Click groaned as consciousness returned to him. His head was pounding and when his eyes fluttered open everything was blurry. He could vaguely feel his hands bound behind him, by the British, of all people…he rolled and fell off the small bench onto his side, his cheek hitting the solid wood boards and causing his headache to compound. “Anskotan Djöfull,” he growled before hands gripped him and pulled him to a sitting position.

“Skeppare, it is I. You sailed with us to Barbados. Are you alright my friend?”

Click opened his eyes and blinked to clear his vision a bit more. He tilted his head back to look at the dark man, “Alvaro? Well looks like we aren't dead, I doubt your God would allow me to visit.”

Alvaro laughed and slapped his shoulder, “Ah my friend, It truly lightens my heart that you are alright. You are correct however he would never let you in. Your gods scare him.”

Click nodded and smiled with him. Pokk sé alfodurnum, “Where are we Alvaro? The British? And hey, why aren't your hands tied eh?”

“You are far more imposing than I Skeppare and no not the British. We have been rescued, my friend.”

Clicks brow furrowed and he looked around at the Iron bars and wiggled his wrists against his bindings. “It's been awhile for me, is this normally what happens when you're rescued?”

Alvaro chuckled again and helped him sit back on the bench. “No my friend, by the Silver Dragon.”

Click raised an eyebrow and looked at him. “Is that a good thing? Because I still feel like a prisoner.”

“Well,” Alvaro shrugged.

Click simply shook his head, “What happened Alvaro. I remember stepping onto the deck to meet them in battle, then I woke up here. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I woke, it would not have been a worthy death.”

This time Alvaro shook his head, “You and your gods… The powder magazines were ignited, you were flung into the mast of the British schooner. They threw us in the brig, but I believe they thought you dead.”

Click nodded as he listened, an unworthy death indeed, praise heimdall for thy watchful gaze. “Wouldn't have been the first time my friend. Did any others make it?”

“They took them up a short while ago, I know not of their fates. I pray for their safe journey should they be joining their gods.”

“From the stories I've heard, this Silver Dragon is not known to be warm hearted.” He struggled against his bindings again. “Alvaro, can you get me out of these bindings? I have the worst itch on my eyebrow.”

Alvaro simply reached up and scratched his eyebrow for him. “I have no interest in upsetting the Silver Dragon my friend. My apologies.”

Click squinted at him, “ég mun muna eftir pessu, my friend.”

“You are most welcome.” Alvaro said with a smile.

Click rolled his eyes and was about to speak when he heard footsteps approaching from the upper deck. Alvaro straightened next to him but Click remained relaxed and rested his head against the hull behind him. The person who came down the stairs was not in any way what Click would have imagined. They wore a slim, black coat with silver embroidery that looked to be oriental and very formal. A thick leather belt with a metal buckle in the shape of a strange animal fastened around the waist. The collar ended at a slender neck and a striking face, framed by medium length silver hair. Hidden behind freckles were two piercing brown eyes with a scar that ran across her right cheek. Click raised an eyebrow again and glanced to Alvaro who looked even more nervous. He looked back to the stunning woman that approached his cell and let out a slow exhale. Well, this got interesting.

A few steps behind the woman was a stout man standing a few inches taller than her. He wore a plain, but clean brown coat that fell to his knees. He had small eyes that darted around the brig, finally settling on Click and Alvaro. The woman glanced back at the man and said in a soft, but firm voice, “Jones, please take the older gentleman up on deck.”

“Aye, Captain,” Jones opened the cell and held it open for Alvaro to step through. Before he left with Jones, she looked at him.

“What is your name?” She asked.

“It is Alvaro ma'am.” He gave her a bow as he said his name.

I like this one. Kaida nodded at him and allowed him to pass with Jones, leaving her alone with the man shackled and kneeling before her; the same man that she had found unconscious on the brig. Now that he was awake, Kaida could get a good look at him though the light was dim. The same unsettling feeling sat with her as she looked over him.

