Chapter 1 of Astrolabe
I True darkness is when the last star burns brightest
“This’ll be the last time you are in my place” the stocky barkeep glared and spat, “worthless cur”
The thin man tried a clumsy swing that was easily dodged and found himself grabbed up by the shoddy waistcoat. The sound of ripping fabric was muffled by foot scuffs in the alley.
“I think I’ll be letting my friends take care of your tab.” He chuckled as two figures lumbered up “let’s see… rum… broken tables. Upsetting my customers….don’t suppose you have anything you’d like to give me in the way of shiny, eh?”
The barkeep laughed as a beefy fist slammed into the emaciated frame. “Where’s that sharp tongue of yours now mate?”
The sound of retching answered him and he tuned away as the second rough hand grabbed up the scruff of the mans jacket and was rewarded with a loud rrrrip and the heavy thunk of knees on cobblestone. It wasn’t his problem what these scum were doing in his place, only that they paid him.
In the shade of the moon two more looked on as the smaller man was passed between the hulking figures.
“Lets move on, Raeyel. I’ve seen enough violence for one day. I’m sick of it.”
She nodded, but didn’t move. Her companion laid a long hand on her shoulder
“Really, I don’t know why you insist on watching this…. what's your fascination?”
She didn’t answer and moved for him to be quite as the two men grew bored with the easy win, landing a few half hearted blows on the sagging form that had begun vomiting uncontrollably.
“This is just sad.” A gruff drawl said to his fellow as he nudged their handiwork with his foot. “Welcome to Tortuga” Bawdy laughter echoed off the grimy alley walls as the left the huddled mass there in the street, to enter the gold lights of the pub.
The two at the end of the alley watched as the man tried to pull himself upright against the doorframe, give up, and collapse again, wet coughs wracking his slender frame.
Raeyel draw a shallow breath choked with pity “Lukazs, I know him.”
She felt him stiffen behind her “you’re mad, what the bloody hell are you on about?”
“I know him…I think…he is the one I told you about ….”
His head swiveled between the pile of rags in the mud and his sister…She must have had too much to drink... he couldn’t be.
“You’re drunk, that wretch couldn’t be the man you describe to me. Where is his honor, his brilliance? Where is that clean pride you went on about?” His jaw snapped shut as she walked away from him, to the figure trying vainly to become upright. Lukazs felt his neck become hot up to his ears at the splatters of swine piss and dirt mixing on Raeyel’s tunic as the imbecile fell against her into the filth. His steps towards her faltered as he heard her whisper to the man in her hands,
“captain…..it is you…” The disappointment in her voice was tangible enough to cut ribbons as azure eyes fluttered open at her words and caked mud shifted on the mans face into an expression of alarm.
“This’ll be the last time you are in my place” the stocky barkeep glared and spat, “worthless cur”
The thin man tried a clumsy swing that was easily dodged and found himself grabbed up by the shoddy waistcoat. The sound of ripping fabric was muffled by foot scuffs in the alley.
“I think I’ll be letting my friends take care of your tab.” He chuckled as two figures lumbered up “let’s see… rum… broken tables. Upsetting my customers….don’t suppose you have anything you’d like to give me in the way of shiny, eh?”
The barkeep laughed as a beefy fist slammed into the emaciated frame. “Where’s that sharp tongue of yours now mate?”
The sound of retching answered him and he tuned away as the second rough hand grabbed up the scruff of the mans jacket and was rewarded with a loud rrrrip and the heavy thunk of knees on cobblestone. It wasn’t his problem what these scum were doing in his place, only that they paid him.
In the shade of the moon two more looked on as the smaller man was passed between the hulking figures.
“Lets move on, Raeyel. I’ve seen enough violence for one day. I’m sick of it.”
She nodded, but didn’t move. Her companion laid a long hand on her shoulder
“Really, I don’t know why you insist on watching this…. what's your fascination?”
She didn’t answer and moved for him to be quite as the two men grew bored with the easy win, landing a few half hearted blows on the sagging form that had begun vomiting uncontrollably.
“This is just sad.” A gruff drawl said to his fellow as he nudged their handiwork with his foot. “Welcome to Tortuga” Bawdy laughter echoed off the grimy alley walls as the left the huddled mass there in the street, to enter the gold lights of the pub.
The two at the end of the alley watched as the man tried to pull himself upright against the doorframe, give up, and collapse again, wet coughs wracking his slender frame.
Raeyel draw a shallow breath choked with pity “Lukazs, I know him.”
She felt him stiffen behind her “you’re mad, what the bloody hell are you on about?”
“I know him…I think…he is the one I told you about ….”
His head swiveled between the pile of rags in the mud and his sister…She must have had too much to drink... he couldn’t be.
“You’re drunk, that wretch couldn’t be the man you describe to me. Where is his honor, his brilliance? Where is that clean pride you went on about?” His jaw snapped shut as she walked away from him, to the figure trying vainly to become upright. Lukazs felt his neck become hot up to his ears at the splatters of swine piss and dirt mixing on Raeyel’s tunic as the imbecile fell against her into the filth. His steps towards her faltered as he heard her whisper to the man in her hands,
“captain…..it is you…” The disappointment in her voice was tangible enough to cut ribbons as azure eyes fluttered open at her words and caked mud shifted on the mans face into an expression of alarm.