"That was balls, captain!" Alexis complimented as Gunnar steered the ship around a set of rocks.
"Thank you, Alexis." He enjoyed her company more than the strung up guy or the shy little one. He definitely preferred her over the silent one with the 'urges'. "Not a lot of people go where you're going. It's a tiny village out there."
"Yeah, that's how we are." She laughed awkwardly, pretending to read the map she held.
Meanwhile, the guys were clustered around the mast, even at high noon.
'This is okay,' Noah thought, scratching his arm. 'Just us. No Alexis. It's okay.'
"How long have you known Alexis?" Markus asked, leaning against a barrel.
"Huh? Uh, around two years now, since she moved to the city." He smiled, glad that someone was talking.
"She didn't tell you she was a vigilante?"
His smile faded.
Cain raised an eyebrow. 'Oh, burn.'
"No," Markus sat up, waving his hands, "I just meant that she could have. Trusted you, I mean."
He knew that if anyone made Noah sad, they'd have to deal with Alexis.
'Nice save.'
"It's okay. It's not like she has to tell me everything." Noah smiled again, wanting to lighten the mood.
"So..." Why is it so hard to talk to him? "How do you know Alexis?"
"Ah, I caught her breaking into a mark's home. Been friends ever since."
"Oh, that's....nice."
'Slit my throat already.'
"You guys talking about me?" Alexis popped out from behind Markus, making them all jump.
"Yeah, I'm just gonna go... Stand guard somewhere."
She laughed throwing an arm around Markus's shoulder as he walked off.
"Hey, Cain, can I ask you something?"
'I literally can't go anywhere.'
"What happens when you become an Arts user?"
Cain frowned, but indulged him. 'You don't become one. You're born with it.'
"Well, except for me, right?"
He shrugged, not bothering to answer.
He was silent for a few seconds before he gave in. 'What do you mean what happens?'
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything by it." He panicked, not sure how to proceed. "I've heard stories growing up-"
'They're wrong.' He said simply as he closed his eyes.
'Go away. I'm tired.'
"Yeah, sure." He skittered away.
Cain opened one eye to watch him go.
'Weird kid.'
*****************************
Alexis stood near the prow, looking down at the waves. She liked being up here. Made her feel cool.
Something hit the bottom of the boat just as she was about to leave.
"What the hell?" She wondered as she peered over the rails.
On the other end of the ship, Gunnar was having trouble steering.
"Check for rocks!" He yelled at Markus, struggling to control the wheel.
The guard leaned over, but couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.
"Nothing!" He reported.
*******************************
Cain woke up with a start. He felt his left eye turning a lighter shade. A warning.
'Noah!'
The ever-jumpy boy answered immediately. "Yeah?"
'Get Gunnar downstairs. Now.'
He was surprised at the urgency in his tone and didn't think to argue.
He threw open the hatch that led below deck and yelled, "I think there's a leak down there!"
The captain swore, handing the wheel to Markus as he made his way down. As soon as he was through the hatch, Noah locked it shut.
'Now cut me down.'
He hesitated.
"Noah, what's going on?" Markus called out to him.
"He wants me to cut him down."
"What?" He braced himself against a sudden gust of wind. "Don't listen to him! Get away from there."
'Noah, listen to me.'
"Noah!" Markus stopped short, hands slipping from the wheel as he froze.
"Markus!" Without pausing, Noah ran up the stairs to him, going blank when he heard the music.
*********************************
Alexis peered over the rails. 'I know I saw something..'
She turned suddenly as she heard Cain trying to get her attention.
He was silently calling out for her, slamming his heels onto the planks so she would hear.
"What the hell, man?" She approached him carefully until she saw that he was mouthing for her to cut him down.
"Why though?"
Then she saw the pair of arms sliding over the rails near the wheel. Near Markus and Noah.
"Oh shit!"
Cain kicked her in the shin.
'Cut. Me. Down.' He enunciated clearly.
She didn't have time to think about it. She cut through the ropes with her dagger, almost regretting it when Cain grabbed the blade from her, throwing it at Markus.
It hit his arm, not deep enough to stab him but enough to cut the skin. He shook out of his trance, just in time to see the monstrous woman crawling over the rails.
She had long black hair that fell over her face but that didn't hide her round mouth with rows of needle-like teeth. She hissed at Markus, swiping at him with her claws.
Instantly, he let his training take over as he drew his sword and forced her to move away from Noah.
"What the hell is that?" Alexis asked, drawing another dagger as she moved to help Markus.
Before she could take a step, another creature slid over the railings close to them, prompting Alexis to swear and push Cain behind her, much to his surprise.
Now, the appropriate response to a sea monster lunging at you is not to kick it in the face. Which is what Alexis did. The creature dug its claws into her leg and tossed her aside, turning its attention to Cain.
Markus had no qualms about separating the head of the creature from her body, especially when she jumped at him. He kicked the thrashing body over the rails just as Noah woke from his trance.
"Hey, whoa. I got you." He leaped forward to catch him before he fell down the stairs.
Noah flinched, pushing past him as he ran to check on Alexis. She was struggling to get up, her leg cut deep. She motioned at Noah to stay where he was.
He was about to run to her when he felt Markus restrain him.
"Wait."
Cain was moving slowly back, making the creature come to him. He didn't look afraid, the opposite, in fact. He touched his fingers to his left bicep, pulling out a weapon from thin air. It looked like brass knuckles with three barbed chains attached to it.
The creature was not impressed, choosing to jump at him anyway. Cain didn't blink before he whipped the chains at her, binding her with it.
He pulled tighter, nodding to Alexis, who had managed to retrieve her dagger.
Markus turned Noah away as she brought it down hard on the creature's neck.
It took her a few tries to get it free. It was a dagger, after all, but she managed, even kicking the remains off the ship.
One by one, they all collapsed out of shock and exhaustion.
"Hello?" Gunnar banged irritably against the hatch. "Can someone let me out please?"
Noah rolled over to unlock it while Cain touched the chains to his bicep, making them vanish again.
"What the hell happened here?"
Markus pointed weakly to Cain. "Urges."