Somewhere far far away ... Part 9

Somewhere far far away ... Part 9

by CaylaCatz https://budgetpixel.com/u/CaylaCatz and @panos https://budgetpixel.com/u/panos

Index to all chapters: https://budgetpixel.com/blog/somewhere-far-far-away-all-chapter-links

here: Chapter 16 (by Panos):

Comments for Part 9

Chapter 16 : Rules of Behavior

Chapter 16 images and text by panos

Wizard's chapter:

Twenty minutes later, “Sky Torrent’ was easing into its slip on the dock. The moment the procedure was over, a second loud clarion call sounded. The controlled chaos of the docking, was replaced with a brief real chaos, as the crew relaxed from the tension of the intricate docking maneuver. Then, once again a purposeful burst of activity followed. As groups of sailors headed for the landing positions of the ship. I heard a loud voice. I looked at its direction and saw Breggi. He had climbed on a tall superstructure of the deck.

“Hey, scallywags!” he shouted again. “The Captain has words for you!”

Like iron filings to a magnet, the crew members – me and Cat included- headed for the forecastle, where Captain Nemanya stood, the First by her side. She waited until the crew had gathered, ready for her words.

“All right, scurvy dogs!” she called, her strident voice clearly heard by all, without making much effort.

“We’re in port - much sooner than we planned to. Don’t know how long we’ll stay. Those of you who have duties, know what to do. This here is Roberta’s Skyport. Some of you have been here before and know the score about it. For those of you that it’s the first time, listen carefully!”

She turned to the First.

“Read them the book, First” she told him.

The massive man took a step forward and glared at the crew.

“Now, listen UP!” he cried. “Roberta’s Skyport’s what is called a ‘Safe Harbor’. Any of you who’s never travelled beyond his miserable hovel before and don’t know what that is, I’ll put it simple: No violence can be done here!. At all! “

He paused to glare around once more. “Any form of violence – ANY – and you’re punished! Immediately!”

A voice was heard from the gathered crew.

“Constables THAT good in this place, First? Or is it just tall tales to keep airdogs in line?”

“Ain’t no constables here, scurvy dog.” answered the First. “Ain’t no need for them. ‘Tis Magic that collars you, if you do violence. There is magic here. Powerful Magic. Eldar Magic, for those of you that knows what it means.”

I could not stop myself from twitching hearing this.

“Belial!” I exclaimed, not particularly loud, though. Just enough, along with the twitch, to earn me a curious glance from Cat.

“You know, how powerful?” continued the First. “I’ll tell you: SO powerful, that you get arrested immediately after breaking the No Violence Rule. The punishment is kind of an ‘eye for an eye’ thing, so that, if you offed somebody, you get the same treatment. So powerful, that there are times that BEFORE you do a crime, this Magic arrests you! That’s right, BEFORE! The punishment in that case is that the Magic puts you to sleep for a certain amount of time, dependent on the severity of the crime you were about to commit, anywhere from a few hours to a month or more. If the crime was too severe, it will still put you to death, even though it prevented you from committing it."

“Aw, c’mon now, First!” A loud voice of protest was heard.

“That’s just krakenshit!”

The First turned to the originator of that. He was really angry.

“It’s NOT krakenshit! It’s VERY real! Seen it happen meself! And, it is not only the scurvy dog that done the act that buys it! The ship they belonged to gets frowned upon. It may even lose docking rights to the Skyport. So…”

The First glared at everybody, “…If you lose the Captain and ‘’Torrent” this here useful port, you better pray to your gods the Magic puts you down. Else… I will come myself where they put the Sleepers, drag you out and throw you off a dock! You HEAR?!!!”

Silence from the gathered crew at the First’s outburst.

The First glared at the assembled crew one more time, for good measure, and then stepped back.

Captain Nemanya spoke once again. “Well, you heard what you need to know. Be very careful in your behavior and your dealings here. Know that the First’s talk about throwing violators of this Port’s rules and laws to the air is not empty words. It’s fact!”

Her face hardened then. “You all know such things have been done before on this ship, at my orders!”

A slight stiffening of Cat by my side. I was sure a tale about a certain witch taking a plunge from the deck without a parachute came vividly to her mind. Belial! I certainly hoped she was not dreaming about it at nights.

The Captain surveyed the crew to judge the degree her – and the First’s – words had been really heard. Satisfied, she made a gesture. “All right then. Everybody who has duties, attend to them. The rest, dismissed. Shore leave will be regulated by your crew-chiefs”.

At once, the gathering broke up.

I turned to Cat.

“Well, Catherine,” I smiled at her, “are you ready for your first shore leave?”

‘Why, I certainly am, Takkis.’ she smiled back. “Care to show a gal from Seattle around this here cloud-sky-port?”

“This Wizard from Heliopolis is always at your disposal. Fair Seattle-dweller! Refresh yourself and meet me at the gangplank in ten minutes.”

Ten minutes later, me and Cat were at the gangplank leading to Roberta’s Skyport deck. It seemed an interesting scene was developing there. A knot of Cat’s fellow engine room crew members was gathered there and a disagreement was under way. It its center was – why was I not surprised? – Xenya. She was protesting to Chief Musten.

“But, Chief!!! I can help you with the purchase of the replacement Regulator!”

“Nay, lassie, ye have shift in the engine-room, right now. The shore party is selected.”, told her the massive Vulpen.

“You take Toby with you!!” Xenya pointed to the blonde boy, standing next to the Chief. “Toby doesn’t have Mechanic rank!”

