The captains of the sunset wind.

Reas Pov

"WHAT?" After a moment of silence, I straightened out my posture and stuck to wiping off imaginary dirt from my coat. "I mean... what? So let me get this straight-" Finishing with that, I adjusted my hat, only to readjust it back to where it just was. "While I was painting, you had an entire competition with Gillion, resulting in a draw for some odd reason, and apparently Malachi fell overboard due to mysterious circumstances?" Ari's wings twitched as she paced, already getting antsy.
"Yes, I did. And it was amazing racing with Gillion. If only that John saw who won..." She muttered, making sharp turns between the walls, her boots making a steady click click click. I sighed and sank to my bed, rubbing the bridge of my nose.
"You know I worry about you- and this Gillion isn't helping anything. And why didn't you come get me when he fell overboard?" I asked, fretting about poor Malachi.
"Because he said he was fine! You shouldn't care as much. Everyone should toughen up a bit. It's good for them." I gave up trying to look at her as she paced.
"Just because he said he was fine- can you tell me what happened again?"
"Ry, for the love of Nuarae, I already told you. When me and Gillion got back, Malachi was already out of the water and was walking toward our boat. I went after him and he told me he was fine so I left him alone. That's the story. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go for a short flight." She made one last flick of a turn, she started walking toward the door.
"Ari- you're probably exhausted. Can you be a normal person and sleep for more than three hours, and not try to kill yourself by fighting everything?" I was to the point of begging. All my pleas did was a short pause, then; "I don't see what the problem is, it's not like I passed out like you." Before she noisily opened and closed the door onto the main deck. I sighed, falling back to my pillow as I heard the faint clack clack of her boots before tuning everything out and closing my eyes. Please... let everything be okay tonight.
I knew her bluntness was one she wasn't aware of, but it still stung. Whatever happened for the rest of the day, it was up to me to make sure people weren't falling off boats into the water anytime soon, but just that exchange alone made me tired. I want to check on Malachi. I rolled myself off my cot and walked out and saw Dallas walking below deck. Oh. I guess Malachi will be fine, if Dallas is with him. I followed Dallas below deck before turning into the kitchen where Tia was making a small sandwich, most likely for Malachi.
"What's up hon." Tia said, cutting perfect pieces of bread. I sighed heavily as I sank into a chair. Tia's voice was soothing as always, but didn't help much today. "Ari's angry, Malachi is probably traumatized and crying, and I feel like Dallas is everywhere and nowhere all at once, which makes my head hurt, and- Where did James go?" I finished my rant and saw Kadence cutting some fruit, specifically my favorites; pineapple and raspberries. I snagged a raspberry and nibbled at it as Tia finished the sandwich and leaned against the wall.
"This other crew- you never told me how you met them. Care to share, then I can give you my opinion?" Kadence set the plate of fruit in front of me and I started the story after hugging her. I said how it started with the chess game, then the fight, then all that happened today. After I finished the less-violent and dramatic recap, I licked the juice from my fingers as James stumbled in, red-eyed and shaky. Kadence left her stash of all of our favorite foods, and hugged James. I almost suggested that we all go to comfort Malachi, but I thought better. While Dallas was a bit odd, he was good at listening, and that's what Malachi needs, I think. Kade broke the hug and appeared with a good-looking green apple and a generous pile of lettuce for James. He took it, half smiling.
"How do you always know?" He asked, already moving to sit down and eat his very green salad.
"Everyone has something. Favorites are my thing, so you can't replace me!" Kade said, smiling and laughing. I took a quick moment to let this moment settle in. Even after something less than optimal happened, we still pushed it away and went back to smiling. It reminded me of when we first found James and Malachi.
It must've been a year now, but it feels like more.
We woke up to cannon shots.

