Shivered Timbers
by Kaline Reine

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the characters/settings. This is just a fanfiction story. I do own Shiori, she is my character. I also own a few other original characters in this story (not affiliated with One Piece), which will be introduced as they are needed.

WARNINGS: This story contains (or may contain) graphic adult content and language, explicit sex scenes, possible violence, gore, cursing, adult themes, etc. I do not censor my writing, but I do my best to warn people about the subject matter and potential subject matter. So if you don't like that kind of thing or can't handle it, then I suggest not reading this story. You have been warned. Also, I know this doesn't follow canon but it doesn't have to, that's why it's a fanfic. xD

Also... The beautiful cover image for this story is by my friend, EzariaUmiko on DeviantArt. All credit for the image goes to her. c:

Chapter 40: Snow Surfing

"What do you think you're doing here?!" The shadow of the dreaded Pirate known as Captain O'Hara stood over her.

Shiori looked up, locking eyes with her. They shone like twin evil emeralds, glaring down at her angrily. The redhead took a single step forth, before darting back again, making sure to draw her sword before the albino could swing at her, but just barely.

"I have nothing to say to you!" She growled, refusing to back down.

"Stay out of my way, you filthy brat!" O'Hara lunged at her, narrowly missing the side of face with the edge of her sword, the dull side sliding slowly over her cheek. "Get lost already! And stop interfering in things you have no business with!"

All she saw was red.

The once timid girl smirked. She knew she had the element of surprise on her side. She barely noticed the way Vanora crawled onto her shoulder, holding herself firmly in place. Shiori side-stepped away from the redhead, blocking her futile attempts to disarm her. She'd known from the moment she first saw her that they would end up like this- just a feeling she had, really... But it hadn't been wrong.

She grabbed her new sword by the hilt, feeling its power surging through her... Before she could fully release the first swing, several of O'Hara's crew members rushed past her. They didn't do anything to her, instead running toward the very cavern she had emerged from only minutes ago.

She wondered where they were going, and then she noticed it... All of the gold scattered throughout the rocks! Various pieces of shining golden metal gleamed here and there. The columns most of the trinkets were on didn't look very stable though. Before she could think on it too much, the vicious Captain she was facing lunged at her again. She deflected the attack with her new sword, feeling the strength it held within the shiny metal blade. There was a flurry of movement that seemed impossible to follow, and O'Hara stood between Shiori and the treasure that she sought to protect. After all, she had promised the Spade Pirates that she would bring it back with her. And damn it, she was going to!

Eyeing the opposing crew members, she noticed that they were all vying for the same goal- That gold! It was piled up on the far side of the cavern where she'd come out. Vanora was clinging to her but didn't seem to have very much stamina left. Her friend was getting tired... Truth be told, she wasn't exactly feeling up to par herself. She was exhausted after traversing the icy caverns of the collapsing mountain.

Several of the columns that led to the deposit of treasure fell to one side the moment O'Hara's underlings tried to set foot on it. A few of them toppled down into the caves below. She didn't seem to think it was that big a deal, but Shiori knew first hand just how vast that cave system actually was. Even the ones that might have been lucky enough not to be injured too badly to move wouldn't be back for a while. That was fortunate and should buy her some time, she knew...

Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, she moved in on the other Pirate, their swords interlocking once again with a series of loud clangs. She was hoping to catch her off guard, but couldn't quite manage it. O'Hara had turned on her.

"I don't care about the stupid treasure anymore!" Shiori screamed, trying to fend her off, while simultaneously trying to figure out how to get that lioness to come back out of the sword. It was a half truth, but still.

'Is there a way to summon her or...?' She dodged a nasty blow from O'Hara's blood red blade. 'Gah! No time to figure this out!'

Sensing her distress, Vanora let out an urgent meow. 'There will be plenty of time for that later! Right now you've got much bigger problems! Try just using it normally?'

They circled around one another, each eyeing the other menacingly.

