Let's go 2 weeks late.

I decided to go with Veronica and co. just being completely done with Kiran. Hope I did her justice!

Prompt: [Weekly Writing Prompt] Trapped on an unfamiliar world, Kiran finds themselves at the mercy of...Captain Veronica?!

Kiran hated the sea.

Or at least that is where they think they are, given the incessant rocking of the floor below. Given that they didn't come from a particularly wealthy family, it wasn't like they traveled very often. If they did travel, it was by car or occasionally airplane.

"Although the real question is whether this or economy class is worse," Kiran groaned, checking that indeed, they were still bound. Kiran's eyes narrowed as the floor tilted again. "No sound…" The ship didn't seem overly creaky, and Kiran couldn't hear any obvious sign of cargo shifting about. So the ship was probably well made, and manned by a skilled crew who knew not to leave cargo untied.

It seemed that motion sickness was another trait that sadly carried over during their hop between worlds.

Not that they were all much different. Breidablik was the one who gave them most of their powers, such as a boosted immune system and pain resistance. Given that Kiran's stomach was still churning, the motion sickness resistance must have been built into Breidablik too.

"Which means Breidablik is not nearby," Kiran winced. Busting out with magic was not an option. And even if they did escape, they didn't want to risk fighting who knows how many captors on the outside of the pitch-black cell.

Kiran wrinkled their nose. A pitch-black, wet, slimy, musty cell.

The floor lurched, and Kiran rolled back to the other side of the cell. Simultaneously, something large slammed into one of the walls. A moment later, a door opened and Kiran was dragged to their feet.

"Get up," a voice - Xander - said.

"So this must be an elaborate kidnapping scheme by Veronica," Kiran lamented. Out loud, they said, "Yeah sure, just ah, give me a hand?" They toppled over at the next wave, stumbling slightly into Xander.

An audible sigh was heard, and Kiran felt Xander unceremoniously lift them by their armpits.

Kiran kept their sigh less audible. Being difficult would achieve nothing.

The smart main characters always scheme their way out of situations after all.

Xander remained largely silent, only cutting in with the occasional grunt as the ship threw the pair into a wall. Kiran, for their part, began trying to memorize the ship's layout, although they lost track after what seemed like the 20th turn.

They swore Xander was leading them around in circles on purpose.

Kiran squinted opening the latest door. Unlike the dimly lit corridors, lit only by the occasional candle, this room was brightly lit. Expensive upholstery with intricately woven patterns littered the room. A large mahogany desk sat in the center of the room.

Despite improved relations, Kiran blanched as their eyes adjusted and they saw who sat behind that desk. Sure enough, Veronica, dressed up in pirate (pirate?) gear, was glaring down the summoner.

"Hello?" they croaked out, wincing at the roughness of their voice.

"Get them a glass of wine," Veronica waved. Xander sat Kiran down in a chair and turned to a casket in the corner of the room. Frothy red liquid poured out into a cup, which Xander dipped into Kiran's mouth.

"Thanks," Kiran said. They swished the liquid around in their mouth; even if it wasn't the best wine they tasted, a thirsty summoner would take it all the same. Kiran dipped the empty glass towards their captors, clearing their throat for a second attempt at a greeting. "Hello, Veronica. Any reason why you took me here? I assume my kidnapping must have been a difficult affair."

"Yes yes, your pesky heroes were trouble to get around," Veronica waved. Her eyes narrowed. "And it is the captain to you, summoner. This is my ship, and I'll have you address me accordingly."

"Right. Apologies, Captain Veronica," Kiran said stiffly. Then exhaled slowly. "Now then, will you grace me with the reason for my summoning?"

Heh, summoner, summoning, a small part of their mind supplied. A ghost of a smile twitched across Kiran's face.

The majority was glad that they haven't been smitten yet.

Veronica gave an unimpressed look. "You would think being kidnapped would crush such a bad sense of humor. And as for why you are here..." She leaned back in her chair. "Summon me a hero."

"Uh, pardon?" Kiran flinched. They quickly returned to their normal position, re-donning a mask of careful indifference. "Er," they tried to salvage, "Sure. But I need orbs and I can't summon without being at an altar."

"Those will be provided," Xander cut in. "We are not only sailing for pleasure after all." On cue, the boat rocked heavily to the right. "We should be arriving in the next few days." Xander walked up to Kiran and removed their bonds. "Until then, you are free to roam the boat and make the necessary preparations."

"Got it, thanks," Kiran said, pressing a sweaty hand to their chafed wrist. They groaned slightly as they stretched. Kiran could already feel the multiple cramps that came with their imprisonment. "So uh, what type of hero are we looking for?" Kiran asked. They weren't particularly concerned about Veronica using the heroes against them; Breidablik would ensure that she couldn't use them for nefarious means.

"A pirate," Veronica responded, getting up from her chair. The boat tilted again, sending Kiran flying into a wall, but Veronica remained standing with not even a wobble. "I need a pirate."

"You know I can't specify the person I summon, right?" Kiran said. Otherwise, they would be stacking special spiral and distant counters on everyone. "And I don't even know if there is a pirate to summon. I haven't seen one in the catalogs Feh has given me at least."

"Then we'll find a way," Veronica said. She moved over to a bookshelf, rifling through the pages. "Someone of my aptitude should have no problem finding a solution."

"I'll let you work on that then," Kiran said doubtfully, swinging their arms side to side. I'll just go… somewhere." Kiran walked outside, paused, then walked back inside Veronica's office. "Actually, could you show me around?"

Xander gave a tired look at Veronica, before giving in. "Fine. Follow me then."

I still haven't quite figured out Kiran's characterization yet, but we will hopefully get there.