"Will you stop being such a boob?" Cross shoved the pouting young man's head as they walked for the docks. Ayden didn't retort as he swerved away and came back…relentlessly. It was a deceiving nice day for everyone in Barcelona except the poor 'boob' carrying their luggage like a pack mule. Last night was Hell and this morning was the rudest awakening he had yet. Yes, this morning trumped the other morning of the madam with the badly-made broom.
"Not talking to me, eh?" Cross turned away from staring at him and smiled, "How thoughtful, I'm so glad to see that you understand my need of a vacation from your sore mouth."
Ayden grounded his teeth together and resisted the urge to strangle the red haired demon. How dare he have the gall to say that after all the labor he put into for paying the damages? The cheapskate had already ditched him so he spent the morning and afternoon doing favors by himself. Worst of all, the manager's daughter rejected him by taking the collar off the cat; who was in a bag hanging off his shoulder since he refused to be carried. They couldn't walk it because the dumb animal just let them drag it on the ground like a kill and people didn't like that.
Ayden was just tired. He didn't sleep very well last night because of how bad his 'stitches' hurt. He would've had some painkiller pills if Cross didn't use the last two on the headache he had after that party. Plus, they didn't have money to buy more. The manager didn't carry such drugs and nobody else from the party had some on them nor was willing to give money. It was a long and fruitless search that ended with a painful night. Life sucked.
Suddenly, a horn blared and Cross grabbed the collar of his shirt, "Run!"
Ayden followed after him towards a ship that was taking off. He grumbled to himself as they ran; they were stowing away. They leaped off the dock and clung to the barnacles on the ship. The cat screeched when it hit the wood.
Cross sighed with relief and fought a smirk, "Hey, hand over the cat so I can use it as a grabbing-hook."
Ayden glared at him then inched his way for the cannon windows. He was going to reserve his own box ahead of time; away from the crazy man with a needle.
He's gotten a ton of sympathy for that animal or else he would've laughed, Cross thought as he followed him to the nearest opening and slithered in after him. They had good timing with everyone on the deck saying they're last farewells. Ayden stood up and headed for the storage to find somewhere to bunk for the night. Cross stood up too and watched the boy sulk into the darkness of the storage base. He pulled out the boarding tickets in his pocket, looked at Ayden then shrugged. The kid need to cool his jets anyway.
/\/\/\
Cross woke in the middle of the night to vomiting noises and went out to shove who-ever-it-was overboard when he saw it was Ayden. He coughed and spat then rubbed his eyes as he hung over the railing. He sniffed and Cross had to wonder if he was crying or nauseated. He also quickly noted the cat lying on the floor next to him; still in the position it was in when Ayden dragged it up to the deck.
"Are the boxes down there more comfortable than the hammock I have waiting for you?" Cross leaned against the railing as he waited for a response. Ayden's hands balled into fists, no doubt angry that he didn't mention it sooner. The boy let out a sigh and grabbed a chuck of ice Cross didn't notice on his other side and put it to his head. How smart, he knifed it from the freezer down there.
Cross stood next to him for a while in silence when more evidence showed that Ayden was really upset. He was sniffing more and rubbing his eyes to keep the tears from falling as he glared at the horizon.
The General smiled, "Karma's a bee-otch, isn't it?"
Ayden didn't look at him but grounded his teeth and clenched his fists.
"What I'm saying is," Cross set a hand on the young man's shoulder blades, "you have no reason to cry because I haven't done my worst yet."
"You've never had an apprentice before have you?" Ayden finally spoke but didn't look at him.
He smoothed back his red hair and turned to face the horizon with him. "Yes I have," he smiled, "his name was Allen Walker. What a loyal kid, he makes you look criminal." He paused and looked at Ayden's green eyes rolling sarcastically, "You've never had a Master, am I right?"
"I've always been on my own," he sighed, "I never had anyone there for me to teach me what I could and couldn't do. If I did then I wouldn't have learned it all the hard way."
"Like you're doing now?" Cross adjusted his weight to one leg, enjoying the tease, "I told you what to do. This time you have no one to blame but you and your pride."
Ayden let out a frustrated breath and walked off. Cross watched with interest staring at the broad shoulders the boy had surely grown over the years. He didn't know anything of what Ayden went through but he was carrying a lot, he could see. Every hardship from birth to now; it was all there. As well as the feline dragging along like a broken saddle bag.
The cat disappeared over the deck after a good yank and it yowled as it clunked down the stairs. Ayden let out a curse along with some scuffling noises before it was quiet.
Cross regretted not getting two rooms, he didn't want to share a room with that.
