#union firth

Captured by the Fae Queen herself, and brought to her court, Kiri and Celeste are trapped with no resources, no plan and no hopes of escape. But hope emerges in the form of an unlikely ally. To what point and purpose has Zucie captured them? The eighth and final part of the Union Firth series.

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Once upon a time, upon a cold, wet river, a girl fell in love with another girl. It began slowly, at first, and could have even been mistaken for hostility. It grew into respect, and mutual trust, and then became adoration, and eventually, something even more. It became long gazes and sleepless nights, and sobbing to sleep haunted by thoughts of what could never be. Celeste could not figure out precisely when she fell in love with Kirsikka, but she knew that it had happened, and it twisted her heart to think about it.

Dull, throbbing pain was what caused Kirsikka to awaken. It wasn't the pain of an impact, rather, the pain of a headache, slowly pressing at her skull. She mumbled faintly, rolling to one side, curling up a little to relieve herself of the pain, but it was no good. The pressure headache would not shift by a simple adjustment of her body, and she let out a frustrated groan, pushing herself onto her hands and knees.

“What the... where am I?” she whispered as she blinkingly looked around the room. Silk drapes hung from the walls, in beautiful shimmering pinks and purples. The light danced, casting alluring shadows around the room. Kiri rested not on a bed, but on a pile of pillows, designed more for lounging and intimate activities than for sleep. She moved to pull herself upright, and froze. Her usual clothing was gone, replaced with silky, somewhat opaque purple cloth that hung from a metal link around her neck, draping down to her sides, with a similar cloth that wrapped around her chest, just barely covering the scarring that rested on her chest bone. A skirt hung from her waist, splitting in two places at the midpoint of her thighs. Golden discs rested along the belt, and golden bangles rested on her wrists and ankles. A long drape that hung from her cuffs to just below her rear. Her legs were covered from ankle to below the knee in more fabric, which swished about when she moved. Anger and panic gripped the girl as she looked around, as a tall woman of regal bearing entered. She was almost six and a half feet tall, with skin so pale it could have almost been called white. She had long pointed ears that rose up from her head, peaking through her expertly groomed royal blue hair.

“Good morning. I do hope that you...” she began, but Kiri was on her in an instant. The thief lunged, and aimed to grasp the woman by the neck. However, as she struck, she found her arm grabbed, and twisted, and she hurtled back towards the nest of pillows at high speed. Confused, she pulled herself back upright, clothing swishing and bangles clattering.

“Who the hell are you and why the hell did you take my clothes off?” Kiri snarled, one hand clasping across her chest.

“Please remain calm. I am your new handler. I understand your confusion, but everything is alright. You are in the halls of my Mistress,” the woman said, adjusting her clothing and picking up the tray from the table that Kiri had failed to even notice she had been carrying.

“Who. Changed. Me,” she growled angrily.

“I did. My Mistress believes that you are perfect for her, blemishes and all, and had me choose a more suitable attire fo-” she halted as Kiri's hand this time made direct contact with her neck.

“You tell a single soul about what you saw and I will personally rip off your eyelids and make you eat them,” Kiri said, barely above a whisper.

With knowledge and resources in their possession, Kirsikka and Celeste head to the arid land of Kami in search of an ancient landmark known only as The Red Ziggarut. But first, they must deal with their passenger, a tiny lady shrunk against her will. Part 7 of the Union Firth series.

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Many locales are served by the waters of the Firth, from the great plains of the central regions, the mountains of the north and the fertile farmlands of the west. Even the relatively arid tundra of the eastern continent see the meandering canals and rivers drape through them. But there is one region, the Southern expanse, which is untouched by the waterway. The grand Kami desert expands for mile upon mile, all the way from the city of Kami itself, down to the shores of the Thenilian ocean.

“Do you do this every time you get to a port? Waffle on to yourself about the river, and the town you're heading to?” a tiny voice snapped as Kirsikka rested on the roof of the Rakas.  Upon her knee, arms crossed and expression that of mildly perplexed irritation, sat a two inch tall woman with dirty blonde hair and dark skin. She was wearing scraps of cloth tied around her chest, waist and feet, and clutched to the woman's trouser material tightly.

“I like to remind myself that I owe my happiness in life to the waters of the river. Would be a boring world if we had to walk everywhere, you know,” Kirsikka replied, stretching her arms high into the sky. “Hey Celly, how's the latest one coming along?” she called out, tilting just enough to look over the edge of the roof.

