Chapter 22: Her Escape

The rising sun cast a rosy hue across the morning sky. Golden fingers of sunlight lit up the scene. The palace to the village was touched by the yellow-orange tinge rays. And as the morning set forth, Maurelle, who was worriedly sitting on the bed was wide awake and had not laid to slumber.

Her sister's words struck like thunder from the heavens. Whether to follow her fears or follow the freedom. The woman had finally fled away from thinking too much.

She held her head and massaged it upwards. She took a deep breath and stood up to open the window.

"It's morning. I need to see Logan." Maurelle whispered through the window.

The woman went out of that room and sneakily went down the stairs but before that, she passed through the room where Logan brought her in yesterday to talk. She slowly opens the door and no one was there. So then the lady decided to go forth down. As she arrived down, surprisingly, there were no people around. Booze and stares were to expect, but that will be odd as it's still very early in the morning.

"Where could Logan be? Staying here for long will trouble sister." She spoke in a pitch tone as her worries escalated.

She went outside and busy people were walking around and blabbering already. Some even gave her a look and narrowed their eyes along with their brows drawing into a line as they saw her.

She immediately covered herself with her cloak, no wonder she felt like something was lacking earlier, it was her hood after all.

The market that was in front of the house she came from was already filled with people. This early in the morning and everyone was all awake.

'I guess this will help as a distraction. Logan just where could you possibly be?'

Maurelle walk around the village for quite a moment when she finally found the man she was eagerly looking for. Logan was talking with someone and it seems like they were arguing with each other. Maurelle decided to interrupt him but just before he could call Logan's attention, his crew, and especially the woman with an undercut held her hand.

"Hey, you're that woman from yesterday. What do you think you are doing interrupting our business?" She asked and gave her a bitter look.

She looked at Logan who was still talking and went back to looking at the woman.

"I-I have unfinished business with him, uh— Logan." She responded.

Seems like the woman was not pleased. "Can't you see? We have things to talk to here, we don't have a say to the marketer this early."

This woman, really," She thought inside her head. She was getting impatient but she still acted sane to not lose control of the situation.

But then, she accidentally heard their conversation.

"We need that ship, Barold. That was my father's ship, the royalties can't just steal that from my crew." Was heard from Logan.

"Sorry, Logan, but they can do it and they have authority to perform it. I can't do anything about it already, it has been settled since yesterday." The other man said.

Maurelle was frozen by it. If the ship gets stolen from them, then the plan to escape the land will no longer exist? I need to do something about it."

"Let me pass, I can fix your problem." She convinced the woman.

"And how would you do that?"

"Trust me, I can." And then she went past through her and headed to Logan who looked very dismayed while scratching his head.

She held his arms and made him turn to her.

Logan was surprised and as well as alarmed. "Maurelle? Why are you here outside? I told you to stay inside that room."

"I can't be staying there for longer, Logan, please let me come with you and your crew. Let me in your crew, I owe you my life if I ever lose foot on this land. Just please, I beg you, please let me in your ship." She even held both of the man's hands.

And the woman from a few foot distance was confused at them.

"I was going to let you in my ship! But the nobles took it and claim it as theirs!" Logan responded.

Maurelle widened her eyes. "Did you mean that you planned to escape the land just for my sake?" She whispered.

"Yes!" Logan answered. "Well not only for your sake but you get it..." He whispered but Maurelle was too dwelled with her reveries to even hear it.

Maurelle just could not believe her ears. But then she remembered what her sister said last night. She has probably hypnotised Logan into escaping the land at this moment, but she could have not as well. As Logan told her yesterday that they, his crew, want to be free from this land.

"I-I don't know how to thank y-you..."

"But Maurelle, we can do that, now that the nobles have taken authority for it."

Maurelle stopped and gave him a lopsided smile. As she said, "I have a plan in mind."

"What is it?" Logan asked.

Maurelle told him what she planned to do and Logan agreed to the lady. It was not the cleverest plan of all time but it could work when Maurelle is around. The two discussed and instructed the crew without telling the actual plan. This is, Maurelle hypnotizing the entire metal guards that take hold of their ship while the crew starts to bag up the ship.

"Are you sure your mother wouldn't find you out with the use of these spells?" Ask by Logan at the last moment.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Somehow, we have a hidden ally to keep me safe for now. So let us not waste this."

The crew was gathered and Logan even brought people who were also willing to voyage with them. The ship was big and he guaranteed that everyone would be safe on board.

The plan started and Maurelle was on the move.

"How would we pass those guards, Logan?" Asked by the undercut woman.

"Mau— I mean, the marketer here will help us. All you have to do, is to get all the baggage and stocks up, you hear me? Hermes, you lead them." Logan instructed.

Maurelle already walked through the sand to head over the guards. Finally, something that she could be thankful that her mother thought her this and she can use it in the good ways and neither the opposite one.

As she walked towards them, she inserted her hand inside her pocket and held the magical stick.

