The Devil and the deep blue sea

Kanda's Nightmare

The tall dark haired man leaned against the banister. The boat rocked gently beneath him. He looked down at the men preparing the ship to disembark. Tall muscular men running around loading heavy crates of supplies. Bodies running up ladders hoisting ropes. It looked as if they were all in some musical. It was a dance as they rotated around each other. The colors of red, orange, green or brown swirling together like a painter’s wheel.
The man enjoyed watching them prepare the boat. There were three younger men, boys really, grouped together. He knew at least two were in their late teens. They caught his attention. They were hoisting a sail. The shortest one wore a hat with a point on it. Not too different to the one the man watching him would often don. If he was in full dress and wanted the attention.
Now he was content to watch them expressionless. The other two were far taller than the jester. The red haired teen with an eye patch was in the middle. He had the rope wrapped around his waist and each arm. He was anchoring it for the other two. The man watching knew he was the strongest. The last was the tallest. His pale face and dark hair was striking. Yet the observer didn’t find any attraction in it. It was too pointed. Too angular plus he didn’t really like the guy.
The shortest one had been a former lover. The gangly red head was his current bed partner. Although no one on board knew of his sexual orientation. The dark man smirked briefly. The other a new recruit they had picked up at the last port. He irritated the man. He followed the red head everywhere. The dark haired man glared at the seemingly innocent man. The man glanced upwards as if he could feel the others gaze on him.
As the man watched, the tall one’s foot slipped. The rope slackened, throwing the red head off balance. The observer growled low in his throat, scaring the cabin boy that was passing him. The boy glanced timidly at him as he quickened his pace to get by. The dark haired man watched as the red haired teen caught himself along with the rope. He watched as the rope slid through his fingers. The teen wore gloves but due to the others carelessness the rope rubbed against his wrist. The burn mark could be seen on the pale skin even from this distance.
Once he noted the red haired teen was safe, he allowed himself to think about ways to get rid of the tallest boy. Dumping him overboard once they were in the middle of the ocean was by far his favorite choice. Although he could use the sword at his side. But too many people know of Mugen. They would pin his death on the magician. There was always magic. Or he could just tie him up at the next port. They should be reaching one in twenty eight days.
He was lost in thinking about how to best rid himself of the unwanted male when a commotion on the walk made him turn his head. He straightened to his full height to see what was going on. He growled low as he saw the top hat. His most hated rival was sauntering through the crowd.
Tikki Mikk the masters of the boat’s son, walked with his head high. He wore a top hat and a jacket with tails. For a pirate he was a very sharp dresser. He had white gloves to prove how little work he did. The black tux set him apart even more from the crew of the ship. His golden eyes and charming smile had won him many friends, yet the tall dark haired man watching him didn’t trust him. He was always up to something. Plus he had disgusting habits that he used others for. Just the sight of his smiling beautiful face turned the magician’s stomach.
From this distance he could only see the tall man walking with his head high, a smile on his thin lips. He waved to those in the crowd with one hand. The other appeared to be held stiffly at his side. It wasn't until the man was nearly to the ship that the one watching him saw why.  Seeing the short white haired dirty thing hunched over following him made the watchers skin crawl.
Tikki held the lead to a metal chain that clasp to an iron ring around  the wretch’s neck. His wrists were bound with the same iron cuffs. The dark hard man frowned. This was a human being after all. What was wrong with the people on this ship? He wondered to himself for the thousandth time.
He leapt over the railing his robes billowing around him making him look like a large flying bat. Landing on the main deck making several people scurry out of his way, he marched forward. The three that had been hoisting the sail tied it up. They paused to watch the showdown that was coming. Many others did as well. Everyone knew of the hatred between the two rivals.
Tikki strolled up the ramp, dragging the poor being behind him. The boy was hunched forward. The magician had to mask his emotions once he discovered why. The chain that lead from the collar to the cuffs couldn’t have been more than a foot in length. Another chain held the cuffs low chaining them to the shackles on the poor things bare feet.
“Kanda," Tikki purred. The pale thing didn’t even lift its head. The long filthy white hair covered his face. It was only then that the dark Kanda got a whiff of the poor creature. His nose was assaulted by the stench. The man holding the long heavy chain smirked.
“You should consider a slave,” Tikki purred, a wicked grin on his handsome face. “It would save you so much time with that hair of yours.” Kanda's eyes pulled free from the bone thin being.
“Keep your filthy practices to yourself,” He growled, “And clean that up. Its stench is turning my stomach.” With one last disgusting look at the poor wretch Kanda turned away. A pain gripped his heart. He had seen the lifeless eye looking up at him. The face around it scared. Kanda clenched his teeth as he forced himself to walk away.
He moved to the three he had been watching earlier. The red head’s face mirrored what Kanda was feeling. Shock, horror and disgust were the prevalent emotions.  The dark magician couldn’t let anyone see his concern for the thing. It would discredit him with the boss. It would also undermine the crews fear of him. He quite liked it when they would scurry out of his way.
