52. From Across the Azure Sea

I grit my teeth as the wind whipped my face and made the creaking floorboards of the ship whine. 

“Coloviath, you useless piece of garbage, couldn’t you have made something more useful than a drifting piece of wood to cross these seas?”

“Now, now, my lady. It is the kins who designed this vehicle, not your brother.”

I turned to the voice.

Bluish-grey skin, crossed golden eyes and hair as dark as midnight.

“Eyzo.” 

I looked him up and down, annoyed to find him perfectly put together, despite his long journey.

“You’re late.”

“Forgive me, Iron Maiden. Orr was… More difficult to track down than expected.”

I clicked my tongue. 

I couldn’t tell if he was telling me the truth or simply making fun of me. I could have dug the answer out of him, but that would be playing into his mind games.

“So? Where is she? Moretti is but a few weeks away now.”

He shook his head, the smile never leaving his lips.

“Unfortunately, she is otherwise occupied. A debt of honour, I gather. For an old friend of yours in fact.”

I snorted.

“An old friend you say? Well, it doesn't matter. What did she say?”

Eyzo brought a hand to his belt and pulled out an envelope.

“Not much really, just this letter.”

He said handing the small folded piece of paper to me.

Curious. 

Orr was not one known to be this diligent, even just this much was beyond any expectations. I had expected a word or two at most, or her simply coming along so she didn’t have to have her words relayed. 

This, on the other hand, was something else.

I opened the letter and felt a grimace draw itself on my face.

The words shifted and slid on the piece of parchment like maggots on a week old carcass.

I clicked my tongue and looked up at Eyzo.

“So THAT’s the old friend we’re speaking of then?”

Eyzo simply smiled, but that was more than enough to confirm my suspicion.

I turned my attention back to the oozing words on the parchment paper.

There was no structure or sense to be made from it, but I could recognise some words: Meiriem, Idols, Order, Salland, King, Wesland, Bircors, Norland, Duke, Firstland, Moreti, Evergreen, Gods, Old wounds, Resurrection, Everest… 

…Silika…

That was the young rose’s name. The one with my eyes. 

Curious. 

Truly curious. 

It is true that many manns throughout history had grown enough in greatness to be worth being discussed by us eternal beings, but why would this child be of any relevance to our friend?

“Did Orr mention why she administered the young kin with an early baptism?” I aksed, putting the sheet of paper away.

Eyzo shook his head.

“I’m afraid not, although I can hazard a guess.”

“Speak it, then.”

“She was bored.”

I felt a smile flutter at the corner of my mouth.

“That’s just why ‘you’ would have done it.”

Eyzo shrugged with an all so telling smile on his lips.

“Regardless, Moreti is drawing closer. Have you heard anything about Meiriem?”

“Other than that they’re still in Mai’Ville?”

I looked at him, with tired eyes.

“Preferably.”

“Then, yes. A lot actually.”

I let out a sigh.

“Eyzo, if you weren’t my most loyal servant, I would have your head turned into a latrine scrub.”

He laughed heartily as the sail snapped in the wind above us.

“I know, I know, that’s why I continue being useful despite your ladyship’s nasty…”

I glared at him which at the very least served in ending his drivel and getting to the point.

He cleared his throat.

“Meiriem seems to have left her residence more than usual. Rumor has it that Seeirkins were hired on the low by city officials to hunt vermin on the city edge… Which has consequently thrown the citizens into an uproar. You know how Meiriemkins are. ‘Animals are our friends’  and ‘who cares that they eat our winter food reserve, they’re living beeing’!”

I let out a sigh.

“And so, obviously, Meiriem had to get themselves involved?”

Eyzo nodded.

“That’s right, the Seeirkins were arrested for their ‘transgression’ and Meiriem is now playing mediator to defuse the situation.”

“Alcorn, how many Seeirkins did they hire to create such a buzz?”

“Around 200 of them, but over 800 Seeirkins were arrested in the sweep for the culprits.”

“200 kins for a vermin problem? So much for doing it on the hush hush… There must be more to this I'm sure. Anything else?”

“Oh yes! A lot, as I said.”

“I beg you, Eyzo, just say what needs to be said and leave.”

“Well, if you’re asking so politely… The Orthodox Meiriem Church has been gaining a growing presence in Moreti. Rumor has it that they are the ones behind the Seeirkin ordeal.”

I felt my ears perk up.

“What’s with this Orthodox Church anyway? Why is there even such a thing?”

Eyzo tilted his head.

“What do you mean? There’s also an Orthodox Scorn Church, you know?”

I frowned.

“Is there?”

“Absolutely, in Morrow. You’ve even been there before. Well that was some 100-200 year ago. You gave them a technique to develop a Polymaterium Ferrous Glass for application in traditional smithing… And they’ve been using it as a sign to rally the fate ever since.” 

I sighed again. 

Kins are so tiresome, give them bread one day and they turn it into a knife the next.

“Alright, I’ve had enough of you for one day. Write me up a report with all the rumors you’ve heard, I’ll read them later”

“As you wish, Iron Maiden.”

I felt the metal in my skin burn.

“I swear, Eyzo, I will turn you into…” I began threatening him, but he had already disappeared.

I sighed and leaned on the wooden railing. 

Briefly staring at the deep blue of the sea.

“It appears you have changed very little even after all these years, your eminence.” I heard a man's voice call out in the usual timber characterising an aging kin.

I turned, toward it, curious who would be brave, or perhaps foolish enough, to interpel me so casually.

It was an elderly man in his sunset years. A fine stream of white hair poked beneath a well maintained mariner's cap, while two scarlet beads poked through the fold of skin that were his eyes. 

