Pink Skies
Chapter 9: Sibling Rivalry
Lin knew her family was dramatic. It was trait her mother had reminded her and her sister of many times growing up.
Everytime Su threw a tantrum about a boy, or Lin yelled at her for stealing her clothes.
She thought they would have outgrown the dramatics, but here they were.
"Sister," her voice said, and Lin sliced the throat of her attacker.
"Its been too long."
Lin scoffed, turning her head, well aware of the amount of guns aimed at her right now.
"Not long enough," she replied.
"Why? You're still not ready?"
"Oh I am, I was speaking on your behalf." Su bit her lips shut, descending the stairs slowly, drawing out their inevitable demise.
"Lin!" Lin turned, Kya and Izumi had caught up, and they stood at the edge of the Revenge, watching Lin be circled by these predators. Both of them were covered in blood, and Lin got the sense she hadn't completed her other goal, to keep Kya from getting her hands dirty.
It sucked, but she wasn't too mad about it. This was the life of a Pirate.
"You made friends," Su said, "get them!" Lin widened her eyes as two of Suyin's men went over to them, but Izumi fell them both with a slash of her swords. The head of the one nearest to the Pirate Lord rolled onto the Revenge, and Izumi picked it up, as though to be admiring it.
"I belive this belongs to you," Izumi said, tossing it onto the deck of the Boar, causing the brains to spill out the bottom. Su looked at it with disgust, and Lin smirked.
"I'll have you know that's my first mate," Izumi said, "and you're not going do anything to her."
"Why's that?"
"Because I claim Parley." Lin met Kya's eye, and she felt this was a plan. One she wasn't involved in, but had to play along.
"You're already before me," Su said.
"Sure, but I am on my ship, and you are on yours. Don't tell me you've lost all of your honor. It'd be a shame to die aboard your own vessel, let alone as an infamously bad Pirate."
"You intend to kill me?" Suyin asked.
"That depends, on whether or not you plan to kill your sister." There was moment of silence before Su continued her descent down the stairs. She pushed past the crowd, who had stopped fighting to see what was going on. Bodies covered the deck of both ships, and Lin tried not to count the ones in red, the ones she recognized.
"Welcome aboard the Flying Boar." Suyin said, offering Izumi her hand.
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Kya remembered what Izumi had told her, saying it over and over.
Lin wouldn't die today. Kya had faith in Lin's abilities, Su pegged her as the cocky type. The kind of person whose own confidence was their downfall.
"Well, you're aboard," Suyin said, pacing. Her one leg hit the floorboards harder than the other and Kya suspected it was fake. Or, her boot had a pistol in it.
Kya left one hand on a flintlock, ready to draw at the first sign of conflict.
Aim for the head, aim for the Captain.
"It's not as nice as I pictured it," Izumi said, running a finger over the guard rails."
"Not everyone can rely on their father for gold." Su replied bitterly. Izumi smirked, lifting her finger before her, staring at the dust.
"Well you would've had the money from your grandparents, but, you know. Everyone has their favorites."
"So you've come to bargain?" Su asked, holding her chin up. She stood before the Boar's Captain's doors. Kya could see shadows under the door, as though someone were standing behind it.
"More like suggest you take a deal."
"And what deal would that be?"
"Fifteen thousand, you dissappear. Stay off the eastern sea, better yet the entire sea, and you'll live."
"Here I heard the great Pirate Lord Blackbeard was cunning and fearless, but all I see is a burdening confidence."
"You misjudge your position, Suyin. The Revenge has double size, double the firepower and almost triple the man power. It won't hesitate to take you out"
"Then why haven't you?" Izumi froze, biting her lip, and Kya thought she had made a mistake. Suyin had seen through her lie.
"Because I don't kill children." Kya's breath hitched, and she looked to Lin, who's eyes were wide, not in fear, but in shock.
Kya looked back to the door, the shadows had shuffled away and she put two and two together. There was a child, at least one onboard, and she'd bet good money it was the Captain's.
"Then you will die with more honor than most." Su finalized, drawing her sword. Izumi went to arm herself but Lin stepped in the way.
"I can choose both," Lin said, drawing her sword. Izumi backed down, and Kya slid over to her.
"So you do have the guts to face me?" Su said mockingly.
"Why would you bring a child, Su? This is ridiculous!"
"I was a child when I started. My kids shall be the same."
"You're worse than I thought." Lin said, "no wonder mom let you go."
"Yet, she sent you with me." Su charged at her but Lin side stepped, watching a strand of her hair meet its end to Su's silver sword. She flexed her wrist, feeling the blade tuck itself into the palm of her hand. She threw it, hoping to catch Su while she was in recovery but it ricocheted off her sword.
"You've been studying," Su remarked, "too bad you never were a good student." Lin growled, rolling a star down her sleeve, acting as thought she was going for the sword attack. Using her left hand for sword fighting wasn't ideal, but her accuracy with her left wasn't anywhere near as good as her dominant hand. She would have to rely on timing and practice, no more surprises.
