Pirates of Cevaria

Chapter Fifteen: Intentions Unmasked

I was coming to.

But my sight was blurry. It was as though I were looking through a foggy set of lenses.

When the mist seemed to clear, I caught my breath.

"You're awake," he whispered.

Tairan.

He seemed fine aside from the evident truth we'd both been tied up against our will... but to what exactly?

I turned to look behind and it appeared to be enormous pillars of moldy marble stone.

It just hit me.

We're underwater.

And we can breathe?

"Tairan. How long have we been out?"

"I'm not sure."

His eyes gazed at everything around us.

Our surroundings consisted of massive snow glowing plants, a dark abyss beyond, and uncomfortable sounds.

"Zyrena..." Tairan began to speak in a low whisper.

My eyes found his.

"What is it?"

He looked straight ahead. There was something he was dreading. I could feel it through his demeanor.

"We never finished talking back there."

I swallowed.

"Tairan. As much as I'd like to and... Aye I do. Now may not be the most fitting time to do so."

He only looked at me. His eyes landing on our tied hands and surroundings as if to tell me, "we're stuck" there. And that we had no way of leaving any time soon.

"We can't escape. Whatever magic lurks here, and whoever controls it... It's too strong for us to do anything about it."

I bit my lip.

Aye.

He was right.

Blast.

Blast it all.

But, we had to think of something.

Who knows where that creature went? And the possibility of her bringing more to tear us to shreds is in the air.

Because I doubt at this point she'd let any one of us out of here alive.

"Zyrena. Are you holding back?"

I turned to look at him, taken aback.

"What?"

He watched me with some sadness to his eyes.

Something was troubling him.

But I didn't know what it was.

"What do you mean? What are you asking me exactly?"

He took a moment, lost in a heap of his buried thoughts.

"Ever since you took me on board, you seem hesitant. Back on the island... even though that isn't enough time to get to know someone, well.... You were carefree. Now, it seems like you're taking a lot of precaution and risking yourself unnecessarily. Are you holding back in fear that something will happen to me? If so, remember back in the cabin, I told you that -"

"I'm not holding back."

His grey eyes glowed and found mine.

"Tairan. I'm not holding back. I'm... just thrown off a little with the events that have taken place recently. And the things I've recently discovered. I guess I just lost myself a tad bit. Before knowing you, all I ever did was chase anything and everything I wanted with my crew. But now, I don't entirely know what I want. Especially if it comes at such a high risk."