Chapter 79: Time to Loot

Three days, it took me three days to convince them that I wasn't a spy or other's pirate crew. Ned sighed. Wiping the sweat that ran over his forehead.

He's been cleaning - swabbing as what the pirates say - deck for three days. Just to earn my keep until I can finally land on Bogblot port. Ned thought.

"Well! unlucky for you lad," Lady Darcey said. "Me crews not going to land on Cassan anytime soon." That's what she said three days ago. Maybe now she'll change her mind. But Ned knew it wasn't that easy to convince a long time pirate slash trader slash merchant to land to a place they don't sail. Especially if it's not on their route.

"Oi! lad! ye backs fine?" cried the lady pirate. "Aye? keep swabbing then!"

No time to waste. I'll treat this as my training then.

[Exactly, Ned. Your body's physical level couldn't keep up with your magic and spells. Training your body must be the utmost importance.]

Four days have passed and the crew's suspicion about Ned has settled. Although male, Ned was treated more of a guest than a prisoner or their swabber.

With less cleaning, and more training. Ned had a clear understanding of the crew's orientation. Their crew was called 'Time to Loot' led by their captain 'Captain Darcey of Lulliat'. According to the crew, Lady Darcey was once a baroness of a famous house but was forced to sail the sea, when her husband - a baron whom the crew does not have any idea of his name—was killed in naval warfare against the Scourge.

With vengeance lingering her thoughts. She sold her property. Her husband's barony. She then bought a ship, which she named 'Cuttlewitch Lobby'—a tribute to all the witches that were killed during the Witch Hunt of the Zolin Empire. After which, Lady Darcey sailed the Seven Seas and hunted the Scourge that killed her husband.

After she served the vengeance; killing one of the Lords of the Scourge. Lady Darcey's name spread throughout the waves of the ocean. Until it reached the ears of one of the Emperors of the sea. One of the Emperor took her in and officially became a pirate. Years have passed. Time to Loot became one of the most infamous pirates ever to sail the Seven Seas, even until now.

Their ship, Cuttlewitch Lobby, an altered form of a passenger ship. A double masted ship that holds sturdy sails, which enabled them to tread the waves with ease.

The ship houses forty-five crew until Echo killed eight of their own, which composed of an all-female crew. The ship was altered for speed which enabled them to travel the ocean and escape Scourges with ease. Below deck, a holding cell—where Ned was taken as a prisoner—the crew's living quarters, which Ned wasn't allowed to enter. And the one part that made the Cuttlewitch Lobby distinct from the other pirate ship, the custom made Inn. Yup, a ship with a tavern. A tavern was exclusive only for them.

The youngest crew and the youngest vice-captain the Lobby had, Vice-captain Sigh. The lady that Ned saves from Anita. At first, Ned was confused as to why a blue-haired, frail-looking girl was the Lobby's Vice. But, it has been four days since Vice Sigh went underwater, another hour and it will be her fifth.

Ned was sitting cross-legged, as he always does when meditating, on a barrel outside the Captain's Cabin. Ned's muscle stiffed, waiting for Lady Darcey to make an audience of him when he heard a cry at the end of the ship. Ned opened his eyes, and the first thing he noticed was the rampage of the crew.

Most crews were aged from twenty's, the oldest was forty-ish plus, their only healer, healer Baba. But the crew ran like kids to welcome their mother's arrival. Their mother, vice-captain Sigh was only sixteen, yet she stood to be formidable as their vice-captain.

Lady Sigh smiled at her full lips. Her ocean eyes gleamed under the shaft of the moon. Her clothing was drenched with seawater, as she walked towards Ned, he noticed Lady's Sigh clothing were the dream of men. Pale skin, pink arched lips, and intimidating waist. Her wet clothing showed an impression in front, a situation not supposed to be seen by men.

As she walked closer to Ned, Ned turned his eyes at Lady Sigh's legs. Ned wasn't after Lady Sigh's pale and smooth skin. But he was after the scales that slowly hid as the seawater dissolved to dry. So that's it. That's why she's special. Lady Sigh's a mermaid. Ned thought and smiled upon her arrival.

"How are ye, Ned?" Lady Sigh said. She stopped across Ned. And as Ned was sitting on a barrier, his eyes were, aligned towards Lady Sigh's not-supposed-to-be-seen-by-men part.

But Ned wasn't bothered by all this. Inside him, his only thought was to get stronger, and revenge. And Ned doesn't have the luxury of time with non-essential things.

Clearing his throat, Ned said. "Time to Loot's accommodating Lady Sigh."

"Just call me Sisi," she said. And smiled. "Me have a piece of good news, but we will talk later, Me need to make a report first."

Sisi walked passed Ned and went directly into the Captain's Cabin.

