𝓘𝓷𝓿𝓲𝓭𝓲𝓪

Chapter 7 ~ Gunshot

   

    The ship bursts to life, the crew of the Treasure descending into the well-oiled chaos of battle prep. I fight the urge to lie on the ground in the fetal position as I stand frozen on the deck, Wooyoung eyeing me with mild concern. My head snaps back up to look at the captain as he barks a command at the man beside me.

"Wooyoung, crows view please, report back once you can see if it's a warship IIX or a warship VI."

"Yes Capt'n." Wooyoung shouts back, then roughly grabs my wrist and tugs me along with him to the main mast. "Cmon, if you come with me they won't lock you back up in the cell."

Still shell shocked, I stumble along with Wooyoung over to the looming mast, and stare at him as he climbs up, and up, and up, with a practiced speed that could only ever be obtained through years on the ropes.

He stops half way up and looks down at me, who's still planted on the deck. "Oh come on! Hurry up, it's not as bad once you're at the top."

Grumbling to myself, I sigh and place one hand on the thick rope ladder, putting one arm in front of the other as I scale the huge mast, afraid to look down. Keeping my eyes glued to the ropes, I climb until a strong hand snakes its way around my right wrist, and I look up to see Wooyoung leaning down to help me. I let him take my hand and hoist me up until we are both standing on the crows nest, which is surprisingly solid, for how high up in the air it is. The area is small, ideally built for one person, maybe about four feet wide. The carved wooden rails reach my waist, and an expensive, hand carved telescope sits mounted on the rails with a wheeled contraption that allows it to slide along the entirety of the railing without fear of falling off the ship. I silently give props to whoever engineered it. Wooyoung currently peers out of the telescope at the small blob that is the navy ship, and I notice a pillow on the ground, deftly tied to the railing, and I wonder how often he sleeps up here for that to be necessary.

"Maeve." Wooyoung's voice pulls me out of my wandering thoughts, he waves me over with a hand. "Is it just me or does that ship look funny?"

"And just why would I aid you in plundering one of my fathers ships?" I ask him. Did he forget I'm not on his side? Seriously?

He sighs, lifting his head from the telescope and giving me a distressed look. "Please, I mean it this ship looks funny, you know navy command ships better than me anyways."

"Fine, but you owe me one."

"Deal."

Taking the telescope from Wooyoung, I look through it to get a better view of the vessel, which is now about four knots away from our location. I rake my eyes over the hulking gray beast, checking it for any oddities. I start listing things off out loud so Wooyoung can track with my train of thought. "Reinforced steel hull, eight cannons... definitely an IIX. Wait." I pause, looking for the royal emblem that should be carved into the port side of the bow. It's been torn off.

"Wooyoung." I say slowly, "That ship has been stolen."

"Huh?" He stares at me, confusion marring his features. I usher him over to look through the telescope.

"See the upper port side of the bow?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Unless that ship is more than twenty years old, which is impossible because my father had all old ships recalled ten years ago, it should have the royal emblem carved into that side. It's been ripped off and replaced by a flat sheet of metal."

Wooyoung pauses for a moment, then turns to look at me with wide eyes. "Shit, you're right, I have to go tell Captain." He makes for the latched opening of the crows nest, but I stop him with my arm before he can shoot down the ladder.