As the day passes by, the stowaway in the main mast had already become invisible to everyone except the man in charge to him.
To his surprise, the pirates did not harass him any further. In the first few hours of being tied up, the stowaway remained quiet even after Calev left.
He just looked ahead and watched the sea weave its wave to the ship. The look of pain is still visible in his face as he endured everything. His mind wandered off to the edge of his own memories trying to remember something, as his body weakened.
By the time Calev returned to his post around twilight, Calev thought the stowaway might ask for water or food but instead he never did.
It never crossed his mind to actually consume something, his mind was far too busy and his body was keeping it to think of something else. Upon the appearance of the combatant, that's when the stowaway remembered he hasn't taken anything.
Of course he was thirsty and hungry but nothing can amount to the ache in his body that even eating was something painful to do.
[ I don't have the privilige to be hungry. ]
He was reminded by the fact that he wasn't a guest in here but a prisoner who has no memory.
In that night, as the the stowaway remains tied up in the mast, the captain lazily sits on his velvet couch as he waited for his navigator to arrive in his office. His mind wanders to the stowaway.
After meeting him, in which sparks the paranoia and anxiety of his quartermaster. He was indeed planning to take the latter's plan and throw the stowaway off board. After all none of them has the certainty of his identification.
[ And that is not the only reason why he must leave. ]
Axel have far too many reasons why he likely wants to see the poor stowaway out of his ship. It doesn't matter what his real identity is, everyone in the ships knows exactly why that stowaway can't stay. Out of everyone, Axel knows the most.
Yet, Axel decided to keep that person, in the midst of his many thoughts. Despite knowing what the right thing to do, in a spare of moment he let his curiosity judges for a decision.
As the captain, he must have a concrete reason that will support this conclusion that is out of his character, yet he finds himself wondering why.
Why, that he can't get his hazel eyes away from his buzzing mind. He could have easily thrown that stowaway just like how everyone wanted, but there was so much curiosity that sparked within him upon seeing that him.
In the back of his mind, the stowaway wanders. He looks scared and confused but still manages to look empty. As if nothing was ever stored in those eyes. The lips that once in a while quivers, the face of panic and fear, it's all too familiar.
He had seen those faces in every encounter he had with innocent citizens that he tarnished. It is common for pirates to be feared by the people who are aware of what pirates are capable of. It didn't bother him, it never does.
In fact it added to his ego and proud shoulders.
He knows he is feared by everyone, as he also knows what his capabilities are. It's no surprise when the stowaway tries to back down any further away from him, he expected that. But what he wasn't expecting was the emptiness.
He cried, begged, he shown fear and panic, it was all visible how the stowaway understood that he is in danger, but beyond those reactions, an empty space was seen in his eyes.
Emptiness that he haven't seen in anyone at all, as if those reactions he have seen are only a product of the stowaway's unremembered memories, making it looked genuine and real.
There is something about him that made Axel wants to know. Whether it's one or another it doesn't matter. If it turns out he's lying, he will just order Calev to get rid of him, and if he's not then they might just have save a person.
[ Saving a person? ]
Axel almost laugh at the thought. That contradicting enigma of something impossible about him.
Axel knows he is feared, but is he not a complete monster?
The door of his office opens, as someone barges in the office, angry steps echoed throughout the room. Axel only closes his eyes, preparing himself from the next thing that was about to happen as he realizes who had entered the premises.
"Throw him out."
He immediately said.
Axel opens his eyes to see a stern look from his quartermaster. His eyes demanding an answer from the captain, not wanting any excuses.
Axel knows when he is like this, he will be subjected to endless nagging if he won't use his privileges as the captain.
"Elijah, he is harmless."
He repeated the same thing again.
"And what about it? You have no problem throwing people out the ship, wounded or not. That person isn't even wounded"
He quickly retorted, finding his captain's actions odd considering how merciless this man could be.
"You make me sound like a monster mate."
Axel stood up and walks towards his desk to fetch his favorite wine.
He needs a drink if Elijah will continue to nag him like he is his mother.
"Really? Said the man who burned a whole town." Elijah muttered.
This earned him a glare from his captain, not that he cares anyways.
"Really?" He sarcastically said.
"Said the man who won't hesitate from throwing a poor stowaway out the ocean." He continued, which made Elijah scoff.
He doesn't understand how his decision is labeled as something harsh when he is just being logical. There is a possibility that that stowaway could be really a spy sent by the marines, he is not risking another day of wrecked ship, and paper works for budget organizations, and deaths.
"They had debt on me."
Axel muttered, looking out from his window. His voice got quiet and eyes uncertain. Elijah comprehends his captain's words only to realize he is implying to his first statement.
