The burbling of the waves woke Hilo up. He sat up only to find himself in his cabin. Stumbling to his feet he turned to the mirror that stood over the dresser. He couldn't help but notice the scar running down the side of his face. Hilo lightly pressed on it with his bandaged hands only to feel nothing. It didn't hurt but for some reason looking at it hurt.
Not knowing what happened Hilo made his way out of the cabin into the creaking hallway. The hammering sounds followed by some shouting flowed in from the main deck. Stepping onto the main deck Hilo covered his eyes as the radiant rays blinded momentarily. The salty breeze smothered him as the blur in his eyes settled. Hilo turned to the banging and a group of crew members was patching up the ship. Even the main mast was standing again.
'Lunch!' Captain Ben's voice shot out from behind Hilo. The floorboards began shaking as the crew dropped what they were doing and all rushed in past Hilo who was still regaining his senses. As the deck calmed down he turned to the ship's railing where Oran sat reading a book.
Aaron was standing over him. Hilo couldn't make out what was being said thanks to the chatter and laughter flowing out of the ship. He decided to ignore the two and turned towards the noise from inside the ship. The closer he got to the source of the explosive racket the more the floorboards shook. The floor right under the cabins was where everyone had gathered.
Rows of long tables stuffed with crew members stretched out. All of them suffocated by each other as each person in every conversation got louder than the last. Hilo's eyes glossed over the room ending at the stove and short table where Captain Ben stood. He slouched over an enormous pot throwing different ingredients into it followed by different colored fumes puffing out. The only open space just so happened to be near the stove so Hilo made his way over there. The closer he went the more his nose began to twitch from a smoky yet fresh mint-like stench in the air. The closer Hilo got the more the smells would change. From a mint-like stench to a piercing citric smell, sweet yet sour. Then to a bitter burnt wood odor. Afraid to take another step Hilo stood in place not sure what his next step would bring.
'Hey, look who's awake, kid.' Leon said. He sat near the stove but Clint was not near him. Hilo glanced over to the corner of the room. The farthest part away from the stove. The monkey sat on a crew mate's head with a large grin on its face. Captain turned around as with the pot's lid. Releasing the gasses into the air. Hilo pinched his nose but it was too late he had already smelt the vinegary musk in the air.
'Oh boy, you're alive.' Captain Ben said as he walked up to Hilo grabbing his shoulders. Hilo's body jolted as his eyes darted at the Captain's left hand which grasped the pot's lid.
'What's that smell?' Hilo said.
'What?' Captain Ben asked as if he couldn't smell the gaseous disaster he'd concocted. The people behind Captain Ben began waving their hands franticly while shaking their heads. Hilo began squinting as he tried to make out what they were saying. Which only made the eyebrow risen Captain turn around. The crew instantly returned to normal acting as casual as they could.
'He must have smelt the great food you made. Isn't that right kid?' Irene said as she threw her arm over Hilo's shoulder nudging at his side with the bottle in her hand. The pounding pain from the bottle was barely noticeable compared to her scent. A sweet yet alcoholic citric odor oozed off of her. It was a far more comforting scent when compared to the erratic nature of whatever the captain was making.
'Um yeah, that's what it was.' Hilo said. A smile shot across Captain Ben's face as he swaggered back to the pot.
'Since you're so excited I'll put extra just for you and Irene come on it's so early and you're drinking already?' Captain Ben said. Irene waved her bottle around before bringing it chugging down.
'Come on Benny I'm a big girl. I'll drink whenever I want. Come on Marco.' Irene said as she tried dragging Hilo to a seat. But only ended up staggering side to side. Hilo had to guide her to a seat next to Leon. After letting out a sigh Captain Ben shook his head and served the 'lunch' as he put it.
The 'lunch' was a purple soup with and blend of green and red somehow. Hilo poked at it first before looking around to see if he was the crazy one for doubting this. The intoxicated Irene just slurped it all in one gulp. Some of the crew members pinched their noses before downing it in one fell swoop with tears in their eyes. They all seemed to hold in their gaging allowing only slight muffled versions out. Others seemed to take it one spoon at a time allowing their mouths to rest before torturing them again. Hilo held his breath and chugged it all at once.
At first, a bland taste covered his mouth before his throat began to burn. An intense spicy hot sensation engulfed his chest as tears started forming in his eyes. The burning soon turned to a sweet relief which didn't last long as a vinegary taste overtook everything else causing a gag reflex from Hilo.
