Chapter Twelve

Booze Cruise

She was heavier than she looked, though he would never tell her that while she was sober or even conscious. He decided it must have been her height that was so deceiving of it and adjusted her on his shoulder as he brought her below deck.

"Yan-yan! Open another bottle!" Cana slurred and wiggled in his grasp.

"Quit moving." He bounced her on his shoulder.

"Yan-yan!" She whined out to the woman being carried behind them.

"Can-can." The captain's voice also slurred as she spoke. "You shouldn't drink any more. You're drunk."

"Not as drunk as you." He groaned while they giggled at each other.

"Can-can come sleep in my room." Yanti said as her first-mate stood her up outside of her cabin.

"Coming! Bacchus, down." She slapped at his back, hitting just above his rear. He stopped, fighting the urge to simply drop her and swallowed his pride, letting her stand.

"You can sleep there." Wu pointed at the other cabin across from hers. From the look on her first-mate's face, it was his room. "Don't look so grim. You can sleep with the rest of the crew. Or with him. Whichever pleases you." She said, dismissing him and walking into her room. "Come on Can-can!" She called out. As the card reader stumbled her way over to the door, he grabbed her arm and despite knowing how little she might have understood, advised her to reconsider.

"What makes you think she won't kill you as you sleep?" He whispered to her.

"Yan-yan wouldn't do that." She hiccupped in his face. He waved a hand in front of it; her breath was potent enough to be flammable. "She is a man of her word." Cana struggled to keep from laughing after she realized her wording.

"I mean it Cana." Bacchus gave her a small shake, sobering her some.

"What? Jealous?" Her already glazed eyes shimmered as she curled one corner of her lips into a grin.

"Piss off." He growled and let her go with a small push. She pouted at him, looking from the floor to his face several times.

Bacchus said nothing and watched as she shrugged then staggered her way into the captain's cabin and shut the door with an intentional slam. Guess I have first watch. He snorted to himself and pushed a box next to the door, sitting on it and groaned, rubbing at his temples.

Neither woman had won the contest, truly. While both of them had gone on to finish off nearly three bottles of precious Black Salamander, they had both failed to finish the final drink, resulting in a stalemate. If anything, he had to admit he was impressed by Cana's increased tolerance. She had withstood more than he thought she would have, and so did Yanti. The crew seemed to be the most shocked of all. They'd clearly never seen their beloved captain so inebriated and it was likely they never thought it was possible. It reminded him of the first time he crawled back to his guild like that, though everything he knew of that night was all from the mouths of others as he hardly recalled it at all. That was after he'd been given the comb from the merchant and had not slept for nearly three days because of the nightmares. He thought if he was drunk enough that he'd fall asleep without dreaming. While his plan ended with him vomiting like he hadn't in years, he knew for a fact he did not dream. The hangover he suffered the next morning was enough to deter him from attempting it ever again also.

They couldn't stop talking about it for a month after that either. He chuckled at the memory. Even Goldmine had taken up in the fun and teased him now and again.

"Something funny?" It was the first-mate who he didn't notice had been standing there still.

"Nothing you'd care to know about." He eyed the man warily.

"It's not necessary to keep watch." It was obvious he was full Yikani. Like most others, he kept a long moustache that reached a little past his jaw and his hair was as black as his eyes and tied back in a braid that easily touched the middle of his back.

"You're right. But-"

"But you're going to anyway." He interrupted. They locked eyes as the other man leaned back against a post in front of him with crossed arms. "Can't say I blame you. Not after how she acted. But she is a good captain, and she will not kill your lover in her own cabin."

The title he gave Cana amused him, though he wasn't so certain Cana would be as thrilled.

"What is your name?" The first-mate asked.

"Bacchus." But the man shook his head at the answer.

"That is not your name."

"Ahn." He tried, but the man shook his head once more.

Their eyes locked again and he clenched his jaw. He had heard the name in his dreams over and over, knew it, responded to it in them, but in all the years since he first set foot in Fiore had never once said it aloud or to anyone.

"Jian." He muttered under his breath.

"Jian. An old name."

"And yours?" Bacchus wanted to move on from the subject of himself.

"Aiguo."

"An old name as well."

"It was my father's name and his father's before him." Aiguo stroked his hanging facial hair. "And when I have a son, it will be his."

"Typical Yikani." They shared a good chuckle after that.

When Aiguo said something in Yikani, he found he wasn't prepared and misheard. Judging by the reaction, he must have been giving what seemed to be an utterly blank stare.

"You are sailing to Yi Kai and you cannot speak Yikani?" He raised a single brow, frowning.

"I'm sure you realize I am not heading there for vacation."

"What then? You were not aware of the civil war and you are clearly not a spy for the Kingdom of Fiore."

"There are more pressing matters I must attend to."

Aiguo did not respond, only hardening his look at him and pressing his lips together into a thin line. After a moment he straightened up and walked to the stairs leading to the lower level where the crew slept, stopping to say one last thing.

