Chapter 4 Morgan Reed

"When are we going to arrive at Barrel Port? You said we'd be there soon, but we've been traveling on foot for almost three hours!" Esfir complained.

I pointed at the distant sea as it glimmered. "We'll have to cross the Blackwater sea to reach Rosa Blanca's port town. If we keep following the lake eastward, we'll reach Barrel Port in another hour."

"Another hour?" she exclaimed. "No! Gods, no! My feet are sore, and I feel sticky. We're resting whether you like it or not!"

She then sat beneath the shade of a tree and crossed her arms. "I'm not moving from this spot!"

Annoyed, I kept walking and didn't bother to look at her.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" she shouted from behind me. "You're supposed to be my escort! Don't leave me behind!"

I stopped in my tracks and placed my hands on my waist. "Listen, girl. Those assassins we ran into earlier could still be on our tail. I'm not taking any chances. The longer we delay, the sooner they'll catch up to us. Unless you want to get killed, keep walking."

But even as I said that, a part of me was compelled to help her. So, I dropped down to my knees, turned my back to her, and said, "Come on! We don't have all day!"

I couldn't see her face, but I could tell that she was smiling from behind me as she got on without even hesitating.

Thereafter, I continued walking for another fifteen minutes with Esfir on my back. As I walked along the road, we ran into a farmer with a cart of wheat.

"Wait! Rain, go talk to that farmer. He might let us ride his carriage if we pay him," suggested Esfir.

Considering how tired I was from carrying her for almost a mile, I conceded to her suggestion and approached the farmer. Fortunately, the old man was kind enough to stop when he saw us. I offered him some coin and he agreed to let us ride on the back of his cart.

It took another half hour, but we soon arrived at Barrel Port. Once there, we didn't delay any longer and went to the docks to find a ship captain that would take us to Rosa Blanca. Normally, going to Rosa Blanca wouldn't be a problem for anyone from this country. But right now, the Queendom of Vent Noir was preparing for a war with Lumiere. Any ship that didn't fly their colors could be shot down on sight. Therefore, any captain that would be willing to take us there would have to be willing to go on a suicide mission.

Fortunately for us, I knew just the person to talk to. It was an old friend who had a taste for adventure, danger, and thrill. Payment wouldn't matter to them until after the job had been completed.

Barrel Port was as unsavory as ever. I could see the apprehension on Esfir's face because she was walking as close to me as possible. To be fair, some of the sailors and locals were staring at her like she was the prize catch of the day.

Esfir's golden hair was particularly eye-catching. And despite the fact that she was wearing a cloak, anyone would be able to tell that she was of noble birth.

Being her bodyguard didn't help to gain the friendly gazes of the locals either. I could tell that they were either annoyed that I was around a beautiful young lady or they were angry at the fact that I still looked like a knight.

In these parts, knights were scorned by the public. I couldn't blame them because most of the knights of this kingdom were fucking assholes. Lugenica wasn't exactly the least corrupt country of the five warring kingdoms. As a matter of fact, even before the war, their tax levies were much higher than any other country. Locals were probably fed up with them, especially in small towns like Barrel Port.

It was a short distance from the gate of the town to the docks, but it felt like forever. When we reached the docks, Esfir was holding my arm and sticking close to me. I glanced at her and asked, "You okay?"

She nodded timidly and nudged me to go forward.

"Morgan! Where are you, you fool?" I shouted.

All the sailors turned to me, visibly annoyed that I was shouting like I owned the place. They all dropped the stuff they were carrying and grabbed a weapon, ready to attack me.

Just as they were about to charge at me, a woman wearing a black pirate hat stood from a crate and shouted, "Avast, you fools! That landlubber is a friend, and you seadogs will treat him with respect, aye?"

"Aye, cap'n!" the sailors shouted in unison.

The woman slowly approached me, throwing an apple up and down her hand. "My, my, my... to what do I owe the pleasure, 'Sword of the Twilight'?"

Her words put a grin on my face. "I don't go by that name anymore, Morgan. It's just Rain now."

Morgan cackled, and then she noticed Esfir. She immediately drew closer and looked at her face to face. "When did you get a girlfriend, boy? You reject my proposal and you come in here strutting in with her? I oughta sic my men at you and shoot you where you stand!"

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Esfir stomped on the ground. She crossed her arms and scoffed. "He's my retainer. I mean, look at me!" Then, she paused for a moment to point at my face. "Now, look at him! I'm way out of his league!"

Morgan crossed her arms and tilted her head. "What about him? He's got those soul-piercing eyes, a handsome scar on his cheek, and a jawline that my old man would envy. Why'd you think I proposed to him in the first place?"

In all fairness, Morgan was a beautiful woman. She had a great figure, her flaming red hair was particularly captivating, and every detail of her face was pleasingly symmetrical. Any sane man would fall for her at first sight. Sadly, she had a crass behavior and she spoke like an old pirate. Her strange antics and odd relationship with her parrot didn't help either.

"Seriously? This guy?" Esfir scoffed. "Eh, I guess he's not bad to look at, but I'm still out of his league!"

Morgan grinned at her and replied, "Very well, princess. That just means I still got a chance, right, Rain?"

I shook my head in response and said, "Don't hold your breath, Morgan." Then, I handed her a pouch of coins, which she swiped from my hands the moment she saw it.

"You're planning to go to Rosa Blanca, aren't you?" asked Morgan.

"I didn't even tell you anything. How did you know?" I asked back.

She pointed at Esfir and said, "The girl's hair and her accent are a dead giveaway that she's not from these parts. Lugenica doesn't have girls that pretty, and you certainly wouldn't be looking for me if you're just looking for a cruise."

"Astute as always," I said, walking up the ship behind Morgan. "I'll be meeting you at your cabin, Morg. Is Varus around?"

"He's at the crow's nest, resting. Tell him that we're leaving in an hour!" Morgan shouted from behind me.

As I walked on, I realized that Esfir wasn't next to me. When I looked back, I saw that she was still talking to Morgan. Perhaps she was eager to talk to Morgan and curious about how she became a pirate. Morgan had that effect on people, so it was understandable that Esfir was so taken with her.

When I got to the ship, I approached the crow's nest and shouted, "Oi, Varus! Get down here, you mountain goat! I can't get up there on my own."

Not long after, a short but athletic man jumped down from the crow's nest. He dropped down from a great height, but he managed to land on his feet without feeling a tinge of pain.

He immediately threw a dagger at me, which I deflected away with my sheathed sword.

"Is that how you greet an old friend, Varus?" I asked, picking up the dagger and handing it back to him.

Varus sheathed back his weapons and shook hands with me. "Been a long time, my friend. Where are we heading this time?"

I explained everything to him and he didn't seem that surprised that Morgan agreed readily.