Chapter 37: Chapter 10

Abble sped down the stone street with snow piled on its sides and a walk that was not far from becoming a run. Her wide stride made me fall behind several times, and I kept having to hurry to catch up, squeezing between people on the street.

A few horses walked by me, getting spooked. 

At first, I thought it was just some random occurrence, but it became obvious it was because of one thing after the third horse flinched and almost ran over foot travellers .

I was a demon. 

Animals being able to tell I was a monster would be an issue. Hopefully, this wouldn’t draw suspicion towards me. 

My mother would always say, ‘animal smelt evil long before we saw it.’

Seemed like that was an accurate statement. 

I tried looking up at the sky, which was so bright I couldn’t even see the blue. Everything was glowing. While it didn’t make it impossible to see, it was irritating. 

It was like I walked out of a dark room, and my vision refused to adjust to the new illumination. 

Besides the light, the sun hitting my skin caused me excessive irritation. There wasn’t even that much touching me but for my face and hands. However, it was enough to put me in a mood. My body was making it clear that it didn’t enjoy my travels during the day, no matter if I wore the ring. 

This had better not be the new normal. I would be a very unpleasant person to be around if so.

Arriving at the harbour, we walked down the dock surrounded by fishing boats. Early morning activities cleared most of the snow from the dock.

Boots thudded the wood boards as men hurried along the walkway. Some had already been out and came back with their catch, rolling barrels down the ramp of their ships. 

Did these men sleep? They were working all the way to last evening. 

My attention was brought to someone’s breath in the air.

Shit. I needed to breathe. 

Remembering to inhale was so tedious. The fact that becoming a demon suddenly stopped making that automatic was somewhat annoying.

Since the temperature was chilly, people could clearly tell if I wasn’t exhaling. I had to remember to breathe in situations like this. Keeping this demon thing a secret would not be easy. 

I was happy I still held some warmth because that would have been a pain if not, especially with handshakes and accidental touching. 

Hopefully, it stayed this way. 

A man towered over everyone in the distance, and it looked like Abble was heading towards him. 

This must’ve been Wrecky.

When we got closer, it was clear Wrecky was nearly seven feet tall. He wore a dark blue velvet waistcoat and a white shirt underneath with the sleeve rolled up.

The gold jewellery on his fingers caught my eye as he tossed them up during a conversation with a group of men.

When Abble and I approached the group of fishermen he was chatting with, their faces became worried. 

Wrecky turned around with a broad smile after a man pointed to us. He looked to be around thirty, but it was hard to tell with his massive body what his age was. There were no lines on his face or fading in his blonde hair. He was a handsome man from my perspective. I was a little envious of his appearance.

He tipped his leather tri-cornered hat that was decorated with a black feather. “What brings the princess to the dock?” he asked with a voice that matched his colossal size perfectly. 

Abble smiled. “Wrecky is the only man worth anything in this town. He addresses royalty correctly,” she said, pointing at him with the hand that wasn’t holding her bag strap. 

“You’re royalty?” 

She turned her head to me. “In the pirate community, yeah.”  

Wrecky gave a deep laugh, shaking his head. “I don’t know if I’d call what we are a community, but everyone here surely treats Abble as such.”

Abble put her hand on her hip. “We’re planning to attend college. I only need you to take us to Endeavor.”

Wrecky folded his tattooed arms. “Good, because I don’t think this boat would get anywhere near Centrum without getting attacked by their navy”—he sighed, tapping his finger on his arm—“So you’re actually doing it? Are you sure?”

Abble nodded. “Yeah. Kade is a good boy who plays along with all my shenanigans. I needed a pet to keep me amused.”

Sigh.

Wrecky looked at me with an expression of remorse. “May our Lord save you from this demon.” 

Ah, yes. My life was just a joke that hadn’t reached the punchline yet.

Abble smirked. “Oh, stop, Wrecky. I am not that terrible.”

“Your father already told me to take you this morning. Said you had a boyfriend, but I don’t really believe that. No man can handle all that crazy. You blackmail him?” 

