Amelia Thornheart Chapter Eight: What’s Chicken?

Serena woke to the familiar ceiling of wood and steel. She was sowhere in the Vengeance. The room was dim, the aetherlights having been turned down to their lowest setting. Was it nightti? There were no windows to check. She was lying on a bed, not her usual hammock.

The dical wing.

Why was she here? Was she injured in battle? She couldn’t rember. Serena moved an arm and then cried out as the movent caused her skin to crack and bleed. Her cry of pain further caused her face to fracture. Through the blinding agony ca a thought of understanding. Her soul had been damaged.

She must have lost control of the Word.

Why? When had she Spoken?

Serena tried to call for Anathor, but as she did a golden hue filled the room, nding her skin and dulling the pain. It was only a temporary asure, as soon as the warmth faded she could feel it building back up again.

A soul damaged by divine possession was not so easily healed.

“Sleep now, captain. If you could…” ca Anathor’s voice.

And then a white fog clouded her eyes, as soone cast a sleep spell on her, sending her back to a deep slumber and the realm of dreams.

Serena’s opened her eyes, finding herself standing in the main stairwell of the Vengeance. It was dark, the aetherlights not turned on, the only light from a greasy oil lantern hanging from the wall. The sounds of the ship, creaking and groaning, reached her ears, and the sound of… water? Her mind was muddled. What was happening? Were they sailing through a storm?

No… these were the sounds of… waves.

Not possible. The Vengeance was not a watership, and this was definitely her ship, she recognized the structure of the stairwell that went through the ship’s decks. But… where were the steel beams? Everything was wooden. Why did it look so… old?

She tried to call for Anathor, but no sound ca out.

What deck was she on? A few hesitant steps later she found a door, and a familiar set of words was etched upon it.

Fourth Deck.

It was slightly open.

No… Sothing in her mind warned her. The door to the fourth deck is forever closed. It is off-limits, even to the captain. The voice in her head felt unnatural. Were these even her thoughts? Who was speaking in her mind? What is in there must never be allowed out.

She reached out and pulled the door close. Its handle was icy cold and the heavy thud of its closing reverberated in the space. Serena blinked and then looked down and saw she was holding the key.

Never use the key.

Who used the key? Who opened the door to the fourth deck?

It must be locked.

The chanism clicked as the lock engaged. As she pulled the key out she heard a voice talk to her in an ancient tongue. She did not know the na of the language, but the aning and intention behind the words and their speaker were clear.

“Bring the girl,” said the ship.

Alia! Serena’s mind yelled out, as she was pulled from the dream into the waking world, a familiar ceiling of wood and steel greeting her. She tried to rember the dream, but it was like trying to grasp fog itself. It slipped from her mind and she soon gave up.

How long had she been sleeping? With a cautious movent of a single finger, and then another, and then an arm she confird that her soul had sohow been healed, repaired from the divine energies that had fractured it.

The room was lit, the aetherlights shining bright, aning it must be dayti. Serena turned her head. The other beds in the room were empty. She was alone, apart from…

“Mmm… fried chicken…”

She looked down at a familiar set of ssy blond hair. Alia was lying next to her, curled into a half ball, sucking on her thumb like a babe. Her other hand was resting on Serena’s left arm.

What in the seven hells was fried chicken?

Tsk! She forced herself to set up, pushing with her hands and feet so her back was elevated against the pillows, the movent causing Alia to mumble sothing else. Thankfully, despite a subtle sense of exhaustion, she felt pretty good! She wasn’t in pain, nor did she feel thirsty or hungry.

Alia had obviously played a part in healing her, that was without doubt. However… this idiot human! What was she doing, sleeping in the sa bed as her!? She was nobility! And a woman! If word got out that she shared a bed with a human that… was almost cuddling her…

“Wake up, idiot,” she said. Finding no response she looked for sothing she could stab her with. Unfortunately, her cutlass was nowhere to be seen so she had to make do with a finger, which she jabbed a few tis into the ssy blond hair.

“Wake. Up. Idiot.”

A pair of blue eyes slowly opened and then went wide like saucers. “You’re awake! Serena!” Exclaid the astonished healer. Serena was about to chastise her for using her first na, but was stopped by a wave of gold and blue flowing into her, and as the warmth and light rippled through her body the last feeling of exhaustion left her.

“How are you feeling? Are you all… nded? Your soul?”

“I think… it’s okay now. Thank you, Alia.”

