The Rose Thief (Achievement Hunter)

7. Tutorial

Ray awoke to the muffled sound of shouting and the clack of metal. He lurched up on the couch and looked quickly around the room to find Kerry and the Rose Thief gone. A pile of new clothes was neatly folded on the table in front of him, clearly meant for him. His glasses had been put gingerly on top of the pile. As he put on his glasses and picked up a loose black shirt, the door creaked open, letting in a sea breeze. A familiar man dressed almost entirely in white entered quietly and shut the door behind him. He smoothed his dark hair back down and grinned at Ray when he realized he was awake.

"Good morning," said Caleb. "Those clothes are for you." Caleb wore a long white tunic that reached to mid-thigh and was belted at his waist by a white and yellow rope. The sleeves just barely covered his fingertips. His pants were undyed and fell loosely to the top of pale brown shoes. As Ray pulled his shirt off and donned his new one, Caleb walked over and plopped down next to him on the couch. "How are you feeling? We set sail earlier at dawn with the low tide, and we're worried you might get seasick."

Ray plucked at his billowy sleeves and the v-shaped neckline. "I'm fine for now," he said.

Caleb smiled again and patted Ray on the shoulder. "Well, if you ever feel nauseous, just come see me and I'll fix you right up." He helpfully handed Ray the pants from the pile and stood up again.

"What's going on out there?" Ray asked, nodding at the door. Caleb glanced at it then back and laughed.

"Ray and - uh, the other Ray and Kerry are fighting. Oh, don't look so alarmed! They do this all the time. They're both pretty good with the sword, so they like to challenge each other to duels. Especially if they haven't seen each other in a while."

"What about you?"

Caleb smiled and flicked his wrists to pull his hands out of his sleeves. "I don't use a sword. I hate the things." He started for the door. "You should catch the end of the fight; they're pretty good at what they do."

Ray stood and nearly stumbled as the ship swayed beneath him. It would take a while for him to get used to the pitching floor. Caleb stepped back to steady him. The two of them exited the captain's room and Ray expected to see two men fighting on the main deck, but as he leaned against the railing he noticed all the crew members were looking up. He heard a laugh that he heard many times editing videos.

"Is that all you got, Kerry!?"

"I'll show you what I've got if you come at me, cousin!"

The Rose Thief and Kerry were on the horizontal bar of the main mast on opposite sides of the great wooden pillar. The Rose Thief brandished his rapier, and Kerry wielded a slightly heavier blade with a simpler guard and hilt, his unarmed hand gloved in thick leather. The Rose Thief, too, had changed outfits, this time wearing a loose white shirt and a masculine corset belt. Kerry lunged at him and he slid back and smacked the blade away. Then with a flourish of his left hand he jumped off the mast. The smell of roses filled the air as a strong breeze suddenly picked up. The Rose Thief flipped in midair, his legs perfect and straight, and he landed back on the main deck easily. Kerry jumped for the mast and wrapped his gloved hand around it. He spun around and around, descending back to the main mast as the Rose Thief landed.

The crew applauded as the two duelists lunged at each other, their swords colliding and pressing against each other. Their grins were wide as they leaned into each other. Then, with a twist of the wrist, Kerry slid his blade down and shoved the sword out of the Rose Thief's hand. It flipped over and stabbed into the wood of the deck. Kerry brandished his sword, the tip hovering inches from the Rose Thief's throat. They were both breathing heavily and sweating, but beaming.

"I win," Kerry said happily. He lowered his sword and extended his gloved hand, which the Rose Thief took. As Kerry tugged off his glove and tossed it at the nearest crewmate, Ray realized for the first time that the Rose Thief wasn't wearing his white gloves. The Rose Thief's hands - his hands - were covered in tattoos.