While Gwendolyn ran to get everyone into position and Torian stumbled to the deck to join Aizel in readying the cannons and Hawk already began to string his arrows, Kavo stood motionless. The world around him bustled about, but only one thought was on his mind: he was going to lose everything again.
More importantly, he was going to lose Hawk.
That thought was enough to spur him into action. He had to help, but he didn’t have any weapons on him anymore; after all, most organizations didn’t tend to arm their prisoners. But Kavo was going to do what had to be done, even if he had to fight with a kitchen knife.
“Aizel,” Kavo said, “I need one of your knives.”
“You know I can’t give you one,” Aizel said sympathetically. “My mum would kill me.”
“If you don’t let me help you guys, you’re going to die.”
Aizel’s eyes widened. Suddenly, a strong voice called, “Give him whatever he may need.” Aizel and Kavo looked up to the lookout post, where Hawk stood tall, gazing down upon them. “I trust him to fight for us. If I am wrong, Gwendolyn may punish me instead.”
Aizel still looked hesitant, and probably with good reason, but he unsheathed the knife against his hip and held the hilt out to Kavo. “I really shouldn’t do this, but if Hawk says it’s okay…”
“I know I’m not easy to trust,” Kavo conceded, “But you have to believe me. The government’s soldiers are very well-trained. We have to be careful.”
Aizel pressed his lips together and nodded in compliance. While he busied himself bodily shoving heavy lead balls into cannons with Torian’s help, Kavo sprinted to the stern. He could barely see a flag through the white fog, trumpeting the government’s arrival.
Kavo couldn’t wait to show them that they couldn’t quash this rebellion quite so easily.
The airship began to turn, approaching Kavo’s left. Above and behind him, Hawk called, “They are approaching starboard!”
Gwendolyn’s first reaction was to get away. Kavo wasn’t about to let up without a fight, and he was not going to let Gwendolyn do the same.
“No,” he shouted, “Pull up to them. If you don’t, they’re still going to follow.”
She looked at him as if he’d lost his mind, and perhaps he had, but he was determined to win this battle. For the vengeance of Helaku’s and Yoki’s deaths, he would ensure that they emerged victorious. Otherwise he would be a failure.
The Academy had taught him never to accept defeat or failure. If only they knew that that very philosophy was going to lead to their beloved country’s downfall. Kavo couldn’t let the corruption continue; anarchy would be better.
“Kavo.” Kavo turned at the sound of his name. He hadn’t expected to see Torian’s dark eyes gazing at his face. “Are you sure you want to do this? There is no turning back once you have taken this step.”
Kavo nodded. “I know. But this is my choice. They should have thought twice before killing innocent children.”
Laden with a cannonball, Torian brushed past him. “Glad to have you onboard, Kavo.”
Kavo only allowed for the smallest grin before he turned and readied himself. This would not be an easy feat, defeating a fully armed and fully equipped government airship. But the pirates had done it before, and without his help. Still, they had had a larger crew and an experienced captain. It would take all the focus and concentration they had to accomplish this.
As the airships sidled up to each other, the first cannonball went flying, deployed by the government. This allowed for no ambivalence when it came to what they wanted, easing some of Kavo’s nerves. At least he wouldn’t be killing anyone too innocent today.
The moment they were close enough, Kavo climbed over the bulwark and leapt onto the other ship, pulling himself over the ledge.
“Kavo. What a… nice surprise.”
Kavo growled, his eyes narrowed at a familiar face. “Esryn.”
“I must say, when I heard that the esteemed Captain Dula had been captured, I hadn’t imagined that he would still be alive.”
“Yes, well, I suppose every day is a new surprise.”
Esryn’s almond eyes tightened in his face. “It would seem so.”
Without warning, the clank of metal signalled the start of their match. Cold steel clashed between them as each fought to gain bearing. Neither was willing to risk an opening in his defence, and neither could find an opening. Until someone took that risk, they found themselves at a stalemate.
“You’re rusty,” Esryn remarked between the clattering of metal. “I remember a time when the great Kavo Dula never lost a single match.”
“The Academy was quite a different time,” Kavo managed. “You’ve gotten better, too.”
Esryn smirked. “Thanks.”
Smirking as well, Kavo swept Esryn’s leg out from under him. Esryn had time to pull him along, but Kavo was still in the dominant position, and it was obvious that Esryn wasn’t going to be making a comeback.
“Not good enough, though,” Kavo breathed.
Esryn chuckled. “I missed your spark.”
“I missed you too.” Kavo nuzzled Esryn’s long, dark blue hair. “You have no idea what I’ve been through.”
“It better be a really good story if you’re on their side now.”
“Trust me; it is. Can you call off your goons before they kill my friends now?”
Esryn smiled and said, “Long enough for story time, of course. Get off me.”
Kavo climbed off his long-lost friend as an arrow whizzed overhead. Wincing, he said, “Let me tell them to calm down, too.”
Once all was said and done, Esryn sat across from Kavo on a crate. The piercings on his pointed ears glinted in the dim light. Beneath his wispy blue bangs, more rings twinkled along his brow. Dark veins of a tattoo trailed up his long, muscular arms, disappearing beneath his open vest, which revealed his tanned skin, toned physique, and more piercings and tattoos.
“You got another piercing, I see,” Kavo remarked.
“Oh, you mean this?” Esryn flicked the barbell through his belly button. “This is Laed’s doing.”
Kavo grinned. “Has Laed got you settled down yet?”
“Not quite,” Esryn laughed. “I have to admit that I like fooling around a little too much.”
