Noah counted more than ten oarsmen, the two ability-users, and the pair of guards. There was surprisingly no women on board. The oarsmen all rowed in silence as they kept a wary eye on the pair of guards, who would stalk down the rows hitting whoever they thought were slacking with the butt of their makeshift spears.

The boss and the man who spoke English to Noah went below deck as the fiery sky began to darken. Once the guards were left alone with the oarsmen, they went directly to the boy. The boy slipped to the deck with his back against his row bench, cowering away from them. Tears began to flow from his eyes as his face was overcome with an expression of terror.

The boy began to plead to the mismatched pair of guards in a language different from what was spoken earlier. The guards replied to the boy in the same language. The white guard pulled out a scrap of rotting food, offering it to the boy who hurriedly fended it away in refusal.

The white guard grabbed the boy by the chin as he forcibly fed the decaying food into the boy's mouth. The boy spat it onto the rough deck in a fit of coughing. That angered the white guard who clutched the boy by his hair, dragging his head back to backhand him to the deck.

Noah couldn't watch and do anything. He unsteadily pushed his bruised and ruined body to stand with a grimace of pain and determination burning in his eyes. He couldn't even complete a single step before he collapsed to the deck with an ear-catching thud, interrupting the guard's torture of the boy.

Noah's fall drew the attention of all the people on the deck. The oarsmen turned away and cast their eyes down as they tried to ignore what was happening to the boy. The black guard said something to the white guard holding the boy dangling by his hair in his grip as he clutched futilely at the guard's wrists. The white guard replied to his companion, causing the black guard to laugh. They both returned their attention to the boy cowering in front of them.

Noah grit his teeth as he began to resolutely drag his withered body across the rugged, wet deck while the pair of guards ignored him. He felt seething rage and helplessness as the white guard once again backhanded the boy. He was still held haplessly in his grasp as the strike landed, drawing blood from his mouth. The white guard leaned in to kiss the boy's bloodied mouth as he bit his lower lip with a smirk.

The black guard said something in the unknown language while laughing in amusement as he began to unbuckle his belt. Removing it to restrain the boy's wrists. The white guard joined in on his laughter as he dragged the struggling boy roughly by his hair into the rickety hut they had taken Noah earlier. Closing the door behind them.

Noah continued to drag himself towards the hut before his exhausted body gave out on him. He faded into unconsciousness to the sound of flesh-on-flesh and laughter as well as muffled grunts and pleading.

***

Noah awoke an unknown amount of time later. The fiery-sky had become dark. The aurora borealis he had become accustomed to was no longer visible to him. The sounds coming from the run-down hut had stopped, but the boy was still inside.

The pair of guards emerged from inside the tottering hut at the centre of the fishing boat's deck. The black guard was rethreading his belt through his trousers as the white guard carried the tarnished old lantern, finding Noah slumped outside, blocking the door. The guards cursed at Noah in an unknown language as they both threw fierce kicks into his midsection.

Noah couldn't feel the pain. All he was aware of was the boy whimpering in the corner with a swelling face and blood pouring from his mouth. Noah also noticed lesions on the boy's wrists from where the guard's belt had restrained him. Noah felt overpowering anger as he attempted to activate his [Six Spirit Arms] ability. He gritted his teeth in frustration when nothing happened as the guards rained down their spears onto Noah's back.

I was too soft before. If I'd put Ronan down like the rabid dog he is. Then I wouldn't have to watch helplessly as these dogs torture this boy. I could've saved him, now I can't even protect myself. If I get my abilities back, I'll teach them what fear means...

The guards lost interest in beating Noah after his lack of reaction to their assault. The boy made eye contact with Noah as the guards hauled him to his feet. Noah could see the hatred, shame, and anger contained within them as the guards threw Noah mercilessly into the centre of the room.

The boy maintained eye contact as outrage fuelled Noah to push himself to his feet. While Noah struggled in an attempt to stand, his eyes flashed briefly with purple-light. Flickering as his ability failed to activate again, the boy's eyes widened in surprise as his mouth became slack when he witnessed it. A moment later, Noah was given a concussion from a savage kick to the side of his head, knocking him sprawling to the floor. It was unknown which one of the guards threw the kick.

While Noah lay half-conscious on the run-down floor, he heard the sound of talking in the unknown language, causing him to groggily turn his door to look through hooded eyes. The other oarsmen were pushing against each other as they fought to be the first through the door.

The last one to enter was given a smack to his heels from the white guard's spear. The guard placed his boot against the man's back to shove him inside the cramped hut. There wasn't enough space for people to stand without touching their shoulders against their neighbours. The guards then switched languages to give the boy instructions to relay as they pointed at the trampled Noah.

"They said that because of his rebellion, no one will be fed tomorrow," the boy reluctantly translated through his swollen lips with an exotic accent.