Captain Astoria's PoV
Once night has fallen, I begin to prepare for the raid that is going to take place. We always work in the dead of night, people in their beds have little protection and are less likely to get a real look at us. I strap my sword belt around my waist and holster my pistol as well, on the belt are also three vials of hellfire. My hair is twisted up and tucked under my hat while a bulky coat -- different from my captain's coat-- will hide my feminine figure. Tried and true precautions that keep my identity safe. That, mixed with the midnight blue mask that covers everything but my eyes have kept me hidden thus far. I am always more nervous when it's Roltem, always fearing I will see my father or mother. Fearing more that they will recognize me and clamp the chains right back around my wrists again. I shudder before shutting those thoughts away, it will be fine. It always is fine.
"You can stay on the ship with the remaining crew," I say, "you don't have to come with us." Draen crosses his arms and looks bemusedly at me. I don't need him reminding me that he had to carry me to the bed after I collapsed in the dinning room, he already used it as a reason why I shouldn't be going ashore. Being tired won't stop me, though.
"And if I wanted to come?" Draen inquires. I am taken aback a bit, the prince wishes to engage in piracy? Considering how venomously he claimed to hate me and accused me of being a lying, black-hearted wench, I find this to be a bit ironic. Not that he need know that. He also doesn't need to know that a small part of me is pleased that he would want to join us.
"Then you may join us, if that's what you want," I say with a half shrug of my shoulders. He bears his teeth in a somewhat carnal smile that has me raising an eyebrow and rolling my eyes. The prince doesn't speak again, rather he grabs the spare sword out of the corner of my room and straps it on. He then begins to search for a pistol. My shoulders shake with a silent laugh as I watch him. Peculiar indeed. I stride out of the bedroom and into the dinning area where I begin to dig around in one of the chests.
Once the prince is satisfied with his tools of piracy, he exits the bedroom. His shoes sit in my peripheral vision as he stands there. I feel his eyes seeming to bore holes into the side of my face as I continue my search. I pause once my hands catch what I have been looking for and glance up for a moment. Draen has tied his hair up into a low knot; he changed his shirt too, now wearing a black tunic as opposed to white along with his black pants and boots. He braces his hands on his hips as he continues to watch me. I swallow, right. What I had been looking for.
I rise from my kneeling position, holding the object in my hands as I do. I look into Draen's deep blue eyes and suck in a deep breath. "Here," I say, thrusting the object out to him while opening my hands. His eyes dart down and he looks pleasantly surprised at what I'm offering. It is a blue silk mask. One that matches mine and my crews. The prince gently picks it up and, with careful hands, clips it up. "If you're going to raid with us, it's only right that you look like us." Taking a step back, I examine the prince. He looks anything but now. His hair long, his face tanned, workers boots and pirates clothes, and a blue mask which brings out his eyes. Perhaps not a prince anymore, perhaps he is something different.
Without another word, I spin on my heel and strut out of the room. The deck is silent as the crew who will be raiding makes final preparations. About two thirds of the crew is going, the remainders staying behind to guard the ship. They will raise the alarm if anything goes amiss and those of us in the city will make out way back here as fast as we can. The safety of the ship is never really a concern, it's more the safety of those of us on shore, but it does my heart good to know the WindFlyer is safe.
The prince and I walk side by side to the port side of the ship where four rowboats are now hanging over the edge of the ship. I climb into the front one with casual ease. My crew looks viscous and deadly with their masks in place. Trained killers and thieves, and I suppose that's exactly what we are. My first mate joins me in this boat, along with the prince, Ren, and several other members of the crew. Once all four are fully loaded with people, we begin the descent into the waters below. The crew on deck watches as we sink, holding one hand up in parting. I don't know what they think or what they believe will happen, but there are never any goodbyes done on the ship. We are not saying goodbye, we are saying see you later because we will make it back. There is no room for thoughts that we won't.
