"Yeah, but how often is it going to be after sinking in a bubble of magic tar?" She smiled. "Besides, you don't need to worry about me."
He sighed, but he couldn't repress his smile. "Of course I'm going to worry about you. You just hit your head on a wall and knocked yourself out."
"Hey! It wasn't my fault! I was just using the cannons and next I know, I'm in a bed." She shunned him jokingly.
"Yes, well, and there was a sea monster attacking us at the time and all that. Excuses, excuses, Rohesia."
"I will fight you. Right here and right now, I swear I will. You are just looking for a tussle." She said, messing with the mask a bit.
He paused for a moment and then grinned. "Funny thing, I would be a lot more scared if you hadn't just knocked yourself out."
"Oh, I bet," she said looking at the hole to the other world. She had a whimsical look in her eye as she sighed. "Do you think the air is safe out there?"
He considered this for a moment. "I don't know," he said. "I mean, it's the same planet, but we must deep within it at this point. I think we're about to go out, though." (I don't want to move on too much without everyone.)
(I agree. I hope it doesn't seem like I'm trying to rush anything haha.) Avice leaned against the railing, tilting her head back. "I think I'm gonna sleep when this is all over and done with."
(No, you're perfectly fine! I'm just trying to explain why we haven't left the ship yet. ) "You should," he said, gently. "You weren't in bed for nearly as long as you should be. Plus, this is a lot of excitement for all of us. I'm hoping that we find the treasure, find a way out, and then we're on our way quickly, but things rarely seem to follow the simplest path for us."
Avice nodded, looking back at him. "I guess I like to sleep on my own time and not when others tell me to." She laughed. "And yes, things like to turn out difficult for us." (Oh, alright!)
"I have a confession to make, Captain." Cobiah took a deep breath. "I was planted on this ship by my father's corporation to keep an eye on you specifically. He wasn't quite happy with how his ships were being plundered often, and he had heard rumors that you knew of the treasure we're searching for right now." He paused for a moment. "He intended for me to commit mutiny and steal the treasure, but I had different plans. Originally, I was still going to take the treasure, but I wasn't going to hurt anyone but my father for it. There's a lot more detail, but I imagine we don't have much time on our hands."
Jack didn't respond. He'd thought that he'd seen something again, and he leaned out of the hole, frowning out into the darkness. "There's something out there." *** Natalia scrutinized him for a moment, her arms crossed, and her head cocked in thought. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she sighed, as if confessions of intended betrayal were everyday annoyances. "So what are you proposing?"
"I'm sure you're aware of the increased Marine activity on the seas as of late. My father has been buying out fleets of mercenaries, corrupt officials, and anyone who's swayed by money. I don't know what he's planning, but it can't be good. After we grab this treasure, I propose we use some of the money to get ourselves some upgrades in munitions, arms, etc, and we launch a heist on the corporate head quarters. After that, if you're angry with me, I can jump ship and you'll never have to see me again."
She was quiet for a moment, her lips pursed in thought. "You must be pretty confident that I'll say yes to this," she said eventually. "Otherwise, you would be giving away your position completely." She drummed her fingers on her hips, and then nodded. "Fortunately, if you are to be trusted, this is a win-win situation. I'd like to discuss this in more detail when we return, Mr. Seatone. It's an interesting proposition. It would take some time though, I'm afraid. Getting the whole crew to agree on one thing is very difficult."
Avice stared out there, unblinking and cautious. "Tell the captain? As much as I want fight, I still want to be careful."
"I understand, captain. You can trust that I will be performing at my best for this expedition, as well." Cobiah said, before returning to readying himself to venture off the boat.
He grinned, but the movement was restricted by his mask. "Running away from a fight? You? I never thought I'd see the day." *** Natalia frowned, and then addressed the group. "The main goal here is to find any sort of loot, if we can, as well as make sure that we are alone here. When we are satisfied, we shall return to the ship. Stay close, and be quiet and cautious. We should aim to be as unobtrusive as possible."
Avice scowled. "I'm going to fight something, eventually," she said turning to face the captain. "We think there's something out there. I haven't seen it, but Jack has."
"Really?" Natalia asked, interested. "What did it look like, Jack?" Jack frowned. "Hard to tell," he responded. "I saw something bright yellow moving around." Natalia considered this for a moment, and then finally nodded. "We will continue as planned, but be very careful. Stay close." Jack nodded in agreement, and they began to exit the ship. *** "How was that?" Jade asked Cobiah as he returned. She was tying her hair was in a braid so as to not obstruct the mask, and she tucked the last strand away as she spoke. "Scary?"
