Chapter 167 - Nobles Setting Sail

Barbara led them through the docks. She parted the men and women working on the busy pier like Moses parting the red sea. Her presence commanded respect from every sailor and dock worker. They all bowed to her when she passed their way and then gave the nobles behind her with hostile eyes. Shuja saw this as a challenge nearly caused a scene if not for Sun pulling her closer to his c.h.e.s.t. "Calm down," He told her, "We are 'royals', and they don't like those types of people."

"And why? What do they know of us to glare with those snake eyes?"

"I think you'll find out soon enough."

They reached a corner of the pier where a tall grey orc man wearing a ragged navy jacket with bronze buttons waited in front of a small ship. He was surrounded by two uncouth sailors and a short elf woman. The orc had pointy ears as long as the elve's, and his face was flat and wide with a stubby nose that made him appear like a pig. He glared at the humble ship in front of him with his red slanted eyes.

The elf woman next to him sighed, "This is the only ship we have available, Sparrow." She told him while whipping her curly orange hair back. Her high pitch voice did not fit her cold persona.

"This isn't a ship!" He yelled. "This is a dingy! How do you expect me to get those snobby nobles to the damn island."

"By carrying them with the dingy." The elf cared little for the orc's outburst. In fact, she finds it humorous. "Don't tell me you don't know how to sail. Maybe that's why you like bigger sh.i.p.s. It means you'll have enough room for more crewmates to do your job for you."

"Don't joke with me, Vivi."

"Ahem!" Barbara charged between them and broke their verbal brawl. "We are running out of time. These noble heirs were unaware of the schedule change, and we need them to get the island as quickly as possible. Thankfully, the only remaining ship available is the White Pearl. Its small size means it will travel faster than the larger and heavier sh.i.p.s. I hope its size is not of an inconvenience." Barbara said with a babyface.

"Actually, this will work just fine." Sun happily said.

"Are you sure?" Barbara asked. "You don't have any problems with the ship. Its cabin is barely bigger than a country bathhouse. And its size means it's going to sway with the waves more often than not."

Sun thought about it, "Well, we're trying to get there fast so we wouldn't be late. But this is Shuja's first time on the open sea."

Shuja puffed out her c.h.e.s.t with confidence, "I can handle the sea. It's just a bigger lake. Probably no different to a river."

Captain Sparrow and Vivi facepalmed. "Are you guys landlocked?" Sparrow asked.

"Maybe?" Sun answered back.

Sparrow and Vivi g.r.o.a.n.e.d with annoyance. Barbara smacked both of them in the back of the head for disrespecting the nobles, despite the fact she disrespected them before by calling them royals. The royals became a derogatory term in the trade league, a confederacy of free cities situated on the coast of the south sea. Heirs to titles often converged in the cities to take a ship to the holy island where they will take their mock exam, a series of tests to determine if they are worthy of the Father's blessing. It's a sacred ceremony among the religious, but it's more of a show of political superiority over the petty nations that followed the Mahalia religion.

This is the reason the free cities looked down upon these noble blood outsiders. They enter the city with a pompous attitude and disregard for the local culture, voicing out their rude remarks of the sailors and the sea for the world to hear. Royals they were. Stuck in their castle, unaware of the real world. And the worse ones are the heirs to landlock land because their inexperience in the sea would lead to annoying and unreasonable demands to ease their pain while they were in an alien world. Sparrow let out another deep sighed, "Just don't get in our way." He asked.

They would demand their captain to slow down and stop the waves from rocking their ship, unaware of the labor they must sacrifice to satisfy the request. But Shuja was not like those nobles. She had no experience in the sea, but she was no castle hermit. "Don't worry, I'll be fine," Shuja said, but little did they know that Shuja was worse. Not a noble but a country girl, and her kind has yet to be seen by Captain Sparrow.

And she was not the only troublemaker for the crew. The pier shook violently while a human man ran towards them—a jolly young man with a clean babyface. And a young lady followed him closely behind. They carried luggage with them.

When they reached the crew, he collapsed on the pier catching his breath. Barbara walked over to him and kneeled in front of him. "Are you alright?" She asked.

"Are you Ms. Barbara?" He asked while his face was still planted on the wooden platform.

"Yeah."

The man jumped on his feet. "I can't believe I found you so soon. My name is Borvo Lugh, and this is my wife, Cirona Lugh." He pulled out a coin under his belly. "And I am late to the mock exam. Can you please get me there within a day?"

Barbara looked at the small ship and then at the fat noble. She weighed him visually in comparison to the White Pearl. Sparrow could smell the hint from Barbara's body language and immediately voiced his opinion. "You can't be serious?" He yelled. "This thing could barely fit six people. We can't add two more, especially with that Royal's size."

Borov got on his knees, "Please, I have to take the exam." He pleaded. Cirona tried to stop him, but his large body did not move no matter how hard she pushed. "Please, I beg of you."

Sun pitted the young man. "How many hands do you need to get this ship moving?" He asked Sparrow.

"Five at least."

"Then we'll help," Shuja uttered with a smile.

Sun tapped Borvo's back, "What do you say, big guy? Are you down to help out?"

Borvo got on his feet and puffed out his c.h.e.s.t. "I will!" He declared to the group.