Undead Beauty III

"We're free. Freeeee!"

I looked for the shout, barely having time to step out of the path of the three children running past. I looked after them as they went around other patrons before disappearing around a corner. Laughter had been left behind from them.

My lips twitched as I shook my head and looked back for my destination. Not to far away I found the building I was aiming for. It looked different seeing it under the scorching sunlight. More old and like it wouldn't be open.

I stepped around the saylors, my hand brushing a few pouches as I went though a crowd. Coins clattered as I continued forward, an inch sweeping throw my finger tips.

Over the bridge, I glanced at the confused group of saylors. Two were knelt on the ground, the others looking around as the crowd slowly thinned out to give them room.

I smile as I clenched the single cool metal in my hand. Turning I walked into the ship shop to do as Saul had requested. I looked over the piles of wood, sawdust, and odd shaped metal in search of the woman.

A noise in the back of the shop caught my attention, bringing me to head here. Stepping over an box filled with bolts and screw, I grabbed the door and went in. The light was dimmer, my eyes needing to adjust to see what was in there.

At the desk sat someone hunched over. His shaggy hot red hair stood out, even in the dim light. Something sat in front of him, his hands moving closely to it. It looked like he was trying to build something.

For a moment, I stood there, being reminded of Sakura. Her name almost a distant memory of the past. An inventor she was, who wanted to do nothing more than get on my last nerve.

"Hello?" I drew his attention to me, his appearance younger than I expected. "Where's the old lady?"

For a moment he stared at me before a grin broke out on his face, showing his pearly white teeth. He adjusted the pair of googles around his neck as he pushed away from the desk.

"You must be one of them. The people that Master was making a ship for."

I nodded in hopes that the Master he was talking about was the lady who Captain Velwyn got to build him a ship. The boy jumped to his feet, reaching his hands out.

I noticed the gloves right away, the thick metal around the wrist looking like chains on each arm. They stood out just as much as his hair did even with the dim light we got here.

"I'm Leo, her favorite apprentice."

I took his outstretched around and shook it. "Rachel Schimidt."

"Oh, Schimidt?" He turned his hand letting go of mine at the last second as he went back to the table and started to dig through the stuff on it before he pulled out a paper. "This here, this is a ship we did for a Schimidt. Odd gentlemen he was."

A grin worked its way onto my lips as the boy stared at the paper before looking up. Excitement bounced in his eyes, ready to spring out.

"It's a common name."

It wasn't, but I didn't want to say that. Chances were too slim for it to have been anyone related to me. Last I knew, Dad was off in Redwater.

"That's alright," he said, putting the paper back. "Come on. I'm sure you're excited to see the new ship that Master made. We've added a few new things to it. More space for the crew. A bar room. A weapon room, though I wouldn't suggest putting cannons or heavy weapons in it. There's a... well I'll show you when we get there."

There was a bounce even in his steps as he lead me out of the building. I raised a hand to block out the sun as we stepped onto the metal path, before looking to see he was already moving. Faster than I expected.

Just to catch up to him, I had to jog, barely avoiding running into a man and baby he attempted to cuddle as it cried. He disappeared down an alley and disappeared before I was able to reach him. I once more jogged down it to try and catch up, looking down the next path before continuing forward.

Music floated through the air.

Another alley was hosting a fight, whose cheering had stopped when I appeared for a few seconds before I continued on.

Finally, I came out a few blocks from where I had gone to find the shop. I searched around, spotting familiar red hot hair go around another corner. These kept happening until I was walking on the outskirts of the Island of Giants, the waves pushing against the metal and hammering the pipers were further out.

I didn't spot any ships on this side. We were on the opposite way of where the warship was anchored.

I spotted him leaning against the back of a building. His arms crossed as he stared out at the waters before him. Even as I reached him, I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"For a moment I thought I would have to go back to find you." Not amused as the boy clearly was with his smug smile I pressed my lips together. "The ship is in here."

He knocked against the building with his knuckles. I looked closer at it, but still didn't find how the ship could be in it or how we would get it out.