“Frustratingly. And expensively,” Celeste called back in reply. Kiri nodded, and span herself suddenly. The tiny woman on her knee barely had time to squeak “Oh god” before Kiri rolled backwards, scooping her up in one hand as she dropped off the roof and onto the deck.

“Well, we're about an hour from Kami, so probably not best to force it out. I doubt they'd react to Midora well. Most places don't...” the thief said, offering the girl forwards to Celeste, who held her palm out. The little woman walked across, and plopped down onto Kiri's hand.

“She did the thing again. Why does she always roll around like that...” Midora muttered angrily.

“I believe that it is a thief thing,” Celeste replied with a chuckle. Kiri rolled her eyes, and slid down onto the bench, looking over the expansive notes that were set out there.

“Yeesh, Levi had horrible writing, I can't even understand most of this,” she said, thumbing through a few pages of a book.

“That's because it's in Alchemic, it's a language they use. I'm using a dictionary for some parts, but I understand most of it. Please do not disturb it all, I have notes about the poem there too, and I do not wish them to get mixed up,” Celeste replied. “OK, now, hopefully, this will have the desired effect. If you would be so kind as to follow me, Miss Midora,” she finished, giving the little lever on her seat a pull. The thing spluttered into life, hissing gently as it began to slide along the thick iron bars that lines the inside of the boat, sending them to the rear of the vessel. Kiri smirked as Celeste shot off, knowing that she would be thrilled to be using her clockwork rail system legitimitely.

With information gifted to them by the Fae, Kirsikka and Celeste travel to unused waters, in search of a legendary beast, and the valuables it holds. The sixth story in the Union Firth series.

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Thanks to the temperate nature of the continent, the weather on the Union Firth is very consistent. Cold in the winter, hot in the summer, mild in spring and windy in autumn. It allows many boaters to sail without fear of sudden cold snaps, heavy winds or skin blistering heat. However, it is not always completely reliable. One such day, as the rains lashed down, turning the relatively still waters of the canal into a pock marked mess, Celeste looked in exasperatedly. She was sat under a clear tarpaulin cover that sat over the entirety of the back deck, with small holes to allow air flow and prevent her view from fogging up.

“This is crazy! I can barely see where the water ends and the fields begin!” Kirsikka commented from one of the side windows. She seemed blissfully unaware that she was getting soaked by the rains.

“Close the window! If you ruin my flooring, I shall make you get out and walk!” Celeste snapped. Kiri grinned, and her head popped back into the boat. Moments later, the hatch swing upon, and her sodden face appeared.

“You wouldn't do that to me! You need me, remember. 'Oh, Kirsikka, kind and sexy master thief, I wish to learn more about the fey world, but I cannot do it alone. Would you enter into a partnership with me and save my bottom whenever I get into trouble?'” she said, badly impersonating the other woman. Despite herself, Celeste let out a chuckle.

“Silly girl. You forgot the part where staying with me keeps your 'bottom' from getting caught by the Justicar and, oh, what was it? Being executed as a trai-” she began.

“Aahhdahdahdah! Less said about that the better, that's all behind me. I'm not that person any more, I'm Kirsikka Kofi, mistress thief! Champion of the downtrodden, taker of all things!” she said, leaping up onto the deck. It would have been an impressive move, were it not for her banging her head on the tarpaulin roof, and tripping on the top step. She fell forwards, landing with a faint noise of pain.

“My hero...” Celeste muttered. The boat pushed on, its engine chugging noisily as they braved waters that other, larger vessels were not daring. They passed dozens upon dozens of moored boats, most with lights flickering within, everyone trying to make the most of the respite from the deluge of rain. Eventually, the stopped boats ran out, and an hour after that, as Kirsikka gazed out into the torrent, her eyes lit up.

“Oh! Is that it? Over there, between the two copses. 'The giant stone raven who drinks from the waters of the Firth' was what Althysa said to look for. That little outcrop there, if you squint, it could look like a bird's head,” she said, pointing out towards the cliff face.

“I see it. I think you may be right. I'll pull us in, can you please moor us. I think it would be best to wait overnight and venture forth in the morning,” Celeste said. Kiri nodded, and unzipped the tarpaulin enough to leap through it as Celeste brought the boat to the shore.

The night came and went, the rain hammering on the wooden boat most of the night, leading to fitful sleep from both women. As the first rays of the sun began to brighten the world, Kiri slid the hatch open, and padded up onto the deck, naked but for her unbuttoned shirt, and the bindings around her arm and chest. She looked over the river and the fields, letting out an appreciative whistle. A film of mist hung across the river, and it extended out over the rock hewn fields, skirting the mountain that could be seen in the distance.

