Shades of green and aqua blue,
The sea painted a thousand hues.
Beneath thundering ocean waves,
Out of the reach of mariners graves.
A living testimony swims in majesty
once the rulers of the sea
A whale song rings from beneath the ocean
A song of praise and true devotion.
To the God of creation and of the sea
A sea being robbed by cruel thieves
The whale song drifts silently away
The hands of man have silenced their praise
As God looks down in his majesty
As tears trickle down on the silent sea.
Swift Mansion, 17xx
You woke up with a startle as you focused your attention on the small, high-pitched voices calling out to you. Unbeknownst to your attacker you had a knife hidden under your pillow and you were ready to use it.
"Big sis?" a tired, scared voice whispered. You sighed and let go of the knife that rested under your pillow. You run a hand over your face and looked at the two little monsters on your left. "Abigail, Eric, what are you two doing awake at this hour?" You questioned the young twins.
"I had a nightmare." Abigail murmured quietly. "And when I woke up I scared Eric, so now we're both awake."
You exhaled slowly and opened your arms to them. "Well come on then." You smiled as the twins giggled and climbed into bed, completely ignoring your failed attempts at hugging them. "Doesn't your big sister deserve a cuddle for her kindness."
"No." They exclaimed at the same time as they hid under the blankets and started dozing off.
They did that a lot, a strange habit indeed. You pout relaxed into a small smile, you didn't know when they started sleeping with their heads under the blankets – or how for that matter – but they seem to fall asleep immediately when they do. So you had no complaints whatsoever. You stared at the small lumps under your blankets and began humming your tune once more, your delicate voice echoing throughout the now silent room.
You remember your mother singing that song, she had the voice of a siren and the beauty of an angel. Although, in all honesty, you really had no proper memory of her face. You just remember her beauty was striking mainly due to the rare time your father would tell you stories of her, either him or the maids who complemented you on your looks more often than not, followed by the phrase 'Just like your mother.'
"M'lady, are you alright? I heard noises."
You looked up and spotted a young man at the entrance to your room, you'd recognise his voice anywhere. "How many times must I tell you to call me (Y/n), Atsushi?" You gave him a gentle, yet slightly reprimanding look. "And I'm fine, the twins just woke up and wanted company." Your hand gently patted the two small figures hidden in your bed.
"I see," he grinned back, worry leaving his facial features. "I'm sorry for barging in."
"Everything's fine Atsushi, you can go back to sleep."
Atsushi seemed sceptical at first, but after a good look at the empty room he nodded reluctantly. "Alright then, goodnight m'lady."
"Goodnight."
Atsushi was a kind boy, he became part of your father's servants only a month ago but he already made friends with most the people around here. He was selfless and his altruist nature was something you could rarely see in men these days. You remembered the day the marines returned with the poor boy, battered and bruised due to an frightening collision he had with godawful pirates. The scum of the seas, that's what they were. You read numerous tales about pirates, treasures and adventures. Although you enjoyed the stories, you despised the pirates themselves. You've read just as many newspapers about the death and destruction they brought to your people, it was hard not to despise them.
You checked on the twins again, making sure they were asleep. Once you were certain they were deep in slumber you stood up and grabbed your things. You began tying bandages around your chest, flattening it as much as possible, once you had finished you covered yourself with a frilled, white blouse and a brown coat that reached your mid-thighs. Lastly you put on a pair of beige pants and Georgian boots. You then tied your hair up in a bun and covered it with a hat you had stolen from your father's cupboards. Your (e/c) eyes shifted back to the twins, who were sleeping soundly under your covers.
'My little treasures.' A smile darted across your lips before opening the window and climbing down the walls. You turned back one last time to make sure nobody was following you then disappeared into the night.
Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean
"Captain, I see land!" A young, ginger boy yelled from the crow's nest, his spyglass pointing left to where they were. "What should we do captain?"
