“Axis! Get back here!”
“Not on your life!”
Footsteps pounded on the wooden planks, his rough, calloused bare feet scuffing the material as he went.
“You know you have to help out with the unloading this time!” Someone called from the gangway.
Axis turned around and shielded his freckled face from the glaring sunlight. His ice blue eyes squinted to make out the figure, and he grinned.
“Oh, my beauteous goddess of love, framed in heaven’s glorious light!” He called out at the figure made it’s way down the wooden planks. “Oh, it’s just Leah. Never mind.”
Leah approached Axis and slapped him upside the head. “You’d better believe I’m your goddess, I’m as close as you’ll ever get.” She scoffed, brushing past the sixteen year old with a flick of her sun-tanned wrist.
Axis caught up the with the woman and fell into step beside her. “Come on now, Leah, I have young ladies fawning over me wherever I go!” He joked, clasping his hands behind his head and stretching as he walked. “Anyways, where are you going? Weren’t you just mad at me for pretending to skip out on the unloading?” He asked.
Leah grabbed the back of his light brown shirt. “We are going to go and check that the metal works shop is still in business with us. It’s been a few months since we last sold to them.” She explained. She glanced at Axis, who nodded in agreement. She went on. “And your father’s inn is right nearby, right? You two haven’t seen each other in a while.”
Axis rolled his pale eyes. “Yeah. I wonder what job he’s found for me this time.” He scoffed.
Leah let her hand drop from Axis’ shoulders, where she’d rested her arm, and shrugged. “Who knows. Maybe he’ll have decided to let you be.” She clapped him on the back. “Not that anything he says would change your stubborn mind!” She teased, her face beaming.
Axis smiled. “Well, yeah, you don’t have to worry about me leaving, at least not yet.” He said as they stepped off the docks and onto the cobbled main street of Tarun.
Tarun was a busy port town, filled with merchants, taverns, shop, inns, and more. It was a busy place, and sometimes it was hard to ensure the safety of your pocket’s contents, but the bay side scenery and the cheerful air made up for it’s few bad aspects.
Leah nudged Axis gently. “What were you in such a hurry for? It’s not like you to get sick of being on the ship.” She noted.
Axis averted his eyes. “Ah… that is…” he started to mumble, but a call from the street behind them cut him off abruptly.
“Axis! You dolt! You’re supposed to help us with the crates!”
Axis took a deep breath. “That.” He muttered, with a tired smile.
Leah chuckled. “The crates, or Aniha?” She teased. Axis shot her a playful glare and she laughed. “Go on, tell your father you’re back. I’ll tell Aniha that you had personal business, she’ll understand.” She said, pushing his shoulder.
Axis nodded and took off, his powerful legs carrying him to the next adjoined street faster than Aniha could shout, “Hey!”
Axis rounded the next corner and slowed to a steady walk. He smiled softly. It was good to be back, even for a short while. It had been quite a long time, it seemed.
Axis remembered growing up in Tarun, at least until he turned four. Then, for unknown reasons, his father suddenly handed him over to the care of the crew of the ship, Kuh-la Akaua; a crew of “merchants” who sold their goods in port towns along the country. Taylor had apparently known them personally for years.
It wasn’t that Taylor had abandoned him. Axis knew it had been for his benefit, he just didn’t know what Taylor had been protecting Axis from.
It also wasn’t a case where Axis never saw his father again, obviously. The crew would generally stop in Tarun every three to four months, and while Axis was still young, they’d usually stay for a month or two, to give him time with his father.
Nowadays, they normally only stayed for two weeks at most, and it had been that way for three years. That was around the time that Taylor began to try and get him to settle in Tarun. To find a job, marry, and so on. Taylor never pushed him too hard, but it was clear to Axis that he wanted his son to leave behind his life in piracy.
Taylor made it sound so bad. As if he were unaware that the crew of Kuh-la Akaua were subjecting only the power-abusive and overly-wealthy to their pirating. This resulted in a raise of “pay” for them, a flourishing array of port town shops, and the additional humiliation of the power-hungry.
