Chapter 4

"Come with me." The moment Kasai stepped foot on the ship, Arat met him. Above them, the almost perfectly spherical ceiling of the Cathedral Grotto glistened from the en-turns hanging from the ship's rigging.

Kasai and Doux followed the stocky man to a large room with two tables set with benches; the mess, where the crew would eat. An open kitchen area could be seen in the back, but there was no fire yet and the cauldrons for cooking were stacked next to the etove.

Arat led them towards the kitchen area. "If you're really going to stay with the crew, this is one place you'll help with." Doux sat at the end of a bench while Kasai watched Arat.

Shorter than Kasai, with dark tanned-olive skin, his black hair was mostly hidden under a bandana.

"So, kitchen chores?" Kasai tried not to be disappointed. He kind of expected this, but he was hoping there would be more than that. Doux was trying not to laugh and Kasai shot him a quick glare.

Arat grinned. "More than that. As the newest member of the crew, and no ship experience before this, you'll be a ship's boy. Cleaning the kitchen, scrubbing the deck, barnacle duty, that's most of what you'll be doing at first."

Kasai suppressed a sigh.

"Doux, since you've already made it clear that you won't be staying, you don't have to help." Arat told him.

Doux nodded and turned to leave, but stopped and looked back at them. "Get Kasai to help cook. He helped a lot with that at home and was even better than our mother."

Arat grinned widely and Kasai resisted glaring at Doux's retreating back.

"Come on, I'll have you help with the evening meal tonight." Arat said.

Kasai internally groaned, but he was glad he was doing something. And he worked in the kitchen for the next two days, helping clean and prepare food for the three watches. Arat's cheerfulness was most evident when it came to food, yet he could be surprisingly gruff and morose in other situations. But Kasai liked working with him.

The only odd thing was that any time Sonus was there, which wasn't often according to Arat, he would watch Kasai mostly. Brinar was almost always with him, too.

"Kasai, come up here," the third day out, North took him aside. "You and Doux need to learn to navigate properly."

Doux, sitting in the rigging nearby, nodded in agreement.

"We had a map originally, and a compass. But the map got blown overboard." Kasai told him.

North shook his head. "I wish there had been time to prepare you better that day. Even if you had lost the map, we might've prepared you for navigating by compass alone."

Doux leaped down; he grabbed a rope as he jumped and his hand slid along the rope but he didn't react. "I can read the stars, at least a little, but the clouds got so thick I couldn't tell where we were for the first couple of days."

Kasai internally flinched; that looked painful, and he wasn't sure how Doux didn't seem to even notice. He wanted to ask his brother about it, but didn't want to interrupt North.

North laughed. "That's understandable, and I doubt either of you are navigation genetics like me."

Kasai exchanged a glance with Doux, who shrugged, and turned to North. "Navigation genetic?"

"Right, you don't know much about genetics, do you?" North glanced over at Sonus and Brinar, who were talking at the stern railing. "My ability isn't flashy or anything, but I can sort of feel the magnetic fields of islands. And I don't forget what any of them feel like either, so I've got a lot of places memorized."

Doux gave him a confused look, but Kasai had an idea of what he meant. "From how far away?"

North paused for a moment. "I'm not sure, but I know when we get close enough to get a more accurate heading. Now come here, there's a compass here…"

Kasai and Doux spent a few days listening to North, learning about navigation and how to use a sextant and compass together. Kasai was surprised to discover that North could out-drink every other person on the ship when they were not on watch.

Skinny and lean, he didn't look like he could handle much, but his appetite was larger than anyone else's and Kasai couldn't resist laughing when he and Arat got drunk and started arguing about food one evening. And at night, Kasai learned about celestial navigation from him.

He was the second mate of the crew and good for a laugh, and the complete opposite of Ghor, the first mate.

"Kasai, you need to learn about the guns." Ghor approached him as he was dumping a cauldron overboard. "Finish that, then meet me at the starboard cannons." Large, intimidating, and not much to say; this was the man who Kasai had seen the day before the fire.

Kasai hurried back to Arat, who gave him a sympathetic look, and met Ghor beside a cannon. On the quarterdeck, Sonus was leaning against the railing. Kasai could feel Sonus watching him and just paid attention to the cannon.

A dull grey, eight feet long, three sat on each side of the ship. Ghor laid his hand on one and Kasai saw his fingers were metal. Ghor cracked a small grin. "Lost my fingers to a cannon years ago, had new ones fashioned. Sometimes people call me Claw."

Kasai could see why.

"I'm the ship's gunner captain and first mate. It's my job to make sure the guns are maintained, and that you don't end up like this," Ghor explained, holding up his hand.

"What will I do?" Kasai asked.

Ghor shrugged. "These guns don't need much. We don't use them too often, but when we do, you'll be the one grabbing the charges."

"Charges?" Kasai was confused. While he knew little about cannons, he had always assumed they were oversized guns and might work the same way. En-pists typically had an ammo racket, which held charges of either blue or yellow energy that shot out as a bullet.

