Rebellious Duo (#Wattys2016)

7: Colla Voce!

"Hold still for a second, can't you?" Muttered Kaine. She was trying to scrape bits of dried blood off Akira's hands with a pair of tweezers. The tiny pile of flakes was on the small kitchen counter. "It's harder than it looks."

"Dirty!" Akira said in a mock-shocked voice, but sniggered all the same.

"I said hold still! I need to analyze Bo's blood again and I can't do it if I don't have a clean sample!" Kaine groaned in frustration. She grabbed his wrist and bent over, trying to pick off the blood without damaging his skin. "Almost... got it!" Her tweezers found the patch of blood and peeled it off. "This should do it. Thanks, Akira."

"Need any more help?"

"No, I need the kitchen empty as possible. It's small enough as it is with two people squeezed in." Kaine shoved him out into the galley. She pulled on some leather gloves and put the blood gently into an empty bottle which used to hold whiskey. Then she put it over the stove, adding a few drops of alcohol as a reactant and a drop of concentrated citric acid. Kaine wished that she wasn't working with so little to solve this case. But it had to be done. She pulled out her notes again, watching the blood liquify once more. A few dark lumps sank to the bottom, fizzing as they went. "Same reaction," Kaine muttered. She added a few observations to her paper, which was covered in scrawling handwriting by now. Kaine pulled the bottle off the stove and finished a few calculations. "The compound looks quite complex, I've never seen this before. But I'd say... this affects brain, hormone, and adrenaline activity. Quite drastically, in fact. But how could it be so strong?"

Nori knocked on the doorframe. "Hey. You done in there?"

"I just finished. It's definitely a drug that was shot into Bo's bloodstream. Tell me, do you remember the day when you attacked Vagans? Did the Anacrusis lot of pirates scream more than normal?"

"Yeah."

"And the villagers certainly seemed scared of them?"

"Definitely."

"Did you notice their size?"

Nori had to think about this one. "Uh, they were pretty big for a crew of pirates, except for the one I talked to."

"Then it has to be the very same drug," Kaine muttered to herself. "The Anacrusis must have contacts with whoever gives it to them. How else would they come into contact with so much at once?" She rounded on Nori. "We've got to find the Blackheart crew. You said you knew where they are based."

"Yeah, in Anima! You got that into your head? It's a year-long trip! No way am I going!" Nori said furiously.

"What other choice do we have?"

Nori sighed in exasperation. "They might target some large city. One that's full of wealth. But they'd be stupid to come into my territory."

"They may be drugged. Possibly they forgot this was your territory."

They stared at each other. "That... hey! That might actually work! So what do we do?" Nori exclaimed eagerly.

"Where is the largest city closest to Anima that you know?"

Nori's heart sank suddenly. "Uh... well... Colla Voce."

"Perfect! Set a course! We'll wait there for the Blackhearts to raid it, or at least pass by!" Kaine looked extremely excited again. "I can feel it! We're onto something!"

"Goody. Kaine, I'm going into my room. Tell Akira for me." Nori hurried off down the hall. Kaine looked curiously after her. She went outside, where Akira was in the crow's nest, pulling off her leather gloves as she went.

"Where's the captain?" Akira shouted down to Kaine.

"In her room! She said to set a course for Colla Voce!" Kaine bellowed.

Akira climbed down as fast as he could, looking troubled. "Colla Voce? Why?"

"It's the largest city closest to Anima. That's what Nori said."

"Ohhhh. Hm, no wonder she's in her room. I suppose we're travelling north again." Akira grabbed the helm and started turning the Oxblood around.

Kaine frowned. "You know something."

"Yes."

"Tell me."

"Nori would be angry. I really shouldn't."

"So what? You aren't scared of her. And since I'm going to Colla Voce too, I might as well know before I say something to hurt Nori on accident." Kaine glared at the back of his hat.

Akira looked up at the sky. "She told you about the Ivory Prince, didn't she?"

"Of course. But that was years ago. She wouldn't be scared of that place just because of him."

"A quick and accurate deduction, Miss Kiln. But?" He prompted her, leaning against the wheel.

Kaine took a deep breath. "Her eyes darted back and forth when she told me she was leaving. She wanted to tell me something, but she either didn't have the nerve or she was embarrassed. That means there's something else about Colla Voce that she doesn't like."

"Or love."

She snorted in reply. "Come on, Nori doesn't love anyone!" When Akira continued to stare at her probingly, she said, "really? Who?"

"She didn't tell you about Ryota, then. How interesting."

"Who's that?"

"You'll find out soon enough. And I think you'll find it quite intriguing."

Meanwhile, Nori lay on her bed, gripping her head in both hands. She had promised herself that she wasn't going to Ryota again. Nori asked him for help once, and look at how that turned out. But you don't have to see him! She reminded herself.

He might know something about the rest of the Motley.

Why would he?

He always seems to know. You might as well find out what he knows about it.

I'm not seeing him. Think about what happened last time. That wasn't supposed to happen. You know, when he...

Shut up, someone's coming.

Nori sat up. Creaking footsteps could be heard outside the door. Kaine came into her room. "What, Kaine? I'm not in the mood."

"For what?"

"For anything. Akira changed course, right?" Kaine nodded. "Then get out."

Kaine pursed her lips. "I just wanted to say... Don't act rashly. Tell Akira and I any important information you may have."

Nori blinked. "And that's all?"

"I suppose."

"Good. Scat now, I'm busy." Nori shooed her away. "When we get to Colla Voce, wake me up. I'm taking a nap."

Kaine closed the door and sighed. Nori was so stubborn. Although she hadn't done much to deserve Nori's trust, she felt like Nori should tell her about Ryota if he was that important to her. But everyone had their touchy spots, Kaine reasoned. She went outside and sat next to the wall, watching the brown speck on the horizon that was Colla Voce draw closer and closer. But as the Oxblood drew closer, she thought she heard a faint sound in the distance, like cannonfire. Were the Blackhearts already at Colla Voce? "Akira! What's going on?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Akira stared gravely at Colla Voce from atop the mizzen mast. "You have a gun, don't you?"

"Of course."

"I hope you know how to shoot, Miss Kiln. We're heading into the eye of the storm." He unfurled the topsails so that they sped onward to the island. Kaine could now clearly see smoke rising from the island like steam from a teakettle. She placed her hand instinctively where she hid her revolver.