"Pardon, Milady, but this is a strict place. No trespassing allowed beyond this point." The guard warns him.

But as soon as she met Maurelle's eyes, the spell she cast worked very fast. Maurelle said inside her head, To the deem of the light, let me redeem your mind!"

Maurelle's eyes sparkled throughout the spell. There the spell was created and the man was entirely hypnotised, he no longer had control over his head. Maurelle took use of that spell and made him walk away from the ship. Logan saw it and that was their cue to go on and put the baggage and stocks.

"Go on people! Move, move, move!" He whispered shouted.

As Maurelle came to terms and hypnotised all of the guards, Logan and his crew confusingly started to sneak up on their ship and placed all of the stocks and items of baggage.

With Maurelle's spells, the guard has led far away from the ship. When everything was going to the way it should be, someone saw their scheme and shouted,

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Pointed to Maurelle.

Maurelle widened her eyes and gaze at the ship, Logan was signalling her to go on board as the ship will set off already.

"Nothing! Just a bunch of fools harassing me." She smiled awkwardly while backing away slowly. "Well, then, I ought to go!" The woman runs as fast as he can.

"Hey!" The guard run for her while the other guard had already come back to their senses.

"Uh, huh? What happened?" A guard said while shaking his head.

"A woman just came and look at us?" The other one responded.

And as they saw that their ally guard was chasing Maurelle, they also began to chase for her.

Maurelle run while constantly looking behind her to see if the guards were reaching after her already. And they were just close!

Maurelle run towards the boat and was lucky to even set foot on the board. But she got confused as to why the boat wasn't moving even a meter away.

"What's wrong? Why are we not moving?" She asked Logan.

Logan walked towards the edge of the ship and looked at where the ship was tied. Hermes was supposed to untie the boat and yet it was taking her so long to finish the task.

"Hermes! The guards got her!" One of the men in the crew shouted.

Maurelle followed Logan and saw how the guards were behind Hermes and held a knife on her neck.

"You, Logan! I knew you were an untrustworthy fellow in the palace and you even dare to disobey the king's order?" The guard said. "If you don't get off of the ship, this woman right here will suffer from the consequences of your schemes."

"This is my father's ship. Declaring it as the king's is in no way your rights!" Logan shouted.

"But now it is, so be a good Samaritan and get off of the ship, now!" The guard furiously shouted.

Logan furrowed his brows in frustration and looked at the crew who were shaking their head sideways saying that he shouldn't do it. Maurelle saw how hard Logan was fighting for the ship, so what she did was play with the guard's head and make Hermes fight against that man.

As she settled her eyes at the guard's eyes from afar, she cast her spell and it work! The man's hands were set loose and Hermes noticed that movement, so she used her head to hit the guard's head from behind and it made him step backwards.

"Ah!" The guard complained and stroked his head.

"That's what you get for sticking your filthy body in mine," Hermes exclaimed. She made a fist and showed it to the guard. "And this?" She punched the guard so hard that it knocked him down. "This is for almost stealing our ship." She smirked and hopped on the ship just after she untied the boat from the fence.

Logan saw it all and he admired Maurelle for that. As soon as they sail, the crew cheered in success.

"All of this worked because of, milady!" Someone shouted and pointed at Maurelle, and it was still unknown for them as to how Maurelle actually executed her plan. All they know is that she lured the guards with her beauty.

Zergee and Hermes on board stared at each other.

"Logan, come with me for a moment," Hermes said.

The two went back of the scene and left Maurelle who were surrounded by the crew as some women kept thanking her while gripping her hands. She saw how Logan, Hermes, and Zergee went to the back of the ship.

After all of the cheering, Maurelle followed the three. She stopped and hid herself when Logan's voice was heard.

"You just don't trust anyone, Hermes."

"I really don't and you know exactly why, Logan! You just brought in a woman we have never met, just yesterday! And those eyes, Logan. You know those eyes."

Maurelle covered her mouth. They are talking about me.'

"I don't know what you are talking about, Hermes, What eyes?"

"Tell me, have you fallen in love with her? I know you. You look at her just like how you looked at that woman the last time."

"She's different and I did not fell with that woman."

They went silent and Maurelle patiently waited for the next one to talk.

"Whatever you may say, Logan. Those eyes shiver me like how I met one." Another man uttered, it seems that it was Zergee.

"She is not a witch. This conversation is enough, can't you be more rejoiced that she helped us?"

"For a fact that she is not with our crew, make sure she knows her way around the ship. The travel is long, Logan. You plan all of this, didn't ya'? Take responsibility for it."

"She will travel with us, Hermes. No matter what and I would never let all of you down."

Hermes and Zergee went out of the back without spotting the woman witch, Maurelle. She was hiding quite well. When finally the two weren't there anymore, Maurelle found the chance to have alone time with the traveller man, Logan.

Maurelle revealed herself to Logan and the man was surprised to see her.

