''Thou art so ugly that even thyne parents had to tie a chop of meat around thyne neck to get thy dog to play with thee'' Shiori snickered smiling at her joke and watching all the other rogues around her collapse in fits of laughter.
Kozue merely smirked with her eyes closed and reopened them, opening her mouth and letting the velvet pour out of her voice box. ''Thou art so fat that whenst thou ist clad in nothing but white tunics and walks down thy many stairs of a tall tower thy townspeople mistake thee for thy moon to be crashing''. The throng of drunken fools went into another seizure of impossible laughter, spilling their beer mugs and slapping Kozue harshly on the back.
''That's two more points for Kozue!'' they cheered marking it on a slate with chalk.
''Thou art so ugly that even thy chop of meat did not inspire thy dog to play with thee'' Shiori remarked back rubbing her forehead, ''Geez can't think of anymore comebacks, you may just win this time'' she suggested to Kozue giving her a playful a wink ''Wink'' she said.
''Wink back'' Kozue implored teasingly passing her liquor to her plum haired friend and continued '' Thou art so fat that whenst thou lies on the shore of a beach thy whales try to rescue thee''.
Meanwhile below deck in the Captain's Chambers………..
''Tell me something Ruka, what is so great about that castle, the ring and that stupid map, surely it is just a rumor'' The pink haired man asked. One naked slender hand curling around the oak table's edge, looking simply at the blue haired man in front of him.
''What are you trying to say Mikage?''
The pink haired man bended down in his captains face giving the other man a wonderful view of his androgynous beauty. ''What I am asking you is why do you insist on chasing this lie, why do you insist hurting so many people, What for, what's the purpose, Do you feel weak?'' Mikage hissed in between his gnashed teeth gripping the table savagely as if it were an untamed animal.
''Why do you have to hurt so many people, does it make you feel like you have some power, it's all about power isn't it, it always is with you, you always have to!'' Crack
It seemed to echo in the room's walls, off the oiled paintings of Monet, and the long French drapes, it seemed even louder than the cackling of the flickering flames of the modest fire as he held his burning cheek. Mikage looked up with his big, mute, fluttering eyes ''you slapped me'' he whispered under his breath inaudibly.
''I will not tolerate your insolent questions, now send for the girls—I wish to have a council'' Ruka said yawning and stretching luxuriously in his leather chair. ''And have the cooks in the galley prepare a dinner for us as well'' he added giving the tensed Mikage a wry smirk as he exited.
The Plan
Shiori held out her pale hand examining her filed nails then passing the nail file to Kozue who was listening intently to Ruka's speech.
'' Ladies and Gentleman'' he announced stretching his arms out welcomingly as if they had never been in his room before, then giving another devious smile before continuing.
''We have reached land yet again, finally, but however we cannot stay for long. We have a new mission, monsieur Roget De Lenfent the Counte of Marseilles is having a masquerade ball. Guess who is inviting themselves?. I recently discovered that he has just received an object that has sparked my interest that I must acquire.''
''I've always wanted to crash a Masquerade party!'' Shiori cheered shoving her blue haired friend on the shoulder. ''Yeah can we wear masks too!'' Kozue piped up sarcastically. Ruka just smirked keeping his arms folded neatly behind his back before pointing at the lilac haired boy in front of him stroking the petals of one of his many black roses.
''Now listen, all of you this requires the help of everyone at this table, now that means teamwork. The mansion is secured heavily in fact it is nothing we couldn't take on''.
''You got that right Bring it on!'' Kozue roared from her seat beating on the table, looking back at her ''mates'' sharing a quick laugh between all of them.
''Can I finish, anyways the point is if we were to attack Monsieur Roget's precious party we would cause quite a scene --we would have too many navies on us, come on people we're talking about the French now!.
''So what is it we are to steal?'' Mikage asked casually without grudge forgetting the incident earlier.
''First of all I have constructed a well formulated plan that we'll make us seem like the Da Vinci's of Thieves. I've decided that we will kidnap a couple before they enter the mansion, I myself will change into the man's clothing grabbing his invitations and pose as him at the party. This man I am going to pose as is Sir Duke Andre Coe of Whales. Wait that's not it, we are actually going to hold him hostage that is where you two come in! Ruka declared smiling brightly, almost maddeningly, aiming his dart at Kozue and Shiori the two ducked cautiously. ''You two will take them to the cargo of our ship and keep them there ; I will write a ransom later, we are kidnapping he and his fanciful mistress''.
''Ingenuous'' Mamiya mused out-loud inhaling the scent of his black rose deeply before fluttering his eyelashes gracefully.
Ruka stopped and rolled his eyes acknowledging Shiori's raised hand. ''After the kidnapping can Kozue and I attend the party as guests?''.
''Very well but your with Sir duke Andre Coe of Whales—remember that name, and do me a great favor stay well away from me'' Ruka said wiping the wine off his lips then passing the goblet to his acolytes.
''As for you Mikage and Mamiya I do not care how you dress for the party but you are to pose as my man servants, once in the party, mingle for a while but after a half-an-hour go to the second floor chambers. Walk all the way to the end and enter the master room and bag all the expensive things you can''.
