It took a good couple of hours before Percy could be securely tugged behind the Tide Runner. In the meantime, Rhody, Theo and the other engineers ran temporary hull repairs to ensure the ship was not taking water and could be safely pulled along. Sadly, the engines were busted and needed more than a patch-up, so the crew was truly at the mercy of government ships.

Luckily, despite Celia's worries, Gabriel took the contract seriously. Her crew was immediately given the medical attention they needed, but no one pushed their way to Percy's deck. With all the grumbling of the admiral, the man seemed to make peace with the lordling's decision of truce between them. Against all odds, they were safe. At least for now. But Celia couldn't help her foul mood. She couldn't help feeling trapped, like a wild animal shoved into an enclosure, and though it was spacious enough to be comfortable, it was still a cage. An overwhelming scent of antiseptics hanging in the air wasn't helping either.

A sharp pain in her ankle brought Celia back from her gloomy thoughts, and she hissed, gripping the edge of the narrow bed tighter.

"Does it hurt here, ma'am?" the young medical attendant asked, moving her feet slightly.

"No, it tickles," she growled through clenched teeth.

The young man paled, and his long fingers visibly trembled. "I'm so sorry. Luckily nothing is broken. It's just a sprain. I'll bandage it for you, and if you let it rest for a week, you should be good as knew."

Celia scoffed. "You think I have the luxury to rest for a week?"

"I... I didn't mean...." The man cowered under her angry voice. He probably never treated a criminal before. She could see in his innocent face and wide eyes that he believed all the rumours people spread about cruel and merciless pirates like her.

"Boss." Zed's low voice rumbled through the small medical room. "Leave him be. He's just a kid doing his job."

Celia sighed and rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'm sorry, mate. My ship just got wrecked, so I'm not very happy now. But thank you for patching up my crew and me."

The young man relaxed visibly and gave her a weak smile. "There's nothing to apologise for. Your anger is understandable, but I'm only doing my job. Here, all done."

"Thank you." Celia put on her high leather boot back. She tightened her laces securely so her injured foot would be kept stiff and not wobble too much, giving a bit of relief. Well-made shoes were always worth all the money. She nodded to Zed, and they left the small, cramped room. Just outside, two armed soldiers waited for them, their faces scrunched up with a frown.

"We're all done and ready to return to our ship," Celia announced. She didn't like Tide Runner much. It was typical steamship─all steel, cold and efficient, but without any personality. Without a soul. Just a tool in the hands of people playing their power games.

"Not yet," a taller man replied stiffly. "Lord Letchford wishes to see you in his quarters."

"Of course he does." Celia sighed. "Lead on then. Not like I have a ship to run."

The soldiers ignored her remark and led them toward the stern while Celia looked around curiously. Tide Runner was bigger than Percy and could also host more people. They only stayed on the crew deck, which held the infirmary and medical rooms, as well as most of the crew's living quarters. Everything here was clean and orderly. The Captain must have kept a tight grip on the whole staff. But when they were passing a lounging area, where those whose shift ended gathered and relaxed, she heard laughs and rattle of dice. She smiled. Even on this stuck-up ship, people were still people─they gambled, cursed and argued. It was refreshing to see that, after following the prim, perfect soldiers around Tide Runner.

When they reached the last door in the long row of cabins, one of the soldiers knocked at the steel doors, painted grey as the rest of the deck, and once he heard the answer, he opened it and invited them inside. Celia crossed the threshold, but the taller shoulder stopped Zed from following by putting his rifle down between him and the entry.

"Only Captain de Visher. You can wait outside."

Zed looked down at him. Even though the soldier was tall, Zed still towered over him. He crossed his arms,  muscles bulging.

"It's all right, Zed," Celia said with a smirk. "It's not like I'm in any danger from the lordling. I could beat him up with my hands tied behind my back."

Zed scoffed but took a step back. "Fine. But if he tries anything, give me a shout, boss."

Celia made a salute and let the door close behind her. When she turned around to face the room, she felt like she had entered a completely different world. The cabin was still made of cold metal like the rest of the ship, but the owner had made some alterations on his own, trying to make it feel cosier. The hard floor was covered with a dark red carpet, and most of the walls were stuck up high, with bookshelves screwed securely to the walls. Each shelf had thin metal straps keeping the books intact during more troublesome journeys and storms.

Gabriel sat at the huge desk covered with papers and maps. He looked at her and smiled as if she was the best sight he'd seen today.

"Captain de Visher! I'm so glad you could make it!"

Celia ignored him as her eyes were caught by a huge map of the Thundering Massive hanging on one of the walls. She strolled closer to it, admiring the details she had never seen before.

