Victoria

This was a bad idea. I realized now as I looked out the small porthole on Victorrus (the stupid name Cyrus had chosen). We were flying a mile or more above the water when I woke up in the cargo hold. I had snuck onto Cyrus’s ship last night after he left my shop. He never let me come with him anywhere he went. I sat back down onto the swaying wood floors, crates upon crates of food and supplies were stacked up to the ceiling beside me. I let out a long sigh. I would have to tell Cyrus that I was down here eventually, but not yet.

The nervous twist in my stomach was either from being on an airship or from the fact I had left my shop, The Perrigon Clockwork Repair, alone. Well not alone. I had left my apprentice in charge of the shop, she was only a year or two younger than me but I trusted her. We had been working together for three years after all.

Suddenly I saw a pair of feet climbing down the ladder into the hold. I darted behind some crates and watched as a burly man hopped onto the floor. He had a scruffy face with beady eyes and a crooked nose. Involuntarily my face cringed in disgust, he was ugly. I had figured Cyrus only let the pretty boys on his ship. Guess you can't always choose who works on your airship. Upon closer inspection he had a large bruise across one cheek, that might have been part of the reason he looked horrid. I tried imagining him without the bruise but gave up.

The ship swayed violently and I let out a gasp of shock as I tumbled into the wall. The man looked up in surprise and his jaw nearly dropped out of his mouth when he saw me.

I cursed under my breath and let out an awkward little laugh. “Uh, hello, sir. How are you?” I asked quietly.

The man grinned creepily, and it sent a shiver down my spine. “My, my, my. What to do with a such a pretty stow away like yourself?” That wasn’t the answer to my question.

My gaze hardened and I stood up quickly. “I need to speak to your captain,” I demanded. “Take me to him immediately.”

He ambled forward and grabbed my wrist.”Why, for you I’d be glad to fill in as master” He spat into my ear. Even his voice was disgusting, and his breath reeked.

“Get your filthy god for saken hands off me!” I hissed and pulled my arm out of his grip. I raised my leg and kicked him in the face. He staggered backwards a few steps, clutching his now bleeding nose.

“You little b-” he snarled rushing towards me. He grabbed my arms and threw me to the ground with a thud, sitting on top of my stomach so I couldn't move. I struggled, trying to wriggle my way out from under him. One of his hands was holding my arms above my head as the other moved downward in an attempt to feel me up. I wriggle around, and can feel my skin slowly wither in an attempt to get away from him as he cups a breath. Disgust, is not nearly as good a word as I needed right now.

His breathing is heavy, and I can’t help but want to bathe myself in a vat of lava. His hand moves even farther downwards, and I knee him in the groin as he tries to grab at the end of my shirt. “SON OF A BACHELOR!” He shouts. His grip doesn’t loosen, but I’m fairly certain someone had to have heard that. His hand slams down on my leg, and I yelp due to the sudden pain. His hand gets a grip on said leg, and I can tell by the look on his face his eyes are already undressing me. I do my best to ignore the unfortunate affliction poking me in the stomach when the door bursts open, practically rocking the boat.

“The bloody ‘ell is goin’ o-” He shouts, his voice cuts off when he sees us. There are no proper words for the look on Cyrus’s face when he sees the man on top of me. His eyes flicker to him, and then down to me. They’re wide, and his pupils had dilated. It took only a second for it all to click, and when it did his face contorted more than it already had (which I hadn’t thought possible). “WHA’ THE ‘ELL DO YA THINK YER DOIN’?!” Cyrus roared, spit flying. If his mouth had widened anymore I thought his face would’ve ripped in half.

He was on him in a second, grabbing a fist full of the man’s hair. He pulls the hair back so hard the man yelps in pain. “But cap’n she’s a stow away!” The man cried out. Cyrus snarled as his copper toed boot slammed into the man’s stomach. Even I winced at the motion as the man’s head thudded against the wall, not before breaking a crate.

