The Mantis Continuum - Book Four - 3. Chapter 3 - Kosephaji, Relliduna, & Pelipi; Part One

Relliduna fluttered his eyes open. “Kos… Koseph…” he started to say.

“I’m right here, Duna,” Kosephaji said quietly. He wanted his hurt friend to hear a voice he would recognize.

Relliduna tried to reach up and rub his head, but he could not. His body would not obey the commands he was giving it. He could not move.

Kosephaji took Relliduna’s hand. “You’ve been injured.”

Relliduna groaned. His body felt wrong.

“Duna, try not to move,” Kosephaji said, barely able to hold back his tears. He was overwhelmed with joy and sorrow, relief and anger. He brought one of his hands to his mouth and smothered a sob. The sight of Relliduna broke his heart, and he upped the dose of sedatives and sent his friend drifting back into unconsciousness. “You’ll be okay, Duna,” Kosephaji said in a choked voice, and he repeated himself at a whisper. “You’ll be okay.”

Relliduna was strapped to a gurney. His body was mangled. He had been attacked, and he nearly died.

“I’m so glad I got to you in time,” Kosephaji whispered over Relliduna’s sleeping form, and he headed into the next room.

On top of a table sat an enclosed glass box. Floating directly in the box’s center was a light. The light flickered in time with a voice that issued from the box.

“Duna woke up?”

“Only for a moment,” Kosephaji replied. “I put him back under. Duna needs more time to recuperate; he needs to rest.”

The blinking brightened and said, “Kosephaji, I wish you’d let me go burn those people’s souls, burn them to death!”

“Pelipi!” Kosephaji snapped. “Don’t say such things.”

“Why not?” the light asked. “And why shouldn’t I go kill those people who did that to Duna?”

Kosephaji looked toward the other room. “More violence won’t solve anything,” he replied.

The light dimmed slightly, and the voice said with forced calm, “It won’t be violence; I’ll just kill them.”

Kosephaji frowned at the light. “Pelipi, please, stop talking like that. Duna is safe now.” He sighed. “He needs more medicine, so I’m going back to the alchemist down the street. I’ll grab myself some dinner while I’m out.”

Pelipi flashed and asked, “Bring me back some scorpions?”

Kosephaji let out a small laugh, and trying to tap into the sass that usually existed between the three friends, he said, “You’re one demanding-ass bitch; you know that, don’t you Pelipi?”

Pelipi scoffed up at Kosephaji from his box. “You’re a bitch!”

“You’re a bitch!” Kosephaji repeated in a poor impression of Pelipi’s voice, and he let out another little laugh. “And yes, Pelipi, of course I will. I’m glad you’re with us. I’m glad you’re with me,” he added as he headed outside and locked the front door.

Kosephaji pulled his jacket tight and turned down a narrow lane, but his attention was drawn by a booming voice.

“Alright, you minnows!”

Kosephaji was stunned by what he saw. On one of the Ru River docks stood a giant. The enormous man was easily over three times the height of everyone else, and his thighs were thicker than the waists of the folks who bustled around him. He was clothed in a patchwork garment that accommodated his huge frame.

Behind the giant, floating on the waters of the Ru was a ship unlike anything Kosephaji had ever seen. The vessel was monstrously huge. It was made of a combination of steel and wood, with porthole windows lining its sides. The gargantuan boat’s deck sat several stories above the waterline, and its main mast towered over every building in Ruburge.

“Good to be back in the city!” the giant said in his booming growl, and he laughed so loudly that the people nearest to him jumped. “Enjoy your week, troop. We set sail at dawn in seven days.”

The giant headed straight up the street in the direction of Kosephaji.

He’s like Duna, Kosephaji thought to himself, and even though he was nervous and did not have any extra money, he spoke as the giant approached. “How much is it to book passage on your vessel?”

The giant seemed to ignore the question at first, but he noticed Kosephaji’s eyes on him.

“Were you talking to me, boy?” the giant rumbled. His tone of voice did not sound aggressive, but the huge man was intimidating.

“I’m sorry, yes,” Kosephaji replied. “There are three, I mean, two of us.”

The giant scrutinized him and asked, “Is it two, or three of you?”

“Sorry,” Kosephaji said again, nervous by the enormous man, “it’s just… just two of us.”

“My ship doesn’t leave for a week.”

Kosephaji nodded up at him. “I know, I heard you say that, and I think the timing works perfectly for us, that is, if we’re able to book passage with you.”

“What’s your story, kid?” the giant asked.

Kosephaji decided to be honest. “I have a… a friend who is very special to me, and he’s like you, one of the others.”

“Your friend’s a Shift?” the huge man said without a hint of reservation in his voice.

Kosephaji looked over his shoulders and quietly said, “Yes, I think so, but he’s not big like you are.”

