Zami stood frozen as he stared across the empty room towards Jumi. The old troll chuckled again, standing up.

"Bend ya knees," Jumi said as he approached, "It helps."

"I don't need help from you," Zami spit, the words tight in his throat, "I never have."

Jumi rose an eyebrow, giving Zami a onceover. His gaze lingered on the eyepatch for a moment, before a smile formed on his lips.

"...Son?" He said in a soft voice barely above a whisper, "It really you?"

Zami did not return the smile. In response, Jumi laughed.

"Oh, ya was always such a grump, always scowlin' like dat," He chuckled and shook his head, "I don't know where ya get it from, Zoji."

Zami furrowed his brow angrily and Jumi held up his hands defensively.

"Oh, my mistake," He waved his hands, "Didn't recognize ya, Zuri."

Zami growled angrily, moving his hand to his hip.

"Dat ain't it neither? Wait, Zeni?" Jumi quirked an eyebrow, "Ya finally stopped livin' by da drink huh? No wonder ya lookin' so bitter."

Zami ignored Jumi's words, drawing his dagger. As soon as he did, Jumi's eyes widened in a kind of recognition. Meanwhile, Zami narrowed his eyes. He pulled back to drive the dagger forward when the door beside them suddenly opened.

"Hey, mon, ya doin' okay in he-" Zalu fell silent immediately upon laying eyes upon Jumi, his mouth turning into a perfect frown, "Oh."

"Wait," Jumi cocked his head to the side, "Zalu? How are dere two of ya now? And where's ya leg-"

Zami growled in anger again, charging forward and knocking Jumi over. He pinned the old man down then brought his knife up against Jumi's neck, glaring down at his confused eyes.

"Did ya really forget bout me?!" He shouted, grip tightening on the hilt of his dagger.

"...Zuka?" Jumi rose an eyebrow, "Growin' up did not do good for ya, girl!"

Zami lifted Jumi a bit, banging his head back into the floorboards. Zalu hobbled over best he could, putting his hand on Zami's shoulder.

"Dis ain't da time for jokes, ya useless old-"

"Brudda, stop," Zalu nudged his shoulder, "He ain't worth it."

"Hey!" Jumi looked up at Zalu in offense, "Dat any way to talk bout ya fa'da?"

"Shut up!" Zami banged Jumi's head against the floor, "Ya ain't our fa'da! Ya weren't from da day ya left!"

Jumi sneered up at Zami, who pushed the blade tighter against his throat. He didn't want it like this. This isn't how he'd dreamed of it for so many years. He didn't want to see defiance in Jumi's eyes. He wanted to see fear. He wanted to see recognition for all of the wrong he'd done in his miserable life. And for who was going to end it.

Pressing his knee on Jumi's chest, Zami leaned back, shoving Zalu away and causing him to fall back to the floor. Zami quickly drew his skinning knife from his leg cuff and slammed it forward, piercing it into the floor right beside Jumi's head.

"Remember dis?" He growled quietly, "Remember dis knife?"

Jumi's eyes flicked to it briefly before looking back at Zami.

"No."

"Look again."

Jumi glanced over at the skinning knife again. Zami could tell by the way Jumi suddenly flinched that he did recognize it. Meanwhile, Zalu looked on in concern.

"So ya do remember."

Jumi didn't respond, looking up at Zami.

"Remember when ya gave me dis knife?" Zami stared down into Jumi's eyes, "Remember what ya said?"

"No, it were a long time ago," Jumi said stiffly.

"I remember," Zami flicked his eyes over to the knife, "Ya said dis knife was a symbol dat I weren't never good enough to hunt, dat I would always be survivin' off da efforts of others."

Jumi shifted uncomfortably and Zami narrowed his eyes.

"So ya remember dat too."

"Dat were a long time ago," Jumi said again, "I ain't da troll I used to be no more."

At this, Zalu paused. But Zami didn't.

"What, you think we just gonna let you get away wit all you did before? Why? Cause you say you changed? And we just s'posta believe you?"

"Ya gotta gimme a chance."

"No we don't," Zami said coldly, "We don't gotta give you nothin' at all."

Jumi frowned, a look of desperation growing in his eyes.

"I know ya mad, but son, please," Jumi furrowed his brow, "Zami…"

That was all he wanted to hear. Zami rose the dagger up, to bring it down into Jumi's heart.

