The wind picked up slightly as she grabbed the chance and brought her head back. Hitting Bo' sun on the neck due to the lack of height, the man let her go as he grabbed his neck. She turned and delivered a strong kick on his sensitive area.
The small 'thud' of his knees against the wooden deck drew everyone's attention.
"Get her!", Barbossa shouted as Artemis ducked or jumped above the men. She head butted Raggeti and grabbed her belt with her sword and gun. As more men approached her, she jumped up and gathered her knees as she brought her hands below her body, successfully bringing them forward.
The muffled cry of Will made her look at him but her strong stance seems to give strength and courage to the younger man.
Artemis backed away towards the railing by the men, before running towards the edge and jumping into the water. She brought her hands forward and landed with her head first into the cold waters.
The cried of the men on the ship were muffled away as she opened her eyes and started to swim below the giant ship. Her lungs burnt by the time she had managed to cross the distance and she took a deep breath before diving again and swimming below the water.
She struggled but managed to reach the sore just in time to hear Jack and Elizabeth arguing. She coughed some salt water that had entered her mouth and drew their attention.
"Artemis!", Elizabeth exclaimed as she rushed to her older sister and helped her to sit higher on the sand.
"How did you escape?", Jack asked.
"Some dirty playing, some head butting and lots of luck", she said as she tried to catch her breath while the brunette-blond grabbed her sword and cut the ropes that held her hands.
"So, what is the plan?", she asked as she rubbed her red wrists.
"There is no plan! Apparently, we stay here and drink rum until we die!", Elizabeth said, anger rising fast as she looked at Jack.
The man opened his mouth but before he could utter a word, the woman marched away while shouting curses.
"Do not worry. She will come back once she is calm. It is not like she can go anywhere", Artemis said as she sat next to him, her sword on her laps as she caressed the blade.
"I feel sorry for the man who will take care"
"You mean James? Well, I am sure he can survive or best-case scenario; she ends up commanding him"
The duo cracked a smile and chuckled before turning to look at each other. Their smiles dropped and their faces turned serious as they stared into each other eyes. Jack's brown hues landed on the eyepatch which was now visible as her red hair was pushed back by the adventure.
"Lassie…"
"You wonder about the eye, don't you?", Artemis said and looked at the water in front of her. "Well, if we are going to die; I see no point in keeping it a secret. I must warn you, it is not exactly a happy story"
"Since when this life has happy stories?"
"Tell me about it. *sigh* It was almost 4 years ago"
Artemis was around the age of 16 and as per usual, she was sitting at the spot that eventually would inspire her pirate name; the crow's nest. She sat comfortable with her legs hanging and her whole attention at the clear blue sky. It seemed like yesterday when they were fighting against a terrible storm, the days passed with only the grey cloudy sky and the strong winds to accompany them. However now, no cloud had dared to hide the beautiful shade of blue above them.
Her mind was elsewhere, replaying her latest adventure at a small native island. She had managed to befriend a few younger native kids who had introduced her to a wonderful world of medicinal but also poisonous plants. She missed them, despite spending less than 2 weeks on that island. However, those kids weren't the only ones she missed. No, Will and Elizabeth were also in her mind; the two younger kids waiting for her at Port Royal.
She couldn't wait to tell Elizabeth about her latest adventures and teach Will a new sword fighting trick she had invented.
"Daydreaming again?", a voice said and forced her to land.
She blinked twice and kept her eyes on the sky, recognizing the voice.
"You know it", she said with a smile and turned her head to look at the man who was hanging from the outer part of the small round wooden structure.
He was around his late 60s with long pure white hair and a white beard. His eyes were a gentle brown and were deep into his skull while around them a fair amount of wrinkles could be seen. His face was tanned from the years under the sun and so were his arms. He was dressed in dark blue pants and a white shirt with dark blue horizontal lines. An old and worn dark blue scarf was around his neck.
"And here I thought you were keeping an eye like the good sailor you are", the man joked and petted her head.
Artemis chuckled at the humor of the man she knew as Mr. Dell. The man was her father's first mate and her second parent figure, guiding her all those years aboard the ship; the Huntress.
