Waves crashed against the bottom of the cliff in Shinoa. Five hundred feet above the waters, ships perched on wooden docks. After Shinoa was founded and more and more ships started to use the city as a midway point for the long journey around Robs Bend. Soon, wooden cradles were crafted to hold the ships. Tunnels were carved into the cliff where the townspeople opened bars and Inns to house and entertain the sailors spending the night when the seas were too rough. A patch of land dropped off at the cliff until it was connected to a path built along the cliff and stairs were added years later. After a time the paths were made wider and reinforced to support more people.
The docks on this fine day were mellow with dock hands and pirates mingled in between merchants and town folks. A merchant stepped out of the bar onto the docks followed by two other men.
"Where is Drams and his haul? We need what he has on his boat for the Corps." The man asked the Merchant.
"Yeah, he needs to hurry before they leave. You know they never stay more than one night. Are you sure he was able to capture them?" He pestered.
"Relax, Holton. He said, he lost a lot of men in that message but he did get them. Thats probably why its taking so long. It was all in the message he sent. You read it too." He tried to calm Holton down. The mans temper was quick to rise and often made him act out in unnecessary ways.
"Well you know the guy, I don't. I'm just the go between for the Peace Corps, they get frustrated when disappointed." The beers hadn't done much to calm Holton down. "They've never seen you, so Its my neck on the line, not yours Irestus, or Drams. Mine."
"I understand, he wouldn't have sent word if it wasn't true." Irestus walked over and watched the water for a ship.
"Do you understand Irestus?" He repeated, annoyed that Irestus was ignoring his tantrum.
"Look that's him." He called back to Holton. A bell rung furiously in the distance.
"Oh shit. Sounds like they're in trouble." Holton complained.
"Yeah, shits right." Irestus pulled his glasses hanging from his neck to his face magnifying the ship in the distance. "It looks like the ship is moving slow and lower than normal."
Men scramble around the deck throwing bucket after bucket of water over the side. The man in the look out on the ship rang a bell and waved his hands at Irestus.
"The 'cargo' might be damaged if we take on any more water." Drams yells out at his crew. "If we lose any of that cargo it's going to come straight out of your pay." The crew noticeably speed up their efforts.
One of the men yelled back at him. "Does it look like we have any control over that. If you got spare time, use it to help get us docked."
Drams kicked him in the ass. "Just hurry your ass up." He leaned over into the hold. There were some cages half submerged in water. Cargo Boxes floated around in the water they had taken on. Up on the top of one of the cages there were hands gripping the top of the cages, holding on.
Irestus ran over to the edge of the docks and dropped down the ropes and hooks for the boat to strap itself in.
"Hey! what are you guys doing pull them up." Holton swept his eyes across the docks, but all of the foremen were standing around looking away trying not to make eye contact. A girl stepped forward.
"It's the Peace Corps. If any one of these guys steps forward, then the Corps will see what they can do. Then they'll get a Draft Letter tonight for immediate departure. Then what will their families do for money. You wanna know what happens? Wives have to join a brothel. Children risk they're lives on boats just like that one just for a few coins. If this dock loses any more men, sailors will stop coming entirely. If they cant even get up, then this town will really be in trouble. Not just us, you pirates wont be able to get up either."
"Hey, what are you all standing around for? Pull us up already!" Drams faint voice carried up the cliff.
Irestus looked up at Peace Corps soldiers watching in one of the balconies of the inn, then back at the men surrounding the docks.
Holton cuts a bag of coins off of his belt. "We'll pay. We'll pay a lot of money to get that one ship up here." He scanned the crowd again, pleading with his eyes but nobody met his gaze.
"No amount of money is worth it. If they do, that would guarantee the death of their own family." The girl reminded him with a smirk. The Pirates brawl in the streets and rob the townspeople. Every now and again they eat and drink their fill then refuse to pay. She felt a bold satisfaction to tell them off and watch their ship sink. She was sure she wasn't the only person who felt that way either.
"Damn it!" Holton growled.
Irestus looked to Holton, then whispered in his ear. "Maybe if we tell them whats on board they'll look the other way."
"We're hooked up! Hurry up and pull us up! What are you waiting for?!" Drams called up again with a mix of worry and frustration.
"The Peace Corps?" Holton looks up at the balcony and a soldier waved down at him. "No they're probably up there enjoying this, hah, either way they get what they want."
"Fuck." Irestus cursed underneath his breath.
"The fact of the matter is, I'm the only one with my life on the line here. But not for long." Holton pulled out a knife and grabbed the girl with the big mouth.
"Agetha! Let her go?" Yelled an older man. He was dressed in a sturdy blue jacket and tattered pants and some solid black dock boots. Obviously the most expensive thing he owned. He and another man stepped forward. Holton pressed the knife harder into the girls neck drawing blood and they stopped.
"There we go. All a good fisher man needs is a liitle bait and a strong line." He said as he struggled to keep a hold on Agetha. "With just those things he can catch some fish. He can feed a family, sure can, can't he?"
"Hey Holton..." Irestus whispered for Holton to calm down. The look in Holton's eyes scared him and this plan might actually work, so he backed away.
"Relax Irestus. We have volunteers. They're going to help us, now I won't be the only one with something on the line. You two should be enough to pull a ship up, right?"
"No daddy don't. Ow!" Agetha cried to the older man in the nice boots.
"Relax!" He tightened his hold on Agetha. Her resistance made the knife slide across her neck creating a larger cut. "Those don't sound like words of encouragement."
"Its okay." The old man reached up and grabbed a line. The other man reaches up and grabbed the other line. The old man took it from him and rammed him off the deck, sending him plummeting down into the water with a thud and a splash.
"Woah do you want me to kill her! Now how are we supposed to get the boat out of the water?" Blood rans across the blade and onto his fingers from Agetha's cut.
The old man tightened his grip on the hooks and slowly stepped back. One step at a time. The boat began to lift out of the water. He moved further until the boat was lined up with the lower docks.
"What are you doing Irestus? Throw out the rope." Drams called out to Irestus.
He threw out a rope that was lying on the edge of a plank and the crew caught it and pulled themselves in. The old man let go of the rope and the ship crashed between four wooden beams. Then the old man collapses onto the floor.
Holton let go of the girl and she ran to her fathers side. He curled up on the ground clutching his arms to his chest, his hands dangling from his wrists lifeless. Agetha's father had never looked so feeble.
"Gersin!" Agetha called out to the man that was shoved off the deck as he ran over. "How'd you get back up here?"
"I uh just climbed aboard the ship when I was down there." Gersin looked down at the old man. His broad shoulders caved into his chest. "Why'd you do it?"
"I'm not going to let my new son risk his life. Who would look after my daughter?"
"But look at you, now." A tear trickled from his eye and he quickly brushed it away mixing it in with the salt water dripping from his hair..
"Give him the money he's earned it." Holton slapped Irestus' arm.
"You bastards." Gersin stood up and Holton readied his knife.
"Don't son." The old man stood up. You already got away, don't give'em a reason." The old man looked up at the Peace Corps. and the Captain was staring down at him with a slight smile on his face. "Lets go guys."
The Peace Corps soldier followed them with his eyes. "Looks like we caught a big one."
TO BE CONTINUED...
Thanks for reading!