The escape
Tied, gagged, and blindfolded which is cause him thinking of many terrible methods of torture. Ever since Drake got beheaded a lot, the crew stared at him with resentment and out to get him, he did not think they would get their revenge so soon. If they were going to kill him, he would not go down without a fight. Esai hears his ears filled with heartbeat not knowing they are taking him, as the steps they take fill him with dread and anticipation. As their clanking step stops, they place Esai on his knees as he breathes heavily.
There were some whisperings that filled the room before they were shushed by someone which left an awkward silence. There turned his head in blindness as one gruff voice spoke "Little child, before we begin, we need your full cooperation if going unblind and ungag if you promise to hear us out." Esai gritted his teeth as he nodded his head in agreement to see the faces of cowards. Whoever unblind and ungag Esai ready for his reply "IF YOU'RE GOING TO KILL ME, I AM READY TO—" Hesitation as his vision clears up to see all villagers who men and women wore ragged draped clothing, laced clothing, and tunic.
Young and old as well are children around his age or younger, this was not what Esai was expecting as he was lost for words. As Esai looks around to see they are in a storage room that is filled with metallic boxes neatly organized in stack. The man who had spoken to him looked in his mid-forties, dark green tunic, tan, brown ducktail haircut, slightly frail looking. He introduced himself "My name is Den Se; forgive our mistreatments we are in desperate need of your help for you to have access to restricted areas that we villagers are not granted." Esai gawking at Den "What, do you mean that you need my help? Aren't I not quality for that thing?" There were some villagers who agreed with that sentiment "The kid has a point, what good can he do?" there was murmuring among themselves.
Esai is irritated by some villager calling him a kid that he made clear of it "Hey do not call me a 'kid' especially do not call me a 'Cabin boy' my name is Esai Kinzuma!" as he watches their reactions. Den explains to the villagers "This young Kinzuma, has information that can be of help to us. So, hear him out." Esai astonishedly said that they are willing to hear him out as he admitted "Well I am going to inform you of my plan then you are going to have to untie me because it is rather uncomfortable to be in this position." Den told some of the men to untie the ropes as they did that Esai massages his wrists.
All the villagers made eye contact as Esai took a breath then he began "Originally this plan was meant for me to escape that I memorize that routine of pirates' habits when patrolling they are far too lax. Thinking that no one would dare challenge them because they had guns. I would sneak to the engine room, disable it and mess with their system that may take some time to figure out while I sneak out and take the ship and leave." There were villagers who looked at him with disapproval. As Esai said as he pretends coughs "That before you villagers, seek me out this plan can be revised for your benefit."
They had plenty of good ideas but, most of them had violent outcomes, as much Esai hated how the pirate treated them and he included, he did not want unnecessary killings. He felt inspired by one of his favorite scriptures that came to mind that he suggested "How about this, do you villagers have your best reserved alcohols?" Most of the villagers, even Den Se, looked confused that they had questioned him "What does our alcohol have to do with escaping the ship?" As Esai told them "You know that these pirates love to drink their alcoholic beverages, I am saying we should serve them extra drinks and place sedative in their drinks that way we can leave unscathed." As much they hated the pirates they just wanted to leave.
Den Se approves of this "We know of ingredients that can match the sedative as long no one notices. We will have done it tonight. Best of luck young Kinzuma." As some villagers cheered a bit quietly for, they did not alert the pirate their position. Esai went his way until he noticed a woman who is kind to him glance at him gloomily. She leaves before he could say anything. Esai did not want to turn her in because of her kindness that he allows her to leave.
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The next day Esai got ready for his cabin boy duties when he heard an unusual request that Captain Blade Jet demands all pirates and villagers to come celebrate their three-year anniversary of being together. Many of the villagers had prepared their best alcohols that had been subtly spiked for the pirates. They all went to the mess hall where all the pirates are being served food and the spiked drinks. Their riotous cheering as Captain Blade Jet made their momentous occasion "All my fellow friends and villagers today we will mark the celebration of us traveling together so that we formed an alliance. That we will become armada to take out our enemies that they will fear the name of the Captain Blade Jet throughout the Universes! A Toast to our Empire!" Everyone roars with cheer except me and the villagers.
As Esai and the villagers were serving drinks to the rowdy pirate as they were demanding food and drinks. The place is so crowded that Esai must squeeze through them like thick bushes, as he grunts with annoyance. Then he served the pirates at different tables which eventually clears off the wooden platter that he is holding. As Esai was about to leave their one man grabs his arms tightly as Esai turns with infuriation "WHAT DO YOU WANT!? I HAD ALREADY SERVED YOUR DRINKS!" As the man coolly tries to ease the hostility "Easy, Cabin Boy this the day we can drink to our hearts content." Which is Esai is counting on as his arm is still tightly gripped by man "Look, Cabin Boy we may have overdone it when you came to our ship as stowaway thinking we should have kill on the spot but, the Captain spared you seeing we need a cabin boy you had done hell of a job of cleaning."
"This guy better have a point before he gets his face planted on the wooden platter!", Esai hostilely thought. The man smiles with his missing teeth as he pulls his mugs "To show that there aren't any hard feelings here, drink this to show our appreciation." Esai stares at the mug then back to the man then he refuses "Look thank you for the compliment but, I am underage, and I do not want it, can you let go of my arm now please." The man's smile went away and turned serious "Drink it." Esai shook his head no. The man grabs him by the throat and threatens "DON'T BE UPTIGHT BRAT AND DRINK IT!" Esai avoided the forceful mug at his face.
