From the Sea Foam

Chapter Two - Fish and Porridge

When we arrived on Kivos, we could not be more glad. Although we both enjoyed a good sea trip--as any islander did--the trip had been a rough one. As soon as the bizarre current had picked up the ship, it had rolled and tumbled through the water and wind, barely keeping a pace of the current. With mighty strength and white-locked knuckles, the first mate turned the ship out of the current and docked it into Kivos' port. It was a miracle of strength and luck. Nearly all of the passengers—including the crew—ran off the ship, standing with shaky legs on hard ground. A few worse-for-wear passengers stumbled away, barely holding on to the contents of their stomachs.

Back in the Arcadia, the storm of turtles and dolphins and fish disappeared. The current vanished.

After a quick conversation with the exhausted first mate, we checked into a cheap tavern. We were technically not due until the morrow (that is how fast the current had carried the ship to Kivos). Since we weren't yet on the clock, we spent the night sipping chilled wine and discussing battle tactics and old school stories. Or at least we tried to. Meara was hit on a total of five times and as the night wore on, the crowd at the bar became even more aggressive until men were even flirting with me. And that is saying something. I tried to give them my most disgusting glare, grabbing Meara's hand and storming off to our room.

The next day I woke in the wee morning light. 

Our room was a shabby thing. A single bed with scratchy blankets, a small fireplace, and a wardrobe that I had accidentally broke when I was checking out what was inside the drawers. Hopefully they wont notice the lopsided drawer until we are far gone.

Light trickled in through a dusty window over the headboard and I stood to stretch out my limbs, taking care to move from my toes up to my neck. 

Then I did my morning exercises in the small space between the bed and the wall. As slowly as possible, I moved through the poses, taking time to focus on my breathing, form, and core strength. My arms tightened into one pose and then like water, formed into the next. It was a deliberate movement, where every posture, every gesture has meaning and significance. I tried to avoid floorboards that creaked and the edge of a broken tile, doing my best not to wake Meara. 

Every day I tried to move slower than the last, increasing the challenge of my morning workout. I can still remember the days where these moves were too difficult to do, where I struggled through even the modifications. Where my teachers scolded me and my peers ridiculed my noodle arms and lack of leg strength. I can still remember their laugh. Finishing in an almost meditative daze, I noticed the layer of sweat caking my body. Then I bent to end the routine with a short whispered prayer to Dia, more out of routine than any conviction.

"Can't believe you still do that," Meara said as she walked in with a tray of breakfast. I jumped back, reaching for my sword by my bed before noticing her face. I had no idea how the Viper had gotten up out of the creaky bed and left without making any noise. While she may fail at disguise in crowded places, Meara could become an absolute shadow when she wanted to be.

Meara set the tray down on an end table and pointed at the different bowls. "That is some sort of mushy porridge, a poor mimic of Cook's, and that bowl is some sort of ground up fish soup."

"Fish?"

"Yeah, I guess people around the Capital eat fish for breakfast." Meara shrugged, letting a wave of black hair fall over her shoulder. "It has been a while since I lived down here, but I remember having much smaller portions too." There was an edge in her voice, as if she couldn't completely remember life before school.

"Is it hard coming back?" I asked, taking the bowl of fish soup. I was no coward to trying new things. Taking a huge spoonful I swallowed the brownish liquid. Rather than fish, I could only taste chives and ginger. It was delicious. Diving back in, I waited for Meara's response.

"It isn't hard, I just don't remember a lot. I've been at school since I was eleven. That's twenty years of school and two years of random assignments up North. When I think of who I am, I feel labeled as a Viper. Not a Middler, not someone from Qota. And I barely give tidings to Dia on the Solstice." It was hard to imagine what Meara had been like as a young adolescent. What were her parents like? What type of house did she live in?

"But you remember your family, right?" I gulped down the last few drops. I had never been good at the classes in etiquette. 

"Yeah, especially all of my sisters," Meara slapped her spoon against the porridge. It was a common story. The youngest female sibling, with not a drop of dowry or a chance at a title, was shipped off to Firelite, Academy of Soldiers and Profession of Arms. I could remember Meara's arrival, how she came in on the storm of angst and perfume and well-manicured hands.

I had hated her for many years.

"Do you wish you had never been taken to Firelite?"

"No, I like what I do and I am damn good at it. There are just times, you know? Especially now, when I am surrounded by my past..." She trailed off. I watched my friend's eyes reminisce about her youth. I ignored the small sting of jealousy, stood, and began to pack my items into my handy rucksack. I took a damp cloth and wiped my body down, digging into the pits and crevasses. Not much to do when there wasn't even a water basin to clean in. Then, I changed into my lightest ceremonial armor. A white tunic with a leather chest piece and shoulder pads. I pulled on my strap-on greaves and tucked my hair back into some sort of ponytail. I did not anticipate any fighting, so I had left my heavy armor back on board. It was also far too hot for all that nonsense. Finally, I pulled on my scabbard and tucked a few knives into hidden pockets. Meara wore her more aesthetically Middler garb, a long black robe with a leather padded vest and a belt holding innumerable secrets and treasures.

"I have never been to the Capital, however," Meara admitted in a teasing voice, she knew talking about the future was a sore spot for me. I didn't even want to think about our task. About our stupid, stupid job. "It will be quite the new experience."

"Yes, oh, what extreme fun and exciting adventure we will have." The sarcasm rolled off my tongue like molasses. "Come on. Let's go."

Meara chuckled, picking up her own neatly packed bag and following me out the door. 

***

A/N - Thank you for reading this intermedial chapter. We have landed in Kivos and things are about to pick up. Who are Jharna and Meara going to pick up? 

Please feel free to comment and vote, I'd love to hear your feedback!