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C’mon, c’mon… keep going. One… more… step…
Jack collapsed to his knees. His body shook, sweaty and weak, as blood dripped at his feet. He hadn't even felt the crystal shard sticking out of his side until they reached the town's edge. By then, the fight had worn away and every step he became keenly aware of all the wounds he hadn't noticed before.
His vision wavered. Groaning, Jack moved Sid off his shoulders, being gentle as possible to set him on the ground, before he keeled. He landed on his back and stared up, at a sky full of leaf-dappled sunlight. Will they find us? he wondered.
A shadowy silhouette came to hang over him even as the void consumed his vision. The smell of carnations danced on a breeze. He squinted -- tried to bring the person into focus.
“Adelaide?”
The world turned dark.
Lady Luck
Cedric slumbered restlessly. Sweat beaded his brow and raspy breaths rattled from his lips. Jack used a wet towel to cool down the fever. He winced; the bandages on his torso pulled uncomfortably, and the wound in his side made constant reminders of its presence. The blood loss hadn’t been significant, Zilia told him. He was lucky he managed to tend to both his and Cedric’s wounds before reuniting with her and Kaim.
One straying hand picked at the bandage as a heat flush burned the back of his neck. Pure self-preservation. That’s a good enough reason for it, right? I already know what she plans for Sid when he wakes up… it’s not cowardice if I just wish to avoid that…
Jack slumped farther into his chair. Getting injured already encouraged enough of the petite doctor’s wrath; telling her that he hadn’t been the one to wrap his own wounds and had actually fainted seemed like a wise idea at the time. Adrenaline, concern for his brother, and apprehension for Isari blocked out the deterioration of his own body.
Leaning his head back, Jack closed his eyes. He imagined the heat of the sun, the hammering of his heart and the blood pulling at his hip. The shadowy figure leaned over him. Friend or foe? It was so familiar. He reached out a hand -- imagined touching velvet curls and a scarred cheek. Warm lips pressed against his and he smiled.
He opened his eyes. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”
Twinkling tawny orbs smirked back at him. “Of course. You’d be dead without me.”
Adelaide Summers curled her wind-made body around him and solidified on his lap. Jack pulled her close, burying his face into her collarbone. He felt some of his stress melt away as he breathed in her musky floral scent. Her body heat was a beacon of comfort.
“I was disappointed when you left last time,” said Jack with a voice muffled against her vest, “No good-byes?”
She twisted his dreadlocks. “I got bored.”
“Then you shouldn’t have pulled Zilia’s and Luro’s conversation on the wind.”
“You’d get mad at me if I didn’t. Or tell me to chase her if she left. Both felt more effort than letting you talk to her.”
“Hmmph.”
Jack pulled away so he could see her face. “Thank you,” he said seriously.
Adelaide shrugged. She pressed against him, teasing him as one hand pressed against his wound. He winced. “Can you not?”
“I see she redid my handiwork. Tell me, could she tell the difference from yours?”
She knew the answer, but wanted to hear it anyways. Jack rolled his eyes. “No. But then, I did learn from the best.”
A smirk lit on her red lips. “Yes.”
With one last kiss, she slid off him and sauntered over to Cedric, who remained oblivious to their transgressions. Jack folded his arms. “Why are you here? I’m not exactly in the mood right now. Or in the best shape.”
“Not everything’s about that,” Adelaide replied as she twirled a lock of Sid’s hair around her finger. “I’m leaving soon. Decided to take care of a couple of things before then.”
“Oh? So you have been following us. Were you there at the Devil’s Circle?”
Her silence was enough of an answer. He shifted uneasily in his seat. “Luro and Alicia couldn’t have known--”
“-- I don’t care.” Wide, blank eyes skewered him. “Two months it took me. Ivan and Corchalia were getting their dues. Your self-righteous crewmates intervened and you let them go. They’re your problem now.”
“Fair enough.”
Jack flinched away. He saw the brittle irritation underneath Adelaide’s unphased persona. He couldn’t blame her. After Trovale, she and him lost Charlotte’s protection. Enemies from their time as royal spies would be hunting them. Adelaide decided to make a sport of it for the time being; get to them before they could get to her. Ivan and Corchalia, former crewmates of the pirates they had infiltrated, were one of the ones at the top of that list. Both Devil Fruit Users, Jack could see her twisted justice by sending them to the Circle.
How unfortunate it was that Stardusk had to come at the same time.
Since that moment though, Adelaide had been following them. Jack felt her, though he wasn’t positive until that night she came to him for company -- the same night Zilia had thought of leaving. He didn’t know why, and he sensed it was more than petty vengeance.
Cedric interrupted his thinking with spasmed coughing. Adelaide pressed one hand to his face, and reached out the other one to Jack. He passed her the wet towel, letting her tend to his brother as he sat back, the stress lines returning. He reached for a cigarillo while she watched him out of the corner of her eyes.
“You need to be careful,” she said.
Jack snorted and lit a match.
“You’ve got gods and demons at your back.”
“Says the woman who tried to seduce the last one, and nearly became him instead.”
“Jack.”
He blinked, and looked up. She stared back. Their eyes communicated in that silent way they had. He could see it -- reflected behind a glass wall of dulled emotions. It mirrored his own fear.
Yuli. The dead brought back to life. Jack vividly recalled the unsurpassable fear that rattled him upon seeing her, and Slayis no less one of her servants. He’d knelt in the dirt, shielding Cedric with his body, unable to speak or move. I cut her down. I witnessed the life leave her eyes. I watched as Ria removed her head. How…
He didn’t know. He just didn’t. And the lack of the Vermillion Prophet’s knowledge only served to deepen the horrifying mystery.
Jack’s head bowed into his hands. Yuli. Slayis. Sid’s own demon. By the spirits, what have we gotten into? I’m sick of being whipped around like a blind dog on its leash!
He lashed out in anger and shoved Cedric’s work desk with power he didn’t intend. It hit the ship’s wall and broke in half, sending tailor’s and jeweler’s tools into a heap on the floor. Jack winced. Cedric muttered in his sleep, but didn’t wake up.
Adelaide waited, mute and amused as Jack worked through his own conflictions. Eventually he released a heavy sigh. He got up and painfully knelt to pick up his brother’s things. I’ll have to get Luro to mend the table…
He didn’t stop as he spoke to Adelaide, “We could use your help, you know. Gods know what awaits us. I can’t even envision…”
“Can’t,” was the short reply.
Adelaide put the towel down and leaned against the bed. It was her signal to leave soon. Jack frowned as he neatly stacked the tools on a side table.
