“We shouldn’t take the White Ship directly in to San Ria,” Elisha said, “We need to scout ahead, find out what kind of a welcome we can expect.” She stood in Thea’s office with Pandora and Luna.
“You’re right,” Thea said, “The last time we were here San Ria was rebelling against the Moral Revolution but that doesn’t mean they won. We could be facing extreme danger.”
“Then I suppose we should change out of our white uniforms as well,” Pandora said, “I just got used to wearing this again.”
“Can I lead the landing party?” Elisha asked, “I want to feel like I’m doing something. It’s driving me crazy, being stuck on the ship!”
“I want to come too,” Luna said, “I want to see if my father’s okay.”
“I’m coming as well!” Pandora said.
“That should be enough,” Elisha said, “The three of us can probably avoid too much attention.”
The boat was lowered and they rowed the few miles to shore in plain clothes. Elisha hoped that the ship on the horizon wasn’t too recognizable as the White Ship, but the harbor seemed busy and nobody seemed to pay much attention to the three women in a rowboat. Coming ashore, they pushed their boat up an outcropping of rocky beach and tied it up before heading into the city.
“The guards were wearing San Rian city guard uniforms,” Luna hissed, “Not the uniforms of the Moral Revolution. Maybe that means they took the city back?”
“Or it just means that Valen’s men are assimilated into the city guard now,” Elisha whispered in return, “We can’t assume anything. We need to find a real source of information.”
“My father will know everything,” Luna said, “We have to go see him!”
They walked through alleyways and back streets, following Luna who had grown up in the city and knew every shortcut. Eventually they reached her house and knocked on the door. There was no answer.
“Father, it’s Luna!” Luna yelled at the door, “Please talk to me!”
The door opened quickly, and the three were hustled inside. Luna’s father slammed the door quickly and bolted it three times before putting a bar across.
Elisha looked at him. He had only one eye now, and scars crossed his face. He was missing two fingers on his right hand, and he shuffled to Luna with a limp, taking her in a big bear hug.
“Father... what happened to you?” Luna asked, “What did they do to you?”
“I was punished for my part in the counter-revolution,” Luna’s father said. He coughed deeply, the fit racking his whole body. Luna put her hand on his shoulder and he managed to stop, but it was several moments before he could speak again.
“Valen executed many... but he used me as an example of what would happen to others if they rose up against the Moral Revolution. You’ve been gone a long time, Luna. Did you find a place of safety?”
“We did,” Luna said, with tears in her eyes. “Father, come and live with us. Give up this vile city, as it has abandoned you. I know that nobody on the island would mind.”
“I can’t, Luna,” he said, “Even now, I’m still being watched. I know they would never let me leave the city. No, I cannot come. But you must go back! The Moral Revolution reaches from the Arian Empire to Haven’s End. I don’t know why you decided to leave your place of safety, but I urge you to go back! It is a dark time for our world. We need you to remain safe, to bring back the memory of what we once were once everybody else has forgotten...”
“We’re looking for somebody,” Elisha said, “Arietta Sashrady. She left Sanctuary to fight the Moral Revolution, but we haven’t heard from her since. Have you heard anything?”
“Everybody’s looking for Arietta,” Luna’s father said, “She’s the most wanted fugitive in the world, but nobody knows where she is, or even if she’s still alive. The last time she was seen was in Garania, but the resistance movement there was compromised. They were all executed.”
“She has to still be alive,” Elisha said, “Damn it, I should have gone with her!”
“You needed to stay,” Pandora said, “You weren’t ready to step out into the dangerous world again. Not even for Arietta. I’m sure she’s still alive, Elisha. Believe in her.”
“She’s become quite a symbol for the Resistance,” Luna’s father said, “She’s freed prisoners, exposed the torture of the Moral Revolution... she’s done a lot to turn people against what they voted for. But now the Revolution is so deeply entrenched that it doesn’t matter... Elections have been suspended across the whole world, and every government has declared a national emergency against the forces of sin. I fear that we may never be rid of them.”