"Your woman is safe tonight. Get some rest. You'll be needed in the morning."

Bacchus bid him goodnight in Yikani and Aiguo smirked. "We'll work on that, too." He remarked as he descended.

The ship was quiet for the most part after he left, creaking every now and again as it rocked on the waves. An hour passed and soon all of the ship's noises faded into the background and became a soothing, lulling song to him. Though he tried to stay focused and awake, eventually the motion wore him down and he let his eyes stay shut.

Not far off he heard giggles and someone whispering. It was difficult to pinpoint where it was coming from. He rubbed at his heavy eyes and sat up from the floor. It smelled like dirt and earth all around him. Where am I? He blinked his eyes open, but it was too dark to see or focus. His legs and arms felt clumsy as he stood. The low ceiling met the back of his head, and he crouched back down, cradling it.

"What…" He looked to his left as a small light began to flicker.

"See look, I told you he'd get them dirty already."

The voice stopped his heart and breath in his chest.

"What a shame. After all that time we took having them made for him."

He shook almost immediately as their faces became clearer and the shack he was in closed around them.

"I-I didn't mean to." He tried to pat the dirt off of his new outfit but it only smeared the filth more.

"Doesn't look like it." Lin's hand darted out like a snake to grab his arm.

"Maybe we ought to just take them back." Lim grabbed his collar and yanked at the fabric covering his chest.

"No. No, please." He pleaded meekly.

Lin held him still as Lim ripped his tunic open.

"He needs to be punished for ruining all that hard work." The sisters giggled and nodded at each other. Lim reached for the candle she had set down and tilted it closer to him. He watched in horror as the melting wax built up and pooled near the edge. His body heaved as he hyperventilated and the molten liquefied substance dripped down his chest and belly, the flame only inches from his skin. The heat started to intensify as she held it there, burning slowly.

When he looked up from it, the sister's faces began to flicker behind the flame and started to burn before him like the candle, engulfing them and him. The heat seared his face and chest as he screamed. He heard the childish screams become more familiar as his present voice took over somewhere in between them. The cries continued until something covered his mouth and a white-hot pain crashed into the side of his face.

Bacchus woke drenched in sweat lying on a bed he didn't remember falling asleep on with someone telling him harshly to be quiet. His throat felt raw and his face ached from the slap it endured just a moment before. She removed her hand from his mouth, allowing him to breathe easier.

"Cana?" He blinked, looking around. His torso felt inflamed, though a cool breeze passed over it and he realized it was bare. Confused he sat upright and looked from her to the door. "Cana, what are you-"

"I woke up to come check on you and I found you shirtless and about to sleepwalk your way above deck. You were screaming and…" Her voice trailed.

"You threw me in here." He finished for her. She was still drunk but more coherent than before. Slowly, she nodded, looking away from him. Words were hard to find as he tried to think of something to say next to comfort her.

"Do you need anything?" She asked, sitting on the side of the bed.

"I'll be fine." He lay down on his back and rubbed at his face. "Get some sleep."

Cana seemed to hesitate a moment, looking at him. Without a word, she slowly lay beside him, her back to him.

"What are you doing?" He moved away, sitting up.

"Yan-yan snores louder than you do." Came her answer as she yawned. "Plus, I heard sleeping with someone can help you sleep after you've had a nightmare."

"I'm not going to be able to sleep if you're here." He frowned, but Cana only shrugged, curling up more on the bed and nuzzling the pillow. His head was starting to pound and he was not in the mood to argue after she made it obvious she wasn't leaving. He rolled his eyes and grunted, laying down with his back to hers.

"You better remember this was your idea when you wake up." He muttered.

When his eyes finally shut and he felt the weight of sleep returning, it felt as if he'd only closed them for a second when morning came and the door flung open. Aiguo stood tall in the doorway, stepping aside to allow the captain to push her way in.

It slammed against the wall and Cana instantly woke up, propping herself up on an elbow.

"Sleep well?" Captain Wu asked, crossing her arms and had a smug look on her face.

"Yan-yan? Why am I…?" Cana spoke and Bacchus braced himself for the slap he was likely to get when she turned back around to see him laying there behind her.

"It was your idea." He said, surprising her and just as he had thought, his face was quickly assaulted.

"Enough." Wu's voice pierced the room, recapturing their attention. "Jian," She looked directly at him, gauging his reaction to the name. "You're needed above deck with the rest of the crew. If you want them to play nice, I suggest you get going." He sneered, feeling betrayed by the man standing behind the captain. Though he knew it wouldn't do much, he shot Aiguo with a sharp look before nudging Cana to move. She only looked at him dumbly, which frustrated him. Unwilling to deal with her for the moment, he climbed over her and walked out, following the captain and first mate.

"Have me working with the crew, huh?" His throat was dry from sleep.

