Grey thought they might lose Callum over the next few days, but after a heartfelt discussion with the Captain, the riptide decided that venturing out on his own would be more of a hassle than just staying on. His bright red hair and freckles gave him a youthful, carefree appearance, but his personality could not be more opposite. He needed a strong leader to soothe his fears, and there was none stronger than Akula.

  Grey presented the route and the choice to the grounders, explaining her support, and then Akula addressed the whole crew. The sailors had enough respect for both leaders to keep their mouths shut and listen, and they delivered their decisions the following day. While Akula wanted his officers to have time to think, he wanted his lower-enlisted forced into a quick decision.

  The Paso Fino would be landing in Saphir early that morning. Lotti had come to Grey’s cabin the evening before with an apology and bottle of wine. Grey knew she wanted to resolve things before the lure of the colorful city tore them further apart, but even so, she felt that Lotti had taken time to think over what she said and was earnest in her remorse.

  More importantly, she thought Lotti had learned her lesson. She could continue playing games with others, but she would not play them with Grey. Grey was her biggest ally on board, and taking it for granted had nearly cost her the whole thing.

  Whether due to Lotti’s meddling or the Captain’s track record, four out of five Division Leaders were on board. This meant that the majority of the ship would stay, and Akula was one step closer to having enough crew to set sail for the border.

  Trevor, the purser, was predictably departing, but the incompetent Quartermaster, Rollins was trying to remain on, likely to take advantage of the potential promotion. It seemed the captain had not weaseled himself out of an awkward conversation to let him go.

  Afterward, he would be heading to the magistrate’s labor offices to inquire about a replacement. It would be Grey’s duty to fill the grounder ranks, but the government buildings were not the place to go looking. She would be hitting the taverns, inns, and gambling halls.

  Lotti, Nessa, and the sailors brought the Paso Fino smoothly into port as the sun rose over Saphir. After they moored the Paso Fino, Grey and Finnian set off on a tavern tour. She took a moment to appreciate the beauty of the busy dock at dawn and then began mentally preparing herself to talk to unwashed mule shits all day.

  Callum should be the one accompanying her, but she had learned early on that he was not helpful when it came to recruiting. In fact, he was the opposite, bogging down Grey’s stories of glory and riches with facts and hard truths. He wasn’t a stupid man, and Grey suspected he just wanted to get out of the task by leaning into his nature. What had Nessa called it? Weaponized incompetence.

  Finnian, on the other hand, loved a tavern tour. He was always excited to meet new people. To them, he seemed engaged and friendly. To Grey, it was more like watching a cat play with a string.

  Sometimes, he found someone who matched his strange mind and abstract humor, and then every bit of his attention would focus on them. It was not long until they disappeared together, and the crew would lose track of Finnian for a week. He had nearly missed cast off more than once over a starry-eyed boy or a long-legged, eccentric woman.

  Finnian had braided his hair in an intricate spiral pattern for their first day in Saphir, sewing pearls into the knots. Grey admired the art of it, and wondered, as she always did, how long it took him. Hers was pulled into the same messy combat tie it always was; quick and efficient, if not a little dull.

  Finnian seemed happy that everyone had made their decisions and that his life was back to normal, whatever that was to him. He was certainly happy to be traveling into the city with Grey and thanked her for inviting him many times.

  Saphir was the largest city in the Myriad, and though it was part of Etos, it couldn’t be more different than the capital, Nochebraga. It was located on the eastern coast of Varuna, a massive island central to trade between Etos and the rest of their islands. Varuna was so big that it sustained several ecosystems, and the people and cultures that inhabited them.

  Both the impressive number of cultures and goods on Veruna, plus its status as a major trade stop, made Saphir a huge melting pot. The city itself still proudly showcased its own culture, but it also warmly welcomed others to add their flavor.

  As they passed through the pop-up grills on the docks, Grey drew in a breath of roasted turmeric and pork, enjoying the first smells of Saphir. Facing the port, a line of colorful coral-stone buildings shielded the closest portion of the city from view. They were connected like bricks in a wall, with only the main street to break the pattern. The architecture created a tapestry of pale pinks, teals, and seafoam greens that welcomed sailors into the city.

