Disclaimer: I don't own Skies of Arcadia.
Aika's eyes fluttered open. "Did I fall asleep?" she asked aloud. She didn't even know she had fallen asleep, or that she was that tired. Sitting up, she wiped the drool that escaped her mouth and stared down at the journal.
Where did she leave off? Dyne was running into a group of people with his guns drawn. Aika shook her head. She couldn't believe that her old Cap'n used to be so reckless. Then again, there were times that Vyse tended to act that way…
Aika blinked. She shook her head and focused on what was at hand. She had to keep reading, to find a way to avoid any danger that her and Vyse would get into since they fought that matchmaker thingy…maybe she could learn from her parent's mistake…
She turned the page of the journal and began reading once more.
===
Dyne fired rapidly at the near drunken men who were singing some shanty. Instantly, he was met with an onslaught of daggers and gun fire. He kicked down a table and hid behind it, breathing rapidly. He had seen three men at the corner of the room, several sitting at a bar, and four near the back of the room playing cards. He had to work quickly to stop them all.
Taking a deep breath, he stood up and began firing once again.
A bullet of light slid past his cheek narrowly missing his eye. It stung like hell, but he couldn't focus on that. Three men emerged from behind him, each carrying a sword. One of them stepped forward, ready to fight, the other's swayed behind him. Dyne grinned. Them being drunk gave him a slight advantage…but there were still way more of them than there was of him.
The man, who had dark black hair, a large nose, and a big black hat, flew forward as his sword slashed down. Dyne dropped to his back and kicked, landing his feet in the man's gut. As the man stumbled backward, Dyne aimed and fired three times hitting the man, and the two people who stood behind him. They were instantly unconscious.
"Nice," cried someone from behind. "But not as nice as this." Dyne felt something blunt smash against his back. He tucked into a ball, like his parents had once told him, and rolled to a safe distance. When he once again stood, the number of pirates had doubled, and they were all after him.
Lake could feel the tears burning just behind her eyes as the arms around her tightened. "Mom, Dad," she whispered. How had they escaped? She quickly scolded herself at that thought. They were Blue Rogues, of course. She returned their hugs warmly, but felt something wet and warm at the small of her mother's back. She pulled away quickly and looked at her hand. Blood. "We have to get you guys out of here," she said, looking at her mother worriedly.
Lake's mother gave her a weak grin. "I'm the one who should be fussing over you. How'd you find us?"
"Well," Lake began as she did a sloppy healing spell over her mother who wouldn't stop bleeding, "Raven got info--" Raven! Where was he and where was Dyne. She whirled around, seeing Raven and his parents as well as Dyne's parents make their way toward them.
There's one moron, where's the other?
Lake ran up to Raven and asked him slowly, "Is Dyne with you?"
Raven looked at her puzzled. The deal was that they would ruin the ship and Dyne would go and find the parents. They assumed that he'd be with the one of the parents, since the parents were safe, but there was no sign of him. Lake and Raven's minds started stumbling along a path that they both knew had to have happened. Dyne didn't see the parents escape…that would mean he thought that had been killed…that would mean he would be doing something stupid right now. Lake's brow furrowed and he said, "That bastard."
Lake turned to the elders and said, "We forgot something down there." She caught Raven's eyes. They would rather die than admit that one of them would do something so stupid.
"Do you need any help?" Dyne's father asked, as he arched an eyebrow.
Raven gave him a lopsided grin. "Who do you think we are? The Armada?" He grabbed a hold of Lake's wrist and started pulling her back down the ship. "We'll be back soon. No worries."
As soon as Raven and Lake were out of hearing distance, Raven turned to Lake and asked, "Do you know where he is?"
"No. I thought you did."
"Crap. Where…" Raven grew silent as his brain started to work over time.
Dyne felt near faint. His arms were tired, his legs were tired, his brain felt a bit fuzzy, and his eyes were un-focusing. He had realized around the twelve time he had been caught in someone's blade, that this was the stupidest thing he had ever done. I could run away, he thought, but made a face. There was no chance of him escaping with many men--even drunk--with all their weapons aimed at him to escape without getting more injuries. He tried to heal himself, but found that he had not enough strength for magic.
He knew that getting hit one more time would end him. He'd be Black Pirate food for sure…but if he didn't do anything, then he'd just be staying in one spot the entire time only to pass out from exhaustion. Either of his choices didn't look too good.
He checked his gun and exchanged moonstones so that it gave off a shiny yellow hue. "Might as well," he murmured.
Jumping up, he shot at two men. The light pierced their armor and drilled down into their skin. Dyne twisted as someone jumped up from behind a table. He shot, but missed as the man aimed at him.
"MOON'S GIVE ME STRENGTH!"
The ground began to rumble and the lights within the room began to short circuit casting sparks of light all around the Black Pirates. Lightening shot forth from a pair of hands and penetrated into a row of drunken men.
