Zami held out one hand, brow furrowed, while the other pressed against the bandage on his stomach.
"Here you go, Z," Syrise said as she thrust a small sack of coins into his palm, "Your whole cut."
"Did y-"
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry," Syrise nodded, her blonde ponytail whipping side to side as her head bobbed up and down, "I made sure Jaz didn't skim."
Zami pocketed the pouch and then looked back at her.
"Good. You go tell dat little green stain dat if I ever get back in Booty Bay, it cause I be comin' to kill him."
"Duly noted," Syrise rolled her glowing eyes, "Although I still kind of can't believe he stabbed you. What's the deal with that anyway?"
Zami glanced aside, looking over to crystal blue water. The sky was sunny, the breeze was warm, and he was getting paid. A lot. It should've been a good day. He should've been happy.
But instead he felt...empty.
"...Don't wanna talk bout it," Zami shrugged, rubbing the dark circles around his eyes, "Look, I got somewhere to be."
"The jungle, right?" Syrise nodded, "I, uh, heard from Jaz."
"Den you know why I gotta go."
"I only heard pieces of that part. Something about revenge. And, I mean, sure, revenge is great and all," Syrise shrugged, "Uh, but...are you sure? I mean, no one loves a good assassination better than me. But, still, Z…"
She hesitated, glancing up at him.
"...Is dis where ya s'posta to be?"
Zami looked up in surprise, his arms snapping behind his back. He hastily shoved the note into the back pocket of his pants as she drew closer.
"What ya two be doin' down here?" Zin'aka squinted, glancing between the two of them.
"Nothin' at all, Cap'n," The sailor beside him shrugged, "Was just checkin' out the cargo, ma'am."
"Yeah, alright Murray," Her red eyes then looked suspiciously at Zami, "And what bout ya over dere, new troll?"
"Just, uh, gettin' familiar wit da ship," He shrugged, moving his hands down to his sides once he felt the note was deep in his pocket.
"Well, one can get too familiar wit a ship, y'know," Zin'aka crossed her arms.
"Uh, sorry...Cap'n," Zami furrowed his brow anxiously, worried his cover was somehow blown.
"Y'know, ya be kinda cute when ya look worried," Zin'aka grinned, slapping his cheek playfully.
Zami blushed a deep blue hue at her comment, clearing his throat awkwardly. He wasn't sure how to react. He'd never exactly been called cute before.
"Hmph, well, once ya finish ya little tour, get back to work," Zin'aka said as she turned away, before pausing to glance back over her shoulder with a little smile, "Unless ya want me to give ya a tour me self."
Zami blushed again, not sure what to do with himself in reaction to her flirting. As he went to speak, the sailor next to him, Murray, nudged his side.
"Hey, sounds like she wants to give you a tour of the captain's cabin," Murray winked, shooting him a toothless grin.
"Wh-What?" Zami blinked at him, only blushing more.
"You gonna take her offer?" Murray smiled, "I hear a pirate lass always has some...fine booty."
"Dat don't really be any of ya business, is it?" Zami scowled, taking a cautious step towards the undead, "So you gonna teach me or not?"
"What's in it for me, troll?" Archibald hissed, bony fingers lowering his chainmail coif.
Zami grunted and jammed his hand into his bag, pulling out a small coin purse. He thrust it towards the undead's chest.
"Dere be 20 silver dere. Heard dat's ya price. Now ya gonna teach me or what?"
Archibald flicked his glowing eyes to the coin purse, briefly poking it open to examine its contents.
"Hmph, you're rather lucky I'm no rogue, boy," Archibald glanced up, tossing the coin purse back, "You heard wrong. My fee is 10 silver."
"But dat's per weapon, ain't it?"
Zami tossed the coin purse right back. After catching it, Archibald perked an eyebrow curiously. In response, Zami shrugged.
"I wanna dual wield."
Archibald smirked and closed his skeletal fingers around the coin purse.
"I'll teach you," Jarug held up the coin purse, "It be easy. Da elders don't see nothin' no more."
"I don't need to steal," Zami shook his head, "I ain't no rogue. I be a hunter."
"Dat ain't what I heard," Jarug leaned back against the wall, "I heard ya sit wit da old ladies all day, weavin' a woom."
"It be called a loom, stupid.
"See?" Jarug shrugged, "Real men don't know dat kinda thing."
