SKY OF PAPER: AN ASIAN STEAMPUNK FANTASY

CHAPTER 49

Ami and Sa Shi were our most gifted performers. So honed were their skills that they made paper cranes flap effortlessly through the air and willed to life stone-carved fish as they flipped and twirled like playful dolphins. They even taught us how to dance and tutored us on every instrument imaginable. As performers, none could ever hope to be as gifted as them. Now that they were gone, all that remained was an empty void where once stood two of our most trusted friends. But as the Boar explained, they were not the only ones who‘d left.

The lonely days of constantly seeking a new home, of running from the Empire, had started to take its toll and some of the crew were already feeling their once-proud spirits drained. Many of us had hoped to settle down in Castleberg, to find the safe haven that we had lost all too quickly in the Eastern Kingdom. But our ambitions were fruitless and the loyalty among some of the crew to the Young Emperor had started to wane. The Boar explained that Ami and Sa Shi had decided to remain behind in Castleberg along with a few sailors, guards and even some court officials. To their shame, they left in secret.

"How could they do that?" Lai said the next evening in one of the ships cavernous cargo bays where the sky boats were stored. 

We had been assigned cleaning duties, scrubbing the dirt from the hulls of each of the boats while our partners, Etsu and Kassashimei were sent to do laundry in another part of the ship. To my frustration, I found myself doing most of the work while Lai paced about impatiently in anger. 

"They left," he continued. "Without telling me. Is it that they don't trust me?"

"I'm sure that's not it Lai," I said. "You heard what Master Ichiro said. They were probably just tired of being stuck in this ship. For the others that left, they too must have felt the same." 

"I don't care about the others." Lai kicked at the side of one of the boats. "You, and the other children, those are the only people that matter to me. I'm supposed to watch over all of you, and the fact that I wasn’t aware of Ami and Sa Shi’s disappearance means that I’ve failed to do my job." 

I threw a brush at him. He caught it, almost falling over in in the process. 

"Your job right now is to help me scrub down these boats," I blurted. 

He gave a long sigh, allowing himself a small measure of calm, and for me, an even larger measure of relief. As he came to assist me, the large, metal hatch from across the bay slowly clanked opened. The both of us watched as a royal guard stepped through, then stood attentively as his superior followed him in. It was Princess Xiangfeng. Tension filled the air as she made her way towards us, followed closely by her personal guard. 

She stopped at one of the boats, eyeing it with some disgust, as if reminded of the turbulent experience she had while riding as one of passengers only two days before. She then lifted her gaze and looked down her nose at me. 

Lai turned to her and gave a curt bow. "Princess. Can I help you?”

"No, you cannot," she said, then nodded in my direction. "But he can."

"What is it you want," I said kneeling over the side of the boat closest to her, still scrubbing and barely acknowledging her presence. I was still angry at what she’d done to my tamma. Royalty or not, she was not worth my respect, and I didn‘t care if I got in trouble for it.

"Nothing really. My mother says I shouldn’t confine myself in my room so much, that I should get out more, maybe explore the ship. But I've been to the atrium so many times and I grow bored of milling about on the upper decks. So I thought I might visit you."

"Visit me? Why?"

"Well you're his favorite aren't you? The Emperor I mean. He seems to care about you more than a lot of other people on this ship."