Finale

Ava woke up in a spacious room. A large ornate bed frame around her and a soft, expensive mattress under her. The room was decorated rather gaudily and the smell of Eloxian herbs filled the chamber. Ava thought she was dreaming, transported back to her time at home in some sort of nightmare. Then she recalled the last thing that happened before losing consciousness.

Theo had suddenly stopped swimming when a large piece of something that Ava couldn't make out in the dark water had hit the captain in the head. Ava was running out of breath, and she was afraid that they would both drown but she acted quickly, grabbing Theo and kicking up and up and up until she breached the surface. It was near impossible to keep her head above water and also Theo's but she managed. Around her were several ships on fire and debris in the water. Dead bodies floated around her, and Ava couldn't make out which ships were friendly and which weren't.

Within a few minutes of trying to stay afloat, Theo was plucked from her arms and as Ava fought trying to keep hold of her captain, she was next. Large hands grabbed her and pulled her onto a boat. She had no energy, and no breath, from trying to keep them afloat that she couldn't fight who was grabbing her, but she knew the men who had picked her up were Eloxian from the glimpse she caught of their uniforms. She tried to scream for help, to sit up and catch her breath so someone on their side would be able to find them but as she opened her mouth to yell, she was knocked out.

The room around her reminded her of her old room aboard the Vaith lightbringer and Ava was positive that was where she was. Ava stood up slowly, looking around the room for anyone guarding her. There was no one with her so she gingerly made her way to the door. Careful to make as little noise as possible, she tried the door handle, but it was locked from the outside. In her frustration, she jiggled the handle just a bit before pulling away and looking around the room for something else to help her escape. Ava walked over to a large dresser with ornate pieces of decor laid out on it. A solid crystal ball, the size of her palm, was available and Ava took it, slipping her hand behind her back to hide it.

It was near perfect timing because the door opened, most likely the people outside had been alerted to her presence because of her trying the handle. A figure entered and closed the door behind him, she stumbled back a bit furthering herself from the man. Ava wasn't sure what to expect but it definitely wasn't her brother. He began to walk forward, poised in his stride. A mirror image of her father.

The closer he got, the more she backed away until she was pressed up against a night table with nowhere to go. In a panic and with hopes to escape the room and perhaps rescue others on the ship with her, she threw the ball at him. It barely missed his head, grazing past it as he moved slightly out of the way. His face went from expressionless to angry. He reached forward and gripped her wrist, pulling her away from her corner and dragging her to a table in the corner of the room; forcing her to sit down.

"Stay seated. You move and the friends you have on this ship die," her brother put his foot down.

Ava didn't say anything, she just looked up at him with hatred on her face. He stared back at her, again schooling his expression into one that gave away nothing. He was examining her, taking stock of who sat in front of him. He reached his hand down and moved some of her hair away from the side of her face, revealing her earring.

"What have you done to yourself?" Ulises said, sighing to express whatever disappointment he was feeling, "you look like a little boy. A dirty renouncer is what you've become. If father were to see you like this, I am sure he would send you straight to the gallows."

Ava slapped his hand away from her face and dug her heel into his foot as he stood in front of her. He lifted his hand and slapped her cheek with ease and Ava had immediate tears spring to her eyes.

"When they told me you had died, at first it took me a little bit to remember exactly who you were. With all the sisters it gets difficult, as you can imagine," Ulises spoke and brought her face to look at him again, gently resting his finger under her chin, "then I remembered all of the trouble you caused at the estate. The nuisance you were on my ship when I would transport you across oceans. The way you just never quite fit at family functions. My second thought was good riddance. You had died for a cause. You had finally helped the family."

Ava didn't want to just sit there and take his insults, but she had no choice. He was clearly armed and stronger than her. To leave would be to endanger herself and the others on the ship.

"Who else is here?" Ava asked.

"There will be rules when you are on my ship," Ulises continued with his own conversation and ignored her question, "first, you will have a bath. Those things in your ear will come out and a healer will come in to check you for any other foul marks you may have put on your body."

"How did you know I was alive?" Ava asked, "Hoffstater said he had come to save me. How did you know where I was?"

"The Vaiths are well connected, Avery. We have people everywhere. Who's to say it wasn't one of your pirate friends on Captain Theo's crew. How do you know it wasn't your very Captain who sent a letter informing us?" Ulises said as he let go of her chin, "you will be given proper attire and you will join me for dinner every night until we arrive at Aubermause."

"I refuse to," Ava huffed.

"Then you will have a first-row seat to the execution of each one of your friends I have here on board," he threatened.

"How do I know you're not bluffing? What if you have no one?" she challenged.

"You know I have at least your precious Captain," Ulises retorted, "you wouldn't let your lover die because of your actions, would you Avery?"

Avery was taken aback. He had called her a renouncer, but she had just thought it as a general insult, as a reference to her lack of feminine clothing. He knew about Theo. He knew they were together. But how? Ava didn't answer, she just clenched her jaw and quieted herself. She attempted to channel Xyra and her unbothered nature. He wouldn't affect her. He wouldn't get in her head.

"I thought so," Ulises answered his own question, "you leave this room, and she gets hurt. You speak out of turn, she gets hurt. You refuse what I ask of you, she gets hurt. Is that understood?"

"Aye," Ava answered, and it earned her another slap.

"Scrub that low-life vocabulary from your speech, Avery," he shook his head, "by the time we get to Aubermause, I expect you to have remembered how to be amongst civilized society."

"How did you escape?" Ava spoke out of turn again, her tone less aggressive and meeker, "we were winning. I saw it. I saw all your ships burning. How are we here right now?"

"Dinner will begin in a few hours. You will be bathed and properly clothed by the time you come out of this room to eat."

He left the room and Ava wasted no time in leaving her chair and sinking to the floor. She felt like a child, unable to control the tears as they began to flow out of her. Her cheek still stung with the effects of the several slaps, and she felt trapped. She didn't feel trapped, actually, she was trapped. They were on the way to Aubermause but she couldn't go back there. She couldn't let Theo go there. It would be the end of Ava's life in a figurative sense and the end of Theo's literally. But there was nothing she could do that wouldn't land Theo in a world of hurt.

Maybe if she would have come clean earlier, none of this would have happened. Had she been honest, she wouldn't have been put in the brig at that moment. She wouldn't have had to have Theo come rescue her. Theo wouldn't have gotten hurt, Theo wouldn't have blacked out, Theo would have been able to save both of them and get them away from being in the custody of the Vaiths. Her forehead was buried up against her knees as the sniffles and fat droplets continued to pour out. A bath was prepared for her, but she didn't move from her spot. She heard the water continue to fill the tub with each bucket full that was brought in, she heard whatever workers were there move around her room and lay things out on her bed. But it wasn't until hours after the door had closed behind them that she moved.

Her eyes were swollen, and her nose was runny. Ava stepped out of her clothes and dipped into the tub that should have been cold by then but it wasn't. She was hoping it had been, she was hoping she would have to take a cold shower, not a warm and comforting one. Ava took a deep breath and submerged herself under the water, keeping herself there until her lungs were screaming at her to come back up. Once she did, the crying began again.