As the boats hit the water and the crew starts to row, I keep my eyes on the approaching shore with a predatory focus. "You will stay with me. You will not do anything stupid, do not try to save anyone. We aren't heroes, we're pirates. People will die tonight, people will lose fortunes, and you have to be okay with that," I say to Draen without looking away. I feel rather than see him nod in response. I'll keep my eye on him best I can tonight, I don't want him to get hurt and I don't want him to have to kill anyone. I know how haunting it can be.
The boat jolts as we hit the sand in the shallows of the sea. Two crewmen from each boat hope out and start to pull us further up the sand, once nearly three quarters of the boat is on the shore, they stop pulling. We launch over the sides and splash into the water with practiced moves. Keeping low to the ground, we run silently over the beach and begin to split off. A large group will attract too much attention. Five members stay back with the rowboats as the rest disperse into the night. Ren jogs ahead of me while Andreas stays at my back and the prince at my side.
The capital city is quiet at night, the only sounds are crickets chirping and the rare sound of a dog barking. We run on silent feet on the cobblestones until we reach a warehouse. I signal for us to stop as Ren scales the building. She peers into a second story window and I watch as she attempts to open the window. When she doesn't succeed at first, a dagger appears in her hand. Ren wiggles it under the window before trying to open it again. This time, it slides up easily and she slips in. We wait in silence for one minute... two minutes. I shift from foot to foot impatiently, chomping on my lip while I do.
Suddenly, the door opens and Ren walks out with a smile on her face, she checks both ways for people before trotting across the street to us and giving me a single nod. Empty, then. Good, I think with a smirk. I grab a vial of Hellfire from my belt. "Let's light 'em up," I grin before chucking the glass bottle at the open door. I watch the green liquid with the eerie glow sail through the air. It's tight, but my aim sings true and the bottle goes in the building. I hear the distinct sound of glass shattering and then hell breaks loose. The building explodes with a deafening roar as the windows blow out and wood splinters.
Then shouts begin. My crew will head to some of the nobles houses for pillaging. No honest businesses will be harmed but banks are fair game. Anyone who can afford to lose, unfortunately, is up for grabs for the crew. Like I said to Draen, we aren't heroes or vigilantes, we're pirates. The four of us -- Draen, Ren, Andreas, and myself -- will head to different locations.
The fire leaps higher in the sky as we dart away. I grab the second vial and lob it in an arch over the city, wishing for the best wherever it lands. The key to a good raid is chaos, and let me say, chaos will ensue. The city seems to come alive with the fires. People running out of their homes, shouting names of loved ones, glass shattering, laughter between my crew members as they dash across streets and into homes. I see fire in the home of a nobleman and the shout of and older gentlemen. I smell smoke mixed with sea salt.
A woman falls before my feet in her terror, I skip over her without a second glance. We run through the streets until the jail comes into view. I skip to a halt at the door and begin running my hands over it. I push against it. When it doesn't giveaway, I use the heel of my boot and kick it down. Draen starts at the sound, looking around for someone who may have heard. I put my hand on his arm to reassure him. "Everyone knows we're here, no point in being subtle now," I say with a wink before I stride into the musty building.
It's only a local jail, the main prison is held far inland, so the building is just one floor with cells lining the walls, one hallway smack down the center of the cells. The inmates leap to their feet when the door bangs against the wall. Some latch onto the bars of their cell and some slam their backs as far from us as they can. I walk the length of the room, examining the people as I go. I grab the ring of keys hanging from a hook on the far wall. I don't speak as I twirl the ring around my hand. I can see some of the prisoners practically drooling at the sight of them. I smile to myself under the mask. Pitching my voice low, I ask, "what are you in for?" I am not asking anyone in particular. There is a beat of silence, everyone seeming to be afraid to answer me.
"Thieving," one courageous voice calls out. I turn in the direction it came from. I wait to see if she, for it is feminine, will speak again. "I stole bread from the market to feed my sons," she whispers. I walk to the cell it came from and shove the key into the hole. I turn it slowly, listening as the lock clicks open. I step back. Now more voices fill the room.
"Stealing gold from a lord!" Someone shouts.
"Street fighting!" Another.
"Trespassing!" More and more voices call out and yet... two prisoners remain silent in the last two cells of the jail. I unlock the cells of those who speak. I don't open their doors, never too close.