"Is it the marine port"
"Aye!"
The man wearing a tri-cornered hat smirked knowingly. "Then, what are we waiting for? Full speed ahead."
"Are you out of your mind?" A blond man barked, "That is their main base! The place is crawling with navy officers, it's suicide!" The man stared at his captain, realisation dawning on him. "Which of course makes it all the more interesting for you." He sighed in defeat.
"You know me so well~" The brunet grinned at his first mate, he walked past the spectacled man and grabbed the helm and turned them the direction of the harbour. "Everyone, at your posts! We're taking back what's ours." The captain gave one of his signature grins as he raised his sword in the air.
"Aye!"
You made your way through the streets, face covered in dirt and soot to avoid being recognised. The town was mostly quiet with the exception of a few taverns, those were mainly filled with lively, drunk men – as well as the occasional whores in search of a companion for the night.
You entered a small tavern known as the Whiskey Winds, the atmosphere was full of life as the men were singing old labour songs and dancing on the tables. You sighed and shook your head with a smile. "Same old, same old." You murmured as you made your way towards Lola, the owner's wife.
"Oi, shrimp – pleasure seein' ya 'gain!" She grinned happily when her eyes fell on you. "I miss seein' ya pretty face e'ery night"
"It's been a while, hasn't it Lola?" You smiled kindly at her, she was your only friend outside the mansion and the only person that knew about these little outing of yours. "I've missed you too."
"It's your own fault for not comin' 'ere, ain't it?" She was obviously pissed and you were honestly too sober to be having this conversation. "I missed me chit-chat buddy, I did. Jack's been pissin' me off an' I 'ad no one to talk to!"
"Sorry about that." You scratched the back of your neck apologetically, "I've been minding the twins more often since father is always away and Sylvie spends most her time fixing her hair and make-up in ways she believes it would please father the most." You sighed tiredly.
"Why'd ya come then?"
"Because if I didn't come tonight then I would've most certainly murdered someone." You downed the whiskey placed in front of you in one gulp. "And it probably would've been Sylvie and her ferret."
"That thing's still alive?"
"Alive and kicking." You spat, "I bloody hate it, it smells like manure and urine."
"Why can't ya just say shit and piss?" She snorted, "Nobles and they're fuckin' prissy talk."
You smiled at her, god you missed these little talk of yours. It was a great way to vent out without anybody judging you. "Yeah, yeah." You waved her off whilst rolling your eyes. "So, tell me about you and Jack, you said you needed someone to talk to?"
As she was about to start talking you saw a sinister-looking man exit the tavern with a wary look in his eye. He was covered in black and was looking around as if to make sure no one was following him. Your eyes narrowed as you interrupted Lola mid-sentence by throwing some shillings on the counter and grabbed your coat. "Well, I'll be on my way then." Before Lola could speak you cut her off once again. "Sorry, but I'd better be off. We wouldn't want the twins to wake up to an empty house, right?"
She gave you a worried look and answered. "Please be careful out there (Y/n), I know you're strong but-"
"As you said, I'm strong. I can handle myself." You were out the door so quickly you missed her warning.
"Strength doesn't always mean winning."
You followed the suspicious man through the empty streets as quietly as you could, the avenue you were walking down was so quiet you could hear a in drop. He kept walking until he reached a dead end, where a shadowy figure was waiting in the darkness. You hid behind a barrel and eavesdropped on their conversation.
"Mr. Jones I presume?" You heard one of them speak in a sultry, smooth voice. "Do you have what I asked for?"
'A woman.' You thought to yourself in surprise.
"Yes, I do." The man you had been stalking had a rough voice, covered by a thick Spanish accent. You took a peek from behind the barrel and saw the man reaching for his vest pocket. He took out a small, shiny object you couldn't quite recognise. Judging from the shape and size you guessed it was a necklace of sorts. "What about my gold?"
