Memories in the Mist

The Mañana swayed back and forth through the thick fog like a blind man. It was bright enough to be noon but no one could be sure. The wind had almost entirely stopped its breathing and an odd fog encompassed the whole area. The Mañana had been sailing for a few weeks now and were nearing the Iberian Peninsula, but because of the fog Scarlet had all sails raised to drift along the currents.

            "See anything yet Sally?" Scarlet called up to the crow's nest.

            "No, it's almost worse up here," Sally yelled back.

            "Alright might as well come down then dear,"

Sally clamored down the mast passing Ayafre and Jane who were chatting among the rigging. Chives and Revloc were swabbing the deck and Yasac was no-where to be seen.

            "Oi! Jane take over for me, I need a break!" Chives shouted up to Jane.

            "Alright!" Jane answered back.

            "Really? Scarlet told him to do it, you don't have to," Ayafre stated.

Jane paid no mind to Ayafre and made her way to the main deck to replace Chives.

            "Has anyone seen Yasac? I can't make squat from these maps," Scarlet announced.

The ship was quiet as no one knew the answer.

            "I only saw him this morning at the bow, he seems kinda sneaky today," Sally said.

            "Sneaky? Yasac gets that way sometimes, he'll only show up if you call him," Revloc stated.

            "Or he's just sleeping somewhere that lazy bum," Jane remarked.

            "Naw he's been kinda ancy this journey back. He's around somewhere," Revloc stated.

            "Yasac!" Ayafre called.

            "Yasac! Come here boy!" Scarlet shouted with several whistles.

            "A dog really?" A voice said from behind Scarlet.

Scarlet gasped and reeled around to find herself face to face with Yasac.

            "Crippes! Yasac!" Scarlet screamed. "Where did you come from?"

            "Oh...no-where far," He answered.

            "But how the hell did you get to the helm without us seeing you?" Sally inquired.

            "Eh, I dunno why didn't you? Be more observant," Yasac stated.

            "Ok, whatever, so...where are we?" Scarlet questioned.

Yasac inhaled the air deeply almost savoring it, as he looked around scanning the fog.

            "It's been over two weeks now, it took us three weeks to get there so we have to be close," Sally stated.

            "Well, cause of the gulf currents the trip back is actually faster," Yasac murmured as he dug into his pocket and pulled out his compass.

He stared at the compass and took the map Scarlet was holding.

            "Any clue where we are?" Sally inquired.

Yasac looked up from the map and looked around.

            "Nope none," Yasac said bluntly.

            "Thanks for your time," Scarlet said sarcastically.

Yasac rolled his eyes and plopped the compass back into his pocket. As he folded up the map he strode over to the bulwarks and leaned on them. Sally watched him carefully and then looked back at Scarlet.

            "Is something wrong?" Sally whispered to Scarlet.

            "Yasac and I had a disagreement," Scarlet quickly stated without looking at Sally.

Sally bit her lip embarrassed she asked. Scarlet looked over at her and smiled.

            "No worries," Scarlet said cheerfully.

Sally left Scarlet and went below deck. Needing to be busy Ayafre took up a mop and started cleaning the stern. She noticed Yasac leaning on the side of the ship staring out into the foggy sea as if there were something to be seen. She swabbed her way over behind Yasac. She ran the mop into Yasac's foot to see if she would get a reaction out of him. Yasac didn't seem to even notice. She did it again with the same result. She started to turn away when he finally looked behind him.

            "Did you need something?" Yasac asked.

            "Nope just bored," She said with a smile.

Yasac nodded his head and turned back to the sea. Ayafre's lips tightened a bit annoyed at Yasac.

            "What are you doing?" Ayafre said coldly.

Yasac quickly turned back to Ayafre surprised at her sudden change in mood.

            "Eh, standing?" Yasac stuttered. "Oh you want to clean the deck?"

Ayafre sighed disappointed in Yasac. She threw down the mop and joined Yasac. Yasac watched her look through the fog. Yasac continued to stare at her a bit confused.

            "What!" Ayafre suddenly exclaimed.

            "Uh, what are you doing?" Yasac inquired

            "I'm looking for what you were looking for, gah!"

