The Amphitrite stopped once again at the harbor of Soteria, a city renowned for its unmatched craftsmanship and quick and talented for repairing any damaged objects be it ships, carriages, weapons… the only exception was human beings. It was a city getting and fixing soulless things; but quite opposite to its specialty, the city was no less vivid and active than Laria or the capital of Panusarea before being hit by the drought. The ship had stopped there to heal its injuries from the last battle with the Wilshire, as Howard expressed to Albert and Vincent. Then, Serena joined the three men who stood watching the city. Alex was preparing to leave with some men to pay a visit to the workshop they usually deal with, but he stopped when he saw Serena standing with the three men onboard the ship, discussing the city with excitement, a wide smile brightening her face as the sweet breaths of the morning freed some blonde tufts from her hair, braided with two thin braids at each side of her head that joined a long cascading ponytail. He approached from them with heavy steps. Howard turned at him with full attention:
"Do you order me anything else, captain?"
Howard's mission was to remain at the Amphitrite and guard it. But Alex had not come to address him, his speech was directed at the woman standing among them.
" You are surely to find a ship here that will take you wherever you desire to return to. I do not recommend a woman of your status to wander around. Stick by the harbor and jump on the first suitable ship you find. Howard can assist to you or dispatch a man to do so."
That was the longest speech ever heard out of Alex's mouth, it left Albert almost stunned, he did not believe Alex was capable of talking for so long. He believed he had lost the ability of communication residing in his cabin and refuge in the sea. Apart from his conversation with the crown princesses Hestia, this was an achievement to young Albert whose shock was consolidated by the way in which the captain spoke these words. It seemed as if he was getting a burden out of his sight, every word slowly articulated and coldly delivered. His throat was probably tired by the end of the long request for the woman to leave, or rather, the harsh order. This harshness and his need to get this matter settled as soon as possible, the matter of removing this woman from this ship since the moment she was picked up by it, was not lost on anyone, especially the woman to whom this urge was related but she approached the captain, careful to leave a reasonable distance between them, but firm in her stance and answer, trying to show gown her words with strength without appearing to be imposing herself:
"I truly appreciate you concern over my well-being captain Alex, but with your permission I'd really like to stay…"
The gentle calculated words she wanted to go with suddenly came to a halt, like a budding branch taken down by the blow of an ax. Alex's eyes that were turned away from her since the first time she had boarded this ship silenced her the first moment the directly faced her own faltering eyes. Her sincere emotions that could be called daring even, surfaced clearly through the orbs of her eyes and were sunken quickly by the obvious rejection, nearing disgust in Alex's eyes. Her lips trembled with the desire she wished to convey about remaining onboard of this ship, but Alex quickly closed all the doors with a crude yet understandable reason.
"I hope you understand that this is a warship; you're only going to be a burden to all of us."
Although his words were true, the way they were said made them sound even harsher; cutting any hope for her wish… she bowed her head and went without adding any other word to her room. Albert watched the broken woman retreating to her room with sad eyes and remarked with discontent as soon as Alex left to attended his business:
"That man is a real pain… what's his problem? She had helped us many times before, and did not get in our way…"
"There must be a reason to it."
Albert looked at Vincent surprised by his indifference stance about the issue. He seemed to agree with the captain to a certain degree, maybe not the harshness hurtful way the matter was dealt with, but the notion behind it. Nevertheless, Albert could not just stand doing nothing and went to Serena's room. She'd already prepared herself to leave. When did she have the time to gather her stuffs, they were not many to start with, she had been picked up from a sinking bout with nothing but her dress, still it seemed as if she was expecting this moment but Albert did not like the way the woman was quick to surrender to that man's command. Noticing Albert at her door, she bowed saying farewell to the royal officer who told her to wait, and that if she truly wishes to stay, he will convince Alex with his given authority making Serena smile bitterly as if it was a painful joke. She rushed down the wooden gangway refusing any escort much to Howard's dismay. Albert ran after her asking her to stop and when Vincent saw him going after her alone in a city he was visiting for the first time, and that hid much than it revealed to the wondering eyes, he couldn't but follow him in mild exasperation. He quickly caught up to him, and together they looked for Serena in the nearby decks where she was ordered to look for a ship. Clearly, she had not adhered to this order, and wandered off on her own, probably in sorrow and haste to stay as far as possible from the Alex's ship. Albert turned his eyes around sighing in annoyance and darted to the busy streets joined by Vincent who did not seem pleased at getting away from the harbor, not from his unwillingness to find the lady. On the crowded streets; there were so many unkind faces looking the two officers up and down the further they went in.
"I don't like this city… it gives me the chills…"
Albert found himself speaking his mind. Fearing Vincent will think these words came out of cowardice, he turned to explain himself but his friend was smiling saying that this is a city that lives by repairing the travelling ships and all the people in it are hard workers so it's no wonder they would look at people such as themselves, in their flashy uniform, a look of despise and contempt. Only the shops near the harbor were affiliated with the various ranks of this world, but that did not mean the rest of the city, expanding with every street and market they crossed into a maze of dark alleys and dirty lanes screaming crime and poverty. Albert didn't like this, wherever he stopped, wherever the ship anchored, there was that difference between himself and the other people… this wasn't what he had dreamt of. Childish as it seemed at his current age, he aspired to make friends with all kind of people and connect between them with a ship of his own he can proudly sail around with it travelling the wide world with no questions or barriers. Noticing the dimness that was slowly taking over the youth's face, Vincent was not surprised at the lad's ignorance of the true world. After all, this was his first trip outside not only his homeland, but perhaps outside his own countryside.
"There must be a lot of things going on your mind now. But not every place is happy place. The big merchants of this city hug most of the profits to themselves. Their status and wealth make them comfortable for the likes of us to deal with. Beyond the harbor, people struggle on their own for scraps despite their renowned talents. This city is no different from anywhere else, even Laria, even the Wilshire territory, even our kingdom."
A gentle pat on his shoulder was meant to calm his dissatisfaction down. But even while understanding this, Albert could not accept this truth. And besides, what did Vincent mean by the "likes of us"? Albert might be born a noble, but he was only in name. After his father's death, no many offered help and he was too young and occupied with dreams. Their estate died slowly, with no salaries to pay, the servants left and he was left on his own with his mother fending for themselves and food like the rest of the people in this island and other places. Only a miracle saved them when things went down deeper and deeper' being appointed the royal officer to oversee things and carry the king's wishes onboard the lone sea wolf, the Amphitrite.
A familiar cry for help alerted the two men, they knew very well to whom the distressed call belonged. Albert rushed without a second thought to the source from where the hassle was coming not taking care of his surrounding, a filthy uninhabited alley. He only stopped in his track, taking his surrounding into sight upon tripping by what he thought was some rock or unpaved stone. But no, it was a pile of severed fingers. He wanted to puke, encouraged by the scent of the alley that reeked of blood, liquor and sweat and the unappealing smell of sex. The sight of Serena surrounded by seven men, the dress she was saved in and had packed already stolen, and displayed for a sick show accompanied by rude comments and nasty taunts.
"Come on little puppet, we won't force you to wear the dress if you don't like it, actually we will be more honored if you also took these unflattering sailor's clothes!"
Albert mumbled enraged, battling his desire to throw up at everything that was happening.
"Such impudent thieves!"
Vincent rage had surpassed Albert's, evident in the strong grip with which he throw him aside, remarking.
"You think these are mere thieves? They are human traders!"
"What?!"