Ghor nodded once. "Each cannonball is a charge. You'll get it from the round crate, bring it here, and someone will set the charge." He tapped a little glass screen on the end of the cannon; smaller than Kasai's palm and blank. It didn't look like much. "Once the charge is in place, this screen will light up and someone will fire."

Kasai frowned in concentration, making sure he would remember this. "Get a charge from the round crate, bring it here, and that's all?"

"Prove you know what you're doing and you'll get to do more." Ghor snorted. "We'll have dry runs tomorrow, where the crew won't shoot, but I'll make sure no one trips over each other."

He set off and Kasai followed him below deck, where a large rectangular crate sat.

Inside were metal spheres, each one glowing softly. Kasai couldn't tell how many there were, but he guessed they weren't as heavy as they appeared.

"Nine pounders, though they don't weigh that much. We don't use pure metal shots, but you'll find out why later." Ghor explained. "Now get back to work, but when I or the captain call for a dry run, drop whatever you're doing and head to the starboard cannons."

Kasai nodded as Ghor walked off and joined Arat back in the kitchen.

However, he discovered he didn't like the cannons after the initial trial the following morning. While he didn't mind getting the charge, the balls left a strange sizzling, stinging sensation along his hands and almost to his elbows. 

Some of the crew were sympathetic though, which helped. They told him it took time to get used to that and never lasted more than an hour.

Once a few days had passed, he finally joined Doux and Na'vira in the mess, his arm still tingling and causing him to rub it occasionally.

"Learning the guns?" Doux asked over his bowl of burgoo; tonight's batch was chunks of stone carrot, dried kellit meat, and cloud root slices.

Kasai frowned. "Yea, but I can't stand the aftereffects of the charges."

Na'vira gave him a small smile. "Charges aren't fun, but at least they're useful and better than a heavy metal ball."

Kasai snorted. "At least a metal ball wouldn't leave my hands feeling like I got shocked."

From the corner of his eye, he saw Sonus and Brinar sitting at the far end of the table; odd, Sonus didn't normally join the crew for the evening watches meal. He looked uncomfortable, but amused.

"Maybe you should wear gloves or something, protect your hands?" Doux suggested.

Kasai shrugged, taking a few bites before answering. "I might try that." It may not help entirely, but a little would be better than nothing.

"You'll have to figure out something or get used to it," Na'vira muttered darkly; Kasai wasn't sure she meant for him to hear, but he noticed Sonus tilt his head in their direction, frowning.

Kasai glanced at Na'vira; did she know something he didn't? She didn't look up from her bowl.

"What do you think you'll do if you really stay here?" Doux asked, breaking his thoughts.

Kasai shrugged. "I'm not sure. I like navigation, but North already does that. I don't mind helping Arat, but I don't want to just do that."

"Why not help Brinar in the surgery?" Na'vira asked. "I can tell you like to learn, but he might have something you can read."

Doux and Kasai exchanged a glance, and Doux looked at her. "Why do you think that?"

Kasai noticed Brinar and Sonus had stopped talking to each other and were listening to them; Brinar was looking in their direction, but Sonus was looking at the table.

Na'vira shrugged. "Brinar told me about his study on the island. He has a lot of books."

"You might just help with the sails." Doux suggested. "It means climbing, but you'd have an easier time with that than me."

Kasai didn't doubt it. While Doux was stronger, Kasai was quicker and more nimble. But he didn't like climbing if he didn't need to. "Maybe. I noticed the ship has an en-sail, which means there's an engine aboard."

Doux snorted, finishing his food. "Of course you'd notice that. I still don't understand why you get so into tech. It's not like we didn't have a lot at home."

That was true. There were engines, heaters, etoves and vens in every home. Hookups for all of them. Kasai had messed around with some of it and had learned to repair some in the last year or so before they left.

Kasai shrugged and finished his bowl. "I'll think about it. I think we have a week til we reach Verideys."

Doux shook his head. "Are you really going to stay here though? You know me and Na'vira would love to have you with us."

Kasai felt Sonus and Brinar's gazes on him, but didn't look at them. He lowered his voice however, "you know why I want to stay."

Doux just shook his head. "Seriously? Well, I guess I can't change your mind." Na'vira gave him a confused look but said nothing as they all got up.

The next morning, Kasai was stopped by Devv before he went above deck. "Kasai, I want to tell you about Cloud Village real quick."

Kasai was almost reluctant to follow him, but he knew he needed some idea of what happened to their home. He sat down on a crate while Devv leaned against the wall.

"You saw the destruction when you came through town?" Devv asked. When Kasai nodded, he continued, "My house was one of the first to fall. I…I didn't get my family out in time." He sounded hollow.

Not that Kasai blamed him. Devv had a wife, and they had recently had twin daughters; they were less than three months old when the village was destroyed.

"I got a lot of people out, maybe half the village just on my own, but…" his voice failed for a moment, his eyes squeezed shut.

