The door closed behind John. He placidly looked at Nameless. Kali frowned. – "You know each other?"
"Yeah, the boy is from my temporal crew member."
The woman's expression slightly changed. He looked at Nameless and this time there was some pity in her gaze. – "I'm sorry for you, lad."
'What's going on?'
John smiled. – "Come on, don't scare him unnecessarily. I already told them that the trip will be dangerous."
"So thoughtful." – Commented coldly Kali.
John signed. – "Some things have to be done, and this time there is no other way." – His eyes lost some liveliness. – "Did you made the thing I asked you?"
"Sure. Who do you think I am?" – She opened a door behind the counter and swiftly went in.
Meanwhile Nameless observed his captain. It was a middle-aged man. Short black hair stood straight and gave him some fierceness, but the kind and a bit apathetic smile destroyed completely this impression. He was wearing a simple leather coat with the same emblem James had on his shoulder: a ship pierced by a huge sword with a skull-shaped handle.
"Nameless boy, how did you get here? Non many can find Kali's shop."
"I was chased by a man with an azure misty beast and somehow arrived here."
John seamed distracted for a moment. - "Azure misty beast? Hmmm…Ah! It probably was Old Hound with his little pet."
"To think that you are still alive…"
Nameless thought for a second. – "I told him that I was a temporal crew member form your ship and he left."
An expression like "now I understand" covered John's face. – "It's because the Old Hound is…"- Kali returned holding a box. She placed it on the counter. – "Here's your order. Control if it's ok."
John smiled – "If It's necessary to control the quality of your work then probably I'll have to search for another weapon master."
"I doubt that you could find someone better than me." – She glanced with arrogance at him. – "Or at very least not someone as beautiful as me."
John smiled and took the box.
Nameless looked towards his captain. "Sir, can you help me to return to the ship?"
"Sure, just follow me. Blackwater indeed can be very maze-like."
They were already near the door than Kali stopped them. – "I completely forgot. The boy before touched a dagger here." – John stopped. An annoyed expression appeared on his face. – "And he was affected by it's power. I had to expend a LOT of energy to save him."
'Really? She saved me?' – Thought Nameless.
Meanwhile Kali continued. – "So, I think that you can buy the dagger, and give it to the boy. Since he was able to find my shop it's already praiseworthy." – John still didn't move, and his hand was a few centimeters away from the door handle. – "At least, sometimes, be a good captain."
Nameless was surprised and happy.
John turned around. – "Fine! How much is it?"
The woman grinned. – "Five hundred."
"Have I ever told you that you are a bitch, Kali?"
"Yes, many times, my dear John."
He went to fetch the dagger. – "Oh, he didn't die immediately after touching it?" – Even though he was still very gloomy now, a slight surprise could be seen on his face.
"He has some potential." – Commented Kali while counting money that John has just given her. – "Hmm, I said five hundred and here I count only four hundred."
"Maybe you don't know how to count? And It doesn't value that much." – But Kali immediately retorted. – "But the seal I placed on it to avoid that the boy really dies the next he touches it is very valuable."
"…Fine!"
The man and a boy exited the shop. Nameless, with a new dagger placed on his belt, was surprised to see a completely new and unfamiliar street. At least he was sure that it wasn't the one from before.
John, still somehow annoyed for the loss, noticed the boy's expression. – "In this city, only the central tower stays still. The rest of buildings change their location very frequently. Some of them, Blood & Whiskey" for example, even exists contemporary in more places."
"Now follow me. I have to fetch some people, and then we will return to the ship."
Without waiting for an answer captain directly went inside the maze-like city. Nameless hurriedly followed up.
Captain wasn't bothered by nearly identical streets and went on without stopping even once. Nameless noticed that sometimes, then he slowed down, John became blurry and only if they stayed close, he could follow him.
Suddenly for Nameless John stopped. The boy looked around saw that they were in front of a large square. In the middle of it there was a huge black tower.
John stood quietly, waiting for something. Nameless did the same. The tower didn't have windows but only a single small door.
After a few moments John signed, breathed in, and then screamed. Nameless closed his ears with hands. – "OLD ONES, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO WAIT FOR YOU. OR YOU COME HERE OR I'M GOING AWAY!"
"Trying to be mysterious with me…"
The tower slightly trembled and the door opened. One after one thirteen hooded figures appeared and stopped before John. One of them stepped forward. – "Captain Samael, our agreement is beneficial for both parties. No need to be so hostile."
John frowned then the man used his second name to address him.
"No one is hostile here. I truly don't have time."- He turned back. – "Let's return to the ship."
Surprisingly they returned to the ship only in some minutes. It was impossible to tell that they crossed a huge distance to return.
This time then they got on the ship Nameless was surprised to find a somehow lively atmosphere. There a five people talking about something. One of them was James.
One they saw John, everyone greeted him.
Captain nodded and went to his cabin, followed by the hooded men. James also noticed that nameless was with captain then he arrived.
"Hm, you met Cap inside the city?" – He inquired.
Nameless told them what happened to him inside Blackwater.
"Lucky bastard." – Commented James. – "The one who tried to kill you, Old Hound, is also crew member here. He arrived just an hour ago."
"Let me see the dagger, boy." – Said another one from the group. It was a ferocious and extremely muscular man. He had as much muscles as much fat was in the James's body. Nameless hesitated but James reassured him. – "He is Benjamin, he only seams ferocious, but he will never steal something from a child."
Nameless gave him the dagger. It appeared very small once in Benjamin's hand. He examined it for a minute. – "A good blade. Sealed, but still very good." – Then he looked towards Nameless. – "A pity that you don't know how to use it." – With that he returned the weapon to the boy.
After some other questions Nameless returned to his small lodging.
Benjamin thought about something and then glanced at James.
"What?" – Benjamin continued to look at him. James signed. – "Such a bother. Ok I will teach him some basic things. At least he will be able to use the little toy that cap brought for him."
Benjamin only nodded.
Suddenly from the lower deck appeared a cloaked figure. – "Oh, Old Hound. Are you losing your skill? Can't even catch a child."
The figure remained silent.
Someone continued to tease him. – "Or…maybe you are not so good in the first place?"
Old Hound didn't seem bothered, so the other party stopped.
But after some time, a very rough voice, interrupted them. – "Couldn't…" – Everyone stopped. It was a rare occasion for Old Hound to speak. – "Couldn't smell…the boy. My little…couldn't…perceive…the boy."
"What?!"
Even if someone previously dismissed his skill, still all of them knew how, monstrously good was this old man at hunting. And with his little "pet" he could even claim to be the best.
For him to say that he couldn't immediately track a little boy, was already something nearly impossible.
"You couldn't kill a non-awakened child?"
The Old Hound didn't say anything else and returned to his cabin in the lower deck.
Meanwhile Nameless, who was already in his corner, didn't notice as a nearly invisible strand of azure mist appeared on his forearm and quietly disappeared.
'Hmm? I suddenly felt as some sort of pressure disappeared…strange.'
He was examining the dagger. It was extremely ordinary and somehow different from the time then he touched it at the shop. 'Maybe It still has some strange power…' But no matter what he did nothing special happened. He remembered that the shop owner told John something about a seal. 'Well, at least I won't die from using it now.'
'But I must ask someone to teach me of how to use it properly.'
Thinking about this, he leaned against the wall behind him, and suddenly an extreme fatigue assaulted him.
He nearly died, and even if he didn't particularly cared since in this world the premature death was a very common occurrence, still he was tired.
His eyes slowly closed, and he fell into comfortable and warm darkness.