Lost Loot of Lornius

[SirArtemis]

The air tasted of salt and fish. Calm water stretched in every direction as far as the horizon. A trio of dolphins danced beside our ship as it cut through endless blue toward Lornius. The scene openly contradicted the roiling waves of my temper flaring within, actively buried while we sailed on. I’d never been to Lornius, and truthfully hadn’t heard much but rumors of its floating city; at that point, it didn't really matter.

I stood starboard, leaning against the rail and letting the late afternoon sun kiss my face before saying goodnight. There were few sights and scenes in life that could bring a man like me peace; the sun setting over a tranquil ocean was one. Standing with the sea mist splashing against my skin, I almost forgot why I was there.

“You’re sure you have everything?” the woman beside me asked. To be truthful, she was more of a mountain than a woman. I was of average height for a man but she towered over me by two or three heads. Her name was Antiope and she belonged to the Sorie Trading Guild. “We're less than a day away and once there, you're on your own.” She adjusted an adamantite bracelet– one of a few pieces of simple jewelry she wore made of the metal I desperately sought.

“I imagine there’s only so much preparation one can make for such a journey,” I admitted. I ran a hand through my short brown hair before giving a scratch at the scruff on my face. “You’ve told me all that is likely to help. Once inside it will be a completely different set of challenges.”

She nodded back to me. She was so tall that she almost sat against the rail of the ship, which made me worry it would buckle under her weight and the whole crew would have to hoist her back up. She crossed her arms while playing with a coin with one hand, letting it dance between her knuckles. The image of a snake with various distinct heads glimmered in the fading light – the symbol of her guild.

“Thanks for all this,” she added politely. “I imagine it sounds a bit mad, but given the situation, it seems the best deal.”

I grunted at her comment. She didn't deserve my rudeness and brevity, but I found it difficult to suppress my anger. I knew full well that I was likely being taken advantage of, but the enmity I felt wasn't for her; it went much deeper than an imbalanced trade deal. I still needed adamantite and the guild could get it for me. It wasn’t exactly a commodity these days. I had a project in mind and it would take time and effort, and what point is there in starting something if you can’t expect to finish it? “It is the deal after all. I don’t think any of us know exactly what I’m getting myself into here, or if I’ll survive. At the end of the day, I will either succeed or fail. I’ll let the gray area in between solve itself.”

She nodded slowly, not denying a word of what I’d said. “A deal's a deal. If you need anything else, I’ll be in the cabin. Come morning we'll split and hopefully meet again, for both our sakes.”

I gave her a curt nod in return before she turned and left. Many things seem to have gone awry of late, and with another war looming over the land I was certainly none too happy. Then again, when was war not coming? It seemed a silly notion. There’s always a war; some people just don't realize.