The Fire in the Wind // Book One (Complete)

Five - Out to Sea

The ship was terrifying.

There was a rhythmic sound of shoes across the deck, men and women running around shouting orders, It was chaos. Bloodied weapons being thrown to the side as they ran over to man the cannons and release the sails. The main mast must've been at least sixty feet tall, it's crows nest at the very top, where a woman seemed to watch him like a hawk behind her long black hair. He shivered, and Oliver continued to lead him across the ship, it was even bigger in person, and there were at least fifty crew members.

"Captain!" Esther called, and the muscled man took hold of him, Esther smacked him. "This was my mission, Alex."

"I'm still first mate!" He cheered.

"Fine then, have fun explaining to the captain why didn't take a fully trained doctor." She said, he ignored her and gleefully skipped over to the quarter deck, he waved wildly.

"Captain, we got us a doctor!" He called, up at the quarter deck, a man in a dark grey coat turned around, the hood over his head, Phoenix could see dark curly hair peeking underneath it. He was lead up onto it, and the man, presumably the captain, turned around, Phoenix's breath stopped, his heart dropping. He knew that face, he'd seen it far too many times on far too many bounty posters, offering thousands, dead or alive.

"Captain, this is Phoenix. And Phoenix, this... well, I think you know who he is." Alex smiled, he swallowed before speaking.

"Nico Maheras, The West Wind." He managed, the captain looked up at his name, his hood falling down, revealing deep brown eyes.

"Why'd you bring him here?" He asked, looking his first mate in the eyes, Alex shrugged.

"Adilah needed and assistant, and according to Leo, he saved his life." He explained, Nico eyed Phoenix, who tried his best not to flinch.

"I suppose that's what took you so long then?" He asked, Alex shrugged.

"Kinda, we got his father at first, but he wanted to go in his place." He said, and Phoenix tried to look anywhere but the captain.

"His father?" He asked, an ounce of annoyance in his tone. "You had the option of a trained doctor, and you brought a boy?"

"I'm not a boy." Phoenix spoke, the captain turned his sharp gaze to him, and Phoenix, though he was shaking, stood taller. "I'm twenty two."

"You think age is what makes you a man?" Nico asked steadily, then scoffed slightly. "You're shaking."

"No I'm not." He said, though his trembling hands were obvious, "It's the wind."

"The wind?" He asked, and raised an eyebrow, his lips twitched upwards at the irony. "Is that not my name?"

"It's the cold." Phoenix said, his voice much steadier, "That's all."

"It's May, hardly chilly." Nico said, mostly to himself.

"It's night." He retorted.

Nico studied him carefully, and Phoenix swallowed his fear, trying not to wilt under his gaze. His cold eyes stopped at Phoenix's arm, he eyed the branding for a moment before looking him in the eyes.

"Alexander, take him to the infirmary, Adilah needs to look at his arm." He said, he began to turn around, but Phoenix's words burst from his mouth before he could stop them.

"I don't need the help of a pirate." He hissed, Nico stopped in his tracks, taking a breath, and turned around, meeting his eyes with a sharp glare.

"No?" He asked, then grabbed Phoenix's arm forcefully, revealing the brand, he pressed down on it, and he winced in pain, salt water rushing to his eyes. "Then this doesn't bring tears to your eyes?"