The world was filled with oddities.

Some could be officers, and yet want nothing more than throw their rank in their commander’s face, and stalk off. Some could be children, and yet, in their naivety, know more about the workings of the world than sages, with a century of learning behind them. And some could be murderers, and yet be tender and carrying around those closest to them.

None of those situations exactly filled the moment’s paradox, and yet, the last of those three examples was quite close to the current truth.

Casari was a demon, perhaps the greatest who had ever lived. Perhaps the greatest who would ever live. And yet, that did not stop Alsi from closing in on him.

As a day had passed since Casari’s takeover of the Wretched, and then another, Alsi had found herself growing ever closer to him. To it. To him.

And now, at the twilight of the second day, the sensations reached their climax.

In Alsi’s bedroom, alone, the two of them were together, even as Darksail competently directed the ship to port.

Alone. And doing all the things that were implied.

Casari had not forced himself on her. Indeed, things had happened almost as opposite. Alsi had needed some way to find a grip on events around her, and now, had found one. It had all been her idea.

Of course, Casari had not shied away from the prospect, but neither had he been forward. He had been modest.

But now, they were together.

Alsi knew she had no way to penetrate Casari’s web of lies. She had no way to learn if his statements were true or false, if the words he uttered between kisses were honest, or calculated.

But this was the only way she could get to him, at least, in the tiniest fashion. This was the only way Alsi knew how. And indeed, Casari was not making things unpleasant. Quite the opposite.

Alsi wondered if this was love, or passion, or neither, or both. And while she wondered, time elapsed. The rhythmic motion went on, slowing, speeding up, reaching a crescendo, and…

And then it all began to end. Slowly, but nevertheless, it all began to end.

No longer panting, but still on her back, Alsi felt Casari’s form beside her. Not above her, anymore. Beside her.

“My lord?” Alsi asked. She had long since adopted the title the former prisoners used for Casari, if not out of respect, out of a lack of any idea what else to call him.

“Yes, Alsi?”

“How did you break from the crystal that held you?”

It was a daring question, one that came from the darkness of Alsi’s heart and mind, one that she never would have dared ask, had not what had transpired taken place.

“There was luck involved, I suppose,” said Casari, beginning his answer. “Luck that, for me, was a long time coming, and a long time overdue. But I do not credit my escape to the fates. I credit it to those who thought me long since disposed of, had forgotten about me, and, in attempting to find a solution to another problem, inadvertently set me free.”

Alsi was confused. “Can you explain that?” she asked.

“I do not know all the pieces to the puzzle myself,” said Casari. “Indeed, while I may appear learned, my knowledge is but a bucket of water, out of the vast sea of all there is to know. But I will try to explain.

“For a thousand years, was trapped, and when I was suddenly freed, I knew not what had happened, I knew not why. Eventually, I discovered that my freedom had been a result of the actions of the Nari. Their inadvertent actions, I know now, even though I let them mislead me, for a time, into letting me believe that they were truly on my side.” Casari’s words were dark, as he paused.

“Is that what you wanted to know?”

Alsi nodded in the darkness. “Yes,” she said.

“Why did you care to ask?” came the voice, as predictable as it was blunt.

The truth was, Alsi wasn’t entirely sure. She had been given the opportunity to ask one question of Casari, one question of his past, and she had asked one without truly giving it thought or measure. Her answer was as much for her own benefit, as it was for Casari.

“I guess, I just wanted to understand you better.”

“And have you?” asked Casari. “The question you asked was trivial, compared to the net sum of what I am.”

“I feel I understand you better,” said Alsi, “in a tiny, infinitesimal way.”

“That, I suppose, is better than knowing nothing,” said Casari.

Alsi inclined her head in agreement, though she knew he could not see her.

As she did so, she felt as if a great burden had been passed from her shoulders. She felt as if what had happened only moments before was now over, and now well and completely gone for good.

Alsi half-expected, more than that, in truth, for Casari to get up then, don a robe, and leave her, transaction complete.

And yet, he did not.

Casari stayed right where he was, even there was no more carnal pleasure to be gained.

As Alsi quieted, so did he.

That night, she fell asleep beside him.

***

Morning broke, through the tiny window, lapped by the waves. This day would be a special day, Alsi knew.

For this was the day that Darksail had made clear the Wretched would make port in Nishae.

This was the day that Casari’s plan, whatever it was, would be revealed.

