Chapter 14: Deal!

Last time on Tales of the World: New Age Mythology, Asch caught Simon and friends on board while Luke tried to cover for them. Natalia said that they can stay on the ship if they can work. Then they got attacked by a pirate crew called the "White Rabbit," the captain, Adrian Reynolds, sent them to the brig. He asked Simon and gang to watch his son while he works things out with Chat.

XXX

"I want Daddy." The child demanded.

"Your daddy's busy, he can't come." Said Asch.

"I want Daddy." The child repeated. Asch sighed with anguish.

"You can see Daddy, if you tell us why you're down here." Marianya bribed.

"I don't know." Said the child.

"Then can you tell us what happened before your daddy brought you here? You won't see daddy unless you tell us." She reminded.

"Uh … Adam srew Mr. Bubbwes off da ship." The boy said, "I hit him, he hit back, he bit me, I pull his hair, he said he will tell daddy, and I pushed him to the ground. Then we hit Eliza, she stared crying then daddy came up."

"Can you tell us who Adam, Mr. Bubbles and Eliza are?" Marianya asked again.

"Why I told what happened!" Pouted the boy.

"You can't see daddy until you tell me everything." Said Marianya.

'This is just cruel Mari.' Kanonno thought, while Simon looked on cluelessly, growing more uncomfortable each time his eyes wandered to the boy.

"Adam is my bwotha, Eliza is my sista, Mr. Bubbwes is from Mommy." Said the boy.

"So wouldn't your mommy be mad if you lost Mr. Bubbles?"

"I dunno, Mommy left when I was a baby."

"I see." Said Marianya rubbing her chin, "So you and your brother had a fight because your brother threw a gift from your mommy off the ship?"

"… Yes?" said the child.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No." Said the child.

"And why do you think that?" Asked Marianya.

"He srew off da ship!" He repeated.

"And you hurt him for that? Isn't hurting people wrong?" Asked Marianya.

"Yes…" Said the child sounding defeated.

"Do you understand why you were punished?"

"No."

Marianya sighed, "Now if you really want to see your daddy you think about what you did, quietly." The child pouted his lips. The brig was quiet for a while.

"Children!" blurted Luke breaking the silence.

"What?" Said Simon.

"Captain Reynolds has children!" He replied.

"Really, you don't say." Said Asch sarcastically.

"Oh shut up!" Growled Luke, "This explains a lot!"

"That's true, he's a single parent that's probably having a hard time caring for his kids. They do have it rough, trying to make a living and all." Said Kanonno. "He must be desperate."

"It also explains his no killing policy." Asch commented. "Though I'm not quite sure if he's setting a great example."

"He's trying, at least he has others taking care of them while he's at … work." Said Kanonno, "Hopefully they're in good hands."

"Are you talking about daddy?" The boy asked.

"Yes, but more about his cr-" Kanonno began.

"Daddy is da best daddy ever!" The boy claimed. "He lets us drive da ship at times but he doesn't like it when we play games in some parts of ship. But daddy is always good to me, Adam, and Eliza, he's good to his cwu …" The boy trailed on about the Captain. When Captain Reynolds and Chat walked as the boy said that Captain Reynolds was the best dad ever for the umpteenth time.

"Okay, that's enough Allen, run along now." Said the Captain allowing his boy to run on deck, then turning to the others "Thanks for putting up with him, I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

"Not at all sir." Stated Marianya.

"Anyway, your captain and I came up with a little deal. I'll drop you off in Franklin, while I'm resupplying, as long you pay a fee." He said.

"How much?" Luke asked. Before Captain Reynolds could respond Simon took out the ten thousand gald he got from St. Gabriel.

"Simon!" Kanonno gasped, The Captain laughed.

"You don't care much for your money do you lad?" He mused.

"I was going to save it but right now this is more important." Simon stated.

"Simon we need that!" Kanonno shouted.

"He doesn't know how to manage his expenses does he?" Asch whispered to Luke.

"I don't know him that well." Luke whispered back, "Though he does seem like the type to throw his money out the window when given the chance."

"I'll only take half, my crew and family can manage." Said the Captain.

