Gian Ships'

The city came to life around us, the cool metal reflecting the bold waves that surround it. Laughter drifted through from the towering buildings where families lived and shop owners had their stores.

"Why are we sneaking around?" I asked as I looked over Bondi's shoulder to make sure the coast was clear. "The crew is off doing Jones' knows what."

Bondi stepped out from between the buildings, nodding at a drunken saylor while leaving me behind. Even with the city booming, I was uneasy about being here.

"Who knows when you're going to go back to cursing everyone who crosses your path." He stopped a few feet from me before he turned with a grin. "We might as well explore while you're in a good mood."

I rolled my eyes at him and moved from the pipe I used to hide behind. I didn't need anyone seeing my face and connecting it to the bounty that's been placed on my head.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Water rushed next to us, being pushed through the city and in one direction. "That doesn't explain why we're sneaking around. It's almost midnight."

He raised a hand, stopping me from walking past him. His eyes gleamed in the faint light as he looked around before her looked once more at me.

"What if Saul finds us?" Bondi asked. "I don't need to be locked in a cage because I broke one of his roles."

"He is the Quartermaster." I shrugged at the pirate before I walked past him. "Oh look, there's Saul now. Maybe we should say hi."

Bondi grabbed my arm before I could raise it very high to wave at no one. Saul wasn't to be seen anywhere near us. We hadn't seen him even after we returned to the ship and that had been two days before.

I was sure he wouldn't be lurking in the shadows. Just waiting to bust one of us for not listening to the orders he had given.

Saul had better things to do.

"Funny."

I grinned at him. "I am, thank you. That's why they call me Rachel."

If I had been able to see more of his face in the darkness, I was sure that he would've rolled his eyes. Instead, I could only use the light from the surrounding buildings and waterways as a guide to read his facial expressions. The light was just enough so we wouldn't run into someone else, but not be able to see their faces and be able to recognize them should we see them later.

"That place looks like a good business," he said as we hit a fork in the path.

I glanced at the buildings, my eyes falling on a number of businesses lit up still. One was large, big enough that I was sure a ship could be built in it. And there was plenty of lumber before the shop to help confirm that thought.

The place next to it seemed to be more packed. People were standing in land for the place even a few stores down from it. And it looked like it was only getting busier with each passing second.

"Could be because that's a dance club."

"No, not that one. The one next to it." Bondi pointed, his fingers in the direction of the two buildings.

They were the must lit, but no one was going into the ship one. A few other smaller buildings were next two them as well, with people coming in and out.

"The ship one?"

"We need a ship anyways." Bondi started forward. "Let's check it out.

I didn't move to follow.

"You do know that we're not the captain and that he's the one that would need to decide on the ship," I called after him.

Bondi waved his hand at me. "Captain or not, we can report our findings. Should make him move a bit faster."

"You think he'd move to find one?"

He was still walking. I sighed, doubting that he had heard the question that I asked. Rubbing my neck I followed.

The metal clicked under my shoes as I approached the large doors. Even if it was big enough for a ship to be built in it, being so close to the middle of the place would make it impossible to sail the said ship. Which means that they couldn't have gotten very much business and couldn't be all that trustworthy.

But maybe it wasn't ships that they made.

Bondi was the first one to enter the place, looking unafraid of it. I was being more cautious. Taking in the building, the street, the people that seemed to send us looks.

Frightful looks.

There was a mood that hung in the air. Over the thick sexual tension. I couldn't put my finger on what it was, but it clang like water droplets.

The floors creaked under me, the metal bending slightly. I rubbed my fingers together as I looked down, the light overhead not doing very much to reassure me that it was safe to walk in there.

I didn't know what was under the floor. More metal. Water. Or something else.

A whistle sounded. "Look at that."

I followed Bondi's voice, and found him standing in front of a painting. He reached out, his fingers brushing against it.

"That's the Great Dame. One of the first ships that was ever built."

The painting was colorfully painted. Deep gray and silver was used. The sky was an orange color, with black dots on it. Like someone was falling though it. The ship looked like it would resemble the size of the warship or be even bigger than it, but it was made out of wood.

Black wood.

"Great Dame?"

Bondi nodded. "It was one of the first ships, giant ships, that was ever created. A masterpiece. But the only problem was, they didn't have anything to make it move. The wood was too heavy and we didn't have Luoma Light back than either."

Luoma light?

"You mean electricity?"

"Ya."

Bondi seemed to be too caught up in the painting to really be paying attention to me. I sighed, looking at it once more.

It didn't look any more special to me than other paintings I had seen or smuggled. Those the others values I knew, unlike this one. I didn't suspect it would get me very much.

"Who are you two?" A voice caught me off guard.

I turned, my eyes falling on a short plump women. She was balding and had a cane in one hand. It looked like she was a few seconds away from smacking us with it.

"Bondi."

"I see her."

"So not a ghost?"

"Why would she... Never mind. Are you the owner of this place?" Bondi asked as he took a step forward.

