Chapter 4: Loitering in Taverns
The cool air of the tavern was a welcoming presence to the heat-exhausted travelers that dragged themselves through the door, seeking a safe haven from the blazing sun. The air conditioned room brightened their moods immediately as they slowly allowed themselves to relax onto the provided floor mats sprawled rather haphazardly across the ground. The tavernkeep, although a cheerful fellow, had not decided to utilize his building space the best he could, and the overall décor of the room felt like it suffered as a result. This did not seem to matter to the weary newcomers, whom had just been grateful enough to receive complimentary water upon their entry.
"I never imagined that a place could be this stuffy…" Aika groaned; resting her elbows on the table as she unceremoniously dipped her head into her hands. "I do hope there aren't any other continents like this."
"There is not…" Fina murmured softly, pausing as she carefully took a sip from her pleasantly cool glass. "As you know, the moons over the regions affect their climates. None are so vengeful in temperature as the red and purple moons, though."
"Purple?" Vyse echoed, rubbing his exposed eye with a free hand as he took an ungraceful swig of his drink with the other. When he swallowed, feeling the liquid satisfy his parched throat, he continued. "Does that mean it's going to be cold?"
"Well duh." Aika sighed. "Have you not been paying attention to our recent fights? What did you think the purple elemental stone did, anyway?"
"It was a rhetorical question, Aika." Vyse frowned at his friend's apparent rudeness. He had always known that she was quick to become punchy when she was tired, but he was always surprised at the sudden outbursts whenever they appeared anyway. At least they hadn't been too frequent an ordeal; he doubted he would have remained such close friends with her if their personalities weren't compatible. "I was just trying to start up a conversation."
"Silence is golden sometimes…" Aika grumbled. Fina let out a soft chuckle as the red-head turned away, determined to stare keenly out of the back windows as if there was something to see beyond them. There was nothing but desert as far as the eyes could see, and though Aika found the sight a bit dull and depressing, she would not be deterred from her mission to soundly dismiss Vyse from her peripheral vision. Vyse met eye contact with Fina's and rolled his eyes before turning to face a small stage that rested before him. His attention had been diverted as the fire lamps on both ends of the platform had been ignited, signalling the beginning of the last performance of the afternoon. He started to take another sip of water as he slowly allowed himself to ease back into a comfortable position. He could do with a distraction.
That was when he first laid eyes on her. She had the most curvaceous and voluptuous figure he had ever seen, and as his eyes trailed down her perfectly tan skin he felt a knot forming in his throat. He swallowed in an attempt to rid himself of the feeling, failing to remember that he hadn't yet swallowed the water he had consumed while leaning back. The liquid, which only moments before had been a pleasant and relieving entity within him, had now become a fiery sensation that inflamed everything it touched as it painfully went down the wrong way. Vyse spluttered; hacking coughs as he desperately tried to calm himself. Fina threw him a concerned glance, and even Aika spared him a worried look as he slowly recomposed himself. When she saw what had caused such a reaction, her expression changed to one of rampant disapproval and turned away again to fervently ignore him. He could be so annoying sometimes!
"Are you all right?" Fina's voice carried over to him like a gentle whisper as his coughing began to subside. The Silvite was forever kind in her nature, despite how insecure she always seemed in these foreign environments. Curiosity sparkled in her eyes as she looked at him, not yet aware of what had caught Vyse so abruptly off guard. There didn't seem to be anything in the room to distract him; there was a purple-clad dancer with a veil wrapped around her face on the stage, two men situated nearby sitting cross-legged on the floor as they stared up at the stage, mesmerized… Even the tavernkeep, who had been dutifully polishing his collection of loqua mugs by the far counter, had dropped his rag and was watching transfixed as the red-head woman swayed in rhythm to music that was coming from who knows where.
Based on Aika's belligerent response to Vyse's sudden outburst, Fina supposed that it had nothing to do at all with the tune that appeared to have no source…
"We shouldn't rest here too long… we still need to find a ship." Aika had snapped back to her regular self, reenergized after the brief relaxation period and her moment of uncontained depression. She too had noticed the tinge of bitterness that had formed between her and Vyse in those moments; it was rare when it happened, but Aika hated to know that she was mostly to blame for this particular occasion. "Maybe we should try the docks?"
