The deck of the Sawtooth was in motion, off in the distance Hegesistra could be seen, a small white dot along a green and brown coastline. Children and adults stayed out of the way, but their emotions were worn on their sleeves, happiness, relief, and expectations for the future. The gaggle of children were just enjoying the view of the birds flying around the main mast, observing the avian creatures as they dove into the sea before emerging with a fish or two held firmly within their beaks. Yet not everyone was well, Niko and Mera stood side by side, the two gazing towards the growing coastline with a partially glazed look in their eyes.
"I thought I had seen and known cruelty from my time in the fighting pits… I thought the pain the overseers inflicted upon us were the worst to be found… I understand now, every time you label me a naive fool, you were right." Niko spoke in a soft tone, allowing the girl to lean into his shoulder, providing some semblance of reassurance and warmth as they continued to gaze at the distant city.
Things had been hard for everyone on board since the pirate ambush. The fighting had been the easy part, even when including the nearly twenty percent casualties suffered, that was the horrors the scavenging crew witnessed in the lower depths of the ship. Hundreds had been kept on board, the oarsmen had been slaves, with many of women and children kept in the lowest hold. They were the cargo, kidnapped, or bought, with expectations to be sold.
That was at least the expectation, with them expecting to find a hold of those who had been unable to contribute like the men who were forced onto the oars. Instead, they found a dark room, littered with mutilated corpses, the bodies in such horrible condition that it was impossible to even tell what it had been in life. The poor victims had been carved while still alive, the Scholar had stated as much upon examining the numerous corpses, with many who were part of the scavenging team releasing the contents of their stomach upon first entering the lower hold. With the smell and reaction much worse had the newly created holes in the ship's upper deck not assisted in airing out the stench of rot and decay.
No one present either on or off that ship regretted the decision to let it burn, a massive flaming pyre left to smolder in the middle of the sea. They took what few valuables there were, with Lord Amyntas taking special care to seal away the purple orb within a supposedly purposefully designed chest. However, what stuck with most as they had watched from the deck of the Sawtooth days ago, was the dormant monsters, the parasitized pirates who remained dormant. Even as the flames engulfed their bodies and the flesh melted from their bones, still they stood there still as a statue, until they crumbled.
It was only after they had left the burning wreckage of the pirate flagship far behind that those onboard had a chance to fully process what they had seen and experienced. Most of the soldiers brought on this trip were not the battle-hardened elites of Temrenos, as the journey had been meant as a right of passage, training the next batch of scouts and rangers, perhaps dealing with stray groups of bandits. They had never been meant to see their friends and family die, to fight monsters in human form, and as the realities of everything they had seen and experienced settled in, some broke. That moment of respite allowing their minds to process the horror, some broke down into tears, others stared lifelessly into the distance, while a few attempted acts of self-harm. With those who managed to retain their wits duty bound to watch over their suffering colleagues for the past few days.
"Is it right that I didn't have the same reaction as some of the others to what we saw on that ship? I tell myself that I need to outwardly show the reactions everyone expects, but I can't. Why can't I cry for the dead? Why does seeing the bodies not elicit the same response as some of the others?" Mera's questions were directed at no one in particular, her gaze remaining locked on the white walled city in the distance. Observing the seagulls circle overhead, watching as the fish squirm within their grasp.
Niko turned his head to the right, slightly tilting his head downwards to stare at the crown of the younger girl's head. She may have not expected an answer, may not have expected anyone to understand what she was trying to say, but it was clear Niko had no intention of abandoning her to wallow in self-pity. "There is nothing wrong with you Mera. The fact that you asked that question only proves that somewhere inside, you feel something for those poor souls. You may have trouble expressing it, I know I did when I first entered your people's ranks, a blind chick, oblivious to all but the stories told to me within the confines of my cage. After all, I am the same, we have seen far too much death… have become accustomed to its presence. All we can do, have the power to do is remember what we witnessed, and to try our best to ensure the ones responsible are held to account."
This time it was Mera who turned her head to face the taller youth on her left, her emerald eyes staring directly into his. It was Niko who was the first to break contact, turning his head away, a faint redness visible upon the tips of his ears. "I'm sorry Niko, there is something I must get off my chest… I have been wanting to apologize for my actions since that day we first met. Sure, I did have fun teasing you… but I allowed my emotions to get the better of me. I'm… I'm not perfect… not even close."
Mera leaned into the muscular youth, placing her arm through the crook of his, "I know that I'm a bit broken, but after all these nights we've spent together learning… chatting… I've gotten the chance to know you better. True your knowledge of the world is lacking, but we can work on that… you pick up on things quickly, that's clear enough. But most importantly you are a thoughtful person, better than me." Mera pressed her finger into his chest, pointing specifically at the spot where his heart would be.
