Chapter 19

"Hey! You made it back!" Minnow greeted them excitedly from the crowd as they plodded back into the entrance of his inn. He was dressed simply for the day, dark leather pants, white button up shirt, and a black leather vest over the top. He also wore his pirating boots made of nearly black leather and with thick soles to grip wet wood.

"Aye, for now." Talia quipped as they pushed past, she was ready to relieve herself of the pack and stretch a bit. He followed them up the stairs,

"What all did you get today ey?" He turned back to motion to one of his waitresses to take over, the silvery haired woman from the morning nodded and started to pick her way through the crowd.

"Food mostly for the trip. I also commissioned some leather work to be done, though it won't be finished for three weeks yet." She muttered irately, sliding the thick iron key she had gotten for her door into the lock before pushing her way into her room. Nico turned away and headed to his own room instructing her to call on him again should she have need for anything.

"Ah, yeah they always take a while out here. Leatherworking isn't a common practice amongst my... Amongst pirates." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously, leaning against the doorframe and watching as she stored her bag in the closet.

"It's ok you know... To call them your people." She turned to him slowly, fiddling with a few loose strands of hair tickling at her good eye. He looked guilty, almost as if the thought of calling them that would cause some irreparable harm. She smiled softly in an attempt to console him.

"I know that but... They are and they aren't you know? You're my people. My beginning. How could I ever forget that? But this life, the sea, this city... It's me too. How do I pick which is more?" He closed his eyes for a moment. She marveled at how well he blended into the world of Amethyst Cove. How could he not choose his new home? How could he struggle with it? To her it was unthinkable that he would cling to what they had and pretend it was anything more than hell.

"This is your home now Draven. Don't ever look back." He startled at his old name, gulping audibly as their gazes met. She couldn't even begin to tell him how she felt, how she would sacrifice nearly anything to get what he had.

"I... I want to. But that life, it was and is such a huge part of me. I'm a killer Talia, I loved it! I loved the act of snuffing out people. I still love it. Piracy, it's just an excuse for me. For me to have the freedom to do what I want. I'll never be..." He threw his hands up and groaned. How could he put it into words?

"Hephatus is our god, now and forever. We will always be her children, and we will always be a part of her. But you don't have to be a part of Nazir anymore. You don't have to wear his chains. You can have a new family, and a new life and you shouldn't have to feel guilty about it. We shouldn't have to feel guilty for wanting more." She felt so bitter saying it, offering him her genuine thoughts. It was hard enough accepting the fact that he could do everything he wanted and never fear. But he was her brother. She could never stay jealous for long.

"Lets go back out on the town, I want to show you all the things I've fallen in love with. Then every time you come back maybe you can see a little bit of me here." He lead the way back out the door, Talia followed reluctantly before locking her door behind them.

"Alright, but you owe me a drink and dinner tonight." He laughed as they made their way back onto the city streets.

"Well, that's not a hard bargain to accept. It's a deal. Now follow me down to the docks, I want to show you my ship." He sauntered down the streets towards the dockyard which lie at the farthest point southward in the city. It was a several mile walk, though Talia was sure it would take them no time at all.

"I've seen it Minnow, I know it's a nice big fancy boat." She rolled her eyes as they pushed their way through the crowds of people. As usual there was a sea of color around them, everyone was dressed in their brightest and flowiest clothing. Talia still towered above them all causing most to part from her path long before she ever reached them.

The city was also full of music as they picked their way ever closer to the dockyards. Sometimes it was a few women playing on flutes and lutes, sometimes it was a man with a horn, and on occasion there was a line of people dancing around with instruments she had no names for. Amethyst Cove was always a city of celebration, even during times of uncertainty. She marveled at how happy everyone seemed to look, even with their ports closed and nearly empty.

Noon had long since passed by the time they made it to the dockyards. There was a large wooden fence that kept the city separate from the docks themselves, two massive gates offered entry. If anyone wanted in they had to pass a scribe who recorded everything. She was surprised to see he was still there even at the late hour they arrived.