Eventually, there was a knock on her door and one of the soldiers informed her that dinner would be commencing shortly. Ava pulled herself out of the bath and stood in front of her bed, dripping water onto the floor as she blankly stared at what was laid out in front of her. A dress. A corset. A pair of small heels. An assortment of clips to make sure her hair was out of her face.

With the speed of a turtle, floating along with the current, Ava began to get dressed. The dress barely fit. It was tight around her shoulders, her arms, her hips. It felt like it would explode at the seams if she made too much movement. It was a physical manifestation of how she felt, choked and with no space to have free range. Ava ditched the heels, opting to go barefoot as the dress covered her feet. It was a small act of rebellion, a way to keep herself connected to what she had been before. A barefoot, dirty, short-haired, rags-for-clothes, uncivilized pirate.

Ava sat on her bed, the image of a girl without options was reflected back at her through a large mirror. Ava looked at herself and it wasn't someone she recognized. Her hair had been pulled back out of her face, the dress she wore was more expensive than all of the clothes she had in her wardrobe on the ship, and she looked sad. Even with all the stress of pirate life and her secret, there was rarely a time when Ava wasn't happy. Right then, however, the face of misery was staring back at her. Ava just had to hope there was someone out there looking for them.

----

The dining room she was escorted to had a long table inside; there were only two places set, however. Her brother, Ulises, sat at the head of the table. The seat to his left was empty, a plate of food set out in front of it. The person who had taken her to the dining room pulled out her chair and Ava took a seat. Her brother was in a different outfit from before. He had his general's attire on, even his hat adorned his head. He had already begun eating, his fork had some meat on it as he guided it to his mouth and chewed at a uniform pace. There was a man playing the violin in the corner of the room, the sweet notes from his melody flooded the room.

It was a stark contrast from the ship, where rowdy pirates filled the room with sounds, and no one had proper manners. Her brother looked over as he dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin. He called a servant over and pointed to Ava's plate.

"Take that back to the kitchen and bring her a smaller portion," Ulises relayed the command and he turned back to her, "Mother would have my head if I had allowed you to come back home in this state."

Ava bit her tongue, remembering the deal. If she spoke out of turn, Theo would get hurt. He took his time with another few bites before speaking up again.

"I heard you became the quartermaster of the pirates," he said.

"Quartermaster of the pirates implies I had command over all pirates, which I did not," Ava avoided the question.

"Let me be more specific then, you became the quartermaster for that little band of roving women that want to pretend they are destined for more?" Ulises leaned in a bit and Ava stared down at her placemat, avoiding his gaze, "No wonder you climbed the ranks, you fit right in. Always playing pretend in the garden when you were younger, was that not you?"

It was her. She had spent her suns outside in the gardens playing with the small children from around the estate. Ava's plate came back out and less than half of what had been there before was on the plate. Ava wasn't hungry but out of spite, she dug into the potatoes, making sure to chew loudly and let food gather at the corner of her mouth.

"Tell me, what kinds of information were you made aware of?" Ulises asked.

"I didn't know anything. Quartermasters only work with the crew," Ava lied, she had a deep understanding of the workings of pirate life, their form of organization, and the rules they lived by. With her training, Xyra had given her just about all the information about their routes and important contacts and a whole treasure trove of information. But Ava would have to be killed before she revealed anything.

"Sister, we both know that is a load of shit," Ulises said, Ava had rarely ever heard him use profanity in the past. Though, their interactions had always been limited because her brother had always been away on Navy business, "tell me what you know, or your friends will be tortured.

Ava's eyes flitted down to her brother's hands as they gripped the utensils he was using. She had remembered Xyra one night after their interrogations, trying to scrub her fingernails clean; explaining how one of the worst things about the aftermath of torture was that their blood would stick to her nails for suns after. Her brother's nails were short but the unmistakable reddish-brown muck that laid under them told her that no matter what, they were being tortured. Talking back wasn't an issue because Theo was already getting hurt. Ava wanted to bolt from her chair and go look for her. Go look for whoever was there but she wouldn't have made it two steps in the tight-ass dress before three guards would be on her.

"If I give you the information, they will be tortured until they confirm what I said," Ava locked eyes with him, "you forget I am not new to this game, brother. In fact, that tactic is the one we used most with the Eloxian soldiers we captured and eventually killed. It was fun, to enact suffering to those that so often cause it."

It was a lie, they hadn't ever tortured Eloxian soldiers but Ava's other words still rang true.

Ulises' face flashed with a bit of disbelief; a slight twitch of his upper lip gave his irateness away. He recovered with a smile and a chuckle, "Sounds like someone finally cracked open a book that was not from the estate's approved library. The animosity, sister, you almost sound like a true pirate."

"I am a true pirate," Ava snapped back, and she wished that she had the misfortune of being on her brother Grant's ship instead. At least he was somewhat nicer. Then, for the first time, it dawned on her that Grant should have been on the lightbringer too, not on his own ship. He wasn't a navy man, he was better as a general on land. That meant, he was never given command of his own ship and on long journey's Grant was always on the same ship as Ulises. He should have been on the lightbringer, but he wasn't, "he's dead."

Ava couldn't help but laugh and Ulises frowned, confused, and having lost the reins of the conversation.

"Who?"

"Grant, my gods, he's dead" she laughed again as she used a phrase that was not considered polite, "he's dead and so is Hoffstater. You are so fucked when you get home."

Ulises lost his composure and slammed his fist into the table, some of the drinks spilling over.

"You dare laugh and make a mockery of them?" Ulises stood slowly and she looked up at him, "your friends won't be laughing soon enough."

Ulises left the room and Ava's heart began to race. She had fucked things up yet again. She should have kept her mouth shut. She stood up out of her chair and ran after him but she was stopped by the armored guards standing by the door, "Ulises I'm sorry! Please don't do anything to them."

She felt more tears falling and suddenly her vision was blurred with all the water in their way. She didn't want to beg but she couldn't do anything else. She was a blubbering mess as she sank to the floor. The guards had to drag her back to her quarters as she refused to walk. The comments at dinner and the helplessness of the situation rendered her a crybaby all night until eventually, she fell asleep in the soft bed.

---

It had taken her two fucking suns but she had finally done it. Under her bed were two planks of wood that she had managed to peel away from the floorboard. Her hands were bloodied, her fingernails torn up and she had splinter wounds in her hands. She had to resort to asking for gloves the past nights for dinner to hide her hands. She had finally done it; she had opened a hole big enough to squeeze through to the deck below her. The room under her, she had gathered from peeking down, was some type of a storage closet. In her time digging up the floor, she had heard people come in and out only a few times and at night, there had yet to be anyone.

Ava grabbed the crystal ball that her brother had foolishly left in her room and peeked below to the other room. She spotted an open crate of linens that had not been closed the whole time she had been there and drop her solid ball into it. Ava managed to slip into the hole, disappearing under her bed. She was hanging from the floor of her room, her feet not finding purchase on any of the boxes. Ava looked down below and swung her body just enough to let go and land on the bare floor. A dull thud went across the room and Ava wasted no time in hopping into the box of linens with her ball. She waited for a few minutes before getting out of her hiding space and trying the door.

