The Shadows Secret | S&B

Chapter 5

After Alina explained to her what it means to fancy someone Lilian asked so many follow up questions.
She had learned a lot in the past few weeks.

Lilian was reading when Alina grabbed her arm and dragged her to Sturmhond quarters. She shoved the door opened and stormed in. "Did Mal tell you to alter course?" Alina asked walking up to him.

"No that would be your captain." Sturmhond replied pointing his finger at himself. "Why?" Sturmhond looked at Lilian and turned his body and looked at the maps on his desk. It's a brief change to make use of an Eastern wind. We'll make better time."

He explained leaning on his seat and pointing at the map. "Your tracker wouldn't say why. But of all the islands, he believes the Sea Whip is here. You wanna explain that?" He breathes out. "No."

Sturmhond turned to her. "What's this about?" Alina looked at him for a second. "I'm the client." Sturmhond lightly scoffed. "No client of mine has ever made such demands." He said turning away get get a drink.

"No client of your can do what I do." Alina replied raising her voice. "We'll, fair enough. But that's not what this is about. Is it?" He said walking to his desk. "What do you mean?"

He sat on the edge of his desk. "Trust is a tricky needle to thread for the three of us. You guys need to trust I don't have some ulterior motive. And I need to trust we aren't chasing a myth." Alina scoffed.

"The difference is you both behave like somebody who's already been betrayed. And that puts you in a tight spot for the task ahead. You can't do it all of your own. You need me." He finished while taking a sip of his drink.

Lilian and Alina both looked at each other. "And you need me if you're going to get your money. We know that's only as I remain valuable to you." Alina said lowering her voice.

"We'll, you are very fancy cargo. It's true. But do you really understand why? It's not just because you'll destroy the fold. It's because you're a symbol. You're not just sunshine, sunshine. You're hope for the future. Seems it's not me who needs convincing of that. It's you."

Footsteps were echoing close and we turned to the doorway to see Tamara. "We're close." Sturmhond slams his glass down. "It's time for my favorite part!" He walked and slaps Tamara on the arm and grabs his coat and walks out.

Alina and Lilian look at each other before following each getting a smile walking past Tamara.

Everyone groups up. "Thanks to navigation from our Summoner's tracker friend here. We've traversed the Bone Road to the island of Jalka. As for the Sea Whip, we have some storybook drawings. No telling what it really looks like. Rule of thumb for the unknown, come prepared."

Sturmhond explained as her pulled a rope and the drap came open revealing a lot a nice weapon's.
Mal look extremely impressed. "Are all pirates this we'll-armed?" Sturmhond looked hurt. "Privateer."

"I don't know the difference." Mal muttered out.
"The difference is I have a license and a healthy love for innovation, gadgets, marvels, things that go boom. Anything pique your interest?"

Mal looked at all the weapons and grabbed one and Sturmhond said something about it. He then went on about how the plan was going to go. They all headed out and Sturmhond grabbed her wrist stopping her.

She looked at her wrist and he immediately retreated it. "You are going to stay aboard for this mission." She nodded her and and he walked out of the room.

She was used to being asked to do something and not argue.

So in the mean time she got some sleep.

She had woken up by the sound of people coming down the stairs. She got up and saw that it was Mal. He told her to come above deck.

She looked outside and it was night. Everyone formed in a group and Sturmhond started talking.
"We hold ourselves bound to this mission to ensure that our fallen crew did not die in vain. And we honor the ultimate sacrifice that they made in our quest to find the Sea Whip."

Lilian looked at him. "Let us bow our heads for the crew lost today. Let the sea carry them to a safe harbor and may the Saints receive them on a brighter shore."

Everyone put their hands to their faces and lifted them up to the air while saying "may the Saints receive them."

The twins twins placed the scales on a table. "Alina we're ready." Sturmhond called out to her.
She step forward and they put the scales on her.
She lit up for each one but the second was the most powerful. Mal ran to her and brought her back.

Alina explain what she wanted to do next and everyone disappeared for the night. Lilian stayed up deck and sat down on the floor in the corner.

"We'll that was a fantastic light show." A voice filled her ears. She looked up to see Sturmhond standing with a big grin on his face. "Wait till you see her in the fold." She said quickly with a frown.

Sturmhond noticed and crouched down right in front of her. "What's going on in that head of yours?"
She looked at him and then back down to her hands on her knees. "I don't want to see her get hurt again." She said looking at his face.

He nodded. "I get it. But she is a strong woman, she can handle it." She looked in his eyes. "Can she? I know what it's like to have an amplifier. The strong feeling of power. But having two is different. It's dangerous."

"You have one?" He asked lowering his voice. She nodded. "The darkling gave me one when I was sixteen. I was young but he knew I could handle it." She said looking back down at her hands.

She rolled up her right arm sleeve revealing her amplifier. "Kestrel feathers." She said and he looked at them and brought up his hand running his fingers along them.

Her breath stiffened as she felt his fingers tracing them. She looked as him admiring it. He looked up at her and smiled.

"It's getting late we should get back to our quarters." He said and she nodded he got up and held his hand for her. She smiled and took it. They walked back and he dropped her off. "Sleep well Captain." She said smiling at him. "Goodnight milaya."

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Authors note:
Here the next chapter.
I hope you guys like it!
-TPWK