Axis couldn’t see the harm in it. And despite the annoyance that Taylor’s urging brought him, he still loved his father, and looked forward to seeing him when he came to visit, no matter how much he complained. Axis knew he wasn’t fooling anyone, and it was more of a joke now, since everyone knew of the close bond Taylor and Axis shared.
Axis figured it had something to do with not having a mother.
Axis couldn’t remember his mother, nor did Taylor ever talk about her. All he knew was that her name was Rebecca, that he had inherited her golden blonde hair, and that she’d died of an illness only three months after Axis’ birth.
Axis never felt sad about it, since there wasn’t much time for him to become attached to his mother. Sure, he would have liked to meet her, but he grew up surrounded by men and women who cared about him, so he didn’t feel like there was anything missing.
Axis stopped outside a long, two story, wooden building, with a signboard hanging from two chains. “Alexieus” was painted across it in simple, bold black letters.
The Alexieus Inn. Taylor had bought the building after Axis had turned three, and started the inn and tavern in hopes to make a decent living. Despite Tarun having many taverns already, it became a well-known place to go when you needed a good bed for the night… Taylor kept it clean, and he’d befriended a woman who knew her way around business and the kitchen.
Axis pushed open the door, and a bell jingled. There weren’t many people in the tavern, seeing as it was early afternoon, and it was fairly quiet. Marie, the woman Taylor had befriended and employed, stood behind the counter, absently tapping on the wood. Her black hair cascaded down one shoulder, tied in a loose plait that reached her mid back.
Axis ambled over, looking around. The only thing that had changed in the last months was the arrangement of the tables and chairs. It was cooler inside, due to the fact that there were only two windows in the front of the building. A set of stairs led to the inn area, which was above the tavern. Sometimes it got a little loud, but after a while, the sounds would fade into background noise.
“Axis? That you?”
Axis looked up from his observing. Marie had straightened up, a grin on her pale face. “You little bastard, you’ve been gone for almost six months!” She exclaimed, moving around the edge of the counter and stepping up to him. “Ah, you haven’t grown taller, have you?” She said.
Axis smiled. “My father isn’t the tallest man in the world, right?” He laughed.
Marie grinned and wrapped her arms around Axis’ muscular figure. “Your father is in the back. I made him organize the kitchen.” She giggled.
Axis nodded and pulled away. “Good to see you again, Marie.” He said, walking past Marie and towards the kitchen door.
Once in the kitchen, it was evident that Taylor had still not learned how to clean properly, even after thirteen years of running an inn. Pots were everywhere, there was still a pile of dust in the corner that he hadn’t swept up yet, and there were still dishes to be washed. His father was washing the floor on the opposite end of the kitchen, on his hands and knees.
Axis scoffed and started towards him. He stopped a few steps away and smirked. “You look like a hand maid.” He teased, making Taylor look up. After a second, a wide smile spread across his face and he stood up, wiping his hands off on his trousers.
“And you look like you could use a decent nights sleep. Come here.” He said, holding out his arms.
Axis accepted the hug, and clapped his father on the back before drawing away. “What I need is a meal that isn’t comprised of fish and hardtack.” He replied.
Taylor laughed and gestured for Axis to follow him. “You can wait until supper, I’m sure. Come on, let’s go back to the ship… I’m certain you’ve skipped out on helping.” He said, rolling down his sleeves and leaving the kitchen.
Axis raised a thin eyebrow. “Like how you’re skipping out on cleaning the kitchen?” He retorted.
Taylor grinned. “Must run in the family. Marie, we’ll be back soon!” He said, picking up his pace as he headed for the tavern doors.
Marie stood up from where she was sitting by the counter, a scowl on her face. “I know you’re not done! Get back here!” She said, jabbing her pointer finger down on the counter.
Taylor threw open the doors. “I’ll be back to finish it later, Marie! Axis tells me that there’s work to be done!”
“I can’t believe you!”
“Better if you don’t!”
Axis snickered as the door closed behind them. “You two are like an old married couple.” He pointed out as they began to make their way down the streets.