  Further into the horizon, more colorful houses climbed the steep cliffs that flanked Saphir. Grey had never made the trek to the “stacks”, but she loved watching the sun rise over them when she visited.

  Grey also loved how green Saphir was. There were trailing vines, fountains with lotus and lilies, and large jungle oaks scattered throughout. The cobbled streets had blocks removed around towering palms all across the city, but the ones near the port were the largest.

  The locals would tell you that some were well over 100 years old. When you took in their size, you could believe them. There was a tally on the stones below each, signifying how many coconuts the tree had dropped on residents of Saphir in its lifetime. If there was a question of their age, the impressive number of marks stood as evidence.

  Finnian and Grey passed the coral-stone houses to the street beyond. The wide streets here were full of merchant stalls and stacked goods. The trade district had grown right next to the dock, saving steps for the merchants and the sailors. Grey and Finnean would need to navigate the stalls and the adobe-crafted shops to hit all the regular grounder spots.

  There were taverns elsewhere in Saphir, but it wasn’t worth the walk. The degenerates she was looking for would all be within a ten-block radius of the ships.

  In the market, Finnean was like a silverside in a feeding frenzy, darting from stall to stall and examining wares. She had to wait on him a few times while he haggled with merchants solely for his own amusement, but having an ebbjack with you in a crowded market was invaluable.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  She had learned the fact well their first venture. Finnean had put a dagger through a man’s hand for reaching for her purse, though for a few breaths, Grey had not known why a man was pinned to the stall behind her. Once she understood, she still persuaded Finnean to release him. The purse had been a considerable sum, a portion of the ship’s money included, and after paying off an Ironcloak to “understand the situation” she had bought Finnean’s drinks for the rest of the week.

  Losing a few gold was not the worst that could happen if an officer was careless on shore. Ebbjacks from other ships were known to lift items off of their competition’s higher-ups. This could be an attempt to rob the ship, win a deal, or stomp out an operation. In fact, depending on the ship, this may be the bulk of an Ebbjack’s day in their employ.

  After that incident, Finnean had shown Grey where and how to sew valuables into her Riptide armor, chest wraps, and leather pants. He had also shown her where to put things she didn’t mind being stolen to distract from the items that she really couldn’t risk. Then he filled her actual purse full of round, flat pebbles, taking the time to paint a little naked butt on the largest in the bag.

  So, she allowed him his distractions and kept herself busy pricing weapons. When he had harassed the last merchant on their route, Grey stomped into their first dive, The Rotted Keel. As the name suggested, it smelled of mold and stale beer, and Grey thought she might forgo a tankard for this stop. The patrons didn’t seem to mind the smell, or the mess of the place, with men and women drinking and yelling from wall to wall.

  It was a slow business, chatting up drunk sailors. They were all starved for attention from a riptide, whether that was for personal gain or elevated camaraderie. The dumbest of the lot would make passes at Grey, and though she found it more flattering when they were women, she didn’t have much interest in day drunk sailors who chose the Keel to hole up in.

  Eventually, Grey decided to wrap it up. She had only found a few new hires, but expected the two other taverns she would visit to have higher-quality candidates. Finnian was close to starting a fight between two unemployed grounders, which she wouldn’t mind seeing, but she was hungry. She'd rather eat sand than try anything at the Keel, so she closed out with the dream-addled man behind the bar and moved on.

  After corralling Finnean back through the marketplace, she led them into the largest, cleanest, and most welcoming tavern on her list. Almonte’s took after its namesake, Coraline Almonte, the owner and tavernkeep. She was a sharp and organized businesswoman, and she made a killing with the tavern and attached inn.

  The inside was airy and bright, with shade sails of every color slung over the open air portions of the dining area. Almonte’s was technically constructed of thick adobe mud, to protect it from the intense storms that plagued the Myriad, but Coraline had installed light balsa wood trappings wherever she could.

  Grey always stopped by Almonte’s when she was in Saphir, sometimes staying at the Inn. Sunveils weren’t a good idea in such a large city. You might as well throw your pack in the alley and go have a pint. In fact, a sunveil would be the poorer option to leave a pack in. At least thieves may not know where to look in the alley.

