"Not this one."
Ian whispered, knocking at the tiles on the wall. The sound of a dull thud was produced.
Ian, Liluth, Abigail, William, Rosie, and Yezekael all carefully knocked on each of the several tiles of the boat.
"And not this one either," Abigail noted.
Nym was partaking in the knocking, though he didn't speak.
As they continued checking each plank of wood, Rosie and Yezekael bumped into each other, their paths somehow intertwining.
"Eek! Sorry…!" Rosie quickly apologized, tumbling a little bit. Yezekael remained firm as a rock.
"It's fine."
Silence ensued. Looking up at him, Rosie felt that the situation had become awkward. She asked a question.
"Where are you from… Yezekael. That's your name, right?" She continued knocking on the individual wooden planks, besides Yezekael.
"Anore. I'm from the South."
"Really?" her eyes lit up.
"Yeah."
"I'm from Anore as well. Keresu County."
"…"
Yezekael stopped knocking for a second, his arm dropping to his side. He turned his head, to get a good look at the woman beside him.
Curly brown hair, with tan skin and freckles. Her features were soft; her eyes were large and brown.
— She's pretty.
Before Yezekael could respond, she continued.
"Or, at least that's where I think I was born. Being a slave for most of my life, I feel like I'm slowly losing my sense of self."
She said this with a strange smile; Yezekael could not figure out if she was smiling out of sadness or acceptance or both.
"I don't think you should feel like that. Even if you do, hold on tight. Now that I'm here, I'll make sure that we escape this place unharmed."
Rosie giggled, shoving Yezekael's shoulder, lightly.
"I'm... not joking, though."
Yezekael maintained a serious tone, while Rosie continued laughing. She managed to catch her breath.
"Do you think you're some kind of Alexander?"
"The... greatest knight of Venichian?"
"If you were as strong as him, sure. I wouldn't be laughing right now."
"You think these scars are for show?"
"I mean, all of us have scars. Maybe not on our faces, but somewhere."
"..."
They continued searching each plank. Yezekael felt that he needed to speak again.
"Oh, and that Alexander guy you were talking about. I'm stronger than him. Way stronger."
Rosie laughed aloud again, trying to silence herself to not catch any attention.
"..."
With all the laughing that was happening, Yezekael felt a little embarrassed. He went back to knocking.
Knock!
His eyes widened and his brows raised. A smirk appeared on his face, without him even knowing.
"It's this one!" he whispered.
Raising his hand, he gestured for everyone to come in his direction, toward the plank.
. . .
The next morning came, and Sar's shore could be seen some kilometers away.
Within the cabin, Yezekael stood in front of Caelum, still barely awake. The sun had just come over the horizon.
"Why... are you looking at me like that?" Caelum asked, his voice slurred.
"Like what?" Yezekael asked with a grin on his face, his hands behind his back, in his shirt.
"... What are you hiding?" Caelum inquired, a brow raised. Yezekael's sneaky behavior managed to wake him up slightly and put him on alert.
Somewhere in the cabin, there were three slaver bodies, piled into a corner.
Yezekael took the AHMC rifle out of his shirt, handing it to Caelum.
"Haah."
Caelum sighed, the ends of his lips curling upward. Knowing Yezekael, maybe he was aware that things would end up like this.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the rifle, getting up from his sitting position.
The entire cabin of slaves was armed and ready to fight, unchained.
"With you owning the only ranged item, we all decided that it was best for you to shoot the shot that would start our rebellion," Yezekael said, patting Caelum's shoulder.
Caelum wrapped the sling over his shoulder, aiming for the hatch at the roof.
"..."
Pyoem...!
Bang!
A beam of white energy, emanating red light shot out.
"Wow!" Yezekael yelled out.
The blast splintered the wood of the boat and destroyed the trapdoor clean off. Wasting no time, the slaves climbed out of the ladder, invading the top of the ship.
The deck was overcome with slaves, battling with the newly freed slaves.
[Cast: Black Flame Slash]
The tip of Yezekael's spear burned a strangely bright black flame, and he swiped down, slashing through the leather coat of a pirate.
"Gyah!" The pirate screamed, collapsing.
"I've still got it, then."
Caelum bumped back with Yezekael.
"I never would've thought I would free some slaves while on the way to Sar!" he yelled, trying to speak to Yezekael through the commotion.
"This boat is somehow still being steered. Imagine what it's looking like inside the cockpit right now," Yezekael responded.
The scene of a panicked captain desperately commanding the pilot to steer the ship, amidst all the chaos entered Caelum's head, and he chuckled.
[Cast: Flashstep]
He disappeared, leaving Yezekael on his own side of the boat.
Yezekael saw a familiar silhouette that made his smile drop.
"It's you."
The pirate that tortured the slave on the deck.
"Ah... who are you again?" The pirate asked, confused.
He no longer wore the cap that he had displayed on the day that the slave was killed. Now, his face could be seen.
His hair was long and black, falling down to his back. His eyes were sharp and cynical, almost devoid of life, despite the bright green color. His lips curled into a smile that contrasted with his dull eyes.
"It doesn't matter who I am."
[Cast: Flashstep]
[Cast: Barrier]
Clang!
Yezekael's spear collided with the pirate's shield.
The barrier of mana shattered, though maintaining its shape. He pushed the mana forward, sending Yezekael a few meters back. It dissipated in energy.
"A range limit..."
Yezekael noted to himself.
Yezekael clashed with the pirate again, this time, the pirate blocked it with his bare hands.
A thin barrier coated his hands, allowing him to wield them as weapons.
"You're talented, yet you use your abilities to commit such filthy acts."
"Filthy? Murder is not filthy. It's innate in human nature!"
"How... sick!"
Slsh!