/\/\/\/\
The next morning was uneventful except the awakening Cross got when Ayden let his stuff drop to the ground. The man jumped upright in bed and prepared to leap to freedom out of the hammock when he saw his apprentice standing there with a smile.
"Is that how you escape from your debts…Master?" His tone was teasing.
Cross had sighed with relief and he rubbed his eyes with two fingers as he lay back down, "It would be wise of you not to play games like that with me. I'm liable to blow your head off before I know it's you."(a)
Now they lounged in their hammocks eating non perishable foods with no flavor…or any confident sense of nutrition. Nonetheless, they say to get used to the food because it'll be all there is to eat until the next stop. They also say that one benefit of the tasteless food, if you throw it up it doesn't change flavor. Ayden was really taking their word for it. He still felt dizzy and the salt smell of the ocean didn't do much to help. "Ugh," he sighed and set the nast they called food on his stomach and dropped his head in the hammock. "I can't finish it; it's making me sicker than the ever-moving salt water."
Cross let out a deep breath too; bored with the bland food, "Go hungry then," he tossed it onto the floor for the cat; who swallowed it whole then gagged. He got excited and leaned over to watch. The feline barfed but nothing Cross wanted came out. "Great," he mumbled, "it must be farther in than I hoped. Now we have to wait until that takes a…"
"I'm gonna be sick!" Ayden managed to gurgle before darting out of the room.
Cross watch him run then looked at the floor. He smirked at the thought of Ayden's face grossed out by what was cold and squished between his toes. "He can clean that up when he gets back."
/\/\/\
He couldn't help but snicker when Ayden came limping into the room pale and sweaty like cauliflower out of a vegetable steamer. Now the kid was fighting his gag reflex as he washed off his foot in the sink. Later some time after a nap, Cross woke to see Ayden with a rag cleaning the floor.
"Have you cleaned it all up yet?" he asked his apprentice with rolled up sleeves.
"It's so nice to see you care," he grumbled then imitated a dumb man with a deep voice, "Don't worry about the guy throwing up his kidney just don't let the cat vomit grow mold on the wooden ship."
"Quit your whining," Cross lazily commanded before seeing it again: the lines on Ayden's lower back. As he was on all fours and reaching, his shirt lifted enough for him to see. Strangely, they were a little darker this time; darker as in "near black". The horizontal line was the darkest, running from one side to the other. The vertical lines were still too pale of a grey to see clearly.
Ayden sat on his feet and wiped his forehead with his arm; it was finally clean. He was getting to his feet when he felt a hand on his back. He jumped but paused seeing it was Cross. He was surprised that he didn't hear him get down. He stared curiously at his Master's perplexed expression. "What is it?"
Cross told him what he was seeing and Ayden worried. "Darker? Dark like black?"
"Almost," he said, "they're sort of gray right now."
"I don't get it," Ayden shook his head, "it doesn't act like a tattoo."
Cross glared at it as it slowly seemed to fade. "What's going on?" he whispered to himself.
"What?" Ayden asked and bent backwards slightly to look. "I kind of see them…"
"Stop moving," he demanded and set Ayden's hips straight.
"Touch me like that again and I'll hook your chin with my fist," Ayden mumbled and Cross ignored him.
"They're near gone," he said to himself, "I hardly see them now."
"Good," he commented conceitedly, "it's making me anxious with you practically starring at my- ow, ow, ow!"
"To the deck with you," Cross growled as he pulled Ayden by the ear.
"Ow, let go! Let go!"
/\/\
They stood at the front of the ship this time to have space to themselves to talk; the walls to their room were too thin for such an important conversation.
"There has to be a pattern," Cross thought aloud with his hand around his chin, "to why it fades and darkens."
"Change in environment?" Ayden guessed.
"Not likely, it has to effect you directly," Cross eyed the young man's face, "Sickness?"
He shrugged.
"How do you feel right now?"
Ayden looked at the sky and blew at his bangs with reproachful smugness. "Let's see: right now I still feel queasy, my stomach is tight and aching, my body feels as loose as the waves and every time I move my eyebrows my forehead hurts."
Cross dared to cock an eyebrow, "Repressed much?"
"And I'm dehydrated," Ayden added, "I'm only repressed because of you. You hit me anytime I complain or retort."
"You're moods!" Cross snapped his fingers suddenly and shook his finger at him. "I bet it darkens according to your mood!"
His green eyes just stared at the man before him who was gleaming in his own definition of genius. "I'm glad you care. While you're at it, do you want to call me an emotional pit? I'm sure your creative name-calling has something to say."
Cross thought for a moment, "You're more of an emotional kick to the groin, actually."
"Thank you, I think I finally have an explanation about my life that makes sense." Ayden stated flatly.