"If you thought I'd forgotten about charging you a fare, you were mistaken." She said to him. "However, I've become fond of your lover back there. She is a wild woman, that one." They stopped just a few steps from surfacing, facing each other. "So this is how it is. Because I enjoy her company so much, I will only charge you passage for a single person at a highly discounted rate. In the mean time, you can work with the crew, get to know them, and work off your debt to me that way." Her head tilted to the side as she tipped her large feathered hat. "Or you can leave Cana with me and swim your way back to shore. The choice is yours."

Wordless, he looked from her to the hatch doors just above them, giving her a cocked brow and a careless shrug. Her smug grin widened into a smile as he opened up the doors and climbed out.

All of the crew had already been hard at work for at least an hour by the time he joined in with them. Though they were of a multitude of men from different countries, kingdoms and continents, at least half of them were still of Yikani descent. Some were even full Yikani, which would make talking with them difficult.

Aiguo clapped him on the shoulder then, his deep voice rumbling. "Ever work on a ship before?"

"Once or twice." Bacchus said, a rocking ship from years past came to mind.

"Good." Aiguo walked around him over to the crew then, barking orders at them all. Taking it as a signal to begin working, he joined in with a few men as they struggled to pull the rope to swing the sail.

The sun was getting higher and higher in the sky as they worked, though the breeze off of the ocean helped to cool him and the crew. It was hours before he thought to look for Cana. His chest tightened when he realized this. As he snuck off to search for her below, he found she was neither in the captain nor first mate's cabin. He felt a hint of panic beginning to rise. As he re-ascended, something came flying at his head. It was one of the few times he was able to block something Cana had flung at him. After swatting down the chunk of fruit, he looked up to see her and the captain both in swimsuits standing on the highest level of the ship. In their hands were carved out coconut shells, likely filled with some sweet, fruity, alcoholic drink and more than likely not their first one of the day.

"Ji-aan!" Cana called down to him, a wide grin spread over her face. The twinge of worry he had felt moments before quickly vanished as he glared up at her. Wu had leaned over to whisper something in her ear, making Cana laugh and nearly spill her drink from her hand. Muttering to himself, he walked away to rejoin the crew while the two women continued on with their antics.

Throughout the day, he would look up to see her and the captain leaning on the rail looking down at the men. Wu would point at a man, whisper something in Cana's ear and they would howl with laughter. Judging by the crew's lack of reaction to the gossiping women, he concluded that it was not an uncommon habit of their leader's.

As the sun started to settle into the west and a majority of the working men made their descent into their quarters, he stayed above to look out into the horizon. There was nothing but water before him. And Yi Kai. He felt his hands go a little numb as he thought of his destination. Despite all the trouble he had to deal with, he was finally on his way back. Though Cana had been the source of most of his trouble lately, he couldn't be entirely bitter about it. Without her, he would have likely never started on this journey to start with.

His muscles started to ache from the lack of activity, letting him remember how tired he was. The sun and the labor had taken their toll on him for the day and he decided it was about time he went to rest below deck with the rest of them. As he passed the captain's cabin, he heard her and Cana laughing in their likely highly drunken state and shook his head.

Sleep came easy that night and for the next few nights to follow. There were no dreams, no nightmares, nothing. Only a dark and heavy veil, letting him get the best sleep he'd gotten in months. Dawn came and he woke on his own. His body was still sore from the intensity of work from the past few days, but he found he was ready and looking forward to another.

When he went above, the men from their overnight watches were coming down to retire and sleep the day away until they were needed again at sunset. He stood at the rail near the front of the ship as he did every morning, leaning on it on his elbows and watched the ocean go from a deep gray and black to blue. He was so engrossed in watching the colors change that he hardly noticed the protests coming from the men as they were pushed out of the way. The sound of running footsteps came rushing at him, catching his attention then. Bacchus turned in time to see Cana with her hand over her mouth, racing to the railing beside him and watched as she retched over the side of it. It took a few more heaves before she finished and nearly collapsed onto her knees.

There was a grin starting to form on his lips as he stood there watching her groan and struggle to keep herself standing.

"Have a little much to drink again?" He asked her as he did every morning.

"How long until we get to Yi Kai?" She asked. Bacchus only returned to facing out at the ocean before him, leaning onto the railing again.

"It will likely take us at least another two weeks before we arrive."

Though he knew it shouldn't have made him as satisfied or smile as much as it did, but the helpless moan that came from Cana after he told her that was enough to make him laugh and feel a small sense of justice that had come.

A/N: I'm so sorry I was late! As some of you know, I'm currently in the start of a carpentry apprenticeship for the summer. I work quite a bit and am still getting adjusted to the schedule, leaving me little time to keep up with my daily writing. But! I will still do my best to post weekly!

Anyway, here is this week's chapter. Just a little something for now. Hope you like it and haven't been too mad at me for the late post!

Thanks again for all your support and as always, see you next week! (On time I hope, haha)

Betty B.