Fate's Pawn: Five Jewels

Captain Blade

Considering my unfortunate nature of losing my legs constantly, I was brought along in what could only be described as a portable aquarium. It was massive and attached to a strong towing machine. I could swim back and forth like I was inside a large pool.

Eros hadn't been able to come with me and had been forced to ride with the others. A fate if I knew my cabbit, he was still complaining about.

Quix had refused to let Maxwell stay with me or the man would have swam inside this fishbowl with me. It was still hard to determine what I was going to do about the man. He had no connection to my previous bonds, but there was no denying that he was at the very least obsessed with me, though it felt deeper than that.

I sighed and looked out at the horizon as we drove along. It was faint but I could just make out the shimmer of the sea, and seeing it made my heart race.

There was nothing more that I wanted in that moment than to be out there in the water and away from all of this. I wanted to help my mates, but the urge to follow the call and abandon everyone thrummed through me like a strong song.

I reached out, my fingertips grazing the glass bowl and I pulled back, startled and stared at my hand. If I hadn't been inside here, and had legs of course, would I have just walked out there and let myself sink beneath the waves?

My thoughts were disrupted as a huge silver vessel caught my attention.

Calling it a boat would be like calling a minnow a whale.

Why was I not surprised that someone as rich as Maxwell had a fully decked out yacht ready to go? This felt less like a pirate adventure, and more like some cruise ship.

A lot of good it would do me considering I'd be a fish more than two-thirds of the time…

Huh… Did that mean I'd have to swim beside the boat? If I couldn't stay on it, where else could I be expected to stay? It's the only thing that made sense to me.

As we got closer, my awe of the liner only grew. I had thought it was big when I could barely make it out, but by the time we got to the docks, I understood it was so much bigger than I thought before.

Forget about a whale, this thing was closer to a kraken.

No, still not big enough. A kraken could sit on this thing and no be able to sink it.

How was it even floating? It put Maxwell's mansion to shame with the sheer mass.

"Coral!" Maxwell's shout carried through the air, and he rushed to me, pushing the others out of the way until he got to my side. Without hesitation, he plunged his hands into the water and grabbed me to his chest, cradling me as best as he could.

His warmth was almost enough to burn and I gasped against his chest. "Put me down," I requested, pushing against his chest.

"Not until we're no board," he promised.

On board?

I glanced back at the massive ship. It was huge sure, but why would I be put on board? With the small amount of time I had to have a pair of legs it seemed kind of pointless.

"I thought I'd just swim along aside it?" I asked with a furrowed brow.

Maxwell laughed and gently kissed my forehead. "I'd never force you to do something like that."

Holding me close, he left my mobile aquarium behind and carried me up the docks. The others were waiting for him and Eros gave me a warm smile the instant he caught my eyes.

Butterflies exploded in my stomach and I relaxed.

"Master, you're going to get all dirty holding her like that," Quix interrupted. "I'd much rather I took on that position to save your poor clothes."

"I'll do it," Eros offered.

Maxwell barely even glanced at either. "No, I've got her."

He carried me up the long loading ramp without missing a step and I stared around me in awe.

This was unlike any ship I'd ever seen.

Massive didn't do it justice.

"Here we go, just for you," Maxwell whispered into my ear as he set me down, but not onto the hard floor, no, he set me down inside of a river that snaked its way through what looked like the entire boat.

"What is this?" I reached out, touching the sides of the pathway.

"Did you really think I'd just keep you cramped up in a tiny pool all day?" He shook his head and leaned down, kissing the top of my head. "Love, I'll do anything for you. This is the least I could do to make this trip more comfortable."

My heart thumped and I stared up at him. In all my previous lives I was always given protectors that were drawn to me, is that what Maxwell was, or was this something different? "Thank you…"

"Is everyone on board yet?" A voice boomed through the air and my head shot up. I twisted around in the water to eye the approaching figure.

He was tall, and this time he had long flowing red hair like some cross between a pirate and a viking. His eyes landed on me and instead of the warmth I was so used to, Dagon scowled.

"This is what all the commotion is about?" He shook his head. "You never told me you were bringing a blasted mermaid onto my ship."

Maxwell gave him a placating smile. "I'm sorry, she won't be any trouble, Captain Blade."

"Of course she will," the man snorted. She's a mermaid. Don't you know that bringing her on board has doomed us all? She's the very worst luck that exists."

I swallowed hard and lowered myself into the water, trying to be less of a target. What was he going to do to me?

"But, since you've gone and paid me in advance, I suppose we'll have to roll the dice of chance and see what befalls us this time." He smirked at me and the darkness in his eyes deepened to something quite different. "Well, well, little mermaid. Welcome to my ship, I'm Captain Blade, and what I say goes. You better be willing to listen, or I'll toss you in an aquarium myself, got it?"