Kasai didn't know what to say. He lost his mom in front of him, and he had no idea where Naomi was, but at least he still had his brother. He gave Devv a sympathetic blink and the older man sighed.

Devv continued after a moment. "I saw you helping Gladai to the doctor, and I had no idea why you were on that little ship at first. But at least you had Doux."

"Did you see Naomi? She left the forest before I did," Kasai asked quietly.

Devv nodded. "I saw her heading for the docks not long before I saw the pyrates."

Kasai felt his chest loosen. Naomi should be fine then. "Why did you join the pirates though?"

Devv didn't meet his gaze. "I couldn't join the others, not when my family…"

Kasai knew what he meant. Without his family in Cloud Village, even if it was gone, going back would be next to impossible.

Devv was quiet for a moment, then shook his head. "But I'm enjoying this. I've never done any kind of shipbuilding work, but it's not as different from repairing or building houses that I would have expected."

"Do you think you'll ever go back?" Kasai didn't think he would, but he couldn't help but ask.

Devv shook his head sadly. "No. At least, not back to Anvilcloud Island. I guess if I ever left, I'd go to Surval; I've heard they have a shipbuilding yard there." He took a few steps away, then turned back. "Are you planning on staying?" His gaze was unreadable.

Kasai gave a little shrug. "I think so. I like it so far, and aside from chores, it's been fun."

Devv laughed. "Yea, chores are no fun. Come on, I'm sure there's some waiting for us both."

Kasai groaned, but laughed and followed Devv up. But once outside, Brinar called out, "Kasai, come here for a moment." Kasai waved to Devv, already talking to Sonus, and joined Brinar in front of the door that he knew led to the surgery, a spare room used for extra storage, and probably Brinar's room; Kasai had never seen the doctor go below deck, and he knew Brinar didn't sleep in the hammocks like everyone else.

"Come with me, I want to talk to you." Brinar led him back to a room Kasai hadn't expected; a fully stocked study. There were more books than Kasai would expect on any ship.

When Na'vira had said "study", he expected maybe a dozen books. Not around a hundred.

Brinar sat down at the desk and gestured to the seat across from him. "I need to ask if you still have that letter I wanted you to deliver to your mother." He seemed guarded, but his gaze was steady.

Kasai pulled it from his pocket; limp, slightly damp, and rumpled. "Yes. I meant to give it to her that night, but she had us preparing for a storm, so I forgot. I'm really...sorry." His voice broke on the last word and he held back a sob.

Brinar took the letter and locked it in a drawer before he spoke. "First off, I want to say how sorry I am about what happened. Sonus found her after he left you with me and...well, I can just imagine how it was when you were there." He paused and looked out the port window. "I knew Kira when she was younger, before you or your brother were born actually, and to hear that she's...gone is difficult."

Kasai stared at him for a moment and blinked. "You knew her?"

Brinar nodded. "Yes. I met her when I met Sonus. A bright woman, a genetic too, but I never saw her use any abilities."

"She was a genetic?" Kasai asked, surprised.

"Supposedly, though again, I never saw her powers. She mentioned them only once, and briefly, and I never asked as it seemed to bother her." Brinar shrugged and looked at Kasai thoughtfully. "I wouldn't be surprised if you had abilities as well."

Kasai shifted nervously, wondering how perceptive this man was. "I...Na'vira explained her powers on the island the night we were there, but..." He paused, unsure of how much to say.

Brinar's gaze sharpened. "You might have powers, Kasai, but without knowing what they are, it's difficult to say when they may manifest." He drummed his fingers on the table, staring into the air above Kasai.

"Do you know my father?" Kasai asked suddenly.

Brinar's hand stopped and twitched. He looked towards his bookshelf. "I cannot say." He got up and picked out a thick volume, not meeting Kasai's eyes as he handed the book to him and sat down. "This book will explain the basics of genetic abilities that have been observed, and techniques used to help discover them."

Kasai took the book, feeling its heft.

"But I can tell you that some abilities will not respond to any of the techniques found in books. They must be drawn out through difficult moments or near-death experiences, so it's hard to say what could trigger your abilities. Your brothers have already manifested, so yours shouldn't be far behind if they're like his."

Kasai was taken aback for a moment. "Why hasn't he said anything?" Doux hadn't even been acting off. 

Kasai had a brief image of when Doux leaped into the deck from the rigging; Kasai had wondered why Doux didn't seem bothered by his hand sliding along the rope, but if he was a genetic, it would make sense.

"He isn't aware of it yet. I noticed it the other day when he fell from the rigging and grabbed that rope. Did you notice his hand wasn't injured? Or that he reacted? It's hard to say for sure, but I think he has iron skin, or maybe stone skin, or possibly a fast healer. But no blood, no bruise, no marks even." Brinar said this confidently. He looked up at Kasai. "But I want to ask, if you join this crew, what will you do here?"

Kasai shrugged. "I'm not sure. Arat has offered to let me help in the kitchen. North wants to show us how to navigate, and several others have offered to teach us to fight. Or at least me." He had already enjoyed assisting Arat, and although he found navigation fascinating, he felt uneasy when Sonus occasionally observed him.

