Nameless opened his eyes only many hours later. 'I fell asleep…' Everyone around him was still sleeping. 'Is it still nighttime?'
Slowly he reacquired the lucidity and went outside. The sky was still mostly dark, but a line of dull whiteness already appeared on the horizon. Some seagulls were flying around the central mast. A gentle breeze caressed his hair.
Under the dark-blue surface of the water it seemed to Nameless to be able to see a lot of fish swimming surrounded by tons of water and absolute silence.
'It must be lonely to be a fish.'
Some random thoughts appeared inside his head. He raised his head towards the sky. Some clouds were quietly drifting in unknown direction. 'That cloud seems like a huge bird…'
*KHRRRYYYYYYYY*
A groundbreaking screeching cry pierced the air.
The cloud he was looking at suddenly accelerated and dived towards the ship. It was indeed a huge bird. It had white plumes with some golden ones mixed in.
Upon its own passage the bird left a trail of clouds.
The bird rapidly approached.
Now it was sure that it was targeting the ship.
Nameless was already pale, but strangely he wasn't afraid. Internally he was sure that on this ship he was safe. The bird was still kilometers away, but its speed was astonishing.
In a blink if eyes it was already before Nameless. His pupils constricted. The time stopped for a moment. An equally giant crow appeared before the strange bird blocking its way.
The bird crashed against the crow, and both fell into the see.
Nameless stood still for a second than he ran towards the hull. Under the surface of the ocean there was a lot of movement and commotion.
Still the boy couldn't distinguish who was winning.
After some time, the fight stopped, and the sea surface returned to quiet. 'I wonder if the crow survived. That bird seemed very fierce.'
"It was a Cloudy Peacock. Very dangerous beast."
As usual Doctor appeared from nowhere. – "Once mature, all their plumes become golden. A fully-grown Cloudy Peacocks are usually named Golden Peacocks instead. They are powerful enough to travel between entire worlds…"
'Travel…' – "Between worlds?" – Nameless was somehow startled. – "You're still too weak to even think about these things."
"Yeah, Doc is right." – James also came out form his cabin downstairs. – "Fortunately, this one was only a little chick, overwise our guts would've already be drifting in the chaotic space." – He was yawning, and it was clear that he just woke up.
"In any case, Boy, the big guy asked me to teach you to use the little toy our Cap has brought you." – He glanced towards the dagger hanging on the boy's belt. – "So, since you are such an early-rising one, I will teach you every morning."
He grinned. – "We can start right now. Take out the dagger."
Nameless paused than obeyed. – "Now, try to cut me with it."
The boy made a wide swing aimed towards the huge belly in front of him but before strangely he missed. He slashed again, and the same situation occurred. – "Can't even cut me? You such a disappointment."
Again.
Again.
Again.
[…]
Nameless was covered by sweat. It was burning his eyes and giving some salty taste in his mouth. After a few swings he noticed that James was able to move for only some millimeters just to avoid his slash. After that he tried to stab him, but still couldn't do anything. 'I'm too slow to slash him, and I'm too slow to stab him…'
James yawned loudly. – "Probably it's only a waste of time. To teach you I mean."
'But what if…' Nameless ignored the taunt and was frenetically thinking. Suddenly his eyes lit up. 'Yes, this may work.'
James sensed something wrong then he saw a very dangerous and determined glint in the boy's eyes.
The boy slashed and the result was the same as always, when he stabbed forward. James was ready to dodge but suddenly noticed a slight movement of the dagger.
He wanted to dodge on the right but changed his mind and stepped left. Meanwhile the boy's concentration was on the peak. The moment of hesitation was immediately noticed by him. 'That's it!' He went for the hit.
The stab suddenly transformed in a side slash. James's pupils constricted slightly. 'Damn…'
*BZZzz*
With a flash Nameless was hit by a small lightning. He flew back, thrown by the hit and his mind was immediately drowned by blackness.
"HAhahahahahaha, it's your loss Pig! He was going to hit you!" – Doctor laughed on the side.
An unsightly expression covered James's face. – "He is better than I thought. It's easy to figure out what to do but manage to actually pull this out is far more difficult."
Nameless has lost consciousness.
"Doc, can you heal him?"
"Sure." – He touched boy's forehead an he immediately opened his eyes. 'What happened? I was about to hit him…' James looked at him and sighed. "It's your win, Lad. I used my bloodline to defend against your last move."
He directly sat on the ground near the boy.
"Now, tell me, what are the advantages of the dagger you have?"
Nameless thought for a second. – "It's swiftness?"
"That's right. The daggers are swift, and easy to control." – He paused for a second. – "In return for the speed it has less damaging potential comparable to other edged melee weapons, even thought it not an absolute certainty. I once fought with a guy who was a real monster with the dagger…" – He subconsciously touched his chest. Exactly where his heart was.
"Ad what will you do if the opponent is faster than you?"
Nameless frowned slightly but James helped him. – "The thing you did before to hit me."
"I try to predict your actions and trap you with my attacks."
"Exactly. So, every morning you will spar with me, trying to land the more hits you can. Today I was careless and underestimated you, but it won't happen again."
Doctor laughed from the side. – "You're just a sore loser. To be hit by a not awakened boy. LOOOSER."
*BZZZZZZ* The lightning hit the spot where the young man was standing, but he had already escaped.
Black lines covered James's face. He turned to Nameless and a ruthless grin that suddenly appeared on his face startled the boy. 'Something bad is about to happened.' He had a very bad premonition.
"Ok, Let's continue our little exercise. Come, attack me." – Nameless suddenly dashed forward but what he wet was a huge fist.
*Bam* The small body was sent flying. – "No enemy would stand still while under attack."
'This is bad. He will kill me for sure…' Thought Nameless. 'Damn Doctor!'
"Again!" – Roared James.
[…]
The following days were a pure torture for Nameless. Every morning he was beaten by James, healed by Doctor only to fall in coma-like sleep, caused by exhaustion, until the next morning.
However, this morning was different. James looked at already ready for the beating Nameless. – "Chill down, Boy. No sparring today." – He pointed towards a certain direction. Nameless looked there and saw a huge and very high island.
"That's the First Star Island from the Seven Stars Archipelago. Only from the first one its possible to enter safely."
Nameless could only distinguish some trees and birds flying around the island.
Suddenly a ray of golden light shoot from it, and not to far from it appeared another huge island. It was bigger but gave of a very incorporeal sensation like if it existed but in the same time not.
After some seconds the golden ray disappeared with the second island.
"It was a Second Star Island." – Commented James. – "To enter it directly…" – He paused.
"Probably only Captain could force his way in." – Concluded another voice. It was a figure completely covered by bandages and Nameless could only see two dead eyes under all that cloth.
It was another crew member but Nameless didn't know his name.
He moved around strangely like if the body didn't really obey everyone of his commands. His voice, instead, made a huge contrast with the death gaze he had. It was extremely energetic and passionate.
'I wonder what's wrong with this fellow…'
Noticing the boy's questioning look, he misinterpreted it and continued his explanation. – "The second island is covered by an extremely stable and robust energy shield. The impact necessary to break it is equally enormous. And only Captain has this level of power." – He stopped, lost in thought then added. – "Maybe also the vice…"
He was interrupted by the abruptly opened door of the captain' cabin.
John slowly made his appearance on the deck.
"EVERYONE! PREPARE TO DISEMBARK IN ONE HOUR!" – His voice had some sort of strange penetrative power, so everyone on the ship could hear him like if he was just behind them.
Nameless, apart the dagger, didn't have anything with him so he only quietly waited on the deck looking towards the growing landmass they were heading for.