Inspector Falls was a short-ish man that I dwarfed by about 6-7 inches. His hair was dark grey but he didn’t look to be much older than forty-five. The point of his chin & nose was just prominent enough for me to think he had some gnome in him, maybe a grandparent or something. He had a sharp black waistcoat with gold trim which matched the colour scheme of his pinstripe trousers and high end shoes. His pressed white shirt had both sleeves rolled up, which drew attention to his very expensive wristwatch, something that looked like it was crafted in the southern part of the world. Though I was certainly no expert. Overall he looked more like a wealthy landowner than an officer of the law. But considering where he worked, there probably wasn’t much difference.
“I won’t waste time on too many frivolous details, but I understand why my presence here might seem strange here,” He explained in a quick but calm tone.
“Considering that clock on your arm probably costs more than half the city, yeah I’d say it is pretty damn strange,” Ruby blurted out, making herself comfortable in an office chair near the front.
Falls tilted his head slightly before giving Ruby the slightest of smiles.
“The Dwarf known as Ellis is wanted by the sky authorities. He’s something of an ongoing trouble for us.”
“The Sky Authority should be able to identify it as ‘ an ongoing trouble’.” I snapped, resisting the urge to spit on the ground.
“I am neither a merchant nor a politician. While I can understand the animosity, I have no involvement beyond my investigations.” Falls said with an admittedly impressive display of professionalism. “As you may already know, citizenship in the sky districts is very sought after, and spaces are limited. A dwarf calling himself ‘Ellis Ruckard’ nearly secured a position in our engineering corps, he had an extremely impressive resume in brasswork technology.”
“Sounds like you know more about Ellis than I could tell you.” I responded with a half-shrug.
“Apparently not. His identity papers were flagged as he was being processed. ‘Ellis Ruckard’ is a stolen identity.” Falls said flatly, causing me to raise an eyebrow. “The real Ellis Ruckard was a half-dwarven professor from Naveros who died in an alchemy fire 5 years ago. When this imposter was confronted, he wounded two processing officials and escaped in a glider pod. He has been on the run for 10 months.”
I glanced at Frank’s corpse in the open doorway.
“But why…”
“I believed he killed Frank when he discovered who he was. The impostor gave himself away during a meeting with some…visitors.” Falls' eyes narrowed. “A young man from the Sky district and his bodyguard spoke to the imposter around 5am yesterday morning in a nearby alleyway. Though the subject matter of the conversation wasn’t known, I imagine it was enough for Frank to start asking questions…”
“So the ‘fake Ellis’ decided to cut the old Dwarf’s investigation short,” Ruby piped up. “But tell me this, sleuth. How did you know all this? You got spies down here in Karsland watching back alley conspiracies?” I could tell she was holding back a snort.
“Not quite a spy, but Frank is an informant.” Falls stated.
“What?!” I almost choked on my own breath of surprise. “He’s an informant to the sky authority?”
“How do you think he got his early parole?” Falls said with an easy smile. “His work at the ports gives him access to a lot of valuable information, and losing him is going to impede a lot of important work.”
“Goddammit, Frank.” I muttered low enough that even I couldn't hear it. I barely knew the Dwarf, but after his confident tales of piracy, imprisonment and retirement, I was a little disappointed.
“Loose lips, they sink…” Ruby sneered, finishing the sentence silently with an ugly grin. I half-wanted her to show some more respect but I quickly remembered who she was.
Falls glanced between us quickly before continuing, “Frank was someone who had eyes all over the city, ‘Ellis’ probably wasn't working with him long enough to know that, or he was and just assumed it wasn't going to catch up with him. But based on the scene here, Ellis found Frank going through his identity papers, they are still here, strewn around the floor, soaked in blood.”
“So where do I…uh we come into this?”
Falls' eyes narrowed as he plucked a smoking pipe from his pocket. It was gnome sized, which gave some more credence to my theory. “The people he met in that alleyway. You were seen with them.”
“I…when?” I gasped, trying to scour my memory. It hit me just as he said it.
“Lionel. He was accompanied by a bodyguard named Retland.” A witness said you looked and spoke like you knew each other.
“We…we went to school together. But I haven't seen him since. I just know he's in with the Sky authority…like you.”
