Alinyaln himself placed the Yishk into the moscin chamber of the engine, crystal bobbing in place as the Yishk’s body brushed against it. The Cloud Sigil kept the crystal in place with its ornate lines carved into the side of the metal wall of the engine. He didn’t fully understand it, as someone who was well enough informed regarding the Three Gifts, the Three Powers of the Triplets.

  Part of him felt grateful that he had only really lost this man in the attack, this single Yishk. The others would find work on other vessels, he knew, as Yishks were very valuable to have around. Most people, Yaskin and his thugs excluded, typically left Yishks alone as ones who weren’t beholden to a vessel typically offered their services willingly, not needing to be forced into slavery.

  The other part of Alinyaln felt disgusted with himself for considering this man as “this single Yishk.” This was a man who had lived a whole life up until this point, who now was dead because of Alinyaln. He could be mourned all the same, despite the all too common belief that Yishks were to be thought of as less than people, without any individuality. This was the Yishk that had been having trouble with his hands a few weeks ago. That was one of the only times Alinyaln had truly spoken to the man.

  And now he was dead.

  Alinyaln sighed, closing the hatch to the engine. Locking it tight, he turned to First Mate Kaira, the only person on the vessel who had shown up for the impromptu funeral for the Yishk. Everyone else was likely busy with something else. Kiara herself was only here to get the second engine started alongside the one the Yishk will be cremated in.

  He nodded to her, then on an unspoken count they both pull down hard on the ignition levers. With a faint hum he could hear the moscin begin to spin and speed up, growing hot and pushing outward against the flap on the backside of the engine that kept water from entering, at the same time providing thrust which made the whole ship shift and groan as it began to move.

  “Panuan find you a place in his vessel, faithful Yishk.” Alinyaln whispered as he stared at the metal hatch of the engine which began to radiate warmth. Moscin burned so hot that a body would evaporate in a matter of seconds, leaving nothing but traces of ash as it burned.

  Alinyaln, like most folks, had little time to truly devote to the Triplets, the three Gods that helmed the world. Panuan, the God of the Seas, was the bringer of the waves and supposedly gave ships to men and allowed them to explore. Which of course would not have been possible at that point, had men not also been given the winds and the storms by Manuan, whose fury and bliss brought the world it’s wind.

  The third of the Triplets, Yanuan, was the God that Alinyaln truly had little to do with, being the God of the lands and mountains. Technically islands were within his domain, though priests taught that islands were both of Yanuan and Panuan, combining their energies, though others taught Yanuan had no sway over the islands of the world. There were different branches of beliefs surroundings the Triplets, and Alinyaln—even after so many years of life—couldn’t decide which path he followed.

  “Captain, are you alright?” Kiara asked, breaking through his reverie. He realized he had been standing there for a while, staring into nothingness.

  He took a deep breath and stood up straight. “Aye, I am.” Alinyaln said to her, looking her in the eye. He didn’t know about the supposed “curse” that the woman had been under earlier, but she seemed to be back to her regular self. “How are you feeling?” He asked her.

  Kiara shrugged dismissively. “Fine, really. I’m not sure what came over me. Cursed, I suppose, but I didn’t truly feel any different. But—I’m past it now, Captain.”

  Alinyaln nodded at this. “Excellent. I can’t have you out of service right now, I need you.”

  Kiara seemed uncomfortable by that statement, shifting on her feet and turning her gaze away. “I don’t see why, Captain.”

  “You’re the one with the ability to get my cursed—” He stopped himself, face growing warm at the potential insensitivity of using that swear. “You make my plans work.” Alinyaln corrected, coughing as he said it.

  The hull of the ship began to grow warm as the heat from the two engines radiated outward, causing Alinyaln to sweat from underneath his coat. He nodded to Kiara in dismissal then began to walk away when she grabbed his hand tenderly. Alinyaln looked to her, eyebrow raised. “First Mate Kiara, what is it?”

  “I—” Kiara bit her lip, looking away with a blush. “I don’t know how to say this.”

  “What do you need to tell me?” Alinyaln asked her, turning to face her.