  Depending on Coraline’s mood, sometimes Grey was not allowed to stay at Almonte’s. She thought she may find out today where she’d be sleeping in Saphir.

  The first thing she noticed was Nile’s big head parked at one of the tables near the door. She hadn’t spoken to him, or honestly, thought about him, since their dispute on the stomp deck. Before she could think, he smiled and nodded. It seemed either his feelings had healed with his bruises or he was smart enough to play as if they had. She nodded back, and though she could have joined him from his greeting, she continued looking around the dining area.

  Her eyes snapped immediately to a woman in a layered sage empress gown standing in the open area between the bar and the stairs to the inn, talking with Coraline. It was unusual to see Coraline upstaged, but the finery the stranger wore was uncommon, to say the least. The center of the tavern was also slung with shade sails, and the light that dappled through the sheer cloth made the two women glow.

  After she took in the intricacies of the gown, the subtle shows of wealth and craftsmanship, she looked up at the woman. Grey was struck hard in the chest. The gown paled in comparison to the beauty of the woman who wore it.

  Her sharp features were at odds with the deep auburn waves that tumbled over her shoulders. She was shorter and slighter than Coraline, but her confidence was obvious to anyone with eyes. Grey suspected that she had intentionally chosen the sage dress for the contrast, but that she would stand out in any attire.

  Coraline noticed Grey and Finnian at the door, waved, and then motioned them over. When Grey glanced at Finnian, she could see the fascination written all over his face. He walked excitedly through the tables, and Grey followed.

  Grey felt like a dog that slept in an alley behind the Rotted Keel. Her hair was a salt-tangled mess. Her skin was hardened and cracked from weeks on the deck in the open sea. Her boots had a hole that Lotti refused to patch even one more time. She hadn’t thought about her looks in a long time, but couldn’t help it as she approached the two women.

  It was a small favor that she always kept her riptide leathers in good condition, and that she was a generally clean person compared to most sailors. She could keep her head high knowing her crest was polished and her face clean. She was a fighter and a sailor first, a merchant second. Her pride came from her position and ability, not her looks.

  As they ascended to the raised area of the tavern, she was able to take in the woman’s features more closely. She expected a soft nature to her, but instead found an athletic build that stood in contrast to Coraline’s curves. Had Grey not been a riptide, she likely wouldn’t have noticed. Those who trained could spot others, even if the stranger’s expensive attire and plunging neckline were a distraction.

  When Grey smiled, it was earnest. She was surprised to find that the woman’s eyes were the same color as her mother’s, seafoam and pearl like a sandbar under the tide. The woman smiled back, wrinkling her nose and lighting up her face. It was an endearing, unexpected greeting from a woman with such elegant features and confident bearing. Grey caught her breath.

  Coraline snapped her back to reality. “Well, it did seem about time for you to crawl back through my door, Grey Devries, and you brought your friend.. Finnian…”

  “Martell” Finnian finished. He looked between the women and grinned, clearly invested.

  “Well, Grey Devries and Finnian Martell, this is Aisling Byrne. She’s a dreamsand merchant, but not in the way you lot are.” Coraline laughed at her own dig before continuing. “She’s in from the mainland on business.”

  Aisling spoke, “It’s a pleasure.” Her voice was light and rich, a contrast to Grey’s low gravel. She nodded at each, meeting their gaze with a natural confidence. They nodded in return.

  “We were just about to sit for lunch. Would you two care to join us?” Aisling asked. Coraline was clearly put off, but Aisling either didn’t notice or didn’t care. It was a bold move, inviting guests to dine in when she was a guest herself.

  Grey opened her mouth to reply, but Finnian had accepted before she could make a sound. The woman must think she was mute at this point in the conversation.

  Instead of leading them to the main dining area, Coraline turned on her heel and circled behind the bar. They passed through layers of sheer curtains, obscuring them from the rest of the inn until they had entered her personal lounge at the rear of Almonte’s. Aisling must have some interesting business in Saphir to be invited here, or a chest account full of gold.

  Grey found she was rather excited to find out.