William Kyd

My hands were bound behind me, the rope rubbing against my skin. A man stood before me, his statue was as cold as the sea that surrounded us. The boat rocked, trying to send us into the water that awaited.

I couldn't make out his face no matter how hard I stared at it. It was a blur to my vision. Something that wouldn't become clear.

The sound of a bird's cry filled the air, followed by thunder and shouting. The boat rocking grew rougher and rougher, but we didn't fall in.

I stared at him, knowing that with this man brewed trouble. He raised a hand out towards me as if telling me to take it.

Instead, I took a step back, finding myself falling as my legs hit the boat's seat. The air swished out of me, my lungs crying for what disappeared. Dazed, I tried to push my hands against the seat to bring myself back up but found that it was gone.

Unable to bring myself to look away from him, it was a slow task for me to get back up once again. The thunder grew louder but the rocking had seemed to stop. The wind seemed to whisper my name as it blew against us.

"Who are you?"

Once more he held his hand out as if telling me to take it. I went to take a step forward, only for a voice to stop me.

"Don't do it, Rachel. Don't trust him."

George? I whipped around, searching for him.

The boat we were in was gone, replaced by a long wooden bring. In the distance was a ship, the sails missing as it just floated there. I knew that ship.

It was the Going Sally.

"Don't trust him!" His words wrapped around me, bringing mixed emotions.

"George!" My cry floated through the air.

I couldn't see him. He wasn't there, but I knew I had heard him. I knew that I had heard his voice.

It wasn't my imagination.

George was there.

"George!"

Thunder rocked through the sky as it started to grow black. I hand wrapped around my arm, my head snapping to the man whose face remained a blur. I had to listen to George.

I trusted him and knew he wouldn't lie to me.

My arm was tugged, pulling me away from the Going Sally. I tried to pull back. To break free from his grasp.

The ground started shaking as my name was said. I tried to search while getting free of him. The bridge rolled, sending us into the water. Bubbles escaped as my arms remained uselessly behind my back, and my feet alone could no pull me up.

The currents were strong, pulling and tugging at me. I gasped, feeling as my mouth filled---

.

"Rachel!"

I jerked, my hand to hit the unlucky person daring to get so close to me before I woke up. The faint dream drifted from my mind as I blinked away the sleep and looked away. Sitting up from the bed, I rubbed at my eyes and found Bondi on the floor with one of his hands cupping his bleeding nose.

"What happened to you?" A yawn escaped me as I stared at him. "What time is it?"

It barely felt like I had fallen to sleep. With Saul's endless torture of us and how large the ship was, the night was always long over us when we turned in.

"You punched me." His voice sounded nasal, causing a grin to shift on my face as I yawned once again. "You punched me!"

"In my defense."

Bondi stared at me as if expecting me to continue the sentence. Choosing that anything else would be a better idea, I stood and stretched my arms above my head without saying a word. Ever since the moving island, I found that every now and then I would act out against whoever was waking me.

Unlike the others, Bondi has been the unluckiest.

The thought alone had me wonder if I had done it even before I joined the Undead Beauty. George had never said anything and there were many times I crashed on the Going Sally. Though somehow, I doubt he would have said anything.

I walked past the man as he stayed on the ground. Blood flowed through his fingers and down his arm in a not-so-healthy stream. It was his own fault for getting so close to me.

Choosing once again, anything else was better than hanging around with Bondi, who was sure to move once the shock wore off, I went in search of a clock or window. I needed to know what time it was and then figure out why he had woken me.

There must have been a reason and I couldn't go back now. If I did, chances were he wouldn't be there. Not unless he stayed on the floor for some Jones reason. No, he was sure to have gone to the medical bay or at least in that direction.

Either way, if it was important, Bondi would just find me again. Or I would run into Saul and he would explain it.

As I got close to reaching a four-way, my boots echoed on the metal floors. The sound was loud in the emptiness of the ship. Though it didn't stay like that for long. Somewhere in front of me, there were more footsteps.

As I reached a four-way, I watched as three saylors casually walked past me.

"Morning."

I stared after them and their greeting, finding myself frozen in place. I rubbed at my eyes to make sure that I wasn't imagining things. As I withdrew my hands, I found the hallways to be empty.

Maybe it was all just a dream.

Shaking my head, and blaming both the lack of sleep and Saul, I turned to continue towards the top of the ship.

"It's nothing," I mumbled, not even hearing the footsteps that should have been there with them. "Nothing at all." 

Still, I looked over my shoulder, hesitant to continue to find food when saylors could be on the ship. Something told me that I would somehow end up taking the blame for it, even if it wasn't my fault in the end. After Captain Velwyn's threat, which I knew he would keep his word on, I knew that I couldn't do anything else to get on his bad side.

Yet, I couldn't shake the feeling off.

Why were there saylors on the ship with us?

Clicking my tongue, I tried to grip onto the dream that escaped through my fingers as I went after the saylors. They acknowledge me in a greeting. As if they thought I was part of their crew.

Somehow, I knew that George appearing was some kind of message. Turning a few corners, I made it up on the top deck of the metal ship.

Saylors.

That's what was crowded on top. Most were badly sun-kissed.

I ducked my head, hurrying to a rope that was untied. Conversations drifted around me. Nothing told me what they were doing on the ship.

Nothing said who they belonged to.

Not until a new conversation came. Still, it had confused me.

"Tis is your own fault for chasing someone out of your league."

A scoff escaped from someone. "I am chasing a pirate. Something I recall you asking for my help not that long ago."

Their voices didn't sound familiar to my ears. I turned my head, glancing out the corner of my eyes. Black. Dark colors. High ranking they would have to be, or someone free to choose their colors.

