Hello, hello! It's another new story! (Don't worry! Next month will be chapter two of "The Dragon Priestess") I've been sitting on the idea for this pirate story for a while, and now I've finally completed the first chapter! I love AUs so much! Hopefully this setting will be entertaining! As always, I'll talk more at the bottom, so for now, on with the chapter!
The sea was calm, with the sun high in the air, shining brightly down on the gently rolling waves. There was nary a cloud in the sky, signaling that there were no approaching storms. Seagulls flew through the air, calling loudly to one another as they searched for a place to land.
Beneath their wings, a large galleon was sailing through the calm waters. The large white sails were unfurled, catching as much wind as possible and propelling the ship swiftly forward. The ship's size could easily rival that of a warship, though instead of soldiers, it carried the prestigious Schnee family.
Weiss Schnee let out a sigh. Under normal circumstances, she would be enjoying the pleasant weather, but with her father onboard the ship, relaxing in peace and quiet was impossible.
Their ship, The Kalt, was on its way towards the kingdom of Vale. Tyrann Schnee, Weiss's father, was planning to establish a branch of the Schnee Trading Company on one of Vale's coastlines, further expanding their hand in the world trade market. Unfortunately for Weiss, Tyrann had insisted that she come along to gain experience in large-scale negotiations.
She sighed once more from her spot along the side of the ship, resting her chin on her palm. Her long white dress fluttered about her ankles, tickling her skin. For a moment, she closed her eyes, reveling in the warmth of the sunlight on her pale skin. That moment though, was quickly interrupted by a shout of, "Weiss!"
Slowly, she straightened from her spot and turned to face her father. He descended the stairs from the upper deck where his quarters were. A white-gloved hand glided down the railing as he trained his eyes on her.
His black leather boots thudded against the deck as he walked towards her. When he was about a foot away, he stopped, clasping his hands behind his back.
"What is it, sir?" she said in the most subservient tone she could muster. While Tyrann was her father, he had never acted like one. To her, he was something of a superior, like a tyrant king ruling over her. And like an actual tyrant, he would deal out punishment to whomever in whatever way he saw fit; the scar trailing down from her left brow to her cheek bone was proof of that.
He grunted. "When we arrive, what do I expect of you?"
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, instead releasing a breath. "I am to observe the proceedings, take note of everything done, and I am to…" She trailed off at the end. The final expectation left a rather unpleasant taste in her mouth.
Tyrann fixed Weiss with a glare, promising punishment if she did not finish her answer.
She took a deep breath, willing herself to meet her father's eyes. "I am to establish close relations with the son of our business partner."
Tyrann nodded curtly, looking towards the front of the ship. "Exactly. Your final task is the most important one. As long as it furthers our relations, it does not matter what the boy does to you. Understood?"
Weiss could only nod, though the urge to rid her stomach of its contents was growing. If her father felt he could gain a profit by doing so, he would not hesitate to sell her off. Though the reality of such a thing was a bitter pill to swallow, Weiss had been aware of it since childhood; the pain had long since dulled.
Sparing Weiss a final glance, Tyrann headed for the stairs, likely returning to his luxurious quarters. At the top of the stairs, he stopped, a hand resting on the railing.
"It will be at least one more day until we arrive. I expect you to be prepared for what is to come by then." With that, he returned to his quarters, shutting the door firmly behind him.
Weiss released a breath, feeling the tension leave her body immediately. She turned to face the ocean once more, resting her hand on her chin as she had earlier.
"Miss Weiss? Is everything alright?" came a soft voice from behind her.
Weiss glanced behind her, spotting a head of bright red hair. "Hello, Pyrrha," she murmured. "Yes, everything is fine. I just finished speaking with your employer is all."
Pyrrha, clad in armor, stepped up beside Weiss noiselessly, fixing her concerned emerald gaze on the ivory-haired heiress. "This seems like it was worse than usual."
Weiss almost wanted to laugh, but the sick feeling in her stomach prevented that. "You know the partner we are supposed to be meeting with?" Pyrrha nodded. "He has a son that I am to 'establish relations with.'"
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Pyrrha wince; the girl knew enough about Tyrann's personality to know exactly what kind of "relations" he wanted Weiss to establish.
The heiress sighed, backing away from the ship's railing to face Pyrrha. "You know what kind of man your employer is. Why do you continue to work for him? Surely there must be less objectionable people to guard out there."
