From Ashes and Dust (Book One)

Chapter 2.1

The trip to Pocarro was lengthy. It would push them to nearly the end of the twenty-four hour deadline Vatra had given the pirates. Though, that was mostly the point. Since the journey itself to Pocarro was treacherous, there wasn't time to spare for hesitation. If the pirates made it on time, and in one piece, she would know they took their bargain seriously.

Vatra left the controls to Spyro and wandered out of the cockpit. She'd take the time to catch up on some much needed, and deserved, rest. The small hallway behind her dropped down a few short steps, and she hopped down into the trapezoid shaped seating area. From the outside, the room's design extended and gave the vessel its serpent-like shape.

Swiping a bag off the communal dining table, Vatra started munching on stale Gables. The triangular shaped snack had lost its salty flavor, and felt more like she was chewing on pieces of cardboard. Vatra tossed the bag into a hole on the countertop along the side of the room, and listened to a familiar hiss and pop as the bag was incinerated.

We need to find better food, too, Vatra thought with a shake of her head. They hadn't restocked in awhile, and they wouldn't be able to force down stale snacks much longer.

She jumped up the steps on the other side of the dining space and twirled the few strides to a ladder dropping down into the floor. It was pressed against the side of the ship, out of the way, and she hopped into the hole without even grabbing on to the ladder. The gap was comfortably wide enough that Vatra had mastered the exact distance she needed to not smack her face on the bars, and avoid hitting her head on the floor as she passed through.

Boots thudded onto metal, and Vatra stood straight from the slight squat she'd taken to not hurt her knees. A lesson she'd learned many times before. Lights flickered on from her movements, audibly coming to life like a wave on an ocean.

The living quarters took up most of the level below, with a large storage area situated in the far back. Vatra had often found it eerily empty and quiet. There were enough rooms to house a dozen people if they shared. The made-up but permanently vacant spaces were unnerving, so Vatra had taken it upon herself to decorate each door as if someone was on the other side. It reminded her of the one time she'd lived in a college dorm.

Music faintly played from behind a closed door labeled 'Keep Out'. There was no one inside to enjoy the song, but Vatra liked to think an artistic writer lived on the other side. She pressed her ear against the door as she passed, closing her eyes to take in the sounds of Mozart.

Vatra spun away from the door, passing through the center of the heptagonal shaped entry point of all the living quarters and storage room. On the side directly across from the Mozart room was her own, and she opened the door with a quiet sigh. She always felt a bit crazy indulging the fake rooms she'd set up, but she knew she might become even crazier without them. Being alone for so long could do that to anyone.

The door slid shut behind her, and the lights to her room ignited with a fiery glow. She always liked the ambiance of red, and the faint shade coating every inch of the space was comforting. Vatra considered jumping into the shower, but instead flung herself onto the unmade bed that took up nearly half of her room. The comfort of a large bed was something she would never go without.

A glass aquarium fixed on a table beside the bed lit up. The light was such a brilliant white glow, Vatra pulled her pillow over her face to shield her eyes.

"Don't bother me today. I get enough from Spyro as is," Vatra said into the grey pillowcase. She paused for a moment, on the edge of not being able to breathe, before she threw her arms down and sat up hastily.

Vatra crawled over on her hands and knees, stopping just at the edge of her bed. She held a finger up and placed it against the glass. Water droplets hugged the surface on its interior.

She scanned the aquarium with an accusatory glare. It contained its own gravity field and was unaffected by the movements of the ship. A slow ripple on the water's surface was indicative that whatever was inside had moved. The thick grass growing from the earth at the bottom of the aquarium provided adequate cover.

"All right you little shit." Vatra tapped the glass. "I didn't save you from Earth for you to sit inside there and quietly make judgments about me."

A tiny head popped up from the grass. Eyes blinked slowly as the palm-sized turtle moved across the water. Its shell, covered in dirt and plant-life, had blended in perfectly with its surroundings.

"Aspi," Vatra said. She lowered her head and met eyes with the tiny creature. "I think you're just in a foul mood because I didn't set you free on Doatis."

The turtle stopped at the edge of the glass, beady eyes staring unblinking at her.

"Don't give me that look, Aspi. You wouldn't have liked it on Doatis. I promised you we would find a planet for you to grow back to your normal size." Vatra tapped the glass with her forefinger. "Where you can eat all the wayward travellers you want."

A single blink was her only reply before the turtle submerged once more.

Sighing, Vatra turned over onto her back and closed her eyes. If the sea monster wouldn't provide some kind of interesting interaction, then the next best thing would be for her to drift off to sleep. She'd dream of lost memories and of the times when her very existence was talked about in stories.

The rest didn't last long enough.

Vatra's eyes shot open when the door to her room slid to the side. She looked first over at the aquarium, catching Aspi's head ducking beneath the water, before she allowed her gaze to land on Spyro in the doorway.

"We are almost ready to gambol. I do not believe I will ever be ready to do this one on my own," Spyro said. "I still do not understand why so many people find joy in the gambol to Pocarro."

Almost a little too enthusiastically, Vatra hopped to her feet. "One of the many mysteries you'll never master. Much like your sarcasm."

There was a drop to the corners of Spyro's lips, as much of a frown as he would ever be able to show. "I thought I was getting pretty good at sarcasm." Then, his eyebrows lifted and he gave the equivalent of a smile. "Ah, that was sarcasm."

Vatra chuckled and grabbed a pair of gloves off the end of her bed. She would need the extra grip for the gambol. "This constant banter will never get old. Just make sure my soundtrack is loaded up for this one. The music makes the gambol so much more fun." She whisked past Spyro and headed for the ladder.