He was wearing a long brown coat with black fur trim, fastened together with what looked to be claws. He had a black sash of some sort tied around his waist with a piece of fabric that hung down lower and was covered in runic symbols. The brown pants were nothing special but the black boots appeared to have been well kept, and were tied tightly by leather cords. Black hair just a bit longer than hers fell around his face, framing his strong features. She stepped in closer and he looked back at her with striking and peculiar eyes a deep purple color. Kaida paused and her breath caught, looking at him with disbelief. I know those eyes. She stared into the face of a man that she hadn’t seen for seven years, the passing of time making him look unfamiliar to Kaida, but she could never forget his eyes. They were the eyes of her best friend. Of the boy she once loved and thought was dead.

He looked back at her with a curious and intrigued expression and Kaida set her mouth in a firm line, quickly masking her surprise. “You’re not dressed like a common sailor,” she noted. “What is your station?”

Click chuckled, “prisoner, ma'am.”

A slight smile played at the corner of Kaida’s mouth. “Strange attire for a prisoner... What do you call yourself?” She asked, anxious to see if he would say the name she knew him as.

Click eyed her cautiously for a moment before answering. “Aegir. Skeppare Aegir ma’am. Is there something wrong with my attire?”

Kaida raised an eyebrow at him. “There’s nothing wrong, it’s just that I don’t often have captains held in my brig… And you’ll refer to me as Captain Yasashi.” As she said this, Jones made his way back down the stairs and stood behind her again, waiting for his next orders.

“Captain Yasashi.” He smiled and straightened himself on the little bench. “The Silver Dragon, Captain Yasashi, sorry to disappoint, but I'm not a captain. Not anymore.” He said the last bit mostly to himself and turned his gaze away from her to inspect the man called Jones. He clicked his tongue and turned his gaze back to her. “You didn't kill Alvaro did ye? Captain Yasashi.”

“Right now, I have no reason to,” Kaida said, turning slightly away from him. Her mind was racing to ask him hundreds of questions, but she maintained her composure. For two years Click thought she was a boy, now was not the time to be bringing up the past. Seven years was a long time, and she knew she had changed a lot. Click obviously had as well, but she wasn’t sure if that change was for the better yet. It’s better to wait. I need to see what kind of man he has become. She looked back at him. “... You assume I would? What have you heard about The Silver Dragon?”

“Ruthless, breathes fire, only takes silver pieces. Kills all but the strongest on a ship, keeps shrunken heads of the men killed. Always kills the captain and has a thing for cutting off the good bits.”

“Breathing fire sounds nice, but shrunken heads really are unsanitary,” Kaida replied simply, with a smirk.

“Once knew a man who could did that, breathe fire, obviously.” Click looked up while trying to think, “Oddly enough, you being a woman was never mentioned to me though. Imagine that, you'd think that would be a worthwhile note.”

Kaida’s smile fell into a firm line again. “And here I thought that was the most distinguishable fact about me. I hope you weren’t too disappointed.”

He tilted his head to the side, “Must be the fact that you don't leave survivors, right?” A small smirk grew on his face, “Captain Yasashi, have you heard of a Valkyrie?”

“Is this one of your gods?” She asked, now intrigued. She noticed the clothes he wore were not ones she had seen before. He looked like a man she had heard tales about from across the Atlantic.

Click laughed and shook his head. “I'll take that as a no…I was surprised Captain Yasashi, certainly not disappointed.” So far she wasn't at all like he'd been expecting. She seemed firm but he hadn't missed the corners of her mouth twisting up in a hidden smile. So what's the real truth about you, Silver Dragon?

“I see,” Kaida said flatly. He was still as cheeky as ever, but Kaida wondered if that was only because he didn’t see her as threatening. She turned back to Jones, cutting their conversation short. “Please help Aegir up and escort him on deck.” Without looking at Click again, she made her way back up the stairs.

Jones stepped towards Click and grabbed him around the arm. “Those are peculiar threads, sir,” he noted about his outfit. “Ne’er seen the likes of them in these parts. Where do you hail from?”

