CHAPTER 37: The Fall of the Pirate City

I settled on the space beside the pirate who was now holding a dagger and his gun. The blood from his wound was showing on the cloth I used to wrap it and I couldn't imagine the pain he was currently in. He seemed to be in agony in every scrunch of his face but he was trying his best to hide it. He tensed as he realized that I was watching him.

"I'm Primrose," I said, breaking the silence between us.

He didn't answer and instead looked at anywhere but me. I understood that he was still seeing me as the person who brought this war upon them - I was the reason why those two pirates were lying dead on the deck. I decided to be silent and wait for the Skull to come back to me.

"Aiden," he suddenly murmured.

I turned to him in confusion. "Excuse me?" I asked.

"My name's Aiden. You might forget me when I die. You might not even remember my name that's why I'm wondering why you even asked. But Aiden - Aiden is my name," he answered in his sad, low tone. It was the sound of a man who was already on the verge of hopelessness. And my heart was aching knowing that somehow, I caused this sorrow upon him.

"You're wrong. I won't forget you. You're one of those few pirates who protected me from the attack of your own. How can I forget that?"

He smiled weakly as if he didn't expect my answer at all. He was probably near the age of Erasmus. I could almost see the soft-looking, handsome young man behind the pain that was painted on his face.

"I didn't protect you. I just moved and then was thrown back to my place by Arman. He was far stronger than me and I'm sure there would be nothing I could do against him -"

"I'm sure that there are a lot of things you can do if not for the arrow that pierced you," I cut him off. I've never met a pirate who was so insecure of his capabilities. Most of them were so sure of their strength and they would probably see themselves stronger than the other pirates. Maybe it was the war. Maybe it was the dead bodies that were lying few meters from us.

After a few moment of silence, he suddenly handed me his dagger. I looked at the sharp metal with confusion in my eyes.

"The Obsidian pirates are good fighters. Surely, they taught you how to fight, yes?" he asked.

Understanding dawned at me as I took the metal in my hand. "They didn't show me how to use this," I answered regretfully. Somehow, I wished they did. But as I stared into the dagger, I couldn't help but think about all the people I could use this for. The marines of the West land? But those people were my people. They came for me. They were in this battle with the purpose of saving me. The pirates who wanted to attack me? But I had lived the way they did and I learned their ideals. And I came to understand them - feel them. And in this journey, I knew that they were also my people - the kind in which I felt that I belong with them.

"I've never thought of the need to use this. I guess I'm not born a warrior at all," I said sheepishly. This man was years younger than me and he surely knew how to do a lot more things compared to me.

"I wonder how it feels like to have a mind that thinks of nothing like violence. You must be sleeping peacefully at night."

I looked at him thoughtfully. He had probably been through a lot but he must have not encountered a sickness like love. He didn't know how it could break one's heart and mess up the mind. My eyes turned to the direction of the entrance wishing that I would see the man I loved coming back to me.

"I also have sleepless nights," I said, smiling sadly.

He followed my gaze and immediately understood what I was thinking. "The Skull would surely come back for you. I saw the way he looks at you; it was like how my old man looks at my mother - even though he could only see her now by standing on her grave."

The sadness on his voice made me turn to look at him. I wanted to ask him about his mother but a loud explosion rattled the grand vessel and it shook unsteadily under our feet. I ran cautiously to the edge of the deck and I watched in horror as more pirate ships were burned to pieces and a lot of them were already cutting the ropes that connected the pirate ships to the grand vessel. The Pirate City was losing its walls and we were now lying almost unguarded in the middle of the battle. There were only few pirate ships left fighting and one of them was the Obsidian. But the fleet was coming nearer and nearer, bridging the distance between the marines and the pirates with their full power and weapons. They intended to crush their enemies to their last bit.

I heard shuffling of feet from the entrance and I waited expectantly for the person who was going to show himself on the deck. A tall, brawny man appeared on the entrance and his familiar brown eyes found mine. He immediately ran towards me and pulled my body away from the edge of the deck.

"You're standing carelessly in there without thinking that you could be shot in that position!" he scolded, looking down at me. Another pair appeared on the entrance and I saw Janeia helping the injured Captain Rowaen. He didn't look at me, I was sure he couldn't look anyone in the eyes right at this moment. His form showed defeat and he was obviously not taking it well.

