Crimson Rebirth

Part 9

 "We're here." Varce's voice rang out, as Kaiju joined Genevieve on the deck. She had bid farewell to the whales roughly an hour prior, the time spent with them around the ship helping ease any final seasickness. Over the scent of the ocean was the scent of freshly baked goods, mingling with spices and the faintest scent of brine from the harbor. Gene turned away from the ocean to get a good look at the Capital.

Boardwalks and docks met cobblestone streets as other ships unloaded their haul. Her eyes were drawn from the hustle and bustle to the tall walls that separated the portside town from the city, yet even from the ship she could tell that the gates were open. Every street, be it a wide one used by merchants, or a small alley used by Assassins, seemed absolutely pristinely kept. Her eyes wandered from the streets towards the homes and businesses, built with stone and all with tiled roofs to keep the weather out. Ivy and other plants gently cascaded up some of the walls, others with climbing flowers, filling the air with their scent. It was as though someone had pulled a village scene from a perfect fairy tale and expanded it to cover an entire city.

 And the palace, rather close to the portside town, was beautiful in and of itself. There was nothing cold about the castle, the walls warmly colored, windows big enough to see in from the outside. There was nothing over-the-top about it, nothing like what Genevieve had read about castles in books. It was simplistic, and in that simplicity, it was warm. It was inviting.

 Perfect for a king like Kaiju.

"It's..........." Her voice nearly failed her as her eyes took in every inch of the sight from the deck of the S.S Freedom. "It's beautiful."

  Kaiju glanced to her and smiled. He asked her, "You think so? Try the lifestyle. It about suits everyone..." he paused a moment. "JUST about everyone..."  

Gene raised an eyebrow. "Except you?" She asked quietly, watching his facial expressions carefully.

  Kaiju grimly nodded. "Not but a few months ago this was almost a rubble of buildings when the Dragon Hunters came and overthrew the city. Stone, fire and smoke..."

 He inhaled slowly and cleared his throat. "The sooner we get off this boat the better. I don't want to be here any longer than I need to."  

  Varce nodded his head in understanding. "Aye aye. We're docked, just make sure ye have everything, and I can get the gangplank lowered."

 A mask fell across Gene's features, masking the confusion in her eyes. Something in her stomach told her that continuing that topic of conversation would only end in Kaiju becoming upset or unresponsive.  

 Kaiju left Gene and headed below, gathering his things. His sword buckled to his belt, his bag over his cloak and mantle, but something clattered on the deck of the ship as he walked down the plank. Perhaps his ears didn't catch it among the noise of the dock hands helping with the goods, but there was something left behind, a spear of red lacquer cut in nigh near clean two, held together by the last grains of wood. The blade itself was a wide arrowhead, but had enough length to even work more than as a spear but a lance as well.  

 Gene, however, jumped nigh out of her skin. "I think you dropped something..." She said, silently cursing her jumpy self as she turned to retrieve it, tilting her head to the side as to why Kaiju even had such a weapon, but didn't want to pry.  

Kaiju paused and turned, seeing Gene carrying the cleaved spear in her hands. For a moment he stared at the thing, then noted quietly, "...I must have dropped it...thank you."

 He stared at the spear, as if it were something both vile and precious. It was a face of confusion, but also deep pain, one of a loss too recent to speak about.