Tales of the Caravan Page 4

  Draguns were water dragons that did not grow wings at birth. The dragons were ruthless, and would abandon their wingless babies from their nests. Luckily, draguns found homes with the caravans. Ships were built on their backs, and they served as reliable transport through the dangers of the Nine Seas.

  The ladies approached the edge of the boardwalk and were sprayed with water. A dragun rose its long neck out of the surface. Seawater spilled from its chin and splashed over the dark oak boards. It had the body of a massive serpent, and a great wooden ship attached on its back. It's smooth, blue skin glimmered brightly from the sunlight. Cookie stared up at the dragun in awe. Its green eyes glared and shined brightly, even with the sun at its back. With a soft cry, it lowered its tall neck and licked her face with a massive, sky blue tongue.

  "I think she likes ya!" Said a voice.

  Standing behind them was the dragun keeper, Zahweh. His black dreadlocks were tied into a ponytail, and his skin was golden brown from a lifetime in the tropics.

  "Zahweh!" Sarah smiled and bowed to him.

  "My sister," replied Zahweh, returning her bow. "Have the gods smiled down upon you?"

  "They did more than that." She tossed him a pouch of two hundred gold diamonds.

  "Very good," said Zahweh, looking impressed. He then extended his hand toward the other draguns by the dock. "Well, take your pick my sister. These are the finest draguns in the Red Sea."

  She looked toward the dock and gazed at them. It was such a wonderful sight to see so many serpents line up along the boardwalk. All of them looked big and healthy, but there was a particular kind she wanted.

  "I'm looking for a rich nose, what do you got?"

  Draguns were trained in three specialties. Rich noses could sniff treasures buried deep underwater. Flame spitters maintained their ability to breathe fire, and wave runners were trained to swim the fastest.

  "Ah, I'm sorry," replied Zahweh. "I'm fresh out of the rich nose."

  "Oh, Sarah!" Cookie pleaded, pointing toward the dragun that licked her. "Let's take this one, please? She's adorable."

  "That there's Kyla," Zahweh smiled as he pointed at the dragun. "She's a healthy wave runner, but I'm not sure you'd want her. The poor girl came into the world without her wings, or her vision."

  Cookie stuck a finger up and waved it side to side. To her surprise, Kyla swung her head and followed Cookie perfectly.

  "How does she see me then?" Asked Cookie.

  "I trained her to see with her other senses," replied Zahweh. "She can feel vibrations and hear sounds to navigate. However, in calm waters she’ll be blind as a bat and unable to navigate."

  Sarah looked up at Kyla and sighed. A blind dragun wasn't exactly what she had in mind. She heard a soft cry and looked down, it was Rocky staring up at her with his bright blue eyes. Seeing her wolf reminded her that he was once a frail pup that no one wanted. The thought also reminded her of a grim truth. Draguns left unsold were slaughtered for their meat, especially throughout the islands.

  "How much longer are you selling her?" Asked Sarah.

  "A few more days," said Zahweh. "I can’t very well take her back to her family, can I? Those water dragons are vicious. Once they see her without her wings they’ll eat her alive. I'll be better off taking her to the butcher. Can't risk getting nothing for her."

  "Butcher?" Cookie moaned, she moved behind Sarah and shook her shoulders.

  Sarah glared at Cookie for her to stop, her eyes then turned toward Zahweh. "Will she get our caravan through the Nine Seas?"

  "Without a doubt, my sister," Zahweh bowed.

  "Alright then," said Sarah. "Have your men get her ready."

  Zahweh wasted no time. He was so happy they bought Kyla, he stocked the ship with two weeks’ worth of food and drink. The men inspected the dragun one final time and deemed her ready to travel.

  "Here you go, my sister," Zahweh passed Sarah a small blue book. "That there has everything you need to know about her."

  "Thanks, I really appreciate it," said Sarah, pocketing the book inside her black jeans. "You and Jaime really helped me out. When those traitors left me here I thought I'd go mad. I don't know if I could have survived without you guys."

