Ignite (Black Sails AU)

Chapter 29

(Nereida Teach)

Choking in salty water in my lungs, I coughed rapidly, the gurgling, bubbly feeling on my lungs filed with the ocean water makes it uncomfortable for me to breathe. I hear the waves, washing upon my shivering body as the air blew the wavy ringlets in my hair. Opening my eyes, observing my surrounding, finding I was in a beach by the shores. Every inch of my body aches in pain as I turn it over, to lay on my stomach and even then, it causes the water still trapped in my lungs to escape in violent coughs, once I confirmed that the wretched feeling in my lungs was indeed over, I open my eyes once more. Dark. Before the darkness started to dissolve into small little black circles and I started seeing that I was indeed on the shore.

However, I saw no tents, just a forest up ahead which made me furrow my brows in confusion. Digging my hands on the sand for better balances, I got to my knees through difficult as I felt weak. My body gave up on me as I kept falling to my knees again and again and again.

When I finally manage to overpower the force that held me down, I got to my feet and let my legs carry me off to the palm tree I saw. Walking to the palm tree was difficult in it's self as I felt the world spin around me. As it spins, I did not stop myself from trying to locate the pirate settlement on what looked like an island, I did not know as it was really dark. When I did get to the palm tree, I held the trunk for balance as I started to give myself time to regain my breathe which was uneven.

Even as I held the trunk for balance, I could not control the trembling on my knees, forcing me to fall on the sand. Giving up for a while, I lay myself on the trunk, getting rest. I could feel the strengths in me fade away as my eyelids became heavy, demanding some rest from me. Maybe I'm on the other side of the island, and they will eventually find me. I let the dark oblivion claim me, letting myself to get some rest.

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I could feel the wind passing my ear, the birds sang a sweet song and the trees rustling from a distance. The first instinct I felt, was my body moving: shaking to be exact. My back was laid on a soft poking surface, I could not lay my finger at, as to to what it is at the moment as my eyes were closed. When my eyes slowly opened with little difficulty of day light, seeping through them, blinking numerous times to finally have a clear vision. I saw tall green trees, my eyes drifted off to my body, which was laid in what I would acknowledge as hay. I felt a cold surface on my wrist and when my eyes landed on it, they widened as I saw shackles both cuffed my wrist which lead me to an instinct of panic but I fought it down for a moment, looking behind me to see my captor. Black hair, tied in a bun, strong stature with broad shoulders, I could tell that the figure was a man. "Who are you?"

The figure turns his head back for a moment and I saw that indeed, my captor was a man, "ah! You have awoken." A grin plays on his bold features, a young man with little almond-shaped eyes, "I ask you a question, who are you?" My brows furrowed in anger I tried to fight down, "and why have me in chains? Unrestrain me now." He ignores my demand and looks forward on the path he was riding on, with the horse that carried the crate. The fucking audacity. "I see you have a fighting spirit. I like women with a challenge."

A chortle comes out my lips, "I have a husband."

"Oh?" He sounded quite surprised, at the same time not caring as his voice told me. "Well he's not here now, is he? Do you see him anywhere?"

"Don't flatter yourself boy, you are much uglier in daylight," a smirk making it's way on my lips, "you have no chance against me as I am not attracted to little boys, I'm attracted to  men."

I hear him growl and the crate takes a halt, next as to what I could acknowledge as heavy footsteps and suddenly, I'm net with my captor face to face. The furry in his eyes burns and all I ever did, was smirk as to how I had impacted on his anger, how easily his was angered. He took long whip from his leather belt and hit my thigh causing me to cry out in pain, "It seems as though you were not disciplined where you are from, you foreign silver haired little girl! But so not worry, where we are going, you will learn of it." The sting of the whip met the flesh of my skin was once more as I groaned in pain, shutting my eyes closed.

Soon, the cart started moving once more. "Where are we?"

"Yi Ti. In the region of Tiqui." At his answer, my eyes widened in horror. Yi Ti? As in....all the way in the East of Westros? How did I managed to get from Ocracoke to Yi Ti— wait.....I couldn't have, could I?

We had reached the entrance of a courtyard, a very huge building was stationed at the center, built by the big mountains. The man, whom I did not know the name of, had unchained me on the cart, pulling the chains at the end making me follow him. The feeling I felt, I hated it. I could not be a slave, I am not a slave. It brought horrifying memories of the past....but I knew very well...that Charles wasn't here to save me out of this one. He is far away, across the borders to.

I was brought into the huge building, it was all so decorated so beautifully I can admit. A woman came in sight, and my captor starts talking in a foreign language....well, foreign for Nereida but for Warina in me, it was Japanese.

"I found this silver haired girl by the shores on my travels." The man told her. The woman observes me like a hawk. She walks over to me, staring into my eyes. Grabbing my chin, she takes a streak of my silver hair, "Pretty." She states, "Young. Golden eyes are rare." She hums.

"Do not touch me." I hissed, making her eyes widen in horror. "You speak Yi Tish?"

Technically, I don't know Yi Ti. But, if I could quickly put the puzzles together, I would assume it's like Japanese...Japan? Ancient Japan? I don't have knowledge of that but all I know is that it sounds like it. "Yes." I lied on behalf of Nereida, speaking the truth for Warina.

The woman hums, "take her to the cells with the others."

"What?" Two men held my arms, "No! You will not touch me. You don't know who I am!" They escort me to the a door that leads to a hall, by the left side, there was a view of the enlarged courtyard. No matter how much I thrashed and throbbed, they held their firm grip on my arms and so I just let them, but in my head I was forming a plan while I observed my surroundings to know where I would eventually escape in the future.

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Below the large building had been many tunnels of cells. The guards opened the gates and pushed me in, feeling their firm grip on me fade away. Locking the gates, the man smirks at me and places the key in his leather belt, "welcome to your new home." And he walks away with the other men that brought me here.

Shutting my eyes closed, I took in the smell of the coat still draped on my shoulders, it was the only thing I had of him that kept me calm and not made me burst out in anger as I normally would do. Just then, I hear a little voice of a child singing an all too familiar song.

"Yes, now the rains weep o'er his halls,and not a soul to hear" letting the voice lead me, to a dark brown hair little girl, her back facing me and she look to be holding another child in her arms. "Rains of Castermere." I blurt out in shock. No one knew this song but in Westros, right? The child whom had finished the last verse was startled and turned her head back towards me.

Those familiar striking blue eyes I knew too well and she too look to be surprised to see me. "Charlotte." Relief filled my voice as a tear left my eye seeing the little child sharing the features of Charles and I, "Mama!" She helps her younger sister to stand up before following suit, "Adelaide." Walking over to the little girl's, whom quickly accepted my hug. Having them in my arms again made me so complete, "My little cubs."

"Mama, you came." Charlotte whispered. "Of course, I'd never give up on you two." Pulling away from the hug, I saw my two girls. "Look how much you've grown." I say to Adelaide, whom I had not seen since she was just only three years of age. She giggles at my statement, "where is father? Is he also here?" Charlotte asks in excitement, wanting to see her father. I knew the bond she share with Charles, she was always a father's little girl while Adelaide was a mother's little girl just like me when I was a girl. "No, my sweetling," if there was one thing I hated in this world was to break my daughter's heart, "your father is not here with me." The excitement in her eyes soon faded away into sadness but I quickly added, "but we will return back to him, I promise you." She smiles once again and I engulf them in a warm hug once more, "Mama is here, and she will protect you now."

"We missed you" Adelaide whispered, "I missed you too, my orchid." Planting a kiss on her forehead and running my hands on her dark brown hair.