It was a bright day, that day, with sunlight that glared at the earth and a cool breeze that rode from the ocean into the town. It blew around the small, coastal Italian streets, through the market stalls and shops that sold all ranges of things from carts to pasta.
Captain Antonio felt the breeze brush his curly, brown hair as he stepped ashore for the first time in what seemed like forever. Three months straight sailing from Greece, only the salty sea water stretching out for miles on end, rocking the ship gently, or sometimes violently, across the blanket of waves.
Antonio never got seasick, spending most of his time on the ocean. However, he did feel a little queasy as he set foot on the cobbled pavement next to which his precious ship, Maria Fernandez Carriedo was docked. It felt strange to be standing on a floor that wasn't gently moving under his feet, and to be smelling other things rather than the wood of the boat and the salt of the sea.
He could see a market, bright, busy and colourful, off on the other side of the sun soaked harbour, and remembered that he needed to go and buy more supplies for the ship. He quickly grabbed a small bag of gold from his cabin, and set off for the market, accompanied by his lookout, Bella. Antonio had picked up Bella a few years ago in Holland, along with her older brother Abel, after saving them from a sticky situation with an English pirate. They were, of course, key members in the family of his crew, Bella with her smile that could light up even the darkest of nights, and Abel, who... Well, Antonio took the Dutch man as a good rival, and he knew he would help him out if anything happened, especially if it involved his little sister.
Antonio and Bella received many odd looks as they walked through the bustling Italian streets. They were foreigners in this town, not to mention the fact that the stood out from the other people; their clothes were slightly dirty and well worn after months at sea, and their skin was tanned. However, it was obvious they were pirates, and that got them a least some respect.
After a short walk, they reached the market. There were many, many stalls, all selling a variety of things from weapons to food, with shopkeepers shouting out passers-by, advertising their products in Italian, English and several other languages.
Antonio was examining a length of rope from a tiny stall selling boat equipment, when he heard a noise, the sort of noise that lots of angry, arguing people make. He turned, trying to find the source of the commotion, and sensed that it was coming from just around the corner, in another street of the market.
"Captain?" Bella had obviously clocked the noise as well, and was glancing around nervously. "Where is it coming from?" She asked quietly.
"Over there," Antonio jerked his head in the direction of the chatter. "It sounds like trouble to me." He grinned. "Lets go check it out, sí?"
They headed over to the scene, a small market square area filled with talking people, all attention on a man in the middle of the square. He was talking loudly to the crowds, often gesturing at a tall, strong looking man stood behind him. At first, Antonio thought the shorter man was talking about the strong looking man, until he realised that the strong man was actually holding someone. Pushing through the crowds to get a better view, the Spanish pirate finally managed to see the cause of all this trouble:
He couldn't have been anything older than twenty. His face was heart shaped, with an olive complexion that sported multiple bruises and a bleeding nose. He looked pretty beat up, his body hunched over, painful tears brewing in his deep, brown eyes. His shiny bronze hair fell over his face, ticking the dark bruise just forming on his cheek. Antonio felt upset that a someone had beaten up such a beautiful person, but he knew there must have been at least some reason behind it. He listened to what the shortish man was shouting at the crowds.
"...and let me tell you, zis vas not ze first time he's been caught stealing! Oh no, several times has he stole from ze market stalls, but each time ze owners vere too kind to him! But now I have caught him, zere vill be no escape!" The man spoke quickly and triumphantly with a harsh accent that Antonio couldn't help but feel that he recognised from somewhere. After listening for a while, he figured that the pretty young man had stolen something from the shouting man's shop, and the people of the market were deciding on a punishment for him.
"Make him pay back for all the food he stole!" Yelled one man from the crowd. He was greeted with cheers and other ideas.
"Burn down his home!" Suggested a big angry woman.
"Cut off some of his fingers!"
"Sell him to the slave dealer!"
"Tie up his arms and legs and throw him in the sea!" That one was popular with the locals, greeted with a big cheer. Antonio glanced at all the people around him. And he'd thought that Italians were nice... His grass green eyes fell on the injured boy, tears running down his grimy cheeks. An idea formed in his head.
"Wait here." He muttered to Bella, before pushing his way through the crowd. He swaggered easily up to the angry man, ignoring all the suspicious looks from the locals.
"Vat do you vant?" The man hissed, flipping his dark brown hair angrily.
