Hey guys! I do hope you're ready for some epicness since I think I've found my One Piece, my Bleach, my eternity project. I give you Leviathan's Fin, a total AU just to cater to my itch to write something wickedly awesome. It's just for pure fun this time, I will kinda work on this in between other works or when I'll feel like it, so the updates might be less regular than usually.
A couple things, I try to make this as realistic as possible. So there's no crystal magic, no potions, not any of that. A pure AU. Also, it's a pirate story, so it's gonna have some pretty cruel violence and character death, so if those kinda things bother you, perhaps you should find something else to read.
Now, wind in the sails, fellas!
The boards creaked precariously; the sweet yet stale odor of mold rose to his nostrils, to mix into the electrifying cocktail of sweat, reeds and earthy musk. His heart thumping deafeningly in the surrounding silence, Prompto shifted around slightly. A near-silent whimper was released, followed by an involuntary gulp, and his skin brushed against the threatening steel held close to his throat.
"Well, well, well… what have we here?" The mockingly sweet smile was audible in the velvety voice behind him. Not daring to turn around, Prompto's breath hitched. "Looks like I found myself a rat."
The young man gulped. "I-I was just-"
"Stealin," the other voice interrupted, taking an authoritative note.
"N-no! I..."
"You were just thinkin' you could just sneak your way in here and snatch my cargo, didn't you?" the voice went on, ignoring him. A sharp intake was drawn as the blade pressed down a little. "Do you have any idea who you're stealin' from, cretin?"
"I-I wasn't stealin', I was jus'-"
"A rat, and a liar!" the voice spat, and an invisible hand grabbed Prompto's wrist painfully, forcing his fingers to loosen around the precious object. The young man felt his heart crumble along with the sound of it clattering onto the floor; he had just signed his own death sentence. "And what are you callin' this then, eh?"
"Please…" he started, his voice shaking and pitched with fear. "It's, it's just an apple. Please, I haven't eaten in three days…"
"You think I give a rat's ass, you thievin' little shit?!" Prompto let out a surprised yelp as he was shoved forward suddenly. He managed a couple of steps, but when his foot got tangled into a pile of rope, Prompto knew that he was in serious trouble. Somewhere between gazing at the leather sails earlier that evening and finding himself crouching among the vast containers of food and drinking water, Prompto had learned to expect this. For things to jar at some point. He just hadn't thought it'd get quite this bad. As the lithe form met the hardwood with a choked cry, and the boot crushed him into the floor and ground into his shoulder a second later, Prompto knew he'd never see them again.
He would never see anything else again.
"Do you know," the voice started lowly, "what happens to thieves in this town?"
He did.
"Please-" he was cut off with a sharp yelp at the flare of fire on his shoulder socket.
"I should just slit your scrawny little throat right here, thief. It ain't worth the noose." The metal pressed into the skin a little, pinpricks of blood rising to the surface, and the pinned man tensed under the foot. As the cold eyes watched the rapid rises and falls of the lanky ribcage and the subtle trembling of his shoulders, the ladycaptain for the first time really got a good look of the captive. It was a kid, couldn't be older than seventeen. And by the looks of it, the boy had been telling the truth when he had said that he'd been starving. The tattered rags the kid wore hung about him loosely; hell, the bony structure looked like it had gone without a crumble for weeks.
It was pathetic. The kid had gone completely still, the pants shuddery but quiet, and he was craning his neck back almost unnaturally, to put as much distance between the skin and the steel as possible. Wary eyes shifted on and off the steel, the walls, even the damn apple that had rolled three feet away. The brat was absolutely terrified. And for good reason. The rumor had it that the Crown's men preferred to take their time with the prisoners, to have a little fun. And a kid like this one…
Well, let's just say that Aranea Highwind wasn't sorry they were sailing out at sunrise. It wasn't anything one would want to witness.
Unless…
A cold shiver ran Prompto through when he heard the chuckle above him. It had been a sound of deliberation. Promising, but not of the positive kind. He was convinced when the voice practically purred, "You know, my little rat… you should consider yourself lucky. There might be some use for you yet."
And Prompto wasn't sure if he'd rather have the gallows. That wasn't his choice to make, though. Kicking and screaming was all he could do as two crew members stepped into the hold, and he was dragged away.
Left to listen to the distancing wails, the captain bowed down to snatch the apple, and chuckling a little, took a generous bite.