Chapter 36: The Tears of the Sea

I almost felt dizzy with the storm of pirates passing me with weapons in their hands. For once, they didn't seem to give much attention on me considering that I was the most hated person in the pirate world for the past few days. I tried not to get in their way as I walked back to the deck. I wanted to see what was happening and I wouldn't be able to know it if I would just be confined in the safety of the grand vessel - or was it really still safe? When I reached the deck, I settled behind a huge barrel with a spyglass in my hand. It was funny that a war was about to start and the only weapon I had was a spyglass.

I held my breath as I saw a huge number of marine ships approached the Pirate City. They were the same ships I saw docked safely on the Sea Port City of the West Land. It was just that this time, they grew in numbers. The pirates on the ships surrounding the grand vessel prepared themselves for the battle. I scanned the area to look for the Obsidian and when my eyes found it, I couldn't help but get worried. What if they get hurt? Or worst, what if they die in the battle? What if it's the Skull?

I gritted my teeth as I convinced myself that my worries were nonsensical. It was the Skull we were talking about and he was invincible. He would never get hurt. However, no matter how I tried to believe that, there was a part of me that remained scared and it was growing as the fleet approached closer.

The first canon fired and by the way the grand vessel shook below my feet, I knew it came from the fleet. And that's how the exchange of fires and arrows started. I couldn't remember how many times I ducked behind the barrel for cover when an arrow came striking few steps from where I stood. It took me a few moments before I pulled the strength to stand and look again. At first, I thought that the Pirate City was winning the battle because they were able to sink the first few marine ships that got near them. But when a couple of pirate ships started burning and sinking from both sides of the vessel, that's when I saw that marine ships were coming from different directions, and in the same huge numbers. The marines of the West Land were surrounding us and I couldn't help but remember the conversation I once had with Captain Rowaen:

"And we are in a bigger target; we can't hide or run away because we are in the middle of it. They look up at us thinking of the ways to bring us down. The Pirate City brags about being invincible and powerful while it is actually the walls that are making it safe and impregnable. And these walls are pirate ships that had been indebted to the Pirate City and these people are pirates - and what do you think pirates do? You can see this as a castle or a fortress while I see it as floating giant whale amidst hundreds of sharks. They're just waiting for the right time to devour their trapped meal."

I couldn't help the cold that ran through my spine as I watched some of the pirate ships cut their ropes that connected them to the grand vessel. What do you think pirates do? My words echoed in my head - it was as if I just put a curse to the Pirate City that time and it was happening now. I cowered back to where I was hiding when I saw a couple of pirates appeared on the deck - long guns in their hands. They started shooting on the marine vessels that dared to get near the Pirate City. They were like the support team, along with the other pirates on the other decks of this huge ship. And as they fired against the enemies, my hands covered my ears at the sound of their every shot. It was deafening - it was as if every bullet cries a fading life. But they did it precisely and bravely, without hesitation. When one of them ducked for cover as a shot went to his direction, his eyes caught mine. He frowned as he saw me hiding behind the barrel and recognition lit on his eyes when he remembered who I was.

"It's you! The Jonah of the Obsidian!" he shouted at my direction.

His companion joined him in ducking and then turned to me. They were both surprised in seeing me hiding on the deck. I knew in their eyes that they wanted to blame me for what was happening but the on-going war seemed to need more of their focus and attention than a weak girl who created havoc in the Pirate City. They went back firing to the sea and I stayed where I was with the spyglass in my hand.

I watched as they stood and fired, and then ducked when bullets or arrows flew to our direction. I couldn't remember - no, I was afraid to know how many times they were almost hit until a couple of arrows came fast towards them, hitting the one near me on his neck. My eyes widened in horror and shock when he fell on the floor of the deck, blood gushing from his mouth and the wound on his neck. His companion looked at him horrified, but decided to put his grief aside and focused on firing at the targets.

The pirate with an arrow pierced on his neck started coughing and I couldn't just watch him as he desperately tried to fight for his life. Pulling all the strength I had, I ran towards him and knelt beside his body. I panicked as I saw a pool of blood already forming on the floor as he tried to breathe.

He grasped my arm tightly and stared straight into my eyes. It was as if he wanted to tell me lots of things but he couldn't just do it at that moment. He could never do it anymore. And I knew by then that there was nothing I could do to save him. The awful realization seemed to hit him and tears made their way down my cheeks as his grip in my arm started to loosen. I watched as he became still and his eyes closed. It was the first death I witnessed in this battle and I wondered just how many first deaths I had missed while I was in here in the grand vessel.

"He's gone," I muttered.

