TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Chapter XVI: Pirate Habits
Chapter XVII: Stowaways (Tryston)
Chapter XIIX: Bloodied (Tryston)
Chapter XIX: Training (Tryston)
Chapter XVI: Pirate Habits
The smell from the village reached them long before the sight of it did. Zora had been all over the known world and cattle smelled the same no matter where you went. By the smell of things, there were a lot of cattle. The fact that they were approaching in the hotter parts of the year during the hotter part of the day only intensified the acrid smell.
After another hour of hiking through smaller hills in the excrement filled air, they cascaded onto a flat grassy terrain and then finally walked past the waist high wall made of mud and pieces of rubble from the crumbling mountain range that was the village's perimeter. She noticed coming in that most of the cattle, besides a few walking freely though dirt paths around town, were concentrated on the northern part of the city. The huts that were accompanying them were much larger and further spaced than the ones closest to the sea. The closer they got to the actual port the more densely packed everything became, especially once the merchant shacks and carts began popping up.
Based on many of the traded goods, Zora could tell that this village traded with some westerners, though not many. Unfortunately there weren't any around at the moment, which meant Tryston stuck out like a sore thumb. If this small Afrikaan port traded with those from the west she would have to be prepared to board a wide range of ships, because if this port caught the attention of the western world, more than likely the Arabian trade had reason to stop here too, maybe even a Chinese vessel or two. There was rarely a port that would remain isolated to one empire for long. What one empire had, all the others wanted too, like children battling over a toy. Zora presumed this port held only one particularly desired resource; meat. She imagined it would be a good half way point to stock up before the long journey to the Mediterranean or the Arabian.
They walked through the surprisingly busy village, keeping to themselves. Tryston garnered more attention than she likes, but thankfully all they received were stares. Zora kept her own eyes forward and didn't make intentional eye contact with anyone. If all went smoothly, they would speak to a merchant, find out how often ships went through and wait to barter passage.
The walk to the docks took longer than it should have because Zora kept having to pull Tryston back on track. He head was constantly on a swivel and not a moment went by that he didn't find some alien artifact that dragged him off course. The worst was when women who were adorned only with bright and beautifully colored beads around there stomach, legs, wrists, and heads but kept their chests bare to the world kept passed him (a few even flashing him lingering smiles), because it would cause him to make such a raucous scene as he would try to bury his head into anything he could get his hands on. He looked like a beet root trying to dig back into the ground after it had been pulled up. Eventually she had had enough and reprimanded him privately,
"You are embarrassing yourself and more importantly, me, with your childish behavior. Knock it off!" she exclaimed
"I don't know how to stop it! I don't know what to do." He replied frustrated, keeping his eyes peered down "Everyone here is just...different." he tried explaining
"What's the matter, I thought you were well rehearsed in the ways of women." she threw at him
His blush deepened. The red rising again from his neck, mimicking a boiling kettle.
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Zora: The Leviathan's Eye
Fantasy"There's no room in the world for trust, hope, or the wealthy's compensating fashion sense. Now pass the Rum." - Zora Zora's been from Constantinople to Timbuktu. She's gambled with religious figures and stolen a Belgian princess's Tiara because she...