“Why not?”
“Charlotte.”
A clothespin dropped on the floor with an audible thuck. Jack sat back on the floor, giving his lover his full attention.
You’re going to chase her.
Yes.
Can you kill her?
Yes.
Will you?
She looked away; that was enough of an answer. Jack shook his head, and finished cleaning.
“I should go with--”
“No.”
“Will you be safe?”
That earned him a scuff. “Do you take me for an amateur?”
“No, I--”
“--you should worry less. It’s part of the reason why I’m here.” Out of her vest, Adelaide pulled a piece of parchment and flapped it in the air. Jack frowned at it questioningly. “Thought I’d pay Nikos a visit,” she teased.
His eyebrows shot up. “How did you... nevermind. Are you sure that location’s accurate? Do they even know who you are?”
“No, but if it isn’t, then it’ll be an interesting trip. And if they are worth their salt, the Prophets should know me by now.” She grinned impishly. “I left them enough clues.”
"Alright then." He sounded dubious, but knew better than to question her further. He pushed himself back onto his feet and limped the few steps to her. Adelaide kept her arms folded as he pulled her into a hug.
"I wish you luck," Jack murmured. It took her a long time to move, and because of that, he didn't look as she peeled his hand away and placed something in it. It'd only embarrass her. The object itself was small, cold and smooth, like stone. It felt identical to the gift he'd given her the other night.
"Don't die," she whispered back.
With Jack, too!
A little bit after Isari’s kidnappingZilia resided on the main deck of the ship a small book in her hand as she sat on the side of the ship, the moonlight serving as her only light as she turned a page. Unable to sleep she had volunteered for night watch, though Luro had offered to go first still wanting her to get some rest. In the end she wasn’t able to sleep and relieved him a few minutes earlier, though Zilia appreciated the gesture every part of her felt on edge, laying still was the last thing she wanted. She thought reading would calm her but she was doing little more than staring at words on the paper, turning the page more as a motion then anything else.
Zilia could only replay the scene in her head again and again, the horrible words she said and doing nothing as Isari was taken away. Every time she had a moment to herself, any situation where her mind wasn’t focused it was all that occupied it. She couldn’t stop replaying the scene and hating every minute of it.
Zilia turned and hurled the book, watching as it hit a barrel and landed on a random page. Her breathing heavy she stared at her shaking hand slowly bringing it to her head.
“So stupid….why couldn’t I…”
Zilia took a long deep breath taking a moment to calm herself before standing up. She walked over to the other side of Lady and took hold of the rope, stepping up onto the side of the ship before moving towards the dingy.
“Secret Rendezvous?.”
Zilia froze mid step and looked behind her to see Luro standing nearby, waving her book with a small grin. She stared back at him for a moment before hopping back onto the deck.
“...I thought you were asleep.”
“Well I saw you peek in so I pretended,” Luro said grinning “You heading out Z?”
“...you know I am Luro.”
“I know I just wanted to say it,” Luro said tossing Zilia back her book.
Zilia eyed the book in her hands before looking back up at Luro who took a seat on the edge behind her, he motioned to the spot next to him causing Zilia to turn and take a seat.
For a moment the two sat in silence, Zilia holding the book to her chest as Luro pulled a rum bottle out of one of his many hidey holes.
“...you’re not going to ask why?”
Zilia’s voice broke the silence first, Luro taking a sip from the bottle before holding it towards Zilia.
“I know why.”
Zilia eyed the alcohol looking back up at Luro as he smiled and pushed it towards her a bit more. Setting her book down Zilia took the bottle from him, though she made no attempt to drink from it.
“You’ve watched us make mistakes again and again Z. You own up when you do something wrong and you do your best to learn when you mess up. Right now though you’re stuck in a weird place...you know confronting this alone is foolish, and that you have help...and I’m positive that you want our help and would ask it if you could...but on the other end asking for help means asking us to put our lives in danger...and that goes against how you are. You hate being hypocritical but what is that to the safety of those you care about right?”
Luro offered a small shrug at this.
“Go against your very nature...or go it alone and be labeled a fool but the rest of us stay safe...it’s easy to see which one you’d choose. You’d never willingly put us in danger...not after trying to keep us out of it. Even if we accepted it you wouldn’t, that’s just how you are. It’s not surprising you’d try to sneak off.”
Zilia stared at the wooden floorboards unable to find the words to defend herself. She hated admitting it but Luro wasn’t exactly wrong and it bothered her the only things that came to mind were excuses for her childish behavior.
“...I know it’s stupid...and silly but I can’t stand….I can’t stand the idea of losing anyone else to him.”
Luro looked over at Zilia as she handed the bottle back to him, never bringing it to her own lips. Taking it Luro took another drink before focusing his gaze forward on the sea. He knew telling her that they’d be fine wouldn’t help, Zilia knew how strong everyone was, she wasn’t blind. A little bit of fear was always mixed in with hope, words like that wouldn’t help anything, they certainly wouldn’t help Zilia. She trusted Stardusk, a part of her believed they’d make it through...but that didn’t stop the other reality, it never did and the fact that other half existed was enough to give her pause as someone who hated seeing her friends hurt.
“I somehow made it worse...I said such things to Isa...I don’t get where her feelings even came from, we both lashed out and neither of us wanted to...at least...I think so .”
“Her feelings have been pretty clear Z...you just didn’t ask,” Luro said taking another sip.
Zilia looked over at Luro at this her eyes narrowing.
“...you’re telling me you knew how Isa felt? I understand you’re weird connection to me but Isa-”
“There was no guessing I just talked to her,” Luro said. “I listened to what she wanted...did you do that?”
“Of course I did. Isari wanted to….to…”
Isari wanted to stay by her side...but that wasn’t the only thing. In their time together Isari would be on the verge of saying something but would always hesitate. Zilia would always pull her along somewhere expecting she wanted to go out somewhere...but that was just what she interpreted. Thinking about it...she had barely listened to Isari. She always just picked an answer herself.
“Isari wants to help people with her power...she’s scared of it but she’s trying to be better,” Luro said standing up. “She’s doing her best to grow into a person she can be proud of...she wants to measure up to you...just a little bit more. She wants to accept herself...all of it. It hurt her seeing you in so much pain because of who you were. She did nothing but worry about you...but she understood your feelings and didn’t want to say anything. Can you imagine how she felt when you didn’t do the same?”
Luro tossed the bottle into a nearby barrel before walking back over to Zilia.
“She cares a lot about you Z...so when we get her back show her how much you care...and properly listen to her.”