Posing an inquiry about the docks led Aika's mind to wander onto the event that had occurred only a short time ago on those very wood planks; where they had been faced with the harsh betrayal of their captain as he had ditched them with nary an inkling of concern for their well being. She looked at the ceiling as if they alone could provide an answer to a question she had not yet asked.
"I can't believe that Cap'n Drachma just left us here… I'm sure he had his reasons to leave, but I wish that he had said something sooner. He didn't have to leave us here in the desert, right Vyse?" Aika was met with suspended silence. Was he now mocking her earlier words in an attempt to get back at her? That didn't seem too likely; Vyse was not one to be vain. Then what…? "Vyse?"
Vyse was staring mutely ahead, his eyes partially glazed over as they followed the movement of something going on behind her. Aika had a suspicion about what could make him act so dumb, but her faith was praying that it was not what she thought it was. She twisted her neck about slowly, catching sight of the beautiful woman that was in the midst of performing what looked to be a cultural dance. The men were clearly digging it, but Aika could not understand why the seemingly random movements of the arms were so appealing. Perhaps it had something to do with the package that bounced ever so gently in their loose upper garment between those arms…
Aika spun her head back in the direction of her Blue Rogue companion, her fists tightening as she shot him the vilest glare she could muster. How could he be so stupid? Just how perverted was he?
"Vyse!!! Have you heard a single word I said?" She leaned forward heavily on her hands, her angered expression filling his vision while he raised an arm in instinctive defence in his surprise.
"Um… Y… Yeah. I'm listening." Vyse stuttered. He could not help it, feeling her turbulent emotions radiate from her quivering body. "You were talking about the desert." That didn't seem to be the right answer, as Aika's eyelids drooped and her mouth was hung ajar as she seemed at a loss at what to say to him. The words came quick to her, however.
"You're acting like you've never seen a girl before… If you could pry your eyes away from that dancer for a few seconds…"
"Heh, sorry… I'll stop staring." He gave her a cheesy grin as he inched very slightly away from her, finding her close scrutinizing proximity rather uncomfortable. If he had not already begun to sweat from their outdoor endeavours, he had no doubt that he would have began to perspire from his embarrassment. Well, that wouldn't have been the only reason… "Okay, okay. It's just that she's a good dancer… I didn't want to insult her by uh…" He paused, fetching for the first excuse to pop into his head, "looking away. New lands, new customs, y'know."
"What kind of excuse was that!?" Aika snapped, clearly agitated. She should have expected that he would try, but she never would have imagined that his attempt would be so lame. "You're undressing her with your eyes… not that it would take that long." She added, throwing a snide look in the direction of the dancer. "You weren't zooming in, were you?"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Vyse hastily apologized, wishing nothing more than to ease the tension that he had most certainly caused. He felt silly for having judged Aika before; she was clearly not the only victim of the unbearable heat they had endured outside. Only Fina was still perfectly composed, sipping from her glass eloquently as she quietly allowed her two friends to banter about whatever they could find to be confrontational. He felt envious of this unwavering characteristic in her personality. He sure wished he had it right now, as his mind continued to wander back to the dancer on the stage. "But seriously, don't you think she's looked over here more than just a few times? I think she likes me."
It took a few moments to process what he had said. Was he serious? She slowly turned to face Fina, unconvinced.
"Yeah… right." Aika muttered. When she spoke to Fina, she made sure to strengthen her words; added volume to them. "Fina, will you try and talk some sense into him?"
Fina blinked in bewilderment at the question, holding a fashionably shiny fork absentmindedly near her mouth as she cocked her head slightly to the left. Whether it was because she had just come to the realization that she had been holding a fork without any food on it or she was confused at the question was anyone's guess. They all came to the reasonable understanding a moment later.
"… Do you really find it that hard to believe?" Fina started, righting her head once more. Her cheeks slightly flushed with what she spoke next. "Well, Vyse is very attractive… I don't think it would be strange at all if that dancer was looking at him."
