Haruhi was in the middle of another a sword-fighting lesson with Honey and Mori. The only difference between this instance and ones before it was that the rest of the crew had gathered to see Haruhi's progress.
"Almost. Try again," said Mori curtly as he and Haruhi reset their stance, getting ready to practice another drill. In this respect, Haruhi was really glad that none of the White Hawk's crew were born pirates, otherwise they would not be going so easy on her. She felt like her arms were going to fall off, surely enough, but she did not want to give up halfway through. Haruhi had her share of pride also, and she was determined to show the rest of the crew what she was capable of.
Her and Mori ran through the drill a few more times, and then Haruhi did it again a few times more with Honey. After they had finished, Haruhi was grateful that she could finally put the heavy weapon down and drink plenty of water.
Kyoya clapped, though the glint on his glasses did not betray his expression. Haruhi took his actions as a compliment, but did not think about it much more than that, especially since Tamaki and the twins were hugging onto her like she was some sort of giant teddy bear.
"Aww, Haruhi, you are so cute holding a dangerous weapon!" Tamaki gushed, and Haruhi raised an eyebrow.
Kaoru let go for a moment to study her face. "Though, I must say, Haruhi, I think you're better at fighting with a frying pan than a sword."
Haruhi pursed her lips in slight irritation at being made fun of, but she then smiled and laughed.
"A frying pan is certainly easier. Thanks for the lesson, Mori and Honey! I think I'm getting used to all of that fancy footwork and stuff."
"Yeah," Mori said, and Honey hugged her quickly.
"I agree! You really have improved, Haru-chan!"
"Thank you, all of you. Now, if you don't mind, I am going to clean the kitchen now."
Haruhi wriggled free from Tamaki's and Hikaru's grasp, and made her way into the kitchen. The twins, Honey, and Mori went to oversee maintenance on some of the more complex parts of the ship, as well as adjusted their trajectory slightly so they were going the right direction.
Kyoya and Tamaki were the only ones remaining on the deck, and Tamaki ran his hand through his blond locks casually.
"Are you certain you still want to go through with this? Once Haruhi finds out you're chasing that ship… I don't think she'll appreciate you putting her through this danger."
Kyoya spoke to his friend with a concerned tone that he didn't normally show. Tamaki sighed.
"I understand your worries, Kyoya," replied Tamaki, looking out at the expanse of sea. "But I will not waver in my decision. When the time comes, Haruhi shall certainly find out, and if she hates me for neglecting to mention it to her, then I will feel regret. I know that Haruhi's in danger, and I knew that would be true for any person I would have brought on this ship. I don't know why it has to be Haruhi specifically, but the fact of the matter is, she's part of this crew now. Besides, she's learning sword-fighting! What could possibly go wrong?"
Kyoya sighed, pushing up his glasses. "The way you say that makes me feel as if something is going to go wrong soon…."
Furukawa Island was surrounded by an eerie fog, rolling around the coast like it was an island brought straight up from the depths of Hell. It gave Berune chills as she looked out at it.
For the past few days, her and Manon only really had to do occasional odd jobs around The Zuka. There were a lot of women working on the ship, so there was no immediate or urgent need for them, other than for the mission at hand.
She had been woken by Captain Benio's first mate, Hinako, excitedly, with Hinako telling her that the island could be seen on the coming shoreline.
And now, Berune was looking right at it. It would only be a matter of time before they were able to anchor near it, and Berune felt a little nervous. She didn't know who this general was, and she didn't want to meet anybody new at the moment. She had met so many new people over the last few days that it was not even funny.
She jumped slightly as she felt a strong hand on her back. She looked up and saw Benio standing there with a smile. She was wearing a black leather hat with a pink feather in it, and she seemed to have donned her best clothes and jewels for the occasion; though it didn't seem as though her best clothes were much better than her regular clothes. Ah, the woes of pirate fashion, she supposed.