Click willingly let the man help him stand and lead him from the cell. “Far to the north Mr. Jones. I doubt you've seen the creature this coat is made from.”

“Aye, I’m sure of it,” Jones said with a laugh.

As they stepped into the sunlight from below deck Click winced and turned his gaze down. He'd have shielded his eyes if his hands weren't tied behind his back still. The rest of her crew was on deck gathered around as he was led to the small group of survivors. Hasn't killed them yet either? “Mr. Jones if I may ask, why am I the only one tied up? I'd like to scratch my nose at least.”

“Sorry, Aegir, sir. A bear of a man like you shouldn’t be kept untied,” Jones mumbled as he handed him off to a few other deckhands who grabbed him roughly.

The deck hands tried shoving him towards the other survivors, but Click dwarfed them all and moved at his own pace. “Easy there boys, ask nicely, there's no need to shove.” The men pushed on his shoulders to make him kneel like the others but Click stood firm. One man kicked at the back of Clicks knee, he didn't have a chance to recoil as Click spun and headbutted him. The man's nose broke and he fell backwards unconscious on the deck. “Éttu skit aumingi,” Click growled as he glared at the other deckhands who all warily took a step back. “Yer lucky my hands are tied, now ask nicely.”

“Sir,” Jones said quietly, still standing near Click. “Would you please?” He was eyeing Captain Yasashi wearily, before looking back at him. His eyes pleading. Captain Yasashi gave Click a hard look, her more agreeable demeanor from before completely gone. She stood in front of the other survivors, waiting for him to comply.

Click locked eyes with Captain Yasashi, studying her for a moment. He was wrestling with the entire notion of kneeling. Not because she was a woman but because it was something unheard of for a Viking. I am a Viking Skeppare, I am Aegir of the sea, I do not kneel… He looked down to Alvaro and then back to Jones whose eyes almost seemed to be begging him to just kneel. Mighty Tyr forgive me this act. “Mr. Jones, just this once… But I ask if I am to die today, put a sword in my hand and let the sea reclaim me.” He then walked to Alvaro and bit his tongue as he got down on his knees next to him, though he refused to look up from the deck.

Jones stood completely still as Kaida approached him. She stood shoulder to shoulder to him, her back turned so no one but him could see her face. “Your heart is too kind, sometimes,” she said under her breath. She was used to people opposing her or fighting back, but she refused to show any weakness in front of her men. She clenched her jaw, waiting for Jones to respond.

“Aye, Captain,” he said softly. He cleared his throat before addressing the survivors. “You’ve been spared today by the Silver Dragon. She extends that mercy to you now for your pledge to join her crew.”

A few of the men exchanged glances before one was brave enough to speak out.

“I’d sooner die than serve under a woman,” he said, and the other two mumbled in agreement.

So be it, Kaida rolled her eyes, grateful no one else could see her; hearing that reasoning sometimes got tiring and she was hardly in the mood now for theatrics. As soon as the words left the men, three of her deckhands stepped forward and ran their knives across the three mens’ necks. They fell to the floor unceremoniously, their blood pooling together. Kaida turned around, not surprised to see Click and Alvaro still kneeling.

Click still didn't bat an eye though he could hear Alvaro breathing heavy.

“I will serve ma'am, if you will have me.” Alvaro said as he bowed from his kneeling position.

“I knew I liked you,” Kaida said, giving him a small smile. “Somebody help this man up. Get him something to eat.” She focused back in on Click. And now you. The troublemaker. “And what about you, Aegir? Do you have anything of value to offer this crew?” Knowing Click growing up, he was an excellent navigator and skilled at the helm, but she questioned if he was still eager to prove himself.

Click finally looked up from the deck at her. He squinted his eyes and wrinkled up his nose before leaning forward till his nose touched the deck. He quickly wiggled his nose against the wood and sat upright again, “By the gods that was an annoying itch. While I have no issues serving under you, I do have a promise I'd like to keep to someone. Don't suppose we could reschedule?”

