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

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Farzaneh wakes up in an infirmary, richly inlaid with imperial gold and recut gemstones. Roses on the walls. Smelling strongly of lotuses, and sprays of white lilies. Her bed, swathed in clean silks. Healers and Diviners milling about. Scholarly medical students with spectacles dipping low on their noses, taking notes as elder doctors examine other patients.

After growing up in the coven, then in exile on an island, and then on a pirate ship... Well, feeling stationary, behind solid walls and arching, dramatic structures. It feels false. Where's the wide dome of the sky? Where's the endless water or earth beneath her toes? Why marble? Why inlays of gold, taming the vast power of water with mosaic fountains, or dramatic openings for the sun to peek through, reduced in role from the merciless to the meek. She misses the life of a wanderer, even when surrounded by all this stifling luxury.

She looks to her left, sees the handsome part-Okami man with honeyed eyes and a diadem, a red robe revealing proud Diviner weapons in a ruby-inlaid bracelet. A pouting red mouth, and a permanent smirk set in his kohl-lined eyes.

Sees the young half-Idriolan, half-Rahasian man beside him, more interested in his tablet of sketches and medical scrolls than in either of them, looking highly annoyed to even be there. He's dressed in the plainer robes of a respectable scholar. He's got a nice face, looking somewhat similar to the half-Okami noble. Delicate brows, a sharp chin. Pale brown hair pulled back into a bun, and thin spectacles on his nose to correct his eyesight. Skin slightly burned from sun, but patchy and tanning in other places.

"My name is Ryu, King Consort of Rahasia," says the half-Okami man in musical Rahasian. He points to the scholarly young man. "This is my advisor and half-brother Boaz. Head scholar of our city's university on Diviners, diplomacy, basket-weaving, you name it. You are safe here, in the infirmary of the Rahasian Palace. We mean you no harm."

The scholar Bo waves, unimpressed.

Ryu smiles conspiratorially. "He'd be much more interested in you if you were a book. He really is terrible at parties because he prefers books to people. But he's family."

Boaz frowns.

"You..." here Ryu pauses, trying to find the best way to address this. "Well, you see..."

Boaz gladly plows on in spite of the King Consort's unease. "You were in a coma, found floating, face-down, in one of the irrigation pipes leading to the ocean." He pauses, pushes the spectacles upwards. "We thought it might even be cheaper just to leave you in the pipe to die."

"Thank you, brother." Ryu's voice drops an octave or so as he hisses at Bo to stop. He leans over and pats Farzaneh's hand sympathetically.

"I'm Farzaneh, a witch." She says this proudly, despite knowing how witches are still often dismissed as nomadic, murderous revolutionaries. "I've come for Lucky Dice."

Ryu frowns. "L-Lucky Dice? What kind of name is that?" He blushes slightly, ducking his head. "Do you know who that is, Bo? Wait, I swear it sounds familiar. Goodness, my daughter was crying all night. And I had to correct her, because her pitch was terrible. I swear, I've heard that name before. If only I wasn't so sleep-deprived."

Boaz shakes his head.

Oh, dammit all.

I've come back from the dead too early. Lucky hasn't gotten here yet.

Hate when that happens.

"Well, I suppose I'll wait then." She mumbles. "He should be riding through the Lioness Gate any second now." And then she crosses her arms, acting all self-satisfied. "And then we'll go save the world. Or something."

Ryu and Boaz stare at each other awkwardly.

"No..." Ryu whispers. "Yes, it would be nice if people explained things... no... the witch... that's just rude."

Boaz shrugs.

The awkward silence lingers.

Farzaneh tries to reach her toes and get circulation flowing again.

She fails.

Just because I'm a witch, doesn't make me flexible.

After the silence drags on, the King Consort ventures to make some conversation.

"Know any good witch coven songs?" Ryu asks, hoping for the best.

This was going to take a while.

***

Hey Pirates,

Didn't know there were any witch coven songs.

Best

Sophia