There were many reasons why the wizards lived on the upper levels of the cliff while the sailors did not stray far from the lower areas of the port.
On one hand, wizards liked to control every move and stick their noses into all matters and that didn't sit well with anyone, especially the Port Captain, Dhabeos Myrkan, who very often had to assert his authority against those who thought they were the owners of Stormbrace.
Plus, most of the wizards did not like to sail, and for the sailors that was just another reason to distrust.
And, of course, there was the tragic history linking the two sides.
Stormbrace had been the first port where sailors revolted against the power of the wizards, starting the Revolt of the Sea and founding the League of Pirates.
At that time, before the fortresses of the Shield and the Sword were built, it was the only port with direct access to the Freedom Sea, so its loss, along with a good portion of the northern islands, was a major blow to the royal power and the Council.
The strategic location of the port in a bay sheltered by towering cliffs and surrounded by continuous storms made the port a perfect refuge. The only thing to watch out for was an attack by land, but as the League had come to control the Freedom Sea trade routes this caused Nemertya's reserves to become scarce. Both the royal navy and the army were also busy stopping attacks on the coastal cities of the western fringe as well as the islands they had still managed to keep under their control.
At sea, pirates enjoyed an enviable advantage and became known as skilled seafarers. Legend had it that this was the blessing of the Nymph Nemertyss whose ancestral calling had guided the humans across the oceans to fulfill their destiny of returning to the land of their magical ancestors. However, Dhabeos knew very well that things would not have been so easy without the help of the sirenians who supported the rebellion in order to stop the hunting of chimeras.
His grandfather, one of those early rebels, used to tell him as a child that the port was a hive of activity both warlike and commercial, governed not by nobles or magicians, but by an Assembly of Captains, each elected by his own crew. Every major decision that decided the fate of the port had to be resolved by the Assembly.
That idealistic era came to an end a couple of years later after the Council, following many months of recruiting and training new wizards, led a strong ground offensive to recapture the port.In the face of magical power, the captains knew they could do nothing. As soon as the spies hidden in the capital spread the news of a large army of wizards heading for the port, the Assembly was summoned and most of the captains decided to abandon the port and flee across the Freedom Sea to join their comrades on Rebellion Island.
Those who voted against stayed, among them Dhabeos' grandfather, who years later on his deathbed would be consumed by regret for having betrayed his captain when once captured the wizards made him choose between dying along with his entire family or swearing an oath to the royal family. That left a deep wound in Dhabeos, for had his grandfather chosen the gallows, like many of his mates, his grandson would never have been born.
It was at that moment that Dhabeos vowed to himself to honor his grandfather's sacrifice and do all he could to wrest control of the port from the wizards and the only way to do that was to become the Port Captain, something he fought for all his life starting as a messenger for the captaincy and then climbing all the ranks as an officer until he reached his goal.
A few months after that defeat, the pirates would win the war, forcing the royal family to sign the peace that would put an end to the persecution of the chimeras. Complying with the terms of the Covenant of Eternal Harmony, the rebellious sailors retreated to their conquered islands and were forbidden to set foot on the mainland.
The port was lost forever and came under the direct supervision of the wizards.
After the rebuilding of the port and lighthouse, Stormbrace remained a key trading port, vital to the routes to the territories beyond the sea and despite the efforts of the wizards to purify its people and eradicate any trace of its pirate past, the port never entirely lost its untamed spirit.
It was for this reason that the Council, still non-content with its triumph, applied a series of taxes of considerable amounts that were not demanded in other cities and this fact forced many families to leave the port if they did not want to end up in poverty. It was also forbidden for the descendants of pirates to practice magic. If anyone was caught violating this rule, they would be sentenced to ten years of imprisonment, not without first engraving a cross seal on their skin.
The latter had never been a problem for Dhabeos, who did not want to know anything about magic, although that did not prevent a certain friend of his from teaching him a couple of tricks that he had put into practice from time to time, especially during his time as a messenger and later as an officer. Thanks to that he managed to stand out for his speed and fulfillment of duty, which caught the attention of his superiors who soon promoted him.
Both his friend and his wife had died and left behind a son who refused Dhabeos' help despite all his attempts to put him on the right track.
As soon as he had a spare moment, which was unlikely in those days, he would pay Rufus and his little friends a visit. The boy was not at all pleased that Dhabeos made use of the passages he believed to be his own property, but he had ended up accepting it when he saw that the man turned a blind eye to the long list of crimes committed by the gang. The captain did not know if he was doing the right thing but at least they trusted him and perhaps in time he would be able to convince them to give up that life.