"Are you excited, my dear? I am certain you shall love my acquaintance. He is nothing to sneeze at, despite his age. He is no older than I am."
"No older…? And he's a retired general?"
"Yes, it was surprising to me too, believe it or not. His skill on the waters has never been matched, not by the oldest commodores or the most experienced of pirates, alike. He is an admirable person."
"I… see." Berune gulped and Benio laughed.
"No need to be nervous, little pigeon. You are beautiful and kind, and no man could ever resist your charms. You are like The Zuka's Calypso."
Berune blushed at the compliment, and looked at Furukawa Island with a newfound determination. Now, her interests have been piqued. She definitely wanted to meet that man, now.
The ship ventured closer to the island, until it came to a complete stop. Berune shivered. The fog dropped the temperature of the already-cool by about five degrees. Benio laid a jacket over her shoulders, and Berune put it on gratefully.
"Well, here we are, maiden. We will certainly find the ship you seek with the information that he will bestow us. Let us go," Benio said firmly as she deftly jumped down from the high side of the ship onto the beach below.
Manon joined her friend, and her eyes widened as she saw the huge drop.
"A, aren't there stairs or something?!" Manon squeaked in a panic. Benio, from the shore, held out her arms to them.
"Jump, one at a time!" she commanded. "I shall catch you, my beautiful butterflies!"
Manon gulped. "I, I don't think I can do this."
Berune laid a hand on her shoulder. "We must." She steeled herself, climbed up onto the edge of the ship, took a deep breath, and jumped down.
There was a moment of nothingness as she fell, and then she felt arms grasp her to a chest. Berune looked up and saw Benio stand there with a smile.
"See? You can trust me. Now," she looked up at the terrified Manon while putting Berune down. "It's your turn!" She held out her arms like before, and the short maid was trembling.
"I, I can't do it! Just go without me!" Manon screamed down, the fear evident in her frantic voice. Benio's eyes narrowed with concern.
"Are you certain about that, maiden? Then you may stay with the maidens guarding the ship," she called back up. Manon gasped in relief and nodded gratefully down at the captain. Benio smiled and led Berune further inland.
Manon sat down, relieved that she didn't have to make that jump, but knowing that she was going to be made fun of by Berune later.
Berune and Benio, along with Hinako and Chizuru, made their way through the forest that was steadily getting denser.
"So… how far is this?" asked Berune, shrinking away from the sounds of the animals through the fog. She idly wondered how Benio could navigate through it.
"It isn't far at all, maiden. Actually, we have arrived."
As they neared the large, looming shape in front of them, the fog cleared and Berune was able to get an eyeful of the most luxurious mansion she had ever seen. It was dark, and gothic-styled, and emblazoned with insignias of cats every which way. She tore her eyes away from the grand mansion and saw a chapel, tall and imposing with stained-glass windows.
"It's beautiful," Berune said in awe as she looked at the place. Benio smiled.
"It certainly is. Let us go."
She led the party into the mansion, not even bothering to knock, leading them through the building so fast that she had no time to properly admire it.
They finally stopped in front of two large double doors, and Benio knocked with the cat-shaped knockers.
"Enter," came a voice from the other side. It was smooth, yet intimidated Berune a little bit. Benio pushed open the doors and Berune was greeted with the sight of a huge room lit only by the flickering candelabras on the walls, despite the morning sunlight outside. The windows were covered by heavy black curtains, shutting out the light almost completely. Sitting in a chair by the large lit fireplace was a man in a dark cloak. On his left hand was what looked like some sort of… puppet?
"Ah, Captain Amakusa, I never would have expected you to return to me so soon," said the guest, whose blue eyes pored over each of the arrivals, stopping at the unfamiliar face of Berune for a few more seconds than the rest.
"Likewise. However, General Nekozawa, it seems as though we have an urgent matter we need information on."
