THE PIRATE KING

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When the winds shift west
And the sun soon sets
Steady those vessels, pull in your nets
If blood soaked red
Sails soon appear
Make peace with Death, The Pirate King is near
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Alistair

"Mercy! Please!"

A blood curdling scream rang through the harsh, piercing clash of metal swords, a screeching sound that could bring ringing to your ears if it wasn't all somewhat muddied by the raging sea testing strength against both ships.

That wretched scream didn't last long. Not many had tonight.

"Ah," I sighed, readjusting the fasten for my blade that had come loose around my waist, as that sweet harmonic melody of death filled my ears. "You think this bloodshed will bring the men enough peace tonight?"

"I believe so." Cael returned, raising his voice for me to hear over the continued sounds of balanced metal meeting its weaker foe, followed by the agonizing last cries of men that weren't mine. My men had boarded the vessel only moments ago and yet I knew the fight wouldn't go on for much longer. The ship we boarded was nothing more than mere cargo, transported by merchants journeying around the sectioned off piece of Azul.

That tropical coast was home to many businesses that had only expanded in years due to its convenient location right on water. Little did they know the sea was my territory.

This rich trade had made for easy pickings, and though I knew our men didn't need the food that this ship carried, I had pushed them too long at sea without a single fight. And my men were not men you should let get bored, the deadly game of dice they played throughout the night had proved that.

I wasn't sure how to explain to these bastards that if they all killed each other, there's be no one left to actually run the fucking ship.

Which meant that if blood was to be spilt again tonight, it wouldn't be from my crew.

"I can confirm we lost three men to that dice game last night."

"Lovely." I sighed more to myself. "Oh how I wish some of them would pick up a book. I'm tiring from cleaning these floorboards-"

"You haven't scrubbed these floorboards in years."

"Well I'm tiring of constantly giving others the order to." I clarified. Cael scoffed. Before he could answer, I heard the signal from one of my men. A clear piercing whistle that cut through the dying cries of merchant who'd fallen to the sword.

Cael and I each cut one of the sail ropes, using them to hoist ourselves across our latched on ship to the merchants vessel. My men had already started to clean up, dragging the dead men into piles on the main deck. My feet hit the wooden planks with a loud thud, cracking the ledge boards before Cael landed much more gracefully close beside me. The noise brought my men's attention over to us at the edge of the ship.

"Aye, good work!" I counted ten up here on the now blood soaked main deck. "Any alive?"

Snips answered me first as he wiped his blood dripping blade on his black linen shirt. He then sheathed that sharp blade, before bringing the edge of his shirt up to his face. He was covered in blood splatter and human remains, but the great smile that was stretched wide across his face let me know that he had enjoyed himself. Greatly.

Good, I thought. Most of my men shared that same boisterous smile. I won't be throwing any bodies overboard tomorrow morning.

"We count seven. We're bringing them up from down below now."

And Snips's timing could not have been more perfect. I heard the steps of my men from below as they forced a group of merchants up above deck in a single line.

It was nighttime, the darkness of its beauty masking our thievery, yet making our only light on this ship the lights the merchants had kept on through the outskirts of their above deck quarters. I watched as each surviving merchant was shoved forward towards me, before being made to kneel. There was a older man who struggled to lower himself to his knees, but Snip didn't deem the man worthy of wasting time on.

A a swift kick to the back of the old man's leg did it, snapping the leg at the knee cap before sending the man soaring straight to the bloody floor. The sound of his agonizing screams echoed through the otherwise now quiet night, but I chose to ignore them.

Instead I approached the first survivor closest to me. It was much younger man than the one who just lost his leg, which interested me some. I wondered if my men wanted more slaves. They loved to get out of their responsibilities whenever they could.

The man was shaking as he knelt, his head faced towards the blood stained floorboards. I crouched down, reaching out to tip his head up towards me. Each men's hands were bound in front of them, but that wouldn't have been necessary. None were escaping tonight.

The whole lot seemed spoiled as I studied them. Barely any meat on their bones to begin with. Then I had to be mindful of the extra mouths to feed.

This man was scrawnier than I thought. It would take a few meals to get him ready for any of my ships work, and that would cost money. And energy. Energy I didn't care to spend.

Plus, his eyes. He was frozen in fear, not managing to meet my gaze. That was when I drew a short blade from my waist, and brought it to his neck. I wasn't sure, but I think the man soiled himself once I did. Liquid began pooling near his knees, and once Snip noticed, he let out a harsh amused laugh.

"You sure do know how to treat us, Captain."

I turned my head, giving Snips one sinister smile. "You lot earned it." My attention then went back to the young man I was still holding the knife against the throat of. "Tell me," I spoke, watching as his eyes very very slowly shifted to mine. "Would you like to live?"

All color had left his face now, rather all the color I could see from these shit burning torches, yet I watched as he nodded. "Y-Yes— p-please-"

"Why? Why should I," my free hand gestured to my able body, "let you," I then gestured to this piss poor excuse of one, "live?"

The man's hands were trembling now, as he took a moment before answering. "We don't- w-we don't want any trouble— please, ju-"

The man's eyes grew wide at me. I watched as his hands slowly reached up in disbelief to feel the cut I had made while he was still speaking, but it was useless. I had almost cut deep enough to take his head clean off, guaranteeing I at least severed that voice of his. I watched as the last of life left his eyes, and his body fell lifelessly to the ground. This made the other merchants start to cry, but all I did was motivate me on to the next.

Unfortunately the next was the old man who was still on the floor screaming out from the pain of the snapped leg. I decided this one was as good as spoilt fruit, and there was no reason to question him. Instead, the dagger still in my hand came down quickly, piercing through his chest cavity before I yanked down. Blood pooled at the slash immediately, before the old man took his final laboured breathes.

