Flashback A First Time for Everything

[Demitri Maebourne]

43rd of Winter, 503 AV Gray slush filled the streets of the Sunset Quarters. The girl was only nine, but tall for her age; she was once mistaken for an older girl, something that she bragged about to no end. She liked to think herself more intelligent than most of her peers- but that was easy to think when most of her peers were beating her up, taking whatever rare coin her mother had given her, never speaking to her on equal footing. Perhaps it was because she was one of the rare "wanted" children of Sunberth. Well, that was a relative term- her mother, at least, couldn't part with her, even if it meant they went hungry now and again. Her father... Who knows where he'd sailed off to. All she had of him was a sword, a coat, and eyes the color of deep ocean. But she was "wanted" in that she had not been dropped off at the Orphanage at any point during her time on this world. Fearing abandonment as most children of Sunberth would, she expected that to change. Today, however, that was no concern of hers. She had other things to think about, like her mother's sunken cheeks and desperate eyes. It was mid-winter, an afternoon like any other. Demitri walked along a cramped road in the center of the Sunset Quarters, making her way toward the sea. Baroque Bay was supposedly one of the most frequented places in the city, and yet she'd hardly ever been there- wasn't that hideously boring? Perhaps she was lucky, like she had so often been told. Perhaps she ought to spend the rest of her life just like everyone else in this place, and be grateful that she had a mother who didn't beat her senseless every day. But the child couldn't help but resent this life from time to time. If she had an opportunity to leave, she would take it; at least, that's what she told herself. She walked quickly, getting an occasional odd glance from the passers-by. Maybe she'd be old enough to walk freely in any other town, but this was Sunberth, where you could get your throat slit for the three gold mizas in your pocket. After all, that could get you a bed for nearly a year in some parts of the city. Either way, this was not the place for a nine-year-old to walk. In fact, it was a wonder that Demitri had made it this far. She sighed to herself in a comic huff. Maybe it'd be best if she went back... No. She'd made up her mind to go out today, to visit Baroque Bay, and she would do it no matter what. She was slippery, wasn't she? Good at getting out of someone's grip- and some of the inhabitants of Sunberth had a heart. It's not as if she had anything worth stealing, anyway. A small smile crept up on her as she assured herself through unending optimism. This might, in fact, be a good day.

[Demitri Maebourne]

It was a long walk to Baroque Bay, and the young girl found herself breathing heavily when she finally left the relative safety of the Sunset Quarters. She stopped for a second to examine her surroundings; she'd need to know the way back if she was to get out of the streets before dark. On this side of the street, a somewhat less run-down building. On the other... a tavern? Demitri had always had an unusual interest in taverns. Whether it was fighting, gambling, or just general merry-making, there was always something happening in them. That wasn’t to say that the events of tonight would be good, but that fact didn’t bother the reckless child at this moment. Wouldn’t it be fun to spend the evening here, and just see what went on? She certainly thought so. With cheerful abandon the child strode toward The Drunken Fish, opening the door with the confidence of its many sea-worn sailors. It was obvious upon entrance that she did not belong in a place like this. She was greeted by an expansive room, littered with tables, holding a long bar on the left and connected to long branching halls where some more nefarious parties seemed to be trotting off to. There was an enormous swarm of patrons, all seeming to stare at her in both confusion and irritation. She supposed children didn’t come here often… because it was dangerous… perhaps she shouldn’t be here. That wouldn’t stop her, though. She had never been anywhere in Sunberth, because it was too dangerous. Wasn’t it about time she saw something new? Her foolish confidence led her to the bar, where she slapped her hand down on the lacquered wood as if it was something she’d been waiting to do all nine years of her life. ”A mug of ale, please!” The bartender gave her the most incredulous look. ”Go home, little one.” But when Demitri pulled out four copper mizas, gathered through pity and hoarded with the enthusiasm only a child could possess, the woman just sighed and poured a mug. It was all the same to her; and she’d allowed for less moral activity in the common room, so there wasn’t any sort of conscience holding her back from the child’s money. She placed it in front of the nine-year-old and the nine-year-old gripped it with wide-eyed curiosity. Cautiously she raised herself to stand on the cross-piece of the barstool, then bent over the mug and leaned it just enough so that a sip would pour into her mouth. Immediately she sat back down and grimaced. That was disgusting! Why would anyone drink something like that? She looked around; surely there were others who detested this stuff. The girl was confident that they were all just drinking it to look cool. But they were all either jovial or weary, and some just looked at the child with dark smirks. She turned back to the mug and sighed, then followed the same process of balancing on her stool and pouring a small dose onto her tongue. She grimaced again, but with slightly less disgust now that she knew what to expect. She guessed she could get used to this kind of stuff. Besides, she knew from her mother’s revels that it was not the taste people were concerned about. Once again she took a sip; once again her grimace lessened in severity. Maybe it was worth it…

[Demitri Maebourne]

