Where the priest meets and gets in conversation with the mighty Captain Reaper as he keeps narrating to our little skeleton hero, incuding how an unpredictable attack came to soon disturb everyone on the ship.

No one's POV:
-

"So? What happened next?" Geno asked slightly invested in the narration. Alter flinched lightly as if abruptly brought back to reality.

"Right. I followed Markus up to the deck and after a week, I felt grateful for seein' the sun again and the breeze coursing through my bones. Around us I saw pirates, all but another human aside Markus bein' monsters, who would turn to look at me curious and hostile, already commentin' on my appearance. Religious monsters ain't seen in a friendly manner most of the time from their kind, as they are considered traitorous for followin' the human kind's beliefs. I didn't prevent to feel concerned yet, as Markus stopped and looked all around. He told the monsters to mind their business, that it was alright. To my interest, considering how most monsters feel about humans and with Markus bein' surrounded by ones, they nodded and kept doin' whatever they were before our arrival. He seemed respected 'round the ship."

"Let these pirates gimme the wrong stare, I would have grated their faces." Geno hissed quietly. Alter raised brows with that sudden murderous burst of the smaller, only to soon take a calm neautral expression and ignore.

"Markus was walkin' slowly, allowin' me as he had said then, to drink in the icon of this glorious ship."

"Ya mean of this gloriously stinky pirate ship, like all are?" Geno interrupted again with a grimace of annoyance. Alter responded first with a small hum.

"Allow me to contradict with you. Like the Reapers I've never seen a more clean ship, or at least one that was kept like it often and I ain't sayin' it to help ya feel at more ease somehow."

"Good, 'cause it doesn't help that way."

"I'm just expressin' the truth of what I witnessed and well, smelled. I had been told from other monsters, but even humans who had been captives of pirates and had whether escaped, whether got sold somewhere far away but managed to return to their homelands, that the pirate's ships were disgustin' to stay in them even for a minute. Imagine stayin' in them for months waitin' to be sold and if ya don't die until then. The smell of feces was heavy even on deck, but especially in the cells for the slaves. The pirates weren't botherin' to clean."

"I thank nature that I ain't given an actual stomach." Geno commented and sticked out his magic tongue, causing the priest to chuckle.

"Welp, fret not for the bad smells young one, for when I first saw the ship's deck, I was impressed that I was able to smell without problem the salty ocean breeze as I looked around me. But that lil' tour lasted for about a minute, as me and Markus would finally climb onto the quarter deck. The Captain was already there, standin' near the gunwale of the ship and starin' to the horizon. At the moment I was only seein' black clothing."

"Ta da, meeting with the king of jerks." Geno hissed annoyed. Alter ignored him again.

"Markus stopped 5 steps away from him, with me standin' behind him. He called out Captain, who turned to look at him. But he saw my head peaking above Markus' as I am about 2 heads taller than him and smiled widely and sarcastically. He had crossed his arms, approached closer and as my human companion stepped to the left, he stopped right in front of me. Then he signed Markus to leave. Soon we stayed alone on the quarter deck. For a while he didn't speak until he turned his back to look at the horizon again."

"The perfect time to stab him." Geno derided.

"Huh..." Alter did quietly, momentarily concerned with the smaller skeleton's statement. But he adopted again quickly a calm expression as Geno turned to look at him.

"So. What didja discuss with him?" The smol asked. Alter rolled his eyesockets with a cheerful grin.

"Ah, welp. It started with him tryin' to challenge me. Testin' my patience and trust in The Lord, that the humans so claim to believe but have the nerve to ignore him most of the time when it benefits 'em, to save me from the situation I was in right now."

"Wow what an asshole!" Geno said.

"He betrayed me that way that he obviously found religion ridiculous and that he condemned it greatly. But why tell 'im anythin' when many monsters don't like religion either, 'specially when forced upon 'em? What I knew was that, religion or not, how much better was he by bein' pirate, a threat for many lives and massive danger for the lands?"

"Please tell me ya rubbed that to his face!" Geno yelped surprised and excited.

"Wouldn't call it so much like it. I know though that when he heard that by me, I was walkin' on thin ice. Many times Reaps would discreetly threaten my life and try to cause me fear. Maybe if I wasn't trained to be priest, I would actually feel scared then. But I've been trained not to bother fearin' death, be at peace with it, no matter when it would come. Plus, with me almost meetin' death in Arbesva, I was numb to the idea. I simply stayed calm and smiled. I told Reaps that I had met death before, more than once. And that it was welcomed to get me, if the Lord so desired for me. Which wasn't the time when Reaps was messin' with me."

"Wait, wasn't he playin' with you only to kill ya later if he wasn't satisfied with you?"

"Nah. But listen. When I first met him, he was far more arrogant. Prideful. And he didn't take it lightly when his victim was talkin' back to him calmly."

"As if he ain't even now! Ugh..." Geno murmured rolling his eyesocket. "And what did he do once hearin' your answer?"

"At first Reaps stayed silent, perhaps surprised or impressed I wasn't budging. He then took out one of his guns. The edge of the barrel was aimin' at my chest. We stared at each other as he smiled sarcastically again, but he had started gettin' mad."

"Suited him right." Geno murmured again.

"He had said that just because he hadn't killed me yet, didn't mean I would stay relaxed, as I could be dust at any second. Then asked what I was thinkin', as he looked at me darkly waiting for me to react. And my first reaction was to smile again."

