Into the Deep

Part 7

The cellar's walls were cloaked in darkness while the floors wore a veil of moonlight. The sound of the sea water, placid and serene, roamed throughout the ship as if Amphitrite [sea goddess] herself lulled the anchored brigantine.

In a peaceful state, that is the state of rationality and coherence the place would raise no concerns. Unfortunately, to Marina, this wasn't the case.

Motionless, she remained in the same position that she awoke in. To her, the cellar walls were looming giants; the floors gave off a ghoulish glow. Meanwhile, the water tides, menacing and ominous, tormented the vessel. To Marina Amphitrite was a sea strolling spectre that brought about a quiet yet sinister howling of the wind.

The young woman became a witness to a bloodcurdling scene. Two silhouettes traced by the feeble illumination of the full moon stood some distance from her. One of the shadowy figures stood tall and slender, while the other belonged to a visibly fit man. Marina seemed to enter a trance-like state of stupor, terrified to flinch she noticed the figures' attempts to communicate with each other while attempting to remain covert. Tout de suite Marina remembered of the 'weapons' Daffie had armed her with, a skewer in the front of her corset and a butcher knife in a satchel laying a stretch away from her. Opting for the latter Marina's face features lit up with a spark of faith, as she pursued to invoke some remnants of bravery. Silently, inhaling a gust of air Marina's core extended toward the satchel, however as she stretched further with the help of a tightly laced corset the air-filled lungs gave in under the pressure of her tense body. A loud squirrel-like wheeze followed by an airy squeal left Marina's mouth as the woman's lungs pushed out the recently inhaled air against her own will.

Marina caught a brittle, high pitched voice as the slender figure spoke to the other.

"Ahem...Riff I think she sees us."

The latter shot back a sarcastic remark.

"Oh really?! Thanks to you she knows my name too. How many times did I tell you not to mention names while we do these things?"

"Oh please, you're just a nameless pesky thief, not a notorious crime master."

"Great, now she knows that we're thieves too! Are you proud of your accomplishments, B-a-d-r-i-c-k?" , the figure spoke in a drawl-like manner, making sure to pronounce the name of his robber counterpart.

Marina's panic weakened as the pair hectored and threw sharp insults at each other, fetching out the butcher knife the woman leapt out to her feet while demonstrating the weapon in mid-air.

"Shut up you two I know that the Baron hired you to get me, go and tell him that I am not coming back if you don't want to see your ears on the floor."

The slim figured man burst into a weasel-like guffaw while his companion took a confident stride towards Marina, even though managing to remain in shadows Marina managed to make out features of a man in his young adulthood. She took note of a wide grin that appeared on the man's face, suppressing a chuckle he directed Marina with a penetrating tone that brought out a tinge of an appealing accent to his speech.

"Silly, look..." pointing Marina's sight towards his tattered shirt and loose wrap around pants, the man began to twirl as if a young girl showing off a new dress, "...do I look like I am some royal jackass's mercenary?"

Mocked by an unknown, provoked Marina as former fear whirled into annoyance.

"Oh no, you look like a royal jackass yourself!"

"Well, you seemed like an attractive lady, just a sentence ago."

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"