Lieutenant Novak quickened his pace. He could have no error today. He committed too many over this past month. From failing to capture the pirates known as "Lucifer's Demons" to speaking out of turn towards the Commander. He was in deep, deep water. However, not as deep as the drowning pirate in the sea. Speaking of which. The Lieutenant signaled to his men to start surrounding the Demons. From what his Commander told him, Captain Winchester of the Black Impala, the man at the bottom of the sea, was captured by some of "Lucifer's Demons" and he was sent to retrieve him. On why a filthy pirate was of interest to the crown he didn't know. He didn't ask either. He was given an order therefore he must follow it.
Perhaps, this was finally an opportunity to rid of the fowl Capitan Winchester. All Jimmy knew was that if he didn't bring back the pirate alive, he would be the one at the bottom of the sea.
He watched as the other pirates on the dock laughed at the drowning man struggling to break free of his ties. Giving the signal, Jimmy and his men rushed the pirates. The small, but skilled, army took out the Demons easily. They may be the largest pirate crew but their skills were certainly lacking. How one of the most feared pirate captains in all the Caribbean was captured by them was beyond him. Novak raised the drowning pirate from his watery grave and into the light. While his men were scanning the area he checked if the pirate was still alive.
The pirate himself seemed very clean and… not as putrid as most of his kind Jimmy encountered. He'd been stripped of most of his clothing and was left in only a pair of black britches. The Lieutenant spotted a tattoo on the pirate's chest. It was of what looked like a pentagram, surrounded in flames. He found no pulse so started to do chest compressions. He wasn't entirely sure what it did but the doctor said to do it if someone wasn't breathing and had no pulse.
While doing this, he scanned the pirate more. His sun-kissed skin was dotted by freckles all over his nose and shoulders. His short dirty-blond hair was flattened by the salty water, and covered his forehead. One gold ring hung from his left ear. Jimmy didn't know if he had any weapons with him, yet, the pirate captain had his wrists and ankles bound so there was nothing to worry about.
Then, the man beneath him started to cough up water and a bit of blood. His eyes opened to reveal the greenest green. The green orbs turned from confusion to anger in a half a moment. That anger was directed at Jimmy.
"Let me go you filthy Angel!" Captain Winchester seethed, his voice hoarse. He wriggled from Jimmy's grasp. This was surprising because hadn't he just been drowning moments before? Caught off guard Novak jumped back, letting the pirate worm away to a log that had clothing draped over it. Gaining his wits back, he scrambled up to his feet and tried to grab the outlaw. By then the man in ties was no longer bound and had cut himself free with a lone sword on the ground. Because of this, the Winchester was up on his feet. Well, as much as he could be. He must still be effected from almost dying. Even with this fact, before Jimmy could unsheathe his blade, the pirate had tackled him to the ground. He grunted as he slammed into the wet sand. The last thing he saw was a fist headed to his face, then darkness.
Once the Lieutenant woke, he was greeted by the concerned and frustrated faces of his troop. Slowly, but surely, he picked his head up and cringed into a sitting position. A massive headache rung in his skull. He looked to his men.
"What happened," he croaked.
"We killed the Demons. However, the Hunter got away," one reported, grimly looking down. He pitied the solider. Jimmy placed a dirt-covered hand on the privet's shoulder.
"Do not hang your head, solider, I am just glad there were no Angel casualties." He gave a forced smile and asked to be helped up. Demons. Hunters. Angels. All short-hand terms for the men at war in the Caribbean. Demons, were the nastiest of the bunch. They will stop at nothing to destroy every town along the seven sea's shores. They are known to murder, pillage, rape, and deface men, women, and children. Jimmy believed in no true evil. But the Demons got real close. Commanded by Captain Lucifer, they were hell bent on taking over the whole Caribbean. And Captain Lucifer, even thinking about his name would send shivers down your spine. He is the most dreaded pirate alive. Lucifer the Savage, people call him.
The second most dreaded is the pirate that just escaped. Captain Winchester, commander of the "Demon Hunters". They used that name to cause a spark with the Demons. The groups are sworn enemies. The Hunters tend to be much nicer to the people of the land and sea. They are very efficient in their ways and savvy in others. Yet, they don't take to kindly of people who don't share their ideals. The Hunters would've been great allies to the crown if his battalion wasn't also on that list.
All pirates, and frankly everyone, calls the royal army "The Angels of the Lord". There is differences in the definition of it between folks. The people who live under the Lord use the name in good health, a word of hope in a world of uncertainty. The pirates however, use it ironically and as an insult. As if being a saint is somehow undesirable. But, alas, this is how things are.
Jimmy would not dare to be pirate-less in the eyes of his Commander. So, he dismissed his troop to their quarters as he went on. It is to be noted that the path he was about to take would be terribly dangerous, and incredibly stupid. This is why he dismissed his soldiers. They have families to return to. Mothers, fathers, wives, sons, and daughters. Novak on the other hand, had no family. Mother and father died of old age, and his wife and child were taken from him by the sea orcs. His darling Amelia and his precious Claire. In turn his hatred for the bastards burns as the sun does. He was tempted to find the pirate only to kill him. Go back to Commander Uriel a hero. But all the same, he asked for a rotten, good for nothing pirate still breathing so he would deliver. First, he needed a disguise. Where he was going, you didn't want to be an angel.
