Savage Melodies

Chapter Two: Swallowed in the Sea

Hi there! Thanks for joining me again. Hope you like this chapter.
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Chapter Two: Swallowed in the Sea

Fire loved the feel of the wind beneath her as she swung on the rope, the satisfying thump of the ship's wood as she landed, and the chaos of the fight.

Battles were brilliant. She'd decided this long ago, and never changed her mind. The guts and glory, the gore and grandeur. Though a pirate she was, she always made certain that fights were fair before she destroyed her opponents. Theo was always warning her about barreling into things, but really, if he was the one picking the fights all the time, who was he to scold her?

But fights against Maxon's ship were different. They weren't the same as attacking merchants, sailors, fishermen, pirates, or even other smugglers. There were rules: nobody killed the fair-haired healer, the ship was not sunk, and Maxon was saved for Theo's sword.

Still, it wasn't entirely dull. Though Theo would be enraged if any of those silly rules were broken, Fire still found ways to have fun. She adored provoking the stiff, redheaded navigator, Declan-for angering such a steely man was almost as fun as angering Theo. She almost felt as if she knew Maxon's crew well. She'd brawled with them before, and, well, she grew up with Maxon too.

She was just leaping to get to the narrow band of wood at the back of the ship when she spotted the golden-eyed thief with the obnoxious smirk. Jonas. But gone was his sneer now. She slowed; before him stood a panic-stricken young lady with a damp dress and half-soaked hair that seemed to be drying fast. The Jonas had just finished saying something-something Fire swore was "monster", but that couldn't have been right. It didn't matter, though; his gaze flickered to Fire and he drew his sword immediately, turning his back on the girl. Sapphire returned his unusually angry expression with a wicked grin, jumping nimbly back. He followed her into the fray, clashing blades with her.

And then came the marvelous sparring. Turning and whirling, slamming her own blade into his, then someone else's, then another man's arm. Losing herself in her own wrath, any man who fell into her warpath was sure to be sorry. Sometimes she wasn't even sure what she fought for. She was just a machine, a soldier, set on her enemy and pushed forth.

Did she ever go too far? Maybe. Maybe she should have invested her time in something more rewarding, and less...criminal. Sometimes those doubts crept into her mind even as she swung her sword.

But now she was lost in a mess of faces and flashing metal and blood and shouts. Here was where things got sticky; as the night grew darker, the fight was still at a standstill. On other ships, she was used to fighting the good fight until there were more openings, then helping her mates pillage whatever goods were about. But on Maxon's massive vessel, the men were tough and sea-worn. Basically pirates, but they considered themselves to be above outright attacking other ships. She would spit on their "code of honour" if she could; what special brand of coward were they for their lack of will?

They were tough-she would give them that. She was struggling with the men she'd crossed blades with. One holding a jagged dagger was getting too close for comfort. Was he new? He looked strong and skilled, and had a scar down his face; a former soldier?

She tried to call to the men of her own ship, but it was growing so dark that she could hardly see. The moon was obscured by black clouds; the stars were rare glints that glared down at her, mocking her misfortune. She was up against the side of the ship, she was fighting too many at once, she had bit off more than she could chew again, and it might just cost her life this time. At any moment, a knife could go right through her...
But instead, Fire fell.

Over the side she went, spiraling down, plunging into the shock of cold seawater. She gasped, air spraying from her mouth into the water, coming out in bubbles. Immediately she regretted this; very quickly her lungs began burning and she was sinking, sinking.