The sunset was just as spectacular as Peters had said it would be. Asuka stood on the stern of the ship watching the last vestiges of the sun slip below the western horizon. She knew the British and the Pirates were still finishing up the exchange, but when it became apparent that the British were not likely to try anything, Asuka had quietly slipped away and climbed the ladder to the top deck of the aftercastle to catch the tail end of the sunset.
She leaned on the railing, gazing out across the sky, her dark hair occasionally whipping in her face as the winds shifted between coming from the northwest and the northeast. She glanced down at the direction of the island where she had lived for far too long. The island that held the graves of her family; the price her family had paid for both her failure and that of their own.
Once the sun was fully below the horizon, the vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges began to fade into maroons, purples, and blues. She found it a fitting end to a chapter of her life.
Tomorrow a new chapter would start. She found it ironic that in order to escape the memory of her failure she would once again become the very thing that just the virtue of being brought about the death of her family. Although, truth be told, she had never really stopped, just... scaled back a bit.
Even if it is too late to regain my honor, at least maybe I can finally move on, she thought to herself. The worst that happens is I die and finally join the rest of my family and face the judgment of my ancestors.
She closed her eyes and visualized the faces of her family, letting each one linger for a moment as she whispered something that was at once both a prayer and an apology. When she was done, she allowed herself a single tear. By the time the wind had whipped it away and she opened her eyes again, she was once more in control.
She sensed another person watching her out of the corner of her eye. When she turned to look, she saw Peters watching her. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes lingered on hers for a moment before he turned away.
ESTÀS LLEGINT
Brass Skies vol 2 (Draft)
Ciència FiccióA collection of steampunk short stories set in an alternative earth that may be included in the second volume of the Brass Skies collection. In a world where the American War of Independence hasn't happened and the British Empire under the control...
