12 Fellow Wives?

"How much longer?"

Vincent stood at the helm of the ship and surveyed the roaring waves swathed across the distant horizon.

"Have patience, my friend. It has only been three months," Jabal said; he rubbed his compass with his robes until the sunlight glinted off its surface.

"Still don't understand how you lot can stay confined within a piece of wood for months," Vincent said; his long silver hair danced in the cold winds.

"Now now... what piece of wood? This ship has--" Jabal said.

"Did not ask for your life story, my friend," Vincent said with a smile.

"We live in the seas and will eventually die in the seas," he replied. "You rich folks won't understand."

"Hmm? now I am slightly interested," Vincent asked. "So tell me, where are you from?"

"The seas," Jabal replied.

"Whatever that means," Vincent said.

"No, I am serious. Folks found me by the sea," he said. "Found me in the belly of a hydra, to be more precise. Heh heh."

Vincent finally raised an eyebrow, "Hmm, did not expect that."

"Folks say that the hydra swallowed up my mother while I was still an infant inside her belly," he said with a sigh. "By the time its carcass washed up ashore, only her skeletons had remained."

"Carcass? Then who killed the hydra?" Vincent asked.

"No one knows, and surprisingly its insides were completely hollow," Jabal shrugged his shoulders. "It's a miracle that I survived."

"Is this the reason you had your body runes depict the skeleton of a hydra?" Vincent asked.

"Yes and no, you see…..I was a body refiner since the moment I was born," Jabal laughed. "To be honest, I think that was the only reason my body was unharmed."

"Surprising, right? So folks say drowning in the blood of a hydra will make you immortal." Jabal added.

"Hmm? I might be able to help you test out that legend," Vincent cracked his knuckles.

"No! No! You jest! I know it's hogwash!" he said with pride. "But I never heard of anyone born as a body refiner like me."

"Oh really now?" Vincent looked below the helm; Celeste was lying fast asleep at the back of the snoozing wyvern on the deck.

"Celeste! Come here," he shouted.

Celeste opened her azure eyes and waved her small hands at him. Then, she tugged the two horns of the snoozing wyvern until it woke up with a disgruntled expression. It turned its head back at Celeste and gave a low growl.

"Fia! Fia! Let's go!" she pointed at the helm of the ship.

The wyvern named Fia shook its head, and with a flap of its wing, it flew towards Vincent.

"Careful! Not to crash into the mast!" Jabal warned.

Celeste jumped down when she was right above Vincent and latched into his neck with a spin.

"Papa!" she said with a cheer.

"Haha", he pinched her cheeks and said. "She is also somewhat of a body refiner from birth."

"What?!Impossible!" Jabal said.

"So you want to fight her?" he said. "Celeste, go! Teach this fool! haha!"

"Take this!" Celeste gave a cheeky smile and threw out a punch at his face.

"What? No, why would I want to fight with a kid--" Jabal said.

Bam! He looked on with wide eyes as her tiny fist connected squarely with his forehead.

Looking on in disbelief, he touched the slight bump in the centre of his forehead, "Why? Did you do that?"

"She is just a child though." Vincent laughed. "Don't get too angry, haha."

"Who said I was angry? but," Jabal said, " you clearly told her to do it in the first place!"

"I think you are missing the point?" Vincent said.

"What! was there really a point in all this?" Jabal asked in displeasure.

"She managed to injure you, injure the body of the so-called body refiner, haha," he replied.

Vincent then left the helm with Celeste in his arms, leaving the dumbstruck Jabal alone with his thoughts.

He came across Nathaniel, leaning against the rails of the stairs leading below the deck.

"How is it?" Vincent asked.

"They are still spying on us," Nathaniel replied.

"You say they are members of the beastkins?" Vincent asked.

"Can't say for sure. They stay holed up in their cabins, but I always see one of them lurking around on our corridors every night," he said. "Something feels off."

"Was hoping they would try something first," Vincent said.

"There is another thing," Nathaniel hesitated. "I feel like we are being followed. Even Jabal feels the same."

"Followed in the middle of the seas? Interesting," Vincent said.

"Should we prepare for the worst?"

"Relax, we will see to it when it comes," he laughed and descended the stairs.

Vincent heard faint voices coming from his quarters when he moved through the corridors.

"Get out!"

"No, you get out!"

He opened the door to his room and saw Hertha and Selena at each other's neck yet again.

"Hertha, why are you in my room?" Vincent said.

"I was looking for you!" Hertha said.

"Here I am, so what do you need?" he asked.

"I forgot," Hertha said.

"Then come back when you remember," Vincent said.

"Why are you so rude!" she said. "You rarely spend time with me, and I am the only one taking care of your daughter!"

"Hmm, that's true. Selena, why are you dumping all the responsibilities to her?" Vincent asked.

"I am doing my part!" Selena said.

"What part exactly?" Hertha said. "Shameless woman! I taught Celeste how to speak for the past few months."

"So?" Selena asked.

"While you were only busy rolling in the hay with him!" Hertha said.

"As I said, I am doing my part! Since you are too proud to even sleep with him," Selena said.

"I never said that! I just want to get married to him first, like a proper woman would, unlike you," Hertha sneered.

"Not this again!" Selena shouted.

"Enough!" Vincent said. "Does it really make any difference if I am married to her or not?"

"Yes it does!" Hertha said.

"She just wants to live her fairytale fantasy," Selena said.

"What's so wrong about that!" Hertha said.

"Ahem," Vincent cleared his throat. "I hereby declare Selena and Hertha to be my wives."

"I accept!" Selena laughed.

"I acc….wait! You cannot just make that up and say it like that!" Hertha protested.

"Well, I actually can," Vincent said with a faint smile. "So you reject my vow?"

"No! I would never!" she bit her lips. "Yes, I accept!"

"Now come closer," Vincent said.

"A kiss? okay," her cheeks turned red.

She got on her heels, closed her eyes and leaned into his face.

Celeste pouted and pulled on her hair after seeing her come so close to her father's face.

"Ouch!" Hertha grunted. "You ungrateful sh--!"

"Stupid Hertha," Celeste twittered.

"Haha, the kiss can wait for later," Vincent said and pulled Hertha close to his chest. "Selena, you come too."

"Make room!" Selena squeezed in between them.

"Stop pushing!" Hertha said.

"Promise me one thing," Vincent's eyes turned cold. "I don't want to hear a single argument between you two. At least not in front of me. Is that clear?"

"I can live with that, but only if she stops harassing me first," Selena said.

"Yes…. I will try since we are fellow wives now," Hertha conceded in reluctance.

"Good that you two understand. It was fun the first time, but this is getting way out of hand," he said.

The two nodded and buried their heads deep into his chest.

"We shall have a proper wedding when I feel like it," Vincent added.

Creak. Creak. Creak.

Vincent's ear twitched; he passed Celeste over to Selena and left the room. He walked beside the stairs leading to the deeper levels and said, "When will you fools stop playing hide and seek?"

His lone voice echoed within the silent corridor.

"This will be my last warning," his eyes turned luminescent as he went back inside his room.