Falls out the pipe to his lips while his free hand revealed a steamwork fire lighter from his pocket. It was rich guy shit at the highest level. No reason he can't use a match.
“Hm, Indeed. But his role in the authority is much different to mine, his father is a land owner.”
“Owner of fake floating land a mile and a half in the air?” Ruby scoffed. “That mean something?”
“It means he is very powerful and his son is very hard to investigate. But my theory is that whatever he and that imposter-Ellis were discussing, there was most likely an exchange of favours.” Falls lit his pipe smoothly and took a gingerly puff. “I think that Lionel was offering a way into sky citizenship.”
“Even after what he did up there?” I asked folding my arms.
“Like I said. Very powerful.” Falls hummed on his pipe.
“Corrupt scum, all of ‘em. They’ll probably backstab each other down the line and the job will do itself.” I said in a huff, “The less of those airborne arseholes around, the better.”
“You have a right to that point of view, but I still have a job to do, and that job happens to concern the law.” Falls gave me heavy eyes.
“Sounds like Skylander issues to me.” Ruby chortled.
“Me too, and we’ve got shit to do, so if you don’t mind…” I said as I began to turn on my heels.
“This was a sky authority issue until this murder happened right here in Karlsand. Which makes it crime right here in the country of Alvion.” Falls turned to Ruby and then back to me. “I need to know what Lionel is up to, and you seem to have a connection with him, I need to know what he’s up to.”
“I told you, I haven’t seen him since school until yesterday, and it wasn’t exactly a famed reunion of classmates. I had no idea what he was doing then, or any connection to Ellis.”
Falls watched me in silence for a few too many moments and I could feel tension growing between all three of us to an uncomfortable level until he mercifully broke the pause.
“Whatever he or Ellis may be doing is clearly going to be dangerous. If he was after anyone… say… a former teacher. I can’t imagine that would mean good things for her.” Falls' eyes intensified, and I froze on the spot for what felt like a whole minute.
“I…I’m…” I began, thinking back to what Lionel mentioned about Ms. Nasaeala Wynt
“I’m outta here, we aint under arrest, so there’s no keeping us here is there?” Ruby blurted out, breaking me from my spell of recollection.
“You’re both free to go, just try to stay out of trouble Ms Babineux.” Falls murmured before dropping his gaze to a stack of papers on the blood stained desk.
“You…you know who I am!” Ruby exclaimed, sounding like she won first place in the spelling bee. “But…not under arrest?”
I couldn’t believe it, she actually sounded disappointed.
“I’m not a bounty hunter, but I’m not blind to wanted posters. Just keep your business out of this town while I’m here.” Falls advised as he flicked his wrist to motion the guards to let us out. “Be wary, both of you, there's a murderer about.”
As I left the shack I felt as if his eyes were in the back of my head. He knew much more than he let on…but why mention Ms Naesala?
----------------------------------------
Me and Ruby stayed mostly silent on the way back. For me it was due to paranoia, being made aware of how easily conversations could be heard and how it led to Frank’s death. Ruby’s silence was accompanied by a zig-zagged walking pattern as she was semi-frantically checking walls and notice boards for her wanted poster. I asked her not to wander off into any alleyways and she said ‘bite me’. Which to be honest, didn’t sound like a bad idea.
There was a lot to think about when me and Ruby got back to the ship, but thinking would have to wait. By the time I was that door of my captain’s cabin all I was shoving her in as much as she was pulling me. Somehow we found our way back to the desk, which somehow looked even messier than before. Her hand felt like a sweaty clamp on the back of my neck as I hungrily pushed my tongue into her throat. Her moans were muffled through the smacking of lips and I had firm wood by the time she got to my belt buckle. She pushed my face back with my chin clutched in her hand, how a cruel witch would hold a goblet of goat’s blood.
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“You’re no fucking pleb, you’re an animal.” She growled lustfully.
“And you’re a fucking pirate villian,” I sneered as I hastily shuffled my trousers down with one hand, while my other was on her collarbone.
“Legendary pirate villain, dumbass!” Ruby snapped as clasped a hand around me, and guided me inside her in one motion.
