"Holy hell. I feel like I was hit by a ship," Evelyn said coming to in her bed. She was greeted by Ember jumping around on her chest in excitement of being alive. "Hey little buddy," she smiled. She looked over to see Jackson on a chair in her room, fast asleep. "He must have stayed by my side since I was out." She looked through the window from her bed and saw that it was night.
She shifted in her bed to try to walk and wobbled a bit and winced at some unfamiliar pain. She inspected her body and noticed a few bruises over her arms and legs. She made her way over to Jackson, fell from the pain and took advantage of the trajectory to land in a position to hug him. He woke up immediately by the fall and quickly picked her up and sat her back on the bed. Looked deeply into her eyes and then quickly, and tightly, embraced her. Once she comprehended what had just happened, she could tell Jackson was sobbing into her. "You're okay. You're okay," he sobbed.
Caressing him, and pushing back the pain on her body from Jackson's tight hug, Evelyn replied with a smile, "Of course I am. I always will be with you by my side."
He pulled back and Evelyn stared into his dazzling blue eyes again, glistening from his tears. "Everything that happened to get out of there was a shit show. But we made it." He said.
"How long have I been out?" Evelyn asked as she brushed away a tear from his cheek.
"At least two weeks?" He answered hold her hand and giving it a gentle kiss.
"And these bruises haven't healed yet?" She cried out now drawing attention to her body.
Jackson inspected her and said, "No. They are. These were huge before. I could get Taco here in the morning."
With a knock at the door, Jackson ran and saw Taco in the doorway. "I was going to the bathroom and heard commotion." He spoke. He walked in and up to Evelyn, "Glad to see you're alive," he smiled.
"Likewise," she beamed.
Taco began to inspect Evelyn's bruises all over her body, "That battle turned into rescue mission to escape was not a fun experience. You literally went crazy. And to try to take on those Megladastrodon's that came out of damn nowhere. Evelyn, we thought you were out of your damn mind."
"I just wanted to protect everyone," she said shamefully.
"Getting out of there would be protecting everyone," he laughed. "Luckily Kanaka and Bobo were there. As you fell from the sky, Bobo cast a great wall that Kanaka reinforced and Jackson successfully caught you and then once we got back to the ship, Captain returned too. With Kanaka's special ship modification to work with Captain's power, the ship was turned into a rocket, and we blasted off at extreme speed out of there."
"That's really cool. So that's how I'm alive?" Evelyn asked.
"I'm still uneasy about it," Jackson said.
Taco began laughing harder, "We were up so high we reached zero gravity for a while. It was Jackson's first time, and he wasn't fond of not being able to stay glued to the ground."
"I don't find it funny," Jackson cried out in response to Evelyn and Taco's laughter.
"Well, I'm sorry I missed such a fun time," Evelyn said.
"It's fine. Your recovery is what's important. According to your bruises, you should be fine in a week. In the morning I'll run you through some walking exercises since you've been down for the count as well as working your legs will help your leg bruises heal."
"Thank you," Evelyn said.
"Now I'm going back to bed. Get some rest you two. The rest of the crew's excitement that you're awake is going to make you very busy," Taco smiled as he left the room.
"I know Taco means well. The shop has some potions I can buy to fully heal myself. I have the cash for it. But I'll entertain him for his job's purpose. Once it looks like I'm healed I'll take a potion." Evelyn thought to herself. "Damn. My head feels a little lonely and hollow without Freya here."
"Get back to sleep," Jackson said helping Evelyn lay back down. He took the blanket and draped it over her and tucked it under her body. "There you go. Like a baby."
"Goo-goo Gaa-gaa," Evelyn teased.
With a slight laugh out of him, Jackson sighed and said, "I'm still not going to leave your side"
"Saying that, why don't we just have Kanaka join our rooms and sleep in a bigger bed together?" Evelyn said.
"Maybe someday," Jackson smiled. "But for now, sleep." He walked over to the bright candle in the room and blew it out. The room continues to glow, and Jackson said, "Dammit Ember." The little spit fire danced around and then dimmed itself as it fell asleep on Evelyn. Jackson moved his chair next to Evelyn's bed and as he laid his head down on the side. Evelyn nestled close to him, and they drifted off.
