So, this may not be the most exciting chapter, but it is definitely my favorite. I was going to continue it, but I wanted to update as soon as I could. And now, I will make the second half double the epic!

I am sorry to say that there will not be a whole lot of updates this summer. I was accepted as a Kentucky Governor Scholar. Basically, I have free everything to any college in the state. But I have to live on a campus for five weeks this summer, and I am not allowed to bring a laptop. I will write in my notebook, though, and I will try to get to a library to type it all up. I am real sorry guys, but I will try to give you all as many chapters before I leave as I can. :)

Hope you guys don't hate me too much! Happy Writing!

Sarah~xTAx

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The night was quiet, Theo thought to himself. He sat in the ship's crow nest, carving a bow with his dagger. The waves had temporary subsided, and they were coasting along by the subtle tide. Dark clouds decorated the skies in clutters. He knew the calm would not last much longer, but was happy to indulge in the peace while it lasted.

He turned the slender piece of wood in his hands, examining his craftsmanship. His father had taught him how to carve weapons when he was a young boy. "If you're ever in a situation where you're gon' have to fend for yourself, you best have yourself a weapon. And, lucky for us, they grow on trees." His dad was not a pirate; he was a hunter. He trapped his prey and sold them at the market. He never had friends, but remained a legend to the town; no man in western Europe could match his wicked skills with weapons and his precision with creating them. Theo had never known his mother. He often wondered if it was his father's rugged lifestyle or himself that drove her away, but it was pointless to wander.

When Theo turned eleven, his father left. To where, he wasn't sure. He told him that his old man had left him when he was that age to become a man, and that Theo was more than ready for the challenge. The problem was, Theo did not know what it took to become a man.

Theo shook the memories from his head, throwing the spear into the stack of the dozens of others he had crafted tonight. The sun had disappeared nearly two hours ago. Shortly, he could rest and keep his mind from indulging such minute memories.

He stood from his perch and stretched his spine. The stars were beginning to poke through the patches of clouds. This was his favorite part of the night. As much as he loved the sea, he desperately wished to explore the skies. Though the oceans were vast, eventually, you would hit land, or reach a wave you had crossed once before. The black, however, was endless. There was always something to discover, somewhere to go, mysteries to see. He wanted to be the first to sit on the moon, to grab hold of one of the stars that had fallen from their place and set them right back with their companions.

That's when he saw it. In the distance, just above the horizon. It was a ship. But that was impossible, this was not restricted waters. There shouldn't be any military ships for miles, and they were no where near a port. Unless..

He catapulted over the ledge of the nest and rolled down the rope net, flipping near the bottom so that he landed with uncharacteristic grace on his feet. He dashed to the half deck, retrieving his scope from his satchel. Peering through the glass, he saw a large ship, much more refined than the one he was standing on, and there were at least fifty men standing on the deck in some sort of formation. The dark wood slid across the water as if on ice, much faster than he would expect from such a mass. Then he saw the flag... Italian.

Theo bolted across the large deck, moving so fast he felt as if the ocean itself stood perfectly still. He jumped down the steps, practically breaking through the wall when he came to a halt in front of the captain's door. He knocked rapidly, trying to regain his breath. "Cap'n, we got an emergency. Unfriendly ship has us in it's scopes."

Small footsteps could be heard through the wood, and in a matter of seconds, the captain appeared at the door, throwing her long brown coat over her shoulders, as if she had not been asleep at all. "Show me," she commanded.

* X *

From the half deck, Yumi looked through her scope with great intensity. Odd stood at her side, waiting rigidly for the order he knew was coming. Though he was quite exhausted, his eyes were strung open as if held by adhesive and his body was tight. His hair was disheveled, but still kept it's basic shape. His thin, white shirt was translucent in the moonlight, giving sight to his fading scars and paling bruises across his chest and abdomen. His mind was turning, rapidly analyzing every event from the past few hours. He profiled every person they had came in contact with, reviewed time line after time line, but he saw no cause for alarm. He thought they were in the clear. Something must have been wrong with the goods they delivered, but the Italian man had been the first to open the package. Odd felt his stomach sinking. He didn't want a battle. Battles meant casualties.

