Gold

Looks Like Trouble

"Parry, Lia, parry!" Lucas told his traveling companion as he used wooden swords to teach.

Aurelia parried, quickly landing a hit on her opponent and friend. Lucas smiled. Aurelia was coming along quite well. She really was a fast learner.

"Let's try a something different." Lucas stated. He launched forward, wanting Aurelia to block as soon as she could. She was taken by surprise and momentarily taken off guard. Lucas landed the strike. "You've got to be ready at any moment. Let's try blocking again."

That day seemed to fly by as they set the course for Zerawyn. It was dark out by now and many were sleeping. Aurelia was not one of them.

She stood on the deck, her pale gold night gown waving with the nighttime breeze. She stared up at the stars. It had been a nice day. She couldn't believe the twist her life had taken. Less than a week ago she had been living her regular, boring life. Now she was journeying with a prince across the world to find a magical little man to remove a king from power. Man, could lives change rather fast.

The stars twinkled at Aurelia as she looked upon them. She was too lost in thought, staring at the stars, that she didn't even notice footsteps sound behind her.

"Nice aren't they?" A familiar voice commented.

"Lucas!" Aurelia whipped around. "What are you-"

"I could ask you the same thing. Aren't you tired." The boy gave her a knowing look.

Aurelia waved him off. "I couldn't sleep with my mind in a whir."

The nighttime breeze strengthened causing Lucas to shiver. He was amazed that Aurelia didn't do the same.

"Aren't you cold?" Lucas asked. Aurelia was only wearing a thin nightgown and yet she didn't look cold at all.

"No not really." Aurelia mumbled, absent minded.

There was a light on the horizon. The moon didn't give quite enough to see what it was in the distance. Aurelia peered into the darkness. Curious about what is was she scrambled to find a telescope in the dark. Finding a small one, Aurelia raised it up to her eye.

It was a ship. There didn't appear to be anything worrying or odd about the ship at first glance. Aurelia zoomed in, her eye traveling up to the crow's nest. There, blowing in the breeze at the top of the ship's post was a blood red flag. The imprint on the flag was a skull with a triangular left socket.

Aurelia relaxed the telescope, lowering it, and teasing up herself.

"Oh no..." She gasped in a whisper.

"What's wrong?" Lucas wondered, worried. Aurelia handed him the telescope so he could see for himself.

"Pirates..."