''How are they going to know which one is the master chamber?'' Kozue asked thoughtfully filing her nails.
''Well my dear typically in big mansions the master chamber is located at the end of the hall'' Ruka remarked teasingly being the smart-ass he is, drawing an exasperated sigh from Kozue's cherub lips.
''Ruka do you wish for us to streak the room totally?''. Mikage asked nonchalantly scratching his pink mane.
''Take whatever you think is lustrous or valuable, but however there is one thing I desire, which we mustn't leave Marseilles until I grasp it in my palm!''.
''And what do you desire?'' Mamiya asked intensively the lines on his adolescent face becoming more animatingly serious.
''I desire Monsieur Roget's prized Stradivarius''. Everyone gasped, a few choking on the harsh intake of sudden air.
''But what if we have to pry it from his fingers?'' Mamiya asked violently and deeply, much different from his normal mellow and girlish tone.
''Then pry it'' Ruka answered flat of tone but a fire burning in his eyes, was it insanity, was it madness, Mamiya asked himself watching his captain take the cherished black rose from his hands and squashing it, then looking down apathetically at the crushed fallen petals on the Persian carpet.
A few hours later in the captain's Chambers (again)…………
''She's still in there you know'' Ruka said stirring his tea. The clinking sound of the small metal and porcelain was the only sound in the entire chamber.
''My even still, even after all this time, she hasn't yet came out?''.
''No she hasn't, she is private in her chambers, she shuts up her windows, and locks the sunlight of the day out, only at night when I am trying to find sleep does she come out and stroll a bit but very seldom''.
''I thought it was admirable of you to treat her as a—how shall I say it an honored guest, giving her the luxury suite right next to you, such class!.
''Well she is the Governor's sister. Thank-you Louis, you are however one of the oldest of my followers, and you knew my father, so I think I should share this with you, it was something she told me, actually I found it, I took it I made her tell me.
''You hated your father'' the old man whispered in a clever, tremulous voice, causing Ruka's eyebrows to quirk at the mans sentence not of the meaning, but what was Louis trying to bring out exactly?.
Ruka shrugged it off immediately, closing his eyes wishing not to see the expectant shocked look on his old friend's features as he told him. ''Dear Louis I appreciate your concern of taking notice of my father and I, our relationship, however unlike normal people my emotions have died in an addled rut so there is no need for you to console me psychologically''.
''Do you have no heart boy?'' Louis teased running his fingers through the red hair in his beard.
''Anyways'' Ruka pressed on fingering the intricate designs of the roses in the table cloth.
''She was keeping a journal, two actually, one was sentimentally private I always thought it time consuming to scribe one's thoughts on paper consistently'' Ruka rambled on crossing his legs and Louis nodding deeply in agreement swishing around the liquor in his mouth, closing the cap to his whiskey bottle.
But the other, the other one intrigued me, I came a crossed it one day while she was gone while she was bathing. I found it underneath a pile of worn dresses on one of the dark oak chairs. Apparently she was writing down her dreams.
''A dream Journal'' Louis said in his French tongue, Ruka nodded stirring more sugar in his tea. One of the passages she had written down she had described it like a picturesque book, of the Island where the Castle of Eternity is supposed to be.
''Very interesting, but surely isn't it just a dream, perhaps you shouldn't take it so heavily?''.
''That's what I thought until I found this sketched on the back of the page'' Ruka whispered pulling a fine white sheet from his crisp jacket setting it in front of the candle-light. The old man's face seemed to flush with youth for a few seconds then dropped back into it's many years at the site of the paper.
''My….My…it -is - this map it is very...plausible, it would make sense because all of these islands are in a archipelago and this is the island, this is where it was believed to be, I've never seen an illustration of it's location but……''.
''It is just like Atlantis, elusive'' Ruka said in French emphasizing the importance of the statement with the switching of languages.
''Surely you know the perilous jungle on the island, how deep it is, all the jaguars, you know the legends----------- I KNOW THE DANGERS Ruka suddenly boomed twirling a piece of his long blue bang., opening his mouth to continue.
''But just keep in mind that the Island of Eternity is supposed to be a fantasy just like Atlantis all the rumors, but I have the map, and whatever chooses to stand in my way I will cut whatever it is down'' Ruka declared unsheathing his sword pointing it right between Louis's eyes.
''My sword knows nothing of right or wrong, or good and evil, it just kills, and if you are there to stop me then it is death you seek'' Ruka finished still standing there no emotion visible on his face, Louis stared up in trembling fear at the sharpened blade between his eyes refusing to blink. Ruka just smiled and put his sword back in his sheath, ''But until that day'' he said fleetingly then walking out of the parlor.
Several hours later……
It was another boisterous storm, they weren't yet there but they could see the buildings, and see the trees, and see the life. The waves like arms of the ocean pushed violently on the ship, and the rain, thunder and lightning.
''Make it stop, Make it Stop'' a voice pleaded curled and rocking themselves in the corner holding their head full of long hair inside their small hands, then reaching out to the wooden bucket retching over it.
