Zinc 01 - Altors, page 16
part #1 of Zinc Series
"Be back at six." Ilex reminded, waving his hand in the direction of the exit before he stood from his crouch and turned his attention to Caltha. "I thought this one was my problem?" I looked over my shoulder at them as I made my way to the door.
Caltha clashed his sword against Ilex's. "You know me, I need to make sure the brats are willing to listen without giving me the urge to ground them and send them off to bed without dinner before I am willing to play an authoritative figure." Ilex laughed in response, and then all I could hear was metal clashing against metal when I re-entered the living room, closing the door behind me to give them their privacy. Now, I would need to seek out Dandelion and face her wrath, because I had no idea where Datura would go to get more groceries. But she would surely know.
Stepping onto the second floor I winced as I could see the Jansen's bedroom door appear in my line of vision. I knew she hadn't been happy with me. She kept glaring at me, that ridiculously effective pout on her lips taunting me, begging me to come to my senses and see things the way she saw them. Knocking, I nervously waited.
"It's open!" Dandelion sounded cheerful only because she didn't know it was me yet. Once inside, I cringed.
"It's for you, Dandi." Jatrop answered absently, reading like always. Another good thing about apologizing to these people was that once I had, hopefully Jatrop would be willing to give me interesting books again. I'd learned a lot and I was craving the connection he offered to me through that.
Their room was very large. It was two rooms in one which I knew because Dandelion had told me Jatrop had broken down the wall. I liked that they hadn't removed it properly, it was an arched hole instead, the bricks unevenly sticking out. Dandelion had clearly decorated the place. Everything was in deep and warm colors, from the walls to the furniture and she had a thing for candles since she'd hung numerous little lanterns from the ceiling. The main focus of their quarters was books. There were so many shelves and random piles of books stacked on the floor and furniture, it felt like I was in a library that happened to have a bed in it.
While Jatrop was lazily lying on the fluffy beige couch reading, Dandelion was folding clothes, placing them on the bed in neat square piles. She looked over her shoulder, a frown settling between her eyebrows as she saw it was me.
"Do you come to seek us out to be rude now?" She asked in a snide tone of voice. Despite her short size, she managed to look intimidating. When she neared the couch, her arms uncrossed so she could absently run her fingers through Jatrop’s hair, straightening his bandana on the way as she waited for my answer.
"I do-" was all I was able to get out before she let out an impatient sort of scream. It reminded me of Holly, she used to pull off that same type of noise when angry.
"You abused the doors with all the slamming you've done. Every time someone tried to talk to you you either ignored them or yelled for them to shut up. If it weren't for the fact that you avoided everyone, you might as well have punched each one of us like you did Datura." So intensely frustrated, she couldn't hold back her anger with me, which I knew because I had to duck a book. "We only keep you here because we are obliged to follow Ilex's orders." She inhaled sharply, remembering she needed to breathe. "You're seventeen, Calycanthus, not eighteen. Up until you are, an adult must watch over you." There was an irritated pause. "Stop being a baby!"
Jatrop was the one that killed the silence that had threatened to drag on. "He's here to apologize to you."
Dandelion scoffed. "You're not physic, Jatrop, that's Vervaine's domain."
I cleared my throat. "I am here to apologize."
Jatrop nodded his head with a smirk. "See. I could tell because he knocked. He hasn't used whatever manners Acacia managed to install within his system for weeks now." That had been a low blow. My guilt had now tripled in size.
I looked over at his wife. "I'm sorry for having been so rude. I needed a moment to figure out that you weren't to blame. None of you are. I'll lock my wrath away and make sure to unlock it only when I see Lupinus again." Dandelion glared at that and I just shook my head. "He had no right to have Ilex take me away like that. He should have talked to me and to Solenum. I'm sure he has his reasons for making it happen, but that doesn't make it right to me or her. Lupinus is like a father to Sol." I clipped out, willing to behave, but some things they just couldn't talk reason into. Sol did think of them as her parents.
