Chapter 39: A World Different (Aurora)

  "Prepare for docking Gregory! We are in at port." Holly calls as the vessel reaches its destination. The voyage from Cross Point to the Northern tip of Yannis, Razor's Point had proven to be a rough drift of sea as the party sought to avoid any chance of being spotted by Dol traders and merchants or even envoys of the Bruin that may have been using the ports along the lower portions of the coastline that were closer to Dol in the gulf-lands.

  After the encounter with Smallbeard and the sinking of his ship, the band in flight saw no further challenge on the sea, other than the elements. The waves swirled and slushed against the wood of the ship and had an effect on Edwin as he continued to have more and more instances of seasickness.

  "EDWIN! IN MY HAIR!" Screamed Isla as she felt the disgusting sting of vomit in her hair. Edwin covered his mouth and grabbed his stomach simultaneously.

  "I am really sorry Isla," Edwin said. The priest had the roughest time on the seas of the entire party. Even the flying horses, Calyx and Opeth were unaffected by the torrents of the sea. Isla began to cry as the smell of the vomit reached her nose. She races over to a barrel nearby to try and clean herself.

  "NO NOT THE DRINKING WATER!" Holly yells. Isla shoves her head into the bucket. "Well….I mean we are docking up so……whatever I guess." Holly rolls her eyes as Gregory steers in the ship. She then throws the tie line and then kicks down the anchor, settling the barge at the port.

  Razor's Point, like most of the coastal ports, was nothing truly special. Most all the updates and investments in the town were focused solely on the docks and shipping zones. Beyond that, the town was relatively bleak. Holly wastes no time in dropping the gangplank to allow all to disembark from the water vessel. Aurora is the first to ground.

  "Why do they call this place Razor's Point Holly?" The lady of Aath asks.

  "This is the tip of the blade of the continent. The very northern port in all of Wiera. All rough seas of the waters of the deep beyond due north." Holly explained. On the coastline of Yannis west of the Razor, there were several small houses with their fishing operations all the way to the southwestern edge of the country. Aurora was not too familiar with these families as all of Yannis was a general mystery for those from the Free Plains, with the exception of the crown trading ports along the Gulf. She wondered from here where she should go. She came to Yannis with the intention of getting the King to take up her cause and fight to help rid the Bruin might from the lands, in addition to getting her father and family out of the cross-hairs of the golden army. But how to get there? She did not know the land of Yannis, where is the capital?

  "Where to Aurora?" Isla asked as she was still wringing her hair out of vomit grease. Irla her cousin was focused on guiding their mounts from the ship holding both of the reins. Aurora shrugged her shoulders indicating that the woman had no idea where they would head.

  "I….I don’t know these lands?" She spoke. "I don't know where the capitol and the King reside." This revelation puzzled most of the party and made Edwin keel over in laughter until Isla kicked him hard in the ribcage; once for making light of Aurora's conundrum and then once again for the vomit in the hair. Edwin groaned and stopped his laughter as he apologized for both sins. Kristoff had gathered his things slowly on the boat but then lifted his cowl on his cloak to cover his face as if in hiding. He got off the ship and huffed as the shaman found himself beholden to help the beauty from Aath. She had saved him from being stuck on the other side of the gulf and his debts there were catching up quickly. He didn't like this sudden urge to be the noble he was supposed to be all these years and was internally angry that he felt this pull to be the better man for the first time in his life.

  "What a time get noble Kristoff." He chuckled with his hood still up.

  "What was that Kristoff?" Aurora looked over at the shaman. At this moment he caught her eyes with his and made his choice right there to do right by his savior who had allowed him as a traveling companion.

  "Look….You know I am from here originally and I have debts to pay. Hence why my hood is up as I am more recognizable here than I am in the Free Plains. Because here in Yannis I am a noble, my family runs a house on the western coast and supplies certain fish products to the country."

  "If you are a noble then what is your house name?" Edwin asked as he still held his ribs after being kicked by Isla. Kristoff gave the priest a dirty glare.

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  "What part of 'I have debts' don't you understand?" Kristoff huffed before he continued. "Look, unlike all of you, I know this country, I know these people and how they behave. And most importantly I know the way to the capitol. I can get us there relatively unharmed."

  "You can Kristoff?" Aurora asked.

  "Yeah I can, but we'll need to keep on guard even when we reach Castle Yannis at Antil. The people here are weary of outsiders, we have manners here on the Gulf ports and accept trade and any ship who wishes to dock without causing trouble, but in the inner lands which are mostly all mountains and highlands, they don't take too kindly to outsiders." Kristoff explained further how the country is mostly unknown beyond the country itself as a way to mimic the balance set by Archana of being safe by being a mystery from all other forces.