She eyed him, before nodding. "You can call me Grandpa Gian."

"Grandpa Gian?"

"Did I stutter?" As she took a step forward I took one back. "What is it that you two need?"

"A ship."

"No." She turned to head back into the door she was standing in front of.

The door hadn't been there before. Or it was a secret one that could only be opened from one side.

"You're the one who wanted to do this, Bondi," I hissed as she was about to disappear.

"We need a ship. Giant but can easily get away from trouble. Hold a lot of us and can withstand storms for more than a few months."

She stopped. "Do you have money?"

"No."

"Than I can't help you."

"Our Captain does."

I watched as she turned, appearing to be more interested.

"You're here to bargain and get a ship, but you're not the captain? Neither of you?"

"No."

It seemed like we were saying that a lot.

The air shifted and grew colder. So much colder. I rubbed my arms as the sudden drop in temperature.

"I'll build you a ship, but on one condition."

I wasn't the only one who was noticing the drop in temperature. Bondi rubbed his hands together.

"What is it?"

The cold didn't seem to be bothering him as much as I expected it to.

"Poker." She raised a hand, holding a deck of cards.

I knew that they hadn't been in her hands before then. She had only been holding the cane. I couldn't say where she had gotten it from, as it seemed she didn't have pockets. The clothing was flat, with a bell bottom, and the shirt was connected to the bottom half.

"You have a deal." Bondi's words had grown more confident. I was sure that he was going to enjoy the game that she was throwing at him.

Unlike me.

"Good, follow me."

Bondi went first. I looked toward the door we came through, having a bad feeling about what was going to happen. But there was no changing it.

Just as I stepped through the threshold, the door snapped shut behind me. I jumped, eyeing it before I continued down the path the others could have gone.

Bondi and her couldn't have made it to far ahead of me.

As I followed the hallways, noises sounded. Steam filling the air. Metal clunking. A growl coming from behind me.

The sounds sent shivers through me as I looked over my shoulder. What I remembered the Island of Giants to be, has yet to be more than that. A place for saylors and who was less likely to accept pirates.

Yet, I knew there had to be more to it.

Entering a small room, I spotted where most of the noise was coming from. The pipes that lined the walls and how a few opened, letting out a certain sound.

"All you want is a ship?" She asked just as I entered the room.

"Yes. That's all we want."

"Take a seat."

I looked at the table in the middle of the room. A pipe went through the middle and up to the celling. It was round and reminded me fondly of the tables at the Going Sally.

Just as Bondi was about to take a seat, she spoke. "Not you, her." Her attention became focused on me. "You're the one who will be playing it."

I gave a pointed look at the man. "Every time I go somewhere with one of you, I somehow get picked."

"Don't think too much of it. The game will be easy enough."

"Right, and exactly what will we be playing with? I don't have money and neither do you?" My question had him pausing as he stepped away from the table.

He looked at her. "What are we paying with if we lose?"

Her grin reminded me of Captain's Velwyn and when I first asked to join the crew. The smile that said she'd be taking more than I had to offer.

Just what is it that I have walked into?

"Take a seat."

I listened, though I didn't want to. My feet moved me across the room and to the chair, the metal cold as it pressed against my back. My eyes never left her as I waited to see what price we'd be giving up.

She took a spot across from me, the deck out of the box and tapping the table. Her fingers were long and slim, her nails glittering under the dim light. The cards were red, with a faint alluringness to them.

It seemed like they sparkled under the night.

"You got this," Bondi whispered as he stood behind me.

I frowned, doubting that very much. "Of course I do. But if I lose a hand or any other body part, it's not Saul you'll have to worry about."

I could have sworn the floor creaked from behind me. Almost like Bondi was putting distance between us.

"Let's do a practice round. Three cards draw. Your wager."

I tried to look at Bondi, but found that I could only look at her. My head didn't want to listen to me.

"What do I have to wager?"

"Anything you want."

"Bondi's boots."

She nodded.

Three cards were dealt to me, face down, before she placed three in front of herself. I looked at the cards, looking at her.

"Ready?"

I nodded. She turned over her cards.

Queen. Eight. Four.

I flipped my cards over.

Five. Nine. Ten.

"You win. Now that the practice round is over, we'll do five rounds for the ship. If you win each round, I'll build whatever type you want, if you bring the Captain to me."

I nodded.

"If she loses?" Bondi asked.

"I keep her."

"Keep me?"

The woman's grin only grew. "That's what I said."

"Keep me how?"

"Keep you to do my bidding. Clean. Fix things. Whatever I want."

I pressed my lips together. That didn't sound like a good idea, yet I couldn't bring myself to turn and curse out the one who had made it possible to happen.

"If she loses even once, she's yours?" Bondi asked.

"Yes."

"Come, Love. Let's make this a bit more fair."

The new voice seemed to break the spell, my head whipping around. There, in the corner of the room sat our Captain. How or when he arrived, well, it wouldn't have surprised me if he been there the whole time.

What was he even doing?