“THEN YOU REPOR’ TO ME!” He bellowed, his voice so loud my ears were ringing. The man is at a loss for words, and I was surprised he was still conscious.

“B-but sir. I just thought-” He stuttered. Pathetic. Cyrus grabbed him by his hair again, and lifted him upwards.

“THOUGH’ WHAT, THA’ YE COULD ‘AVE YER FUN FIRST?!” Cyrus demands, I could see the bits of hair ripping out of his scalp from here. “I DON’ BLOODY CARE!” He held the man’s hair, so that the man had no choice but to look him in the eyes. “Do you know what the punishment for theft is?” Cyrus hissed, shoving his stub of an arm in the man’s face. “What do you think the punishment for this would be?” His eyes were slits, staring into the man’s soul.

“N-no sir! Anything but that sir!” The man wept. Cyrus didn’t listen as he threw the man down against the ship floor, his boot soon finding it’s place on top of the man’s neck as he pulled his sword out of it’s sheath.

“Don’ you dare beg fer mercy! You won’ need i’ where yer goin’.” Cyrus’s voice was ice, and I looked away as I heard the man’s screams. When I looked back, Cyrus was towering over the man who was still wailing. I tried my hardest not to look at the surrounding floor, knowing that if Cyrus had done what I thought, ‘it’ could not have just disappeared into thin air. Cyrus sheathed his blood ridden sword, and grabbed the man by his hair once more.

“Please! PLEASE! NO MORE!” The man freaked out. Cyrus didn’t listen, and dragged the man out of the room, I followed out afterwards, still not looking at the floor. The trail of blood followed up the stair well, and my own scalp tingled when I looked at them in silence. Cyrus stood at the plank and looked to the man.

“Yer lucky I’m even givin’ ye the chance to swim to shore.” He hissed. “Whether you do i’ is a ma’er I don’ care to make sure of.” And with that he threw the man overboard, spitting into the water as the man screamed.

Cyrus turned to me, his eyes blazing with fire. “An’ you! Wha’ are ye doin’ ‘ere?”

“I'm coming with you.” I said shakily, my mind was still reeling.

“Absolutely no’! You almos’-” He raked a hand through his hair, his voice had cracked near the end of his sentence. “I’s too dangerous.”

“I live in the city I can take care of myself.” I yell.

“Obviously you can't!” He shouts back. Low blow, Cyrus.

“I am staying whether you like it or not. Unless you want to throw me overboard.”

He growled and turned away. I saw a girl walk to his side and scrutinize me. After looking me up and down she smiled warmly. “Are you alright? I heard all that happened. Not to worry it won't happen again.” She looked around at the crew members surrounding us, almost daring them to come closer. “You are a friend of Captain?” She had a slight accent I couldn't place.

“She's my sister.” Cyrus said. We weren't really but it was close enough. We grew up on the street together. It was my fault he got his arm cut off in the first place, really.

The girl smiled. “I am Angelica. You can stay with me in my room. There is one other girl staying with us too, but she is shy and doesn't come out from the kitchen much. Her name is Emma Jane. But she prefers Em.”

Cyrus turns back around, his composure regained. “I'd like a word wi’ you alone.” He says to me. He leads me to his quarters and slammed the door shut. He turned to his bed and reconnected his mech arm to his stump. My heart was pounding in my throat. He was scarier when he was quiet than when he was shouting.

“Cyrus…” I started.

He turned and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a hug. “Ye idiot. You were almos’ hur’. Wha’ if I wasn't there?” He whispered his voice ragged.

“Sorry.” I reply in equal softness. He sighed and let go.

A smile broke onto his face. “Okay, fine. You can stay. But you are no’ allowed in the crew men’s sleepin’ quar’ers. Stay away from all of ;em. Just-”

I cut him off. “I get it, I get it.” He shakes his head and we walk out onto the deck. A crowd had gathered. They were all men of different statures and colors except for Angelica and who I assumed was Em.