Alsi twisted.

Casari still lay in bed beside her. His eyes were still closed. Her gaze woke him though, and woke him in short order. Either that, or he had just now dropped the pretense of sleep.

Casari got out of bed. He was not modest as he dressed, but in what seemed like mere moments, Casari’s scattered clothing and black leather armor was worn once more. He was fully clothed, in what seemed like mere moments.

Alsi was conscious of how, under the covers, she was naked.

“Come to the deck,” he said. “It will be an interesting day, today.” Casari swept out of the room, then, in short order.

Alsi got up, and got dressed, rather slowly. She felt as if her insides were shivering, and forced herself to stop overanalyzing Casari’s every action. What will happen will happen, and there’s nothing I can do in any case, so why worry?

For no particular conscious reason, except perhaps in a final nod to what she had once been, Alsi put on a Makini uniform, without the insignia. Pure black, she wore, as Casari did. So perhaps, it was a nod to him, too.

Dressed, Alsi made her way through the halls of the ship, up to the deck. Convicts filled the halls, as well, going about whatever their morning business happened to be. However, as she passed by them, they backed away from her, as if worried that an accidental brush against her frame would be considered molestation.

For all the thugs knew that Alsi was under Casari’s protection, and they knew that the last of them to defy him had ended up dead in short order. Alsi was under the protection of a demon. She couldn’t quite get over how odd that was.

On the deck, Casari was communicating with Darksail, by the bow. Alsi came over.

Casari greeted her with an oddly warm look, even as Darksail, who had formerly been talking, fell silent. Even though Darksail was the most noble of the convicts by far, not including Ralad, it was quite clear he didn’t like her. And Alsi couldn’t take back the things she had done to him, when she had been an interrogator, so she was helpless to prevent his opinion.

“We will reach Nishae, this night, as twilight approaches,” said Casari.

Darksail was silent, for a moment. Too silent. Finally he spoke up again. “Forgive me, my lord, but you still have not spoken of you plan. And while you might not be in danger, waltzing the Wretched into Nishae Harbor will most likely get all of your loyal servants killed.”

“I know that,” said Casari, as an odd sort of smile crept upon his face. “But do not worry, Darksail. So long as you put your trust in me, you will remain safe. I have a plan.”

Those words reverberated throughout the rest of the day, as breakfast time passed, and then, so did lunchtime. The ship was heading into port, and every last one of the thugs knew that. They hoped that Casari, their god, had a plan that would bring them all great fortune, but the truth was, all on the ship were worried.

As the day began to fade, and a smudge of land was spotted on the horizon, Casari formed a council at the bow of the ship, of those closest to him. At the very prow was Casari himself, the owl Talon on his right shoulder. To his right was Darksail, for all the world looking like a muted, more rugged version of Casari himself. To Casari’s left was Priest-Lord Ralad, who had found a small Symbol somewhere on the ship, and grasped it even now, muttering prayers. And opposite Casari, stood Alsi, herself.

“Tonight is a night that will be forgotten in history,” said Casari. “And yet, tonight is a night that is crucial to the lives of us all. You who are around me, owl, priest, interrogator, pirate, you all together, form a strange circle. And yet, you are my circle. You four are the ones who have come to stand near me, as chaos encircles the land. You four are my greatest allies, and I know how odd that is for me to say. I…”

He trailed off, as Ralad lurched out of his place in the circle, towards Casari, holding his Symbol high.

“Avasedia, delmar!” shouted Ralad, as his eyes glowed white, in contrast to the fading sun. The Symbol glowed as well, basking Casari in a holy glow. For a tiny brief moment, Alsi thought Ralad’s last ditch assault would destroy Casari, and that would be that.

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She should have known better.

Even as the light began to fade from both Ralad and his Symbol, even as the energy he had expended was used up, and the older man fell to his knees, Casari stood at the prow of the ship, by the gargoyle, as steadfast as always. He seemed to not have even been hurt by the attack.

Casari’s eyes shone gray, as he watched the unwilling Ralad fall to his knees before him.

In another moment, Darksail, Casari’s shadow, had drawn his sword, and taken a step towards Ralad.

But Casari’s voice rang out. “Let the priest be.”

Darksail withdrew, and sheathed his sword, but with a confused look on his face. Casari elaborated.

