Captain's Log #3: Spa [Part 4]

Job Information:

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“Are you an idiot?! Or do you have a death wish, land-walker? At this point, I am sure it is both because only the most idiotic and suicidal people would refuse to bow to my father when he comes into the room. Do you understand how fortunate you are? He was in a pleasant mood because of my return. If he was not, the guards would have impaled you right there in the throne room. No, if you were lucky!” This was the conversation being held in the castle hallway while the duo of mermaid princess and pirate captain was making their way to the area of the castle which housed the healing springs. A bored expression had found itself plastered on the auburn-haired captain’s face before an inaudible sigh escaped his lips from hearing the cerulean haired princess berate him on his lack of manners and sense of self-preservation in face of meeting with the king of Merlora, King Andaman.

“When are you going to let go of my arm, lass?” Cap’n Erik mentioned while he continued to feel her firm grasp on his arms while she still dragged him down the hallway like a child being escorted to his room for breaking a vase or getting into a fight at school. At the mention of that, Arcelia slung his arm away from her grasp - releasing the man from it. “Look, lass, I know what you are getting at about my foolishness and my stubbornness. My mentor said it was a hell of a problem, and I would end up getting killed because of it. But I am a pirate. I am a pirate captain.  Pirates do not bow before royalty. Pirates do not submit to royalty. Regardless, if it will get me killed. I plan on being the free man I am now.” Cap’n Erik replied to her.

Princess Arcelia met his words with an inaudible sigh of her own before she turned around in the air and looked over at the human who had escorted her home. “Look… I don’t know what to say to you at this point which would convince you about how fortunate you are about all the events that led up to this moment so far, land-walker. You were able to single-handedly defeat a crew of mercenaries, get away with disrespecting a princess in her kingdom, lay your hands on a princess, and refuse to bow before the king of a kingdom within his castle.” While she was still lecturing him, Cap’n Erik could swear he heard what one could deem as being impressed with this turn of events.  “Let’s not forget your horrid actions of what you did aboard your ship to me… my chest.” She brought up before turning away from him.

The memory made Erik smirk a bit before he continued after her. “All right, I understand, lass.” He could not deny that she was wrong about the chain of events which led to this moment. The fight on the ship against the enemy crew was one he would credit to his gusto and ingenuity. Few people would use a liquor bottle, gunpowder, and bullets to create a makeshift grenade and blow the enemy crew. However, the events here were strange... His disrespect toward Arcelia and fighting with her should have landed him in jail at the least. But Arcelia defended him, even if it was to protect her pride about the situation. A lot was bothering him about this kingdom - about everything - but he could not place his finger on what it was exactly. With an air of awkward silence now shared between them, Cap’n Erik and Princess Arcelia made their way to the healing chambers within the castle.

Before the auburn-haired pirate captain stood an enormous door made of light blue coral with two mermaid guards wearing full-plate seashell armor standing at attention at both sides of it.  They both bowed to the third princess of the kingdom before returning to their normal position at the door. “Princess Arcelia, we had heard that you had returned and this human must be the guest we heard about at the gate.” One of them said looking at both of the bloody and battered individuals who stood before them. They did not bring up the fact they were bloodied and injured. Instead, they elected to open the door to the healing chamber. Arcelia smiled, even though it still hurt quite a lot to do so at the moment. “Thank you both for your service. Come along, land-walker. The healing waters within this chamber are a godsend.” Arcelia said to both Cap’n Erik and the guards standing at the door. She thanked them because she didn’t have to issue another threat of silence or had to deal with them probing for more information on how her once beautiful face now bloodied and bruised Then they both went into the room.

The scene that greeted the duo of pirate and princess was one that astonished one while filling the other with unfounded pride - an enormous room spreading over five hundred square feet in area. Throughout the room, there were several small spas carved into the coral floor and filled with water. Scattered about the room were several massage tables. Most of the tables had mermen and mermaids resting on them while they received full-body massages from the other mermen and mermaids dressed in white shirts closely resembling traditional nurse uniforms.

Cap’n Erik did not expect to be greeted with an enormous massage parlor as a healing room. “Lass, I thought this was supposed to be your healing chamber?” He told her before several mermaids and mermaids swarmed around them. Most of them went around Arcelia looking her over with worried eyes before they pulled her over toward one of the larger pools within the room. They pulled several rolling privacy curtains around and took care of her. There was a bit of screaming for a moment - only for a moment. Then he heard a splash before the curtains moved back and he saw Arcelia in the pool of water. Her face still had a few of the bumps and bruises on it, but they were healing quickly. Her expression was soft and relaxed now. Her eyes darted toward the human with her usual closed-mouth and haughty smirk as if saying ‘You doubted if this was a place for healing right, land-walker.’

Cap’n Erik then felt a tug at his shirt. It had occupied him seeing what Arcelia was going through that he had failed to notice the two mermaids floating next to him. “Good afternoon, sir. We have heard from the other servants you are a guest of the princess so you are welcome to use these healing waters that are normally reserved only for royalty and special nobility as per decree of King Andaman. Here we use several techniques with the healing water to ensure that you leave here fully restored.” One mermaid told him before they dragged him off to a pool adjunct of the one Princess Arcelia was relaxing in at the moment.

Cap’n Erik didn’t fight them since this was an opportunity to deal with the wound on his arm. He remembered how the older captain of the rival vessel had fought against him - knocking away his gun with his sword before going in for the kill. If Erik didn’t use his arm to block it, he would have died then. He was also fortunate that the man went in for a stabbing attack. If he had slashed it, Erik might have been down an arm.

As he thought about the benefits of this healing water, Erik heard the curtains around him shuffle around before the area around the pool was closed off from the outside world. Then the auburn-haired pirate captain felt the two mermaid nurses get closer and closer to him. “It is time for your physical examination, sir.” One of them told him before she went to grab his jacket. An inaudible sigh escaped his lips from hearing her words and seeing them attempting to grab his clothing. “Lasses, there is no need to yank and pull at my clothing. If you need me to strip down, all you need is to say so.” The pirate captain told them in his standard blunt tone before he removed the items in his jacket, setting them on the floor near them. He then took off his jacket and his shirt. The two mermaids were quiet as they watched the human male disrobe in front of them.

“Hm… From the number of scars across your body, I can tell you have seen your share of fights, sir. But..” One of them said - grabbing Erik’s injured arm and looking over it. “Most of the injuries on your body have been properly treated by a professional and healed correctly. However, this injury here seems to have happened more recently and from the stitch work, a novice did it. We will have to remove the stitches and get you into the healing pool. I recommend you soak in there for about two hours. It should remove any other soreness your body is feeling.” They looked over his body and constantly felt over it for a while until they felt satisfied they had checked him over completely. It was then the worse part started as they grabbed a pair of scissors and cut away at the stitches on Erik’s arm. The captain gritted his teeth as he felt the pain before he felt more of the blood starting to ooze out from it. Quickly he moved to the pool and sat down on it. The water stung on his open wound, but it was not enough to make him cry out. He closed his eyes and felt the wound on his arm starting to close up before he splashed on his face. The swelling on his face went down.

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"I want money! Women! Status! And power! I want everything this world’s selling and eternity is topping the list! Understand?"