“Tenelth the Wise dwells within the stone tooth that pierces the sky,” she said quietly, sipping from her mug.

“Indeed. I believe that we have finally found what we are looking for. I hope you are prepared,” Celeste said, pulling herself up one step at a time.

“Mostly. Should probably put some clothes on, but other than that, I'm good. I do want to know why fae people don't just say things like 'guy lives in a mountain', it'd be so much easier,” she said, rolling her eyes. Celeste chuckled, and pulled herself up the last step. “Oh! Hey, I didn't know you had one of those!” she said, nodding to the wooden shaped foot that poked out from under the woman's skirt.

“The land ahead undulates too much for the chair to be safe. I do not like wearing prosthetics, they make me feel like I am incomplete as myself,” Celeste said quietly. Kiri nodded her head, and smiled warmly.

“With or without, you're still my Celeste,” she said with a smile, sneaking in close to kiss the woman on the cheek. Celeste swatted her away gently, and Kiri giggled as she dropped down into the boat. Ten minutes later, the two women were making their way through the fields, as the sun began to rise, driving away some of the hanging mist. Two hours into their journey, they rested so that Celeste could spend some time without her prosthetic. They had stopped by a crystal clear lake, and Kiri took the opportunity to dive in, swimming around and washing herself in the waters. Another two hours went by, and they came to a small gathering of trees which sat around the base of the mountain, which they could see had little flecks of snow around its peak.

“A crack in the wall will give entry to all,” Celeste said with a sigh. “So we're looking for a cave entrance,” she went on. Kiri nodded.

“Want me to scout for it? Could save you some energy,” Kiri said, her voice full of concern. Celeste reached across to the woman, and delicately smacked her on the back of the head.

“I do not need your concern nor your pity, Kirsikka. Remember that,” she said sternly. Kiri opened her mouth to protest, but then thought better of it.

With their newly acquired loot in hand, the two girls travel back to a familiar town to visit an old friend. Frictions occur between them as the friend unexpectedly drives a wedge between them. All is not as it seems, and Kiri finds herself in a seemingly inescapable situation. Will she escape, or forever remain as a trophy of The Alchemist? Part 5 of the Union Firth series.

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The Union firth is full of noise. Sometimes, the noise is loud, and full of variety, as tour boats carrying crowds of people along beautiful vistas hoot their horns, dock workers shout their intents as they load huge barges with crate upon crate of wares. Sometimes the noise is soft, but vicious, wild winds whipping through trees or howling along gorges, fooling weary travellers into thinking some great beast is roaring at them. Sometimes, the noise is calm and quiet, the gentle lapping of water against an aged wooden dock, or gently splashing at the side of a stone bridge. On this particular day, the noise is a loud, mechanical buzz, and of faint whimpering.

“Hold still, silly girl! You will make it worse if you squirm!” Celeste snapped at Kiri, who was sat on the deck of the boat, her shirt undone revealing the large wraps of white binding that covered her stomach and kept her chest flat. The wrap usually extended along her left arm, but today, her arm was exposed, revealing hundreds upon hundreds of tally gates that encircled her arm, in blue, red and green.

“It still hurts! I can't help be twitchy when you're not being gentle in the slightest,” Kirsikka whimpered. Her exposed arm was being held by Celeste, who was gently dabbing at her skin with a strange needle-like device, which was the source of the buzzing. It fed down to a small steam engine which rattled and hissed merrily, providing the machine with the power it needed to vibrate the needle.

“And whose fault is it that I'm grouchy? Half an hour from the town, you stumble up to the stern, goods out for the world to see, and yawningly inform me that we have to turn back to drop off your latest bed mates,” she said snippily, pressing the needle into Kiri's skin, making her yelp loudly.

“Oww! I'm sorry! I didn't know you were leaving crazy early in the morning, we'd've done it at the inn if I'd known that. Oww oww oww oww!” she squeaked loudly, pulling away as Celeste delicately twisted her arm.

“Honestly, Kirsikka, I know this is something of a hobby of yours, but don't you think this is getting a little ridiculous now. Look at all of these,” the helmswoman said, pulling Kirsikka's arm up to let the morning sun shine upon it.

“Yeah? What's the problem? I like having sex, it's fun, I never give anyone the impression it's for any reason other than fun. I'm always safe, I never coerce, I make sure booze isn't making the decisions for anyone involved,” she said, glancing up at the woman. “It'd be rude not to do this, honestly,” she said, nodding to her tattoos.