"I love seeing adults so clueless."

"Just open it up."

He pushed himself forward before turning to face the wall. "Alright, Master! We're here. Crack it open!" He moved to the side before looking at me. "You might want to stand back more."

Listening, I backtracked a few feet and watched what happened next. The sound of gears echoed around us. Grinding against each other.

It reminded me of when we would sharpen knives. I rubbed at my eyes as it happened for what felt like minutes.

Soon enough a hole started to appear as the wall moved up. Water came spilling out, rushing into the waves that awaited for it.

Minutes had passed before the last of the water was gone and the wall was completely gone. I started forward as the boy did the same. The room was large, big enough for the ship and still plenty of room.

The wood was black, something I was sure would have cost her a fortune if she didn't have wood laying around.

"We made it after the Vergulde Draeck."

I stepped in, finding a cold gloved hand grabbing me. I looked down as my foot missed the step before back at the boy.

"This way." He nodded towards the side he had been, where the path was wider. "Since it wasn't requested for a certain type of ship, I got to do it."

He sounded so proud of himself. I looked back to the ship, letting him continue to talk.

"Those chains," he pointed towards the top where the railing was, "I rigged it so one of them would do something really awesome. And the sails, they're meant to match the ship but they'll also provide protection and last longer against attacks. Both crows nests also have been rigged so that you can store drinks in them."

We reached the back of the ship as he paused as he looked at the rudder. He pointed at it.

"I decided to try metal, as you can see, but Master said that wood would be the only thing that could work for it. We'll see when you leave on it."

He then pointed up to the windows that wasn't too far above it. "That's the bar room. Master said it's usually the captain cabin, but I designed that special room at the front of the Jacht. Do you think your Captain will like it?"

Unsureness laced his question as he turned to look at me. The excitement was gone and suddenly it was like I was looking at someone who couldn't be told no. I licked my lips and nodded as I tried to picture just how Captain Velwyn would respond.

Somehow, I didn't picture the change in design, being something he favored. Though if the boy was right, he should have given them a design to go off of.

"Come on. Let's get on."

I followed after him, never questioning why it was me being told about the ship. I put it as the boy wanting to explain about what the old woman had been able to build. A ramp was on the other side of the ship, Leo bouncing over it as he continued to wave me on.

I looked around, my head turning this and that way. The ramp came from the ship, part of it lowering. Looking at the gears at the end where Leo stopped, waving at me to hurry once more, I knew that they had designed the ship in an odd way. Would we no longer have to heave and ho the stuff up?

Walking up the ramp, I entered the gun port. My eyes scanned over the eight cannons that loaded one said. Each one had a small rack beside it with two balls stacked in them.

The ammo set to go. It seemed for at least a few rounds, the Captain wouldn't needed to supply it. On both sides of the ramp, were two cannons each. Though, I couldn't spot any racks next time them nor were the windows open.

"The cannon room! See, that over there, you have eight of them. And look, if you do this," he did a little dance, his feet tapping the floor in a few different spots, "you get that!"

I turned as he pointed towards the back of the ship, expecting to see some sort of cannon or other defense. Instead, I was blinded by different colored lights and old folk music.

Using my hand, I blocked as much of the light as I could to see what else there was.

"A bar?"

"Yes!" I didn't need to turn to know that it was him jumping up and down as he answered me. "Yes. See, I figured, with it taking, what weeks between each city? That you all could use a bar. It needs a few tweaks but nothing a few more days won't fix."

Days. I didn't know if we had days. Captain Velwyn did tell her it was three weeks, but he wanted to leave a few days early. What with my Godfather questioning things, while spilling the secret that he knows who they are, and the arrival of the very man chasing us, it was better if we didn't stick around.

Especially now that they were able to get the warship back.

"Now let's go to where the supplies would be!"

Hours passed before we were done exploring the ship. Considering that it wasn't as big as the warship we had, I knew that it shouldn't have taken that long. Yet, the boy with his excitement wanted to show me each of the odds he had placed into it.