He knew he wouldn't mess with the guns, however, not unless he was told to.

Brinar nodded. "Well, everyone has their place on the crew and you'll be expected to help with something, whether it's cooking, navigation, gunner, clothier, or you could help in the surgery with me. You'll start with doing the lowest chores and helping keep the ship clean and the generator running, but after a while, you'll be expected to do more."

Kasai reluctantly nodded, internally dreading the idea of having to do chores. While most of this had been said to him already, he wasn't surprised that Brinar had brought this up.

"We haven't even reached Veridey's Island yet, so you have at least a few days to think about if you really want to stay. You can still change your mind." Brinar glanced towards the door as a small bell rang. "I will ask that you read that book, though, but if you'll excuse me, I have some business to speak about with Sonus."

Kasai left, but he wouldn't forget that Brinar hadn't given him an answer about his father and raised questions about his mother.

***

"Captain, Veridey's Island has no open docks. What should we do?" A speaker near the wheel broadcasted the lookout's voice. Kasai glanced up at the crow's nest and saw a teleglass to his eye; he thought the man's name was Rauf.

Sonus turned to Kasai briefly. "In the coming days I will have you stand with North on your own, when you have a better idea of how to handle orders or questions regarding anything about steering or direction. But for now, listen." 

Kasai nodded and watched him.

Sonus grabbed the small speaker phone, a little cone-shaped device with a speaker in the center. "Look to the starboard side of the docks. There's always an open space there we can dock."

A few moments later, the lookout's voice was back. "There is a spot to the far starboard end, but there is no section where we could lower the gangplank. We'll have to anchor offshore and go over in the boat, sir."

Sonus exchanged a nod with North and hung up the speaker. "Then that's what we'll do, at least until the ship can dock properly. North, anchor offshore and I want you to stay with the ship until a spot at the docks opens."

Kasai listened with interest. He had never heard of a port busy enough that there wasn't room for any more ships.

Sonus continued, "Kasai, Na'vira, and Doux will come with me and a few others in the port-side boat and tie up on the starboard dockside. We'll return in that boat, but if you can dock, it will make it easier for shore leave and to take on supplies."

"How long will we stay?" North kept his eyes on the docks but directed his words to Sonus.

Kasai was curious too; maybe there would be time to see Doux and Na'vira again before they go? Or at least see more of the town? This was the first island he had been to, not counting Mero's home.

Sonus watched Doux thoughtfully, who was experimenting with a small knife and testing the limits of his newfound "iron skin" ability. "Maybe three days? No more than four though. I don't want to test our limits, even though Blacksmoke can't reach us here."

North nodded and began calling out orders, many of which made no sense to Kasai. Crewmen dashed about the deck, changing the sails, or pulling ropes.

Kasai watched Doux for a moment. "Sonus, er, Captain, where will my brother and Na'vira go?" He had already signed the ledger that listed all the members, both current and previous, of the Lightning Crew and was not used to addressing Sonus as his captain yet.

"I'm directing them towards the Seaborne Base here in town, and they already have a letter that explains the danger they're in. In exchange for information about Blacksmoke, as much as they can give, the Seaborne should give them sanctuary somewhere on the island." Sonus answered automatically, his mind noticeably elsewhere.

Kasai briefly wondered why the Seaborne would trust a pyrate's word, but dismissed the thought. He knew Sonus wouldn't be sending them there unless he knew it was safe. 

Plus, if they were running from a pyrate, it might be better to let the Seaborne know, regardless.

Sonus kept glancing between the port and the crew. "We won't know exactly where they are heading once we part in town, but I told them to get ahold of us with a set of en-crys coordinates that I gave to Doux earlier once they can. I'll give them a parcel with some money to give them a decent start at a life here, but hopefully they won't need to use any of it to buy a house." 

Kasai had noticed the en-crys sitting in Brinar's study; a purple and green crystal, they had a peculiar ability that when en was run through them, they could accept messages and be heard when a speaker was attached to them. 

Kira had never afforded the hookup for one, although she had had a green and blue crystal on her bedside table. She had drilled it into her kids early on that it was not a toy, and to never touch it. Kasai had always wondered about it, but never asked.

He started when Sonus spoke to him, lost in his thoughts. "When we part from them, I'll take you to the Southern Bazaar. You can pick out your own weapon or tool to learn to use, and I'll set you up with someone on the crew who will help you learn how to use it."

Kasai had noticed the crew always carried some sort of weapon with them. Swords, a few scimitars, and daggers were the most common. A few also carried en-pist, but very few only had those and nothing else.

Sonus continued, "I'll let you know if anything is something that isn't known by the crew, or if it's something that you can't handle without learning another skill first, but keep in mind that whatever you buy will be something cheap, used, or may need repairing. I won't buy anything expensive unless you have at least half of what it cost on you." 

Kasai knew he had no kinas; that hadn't been a thought when he was forced to leave home. He had been more concerned with just getting to safety and had no idea he would leave home, especially the way he did.

