I'm lucky to find records about the pirate in my father's journal here in his office. I've spent hours reading to my advantage during our travel whilst the pishnies have been counting my yawns.
"Look! A big fish~!"
"Get him!"
"Hed! Danteleon! Don't jump through that window!"
My father and the pirate are indeed friends for a long time ever since their school days up to their mage career. The most helpful record is my father's gift to the pirate in exchange for a reviving spell because this is what we've been looking for. A pishney gave me the blueprint of the architectural design of the ship.
"Kids! Stop—!"
I heard a splash of water.
"No, Hed—!"
I heard it for the second time. I fold the blueprint and pocket it into my concealing coat before I cross the portal door—from my father's office to Ophelia's enchanted train. I didn't see the kids, only frustrated Lanasia. The train breaks until it stops, then Lanasia strides to the doorway and opens it when Ophelia navigates. The kids came up soaked from the sea through that door, giggling.
"What's going on?" I asked, walking to the doorway, too.
"This is why some activities are only for adults," Lanasia complains while drying the Little Devils with her magic circle blower.
I looked outside through the window and even I felt the excitement of jumping into this glittering sea under the tough sun! "They are just being kids."
"That's not being a parent. You should not take them somewhere dangerous."
"I never heard that from my mother when I was their age. It is their way to explore and learn~"
Ophelia says, "That is the difference between a mother and a father."
"Alright. Legacy," Lanasia continues whilst scrubbing the Little Devils' hair with a towel, "I will not meddle with your parenting but at least have a little consideration for your children's safety. They could've drowned earlier."
"Worry not, Mrs. Lanasia~ I know which is dangerous and which is a lesson." They are often disappointed when I limit them because of danger. I called the kids and they immediately ran to me. "Don't cause any trouble for Mrs. Lanasia. Sit there and behave."
"But dad, the sea is so big underwater! I want to swim," Danteleon insists.
Ophelia asks me, "Do you have any clues about where the ship is? We've been circling around this area of the sea."
"This area is our clue already, but we haven't seen any pirate ships. Can your train dive into the water?"
"Are you anticipating that their ship wrecked? Or that they can sail under the sea?"
Lanasia says in disbelief, "Relying on probabilities is taking us too long."
"Probability is what took us here, right? It's better than changing nothing," I answered. And 24 hours have passed since Dandeline went missing. I'm confident she will not give in to the pirate and moan his complicated name if she really spent those hours with him! "Their ship is enchanted, made by my father and he's a creator of nature, not a carpenter. Therefore, their ship is not ordinary."
"Let's see what I can do," Ophelia said. The appearance of her spellbook closes all windows and doors and then she surrounds it with her magic before the train plunges downward. Not a single drop penetrated the train even until it reached the ground. The lights are turned on—probably the very first light that dropped in the deepness of this sea.
Lanasia initiates a magic that lights up the surroundings by making the huge rocks glow. "A man?" Hedwelch points at a sea creature standing still beside the window. Lanasia screams. But to calm her down, I said,
"It's a jellyfish. Fascinating... I've never seen a jellyfish that looks like a gaunt man."
The kids are staring at it through the window, looking at it from head to toe. The train moves again slowly and I walk to the cab where Ophelia operates the train. The dimness makes it impossible to find the ship. "Is it a living ship? A creature?" she asked.
"Yes."
"I hope we will not roam around for hours before we found it, I mean, there are thousands of unknown species under the sea."
"We won't. Just make sure this train is rigid."
"Tougher than a tank."
I pick the lamp from the compartment, take off my necklace, and refract the light on it through the window.
"What are you doing?"
"Calling its attention, I guess. Similar things attract one another."
The train shakes all of a sudden. It stops running and even Ophelia can't start it again. I came out of the cab when the kids screamed. A dark shadow devours the train whilst squashing it like dominos. Lanasia pushes the kids to run to the cab and despite the distance, their speed made it here in a few seconds.
"Impossible!!" Ophelia mourns for her train.
Lanasia slows down the squashing, nevertheless, her power is not enough to stop it and now she's being jammed. I sprinted toward her, "You should be the one running," I said and carried her to the cab. The squashing continues, then halts in front of me as I was preparing to attack. The shadow darkened the whole train and a huge sea creature squinted its emerald eyes at the window.
The ladies are struck in silent terror. It's staring at me intently, so I wave the necklace, and here's where it's looking. It has shaken the train as it departs from us and swims upward to the surface. "Madam Ophelia! We should follow it!"
She restores the train and starts it running upward in a spiral while we hold on to the seats. I keep sticking my face on the glass window to see what that creature is up to—the Little Devils mimic. The creature stops moving on the surface, and when we resurface, we watch the creepy pirate ship in awe.
"I thought it was a huge shark earlier?" Lanasia said.
"Exactly how my father created it~!"
"Let's ride it~!" the kids nagged.
"I admit it," Lanasia hugs her elbows, "I am not accustomed to battles like that. You guys are braver than me." I responded with a smile, and she added, "In case things went out of hand, for your information, silver wolves have special things they are capable of... although the chance to do it is slim."
"May I know?"
"Werewolves are weak during an eclipse except for the silver wolves. They can become the opposite wherein they can unleash all of their dangerous strength, and the reason is to protect the weak werewolves during the short minutes of an eclipse."
"Hmmm."
"I am not telling you to use it against the pirates!"
"Of course, but I'm curious, too. I'm just glad to hear what more I am capable of. I've been displaying my weaknesses to Dandeline when I am supposed to be the one protecting her. If only I did, nothing will drag her here."
"Love did."
I take off my necklace and give it to her. "If necessary, we should use that method," I said and she agreed.