"YO-HO-HO! SHE'S ALIVE!" Goob yelled out seeing Evelyn climb up the stairs to the top deck on a crutch with Jackson supporting her. Among the feelings of happiness around the crew, she also took in the calm breeze and scent of the ocean. All Evelyn could remember from their time at Waterworld was the scent of dust, debris, smoke, sulfur, and gunpowder.
Fawn came up to Evelyn and gave her a big hug. Despite the warming feeling, she winced at the fact that she was still pretty bruised up. "How are you feeling?" She quickly asked.
"Still in a lot of pain. Taco said I should be okay and back to normal in a week though," Evelyn replied.
"Don't worry about your duties as our chef," Goob said arriving to the conversation. "Jackson can take over for you."
Staring Captain Goob down with wide eyes, Jackson said, "What in Neptune's name led you to believe that I can cook?"
"Oh please, Jackson," Goob said. "I know you could easily kill us all if you were fully in charge. I said she doesn't have to worry about her duties as the chef. She can just sit there with an Iron First ordering you what to do and how to do it."
"I like that idea," Evelyn quickly said before Jackson could reject.
"Hold on. Wait. No," He frantically said. "You don't understand how demanding she can be."
"Oh honey, you haven't anything yet," Jackson felt a chilling feeling run up his spin from her words.
After a few minutes, Jackson helped Evelyn into the elevator from the deck to the kitchen and once they were down there and they were alone, she said, "I won't boss you around too much."
Looking at her as he leaned on the counter of the kitchen island her said, "Well I hope not. So where should I sta-"
"Just follow my orders. All my orders. As long as you do, when I'm 100%, I'll do that thing you like."
Jackson was staring into Evelyn's eyes that were not an emotion but seduction in them. He straightened up immediately and said, "Command me, my mistress!"
After Jackson did his best, per Evelyn's instruction, making the crew prime rib, swiss cheese, and mayonnaise French dip sandwiches on a baguette with au jus, Taco met them in the kitchen.
"Time for another checkup?" Evelyn asked as he walked in.
"It is but a certain someone is refusing his doctor calls too. So, you'll have to follow me," he said.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Have you really not realized that Wasabi was not at lunch?" Jackson asked.
After pondering for a moment, Evelyn said, "Oh right. He's good?"
"Well we're about to find out," Taco smiled. "He's also watching over our prisoner."
As Jackson was helping Evelyn, she said, "A prisoner? Wait, we have a place for that?" After reaching the stairwell and saw that they were heading downstairs, she thought, "I guess it's time to see the rest of the ship."
Going through the only door at the end of the stairwell, it opened up to the large chamber she remembered they loaded Yo-La-Lu's body into after the battle at Waterwold. The center of the large chamber, there she was, strung up by chains. But also looked like she had been taken apart in some ways. Completely descaled to the dark blue skin and the mane was missing.
"Wasabi!" Taco called out. "You've skipped out on seeing me for the last time!"
Wasabi's head peeked out from over top from the other side of Yo-La-Lu's body. "For the last time, Taco! I'm bloody fine!" Noticing his company, he changed his tone and said, "Oh. Hi Jackson and Evelyn! Nice to see you're awake and Jackson finally left your room."
Wasabi repelled down to the floor and took the straps off he had on so he could walk up the stairs to them. He wasn't wearing a shirt where they could see a large scar across his chest and another down the middle with stitches.
"It's nice to see you're," Evelyn smiled.
"Likewise," He said.
"That monster hit him so hard it broke a couple of his ribs so I had to open him up and put them back together by hand," Taco said. "He was not happy about it."
"Maybe because it hurt like a bitch when I woke up after the surgery," Wasabi complained.
"Well you're fine now so if you had only showed up to my infirmary like I asked you to I could have taken these stitches out sooner." Taco complained back.
"Oh," Wasabi said. "Well, you could have told me, and I wouldn't have kept trying to avoid you."
"You animals bicker a lot," Evelyn turned in the direction of the woman's voice to a cell block with someone inside it. The green haired woman walked to the cell bars and said, "You. Girl. You're the bitch who not only killed my whole crew but destroyed my ship."
Looking at the girl, Evelyn said, "Who are you anyway?'
She sighed, "Captain Darla of the Daisy Pirates."
"Technically now she's just Darla," Wasabi laughed and then winced at the stich Taco pulled out.
"Fuck you," she said sternly.
"I apologize," Evelyn said.
