The sun sank behind the tall brick buildings as the moon slowly rose to take its place in the sky. The harbor was filled with people delivering packages and transporting goods. Maidens Harbor was known for its busy and sleepless work ethic as people were always arriving from exotic places such as France or Spain or India. Lovino walked down the crowded street, dodging past loaded carts and fishermen returning from a hard days work. Stopping at a cart that apparently sold odds and ends such as lace scarves from France and old teacups from England, Lovino gazed at one particular item. A wooden paintbrush with a finely carved design along the wooden stick and what looked like whales hair gleamed up at him. If only he had the nine cents needed to get it, his brother Feli would be so happy. "Oy! What're you lookin at mate? Scurry off before I beat'ya out'a hear myself! Filthy rats always tryna steal my goods!" Lovino held up his hands and bowed his head apologetically.
People like him, young thin and poor, were always deemed steelers or pick pocketers just because they looked like they couldn't hold a job of "sustenance". These jobs usually pertained to fishing, heavy lifting of any kind, farming, and selling. Lovino would be working in a small apothecary if his parents hadn't recently died and the store was given to the Italian government. Now, he worked for the church. It wasn't much of a job, just cleaning and occasionally assisting the pastor with small jobs.
As he turned away from the cart with the paintbrush, a scream sounded from down the street. Lovino jumped, looking around for any sign as to who the person was or why they were screaming. Sometimes Lovino caught men raping women in alleyways or behind buildings and once he witnessed a murder. It was a quick death. One large man was attempting to rob another and when the other fought back he panicked and stabbed him in the heart. It was so quick Lovino had no time to react to help in any way, for the man was off before he knew it.
But what caught Lovino's attention about this scream the most was that it was heard over the loud ruckus of the crowded harbor. This scream was high pitched and blood curdling. Other people were looking around too, worry in their eyes. A gasp to Lovino's right brought his attention to a man with what looked like a son by his side. The man stared past him out into the water. Following his gaze, Lovino found a large ship, the biggest ship he's ever seen, with white sails and a blood red stripe along the edge sailing into the harbor. More and more people eventually recognized the unusually large ship and quickly grabbed their belongings to bolt for the main city. Lovino stood in his place amongst the panicking crowd confused. He yelled over the noise to the cart keeper, "what's happening?" The man looked out to sea with recognition in his eye. "No. It can't be...Them bloody bastards think they can follow me eh?" The man mumbled to himself, quickly stuffing everything into smaller boxes for safety. The man must've not heard him and Lovino repeated his question, growing more curious and scared by the second. The man looked up at him as if just noticing him there. "It's the Elizabeta! The Spanish pirate ship? Haven't you ever heard the stories, boy?" Lovino shook his head. "Well I'll tell you this, if you don't get out'a here fast, they'll steal everything you got and won't let you live to see another day. Run kid, before they get ya!" Lovino's eyes went wide. Looking back out to sea and the huge mass getting closer and closer with its billowing sails and ominous feel, he stumbled back into the growing crowd, desperately trying to get home to Feli. He just needed to be with him.
From behind him a large crash was heard and he briefly turned around to see bricks flying everywhere, raining down on people like a hailstorm. "Run kid! Now!" The merchant yelled over the screams of pain. Lovino looked towards the man now, suitcases filled with his products in each hand.
"Look out!" Lovino yelled, diving to the side. But he spoke too late as something flung directly into the man's back sending him and a shower of blood everywhere. Blood soaked his crouching figure and he shook in fear. A metallic smell invaded his nostrils and a ringing filled his head. Everything went dizzy for a moment as some of the mans' intestines lay across from him on the ground.
A shoe flung into his side, sending him sprawling onto the ground as a man was running from the harbor. Shock and pain mixed together within him to form into the brown, foul liquid pouring from his mouth. Another shoe, this one a women's, stepped on his hand with a crunch. "Ahh!" He yelled shuffling himself over beside the once occupied sails cart. He clutched his hand to his chest, the other holding his stomach. He still felt sick and in shock but the running people all around him influenced him to stand.
He had to get to Feli.
He stumbled across the busy street into the building complex. Leaning on a wall, he watched as a large grey ball was flung from the side of the ship into the crowd in front of him. He ducked instinctively as fear consumed him. The cannon ball, with speed unlike anything he's ever seen, flew over him and made contact with a group of men and women trying to drag up their packages. They lay now on the ground, some looking unconscious, others with wounds too big to live through. His heart stopped as he watched their blood spill from their gaping mouths. He stumbled back but was pushed by sprinting people. They left their earnings behind as they darted through the crowd, stepping on anyone that got in their way. Lovino stumbled and tripped to the edge of the crowd, diving for a nearby ally. A small kid crouched there watching fearfully at the scene unfolding in front of him. Lovino crouched beside the boy and looked out at the crowd. It was unreal. Never had he seen so many people in such a rush to leave somewhere. And never had he seen more destruction. Another cannon ball crashed into a brick building, bringing down the front foundation completely. Fires erupted from inside buildings and in hay piles as torches and candles were dropped in the people's haste.
Lovino looked at the boy beside him. Upon closer inspection he noticed the boy was silently crying. He seemed to be in shock as he didn't seem to notice Lovino beside him. He just stared in front of him. Lovino shook the boy's arm in what he hoped would be a comforting gesture. When the boy didn't respond, Lovino followed his gaze to a crushed cart. Underneath, a woman with brown matted hair gazed towards the boy with absent eyes and mouth hung open in a perfect circle. Snail trails marked her cheeks and her hand lay motionless on the ground as if her last moment alive was spent reaching for her son. Tears fell from Lovino's eyes as he gazed at her.
Looking back to the boy, sniffling hard, he made a vow to the mother silently that he will protect her son. He had to.
