Yep, here it be! A new story that I've thought about for a while and I just needed to write it down. I've been experimenting with different time periods and such and i rather enjoy righting in those periods, although the research sure is a pain. Ugh, well anyway, I hope you all enjoy this new story! :)

A hearty laugh broke the still, salt air that surrounded the ship. The waves gently rushed against the hull of the wooden behemoth as it sailed through the Mediterranean. Such blue, pristine waters they were today. What a lovely day it was. With the sun shining, casting its warm glow upon the ship, the only ship that seemed to be sailing today. Oh, how it was a glorious day to sail the seas!

The brown leather boot covers clapped the deck as the feet inside them trotted across the deck. The crew had been hard at work that day, seeing as they had to make port by nightfall. The entire plan was to stock up for the long journey to the Caribbean. He gave a light chuckle at the thought. He always wanted to go back and revisit, but never had the chance to. Surely, he was grateful to have to opportunity to now.

The wind in his face felt relieving as it cooled the excited sweat from his brow. How he loved the water and all her glory and vastness. Never-ending beauty as he always put it. It was going to be a lovely day for the crew and their giddy captain.

Captain Antonio Fernandez Carriedo he was. Many would agree that he wasn't a very great pirate; always getting marooned, defeated, or homeless on the streets. Antonio's damn luck always turned for the better. Nothing ever seemed to get the man down for long, being as bright and cheery as he was. Some wondered why he was even a pirate in the first place. Then again he was too much of a free spirit for government standards. He would always put his heart into his work or duties and then end up shirking them for something that was more him, like dancing to the lutes, viols, and other instruments being played in the streets.

Seeing as no one wanted to hire him for his carefree, laidback personality, he was often homeless, being unable to pay for even a room at the local tavern for more than a few weeks. And once being homeless for so long, no one wanted to hire unless they were desperate to hire.

One day, though, his luck turned drastically.

Four years earlier

Melilla, Spain

1717

Hustle had busied the night with from the upcoming thrill and enthusiasm with the St. Valentine's Day festival going on. Streets were filled with music, dance, show, and most of all, laughter. Antonio had been enjoying himself the night, dancing with a few women and laughing with the children.

If there was one thing Antonio loved more than the sea, it was kids. Such happiness and innocence that they held close to them, playing in their fantasies of pirates and dragons and knights of a time long, long ago. He always wanted to be a father, even planned to have a family if his fiancé hadn't left him when he lost job for good. The pain lingered heavily within his heart. She had taken everything from him, not that he had much to begin with, only leaving him with about six shillings and a memory. A crumpled up memory that he wish he could just forget.

Antonia had decided, although going against his decision several times before, to spend some time at the tavern. He was always welcome there, the folk there being some of his only friends. They had helped Antonio whenever they could, but even now times were getting tough for the middle and poor classes. Even when they offered aid, food, or shelter, Antonio kindly refused.

He sat down to have a mug of mead. The sweet, honeyed flavor quenched his longing tastes. It had been a while since he had a good glass of mead. It felt nice to refresh his lips with the drink. Somehow he had managed to catch wind of a conversation being held not far from the table he sat at. He couldn't hear much, but what he did hear interested him.

"…Need of a crew… No I don' know…. Small ship… Maybe about a dozen… O' course not just anyone… Offer fair pay…"

Antonio gave a light "hm" before whispering to himself, repeating the words back, "Fair pay." He assumed it wasn't the safest offer or the best job, but he could use any opportunity he got. He may never have shown it, but he was desperate for a job, to live in a home again. Being in the streets did grow tiring and lonely after a while. Plus, he could really use a proper bathing.

Gathering up his courage, he took a stand and made his way over to the table that he overheard the two men at. "Excuse me, gentlemen."

The two looked up at him cautiously. The glare in their eyes warned Antonio fiercely. Both the men were rugged and rather built. One had a ragged, black beard with strong, lean shoulders. Thick hands lay gently on the table, one grasping the mug of a half-drunk brew of some kind, rich and dark in color, most likely ale. He wore a trailing deep blue doublet with a thin, eggshell colored shirt underneath. A large leather belt was decorated across his waist, and from what Antonio could make out, had a few pistols haltered to the belt.

The other was dressed less flashy, having just a plain white shirt with a waistcoat over top of it. Loose tan breeches fitted his legs with a black sash tied around his waist. He was less hairy as the first man with a five o'clock shadow on his face and a bandana covering his head. The man hand noticed Antonio looked him over and smiled, showing off yellowed teeth and black holes where some were missing. Antonio cringed in his mind but kept his outward expression the same.