[ Ahh, I should've not brought that up. ]
Elijah coughs awkwardly as he shifts on his feet trying to find his composure back, erasing the thoughts in his head.
" We must get him offboard Captain, you know what will happen."
Axel nods, considering the quartermaster's words. His attention was caught by the latter's statement. He knows Elijah is right, no matter what his identity is, or the amount of curiosity that the stowaway has inflicted him, he needs to leave right away.
" Speaking of which, call upon the navigator we have business to talk."
Axel orders, and despite the quartermaster's inclination of taking the conversation further to prove his point of throwing the stowaway, he can't ignore the orders.
He is about to talk when another person enters the room. This time a little bit quiet with his walk. Yet he bears masculinity and aggression in every step, one look from him and you know who and what kind of being you're are facing.
Calev looks at both men in front of him, both of them was in the middle of what seems to be an argument to his judgement. But its not that he cares to join anyways.
" How's the stowaway?" Elijah asked him
" Not speaking."
He responded in a small sentence like he always had. The quartermaster nodded in response although that wasn't what he wanted to hear.
" Is that it?" Axel presses the topic.
He wasn't asking for the stowaway's condition, he needs to know what Calev's judgement about the predicament.
"Unwell." The response took him aback for a moment.
Considering Elijah's words, Axel also thinks about it further. Whether to actually throw the poor kid who claims to have lost his memories. Even so, the unidentified curiosity that quirked him pulled him into indecisive thoughts.
"Unwell? You meant suspicious?" Elijah intervened.
"I'm no doctor but, I am betting my treasures that, that stowaway lost his memories." Axel look over at Calev, ignoring Elijah's comment.
Calev only responds with a mere nod without speaking.
"Fuck that, that scallywag must be a fucking spy. Losing memories my ass!" Elijah continued to show his displease about it.
" Well."
Axel shrugged, pointing over to the combatant who remained quiet. As the room falls into silence, Elijah almost had a huge bewilderment when he realizes what Axel's point is.
He opens his mouth to say something but finds himself not having anything to say, instead he looks away from Calev feeling a bit ashamed of what he just said.
With that point given, Axel tries to sort of his mind. Since there is a possibility indeed that he lost his memories, leaving him off marooning him off an isolated island is not ideal.
[ And why do I care about it? ]
Axel erases his thoughts, he has no care of whatsoever about the results of his decision. Elijah is right, the stowaway has to leave—but why does he feels so indecisive about it?
" Calev, you're dismissed." Axel breathed out, feeling the fatigue from earlier circumstances dropped into his whole body.
" Have someone to get the navigator for me, we had breakthrough the tempest, we must resume our route."
Calev left the two inside, stepping into the forecastle once again after ordering someone to get Felix.
As a combatant in the ship, he really has no fixed duty. He sometimes takes the duty of being a lookout when it is free, or sometimes takes the charges of the sails, but in general his role is to fight. And so he was quite unsure on how to manage his new duty on where Axel has assigned him.
He is unsure if looking out to this stowaway means he is supposed to be brutal and shows no mercy to him to get him to finally talk, or just spy on him until he breaks. Nonetheless he finds himself observing the person from a far, just like how he always does.
Unbeknownst to the fact that the combatant is on guard, a few feet from his location. Observing quietly, he notices how the stowaways winces in pain as if he is in severe damage. He have seen those looks before, only with his victim that he had slashed with his daggers.
The stowaway grimaces as he tries his best to get into a comfortable position while the ropes tug his skin. The headache seems to go down for a little bit only to go back worse after a minute, and the cycle continues. He have managed to completely ignore the pain and instead, focuses on stopping its nausea, though the movement of the ship still bothers him.
"I'm probably not used to riding a ship." He muttered, trying to think of a reason why he feels sick.
A sigh escapes his lips, going back to his main focus; to stop the feeling of suddenly puking in the pirates floor. He doesn't know what kind of punishment it will be if he vomits all over the place and so he is trying its best to keep it in.
However as the panic and fear from this morning completely subside, he feels it. The enormous pain he ever had, more than the headache he's battling from the start.
Looking for the source of pain, a stingy and throbbing pain he feels in his leg. Dried blood is imprinted to the pants, a teary hole is seen, showing the red or even purplish angry exposed skin, filled with dried blood and ugly wounds.
[ A gunshot? ]
He was shot and he didn't even realized it.
He was so scared that he didn't even felt the pain in the leg. Aside from that, his body starts to scream in many different pains. He doesn't know how to cope anymore, he doesn't know what to do but let the pain run and dominate his whole body.
...
"On guard, aye?"
