The Guardians of Deities

17

They kept this sword and combat training for an entire week until their departure from the island. Every time Merrick and Arline crossed words or swords, either of them ended up wounded, to the point where Zeroun had to intervene before they severely hurt each other.

The goodbye was short but the locals had the kind gesture to fill the ship with supplies for their voyage back home. Tua Nui, and the local goldsmith gifted Arline a sword made of black iron, sharp enough to cut through wood with one slash. Its handle was embellished with pearls, colored in dark shades of green and blue. The sword came next to a smaller box that contained a necklace of the same pearls as the weapon, and on the back it exhibited a blue aragonite clasp.

After the latest incidents, the crew had collectively agreed to have Arline working with them, but didn't want her as close as before. At the end of the day, they weren't her friends but sailors, very superstitious sailors.

The days on the ship passed with good weather, no problems and no lessons. Merrick and Arline weren't talking to each other and she chose to spend her nights on the crow's nest, just to be as far away from him as possible, something he didn't particularly enjoy nor eased his bad mood.

But Merrick, or no one, could blame her. Arline hadn't asked for anything that happened. She was there by pure coincidence of destiny. Since the moment she had fallen on that cursed island a few weeks ago, her life had been a succession of disgrace after disgrace, and only got worse.

"He wants to see you" one of the members of the crew said to her from a distance one night. She just nodded and headed to his quarters. As she entered, she could tell it was empty and headed back outside.

"He's not in..." she was saying when a big hand covered her mouth and easily lifted her up, carrying her down the stairs to the deck. Arline started kicking her captor and tried screaming for help, but they muffled her with an old piece of cloth that had a mix of disgusting odors. For the first time in days, she wished she was by Merrick's side.

"He won't like this" she tried articulating through the muffle. I don't like this she thought, she was very angry, but as Merrick had lectured her, don't let your emotions control your powers. She received a slap across her cheek that left a burning feeling. She tried screaming until her throat stung, feeling as if was cut open from the inside.

"It's not like you have been close this past days, witch" one man said while tying her limbs together.

"No, but you clearly don't know how to follow simple orders sailor" Merrick said from behind him with a grim look on his face. His sole presence was intimidating. Not to mention he was livid. His orders were disobeyed and Arline was compromised once again.

"Sir she..." a young boy tried to explain but the Captain just had to lift an eyebrow for him to shut up.

"Untie her now" he ordered calmly, but with an imperceptible growl on his voice.

Those youngest were instantly regretting taking part in such thing and disobey the Prince, but the oldest members were surrounding the Captain. They wanted to attack him. To have a mutiny and take the ship as a protest for making them part of this voyage, for compromising and, most importantly, for making them travel with a "witch". Merrick had to laugh when he realized what they were trying to do.

"Very well" he said with a smug.

In the dark night, corporeal shadows emerged from the dark corners of the ship, lightened by candles. They were crawling to meet the stubborn sailors who had the nerve to disobey the Dark Prince. The shadows tickled their bodies as they climbed up and rested on the sailors' necks. Then they applied pressure, closing their airways and making them fall to their knees.