NEED

Now I'm taking the chapters and adding to them. The earlier chapters were more garbage than the others…so I figure there's no harm in just tweaking them. They are mine, after all. ;)

Chapter Seven

That morning was dark, and Micha knew something was up. Warrick knew far in advance, and had come into her room to wake her up.

"Micha, get up. I need to talk to ye." His tone was somber. Something had happened. As she sat up from her makeshift bed, chills ran up her spine. Had something happened to Adrian? She dressed quickly and hurried to the deck where Warrick was waiting for her. None of the other crew members were nearby, which was assumingly a good thing.

Warrick stood erect, his arms behind his back. His eyes were dark. Micha looked around the deck and noticed something about it. The floor was wet. The liquid was dark. Red. Blood.

She gasped and looked to Warrick with fear in her eyes. "What is this?"

"Blood, my dear." His tone was the same as it had been moments ago. He stepped aside to show her a body on the deck.

Someone was dead. "Oh, my goodness…" Micha whispered, her hands going to cover her mouth. "Who…?" Adrian?

"Reiyll."
She may as well have been punched in the stomach. "Reiyll's dead?" she whispered, her voice cracking. Warrick nodded. "There was a brawl. He was killed by his own blade."

Micha was having a difficult time breathing. "Do...you know who did it?"

"We have him in the hold right now, actually." Warrick said no more and stepped over the bloody pools to where the stairs led down to their destination.

"Come." She followed in silence, unable to comprehend any of what was happening.

--

Silver was getting antsy. For what felt like weeks they'd been searching, but they'd not found a trace of her. They'd been home to Montressor, where a weary Sarah had told Silver everything she'd known about Micha's possible whereabouts. She even had locations for Andrew and Mark, Micha's big brother and uncle.

Not many people had claimed to see her in their area, but some had given him clues. Silver felt it in his heart. He was getting closer.

He had his men set sail northeast of Capernaeuma, and he'd even stopped to see if Andrew had been on the planet. His roommate reported he hadn't seen Andrew for months. The young man had left him a note and told him that he'd be in touch. So now Silver was desperately curious. Micha and Andrew, both missing. Where could they possibly be? The cyborg sat at the helm of his ship, his eyeglass glued to his good eye as he scanned the Etherium for any signs of a merchant ship he could ask.

A fellow pirate came up behind him. "Captain, we've been searching forever. Maybe we should just go home…" The second the words had left his lips, he regretted it. Silver's cyborg hand had turned into his sword and the sword was now dangerously close to his throat.

"We ain't goin' home, ye hear me! We're goin' to find her before we do anyt'ing else!"

The meek pirate took the hint and slinked off to a safer location on the ship. Turning to the crew, Silver took on a new light. "Lads, ye all know that when me mind is set on somet'ing, I don't be lettin' go of it until I has it in me hands."

The cyborg paused. "We'll rest for awhile at the next port, but we ain't stayin' for too long."

The crew cheered. Finally, somewhere they could get a decent sleep, restock their food supplies, and finally, just relax.

-------

Adrian sat on the damp floor, not caring that he could feel nothing in his rear end, but sat, knees drawn up to his chest, his arms draped over them. His expression was an all-around scowl. He thought to himself for a good, long time.

So what do I do while I'm here? They're on their own kind of voyage…I'm just along for the ride. I needed to get away…for some time to myself, but…now I'm finding that the more I want to be alone, the more people find me…like Micha.

Adrian sulked. Micha. She drove him mad. He drifted from thoughts of her and let his mind wander. Darkness crept in and he wanted to sleep. He knew he couldn't sleep, for then he would dream.

Dreaming was dangerous. Dreaming only got him into danger…dreaming only reminded him of his past. His past. What was his past, really? Was it…a lie? A distant memory? A fading dream? Adrian sighed to himself. His past had been colorful, full of riches and 'fun'.

Full of what was thought to be life and love, when it was just an act. A mask he wore to deceive those close to him. That mask was a mask he'd not gotten rid of. But now that he knew Micha, he wanted more and more to let it go. As Adrian pondered these things, chuckling at their age difference once more, the door opened and he was startled from his thoughts. "Boy, get up."