"I couldn't help but slightly overhear your conversation. I've been out of work for some time now and I'm in need of a job. Anything will do."

This interested the larger of the two, loosening his glare on the thin man in front of him. "anythin' will do, eh? What're yer skills?"

Antonio chuckled lightly and responded with ease and delight. "You should be asking what they aren't. I've taken up most of my former jobs as being a carpenter. I'm pretty manageable with whatever tools I've been handed. I've cooked around the town once or twice. Oh! And I'm an excellent gardener! I can grow the best tomatoes this side of Europe has ever seen. I was even a reeve once, but I was fired because everyone kept saying I shirked my duties. I don't know what they meant by that."

"Gee, I wonder," the smaller man muttered off to himself. Antonio narrowed his eyes at the comment but ignored it otherwise.

"Ye think ye have what it takes?" the larger man asked again.

"Wouldn't be here if I didn't. I may not look it, but I can hold my own."

"What's yer age, kid?"

"Twenty-one years."

"Got a wife?"

"No, sir."

"Family?"

Antonio hesitated a bit before answering, avoiding eye contact with the man. "No. My mother had caught the pox when I was sixteen. At first she just had a raging fever, until it turned her insane. One dad when my papa came home with my brother and I, we found her hanging from the rafters. Seeing her like that drove papa into a grieving sadness that, a year later, lead to him getting very ill and dying. I was to take care of my younger brother for two years until we parted ways. I wound up here and met a fine young woman. But when I ended up without a job, she took all I had and left me for practically dead. I've been able to survive thus far, but even it gets hard at times."

The two stayed silent for a moment, letting what the lad had told them to sink in before answering. "Desperate then, are ye?"

"I assume you could say I am."

Rubbing his bear with his thick, sausage fingers, the man thought for a moment. He was in need of a few new men, for sure. He wasn't desperate but could use anyone willing or strong enough. This man seemed to have some courage and, being a carpenter, strength. "A'right, lad. Come to the docks tomorrow before noon an' we'll see what we got fer ye."

Antonio's face lit up like a warm fire crackling in the hearth. Someone was actually going to hire him! Oh, happy day! "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

"Don' thank me yet, kid," the pirate muttered under his breath just loud enough for Antonio to hear.

"I can assure you I will not disappoint. First thing tomorrow then." He took a long leap away before turning around again. "By the way, my name's Antonio."

The smaller of the two pirates turned to his mug and chugged the rest of it down. "I'll give that sea bass three days. He won' last long."

The captain scoffed deep in his throat. "I'll be damned if he does. He ain't fit fer a job like this."

Antonio couldn't sleep that night. He was too happy and too busy daydreaming about what the job could possibly be. Maybe it was a fishing gig. They did look pretty rugged and they smelled a lot of salt. Salt and alcohol. There was another possibility plaguing the back of his mind, but he tried not to think about it. Unable to hold back the thought, it came to his attention.

As he lay back in the hay, staring up at the ceiling of the stable he shared with two horses, he couldn't help but think if the two were pirates. He had never seen one in his life, living most of it in the mainland. He'd heard the stories, though. Stories of cruel, ruthless beings that sailed the seas pillaging villages, raping women, stealing gold, jewels, and other treasures and valuable belongings. Every story he heard was about how horrible pirates were, how mean, vicious, cruel they were. Scum of the sea, as they were called. Antonio never wanted to get involved with men like this, and tried to avoid it all his life. He was a lover, not a fighter. He could hold his own in a fight, seeing as he had gotten into a few every now and again, but he avoided conflicts as much as he could.

A slightly cold breeze blew in his face from the cracked stable doors. Antonio rolled over on his side to shield himself from it. Hay dropped in his hair and tangled as the horse next to him playfully tossed it to him. He laughed lightly and tossed some hay back. These two horses were probably his best friends. He was all right with that. They didn't complain about him being homeless or judge him for being so happy and cheerful when others would be begging and gloomy. Lily he believed this horse's name was. The other was Eliza.

Lily trotted over and sniffed at his hair before standing next to him, turning to her sleep like her sister did half an hour before. Following their lead, Antonio rested as well, trying hard to fall asleep even with the excitement boiling in his belly.

Early next morning, before the farmer woke up and let his horses out, Antonio woke up and stretched his arms. The rooster had just started crowing, signaling his leave. He patted the two girls, saying goodbye to them. "Wish me luck with my job," he called to them before sprinting out of the stable and off the property. Before noon, the man had said. Well, he might as well wait by the docks and spend some time doing whatever he felt like around there while he could. Get some breakfast while he was at it, too.