Pyrrha's reply was instantaneous. "I am your guard, not his. I must admit, I was a bit apprehensive at first, but once I met you, my actual charge, my doubts went away."
Weiss smiled a bit, flattered. Before she could reply, Pyrrha spoke once more, one of her trademark sweet smiles on her face.
"Besides, I rather like you, and I'd rather not force you to deal with my employer on your own."
Weiss felt her face redden, so she coughed into the sleeve of her dress to hide it. She considered herself lucky to have a guard who cared for her as much as Pyrrha did.
Prior to the redhead, several people had rotated through Weiss's guard position, each more indifferent to her plight than the last. Despite their apparent lack of interest in the family affairs, they had all died saving their charge from various assassination attempts. If nothing else, they had done their job and Weiss could not fault them for that.
Pyrrha Nikos was one of the most fearsome fighters on Remnant, though her reputation for her battle prowess was preceded by her reputation for her agreeable personality. There was not a single person who met the woman who disliked her. Even Tyrann had approved of her, surprising everyone including the redhead herself.
Pyrrha hailed from a small tribe in Mistral who specialized in fighting. The tribe was an ancient one called "Amazons" which was one of the most fearsome tribes in the world. There was no one foolhardy enough to attack the tribe, thus it had survived for hundreds of years.
Most of the members would stay in the village until they were employed by an outside party, though Pyrrha had been a rare exception. She had willingly left to seek out an employer that she approved of. She had surprised herself when she agreed to meet Tyrann Schnee's daughter, though she was glad she had taken the chance.
Weiss returned to her position along the railing, a wistful smile resting on her lips. Pyrrha joined her, staring out into the crystal blue waters.
Neither girl spoke for several minutes, instead choosing to brood over Tyrann's expectations. The reality of the situation was far too grim for even Pyrrha to try and lighten the mood.
Eventually breaking the silence, Pyrrha whispered, "No matter what happens, I am here to support you, Miss Weiss. You may rely on me."
The words that were spoken so quietly resonated like a symphony in Weiss's ears. To prevent herself from shedding the tears that threatened to spill, she put up her prickly façade and simply huffed, forcing her emotions out with the puff of air.
Pyrrha knew that despite the harsh exterior Weiss hid behind, she was a rather sensitive girl underneath it all. She had decided that she would become a pillar of support for the heiress who so desperately needed and yearned for it; she didn't want or need anything in return.
Waves continued to roll around them, filling the air with a constant relaxing sound. Pyrrha was content to simply stare out into the distance, until she spotted something along the horizon. Her eyes narrowed as she attempted to zero-in on the object.
Weiss, who had been watching a pair of seagulls dance through the sky, felt her guard tense beside her. Her ice-blue eyes searched for emerald ones that were fixed out into the distance.
"What's the matter, Pyrrha?" she asked hesitantly.
"If my eyes do not deceive me, I believe that is a pirate ship out there, and a rather large one at that," the amazon said, her voice tight.
Ice-blue eyes widened in panic. "What?! How can you be sure?" It was well known that pirates were all over the sea, and they were sure to attack any ship that appeared to hold wealth.
The heiress searched up along the main mast of her own ship, confirming that an ice-blue flag emblazoned with the Schnee family emblem billowed in the breeze. The flag was practically a target, signaling that anyone with a desire for wealth should indeed pay the ship a visit. She swallowed hard, though her throat felt incredibly dry.
Not helping to ease her fears, Pyrrha spoke. "I can make out a black flag."
Again, Weiss swallowed; it felt just as dry.
"If I can see them, surely they can see us," the redhead muttered. Unconsciously, she brought a hand back over her shoulder, confirming that her weapon, a spear, rested there. Though many preferred to utilize swords or guns, Amazons favored spears, enjoying the benefits of a staff and the sharpness of a blade.
High above them in the crow's nest, a voice shouted, "Pirate ship along the port side! Prepare for combat!"
The crew sprang into action, rushing about the ship to their combat stations and grabbing their weapons from below the deck. Despite their quick action, murmurs of apprehension could be heard; doubts about returning alive being the main topic.
Amidst the rushing about, Weiss's sense of time slowed to the pace of a snail. Despite having been attacked several times in her life, she was unprepared for an attack at sea. At least on land, she had a chance of fleeing, but at sea, her ship could be sunk by a cannonball and there would be nothing she could do to escape.
An image of her slumbering in a watery grave flashed through her consciousness, but she quickly shook her head, desperate to be rid of such a morbid thought.
