by M. Arcturus
Pandora sat there stunned for a bit. “You’re right. I better take my time with this,” Pandora said. “What’s the difference between soul’s mate and soul mates?”
“Based on my childhood belief that we are reincarnated, a soul’s mate is someone you’ve been intimate with in a previous life, someone whom you’ve mated with before,” she explained. “A soul mate is someone of your choosing who has agreed to help you out once you are reborn. It could be your mother, grandfather, or a friend. Just someone who helps you find your path.”
“So, you want me to give this new suitor a chance,” Pandora stated dryly and full of duty.
“It will be easier to deal with the situation if you give everyone a chance. I’m not saying either of them are for you. However, you’ll see the situation better for what it is if you keep a cool, passionate eye and a level head. Just try to stay open. You may get in a few tight spots with this adventure, but it will all play out just fine in the end. It will take patience and good timing to discover what you want and know when to say your thoughts to those around you.”
Selené paused to absorb the emotions emanating from Pandora. A smile of calmness came across her friend’s face before she added, “Of course I want you to give this suitor a chance! Seth hasn’t said anything to you about his feelings. It’s been over a year now since he’s known you and took interest. So why eliminate your options?” Selené winked at Pandora. “But in all seriousness, two things can come from this. Either Seth will step up and say something, or you’ll fall in love with the new suitor. Then again, you might not fall for either of them. Don’t get me wrong, we all know Seth has feelings for you, but this situation can only help the three of you find your desires for happiness.” Pandora nodded in agreement and leaned back on the barrel behind her.
Just as Pandora was beginning to relax from her emotional stress, Seth returned from directing and positioning the Secret Guard. He was eager to tell them the weaknesses of the guards’ formation. Pandora gave Selené a sideways glance, partially out of humor due to their previous conversation, and partially due to irritation from being denied the opportunity to bask in her new-found inner peace. Seth was curious as to why Pandora shot Selené the glance, but knowing they were pressed for time, Seth ignored it and expressed his concern, “I have positioned crates and barrels all around the dock so you two can maneuver past the guards to get close to the ship. It would be best if you head for the water, and swim around the ship to board from the other side. I can’t stay with you two. They want me to help them handle the cargo. I will distract them if need be so that you can board the ship, but please be careful. If you are caught, I’m not sure if I can bail you out.”
“What about the crew on board?” Pandora asked searching his eyes, looking for any sign of feeling or compassion. At first, he seemed shocked that she said something to him, let alone try to make eye contact.
“It will take both crews for the task, trust me.” He winked at Pandora and took off. His rain-drenched hair whirled around as he turned to leave. It seemed that his rage from earlier had disappeared in exchange for his new sense of duty.
“Wow, he winked! Maybe you should give him more time after all,” Selené said. “Not that your dad would enjoy the union.”
“Oh, he has nothing against Seth. Seth’s just not that experienced in the fundaments of relationships in comparison to other suitors. He wants me to be with someone who is classy and sophisticated; someone who will treat me right, like a lady.”
“He’s right, Seth is a little bit unpolished, but I do think he could learn quickly enough. And with your help, he’ll learn much faster.”
They could hear Juron barking orders to his men, so that was the end of their conversation, and from the sound of it, it was time to board the ship. Selené and Pandora peered through the cracks of the barrels they were hiding behind to watch what was going on. The team of Secret Guard had just boarded the ship and were now escorting what looked like the captain and an ambassador off of the ship. Angry spats between a member of the Secret Guard, who was being rough, and the ambassador became even louder as Selené and Pandora crept along Seth’s layout of crates to get closer to the ship. The ambassador slapped the guard, but it didn’t faze him. He was completely unresponsive to the blow. He just stood there staring blankly at her. She looked shocked that it did nothing to him, but the act took the edge off her temper. Yet at the same time, she began to exude a sense of helplessness as she shrank back to the captain’s side. They huddled there together trying to keep warm. Seth temporarily broke away from his cargo duties to hand them pieces of canvas, normally used to protect cargo, to use as blankets. This shipment of goods was rather important to Juron, so Seth figured it was best to smooth over the conflict by offering the captain and ambassador some hospitality.