"The Skull? Where's the Skull?" I asked Owain.

"In the Obsidian, fighting. He told me to get the mermaid and the captain. Come on! Let's get you out of here!" he said and his huge, strong fingers curved around my arm.

"Wait," I pulled back and ran to Aiden who was silently watching us while sitting against the barrel. "We need to bring him with us!" I added and put Aiden's arm on my shoulders, pulling him up in the process.

Owain hesitated at first but he knew better than to argue with me. With a scowl on his face, he helped with Aiden and we followed Captain Rowaen and Janeia, who gave me a cold stare, down the ruined grand vessel.

And I wished we didn't have to leave the deck for I saw more dead bodies on the way. Some died with from gunshots and arrows. Some from bleeding out as they try to get help. Some were nursing their injuries. I wanted to step towards them and see if I could help but Owain grabbed my arm immediately and refused to let me go. He kept us on our track and soon we were already on the lower deck where a canoe was waiting for us.

Owain looked at me uneasily and then to Aiden whose arm was still on my shoulders for support. He let Captain Rowaen settled on the canoe. He was still silent and probably shocked at the turn out of the event. Janeia sat next to him - she seemed to be too eager to get away from the grand vessel.

"There are only four people this canoe could carry or it will sink. Take my hand now, Primrose," Owain said, his hand was reaching out for me.

I looked at his hand and I understood what he meant by only four people in the canoe. I glanced at Aiden and he seemed to understand it as well. He immediately released my shoulders and sat on the floor of the deck.

"It's my pleasure to meet you, Primrose," Aiden said, a smile on his face.

Seeing him willing to watch us leave completely broke my heart. A tear fell down once again from eyes and I couldn't help but be frustrated at how weak I was and how helpless I could be in this situation. I wanted to help but every move I make felt like I was tiptoeing on a thin bridge that connects the mainland and the pirate world. But this time, I had to decide. It could be stupidity in Owain's eyes and weakness to the God of war, but I couldn't just escape this with so many dead people trailing behind me. I couldn't just leave another soul to its death.

"You may go, I'll stay with Aiden until you come back - no, until the Skull come back. He promised that he will and I promised that I'll wait. And I trust him," I decided and Owain glared at me in disapproval.

"We have no time! Soon this vessel will be ruined completely and the Pirate City will go down. Just leave him. He understood his fate when he agreed in this war," Owain said furiously still holding out his hand.

"No, Owain. I can't leave him to die here. I just can't. My heart won't be able to handle another death -" And it was real. These deaths were partly because of me. I could still taste the joy when I saved Aiden and I didn't want to turn it into nothing by letting him die once again.

"Primrose -" Aiden started but I immediately cut him off. I knew what he was about to say.

"You can't change my mind, Owain. Now, go. Just tell the Skull that I'll stay here waiting for him," I said firmly.

Owain looked at me for a moment until he dropped his hand to his side. He didn't like the idea of leaving me on the grand vessel but he knew that he couldn't do anything to make me change my mind.

"But if it's me who'll come back for you instead, promise that you'll go with me," he said in a serious tone.

I looked at the Obsidian, the dark ship that was waiting for us before looking back at him. "I believe that he'll come back for me. But yes, if it's you who'll come and save us, then I'll go with you," I answered.

My answer seemed to satisfy him because he gazed at me thoughtfully for a second and then pushed the canoe away from deck. He leapt to it and grabbed the paddle.

"Come on, first mate! We need to go!" Janeia called out impatiently before looking at me with hatred in her eyes. "If she wants to die, let her have her death!" she added.

"Shut up!" I heard Owain snapped before their canoe made distance from us.

I helped Aiden move towards the corner of the deck so there would be a concrete that could shield us. I watched as more pirate ships sink around us, leaving dead bodies floating on the sea. The marine ships were already a short distance away from us if not for the Obsidian and few other pirate ships that seemed to be relentless at fighting them. But how long could the pirate ships last on fighting them? And were the pirates of the Obsidian injured? Did they have casualties?

The color was drained on my face at the thought. I had lived with them for months; I had fished with them, faced the storms with them. And they almost felt like family during those times. The image of them dying tore pieces on my heart. I couldn't let that happen. If I could do anything to keep the Obsidian from sinking, then I would do it. But right at this moment, I was as powerless as the Pirate City became. I was waiting for the Skull as the Pirate City waiting for its end. And that was probably the only thing we could do: to wait.

