Kashek

It was three uneventful days before we came within sight of Kashek, and when we did, the sight that met our eyes was a horror. Three ships were pulled up and grounded on the sand bar, two of them smoldering, one still burning outright. A small fleet of miniature ships, Sendaru, the boats to carry the souls of the dead to deeper water, bobbed in the waves as they tried to catch the current. And a small sail boat, no more than a rowboat with a sail really, came out to meet us. The young man who still sat, leaned against the mast of the small boarding craft, wore a fresh blood mark from wrist to elbow, which still seeped blood. But around his neck he wore a small golden coin, a reverence of Jangir, the sign of a Freeboard child. "Lord Captain, hear our tale, do not stop, but fly, fly fast and far as may be, for if ye be the brigand that they seek, they have beaten you here and seek to stall you in the bay. The black flag at the dock is but convenience." He did not wait for me to throw a line, but looked up at me, his ragged black hair blowing in the strong wind. "Fly." So they had learned a few tricks from us I saw. He was silent a moment. "In Doma's name I come, that you know this might be true and not spring traps set for you. He sends word that all is ready and that runners have been sent ahead protected by what Magika he still may cast." It seemed that Doma's name was well known even here in the inner isles. "I thank you child." He made no move to cast off. "Any else?" "Three ships away from Corimar's deep shadows, and they flew here." He gestured to the wrecks that lay upon the sand bar. "Two of those bore green, one black. One survives, shorter draft and lighter boat, small by Empire standard she has but one purpose to find and kill you afore you reach the end." I could see the child fighting to speak and realized that his wearing of scales was open defiance, The Empire had taken over Kashek, two crews or what was left of them had probably come ashore to await my arrival. "You have rendered a good service to me and my crew. If you have need of anything, it is yours if you but ask, and it be an honorable thing." "I have said my peace Captain, and though they try to burn me where I stand, I speak. I was cabin boy of the ship that burns there. Unsworn, unblooded, I watched her die, and then did the Empire force Magika against my blood that made me swear myself to them." He held up his left arm to me, palm up so that I could see the mark. "What of your friend?" "His story is like my own, and he merely waits for death to claim him, for our captain gave the order to drop canvas, but the Empire boarded before all was done." "Have you anything to ask in payment for your service?" "The only gift I would take is absolution and a swift death, neither of which the Empire will give me. My friend is too far gone to save, his end is sure, and his boat already sails." He gestured to the sendaru. "If that is your request, I would give it." Coram pulled at my sash. "Captain, he is twice-blooded, you cannot spill his blood." His voice was low enough it did not carry. "Else he will be thrice-damned." "I know. I had no intention of spilling blood." "Come, I was about to sit to meat." I let down a ladder for the young man. "You are welcome on my boards, child of the seas." I smiled and led the boy away, giving order to pull back into the current and set our colors to half, we would bypass them. "Captain, the boy in the boat is gone." I nodded. "Coram, send him on please." "Captain?" " You are the best archer on my crew are you not?" He must have thought I was talking about my young guest. "Give him at least the honors of being undisturbed." I gestured to the boat, signing that he should use a phaeon arrow, Gold-tipped, these arrows set alight as soon as they were loosed and would cause anything they touched to burn. "Aye." I saw him ascend the rigging with the gold tipped arrows. The only bodies that the Empire would not defile were the burned. So I did what I could for him. "Man the Rails." And so we passed him by, every man that could be spared was at the rails as the little ship went to flame. And then we trimmed sail and eased back into the current to beat them to the Reef. I let the boy eat, and drink, he couldn't be more than a score, certainly not two, young for the type of debt they forced on him. While technically not blooded to any ship because he was a cabin boy, he had most likely sworn himself to the captain, and with the boards brought low, he was a traitor to them being now sworn to Empire. He spoke to me, giving his name as Kemaru, a name I recognized as not being his given one. He told me that he was born to a Freeboard captain, but would not give his name, for he did not know if his father still held to Jangir's law or not. He was afraid, that like himself, his father had been forced to betray his boards. Forced by Empire Magika that most of us were not able to fight. He told me of his last visit to the house of Jangir, last bridging day, the day, it was said when the dead could come back to plague the living. It was then that he was told, by the shade of a disgraced Pirate