My sobs reached the ears of the other pirates so he turned to look at us. His attention wavered when he saw the dead body of his companion and that was how an arrow found its way on his shoulder. He dropped to the floor clutching the wounded part of his body. I turned as he cried in pain and looking back at the dead body in front of me, I decided to get up and run quickly to his direction.

"Are you alright?" And I knew it was a dumb question from me because obviously, he was far from being alright. He didn't answer so I looked in to his wound and I gasped when I saw the familiar red color of its fletching - definitely a West Land arrow. I remembered the time when I joined the Weston brothers in hunting in an Eastern forest with Tarnus on my side. They were able to catch a huge bird and I thought it immediately died as Threy's arrow pierced through its right wing. I cried that time out of pity when the poor animal fell on the ground. Threy decided to keep the bird alive when I didn't stop bawling my eyes out and took out the arrow from the bird's body. The bird was still alive in the West Land's castle, caged and kept as a pet. I thought I gave it a better destiny, I guessed the bird hated me as well for denying the creature of an easy death.

With a strong determination, I helped the pirate up and helped him towards the barrel. I sat him straight with his back against the wooden container and started touching the arrow. That's how I should do it, right? I should just do what Threy did.

"Wait, do you know what you're doing?" the pirate asked warily. I couldn't help but take a little offense of his distrust towards me. I might not be doing it well the way Threy did it back then, but I was the only help he could get at the moment.

"Trust me, alright? I might have the tendency to take your words against you and do it in a more painful way than it should be," I replied, frowning.

Seeing the seriousness in my face, he remained calmly and quietly seated. I inhaled deeply and broke the fletching of the arrow. My fingers were trembling because of the horrified death I witnessed and the chaotic situation we were in but they still got the strength I needed to pull the arrow at the back of his shoulders by its shaft and arrowhead. I sighed in relief as I pulled the arrow completely out of his skin and dropped it on the floor. He let out a loud wail as blood made its way out from its wound. Seeing that my dress already showed too much of my skin, I decided to tear his clothes and wrapped it immediately on his wound.

"I am not a doctor, but if that bird lived back then, then you should be able to live right now," I said as I check my work.

"What? Did you just think of me as a bird?" he asked in disbelief. But his face softened as he looked at the bandage on his shoulder. "Thank you," he added with blush on his cheeks.

I gave him my kind smile. Atleast, even in this situation, I was able to help him. I just proved that I wasn't just a Jonah of the Obsidian. But that moment didn't last when another pirate appeared on the deck and stopped immediately when he saw the dead body lying on the floor. I remembered him as Arman, the pirate who I bumped against with the first time I stepped on the grand vessel.

"Erwan!" he screamed, horrified, and ran towards the dead body lying on its pool of blood.

We were silent as we watch him mourn for the death of the pirate he called Erwan. They had the same hair color and there were few similarities in their facial features. By the way he was crying and holding the pirate's body, I knew they were family.

"I'm sorry, he's gone," I said feeling sad for the loss of a life.

He immediately turned to my direction when he heard my voice, as if he was just seeing us for the first time. And getting his attention was probably a bad idea for his mournful look turned into a furious glare with dangerous fire in his eyes.

"Filthy bitch! It is your entire fucking fault!" he shouted and lunged towards me.



The pirate beside me moved to shield me from Arman's attack but his wounded body was nothing compared to the pirate's massive one. He pushed him to the side and he landed back against the barrel. I was worried for a second that his wound might bleed even more but I realized that I should worry about myself for now. However, escaping Arman seemed to be already too late as his huge hand wrapped around my little neck squeezing the air out of me.

"Look what you've done! You're the reason why Erwan is dead! You killed my son!" he screamed at my face - I could smell the stench of liquor in his breath. He was probably one of those pirates drinking ale in the morning before the war happened.

"L-Let me go! Please! I-I didn't -" I was already having a hard time breathing. I wanted to tell him that it wasn't my fault - that I didn't kill his son. But as my eyes caught the sight of the dead pirate lying on the floor of the deck, I began to question myself: Was it not really my fault?

"You brought this upon us! You are a Jonah! You are a curse in the pirate world!" he continued as his grip on my neck tightened. This time, I wasn't able to form a word. His strong and large hand was blocking my windpipe.

"We might not win this war and it probably won't end even if I kill you, but at least, I will get a taste of revenge once your body is as dead and cold as Erwan's!"

I knew that he was determined to kill me when I started to feel less of everything and darkness in the surrounding. It was like something was pulling me out of my body and it was easier to succumb to it. But the light and pain came back when I suddenly found myself flying and falling on the floor. I gasped for breath as I saw Arman fell on the other side. I felt someone knelt beside me and helped me to sit up.