Lately, he had not heard from them and one of the reasons must be the multitude of wizards that had been arriving these days. At least that meant one less problem to worry about.
There were only a few wizards that Dhabeos liked. One of them was the Master Arcanist, a reasonable woman with whom an agreement could be reached, and the other was Fidelia Dabrus, a skilled merchant who had participated in successful transactions between the different port cities, although she could not really be called a wizard after all because of her little problem with that cross seal, which for Dhabeos was of no importance.
In fact, the news of Fidelia's betrayal generated a wave of approval among the sailors. Thus, the rebel wizard gained their respect and this paved the way for her when, once free, she was forced to change her occupation.
The pirates had even bestowed upon her the honor of a nickname: Fidelia “Raging Wind” Dabrus.
As for the rest of the wizards, Dhabeos treated them with a distrustful kindness that usually threatened to turn into contempt whenever he thought one of those assholes wanted to step over his authority.
But that one fellow, Zoran Wildheart, really made his hair stand on end.
From the moment he walked in, Dhabeos knew he had to be careful. His imposing presence alone seemed to freeze the room despite the fire crackling in the hearth. There weren't many wizards who sported a robust build. Most of them relied mostly on their magic and neglected their physical health.
Zoran on the other hand boasted a great stature that rivaled that of Dhabeos. Every detail of his body seemed to have been purposely designed to convey power. His broad shoulders and straight back accentuated an impeccable posture. His sharp-featured face, dominated by prominent jaws, gave him a hard expression that was never to be softened even when he slept. His short dark hair reflected the light with a metallic sheen, reinforcing his stern appearance. His hands were large, with long, firm fingers, capable of delicately drawing the most intricate seals of magic as well as crushing any resistance with a forceful movement.
“Dhabeos Myrkan,” the wizard greeted him with a brief nod. Like Rovenna a couple of days ago, his red robe with golden embroidery indicating his position as Control Division Leader was completely dry despite the dense rain that still lingered outside.
Dhabeos reciprocated the greeting and invited him to sit in front of his desk but the wizard refused. He was accompanied by five straight-faced wizards though not as intimidating as their leader.
“What can I do for you, Master Leader?”
“I came straight by sea as soon as word reached me of two fugitives who might be hidden in the port,” despite his low, controlled voice, Dhabeos noticed how the wizard's jaws tightened with every word as if he was repressing the urge to tear everything down in order to accomplish his mission.
“I heard. Master Arcanist herself came by just a few days before.”
Zoran did not comment on Rovenna.
“How is the search going?”
“Search?” as the wizard glared at him, Dhabeos lasted a moment before realizing what the other man meant. “Ah! Yes... my officers are on it, though as you can see we're up to our necks with the weather. I've got the whole port on alert because of the storm.”
“I didn't expect you could do much anyway. This is a wizard's job, after all.”
“Of course,” Dhabeos added nothing more so that it wouldn't be obvious that he was gritting his teeth.
“But if anyone notices anything-”
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“I already had this same conversation with the Master Arcanist,” the captain took pleasure in interrupting him. “I see no need to do it over again with you. Any suspicious movements we observe will be reported to you at once.”
Zoran's eyes under his bushy eyebrows darkened. It took him a moment to answer.
“Rovenna Astra has shown total incompetence in the face of this problem, letting two fugitives escape from under her nose.”
“I remind you that you are questioning your superior.”
“Not for long. If I were you, I would think very carefully about the way you are talking to me. It wouldn't take the Council long to remove you from office.”
“I only follow the rank order and the one above us for now is Rovenna Astra who has already given me instructions. The day you become a Master Arcanist...” May the Nymph Nemertyss never happen. “Well... we'll see what happens.”
Zoran turned around and his subordinates left behind him.
Dhabeos decided he had had enough with the wizards for the day and headed to the other end of the captaincy where his wife was setting the dinner table along with the group of children that was growing larger by the stormy days. At any moment they would need to build a new wing to support them all.
They had the help of merchants who provided them with food, but with taxes so tight, miracles were not possible. Anyway, every now and then, in the center of the courtyard, when no one was looking, by magic, food rations materialized. Their origin was unknown to everyone except the captain. Perhaps Rufus wanted nothing to do with the school, but that didn't stop him from feeling responsible for the rest of the children.
Besides, Rufus liked his wife, Leila.
And he couldn't blame the boy. It was very difficult for Leila Myrkan, whose real name was no other than Leila “Savage” Fyrion, to dislike anyone, unless of course it was a wizard.