"Are you sure you think it wise to take me on?" O'Hara raised an eyebrow. "Your skill level is nowhere near mine. You could never defeat me, no matter how hard you try!"

"Who are you trying to convince?" The Valkyrie smirked, answering right back. "Me, or yourself? Seems rather desperate to me."

She laughed. She actually laughed. And it felt damned good.

Even if her opponent was right, at the moment she had the upper hand. Despite how slippery the ground was getting from the ice melting all around them, her boots would be able to get a firm grip on the slick surface. O'Hara, she knew, wouldn't have that luxury. Her steps were already off, as she danced around Shiori's fancy footwork. Their swords clashed, coming together each time with a harsh clang.

O'Hara centered herself, advancing on the albino girl viciously, striking at her chest furiously. Her intent was to kill. Shiori deflected the series of blows aimed for her heart. A strange aura surrounded her blade, and mysteriously, it reached out everywhere that the red blade tried to touch. The frigid material was almost completely transparent, and was frosted an iridescent white around the edges. Whatever it was, it was acting as a shield to protect the person who wielded it. Shiori had taken notice of it too, staring at her curved blade up close, marveling at the jagged pieces of ice that extended from it.

The fight continued, and she was unable to figure out what was happening. She could only assume, somewhere amidst all of the chaos of the lightning fast swordplay, that perhaps Arashikari's true powers were already manifesting themselves.

"What kind of rubbish ability is that?" O'Hara snarled, getting right in her face, impeded only by the grating of her longsword against the Valkyrie's scimitar. "It's only ice... I should be able to break through it eventually."

Shiori ignored her, and only shook her head. She pressed on, continuing to hold her ground, in spite of the redhead's menacing glare. Their swords crossed once again. And again, and again... Neither was deterred by the other in the slightest. Had she been young and meek, as she once had been, the outcome of this fight may have been very different.

The two kept up their intense battle, each trying to out-maneuver the other. Both of them were adept at swordplay however, and the two were always countering each other's movements. O'Hara's remaining crew was still trying to get the gold debris into their mining carts so it could be moved down the mountain and to their ship. They took note of the sword fight, stepping around it as the dangerous dance continued on...

Water dripped ominously from an icicle... The rate was increasing. Was everything melting?!

Their fight was interrupted when several large boulders came tumbling down the mountain. Shiori shrieked and darted backward as they fell, landing one by one in random places along the stretch of snow where they were tangling swords. This was followed by a small landslide. The ground that supported the base of the mountain seemed to be shifting... There was a surge of power emanating from its core.

She realized that the terrain was now too dangerous to risk continuing their battle. It would have to be put on hold for now. They seemed to be about evenly matched, so it was a futile effort for either of them. This was getting them nowhere. She wasn't done, not by a long shot, but for the moment getting out of there and returning to the ship was more important. Like awakening from a long and deep sleep, Shiori suddenly recalled them saying that they would leave without her if she didn't make it back!

'The Royal! We have to get back to the ship!' She mentally informed her sidekick of her new train of thought.

'I know, but how are we-'

Before she could finish, there was a loud cry from O'Hara as the ground split open beneath her. A large jagged crack formed and swallowed up several more of her crew members. They fell into the abyss, until their cries could no longer be heard. There was no way to tell how far it was to the bottom, or if there even was one. The Captain of the Scarlet Pirates had managed to grab onto a ledge at the last minute, but only with one hand... It was only a matter of time until she would fall to her death too.

Shiori could only spare her companion a quick glance over one shoulder, as she rushed over to peer down into the dark crevice of rock and... Ice that was rapidly melting. O'Hara's grip was slipping. It was evident that she couldn't hold on much longer with her leather clad hand. She stared at the wall, unable to bring herself to make eye contact with the person she was certain was about to cause her to plummet into the same depths that most of her crew had just fallen into.