Alright, let’s not get too romantic, she shoved me inside her and it felt perfect. She was rough and aggressive with her motions, cursing, pulling, clawing and smacking me into a fever. But her sensation was so slick and inviting I was afraid the thrilling contrast was going to make me peak too early. I wasn’t going to give her that to taunt me with. No sir.
I went to lift up her loose blouse, in a hormone fuelled desire to see her gorgeous breasts again, but had to stop in awe as I felt how tight and firm her stomach was. Ruby was built to perfection, and she was going to be my first mate.
I held out for another 15 minutes or so before I finally spilled, I withdrew so I could blast all over her, but kind of missed and ended up spraying most into a stack of papers I prayed weren’t important. My knees felt like gelatin, I was being held upright by willpower and pride alone, but my vision betrayed me for a few moments while I regained my composure.
Little did I know that those few moments was all the time she needed.
Something that felt like a solid punch put me on my back, and the sound of steel scraping and wood thumping followed. I looked up to a bug-eyed (and still undressed) Ruby pinned to the desk. She had what looked like a sword pointed at her neck.
Well, pointed was an understatement. The blade was pressed against her skin so closely, if the wielder sneezed she'd skewer her throat. But when I looked at the wielder I didn't think that likely.
Obscured by what seemed to be her own personal shadow in an already dinky lit room, I could see a pattern of ornate armour over what looked to be something of a full body tunic. Though it was wide at the trousers leg with a sash around the waist. My mind took a moment to put it together, but it was northeastern in design. It was only when she spoke my suspicions were confirmed.
“Don't move, I have a question to ask you.”
Her voice was calm and measured, but her accent was strong enough to place her. She was from the Kenoi Plains. A region of funding clans just north of Naveros. Given her ability to sneak into my cabin and catch both of us unaware at this speed. I had her figured for one of the region’s famed assassins.
“You're gonna kill me anyway, I ain't tellin’ you shit!” Ruby said through a gulped voice as I spotted her fingers slowly scanning the desk for something to defend herself with.
I was probably in some sort of shock because my body raised into a sitting position on its own and I attempted to reach out to the stranger in negotiation.
“Now hang on, just put down the..”
Whatever sense I had left shut me up when the eerily cool sensation of metal pressed against my own throat. Without even looking at me she had raised a shorter blade to my neck, and had both of us pinned in place, both in front and behind her.
“I won't ask again, don't move. Either of you,” she stated in a cool tone. “I need to know who you are, woman.”
“You bust into a cabin while I'm fuckin’, put a damn blade to my neck and you don't know who I am? You got a funny way of gathering info, bitch.”
“I am here to kill the one named Jacqueline Babineux, until the last few moments of this journey, I thought that was you.”
My eyes grew wide and intense, I was trying to communicate with Ruby without making any sound. As hopeless as I knew it was, I silently begged her to not reveal herself. Use an alias, sound confused and surprised, do anything but proudly announce who you are.
“I’m Ruby Jack, the Red Menace. Jacqueline is a name for the wanted posters, but it's me and the same,” She said with a proud and almost giddy boast. “Stick me here and now, so I can begin my legend in the underworld!”
She didn't even look at me, this is what she'd always wanted and all I could do was close my eyes, I expected her death to be quick, and mine to follow instantly as a witness.
But nothing. Just another moment of tense silence.
“There is an error. Jacqueline Babineux is the captain of the Hell..Manta. This ship has no such name.”
Again I silently begged her to take advantage of the confusion. But I knew she wouldn't.
“Thanks to the fool that cock is attached to behind you, my ship was damaged, crew was killed and was sold off to a dead dwarf. But the Hell Manta was my vessel, so get on with it!”
“I…have failed,” the mysterious stranger said, as she sheathed both blades in a scarily precise motion. “My target is not here.”
Ruby was like a rattlesnake, darting towards the pile of clothes on the floor and snatching the flintlock in the motion of a combat roll. Modesty be damned, she looked very dangerous as she trained the gun on the stranger.
“You had a chance to become a legend off my name, you’re just going to be a page in mine.”
“Do as you will, my fate is sealed either way.”
The stranger dropped her head with her arms loose at her side, seemingly inviting the bullet.
