Voices shook the walls and glasses slammed down on the hard wooden tables as a pretty young girl rushed back and forth from the bar to the tables, filling the glasses. Her black, curly hair hung down to her waist and her deep, emerald eyes darted about, focusing on the customers. She was quick and strong, keeping all the weight on her tray and not even spilling a drop when she ran around. It took many years of training to be this perfect. Running around in a dress and boots, curtseying as you held at least ten pounds with one arm, and of course, dealing with the ruthless pirates. They don't care how old you are, as long as you're a pretty girl. Alexandria had to put up with their harassment constantly, it was the duty of a bar maid.

This was her fate as a result of what happened ten years ago, before Mocktown became overrun by pirates. There were no soldiers there to defend such a peaceful town so no one was going to stop the pirates who soon came to hang out. The townspeople began to get in fights with the pirates and Alexandria's widowed father was first to be shot at a bar fight. A family friend took her in and she began to work at their bar. She didn't like having to put up with all the ugly, ruthless pirates that came in all the time and dreamed of sailing away from all this blood and toil only to be pinched in the butt and many other flirting gestures. She hoped this would be that day she escapes. She had already thought it up and formed it into a fairytale. On her sixteenth birthday, her long lost uncle would come and save her from Mocktown and take her away to far away islands, go on adventures and live happily ever after. What a birthday wish!

"Oi! Girly! Get me some more rum will ya!?" A pirate yelled suddenly.

Alexandria woke up from her day-dreaming at the counter. It was so easy to get distracted on a busy day like this. Only an hour more, and she would be off until evening hours to celebrate her birthday to herself.

That hour passed quickly as Alexandria practically danced across the floors, delivering full mugs and bottles. When her time had passed, she rushed upstairs to her room with the terrific view to change.

As she dug in her armoire for her favorite outfit, she heard gunshots and feared that they came from below. Three of them, right above her head. Curious, Alexandria opened up her window and crawled onto the roof in her dress.

"Hey! What are doing up on my roof!?" She yelled at the man that she found sitting on her roof.

He turned around and gave a distant look at her as if he looked right through her. Her wore a scope piece on his right eye that was attached to a square frame spectacle piece. His glasses were customised, as Alexandria observed. He was richly dressed, a black jester's hat, black cape, a purple shirt with puffed sleeves and black pants. In his hands was a long sniper rifle, smoking from the barrel. She found him so dark and handsome as he stared back at her.

"I hope you don't mind my lady. I was only having a little bit of target practice." He said with a sincere attitude.

Alexandria let out a dreamy sigh. "No, of course not. I was only curious as to what you were doing." She blushed. "Don't let me interrupt."

"You may come and watch." He said, turning back and taking aim with his gun.

Alexandria crawled up to the top of the roof and sat next to the man as a bullet sped out of the barrel and hit something far from where the eye could see.

"Poor thing, I only injured that one. But such is the result of his actions this day." The man said, looking sadly over the ocean because he didn't kill it instantly.

Alexandria looked at him curiously. She wondered if he was a pirate and if so, why he was such a gentleman. "Why do you shoot at them?" She asked a question that was not so important.

"It is their fate. Fate measures the worth of every living thing." He said as he reloaded the rifle.

"I see." Alexandria said, remembering something similar her uncle had told her so long ago that she still does not understand.

"I must be going, my lady. I am truly sorry to leave all of a sudden. I will try to see you again if fate allows it." The man said as he climbed down the roof.

"Wait! What's your name?" Alexandria asked, peering over the gutter at him.

"Van Auger." He said as he leaped down into the alley.

"My name is Alexandria Teach." She smiled.

"Farewell Alexandria." He called up to her and gave a slight wave. She waved back before he began to jog down the alley into the street with his rifle over his shoulder.

Alexandria sighed and crawled back through her window to resume what she was doing. She pulled out her favorite outfit and quickly put it on. She took her ponytail out from under her velvet green blouse and untied the ribbon, letting her hair down. Admiring herself in the mirror, she smiled as she rubbed her velvet black pants and fingered the golden brooch that had belonged to her mother. In the middle was a big emerald, as green as her eyes and blouse. As she laid her hand over the brooch, she began to think about what very Van Auger said about fate and what her uncle had always taught her. It was her mother's fate to die when Alexandria was only a couple years old. There was something that her mother had done in her life to deserve such a fate, the same goes for her father. Alexandria tried her best to avoid this so that she wouldn't suffer the same fates. She slipped on her boots and went downstairs to try to relieve her mind of the thoughts.

"Alexandria!" The barkeep called to her behind the counter. Alexandria walked over and leaned on the counter. "I believe your uncle was just in here but I can't be too sure."

"Really?" Her heart started to race.

"He just left but I bet you can catch up with him." He said and Alexandria dashed out the double doors without another word. She was going to find him.