On to Spain, On to Italy

[Titus Cortez]

His fingers relaxed at her sides and he held her tighter, reassuringly and stroking her hair that was soaked by the salt water. "It won't." he said, and he believed it. "You've had legs for this long, and it's been a mystery. There's no reason that you should have a tail now, of all times. There's a reason you've been human for this long. Whatever that purpose is, I don't think you've fulfilled it yet." Titus lifted her head from his chest with a gentle hand, determined to take the sorrow from her pretty face. "And you won't lose me. I promise." His lips drew closer to hers again, "No ocean could keep me away from you." He kissed her softly, and he didn't pull away.

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya looked up at Titus her smile faded. "I hope you're right" She whispered before he pulled her into a kiss. What purpose could there be for her to have legs? She always thought it was because she didn't spend much time in the ocean as most siren's. Maybe Titus had a pint, maybe there was something she needed to do or maybe the sea was testing her to see if she was worthy of something more. Whatever it might be the question would not leave her mind. She pulled away gently from his kiss even though she did not want to. "Do you not have any worries about the whole thing?" She asked him.

[Titus Cortez]

Titus shook his head. "I have no worries." he said, wishing that he could still be kissing her. "And I don't want you to worry, either." He offered her a smile in hopes of getting one back. "And I am right. Nothing is going to get rid of me. You know that." he grinned at her, referring to when she wanted him to turn around and go home and leave her alone. "Not pirates, not the ocean, not even you could if you tried." Titus winked at her. "We're okay, Alaya." he said, letting go of her and taking her hands, pulling her through the water gently as he glided backwards. "The day is hot and we have the sea. In three we will walk on Spain and find more adventure than we've ever dreamed. From there, we will sail to Italy and see Venice! Rome!" Titus spoke excitedly, trying to cheer her. "And when we come home, you and I will have that horseback ride, and I will take you dancing. Let's hope you don't have two left feet." he teased her, though trying to make her believe that she would indeed have feet by the time they got home. "And we could dance in Spain, if you like. We could dance anywhere." He twirled her around through the water playfully, and then he laughed a little. "We could even dance here." Though he wasn't serious, he would still dance, if she said she wanted to. "Just smile, pretty girl." Titus told her. "Just smile."

[Alaya Seawitch]

As he talked, Alaya couldn't help but still feel doubtful. Yes it was strange that she had yet to become a full siren but she knew, like it was a deep instinct, that she would one day have a fin when in the sea. When that time would come, she did not know. She could let Titus have his fun at least for the moment. She couldn't help but smile when he tried to dance while in the water. "Maybe for now you are right" She said with a smile before planting a kiss on his lips.

[Titus Cortez]

Titus smiled at her, accepting her kiss with an eager heart. "What should we do now?" he asked, looking from the ocean to the ship. "We could swim or go back aboard." But then he looked up at the sky, where Seeker was circling repeatedly, and would not stop. He wondered how long he had been up there unnoticed. Seconds, minutes, or hours, he wasn't sure. "Alaya, your bird." he said, almost questioningly as if she could interpret what it was the animal was signaling.

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya looked up at Seeker alarmed. There were a couple things that meant. One another ship was coming or two there was a storm approaching. Alaya let go of Titus and dove into the water to asset the current and to see if any of the animals knew what was going on. She came up quickly and swam back to Titus. "There is a huge storm coming from the east. We need to get back on board and warn the crew. This could be dangerous" As she spoke the water seemed to change slightly.

[Titus Cortez]

Titus nodded briskly and climbed back into the boat before helping her in and raising them back onto the ship. Before he did so, however, he looked her up and down in panic. "You're all wet!" he said, though it was obvious. They had just been swimming, after all. But she had jumped in with all her clothes on. She might look a little strange to the rest of the crew, as the storm had not yet reached them and there would be no reason for her to be so soaked. He handed her the bandanna and climbed out of the life boat. Titus would be fine with a change of shorts, but he wasn't sure what to do for Alaya. He ran to get her a towel, or the closest thing to a towel he could find, which ended up being a torn piece of sail, and brought it back to her so that she could dry off as best she could.