Zilia kept her hands folded in her lap, her gaze focused on the ground. She wasn’t sure how she felt about Luro of all people reprimanding her but she gave a small nod in response. He wasn’t wrong and she was stuck between shock and shame so it took a moment for her to find the words.
“...I will...but I...I don’t think I can just...accept what Isa wants. The fact she’s gotten strong enough to try and confront it...how have I missed so much when she was right next to me?”
“That’s fine Z. Long as you show an effort in at least trying to understand I’m sure it’ll work out. I don’t like everything about you but we’re buddies. It’s not too late to learn what you missed, just try.”
“I will….thank you Lu-wait what don’t you like about me?” Zilia said raising her head.
“That’s not important right now. Anyway make sure you apologize to Jack too. I mean I wouldn’t be surprised if he saw this coming, heard most of this conversation and was nearby.
After what you said to him after waking up you should say a proper sorry.”
“...I-I’m well aware,” Zilia said folding her hands together. “...I don’t need a reminder…”
She averted her gaze from the redhead causing Luro to smile.
“Feels good to have someone chew you out huh?”
Zilia looked back at Luro as he walked away raising a hand to Zil.
“Go against your nature just this once okay...for us,” Luro said. “Don’t forget to apologize to Jack for earlier.”
“...how did he even know about that,” Zilia said after Luro closed the door.
Hopping off the edge she looked back at the dinghy, a small sigh escaped from her as she walked over and grabbed her book. For some odd reason she didn’t feel as tense, she decided not to look too much into it. If she admitted what was in the back of her mind she felt she would lose to many things on too many levels.
“Doctor?” The soft voice came several minutes later, preceded by a strong warm aroma. Jack came up to her side with a half-smile and two cups of steaming coffee. “Care for a drink? It didn’t look like you were getting anymore sleep.”
Setting it next to her, he sipped his own while leaning against the banister. He was in a disheveled state atypical for the cook: dreadlocks half a frizzy mess, feet bare, his shirt untucked and unbutton. With the sleeves rolled up, his blacked out tattoos were on more visible display than Zilia ever had seen them. Not that it matter much -- of the entire crew, only the doctor had seen them all.
He peeked down at her over the bags under his eyes and lifted a questioning eyebrow. “What’s on your mind?”
Zilia didn’t raise her head until she picked up Jack’s voice, she blinked a few times watching his approach before her eyes widened a little at the offer. Her face relaxed after a moment and she took the cup next to her with both hands, staring into the liquid for a moment before taking a sip.
“… it’s that obvious,” Zilia said sighing a little. “Even Luro picked up on it…”
She looked up at Jack noticing his current raggedness, she’d normally have something to say but it was nighttime and inwardly she was just as much a mess. It took her a long moment to make peace with her words as she lowered her gaze before she finally responded.
“I’m sorry.”
She didn’t immediately look up at Jack upon saying the words, choosing to stare at her own reflection in the liquid.
“I understood….for all that is good and well I understood how you felt Jack…and I still ignored it. I couldn’t even pretend I did it under false pretenses, out of some ignorance. I knew what I was doing was wrong…I knew I’d go off alone to keep from hurting you all.
…trusting emotion over logic right….I failed in both aspects….it’s pathetic.”
A dry chuckle escaped from Zilia before she continued.
“I hate hypocrisy Jack…and yet…after everything…I’m the biggest hypocrite of all.”
Zilia seemed to twitch a bit upon saying Jack’s name, her eyes resting on what could only be assumed his name, she shook her head looking back up at him.
“For that I’m sorry….for purposefully not listening to you. I don’t want to push anyone away. I don’t…I don’t even care that much that you all saw…I mean I do care. I’m not pleased I’m talking but…hearing you speak those words just reminded me how wrong I was and it…it irritated me…I hated myself. Hated what I was doing…hated what I was going to do….I care about everyone and I know they’d face the world for me…”
Zilia lowered her gaze back to her cup.
“I’d do the same for them…but I…I hate that I have too…I hate putting you all in danger…and I hate that I can’t even warn you about it…and…I did something stupid…I almost did something stupid again…I just…I just felt I owed you an apology.”
Zilia let out a long breath before looking back up at Jack.
“My thoughts have been on such things…and Isa…but my thoughts aside you look like Luro, and we both know that’s not a good thing. You couldn’t sleep either?”
Jack sputtered his coffee when the apology came out. He quickly covered the blunder and gave Zilia his undivided attention. For a moment, his eyes flickered to the long boat, and his mug settled onto the railing as he gathered his thoughts.
“You know, I was standing in this exact spot… or, was it over there?... I was standing on this deck when Luro gave me his apology. He’d lied to me, you see, back during the whole Red Raven debacle. I’ll tell you what I roughly told him: if you were making this apology to anyone else on the crew, I’d say they’d deserved to have it. But not me. How can I when I’ve done the exact same thing?”
His expression was rueful, an admonishment onto himself. He picked the mug back up. “Still, it’s nice to know that Luro has the same effect on you as you do on him.”
When the conversation came back on him, Jack raised an eyebrow and looked at himself. “Oh.” He sipped his coffee and glanced out at the sea. “Let’s be honest, doctor, I rarely sleep. And it seems I joined a crew of night owls -- you all keep stealing my night shifts.”
There was mischief in his eyes that didn’t add up to his own self-amusement. A breeze crested over the deck, playing with their hair and clothes, and Jack slapped at it like a vexatious fly.
Zilia stared at Jack blinking a few times at his response before a small smile found its way onto her face, both at stealing his shift and well...Jack being Jack.
“Fair enough...still the bare minimum a friend can do when they mess up is apologize...and make sure not to do it again,” Zilia said closing her eyes. “Most of the blame lies with Luro on that one...but I’ll admit to stealing the show this time. I feel a tad rebellious staying up this late without it involving reading.”
Though after she brought up Luro she put her face in her hands a long sigh escaping from her.
“Why did you have to say it out loud? I don’t like the fact I’m influenced by that walking catastrophe.”
Zilia removed her face from her hands before taking a small sip from her cup. The warm liquid was perfect for this night, she wondered if Jack drank this every night. Her eyes moved down to the cup wondering how it’d taste with a bit of cinnamon.
In the midst of her thoughts however something clicked causing Zilia to look back over at Jack, eyes widening as something fell into place.
“Wait you heard that...all of it...you...you were actually there? I thought he was joking. It was a joke right...”
Jack’s grin was the widest she’d ever seen it, full of wicked humor that told her exactly what she didn’t want to hear. “Let’s just say even if you made it off this boat, you wouldn’t have gone far without someone catching up to you.”
