Chapter Text
Javier tries to get close to Yuzuru again. This time, he doesn’t struggle or try to get away, but he’s still curled up on himself, eyes closed, sobbing and mumbling incoherently.
“Hey, look at me, look at me. You’re safe, ok?” Javier tries to talk to Yuzuru as gently as possible but he doesn’t seem to be calming down; if anything, he’s getting worse. Javier notices that he’s not breathing properly. He looks like a fish out of water, gulping for air and gasping fast.
“Hey, breathe with me, ok? In… and out… now in…” It takes Yuzuru a while to catch up. At first he’s breathing twice as fast as Javi, but eventually he manages to match him, his breathing slower and less shallow.
It’s only then that Javier notices that Yuzuru is clutching his shirt, really hard.
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m gonna stay right here until Jun comes back with Zhenya, ok?” Still sobbing, Yuzuru nods his head vigorously, letting Javi know that he can hear him.
‘Who would've thought he enjoyed my company so much?’
It takes Javier a while to be able to calm Yuzuru down. It took a while for the horror in his eyes to subside, and once it did, shame replaced it.
They were lucky, Javier thinks. Things could have gotten much worse. Those men - slavers, to be specific - could have hurt Yuzuru, or worse. They could have boarded him on their ship, and left. And things would have been so much more difficult, then. They were just on time. And it's all because Zhenya insisted on finding Yuzuru sooner.
To be honest, Javier wasn't quite concerned about Yuzuru. He hadn't noticed the slavers' ship at the port. He thought the worst that could happen to Yuzuru was getting lost. Not that he believed Yuzuru could handle himself, but still.
He takes another glance at the alley entrance to see if Jun and Zhenya are coming or not. But the street ahead is empty.
He sighs, and takes a look at the corner of the alley, where Yuzuru is sitting. He’s been in that exact position from the moment he came back to himself, refusing to look at Javier. And for once, it wasn't anger or hatred in his eyes when he avoided Javier, it was shame. He had outright cried into Javier's arms, begging to not be hurt. And Javier would be lying if he said he didn't feel a bit bad for him. But Yuzuru seems to be ashamed of it.
“Hey, can you walk?" Javier asks, and Yuzuru stiffens for just a fraction of a second. But he relaxes soon enough, and nods his head; Although still avoiding Javier's eyes and seeming to be in thought.
"Jun's not back yet. Silly boy's probably lost on the way back." Javi shakes his head. "Let's get back to the ship, we’ll probably find him on the way.”
Yuzuru nods again, and stands up. He looks as if he's in a daze.
The walk back to the ship is spent in silence. Javier walks ahead, leading the way. And Yuzuru follows him, keeping his distance. The streets of Pilos seem to extend in mockery of the tension between them.
"Zhenya! They're back!" Conrad shouts as soon as he sees them get out of the last row of buildings along the shore, and Zhenya's head snaps up.
"Finally!" She says, and heaves a sigh of relief. It took longer than necessary for them to come back. She was getting worried.
But they're back now, and it doesn't matter anymore. Now, Zhenya has to think of a way to settle their possible fight.
But when they finally come on board and Zhenya sees them up close, neither of them looks angry or mad. Instead they seem rather… defeated.
"Yuzu..-" She starts to say, but Yuzuru silently goes to the infirmary with his head held down, and slowly closes the door.
Zhenya turns towards Javier.
"Javi I swear to god if you've-"
"I didn't do anything ok?" Javi says, holding his hands up. He doesn't quite snap, but doesn't speak so gently either. Then, he lowers his voice. "He had a panic attack. A really bad one. Doesn’t want to talk to me though, maybe he’ll talk to you.”
"A panic attack?! What? Why?"
"Fucking slavers," Javier nods towards the other sloop docked on the farthest end of the port from them, just along the shore. He's right, the manacles drawn on their flag is enough to indicate their business. "Found him just in time. Fucking cowards ran their asses away when they saw our swords."
"Shit, is he hurt?"
"Don't know. Won't talk to me. But he looks way better than when we found him."
"Alright alright. I’ll go talk to him." Zhenya turns back and leaves for the infirmary.
Javier sighs, and drops on the stairs.
"Javi?" Conrad jumps down from the last few steps of the rope ladder connecting the crow's nest to the ground, and asks, "Where's Jun?"