"It's a shame about the treasure..." She smirked, in spite of her situation, giving one last firm nod to the albino girl. "You may have-"

A scimitar reached downward, over the rocky outcropping where she hung. It ran across her face, marring one previously perfect cheek, and tinging it with crimson. Then the albino girl put the blade away.

'If I can't finish her off honorably, I don't want to do it at all...'

'Shiori-chan, don't you dare...' Vanora hissed a warning. 'She's our enemy! Don't forget that. If the situation were reversed, she'd let you fall. Hell, she'd probably push you right over the edge if she could!'

The Valkyrie looked at the treasure, then back to O'Hara, about to fall to her death... Then at the treasure once more. She had made a promise... But this was different and the circumstances had changed. She wondered what would happen if an enemy ever had her cornered like this. Would they be merciful? Or would they let her fall? She knew the truth, but... Torn as she was, the value of gold could never outweigh that of a life, even an enemy's, even someone she hated. That wasn't who she was.

"Shut up, I don't care about that!" Shiori spat bitterly, skittering over to the edge on her knees and leaning forward. "Grab my hand!"

She reached out a shaky hand for O'Hara to grasp onto, but the redhead didn't take it. Instead, she spit at her. It missed when she tilted her head to one side casually.

"I'd never accept help from a weakling like you!"

"Now's not the time to be stubborn... Let me help you. Please." The pleading look in her rosen eyes told her how dire the situation really was. It took all of her willpower to speak this calmly and gently. "We're running out of time. The ice is melting, you'll slip soon."

O'Hara quirked an eyebrow, finally meeting her gaze. "You do realize that even if you help me up, I'm still going to kick your ass." A grin spread across her face, looking a bit creepy due to how smeared her lipstick was.

"I don't care, I c-can't just let you fall! Hurry and take my hand!" Shiori glared down at her, her expression hardening. "...Before I change my mind."

She was serious.

The Captain finally relented, reaching up with her free hand to grab Shiori's. It was difficult, but she managed to pull O'Hara out. The two of them tumbled into the snow just a few scarce feet away from the giant crack that had opened up. Another low rumble was starting up already, ominous and brooding...

Shiori was the first to scramble to her feet. She knew she had to get out of here before it was too late and her path back down the mountain was completely blocked. She began running along the same winding ledges that O'Hara's crew had used to make it to this summit, but lots of rocks had fallen along the way. Vanora was perched on her shoulder, silently waiting to see how her friend would get them out of this mess. There wasn't much she could do at the moment anyway.

'Why did you save her?!' Vanora spat, running close on her heels before jumping back to her usual spot atop her friend.

'I'm not sure why I did it really...' She silently admitted. 'All I know is that I had to.'

The kitten shook her fluffy little head, her ears swaying back and forth as she did so. 'Well it's beyond me! Maybe you saw good in her that just isn't there. I'll never figure humans out.'

'I did what I had to do.'

She would leave it at that, for now...

The mountain, growing ever impatient, rumbled as they left. It seemed to get worse the further down the cliff they ventured. There was no time for her to grab any of the treasure, she would have to let it go. The albino girl decided to hazard a glance backward, and instantly regretted it when she saw the solid white wall of snow cascading over the treacherous landscape just a few hundred feet behind them. It was moving very fast and gaining on them every second.

'Another avalanche?!'

Vanora let out a howl of pure terror, and Shiori shook her head solemnly. She had to think fast... Instinctively, her hand rested on the hilt of her new sword. She drew it, hoping for the answer to somehow come to her. She could feel the energy surging through it, and the painful feeling as Vanora's claws pierced the skin on her shoulder like needles... The kitten was terrified. The avalanche was only a few scarce seconds away from consuming them.

It was all she could do just to make it to the edge of the path she was following, where it took a sharp left turn before circling back around the mountain. Then, at the last possible moment, a large thin sheet of ice extended from the edges of the blade. It curled under her, folding over in front, and continued until she was able to step onto it. The snow slid under her feet, separated only by the barrier of solid ice.