            "Oh..."

            "Yeah oh, now what did you see,"

            "Ahh sorry well you won't find it,"

            "Excuse me?" Ayafre said insulted.

            "Never mind I'm sorry,"

            "What the hell were you looking at?"

            "Nothing...tangible, it just...reminds me of home,"

            "Home?" Ayafre inquired suddenly intrigued.

            "Yeah, mornings used to be just like this. The mist would be every-where. As you walked through the forest, light came only in beams that would shine down through the trees into the mist, it would be completely silent, save the waves of a nearby shore. I used to walk through those forests pretending they were enchanted or mystical somehow,"

Ayafre's eyes widened at the thought of this.

            "Wow," Ayafre whispered as she looked out into the fog trying to picture it. "So you like the fog then?"

            "You could say that,"

            "Are you really a sailor? I mean anybody who has had to plot through water blind knows it's no picnic, that's why I figured Scarlet has been pretty occupied today,"

            "Well, I'm here...and we're sailing so that makes me a sailor right?"

            "If you're going to get technical about it, we're actually drifting right now, not sailing,"

            "I guess that makes me a drifter," Yasac murmured.

A smile quickly burst across Yasac's face.

            "What?" Ayafre questioned, noticing his sudden smile.

            "Oh...I really am a drifter that's all,"

            "You should probably get a raft," Ayafre teased.

            "Well technically," Yasac mocked, "This is just a really big raft right now,"

Ayafre chuckled.

            "So this fog is what your home was like?" Ayafre inquired.

            "Yeah when I went outside, I liked to stay indoors a lot too,"

            "So...where is this place,"

Yasac looked hard and long at Ayafre. Ayafre looked back at him unsure what he was thinking.

            "Japan,"

            "What!" Ayafre exclaimed. "That's those islands way out on the pacific right? What? You lived there? You don't look Asian at all...what do you look like,"

Yasac laughed.

            "I wondered what your reaction would be, and yes I have very little Japanese blood in me, my family originally were traders from Greece,"

            "I can't believe you lived in Japan, wow. Wait you said you lived on a ship most of your life,"

            "Eh, I did but it was a mix,"

            "Wow trading from Greece all the way to Japan?"

            "Oh, I didn't mean originally like that. My family origins are Greek but that was...B.C. there's a lot of cultures in my family now thanks to the trading,"

            "What?"

            "Never mind it's a really long story,"

            "Heh ok,"

            "So, you like to ask a lot about me, what's your family like? I guess I've really only known you as a thief from Porto,"

            "Me? My family owned a farm with Jane's family in Portugal. When I was little the farm was attacked by Moorish bandits that sold us into slavery. Jane and I escaped and we've never heard from our families since. I guess that's kind why I agreed to this pirate stuff so quickly; maybe we'll see someone familiar again,"

Yasac's eyes drooped as he stared hard out into the fog.

            "Ya? I can relate,"

            "What do you mean?"

            "Hey! Yasac! Come look at this," Scarlet ordered, pointing towards the bow at some visible shore.

Yasac saw the land and quickly joined Scarlet at the helm, pulling the map from his pocket. The fog had cleared some allowing them a better view of their surroundings.

            "Turn her hard starboard!" Yasac shouted.

            "Where are we?" Scarlet asked.

            "We're in the strait unless you hit that land, then we're back in Spain,"

Scarlet turned to the starboard and ordered sails dropped.

            "Wait, Spain! We better not run into any Spanish ships," Jane remarked as she climbed the mast to help lower the sails.

            "Hey Revloc, search the hull," Yasac ordered, "We might still have a Spanish flag,"

Revloc nodded and went down below deck.

            "Wouldn't be a good time to run into Spanish," Scarlet murmured.

            "No, but this fog also makes it harder to run into us," Yasac replied.

            "No it doesn't they could crash right into us!"

            "Sight Scarlet sight," Yasac said with a growl.

            "Ahh, yeah that sure would be nice, this strait was the only thing I was dreading about coming back here," Scarlet remarked.

            "That shouldn't be your only fear..." Yasac murmured.

            "Hey! This isn't the time to get me started on that!" Scarlet shouted.