Draco appears next to Calev, who is casually observing the person tied on the mast. " He spoke?"
"Nah." Calev muttered, not in the mood to talk.
" Elijah is such a wuss, a twig like that won't even dare be a spy. Whadda ya think?"
Draco laughs, his young yet his manly voice singing to the twilight air. When he noticed that Calev did not give any reaction, he shrugged as if he has already expected that. Instead of leaving, he decided to interfere with Calev's new found duty.
Walking closer to the tied stowaway, his eyes lingers while he keenly observes. He feels Calev tailing him, as if he is unsure whether it is alright for Draco to be doing this. No words are being exchanged.
Draco who is now full with curiosity took a closer look. The stowaway gives Draco a look, his questioning eyes almost squinting at his form.
The mixture of confusion and fear still visible in his eyes. Although he can't properly see straight due to the drowsiness he feels, the big figure of Draco still gives immense fear.
Frowning upon the sight, Draco ignores the presence of Calev behind him and continue to observe him like it is some kind of new species. Their eyes locks, and for a moment Draco feels pity over him.
Just by looking at the stowaway, the hazel eyes has no life, the lips chapped and almost purple, the stowaway is also quivering—maybe because of the cold or fear. His pale skin is dangerously worrisome. There is some noticeable yellowish and purplish hue on its skin, a sign not so good for anyone.
Being that close to him, his feet almost bumping to the stowaway's. Draco can see the bruise forming not only on its neck but also in its expose arms. There are brownish bruises, almost disappearing, while it was overlapped by newer one.
" Bruises, are they really?" He whispered.
" Belay that already."
Calev's low voice almost scared Draco, but enough to make him almost piss his pants.
" Blimey, fucking do something with that tone of yours. I always feel like you're about to end my life every single time you speak to me."
He reacted with annoyance, glaring at Calev who just ignored him.
" Can't interact or even look at him, captain's order."
The way he replied was firm, as if reminding Draco the situation. Draco smirks, the situation is quite hilarious for him. He simply thinks that these people he is onboard with are just trapped in Elijah's bottomless and unlimited paranoia of being ambush that they can't even analyze the whole circumstances properly.
Clearly by the look of it, there is no harm—not even a scratch that this poor person tied in a mast with the most unhealthy physique can do to them. But again, Elijah has his own issues and sometimes its contagious.
" Elijah's a wuss. Feeling threatened over a dying stowaway, god forgive you all."
His loud voice filled the forecastle, ringing with laughter that made the stowaway flinched. Draco left while his voice still lingers with laughter.
Calev stares at him, the stowaway flinches again this time under his cold gaze. They way he tries to make himself smaller under his eyes, squirming and wincing with his silent voice. Calev sees the obvious that he's in pain but yet he doesn't do anything.
The captain's order is absolute and he can't do anything unless there is a good reason why. Besides, he doesn't really care at all, he is just here to do his job. To observe and report to the captain, and await the breaking point of the stowaway.
From what he sees, it won't take long for the stowaway to ask for help, everyone does whenever they face the inevitable death.
Inevitable death always carries out the unexpectedness of human beings—which is expected to be honest. In the verge of their death, they will beg to be saved.
Death will always have the biggest effect on people, making them turn into each other to save their asses. Even turning away from their principle just to save themselves, death carries out the inhumane part of humans.
Calev knows this stowaway is no different from all the people he watched beg for their lives, while his captain sign their fate. He watched them betray one another in hopes to be spared. In his hands, he gave them their death.
He's no different.
However, a lingering thought found its way to Calev's subconscious. Something he feels like pulling him—which he could not explained.
" Supper." The combatant muttered.
He returns for the second time, much later in the evening with something in his hands. Calev took some bread and fish from the galley and a glass of water.
He knows he was ordered to only give him water, but without any awareness of his reasons—he gave his own dinner to the stowaway instead.
Calev places down the plate before untying the stowaway's ropes while he feels he eyes him curiously. He doesn't say anything. When he arrived, he was still staring ahead, not even sparing a glance at him until he step closer, now he just stares with the most hollow eyes he has seen for a long time since his captains.
" Eat." Calev commanded with a gruff in his voice.
He allows the stowaway to eat on his own under his watch. Scared, weak and slowly he manages to eat despite the pain all over his body. Consuming only little food from the plate, fearing he might threw up.
His hands are continuously shaking while trying to pick the pieces of bread. In Calev's eye, he looks pathetic and pitiful. Eating with no energy, the feeling of coercion under his actions, hands spilling every food on the floor more than on his mouth.