Dandelion dragged me out of my thoughts by suddenly placing a hand on my cheek, making me notice she'd walked up close to me without my realizing it.
"I understand." She murmured with a sincere smile. I nodded at her in thanks, giving her a hesitant smile in return.
"What is it that you need?" Jatrop butted in. My apology had been honest. But I needed their help in order to continue with my list of apologies.
"Where is it that you guys go grocery shopping?" I asked, checking Ilex’s watch to see what time it was. It was barely eleven. I had all day.
"Datura isn't what he seems." Dandelion said while walking over to a shelf. "He didn't mean to push you." I swallowed the annoyance at everyone trying to butt into something that had happened privately between me and him. It didn’t concern them, and although over the last couple of days I’d thought it over and could admit that the punch might have been a tad harsh, I wasn’t what he thought I was. Or more accurately, the change in my situation made it that it wasn't the right time for me to explore that side of me. Things were changing enough as they were. All these lies constructed by the Altors and the Regius that I needed to uncover were far more important than the question of my sexuality.
"This is the map of Serenium." Dandelion moved over to the low wooden table settled before the couch, spreading out the map and then blindly reaching for Jatrop's hand, who absently offered her a pen. She drew a dot onto the map, gesturing for me to come look.
"That's where we are now. It's roughly an hours walk from here to the red dot I just marked. That is where Apnea docks." Standing, she made her way to a closet and pulled out a crossbow. "I will lend it to you." Apparently shopping was dangerous for the Altors. "Thanks to the truce Pallium Leader Flux Kaminski struck with Captain Juglan Kish, we get to benefit from it and so Kish's Ranger crew delivers our goods." She handed me her weapon. The crossbow was made out of both metal and wood, reminding me of LV and its chaotic, yet organized, patchwork look. Dandelion reached over, clicking the large round button at the top of the hilt. The two arrows placed symmetrically on top of it pulled back tightly, telling me they were ready to be used.
"Click it again and the arrows fly. Always recover them."
"Why do I need a weapon?"
"Although a truce was made, Rangers aren't trustworthy." She pointed the crossbow at the other side of the room where there were no people and let the arrows fly. It was fast and the sound reminded me of death. Making her way to the wall the arrows were now nailed into, she tugged them out. "They can turn on you. Datura has a skillful tongue and can talk himself out of anything. He's also the lord of bargain." Dandelion sighed happily. "Bless his conniving mouth. He always manages to get me my clothes half off from those pirates."
"Before Datura, they made us pay double. They blamed the extra cost on traveling fees, which is ridiculous because their ships don’t run on fuel and whatever it is they do use, is theirs, so they don’t actually have to pay any gold for it." Jatrop explained.
"Maybe I should wait for him to get back to the house." I shook my head at Dandelion when she tried to put the crossbow in my hands. I was ready to apologize to the guy, not die for him.
"Consider it a security blanket." She grinned. "I just need you to be able to point something at the pirates long enough for you to explain you're with Datura. Because they don't know you, they may feel ambushed."
"Then you'll just have to hope Datura agrees you are not the enemy." The idea of my life depending on the unexplainable mystery that was Lovelace? Thanks Jatrop, that is so reassuring. He laughed at my glare.
I frowned then as something occurred to me. "If there is a chance of them turning on the Altors, why is Datura on his own?"
"Not only has Datura been a fully trained soldier since he was sixteen,” Jatrop started. “But-” Pressing his lips together thoughtfully, he tried to find the right words.
“He’s fucking special.” Dandelion declared.
“I was going to say that he can take care of himself, but sure.” Not only was the land I lived in bursting with secrets, but apparently the many people I’d met so far were puzzles themselves.
“Here’s your map.” I took the rolled up piece of paper from Jaja, tucking it into my belt all the while making my way to the door. Holding it open, I hesitated, looking back at the couple in slight confusion.
"Are you not afraid I'll use the map to get out and away from you all?" I asked curiously.