“Hmm?”

“Well, if every encounter just came and went, that's belittling it. This way, every single person I engage with leaves a mark on me, something that while not radical or ground breaking, changes my life,” she said, rubbing a hand along her older tattoos with a fond smile. “I can't promise to remember all of them, but they can all be accounted for at the very least,” she said, leaning across to kiss her own marked arm.

“That's... oddly cute,” Celeste remarked, letting the woman relax her arm. “Fine, I apologise for being rough with you. Rest your arm and then back up here, still have another one to do yet,” she said in a singsong voice as Kirsikka let forth a groan.

The town of Brockenheim rests on the bend of the river, embedded into a cliff face. Plumes of smoke can be seen billowing from its chimneypots and copper pipes, as industrial processes go on within. Clattering, clacking wheels spin slowly in the open, and great iron ships line the docks, ready to take the wide river to the four corners of the world. The town itself was almost as famed for its market as it was its industry, with hundreds upon hundreds of stalls spread out across dozens of stepped plateaus on one side of the bend.

“Kiri, come here a moment,” Celeste called out, hobbling along with one of her crutches. Kirsikka approached the woman with a wide grin on her face.

“Whatcha want, Celly?” she asked, in a singsong voice.

“Close your eyes please,” she said, and Kiri obliged. The woman reached up, and tied her hair off with an elaborate knotted loop of silken fabric. “There we go, all done. It’s called an Ilo band. They’re made from wrapped cloth and bands, there’s almost half a metre of cloth in that little wrap. They’re said to bring happiness and good fortune,” she said with a smile.

“Impressive! Thank you Celeste, I’ll treasure it. So what’s gotten you in such a curiously chipper mood? You rattled through your restock negotiations really quickly today, and you’ve been walking around without the chair and you’re buying me stuff. I’m halfway convinced you’re not even the real Celeste, that you’re some kinda… not-Celeste Celeste looking other person,” she said, leaning in to look at the woman’s face as they walked.

“I am simply happy, Kirsikka. Between us making good time despite your little turn around, this locket having the potential to unlock mysteries I’ve been inquisitive about for years and your cute little display earlier, I am in a good mood that I don’t intend to break,” she said. Kirsikka stopped dead for a moment, a look that was a mixture of pride and confusion crossing her face for a split second before she clicked her fingers.

“Oh, that reminds me! Was I right about that thing? That’s sand from Halas Noor, right? The place that big guy told us about?” she asked. Celeste nodded her head.

“Indeed. All we need is for master Cinnabar to create a mixture that will confirm the origin of the sand, and we’ll be in business!” she said happily, humming a merry little tune as she walked along.

“Wonderful! I have to admit, I’m excited, even back in Itzopolis I never got to meet an alchemist. This guy is trustworthy, right? He’s not gunna pull a fast one on us and turn us into tiny mice or something?” she asked.

Barely a week into her newest job, Celeste is already regretting taking on the rambunctious girl Kirsikka. She is loud, self-assured and flirtatious to a fault. Upon reaching a little rest stop, the two girls take stock at the local inn, and listen to a musician who wears a heavy mask across his face. Intrigued, Kirsikka delves a little too deep. Part 4 of the Union Firth series

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Seasons come and go, but the waters flow. That is true everywhere, not just on the canals of the Union Firth. Of course, the seasons can affect the water, just like everything else. And so it came to pass that one particular winter, with the wind whipping across the continent from the frozen wastes to the far east, the Firth was dealing with an overabundance of ice. A rare hour was one where the sailors of the great network of riverways and canals didn't see a chunk of ice floating alongside them, or a little rivulet frozen over, spreading out into the waterway itself. One afternoon, as the sun began to droop itself over the horizeon, the nameless black and yellow boat that belonged to the mysterious trader known to all as Celeste was struggling through an ice floe.

“Oh wow! Check out that one, that's huge! It's bigger than this thing, that's for sure!” a voice exclaimed from the roof of the vessel. From her seat near the controls, Celeste looked up at the source of the voice, a short, brown haired woman, wearing a knee length black double breasted coat,, with a collar that rose upwards, obscuring her face. She had a shortsword across her back, a curious black and blue weapon with a white handle. Both the sword and the coat bore an emblem that had been scoured and cut to the point of unrecognisability.

