Kasia

By Federico Negri

Millennia have passed since men ruled the world with technology: the seas are impassable, energy sources have dried up, and humanity has slipped into isolation and barbarity. But magic has begun to reemerge in a few, gifted people, raised as witches by their fellow sisters. They however are far from safe.

Repeating a dark time in humanity's history, witches are no longer able to live a simple life without fear of reproach or ending up tied to a stake.
In a world so ravaged and torn, who wouldn’t want to control the forces of magic?

In this first instalment come and discover Kasia a fierce witch, Captain of the Needlle airship!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Federico Negri
• Release date: Jul 29, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310589935

Federico Negri

Federico Negri was born in Turin in 1972 and works full time in the finance area of a multinational corporation. He published his first novel just a few months ago, in Italian.

Book preview

Kasia

The Codex Of The Witch Series

A Steam Fantasy Novel

Published by Federico Negri at Smashwords

Copyright 2015 Federico Negri

Translated from Italian by Chris Tamigi

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PROLOGUE

Sadhi raises the hammer and lets it fall once more against the metal structure. Her eyes are clouded by exhaustion and burn in the dry mountain air. Today she made it to the pond only once to bathe herself, and her grimy skin cries out for water.

The huge frame of the flying machine they’re constructing is starting to take shape. In her simple mind, Sadhi is unable to imagine what its final contours will be like or why it is necessary to carefully rivet every corner of the structure. But inside herself lurks the urgent need to strike and restrike every dowel, as she was asked. As he asked her, with a soft pat on the back, a few days earlier.

And today that touch still suffices to drive her to lift that damned hammer once again, such is the joy and affection infused in her veins.

If she turns her gaze upward, up among the wooden gangplanks on which a hundred of her kind were working themselves breathless, she could catch sight of him or at least guess at his kind reassuring presence. And thus find in her heart the reserve to strike another blow. But it’s too late now, they have to raise anchor.

KASIA

PART ONE: UNWANTED BARGAIN

My beautiful lady, my Captain!

Kasia looks up toward the merchant who accosted her, in English. Passing for German is out of the question, not even among the market stalls, however the man hit the mark with his epithet. Kasia always comforted herself by attracting the eyes of men, having to forego anything more for three hundred sixty-four days a year. And being a witch helped a lot.

An ancient lamp, eh?

The merchant holds his hands together, rubbing them with short movements. A greasy hood covers his hair, thin as straw.

She grabs the object and weighs it in her palm. Why should I buy it? she asks.

It belonged to an alchemist, the man says waving his hands. Very, very ancient, eh?

I bought five candlesticks here years ago before the war. You were just a thin little boy then; your father was manning the stall, Kasia answers. With a finger, she caresses the object’s curves, trying to guess at its occult qualities.

The man raises his eyebrows. Ah, my beautiful lady! Yes, I remember. You haven’t changed at all, you look even younger.

Your goods at the time proved to be of excellent quality. My clients admired them. We could do business together. Give me an object as a sample, something like this lamp, that way I can show it up north where there are appraisers for these types of relics.

A good idea! A great idea, Captain! But, a sample… I don’t know. I had an offer for that lamp yesterday.

A hundred and ten pieces, and it still stands. Another man approaches the stall and stops beside Kasia.

Leonardo! Kasia exclaims, spreading her arms.

The newcomer curves his wide, blonde moustache and breaks into a smile, the same smile deceiving half the women of Europe. They gently embrace, and Kasia gives him a few pats on his cowhide coat. He is a hearty man, with a prominent paunch and a strong smell of tobacco about him, mixed with some floral essence. Kasia steps back a hand’s width. The perfume is coming off his bright white shirt with a starched collar.

It stands in contrast to Kasia’s dark smock, with a stain of lubricating oil running down the seam to her elbow. Damned maintenance, forever tinkering with gears and belts when they ought to be replaced.

The witch withdraws her hand behind her back and adds, Leonardo, I didn’t think you’d be here.

My airship was supposed to leave last week. Then I heard you were on your way so I decided to wait.

Yes, I’m sure. You’re probably sticking around to collect some debt, or because of the attentions of some blonde valkyrie.

My only love rejects me He whistles, looking toward the sky with faraway eyes.

Kasia laughs. Fool. I’m not your type.

Were we speaking about you?

Oh, my infallible intuition has failed me? Kasia raises a hand to her mouth.

The man chuckles, keeping his big bright irises fixed upon her. Then he continues, I’d like to buy you a drink. After all, I waited a whole week for you, just to have you deny me. It’s a bit much, isn’t it?

Kasia narrows her eyes, so as to put him in clearer focus. What is this dandy plotting?

Leonardo is a pleasant enough companion among the stalls of this market or that. A weapons expert and a dealer in art—for which you can ask his opinion, considering it carefully, of course, but he’s fairly trustworthy. What’s more, he knows she’s a witch. At the Dresden tribunal, where he testified in her favor, they properly declaimed her particulars: Kasia Santuini, nationality: English. Identified as a Witch by the Amsterdam special tribunal. At the time Leonardo had only raised an eyebrow, but afterward he returned to the subject several times, trying to coax out trivial little details and information.

Leo jerks his head a half inch in the direction of the salesman behind the counter; not all discussions can be had in public.

A witch never says no to a good deal. Kasia puts her arm in his and whispers, Then I suppose I can’t refuse.

Hey, what about the lamp! the merchant persists, but the two abandon it with a smile and start off along the Walkway, ignoring other calls from merchants hungry for deals.

Frank Fort is an old city, clinging to ancient ruins which date back to the dawn of time when men were powerful as gods and traversed the Earth by air and by sea, masters of their world and lords of hyper-technological machines. That brilliant age has passed, faded by millennia of shadows, leaving humanity with rusty vestiges and the struggle to survive, in a world turned hostile.

A cloth merchant places a royal purple brocade, inlaid with gold, between Kasia’s fingers, It’s Venetian, madam. I got it from a dying prince, on the street of Gran Bernardo, he whispers into her ear.

Kasia smiles, but passes him by. The hold of her airship has already reached its weight limit and the roll of cloth is a deal wanting careful consideration, a bit outside her area of expertise.

Leo leads her toward the dark wooden door of one of the many beer halls that enliven the market stratum. A puff of steam, smelling of roast