"Jun? I sent him back here. I thought he was with you?"
"No, he didn't show up here."
"Hmm," Javier shrugs. "Probably got lost on the way and can’t find his way back. I’ll go look for him in a bit. Seriously, you kids will make me go bald before I hit thirty.”
Conrad chuckles. "Yeah, probably."
The kitchen is a mess of noise and waiters and chefs running around, when the three Russian princesses enter. They've had classes all throughout the morning and afternoon, and missed the actual lunch when it was served. So they came to the kitchens to find some food.
It isn't like they couldn't just ask for food to be brought to their room. But all of them - even someone as well behaved as Anna - likes to be in the kitchen with all the people. They're even friends with some of the waiters.
"What's all this about?" Sasha asks Sergei Dudakov, the castle's head-chef, when they sit down on the small table in the corner. She has to raise her voice a bit to be heard over the clattering of pots and boiling of food.
Sergei doesn't look up from the pile of seaweeds he's chopping - expertly so. But his eyebrows raise, as if surprised the princesses don't know themselves, and he says, "We're preparing for the feast tonight."
"Feast? What feas-"
"Oh is it the Americans?!" Aliona cuts off Sasha's question, and almost lights up when Sergei nods, and goes around the table to check the quality of the dishes served for the princesses.
"Is Prince Cam-... I mean, how many of the royal family members are we hosting?" Aliona changes her question before it fully leaves her mouth, and Sasha and Anna grin at her from both sides.
"We've been told to prepare for three guests." Sergei finishes checking the last tray of food, and takes a step back. Finally looking up at the princesses. “Now if you excuse me, I have a ton of duties for tonight's festivities."
All three of them nod at the same time, and Sergei walks away. Finally leaving them alone.
"You almost said his name." Anna grins at her from her right.
"I was expecting little hearts to pop out of your eyes." Sasha giggles from the left.
"Oh shut up!" Aliona says, but laughs right after. Her cheeks grow red in a blush.
"Oh Anya look! She's blushing!" Sasha pokes at her cheeks.
"No I'm not-"
"Oh my sister Aliona, waiting for her Prince Camden in shining armor, in the cruel realm of Russia." Anna sighs dramatically, putting her hands over her heart and forehead, like the ending scenes of the plays they sometimes watch.
"Your poor children will have to bear Alina both as their aunt and their uncle's wife." Sasha chuckles.
"Guys it's not like that..!" Aliona almost wants to bury her face in her hands to hide her flushed red cheeks.
"Yeah yeah sure. We've all seen how your eyes followed him everywhere back in AquaGala." Anna picks up her fork, and gestures vaguely with it.
"Anyways, have you guys heard that the search unit's back?" Anna changes the subject. "We won't have to bear that Samarin guy’s boring criticism in our quarters anymore."
Both sisters sigh a breath of relief, and start talking behind Samarin's back while eating their lunch.
Zhenya and Javi walk through the streets of Pilos' market, looking for the herbs Zhenya needs, and of course, Jun. Other crew members are out in the market as well, with the only exception being Yuzuru, Brian, and Raya, who have decided to stay on the ship.
Zhenya talked to Yuzuru, and gave him another vial of the herbs to soothe his mind. He seemed way better than when he first came back. Although he still refused to fully tell Zhenya what happened. But he was fine enough for Zhenya to leave him alone and come shopping.
Javi asks around for someone to repair the railings, while Zhenya inspects the herbs an old lady in bright clothes is selling.
A few feet away, Joseph and Nam are fooling around, trying to mock Conrad. But Conrad shakes them off. He doesn't seem to be in the mood.
"How much for the echium?" Zhenya asks the old lady.
"Only 5 drachma, dear." The old lady smiles.
"Would this be enough?" Zhenya takes out two copper coins out of her pocket, and shows them to the lady.
"Indeed."
Just as she finishes packing the herbs she bought and starts walking away, a hand casually wraps around her shoulders, and Zhenya jumps in surprise. What the hell?
"Hello beautiful," Says the female voice of the person next to her, with a thick Russian accent. Way thicker than Zhenya's. It kind of reminds Zhenya of home.
"I saw you walking with my dear friend Javier," She nods towards the shop Javi and Zhenya were just visiting before splitting up. "Thought I'd better come say hello."
