Realm Wars

"I might help," Fifi said, and both Ryu and Kai looked at her.

"If this just not making you sick, I think I can do it." 

The gloom and doom on Kai's face disappeared, and his canines sparkled on display as he grinned wide. "Really?"

Fifi nodded and placed a finger on Kai's forehead. There was a light glow on the tip of her finger, followed by electrical veins that flowed from her to Kai.

Kai gasped, and Ryu watched all of this in rapt attention.

After a short moment, Kai blinked when he could no longer feel that seasick motion.

"Wha-!" he flashed a toothy grin, eyes sparkling at Fifi.

"I just numb your senses a little. The good news is, you won't feel too much seasick, but the bad news is, your senses are reduced to half," Fifi explained, but Kai just hopped to his feet.

Jumping on his toes, his face was ecstatic, and Kai grabbed Fifi's hand. "Marry me!"

Due to shock, Fifi let out an electric shock, and Kai yelped when electricity almost burned him to crisp. He let go of Fifi's hand and backed away a little, blowing cold healing air to his injured limbs.

"S-sorry. But you shouldn't tease me like that!" Fifi was red all over, and bolts and bolts of electricity ran through her body.

She then cleared her throat and said with one eye open, "It's not permanent. Every four hours, it'll weaken, so I have to numb your senses again."

"That's fine!" Kai said, and rolled his shoulders and flexed his knees. He was beaming with energy. "I owe you two for helping me out. Especially you, shorty. The name's Kai, by the way."

"Ryu."

"S-shorty. . ." Fifi's cheeks puffed, but then she sighed the air she held. "Fifi."

"Fifi and Ryu." Kai was like a new person with his dark skin glowing. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me! I'm quite strong, you know."

Ryu and Fifi glanced at each other, and Ryu asked. "If you're strong, then why are you poor?"

"Geh." Kai looked away. "Well. .. I have a. . .  gambling habit. .. that. . ." Kai murmured incoherent words before he coughed between his fist. "Anyway, I'll treat you two to breakfast. Let's go to the dining hall downstairs!"

Kai laced a hand on Ryu's shoulders and guided him towards the stairs when an explosion drew their attention forward.

Boom!

"What's that!" Fifi hid behind Ryu and peeked from his shoulder.

Kai and Ryu ran towards the edge of the deck like the others while Fifi followed closed behind them.

"Woah!" Kai's eyes rounded, and Ryu didn't blink when they saw two pirate ships attacking a noble's ship hundreds of meters in front of them.

"What's going on?" Ryu mumbled when the two ships bombarded another ship while swarms of people dressed in ragged outfits stormed the other boat.

"Pirates!"

"Pirates?" Ryu asked nobody.

Kai nodded, face serious. "They're numerous in these oceans. They target noble's ships and kidnapped rich kids for ransom."

"A-are we going to be okay?" Fifi asked, shaking.

"Usually, Pirates target nobles. They rarely laid eyes on another pirate ship like this. Unless.. ." 

"Unless?" Fifi urged Kai to finish his sentence.

Kai grinned. "Unless They have a personal grudged against the captain of this ship."

Bam!

Everyone's attention flicked to the captain's cabin when the Captain, Skull, trotted out. Her wavy black hair was freely swaying against the winds, and her brown skin was nothing but smooth, with scars loitering all over her body. Her swords at each side glimmered like they were thirsty for blood, and her face portrayed nothing but confidence.

She was accompanied by two bulky men in raggedy clothing, face full of beard and menacing.

"Listen up, ye lots!" Skull said, "As we traverse the Nightmare Sea, we'll encounter pirates 'n even yer scallywag scavenger mateys 'n sea creatures 'n beasts. Thar will be skirmishes 'n fights, so I hope everybody be ready t' defend themselves when that time comes."

Skull waves of laughter boomed, and she drank a barrel of beer in one gulp. She grinned, showing her yellow stained teeth and her voluptuous hips tilted to the side. "If ye're in trouble, don't expect me 'n me crew t' save yer asses! If ye get thrown into the ocean, I won't stop fer ye! If ye get scuttled, I'll toss yer body in the sea! Rule number one in the ocean! Every scallywag fer hisself!"

She then disappeared inside her cabin, leaving dumbfounded mercenaries on the deck.

Kai whistled. "Definitely my type."

Ryu wondered if every woman, human and not, were Kai's type. He just wanted to marry Fifi a while ago, and now his attention was on the captain.

"I-I think I better go and tell master." Fifi scrambled in panic before she flew lightning-fast inside the quarters.

"Are we going to be attacked?" Ryu asked. This was a question that everybody on deck wanted answers to.

Kai scratched his blonde hair. "Maybe, maybe not. But it seemed that captain Skull still wanted to pass near those three boats."

Pass the boats? The area near those boats was like a sea of flames, and the screams of death scraped their ears even from hundred meters away.

"We can't go around it?" Ryu didn't want to fight pointless battles if he didn't have to.

"We are still in the shallow parts of the Nightmare Sea. Some rocks and reefs could damage the ship if we strayed from the usual route. The pirates know this. That's why they attack this early," Kai explained and added, "Besides, even if we go around it, they already spotted us. They could catch up to us if they wanted to."

Kai then threw a grin at Ryu's way coupled with a wink. "Let's just hope that they'll leave us alone."

Ryu grumbled. What kind of way of thinking is that? 

Kai placed his hand at the back of his head and turned towards the stairs. "Anyway, I'm hungrier than think of anything right now."

Ryu was shifting his head between the ship's fight and Kai.

Kai stopped and looked over his shoulder. "You comin' or what?"

Ryu shook his head and said, "I have to go to Cecily." Encase a battle breaks out, he'd be there to protect her.

Kai shrugged. "Suit yourself." He then went downstairs while Ryu hurried to where Cecily and the others were.