Ari rushed to the deck, broadsword unsheathed, eyes looking for the threat. I hurried and grabbed my spyglass and spotted a ship setting sail from the harbor. A Navy ship-
"We've got the Navy on our tails! Dallas, get your spells ready. Ari, be ready to-" I got cut off as Ari's orange magic covered the deck. "Ari! Get back here!" She didn't listen or couldn't hear me as she flew low to the water. I gritted my teeth. "Dallas! We'll need protective spells and attack spells! Kade, Tia! Get below deck, fast. Bring Koda with you." I tried to get everyone battle ready as another cannonball was fired with a red glow. Dallas quickly cast a shield around the boat just as the cannonball hit the front of our ship. I couldn't do anything else as I watched the orange glow from Ari flair up then fade as she fought whoever was on the boat. Ari can take care of herself. She'll be fine...
As the sun died and sank into the ocean, Ari's glow was the only thing we could see. Their ship stopped sailing towards us and seemed like it was drifting as whoever was steering the ship stopped to fight. I steered our ship closer, in case we had to jump in and help, which was hardly ever necessary when Ari was in her frenzy. Dallas cast and threw a magic cannonball at their ship, and I watched as it hit the side and exploded, the ship rocking from the impact. Ari's orange magic flared brightly before it stopped glowing altogether. No... Can she really-
I ate my words as I saw another bright flash of her magic, and a CRASH! as a figure slammed into the side of the navy boat. We finally were close enough to see two people caught in an altercation. The first figure, who was a tall burly man with thick brown hair and a surprisingly well-fitted navy outfit for his toned physique, was dueling with Ari. Ari flipped her sword around in a circle, catching it in mid-air and snuffing out the orange sparks that still lingered.
"So, the pirate's pet parrot has some spunk, huh?" The man bit back a shockwave that always followed when someone was struck with Ari's magic, and with admirable strength stood back up. Ari raised an eyebrow. "Pet parrot, huh? And what does that make you, a bug?" Her eyes flashed with another wave of magic, to which the man reached behind him and exposed a bright silver blade with a blue tint. Ari swung her sword, knocked his knife out of his hand, pinned his hand down with her boot, and leaned over him, smirking. "Yeah, no. Secret knives aren't very fun, sir."  She dug her heel into his veins, testing his limits, and stopped when he winced. "When you fight me, we play by my rules." Me and Dallas hurred onto the deck of his boat. Another navy soldier came up from behind, the first of what looked like many that had tried and actually succeeded in pushing Ari off of their captain.
Ari flapped her wings, caught herself on her toes, and raced towards the soldier. "None of that either!" With a swish of orange, the soldier was suddenly ten feet away from her, clutching his stomach. The captain she was fighting had readied a gun, and was aiming for Ari's head. "No!" I shrieked, throwing my hand up and calling to my magic. A vine whipped the gun, diverging its aim and causing it to whiff by a foot.
As more soldiers were distracting Ari, the captain turned to face me and Dallas. "Ah, the parrot's owner, I presume?" He slashed my vine off, giving me a hollow smile. "Do you normally let your pets fight all your battles? That's quite reckless, you know." He motioned to where all his men were piling on Ari, trying to pin her down while she was dodging with varying levels of success. A man slammed into her, knocking the wind out of her, to which she spun around and whacked three more with her wings.
"All birds fall from the sky eventually." He mused, watching the back and forth. "No matter how high they fly. They'll hit the ground." I gritted my teeth. "What do you want? Or is all the Navy just this horrible?" The man chuckled, his voice very gravely.
"No... not everyone. Just the best at their job." I lunged forward, my twin daggers lashing forward, trying to make wounds that'll hurt. The Navy man dodged the first one, and the second one caught him in the side. He grabbed at the wound, pulling his hand back and staring at the blood on his fingertips. "Not a heavy hitter, huh?" He flicked his wrist, droplets of blood flying from his fingertips as if he were just snapping.
In one swift motion, he kicked up his leg and knocked me off balance. I gasped, trying to regain control of the situation by tangling him up in my vines. He rose against the plants, grabbing my neck and shoving me into the wall of the boat. "Rea!" Dallas flared up his magic, readying an attack. In a swift motion, the navy soldier overpowered Dallas, kicking his abdomen and sending him flying off the side of the boat. I heard a splash from below, but I couldn't turn my head. I scratched at his arm, but he didn't budge. The vines tangled around his arm and neck but still he resisted, flexing all his muscles and remaining impenetrable.