Memory was not an issue for a goddess such as myself, but even I could not always recognise kins through the ever changing appearance the hold of Solomon caused them to experience.

He was familiar, a light timber in his tone spoke of azure seas and pearl mountain tops.

“You’re from Cayko.” I simply stated.

A pearly white smile split the wrinkled lips of the man.

“Correct, your ladyship. I once served you some 94 years ago.”

I closed my eyes for a moment. 

94 years ago.

No, not 94 years, the kin is old, his mind is hazy and playing him tricks. It’s more than that, let’s try 103… Yes, that's right.

“Prince Isidil Laintoch.”

The smile on his lips drew wider.

“Correct! My… Being called a prince after all these years! That brings me back.”

I smiled at the kin. 

He had been a young man when I met him last, little more than a child really, but even after all this time his expression was the same. It exuded a sense of charisma, calm, and serenity.

“You’re an old man now, I’m surprised you’re even still around.”

“Ah well, you know, your sister Fey always had a soft spot for her kins. Kicking us a few more decades here and there. Not that there’s much more of those left around for me to enjoy, but since I’m around anyway, I might as well make the most of them!” He chuckled as my smile lingered on as I watched the man speak.

There was something about older kins. As though the crepuscule of their finite lifespan conferred them wisdom that forever eluded us immortals.

He slowly walked to my side and leaned on the handrail beside me.

“So. Not a prince anymore, I take it?” I asked him in regards to his earlier comment.

“Oh no! Not at all! Not even since the last time we met!”

“Colour me intrigued, how is that? I seem to clearly recall the regal outfit you wore when we parted ways.”

From the way his eyes shone, I could tell this was exactly what he had hoped I’d ask.

“Do you remember the circumstance of our last encounter?”

I nodded.

“One of my sanctums fell victim of a rockslide. Thousands of my kins had to be displaced, but…”

“...But my father would not allow them into the city.”

“Correct.”

He nodded to himself as though recalling those days. Perhaps trying to recall the face of his father.

“Yes, that’s right. A story as old as the world. Kins of different gods who despite sharing the same world, will not share the same roof.” He smiled. “My father may have been cold, but he was no fool or monster, he could not break the trust of his people by allowing your kins into the city, but he also knew you would come for them. That you would whisk them away to some place or another… And so he sent me, so I could assist you in doing exactly that.”

“And as I remember you did so exquisitely. As far as royal heirs go, I’ve rarely seen one willing to walk knee deep in the mud as enthusiastically as you did.”

“Well, fair is fair, let’s just say that I was mostly trying to impress a certain goddess who I was escorting at the time, but I appreciate the compliment nonetheless… But what were we saying…? Oh that’s right! Me being a prince! Or well not being one anymore. Mmmhhh… Ah, yes. Do you remember some of the Scornkins we escorted back then? A certain Anyet, perhaps?”

Of course I did. I could also remember what she had worn back then, and I could also recall her as a child during her baptism… But we’re not having this conversation to test my flawless memory.

And so, I tilted my head innocently.

“Maybe, but perhaps you could help jog my memory?”

A pleased smile spread across his face.

“Well, where to begin? She was pretty young back then. Maybe 18? Feisty and full of wits. I don’t think I saw her smile once throughout our entire journey! But she was tough, with a will of steel! When we were traversing the marshes, she would carry children on her back and help out those who got stuck in the mud. She even got me out of a few sticky situations back then.”

His eyes were closed as he recounted the events from memory.

He took a long breath of the fresh sea air and exhaled.

“She was lovely. Truly truly lovely. And so, when we finally made it to the port, and I parted ways with your ladyship, I had already made up my mind to leave Cayko with her to build a life across the sea. Far from my homeland.”

“And you did.” I concluded to which he nodded.

“And I did. I never regretted the decision I made back then. My brother did a fine job as king in my stead and I hear his son is also doing splendidly… As for Anyet… Well, we lived an adventurous and sometimes difficult life, but one I wouldn’t have traded for anything in the world.”

I nodded knowingly as I turned to the ocean and did what gods do.

“For life, there is death, for love there is hate, for chaos there is order. For good luck there is bad luck, for sunny days there are rainy days and for every beautiful thing there are ugly ones… And so thereon goes the cycle created in our image.” I turned to him. “I am pleased to see you were wise enough to appreciate this world in all its perfections and its flaws.”

He nodded and we both looked out to sea in melancholy.

“I don’t imagine you can tell me if I’ll ever see Anyet again?”

He asked, like a child asking for desert without having finished his meal.

I shook my head.

“That’s not for me to say. After all, where the soul goes once it departs the material plane, is a place I can no longer reach.”

He nodded, with the same smile he had until now. 

Satisfied.

He pushed himself off the railing and looked up at me.

“It was a pleasure speaking to you once more before my time is up, lady Scorn.”

“The pleasure was all mine… Young friend.”

He smiled and nodded to himself as he started walking away, but before letting him go, curiosity got to me.

“Say, Isidil, why are you here? An old man shouldn’t be traveling alone.”

He smiled painfully.

“Ah well, you see. It seems running away is a family trait. My daughter left us when she was still young, but decade later she wrote to me. Saying  she wished to make amend and for me to meet my great-grand-daugther.” He laughed. “An old man only gets so many opportunities like that.” He said as he looked up at the sky.

“My great-grand-daugther… Her name is Anyet aswell.”

He turned to me.

“Who knows, maybe you’ll get to meet her at her baptism in a few years from now?”

I nodded with a smile.

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”