Darla was taken aback by Evelyn's sudden apology. She stared at her for a moment and then said, "I'm a little loss for words, girl. But you truly meant that."
Jackson let Evelyn go and she wabbled over the Darla's cell. "I only killed them for survival. I was in a kill or be killed type of situation and I'm sure you know; the goal was to survive."
Darla was eyeing Evelyn and as she hung her head down, she stopped and was staring at the Siren mark on Evelyn's arm. Looking up at Evelyn and grabbing on the bars with an expression with stars in her eyes she exclaimed, "Girl! Are you a Siren!?"
Taken aback by her outburst she glanced over to the guys who were shocked by her outburst too and saw Taco shake his head as a signal to Evelyn. She turned back to Darla and said, "I am."
"Wow," Darla beamed in awe. "I… Um… Can you tell me?"
"Tell you what?" Evelyn said.
"Are you 28 years old?"
Everyone but Darla and Evelyn started laughing at the question.
"What? What did I say?" Darla yelled.
Evelyn was only smiling and said, "No. No I'm not. I'm actually going to be 20 soon. That's kind of an odd question to ask."
"What in your fucked up mind made you ask such a question? Evelyn clearly looks nowhere near 28," Wasabi said walking over now that Taco finished taking his stitches out and wrapped him with a wrap. "Look at her!" He came up to her and pointed at her face. "Does this seriously look like the face of a woman pushing 30?"
After a few seconds of silence, Darla said shyly, "My apologies." She looked up at them and said, "My grandmother was a Siren. She died of old age 28 years ago when I was only five years old. I still remember all the wonderful and beautiful things she could do."
Evelyn was staring at Darla with much intensity and said, "Tell me more."
"No," Darla quickly said.
Grabbing the bars to the cell, Darla quickly shuffled away as Evelyn said more sternly, "Tell me more."
Seeing the bars of the cell starting to turn red, Wasabi leaned over to her ear and yelled, "HEY!"
Evelyn finally snapped back to reality and let go of the bars and rubbed her ear, "What the hell was that for?"
"You're breaking my bars," Wasabi said pointing at the cell bars that were red but starting to cool down but now with the indent of a hand gripping it.
"Sorry," Evelyn said.
"I'll tell you what," Darla then said calmly. "Feed me and I'll tell you everything I know."
"Not happening," Taco said walking to the cell with Jackson. "We feed you, you regain your strength and you'll bust out of here."
"Oh please," Darla said. She revealed that she was barefoot and had two anklets with a interesting type of writing on them.
"What in the hell?" Taco said bending down to see the anklet from the other side of the cell.
"Oh right," Wasabi said. "Captain had these for a long time. He found them on an uncharted island when he and Kanaka went on that solo quest many years ago."
"Really? What exactly are they?" Taco said.
"Beat the fuck out of me. But even if I was fed like a normal human being, you stopped treating me like an animal, I still wouldn't be able to use my powers. Whatever these damned things are, they block power users like me from using them." Darla was annoyed looking at them.
"I'll do it!"
"Evelyn!" Jackson burst out. "You can't just volunteer with her requests."
"Woman to woman," Evelyn said. "I can tell I can trust her. Plus, as the ships cook, I can make you something really good."
"Call it woman's intuition," Darla said to the guys.
"Call it woman's intuition," Wasabi mocked her. "Fine. Can you shut up for now. Come down here Evelyn. I have something Captain wanted me to make for you."
"Oh right!" Taco exclaimed. "You're going to love this."
They all went downstairs and in a small room off to the side of the large one was what looked like a workshop with a kiln for blacksmithing, pelts and other type of leather and a station for working. At the center, an object with a blanket over it. The silhouette looked like a human.
"Welcome to my workshop! And here," He pulled off the blanket. "This your official armor!"
Evelyn's eyes widened at the beautiful sight before her. On display was her very own armor that Wasabi had created for her. There was a silver breastplate and a dark black leather coreset with dark red ties. The brown belt had a silver buckle. The uniform had a gunmetal gray skirt and tight dark black pants so the metal kneepads and shin guard leg armor could fit comfortably on the wearer. The arms had a metal guard for the elbow. What Evelyn loved was the shoulder guards. They had fur on them and ran along the back of the neck of the armor too. The fur was white.
"This is mine?" She tears up.