It was as if he would rather die than let me go. As if there was something worse waiting for him if he were to loosen his grip even a little. There were spots in my vision as everything began blurring together, the scene melting into a bleak landscape. For just the slightest, most delirious moment, I considered it to be the clouds and not me losing consciousness. But if that were true, then the moon above wouldn't be quite as bright as it was.
Don't pass out, Rea! I tried coaching myself. If you go out now, then it's all over. All I have to do is make him pass out before me- His eyes shone with restlessness. He would never let me go. Like a snake, he would still hold on even if he were dead. Sure, I could stay conscious longer than him, but he would get me in the end. With a last ditch effort, I raised my hand, glowing magic forming into a burst. I whacked the side of his head, an explosion echoing through the sky.
The magic dispersed, and the face in front of me remained stoic. A cut was bleeding from his forehead, and he was covered in grime from the kicked up wind, but he was still staring at me. His green eyes pierced into my discolored ones. H-he's still up? I began panicking now, kicking at his chest and wriggling in any way I could but I knew I couldn't escape that grasp. I wasn't very strong, and this leviathan in front of me would prove that.
N-no! What about Ari?
I could no longer see the blooming orange magic, but from the sounds that remained just beyond my vision I could tell she was still fighting. O-of course... She wouldn't go down quite so easily! I raised my hand again, feeling the tingle of sleep pricking them and biting against my rebellion. Neither will I! Another wave of magic surged through my veins, and with the last of my strength I reared back and punched him smack in the face.
This time, when my blow connected, I saw a trail of blood exit his nose as he relented. I definitely broke something. All too quickly, he dropped me to the ground. I coughed up blood along with him, wheezing and cherishing every new breath in my lungs. I-I did it!
I felt tears in my eyes, and pushed against the wood with my hands to force myself to look up. The soldier towered over me, rage painted so clearly on his face it made me nauseous. This fight isn't over. I looked down at my hands, turning away from him. Frayed vines lay at my feet. That last blow had taken all my strength, and now the plants I had been able to coax so easily trembled in fear along with me. I shook myself, trying to get the numbness to escape from my nerves, but my body had already given up.
"Hey." I looked up again, but the voice wasn't from the Navy soldier. He turned around as well, letting me finally see beyond his piercing gaze. "I said we played by my rules, right? Well, you just broke a few and now I'm pissed off. I hope you don't mind me breaking a few soldiers in return."
It was like a bonfire suddenly combusted in front of me, cutting out what little light shone in the darkness and stealing the spotlight of even the moon. A center to this mass of flames was a demon itself, right from the underworld here to enact justice. No... not a demon. A broken angle with flames licking her feathers and blowing her hair around like a tsunami. At some point, one of the soldiers must've undone her hair and now it flowed effortlessly around her, blending into the magic all around. In contrast to the flames around her, she appeared as black as night. The only thing I could really make out past the silhouette through my delirium were those fierce orange eyes, which were like two candles in the darkness. At her side, she had her greatsword at the ready.
"Ari..?" I tried calling out to her, but my voice was hoarse and taken from me after the struggle with the Navy captain. The man himself was facing away from me, so I couldn't see his face. There's no way any person on this planet, no matter what species, would not be shaking with fear at the sight of that. "Ah, screw it." She tilted her head up, her eyes looking down at the suddenly small presence. "I'll just break you too." She seemed to explode with power and magic. I could barely keep up with her movement with my eyes, which seemed to go in and out of focus with delirium and air deprivation. I tried to shake off the fuzzy feeling and noticed Dallas climbed back up from the water and shouted that something was sinking. Sinking? Is the boat sinking?! I pushed myself up, trying not to fall over, and tried to make sense of the wreckage surrounding me. There were unconscious bodies of crewmen, or I hoped they were just unconscious, and the burly Navy man was still fighting Ari who didn't seem to be slowing down, but making her attacks quicker. I didn't think the Navy man would make it off the ship alive if Ari didn't let up. I kept breathing, trying to get air back, and tried to help. I say tried because all I ended up doing was shooting some light from my hands instead of vines, which did help a little as it blinded the Navy man. Ari took an opportunity and stabbed forward with her sword right as a shield of yellow, Dallas's magic, protected the Navy man. I was confused at first, but then steadied myself enough to see how much the Navy man was injured.
