"Hey is she alright?" called out a man with a clear soft voice, who looked rich coming from his appearance being that of fancy, but not in the literal sense I'm talking about.
"Yes she is certainly okay but a little low on water," I said worried for her as I carried.
"I'll lead you to our village, we have some great liquor and food that will help." the man invited us, with me being suspicious of him but shook my head and followed.
If I had a nickel for every unexpected event I'd be a millionaire, but unfortunately, that's not the case and it wouldn't be appropriate to wonder something clinched like how I did, but I've wondered why the end to the seas was so abrupt.
And some days ago back to the lull of the sea, with everything I could have imagined came to an end with some twist and turns that were rough for the better.
"Wake up, it's time for supper!" the captain called out like any other day.
"So much noise..." I yawned, putting the blanket over my head.
"Master, I know you've been exhausted lately but please do mind your health." the woman told me, brewing a cup of tea.
"I do mind it, you have to remember I still have my spark in me as I'm not ready to go out just yet," I exclaimed sitting up.
"Is that so?" the woman said.
"Yes, now go out for a bit, I'm getting changed," I asked in a grumpy voice.
"I'm going to stand here and watch instead if that's okay with you Master." the woman smiled.
"No, I insist you do go out as I'm sensitive about it right now," I asked her again.
she stared at me, doubting that I'd tell her off like that for changing into different clothes, but unfortunately, it seems unlikely she'd leave right this moment so I have begun to let her do as she pleases.
"Ahh.. this is still embarrassing!" I thought while keeping a curved smile.
"Heh." the woman smirked.
"What is so interesting about this anyway?" I looked at her in sheer embarrassment.
"Well... you have an interesting build Master, it's very alluring," she said while staring at me some more.
"..." I took a deep breath in.
"Hey, can you come over behind me?" I asked her, "I need a massage if you could give me one." feeling stress all over my body.
"Hm? oh my you're asking me?" she said while her hands were touching slowly on her chin.
"Y-yes..." I stared at the woman stuttering although this isn't the first time I asked her something
"hehe~" she chuckled while moving behind me.
"Uhm..." I sat trying to keep a calm composer and muffled out words that made no sense.
"Could you massage my shoulders by any chance?" I said and somehow got pushed down on my face toward the bed in this small cabin.
Becoming suddenly confused she began to put her hands and rubbed at different places to see if any knots could be loosened up, and that's what she did rubbing it and pushing down to see if that relieved some of the tension built up.
The woman stopped for a moment while I just stared directly at the wall with no appealing paint on it as it was just wood, and she then proceeded once more to look for more knots, while pressing down on my back which did hurt but felt pleasant at the same time due to her caressing me carefully.
"Master, you are very disproportionate, and your shoulder blades are stringed together like a knot." She said weighing her force down onto me with her hands.
"Knot?" I questioned with only one word feeling ticklish sometime after.
"It's something that when you don't have correct posture, you will get Master, that's why I'm relieving it and you'll need to do stretches' every day maintaining an orderly posture." with sweat on her face pushing out all the tension.
"Eh? Do I have to do it every day, I don't know but it seems like too much work." I was about to continue on but somehow I was cut short with what I was saying as she spoke again.
"Master, health comes first I won't let you sit around or stand up with bad posture like that this time around with the days passing by," she said firmly before grabbing my waist suddenly and was snuggling me.
"Oh this is sudden, but are you finished?" I looked peculiarly at her, with opened eyes.
"Not particularly Master, there's one more thing to do," she said ready to do something I wasn't prepared for.
And that's when my arms were being stretched back very far causing bones to release and pop that had made me ache so much that my body motion rumbled but after she let go and my hands plopped on the bed, all the tension was released and I breathed with relief.
"That... was the most pain I've ever felt," I said grabbing a bottle of water, opening the lid, and proceeding to drink some water down.
"Well you'll feel much more relieved after some time Master." the woman smiled before telling me afterward to go meet her on the upper deck after I get ready.
Sometimes I wonder if this was all normal, and I was sort of getting homesick and missing my original world, but I clapped my cheeks two times and tried to clear up the thought since I knew if I keep going forward things will take a turn for the better or worse, but I didn't let that bother me so I got clothing on and went out some hours later.
"Everyone!" shouted a crewmate who was running inconsistently trying to tell us something urgent.
"What is it?" everyone turned to the crewmate with strapped ragged clothing and messy long hair with a beard questioning what might have happened.
"The boat has been struck at the bottom and is letting water in!" He pointed down below the deck that we cannot see and thought he was just joking.
"Can't you see we are having a feast?" one of the crewmates told him eating a burger.
"And can't you see that the boat is moving oddly?!" he said with fury eyes because they didn't take him seriously.
"Are you sure this is right?" I questioned the crewmate walking up the stairs menacingly.
"Yes, that is right man! tch' they wouldn't even listen to me." he spitted and stomped his feet to the ground which caused it to squeak.
The captain ran out as soon as it was sinking and told them all, "Ye' all! we are going to be landing on an island in the next minute before we sink!" he said before everyone started to panic and run like cats.