"Are you hurt?" The man with the stormy gray eyes asked while touching my arms and searching my body, checking if I was wounded. Worry and fear were evident in his face. When he didn't find any cuts, he grabbed my body and pulled me to his chest, caging me in his strong arms. My arms automatically found their way around his hard shoulders and I wanted to lean against him and savor the moment. But my eyes widened when I saw Arman stand on his feet and produced a dagger in his hand. The fury in his eyes expressed that he was determined to kill me and he would never stop no matter who gets in the way. He was a man who lost his son - who lost everything. And a man who had nothing to lose was a dangerous man.

"T-Threy -" I gasped in horror when Arman started charging on our direction. The Skull seemed to understand right away and moved quickly. He dodged Arman's attack and tried incapacitating him. But Arman stood up again and was now lunging towards me. The Skull immediately understood the situation so he moved in an intense speed like he had always known what he should have done and like a lightning that was always ready to strike, he grabbed Arman's hand that was holding the dagger and buried it against the man's chest. He did it in a perfect, fluid motion.

It wasn't the first that I saw the Skull killed someone - it wasn't even the first time that he killed someone for me. But the shock and fear that enveloped my heart would always be a fresh kind of dark sorrow that would surely haunt me for the rest of my life. I was tainted, and I knew that there would be no kind of forgetting could erase it.

Arman landed on the floor few meters from his son. He gasped for his last few breaths before letting out the final one. The tears that were falling from my eyes became a waterfall that burned every wound in my heart. I was crying for all the people that died for me - for those who were sacrificing their lives for this battle. I was crying for the Skull - for Threy Weston who was becoming harder and harder to reach with every passing of time.

The Skull ran immediately to my side and once again, he enveloped me inside his arms. I was shaking with tears and fear and as I looked up to meet his eyes, I started wondering of the choices I had made that lead us to this situation. What if I had made the biggest mistake of looking for him?

"What if we're wrong to allow this war to happen? What if Janeia is right - that it is my entire fault? It is all because of me, right? My hands are red with all these blood that shed from the battle. I could feel it in my soul," I said in between sobs.

But the Skull comforted me by embracing me tighter and answered, "This war had been waiting to happen for years now. This war is not only about you, Prim. It is also about the principles and aspirations of the pirates. It is about the unfair division of mankind and the cruelty of the tyrants. This war is also for us."

He said it like it was the most genuine thing he had ever expressed and I had to believe in him. I always believed in him. My heart was still dark with horror and sadness and right at the moment, the only light I could hold onto was him.

"I'm sorry if this war hurt you and wounded your soul. But please hold on a little bit longer. I promise that it will all end soon," he added.

Will it really all end soon? "You are my favourite wound and I will not do anything to make it heal," I answered.

The pirate I helped caught our attention as another set of fires aired across the sea. The Skull brought me to the pirate behind the barrel for cover and he made a room for us to hide.

"Are you alright?" the pirate asked.

I nodded. The Skull eyed him skeptically and when he saw his bandage on the shoulder, he seemed to understand what was happening.

"I remember the bird you caught when we were young. I hope I did it right," I explained.

He touched my cheek with his hand and I almost leaned on it because of how gentle it was. "You did great. You're great," he said softly.

He turned to the pirate with a hard look on his face. "Listen, you owe her your life. Now, I want you to protect her until I come back and I promise that I will also bring you to safety."

He didn't have to convince the pirate because he immediately agreed to it and produced his dagger. He was a pirate and I knew that trusting him was like trusting a thief to count one's golds. But if there was one thing I've learned from these outlaws, it was that they valued life more than the treasures they stole, thus, they were fighting for it - they were stealing to live.

When the Skull finally looked back at me, it was then my turn to feel agitated. What did he mean when he said that the pirate must protect me until he came back?

"Are you leaving me?" I voiced out.

"I'll come back for you. I promise," he answered and I saw the great determination and seriousness in his eyes. He seemed to be also begging for me to believe in him and I knew that I would always do. I smiled as I realized how much I trusted him with my life. I was always like the shore and I would never get tired of waiting for the waves to come back to me - hitting me again and again with its full strength until I bleed. And I would surely bleed - but I would never break.

"I'll wait for you," I promised.

He looked straight into my eyes and I could almost see his soul behind those orbs of gray storm. It was in pain but unwavering. He looked at me like it was killing him to leave me. He looked at me like I was the most important thing in his life. And for me, that was enough to believe him that he would come back. My hands reached out and touched the sides of his face. I leaned into him and with all the love I could give, I kissed his lips, sealing the promise we made. The kiss lingered for few seconds sucking us into an illusion that we could stay like this for a little bit longer before we both decided that we must part. He gave me one last glance before he ran back to the entrance of the deck. And God, how it almost killed me to see him go - how I died a little to watch him leave.