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Bright light shined through the trees and down on the carriage that Jacob, Sarah, (Y/n), and Captain Crow were riding in.
Jacob's eyes fluttered open and he groaned and ran a hand over his face. He looked across from him and saw Sarah sitting there with her hat slumped over her face.
He glanced next to his left and saw (Y/n) sitting next to him, looking at him with a smirk on her face.
"Well good morning. Glad to know you're still alive. You drank so much, I thought you died." She teased.
"Ugh...not now (Y/n). I feel sick." Jacob groaned.
"Well I'm sorry, but it's your own fault." She said.
"I know, I know." Jacob grunted and leaned his head against her shoulder, and threw an arm around her waist. "Mmm...me head hurts." He whined.
"Awe, poor baby." (Y/n) cooed mockingly. "What do you want me to do about it?"
"Fix it." He mumbled.
(Y/n) rolled her eyes, and slowly ran her fingers through his hair, and Jacob sighed contently.
(Y/n) looked ahead and saw that they were approaching the Castle White Rock, where the King and Queen lived.
The castle was huge and elegant, and was mostly white, and gold and had huge golden spirals at the top of its towers.
...
Two guards opened the door to the throne room where the King and Queen where sitting, waiting for the hunters.
Captain Crow entered the room followed by Sarah, Jacob and (Y/n).
The floor was designed like a globe, and had the insignia of the kingdom on it, and above them, a huge skeleton of a sea beast was hanging from the ceiling.
At the end of the room, the King and Queen sat on their elegant thrones, that had high backs to them, that were placed on a raised platform. The King and Queen were dressed in elegant clothes made of rich fabrics, and jewelry and of course their glittering crowns sat atop their heads.
"Well, if it isn't Captain Crow and his loyal mates." The King announced.
Jacob moved over to a table that had some food on it, and grabbed a fruit.
Captain Crow removed his hat and bowed his head. "Your Grace, as you can see, the oceans have offered abundant prey." Crow gestured to the servants that wheeled in the horn of the Brickleback.
"And I see you've taken a full grown Brickleback." The Queen drawled. "A specimen like that garners quite a bounty. But there's something I don't see." The Queen narrowed her eyes at the hunters. "The horn of the Red Bluster."
The hunters looked around at each other, confused as to how she knew that they didn't kill the Red Bluster.
"Admiral Hornagold has reported a rumor..." The Queen gestured to a man beside her.
The Admiral stepped forward. He was a tall, thin man, with short black hair, and side burns, wearing a green outfit, and had a snobbish look on his face.
"Admiral Hornagold?" They all whispered, with much dislike.
"...that you spotted the Red Bluster, but abandoned your pursuit because of a certain...code." The Queen finished.
"The Royals don't pay you to honor such codes. They pay you to kill monsters." He said as he descended the stairs and approached Captain Crow.
"How many more ships will be lost because you let the Bluster slip away?" He asked in a condescending tone.
Crow glared at the man but didn't reply.
...
Two servants opened the double doors that lead to a grand balcony, and everyone stepped out onto it.
"This was once a small kingdom with a big idea. To send hunters out to repel the beasts from our shores and usher in a new era of peace." The King explained.
"It's been hundreds of years since the dark times, but as long as the Bluster lives, people will still look to the seas with fear." The Queen said.
"So today marks the beginning of a new era."
The King gestured to the body of water that was enclosed in the kingdoms walls, where a huge grand ship sat. It was decorated in white, green, and gold, and had four layers of cannons sticking out of it, and a golden statue of a beast at the front.
"The Crown will no longer support the hunters." The King said.
Captain Crow, Jacob, (Y/n) and Sarah all stare at the large ship with furrowed brows.
"She's quite a sight, isn't she?" Admiral Hornagold asked, as he came up next to (Y/n). "The Imperator is the most heavily guarded ship ever to set sail. The Royal Navy will push deep into the unknown world and eradicate every sea beast in our path."
The Admiral turned towards (Y/n). "What do you think, Miss (Y/n)? Quite impressive isn't it?" He asked, leaning closer to the girl and smirking at her.
Jacob scowled deeply at Admiral Hornagold. Sarah's eye twitched and Captain Crow subtly glared at him.
"You won't kill nothing in that thing." Crow announced, distracting the Admiral. "She rests too low, and them fixed cannons is useless. And her Captain...is an ass." Crow growled.
The Admiral gasped and turned to Crow, looking offended. "It's time for you to leave, Captain. Your time is up." He sneered.
He turned back to (Y/n) once more. "You know Miss (Y/n), I could be persuaded to let you join the Imperators crew. I would hate to see a fine young woman of your skill be out of a job." The Admiral smirked once more before walking away.
The girl shuddered, disgusted by his offer, and just him in general. Jacob glared at him and scooted closer to (Y/n) and wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back to his chest, possessively.
"Admiral, have you ever seen one of them beasts that wasn't hanging from a ceiling?" Crow asked.
The Admiral paused and turned back to face Crow with a glare.
"Don't send your soldiers to die in a ship like that. It's not built for hunting...and neither are you."
"I assure you. I am not afraid do those beasts." The Admiral said firmly.
"Then you're a fool!" Crow bellowed. "And you'll take a lot of good sailors down with you!"
"General, see the hunters out. We're done with them." The Queen ordered.
The General and a few other soldiers started to slowly advance towards Crow.
"We hunters have shed blood! While you lot hide behind walls and drew lines on maps. You're cowards, the lot of ya!" He declared.
"General, the Captain is to be placed under arrest, and the Inevitable decommissioned!" The Queen shrieked.
Sarah's eyes narrowed, and her hand went down to her pistol, and the General went to grab her sword. Crow and (Y/n) went for their swords, and the other soldiers reached for their weapons as well.
"W-W-Wait! Wait!" Jacob yelled, stepping in between everyone.
He chuckled nervously. "Uh, Your Grace...the uh...the Captain is well known for his temper, but his talents as a hunter have served you well." Jacob argued.
"He's opened the seas and made your empire the envy of the known world. Now, I believe the world still needs the hunters, so prove me wrong." He challenged.
"Give us one more chance for the Bluster. If we take it, you keep your promise, and we continue our alliance. If the Imperator takes the Bluster...well, then you can tear down the Inevitable for scrap, and the days of the hunters will be over. Either way, you win."
Admiral Hornagold smirked and stepped forward. "I, for one, would relish the opportunity." He boasted.
"Then we have a contest." The King announced.
The General's eyes were still narrowed but she released her hand on her sword and Sarah moved her hand away from her pistol.
"Get set......go." The King said, flicking his wrist down, and pointing lazily.
"We'll take the Bluster and bring it to your doorstep. The days of hunters are not over. Not nearly." Crow growled, as he Sarah (Y/n) and Jacob exited the the throne room.
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