An Excerpt from the Tales of Bustichia Reki, Soldier of Gerana, Wielder of Elements:
Akecza the Flame sat on the bow of her ship, swigging down some unknown substance from a dark-tinted bottle. It had a vile taste, but it was necessary she drink it twice daily. Not doing so had ill effects, the kind Akecza wanted nothing to do with. Finishing the liquid, she tossed the drained container into the deep blue of the ocean.
She stood up and turned, eyeing her crew at work. Rather, that is what she hoped to see, but knew she wouldn't. They had just pulled into port, so everyone was playing around, apparently forgetting their purpose.
"Eventide!" she called out across the ship. Her first mate wasn't in sight, but he had to be somewhere on the ship. If he wasn't... well, there were various ways to correct that.
A door leading below decks opened and Even fell out, quite literally. He had a habit of tripping over his own feet. Pathetic of him, really, but he made up for it by being more than skilled in other areas.
Akecza eyed him over, finding his current state to be unpresentable. His short, silver hair stuck out at multiple angles, his face unwashed. He wore an all-black, loose-fitting outfit, including a jacket, which would look quite dashing on him were it not stained from the previous night's meal. No doubt was in Akecza's mind; Eventide had just rolled out of bed.
He came to a stop in front of Akecza and stood straight. "You called, Captain?" he asked.
Akecza sighed and turned away, staring across the water at the nearby port of Roake. "First of all, never present yourself before me in that state again, or I shall feed you to the sharks. Second, find a way to get this motley crew under control. If I do it my way, it shall be by example..." she finished, her hand fingering an ornate rapier on her left side.
Even got the message, quite clearly. He spun around and drew out a flintlock pistol. He fired it loudly into the air above him, catching the attention of most of the crew. Those who didn't get his message were soon informed of it by their neighbors. Eventide stood up on a nearby barrel, placing him above everyone else.
"Alright, you uneducated, overpaid slackers, it's time to get back to work! There's still two hours left before port leave, so I expect to see this ship in golden condition before then!" he shouted at them. Unable to say a word in retort, the crew immediately jumped back to work.
Akecza smiled. She hardly had to do a thing for the ship to run smoothly. This was the true essence of being pirate; the ability to do whatever you wanted, with no worries. She rarely had worries.
However, when she did, they were always related to a certain individual.
Bustichia Reki stood at the gate to the port of Roake. He couldn't enter yet, for a stubborn guard refused to allow him entry without a "Writ of Travel" issued by his kingdom. This guard seemed to fail to understand that Reki was not a local and therefore not even aware there was a kingdom here.
Reki was about to grab one of his many weapons and challenge the guard to a duel for the right to enter the port, but his friend Gigale stepped in. Pushing Reki away, Gigale took the non-violent approach, an approach a long-time soldier like Reki was not very familiar with.
So, Reki walked away and took to studying the wall protecting Roake, whilst Gigale got them in. The wall was a fair height, enough to keep most people from attempting to scale it, though Reki could have done so easily. It was crafted of limestone, and even in the bright sun, it was dull and muted.
Gigale strode toward Reki as the guard cranked open the gate using a mechanism on the wall. Reki watched Gigale approach, studying him. His friend was a young man of twenty he'd recently met in a city several miles away. His long, brown hair fell past his shoulders, his bangs slightly hiding his hazel eyes. He liked the color green, and all his clothes matched this preference, from his long-coat down to the boots.
"What did you do that he gave in so willingly?" asked Reki. Gigale grinned and swung a coin purse.
"I showed him a bit of the brighter side of life," he laughed. Reki sighed and passed through into Roake, Gigale following close behind.
Amber the Fury was in the lowest section of her ship, her rapier in hand, ready to fight. She was putting down a mutineer, a traitor to all pirates. However, she couldn't help but respect the man's recklessness and betraying her, so chose to settle it with a duel. They had moved below decks to carry it out, for it is harder to fight in enclosed spaces than it is on an open deck.
"I might allow you to live if you toss yourself into the ocean now," Amber said with a devious grin. The mutineer clutched his cutlass tighter.
"Even if I had the option, I wouldn't take it. I did what I thought was proper. You are a tyrant, not a captain. If I kill you here, then I free the rest of the crew," he replied. Amber laughed loudly.
"You still fight for what you believe is right? I guess I don't hate those kinds of people. But let me inform you about something. ALL captains are tyrants. All captains worth their hat, at any rate. Now, shut up and let me kill you!" she shouted the last scene, rushing the man.
He ran toward her as well, and they quickly traded blows, Amber striking and he blocking, he striking and Amber blocking. Neither could land a hit on the other. Amber had to admit to herself, this man was the most skilled on her crew. It would be a shame to lose him, but a mutiny's punished by death.
Finally, Amber scored. Slashing her rapier upwards, she took the man's left eye. The pain was more than he could bear under normal circumstances, but adrenaline pushed the man on. He payed Amber back in kind with a thrust, stabbing his cutlass all the way through her right arm, her sword arm. She dropped her rapier as he dropped his cutlass, both clutching their wounds and groaning in pain.
Amber picked up her rapier after a few moments and walked over to the man laying on the ground. "I should kill you now," she stated, blood dripping down her hand and onto her blade.
The man coughed out a laugh. "Then do it, Captain," he sneered. Amber scoffed and rose the rapier.
She thrust it down within inches of his neck. "Get up, Dragon. I'm keeping you on a tight leash. You WILL do what I require you to, when I require it be done. Are we clear?"
"You think I'd work for a tyrant in exchange for my life?" he asked.
"I could kill you now," she replied, gripping her rapier and sliding the blade closer to his throat. Dragon laughed.
"I'm a pirate. What's most important is my life," he answered. Amber removed the rapier, wiped the blood on her already crimson clothes, and picked up her first mate, Dragon. A man formerly of pride, he was now a wimpering dog. His black hair was matted down with his own blood, his previously dark blue shirt and pants now stained with sweat and blood.
"We head for the port of Roake," Amber ordered as she walked up the steps to higher decks. Dragon spat and growled in contempt.
"You're fighting again... I'll make sure you die this time."
Sainsbo sat on a street corner, begging for money, as was his usual routine. It was an unusually slow day, probably because Akecza the Flame had said she would be back today. She never looted Roake, but her crew was loud, boisterous, and obnoxious. The townspeople weren't fond of them, and tried not to bump into them if it wasn't necessary.
Sainsbo spotted two people walking down the street in front of him. One of them caught his eye; a man with crimson hair down to his shoulders, dressed in light blue clothes with a silver coat and cape, and carrying at least a dozen weapons about his person. He'd never seen a man able to carry so much metal, and it peaked his interest. He waved the two over to him.
Reki saw a strange man gesturing for him to approach him, but blew it off. The man looked like a quack, dressed in gray, tattered rags. Gigale, however, thought differently. There was something off about the man; he didn't seem the kind to be poor and begging. Gigale dragged Reki over to Sainsbo.
"What do you want?" Gigale asked politely. Sainsbo looked around, assuring himself that no one was around, and whispered to them.
"Ye two ain't ferm 'roun 'ere, are ye? Nah, I knows ye ain't. Li'in, ye two, ye dun wan be 'ere right now. Akza the Frame's just docked in port over there-" he pointed toward a ship at the very end of Roake's docks with a flaming Jolly Roger, "- an' who knows wha' they cum fer. Ye ther, wiv all dem wea'ons, ye'd def'nit'ly do gud fer yerself if ye avo'd'd Akza. She hates whe' sum'un looks stron'er den her."
Reki stroked a rapier by his side, his preferred weapon. "I think I'll be fine, old man. Trust me, I've fought more than my share of pirates. In any case, now that we're here, do you know a good place to rest and a good ship to the Hebron continent? We must be on our way by the day after next."
Sainsbo sighed. No one ever took his advice. Not that he could blame them; he did look like a beggar. He was a beggar. That didn't change the fact that he was fairly smart about the goings-on in Roake, though. He pointed to a street leading down to the port.
"Ye cen fin' a nice li'l inn down de way dere. Name o' Strikin' Po'y. Furder dow' dat street's a fer'yman by de name o' Cuspit. Amber Cuspit. She shoul' be returnin' to'ay, bu' ye migh' not wan mess wid 'er, neither. Jus' as frigh'nin' as Akza. A pirate dat fer'ies nice-payin' in'viduals wi'out a hitch, soz I he'r. Whate'er, wha' ye do ish yer bus'ness," he said.