“This is why I tell my father you are my favourite. You take me seriously.” 

She was called crazy and took it as a compliment…  

Wrecky laughed, waving us down the docks through the crowd of people loading and unloadind ships. 

Everyone glanced at Abble and Wrecky like they were well known. I wondered if all that joking about her being a princess was true. There was a level of respect and fear in everyone’s eyes. 

More fear.

After walking to the end of the long pier, we stepped next to an impressively large ship built with ebony wood. Its black sails were pulled to the four towering masts. The side of the haul was adorned with wood trimmings that resembled vines with thorns, leading my eye down the ship's sides until it reached its front.

It was much like what I pictured a pirate ship would look like. Just not as imposing, and with such a ‘look at me, I am about to rob you’ appearance.  

Wrecky pointed to the closed cannon hatches that lined the sides. “No worries about this ship getting attacked. It wouldn’t be a fight for anything but a capital warship. It might even take over one of those to take us down,” he patted my back, causing me to step forward and almost off the deck.   

“It does look impressive,” I said, glancing at the long bowsprit that reached far out like a spear. 

My father would get so excited talking about ships. I knew most of the parts of it without even seeing one up close. Undoubtedly, he was upset about being drafted, but I knew he was ready to get on a boat again. He was definitely a seaman at heart. 

I wondered how Father was doing. He needed to return soon because I would be absent for some time. 

Mother and sister could not take losing both of us.

After admiring the ship himself, Wrecky led the way up the wide wooden ramp leading to it. The platform flexed a little at Wrecky's every step. 

He was such a giant person.

We stepped on the deck as men shovelled snow off the floor and worked on loosening the sail.

These sailors were definitely from the bar last night. I recognised a few of them as they glanced at me. 

Maybe I should have been a little more scared of Nicholas. If these men listened to him, he was probably dangerous. 

Wrecky took us towards the back of the ship to where the quarterdeck was. As we walked past the last shroud holding the mast up, I ran my nails across the rope thicker than my arms. The ship was more than capable of taking on any assault. 

We entered the cabin under the quarterdeck and into a T-shaped hallway with many doors. 

All the wood on this ship was black. I wondered what tree this was made of because it seemed like it was its natural colour. 

As we approached the door at the end of the corridor, Wrecky took the keys from his trousers and unlocked the door. 

He swung the door open for us to a rather large bedroom, gesturing in. 

Abble and I entered the luxurious room, both with a bit of awe on our faces.

A bed that could fit a family sat against the wall with black curtains tied to the canopy. Maroon silk sheets and a matching velvet blanket covered it. 

Even the pillows were silk. 

These were costly fabrics. 

A window nook sat along the back wall, from corner to corner. It kept the colour theme with dark maroon cushions.

Abble spun around. “You’re giving us the captain’s quarters?”

“Yeah. Your father would never let me hear the end of it if I didn’t. Plus, the bed is spacious enough”—Wrecky looked over at me—“for two,” he said, raising his eyebrow.

“Thanks, Wrecky. We were preparing to take a nap, so there is no need to wake us up for our departure,” she smiled, folding her hands behind her back. 

Wrecky tipped his tricorn hat at Abble. “Understood.” 

He left the room, closing the door behind him, and I looked over at the ebony vanity and armoire. If they made it with wood, it was safe to assume it would be black on this boat. It was a tad gloomy but undeniably striking, with its pairing of maroon fabrics.

Abble dropped her bag and took her jacket off, tossing it on the bed before waltzing around the room with a smile. Her excitement was adorable. 

When she wasn’t irritated by everything, she was kinda cute. 

Clearly, her father hadn’t taken her on this boat because she was caught in a childlike fascination seeing it for the first time. 

I ran my finger along the vanity as I looked at myself in the mirror. My dark blue eyes were sunken, and my skin had a greyish cast. The silver of my hair had lost its shine and was now more of a blunt white colour. 

Sickly is the word that comes to mind. 

After feeling self-conscious about my appearance, I turned to Abble. I hoped she’d bring it up, but it appeared that was my job. 