The old man sitting at the desk eyed them trough ridiculously large spectacles before licking his lips and dipping his quill. Minnow offered his name and the name of his ship which the old man recorded quietly. From there Minnow opened one of the gates and allowed Talia to press through first.

She had only been to the dockyards once, maybe twice in her life. While many years had passed since she last saw Amethyst Cove's docks they had changed very little. They were still made of old treated wood that smelled like rot was setting in. She could smell the sea, the weeds, the fish, everything came together as ocean met land. Though with the breeze she could smell something more, something she couldn't put a name to. It was sharp and invigorating, likely the after-scent of something someone had brought from distant lands.

"My ships down there just a ways, it's not the best spot to dock at but it's what we can afford for now with the port shut down. Most of our income came from piracy. Soon enough I'll need to get repairs done if I want to take her out to the deep again." He sounded miffed, though Talia couldn't blame him. He probably hadn't spent such a long time on land in many years.

"Can't get that done till the King opens everything back up. Any idea when that'll happen?" She looped her fingers through her belt as she looked around. The docks were empty, even the ships were like ghost towns. It was eerie seeing it so dead, though having only seen a dockyard once she had to admit she didn't have much to back her feeling off of.

"When he's dead. And if luck has it it'll be soon." Minnow spat. Talia looked around uneasily before grabbing his shoulder,

"You have to be careful about that kind of talk out here. You aren't protected anymore." She hissed at him. Was he going to kill the King himself? He scowled, brushing her hand off aggressively and snorting at her.

"It ain't like I'm the only one thinkin it Talia. I won't be the one to do it but there's sure as shit plenty of folks right now pissed enough to give it a try. I mean look at this place! It's so empty. This isn't Amethyst Cove and that damned King thinks he's done us a favor. He ain't doing anything but lining his own fucking pockets and living in the lap of luxury." He spat, finally stopping next to a haggard looking wooden ship.

"This yours then?" It wasn't in the roughest shape but she could tell it had seen rough waters. It was infested with barnacles that hadn't yet been scraped off. The wood was worn and splintering above the waterline and the sails were filthy and from what she could tell likely had holes in them.

"I know she's a sore sight for your eye but I swear she's usually not so broken down. I can't afford her repairs right now, but next time I think I'm going to splurge on some new wood sealant and treated sail cloth. She weathered the storms rather poorly I'm afraid. A lot of the main deck is ruined along with a few of the shipmate's quarters. The cargo bay needs some reinforcement and I'd like to reinforce the hull with iron. I don't know how yet but I do think that'd help brace her up for the waves." He placed a hand on the hull with a weak smile.

"I could help..." She tried to offer but he waved her off.

"I know you'd help me in a heartbeat and I'm eternally grateful for that. But this is my life now and I'll find a way to fund it one way or another. This beauty is my baby, and with my wife we'll conquer any storm that tries to break us." Talia couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. He certainly had his plans and his dreams.

"What's her name?" Usually a ship would have the name painted somewhere but his was in too rough of shape for her to make anything out.

"You'll think me corny but she shares her name with my inn. Opalescent Queen, though in her state now I'd barely be able to call her a serf..." He grumbled, turning away from his ship and leading Talia back towards the city up above.

"She'll be a queen again soon enough. She's your queen after all, and you always give what's yours your best." It could take him years off of the profit from his inn alone but she knew his ship wouldn't always sit idle in the waters.

"What's next on our list of things to see?" They crossed through the gates earning a particularly severe look from the scribe.

"The streets. I want you to see the raw part of Amethyst Cove, the part that isn't the painted face if that makes sense. During the day it's like we put on an act. But you don't get to know her true spirit till the moons rise." She had to laugh. She'd been to Amethyst Cove more than once, she didn't always go snooping during the daylight. She'd seen plenty of its sins coming out to play at night.

"Do you think I'll see anything I haven't seen before?" He turned onto a smaller back street that passed the housing district, cobbled together houses crammed together with mossy covered rooves. The windows were all warped and filthy making it impossible to tell what the insides looked like but Talia had to imagine they were just as decrepit and mashed together on the inside as they seemed to be on the outside. Most of the homes they passed looked empty with their doors closed and no candles lit withing. They also were all in need of repair.