At the sound of his name, Berune's eyes widened. Even she had heard the tales of General Nekozawa, the pride of the Navy. He was the talk of most of the soldiers she had once flirted with, and it seemed like his abrupt retirement had rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.
"Y, you're General Nekozawa?" she asked incredulously. How could he be so young, yet so famous? Nekozawa looked at her and smiled, standing tall and walking over to her.
"Surprised, yes? And really, I should be called Former General," he responded, mussing her hair a little bit with the puppet on his hand.
"Frankly… I am kind of surprised," she timidly said. "Wh, why did you retire?"
Nekozawa smiled. "Well, as you can tell by the darkness of this room, I am not cut out much for jobs that require exposure to sunlight. For some reason, though, I am not sensitive to sunlight as long as I am at sea. That's why I took as many missions as I could, to escape the blinding glare of the sun. However, I retired because I found fault with the way the Navy did things."
Berune tilted her head. "Why did you not like the way the Navy did things?"
Nekozawa gave a chuckle and gestured to Benio. "Captain Amakusa is a prime example of a pirate who doesn't get in anybody's way… well, no more than she can, being a pirate. The Navy had issued a decree calling for the hanging of any pirate ever seen on the waters, no matter who they were or what they were doing. I was the most experienced and at the head of those missions, yet I knew that what I would be doing would be dishonourable and unfair to people as fellow humans, so I turned in my resignation, much to the surprise of many of the soldiers I once commanded. Really, though, if I were still in the Navy, I doubt they would be able to understand what I'm thinking anymore. That's what happens when you're on an island all alone for a few years."
"It must have been hard for you," Berune replied, appreciatively.
"Meh," he said, returning to his seat. "Now, Amakusa, what business would you have me for?"
"I am looking for the White Hawk. Any idea where it's gonna be?"
Nekozawa leaned back, an eerie smile appearing on his face. "Hoh… are you sure you want to get mixed up with those fools? Do you know what they're doing, and why they're stopping all of the time?"
"Well, no, but they kidnapped a maiden, and Berune here must have her back," said Benio, looking confused. What business was the White Hawk going into to make Nekozawa warn her like that?
Nekozawa sighed. "I know that chivalry is not dead. However, I think that if you want a chance at getting her back, you had better hurry. Otherwise, you will be in the clutches of some people far more fearsome than you can imagine."
"What do you mean?" Benio asked.
"The White Hawk is in the middle of a pursuit herself. The crew foolishly chases after something that will surely kill them on the spot. The most dangerous ship on the ocean, and it certainly isn't The Zuka, by any means."
Benio wracked her brains, trying to figure out which ship they could possibly be chasing.
"Here," Nekozawa said, stretching. "Let me tell you something. You know the stories of a character in Greek mythology, Calypso, right? Whoever washes up on her shores never is heard of again. She traps him, and chains him to an island that will eventually be their grave, and they can never fight back against her."
"Yes?" Benio nodded to show she understood. She knew where this was going.
"The captain and the crew of this damned ship has been rumoured to have been trapped on Calypso's island… and they escaped with the head of Calypso herself. Now, this is all just a tall tale, but there is no doubt that a ship with stories of this caliber doesn't have the firepower and piracy to match it."
"So… the White Hawk is following… that one?" Benio asked, her eyes going wide as she realized what this meant. Berune looked between the two of them, confused.
"Which ship is it?" Berune asked Nekozawa, who turned his blue gaze onto her.
The voice with which he spoke sent chills down Berune's spine, like when she and the maids would exchange ghost stories on stormy nights. "The only red-sailed ship on the seven seas, marked for its terrifying crew and captain. No survivors. It's become a floating Calypso's island itself. Your little friend Haruhi is on a ship that is chasing the Calypso's Death."
AN: Woot, finally the title makes sense, huh? We are moving along quite nicely! Sorry, there aren't any gypsies this chapter :( But during the next one, we'll visit the lovely Santana! Ohhhh the horrors! *cackle*