Zhenya opens her mouth to say something. Greet the woman or whatever. Just to get away from the creepy way she does everything so casually, or the easy smirk on her lips. But before she can do anything, she hears Javier's voice from behind.
"Hey Liza! Long time no see."
Liza turns back to look at Javier, and her hand slides lower on Zhenya's body. Almost wrapping around her waist. Her confident smirk never leaves her face. "Hello Javier."
"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything." Javi gestures to the way Liza's basically embracing Zhenya, and Liza laughs. Finally letting go of Zhenya's waist.
"Oh, no, no," Liza shakes her head, laughter still in her voice. "I was just saying hello."
Zhenya almost wants to roll her eyes. But there's something in her that doesn't quite let her look away from Liza's high cheekbones and flushed lips.
"Anyways, I was just about to leave the market. Javi, you know where you can find me." Liza tilts her head, just slightly, enough to make her long black hair fall off one shoulder. "See you around next time, beautiful." She blows a kiss towards Zhenya, and turns to leave.
Zhenya's eyes follow her defined body, until she turns a corner and gets out of sight.
"Who was she?!" Zhenya asks, not sure if she sounds more impressed or weirded out.
"Liza Tuktamysheva. Captain of that." Javi nods towards the black masts of the brig called the Empress. The one Zhenya asked Javi about, in the morning.
"The captain?! But how..?" Zhenya feels her jaw drop.
"Yeah, I know." Javi admits, and they both spend a good while in dumbfounded silence.
They're just about finished buying everything they wanted, near sunset, when Conrad and Joseph run towards them, looking nervous and heavily panting. Zhenya is walking a couple of steps behind everyone, and is the first one to see them.
"Conrad? Joseph? What's wrong?" Zhenya asks, raising one eyebrow. "Did you see a ghost or something?"
"No!" Conrad pants. "Jun.. it's.. it's about Jun! They have him! They have him Zhenya!" He mutters, and he looks like he might collapse at any second.
"What? Who has him? Speak like human beings for ocean's sake!" Zhenya almost shouts, worry starting to build up in her chest. It's been almost four hours since Jun went away. He's not back yet.
"Th-the slavers!" Joseph stutters. "They have him! And they're gonna leave the city tonight!"
"They what?!" Zhenya gasps. "How'd you know?!"
"We were.. were asking around to see.. see if anyone had seen him and.. fuck.. multiple people s-said that." Conrad pants, and Zhenya isn't sure if that's because of running, or anxiety.
"Ok ok, shit, listen to me." Zhenya starts. "We'll have to-"
"What's all this tantrum about?" Javier steps towards them, and asks.
“The slavers got Jun, and we need to save him." Zhenya explains. "Right now!"
"Javier, where the hell are we going?!" Zhenya whispers, as they weave through the streets of Pilos under the already darkening sky. "Jun is in that goddamn ship, we gotta go save him!"
"We can't do this alone. It would be a suicide mission.” Javier calmly states.
Conrad behind them, walks in utter silence. He insisted to come, even when Javier said it was too dangerous.
"Why not?" Zhenya insists.
"Because we need help!" Javier almost snaps. But he keeps his voice low. They don't need unwanted attention.
"Whose help would you even seek?"
Javier stays silent for a couple of seconds, then says, "Liza."
"Liza? The fancy captain girl from this morning?" Zhenya asks, and Javier nods.
"Shouldn't we look for her in her ship?!" Zhenya points to the port, in the opposite way of where they’re going.
"Trust me Zhenya, I know exactly where she is." Javier says, just as he stops in front of a double door. The sound of music and laughter comes from the inside, making it clear what the building is. A tavern.
"Javi what the-?"
Javier opens the door, and Zhenya has to shut her mouth.
There, in the middle of the tavern hall, Liza's laying on a chair, with her legs thrown and crossed over the table. Her head's thrown back into a laughter at whatever joke's been said to her; although the large glass of ale in her hand makes her suspect if there was even a joke in the first place.
The laughter finally stops, and Liza looks back ahead, directly facing Javier, Zhenya, and Conrad.
"Oh look over there, everyone!" Liza says out loud, and jumps down on her feet. "It's the great Captain Fernandez of Spain!" She raises her glass, and everyone cheers after her. Whistling and shouting and clapping.