For a chime or two, the girl sat there in quiet contemplation, picking up on little snippets of conversation here and there. Some men commented on the weather, or spoke of sailing out in the next day or two; some talked about the whores on the third floor; some spoke of a Captain Dullos, a seemingly legendary woman who seemed to float about the common room and command the privateers with steel resolution. She took another sip or two of her drink, just beginning to wonder if it had been worth the four copper, when she was approached. He was fat and balding. Though he wore fine clothing, his seedy smile immediately sent off warning bells in Demitri's head. Children didn't sell for much, she thought- but this was Sunberth, the leading city in the Syliras slave trade. All at once she was conscious of her foolishness. "Can I... help you... ?" "That you can," the man said with dark and peering eyes. "I need you to come with me for a moment, girl." She looked down at his belt to see a fat coin bag affixed next to a set of keys. He looked like a slaver. "No... thank you," she said nervously, and slowly turned back to face the bar. She glanced around for a brief moment. No; no one here would particularly care if a girl was pulled away. Some might say it served her right, going out alone to the most dangerous tavern in town. She grimaced, silently chastising herself for her own stupidity. Then she froze in shock as the man grabbed her arm and pulled. "Come here, girl," he snarled. It wasn't until the oaf had yanked her violently out of her seat, knocking over the mug and allowing cheap ale to flood the counter and floor, until she realized she needed to make an escape plan. She couldn't twist out of his grip, it was far too tight; even if she could, it would be all too easy to chase her down. Why had this man chosen a calm afternoon such as this to steal a girl out of her seat? Perhaps the decision was lubricated by fine ale; either way, there was no part of Demitri's mind that could convince her that this was not happening. She shut her eyes and shouted the first thing that came to mind. "Dullos!" Against all odds the man stopped. He looked at her with narrow eyes, his grip loosening ever-so-slightly in his curiosity. Quickly the girl steadied herself, looking at him with eyes ablaze, hoping her anger might hide her intense fear. There was no room to pause, no room to stutter. If she could not convince him... it was all over. "... I travel on the War Sprite with Captain Dullos," she lied with unusual calm. "If you do me any harm, she will come after you." A spark of fear lit the slaver's eye, and Demitri thanked all the gods she knew and all that she'd forgotten for her luck and good memory. She continued to stare at him with pitiless, unbroken dislike; if she broke character for even a moment, the sea of incredulity in his stare would overcome that spark of fear. Shoulders back, standing firm, she exhaled heavily. "Let me go." His uncertainty seemed to increase, but still he held firm. Then he looked up, and his call made Demitri's heart sink. "Miss Dullos," he shouted over the din. "Could you come over here for a moment?" The woman had only barely registered the child's shout from before, but when the slaver cried out she looked over, sighed, and approached with a questioning raised brow. The crowd in The Drunken Fish seemed to part around her like the Sebakem Ocean surely parted for her ship. She was small, but held a quiet fury in her eyes that made the slaver nervous and just a bit doubtful as she neared the pair. She said nothing; only listened as the large man spilled niceties like a great big bucket of political savvy. "Nice to see you... look lovely... great weather today... Sorry to trouble you, Captain Dullos, but you see, I found this girl here. I just needed her to come outside with me for a moment, but she refuses to oblige- she says she's on your crew, or something of the like..." As he carried on, the woman looked down at Demitri with eyes like cold iron. The child was the picture of shock and dismay; there was also a hint of apology in her eyes, as if she was ashamed of her lie even in such a situation as this. She had always been so sure she'd be one of the rare honest people in Sunberth; that idea now seemed like an infantile fantasy as the big man squeezed her scrawny stick of an arm. It's not as if it would matter anymore, anyway; as soon as the slaver caught her in the lie, she would be prepped for export and sale, her fate guaranteed. Suddenly she saw a light at the end of the tunnel. "Aye," the small woman said with a voice as strong as her iron eyes. "This one's with me." Eyes wide, the slaver looked to Demitri, then to Dullos, then to Demitri again. With a reluctant sigh he released his grip and muttered his "humblest apologies," then returned to his place at the bar. The bartender said something about cleaning up that mess he'd made with the ale; the man just snarled at her and turned, disappointed, to his expensive drink. Demitri looked up at her savior again; she was unapproachable as ever, but nevertheless the girl stared up at her with eternal gratitude. "Come with me," she insisted with that same strength and certainty. She made for the door, and the child followed her with a mountain of respect piled over a mound of fear. Anything was better than this, she reasoned. And at least if she was outside, she could run.

[Demitri Maebourne]

The cold winter air pricked at Demitri's skin as the tavern door fell shut behind them. Wide-eyed as ever, she looked up at Captain Dullos; the woman's face was turned away, but that cold, uncompromising harshness could be felt merely in the way she carried herself. The child paused, looked away. Looked back again. Opened her mouth to thank-- "You are a very stupid girl." Demitri stopped in her tracks and stumbled back, as if that stony monotone had delivered a direct blow. "I... I- I..." She wanted to say so much. She wasn't stupid! She just wanted to get out of the Sunset Quarters for a day! It wasn't her fault that she ran into that monster! Yet the words couldn't leave her; Dullos had turned around now, and was staring the girl down with an unquestionable authority. The child's mouth hung open, taking in the frozen wind, refusing to make a noise. "Do you have any idea what that man wanted to do to you?" Demitri became puzzled, and as she left the state of unmoving shock she affixed Dullos with a questioning glance. "To make me... a slave..." The woman sighed. Looked away for a moment, as if unsure whether or not she wanted to say her next thought. Turned back, and bent down to meet Demitri's eyes. "That man... did not want to make you a slave. You're feeble, and small, and you wouldn't sell for much," she stated, as casually as if she was telling a member of her crew to prepare to sail. She looked down, and a dark, loathing smile crept upon her. "He wanted something far worse from you. That man has... unusual tastes." She paused for a moment, and Demitri began to realize the reality of the situation. She began to feel sick. It didn't last long; Dullos reared up, grabbed the girl by the scruff of her neck, and glared into her dark blue eyes. Fear engulfed Demitri. "You will never, never, go into this bar alone. Do you understand me? If you do, I will not save you. I have better things to do." Demitri looked up at her in cold horror. Dullos tightened her grip, shook slightly so that the back of the girls head lolled from one side to the other like a rag doll. "Do you understand." She nodded numbly. Dullos' eyes seemed to soften for the slightest moment, and that intense fear faded just enough to allow for a look of confusion and curiosity. The woman squinted; sighed; released Demitri to fall to her knees and stormed quickly back into the tavern.