As soon as she saw that he came alone, she approached him. Dhabeos stood still, admiring her curvaceous figure with dark skin and long hair of untamed curls whose strands were falling out of the thick ponytail. When her mischievous eyes met his and her full lips parted in a smile Dhabeos experienced a flip in his stomach as if the years had not passed and they were still two young people who had barely met on the docks of Rebellion Island.
Leila briefly rested her lips on his. Dhabeos heard the laughter and whistles of children in the background.
She caressed his cheek without withdrawing her face, watching him closely.
“What storm lurks in my captain's eyes?”
Dhabeos sighed
“The wizards, my dear.”
“Wizards are shit!” a girl shouted.
“That's no way for a lady to talk!” Dhabeos scolded her.
“But Leila says it all the time!”
The woman wrinkled her lips, holding back another smile.
“And this is how you are educating them?” Dhabeos raised his eyebrows but she knew very well he didn't mean it.
Once the table was ready, both spouses began to serve the food. While they ate, Dhabeos focus on talking to the children who told him all about what they had learned that day and occasionally he pretended to play dumb so that they would correct his mistakes. To his wife he only talked about the repairs that needed to be done on the docks after the storm ended.
It was not until the children had retired to bed, when they were both in front of the fireplace enjoying mugs of beer, that Dhabeos announced Zoran's arrival to Leila.
“You'd better avoid him as much as possible while he's here,” he told her.
“I'm not afraid of that asshole wizard.”
“Still, I didn't like the way he looked at you the last time he was here.”
“You are a jealous man, Dhabeos.”
“You know very well that's not the reason.”
Unlike Dhabeos, whose family had left behind its past glory, Leila belonged to a pirate family living on Rebellion, the largest of the islands belonging to the League.
They had met on the same journey he had met Rovenna Astra. Leila's parents, Enid “Fierceful” Fyrion and Royden “The Sneaky” Branson were both captains and members of the Assembly that held its meetings on the same island.
Since he was a child, Dhabeos had wanted to get in touch with his roots, but what he never expected was to find love in the face of a brazen young woman who, with the desire to win a bet made by her brothers, sneaked onto the ship that was transporting the royal delegation.
Her goal was not less than fearless: to steal the flagship of the royal family and replace it with the flag of the League of Pirates. All in broad daylight, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
While nobles and wizards were being greeted by the island's authorities, two members of his crew caught his eye and pointed towards the mainmast.
Looking up Dhabeos saw a small, lithe figure climbing with the skill of a squirrel and quickly untying the red flag with the golden insignia of Némertyss for a silver-embroidered blue flag also showing the Nymph but accompanied by the Blue Dragon.
The League flag was soon flying proudly being caressed by the wind as the woman shook the stolen flag with one hand. Her comrades applauded from the docks and the nearest ships.
Dhabeos blinked in disbelief, as if he could not accept the audacity of that woman whose carefree gestures showed that she was enjoying the attention. That did not stop him from noticing her beauty but then he remembered that he was the captain and could not stand still and do nothing.
When he ordered her to stop, she was still hanging from the top of the mast.
“And who are you, sir?”
“I am Dhabeos Myrkan, captain of this ship!”
“Myrkan? Ha... well... it seems to me that this ship no longer belongs to you. From this day on, you are part of the League and I, Leila “Savage” Fyrion, will be your captain!”
Outraged by her words, Dhabeos and the rest of his crew prepared to catch her as soon as she started to go down but she had no intention of doing so as they expected.
Leila tied the flag around her waist and stood at the highest spreader where the crossbeams held the upper sail. The breeze stirred her long hair as she kept her balance. From below, Dhabeos noticed that she was barefoot.
“Watch and learn, captain!”
“Wait!” If that foolish girl died on his ship, he didn't want to think of the scandal that would sweep through all the pirate islands. He could say goodbye to Stormbrace's captaincy.
She leaned forward slightly, bending her knees to gather impulse. With a graceful movement, she extended both arms and jumped.
The docks were completely silent during the endless seconds when that graceful body made a perfect arc and broke the surface of the water like a knife. She barely left behind a flash of foam and small waves as she disappeared and re-emerged with a joyful laugh that seemed to echo along the port and then faded into the deafening cheers of the other pirates celebrating the feat. Wasting no time she swam until she reached the timbers where several arms pulled her up.
Leila turned to Dhabeos who, half in shock and half in awe, became motionless, and she blew him a kiss in the air before disappearing, running through the crowd that made way for that day's heroine.