With Jack, too!
At the Devil's Circle -- Recruiting Mercenaries
“How bad do you think it was? The damage Luro and Alicia left?” Jack asked Runali as they stood on a rooftop with the sun sinking behind them. He shaded his eyes and looked off into the distance where, somewhere on the horizon, he assumed was the location of crystal castle and the Devil Fruit camp they’d passed through. He even thought he detected the thinnest wisp of smoke curling up against the rosy sky. Maybe it was his imagination.
He looked down and nudged a rock off the roof. The pair of pirates themselves were situated in another town a part of the Devil’s Circle. It featured cobbled rooftops, modest buildings… and a large seastone citadel as its backdrop. It was a prison for Devil Fruit Users, those condemned by Relias himself. The very aura of it set Jack’s teeth on edge. Even from their distance, he could feel the stone’s power gnawing at his haki. His gloved hands flexed; considering what they were about to do, he didn’t want to be without all the weapons he could accumulate, but walking into that place and using Luro’s haki gloves could spell death for either of them if they wasted too much energy.
How are we supposed to break out people from that place?
It was one final mission, set up for them by the same mercenary group Jack and Ria had helped, no less. Given they were on the Circle overlord’s bad side, they didn’t mind helping Devil Fruit Users. If Stardusk wanted their support, they’d need to rescue a few friends from the imposing prison… without anything tracing back to the group itself.
“Those two together could level islands.”
Runali’s attention hadn’t left the citadel. It peaked her interest as much as it threatened her existence. She looked at her gloved hands, having a similar line of thought to Jack’s own. “It probably wasn’t nearly enough damage we’ll have to do that place.” She didn’t have to point it out. Their goal was right in front of them, giving off an aura of doom and gloom.
“But,” she added after the silence. “It’s going to be a whole lot of fun when they’re out.” She grinned and flexed her hands open and closed. “Get a few people out here, make a few friends there.” She placed her hands on her hips. “Broken outta one prison before,” Technically, the rest of the crew broke her out. “We can break into another one.”
“I like your optimism, Captain. ‘Cause we’re going to…”
Jack stopped, turned, and lifted an eyebrow as two other bodies made their way onto the roof. One was a man-- compact, square-face, definitely a boxer-- and the other a woman shrouded in a burka. Only pale blue eyes glimmered from the open slit. They were cold and amused. The spy’s own gaze lingered on hers as the boxer man approached Runali. He handed her a rolled-up bunch of parchment.
“‘Ere ya go. Layout of the prison. Our man’s on level nine, cellblock 03-A. Sor shoulda told ya but I’m makin’ it abundantly clear: get in and get out, all quiet-like. Ya throw up a fuss then ya on yar own. If ya in any way leave a scrap o’ evidence leadin’ back to us-- we’ll kill ya dead. Meet these conditions and ya got our support beyond wha’s initially promised.”
The boxer inclined his to Jack, acknowledging what he and Ria had done for the group. Jack returned the gesture but couldn’t escape the cloaked woman’s gaze. She was highly intense on him; unblinking, unwavering, like a predator ready to pounce.
Seeming satisfied his message had been received, the boxer turned, ready to leave.
“Oh?” Runali turned her attention to the newcomers, listening to what they- or really the man- had to say. With nimble fingers, she took the parchment and opened it in one quick motion. It never hurt to be sure that what they were giving was what they said.
Runali was skimming over the map as the man spoke, but the threat didn’t go on deaf ears. It elicited a grin as she pinpointed the exact cellblock. “I see you made some friends, Jack. Very straight to the point.” Runali looked up as the man turned and she took a step forward, closer to Jack. With a smirk and resounding confidence, she called over. “Glad to have some new allies. It’ll be fun to see what you can do.”
The man grunted. “Can’t say the same about ya, but whatever. Once ya get our friend out-- alive, mind ya-- meet us outside the town, five miles out due east. We’ll be waiting to take him back. Understood?”
Jack agreed then finally turned to the woman. “Do we know each other?”
The corner of her eyes lifted up, as if she had smiled. “I like tattoo.”
Jack blinked as they left, his hand touching the Stardusk mark on his neck only when they both were off the roof. “That was… odd. I feel like I’ve met her before…”
He turned to Runali. “Well, captain? What’s the plan?”
Runali saluted the man and gave a thumbs up. “Loud and crystal clear.” Her brow raised towards the woman, but she left it alone to focus on matter at hands. When they were gone, the captain sat down on the roof to study the map. “Hard ta leave evidence of them when I’ve forgotten their name.” She mumbled and then paused. “Or did I ever know it…” There was a slight squint in her expression, but she waved her hand dismissing the thought. “Hmm, it’s fun that this looks like a castle. Haven’t gotten to storm one of those in awhile.” She trailed her hand around the citadel looking at the ways in and out. And then, she looked at the rooftops behind her. “Ah.”
Runali snapped her fingers and pointed at the rooftops ahead. “We go around. And then we go to the top.” She pointed towards the shadows forming thanks to the setting sun. “We stick to the shadows of the rooftops. It looks like an older building- reinforced though. All of the windows look big enough for weapons, not people. Except that one.” Her hand went from shadows to the tallest point in the citadel. “It’s a watchtower probably.” She recounted her days in Kane’Artem and repressed a shudder.
“We slip through, knock out whatever guards there are.” Her hand was still up and it pointed directly at Jack. “Then you steal the uniform and lie. You can make a good case with being at the top of the tower and all.” She scratched her cheek. “They’re prison guards with boring lives… tell ‘em about a time you captured pirates or talk about getting drunk.” She shrugged, figuring he could handle that much. “I’ll sneak around and find our new friend. Just have enough haki prepped in the gloves so it makes it easier to ruffle a few feathers if need be.”
The plan was made on the quickest whim and even she paused to recount everything she said. It probably wasn’t perfect, but they were short for time. “Unless you’ve got a better idea.”
Jack peered over her shoulder at the maps. “Actually, yes.” He smirked and pointed at one building outlined on the edge of the prison’s campus. “That is a store room. We should be able to find spare uniforms there and sneak in together. It’ll just be like that time Seliria and I dressed up as naval officers.”
Looking at the sky, he added, “It’s only a few minutes to nightfall. We’ll move then and wait for the changing of the guard to slip through.”
*******
An hour later, Jack and Runali changed their clothes among crates of ammo, linens, and food stuffs. The cook, who kept a lookout as Runali finished and packed their normal clothes into a rucksack, wrinkled his nose as a rat crawled out of the pile of bedsheets and into a grain bag. “I’ll be amazed if they don’t get the plague in two weeks,” he muttered.