"We just need to find out what mood it reacts to…" Cross turned his back, cupping his chin while he looked out to the sea.
"Marian?" A voice further on the deck caught both of their attentions. A plump man with a balding head was hobbling over to the General; who didn't look entirely pleased to see the dolt. "Is that you?"
Cross put a business face on, "Yes Dieter, it's me."
"Wow," his wide excited grin created hills under his eyes; making him squint. "You haven't changed at all since I last saw you at the door step to the Cathedral."
Ayden eyed him suspiciously and Cross noted his expression but continued. "It was very kind of you to allow one, such as I, to stay a few days inside." He pressed a smile.
The preacher's belly showed the wakes of his laughter, "I couldn't just leave you out there. Everyone knows getting caught in the rain can bring bad luck."
"As do many," Cross sighed, "many things, Dieter."
"Exactly," Dieter's voice was gruff with a bowl of healthy seriousness. "Just like telling a story repeatedly will make the story true and real."
Cross nodded, agreed vigorously and moved in a way that was evident to observers that he was in a hurry to get away. Apparently, Dieter wasn't an observer as he tried to keep him.
"You know there's this sinner that keeps going on about a sea monster? I tried to tell the man that if he keeps it up there will be trouble and I know all of us just want to get to shore in one piece. But the non-believer won't keep his mouth tight. There will be trials, Marian; I can feel it in my seveth vertabrae."
Ayden smiled; he liked the annoyance Cross had for the little old superstitious preacher. He was glad the he wasn't the only one that drove him crazy.
"I wish you good health, Dieter, but if you'll excuse me, I have matters at hand that I must attend." With that said, Cross slipped around the fat man and took off to the other end of the ship; leaving Ayden with him.
"So what are your plans this evening, Dieter?" the boy touched fingertips to fingertips as he smiled warmly to the adorable man, "If I may call you Dieter?"
"Sure," the preacher cleared his throat as he thought, "I don't really have plans. I'm going to get dinner here pretty soon."
Ayden thought for a moment too then it clicked, "I know! How about I tell you what room we're in and you can eat dinner with us? We don't like eating down there in that mess hall."
"Sure,"
"Great," Ayden grinned, "Just follow…my Master and you'll find us."
/\/\
"What are you doing here, Dieter?" Cross stared in surprise with 80 degrees of annoyance. He turned around to answer the door almost immediately after closing it and getting an unwanted visitor.
"I'm here to eat with you, of course." The preacher smiled, peeked around him and waved to Ayden.
Cross turned his head to glare at his brat of an apprentice then mouthed the words, "I'll kill you later."
In response, the boy gave him a cheesy smile with food pieces mushed between his teeth; a dirty grin of attempted innocence in obvious guilt with the intent to taunt. Cross would smack that off after the preacher of Babble left.
The preacher grunted and grumbled as he worked his way to the floor to sit down after being let in; like a smelly old dog. Cross sat up in the top hammock while Ayden sat on the floor with the old man. His plan was to make this superstitious person talk until Cross ripped his own ears off to keep from hearing more.
"So what story does the man tell?" Ayden asked getting comfortable cross-legged.
"I shouldn't tell," Dieter shook his head, "it's far too risky. If I said anything, it could affect reality."
"I believe that there is away to bend reality," Ayden smiled as he began weaving a twisted sense to persuade the old preacher. "If you think about it, reality follows our choices, not our stories."
"That doesn't change the fact that you can't jinx something."He argued; clearly not swayed one bit.
Ayden back pedaled, "So what? We're sailing on wood, we just knock and the jinx is broken, right?"
Good, Dieter's wheels were turning, "I suppose but let it be a lesson to you, young man. Don't go trotting off thinking you know better because if a jinx doesn't get you, karma will."
Right then, Cross let out a satisfied hum but Ayden knew better: he was smothering a laugh triggered by the preacher's last sentence. What a jerk.
"The story is," Dieter began and snapped Ayden's glaring from Cross, "since last spring there have been disappearances of ships. Some sailors say that the ships are 400 miles from shore when something goes wrong. The fool on our ship now spreading this nonsense says that he's a survivor and beheld the beast with his own eyes. I say with his own crippled mind if you ask me."
Ayden lifted an eyebrow, "Which shore?"
"The one we sail for now." He answered and took a bite, "the far North shore of France."
/\/\
"If I were you, which I'm divinely grateful I'm not, I would take the geezer's wisdom about karma." Cross growled as he closed the door behind Dieter after a long farewell.
"Do you think there's an Akuma 400 miles from France?" Ayden asked completely ignoring the threat.
"It's possible," he sighed and climbed back into his hammock, "Could be a Level two or three; if it's really bad, four."