It was unlocked and Ava took her time opening it without a creak. The hallway the storage room opened up into was empty and Ava darted from crevice to nook to doorway, trying to avoid being seen. There was no one in her path and she carefully climbed up the stairs and onto the deck. There would be no way to sneak around on deck, as she looked out, she saw the night sailors doing their jobs. Ava took a deep breath and simply walked out, having confidence like she was allowed to be outside. Ava took a moment to look out at the sea, the moonlight giving dim light over the deck and some of the water.

Ava took a moment, just the briefest second, to take a deep breath and feel the ocean's wind against her hair. Once she was done, she took a good look at the deck. There were several rooms. The windows in the captain's quarters were lit which meant her brother was still awake. Whatever she wanted to do, it had to be quick. The brig was in the bottom of the ship but Ava had overheard the guards outside her window complaining that standing guard outside on the deck had been brutal because of the sun. That clued her into the fact that whoever was here was being kept under guard on the main deck.

Two doors on the deck were being guarded, on the opposite side of the ship from her brother's room. One door had three guards outside of it while the other only had one. Ava wasn't even sure what she was doing or why she was doing it, but she needed to see who was on the ship. She needed to not be so in the dark. Being rescued was a distant hope, something that wouldn't likely happen, so Ava needed as much information as she could get so she could help them escape if the time came.

Ava walked up to the room with one guard and put on a smile.

"My brother told me I had permission to talk to the prisoner," Ava pointed to the keyring on his hip, "if you could open the door, I can ask the questions he needs me to, and then I'll be on my way back to bed."

"Of course, my lady," the man bowed his head a bit and then unlocked the door before turning around, "do you have a note from General Vaith? Or some sort of written command allowing you to do this?"

Ava pulled the ball out from where she had been hiding it behind her back. She lifted it high and threw it down at his legs with both hands. It hit one of his knees and he buckled, letting out a scream. Ava snatched the keys from his hands and jumped over him and into the room, locking the door behind her. Ava quickly turned and looked around the dark room, squinting her eyes to try and get a better sight of who was in there.

Propped him in the corner of the room was Morgana. The commotion had woken her, and she was blinking sleep out of her eyes as Ava approached. Morgana was bruised everywhere Ava could see skin. One hand was held over her chest, she was missing two fingers, bandages in the place where the appendages were. The rest of her hand was swollen, like it had been badly injured. There was dried blood along her face and arms and the shirt she was wearing was tattered and lacerated.

"Morgana!" Ava rushed forward and kneeled in front of her.

"What are you doing here, kid?" Morgana reached her other hand up and tapped Ava's cheek weakly, "Your brother sees you out of your room, you'll have hell to pay."

"What happened? Who is here? Shit," Ava shook her head, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I-I spoke back to him and then he left a few nights ago and I didn't think he'd actually go through with this."

"Oi," Morgana sat up with a groan and Ava could see the lashes she had taken on her side and back, "he's been hurting us since we got here. It was going to happen no matter what you did or didn't do. It's just me and Theo here from what I can tell. They are beating down on us pretty hard."

There was banging on the door as the other soldiers had begun to flock the outside of the room in an attempt to get in.

"What does he want from you?" Ava asked.

"He wants answers from Theo," Morgana said, "he's using me to try and get them."

Morgana was free of chains but there was no chance of leaving the room. Ava doubted she could walk. She was looking around for some way out without having to go through the door. The door was letting out small cracking noises, her head turned towards it in a panic. Her heart was beating, and she didn't know what to do. It had only been three total nights that they had been aboard, and Morgana did not look like she could take many more. There was no escape, not until they got to the land at least. Her focus was pulled by Morgana.

"If you think I'm bad, you should see Theo," Morgana said and grabbed Ava's hand, "they are feeding me. Letting me sleep. Bandaging up my injuries. They are breaking her, Red, they won't even let her have water. You've got to get to her."

"They're going to come in here," Ava replied, not knowing what to say.

"Leave before they break the door," Morgana said, "don't make it worse for yourself. Go."

"I'm coming out!" Ava stood up and walked towards the door, "quit your banging!"

Ava turned the lock but paused for a moment before she stepped out. She had to buy them time. She had to get Morgana and Theo to at least survive until they made it to Aubermasse, until Ava could figure out how to break them out of jail when they were there. Running wouldn't work. Fighting wouldn't work. Being rebellious wouldn't work. There was only one thing that would. She had to speak her family's language, she had to threaten their politics.

Ava turned the doorknob and left the door open behind her as she walked straight up to her brother, who had predictably rushed onto the deck to see what was happening. He was angry, wrinkles more prominent with his forehead scrunched up. He was preparing to say something when Ava held a finger up.

"We should have this conversation away from prying eyes, General, word about how a man of your station treats his sister will get around if we stay here," Ava had a sly smile on her face even though she was three seconds from pissing herself. He could very well knock the teeth from her mouth if he wished. Except he didn't, he gripped her arm and guided her to his quarters.

"You're a petulant, ill-mannered pest!" Ulises yelled and he had yet to lose his composure in this manner, "I cannot have you walking around my decks and fraternizing with the prisoners, Avery."

"Why? Because it will ruin the illusion that I was captured by pirates? Is that what you're feeding everyone?" Ava crossed her arms.

"I would hit you but if I do so, it would leave a bruise," he threatened.

"You are going to kill them before they break," Ava ignored her brother's ire and continued, her chest puffed out in faux confidence, "then you will show up to Aubermasse without a Navy, without your brother, and without any pirates to ease the outrage."

Ava watched as her brother, over a classification older than her, with endless tactical experience, realized that what she had said was true. His little sister had been correct. He had been using his emotions and pushing them too far. They were on the ocean without the medical equipment to sustain long-term torture.

"They will die eventually, your little tricks won't keep them breathing for long," Ulises hissed, he had yet to regain his composure. He walked past her and opened the door, "go back to your room."

"No, Ava shook her head.

"No?" Ulises raised an eyebrow and walked back over as menacingly as he could.

"I get free range of the ship. I can leave my room when I want and go where I want," Ava demanded and Ulises laughed, gripping her arm and bringing her towards the door. Ava jerked her arm away and looked up at him with a genuine smirk, "I will do as I please or I will run to court the minute we step foot in Aubermase and scream to the masses from the parapets of the estate that I am a nox. I am a filthy renouncer. I slept with The Captain Theo. I frequented the brothels in Niveal. And I killed the very men that would imprison me for it."

Defeat. That was the look on her brother's face. Ava felt powerful. She felt ten feet tall. She felt like she could take down an army. Abhorrence was the emotion oozing from him. Ava nodded in his direction and then pushed past him as she walked out of the room and back to her own.

----

It had been several hours since her daring escape and subsequent blackmail of her brother. The sun had not yet risen and it had been long enough that she was positive Ulises was asleep. With her free-range, she had a soldier escort her into the kitchen and helped her gather some supplies. She grabbed one of their fancy napkins that was used at dinner and snuck all manner of biscuits and pastries inside. In a waterskin, she poured water. Fearing it wasn't enough, she got an additional waterskin and put more in.