"Captain! Arianna!" Dallas yelled, standing between the Navy man and her. Ari still looked ready to fight, her eyes glowing a bright orange.
"Move, please." Ari said, adding the please as an afterthought. Dallas didn't move. "Dallas, get out of the way. He tried to kill Ry." I stumbled toward them.
"Ari, I'm fine now. You don't have to-"
"That doesn't change the fact that he still tried to! Dallas, move, or I'll hit both of you."
"Arianna. I can't let you kill a man, much less a Navy man. We've managed to stay under radar so far. Killing that man will put us on a wanted list, where we'll get hunted." Dallas protested.
"I can take care of them!" Ari yelled. I heard a splash as something hit the water. Ari ran and dove off the side of the boat. The Navy man jumped ship. Dallas and I rushed to the edge and saw her struggle to lift the man from the water. Dallas dug through his bag and handed me a small vial. Before I could ask what it was, he was already speaking. "It's an energy boost, just enough to make some vines to get the man out of the water." I tugged the cork off and drank it, and all at once felt a lot better. I sent some vines off the side of the ship, wrapped them around the man, and lifted him back onto the deck, also restraining him.
They both looked terrible, with cuts and blood mixing with salt water. Ari's feathers were frayed, and her wings drooped, but still, she retained her murderous glare. Her magic has dispersed, so her normal blue eyes shot an icy stare into the navy man. He didn't seem to notice, or care, about her or anything. He still looked like he had fight in him, but he didn't lunge or try to break his way free.
"Okay..." I reached my hand out to Ari, but she didn't take it, much less look at it. I retracted it back towards my chest. "We need to gather supplies or... something before this ship goes down," I said, noticing the giant hole in the side of the ship taking in water. Ari hauled herself up the side of the ship and pushed past me and Dallas, casting one last look at the Navy man, and went below deck into storage holds. I sighed, already feeling the effects of the potion wearing off. I found a rope and tied the man up while Dallas went below deck as well.
"...you know you'll be wanted for the murder of Navy soldiers." The man muttered. I tightened a rope around his arms.
"We didn't murder anyone. Most of your men should wake up soon..." I hesitated, looking at the dozen men scattered across the deck, some of them looking like they weren't breathing. No, Ari didn't kill anyone... right?
"My ship is sinking. If you leave my men here... they will die."
"So what?" I said quickly. "Less corrupted Navy, the better for us. It's what pirates do, pillage and plunder from the 'good' people, right?" He sighed, and I tried to keep my face still and emotionless. What pirates do- I hope we're not evil pirates like that... are we?
"Ry! There's a stowaway on their boat!" I heard Ari's far off voice, full of a sudden rasp like her exhaustion had caught up with her. "A stowaway?" I called back, my head finally clear of that almost asphyxiation, and saw Ari emerge from the underside of the Navy ship with bags of supplies and a thin man at her side.
"Where-"
"I found him in a barrel eating stale bread." The man, who was very much too skinny to be healthy, looked around warily at all the bodies. Dallas came up from below as well, with a bag of food, and a bigger bag of stuff he found useful.
"We have to go, now." Dallas said, preparing to jump back to our ship. "We either take those wounded with us, or leave them and let them sink with the ship. I suggest we take them with us." I looked at everyone on the deck. Some of them were stirring and groaned, and others laid still. The Navy man looked at the stowaway, then at our ship, finally giving up.
"Take my men. Save them. A captain goes down with his ship." Ari brisled.
"No. We're taking you as well. We're not leaving anyone on this ship." Dallas said, jumping back. He looked at Ari, then me, then began checking on the few men that were slowly sitting up. I checked the rope on the Navy captain, then started checking the men as well, and Ari took the stowaway man onto our ship, a little too forcefully. He yelped as she shoved his shoulder forward in front of her. Me and Dallas spent the next scary minutes checking on the 10 crew members and making sure the ship wouldn't sink before we were done. Ari watched us, and glared at the occasional crewmen that tried to fight still.