“We can’t give up,” Luna said, “There is hope... Father, I want to tell you something... Pandora and I are married.” She put her arm around Pandora and smiled.
“You make an old man’s heart warm again,” Luna’s father said, “When I thought all warmth was gone from the world... It’s good to see you so happy. Please, go back to your Sanctuary. Forget this world and what it was and concentrate on your futures.”
“We can’t,” Luna said, “There are still people who need help... who need to find Sanctuary. It’s not good enough to just run away and deny them a safe haven to save ourselves.”
“Always such a good girl,” Luna’s father said, “You make me so proud, Luna. That is why I must ask you to go now. Get out of San Ria. Valen’s men are watching everything. You won’t last a day here. Flee, and live to fight another day.”
“Father...” Luna said, but he shook his head, “You’ve stayed too long already, because I wanted to see you again so much... You must leave now, before they come for you...”
As they left, Luna’s father called to Pandora, “Take care of my daughter,” he said, and Pandora turned to him, her hand over her heart.
“Always,” she said, and followed the others outside.
“Where to now?” Luna said, “I think we should go back to the ship and report.”
“You’re probably right,” Elisha said, “If what he said is true, then Arietta is in Garania and we should look for her there.”
“Garania?” Pandora’s eyes went wide, “The heart of the lion’s den? It’s suicide for us to go there!”
“Nowhere is safe now,” Elisha said, “It’s as we feared; the Moral Revolution owns the world. Going to Garania is no more dangerous then lingering here, and if Arietta is there, then that’s where we need to go.”
Luna looked away. She had come because Elisha needed their support, but she was now having doubts, “I’m not so sure that’s a good idea... Perhaps we should return to Sanctuary.”
“That’s it, you’re going to give up because Arietta didn’t magically chase the Moral Revolution away in two years?” Elisha said, “What did you expect? It’s been her -- alone -- against a powerful political force spanning half the world. I should have stayed with her, I know that now, and fought for what was right. But I’m going to Garania now whether you come or not!”
“Keep your voice down!” Pandora said, “Let’s go back to the ship and discuss it there. Now is not the time!”
They made their way back to the harbor and jumped down onto the rocky shore where their boat was tethered. Just as Elisha was about to climb into the boat, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw they were surrounded by city guards.
“You will come with us,” the guard said. Elisha looked hopelessly at her friends, but they shot back looks of equal fear. She looked at the guards. They were heavily armed. There was no way out.
“Yes,” Elisha said, and their weapons were taken from them. Elisha was reluctant to part with her sword Twilight, the one thing that still reminded her of her time with Arietta, but she knew she had no choice. They fell into step with the guards and were marched through the city. Imprisonment again, or worse... Elisha shuddered as she remembered her time in Garania, and the things they had done to others there.
“Pandora,” she whispered, “There must be something you can do.” But Pandora only shook her head sadly as the guard shot Elisha a look.
Some of the city residents gave them curious glances as they were marched past, but most kept their heads down. Elisha could tell that they had conditioned themselves to ignore such events, on the fear that suspicion would fall on their house.
Elisha thought that they were going to be taken to some kind of hearing as they were marched into the San Ria courthouse, but they were only taken below ground into a dungeon filled with prisoners. Some cried out as they passed; others sat silently in the corner of their cells, having accepted their helplessness. They were led to a cell and thrown in, the guards saying nothing to them as they left, locking the cell door behind them.
“We’re in trouble now,” Pandora said, “They must have heard us talking.”
“Or they saw the White Ship,” Luna said, “Thea and the others could be in danger! We have no way to warn them...”
“It’s up to the fates now,” Elisha said, “There’s nothing we can do...”
Pandora tried to bend the bars with her fire magic, but they were strong and she only burned her hands trying. Luna bound them and fussed over Pandora as they sat in the cell.
“I’m sorry I dragged you two into this,” Elisha said, “I was being selfish - I didn’t care about anything other than finding Arietta, and I was willing to move the world to do it. But she’s not your responsibility...”