She knew she should move, that she should retreat to the relative safety of her quarters below deck, but her feet refused to move. She was rooted to the deck by persistent tendrils of fear.
Pyrrha quickly grabbed the heiress by the shoulders and shook once firmly.
Recognition slowly dawned on the scarred face before the Amazon, and Pyrrha took that moment to address her terrified charge.
"Weiss, I know you are scared, but I need you to listen to me and do as I say. Can you do that?"
Weiss gulped and nodded stiffly.
"We are going to go below deck and find you a place to hide."
"But… what about my quarters?" Weiss croaked out.
Pyrrha shook her head. "They will surely check them. It's an obvious place to go after all. If we hide you somewhere else, there is a chance that they won't find you."
"They will be within cannon range in two minutes," came a call from above.
Wasting no more time, Pyrrha took Weiss's hand and led her below deck.
As the ship's size would imply, the area below deck was massive. The galley off to the side was larger than most kitchens in an average house. The crew's quarters, simply a room filled with hammocks, was able to hold fifty men easily.
Such massive open areas would not be ideal for a hiding place, so Pyrrha opted for the only spot that wasn't easily seen at first glance; the gap under the stairs.
Quickly but gently, she guided the trembling heiress to the space. To provide further cover, the redhead moved several open, empty wooden crates on either side of the gap.
When she felt the heiress was hidden well enough that she would not be found instantly, she placed a hand on her charge's shoulder. "I'm going to go above deck and defend in the case that they board. Do not move from this spot."
When she turned to leave, Weiss grabbed her hand, staring at her guard with imploring eyes.
After a heartbeat, the heiress whispered, "What if they don't board? What if they sink us with a cannonball?"
Pyrrha clasped her free hand around the trembling hand of the heiress. She squeezed gently. "Then I will make sure to come get you and find a bit of driftwood for us to float on."
Weiss's lower lip trembled. "What if they board and there are too many? What if you get hurt or…" She couldn't finish the thought.
Kind emerald eyes found anxious ice-blue. "That won't happen. I won't die and I won't let them hurt you."
The explosion of a cannon resounded throughout the ship, accompanied by a chorus of shouts above deck.
Sensing her time was short, Pyrrha squeezed Weiss's hands once more. "Everything will be alright. I promise."
Before the heiress could reply, the redhead rose and made her way above deck.
Tyrann emerged from his quarters, anger clearly written across his sharp features. A crew member had burst into his study raving madly about pirates approaching. Sensing that the fools he employed would be unable to handle themselves, he had retrieved his prized cutlass from his sleeping quarters and emerged, ready to command his likely-useless crew.
The first mate, a small baby-faced boy, rushed toward Tyrann and saluted. "We are ready to fire again at your command, sir."
Tyrann's snow-white brows furrowed. "'Again?' Who authorized the first shot?"
The boy gulped. "The, uh, one who mans the cannon, sir. They got skittish and fired before the pirates did."
A hand flashed across the boy's vision before her fell to the deck. His right cheek stung fiercely.
"When this battle is over," Tyrann said darkly, "the boy who fired will be placed in the holding cell where he will await his punishment upon arrival."
The first mate nodded, gingerly cradling his cheek. "Understood, sir."
The Schnee patriarch stepped past the trembling boy. "Prepare to fire! They are not to board the ship," he bellowed.
The pirate ship had been steadily approaching, though it had yet to fire a single shot.
Most pirates would fire the first shot, intent to incapacitate the target ship right away, or if they were not the first to fire, they would at least retaliate. Thus, the pacifistic approach of the ship surprised Tyrann.
"They are attempting to set up for boarding! Sink them before they get the chance," he roared.
With a signal that they were ready to begin their assault, Tyrann shouted, "Fire!"
The sound of the cannon was deafening, though the Schnee patriarch was unfazed. His eyes were trained on the ship steadily approaching, waiting to see a hole appear in the bow.
To his dismay, every shot missed its target, each ball creating a small geyser as they harmlessly splashed into the water.
He ground his teeth. "The instant we are ready to fire, do so! Fire at will!" Why were such useless people working for him? When they returned, every single one would be fired at the absolute least.
More shots were heard, though like the ones before them, they too missed. The ship was undeterred in its course, not even attempting to make itself a difficult target. Why was it that his crew was unable to hit the massive thing?
"Thirty seconds until they reach us! They're prepared to board," came a shout from the crow's nest.
Sensing that there would be nothing to gain from firing from this close, Tyrann bellowed out his orders. "Cease fire! Prepare for combat! They are not to take a single lien from this ship!"