Reki and Gigale thanked the beggar and traveled down the street they'd been informed of.
Akecza jumped off her ship onto the dock, the last one off. She'd already sent her crew into port to play, giving them an early leave. She did that mostly because they were a pain to deal with in port. Anyway, she preferred to be alone. There was a lot on her mind. Amber would be returning today as well. In fact, that was the reason for Akecza's return. She wanted to talk to Amber.
She began walking along the dock and off into the streets, deep in though, paying no mind to her surroundings. She knew the streets of Roake like she knew her sword; she'd been raised here. In addition, for some strange reason, whenever she made port in Roake, the streets were empty and quiet. She never could figure out why that was.
She looked up and turned down a street. Up a hill a bit was a man laying in the road, as if he were soaking sun, but he was fully clothed and the street was shaded by buildings. What was stranger was that he not only had about 16 weapons located on various areas of his body, but he didn't take them off when he laid down. Akecza approached him cautiously, her hand on her rapier.
Reki opened an eye, aware of a presence, a presence wary of him. His hand fell to his own rapier, but he made quite sure to make any noticeable movement. They were within a foot of each other before either of them spoke.
"Hello," Reki said. Akecza removed her hand from her rapier and stood above the man.
"Hello. Who are you?" she responded. Reki shook his head, smiling gently. She was a beautiful woman; flowing blonde hair, eyes green as jungle. She wore crimson, with a pompous silver hat. Reki could discern little more from his angle.
"You approached me. Your name first."
"I am Akecza the Flame."
"I see... I am Bustichia Reki, Soldier of Gerana."
"That's a strong name, Bustichia," she commented.
Reki shook his head. "I go by Reki. So, tell me, Akecza the Flame, is the ferrywoman on this street really the best in town? I really do need a good ship across the Peron Ocean."
"Ferrywoman on this street? Who's that?"
"The old man called her 'Amber Cuspit.'"
Akecza gritted her teeth. She hadn't known that Amber was fooling people by calling herself a ferrywoman. It was a despicable disgrace to all pirates to hide in the shadows like that.
"Who told you about her, Reki?"
"The old man at the street corner-" he gestured to where Sainsbo had been sitting previously, "-mentioned she might be our best bet at a ferry."
"'Our?'" asked Akecza.
A door opened near the pair and Gigale stepped out, annoyance apparent on his face. He saw Akecza and Reki, however, and his demeanor quickly changed. "I think he means me. Reki, I'm gone for ten minutes and you're already flirting with girls?"
Akecza payed the remark no heed, while Reki stood up and drew a katana. "Do you want to duel for the right to that remark?" he inquired.
Gigale backed down and turned to Akecza. "I apologize for his rudeness. I'm Gigale. You are?"
"Akecza the Flame."
"I'm Reki's traveling partner. We're trying to get to the Hebron continent for some mission of Reki's from his kingdom."
"The Hebron continent? But... that's several thousand miles. It would take years to travel there from here. Why don't you find a country closer, for example... the Kingdom of Jesry?"
"They ran me out of there..." Reki sighed. He looked to Gigale and pointed to the inn his friend had just exited. "Did you get us a room?"
Gigale's expression reverted to the irritation he'd shown before and he exhaled heavily. "Yeah, I got us a room... but haggling with that witch was like pulling teeth from a set of fakes. I wanted to strangle myself."
Reki laughed. "Well, I believe it best we head to our room now. Night encroaches. It was nice meeting you, Akecza the Flame." He entered the inn, Gigale following behind with a slight grin in Akecza's direction. Akecza smiled inwardly to herself and continued on her path. She knew not where she was going, but she had to get there. Amber was sure to be in town by tonight.
It was midnight by the time Amber's ship, the Crescent Moon, pulled into port. She ordered the crew to be quiet and slipped into the town, without so much as the sound of a footstep. Recklessness could wait for when it's needed; that was her motto, and she never slipped up. Reaching a small, inconspicuous building, she quickly went inside and dashed to a room in the back. An old man waited for her.
"I killed all the passengers as you told me to, Grandpa," she reported. He grinned toothily.
"It took ye lon' 'nough. I wash 'bout to get wor'ied. 'Ow fer out did ye go, lass?" Sainsbo asked.
"Roughly 40 miles according to my navigator. We had a... touch of trouble on the trip back, though."
"Tro'ble? Whet kin' o' tro'ble?"
"Mutiny, led by my first mate, Dragon. I put it down and taught Dragon a lesson, but it wasted a lot of time."
"I see... Thish 'Dragon', ye kill'd 'im?"
"If I slew my greatest fighter, I would not be able to run my ship. I took his left eye as a prize, though."
"I see... Goo' jo'. I ex'ect grea' 'thin's ferm ye, Amber."
"Yes, Grandpa. I shall return to my ship now and await the next load of passengers."
Amber left the room and tread slowly through the house this time. She had rushed before because it was not good to keep Grandpa waiting any longer than was necessary. Amber slowly opened the door, looking down the street to ensure no one had seen her. Reassured, she left the house. A soft thud was heard behind her, and the sound of metal sliding from a scabbard next. Akecza was behind her, she knew.
"Hello, sister. Come to see dear Grandfather as well?" spat Amber jeeringly. Akecza raised her rapier to Amber's neck.
"Is that who you sneaked off to see? How quaint. I shall have to end him as well; after your blood flows, that is," Akecza replied. Amber scoffed, drew her rapier, and spun around, prepared to duel her twin.
"You cannot end this. We have our own reasons, ones you couldn't understand. You never did like Grandfather."
"That's because there is nothing to like," said Akecza. They both decided silently that there were no more words to be traded. They took action.
Akecza was a calm fighter, while Amber often let her blood broil. While Amber led an onslaught of attacks, Akecza deflected them, parried them. They were a match for each other in truth, in spite of stylistic differences. They knew all too well the other's skill.
Akecza lunged at Amber, who deflected downwards. Reacting instantaneously, Amber slashed at the unguarded sword arm. Akecza pulled her arm back and was merely scratched, a small trickle of blood sliding down her forearm. She spun and slashed at Amber's abdomen, who also was simply scratched. For years, these small scratches, quickly healed, were all they could do to each other.
A figure dressed in dark blue appeared behind Akecza. Amber and Akecza were too engrossed in battle to notice until a cutlass blade was found sticking through to Akecza's front. She coughed, attempted to stutter a few words, and fell. Dragon slung the blood off his blade and sheathed his cutlass. Amber stood frozen for a moment, but escalated into an insane cackle.
"MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! She's finally dead... You did it, Dragon! There's a lot of loot in your future. You truly have seen the error of your ways, I'd say."
Dragon turned away. "I did this for my own reasons, Captain. Do not congratulate me." He walked off down the road, the darkness hiding his grin smirk as his plan was placed into motion. Amber stayed near Akecza's body, cackling until dawn.
Dawn broke and Reki sat up from his bed. He had to start getting dressed at dawn every day, or he wouldn't be finished until the sun was nigh it's highest point. It was a chore, fastening all his weapons to their various belts and harnesses, but he was finished before Gigale awoke. Gigale sat up, rubbing his eyes drowsily, and looked up at Reki.
"How do you even do that?" he asked.
"Training and skill. I am an expert warrior, you know."
"Yeah, yeah... anyway, what's our plan today?"
"We must schedule ourselves on the next outgoing ferry, and then wander the town. No trip is without pleasantries, I say."
"Or you said. Just now," Gigale snickered.
"Yes, well... We must not tarry."
"Your speech gets more antiquated the more embarrassed you get, Reki."
"I do not know of what you speak. Come, we must be off to see this 'Amber Cuspit.'"
Thus, they left their room, paid the night's fare to the innkeeper, and set off down the street. It appeared to be the main street of the town, for it was packed today, stalls set up selling various items. The smells of various fruits, vegetables, and cooked meats filled the air, and the pair found themselves trying the local food more than once on their trek down the street.
Suddenly, Reki stopped. He felt something off in the air (an ability he'd had since childhood, it was more like intuition than anything else), and he dragged Gigale down a nearby alley. They took various turns and twists until they found themselves on a fairly wide street, but which seemed to be the poor side of town. What people could be seen were loitering about, their faces haggard, their clothes gray, and their expressions dim. Reki looked about. The feeling was definitely nearby.
Suddenly, a figure appeared behind Gigale. He touched the man's shoulder with a small finger. "You don't belong here, do you?" asked Dragon.
