Chapter 9
(Family Feud)
"Achon?" Aimee took a hesitant step towards him, giving a small jolt and falling into his arms as a deep rumble of thunder rolled in the distance. "Achon…" She pulled herself up, though her hands remained on his arms. "I don't know what's going on. Explain to me why you've been avoiding me…"
The boy looked down at her, and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into his grip. "Aimee…I'm afraid for you." His grip tightened, and he held her as if he could never let her go.
"What?" Aimee's voice became smaller and a tad more nervous. A raindrop fell from the sky onto her nose as thunder continued to groan, closer than it was before. "Achon…what are you talking about?"
"You…" His eyes shifted back and forth, and he pulled her behind some barrels, where they were shielded from any views. Achon squeezed his eyes shut tightly, and clenched his jaw. His nostrils flared as raw emotion showed on his face. "Aimee…listen to me. This is very important. Once your father arrives and Tetra gets the ring…you're…you're considered disposable and you might be…put to death."
"What!" Aimee's eyes widened in panic, and her breath caught in her throat. She tried to break away from his grip, but he was much too strong. She flailed as he pulled her closer, angry and bitter towards him. "You knew about this and you didn't tell me? You knew?"
Achon shook his head fiercely. "Aimee, I'm not going to let that happen. I won't ever let that happen. I care for you, and I won't let her hurt you!" Achon's words were drenched in determination and bravery. "I will not allow it…"
Aimee was quiet for a moment, deep in a pensive stance. "Achon, I believe you…but what can we do?" She knew Achon was telling the truth, but she did not trust that he could defeat the entire crew and Tetra all on his own.
Achon sighed and prodded his chin, also in thought. "I don't know, Aimee…I don't know."
Behind the mast, hidden from their view, Liliha smiled an evil smile. "I do…" she chuckled, slinking off to Tetra's cabin. "Yes, I most certainly do…" Her grin faded into the distance, a large spark of envy in her eyes.
Tetra was not very happy to see Liliha. Especially when she knew such a storm was coming up. "What do you want, you little snitch?" she asked, knowing that Liliha was well-known for her tattletale attitude. "What did Sakriss do now?" She continued to plot their course, thinking ahead. Perhaps…perhaps the ring was not so important after all. Maybe she should…let it go. No…she decided. It was too much to work for and then to give up.
"Nothing." Liliha sighed happily as she stood before her inspiration. "I just thought you'd like to know when your son is plotting mutiny behind your back…" she trailed off, and turned, heading for the door. "I can see you're not interested."
"Wait." Tetra stood up in her chair, and lowered her gaze. "What do you mean, plotting mutiny? Achon would never do that." She had no doubt in her son, but he had been acting a bit strange lately.
"Oh yes, he would. He just told Aimee so. I can tell you everything…but you have to promise me something I want. Promise me that if I tell you everything, that you will let Achon be mine."
"Yours?" Tetra stared at her in shock, not comprehending what she was saying for a moment. As understanding donned, she weighed her options carefully. Although the thought of having Liliha as a daughter-in-law sickened her, she also didn't want a mutiny on her ship. "Very well."
Liliha grinned as she revealed the "truth" about what happened…
….
Achon reassured Aimee with a gentle squeeze of her arm. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. I won't let anyone hurt you." He smiled softly, his appearance slightly wet in rain. They dared not go inside, for the moment was too good to waste.
"Are you sure? Achon…I trust you." Aimee nodded, and took a deep breath.
Rain had begun to thud against the deck in sheets, so Achon took her by the hand. He changed his mind about retreating to the galley. "We should go inside. It's getting stormy…"
"So…you were planning to mutiny, Achon?" Tetra stepped out of the shadows, a betrayed look on her face, and anger burning in her eyes. "I cannot believe that you were willing to do…do something like that."
"What?" Achon backed away, waving a hand and shaking his hand violently. "No! Of course not! I'd never!" He shielded Aimee behind him and blinked a few times. The rain was beginning to blind his view.
"It's too late, Achon. I've told her all about your…plans…" Liliha smirked as she stopped beside Tetra.
"Liliha…you…you liar!" Achon struggled to reach her, but he was held back by Sakriss and the other crew members. "Let go of Aimee! Let her go!"
Tetra stepped forward, and unsheathed her sword, staring down at Achon as the rain permeated her clothing, soaking her thoroughly. The waves began to smash against the hull, rising over the sides of the rails and crashing down. "Achon…I took you in as my son…I thought I could trust you…I thought…we were a team…" She slit her eyes together, and curled her lip in bitterness. "But I thought wrong."
