lan·guor /ˈlaNG(ɡ)ər/
the state or feeling, often pleasant, of tiredness or inertia.
•••
"Come on!" The pirates yell, carrying large boxes onto the huge, wooden ship. Yona tried to carry a box full of food and other necessary resources, but struggles to pick it up.
"Come on," Kija starts. "Didn't we tell you to let us carry the heavy stuff?"
"She's stubborn. She won't stop unless you take it from her." I chuckle and pick up the box Yona had attempted to carry.
"You're a lot stronger than you look." A pirate says to me.
"I'll take that as a compliment," I reply and carry the heavy box onto the ship.
I set the box down and look at Hak. Pirates shower him with requests such as, 'teach me how to fight,' or, 'could you teach me how to fight?'
Hak's answer is always the same. "If you pay me 10,000 rin, I'll happily train you."
I look at Yona, who seems bored. She can't seem to help out, so she's probably sulking in the corner. I sigh and walk towards her.
She's basically my sister who needs life-support twenty-four-seven.
A tap on my shoulder stops me before I can talk to Yona.
"Hey, kiddo. I need to head into town to scout things out. Care to come with me?" A green-haired man says. I sigh in response.
"No," I say and continue walking towards Yona.
Jae-ha places his palm on my head. "What could possibly be more important than doing reconnaissance in town with me?"
"Training." I lie, not stopping to look at his droopy eyes again. "Go ask someone else, or go on your own. I doubt there's anyone who would want to go with you, though."
"That's harsh, Himari." Jae-ha scratches his head. "So many girls would kill to be with me."
"I'm getting déjà vu," I say, thinking of what happened yesterday when he rescued Yona. "Either way, I don't have time to talk to you."
"Please?" Jae-ha begs.
Is he always so clingy?
"Fine." I sigh. Jae-ha smirks and picks me up, carrying me bridal style, which was uncomfortable.
He puts pressure on his left leg and leaps into the sky.
The oceans and forests, together with the wind, are nature's ventilators. The sea was buzzing with its dormant strength, the waves carelessly dribbling onto the sand.
"Wow!" My eyes glimmer in awe. Port Awa really is beautiful.
"Do you regret coming with me?" he asks.
"A little," I reply, staring at the ocean.
Ah... I forgot to talk to Yona... this guy really draws you into a conversation, and can get his way easily.
As we get closer to the town, Jae-ha's eyes widen. He immediately lands on a roof and pushes my head down.
"Hurry, get down." He whispers.
A carriage nobles ride in passes through the quiet town. I watch a man open the purple curtains, admiring the town.
Well, more like watching the town. No one can admire this place.
"Most towns would be elated to their Lord coming to visit, but watch what happens here in Awa..." Jae-ha places his hand on my head, pushing me down and out of sight. I squint, trying to get a good look at the town.
Parents pull their children into their arms and rush into buildings and cramped alleys. Shopkeepers shut their windows and hide from the carriage.
"Not exactly a warm welcome. The women and children hide from him because they don't want to attract his attention." Jae-ha says.
I watch everyone hide, but something catches my eye.
A man covers his eyes and hides behind a huge, clay pot.
Once the carriage is gone, everyone exits the buildings and carries on with whatever they had been doing before.
Jae-ha jumps off the roof, me following behind him.
I walk over to where the man had been hiding. "Excuse me..." I say innocently, trying to be as inviting as possible. People trust those who have calm and collected auras. "May I ask why you're hiding back here?"
The man stands up and stutters. "Oh, no r-reason." He turns around and begins to walk through the alley, but Jae-ha grabs his arm before he can.
"Hang on." Jae-ha stares at the man. The man tries to get away from him, but can't. Ao hops off of my shoulder and rips off the man's mustache. My eyes widen.
It was fake?
Jae-ha takes the mustache from Ao. "I believe this is yours, isn't it, Miss?" Jae-ha smiles.
The 'man' sits down. "But... how did you know I was actually a girl?" She questions.
Jae-ha makes a perverted face and raises his finger. "There's no mistaking a lady's scent!" He exclaims.
"That's disgusting." I tug on his hair.
"Ouch~" he smiles in pain.
This is all too familiar. More déjà vu...
"Are you dressed as a man to hide from the officers?" I ask.
"Well, yeah." The girl answers.
"Did something happen to you?" Jae-ha questions, his expression changing from his perverted face to a serious one. "I ask because I could see pure terror in your eyes earlier. You can trust us. Please. Did Yang Keum-ji hurt you?"
