Chapter 74 - Old Lady Marlene information & Pirate in sight

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"You're the leader of a city? Is this city big, little Zagreus?"

"Compared to the village it is far bigger, the population is also larger by a lot. In the last month's census, the last number was 31.000 people living inside. Am I right, Robert?"

"That's right big brother, it steadily growing fast."

"Impressive little Zagreus, it should be a sight to behold seeing such a big city, since I've never gone to the big cities. The only big village neighboring us is from the island of Picodras. They have a lot of goods in their village."

"So Picodras is the biggest island from the 4 neighboring ones?"

"Indeed, it should be a journey of 2 hours on our boats to Picodras, but with your big ship, it would take you less." replied Elder Lark to Vlad's question

"That should be my next place on my journey. Thank you a lot, Elder."

"Elder, if I'm not rude, are you interested in being part of my protectorate in the future?"

"Protectorate? As if in being part of your kingdom, Zagreus?"

"Indeed, the situation in my kingdom is a bit delicate, and it would take a bit more for me to show you the benefits of being part of my kingdom. However, I will come after I finish my problems inside my kingdom and bring you there to see for yourself what this small village could become with some help."

"Sigh, what would that do for me? Rather let these young guys have a better life and see for themselves the world. Living only on this small land each day without knowing the world, I think they would appreciate your help more. As for me, I'm just an old man who will quickly fade away from this place."

"Don't say that Elder, you're still looking fine for your age."

"Haha, that should be because of this quiet environment. However, Zagreus, I promise you that I will also come to visit your new home, bringing some of these young lads with me."

Ended the Elder saying that while laughing heartily while downing a glass of wine.

"Great, you gave your promise, Elder. Right, also you should select the brightest youngsters in the village. I'll have some of my men bring them to learn in my city in the future."

Like this, Vlad talked slightly more with the Elder before also downing the wine glass and raising on his feet, followed by Robert.

"Elder, thanks for the hospitality, I would love to stay more, but I also have to meet Granny Marlene and take on the sea."

"It's already that time? Little Zagreus, I hope you succeed in finding your mother and also wish you prosperity to your city and kingdom." said Elder Lark while giving Vlad a hug before looking at him with a kind smile.

"You too elder, I hope you stay healthy to see my kingdom. Take care."

Ended Vlad saying that while patting the Elder's back while his face was also smiling. Similarly, Robert and even Aerius said their farewells, leaving the old man waving his hands from his house's door.

Vlad, followed by Robert, began walking inside the village while outside, they were stared at as if they were aliens. Especially Vlad with his black suit and black hat.

"Where are we headed now? Do you still remember this place?" asked Robert while following after Vlad.

"The orphanage I grew up in is outside of the village, just that is on the opposite side of where we landed."

After some minutes of walking, they exited the village and followed a path toward a larger old house that was secluded compared to the village.

As he walked closer and closer, Vlad could see a group of kids playing around some trees. They seemed to not suffer from a lack of food from their healthy look. Meanwhile, the kids noticed Vlad and Robert and began whispering something that he could hear.

"Look, this person doesn't seem to belong from the village. Is he here to cause trouble for granny Marlene like the other people from the village?"

"I don't know. This person doesn't seem to come with an angry expression like the other villagers, so maybe this time granny will not be upset like she usually is."

Listening with some curiosity to the whispering kids, Vlad concluded that after the pirates raided the village, Lady Marlene was the one to take all the blame for what happened with them. Even crying after Elder Lark and the other villagers would scorn her for her selfish act of throwing away the orphans.

Walking slowly towards the house, he then knocked on the house's main door and just waited for something to happen.

Seeing no response, he knocked yet again in a stable manner. This time the tone of an old lady who sounded pissed was heard. Her steps from the upper floor were heard by Vlad.

"Those brats are pulling some pranks again on me, or is yet again those annoying villagers wanting something from me."

Said the old lady while walking down to respond, thinking that some kid was playing a prank on her as she scolded without knowing who it was behind the door.

Then she opened the door and saw Vlad's face. Not long after studying Vlad's face, feeling his face a bit familiar, she asked him.

"Do you want anything from me, young man? You don't seem to be from this place."

"Hello, Lady Marlene. It's really a pleasure seeing you doing well after all those years. If it is possible, I want to ask you some questions."

"You know me, young man? Wait, that face of yours." As she said that, she stared at Vlad's facial features, and then quickly, the hands around her old body began trembling a bit.

"Are you by chance Zagreus?" asked the old lady with some remorse on her tone as she pressed her trembling hands around her body.

"Yes, Lady Marlene. I'm the orphan kid you took care of who got taken away by pirates. However, don't fear me. I'm not here to harm you for feeling enmity on that event that took place almost 5 years ago."

Still, this didn't stop the old lady trembling as she stared at Vlad's face before starting to tear up a bit.

"I'm truly sorry, child, for what happened at that time."

She wanted to say more, but Vlad interrupted her, saying.

"I know, granny, you did what you had to do to protect yourself and the villagers. I remember fully well what happened at that time, and because of that, I don't hold any resentment for you."

