Dragon Prince

Chapter 2: 'Twas A Dark And Stormy Night

For five years she had been searching. Only recently had she found someone who might give her the information she sought. Subconsciously clutching the charm around her neck, she sighed. Nothing about her father had made sense, after all, her was ruthless, cunning and the kind of person who’d stab you in the heart if you made fun of his thick beard. Yet, he had loved her and her mother, Zanita. Sure it wasn’t exactly in an emotional way a father would usually shower his daughter with affection, but it was close enough for Henry.

She watched as her crew scurried about their assigned tasks. Callie had instructed Artemesio to tend to Isaac and his knights while Jedediah took charge of her new crew members. It was amazing how far she’d come to earn the respect of these men and she planned on making the best of this voyage and return with everyone in one piece. Hopefully.

That thought brought her back to the present. It had been the first time royalty ever requested her assistance mainly because they have their own fleet of navy ships.

Callie had never dealt with royalty before.

Pirates? Obviously, since she was the daughter of one of the most infamous ones. Conniving merchants? More times than she cared to mention. Drunken barmen and sailors? Every time she made port. Soldiers and knights? Whenever she bypassed a royal navy ship.

Never royalty.

So it came as a surprise that the sole heir to the throne would seek assistance from a privateer as means to travel to an island inhabited by dragons just to retrieve something of importance – a sword, she’d found out.

She had been curious, because she knew what people would do for anything exceptionally valuable. And she wondered if this was the case – just another quest for power.

Still, she wouldn’t jump to conclusions. She had her own reasons for agreeing to take the prince in the first place.

“That’s your thinking face,” Artemesio grinned beside her as he handed her a tri-cornered hat. “What you thinking about, Cap’n?”

“About how I’m gonna pull this off,” she sighed, snatching the hat from his hands and placing it smoothly on her head. “We’ve never ventured into dragon territory before, Arty,”

“Now’s not the time for you to get nervous, Callie,” Arty grinned. “You’ve ventured through dangerous waters before and you’ve always said how it’s your dream to see a real live dragon.”

“Yeah, yeah,” a small smile spread on her lips.

“Let me take the helm while you go do what you do best,”

“What’s that?”

“Boss people around,” he snickered.

“Shut up, monkey boy, and take the helm.” she stuck her tongue out at him and made her way down the steps distinctly hearing him mutter “control freak” disguised as a fit of coughs.