The sun was high and hot in the sky, shimmering brilliance across the beautiful ocean in front of him. Antonio sighed nervously, sitting on the dock with his feet dipped in the cool water. It was almost noon and he had not seen any sign of either of the men that he had spoken with the night before. Biting his lip, he wondered if he had missed them. His only job offer in months and he had lost it. He thought the day couldn't get any worse.

Antonio stood up from the dock and slipped his shoes back on. His eyes scanned the docks once more. Fear poured in his gut, as he didn't catch any sign of the men. Maybe he had missed them somehow.

Blue suddenly flashed in his vision. A velvet sheen that was hit by the sun just right. Antonio jumped at the sight and raced to catch up with the man. The man was hastily stalking towards a rather odd ship for a fishing vessel. Maybe it was English. Getting closer to the man in blue, he called, "Good morning! Aren't forgetting someone, are you?"

The man stopped and turned to Antonio. A small smile twitched on his bearded lips. "An' I thought ye wouldn' be makin' it." His voice was gruff but assured. In a way, he was glad to see the man in front of him. If anything, he'd be entertainment that's for sure.

Antonio gave the man a bright smile. He was about eight inches taller than Antonio and gave off an intimidating aura. Although Antonio was not bothered with such. His reply was just as bright as his smile, "Well, I need the job. I couldn't back out of the opportunity."

The man set a large hand on Antonio's shoulder. Antonio suddenly felt smaller with the muscular hand on his frame. "Then let me welcome ye aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge. An' I be the captain o' this here ship."

Antonio was lead aboard, getting more and more skeptical with each unwilling step. The captain's hand held firm on his shoulder, almost as if he was making sure the Spaniard wouldn't turn back now. As he saw the crew aboard the ship, he knew immediately what he had gotten himself into. Standing before him, working to set the ship ready for sailing was an entire crew of pirates.

He wanted to run, tried to, but his legs were frozen in place at the shock. All the stories he had heard and he was face-to-face with the infamous men that made those stories true, made them live and thrive fearfully across Europe. The captain pushed him forward forcefully. "No turnin' back now, kid. Ye've signed yer contract with my crew." He looked up and eyed the crew considerably. "Beel…Bile… Veil… For Christ's sake! Change yer damn name!" A pirate looked up from swabbing the deck and came over, greeting the captain. "Ye are goin' t'be in charge o' this sheep. He's new to the crew." With that, the pirate stalked off to his quarters.

The man sneered and muttered under his breath, "It's Beilschmidt," then turned to Antonio and leaned against the mop. "So, how'd ya get in a mess like this?" The man in front of Antonio was strange at the sight. His skin was mostly covered up, even wearing a bandana to cover his head, but what he could make out, he was pale, paler than anyone he had ever seen. The man took his bandana off for a moment to wipe some sweat off his face, showing off his pure white hair that shined bright in the light. Also another striking feature was his brilliant crimson eyes that flared with the excitement as the smirk on his face.

Noticing Antonio's surprised look, he chuckled delightfully. "No need to worry or anything. It's in my genetics. I think the doctors called it albinism or something of that. I don't trust doctors anyways."

Antonio had a similar feeling with the man about doctors. Putting that aside, he tilted his head somewhat and asked, "Your accent is strong."

"I'm Prussian, that's why!" he said proudly. "The name is Beilschmidt. Gilbert Beilschmidt. And yours?"

"Antonio Carriedo. I got caught in this because I was in desperate need of work. I overheard the captain speaking about needing a crew…"

"So ye volunteered, did ya?" Gilbert finished for him. "Ya poor fool, ya are."

Antonio felt indifferent about the comment but wasn't amused by it either. "And how did you end up here?" he asked curiously.

Gilbert handed the mop to Antonio and led him to where he was swabbing a few moments ago. He answered as if just shrugging the fact off. "Captured. My ship was destroyed by Mr. Sunshine. I was the last to survive of the crew so he took me here and made me apart of his crew. Here, start swabbing. We'll be sailing within the hour." Gilbert walked off to grab a brush, assuming Antonio knew how to swab a deck.

Antonio sighed and dipped the mop in the bucket of soap water and spread it across a small area, scrubbing the thick mop across it. The ship seemed to be in well-kept shape. The wood barely had any rot or splintering to it. Its color over the ages had turned the wood darker than it had been when first built. Antonio looked up at the mast. The cloth was well cleaned and gleamed like the beach sand in the light.

Gilbert returned moments later with a scrub brush. Getting down on his hands and knees, he pushed and pulled the brush back and forth on the deck. Antonio was unsure whether he should really trust this man or any of them. Hearing the stories made him frightened enough. Now he was living them? This day was as worse as it could get.

