Adventures of Captain Xdey (7 page)

In a gloved hand, Nix held up the pure white strands of hair. “I never imagined a child who is destined to ruin everything could be caught so easily.”

The tattooed woman slithered an arm around his shoulders. “Of course. She is still a child. She has yet to be corrupted by this cruel world.”

Nix narrowed his dark gaze, tossing the hair aside as he pulled away from her. “Rochelle, this world is far from cruel. It is my world and it will be filled with glorious things.”

Rochelle removed a small oil can from the shelf. “It shall be as you say. Whatever will you do with the rug rat?”

He caught his appearance in the ornate oval mirror. “Kill her, of course.”
She smiled. “Intriguing…I like the way you think.” Rochelle handed the oil to Nix. “This should take care of the kink in your shoulder.”

A man dressed in green entered the small room. “Sir, she’s gone.”
Nix threw the can across the room. “I assign one simple task—you fledglings can’t even handle a little girl!”

With a forefinger, Nix opened the door. The cage door was shut tight, the lock broken, and inside, instead of the snotty child, was the bloody remains of his butcher. He wasn’t all too happy at the sight, and the prickly smell of copper the blood gave off reminded him of the war. This white-haired pirate child should have been a cinch to keep confined in an iron box.

Something buzzed within his jacket pocket. Nix fetched a coin-sized locket. He pressed his thumb on the side, the top flipped open, and inside a static-looped message said, “Meet me in Old Town.”

Deep within the bowels of Old Town, where the streets became a maze of clutter, trash, and loiters, there was a barred up wooden building near the dankest alleyway that reeked of mildew and mothballs. Nix kept silent and hit a can with his cane down the narrow corridor behind the dilapidated tavern. He pulled open the rusty door and walked in.

A bright flame danced in the darkness ahead of him. An imposing bald man with tattoos adorning his skull had brought the light with him. He nodded and gave an inviting gesture for Nix to follow. He was dressed in various layers of clothing made from leather and fur. They walked past stone pillars and empty racks that once harbored ale and wine. Warm chatter seeped into his ears long before the darkness dissipated, and when they reached the end of the long hallway, they turned right. Nix walked into a well-lit room filled with well over two dozen men who looked as if they possessed the ability to drink several tankards of ale and still remain standing. These were pirates, however, and they more often than not exceeded their bodily limit.

Nix cringed at the very sight of pirates in his town. He’d have to remember to contact Gesler to remind him of his job. Sitting in the far corner was the one he intended to meet. There sat a tall, muscular female with bronzed skin and shoulder-length blue hair who was dressed for travel instead of battle. Nix had heard of the warrior charging against men that were five times her size, clad in full armor, but enough cloth to run without demoralizing her own gender—and she always won. She regarded Nix with contempt. He pulled out a chair and sat across from her.

“You rang?”

Amorina smirked. “I did. You came running at the sound of my bell.”

Nix rubbed his jaw. “This isn’t your land. I run Grittle.”

She placed a dagger between them. He could see the sheen that coated the blade. “The child is mine.”

His hand gripped the ball of his cane. “Desperate of you to tell me so. Unfortunately, she is not immune from our laws.” He paused. “Even more unfortunate…neither are you.”

She didn’t have time to reach for her blade. A cold barrel was pressed heavily against her neck. The room flooded with Nix’s men carrying guns that outnumbered every weapon the pirates had two to one. Nix rose from the chair with a grave grin. He smoothed out his mustache and gave Amorina a proud bow. “I think you’ll find comfort in Upper City.”

Xoey walked in, stumbling over her shoes. Mal pushed his sister. “It’s just Xoey. I told you.”

Xoey kicked off the poorly laced shoes. “I ain’t doing that again. Nix was there.”

Nadine practically squealed in delight at the sight of the schooma. “Can I hold him?”

Xoey plucked the creature off of her shoulder and handed him over to Nadine.

Mal grew wide-eyed in anticipation. “Did you kill him?”

Nadine thought of smacking him, yet again, but thought better of it. She found herself curious of Xoey’s answer.

Xoey sat down in the yellow and blue striped chair. “I think your head is filled with fluff when it comes to how pirates operate—and to kill, you need more than just a kid. So no, Mal, I didn’t kill him.”

She watched as he awkwardly sat down with an, “Oh,” escaping his lips.

“I did find out that your parents are on their way to Giant’s Pass.”

Nadine stopped paying attention to the schooma. “Why would they be going there?”

Xoey shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Decyl yawned a toothy yawn and stood up reluctantly. “The only way into Giant’s Pass is through Desert Town and crossing over to Storm’s Hold. We will discuss everything on the zeppelin. The schooma stays behind. They don’t travel very well.”

Chapter Six

Desert Town

Large white billowing sails rested on top of the air-filled balloon. It was a sight to see. Attached to the underbelly of the pale blue brocade fabric balloon was a small wood ship that welcomed the passengers with a red roped ladder.

Mal nudged Xoey forward. “Can’t go looking like you’ve never seen one before.”