Yumi retracted her scope and stuffed it into her belt. "Yeah, it's one of Vadici's boys. I don't know what they want, but judging by their arsenal, I assume they don't plan to ask for it." She turned to Odd. Her face was beauty etched in stone, stunning yet completely cold. Only Odd could see the brim of fear reflected in her eyes. She had only been captain for a short while, and she was not quite ready to be a general and lead her people into a massacre. "Wake everyone, tell them to prepare for a battle. I want you and William on the front line. Keep them organized and make sure they don't get out of hand. Stay under the ship until given an order to charge. We want to make sure they think they've ambushed us."

"And what about our passengers? I don't much care for the lad, but the princess ain't good to us dead."

"I'll take care of her. Give Ulrich a sword and tell him he's either with us or against us." She starred out towards the massive ship. The white sails were large enough to lay over Serious like a child's blanket. It was approaching with alarming velocity. There was no way they could take it down, and the chances that they could defeat its crew were even more depressing. "All hands on deck."

* X *

Aelita paced the length of the small cabin for what felt like hours. Her thin gown drug the ground as her bare feet made small pats with every step. She heard the frantic knocking at the door and saw the captain rush out, but had not heard anything since. She wished to leave the room. She wanted to find Ulrich and figure out what was going on. But she knew that would only make everything worse.

That was the one thing that infuriated her more than anything. Back in Staphira, she had been a princess. She had never been forced to do anything, yet she insisted on cleaning her own room and doing her own laundry. No matter how small and insignificant a thing she accomplished, she never felt useless. Everyone on this boat assumed she could not do anything. Hell, the captain even gave Ulrich a purpose. Was there nothing she could contribute?

Just then, Yumi bursts through the door. She rushes past Aelita without a glance and opens one of the small compartments in the wooden desk. It was old, the wood chipping in places, and the top was decorated with ink spots and various schematics. A golden plated globe sat upon the corner of the desk. Aelita could immediately spot Staphiria among the clutter of European nations, large and vibrant. She noticed how small the other countries looked surrounding it, and she began to wonder what life was like in a more humble land.

After a few moments of rummaging, Yumi retrieved a small pistol, about the size of her hand. It could not have held more than two bullets at a time. She loaded it up and handed it to Aelita, who took it hesitantly. "What is going on? Why do I need this?"

Yumi sighed deeply, "Look, I don't have a whole lot of time. There's a massive ship headin' straight for us, and they ain't gonna stop until they get whatever they came here for. Now, I don't think it's you, but I don't want to take that risk." She motioned for Aelita to follow her towards the bed. She shoved the large furniture across the harsh wooden floor, surprisingly without much effort, unleashing a nasty screeching noise. The floor underneath was dark with a thick coating of dust and decorated with a variety of misplaced clothing and parchment scraps. Yumi wiped the grime impatiently and began to pick at the boards. It was then that Aelita noticed that two of the boards were slightly discolored from the surrounding ones. Roughly, she shoved the boards upward revealing a dark tunnel running parallel to the floor.

"What in the world is this?" Aelita demanded, placing the gun defensively at her hip.

"A passage way. If you follow the tunnel it will lead you to a small row boat on the side of the ship. If it begins to sink, I want you to take the boat and get to land. You understand me?"

"But why? If everyone on the ship gets eaten by the sea, then what do you gain from saving me?"

Yumi shook her head and slowly rose to her feet. "You know, I am very tired of people assuming that every order I give is for self benefit. Whatever battle we must fight is none of your concern. You are an unnecessary casualty. If I have the opportunity to save a life, why would I deny it?"

Aelita looked at her with a gleam in her eye. She had never imagined for this woman to have such compassion and kindness. Yumi cleared her throat awkwardly, cutting in before Aelita could try to make this a moment. "You do know how to shoot that thing, right?"

Aelita just smiled softly and nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

Yumi smiled. Aelita could not help but notice how beautiful the captain actually was. Her smile brought out the depth in her eyes, her flawless olive skin, the way her dark locks fell in just the right way on her shoulders. It made her wonder why she hid it all with her coldness. "Good. Hopefully you won't have to use it, but if you do, shoot to kill."

Just then, a knock came at the door, and William crossed the threshold before Yumi could answer. "The troops are ready."

Yumi tried not to visibly flinch. William had such a harsh bluntness to him. The thought of any of her crew being referred to as "troops" sent an uneasy feeling in her stomach. "Keep them under the ship until I give an order to do otherwise. Make sure they remain as quiet as they can." She then turned to Aelita, her voice less forceful, "Be careful".

The princess nodded, "you as well".