Chapter 9: Takeoff

Cirrus - A Quintessence Series

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Chapter 9

Takeoff

Patricia had helped with putting the pendant around my neck. Before she clasped it shut, she said something that echoed in my brain.

“You do realize that you made a very serious promise with a very dark being,” and then clicked the pendant shut, binding the necklace together like my promise I had just bound myself to.

“That was a type of blood magic,” she continued on, and hurried me across the multiple bridges we had crossed earlier. The canopy of trees seemed darker, and more ominous after the encounter we just had. Blood magic did not sound good.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Why did I accept the terms?

Because I called to you. An intrusive thought appeared at the front of my brain. I inhaled deeply, and exhaled loudly. I was hoping I could breathe my way back to calmness.

“Shit,” I murmured out loud.

“Shit is right,” she said as we were climbing down the stairs.

“He never specified when I needed to get this… spirit. So, I’m sure I can figure this out.” I was heavily relying on Jon’s saying at this point. I kept repeating: ‘Worry is interest on tomorrow’s problems.’

“Besides,” I looked down at the glow coming from my chest, “this shard of rock feels like it can hold some of my energy or something. It was worth it.”

Her boots made a thud as she dropped from the ladder. “There are certain objects that people can attune to with magic.” She waited for me to join her at the bottom. “It normally takes a lot longer to adjust and figure out those types of items, especially since you’re so new.”

“So, does that mean that you also practice this magic stuff?”

“Yes, Jules. I do practice this magic stuff.”

“For how long?” I inquired.

She paused to think. “It’s been a while since someone asked me that. I think about 10 years now? Maybe closer to 11.”

“Does everyone on the ship practice?”

“Not everyone.”

“How long have you been with Madame Caeli?”

“About 2 years now. She helped me from a… dark place.” She added, “Not all magic is good. Aether saved me.”

That explained a lot. Her concentrated attitude, the interaction with Bastian. I had misinterpreted her. This changed my entire perspective, but it also sparked a lot of questions. What kind of background did she have before? Maybe we had more in common than what I had originally thought.

“Everyone is not what they appear to be,” I said sagely.

“I think it’s best that you remember that.”

By the time we reached the ship, Madame Caeli was back on board. She eyed the pendant on my neck shrewdly.

“I see you met Bastian.”

“Yes, they are a -” I struggled for the right words, “- a treat.”

I placed the goods within the specific pantry doors that Patricia showed me, and went to work. I was still figuring out the nuances and differences while aboard this airship. I was mostly curious as to how harnessed magic could intuitively guide this ship. I know that there were airships, or planes, before the tech wars. They guzzled up major forms of fossil fuel, so I wondered if harnessed magic was just an illegal form of this resource.

Madame Caeli did talk about aliens… I remember talking about this as a child, but we didn’t really talk about them too often. I felt I was more familiar with witches and wizards than I was with aliens. I just remembered something about an airship with them. A spaceship. My mind wandered back to the room beneath Madame Caeli’s quarters and the translucent material that functioned as a barrier to the elements. Was that alien material or magic? Could it be both?

The ship started moving on its own in the water. The familiar lapping of waves could be heard. The ships speed gained momentum, and the crew started singing softly on the deck. It must have been a take-off ritual. The lyrics in the chant were loud and passionate. They chanted the verse three times. It started quiet, and ended up becoming louder and louder as the rhythm progressed.

Currents call from every sky,

       Aether breathes where winds align

This vessel sings through soul and stream

        Divine in thread, in thought, in dream

I looked over to Madame Caeli at the wheel. Her eyes were at the back of her head with her whites showing, but they were also glowing. Her body swayed to the chant’s rhythm. Just when the chanting stopped, her voice rang through my mind, but her mouth didn’t open.

We thank Aether, and the mighty winds and all of their directions. Let the moon guide our sails at every phase.

The vessel rose into the night sky.

Madame Caeli stood with the two men in front of her mostly disgruntled crew.

“I know that you all are wondering why these two men are on board our ship. I have made this space a safe area for all of you to work in, and I know this has been an… adjustment.”