Seeing Runali done, he stood up and pointed his left eye. “You need to lose the eyepatch. I suggest brushing your bangs over it and… ah, put this on.”
He handed her a cap that coordinated with their uniforms. His own dreadlocks had been unpinned and redone to hang closer to his eyes, obscuring the identifiable scarring. The rest of his hair was shoved into a hood. Judging by the minute differences in their uniforms, Jack guessed he was a low-ranked guard and Runali an officer.
He glanced back outside and waved at her. “Two guards heading this way. We need to get moving. Do you know where the cell is from here?”
Runali wrinkled her nose in silent protest, but took the eyepatch and stuffed it in the rucksack with the rest. She let her hair fall so the cap would fit properly and pushed hair over her eye. “M’gonna get Z to cut my hair at some point I swear…” Her muttering ceased when Jack questioned her. “Oh, yeah of course.” Runali tapped her temple. “I remember it.” All those years learning from Kadi had been useful. “We’re a floor too high. Gotta go down some steps and it’ll be the furthest hall…” She looked at the window and hummed. “On the left I think. Just look for 3-A.”
She looked down at her own outfit again and then cleared her throat. “Alright, time to put on your best smile.” She joked as they made their way towards the guards approaching.
They made eye contact with Jack and Runali, both obviously confused, but based on the attire it was obvious they debated questioning. “Where… are the two assigned to keep watch? We’re supposed to be trading positions with them…?”
“Who are you exactly? I don’t remember seeing you two- uh, with all due respect.” The other quickly added.
Runali’s arms had been crossed, but they went to her hips when she was questioned. “With all due respect? That doesn’t sound like respect to me.” Her intent gaze made them straighten up and mumble apologies. “As you said, they were waiting for you two, but it seems like being on time isn’t your strong suit. I sent them off a few minutes ago, maybe you would have seen them if you were paying more attention?” Runali held a rather calm look with a very subtle threatening aura.
The guards’ confusion turned into apt nervousness. “Ah, y-yes sir- I mean ma’am. Apologies.” The last thing they wanted was to get in trouble for not doing their job.
“Apologize by doing, not by standing.”
Jack stood back and glowered as the men passed, hovering Runali’s right side as he saw Scorpiox do with Charlotte du Vontiago countless times. They glanced at her, and then him, and quickly scampered by. They continued forward, and only when they came across a vacant catwalk that connected to the main prison, did Jack allow himself a small smile.
“Look at you, captain. We could make a spy out of you… yet…”
He gasped as they passed the threshold into the prison’s interior walls. Bones turned to lead and he felt his body bow towards the floor, under the seastone’s suffocating aura. They came to a balcony, one of many, to line the prison’s interior. From there they could see every floor lined by cells and guards; below, presumably an eating area, was crowded by long tables and benches. Jack looked up and shivered.
“How can they bear the weight of this? There must be… seastone everywhere. I can’t imagine Fruit Users surviving here for long.”
“That’s just confidence, dear Jack.” She joked and carried on. The sudden aura change sent a cold chill down Runali’s spine, but she only straightened up. She looked around at the guards and then the cell doors. “Problem.” She turned her attention to the cells. “Keys. Unless we want to break into the bars but… We’re gonna need to preserve haki for the escape out of here.” The comment about powers made her hum in thought. The prisoners were probably chained down by seastone as well. She had broken seastone before, but there was no way she could break through the wall. It was much too thick for her haki to damage.
“Think of it as if you’re on a rocking ship… Steel yourself from getting sick.” A memory of Kane’Artem flashed and absentmindedly rubbed her wrists. “...Get in and get out.” She mumbled under her breath. Now was no time to be getting cold feet. “Higher ups are the only ones with keys. Lower ranks usually get guard duty. My guess is we’ll have to get chummy with some of the guards. Just have to get them to talk. Getting the key is the easy part after we know where it is.”
The captain stepped away from the balcony and looked back at the cells. “Not a good idea to split up too far…” Her brow furrowed. “Could also go straight to the cell and attempt a messy break and leave the way we came…”
In her musing, a passing guard came up on Jack’s side. “Is everything alright?”
Without missing a beat, Jack vaulted off the railing and grabbed the guard. “You’re a Haki user, right? How can you stand it? I mean, I knew they said this place had an effect but this… oh God, I think I’m going to be sick.”
Jack leaned behind him and heaved.
“Whoa whoa whoa-- not on the uniform! I just cleaned it!” The guard shoved Jack away. He staggered back to the railing, using his body to hide his hand slipping under his shirt.
The guard cleared his throat and straightened his collar. He glanced at Jack, then Runali. “New recruit?”
Runali turned just in time to see the odd transaction and did her best to go with it. The only sign of surprise was the raised brow she had. “Ah, yeah, yeah… S’posed to be showing him around, y’know before his post. Can’t have him patrolling the… first group of cells being sickly though. Prisoners would eat him alive, y’know?” Runali had very little idea what she was talking about, but she played it off as cool as she could. “Nothing I can’t handle. Wouldn’t believe how many have ended up puking.” She grimaced. “Nasty.” She glanced over at Jack and then at the guard. “I’m gonna show him where his post will be and then take him down to get something in his system.” She waved her hand, dismissing the guard. “Thanks for the concern.”
Said guard still looked a little concerned, taking a moment to glance at Jack before giving his attention fully to the “higher up official”. “Uh… yes, well-”
“Unless you want to deal with him dry heaving constantly?”
“N-No ma’am. I have to get to my shift.”
“Right. Carry on then.” Runali watched the guard nod and hurriedly avoid becoming a babysitter for a sick guard. She waited for him to be a few paces away before nodding her head towards the cells. “Alright, time to show you to your… you know… guard posts.” She was watching as the guard got farther and farther away while she floundered for words. And when he turned a corner, she heaved a sigh. “Moving right along. Furthest hall to the left.”
Feigning his sickness, Jack stumbled along until they were out of sight before straightening up. He took the ring of keys from his shirt. “For you, boss.” He handed them over and let her take the lead.
They made it to their destination with little incident. Most guards took one look at Runali’s officer uniform and quickened their pace. That suggested officers were often feared, and perhaps powerful.
He took position next to cell door 03-A, keeping a lookout as Runali fiddled with the keys. He peered over his shoulder to see one man laying in a cot that was bolted into the stone floor. Disheveled hair masked his face and he was curled in a fetal position, shivering.
