Love, Distrust, and Fairy Dust

Captain Noble

Jacob sat up on his bed and looked at the clock.

2:34

Why am I awake? He wondered. That was when he spotted light peeking out from underneath his door. Something was amiss! He was careful not to make any noise as he grabbed his glasses and crawled out of his bed. He slipped silently to his door and paused.

There was a cutlass in an umbrella stand by the doorknob. He gripped the hilt of the cutlass and slid it soundlessly out of its scabbard. Jacob didn't like guns, and when he told people he would be moving to New York every one told him about the muggings and break in's, but he couldn't bring himself to buy a gun to shoot someone, it just wasn't his style. On his way to New York, Luck intervened as he passed through a renaissance fair, he stopped by looking for inspiration for one of his books and found a real blacksmith selling swords. He had always taken a liking to pirates, especially in the pirates over ninjas argument. He fell in love the minute he saw the cutlass so sharp that his finger bled for a day straight.

Say what you will about ninjas, they're stealth and agility whatever. Pirates had more fun, more booty, and above all else wenches. That last part always made him chuckle, but now was not the time for parties and loud boisterous woman. This was the time for revenge, someone was on his ship and after his booty. As self-proclaimed captain of this vessel, he would not let this indiscretion stand.

Quietly, Captain Jacob opened the door to his bedroom and peered into his apartment the light was on in the kitchen and in the front room, he couldn't see anybody but he could hear them. If they had firearms, he had to disarm one of them and take him hostage while he figured out what to do about the other(s).

Jacob dashed silently down the hall, kicking off the wall he rolled into the kitchen with his blade ready to slash the deadliest thing he could. The only thing he found was an open fridge door. When he stood waiting for retaliation, he was met with a force that knocked his sword away. He kept a firm grip on the cutlass and returned to a fighting stance only to have it knocked away again.

"I thought Mister Hadrians said there were no ghosts here." Jacob swung his sword in the air a few times before it finally made contact with an invisible force holding it in place as if it was blocked by another sword.

"I did." A voice came from the front room. Mister Hadrians was eating a sandwich when he stood up from the couch.

The force thrust Jacob's sword back at him, taking advantage of the distraction. Out of instinct, Jacob swung the sword again making contact with whatever he was fighting.

"Then what am I fighting?" Jacob snarled thrashing back and forth making contact with his foe with almost every blow.

"You have good instincts Jacob, stand down Damien, he is the one we are here to see." Mister Hadrians took another bite of his sandwich. "And close the fridge. We didn't come here to spoil The Captains food."

The force released Jacob's swords and an instant later fridge closed itself. Jacob stared wide-eyed, was Mister Hadrians magic? Mister Hadrians put a hand on Jacobs shoulder and swallowed the bite of his sandwich. "I promise I was going to tell you I was here just as soon I was finished with my sandwich."

"That banquette food wasn't filling for anyone was it?" Jacob lowered his sword, technically Mister Hadrians was his landlord and had the key to his apartment, and as a friend he was always welcome, but who was Damien?

"No, not after my daughter hit the table, she must have eaten at least half of what was put on the tables by the time I made it back it was nearly gone."

"Who's Damien? You may be welcome but I won't have anyone intruding on my personal space, not even ghosts or invisible... things." Jacob looked away distrusting the air in front of him.

"Pardon our manners. Damien, allow Pirate Captain Jacob Noble to see you." Mister Hadrians held is hand palm up and took another bite of the sandwich in his other hand. A small man with white and black moth wings fully clad in strange silver and blue armor landed on Mister Hadrians hand. He was no taller than six inches with a sword hilt gilded with blue stones.

The smaller man spoke politely, "Forgive my intrusion Captain Noble, it was not my intention to impose." He placed his fist over his heart and bowed. "The king has you in very high regard to allow you to see me, it is an honor to make your acquaintance."

Jacob's eyebrow twitched, "King...?" his shoulders slumped and he let out a sigh when a yawn caught him by surprise. "Mister Hadrians it is three in the morning, this is no time for lame jokes and magic tricks. Hit me up in six hours when normal people mess with their friends." Jacob walked around his landlord and back towards his room. "Raid the fridge and crash on the couch if you want, but it is too early in the morning for... whatever this is." Jacob waved his hand at Mister Hadrians and his little friend.

The apathetic way Jacob talked to His majesty King Hadrians upset Damien. "You can't talk to the king like that, how dare you! I shall teach you proper respect you insolent dog." Damien gripped his glistening sword and leveled it to attack Jacob.

Jacob looked at the Fairy knight with hooded eyes that were a mix of disinterest and exhaustion, then back at Mister Hadrians. He paused as if to consider Mister Hadrians clever trick and continued to his room.

That angered Damien even more, just as he leapt from Mister Hadrians hand, the Fairy king chuckled and caught the fairy by the wings as he thrashed in Jacobs direction shouting curses that Jacob didn't understand.

"He is a spirited one I'll give him that," Jacob waved off the uppity knight and continued walking.

"Unfortunately, I didn't come here just to eat your food my friend. There is something of dire importance that I wish to speak with you about." Mister Hadrians voice was solemn and lacking its previous playfulness.

Jacob stopped and let out an exasperated sigh, "fine. At least you're not making me leave my house." Jacob remembered the times he had picked up his plastered friends in the middle of the night at the far end of town. At least Mister Hadrians wasn't going to make him put on shoes.