Chapter 8: Bloody Contract

"I don't like this game," Anna said as she shuffled her checkers around the board.

"You're only sore because you're losing," Killian replied.

"I'm only losing because you keep changing the rules," she countered. He chuckled at the small pout forming on her lips and scooped the dice off the board.

They, along with most of the crew of the Jolly Roger, had been occupying the largest pub in Montem for hours. Unlike the others, who were partaking in boisterous activities, Killian and Anna were mostly silent, save for some banter, as Killian taught her to play backgammon. They had been at it for a long time, but she still couldn't grasp the concept, and often accused him of cheating.

Well, I am, he thought wryly. But I'll never tell her that.

"I'm not changing the rules, love," he lied. "You never asked what the rules were before we started playing." Anna eyed him warily, but Killian just shrugged innocently and continued with his turn, successfully knocking another one of her checkers off the board and onto the bar. She was about to take her turn when she looked over to the entryway of the pub and noticed a man there, looking about the crowded room nervously. She recognized him as the same opulently dressed man she had seen Killian arguing with in the market square much earlier.

Noticing the way his gaze landed on Killian, and the scowl that passed over his face as he approached quickly, Anna figured that his presence was no coincidence.

"Jones," the man bit out as he reached the table. "It figures that I'd find you and you…abominable crew here."

"Ah, Mr. Percy." Killian greeted with a smirk.

"Governor Percy," the man corrected.

"Yes, yes," Killian said with a dismissive wave, then motioned to an unoccupied chair at the table. "Won't you join us?" The Governor sneered at him and begrudgingly took the offered seat, placing a small rectangular box onto the table as he settled. "Ah, and I see you brought the contract."

"Yes. You'll find that everything is in order," the Governor nodded and removed a scroll of parchment from the box. Anna watched curiously as he unfurled it and presented it to Killian, who quickly read over it.

"Hmm," he nodded. "Seems so. Anna, love, may I borrow your knife?"

"I…" she frowned and glanced at the Governor, then back at Killian. "Why do you—"

"Oh don't worry," he assured with a smile. "I don't mean any harm to dear, old Percy, here. You see, we've just struck up a deal, and if I kill him…well, then I won't get my end of it."

"But then why do you need the knife?" Anna asked.

"Contracts in Montem are signed with blood," Governor Percy answered, causing Anna to go wide-eyed. "Don't worry, my dear. There is nothing…sinister to worry about. It is just a part of tradition. Blood signifies life, and to break a signed contract means death." He turned his gaze to Killian with a spark of hope in his eyes.

"Don't get your hopes up, Percy," Killian scoffed. "I have no intentions to break this contract. Not when the prospects of it are so great. Now Anna, the knife if you please."

Anna was wary as she pulled the knife from her boot; she had heard stories of men who signed contracts in blood, and in actuality, they were selling their souls away. Could she trust that this instance was as simple as the Governor had explained? She shook her head, realizing that she was in no position to argue—Killian was the captain, and had sailed for a while, so he knew better than she did—and she handed the knife to him; meanwhile, Governor Percy took his own knife from his belt. The two men held their hands over the bottom of the contract and, with a shared nod, they simultaneously made a thin incision into their palms and, with a quick squeeze of their fists, tiny droplets of blood landed atop the parchment where each of their names had been written.

The Governor removed a piece of cloth from his pocket, wiped his hand, and then rolled the contract up to place back into the box.

"There we are," he said with a sigh. "Everything's in order. You hold up your end of the deal and I shall hold up mine. You have two days, Jones." He nodded a farewell to Anna, then turned on his heel and left. Anna frowned and turned back to Killian, who was staunching the bleeding of his own cut hand.

"See, simple as that," he said with an overconfident grin. "Now let us get back to our game; I believe it's your turn."

"What?" Anna stuttered. "That man just gave you two days to fulfill your contract, and you want to continue to teach me to play backgammon?"

"Of course," Killian replied, taking a swig from his tankard of ale. "I'm not worried in the slightest."

"Not even with the consequence of your death hanging in the balance?" she asked. Killian observed the worry in her eyes; he set his ale down and gently took her hand in his.