The stowaway grimaces, feeling the fear creeps inside himself. Every drop and mistake he causes, the stowaway take glances to the combatant. Afraid that there will be consequences of his mistakes.
" Finished?" Calev once again spoke with just one phrase, followed by the usual silence.
The stowaway nods right away, not hesitating to push his plate back to the hovering combatant in front. Although the hunger in his stomach is still groaning, the nausea that is still fighting with his life is much more dangerous.
The stowaway wants to avoid the ocurrance of having himself make a mess on their ship, especially if he doesn't know what will the punishments be.
Calev helps him stand up, in which confuses and scares the stowaway. The weight of the stowaway feels like feathers in his hands. He momentarily think about it, but the orders of his captain remained strong in his head—although he questioningly broke one already.
He allows him to stretch his limbs by letting him walk around the forecastle. His wobbly feet desperately holding on to the friction and not allow the gravity to succumb his weight.
However he quickly collapses to the floor with a thud. The pain is unbearable, it throbs, it stings, it hurts. He couldn't stretch his limbs especially legs, doing so only stretches and hurts the wound. The wound itself has worsen and puss were slowly forming around it.
" Can't walk, also?" Calev asks, staring at him while on the floor.
"Th..ank y—you."
Avoiding the subject, he whispers hoarsely, stuttering his words as hiccups escapes his lips. He reckons that, no one must ever know the level of his vulnerability.
Calev tied her back to the mast, contrary to what he feels like doing. He honestly don't feel like tying him up again, and he tries to wonder hard why he feels like that. The pitiful sight made him rethinks his captain's orders for a moment. As if he is willing to disobey Axel for this unknown person.
[ Is it pity? ]
He wonders, the sudden question is making the combatant feel out of character.
Surprisingly, the stowaway is good at hiding. Hiding the gunshot and possible vulnerability that only threatens his safety around these pirates. He endures and endures everything as if he is the strongest warrior he have ever seen.
Despite the coldness of his skin, like corpse with the colors on him, the ragged breathing, the stowaway remained unshakable.
" Are you really a spy from the marines?"
Calev whispers, and if he wasn't close enough to the stowaway, that questions would have remained unheard.
" I..."
It stifles a cry, the hazel eyes that was once filled with fear and confusion is now looking lifeless.
" I can't remember."
Unlike Elijah, Calev believes that.
" Something in common, huh?"
Axel slowly walks towards them, stopping right at the top of the stairs. His hands on his pockets, arrogantly standing over the two people. His emerald eyes glinting, the type of eyes that you will know exactly who are facing. The authority.
" Haven't talk, I see."
Although the sound of Axel voice might be cheeky, it separates the way he looks at Calev.
The hard firm eyes, directly staring at the combatant as if making him understand what he has to do without even speaking. Like a natural master, no words is far enough for domination.
And of course the stowaway sees him as someone who can easily end this misery, and that is much more terrifying.
" He denied the—"
" And you must have believe him."
He chuckles, seeing the half empty plate next to the stowaway.
" Such an empath, are you now Calev?"
Although he is chuckling, as if the situation is an amusement to him. Calev knows better, his captain doesn't like disobedience especially if it is an order.
Calev eyes avoided Axel, in doing so his eyes meets his. There is a tiny hope spiraling in those hazel eyes as he heard Axel statement. Although he feels scared and guilty for the busted meal that the combatant is not supposed to give.
He can't help but become emotional with the thought that someone here believes him. Tears forming in the brim of his eyes, threatening to spill. The desperation for survival fills his aching body, weakly grasping Calev right foot, nearly bowing in front of him as if begging to be spare.
" Crying."
Axel laughed, hearing how the stowaway stifles.
The word feels like a warning, immediately the stowaway let go of Calev's foot, the ropes stretching its skin in the most painful way. Yet he did not utter anything, instead he swallows all those tears and pain away fearing what might happen. Avoiding everyone gazes, closing his eyes is the most plausible decision he could ever make.
Truthfully, Axel plans not to scare the stowaway. Nothing but to ease the curiosity that irked his mind earlier. Although he is making excuses that he only wants to ask further questions to satisfy his curious mind and the anxiety that surrounds his quartermaster.
Even with his eyes closed, Axel still remembers the emptiness of his hazel eyes. He holds nothing underneath those emotions he displays, and the captain wonders deeply.
[ Could those eyes also witnessed what my eyes had? ]
His thoughts loudly roam his mind, but Elijah's words from earlier took him out of his self—induced curiosity. The statement from earlier coming back to him when he took a proper look of the stowaway.
Amidst of all of the doubt along the stowaway's presence in the ship, he knows he needs to take this poor figure out of his ship as soon as possible. He no longer wants any notch in his belts, the stowaway needs to leave before he could no longer do.