Gigale shrugged. "My friend here dragged me down to this slum. What about you?"
"I'm here for personal business."
"Really? You don't look the kind to have friends here."
"Well... it's a long story. I probably should be heading back now." With that, Dragon took off down a side-street, disappearing quickly. Reki soon forgot the occurrence, however, as he noticed a gruesome spectacle hidden beneath a house's doorstep. He pointed it out to Gigale, who recognized the figure. Coated in blood, though it was hard to tell due to her already crimson clothing, was Akecza.
"How'd you find her?" Gigale asked in a low voice. Reki shook his head.
"The smell of blood? I don't know... I just knew something was wrong in the city. It was by pure luck I got us here. If you failed to notice, I doubled back more than once, retracing my steps..."
"Well, what do we do now that we are here?" Gigale inquired of Reki. Reki walked up to Akecza and touched the wound, feeling the opening. His eyes opened wide.
"Whoever did this failed to strike any vital organs! I can feel her heartbeat; she's still alive! Quick, Gigale, let us find a doctor!" Reki shouted, lifting Akecza up in his arms.
Dragon was unsure why he'd stayed to make sure Akecza was found. Surely she would have been either way. Perhaps his own worries that his plans might have failed got the better of him. Whatever it was, what was done was done. All he had to do now was return to the Crescent Moon and wait.
He boarded the ship to the chagrin of his fellow crew-members. In the end, his mutiny had ended worse for them than it had for him. He could feel their hatred. If they could kill him, they would. None dare try, however. He had survived a battle against the Captain; he was either very skilled or very lucky, or so they thought.
Dragon entered the Captain's cabin, but Amber was not to be found. He took a seat and sighed, exhausted. He had not slept at all the previous night, and he felt himself slipping into darkness. Dragon fell into a tired, dreamless sleep.
Amber was not on her ship because she was busy watching Akecza's body as well. Her sanity had finally returned, but by then it was dawn, and she could not finish off her sister because of the people pouring into the streets. Most of them wouldn't care or notice, but she dare not chance it. She watched as two men, an odd pair, found Akecza's body. She cursed as they realized, as she had, that the wound had not killed her.
She walked down a small alley, cursing beneath her breath constantly. Had Dragon simply missed her vitals? That was unlikely with his level of skill; no, he had intended for her to live. A mutineer once, a mutineer twice. However, a mutineer could still have his uses. She would not kill him yet.
Sainsbo was sitting on his corner, begging for money again today, unaware of the previous night's events, aside from his conversation with Amber. It kept returning to his mind, causing a smile to spread like fire from ear to ear. His plot of revenge was in action and proceeding almost without a hitch. A mutiny or two was expected; pirates aren't meant to kill indiscriminately, especially not paying passengers. Of course, pirates rarely had paying passengers anyway.
His attention was drawn to the pair of people he'd met the day before, the one still walking around with all that weaponry. Rather, at this point, he was jogging, because he seemed to be in a rush to help a person he had slung over his shoulder. Sainsbo could not tell who the person was, but he wished them good luck in his thoughts.
Reki stopped, short of breath. He could jog no further. He set Akecza down and turned to Gigale. "We've been down the busiest streets in town. It is is inconceivable we did not pass a doctor at some point."
"Well... It's not like there's a sign."
"One should be able to tell by the smell of medicine."
"Then why didn't you sniff one out for us?"
"I was preoccupied with Miss Akecza."
"Yeah, I'm sure you were..."
Akecza stirred and groaned, and the pair ended their conversation to tend to her. She blinked open her eyes and looked about blurrily. For a moment, she could not tell where she was or who was beside her. Her vision cleared up slowly and she eventually recognized the two men she'd met the day before. She groaned and tried to sit up, but her wound ached.
"Ugh... You two?"
"Indeed, Akecza. How are you feeling?" Reki asked worriedly.
"Like hell..." she coughed, feeling her wound.
"Well, now that you're awake, you're not in any immediate danger. Just take a minute to rest. Do you know where the Roake doctor is?"
Akecza quickly grabbed Reki's arm and pulled him close, whispering into his ear. "No doctors." Speaking louder, "I can dress myself if anyone has any bandages on them. There are some things I need to take care of; there is no time to waste."
Gigale reached into his coat and drew out wrappings. "I keep these around for when Reki starts dueling people. Either he or they need them afterwards, or both."
Akecza took the bandages and, struggling to pull herself up, began dressing herself there. Out of respect, the pair turned around, though Akecza wouldn't have cared either way. The wound was only on her abdomen. It's not as if she were undressing.
She tapped them on the shoulder, and they turned around. "I'm ready to go. Thank you for your help."
Reki placed a hand on her shoulder. "It is our pleasure. Now, will you be fine by yourself?"
Akecza pushed Reki's hands away. "I'll be fine. You have your own business to attend to, I'm sure. Farewell, then." With this, she strode away, determination set in her eyes. Reki and Gigale turned to each other and shrugged, heading to where the ferryman they were scheduling was located.
Amber entered her cabin to find Dragon passed out in a chair. Her hand went to her rapier, but she calmed herself. He might still have his uses, though she didn't have any ideas yet. Rather than killing him, she kicked the chair, sending him sprawling onto the floor, jolting him awake.
"Ah, welcome back, Captain. I was waiting here in case you needed to talk," he welcomed, inwardly clenching his teeth. Someday soon, she'd pay for all her abuse.
"Good work last night, Dragon. I don't believe I'll need your help today, so I'll give you today off," Amber told him, seething inside. Dragon nodded and left the cabin. Amber sat down on her bed and folded her hands together, leaning into them, propping her forehead.
"Today starts the next phase, the second phase. I'm not even sure why I'm doing this for that man... He never did anything for me."
Eventide awoke and quickly got dressed. Afterwards, he realized that the Red Tide was still on port leave, and he didn't have to rush to make himself presentable. He sighed and sat in a low hammock, not knowing what to do with himself. He didn't like port leave; there was nothing for him to do.
Deciding to do something, he left the barracks and walked out onto the ship's deck, breathing in the strong sea air. He became a sailor for this air; he became a pirate because he admired Akecza. He would do anything for her.
Looking out across the port, a ship he recognized too well entered his sights. The Crescent Moon had docked. Eventide rushed to the Captain's cabin to tell Akecza, but it appeared she had not returned to the ship since the night before. He went back out onto the deck and looked at the Crescent Moon. Perhaps he could go over and talk to Captain Amber, hopefully straighten out the problems between her and his captain. A reckless thought, but Eventide was not known for his sense.
Nor was Akecza. She stood before the Crescent Moon, her rapier already drawn. She intended to raid the ship and kill Amber. She walked slowly up a plank leading to the deck. She couldn't rush, or she'd risk making her wound worse. She reached the deck and found it, to her surprise, barren. None of Amber's crew were there. She spat and slowly walked across the large deck, heading for the Captain's cabin.
Reki and Gigale looked at a sign pinned to the door. It read: BUSY WITH PREPARATIONS. PLEASE COME TO THE SHIP TO BUY PASSAGE TO HEBRON.~AMBER CUSPIT
"Damnit," Gigale scoffed. Reki exhaled deeply, refusing to be frustrated.
"Let's just head to the ship, Gigs. It is what the sign tells us to do."
"What ship? It doesn't name a ship!"
"Then... We go down to the docks, and ask each ship if we may talk to this 'Amber Cuspit.'"
"Oh, yeah, that's gonna work out fine..."
"It's our best option. At any rate, it won't kill us."
"It'd better not. I like my heart beating."
"It's a joke, Gigs."
"Mine wasn't."
With the exchange finished, they set off for the docks, down the hill.
Sainsbo grew bored with his beggar routine and began to stroll around town, heading in no direction in particular. He found a ladder up to a rooftop and climbed up, sitting on the edge of the roof, staring out at the sea. He had a perfect view of the docks from there. The ships were all busy save two; one flew a flaming Jolly Roger, and the other a Jolly Roger set against a blood moon. The ships of his granddaughters.
Akecza entered the Captain's cabin, startling Amber. For a moment, Amber did not notice her sister, but she looked up and laughed breathily.
"So, not only do you survive, but you believe yourself fit to continue our battle?" she asked. Amber pointed her rapier at her twin.
"Had I lost my head, I would believe myself in the same condition. Your crew appears to be weak; they can't even kill a woman from behind."