“Ralad did not hurt me,” said the demon, looking at the weak and pathetic man at his feet, struggling to get up. “He did not even come close. He only hurt himself. Would you kill a man for punching himself in the face?”

Even as he spoke, Ralad finally made it back to his feet, and his whole body grunted with the effort of keeping himself there.

“Why did you try to kill me?” asked Casari, lightly.

“I’m…I’m an exorcist,” said Ralad. “I had to try something. I couldn’t just let you loose all the murderers here, upon the world again.” He glanced back at the former prisoners, who were even now manning the ship, and heading it for Nishae, amidst a chorus of light hearted shouts.

Casari looked at him. “I understand why you did what you did,” said the demon. “If I had been in your position, I may well have done the same thing.”

“What now?” asked Ralad, wearily.

“We pretend that what just happened never did,” said Casari. “You were never a threat to me, and, in your current state, you are a threat to no one else, either. Assured that you cannot interfere with my plans, I will forgive you.”

Ralad nodded. There was a confused look on the priest’s face, but he seemed to not want to press his luck. That, and it seemed that most of Ralad’s effort, at the moment, was devoted to standing.

“Now,” said Casari ably changing the topic, “I was saying that the four of you here, are the ones closest to me. Even after the attempted mutiny, those words are still the truth. We will reach Nishae in another half of an hour. When this ship begins to dock in the port, return to this prow. You will see what my plan is, then. But for now, disperse.”

And disperse they did. The meeting broken up, Talon flew off, and Darksail headed back to the center of the ship, to take a more active role as captain. Ralad headed below decks, no doubt to the room Casari had provided him, as a step up from the cell, so that he could rethink his actions.

That only left Casari, and Alsi.

“Go,” he said. “There are things I need to do, away from prying eyes.”

And so, Alsi turned, and headed back to her small room. Like Ralad, there were things she needed to think about.

Alsi felt the need to devote time to abstract wondering, about where Casari’s plan was, in the end, going to lead.

As Alsi felt the ship begin to slow, she got up from her chair, and looked about the small room, that had been hers for several months. Whatever Casari’s plan was, Alsi was rather sure she would not return here.

There was nothing to take. There was nothing she wanted. And so, Alsi left the small room, closed the door behind her, and headed for the deck.

What had been a faint smudge of land in the distance was now easily distinguishable as a city, and coastline. As the former prisoners, all around her, sailed the ship closer and closer to the wharfs, Alsi quietly headed to the prow of the Wretched, just as Casari had said.

Interestingly, there was another who had reached the prow first. It was Ralad. He leaned against the back of the gargoyle, and held his head in his hands. His white priest robes trailed around him, and the Symbol was around his neck.

Undaunted, Alsi approached, and Ralad looked up.

“I suppose you wonder why I am here,” he asked her.

Alsi nodded.

“In a strange way,” said Ralad, “the demon Casari has reminded me of humility. There is no reason to go down with the ship, even if I have been embarrassed. Having tried to kill him not even an hour ago, now put my fate in his hands. How odd.”

“I know why you did what you did,” said Alsi.

Ralad nodded now, even as he sighed. “It is hard to remain with a shred of dignity, now,” he said. “My act was even less than a failure. It might even have been funny. I should have known I would not have the power to go up against a legendary demon.”

“Remember what you said before, to me, that first night, after Casari took the ship,” said Alsi. “Remember when you said that things are not simple. You may have lost now, but things are far from over. You do not know which way fate turns.”

“Which side are you on, anyway?” asked Ralad, still not raising his head to look at her.

“Casari’s,” said Alsi, with only a moment of hesitation. “I do not know the truth of all the things he has done, nor would I want to know, but I know a few things. He kept me alive when he did not have to, and he did the same with you. He showed us mercy.”

“If you read the texts, girl,” said Ralad, “you would not think as such. Mercy and Casari do not go hand in hand. Once, he--”

“Stop,” said Alsi, and Ralad obediently quieted. “I am broken down to almost nothing now,” she said, “and I am trying to hold onto my sanity, in a world that seems to increasingly lack all semblance of such.”

Alsi was afraid that Ralad would go on anyway, reveal the truth, and allow Alsi to bask in the knowledge of what the thing was truly, that she had shared her bed with last night.

But Ralad said nothing.

Alsi quietly thanked him for it.

She knew her life, as it was, was set on a path that would end in horror, of one sort of another. But she had no desire to peak at what was down that line. At least, not anymore.