“Navigating through this would be a lot easier if you would just sit inside and remain quiet. Advice I would thank you to remember for all occasions,” the dark skinned, curly haired woman commented.

“Where's the fun in that? Oh! On your left!” the woman exclaimed, as a particularly large chunk of ice bore down upon them. Celeste nodded, and began to pull and push on the controls at some speed. The boat's engine began to chug loudly, and the craft made a sharp turn to avoid the oncoming ice.

“This isn't safe. I'm pulling in at the next jetty, I cannot risk my vessel any longer,” Celeste said, as she began moving the boat closer to the edge of the river.

“What? No! You said you'd have me in Cordonia by the fourth!” The woman snapped, spinning to reveal her face to the disabled woman. Her face betrayed her youth, she was barely into her twenties, and it also betrayed her nationality. Her fractured, two toned blue and brown eyes showed her off as a citizen of the southern nation of Ginko, though her features could have convinced someone otherwise.

“Would you rather not make it at all? Some of those chunks are big enough to take out a vessel ten times the size of this one. Better to rest one night and let the river clear itself than brave everything it has to throw at us. Well, Miss Kirsikka? Surely you can see the logic of that, as a former Prote-” she began.

“Aaahhbahabahabhaba! Less said about that the better, hmm?” The woman said, dropping down from the roof to face Celeste, a clattering from within her coat revealing that she had more weapons than just the sword. “You raise a fair point, beautiful. But if we are to stop at a lawless junction, I'll need to pilfer some clothes from you,” she said, tugging off the massive coat, which practically remained upright where she left it.

“Why did you put the bandoleers on? You have nothing in them,” Celeste muttered as she hopped along on her crutches. Kirsikka was now wearing a tanned leather shirt, dark trousers and boots, and two sets of leather bags which hung over her shoulders. She had also tied her hair back with a band similar to the one Celeste wore.

“Outfit didn't seem complete without it. And hey, we match!” she said, tugging at the band. “If anyone asks, I'm your bodyguard. Oh, wait, that sounds a bit hoakey. We're lovers! No, wait, comrades from the Harnbael front,” she said, as Celeste simply rolled her eyes, a faint smile upon her lips. She had picked the girl up from Itzopolis a week ago, and been paid a substantial amount of money to get her as far away from the city as possible. She asked no questions, she never did, but it was clear to her that the youngster was running from a position of some responsibility.

“Or we could simply tell them that we are partners, working together with a transportation business,” the woman replied with a smirk.

“Ohhh, partners and lovers, I like it, I like it. We might have to kiss a few dozen times, though, to keep up the pretense,” Kirsikka replied, leaning in towards the woman teasingly. She was rewarded with a crutch lashing at her ankle, which made her yelp in pain.

“As I have expressed to you many times, I have no interest in physical intimacy. Your flirtations are utterly lost upon me. Oh my, this place is a bit barren...” she said, glancing around the rest stop. To call it a town would be incredibly over generous. To call it anything other than a flat stretch of shore with a half dozen buildings would be over generous.

“At least there's a pub? Come on, we might be able to get a warm meal and some entertainment,” Kirsikka said, gesturing to the largest of the buildings, which had a sign hanging outside it declaring it 'The Broken Mare'. “And they might even have lodgings. I don't know if I can handle another night sleeping on that bench. You could at least get a cushion for it, you know,” she went on. The two women entered the pub, which was dimly lit, half full, and had probably seen much better days. They ordered food and drinks, and sat down to watch as a woman attempted to play a worn down upright piano in one corner.

“Ahh, that is so much better. Nothing quite beats a warm cider after a cold day, ” Celeste said, warming her hands on her mug as she sipped from it.

“Speak for yourself. I personally can't relax when we're sat at the edge of darkness. These people are not good people,” Kirsikka replied in a hushed tone.

“And neither am I, in the law's eyes at least. You'll learn, in time,” Celeste replied with a smile. Kirsikka grumbled into her beer, making a disgusted face as she drank. The pianist stopped a short while later, and a man approached the little stage next to the piano. He wore blue and purple robes with a pink undershirt, held a large, brightly coloured lute in his hands, and had a set of pipes on a chord around his neck. His face was obscured by a large, hook-nosed mask which had dozens of feathers delicately inserted into it, giving him the appearance of a grand, multicoloured bird of prey.

“Ladies and gents. Pause a while if you would, and listen to the tale I would weave,” he said, softly. The cacophonous mutterings in the building fell silent. The man nodded his head, and, with a strum of his guitar, he began to sing. The song was about lost love, and of heartache, and of hope, and sorrow. It rose and fell, and, by the end of it, most of the people in the building were in tears, Celeste included.