“You haven’t stolen anything from me, have you?” It was a passing tease as she walked along and rummaged through the many keys on the ring. It took a few tries, but she grinned when she heard a series of clicks as it unlocked. “After you, soldier.” She gestured for Jack to go inside.
Jack rolled the prisoner over and froze. The man blinked his eyes open groggily and squinted up. They widened when he recognized Jack.
“Wha’ kinda nightmare is this?” the man sneered.
In an instant, Jack had the man by the throat and pinned against a wall. His face collapsed into a dead mask that concealed a broiling rage. The man whooped and laughed with pain. “I’ll bedamned! Tis really ye, Jackal. Comin’ fer yer penance?”
“What the hell are you doing here, Ivan?” hissed Jack.
“Wha’s it lookin’ like? Waitin’ for me death. Ye here to give it? Or…” His head swayed over to Runali, giving her a good long look. “Ye ain’ no guard either. Who the devil are ye? Ye a traitor too?”
Jack’s hands tightened on his throat. Ivan gasped, then smiled sadistically. Behind them a guard passed the cell. She took one look, smirked, and kept moving.
Runali stared from the cell door for a moment, a little surprised Jack moved so suddenly. Realizing that Jack was going to blow their cover if he kept that up, she cleared her throat and walked inside as the other guard walked past. “No siree, I’m what you call…” Runali stepped forward and tapped Jack’s arm, silently telling him to let go. “Let’s say… an angel in disguise.” She winked and then gestured towards the chains keeping him at bay.
“Tell me, Ivan is it? Want your dying breath to be like a caged rat, or would you like to see the sun again one more time?” She looked between him and Jack before speaking. “Hold that thought, actually.” She gestured away from Ivan, indicating that she wanted a word with Jack. “Seastone Prison, Jack. I don’t know what your relationship is to him, but do consider how jeopardizing it’ll be if you… happen to ruin our current goal. If we take him, chained and all we can probably get far enough back the way we came without the extra hassle. Then feel free to do as you see fit. Yes?”
For the span of a very few tense heartbeats, it looked like Jack didn’t hear Runali, or chose to ignore her. His eyes didn’t waver from Ivan. Slowly, reluctantly, he let the prisoner go. Ivan fell to the floor, rubbing his throat as he looked back at the pair.
“Wait wait wait. Ye me rescue? Aha!” Ivan rolled into manic glee, laughing out right as Jack’s fists curled. “Hahahaha-- t-tell me, Jackal, how does it feel? Knowin’ now yer rescuing the very captain ye tried to kill?”
Jack punched him.
Hearing another set of footsteps walking past, Runali turned and stamped her foot on Ivan’s chains to yank him to the ground. “Answer the question or face the consequences. Your choice.” She didn’t move her foot until after the guard passed.
Ivan kept to the ground, holding a bleeding nose. “Al’ight, al’ight! ‘Course I wanna be fuckin’ free. Gettin’ the best of you is just an added bonus.” He made a bloody sneer.
Jack’s boot came down on his face and knocked him unconscious. He glanced unapologetically at Runali. “It’ll be easier to carry him without having to listen to him. I doubt anyone will stop us for that.” He pointed to a pair of handcuffs hanging by the door. “Grab those. We’ll put them on and attach him to his ankle. Should keep him immobile enough once we’re free of this place.”
Bending down, Jack got to work unhooking the chain from the cot. Tension lined his jaw as he moved roughly, not giving any care to the prisoner, and it was clear he was on edge. He accepted the cuffs without a word. Once the bindings were done, he hefted Ivan onto his shoulders.
Runali grabbed the cuffs, keeping a watchful eye of Jack. It was no doubt Ivan was telling the truth based on Jack’s reaction alone. It did raise a few… moral issues of her own, but she pushed it aside and led the way out. “He’ll get his in due time. For now,” She paused for a moment, giving it some thought. “Those guys… they promised their support. You’d have to admit, the very rat that tried to kill you having to be loyal to our flag is something if not poetic.” She shrugged. “Killing him now seems… lackluster.”
She was idly speaking, not expecting Jack to respond. “Priorities first though.” Runali retraced their steps, passing by a few guards. Based on their quick glances, they assumed whatever the two were doing, it was probably some form of punishment for the prisoner. It wasn’t until they started heading up steps were they stopped in their tracks.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Judging by the harsh tone, Runali had to guess this was another officer- or someone higher up. With Jack in front of her, she calmly turned around. “My job. Is that a problem?” She eyed the man, definitely an officer based on the clothing he wore. He looked irritated and suspicious, a formula for trouble. When she could see him trying to figure out who she was, she cleared her throat. “And just what are you doing? I come here and there’s prisoners full of absolute disrespect. You’d think putting them in a fully guarded prison, bearing down on their bodies and souls would be enough to shut them up and yet here is one still managing to bite back at guards as if this is some sort of vacation.” She did her best to look intimidating. “So, a lesson must be taught to keep them in line. Or do you not know how an effective prison is run?”
The officer’s face turned vibrant red. He straightened it up, tugging at his uniform “I’d suggest you watch your tone, miss. I am the warden here and I know exactly how to run my prison.” He marched past Runali. “Let me see the prisoner.”
Jack exchanged a glance with Runali. Warily, he turned around. Warden lifted Ivan by his hair. “Ah. Prisoner 03-A. The Clear-Clear User. Rumor has it he was scheduled for execution before the… fiasco at the old palace.”
Jack stiffened. He saw the man frown, and hastily coughed, pretending to cover up a laugh. “Not very smart to have gotten captured so soon again,” commented Jack.
The officer snorted. He let Ivan’s head drop and turned back to Runali. “This one’s certainly got a mouth but as pathetic as they come. What’s your plan for him?”
She feigned annoyance, masking her surprise with a “Hmph.” Runali stood aside so the warden could get to the prisoner. The quick exchange between her and her chef, she quickly mouthed ‘I dunno’, to share that she wasn’t sure what was going to happen next. She couldn’t help the quick sigh when she caught the warden laugh. At least there wasn’t immediate anger- she’d hate to break character after working so hard to be believable.
As the warden turned to her, she fixed her face back into the no nonsense look she had before. “Hm..” Runali closed her one eye for a second and then remembered, “Storage rooms’ got plenty of… useful disciplinary tools.” She tried not to sound too unsure. “And 3-A has made it a purpose to disrespect the guard here so I figured why not hang him by the bootstraps and let the guard remind him that at the rate he’s going he’s got hours to live rather than days.” She glanced over at Ivan for a second and added with a shrug, “The poetic kind of bootstraps… metaphysi- metaphorical kind.” She cleared her throat and casually gestured for Jack to keep going.
