The Legend of Le Sing

     Carto spat. He had finally arrived at port town of Canopy. Crumbling brown walls that once had been proud now struggled to stay upright. A man that could be mistaken for homeless slept at the front gate. Carto knew the man was a guard, he kicked the man's outstretched leg. He looked up with one eye closed and the other open just enough to inspect Carto. A grunt and nod later and Carto entered.

    Canopy was once full of wealth, but as more trade routes opened up, customers began to dry up. A port town had a few options to compete, lower taxes, or work with ships that dabbled on the wrong side of the law. Most that started off dabbling eventually got overrun. Canopy was just short of being overrun. That meant that the boats still ran with little pillaging, but also there wouldn't be too many questions for a single man hitching a ride.

    Giant trees that filled the forest also provided the foundation of the multilevel town. Carto had been to many places, but the pure engineering marvel that was Canopy still awed him. The entire place appeared to have been designed by a ten year old boy expanding on his own treehouse. Most essential services were on the ground. Stairs, ladders, and rudimentary elevators lead to makeshift levels. At the entrance of Carto was a wooden board that served as the map. Sections were ripped out or drawn over constantly the city evolved. The ground floor was for anything that was strictly legal. The further up one went, the more gray the rules became. 

    Carto found the ticketing office, on the south side of the town. On his way he passed what appeared to be a bar of some sort. A man wearing a dirty purple shirt and pants slept on a very questionable couch in front. Carto knocked on the counter of the ticketing office.

"On my way." A middle-aged woman with very leathery skin came through a door in the back. She hacked up a small lung and spat it on the ground. "Can you read?"

   Carto knew that he looked poor. That was the point of his attire, the days long trek through the jungle also helped. The woman pointed at her eye. Carto forgot about the eye patch covering his right eye.

"Yes, I need transport to another continent."

    Normally this would cause for questions or at least an eyebrow raise. The auntie merely grunted and consulted a notebook on the counter.

    "I have one leaving in about twenty minutes, but it's standard, which means there will be a log book." She waited for a response. Carto shook his head. "Then you are looking the Winnie. It just arrived, I'd give it at least an hour to unload and restock." The woman ripped off a white card and held it and her open hand out. " 

    Carto took out a few coins and placed them in her hand. It stayed. He put a few more. It stayed. "I was looking to get a drink before the trip." She scoffed. "Next door is cheap," and she shook the hand with the coins. Carto dropped a few more. The woman took back the hand placed the card on the counter.

    The establishment next door looked like it should have at least been one level up. A bartender sat and scribbled in a notebook. There were no other patrons.

"If you want a seat, you gotta pay."

    Carto chuckled, "That what happened to the poor bastard outside?"

    The bartender peaked around Carto, "That's Satu. He brings his own seat."

    Carto placed some coin on the bar. "Whatever this gets me. I'm looking for quantity, not quality."

    The bartender scooped off the coins and replaced it with a glass. He took a look at the shelves behind him. A bottle on the bottom shelf called to him, but he ducked down. A glass bottle and no label was poured into the glass. Carto thanked him and took a sip. His body tried to reject it as best it could, but he forced a swallow. His belly warmed, that's all he cared about.

    "So that guy outside, was he here all night or is just an early riser?"

    The bartender raised an eyebrow, "Satu? He had one drink and he passed out. I told him to take it outside. He did."

    "He a regular?"

    "Only regulars are the poor bastards that live here. Which leaves the guards and Mil, the lady you bought your ticket from."

    Carto nodded. The door opened and the man that was passed out stumbled in. An empty bar and he sat next to Carto. The man appeared to be collecting himself and remembering where he was. Finally he looked at Carto and slowly nodded. Carto returned the nod.

    "Satu Lagi. What are you drinking?"

    "Carto. Not sure, what I'm drinking." He looked over at the bartender.

    "You ain't touching that shit Satu. You got real money."

    "I'll take a beer then and one for my new friend Carto."

    The tall frosted glasses were placed in front of them. Carto grabbed one and held it out to Satu. "Thank you, sir. Not much good left in this world. To the kindness of strangers." Carto held his glass out.

    Satu dismissed the speech, "Clang. I'm just paying for my seat."

    Carto had killed men for less. Making trouble in a place like Canopy wasn't something he wanted to add to his list though. "What brings you to Canopy?"

    Satu smiled, "Same reason as everybody else. Canopy is just the first part of the journey. It's like trying to breath by only inhaling."

    "Well, then where are you exhaling?"

    "Haven't decided yet."

    "Where were you before?"

    "Lots of places." Satu played with the condensation on his glass. He would wipe it with his hand and then bring it to moisten his stark black beard. "Traveling is for stories. Are you familiar with The Legend of Le Sing?"