“What a beautiful song,” she said, wiping away the droplets from her eyes. Kirsikka meanwhile stared up at the stage, her mouth agape.

A glimpse into the past, this story takes us to Kirsikka and Celeste early on their journey together. A midnight arrival at a new town sees Kirsikka experiencing some strange events. With the townsfolk evasive and Celeste unhelpful, Kiri must turn to the only one in town who seems to have an idea what's going on... a pirate! part 3 of the Union Firth series

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The Union Firth is considered the backbone of Mahdol. With hundreds of winding waterways each leading through some little town or country, it is entirely possibly to spend weeks traveling up and down its waters without encountering another soul on the river. It had been three days since the boat with no name had come across another town or boat, and Celeste had grown concerned. Their supplies had run low, and the two adventurers were beginning to grow unfond of one another's presence. Kirsikka had come up with a solution to the problem, electing to sleep when Celeste was awake, and keep the boat moving while she slept.

“Times like this I wish I'd taken up smoking. The moonlight, the lapping water, I'd look so cool with a rolly in my mouth right now,” Kirsikka muttered to herself as she guided the narrowboat along a nasty double bend in the river. Her breath hung in the chilly air, and the stars twinkled gently above and below her, reflected in the waters of the river.

“Nice night for it...” she muttered, again to herself, as her ears began to twitch. She could've sworn she heard the chiming of bells in the distance. As the boat began to round the corner, she caught sight of buildings, as the chiming grew a little louder. The chimes rang out again, and then, louder, single strikes of the bell began to sound. As the first toll sounded, Kirsikka shuddered, as something seemed to run through her entire body. She pulled into the dock and tied up the boat, its thick rope moorings a challenge for her alone to move. The bell sounded it's final ring as she finished up, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow.

“Midnight. Think I'll let her sleep. No point waking up just yet, doesn't look like anyone's around,” she muttered, before yawning loudly. She slipped back into the boat, and curled up on the cushioned bench, ready for the morning.

The sun rising over the wheat fields poured in through the Rakas’ porthole window, invading Kirsikka’s dreams with near blinding light. She grumbled softly, and rolled away, turning her back on the far window.

“Rise and shine sleepyhead, we’ve got a long day ahead of us. I hope you got enough rest, what time did we pull in?” Celeste spoke as she worked away at the kitchen counter. Kiri slowly opened her eyes, regretting it as the woman's movements made the curtains twitch, sending yet more light over her face. She hissed, and curled back into herself.

“Mnnhhhh, midnight. Not paid docking fees or anything, no-one was around,” she said, rolling onto the floor of the cabin with a thud. She stretched herself out as far as she could, her joints clicking and her body shuddering. She stood slowly, rubbing her eyes.

“Well, get yourself showered, I’ll have breakfast waiting for you when you’re done,” Celeste said with a smile. Kiri nodded, pacing slowly over to the little shower area in the cabin. While she was certainly not shy about her body, she did make sure to close the curtain around herself before removing her clothes.

“Think we’ll be able to get some washing done? I’m down to my last pair of socks,” she called out, tossing her things into a corner, and turned on the little water siphoning shower unit. Cold, crystal clear water began to cascade onto her from above, making her shriek and shiver. She began to wash her body, taking special care to be gentle around her left breast. The tissue around her sternum, spreading left in a rough star shape, was all torn up, and scarred. The same pattern repeated on her back, albeit far smaller, indicating that something quite large had stabbed her, and in fact, run her through. The water fell down her body as she stared down at the tender skin, her hands washing her body almost on automatic. The woman let out a gentle sigh, replacing the soap in the little dish before balling her hand into a fist, slamming it firmly into the wall beside her, causing the whole boat to gently rock.

“Please don’t dent the shower, it’s expensive,” Celeste called, over the sizzling of bacon in the pan. Kiri sighed again, and tilted her head out of the curtain.

“I’d probably be a lot more careful if I had someone else in here keeping an eye on me,” she said half-heartedly, a weak smile spreading across her face.

“If this venture is to succeed, Kirsikka, then you must abide by the rules. I do not engage in physical congress with anyone. I abhor it. Your flirtations are harmless but I would appreciate you toning them down,” Celeste said, rolling her eyes, shaking her head as she turned back to the breakfast preparations.

