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Black Knight
I felt nothing but a momentary death again, before the darkness slowly lifted.
My eyes forced themselves to open slowly. Pushing against bodily instinct.
I'm a Drownei. A superior being. I vaguely remembered. They count on me, I cannot let them down.
Visions of more wooden brown blurred into view, as I struggled to move my limbs, attempting to wake myself up immediately. I felt my unarmoured back, only wearing a black undertunic, laid on a sort of soft surface while I blinked towards the ceiling
And as I focused on keeping awake, I steadily began forgetting why I had the sudden urge to.
There was a dream I had. About. . . a people? I was taking matters into my own hands for them.
There had to be a reason I showed up in a Chronicle Order interrogation room, all that time ago, besides being found by Headmaster Chronisius.
These thoughts scattered with everything else within my mind. Before my eyelids became less heavy. And I could feel the weight of the ship's bottom, rocking with the waves. We were still moving.
After a few extra blinks, I saw the low lights of the room clearly, as I looked around and noticed white beds. Like the one I was laying on, each with shelves and cabinets beside them.
It was a relatively wide space set up like an infirmary or something. A few glass windows were situated within the walls, with silky curtains exposing the outer deck. Shadows of soldiers guarded outside in the dark blue.
And gazing outside one of the transparent openings, was Aziel, removing the braids of her straight auburn hair, to let it down longer.
For a moment, it seemed like she didn't notice my stare.
Until I shook my head once. Sitting up, taking off the striped white sheets covering my clothed legs, then attempting to place both scaly feet on the floor to stand. Dazed by my forgotten dream.
Somehow, half of me knew that this isn't where I belonged.
All I heard were her footsteps approaching. And all I observed was the finest pile of dark armour, decorated with spikes, placed with my blade at the corner of the room.
Then my vision blurred again, as I held my ground to withstand a fall, with gentle arms catching mine.
"Take it easy. . ." Aziel scolded in the calmest manner.
I let go as she does the same. After realizing my questionable actions to just waking, the other part of myself was forced to sit down on the bed.
Why am I so tense? I asked myself while staring at nothing. Maybe it was merely a bad dream. . .
". . .relax. Don't overstimulate yourself." Said Aziel, snapping me back to reality."The. . . fall from the ledge might've rattled you a bit. Plus, you're still recovering from retrograde amnesia."
I narrowed my eyelids slightly."How long was I out?"
"Around five hours."
Then my eyes widened before I could stop it. Glancing back to the windows, steadily becoming darker by the second. So it was night time now?
"You may experience more headache from the incident, or from what caused your condition." She continued."But you should able to remember everything soon. Most patients recover in a week, some even less than. You don't seem to have any infections or inflammation either."
"I see."
I believed Aziel noticed my disoriented look, as I unintentionally raised an eyebrow, so she slid a hair behind her ear.
"I'm sorry, I've worked on the medical field before. I can't help but ramble like a doctor sometimes. . ."
"Oh, you had other jobs?" I asked. Genuinely curious, I suppose.
"For the Chronicle Order, yes. Never got a break from serving them. . ."
Her head tilted down, as if there was some regret left hidden. But then she wavered a smile.
". . . but- it was nice not to slay monsters for once in my lifetime."
"So, how long did you-?"
The door to the infirmary abruptly creaked open. We both turned to look, when the familiar winged person flew inside with his face still covered, and the usual inability to read the room while the entrance shut.
He then glanced once at us.
"Well, hey, you're alive." Vexx began walking towards the cabinets, near the corner of this medical space."Congratulations."
Aziel and I exchanged a glance ourselves. Not knowing whether or not the masked young man was ever being serious.
At least we all assumed he was younger than us, based on his voice and stature. He was a bit too mysterious, almost suspicious even, always covering up his appearance. Was this how most felt about me?
But the reason I did it was because people didn't favor seeing a Drownei.
What was his?