"There are various reasons behind that, but suffice it to say the matter shall be handled after your death."
"The matter shall not be handled at all, for I have no intention of dying."
Akecza lunged at Amber, but her wound forced her to guard her front while doing so, and her speed was greatly reduced. Amber easily deflected it and countered, which Akecza was just barely able to dodge. She fell over into a dresser, hitting her head.
"Hahaha! You can hardly pose a challenge, sister. Come back after you've recovered."
Akecza stood up, wiped blood from her forehead, and prepared to continue the fight. "I won't let you and Grandfather get away with your evil deeds any longer."
Reki called up to the Red Tide. "Hello, sir! Madam! Is anyone there?"
Gigale sighed. "This is a pirate ship, Reki... Besides the strange fact that it's docked at a controlled port, do you really think this is the ship they were talking about?"
Reki shook his head. "One must exhaust all possibilities."
Eventide heard someone calling out nearby and looked down at the dock. Two men were talking to each other down below. "Yes?" He asked them.
Reki looked up and smiled. "We are attempting to schedule a ferry. Would this, by any chance, be the good ship of one Amber Cuspit?"
Even's face fell, became dark. "What do you know of Captain Amber?"
"That she is transporting passengers to the Hebron continent."
"You don't want to... You really don't want to mess with her. I suggest buying onto another ship, even if you must wait longer to set sail."
"He thinks he's waited too long," replied Gigale.
"Still, it's best not to get involved with her sort. She's the worst kind of pirate."
"Here's an idea," Reki began. "Why don't you take us to meet her, and we'll decide for ourselves if we want to get involved."
Eventide thought it over a moment. The man in blue did seem to be quite strong, what with the various weapons at his disposal, ranging from great-swords to daggers. He, at least, should be able to handle Amber if she lost her temper. Even nodded and walked down the plank.
"I'll take you to see Captain Amber, then. I was thinking of going to see her, anyway."
Sainsbo's mind drifted off as he watched the docks. His reasons for killing anyone who attempted to travel to the Hebron continent were known only to two people: himself and his granddaughter Amber. Taken at face value, he seemed to simply be making his granddaughter a mass murderer. In reality, he had a true reason for doing it, even if it only made sense to him.
He was born on the Hebron continent, in a kingdom called Krish. He was a general in their army at one point, leading a great war against a rival kingdom, Len. During the war, he was revered as a hero of the people. However, as is often the case, war-time heroes, in peace-time, are simply murderers. When the nation of Univ came in and united the entire continent under their banner, Sainsbo was put on trial for what they called "war crimes".
He was found guilty and exiled from his home. He had held bitter resentment for the entire continent of Hebron since that time, and he wished for them to become poor, starve, and die. Eventually, he devised a plan to attempt this; if he could create a cabal of pirates who destroyed all ships heading to Hebron, then he might be able to accomplish his goals. The beginning of this plot was his granddaughter Amber, who had always been close to him.
Dragon walked along the docks, not knowing what to do. He paid little attention to where he was going, and found himself bumping into something that felt like cold steel. He looked up and found he had run into a man carrying a great many weapons, the largest, too large for scabbards, on his back. The man turned around and smiled.
"Heading our direction?"
"Which direction would that be?" replied Dragon tartly.
"We're going to see Captain Amber," explained Gigale. At the sound of his Captain's name he jumped. They had startled him.
"Why do you want to see the Captain?" he asked.
"Oh, you're a crew member?" asked Reki. "All the better; we want to buy passage to Hebron."
Dragon felt his breath slipped away. He recalled the experience of their last trip; being forced to kill innocent people searching for life in Hebron, returning home to Hebron... even slaughtering the children. He shuddered at the thought. It was not what a pirate should be.
"I'm... I'm afraid I cannot let you see the Captain," he said, drawing his cutlass. Since the meeting with Dragon, Even and Gigale had failed to notice anything. They had simply continued on their way to the ship, and were already at the Crescent Moon by the time they realized Reki was missing. Gigale looked about and noticed Reki and the man from the slums talking. He then noticed them both drawing their weapons.
"So, it's a duel for the right to go to Hebron, is it? Very well, I accept. However, do you truly believe yourself my better?" asked Reki. Dragon shook his head sadly.
"You wouldn't believe my intentions if I told you." He swung his cutlass at Reki as the latter drew a katana halfway from it's scabbard, halting the attack. Shoving Dragon away, Reki drew the katana fully out, and it entered it's active mode. A strong breeze swept across the port.
Dragon skidded back a foot or so before coming to a halt, and he immediately rushed back to Reki. The two traded blows, circling each other. Reki summoned up a stronger wind with his katana and blew Dragon backwards, using the wind to run faster than he'd normally be capable of. He swung his katana at a diagonal angle, right to left, and slashed Dragon's chest. Dragon fell to the ground.
Gigale arrived about that time, too late to stop the fight from going to far. He dropped to Dragon's side and put an arm around him. "Hey, are you alright?"
Dragon was bleeding heavily onto the dock. "I have... to stop you..." he said, shoving his cutlass through Gigale's chest with the last of his strength. Gigale hardly felt the pain. He stood up and looked down at the cutlass in his chest. Reki called out to him, but he didn't hear. He took a few steps back and teetered on the edge of the dock. Falling into the water, he recalled the happiest memory in his life; Reki, reaching out a hand to him, asking him to journey by his side. He shed a tear as the ocean swallowed him up.
At the same time, Dragon bled out across the dock. His last thought was that maybe, with his death, and the death he just caused, people would realize that buying passage with Captain Amber was a truly terrible idea.
Reki fell to his knees, watching Gigale's body descending, filling the water with blood. Screaming at the world, he drew one of his weapons and flung it at the Crescent Moon, in angry desperation. It reached the deck and skidded along, eventually landing at Eventide's feet.
Eventide had not noticed the fight, and instead, alone, had continued onto the ship. When Reki's sword, a longsword, found itself at his feet, he picked it up. His only weapon was a pistol, so if he found himself in a fight, he thought he'd need a weapon like this.
He opened the door to the Captain's cabin and found it in a mess. Blood stained the floor, sword slashes tore into the walls and furniture. Stepping carefully to avoid tripping as he so often would, he reached another door. Opening it, he peered inside.
It was home to a hole leading down, a ladder inside. Blood stained the floor up to the hole, so Even gripped the rungs and descended down. he climbed through the darkness for a time before coming out into a dimly lit room.
Amongst barrels and sacks, Akecza and Amber continued their duel. Akecza's wound had ripped, causing greater bleeding, but she continued fighting nonetheless. Amber was winning, however. They were so concentrated on their battle that they hadn't noticed Eventide entering.
Akecza ignored all wounds she incurred and was fighting like a hunting tiger, waiting until the exact moment she could strike. Amber, in contrast, fought like a fierce lioness, dashing after her prey without giving it a chance to fight back. The fight was spectacular, and had apparently been long-lived.
As Eventide watched, though, it ended quickly. Amber found her mark; Akecza's neck. Quickly sliding her rapier in and out, she smiled grimly as Akecza fell to the ground, her last seconds of precious life draining right in front of her.
Even's emotions burst. Gripping the sword, which burst into flames, he rushed at Akecza wordlessly. Words were not needed; they both knew why they were fighting. It was a quick and decisive battle. Eventide's strength, granted to him by adrenaline, knocked Amber's sword away as if it were never there. He thrust his flaming sword through Amber's chest and twisted it. As he withdrew the weapon, Amber's body went limp and collapsed next to Akecza's. The twin sisters had died.
Even dropped his sword and fell to his kness, grief overtaking him. Without prior knowledge, there was no way for Even to suppose that the sword he had used was linked to his emotions, and with his grief, it's fire spread. It reached a barrel, filled with gunpowder, and the explosion set off a chain reaction.
Sainsbo sat on his rooftop, still watching the ocean. Suddenly, he saw fire, and a few seconds later heard the explosion. His granddaughter's ship, the Crescent Moon, had exploded. He realized in that instant his plans had failed him. His heart began beating fast, then irregularly, and finally it ceased beating altogether. He fell off the roof, falling three stories, and cracking his head open.