Then there were five. We were making good time, I thought to myself.

The next merchant couldn't even answer my question, he was crying so desperately. I made his death more painful, disgusted that a man would face death with such fear as my blade pierced through his torso. I then dragged that knife up his body, gutting him open like a swine. I watched as his insides spilled out onto the deck with ease, further dirtying the floors.

Four.

The next merchant seemed to learn from his previous crew mate. He immediately told me he had a family, to which I still slit his throat. It was quick, a merciful killing for a man who both held his tears, and thought of family when at deaths door. Honorable, if nothing else.

Three.

The one after him learnt absolutely nothing, sobbed incoherently to my question and eventually received four quick stabs to his vital organs.

When I reached the second to last merchant, I found myself crouching down to his eye level. I wanted to get a better view of the man who's hair color told me his years must surpass my own, yet stature surprised even myself. His shoulders were broad.

When I got a good look at him, he was just staring on straight ahead to the edge of the ship. He didn't have that gaze cast to the floor in fear like the others. There were no tears. No begging. No... no nothing.

I studied him a little closer, memorizing those sharp yet elegant features, before I examined his build as a whole. He was strong. Young. Clearly used to some sort of labor, and yet...

I gave his body a once over again. "What's your name?"

The man's eyes didn't meet mine, he just continued to stare on ahead in this almost daze. Or trance. "Caspian."

His voice was deep. Rough. Like he hadn't spoken a word in months. "You don't look like a merchant." I wiped the blood drenched blade against my thick black coat, noticing how coated in blood and bits of flesh the fabric was now. I hadn't even fought tonight and yet I still managed to get this filthy.

"I am." The man replied. That made my brows furrow in both confusion, and interest.

"Caspian is not a merchant name."

The man said nothing, those light almost grey eyes maintaining their fixated gaze on something that wasn't me.

"Tell me, Caspian. Would you like to live?" I kept my blade at my side as I asked, this time more interested in this answer than just a frivolous kill.

"No." Caspian replied with no hesitation.

"Caspian!" The last merchant next to him hissed, quickly looking over in his direction. This one was older.

"You." I said, pointing my dagger straight at that last merchant, who's body tensed up immediately when confronted with the punishing end of the blade. "You keep quiet. Another word and I'll slowly skin you piece by piece in front of my men." I turned back to Caspian. "Now you," I pointed my dagger straight at this very strange man. "What do you mean by that?"

That was when this man's gaze finally shifted to mine.

"I'd like to die."

My head tipped to the side ever so slightly. This was definitely a first. This other merchant seemed like he was struggling to hold his tongue, but he didn't dare speak out of turn again.

"And why is that?" I asked. The man's gaze didn't falter.

"I believe I've already put my best efforts forward. Now I just want to rest." He replied.

"Christ, this is depressing." Snips muttered under his breath. "Could we get back to the killing part? If the guy wants to be axed, I'd say we give him wha—" I raised my hand, cutting Snips off.

"The man is right." Caspian spoke, tipping his head back slightly to expose more of his neck. "I won't challenge you."

I was even more surprised now. My eyes never left his as I attempted to get a better understanding of this man. There was this dullness to those eyes, something I hadn't seen in the many years I sailed these seas. Something that pulled at my curiosity like nothing had within those many many years.

There was no fear in his eyes. I'd argue the look he was giving me was begging me to kill him... but... no.

"I'm not going to kill you." I decided, straightening myself out before I took a step away from the man. He looked up at me now. "You're not?" Both Caspian and the other merchant spoke at the exact same time.

"Aye, you're not?" Snips added.

I shook my head. "I can't kill a man who wants to die."

"You can't?" Caspian and the merchant spoke.

"Aye, you can't?" Snips added. I gave him a look telling him to keep him mouth shut, to which he immediately cast his gaze to his blood stained boots.

"No," I shook my head again. "It's been a while since I've taken a slave. I think you'll do well."

For the first time since my eyes landed on his, I saw something flash through that grey dullness.

"I really rather die." He told me honestly, to which I felt myself burst into sharp unexpected laughter.

"Yes. I know. That's precisely why I won't kill you." I explained. Caspian was clearly confused, but I didn't allow him to further press this decision. "Take him aboard, men."

Snips was the first to obey my orders, yanking the man to his feet now, to which he willingly complied.

"What- what about me? Caspian!" The older merchant looked to the younger man for some assistance, and that very man looked to me.

"Can he live?" He asked, that same dullness had returned again. How unfortunate.

"No." I told him honestly, to which the young man nodded. Then he turned to the now hopeless merchant and shrugged. "I'm sorry." Those were the last words he managed to get in before Snips started dragging him towards the ship.

"Wait! Wait!" I was already stepping closer to the frail kneeling man, ready to end this night.

"I do have a question before I take your life." I crouched down, pulling out the same stained dagger that had ended the five other merchants lives. "Who is that man?" My dagger pointed in the direction my men were taking Caspian. The merchant looked back in that same direction as well.

"I-" the merchant paused a moment. "I- I don't know, our paths crossed for the first time on this voyage, I swear it!"

My gaze pierced through this man's with a sharp intensity, reading every mannerism he displayed. His face was taught, and yet something told me he was lying.

"Wait wait!" The man rushed out again. "I... I want to die! Yes! Yes I definitely do, there is nothing mo-"

My blade stabbed through his skin, piercing his stomach easily. "Good," I whispered with a sinister smile. The very last thing this merchant would see before Death met him. "Then this should be quick."

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