Tikki yanked the thin sack of bones down below the deck. The crew would see Kanda’s expression,  taking it as annoyance to the filth of the slave boy. The red haired boy placed a hand on Kaunda’s arm as he came up to them.
“You can’t save them all,” the man whispered. Kanda's mask hardened. It was enough to send the others near them scurrying. All but the small jester and taller annoyance. Kanda's scowl deepened as he saw the tall fanged toothed man not more then ten paces from his lover.
“I can try.” He stated, his tone emotionless. Few knew that it was to hide his true feelings. Most thought of him as evil as the man who captained the Noah.  Kanda didn’t mind the reputation much as it kept those he didn’t care for away from him. Yet he hated the man who dubbed himself the Millennium Earl.
“Lavi?” the annoying new boy called the red head. Kanda growled. Lavi chuckled. He squeezed the wizards arm tighter. More like restraining the man from doing anything stupid. The one emerald eye crinkled as he smiled at his somewhat shorter lover.
“I'll see you tonight.” He whispered, with a wink, to the dark man. Kanda nodded.
Kanda couldn't get the wretch’s face out of his head. The thing showed no life. Its full silver eyes had no soul behind them. It was young. If he had to guess he would say the thing was still in puberty. Kanda prowled the deck trying hard not to think of what the evil Tikki was doing to the boy. Everyone on the ship knew of the masters son’s attraction for young boys. That wasn’t what bothered the wizard. He found many of the slaves attractive as well.  It was the torture the callous evil man put the poor things through.
Kanda had witnessed first hand the disgusting things Tikki had done. The magician stayed on the ship to help better the lives of the crew. He had gained the Earl’s trust. Kanda was allowed to man the decks so the captain didn’t have to. Though Kanda himself was little more than a slave to the Earl.
Tikki's young slaves had been known to have extremely short lives. Kanda knew it was due to the torture the man put them through. Sexual, emotional and physical he wore them down more than they already were. He took what little humanity the things had in them. Ripping it out of them until they begged for death. Many had heard their cries, screams of anguish deep in the night.
The magician had managed to save the last three. Making their escape look like suicides. Or he would use magic to make them appear dead. He would then revive them before they were buried. Using a network of spies he dubbed the order he would get them new lives.
Slamming his hand onto the banister Kanda couldn’t take the wait any longer. He had to know what the monster was doing to the boy. He stalked below deck. They had another hour before the ship was to set sail. No sooner had Kanda's foot hit the lower deck when he heard the screams. Kanda rushed the length of the ship. The screams filling his head. The cry so plaintive it made his ears ring. Kanda yanked the door to Tikki's room open.
The pale boy was cleaned at least. His pale skin marked with bruises burns and scars. The helpless face twisted toward the door. The anger and pain in those eyes. Hatred as they stared at the man who had just burst in. Kanda froze at the sight of the white hair, crystal steel eyes, the red scar taking up half of its face. It was such a beautiful face.
Kanda snapped his mouth shut, realizing he was staring at the wounded creature. Tikki had the boy face down on the bed. His chain wrapped underneath the mattress tying both his hands tight to the bed.  The boys body couldn’t move an inch with the chains binding him. His pale head was yanked backward by a leash of sorts held tight in the pirates gloved fist. Tikki stood behind him. His pants around his ankles. The boys screams slowed as Tikki's motion stopped. Tikki pulled the lit cigarette off of the pale skin of the wretches back. The boy slummed back into the mattress. Breathing hard he glared at Kanda with the one eye that wasn’t covered with the snow white hair.
Tikki grinned at Kanda. “Care to join in magician?” Tikki teased. Kanda snorted. He folded his arms over his chest. “I could always lend him to you. You need to get laid more magician.” The man teased.
“Your sick little games don’t amuse me Tikki.” He had to work hard to keep the horror out of his tone. The boys silver eyes floated in tears as they stared pleading at the man in the door. The wizard could see the pain, yet he also saw the strength. This was no ordinary slave.
Kanda shoved himself off of the door jam. He walked up to Tikki. Ripping the lit cigarette from his hand, the magician put it out on the desk behind them.
“He is not an ashtray. I would prefer you get your fun out of the way. The crew will need to sleep tonight.” Kanda forced himself to move out of the door. Before he could close it Tikki’s offered the boy to him again.
“I will have him warmed up for you.” The man teased. Kanda shut the door on the other’s laughter.
The boys screams followed him down the hall. Kanda nearly ran into the training room. He slammed the door shut locking it behind him. Yanking Mugen from his waist he set to work destroying everything around him. He didn’t notice when the boat left the harbor. He didn’t notice when someone banged on the door, several times. He didn’t notice when the boy screams stopped. For in his head the rang on and on. The look in those eyes. The striking beauty of that face. Kanda dropped to his knees screaming out at the room around him.
His body was dripping in sweat. His throat grew raw from yelling. Kanda felt his humanity leaving him. His mind was wrapped in the terror of the boys eyes. Those eyes would haunt him for the rest of his days. The wizard knew this even before he knew the truth of his deception to the boy.