Izumi had regained her previous Valor, slicing through the crew of the Boar as though it was a corn field. She smiled as she sent another headless body into the water, spitting after it. She had dealt with Suyin's pollution for too long, she was Davy Jones' problem now.
"Kya!" She called out and the girl fired, hitting a burly man in the arm. Izumi took advantage of his distraction to wound him in the chest. Kya reloaded her pistols, using one hand like she had taught herself, and she was back in the fight.
"What are we going to do about that kid?" Kya called over the clash of metal.
"Whatever we have to!"
"We're not going to kill them are we?"
"Is that what you think of me?" Izumi replied, slicing another head, the blood splattering on her face.
"'Whatever we have to is a pretty broad answer, Captain." Kya explained, ducking underneath a sword.
"Its subject to change!" Izumi hollered, kicking the sword bearer on Kya in the back. He grunted and Kya took the opportunity to shoot him in the stomach.
Her eyes were wide and Izumi nodded in approval.
"Stay alive," Izumi said, "the rest will work itself out."
"How are you so confident?"
"I drank an entire bottle of rum before this." Izumi answered with a smirk.
"And you didn't think to share?" Before she could reply she heard a gasp, and saw a familiar figure drop from the sails.
"Thats our cue." Kya said, and they made their way back to Lin.
Lin threw the stars, catching the cloth of Suyin's clothing, but nothing landing. She growled arming her sword again and feeling for the knife in her boot, she would need an opportunity to get it, which mean she'd need to get low. Su slashed at her arm and Lin winced in pain, not waiting to see the blood be drawn.
"Not going to cry this time?" Su snarled.
"We'll see," Lin said, "I tend to get emotional after killing my family." She slashed back at Su, landing a hit on her knee cap, it didn't seem to faze her sister much, but there was blood. They stood parallel to each other, breathing heavily, each bleeding from a wound of their own.
"Wherr shall I leave your next set of scars?" Su asked.
"How about up your ass?" Lin replied. The ship rocked and the Revenge began to fall off of the Boar, meaning there was only a matter of time before the ground they stood on was below the sea. She needed a leverage somehow. When the water splashed onto the deck she got an idea. She rand to the edge, grasping a loose rope, giving it a tug to make sure it wouldn't send her into the sea.
"Running?" Her opponent sneered, "how original." Lin smiled, gripping the rope and jumping off the edge. She kicked herself away from the ship with her feet, building momentum and praying her grip would not betray her. She listened for the sound of heavy footsteps, her sister had a heavy leg, it was unmistakable. When it was close enough to the edge she pushed again, lifting her feet as high as she could, the bottom of her boot colliding with Suyin's face.
She flopped onto the deck, just barely sticking the landing and Su held her nose, blood pouring from her nostrils.
"Your tricks won't get you far," Su warned.
"They got me here." Lin argued. Su lunged at her but this time Lin was ready, knife in her hand she brought it down, piercing Suyin's free hand and embedding it into the deck. She hollered in pain and tried to move so Lin plunged her sword into Suyin's foot, drawing out another cry of pain. Suyin's sword fell from her hand and Lin took it, holding it to her throat.
"Tell me you yield," Lin said, shaking, "and I will spare you."
"You guys and your sparing... it's getting boring. You're going to learn to kill your enemies at some point."
"You're right, I probably will. But I don't get anything from killing you today, Su. I don't ever want to see you again, but I'm not about to watch another child get orphaned."
"Still playing the hero, even after all this time. Give up the act, Lin. Look around you there is nothing heroic about this!" Lin glanced around at the felled corpses, the rolling heads. The deck was stained red and smelled of urine, there was nothing heroic about it.
"There are no heroes, Su," Lin said, "only winners and losers. And you have lost. I won today, so let it go." Su laughed, not a genuine look of glee but a mad cackle. The kind of laugh only someone truly sick could master.
"No one is going to believe you when you're dead," Su said menacingly,"shoot her." Before Lin could comprehend what was going on someone dropped from above, landing across from her with a gun pointed at her stomach. Bataar, the man they had failed to kill. And now, he would kill her. The shot rang out and Lin clutched her stomach, expecting pain and loss of feeling. But nothing was there, and her off-white shirt remained just that- off white.
Su grinned, waiting for her sister to collapse but it didn't happen. Instead the thud came from behind her. She looked to her left, and watched the light fade from her lovers eyes.
Kya stood where Bataar once did, her eyes bright and hopeful and everything Lin had ever done with her flashed in her memory. Staring into those eyes the night she fell in love. Watching Kya's eyes light up as she orgasmed, and how they turned a deeper blue when she was passionate about something.
She was distracted by those eyes, and that's why she didn't see Suyin rip the knife from her hand and throw it.
Lin screamed, running, waving her arms hoping it would turn around and hit her instead.
But it didn't.
And she watched as it struck Kya in the forhead, the force knocking her backward and sending her into the sea.