"You made clear you understood that you are here for logical reasons." Dandelion said smiling softly. "If you're smart, like I know you are, you won't be rash and will start to deal with the fact that this," She gestured at the house, "is your new home until legal paperwork says differently."
I bit my lip, sighing. "I'll be back at six, not a minute later."
* * * *
Chapter 15: Calycanthus Esquivel
“Death experience.”
* * * *
I remember having dreams of coming to the Meadows of Serenium. It had been such a far away region, so unattainable, I'd believed it to be magical. The history books described it as the land that brought a sense of peace. The endless amount of grass, the breeze of wind that was neither too hot nor too cold, the sky always a bright blue during the day with the occasional white fluffy cloud. At night it was so clear, you could see every star twinkling against the deep dark blue. It was peaceful. But it also got boring really fast.
I glanced down at Ilex's watch. I'd been walking for over an hour now and still nothing but low hills of ever green grass. Definitely no sky ship named Apnea, no Rangers, no Datura. Sighing up at the blue sky above me, I slowed down in my steps, not seeing the point of hurrying anymore since I'd obviously read the map wrong. I hated getting lost.
When I was about to give up, turn around and go back, there was civilization. Sort of anyway.
"Pretty crossbow you got on your hip there, shortie!" My hand moved over to my side so I could hover my fingers over the weapon. A pirate. He had to be because he wore the type of clothes Rangers were known to wear.
A chuckle escaped him. "We wouldn't want anyone to get hurt, now do we?" He reminded me of Brass Farrow. While they looked nothing alike, their posture, movements and use of words were similar. It was the body language of a bully.
His clothes were mixed and matched with all kinds of fabrics and everything was in excessively bright colors. His pants were black flannel, but patches of red colored fur were hanging down from the many scarves tied around his hips. He wore a red cotton shirt beneath a leather waist band and had a long sleeved, bright blue crochet vest hanging loosely over these. On top of that he had a brown fur wrap placed over his shoulders. And, as if that wouldn’t keep him warm enough, he also had a couple of scarves around his neck that twisted up around his head, hiding his hair. I couldn’t really tell what the color of his eyes were from here, but he was kind enough to tug down the scarf that hid the lower part of his face, revealing more of his identity.
"You look sorta lost."
I rolled my eyes, relaxing. "That's because I am sorta lost." He eyed my hand over the crossbow a last time before he assumed I wasn't going to shoot him down with it just yet. When he walked over to me, he again reminded me of Brass. More importantly though, he was a Ranger in the Meadows of Serenium, meaning he had to be with Apnea's crew.
"Is your captain Juglan Kish?" I asked.
"That's right. Watcha want with the Captain?"
"Nothing with him, I'm looking for my-" I tried not to pause as I continued. "friend. His name is Datura Lovelace."
He chuckled. "I know the death speaker." Death speaker? I was reminded of the exchange that had occurred before the punch. Datura had been singing in a different language that he'd called the Tongue of Death.
"Can you take me to him?" I asked, frowning as the pirate was staring at me intently. "Is something wrong?" I added.
He shook his head, giving me a quick grin. "I'm Isa Ryder. Your name?" I knew something was wrong, I could feel it happening before it did. Taking my hand without my permission, he tugged me closer.
"Let go of me!" I snapped but could only sigh when I realized he was much stronger than me. His blood wasn't deluded. Isa could have been a soldier if he hadn't chosen the path of the Rangers.
"You look awfully familiar." Ignoring my demand entirely, he then momentarily let go of me to pull something out from behind his back. My heart nearly jumped out of my throat when he revealed a gun and the fear I felt was so powerful, it made me forget how to move. Grabbing a hold of me again, Isa turned me in his arms so my back connected to his chest, the gun pressed against my temple.
"You're coming with me." He said happily.
"Yes, I am." I agreed with a gulp.
* * * *
Isa nudged the barrel against my cheek, silently informing I should keep up. I tried not to piss my pants while he guided me through the grass fields, his grip on my shoulder tightening when I took a step the wrong way. I had absolutely no idea how long it took us to get where we were going. I'd never felt this scared in my life.
