Ruthless Winds and Raging Seas

Chapter 35

"But where are we going to get candles?"

"Scented or unscented?" Gajeel asked pulling a few candlesticks from his jacket

"Well that's convenient." Gray said.

"Hey when you've been exposed to as many sea creatures as I have you learn to be preapred. Now somebody start a light."

Meanwhile Erza stood in the room that the navy officers had forced her into. At the moment she was trying to think of a way to get out of this room and save the boys before they returned to Magnolia and suffered a hanging. She heard the door to her room creak open, she prepared herself to attack whoever was coming in only to stop in her tracks when he saw that it was Jellal.

"Erza?" He said his voice sounding so unsure. "Is that you? Really, really you?"

She waited before answering.

"Yes it's me. Really me. Hello Jellal." She smiled nervously. "It's been a long time hasn't it? Fourteen years to be exact."

"I...I can't believe this...I thought you were dead."

"After what happened the last time we saw each other I can understand you thinking that."

Fourteen years earlier...

Ten year old Jellal and Erza were hand in aboard the slave ship, waiting for the right moment to make their escape. The ship had docked so that the crew could get supplies and one pirate had been left behind to watch them. They had successfully managed to swipe a nail and use it to pick the locks on their shackles. Now they were waiting for just the right moment to make a break for it while the pirate had his back turned.

"Are you sure this will work?" She whispered to him.

"This maybe our only chance Erza." He told her. "If we don't try now then we'll probably never be able to escape again."

The pirate went to get some booze from another part of the ship. At once Jellal and Erza ran upstairs aboard the deck and toward the ship's exit. Their hands not parting once, they had just made it off the ship and on to the docks when they found themselves face to face with the crew that had returned.

"What do we have here?" The captain said. "An escape?"

The two children tried to run but it was no use. They were both grabbed and restrained by his men.

"You!" He snarled at Jellal. "I should've known that you would try something like this. You've been a thorn in my side ever since I brought you here!"

"What are you going to do?! Kill me?!" Jellal spat not at all frightened by him.

"No. You're a thorn but a useful thorn. Out of all the slaves you're the strongest and the most pain tolerant but you will be punished for this!"

He turned to Erza who was trembling with fear.

"You are the weakest and most useless slave on here! We have no need for you anymore! We'll get rid of you!"

"No! You can't!" Jellal cried. "Please! She didn't even wanna do it! I made her do it! She doesn't deserve die!"

"An example needs to be made. Remember this the next time you try to make an escape!"

"No! You can't!"

As he watched them drag the innocent girl away, he struggled to break free from their grip. Tears of despration in his eyes.

"Erza!" He called out her name. She was too frightened to speak. She could only look at him and pray that one day he would escape with or without her help.

The ship set sail and she was handed over to a pirate who held a harp sword in his hand. He took her away to where the life boats were but she noticed that he was very intoxicated because he walked rather sloppily. She eyed the sword in his hand and thought the idea scared her this may be her only chance to live. Acting fast, she jerked the sword from him and pointed it right at his throat.

"Stay back!" She said summoning up all her courage. "Don't move!"

"Just what do you think you're doing?" He said. "Put that down before-"

"I said don't move! If you move an inch I'll stab this right through your neck! I swear I will!" She wasn't sure where this fury came from but she made sure that she held on to it long enough for her to get away.

She slowly moved toward the nearest life boat while still holding up the sword. She got into the boat, cut the ropes holding her, and began to row toward the town which they hadn't of sailed too far from yet. Her plan was to find help once she arrived there but the other pirates were coming after her fast.

When she reached the docks she started running. The pirates looked for her, it hurt to run but she had to keep running. No matter what she couldn't stop because if she stopped they would catch her and she would be killed. When she felt that she couldn't run anymore she decided to hide in the nearby church. She had just stepped inside the sanctuary and hid behind the curtains when she felt the pain and exhaustion of running along with her abuse take it's toll on her body. She passed out.

An hour later Pastor Makarov had entered the sanctuary to light the evening candles when he caught sight of red hair sticking out from the curtains. He pulled them back to find an unconscious Erza lying there, her body bruised, battered, and scraped while her face had become burning hot due to a fever that had spiked.

"Oh dear lord, you poor child." He gasped upon seeing her state. "Sister Porlyusica send for the doctor immedately."

Present time...

"By the time I had come to the pirates had left and they had taken you with them." Erza said. "I'm so sorry. I wanted to go back for you but I-"

"No. No please don't apologise. I'm just so glad that you got away but how did you end up with these other pirates?"

"That...That is very complicated."

"Tell me. Were you kidnapped? Taken prisoner? Tortured by them?"

"No. Not at all."

"Then what were you doing with them?"

"It's like this..."