The sun was shining on Cerys's face, illuminating her features and gradually waking her up as the light-filled into her eyes. As she stirred awake, she squinted her eyes, adjusting to the bright sunlight.
She wanted to shield her eyes from the bright light but could not as she felt bound to something; that was when she fully awoke. She was disoriented and confused. She couldn't see correctly as the bright light was blinding. The sun was hot against her skin. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious. Her head was pounding, and she felt weak. She tried to stand, but her legs were also bound.
Cerys then adjusted her view; everything was now clear before her eyes. On top of an old wooden vessel, weathered and worn by years of sailing on the open sea. Her body was bound to a chair. Somebody had tied it to the handle of a door. The hull was dark with age and salt water, and countless storms had scarred the deck. The sails were made of heavy canvas, and they billowed in the wind, propelling the ship forward. The vessel had a tall mast with ropes and pulleys that creaked and groaned as the sailors worked to adjust the sails. The ship's bow cut through the waves, sending water sprays crashing over the deck.
The smell of saltwater and fish was strong in the air and within her nostrils. The crew was a rough-looking bunch with sun-weathered faces and calloused hands from years at sea. They moved with a practiced ease, going about their tasks with a sense of purpose and camaraderie.
Cerys watched them whistling and busying themselves on the deck as they ignored her. Her mind recalled that she was caught while hiding behind a crate. She thought they would have taken her back to the guards, but instead, they took her with them.
Her lips felt dry, and her throat parched. In her past life, she had never had the chance to be on a ship. She was so busy drinking that she never got the opportunity to enjoy the other aspects of life. Being on one now makes her feel she made a great decision on not being on one.
Cerys's stomach made a rumbling noise, churning from within, feeling the bile rising in her throat. Her face was pale and clammy, and she could feel the sweat on her forehead. The ship's rolling motion made her dizzy, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she would lose the contents of her stomach.
Her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to hold back nausea. The salty sea air did little to ease her sickness, and she dried heaved, her body trembling with the effort.
"Aye' looks like someone is finally awake from her beauty sleep," a raspy voice said.
Whatever bile Cerys had felt a while ago had disappeared within seconds of seeing the man before her. A sailor with burnt red hair and a weathered and sun-worn appearance, with calloused hands and rough skin. The man wore tattered and worn clothing, with a bandana tied around his head to keep their hair out of their face. He was armed with a cutlass and may have a dagger, or other weapon tucked into his belt. He had tattoos lining up his forearms and a massive scar across his face, from his left ear down to his chin.
The man tucked his hand in his pocket and walked forward with a stern expression.
"You have been asleep for two days; I thought you had died from the hit old man Ryder had given you when you were hiding."
Cerys gulped. Two days. She was in a coma for two days. She wanted to speak, but her voice came out croaked—lack of saliva and water in her mouth. Air seems to have tightened up in her chest.
The man opened his mouth and laughed. His silver tooth glistened in the sunlight. "You look like a gaping fish. It was so funny" he laughed harder, hitting his left foot cladded with boots on the deck. Some other working sailors had heard him and laughed with him too.
If Cerys could find the spit in her mouth, she would have spat on his face. The sailor man made her feel disgusted. She could smell the fish coming from him, making the bile come again into her throat. This time she didn't hold it on and threw up all over his face.
The man's eyes close at once."Bloody hell!" He cursed.
Another sailor laughed. "Ayy me matey; ye look like ye a bin swimmin in the sewers."
Others joined in the laughter. The scarred man angrily left her side, but before he left, he spat at her foot.
"Hey!!! No spitting on the deck. You ain't the one cleaning it" This time, a little boy came to her side.
He held a cloth that he used to clean her mouth. Cerys looked at him strangely. He looked thirteen. She wondered why a child would be with these vile-looking men.
"Thank…" Cerys trailed off, and when she tried to speak, her throat hurt. She wondered if they had punched her throat rather than her head.
"You do look like a gaping fish, pretty lady" He was holding a bucket with a spoon. He took a scoop of water and fed it to her. After four scoops, Cerys finally felt alive. "Feeling better?"
Cerys nodded. "Yes, I am. Thank you"
The boy smiled. "You are welcome, pretty lady."
"What you be doing? Flirting with our hostage," Another new voice said. This time it was a new man. He looked cleaner and fresher than the other sailor men. He was wearing a tricorn and a coat, a silver sword on his belt; his hand rested on the head of the blade.
"Sorry, Captain. If we sell her, I thought we might as well give her some water and make her feel good."
Sell?! Cerys's eyes widened, and she looked at the little boy. He winked at her and ran off, not bothering to look back.
Cerys frowned and turned to the captain, who now stood before her. "Why are you holding me hostage? You capture random girls and sell them off?"
The captain laughed, then he shook his head.
"I don't capture random girls. I only capture fugitives of the state."
"Fugitive? I am not a fugitive. I am not a thief. You should let me go unless you face the consequences."
He mockingly looked at Cerys and did not feel like backing down. People only oppressed weak people.
"Were you born dumb, or you grew up plain stupid?" Captain asked.
"No, but if it will make it easier for you, I can 'dumb' myself down and speak slower so you can understand," Cerys said with all confidence and a smirk.
The captain scoffed. "You are one confident little princess. I could have taken you back to those guards, but I didn't. Your face is splattered all over town, promising to give them a bounty of gold if they find you—the imposter. And here you are bound to a chair in the middle of the black sea only to threaten me, telling me I would face dire consequences?! You are stupider than I thought" The man laughed harder.
Cerys felt her confidence hit rock bottom. She knew her situation, but she thought maybe if she could use a confident front, they would let her go. Cerys thought perhaps if she told them she was the Crystal lord's daughter and was just lost, they would let her go. But now everyone knows she is an imposter and has nowhere to go.
Her shoulders fell, and she felt depressed all of a sudden.
"You quietened down. That's good. You have accepted your fate."
"No, I haven't. I will find a way out….."
Cerys trailed off as her eyes went behind the man and at the clouds, which were slowly darkening. Lightning hit the sky with anger. It was a storm.
People on deck had started to move about hurriedly. The captain seems to have noticed. The red-haired man who she had thrown up on arrived beside the captain, who then whispered something into the captain's ear, and he nodded. The captain turned and walked away to go and attend to the situation. At the same time, the red-haired man had an evil glint in his eyes—a wide cocky grin on his mouth.
Cerys shook her head; he gave her the type of lewd look men gave to women they wanted to rape.
"No. No. No!! Don't you come near me!!!!" She shouted. But there was nothing she could do. Somebody tied her against her own will. She didn't have food in her or the power to fight him. He started to lose the rope around her legs and body. He used the yarn to bind only her hands and legs.
He leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "What you hope for won't happen now. After the storm, I will deal with you myself. Don't worry. Those merchants would still want you for a very high price.."
He lifted her and took her towards another door.
She didn't fight him because there was no use. She would think of another plan. She will escape from these pirates. For now, she would accept her fate.
Cerys turned behind to look at the captain, who stood looking at her.
They didn't exchange words, but Cerys felt a foreboding feeling; something terrible was about to happen.