I decided to write a different version of Ulysses story and I thought turned out to be slightly better in my opinion. But it's your choice on which story you prefer.
I ran from the sound of pursuing feet and gunshots. One shot rang out and the bullet embedded itself in my shoulder and I yelled in pain. I gripped my shoulder and continued running until I turned a corner of a building and hid myself in the shadows. The bangs of my white hair fell in front of my left eye and I slumped against the wall of the building I was leaning against. I closed my eyes in pain and fear as the sound of feet approached the place I was hiding and I let out a sigh of relief when they passed by. I stopped gripping my shoulder and looked at the wound. The blood was pouring out and staining my shirt red. The wound wasn't fatal. All I knew was that I needed to get the bullet out before an infection set in.
I staggered to mt feet and looked around the corner to make sure that the soldiers were gone. I stepped out of the shadows and quickly ran away before the soldiers spotted me. I made my way to the docks and boarded a large ship and was greeted by a young man about the same age as me.
"Captain Ulysses Stern? What happened to your shoulder?" The young man asked, concerned.
"It's nothing Quinn. Where is everyone else?" I asked.
"Valdus took everyone else to look for you when you didn't come back after an hour."
"That brother of mine can be annoying at times." I said, shaking my head. "How long until they come back?
"In a couple minutes or so. They didn't want to be gone long in case you came back sooner than they expected."
"And you've got a lot of nerve by being gone that long!" A voice put in behind me.
I looked behind me and saw a man ten years older than me with two women that are the same age as me.
"Valdus." I replied calmly.
Valdus stomped up to me and growled.
"You know you can't be walking around town with the Armada after you!" He jabbed my shoulder with the bullet in it and I hissed in pain. "And that wound is a perfect example of why you shouldn't do it!"
One of the woman next to Valdus pushed Valdus back and glared at him.
"You shouldn't do that! He may be your younger brother but that doesn't give you the right to yell at him!"
"Shut it Brittany! He's my brother and I can do whatever I want to him if he was idiotic and careless!"
The other woman glanced down at the ground and clenched her spear with a jagged arrow-head at the top.
"But it will only make his wound worse and we need Captain Stern." She spoke quietly.
I stepped forward, wincing slightly with the pain in my shoulder.
"Shanna is right. You may be older than me Valdus, but I'm still the captain of this ship and you are supposed to follow my orders."
"Whatever." Valdus growled and walked away to get some sleep for the night. "Just don't do anything stupid like that again."
Shanna grabbed my other arm and took me over to a room below deck so that she could remove the bullet and treat my wounds.
Later
I took off my black boots and tossed them across my room. I laid down on my bed, grunting with the effort because of my shoulder being stiff after Shanna treated it. I pulled the thin sheets over me and fell asleep. Dreaming of one of the many memories I wish I had forgotten long ago.
Dream
An eight year old Ulysses was walking down the stairs of his house. He had woken up when he heard what seemed to be shouting. Ulysses quietly made his way to the bottom of the steps and peered around the corner and looked into the Living Room for his family. He was shocked to see Deacon talking to his parents. Deacon was the captain of the Armada and only accepted the finest men to serve under him. He was known to be fearless and to never back down from a challenge. Ulysses eyes widened when he saw Deacon pull out a pistol and point it at his parents.
"If you wont give your son to the Armada then I will take him by force!" Deacon yelled and pulled the trigger.
The bullet tore into Ulysses' fathers chest and he fell to the ground and died instantly. Deacon then pulled the trigger again and shot Ulysses' mother in the head and she fell to the ground and she died soon after. Deacon turned around and saw the small white-haired boy.
"You'll be coming with me boy." He said and reached out a hand to grab Ulysses when the front door slammed open.
A big man stood at the entrance of the house and he had a gun pointed at Deacon.
"That boy wont be going anywhere with you!" He yelled.
"Boochbeard!" Deacon growled. "What are you doing here?"
"Making sure you don't take him!"
Boochbeard shot the pistol and Deacon quickly got out of the way of the bullet. Boochbeard looked at Ulysses and shouted an order at him.
"Get away from here kid!"
Ulysses ran away from the fight and out the front door. He ran over to the forest behind his house and hid himself behind a bush. The next morning came and Ulysses was taken away to be raised by his older brother, Valdus. Valdus soon left his own crew with Ulysses when a new pirate took over the crew. Valdus bought a ship with all the money he had saved and built a new crew. Composed of Wicked Quinn Lawson, a Swashbuckler. Clever Brittany Noble, a Privateer. Quiet Shanna Dodger, a Witchdoctor, Gruesome Valdus Stern, a Musketeer. And finally, Merciless Ulysses Stern, a Buccaneer. Valdus was captain until Ulysses turned fifteen and he let his younger brother take over.