Adjusting his blade under his tan coat the soldier walked into the alehouse. The place reeked of alcohol and lust. Call women lined the street of the esteemed Harvelle's Roadhouse. Jimmy had heard of many great things from the brewery. He wasn't much of a drinker so he had never tasted the owner's beers and ales. The owner, Ellen Harvelle, was accepting of all in her establishment. All except Demons of course. The thing was that her customers weren't as accepting as she is. It he showed up, clothed in army colors, he'd be dead before he stepped foot inside. So, he donned on regular clothes for this occasion. Novak had never been to the alehouse and was glad he hadn't. Multiple pairs of eyes landed on him as he entered. He wasn't there for making friends however. He was there for answers, so he trudged on.
He sat at the bar waiting to be served. A woman, maybe early forties, spoke up cleaning a glass.
"Howdy stranger. What can I get ya?" she greeted, a welcoming smile on her face.
"I need to talk to the owner of this establishment. Ellen Harvelle," he stated, slightly lowering his voice in fear of eavesdroppers.
"Who's askin'?" she asked, suspicious. Jimmy sighed and leaned in over the bar.
"Please, it's urgent. I'm looking for someone," he pleaded. The woman looked at him for a moment, eyes squinted.
"You aint tryin' to kill anyone now, are ya?" she questioned. Her voice turned cold for a moment. The sound made his hairs stand on end.
"No… no ma'am. I'm just trying to find someone is all," he stammered slightly.
"So you said. Well, it's nice to meet your acquaintance. What can I do for ya then?" she said simply. The tension easily slipped away and he relaxed.
"You are Mrs. Harvelle then?" She nodded. "Well, I'm looking for Captain Winchester. I have reason to believe he would go through here to get supplies," Jimmy whispered. She on the other hand, laughed. Quite loudly. Which drew some odd glances.
"Don't lie to me, boy. You are tryin' to kill someone. The only people who wanna know where that bastard is, are assassins, Demons, an' Angels," she chuckled. He felt his neck turn red.
"I assure you that is not what I intend to do. Trust me, if I was going to kill him I would've already done so," he argued. This only made her laugh more.
"Cocky are we?" He put his head in his hands.
"He is a person of interest. I only need him for help and that is all I can tell you," he mumbled. He was slightly disgusted at the words that escaped his mouth. Asking a wretched pirate for help. Just brilliant.
"I'm just pullin' your leg, lad. I don't normally send strangers to their deaths but since you are so diligent. Ash! Get out here!" she yelled to the kitchen. Seconds later a drunken man stumbled from the doors. The man had long brown hair and a worn shirt with ripped sleeves. A single silver ring pierced his left ear.
"Yep," Ash stated simply.
"Show this man to the son of a bitch himself." She gestured the two men out of the building. Jimmy gave her a short thanks and farewell before Ash dragged him out of the alehouse. He just hoped things didn't end as they did last time.
They walked for what felt like days. By sometime around midnight, the still drunken bartender and anxious Lieutenant arrived at an abandoned warehouse. Ash bid Jimmy a farewell before wobbling back towards the alehouse. He hardly thought that was safe but decided to say nothing. He had bigger things to deal with. First, he sized up the building. It was small and out in the middle of nowhere. Perfect for squatting down to hide. Drawing his blade he took caution waking in. This time, he would not underestimate the pirate. However that wasn't enough as when he foolishly walked in the front door, he triggered the booby-traps. Sparks flew as small bombs went off. Gunpowder clogged his nose, explosions made him deaf, and the sparks made him blind. Things were already not going well. Blindly he ran through the warehouse and slowly his ears caught up with him. Then in an instant, he was fighting. With whom he didn't know. He was just clacking swords with an unknown opponent. He couldn't see but he could still hear his attacker shuffling in the dirt. From what he could tell, the other was very savvy and almost got him a few times. However, they were evenly matched. Granted, Jimmy's sight was still absent so he felt he could've taken the intuitive if that weren't a truth. Setting aside the fact that it was probably pitch black for both of them in the dark night. But that is beside the point.
The dark spots in his vision were starting to wane, but his adrenaline was just kicking in. Now he was able to pick up the pace, placing his footsteps in more precise spots. Ever since he was a young boy, Jimmy loved sword play. It was more than self-defense, more than a way to survive. It was art. Dancing with your opponent, each swing, each movement a calculated step in achieving victory. And, surprise, surprise, pirates had to take something beautiful and tactful, and destroy it.
Just as Novak gained the upper hand, Captain Winchester pointed a gun at his head.
"You cheated," Jimmy gasped.
"Pirate," he taunted, giving a satisfied smirk. Pushing Novak back, the pirate kept a firm grip on his pistol. "Who are you?" he demanded. Might as well play nicely now. There was nothing else to do. Dropping his sword he put his hands up in defense.
"I am Lieutenant Novak of the Garrison. An Angel of the Lord," he answered.
"I figured that much. I mean what do you want?" he spat.
"Well, I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition," Jimmy began.
"Thanks for that," Winchester sneered. "Why would a Lieutenant save me? What do the Angels want with me?" he questioned, moving closer to Jimmy. Backing up into a wall, he did his best to suppress his fear. Swallowing, he told what he believed to be the truth.
"We have work for you."