The warden watched Jack start to move and then stared at Runali. “Those kinds of things are usually done in the cell… Or do you have a habit of not following my rules as the warden of this prison?”
“Ah, no of course not…. Sir.” It almost physically pained her to pretend someone was her authority. “I thought it’d be easier to just drag the prisoner up there, for one. And also there’s a sorta… intimidation factor with being surrounded by the very weapons that could be used to execute you at any moment.”
Warden grunted. “Well, you certainly have a devious mind…”
Seeing Jack already in the storeroom, his shoulders slouched in defeat. “As long as the prisoner’s back in his cell by the next bell, I can’t see the harm. I expect a detailed report on my desk by tomorrow. What’s your name and rank?”
As he talked, he took out a notebook and waited expectantly for Runali to reply. Jack reappeared behind in the storeroom’s doorway. He heard the warden’s demand and tensed up, ready to spring into action if the captain required aid.
Runali gave a mock salute. “I didn’t rise in the ranks for nothing.” She started to wave her hand, dismissing his orders, only to freeze and give a thumbs up. “Right, yes, of course.” She quickly took a few backwards steps up the stairs and paused again. “Ah… my name and rank?”
“That is what I said, yes.”
Runali scratched her cheek. Torn between two decisions, Runali took a deep breath and step down towards the danger she’d be in if she messed this up. “Did… the guard at the front not give you my paperwork? I asked him earlier to make sure you got it, along with my request for, uh, time off since my sister is… sick and needs help.” His furrowed brow made her clasp her hands behind her back. Jack could see the armament forming around her fist. “Y’know what, some of these guards don’t know diligence when they’re told it’s a fire. I’ll take you to get the proper work. The guard’ll stay so he wastes no time before the bell. Let’s go, chop chop.”
The warden looked a little startled by the sudden pushiness. “Wh- uh, yes. Alright. You still need to give me-”
The moment he turned around, Runali chopped the back of his neck hard enough for him to collapse unconscious. The hard thump when he landed was surely going to cause commotion, but Runali heaved a sigh. “That was a close- wait maybe we should leave first.”
*******
They rode for three and a half miles in pure silence. Jack was side by side to Runali, slouched over his horse with a sullen face, as an unconscious Ivan rode behind them tied to a third horse’s saddled, and tethered to Runali’s horse.
“He wasn’t really my captain, you know,” Jack sideglanced at her. “He was the first mate of my former crew-- the ones who dumped me on Harbor Island… and inked out my tattoos.” He rubbed his forearm, where the silhouette of the Borealis pirate emblem was permanently inked out. “Adelaide killed the captain. They were going to betray us -- loot and murder anyone in Oublia as Charlotte attacked from the shore. They are the worst kind of pirates I’ve ever sailed with… I don’t…”
He sighed. “If it wasn’t for Isari, I couldn’t do this. I can barely stand it. He deserves to be in that prison, Runali. If it wasn’t Luro and Alicia who tore up that encampment, he’d still be there, facing his due. Giving him up means he may never get it now.”
The captain’s attention was on her horse, happily petting it as they escaped the prison. She didn’t look up at him until Charlotte was mentioned. “For what it’s worth, he deserves to be dead.” She shrugged and looked back at the unconscious man. “But he isn’t. Not even after the pain he put you through. Life’s never fair.” She still had the officer cap in one hand and decided to twirl it around. “And here you are with a choice. Give up a man who’s no less than a rat- a pirate without a captain- that’s been stuck in prison for years. Or, kill a man that’s caused you strife.” She shrugged. “You know the consequences either way… But I wouldn’t say he’d never get it if he goes free now. Frankly, if he was dumb enough to get caught once he’d end up right back. Or dead.”
She looked ahead. “It’s a tough decision, yes. But you’ve lived your life making tough decisions. If you’re lucky and we have the chance, you can get rid of him after this storm blows over… I’m not opposed to either decision you make Jack. Just know that you’ll have to adapt to whichever you choose and so will the rest of the crew.”
“You know what I’ll choose,” he said softly.
“Ye actually believe his nonsense, lady?” Ivan grunted behind them.
“Ah, the princess is awake.” Runali mused when she heard Ivan.
“Ye shoul’ kill him now whilst ye still breathin’. Lyin’ second nature to his kind… him and that skanky wind bitch.” He spat on the ground in contempt. “I’ll gut her -- just ye wait, Jack! She’s good as dead for wha’ she did to me and Corchalia.”
Jack rolled his eyes. “Let me guess: she’s the one who stuck you in the camp in the first place.”
“Damn right! And after Vontiago hunted us down, lookin’ for ya-- you’re nothin’ but bad luck! A black stain on any crew tha’s accepted you.”
His eye twitched as Jack kept a straight back to the man. Ivan snickered, sensing he hit a sore spot. He pressed on, switching back to Runali.
“See? He knows the truth. Jus’ a matter a’ time before he bring’s disaster on ya too, lady. Hey-- whacha say yer name was again?”
Listening to the man, Runali couldn’t help but laugh. She laughed until she had to wipe a tear from her good eye. “Listen to yourself! You’re going to kill them? I know you were hit pretty hard, but don’t you remember you’ve been in a prison? And that the very man you wish to kill is the one that freed you?” Giving the horse a gentle pat, she turned completely around to face Ivan. Amusement was spread across her face. “You’ve not once considered why you’re out. Perhaps he’s come to finish the job, no? It’d be real easy too since you can’t really go anywhere...”
She had turned so Jack was on her blind side, but she knew what Ivan said had struck a nerve. “There’s a difference between you and me. Most of it being that I’m better than you’ll ever be, yes. Another reason is, I actually know how to take care of a crew. Loyalty is easy when you’re not a leech.” He asked about her name and Runali hummed in thought and turned back around on her horse. “Guess I can’t be too offended that you don’t know who I am. The name’s Captain Lev. The Stardusk Captain to be exact.”
Ivan visibly pulled back on his restraints. “S-Stardusk? But… you’re Worst Generation, last I heard. By the locker, Captain, why did you choose a traitor like....”
Jack twitched as Ivan continued ranting at Runali. His horse was huffing and pawing at the ground, obviously agitated. It veered away from the forest. Keeping tight control, Jack leaned forward and squinted into the shadows. Something zipped between the trees, black on black, and his eyes widened.
“Runali!”
The same moment he shouted, a black streak flew out of the trees straight for the captain. Jack kicked his horse and jumped in front of her. It hit him in the chest; launching him out of the saddle. His body rammed into Runali and they both went tumbling to the ground. Jack’s reared in panic, and galloped off down the road.
