The Lost City Of Avaria.

Chapter 3 - The Gracia

The wind rushes through my black hair, whipping it in front of my eyes, obscuring the clouds as we cut through the sky. The sun glints harshly off the cleats beside me burnishing their copper colour deeper still. The small crew move about behind me to the sound of wind pipes played by Jasper, moving around the horses on the deck with soothing tones. My father tends the wheel, he enjoys the feel of the ship cutting through the air. He says that the ship speaks to him, whispering secrets, through its timber veins to the palms of his hands.

My family are horse breeders, we breed Paints and Appaloosas selling them to wealthy families for their children to ride. The war brought hard times, as my father steered our ranch further and further from civilisation to escape the horrors of a sky on fire. Now though the Scandinavian republics are on the rise, and their wealth calls our stock.

Both our horses and ourselves are seen as exotic among their pale faces and hair, we are descended from the Lakota tribe of the old Americana continent. My family raised a huge chunk of land out of the ground with a UE technology thats now lost to the sands of time. The underside of our ranch reads like an old quilt, patched and worn, passed down through generations to keep us warm.

We survived though and now I join my mama and papa on a journey to Stavanger a major trade point over the ice fields of the north, one of the few places one can walk on the earth, which my parents said I might be able to do. This I am very excited about.

"Ayeuna. Ayeuna!" Calls my papa.

"Coming Papa!" This is it I think to myself, as I walk through the horses, taking care not to spook them, towards the stern of the ship, I'm finally going the pilot the Gracia. Its such a lovely ship, when I was younger I remember playing with my brothers in the rigging whilst it was moored up on families ranch, swinging around pretending we were pirates or adventures on our way to forgotten lands, and forgotten treasures.

As I reach the foot of the stairs leading from the deck to the bridge my hopes are shattered by a single cry from Takoda up in the crows nest of

"Ship!"

"Where?" replies my father an anxious look on his face.

"Two miles off the port bow, bout 20 degrees up. They just appeared out of that huge cloud bank." Takoda reported whilst glancing through his telescope. "They've turned towards us Capn'. Still can't see any colours"

"Damn. Chapawee!"

"Yes dear" Replies my mother who has appeared out of nowhere behind me.

"Get Ayeuna out of here"

"And get ready for borders?"

"Aye, arm everyone and get the Stuxio 250 for Takoda"

"Right away." Then after shouting at the deckhands the orders, turns me away and leads me down the hatch despite my protestations that I can help, whats going on and why would pirates come after us.

As we enter her and papas cabin I finally shake her off.

"Mama why won't you answer me? I'm sixteen I can help, I know how to shoot, you taught me good."

Mama opens the great chest at the foot of her bed, taking out an old leather bound cylinder like the holder of a large telescope, and a shiny metal revolver. I didn't realise we could afford such a weapon, metal is rare and guns like this are highly valued. I gasp as mama presses the cold metal into my hands along with the rough holster.

"Mama, what... why are you giving me this?"

"Ayeuna. You must listen to me very carefully"

"But" I interrupt my eyes wide, I've never seen mama like this, so calm and serious, theres a fire behind her eyes, not a bonfire rather a forge fire like when Darius makes horse shoes, with a will behind it.