I heard a loud whimper from the hall of the grand vessel and I stood up to go for it but Aiden's arm immediately stopped me.

"You don't have to do this, Primrose," he said.

I gently pulled my arm from his grasp and I was thankful that he let it go. He disagreed with me staying but I could also see the glint of joy in his eyes for making such decision. Who would want to die alone, anyway?

"We'll be safe, I promise," I answered and I ran to the sound of the whimper.

I didn't know how many promises this war had made and broken. And I wondered if ours could fall in the long list. I decided to make myself busy by tearing clothes of the pirates and put bandages on their wounds. I chose to help those who were less injured because they had better chance to survive in this war. And that chance was what we needed. I helped them towards the entrance of the deck just in case a canoe would come to bring us to the pirate ships. But as I pulled a pirate towards the entrance, I heard another loud explosion and I watched as another pirate ship sank to sea. There were only two pirate ships left this time, the Obsidian, and the red one. I held my breath as they both cut the ropes connecting them to the grand vessel and then I heard the next explosion coming from the upper level of our ship. Small and huge debris started falling on us and we tried to dodge it. I knew by then that the grand vessel would not last long. Another fire was directed on the Obsidian but the pirate ship moved to the other side and it only caught the bowsprit. Their defenses would not last long as well, they had to save what was left of them or they would just sink into nothing. I also understood that there was no way that they could come back for me. And as I watched the Obsidian sped up to the opposite direction, away from the grand vessel and the marine ships, I already knew their decision.

A sad smile spread on my face as I watched them go. I was also surprised that even though it brought sorrow to my heart to watch them leave, the muscle in my chest still completely understood. They had to do it. They had to save themselves.

"We're doomed," a pirate cried.

I looked at his tear-and-blood-stained face. I gave him hope when I started bandaging his injured leg. And it pained me to see that hope fade in his eyes. You could cut their arms and legs and they would still continue to fight. But if you take their hope away from them, it would be like taking their lives.

We held our breath and waited for the final fire to fall on the grand vessel - the one that would determine our end. We knew that we had no choice but to welcome it.

But the end that we were expecting didn't come and instead, the red pirate ship stopped fighting against the fleet and the marine ships seized on firing. We were left confused as we watched the pirate ship sail slowly towards us. Pirates on their canoes paddled to our direction and one of them was Cecilia.

I immediately came to her side and she immediately received my crying figure in her arms. She brushed my hair with her hand and soothed my back with the other one. The silence that came was calming and confusing and I looked at her questioningly.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Everything will be fine now, my dear. Come, we have no time," she said and ushered me to one of the canoes.

I realized that I was only the one they're taking so I held my ground and said, "I will not come with you, unless you take all of us."

I gestured towards the other injured pirates I brought to the deck. There must be less than ten of them and they waited expectantly for Cecilia's decision. I couldn't understand what was going on but right at the moment, safety was the most important thing.

"Very well. We'll take them with us," she finally said and I followed her as the pirates helped the injured ones to the canoes.

We were silent as we made our way towards the pirate ship that had the name 'Aquila' in its body. It was huge and it looked so powerful. It didn't seem to receive a great blow from the battle. Cecilia remained on my side as they helped us to the deck. I saw the pirate she was talking with earlier in the morning and I wanted to ask her a lot of questions. It was just that it was easier to succumb to my weakness this time and I wanted to lie on her shoulder on the deck.

The marine ships started leaving towards the direction they came from and I couldn't help but flinch when the Aquila's engine hummed under my feet. It started moving but this time, it was following the fleet. I looked back, shocked, at the grand vessel that was slowly sinking in the sea and then at the dark ship that was sailing away from us. The distance we're making was like a blade that was cutting me deeper and deeper. It was like being in the constant state of dying without reaching the death. And at that moment, even though my heart was being crushed by a giant fist inside my chest, no tears left my eyes. I just stared at the grand vessel blankly, unable to believe that the star of the sea during the night could sink deep below us into nothing. I couldn't believe that these pirates, whose bodies were now floating on the sea, were the ones singing and drinking in the hall of the grand vessel. I couldn't believe that I was sailing and it wasn't with the Obsidian. But it was all happening now and it felt more real as I watched the sea swallowed the last of the grand vessel.

The Pirate City had fallen.