She shifted her eyes from the left to right to take in as much as possible while they walked up the steep ladder. The ship was once a part of the sea, the wood bowed and warped slightly. It took a trained eye to pick up on the small imperfections.

They were escorted inside by a small, gangly man dressed in a red suit lined with medals meant for fashion. He led them into what would have been the gun deck. It was the area on the ship that was meant for the heaviest guns. Now it was a small room filled with four cots, two on each side, one above the other. Xoey settled onto a cot and let Mal sit next her. Decyl and Nadine sat on the opposite side. The lanky man in red returned with a food cart filled with steaming meat, stuffed sticky buns, and curled candied tentacles. Xoey, Mal, and Nadine widened their eyes at the sight of all of the food. She almost asked if she had to pick and choose, but the man turned around and left.

They tackled the cart with glee. Decyl managed to swipe a few slices of meat out of Xoey’s hands. “Hey!”

Decyl’s ears flattened. “You’ll eat it all.”

She felt bad and handed up a bone of meat. Greedily, he inhaled the dark meat and threw the bone out the window. Xoey’s favorite was the curled white tentacles that were meant to be sucked upon. It was a sweet flavor, similar to desert plants’ sticky sweet interiors that were married with brightly colored dipping sugars. Mal crawled up into the top cot. “It’s a slow ship, so it might be best to get some sleep now.”

Nadine agreed, climbing up onto the opposite cot. Decyl pulled the cart with him to the cot across from Xoey. She felt as though she was going to burst. For a few moments, she watched the boat move above the clouds. Missing home, she listened to the soft snoring above her. Around this time, she and her father would be exchanging tall-tales of what happened during the day, to see who could out tell the other. They’d end up in giggle fits, snickering over the lies. Frowning, Xoey rolled away from observing eyes. Though the room was crowded, she felt alone. Fortunately, as soon as she closed her eyes she fell fast asleep.

The zeppelin hummed softly above the patchwork land. The tawny sunset peeked out of the white clouds. Xoey watched as the large ship floated down closer to the ground. She stuck her head out the window, crinkling her nose at the blast of thick muggy heat. “Who would live here?”

Mal snickered through the remains of the tentacle candy he was munching on. “Lots of people. They say they get used to the heat, but I think they put stuff in their drinks.”

They headed back down the stairs and outside where it was sweltering. Xoey wanted nothing more than to collapse in protest. Her shoulders drooped, tongue sticking out, as she sulked behind Decyl. “So hot…”

A wooden sign with the burned out letters Desert Town welcomed them. The settlement bustled with candy-colored buildings, men walking around with stars on their boots, and four-legged beasts of burden.

The man who had rescued her earlier stood in the center of town. He smirked at the children’s state as they shuffled in misery. “It’s cooler inside.” He led them into the building marked Saloon.

She passed a soot blackened can filled with holes.

“Name is Tymon, but everyone here calls me, Ty.” His boots clinked with each step. She didn’t understand why he would want to announce his arrival.

Inside, there were crowds of men of all shapes and sizes. There were advertisements on the wall for various refreshing beverages. The room suddenly went quiet and all eyes fell upon the three children. One man with a gummy mouth spit out a mouth full of tar. The man behind the bar with the silver hair parted down the middle regarded them with a scowl. “Kids ain’t allowed.” The room echoed in agreement.

Ty placed his hand upon the iridescent grip of the gun resting along the side of his belt. With his other hand, he casually thumbed the silver star on his lapel. “I say that we’re not going to have a problem. Just getting them three malts and we’ll be out of here.” He looked back at the children. “You have an hour to scout out the town. When that hour is up, meet me in the inn across the way. We’ll discuss your travels then.”

Reluctantly, they turned back to the drinks and card games. The man behind the bar shook his head. “One of these days, Ty.”

Mal squeezed past two men on stools to watch how the malt was created. Decyl twitched his nose. Nadine whispered to Xoey, “It would be wise to get him out of here.” She cocked her thumb back toward the gnome who was now running his tongue along his canines. “He’d want to wager for their belongings.”

“Oh,” said Xoey. She didn’t want to go back outside, but she didn’t want Decyl to cause trouble either. Mal ran back over with three slender glasses filled with a thick white drink. She took the glass. It was cold to the touch. She slurped from the red straw. It took a few good pulls, but she discovered it was well worth the wait. The drink was creamy, sweet, and deliciously frigid. Nadine kept a finger wrapped around Decyl’s tail. Refreshed, they set the empty glasses on the counter and pushed Decyl away from temptation.

Children’s laughter radiated from the section between the Saloon and the General Store. Xoey poked her head around the corner to see five kids around her age, no more than twelve years old, circling a boy on his knees. The tallest boy stood a foot away from the boy on his knees. “You should know better than to challenge me. One of these days, you’ll realize who you should run with.”

The boy in the center scoffed.

Xoey scowled and marched over. “Leave him alone!”

