A loud crash startles me into a sitting position. My gaze wanders in all directions as my sleepy mind works to make sense of my surroundings. Just as I remember my choice to nap out in the open, I start to hear clipped commands coming from the other side of the giant mangrove root next to me. I duck back down behind the natural wall, heart racing. Did someone figure out I'm here? Moments pass by slowly and I start to relax. No hurried footsteps coming in my direction. I hadn't been seen. But what's with all the noise then?

I lift my head higher to peer over the edge of my hiding place. I freeze immediately. There must be at least thirty pirates bustling to and fro not twenty feet from me! I locate the source of the crash that woke me up. There was a broken box lying on the ground with broken bottles mixed in among the splintered wood. I can see a guy wearing a green, sixteenth century style shirt speaking to a guilty looking fellow. Or is that guy a girl? I can't tell. Well, whatever. It looks like he/she is reprimanding the other guy for dropping their cargo.

I'm guessing these pirates stopped by to restock their supplies or something. Whatever the case, I want no part of it. I don't know how long they've been here, but I sure as hell don't want to push my luck. Who knows what they would do if they discovered me? They could kill me. Or they might use me. I would take that over having them recognize me. I don't know what I'd do if they turned me in for a profit... However that's not incentive to stick around.

I snatch up my backpack and the towel I slept on. Time for a sneaky getaway! I creep along the side of the mangrove tree, staying low and hopefully out of sight. However it seems I'm not as good at sneaking about as I thought I was.

"Hello?"

I stop in my tracks and stare at the person I nearly bumped into with wide eyes. It was definitely a man, however he was dressing a geisha's clothing. How strange...Not that there's anything wrong with crossdressers! It's just...not a very common practice. I slowly straighten myself out, standing at my full height instead of crouched low.

The man quirks an eyebrow at me, probably because he didn't get a response. "Is there a reason why you're poking around here?"

"Er, I'm not. I was actually napping nearby, and...you guys woke me up. I was just leaving." I reply. It sounds really stupid when I say it out loud. It sounds like some bad excuse.

"Napping." The pirate looked dubious. I wouldn't believe me either, buddy.

"Yes."

"You know there's probably a hotel in the town nearby, right?"

"I'm well aware of that."

"Uh-huh..." I successfully resist the urge to squirm under the stranger's scrutiny. "What's your name, girl?"

"It's rude to ask someone's before introducing yourself." I say before I can stop to think. I stiffen and berate myself in my head. I have to stop letting my lessons in proper etiquette rule everything I say. Commoners didn't take notice of such trivial things like that.

"I'm Izo." The geisha man replies. I can see that he's only humoring me. "Now, who are you?"

"...Fayasi." I answer. I pray that he didn't notice the brief hesitation. I know that's not my real name. But it's made up of the same letters, if it counts for anything.

"Well, Fayasi..." The pirate gave me a once-over. "Sorry to keep you. You said you were leaving, right?"

"That I did." I reply. I dip my head in a polite nod. "Have a nice day." I step past him and began a brisk walk toward the town I left earlier. However, as I walk away I can't help but feel a nagging sensation. Like there was something I should know, or that something should be familiar. It wasn't a sense of deja-vu or anything. It was more like there was something here I already knew, but the information refused to come to the front of my mind. It was that bothersome tip-of-my-tongue feeling.

I shake my head and try to put it out of my mind. I should just count my blessings that those pirates weren't the bloodthirsty kind. I'm not about to take advantage of that and go snooping in their business.

I make it back to the town full of civilians and pirates in one piece. I don't know how long my nap was, but I'm assuming it's about midday. In other words it's lunch time. I check my pockets and take note of how much money I have left. I'm running kind of low. I'll have to work a few jobs soon. But that's a problem for a later date. For now I spend my time looking for a restaurant. It was pretty easy to find one, since this was hot spot for crowds. I head inside and find a quiet place to sit.

I look over the menu for a little while as I get comfortable, and I end up ordering something that looks good but that's also cheap enough for my budget along with a glass of water. It's not a five star meal by any means, but it's good enough to satisfy me.

I eat in relative peace until I hear one of the waiters shout, "Hey, get back here and pay for you meal! Thief!" I look towards the entrance in time to see the waiter bolt outside in pursuit of whoever skipped out on paying. This incident of dine and dashing isn't my problem, so I turn my attention back to my own meal.

I finish up and pay what I owe, and then head out the door. I slip into the crowd that swarmed the shops nearby, and start planning my next move. However, just as I begin trying to decide what section of Sabaody I should head to next, I spot something that makes my blood freeze. I swear under my breath and duck into an alley. I take up a brisk pace as I make my way toward the other side of the town.

Back there, near the entrance to the inn I stayed in last night, I saw three men dressed in black talking to the innkeeper. On the backs of their clothes, the Celestial Dragons' crest was printed in plain sight. It was them. The Collectors. They're a group of thugs who's sole task is to retrieve the World Noble's property when it "goes missing." It doesn't take much thought to guess what they're searching for. There was a certain item that never made it to the hands of the Nobles six years ago, and they've been looking for it ever since.

I try not to look like I'm in a hurry. If I start running as though my life depended on it, I would draw unwanted attention to myself. So I had to stay calm and act natural. However, things just don't seem to be going my way today.

"See, I told you I saw her!"

I glance over my shoulder only to see that my worst fear had been realized. Screw acting natural. It's time to run like a madwoman. I take off at a full sprint, deftly avoiding the commoners in the street. For six long years I've evaded the World Nobles' lapdogs. They've never gotten this close before. Has my luck finally run out? No! I refuse to let them have their way! I'm not some object that can be bought and sold!

I accidentally bump shoulders with someone as I round a corner, causing me to stumble slightly but I manage to catch myself. "Sorry! I'm sorry!" I shout without stopping. Something tells me I should've recognized that man I bumped into, but my panic-stricken mind couldn't process appearances at the moment. I'm too focused on my escape.

Unfortunately, the next corner I turn brings with it an unpleasant surprise. I run straight into a human wall, which turns out to be one of the Collectors. I stumble backward, but the iron grip on my wrists keeps me from falling. It also keeps me from getting away.

"Well, lookie here. It took forever, but I guess you finally reached the end of the road, Lady Safiya." My captor stated.

"Let go of me!" I shout and try to pull away from him. This can't be the end!

"And spend another six years lookin' for you? No thanks. It's a miracle that the Celestial Dragons have been as patient as they were all this time." The man replied. "You know, I'm pretty impressed that a pampered brat like you has lasted so long on her own."

I still at the mention of those retched Nobles, and then continue my struggles with a renewed vigor. "Release me you brute!" I demand. I kick my legs and try to yank my arms away in a vain attempt to escape. However, the arrival of the other two Collectors stemmed any hope I had of finding a way out of here.

"Settle down, Lady Safiya!" my captor barked. "You'll only make things harder on yourself! I said settle down!" He released one of my wrists to raise his hand. I've taken the back of a fist to my head before, but never hard enough to knock me out. I guess there's a first time for everything.

I remember falling, but I fell unconscious before I hit the ground.