Great Spirits

∆ Seven ∆

Lights filled the city, casting away the impending darkness of night. The lanterns strung across large balconies and railings along with some torches hanging from buildings. Wren could tell Silas did not like their brightness. He shied away from it, but Wren held on tightly to his wrist and followed Arnel through the crowd of people unfolding before them. 

"The brightness keeps them away. Bear with it for a little longer," Wren said, looking straight ahead. He paused when Silas' forehead pressed against the back of his neck. Wren shrugged him away, growing terribly self-conscious of the stares and glances being thrown their way. 

The sound of flutes and citterns made it to Wren's ears followed by drunken laughter. Both men and women were out with cups of ale filled to the brim. Wren could even faintly make out a poet reciting one of his poems to the uncaring crowd. 

"Quiet!" one man shouted at the poet. "Love lost, my arse."  Men laughed all around him while another gaggle of men continued to give unwanted attention to the women serving their table. Just by their appearance, Wren knew they were pirates. Just about everyone in this godforsaken city was one or had some relation to one. One of the men looked up and caught Wren's eyes. A golden earring dangled off his right ear. He was a Yali like him. When his eyes went away from his, Wren looked back towards Silas and saw him gazing at the man. The man showed Silas a smile and continued to drink his ale. Wren got an idea then. It was a crude one, but one he thought might work. 

"Cap'n, over here," Arnel shouted. 

Wren waved to him and made his way towards Arnel. He eyed Silas and smiled.  

"You seem to attract both men and women... Which of the two do you prefer?" 

Silas gave him a blank look. 

"I do not know what you mean."

Wren could hardly hear him over the music and voices surrounding them. 

"Do gods not uh..." Wren's words came out all jumbled and distorted. He grew hot as Silas continued to stare down at him with a small smile. Silas always smiled with his eyes, so he knew he was genuinely amused. How could he ask him such a question when he stared at him like that? 

"Nothing. Nevermind." Wren shook his head and carried on ahead. As soon as they were a couple steps away from Arnel, Arnel shooed them inside and slammed the doors shut behind them. 

The room was littered with candles shining through the darkness. It smelled of rum. A puddle of it laid in front of them went they stepped further inside. It trailed towards barrels with small cracks in their wood. The liquid came out in a steady stream, forming more puddles on the ground. Wren recognized a couple of his men lingering around tables despite the grotesque silhouettes the candlelights cast. They each had one hand wrapped around a scantily dressed woman and another around a cup of rum. Arnel disappeared into the crowd of men and women, wanting to join in the fun. It did not take Wren long to figure out that they were in a brothel. Wren sighed and narrowed his eyes when he could not find Akash, so he tried to look harder. 

"This way," Wren grabbed Silas' wrist and tugged him through the slew of people. There was a cacophony of sounds, so much so, he could hear the beds up above them shaking and rattling.  It shook the lanterns hanging at the top of the ceilings even. Women's loud voices made it to his ears along with the men's. They were sounds he grew accustomed to. It did not matter to him, but what about his leeching companion? Wren looked back at Silas to see his expression and it was not the one he expected it to be. Silas was not taken aback by it. No, he was more intrigued than anything. Wren could see it in his gaze. 

"Something is truly wrong with you, I swear to the gods," Wren mumbled. 

"Wren!" 

He knew that voice. Wren searched the crowd of people but could not find her.