"There's no need to worry for me, Anna," he soothed, running his thumb over the back of her delicate hand and unconsciously savoring the softness of her skin. "I've been in stickier situations than this. And there's really nothing I can do today, anyways. Not with half the crew blistered beyond coherent thought. I'll need all of them in their right minds if we're to succeed in our quest."

"If I might ask," Anna began uneasily. "What is our quest?"

"We have to save a little girl."

Killian explained everything—Governor Percy's request, the contract, and, of course, the reward—in further depth to Anna and the crew early the next morning aboard the Jolly Roger. Most of the men were nursing wicked hangovers, and barely listened to their Captain's tale, but Anna hung on every single word that came from his mouth.

Apparently, Governor Percy had two children, both young daughters, one of which had gone missing while taking a nature walk with her tutor. The tutor had returned to Percy's home in hysterics; it was the girl's idea to have a game of hide and seek as a break from the monotony of her lessons, and although the tutor agreed, she had no idea that the girl would venture into the forest in order to find a better hiding spot. It had been two weeks since she had gone missing and there had been no sign of her but Percy tried to keep hopeful.

As soon as his daughter was reported missing, he had sent notice of his hardship to kingdoms and countries far and wide, searching for any brave soul who would dare to venture into the cursed forest to rescue his little girl, and in return, they would be rewarded beyond their wildest beliefs. No one had claimed the task…until Killian had ventured upon one such notice at a pub in Doria. Needless to say, Percy didn't take too well to having a pirate knocking on his door , which was the reason for the hostility Anna had witnessed between the men the day before.

Percy didn't trust that a pirate would save his daughter, and Killian didn't trust that the shifty Governor would give a big enough reward for the deed.

The crew of the Jolly Roger didn't think so either, even though their fearless Captain had, more or less, put his own life on the line to insure it. They didn't think that the spoils were worth the danger and were quick to voice their opinions.

"What if we disappear too?"

"We could be killed out there!"

"Captain, have some mercy on us, eh?"

"Enough!" Killian snapped at them, his voice overtaking all the others and commanding silence. Anna swore than in those few seconds before he spoke again, she could hear a pin drop.

"I never thought I would see the day that my crew would become so cowardly," he spat. "Your fears are unfounded; there is nothing sinister in that forest. But there is a frightened little girl, alone and unsure of her way home, waiting to be rescued, and when we find her, we will be rewarded handsomely."

Killian stared at his crew, as if daring them to speak their minds again, and continued after an acceptable amount of silence. "We begin our search at noon and we will search through the night if necessary; I want the girl found by the time the sun rises tomorrow morning."

That way, he thought, I will fulfill the contract before Percy comes after my head.

Killian let John begin delegating tasks to the men so they could ready themselves for the presumably long day ahead, and then disappeared below deck. Anna pondered the notion of going after him; she thought his dedication to the cause—despite being motivated by the promise of treasure—endearing. Who would've thought that a pirate would give any care to a lost little girl? Perhaps, if he were to see that he had some type of support that wasn't given reluctantly, he wouldn't seem so…tense.

"Anna!" Her thoughts vanished at the sound of her name being called, and she turned around, searching for the source. "Oh, there you are!" She spotted John approaching with a bored-looking Gibbs in tow.

"Here I am," she smiled eagerly, ready for a taste of adventure. "What tasks do you have for me?"

"Well," John began. "None, I'm afraid."

"What?"

"You see, the Captain insisted that you would be better suited to stay with Gibbs and watch the ship while the rest of us go search for the Governor's daughter," John explained. "He thinks you'll be safer this way."

"But he just said that there was nothing sinister in the forest," Anna protested.

"While that is true, there are many wild things out there; animals and such. And," John raised his voice to prevent Anna from interjecting. "While you have insisted, numerous times, that you can care for yourself, he believes—and I do agree with him on this—that it would keep his mind at rest if he knew you were safe."

"I didn't know he cared so," I deadpanned.

"You are a part of this crew now, Miss Anna," John smiled warmly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We all care for each other, like a family, if you will." With a nod, he turned on his heel and went to take care of his other responsibilities.