An hour passed as the Mañana sailed through the foggy strait of Gibraltar. The crew hushed as they floated through the mist. Yasac took to the bow, on the look-out for any hostiles. Revloc walked up behind him and offered him a piece of bread. Yasac thanked him but continued to watch while eating it.

            "So you think we'll really sneak by em?" Revloc inquired.

            "With this fog, yeah,"

            "I've never seen fog around Spain,"

            "Me either, strange weather I don't think I've seen fog anywhere on the Mediterranean before,"

            "So what's the plan when Scarlet meets up with those underground guys?"

            "No good way around it, Scarlet is pretty bent on it,"

            "That talk about how they heard we were coming to the Caribbean and then Chisar, what do you make of it?"

            "Strings are being pulled. I have no doubt they already know. That crew their offering could already be a bunch of shadows,"

            "Let's just hope this fog ain't a bad omen,"

            "Yeah, I would much rather deal with angry Spaniards then..." Yasac cut off as he heard footsteps coming from the bow stairs.

            "Hey boys, see anything yet?" Ayafre asked as she strode up behind the two.

            "Nothin yet," Revloc stated.

            "It's been almost an hour in this strait, we're almost out right?" Ayafre asked.

            "Yeah, the city of Gibraltar should be right north of us," Yasac said.

            "Looks like the fog is clearing up," Ayafre commented.

            "Yeah, fog is pretty rare around here; I'm not surprised the further we get into the Mediterranean the more it dissipates,"

            "So what were we talking about earlier?"

            "Uh, your family,"

            "Really? I thought we were past that. Well anyway, does this mist take you back to any other happy childhood times?"

Yasac stared hard at the wisps of fog flying around, thinking about his happy childhood. Yasac made a soft grunt but said nothing more. Ayafre raised an eyebrow unsure what was going through Yasac's head.

            "Yasac! Tell her about the time we all nearly got arrested as kids in Tortuga!" Revloc chimed.

            "Tortuga? Kids? You two knew each other as kids?" Ayafre asked surprised.

            "Yeah...Trigger and I go way back," Yasac said, "Heh wasn't that when your family first moved there and I was the only one you knew because we met by accident even earlier?"

            "Yup, you and Acharis' family just happened to be doing business there that same day," Revloc said.

            "Ok, this sounds like a good story, come on Yasac tell it or I'll ask for Trigger's version," Ayafre urged.

            "Alright alright," Yasac finally gives in.

            "Where to begin," Yasac murmured as he thinks back to his teenage days on a day in Tortuga.

A well loaded galleon pulled into the Liverpool dock as the sun was high in the sky but a stalwart wind kept everyone cool. The ship lowered a gangplank to the pier and several workers with crates on shoulders and under arms marched out. Following them was a large man, Everon he was called. He had a big black beard and rough long hair. He wore a huge white coat soiled with a brown tint of sea ware and mud. He had a black silk tunic and white captain's hat. Everon chatted franticly about business with a foreman, accounting books in hand. They strode down following the workers into the market place. A teenage Yasac looked down at the pier from the ship. A girl stood next to him doing the same. She was incredibly beautiful with curly auburn hair spreading down from under a beret. She had a grand smile on her face that made her green eyes sparkle like emeralds in the sun. She wore an elegant white Ionic Chiton that was modernized in a unique fashion with blues and violets adorning it.

                "So which port is this?" the girl asked.

                "Liverpool, you wanna walk around the town a bit Acharis?" Yasac inquired.

                "Of course, let's go down to Liverpool to do nothing! I really don't like being stuck on a ship,"    

"You don't like a lot of things,"

She rolled her eyes and walked down the gangplank with Yasac following her. Yasac closed one eye and focused on the back of Acharis' head carefully. His eye suddenly popped up when she turned around.

                "Are you trying to see who's taller again?" Acharis accused.

                "Uh..." Yasac stammered.

                "You were, I'm still taller than you, get over it,"

                "How did you know?"

 Acharis gave Yasac a playful wink. Yasac sighed defeated.

                "You read me like a book," Yasac said with a groan.

                "Yes one of the few people who has the dubious honor of understanding your crazy head," Acharis said with a saucy tone.

