Chapter 7
Alice came to the port of Le Harve after a real depressing journey. She couldn't believe what had happened; even though she saw it coming. She came to the docks and came to a smartly dressed man who was overseeing men who where loading cargo onto a ship. "Excuse me, is this boat going to England?" Alice asked the man politely. He turned around to face her and gave a friendly smile. "Yes my dear lady, im Captain Drake Gilbert and I am happy to assist. You want to come with us?" "Yes please. Im Alice Hyuga. How much does it cost?" Captain Drake again when she gave her name. "No charge if you're Yuri's wife." He answered. "You know my husband?" Alice stepped forward with surprise. "Yep, helped me get my cargo to Africa safely." He nodded. "So that's where he went last year. How did you know Im his wife?" He grinned at her question. "Two reasons. One, your wearing a wedding ring. Two, he told me about you."
"He did?" Alice asked in surprise again. "Yep, you obviously meant a lot to him. He showed me a picture of you and him when you where meeting your mother in Zurich." "I see. How did he end up helping you?" Drake paused for a second then replied, "If I remember rightly he was trying to earn some money to buy you that ring. He was so determined to get you it that he would do any job to get the money. So he saw I needed help and accepted the job." Alice gave a smile at his answer. "So where is Yuri these days?" Drake asked looking back at the ship making sure that his men where still at work. "He's back at Domremy, the village we live in." "Doing what may I ask?" Drake questioned again. Alice looked down in doubt and answered, "I don't quite know…"
Drake an eyebrow at her answer and reaction, but didn't think it was best to intervene anymore. "So, do you want to come aboard?" Alice nodded and followed Drake onboard. The ship was called 'Fierce Sage'. It was in need of repair, but Drake thought what was best about the ship was its state. Of course he would eventually repair it but he would usually leave it to the last second. "Im guessing he suffered from sea sickness while he was with you?" Alice asked, trying to keep the conversation going so she could take her mind off what might be happening back at Domremy. "Oh yes terribly. But that didn't stop him from working." Drake answered opening a steel door and stepping in, Alice followed. He took her down below the deck and through a maze of tightly spaced corridors to a door with the numbers '318' on it. "This is your cabin for the voyage." Drake looked back at Alice and placed his hand on the door.
Alice nodded in thanks and opened the door into the cabin. It was small, with only a bed and a side table which were both bolted to the deck; but it would do. "Do you want me to leave you or do you want to come back on to top deck?" Drake asked poking his head into the cabin. "I'll come back up; we can talk more up there." Alice turned around to face Drake. He nodded and stood out of the way so she could exit. They both walked back to the deck. Drake took a big stretch as he looked to the sky and watched the seagulls circle over the boat. "Right! Let's go boys! England's waiting!" Drake shouted at the top of his voice to the many crew members onboard. The ship began to move and Le Harve was starting to pull away from them. As Alice watched the boat pull away from the harbour, she could feel the long journey that was ahead of her.
Drake walked over to her and asked, "Want to hear the story of how I got stuck with your husband to pass the time?" Alice looked at him and smiled, followed shortly after by a nod. Drake smiled. "Well, last year during mid spring me and my men were loading cargo onto good old sage here when we remembered are last trading accident. We were robbed by modern day pirates. The crew started getting all fussy over it and thought it was too dangerous to do the trade we where told to do…"
"This is madness! After the last incident how do you think we can get to Africa without getting robbed again?!" Screamed one of the crew members. "Now now, I know are last trade didn't go to plan but I assure you that it was a one time thing and it won't happen again." Drake said trying to reassuring his crew mates. "And how do you know?!" Screamed another stressed member. Drake sighed heavily and looking around at his colleges and answered, "Just go the bed; we'll talk about this tomorrow…" The crew members groaned and mumbled as they dragged themselves to there cabins. Drake drew another heavy sigh and walked back onto the docks. "This is just great, if I don't think up a good reason to keep them in order soon then the cargo that were trading with Africa will have to be withdrawn; and that won't make my boss happy…" He consulted himself as he looked up at the sky.
"Need help sir?" A voice came from behind Drake. Drake turned around to see a tall dark figure with sharp red eyes. "Names Yuri Hyuga and I need to earn some money." Yuri stepped forward showing his face in the light. "Im Captain Drake Gilbert of the Fierce Sage, how do you think you can help me?" Drake asked with confusion. Yuri grinned and answered, "You ever heard of Harmonixers?" Drake took a step back in protection. "What are you trying to say?" "Im saying that im a Harmonixer and that im willing to protect your cargo on your voyage to Africa, at a worthy price of course." Drake stepped forward in even more confusion and asked, "Whatever a Harmonixer is I don't know but how do you think you'll be able to go up against people with guns?" Yuri laughed. "You'll see, now, how about it? I got a job?" Drake paused for a minute in thought then looked at Yuri and nodded. "How much do you want to be paid?" "Hundred and Fifty Euros would be nice…" Drake paused again at his answer with a face of shock. "Hundred and Fifty?! You must be joking!" Yuri shook his head. Drake had the idea to tell Yuri to forget it but he remembered that his crew weren't happy with the way the last trade went. Drake sighed "Hundred and Fifty Euros it is then…" Yuri grinned and walked onto the ship, Drake followed.
"So that's how I got stuck with him. In the end we didn't get raided by pirates but I still paid him the hundred and fifty after finding out what he was using it for." Alice nodded and looked down at her engagement ring. "He paid that much just so he could get me this?" She said to herself. "Crazy isn't it. But as you know, he cares a lot about you. Anyway, do you know what a Harmonixer is?" Alice nodded and answered, "Yes, but I'll tell you some other time…" Drake nodded and began to walk away. "Feel free to look around the ship, which will help pass the time as well."
Yuri on the other hand was still stuck in the graveyard. "What do you mean IF I get out?" He asked in frustration at the masks. "Simple, your beloved must beat the darkness that is controlling you to free you." Yuri laughed at the answer. "No problem, if I know Alice she'll be able to free me in no time!" The grail mask twirled and replied, "But it isn't as easy as that. She has a time limit." At that moment a dark spot appeared beneath Yuri and black ooze grabbed him by the ankles. He tried pulling away but he couldn't. "Hey what is this?!" Yuri demanded an answer. "She has a year, every month you shall sink six inches into the darkness." The sword Gold mask answered with another twirl. "Oh this is just perfect! How could this get any worse?" Yuri shouted at himself.
Back at Domremy the darkness that was controlling Yuri made its way out of the village. It had a grin on its face as it walked past the scared villagers. It came to the bridge laughed, then continued walking. "Wherever you are going Alice Hyuga I shall follow. As after all you have done to me I shall make sure that I shall kill you with the most horrible effect!" It shouted with an evil laugh. Now in control of Yuri's body it felt unbeatable; not even Alice's greatest magic could destroy it. She would have to beat her husband with her own two hands.