The women were shifting impatiently. Some were muttering under their breath, or others, like Orla, were silent and wishing the men death threats through her gaze.

“While they are on board this ship, they are not to be touched as they are now our guests.”

The women started to hiss and grunt profanities at this.

She silenced them with a short and blunt whistle through her teeth. “Riven and Terran are now heading to Port Naamiointi with us. We are working with their Commander to trade shipments. Riven is an extractor, one of the best in the world. Terran is his partner. We are looking for the same thing at the moment, so our interests are co-aligned.”

They both bowed at this introduction. “Thank you for allowing us to board and travel with you.” Riven went to kiss Madame Caeli’s hand.

Madame Caeli nodded. “The same rules apply to you both. If you touch any one of my crew without their permission, I will cut off your cock without a second thought.”

Both Riven and Terran faces went ashen.

Orla started laughing; a deep husky laugh from her belly. “Let’s roll out a keg to help these two relax.”

As she walked over to the storage space with a couple of other crew mates, she slapped Terran on the back. He stumbled forward, and absently rubbed his shoulder. A forced smile plastered on his face.

The crew continued to go back to their positions, getting ready for some fun throughout the night. The moon was full tonight and it lit up the sky. I still couldn’t get over how close the stars were.

“Here’s some of that ale that you enjoy so much,” Patricia offered me a huge pint.

I slurped some of the carbonated liquid. “Ahhh…” I moaned. “Thank you.”

She pinched her nose together in disgust. Yet, she had a cup of something else in her hands. I grabbed her cup and sniffed the contents.

“So, you are a wine drinker, then?” I knew it! I remember thinking that at the bar. My turn to pinch my nose in disgust to her fermented alcohol.

“My preferred beverage is wine. Mulled wine on occasion. I love the taste of the warm spices,” her eyes gazed off into a dream-like trance.

“What do you think of these two?” I nodded toward Terran and Riven.

She snapped back from her reverie, “Riven is attractive, Terran is not my type.”

They both looked very similar to me, so I didn’t quite understand the distinction. Both men were tall and powerful looking, not super muscular, but it was in the way they held their bodies. Riven had chestnut coloured hair with sharp blue eyes and high cheekbones. His skin was more pale, whereas Terran had a deeper skin tone that was tanned, and his almond eyes were a deep brown. His hair was black and a bit wavy. It was longer and more wild, unlike Riven’ shorter hair. Terran also had one earring on his left ear that dangled, with tattoos coming up his neck from his left arm. If Terran was a bit edgy, Riven was more refined.

I feel like they balanced each other out. Making the small distinctions allowed me to understand that Patricia had a type. Wine over beer; refined over edgy.

A couple of women had gathered some instruments, and Quincy - the more opinionated and louder crew member - started to sing. And her voice was… raspy and beautiful. Okay, she was a good singer. I had to admit it, even if I didn’t like her. Some girl had a fiddle, another person had some sort of flute-like instrument, and another person was keeping the rhythm by banging on an empty barrel of ale.

The tune was fast paced, and some of the women started to dance. One grabbed Riven and he surprisingly matched her dancing by taking the lead. Another brave woman came up to Terran, who was in deep conversation with Madame Caeli, but he declined.

Patricia was bouncing her leg up and down. “Go ahead!” I urged her. “Get in there.”

She smiled at me and started dancing with the girls closest to Riven. I loved watching joy and people dancing. The energy always lightened the mood, and live music was always fun to listen to - even if it was sung by an annoyingly good singer.

I was not a dancer. I liked to sit at the bar, gamble, get into trouble, but dancing was not something I could ever master. Despite my lack of confidence with dancing, I still was a human and the beat made my leg twitch and my mouth was turned upwards into a smile.

The music changed up to another tune, and I saw Riven notice Patricia. He took her hand and started to swing her around the deck. I decided to refill my cup from the barrel of ale, and move to a more secluded portion of the deck.

I decided to go to the opposite end, and I set my forearms on the railing. I gazed out into the night sky. We were passing over an ocean, and there were a couple of clouds hovering by the moon. The stars were drowned out by its light. The sails were flapping in the wind, and the music could still be faintly heard even with the wind coursing through the ship. The blanket-coat that I had on, the same one Madame Caeli had given me on my first night aboard the ship, kept me warm as I stood there.

