Claris smelled the air, licking his lips and feeling giddy by only thinking of tearing flesh apart.

“Six of them,” the prince said, dropping the prop collar and placing the ribbon over Byul’s eyes. “Can’t have him seeing anything, he’s already been through enough.”

“You’re going to have all the fun?” Evan asked, giving Claris a curious gaze.

“Want me to leave you one?” Claris giggled, he shifted his gaze towards the direction he sensed his prey were at.

“It’s alright, I’ll keep Byul from waking up.” Evan replied looking over the naked man in his arms with warm worry.

“I won’t be long.” Claris waved at him and made his way back looking for the group of men.

The six pirates had been following them, they’d worked their way into hiding amongst the rocks, crevices, and boulders lying about once Claris was close to them.

“C’mon, boys. Tell me why are you following us and I may grant you some level of mercy.” Claris asked, a merry grin on his face. “Don’t be shy!”

Silence, Claris could smell the hostility brewing amongst the hidden men. It thrilled him.

“I’ll give you to the count of three. One.” Claris announced giving one step closer in their direction. He dropped the magic spell that kept his eyes blue, his eyes now glowing eerily amethyst.

He could hear the men shuffling, their feet awfully loud as they shifted their weight.

“Two.” Claris’ moved his fingers shaking off the pain growing scales on his hands caused, sharp claws replacing his finger nails. He could hear a man hiding on a hole to his right, he’d be the first he’d fish out.

“Three, ready or not—” Claris spoke in sing song as he quickly darted over the hole on his right, dabbed downwards with his right hand and stabbed the man through the space between his neck and his shoulder. “—here I come!”

He retracted his hand and stared at two men coming at him in angry retaliation.

“Stop!” One of the other men yelled at the ones running towards Claris, their blades high over their heads ready to cut at him.

Claris, stepped aside, the closest man falling into the hole now containing a bleeding corpse. The other man tried to slash Claris but was surprised when the prince stopped his blade with his hand and shattered it. The pirate stared at Claris’ hand, coated in hard scales and hard skin.

“Hi there.” Claris smiled, fangs clearly showing. The prince stabbed the surprised man’s chest using his left hand, moving it around while the man found it hard to scream at all. Crunching and snapping sounds protruded from the man’s chest, Claris was rummaging around. He tore the man’s heart out right when the pirate that had fallen down the hole got out of it. Blood splashed on him, and before he knew it his head was flying off, falling into the ocean.

Claris took the warm heart in his hand to his lips, he gave it a lick before taking a huge bite out of it. The remaining three men stared at him horrified as he savored his meal.

“Yum.” He whispered to himself, before setting his eyes on the frightened pirates. “If you want to tell me why you were following us now, I’ll grant you the gift of surviving this night. It only applies to one of you and you’ll still be harmed. But you know, being dead might be worst so…”

Claris took yet another bite, blood dripping from his hands into the ground, his suit drenched in blood. The pirate men could only stare frozen in fear, one of them had soiled themselves.

“That’s the only thing I like about you scum, loyal to the very, gory, messy end.” Claris chewed what was left of his victim’s heart and gulped down, showing off a rather wide, sadistic smile. “You guys aren’t even going to put up a good fight.”

Evan had sat down on a smooth surface, his back against a boulder as he held Byul in his hands. He’d taken off his jacket and used it to cover up the young man as best as he could. Claris was taking his time. the captain wasn’t worried one bit though. He’d stopped sensing danger a few minutes after Claris had left.

Considering how he was acting… he probably ate them. Evan huffed, Byul moved a bit in his arms. He’s probably still eating them.

Evan knew about werebreeds very well. Though there weren’t many in his country, the few that existed belonged to a clan he and Ashura had gone to for help during their last war together. It was from then that he got to know how vicious werebreeds could be… and that their favorite human organs were the heart and the pancreas. Unlike the werebreeds living at Akakawa Shirogane, the ones at the Sea Lands didn’t want to murder everyone different to them… but he knew they still loved fresh meat. He could sense the hunter in Claris stronger at some given times, the crazy bloodthirst in him.

He’s like a chained wild demon. All locked up behind doors of enormous self-restraint. Evan continued thinking.

The captain heard steps coming his way and turned his face to see Claris, hair all messy, face tainted in red, clothes dripping with blood as well as his hands.

“Messy huh?” Evan asked out loud.

“I tried to restrain myself a little, I’m actually a lot cleaner than usual.” Claris explained showing off his hands. “…you… don’t find this intimidating, do you?”

“Not even a little.” Evan replied getting up effortlessly, without using his hands. “We should go, dry blood gets annoying on clothes.”

“I… yeah, it really does.” Claris mumbled, embarrassed. He started walking, once more leading the way back to Wisteria.

“You know, you can come get washed up at my ship… if you feel like it?” Evan invited him, if his hands were free he’d be scratching at the back of his neck.

“…Actually, I do think that would be a good idea… and umm, maybe Byul can stay off shore while we take care of the Ryuusei…?” Claris asked shyly.

“Of course, he can stay. Maybe he’ll make good friends with Nemo…” Evan remembered what the slave trader from the Ryuusei had said, how he’d described the wereshark. “Nemo’s not just a name in slavery here… is it?”

“I’m afraid that if your friend said his name was Nemo, there’s a huge probability you rescued someone who was born a slave.” Claris sounded really upset. “Your Nemo spoke of Luna so maybe he was lucky enough to grow up around people that loved him enough to give him a place to return to.”

Evan stayed quiet after that, all the while thinking about Nemo… and about how he would most definitely help Claris bathe in the blood of the people that had done this to the poor merman…and he already had a clue as to who these people were. Ryuusei was an Akakawan name to begin with, unfortunately.