Still as cheeky as ever. Kaida suppressed a smirk and looked at him blankly, though her men looked anxiously at her. One sailor stepped forward, hand gripped around a knife, waiting for her orders, but Kaida held up a finger. “Matsu,” She ordered and the sailor lowered his knife slowly. “Do thirty, just to test his endurance,” she said simply. She nodded at Jones and he walked towards Click. Jones kneeled down and untied Clicks bindings.

“I’m sorry, sir,” he mumbled to Click.

Click rubbed his wrists and stood, once the feeling came back into his hands he began to undo the toggles on his coat. “Don't be Mr. Jones, just look after my coat for a moment please. Do that, and I'll let the bosun get his thirty.” He finished undoing his coat and let it fall off his shoulders exposing his torso. He handed the coat to Jones and said in a low voice, “You seem like a kind man Mr. Jones, I respect that greatly, but my hands are now untied and you have a lot of loose weapons on deck. Ruin my coat, and your captain will have to find a whole new crew, savvy?” Click dropped the coat into his arms and walked towards the main mast. He wrapped his arms as far as they would go and waited for them to be tied. He didn't look at Captain Yasashi the entire time, fear and intimidation… I find it hard to believe that's all you are. But if I'm mistaken, you might as well just kill me. Make this easier for us both.

Kaida held her hands behind her back, and nodded for the lashings to start. Don’t make me do this, Click. She didn’t turn her gaze away and watched solemnly from behind him. Though tattoos covered the majority of his upper body, there were still visible scars that littered his skin, and she noticed the familiar scars on his back, clear evidence that he had faced this type of punishment many times before. She wasn’t surprised, he knew exactly what to expect when she ordered the lashings. Still, just like everyone else on this ship, Kaida had a duty to fulfil and her men expected her to be ruthless. She had to be.

The first lash struck and left a sting that quickly faded in his back. He smirked and shook his head against the mast as the second hit. “Try not to ruin the ink, I'd hate to have to get it touched up again.” More lashes and his back began to heat up as the pain spread and the skin became more sensitive. He gripped the ropes that held his hands, this wasn't the worst he'd been lashed, but he'd never been hit more than 15 times. He looked over his shoulder at the bosun, “Oi, I’ve been slapped harder, don't waste my time.” the next few had some power behind them and he gritted his teeth, determined not to make a sound. Thor give me strength, I will not cry for Valhalla today.

Kaida looked over to Jones, who was glancing nervously between her and Click, waiting for her to order the punishment to stop. He knew better than anyone that she wouldn’t go through with the full 30. It was clear that this type of punishment wouldn’t work on him. Cheeky and stubborn as ever. She squared her shoulders and waited a bit longer. She had her reputation to uphold, afterall.

Click’s body tensed as the most recent lash left its burn on his back. He gripped the ropes tight and fought to control his breathing. 16? 12? 20? Should have kept count.

19... This is enough. Kaida clenched her hands behind her back, gazed fixed upon the blood on Click’s back. “Sorede jūbundesu,” She ordered, and the bosun stopped immediately. He released Click’s bounds and he wavered slightly on unsteady legs before catching himself.

Clicks legs wanted to give out but he willed them to keep him upright. “Come now… that can't… have been… thirty..” He slowed his breathing as best as he could half expecting another lash. He wasn't sure if he could stand another one though.

A deckhand untied Click while a few more took him by the arms and braced him as they turned him around. They pushed lightly on his shoulders remembering what happened to the last man that tried to force him. He shrugged them off and got into a kneeling position again, facing Kaida once more. His head hung as he breathed deep and his vision blurred as he focused on the deck in front of him.

Kaida bit her tongue and looked at Click for a moment before deciding what to do next. I can usually stand these sort of things. But this. This is not what I wanted to happen. She thought of the boy she had met all those years ago, full of life and a sense of adventure. What has become of us, Click? She glanced around at her men. She was proud of what she had built and overcome, but in doing so, she had made difficult decisions; the one before her being the hardest, she now realized.

