The Eighth Sea

Chapter 10

Levi

As much as Levi didn't want to admit it, Wren was right. He was most certainly not okay. Even a few weeks after the attack, he was still getting nightmares about having a blade pressed against his throat, and he'd wake up gasping for air. However, on the plus side, his visions of the cave were slowly going away, and he figured that was because of his proximity to the undead pirate captain himself.

Speaking of the captain, Wren had been utterly insufferable after the attack. Apparently, not being recognised by the pirates on shore had rankled him a bit more than Levi had originally thought, and according to the captain, it was becoming more and more common as his legend was being forgotten over time.

So, in typical Wren fashion, he made it his goal to die as many times in front of as many people as possible.

"Wren, this is a terrible idea," Levi overheard Hector complain after Wren's fifth attempt at scaring civilians at a small port town in which they had docked to pick up more alcohol for the cook. "You know what dying does to you."

"Nothing!"

"You can't swim as fast, you fool."

"Look, just because I can't control the current when I'm freshly dead doesn't mean that I'm going to stop.

"We need you to control the current so we can keep sailin' smoothly," Hector returned. "The wind is terrible, so we're relyin' heavily on you!"

Levi wouldn't admit it, but he secretly liked it when Wren was freshly dead. Not because the captain always managed to die in some over-the-top manner, but because he could actually see a person that wasn't Charlotte, who had gotten steadily more annoying as she started talking to Pierre more and more now that they had their very own ghost translator.

"Your treasure cave must be filled to the brim with skeletons," Hector remarked as he watched another skeleton swimming away in the distance.

"Yeah, well, that just means it's better protected. Besides, they're dead, they're not claustrophobic."

"Are you going to retrieve the treasure afterwards?" Levi asked, joining the conversation. He had since memorised the general layout of the ship, and no longer needed Hector's or Wren's assistance moving around, and he was also much closer to the two pirates than he was before.

Wren nodded. "I did promise my crew a share of the treasure once the curse is lifted. And I would give you an extra large share, but, well, you know..."

"Thanks for reminding him," Hector muttered. "Way to kill the mood."

"I'm curious," Levi started, turning the conversation away from that dour topic, "What language do your skeletons speak? Back when I first got cursed, I remember them chanting in some language that I didn't know."

At that, Hector barked out a laugh, nearly doubling over in laughter. "Oh, do tell him, Wren."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Wren sniffed.

"Oh, yes, you do."

"Do not."

"Liar."

"Just tell me already!" Levi insisted, laughing a bit himself.

"If you must know... it's French."

Levi raised an eyebrow. "Tu parles français?" (You speak French?)

"Uh... oui?"

"Mais je sais français, et tes squelettes n'ont parler pas français." (But I know French, and your skeletons did not speak French)