" We'll maroon him off in the next island we encounter."
He said, breathing out in the middle of it.
[ Maroon me off? ]
The stowaway asks nobody, the fear that never left his whole being doubles as he thinks about his future. He wants to open his eyes and ask them, but he has no courage to even look at them in the eyes.
" We could stop by an island nearby—it doesn't have to be isolated. Afterall—"
[ Marooning? Are they leaving me somewhere to die? ]
The stowaway tries his best to tune in to their conversation, hoping to get an answer for his fate. However the pain in his body still haunts him greatly. While with his eyes closed, he can even see the fog that his headache is creating for him. The pain in his leg, everything makes him faint.
"—Felix is already finding an island for him to be dropped off. You do all the job, it doesn't matter if you kill him or not. He is all yours."
The eyes of the stowaway almost haunting him. Axel is used to it, the eyes of fear are the eyes he had always seen in ever human that encounters him. However there is always something the is bugging him with those hazel eyes, something hidden.
" But I am guessing, you won't kill him am I correct? After all you went your way to feed him and disobey me."
Axel chuckles again, but the sound of his voice coming out in pretense.
"Captain."
Calev's voice took his attention. His voice slithered with a deep resonant growl, anger and frustration laced on his words like venom and Axel knew exactly what the voice is.
When Axel turned around, Calev is already standing a few feet from where he stands. Brooding as ever, his eyes similar to the eyes of hunters that no bearing of reasons, just kill with no means. He got confused for a second, wondering why the sudden shift in the combatant's demeanor.
Axel recognized those stares, his combatant had always looked like that when it is the beast that comes to hunt his prey, but Calev had never given those eyes to his captain. He glances at the now sleeping stowaway, then go back to examining the combatant.
The factor in which he could not explain suddenly irritates him.
"Fix those godforsaken eyes."
He spat referring to the way Calev looks at him, the taming sound of his voice holding the combatant in shackles.
" Now report."
In an instant, Calev's eyes came back even with the effort of such ego to stay. The intent of his beast leaving with the command of his master. In a moment, Calev seems to calm down. An evident frustration from his face is visible, showing hwo he never intended or wanted that to come out.
Calev coughs, attempting to lessen the tension around them.
" Aside from denying he is a spy, he did not utter anything, not even a beg."
Just like always, small words coming out from him, dismissing the conversation right away.
" All he does is look ahead."
There is nothing to look further about this, Axel concluded. This case is something not to be showing interest in the first place. Axel is dropping him off, dwelling with what his identity is irrelevant.
Regardless of all the conclusion from the mighty pirate, Axel himself—wanting to know this person is like a whisper he can't help but listen. There is something about him that draws his attention. And he is not liking that.
" Just do what I ordered." Axel left with nothing but still curiosity.
And one with the bearings of curiosity too is the combatant himself.
It was just a moment, a split second but he felt the demon, that beast taking over him when he saw his captain threatening figure over the stowaway. As if there was something that was pulling him to react that way, however he made a logical excuse within himself that he is marking his next prey to kill.
Calev waited for a while, trying to analyze the stowaway movements. Having deep breaths that comes out rigid as the time passes by. In his closed eyes, a single tear escaping his left eye, unaware of the eyes of the combatant fixated on him.
Calev left the forecastle as it started to drift away from its consciousness. He can't fathom why he is too engross by the stowaway, as if something is pulling him. Curiosity lingers in the combatant mind, wanting to find out who and why this lone stranger, amidst how broken it is, had never repeated its beg.
He justifies his actions and curious mind as a sense of duty, a responsibility and obligation to his captain orders. He's in charge of its life after all, he is just doing a great job. By the look of it, the stowaway will break its facade and tell them the truth.
The sleeping stowaway is not asleep at all, but it trying his best to fall asleep and forget everything but the torment in his body keeps him wide awake. He can help but wonder why he landed in this circumstance.
[ Am I really a spy, an enemy, just like everyone thinks?
Do I even have a family, do I have someone worrying about my whereabouts. ]
He wishes he has.
The only thing that he could actually do is pray, hope and wish.
He wishes on and on, hoping for everything to come back into its recollections. A small amount of memory would let him out his demise from the hands of pirates. But what if he is really an enemy of them, what if that his memory comes back, will he be safe? Or is he safer without it?
He just wishes that if he does have a past, his identity is not an enemy.
Even if his memories comes back, and forbidding the unfortunate fate that he is a spy, is there a guarantee that these pirates won't do anything?
[ Will I ever survive? ]
[ Will I break? ]
But on the next day, he never did.