"The people don't spend their days out here, and they try not to spend the nights here either if they've got a chance. Mostly this is where the Sea-elves live." She looked to the houses again wondering just where the sea elves were. For the most part she only ever saw halflings or humans on the streets. Almost as if he could hear her thoughts Minnow retorted,

"The sea-elves got lucky if you ask me. They man the Kings ships mostly. They can't live far from the waters of the sea unfortunately, he'd never be able to keep them from their boats even if he wanted to and he knew it. The rest of us aren't so lucky." Talia hummed slightly as they continued to walk the streets. The seeds of unrest and dissention were sown in every city it seemed, the Kings were far removed from their people than they aught to have been.

"I never knew how far things had fallen apart." It was all she could say. Her memories seemed far rosier in comparison, she recalled a lot more boisterous crowd of people. A lot more noise, a lot more money, and a lot less mutterings about killing a King. How quickly things rotted, she thought to herself idly.

"Yet I still love it. You can't say it's worse than Arboros." They both laughed in response. No, nothing could quite compare to Arboros. It had been a city of light, wonderment, and holiness once upon a time. The streets would be so full one could barely press through, merchants would set up their tiny stalls on the roads leading in just to try and get some business. And usually they'd come away rich. Now the city was lucky to have any visitors outside those from the neighboring lands in search of food or clothing.

"No, I suppose it'd take quite a few more years to reach that level of depravity and ruin." Amethyst Cove was nowhere near that level yet. But it was slipping.

"It'll never get that bad, our ships are our blood and without that we'd die. He can't keep it up forever, this is just a sickness not a death sentence. I love these houses, the smell of them, the look of them, the feel of this wood under my feet. It's a part of me. And each street is much the same, unique and incredible but still part of this singular city." He pointed out houses and shouted out names she forgot almost instantly of people he knew. People he'd hired, people he'd sailed with, people who had died. HE knew everyone it seemed, and the occasional passer by knew him too.

"It's only taken you a few years to become something here, to become integral to your community. You're like a pillar. Like the old women who lived down in town." The town she spoke of had long since burned away in a horrific accident, the women dead and the people turned to ash. But she still remembered what it was like for the people to be much like a big family, the oldest claiming patriarchy or matriarchy over their younger peers.

"It's not like that, at least not as much as you'd like to think. Out here no one is family but we do know each other. They'd let me drown probably, or cut my purse from me at the opportunity. But we still smile at each other and we still know each other's names." He was right, it wasn't much like that old town, in fact it was far different. She wasn't sure what to think of it.

They continued in silence for a time leaving Minnow to revel in the things he knew and loved and for Talia to simply breath it all in. She didn't oft get to walk the streets of a city or town just to enjoy it. She particularly enjoyed the cooling breeze sweeping in as the sun started to set. It was a different kind of energy than morning, a calmer and quieter kind of energy that left her heart slowing and her mind mellowing.

They turned down another back road only to see it blocked half way down. Talia noted two men and a smaller figure, likely a woman who was cowering behind the taller man. The second man was a thick muscular fellow with bronzed skin and a multitude of golden piercings all over his body. He had rings in his ears, face, and nipples. He was also covered in inky black tattoos, he was an outlander pirate if she'd ever seen one. He also had a mean look on his face.

"Perhaps we should take another street, I'm not interested in trouble tonight." She muttered in Minnow's ear. She grabbed his elbow and tried to pull him back but a familiar voice caught her ear,

"Maybe they wouldn't be so damned afraid if you weren't keepin em' in fuckin chains! They ain't slaves no more, ya ain't gonna fetch a fuckin copper for em' here anymore. So why not turn em' into crewmen?" She turned and squinted into the dark but with only one eye it was nigh on impossible making out the figure of the man. The bronzed one spoke sharply,

"Crewmen? They ain't fucking crew material you cockrobin! They been starved since the day I picked em' up and they ain't any better off now. They hate us. Better off to sell the little things into the whore houses and hope to at least cover our next trip. Throw the rest to the sirens and hope they'll bless us next go around." The taller man spat violently onto the ground and flashed his teeth at the bronzed pirate.