The young man looked at Cross curiously under the shirt he was pulling over his head, "There's levels of those gun-balls?"
He pushed his hat over his face while tucking the pillow under his head, "They don't stay 'gun-balls' for long. They get smarter, stronger, and faster the more they kill."
Ayden felt worry tickle his sick-and-tired stomach. "How far up do they go?"
"No one knows except their Maker. We're all hoping that four is the limit."
"You don't know how we find you, do you?" The haunting voice of the…now known…Akuma…disturbed his memory. He could see the monster's face: insect-like with a body somewhat relevant to a human. His spider-like fingers to his mouth were wet with spit as he talked. Ayden took in a deep breath to calm himself in the relief he felt when he shot an arrow through its skull. Good riddens.
"Hey," Cross interrupted his thoughts, "show me your back."
Ayden shrugged and turned around just before pulling the tank top down to be dressed for bed. He looked over his shoulder at his Master, "What did you want to see it for?"
"Just incase it reacts to stupid,"
He glared flatly at the red head though Cross didn't look at him anymore, "Of course not, 'stupid' is not an emotion."
"It's a train of thoughts that cause an egotistical form of emotion." Cross used his thumb to momentarily lift his hat to see the kid's face, "It can also give one a feeling of embarrassment or in your case, fear." He glared at him now.
Ayden had to think that last one over a moment before the threat he was given hours ago finally registered. He would only admit to himself that he was worried but fear; no. If he was sure of anything it was that Cross really wouldn't kill him…on purpose. His confidence wavered.
/\/\/\/\
The next few days were beautiful as the two began to fall into a routine: wake early to snatch breakfast, hang out in the room to sleep or do whatever, walk the ship and say hello to the ladies, grab lunch and eat with new dates, (Ayden was often locked out), find pictures in the clouds, eat dinner, then chill until night fall. Not a great schedule but there really isn't much else to do as a passenger on a ship.
Then came one day when the first class had the opportunity to bathe because they were half way through the journey. Yes, that included the General and his apprentice plus others. They were to go and sign up to schedule a time for their bath.
"What do you think you're doing?" Cross turned around to his lively shadow.
"Going to schedule for my bath with you," Ayden answered with a smile, "just in time for the Mid-Journey party." He sighed as he thought of the food and such that would be prepared; none of that nasty clay food they'd been eating thus far.
"I'm not going to bathe with you," Cross stated and broke the kid's fantasies.
He made a face, "Of course not," Of all the things they'd been through, he did not feel the need to be exposed to any more possible embarrassment. His Master did plenty of that by himself.
"I'm glad you agree," Cross grinned a scaring familiar grin at his apprentice. "I've already signed up."
Ayden didn't have much time to fully react or comprehend when the man began shoving him towards the side of the boat. He tried to resist but then Cross had him by the collar of his shirt. He had no choice but to follow him to the side of the cabin…where there were no witnesses.
Cross then tied a rope around the boy's waist without too much difficulty then tossed him overboard. He untied the prepared rope from around the railing then pulled him up a little ways to let him drop again.
"Hey!"Splash! "What are you-!" Splash! "Cr-Master?" Splash! "Hey!" Splash! "Stop, please!" Splash!
Dieter hobbled over casually, "Whatcha doin'?" He asked before he heard.
"You bas-!" Splash!
The preacher inhaled deeply to yell for help when Cross put a hand over his mouth, "I've got him so don't put the whole ship in a stream of panic. Even you can comprehend that worried people cause a hazard."
"I'll help you,"
"No, no," Cross insisted as politely as he could, "I have him and he'll be just fine. Besides, I think I hear someone calling you." Not really but whatever got rid of the fool, right?
"Okay," Dieter inched away slowly, "You sure?"
Cross gave him a corny thumbs up, "Yeah, I got him." He waited until he was gone, "Now back to fishing!"
"You demon!" Splash! "I'm gonna be sick!" Splash! "Ow! My nose! My nose!" Splash! "I'm not kidding!" Splash! "My nose is bleeding!" Splash! "Hey!"
Cross chuckled at the helpless cries between splashes. So far his favorite was the "I'm gonna be sick." Probably because he was belly flopping on the waves and no doubt drinking it a little. Oh well, the coolness of the ocean will help.
"You heartless son of a-!" Splash! "I have one word-!" Splash! He coughed, "KARMA!" Splash! "KARMA! KARMA! KARMA! KARMA!" Splash!
That went on for a full hour until Ayden squirrel hopped up the rope to get away from the sharks. Cross was never caught.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
(a): The sentence just before this was inspired by LadyHawak. Navar, the main character of the movie, said something like I have written. The actual quote is: "Announce you're presence before you come up behind me. I'm liable to take your head off before I know it's you."