She dismissed the guard, knowing her way back to the deck. Walking up the stairs, she spotted the same three men guarding Theo's door. Ava walked near them, and they all stopped their conversations with each other and stood at attention. Ava folded her hands in front of her, tilting her head with a smile; she tried to appear as non-threatening as possible.

"Good evening, boys," Ava pushed the strategically placed strand of hair she had let fall out of clips back behind her ear, "mind if I get a few minutes with the prisoner?"

"Uh- I'm sorry ma'am. General Vaith said no one is allowed in there," one of the soldiers said.

Ava held a hand to her chest and dropped her mouth open, "Arnelo, is that you?"

"Yes, Lady Avery," the soldier nodded, "it is great to see you alive and in good health."

"It's been lengths and you're still stationed out here without a ship of your own?" Ava crossed her arms with a huff, "that simply won't do. If you let me in, I will make sure I let my father know just how crucial you were in my rescue and the journey back. Surely, he will be looking for some new captains soon, what with the tragedy at Corinspe and all."

They looked between each other, none of them wanting to be the one to take the offer. Ava shrugged, "Or, you can stand around in your uncomfortable armor all morning, aftermoning, and night watching over a prisoner that isn't going to run."

"What if the General finds out, my lady?" Arnelo asked in a whisper.

"You can say I threatened you," Avery leaned in too with a whisper, "you can say that I threatened to tell my father you violated my innocence if you did not let me in."

His eyes widened at the implication and he turned away from Ava. Arnelo seemed to be considering it for a minute. He looked at his colleagues, giving them a nod. They communicated back to him with a nod, and he turned around to begin opening the door. Once it was unlocked, he popped the door open. Ava was almost through the doorway before she reached down and removed the keyring from his pocket.

"I'll give this back shortly," Ava walked inside, shutting the door behind her. She switched from a laid-back demeanor into a frantic one.

It was dark but it looked like Theo was asleep. Her arms were chained to either side of her, out like a bird. Ava fumbled with the keys in the dark but eventually managed to get Theo out of one cuff and then the other. She had kneeled and helped keep Theo upright while the chains came off. Ava kept a hold on her as she reached into her dress and pulled out one of the waterskins. She shook Theo lightly, trying to have her head loll to one side to wake herself up. When Ava could tell she was coming to, she held the water to Theo's mouth. Theo drank, gulping down the water offered to her for a few seconds before coming to more fully.

Her eyes opened and Theo flinched. She looked around the room and realized her arms were unchained. Theo scrambled away from Ava and pushed herself into a corner, looking at Ava with a primal look. She couldn't explain it, she couldn't tell if it was fear, or anger, or hatred. Ava got a good look at Theo, her eyes having adjusted to the low light.

There were no visibly missing body parts, but blood stained almost every inch of what remained of her shirt and her pants. She was curled in on herself so Ava couldn't quite see the extent to her injuries but with the way she had struggled to move back and the way her position was hunched one way, it was clear her side was bothering her. She was breathing heavily with the effort from her escape to the corner. Ava got a good look on her face and saw a large cut over Theo's eyes, Ava's breath was caught in her throat as tears sprung to her eyes. She was about to say something but Theo spoke first.

"Haven't you done enough?" Theo asked, her voice breaking from the effort it took, "Why are you back?"

"Theo," Ava didn't even attempt to move forward, "I'm sorry it took so long for me to come. I've been trying to find a way out of my room."

"Leave," Theo whispered, "please, just go."

"I tried to swim us to safety, but I couldn't, they caught up to us," Ava shook her head, it seemed like she was having her own conversation. She frowned, trying to convey her apology with her expression as well.

"Why do you keep lying?" Theo shook her head and then brought her hands up to cover her ears.

"Lying?" Ava shook her head, "Theo, I don't understand."

"Did he tell you to come in and fuck with me?"

"What are you talking about?" Ava came off her knees and sat down, "Theo, he didn't send me. He doesn't know I'm here..."

"The show is over," Theo closed her eyes and pressed her hands into her ears further, "you got what you wanted. Leave me alone. Stop torturing me, please."

"What has he told you?"

"The truth," Theo whispered, "the truth about who you are and what he sent you to do for him."

Ava looked in front of her to see a shell of Theo, a person who had been deprived of everything needed to survive and told unspeakable lies. She saw someone who had been tortured for suns. Someone who had been subjected to the cruelties of her family.

"Whatever he told you is false," Ava said, calmly. She kept her sadness at bay and hysterics suppressed; Theo wouldn't react well to any of that, "I'm going to get us out of this. I promise."

"No one is left," Theo dropped her arms from her head, too tired to keep them up, "no one is left. You killed them all. You and Fletching. Everyone's gone. There is nowhere to run, Corinspe has fallen."

"Theo, we won," Ava frowned, "I'm not even sure how this ship survived. Every navy boat I saw was sinking or on fire when I brought us up to the surface."

"What do you gain from doing this?" Theo said in a pained whisper, "why do you keep insisting on hurting me? Your mission is complete. Please, just go."

Ava's heart broke with every sentence that Theo spoke. Her brother had done something, had lied to her about Ava. Had preyed on her fears. Nothing except getting Theo out of the hands of her brother would be able to convince Theo otherwise.

"Theo, I had no mission. I never lied to you about anything but my last name; I swear it," Ava said again, trying to see if one of her attempts at denying what Theo was saying would get through to her. Theo didn't seem to heed her words, Theo just fell silent; almost catatonic with how little energy she had left. Ava pulled the other waterskin and the napkin out of her dress. She slid it all towards Theo and silently got up.

"There is water and food," Ava stepped towards the door, "I will tell them to keep your chains off until my brother comes in the morning. I'll also instruct them to take any evidence of what I gave you... Please, drink and eat. I don't know when I can come back and give you more."

Theo didn't move. She stayed curled up in the corner, keeping her gaze down.

"What have they done to you?" Ava asked with a shake of her head and a quick intake of breath to keep from crying, "I'm going to get us out of this, I promise."

Ava turned around and walked out of the room, fighting the tears that wanted to flow. She handed the keyring back to Arnelo and gave him instructions for how to proceed. Before dawn, he would go in the room and chain Theo back up then remove any evidence that she had been helped. Her brother could not find out that Theo had been given any sort of sustenance if she wanted to keep Theo out of harm's way.

----

Ava didn't trust her brother to make due on his promise to cease torturing them. Of course she didn't, he was a Vaith. He had lied to her. He had lied to Theo. All he knew how to do was manipulate. So, she stayed on deck as much as she could, leaving only for a short nap when she knew her brother was busy. She had managed to get Arnelo to continue to help her. She played her own game of manipulation, using Arnelo's lengths of thankless service to her brother to her advantage. He was eager for a new rank, a ship to command, to make it past the part of his life where he was dismissed or yelled at for speaking. Promising him station and riches, things she could likely not get him, she had made him spy on her brother.