The old lady finally teared up, grabbing Vlad's hands and saying to him. "Thank you, child, for understanding me."

"Sigh, it must have been hard for you too. Remembering and being always scorned by the villagers for what happened back then. "

"Granny, I've come to visit you in such an unexpected manner because I want to ask you something concerning my parents, specifically the person who delivered me here. Do you still remember the person who sent me here?"

Drying her tears as she heard Vlad's question. She looked at Vlad and said in her old tone to him.

"I don't know from the top of my head, child. But I have a journal with all the kids who were left by certain people in my care.

Some left their names while others just left before even saying anything. Come enter inside, child. Let's see if I find something in my journal with regards to the time you first arrived here."

Vlad nodded his head and followed behind the old lady's back, entering the house's main hall. This place got imprinted in his memories for being the first place he woke up after dying. He sighed as he remembered that bloody day and kept quiet while walking upstairs.

Walking the stairs, Marlene asked Vlad in her old tone. "Tell me, child, do you have any news about the other children who got taken away at that time."

"No. When I was sold in slavery in a mine, it was just me and some other kids I didn't know. The others, from what I remember, had a better situation concerning their buyers."

"Those pirates, I hope they rot in hell for what they did to you and other kids."

"Ohh, worry not granny, their judgment will come soon." said Vlad coldly this part before turning back to his warmer self.

Marlene heard the shift in Vlad's tone, but she couldn't do anything about Vlad. She could imagine the hardship Vlad went through and even the achievement to be right in front of her from only a small sickly boy.

Soon they entered Marlene's office, and the old lady offered them a seat before some chair she had around the office.

Then the old lady walked toward the back of the building and took out a brick that seemed very loose. Taking the brick out, Marlene inserted her hand and took out a notebook.

"Let me see, child, if luck shines on you today. Hmm, little Zagreus, what is your age?"

"I'm 14 and a half. Is there any problem?"

"No child, it's just that I have a lot of kids who got abandoned and who I took in. An older generation." As she said that, she was passing pages until she told Vlad.

"Good, I'm close to those around your age. Found you. Zagreus. Sigh, so that's also the case for you. Little Zagreus, the person who placed you here, didn't tell me its name. From what I noted here, the person in question is a young woman. As for her features, she has black hair and brown eyes.

She seemed very pale as if she was suffering from a disease, pale and weak. Yet she rushed so fast away when she placed you in my hands as if she feared that someone would come after her."

Vlad heard everything first with calmness, but when he heard that his possible biological mother suffered like that, it made the atmosphere around him turn cold.

"What about something that could guide me forward in my search, a mark, item that was with me when I came?"

Marlene looked at Vlad's face, gave a deep sigh as she thought of what he said. After some minutes, as if she suddenly remembered something very important, she moved quickly as if not to forget toward the library she had.

Taking out books after books, she finally stopped at a book. She took it and place it on her table. She quickly opened the book, and inside was a hidden compartment in the form of a wooden box.

"That's right, you had that thing on you."

As she said that, she opened the wooden box and took some gold jewelry. Then she took out a necklace that had at the end a lock pendant.

She handed the necklace to Vlad, saying to him.

"That's what you had on you little Zagreus when you first arrived. I took it away from you at that time to store it safely with me because you could easily have lost it."

Taking the lock pendant necklace, he stared kindly at Marlene while also following with a curtsey.

"Thank you, Lady Marlene. Even this necklace could help me enormously in my search."

"That's something I should do without any hesitation, child."

As she said that, Vlad turned to look at the necklace and noticed that the lock was still up, needing a key.

However, not wasting his mind searching for the key who god knows where it could have been, he pressed his finger on the lock, where blood slowly began to enter inside the mechanism.

Gently he morphed that blood in the shape of a key fitted perfectly with the lock. Where he then opened the lock, only to see a piece of paper and the name of a woman imprinted inside the pendant.

*Maria*

Taking that white piece of paper, he could feel some sort of attraction in a certain direction.

"Ohh, that piece of paper looks like a Vivre Card. They are quite rare. It can guide you toward the person the paper belongs to."

"I understand, Robert, but the paper should look like this slightly burned?" asked Vlad while staring at the Vivre Card that was a bit burned.

"That, let me think, what was the meaning of a burned Vivre Card. Sigh, it is because of that."

"What is it, little Robert? Come spill out what you got to say."

"If the paper is burned, it means that the owner of this paper is in bad condition, but looking at the one you have, it shouldn't be something serious."

Hearing Robert says that he felt a bit relieved, nodding at Robert and patting his shoulder.

"Thank you, little Robert, you're always helping me with those confusing things."

Then he turned to look at Marlene, who smiled a bit at him, saying to him.

"Child, it seems that you still have hope in finding your parents. Don't you lose that pendant otherwise, you'll regret it your entire life."

"Granny, thank you for everything you did for me. I have to go back on my journey, but I will revisit this place whenever I can." thanked Vlad as he placed the necklace on his neck, whereas the pendant touched the dark mark on his chest.

A slight pulse happened around the dark mark on his chest that went unnoticed by Vlad as he heard Marlene say to him.

