2 days later I sit up on the mainmast's lower yardarm, trying to get used to the height still. Now as the sun was almost half way across the sky I think over the steps once again, I picture myself swinging the wooden cutlass through the air in a deadly arch. I knew swords were harder for me, I was more used to a bow and arrow, or throwing knives. But I wanted to expand my skills as far as I could.
But I wonder if they have those types of weapons' on the ship? I need to ask Yunho. Who knows what we're facing in these dimensions, we all need to be able to fight as well as we can. So if I need to use what I'm good at I can.
I'll go ask him right now! I stand arms spread apart for balance, I make my way slowly to the mainmast. I climb down the ladder, still a little to scared to go sliding down a rope so soon. I then set off across the main deck, then down a flight of stairs to a storage room. Once below deck I stop to let my eyes adjust to the light change, the storage room was not lit very well. Before my eyes fully adjust my ears pick up on the soft sound of grinding metal.
My eyes dart around for the source of the sound. I don't see anyone right away so I was getting ready to dart, when they landed on a figure in the back of the room facing the wall. I step closer to see who it was. I let a deep breathe out that I was holding in. It's just Yunho.
"Yunho?" I ask just to make sure. The master swordsman turns with a bright smile on his face.
"Oh, hey Katerina! What are you doing down here?" He turns around on his barrel that he was perched on, to face me fully. In his lap was a bright silver cutlass, and a large stone made for honing blades.
"I was wanting to ask you something about weapons on the ship." I hop my way up onto a barrel of my own.
"Of course. What would you like to know?" He dips his head as he gets back to running the stone over the metal blade. I pause for a moment, just watching him as he runs the rock up the blade. Most the time he reminds me of a soft little puppy, but at this moment I saw another side to the man. A very attractive side. Something about how his eyebrows furrow in the slightest way, or how you could see his arms flexing slightly under his white shirt, or how you could see his firm confident grip on the stone as he runs it up a sharp blade had my brain a mess with different thoughts and emotions.
"Katerina?" I snap back to reality when Yunho's voice cuts through my daze. I could see his light blue eyes staring right at my darker ones. I could also make out a slight red tint to his cheeks.
"Sorry!" I yelp out thinking I had made him uncomfortable with my dazed stare.
"For what?" He lets out a small laugh.
"For staring, that was rude and weird of me.." I bow my head feeling my own cheeks go red.
I pick my head up when I hear him let out a few more giggles. He shakes his head in protest. "No, you're fine. I was just wondering what weapons would you like to know about." He clears his throat after a second. If only Katerina knew that Yunho actually didn't find her staring rude or weird. He found it cute when he had looked up at the girl, her eyes having a far off look, her tongue poking her inner cheek, her eyebrow slightly raised. She had that look when she practices something, or focuses really hard on something. Like how she was doing to the dark haired man.
Yunho just wanted to know what the girl was thinking so hard about.
"Oh, yeah!" I clear my throat before sitting straight. "I was wondering if you guys had any throwing knives, or bow and arrows on board?"
"Why those in particular?" He sets the stone on a barrel and puts his cutlass back into it's sheath on his side.
"I can actually fight with them well.."
"Oh, then why didn't you say something before?"
"I wanted to learn how to fight with a cutlass too. I want to be able to use whatever I can get my hands on in a real fight. But I also want to have the weapons I'm good with too." I pant out trying to make sense as I ramble on.
"I understand. Come on, lets see what you got then."
--
We now stand on the poop deck once again, we came up here so no crew would get caught in any cross fire.
I stare down the shaft of a wooden arrow, eye locked on the dull red center of the target. I could feel the oh so familiar burn of the string cutting into my fingers as I pull it taunt to rest on the bandage covering my right cheek. I exhale right before I let the fine braided string loose from my grasp, slinging the arrow through the air at neck breaking speed for a second before it comes to a stop with a defining 'thud'. As soon as that one hits it's mark I let another one fly, splitting the first one in half. Gosh I missed this feeling. When I had a bow or knives in my hands, I actually felt in control of something in my life.
