Part [of] Jess III
Zoen was all healed up now. I didn't have the heart to tell him he survived by mere luck so I let him believe I knew what I was doing. Zoen's wounds were disappearing slowly unlike my hate towards the pirates. They first desecrate the grave of Narie and then dare do this to my Zoen? Someday, just someday. Engravia had started getting more comfortable around me and Zoen as well. She used to be super conscious about him whenever the three of us were together. The little demon came to check up on us.
"Hello? Are you okay now, Zoen?"
He smiled sweetly.
"Yes I am Engravia. Are you?"
She returned his smile.
"Yes, I'm good too!"
I was suddenly blessed by a huge urge to bite one of the horns of the little demon. So I did, she really didn't appreciate it.
"Hey, hey stop! Stop biting my horn Jess!!"
She struggled around for solid minute. It was enough time for me to understand one thing, she was just like Zoen, defenseless. I finally let go of her horn which she responded by weakly punching me in the arm several times. I didn't even feel the need to flinch. There was a tear forming in her eye. I bended down a little to wipe it before signing something.
Zoen talked from the place he sat down.
"Jess says she's apologizing Engravia."
The little girl turned her back to me.
"Jess you big meanie."
I thought about maybe teaching her some swear words but quickly dismissed it. I couldn't talk in the first place let alone teach. I rubbed her head before taking a seat next to Zoen. The pirates had left the ship for today. I could tell, they had locked us in our room. They would always do this once they left. I nudged Zoen, he understood immediately.
"Everyone! Gather around Jess please!" he waited for the children to do as he said. "Jess and I have prepared some sort of training session for all of you. We have to be ready for all cases, you understand?!"
There was a huge wave of approval. I lined all the children up in a four by four square since the width of the room was only enough for that. Zoen instructed them all the summon their soul weapons and hold on to them for a second. Somehow, I felt sorry for them. The sight of children with weapons in their hands was not a pleasant sight to behold. I went around, signing how to hold their weapons, how to effectively use them and other important things to pay attention to. Zoen was translating everything for me which I was endlessly thankful for. He told everyone to start practicing, either by silent mock duels or simple moves. I started counting all the heads which only came to sixteen. There was supposed to be seventeen? A person poked me from behind.
"Jess, how do I use this?"
There she was, the missing person. It was Engravia which I wasn't suprised by. She didn't have enough time to get along with the rest of the children. What actually suprised me was the soul weapon she had in her hands. What she held in her hands was a staff with a crescent shape on the tip of it. In the middle of the crescent shape, floated a gem that was the same color as the weapon but more transparent. I stood still for a second. A staff? It was the first time I came across one. While being the rarest type of weapon to have it was also the strongest one. Sure, it made you highly ineffective at close range but the pros outweighed the cons easily. I began signing to her as Zoen approach.
"That's a staff, rarest and the most powerful soul weapon a person can have. It is used to strengthen your controllable weapons without any cost. It's said that people with staffs learn how to control their weapons by mind faster. Nice shade of pink by the way."
I turned to Zoen, signing; "Hey, I didn't say that."
He signed back,
"Let's pretend you did."
Engravia looked at her staff in amazement which was apparently a nice shade of pink. I looked at Zoen again. We both knew, if trained right, she'd become our winning factor against the pirates.
We began to train the children weekly as the pirates left their ships mostly once a week. While making sure the other kids made progress, we'd help Engravia figure out the extent of her power. I never forgot to practice on my own each day even when I was teaching the other kids. After about ten weeks, Engravia approached me.
"Hello Jess, you can understand right?" she signed.
For a second, I felt like exploding with happiness.
"Wait a second you actually learned our sign language? How long have you been learning when did you start did Zoen help you or did you learn it yourself." I signed as quick as I could.
"Whoa, calm down Jess. I'm still not that good at it, Zoen has taught me the basics only."
I felt cared for all of a sudden. No one had even attempted to learn our sign language let alone try and hold a conversation with me.
Before I could say anything else, we heard the pirates yell at us from outside. It's already time for that? I hugged Engravia before leaving the room with all the children.
After that day it felt as if weeks flew by instantly. What we achieved in these weeks were pretty incredible. We perfected our sign language, kept training with the other children and most importantly learned about the skill Engravia had that seperated her from the others: "sacrifiheal". It took a huge load off Zoen's back as Engravia could drip some blood from her finger into the wounded person's mouth before chanting some words to heal small wounds. The bigger wounds needed significantly more blood so Zoen was still the one handling them.
It had been a year now since Engravia joined us. We were holding a funeral for the kid that left the world today. Poor child's heart couldn't take it anymore and gave up according to Zoen. We all said some words for him, Zoen also talking for me. I didn't have anything to say, I never knew him closely. This was exactly why I didn't get close to anyone. There was nothing of him to remember after the funeral ended. I looked at the empty space. Another one's gone without any trace. That could very well be me anytime soon. The children's moods were in the slumps next day which annoyed the pirates. They sent ten of us back down that day. To my relief, Zoen and Engravia hadn't been were allowed to go down. The little demon snuggled next to me. She looked worried.
"Jess, can you talk about yourself? How you were brought here and everything before that. I feel like I don't know you that much."