"Oh well, guess I am not that good sailor"
"What are you thinking of?"
"Little bit of everything; mostly Will and Liz"
"Ah yes. Those two must have missed you. It's been what? 1 year?"
"I think it is more but who knows anymore"
"Welcome to the life on the ship"
"Why thank you. I presume you didn't climb up all your way up here just to welcome me"
"Your father is asking for you"
"Keep it warm Mr. Dell. I will be back", she joked as she trades places with the old man and climbed her way down from a rope.
Her brown boots touched the wooden deck and she cleaned her brown pants and white shirt which had turned a crème shade due to all the dust and dirt she had encountered. She tied her hair into a high ponytail and made her way towards the Helm where her father was.
"Artemis my dear", he said as he walked towards her.
His red hair had turned towards a dark bronze and was short, not passing his shoulders. His beard was much longer though, making him look much older than he was already. His dark blue coat moved slightly with the gentle wind as his black boots clicked against the floor.
"You wanted to see me dad?"
"Yes. Walk with me", he said and placed his hand around her shoulders before the duo walk slowly towards the bow. "So, your birthday is coming soon and you turn 16"
"Yeah. Hard to believe it huh?", she said and looked at his dark eyes for a moment and saw an emotion she hadn't seen before. Guilt
"Well… you are now officially a lady and well…I was thinking… I am sure your mother would agree…"
"What is it dad?"
"I believe it is time you stay at Port Royal and find yourself a kind man"
She came to a halt and looked at him with betrayal visible in her blue hues. Her lips were parted but she couldn't find any words to say at the moment. How could her father, the man she adored; to tell her such thing. He knew better than anyone how connected she was with the sea and he had just suggested her to abandon everything for the sake of marriage. No, she wouldn't accept that; she refused.
Before she could say anything, Mr. Dell's voice echoed from above and the words were far from welcoming.
"Pirate Ship at 6 o clock! Pirate ship at 6 o clock!"
Her blood ran cold within her veins as time seemed to slow down. Both, her and her father, had put the little talk behind and was fully focused on the incoming threat.
"Release the sails! Full speed ahead! Men to the guns!", he shouted as he made his way towards the helm, leaving Artemis standing.
The crew quickly followed his orders, opening each single sail in hope that the small wind would assist them to put some distance. However, they knew that the chances were small and understood the second order. Two crew members rushed below the deck and started to bring up the guns, passing them to the rest. One made its way in Artemis' hands and the girl took a deep breath before joining the rest of her shipmates.
She had been trained on all kids of works and basic weapons that were used on top of a ship, gun included. Her father spotted her and ordered her to go below but she ignores him as she took her position behind the railing at the right bulwark. She had never faced pirates before and all the admiration she once had, was long gone. Now, her basic instinct was of survival and that meant killing if needed.
The pirate ship managed to reach them soon after, the two majestic wooden monsters now side by side. The Pirates threw hooks and used ropes to hang themselves on top of the Huntress. However, Artemis and the rest were ready and had already started firing at the incoming pirates. Aiming for their exposes chest and killing most of them. The advantages of being a ship that was sailing under the King.
They had good quality guns and even a few canons which they also used at that moment. However, once a few pirates managed to escape and succeed on their goal; things toughened up. The said pirates started to attack the crew members that were shooting their shipmates and those who had managed to escape their blades were forced to retreat, a certain redhead included.
She grabbed the sword from her waist and pulled it out of its sheath, the blade giving her a sense of security. One pirate came at her and she managed to duck below his attack, only for her to jab the sharp point of the gun on the man's back. A groan of pain left his lips as she had managed to pierce the heart and watched as the body collapsed in front of her. She was in a mild shock but the adrenalin inside her body was helping her sustain control.
She quickly blocked an attack for her right side, coming face to face with another pirate. She tried to shoot him but the man was too close and he grabbed the gun, making her miss. He managed to pull it away from her and toss it to the side as their blades crashed again.