Achon held his breath, and drew his cutlass, readying for battle. "I don't want to fight you, Mother. But if I have to, I will." Achon didn't have a chance to finish talking, for Liliha had charged, and began to fight him. She wasn't the most talented of the pirates, that was for sure. She did, however, know how to give up a good struggle. She had been well-trained in the ways of battle.
Aimee did not mean to desert Achon, but she could not help it when Sakriss attacked her. She slid as she ran, heading towards the helm. She tripped and sprawled on the ground, whirling about to spot Sakriss's gleaming weapon positioned at her neck. "No!" she shouted in fear. Suddenly, her mind flashed back in déjà vu. She remembered her father's training. Using her father's trick, she slammed her foot into the wood, vaulting it upwards to smack it into Sakriss.
"Hey! You! Back away from my sister! Take me on!" A sudden dark figure appeared out of the pouring rain, and Liam charged towards Sakriss, having swung over to their ship unnoticed as they caught up to them in the storm. Forgetting Aimee, Sakriss slid in panic to the ship's bell and lunged for the rope, clanging out a warning for all to report on deck. It was time to battle.
Aimee's fear turned to glee. "Liam!" she shouted in shock and joy. "You're here! How? Where's Dad?"
Liam hardly had a moment to reply as he parried attacks. "He's not here! I came with…argh!" He was cut off as a sudden thundering crash of the storm interrupted, brightening up the night in the flash of lightning.
Aimee ran to Achon, who faced her with his cutlass. "Aimee! Thank goodness you're alright!" he exclaimed, grabbing her arm wildly and yanking her towards his side.
Achon was suddenly thrown off to the side and found himself staring into the deep eyes of a grown man, the point of the man's sword threateningly perched on his throat. "Don't move, or I swear on my wife's name that I will plunge this sword into one eye and out the other," he growled above the slam of the rain.
Achon sucked in a sudden breath, and his eyes widened in wild fear. "I…I didn't mean. I'm not trying to hurt anyone."
Aimee flung herself in front of Achon, squeezing her eyes shut as she clung to him. "If you kill him, you'll have to go through me!" she shouted above the roar of the winds, tears mixing with the sheets of rain.
Armoni did not know that Aimee was Liam's sister, nor did he know anything about Achon, so he lifted his cutlass in the air, preparing to get the girl out of the way. "Fine." He clutched her shoulder, and then looked at her closer.
A sudden cry like a raging beast filled the air, and a figure plunged into Armoni, sending him flying across the ship and crashing into the rail of The Black Raven. "Get your hands off my daughter!" Link spat, rampaging into battle.
Following him were the rest of his crew, and the fighting was soon turning in Link's favor. The waves sloshed over the railings, making the footing dangerous. Tetra watched her crew members fall, one after another. Her eyes, once displaying only confidence and pride, now gave way to fear and uncertainty. They met for a split second with Link's, and she gasped, turning and running for her quarters.
Armoni was now not only unsure, he was angry. He had never been beaten in combat before, and he was not going to start now. He had decided to pick a fight with the person who had hurt him aboard the ship, who happened to be Link. "Your battle is with me, pirate!" he shouted, pointing his blade at Link in a challenge.
"Let's go then!" Link shouted in a bitter roar, clashing with Armoni as the siblings reunited with their friends. The two men careened past ropes and barrels, each matching the other in every aspect. "You're quite good!"
"You're not bad yourself!" Armoni shouted back, shielding his vision from rain as he fought Link. "But it's time to take back Liam's sister, and you won't stop us!"
Link could not stop in time to absorb that statement, for he was already stabbing a sharpened dagger into Armoni. Following a sickening crack of thunder, the ship gave a sudden lurch in the raging waves, and the former merchant flew backwards, smashing through the rail. Without any chance of survival, Armoni was at the mercy of the sea.
Link had no time for great reunions with his children, at least not at the moment. He swooped down upon them and cast a side glance at Achon, who crouched with a dejected and fearful look on his face. "I don't know who any of you are, and I don't care!" Link shouted into the enveloping night. "But if you swear your allegiance to the king, you're welcome aboard!" With that, he passed his children to Kinru and Dondollo, who swung back over to his ship.
Achon followed willingly, running behind Link. Unfortunately, Link had no opportunity to chase after Tetra, in fact he had completely forgotten about her. He only wanted to find his children, both safe and sound. Now that he had, he wanted to get them safe inside the ship…he wanted to get them home. This storm was going to be more horrible than he had ever imagined.
Armoni was terribly wounded, perhaps mortally. The pain shot through his body, mainly his chest, as he was tossed like a play toy among the wrath of the waves. He felt his vision weakening, and he began to loose his strength to fight for air. The jet black shadows of unconsciousness began to envelop him, and he used the last of his strength to kick towards the surface. His last thoughts lingered on his wife and the child he had never had the chance to meet.
