spin. The man with a Hundred Plans , the barkeep's voice echoed within her mind. She slowly closed her door and crawled into bed.

A storm of caution brewed inside of Eksa's chest. Warnings bred from years in captivity. She didn't want that again. She couldn't allow herself to be used again. Was she supposed to have been too drunk to notice? No. She wasn’t supposed to have even seen Aki enter Crow's room to begin with. But the barkeep was supposed to be her friend. She'd even protected Eksa from harassment that Crow very likely ordered.

It's not my business who she decides to sleep with .

But the warnings wouldn't cease even after she'd fallen asleep, nightmares inflating her worries the following day. And the days to come.