Sonus stared at the en-sails that hung from the mizzenmast, the rearmost mast on the ship, for a few moments. These sails not only acted as traditional sails but also gathered en for the generator.

Kasai watched North turn on the rear engine for a moment. It would let the ship maneuver to a better spot without relying on the wind, then met Doux and Na'vira at the port-side boat. The breeze, no longer carrying the potent scent of salt, was blowing towards them from the island.

Kasai had noted how well they got along, with Doux not having left Na'vira's side in days. Kasai wondered how far his crush would go, but shook away the thoughts.

Eleven people fit onto the smaller boat, which had one small mast and two sets of oars. Sonus sat by the tiller and directed the boat towards the starboard area of the docks, where one of the crew members tied the boat and helped the others out.

Kasai wanted to learn how to handle the smaller boat, but he was more interested in the port they were approaching.

Kasai felt a tap; Sonus must've seen him watching.

"Icado Port. It's almost as large as Surval's Dockmarket," Sonus explained.

Kasai was amazed at the sight of it.

He caught sight of four busy-looking warehouses and several places to eat. In the distance, a large circular tower could be seen rising above the town. It was the Seaborne base for the island, but Doux and Na'vira wouldn't split off until they had reached the main street that also led to the bazaar.

They passed by several businesses before stopping in the middle of the town. Kasai ignored his growling stomach as he smelled some of the meat and fish cooking, too nervous about leaving Doux.

They stopped at the intersection of a wide stone road and a nearly as wide dirt road. As they reached the junction where the stone road diverged from the route to the Seaborne base, Kasai knew this was where he would leave his brother.

Doux gave Kasai a hug that hurt, but he didn't mind. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid out there." Doux's voice was slightly choked, and Kasai felt him trembling slightly. They had never been apart like this before.

Kasai gave a weak chuckle. "You know I can't promise that. Just...if you can, contact Nimbus and find Naomi. I don't think I'll be able to go there anytime soon."

"I promise." Doux gave a tense nod; Kasai wouldn't be surprised if he tried to go there himself. Kasai hoped he could find her; Naomi had never been without them before, and she was only fourteen. At least Kasai and Doux were adults, or at least Doux was, and they could take care of themselves better.

Na'vira gave Kasai a slight hug and whispered in his ear before breaking off. "I want to warn you. They're all hiding something from you. You can trust them, but don't expect them to answer any of your questions."

Kasai squeezed her to show he understood, ignoring the shiver of heat down his arms.

He watched them head for the Seaborne Base, pondering Doux's newfound ability. But until he was alone, he didn't want to think about Na'vira's warning. 

He believed her, but it was just too much to deal with right now.

In addition, he felt a pang of regret for not leaving with them, but he swiftly brushed off those thoughts and followed the rest of the crew into the bazaar. As much as he wanted to stay with Doux, he knew that now that he had a chance to learn about their father and possibly even find him. He was too close now to give up.

Doux could find a way to contact Nimbus, and Naomi, just fine.

The Southern Bazaar was easily half the size of the town itself, and Kasai had never seen anything like it. It made the market from home look like a child's game. The bazaar was sectioned off according to what was being sold; weapons and tools, food and supplies, animals, and building materials. 

The moment they entered the gate, the crew split off and headed towards whatever they were hoping to buy. Sonus and Devv stayed with Kasai, though, and Sonus led them to where weapons were being sold or even forged.

From a section that sold plant-based foods, Kasai could smell all kinds of sweet fruits, the almost green smell of freshly cut palla leaves, and herbs and flowers he had no names for. Something was cooking as well, but he ignored it; the spicy bitterness made him feel a tad queasy.

He was amazed at the weapons section. All kinds of swords, knives, staves, axes. If it was a weapon and could be made by a blacksmith's forge or carver, it could be found here. There were even tools used for repairing, crafting, and any general tool or weapon care.

"Hey kid, looking fer something?" Kasai had been glancing at some swords when he heard someone call over to him. He looked over to see a large woman standing in front of a forge. "Come here. Those swords are too big for someone yer size." It was true, most of what he was looking at was much too big or heavy.

Her stall had smaller swords, rapiers, daggers, and a variety of tools that Devv went to immediately. Based on his excitement, Kasai guessed they were tools used in carpentry or woodworking. He suppressed a grin, but was glad he seemed to be better.

"Sonus, I thought I recognized ye! Been a durs year since ye've come back!" She left her forge and greeted Sonus with a pat on the back that would've sent a smaller man flying. A strange creature trotted out behind her, and Kasai recognized the dur by its short tail and dense fur. This one was a greasy orangey-brown color but looked friendly enough, yapping at Kasai and shoving its blunt snout in his hand. "Oh, a new crew mate?" Her accent was slight, but she sounded southern. He had met a few travelers from the southern islands before.

Kasai pet the dur's snout. "Yes, getting my first weapon."

She suddenly peered at his face and jerked back, her eyes wide. "Sonus, is that–"

"Kira's son," he responded harshly. 