There would be a knock on her door when the General was on the move and Ava would awaken and sit on the deck. Keeping watch over the rooms her friends were inside. There were no other crewmates on board. Ava had asked every person on board, annoyed every soldier, and checked every room. It was only Theo and Morgana. She hoped that the others were alive, she hoped that they would be rescued, she hoped that Theo and Morgana wouldn't have to be in pain much longer. It had been three nights since Ava's visit to Theo and she couldn't get anyone to let her back in to give her more food. Not even Arnelo wanted to risk it a second time. No one budged to let her into Morgana's room either. But, she had managed to visit her brother yet again and threaten him into giving both of them the proper food and water needed to survive.

Ava only ever left the deck and her duty watching over her crew to go to dinner. While she could have gotten out of it, she didn't want to press her luck. It was also the only time of day where there was a meal cooked for her. Breakfast and lunch were not provided to her, thanks to Ulises, and by the time dinner rolled around she was too famished to argue herself out of a meal. It had been three nights since Ava's demanded to walk free and every night, her brother seemed to lose his grip on his emotions more and more. Able to be stone-faced like her father, Ulises had never had trouble reeling in the anger he carried inside him. He would harness it occasionally but it never reared its ugly head without his wanting to.

Now, it looked like he was unraveling. Every sun that passed that Ava ignored his questions and his insults and every sun that Ava was on the deck watching him and preventing him from reneging on his promises were wearing down on him. He would berate her, tell her that when she was at home, he couldn't wait to recommend to their father that she should be locked up in a stone room with no windows all hours of the sun. When she wouldn't react to him and just continue eating, he would get meaner. Nastier. More hateful.

It almost hurt less every time he said something. The only peace he had was to hurt her and she was denying him that. If someone like her brother thought poorly of her, then it meant she was doing something right. Only one time did she slip up. One night, she had gotten slapped so hard that there were white spots in her vision for a good ten minutes after. She had been called a renouncer and she couldn't bite her tongue. She taunted him, saying that she had most likely slept with more women than he had. It was a low shot, but it felt good to see the scandal in his eyes.

In the three nights since she had been allowed to roam about, she had taken to staying up in the crow's nest at night. Keeping company with the sailor who stayed as the nighttime lookout. They had formed a rather amicable relationship. He would allow her to use the spyglass at times and she would keep watch. It was the dark hours of the morning when they spotted the first ship they had seen the whole journey. They were entering what would be their fifth sun on the sea and there had been no hope for Ava until then. The words of Xyra during her training bounced around her head: if we are ever in control of an attack on another ship, we do it at night.

Ava saw the ship through the looking glass but decided not to react. She kept her spyglass moving, occasionally glancing back to the area it was in to see if she could make out its colors. She couldn't. After a while, he asked for the spyglass back and Ava reluctantly gave it up. After a few minutes of looking, he had seen what she had.

"Spotted a ship!" he called out below and Ava held in a groan of frustration.

If that was Xyra, she had once again failed. She should have kept the spyglass and used her station as leverage, allowing the ship to get closer to them before the lightbringer was made aware. Ava could feel the anticipation buzzing through her. Her eyes kept switching from the sailor with the spyglass to the ocean and then back to him again. The seconds passed like molasses and Ava felt herself getting more and more anxious.

"It's Navy colors! They need a healer!" the lookout called down below.

Ava's heart sank. Every bit of hope that she had felt seeped from her body and dripped down the crow's nest. Preparations were underway, the crew below scrambling to prepare to get boarded and bring injured men onto their ship.

"Can I have the spyglass again?" Ava asked, wanting to give the ship one last look.

"No, Lady Avery," he replied, "I can't have you bothering me none for the spyglass but there are many more in the armory if you want."

Ava nodded and said her goodbyes before beginning to climb down the mast. People rushed past, not paying much attention to her. She made her way into the lower decks, squeezing herself past groups of soldiers that were blocking the way to the armory. She entered the room she had been looking for, finding it filled with more soldiers.

"Hello," she called out to one of the men towards the front of the room, "I need a spyglass, please. I was told to come get one from down here."

The soldier looked annoyed, like he wanted to sigh and roll his eyes but in the presence of a Vaith he wouldn't dare to. When he turned around, Ava noticed a small pile of daggers on a crate where he had just been. She looked around to see if anyone was looking and reached forward to pull one of the daggers from the pile, slipping it into the front of her dress carefully. The soldier walked back shortly after with a spyglass and she thanked him before running back up to the deck.

She found a corner of the deck that looked relatively undisturbed, with minimal movement from soldiers and she walked there. There was a stack of crates that she climbed on and sat at the top of, pulling out the spyglass and training it on the incoming ship. It was illogical to think she could escape using the new ship but there was no harm in scoping out to see if she could. The ship that was approaching was not small, by any means, but the lightbringer dwarfed its size. There was no way she could defeat everyone on the ship, transfer Morgana and Theo onto it, and sail away by herself but she still couldn't shake the last bit of hope she was clutching on to.

Her eyes were trained on the helm of the ship, where there was a man in a captain's hat standing next to the person navigating. Everyone donned uniforms of the navy, but something seemed off about the man navigating. Her spyglass was trained on the figure for quite some time. Minutes passed and the ship got closer, and Ava still did not waver in her focus on the navigator.

Then, she caught another figure walking up the stairs. The soldier's build was tall, a projection of strength. The gait was familiar, one that favored one leg over the other, and Ava sat up against the boxes she was leaning against as she saw the interaction between the new figure and the person with their hands at the wheel. Ava wasn't sure if she was right about who it was until the figure turned around and went back down the stairs.; The figure took a moment to look up and around and when they did, Ava caught a glimpse of their face. It was Xyra. The navigator was Navi. Her crew was there to rescue them.

-------

The sky was filled with smoke and fire. The sloop had been saved from any major damages thanks to its position in the fleet, kept a bit far from a lot of the first waves of violence and action. They had eventually managed to get to one of the lightbringers when it had already been taken over by pirates. Xyra had walked onto the deck of the massive ship to find one of the Vaith brothers hanging from the mast. It was Grant Vaith, Hoffstater's direct boss and General of the army. By the time they had managed to climb aboard the lightbringer, the sea was filled with people in need of rescue and the remnants of a crushing defeat against The Center were all around them. Ships, both theirs and the Navy's were in the process of sinking, their debris scattered throughout the area. Some ships were wrecked against the reef. Many other Navy ships were intact, the sheer number of vessels the pirates had at their command were enough to surprise and overwhelm them with minimal damage inflicted. Many crews went down without a fight, surrendering when hundreds of pirates boarded their ship. With their numbers and the advantage of the reef, they had won. It wasn't easy. There were many lives lost but they had fucking won.

Once the lightbringer was confirmed to have been secured and rid of all enemies, Xyra gave the call to leave the ship and board their own to head back to shore. On their way back to shore, Xyra and Cooker didn't miss the fact that The Scorned Woman was nowhere to be seen. It had most likely sunk in battle. Hoping the crew aboard the ship had swum back or caught a ride to the docks, they both rushed through the crowded streets of Corinspe in search of their captain once the sloop reached land. The docks and its surrounding area had become a makeshift hospital with healers and non-healers alike trying to help the injured. As Xyra ran, she was stopped with a bloody grip on her arm.