“So, where am I sleeping?” 

Abble turned around, dropping on the edge of the bed. “What about with me? You cleaned up well. We just have to cut those nails,” she smirked.  

I rolled my eyes. “So, I guess I am sleeping on the floor because you want to keep this farce up that Wrecky doesn’t even really believe.” 

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She sighed. “You have already grown tired of my games, and it’s not even been a full day.” 

I tossed my hands up. “I honestly don’t want to be lured into a situation where you spin me into being a pervert.” 

Abble frowned. “I am just playing with you. I wouldn’t take it that far—I’m not that much of a bitch.”

That was a tad harsh on my end. 

“Sorry. I appreciate you taking me to the college, but I don’t want to be a punching bag on this trip.”

Abble flopped back into the bed, staring up at the ceiling with her curly caramel-coloured hair fanned out. “I can’t wait to get to the college.”

“How long will this trip take?” 

Abble sighed. “Eh. Around forty days.”

This trip would be long, but forty days wasn’t too bad. I figured it would be roughly a month. Not that I knew how far Endeavor was. This would give me plenty of time to figure out the system. I just needed to not look like an insane person in front of Abble while doing it. She was unlikely to believe me if I told her about it.

I wished all those options weren’t locked. Cain did say I needed to get to level two as quickly as possible. I wondered what I could do to gain XP. Killing things gave me a good chunk, but I would do none of that on this trip. 

No killing, no eating, no drinking… pleaseee, system, don’t let me get blood hungry on the boat. 

That wouldn’t happen. I would just keep myself occupied. 

Ugh. You’ve been on the boat for ten minutes and are worried about it. 

One problem at a time. One problem. At. A. Time.

I would address the issue when it arrived. However, there were plenty of other things that required my attention.

Abble rested her head on her palm, staring at me as I mulled over my plans in my head. 

“So Kade. Tell me about yourself. Hobbies, family, girlfriend?” she asked with what felt like genuine interest and not a joke being set up. 

I tossed my backpack on the floor before stepping over and sitting on the nook bench. 

Resting my arm on the window’s lip, I stared at the ocean waves with whitecaps in the distance. This was going to be a rough ride for a few days. 

The storm had really stirred the sea. 

“Hobbies… I really don’t have any. Most of my time was spent pulling rabbits and the occasional fox from traps. I spend a lot of time with my sister. We would scavenge the wood for herbs and berries. Sometimes I would help sew, but I wasn’t great at it, probably because I became bored with it quickly.”

“How old are you and your sister? Did you not work?” 

“I am sixteen. I’ll be seventeen in a month. My sister is two years older than me,” I said, turning to Abble. “My father was the kind of person that wanted to do everything himself. So, my help was never really wanted for farming and woodcutting.”  

Abble nodded. “Your hair is an interesting colour. I don’t think I’ve seen someone young with that colour.”

“My mother passed it on. My sister’s hair is the same but leans slightly toward blonde, and mine is whiter.”

Abble sat up on the bed, folding her legs. “What about your father? Did you two have a good relationship?” 

I sighed. “We were friendly, but he’s a very quiet man, so we never really had deep conversations. He was called to war recently. Again. I hope this is the last time, because I don’t think I’ll make it back home.”

“You’re gonna be okay. It’s not like you’re heading to war. We’re going to school in a big city. You’ll find that medicine and make your way back home.”

“Maybe,” I said, spacing out. 

I would not make it home. At some point, I would die, but my stubbornness refused to let my life be taken that easily. I would ensure my last breath was of exhaustion rather than hopelessness. 

That’s what my father would want. He was a never give up type. Somehow, he returned from a war that was the bloodiest in our country’s history.

Abble coughed to get my attention. “You can ask me questions. I would like to be friends with you.”

“Why don’t you have any friends? I wanna know the reason for that before I agree. I mean, I think I know why.” 

She tittered. “I deserve that.”

“Sorry, that was mean.”

Abble sighed. “Well, as you can see, I am an abrasive person. Also, my dad is a famous pirate. One I feel your father should have told you about.” 