"Feelin' a tad bitter now, aren't you girl?" Gibbs observed.
"First chance at real adventure and I'm supposed to stay behind and watch the ship," Anna huffed.

"I didn't think I was that bad of company to keep," Gibbs said in a gruff voice, then shot her a grin.

…traveled through an enchanted storm called a tornado and ended up in a land that seemed normal, at first, but is inhabited by strange, impossible creatures, such as winged monkeys and talking scarecrows. The land contains magic, and based on Mister Gavin's recollections, is ruled by it, as proven by the age-old tumultuous battle between a feared, but beloved, wizard and his confidantes, and two, so-called, wicked witches…

Anna shut the book gently and stared up at the sky with boredom. The Jolly Roger had been absolutely silent since Killian and John and the rest of the crew left at noon, save for some creaking as the ship rocked a bit in the water and some quiet conversations coming from passersby on the dock. Anna figured that Gibbs was content about being left behind, as he had slept for most of the day, save for the few times that he went in search of rum or food.

It was dark now, and until Anna lit the few lanterns that were hanging about the deck, she would be unable to read any more of the book she had been given at Devlin's wedding, as she had been for the past few hours. She thought it infinitely intriguing, yes—a collection of interviews and studies on worlds and universes beyond their own—but she was becoming restless.

If I wanted to spend an entire day reading, I might as well have stayed in Doria, she thought with a sigh.

A thought popped into her head—a reckless thought that would probably have her mother scolding her for if she had stayed in Doria—and she turned her gaze to the dock. Specifically, she turned her gaze to the road that led into, and in turn, through town. The road that the crew of the Jolly Roger had taken when they had left at noon; the road that, she assumed, led to the forest. She quickly glanced over to Gibbs—who was reclined in a comfy-looking chair, sleeping—and then back to the road.

Surely the ship will be fine, she thought. No one was watching over it last night when we were at the pub.

Anna smirked deviously and stood, then took careful, soft steps across the deck and to the gangplank. She was sure that no one would know that she had gone, especially if she returned to the ship before sunrise. She had the whole night.

"Where do you think you're going, girl?" Gibbs' harsh voice stopped her cold in her tracks. Anna mentally cursed the old man and turned around sheepishly; Gibbs was sitting in the chair, upright, and wide awake with his arms crossed over his chest, and he was staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I…I don't know," she lied. "Out for some air."

"You're on a pirate ship," Gibbs pointed out. "You're surrounded by 'air.'"

"Well, yes, but—"

"D'you have your knives with you?" he asked, cutting her off.

"Well…yes," Anna nodded with a frown, gesturing to the three knives sheathed on the belt she had bought while at the market with John the day before, and the one tucked away in her boot.

"Then go on," he waved her off uninterestedly. "Go have your adventure."

"You aren't going to make me stay?" Anna asked curiously.

"Make you stay?" Gibbs scoffed. "I didn't even know you left. What do I know? I'm just a tired old man." He smirked at her and returned to his reclined position, promptly falling back to sleep, or so Anna figured by the sounds of his snoring.

She beamed and turned on her heel, excitedly skipping down the gangplank. She calmed herself enough by the time she reached the road into town as not to garner unwanted attention from the people she passed by. Her strange clothes and the fact that she was armed, though, brought the unwanted attention anyways, although, it lessened the further down the road she went.

Anna thought it strange that the density of buildings and houses became lesser and lesser as she neared the forest; were the Montemi people truly that scared? Her steps faltered as she reached the dark tree line and wondered if it would be smarter to return to the safety of the Jolly Roger. But then Killian's words about how he couldn't believe that he had a crew full of cowards echoed in her mind, and she lifted her head high and continued on.

After an hour—what felt like an hour, at least, as she had no way to judge the time—Anna began to reconsider her decision. The trees were impossibly tall and wide and dense; the further she got, the harder it got for her move as she wished, and she was forced to follow the clearer pathways that seemed to wind in strange patterns.

"No wonder the Governor's daughter got lost in this…mess," Anna muttered softly to herself as she ducked under a low hanging branch that didn't budge when she tried to move it out of her way. "If I don't keep a track of where I'm going, I'm bound to get lost as well."