Ruka could already hear the dry sound of his girl's retching in the far corner of her bedroom as he entered the study room. Hanging his coat neatly on the hanger. He stopped in front of her, legs far-spread and looked at her silently until she noticed him. He could see the sickness in her eyes, she wasn't used to the violent rocking and the water, it must've been another world to her.
''If your sick you should take this'' he said softly pulling a small vile of clear liquid from his pocket.
''What the hell is that?'' she hissed her voice was haggard like she was dehydrated; it did not sound like her real voice at all.
''Aren't you of Greek ethnicity, surely you should know of this potion, it is from a herb, you should take it, it'll make everything stop spinning so fast''.
''You take it first''
''But I am not sick?''.
''How do I not know if that is not poison?''.
''Why would I want to kill you, I haven't even used you yet''.
''What is that supposed to mean, what do you mean by used, what do you want from me?'' She yelled tears swelling in her eyes she looked horrible.
''In good time Love, in good time'' he said leaving the dark room setting the tiny vile on the chess-board in front of her she stared at it for awhile before reaching out to it.
''May I have this dance madam?'' Kozue asked extending her hand to Shiori.
''My yes sir'' She joked back grabbing it formally as they attempted to twirl around fashionably, rather poorly.
Mikage chuckled to himself watching the two girls go around in a circle stepping on each others feet and running in to the mast in the middle of the deck and other people.
''That's not how you dance'' he said walking out slowly, they stopped and looked at him, then looked back at each other.
''What do you know about dancing pinky!''
''Yeah where is your little lover-boy-girl-slave thing'' Kozue said shiori nudged her and they giggled simentaneoulsy.
Mikage just sighed and rolled his eyes, ''don't talk of him like that, I assume you're practicing for the ball?.
''Yes we have the most gorgeous dresses already'', so tell your friend ''hands off'' Kozue shooed with her hand as if he were a vexing, buzzing, insect.
''He's not a thief so I wouldn't worry about it''. Mikage replied leaning against the railing of the ship, folding his arms a crossed his chest.
''Where are you from………..I mean how did you come here?'' Shiori asked awkwardly, keeping her distance his figure burning in her irises. Kozue stared at Shiori with a baffled expression.
He looked up and then gave the smallest of smiles ''you're too young, and fickle, you have no purpose to waste your days on this ship, following this man''.
''Your not that old, or at least you don't look it, Ruka is only a few years older than we are'' Kozue implied inviting herself to the conversation.
''Ruka, the way he is, he acts as if he is a man of many years, an old wise man with power, his weakness is power he has to have power'' Mikage continued.
''Tell me girls, what are you doing here, you surely have somewhere better to be, some higher purpose……'' The pink haired man trailed off looking at the two adolescent girls in front of him.
''And you? Monsieur?'' Shiori asked quizzically quirking her eyebrow. He didn't expect that He closed his eyes briefly searching for the real answer, but when he thought about it, really, what was he really doing here?''
''I…..''Mikage stopped deciding not to tell them perhaps they would laugh at him, but what the fuck, why the hell not?. ''I am here to find the Castle of Eternity, I want to find the gateway to my dreams''.
''What are your dreams?' Kozue asked looking up at the grey rain-clouded sky, ''I am looking for purpose again, things they just have no meaning to me anymore, everything used to be so beautiful to me, but now it all has no meaning, I lost something I wanna' find that thing that lights up my life, the way my old life was, that part of myself….died.
''You search for morals, for purpose, for….beauty, you want to bring what has died back to life'' He repeated looking at her like he never had before he didn't expect to have such an interesting conversation with these girls. ''My dreams….I wish not to share them….not now anyways, and what about you?'' He turned his head to Shiori the wind now blowing back all his pink hair from his face.
It was quiet for awhile a patient silence they really weren't expecting her to say anything but then….
''Ruka…….he and I we've known each other for so long, we've been together so long, we were the only ones that made each other happy, he promised me ''something better'' Shiori moved locks of her wavy hair from her face uncomfortably, she wasn't used to being so open, so emotional, she blinked away the pinching, burning sting of tears in her eyes.
''And what about now, what about him now'' Mikage asked he could sense her emotions, something, she was holding something back he wondered still leaning coolly on the ship's railing. Kozue sat still, her legs folded Indian style peering and pondering at Shiori like an inquisitive child.
''Now I don't know who he is, who he has become, he used to be my closest friend, I feel……we're slipping…….no he's slipping….something is holding him tightly….like a thousand arms, he has become….he used to be the most loveliest person I knew, our bond was like steel, we would talk for hours, I never felt so comfortable with another person, but now……''
''Was it something beautiful?'' Kozue asked eyelashes fluttering up like butterflies.
''He was my only love, now I am afraid to approach him''
''He slapped me''' Mikage cringed as the two girls whipped their heads towards him their eyes reading ''What for?''.
'' it doesn't matter, He has become irritable and full with desire he doesn't see anything except for what he wants. Like how he wants us to crash that party, that violin, he wants it to be something like a trophy''.
''It's stupid really'' Kozue said chin between her hands gazing lazily at the handsome man with pink hair before her. He looked passed her, at Shiori, eyes still and burning over the sea.