The giant gave him a knowing smirk. “You’re just a young thing, kid. Do you think you can handle a journey by sea? Are you good at anything?”

“I’ve always wanted to be a healer,” Kosephaji replied halfheartedly, “but I wasn’t good enough to be accepted into the organic mechanic apprenticeship. I am passionate about helping others, though.”

“What exactly does wasn’t good enough mean?” the giant asked. “How good are you?”

“My friend, who I just mentioned, was recently attacked and horribly beaten; he would’ve died.” Kosephaji paused. “I want to take him and leave. I just want to take him away from here.”

The giant looked serious, but there was gentleness in his voice. “People can be very cruel to our kind. I’m sorry your friend was attacked. Are you a Shift, also?”

“No, I’m just a regular person.”

The huge man frowned. “Maybe you shouldn’t think of people in terms of regular, or by comparison irregular.”

Kosephaji was taken aback, and he was also frightened of offending the giant. “I didn’t mean it like that!”

“I’m sure you didn’t, but words matter,” the giant replied. “You wouldn’t want to say something like that in front of your friend. What’s your name, kid?”

“Kosephaji.”

“I’m Ogomo,” the giant declared in his rumbling voice. “And look, I won’t charge you or your friend for passage, but you’ll have to earn your place on my ship. Act as an assistant healer to the Demifae on my crew, and you boys can both come with us.”

Kosephaji was surprised by the man’s generosity. “Thank you,” he said.

“Do you agree to the terms?” Ogomo asked.

Kosephaji shrugged nervously and said, “Relliduna is really messed up. I don’t think that he’ll be able to earn his way on the ship.”

Ogomo smiled and replied, “Kosephaji, the deal I’m offering is just for you to help my mystic. I don’t require anything from your injured friend.” His brow crinkled at the middle, and he added, “I’m sorry that happened to him. And what a lovely name, please tell it to me again.”

Kosephaji gave Ogomo a sheepish smile and said, “Relliduna, but we all call him Duna.”

“We all, are you sure there’s only two of you?”

“Sorry, I,” Kosephaji replied quickly, “I call him Duna.”

The giant raised an eyebrow. “How old are you, kid?”

“I’m 17. Me and Relliduna and… I mean, just us, we both are.”

“Alright, Kosephaji,” Ogomo replied, “be here before dawn, seven days from now.”

“Okay, we will. Thank you, again.”

Ogomo nodded his massive head and continued wherever he was going.

Kosephaji stood alone for a moment, feeling stunned and anxious. Is this the right decision, he thought. He headed toward the alchemist, and Relliduna’s twisted body lying in the gutter flashed into Kosephaji’s mind. He solidified his resolve. We need to leave this city.

He pulled open the front door to a shop underneath a sign painted with the words Squelious & Petonicat’s Apothecary, Herbshoppe, & Tincturista and a series of bells jangled as Kosephaji entered. He removed a crumpled paper from his pocket, looked down at the handwritten list of items, and started collecting the things he needed. They were expensive, and Kosephaji was grateful for Ogomo’s offer of free passage.

An hour later, he was home again. He looked over at the sleeping form of Relliduna and sighed, as Pelipi called from the other room, “Did you bring me…”

“Yes,” Kosephaji interrupted quietly, “I got you some scorpions. Let me give Duna this dose of eternal chili pepper extract first. Hang on a second.” He added one dropperful of red liquid to the bandage on Relliduna’s ribs, and he placed the other items he purchased onto a small table beside the gurney.

Kosephaji entered the second room, picked up the glass box with the light in it, and he placed it on a shelf by an open window. He unlatched and lifted its lid. “Here you go,” Kosephaji said as he picked up a large handheld fan. He unscrewed the top of a jar containing several scorpions and poured them into the box, as he waved the fan toward the window. Kosephaji scrunched his nose. With a quick series of high-pitched sizzles, the venomous creatures were scorched to nothing, and a vile aroma worse than burnt hair accompanied the feeding.

“Thank you,” Pelipi said with satisfaction.

“You’re welcome,” Kosephaji replied. He resealed the lid of the glass box and added, “I think I’ve figured out a way we can leave.”

“Really? What do you mean? How are we getting out of here?” Pelipi asked in quick succession, glowing brighter.

“There was…” Kosephaji hesitated and said quietly, “a Shift man who captains a ship. He’s leaving a week from today, and he agreed to take us.”

“How do you know he’s a Shift?” Pelipi asked.

“Oh, there was no mistaking that, and he confirmed the fact while we were talking. His ship had just arrived, and when they leave again, I think we need to be with them.”

“How did you afford tickets?”

Kosephaji shrugged. “He’s going to have me assist his healer in exchange for passage.”

Pelipi snickered. “Did you tell him you didn’t get accepted into the apprenticeship?”