"Haha… You're kidding, right?" Aika's laugh was weak in disbelief at what she was hearing. She should have known that Fina wouldn't back her up on this; the fair-haired teen was usually as diplomatic as possible concerning pretty much anything that was thrown at her. Still, it was slightly weird to hear another woman call Vyse attractive. Aika herself had never even thought about it before. "Vyse wouldn't want someone like her… I mean… Who knows where she's been?" Fina's face paled as her eyes darted between Aika and the approaching newcomer, hoping that her friend would catch the hint. Fortunately Aika did notice that Fina's eyes were now focused on something behind her to the right, so she swiftly turned to be met with the sight of long, purple-clad legs. Her eyes followed the length of the visitor's body until she found the partially covered face looking back down at her. Aika had assumed the pose that Vyse had not too long before, when she had pressured him for his attention; stutters, raised arm and all. "Oh, umm…. I, so umm… Do you travel a lot?"
"Tell me something." The woman dodged Aika's pathetic question completely, getting right to the point. "You wouldn't happen to be the group of Air Pirates that escaped from the Grand Fortress now, would you?" This was entirely directed at Vyse, a fact provided by the way her green eyes held such an inquisitive stare towards him.
"Huh?" Vyse was caught in surprise for what felt like the umpteenth time these last fifteen minutes. "How did you know about that?"
"Well, if you hang out in places like this, you overhear all kinds of things… rumours, local gossip, news about the other lands…" She paused, taking the time to comfortably situate herself between Vyse and Aika on the ground. She leaned in, her voice almost a whisper. "… You even hear stories about Air Pirates needing a ship. If you want, I can give you a lift. What do you say?" Vyse's facial expression transformed immensely with gratitude at the offer.
"Really?! Thanks! That'll help us a lot!" Vyse's enthusiasm was not shared by his companions.
"Wait a second. Why would you help us? You don't even know who we are." Aika's tone hinted at obvious suspicion towards an offer that was too good to be true.
"Let's just say that anyone who can escape from the Valuan Grand Fortress… interests me." The dancer was scanning Aika's face, which had formed into one of contempt as her eyes threw daggers as a challenge. The Nasr resident stood up, taking a moment to take in a deep breath as she knew the standoffish red head would not give her much more time to speak. She closed her eyes and then opened them, staring back down at Aika as she spoke again. "My name is Bellena. I'll begin making preparations. Meet me at the port first thing tomorrow morning. See you around, handsome." She playfully blew them all a kiss, winked, and slunk back on the stage to finish up her dancing routine.
"Right, that's it!" Aika pushed herself up from the ground, her temper flaring through her obvious restraint. "Let's check into the inn and call it a day."
"It's… only mid-afternoon…" Vyse mumbled, his eyes glancing back and forth between the dancer and his two female friends. Fina had stood up as well, though she had abruptly turned to thank the tavernkeep for the supplied water. She really was gracious towards any kind gesture, no matter how small it was.
"More time to relax without any blaring music to give us a headache." Aika retorted, walking around the table to grab Vyse roughly by the arm. She hauled him up with minimal effort; her emotions empowering her to move quickly. If she was going to have to deal with Bellena, she would rather that the inconvenience started tomorrow. Vyse grumbled in protest but did not resist, allowing her to pull him away from the stage and out the door. Fina scrambled to catch up as they had begun to leave her behind in their hasty retreat.
As they reached the three dhabu that they had left tied to a post, Fina reminded them that they had promised Milon that they would return the creatures to the stable. Aika's mood seemed to brighten significantly at the mere prospect of seeing the red-head again, a fact sorely noted by Vyse, who said that what Milon was to Aika, Bellena was to him. Fina giggled at the comparison, knowing that both Milon and Bellena were red-heads that preferred to wear their hair in ponytails rather than let it wildly cascade down their backs. As they approached the stableman again, they could see why he'd prefer to wear it back. Not only would it look slightly odd, but it would likely fall in his face while he was trying to work. Taking care of the dhabu did not seem like the most thrilling job in the world, but that was not something they were going to say out loud.