"Yeah, so the headmaster told me to come check on you guys, and all. . ."
Vexx continued with a rather bored voice, opening one of the cabinet drawers, finally noticing our stares.
"Okay, fine. I was talking to Lare and-" His baggy eyes lit up, looking into the container."-oh, finally, there's the alcohol!"
And he pulled out one of the glass bottles. Inspecting it with the utmost curiosity, before starting to remove his iron helmet while holding the drink closer.
"Merely here for a beverage, then." I pointed out to attempt conversation.
Then, as his covering was removed, I paused as we saw what how he truly appeared for the first time.
While he quickly flew over to close the window curtains, I swear I saw two of the large-winged guards slightly turn their heads back to peek at us. Before the border was veiled.
But I could only study the mysterious quester's appearance, for now.
Parts of Vexx's pale face were replaced with blue and green scales, like that of a fish. Namely from his neck to one of his cheeks. With the other half remaining Flivian. There seemed to be streaks of aqua in place of some white hair.
Which meant he was, part Marine?
"You are a hybrid?" I questioned.
While holding the bottle with a hand, he froze before positioning his thumb to open it. A glint of hesitation in his eyes. One colored like the greyness of a sea storm. One colored like the summer sky. Both gazing downwards.
Then he closed them and forced a smirk, flicking the cork off the drink like it was nothing. And lifted his head, to pour down a whole quarter of the alcohol, down into his throat. Obviously avoiding the question.
"Ahh, that's the stuff. . ."
He lowered the bottle, placed his helmet on top of a small shelving, and wiped his mouth with a hand's back.
". . . anyway. To answer one of your many questions, the Chronicle Order members who were Marine did a magic ritual on you, in the name of the water god or whatever. Using staffs while pouring ocean on your body, and worshiping in ancient language. Yadda yadda yadda."
Vexx opened and closed his hand to mimic a talking mouth.
"Oh, I wonder if that actually works." Aziel added.
"I mean." I responded truthfully. "Why wouldn't it? I am alive right now."
"Pfft." The hybrid scoffed. "Don't believe in every single thing, knight guy. You were going to wake up eventually."
Vexx then loudly muttered. "You weren't underwater for that long. . ."
He took another gulp of the beverage, fingers clenching tighter to hold it. Aziel and I continued watching. Exchanging another glance.
From what I could tell, the two of us had much too unanswered regarding Vexx's intentions, along with everything else about him. Both of us knew it was time for his interrogation.
"How old are you, Vexx?" Aziel stood up straighter, stating with her serious face."I'd advise questers to not drink on the job, especially those young. It may screw up the quest. And I'm pretty sure there's a legal age. . ."
"Indeed. And who is this 'Lare' you speak about?" I pressed on further, sitting up taller, while Aziel tried to verbally interject. Maybe wanting to answer herself but leaving it."An informant of the Unity? A secret enemy combatant? A trusted Chronicle Order commander?"
In a way never seen before, Vexx's ears went slightly red, along with his pale cheek. As he leaned on the wall shelf, about to take another chug. But froze.
Then he gave a mere chuckle.
"You guys are thinking way too deep about what I am now, since I showed my hybrid-ness, huh?" Vexx said with barely a sweat. The alcohol probably wasn't that strong.
"Legal age is sixteen. I'm seventeen. And Lare is just a crewmate my age and. . ."
He turned his sights away for a second, the littlest blush persisting.
". . . just someone I wanted to talk to, she's-"
"The cleaner crew member for Captain Aurel." Aziel looked at me to explain."From the bar downstairs. That I can vouch for, at least."
Right. I fell asleep on one of the dining tables then. My thoughts ruminated again.
But I couldn't help myself, from getting all about what I don't know answered. Including things regarding potential threats to Chronicle Order. They continue to save me, after all.
"What did you and Lare talk about, in that case?"
He stopped once more, raising the bottle about to drink from it like before, but instead lowered his hand and closed his mouth in contemplation.
