Chapter 88: Mistrust

The absence of sound was registered to Sisi's consciousness. She let her arms wobbled as she kept on plunging at the depts of the endless ocean. Gripping her arms with nothingness but empty liquid. And closed her eyes as the surrounding deemed black.

How long was it? She thought. Ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes under the ocean? Sisi lost count. The scales on her feet were extended up to her waist and chest. Her pale skin turned blue and green as her innate capabilities kept her alive. The gill under her ears kept on providing her with the air she needed. Bubbles exited her nose as she breathes underwater. 

But no matter how she struggled, the chains were too much for her. Too heavy for her frail body. It was as if, the chains were absorbing her energy. At the end of her feet, fins struggled to keep Sisi afloat. So as the fins on her knees, and elbows. 

Sisi let the empty, dark, and cold ocean decide her faith. I'm sorry my queen. Brothers and sisters. I couldn't save you all. Her thoughts disregarded her ambitions as she let herself be eaten by the ocean. I failed you all...

My Queen. She thought. But Sisi knew giving up was too early. Lend me your strength. Sisi fought with exhaustion that inhibits her limbs. Slowly, her hands lifted against the ocean pressure. She then muttered a forgotten language and ten vortices arose her fingertips. These vortices kept on swirling and expanding until it became only one—a huge ball of a vortex. "Sphaera... Irroro," she grits her teeth and muttered. Bubbles seeped her mouth. 

With the vortex at hand. Sisi remained floating in the depths of the unknown ocean. The pressure her magic emits was enough for her to remain and steady. This was the last of her mana. The holes on both her hands were nearly healed. But red crimson liquid leaked off the wounds.

With the last of her magic, Sisi knew—it wasn't enough. She could feel her veins were running cold. The warmth that the mana gave off was nearly gone. Never lost hope. My Queen... never lost hope. That's why… I'm here. Looking for hope. Sisi thought. Never... lost... hope...

Sisi's mind went blank. With the last of her mana exhausted. Her body couldn't keep up with her magic. Sisi's body shut down as the mana on her body was totally depleted. Signs of Mana Burned.

She fell to slumber as the bubbles exited her mouth. She kept on falling underwater like a heavy stone plummeting. Scales on body retracted as she fell unconscious.

Halfway her downfall. A slim but strong hand gripped her wrist. The figure kept on pulling her up the surface. The figure was half her size. But the strength she applied was almost tenfold her size. Anita used her mana to eject a small amount of explosion using wind magic that let her, and Sisi rose up steadily.

With sudden breaks, Anita easily pulled Sisi up to the surface of the ocean. With the two floating. Anita eyed her giant butler, slash warrior, slash guardian. "Hocoff!" She cried. With her right, she hurled Sisi, with the chain tied, midair. Hoping that Hocoff would catch her. The Cuttlewitch Lobby was almost twenty to thirty meters high. But Anita's hurl felt like she was playing with a ball.

At the deck, after the Redcap Wing devoured. Ned and Lady Darcey went inside the captain's cabin and huddled. While the rook remained outside and resting at the top of the rook's nest. With the two inside, Ned knew their discussion would be something of a serious matter. Ned subsided into a barrel, gauging the distance to the door, trying to figure out how he could get past Lady Darcey. But, Ned knew, the Captain won't let him do what he seemed to please him. Ned sighed inwardly. "So, what now?" he said.

"Now?" Lady Darcey said. Dark eyes gazed Ned with curiosity. "Us drink." She said. Pulled a tin cup under their mapping table. Followed by a bottle of orange liquid. Poured and slid a cup to Ned. Poured another pair. Drunk in one gulp, and poured another. "What ye looking at, lad?"

Ned shook his head. Reached for the cup, but didn't drink. He smelled the cup and let his sharp eyebrows decides if he would drink the orange liquid or not. Ned furrowed. Not a wine. "I'll pass," he said. Sliding the cup back at the center of the table. The map was folded to cover half of its frame. Some tools, scattered on the surface. Some were pointed, some were dull. The wooden table was made to raise the edges so that the tools placed at the top would minimize falling.

Right of Ned, and left of Lady Darcey was the view of the ocean. The red sun was setting behind the usual clouds of haze. The open view was covered with nothing but pieces of shells dangling against the peaceful breeze.

