Balance and Wind

Chapter 10

After each level was cleared, Roman wanted to knock his head against the hull of the ship over and over again. He stared out the window in the first mates quarters; he assumed it was the first mates quarters, considering he knew where the Captain slept. Had listened as the Captain invited him to his bed as a mockery to what he said to Lady Jysmn before. The reminder of his own words made his face heat up once again.
 

           Staring out the stained window, he watched the night meet the sea, the ship bobbing in content. It was peaceful. Despite the reek of fish and shouts from the men aboard, he would have enjoyed his time here. Or understood why Jysmn spent so much time at sea.

            “What are you doing in my room, lockjaw?” the teasing voice of none other than Lady Jysmn scolded him.

            Nearly jumping out of his skin, he whirled around to stare wide eyed at her. She had propped herself against the doorway, arms folded across her chest, thick arms that she could wrap around his throat and with little to no effort choke him. One of her eyebrows were arched, drawing attention to her rich brown eyes. Reminding him of her place, above him.

            “I didn’t take you for a creep,” she snickered, pushing herself off the door handle and waltzing into her room on the ship. “No need to worry, I won’t tell if you don’t,” she flirted, sitting herself down on her bed.

            “I’m not interested,” he said, almost choking on his embarrassment.

            Jysmn eyed him for a moment, before crossing her legs over the other, giving up her flirtation. Instead, her eyes trailed along the few beat up draws, which were filled with small knickknacks. Nothing that could really assemble a life of a Lady. He didn’t stare too long at the feminine underthings or dresses. Even a few interestingly shaped things he noticed, that meant she had no need of a lover, he made an extra effort to avoid looking at those.

            “Why did you disappear two years ago?” he asked, trying to stop the reddening in his face, and to remind himself why they were actually here.

            The flicker of panic in her eyes put a burning red target on her. “It has nothing to do with Scrios. I didn’t want to sit around like all the other ladies, I snuck on the Little Coral and picked up the trade. I only came back to support my family after hearing of the Kings passing.”

            “That is the most open story any of you have given me. Perhaps, a little too open,” he argued. Her story was the only one he knew of, that was repeated over and over again. “I remember all the ships that went out to bring you  back, they stopped half a year ago, why?”

            “Because I made sure they knew I wasn’t coming back,” she said through gritted teeth. As if she was ashamed to say the truth. Or perhaps she was lying, because he wasn’t believing her. An actor, perhaps.

            Roman bit the inside of his cheek, thinking as hard as he could. He really shouldn’t be here, especially without informing Captain Ravish of his investigation, or his lead. But, if he won the trails and was instated as a Palace Guard, and then upgraded to Captain, then he wouldn’t need to inform anyone of his whereabouts. He would report to the King. Yet, if any of them knew he suspected Lady Jysmn, he would be reprimanded, possibly even whipped.

            “You’re not going to find anything that would say we betrayed the King, I would never let that happen. You’re wasting the time that could be used for actually looking for who let the Scrios soldiers, or who let them in.”

            Roman clenched his fists by his side, staring out the window once again. She was right, but even if they weren’t looking around her ship or her, they were still wasting time. They hadn’t been given any other orders than to keep the face and poke around the docks. Which was a main reason Roman told no one, other than his best friends, about this.

            As Palace Guard’s, they should be protecting the King and his family, but Roman had barely been in a position to do that. They were just told to focus on the tournament and their patrol duties.

            This whole time, Roman had been convincing himself they were actually doing something important. Making excuses for his orders, as to appear to keep the peace to the City of Balance. Because a war had been started.

            While he was standing here, enjoying his city and home, he was just wasting time.

            Soon, he and all his childhood friends, would be at the border. And like these sailors called them, they would become soldiers. Already, the trading roads between Iarmheid and Scrios were closed, Rialaithe following suit. Their alliance to Iarmheid strengthened by their Princess, loyalty given to the City of Balance.

            “After we conclude this investigation of this ship, we will require the Little Coral to dock here until this is sorted,” he ordered, finding his voice.

            “Like Enzo said, this isn’t their Country, they will not be apart of this war, they are fishermen and sailors,” her voice felt like a cold chill on his back. Because for a Lady, she was not a Lady, and he was embarrassed to be wrong. To have everything he knows and understands, crumbling down. That he was useless, yet, they wanted him to be the next Captain. As if he knew what to do. He had to be the Captain. For himself, for his family, and for the Lord’s who thought he was beneath them.
 
***
 
Twinkling candle lights lit the temple that night. After the sailors, soldiers and fishermen left. Their torches descending onto the beach, into the boat. None of them had been the ones to light the candles. Even the night doubted that it had been the old Lady who sat on one of the rotting pews, watching the flickering fire.

            A single pink rose sat in the warm candle light. The light licking up its every detail, erasing all shadows of the petals. The colours as stark as the painting on the wall behind it.

            Ever since the woman had the vision, she had prayed here, alone, in hopes of seeing more.

            But she was replayed the same vision over and over again, stealing her depleting vision for hours at a time.

            The dark hair of Lady Jysmn, bound back as she swung her blade, face pulled back in a warriors rage. Then, the Bordered Mountains, their sketch on a map, then their icy tips and brown backsides. The only place that was impossible to get an army through. But a few people on the run, on a mission…The swelling of the ocean and waterfalls circling the vision. Washing away into the sword; Waterfall. A woman’s hands breaking passed the surface, hands wrapping around the blade. The Goddess Amari’s blonde hair shielding her face as she lifted the sword form the water.

            And Jysmn, on her knees, looking up to a shadowed man in Scrios’ red armour. He brought his own sword of black steal down on her. Ready to splinter her apart with one mighty blow.

            Then the glittering of a glowing silver blade met it. Waterfall’s immortal hilt in two hands. The blonde hair of Amari glittering in Jysmn’s face, as the vision swirled into nothing.

            As Lady Jenny sat in the cold temple, a maid tending to tea, she tried to find more in her vision.

            “Can I get you any to eat my Lady?” the maid asked, her pale hair clipped back in a dark bandanna. Lady Jenny’s vision was beginning to return, and for a moment, had thought the Goddess on the wall had come to life.

            “Promise me you’ll help her, Marvin?” she asked, old hands shaking as she lifted the maids chin up. Staring into bright eyes. A low born girl. But despite their colour and status, the hard determination in them was a stark contrast to her gentle face.

            “Until my dying breath, my Lady,” the maid promised, voice unwavering.