"Nothing much really. Just some friendly small talk and I cut it short."
This time, Vexx forced a grin, but his eyes remained glossy.
"Besides, a Marine and a hybrid could never work."
"Why not?"
It appeared I spoke too brashly, as both Aziel and Vexx set their sights on me. Korr giving me a sort of warning look. While the winged teenager partially glared.
"None of your business." He said with the least amount of words, especially for him.
"Why not?" I repeated myself bluntly."What are you hiding, Vexx?"
Aziel tried easing me. "Konn-"
"Fine. If our interrogator here wants answers," The hybrid cut in. "I've got nothing to hide compared to the overlord's heir."
He put down the beverage on the shelving, next to his helmet.
"The Marine territories want desperately to rule all the seas. Hybrids are seen as lesser versions to their true counterparts around the world, especially to them. Lesser underwater breathing time. Along with. . . in some other cases, less flight stamina."
He dared not to look away from my eyes, daring the suspect to continue.
"So they enacted war on hybrid territories, as a threat to their ruling.
And that's where I came from."
Vexx froze almost completely with a smile fading. I subconsciously shifted backwards, taken aback by the sliver of sudden emotion in his usually snarky voice. Aziel stepped forwards to portray solace.
"And you survived?"
Instead of leaning an arm onto the shelf, he leaned his head back. Running a hand across his abnormally colored hair. But with an expression that steadily began looking to the distance.
"And placed in an empty orphanage, yes. Nobody wanted a worthless hybrid so I ran eventually."
After acknowledging the tense room, he covered up his feelings with another light grin.
"Gotta live for myself, but at least I got real good at it."
Nothing but the sound of waves, and somehow what I thought was creature noises below, occupied the space in our minds.
He seems quite genuine, despite himself. I analyzed Vexx's breaking demeanor. Strong chance of telling the truth.
"I had to do that as well."
Aziel spoke before I could, in a much different manner than I would.
"Taken into the Chronicle Order as a baby. My worth was to quest and elevate myself. But. . . I had to find out I'm much more than that."
As the hybrid reached for his bottle, she continued.
"You saved Black Knight by flying over and keeping him afloat. That's surely worth something."
His eyes widened, as did mine while I gave a hard blink. He then pulled back his hand and huffed shortly while only glancing at us two. The infimary grew noiseless except for my mind, at this point.
Surprising. Perhaps he's innocent enough, after all.
". . . thank you. Vexx." I decided to give as an apology for misinterpretation.
"I just passed by, knight guy." He smiled shakily and waved it off in response, pushing out a louder voice. "I-it's nothing."
But perhaps under all that masking, it was.
Because for about a milisecond, the smile grew faintly on his strange face, before an array of collisions were felt beneath my bed and our feet. Both Aziel and I jolted a bit admittedly, but Vexx stayed put unsurprised. We felt it continuously now as I stood up from the mattress to investigate.
"What is the commotion down below?" I asked straight.
Aziel turned her head to Vexx. "To my knowledge, it's the sea beasts the pirates keep captured, right?"
"Bingo." He answered casually without moving an muscle. "They seem hungry for the meats of a pirate. But alas, the only reason they are kept is to be sold for man's benefit."
Once again, the hybrid from Marine territory stared past us.
"And every man desires to own the sea."
Verbal silence. And it lasted for about a minute, too. But it was somehow not the usually awkward type between strangers.
Until the tiniest tug in my gut told me something was wrong.
A crash landed outside of the room nearby, and the crumbling of wood shattered our eardrums. I hurried over to the curtains. The other two hastily readied their armour, braids, and weapons.
As I revealed the window view, my vision was filled with panicked crew members running around in the night, while ocean slowly crept into the falling deck.
Was another ship attacking? How are they here? Who sent them?
I studied Vexx's expression a final time, while we all witnessed the sight.
Under his confidence, he was just as terrified.