The avalanche descended down the mountain like a vicious tidal wave. It was even visible to the Spade Pirates' expedition, which had just set out from the ship a little while ago.

'Vanora-chan! Hang on!'

The kitten was in shock and could only dig her claws deeper into Shiori's shoulder blades. Several droplets of blood spilled, running down her pale skin, but slowing due to the extreme cold around them.

The handle broke off of her sword and she let out a cry of surprise. Great, now she had no way to steer... Thinking on her feet, she quickly learned that she was able to control the movement of the makeshift sled by shifting her weight from one foot to the other and moving her body. She shifted her stance to the right and the sheet of ice veered to the right. She hastily put her sword back into the hilt that hung from her hip.

Shiori gasped in awe. She was able to see all the way down the mountain. In the distance, she spotted the Royal. She caught sight of those dreaded, merciful black sails and let out a small sigh of relief.

"They... They haven't left yet!" She whispered excitedly to no one, while struggling to keep her balance as the avalanche descended.

Vanora was too busy being terrified to bother with any sort of intelligible response. She was trying desperately not to fall off of Shiori's shoulders. The cat let out a small whimper when Shiori placed one hand over her back protectively, making sure she didn't get lost in the ensuing shower of snow. They both took a deep breath as the Valkyrie tried to use her Devil Fruit powers to help propel the makeshift sled forward in order to keep just ahead of the avalanche.

They were so high up... She also spotted another ship in the distance. A deep crimson and black ship with blood red sails and a black insignia painted over them.

'That must be the Eyphah Maura...' She thought, sparing it only a passing glance. "Tch."

A rock collided with the bottom of the platform of ice she was standing on, knocking them a little bit off course. Shiori quickly corrected it, however... She had to keep her mind on what she was doing, or else all would be lost and they risked falling to a terrible death.

"We have to turn back!" Ace called to his crew. "Now! There's another avalanche happening! Hurry!"

His first priority was always going to be his crew's safety. As badly as he did want to find Shiori, he knew they wouldn't get any closer if everyone was buried under hundreds of feet of snow and ice. That was what they'd lost her to in the first place.

The part that really scared him, the thought that truly terrified him beyond all reason, was that even if she had managed to survive the first one, there would be almost no chance of making it through a second one. Especially not one this massive, where the snow was piled so thick. Anyone buried under that would likely die within minutes, or a few hours is all they would have at most. It wouldn't be enough time for them to find her.

Luckily, it looked to be sloping off to one side more heavily than the previous avalanche had. It looked like it would finish right between the Royal and the other ship that they knew was docked on the far side of the island. It shouldn't hurt their ship or even be able to reach it. Despite this, those who had chosen to come with him were heeding his warning and dispersing backward to avoid any unnecessary injuries. It was too close for comfort. There could be uprooted trees, rocks, and other fallen debris, in addition to the all-encompassing snow.

Artemis was staring up in awe, her purple eyes catching something that stood out. "What the hell is that?" She squinted, holding one hand to her brow to help block out the sun's rays. "I see something... Someone? Maybe? It looks like there's someone on top of the falling snow! Just there!" She pointed.

"Where?" Haji cried, trying to jump up high enough to see whatever it was she was witnessing. "I can't see!"

"But how? I don't understand. Are they... Are they riding the avalanche down the side of the mountain?" Rex asked, incredulously.

He saw it too, a tiny speck in the distance, although he didn't believe his eyes. He rubbed them to be on the safe side. Then there was a large curl of soft snow that folded over in their way, and they all lost sight of it. Whoever it was, it was very strange that they were able to do that.

"Awww, now we'll never know..." Artemis pouted. "Damn it!"

"Probably one of the Scarlet Pirates..." The cook muttered, ignoring Ace's glare. The last thing any of them wanted was to get his hopes up too much. "A Devil Fruit user of some sort, maybe? That's the only thing that could explain that."

