Follow The Current

Chapter 3

Lance and Muris worked to secure everything while everyone worked to get ready to set sail. When they finished, Muris pulled Lance to him. Lance smiled softly as Muris gave his cheek a kiss. Muris had really surprised Lance during their date. He had taken him out to eat before they went on a moonlit walk on the beach before finishing their romantic night in their room on the ship. No one dared to comment on the two of them during their dinner, and it was a nice change. 

When they finished with the supplies they left the supply room. They were on the lower deck when they saw the woman with the metal arm walking towards their ship, bag on her shoulder. A white bandanna was on her head, a cropped black tank top showing off her stomach, a wrap around her left shoulder to protect the bolts in her shoulder for her automail, and cargo shorts that went to her knees. "Yo Captain," Muris called out, gaining Lux's attention who was by the wheel with Dio. Muris gestured to Trish. Lux smiled as he looked at her. 

"Glad you decided to take me up on my offer," Lux said once she was on the ship. "That shipwright of your's made an offer I couldn't turn down," she said to him. Brian smiled when he saw her. She then pointed at him, "You better make good on that promise or you'll regret it." Brian nodded, "Yes ma'am."  

Then the rest of the introductions were made. "Now that everyone is here let's set sail," Lux declared. "Aye Captain," they said in unison. 

Trish felt the thrill of excitement course through her once they set sail. Part of her couldn't believe she actually did, and the other part of her was so happy that she did. 

"So where are we going from here," Trish asked Scarlet as she slipped on the protective sleeve to keep the sea air from rusting her arm. "We're off to the Iron Islands to ensure Brian makes good on his word. After all, don't want you getting too uncomfortable with an arm that could potentially rust," Scarlet answered. "It's going to be a two week journey to the islands." Brian came up to the upper deck with a tape measure and began to measure Trish's arm. He then measured her real arm, wanting to ensure the one he makes is the same length. He was silent as he wrote his notes before disappearing to his work room. 

Scarlet smiled, "Hopefully now he'll be too busy to argue with Pince for a while." "I take it they argue often," Trish asked her. Scarlet nodded, "Constantly. Sometimes it's rather entertaining other times it's annoying." Dio was by the wheel with Lux and Muris. They watched as the women chatted easily before Lance joined them. "We now have three in our crew who aren't savages like the rest of us," Dio said with a chuckle. "What are you talking about," Lux asked him. "They're the most savage ones here. They just do better at concealing it." 

"After all, you don't get a bounty of one billion jewels by not being a savage," Lux said while pulling Scarlet's wanted poster out of his pocket. Muris and Dio looked at it, jaw dropped. "Of course they consider us all a threat and raised our bounties as well because they figured she wasn't the strongest on the crew since she's just a woman," Lux added in before pulling out the rest of their posters, all a billion or higher. 

Lux and Scarlet were well off the mark of their goals at becoming royal pirates, but they were incredibly close now. "I wonder what kind of bounty they'll give our newest recruit once they learn about her," Muris said as he looked over at Trish. "I don't know but I'm sure it will be rather fitting," Lux said as he put the posters away. 

It was late and Trish was sleeping when she bolted awake. A storm was an hour away. She left her room, and saw Dio at the wheel and Pince in the crows next. "We have a storm about to unleash hell upon us," she told Dio. "How do you know," Pince asked, looking down at her. "My lightning can feel the charge in the air. The stronger the charge, the worse the storm," she explained to him. Dio nodded, "Let's get ready for it Pince."

Lux came on to the deck in his boxers, "What's going on?" "Got a storm coming," Dio told him. "Our newest member can sense them." He gestured to Trish who was helping Pince with the sails. Her hair was a mess from sleep and she wore only a tank top and a pair of boy short style underwear. "I'll wake the others," Lux said before going below deck once more. 

Everyone dove into action and as they worked the winds began to pick up in speed and ferocity. "You ladies get below deck," Muris said once it began to mist. "And cover your arm," Brian told Trish. They nodded and went below while the guys stayed on deck to try and keep the ship from capsizing. "Neat trick," Scarlet said to her as they hung out in the small hang out area they had for times like this. "A life saving trick really." 

Trish shrugged, "It's great until it wakes me up from a great sleep." Suddenly an unexpected clash of thunder startled them. "Any idea how long this storm is going to last," Scarlet asked her. "Till the end of the night," Trish answered before yawning. She then stood and stretched, "I'm gonna get some sleep. Night." "Night Trish," Scarlet said to her before Trish went back to her room. 

The next morning the guys were soaked and laying on the deck, relieved they made it through the night. Trish and Scarlet looked down at them. Trish noticed Lance's glasses on the deck by the mast. She picked them up and took it over to him. "Thank you," he said while panting. "Fuck that was a storm," Pince said as he sat up. "Had we not learned about it in time, we'd be dead right now," Dio said as he stood and stripped off his shirt to ring it out. "Thank you Trish," Lux said as Scarlet helped him up. "It's nothing," She said with a shrug. 

Pince began to gather up the fish that had found their way on the ship during the storm, "Dinner." "What about breakfast," Brian asked him from where he laid on the ship. "I'll make it when I fucking feel like it," Pince told him. "Nearly dying last night has me starving," Brian said. "So quit being useless and make us something to eat." "I should've thrown your ass overboard when I had the chance," Pince grumbled. "Can I get my arm first before you do that," Trish asked from where she was cleaning off the seaweed. Brian scoffed as he sat up, "Is that the only reason I'm being kept around?" 

"That and to ensure damages to the ship get repaired," Lux said before he went below deck to grab some clothes. Brian rolled his eyes as he shook his head. 

After the ship was cleaned up and the guys were showered and wearing clean clothes, Pince made breakfast. "So any idea how badly we were thrown off course," Lux asked Dio. "The storm pushed us into a current that was going East, away from our destination. I won't know until either night when I can compare it to my star charts, or if we find an island before then." 

"If it blew us East, then we're most likely close to Helishire Island," Trish as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Helishire," Lance asked her. She nodded, "They're known as the Party Island. Many gamble their lives away. You could always find great music and performances there though." "Hey, maybe we could find a musician to join the crew, liven our parties," Pince said with a smile. 

Lux shrugged, "We'll see when we get there." 

As they sailed they came across a marine ship. "Oh look guys, the marines have finally set sail," Lux said with a chuckle. "It'd be a shame if something happened to it." The marine ship got their cannons ready and Brian was at the railing, "Shoot my baby and I'm killing you bastards myself!" They fired their cannons but a bolt of lightning had them exploding in mid air. As Brian and Pince looked at Trish who was sitting on the railing, Scarlet flew through the cloud of smoke, breaking it up.

They fired more and Trish took them out while Scarlet dodged them. When Scarlet was close enough she sent a powerful slash to the ship, sinking it. Scarlet got back on the ship and high fived Trish. "Well don't we feel useful," Pince muttered while Dio and Brian nodded.

Lux chuckled, "Let's keep going shall we?"

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Hey guys, I thought I'd share the image I had found that actually inspired Trish. Of course the differences are is that Trish has a metal arm and her skin is darker because she is biracial. I have a few images that inspired my characters that I'm probably gonna share throughout the book. Let me know what you guys think.