I yawned awakening from a dark and dreary slumber. Having a nice peaceful rest was too much to ask for, what with all the cannons going off every second of everyday. I was completely alone, nobody really cared about me, I was a pirate, sure. But I had no crew, no ship, no treasure. I didn't even have a home. I had been born and raised on Skull Island, my parents were murdered by their own crew when I was 6 years old, I had been living on my own ever since. I had only survived by living on the docks of Skull Island, where not much happened. Pirates passed through quite a lot but nobody ever looked at me, much less harmed me. It was completely safe here as far as I could tell and I hated it. I wanted adventure...
My name is Noble Cecilia DeClark and this is my story.
I sat at the docks watching crabs scuttle along the sand. I would battle some of them...but...well...I was a witchdoctor. Magic wasn't allowed, If I were discovered I'd be thrown in the brig.
Sighing I traced my name over and over again in the sand Noble Cecilia DeClark...Noble Cecilia DeClark...Noble Cecilia DeClark...
"What are you doing?" I jump
A girl with long black hair is sitting behind me, a pirate. She laughs.
"Well you're a jumpy one, eh?" she asks grinning "My name is Dreaming Faith Holystone, who are you?"
"Cecilia DeClark" I reply
"What no title?" she asks with another laugh
"Noble" I add "Noble Cecilia DeClark"
"You've been here for quite some time" Faith comments "And you don't have any crew members?"
"No" I reply "I am a pirate though"
"What's a pirate without a crew?" Faith laughs a bit "Or a ship. Or treasure."
"I haven't got any of that" I sigh
"That's okay" Faith grins "That's why I'm here"
This girl is way too perky, too perky to be a pirate I thought
"Well anyways" Faith continues "I'm here to offer you a job, not often ya see a witchdoctor about these parts"
I jump barely containing a scream.
"Don't worry" Faith replies "I'm a witchdoctor too" she seemed too relaxed about that "I was wondering if you'd like to join my crew"
"B-But" I whisper "What about…the Armada?"
"What about them?" Faith rolls her eyes "I just escaped from one of their prisons, they've got nothin' on me, come with me and you're a whole lot safer than you are there"
She holds out her hand to help me get up off the sand. Unsure what to do I take it.
"Okay Cecilia" Faith grins taking me to a big fancy ship she owned "Our crew is all human pirates, sometimes animal companions can't be trusted"
"Hmm?" I ask "Didn't think that was possible"
"Oh it is" Faith grins "Just very unheard of"
We step onto the ship, "Oi! Get out here!" Faith yells
Nothing happens.
"Hey! You got cotton in your ears! Get out here!" Faith screams
6 people scurry onto the deck, 4 boys and 2 girls.
"Who's zat?" one of the boys asks in a heavy accent I don't recognize "I von't recognize 'er, does she come from the Armada?"
"No" Faith replies rolling her eyes "She's another witchdoctor, here to join our crew"
"EPIC!" one of the girls cries grinning
"Alright crew" Faith grins again "Introduce yourself"
The boy with the accent smiles "My name iz Merciful Errol Heath"
A boy with black hair looked up and laughed "She looks weak, wonderful choice Faith"
"Shut up" I reply
The boy looks a little taken back and annoyed "My name is Serious Felix Silver, don't forget it"
A boy that looks exactly like Felix blushes "My name is Witty Orion Silver, you must forgive my brother, he's not very trusting"
"It's fine" I reply
A blond boy grins "Hi! Nice to meet you! Where did Faith find you? Are you an orphan too?"
"Quinn! Tell her your name" Faith growls
"Oh yeah, my name is Wordy Quinn Randall" the boy scratches the back of his hand
The two girls glare at me just a little bit.
"My name is Strong Maeve Orleans" a girl with a green hat that covered most of her head
"I'm Sunny Jewel Moone" the other girl with light blond/brown hair replies
"Well" I smile slightly "My name is Noble Cecilia DeClark"
"Good to meet vou" Errol says
"Can you answer my questions now?" Quinn asks a big grin painted across his face
"My parents were murdered…" I mutter looking away "By their own crew…"
Nobody talked. Everyone seemed too surprised to say much.
"How have you survived all alone on Skull Island all this time?" Maeve asks with a mean grin
"Stealing" I shrug "Hiding, Staying out of people's way"
"The first one seems normal for a pirate" Jewel mutters meanly
"Well I guess I'm not the most average pirate" I reply, my voice venom filled
"Well none of us are" Orion says obviously trying to brighten the mood
"Kay everyone" Faith smiles "'Bout time we eat, let's show Cecilia a real meal"
I like the sound out that.
During the dinner Maeve seems to lighten up to me a bit but Jewel was really trying to keep as far away from me as she possibly could.
"Nice to meet you" Maeve says finally "I'm sorry for how I acted earlier and how Jewel is acting now"
"No problem" I reply timidly
Faith gives me a weird look setting a chicken drumstick on the tablecloth "You never had friends have you?"