Yasac chuckled ever amused at Acharis' attitude.

                "You hungry?" Yasac inquired.

                "Yes, although it looks like all they serve here is ale, and that don't really fill you up,"

                "Well, it could...but if you drank that much it would all come out anyway,"

Acharis eyed Yasac with a smile.

                "Come on we'll find something," Yasac stated.

The two walked from the dock into town. They passed through a bustling market and streets of lively bars, until they came to a small fountain in a less crowded plaza. Acharis walked over to the fountain and sat down on the basin wall and looked down into the water. She combed through her hair and then dipped her finger in the water and whirled the water around. Yasac sat down beside her and looked up at the sky.

                "Any interesting clouds?" Acharis joked,"

                "Ha, there are none,"

                "Yeah...I know,"

Acharis looked down at her reflection in the pool, but couldn't see it clearly while the fountain's rushing water made the water unstable.

                "How's my hair look?" Acharis inquired while shaking her head, throwing it around for him to see.

                "Amazing,"

                "You always say that,"

                "I always mean it,"

                "That's one good thing about you I will admit,"

                "That you will admit? Does that mean there are more good things?"

                "Don't push your luck mister,"

Yasac smiled.Acharis looked down at his white linen belt that held together his red kimono top and baggy white pants. She noticed two swords at his belt instead of one and both looking unique.

                "Is that a new sword Yasac?"

                "Uh...no," Yasac said slowly.

                "Don't lie to me you blighter!"

Caught in the act Yasac gulps and looks down.

                "What did you do! Where did you get those swords!" Acharis shouted.

                "Ok ok, quiet down. Look...it's a secret but..." Yasac whispers slowly, "The saber is from Kanarf, he gave me it while we were on that journey on those inland lakes back home,"

                "Oh! You never told me how that went," Acharis remarked.

                "Yeah, well he gave me this sword as a gift and the other one, the katana is from the cave we found,"

                "The cave?"

                "Yeah it was that failed vault the exploded on accident before it was fully filled,"

                "That's the secret?"

                "Uh, yeah,"

                "Yasac!"

                "What!" Yasac cried frightened.

                "There's more...and!" Acharis accused.

Yasac sighed.

                "Ok...I'm sorry,"

                "Just tell me,"

                "Ok it was Kanarf's saber, you know...the saber, his saber, his family's saber," Yasac hints.

                "Wait! He gave you his key!"

                "Yeah! But don't tell anybody, the sword was nameless but I named it Geshank so people wouldn't ask about it,"

                "Wow, so what about the other sword?" Acharis asked eagerly.

                "What about it?"

                "Yasac don't play dumb with me that's a new katana and I know how you are about katanas,"

                "Ok...so it's nothing official and I think it's a secret too, but it's my father's katana,"

                "You got it instead of Yessek!" Acharis exclaimed.

                "Apparently! My father left it in the vault and hasn't said anything about it since,"

                "So you have the Erebus key..."

Yasac nodded his head and looked Acharis hard in his eyes.

                "So...you won't tell anybody right?" Yasac asked.

                "Do you even have to ask? If they found out..."

Yasac's face became grim and Acharis gave a sigh. All the sudden a boy in the street is thrown in between Acharis and Yasac and into the fountain. The boy grabbed onto Acharis trying not to fall in, but Yasac abruptly pushed her out of his grasp. His sudden movements cause himself to fall into the fountain as well.

                "Good god! What the hell!" Acharis cried as she flapped her arms shaking water droplets off the open air chiton sleeves.

Yasac crawled out of the fountain with Acharis' help as two burly men grab the boy out of the fountain. Acharis sits Yasac down seeing he was quite dizzy.

 Yasac groaned in daze as water ran down his hair sticking to his face.

The burly men took the boy in the air and shook him, a wealthy looking man and his wife strode up to Acharis and Yasac.

                "Most humble apologies about that foreigners, this thief was caught in our home," The wife said snobbishly.

                "Now now, don't tease them. They probably cannot understand our more civilized tongue," The nobleman stated.

                "We can understand fine," Acharis said angrily.

The nobleman ignored her and walked up to the boy. The boy looked over at Yasac and Acharis.

