Skyrun

Chapter 45; The end of the adventure.

Hours passed like the dragging of chains across a dull floor, with little but the distant sounds of cannon fire and erratic rocking of the ship to keep the young group of pirates company.

Keeping his knees tucked into his chest, Liam wished to all the gods that the cell had a window, a crack in on of the wooden walls-- anything to allow him to see what sort of turmoil stormed above.

Yet all he could do was wait and listen.

It was torture, almost; the sense of waiting for death to come pounding on their door. And even though his own stomach twisted itself into horrid knots to the point where he felt as though he would wretch up what little he had eaten the day before, he knew it was just as dreadful for the others as well.

Spyglass shed silent tears, having been the least rugged of them all, while Ezra held Tophsy close, murmuring to whatever gods he believed in to save them all. And as for Tophsy... she simply reached out to place a hand on Liam's own shoulder every once in awhile, her face a grim mask.

Liam wished he felt as brave as she looked, yet his heart quailed at every sound that thundered above, every explosion that shook the walls around them.

Once or twice, he thought he heard a scream coming from just above their heads, followed a moment later by a gurgling cry as whoever it was was given a speedy death at the end of a blade.

"Do you think that was anyone we knew?" Spyglass whispered, his eyes round with fear behind his spectacles, his usually pale face nearly green in the dimming light.

"It doesn't matter now, does it?" Tophsy answered, "They'll all be dead when the Guard find us. They never leave anyone but the prisoners alive."

There was a pause as another hit from a cannonball made the ship lurch, jostling them about. Finally, however, in the uneasy silence that ensued, Liam said quietly, "Valentine will make it."

There was no more conversation after that.

                              ..........................................

It was in the midst of twilight when the heavy pounding of boots echoed down the hall just outside their cell door.

Snapping his head up, Liam gripped Tophsy's hand as the door swung open, his heart plummeting when he saw the Sky Guard standing before them, their bright blue waist-coats smudged with the blood of pirates.

Immediately, one of the men stepped forward and wordlessly began to unlock the shackles from a key that very well might have been stolen from Sinclair.

'Or his body,' Liam thought, his heart lurching, a cold sweat breaking out upon his forehead as the frigid iron was removed from his wrists.

If the Sky Guard was releasing them, it could only mean that the pirates had lost. They had failed.

Feeling as though he was going to be sick, Liam ignored the man as he asked them questions of who they were. Where they had come from? Did they have family? Were they kidnapped by these monsters? Yet the words simply bounded off his ears, his throat too dry to answer, his mouth going sour.

Thus, Tophsy answered them all; her tone giving nothing true away as some lie or another seamlessly slipping from her lips as the four of them were led from the cells.

Glancing back, Liam's eyes met with Ezra's own-- and though the boy would never have admitted it aloud, he was certain he saw fear there. Fear of what they were going to see.

Spyglass, however, was a mess of quiet sobs with his only consolation being Tophsy's arm around his shoulders, her tone gentle as she paused from answering questions to murmur to him, "There now. It's going to be alright. We're almost out."