It has been a couple of weeks since I had escorted Na to Carnaska and it will be within the hour that I am on the coastline of Elrid. I really didn’t want to make yet another trip to Fortna this time of year, but I had already made a promise to be here for this date and a promise is a promise. You know Anna, for someone who is supposed to be free as a bird you sure are running around that planet a lot for other people lately. Oh well, with port coming up I better get dressed.

Geh’shah is an interesting city spanning ten miles along the shore and another ten along the southern side of the Kalhardi Mountains. With the mountains being insurmountable to most caravans and the airspace north of them off-limits to foreigners, this port is the primary trading center between Kalhard and the rest of the continent. And because of the transit it also has the highest concentrated population of Yuzeima outside of Kalhard; they make up nearly forty percent of the city.

Of course, the sheer number of Yuzeima running around along the shoreline, in articles that could hardly even pass as swimwear, as I make my way toward the upper district never ceases to irk me. That could be me too dammit! I’ve collected so many luxurious bathing suits throughout my travels and any time I get to come to one of the only places on the planet where my exquisite taste could truly be appreciated she makes me wear a modest dress. And all to be a good example at that. As if I’m not going to change immediately once we are back on the ship. Whatever, I’ll keep humoring her. Especially considering she hasn’t heard the news yet.

I tap on the doorframe with the back of my hand, since they never kept the door shut anyway, and yell into the house, “Ahoy, is anyone home!?”

“Annacelia? Annacelia Maris Riknia, my baby, how are you doing!?” Before I could blink, a red-headed woman with a figure like my own and standing six feet and three inches tall wrapped herself around me and began nuzzling my cheek against hers as one does to a puppy.

“I was fine mom,” I struggle to mumble out, “until you started suffocating me.”

“Oh, I’m sorry!” she says as she releases me. “It’s just that you haven’t stopped by in months and I was beginning to worry. You know, sailing the seas isn’t nearly as safe as traversing the skies. There are a lot of monsters and dangerous people out there. And I mean far more dangerous than a pirate armada. Oh, is that a new dress? I love the lace on it.”

“Thanks,” I respond with an attitude, “I hate it.”

That was probably the wrong response. Now she’s rattling on about how it is important to dress in such a way that you treat yourself with respect so others do as well. Seriously, I already do. I have less respect for myself now while wearing something I normally wouldn’t than when I’m commanding a fleet of nearly one hundred ships in whatever pleases me. Besides, look at this hypocrite saying all this while wearing a revealing outfit herself.

Yoko Keisura, my mother, was at one time the best airship pilot on the planet. It’s actually how my parents met since Sutel was in the need of someone with that exact expertise. She won’t talk about her life before they met, but they had some crazy escapades back in the rebellion. Now, she doesn’t even pilot anymore. The board thinks she’s “too wild” to be placed behind the helm of a passenger vessel. Mom seems more than content being a stewardess these days, just so she can stay close to the old life. She even got her twin sister into it as well ever since she moved over here. You should see these two identical women in their skimpy pink uniforms standing next to each other. Of course, I can tell them apart. I can always tell which one is my mom. But I can only imagine how the passengers react when they are on the same flight plan and they see one walk through one door just for the other to come in from the opposite side of the cabin. Thankfully, Aunt Suru isn’t around at the moment because I don’t have the patience for more tears than necessary at the moment. All I have to worry about is the twerp.

“Hey mom, where is DeciaZ?” I ask, trying to diffuse her rant.

“Last I checked he was out back training,” she answers. “Do you want me to call him in already? I figured you’d at least stay for supper before you guys headed out.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not planning on leaving until the morning,” I assure her. “My crew always likes a good night on the town with all the lovely ladies here. Keeps morale high. Don’t worry, I’ll go grab him. There is something I need to tell both of you and I’d rather get it done all at once sooner than later.”

Strolling into someone’s yard, even of my own family, brings out an uneasy feeling these days. I spend so much of my life on the ocean that any enclosure reminds me of the unpleasant memories of growing up on the ranch. It’s more of a garden than anything, barely smaller than their house, with no real walls and only shrubs and trees acting as a partition between them and their neighbors. It’s an uncomfortable feeling of being trapped. Too far attached to your own property to the point that you and generations of your family will live and die right here. I just can’t deal with that level of attachment. I regularly give away my ships down the chain of command just to get away from my old rooms. I’ll admit that I let some tears slip out when I heard of Sutel’s death, but nothing was more satisfying to me than knowing that old house burned down to the ground. It was only built the year I was born, yet it was still around for far too long if you ask me.