"Go home," I order, my voice still gruff. I don't watch to see if they do, rather I walk to the end of the building and peer into the cells.
"Vandalism," a soft, male voice says. I stop at that one and turn to him. I cock my head and quirk my eyebrow at him. The boy coughs, "I, uh, destroyed a slave trade outpost..." he trails off. Interesting.
"And you?" I ask the last one. A man gives me a smile full of rotting teeth. I internally recoil at the sight.
"Rape," he says before rolling off into a fit of cackles. I narrow my eyes and unlock the cell of the vandal. I even go so far as to open it.
"You, with me," I order. The rapist watches me like a hawk watching it's prey. Little does he know, it is he who is the prey.
"And me?" he nearly purrs. The fire sparks in my eyes as I press my face close to his bars, squatting low to get on his level.
"And you," I croon, "you can rot in hell for all I care," I say before I toss the keys back on the hook. Grabbing the arm of the vandal, I drag him behind me as I stalk out to the sounds of the man howling and slamming himself against the bars. I laugh under my breath and step back into the night. Fires still blaze in the city and people still run about, screaming. I see royal guards now dashing around, trying to catch my crew with little success. It's like a bad comedy in a way.
As my eyes careen about, I notice a flash of blond hair and a white medics uniform. It can't be, my father isn't stupid enough to send her... is he? Though, in his eyes she is only a woman. Not worth his time nor his protection. I watch that form retreat and feel a thread tugging at my heart. Perhaps she's found a good life for herself, perhaps she loves the healing arts. I can only hope she could find it in her healing heart to forgive me. I shake the thoughts from another life, another girl, out of my head as the girl jumps to the aid of a wounded civilian. I left this place and all it's people behind. I must move forward, ever forward.
The jail was the first of my small groups two stops, the next being a well known slaver house in the city. The house is close to the beach, where the slaver ships unload. I hear Andreas take the boy aside and explain his options. I don't turn to see his choice as I run for the slave house. The sound of four other boots after me alerts me to those who follow me. I draw my sword as we run, watching for guards. They all seem to be running into the heart of the city. Better for me that way.
There are two strong arms outside the slave house. A snarl manifests on my lips as I swagger down the path that leads up to the house. They place a hand on a crude sword when Andreas and Ren fall into step beside me, Draen and the new boy at my back. "What do you want?" one grunts, his eyes narrowing at us. I don't answer, opting to jump at them and slash out with my sword. The one stumbles back a step and then charges at me, only to be met with the clash of my blade. He is stronger than I am, but I am willing to... bend the rules. I lash out with my boot, hitting him right in the manhood. He coughs and collapses to the ground. I swing my blade at his now exposed neck. His blood sprays over me, warm against the cool night. I spin around to see the already raised sword of the other strong arm. A gun shot rings out, hitting the man square in the throat. He falls over, dead, before his blade can ever fall. I assume it was Andreas, but he already ran into the house with Ren. I look to see Draen, pistol raised, eyes wide, staring at the corpse. I blink at him, surprisingly, his hand does not shake as he lowers the gun to his side. There are shrieks and yells from hired guards inside. And the thud of bodies against the ground. Andreas enters next, I can't force myself to go in covered in blood. It would scare the innocent people. I stand outside, listening until the commotion dims and then dies. Watching as Andreas and Ren come out, followed by several slaves still in their chains.
The rest of the night happens in a blur. We take the slaves and the vandal boy to the rowboats where my crew meets. When all heads are accounted for, we load up and row out. The moon is still high in the sky and reflecting on the water as we make our way into the sea. The shoreline is dotted with fires and shouts can still be heard even though the pirates are no longer running among them. A smile quirks on my lips, perhaps everyone has a bit of pirate in them, only needing a little push to go after it. Draen watches me from the side, not saying anything. There is still blood on me, on my face. I can still feel it's warmth against the night air and I suppress a disgusted shudder that threatens to run up my spine. I can feel it on my hands, on my coat. I don't feel bad for killing him, though.
Maybe that does make me a monster.