Warrick. The door opened wider and sunlight crept in. Warrick entered the dark room, followed by…

"Micha!" Adrian said, rising to his feet quickly. He felt strange as the blood entered his feet once more, but he ignored the pins and needles that bothered him from his calves to his toes.

Micha frowned, saying nothing. "You're…kidding, Warrick, please tell me this is some kind of joke to test me."

"No, it certainly isn't any joke, dearest. This boy killed Reiyll. Cold-blooded murder."
Micha walked up to the bars and frowned, searching Adrian's dark eyes for answers. "Is it true?" she asked him. Adrian looked right back into her eyes and shook his head. "It was an accident."

Micha's heart sank. "So it is true…"

"We were fighting. He pushed me. We started fighting physically and he brought out his dagger to threaten me with…"
Warrick intervened. "And this boy was a better fighter than he'd let on. He played dirty. It was murder."
"Self-defense!" Adrian cried, frowning.

Micha narrowed her eyes at the captain. "Why are you being so hard on him? Don't pirates fight? Don't they accidentally kill each other at times!"

Warrick, leaning against the bars of the cell, crossed his arms and blatantly ignored her question. "Micha, ye must understand that now he is in behind these bars that ye ain't able to see him talk to him or listen to his lies. We'll be deciding what to do wit' him when we get to the next port, for he ain't a pirate…so we can't be just maroonin' him. T'ain't fair."

Micha shook her head angrily. It made sense. Would they kill him? Have him hanged?

Suppressing her anger, she hiccupped. Adrian frowned. "Captain, can I at least talk to her alone for a few minutes?"

Warrick's face fell and he tensed. "I don't think so, boy."

"Please?" Micha added. Warrick's eyes softened. Poor Captain had a soft spot for the girl.

Warrick nodded. "Aye, but only fer a minute. If yer not back up in five minutes I'll be comin to get ye."

He left the hold, his boots stomping angrily on the wooden floor. Micha stood at the bars, staring in at the prisoner. Adrian stared at her for a long time before saying anything. "So…you gonna get me out of here somehow?" he asked with a smile. She shook her head. "And get us both killed?" Adrian nodded. "You make a good point." He studied her arms for a moment, then her neckline.

"What are you doing?" she asked, noticing his gaze. He smirked. He could only wonder what she was thinking. "Your necklace. Can I see it?"

Micha's hand went to her necklace. "What about my necklace? Why do you need to see it?"

"I want to look at it."

He took the necklace from her hand when she had taken it off and smiled. "It's pretty."
It had been a gift from Andrew, her older brother. It had a pendant hanging from it that resembled a dagger. Basically, a small, pointed object. Perfect.

He smiled. "Great…Can I just…use it for a sec?" Micha shrugged. What did he mean?

He stuck the necklace's end into the lock and wiggled it for a moment. He smiled when he heard a small click and then took the necklace out and handed it back to her.

"Thank you, my lady." With that, Adrian opened the once-locked cell door and stepped out, standing uncomfortably close to Micha. "Now, what will we tell Warrick when he finds me?"

Micha said nothing but stared at Adrian with wide eyes as she held her necklace in her hand. What just happened? This man had been here for a few days and now, after all of this time…he was…some kind of murdering, lock-picking, who-knew what! Micha didn't feel safe anymore. And yet, she was so strangely attracted to him at the same time.

Adrian took her by the arm, his touch cold and clammy. Chills ran up Micha's spine.

"I'm not going to hurt you. It's the last thing I want." He looked around quickly, his hair getting into his eyes as he thought for a moment. "Look. Just…pretend with me for awhile."

"What?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Adrian raised a finger to her lips. "Shh, just listen. Bring me food from time to time, etcetera, etcetera…I'm going to pretend I'm still locked in here. I need to think of a plan."

"What kind of plan? Your only obstacle is…Warrick…" Her thoughts dawned on her and she looked up, wide-eyed. "Don't do anything to him, Adrian, he's…like a father to me." Adrian nodded. "Well, missy, your father wants me dead for killing in self-defense. After all, he is a pirate, I'm sure he's killed a few men in his time."

Micha wasn't feeling so sure about this. Adrian made a good point, but…what did he have in store for Warrick?

"Promise you won't hurt him?" she asked, raising her eyes to meet his. He nodded, smiling faintly. "Promise."