Pirate Chronicles

My heart pounded as I began to understand the danger I am in. No wonder it was difficult to subdue Jeu when I clashed swords with him. If all of them were former assassins and they call Jeu their captain, then how skilled could he be? I am quick. I'm not sure if I was quicker than Eric but Jeu moved swifter than me… 

"ACHOO!!!!" I sneezed again. "ACHOO!!! ACHOO!"

Jeu chuckled, "Teresa, would you mind assisting her? I think she slept in wet clothes and caught herself a cold."

"I know how to brew an effective cold medicine," a white bearded man said.

The whole crew groaned and Teresa raised her brow after, "Are you sure it is effective you quack doctor? The last time you brewed a healing potion, half of us dozed off for two straight days!"

"But it worked!" he interjected. "My medicines will force your body to rest up, that's why." He looked at me and introduced himself. "I am Ojoz by the way, Angel. I am a doctor but my medicines have unconventional side effects so I was hailed as quack. But, my medicines are effective. That I am one hundred percent sure."

I scrunched my forehead. I was beginning to feel confused. Are they being nice to me?

"You have to let go of the blade and let me tend to your bleeding hand before it gets infected. Infections quickly spread when you are at sea because our bodies become deficient of certain vitamins that we need," Ojoz explained to me.

I looked at Jeu. Jeu nodded his head. His smile is still not leaving his face. Their gestures baffled me. Didn't they just want to throw me overboard a while ago?

"Hurry up now, Angel so you can change into dry clothes." It was Teresa yet again.

"You… are not asking me to leave?" I asked in a quiet tone.

Teresa looked at me amused, "And where would you go if we did?" she asked me.

I looked around and it dawned on me that we were already in the middle of the sea… there were no landforms anywhere. How fast were we sailing?

I dropped my broken blade and it clattered on the deck floor. I held my hand up and looked at my bleeding hand. I knew it was painful. I could feel it but at the same time I was numb as if my brain did not linger on physical pain. Ojoz was beside me right away and checked my hand. Then, he poured a green liquid on my cut. My eyes widened in pain as if the medicine forced my brain not to reject my physical pains anymore. 

"Don't look," Ojoz warned me but I did not listen.

I looked at my cut and I saw my blood bubbling. My hand was shaking convulsively. "What did you do?" I managed to ask before letting out an ear-splitting scream. It was the most excruciating physical pain I've ever felt in my entire life.

My knees buckled but before I slumped on the floor the pain was gone. I looked at my hand again. Ojoz just finished bandaging it. There was no more blood. "What just happened?" I asked.

Ojoz smiled at me, "I told you I'm not quack. My medicines are highly effective but with extreme side effects."

I looked up at Jeu once again. He stood there amused at my reactions. Then, he walked towards me and held out his hand. "I require your sword as payment to be one of us."

"What do you mean? I thought I received an invitation?" I finally said.

His crew looked at him questioningly as if it was the first time they heard him say that. Jeu did not utter any other word. His genuine smile was not leaving his face. His hand was unwavering asking me for my sword.

"You're serious?" I asked.

He nodded. I sighed and gave him my sword. It was broken anyways. I'll just get myself another one when we reach a port. But, Jeu must have read my mind.

"I have one condition for you if you wish to stay onboard. I forbid you to unsheath any sword ever again as long as you are with Pioneer DES," he said and put my sword in its sheath. Then, he tied the hilt to it securely so I could not draw my sword as fast as I could. Then, he gave it back.

"How can I defend myself?" I asked.

Jeu smiled, "You do not need to."

"And why is that?" I asked again.

"Because from now on, you are under my protection. I will defend and protect you," he said.

His words tugged at my calloused heart and for a moment I felt secured. But, my experiences from my past built up my defenses once more and I looked down. Where was he when I needed that protection the most? No one else can protect me but me. 

I looked up at him again and shook my head, "I can protect myself. I will not draw my sword per our agreement but there are other ways I could protect myself. I can use this sheath if I want to."

Teresa giggled, "I really like you. Maybe I should teach you my specialty. But dry clothes first so follow me."

I followed her to her quarters. Teresa pulled a pair of breeches, a plain brown shirt, a coat from her drawers and handed it to me. "There's a tub on the left," she said and pointed to a paper wall divider. "Take a bath and get changed. I still need to prepare breakfast."

I nodded. She was almost close to the door when I called, "What is your specialty?"

She turned back and smirked, "Poison and yes… I'm the ship's chef. So, don't get on my nerves." She warned me but giggled in the end before going out of the room.

I froze from where I stood. Then, I chuckled.... A strong small man… A chef who was an expert in poison… A quack doctor with effective medicine... such irony… "Maybe I fit right in. Maybe she's right… A fallen angel… maybe that's what I am…"