Legend has it that there is a ship who goes by the name WindFlyer. A ship of the darkest, midnight blue sails upon each of its three masts. A ship full of the most dreaded and feared pirates ever to sail the sea. A ship of a merciless crew who kill all they meet. A ship that no one has ever met on the open sea and lived to tell the tale about, that no royal Navy has ever taken. A ship with a ruthless and cunning captain.
Legend has it that the ship sails where the sun meets the horizon and the moon touches the ocean. Where the sky and sea become one. Sailing across the sky with the wind as her waves and sky as her sea. Pillaging for goods to bring to a city. Stealing away slaves and prisoners and giving them a chance at life. A ship that anchors only where the moon never sets and the sun never rises.
Legend has it that there is a city made up of dreamers and healing. A city that has gone great lengths to hide itself from the poison of the archipelago and its kingdoms. A city built on the foundation of freedom and love rather than profit and hate. A city that is hidden away and protected like the treasure it is. A city that has only one dock where one ship ever anchors. A city that is filled with the laughter of children and the sounds of music. A city of hope.
Legend has it that there is a black-hearted and cruel pirate captain who calls the city her home. A black-hearted and cruel pirate captain who gave up her title and home for the song of the sea. A black-hearted and cruel pirate captain that is willing to pillage, plunder, and kill if it means keeping her city safe. A black-hearted and cruel pirate captain who is kind and loyal. A black-hearted and cruel pirate captain who shows kindness to those who do not deserve it. A black-hearted and cruel pirate captain who offers you a shot at freedom.
Perhaps the stories are true. Perhaps I am black-hearted and cruel. Perhaps I pillage and plunder for the carnal joy of murder and pain. Perhaps only one ship ever docks in that harbor. If the tales are true, would it not be nice to think that a city like that could exist? Maybe I like to believe something so good and pure in this world could be real.
As I take a sip of my black coffee, I look out over the grand city I am in. I look out and see the sun rise over the artists quarter and watch as my world wakes up. I watch as smoke begins to rise from chimneys as people begin their day. I smell the fresh bread wafting out of the bakery and hear the beginnings of the joyous music that always seems to play here. My feet dangle over the edge of my roof as my eyes travel further from the artists quarter.
I see the beginnings of the colorful stalls that are set up as a market and the first fires being lit inside the great forges. I hear the din of chatter starting up as the sun rises, turning the sky from a blazing orange to a soft pink. I take another sip and enjoy the feeling of the sea breeze that reaches all the way up here to me. I close my eyes for only a moment to bask in the glory of the sun when a sudden shadow falls over me. I open my eyes to see the smiling face of Draen staring down at me. I crack him the slightest of smiles before returning to my observing of the new dawn.
Draen sits down beside me and I lean up against him, resting on his shoulder as the final remnants of the sun rise fade and the sky turns clear blue. This is all I've ever wanted. The space to be free, a place of peace and kindness where no king or queens may harm the people, a place of healing for the broken, a place made of love rather than hate. And, perhaps, along the way I found something more, I found friendships in my crew to last a lifetime, I found friendships in my city that I can take to my last breath, I found people who love me despite the legends around who I am. Draen takes my hand in his and plays with the ring I wear on my finger, his ring, as a soft smile emerges on his lips. A city of new beginnings, like the dawn.
I look out now to the place of song and freedom, the sea. I look to the dock where a ship is anchored. A ship of the darkest, midnight blue sails. An infamous ship. My ship. But she is not the only ship docked in the harbor. There is a second ship, a sister to my own. A ship of red sails.
Perhaps some legends are true.
And maybe, just maybe, some legends deserve to be rewritten.
The End
July 4, 2017 2:49 am