Zami wrinkled his nose, pushing past Jarug, making sure to hit his shoulder as he passed. He didn't have time for this. He was going to be late to work.
"Runnin' away?" Jarug called after him, "Just like ya fa'da?
Zami stopped, glancing back.
"I ain't nothin' like him!"
"Oh, dat be a sore spot?" The older boy smirked, "Well, why don'tcha prove it den?"
Zami perked an eyebrow curiously as Jarug walked over to him.
"Ya work wit da old ladies, don'tcha?" Jarug smiled, "Like I said before, dey don't see too good."
Jarug held out his hand.
"Name be Jarug, by da way."
"Zami," Zami said flatly as he took Jarug's hand and shook it.
He instantly wrinkled his nose, cringing as thick red blood stained his hand up to his wrist.
"Ugh, why it gotta be warm…" He grumbled, wincing further as he heard bones snap under the force of his knife.
"Don'tcha be whinin' bout a little blood, boy," Lau'Tiki called from the nearby fishing shack, "Ya think a boar be bad?"
Lau'Tiki pointed up to the roof of the fishing shack, gesturing to the newly-hung massive shark. Saltwater still dripped down the heavy corpse, which made the roof groan softly under its weight.
"Imagine cuttin' into one of dese," Lau'Tiki slapped the shark, "Talkin' bout blood in da water!"
Zami paused to wipe sweat from his forehead, inadvertently streaking his face with blood.
"Why you even got dat thing?" Zami pointed to the shark with his knife, "You don't sell no shark meat, and ain't nobody gonna eat dat. Bad juju."
"Call it mackerel, and dey eat it just fine," Lau'Tiki said with a grin.
Zami furrowed his brow, stabbing the knife under the boar's skin again.
"But dat's lyin' and ma'da say don't never lie."
"No, course not," Lau'Tiki nodded, "Never lie to ya ma'da."
Lau'Tiki paused to set his fishing pole against the wall, shrugging a little in Zami's direction.
"But lie to all da rest."
Zami looked up anxiously, expression troubled.
"No, dat's wrong."
Jumi frowned, crossing his arms.
"Why ain't ya holdin' it like I told ya, boy?"
"I am!" Zami huffed, tightening his grip onto the bow, "I think dis bow is broken!"
Jumi reached forward, snatching the bow from Zami's little hands. He nocked an arrow, firing it at the target. Unsurprisingly, it stuck the bullseye.
"Dere's nothin' wrong wit da bow," Jumi shook his head, "Ya just ain't doin' it right."
"I be tryin' me best, fa'da," Zami frowned, "But we been out here all day. I'm tired, can we go h-"
"Well ya best ain't good enough den," Jumi said as he walked forward, pulling the arrow from the target, "When ya huntin' in da wild, ya prey won't give ya a second shot."
Jumi returned back to Zami's side, handing him the bow and arrow.
"And when ya on da battlefield, da Alliance won't wait neither."
"I know, I know, fa'da," Zami whined, "But I don't even care bout da Alliance-"
Anger flashed in Jumi's eyes and he grabbed Zami roughly by the front of his shirt.
"And dey don't care bout ya neither, boy!" He growled, shaking the child in front of him like ragdoll, "Don't ya get it? How ya gonna survive if ya can't defend ya self?!"
Zami hesitated as Jumi released his shirt.
"...W-Well…" He glanced down, "Ma'da says da tribe looks out f-"
"I love ya ma'da," Jumi cut him off, "But, by da Loa, she a dumb woman."
Jumi growled in frustration and then crouched down onto the ground in front of Zami, so that their gaze was level.
"Zami, ya gotta understand dis what I tell ya now," Jumi said slowly, his voice tight and low.
Zami blinked at his father anxiously, wanting to run away, but the hand Jumi clamped down onto his shoulder locked him in place. He was starting to get a queasy knot in his stomach. It was a bad feeling.
"Ain't nobody never gonna care bout ya in dis world," Jumi furrowed his brow, "Not me, not ya ma'da, not da clan, nobody."
Zami stared blankly, as Jumi continued on.
"Nobody gonna do nothin' for ya. Whatever ya want, ya gotta take it ya self."
Jumi picked up the bow from the ground, shoving it back into Zami's trembling little arms.
"Now, do it right dis time."