image [https://i.imgur.com/3cQT5iK.png]

THE INVITATION

"I've never had such a popular tenant." The landlord said, trying his best to make it sound like an insult. Monte could count on one hand the number of deliveries he'd received in the years of his life prior to this one.

Once, when he was young, relatives living in another town sent a care package around the holidays. The same relatives sent a congratulatory card when he finished primary school.

Around the same time, he came to find a letter on the family table waiting for him. This was the delivery that had changed the course of his life. Inside the official envelope embossed with a now familiar red wax insignia, was his formal admission letter into the Guard academy.

Monte didn't know how to respond to his landlord, so he simply thanked him. Then he took the letter, not quite as official-looking as the acceptance letter but still an obviously fine piece of stationery and went upstairs.

The cat hardly stirred when he came inside. She had draped herself languidly in the windowsill and was enjoying a nap in the heat of the afternoon sun. She simply lifted her head to acknowledge him, her bell stayed silent.

I wish we could trade places.

He sat down on the edge of the bed. The cot mattress was nothing too luxurious but feeling it give way to him brought on an urge to swing his feet up and join the cat. The past few months had been trying, exhausting even. His attempt to track the Company and learn more about his father's mysterious death had turned up plenty of information. Still, he felt no closer to a satisfying resolution.

His coin allowance from the Clockmaker was spent. Requests to track down Company activity from his Guard classmates had dried up. Every morning, he left his room and headed to a shift at the docks fileting the fresh catch for the market. Every afternoon, he raked out the Guard stables like he used to do when he aspired to the Academy.

After each shift he stopped by Guard Headquarters, hoping for an assignment. Every face he met returned his gaze with pity. Monte was tired.

Absently, Monte had opened the envelope and was now staring at the letter. He started to read.

> Monte,

>

>

> I'm going on a stag trip. Over the water to where I'm from. Hoping to get away from it all before the big day. I would love for you to come with me. I'll be in the Capitol in six days. Meet me at the port at three bells if you can make it.

>

>

>

> I know what you're thinking. Just come mate.

>

>

> I'll see you in a few days,

>

> -Karth

Karth was his old buddy from the Academy. They had a chance encounter in the past year while Monte was tracking down the Company. Karth was a Guard member now, and had changed posts so he was working in the town he grew up in. The innkeeper in the town, Neera, was an old flame. The two of them were engaged to be married in a few months.

Monte was touched by the invitation, but his first response was that he had to decline. He checked the post date of the letter, then looked at the small calendar he kept on his wall. Karth's invitation was dated six days ago exactly.

Monte glanced at the cat and saw that his feet had somehow made it up onto the bed. He couldn't possibly go on a trip right now. Who would feed the cat? What would the foreman at the dock say? Monte read over the letter again.

I know what you're thinking.

Karth and Monte had been fast friends at the Academy. Together they had worked through the most difficult time in either of their lives together. Monte had no doubt Karth was telling the truth when he penned those words.

I'm not packed, there is no way I can make it.

Outside, the bell tolled three long peals. Monte shot up in the bed. His pack was always ready to go, just in case something came up. It wasn't packed for a pleasure trip, but it would have to do.

There was no time to pull up the floorboards and retrieve his father's sword. He had been keeping it well hidden since the recent encounters with the Company. It had become clear the sword itself was an object of desire. It had also become clear the Company had no problem using violence to steal it from Monte. It would have to stay here.

Monte scooped the pack up off the ground and put his hand on this doorknob. Just then he heard the tinkling of a small bell. He didn't turn around. Monte had heard the bell thousands of times since the collar had been attached to the cat, and he could tell when she was playful, bored, hungry. What he had just heard was plainly annoyance, bordering on anger.

"Come on then." Monte said. And he felt her jump onto his pack and curl up.

Karth won't mind.

Monte shouted something about being away for a while to the landlord on his way out the door. The man's response gave the impression he was neither surprised nor pleased. Once on the street Monte walked as quickly as he could in the direction of the port. Karth had told him to meet at three bells, and that had only just happened.