"Maybe they ate a surfing Devil Fruit... Eh? Ehh?" Haji joked. But no one thought it was funny. "Well, screw you guys then..." He muttered.

Whoever or whatever it was, they were now too far away for them to be able to decipher their identity. They had practically been a tiny dot in the distance, sliding atop the churning waves of snow effortlessly, as if it were nothing. And then they were gone! Haji was technically right. It really was almost like they were surfing, and for some reason that even he couldn't figure out, it made Ace want to smile. But he didn't, and his worries returned tenfold instead.

He took a deep breath, pausing to collect himself, before he spoke. "We need to keep moving, but I guess now we'll have to wait until-"

"Ace-sama..." He felt a gentle hand atop his shoulder and turned to see that it belonged to Artemis. The shark girl looked very sad... There was a silence now, a long pause filled with nothing.

"What?"

"You already know. Don't you?" Artemis waited for it to sink in but his freckled face only looked blank. Shocks of pink hair fell into her own face, obscuring her eyes from view. And finally, she said it. "...There's no fucking way we'll find her now."

Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it needed to be said. Someone had to.

"I'm heading back." Rex stated dully, already heading back toward the ship. "I shouldn't have to tell you why. You used to have common sense. Nothing personal, but we can't risk the same fate. It's already happened twice in such a short amount of time. Sorry."

Several more crew members turned around to follow him, expressing their agreement that their search would now be a lost cause. The avalanche had covered everything. In that one instant, all of his hopes were dashed. Everyone knew it, all at once. They had no choice but to get themselves back to safety and hope for the best. Walter hadn't even made it, so how could she?

Ace could feel himself slipping further into sadness... He sank to his knees, crestfallen. They were right, he realized... There was no point to continue looking. He would just have to accept it. But some distant part of him could not fathom the thought of losing her. Not after everything they'd been through. He'd lost so many of his comrades, but this felt completely different. It was like he was losing a part of himself too. How could he be expected to go on after this? Things would never be the same.

"Agh! Damn it!"

He punched the ground, leaving a fist-shaped imprint in the powdery white substance. He barely noticed that it was not as powdery as before. The snow was beginning to crystallize, and he grit his teeth against the sting from it.

'Is it melting?' He wondered, for a second, pulling back his hand to examine it. 'Not like it matters anyway... The crew will probably want to set sail soon. I don't want to leave the island without at least giving her a little time to make it back, just in case, but-'

Ace turned around. Where was his crew?! They'd all left him already. Presumably to be alone with his thoughts and give him time to accept the inevitable. But right now, in one of his darkest hours, when he needed them the most, it felt an awful lot like abandonment. He'd known all along that it wasn't fair to expect everyone to risk their lives just to find someone who was probably already dead. He could only try to keep a level head and understand their point of view too.

All kinds of thoughts filled his mind... What was he even doing all the way out here? He had always been so sure of himself and what he wanted, knowing that he'd be the best Pirate Captain someday. It had always been his dream. But... What made a good leader in the first place? Someone devoid of all emotion, he supposed. Only things didn't always work like that. He didn't work like that.

What made things even worse was the fact that whole his crew had dipped out. They'd been so quick to abandon him. It was now clear that he was in this alone, and likely had been from the start. There was no one encouraging him to go on to look. They all cared for her too, but it was clear that this was different. They didn't care enough to risk everything; to give it their complete and absolute all. They wouldn't continue to pursue something when they felt that it was a lost cause. It was something he'd learned a long time ago... You may be able to convince people to follow you to the ends of the earth if you have enough leverage. But you still can't force morale that just isn't there.

You can't force people to care.

He had just been about to try to convince himself that maybe it was better this way, maybe they shouldn't bother going out and risking so much when it was so dangerous. They might not have found her anyway and someone could have been seriously injured. But it was so hard for him to let go, and he wasn't sure why.