“Wait a minute!” I sprang to my feet in protest. “Why is your fate sealed?”
“Who cares?” Ruby said as she cocked the flintlock hammer.
“You should care, someone was sent after you. Let’s find out who it was!”
Ruby made a ‘hmph’ sound but her stance didn’t shift at all.
Feeling a breeze on my buttocks I awkwardly pulled my trousers up without breaking my stare. The stranger glanced at me curiously and her face became slightly more revealed as she spoke.
“As you can probably tell. I’m not of your land. I hail from the Kenoi Plains,” she said with melancholy.
“No shit, those swords aren’t cutlasses,” Ruby blurted. “Which clan do you run with?”
“I am of the Izaoyi clan. My task to eliminate you was my sparing rite,” she glanced at me before she continued, there was a deep pool of vulnerability in her dark eyes, and it caught me off guard. “In my clan, an act of dishonour usually means execution, but one can take up the sparing-rite to absolve themselves and avoid punishment. Because of the sacred nature of the rite, the specifics are of utmost importance.”
“It wasn’t enough to kill Ruby Jack. You had to kill her as the captain of the ship she was associated with,” I commented softly.
“Just as my name doesn’t exist without my clan, a criminal of the seas and skies has her identity tied to her vessel…it is a sacred association in its own way, isn’t it?”
With her swords sheathed, I could see she was still able to cut Ruby with her question enough for the gun-toting pirate to wince.
“I..I’m still a legend even if I’m in a row boat. I’m not like those other boneheads…I’m the Red…” Ruby stopped herself and began to lower the flintlock. “I’m not a worthy target without my ship to your clan?”
“The target no longer exists, and neither does my chance at absolution. I am to return to my clan and face execution. Honour demands it.”
“You don’t seem thrilled about that act of Honour…” I said as softly as possible.
“Honour isn’t to be thrilled about, it is to be…accepted,” she turned to Ruby with both arms raised. “With your permission I will leave, or would you rather I die here?”
“Tsssk…you’re a dead woman walking, I won’t waste the bullet. Off with you,” Ruby spat before attempting to find her clothes.
“Thank you, and I am sorry for interrupting your…activity,” she said graciously with a distinctly foreign bow.
“Hang on, What exactly caused your dishonour in the first place? Why did you have to do the rite?” I asked, with more curiosity than sense.
“It is quite embarrassing, but I am sure I have caused you embarrassment with my entrance…I killed my husband.”
Ruby chortled and snorted simultaneously, I attempted a follow up question but it only came out as a gasp.
“Heh….he dishonour the laundry?”
“No he was an upstanding man, but I didn’t want to marry him so we agreed to a duel.”
“You…duelled your husband, ever heard of a divorce?”
“Such a practice doesn’t exist in the Izayoi customs. My family is of noble lineage, and our marriages are arranged. However all citizens have a right to duel for their wishes, within reason. My husband didn’t want to marry me either, he had no objections and suggested we duel after our ceremonies.”
“You duelled your husband the day you married him?” I asked in disbelief.
“We were married for around 50 minutes before our duel,” she answered.
“But it didn’t work out for him…despite his enthusiasm,” Ruby snarked.
“He was an average swordsman, but he took great pride in his ability with the hand-sickles. I think he believed he would have the advantage over me if I was made to use such an odd weapon. My reputation with the dual sword style precedes me.”
“Modest…so he lost the sickle fight?”
“In under 2 minutes. I cut his fingers off, and his head shortly followed, there didn’t seem to be any pain. In total I wasn’t even married for an hour,” she explained calmly. “However, despite my victory, my late husband’s brother didn’t take the result well. Within a few days he brought charges that I poisoned my husband before the duel, therefore giving myself an unfair advantage.”
“Poison? Seems like something an assassin would be familiar with,” I queried.
“For most, yes. But I’m not actually an assassin by trade, and anyone I had to kill wasn’t beyond the challenge of my blades. But evidence was planted, false witnesses were paid and I was forced to complete this task.”
“They sent you after Ruby? Why her?”
“Yeah, this is the part I want to know!”
Ruby adjusted herself like a student waiting to hear a good story in class.