"Are they attacking us?" Ophelia pricked our attention. That is only when I noticed the flying fireballs toward us. Ophelia shields her train and it starts running in the air—circling above the ship. Ophelia uses the train to crush their warfare as we land on their ship deck. The pirates release their swords only to be daunted by my presence when I finally set foot on their ship.
The smell, their faces, they are the bad guys who've been putting my life in danger. I put my hands in the pocket of my coat and ask, "Is Dandeline here? The moon priestess."
"..." They exchange glances with one another.
"Where is she?"
"We've never had a moon priestess visitor for the whole five years! Now get your dirty boots on our ship unless you have something else to bother here."
"Do you have any proof that she's not here?"
"Do you have anything to offer in exchange for proof?"
"How about I will spare your lives after your ambush against me?"
I know I suck at threatening like a villain when they laugh at my offer. "You're standing in our territory! You dare think you have the advantage to speak those words."
"Oh, you don't want to spare your lives? How about... your ship? We will not destroy this ship—"
"We want your assets. Your fangs, claws, eyes, skin, or hair."
"I doubt it's a fair trade."
"You want our proof? Go ahead and examine the whole ship. See for yourself that we don't have a moon priestess visitor."
"Done." I pull out the blueprint from my coat.
"What!?" Lanasia opposes from behind. "Hessuel, what if it is a trap? And, are you out of your mind? You will trade your body parts!?"
"If they can, since they don't want to spare their lives or the ship," I said and she was left scratching her head. "Hed, Leon, listen." I stoop down for them. "These are bad guys but don't fight with them unless they harm the two ladies," I counseled and they nod obediently.
"Wait," Lanasia opposes again, "I did not come here to be protected. I came here to help, to make myself clearer, I'm coming with you inside."
"I don't know if it is a trap or not."
"That is why I need to come with you!"
Ophelia obliges herself for the safety of the kids whilst they await us. The pirates silently give way for us into their ship. Lanasia has been clinging to my arm ever since we stepped inside and I understand her because of this haunted ship, while I follow what is in the blueprint to the captain's office.
"What is your plan if they are telling the truth that Dandeline isn't here?"
"Switch my purpose! Afvshaganifs casted the curse on me so I shall make him lift this curse."
She sighs. "You have no idea what you are going to face. The Captain is a serial killer but none has ever dared to arrest him because other than residing outside the law, he can play with life and death. Dandeline and your father were the only ones who succeeded in negotiation with him."
"That is why I will not be the one who will negotiate but you. We're still going to be productive."
"Ugh, of course, let's see what I can do with your 'productive' plan."
The torches in this dirty hallway lit off. The complete darkness froze our feet from making another step, Lanasia suddenly lost her confidence a second ago by hiding behind me. A little light from the lamp pushes the darkness. "Where did you get that lamp?"
"Magic!"
The color of the fire turned green, we were staring at it until we saw Afvshaganifs standing in front of us! "Boo." Lanasia drops the lamp and darkness devours us again. I heard it clutter but it was not on the floor when bright lights illuminated the luxurious hallway. Everything is modernized which made me think we transferred into a different dimension!
"Where is he!? Where are..." Lanasia panics.
The lines of the blueprint are moving when I look at it.
"You can do magic?"
"No. It's not me. The only magic I can do is the twins."
She taps my mouth. Later, a letter is formed in the blueprint saying: to your left. All I see is a shining wall cleaner than my house. "This is so differe— Hessuel, you're looking at the right!"
"Oh." A royal door is before us. I was so entertained by the magic that I forgot this is my rival's place. This is an obvious trap. "Ladies first," I gestured my hand for Lanasia.
"Gentlemen first in this kind of situation!" She pushes behind my shoulders into the grandeur room; a presidential table is fully set and at the end of it is a boy. He's alone drinking luxurious wine whilst sitting sloppy.
"Welcome aboard," he greeted coldly. "It's been years since we last had an unexpected visitor! When was it...?" he counts through his fingers, "Five years. How did you get in here? Shall we talk about it?"
"We..." I glanced at Lanasia for a second, "we are the first visitor after a while?"
She asks, "Afvshaganifs, we've been looking for Dandeline and we happen to come here because of an assumption that she's here. Is she?"
"Wait, that boy is the captain?"
"Yes, he can change his age like Dandeline's spell."
"They have the same spell...?"
"Yes," he answered, refilling his glass of wine. "She was the last visitor before five years of vacancy. What's the tea? Did you lose her?"
I put my hands in my pocket. "She's solving problems on her own again, the burden you've caused. Do you have any idea how depressed she is? Just let her go."
"Her? or you?"
"You could let me go to let her go."
"She's not here." Then he eats some crackers.
"How about," Lanasia speaks up, "stop meddling with Dandeline's family? She warned you already! Lift the curse from Hessuel! It's badly affecting her, especially the innocent kids! They are the most affected victims if you keep destroying her family! Let them go. Please."
"What can you offer for that trade?"
She sighs in discouragement.
"None? I will not lift the curse then. If I can't have her, I won't let him have her as well. Throw your time with your new lover."
I clench my fists inside my pocket. I drank a glass of water quickly. This visit has to be productive! "How about you? Do you have any conditions to settle the deal?"
"Play my game."
"... I've been your unwilling player throughout my life," I mumbled to myself. This has to end, too.
He enchants a pitcher into an hourglass. "Until the time is over, you should avoid all my attempts to kill you. You lost if not. I will not lift the curse, therefore."
"Done."
"What!?" Lanasia impulses to scold me. "Are you even thinking before speaking!? This is dangerous!"
"Worry not, my friend!" he rejoices. "I am a man of my own words. My word is my law. Shall we begin?" With no further ado, he turns the hourglass and the room is swallowed by darkness.