that Jalen Shenn would have need of his service, and that he would have to choose between defying the Empire, or defying Jalen. He had chosen to defy the Empire. I saw that not only in his wearing of Jangir's mark, but also in the hasty braid that had been made of what was left of his long hair. I watched him until he slept, for I had made up my mind, I would give him a Pirate's mercy, he would not see the blow that felled him. I had given my word, it pained me to keep it. But which was worse, to dirty my hands, or to watch as the Empire claimed another child? To me it was obvious that the young man was barely over a score of years, and surely even a freeboard he had much less than half a score of years 'afore the mast' too young to be blooded as crew, but sworn to serve until he came of age, he was an indentured servant. The type the Empire loved to press-gang into service. I knew the proscription, I could not shed his blood, he had to die by poison or dint of blows. Nothing that would cause his blood to stain the boards. That didn't make it any easier. I had decided against poison, even though I knew the young man would have drank it even if he had known. I wanted nothing that could be held against him, no chance of them damning him by saying it was suicide. I sighed, there was only one violent death that would not cause his blood to spill, but this was a far more personal death than I was used to giving. And certainly not to one so young. Only the knowledge of the fact that what waited him if he lived was even worse stilled my hands that I would be able to do it. Gently I changed his position, standing behind the couch I cradled his head in my hands, one arm wrapped around his head, cradling his chin, which nearly rested on his shoulder, the other hand on his shoulder to brace myself. With a deep, held breath I forced his head quickly sideways. I felt the sound as much as heard it, his body instantly going limp in my hands. I turned my head, and let the tears fall unabated. Coram slipped in unasked and gently pulled the boy from my grasp. He laid him out as a pirate, a piece of red cloth, I saw he had cut probably from his own sash, he tied to the boy's braid. He crossed the boy's arms over his chest, thumbs interlocked to form the wings of this ship's crest. "Rest well child of the seas." He spoke softly as he prepared the boy. "We will hang pardon for your memory. Take back the name you carried, but barring that we will name you again, that the men of waves might remember you not for the treason against your blood, but for your courage to follow your captain even when he gave the worst order." We had never learned the child's name, and it was possible that it was an Empire name and that was why he did not give it. So he would borrow another. I was sure Coram hadn't been here when the boy and I had spoken of his name. "We will call him Kemaru." I spoke at last, my voice raspy with unshed tears. "For he did have courage of heart." He had chosen the name for himself, and said that the Priest had already sent a Sendaru under his given name on bridging day. "Kemaru Kashek," Coram said. Giving him the name of the port he had tried so hard to protect. "It will be remembered of you that you saved the King of Pirates." Finally I rose and knelt near the boy. "You were not my crew, but I consider all debts against your blood paid. For few men or boys have the courage to tell me of betrayals to my face, and then ask no protection in return." I reached up and pulled a hair from my head, it didn't seem like much, but those who knew my heritage understood. I was half Phaeon, a single feather could protect this boy as nothing else could. It would keep whatever magika they had wrought against his blood at bay, and allow the young man to rest. It would also keep the Spira, the so-called shallow shades from disturbing his body as that of an Empire bound. I placed the coppery strand in his hands and then helped Coram wrap him in oiled sail. He would be given to the waters. That was the least we could do. And I would ask any captain I met if they knew of the cabin boy who saved Captain Shenn. "Did any of your tears land on him?" Coram's voice was concerned, for he knew the properties of Phaeon tears shed in great grief. "No, I would not damn him like that." Coram nodded. Phaeon tears especially tears cried in great sorrow could stop death, but I would not damn any man to that because it would further bind him to me until I released him or laid him low myself. "Take him below until we hit open water, we have seen to his soul, and now I must see to my own." "Aye captain." He gently moved the body, as if the boy might still be alive even as bound and trussed as he was, but I understood his gentleness, no reason to manhandle the dead especially not so those not yet given proper remembrance. I went to my desk and lit a candle, I would pray for him until the flame died, and then… and then I didn't know what I would do. It wasn't the first time I had taken a life, it was not the first time I had given a Pirate's mercy even to one so young, but it was certainly the first time I had done it so personally.