The vessel began sailing in no time away from the port, and Antonio watched as the shore got further and further away until it was completely out of sight and the blue ocean surrounded them on every side. The contents of his stomach began to churn. Maybe fish wasn't the best idea for breakfast after all. This was going to be a long trip.

A few months later, the year had changed to 1718. Queen Anne's Revenge had ported in the New World, the Caribbean, and they were now heading their way back to England. Over that time Antonio had calmed his nerves on being on board a ship full of pirates. He had learned all the stories were true to a point, but like everyone else, pirates had their own personalities and traits and even their own laws and morals. It quite surprised him, but even he was getting used to the pirate life. Who was he kidding, he was loving it! The freedom, the clean wind in his face and hair, being loud and cheerful, and he had soon fallen in love with a beautiful lady called the Atlantic, even if he had gotten seasick the first week into the journey.

Antonio ditched his old, shaggy clothes from before and now scampered about barefoot, with dark colored trousers. The months of being unshod were working his soles hard and rough. Not that he really minded it. In his opinion, it was easier to move about without shoes on. Had a better grip at times, and it was better to swim without shoes. He wore an open white shirt with a light blue sash tied over his shoulder and across his chest. A fine cutlass was hooked on the left side, holstered by the sash. His hair was now shaggy and flowed whichever way it wanted, unlike how he kept it neat and swept back like before. It had even grown out some since he had been with the pirates.

Antonio and Gilbert had become fairly well friends. They drank together and sang together and were often drunk nearly every night before Blackbeard interrupted them to put out all the lights. Do not disturb a sleeping pirate: no lanterns at night. Not even a candle. "The moon be yer only guide," as the captain put it. Although, even if it was hot and sunny out, Gilbert always wore something to cover his skin at all times. The albino said he burned easily and couldn't afford to have his grand skin turn red as a lobster.

"I did get burned when I was younger," Gilbert recalled one day when Antonio had asked. The day had been breezy with barely any clouds rolling across the sky. The water sloshed against the creaking hull gently as it cut through the surface on her journey. "Around when I was seven, methinks. My little brother, who was four, and I were playing out in the sun, all day long. Our grandpa wasn't home at the time and he always had me wear something at all times. I got tired of wearing clothes all the damn time so I ran around shirtless, and practically pant less as well." He chuckled lightly to himself and muttered off topic. "I had an impressive five meters even back then." Antonio just raised a curious eyebrow at the comment but said nothing of it. He didn't need to be shown the man's alleged, and well proud of, "five meters."

"Anyway," Gilbert spoke loudly, snapping Antonio back to his attention, "when grandpa finally returned, I was redder than a lobster! The burn was all over my chest, back, and even my head! It was insane, completely ridiculous. Grandpa went out to get me some weird oil or cream to help with the burn. Then my skin did the oddest thing. It started peeling! At the time, I didn't think it was normal. Thought I was turning into some lizard or something, which methinks would have been astounding, even to this day."

Antonio responded with a delightful chuckle, "I'm sure that was odd."

"At first, indeed. Lasted for a month before I finally went back to normal." Or whatever part of Gilbert you could really call normal. Even his speaking was different from what Antonio was used to. Must have been a Prussian/German thing, he figured. "That's something I would never do again. I even have my boundaries."

"Oi, y'freeloaders!" The quartermaster, William Howard, had spotted the two idling around while he was doing his rounds on the ship. "There's still work t'be done."

Antonio smiled and looked out at the water, leaning his forearms against the railing. He really had to admit, being a pirate wasn't half bad. Sure, Teach was a temperamental drunk, but Howard was pretty laidback as someone in his position could be. He had always threatened Gilbert and him with the cat o' nine tails if they kept dodging work like they did. Though he only snapped the whip at them, more like Antonio, once. When Gilbert had knowingly questioned why the instrument had never touched his back before, Howard only gave a laugh, "I know y'better than that, Balemeat. Y'd only enjoy it."

If one thing ever annoyed the albino, it's that no one could or cared to pronounce his name right. Antonio had never tried to pronounce it, seeing as they referred to each other with their given names instead of their surnames. "Beilschmidt," he murmured to himself.

Gilbert seemed to notice the attempt and was glad someone was actually trying. "Ya aren't all that bad, Spaniard."

"Same to you, my Prussian friend. My strange, strange, Prussian friend."

"Aye, but ya forgot to add incredible in that sentence, mate."

Yep. Life as a pirate wasn't all that bad after all.