At that moment a cannon ball headed for their alley and Lovino dove for the boy, clutching him to his chest and turning away from the opening just as the ball hit the corner of one of the buildings. Bricks flung away and hit his back painfully but the cannon ball continued its destructive path by falling into the screaming crowd. After what felt like an eternity, Lovino shakily turned around to scan the scene with the boy clutching his body fearfully. The cannon ball had cut though the crowd like one would cut a cake, slicing through the mass and leaving two separate chunks on either side of the cut. People tripped over one another, held one another and cried for one another as more and more people were injured or killed.
Lovino looked out to the darkening water and to the large ship with its terrifying white sails. Small boats full of pirates were rowing towards the harbor as the cannons continued raining death and destruction upon the land.
The boy in his arms clutched at his frontside, burying his face in the dirty clothes and staining them with his tears. "Hey it's alright. We have to get out of here. What's your name?" The small boy removed his face from his body for a brief moment to respond with, in a shaky and stuttering breath, "M-Marcelo." He promptly dug his face back into his hip, sobbing louder. Lovino looked around in case of any immediate dangers and then bent down, holding the kid at arms length. "Marcelo, we are in danger and need to get out of here right now. Think you can do that?" After years of calming Feliciano down after he was upset over something, Lovino had practically mastered how to talk to crying kids. Marcelo heard the serious yet gentle tone in his voice and the crying lessened. He nodded slowly and wiped his eyes. "Good, now we have to find a way-"
"Well what do we 'ave 'ere?" Someone purred from behind Lovino. With a startled yelp, Lovino turned around, Marcelo plastering himself to his legs. Lovino glared up at the smirking stranger who stood too comfortably in the chaotic mess for his liking.
"Back off or I swear I'll-"
"You'll what?" The smirk left the others face and a dark glint in his eye made Lovino freeze in terror. "My apologies, where 'ave my manners gone to? Such a pretty boy like you should be addressed with the 'ighest formalities." The man smiled a charming smile, leaning on the brick building next to him and flipping his long blond hair back away from his face. With his arm temporarily raised at the action, Lovino caught sight of a gleaming sword hanging from his hip. Lovino stepped back, locking his arms out at his sides to shield the little boy. The man saw this and looked down at said sword. "Oh this little thing? I won't dare 'arm you with it. Promise."
With bored motions, the man stood up from the wall and sauntered closer, eyeing Lovino's body uncomfortably. "Delicious." He muttered to himself, eyes hungry.
"You're sinful and disgusting. Back off bastard or I'll rip you apart with my bare hands!" Lovino growled, giving him his meanest glare. The other merely smirked more, moving ever closer. "Oh I'd love for you to tear into my body so sinfully. The fighters are always the best." It took a moment for Lovino to figure out what he meant by that and was repulsed. In the heat of the moment Lovino chanced to dash around the other but in one swift motion the other had the silver polished blade at his neck. "I wouldn't if I were you." The other man breathed, his mouth next to his ear. Lovino gulped, his Adam's apple brushing against the cold surface. With his other hand, the blond pushed Lovino against a wall, sword still firmly held to his throat. Marcelo dashed from behind him and curled into a ball on the other side of the alleyway, shivering fearfully. Lovino sighed inwardly, grateful the kid wasn't near this man.
"Such a pretty face marred by such a horrid scowl. Truly a shame." His face was uncomfortably close and his breath smelt of wine. Lovino dug his head into the brick wall behind him in a sad attempt to get away from the other.
"Oh I-"
"Francis! There you are! Thought you forgot about me! How could you though, I'm unforgettable." Another man with a German accent and a sword of his own rounded the corner. The first thing Lovino noticed was that his hair was as white as the sails of the ship, almost gleaming with the remaining light of the day. And his eyes were as red as blood giving Lovino the impression he was some sort of demon sent to suck his soul. Lovino's eyes widened in fear and he shrunk back further into the wall.
The man walked casually into the alleyway, a large smirk adorning his pale face. "Hey whose this little fella?" He said, stopping at the sight of Marcelo curled up on the other side of the ally. He bent down and ruffled the kids hair, Marcelo flinching at his unwanted touch. "Hey don't touch him you bastard!" Lovino yelled, surprising himself for speaking so boldly in the presence of a demon and a man who was currently holding a sword to his throat. "Oh, feisty one he is. Is this your brother?" The red eyed man asked standing and pointing to Marcelo. Lovino merely shook his head, not daring to speak again in fear of his and Marcelo's lives.
People from outside the alleyway were still running but not from cannonballs, from the pirates themselves. One woman was dragged halfway into the alley by her hair before a fat man with rotten teeth noticed the blond and white haired men. "Oh sorry sirs. Thought this alley was free to use. Looks like you've takin this one though." With that the fat man turned and dragged the flailing and screaming woman to another place down the road. The red eyed man glared harshly at the space the other pirate just left from but seemed to push those feelings aside for the moment. Turning back to the matter at hand, the demon walked up to the pair on the wall. "I found these two 'iding in this alley and wanted to see if they were acceptable. This ones fierce and looks like a strong lad and the other looks fine to be a cleaning boy! Don't you think so Gilbert?" The blond one turned to the other, his hair swaying gracefully in a confusing blond dance. Gilbert walked up to Lovino's face, inspecting every inch before nodding in approval. "Yeah the captain would like him. Take them." And with that the man known as Gilbert spun on his heels and walked out of the alley into the mist of fire and screams of terror, his black cloak swaying behind him, giving the impression he was flying.
The sword was removed and Lovino sagged forward slightly, glancing to Marcelo. They met eyes and Lovino almost cried with how much the kid reminded him of his own brother Feli. What happened to his baby brother? Was he even still alive? Was he safe? These were the thoughts that ran through his head as the butt of the sword met his head.