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

Seven - The Astrea

"Adilah please, I'm begging you, just let me walk around, just a little!" Leo whined, Phoenix groaned, having heard this for the thousandth time, and sat up.

"You know, I was trying to sleep." He said to Leo, who ignored him in favor of complaining.

"Please! It's been a week!" He cried, Adilah rubbed her temples.

"For the love of Allah... if I let you walk around will you stop complaining?" She asked, He nodded rapidly.

"Yes! I will, I promise." He insisted, She sighed.

"Fine." Leo cheered, and she interrupted. "But Phoenix is going with you."

"What?" Phoenix blurted, Adilah fixed him with a look that said he was not getting out of this.

"You have barely left this room since you got here, you need to do something other than help me fix up Leo and pray."

"Bu-"

"No buts. You need fresh air and exercise, now go on." She ordered, and Leo grinned at him.

"I can show you around the ship, it'll be fun, c'mon!" He said, getting out of the bed, Phoenix sighed, but didn't protest, Adilah was not someone who accepted the word 'no' very easily. He braced himself mentally for stepping out of the infirmary, he'd only left it during the night to use the bathroom, when no one else was there. He handed Leo a cane for support, but he refused it, and Phoenix let himself be pulled out of the room.

"Have fun~" Adilah sang, no doubt enjoying the prospect of getting work done without the carpenter's distractions.

"I hope you drop your quill again." Phoenix muttered to himself, Adilah made a crude gesture with her hand, amused.

"I heard that." She told him, and chuckled when he paled, waving him and Leo off so she could work.

"You're gonna love the ship, Phoenix, trust me!" Leo assured, Phoenix didn't reply, his mind reeling over the possibilities for what he might see. What if the pirate hate him? Think he's weak? What if they try to talk to him? What if he makes them mad somehow or trips into one of them and they fall off of the deck and-

"Phoenix?" A deep voice called, Phoenix instantly calmed.

"Hey, Oliver." He greeted, he wasn't sure why, but the cook's presence always seemed to calm everyone around him. Phoenix had grown to appreciate his company, he visited the infirmary often, and he managed to both mellow out Leo and bring Adilah some patience.

"It's good to see you out of the sick bay." He said.

"Not by my choice." He sighed, and Oliver chuckled.

"I figured." He told him, gesturing to Leo, who was quite literally bouncing with excitement.

"Do you wanna join us, Oliver?" Leo offered, he shrugged.

"I don't see why not. Are we showing him around The Astrea?" He asked, Leo nodded and began leading them across the deck.

"The Astrea?"

"It's the name of the ship. Here, these are the masts, and up there is the crow's nest, where Akemi is." Leo told him.

"Who's Akemi?" He asked.

"She's the lookout, since she has five eyes, she mostly stays up there in her little web." He answered, Phoenix chuckled, but stopped when the two looked at him strangely.

"What?"

"He wasn't kidding." Oliver told him, Phoenix paused.

"I... what?"

"She's a demigod, descendant of arachne, she literally has five eyes and a web up there." Leo elaborated, quickly moving on. "Anyways, this rope is..."

Phoenix didn't really listen to the rest, his eyes were drawn up the mast, the sunlight blocking any view he might've had of the supposed web. They continued on to the rest of the deck, where the crew bustled around, some carrying wood stacks in their arms, no doubt for Leo to later use, others mopped up the deck, while some manned the sails.

He hated to admit it, but the ship was hauntingly beautiful.

The wood of the ship was a dark, polished brown, with a pinkish hue, the sun reflected off of the deck ever so slightly, glinting off of the silver accents and bolts. The sails, though somewhat ripped and torn, fluttered gracefully in the wind, a silvery grey color to them. The ship was beautifully crafted, the rails, deck, and stairs perfectly sanded down. The ship glided through the water with the same ease as a fish, almost as if it was flying. They made it to the opposite side of the ship, the bow, There were silver accents at the front, made to look like leaves blowing in the wind, but Phoenix couldn't stop staring at it's figurehead.

It was an eagle, painted a smooth silver, and so detailed it looked as if it might take off in flight. Each feather was carved to perfection, and the eagle's beak was open in a clear cry of defiance, a battle cry. In it's right wing, an arrow was stuck, somehow the artist managed to express the pain and rage all in one in it's face and body. It's talons were long and curved, outstretched as if to attack, it's wings spread as though it were a final act of freedom. Resting on it's back, hiding, was a frightened nightingale, it's beak open as well, like it was singing.

"It's supposed to symbolise the protection of the weak." Oliver spoke, Phoenix blinked up at him. "The eagle represents freedom, and the Nightingale often represents mourning or sorrow."

"It's beautiful." Phoenix said, Oliver smiled.

"Leo made it." He told him, Phoenix's eyebrows raised.

"Really?" He blurted, he knew Leo was good at his job, but he didn't know he was that talented.

"Aye, it was his gift to Nico a few years back, it took him forever." He added. "I know he seems goofy and flippant, but he's incredibly skilled."

"Whatcha guys talking about?" Leo asked, skipping over to them, Oliver shook his head.

"Nothing, what else do you want to show him?"

"Captain's quarters." He said, ignoring how Phoenix's face paled. "C'mon, it's cool!"

"Uh, Leo, I don't think-" Phoenix's protests were ignored as Leo pulled him along, Oliver following with amusement. Leo pulled him towards the quarterdeck, and Phoenix averted his eyes as the Captain looked down at the three with mild curiosity, talking to a man with long black hair in a braid, a feather tied into it. He was led around the quarter deck and onto the balcony he took his bath, and Leo pointed up to a pair of second story windows.

"That's the captain's quarters there." He said, Phoenix looked up, and his eyes widened slightly. The sunlight glinted on the iridescent windows, sending a spectrum of colors across the balcony, the black wood that framed the glass wrapped partially across like the branches of trees.

"Woah..." He whispered, then paused. "Wait... this is where I bathed."

"Uh, yes." Oliver said, confused, Phoenix's face heated.

"So... the captain... could see me?" He asked timidly, Oliver began to speak, but suddenly quieted, glancing at the windows.

"Uh..." He blanked, then slowly shrugged. "I guess?"

Phoenix didn't respond for a few seconds. "I'm jumping off the ship, take me to the plank."

"We don't have one." Leo informed him.

"The mast then, I'll swan dive from there."

"He was probably sleeping by then." Oliver assured him, "even if not, I can't imagine he was looking. The captain spends most of his time on deck, the only times he's ever really there is to sleep, change, and play music."

"He plays music?" Phoenix honestly couldn't imagine the captain doing much other than brood or be a smartass.

"Occasionally." He said, "Only when he thinks everyone else is sleeping."

"Let's head to the quarterdeck, I want you to meet Sequoyah, our pilot."