"I'd like to buy the thief off you." Antonio replied, smirking slightly at the confused look on the dark haired man's face. "I have gold to pay you with, and I promise I will teach him a lesson for stealing." He jangled the bag of gold temptingly in his hand. "Do we have a deal, Mr...?"
"Edelstein." Replied the dark haired man coldly. "And no, ve do not have a deal-"
"Hang on a moment amigo!" Suddenly it clicked in Antonio's head where he knew that accent from. That was the accent, so similar to the harsh accent that spoke to him over bottles of wine, that laughed with him, that sang drunkenly with him, that argued with him.
"Do you know a man named Gilbert Beilschmitt?" Mr. Edelstein's eyes widened slightly in shock upon hearing that name,as colour rushed to his pale cheeks.
"You...h-how... Vhat?" He stumbled with his words, suddenly unable to speak.
"You know him?" Antonio asked innocently.
"Y-ya, I... You know him too?" Antonio grinned. Oh boy did he know Gilbert. His best pirate friend from Germany, they has met many years ago somewhere near hear as they both wanted to loot this ship in the area. They fought, and drew, so they worked together instead. Heck, Antonio had even shared a boat with him and their French friend, Francis, for about a year. Antonio had recognized Edelstein's accent from Gilbert's harsh way of speaking, but he also remembered Gilbert mentioning this man that he'd met, a man with dark hair and beautiful eyes who came from Austria. It seemed Gilbert could talk about his Roderich for hours. What a coincidence to discover him here.
"Sí, I know him. We travelled the sea together for a long time."By now, all the crowds were silent, listening to their conversation with interest.
"Is... He is alive?" Roderich asked quietly.
"Oh yes, I think so," Antonio said. "I haven't seen him for about nine years now. You're Roderich, right?"
"How do you know... Did he..?" The Austrian man looked like he was far away, and seemed to have forgotten all about they young Italian thief.
"He talked about you a lot. He liked you... A lot." More than a lot, Antonio thought. Gilbert was completely obsessed.
"Oh... I thought he vas dead." It appeared to Antonio that Roderich's heart was broken, and that it had been that way for a long time. He decided to help the man.
"Look, I have an idea. If I ever see Gilbert again, I'll try and bring him to you. Or the other way round." He stopped and smiled slightly. "But only if you let me take this boy here."
He gestured at the thief, and Roderich blinked as if just noticing him.
"Of course you can have him." He said dismissively, "There's nothing else to do with him." His paled cheeks blushed lightly. "But please promise... If you ever see Gilbert again..."
"I'll tell him that you're looking for him and that you miss him lots." Antonio finished, striding over to the man holding the boy and helping him to his feet. The Italian didn't struggle in his grasp, but glared angrily at him with burning brown eyes, folding his arms sulkily.
"It's not like that... I don't think about him in that way." The Austrian stammered.
"Well he sure seems to think of you like that." Antonio shook Roderich's gloved hand vigorously. "Great meeting you, now if I could just have you're address so I can contact you for whatever reason..." After taking Roderich's address, Antonio focused on the Italian man.
"Hey amigo! We're going to go back to the boat now, it's just over there..." Antonio lead the Italian through the crowds, trying his best to protect him from the angry glances they were getting and trying awkwardly to keep up conversation.
"You look pretty beat up, but don't worry, I'll get Bella to fix you up... Bella is my Belgian lookout girl, she's just over here..." He spotted the gleam of Bella's blonde hair a few meters away, and still dragging the thief firmly by the hand, walked up to her.
"Captain, what were you-?" She said, stopping as she noticed the Italian. "Who's this?"
"I got him off this Austrian man who was trying to punish him for stealing."
"Stealing?"
"I think he took food from a stall or something..."
"And you bought him?"
"Traded him. The Austrian man was a... Friend of Gilbert's and wanted information on him."
"Ok." Bella smiled and let the topic drop. She turned to the quiet Italian. "Hey, I'm Bella," she gestured at Antonio, "and this is captain Antonio." The Italian didn't reply. "Um... What's your name...?"
She raised an eyebrow questioningly at Antonio. He blinked dumbly. "What's his name?" She whispered.
"Uh..."
"ROMANO!"
An ear piecing yell echoed down the street, turning heads left and right, as a short, tanned figure raced towards them. The brown haired boy skidded to a stop in front of Antonio, blinking cautiously up at him, and for a second Antonio thought he was seeing double.
