Knowing that I was defeated, I let Sheva manage those three, while I ca back to the pirates. Watching the survivors, who, while being mortals had won against two apprentice Knights, all because they were closest to each other.
A group of mortals that knew teamwork more than anyone in this group of fools, making them the winners of this battle, albeit, with so injuries.
"Congratulations, you survived the culling," I say, while stepping on the neck of a barely alive slaver, crushing it in the process. But acting as if nothing happened. "Why aren’t you guys happy though? You just survived a life-threatening ordeal, why don’t you celebrate it a bit?’ I said, slapping the back of one, who fell to the floor, as his body had no energy after the right.
"Sorry..." He said while climbing back up.
"Don’t apologize, say ’I am the best’... then deal with your injuries..." An infected wound on the ship is tantamount to dying. There is no cure nor ti for proper rest as now, they will be my slaves instead.
So I had hoped these slaves of mine wouldn’t die while we were mid-journey, making the rest of our journey a bit troubleso.
But it would seem, these n were still in shock, unable to fathom or process what I had been saying. So I said in a strong voice. "I said, smile." It was then and only then, that these n finally broke out in a laugh.
A false laugh, filled with fear over what their future held.
These slavers were no fools, they were aware that like their companions, who is to say I won’t kill them after they lose their value?
Who’s to say, they would survive by the end of the journey?
None of the seven I had chosen that survived this culling knew an answer to this. For all they knew, they were never ant to beco slaves on this journey.
******
"How long do you expect the ward to last?" Sheva remained on the side as she asked, maintaining her distance from Farhad, who seed to be the most aggressive among the trio. Making Sheva more guarded towards him, than Remira.
"It’s a special one, the ward would last over three." There were no lies in Remira’s words, there was no reason to lie.
The Greater spiritual protection ward that she placed on Selene’s mind would give her a strong ntal defense on the sa level as that of an adept Knight. Giving her so respite.
It’s enough ti for Remira to co back with full force and save Number Two from Jester’s clutches.
Though, instead of accepting Remira’s words at face value, Sheva asked. "A ward is ant to work for a week at most, how did you do this?"
Wards at the end of the day are protections in the absence of Charms. They are not universal or can exist for a long ti. Not to ntion, the caster also loses a part of its strength depending on the level of materials that has been used.
The lower the quality of supplentary materials, the greater the cost.
And in this cave of Slavers, there was not much that Remira could use as a dium, besides her blood that is.
"How I did it is not of your concern, just rember to keep your promise. Protect her, she is the reason I am alive..." Number two had saved her life multiple tis, this alone would make it the third ti. But the amount of support and help she had got from Number Two can’t be paid in two lifetis
So the ’Thing’ she gave up in order to put such protection over Number Two is not even enough.
Remira wished to do more. She even wished to abandon a huge part of her blood to cast a stronger and longer Ward on Number Two, but that was not possible due to certain limits and the fact that she had to bring her knowledge to the Order. They need to know what she knows.
They have to learn what she has experienced. And the fact that Jester is aiming for them.
"Don’t worry, I can assure you that nothing awful would happen to her." And Sheva was confident in protecting Number Two as well. Her reason was, that Jester needed sothing from her. A simple ga of a daughter killing her father. So he might turn his head around in this matter if she requests for it.
"Captain, are you sure? She is a criminal, you know. Your friend won’t be able to save Number Two... they need a scapegoat." Farhad said from the side, finding all of this wrong.
Why are they sacrificing Number Two for their freedom?
Sure, Farhad had been suspicious of her since the start, and their suspicions ca true as they had expected, partially that is.
Number Two was manipulated and made to break out Remira as well as Farhad, all according to Jester’s will. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to predict their destination with such perfect accuracy, even putting so of their very own old friends at the end of their journey. Becoming the seed of such an awkward eting their old friends were now foes.
"Although they might have used her to get away from their jurisdiction, they won’t bla her for that cri anymore," Remira said, explaining her reasoning why, which was closer to the truth than one might have expected. "The one to be blad would either be Cynark, or it would be used as an excuse to sully the na of Radiant Order further. It’s a good opportunity for them."
