“You better hop to it. If he sees you over here, you’re kraken bait,” Willy—the youngest and nicest of all the pirates—said before he ran across a plank and joined in.
With a fortifying breath, I followed him across, keeping my fingers crossed that I didn’t misstep and fall the very, very,verylong way down to the sea and my death.
Don’t look down, don’t look down, don’t look down.
As I pulled my sword out, I jumped onto the other ship’s deck, hoping that no one would notice me and I could just pretend to be helping.
But that ship sailed only a moment later when a merchant attacked me with his own sword. I saw the blow coming from a mile away and parried with ease, hopping out of the way, falling back on my training and letting muscle memory take over.
He came at me again, but I smacked his sword with my own hard enough his arm flew to the side. The man’s eyes widened in shock before narrowing and attacking me again. I parried that swing just as easily, then decided I didn’t want to be here all day and attacked him instead.
I swung my sword in an arch, but the guy blocked me. That was okay. I wanted to see a few of his moves so I could find a way through his block.
We parried a few more times before I finally saw my opening and slashed across his chest. With a wince of sympathy as he cried out—I’d never drawn blood like that before—I used his distraction to knock his sword arm to the side, step close, and hit the guy in the temple with my sword’s hilt.
He fell to the ground in a heap, and I took a deep breath, not even realizing until that moment how heavily I was breathing.
I didn’t have time to catch my breath.
Another merchant attacked me, and I blocked his blow with my sword. I really wished I’d grabbed some arm bracers or something so I’d have something else to block with, but there was nothing I could do about that right now.
If I made it through this, I was definitely going hunting for some.
I swung, and he blocked and stabbed his sword at me again. I met his swing with one of my own, and our swords hit so hard, I felt it reverberate up my arm, and we both took a step back.
“Damn, Ghost, look at you,” Hawk-Eyes said as she fought another merchant beside me. “Who knew you were good with a sword?”
I’d been on this pirate ship for nearly two weeks now, and not a single person had asked me what I did for work in Sunada. If they had, they would’ve known that I was pretty damn good with a sword.
I couldn’t help but laugh as I parried my opponent’s latest swing. To Hawk-Eyes, I panted out, “I was a blacksmith’s apprentice.”
My breathing became labored as I fought with everything I had. This wasn’t like practicing with my master. This man wanted to cause harm, perhaps even kill me. This was fighting for my life, and I was never more grateful than I was right now for all of the lessons Master Silas Redman had taught me. He’d been a renowned soldier in the Sunada Imperial Fleet until he’d lost his leg twenty-five years ago. Then he’d taken on the trade passed down from his father, and he’d been teaching me everything he knew.
From blacksmithing to fighting and everything in between.
A jolt of sadness rushed through me. I’d never see Master Redman again.
A sword came flying close to my face, and I shook myself out of the memory before my stupid brain ended up getting me killed. While I was still distracted, my attacker got a good swipe in on my left bicep, making me hiss in pain as blood soaked my shirt. Well, crap.
As quickly as I could, I went on the attack, and the surprise on my opponent’s face would’ve been hysterical in any other instance. A smirk formed on my lips a moment before I faked right, swung left, stepped in close, and knocked the guy’s sword hand with the hilt of my sword.
He hissed out in pain, his grip loosening on the handle, and I took advantage. I lifted my sword and swung down hard against his. It didn’t make him drop it, but I pulled the dagger out with my free hand and smacked the guy’s wrist with the butt of the knife.
Thatfinally had him dropping his weapon, and I pointed my sword right against his throat.
The man froze, staring with wide, fearful eyes, and I shot him a smirk before bringing the dagger’s handle up and smacking him in the temple. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fell to the ground.
Holy phoenix tails. I knocked out two people.
I’d never knocked anyone out in my life.
Good thing I’d been watching Reaper do it so I knew how.
I didn’t have time to celebrate—I mean, was this celebration material? I’d hurt someone. Two someones.
Before I could think on that, another aeronaut was right there, taking the guy’s place.
“Why in the holy goblin claws are there so many of them?” I muttered to myself.