  "Please Kristoff, take us there." Aurora grabs his arm tenderly. This sudden touch from a woman so beautiful causes the rational and disgraced noble to break his character and become flush in his face. He then notices this shift in himself and shakes his arm free from Aurora.

  "No thanks needed, we are friends. We have to be after fighting off those pirates."

  "They prefer to be called Privateers." Isla piped up. All smiled, though Kristoff did his best to keep his hood up and conceal his face from others not in the group. The others enjoyed the giggle but then set to the task of readying the party for the adventure at the lead of the shaman noble. Aurora however had a concern regarding her close associate Isla. She grabs the peg rider and pulls her aside for a private conversation.

  "Sister, I have noticed that since your head injury back at Cross Point some things have been a bit off with you." The lady speaks.

  "You're still noticing that. Damn. Aurora, I was really trying to not let it show." Isla rubs part of her head. The spot especially where a headband covered up, the area where she took the hard shot back across the gulf. Isla had physically healed but there was still something going on underneath the surface that perhaps both of the women did not understand. "I feel alright, but things still get foggy at times."

  "Foggy like how? And Isla…I guess…I mean it just seems like you aren't…it seems like you're a bit more carefree or childlike at times." Aurora did not like comparing her best friend to a child but the comments back on the water inviting the pirates to come aboard or a few other moments where she seemed to not have the caution of an adult, concerned her.

  "I mean I do feel alight. But yeah, foggy, like my thoughts are off. I am having a bit of trouble focusing and I guess….I do seem more childlike at times." Isla frowned. She wondered if Aurora was going to ask to have her sent home or sit out combat altogether. Isla was technically Aurora's guard, but the lady of Mert was a far superior fighter than she. Isla dropped her posture as though she were to begin to cry.

  "Please don't cry Isla. I need you regardless, I just wanted to check with you on how you were holding up with that change I noticed." Aurora kneels and places her hands on the lap of her beloved friend. "You are so important to me, that I just wanted to make sure you weren't scared or hiding some deeper injury."

  "I'm not sister, I am just…foggy," Isla replied. "I don't really know how better to describe it." They both hug it out, as Aurora explains to her that Isla's worth isn't set in stone based on her fighting ability. This helped comfort Isla who was going through concussion recovery issues, though they with their limited understanding of the body had no clue what was happening to the flyer. "I will still watch your back."

  "I know," Aurora says with a smile.

  "Well let's get going," Holly yells out as she hops off her ship with her axes secured in place. One at her side and the big one on her back. All looked stunned at the captain of the ship.

  "Are you leaving your ship to come with us?" Edwin asked.

  "Of course. I can't let the fairest woman in Wiera run off into known danger and fun without tagging along." Holly began stretching her legs as her balance was slightly off from being at sea for so long. However, she soon stabilized with the aid of a jug of rum. Edwin licked his lips at the sight of the jug and reached for it as Holly pulled it from her lips.

  "Not for you, this is for real men." She says as she swats away his eager hand. Edwin decided it was best to let this one go, but really liked the idea of a good drink.

  "What about Gregory and the ship? Is Gregory coming too?" Irla asked.

  "Latrine girl, what do you care about Gregory?" The comment made Irla slightly blush and embarrassed as she apologized and made sure it was known that her interest was nothing of that sort of nature.

  "Holly, are you actually going with us?" Aurora asked as she and Isla returned from their side conversation.

  "Hecks yeah!" Holly looked back to Gregory. "Stay put and watch the ship while I'm gone." Gregory stood at attention and saluted his captain. All were confused at how nonchalantly this whole exchange had gone down and yet they were thrilled to have Holly joining up since she had proven herself quite the warrior during the battle with Smallbeard. "Are you guys just gonna sit around and talk about the weather?" She then runs over to Kristoff and kicks him softly in the butt. "Start leading mister 'I know the way." She laughs as the shaman winces and then begins his march. Aurora and the other smile as they soon all fall in line behind the shaman on their march to the capitol of Antil.

  "So how are you going to convince the king to help us?" Isla asked. Aurora blushed. There had been joking before about using her womanhood to win her support, but that was simply brushed off previously. However, now with the time coming the lady needed to be more sure of what tactic she would employ to interest the Yannis King.

  "I…..still need to think about that Isla." All could tell that Aurora was unsure and not wanting to think such things. They left that topic alone as they marched, and let Aurora ponder just what she would have to say or do to convince this foreign and isolated nation into their conflict.