"How long were you standing there and listening to us?"

"Like, the second half of it." She shrugged her shoulders.

Logan was flushed red and he didn't know what to say.

"Why didn't you tell them that I was a witch? It would have been easier for you." Maurelle asked the man.

Logan looked relieved after that and it made the woman confused. Why did he look so relieved?'

"Ah, you were curious about that?" He laughed with a tremble in his voice. "I promised you that I won't tell them, they don't have to know. The important thing is we were able to escape the land. That's all."

"How about what Hermes said, with how you look at me?"

The lady was genuinely confused however Logan refused to believe that, he thought that Maurelle was playing with him. "D-Do you really want to know? I mean," he laughed awkwardly.

Maurelle looked at him seriously.

"Very well," he cleared his throat. "I was just mesmerised with you as a whole, Maurelle. It was the very first time I saw such a witch with a kind heart. You even helped me and my crew with my selfish acts." He answered while scratching the back of his head as he was embarrassed.

Maurelle turned red as well, she did not know what to say either.

"Uhm, so... Let's head out? The people need their captain to sail them, don't they?" Logan exclaimed and went out.

Maurelle was left inside there while Logan's says was still in her head.

"He was mesmerised?"

—

The waves and breeze of the night in the ocean sea gave the people in the ship a shiver. The ship was huge and so they went inside their separate cabin room inside the ship. They already finished eating and everything was awkward for Maurelle as she kept feeling the stares that were given to her by Hermes and Zergee as well as Logan's other crews. But one woman for his crew cheers her on.

"Don't worry yourself with their stares, it's just that you are new to them. We haven't properly met but the name's Verra." The woman gave her a warm smile.

Her hair was blonde as it reach just up to her bust. It was not that long and her eyes were brown just like Logan's.

"Of course, Verra, thank you. Mine's Maurelle," she responded.

While Maurelle was still outside the ship, she remembered Hermes bruise on her arm, it was probably from the guard way back. She decided to go check her in her cabin.

And she was right, the woman was trying to cure its bruise, she could see it from the little window. She knocked first before entering.

"Enter," Hermes replied.

She opened the door and revealed herself to Hermes. Hermes only gave her a quick glance and avoided it again by looking at her own bruise.

"What do you think you're doing in my cabin? You should head to yours." Said, Hermes.

Maurelle gulped and cleared her throat as she used her finger to fixed the strands of hair falling and blocking her vision.

"Do you need help with that?" Maurelle asked in a very soft voice.

Again, Hermes looked at her and avoided her gaze, still. "No need, I can do it myself."

However, her words really do not match her actions. Hermes tried her best to put bandages on her bruise but it kept getting loose and dropping. She got irritated and groaned.

"Fine," She said and indicated a facepalm.

Maurelle giggled and walked towards her right after. She started bandaging Hermes bruise and as she goes on, with her powers she felt that there was even more bruise at the woman's head, back and legs.

I need you to turn your back here, I'll cure your other bruises." Maurelle instructed.

"What? No, you don't have to do that for me." Hermes tried to decline but Maurelle gave her a hard stare and she give in at the end. "So persistent." She whispered.

"And you are too stubborn," Maurelle whispered back.

Hermes heaved a sigh. "Ouch, hey, careful!"

"I am, don't move."

When Maurelle already finished curing and bandaging her bruises, she felt more relaxed and relieved engulfed her system.

"There, all done." She exclaimed.

"Well, you're not so bad after all. I apologise for my uncool behaviour. We just could not get ourselves to trust you since the captain meets weird people every day and your eyes were just too familiar." Hermes said in a low tone. "But I guess we're all wrong. The thing is, I wanted to thank you for helping us escape that land. It's hell out there."

"You don't have to thank me. It was all still thanks for your bravery, too."

They both went silent when Maurelle decided to go out. She bid Hermes her good nights and closed the door. She almost jumped when she saw Logan just outside.

"You scare me," Maurelle said, holding her chest.

Logan laughed and signalled her to head out.

"You never seize to surprise me, Maurelle." Logan gave her a smile. "You are indeed kind."

Maurelle was struck. "I want to thank you too, Logan. For accepting me and letting me in your crew even if I am a witch, you set me free from my mother's evil grasp."

Logan shrugged. "It was nothing, it was for you after all."

Maurelle turned red and when Logan saw her in that state, he then realized what he said and turned red just like the lady. But he had to cut the awkwardness.

"You should head to sleep, sleep as much. We're lucky, the ocean's calm tonight, who knows what lies ahead of us."

"Very well, Logan."

Logan assisted her inside the cabin and bid her good night as well. She was left alone and stuck in her reverie again.

After all that, it made her think about what might have happened to her sisters and mother. What storm would have passed through them and the impact of her leave?

And what does the future holds for her? Will she finally be happy? Hiding her true self from the crew and living a normal life somewhere where Logan wishes to?

"Will I finally be free?"

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ABYSSCESS