  Kiara hesitated for a long moment before she grabbed him by the neck and pulled his face down, planting her lips on his. Alinyaln flailed his arms, not sure how to handle this situation, then he gingerly put his hands on Kiara’s shoulders, pushing her away to arm’s reach. “What are you doing?” He hissed at her, not so much in anger but in incredulity.

  Kiara unbuttoned the first two buttons of her usually prim uniform. Alinyaln kept his eyes to her face, ignoring anything she could be exposing. “I’m tired of keeping this to myself, Alinyaln.” She said, then she pushed him back against the wall, placing her hands on his chest, pushing herself in closer.

  “I—”

  Kiara shushed him with a finger, then began to unbutton more of her uniform jacket but Alinyaln grabbed her hands before she could reveal more than her undershirt. “No, Kiara.” He said to her firmly, no misleading inflection in his voice.

  “And why not?” She said, her eyes turning watery. “Is it because of that woman? The woman who until a few days ago wasn’t even in you life, while I’ve been by your side since you bought the Mercy?” Kiara shook her head. “I’ve seen the way you look at me, Captain, at least the way you looked at me before she sauntered her way back into your life.”

  Tarnation, Alinyaln thought. This was something she had been bottling up for six years? He had always found Kiara to be attractive, yes, but that’s absolutely not the reason he had hired her on. He had hired her on because she seemed like she had a good head on her shoulders, and so far he had been correct, minus the last day. “I never meant to mislead you, Kiara,” He said to her gently, letting go of her hands. “My heart and body both belong to Syrin.”

  Kiara snorted a laugh at this. “Her heart and body aren’t exclusively yours, Alinyaln. She sleeps with other men all of the time, that’s not fair to you. That’s—”

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  “Kiara, that’s her choice.” He whispered, holding his hand up to quiet the woman. “I am the one who left her on land while I gallivanted off to sea, what she wants to do with the life that I stepped out of is her choice and I am not upset about that.”

  “Then—Then why not?” Kiara asked, tears streaming down her face. “Why can’t you love me?”

  “I only have two true loves, Kiara.” Alinyaln said with a wan smile. “Syrin, and the sea. And I do have love for you, Kiara, as I have love for everyone else aboard this ship and everyone I lost before. But not… Not the type of love that you want.”

  Kiara stared Alinyaln in the face, then shook her head. “Look at me, I’m a mess.” She whispered, wiping her eyes with her hands. Alinyaln had nothing to give her to wipe her tears, so instead he wrapped his arms around her. “I can’t believe I just threw myself at you like some foolish girl.” She laughed toward the end of the sentence, a sad laugh.

  “Blame the curse,” Alinyaln said, rubbing her back tenderly. “I’m sorry I didn’t see this, Kiara.”

  “Can we—Can we pretend this never happened?”

  Alinyaln took a long moment to consider, then he nodded. “Yes, yes we can, Kiara. Our secret.”

  “Our secret.” Kiara whispered. She pulled away from Alinyaln and collected herself, then strode out from the depths of the Mercy.

  *

  Despite Alinyaln and Kiara promising the moment down below could be a secret, he knew that he needed to tell Syrin about it. Not for the sake of appeasing Syrin in worry of her wrath, but for the sake of setting his own mind at ease. And even Kiara knew that this wasn’t something he should keep secret from Syrin.

  Alinyaln unlocked his cabin and closed the door behind him where he saw Syrin asleep in the bed. The hour wasn’t particularly late, but Syrin had still been exhausted from the events of the day. He sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed her bare shoulders as she was lying chest down on the bed. She woke up slowly, then looked up at him. “Lyn, come lay down.” She said sleepily, then she set her head back down on the pillow.

  Smiling, Alinyaln took off his jacket and set it to the side where it crumpled on the ground, then took his boots off. Last was his gun harness, the two pistols dangling in the leather as he hung it off of the bed post. “I have to tell you something.” Alinyaln said softly in the dark cabin.

  Syrin turned to look at him, propping herself up on her arms. “What is it? What happened?” Then her face turned sad, “Oh, the Yishk? I’m sorry I missed it, I—”

  “Kiara just tried to… Sleep with me.” Alinyaln said, the best way to go about this was to say it at once.

  “Oh.” Syrin smiled at him. “Is that all?” She laughed at his expression of bewilderment. “Lyn, you should have! It would have been good for you, and really good for her, if I don’t miss my guess.”