Taylor shook his head. “Couldn’t live without her.” He huffed. He dropped back his pace to walk beside Axis. “Where were you? You were gone for longer this time.” He asked.
Axis shrugged. “We went up to the Northern parts of Dalsare, did some trading there. Not doing that again, I don’t think, we’re not much used to the cold weather, at least not to that extent.”
Taylor’s eyes fell onto Axis’ arm, and he frowned. Axis looked, then groaned. “I’m fine, it happened just after we left, and it healed quick, so-”
“The problem is not how fast or slow it healed, nor is the problem the time it happened! The problem is it happened.” He snapped, grabbing Axis’ arm and inspecting the long, pale pink scar that ran it’s way along his bicep.
Axis took his arm away from Taylor. “It was just a little fight! It wasn’t anything big, they weren’t even adept!” He said, pulling down his sleeves so the fabric covered the length of his arms. It was better that way anyways, he was already a little sunburnt.
Taylor scowled. “You know….” He started. Axis huffed and prepared himself for another lecture on how he should stay in Tarun, and leave his life at sea. As if he could. “You could at least be a little more careful.” He finished.
Axis blinked. “Huh?” He murmured, as Taylor walked past him.
Taylor looked over his shoulder and grinned. “If I could get you to stay here, you’d be married and with a job by now! I’m giving up. Now, are you coming, or what?”
Axis shook his head in joking exasperation and caught up with Taylor. They made their way down to the docks, where the crew was still unloading. Taylor walked off to help with the carts, leaving Axis to his own devices.
Axis rolled up his sleeves again, ready to work. “Captain!” He shouted across the planks. The brown skinned man looked up, brushing his wavy, black hair out of his eyes. He frowned at Axis, and the younger boy smiled widely. “I’m here to help, don’t worry!” He assured him.
The Captain- Lupe- rolled his eyes and lifted the huge crate in front of him, his muscular arms glistening with sweat from working in the hot sun. “Right, after you’re done hauling the crates to the carts, you can go jump in the ocean for all I care.” He said gruffly in his thick Mao-Laian accent.
Axis dipped his head. “Thank you for giving me the idea, it sounds lovely.”
“And don’t come up again.” Captain added, bumping Axis’ shoulder roughly as he passed him.
Axis pouted. “Oh…. now I see who your daughter takes after.” He said, shrugging.
“And how exactly do you mean that?”
Axis stiffened a little at the voice in his ear, and slowly turned around. “Only that your dry sense of humor lets me now that despite the air of disdain towards me, I’m well appreciated, my little Lady-Bird.” He said, taking her hand and pressing it to his lips.
Aniha tore her hand away, and placed it on her hip. “I do not have such a sense of humor.” She scoffed, turning her hazel green eyes away from Axis.
Axis straightened up. “You’re mad at me.” He noticed with a smirk. Aniha didn’t respond, and instead picked up a large crate. Axis took the one beside her and followed her towards the carts. “What did Leah tell you?” He asked.
Axis saw Aniha’s lower lip stick out slightly, and he already knew what Aniha had thought. “She said you… you had personal business.” She muttered, slamming the crate down on the cart. “So I assumed that you… had a lady you wanted to visit.”
Axis raised an eyebrow. “I did not… but why would it bother you if I did?” He said quietly.
Aniha whipped around and stepped on Axis’ foot. “You know full well why it would bother me!” She hissed, her cheeks darkening. “My father is right, go soak your head!” She said, turning on her heel and stomping off towards the remaining cargo.
Axis set down his crate and smiled softly. “Forgive me, Aniha.” He said to himself. He huffed and began to walk towards the ship, where he could help, when he froze. His lungs seemed to tighten, and his breath caught in his throat. He moved in a slow circle, then stopped, looking out towards the town, an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He swallowed. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he was sure it wasn’t good… something was wrong.
“Axis?”
Axis snapped his head in the direction of the voice. Taylor watched him, his brow furrowed with concern. “Are you alright? You look pale.”
Axis forced himself to smile, and nodded. “I’m always pale! Don’t worry.” He assured his father, walking past him. He glanced at the town again, curling his fists. “Don’t worry…”
Willowlark 