𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘. 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍.
It's the beginning of a new age when Jaylah Imperatrix seemingly returns from the dead to reclaim her throne. And in perfect timing.
In her absence, evil has be...
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Act 1 Chapter 6 JAYLAH
My feet nearly buckled underneath me as I landed heavily on the wood-plank floor. Coming from the brightness of sunrise to this dark room made my eyes work hard to adjust.
Even when they finally did, I struggled to make sense of the place we were in. It was somewhat large for being in a ship, with bolted-down shelves lined in shiny bottles of every color. Alcohol, I realized. Oceanic wine, Navrikan vodka, cheap and expensive beer alike. Both to barter and drink.
In a connecting room, there lay crates upon crates of stolen goods: precious jewels, gold ornaments, small inventions made of Bloodiron, bolts of coveted silk, amongst other objects. There was enough wealth here to run a small country. It was no wonder the Itionic pirates chose to be criminals and stay in this business.
All that time, the sounds of battle resumed outside, finally drawing my attention through the break in the hull. Peering upwards, I was just in time to see two decapitated bodies of my men soar over the side and hit the dark waters below. One of my attendants shrieked. The pirates were finishing off the final survivors.
This journey was doomed from the beginning. The only escapees would be Khan and myself—if we lived through this escapade on the pirate's ship. Three entire boats' worth of soldiers and sailors murdered for me.
Under my breath, I muttered a prayer to Thanatos that the souls lost today would find their way to paradise. And that their sacrifice would not be in vain.
Behind me, Khan scoffed. I turned from the wreckage, knowing he was mocking my allegiance to the Gods. The retort I was formulating was lost as I saw how he had popped open a bottle of rum, a visible amount already gone. Eyes narrowing, I said, "Really—in a time such as this?"
He gave me a look of utter distain. "I don't want to be sober in a time like this." To make his point, he took another pointed swig, holding eye contact with me the entire time.
"And I do not need to fear for your loud, drunken self giving us away."
At that, he snorted. "Unlike your country, there is no drinking age in Navrika; I'm used to it. I can hold my liquor." After a moment, he added, "You, on the other hand, look as if you're not even past the Oceanic legal age."
Though I was two days away from legal age, I ignored his second comment. "I am not one to believe cultural pigeonholes, but you are not exactly doing wonders for the alcohol-obsessed Navrikan stereotype."
"And you are doing a fine job of holding up your own reputation as a self-serving madwoman, letting all your people die for you."
