Shrouded Seascape

Chapter 89. Prosthetic Arm

"Don't worry, I won't try to persuade you to give up as your parents did. Can you tell me more about this Charles you speak of? How did you two meet?"

Margaret initially had no intention of revealing anything. However, her bottled-up emotions eventually burst forth, and the moment she started talking, she found herself unable to stop.

She recounted everything about her relationship with Charles, and her face alternated between glowing with happiness and darkening with sadness as she spoke.

However, she was too absorbed in her memories to notice the cold glint in Anna's black eyes.

After a while, Margaret finally stopped.

She smiled at Anna seated next to her and said, "Thank you for listening, Anna. I feel much better after sharing my story with you. By the way, have they found your missing husband?"

Anna turned her head to the side as a hint of feigned sadness surfaced on her visage. "It's been so long, and he's still not back. I guess they probably can't find him. Sigh..."

Seeing Anna's sorrowful expression, Margaret quickly reached out to support her shoulders. In an apologetic tone, she said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to touch a sore spot."

Anna shook her head and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. Seemingly suppressing inner pain, her voice cracked as she replied, "It's alright, I've gotten used to it."

Under the hem of Anna's black dress, two black tentacle-like appendages slowly extended and crawled toward the white hem of Margaret's dress.

"Anna, can you tell me what it feels like to have a loved one leave you? Does it hurt a lot?"

The tentacles underneath the wooden bench halted as Anna silently observed the innocent young girl before her.

Anna suddenly looked up and peered into the darkness. "It's hard to describe... It feels like an uncomfortable ache in your heart. Are you sure you really like him? Or is it just gratitude for him saving you?"

Uncertainty appeared on Margaret's countenance as her features twisted into a frown. Fiddling with the lace of her dress with her pale fingers, she truthfully answered, "I don't know if I really like Mr. Charles. I just want to see him again... I want to see him again very, very much. Anna, you understand how I feel, right?"

A momentary struggle flashed across Anna's eyes.

Margaret was oblivious to it and continued musing aloud. "Once I come of age, Father will grant me a large estate and other assets. Maybe I can give all of them to Mr. Charles so he doesn't have to risk his life at sea anymore."

Anna's lips curled up into a faint smile upon hearing the girl's proposition.

"You could write him a letter first and see if he agrees to it. Perhaps he would be agreeable and happily come to Whereto," Anna suggested.

Margaret's eyebrows lifted in hope but quickly fell again. "That won't do... My father won't allow me to contact Mr. Charles."

"No worries, you can give the letter to me, and I'll deliver it for you. Mr. Pitt has been unwell lately, and I have been helping him to handle some of his work. There's a shipment heading to the Coral Archipelago soon."

Margaret's beautiful face froze for a second before she excitedly embraced Anna. "Anna, that's so kind of you! I have so many things to say to Mr. Charles. And I also want to send him a recent photo of myself and..."

Anna's slender arms wrapped around the young girl and gently patted her on the back. The tentacles that had slowly crept out from beneath the dark folds of her gown retreated unseen.

***

Meanwhile, Charles sat atop the anchor machine on the deck of the ship as he silently watched the navigation buoys slowly drift backward on the water's surface.

Even though it remained pitch black ahead, he could sense a slight change in the aroma of the air. The landing of a fly on the deck was the telltale sign: they were nearing the Coral Archipelago.

Suddenly, the remnant of his severed limb twitched of its own volition as Richard's voice sounded in his head.

"Say, should we get a pet falcon after we return?"

"Stop fooling around. Losing an arm will greatly reduce our strength. We need to find a way to get our arm back."

"What can we do when our arm is already severed? The severed part is still on the island. What, do we wait for the island to reemerge and then go in to retrieve it?"

"Of course not. I mean to find a way to replace it."

Their mental conversation was suddenly interrupted by Laesto's angry shouts from the crew cabin. Apparently, someone had been pilfering the doctor's liquor.

Charles rose to his feet and headed toward the cabin door. A plan had hatched in his head. Laesto happened to have the thing he needed.

"What? You are asking about my prosthetic arm? You want one too?" Laesto scoffed.

Charles nodded. "It seems to work well for you."

Laesto unfurled the metallic fingers of his prosthetic hand and then gripped the air before nodding in agreement. "Indeed, it works marvelously, but the price is steep. Can you afford it?"

"How much is it?"

"Three million, just for this hand alone."

Charles's eyes widened in disbelief. He hadn't anticipated a prosthetic limb to be this expensive. He had procured Narwhale, the current ship they were on, for just three and a half million! Yet, the small item he was enquiring about nearly cost as much as a vessel.

Meanwhile, Richard was pondering over something else.

"Yooo~ this old man is dressed in tattered rags, but he's actually richer than us! Quite a shady one, ain't he?"

"Three million is worth every echo. This is no ordinary prosthetic. I heard that they had cast some enchantments on it," Laesto explained and popped the shell off his metallic arm to reveal the intricate interlocking gears of various sizes beneath.

Each gear meshed together perfectly, and as Laesto unclenched and clenched his fist, they produced a symphony of clicks and whirls while spinning at various speeds.

With his keen sight, Charles could make out faint purple inscriptions that glowed as the gears turned.

"I don't know how they managed to achieve this. But aside from the lack of sensation, it works just like a real hand. If you need, they can even add some additional functions to it."

Charles' heart wavered. If he had this prosthetic, a missing arm would no longer be a hindrance.

"After we return to the port, help me contact them. If possible, I'll need one installed," Charles instructed.

Laesto nodded and replied, "It's possible as long as you have the money. They usually operate in the Western Sea, but I believe they have a contact point on the Coral Archipelago."

"Have them do it quick, I'm short on time."

"Short on time? How long do you plan to rest once we return?"

"I'm not sure. It depends on Kord's situation. If they are already back, we'll exchange information and set sail immediately after."

"You should stay on land longer if you wish to survive. You're lucky to be only losing a limb this time. Your carelessness next time might cost you your life."

Just then, a jubilant cheer erupted from the deck. Charles and Laesto stepped out onto the deck together.

The beam of light from the Coral Archipelago's lighthouse gently swept over the Narwhale, casting a glow over the dark void above them. Once again, they had made it back alive.