Kasai barely heard him, too focused on the dur licking his hand; he'd only seen them in books.

She nodded and whistled; the dur trotted back to her side. "Well then, dearie, what will ye be using? I don't have any pistols or en-guns here, but if that's what yer wanting, then I have just the person to send ye to."

"I'm not sure yet. This is really the first stall I've been to. I've passed a few others, but I don't think I can handle some weapons they had." Kasai shrugged.

She nodded and gave him a piercing look. "Yer too small for most of what the market offers, or at least too weak." Her tone was not unkind. "Try some of those daggers fer size. They're a bit light but heavy enough to cause some damage. Ye should be able to wield them just fine."

Kasai looked at where she had gestured and picked up a small, green-halted dagger. She was right; it was lighter than it looked, but it could do some damage if he could learn to use it correctly.

Over the next hour, he listened to her advice, weighing different daggers, short swords, and even a thin bordia blade, until he settled on a pair of pale blue dual daggers made from aria steel. The woman had called them her best work, but sold them to Kasai for an amazingly low price. She had even thrown in a leather sheathe for each dagger, and a belt to attach them to.

Kasai almost put them back though when she told them the price, but before he could she refused. He wasn't that familiar with weapon prices, but even he knew 100 kinas was almost nothing for these.

Sonus had tried arguing with her, saying she deserved a fairer price, but she had laughed him off. "Sonus, I still owe you for providing more business than our little market could handle back then. This bazaar owes you, and now you come in with him? You owe us nothing." She turned to her forge with a laugh.

"What did she mean by all that?" Kasai asked as they walked away.

Sonus laughed. "I'm from here. Years ago, this town was tiny, and the market was barely worth the name. But then I left to sail the seas. What they didn't know, at least at first, is that I had told people about our large port, our open market, and that a Seaborne Base protected us."

Kasai almost laughed at the sheepish look on Sonus' face.

"I just...failed to mention that at the time it was barely there; the port had lots of room and the market was small and wasn't nearly as grand as I made it out to be." He laughed again.

They paused by a stall with leather armor, shields, and other defensive items; a cart passed in front of them, filled with crates.

Sonus watched it idly. "By the time I returned when I was, oh maybe twenty or so, the market had grown into a small bazaar, and within a few years, it became the Southern Bazaar. They gave me all the credit for making the bazaar as big as it is now, but I honestly did very little. Kira, who was living near the Seaborne base then, did more to help than I did."

Kasai was quiet as they walked through the stalls, forges, and shops. His mother had lived here, at least briefly, and was clearly connected to Sonus and at least a few others in the crew, but he just kept coming up with more and more questions instead of answers. 

Why had she not told them about her past outside of the village? Or having connections to a pyrate? He shook his head to get rid of these thoughts as they entered the animal section.

Kasai wrinkled his nose at the smell of a too many animals packed into one area. It was almost overwhelming. Various animal calls sounded from all directions, as did the occasional human cry that Kasai shuddered at.

Sonus immediately became tense. "Kasai, I would recommend you stay close. This area...they dabble in selling slaves occasionally and I've heard that some people disappear while shopping. I'm just here to order meat for the ship." Devv, who had caught up to them, stayed close to their backs. "Someone may have just gotten bit…but I'm not going to trust that without seeing it.

Kasai nodded, but couldn't resist staring at some of the exotic animals for sale. 

One stall had several birds; messenger hawks, pidges, and many others he had no name for. Another stall was selling auruch cattle, an ancient breed that was taller at the shoulder than Kasai's height and incredibly strong. 

They were used for meat and leather, but also pulled carts occasionally or plows for farmers. Their milk, however, was inedible to humans.

Unfortunately, they also smelled incredibly strong. Kasai tried not to breathe through his nose as he passed various stalls.

Kasai recalled Nimbus having a herd but had never seen one up close; these were orange, brown, and white. Devv leaned against a post while they waited for Sonus; after a few words, a stall owner picked out three cattle and handed them over to a helper, who led them away.

Kasai looked around, but paused when he spotted a partially hidden stall. He had only taken a few steps when he heard Devv call after him, "hey, maybe we should wait here." He sounded nervous.

Kasai called over his shoulder, "I'll be a moment. I saw something I've only seen in books." He approached the stall quietly, staring at a cage just to the right of the shopkeeper.

"'Ere to look at some of my exotic pets? Or lookin' for some unusual meat or a pelt?" The shop owner was a small man who was missing a leg, an eye, and part of one hand. He sat at a small table, a ledger and pen ready in front of him.

"I've never seen some of these animals is all. Is it okay if I look?" Kasai wasn't sure if he could, but he couldn't pass up a chance to see the creature that had caught his eye.

The man nodded. "Just watch your hands. Some of them bite." He turned back to his ledger. Something hidden hissed at them, but neither man paid it any attention.