This small dance lasted a few seconds with the red head on the defense, holding her own against the Pirate. However, luck was not on her side as another Pirate decided to play dirty and attack from behind.
"Artemis!", her father screamed, warning her of the attack but ended up getting injured in the process by his own opponent.
The blood flying from his chest was enough to give her a good shock and stall down her evading attempt. She managed to save her body but not her right eye and cheek that were sliced by the sharp edge of the sword.
She let out a cry of pain as she landed on her back, her hand going to her now bleeding eye; finding herself unable to open it. The men grinned wickedly as they started walking towards her.
She tried to stand but almost lost her balance due to the shock and wound as well. One sword quickly stabbed one of the two men from behind and the pirate fell on the ground.
A smile found its way on her lips as her father retreats the blade from the body and stood protectively in front of his daughter, one hand on his chest where blood was running like a small river.
"Hands off my daughter", he said and charged, the two blades clashing.
Despite the injury, he managed to push the man away from her but he soon left an opening which proved fatal. A high slash was enough to cut the skin around his throat and the red liquid spread all over the man's face.
"No!", she shouted as she charged at the man, her single eyes seeing only red.
She attacked and attacked again and again, one swing stronger than the other. The man started to worry as she kept attacking him as a savage animal. Soon, his body was covered in different wounds and the final came when she stabbed his throat She felt the thin bone break against the contact of the metal, allowing it to pass through the whole structure and come out from the other end; its tip dipped in red.
She pulled the blade back and watched the man fall while she took deep breaths. The adrenalin still high but the after match of the current events was catching up to her. The image of her father having his neck sliced replayed in her mind and almost caused her to drop her sword.
"Artemis!", someone shouted her name and a hand grabbed her wrist as she was pulled behind some barrels. She looked at the owner of the hand, proving to be no other than Mr. Dell. "Artemis, I need you to control yourself. Please"
His words reached her but her mind refused to process what they meant. He kept trying, shaking her slightly and slowly; she started to understand. She gave a nod with her head, her mouth feeling too dry to allow any words to escape.
"Where are they?!", someone shouted and they ducked further behind the barrels, the screams of their fellow crew reaching their ears.
"Listen to me. There is no escape from this, not for all of us. I need you, when I give the signal, to jump off the ship and into the waters"
"What… what about you?", she managed to say, her voice trembling as tears appeared at the corner of her eye.
"I have one final job to do", the old man said and exposed a bomb. "I had my years, I spent them doing what I loved and I am grateful I met you and your father. You are still young, he will wanted you to live your life"
"But-"
"There are no buts Artemis and no time. You have to do it", he said and placed his hand on top of her head, a gesture he had for her since she was a toddler. "Do it for me and for everyone here. We raised you and taught you as if you were our own child. As a parent, we want you to live" A single tear escaped her left eye and rolled down her cheek, realizing where she was and what she had to do. She bit her bottom lip, a failed attempt to stop it from trembling as she hugged the man.
He hugged her back but another shout from the Pirate captain caused them to break earlier than they both wanted. The man looked at her and gave a nod before the young Artemis stood up and jumped off the ship. She dived into the water and drew the attention of the Pirates but before any of them could take few steps, the bomb exploded and took the whole ship with it as the valuable spices and gunpowder caught fire.
Artemis swam up, panting as she looked around her. The Huntress was gone, only pieces of it left on the surface of the water as the corpses of her fellow crew but also pirates surrounded her. Or at least, which bodies survived the explosion. She looked at the Pirate ship, which was caught on the line of fire, a part of it affected by the explosion while the rest of it was caught on fire.
Her eye was hurting, the salt stinging her new wound and she struggled to focus with only one. She managed to spot a piece of wood drifting on the waters and swam towards it. She lifted a part of her body on top of it, her muscles hurting. Her cheek pressed against the wooden boards as she tried to catch her breath. Something cold drew her attention and spotted her father's sword at the other corner. She stretched her arm and grabbed the handle before bringing it closer to her.
Her eye started to water again, the adrenalin long gone and everything catching up to her. Everyone was gone, her family was gone, and she was all alone in the middle of a vast sea.