“Ms Babineux was known to have a fast airship, a very large crew, and her fighting skills have been described as formidable. For a non-assassin like myself, I would imagine the task was thought to be almost impossible. My former brother-in-law is very wealthy and probably had some say in the target.”
“He’s got good taste, if nothing else!” Ruby exclaimed, with a glowing smile. “How much about my exploits did they know? Did they tell you the story of when I boarded the Iron Rascal off the coast of Ispar? I fought 3 of Dale Cheswicks men off before I-”
“No details were given, I’m afraid,” she interrupted mercifully.
“Well they clearly didn’t account for your tracking and infiltration skills…Ms…?”
“Uhm it is Miska, Miska Kotori. My title of blood regent has been stripped so I have no prefix.”
It was that moment she came into view, almost as if she willed her own visibility. She was of slightly above average height, I’d place her around 5’8. She was covered in a body suit which was mostly dark cloth material which was a see-through mesh on her arms above the elbow. Some pieces of harder armour material seem to be placed in an irregular pattern around her torso. A single shoulder plate, a diagonal half-breast-mail, studded greaves clasped tightly around her shins leaving the material around her calves some notable room. One part of her body that wasn’t completely covered was her waist. It wasn’t clear with the lighting, but I could make out a half showing abdomen, tense with toned muscle.
I didn’t understand her outfit aside from the dark clothing…but I liked it.
She turned her head, and once again, the visibility of her increased to an unnatural degree. It was as if she had a veil that she lifted by magic. Hell, maybe it was magic, probably still practised outside of Alvion. Her eyes caught me first, sharp like daggers with a pointed intent. It was the look of a killer for sure, but there was also a look of curiosity that offset the cold determination. Also her irises, they were very dark, almost black. But they had the faintest accent of a bold blue colour. It was like staring into an exotic metal. Two braids of jet-black hair snaked out of her small hood contrasting with her ghostly pale complexion.
Her face was very slim, but not gaunt, and she held a subtle and refined beauty that she kept in firm order with a neutral expression. Her slightly pouted lips contrasted the rest of her solid features with a hint of softness. At this point I was clearly staring, and Ruby’s cynical rasp broke me out of it.
“Miska...you liked what you walked in on? You could have postponed your duel a little longer and got something out of that wedding, don’t you think?”
“I…was…I’m sorry for the intrusion. I’ll take my leave,” Miska said in a hurried and bashful voice.
“You get a good look at his rod? He’d probably let you join the ship for a bit of tickle-tackle.” Ruby’s eyes were wild with mischief as she spoke her nonsense confidently.
“Tickle-Tack…Oh?” Miska turned her head to the floor. “I didn’t realise this is how crew recruitment worked…”
“It isn’t! I protested with a hot itchy throat, she’s being a fool. I did have some more questions about who sent you though, maybe we could talk-”
And like a trick of the light she was already gone, It wasn’t quite before my eyes, but I didn’t register any movement until she was already out of view. I swore it must be magic, but it’s possible it was like a sleight of hand…extended to the whole body.
“She’s gone ‘Cap’n’ stick to fistfights if you want some, cause you can’t flirt worth a damn!”
“I wasn’t! I wanted to know who knows about this ship, who you or I are, where we are going…where we-mmph!”
Once again I was taken by surprise, Ruby had closed the gap and shoved an aggressive kiss in the way of my protest.
“Mmm, if you weren’t flirting with her…then why are you packing heat already?” She said, squeezing me firmly to confirm. “Maybe watching the legendary red menace point a flintlock with her tits out is all it took?”
The reality was it was probably a mix of both women, but I suddenly didn’t want to break the mood with that kind of honesty. Sadly, honesty seemed to be all Ruby knew.
“You feel that…pleb?” Her tongue flicked around one of my ears and pressed the flintlock barrel harshly against the other.
“Upstairs or downstairs?” I snarked, somehow managing not to gulp.
“I could blow your brains out right now, take the shield and the ship, asshole. What do you think of that?” She purred.
“I think you need to stick to fistfighting. Because you can’t flirt worth a damn.” I said before sealing her lips with my own.
And with that we were on the floor again, and somehow made an even bigger mess of the one we were in. Literally…and maybe figuratively too.