My fingers were tingling as I held onto the railing. The ship was humming with energy that I could feel, reverberating through my veins. The magic that had been given to me from Aether felt like a seed inside my body. It was growing and thriving from my blood, the oxygen, and my thoughts. It felt a bit invasive as it explored my body, my heart, my spirit, and my mind. It was learning about me. I didn’t know what this meant, and I didn’t know what this feeling or energy could do, which made me a bit uneasy. I liked feeling powerful, and I enjoyed the physical sensation of something new, but I didn’t know how this would change me. I wasn’t sure if I needed to be changed, as so many things in my life changed around me. My life was chaos as a child, as an adolescent, and continued to be a trend as I grew. I was quite comfortable jumping from adventure to adventure because it allowed me to have some amount of control over my life. The uncertainty of the magic, the crew, and Madame Caeli’s fascination with me felt uncomfortable. I wasn’t used to this amount of attention. I was used to escaping, not staying.

This ship contained a lot of things that I had needed throughout my life, but I wasn’t really sure what to make of it. I felt like it was a trap of some sort. Like it would all disappear, and I would wake up and find out it was all just a dream. Right now it all seemed exciting, but this feeling always wore off. I would eventually wake up.

But right now, I felt content with sleeping in this trippy dream.

“Beautiful night, isn’t it?” Terran came to stand right beside me.

I looked over at him. I know Patricia said he wasn’t her type, but he was attractive. He had a strong jaw, and his slanted eyes were sharp with intelligence.

“It feels like a dream,” I said.

“Madame Caeli said you were a newer addition to the ship.”

“Indeed.” I kept my answers short. I didn’t know why he was here, but I also knew the other women were apprehensive for a reason.

“Why are you here, Jules?” He asked me.

“To make some money.” I said.

He laughed. “Are you always this curt?”

I narrowed my eyes and angled my body towards him. “I normally don’t talk about myself to people I don’t trust.”

“Fair, fair.” He said, airily. “Did you know that Aether is an air goddess?”

I knew he was trying to draw me in. “No, I did not.”

“Do you know much about deals with gods or goddesses?”

My body tensed as he continued, “Be careful with who you give audience to. Discernment is a great skill to have in this type of environment. Aether is a neutral goddess and has a purity to her, but not all gods and goddesses are like her. Some have specific tastes and agendas that may not align with the same things you want. Some are benevolent, some are pure chaos, and others are… malevolent.”

“And what god or goddess did you give your attention to, Terran?”

He stared out into the night’s sky and took his time answering my question.

“A god that is quite opposite from air. My powers come from the Earth. Being up in the air is quite… different for me.” He turned his head and looked at me more deeply.

I returned his gaze. I wasn’t going to falter or show any signs of weakness, but as I looked into his eyes, I felt something stir in my belly. I felt a bit shocked to feel physically attracted to this man, as I normally found men to be idiotic. There was something that he was hiding, and my curiosity was peaking.

“Why are you here?” I asked, bluntly.

“I am here to gather the same thing Madame Caeli wants,” he said cryptically.

“Let me guess, it has something to do with gods and goddesses?” I laughed.

“You could say something like that.” He paused, evaluating me. “Not many people stick with Madame Caeli for very long. Many people come and go.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “I see.”

“I wonder how long you will stick around. You seem… flighty.”

My crystal started to glow, against my will.

His eyes widened as he noticed the shard of rock sitting against my chest.

“Where did you get that?” He asked.

“None of your business, but I’m sure you can take a guess. You seem to be good at making those all on your own.” And, I left.

I wasn’t going to stand around and allow him to judge me. I’d rather continue to let him think I am predictable and flighty.

As I was walking back to the music and the lively dancing, I glanced back at Terran, still leaning against the railing. Our eyes met again, and he winked at me.

I knew it was a taunt, so I stoically moved forward. Not allowing my body to react the way it wanted to. I wanted to turn back and slap him across the face for being an ass, or maybe I just wanted an excuse to touch him. I was confused, so I kept on walking.

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