Cooker crashed into Xyra and they both stumbled before stopping. Xyra faced the person who had grabbed her, Tuni, and shook her head, "The ship's gone. We are going to Grog's now to see if anyone is there."

Tuni was frowning and Xyra placed a hand on the back of Tuni's head as she pressed a kiss to her forehead, "I will find Morgana for you."

Tuni said nothing. She nodded and released Xyra, then went back to her patient and Xyra continued to run forward. Grog was upon them in a few minute's time and a quick scan of the area showed it to be absent of any of their crew. However, she caught sight of Captain Blue who had been on the Scorned Woman with Theo. Xyra rushed forward and gripped his shoulders.

"Where is she?" Xyra asked frantically with no composure.

"I don't know," Blue put his hands over Xyra's and shrugged, "we were sinking, and we had to abandoned ship. I had seen her fighting with Hoffstater and then she went down into the deck but we had to jump into the water before I could see her come out."

"You didn't go see if she needed to be rescued?!" Xyra dropped her grip on Blue just to shove him back.

"I had my own crew and yours to worry about! We had to get the fuck out of there and Theo wasn't there to help. There was no time!," Blue exclaimed.

"Cooker, stay here. Wait to see if anyone comes back," Xyra turned on her heel and booked it back towards the dock, looking for any sign of Theo.

She must have run for an hour, bobbing and weaving through crowds, stopping familiar faces, and yelling out for Theo. Nothing came of it. She had barely even found any of her own crew that had been scattered on other ships and boats. Xyra had sweat dripping down every part of her body and she had been out of breath for longer than she could remember but the adrenaline kept her from stopping. She ran back to Grogs to thankfully find a familiar face next to Cooker. Iona was standing there, some blood on her shirt but it didn't look to be her own.

Iona caught a glimpse of Xyra and ran to meet her, instead of waiting for Xyra to arrive. Her face was screwed up in concern and her eyes were rimmed red from crying, "Xy, it's Pearl."

"What's wrong?" Xyra felt like she was going to blackout from the flood of emotions that came with the worry that something had happened to one of her officers.

"Please come, she hasn't got much left," Iona said, and she couldn't keep back the sob that escaped her lips.

Xyra nodded and took Iona's hand, tugging her along as they made for the docks, "Come on, take me to her."

Iona took the lead once she had recovered somewhat and she rushed them over to the makeshift medical area. As they approached, Xyra could see Tuni was holding something to Pearl's stomach. Tuni looked over at Xyra and shook her head, Pearl wasn't going to make it. Xyra breath was almost knocked out of her as the reality that Pearl and many others would not see the morning light began to settle in. She kept her face from showing that sadness, however, and knelt down to grip one of Pearl's hands in her own and propped a hand under her head. Looking down, she could see the blood from a stab wound that had gone deep in her stomach.

Pearl was having a hard time breathing but she smiled at Xyra. Xyra smiled back, blinking tears back.

"Not much of a fighter," Pearl joked and Xyra couldn't help but laugh, "we did it."

"We did," Xyra nodded, "thank you. For everything."

"I'm sorry you're going have to find my replacement," Pearl joked and Xyra laughed again, ignoring the fact that she was no longer first mate and wouldn't oversee her replacement.

"It just might make me retire, I do not think I can find anyone to command the scrub team as well as you do," Xyra smiled.

"Rowdy fuckers," Pearl chuckled and groaned, it wasn't in her nature to curse and it made Xyra shake her head with a chuckle. Then, Pearl got serious for a moment, her smile fading, "when you find Oceane, please tell her I love her."

"I will."

"Where is she?"

"I have not seen her. She was with Theo and Theo hasn't gotten back yet," Xyra said, not wanting to admit to Pearl that The Scorned Woman had gone down and Oceane was missing along with their captain.

"This is going to be hard for her. She won't have me or Red or her family. You need to help her," Pearl asked, and her bottom lip began to quiver, "I don't want to die."

"I know," Xyra felt tears falling down and she just wished she could be strong and not make things worse for Pearl but she couldn't. Xyra, who was usually the perfect example of being stoic and strong had nothing left in her to try and pretend she wasn't sad. She put her hand on Pearl's cheek, "I am sorry."

Pearl struggled to catch her next breath but she regained a smile, "I've got others to say goodbye to."

"Of course," Xyra bent down and kissed Pearl's cheek, "goodbye."

"Tell Theo that the lengths I spent on her ship were the best of my life," Pearl took as deep of a breath as she could.

"I am sure she would give anything to say goodbye to you in person... I will make sure she knows," Xyra nodded and then stepped back. She wiped stray tears and she let Cooker step in, giving them their privacy.

Even in the chaos of everything, Xyra stayed put. Pearl didn't deserve a rushed death, she didn't deserve to feel like there was something more important. By the time Cooker was finishing with Pearl, she was struggling to catch her breath and keep her eyes open. All of them surrounded her, kneeling around her makeshift cot. Xyra reached out to hold her hand and Pearl squeezed it a bit before it went slack, and she was gone.

Xyra allowed herself one moment to close her eyes and mourn. But it was only a moment, she could spare no time for sadness until her entire crew was safe and accounted for. Xyra left everyone kneeling around Pearl and ran back to Grog's. In a rare moment, Xyra prayed to Riva that Theo would be there when she arrived. But as Xyra came to a stop, her captain was not there. Xyra pushed her hair out of her face and caught her breath as she squatted down. They had been so close to coming out on top. They had been a hair away from everything going according to plan. But now, Theo was missing and much of her vanguard was unaccounted for. Xyra stood up from her crouch and began to walk towards the dock, already thinking of what to say when she rallied the crew together.

----------

In just a few hours, things had moved quickly. Before dawn broke, the crew of The Scorned Woman had a new captain, a new mission, and new information that gave them a semblance of hope in finding their lost crew members. All the survivors from The Center and the pirates who had lived through the attack were accounted for. Most of their crew had survived and were confirmed to be alive. Pearl had been their only confirmed death. Another dozen of her crew were missing, presumed dead. Skins and a new carpentry girl as well as two girls from the scrub team had not been found. They were on smaller ships, further from the action, but their ship had sunk, and no one had seen them since. In addition, eight of the vanguard members including Morgana, Oceane, Ava, and Theo were gone. Only Morgana had been confirmed to been seen alive as The Scorned Woman sank. Iona said that Morgana had told them all to go and get to safety as she went back under the deck to search for Theo.

With so many of the officers gone, Tuni had once again become the acting captain. Cooker and Xyra having been removed from their positions were not given the title. Tuni relinquished her position which devolved power to Navi. Navi, as her first act as captain, called for the reinstatement of Xyra as the first mate. The crew, which had slowly become reunited and had not left each other since unanimously voted for her reinstatement. Navi's second act as captain was to appoint Cooker to be her advisor, which was opposed by no one. Navi's thrid act as captain was giving her resignation from the position; which landed Xyra in the position of Captain, with Cooker as her advisor.