'Why do you let him cook if he can't?' Hilo said.
'Usually, it's either Jules or Vince who is in charge of cooking. But Vince has been asleep since the attack and Jules was busy today. The Captain wanted to cook we didn't have any reason to say no.' Leon said as he took another slurp from his spoon. Hilo looked around the quietened hall now noticing a box that was almost identical to the one on the main mast was here as well.
'What happened to the pirates?' Hilo said.
'We took care of them.' Leon said.
'Took care of them? You mean…' Hilo said as he raised his eyebrow.
'What? What's that? Are you sick or something?' Leon said.
'Kill I meant kill. Did you kill them?' Hilo said.
'No we didn't and I knew what you meant I just wanted to hear you say it.' Leon said letting out a cackle. "This guy isn't serious is he?" Hilo thought.
'Then how long have I been out?' Hilo said.
'3 days.' Oran said as he took a seat next to Leon closer to the pot.
'What's that smell?' Oran retorted.
'Your breath.' Leon said letting out a cackle. Aaron who was behind Oran stood at the door not willing to enter. Captain Ben placed a bowl in front of Oran who with a straight face stared the captain down.
'I'm not eating that.' Oran said.
'Why?' Captain Ben said.
'Because I don't want to die.' Oran said.
'What? Die? What are you talking about? Everyone else in this room ate a bowl and they're fine.' Captain Ben said.
'Yes we did and you're going to as well brat.' Irene said.
Oran stared at the soup in its colorful face. After taking a deep breath he chugged it down.
'Before I forget, Great job kid. Irene told me what you did.' Captain Ben said.
'Thanks, but compared to her I didn't do anything.' Hilo said rubbing the back of his head.
'Don't be like that you were pretty good.' Irene said chugging down the rest of her bottle.
'But promise me you won't do something like that ever again.' Captain Ben said pointing at the scar on the side of Hilo's face. Hilo realizing the gravity behind what he was saying began tapping his finger on the table. Irene threw the bottle down and made her way to one of the cabinets next to the stove. She then pulled out another bottle and made her way back to her seat. Hilo couldn't stare at the captain's eyes thus he looked at the table as he stopped tapping his finger and instead started tapping his foot instead.
'Yeah, I thought I was strong but clearly compared to random pirates I'm nothing.' Hilo said.
'You're not wrong there but the fact you didn't die means you're at least competent. Your channeling is trash and you clearly have no idea on how to apply your mana in your fighting style.' Irene said as she pulled the cork out of the bottle with her mouth and began chugging it down.
'But?' Hilo said.
'No that's it no buts.' Irene said. Oran let out a chuckle as Hilo turned back to the table.
'Kid, she didn't mean it like that. You're pretty good considering your age.' Captain Ben said.
'What're you talking about? I meant every word. Death doesn't give a damn if you're a kid or not.' Irene said.
'Will it kill you to say something nice?' Captain Ben said.
'What? I'm just saying the truth. There's no point in selling this kid dreams he'll never be able to achieve.' Irene said taking a swig.
'Could you show me?' Hilo said.
'Huh?' Irene said.
'Please show me how to use mana like you.' Irene let out a chuckle before chugging down another mouthful.
'Look kid your issues are on the basics which would take both time and effort to fix which are two things that I don't have at the moment. That's all without me even asking why I would help you.' Irene said.
'I-I don't know. I've never felt like this…' Hilo said looking at his bandaged hands. Irene starred at Hilo. "If you can't even give me a damn reason then there's no point in having this conversation." Irene thought. 'I realized that I'm not as strong as I thought I was. When I was fighting the bald guy I couldn't do much to him and it was even worse when I fought that Ronan guy' Hilo said.
'Yeah, you had no chance. I'm shocked you're still alive.' Oran said.
Irene's eyes darted at Oran who as soon as he noticed stared back down at his bowl. 'The first step in getting stronger is realizing that you're weak. Don't beat yourself up for it. It's not that you're weak it's just that you were fighting people that were way stronger than you. Especially Ronan if we were both serious I'm not sure who'd win between the two of us.' Irene said.
'Wait you weren't being serious?' Hilo said.
'Kid if we were serious our first sword clash would've ripped the whole ship apart.' Hilo's tapped his foot even faster. "They weren't being serious?" Hilo thought as a shaky smile came onto his face. 'Look your main issue is on how you use your mana. You break almost every rule of being an Adaptor.'
'Then teach me please.'