My wonderment for Apnea was minimal. I was too busy listing the things I regretted in my mind to really care about the sky ship. All I noticed from the corner of my eye was that her sails glittered in the sun and that she was hovering a couple of inches off the ground. By the time I registered she was massive, my eyes landed on her captain.
Juglan Kish was ten times more intimidating than Isa was. Maybe it was because he was much older, or maybe it was the beard. It could be his dark attire, or the large revolver he was wielding.
A frown settled between his eyebrows when he saw Isa and myself. He let out a noise that reminded me of a growl and after petting his large round belly, he lazily pointed his revolver at my face.
"This a friend of yours, Datura?" Juglan asked.
"Who cares!" Isa shouted. "The Regius put a huge price on his head. I recognized his face from the sketch. I know we generally don't swing and dally with those suckers, but Cap, when I say high, I mean-"
"Enough gold to be able to afford new sails." Juglan said calmly, seemingly pleased Isa had brought me to him now. It's only when the Captain looked away from me that I noticed where Datura was standing. He was frozen on the spot, his gaze going back and forth between me and Juglan.
"What is the price of new sails?" Datura's voice was soft and calm, apparently knowing how to behave in these type of situations.
Juglan laughed low. "Not even the Pallium king is able to gift me with them to keep our truce running." I am a nobody. How could I be worth that much?
Datura seemed to think that over for a moment. "Let him go, Isa." My eyes widened in fear when Juglan suddenly swung his revolver away from me so he could point it at Datura. Although Lovelace was not worried, I was.
"Don't kill him!" I didn't want him dead. How would I apologize to him if he was dead?
Isa groaned in frustration. "We're wasting time!" I heard the click of his gun and I squeezed my eyes shut, having the impression that my death may be less terrifying if I couldn't see.
Instead of feeling the unimaginable pain of death, it was Isa who screamed his lungs out. Turning around, I was shocked to see what had happened in but a few seconds. His now empty hand was pinned to the ground with one of Datura's daggers. The time it took me to take in the state of his palm and then up to see his face, Isa had passed out from the pain.
"Snap out of it." I heard Datura say while plucking his dagger out of the pirate's hand. Juglan was out cold as well but before I could figure out how Datura had done it, he was dragging me away from the scene.
* * * *
It took me about ten minutes to shake out of the shock and tug my hand out of his. He'd just disabled two armed Rangers. That had to be impressive even for an Altor soldier.
"Are we going back to the house?" I panted out, trying to keep up with his angry pace. He ignored me. "Will they be okay? You didn't kill them, did you?" Now, I wasn't going as far as saying that I felt bad for them, I mean, they had pointed their guns to my face, but I don't think I was quite ready yet to have people die on my account.
Stopping in my tracks when he started to walk even faster, I could only frown after him. "If you're trained, why are you still being trained?" Maybe if I kept nagging he'd end up reacting.
"How did you become so stupid?!" He roared, turning around so he could glare at me. On second thought, maybe I shouldn't have nagged. "You put our lives in danger."
"Ilex, Caltha, Dandelion and Jatrop gave me permission." I told him, gesturing at the watch. "I have to be back by six."
He faltered in his glare, remaining silent for a heartbeat. "We're not going back to the house yet." He answered my first question. "And no, I didn't kill them." Starting to walk again, I quickly followed him. "Isa is lucky I let him live after that stunt he pulled on you." He muttered darkly, making me wonder at his need to protect me. "I am here because I am waiting for someone. He won't be able to find me if I keep moving throughout the regions of Zinc."
"Why did you put the moves on me if you're already in a relationship?" I blurted out. That was exactly why I never allowed myself to blurt. My stupid side came out.
"You are jealous."
"Am not!" I defended. "I just can't be friends with a cheater."
He grinned. "So you finally decided to apologize for the punch." My mouth opened, but no sound came out. That seemed to amuse him.
"Would you stop pretending you know exactly what I'm thinking or wish to do?" He stopped walking and made sure I did too.
