FireSweet

Never trust a pirate

                “She had so much power,” he sighed.  The creaking stopped.  “So much potential.  I couldn’t help myself, you wouldn’t understand…”

                “No,” she snarled.  “I will never understand how a pretty face and curvy body can make even the best of men risk stepping into the prophesy.  And knowing you Mají-jalio?  It would be your luck to be right in the middle of that prophesy.  You should listen to Jumé-falio, and Fame-jujio, if he has anything to say.  Give her back to me, or over to the pirates.  She needs to be dealt with.”

                “No,” he hissed, matching the intensity of her snarl.  “She stays here.  I am king, I am free of the prophesy.  You and Jumé need to leave me alone, and let her exist here, she has a place here.  She has earned it.”

                “You are still a captain.”

                He sighed, his voice dropping to a breath of sound.  I had to move up a few steps to hear him, careful not to make any noise on the steps.

                “We are the same, Carnation,” he whispered.  “She and I?  I can see myself in her eyes sometimes; I did the first time she was brought to my cabin…..  We share a secret.  I wanted her to be more than what she is, what we are.  Can you understand that?”

                “Mají…” she said, the anger draining from her voice.  “Her story is different than yours.  And king or not, everyone believes you to be in the prophesy.  They fear you, they fear her.  The easiest thing to do is send her over with us.  You cannot make her into another you.  What do you intend on doing with her?  Falling in love?  Or are you going to collect her like you did Narasia?”

                “She isn’t something to collect and hide away.  She’s more than that.”

                “Then have fun with her Mají-jalio, but when things go wrong… count the girls and me out.  Our pact is broken now.  I will not be one to scream it to the world, but we will keep our blades sharp.  May the Griffin guide you.”

                “And you Carnation,” he whispered.  “And you…”

                Footsteps moved around above me, and I held my breath as the girl walked in front of the top of the stairs.  She paused for a moment, looking back at Mají-jalio, and I got a full look at her.  She was beautiful, exotic, her long black hair falling just above her waist.  Yet her black eyes looked wistful and her smile was small and sad, almost regretful.  She opened her mouth to tell Mají one more thing, but she seemed to think the better of it, and turned away once more, quickening her pace before disappearing from my sight and over the rail.

                I stared at the space she had occupied for a moment, silently debating how long I should wait before making my presence known.  I didn’t want him to suspect anything.  After a moment I crept back to my room, opening the door and shutting it a bit harder than necessary.  I walked down the hall, focusing on making a “normal” amount of noise instead of the obnoxious amount that screams “Guilty!”.

                A few of the steps creaked as I ascended them, and I silently thanked the Griffin as I came face to face with Mají-jalio.

                “Up already Scarlet?” he asked.  “I didn’t expect you until well after dawn.”

                “Flashover,” I said.  “I couldn’t sleep afterwards.”

                “Do you need time to recover?” he asked.  “Some of those can be quite horrid.  I had a flashover once where I was reciting latin poetry concerning the purity of morality.  I didn’t want to sleep for weeks.”