Darksail made his way to the prow a few minutes later. He came as the ship was all but docked, even as the sun was all but fallen. A last few remnants of blue lingered in the sky, but that was all.

Darksail took note of his company, then cast a worried look at them. “I hope Casari comes soon,” he said. “Otherwise…” He paused. “Well, see for yourselves. Look out, over the railing.”

Alsi did, and, a moment later, Ralad forced himself to move from his position too look with her, with weary eyes.

Alsi saw that, in a few moments, the Wretched was to set down its gangplank. The ship was all but anchored in Nishae’s harbor. There were a variety of readily apparent reasons why this would seem to be a bad idea.

Firstly, a variety of ships were heading around the Wretched, to block any of its paths to escape.

“Scout ships saw us,” said Darksail. “They saw this ship, they knew that all communications with it had been cut off some days ago, and they correctly assumed the worst.”

But the Makini warrior ships were not all. Those ships were merely what was keeping the Wretched penned in the harbor. Penned, to face the warriors that waited on the docks.

For a hundred Makini soldiers waited on the wharfs, armored, and with drawn swords. Behind them, even more militia stood. The moment the Wretched set its gangplank down, a hundred warriors stood ready to cleave the murderers into pieces, even as they set their feet upon dry land.

It was a classic pincer trap. Even if convicts jumped ship, the Makini, who completely encircled the Wretched, would simply pull their trap ever tighter, until those who were in the water were found, and killed.

Alsi had to applaud whoever had set it all up. There must not have been all that much notice.

However, she also had to fear. Alsi knew policy stated that, in the event of convicts taking over a prison ship, all crew were to be assumed dead, and steps would be taken off of that assumption.

Alsi would most likely be mistaken for a convict, and killed, if she remained here.

Glancing about everything, Darksail said, “It’s times like these that make me wish I had faith in God.”

“It is never too late to discover him, my son,” said Ralad.

“It is for me,” came Darksail’s reply. “Our fate rests in the hands of a demon, now.”

“May God preserve us,” said the priest.

With a surprising amount of respect, Darksail added, “I agree.”

“There is no need to fall back on blind hope, just yet,” came a voice.

Alsi, Ralad, and Darksail all whirled around. Casari had come up from behind them, quiet, and unbeknownst to all. Talon, which sat on his shoulder, hooted happily.

“Who needs God,” Casari continued, with a hint of dark humor, “when you have my vaunted plan?”

There was silence.

“Good to see you’ve decided to come along, Ralad,” Casari added, glancing at the priest.

Ralad acknowledged Casari’s words with a grim look.

“So, how do you intend to get us all out of this mess?” asked Darksail.

“I don’t,” said Casari.

“What?” said Darksail, immediately. “I’ve stood by you, since the beginning. I have no desire to get carved up into fish bait!”

“Whoever said I was going to betray you?” asked Casari. “I never betray anyone. However, I never pledged anything to the murdering masses who roam the rest of this ship.”

And suddenly, Alsi realized Casari’s plan. Perhaps it was because she had wanted to see the best in him, that you caught on first. “So, you’re going to take us four off the Wretched, and leave the rest of the convicts to their deserved fates.”

Casari smiled a grim smile. “Exactly.”

It was at that moment, that one of the convicts rushed up their group at the prow, from behind.

It was the humpback Amzu murderer. Gritch.

“We all want to know, my lord,” said the man, speaking to Casari, but looking at Alsi in a way that made it seem his eyes were undressing her. “What now?”

Casari spoke in a high-tongued voice. “Set down the gangplank,” he said, “and swarm off the ship. Makini will be slaughtered tonight. I guarantee it.”

An ugly smile, one with not quite all the teeth, gripped Gritch’s face. “We will attack them then,” he said. “With your blessing, we will not lose.” He then turned, and shuffled away.

When Gritch was out of hearing distance, Casari spoke again. “What he doesn’t realize, is that nine out of ten former prisoners on this ship are Makini.”

“You--” said Darksail.

“I told Gritch what he wanted to hear,” said Casari. “And I did it without lying. Your life will not be one of those taken to night. And, thusly, hold your tongue.”

And Darksail did. His mouth worked, as he gripped with the horror of how coolly and easily Casari had sent Gritch and his fellows off to their doom, but, nevertheless, he stayed silent.

“What are we waiting for now?” asked Alsi.