“Sorry. I was just thinking again. Shouldn’t do that really, it’s awfully dangerous,” she went on, water falling over her body once more. With no reply forthcoming, the thief finished her shower in silence, drying herself down as the scents of cooking began to surround her. “Hey, where did you get the bacon from? I thought we were low on supplies,” Kiri called out as she approached the table. She was wrapped in a large towel, and her hair draped lazily over her shoulders, hanging limply.

So, I slightly forgot to upload this yesterday! So have a bumper upload today!

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Upon arriving at a new town, Kirsikka our intrepid thief is beckoned by a mysterious woman with a tumultuous past. She has heard rumors of the deeds done by the travellers, and wishes to employ them to rescue a princess. Now that may seem like old hat, but things are not what they seem, as Kiri and Celeste soon find out. 

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Shimmer and Sear

Many call it the backbone of the world. The Union Firth, the grand waterway that splits the continent of Mahdol in two, and spreads through it like arteries and veins. Lives are lived upon its waters, and lives are lost as well. On one particular day, in the midst of autumn, when the trees were turning golden brown and the nights were drawing colder, one particular vessel was docking at a large market town. The boat of black and gold, unnamed to all but those who knew her, was tethered to the dock with heavy rope, thicker than even the ropes used to tie the great galleons further down at the coast.

“Kiri, I need you to do the shopping this time round, I have some business with the authorities here,” Celeste said as she rode down onto the wooden dock in her wheeled chair. Kirsikka brushed her brown locks aside from her face, and rolled her eyes.

“That sounds entirely unentertaining. I cannot promise I won't keep my hands to myself on this most boring of missions,” Kiri replied, her hands lightly resting upon the two handles at the back of the shiny brass and plush red velvet chair. Celeste let out a little chuckle, and shooed the girls hands away from the handles, rolling herself forwards using the wheels.

“I would expect nothing less of you. Don't forget that you need new ink, so you will need to find that somewhere too. You may buy it with any remaining funds,” she said, reaching into the pockets of the chair to pull out a small, heavy bag of coin, and a scrap of paper with words written on it in a swirling, cursive text.

“Fiiine, I will go buy you your trinkets. But I'm also gunna buy a cake, and eat it all myself, none for you,” she said with a pout. Celeste chuckled again, but did not respond, merely continuing to roll along the docks.

A few hours later, bundles of food and water hanging from her arms, Kirsikka was making her way back to the Rakas when she heard a noise.

“Psst, hey, leather girl,” a voice called from behind a large stack of barrels and crates. Kiri grinned widely, and set her shopping on the ground, casually pulling one of her knives from her boot. She paced over to the barrels, a smile on her face.

“You know, only my bandoliers are leather. The trousers are silkweave canvas, and my shirt is actually hide, not leather. It's softer. But good eye from that far,” she said, tossing the knife idly as she entered the darker area.

“Brown girl would've been a little insensitive, I think, but thank you for coming over anyway. I had hoped to speak with you about something very impotant,” the voice spoke, as a woman emerged from behind a barrel. She wore loose, baggy trousers, an armless tight shirt in vermillion red, and had white bindings wrapped around her left arm just above where her elbow should have been. Golden hair cascaded down her back, and her eyes were a fiery orange, and bore a great sadness to them.

“As much as I appreciate being lured into an alleyway by a vision of divine beauty, couldn't you have approached me like a normal person?” Kiri replied.

“It is too dangerous for me to be seen on the streets. The city guard are on the lookout for me, and if they find me, they will try to kill me,” she replied. Kiri arched an eyebrow at this.

“OK, I'm interested. What did you have to say?” Kiri asked. The woman took a deep breath.

“My name is Ling. I may not look it, but I am a member of a tribe of warriors, with many years of battle under my belt. My mother was a great hero in my home, and my father, a wanderer from the wastelands. My family were celebrated among my people as powerful leaders, sworn to protect our interests, and our lands. We fueded with many other tribes, but brought peace to our homelands, a peace that barely lasted. A wretched man, Baron Ashna, brought ruin to our sacred lifestyle, and could not be bargained with. A terrible war broke out, a war that decimated my people, and has me separated from them. I have been forced to beg and scrape to survive, taking on work whenever I could, to keep myself from wasting away even more than you see before you. Several weeks ago, I... yes?”

“Does this story have a break at some point? Only, I kinda have to go pee, and after that, I have a packed day of nothing ahead of me, so I'm busy busy busy,” Kiri replied, leaning back against the crates.

