Page 41

But the desolate blackness didn’t respond.

Magda jolted awake. She snapped upright in the bed, realizing she was on the bobbing Starway. Her face and neck were clammy with sweat. She shook the nightmare out of her thoughts. She had expected that the recent terrorizing events would follow her even outside of the fortress, but the dream had felt too real.

Suddenly, Odie’s tongue streaked over her face.

“Odie, stop!” Magda laughed, pushing away his soft fur.

Suddenly a horn sounded, announcing their arrival. Odie’s ears perked up and Magda beamed in excitement. They darted out of their cabin and up onto the deck. Magda was the first to race to the stern, with Odie bounding beside her, getting a glimpse of the grand, urban sprawl beyond.

Up ahead was the capital city of Flaustra, Eloquas. It was a tightly interwoven and dense city, home to the largest number of people in all the kingdoms. On the outskirts were rolling hills of lush farmland, and great structures for irrigation brought glacial water down to the crop fields. Great plants and vines twirled down from the jungles, snaking through the city. The city itself sat on the banks of a river, and was dusty and crowded, for it hosted too many people within its gates.

BARK! Odie pointed his snout in the air in the direction of the city, before turning to look up at Magda.

“Yes, that’s where we’re going,” Magda answered.

Soon the ship docked next to twelve others. Magda recognized the flags of Celestaire and Azurem on the opposite ships. Even though all of the kingdoms had cut off ties with Ilusauri, it was a well-known fact that there was a black-market for Ilusauri goods in Flaustra. Only certain guilds were willing to trade with the Mad King behind Queen Sanyal’s back. Making deals with the guilds had proved difficult for Magda’s kingdom, and it was never a reliable source.

Magda slung her knapsack on her back and bag over her shoulder before crowding next to the sailors. Then they all began making their way down the plank and onto the docks. Odie trailed her closely as they disembarked. Before them, an immigration officer stood at the end of the plank. He patted down each one of the sailors, looking for stolen or compensated goods. It wasn’t clear if he was acting on behalf of the royal family or one of the guilds.

When Magda’s turn arrived, she was also patted down. They searched her belt for any weapons. Luckily, she had already spent all of her elk-stamped gold, although it wasn’t worth anything in Flaustra. Here, the currency was a brighter, yellow gold stamped with a tiger, which she had taken from the fortress and hidden at the bottom of her knapsack. Bartering was also accepted, hence why she had stolen so many jewels from her mother’s study.

“Welcome to Eloquas. Registration card.” The guard held out his hand to Magda.

Registration card? That was something Magda had never heard of before. She didn’t have such a thing in Azurem. In fact, she had no way to prove her identity.

Odie whined beside her.

She searched for the proper words in Flaustran. “It’s…” but they didn’t come quick enough. Her accent gave her away.

“So you’re Azuremi? And alone?” The immigration officer looked her up and down. “I’ve never seen an Azuremi girl aboard the Starway. What business do you have in Flaustra?”

“I’m here to purchase some fabrics,” Magda lied.

The immigration officer didn’t seem pleased by her answer. “The guilds control what comes in and out of this kingdom. So, as for you, I think you should get back on the next trip to Azurem.”

“But…” Magda tried to protest, but once again she couldn’t find the words.

“Officer!” a loud voice sounded from behind Magda. “She’s with me.” The voice said assertively.

Magda turned to see Ishani, the Captain of the Starway, strutting down the plank in her clicking heels. Today she was wearing flowing green pants, and a jeweled shirt that showed her entire stomach. Her hair was slicked back into a bun, and a jeweled headband hung down onto the center of her forehead. A sash hung across her body, revealing the pin of the Fowler’s Guild. Both axes were on full display.

The officer raised his eyebrows. “She’s with you?”

Ishani placed her hands around Magda’s shoulders and leaned close to her. “Don’t try too hard and maybe I’ll invite you to join us next time,” she said with a twinkle in her eye.

The officer seemed intrigued. “You said I wasn’t your type.”

Ishani sighed. “It’s amazing what a few months at sea will do to you. So, are we good here?”

“What about the dog?” he motioned to Odie, who cocked his head curiously.

“Also with me,” Ishani answered.

He nodded and stepped to the side, allowing them to proceed.

Ishani interlinked hands with Magda and then brushed past the man, intentionally knocking him in the shoulder as she passed. Odie followed their lead, dashing behind them. Soon, they were hustling through the crowded docks, in between immigration officers dressed in turquoise and yellow.

“What did you do?” Magda snapped, finally able to find her words in the foreign language. It was rudimentary vocabulary, to say the least.