Pilot
Raelin braced himself as another gust of wind kicked up the sand around him, creating a small twister around him. Shielding his eyes, Raelin scrambled to reach the ball lying on the ground and threw it back in the direction of a small boy farther down the beach.
"Catch Tar," Raelin shouted before rushing out of the sand tornado.
"I told you not to call me that," Tar called back, throwing the ball as hard as possible at Raelin's head.
Raelin grinned as he caught the ball mid-air, "Oh come on Tar, have a sense of humor. You know I'm just screwing with you."
Tar glared back at Raelin before sitting down and brushing the sand from his legs. Raelin walked to Tar and sat down next to him, handing the ball back. "Did you hear the news?"
Tar looked at Raelin with a quizzed look, "What news."
Raelin looked away and out toward the ocean, "The Pirate King, Gold Roger, is dead. He was executed a few days ago."
Tar snorted, "Serves him right, all pirates, especially the pirate king," Tar spat out the word, "Deserves to die."
Raelin squinted, "And what about me? What if I decided to become a pirate?"
Tar smiled creepily, "Then I, as a Marine Admiral, will hunt you down and personally execute you."
"You, an admiral?" Raelin began laughing, slapping his leg for emphasis, "You are too weak to be an admiral. Maybe a cabin boy, but never an admiral."
"Shut-up Raelin, You'll see. I will rid the world of pirate scum. I will be the savior of the world. I'll be…."
"A cabin boy," Raelin whispered before dodging Tar's fist and running away, laughing.
"You better watch out Raelin," Tar shouted, "When I join the Marines; I'm coming for you first."
"Bring me a refill, you're husband accidently spilled my drink," the man laughed at his own joke as a man lay cowering on the ground, covered in sake.
"I'm sorry, please forgive us," a young woman said, rushing over to the table with a large mug filled to the brim. She placed it on the table before reaching down to help her husband.
The man's foot came down on the man's head, the crunch of bones echoed through the room. The woman stumbled back shrieking at the sight of blood covering his face.
"Oops." The man said, "I didn't see you there. It was an accident, right old man?"
"Please just call the guard," the woman said as her husband slowly rose, "Stop this before you get injured."
"No…thing happened," the man grumbled, blood falling to the ground, "Please forgive me dear customer."
The man looked at the husband and wife before rising. His hand slipped inside his jacket.
"Excuse me? Did you just say dear customer?"
"Ah yes I'm so…" As the man began to apologize again, the man punched him with such force that he was lifted off of the ground and slammed into the bar.
"Yulus!" the woman screamed.
"You disappoint me old man." The man withdrew a pistol from his jacket's depths and pointed it at Yulus's head.
"No!" The woman ran in front of the pistol-wielding man and stretched her arms out, "Don't kill him! Please just leave."
The man smirked, "And let a man who challenged my reputation not be punished? I think not. After all, my reputation is everything for the coming days."
The man rushed forward and knocked the woman down with his pistol.
"I guess I can kill both of you if you're so eager to stay together."
The woman closed her eyes as the man slowly pulled the trigger.
"Tar hurry up! Don't forget it's all you can eat today at the inn!" Raelin sprinted down the street, weaving his way around a large group of people.
"Raelin wait up! Where did you go?"
Tar's cries fell on deaf ears as Raelin finally reached the inn.
A large force of men armed with swords, spears, and rifles all stood around the opening to the ring.
Raelin tugged at the sleeve of the nearest person and asked what was happening.
"Someone killed Yulus and his wife. He now won't even leave the inn."
The leader of the group, who Raelin recognized as Warren the guard captain, stepped forward and shouted, "In the name of the Denyl nobility I, Captain Warren, am calling for the pirate Zurn to surrender himself peacefully and enter my custody."
The crowd surrounding the inn began the whisper among themselves.
"Did he say pirate?"
"What's a pirate doing here?"
"I though the death of Roger would've scared them straight."
A coughing laugh replied from within the depths of the inn, "And what if I, Zurn, choose not to comply?"
