Free Valkyria by Ink Blood Page A

Rin’s
murder.
    Approaching the docks of the city, he
was greeted with the sight of six different ships. Four of them
were small fishing boats with oars, almost laughable next to the
two ferries that were docked as well.
    Einar walked over to the sailors who
stood near the boats smoking pipes of tobacco. One wore the sign of
Argent, the White Wolf, on his shoulder. The other wore the Dragon
Skull of Kihro. He approached the White Wolf directly, walking past
the Dragon Skull without a second glance.
    “ I am looking for a ferry,”
he said directly, glaring at the sailor through his
tears.
    “ We’re only going to Argent
and back. If you want to go some other place, find another
ferry.”
    “ I am going to Argent. How
much is a single journey?”
    “ You not coming back any
time soon? Is that not a bit curious? There’s just been a murder
here, you know?”
    Einar’s eyes opened wide and filed with
fire as he glared at the man through the top of his
eyes.
    “ I know that very well,” he
said with a voice more suited to a drill sergeant. “Rin was my
friend and now he is dead, killed by the Inquisition as far as I
can tell by their symbol being painted on the wall. My sister is
missing as well, kidnapped and taken to Argent. So you will forgive
me if I do not accept and join in with your little games right now
and rather just ask once again for the price of a single
journey.”
    Both sailors stood silent and
motionless for a few seconds before the man from Argent scratched
his head. He stepped back to open the path to the boat and
stretched out an arm as if to say ‘continue’.
    “ The price?”
    “ This is a gift,” said the
sailor, looking at Einar with eyes distant and half empty, yet
strangely caring. “I apologize for my joke, I did not know your
situation. What has happened to your sister? How long has she been
missing? Perhaps we may have seen her.”
    “ She and I were at home
last night. We went to bed at the same time because we share a
bedroom, but when I woke up she was gone.
    Our neighbour’s son confessed to
helping a man come into our village and take her. He said the man
was going to Argent. His father is dealing with him now and I will
travel to there to search for her.”
    “ What did she look
like?”
    “ She had long brown hair
and always wore a purple piece of fabric in it. She would have been
dressed in a brown tunic with a second piece of purple fabric
wrapped around her shoulders.
    She is about the same height as my
shoulders and rather thin compared to the woman of
Saylae.”
    The sailor paused, his hand open on his
chin as his eyes looked to the sky. He breathed heavily as Einar
waited for a reply. The sailor’s face returned to his level with an
empty expression.
    “ I have not seen anyone
like that going to Argent. Which means whoever took her must have
had enough coin to use an airship as it is the only other way
across the seas.
    Get on board and we will take you there
as fast as possible. We leave within the hour. Just waiting for the
captain to return.”
    Einar smiled to say thank you before
walking along the wooden pier toward the ferry. The boat itself had
three floors. The top deck, exposed to the elements, contained the
crew’s cabin and the helm, as well as a deck area for passengers to
sit on. The deck area was made of whitewashed wood flooring with
wooden chairs resembling beds more than anything else.
    The middle floor held the passenger’s
rooms. Each room contained a wooden fold away bed and a bedside
table with candles for light at night. They were plain room at
best, but on a ferry you did not need luxury as the journey would
only take a few hours. There was cafeteria of sorts on the same
floor but it was very small in size.
    On the bottom floor was the engine
room, filled with smoke and steam. Men worked constantly to funnel
fuel materials into the burning stove. The engine was far
out-dated, with little in the way of electric heating rods. Instead
it used