No masks. Of course, Godfather would be the only one to do that. To judge others based solely on him, I must be insane.

"Come on, Kyd. It was a joke."

Like a fist in a stomach, I tensed not breathing. Kyd. No. I couldn't be. It couldn't be.

Right?

"Why are you even here, Ivan? I didn't request your assistance."

A laugh escaped from one of them. Ivan. A mere name that didn't tell me anything.

Thoughts of Bondi and Saul filled my mind. Did they escape? Are they acting like saylors? Were they already found out?

"Look." Their voices grew closer as they started to walk by the area I was in. The rope still untied, my hands froze as I stayed, staring from the side of my eyes. "I heard you were chasing someone. Quite odd if you ask me."

"They stole a ship."

"Ah, but that was only after you started chasing them. Or rather her. So share, Kyd, what's so special about this pirate?"

A shiver passed through me as I wondered who they were talking about. Was it someone from the crew? Or was this the man coming after me?

"I don't need to--"

"Yes, yes. Explain yourself to me. Not still bitter about that accident, are you? I mean, you're a Post-Captain. Surely being that rank, you'll give me a pass?"

They stopped somewhere behind me. Out of view, unlike the rest who were fixing lines. Pulling up boats. Loading things onto the ship.

"Accident?" He bites out.

"Look." The voice, Ivan, sounded sheepish. "I thought it was the pirate. A complete misunderstanding. They had their chance to speak up."

Their conversation confirmed what I feared as well.

William Kyd.

He had caught up to us. And he wasn't alone. 

"You make Commodore's look pathetic," Kyd replied.

Even to me, I knew the words would cut. 

A Post-Captain and a Commodore. Our luck wasn't getting any better.

I moved from the rope, hearing enough of the conversation.

"That hurts. Really. I am not pathetic. I simply lack all the skills that you deem I should have." He paused. I spotted a ladder, though I didn't know if there was a boat. "You still haven't explained why you're so hell-bent on chasing this crew, Kyd. Even for you, it's odd."

I was close to being out of hearing. I perked, wondering if I would know just who it was William Kyd wanted.

"You!" A voice had me jumping my head snapping to the saylor. "What are you doing? Get over here and take these crates to the kitchen. Now!"

I don't know why I had looked or even how I knew it was me being talked to. Though, as my eyes locked onto her, it became clear their words were directed at me.

Hurrying, while hoping that the loose fit saylor uniform I had would keep passing, I grabbed a crate. It was heavy, with some type of reddish balls staring up at me. Not wanting to bring more attention than I had already, I headed for the door that would only lead me deeper into the warship.

I needed a way out.

I needed to find Bondi or Saul.

I turned, avoiding the saylors that were wondering about the ship. Casually talking.

How long had they been there? Had anyone even seen me sleeping? Bondi woke me, but was there someone there before him?

My steps quickened.

If they had, would they not have found it strange? Not question it?

But no one else was there beside him. Bleeding on the ground. Course, I already knew how that happened.

I slowed. He would be in the medical wing, or he would have been. Would he still be? Had the others returned?

How many of us were on the ship?

The crate slipped from my fingers.

Were we in real danger?

I took off, running. My boots slapped against the metal floors, bouncing off of the walls. I slide around a corner, my shoulder hitting the wall. I bounced and kept going.

Where?

I flew down a flight of stairs.

Where?

I passed a room--

"Surrounded we are."

I tried to make a stop, my boots sliding on the metal. My arms went out, swinging. I went further than I wanted.

The door was all but close to being closed. Cracked a hear, but I would know that voice. He was the one constantly trying to kill me.

Some doctor he is.

Backtracking, I was right. Masque stood there, with Bondi, whose nose looked more very big and puffy, and Saul. The three of them spun, though none reached for any weapons they might have had.

"I know who brought all these saylors."

Saul eyed me before nodding. "Hurry, before someone catches you and close the door." His eyes cut to Masque as he said the last part. "We have two ways to do this. Act like these saylors on the ship, and continue to blend in until they are sent to the city. Or try and make an escape now, with the lot wandering around."

I shook my head. "We can't escape. William Kyd, and someone else. Ivan is all I got. Is up top. They're in charge and won't do that. Plus, from my count, there were at least twenty saylors up there."

Saul's lips pressed together.

"So the person we took the ship from finally arrived. Took him two weeks."

Bondi was shaking his head. "Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying that we're screwed? We won't get out of this?"

"No, we will." Saul looked determined. "We'll just play along. We're already dressed like the saylors here. The only thing we have to do is avoid running into Captain and his friend."

"But how will we do that?" Bondi asked.

"Easy," Masque jumped in, a grin that would have sent a sane person packing appearing, "I can make that very easy." The glint of metal in his hand had me stepping as far away from him as I could. "Just let me fix your face."

"Bad enough you couldn't even fix my nose. I'm not letting you touch my face," Bondi hissed. "What's the plan, Saul?"

It didn't take long for Saul to come up with a plan. One that had worked as he had thought, though I knew for me that there had been a few close calls. And as we gathered with the others, ready to go into the city once more, I could tell from the way Bondi kept looking around, more alert than before, that he had a number of close calls.

Acting as one of them, was easier to say, than to do. Even more when you had to do it with so many around.

We also knew that we had to tell the others to keep an even lower profile. And that we no longer had a warship to call home until ours was finished.

We had more than a week to go. And each passing second that brought us closer to the city, I had to wonder how that would work out for us.

Would William Kyd know we were here? Or would he think he missed us and that we wouldn't have stuck around?

I trusted in Saul. Even if he wanted to wring my neck because of my Godfather, I knew he would do what it took. Unlike Captain Velwyn, who was off doing who knows what while a new problem appeared.

Now, if only the rest of the week passed without a hitch.