The crew drew their weapons and formed a wall along the port side. The tension in the air was palpable, the air thick with crew bidding a silent farewell to family left behind.
In the middle of the line stood Pyrrha Nikos, her spear at the ready. She took a deep breath, willing herself to clear her head; clouded thoughts led to clumsy combat. In her mind, an image of a trembling Weiss flashed, and she felt her resolve strengthen; she would do whatever it took to keep the tiny heiress safe.
A jostling impact shook her from her thoughts; the pirates had finally arrived. Large wooden planks bridged the gap between the two ships, and in an instant, chaos ensued.
All pretexts of planning were forgotten as swords clashed. The Kalt had an advantage when it came to numbers, but the pirate ship had clearly gone for quality over quantity; the crew of the Schnee ship was being overwhelmed by fighters who seemed to exude skill.
Pyrrha took a final deep breath before she charged, slicing through two enemy crew members as she went. She twirled her spear, feeling the weapon as an extension of herself, and it showed in the precision of her strikes.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a head of short black hair, though curiously, the ends appeared to be as red her own. The small girl the hair belonged to wielded an incredibly large scythe as if it weighed nothing. She twirled and flipped, cutting down man after man without breaking a sweat.
Near the small scythe-wielder was a tall girl with long black hair and a pair of black cat ears; a Faunus. Her fighting style was peculiar, wielding both a curved blade and its sheath. She was rather agile, dodging several potentially-lethal strikes before counterattacking.
Pyrrha swallowed; clearly the enemy would be difficult to defeat. Alone, she was unsure if she would be able to defeat them all.
Two pirates approached her, their cutlasses raised high above their heads. In the blink of an eye, Pyrrha pivoted around one of the men, shoving the blunt end of her spear into his backside. Before the other could react, she quickly stabbed him between the shoulder blades. With a cry, he fell to the ground next to his comrade, who was struggling to rise. The Amazon didn't waste a moment before she delivered a sound blow to the back of the struggling pirate's skull with the shaft of her beloved weapon.
She released a breath, taking advantage of the brief respite to gather her bearings. She looked around the deck, trying to assess the number of The Kalt crew members left. The redhead bit her lip; there were less than half of the members left. The rest had been easily dispatched by the talented crew of the pirate ship.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a girl wielding a rather large hammer. The girl's eyes were wild, and the manic grin resting on her face as she dispatched opponent after opponent made her look absolutely insane. With a tremendous swing, she knocked the crew standing in her way to the deck, likely shattering their ribs as she did so. Spotting Pyrrha, the girl grinned even wider before charging directly at the Amazon.
Pyrrha readied a defensive stance and prayed that her spear would hold up against a full-force swing from the hammer.
From the upper deck, Pyrrha heard the distinct roar of Tyrann Schnee. Sparing a quick glance, she spotted a head of wild blonde hair. Atop the mane that reached down to the figure's waist was a large black hat; the person must be the captain.
The figure was tall and heavily muscled, towering over Tyrann. Initially, Pyrrha could spot no weapons until she looked closer; the figure had brass knuckles on both hands. It was a risky setup, but considering the confident swagger of the captain, they were likely an incredibly skilled fighter.
The two captains took up ready stances, sizing the other up. Tyrann was surprised to find that a woman of incredible size was the captain. She grinned cheekily, her lilac eyes twinkling with amusement.
The gesture only served to anger Tyrann further. He roared and charged forward, bringing his golden-handled sword down.
The woman raised a hand to block the strike, the brass knuckles taking the force of the attack easily. She deflected Tyrann's blade and quickly moved in, delivering a powerful hit to his solar plexus.
He gasped for air, clutching at his gut desperately. He'd never been struck before, and it showed in his shocked expression.
The woman crouched down, knocking his sword away.
"What a tacky weapon," she said with a snort. "It'll probably sell for a pretty lien though."
She grasped the front of his shirt, pulling him toward her until his nose was an inch from hers. "Order your crew to stand down or I will kill you where you stand," she said quietly, the intensity of her tone conveying her message far better than yelling. The grin that rested on her face never left, though at this point it looked far less amused and far more menacing.
Tyrann growled, but he knew the blonde would likely make good on her promise. It would be better for him to stand down and live, rather than risk his life on calling a potential bluff.
"Very well," he muttered. The blonde pulled him up and brought him to the railing that separated his quarters from the rest of the ship.
