Saudade (Published under Indie Pop)

Chapter 21: The Skull

She went back to her stove and I knew at that moment that there was nothing I could do to help her lessen the pain. I heard footsteps coming from the living room and saw Captain Drakon entered the kitchen. Unlike yesterday when he was so full of wits, he seemed to be silent this time. He couldn't even look Imara in the eyes and I knew that things weren't easy for the captain, too.

"We're going back to the Pirate City," Captain Drakon announced.

I looked at him with confusion in my eyes; and at the same time, curiosity. I thought the Pirate Life was all sea and I wondered how Pirate City looked like.

"There's a Pirate City? What's this? Is it a busy island filled with pirates?" I asked.

"You'll know when we get there." He sounded not so eager to talk about it. Imara walked to him with a cup of cocoa in her hands and put it in front of him. She went back to the stove after giving him a sad look.

"Is it really necessary to leave so soon? We haven't walked half of this island yet."

"We'll leave in the late afternoon. You still have time to explore this place," he answered in a formal tone, discouraging me from trying to convince him to postpone our departure.

It had been a quiet breakfast; without Erasmus and Owain – without the Skull. They probably refused to be a part of this gloomy morning and thus, I was at the center of the uncomfortable awkwardness. After I finished my food, I decided to take a walk outside Imara's house. I saw the path the Skull and I took last night and I wondered how the lake would be like under the sunlight. It was enchanting under the moonlight and maybe, it would give a different kind of glow during the day. Driven by my curiosity, I walked deeper into the woods and bushes and after few minutes, I was welcomed by an equally marvelous sight. Just like last night, the lake was calm with its water glistening under the sun. The light offered me the wildflowers and plants at the edge of the water which was hidden by the darkness at night. It was a different view but the enchantment it gave me was still the same. If only it wasn't tainted by sad and painful memories.

But what if he found what he was looking for? Would he really send me back to the mainland? I had been missing home and I wished I could go back. But I wished I could go back to the mainland with him. I knew home would be different without him. But what if he stayed away like what he had already decided to do? What if he would just let me go alone? I could almost taste the emptiness I would feel if it would happen. And I didn't want to feel that way.

"The princess, without her knights, is fragile and weak," a voice suddenly said from behind me.

I turned around to see the drunken man from yesterday standing just a few feet away from me. He had his bottled alcoholic drink in his hand and was menacingly watching me from where he stood. I stepped back as fear started to paralyze my bones. A few steps from my back was the cold lake, I knew I had nowhere to go.

"Oh! The princess is alone. The princess is scared. The princess is trapped between me and the lake." It sounded more like a drunken chant as he slurred his words. Nevertheless, it was still creeping me out.