Ivan whooped and yelled, “Get ‘em, Corcha! Kill them now, now, now!”
Jack sprang to his feet, knives in hand. The black streak that had attacked the pirates, rose from the ground. It was ink, writhing in midair through invisible control. The cook bared his teeth as another shadow emerged from the trees.
“Corchalia.”
The cloaked woman they’d met before, the bandit representative, smiled a smile of black teeth. She’d done away with her layers of clothes, revealing a bald head, a bare torso with a wrapped chest, and heavily pierced face. Her skin looked pale but it was hard to tell -- every inch was covered in tattoos.
In one hand, she carried a large glass vial of ink that moved constantly. In the other: a viciously curved large knife. She stood there, waiting.
Despite being knocked to the ground, Runali’s first concern was on the horses she and Ivan fell off of. He was still chained so it didn’t take long for her to pin him and look. “Oh no, the horses! Aw man… I hope they’ll be alright.” Annoyed, she grabbed Ivan’s face and smashed it into the dirt. He had still been somewhat on top of her, so she flipped him on his stomach and sat on his back. “Corchalia… that’s a silly name- oh this is the one you were talking about, yeah?” Not waiting for an answer, haki enveloped the arm she was holding him down with.
“Good evening lady. That’s not a very polite greeting. The tattoos are cool though.” She pushed Ivan’s head a little farther into the ground. “You wanna talk first or do you wanna test if your… fun lookin’ power is faster than me cracking a few of his already brittle bones? He’s a skeleton being in jail and all. It’d be real easy I promise.”
Ivan was kicking and screaming into the dirt, his words incomprehensible. Corchalia’s head tilted as she first observed her companion then his assailant. Her grin widened. Something about it brought to mind Luro, in the days when the Imposter was in control. Her ink floated into the air and sharpened into solid spikes. They pointed at Runali.
Jack stepped in front of his captain. “I wouldn’t do that, Corcha.”
She hissed at him, but there was a notable change. Her manic grin disappeared and she hesitated.
Giving her a cold smirk, Jack waved at Runali. “Let him go, Captain. We’re here to finish our part of the deal, right? And Corchalia here is smarter than her captain. She’s just one Fruit user and we’re both haki wielders. She knows the odds are against her.”
Unbridled rage warred with fear in the madwoman’s eyes. She shifted foot to foot, longing to attack. Only Jack’s chilling calmness, and sharp knives, stopped her.
Runali looked at the spikes and raised a brow. “Fun.” Her grip tightened on the man’s hair, only for her to let out a huff. “Aw man… but they scared off our horses. They could be out stuck in the forest in danger!” She was… mostly being dramatic because it was amusing, but only mostly. She really did have concerns over the horses.
But with a sigh, the haki disappeared from her arm and she got off him. Runali hoisted the man to his feet with ease despite her being shorter and gave him a real rough pat on his back. “How’s the dirt taste? Better than prison food?” She kept a hand on his chains so he couldn’t move too far, but now she took a closer look at the woman. “Seems… a little unhinged. Hm. Must be fun when she’s on your side.”
“Hardly,” Jack muttered as he took Ivan by the neck, who yelped with pain as Jack pressed a black thumb against the top of his spinal cord. “These two are only loyal to each other… they blame me for what happened to their crew but, really, they selled out their own when Charlotte came hunting. It wouldn’t surprise me if they end up betraying each other, too, someday.”
“Over our dead bodies,” Ivan spat.
Jack shoved him forward, causing the man to cry out as the pain increased at his neck. “That’ll be arranged. Sooner than you think.”
The two marched to the center of the road before Jack booted Ivan the rest of the way with an Armament kick. The man landed in a disgraceful heap. Corchalia rushed to his side and with that, her power stopped. Ink splashed to the ground, harmless.
Jack stepped back. “You tell your new friends we held our end of the bargain; they better be there for Stardusk. As for you two, I’d run. I’m done with my past sneaking up on me. I’m done with old foes and haunts. The next time I see you, I don’t care what the circumstances are -- your heads are mine.”
Phlegm bristled at the corner of Ivan’s mouth as wild eyes twitched at Jack. He looked enraged and terrified. Jack didn’t give him the chance to decide which to act on. Summoning his haki, he sliced the air in front of him. Fire burst along the run, nearly singeing the pair. Ivan screamed and turned to flee. He barreled straight into Corchalia, falling to the ground, only to scramble back up and run without her. She lingered -- long enough to give a death glare. Her black mouth moved in silent cursing… then she followed too.
Jack waited until their silhouettes melded with the trees before canceling out the fire. He raised his fingers to his mouth and gave a long, hard whistle. “The horses will come back soon. We won’t have to walk back to the ship.”
He didn’t turn to face her right away. He was thinking, turning an array of future possibilities in his mind. But when he did, an expression she knew well tensed his face. “Captain… I don’t have Charlotte’s protection anymore. And I’ve got a lot of enemies out there. Adelaide and I both. Those two, I think, are just the beginning. She’s choosing to get to them first but I’d… I’d rather stay with you.” He looked at her and gave a helpless shrug. “I need to know if you’ll accept that risk. They’ll come for me, and Stardusk too. I can’t stop them. Just warn you, hopefully. Be the spy that I am. You know I tried, I really did, just to be your cook for a while. But I think it’s time I stopped running. From everything.”
Scoffing, he scratched his head. He gave her a sheepish grin. “So… whaddaya say? Care for a spymaster?”
Runali hummed in thought, looking at where the horses ran off to. She didn’t seem to care too much about Ivan and Corchalia anymore. “Went through all that trouble to save him and he didn’t even say thanks.” Her hands rested on her hips. “Very rude of him.” Runali shook her head but stopped her mumbling to look over at Jack. And for a moment, she looked confused.
“Are you… are you saying you’re not going to be my chef anymore?”
“What?” asked a shocked Jack. “No! You think I’d leave the fate of the crew’s stomachs to anyone else?”
Hearing that answer, Runali blinked and then gave a small laugh. “Well then this conversation is silly. You coulda told me you were gonna try out being in theater like the Court and I wouldn’t have been bothered.” She shrugged and laughed. “We get people chasing after us all the time, what’s a few more? “It’s good exercise and all.” She patted Jack’s arm. “So long as you know you’re stuck under the Stardusk flag, you can take any title you want… But also as long as you stick with being a chef too.”
Smiling, Jack captured her in an one-armed hug. “Captain, you have my word. I’m never leaving Stardusk. Not until the day I die.”