'Why does everything about her always feel so... different?'

The strange thing was, he could still remember all if it- The way her voice sounded and how her skin felt against his. The way she used her powers, the way she avoided using them. The way she would try to turn every situation into something positive, no matter the outcome. The way she fought until the bitter end, even if the odds were stacked against her. The way she stood her ground, risking everything to achieve her goals, undeterred by anything. There was freedom in her courage. And in her softness, strength.

Along the way, Shiori had somehow made his dream into her own, true to the very nature of a Pirate, she had stolen it from him. Right under his nose. But there was a problem, he realized, as the full finality of everything began to sink in. She had stolen so much more than that...

She'd stolen his heart. He knew that now.

He wasn't like the others. They could turn around and just leave, like it was nothing. As if someone so important could just vanish into nothingness without a trace. Like they could just go on living like nothing was wrong with the world without her in it.

And Ace was not noticing this for the first time, it was something he'd known for a long time, for most of his life actually. None of it was news to him. All he could do was accept their choices, and sit out here in the snow, alone. He needed a bit of time to adjust to this new situation, and to accept the possibility that she was really gone and there was nothing he could do about it. Even if she'd managed to survive the first one and make it further into the mountains somehow... With this second avalanche, the chances of her surviving were slim to none. He knew that.

There were so many things that he'd wanted to tell her, things that he'd never had the courage to say when she was still ali- When she was still here. Crestfallen, he could only stare at the snow.

A single snowflake playfully swirled along the edges of his vision...

'Cold, like her...' He tried to fight down a smile, but one corner of his mouth betrayed him. It was a painful and bitter reminder of someone who was so dear to him, so very close to his heart... 'How will I be able to stand visiting other winter islands now? It won't be the same. How can I go on without her?'

Ace shook his head, allowing the tears to fall freely. There was no one else around, and therefore, no reason he needed to hide them.

'I... I can't...' He sobbed. 'I can't go on like this!'

"WHY?!" He screamed, at no one and nothing, unable to take the agony even a single second longer. "Why..."

His lungs froze up, all of his muscles tensed, it was as if the very breath of life had been pulled from his body. That was how much agony he was in. The mental anguish was setting in, taking its toll on him.

That was what made everything so much more of a shock when he heard soft footsteps crunching in the snow behind him. The more rational part of him was pretty sure it was one of his crew mates that had come to check on him when he didn't immediately follow them back to the ship. But the smallest part of him, the one that he showed to no one, allowed himself to believe for a mere split second that it could possibly be the one they were searching for. He was on his knees and rose up, his eyes still closed, desperately willing it to be her.

It was her. It had to be. He could sense her energy.

"Why what?" Came a timid voice. As if it were so simple...

"Shiori?"

"..." There was a long pause.

Arms fell around him, and the world fell away.

Back on board the Royal, the others were just getting there... Artemis looked the most crestfallen of all. She gazed back at the looming mountains behind them, completely out of her element, exhaling a heavy sigh. The general mood on deck was a rather gloomy one.

For a while, no one said much.

"Damn... I had such high hopes..." She began, trailing off, not knowing quite where she wanted to go with such a statement.

"We all did," Rex assured her, patting her back in a friendly manner. "But it's over now."

A moment of silence passed between them... 'We failed.' She could read it in his eyes. They both knew it.

She watched the cook make his way to the back of the ship, shaking his head sadly and mumbling lowly to the ones who had stayed behind. He was probably informing the others of what had happened. Most of them would have already seen the avalanche though. There was no point in wasting words on them. The shark girl went straight to her room, wishing she could forget all about its previous occupant and move on already.

Below deck, the mousy little blonde girl had made an unexpected friend. Lena smiled up at the tall, dark, and mysterious man that she'd come to know. He returned her smile.

"I like you!" She giggled delightedly.