By some type of luck or change, Anna noticed footprints imprinted in the ground before her, even in the darkness. She tried to follow them as best she could, thanks to the lack of light, but she made due. Her luck began to run out, though, when the footprints dwindled down from a group of prints, to just one set, then to none.

"Damn," she cursed softly in frustration, and then, also in frustration, she kicked the tree nearest to her. She cursed again when pain radiated through her foot. "Ah. Ow. Bad idea."

"Hello," a soft voice gained Anna's attention and she looked around. "Is someone there?"

"Yes," Anna replied hesitantly.

"Oh, there you are," the voice said again with a soft giggle. "I found you."

"You may have found me, but I cannot find you," Anna said, still unable to see the owner of the voice. "Where are you?"

"I'm up here, silly." Anna looked up and faintly spotted a figure sitting above her among the twisted branches of the tree. Upon further inspection, Anna saw that it was a little girl, no older than seven or eight, with tousled golden curls and a lavish, albeit dirty, powder blue dress.

The governor's daughter, Anna realized with a smile.

"Hello," the little girl greeted with a wave of her small hand. "What's your name?"

"I'm Anna."

"That's a pretty name," the girl smiled. "I'm Cassily. Are you lost?"

"Lost?" Anna asked. "Well, no I don't think so, although if you asked me if I knew the direction from whence I came, I don't think I could give you a truthful answer."

"That's ok," Cassily replied sadly. "I'm lost too. I have been for a few days now."

"Have you been eating?"

"Yes. There are a few apple trees close by that I like to hide in at night. I like apples."

"Why aren't you hiding there now?" Anna asked.

"There have been scary men walking in the forest all day," Cassily told her softly. "I was on my way to my apple trees for lunch…but I ended climbing up this tree so they wouldn't see me."

"Those are my friends," Anna informed her softly. "They weren't going to hurt you; they've been looking for you. Your father asked us to find you."

"My papa sent you?"

"Uh-huh. If you come down, I'm sure we can find some of my friends and we can all take you home."

"Oh," Cassily's face dropped into a frown. "But it isn't safe in the forest at night."

"Why not?" Anna asked.

"Because of the beast," Cassily said as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and that Anna was silly for not knowing the fact herself. "The beast doesn't like it when people are in his forest at night."

"There is no beast. You'll be safe if you come down," Anna tried. "I'll keep you safe until you get home."

"No," the girl shook her head frantically. "There is a beast. I've seen him! He hurts people who are in the forest. He kills them. He wants blood; blood and gold."

Suddenly, a distant scream echoed through the trees and Anna spun on her heel in alert.

"See?" Cassily asked calmly from her haven in the tree. "He's just found someone and killed them."

Anna didn't hear her, though; she was too distracted by the pounding of her heartbeat in her ears.

Author's Note:

missastoria: And now there's another (late) update! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter and I hope you enjoy this chapter too. Thanks for the review.

PrincessOfSilence: I'm trying to write mysteriously and adventurously; I don't know how well I'm achieving my goal though. I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and hopefully you like this one too. Thanks for reviewing

musicluver246: Thanks! I'm glad you like it so far!

Eline: I'm glad you like the story so far! Thanks for reviewing!

ilon: Chapter 8. There you go! Hopefully, I can finish chapter 9 much more quickly than this one.

SemiraBlake: I'm glad you like it so far. More to come soon; I promise.

xXxCastielxXx: I'm glad you like it so far. Thanks for reviewing!

NothingMoreThanStories: I updated! I hope you like the new chapter. Thank you for reviewing and your kind words. I'm glad that you enjoy the story.

I'm a terrible person! I can't believe that I haven't updated in so long! Now I'm back, and I hope this chapter is up-to-par with all the other ones I've posted so far, but it's been so long since I actually sat down and wrote something more than a drabble or an idea and I fear I'm a tad rusty. There's no excuse for being so late, though, so I'm sorry!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited after the last chapter; I'm really happy that you guys are enjoying this story. See you sooner. Haha!

Thanks for reading!