Esai refused to drink the alcohol because it is spiked with sedatives which spill all over. Suddenly, there was the voice of an angry woman who stuck a gun to the man's back "Put him down! Or I place hole in you!" The man drops Esai to the floor there and the man has his hands up as a sign surrendering as she barks "GO ENJOY YOUR DRINKS AND LEAVE THE BOY ALONE!" The all men pirate turns away and mutters to themselves to resume their business. Esai never was so glad to see her as she places her gun in her holster in her jacket looking angry.
When Esai was about to thank her for rescuing him but, her tone and look in her eyes tells him otherwise "Come with me, Esai." As they left the mess hall they were out of the corridor seeing she was clearly upset. This made him apprehensive to ask what was wrong, then she blurted with Esai "Don't do it, you are going to cause a lot of deaths that can be easily avoided." Esai turns his head and sighs "Look, I do not belong here, and I appreciate your help but need to return home." The woman grabs his hands with painted looks in her eyes "Just convince the villagers that this is a bad idea. Also, I can protect you from the pirates if they have harassed you." She pulls out a holo-device that Esai had not seen since the day he became the Cabin Boy as he dumbfounded "How did get this—" She pleaded, "Don't do it, that is all I am asking."
She leaves holo-device to Esai's hands then she leaves looking miserable leaving him alone. Esai placed his holo-device on his left wrist to make sure it works, supposedly it meant that the battery life is meant to last a lifetime. Esai turned on the holo-device as it booted up to check its system updates which left an error because it had no wi-fi services to connect. He cancelled the update that he wanted to see in a long time which was his photo of his parents as it screens holo-projection came to his view. Tears flow down as he sees his mother and father hugging him.
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Esai hid his holo-device by wearing longer sleeves of t-shirt as he does his usual routine of mopping the floor, nothing disturbing him. As he observed the villagers signal Esai to come as the plan came to an effect. As they are running in the corridor that is no longer a patrolling pirate, they are passed out on the floor due to the sedative in their drinks. The villagers looted the guards their weapons as they are now armed.
They went to disable the engine room because there was no one in there, they sabotaged the control panels and disconnected the power. The villager told Esai after they shut down the engine room "We only have a few hours before the sedative wears off, we will gather all our things we need before heading out. We see you later Mr. Kinzuma!" Esai wasted no time since he had nothing of value other than his holo-device headed to hanger bay.
The corridor is narrower as the other villagers come to join him as Esai could not believe they are going to pull this plan off. Up ahead there was a supply carrier ship his excitement had gotten close enough there was a scream of terror there was Captain Blade Jet and his remaining crew waiting for them very furious. The crew had their plasma machine gun fully arm they are there fool around as they rounded up the people including Esai they were pushed to the open area that they were thirty feet away from the supply ship.
The pirate held their plasma machine guns and saw they are not exactly excited for they are watchful for anyone stepping out of line. While Esai stood the crowding villagers, who show their fears and anxiety now knowing that they were going to suffer the consequences. There Esai saw the outside of space that is showing a stasis field separating them from the vacuum of space. Just thinking about the outside of space, Esai had a horrific experience of space he got thrown from Tani Dark which leaves him nervous about ever traveling out to space.
Their fearful murmuring from the villagers as Esai remains silent from this ordeal seeing Captain Blade Jet is pacing back and forward fuming with rage. Almost if Captain Blade Jet was not expecting this to happen and almost doesn't know what he is going to do as the awkward pacing goes back for a few minutes until he stops as he turns with murderous intent which Esai can feel from here. As vents his anger "Got to say after taking you in from the brink of starvation for three years ago thinking you all were thankful." His eyes flare with venomous glares as some of the villagers flinched "This is how you repay me back by escaping when I provide for food, shelter, and protection. YOU INGRATES!"
He pulls his infamous saber sword as he commands his men to take a captive from the villagers there was unfortunate teenager girl got singled out as their parents tried to protect from being dragged as she screamed "HELP ME!" the father got hit of the butt of the plasma gun and the mother got slapped in the result of their actions. As men dragged the sobbing teenage girl to Captain Blade Jet clench her long hair as his tip of his blade was toward the throat "I KNOW OF ALL YOU DID NOT ACTED ALONE IT IS WORK OF INDIVIDUALS! BRING OUT THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. NOT ALL YOU HAVE TO DIE ONLY FEW OF YOU HAVE TO DIE TO BE MADE AN EXAMPLE OF!"
Captain Blade Jet told them "I have to admit that I will have to thank my wife Diana for informing me of this expedite." Esai eyes widen with fatal realization that Diana is standing there before them is the wife of the Captain Blade Jet as she could not bear to look at Esai as she silently mouthed "You should have listened to me." The villager was riled up with hatred of seeing her.
"TRAITOR!"
"YOU PROSTITUTE!"
"DECEIVER!"
All these scorns came as a surprise from the villagers as Esai genuinely did not know who she was until now. Diana started to turn away in discomfort and filled her with a sense of guilt and now Esai comprehends why her room is filled with self-guilt. Esai felt her pain enter his heart as if she needed comfort and he does not know why his spirit is telling him there was more to the situation. Captain Blade Jet barks at the villagers to silence when he pokes the teenager's neck which she winced with sharp agony.
"I WON'T ASK AGAIN PRODUCE THE ONES RESPONSIBLE OR SHE WILL BE LAYING ON THE FLOOR WITH HER BLOOD!"
Esai could not bear the thought that someone was going to get murdered because of him. Is this what he will be experiencing and expecting for now on as the Messenger? As everything felt slowing down in that crucial moment that he is the one can divert the fate of the girl's or her end of her life. His hesitance could cause her life if he does not act now it may cause his life in exchange for hers. He must embrace the role of being the Messenger…
The end of volume one of The Rise of the Messenger.