Elemental Cats

The pirates that Stitches encountered during his transport had already been enslaved and died in battle, but that didn't mean there wouldn't be any pirates this time. There was no way he would be able to escape from the military while at the war camp. The only possible option for escape would be during the transport to Beltor's Platform. But Stitches couldn't pull off the escape alone, so he started gathering like-minded people.

Considering the circumstances and what would happen to the people on the boat headed for Beltor, few refused Stitches' suggestion of a prison break.

There were a couple of seventh level guards on the boat, primarily due to Stitches since he was a valuable asset. But they were utterly unprepared for the mutiny and the chaos caused by the dozens of prisoners rioting at the same time. While they tried to calm down the disorder, a few mages with special abilities forced their way into the cabin and took over the ship. Although they were supposed to have had their mana suppressed, one person specialized in being untouchable, so the restraints didn't work on him, and he could free everyone else.

With control of the ship taken from them, the two guards realized they were in trouble, and before they were launched into the Void and left behind as the ship disappeared, they unleashed a couple of attacks at full strength. The ship was still holding together enough to keep the prisoners alive, but there was no way they would be able to outrun the incoming help reinforcements from the kingdom. Or avoid the tracking methods.

However, aside from Stitches, there weren't any other high-value targets, so the one being chased down, in the end, would be Stitches. Stitches and the ones familiar with him knew it, and he volunteered to split off from the others. Stitches took one of the escape boats and fled. The others also split up and started fleeing in different directions.

Stitches didn't have anything to help him navigate through the Void, but they had timed their mutiny so they would end up in an area of the Void frequented by pirates by the time it ended.

After Stitches was so far away he couldn't see the ship he had fled from, he let the boat drift without him feeding it any more mana to power it. And then he laid down and hid any signs of himself using his control over life force.

With his inclination giving him life attribute mana, Stitches had an affinity for all things related to life and life force. Although he was more suited to healing and recovering life force, that didn't mean it was the only thing he could do.

In preparation for the escape, Stitches had started experimenting with how he could control his own life force, and so far, he had learned how to hide it and suppress any signs of life. It left him half awake and drifting in and out of consciousness. But his unmoving body would appear lifeless to anyone who saw him. Stitches also hoped it would hide him or show him as dead to anyone who tried to track him. And either it did, or the military didn't come after him. Whatever happened, Stitches was free from the kingdom's oppression of free-spirited and strong-willed people.

The only problem Stitches had left was the fact that he was stuck in the Void without a way to navigate or food. Thankfully he could survive for a long time as long as he continued suppressing his life force and keeping it within his body.

However, luckily, Stitches didn't have to wait too long until the boat he was on was picked up by a pirate crew. Although he almost scared the crew to death when, to them, it seemed like he had returned from the dead, he convinced them to bring him with them. And eventually, Stitches ended up in his current situation, on an island of trees drifting through the Void.

Stitches leaned back and was prepared to receive recognition and admiration after he finished his story. However, things didn't quite go as planned.

"'What!?'"

Lucy, Joshua, and Hods exclaimed at the same time.

"What about your eyepatch?!"

Lucy wondered about the aspect that made Stitches look cool.

"What about your name!?"

Hods wondered about Stitches' name. And it seemed like Joshua wondered the same thing as the other two as he nodded in agreement. After Lucy and Hods asked their questions, the rest of the gathering looked questioningly at Stitches. If asked what Stitches' backstory would be about, almost anyone who had looked at him would guess that it would be about the eyepatch. And anyone who had heard his name would doubt if it was his real name.

However, Stitches' answer was simple.

"Oh, this? I use it to hide my symbol."

Stitches lifted the eyepatch and revealed a green drop of liquid on his eyelid. And as he blinked his eyes, he showed off his fully functional deep green eye.

"..."

"And the name?"

"That's a longer story. But when I was young, I was headed for a swim with a few pals. Before we could even get to the water, I fell and cut my face and arms. It was before I awakened my inclination, and the only thing we had on hand to patch me up was some string and a broken needle. That bastard left me looking like tied-up pork belly for weeks.

"Even after the wounds healed, the nickname I got stuck around. I even removed the scars, but people still kept calling Stitches. Rude bastards. Eventually, I gave up an' accepted it."

"Wow. That's sad."

Lucy was the only one who said anything in response to Stitches' story. But Stitches almost wished he had said anything. Unlike the awe he had expected when he first told his story, he was instead given pity, and from a cat at that. Even if only marginally, the others were slightly better since they only looked at Stitches with various expressions on their faces.