  He smiled and extended his hand. "Just don't forget us when you become a famous captain, eh?"

  Sarah laughed and shook his hand. "That's a deal."

  Cookie watched Sarah finalize her deal with great satisfaction. In just a few moments they would be sailing out to see the world.

  "Excuse me, young lady?" Said an elderly voice. Cookie felt a tug on the side of her shirt. Down below, next to her right knee, was an old woman dressed in a grey hooded robe.

  "Oh, hey there!" Said Cookie, cheerfully.

  "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a bother," said the old woman, she then pointed a withered finger toward Sarah. "But is that young lady, Sarah Dreamstead?"

  "Yeah, that's her," replied Cookie. “She’s my captain!”

  The old woman smiled and clapped her hands together. "Oh wonderful."

  Her eyes glowed a bright red underneath her hood. She stretched out her wrinkled hand, and blue electricity danced wildly around her fingers. Her hand pulsed and shot a beam of lightning toward Sarah. The young captain barely got to turn her head before she was struck. The lightning hit her side and threw her up into the air.

  "Sarah!" Cookie shouted.

  Her blue eyes glowed as she spun on her heel. Cookie swung her left leg like a whip, and kicked Sarah's attacker hard in the chest. The elderly woman flew like a grey cannonball, and crashed into a wooden warehouse. Old senile bitch, Cookie thought, what the hell is going on?

  "You alright, my sister?" Zahweh shouted.

  Sarah rose to her knees, with blue lightning still sparking off her body. She put her hand toward her mouth and bit her thumb nail. Sarah's nails were different colors, and not because of nail polish. Each nail was infused with a different colored potion, each giving her powers at a moment’s notice. The blue in her thumb drained away and turned pink. The potion she drank was merwater, and allowed her to control the waters of the sea.

  Sarah extended her hand, and a pillar of water rose by the edge of the dock.

  "Get out of the way!" She snarled.

  Zahweh grabbed two of his sailors and pulled them out of Sarah's gaze. Her green eyes focused on the old woman. Her elderly body stepped out of the hole, and wobbled away from the damaged warehouse. Sarah watched the old woman lift her face up, instead she saw the face of a young man.

  The man returned her glare, as lightning still hopped and twirled around his fingers. Sarah lunged her hand forward before he could react. The massive pillar of water twirled around her, and shot forward like a moving train. She formed the water into a tornado and spiraled the man up into the air. Sarah then swiped her hand down and the water twister crashed in front of her.

  The seawater spilled off the edge of the dock, and through the cracks of the oak boards. She looked down and saw the man lying face up. The lightning and water did not mix well, and his body seemed to be paralyzed from his own powers. Sarah grabbed the pistol at her side, and pointed at the man's face. Rocky stood at her side, and growled to show off his sharp fangs.

  "Who the hell are you?" She demanded.

  The man turned away from the wolf and laid his eyes on her. "You've forgotten already, Sarah?" His yellow smile stretched a bit wider. "Don't worry...Jayden hasn't forgotten you."

  Cookie squinted her eyes, the name didn't ring any bells. To Sarah, the name meant everything. Her eyes darted about as memories flashed through her head. Her old caravan, a pair of silver eyes, and a hot bullet through her chest. The man whistled while Sarah was lost in her thoughts. Other men dressed in grey hooded robes appeared out of the crowd. Zahweh saw the guns in their hands and tapped into his Secreto. His yellow eyes glowed, as a sunny hue lined the bodies of the men who approached.

  Zahweh lifted his hand up and pulled the hoo
ded men into the air. With a thrust of his hand, the men were all pushed back by a great gust. Some flew through second floor windows, others crashed into the merchant stands below. Zahweh's men navigated through the panicked crowd and stood by his side. With guns in hand, they made a line between Sarah and her attackers.

  "Go on, my sister!" Zahweh shouted, "We'll hold them off."