And then he disappeared again, into the hull of the ship, unnoticed so long as he stayed away from the poker table, and found an extra pair of shorts on the shelf by his hammock. He disappeared into the brig to change, where at the moment, no prisoners were kept and the darkness would hide him so he could change and make a cursory attempt to dry his hair and body. Titus slipped back above the hull and back to Alaya.

"I'll just tell them there was an accident with the mop bucket." he said, to explain her clothes. He hadn't told the crew yet. Maybe he was just buying time. But the truth was, Titus was nervous. Terribly nervous. He wouldn't admit it, but maybe even a bit frightened. In all their months at sea, they had yet to experience a storm. This wasn't his homeland. This wasn't his ship. And he fought against pirates, not with them. That much he could handle. Swords. Brawls. Fighting. But a storm at sea? He was an alien. Show some back bone, man. He thought to himself, standing taller and straighter a little. Are you a man or a mouse?

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya looked up at the sky watching the storm roll in. It was the largest storm they've come across in some time. Alaya rolled her eyes when Titus figure out she was drenched in water. "Did you just notice?" She teased. Alaya steeped up on the deck as Seeker flew to her shoulder. She quickly hurried to the crows nest as Titus rushed off.

She had hoped he would tell the crew but when no one showed right away she slid back down to the deck to see what was going on. Titus can back with a poor excuse for a cloth and some clothing type of thing in his hand. She laughed at his excuse. She knew it had been a while since she went for a swim and he had never been on the ship before.

"Look Titus, I just have to say it was another bet. I usually make bets with the crew members about swimming in shark infested waters. And I win every time" She stated turning down the cloth. She walked over to the door leading bellow deck still smiling. She oped the door and called out to the crew. "Storm's approaching from the east. It's goin' to ba a big one" She walked away from the door as the crew hurried to their post. One of the man noticed Alaya as she walked over to the side to secure the life boats. "Win some money from the new guy?" Alaya nodded with a sly smile as she made eye contact with Titus. Besides most of the crew were too drunk to notice how she looked.

[Titus Cortez]

He didn't know what to do. This wasn't where he belonged. Sails being torn down, raised again on different lines or not raised at all. Pieces of rigging flew from one sailor's hands to the next, while others ran across the deck gathering supplies. He paced one way, then the other, trying to find a task to apply himself to, but only found his own ignorance in everything he saw. He knew nothing about the ship, even after all this time at sea. Finally, he found Alaya again. "Where do you need me?" he asked. But without waiting for an answer, he found something he couldn't possible screw up. He took the bird off her shoulder and brought him down below deck. Any winds that picked up and the little creature would be done for. He shut the door and bolted it so it wouldn't blow open, and returned to Alaya's side. What could he do here? A sword was no use in a storm. A sword was all he had.

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya looked over to see Titus nervously trying to figure out what he could do. She shook her head knowing he would find something. She felt sorry for him that he had no clue how to handle a storm out at sea. Even for Siren's, a storm was a dangerous thing. She noticed him cam back looking for something to do. "Go make sure the life lines are tided tightly. We don't want anyone falling off the ship. IN a storm like this they wouldn't be able to swim back" She told Titus before she hurried to help secure more of the sails.

[Titus Cortez]

He nodded curtly and dashed off to do what he was told. What are you doing here, Titus? he thought to himself as he secured the ropes as tightly as they would stretch. He followed the length of the ropes, making sure they were tight all the way through and free of snares. Chasing a woman. he answered himself after a while, looking over to Alaya. A very strange and different woman. He knew he was a fool. He only had to look around to see that. He was on a ship, among pirates no less, off on a voyage to Spain, in a storm that would be just as willing to kill them as the sea would be to drown them. He knew nothing about this world. Nothing about the ocean. Nothing about ships or pirates or traveling. And it was all for Alaya. He shook his head. He knew he was a fool. But he didn't care.