"Wow." I stop shooting after one more, not wanting to waste to many. Yunho stands behind me with an approving look on his face. "That was good. Now lets see the throwing knives." I nod before walking over and pulling the arrows out of the target.
When I was stranded on that island I had to become good at hitting things at a decent distance if I wanted meat to eat. I had to be able to hit birds, and fish to survive. If it wasn't for that I probably would be useless in any fight. Lucky for me a storm had washed up weapons not long after I landed on that island. Among those weapons' were knives, not really made for throwing but I made them work. A bow and a sheath of arrows, but the string had been snapped along with most of the arrows. I had made new arrows, and found a new string for the bow.
I stand back in my original spot, pulling the slick silver blades from my belt. These knives were made for throwing. I tested the weight in my hand to help get a feel on how hard I should throw them. I take my nondominant left leg, placing it infront of me, before leaning slightly back on my right leg. I lift my right arm, wrist bent back, blade held steady, but lightly in my fingers. I let out a small breathe before I snap my arm forward. You could hear a slight whistle sound as the sharp blade cut the air. This time the thud that came from the target was a little louder, seeing as the knife was a lot more solid then a arrow. Once again I let a few more fly, each one knocking the last from it's spot in the center.
I snap out of my trance when I hear a few people clapping behind me. I turn not knowing anyone but Yunho was watching me. There stood the red headed first mate, along with the dark haired boatswain. All 3 men sat there smirking as my eyes go wide.
"How long have you two been here?" I place the last few knives back into my belt for now.
"Long enough." Came Wooyoung's smartass reply. I roll my eyes before making my way to pick up the knives I had thrown.
"That was really good by the way." The young first mate says politely.
"Thank you." I bow my head to him in thanks.
"Where did you learn how to throw like that?" Wooyoung questions as I walk back over to them.
"Oh, when I was stranded on the island you guys found me on I had to learn how to survive. It was either get good at hunting for prey at a distance or starve really." I shrug looking out over the ocean, before glancing back at the 3 men. They all had different expressions, one looked like he was lost in a past memory, the other just nodded his head in understanding, and the last seemed sad for some reason. I wonder why?
"Anyways... I should probably get back to the riggings.." I trail off after we sat in an awkward silence for to long.
"Right, bye Katerina." Jongho nods his head before leaving.
"See you around." Wooyoung sends a playful wink before following the younger man.
"Let's go." Yunho heads for the rigging as well.
---
That night I had went to bed around the same time as most of the crew. I had been careful not to stay out to late in fears of running into the captain. That man still had my mind a mess.
I had just threw my boots off before slipping on a night gown. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was pretty much dead to the outside world.
***Tw/ beating scene/ blood, gore.***
Whistle..
Slap...
Whistle..
Slap...
A high pitched whistle would fill the air....
Then the sound of leather on flash came right after, followed by a small whimper..
Those sounds repeated over and over again.
Whistle..
Slap...
Whimper..
Whistle..
Slap...
Whimper..
Until the poor teenage girls back was nothing but a mass of torn flesh. Dark colored blood poured out from the wounds like an ink river spilt on parchment paper. The girl was hunched over, forehead resting in her own blood that made a puddle all around her frail body. Ragged breathes raced in and out of her burning lungs. Even though there was air coming and going from her body she still felt like her air ways were slowly closing.
Her back arched as it was met with yet another blow. The person behind the attack feeding off the pain he was causing the small girl. He was mad at her, mad that she would not show her wings to him. She had learnt how to conceal what she was from the world. But he knew what she was, he had seen her wings many times before. He did not care if she showed them to him, no he wanted her to show them to a man he had planned to sell her to. Instead of obeying when the man had come, she defied her 'owner' making him look like a fool in front of a powerful man.
And no one makes a fool of him and gets away with it.
Whistle..
Slap...
In stead of a whimper this time, the small girl let out a scream. One that was filled with so many emotions that any normal human would weep for the girl. But the man standing over her beaten body was not normal, he was cold blooded.