"Smiling the time death is greeting you." Geno said.

"I looked away as I thought for a few seconds my answer. And then, facin' him again, I replied that if I didn't know any better, the reason he had taken me in the ship and had kept me alive for a whole week with simple, typical and enough service, would be because he wanted somethin' from me."

"Makes sense. What did the 'MiGhTy CaPtAiN rEaPeR' wanted from ya exactly though?" The small skeleton asked raising brow.

"I kept talkin'. I told him he wasn't gonna pull the trigger. He had almost lowered his gun by the slight surprise, but quickly raised it again to aim at my chest. How are ya so sure? He had asked me. And I was quick to reply with these exact words. Ya won't, not because you don't... have the guts, or because ya feel sorry for me. But from my first day in there I've been given services. All these little 'wheedles' that whole week, are telling me other things. I'm bein' given a room that fits my preferances and what I follow even though you've shown me how much ya dislike religion. I'm bein' fed, given time, silence and peace for myself. Last but not least the fact that ya were waiting for me to ask what's going to happen with me. The pirate ya were sending me, Markus, he told me that before goin' up to the deck. Want me to keep goin' or will ya stop tryin' to intimdate me and make it clear what you really want from me? Unless you've forgotten, after messin' around all these minutes."

"Oooh..." Geno did covering his mouth.

"Reaps had looked at me dead-serious. But not long after, he chuckled and hanged the gun from his belt as he shook his head left and right slowly. When he looked again at me, smilin' arrogantly, he started clappin' slowly. Yes, I won't kill ya. After all yer way too logical for a religious monster. Bravo, you passed the test."

"What was he testin' ya for after all?" Geno yelped.

"I had figured, that he wanted to make me part of the Reapers."

"This IDIOT was testin' ya to see if you're good enough to join his damn crew?!" Geno screamed.

"Exactly he wanted that. I would be an excellent addition for the crew he said. If I was able to beat almost 3 pirates from Destino Oscuro and stand my ground against 'em, even if he hadn't witnessed me fightin' he could guess I had great skills. And I would be able stand amongst my soon-to-be crewmates. Reaps also said, that he could convince Nightmare, if he was to meet up with Destino Oscuro again, that I wouldn't threaten to kick any other pirate 'behinds' from his crew. Heh heh heh... And finally he asked if I accepted or not that offer."

"WHY didja accept?!" Geno groaned and hid his face in his palms as if he was about to cry.

"Nuh uh uh. I wasn't really plannin' to accept such. And even though I had guessed that he wanted me to become pirate, I was still surprised. He wanted me in the ship? A priest? After he expressed so clearly that he didn't like religion or anythin' like it close to him? I had found myself in a dilemma-."

"Tsk! Just dive in the water and be a snack for the sharks. Not personal towards ya, just an option you could have then. Had better than stay even a day with these mucky dogfishes called pirates." Geno said upset and with even more annoyance than any other time.

"I didn't give an answer though." Alter said, finding himself shivering a little from Geno's answer, hiding it well. "And I never answered at that moment. Because someone had come to interrupt us. Another pirate, the other and younger human of the crew, who is a kind heart, you'll see."

"Now I believed ya." Geno whispered.

"He was white like a ghost and he was pantin' heavily, as if he had swam around the earth's perimeter twice."

"Jeez."

"Immediately Reaps had asked what was happenin', understanding the boy's panic. There seemed to be risin' a problem as Michael, that's his name, said it was."

"What kind of problem?"

"He had caught weird movement from somethin' that was swimming near the ship. In fact, whatever that was, was followin' the ship for the past hour."

"What took him so long to report that?!"

"The fact that nobody had taken his concerns seriously and had kept to himself thinkin' that perhaps his crewmates were right, until things became truly serious. Reaps had asked Michael to elaborate, as he was now lookin' down in the water too. The boy had said the movement didn't cease, instead it grew bigger. While everyone had told him he was bein' paranoid and that just random fish was most likely followin' the ship, he had kept his eye there. Until he realised that what was followin' the ship wasn't just fish, but somethin' much more dangerous."

"Uh oooh."

"He saw for a fleein' moment one creature emergin' and the very next moment divin' back. It had a long scaly tail. Reaps seemed to understand what was Michael talkin' about, as his 'sockets both went empty. I could only guess what was happenin', as then, before any of us three could act or say anythin' else, we heard a scream of panic, assumingly from a pirate, then a loud hiss from something that sounded nor human, nor animal. Now Reaps' 'sockets were daggered from hostility. In front of my surprised 'sockets, he summoned his legendary signature weapon, for which many talk about with fear, his skythe. He commanded Michael to run back to the others and help in the fight. And that he was comin' too, claimin' that "Those fish have the nerve assault me and my crew! They will all become pieces, there's no escapin'!" And he was ready to start walkin' towards the centre of the deck, assumingly where the most noise was comin' from and was increasin'.

"A battle!" Geno yelped. "Against aquatic creatures! What was it?! Sirens?! Mermaids?!"

"Most likely one of those as Reaps had told me then, if not both and they were extremely unlucky. He had also told me to stay put and not move from my position, dissapearin' in thin air the very next moment. I had stayed alone on the quarter deck, with worry slowly but surely consumin' me and prayers on my mouth."

we have 2240 words. thanks for reading bambini *pat pat pat*