I should have some time to spare.

Monte had no time to spare. As he turned the corner past the building he'd been cutting fish in earlier that morning, he saw the boat. Men in all white uniforms were lifting the planks. Great oars began to extend from the hull and dip into the sea. Monte broke into a run that woke the cat, he felt her claws dig in around his collar.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Wait! Wait up! Hold the boat!" Monte felt like a fool shouting to the men. He knew he didn’t look like someone who belonged on a vessel headed for the Jeweled City. The deckhands agreed with Monte, and made no indication they would stop their work.

Monte gripped the straps of his pack and ran at full tilt towards the gangway, which was slowly being pulled back. He ran out onto it, watching the gap to the ship widen, and at the last possible minute, he jumped.

With both hands he caught the edge of the boat. The cat leapt from his pack onto the deck of the ship. Monte had caused a huge commotion from the people on shore and on the boat. For good reason, they believed a stowaway had just successfully made it aboard. His grip was slowly withering away, and he attempted to pull himself up but was struggling. If he fell into the harbor waters, he would make it back to shore. Still, he would rather not be soaking wet when he did it.

Just then he felt a strong grip around his wrist. Monte looked up and saw Karth smiling at him. With help from his old friend, Monte pulled himself up onto the deck of the boat.

"Welcome aboard! I didn't think you'd make it. That was some show!" Karth said, still holding Monte's wrists.

"Thanks. I'll explain later." Monte replied. He was still shaken by the close call.

"No need. Just glad to see you." Karth was genuine, and immediately Monte knew why.

Standing behind Karth, looking as shaken up as Monte felt, were Karth's parents. His father looked pristine a crisp white set of clothing, clearly purchased for the event of this boat trip. His mother was already wrapped in one of the intricate and colorful wrap gowns traditionally worn in the Jeweled City.

Neither of them looked as happy as their son did to see Monte. Karth's mother pulled up the hem of her dress and stepped back in disgust as the cat attempted to rub her legs in greeting.

"You didn't mention your parents were coming." Monte said, trying to keep it under his breath as he pulled Karth into a half hug and freed his wrist again.

"It wasn't my plan, but you know how they are. They said they wanted to come to see Pavani. They'll leave us alone." Karth hissed through gritted teeth, patting Monte on the back harder than was called for.

Monte knew that Karth knew it was a lie. Had Monte arrived at the appropriate time for the departure of the vessel, he might have seen Karth's parents and invented a convenient excuse to excuse himself. Karth had left them out of the note on purpose. It wasn't that they were bad people, they weren't. However, they had always refused to hide their distaste for Monte, even in his presence. Karth maintained they acted this way around everyone.

I'm here for my friend, not me, and not them.

Monte took in a deep breath of salty air and stretched his arms. He took in the unending horizon off the bow of the ship.

It hadn't been long, but he was determined to relax and leave his life in the Capitol behind. To forget about the Company, and his father. He wanted to leave it all behind for a while.

The ship had left the harbor only moments before, but already in the distance Monte could see the hazy impression of another land. Something else caught his eye as he scanned the water. Three sailed ships sat just to the west of their ship's path.

"What are those ships?" He asked Karth, as he pointed out their subtle silhouettes.

Everyone who could hear his question turned to look.

"Oh no…" Karth's father spoke up. Monte watched Karth's mother use one hand to cover her mouth, and the other to pull on her husbands' sleeve.

"Pirates trawl this crossing from time to time, it's true. But we're in no danger today!" Monte heard the voice from behind him, it was one of the white-suited deckhands. Monte studied the man's face and concluded neither of them believed the words.

"Pirates?" Karth asked him.

"Your mother and I have heard stories about them. They board ships and steal everything they can get their hands on. These pirates are the scourge of the Abbas lately." Karth's father spoke in his distinct accent.

And I thought I was leaving the Company behind.