“This is the newest member of our crew. If any of you so much as look a’ ‘er the wron’- No, think abou’ her the wrong way, I can assure you your fa’e will be the same as Halbins.” His voice was ice, the crew glanced down or at the place where ‘Halbin’ had been thrown overboard. “Angelica. Em. Show ‘er to yer room if you will.”

They hurried over and led me away as Cyrus stalked off to talk with a group of crew members. We hurried down a ladder, much like the one in the cargo hold but this led to a large room of sleeping quarters. Beds were built into the walls and hammocks hung down from the ceiling. I followed them past it and to a roughly build wood wall. They opened the door and let me inside, It was a small room. But it was privacy. It had two two bunk beds and either side and a lamp hanging from the wall.

“Well, this is it!” Angelica exclaims throwing her arms out.

The girl, Em, was practically hiding behind Angelica. She was a small, pale girl with black hair, and charcoal eyes that looked to be from east asia. She sat down on the bottom bunk of one bed while Angelica hopped onto the bed above hers.

“You can choose whichever bed you want from the other side.” Angelica said, gesturing to the other bunk bed. I walked over and sat down on the bottom bunk. My eyes flickered to Em, who abruptly turned her gaze when I looked at her. “Well, I am the second in command on the Victorrus-”

I cut her off. “Victorrus.” I say sourly, then looked up at her open mouth. “Oh sorry. Sorry.”

She smiles and continues. “And Em is the cook and mapmaker.” Her eyes slid cooly across my face. “So you are the Captain's sister, huh?”

“Well, we aren’t actual siblings. We grew up together and I’m his mechanic. Built his arm.” I explain.

“So you’re the Victoria I have heard so much about,” she clasped her hands together. “Wonderful. I must ask how did you manage to sneak onto the ship? I am good about patrolling the deck.”

“Well, there was a period of time when you were on the other side of the deck so I just ran on, your patrolling is very easy to read.” I wince after I had said that. Her smile was hard and her eye twitched irritably. “Sorry.”

“Think nothing of it!” She waved her hand and took a deep breath. “I have never seen the Captain get so upset before.” She said changing the subject.

“Hes overly protective of me and it’s horribly annoying.” I sigh.

“Most girls would kill to have a handsome man like Captain protective of them.” She says slyly. I crinkle my nose. Most girls don’t know he prefers men.

“He's a big baby who keeps making me fix his bloody arm.” An emotion I can't quite place passes over her features before she hops down from her bed.

“I need to speak with the Captain about… I need to speak with him.” She said quickly over her shoulder as she closed the door.

I glanced over at Em. She hadn't said a word this entire time. As I opened my mouth she stood up and walked out the room. I frowned in annoyance. I groaned and headed outside too, making my way back up the ladder and onto the deck. Cyrus was there speaking with Angelica. His eyes flickered to me and he smiled. Angelica turned her head and frowned ever so slightly when she saw me.

“Victoria!” Cyrus called as I walked up, as if he had forgotten I was there. “We were just talking about our plans for today.” He said, awfully cheerful for someone who had thrown two people overboard in the past twenty four hours.

“So what are we doing?” I asked.

“You are staying on the ship.” he replied, his voice suddenly grim. He perks up, “While Angelica and I go investigate.”

I hoped I had just imagined the tug at the corner of Angelica’s mouth. “I'm coming too.” I say stubbornly.

Cyrus burst out laughing the desperate kind of laugh that meant he really, really hoped you were joking. “That was funny Vic.”

“I am a mechanic. I can open electrical locked doors, fix your hand if it gets broken, make a gun, shoot a gun-” I listed, counting off my fingers.

“And I am captain. I can command you to stay here. Lock you in a non-electronic door, keep guards outside said door, and make sure you never see the light of day again. I don’t, though. So I hope you just listen and stay here as I said.” Cyrus smiled sweetly, not being sweet at all. Angelica looked surprised by his sudden tone, but didn’t say anything.

I glared at him but he ignored it as he turned and walked off, talking in hushed voices with Angelica. 

He’s an idiot if he actually thinks I’m going to listen.