Kasai crouched down in front of a small cage, observing the tiny creature inside. Six legs, four eyes, and a long tail that was nearly the same length as its body. Its short downy fur was a shimmery, almost pale grey, with paler spots along its flanks and tail, and the two open eyes were an icy shady of blue. It shrank away and made high-pitched whimpering sounds. "Is this really a colf pup?" A thick smell of unwashed fur came from it.

The man looked up briefly. "Yes. She's been 'ere for maybe three weeks. Eatin' more than I can afford though, so I'm hoping to sell her soon. Probably only a few months old, or close to two months at the youngest. Eyes were barely open when she arrived."

"Kasai, find something?" Sonus walked up just then, shooting the stall owner a look of contempt. He looked around at the array of cages, crates, and restrained animals, his gaze finally settling on the pup. "Oh, a colf. Never seen a young one before, but I've been to where they can be found naturally."

Kasai had a brief wonder why Sonus seemed uncomfortable, but maybe he just didn't like exotic animals being sold like this. Not that Kasai could blame him for that; some of these probably came from the Western Region.

The stall owner looked up nervously at that. "She was brought to me. I don't go looking for the animals myself. Guess they found her alone, mother and litter dead 'cept for this'un."

Kasai looked at him. "Will she bite if I hold her?"

Sonus sighed. "We don't really care for animals on a ship, so you probably wouldn't be able to keep her with us." His tone held a slight warning, but he seemed less annoyed than Kasai would've expected.

Kasai shrugged. "But you know where she came from, right? Why not return her?"

Sonus looked at him, his eyes unreadable. "Well, I guess we could do that, but why?"

"I've read about colfs before. They've been removed from their islands and packs before, but don't survive very well without others." Kasai stood up as the owner unlocked the cage. "But if we can return her, the island they're from has another animal we could use for meat. It may be worth hunting the meat instead of buying it."

Devv gave a snort and Sonus coughed to hide his laugh; both men were grinning. 

Kasai raised an eyebrow, surprised at their reactions.

Sonus' lips twitched with the effort of hiding a grin. "Um, I'm not sure what you read about the other animals found on the Cre'ch Archipelago, but we wouldn't have enough firepower to hunt them. If you really want to see them though, I won't say no as it's barely two weeks away from here," he paused and seemed to consider this, then continued, "but...you know what, yeah. I'll take you there and you can see the neixe yourself."

While Devv and Sonus were visibly amused, Kasai paid them no attention.

He took the colf into his arms, who immediately yapped and settled into the crook. "Neixe? I thought they were almost as docile as auruchs? At least the ones from other islands are." She felt warm and comfortable, though her fur was greasy and dirty. Kasai experienced an unexpected surge of protectiveness towards her.

"These are different. Around forty years ago someone imported a herd of young ones from their homeland to establish a herd there, but something happened and they..." Sonus' voice dropped off and he shrugged.

The owner finished the sentence. "They changed, evolved is the word. On their home island they are much smaller, friendlier, similar to the auruchs cattle in both size and temperament. But when they encountered the colf packs, well, they grew unusually hostile and much larger than expected. Over a brief period, they grew to almost twice their size, their antlers got bigger, and no one has been able to cull the herds there."

"Would it be safe to return her then?" Sonus asked. They all looked at the pup, who was now asleep. "Even if it's safe for her, how could we get her up to the caves?"

Suspecting Sonus was asking on Kasai's behalf, he paid close attention. The pup whimpered a bit, and Kasai stroked her fur gently. She felt kind of thin, but she yawned and he resisted hugging her, not wanting to wake her up.

The man shrugged. "That would be up to you to take that risk, but either way, she will cost 300 kinas."

"For a pup? That's outrageous!" Sonus cried. Kasai had bought only chucks before, so he didn't know if this was a bad price. But considering Sonus' reaction, it was very high.

Kasai watched them arguing for a moment, but a strange whine from behind him made him turn. He nearly dropped the colf when he spotted the slender form with a dense dark-grey coat, blue-green eyes, and triangular ears. He knelt in front of the cage, close to eye level with the animal.

It reminded Kasai of a picture of a long extinct species he had seen in Cloud Villages library. It shuffled its paws weakly and Kasai noticed blood leaking from its side, the wound all but invisible in the fur. He couldn't tell the length of its tail, which was curled tightly under the creature's haunches. "Is that a...." He tried to remember the name of the extinct creature. 

Even outside the cage, a foot away from the wound, Kasai could smell the infection; bitter, sour, and almost rotten. The wolf's gaze met Kasai's, and it almost seemed to ask him something. For help.

Kasai didn't think he had ever seen a creature with such a human expression in its eyes.

"Ah, you spotted our wolf. Last of its species, I think." The owner looked over, visibly relieved to be distracted from his haggling with Sonus. "The man who caught it said he found it on an uninhabited island far to the north in the Western Seas. Never seen one before, thought its pelt would fetch a pretty price. But he injured it on the way here, not sure how or why though, so the pelts ruined unless it lives."

Sonus raised an eyebrow and looked at the stall owner. "Thick pelt? It would have to be from the north then."

