The Black Coral (Percico/Pernico)

Chapter Five: Rescued?

Nico's vision was obnoxiously bright and blurry as he slowly regained consciousness. His head felt light, yet ached when he sat up, and once he did, he began coughing and wheezing, attempting to be rid of the smoke that defiled his lungs.

Soon enough, his coughing ceased, and his vision cleared up from his nausea, enabling him to see where he was. Where was he? He had no idea. All he knew was that he was lying on comfortable silk sheets in a bed, in a room where the blinding sunlight shone on his face and the air smelled like the ocean, which he admired. The bed was also really warm. He looked behind him, seeing a large window that wrapped around the back wall of the room.

Once Nico looked out, however, all he saw were the gentle waves in the ocean, and the tracks that wherever he was right now was making in the water. He was in a ship, and he was at the stern. He knew that much.

The memory recollected in his brain, and he remembered that he felt warm, strong arms wrap around him, holding him tightly. Was he perhaps rescued from the pirates? How soon did they show? How did they know that the ship was being intercepted by pirates? Nico hadn't seen a single ship other than the Black Coral and his cargo ship, which was now debris on the bottom of the ocean.

Looking around, Nico saw weapons and maps and doubloons that littered a table against one of the walls of the room. The weapons looked shiny, and the maps looked old.

After observing the anatomy of the room, he realized that he hadn't gotten up out of the bed, nor did he want to, since it was comfortable. As the Prince of Italy recollected his thoughts, he realized that he must have been in the Captain's Quarters, that place was obviously not meant for just a sailor.

Where was he? He needed to find out. He tossed the soft blanket that was draped over him aside, exposing his bare legs to the coldness of the air. Bare legs? Had he been undressed? The thought of a stranger undressing him gave him an unsettling feeling. The only one who really undressed him was Leo, and that was to get ready for bed.

Speaking of his pointy-eared servant, where was he? Was he even alive? Nico felt a massive cloud of guilt form in his stomach, ingesting his insides and making his head spin. Was he perhaps rescued, as well? Nico sure hoped.

He swung his legs over the side of his bed and placed his bare feet on the wood of the floor. Hopefully he wouldn't get a splinter. He rose to his feet, stepping as silently as he could around the room to find something to cover himself with. He was on a ship full of strangers, he didn't want to be seen that exposed. He was royalty, although he didn't want to be.

He wondered how far from Italy he was. He hoped they weren't on their way there. He wanted to be free for as long as possible, to avoid his inevitable inprisonment. Well, maybe not imprisonment, but it felt like it to Nico. He felt like he was chained to a tree and this was his one chance at getting as far away from that tree as he could. He didn't want to go back to it. The shackles were cold and he didn't want to be chained to that tree. Never again.

He looked upon the desk that was full of doubloons and maps and sharp weapons to see a pile of neatly folded clothing. He assumed that they were meant for him. He was only in a shirt, which was slightly damp. He pulled the clothing over his head and tossed it upon the floor, intending to pick it up after he changed.

He stepped into the legs of the brown pants, tugging them up his legs. The pants fit nicely; the fabric was loose, but fit perfectly around his hips. He then slid the shirt onto his lithe torso. It also fit loosely, but it wasn't too bad; he wasn't swimming in it.

After changing into the clothing, he grabbed his own shirt that lied abandoned on the floor and folded it neatly before placing it on the desk, where the pile of clothing he was currently wearing once sat. There were no shoes, unfortunately, which caused Nico to feel incompetent, since he remembered that he left his own in the barracks. He cursed himself and his logic. Instead of scolding himself, he decided to go and see the ship that he was on, and thank the people who had rescued him.