The girl frantically shakes her head. "He didn't do anything to me! He kidnapped my friend!" She sobs. "Someone told us about a high-paying job in town, so we decided to check it out a few days ago. When we went to the address, it was an old run-down store. An older gentleman came and welcomed us. He took one look at my friend who's very pretty, and asked her to step into a room in the back of the store and then, he closed the door behind her! He told me that I was free to leave, but something seemed off. I decided to sneak over to the room my friend went into and I opened the door so I could peek inside... it happened so fast! I'm worried about my friend because I haven't seen her since. I found out the store we visited that day is really owned by Lord
Keum-ji! I disguised myself as a man to avoid him and his officers."
"I can't say that I blame you. It appears you and your friend stumbled upon a human trafficking site, just one of many." Jae-ha says and looks at me, speaking to me privately with his eyes. He has information, he needs to use it now.
"What? No!" The girl yells. "They have my friend!"
"She'll be alright. I know it sounds bad, but trust me. She'll make it home safely." I smile. The girl relaxes her shoulders and sighs in relief. She trusts me.
Jae-ha puts a palm on the girl's head. "I can only imagine how scared you must've been, you poor thing! But don't you worry! I'm going to take a man I feel horrible suggesting that to a beauty like you but I'm afraid it's the only way we can keep you safe from Lord Keum-ji! I've got a favor to ask of you. After I save your friend, do you mind introducing me to her?" Jae-ha asks.
I look at him with a confused expression.
He's rude. Jae-ha tells a girl she's beautiful, then asks to meet her beautiful friend?!
•••
"This tastes delicious!" A pirate exclaims, gobbling up his meal.
"Thanks! I don't like to brag, but I'm an amazing chef." Yoon serves a pirate his soup. "I like to call this Pirate Soup, made from the sea's bounty!"
"It's so yummy! Don't you think?" A pirate smiles and asks Kija who's trembling in fear.
"What kind of bug is this?" Kija cautiously picks up a crab leg. "I've never seen it before!"
"That's not a bug, it's crab." I sigh and take another spoonful of Yoon's soup. Everything is cooked perfectly. The broth tastes like the ocean, which I'm not too happy with though.
"Why are you so picky? Shin-ah loves it!" Yoon asks Kija and points and the Blue Dragon.
"You're one hell of a cook, kid. I don't suppose you'd want to marry me?" The pirate smirks.
Yoon sticks his tongue out childishly. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'm holding out for a gentleman with a real job." He walks towards Hak and passes him a bowl full of 'Pirate Soup.'
I sit next to Yona and watch the ocean water touch the sand on the beach, and then withdraw. It's relaxing.
•••
"Well, Captain. The deal will take place two days from now." Jae-ha says.
"But that's too soon!" Yoon yells.
"You got proof?" Captain Gi-gan asks, blowing smoke from her cigarette holder.
"I found a trafficking site in town that's posing as a regular store. They advertise high-paying jobs for women, but when I showed up looking for applicants, the owner said they'd be offering jobs until noon two days from now, but no later. Yang Keum-ji's a greedy man. He'll wait until the last second if he thinks he can capture another beauty which means he'll wait to make the trade on the last day. My guess is the ship will sail at night." Jae-ha explains.
"You're probably right. The only thing that concerns me is we don't know which of his ships the girls will be on..." Captain Gi-gan sighs.
"If we were on board with them, we can set up a firework or something while we're onboard the girl's ship! That's the only way we can do it without putting them in danger!" Yona suggests.
"Good plan, but it's pretty risky," I say, adjusting the padding underneath my haori, again.
"No one's going to volunteer for that." Captain Gi-gan says.
"I will do it." Yona glares at the Captain. A bold move. "This is my chance to do something. I'll infiltrate the traffic and bring myself. Give me this chance to help. I know I can do this on my own!"
"You sure?" Jae-ha raises an eyebrow.
"Please let me help you save them," Yona begs. "I'm the only one who can!"
Hold up. I'm a girl too.
"No wait a minute." Hak places a hand on Yona's shoulder. "I don't think you realize what you're getting yourself into!"
"Yona, he's right." I agree.
"Yeah, I'm with Hak and Himari. In order to set a firework, you've got to smuggle gunpowder on board, escape captivity, get past the guards and all, make it to the deck, and then light and release the firework! If you're caught, they're going to kill you!" Yoon yells.
"Besides... the firework needs a big blast to get our attention while we're fighting," I add. "It'll take a lot of gunpowder. You wouldn't be able to smuggle enough on board by yourself."
"Shin-Ah would be able to see it with his long-distance vision," Yona says.
"Don't do it, Yona." Hak objects.
"I'm willing to risk my life to save them!" Yona says confidently. "Captain Gi-gan, I'm going to fight. With or without your blessing!" I smirk at her statement.
Sometimes she looks like a bloodthirsty warrior.
"We'd need one more volunteer in order for this mission to be a success." Captain Gi-gan says.
"I'll do it." Hak and Kija step forward.
