A Pirate for the Dead Goddess (Legends of Rahasia Book 2)

Chapter Seven

I bound up the stairs, nearly running into Jun. She's a bit wobbly from Fari's mind-control magic. But she's still one of my best sailors, fast on the ropes, arms crossed with rigging burns and sun-stripes, twiggy and able to slip between crevices like a phantom. She stands to attention, taking the cellar lantern from my hands. Jun's husband, the Idriolan giant with the traitor's brand in his neck, stands uneasily beside her. He's always had a limp since my dice cursed him to step on that nail.

Jun, the Kona's eagle eyes from Okami, and a shrewd scout to boot. Xander, the hired muscle from Idriola, and strong as a team of oxen.

Except he's not intimidating now, with Xander shuffling uneasily behind Jun, his face tilted noticeably away from me. Shaking.

Hiding behind your wife, Xander? How brave.

Then... Ali pops up.

The Kona's best sailor.

And the loudest.

"So, who's the witch?" The former Rahasian first mate, the one I'd tossed into a sack of biscuits with the cursed dice, crosses her arms in front of me. She heaves an angry sigh, her bandeau tucked away with a few choice knives.

"Calm down, Ali." Ali's the only one who's still relatively fearless despite facing my ire. Unfortunately, Ali and I are caught at a stalemate of workers' respect. We both know the other's dead-good at their jobs, but we'd prefer that the other person was dead before we actually had to admit they were good.

As such, I like to think my crew's a happy, dysfunctional family. I think they're all terrified my dice will kill them if they try to leave me. But I like to think that my fair wages and general leniency for executions is what makes me beloved.

"No, I wanna learn the witch's name." Ali smirks, crossing her arms over her knife-set.

"The witch's name is Farzaneh." Farzaneh sizes up Ali, pointing to the knives. "I don't like you much, but I like those knives. They're nicely crafted." Begrudgingly now, "I'd assume that means you're a decent hand with them, for choosing weapons so well."

Ali pauses, taken aback by the backhanded compliment. Farzaneh's biting tongue just makes her so damned sincere. It's hard to argue. Ali even seems to glow with pride. "She's got a mind and a half to spare! I'll change my heart. This witch, sorry Farzaneh, isn't half bad after all." Ali slings an arm around Fari's shoulder. "I like her better than you, Luck. Her hair's far prettier. Do you drink, Farzaneh? I know a couple taverns..."

Farzaneh loosens up. "Liquor? Gods know, y'all haven't tried witch's brew."

The entire crew roars into appreciative laughter.

Jun walks up next, circling Farzaneh, and finally sinks into a prudent courtly bow. Xander follows suit. The giant is a man of few words after I dealt with him, putting a nail through his heel with my dice. His limp reminds him to mind his manners every day. I think he only ever talks to Jun, whispering shyly in her ear.

Xander does so now, leaning down from his immense height to whisper something. Jun grins and relays the message. "My husband says he apologizes for what he said about women witches before." Jun then bounces forwards, patting Fari's cheek fondly. "I spied on what you did with summoning that death demon. You must have some connection with the Okami spirits. We do have the best magicians, after all."

"Okami? Really?" Ali snorts. "I'd object! You lot haven't seen a proper Imperial Diviner. You ever see Consort Ryu try a magic trick?"

Xander whispers something and the corners of Jun's mouth quirk upwards. "You knew plenty of those tricks as a courtesan, didn't you, Lady Ali?"

"Courtesan isn't even the worst of them. You were a Legionnaire before you got branded, Xander, for sleeping with a nobleman's wife. And you, Jun. You were a thief for the Dragon Veils." Ali winks flirtatiously in the couple's direction. "Those are quite the flexible credentials. Maybe you and Xander are open to other romantic entanglements?"

Jun doesn't look pleased, but she doesn't say no either.

Farzaneh blushes plenty for her. She gives me a look like maybe she's reconsidering exile. "Strike the witch's brew. I think you've all had plenty already."

"No, dear." Ali sighs dramatically. "We're just drunk on life."

"And sin." Mutters Jun, one hand lazily hanging from the ropes, as though to steady herself to her natural terrain. The ropes, the merger between sea and sky. Where the law can't touch her, a thief through and through.

I can't help but feel jealous, seeing how easily Ali, Xander, Jun, and the rest of the crew just accept Farzaneh into their fold. She's cursed too, for gods' sakes!

The thought occurs to me that I make more of a deal about my curse. My whole image revolves around it. The tattoos. The bone doctor's scars. But Fari? Farzaneh doesn't purposefully play up her curse. She's haunted by it. I revel in it.

"Enough!" I bark, a little prideful when the whole crew goes fearfully silent. "Good, quiet enough to hear a die drop." Everyone stiffens at that, avoiding my gaze. Farzaneh just purses her lips disapprovingly at me. "Set course for the port of Lune."

The crew murmurs amongst themselves. I scowl, but their unease is too great to go entirely silent, even with my annoyance.

"Kane's ass, we won't make it." Ali curses. She hushes, irritable, when I glower in her direction. She instinctively rubs the back of her head, where she'd hit it by falling through the floorboards at first meeting.

"Why?" Fari whispers to me. "What's so special about Lune?"

I point to the sky, the barest ghost of the crescent moon visible through the parting clouds. "Because it only appears under moonlight. Otherwise, the ship's lost in pitch darkness until the moon rises again." I rub my ear nervously, feeling the dice thrum beneath my fingertips. "And the nightmares begin."

***

Hey there, Pirates,

Thank you so much for commenting and voting! How are you enjoying the crew? They started out as extremely minor characters, but then I had to go along and give them some semblance of backstory. Drat.

Anybody have a particular crew member that stands out?

Ali: It better be me, you bastards.

Jun: Ali, don't make them lie and say it was you. I'm sorry for her. She threatens so easily.

Xander: *nods nervously*

Best,

Sophia