“She’s our friend,” Pandora said, “We wanted to come with you, so don’t blame yourself. We can’t give up yet, we’ve just started. We’ll get out of here and go to Garania, don’t worry. We’ll find Arietta and then... everything will be okay.”
“Will it?” Elisha said, “I don’t even know what I’ll do when I find her. I just want to shake her and ask her why she didn’t come back after two years... Even though I know now that it’s because she’s still fighting this war, I still think to myself -- what if she’s found somebody else? What if another woman fights by her side and she’s forgotten all about me? What if she never intended to come back to Sanctuary for me?”
“Arietta’s not selfish,” Luna said, “She always wanted what was best. She didn’t come back because she couldn’t leave her people like this! Look at the world and what it’s become... She never would have been happy at Sanctuary, knowing that all the people down on the ground were suffering...”
“Luna’s right,” Pandora said, “You have to think about what you want, Elisha... If Arietta is not willing to come back, will you stay and fight the Moral Revolution with her? Are you willing to give up your life for the cause?”
“I hate the Moral Revolution as much as anybody else,” Elisha said, “I just know that someday people will see the error of their ways. I’m not into direct action like Arietta. But it turns out that I’m not so patient, either. I couldn’t just sit and wait for her... not knowing if I even still occupy a place in her heart.”
“We’ll find her,” Pandora said, “Have faith in her, Elisha...”
On board the White Ship, anchored out at sea, Thea stood with her telescope looking out at the ship that she had been warned of.
“Is it them?” One of the girls asked, “Is it the San Rian army?”
“I don’t think so,” Thea said, “I’ve never seen that flag before, but it’s possible that San Ria may have adopted a new one since the Revolution.”
“It’s certainly coming closer,” Thea said, “Be ready to surrender... There’s no way we can hold off an army with a skeleton crew.”
“I’d rather die than surrender to that scum!” One of the women cried, and others agreed.
“Hopefully it won’t come to that,” Thea said.
The ship came closer and closer, and Thea could see heavily armed crew milling around on the decks. She looked for a captain, for any sign of who this ship might belong to, but there was none.
Eventually she saw a man talking with a woman come up the steps and onto the deck. The woman looked familiar, but also did not. If it was Arietta, she had changed. She was dressed in black armor, and bore a scar. Her hair was shorter and the innocent face she had once held, filled with idealism was gone, replaced with a battle-hardened expression.
“It’s Arietta... I think...” Thea said, “They’re not firing on us. Raise a white flag and prepare to greet them.”
The ship came up by the side of the White Ship and extended a plank between the two ships. Arietta and the man she was with came over and stood on the deck of the White Ship.
“Arietta... Is it really you?” Thea said.
“Yes,” Arietta said, “I’m still alive. Why are you here? You found Sanctuary, you need to be there. The world is no longer safe for us.”
“Elisha has been waiting for you for two years!” Thea said, “Each day, she looked out at the ocean, her whole life on hold, praying for a signal from below that never came. So we came searching for you.”
“She should have moved on,” Arietta said, “I expected she would. Did nobody love her, out of the whole crew?”
“I love her,” Thea said, angry at Arietta’s dismissiveness, “But she won’t look at me. She has eyes only for you.”
Arietta paced, “Where is she?” she asked, “I would... like to see her.”
“She went to San Ria with Pandora and Luna, to test the lie of the land.” Thea said.
“Idiots!” Arietta said, “San Ria is the most dangerous city in the entire world! It’s been full of uprisings and counter revolutions from the people, leading them to crack down on everybody. There’s no way they’ll leave there alive!”
“Then we need to rescue them!” Thea said, “Pandora and Luna just got married. This is no way to start a honeymoon.”
“Good for them,” Arietta said, her face softening, “I always knew they were meant to be together.”
“Arietta, who is the man with you?” Thea looked over the man. He was tall and looked strong, but had a feminine quality to him as well, with long, black hair. The spiked black armor he wore seemed strangely out of place on him.
“This is Ariel Valentine.” She looked at him and then back at Thea almost apologetically, “He’s my husband.”
Deviant Hearts Archive | Back to main index