To spare himself any trouble with the League, he decided not to report the incident. It was his first trip as captain after all and he didn't want to have to explain how a random girl had shaken his authority.
But to his surprise Royden “The Sneaky” Branson himself, who also did not want to offend the royal delegation, showed up at the ship to return the flag, dragging his unruly daughter along with him and forcing her to apologize.
Dhabeos put an end to the matter thinking that henceforth the woman would do her best to avoid meeting him, but in fact it was the opposite. Any opportunity that came her way, she took advantage of it to annoy him and although at the beginning she drove him crazy, it did not take her long to soften his heart with her endless mischief. From there was born the friendship that later gave way to something much deeper.
But after a month, Dhabeos had to return with the delegation. He could not stay on the island. He could not leave Stormbrace behind. Someday he would become the Port Captain and succeed in overcoming the power of the wizards.
When he communicated this to Leila, she threw all her fury at him in the form of words and blows against his chest, living up to her nickname, but when she realized he wasn't going to change his mind she ran away. Dhabeos did not go after her. It was for the best.
He still remembers that day when he ordered to weigh anchor to leave for Nemertya knowing that his heart had been trapped on the island that was getting farther and farther away. Leila had not even gone to see him off. He hadn't expected her to, not after the way things had ended, but a small part of him longed to see her one last time.
From the moment they set sail and until long after the sun had set behind the horizon, he kept busy supervising the crew and talking to the other members of the party about what future relations with the pirates held, but no sooner had he a spare moment than Leila's face returned to occupy his mind. Even the angry debates around Master Rovenna Astra did not amuse him as much as before.
The wind seemed to carry the echo of Leila's laughter, making him remember the fury of her eyes and the smell of her hair impregnated with salt and freedom that would haunt him like a shadow until the end of his days.
He did not go down to his cabin until he felt his eyes grow heavy. He doubted, however, that he could get any sleep at all.
As he closed the door behind him the only light in the room was the silver glow of the moon streaming through the window, the same color as the pirate insignia she had waved on her ship.
Suddenly, a shadow came over him and a pair of arms clung to his neck like a castaway clutching a piece of wood.
“You took your time. I've been waiting for you for hours,” said the shadow that gave off a very familiar scent. “You will pay for this, Dhabeos Myrkan.”
The captain dipped his head into the thicket of her hair, feeling as if he was breathing for the first time.
“You're a real pain in the ass, Leila Fyrion.”
From that day on she abandoned her family, her way of life, and gave up following in her parents' footsteps to live in that gray harbor surrounded by wizards. Their married life was not free of disappointments. At some point they had to accept that they were unlikely to have children.
Dhabeos always feared that she would leave him one day to return to her own but she never did. She found her way to rebel by founding the small school intended to educate the Children of the Port.
As for his dream of regaining control of Stormbrace, he now saw it as something far-fetched, a dream of youth, but at least he could help the children and he had also earned the respect of the sailors who came to him to act as a mediator and prevent the abuses of the Order.
“After all these years,” Leila answered him after he expressed his concern, ”who cares that I am a pirate?
“Zoran Wildheart will. He'll have you locked up immediately for violating the Covenant. It doesn't matter what you did or didn't do. He's even capable of sending the entire navy fleet against the islands.”
“All right... I'll stay away from him, but only so you won't be worrying for nothing. You have more important things to deal with. I can take care of myself, you know? My body hasn't shrunk just because I'm away from the islands.”
“I know,” he took one of her hands and kissed it. “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me.”
“I’ll do it anyway.”
Pirates' freedom was always under threat. The navy never missed an opportunity to provoke confrontations and had even carried out attacks on some of the islands, only to later deny any involvement. That journey he had shared with Rovenna Astra had not accomplished much, as shortly after the delegation's return, tensions between the two factions quickly resurfaced.
For now, the pirates simply endured, as going to war—something that directly violated the Covenant—would mean losing the support of the sirenians, which had been crucial to their survival.
–Let’s get some rest. It’s been a long day. –Leila rose from her seat, and Dhabeos was preparing to follow her when they heard loud knocks on the door and the voice of one of the officers:
–Captain!
–Come in, man, –ordered Dhabeos. Leila stopped by his side as the officer entered quickly and saluted. –What happened? Has the storm caused more damage?
The officer's expression was grim, and his gaze shifted between Leila and Dhabeos, as if knowing that what he was about to report would provoke a strong reaction from both.
–The wizards, sir. It seems they’ve captured one of the Children.