"Absolutely," Wasabi answered. "Jackson helped me out. I had issues that only technician tools could create to help. I left the hand area go. Didn't want anything getting in the way of those gauntlets of yours."
"Right," she smiled.
"I think the best thing to know, this is made 100% from this here creature," Wasabi was pointing to Yo-La-Lu outside the doorway. "Well almost. I smelted, polished and fortified the breast plate, buckle, shoulder, elbow, and leg armor with the scales and combined them with some rare metals I keep in storage that will really boost your defense. The leather is from the beast tail. Found it to be the toughest part of the monster. I needed Jackson's help with that to make something the cut it out, sheer it and pull it until I could work it into something so I could mold it into fabric. Your skirt is gunmetal gray because it's actually metal. This is not from the monster. I have had some expensive metal that was so delicate it was like fabric. It was never Fawn or Laylee's style, so I used it for your armor. Its durability and protection are through the roof after I reinforced it. The fur pelt is from the beast mane. I bleached it from black to white and added some minerals in the bleaching mix to even give that a defensive attribute. And last but not least," Wasabi walked over to his work desk, picked something up and walked back. "I broke down and combined everything with this." He held up a gemstone that looked like a ruby.
"What is it?" She asked.
"To anyone, it looked like a normal ruby. To expert craftsmen like Wasabi, with proper examination, he can tell if it has elemental attributes." Taco said.
"Precisely," Wasabi confirmed. "I never had a use for it. Not until you. The elemental property is fire. Just like your powers."
Evelyn's eyes were glittering with admiration at the suit.
"Well, what do you say Evelyn?" Wasabi asked. "Want to try it on?"
[Armor obtained: Equip now?]
[Yes] [No]
"Yes."
[Armor Equipping]
Everyone watched in awe as fire swirled around the armor as it disappeared from the display and then the fire swirled around Evelyn appearing on her body. She looked down at the armor on her body and was feeling filled with excitement.
[Armor Equipped]
[Calculating Stats]
[Stat Increases]
[Strength: +5]
[Defense: +12]
[Agility: +1]
[Magic: +14]
[Stats:]
[Strength: 18] [+5]
[Vitality: 18] [+2] – [HP – 200]
[Defense: 17] [+12]
[Agility: 18] [+2] [+1]
[Magic: 20] [+14] – [MP - 680]
Evelyn's additional stat point increases were not active because they were currently not equipped.
"Well that was a neat trick!" Wasabi laughed. "For a second there I thought by creation was going up in flames!"
"Beautiful creation," Evelyn corrected him. "And, oh my, comfortable too!"
"The Captain and Fawn are going to lose their shit when they see you in that," Taco smiled. "Being as their adopted daughter and all, they'll be so happy."
"Neptune's sack! You guys sounds so cheesy!" Darla yelled from her cell.
"She can hear us from here?" Jackson said.
"A lot of things echo down here. You should've been here when she chewed me out for my loud urinating," Wasabi said.
"Does this armor have a name?" Evelyn asked.
Wasabi's face dropped, "Oh, I guess I didn't quite finish it. Since it's yours, maybe you should give it a name."
Evelyn walked over to a mirror Wasabi had in the room. She admired herself. The flow of the skirt, the comfortableness of the material on the corset as it was fine and not too tight and the softness of the fur on her shoulders. She smiled and said, "I think I'll name it Crystal Heart."
"I think that's a fine name," Wasabi smiled.
[Armor name registered: Crystal Heart]
[Armor 'Crystal Heart' can now be equipped and unequipped in the Armor tab of your inventory.]
Flame swirled around Evelyn, and she was in her normal clothes again.
"Woah! Where did it go?" Wasabi was taken aback.
Evelyn just smiled and said, "I can summon and unsummon thinks like my gauntlets. I guess I can do it with armor too." She smiled and said, "Thank you so much Wasabi," and hugged him. "Since we're done here, Jackson and I will be right back. You skipped out on Lunch, so we'll bring you something down."
Taco walked along with Evelyn and Jackson as Wasabi went back to work. "He turned to them and said, "I'll be heading back to my infirmary. After dinner, please stop by for a checkup," and he left.
Evelyn turned to Jackson and reading the look on her face he said, "What are you going to make me make this time?"
Evelyn smiled at him and said, "Let's find out." She walked straight to Darla's cell and asked her, "So, what are you hungry for?"
Darla turned to Evelyn and smiled.