This was written for an event at a forum I'm a member of. Today is September 19th, Talk Like A Pirate Day, so I have written this story out of respect and admiration for all pirates. At least, all those pirates who weren't ruthless criminals. It's a side story involving one of my characters named Bustichia Reki. His story began before this occurred, and continued long after. You may see him again, or one of his various incarnations which appear in many things I write. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Akecza the Flame sat on the bow of her ship, swigging down some unknown substance from a dark-tinted bottle. It had a vile taste, but it was necessary she drink it twice daily. Not doing so had ill effects, the kind Akecza wanted nothing to do with. Finishing the liquid, she tossed the drained container into the deep blue of the ocean.
She stood up and turned, eyeing her crew at work. Rather, that is what she hoped to see, but knew she wouldn't. They had just pulled into port, so everyone was playing around, apparently forgetting their purpose.
"Eventide!" she called out across the ship. Her first mate wasn't in sight, but he had to be somewhere on the ship. If he wasn't... well, there were various ways to correct that.
A door leading below decks opened and Even fell out, quite literally. He had a habit of tripping over his own feet. Pathetic of him, really, but he made up for it by being more than skilled in other areas.
Akecza eyed him over, finding his current state to be unpresentable. His short, silver hair stuck out at multiple angles, his face unwashed. He wore an all-black, loose-fitting outfit, including a jacket, which would look quite dashing on him were it not stained from the previous night's meal. No doubt was in Akecza's mind; Eventide had just rolled out of bed.
He came to a stop in front of Akecza and stood straight. "You called, Captain?" he asked.
Akecza sighed and turned away, staring across the water at the nearby port of Roake. "First of all, never present yourself before me in that state again, or I shall feed you to the sharks. Second, find a way to get this motley crew under control. If I do it my way, it shall be by example..." she finished, her hand fingering an ornate rapier on her left side.
Even got the message, quite clearly. He spun around and drew out a flintlock pistol. He fired it loudly into the air above him, catching the attention of most of the crew. Those who didn't get his message were soon informed of it by their neighbors. Eventide stood up on a nearby barrel, placing him above everyone else.
"Alright, you uneducated, overpaid slackers, it's time to get back to work! There's still two hours left before port leave, so I expect to see this ship in golden condition before then!" he shouted at them. Unable to say a word in retort, the crew immediately jumped back to work.
Akecza smiled. She hardly had to do a thing for the ship to run smoothly. This was the true essence of being pirate; the ability to do whatever you wanted, with no worries. She rarely had worries.
However, when she did, they were always related to a certain individual.
Bustichia Reki stood at the gate to the port of Roake. He couldn't enter yet, for a stubborn guard refused to allow him entry without a "Writ of Travel" issued by his kingdom. This guard seemed to fail to understand that Reki was not a local and therefore not even aware there was a kingdom here.
Reki was about to grab one of his many weapons and challenge the guard to a duel for the right to enter the port, but his friend Gigale stepped in. Pushing Reki away, Gigale took the non-violent approach, an approach a long-time soldier like Reki was not very familiar with.
So, Reki walked away and took to studying the wall protecting Roake, whilst Gigale got them in. The wall was a fair height, enough to keep most people from attempting to scale it, though Reki could have done so easily. It was crafted of limestone, and even in the bright sun, it was dull and muted.
Gigale strode toward Reki as the guard cranked open the gate using a mechanism on the wall. Reki watched Gigale approach, studying him. His friend was a young man of twenty he'd recently met in a city several miles away. His long, brown hair fell past his shoulders, his bangs slightly hiding his hazel eyes. He liked the color green, and all his clothes matched this preference, from his long-coat down to the boots.
"What did you do that he gave in so willingly?" asked Reki. Gigale grinned and swung a coin purse.
"I showed him a bit of the brighter side of life," he laughed. Reki sighed and passed through into Roake, Gigale following close behind.
Amber the Fury was in the lowest section of her ship, her rapier in hand, ready to fight. She was putting down a mutineer, a traitor to all pirates. However, she couldn't help but respect the man's recklessness and betraying her, so chose to settle it with a duel. They had moved below decks to carry it out, for it is harder to fight in enclosed spaces than it is on an open deck.
"I might allow you to live if you toss yourself into the ocean now," Amber said with a devious grin. The mutineer clutched his cutlass tighter.
"Even if I had the option, I wouldn't take it. I did what I thought was proper. You are a tyrant, not a captain. If I kill you here, then I free the rest of the crew," he replied. Amber laughed loudly.
"You still fight for what you believe is right? I guess I don't hate those kinds of people. But let me inform you about something. ALL captains are tyrants. All captains worth their hat, at any rate. Now, shut up and let me kill you!" she shouted the last scene, rushing the man.
He ran toward her as well, and they quickly traded blows, Amber striking and he blocking, he striking and Amber blocking. Neither could land a hit on the other. Amber had to admit to herself, this man was the most skilled on her crew. It would be a shame to lose him, but a mutiny's punished by death.
Finally, Amber scored. Slashing her rapier upwards, she took the man's left eye. The pain was more than he could bear under normal circumstances, but adrenaline pushed the man on. He payed Amber back in kind with a thrust, stabbing his cutlass all the way through her right arm, her sword arm. She dropped her rapier as he dropped his cutlass, both clutching their wounds and groaning in pain.
Amber picked up her rapier after a few moments and walked over to the man laying on the ground. "I should kill you now," she stated, blood dripping down her hand and onto her blade.
The man coughed out a laugh. "Then do it, Captain," he sneered. Amber scoffed and rose the rapier.
She thrust it down within inches of his neck. "Get up, Dragon. I'm keeping you on a tight leash. You WILL do what I require you to, when I require it be done. Are we clear?"
"You think I'd work for a tyrant in exchange for my life?" he asked.
"I could kill you now," she replied, gripping her rapier and sliding the blade closer to his throat. Dragon laughed.
"I'm a pirate. What's most important is my life," he answered. Amber removed the rapier, wiped the blood on her already crimson clothes, and picked up her first mate, Dragon. A man formerly of pride, he was now a wimpering dog. His black hair was matted down with his own blood, his previously dark blue shirt and pants now stained with sweat and blood.
"We head for the port of Roake," Amber ordered as she walked up the steps to higher decks. Dragon spat and growled in contempt.
"You're fighting again... I'll make sure you die this time."
Sainsbo sat on a street corner, begging for money, as was his usual routine. It was an unusually slow day, probably because Akecza the Flame had said she would be back today. She never looted Roake, but her crew was loud, boisterous, and obnoxious. The townspeople weren't fond of them, and tried not to bump into them if it wasn't necessary.
Sainsbo spotted two people walking down the street in front of him. One of them caught his eye; a man with crimson hair down to his shoulders, dressed in light blue clothes with a silver coat and cape, and carrying at least a dozen weapons about his person. He'd never seen a man able to carry so much metal, and it peaked his interest. He waved the two over to him.
Reki saw a strange man gesturing for him to approach him, but blew it off. The man looked like a quack, dressed in gray, tattered rags. Gigale, however, thought differently. There was something off about the man; he didn't seem the kind to be poor and begging. Gigale dragged Reki over to Sainsbo.
"What do you want?" Gigale asked politely. Sainsbo looked around, assuring himself that no one was around, and whispered to them.
"Ye two ain't ferm 'roun 'ere, are ye? Nah, I knows ye ain't. Li'in, ye two, ye dun wan be 'ere right now. Akza the Frame's just docked in port over there-" he pointed toward a ship at the very end of Roake's docks with a flaming Jolly Roger, "- an' who knows wha' they cum fer. Ye ther, wiv all dem wea'ons, ye'd def'nit'ly do gud fer yerself if ye avo'd'd Akza. She hates whe' sum'un looks stron'er den her."
Reki stroked a rapier by his side, his preferred weapon. "I think I'll be fine, old man. Trust me, I've fought more than my share of pirates. In any case, now that we're here, do you know a good place to rest and a good ship to the Hebron continent? We must be on our way by the day after next."
Sainsbo sighed. No one ever took his advice. Not that he could blame them; he did look like a beggar. He was a beggar. That didn't change the fact that he was fairly smart about the goings-on in Roake, though. He pointed to a street leading down to the port.
"Ye cen fin' a nice li'l inn down de way dere. Name o' Strikin' Po'y. Furder dow' dat street's a fer'yman by de name o' Cuspit. Amber Cuspit. She shoul' be returnin' to'ay, bu' ye migh' not wan mess wid 'er, neither. Jus' as frigh'nin' as Akza. A pirate dat fer'ies nice-payin' in'viduals wi'out a hitch, soz I he'r. Whate'er, wha' ye do ish yer bus'ness," he said.