Xyra had to use every trick in her book to keep from freezing up, her worst nightmare had come true. Theo leaving them and her becoming captain of a crew she knew she couldn't lead the way they needed. She was handed down the title and immediately pulled Cooker into a secluded room and went over what was in her head. They needed to interrogate the navy survivors who had been rounded up in order to question them of possible escape routes and plans the Navy kept as a backup for failing. Then they needed to send out some of the pirates as hired crew to travel to Aubermasse and The Center in order to report back about any trials for Theo and the other missing pirates in case they had been captured. Finally, they would need to send out another crew of both hired help and themselves to go looking for Theo. No one was to be pronounced dead until they had expended all of the avenues available to them.

As Xyra was strategizing at Cooker rather than with her, Cooker was glossy-eyed and distant, like she had already given up. She had heard that Theo had gone under and never came up and it was instant pessimism, her mood shifting as if they were at a funeral. Xyra couldn't afford to do that though. Theo was out there, she knew it. Xyra told Cooker to relay the message of what was going to happen to who she could. To begin to gather pirates from other crews to help them. They would be willing to pay per crew member that signed up and per ship that was provided.

As Cooker went to spread the news, Xyra went to do what she did best. Several hours of torture and blood splashing across her face as she mercilessly pulled information from the soldiers yielded several possible routes that Navy ships escaping could take. Another hour and she had secured the route that all ships had agreed to eventually converge on. Just like that, the hunt for their captain and missing crew had begun.

-----

As Ava realized who was on the other ship, she stood up on the crate, keeping the looking glass held to her eye. She made herself taller by climbing on the highest stacked crate in hoping that anyone on the crew would realize they had help aboard. Ava thanked herself for grabbing a dagger in the armory, the risk of swiping it had paid off and she would be armed when the boarding commenced. She was anxiously awaiting their arrival, waiting for the moment they were caught, and the fight would break out. The ship had gotten close enough for the crews to communicate with each other. The lightbringer's first mate yelled to the other ship to state their business. She dropped her spyglass and readied herself for battle, pulling the dagger out of her dress but keeping it behind her back.

The voice that returned from the other ship, however, was not Xyra's but the gruff voice of the man in the Captain's hat. He spoke almost in code; Ava couldn't quite understand, it was sailor jargon and military speak. Everything seemed fine though, the first mate had accepted the answer and the fight was temporarily thwarted. The first mate stepped away from the side and then called out for the crew to begin preparing for boarding. He made his way to the captain's quarters and knocked. As the grapples came on to hook onto the edge of the ship, Ava's brother stepped out of the room and stood in front of his door with his hands behind his back, waiting for the captain of the other ship to step on and greet him.

The other captain stepped on board and Ava watched as the person she had been tracking, Xyra, stepped on alongside him. Healers and soldiers alike flooded out of the lightbringer and onto the other ship to help with whatever emergency they had signaled for. The Captain of the other ship didn't keep walking forward to greet Ulises though, as was the common procedure; he stayed near the edge of the deck. Ava climbed down from the crates, sneaking her way inch by inch towards the room with the three guards in front of it, Theo's all while keeping her eyes on what was happening.

Her brother's suspicion piqued, and he began to walk forward at the exact moment that a flood of people dressed in soldier uniforms began running from the deck of Xyra's ship over onto the lightbringer. More soldiers poured out from under their decks as well. Ava used that moment where everyone was rushing into a surprise attack to rush to the guards in front of the door. They were running off, but she had been close enough to the door to reach out and take Arnelo's hand and stop him.

"Give me your key!"

"No, Lady Vaith! The prisoner must be locked away," Arnelo shook his head.

"Those pirates will strike you down in a minute, you won't last out there! Help me rescue her and they will be more inclined to spare your life," Ava argued, keeping a tight grip on his arm as swords clashing rang all around them.

Arnelo nodded and turned to unlock the door and the moment he turned the key, Ava slammed the doorknob down and rushed into the room. Ava went immediately to Theo's side and began to lightly tap Theo's cheek to wake her as Arnelo worked on undoing her shackles. Before Theo came to and could get away from Ava, she spoke up.

"Captain," Ava said and began to pick Theo up, "they are here to rescue us. We have to go."

Theo began to wake up, but she was too weak to stand on her own or get away from the grip Ava had on her.

"Get away from me," Theo said weakly, she sounded delirious "he'll come back. You lied. You said he wouldn't."

Through the open door, a body of a soldier fell, and someone stepped over it; Cooker came into the room after taking her sword out of the man's back. She pulled out her handcannon, pointing it in the direction of Arnelo. Her head turned and she shouted towards the entrance, "Get the message to Xy that we've got Theo! She's here!"

Cooker looked back over to the group and cocked her gun, smirking, "'Ello fucker. Haven't' gotten to try this in close range yet, thanks for the opportunity."

"Don't shoot!" Ava called out, "he's helping me get Theo out of here."

Cooker took her first good look at Theo and her face instantly dropped, forgetting about the soldier in the room.

"Are you fucking insane?" Cooker put her weapon in its holster and walked over, taking Theo from Ava's arms and laying her back down, "it's a shitshow outside, and she can't walk. She has to stay here."

More of their crew had piled into the room, protecting the rescued captain from harm by blocking and guarding the doorway.

"We have to go, she can't stay," Ava said urgently.

"The ship is going to be ours, Red," Cooker looked up at her, "they stand no chance. As we speak, the lightbringer is falling."

The relief was instant and Ava let out a deep sigh.

"Arrest her Cooker," Theo sat up after being laid down, she held her side as she sat up. Her chest heaved, tired from that small movement, "she's been a spy this whole fucking time."

Cooker frowned and snapped her head over to Ava.

"No, I tried to save us both but they found us," Ava began to shake her head as she scooted away, "my brother lied to her. Cook, I swear. I don't know what he's told her but she's convinced I'm evil. You know me, I'm not."

Cooker's eyebrows furrowed as she looked back at Theo slowly, sending a questioning look her way.

"It's a command, Cooker," Theo said as she grunted trying to stand herself up, "bloody arrest her, she's with them."

Cooker nodded and three pirates grabbed her arms, one of them Iona. Ava looked over at the girl she considered a friend, someone who had visited her in prison despite everything, she shook her head trying to tell her she was innocent but Iona quickly looked away, there was guilt on her face that she was trying to hide. Arnelo was also seized, and they were dragged outside. Ava looked across the deck to see Morgana's room open with pirates surrounding the outside. In the few minutes since boarding, the crew of the lightbringer had been overwhelmed and as Ava took in the sight of the deck, she saw navy-dressed pirates tying up the survivors. Sitting on a crate, a large gash on his arm and blood running down his chin was her brother. His hands were behind his back and Xyra was holding a hand cannon to his head. Xyra was closely observing Theo's doorway and as Ava was being escorted out, they caught each other's eye. Xyra's gaze followed her as Ava was pushed to her knees in the middle of the deck and had her hands tied behind her back. She was surrounded by Baethan loyals.

Xyra broke their eye contact and turned back to face the direction of Theo's door. She shouted out something in a different language, Ava couldn't tell which one she had chosen to use but Cooker stepped out of the room a few seconds later. As she crossed the threshold, she answered back in the same language, and they had a quick conversation before she ducked past the pirates guarding and into the room again. Xyra didn't seem pleased with how the conversation went, given the fact that Xyra refused to look back over it was most likely a conversation about her.