"Someone who looks like a girl."
"I'll do it." Hak, Kija, and Jae-ha all repeat.
"Suddenly there's a third volunteer." I laugh.
"Out of all of you, only one of you all will be able to pull it off." Captain Gi-gan looks at me. "Himari, you are a girl. It makes the most sense for you to be with Yona."
"That's true..." I mumble. But do I really want to go? Yona's so confident... "Look. I can't fight well in a dress."
"Yeah, well you're going to have to." Captain Gi-gan blows more smoke out of her cigarette holder.
"But if they're going to be handling explosives, I should go to, right?" Yoon sighs.
"You'd look charming in a dress... you could possibly pull it off as well. It's your decision." Captain Gi-gan says. "Just keep in mind, the more people that go, the more people to keep track of. And, Himari's the only fighter going right now. I expect her to protect Yona."
"What?! So I'm a shield?" I ask.
"I'll go so they don't have to go through it alone," Yoon says.
"Thanks!" Yona bows to express her gratitude.
Yoon looks at Yona and I. "You guys can count on me. I swear, I'll do anything in my power to protect you two."
I chuckle. "That's basically my job... according to the captain."
"The trades going down in two days. Alright mateys! It's time to come up with a plan!" Captain Gi-gan orders.
The pirates cheer in response.
•••
It was a dark, serene night. The stars flicker, bringing sparks of lighting with it. It's beautiful.
Captain Gi-gan sits on the side of the ship, smoking. She stares at the moon, admiring it.
My shoes make a tapping noise as I walk across the wooden floor. Everyone is asleep. It's just me and the captain.
"Thank you." I smile at the captain. She looks at me with confusion in her eyes. It's obvious. "For giving Yona the opportunity to help. She feels useless and hates it when she can't do anything."
"I would've shot her down if I didn't think she could handle it." Captain Gi-gan replies. "I'm impressed she's able to risk her life to save ladies she doesn't even know."
"Yeah." I nod my head and sit down next to her.
Captain Gi-gan sets her cigarette on a tray and relaxes her shoulders. I soften my gaze.
"'Himari.' I feel like I've heard that name before many years ago." Captain Gi-gan says.
"You probably have. It's not an uncommon name... I don't think so, at least."
She probably heard towns talking about me after I was adopted...
"Probably have." The captain mumbles.
"You know... I guess, you kind of remind me of a mother... even though I've never really had one." I say. The captain raises her eyebrow. "My father treats me like his rival, and my mother treats me like a friend. They adopted me, but I guess when they did, I expected to be more parent-like, you know?"
The captain chuckles. "You must have some crazy parents."
"Yeah." I smile. "They really are kind of bizarre."
Mother, father... I hope you're both not too worried about me.
•••
The pirates stare at Yoon, Yona, and I. Our dresses were somewhat comfortable, but I couldn't move as easily as before.
"You're looking good, kiddo! That shop owner will love you!" Jae-ha praises Yona.
The pirates laugh at Yoon's clothes and fake hair. I can't help but stare.
"You're just jealous of my beauty!" Yoon yells.
"Yoon, where's the explosive?" I ask. I can't adjust my padding anymore, and I can't fiddle with the folds on my haori either.
"I hid it in my sash. It's small, but it's loaded with gunpowder."
Hak places a hand on my shoulder. "Himari, do you need a weapon?" He asks.
"Unless you have a small dagger, nothing will be small enough to smuggle onto the ship," I reply, placing my sword against a wall.
Hak sighs and passes me a small dagger, about eight inches long.
"It should be small enough to hide in your sash. Make sure it can't be seen through your obi though."
"Yeah," I say and place it in my obi.
"Oh, and Himari?" Hak starts. I look at him. "Make sure your safe, and protect the princess."
I place my hands on each of his shoulders. "I won't let Yona die. I promise I'll sacrifice myself."
"Himari, you don't necessarily have to sacrifice yourself, just be careful."
I pay Hak's head. "I'll be fine. Make sure you don't die, either. I'm a survivor."
"Are you guys a thing?" Jae-ha asks. I cough in confusion and glare at him.
"If we were a thing, it'd suck. Himari isn't too feminine anyways." Hak teases.
"Shut up. I'm more feminine than you." I stick out my tongue childishly before smiling at him.
Yona's so confident. She's ready to infiltrate Yang Keum-ji's ship. I don't know if I'll be able to make it on, though.
My eyes might be somewhat rare, but other than that, I'm might not be pretty enough to access the back room. Do I look attractive enough?
I guess, there's only one way to find out for sure.
•••
Words: 2782
This was a long chapter with a decent amount of information...
I'm trying to update once a week, but with everything going on, that's a little difficult.
Thank you for continuing to read Search For You, even with the slow updates <3