I could guess her reasoning for this sudden request. It was only natural, we had just said our goodbyes to someone important to us which I didn't even know the name of. She didn't want to forget me if I was gone. I couldn't even muster up a fake smile before starting to tell my story to her.
"So Jess, you were not mute but just got your vocal cords ripped? I think you can remake those with your bones. Demons have muscles in their bones yknow?"
"Really? How do I do it?" I signed.
"I heard it was a pretty hard and painful process. You have to create new bones originating from your spine, painfully penetrate through every tissue and such just to be able to place them in the appropriate location. You then expend the new bone to the exact size and shape of a vocal cord before breaking the connection and slowly chipping the extras away."
I immediately got to trying it. I felt some blood oozing down my throat but decided to ignore it. I kept trying and trying... The eight children returned from the main deck with minor injuries at worst. I was in agony at this point but I was still trying. All night long, the next day, the day after that, for the whole week. I was not skipping my training even while I was trying to shape it right. On one night, while I laid down after the dinner. Something clicked into it's place.
"Aeh."
I felt all the eyes turn to me. They heard me?
"Oeh. Ze."
I had forgotten how to speak. Still, I pushed forward.
"Zo. Ehn. Eng. Raiva."
I felt warm tears caress my cheeks. Before I knew it, my arms were wrapped around Engravia. At last, I could talk.
My voice was different than before and it took me a while to learn talking again. I learned that I had messed up the process quite badly. My voice sounded way more mature than it was supposed to sound and it was followed up by the terrible accent. I couldn't complain though, I could talk. And it was all thanks to one person, Engravia. She had managed to change my life drastically in the one year I got to know her. She had become as important as Zoen for me. Zoen was as suprised as anyone else when he first heard me speak. What he said afterwards was not nice though.
"Oh man, I spent three years on that sign language!"
Well, we still did use it even when I could talk normally. The pirates didn't have to know I gained my voice back.
The little demon had already found her place among the children. She was called the ultimate healer who could even cure the dead. Maybe a bit of an exaggeration but it still fit her. I wanted to pay her back for all she has ever done for me. But how? What could I even do? Only thing I knew was to fight. So then. So then, only one thing would come to mind. To mind.
"I'll protetc her with me liyfe. . ."
If the roof of the bilge had a mouth it would probably tell me how stupid I sounded to which I would agree. My life wasn't enough to pay my debt to her. I left the bilge with half my training routine not completed. Engravia was waiting for me when I entered the room full of sleeping children.
"You're pushing yourself too far, Jess."
I sat next to her, leaning my head against her's.
"I h'ave to Engraia. Who do ya think haz to taech these kieds hwo to figh'?"
"But why? Don't you realise you're straining yourself? I know for a fact you haven't gotten a good sleep in ages. You're not alone, Jess. You can trust me and Zoen."
I sighed.
"It'z differente Engraia. Ya two, are yaunger than me, weaker, kinder. I'll dye my hands red if I have to, just zo I can protect ya two."
She put one of my hands in between hers, ignoring my words.
"They're so rough... Jess, listen to me, please. You don't have to become them to protect us."
For some reason, her emphasis on "them" got to me. I looked at the hand she caressed a second ago. Even I couldn't recognize it. I kissed her forehead before signing: "Let's talk this later."
She unwillingly nodded, hugging me before falling asleep. Zoen was up too, I could feel it. He was terrible at pretending. Or rather, I knew him to well to fall for those. I silently scooted over, kissing him on his forehead as well.
"Goot nighd. I din't wan' ya to feel lefit out."
I waited for both of them to fall asleep before I could finally relax enough to sleep. Tomorrow morning was another training day, we gathered everyone up for solely dueling today. It was now the three of us left who were not silently fighting. I went next to Engravia who was sitting in a corner.
"Sorey, I mighta been a bit too harsh on ya." I sat down next to her. "I'll listen to ya, I don't wan' you worring aboud me."
She smiled, knowing her words went through me.
"Thanks Jess, I knew you were reasonable."
Then came Zoen. It looked like he was done helping the other children. He sat on the opposite side of Engravia with a nervous look.
"Hey, what are you two chatting about?"
I stretched my arms.
"I think ya already know, eavesdroppar."
Zoen had a guilty look on his face,
"That was only a one time thing. I had gotten curious, can you blame me?"
A giggle escaped from Engravia. I sighed before talking again.
"Jusd say whateva ya came here fo, Zoen."
He cleared his throat, anxiously starting to talk.
"If you noticed, some kids around us have completely given up on their freedom. All they do is mindlessly obey orders. There is one thing they all have in common, they forgot how to smile. Unlike them, I can still smile. And the only reason for that is you two. I've come to feel at home with you, at ease, safe. Whenever we talk, laugh or even just stand together I get a familiar feeling. Something I only felt three years ago."
I smiled before placing my hand on his shoulder. I knew what he meant.
"I too, see you as my family." said Engravia with her hand covering half her face.
I spoke up last.
"Ya were my broter de day we arived at the mansion."
Zoen looked really relieved. He began speaking one last time.
"Since we're done with using the sign language and I've gotten your approvals," he closed his hand before lifting his thumb, index finger and middle finger. "I say, how about we name this sign 'my kin'?"