“Mmm! I was so worried! Every ti I healed you, you would start cracking and bleeding again! Narean really took you for a ride, eh?”

Narean… Serena cast her mind to the demon god she had communed with. Why had she Spoken? Why had she lost control?

“What happened? Why did I Speak?”

“Korvus attacked you! A mutiny! His n also tried to shoot ! Can you believe that!? So rude…”

Ah, now she rembered - but, she had been the one to attack Korvus, not the other way around. An image flashed through her mind, of a blond figure lying unmoving on the floor of the square.

“You… were okay? I saw you get shot… you weren’t moving.”

“Mmm! It was super confusing! I was bending over to heal soone, and then suddenly I just fell over! We found out they had used these huge…” Alia sat up, spreading her arms wide, “...hunting rifles, with these massive iron slugs! All against ! My wards held just fine but the forces flipped all about! Took quite a while to figure out what had happened, and then you Spoke and blasted the whole square! I had to heal everyone all over again before coming to help you!”

“I see… where is Korvus now?”

“Gone. The fleet arrived not long after, and took him as well as all the ground forces! I think… you’re in a lot of trouble. Dagon wouldn’t tell much!”

Serena racked her mind, trying to rember the fight. After Korvus had Spoken his Word - Bayle - she had lost control, and everything after that was a blur. She had been… losing.

“Did you… win against Korvus?” She asked Alia.

“Hell yeah!” Alia said, cheerfully punctuating her words with two thumbs up, “Sorry… that’s an expression from my world. You were getting your arse kicked! I think if you were protected by anything less than blue aura you would have died before I got to you!”

“Blue!” Serena exclaid, “I was using blue aura?”

“Yup!”

That was a huge deal. She was already considered a talent amongst demons, having Spoken the First Word so quickly, but the boundary between warrior levels of aura, like mage circles, was trendous and she had struggled to break past green.

Now she had done it once, even if she hadn’t been in control, she would be able to do it again. Yet, it still hadn’t been enough. Korvus had been winning, his own talent had exceeded her. Or… was it a difference in talent? Had he simply been more determined? To see things through to the end?

“Did you… Speak against Korvus?”

“Well…” Alia closed her mouth in thought, a finger resting against her chin. “I suppose I did… but!” She said, pointing at Serena, finger-wagging, “Don’t tell anyone I did! I think everything knows I’m a Speaker by now anyway. So scary guy called the Dragon was trying-”

“The Dragon was here!?”

“Ooh, the Dragon, the Dragon!” Alia waved her hands in the air, “Everyone’s going on about the Dragon! He didn’t feel like all that much to !”

This idiot human.

“Is he still here?”

“Nah, he left. He tried to co down here but apparently, the ship wouldn’t open the door for him.”

Problems upon problems. The Dragon was a Highlord of Cascadia, and whilst he was relatively unknown before the war - his political acun had allowed him to collect no small amount of warti powers bestowed upon him by his Overlord. It was said the only thing holding back his promotion to Greatlord, was his personal fighting capabilities.

She filed the Dragon away as to yet another problem that needed to be solved in the future.

“Let’s go back a bit. Korvus. How did you win against him?” There was no way that Aseco could win against Bayle in combat.

“Well, rember when I said I had a few tricks up my sleeve?”

“... I see.” She looked at Alia for a few monts. “I suppose you aren’t willing to share further?”

“Depends. How much more are you going to pay ?”

“Ha!” Serena couldn’t stop herself from laughing. Never before had soone spoken to her so candidly, even when she was at the military academy, her closest classmates would still watch their behavior out of respect for who her father was.

She couldn’t deny it. It was sowhat refreshing. It felt… friendly.

“Stupid human,” she said.

“Stupid demon,” ca the reply.

“Yes, I am,” she said, “I underestimated the attitudes of Korvus and those loyal to him. I thought they would co around in ti, but ti was not sothing we had. Korvus is incapable of trusting a human, or living with them. I didn’t understand this, or rather, I chose not to believe it. I must have looked insane in his eyes, to see bringing what he thought was a powerful enemy in our midst after only knowing you for hours. He thought I had been bewitched… maybe I was.”

“Well, I am awfully cute, aren’t I? Ow!” Another finger jab put an end to that.

Suddenly, the door to the room was open and a demon appeared.

“Captain!” Exclaid Dagon, “You’re awake!”

“Still alive,” She grumbled. “Heard the Dragon made an appearance.”

Dagon nodded and then cast a questioning eye toward Alia and then back to Serena.