"What in the actual fuck?" I bobbed my head and was surprised at them not keeping calm about it while the captain steered the wheel.
But unexpected events always happen one way or another, as a large wave coming from beside the large boat was incoming forward quickly which I only stared before the impact of the massive splash, making the boat flip sideways and turned below making a lot of crewmates including the captain fall off; as I passed out in water floating after thinking of the woman hoping she was safe at least.
[Some time ahead]
As I opened my eyes slowly I felt something behind my back, still thinking in my head I proceeded to get up slowly and quivered badly, but opened my eyelids and saw land with lots of grass and a pathway ahead.
"Wait.... eh?" I've said quietly with the woman beside me, seeming a little droughted and was pale a little.
Poking her slightly I realized she passed out completely and isn't waking up anytime soon; which worried me so I stood up slowly and bent slightly to lift her in my arms and walked slowly forward.
That's when I saw someone coming close to us which I was scared of but had no places to hide, and so I walked towards them on a whim and hoped they pass by ignoring me and the women.
As I expected however once I got close, the man who had a peaked flat cap that was black and had a nice black attire which seemed to be made by feathers and some other unknown silk that were made to make it, which the man proceeded to wave and opened his mouth.
"May I ask you kind sir if you need any help." he asked kindly with a crane in his hand and I realized immediately he couldn't walk well and was pretty old from the looks of it, but since I was suspicious I still answered, "Yes I do, may you take us to someplace safe?" I requested hoping he would.
"Why yes I will gladly take you Mr..." he paused and looked at me and saw the tears in my eyes.
"Uh. Mr. Liam, you can call me just that." I told him and was shaking horribly, but could handle it for the duration.
"Mr. Liam it is, and I'll tell you young lad' I am named Charles so please don't be so formal to me as I am growing weak by the passing minute," he said holding the tip of his cap and moving it down and up as to say he will take us now.
"By the way, Charles do you have any bottles of water?" I questioned as I am concerned for the woman and wanted her to drink water now even if she doesn't wake up because of it.
"Sure Mr. Liam." he agreed and grabbed a bottle to throw lightly in which I caught without dropping the woman and opened the cap.
And I proceeded to open my mouth and poured some water in it and opened the woman's mouth and kissed her taking the cold liquid down her throat as she swallowed unconsciously.
"Thank goodness." I sighed with happiness and told the old man to move forward to show us a safe and good place.
We walked for a quite long time, but not overly so like the time I followed the woman for nine to ten hours I had remembered, though I've forgotten completely from that time due to all the problems I faced thus so far.
"Are we closing into this safe place, Charles?" I asked after walking for one hour, still holding the woman like a corpse.
"We are here already Mr. Liam." he smiled before telling a guard standing in front of the gates to open it.
"Um. Hello Sir. Knight in shining armor." I greeted but was left with a sneer from the knight as he opened the gates and walked to the side grounding himself standing straight, and stared at us as we entered.
"Isn't he being a little uh, harsh?" I whispered to Charles, and he shook his head but had a frown afterward which made me wonder why.
"Sorry Mr. Liam for the impoliteness of knights, it wasn't always like that." he apologized and continued to walk with his crane.
"Don't worry Charles, It's quite peculiar imaging what could have happened, but if you could tell me some stories about this town I would like to hear, maybe I can help out later?" I said with confidence and he simply whistled mesmerizingly.
"We are here now, I'm sorry if it's not the most appealing house I have to live in, but it's two stories so you two could have a room upstairs," he told us after the long walk before unlocking the door and opening it; creaking slowly.
Inside was a dark space with some lights and unpainted walls, some ruffled clothes on the seemingly brown parchment couch, with an interesting handmade rug with weird patterns when we entered and took our shoes off.
"Oh do you have a bath in here Charles, and if so may we use it?" I requested a second time and also thanked him for taking us to a safe place that became more suspicious when that guard sneered at me harshly.
"You may Mr. Liam." He shook his head and took off his cap and his scarf, placed it on a coat rack, and took a sit on the couch but did not say anything after that.
Once I walked up the stairs I saw a room we can use and opened the door, which had a cold atmosphere to it but there was a heater so it should all work out but this room had an intriguing chandelier and some candles with a large heart-shaped bed, which creeped me out.
"Ugh, I won't even question Charles for this." I facepalmed but placed the woman on the bed whose clothing has dried up and went to take a bath next to this room.
After preparing the bath I took a deep breath and focused on my energy more, which now is in control by a small percentage but uncertain when it will hurt my body, but scrubbed myself and my hair with shampoos and body wash and was almost completed by then and got out and took a towel and cleaned myself and dried my hair.
"I wonder what will be in stores for us now..." I looked above me and got whatever wear Charles had.
After going out I went back to the room, plopping my face down on the heart-shaped bed, and turned at the woman who now looked a little better, but snored suddenly which I laughed halfheartedly before passing out.
And with that, all the events that took a turn for the worse and now finding a new place to stay, I the weakest hero swore solemnly that I'll never adventure out like that again with the woman, waiting for the next day to come and uncertain what will happen now.