Mal, who was comfortable in the shade, groaned. “I don’t want to get in a fight.” Nadine scolded her brother with just a look and ran in behind Xoey. Decyl attempted to tiptoe away. He only made it a few steps before Mal caught on.

A rumble tumble of a kid plastered in freckles and mean eyes craned his neck to take a good look at the newcomer kid who was telling him what to do. He moved with two sticks in hand, grabbed Xoey’s hat, and tossed it to the ground. He stomped on it for good measure. “Hey look, it’s a girl.”

Xoey pushed the boy. “I ain’t no girl.”

“Cop, you gonna take that?” a meek kid piped up.

Cop wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “Well, you ain’t a boy. So you’re a girl. I don’t hit girls—too weak for my tastes.”

Xoey yanked a stick out of Cop’s hand. “I’m a pirate. I don’t take too well to bullies.” She swung the long coarse stick into the back of his knee causing it to buckle and him fall on his back. A few of the boys went slack jawed and the others’ eyes just widened in shock and awe. Xoey rested the end of the stick on Cop’s chest. “Now, you be letting that one go.”

The group pulled out of the circle. Nadine dashed over to help the boy up. Like Ty, he was dark-skinned. His dark eyes darted in every direction likely to be sure they wouldn’t gang up on him again. Dressed in a brown duster, a duster that had seen a few harsh storms, black pants, pointed boots, and a cream shirt, he approached Xoey.

“What is your name?” asked Xoey.

He regarded Xoey, then said soft and demure-like, “Ramos.” Ramos towered over the rest of them. Xoey knew he was a warrior in the making, but his heart hadn’t hardened. That was her guess, anyway. She imagined that is what her father would have told her.

She held out her hand. “Name is Xoey.”

Ramos grinned. “Nice to meet you, Captain Xoey.”

The title of Captain was reserved for those who lead a crew aboard ship. She thought of correcting him, but when no one protested, she shook his hand. Cop squirmed out from under the stick, stood up, and wiped the dust from his worn clothes. “Where did you learn to do that?” He picked up her hat, carefully reshaping it with his hands, and handed it over.

Xoey retrieved her hat. “On the ship, time passed slowly. To keep entertained, Captain Brighton would let the men scramble and fight for a few extra cressings—red coins, usually of enough worth for a drink back on land. When they were kind enough, they’d teach me a thing or two about brawling.” Cop widened his gaze. “A pirate! We never met one before.”

Nadine blinked at how quickly Xoey was able to gain followers.

“To sea!” they shouted.

That’s a bit far, don’t you think?” Nadine said rather softly.

Cop pointed west. “There’s a lake not too far from here.”

A boy with rough teeth rolled his eyes. “Dried out long ago. You know that.”

“So? Ain’t nothing wrong with pretending.”

Xoey was a bit curious about the lake. “Lead the way.”

Cop grinned widely, wiped his brow, and began the march north. Ramos gestured for Xoey to go ahead of him. She could hear the kids whispering.

“Momma told me that I’m not supposed to go to the lake.”

“There’s a monster there.”

Nadine motioned Xoey to go on ahead. “I need to find Mal and Decyl. Don’t be too long.”

And that’s how Cop, Xoey, and Ramos headed to the lake with the hour they had to spare.

The lake was as described, barren of all life. Xoey slid down the dirt embankment. “It just dried up?” It wasn’t too surprising considering she was already melting beneath the unforgiving morning star. Fortunately, the sun had started its descent toward the horizon.

Cop nodded. “Yeah, the water always came out of the pipe, but one day…it just stopped. That’s when the water evaporated to nothing.”

In the center of the bowl, a hole as wide as Xoey’s hand descended down. She ran her finger inside the hole to feel the solid metal pipe. “Uh… Why is there a pipe?”

Cop shrugged his wiry shoulders. “Why are there pipes in the ocean?”

Xoey blinked a couple of times to make sense of what he’d just asked. “The ocean doesn’t have pipes.”

Ramos and Cop scooted down, wiped the back of their pants, and made their way to Xoey. “How do you know? Ever been down to the bottom of the ocean?”

“Look, the ocean has water because it’s always been there. There ain’t no pipes. This one goes somewhere—so where does it go?”

“Beats me,” said Cop.

Ramos squinted to the west. “Some say it goes all the way to Storm’s Hold. The lake used to be our source of water. Upper City now delivers it in bottles. Same happened in Storm’s Hold, too. The machine to take out the salt from the sea broke.”

Xoey wasn’t one to believe in coincidences. Cop chimed in, “Ask his father, Sheriff Ty. He might know more.”

Xoey stood on her tiptoes to flick Cop on the forehead. “Dumb of you to pick on the Sheriff’s kid. They keelhaul pirates for less.”

Ramos and Cop leaned in. “What’s keelhaul?”

She scratched her head pondering how best to describe the horrid act. “It’s when a man is tied by a rope, thrown overboard, and he’s pulled under the keel from one side to the other.”
Cop blinked. “What? Who decided to do something like that?”
“Pirates got codes, you see. The good ones do, at least.” She could tell she was already confusing them by using the word good.