Cinder Bound

2 - Glow Worms: Eleos

The sea-district was a string of single-standing houses on stilts, connected by webs of docks and bridges. The sea rotted the wood. And the boat fares were obscene. But it was the only joy of the coast's stingy, vice-bent heart.

The Coven had raised their taxes on all coast's establishments less than savoury (brothels, cages, gambling houses; anything interesting, really). But a Midlander let slip the taxation line only reached the edge of the coast, so the South quickly moved their vices to the sea.

With high-tide upon them, moonfish of all sizes slid through the mountains of cold sea water around the small boats, their blue-green scales twinkling in an inverted sky all of their own.

Docks splintered from the Shark's Cage like a spider's broken legs and Eleos moored the boat on the westmost side. She tied off a braid at her hip before disembarking. (Layce would find other things to be upset about if not plaited kinks).

Siel slipped her hand in hers and faced Shark's Cage with a meld of curiosity and excitement. She was old enough now that the distant screams and deep-throated cheers sounded thrillingly new.

"Right. Rules. Stay with me and keep a sharp eye."

The bounce in the cub's step pulled at their joined hands and Eleos smiled.

"We allowed to bet tonight?" she asked, far too eager for a six year-old. "Mother says you can predict a cager's winnings by how they walk alone."

"I'm their medic; of course I know who'll win. But paying for violence is as good as causing it. We don't gamble on fights." At the end of the dock, the wavering light of moonfish beckoned through the moulting windows like drunken eyes. "Find Fil. Have a drink, have a chat, then home."

"Mother always gambles when she drinks."

"Doesn't sound like too smart a combination."

Siel grinned, flaunting the two missing teeth at the bottom of her smile. "That's why she brings me. Her lucky little snake."

Eleos' smile faded and she gave Siel's hand a squeeze. "Don't call yourself that."

The wood over the entrance was cut to be a shark's welcoming teeth. The crowd squeezed in like sand through a bottle. The cub grabbed Eleos' waistband and through the mouth of the beast they went.

Eventually, unable to tell her body from her neighbour's, Eleos found herself between two wood-cut teeth and stepped down to the main floor of the Cage. The water pooled up to her ankles. She braced herself on the slippery wood to withstand the current of the crowd as she lifted Siel down alongside her.

The Colony (the rat-skins that ran most the sea-district) spared no expense for high tide celebrations. The glow-plankton their region was known for stained the water at their feet a luminous green. And the Colony augmented the effect with teems of small moonfish: slivering, silver-blue things that darted between boots and toes. Larger moonfish swung from the ceiling in bowls. Together, they cast a kaleidoscope of shadows in green and blue shards that darkened Siel's skin and made Eleos' an olive grey.

"Stay close, cub." Eleos let the pulse of people reel them deeper in.

A fight was underway. Eleos could hear the slap-thud of fists on muscle between the loudmouthed laughter and deafening conversation. The closer they came to the cage, the murkier the water became with wine and blood.

Ducking between a pack of hyena-skins, they surfaced near the back wall. It was the bar furthest from the gambling tables and, therefore, the quietest.

She helped Siel up on the stool to her right, and stood on the next chair's lower rung to reach the line of pre-poured wine on the counter. She dragged a glass to herself. "Evening, Fil," she called to the lanky, young rat-skin elbow-deep in sink suds.