HIRAETH // Captain Puffy X Reader

2

The closer you got to the Night Ghost, the more you could feel the blood thrum under your skin. The ship was prepared for battle - the cannons were rolled to their portholes, and Simon donned his captain's sword. You had one hand wrapped around your own blade, idly gripping and re-gripping as you approached the ship. 

The Ghost had tried to outrun you for a while, but their attempt was unsuccessful. Eventually, they just stopped running, instead rapidly preparing for sea battle. The closer you got, the less impressed you became with the condition of their ship - there were holes in their sails in places, and the wood of the deck looked sun bleached. It was obvious that this ship was old - nothing like the kings fleet. 

It would be easy to take. 

You were close enough that you could see the crew scurrying about on deck now. They looked as ragged as the ship - no sense of unity about them other than that they were all standing on deck together, swords brandished as you approached. You scanned over them and felt suddenly grateful for your sailing uniform - some of those pirates didn't even have shoes. 

Simon strode the deck, scanning through the ranks for the captain of the Ghost. You had been given some indication as to what she looked like, but when she parted herself from the ranks of her crew, you weren't quite ready for what she actually looked like. They didn't do her justice on the wanted posters back home. 

She was short, but powerfully built. You could see ram horns sticking out from underneath her extravagant hat, and her coat was a bright blood red - the gold trim faded somewhat. You were most focused on her hair though - pure white and absolutely massive, it looked like a cloud around her head. Stern eyes finished the look, and you couldn't help but be a little bit entranced - this was the kind of person that people were scared to make eye contact with. 

Simon didn't seem all that frightened when he came to stand on the edge of your own deck, facing her over the narrow strip of sea that separated you - and you were grateful. If you were captain, you didn't know if you would be able to look her in the eye. 

"Captain Puffy." Simon said formally, nodding stiffly to her. 

She grinned. "I'm afraid I don't know your name, son." She said, sounding all too friendly for someone who was about to go head to head with one of the king's finest ships.

"I'm Captain Simon of Marram." Simon said. "Me and my crew were sent-"

"I know why you were sent." Puffy said, cutting him off. "And I'm here to tell you that we're not going to give that map up until we find the treasure at the end of it."

You could see Simon's jaw clench at that, but he remained composed - ever the military man he was. "I suppose we'll have to resort to force then."

Puffy grinned, and you caught sight of a flash of gold - one of her teeth had been replaced by a gold fang. "That's my favorite part." She said, pulling her sword from her scabbard. At her motion, the rest of her crew did the same, grinning and grinding their teeth. 

Simon raised a hand, and the line of sailors on deck drew their blades swiftly, holding them in place in front of their bodies. You clenched your fingers tight around the hilt of your sword - just looking at the pirates was making you anxious to get into the fight already. 

You saw Simon start to bring his hand forward - the indication to attack - when you heard a thump on the deck behind you. You whipped around when you heard the rasp of metal, meeting the sword that had been coming for your throat just in time. A tall woman with beads dangling from her braids looked back at you.

You hadn't even seen them swing over to the ship. 

A canon blast brought you back to the present as your ship rocked suddenly, sending you to the ground. The woman stepped over you, clashing blades with one of your crewmates now. You rolled, slashing at one of her ankles and causing a line of red to interrupt the smooth cocoa color of her skin, trying to get to your feet. 

Someone kicked you in the back, and you were on your stomach again. The ship rocked again, and you rolled with it, grabbing the mast and hauling yourself to your feet and glancing around the deck. 

It was a flurry of people - pirates and sailors alike, all trading blows as the cannons went off and the ship rocked and swayed in the waves. Already, you could see the careful formation that Simon had ordered - one he had been sure that the pirates wouldn't have a chance against - falling apart as sailors were knocked out of the rank. The pirates fought without any rhyme or reason - like animals.

You would be damned if you didn't slaughter them like the animals they were and get that map back then.

You charged back into the fray, doing your best to keep your footing as the ship rocked and swayed, exchanging blows with anyone who wasn't wearing the same uniform you were. You could hear canon blasts going off, and every now and again you would feel the rumble of the wooden decking under you, but you paid it no mind, too worried about taking as many pirate heads as you could and keeping your own head firmly attached to your shoulders. 

The pirates were more formidable than they seemed though. They may have looked like a bunch of ragged sea scum, but underneath their shabby clothes was hard muscle from days of living out on the ocean. You grit your teeth, charging after one of them.

Or you were about to, if the deck hadn't splintered and given out under your feet as another cannon blast shook the ship.