“Yeeeeeee-aaaaaah!” Something screaming dives out of a nearby tree and pegs me square in the shoulder. I try to respond, but it immediately slides into the bushes before I can snag it. It can’t weigh more than fifty pounds and this dirt impression on my dress appears to have tread marks like a shoe.

“DeciaZ, you little turd!” I irritably snarl. “I’m already in a bad enough mood wearing this Bob awful dress, so don’t add to it and come inside now.”

Ouch! He flies out of a bush and punches me in my rear before zipping up a tree-like some sort of rodent. DeciaZ is my youngest brother and a bit of a trouble maker. Mom left Sutel when she was pregnant with him and as far as I know, the twins don’t know he exists or vice versa. I probably should have told them years ago. I should probably still tell them now. I honestly couldn’t care less about Sutel’s reasons for the secret if I tried, but mom’s wishes on the other hand I respect. Still, growing up without knowing his father isn’t an ideal situation for a young boy, especially a little prankster that scares away all of mom’s dates. Closest thing to a male role model he has is our cousin Anon, but I’m not even going to say that’s been a positive one. The guy gets in bar fights all the time and has even convinced the kid that a military career is a sound future. Why anyone would want to sign away their freedom to people that only have their own best interests in mind is well beyond me.

Thunk! Jumping out of a tree, DeciaZ uses my head as a springboard and flips back into the brush yet again. Okay, now I’m livid. As my other siblings would inform you, I have no patience for little monkeys. Focus girl, where is he coming from? A rustle at my four. Yeah, I got something for you little brother. I twirl around more swiftly than he expects and stare the brat dead-on as he leaps toward me.

“Tabashneh!” I shout at him while pointing. A hair-thin bolt so dark it appears bright shoots from my finger to his body and DeciaZ immediately loses all forward momentum plummeting to the ground.

“Agh, why can’t I move?” he cries out.

“Oh little brother, it’s because you now weigh twice that of what you did prior,” I cheekily respond.

“Wah- what!?” he asks, bursting out into tears.

“I understand that your undeveloped brain may have trouble comprehending this, but try to keep up,” I continue. “I cast a gravity spell on you; specifically one of the second rank. What that means is that I modified the attraction between you and the planet we are standing on two-fold, so instead of roughly twelve meters per second per second it is now around twenty-four. You might be limber and acrobatic, but your body isn’t developed enough to even attempt supporting twice that of what it normally handles.”

“I- I don’t know what you’re saying! Please just make it stop!” He screams while clearly in deep pain.

“Do you regret attacking your mighty and powerful sister, Anna?” I question already knowing the answer.

“Yes! I’m sorry!” DeciaZ wails almost incoherently.

“Fine. I’ll let you off the hook this time.” I say while snapping my fingers to release the spell. I begin to the door, but he is still lying there crying. I took it off, so get up already.

“Anna,” he yelps, “I don’t think I can move. Everything still hurts and my right arm is all wobbly.”

Dammit. I think I broke some of his bones. Why did I let my anger get the better of me, he’s only seven? It’s like a switch flips and I start enjoying the suffering of others. Even if they are family. And he needs to be ready for the academy soon. He can’t afford to wait for those bones to heal up. Mom is going to kill me… or worse. Death could actually be preferable. Come on, come on, think… Oh yeah, I still have time for that!

“Achoran!” And as I let out that word, a soft white glow surrounds DeciaZ. His crying stops right away and is replaced with the sounds of popping and cracking but in reverse. His bruises fade away, the seams on his clothes tighten back up, and his hair fluffs back to its normal shape.

“Wow, what did you do!?” He questions in complete awe.

“I used a reversion spell,” I reply while catching my breath. “I returned you to the state you were before I crushed you. Don’t get used to it. I can only revert back a few minutes or so and it takes a lot out of me. I’m pretty much tapped dry after that.”

“Thank you, Anna,” he meekly states with his head held low. “I’m sorry again for making you mad.”

I don’t want there to be more trouble than there already is so all I say is, “It’s okay, just don’t tell mom about this. Or else you may not have a big sister to make mad for much longer.”

He smiles and nods before running back inside. And that was the least stressful part of coming here. I can already tell. We still have to get through dinner and the bad news. Why is this my job? Why did I have to be born first?

Slowly, I stroll back through the garden to the threshold standing between me and my duty. Gulp. I’m trembling a little. I haven’t trembled at all in years and I’m in naval battles on a weekly basis. I'm caught off guard by a drop of cold sweat rolling down my back and accidentally bite my bottom lip in reaction. Dammit, I’m not good at this personal stuff. Why do people think I live out on the open seas? I didn’t even like Sutel, but I know she still has some feelings for him. They may have split, but you don’t have kids with someone three separate times if there wasn’t something there. I don’t even like dealing with my own emotions, let alone those of other people.