“Alia, go wait in my quarters.” The human yawned in a manner wholly unsuitable for polite company with nobility. Standing up she took a piece of elastic and started to tie her hair back.

“Alright, but let Anathor know if you start feeling pain and I’ll co right back, or I could heal you from a distance I suppose… either way let him know and he’ll tell !”

“... Thank you.”

“Bye!” Alia gave her a wave and skipped out of the room, ponytail bouncing, Dagon and Serena watched her go, not continuing their conversation until the sound of her footsteps grew faint.

“She’s barely left your side all week.”

“All week!? How long have I been here?”

“Six days, captain. First three days she didn’t leave this room once, didn’t eat, drink, or sleep. Kept herself going by healing herself. Said she couldn’t leave you for a mont. She cried a bit… a lot.”

“... I see.” Sothing in her heart moved at that. Annoying.

“During the first day, the mont she stopped healing you your skin would start cracking and you’d bleed everywhere. Her magic must regenerate blood or sothing because I’m pretty sure there was more out of you than could ever be inside you. Wasn’t until the second day it slowed down, and on the third day Hillbrand was finally able to convince her to leave your side. She’s set up in your quarters.”

“That bad, huh.”

“Aye, that bad,” Dagon said, scratching his chin. “What happened, captain? Korvus try and kill you over the girl?”

“... not quite. I’m not even sure he was going to attack . I saw him give the command, for his n to assassinate her and…” She gave a small shrug, “I over-reacted”.

“Yeah, you sure did. You want the good news, before the bad?”

“Go for it.”

“Good news is over last week the crew has sowhat taken to tolerating, even liking the human. The fact she cured all their broken bones after you Spoke, and then literally saved your life has turned most of their opinions positive. That’s that. No more good news. The rest of it's bad.”

“The Dragon?”

“The admiral wanted to put both you and her in cells. Sent a squad of soldiers to get you two. Ship stopped them. The Dragon appeared. Ship stopped him. I got my balls blasted in front of every officer on the ship. They took Korvus, and disbanded our ground forces.”

“What happened to the others involved in Korvus’s plot?”

“Hanged them. Bodies committed to the undersky.”

“How’d the crew take that?”

“Eh, this and that,” Dagon said, mimicking a set of scales with his palms, “I frad the entire thing as a mutiny - which I suppose it was, sowhat - orchestrated by Korvus and supported by his loyal ground forces. You know how there’s always been friction between the sailors and the soldiers… still, the hanging was a solemn affair, thought it best to get it over and done with as soon as possible, rather than wait for you to wake up.”

“How did Alia react? Would have thought that idiot would try to interfere.”

“Thought so too, but she seed content on letting it happen. Wouldn’t watch, though. I think the whole series of events has affected her more than she’s let on. Like I said, she cried a lot.”

“Well, from what we know, she’s never seen or been in war. A lot of things must be a surprise.” Serena said, Dagon nodding in agreent. “Anything else?”

“The Dragon thinks she’s at least a double-speaker. At least.”

“Why?” She narrowed her eyes. She had suspected the sa, especially after Alia had admitted she had Spoken sothing to fight Korvus.

“The fleet’s aetherscopes only picked up your Word, and then Korvus’s. They didn’t pick up anything Spoken from the girl.”

“That’s not possible,” Serena said, shaking her head, “Their aetherscopes must have missed her Speaking. She took care of Korvus! He was a fifth-level warrior, almost sixth! Even accounting for the general increase in abilities from communing with more than one god, she would have still needed to Speak to contend with him.”

“Right, that’s what I said to Tos after the eting. This girl… she’s already pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. We don’t know what’s normal in the world she ca from.” Dagon twiddled his thumbs, furrowing his brow. “We got talking, and Tos, and we were thinking that… you know… what thinking about her abilities and all… that maybe it’s not a matter of her being able to Speak the First Word of a branch or two, or even three. Maybe it’s sothing bigger than that. Maybe she can Speak the Se-”

“Stop. Don’t go down that path, Dagon.” She warned. “And tell Tos I said that. He tried to bring up the sa subject before. Thankfully he had the sense not to pursue it, sense I hope you have too.”

“I… sorry, captain.”

“She likely has a way to limit or maybe even hide the aether release, the grandmaster at the academy could do it. Apparently, all of the Empress’ Lord Guardians have the ability. We can dig into it later, but for now, assu she covertly Spoke a Word from a human combat branch. Do we have a record of known human Words?”