"I'm sorry for not having tried to understand your position. I let my own traumas, and experiences from the past dictate my actions. I see that clearly now; it was me who failed to understand you. I didn't think about how you just woke up, unaware of where you were… how you got there… you showed a lot of restraint and understanding. I just wanted to apologize for all of that… I hope we can start again as friends." Mera pulled away from Niko, standing a hand's length away before offering an outstretched hand. A curious custom which had originated in the frontier, the clasping of hands meant friendship and trust between both parties.
Niko did not hesitate, his hand firmly enclosing hers within, a big smile lighting up both their faces. "I'm happy we get the chance to start over. I always felt you were keeping me at length whenever we talked. Honestly, I thought it was because of what I said, and how our first meeting went. Glad to see that it wasn't just me worrying about it. Yeah, I can't say I wouldn't accept the chance to start over… but I still haven't given up, who's to say I don't end up stealing your heart…" Both youths burst out in laughter, neither giving much attention to the stray looks they were receiving from the sailors hard at work.
"Give it your best Niko, I won't make any promises… and you wouldn't be the only one aiming to win my hand. But I am no prize, and I won't be sold to anyone for a handful of oxen, so don't expect it to be easy." Mera chuckled, striking Niko lightly on the arm as the two enjoyed themselves in the crisp ocean breeze.
However, Mera's laughs died down as she saw Cauaria's father Vexariz emerging from the lower decks, his face haggard and eyes sunken in. Two days without sleep, alongside endless worrying had taken its toll on the giant of a man. Not once had he left his daughter's side for more than a few minutes, the young woman remained unresponsive, with the Scholar seeing to her condition, especially the pattern seared into her chest which matched the one burned into her pet Gulgul's fur. Both woman and bear showcasing similar markings, both remaining unresponsive after the events which had taken place upon the ship during the attack. With Vexariz blaming himself for his weakness, a father unable to protect his precious child, age was irrelevant, she would always be his little girl.
The look on the girl's face reflected the pain she felt, Cauaria was like a sister to the younger girl, the two had been inseparable whenever they were together. Cauaria appeared to have that effect on others, specifically with members of the opposite sex, while her interactions with men were kept at length. Although that could easily be attributed to the lumbering giant that was her father, or the awe-inspiring beast that was her pet. Both of whom were extremely protective of the woman.
Niko placed both arms onto Mera's shoulders, staring directly into the pair of shining emeralds and tried to be as reassuring and understanding as he could. "You shouldn't blame yourself Mera, the situation was unexpected. The losses were not light, and Spurius will never be the same again. We need to stay united; we cannot wallow in misery… when I was in those pits, in that filthy city, I saw countless people with eyes like yours. Those who blamed themselves, shackled and beaten, many had witnessed their families tortured, enslaved, or killed."
Niko had to pause for a minute, catching his breath, his arms shaking as he recalled those memories, memories he wished desperately to forget. It was only when Mera placed her hand upon his that he was able to center his mind, washing away the worries that threatened to overwhelm him. "I lost many of those important to me, and for a time I was no different, an empty shell, waiting for death. Caring for my teacher, keeping him alive was the only thing that kept me sane… I did so many things I'm not proud of to achieve that, pride is not something a slave retains. A promise, that is the only thing that allowed me to get here, to meet all of you, to be free."
"So, believe in your friend, she is a strong warrior from what I've heard… she would have to be to tame such a creature as that bear of hers. She isn't dead and who better to look after her than your teacher, you did say the entire nation's knowledge of medicine and treatment originates from the institutions… the Akademies he established. He can do it, trust that your friend is in good hands." Niko instinctively grabbed both Mera's hands in his before realizing what he had done, upon doing so he immediately let go and took a step back, a slight red tint in his cheeks.
Mera recovered faster, throwing a playful punch into the boy's chest before turning her back to him and staring out towards the coast which was close enough to see the towers atop the wall and the ship's pulling into its harbor. "Thanks, but we should probably go and get our stuff. We should be pulling into Hegesistra shortly, no doubt the Scholar will want to make for Temrenos right away. You wouldn't want to keep that man waiting, would you?" Niko wanted to say something else, his eyes drawn to the pinkish tinge around the girl's ears, unlike his skin which masked the flush, hers was as obvious as a bonfire in the dead of night.
However, before he had the chance to tease the girl his ears twitched, and his head turned towards a loud thump. His and everyone else on board's attention was drawn to the man in the center, his thick oaken staff demanding attention from the assembled crowd as the sailors continued their work.
"I don't wish to waste too much of your time, but I expect you all to gather your things and be ready to depart from the city immediately. We will have time to relax in Temrenos upon our arrival in the next day or two, until then I hope you enjoy the view. Welcome to the frontier… Welcome to your new home."