He brings his arm back one last time before hitting the girls back with all his strength. The girls body seizes up before she falls onto her side. Scream after scream ripped it's way from her dry throat. The girl felt like her whole body had been set into a fire, not just any fire. No like she had been set into hells hottest fire. She could almost feel her skin peeling off of her flesh. The pain was to much to bear at that point, the girls nerves shut down one by one. Her body became to overwhelmed. She fell silent, body limp, small breathes barely passing her chapped lips to fill her lungs.
The man stood there shocked for a second before his face twisted into a mincing grin. He had figured out how to get the half angel to show her wings finally.
***
I wake with a gasp, cold sweat damping my night gown. I had not had a dream/memory like that since I had came aboard the Illusion. I used to get them all the time when I was on the island. And when that would happen I would go to the shore to watch the ocean. The soft sound of the waves lapping on the sand calmed my nerves everytime. But there was no beach here.. but I had to at least get out of this small room.
That's how I ended up getting dressed into a pair of dark brown pants and a loose white long sleeve shirt. I check my laces one last time before I climb my way up the rope ladder. Swinging myself into the crows nest, my feet make contact with someone's legs.
"Holy shi-" I cut off my own words when I feel my body start to fall backwards, thanks to me jumping back in shock. My arms fling out in an attempt to save myself from a harsh meeting with the main deck that rest far below me. A hand darts out grabbing onto one of my flailing arms.
"Woah there!" Came the sarcastic call from the dark haired boatswain.
Wooyoung all but snatches me back into the crow's nest, causing me to crash into his chest. We both fall to the floor with a loud 'thump'.
I push myself up on his chest. My breathe gets caught in my throat when I see how close our faces are. I throw myself back yet again, this time I fall back on Wooyoung's feet.
"Calm down." He yells out between fits of laughter. This time I move back in a much slower pace, resting my back on the main mast, cheeks aflame. I really hope it's to dim for him to see.
The handsome boatswain, sits up fixing his disheveled hair. He tilts his head down before shaking his bangs out over his eyes. Then his green eyes lock onto my dark blue ones. I break my gaze away when I see a smirk grace his lips.
"So.. Miss Katerina... what brings you up to my station in the middle of the night?" He sits up straighter, running his fingers through his hair one more time. "Miss me?"
"What?! No!" I shake my head in protest. He burst into even more fits of high pitched laughter.
"I'm joking, Little Kat." I almost choke when I hear the nickname leave his mouth. The only other person to call me that was my grandfather... The way Wooyoung had just said it made it seem like he had known me my whole life. I don't know how I feel about it..
"Why are you up here though." He keeps going like he did not just call me by a nickname. So I leave it be hoping maybe I had heard things.
"It's nothing.. sorry for bothering you.." I stand to make my way back to my room. But a hand on my wrist stops me.
"I can tell something is bothering you." He pulls me gently back down to sit next to him, backs against the inside of the crow's nest.
"How can you tell?" I look to him with wide eyes.
"Why else would someone come here in the middle of the night? Something has to be weighing on their minds to climb up here in the dark. Especially someone who is still scared of heights." He concludes with a knowing look.
"So what is it, Little Kat?" There it was again. I could feel tears prick the back of my eyes when I see the concern flash over his face. But it was gone so fast that I could say it was just a trick of the shadows that dance over his face.
For some odd reason I actually open up to the green eyed boatswain about my 'dream'. He sits there, eyes locked on me as I tell him every detail about what I saw in my sleep. I just wish that it was just a bad dream and not my past coming back up. It's like he held onto every word that came out of my mouth. I had never had anyone care about how I was feeling since I was taken as a child. It felt different, but it was also nice to finally get something off my chest. To share a small part of my past with someone- with someone who actually seemed to care.
"It wasn't just a dream was it..?" After a few moments of silence Wooyoung breaks through the sound of waves lapping against the side of the ship.
"Ho-"
"Because my past likes to visit me in my sleep as well." He turns his head to look at me again, a soft knowing smile on his plump lips.
"Yes... it's alot more then a bad dream.." We both turn to look up at the stars that were scattered across the dark sky.
In this moment I wondered once again how could these men really be as bad as the stories..
And I also wonder how in the world was I going to keep my guard up around them? Everytime I turn around one of them are there to help me with a smile on their handsome faces.
These men were going to be the death of me...