"Romano? What-a happened to you?" His voice was a musical Italian breath, sung from a smiling mouth that was accessorised with big, kind eyes. His hair was lighter than the other boy's, but with the same curl that refused to sit still. This strange child, whom Antonio assumed to be his thief's sibling, fussed over his brother for a while before it appeared he even noticed him and Bella. His little face grew anxious suddenly.
"You didn't-a beat up my brother, did you?" He asks nervously. His brother, Romano, sighed loudly.
"No, I'm afraid your brother got unto thy trouble by himself. Actually, we saved him." Antonio nodded at the small man.
"Woah!" His eyes widened. "Wow! Thank you, sir, um..."
"I'm Captain Antonio." Said the Spanish pirate, bowing to the Italian.
"I'm Feliciano! Nice to meet you, Captain! Are you a pirate?" He chatted happily.
"Sí, I'm a pirate captain!" Antonio preened. Then he remembered something. "But, Feliciano, I'm afraid I'm going to have to take your brother away to sea with me."
Feliciano blinked. "Why?"
"Your brother... Romano, was it? Well he stole something, and to save him from further punishment, I have to take him away with me."
'Lies!" Romano croaked, as if he bad finally discovered his voice again. "Bastard, you just want to punish me more." He scowled grumpily, but Antonio laughed.
"Oh no. I assure you, my ship is very safe, right Bella? You will be very safe there."
Feliciano still looked worried. "But will he be away for long?"
"If we follow our route well, then about 2 years." Antonio replied. The young Italian's eyes filled with tears.
"But we cant cope without Romano for two years! He brings us food, and Grandpa always said that if he worked hard enough he could get a job! Please don't take big brother away, please captain!" Feliciano promptly burst into tears.
"Don't be such a baby, dammit." Romano muttered, frowning. " You'll get on fucking better without me."
"That's not true!" Feliciano threw his arms around his brother, still sobbing.
"G-get off me, bastard." Romano cried, struggling as Feliciano smothered in in a hug. Antonio, seeing his new friend was in trouble, stepped forward and gently put a hand on Feliciano's back.
"Look, I'm sorry but I really do need to take your brother with me. I'm sure you'll be fine without him... Please, stop crying..." Feliciano sniffed loudly.
"Things have-a been so hard since mama died. Grandpa Roma has to work so hard just to buy pasta, and Romano keeps getting fired from his jobs. If Romano leaves..." He trailed off.
"It'll be one less mouth to feed, bastard." Romano finished. "I've got no choice but to go with these fucking people, its not fair." His face softened slightly. "But don't worry about me, Feli. All I can do is get into trouble and get fired from work..."
"But... But Romano!" Feliciano attack-hugged him once more, burying his face in his older brothers shoulder.
Antonio placed a hand on Romano's shoulder, and pulled him to his feet.
"Come on, Romano." He said quietly. Feliciano watched them leave sadly.
"I'll be waiting for you!" He suddenly shouted, waving his arms crazily. Romano sighed and muttered something under his breath, but his eyes flashed sadly in his brother's direction.
"Will he be OK without you?" Antonio asked him quietly, bending down to mutter in his ear. The Italian wasn't much shorter than him, but he did have a certain slouch that affected his height a lot, also added to by the fact that was keeping his head low, hiding his face.
"They'll be fine..." He grumbled, edging away from the older man slightly. As if suddenly remembering something, he glared at Antonio, brown eyes suddenly full of hate.
"So where the fuck are you taking me, bastard?"
"Back to my ship, Romano!" The Spanish man replied, grinning from ear to ear. He pointed in the vague direction of his boat. "She's just over there."
"She?" Romano asked suddenly, glancing up.
"Yes, my boat Maria Fernandez Carriedo. She's beautiful, she is." Romano shook his head slightly.
"Giving a fucking boat a name..."
They arrived at the boat just as the sun had begun to set. The orange of the sky illuminated the sails and made the water that danced around the sides of the ship glow deep citrus hues, sending aquatic reflecting patterns onto all surrounding objects. In the evening light, the boat looked simply spectacular.
"Is this it?"
Romano looked dismissively at the ship, set out before him in all its glory. His eyes narrowed at the Spanish man.
"I suppose it will have to do." He frowned and glanced away as if he was embarrassed, pretending he felt nothing at all. Antonio grinned. It may have been small, but that was a success.
And Antonio planned to be very successful with Romano...
Just a note: There are several other characters that I plan to write into this story, but of course not all of them get introduced in the first chapter. So if your favourite isn't here, then don't worry, they might turn up in future chapters.