"Safe travels to you three. Come visit me again if you have the chance." Milon was pleasant, giving them all polite nods of acknowledgment and farewell that they each (Vyse more reluctantly than the girls) returned in kind. With their tasks complete, there was nothing left for them to do but eat a delightfully bland meal at the inn and turn in early. The heat from the sun had completely drained them. While Aika was still excited about the idea of exploring the temple and looting treasure that was to be found, there was a new worry that had cropped up while they relaxed on top of their mattresses. If merely exploring Maramba had left them this exhausted, how would they fare tomorrow, when they would be venturing through a temple that was located in the midst of a desert? Guess there was only one way to find out.
"How come I'm not allowed to go?" Theora pouted, crossing her arms in discontent as the two older Red Rogues chatted about the offer that Polly had extended to them. Vanessa had not wanted to take her up on it, despite how generous it was, but Skye had quickly intervened and accepted the invitation before she could decline. Skye had explained on the way back that it would give her friend the opportunity to not cook for the night, for one; a fact that became inaccurate as soon as they had boarded the Thalia once more. So persistent was she in denying Theora's existence that Skye had, for a short time, forgotten about her entirely. Now the pleasant bliss she had felt while she playfully teased her companion made sense. There was no extra baggage to distract her.
"Rowdy drunk men hang out around the tavern at night… It wouldn't be safe for you to go." Vanessa replied, heading slowly for the ladder that would bring her to the ship's lower floors. She was going towards the kitchen with both comrades in tow, much to her dismay. She could already feel the impending argument looming over the three of them.
"But it's not safe for you either!" Theora pointed out, aghast. "Just because you're just a few years older than me –"
"More than a few years squirt." Skye abruptly interrupted from behind them. "Besides, that's not what Nessa here was getting at, but she's too kind to point out your thick headedness while you blindly overlook the facts."
"Oh, like you're any better!" The young girl griped, turning to face the blonde with a look of pure repugnance. "You're always off getting into some sort of trouble and Vanessa and I have to bail you out from them!" Skye scoffed at the mere idea the brunette was proposing.
"You, help me? Ridiculous; you don't do shit for me." Skye mimicked the girl's pout and crossed arms, clearly making the most with her talent of mockery. "You never do anything but spin a wheel and crank a few levers. You're nothing special. You don't even help out with cleaning the ship when it needs maintenance."
"Like you do anything either!" Theora snapped; aggravation elevating in her tone as her voice began to quake. "Oh look at me, I'm a pretty blonde with incredibly abysmal accuracy that gets by on pretending to shoot things rather than actually hit them. I don't do anything to help out with the ship's welfare either, but I feel like I have the right to judge others based on their 'usefulness' when I do absolutely nothing myself. Gee I'm so special!" Theora's eyes narrowed as Skye's face began to wear an indignant scowl. "Oh, did I touch a nerve? I'm sorry; I guess I'm too thick-headed to realize that I can potentially hurt someone's feelings when I'm trying to make them suffer."
"That's it! I'm not putting up with this shit any longer!" A growl and a fierce bang resonating from the walls caught Vanessa's attention, who had been desperately trying to tune out the escalating war behind her. At the sound of a sharp intake of pain, however, she whirled around in her spot to find what the clamouring was about.
Skye had roughly seized Theora and had slammed her into the wall, pressing her back hard against the railing as the girl cried out in alarm. Her back ached from the wood that dug into her, struggling to kick out of the lock that the snarky pirate had placed her in. Skye's grip did not ease up on Theora's collar as she lifted her into the air before promptly throwing her across the length of the hallway. She watched as the blue-wearing girl skidded across the floor, exposed legs burning as they rubbed against the rough texture. Tears had sprung in Theora's eyes as she slowly pushed herself up, turning to face the blonde wearing a smirk and the horrified expression of the knife wielder.
"I… I remember when you b-both used to be fun…" Theora whispered, trying to control the sobs that threatened to escape her throat. "I-I was proud to call you my friends. I guess nothing ever stays the same…" She stumbled backward a step, though she caught herself before she fell. She said nothing more, her impassioned eyes telling the full story. She turned and fled from them, rounding the corner and slamming a nearby door. She had just locked herself in the storage compartment.