    Carto took a deep breath. "Like you said, traveling is for stories. I've certainly heard a few in my time."

    "The Legend of Le Sing is the story of a hero. When someone wants a miracle, they pray to God, when they want revenge, they pray to Le Sing."

    Carto let off a belly laugh, "I'm sure there are a few guys like that out there. A few less every day I imagine. You go looking for bad people, eventually you find them. You believe those stories?"

    Satu didn't take his eyes off of the drink. "Most are fake. Some are embellished. Some are true. But the origin story of Le Sing? That, I believe."

    Carto finished off his glass and slammed it on the counter. He leaned back and untucked the knife that was hidden behind his shirt. "I'm not familiar with that one."

    "Le Sing was not a man that believed in luck. But luck believed in him. He had a beautiful wife and an amazing son. He knew he deserved none of it. You know how sometimes someone just comes up and gives you something. A gift, a present, a drink sometimes? You know that not only did you not earn this sort of kindness, but if the other person knew you, and I mean really knew, they wouldn't be giving you anything but a knife to the belly."

    Carto became acutely aware of the sweat falling down his face. He looked for the bartender, but the man had made himself scarce. Carto forced a laugh, "Of course."

    "Like most of us, when we have a good thing, we don't recognize it. Le Sing had a particular weakness." Satu flicked his finger against the frosty mug, "The drink. When your life is doing so well, hard to argue against a drink or two. He had a code and that code was the day was for the family, but the night, the drink. One night a man snuck into Le Sing's house. The intruder goes after the wife and the young son, brave and foolish in a way that only youth can be, defended his mother. The boy dies. The mother, trying her best to fight off the attacker is able to scratch out one of his eyes. Disorientated, the man runs. Once Le Sing wakes, it is already too late. Le Sing begs to the gods for the strength to enact his revenge. The gods grant it and now Le Sing walks the earth looking for the man with one eye."

    Carto summons a laugh as large as he can, "I heard, the wife wears the eye as a necklace."

    Satu Lagi shook his head, "Le Sing took the eye, to put back in the man's head."

    Carto instinctively touched the eyepatch, "I appreciate the company, but I have a boat to catch."

    Satu finally grabs the glass in front of him and takes a small sip, "Allow me to walk you out friend."

    Carto exits first and notices the couch missing from the front. He turns and starts walking backwards from the bar. "It's not me. That's not me." Carto rips the eye patch off and throws it on the ground. His completely functional eye squints in the fresh sunlight.

    Satu Lagi pushes open the door and exits with determination. "I know."

    Carto continues to walk back, unable to take his off of the man marching towards him. "Then what do you want with me?"

    "I know who you really are."

    Carto turns and runs. All he needs is a boat and to hide on it long enough for it to take off. A couch appears in front of him and he trips over it. The ground collides with his face and the air rushes out of his lungs. He takes a deep breath to try to compensate and eats a mouth full of dirt. Rolling over, he now sees the couch is gone.

    "I didn't do shit!" he forced out between coughs. 

    Satu runs, "That," and jumps into the air and waves a hand in front of him, "Is a lie." A couch materializes above Carto and slams into his chest. Satu Lagi lands crossed legged on top of it. Carto spits out a puddle of blood.

    "You don't even know her."

    Satu Lagi pulls a piece of paper out of his shirt. He reads it to Carto. It details every hit, every cut, and every abuse Carto's wife suffered.

    "Her mother begs, begs, for revenge."

    "I have coin. I have skills. I can be useful."

    A small piece of paper floats in the wind. Carto watches it slowly descend until it lands on Satu Lagi's shoulder. He removes it and slowly reads it. 

    "I supposed you will be useful." 

    Satu jumps off and waves the couch away. Carto takes a deep breath. Satu searches until he pulls the boat ticket out of the man's pocket. 

    "It's yours, please, take it."

    Satu Lagi starts to walk to the dock, "I will."

    "Thank you." Carto struggles to his knees, each breath feels like fire in his lungs.

    Satu pauses, waves, and the couch slams into Carto's head. Another wave and the couch disappears. Satu climbs onto the boat and shows his ticket. They shrug and explain their lack of facilities. Satu climbs below deck and falls asleep on his couch. 

    Mil waits until she is sure it is over. The man who had a head when he purchased passage has only a few more coin to his name. She curses, but pockets them. Another traveler spots her squatted next to Carto and his eyes dart between her and the body. 

    "What happened here?"

    Mil stands and dusts herself off. She motions the man over to the bar, "Have you ever heard of the Legend of Le Sing?"