Until he got to the end of his rope. That was one task done, and the winds were picking up. The deck was still in chaos, and he had lost sight of Alaya. He could hear Axel barking below deck madly, as well as the bird screeching at the top of its lungs. But they were safer down there. Titus envied the both of them of their stupidity. They were just animals, too dumb to know the dangers of a storm, too dumb to be afraid. He wished he could be that stupid. His eyes scanned the deck wildly again, spotting three sailors at the crank, lowering the anchor. He joined them quickly at the fourth handle, pushing against it as hard as he could. "HOW LONG DOES A STORM USUALLY LAST?" he called to the man ahead of him, but he wasn't heard above the wind.

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya finished securing the main sails when she heard the roll of thunder. To see such a storm at this time of year was very strange. The sea and sky were warning them of something. There was to be another storm among those lining on the sea. A fight maybe but Alaya did not know and she wouldn't know till it happened. She looked around watching the crew run around preparing for the disaster the storm might bring. She knew that this storm she would not be able to help much with the waves that would soon threaten to wipe everyone off that deck and into a watery grave.

She noticed Titus helping with the anchor. She jumped down to the deck and walked over to him. They were just about done with the anchor when a huge wave hit the side of the deck. She maintained her footing, holding onto the rail as to not be pushed back by the wave. Rain was pouring from the sky as thunder erupted again.

"This storm is going to last much longer than most. And this isn't even close to how bad it is going to get" Alaya half shouted over the crew. Many heard her and knew she was telling the truth. She was always right when it came to storms and the ocean. Taking a deep breath she helped other secure more lines on the mast trying not to loose her balance as the waves crashed against the side of the ship.

[Titus Cortez]

Titus came up choking as he inhaled the saltwater that carried him and the other men away from their hasty work. The wave sent the crank spinning, undoing much of what they had already accomplished. The wind whipped his body fiercely, like an angry cattle master. And Titus felt much like an ox, stumbling to his feet again and returning to the crank that they might attempt again to lower the anchor. His muscles ached, and apparently so did every other man's, by the groans that escaped their mouths as they pulled down and hoisted rigging, tossed chains and lines and crates down into the hull (where Axel's howling and Seeker's screeching still sounded), or tied down the cannons.

He caught ear of what Alaya had said, but when he turned to face her, she had already gone to help others with the rigging. "I think I'll walk home from Spain." he muttered, though it went unheard through all the wind, and he knew it was impossible.

The anchor was lowered, but it did little to help. Alaya was right. This was a terrible storm. Despite their efforts, their ship was still tossed over the waves like a bath toy. "GOD!" he cried out, as another surge of water and salt came billowing over the railing, whisking the feet from beneath the crew and carrying them crashing down against the lines. Titus gasped as he saw the sea far below the ship, churning like a witch's personal cauldron brew, and inhaled the water again as he stood up.

[Alaya Seawitch]

Alaya looked around the ship, able to keep herself as wave after wave hit. She loved storms but know how dangerous it was even for her. The men were frantic trying to keep the ship afloat and staying on the ship. She watched as Titus tried to stay standing. She smiled slightly feeling sorry for him.

Another huge swell hit the ship. This time Alaya had to hold onto the railing to stay up. She really hoped no one was swept overboard. They hadn't lost anyone yet from the seas rage and she didn't want it to happen. As much as she loved the sea and felt at home there strange enough the insignificant little pirate ship was her home as well.

[Titus Cortez]

Everything for the next few hours seemed only a blur to him. The shouts of commands that he couldn't fulfill or understand, the cold power of the ocean that succeeded every time to take away his footing, the chaos of the crew members as they ran about the deck, or the howls of the wind, that with its breath blinded him, the violent rocking of the ship, the churning of the waves far below them, the darkness of the sky, and the monstrosity of the rain. Titus did what he could, but even that was close to nothing.

A sickening crack reached his ears, and he looked up. The mast, in its mighty glory the rose far above the ship, that feeble, wooden chew toy that it was to this storm, was falling. Men scurried out of the way, pushed and shoved and kicked each other out of the way. Those at the base of it fled faster than anyone else, perhaps propelled by a much larger fear than could be felt than by anyone but someone at the base of a falling mast. With a gut-wrenching crash, it landed across the deck and took out a piece of the railing.