Izanagi, forgive me. Kaida approached Click and kneeled before him on one knee, though she barely came to his shoulder. It wasn't often that she dragged out a punishment like this. Usually, if a man was showing this much attitude to her, she'd have him killed and be done with it. They were usually expendable, but she knew Click. She knew that he would make a great asset to her crew. She also knew she could never bring herself to kill him. As she knelt he raised his head to meet her gaze, the corner of his mouth pulled up into a weak smile but it quickly faded.

“I'm sure this is not the kind of death you envisioned for yourself, hmm? Would your gods be displeased that you didn't die in the midst of some great battle?” she asked quietly so that their conversation couldn't be heard over the sound of the wind and waves splashing against the ship.

He stared into her eyes for a moment longer before lowering his gaze and nodding slightly. He spoke to her in the same hushed tone. “Aye Captain, the gods have turned their gaze from me. I do not wish to die today.”

Kaida nodded and her expression softened a bit. “... I don't think they have. Otherwise you would have already been dead when I found you. Perhaps your gods are giving you a second chance?”

He chuckled slightly. “It would not be the first time…” He returned his gaze to her face and studied it again, no, not just intimidation… “Captain Yasashi, I will serve you. You won't find a better navigator than I. My only request… “ He lowered his voice even further, hesitant to even make a request. “... Is that should you come across a man named Ryo. You spare him for me, I must honor my promise to him.”

Kaida's heart thundered against her chest and it took all her strength to not embrace Click and tell him the truth. “I've never met a man named Ryo,” she said carefully. “But I'll honor that request.” She stood and stepped away from him. “Skeppare Aegir… Welcome aboard the Jewel of Ryujin.”

Some of the deck hands carefully helped him stand again and supported his weight on their shoulders. They were careful to avoid his back which he appreciated. “Captain Yasashi. ” he said once more then nodded to her as the crew helped ease him below deck to tend to his wounds. The mood below deck changed completely, the crew perked up and began asking him all sorts of questions, laughing amongst themselves and introducing each other. Some even gave a few extra handshakes out of respect for taking the lashings and not showing fear. Truthfully though all he wanted to do was lay down and get some rest. His head still pounded and now his body was beginning to shake from the after burn of the whip. He entertained the crew as best he could but his mind was elsewhere. Thinking back to the small smile Captain Yasashi hid so well, the coldness with which she commanded her ship, and the small act of respect she'd given him. Which mask is your true face, I wonder. What adventures await me now? Still he could not shake the weight in his heart. He'd come here to find Ryo not embark on another adventure. Wise Odin, leiðbeindu mér.

***

Kaida stood alone in her quarters, standing in front of the full length mirror. She sighed and undid the clasps on her coat, her hands trembling slightly. After she shrugged it off, she laid it carefully on her bed and looked back into the mirror, noting how pale her face was after today. Her eyes were distant and tired and she could sense a terrible weight start to settle in on her shoulders. Laying a hand on the mirror, she hung her head. I sought to break his spirit today, and for what? I never questioned my actions until now. She looked back up at her reflection. They had both changed so much in the past seven years; both had experienced hardship and trials that shaped them into the adults they were now. How could she tell Click she was the child that was there with him when they had their innocent adventures and dreamed of becoming captains; the same child who hid the truth from Click about who she really was. She was still deceiving him.

Her stomach twisted with guilt and anger. I am not Ryo. Her eyes grew colder as she told herself the same reminder she had everyday for the last four years. She pulled out the knife that she always kept at her side, inspecting the intricate design of a dragon etched into the ivory handle. I am Yasashi Kaida. The Silver Dragon, Captain of the Jewel of Ryujin- A wave of frustration overcame her and she forcibly stabbed the knife into the frame of the mirror, gripping the handle tightly. Her hands shook now with more fervor as an unwanted thought popped into her head.

-And I am a liar.