Suddenly, there was a wooden scuffling and then Zami felt a cracking pain in the back of the head as something hit him. Hard. He fell forward from the force of the blow, causing him to drop the knife and allowing Jumi to shimmy away. He groaned, his consciousness dimming. He looked up from where he was laying on the floor and his heart sank as his eye met with the figure of Zalu holding his staff out with trembling hands. The last thing he saw was Jumi thankfully patting Zalu on the shoulder before his vision went dark.

When Zami awoke, he was in total darkness. After a moment, his eye adjusted and he realized he was on the floor of the cargo hold. His in depth knowledge of nautical matters from his years in disguise as a Southsea pirate told him that this must be the lowest deck then. Sure enough, he could hear the waters of the ocean sloshing on the other side of the hull beside him.

When he went to move, Zami found that his entire body was bound in thick ropes tied with various sailors' knots. He wiggled a little and realized that, in addition to the ropes, he was also chained to the wall by his ankles. Zami frowned, recognizing the same setup as the goblin slavers he'd encountered on the seas.

After a few minutes of vigorous squirming to try and escape his bindings, he sighed tiredly and sat back against the wall. As he did so, he realized his mouth was uncovered still.

"Hello?" He called out loudly, "Anybody dere?"

When there was no response, Zami sighed and leaned his head forward. He knew enough about how these types of ships were set up that shouting would be useless. Nobody could hear the hold unless they were already in the hold. That's why mutineers liked to gather in it.

With another sigh, Zami leaned back more and tried to make himself comfortable. He had a feeling he would be here for a while. He winced in pain as the back of his head made contact with the wall. That's right, he remembered, he'd been hit in the head and knocked out. By Zalu, of all people. He couldn't make heads or tails of it. Why in the name of the Loa would Zalu side with Jumi over him? It just didn't make any sense.

The sudden sound of scuffling further ahead in the hold made his ears twitch and Zami looked up hopefully. When a rat scurried by a few moments later, his shoulders slumped. Another sound came from ahead but he ignored it, presuming it was another rat.

"Zami, ya awake yet?"

Zami still didn't look up as he heard Zalu's voice. Even after Zalu came over, crouching down right in front of him, he didn't look at him.

"How's ya head?" He asked, gesturing towards Zami's head, "Sorry bout dat, by da way."

"Zalu," Zami finally looked at his brother, expression perplexed, "What in da name of da Loa is goin' on here? Why-"

"Ya were gonna kill him," He said quietly, looking down, "I dunno, mon, I think ya too blinded by ya anger. Ya ain't seein' things clearly no more."

"No, I be seein' dem clearer dan ever," Zami scowled, "It be you who gettin' blinded."

"Zami, ya were gonna kill him in cold blood," He frowned, "He's an old man…"

"What, ya got pity for him now?" Zami spat, "Don'tcha remember who he be, Zalu? What he did to us? To our ma'da?"

"He didn't do nothin' at all."

"Dat's da point! He left us!"

"We didn't need him, Zami!" Zalu stood up, "When ya gonna realize dat? We just fine wit out him! Who cares dat he left?!"

"I do!"

"Why?!" Zalu threw his hands into the air, "Why do ya care so much bout some guy who weren't barely in our lives?!"

"Cause he weren't there!"

"So what?! What's it even matter? We ain't kids no more, ain't dat what ya said before? So why ya still hangin' onto dis like a mad little kid?"

"Cause I...I…" Zami stammered, shaking his head angrily, "Wait a minute, why do I gotta be explainin' myself when you be da one who knocked me out and tied me up?!"

"I told ya, ya were gonna kill him," Zalu sighed, "Dis is just to keep ya both safe."

"Ya call dis safe?" Zami wiggled a bit within his bindings, falling forward onto his stomach, "What if da ship starts sinkin' or somethin' like dat? Huh? Where am I gonna go den, huh?"

Zalu rolled his eyes, leaning onto his staff tiredly.

"Forget dis, I'm gonna go back to talk to fa'da."

"Don't listen to what he tells you, Zalu," Zami warned, "It all be lies."

"Just give it a rest, mon," Zalu sighed, hobbling away.

Zami sighed, leaning his face forward against the floor. The ship creaked and groaned as it chugged along on the sea. It made him nostalgic. Seeing there wasn't much else to do, Zami lifted his head, resting on his chin, and lost himself in memories of a time long ago.