Astigan (Dropped)

“...Any news, doctor? How is she?”

“...”

“Come on, man; don’t you dare keep us waiting!”

“David, watch your tongue! This man has done nothing but good for us, and you will show him the respect he deserves!”

“Oh, to Hel with that! First he forces himself onto our ship, then he acts like he runs the damn place! Jauffre, when are you going to—“

“I believe it’s best if you go in.. and pay respects to the warm corpse.”

“Oh, no...”

“No, no, not the Cap!”

“I swear I did what I could, Davy. I did...”

“I know he understands, Doc. The boy is just rattled. He was very close to—“

“So was I! How do you think I feel about this? Why do you think I got onto this damn ship in the first place? I wouldn’t have dared set foot on the water again had she not... Oh, God...”

...

“Are you alright, Doctor?”

“I need a drink.”

“But you’ve never—“

“I do now. Damn sure I do now. Anything to forget this nightmare of an expedition.”

“I know how you feel.”

“Do you, Jauffre? I understand you’re trying to “reassure and relax” me and all, but I don’t quite think you understand. How much I gave up to do this, how much she gave up to do this... I told her I’d bring her home. I promised, damn it!”

“And she will come home, Celo. Maybe just not in the way we thought.”

“No. She said she always wanted to be buried at sea. Just like her mother, and her’s before—“

“The captain’s alive!”

“What? David, you had best not be fucking with me right now.”

“She’s alive and she’s asked for you by name.”

“...Can she walk? Can she stand? Can—“

“She’s just sitting up right now, but she refuses to speak with anyone but you.”

“I’m on my way right now.”


***
***

“And how was she?”

“She was just fine. Upright and lively as a flower, but she was undoubtedly dead for a solid minute. I have— had no idea just what it was that brought her back, but I was happy she was.”

“And just what, pretel, do you believe revived her?”

“You did. You and your magics played with the natural order of things and made a dead woman walk.”

“Oh, but are you not glad? Did seeing her alive and well not fill you with joy?”

“You know, that magic is the same thing that sank your precious city into the ground, isn’t it?”

...

“I’m sorry, did I strike a nerve?—“

“What happened next.”

“I struck a nerve. Well, from that point on, it was smooth sailing: the boys on deck were glad that their precious “Reiterpallasche” was back on her feet, and we all spent the whole rest of the night drinking our supply down and dancing. The morning after was hell for everyone, but the ride back home was smooth and there was more fun to be had at the docks back home.”

***
***

“Ah, back home at last! There’s nothing like a welcome home party to get the curve back on your cheeks, right?”

“You’re the only one who says that, Sofia; it’s never going to catch on.”

“Oh, come on, Celo! We’re home! Have some fun for once!”

“Oh, I’ve had my fair share of fun for the month, thank you. Just let me get back to my books, please.”

“Well, it certainly didn’t sound like you were having fun. ‘Oh, please, Sofia, you can’t die!’ ‘I made a promise, Sofia!’ ‘What will we do without you, Sofia!’ ‘Sofia, Sofia, Sofia—‘“

“I get it, I get it. Just.. stop, please.”

“Not until you admit that you’re a sad sack that needs to cheer up.”

“‘I’m a sad sack that needs to cheer up.’”

“Louder, with more passion!”

“I’m not doing it, Sophie.”

“Celo, I won’t stop until— Ah, my lord!”

“Sofia. A pleasure to see you as always. Is the alchemist back to his work now?”

“Y-yes he is, Sir; just retrieving the rest of his belongings from the ship. He’s here now, if you’d wish to speak.”

“Very good. Excuse me, Mr. Celo?”

“Yes, Lord Anton?”

“Now that you have returned to your duties, I must ask that you make the maintenance of the iceberg your top priority. Too many days without your proper care has caused the shoreline to raise higher and higher, which leads to absolutely nothing good. We’d hate to sink into this ocean, wouldn’t we?”

“Of course, Anton. It will—“

“Lord Anton.”

“Yes, Lord Anton. It will be my primary task for the weeks to come.”

“Very good. I will leave you two to it, then. Welcome back to Astigan.”

***
***

“Wait, so the city is—“

“On an iceberg, yes.”

“Wow. Wouldn’t that be a sight?”

“It’s a shame you won’t get to see it, Sol Koroleva—“

“So how does it work? I assume it’s magic.”

“It is magic, to an extent. Astigan’s ice consists of special properties that keep it super tough and super stable against the rocking waves. Some people believe it has to do with it being the ‘tip of the spire on a kingdom of ice, long forgotten’. Of course, that’s just a kids’ tale, but seeing as how we don’t have any better of an explaination, some people really do hold it as the truth.”

“That’s amazing. How long have you people been living on it?”

“Astigan has been around easily for the past millennia. We’ve kept it afloat with a secret recipe for a permafrost ointment that we slather the sides of the ice in. It keeps it cold to the touch and rapidly expanding just quickly enough to not be torn away by the waves.”

“I’d love to hear more. I think I’m going to keep you around, Celo.”

“I’m so excited. Truly, I am blessed to avoid your almighty wrath, Sol Koroleva.”

“Well, you don’t have to be so deadpan about it. I get that you don’t like me right now, but I have a feeling that we’ll get to know each other much better very soon.”

“Absolutely not. I’d run myself through, if I didn’t have these chains on me.”

“Well, you should’ve thought about that before you tried to run me through!”

***
***

“Status?”

“The brink looks as we were told, Sir: The ice is fine, but the coating is running thin.”

“That’s just fine; I can make more simply enough. Just some more salts and herbs for—“

“Hey, Celo!”

“Gah! Sofia, why do you keep—“

“Shut up and feel my head.”

“I’m working; you’ll have to prank me later.”

“It’s not a prank, I promise! Just feel.”

“Fine.”

“...Well?”

“There are.. nubs? On your head, above your ears. What did you do this time?”

“I’m growing horns, Celo! Isn’t that amazing? And I didn’t do anything; why do you always assume I’m guilty of something?”

“Because horns don’t just start growing on people! I’ll give you a checkup later, but right now—“

“Sir, the ice! It’s vibrating!”

“What do you mean, ‘vibrating’?”

“I mean it’s shaking, Sir. Hard, too! Putting cracks in it; like something underneath is trying to—“

“Get away from it!”

***
***