Reki and Gigale thanked the beggar and traveled down the street they'd been informed of.
Akecza jumped off her ship onto the dock, the last one off. She'd already sent her crew into port to play, giving them an early leave. She did that mostly because they were a pain to deal with in port. Anyway, she preferred to be alone. There was a lot on her mind. Amber would be returning today as well. In fact, that was the reason for Akecza's return. She wanted to talk to Amber.
She began walking along the dock and off into the streets, deep in though, paying no mind to her surroundings. She knew the streets of Roake like she knew her sword; she'd been raised here. In addition, for some strange reason, whenever she made port in Roake, the streets were empty and quiet. She never could figure out why that was.
She looked up and turned down a street. Up a hill a bit was a man laying in the road, as if he were soaking sun, but he was fully clothed and the street was shaded by buildings. What was stranger was that he not only had about 16 weapons located on various areas of his body, but he didn't take them off when he laid down. Akecza approached him cautiously, her hand on her rapier.
Reki opened an eye, aware of a presence, a presence wary of him. His hand fell to his own rapier, but he made quite sure to make any noticeable movement. They were within a foot of each other before either of them spoke.
"Hello," Reki said. Akecza removed her hand from her rapier and stood above the man.
"Hello. Who are you?" she responded. Reki shook his head, smiling gently. She was a beautiful woman; flowing blonde hair, eyes green as jungle. She wore crimson, with a pompous silver hat. Reki could discern little more from his angle.
"You approached me. Your name first."
"I am Akecza the Flame."
"I see... I am Bustichia Reki, Soldier of Gerana."
"That's a strong name, Bustichia," she commented.
Reki shook his head. "I go by Reki. So, tell me, Akecza the Flame, is the ferrywoman on this street really the best in town? I really do need a good ship across the Peron Ocean."
"Ferrywoman on this street? Who's that?"
"The old man called her 'Amber Cuspit.'"
Akecza gritted her teeth. She hadn't known that Amber was fooling people by calling herself a ferrywoman. It was a despicable disgrace to all pirates to hide in the shadows like that.
"Who told you about her, Reki?"
"The old man at the street corner-" he gestured to where Sainsbo had been sitting previously, "-mentioned she might be our best bet at a ferry."
"'Our?'" asked Akecza.
A door opened near the pair and Gigale stepped out, annoyance apparent on his face. He saw Akecza and Reki, however, and his demeanor quickly changed. "I think he means me. Reki, I'm gone for ten minutes and you're already flirting with girls?"
Akecza payed the remark no heed, while Reki stood up and drew a katana. "Do you want to duel for the right to that remark?" he inquired.
Gigale backed down and turned to Akecza. "I apologize for his rudeness. I'm Gigale. You are?"
"Akecza the Flame."
"I'm Reki's traveling partner. We're trying to get to the Hebron continent for some mission of Reki's from his kingdom."
"The Hebron continent? But... that's several thousand miles. It would take years to travel there from here. Why don't you find a country closer, for example... the Kingdom of Jesry?"
"They ran me out of there..." Reki sighed. He looked to Gigale and pointed to the inn his friend had just exited. "Did you get us a room?"
Gigale's expression reverted to the irritation he'd shown before and he exhaled heavily. "Yeah, I got us a room... but haggling with that witch was like pulling teeth from a set of fakes. I wanted to strangle myself."
Reki laughed. "Well, I believe it best we head to our room now. Night encroaches. It was nice meeting you, Akecza the Flame." He entered the inn, Gigale following behind with a slight grin in Akecza's direction. Akecza smiled inwardly to herself and continued on her path. She knew not where she was going, but she had to get there. Amber was sure to be in town by tonight.
It was midnight by the time Amber's ship, the Crescent Moon, pulled into port. She ordered the crew to be quiet and slipped into the town, without so much as the sound of a footstep. Recklessness could wait for when it's needed; that was her motto, and she never slipped up. Reaching a small, inconspicuous building, she quickly went inside and dashed to a room in the back. An old man waited for her.
"I killed all the passengers as you told me to, Grandpa," she reported. He grinned toothily.
"It took ye lon' 'nough. I wash 'bout to get wor'ied. 'Ow fer out did ye go, lass?" Sainsbo asked.
"Roughly 40 miles according to my navigator. We had a... touch of trouble on the trip back, though."
"Tro'ble? Whet kin' o' tro'ble?"
"Mutiny, led by my first mate, Dragon. I put it down and taught Dragon a lesson, but it wasted a lot of time."
"I see... Thish 'Dragon', ye kill'd 'im?"
"If I slew my greatest fighter, I would not be able to run my ship. I took his left eye as a prize, though."
"I see... Goo' jo'. I ex'ect grea' 'thin's ferm ye, Amber."
"Yes, Grandpa. I shall return to my ship now and await the next load of passengers."
Amber left the room and tread slowly through the house this time. She had rushed before because it was not good to keep Grandpa waiting any longer than was necessary. Amber slowly opened the door, looking down the street to ensure no one had seen her. Reassured, she left the house. A soft thud was heard behind her, and the sound of metal sliding from a scabbard next. Akecza was behind her, she knew.
"Hello, sister. Come to see dear Grandfather as well?" spat Amber jeeringly. Akecza raised her rapier to Amber's neck.
"Is that who you sneaked off to see? How quaint. I shall have to end him as well; after your blood flows, that is," Akecza replied. Amber scoffed, drew her rapier, and spun around, prepared to duel her twin.
"You cannot end this. We have our own reasons, ones you couldn't understand. You never did like Grandfather."
"That's because there is nothing to like," said Akecza. They both decided silently that there were no more words to be traded. They took action.
Akecza was a calm fighter, while Amber often let her blood broil. While Amber led an onslaught of attacks, Akecza deflected them, parried them. They were a match for each other in truth, in spite of stylistic differences. They knew all too well the other's skill.
Akecza lunged at Amber, who deflected downwards. Reacting instantaneously, Amber slashed at the unguarded sword arm. Akecza pulled her arm back and was merely scratched, a small trickle of blood sliding down her forearm. She spun and slashed at Amber's abdomen, who also was simply scratched. For years, these small scratches, quickly healed, were all they could do to each other.
A figure dressed in dark blue appeared behind Akecza. Amber and Akecza were too engrossed in battle to notice until a cutlass blade was found sticking through to Akecza's front. She coughed, attempted to stutter a few words, and fell. Dragon slung the blood off his blade and sheathed his cutlass. Amber stood frozen for a moment, but escalated into an insane cackle.
"MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! She's finally dead... You did it, Dragon! There's a lot of loot in your future. You truly have seen the error of your ways, I'd say."
Dragon turned away. "I did this for my own reasons, Captain. Do not congratulate me." He walked off down the road, the darkness hiding his grin smirk as his plan was placed into motion. Amber stayed near Akecza's body, cackling until dawn.
Dawn broke and Reki sat up from his bed. He had to start getting dressed at dawn every day, or he wouldn't be finished until the sun was nigh it's highest point. It was a chore, fastening all his weapons to their various belts and harnesses, but he was finished before Gigale awoke. Gigale sat up, rubbing his eyes drowsily, and looked up at Reki.
"How do you even do that?" he asked.
"Training and skill. I am an expert warrior, you know."
"Yeah, yeah... anyway, what's our plan today?"
"We must schedule ourselves on the next outgoing ferry, and then wander the town. No trip is without pleasantries, I say."
"Or you said. Just now," Gigale snickered.
"Yes, well... We must not tarry."
"Your speech gets more antiquated the more embarrassed you get, Reki."
"I do not know of what you speak. Come, we must be off to see this 'Amber Cuspit.'"
Thus, they left their room, paid the night's fare to the innkeeper, and set off down the street. It appeared to be the main street of the town, for it was packed today, stalls set up selling various items. The smells of various fruits, vegetables, and cooked meats filled the air, and the pair found themselves trying the local food more than once on their trek down the street.
Suddenly, Reki stopped. He felt something off in the air (an ability he'd had since childhood, it was more like intuition than anything else), and he dragged Gigale down a nearby alley. They took various turns and twists until they found themselves on a fairly wide street, but which seemed to be the poor side of town. What people could be seen were loitering about, their faces haggard, their clothes gray, and their expressions dim. Reki looked about. The feeling was definitely nearby.
Suddenly, a figure appeared behind Gigale. He touched the man's shoulder with a small finger. "You don't belong here, do you?" asked Dragon.
