[I recently saw a writing prompt about a person sailing the ocean, finding bottles with wishes inside, and doing their best to make the wish come true. The idea intrigues me and I will be writing a series of short stories about the wishes. If you have any ideas about what they should be, please feel free to contact me!]
Ezili looked down at the bottle in her hand. The waves in the glass disfigured the paper inside.
"Captain. This is what we were looking for?" The first mate stepped to her side.
"Part of it." She took out a penknife and wedged it against the inside edge of the bottleneck. Wiggling the blade, she maneuvered out the cork. She tilted the bottle and eased out the paper with her pinkie.
Unfurling the paper, she glanced over the words and then took her compass from her pocket. "Change the course for the Eastern Isles. We will be landing at Susrial." The first mate nodded, bowed, and walked towards the helm.
Ezili looked out over the waves, back towards home. They were three hundred leagues away from land. Ezili glanced over the ship, watching the sailors hurry around. She watched as a sailor scurried up the rigging to keep watch in the crow's nest.
Ezili turned and went to her cabin. Shutting the door behind her, she closed herself off from the rest of the crew. She sat at her desk and flattened the piece of paper, weighing down the corners with crystals. Childish writing scrawled across the thin sheet of paper. A smudge ran along the side, showing that the message had been rewritten several times. Ezili read the note aloud.
"I wish that my family will have enough money for the rest of our lives. Susrial, the first moon, from Kye Uster"
Ezili left the note on her desk and walked over to the glass tank on the wall. "What do you think Otto? Can we help Kye?"
Her dwarf squid peered at her through the glass. He stuck a tentacle on the glass and changed his pattern from red to blue. Ezili stuck her hand in the tank and stroked his head.
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Ezili walked through the street market of Susrial. The people nearby jostled her as she walked towards an inn. Traders shouted their wares to her as she passed by and beggars held out their palms to her. A baby wailed just ahead of her and she smiled. Such was life on shore!
A small boy ran across her path and bumped her as he went by. She felt his hand slip into her pocket and she grabbed his collar. He shoved at her, but tightening her grip, she held him close.
"Be still." The boy wiggled some more, trying to claw her face. "Would you rather I take you to the guard and have them deal with you?"
He grew limp and she heard his trembling voice. "Please ma'am. Don't take me to the guard. I didn't steal anything."
"Give me your promise you won't run if I let go. I want to talk to you. And there's money in it for you."
He nodded his head. "I won't run and I'll tell you what you want."
Ezili released him and pulled a silver coin from her pocket. "One for every question. Understand?"
The boy turned and gaped at the coin. "I get a silver for every question?" His gaze snapped to hers. "What do you want to know?"
"What is your name?"
"Kye."
Ezili tossed him a coin and pulled out another one. "Can you tell me where I would find a market stall available for rent?"
The boy glanced to the side. "There's an empty stall at the end of the street. The merchant was chased out of town for fraud. You can probably get it for nothing."
Ezili spotted a teenage girl heading towards them, her face pinched in worry. "I won't ask anymore. Here." She poured a handful of coins into Kye's hands.
The girl reached them and cast a glance at Ezili before pouncing on Kye. "What have you done now? Mother's worried sick!" She spotted the coins in his hand. "Give those back at once!"
Ezili smiled at them both. "Don't worry. He earned it. Say, I'm looking for helpers at my prospective stall. Would you two be willing to come over tomorrow and we'll see what you can help with?"
The girl gave her a suspicious look. "We don't take charity."
"It's not charity if you work for it. I think I can promise five silver a day at first and then we'll see if we can't up the wage to a gold."
The two glanced at each other and then looked back at her.
"Are you telling the truth?" The girl pulled Kye close.
"Meet me tomorrow at the stall and see for yourself." Ezili smiled and then walked past them. When she got to the inn, she asked for a room and was given the best room in the house. She inspected the room and then paid for a week.
Ezili placed her cloak on the peg by the door and smoothed her hair down with her fingers. Satisfied that she was presentable, she walked downstairs to the tavern. She chose a table along the wall and glanced over the room. She spotted some sailors from her ship, the Riverstar. As her gaze passed over them they gave a slight nod and turned back to their food.
The innkeeper hurried over to her. "Miss, your trunk is being taken to your room as we speak. I hope all is to your satisfaction?"
"Yes, thank you." She turned from her inspection of the room. "May I have a mug of cider and a bowl of stew please?"
The innkeeper nodded. He bowed and was turning away when Ezili's voice stopped him.
"Whom do you trust to tell me truthful answers to my questions?"
The innkeeper glanced over the room. He motioned to an old man sitting by the fire. "That's Solon. He has been here his entire life. He knows everyone and everything that goes on. He will tell you what you want to know."
Ezili nodded. "Good. Do you think you could procure the owner of the empty stall down the street? I am interested in buying it."
The innkeeper bowed. "I will do my best."
"Thank you. Ask Solon if he will come over here please."
The innkeeper nodded and walked over to the old man. They spoke for a moment and then the innkeeper disappeared into the kitchen. The old man levered himself up and crossed the room to the seat opposite Ezili.
"I'm told you want to speak with me." At her nod, he sat down. "I don't know what you would want to hear from an old geezer like me, but I've got nothing else to do." His voice creaked like a mast in a high gale, but it was somehow comforting.
"What can you tell me about the Uster family?" Ezili leaned back in her chair.
Solon drew a pipe from his pocket. He clamped his teeth around the stem, relaxing into his chair. The firelight played over his features, casting his eyes into shadow. He frowned. "Why do you want to be learning about that family? What is your interest in them?"
Ezili drew the paper from her sleeve. She set it on the table near Solon. "This is why. I want to help them as best I can."
Solon glanced over the paper. "Where did you get this?"
"I found it in the ocean."
His eyes glittered. "You seem to be more than you appear. Why do you want to fulfill his wish?"
She kept her gaze on him. "I once had a wish that never came true. I don't want that to happen to other people so I find wishes and do my best to fulfill them."
Solon bobbed his head. "That is good enough for me." He wiggled in his chair, moving his face deeper into shadow. "The Uster family has had a rough time of it. They came two years ago to find work. The father found a job in the coal mines. He was killed in a tunnel collapse last year. Creditors descended and the family has barely avoided debtors' jail. The mother has been sick lately and the kids are doing their best to stay afloat. There are three kids- Oona: the oldest, Kye: the man of the family, and Adva: barely a year old. The two oldest do their best, but the children are mighty close to being placed in homes."
The old man took his pipe from his mouth. "I wish that I could do something to help them, but they won't accept charity."
Ezili leaned forward in her chair. "I think I can help them, but I'm going to need some help."
Solon smiled. "What do you need?"
I'll be posting the next section next month. Let me know what you think so far!
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