  Kyla lowered her body so the ship on her back leveled with the dock. Cookie jumped onboard and turned toward Sarah. She seemed to still be stunned by the man's words.

  "Sarah, come on!" Cookie shouted.

  Sarah blinked and escaped her thoughts. She knelt down and hastily searched the man's pockets. He has to have it on him, Sarah thought. She dug around till she felt a piece of parchment. Sarah grabbed it and jumped with Rocky aboard the ship. The dragun turned its green eyes toward her new owner, waiting patiently for a command.

  "Kyla!" Sarah shouted, remembering Zahweh’s instructions. "Cor-Ray!"

  The dragun recognized the command, and flashed her eyes as she sped off from the dock. Sarah and Cookie grabbed onto the rails of the ship, with wind blowing hard enough to push the skin on their faces. Kyla raced over the waves for about a mile, she then gradually slowed her pace. After the pair took a moment to breath, they gazed at each other and laughed.

  Nothing stood in their way now. They were off toward the blue horizon, with the crescent island fading at their backs.

  Chapter 3 A Love and a Curse

  Night had fallen for the ladies peacefully, with no sign of Sarah's attackers in sight. She was relieved to have gotten away from them, but her mind was far from calm. Jayden...she had figured one attempt at her life was enough. She would've never guessed he'd send the Greys after her.

  Sarah sat on a bench near the main deck, with a bottle of rum clenched in her hand. She waited for Cookie, the former lover was below cooking a meal for them. Sarah could smell the cooked shrimp mix with the scent of the sea. Her stomach had begun to growl with anticipation. She forced the hunger out of her mind and took a moment to examine the ship. Her eyes followed the wooden pole in front of her. The mast stood about eighty feet, with the crow's nest.

  Waving above the wooden lookout was the ship's Jolly Roger, a white flag with eight blue sabers in a circle. The flag was the symbol of the Darken Empire, eight sabers to represent the emperor's rule over eight of the Nine Seas. She would order a new Jolly Roger on the next island, Port Ruby. The island was a hub for caravans to claim missions, and for new caravans to register with the empire.

  Sarah was so lost in her thoughts about the future, she hadn't noticed Cookie step onto the main deck. She smiled and took a seat next to her captain. In her hands were two steaming bowls of white rice and shrimp.

  "So spill it," said Cookie, passing Sarah a rice bowl. "Who the hell is Jayden?"

  Cookie had asked before, but Sarah declined to answer. It was a part of her past that she had wanted to forget. Jayden was more than a mistake to her, he was a curse. She thought on whether to just lie and sighed. What kind of captain would she be…if she couldn't trust her own caravan?

  "He used to be my captain," replied Sarah, she ate a spoonful of rice to keep her mouth busy. Cookie gave her a curved smile and squinted her eyes. Damn, Sarah thought. She had hoped she was convincing enough. When she saw Cookie's stare wouldn't yield, she rolled her eyes and added. "Maybe we were a bit more."

  "So what happened between you two?" Asked Cookie. "You never told me why you left your caravan."

  Sarah looked toward the sea, the water was calm and flat. She remembered being in those waters that night. The sea wasn't calm then, the sea was ruthless. She remembered her old caravan, she remembered the angered looks upon their faces. None angrier than the captain, a man she had trusted more than anyone.

  "I didn't leave, they betrayed me...he betrayed me," Sarah closed her eyes, and could see his silver gaze in her thoughts. "I was stupid back then...I thought I loved him."

  "That's not stupid," said Cookie, in a soft voice. "There's nothing wrong at all for wanting love. I think that makes you a romantic."

  "Well, that didn't get me anywhere," Sarah reached next to her, and took a swig of rum. "I was going to be captain of that ship, you know? Jayden told me I could succeed him. All he asked was that I dress like a man, and keep my breasts hidden...It's funny," she took another swig of rum and shook her head. "I was the strongest person on that ship, but I had to be a man to prove it...Eventually the caravan found out, and they asked him to throw me off the ship. It wasn't till the night before that I learned the truth, that they were planning to take turns with me before they kicked me out."

