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We barely make it off the dock when two people dressed in black appear, almost as if by magic.
I stop short, taking them in. Both short, one lean and one with a body type closer to mine. The lean one has dark-brown skin and bright pink hair that curls in ringlets down to their shoulders. The plump one is violet from their smooth skin to their short hair, the latter one shade darker.
The lilac one steps forward. “First time?” They grin. “Look, Brynn. Fresh meat.” They lower their voice conspiratorially. “She loves fresh meat.”
Brynn sighs. “I know it’s their first time, River. They have the stink of shock all over them.” She points to her companion. “Don’t mind xyr. River likes to scare the babies.”
Maura doesn’t look fazed. “We don’t want trouble.”
“They all say that.” River grins, revealing teeth that are a little too sharp to be human. All at once, I realize what xe must be. Fae. We don’t have any in Skoiya. My father can’t stand any authority but his, so he had those native to our lands exiled. Any found are escorted to the borders and turned out into neighboring kingdoms. Foreign Fae dignitaries won’t visit our court as a result, but my father doesn’t seem to care about the implications of that.
Brynn’s hand falls to the short sword at her waist. “Any sirens among your crew?”
Maura shakes her head slowly. “No. Sirens are extinct in our realm.”
“Lucky you.” River still has that unsettling grin on xyr face. “But just in case you’re lying and trying to be clever, know that sirens are outlawed on Atlantis. That damned aphrodisiac magic is a nightmare to deal with.”
I thought sirens sang sailors to their deaths. Aphrodisiac magic sounds like fun. “We don’t have sirens on the crew.” I don’t know why I’m speaking up. It isn’t my crew.
Maura sends me an unreadable look but doesn’t comment on my overreach. “We’re looking—”
“Everyone comes here looking for something,” Brynn cuts in. “That’s not our problem. You’re new, which means you need to meet the monarch.”
“Hope they like you. It’s off to the dungeon if they don’t.”
I exchange a glance with Maura. Of course Atlantis would have a ruler, but this seems highly strange. Then again, what do I know of pirate politics and magical islands? My father hardly requires every sailor coming to port to announce themself personally, but foreign dignitaries certainly jump through exactly those hoops.
“Of course,” Maura says smoothly. “Lead the way.”
It’s only as they march us away from the docks and past a truly impressive set of stocks and the fascinating buildings surrounding the square that I wonder how Daichi and the other crew member got past them.
The buildings themselves are constructed in the way of buildings everywhere—four-ish walls and a roof—but what really sets them apart from my experience is their bright colors. Green, red, every shade of blue. It’s chaotic and lovely and my whole heart itches to get exploring.
There’s a delightfully worn blue building beside the road heading north, its doors thrown open and music and laughter coming from within. A pretty painted sign hangs above the doorway. “The Bawdy Banquet,” I read aloud. What could… Oh. Oh. “I am definitely going there as soon as we’re done with the monarch.”
Maura actually misses a step. “You are most definitely not going there. That’s a brothel.”
“Is it?” I ask sweetly. “I had no idea. I’m a virgin, you see. I don’t even know what sex is.”
A delightful blush colors her cheeks, and she curses. “You’re a pain in the ass.”
“You liked it well enough a few hours ago.”
River laughs, a strange noise that almost sounds like it echoes despite the trees pressing in on either side of the road. “I like these two, Brynn.”
“Yes, well, you would. You got to eat the last person who pissed off the monarch.” Brynn flicks a hand over her shoulder, urging us to pick up our pace. “A little courtesy information since you obviously don’t know much about this place.”
“Which begs the question of how you got here in the first place,” River murmurs.
Brynn ignores xyr. “We don’t have many laws here, but those we do are upheld by the monarch. All pay fealty to them. They’re fair enough, but if you cross them, the consequences aren’t pretty.”
“How do we leave the island?” Maura asks it so casually, as if it’s not the thing she wants most in the world.
“A few ways out.” Brynn shrugs. “There are portals scattered in these trees, but I don’t recommend utilizing them.”
I glance curiously at the trees. Like the buildings in the square, they’re a fascinating mix of familiar and fantastical. The combination both draws me and repulses me. I might not have spent much time in nature, but even I know that bright colors often function as a warning. Which means the twisting tree with vivid orange mushrooms growing out of it is nothing but trouble. I decide right then and there that the portals in the woods are a last resort only. It would be better to hop on some other ship.
