Captain Deka slapped his hand down on the table as he burst into laughter, his chest heaved as tears wet the corners of his eyes.
After taking a few breaths to calm himself down and swiping the drops away with the knuckle of his index finger, he shook his forkful of steak at Marix.
"I like your attitude, but I’d never poison my bride or my new crew mate. Go ahead, eat." He motioned to the bowls in front of them as he placed his steak piece in his mouth.
"If we are going to eat. I want to taste Whin’s first to make sure there’s truly nothing in there and if there is, so help -" Marix said, gritting his teeth.
Captain Deka snapped his fingers, signaling to his servant to co over and take Eilownia’s bowl.
"Of course, but even if there were you’d be dead before you can do anything. Don’t forget you’re tied up like a hog. Don’t make threats you can’t keep."
The servant held Eilownia’s bowl in front of Marix and handed him a new spoon.
Eilownia stared at him and shook her head, her eyebrows knitted.
He took a deep breath and dipped the spoon into the bowl. He stared at it’s contents in the spoon. A chunk of beef, a sliced carrot and a piece of potato, covered in the creamy dark brown, thick broth. It slled wonderful, and his mouth watered as he slowly put it in his mouth, chewing, savoring, and then he swallowed it, feeling its warmth slide down his throat and heat up his stomach.
The grandfather clock that sat straight against a nearby wall ticked and tocked as the minutes passed.
Eilownia, Marix, Captain Deka and the servants surrounding them waited in silence for Marix’s verdict.
Captain Deka rested his head on his hand with a smirk on his face as he fiddled with his steak knife.
After Marix felt nothing but a satisfied stomach, he nodded his head towards Eilownia.
The servant dipped in a curtsy and placed the bowl back in front of Eilownia, who picked up her spoon and began to eat the delicious stew.
"Very good. Now that that is settled. We can all enjoy our supper together. Although, you can still eat without your spoon since you are so good at throwing utensils away. I’d rather not force my servants to have to clean more silverware than they need."
Marix rolled his eyes with a scoff as he leaned back in his chair.
Eilownia sat back and looked at him, waiting for him to eat.
"Continue, Whin. I’m not hungry."
She wiggled her mouth before slowly continuing her al.
Back on the Viraaz ship, the soldiers watched the crew mbers board the dinghy. There were a total of 5 of them, including the captain, while the rest remained on the ship to lower the boat down and to ensure the group would return.
Prav rubbed his forehead as he watched the ship plop into the ocean with a splash, the water spraying up at them.
"What do we do if they don’t return....." He whispered as he turned towards Etil.
Etil stood there, leaning against the side of the ship, waving to the crew as they began to row their way towards Vasis with a smile on his face.
"We think of a new plan for survival I guess." He said through his teeth, not moving his lips.
"Is it just or does the rest of their own crew look like they are also praying for their return?" Prav lowered his voice to an even quieter whisper than before.
Etil glanced over at the group who sat on the floor, their heads in their hands as the whispered silent prayers.
"Possibly. Or they are just hoping for survival like the rest of us."
As everyone was discussing or praying over their chances of survival, Whimble hopped over with an uneven gait, carrying so sort of device made of unused barrels and potato cloths.
"Everyone. I think I have co up with a sssssssolution to our....slrrrp....water supply issue."
All of their heads whipped around to stare at Whimble, their postures straightened and the twinkle in their eyes returned for that split second.
"Who wantsssss....slrrrp...to try it?"
Everyone looked around at each other.
"Wait...tell us what it is first-" Etil said as he approached the strange looking invention while he rubbed his chin.
"I took the ssssea water...slrrrp...and used this to separate the ssssalt.....slrrrp...from the water to make it.....sslrrrp.....drinkable."
Whispers filled the air as everyone began to wonder if it were truly possible.
"Can we really drink sea water?"
"Won’t that kill us?"
"Is there really a way? Is it safe?"
After no one stepped up to be the guinea pig, Nascor let out a sigh and stepped forward.
"I’ll try it."
Whimble smiled and poured a asly amount of water into a cup, handing it to him.
He scoffed as an irritated smile spread across his face.
"This is it? How do you expect this to aid in our survival? This isn’t even enough to sustain a single person!"
Whimble rubbed his hands together and pursed his lips as he gave Nascor a crooked smile.
"It’s jussssst...slrrrppp....a test run. Try it." He bounced his hands in the air, encouraging him to taste it.
Nascor stared into the cup with his eyebrows slightly furrowed and one corner of his mouth twitching downwards, then, he let out a sigh and took a sip.
As the water washed over his tongue, he turned his head to the side and spit it out.
He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and tossed the cup to the floor, "It’s sea water! This isn’t drinkable!"
Whimble’s already rounded and slumped shoulders, slumped even more as he jutted his head forwards.
"Back to the.....slrrrrrp....drawing board." He said with a sigh as he carried the invention back to the little work area he’d created.
Later that night, after their dinner, Marix and Eilownia were tied up and taken by boat into a large cave.
Uneven, crude stairs that were carved out of stone lead further up into the cavern where the Izka Dungeon laid secretly.
The two of them were tossed into separate dungeon cells and locked in before the guards headed down the steps, leaving the two alone in the darkness.
Marix squinted against the black area, only a sliver of moonlight shone through a hole in the ceiling as he struggled against the ties that bound him.
"These stupid pirates and their annoying hide out. They call this a dungeon? I’ll show them a dungeon." He grunted.
anwhile Eilownia was already laying down on the floor with a smile on her face.
"It’s not so bad~ It’s nice and cool in here and the guards seed to have left so we’re alone and not being watched. I like it!"
"Whin. I love you, but now is not the ti....for your optimism!" He groaned as the rope bit against his wrists.
When his attempts at breaking through the rope with brute strength yielded no results other than so nasty rope burns and exhaustion, Marix thought of another way.
"Don’t worry Whin, I’ll get us out of here." He panted as he looked around at his cell.
"I’m in no rush~" She said with a yawn, causing him to let out a quiet laugh.
Now that his vision had adjusted to the darkness, a particularly jagged looking rock on the floor of his cell caught his eye.
He rolled onto his stomach and scooted over to it like a caterpillar before lining himself up with it and carefully rolling onto it, arching his back so he wouldn’t get cut.
He rubbed the rope against it over and over again, hearing the fibers tear with each motion.
"AUGH!" He shouted through the exhaustion that filled his body and the ache that grabbed his shoulders from the position and motion of the act.
Finally, the rope split.
He rolled over, avoiding the stone and sat up to untie his ankles.
"Well. Step one is done. I’m free of these damned ropes." He said as he rubbed his wrists.
"Wow! Mar! You’re really so capable~" Eilownia cooed from the other cell.
Marix stood there with his hands on his hips as he looked around before stepping forward and squinting at the bars.
The Izka Pirates had constructed the doors out of wood and iron bars inside the holes they had either carved out or were naturally there to begin with. He got on his tip toes to investigate the wood further. At the top there was so evidence of wood rot, and, where the iron t that wood, signs of rust.
Marix smirked.
"Whin, I do believe I’ve discovered a way out of this place." He said as he pressed against the bars. They gave a bit, but not enough.
"Really?! So we can leave?"
"Not quite yet, but we’re getting there."
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