The lights returned to normal as Dyne felt a hand clap him on the shoulder. He turned around and peered into Lake and Raven's smiling face. "Now I see why you're here. You just wanted a little action," whispered Raven.
Dyne shook his head at his friend then turned to glare at the remaining. He raised his gun and grinned. "You guys are late…"
When Dyne, Lake, and Raven returned to their parents, they looked a little worse for wear. Dyne was limping forth, but walking without any help from anyone else. He had a cut across his face and a ton of bruises along his arm. Lake sported a new black eye as well as a few cuts. She grinned at her parents astonished looks and showed them the cut on her lip. Behind her, Raven walked with his hands in his pockets and whistling. From his forehead, blood was dripping. He also carried a few bruises, and his clothes, which were near mutilation, revealed a few deep cuts in his leg.
"Did you find what you were looking for?" Dyne's father asked, holding back a chuckle.
Lake glanced at Dyne and shook her head slowly. "Not really. I got some piece of crap instead."
"Anyway," Dyne interrupted. "We have to get out of here quick. There are no enforcements and the ship we have isn't as strong as the real Albatross."
Dyne looked up at his father and saw pride in his eyes. It sort of threw him off. "Orders, Captain?" he asked hesitantly.
Dyne's father shook his head. "I'm not the captain in this mission. What do you think we should do?"
Dyne looked taken aback as everyone stared at him. Lake smiled, all the parents grinned, and Raven sighed. "But, I'm--not--" Dyne tried to say.
"I'll follow your sexy rear end anywhere, Captain," cried Raven as he saluted him.
That sure knocked the self consciousness out of Dyne. He turned on Raven immediately. "We need to get to the other ship. Raven, start to get over there. Lake, signal them." He turned to the elders and said, "the rest of you come with me. Dad, you have the best aim and since I'm not at the best of health, I need you to shoot this," he unhooked a crossbow he had stolen--er--borrowed from a passed out Black Pirate and passed it to his father, "onto the ship that will be heading toward us. The ship will be moving, so be careful, and the visibility will be rough. Everyone else, get ready to get aboard because once we're on there, we're flying out."
"How much weaponry does the other ship have?" wondered Raven's mother.
"A cannon and two torpedoes. That was the best we could do," he added when he caught the disapproving look in his mother's eyes. "No one would give us a ship with anything stronger." That statement was met with a lot of nods. "So, we thought it best to fly away quickly instead of staying to fight. The weapons will be used to hold them off if anything happens."
Lake shot something into the air. Light sprinkled all about them and a loud boom echoed through the air.
They felt the ship start to move as Raven piloted toward a misty area. Just as they were about to enter the area, a ship appeared and Dyne's father tied a rope to the arrow then fired. Lake's parents, then Raven's, and finally Dyne's parents slid down the rope. Dyne waited until Raven and Lake were once again by his side. By then, many Black Pirates were spilling across the decks and making their way toward them.
"Go," Raven said as he pushed Dyne toward the rope.
"I'm the captain. I should be last."
"You're also the most injured out of the all of us. You should go first." Dyne glanced at the rope, grabbing the belt buckle that he had tied up there. "Besides, you're needed to rule the crew with an iron fist."
Dyne looked about ready to argue when Lake shoved him and he swung all the way down.
"Now you."
Lake glared at him. "Why do I have to go first?
"Stop arguing with me. It's not the time!"
Lake, ready to speak, opened her mouth. Raven narrowed his eyes, sighed, then darted forward, his lips covering hers.
Lake's eyes widened, feeling his warmth melt over her. Before she knew it, she felt herself slowly step closer to him, her hands itching to wind around his body--
Then he pushed her back. "Now go."
He defended his only life line to the other ship as best as he could, while he waited for Lake to make it down all the way. He couldn't think clearly as he blocked left, blocked right…he didn't have enough time to call one of his special moves or cast magic.
There's an opening. He threw a dagger, hitting his target in the gut. He twisted his hand, and from his sleeve, another dagger flew forward. Block left, dodge…he saw a shining blade fall in front of him. He grabbed the wrist and pulled forward, jabbing a dagger into him. Making sure that the man could be used as a shield, now, he covered himself and turned.
Lake had safely made it and now it was his turn. Picking up the rope, he wrapped a piece around his wrist, jumped on the railing, cut the end that attached to the ship, and jumped.
===
"Aika!"
The door burst open and Aika wheeled around. She met the eyes of Vyse as he stared at her incredulously. "What's the meaning of this? Why didn't you tell me?"
He was waving papers over his head.
That's right. He took some papers from this book.
"Tell you what?" Aika asked as she slid the book under her pillow.
Vyse stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. "Why didn't you tell me about the matchmaker?"
Aika froze.
A/N: Once again, thank you to all of you who reviewed. I'll try and get the next chapter out soon.