“Aye, Tos has one sowhere.”

“Next ti you see him, tell him to send it to my quarters. I’ll ask Alia about it. I don’t think she would lie, she doesn’t seem to like it, which is why it’s so dangerous and important that you never go down that previous line of questioning with her.”

“... Yes, captain.”

“Now… back to sothing less concerning. Anything else from the Dragon?”

“We’re to sail to Kenhoro, finish repairs there, get a new turret installed. Could be a chance to pick up so of those fancy new propellers Tos was going on about.”

“Yeah,” Serena nodded. Tos had ntioned he had co across so propellers that helped prevent cavitation. It would be a useful upgrade for when they went swimming in the lumina. “And then, await orders?”

“Afraid not. Got to sail to Shimashina after.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah. Your old man wants to see you.” Dagon sighed. “And… the girl.”

“Seven hells!” Serena resisted the temptation to grab her horns. “That…” She trailed off, pausing. It would be nice to see her family again.

So of them.

“We must be getting close to Kenhoro, if I’ve been out six days.”

“Aye, captain. Two days out. We’re well into Imperial airspace. Ship’s on low alert. Getting so washing done. Thought it best to take it easy on the crew, after the hangings and all that. Moral is a little low, to be honest. Are you feeling able?”

“I’m good now, thanks to Alia,” she said. Serena swung her legs off the side of the bed and stood up. After that last bout of healing, she didn’t feel weak at all. She looked down at her feet and…

“Where the hell is my uniform?” She was wearing a white shirt and trousers, very different from her usual black and gold captains outfit.

“Was burned and shredded during the fighting. There’s a spare set around here sowhere…” Dagon dug around in so drawers before pulling out a familiar set of clothes. “Here, captain.”

“Anathor! Gather the officers in the bridge.”

“Very well…” ca the gruff reply. Serena turned and gave a pointed look at Dagon, who stared back at her. She sighed.

n.

“Dagon.”

“Yes, captain?”

“Get out.” She motioned to the uniform in his hands.

“Ah! Sorry, captain. I’ll be outside!” He hurriedly placed the uniform on the bed before making himself scarce and closing the door.

Idiot. She found a basin of water, wetted a towel, and began cleaning her body. There didn’t seem to be too much sweat or dried blood, had Alia and Hillbrand washed her, or did Alia have so kind of cleaning spell? It would not surprise her, not anymore.

“Anathor,” she said, “have you ever heard of chicken?” Serena wouldn’t change in front of Dagon, but she had long accepted that Anathor could and would see everything at so point. He had assured her previously that he had no interest in those things, and it wasn’t like she could leave the ship every ti she wanted to wash herself.

“Hmm…” ca the reply. “A flightless bird. Extinct in this realm. From pre-Cascadian tis, of the old human kingdoms that ford from the initial wave of colonialism more than two thousand years ago.”

“That long ago?” She asked, pausing her changing. Anathor was old, he had hinted at it a few tis, but pre-Cascadian, before the demon empire was ford? Was it possible?

“How do you know?” She asked, “Have you… seen them?”

“Hmm… I do not know. There is a mory, but I don’t know if it’s mine or if it’s… never mind…” He trailed off for a mont. “However, I believe the chocos popular in the Northern Terra Firma and Centralis are a descendant species.”

“Oh, chickens are an ancestor of chocos? That’s interesting. I’ll have her try one, see if she thinks it tastes similar.” Then, a thought arrived. “Anathor, could Alia be from the original world of humans? From which those caravans arrived?”

“Unlikely. That world was sealed from realm travel shortly after they arrived, by forces incomprehensibly more powerful than the gods you all Speak the nas of.”

Suddenly, sothing Anathor had said to her when she had first discovered Alia in her quarters a week ago ca to mind.

“Powerful enough… to fool your eyes, and the ships?”

“Hmm… the ship cannot be fooled.”

The ship… the fourth deck… there was sothing about the fourth deck that she had forgotten. Tsk! It can’t have been important. Serena finished changing.

“How do I look?”

“Hmm… happy.”

“Happy? I wasn’t expecting that.”

“You often seem happy after talking with the human.”

“... keep those thoughts to yourself.”

“Yes, captain.”

She exited the dical wing, eting Dagon in the corridor. Together they headed to the bridge, and Dagon was giving her a run-down of the smaller things that had happened on the ship over the ti she had been healing, however, most of it went through one ear and out the other. Her mind was preoccupied with what Anathor had said.

Alia made her… happy?