The man nodded, but looked a tad uneasy. "Yes, would be excellent for cold weather gear, but the wolf won't die nor will the wound heal." They watched the wolf for a moment. 

It whined and laid its head on its paws. Kasai resisted the urge to reach into the cage and stroke its head.

The stall owner sighed. "I'll make you a deal. Take the wolf, and the colf pup, for 250 kinas and do with it whatever you want. That things been 'ere three months, makes the other animals nervous, and frankly, makes me nervous."

Kasai ignored Sonus' glare. He felt there was something different about the wolf, and more than that, it was injured. It pained him to see it suffering.

Sonus' expression softened after a moment, shaking his head. The tension that emanated from him dissipated. "I think we'll head back to the ship after this." His gaze hardened. "But both these animals are your responsibility, understand?" His voice was stern, but Kasai thought he felt sorry for the wolf.

Kasai nodded and Sonus gave the stall owner his money, who called for some help to get the wolf ready for transport. Kasai waited by the wolf, trying to offer some kind of support as they waited.

Devv shook his head. "I hope this is worth it, Kasai."

Kasai shrugged and scratched the colf pup's head.

***

"We have two animals...why?" Brinar watched as two men hauled the caged wolf up the gangplank. Kasai stood to the side with Arat. The wolf was gazing around, seeming undisturbed despite being moved. His fur was ruffled by the stiff breeze blowing inland. He sneezed suddenly; Kasai didn't miss the wince of pain as he moved.

Kasai pushed his concern aside for a moment and listened to Sonus and Brinar.

Sonus sighed. "Well, Kasai wants to return the colf to the Cre'ch Archipelago, and the wolf...it probably won't live much longer, so I'm hoping we can make Kasai something for cold weather sailing from it. If it survives, we can release it somewhere."

Brinar pinched the bridge of his nose, heaving a deep sigh. "Alright. I'll help Kasai figure out how to care for them, but you realize he won't be able to release the colf, right?" He glanced over at Kasai; Kasai tried to act like he wasn't listening. "And they tend to eat a lot, especially as pups."

Kasai wondered briefly if they had enough food for her then. Could they get enough food? And he didn't miss how bothered Brinar was about using the wolf for its pelt.

"Plus, that wolf...I know that they only exist on one island in the world, but no one has ever caught one before. I want to know why. The people that live there are fiercely protective of them, revere them, so why is this the first wolf that has ever made it off the island alive?" Though appearing annoyed, he sounded more curious, and concerned, than anything.

Sonus opened his mouth to respond, but seemed to think better of it and turned to Kasai. "Since you have two animals to care for, I am having a shipwright make you a cabin. I don't want them roaming the ship, especially the pup, and you'll need somewhere to treat the wolf without moving it and Brinar has already said that he won't treat it where he treats humans." 

The colf pup yawned, her golden eyes peering at the men before she curled up.

Kasai had doubts that Brinar had said that, noticing the older man's annoyed look, but ignored it. "Do I need to go get anything specific to treat it? The stall owner said the wolf had been injured for months and wasn't healing."

Brinar closed his eyes and was quiet for a few moments. "Maybe they haven't tried a different medicine. I'll help you prepare the medicine, but it will be up to you to apply it, clean the wound, change the dressing, and anything else the wolf needs."

Kasai nodded and gave the pup a concerned look. She had fallen asleep again. "And the colf? She was interested in a strip of meat Arat offered but seemed confused about it."

"She'll be fine as long as you prepare her food as a mush. I would guess she's around three months old, so she doesn't need milk, but she may not handle chunks like the wolf can." Brinar scratched her ear gently, being careful not to wake her. "But she will start eating more within the next month."

Despite his unenthusiastic expression, Brinar's concern for her was evident.

Kasai watched her for a moment, then turned and watched some men from the town carry materials, crates, and various bags or barrels up the gangplank. "The stall owner who sold me the daggers, she said my mother helped the market get bigger. Was Kira from here?"

Brinar hesitated, taking a slow, deep breath before responding, clearly unsettled by the unexpected question. "I know she lived here for a while when she was younger, but that was before I knew her." His face and voice were gentle as he continued. "Did she tell you nothing of her life before you?"

Kasai shook his head ruefully. "No. I know nothing about her powers, parents, where she was from, or my dad. She...would get very upset if I asked about him, and never told us anything about growing up except for how she learned to cook. She never got angry about questions about her family, but never answered them." 

As he thought about her, a pang of sadness washed over him.

Brinar watched Kasai carefully. "Why do you want to find your father so badly?" His voice was careful, even, and Kasai could tell that the questions he asked about his parents bothered the older man.

Sonus, who had walked off a few paces, stopped and turned his head towards them.

Kasai looked down at the colf as he answered. "Doux is gone, Kira is dead, and Naomi...I have no idea where she is. I grew up with no father, and even Doux couldn't remember him. To me, he's the only family I have left that I could possibly reach." 

Sonus' face was unreadable.

Kasai paused for a moment, then looked Brinar in the eyes. "I want to find him and know him and ask why he left."