"Pirates!" Cried out a foreign voice, full of fear and warning, different from the usual practice tone.
Hogosha's head immediately shot up, and he spotted his younger brother's facial expression full of confusion and pain. "Soto," he began softly, "go to the cellar, and don't you dare move from that spot, alright?"
The ten-year-old looked ready to protest, but the adolescent's stare caused him to falter and agree in a nod. Their parents were currently at the market, so however that went… Neither wanted them hurt, but something silently told them it wouldn't go well. Retreating into the basement, the boy hid in-between the wooden barrels of turned over alcohol. The irony was Soto's father couldn't stand the smell or taste, but business was scarce at the moment.
He waited for the screams to get nearer, but it seemed to be taking a while. It was tempting to just go back upstairs and actually help, but fear was still present in his mind. Pirates had yet to raid his village, at least during his time alive so far, but he hoped it wouldn't be like it was so vividly described. It was known many able-bodied adults and older teenagers were stolen for a variety of purposes, some he wasn't old enough to be told but figured anyway. The real fear his brother had for him was if the pirates would just kill him right off the bat or not; children were only annoying and about as useful as their stereotypical shoulder parrots for as much as the pirates could tell.
As he shifted a bit to sit upon his knees on the smoother ground, the upstairs door was slammed in with what he figured a boot. Some shouts rang about, and he could hear the thick footwear clomping about in an impatient manner. Gulping a bit, he hoped the trapdoor to where he was could not be scoped out. He could hear a gruff voice talking then, and a punch being swung. Hogosha cried out in a somewhat muffled pain, but didn't fall.
Soto allowed the curiosity to get the better of him and moved up the creaky ladder to listen to the commotion curiously.
"So do you have anyone hidden in here?" The sadistic tone caused the young boy to nearly jump out to protect his older sibling.
Hogosha's voice became a protective snarl, "Not like that's any of your business!"
Something was muttered and a slap rang out. Soto felt tears starting up, but tried to not have them get in the way of noticing what was going out.
"Useless! I should get rid of you…" That was it…
The brunet opened the trapdoor and went over to where he found his brother was on the ground and curled up and in pain. Stomping up to the captain of the pirates, Soto felt vigor of pure anger move through him, "Leave him alone!"
The icy stare moved to him and the hulking body turned to face the shorter slowly, "Or… what, exactly?"
His heart quickened, but the Japanese man grit his teeth at the British adult, "You don't scare me. I've played 'Pirates and Pajama Men' all my life."
"How sad," cooed the captain in a false tone, and moved around the child, "Ninjas originated around here, yet you don't know what their proper name are…"
His temper got the better of him, and the auburn boy rushed forward with the idea of playing as the 'pajama man'. Sneakily taking the sword from around the waist of his enemy, Soto jumped back and gripped it fiercely.
This actually surprised the older males, but still the oldest grew angry with this. No longer was he taunting the boy, he needed to show him who was better.
Sadly, Soto had no real sword training and could only flee or endanger everyone in the current situation.
Nodding and grinning the captain motioned for the crew to do something. He found it was to go get a couple of people on the floor nearby, one recently diseased woman and a male knocked out brutally, barely hanging on. To make matters worse, Hogosha caught on and couldn't hold back, "Our parents...? How could you know…?"
The one running this disturbing scene laughed despite how messed up this was, "The last raid, your pitiful father had the misfortune of crossing us and staying behind. Looks like the pirate life was just not good enough for him." Then the grin slowly made its way on the thin and scarred face, "Though… Once a pirate, always a pirate… Especially when you were under rule of Captain Aaric!" He then snagged the long sword back from the boy easily, and motioned for his crew to follow behind, "Come on, we need to feed those circling sharks something to get them away from our trail."
Soto collapsed onto the floor near his battered sibling, and hugged the clean upper half to sob out his woes. Tears mixed as they clung; even though Hogosha was nearly sixteen, he couldn't dream of taking care of Soto himself. Even the child knew that…
~Six Years Later~
The next time the pirates were pointed out, Soto make a face, but barely cared this time. He had to lead his friend Peter about, and they just so happened to be moving towards the heart of the village. This time the captain moved carefully, his eyes sweeping back and forth from the slightly larger area of land he was looking over. Soto couldn't take it, and his hand let go his friend's quickly in anger, "So we meet again Captain Aaric?"
Instead of answering the eye patch-adorned moved forward, ready to deal with this nuisance he made his enemy. The crew was newer by the looks of things, probably from around the world in his travels. About Soto's age, even. Ignoring the protests from his blind friend, the auburn rushed at the middle-aged man and drove fist in the malnourished stomach area. "Brat!" huffed the older, trying not to get distracted by the force that hurt him considerably.
It was clear the captain had seen better days, and the sword was once again stolen, but this time… It was stuck into the belt Soto had, and the actual blade was pulled out and then flailed in front of the older fiercely. Peter gasped and tried to move, but was stuck in place from fear he'd get in the middle of the fight he was hearing. The brunet grinned wildly, copying the one he'd remember for the rest of his life. "Why isn't your crew helping you, Aaric? Do they hate you as much as I do? Wait, that's impossible."
Said adult scoffed, "It's Captain-"
"No, you don't deserve that title…." Then the adolescent smirked, "I do." Not allowing his enemy the courtesy a turn to speak, "You killed my father because he couldn't stand you, and my mother for being with him, then the grief slowly ate my brother into a drunken state… He died from having too much and wandering until he fell from only ever drinking." Gulping back fresh tears, "No one found him until I did, and that was a year ago today that I'm alone!" He knocked the older down angrily, "I have to deal with this by myself, and you get to be free? I don't think so!"
To prove his point he glared and fiercely stepped out and motioned his anger to the crew, wanting them to dare do something. Nothing though, but instead they nodded in agreement. It seemed like they hated their current captain as well. Peering back down to the oldest, not noticing the police equivalents coming up, "From now on, I will be the captain for this here crew!" He threw back his head; "I am Captain Soto, now!"
The civil servants rolled their eyes and started to gather the original captain, "As long as you stay away from here, do what you will." It was clear nothing happened this time, but what if they were ever to come back here?
The freshly appointed turned around and made his way to the interestingly adorned ship. He got Peter by the pale hand and decided to allow the recently orphaned a chance to follow along as well.
Suddenly, "Why do you want to become what you hate so much, boy?" Aaric called angrily from getting dragged off. He'd die without the answer.
When the pirates got onto their ship slowly, it took a while after sailing that Soto really didn't know so well either…