The Fall of Vequera

Chapter fifty-seven | Valia

LOCATION: AIREDAL, HELELL - ARISOS - ARCADIOS, VEQUERA

YEAR: 622 C.E

VALIA LAMONIA GLANCED UP AT THE SKY FOR A MOMENT AS MERLAL DANCED WITHIN THE CLOUDS.

She was on a deck of one of the pirate ships, it was quite dirty. The crew glared at her, but no one attacked her. Knights matched their glares by showing this fangs, baring them, brightly. Mary, Valia, and Koa walked into the captain's quarters. The room was lit by a single torch but the window above them helped with the darkness more than the torch did. In the center of the room, there was a round table and a woman sat down with her feet on the table. "You burned one of my ships." Valia blinked at the woman. The woman looked around the same age as Valia. Maybe a bit older. Her hair was a bright red that fell down her shoulders in waves. Her piercing blue eyes glared at Valia.

"Okay." Was only Valia said as she sat across from the woman. Koa and Mary did the same. But Valia noticed the odd expression on Mary's face like she had seen a ghost. The woman's jaw set as she turned from Valia for a moment then a strained chuckled shot from her lips. "What were you planning to do exactly if I didn't tell you to come to shore?"

Before the woman spoke, Valia cut her off, "You would've done what pirates always do. Rob and kill." The woman's glare hardened but she did not denial Valia's claim. Her eyes wandered to Mary for a moment before looking at everyone else in the room. "I will give you two choices and I suggest you pick wisely. You and your crew or what's left of it anyway...work for me or I kill all of you." Valia stared the woman into her eyes before smiling, showing her teeth.

The woman cleared her throat before nodding, "What do I have that could help you, Your Grace?" Her tone mocked Valia as the woman smiled. Valia ignored her.

"What is your name?"

"They call me Lady Fortune." She responded plainly.

"You're actual name."

"Cora."

Valia narrowed her eyes before nodding. She seemed pleased with the response but not bursting with happiness. Cora? A bit on the nose for a pirate. There were a few noble children that were nice to her, and they would tell her stories about everything they heard from their parents. And few of them were about the pirates that roamed the seas near Vequera. Valia found it odd that would choice to take others' things without cause but as she got older it made sense. A person didn't always need a reason to take. To steal. About ten years ago, a pirate ship had attacked one of Lord Bartel's ships and killed a multiple of his men. In response, Queen Isabella had all of the pirates that were on the ship executed. About twenty of them.

Cora tapped her fingers on the wooden table with annoyance. Valia could see it in her eyes, the distant pain. She wondered if it was because Valia had killed some of the members of her crew or from something else. Either way, it wasn't her business. "Your ships will still roam or whatever you normally do. I just need you to report to me everything that happens on the island for now on."

"And how will I do that?" Cora asked.

As Valia opened her mouth to speak, Belio flew into the open window and landed on Koa's shoulder. Koa had a look of disgust. "Why are you wet?" He pushed the bird off of him and Belio cawed, moving to the table with ease. His black eyes staring at Cora. "He will." Cora's eyes widened as disbelief came over her face.

"The raven?"

Koa cleared his throat. "Crow. He's a crow. Crows are smaller than ravens. He'll send me word of whatever he hears." Koa looked annoyed that she had confused Belio for a raven.