"Well good riddance." Skye muttered, sticking out her tongue at the empty hallway before her. "No one speaks to me that way and gets away with it." She turned, starting to say something to the peer that remained beside her, but her words failed to come as she was sharply struck on the face with a well-timed slap. The pain was so sudden and startling that water sprang from her own eyes as she tentatively touched her stinging cheek, cupping her hand over it as if to ease the pain with its presence alone. Vanessa withdrew, almost looking ashamed as she held her reddening hand as the tell-all evidence of what had just transpired. Her eyes implored for Skye to understand what had just happened and why she had acted on it, though she said nothing as she turned and walked into the kitchen to prepare Theora's evening meal. Sometimes silence could be golden, if handled right.
For Skye, being left to stand alone in the midst of a quiet hallway without anyone to speak with was unbearable. To her, this silent treatment was far worse than any lecture that Vanessa could have given. She slowly reached the open doorway of the kitchen, catching sight of the curly-haired girl cutting various vegetables for a salad she was making. A pot of ravioli had just been placed on the stove.
"Vanessa…" Her voice felt lethargic as it only momentarily attracted the attention of the one it was meant for.
"Not now, Skye. There is work to be done." It was a resolute dismissal. There could be no arguing with that vindicated tone.
"I… I'll see you later, then…" Skye wanted to elucidate and provide ample reasons to support her argument, but now was not the time. She sighed, rubbing her cheek again as the reminder for what had just happened. She'll talk to Vanessa later… she'd understand then, or so Skye hoped.
The trip to the tavern had been very awkward as neither of the two older teens had decided to speak to the other; the event that had transpired shortly before evidently hovering over their heads as they wearily approached the lively hub of the island. Some stores had begun to close up as visitors began to check into the inn or inhabit the local bar – the thriving building made Vanessa grimace, as she was never particularly a fan of crowds. It was one thing to have throngs of consumers in the marketplace; it was quite another for them all to gather in their drunken states at the local watering hole. This was the main reason why she had planned on denying Polly's request; the harassment they were both sure to receive tonight from sensual men was not something she was sure she could tolerate. She was already slightly irritated as it was, and she almost feared that she would be pulling her knife out before the night was over. She was certain that Polly would not remain amiable towards her if she did.
"You made it! Come this way, I've set up a table just for the two of you." Polly was clearly ecstatic that the two had shown up just as promised, completely overlooking the somber mood that lingered over both Skye and Vanessa as they took their seats around a well prepared table. It had been set up deliberately away from the other tables to provide them with adequate space and privacy. Vanessa was slightly brightened that she would not have to sit near any drunken dunces tonight. Skye did not seem to care about the environment around them; her attention was entirely focused on the exquisite plates of steak that rested on the table before them.
"I hope this is to your liking." Polly spoke, reappearing with two bottles of loqua in her hands. "It's not often that I deal with merchants as kind as the two of you, so I wish to repay your kindness with some of my own. All you can eat or drink, on the house."
"Oh Polly, you needn't be so generous." Vanessa protested, though Polly merely waved her denial off with a flick of her wrist as she poured some loqua into an empty glass before her. "Surely we didn't do anything out of the ordinary to receive such praise…"
"You actually assisted in hauling up the shipment, for one." Polly said, pouring more of the intoxicating liquid into Skye's own glass. The blonde eagerly began to drink it as soon as she was done, feeling much more chipper as she could feel the soft buzz of the drink in her system. "Most merchants fear the hill and I have to drag up the supplies me'self. Certainly does no favours on my back or mood, that's for sure."
"Really?" Vanessa's eyes widened. "I thought it was customary for merchants to deliver their cargo to the exact location that is requesting them?"