"As long as I'm here, Zagreus, you'll always be welcomed with open arms in this place." said Marlene as she embraced Vlad.

Giving back the gesture, after breaking the embrace, he departed from the orphanage building.

Walking out of the building, he saw the little orphans staring at him from a close distance. Looking at them made some of the boys and girls turn shy and hide.

"Kids, grow well and listen to Marlene. You'll have a bright future ahead of you." said Vlad to the group.

"Who are you, mister? Did you cause any trouble for granny?" asked a young boy around 8-9 years old, looking bravely at Vlad.

Hearing the boy say that, he slowly walked toward the children. Some stepped back in fear, but the boy stood there looking with a brave face at Vlad.

Dropping on a knee to be closer to his face, he said while patting his head.

"I'm Vlad. Just like yourself, I was in Marlene's care, so this makes me your big brother. What's your name, little guy?"

"Alex." said the little boy while staring at Vlad's green eyes and black hat.

"Good, I will remember you, little Alex. When I come back here in the future, I hope you grew well and big."

"Goodbye, little guys."

Then Vlad began distancing away from the orphanage while walking toward the caravel.

However, when he disappeared from the children's view, the ones who were a bit scared of Vlad said to the boy called Alex.

"That mister didn't seem to be bad. So granny should be fine."

"Yes, I really want to be like him." replied the boy Alex while looking at his friends.

Meanwhile, the rest of the orphans just laughed at him.

After a while, Vlad, Robert, and Aerius arrived at the beach's shore and embarked on the caravel. Robert went to the steering wheel while Vlad began raising the anchor and unfurling the sails on the mainmast and foremast.

Jumping around the ropes the masts, he quickly arrived next to Robert, only saying to him.

"Let's move towards Picodras, that's the most developed island around those 4 islands. The chance that pirates are on that island is big."

"Right, let me get the coordinates, and I'll steer the ship in the direction of the island." replied Robert back while looking at the map while taking the caravel out on the seas.

Looking around the map while checking the sea for any unexpected obstacles, he nodded his head after a while and closed the map, placing it in his pocket. Turning his head to Vlad, he said to him.

"Big brother, it will take about 1 hour to reach that island."

"Good, I'll go on the front to watch for anything unexpected. If you need anything, shout."

Ending saying that, he walked slowly toward the main deck and moving toward the forecastle, taking a spot on the bowspine. Taking the necklace's pendant that he locked after opening, he looked as it seemingly wanted to move toward the north.

"I will search for your location, mother. Just hang in there until I find you."

As he said that to himself, he placed back the pendant under his shirt and began to watch the blue seas. Along the way, he would also see some small parts of land sticking out from the sea as if they were swallowed cliffs.

Time passed, and after 50 minutes of sailing, Vlad looked straight ahead of himself, whereas his eyes turned blood red.

Looking deeply forward, he spotted a group of ships fighting in the distance shooting their cannons at each other, transforming the sea into a smoke field.

Raising and standing on his feet right on the bowspine, he focused more blood toward his eyes, improving his vision even more at the cost of suffering some drawback. He spotted a man having blonde shoulder-length hair and familiar facial features.

He looked the same as he did almost 5 years ago. Looking around the late thirties, he had a captain hat with an open shirt and coat. Around his body, he had a belt that held some guns.

He seemed to be shouting some orders to his men that Vlad couldn't hear while also holding and pointing to the enemy ship with a katana sword.

"Found you, bastard."

"Robert, turn the ship in the direction of 1 a clock immediately. Don't ask why, just do as I order." shouted Vlad in a high tone toward Robert, who was behind the steering wheel looking slightly bored, until he heard Vlad's order.

Not questioning Vlad's order, he steered the ship in that direction, and taking his binoculars, he could slowly see 3 ships fighting, cannoning each other relentlessly.

Then as the caravel was approaching, he could see as one of the 2 grouped ships got heavily hit by a bombardment of cannonballs making him grip his hands tightly from the binoculars.

Minutes passed, and Vlad quickly climbed on the foremast top, letting the winds blow on his long hair. He began circulating blood in his circulatory system, and after 1 minute, he already felt his body in top condition.

Robert watched as they approached what clearly was a pirate ship and suddenly felt a slight shock that unbalanced the caravel a bit. Looking toward the forecastle, he couldn't spot Vlad anywhere. Similarly, when looking up toward the mainmast, he saw nothing. Only when looking at the foremast and in the sky, he saw Vlad's figure, which released some dark smoke in the air.

"Aerius, I hope you remember what you were thinking in case some pirates jump in our ship." asked Robert while staring at Aerius, who was slightly confused, before pointing at Vlad, who was on the skies and the pirate ship.

"WHAT!? SINCE WHEN!? Fuck, yet again, I slept the entire journey. Don't worry, buddy. I'll watch your back."

Meanwhile, on the pirate ship, some pirates looking at the sky and spotting someone clad in black clothes shouted.

"Captain, look at the skies. Someone is moving in our direction."

"What? A person flying in my ship direction. Not right now, when I'm fighting those damned islanders of Picodras. You bastards, let's finish the last ship of the Picodrasians quickly before seeing what this person moving toward us wants."

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