“We will escape, when those around us are distracted,” said Casari. “We will wait until the slaughter begins. Now, let us watch.”

Casari leaned over the side of the railing, head tilted to where the gangplank, even now, was being lowered off the side of the ship. It touched down amidst a clump of battle hardened Makini, on the wharfs. They set into more complete fighting stances.

And then, the slaughter began. Alsi took a step forward, despite herself, and Darksail did the same.

As she watched, a small group of the convicts, including Gritch, rushed down the gangplank, brandishing swords.

The undisciplined murderers rushed at the waiting Makini, and, in short order, they were all cut down.

Then the Makini surged forward, up the gangplank, even as the convicts formed a counter surge to stop them. On that gangplank, former prisoner after former prisoner died, and fell into the sea. The Makini slowly pushed forward, their numbers unscathed.

Alsi swallowed hard. She knew that, in theory, all the murderers and rapists on the ship truly deserved nothing less, but, to watch them be cut down like that; it was sickening.

They had trusted Casari to lead them to salvation, but he had no qualms about betraying them, as he had never explicitly said he would save them.

Casari was a dark mockery of God, indeed.

A moment later, Casari looked away, and Darksail and Alsi did likewise.

“It is time to go,” he said, even as the first Makini forced their way upon the ship’s deck, and the convicts, having given up all hope that Casari would save them, tried their best to fight back. From the elevated bow, Alsi watched all this occur, below.

From his waist, Casari withdrew a long, coiled rope. As those around him watched, he tied on end tightly around the gargoyle’s neck, and flung the other end into the water. The far end reached the water, and made the tiniest of splashes, but the Makini warriors, too preoccupied with dealing with the last of the prisoners, did not hear it.

Quick as a cat, Casari sprang from the gargoyle, to the rope. He reached up a hand, and helped Darksail above him. The pair snaked down on the rope, to make more room for others, and then Ralad was helped, followed by Alsi.

The bow of the ship rose many, many feet above the water, and having her be the last of the four, made Alsi feel like she was in danger of being forgotten. As they all, slowly, edged down the swaying rope, as the owl Talon, which could have flown off, stubbornly stayed along for the ride, on Casari’s shoulder, Alsi’s heart pounded.

But then, Casari made it in the water, then Darksail, then Ralad, and then her. At the front of the massive prison carrack the Wretched, they all treaded water.

The wharfs were nearby, but the boots of Makini met them at eye level. The soldiers were all staring elsewhere, but it seemed as if it would be folly to head to the wharf, to the dozens upon dozens of boots waited, boots that belonged to the Makini who formed the ring around the ship.

“Dive,” muttered Casari.

And they all did.

Casari and Darksail, obviously, had the easiest time of it, and they helped Ralad and Alsi along. She had no idea were Talon had gone, now, but Alsi was rather sure Talon had not stayed along for the adventure, underwater. However, with the dark sea pressing in all around her, Alsi’s eyes were more or less useless, so she had no idea, in truth.

She just concentrated on holding her breath, and allowing a hand, the hand of either Casari or Darksail, to pull her along, as she paddled her feet.

Perhaps half a minute later, the four of them surfaced.

Alsi saw a roof of wooden panels, mere inches above their heads, and so, momentarily, she was confused. But then, as she saw the flats of boots above, she realized that they had swam under the wharfs. The Makini guards were above them.

Alsi had a fleeting desire to call out, to alert the men that more escapees were below them, but she held her mouth shut.

While she might have been one of the Makini military once, she was no longer the guards’ ally. She was Casari’s, and if she called out, she was rather sure he would not make things pleasant for her.

And so, Alsi continued to peaceably tread water.

She looked around, through the near darkness, the light of the stars being mostly blocked out by the wooden planks above them. Somehow, it seemed, Talon was back on Casari’s shoulder, and not at all wet.

As Alsi turned to look at Casari, so did Darksail, and so did Ralad. They were all waiting for him to make his next move.

“We will wait here, for a while,” said Casari. “And then, when the soldiers disperse, we will be able to enter the city of Nishae.”

And so, Alsi treaded water, feeling her joints begin to slowly cramp up, and pacing herself, for she knew she would have to continue to do this, for a long time yet. And as she paced herself, Alsi heard the noises of clashing swords, of convicts abandoning ship, and diving into the water.

But, louder than both those noises, she heard the screams.