“I'm sorry that the plight of my people bores you so. Fine. I have met a woman who I owe a great debt, and before I leave this town and return to my people, I wish to free her from the local prison. I need help, because even I cannot take on dozens of armed guards alone, and without armour,” she said.

“What makes you think I can help you. Or that I even will?” Kiri asked.

“I have heard rumors. Tellings of a boat with no name, crewed by a woman who knows all secrets, and one whose momentum in a fight is never lost. They say that one is cold and distant, the other an outrageous flirt. You two arrived earlier, on a boat with no name. I took a gamble,” Ling replied. Kiri nodded her head a little, and smiled.

“Let me see what I can do, miss warrior,” she said, scooping up her belongings, and heading for the ship.

“I'm back! Did you get the shopping?” Celeste called as she tapped at the prow of the boat. Kirsikka poked her head up from the roof of the vessel, and waved idly.

“Got everything on the list, got my ink, found a cool business opportunity, and even managed to get in some practice. Oh, and I bought you some actual nice coffee, so you can finally be kind to your tastebuds,” she said, pulling herself along the boat as Celeste rolled up to the ramp.

“Hmm... you must be interested in this... opportunity... if you've neglected to ask me about my own activities,” the dark skinned woman replied, pushing herself up onto her leg, and pulling herself onto the rail attached seat that she used when driving the boat. A few catches were pulled and a lever lowered, and the metal planks that the wheeled chair rested on began to rattle, as the ramp began to slowly rise into the air, folding onto the deck with the chair on top of it.

“She's gorgeous, long golden hair, dazzling eyes, unh! I could do so many things to that woman, naughty, shocking things,” Kiri purred, rolling into her back, looking at Celeste upside down. “But yes, let's talk about your boring thing that doesn't involve a beautiful if overly verbose gift to the world,” she added, poking her tongue out.

“The negotiation went well. We will be arranging for a delivery of a dozen boxes to be taken to Yeshna, for a fee of ten thousand Denar,” she said. Kiri's eyebrows rose in surprise.

“Ten thousand? What are we shipping, slaves? I thought we didn't do that, Celly,” she said, rolling over and moving to stand.

“Calm down, we don't. I was quite emphatic about that. It's 'none of our business', so I did a little investigating, and we're taking White Tiger,” she replied.

“Drugs? Eww. Pass. You can deal with that, I'm not interested,” Kiri said, slumping back down onto the roof.

“That's perfectly fine. You'll just have to earn your own money for a while,” Celeste shot back at her with a smirk. “Well? What about your little opportunity?” she asked, using a little control panel to let the chair slide up along the solid rails towards the roof.

“You ever hear of the warriors of Tel'rethar?” the brown haired woman said.

“Can't say that I have. Why?”

“No real reason. I just think I met one of them. She seemed to be interested in a jailbreak. I'll be honest, I just want to see her fight. There was a legend about the warriors, that they only got stronger the more they got hurt, and this one's missing her arm. I get chills just thinking about it,” she said, biting her lip.

“Ah, is this the blonde? What do you see the prize to be? You can't be thinking so altruistically,” came the response.

“Well... I need to confirm it with the target, but, I think there's something more to it. You remember the time with that bard, and what went on? I've got the same tingles,” she said, rolling to her side to look at her partner.

“I have been a fool not to trust your instincts before, Kirsikka, but I must admit I am a little trepidacious. A jailbreak is no easy feat, and we are on a schedule now,” Celeste replied.

“Let me go back to her, I'll confirm a few things and come back to you,” she said, curling up slightly.

A rip-roaring series of short stories set along the waterways of a grand canal, starring Kirsikka, a gentlemanly thief of no repute, who has worked hard to keep it that way. She has an eye for the ladies... and gents... and some of the more comely mythical creatures that inhabit the world, and a desire to steal things more ephemeral than mere shiny baubles.

The stories also star Celeste, a mysterious transporter about whom almost nothing is known by those she does business with. Aboard her nameless boat, she shifts goods, people, sometimes even the political climate of entire countries. Just don’t cross her.

Together, they come across many adventures, traveling from town to town in the name of living an interesting life.

The entire story is now complete! Check it out here:

https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3299066/1/The-Princess-and-the-Peashooter

https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3299457/1/Shimmer-and-Sear

https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3299816/1/Pirates-and-Pendulums

https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3300197/1/The-Troubadour

https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3300597/1/The-Alchemist-of-Brockenheim

https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3301045/1/The-Ravenshead-Cave-Beast

https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3301456/1/The-Red-Ziggarut