Although you couldn't see her face you felt like the woman was smiling. "It's right here." She jingled a bag of shillings in front of him. "Three-hundred crowns, just as promised." The man went to grab the small pouch from the woman's outstretched hand. But, no sooner than he did, she retracted her hand. "Ah-ah... The necklace first." She held out her left hand, waiting for him to place the piece if jewellery in it.
"You take me for a full, señora." The man smirked, "I learned long ago that women are sly creatures, far more dangerous than most me when it comes down to wits." He then tucked the necklace back into his pocket and rolled up his sleeves. "However, it is a whole different story when it comes to force." A maniacal grin made its way onto his face as he pounced forward and attacked the shadowy figure.
The woman stood still, so perfectly still. In the blink of an eye the man flew backwards in your direction, almost smashing into the barrel you were hiding behind. "Eeek!" You squeaked in surprise as he had flown so close to you, your hair actually moved due to the wind he had created.
You clamped a hand over your mouth as if by doing so it would stop the sound from reaching the woman's ears. Of course, it didn't work.
"Who's there?" The woman yelled in a menacing voice. "Come out this instant!"
She walked slowly towards you, as a hungry beast would hunt its prey. Step after step echoed throughout the alley as they drew closer to you. From the corner of your eye you noticed the man was still unconscious, thus rendering him useless to you.
'Think (Y/n), think!' Your head was screaming at you to run, but seeing the speed at which the woman had moved, you wouldn't be able to get far. 'I need a miracle!'
She had barely managed to get a glimpse of your boot that someone started shouting in the streets. "Pirates! Pirates!"
'Not exactly the best miracle, but I'll take it.'
The woman's eyes widened comically before she took off in a hurry away from the voices of the terrified townsfolk, but not before ripping the vest off the large man and disappearing into the night. She had completely ignored both you and the fact that whatever object she was after, she wasn't going to find it in the clothing she had stolen. You stood up and walked towards the senseless man, noticing that the necklace had fallen out of the vest's pocket and onto the dirty pavement. You picked it up and analysed it carefully. It was quite a beautiful thing indeed. It had a golden chain with a small gem attached to it. It was an aqua-blue colour, not unlike the colour of the sea itself. It shimmered in the light of the moon, mesmerising you in such a way you find it difficult to look elsewhere.
You don't know what possessed you to do what you did, but you couldn't simply leave such a wonderful object behind, not in the hands of this filthy man. So you decided to wear it, latching it around your neck. The second you did as much you felt a shiver run down your spine and a small itch came from behind your right ear.
"Mister! Run!"
You tucked the gem into the oversized shirt and lowered your voice as you spoke. "What seems to be the problem?"
"Pirates! There are pirates in the town!"
You turned your head in the direction from where all the commotion seemed to be coming from. "Find a safe place to hide, the navy should be here shortly." You left him with that and sprinted in the direction of the harbour. Upon reaching the centre of the town your eye fell on the amount of navy officers that had fallen and were scattered along the roads. Your ears were deafened by the amount of shouting that was happening around you, yet you saw only two figures standing in the middle of all those corpses.
"Bloody annoying this is." The voice of a woman came from one of the two. "All this trouble for that dumb kid, he's lucky captain was nice enough to come for 'im."
"Kind? Ha! don't make me laugh doctor." A more masculine voice came from the other. "You and I both know that if the captain came to find him it's certainly not from the goodness of his heart."
"You have a point there."
"As always."
You stood there in silence before one of the marines you had taken for dead spoke.
"You scum of the seas, what brought you here of all places?" He smiled mockingly, "I mean, your captain must be an idiot if he decided attacking the base of the royal navy's main forces, which also happens to be the home town of vice-admiral Jonathan Swift." The man spoke as if he had defeated the pirates and was standing on top of their dying bodies and not the other way around.
