They booked passage the next day on a ship heading to Sontai. When they boarded the ship however, Kiki started feeling uneasy again. They quickly noticed there was another shrine to the Gruman god of the wind.
“They always have these things on their boats?” Friju asked.
“More than likely,” Bec muttered.
“I don’t want to sail on this boat,” Piku whined. “It’ll come after me again.”
They looked at Bichon and he pounded his right fist into the left hand.
“I um…wouldn’t worry,” Bec said. “But try to wait until we’re in the right place before tearing it apart.”
“And let me know before you do it,” Kiki said, giving a bow. “I shall speak for you if I must.”
Bichon nodded and waited until the ship left Fioska. Kiki and Friju kept a tight hold of Piku, who kept praying aloud.
“Keep it away from me. Just keep it away from me.”
Bec bit her lip and looked at Bichon. He gave a smile and nodded towards the captain. Bec raised an eyebrow but Bichon squeezed her hand before giving a wave. Bec took a deep breath and approached the Gruman.
“Oh Captain,” she said.
“Ah! Yes, My Dear?”
“I was just wondering how far it is to Sontai. Have we passed the mountains yet?”
“Oh no. We haven’t even passed the desert. It is quite vast…and we’ll only be halfway by this afternoon.”
Bec nodded and returned to Bichon, who gave a smile. He waited until that afternoon before finding the shrine. He wasted no time tearing it apart, burning the wooden articles and smashing the stones and incense and the altar. Much like before, the priests ran in to stop him and dragged him before the captain.
“Punish us if you will,” came the voice. “We will not serve your gods.”
Kiki blinked as Friju gave a harsh whisper.
“Why’d you say that?”
“I…I just said what…what He told me to say.”
“Here are the women!”
The Grumans grabbed Kiki and Friju and another dragged Bec from the room.
“Kill them! Kill them all!”
But just then, the wind picked up and the sailors started to cry out. The priests also cried and pointed at Bichon.
“It’s his fault! He has angered the god of the wind!”
“Throw him overboard!”
“No!”
Piku suddenly appeared and jumped into Bichon’s arms. He gave a smile and ran to the side of the ship and jumped. The Grumans laughed and threw all three girls after them.
“I can’t swim!” Kiki cried.
Bec swam over to Kiki and Friju went to her other side.
“Don’t panic,” Friju said. “But don’t drag us down either.”
But Kiki was trying to climb on top of Bec to keep her head above the water. Bec was struggling and there was a sudden crash.
“They hit something!” Friju cried.
“Look out!” Kiki screamed.
The mast of the ship fell into the water, breaking into several pieces. Friju pulled Kiki over to it and helped her hold on to one of the long planks of wood. Bec coughed as she managed to swim up next to them.
“Hey,” she said. “Is that a…a light?”
The girls looked and saw a light, blinking to the south. Kiki gave a gasp and turned to Friju.
“You said Ty was…was taking care of a light?”
“Yeah,” Friju said. “That’s why Ty was always at the top of…that…tree.”
Friju gasped and Kiki pointed ahead.
“The light is there! My love is there…and so is yours!”
Friju and Kiki then started kicking their legs as hard as they could.
YOU ARE READING
The Account of the Brides
AventuraBec is finally getting educated due to the Gruman occupation. But she realizes it's time to escape when she hears about the prisoners in the tower.