Monte cursed himself for not taking the extra seconds to pack his sword. If they were boarded he would need to defend himself somehow. Then he realized that would have meant missing the boat altogether, and he cursed himself again.

"Those ships will cause us no harm today. Their mainsails are trimmed for coasting, and with our oars working like they do, no pirate can catch us." A man had approached them and spoke up.

Monte noticed this man's white uniform had some decoration and his hat looked different. In the Guard, everyone wears the same uniform, so there is no obvious hierarchy. On this ship it was clear this man was in charge.

"But the oars are unclean, aren't they. Who's to say they wouldn't give us up?" Karth's mother protested. To Monte it seemed like a planned act, and she was simply reading the lines for her part.

"There is nothing to worry about. Let's get you some drinks for the rest of the journey, shall we?" The ship captain said.

The expressions on the faces of Karth's parents and the other handful of people milling about on the deck changed with the captain's words. Karth didn't look convinced but must have been pleased his parents were. Everyone but the two old friends followed the captain into the cabin of the ship.

"The unclean?" Monte asked Karth as soon as the two of them were alone again.

"Members of the underclass. I hope the captain's right. I don't feel like killing any pirates today." Karth said with a smile.

Monte wanted to know more about these unclean but knew Karth was still nervous about the pirates. He decided to drop it for now. Karth was never the one who got them into trouble at the academy, that was Monte. Fortunately, Karth was the one who could usually get them out of it.

The last time the two men met, the circumstances had been different. Monte was at the beginning of his string of encounters with the Company and was nearly killed. Karth was acting in his official capacity as a Guard. Then, they barely had any time to catch up. Monte was glad to receive Karth's invitation. Now, they were already slipping back into the familiarity they once had with each other.

"Might loosen some of those people up though" Monte grumbled. Then he broke and laughed a little. Both the men were smiling now.

"My parents could use it huh?" Karth said, turning to peer inside the cabin at his parents mingling with the other wealthy passengers.

The two of them walked around the deck catching up and retelling old stories. Half an hour at most has passed when a deckhand brought each of them a flagon of strong, cold ale. Its effects, combined with the breeze from the open sea, had them tossing barbs and joking like the old friends they were. It was what both men needed.

Finally, Monte asked the question that had been knocking around in the back of his mind since he read the letter.

"Karth, why did you invite me on this trip? Why me instead of Neera?" Monte asked. Monte thought he knew the answer, but he needed to hear it from Karth.

His friend looked down at his feet for a few moments. Monte could feel him trying to come up with an answer Monte would believe.

"She couldn't take time off from the Inn. Says it's too important for the community to close up, even for a week." Karth offered the explanation.

"The real reason." Monte interjected. Karth's eyes went wide, and he let out a nervous laugh. Monte had been to the Inn himself, there were plenty of staff to keep things running without Neera there. Monte watched Karth glance back at his parents again. He looked back out toward the water and was about to speak again when his eyes went wide.

"Pirates off the port bow!" A deckhand cried.

Monte turned in time to see one of the pirate ships sail menacingly towards the path of their boat. At a distance the pirate ships looked tiny and harmless. From so close Monte could see they were large and festooned with cannons. From inside the cabin, Monte heard a commotion as the guests noticed the ship coming so close.

"We need full speed below! Full speed!" Another deckhand yelled.

The deck swarmed with white-clad deckhands. They clearly were ready for such an occasion. One of them wheeled out a chest and began distributing swords from it.

If it comes to it, I'm grabbing one of those.

"Prepare for boarding!" Shouted the captain. There was a note of fear in his voice.

And just as the commotion ramped up, it ceased. The pirate ship cruised harmlessly past. There wasn’t a soul visible on the deck or along the gunwale. Monte wouldn't have believed it had he not seen it for himself. All he could hear from the vessel was its menacing black flag flapping in the wind, and a single tolling bell. The effect was menacing.

"That was strange." Monte heard a deckhand near him say, seemingly to himself.

That was strange.