As Ava sat on the deck, no pirates meeting her eye, she watched as soldiers were escorted from the lower decks up the main one. It was quiet for a while. There should have been talking, yelling, bantering but the ship was devoid of any conversation or commands. It was still dark outside, but the sky began to give off the faintest bit of light from the approaching sun. Slowly, each room was cleared, and a hundred soldiers were on deck. She noticed that before a solider was put on his knees and tied up, their ribs were checked to see if they were a conscript. The few that had been were being let free. Once the last soldier was brought up, checked, and forced to his knees, Xyra whistled loudly.

Eventually, after a few minutes had passed, Theo walked out of the room she was being kept in. She did so by herself, without support or help from any of the pirates around her. Ava didn't know how she was standing by herself let alone walking. She crossed the small distance to where Xyra was, coming to stand in front of her. Ava watched as they had a short, hushed conversation. By the end of it, Xyra nodded, and her mouth formed a tight line as she straightened up. Theo stepped away and faced the crowd of captives.

"There will be compensation for you in gold and a trip to somewhere remote where you can make your own way home or start over," Theo spoke, voice louder than Ava had been expecting, "All you have to do is speak up now, we will bring you along with us and you will give information that we want. A simple trade."

The words took a few seconds to set in but that was all it took before half a dozen people stood up. Followed by a dozen. Ava leaned over to Arnelo, who had been placed next to her, and whispered, "You need to do it."

He shook his head, "I would know nothing they will kill me anyway."

"They keep their word... I know them well," Ava tried to convince him to go, to be safe.

"I am not a person to them," Arnelo whispered, and his head hung a bit, "I will give them something they don't want, and then I will die."

Ava couldn't argue against that. Theo was a woman of her word, but these were Eloxian soldiers she was dealing with, not common folk. If Arnelo didn't want to, he was allowed to make that decision. Ava looked ahead again to see the volunteers being escorted below decks, to be put in a cell. Then, some soldiers that were not volunteers were also taken below; she wasn't sure if the people they chose were random or if it was calculated. The rest of the soldiers that remained on deck began to be taken to the smaller ship, hooked onto the lightbringer. Ava could barely see the other deck, but she managed to catch a glimpse of them all being escorted down below into the belly of the other ship.

Ava was alone on the deck, with only her brother a dozen feet away and pirates from her own crew and others standing around waiting for instruction. Theo said something to Xyra which prompted Xyra to begin walking over to Ava. She stood behind her and lifted her up, escorting her to Theo.

"I'm sorry, Red," Xyra whispered, "I couldn't convince her that you were clean."

Ava shook her head and tried to turn to face Xyra to beg her to not give in, that Theo had been lied to but it was too late she was already standing in front of Theo within a few seconds. Xyra let her go and then walked to her brother, roughly standing him up too. Ulises wasted no time spitting right in Theo's face. Theo stayed still for a moment then chuckled, reaching up to wipe it off.

"I've lost track of time, but I do believe it was quite recently that we were in an opposite position, you wiping my spit off your face," Theo reached forward and grabbed the dagger from Xyra's side. In a blink, she quickly sliced it across his eye, leaving a more superficial mark than her own but one that hurt, "there, now we match."

He tried to spit at her once again, but she anticipated it, ducking quickly to the side before it could land on her. She reached forward and grabbed his face in her hand and squeezed as hard as she could, "My crew is going to have quite the party with you... They've been dreaming of this for quite a long time, General."

Theo stayed silent and simply stared him down for a few beats.

"I will let you get acquainted with your new home," Theo let go of him and turned to Cooker with a nod, "Tie him to the mast."

Cooker nodded and took Iona to go tie Ulises up to the mast, exposed to the elements and to be seen by all who were on deck.

Theo finally looked over at Ava whose hands were still tied behind her. She took a few steps to the side until she stood in front of Ava. Theo took the same dagger that had just sliced her brother and held it under her chin, tilting it up towards her.

"It almost worked out in your favor," Theo hummed, "you were so close to tasting victory."

"Theo, please," Ava shook her head, "I had nothing to do with anything my brother told you."

"Avery Vaith, you are a proven liar," Theo dropped her dagger and closed the distance between them, "return to your estate and tell your father what happened to your brother. Tell him, he is next."

Theo stepped away and turned her head to Xyra, nodding once again. Xyra grabbed Ava by the arm and began to lead her away.

"Theo, no!" Ava screamed and tried to pull away from Xyra. The other girl was too strong, and Ava had to throw herself back and let her legs give out in order to form any kind of resistance, "I tried to help you! Please believe me!"

Theo, even with the pain each step caused her, went over to Ava. Xyra stopped and Theo stared Ava down, trying to get a read on her. Trying to see if she could decipher what the girl was feeling. It was desperation and fear, but Theo was torn. Her mind was tugging her two ways. Ava could be telling the truth and she had tried to help Theo, she never wanted Theo dead or hurt. Or, she could be lying like she had been lying all along. It could just be an extension of her elaborate ruse, just enough to stay alive and escape the wrath of her father for failing.

"What was that last part?" Theo asked, tilting her head.

"I tried to help you," Ava repeated.

"And he beat me unconscious for it," Theo recalled, "Like a fool, I believed you when you came to help. I drank and I ate just like you told me, and I got 10 lashes for it; that was just to start with."

"No," Ava frowned and shook her head, "I stood watch outside your door almost every minute I could. I was trying to protect you. That wasn't supposed to happen! He told me he would stop. I didn't do what he told you I did."

"How did he know who my parents were, Avery? How did he know we were involved? How did he know the things he knew?" Theo asked and Ava's face turned into an expression of shock.

"I don't know, Theo, I don't know but I didn't answer any of his questions! Please, I promise."

Ava's eyes softened into a plea. Theo's hurt lurched and then her stomach churned. She was in a battle; she didn't know what to believe. Theo's worst fears had come true and then it was used against her, and she didn't know what was real and what wasn't. But she couldn't take the risk. Theo said nothing else, she turned her head and sent Xyra off again. Theo listened as Ava struggled her hardest against Xyra's hold on her but Theo wasn't watching, her back was turned.

"If you let them take me back, I won't ever see the outside of my estate walls again!" Ava cried out.

"I am counting on it," Theo replied over her shoulder.

It was taking every last effort Theo had to stand up. She had none to spare to keep her tears in. She turned her back to the crew and brought her hand up to her face to wipe away the stinging tears. The calls and the struggle had stopped as every member of the other crew, including Avery, was now tied up below the decks of the other ship. The sails on that ship had been torn by pirates once the lightbringer was secure. Which meant that it would take the other crew at least a full sun to untie themselves from their bindings and hoist up new sails. Giving the lightbringer just enough time to disappear. Once Theo had managed to compose herself, she turned to face her crew again and called Navi over.

"Give the command to set sail for Corinspe," Theo said, "we've got a lot of business to attend to."

-----

Stay tuned for the epilogue coming in a few weeks! There will be a second book, so the series will continue! This is the end, but just for book one. Thank you for reading this far! Join the discord in my bio for a place to discuss the book or get updates about the next one!