It was nearing dusk. But the two remained seated. Without a second thought, Lady Darcey reached for Ned's cup and drunk the orange liquid, again, in one gulp. "Aye, if that's what ye want," she said. And drunk another with her own tin cup. "This ale—" poured another cup of ale— "is called 'Seafoam Ale'. Fermented from the pees of Crarrk's, a variety of sea turtles. Back at Titan Cay, this here lad is our economy. They sell very cheaply. But, ye not underestimate this pees here. Our crew sells thousands and thousands of barrels with this. The one ye sitting is filled with pees, lad."

Ned wasn't there to sit in a barrel of pees and listen to economics. Ned felt reserved to stop the half-drunk captain. He could only nod and show a faint smile. I can't really go anywhere. Ned thought. "Now that's a trade," Ned said. "What of it?"

"Crarrk's have cores, but they could be barely called magical beasts," she said. The bottle of ale was almost finished. One more cup and the Captain might stagger to find another bottle. "When they die—the Crarrks—they pee excessively. Too much, one Crarrk could fill a gallon. The taste of their pees was bitter. But left alone for years, the pees turned to gold. By gold, Me mean fortune. Sweet. Smooth. And soothing. Not a single trace of bitterness. Just sweet alcohol and fulfillment."

Captain Darcey turned red. Same as the sun beaming their skins. Prickly hot yet accomodating. It makes one feel—alive. She kept on discussing their trades with her voice wobbling with ale.

"The point here lad is... The Crarrks, our trade with other continents, me crew—the Time to Loot. The Cuttlewitch Lobby. Is what... so far. Made us alive. We kill Crarrks. Cause us knew it gives us Picas and Gold to trade. Me used the Lobby to house the Time to Loot and complete us trade. Now, that's living. We live in trust, trusts me, crew trusts us boss, and trusts the system. Lad—

now tell me, who are ye, really. For landlubbers, us pirates they name Hunters. Depending on the power of me core," she said. Paused. And focused. Seconds later, the cabin was filled with vivid golden light exiting her very figure. "Depending on the power of me core, me rank is late stages of Gold Level Hunter. Ye rank will depend on ye core and ye achievements in Guilds. But, ye? Me don't feel anything out of ye. No feeling of mana been used. Yet, ye could use magic. That... black energy ye used to munch on that monstrosity. That's, unheard of. And ye? ye who could order that Moraki incarnate? that wooden girl outside me Lobby? who ye are, lad?" Lady Darcey breathes smoothly and the light dimmed until it vanished.

Ned frowned. What does she mean she doesn't feel any magic on me? "What do you mean, captain? I could use magic." Ned raised his right hand at half. Focused and a ball of fire danced on his palm. Smooth, and controlled. But with a streak of thin black lines that coiled the fireball. Ned noticed the black lines and frowned. "Ye see?" Ned closed his hand in a matter of seconds.

Lady Darcey narrowed her eyes. "That's it, me saw it, lad. Ye magic. Was contaminated. Show me ye core," she said. Ordering Ned. "Normally, magic users, especially new roots, won't notice that their mana was leaking. Without proper practice, it would be difficult to hide their mana completely."

Ned focused. His thoughts went inside his core. Transparent. But this time, it was nearly half-filled with black energy. Like a flame that kept on burning. I... "I, actually don't know how to show my core," Ned said. and smiled faintly.

Lady Darcey shook her head. "Ye hopeless lad," she said. "Really. That's why me confuse as t—"

Before Lady Darcey could finish, black energy envelopes the cabin. The red sun setting was gone. The bluestone that used to light the cabin, gone. All turned dark. Lady Darcey instinctively swallowed. The hair stood behind her neck, her arms, and her legs. She felt cold, swallowed by endless coldness. "Enough..." she whispered. "Enough!" And yelled. And stood.

Ned was momentarily lost in his thoughts. He first thought to expand his mana. Just like materializing magic on his palms. But, he thought 'what if, instead of just on my palm. I expand my mana using my body as the base?' with that. In a blink, black energy oozed off his physique. Ned snapped at the yell of Lady Darcey.

"That's why me told ye about trust," she said. Looking at Ned with deep thought. "Ye magic can't be trusted, it felt like the Forbiddens."