It was the latter, knowing that Radiant Order was moving in the way That Cynark did, I knew a change was coming in that place. So I needed to sully their nas as much as I could before they finally showed their fangs.
And releasing Remira, the stain on their na, would be perfect for this job. As they are the most to gain from this escape.
That is unless Remira chose to use it against , and chose to disappear for years, which would instead bring back the bla on Yethel, as so might just make the excuse that we had executed her while using her escape as a cover.
But would Remira do such a thing? Won’t she be stupid if she doesn’t do it?
I don’t think so. Smartness had nothing to do with this, it’s her creed that makes it harder for her to act out of character. Which makes her predictable as well as a fun character to ss with.
But this was just the start.
"We can’t be sure... he knew that we would end up here, who is to say, he didn’t expect such a scenario to happen? He probably expected us to give her up."
"... there is even a chance, he ssed with her head before, it’s why she made such a dangerous suggestion." As Farhad spoke these words. Sheva, who was above them spoke.
"Wait for her to wake up. You will know if her mind was truly affected or not." She told her own experience with the Ward, how it had broken her out of a slight ntal manipulation, which beca the reason why she is here now.
If Remira hadn’t cast such a Ward on her mind, then Sheva probably would be free of guilt and suicidal thoughts, making it so that she never t with Crow and then followed him into the ruins in pursuit of death.
Before drinking that potion, which awakened her bloodline.
In a way, the reason why Sheva is against Remira is due to the choice that Remira had made that day.
"She is right, the ward cleanses you of simpler influences, as its concentrated power of Radiant covers your mind as well as spirit."
"Then let’s wait..." Not much was left to be said.
And when Number Two did wake up and held the sa thoughts as before. Not much needed to be said anymore.
"Don’t worry, I am a weak person by default, so I would probably say whatever I knew before they harm ... I will be safe." Number Two spoke with so shaless pride.
She assured the two that nothing would happen to her, saying how Sheva being Remira’s friend already made her dependable, even if they were on different sides of this conflict.
But Farhad didn’t find it right. Because it was not right.
It was due to this, that he made a very foolish threat. "Tell this to Jester... if he brings her any harm, I will expose his past to everyone." Words that shouldn’t be spoken, as they earned Remira’s attention.
While I who was on the side could only sigh in disappointnt.
A killer he was, but the wisdom he gained in that dream was nowhere to be found.
Guess, wisdom truly cos with lived experience and not sothing you earn through reading books.
This is one part of Farhad that can’t be fixed through any external ans, he has to learn it all himself.
"A pet shouldn’t threaten his master so much," I said to him, showing my distaste for his words, while Sheva remained quiet, hiding her curiosity over why I kept calling Farhad a pet.
Of course, she would ask it when he is gone, and I already have an answer ready for it.
"Let’s go." Ignoring , the duo chose to leave the place.
While for , I ordered my n to keep an eye on slavers while transporting rations and our captors over the ship, before visiting a private room where Sheva was alone.
I can already predict her rant.
Probably angered over my outburst. She would deride for acting stupid, sabotaging the negotiations multiple tis. Or even trying to look for the fight against an unpredictable pet and a weakened Remira who still held the strength of an early-level Adept Expert.
It’s usually how it goes in situations like these.
But...
"Are you alright Crow?"
Her words caused to turn silent. All the excuses and reasoning I had written to fool her seed useless in front of such a question.
"Why won’t I be ok?" I asked, sitting on the chair holding a slight smile on my face. "You didn’t seem you outside... you seed angry." She asked.
*****
I was worried.
I worried about a boy that I hadn’t known for long, but he still felt like a little brother to .
’Being shot might have been traumatic.’
Yes, I used to go hungry in my youth, but none of it can compare to the things that Crow experienced in his youth.
His father died by his future master’s hand, he had lost entire fingers in order to save and had faced countless dangerous situations.
As for being shot in the heart? It should be the scariest, as this was the closest Crow had been to death.
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