It took some fancy footwork, but Selené and Pandora managed to get right beside the plank that joined the ship to the dock. The creaking of the footsteps above them made dust fall from the plank as the crew moved the cargo off the ship. Selené looked over at Pandora and cracked a smile at her friend who was trying to eye Selené through her wet hair, which had fallen in her face. The wind started to pick up, and the rain fell harder. This was their chance. All the crew members were struggling just to see enough to unload the cargo; they didn’t even notice Selené and Pandora climbing down from the pier into the water. The girls swam around to the other side of the ship’s bow. The ocean water was so cold that they could barely keep the breath in their lungs.
Selené looked up the side of the ship and took a deep breath. They had made it this far, but it wasn’t the Secret Guard or the ship’s crew she was afraid of. It was the hidden cargo on the ship. She wasn’t sure if The Destroyer was still on board or if she ever had been. For all Selené knew, The Destroyer could have been one of the women they had already taken to the dock. Everything started to feel so familiar. It was definitely the ship from her dream.
The red sails blew violently in the wind, the fog had settled around the ship, and the rain poured down as if Atlantis had been on a water shortage. She didn’t want to go aboard, but she could feel the need to check it out for the safety of Atlantis. Getting caught was the least of her concerns. She was more concerned about The Destroyer. Trying to boost her morale, she looked at Pandora. Pandora had barely said a word since the arrival of the Guard, and she hadn’t shown any signs of doubt or fear. Pandora may have been scared on the inside, but her outward strength instilled Selené with the courage to continue their mission. She gave a nod to Selené, letting her know she was ready to summon the surrounding plant life from the waters below.
Sea kelp wrapped around their bodies, and raised them to the ship’s stern. Before releasing them on the deck, the plant life waited for Pandora to look around for onlookers. When she was satisfied with the surroundings, the kelp released them, and they found themselves in Selené’s dream. Pandora slowly manipulated the foliage back into the ocean and thanked it for responding to her summons. Wet and shivering, they quickly looked around the ship to find a new hiding place.
“I think it’s a hybrid,” said Pandora as they ducked behind the nearest railing. “Instead of a tiller, it has a fixed rudder, and the size of this junk is unbelievable. It’s at least two hundred and twenty feet in length! I wonder if the hull is reinforced,” Pandora kept speaking in nautical terms, which had already lost Selené, but Selené didn’t want to interrupt her friend. The rain kept them from seeing anything beyond the helm. They were as blind as the crew coming and going off the ship. Other than the hustle and bustle of the crew down at the far end, there seemed to be no one else on board. Still, not wanting to take any chances, they lay low, being very careful and quiet as they crawled over to an odd-looking square hatch.
Pandora suspiciously eyed the hatch. Most ships of this era did not have hatches. Granted, this one was large, roughly four-foot by four-foot, and was made out of wood, so it was pl
ausible, but she grew more wary. She placed a hand on Selené’s shoulder. Selené looked back over her shoulder to meet Pandora’s gaze. Without words, Selené understood and nodded her head, but feeling like she had to stop The Destroyer at all cost, she reached for the wooden latch and opened the hatch.
Before leading the way down the ladder to the lower deck, Selené took one last look around the ship. It was a magnificent view. Pandora was right; the vessel did appear to be a hybrid. Selené didn’t know much about ships, but she could tell that it did have a few European qualities to it, including the captain’s quarters. Just like in her dream, the railings were decorated with gold Chinese dragons, and the Oriental lanterns cast an orange glow on the fog settling in. As red as blood, the mast added to the rich and colorful surroundings. It was a shame that she couldn’t enjoy the environment. Then again, she was on a pirate ship—would she really want to hang around? Assuming that everyone else on board was unloading the cargo, she looked back at the black hole before her and hoped that it would lead her to where she wanted to go. With any luck, it wouldn’t lead to the same cargo hold that the combined crews were using to unload the ship.