'Ha, I already told you I don't have the time.' Hilo stared back at his empty plate "I guess I'll have to figure it out myself." He thought to himself. Most of the crew had finished eating so returned the mumbles and rambles between them. It soon grew to hysteric laughter and finally full-blown shouting. Listening to the racket Hilo's mind wandered "If she taught me I'd probably get as strong as that Ronan guy. What about that Marco person they spoke about?" he thought to himself.
'Who's Marco?' Hilo asked.
'What?' Irene said as she began squinting her eyes.
'You called me Marco before. That Ronan guy mentioned him as well.' Irene looked at her bottle. "What is he talking about?" she thought. She took another gulp of her liquor but her mind wouldn't let up.
The noise around them intensified to a point she couldn't hear Hilo anymore. "Marco? Damn it these people are being loud. It was loud that day as well wasn't it? My first time on the surface and I had gotten lost." Irene thought.
That day nine years ago. She pushed through bundles of people as she tried to find her parents. Every few steps she'd bump into someone or be pushed down. The smell of oil and burnt wood filled the streets. Her cries for her sister were muffled out by the echoes of the factory's whirling and humming which could be heard throughout the city. However even these were barely audible from the scream of the hawkers. '10 Gold!' One would shout. '1 Silver!' Another would shout even louder. Her white embroidered dress gained a darker tone from the thick smoke covering the streets. Casting a shadow over the streets as she stumbled along. Making her way into an alley she bumped into a small group of kids. All five of them were covered in soot. They all gathered around an older-looking boy with short jet-black hair. He stared at her with his piercing dark eyes in wonder. She became entranced in them unable to look away.
'Hey, kid what are you doing here? Did one of those Casco bastards send you?' a small boy with green eyes said poking her shoulder. Irene backed up as her eyes began tearing up.
'Look what you did Ronan.' A young man with a face covered in ash-stained Band-Aids said pushing Ronan to the side. 'Are you okay?' Irene didn't answer and just backed up even more.
'My name is Marco. What's yours?' Irene froze in place as her heart raced. She'd never seen someone who wasn't family approach her so casually. She clenched her fist "Remember Irene the family's honor comes first even in front of these lesser beings." She thought. Irene puffed her chest out and took a deep breath. 'My name is Irene Rhodes. It is your honor.' Ronan broke out into laughter
'What was that? You sounded so stupid' Ronan said. Irene puffed her cheeks out and kept her head straight.
'Irene, what a nice name.' Marco said.
'Rhodes? You from the central?' A boy with short curly hair said.
'Does it really matter Jean?' Marco said.
'Yeah, it does. If those bastards find us with her they'll think we kidnapped her.' Jean said.
'Yes, I am.' Irene said. Ronan stopped laughing as he stared at her in disbelief. Either she was a liar or the genuine article.
'We can't just leave her here.' Marco said.
'What do you suggest we do take her home? She's not our problem.' Jean said grabbing Marco's hand.
Irene kept a straight face as her lip began to quiver at the thought of them leaving. Her heartbeat faster as Jean pulled Marco away. "Don't go, please. Don't leave me here." She thought but couldn't say. Asking for help from surface dwellers would bring shame to the family.
A little girl popped up from behind the older boy and wobbled towards Irene. She pulled her out with a smile. 'Vi-Violet.' Violet said. The girl's hand was covered in soot which sent shivers down Irene's back but she shook it anyway.
'It is a pleasure, Violet.' Irene said. She'd take any form of courtesy she was given even from a child. Violet turned around and gave the older boy a thumbs up. 'Okay, it's decided we'll help her.' The older boy decided.
'Dante!? You can't be serious.' Jean said.
Dante walked over to the little girl lifting her up to his shoulders. 'Jean, you can't seriously say no to this face can you?' They both smiled at Jean. Who after letting out a sigh pinched the bridge of his nose
'You two will be the death of me. We'll take her to the stairs and that's it. We won't be going any further.' Jean said.
'Sure we'll see ahead. Come on everyone let's go!' Dante said.
'Let's go!' Violet repeated.
They walked out into the street with the group following behind. Marco grabbed Irene's hand 'Let's go, Irene.'
'Irene?' Hilo said.
Irene gasped for air as her hands began shaking. "It's okay, we're okay." She thought to herself. Finally having calmed down she took a swig out of her bottle. 'He's no one. Ronan was confused.' Irene said.
'Oh.' Hilo said as he went back to staring at the table.