"When I was 6 I did" I reply blushing a deep shade of crimson
"Well that must have been a while ago" Felix mutters rolling his eyes
"Felix don't ve mean" Errol growls
"It was 8 years ago" I shrug
"Well it's quite a surprise you aren't a social nightmare then" Orion laughs
"That's really really really really really really-" Quinn began
"Shut up Quinn" Jewel mutters "We get it. A lot of reallys"
Quinn blushes "Surprising"
These pirates don't seem half bad. I've always wanted to be a captain but being part of a crew shouldn't be that horrible either.
"Okay" Faith grins "That's your cabin" she points to a door "Right over there"
"I just have one question" I say shyly
"What?" Faith asks
"How come you asked me to be part of your crew anyways?" I ask
"Well..." Faith sighs "To be honest I've been watching you" she looks really embarrassed "You looked out of place...And you never seemed to leave...Then I saw you do a little bit of magic to trip one of those jerky pirate boys..." I grin with the memory, one of the braggy higher level pirates had been picking on a young buccaneer so I had quickly tripped him with some magic and a giant piece of drift word that worked as a wand "Then I saw your name in the sand"
"What's so weird about my name?" I ask
"DeClark" Faith sighs "The DeClarks were the best pirate family out there, powerful, rich, but they were all murdered by the Armada"
My eyes get wide.
Faith sighs "Get some rest, we've got some treasure to find tomorrow" She holds up a map "If you have anymore questions ask Felix, he's first mate"
Felix? But he seems like a jerk I thought sighing as I walked into my cabin Why would Faith choose him as first mate?
Coral Fisher shivered in the cold as she stood at the mast of the ship. Her captain Kai Noble had been out of sorts lately and like a decent first mate she was worried. Unsure how to approach him she decided finally to simply march straight into his quarters and demand to know what was happening.
She opened the door to his study, where he spent most of his time onboard the ship.
"Kai" she says
Kai is hunched over a book reading it as if Coral hadn't entered. His black hair was messy from his hat, which was now thrown on the floor, being taken off. His gun sat on the table, untouched, collecting dust, he hadn't had to use it in so long.
"Kai" Coral repeats
Kai looks up at Coral again his hazel eyes dull "Yes?"
"What's wrong?" Coral asked concerned for her friend
"Nothing" Kai sighs taking his hat off the floor and putting it back on his head "It's nothing, not anymore"
"Okay" Coral replied not believing a word he said
"Prepare the crew" Kai says finally "We'll be docking on Skull Island"
"Yes Captain" Coral grins, Kai seemed much more normal
When they finally docked Coral walks out to the docks examining the other boats. Most were small ugly things barely capable of handly a crew of 3 or 4. Others were grand, big enough to hold at least a hundred men. Coral was happy to be part of a crew on one of these fancy ships.
"Hey you" a voice whispers
Coral turns to see an older boy maybe 16 or 17, his dark black hair poked through a red bandana, his clothes were red and black, neat, not a wrinkle in sight, very marleybone piratish. Way too fancy for a normal person.
"What do you want?" Coral asks afraid this person might be a spy for the Armada
"Don't worry" the boy laughs cooly "I just have a question for you"
"What do you want?" Coral repeats
"Your from one of those big fancy boat" the boy grins "Which means that you must be a pretty decent pirate, I want you to steal something for me, to help with resistance against the Armada" Coral isn't sure whether or not to trust this boy but she keeps listening "See they've got a base a little bit up the shore, they've got the plans for the next big attack in that base, if we have them we'll be a step ahead. Take your captain and your crew and go get them and I'll pay you grandly for your help"
Coral nods "I'll ask my captain, is there a way we can contact you?"
"Go to the mean part of town" the boy grins "Ask for Bloody Luke DeClark"
DeClark? Coral wonders Like that famous family?! This boy certainly isn't one of them is he?
"Just do it" Luke growls walking back into the shadows "Do it or never mention it again"
Coral was left feeling cold she ran back to the boat.
My eyes sprung open, I was breathing heavily. Another nightmare...
"Come on Mommy" my older brother whined
"Come on Daddy" I whined with him
Mommy and Daddy laughed and played with us on deck, we were having such a good time as a family.
Then Mommy and Daddy got scared, they sent me away on a lifeboat and my big brother away on another. I screamed my brother's name until my voice was lost...Then I lost my brother's name to time never to remember it again.
I hated that memory. Mostly because I knew my parents and brother were probably dead, it hurt to remember them. I hated that I couldn't remember my brother's name, I should have tried harder to remember it…But I didn't. I hoped if he was alive, he had a better life than me, at least prior to joining Faith's crew. Maybe he ended up on Skull Island too…
Maybe I've seen him before…Since that horrible day.
I sigh and blow out the lantern next to my hammock. Stupid sad little dreams.