“Yes,” Kosephaji answered miserably, “I told him. His healer’s a Demifae, anyway, so it doesn’t matter; I’ll just help however I can.”

“So, one week left in Ruburge,” Pelipi said wistfully. “The day can’t come soon enough for me!”

“Duna needs to heal,” Kosephaji replied. “I think the timing will work well.”

Seven days later, Kosephaji was helping Relliduna hobble down the dark pre-dawn streets toward the docks. Relliduna was not in great shape. The two of them pulled a little wheeled cart behind them with a few bags on it.

Kosephaji could hear Ogomo before he could see the giant, and he said, “Almost there.”

They turned the corner toward one of the countless wharfs that jutted out into the Ru River, and Relliduna froze. “What on earth?” he whispered.

“Bitch, I told you he was a giant,” Kosephaji said under his breath.

Relliduna scoffed. “I didn’t actually believe you.” Kosephaji tutted at him, but Relliduna said, “Shut up,” before his friend could say something else sassy. “Alright, I get it; he’s a giant. Look at that ship,” and he added with a weak snicker, “bitch.”

Kosephaji shot Relliduna a smirk, and replied, “It’s quite a boat.”

A very normal-looking man approached Ogomo, pointed at Kosephaji and Relliduna, and he whispered something up to the giant. The enormous man turned in their direction.

“You made it,” he boomed. “Good for you, lads. Wasn’t there a third one of you? Ahh, well, welcome aboard, and remind me your names.”

“Kosephaji,” he said as they approached, “and this is Relliduna.”

Ogomo turned to a woman who was loading gear into a large crate. “Nahli, will you please show the boys to their cabin?”

Nahli replied, “Aye-aye!” She was a handsome woman, taller than either of the two new arrivals, and Kosephaji and Relliduna both looked up slightly to her. She was muscular, and her nose was crooked. “So, you’re the one helping me,” she stated to Kosephaji with a grin.

“Oh, you’re the mystic?” he replied.

“That I am,” Nahli informed him. “Up the gangplank, you two.”

There was a railing on only one side of the walkway. Relliduna leaned against it as Nahli helped him limp onto the ship, and Kosephaji carried their few possessions onboard.

Nahli led them below deck to a small cabin. “Get yourselves settled in; we head out with the sunrise.”

The world outside was beginning to glow with the light that seeped over the horizon before the sun had crested.

Kosephaji and Relliduna heard shouting voices from above them, and they looked up at the ceiling.

“Are you going to let me out, or what?” came the muffled voice of Pelipi.

Kosephaji hushed him. “Keep it down!” he whispered. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

“What you mean,” Relliduna interjected, “is that you didn’t tell the giant about Pelipi and he doesn’t know there’s three of us.”

“Why didn’t you tell him about me?” Pelipi asked, speaking more quietly. Kosephaji opened one of the bags and lifted the glass box out of it, as Pelipi added, “Are you ashamed of me?”

“No,” Kosephaji replied emphatically, “of course not, I just thought it would be more expensive to book passage for three of us, and we can easily hide you. I’ve been helping hide you for years.”

“I’m a person, too,” Pelipi mumbled.

“I know you are!” Kosephaji replied.

The ship suddenly lurched forward, and Kosephaji wobbled on his feet. He managed to keep his balance, but the movement was too much for Relliduna. He teetered and Kosephaji reached for him, but he fell to the floor.

Relliduna let fly a string of curses in his native tongue, and he gritted his teeth against the painful shock that radiated through him.

“I’m sorry,” Kosephaji cried, kneeling beside him. “Where does it hurt? Is it one of my treatments?” his eyes moved over the bandages that covered Relliduna’s many injuries.

“My arm,” he replied through his teeth. “I landed on it, and your OM treatment popped out again.”

“I’m sorry,” Kosephaji repeated. “It was the best I could do.”

Relliduna took a hissing breath. “It’s okay. I know you saved me. That fall just hurt.”

Kosephaji helped Relliduna to the bed, and he examined his friend’s arm. He readjusted the organic mechanic repairs he had installed while Relliduna was unconscious, but Kosephaji could tell that the healings he performed were barely sufficient. He had managed to save Relliduna’s life, and gotten him to some semblance of being okay, but that was all he did, he simply kept his friend from dying. His skills were seriously lacking.

Pelipi’s voice came from his box, and he sounded like he could barely believe his own words. “By the great river, we’re on our way, bitches!”

Kosephaji rose from the bed. He peered out the porthole at the landscape, as it appeared to slide by the ship, but he could not tell how fast they were traveling. The journey to the riverside village of Mellini should have taken almost an hour, but less than twenty minutes after leaving Ruburge, Ogomo’s ship raced past the little town toward the pink sand beaches of southern Xin and the sparkling sea beyond.