"Aye, but in this day and age it is hard to find people willing enough to help. I can't claim to be ignorant as to why, though. Loqua, while profitable in nature, is heavy to carry around, and that hill is no laughing matter as I'm sure you've already found out." Polly sighed. "Occasionally I can get greedy fellas who want free beverages to assist me, but otherwise I'm on my own. That's why I am thanking you both with this meal… You did not demand nor fake me out in this delivery; you promptly got the job done and even got a relatively selfish guy to help. That is no small feat, I must say." She laughed; her voice melodic over the gruff male banter of the room.
"Oh, no, it really was nothing…" Vanessa gave the plump woman a warm smile. "If I'm ever in the area while you're acquiring a shipment, I'd love to help you out."
"That would be fantastic!" Polly exclaimed; her enthusiasm heart-felt as she actually stooped down to give Vanessa a short hug. "I knew you two were good eggs as soon as I saw ya. Your type is hard to come by, I must say."
"Polly!" A rather boisterous voice called to her from the bar counter, beckoning for service. "Come 'ere, I want more of your booooozeeeee." Polly frowned at how slurred the man's speech had become, but that did not stop her from politely dismissing herself from their table to fulfill the man's wish and serve him another mug of loqua. Although she disliked how barbarous her customers could become from consuming her supplies, it earned her a fair amount of gold that she wouldn't pass up on. Capitalism was at the forefront of all businesses, of course.
"What did you do that for?" Skye finally spoke, setting down her finished glass of loqua and reaching for Vanessa's untouched one. "Offering to help her, I mean. That sounds a bit… Blue Roguish to me there, lass. Do I have to remind you what principle that the Red Rogues were based on?"
"To be the opposite of them, yes I know." Vanessa rolled her eyes, taking a moment to take back her glass before Skye could drain it of its contents. "Pillage and plunder and kill all those in our way, yadda yadda. No worries, I haven't gone soft. I just don't think it's… fair that Polly has to do everything on her own."
"Oh no, a tavernkeep that does her job, the insanity. Well, guess I won't stop you miss, but I'm telling you now – I'm not helping with this. One of us has to keep up our reputation, at least."
"I wasn't going to ask, no worries." The curly-haired teen stretched, staring down ravenously at the steak. She hadn't realized just how hungry she was; something they both noticed as they greedily devoured their own portions while attempting to steal the other's food. Their playful natures would become increasingly rampant as they downed more of the liquid and fought with their forks to consume the other person's salad. The stress and concerns from earlier in the day had dissipated entirely as the two laughed as loud as the others in the room and engaged in humorous conversation with Polly as she frequently came over to visit them.
"Moons, this food is so good! I wish I could cook like this." Vanessa gave a content sigh as she rubbed her stomach, feeling the most full she had in a long while.
"Y-You can." Skye spluttered out, giggling as she heard her voice slurring from one too many drinks. "Your f-food is b-beautifulll… just like youuu…"
"Aw, shucks." Vanessa blushed, appearing shy as Skye fluttered her eyelashes in her direction. "You must be drunk; you're hitting on me again."
"Is it not appealing to you?" Skye pushed herself off of her seat, taking a staggering step forward to fall haphazardly onto Vanessa's lap. More giggles as she delightfully wrapped her arms around Vanessa's legs. "So comfy… love me?"
"Sorry miss…" Vanessa whispered, running her fingers down the mass of blonde hair that took up residence on her. "This is not the time or place, and I don't swing that way." There was a hint of amusement in her tone as she gently pried Skye's grip off of her. The pirate slid down and landed on the floor, a sad and yet entirely unintelligible murmur escaping her as she hazily stared up at the one she loved. Vanessa laughed, hauling Skye up to place her back in her seat. She spared a quick glance around the room, observing the drinking games that were going on around the other tables. She caught Polly approaching and filled with relief. "Polly? Could I ask you a quick favour?"
"What is it, hun?" The woman stopped, scanning them both down and noting right away of how far down the chaotic tube of drunkenness the two of them were. She gave a whimsical smile.
"I'm finding it unbearably stuffy in here… I want to go out for some fresh air. Could you look after Skye for a few minutes for me? I don't want her to be left alone while the guys play their obnoxious games… if you know what I mean." She shot suspicious looks at the men she spoke of, knowing full well that one of them would likely take advantage of her friend if she wasn't accounted for.