Taking his hand, the youngster giggled again and tried to lead him outside. He only shook his head back and forth, looking at her worriedly.

"You can't go outside? They don't trust you?" She queried. "Is that it?"

It took a second, but he nodded. Lena looked away sadly. For one so young, she understood much more than she ever let on.

She had learned, during her short stay here, that his name was Silas. It may not be his real name, but that was what they called him, anyway... He didn't seem to be able to talk. The man sat on a barrel and, for lack of anything better to do, started carving away at a block of wood. She poked at one of the seashells that adorned his dreadlocks, sighing boredly. Then a sudden thought seemed to occur to her.

"Silas-kun..." She said his name so cutely, causing him to look up. There was a smile somewhere in his deep dark eyes. "Did you get that paper like I asked?"

He unfolded something from his pocket and handed it to her. He had been able to sneak out on deck, under the guise of getting a drink from the kitchen, long enough to slip into Artemis' work room and back out again, unnoticed. It was one of the advantages of being so quiet. The paper was all crumpled, but she was able to make out some digits that were hastily scribbled there. He couldn't read, she realized. But he was able to mimic the shapes of the symbols there... And that was all that mattered.

The little girl beamed up at him, and he let out a small chuckle. It was the only sound she'd ever heard him make. He had a nice voice, smooth and low.

"Wait here, I'll be ri-" She stopped short. "Hm."

There was no point in saying anything to him. It's not like he could answer. And where was he going to go anyway? The child simply held up a single finger, and he again nodded. Silas seemed fairly content to stay below deck, at least until the rest of the crew started to trust him a bit more.

Lena reached into an inner pocket in her kimono, fumbling around for something. Taking out the small transponder snail, she dialed a familiar number and waited, hoping for someone to pick up. She shifted her weight and began to pace a little. Her impatience was showing. Vibrant green eyes darted this way and that, keeping an eye out for anyone who might be listening in. The cute little girl had suddenly become very serious.

"Hmm?" A female voice purred. "Yes?"

"Umm, hi?"

She blinked, once, twice. There was a pause. The person on the other end seemed to be considering something.

"Ah, Lena-chan... I'm a little busy dealing with a situation at the moment. What do you want, brat? Spill it already."

"O'Hara-sama..." She whispered into the receiver. "I've infiltrated the enemy ship. I was able to board with minimal problems. How should I proceed?"

"Very nice," The victorious smirk was evident in her Captain's voice, despite how distant she sounded. "Do you have the coordinates?"

"Yes." There was a shuffling of paper, and then she rattled off a long series of numbers, without even blinking.

On the other end, she could hear a scribbling sound. A pen rasped across a sheet of paper, jotting down the numbers as she called them out.

"And you're certain these are correct? There's no mistake?"

"Uh-uh..." Lena shook her head, despite the fact that the other couldn't see, causing the blonde tufts hanging from either side of her head to sway back and forth, the beads in them clacking lightly against the snail's shell. "Those are the right ones. I'm sure of it."

"Thank you for your cooperation. We will proceed with the plan. After that... You are free to go. I don't care what you do from here on out, but you will no longer be welcome aboard the Eyphah Maura."

Click.

Lena turned just in time to catch a glimpse of a dark figure walking away from her...

Sorry for the slow updates, real life has been very hectic for me lately and tons of stressful things keep popping up. I promise I'm working on this fic as often as I possibly can. I just want to thank all of you for the lovely reviews that I got last chapter! I really appreciate each and every single one. ;w; I'm extremely happy people are enjoying the story so far. I hope this is an exciting chapter, and hopefully the next one will be even better. ;D

Oh and because a few people have asked me about this now...
My P. a. t. r. e. o. n. user ID is #434054

You don't have to, but you can support me, if you'd like to, I would appreciate it! ;w; It means I'd be able to write more and update my stories much more often! I'd put the link, except it keeps getting deleted? Anyway if you search for that user ID, you'll find me. c;

-Kaline