"Come over here Javi! Just loosen up and have some fun!" Liza comes forth with such graceful lazy ease. Zhenya feels her eyes glued to her once again.
"I see you've brought the pretty girl with you." Liza tilts her head, just like she did in the morning, as she reaches Javier. She leans down towards Zhenya, reaching a hand to cup her cheek, with her ever present smirk on her lips. But Javi grabs her wrist before her hand reaches Zhenya.
"Liza, it's not the time for this." Javier says with a serious expression. More serious than Zhenya often sees him.
“Oh! The pretty girl's yours then?" Liza raises both eyebrows in surprise. Her accent thicker than ever. “Never thought that would be your type-“
"Liza, it is not. The time. For this." Javier deadpans, and Liza stops right away. "I need your help." He whispers.
And as if Liza understands out of nowhere that they need some privacy, she leads them out of the tavern, and in the dark narrow alley beside it.
"What is it, Javier?" She asks, seriously. All the signs of her previous mischief and drunken are gone.
"We need to break in that slavers' ship docked right in front of yours. They have one of ours, and they'll set off in an hour or so."
Liza nods, and considers the request for a couple of seconds.
"Have you come prepared?" She asks, and Javi pulls his sword out of its sheath to show her a glimpse.
"Good. We can’t waste any time." She says as she takes out two daggers from somewhere near her navel. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"
Conrad's heart beats in his throat all the while they're trying to break into the slavers' ship. That woman, Liza, seems to be an expert in this. Once they got to the port, she quickly ran to her own ship, which was docked right in front of the slavers', and brought back a coil of rope with a hook attached to one end.
"They'll be busy trying to set sail. They won't notice if we swarm them from down below." That's what she said, and how they went in.
She threw the rope with expert hands, catching the wood just beside one of the larger windows with the hook, and tied the other end to one of the poles set on the port.
One by one, they grabbed the rope, slid over to the window, and entered the room they are in now. Somewhere that looks like a storage of some sort. But the equipment inside makes Conrad's stomach churn. Rows upon rows of rusty shackles and leather whips and devices Conrad has no idea about their function. It makes him sick. But he doesn't complain. He needs to be ready to save Jun. He can't get sick by the sight of some goddamn metals.
"Come on, this way." Liza whispers, and leads them out with expert ease. Conrad heard Javier telling Zhenya that the reason they needed Liza was that she knew this particular ship like the back of her own hand. It was one of her father's creations.
Silently, almost invisibly, they weave through hallways, and avoid guards whenever they see them. Each locked door has a small lid on the top, and once they get to the area that Liza claims is where they keep the new captures, they start checking every lid on every locked door. Luckily enough, there's no guard down here. Not now. Everyone is up on the deck, helping with the sails and the intricate knots on the ropes, and the few guards that are left below, are on higher levels, not down here, nearly at the bottom of the ship.
It's pitch black down here, and their only source of light is the dim glow coming out of Zhenya's necklace. The glow grows brighter the closer they get to the bottom. The more surrounded with the ocean. But it never gets as bright as that night Yuzuru swam back to the Cricket with a fistful of them in his hands. They don't need that much of light though. Their eyes adapt enough to the darkness to see their surroundings.
The smell hits them even before they reach the door to the slaves' quarters. The sharp unpleasant smell of sweat and rot and death.
Javier goes in first, followed by Liza, and then Conrad. Zhenya stays outside to keep watch.
The room, large as it is, is filled with people. There's not enough light to see clearly, but Conrad can definitely say that most of them are young. Maybe even younger than Conrad himself. His eyes frantically looks around the room for Jun, and finds him sitting in the far corner of the room, curled up on himself. The look on his face is a mixture of fear, and buried anger. In the basically none existent light of the room, and with their covered faces, there is no way Jun can guess who they are.
Javi gestures for Liza to go get Jun out of the shackles keeping him connected to the ground. Conrad can see how Jun first tries to back away from Liza, until he sees Javier's face.
“I knew you’d come for me!” he whispers, his relief evident in his voice. Conrad finds himself moving after Liza as well, to be close to his friend.
"All of you, listen to me." Behind him, Javier starts talking, and the slaves listen to him carefully. Curious and scared at the same time.
Conrad kneels down next to Jun, holding his hand and squeezing it to comfort him as Liza leans down with expert ease to unlock the manacle around Jun’s right ankle. Jun squeezes Conrad’s hand back with a smile.