"This map... where did you get it?" She traced her fingers over the map. The ink was so dark it seemed like it had just been drawn. It was the most accurate and precise depiction she'd ever seen, with exact measurements and notes regarding the incline of each part and any possible dents and passages along the base on the current sea level.

"Oh, I'm glad you asked!" Gabriel replied, and she heard the scrape of a chair on the floor as he stood up and joined her side. "It's fairly new. We have the whole team of cartographers working tirelessly on mapping the mountains with as many accurate measurements as possible."

She turned to him, frowning. "Why?"

He smiled as if he was a child in a candy shop. "Because we need to gather all information we can get if we want to cross those mountains. I thought that much was clear already?"

Celia crossed her arms, looking straight at him. "It's a huge undertaking. Why have I never heard a word about it if it's all under the governor's orders? None of the newspapers released as much as speculation that something like that might be happening."

"Well, it's a long story."

"What, do you have many appointments here on the ship?" Celia mocked.

Gabriel laughed. "Damn, I like you already. Come, sit. It can't be comfortable standing with an injured leg. Explaining everything will take a while."

Celia nodded and limped to the comfortable-looking chair for guests at his desk. When she sat down, her eye caught a metallic glint among the papers. On the very corner of the desk, serving as a paperweight, was a little mechanical bird.

"Hey, I know this little guy." She reached out and picked up the gadget. It was pretty heavy despite its small size. Celia brought it close to her face to admire a complicated constellation of minuscule gears and cogs inside the mechanical creature. Sadly, it seemed it no longer worked, but despite old age, none of the parts was rusted, and the little mechanisms gleamed as if someone often gave them a good polish.

"Oh yeah, I thought you might remember him. Sadly, it stopped working a long time ago."

"Why keep it then?" she asked, gently putting the little masterpiece back on the desk.

"I keep it as a reminder."

"Reminder of what?" Celia cocked her head, looking at him. The setting sun bathed the cabin in an orange glow, making Gabriel's hair shine golden like a halo. He didn't have the monumental, classical beauty like his father and brother, but he was handsome in a different way. His fair hair was unruly, but it gave him a boyish charm. His sparkling blue eyes and contagious smile were hard to resist.

"Of you."

Celia only raised a brow.

"Our chance meeting that day, so many years ago, shook me to the core. It's not easy to be a bastard, you see. I was lucky that my father is unscrupulous and is not afraid to use all the assets he has at his disposal. He provided me with education to ensure I'll be useful to him one day. But before I met you, I was like my mother─an obedient follower being grateful for whatever scraps were thrown my way.

"But then, when I thought my life had already been planned out for me, you came waltzing into the ship without asking permission and slipped out without being noticed. You, a person from an absolute social dumpster."

"Ouch."

"Pardon me, but that's true. I was amazed. You dared to dream about things I never even considered, and after knowing you for a few moments, I was absolutely sure you'll achieve whatever you set your heart on. And then I realised I could do it too. All I needed was more guts and courage to stand up for myself and do what I wanted."

"Wow. So, all you've achieved is because little old me sneaking into your ship."

Gabriel scratched his neck, a faint pink splashing his cheeks. "It sounded better in my head. But yeah, I still stand by what I said. That moment was a point when my life turned around for the better. I knew I would meet you again someday, and here we are."

Celia sighed and crossed her arms. "You are so naïve, lordling."

He cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

"You met me once as a child and built this vision of dauntless heroin in your head. Is that why you offered me this contract? Because if yes, you are a fool." She leaned over the desk. "You have no idea who I am and what I had to do to get here. All you had to do was to stand up to your rich daddy. Me? I've done things I'm not proud of and have blood on my hands. If you knew me, really knew me, you would want nothing to do with me."

Gabriel leaned back on his chair, giving her a long, thoughtful look. "I don't presume to know you, Captain de Visher. You are also naïve if you think my life was all roses and parties. The high tear society is just as cut-throat as your regular criminal cartels on the base-level platforms. I'll speak plainly. I don't care about your past─I'm only interested in future. And that future lies over the mountains, and we both know it.

"What I can see now is a resourceful woman who was able to make her ship fly and attempt to take over the Thundering Massive by herself. I don't need more recommendations to want to work with you."

Celia drummed her fingers on the desk, looking at him intently. He seemed sincere. She knew that under that impression of an innocent and naïve fool hid a cunning mind, so she wasn't surprised he was ready to dismiss all her past crimes if it got him closer to his goal.

And doing everything to reach her dreams was something Celia was well accustomed to. She could work with that.

"Fine. You made your point. Now tell me why your world-changing mission is a secret."