"Sure, that's not a problem. Take care of yourself though, 'right?" Polly took Vanessa's seat, watching as the blonde reached for her departing friend.
"Wait, I looooveee youuuu, come back…" Skye's breath caught in her throat, her depression soon forcing her to emit some sobs. Polly was taken aback by this powerful display of emotion, though she knew that the loqua was just amplifying the girl's feelings.
"Take it easy there, she'll be back." Polly chuckled, opening a bottle of loqua for herself. "Just stay put, she'll only be a few minutes." Skye grumbled, slouching in her seat as she mournfully watched her friend exit the building. She better be back soon…
Vanessa felt relieved as she stepped out into the cool night, feeling the gentle breeze brush against her warm face. She walked over to the side of the building and sat down, using the wall to support her back as she gazed up at the stars and moon. Everything looked slightly blurry – she knew she had drunk too much as soon as her head had begun to pound, but she was having too much fun to care. She had lost count of how much she and her friend had consumed… knowing them, it did not bode well when they would wake up in the morning. They often had killer hangovers and poor Theora was left to take care of them.
Vanessa frowned, feeling displeased at herself. She normally was a lot more responsible than this, so why was she acting so immature? She had felt her limit coming as she consumed mug after mug, but she was reckless and just had to go over and beyond her comfort zone. She would certainly regret it later, as she was now.
"Hey there, lass. Been wondering when you'd show up." Vanessa jumped at the sudden sound, having not seen anyone else when she came out. Had she been followed?
"Who's there?" She demanded; her hand on the hilt of her knife immediately as she restlessly looked around, finding no trace of the source of where the voice was coming from.
"Forgot me already? That's a shame, for I certainly haven't forgotten you." She heard a loud thump in front of her as his large boots landed on the ground. He had been waiting on the roof? Though the voice sounded vaguely familiar, that wasn't what clued her in on who it was. No, what got her heart pumping was the sight of the blurry bulky frame before her, his distinctly large recognizable jacket being the true indication of who he was.
"Gunthor…" It came out as no more than a mere whisper. The man chortled at the mention of his name.
"So you do remember, hmm? Sober enough to still process such information? You, my dear, fascinate me." There was something in the way he spoke that Vanessa did not like; that felt sinister in nature. She bumbled to stand up, still pressing her back against the wall as she drew out her blade.
"Leave me alone." She warned, feeling a lot weaker than she sounded. She should have heeded her intuitive distrust of the man, but she had fallen for his simple stories… Vanessa once more felt ashamed of herself, knowing that the situation she was in would quickly become sticky.
"I must admit that I am surprised that you and your friend did not recognize my name truly, though." Gunthor told her, drawing out one of his own weapons – a pistol. He pointed it directly at her face. "Gunthor is not a common name by any stretch of the imagination. Where have you heard it before, dearie?"
"I don't care." Vanessa spat out.
"Oh, but you should. Does Gunthor of the Black Pirates ring any bells?" He smirked, taking a short and yet still intimidating step closer.
"Can't say it does." She retorted stubbornly. She would not admit to the hollowness she felt inside at the mention of his name, though. A Black Pirate? They were the worst kind of Air Pirates in the sky, and if he was here, in an area that was renowned for the anarchist group kidnapping women whenever they felt like it… oh, no.
It wasn't often that Vanessa felt fear in the face of adversary. Tonight, in her aloof state, however… she was terrified.
She made the first move, knowing that if she didn't that he would be able to overpower her with his muscle and weapon. She stabbed him in the arm that wielded the gun, taking advantage of the howl of displeasure he emitted as she raced to wrestle the weapon out of his hand. Their furious efforts forced the gun into the air before it fell a short distance away from their fight. Vanessa grabbed the hilt of her blade and roughly withdrew it from his skin before he could use it as his own. It didn't seem to matter as Gunthor saw that she had left herself exposed in that moment; his free fist slammed into her side as she tried to take a step away from him. She gave a winded gasp of pain, unable to recover in time as he seized her and chucked her into a stack of empty wooden barrels. The stack collapsed on top of her, her body and arms in particular suffering abuse as she weakly used them to shield her face. It would do her no good if she was knocked out from the sudden blows to the head.
