The Curse of Pirini Lilapa (GotC #2)

Part I: Chapter 9 - The Krine Sea

Zain woke in the belly of the ship to the rocking of waves. The same waves he had fallen asleep to. For how long, he couldn’t say. Woolen sheets kept him cool in his quarters. Oil lanterns hung encased in glass from the side of his room. Couches and tables large enough for spreading maps sat along the wall and plants basked in the sunlight by the glass window located behind. His quarters were in the stern of the ship, on the second of five levels.

While the ship rocked, he twirled Rhayna’s feather in his fingers by the quill and the gossamer he attached it to in order to make a necklace of it. It shimmered excellence. His father certainly knew how to make the mundane world something extraordinary.

When boredom set in, Zain got dressed in a white undershirt with a golden vest over. His uncle’s sigil of a flacon overlooking a sea, eyes red and ready sat on the upper right of his vest. He slung his longsword over his back and trucked up the stairs in his leather boots. Men on board the ship had on similar vests except unlaced exposing hairy and unhairy chests. The only ones who had not changed clothing were the guards, still dressed in shades of green padding and thin mesh wire underneath. With helmets removed, Zain felt a little more comfortable because now he knew who he talked to.

Already on deck was captain of the sea, Aeneas Khréos and his first captain Bern Denardi, both ship sailers since they were young. Before boarding the ship his mom told him that Aeneas never failed in his travels across the seas of the world and even sailed the Ertrich Sea in the frozen north of Sereya. “He is as cold as an iceburn” she said to him, when she talked about Bern Denardi. But she also warned him that his temper flared much too easily. Also on deck were ten guards, five each overlooking the wooden railing, helmets tucked underneath their arm or placed carefully on a mast in the middle, hung by a nail. From around one of the masts Gerald caught him by surprise.

“Zain. You’re awake.”

“How long have I been asleep for?”

“We’ve been on the sea for two days now. I was beginning to wonder if the sea’s sickness got to you.”

“Two days?” Zain couldn’t believe it at first but then he realized how little of sleep he received in the past week.

Overhead the suns shone brilliantly on the murky waters. The band in the sky shot out from the expanses of the Krine Sea. It seemed that if Zain sailed far enough north he could ride the band to the moons it sometimes separated. In front of him lay a vast expanse of inky grey and behind the city of Pelopon slowly waved its goodbye, soon to be washed away by a blue horizon.

“Don’t worry I have made the necessary calls to Lord Vangle.”

“And?”

“He wishes us the best of luck. Says I’m to keep an eye on you too. Personally make sure nothing happens to you.”

“Best of luck? Against what?”

“There’s krakens and octopus in the sea. Why do you think it’s all murky? They fight and Aeneas will be the first to tell you…”

“First to tell what?” The sea captain had left the wheel upon seeing Zain on deck. Bern now took control.

The eyes of the falcon sat on the forehead of Aeneas’ green bandanna which pushed tresses of brown hair to his eyebrows. A feathered vest overlay a white shirt spun with threads of silk. Chains of various sizes and colors and jewels hung to his neck. Zain would have almost believed that it was the most he had ever seen before remembering the time he went down to an excavation site with his dad at the age of thirteen. A leather glove extended to his elbow covering his left arm. Bracelets of wool and thread and beads covered his right wrist.