The woman grinned maniacally, her teeth bared and eyes widened. "Would you look at that! This one's still got spunk in 'im." She grabbed the officer by the hair and yanked him upwards so her eyes were closer to his. "Then you'll be happy to know that that's exactly why we're here. Your vice-admiral Swift has not only one of our crew-mates, but also something the captain wishes to retrieve. And when our captain sets his mind on something, nothing – and I mean nothing – can get in his way." She whispered something in the man's ear that made his face go white.
"No – you can't-!" He was cut short by a a dagger that pierced his neck. After that he gurgled on blood and went completely limp.
"Fuckin' marine."
Just then the woman's scarlet eyes looked up and met your own, "Oh, would you look at that – seems like a kitty made its way into the lion's den." She licked her lips and started walking towards you. "You poor, little man."
'Shit!'
You stared at the two pirates in fear as they slowly turned towards you and made their way to where you were standing. Your eyes darted from one to the other, your eyes narrowed and you sprinted in the opposite direction. You ran in the direction of your mansion, taking the quickest routes by crashing through windows and running through houses and taverns. Pushing through the panicked citizens, blending in and at the same time making your way towards your home. If what the pirate said was true, the first thing they should is to go the mansion, they must've thought that even if your father isn't home they could kidnap a family member and use them as trading material. If your hunch is right then the twins are in grave danger.
You went out of the town and into the woods, down the battered path you had come from. You ran and ran as fast as you could. It was dark and you couldn't see far ahead so you accidentally crashed into someone.
"Oh god sorry!"
You sat up before shifting onto your knees and crawling towards the fallen person. They were groaning in pain. "Are you alright?"
The person sat up and sighed, "I think so." He looked up and your eyes met, (e/c) eyes clashed with honey brown ones. He was the most handsome man you'd ever met, his shaggy, chestnut bangs went in every direction and his lips were curled up into a wry, crafty smirk. At a certain point his lips started moving and yet you failed to hear him at first. "-ss. Miss. Can you hear me?"
"Huh?"
"I could hold still for a portrait if you wish, it'd last longer."
And... he ruined it.
"Ugh..." You rolled your eyes and stood up, dusting off your pants. "Excuse me."
"Wait, Atsushi-san! What about big sis (Y/n)?" You'd recognise that voice anywhere.
"Abigail?"
"Big sis!" You looked ahead and saw Abigail and Eric running in your direction, Atsushi following close behind them.
"Abby, Eric! Thank goodness." You kneeled down once again and hugged them closely, squeezing them as hard as you could. "Big sis, you're... squeezing..." Hacking and coughing came from the twins, so you let go of them and smiled apologetically. Your gaze shifted upwards towards Atsushi. "Atsushi thank you, thank you so much." You threw yourself onto him, embracing him with all your might.
Atsushi stiffened at your touch. "Aye..." He looked down, afraid to meet your gaze. "Lady (Y/n), there is something you should know..."
"Pirates attacked our home!" Abigail shouted. "Atsushi saved us, he grabbed us both and jumped out the window and then he went boom and bam and we landed in a tree and-"
"Sis...?" Eric muttered quietly. "Why are you dressed like that?"
You tensed up immediately. "Well... um that's-" Your eyes fell onto the man from earlier, he was sitting cross-legged on the ground, smiling like a child on his birthday. He had called you 'miss' earlier, hadn't he? Your (e/c) hues narrowed slightly, how did he recognise you under your clothes? You were able to fool men and women alike, so how on earth did he see through your disguise so quickly? Even if it was up close it had only been for a few seconds...
The man stood up and dusted himself off as you had done a few minutes prior. "Well then, I believe we are both at fault here, let me treat you to a drink... miss (Y/n) if I'm not mistaken?" He smiled kindly and offered you his hand. You glared at him and pushed the twins back, in between you and Atsushi. "Who are you?"
The man's smirk became a fully-fledged grin, the most frightening one you had ever laid eyes on.
"My name is Osamu Dazai, captain of the Vagabonds"