Ned stayed and waited for the Captain or Sisi to notice him. Minutes passed. Ned's name was called out by one of the crew. Allowing him to enter the Captain's Cabin.

Ned pushed to open the door, making a steady sound. Lady Darcey, the Captain stood beside the wooden table. Across was Sisi and the rest of the selected crew. Ned noticed that aside from Lady Darcey, the rest of the crews especially Sisi, were all looking sorted. All were a beauty of manners.

The table was fixed on the wooden floor as to not move by the ships swinging. Atop, a neat paper cartographed with different symbols. At the center top of the paper were words written that read 'Sortings of the Seven Seas'. A map. Ned thought. He stopped in the middle, behind him was the door, and smiled. "How may I of help, Captain?" Ned crossed his arm on his chest and bowed. ICE, copy the map.

[Done.]

"Crews don't do landlubber's greetings here, lad," Lady Darcey said. Aside from the candle on the table, stones were hung at the top of the wooden cabin. Stones that emits light. The light highlighted Lady Darcey's ebony deep skin. This time, aside from the rum she holds, her other hand gripped the blade with three-finger and a thumb. Her baggy clothing hid well her strong and muscular genuine frame. Her nose was beaky as the rook that sat on the edge of the cabin. But the rook wasn't ordinary either. Rook's were supposed to be black. From feathers to their eyes. But the Captain's rook was different. Larger by two, white thread ran across its head ending at the tail. The eye was deep black but the other was grey. So, she's a Tamer. Ned thought.

"Apologies for not having a word to ye this past few days," Captain said. "Me and crew have been busy with the chaser." She looked at Sisi and nodded with indifference. "Anyway, 'twas your lucky day lad. Unlucky for us." She narrowed an eye.

"What do you mean?" said Ned.

"Sisi," Lady Darcey whispered.

Sisi, now with a cloak, pointed at the map with fruit at hand. "Ned," she said. "See this black lines?"

Sisi was now totally different the first time she met. She wasn't the girl with trembling legs and gawking eyes anymore. Ned wondered if what made Sisi trembled in fear when Anita confronted her. Ned could sense Sisi's thick aura. Thick and stronger than him. Was Anita that strong? Ned questioned on his thought. "Uh," Ned nodded.

"Us farers call it 'Under Current'," Sisi said. "That's how ships traveled the Seven Seas, it is a current running under the ocean. Us pirates suspected it runs all over Earflgard. On the surface, the current helped the ships traveled much faster. Without the current, it would take a year to sail from 'Scattered Bay' to 'Titan's Cay'."

"Scattered Bay," Ned whispered. He narrowed an and raised a brow. "Is that—"

"Aye, lad," Lady Darcey cut Ned. "That's where O'rriadt is. And if ye saying is true, then That's where O'rriadt... 'was'." Gulping the rum, and said. "Continue, Sisi."

"Aye, captain. With the under current, it would only take four months." Sisi bit a fruit, the sound the fruit made was brittle, just like an apple. She then added. "See how useful it is, Ned?"

"Very," Ned said. "It also means, it wasn't just you using the current. Other ships. Kingdom's naval force. Maybe other kingdoms as well."

"Aye, lad," Lady Darcey smiled. "Never thought ye reckon to be a smart one, eh? Ye reckon is right, lad. But lacking. Sisi." She looked at Sisi indicating to continue.

"Correct, Ned. But, if it's just other pirates, or Griffith's ships it's no big deal for Time to Loot, heck even if it's Zolin's." Sisi said. "As you see, our mission is to deliver a—"

"Sisi!" Captain Darcy yelled.

Sisi flinched with their Captain's outcry. It wasn't just hers, even the crew inside lowered their head.

"Forgive me Sisi. Let me continue," she said with a soft and controlled voice. "Lad, here in the Seven Seas, only two things ye needed to be afraid. The boned Jacks, us call them the Scourge; Scourge of the Seven Seas. And—"

"Magical beasts," this time it was Ned who cut the Captain.

"Aye," Lady Darcey said and raised a brow. "Under Current are used by the Scourge and Magical beasts alike. Me said it's unlucky for us, right? well, us cannot turn back since we're chased by the Scourge, and now." Lady Darcey paused. Sip a bottle of rum, and continued. "And now us can't move forward Titan's Cay. Sisi reckoned something on our route. So, Cuttlewitch Lobby needed to detour. And that detour, Me don't like, but, necessary. That detour will move us close to the Cassan Continent. Which means, the Lobby will pass near Bogblot Port."

So that's it. Ned thought. "What was it, that the ship can't move forward?"

This time it was Sisi who answered. She looked at the Captain, the other crew, and looked at Ned. "Magical beasts, Grade S. Leviathan class. Lev'rath."