Sitting between the ladders of the main deck, Jarrah, Resheda’s right-hand man, suddenly stood up, interrupting the conversation between the five other crew members sitting around him. His orders were to monitor what the crew was unloading; certain cargo was to remain onboard, but he spotted movement on the far side of the ship. There, past the cargo hold being unloaded and past the grate, down by the hatch leading to the second cargo hold, he spotted the two girls. By now the other five crew members saw the girls too and watched Selené and Pandora head down the ladder to the lower deck. In unison, each crew member turned and searched Jarrah’s face for answers. He flagged them to rise and follow him. Fully armed, they followed suit.
Lightning flashed across the sky as Shadow made his grand appearance on the ship. He had timed it so perfectly that no one seemed to notice him as he stood there with power and prestige. The rain had lightened up a bit, but the fog persisted, hindering anyone from seeing him. At first, his ego was bruised. He craved attention and adoration from onlookers, but then he figured it was for the best. He wasn’t ready for a confrontation with the pirates or the Secret Guard. Shadow had to stay focused on his mission.
His turquoise eyes narrowed as he spotted the dark-skinned warrior, Jarrah, to his far left. Raindrops had collected on Jarrah’s dark skin and had started to run slowly down his chiseled abdomen. Shadow gawked for a moment, then snapped out of it. Reality hit; he wasn’t close enough to actually see the raindrops. Seeing Jarrah’s body, his imagination had obviously taken over. But if Jarrah hadn’t looked so rugged, Shadow would have started to drool.
Jarrah looked around to see if anyone was watching. Overlooking Shadow, Jarrah and his men lifted up the hatch and climbed down the ladder. Before taking action, Shadow briefly observed the other sailors off to his right, who used another hatch on the midsection of the ship to unload cargo. Then he turned his gaze to the dock in front of him, which was loaded with members of the Secret Guard. “This might be a little tight, but doable,” said Shadow out loud to himself. He peered down into the darkness lying below the metal grate on which he stood. He wondered how long it would take for things to get interesting.
Selené and Pandora slid along the walls of the passageway believing they weren’t being watched, let alone being followed. They stumbled in the dark feeling the walls, hoping to find the door to the cargo hold. At last, Selené’s hand found a latch. Praying that they had found the right door, they pushed up on the latch, but it was locked. They bickered for a bit between themselves trying to figure out how to unlock the door. From nowhere, the stench of body odor wafted up to their noses, and they heard a playfully half-laughing growl. Selené and Pandora turned at the same time only to be confronted by the small ensemble of Resheda’s pirate crew.
One of the pirates toward the back of the group had lit one of the lanterns hanging from a rafter in the passageway. The girls could now see the silhouettes of their weathered faces. Most were of Asian descent, but Jarrah stood out most of all. He was at least six feet tall with dark skin, almost as black as pitch, and a long, thin scar across his face. Black tribal markings were tattooed all over his body. There were a few noticeable traces of white pigment splotched all over his chest from patterns he used to identify his class, one of the few reminders of the position he once held within his tribe back home. His black frizzy hair had attitude as it bunched in three clusters on his head, one on top and one on each side. It didn’t look bad, just slightly unkempt.
His eyes were wide and full of amusement. With one swift kick, Pandora and Selené were slammed into the door, which flung open from the force of the blow. It barely hung onto its hinges. Lying on her back, Selené clutched her ribs, which hurt like hell. For one brief moment, in response to the pain, she arched her back and was able to turn her head to the left and looked deeper into the darkness of the hold. On the far side of the hold, about thirty feet away, past the hanging chains, by a stack of wooden crates, she was surprised to see Kajaka holding a tiny girl in his arms with a panicked look on his face.
He was not expecting to be discovered by the pirates, and he was really alarmed to see Selené and Pandora. Remorse filled his eyes as he realized there was no time to fill Selené and Pandora in on why he was freeing The Destroyer. He still had a few more bonds to untie before the feeble little girl could be freed. Kajaka draped the girl over one knee to brace her as he started cutting the last few ropes binding her. Flooded with sheer disbelief, Selené couldn’t believe Kajaka was in on it! He must have made a deal with Juron to help conceal the ship’s arrival to set The Destroyer loose on Atlantis, or so she thought. Betrayal gripped her heart.
