Chapter 2

She grimly set her lips straight, fighting the urge to feel the trepidation sinking in her. It was not surprising, after all. Looking at how the boat creaks at each wave or wind that would hit them, it was not even guaranteed that the mast towering over towering them would stand straight. The lower ground was already leaking with undesirable amount of water, .

"WHAT?!"

It was the flabbergasted Ainu, who merely gaped behind The Oracle in disbelief. He was renowned in their homeland for his ability to summon The Lady of Ice, in the form of a midget. As Elder Kino had instructed, she chose him to escort their travels.

His spiky azure locks were slightly drooping from the heavy downpour of the skies, as he stared for some more stunned silence at the fate reader. Maybe he was still under the process of entering the statement of The Oracle's prediction...And it was taking a lot of time.

As her hand clutched upon her She had always thought that there was mud between his ears. Why did she even bothered to have the brainless warrior to accompany her?

A porcelain-like finger twisted the Ainu's ear in the most cruel fashion. The Ainu yelled in colorful profanities that was better not to be written.

Ah, then she remembered now why. He has a sensible sister that would never leave at his side. There she was, those extensive cerulean locks were dripping wet, but the flame of clear annoyance was quite impressive . The light-azure tresses swayed malevolently with the wind, as the white hood of her cloak was unveiled to reveal the swelling nerves.

"Brother!" She hissed. "Stop hanging your mouth. It is impolite."

"Pilica!" The young man screamed in anguish as he tried to release the grip that was tearing his head from his neck.

"It is your duty to protect her Highness, not to idle yourself in staring at your woman!" The polite handmaiden of Lady Anna suggested violently at his ear. Then she released the blood colored cartilage, the fingerprint still burning vividly upon its skin.

"PILICA!" It was The Oracle who squeaked in embarrassment, who was as crimson as The Ainu's nearly torn off body part.

"Stick your cute nosey out of this..." he squirmed stiffly.

"I do not think we would need his help. The almost forgotten Presence muttered. "He could not even have held his brain pieces together." She raised a frosty eyebrow, as her hand emphasized their situation "How can he aide us in this?"

"Your Highness," The warrior spoke through gritted teeth, managing to control the irritation. Good, if his voice did reached a higher notch in his voice THEN he is going to get it. "This is no time for us to be arguing." he endured to hold his breath calmly, the rush of his heated nerve to simmer down with the cooling damp rain. "We need to prepare ourselves for necessary evacuation. Should I summon Kuroro?" He gripped upon the sling handle of the wrapped long object upon his rear.

His sister rejoiced when her beloved brother had thought of something intelligible. This was quite rare to them, you see. Maybe because his masculine pride was hurt with that statement, in front of his woman, no less.

However...

"No" It was the voice that was able to conjure up protest from her subordinates. They were all silenced with a prickling glare, wisely knowing to keep their reactions. "Tamao." she turned her head to the face that was hidden beneath the rosy cloak. "Did your prediction indicated if we shall survive?"

"I am not sure, My Lady" She replied in dismay at the seemingly slow pace of her clairvoyance in this turmoil-filled night. "The spirits are rather rough in this moment." Then her rosy eyes brightly glittered in the gloom. "But they do need to hear the signal of the sea..."

"And that is?"

"A word that must remain unspoken."

"Thanks, oh Great Oracle! That REALLY helped a lot!" the Ainu mockingly teased, earning an emblazing gaze from the ladies. Especially the one being scoffed at by this insipid male. With indignant annoyance, she painfully landed a fist to his skull.

"YOU BIG MORON!" The girl growled in fury, even in the midst of the wailings of the sea, she stood up in one swift motion.

Yet, it suddenly unsettled the small ship. The boarded ground elevated to the side, all of which the their balance was forgotten and fell.

The Oracle, who was just standing confidently earlier, was now upon the ground. She was slipping helplessly towards the rim of the ship which had no fences to stand as a divider between the perils of the waters. The handmaiden and the lady were trapped in the hindering objects that were heavy enough to inhibit actions to the collapsing Oracle. She had clung to the railings, as her feet dangled to the treacherous ravines of the sea.

She closed her eyes, in absolute terror. The gales were mercilessly whipping, and the rain was piercing like needles on her cold skin. Her knuckles were becoming numb and exhausted. Any passing second, it will open and the ocean will swallow--

Two rose-quart eyes flew open in bewilderment as she stared back to a pair of masculine dark navy orbs.

The Ainu gave an impish grin. "Big moron can help ladies in distress, you know." He was holding the Oracle's arm with a force that could have outmatched the ship's metal anchor. Yet the railings were slippery, gliding out of his grasp.

"Oh, you two!" The handmaiden sighed with relief as she reached out to have a good grip upon her brother's outstretched arm. As they had a firm hold upon the handmaiden, who was having a hard time to hold upon the post, they were heaved with a sudden pull of bead strings.

"Next time, you fools, know what you are doing" Their royalty managed to say as her impassive expression was somehow like traced with ease from recent discomfort. The lady was holding upon the mast of the ship as she was having little difficulty in pulling them into safety.

As each of them had hauled themselves from their current dangerous position and cringed to the pole nearby Lady Anna, they began to exhale a great amount of held relief as their lungs had been filled in of any air as they were too busy to place themselves upon the premises of the ship.

"We are indebted to your kindness, Honorable Anna." The handmaiden whispered in total relief as she settled hear to the towering, withering mast of the ship. the three individuals panted as they had laid themselves against the sturdy pole.

"I cannot rely on all of you." she equivocally stated with death hanging in her voice. "Except with the travel expenses"

They wisely chose not to comment, except their present male companion.

"We really need to see the captain, your highness. You see--"

"We cannot. He already left with the reserved boat of this ship." The royalty merely ignored his comment.

"THEY supposed to be the one who must SINK with their SHIPS!"

"You IDIOT!" The Oracle wailed. "That was the word the waters were waiting for!" She grabbed his head and craned it behind him. "LOOK"

And the Ainu, as he was told goggled at the fifty-feet wave that was overpowering them, the shadows clouding their surroundings.

The little speck in the middle of the liquid emblems disappeared with one swift stroke.

I'm too sick to even type right now...coughs I hope others will forgive me for not posting Stuck 5... Let me have a rest first, okay?

Love you all, people!