Sekali, "The Sister City"
Chapter 59
The remainder of the sea voyage passed without mishap. The crew would gamble among themselves in the evening, and Finyat was invited into games of dice and chance, at which he never won. Sekali wondered at his losses, but never asked him about it.
He supposed the Shallant had taken a liking to the crew, and especially their captain, who reminded Sekali of the Wasteland Catur he had seen but once. They were lithe and swift, quick to aid his people, but also quick to anger. He could have sworn she had the blood of a cat within her veins, so subtle and lithe were her movements and mannerisms. In the end, he discarded the notion that she was fully human. She was very thin and far too agile. Sekali thought highly of her, and a part of him wanted to come with Uther one day and hunt with her. Who knew what the future would hold for them all?
He did know that the Veleighen, and the war they would infest the Zurkel Mainland with, would be the future of many unless he and his comrades got to the Sister City before they did.
Sekali thought of Mabuhi, and how beautiful she was, of her kindness toward him . . . the softness of her manner, her speech, and especially her eyes.
He looked out across the waters and spotted a large port, as one of the crew called out their arrival. Looking on the enemy’s homeland port he renewed his conviction to help Mabuhi and her people. As the Harbringer docked and dropped anchor, he looked back across a seemingly endless expanse of water and whispered, “I will not fail you, milady.”
As the three carried their belongings down the long plank set out from the ship, they said their goodbyes to a captain who sentimentally embraced each of them, wishing them a safe and prosperous journey. Carrying their belongings, they bowed to the captain and departed into a massive city port . . . and into legend.