Cove of Shadows ━━ Will Turner

𝐗𝐕𝐈 ━━ A Fish in The Water

COMPLETELY STUNNED, Asteria awoke on the ground, the teasing light of the sun piercing her irises jerkily. She was terribly cold, her skin touching the wet floor of the ship reeking of rotten fish. Finding it difficult to take cognizance, she tried to analyze and recognize what seemed familiar to her. The first smell she could unseal was that of Will, a sweet vahine mixture. Good. He was near her.

Reassured, she opened her eyes fully, and noticed the band of henchmen facing her. She, who thought that no ounce of fear could cross her now, began to panic, a slight urge to vomit all the courage she had been able to collect up to this moment. She tensed her back muscles, arching herself to increase the distance between her and the smugglers as much as possible. Where the hell were the others?

"Let her go," Will said, facing back to Asteria. The latter was squirming around, struggling hard to undo the chains that bound him— for real, this time. Deuce.

"Do you want to play it brave knight? Go ahead big boy," one of the evildoers replied.

Asteria barely understood what was happening to her, everything was so blurry. Suddenly she felt rough hands grab her cheeks, crush them like mashed potatoes made by the maids on a summer's Sunday. The girl turned her head away but the grip was too strong, unable to be defeated. Fierce, the smuggler tightened his grip as Will boiled with anger. Part of the crew surfaced, falling peacefully from their pillows in the horror the situation offered them. But, the opponents were too many and they couldn't risk losing more men than they had already done the day before.

The vile pulled Asteria up, placing his hand on her lower back. All of this repelled her, and she hated letting it go.

"Women are useless. You shouldn't even be on this ship, what can you really do?" he sneered, showing his yellowish teeth.

The girl raised an eyebrow and with a quick movement, she spat in the man's face. He stopped laughing, unlike the others who were either pissed or so amazed.

Will smiled shyly, proud of Asteria for proving such a thug.

"Women are so much more than that. You think we're only good for having the children that will bear your name, the clothes that will touch your barely breathable skin, and the condiments that will gladly join your unstoned mind-"

Not listening, the man dragged the young girl, still squeezing her jaw, which obstructed but did not prevent the truthful words from coming out of her mouth. One, two words, like three stabs in the imbecility of men.

Now Asteria was smiling. At the edge of the plank, she had stopped talking, worried eyes fixed on her for fear that she would fall. Will, who was amused by his beloved's power, hardly swallowed, fearing the worst. Engaging his foot to tilt it, the man was quickly stopped by the grip of Asteria's hands.

"Wait, daddy bear, let me finish my story!" laughed the girl, tilting her head childishly. "Trust me, there's nothing worse than a woman. A woman out for revenge."

At these words, her prayers went to Violette, whom she had come to appreciate. In truth, every villain had his reasons, every villain deserved understanding. They were just broken souls.

"Yeah, right," the man said before knocking Asteria down the water.

A horde of amazement blurred the atmosphere, whom thought the situation in favour of the young girl. A nameless surprise gripped Will, panic rising through his body in a violent jolt. It couldn't happen. How had it happened? Everything had occured so quickly, he barely had time to conceive what had just happened, nor to understand the seriousness of the intentions of the opponents. Unable to move, he tried everything to free himself from the bonds that held him back, but nothing helped. He was a mixture of everything, a rainbow pulling red and blue, buttressing the heavens. Admittedly deeply worried, another feeling whispered in his ear. Anger. The anger that he could let this act happen, the anger that the scum that did this was still in front of him, living at the top of his lungs; the anger of no longer having her near, again. He was so afraid of losing her, and wondered every second if she knew how to swim. Please let her know how to do it, please. By Jove, Asteria, why are you constantly flying away? After the confessions of the night, he did not expect to face this again. But, this time, she had nothing to do with it, and a strong desire controlled Will: he wanted her protection at all costs. Unfortunately, he soon failed in his task.