Gigale shrugged. "My friend here dragged me down to this slum. What about you?"
"I'm here for personal business."
"Really? You don't look the kind to have friends here."
"Well... it's a long story. I probably should be heading back now." With that, Dragon took off down a side-street, disappearing quickly. Reki soon forgot the occurrence, however, as he noticed a gruesome spectacle hidden beneath a house's doorstep. He pointed it out to Gigale, who recognized the figure. Coated in blood, though it was hard to tell due to her already crimson clothing, was Akecza.
"How'd you find her?" Gigale asked in a low voice. Reki shook his head.
"The smell of blood? I don't know... I just knew something was wrong in the city. It was by pure luck I got us here. If you failed to notice, I doubled back more than once, retracing my steps..."
"Well, what do we do now that we are here?" Gigale inquired of Reki. Reki walked up to Akecza and touched the wound, feeling the opening. His eyes opened wide.
"Whoever did this failed to strike any vital organs! I can feel her heartbeat; she's still alive! Quick, Gigale, let us find a doctor!" Reki shouted, lifting Akecza up in his arms.
Dragon was unsure why he'd stayed to make sure Akecza was found. Surely she would have been either way. Perhaps his own worries that his plans might have failed got the better of him. Whatever it was, what was done was done. All he had to do now was return to the Crescent Moon and wait.
He boarded the ship to the chagrin of his fellow crew-members. In the end, his mutiny had ended worse for them than it had for him. He could feel their hatred. If they could kill him, they would. None dare try, however. He had survived a battle against the Captain; he was either very skilled or very lucky, or so they thought.
Dragon entered the Captain's cabin, but Amber was not to be found. He took a seat and sighed, exhausted. He had not slept at all the previous night, and he felt himself slipping into darkness. Dragon fell into a tired, dreamless sleep.
Amber was not on her ship because she was busy watching Akecza's body as well. Her sanity had finally returned, but by then it was dawn, and she could not finish off her sister because of the people pouring into the streets. Most of them wouldn't care or notice, but she dare not chance it. She watched as two men, an odd pair, found Akecza's body. She cursed as they realized, as she had, that the wound had not killed her.
She walked down a small alley, cursing beneath her breath constantly. Had Dragon simply missed her vitals? That was unlikely with his level of skill; no, he had intended for her to live. A mutineer once, a mutineer twice. However, a mutineer could still have his uses. She would not kill him yet.
Sainsbo was sitting on his corner, begging for money again today, unaware of the previous night's events, aside from his conversation with Amber. It kept returning to his mind, causing a smile to spread like fire from ear to ear. His plot of revenge was in action and proceeding almost without a hitch. A mutiny or two was expected; pirates aren't meant to kill indiscriminately, especially not paying passengers. Of course, pirates rarely had paying passengers anyway.
His attention was drawn to the pair of people he'd met the day before, the one still walking around with all that weaponry. Rather, at this point, he was jogging, because he seemed to be in a rush to help a person he had slung over his shoulder. Sainsbo could not tell who the person was, but he wished them good luck in his thoughts.
Reki stopped, short of breath. He could jog no further. He set Akecza down and turned to Gigale. "We've been down the busiest streets in town. It is is inconceivable we did not pass a doctor at some point."
"Well... It's not like there's a sign."
"One should be able to tell by the smell of medicine."
"Then why didn't you sniff one out for us?"
"I was preoccupied with Miss Akecza."
"Yeah, I'm sure you were..."
Akecza stirred and groaned, and the pair ended their conversation to tend to her. She blinked open her eyes and looked about blurrily. For a moment, she could not tell where she was or who was beside her. Her vision cleared up slowly and she eventually recognized the two men she'd met the day before. She groaned and tried to sit up, but her wound ached.
"Ugh... You two?"
"Indeed, Akecza. How are you feeling?" Reki asked worriedly.
"Like hell..." she coughed, feeling her wound.
"Well, now that you're awake, you're not in any immediate danger. Just take a minute to rest. Do you know where the Roake doctor is?"
Akecza quickly grabbed Reki's arm and pulled him close, whispering into his ear. "No doctors." Speaking louder, "I can dress myself if anyone has any bandages on them. There are some things I need to take care of; there is no time to waste."
Gigale reached into his coat and drew out wrappings. "I keep these around for when Reki starts dueling people. Either he or they need them afterwards, or both."
Akecza took the bandages and, struggling to pull herself up, began dressing herself there. Out of respect, the pair turned around, though Akecza wouldn't have cared either way. The wound was only on her abdomen. It's not as if she were undressing.
She tapped them on the shoulder, and they turned around. "I'm ready to go. Thank you for your help."
Reki placed a hand on her shoulder. "It is our pleasure. Now, will you be fine by yourself?"
Akecza pushed Reki's hands away. "I'll be fine. You have your own business to attend to, I'm sure. Farewell, then." With this, she strode away, determination set in her eyes. Reki and Gigale turned to each other and shrugged, heading to where the ferryman they were scheduling was located.
Amber entered her cabin to find Dragon passed out in a chair. Her hand went to her rapier, but she calmed herself. He might still have his uses, though she didn't have any ideas yet. Rather than killing him, she kicked the chair, sending him sprawling onto the floor, jolting him awake.
"Ah, welcome back, Captain. I was waiting here in case you needed to talk," he welcomed, inwardly clenching his teeth. Someday soon, she'd pay for all her abuse.
"Good work last night, Dragon. I don't believe I'll need your help today, so I'll give you today off," Amber told him, seething inside. Dragon nodded and left the cabin. Amber sat down on her bed and folded her hands together, leaning into them, propping her forehead.
"Today starts the next phase, the second phase. I'm not even sure why I'm doing this for that man... He never did anything for me."
Eventide awoke and quickly got dressed. Afterwards, he realized that the Red Tide was still on port leave, and he didn't have to rush to make himself presentable. He sighed and sat in a low hammock, not knowing what to do with himself. He didn't like port leave; there was nothing for him to do.
Deciding to do something, he left the barracks and walked out onto the ship's deck, breathing in the strong sea air. He became a sailor for this air; he became a pirate because he admired Akecza. He would do anything for her.
Looking out across the port, a ship he recognized too well entered his sights. The Crescent Moon had docked. Eventide rushed to the Captain's cabin to tell Akecza, but it appeared she had not returned to the ship since the night before. He went back out onto the deck and looked at the Crescent Moon. Perhaps he could go over and talk to Captain Amber, hopefully straighten out the problems between her and his captain. A reckless thought, but Eventide was not known for his sense.
Nor was Akecza. She stood before the Crescent Moon, her rapier already drawn. She intended to raid the ship and kill Amber. She walked slowly up a plank leading to the deck. She couldn't rush, or she'd risk making her wound worse. She reached the deck and found it, to her surprise, barren. None of Amber's crew were there. She spat and slowly walked across the large deck, heading for the Captain's cabin.
Reki and Gigale looked at a sign pinned to the door. It read: BUSY WITH PREPARATIONS. PLEASE COME TO THE SHIP TO BUY PASSAGE TO HEBRON.~AMBER CUSPIT
"Damnit," Gigale scoffed. Reki exhaled deeply, refusing to be frustrated.
"Let's just head to the ship, Gigs. It is what the sign tells us to do."
"What ship? It doesn't name a ship!"
"Then... We go down to the docks, and ask each ship if we may talk to this 'Amber Cuspit.'"
"Oh, yeah, that's gonna work out fine..."
"It's our best option. At any rate, it won't kill us."
"It'd better not. I like my heart beating."
"It's a joke, Gigs."
"Mine wasn't."
With the exchange finished, they set off for the docks, down the hill.
Sainsbo grew bored with his beggar routine and began to stroll around town, heading in no direction in particular. He found a ladder up to a rooftop and climbed up, sitting on the edge of the roof, staring out at the sea. He had a perfect view of the docks from there. The ships were all busy save two; one flew a flaming Jolly Roger, and the other a Jolly Roger set against a blood moon. The ships of his granddaughters.
Akecza entered the Captain's cabin, startling Amber. For a moment, Amber did not notice her sister, but she looked up and laughed breathily.
"So, not only do you survive, but you believe yourself fit to continue our battle?" she asked. Amber pointed her rapier at her twin.
"Had I lost my head, I would believe myself in the same condition. Your crew appears to be weak; they can't even kill a woman from behind."
"There are various reasons behind that, but suffice it to say the matter shall be handled after your death."