We had plenty of room in the supplies area, that it would last us the distance between at least two towns. So long as we didn't run into any problems, but with this crew, who knew what they were planning. I don't think the Captain was even sure what the next step would be.

The crew quarters was split up into different areas. The beds were had before were long gone and once more we had hammocks. Each area had two, one above the other.

Take some work to be use to those again. And not to kill the person who slips above me.

We even had a medical room, though small it was. Wouldn't hold anyone if they needed to be fixed up while laying down, but sitting and standing, that can happen. It also happened to be one of the bathrooms.

We didn't look at how the underneath worked. I didn't care about the machines behind it all, though I hadn't much cared to be dragged around by a kid either.

The last stop was the bar room. Who knows why we needed to have them, but the kid made it happen. It was different though than I expected.

Tables were there, much like the Going Sally. Move them to the side, and you could have a good training area for those who needed to work on knife work and punches. Learning how to fight better wasn't at the top of my list of things that needed to be done.

It was also a good place to set up the plans if the Captain asked the crew again. A world-ball had been placed in the center of the room.

A single touch would send it spinning.

The bigger cities were marked. Island of Giants. Carlisle. Lumore Axre. All, fifteen of them.

Though those are only the cities here, in this part. To the North, we didn't have anything besides the Capital city written down.

I knew there was more out there. I had been able to get plenty of stuff from there and that's where a lot of the navigator stuff came from. I didn't know if Redwater controlled that area or not.

To the East and West, I knew wars wagged. Those weren't much concern to Redwater or anyone else. Carlisle was safe, being in the direct middle and bottom. We were closest to the South, were the world seemed to only to continue to expand.

So much water there was. The only land where Redwater was. Sure, we could get soil and feel it, but we would never get to experience that much. It was the safest place for anyone who was seeking a new life.

The South had the biggest advantage. More advanced than some areas. It was probably where they were getting the warships from.

"Rachel."

Maybe it came from a different area. I mainly only knew Calisle. It had been my home. The only thing I knew living on the seas. For being a smuggler, I sure hadn't gotten out that much, yet I was still always able to satisfy my clients.

"Rachel!"

I jumped, looking to see who called my name. "What Bondi?" It took me a second to realize he was there. "Wait, how did you find this place? I haven't even reported back yet."

He jerked his thumb to the side. I spotted Saul talking to the old woman, his hands moving slightly.

"Saul. He figured it out by asking a few people."

I could imagine he had to do more than just ask them.

"I was coming back."

Bondi shrugged, before he brought my attention back to the globe as he spun it. "You were taking too long. Saul said we were moving out tonight but he wanted to make sure the ship could float before he told the rest of the crew."

I watched as the names flashed before my eyes.

"And? Where is the rest of the crew?"

"Cap is off gambling this beauty away. Half the crew probably drunk in some ally if they're not fighting. The ones we spotted on the way here, well Saul spotted. We can't escape his eagle eye. They're getting the supplies we need."

My mind was still processing the first bit he said.

"Why would the crew be fighting?"

Bondi clicked his tongue. "Same reason you did, I suppose. Money. See if they can win. Figure out these saylors strengths. Make wagers and win some knowledge. We each would have a reason of our own."

"You?"

I looked towards Bondi. He folded his hands together as he took in the room. He seemed almost different that day.

"I fought. I lost." He shrugged but I knew there was more to come. "I learned that my hometown is fine. Bandits tried to raid it, but a crew of pirates had stopped that. The saylors had been at the next town. Usually a three day trip but with a paddle boat, it took them twice that if not more."

A shiver passed through me as he said that. At least someone had been able to help.

"The pirates were gone, but even the saylors that had been there were grateful. A reminder that not all of us crooks. Not all of us are like Henry Jennings. A bad name he gives us," Bondi said, before looking at me. "Come, looks like Saul is ready. We'll be rounding everyone up."

I followed knowing that rounding everyone up would not be as easy as he made it sound. 

[WORD COUNT: 90,743]