"Stand down," he bellowed, effectively stopping both sides.
The blonde captain let out a whistle. "You're pretty intimidating, huh? I guess that's why you're the head of the Schnee Trading Company." She rose, chuckling as she did so. "You're a terrible fighter though."
Pyrrha felt her jaw drop. Not only had Tyrann been defeated within five minutes of the beginning of the battle, but her chance of keeping Weiss safe was practically gone with his surrender. It made her wonder how such a weak man could hold so much power.
Reluctantly, she laid down her weapon and knelt down. The surviving crewmembers followed suit, eager to grab on to whatever chance they had of staying alive.
The blonde captain cleared her throat. "Blake, Ren, and Nora: tie up the crew and keep watch. Sun, Neptune, and I will search the ship. Ruby, keep an eye out for backup. Everyone else has to help carry the loot out. Get going!"
The pirate crew began to move, spreading out as instructed. Pyrrha felt her throat go dry when she watched the captain and two young men go below deck.
The dark haired Faunus approached her, holding a rope. The Amazon offered no resistance; she didn't want to cause a stir and jeopardize Weiss or the crew's safety.
The golden eyes of the Faunus girl fixed on her, curiosity present behind feigned indifference. Her eyes were transfixed on the circlet covering Pyrrha's forehead; a well-known symbol of the Amazon tribe.
Though the girl looked like she had several questions, she chose to remain silent and move on to the other crew members.
It was agonizing to watch crate after crate brought up from below deck, each one acting as a countdown until Weiss was found.
Sure enough, there came a panicked screech and a moment later, the blonde captain carried up a terrified Weiss bridal style. To the smaller girl's credit, she kept the tears that had formed at the corners of her eyes at bay, choosing to take her frustrations out by thrashing within the iron grip of her captor.
"Weiss!" Pyrrha shouted, unable to stop herself.
The heiress froze; she slowly turned her head to spot her guard kneeling on the deck, looking like she wanted nothing more than to rescue the ivory-haired girl. "Pyrrha…" she sniffled, "what's going to happen to us?"
"Everything will be alright, Weiss. Do as they say and everything will be fine," she said as tenderly as she could manage.
The blonde captain raised a brow. "This is the youngest of the Schnee family, huh? What's she doing out here, Tyrann? I thought you wanted the eldest to take over the empire."
Tyrann grunted, glaring harshly at his daughter. "She was to observe how a deal works and to establish close relations with the son of our business partner."
The captain winced. "You were gonna sell her off? That's cold, even for you." She snickered then, obviously finding her "cold" statement amusing.
She sobered up quickly afterward. "Tell you what, Papa Schnee: we'll take your daughter off of your hands. Once you prepare a suitable amount of money, we'd be happy to give her back. This is basically what you were planning to do with her anyway, right? It's just that we're the ones selling her off now. That's not a problem, right?"
The blonde captain could feel Weiss tense within her grip. "You can make the payment out to Captain Yang Xiao-Long of the ship, The Burning Heart. We look forward to your favorable reply," she said, exaggeratedly bowing but still keeping Weiss firmly in her grip.
Before she could cross the plank connecting the ships, Weiss called out, "Pyrrha! Please do something!"
Before the Amazon could move, the blonde captain spoke. "That your girlfriend? Or your guard?" She whistled. "And an Amazonian at that."
She gestured to Blake. "Take the Amazon with us. The little heiress clearly needs her, and we're not monsters."
Sparing no more words, she crossed the plank, gingerly carrying the ivory-haired girl into the holding cell below deck. Blake had followed after her, depositing Pyrrha within the same cell.
"Be good now," Yang called with a laugh before returning to the deck.
Ren and Nora pulled up the planks and confirmed that everyone was on board.
"Good luck, Papa Schnee! Hopefully a storm doesn't sink you guys before you make it back," Yang shouted, a smug grin resting on her face.
"Anchors aweigh! Let's head out," she shouted, making her way below deck once more; she was going to have a word with her new captives.
With that command, The Burning Heart's sails unfurled, and the ship pulled away.
The day was just beginning.
Whew! Chapter one of "Adventure on the High Schnees" is officially done! I got to work a pun into the title and it makes me so happy! I make no apologies! Weiss can't catch a break in any of my stories, can she? She's my second favorite character, so why do I torture her so? Eh, whatever. "The Kalt" translates from German to "the cold." Tyrann's name also has a fun meaning, but I'll let you guys guess (or figure it out). I hope you all enjoyed it! Until next time~!