“I remember.”
“It’s a shame you never let me in your pants.”
“Esryn…”
“Right, sorry. Anyway, what’s up with all this? Why are you with the pirates? Of all people, you were the last I had ever expected…”
“If you’d seen it, Esryn…” Kavo took a deep breath. “We were visiting Lucia Island, and… gods, there were children there, but… one of the government ships bombed it.”
Esryn’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean, bombed it?”
Kavo exhaled. “I’m glad you were in the dark about this, too. They’d been bombing villages on the Islands. One of the men I’ve been staying with had his village destroyed, too.”
“Well, we have to stop them. It’s only a matter of time before they move to Laetant. For all I know, maybe they think I need exterminated.”
“I know. That’s why I haven’t been trying to escape.” Kavo shook his head. “This is ridiculous. I never thought that I’d say this, but I think the pirates are right.”
“Are you positive?”
“One hundred percent. I saw it.”
Esryn bit his lip. “Then I have a favour to ask. Capture me.”
“What?”
“Take me with you. I joined the Academy to protect my family and my land; I came to Gaea because of the Alliance, and if that Alliance is being ignored, I have to do something. Teaka and Saylee still live in Laetant. A war could kill them.”
“Your kid. Right. I’d forgotten about her.” Kavo sighed. Esryn’s affairs had gotten Teaka pregnant almost three years ago; his daughter Saylee had been born six months later. “Are you sure you want to do that, though? That’s a big risk.”
“I know. But really, what all am I leaving? Teaka doesn’t even want me near Saylee, and Laed and I are far from exclusive. I don’t have a home; my parents died years ago. Kavo, this is my chance to make a difference. You can’t tell me no.”
Kavo’s eyes softened. “You know I could never tell you no.”
Esryn grinned widely. “So am I in?”
“You’ll have to convince the captain, of course, but I’m not going to stop you.”
“Thanks.” Esryn wrapped his arms around Kavo tightly, burying his face in Kavo’s neck. “You always were the only person to care.”
Kavo closed his eyes. He’d missed Esryn more than he’d even known. Embraces like this used to be the only thing getting him through the Academy, when they were young. Esryn had had a knack for getting him to open up in ways that no one else ever could.
When they’d been assigned to different sectors, Kavo had thought that the friendship between them would perish. Seeing Esryn had proved that to be a lie at best.
“I’m glad to have you back,” Esryn whispered.
“Yeah.”
Esryn nipped his ear lightly, pulling back. “Now, how about you introduce me to your friends.”
“Right.” Kavo headed back up to the weather deck; Esryn followed closely. “You’ll adore Aizel.”
“Hm, really?”
“He’s seventeen,” Kavo said over his shoulder, “And he looks even younger.”
“And here I was hoping for some companionship on the scary pirate ship.”
Kavo scoffed. “Your best bet would be Gwendolyn, and she’s thirty-five.”
Esryn made a face. “I’ve sworn off girls by now. I don’t want any more children.”
“Well, in that case, you’re out of luck.” Kavo smiled. “And yes, I’m still off-limits.”
“Sorry to hear it.” Kavo could feel Esryn’s eyes on him, quite specifically his ass. “I think your butt’s different.”
“What?” Kavo laughed.
“You lost weight or something.”
“You remember what my ass used to look like?”
Esryn raised a metal-laden eyebrow. “You had a nice ass. Can you blame me?”
“What do you mean, had?”
“I don’t think you’ve been eating enough, Kavo.”
“Well, I’ve spent half my time aboard the ship unconscious or incapacitated. You can’t blame me for not eating all the time.”
“Such a shame…”
Kavo rolled his eyes. “Do you want to meet the others or not?”
“I’m sorry. You know I love fucking with you,” Esryn said. Glimmers of humour danced in his violet eyes. Kavo had forgotten the way Esryn always had him wrapped around a finger.
The moment the sun glared at them, someone was at their side. “Kavo, what are you doing, bringing him onto our ship?” Gwendolyn hissed.
“It’s not like that. Esryn is different, I promise. He had no idea what was going on. We went to the Academy together. Hell, he’s from Laetant; he’s not exactly high on the government’s list of favourite people.”
“How the hell am I supposed to believe that? My son is on this ship.”
“Ma’am,” Esryn interrupted, “I know I’m not exactly the trustworthy type, but I know. I have a daughter. That’s why I’m here; if I don’t help you, the violence might get worse. I won’t let my daughter die.”
“And you expect me just to trust you like that?”
“No, not really. But whatever trial you want to put me through, go ahead.”
Gwendolyn crossed her arms. “Fine. You’re staying with Hawk and Kavo, then.” She looked over to Kavo. “I’m moving Aizel back to his old cabin with Torian.”
“That’s fine. Whatever you see fit.”
She stared at him for a long time. Eventually, she said, “Kavo, you had better not be wrong.”
“I’m not.”
“For your sake, I hope so.” That said, she turned and stalked off, the heels of her boots clicking against the wood.
“I take it that was Gwendolyn.”
“Yeah.”
“She’s definitely not my type,” Esryn laughed, clapping a hand on Kavo’s shoulder. “How ‘bout you? Anyone attract your interest yet?”
“Well…” Kavo paused. “There is one person. But uh, it’s not going to work out.”
“What? Why not? I mean, for a Gaean, it’s not like you’re unattractive or anything.”
“He’s holding on to his old life. He was an Islander chief, and I’m not his old wife, blah blah blah.”
“Wait, he?”
Kavo blushed. “Special circumstances.”
Esryn shook his head. “We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”
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