“An’ you have, so you have Mechanic’s shift in the engines.” pointed out the Chief, calmly.

‘But…”

“Don’t worry lassie,” told her the Chief kindly. “Ye’ll get ta see Roberta’s, too. We’ll be days, here. Ye’ll have shore leave tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow!!!!” spluttered the girl.

“Aye, tomorrow.” confirmed the Chief. “Now, be on yer duties.”

“Yeah, Xenya! Don’t you worry! ‘Berta’s will be here tomorrow!”, told her Toby. He was smirking at the girl triumphantly, with a grin up to his ears.

Xenya reddened so much that her freckles vanished. She glared at the boy murderously.

‘Oh, boy!’, I thought, ‘that kid is gearing up to deliver the Mother-Of-All-Kicks!!’

Chief Musten, familiar with his junior Very Good Third Mechanic’s temperament, cut off the trouble before it started.

“On yer way, now, lassie!” he said strictly.

Xenya looked from the Chief to Toby (who was still smirking at her, recklessly) her foot just itching to kick and then to the skyport beyond. Finaly, she relented and obeyed the Chief. Doing an abrupt about-turn, she left the team of engineering-crew. Her look crossed with mine then.

“What’s YOU want, stupid wizard?!” she asked angrily.

“Hi there, brat!” I said cheerily. “Seen any little green, big-eared guys in that engine room lately?”

The girl almost jumped at that. Without answering, she hurried past me. Cat looked at her with sympathy.

“Poor Xenya.”, she said.

“Yeah, but just imagine what will happen if she goes out there and starts dealing kicks around.” I told her.

“Oh, stop exaggerating” she told me smiling.

“Wait! Wait for me!” sounded a mellifluous voice then.

Melnya the Magic Paradise Bird winged over and perched on my shoulder. “It will be wonderful, taking a stroll through this beautiful skyport, won’t it, Catherine, Takkis?”

Cat and me looked at each other.

“Do you know about this place, Melnya?” asked Cat

“Oh, I know everything about it, Catherine of Seattle!” trilled Melnya.

“No surprises there.” I said. “Well, uhh… perch along, then”

Just then, following in the wake of the engineering shore party that had begun to file out the gangway, came a party of crewmen, carrying big crates, led by Breggi and another junior officer, whose name I still wasn’t familiar with.

“Ready for mischief in this here port, Wizard?” Breggi greeted me, nodding to Cat, too.

“We’ll take a look around.” I told him.

The Captain made an appearance then. She went to Breggi and the other officer.

“Remember what I told you.”, she said. “Not less than a hundred crystals per piece! Don’t let that old swindler take it for even half a crystal less!”

“Aye, Captain!!” answered both of them at once.

“Don’t worry Cap’”, continued Breggi “we knows our business!”

Nemanya gave him a curt nod. Her gaze fell on me and Cat, then.

“Don’t burn this port down.” she said. “And I mean YOU, Wizard! Don’t make trouble for me here, or you’ll regret it.

“What, ME?” I protested theatrically. “What trouble? Everybody loves me wherever I go!” I said cheerily.

Nemanya glared at me.

“It seems critters love you, Wizard” she grinded. “Like that slimy mini-kraken you unleashed on my ship. The one the kids pet and feed, trying to hide it from me. As if there’s anything that goes on aboard that I don’t know of.”

“Well, Captain, it’s better in mini-shape than huge, angry, airship-shredding shape. Now all it does is gobbling up my cookies. The ones that aren’t stolen. And it’s kinda cute. We could make it the ship’s mascot!”

Nemanya stared at me then. Finaly, she said: “I don’t know why I put up with you, Wizard.”

I batted my eyelashes at her. “Because I ‘m very, VERY handsome?” I offered.

Nemanya stared at me again. Finally, she rolled her eyes.

“You’re such a goober, Wizard.”, she said. But I think she smiled faintly. Very faintly.

“Keep him in line, Mechanic.”, said the Captain to Cat over her shoulder, as she walked away.

“Uh… aye, Captain.”, answered Cat.

We waited for the crew carrying the cargo-to-be-sold to clear the gangway.

Last one to take the gangway was Breggi. Before he set foot on it, he turned to me. “Hey, Wizard.”, he called. “You know, after we finish this here business” – he nodded towards the crates – “me and the lads are gonna hit some joints. Want to tag along? There are good ones, here. YOU know, of the kind with barely clothed ladies in!” He gave me a broad wink.

“Well, I’ll take a pass on that – at least for today Breggi.” I smiled at him. “I have our Mechanic here – I promised her a full guided tour.

“Hey, by all means!” Breggi looked at Cat. “Come with us, too, lass! It’ll be fun!”

“Uh… you know…” said Cat uncomfortably, “not exactly my idea of fun. Thanks for the offer, anyway.” She hurried to add.

“Well, your loss, both of you.”, said Breggi good-naturedly. “See ya later.” He hurried to catch-up with the rest of his shore-party.

Cat watched him go.

“Well, THAT guy is friendly, lately.”, she commented.

“Yeah, ever since I saved his a$$ in that fracas with the harpies.” I agreed. “But it would have happened anyway.”

I offered her my most charming smile. “It’s as I told the Captain. Everybody loves me, sooner or later!”

Cat smiled. –“Need I repeat the word ‘goober’ here?”

I laughed. –“Well, shall we?” I asked her.

Cat took a long breath.

“Well, city or town or port-in-the-clouds, here I come!” she said.

‘Oh,”I told her as I set foot on the gangplank.

“You’ll love this. Trust me. I’m a wizard.”

To be continued ....

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