  She looked away from the sea and stared at Cookie's glassy eyes. With her colored nails, Sarah pulled down her tank top. Cookie could see a circular scar over her left nipple.

  "So I ran," said Sarah, simply. "And before I could get off the ship, Jayden shot me. The bullet is still in there, crazy ain't it?"

  "That's horrible." said Cookie, her voice was barely above a whisper.

  "No, that's life," said Sarah. "It's why I'm determined to make this work. A female caravan rising to the top, it's never been done before. We can finally gain respect for ourselves, maybe inspire others to do the same."

  Cookie's eyes widened at the thought. The emperor was known throughout the Nine Seas as a cynic towards women. His vision of them as arm candy and home keepers was no secret. The idea of shattering that vision captured Cookie, it was something she'd gladly give her all to achieve.

  "That dream is a long shot, kid." Said a gruff voice.

  The voice was masculine, which put Sarah on alert. Her heart started pounding fast, worried that the Greys had climbed aboard the ship. She and Cookie looked around, but couldn't find the source of the voice.

  "Down here, sugar." The source of the voice seemed closer than before.

  Their eyes darted down and they saw the oracle standing in front then. The teddy bear had his head craned up toward Sarah, his diamond eye glimmered from the moonlight.

  "If you're trying to shake the world up," said the oracle, with his furry finger pointed toward Sarah. "You better know what you're getting yourself into. I've met the Royals and trust me, they ain't big fans of change."

  "Well, I'm glad you're at least talking to us," said Sarah, holding her knees as she leaned forward. "What's your name, old timer?"

  "Gizmo," The stuffed bear puffed up his chest, and held the sides of his waist. "Former captain of the fearsome Dragon Slayers."

  "Wow," said Cookie, her voice in awe. "You must've been really powerful to fight off a dragon!”

  "We didn't actually slay any dragons," Gizmo reached over and scratched the back of his head. "The name was just to scare off competition, ya know?"

  Just great, Sarah thought. Not only was her oracle a stuffed doll, but he was an incredible exaggerator too.

  "Well then, Gizmo," said Sarah, leaning back and resting her arms on top of the bench. "Tell me, what do you think our next move should be?"

  "Well, you're going to need some brains on this ship, lady," the teddy bear nodded toward Cookie. "You already got the muscle from big red over there. You're good with potions, and I can navigate, but we’re gonna need a tactician. Someone that can layout a battle plan for her captain."

  Captain. Sarah couldn't deny it, the title had begun to grow on her. Gizmo walked off without her notice, his soft feet weren't heavy enough to cause the wood boards to creak. The blue moon had caught Sarah's attention. She had never seen it glow that way before. Her eyes quickly darted down toward Gizmo, but he had already made it the door of her den.

  "Where are you going?" Asked Sarah. "That's the captain's den!”

  "If your friend on the dock likes you, he'll have an atlas in there," Gizmo hopped up and turned the doorknob before landing back down. The door slowly swung open and Gizmo peeked inside. Though the room was dark, he could see a large tome that rested on the captain's desk. "I'm
going to take a look and see what I can find. Port Ruby ain’t far, we're going to need a plan when we make port."

  Admittedly, Sarah had forgotten to take a look at her atlas. It was an enchanted book written by the Magi, and issued to caravans. The tome contained information on the islands across the sea, and the commoners that lived on them. She was grateful to have Gizmo along, his suggestions were sure to be useful to her as a captain.

  "Uh...so am I supposed to pay you?" Asked Sarah, awkwardly. Gizmo looked taken aback, which made her shrug her shoulders. "Sorry, it’s my first day. I'm just not exactly sure how this works between us.”

  "An oracle is bound to serve their captain," replied Gizmo. "You think I chose this over dying? All oracles are criminals, our spirits are trapped. I mean, I mine as well be in chains right now."