Smoke and Minors

[Jake Narmolanya]

In the confines of a lean-to built against a horse on the wharf in Eastern Akashima, a headier perfume replaced the stench of fish.

Sickly sweet smoke flowed out of the small structure. Laughter radiated from the three teenage boys inside. A particularly potent purple strain of the plant blazed in their pipes.

"I couldn't be happier to see you," the only Akashiman native babbled, choking on his smoke. "The boys back together again, just like the old days. But now we're free!" An violent bout of coughing followed. The tallest boy leaned forward and pounded his friend on the back.

"I agree," he said as he gave the recovering teen one last punch on the shoulder. "I needed to get out of the city, see the rest of Corone before I settle down." His accent came from Radasanth, a chain of montains away.

The third boy puffed away on his pipe as he laid back, peering out the bottom of the lean-to. He could see a group of human legs and feet not far away. Difficult to tell, but it seemed some of them were approaching.

"I love you guys too. But I would be happier if we weren't about to get busted." He spun around on his back, reached up with both hands and clutched the horse's stirrup.

Jacob Narmolanya swung out from beneath his faithful steed, Gunner, and landed softly in the saddle. Dirty blond hair spilled out as intertia removed his hat and tossed it on the ground. The waning sunlight made his tanned skin glow. He grinned down at the angry figure of a fisherman whose muscles bulged bigger than the ropes he worked with.

"What in Haide are you burnin' on my wharf son?" The sailor said, a strong voice ringing from his mast-sized chest.

Jake's right hand, hidden by the pommel, snaked down Gunner's flank towards his bow.

"Just some jetsam and sea garbage, sir." The youth retorted, stringing an arrow unseen.

[Jake Narmolanya]

Jake had gambled that the fisherman would be a member of the developing union, that he would recognize the code phrase and his face would break into a smile.

The problem with gambling is that the sailor's face registered nothing but outrage as he stormed towards the boy on the horse.

Jake drew his bow with both hands as he rotated his torso and fired, almost in one motion. The arrow bounced off a rock at the sailor's feet and skipped through the waves out to sea. Startled the burly man enough to stop him.

The tall boy from Radasanth exploded out of the lean-to, head lowered and teeth bared. David, a champion wrestler, instinctively grabbed the enemy's legs as Jake swung his right leg over and left the bow hanging on the pommel. He launched himself at the big man torso, grabbing a blue tonfa as he left.

The combination of Jake's impact and David's driving force bowled the man over backwards. Badly winded, the sailor was easy to pin with the liviol fighting stick across his throat. By this time Rafael had found Jacob's grappling hook and whirled it towards the top of the wharf wall. His first throw fell short and David bounded off their adversary to take over the rope. He tossed the three pronged hook easily over the top of the wall but failed to catch it on anything. As he wound up for another throw Rafael packed their blanket and other possessions away in Gunner's saddle bags.

Jake looked up from the groggy seaman's furious eyes to see his shipmates charging along the docks, their voices a cacaphony of rage promising pain.

"Hurry up!" He said over his shoulder, but witnessed Rafael already bounding off of Gunner's back and into the air, clutching at the secured rope and climbing to the top like a monkey. The wiry boy climbed trees and mountains most days of his life. David followed slowly but surely as willing arms helped Raff over the top of the wall. Glad shouts of "Jetsam and sea garbage" as well as "royal sailors suck!" rang from above. Jake smiled; a band of unionized saviours had found them.

"Jake, what are you going to do?" David's voice dropped from the top of the wall, and the corners of Jake's mouth followed suit.

"Don't suppose you could climb the rope?" The archer muttered nervously to his steed.