Contrary to Ashwin's hopes, 'Fenghuang' left Vardana's harbor without any problems. Neither the border service nor the patrol boats stopped it. The officials in charge were satisfied with the documents that the captain had shown them.

For the next few days, the teenager was locked in the ship's hold. All sorts of thoughts and ideas ran through his mind. After all, he came to the conclusion that there were two possibilities: the pirates wanted either to get a ransom for him or to sell him as a slave. Even if slavery was shunned as a barbaric practice, there were rumors that some degenerate people enjoyed this kind of activity behind closed doors. Thinking about such a possibility made Ashwin lose his appetite. It wasn't like the food he had been given was good to begin with.

He was staring at the bowl of bland rice when, finally, the door to his tiny room opened. The teen recognized the familiar chirring before seeing who had come in. Ziana placed a bucket of water on the floor right in front of him. It was full to the brim, so some liquid spilled onto the floor from the impact.

"Here, wash yourself with this," the girl threw a piece of soap at him. Its cheap smell made the teenager wince. His reaction made Ziana grin and demonstratively wave her hand in front of her nose, "You better use it, you smell like an ape."

She may not have been aware of what these words meant to Ashwin, but upon hearing them, he still became offended.

"And you! You!" he desperately searched for any insult to match. "You are just like a wolf ant!"

"The heck?! What is that supposed to mean?!” The girl recoiled abruptly, causing the honey squirrel on her shoulder to chirr in protest.

Ziana left the room, slamming the door behind her. The piece of soap flew after her, hitting the wooden door. Despite the loud noise, it didn't break, nor did the girl look inside to see what had happened. Enraged by her words, Ashwin stood there for a few minutes, just looking at the door. But, no matter how much his pride was hurt, the fact remained that he hadn't been able to take a bath for a few days. Gritting his teeth, the teenager moved into a corner of the room with a bucket and soap. The girl hadn't brought him a towel, so he had to use a bed sheet instead.

When he finished, he knocked on the door. For a while, only silence was the answer. Then, the doorknob turned, and Ziana entered the room.

"Give me your hands," the girl demanded. She didn't sound angry, but the saber was on her belt. Ashwin reluctantly stretched out his hands, and in a few seconds, they were chained together with handcuffs. Ziana nodded towards the bucket. "Can't let you roam around the ship freely, can we? Now, take it and follow me."

The opportunity to leave the cramped prison inspired Ashwin, but his cheerfulness didn't last long. His "freedom" was simply a way for him to get him to work on the ship. The teenager had already helped on Varman's trading ship and was accustomed to some of these duties. However, the Varman captain did not force him to do dirty work, and it was a reasonable price in exchange for a ride. Pirates also seemed to believe he could not eat his meals free of charge. But aside from their mockery, the thought that he was getting too involved in their business made Ashwin feel nervous and dreary. 'If I'm caught with them, no matter what I say, even handcuffs on my hands won't be able to save me.'

Mopping the floor in the hold, he glanced at Ziana. The girl was sitting on one of the crates, with her eyes closed, meditating. Today was her turn to watch over the prisoner. Ashwin wasn't sure if this was a good thing, though. Unlike some of the pirates, she didn't kick or punch him, but her words were sometimes sharper than her saber. He still hadn't heard about their plans for him. 'Should I ask her now?' the teen glanced at the girl. The honey squirrel was nowhere to be found. The pet had probably taken a nap somewhere else.

Ashwin clenched the mop handle. There was another question that he had been dying to ask for a long time. Now that they were alone, he could finally get an answer to his question.

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"That time, why did you help me?"

The girl opened one eye. Her blunt reluctance to interrupt training for something that had been troubling him for so long made Ashwin grind his teeth.

“Which time?”

“In Vardana's capital, in the pit. You opened the door to the dungeon hall."

"Right!" the girl smiled widely. At least now he got her attention. "Monkey boy!"

A couple of words were enough to make Ashwin burst into rage. He threw the mop on the floor and shouted, "How dare you! A sordid dacoit like you has no right to talk like that about the Cheda family! Take it back immediately!"

Ziana rose up. She didn't look angry, but the smile on her face turned into a grin.

"The high and mighty noble Cheda can kiss my sordid or whatever that means ass and go to monkey hell."

She quickly climbed the ladder, leaving the furious teen behind, and headed to a higher deck. That wasn't the answer he was expecting or could be satisfied with. Ashwin picked up the mop again. 'What was I expecting? Such crude people are no better than apes.'

Then another thought crossed his mind, making him freeze in fear - 'Did I just say my family name?' The teen looked at the ladder, waiting for Ziana to return and drag him up to the captain. Surely, she won't let this opportunity go to waste, and the man with the scar will hand him over to Rajah for a hefty reward without a second thought. 'Should I try to run? I can try to fight even with handcuffs.'

This was an absurd idea, and he knew it. They were in the middle of the sea, and he had nowhere to run. The ship was packed with people who made their living by hurting and killing others, not to mention that there was a sword-dancer among them...

His thoughts were interrupted when Jin came down the ladder. The man with long hair glanced at the teenager and then at the floor. "Are you not finished yet? Hurry up and get back to work."

'It seems like she didn't tell him my true name,' Ashwin started mopping the floor again, trying to hide his relief.

No one came for him during the next few days either. The time passed without much change. The ship reached land at least four times during his stay on 'Fenghuang'. But the teen was locked up every time during mooring. He could only guess at their route and destination. After the last stop, the ship set sail for a long time. On the eighth day of their journey, Ashwin yielded to curiosity.

He was on the upper deck eating his share of rice and pickled vegetables, while Ziana and Jin watched him, mostly chatting with each other. Their good mood encouraged the teen to ask about their destination, and to his surprise, Ziana easily replied, "We are heading to the Seagull's Islands, if that tells you anything."

Jin shook his head violently, but the girl snorted. "Please, he can't navigate and has no idea where we are. There's no danger in telling him that much."

Ashwin swallowed his offense. He was too curious to become angry at the girl's mockery. "I thought you would attack villages or ships. Why do you need these islands? Is there your base?”

"Not really. It's our meeting place with the nereids. We trade..."

"Nereids?!" The teen's scream made several nearby working men turn their heads. Jin glared at Ashwin and then waved at curious pirates. Shock was too great for Ashwin to worry about his surroundings or possible punishment. "You meet with nymphs? Why? How?"

Clearly amused by his reaction, Ziana leaned back against the side of the ship. She ignored Jin's stern look and replied, "Like I said - to trade. It started some time ago. This group was less aggressive, and a profitable deal was made for both sides. Now we meet occasionally to exchange goods and... well, never mind."

Her abrupt ending made Ashwin even more anxious and suspicious. Whatever business the pirates have with nymphs is bad news for civilized humanity.

"Don't tell me you're selling guns to them?"

Jin and Ziana exchanged glances, and the girl laughed.

"Do you take us for fools? No, it's something far better."

Jin flicked his neck with his forefinger. That gesture should have been an answer, but Ashwin just looked at him in confusion.

"Alcohol," explained the girl. "It has a different effect on them, though."