Sorry for the long wait, minna-san. I have two tests and a choral concert tomorrow, so this chapter might be a little short. I am also both trying to write and figure out the most important difference between a euglenoid and a dinoflagellate right now, so I may make a few errors. Gomen.
The blood-red ship sails on bloodstained seas,
While three are taken aboard and chained at the galleys.
Survive this or not we will for our own eyes see,
For this will serve to further bind two together for eternity.
We not know if and when to the island they return,
For fate will only know, as the sky turns auburn.
Nothing unusual had happened for one long month at the island. Life continued to be hard for the slaves who toiled under the sun and rain.
Kenshin and Kaoru had grown immensely close in that month. Kaoru had helped him get over the loss of his village, and Kenshin had protected her from the leery advances of Shishio's soldiers.
~Backtrack~
When love dampens amber eyes,
They lighten again when hidden passion rise.
Passion awakes with the need to protect,
As two destined lovers their souls do connect.
When two do show each other their hearts,
With that their life together starts.
When they had been taken back to their cell a week ago, the soldiers had not immediately left, as per usual, but instead, one had pushed Kaoru down on the ground, while the other held Kenshin back. Despite his small size, Kenshin had fought his way out of the grip, and attacked the other man.
The two guards beat a hasty retreat out, and locked the door behind them. They hauled their asses out of there, while Kenshin roared in his fury of not being able to properly finish them off. Kaoru had then soothed his anger, stroking his back, and reassuring him that she was all right, other than a little shaken. His eyes, which had turned a piercing amber, now had faded back into a gentle violet as he turned to hold her in his arms.
~Backtrack Ends~
A dark green ship sailed over the horizon. Kenshin, Kaoru and Sanosuke, who were cutting the stone, watched the ship sail slowly towards the island. Suddenly, as the guards on duty noticed, they panicked, running towards the castle, shouting something about telling Lord Shishio.
The slaves were quite surprised. It was the first time they had been left unattended out of the cells. The guards that had ran off remembered about their charges, and sent a few people back to send the slave back into the cells.
When they were locked back in the dark prison, Sano, who was Kenshin and Kaoru's neighbour, told them about the green ship.
"The captain of that ship is Shishio's enemy, Enishi. Enishi wants this island for it's resources, and Shishio won't share. This is the third time he has tried to conquer this land. He has failed so many times, since Shishio's army is too vast, and Enishi only has his crew as soldiers."
Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Oro…Will this be a good thing or a bad thing?"
Sano replied, "It all depends. If Enishi's army manages to keep Shishio's busy, and general chaos is around, we might be able to steal a longboat and escape. However, if Enishi wins, we will most likely be turned into galley slaves."
Kenshin winced, remembering the short time he had spent chained to the oars of Shishio's red ship. It was not enjoyable.
As the green ship drew ever closer, it raised a white flag, a sign of peace. It was apparent that Enishi wanted to talk with Shishio. Sano quietly muttered a few curses under his breath. He explained to the other two, "What Shishio needs the most now is steel and iron. The ore mines (ore is raw iron or some kind of natural metal) on this island don't produce that much. I believe Enishi is going to offer him a steady supply of ore in exchange for the right to stop and take on supplies at his island. This might also mean Shishio giving him new galley slaves to seal the deal."
Kenshin promptly replied, "Oh, shit."
The castle raised a white flag as well, agreeing to talk. The ship was so close now, that they could see the captain standing on the bow (the bow is the front of the boat).
At the first glance, the man confused Kenshin. He looked about twenty, but had paper-white hair. He also looked very much like a corsair (coastal pirates), from his clothes and pierced ear. The ship was also a shallow-bottomed caravel, the best ship for raiding coastal areas. Caravels are light, fast, and maneuverable, ideal for naval attacks against an onshore force. However, the ship was much too large to float on a river, so he was not used to inshore raiding. That would mean that the captain and crew would not know very much of the land.
The ship was carrying a lot of cargo, considering how it floated low in the water. It was very close now, and was preparing to dock at the harbor. Cages containing exotic animals and enormous, powerful-looking dogs were stacked on deck. It was apparent that Enishi had sailed to many different countries. The menagerie included a giant panda from China, a pair of snow leopards from Tibet, three cheetahs from Namibia, Africa, a pair of European wolves, and many other species from all over the world. Tropical white tigers lounged in the largest cages on deck, next to their red and black cousins from Siberia.
They watched as Enishi strode down a loading ramp, and towards Shishio, who was standing with a squad of heavily armed guards.
TBC…
Gomen, minna-san. I don't have time to write the reader thank-yous, but arigatou gozaimasu to everybody who reviewed, and even more thanks to those who put me on their favourite authors list.
We just did our last concert of the year today, so that means no more rehearsals until 5! Yay! I also had my maths, science, and Chinese finals, so I have more time to write. I still have Dunn's static image to finish though.
Ja ne…