Mr. Vale was dragged into this strange veil. And then he saw it-- what this men were speaking about.
The ship.
It was looming menacingly near the shore. It's dark aged wood bearing the scars of it's countless conquests. Intricate carvings adorned it's hull, like records of past victories etched in it's every bone. A coal black dragon stood fiercely as the figurehead, gazing into the abyss. It's fangs bared as if an unknown warning to those who dare to look into it's fearsome eyes.
The sails, black as the midnight, fluttered eerily in the still air, as if moved by something unknown.
It wasn't there—then it was.
Mr. Vale felt his knees go weak and he stumbled in their grip.
"Stay still, will you?" Milo muttered.
But Mr. Vale was completely in the trance. Everything else around him disappeared as if the ship was the only thing that existed.
"Lena!" Bastian called out, making Mr. Vale snap back to reality. "Drop the gangplank!" He yelled, then muttered under his breath "why'd she even pull it back in the first place?"
A few moments later, the gangplank was lowered from the deck. The Captain was the first one to climb, other's followed behind.
Even in the little visibility of the night lamp--contrary to what Mr. Vale had envisioned-- the deck was clean. Though the wood was still aged and creaked beneath each step, it was still a thousand times better than the image he had in his mind.
Their were ten figures standing on the deck, waiting for their captain's arrival. Each one of them looked formidable, yet strangely well groomed for pirates. Not like the raggedy criminals he had seen before, when the bureau arrested them.
Then again, this ship had appeared out of nowhere in front of Mr. Vale so expecting normalcy of any kind was a foolish notion.
Mr. Vale was thrown to the floor, the impact jolting through his bones. Before he could collect himself, the man—the mastermind behind this abduction — their captain—dragged a chair from a corner and placed it right infront of Mr. Vale's worn-out body.
Lowering himself on the seat with effortless elegance, crossing one leg over the other before speaking.
"If I wouldn't have done my research beforehand, I would've never guessed— you're a scholar" he mused. His voice flowed effortlessly with elegance, as if a poem woven into the sea breeze.
He leaned forward, tilting his head slightly—studying Mr. Vale with curiosity and mischief.
"Weren't researchers supposed to be.... plain-looking?" He added, his voice laced with amusement.
Mr. Vale lifted his gaze, finally taking in the captains whole appearance. And all he could think of was: No way this man is a pirate.
Pushing the irrational thoughts aside, he finally spoke.
"What do you want from me?" His voice was hoarse, exhausted from the struggle along the way.
"I was expecting you to ask for an introduction" The captain muttered, feigning disappointment. "I guess we should get down to the important stuff, Mr. Zane Raphael Vale?" He said with a smirk.
"No!" Zane shot back. "Tell me who you're"
The captain scoffed, a smirk tugging across his lips in amusement—resting his chin on his elbow, he murmured "So now you're curious?"
He leaned back into the chair, a sly grin gracing his lips as he looked down at Zane.
"You must've heard my name a few times. Not to brag, but it's quite well known among the folks, you see?" He said, his tone almost condescending. "But a formal introduction is necessary, since we'll be working together henceforth"
He leaned forward once again, tilting his head slightly as he directly met Zane's eyes before speaking.
"My name is *Eitenne*"
After a brief pause, Zane huffed—breaking into a laughter. Eitenne look at him dumbfounded, titling his head in confusion before asking. "What's so funny? I don't remember cracking a joke"
Zane calmed himself down, catching his breath after the hearty laugh and spoke. "This is a dream, isn't it?" he exhaled sharply and continued "This ship, you— telling me you're that Ghost pirate everyone speaks about—this has to be a ridiculous dream. Listening to those nonsensical fantasy stories really messed with my brain"
Hearing this, Eitenne chuckled to himself. He lifted his gaze, his crimson eyes settling on Zane, who was still sitting on the floor. A faint smile tugged across his lips.
"A dream, you say?" He spoke, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. "I suppose, you'd need some time to process everything. But none of this is a dream. I'm sitting here, right in front of you"
His expression shifted momentarily, his eyebrows knit together in annoyance "The Ghost Pirate or whatever" He said, rolling his eyes.
"I wonder what dimwit came up with that name" he muttered under his breath before returning to his usual smooth cadence
"I'm indeed him"