Jarrah wailed out in pain as Pandora recoiled and shoved a sharp piece of splintered wood from the shattered door through the back of his knee. Pandora was considered a novice compared to her father’s ranks, but she was far from defenseless. Realizing her ability to hold her own, the pirates encircled her. Selené tried to get up as Pandora fended off her assailants. Before Selené even had a chance to finish sitting up, Pandora cleared a path through the pirates and was on her way to intercept a pirate closing in on Kajaka. She dislodged a chain from the grate above, snuck up behind him, and quickly wrapped one end of the chain around his neck. She cinched it using a loose overhand knot. Gasping for air, he toiled to remove the chain as she threw the other end over a rafter just below the overhead and lunged for the dangling end. With one swift yank, she temporarily hung the pirate, leaving him to struggle. In a matter of seconds, he broke free from the chain and hit the floor underneath him. Pandora had one hand over her ribs too, but kept fighting, giving Selené more time to leave the room for safety or stop Kajaka. Pandora eventually crumbled under the four remaining pirates and prayed that she did her best.
Selené gathered all of her strength, got up, and ran toward Kajaka. She was almost to him when she was knocked on the back of the head, hit the floor, and blacked out. Kajaka, now done untying the girl’s bonds, ran toward the advancing pirates to get to the grate. Shadow had already lifted the grate off of its resting place. Kajaka only had time to pass the girl up through the opening to Shadow before the remaining pirates clobbered him and pulled him back down into the cargo hold.
Shadow didn’t have much time either. Thanks to the door being kicked in from below, the other part of the crew had been alerted. They were nearly upon him by the time he pulled the girl out of the cargo hold. Although the rain made the deck slick, making it difficult to run, Shadow slid around the deck at incredible speeds, dodging the Secret Guard and the pirates. He was hoping that the heavy rain had blurred their vision enough to conceal his identity. Just as Shadow tried to take off with the girl toward the far side of the ship, one fast-acting crew member got close enough to Shadow to try to catch him, but out of desperation, he grabbed for the girl ins
tead. Though it was a struggle, the crew member managed to separate the girl from Shadow. The girl tried to put up a fight, but she was too weak, and Shadow was about to be surrounded. There was no way he could rescue her if he was captured too. He would have to come back for her. Right before the other members of the mixed crew were nearly upon Shadow, Seth stepped in and pushed Shadow, as well as himself, over the railing and into the ocean for a cold, wet reality check. Their lungs had a hard time adjusting to the cold temperature of the water. Despite the cold, they managed to gather the strength to swim away quickly.
Gasping for air, they made it to shore unnoticed. Now that the Guard had seen the girl, they had become too preoccupied with the new situation to pursue the two who got away. Tensions rose between the Secret Guard and the pirate crew as suspicions surrounding the girl intensified. A lethal skirmish swiftly broke out between them. Both sides fought fearlessly, but in the end, a small band of pirates managed to sail away with the Kinnowwa, forced to leave their captain and comrades behind. With bodies broken and egos bruised, the pirate crew didn’t sail off too far. The Kinnowwa lurked just beyond the shallows, watching and waiting.
Juron was astounded! As the injured guards were taken to the medical center, he paced on the pier while deep in thought. He had not been aware that The Destroyer was being held captive on the pirate ship. The captain had a lot of explaining to do. He could hear the captain and ambassador struggling against the guards restraining them. A few times the ambassador almost broke free. They practically had to sit on her to keep her in custody. Juron was not pleased to see that the ambassador was Campanula. He remembered their bargain, and despite her capture, he knew she was relentless, and figured it was time to pay his dues. The ordeal had turned from an underhanded cargo operation, into holding Campanula, the captain, and most of her crew, as well as three Atlantean people, hostage until questions were answered. And there was still the matter of finding rare blood to appease Campanula. Hunting down Seth and Shadow was the least of his concerns.