Vanessa dizzily threw a barrel in his direction, taking note of how sloppy her aim was at it sailed harmlessly by him. Her whole world was spinning – she could feel the dinner she had just eaten rising in her throat from having been tossed around. She worriedly stumbled backwards as she only just realized that Gunthor had retrieved his gun and was walking at a leisurely pace towards her. She had lost, badly. If she put up any more resistance he was sure to kill her.
"Now…" His voice was calm as he stopped just a few feet short from where she lay sprawled on the broken barrels. "While this has been fun, and you've definitely proved why you would be a valuable… asset to the Black Pirates… I tire of your futile struggle. Now get up and come here, or –" His gun gave a click as it signalled it was ready to fire, "lights out for you permanently, lassie."
Terror seized her heart as he again pointed the gun at her, knowing full well that this time he wouldn't tolerate any of her attempted shenanigans. What was she going to do? Vanessa could feel the stubbornness that made her a fine Red Rogue telling her to remain defiant until her dying breath, but the more reasonable side of her personality was telling her to obey, to stay alive. Neither scenario would benefit her in either way, but…
"Fine…" She coughed, feeling her muscles scream in agony as she pushed herself slowly off the ground. She took a small and weary step towards him, feeling defeated as she saw her weapon stuck uselessly in the dirt in the far distance. His grin grew wider as he reached for her –
The gunshot rang loudly in their ears as the sound vibrated against the walls in the alleyway, hope filling the curly-haired pirate as she witnessed Gunthor's gun sail straight over the edge. He swivelled around in disbelief, glowering as he caught sight of the wavering blonde that stood at the sole opening of the alley, whose face was contorted into one of righteous anger. Vanessa, seeing the slim opportunity that presented itself to her, used the moment he turned around to race past him and pull out her knife from the ground. Gunthor growled as he discovered that the only leverage he had against the blonde had just escaped from him. He couldn't take on the two of them at once; not without any weapons or backup.
"Get out of here." Skye commanded, firing a warning shot in his direction. It whizzed by his head; too close for comfort. "I don't miss twice."
"I know when I've lost." Gunthor snorted, walking slowly towards them with his arms raised. "Beaten by two drunken girls… if the guys find out, I'll never hear the end of this." He paused in his walk, taking the time to stare deeply into both of their eyes. Vanessa found the gesture unsettling and subconsciously inched behind Skye as he passed by, heading in the direction of the port. They watched together in silence as he disappeared from their sight. When he had, Skye whirled around in her spot and clasped Vanessa's shoulders with her hands, scanning her friend up and down with worry etched across her face.
"He didn't hurt you, did he? Because I swear, if he did…"
"I'm fine." Vanessa lied, knowing that the pain was more than just physical. Her pride had been stomped into the dirt, but she couldn't tell her friend that. It was too humiliating.
"Glad to hear it…" Skye murmured, cupping her hand under Vanessa's chin. She could tell by the way her friend occasionally winced that she was not being honest with her, but she knew that Vanessa was only trying to salvage what was left of her ego.
"How'd you know to come out?" Vanessa asked aloud. "I appreciate the assist, by the way…"
"You were taking too long and I got antsy…" and our table was right next to the wall where the barrels were stacked, Skye thought to herself.
"Oh… all right." Vanessa gave her friend a half-hearted smile, completely unaware that she was tearing up. Her sight was too hazy to have noticed the difference anyway. She pulled Skye into a strong embrace, her gratitude pouring out of her in one swoop. "Skye, I love you too… just wanted to let you know."
And so there they stood in the disembodied alleyway, their two forms illuminated solely by the light of the silver moon. They would remain here for a few minutes, savouring each other's company in silence.
"Let's get back inside… I have to apologize to Polly." Skye grabbed Vanessa's hand and tenderly led her to the entrance of the tavern.
"Why? What happened?"
"She tried to stop me from leaving. I punched her in the face."
"Oh."
END CHAPTER 4