Warren scowled, "Then the full force of my authority will be brought down upon you, and you will leave that inn. Dead or Alive."
The laughing intensified, "Well now. I didn't think I would find someone with a backbone to threaten me. Let me feel thiswrath you seem to have, Captain."
Warren signaled to two guardsmen standing next to him, "Get that scum."
The two men nodded and drew their swords, slowly approaching the entrance. Yelling, the guardsmen charged into the inn. As soon as the door slammed behind them, the yelling instantly went silent.
"Ilis, Daro!" Warren looked anxiously at the door, waiting in hope that the two guardsmen come out with the pirate's head.
Instead, the crashing of glass was heard above as the two guardsmen were thrown out onto the street, their bodies collapsing into a heap in front of Warren.
"Charge!" Warren roars as he rushes toward the doors, his retainers following behind.
Before Warren was able to enter the inn, a massive force collided with his head, knocking him back.
"Captain!" The guards formed a wall between Warren and the inn.
"Yunisnisnis."
The crowd gasped as Zurn stepped out of the inn, and into the light. Standing far taller than the average man, Zurn's well-built exterior was covered by a simple black shirt with a belt running diagonally across his chest. Assortments of spherical devices were secured onto the belt, while a pistol hung lazily from his waist. A purple jacket completed the ensemble, the lower half catching the wind.
"Yunisnisnis. Come Captain, let me see this wrath," Zurn said with a smirk clearly shown on his face, "Those last two were worthless. Couldn't last a second against me. Why do you think you could do any better?"
"Pirate scum," Warren spat the last word as he slowly rose from the ground, picking up his sword and pointing it at Zurn, "What gives you the right? To come into our town and just kill a member of our society."
"Eh? Haven't you heard?" Zurn looked quizzingly around at the gathered populous.
"The times are changing," Zurn began, his small eyes finding Raelin, "The death of Roger has signaled a new beginning. One that will shake this world to the very core."
"You can stay where you are," Zurn gestures to the crowd, "Alone and oblivious to the carnage around you. But I won't. This world needs chaos before order, and I am chaos incarnate."
"Spread the word you brainless maggots," Zurn said, turning towards the port, "Your time of peace is over. It is my time, the time of the pirates. Nothing will stand in my way."
"Take him!" Warren yelled before charging Zurn again, his sword raised.
"What did I say Captain?" Zurn turned around, his pistol already aimed at Warren's chest, "No one will get in my way."
Three shots rang out as Zurn fired into Warren, the crowd screaming and trying to get away from the pirate.
"You bastard!" the ten remaining guardsmen charged Zurn, their swords poised to strike.
"Maggots!" Zurn pulled one of the spherical devices from his chest and threw it on the ground.
Smoke billowed out from the glass ball, consuming the area in a thick haze.
Raelin covered his eyes and ran back in the direction of the beach, coughing at the foul-smelling fumes.
When Raelin broke free from the cloud, he collapsed, his insides churning from the inhalation. Looking back, Raelin's mouth dropped at the sight greeting him.
Zurn held Warren in his hand, hoisting him three feet off the ground like a sack of potatoes. The rest of the guards were strewn around him, groaning in pain. Zurn lifted a sword and slashed at Warren before dropping him to the ground.
"Pathetic," Zurn said, stepping over the bodies and heading in Raelin's direction, "And you call yourself guards."
Zurn noticed Raelin staring at him. Zurn's mouth turned upwards into a twisted smile, "Enjoy the show squirt?"
Raelin just sat looking up at the bloodstained pirate, his mouth opening and closing with no sound coming out.
"Well now little one, it would be best for you to remember the name Zurn, cause it won't be the last you hear of me," Zurn slowed down next to Raelin and whispered, "If you survive."
Raelin never saw the kick hitting him square in the side of the head, and he didn't see the explosions that rocked the inn, catching the surrounding buildings on fire. He didn't wake up when Tar came, or when he was pulled to safety by his friend.
All he remembers is that laugh.
Yunisnisnis. Yunisnisnis.