  “You… I didn’t expect you to respond quite so… Calmly.” Alinyaln admitted.

  “I’m no prude, Lyn. I know how conservative you can be but it can be so healthy to get everything out.” She said, then smirked at her own innuendo. “I’m sure the moment between you two has been thoroughly squandered, but I encourage it, honestly.”

  He shook his head at Syrin. “I don’t understand you, sometimes.” Alinyaln said, then kissed her deeply.

  “What did you tell her?”

  “That you and the sea were my true loves.”

  “Oh, that’s flattering,” Syrin laughed. “Comparing me to the ocean with all of the smelly fish and sailors?”

  “No comparison, really.” Alinyaln said, “First off, you’re blue, the ocean is more of a green color.”

  That earned him a slap on the chest, but then Syrin grabbed him and pulled him close on top of her. “You’re too good of a man, Lyn.” She said to him, running her hand through his hair. “Too good for this life. Even Yamadeon knew that, despite his flaws.”

  “Remember when he found us in his cabin?” Alinyaln changed the subject, her words bringing up memories better left buried.

  Syrin let out a cackle of a laugh, “Oh Tarnation, he was furious!” She said. “He didn’t even want me on the ship in the first place because I distracted you too much, but after that—”

  “After that I thought he was going to whip me and leave me for the gulls.” Alinyaln laughed.

  “He did whip you, though.” Syrin said, remembering as some of the glint faded from her eyes.

  “He did, yeah.” Alinyaln said remembering the cuts he earned along his back. “But it was worth it to see his face.”

  Syrin hadn’t often been aboard Yamadeon’s ship, only when they were around Siston where both Alinyaln and Syrin were from, dropping off and picking up various goods. The fact that Yamadeon allowed her on the ship at all was surprising. Perhaps the old man knew she made me so happy. He probably would have married us, if he hadn’t vanished, Alinyaln thought to himself. Then it dawned on him; They were heading home.

  Alinyaln hadn’t really been back in the Siston region in close to eight years, long before Tyrnarm’s betrayal. He would pass through it on occasion and sometimes resupply when needed, but that was only in the port towns on the outer islands as Siston didn’t have a continent.

  “I wonder if Dah is still running the old sugar mill.” Alinyaln wondered around, mouth following the trail of thought that his mind had been following.

  “He still is, according to my mother.” Syrin said. “You don’t write home?”

  “I didn’t even write you, Love.” Alinyaln said, laying down on his back and putting his arm around Syrin. “It’s hard to write home when you sail all over the place.”

  Syrin rolled over and looked him in the eye, her expression stern. “You know that isn’t true in the slightest.”

  Alinyaln opened his mouth to respond but closed it a moment later. She was right, after all. Courier ships had gotten fast enough that a letter could make it from one edge of the ice wall to the other in a matter of days, a little longer if they circumnavigated as opposed to cutting directly through, only steering around the Dead Hills.

  Larger vessels, like the Mercy of Dradinoor, still couldn’t match speed with the small vessels that couriers preferred, though some advances were being made in engine design that allowed the moscin chamber to expel more heat, keeping everything cooler while providing stronger thrust through narrower openings. Currently it would take the Mercy a solid week, eight days, to make that trip if they were burning moscin the entire time. Without moscin, having to tack back and forth across the different windstreams, half a month was likely, four weeks of travel assuming the winds were blowing in their favor.

  “I just haven’t found the need to send home.” Alinyaln said with a sigh. “Dah’s always been a bit of a prick about my choice to be a sailor. That’s just not something I need to be a part of.”

  “He only acts that way because he cares, Lyn.” Syrin said with her chin pressed against his chest.

  “Sure doesn’t seem that way.” Alinyaln said, shaking his head. “We’re heading back home and yet I can’t help but feel I’m heading toward something I don’t want to return to.”

  Syrin kissed him on the lips. “I think you two should try and reconnect.” She said with a smile. “He would love to hear from you, I know that. Maybe visit him while we’re there.”

  Alinyaln stared into her lovely brown eyes, considering what she said. “We’ll see, Rin.” He said, not entirely capitulating, but he would definitely consider her words.