Her Protective Captain

The Ship

Magnolia was frightened as they threw her into the cell. She didn't know what was going to happen. She was trembling violently. She

feared they were taking her back. Magnolia swore to herself that she never would go back. At least not willingly. She needed to come up with a plan. If the Imperial Council got ahold of her...then there was no telling what they would do.

Magnolia stood on two very wobbly legs. Looking around, she saw no windows. Just the iron bars separating her from leaving. She huffed in annoyance. 'This cannot be happening.' She thought to herself. 'I was careful. I was always careful.' Looking back on the entire time she was hiding, there wasn't a time where she wasn't careful. She made absolutely sure that her gifts were hidden. Magnolia never thought of her abilities as gifts.

Especially not after the incident. The one accident that had landed her as a wanted criminal at the tender age of eight. she doesn't remember how long its been since then. She had other things to deal with. Important things.

Surviving the hell she was forced to go through seemed more important than reliving that trauma every year. Yet it was etched in her memories forever. Magnolia was so lost in her memories that she never noticed someone entering the room.

Magnolia knew this person was of great importance. She didn't know why. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know. The person was well built. It was a woman. That was all she knew. "Please. Let me go." Magnolia pleaded, "You do realize that won't be possible." The woman told her, "I don't know what you did to cause the Imperial Council to hire us...but I do know that if you talk to Captain Kelwyn, he might be able to help you."

Magnolia shook her head. She can't trust them. They're infamous. They're dangerous. You don't want to cross them. Those were the stories that Magnolia has heard. She knew that making a deal with Captain Kelwyn Darrius was a death sentence.

"Please, you don't know what they'll do to me!" Magnolia frantically pleaded, "I need to get as far away from them as possible." But her please fell on deaf ears. the woman quietly shook her head as she left. Magnolia sat down and sobbed. She was going to her death. The worst part was, only she knew.

.....

Magnolia had cried until she couldn't no more. She was curled up in a ball staring at the wall when she heard footsteps. She didn't bother to get up. Magnolia came to terms with never being free again. There wasn't anything she could do about it.

She heard a door open along with some footsteps. She didn't bother to get up. Not really caring who came to visit her. Especially since she wasn't able to be free. "Are you hungry?" The voice asked. Magnolia noticed that the voice was deep. It sounded like the captain. The one who tried to reason with her in the alleyway.

She didn't say anything. She didn't want to say anything. He sighed and set the tray down. "Look, why don't you tell me what they want from you?" He suggested, "I might be able to help if you fill in some blanks." She sighed, not knowing if she should trust him or not.

She decided to sit up. "You know I can sense whether a person is mortal or not. I can heal the injured. My people used to be able to communicate with nature." She began, "Now my people have to hide from then Imperial Council. I don't know what they promised you for me, but I promise you won't see it."

"They promised us enough for us to retire and live comfortably."

She let out a bitter laugh and shook her head. "They'll give you nothing. They'll kill you and I don't think you want that to happen to you're crew." She was startled when she heard a low and threatening growling. "Don't underestimate my crew. They wouldn't dare to betray me."

"You're reputation won't save you. This is the Imperial Council we're talking about." He growled again, and stormed off. Slamming the door as he went to his office.