“My father talked about what was necessary and little more—if he was so famous, how is he not in jail or hung?”

“Well, my dad got a special pardon from Lockward’s government for helping in the last war. I think he got off too easy for the stuff he had done, but my mother probably had a hand in that.”

 I folded my arms, leaning back. “Your mother. She went to this Guild?”

Abble squinted her eyes at me. “How do you not know about the Guild?”

“My father didn’t talk about it.” 

“The Guild is a private military. They’re on every continent and report to the main headquarters in Centrum. They deal with anything from monsters to bandits. Countries sometimes hire them to fight in wars the Guild deems morally justified. It’s mostly a congregation of people that want to get strong and save the world while stroking their egos. It sounds entertaining, and that is why we are heading there.”

“So, your mother worked for this Guild?”

Abble nodded. “Correct.” 

“And she was strong.” 

“Yup,” Abble smiled. “She was amazing! Before bed, as a child, she would tell me of dragons and demons she killed. My mother was the ninth strongest person in the Guild at one time, and it has over twenty thousand members worldwide”—Abble face lit up with excitement—“I hear there is a statue of her at the main Guild. I can’t wait to see it.” 

Demons… awesome, so they were what I expected. 

Hated. 

I don’t know why I thought they wouldn’t be. People probably assume we’re all wicked. 

Likely true. 

“What is a dragon?” I asked, snapping back into the conversation. 

“You’ve never heard of a dragon! So it’s like this lizard with four legs and wings”—Abble flapped her arms like a bird—“They can breathe things like fire, frost, and lightning. They’re huge! Like bigger than this boat.”    

Ah. It was scary that something like that existed. I don’t know if I believed her, but I couldn’t dismiss anything after seeing a Fallen.   

“That’s impressive. I see where you get your strength from.”

“Mom had help with the dragon, and I have to give my father some credit for my sturdy stature. He held his own against my mother when they first fought.” 

Oh, I was interested in how this happened. 

“They were enemies at one time?” 

Abble jumped over to the side of the bed with excitement. With her palm pressed on the bed, she leaned towards me. 

“So, my mother was sent to kill him by the Guild. My dad spotted her in the bar and approached her because he thought she was hot,”—Abble smirked—“she played along and planned on killing him when they got to his room.” 

There was a long pause.

“And?” I asked, gesturing for her to continue. 

“And that is how my mom got pregnant.”

What! 

“But you said they fought.”

“Oh, they did the next day, but my mom got caught up in her feelings and let him live. When she returned to the Guild three months later, she was pretty confident she was pregnant.”

Oh, this was so awesome. I was a sucker for love stories.

“So, how did she find him?”

Abble laughed. “He was at the same bar he now owns. Mother used to say he was so predictable it was shocking no one had killed him yet. She walked up to him at the table and pointed to her stomach, asking what they were going to do about it.”

“And he wanted to be a father.”

“Shockingly, yes. Nicholas Harper wanted to quit being the sea’s most feared pirate to be a dad.” 

I smiled. “That’s amazing. It’s wild how people from such different lives come together.”

Abble returned the smile. “Mother had such a colourful way of telling the story. I didn’t do it justice”—she sighed—“it was a pretty entertaining story until he fucked the cow.”

“So, like, not an actual cow, right?”

That question had Abble laughing so hard she fell back into the bed, rolling. “Oh, my god. My sides hurt. No, I mean like a fat woman.”

“I’ve never heard that expression,” I said, letting her finish laughing before I spoke again. “So, where am I sleeping?” 

Abble sat back on the edge of the bed, blowing a stain of curly hair out of her face. “I’ll ask Wrecky to put you in another room after we depart.” 

“Thanks. I kinda didn’t want to sleep on this bench.”

Abble grabbed her bag, tossing it on the bed before rummaging through it. “Have you played Whist before?” 

“No, what is that?” 

“It’s a card game. I’ll teach you,” Abble smiled, holding up a stack of papers. “You’ll have plenty of time to get good at it.”

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