"I thought I told yas I ain't hiring you and yer lot on again. I ain't in the slave trade and I ain't gonna sink myself trying to float yer damn fancies." Talia watched as the bronzed man flexed himself angrily almost like a pissed off dog readying itself for the leap.

"Then you'd best fuckin pay me. Unless you want word ta get out bout yer.... Favored sex." The bronzed man planted a gentle kiss on the taller man's cheek though Talia could tell it was nothing short of threatening. The taller man stiffened and pulled a hand back almost as if to slap the shorter man but he thought better of it and relaxed. She sneered,

"Alister you son of a bitch!" She howled before rushing forward. He turned, a look of surprise flashing in his electric yellow-gold eyes. He didn't even have time to react as she planted a fist into his chin throwing him backwards into a few empty crates.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing in the slave trade huh? I thought you was better than that." She hissed down at him. He groaned, grabbing his face in his hands as he rolled on the ground. He looked the same as he did all those years ago, a wizened face that looked like it suited a blue-blooded gentleman not a racy murderous pirate. Even now his beard was kept neatly trimmed, the silver and brown suiting him.

He was more pale than most pirates, though that could be due to his fashion choices. He preferred long trench coats of treated leather and big hats that covered his features. He even tended to wear black gloves, he was even wearing them then.

"The fuck you think yer doin halfling? Get the fuck outta here or I'll clap you in chains too." The bronzed man hissed as he tried to shove her out of the way. It was like a fly hitting a stone, he made no impact as he threw his shoulder into her midriff. Talia looked down with a trill of violent anger.

"Cason get the fuck outta here before ya do somethin you'll regret. We can discuss the terms of our arrangement later." Alister hissed from the debris he was laying on. Talia eyed the old man coldly.

"If it's slavery you're discussing, you'd best stop now." Alister met her gaze, a wide range of emotion flickering in the depths of his riveting eyes. Yet he said nothing.

"You gonna buy the fuckers offa me? Cuz that's what's at steak here. That fucking ass-bandit owes me three hundred gold for the run we just made. An e' wants me to take a fuckin loss? Get fucked!" Cason spat at Alister, pearly white teeth flashing aggressively as he paced like a caged animal. Talia looked to the woman who was now cowering behind Minnow who was patting her brown and straw hair comfortingly. Her eyes were nearly as impressive as Alister's, a deep cerulean blue that mimicked the sea all too perfectly.

"You ain't getting three hundred, alright? But I'll give you one-fifty on the condition you release every slave you have in your cargo to Alister, who will then take a detailed note on each one's condition and report back to me. You'll also leave this port and never return. That is a condition I'll get paid in blood if you defy me." She backed him against a wall with a dagger to his throat. He gulped audibly, his murky brown eyes darting from her chest to her good eye.

"One-fifty's good. That's good, that's great. They're all fuckin yours do with em as you want I'll have em transferred by sunset tomorrow." He licked his lips nervously. Talia debated pressing a little harder just to get her message across but he was already bleeding as it was.

'I forgot how much I love this smell... How is it so easy to forget what it feels like to do this? To kill them while they're looking at me like this...' She pulled away reluctantly, sheathing the blade on her belt.

"I want you sailing out of here as soon as physically possible. I don't care if you have to sneak past the King's poor excuses of ships under a moonless night. But if I hear you're still around I'll burn you and every ship you own till there's nothing left but ashes at the bottom of the deep. Got me?" He nodded quickly before turning and dashing down the road and into the dark.

"You almost got him to piss himself. I'd a paid good money to see that kinda shit." Alister finally managed to crawl to his feet, dusting himself off with a cough. Talia had an urge to punch him again as she looked to the mystery woman. But her aggression was fairly spent for the night, her good mood still lingered like a memory.

"You still owe me a fuckin explanation old man. Come on, you're buying me a drink now that I'm out all that gods damned money." She lead the way back to Minnows inn, motioning for them all to follow. To her delight no one offered any argument.