"I … I insist. We can always find jobs." Said Simon.

"You're going to need this more than I do lad, half." Said the Captain.

"Take it! Take it you idiot!" Kanonno whispered.

"Okay …" Said Simon, taking back five thousand gald. Kanonno sighed with relief.

"There's another part of the deal." Said the Captain, "You have to keep quiet about my children."

"Why?" Natalia asked.

"To keep them away from a certain someone who's been … hunting them down since the boys were born." He said, "She's been wanting my head on a steak for about eight years."

"Is this person who's 'Hunting your children down' their mother?" Natalia asked.

The captain gave a dull laugh, "If that were the case, I probably wouldn't be a pirate in the first place."

"Oh!" Natalia's eyes widened. "I'm sorry."

"No need to feel sorry, just keep up this end of the deal, or I'll have to kill you." Said the Captain.

"You have our word, Captain Reynolds." Said Chat.

"Good, oh and you all have the freedom to roam the ship until we get there. Just don't get into the bridge or the captain's quarters, I'm sure you're able to understand that." Said the Captain.

"Even though it was our ship." Chat muttered under her breath.

XXX

Simon flinched while stretching out his limbs, after being in the brig for a while he became sensitive to sunlight. His group had scattered and were hidden amongst the red vests. He ran into the young blonde girl that would've shot him earlier.

"Oh, Hello~!" She greeted.

"Er … Greetings." He replied, she giggled.

"My my, you're certainly formal."

"F-formal?" He questioned.

"Yep, it's kinda cute, no wonder you're surrounded by women." She teased.

"Huh?"

"You've developed quite a harem." She joked.

"Harem? What's that?"

"Oh right, you're the same guy Moses mention that does not know what a sky pirate is." She muttered to herself. "It's something that you shouldn't be having if you believe in staying true to your wedding vows."

"So it's like adultery." Concluded Simon.

"Something like that, then again it depends on your customs and if your wife will join in. Though where you're going, having a harem is unacceptable." She said.

"Oh." Said Simon immediately understanding.

"Now about sky pirates …" She began.

"I've figured it out, thank you um …" Said Simon.

"Patty, Patty Fleur, think nothing of it mister …" She trailed off.

"Winters. Simon Winters." He introduced.

"Winters, right, don't get too comfortable here. You'll never know if someone will just slip up and accidently stab someone." She warned walking off leaving Simon slightly paranoid. He walked off into a different direction and met up with Chloe. She constantly looked over her shoulder and stood on her toes to see over men taller than her. Panic was written on her face.

"Is something wrong Chloe?" He asked.

"Have you seen Natalia anywhere?" She asked.

"Nope, but I'm sure she'll be where ever Asch might be." He shrugged, "Why?"

"I'm supposed to protect the president and his family, if I can't protect his daughter, them I'm a failure." She said. Simon was unsure about responding, he worried about sounding insensitive.

"Can I help in any way?" He offered.

"For now, no, but if you find Natalia drag her back here." She ordered. Simon nodded and went to one of the sides of the ship. He looked over the ledge and down at the ocean below he gasped in amazement. He watched birds flying below the ship, he chuckled to himself.

"You're acting like you've never been on a ship before." He heard a voice say, he turned to see Kanonno standing next to him.

"This is … well … I don't know how to explain it, but this feels great." He said, "It's exciting yet terrifying at the same time, this feels completely new. I feel … free."

"I know what you mean." She said, leaning on a ledge, "Wind in your hair, the low oxygen, the great view, and the fact we're thousands of feet off the ground, why wouldn't it feel great?"

"Have you been on an airship before?" He asked, changing the subject.

"No, this is my first time actually, and the first time I've tinkered with an airship's engine before." She giggled to herself. Simon looked into the distance.

"How long do you think it'll take to get to Cademeca?" He asked.

"A few days," She said, "Hopefully our friend is still in the capital. Cademeca is a big place, it might be hard to track him."

XXX

By god when are you gonna have a plot? Soon enough, we might get somewhere within the next few chapters. Yeah, another short chapter that's mainly a filler.