                "Don't expect help from me, you nearly drug me in, and not by the most polite of handles," Acharis said to the boy.

The boy's face turned red and he looked at Yasac. Yasac looked back at him and cocked his head.

                "Haven't I seen you before?" Yasac inquired.

                "I was going to ask you the same thing," the boy said.

                "You know this loser?" Acharis asked,

                "Maybe, I can't tell for sure,"

A girl ran up to the nobles and hugged the woman.

                "Ah yes, there you are my daughter, is this the boy that you were talking about?" The nobleman asked her.

                "Yes daddy, that's him, he's the one who was stealing from my bedroom," The girl accused.

                "Something is wrong with this," Acharis whispered to Yasac.

                "Oh come on Vin, don't be like that," The boy pleaded.

The girl suddenly buried her face in her mother's arm.

                "Wait a minute, Trigger? Quick Trigger Revloc?" Yasac asked aloud.

The boy's head shot back to Yasac.

                "I thought you looked familiar!" Revloc shouted.

                "Yeah! It's Yasac! Don't you live in Tortuga where I last met you?" Yasac inquired.

                "No my family lives here, I'm still trying to get reaquanted with this place." Revloc said with a smile.

                "How well were you getting to know them?" Acharis questioned deviously.

                "Who knows," Revloc said with a wink at Acharis.

                "Enough of this!" The nobleman shouted, "This boy is a criminal that has stolen my property and frightened my daughter, men hold him punishment is in order,"

One man grabbed Revloc from behind and the other grasped his neck tight. The nobleman revealed a dagger from his sleeve and advanced to Revloc menacingly.

                "How well do you know him, because this looks like it could get messy," Acharis whispered to Yasac.

                "Not well but..." Yasac said unsure what to make of Revloc's crime.

                "Stop hesitating!" Acharis reprimanded Yasac and walked in front of the nobleman.

                "Sir! Is this legal?" Acharis questioned.

                "You know I expected Yasac to help but, you'll do just fine beautiful," Revloc remarked.

                "Out of my way fool girl, and let me cut out that pervert's tongue," The nobleman said brushing Acharis aside.

Acharis however did not budge.

                "Wasn't he just a thief? I think your justice is what's perverted," Acharis said boldly.

                "I said move girl!" The man shouted and pushed Acharis away hard, she resisted and he raised the dagger in anger.

It was in that instant Yasac suddenly drew his katana and burst between Acharis and the man. Yasac chopped the dagger in two and laid the blade at the nobleman's neck. The wife and daughter screamed and the two burly men immediately dropped Revloc and jumped at Yasac. Yasac kicked the noble to the ground and spun around to crush the butt of his hilt into one of the man's temples. While Acharis caught the other man by the neck and whipped him to the ground with surprising strength.

                "Guards guards! Help help the attacked him!" The wife screamed.

The town guards nearby were quick to respond as they were already watching the incident. Yasac and Acharis looked at each other and then burst off down the street running away. Revloc was quickly up to his feet and rushed off after them. The guards were fast on the three as well.

                "I hate towns like these!" Acharis yelled as Yasac helped her up a roof.

Revloc scrambled up the wall right behind them.

                "What are you doing here! Get off, they want you!" Acharis cried and pushed Revloc backwards.

Revloc caught himself and looked down at several guards entering the building to advance to the roof.

                "Talk about this later!" Yasac shouted as he pulled Acharis by the hand and ran to the side of the roof. The two leapt off the roof to another roof and Revloc did the same.

                "You know their actually after you! You're the ones who nearly killed that guy and beat up his bodyguards," Revloc shot at Acharis.

                "Trigger did you really steal from them?" Yasac asked.

                "No! I'm innocent of course!" Revloc pleaded.

                "Bull tail! You were hitting on his daughter and she used you as a scapegoat!" Acharis accused.

                "Whoa...heh you're good," Revloc admitted.

                "What!" Yasac exclaimed as them all jumped to another building.                           

                "Well, you caught me, it's true I may have been a little more forward then her father liked," Revloc confessed,"

Yasac gapped in utter astonishment while Acharis just chuckled.

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Keyword: Yasac Acharis Ayafre Revloc

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