"The matter shall not be handled at all, for I have no intention of dying."
Akecza lunged at Amber, but her wound forced her to guard her front while doing so, and her speed was greatly reduced. Amber easily deflected it and countered, which Akecza was just barely able to dodge. She fell over into a dresser, hitting her head.
"Hahaha! You can hardly pose a challenge, sister. Come back after you've recovered."
Akecza stood up, wiped blood from her forehead, and prepared to continue the fight. "I won't let you and Grandfather get away with your evil deeds any longer."
Reki called up to the Red Tide. "Hello, sir! Madam! Is anyone there?"
Gigale sighed. "This is a pirate ship, Reki... Besides the strange fact that it's docked at a controlled port, do you really think this is the ship they were talking about?"
Reki shook his head. "One must exhaust all possibilities."
Eventide heard someone calling out nearby and looked down at the dock. Two men were talking to each other down below. "Yes?" He asked them.
Reki looked up and smiled. "We are attempting to schedule a ferry. Would this, by any chance, be the good ship of one Amber Cuspit?"
Even's face fell, became dark. "What do you know of Captain Amber?"
"That she is transporting passengers to the Hebron continent."
"You don't want to... You really don't want to mess with her. I suggest buying onto another ship, even if you must wait longer to set sail."
"He thinks he's waited too long," replied Gigale.
"Still, it's best not to get involved with her sort. She's the worst kind of pirate."
"Here's an idea," Reki began. "Why don't you take us to meet her, and we'll decide for ourselves if we want to get involved."
Eventide thought it over a moment. The man in blue did seem to be quite strong, what with the various weapons at his disposal, ranging from great-swords to daggers. He, at least, should be able to handle Amber if she lost her temper. Even nodded and walked down the plank.
"I'll take you to see Captain Amber, then. I was thinking of going to see her, anyway."
Sainsbo's mind drifted off as he watched the docks. His reasons for killing anyone who attempted to travel to the Hebron continent were known only to two people: himself and his granddaughter Amber. Taken at face value, he seemed to simply be making his granddaughter a mass murderer. In reality, he had a true reason for doing it, even if it only made sense to him.
He was born on the Hebron continent, in a kingdom called Krish. He was a general in their army at one point, leading a great war against a rival kingdom, Len. During the war, he was revered as a hero of the people. However, as is often the case, war-time heroes, in peace-time, are simply murderers. When the nation of Univ came in and united the entire continent under their banner, Sainsbo was put on trial for what they called "war crimes".
He was found guilty and exiled from his home. He had held bitter resentment for the entire continent of Hebron since that time, and he wished for them to become poor, starve, and die. Eventually, he devised a plan to attempt this; if he could create a cabal of pirates who destroyed all ships heading to Hebron, then he might be able to accomplish his goals. The beginning of this plot was his granddaughter Amber, who had always been close to him.
Dragon walked along the docks, not knowing what to do. He paid little attention to where he was going, and found himself bumping into something that felt like cold steel. He looked up and found he had run into a man carrying a great many weapons, the largest, too large for scabbards, on his back. The man turned around and smiled.
"Heading our direction?"
"Which direction would that be?" replied Dragon tartly.
"We're going to see Captain Amber," explained Gigale. At the sound of his Captain's name he jumped. They had startled him.
"Why do you want to see the Captain?" he asked.
"Oh, you're a crew member?" asked Reki. "All the better; we want to buy passage to Hebron."
Dragon felt his breath slipped away. He recalled the experience of their last trip; being forced to kill innocent people searching for life in Hebron, returning home to Hebron... even slaughtering the children. He shuddered at the thought. It was not what a pirate should be.
"I'm... I'm afraid I cannot let you see the Captain," he said, drawing his cutlass. Since the meeting with Dragon, Even and Gigale had failed to notice anything. They had simply continued on their way to the ship, and were already at the Crescent Moon by the time they realized Reki was missing. Gigale looked about and noticed Reki and the man from the slums talking. He then noticed them both drawing their weapons.
"So, it's a duel for the right to go to Hebron, is it? Very well, I accept. However, do you truly believe yourself my better?" asked Reki. Dragon shook his head sadly.
"You wouldn't believe my intentions if I told you." He swung his cutlass at Reki as the latter drew a katana halfway from it's scabbard, halting the attack. Shoving Dragon away, Reki drew the katana fully out, and it entered it's active mode. A strong breeze swept across the port.
Dragon skidded back a foot or so before coming to a halt, and he immediately rushed back to Reki. The two traded blows, circling each other. Reki summoned up a stronger wind with his katana and blew Dragon backwards, using the wind to run faster than he'd normally be capable of. He swung his katana at a diagonal angle, right to left, and slashed Dragon's chest. Dragon fell to the ground.
Gigale arrived about that time, too late to stop the fight from going to far. He dropped to Dragon's side and put an arm around him. "Hey, are you alright?"
Dragon was bleeding heavily onto the dock. "I have... to stop you..." he said, shoving his cutlass through Gigale's chest with the last of his strength. Gigale hardly felt the pain. He stood up and looked down at the cutlass in his chest. Reki called out to him, but he didn't hear. He took a few steps back and teetered on the edge of the dock. Falling into the water, he recalled the happiest memory in his life; Reki, reaching out a hand to him, asking him to journey by his side. He shed a tear as the ocean swallowed him up.
At the same time, Dragon bled out across the dock. His last thought was that maybe, with his death, and the death he just caused, people would realize that buying passage with Captain Amber was a truly terrible idea.
Reki fell to his knees, watching Gigale's body descending, filling the water with blood. Screaming at the world, he drew one of his weapons and flung it at the Crescent Moon, in angry desperation. It reached the deck and skidded along, eventually landing at Eventide's feet.
Eventide had not noticed the fight, and instead, alone, had continued onto the ship. When Reki's sword, a longsword, found itself at his feet, he picked it up. His only weapon was a pistol, so if he found himself in a fight, he thought he'd need a weapon like this.
He opened the door to the Captain's cabin and found it in a mess. Blood stained the floor, sword slashes tore into the walls and furniture. Stepping carefully to avoid tripping as he so often would, he reached another door. Opening it, he peered inside.
It was home to a hole leading down, a ladder inside. Blood stained the floor up to the hole, so Even gripped the rungs and descended down. he climbed through the darkness for a time before coming out into a dimly lit room.
Amongst barrels and sacks, Akecza and Amber continued their duel. Akecza's wound had ripped, causing greater bleeding, but she continued fighting nonetheless. Amber was winning, however. They were so concentrated on their battle that they hadn't noticed Eventide entering.
Akecza ignored all wounds she incurred and was fighting like a hunting tiger, waiting until the exact moment she could strike. Amber, in contrast, fought like a fierce lioness, dashing after her prey without giving it a chance to fight back. The fight was spectacular, and had apparently been long-lived.
As Eventide watched, though, it ended quickly. Amber found her mark; Akecza's neck. Quickly sliding her rapier in and out, she smiled grimly as Akecza fell to the ground, her last seconds of precious life draining right in front of her.
Even's emotions burst. Gripping the sword, which burst into flames, he rushed at Akecza wordlessly. Words were not needed; they both knew why they were fighting. It was a quick and decisive battle. Eventide's strength, granted to him by adrenaline, knocked Amber's sword away as if it were never there. He thrust his flaming sword through Amber's chest and twisted it. As he withdrew the weapon, Amber's body went limp and collapsed next to Akecza's. The twin sisters had died.
Even dropped his sword and fell to his kness, grief overtaking him. Without prior knowledge, there was no way for Even to suppose that the sword he had used was linked to his emotions, and with his grief, it's fire spread. It reached a barrel, filled with gunpowder, and the explosion set off a chain reaction.
Sainsbo sat on his rooftop, still watching the ocean. Suddenly, he saw fire, and a few seconds later heard the explosion. His granddaughter's ship, the Crescent Moon, had exploded. He realized in that instant his plans had failed him. His heart began beating fast, then irregularly, and finally it ceased beating altogether. He fell off the roof, falling three stories, and cracking his head open.
This was written for an event at a forum I'm a member of. Today is September 19th, Talk Like A Pirate Day, so I have written this story out of respect and admiration for all pirates. At least, all those pirates who weren't ruthless criminals. It's a side story involving one of my characters named Bustichia Reki. His story began before this occurred, and continued long after. You may see him again, or one of his various incarnations which appear in many things I write. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it.