"It's ok, Jun. It's ok now. We've got you." Conrad whispers, more for his own comfort.
“I know. I’m ok.”
In the door frame, Javier is giving a motivational speech. ‘You shouldn't give up on your lives’ and ‘keep fighting’ and other stuff like that. Conrad can't care less, Jun is all that matters, now.
“For a moment there, I really thought you were not coming,” Jun says, trying to sound calm but sounding anxious instead. “Thought I was done for…” He trails off.
“Hey, don’t think about it now. We got you in time and that’s all that matters.” Conrad whispers, and pulls Jun closer in a hug.
A few moments later, a soft click comes from where Liza's been fiddling with the lock, and it opens.
"Huh!" Liza whispers, and looks at Conrad with confidence. "Get him up, we need to leave."
As they move towards the door, Javier says his final words. "We can’t take you with us. But we are leaving the door open and giving all of you pins to unlock the shackles with. She’ll show you how." Javier points at Liza, who's already kneeling next to another slave, helping him out.
"After this though, it's up to yourselves, what you'll do with your lives." Javier finishes his words by throwing the bag filled with small knives and weapons they brought with themselves in front of the slaves.
Conrad can hear Liza's voice instructing the slaves on lock-picking, as the four of them start going back to where they came from. Javier leads the way, followed by Zhenya, and finally Conrad and Jun. Jun doesn't let go of his hand as they move through the hallways.
They see a guard or two, on their way back up. But they avoid them by staying in the shadows. They avoid them very well until they're finally in the orlop and-
Suddenly, Conrad feels Jun's hand getting yanked out of his, and he gets confused - only for a fraction of a second - before he hears Jun's yelp behind him.
His head, and everyone else's, whips back. Only to see a man with a thick beard holding a knife over Jun's neck.
"Thought ya could get away, huh? Little one?" The man tightens his hold on Jun, and Conrad instinctively takes a step forward.
"Uh uh uh uh," Says the slaver. "Stay the fuck back blondie, if ya want the little one in one piece."
Conrad doesn't move away. Instead, his hand moves to unsheathe his sword. At least, he tries to. Before Javi puts a hand on his shoulder and stops him.
"Don't be stupid." Javi whispers to him, and pulls him back.
“That's better." The man grins, showing his yellowed out teeth. "Now, I give ya two choices. Put y'all's weapons down and surrender, or don't, and little one dies. Along with all of ye." He pushes the knife harder to Jun's neck, and Conrad can swear he sees a drop of red seep out. Jun whimpers.
"Ok ok ok," Javi says, dropping his own sword down on the ground. "We surrender, just don't hurt the boy." Javi puts his hands up in the air, palms open in an act of surrender.
Conrad stares wide-eyed at him. Is he really giving up that easily? He can't just let them have Jun! Or all of them, in that matter.
He sees a sparkle in Javi's eyes, and an unnatural confidence for someone who's just giving up their lives to slavers.
What he doesn't see though, is a petite female figure, with black hair and feline eyes, creeping right behind the slaver.
And when he does see Liza, it's when she already has her sword out, and brings its hilt down hard on the man's neck. The man lets out a pained groan, and drops the knife he was holding. Jun scrambles away from him in a fraction of a second.
Up close, Conrad can see the trickle of blood dripping down the front of Jun's neck, and he loses it. He's not quite sure how it happens, but the next second he finds himself on top of the bulky man, punching his face with an inhumane strength. He hears a crunch, and feels warm slick liquid coat his hands. He hears pained groans, and weak hands trying to push him off. But he doesn't stop. He can't stop. And he shouts and curses with every punch landing on the face of that sick piece of shit.
"Conrad!" Zhenya shouts from behind him.
"Conrad stop!" Javier demands right after. But Conrad does not.
"I said stop!" Javier groans, grabs him around the torso, and all but pulls him away from the now-unconscious body.
"We need to go!" Javier shouts, and he's right. Now that Conrad's senses are back, he can hear sounds of shouting from below, and footsteps from above. The slaves are trying to get out, and the place will be swarmed by guards very soon.
"Ok," Conrad takes a deep breath. "Ok, let's get out."
And with that, they run towards the room with the larger window like their life depends on it. Funnily enough, it does.