Chapter 13 Conquest of Chimera

Chapter 13

Conquest of Chimera

 

 

    A pie- faced moon glared down as Kian, Kia and their new friends sat on the open deck and enjoyed their supper of cold seaweed soup beneath a glittering sheet of ice fleck stars. Kian smiled as his thoughts of hot spicy chili transformed the slimy gruel into a delectable treat.

   “You like,” Brue asked them, his snout wrinkled with distaste.

  Kia shot him a quick nod and smile slinging a wet string of seaweed across her cheek. They roared with laughter as she secretly enjoyed her warm bowl of imaginary beef stew.

  Kian reached out and flicked it off her face.

  “This’ll do,” Brue huffed, “but I miss me pine bark and needle mash. The juice has a nice little sting, bites me tongue and burns all the way down.”

  “And dulls ye senses and makes ye act dee fool,” The Captain said, “I’ll not have a drunken bear stumblin’ all oer’ me sweet lady. Ye wanton’ ways will just afta’ way till afta de Narrows.”

  “The Narrows,” Petra the Armadillo man asked just before he rolled up into an impenetrable ball. “We go there,” his muffled voice could not hide his fear.

 “Aye,” The Captain’s tone was blunt.

  “Death lingers there,” Connor the possum said, as he stood up and looked about as if he feared the night was listening.

  “It’s just the Older’s domain,” Malcom said, his tone cool and matter a fact but obviously forced, “Their final place of rest before they…”

  “Die,” Henry interjected.

  “So,” Malcom’s tail shot up as he replied, “What of it, death is quite natural our ultimate end, only a fool fears the inevitable, the inescapable.” He darted his eyes about further ripping his thin veil of bravado.   

  “It comes from them,” Petra said, peeking out through cracks of his armor plating.

  “Death,” Kia asked as she sat her bowl down and huddled close Kian.

  Captain Marks eyed her response, “My dear you have entered that dark realm and escaped, yet you shiver. You are after all,” he caught his tongue, “ah, safe with us.” His swirling blue eyes rolled toward Kian struggling to measure his response in the flickering yellow glow of the ship’s torches. Kian only smiled as he sat by Kia spooning his soup and wearing a perfect mask of calm.

“I remember nothing but looking up into Kian’s face and pain. I have no desire to re visit that,” she stammered,” that, that awful place.”

  “Aye, littl’un, aye,” The Captain walked over to her squatting by her side as he wrapped a fatherly arm around her tiny frame, “still ‘tis the place we must go. Henry how goes ye needle work?” He asked eager to change the subject.

  “Near done Captain,” Henry said just before he drew his bowl to his mouth and drank its last slippery remains.

  “Ye teekin all the noon day and well past dusk,” The Captain said as gently stroked Kia’s head, “The poor lass shivers ‘neath me hand, I’ll not have that mate. See to it.”

  Henry actually hopped toward the Captain’s quarters, something he rarely did. He stopped just short of the door, “Come sweetness one last fittin’ and twill be yer husband’s turn.

  Kia rose from her squatting position and walked lightly over the gently rocking deck. Kian watched their eyes follow her and smiled at the love he saw. They still worshipped her. They loved her. He decided to press a bit deeper.

   “Death comes from the Olders,” He queried casually.

  Captain Marks snorted as he tilted his head toward Connor, “be it death that comes from our fadin’ seniors, Connor?”

   Connor bowed his hairless snout, his black eyes gleaming in the fire light as though they were highly polished onyx stones, “Darkness my Captain, darkness exudes from their every pore, but is that not death’s color?”

  The Captain sat back stroking his long golden beard, “Aye, ye’ speak rightly, dat it is, tis no rumor, but a hard fearful fact. No one knows how or why. They do indeed exude darkness.” He turned toward Kian and looked deep into his eyes, “Dear Lad, we’re goin to find out why.”

  “Yes Captain and much more.” Kian features were etched in stone.

  “That’s me’ lad,” Captain Marks nodded his approval just as Kia stepped out on deck,

   “I didna’ know we’ve a seamstress in our midst, well done Henry well done.”

    Kia hung her head as she clumped toward the Captain.

    Kian rose from the deck to get a better look at his new bride. “So you’re trying really hard not to be a model,” he said as they admired her new dress. “Too late,” He quipped, commenting on her less than lady- like walk.

  Smiling through a blush, she could not help but turn and show off Henry’s unexpected talent for design.

  Her dress was deep blue open half way down her back, accommodating her wings. A ribbon of gold linen gathered its bodice an inch above her bosom neatly covering any cleavage while exposing her neck and half her shoulders. Another gold ribbon gathered the chest high waist of her ankle length dress beneath her bosom, snuggly cupping her breasts; emphasizing her womanly attributes while maintaining her modesty.   

    Henry stepped up beside her and grasped the delicate fingers of her right hand. “I’m working on britches and a blouse for her also, something a bit more practical for,” a nervous twitch betrayed his concerns for their future, “for what ah, lays ahaid. You and Prin, ah err Master Kian will be needin’ sturdy foot wear as well, de ’Narrows be not de’ open sky, more like open graves.” He stopped and looked at Captain Marks, seeing no disapproval in his eyes he continued. “Tis’ also mighty low and spiked with rocks that hang down from its oppressive black ceiling like fangs; a treacherous vault it be…”

   “That’ll do Henry,” The Captain said laying a heavy hand on Kian’s shoulder. “Now turn ye talents toward me good lad here. Wid’ sweet breezes we’ve only a dee or so before black rock breeks the horizon, and we drop anchor. I wan’ him reedy.”

  Lifting Kia’s right hand to his whiskered hair lip Henry planted a light kiss on her tiny knuckles and motioned Kian to come.