Cursed | Armando Salazar x OC

TEN

Another week passes, which means it's been fourteen days since the Spanish crew attacked the Navy ship and took me as their prisoner. But to be honest, I don't recall a single time that I felt imprisoned. Aside from the rule that I am not allowed to leave the ship, I am allowed to roam freely and do as I please on the Silent Mary. And where else can I go except to the deck or the Great cabin? The rest of the ship is practically blown to pieces.

Just like the Capitán ordered, Magda is training me every morning at the break of dawn. The first day or two, we focused on balance before he deemed me ready to move to footwork techniques. For the greatest duration of day three of training, I spent parading on the Mary's banisters, putting one foot after the other while focusing on keeping my balance. Is this how cats feel when they walk on walls so impressively?

Of course, Magda would up the difficulty a bit when he joined me on the banister with his sword in hand, telling me to block his attacks. Now, I had to focus on my balance, my footwork, and either dodging his strikes or blocking them with my blade. In the end, I settled on just dodging, since the clashing of our swords made me flinch and nearly fall each time.

On day four, he decided it's time we work on my defense maneuvers. Every challenge he presented me with was combined with something I learned in the previous lessons - footwork, balance, dodging, and blocking.

For the rest of the remaining three days of the week, we repeated each lesson he taught me until Magda deemed me decent for a beginner.

"You might even survive an attack if a cabin boy happens to be your opponent," he 'complemented' at the end of our last lesson, smirking at my panting form on the deck.

That has been one of the most intense sessions so far this week. Magda had the crew set up an obstacle course around the deck through which I had to maneuver backward while he came at me with his sword. I've bumped my ankles against sharp edges and stubbed my toes against so many rocks and barrels, they were bruised and bloody by the time he called it a day. And cue me sinking to the deck in utter exhaustion and discomfort.

But I was greatly surprised when, out of the blue, Magda hoisted me up before hooking an arm around me, helping me limp my way back to the Great cabin. Of course, he acted like it was nothing when I thanked him and disappeared through the floorboards before I could make any more comments.

And moments later, Santos entered the room with a bucket of saltwater, as ordered by Magda, so I can 'heal myself' as he called it. It took only three deep cuts in the arm for the crew to learn that saltwater is all I need to recover from my injuries, much like their curse preventing them from getting any.

Although, despite the productive week in learning a new skill, my good mood falters upon noticing my food supply running low. With all the exercise and running for my life from Magda, I've paid no attention to how much I've been eating to sustain my energy.

"Two apples and a hunk of cheese..." The once wet hunk of cheese, to be precise. I purposely haven't touched it yet, considering how revolting the thought of wet cheese is. Scratching that off the menu, all that remains is the apples, which won't last me a day.

The dreadful time has come - I have to ask the crew to attack the first ship that passes so I could restock my pantry. And that means I have to speak to the Capitán.

Using one of the lanterns as a mirror, I stare at my reflection in the faded glass to make sure I look presentable. To be honest, I won't mind taking a long-overdue bath about now. Pouring saltwater over myself does the job well enough, but I miss the scent of flowers that used to linger on my skin after taking a bath back home - at Elizabeth's estate. And I miss the special soaps she bought that left my hair so smooth and silky. All it is now is wild and curly, thanks to the humid, ocean air.