I lived through the week, haha, yay. I guess. I actually was going to upload this Wednesday but shit happened.
Part One
/||||\
A shape pain in his gut woke him. He was getting really tired of being kicked. Castian rolled back from the man as he leveled another blow from his boot at him. His arm ground into the planks and he yelp.
"Good," the man said, "You're awake." He smiled, showing chipped teeth in a crooked line. "Up."
Castian swayed, forcing himself to sit. Vellis was behind the man, hanging limp in the grip of two wiry guys without shirts. They had dark, tanned skin and muscles strengthened from working the ship. One had a bandana wrapped around his arm. It was the color of blood.
"Up." The first man snarled. "Or you'll end like your friend there."
Castian staggered, coming up uneasily. The movement of the ship had changed, but it still shifted about under his boots. He grit his teeth and spread his feet to keep from toppling.
One of the men holding Vellis laughed, a rough snort. What time was it? Castian's eyes flicked to his watch. His stomach dropped. Three hours. They had three hours.
The first guy grabbed him by the arm, jerking him forward towards the open hatch. Castian sucked in a breath, trying to ignore the pain in his left shoulder. At least the man hadn't grabbed that arm, he would have blacked out from the pain and not even tried to get up.
He was shoved sharply at the ladder. "Up." Was that his favorite word? Another shove and Castian grabbed a rung with his good arm.
"My arm is broken."
"I could drag you up by it," the man offered, far cheery. He showed his chipped teeth in a snarl. Castian turned away.
He climbed the ladder, arm tucked awkwardly at his side. Castian emerged onto a deck littered with debris from the storm. Pieces of the railing hung broken, canvas was tangled and wrapped around everything. He glanced up and found the main mast had snapped towards the top.
"Capn'!" Chip tooth shouted. "Look what we found in the hold." His accent was hard to understand, it was like he was trying to slur his words. Maybe he was just drunk.
A man in much finer clothes that were just a bit loose to have actually been tailored for him came over. His hand rest lightly on the hilt of a long rapier. His deep blue trousers were tucked into dark black boots, and the top of his blousey white shirt hung open. The wind picked up, and his clothes ruffled in it like feathers.
"Well well," he said, english accent making the words sound crisp. "What do we have here?"
"Stowaways," grunted Chip Tooth.
The captain rolled his eyes. "Rhetorical question, Qel!" He clapped, motioning expansively at his ship. "Now, what made you think stowing away on the Sea Bird was a good idea, boy?"
"I had a death wish," Castian muttered, gaze dark.
"Well at least you know it." The captain circled them. "What I want to know is, how has no one noticed you?"
He swallowed and remained silent. What would they do? Throw them off the ship? No, probably make them work or take them prisoner. Sell them as slaves at the next port. Not that it matters, you'll be dead long before then.
"I asked you a question," the captain said, voice going dangerous and low. The wind buffeted them again, and his multitude of little black braids were pushed about in it. The captain fixed him with a sharp gaze.
"I don't know," Castian said. "Maybe you need more vigilant men." He shrugged from the grip of the chip toothed man. He reached for Castian again, but the captain held up a hand.
"You know what we did to the last one who tried to stowaway on our ship?"
"How would I know that?" Castian snarled. The fact that he was about to die was really ruining his mood.
The captain either didn't care about his tone, or didn't notice. He grinned. "We wrapped them in old canvas and poured lantern oil on it, before lighting their cocoons on fire and throwing them into the sea." He paused, straightening one sleeve. "In sight of an English patrol ship."
Lit them on fire. Castian felt the blood drain from his face. "What are you?" he demanded, "Pirates then?"
The group broke out laughing. "Well, we ain't queen's men," one of them choked out. Castian glanced back at Vellis. He still hung between the two men holding him, limp, and non responsive. Castian's heartbeat banged inside his ears. Burned them. Burned alive. He couldn't stop himself from swaying in place.
A grin split the captain's face. "Ah, looking forward to it, I see."
"Will you wait till another ship comes past?" Castian asked, maybe then they would wait too long, and he would already have been shredded by the timeline. Anything was better than burning. Anything. His throat was tight.
"What's the point of a statement without an audience?" The captain asked, grinning savagely now. "Throw them somewhere uncomfortable."
A hand gripped him by the bad shoulder, jerking Castian backwards. His vision flashed red and black. Dimly, he was aware of the deck slamming into him.
\||||/
Yay for more chapters in which Castian is kicked and knocked unconscious *weeps*.
YOU ARE READING
An Assassin In Time
Science Fiction(ON HOLD) If time couldn't hold you, what would you do? Castian was born inside a Field, outside of time. He has no timeline. He belongs nowhere, and anywhere. The Field he was in was destroyed when he was young, and he and four other children...
