You guys, I am so VERY sorry for the previous chapter. It was too short, I know. Hopefully this will be a long one, so I can make up for that one.
A/N: Read Lady of the Lilacs' songfic, My Immortal. It was so sweet and sad… ::tear::
Disclaimer: What is the point of these things? Everyone knows the characters ain't belonging FF.N members! Who the hell made up this thing??
IS THE STUPID DISCLAIMER EVEN REQUIRED??? IS THERE A RULEBOOK AROUND HERE STATING WE HAVE TO PUT ONE ON AND RUIN OUR LOVELY FICS????????????????????????
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Joren followed Jehani (A/N: Scary freak!!! ::is killed by Jehani:: EEP!) out of the cabin into the salty, crispy cool early morning. He shivered, running his hands over his bare arms to stimulate warmth. Jehani turned to look at him. She was so lovely, so impossibly beautiful for a child her age. She had to be some kind of god's child. No other girl had long red hair as perfectly soft and smooth as hers, or flawless eyes that brightly shined like polished onyx. The rising sun cast a crimson glow on her magnolia-white complexion that flattered her infinitely.
He hated her.
Somehow, this demon-child was the cause of his problems. She was more than what she claimed.
"Wait here," she ordered in her shrill little girl voice. "I will get the crew."
The crew. Wonderful. There's more.
Don't be so negative. Perhaps there'll be a friend on board.
I doubt that.
Joren wandered around the deck aimlessly. At a quick glance around, he determined he was at the stern of the ship, and peered over the front to see if perhaps the ship had a statue attached to it, like a mermaid. (A/N: Please tell me you people know what I'm talking about! I forgot if they have a specific name or not, so we shall call them statues, k?)
There was indeed a statue. It was that of a woman, beautiful in her naked glory. He leaned over as far as he could to see if he could make out any more. With a sigh of disappointment he gave up, backing away from the tip. He had no intent on being so close to the edge when Jehani returned with the crew. Who knows what they would do?
"– So this is Joren of Stone Mountain."
"– Kinda scrawny, ain't he?"
"– My daughter would like him."
Joren wheeled around, startled, heart pumping adrenaline rapidly. There was the crew, a large crowd of sleepy-eyed men and some boys. They gawked at him, taking in his rich attire. His clothes were ten times as fine as that of an ordinary pirate, and twenty times that of theirs.
"Who are you?" he shouted.
They flinched and edged back. All except one – a man his age, with curly reddish brown hair and dark green eyes. He had a scowl on his handsome face and a frown at his lips. For a brief, unsettling moment he deeply reminded Joren of his younger self.
"We are the crew of the Black Lady," the man snapped haughtily.
Oh yeah. That's me.
"I kind of figured that," Joren drawled coolly. He casually leaned against the rail. "My question was, more specifically, what are your names?"
The man reddened slightly and replied in a slightly more docile tone, "My name is Ray."
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It was mid-morning when Keladry and Morgan finally exited the woods and strode out into a clearing. Peachblossom was half-asleep by then, but perked up at the sight of the ship Mageskull. He had never seen or been on a ship before, and so – luckily for Kel, who could not even bear the thought of dragging an unwilling Peachblossom on board – looked very eager to try it out.
She could distantly see figures, like little ants, scurrying all over the ship, and bit her lip. So many reminders dwelled on board that ship. She remembered Frenn, and Arden, and the Sorcerer's Mistress…all those things.
Snap out of it, Kel, she told herself sternly. Forget about it.
"How has your life been goin'?"
Kel jumped. It was the first time Morgan had spoken to her since they met in the woods.
"It's been alright," she admitted. "I'm an assassin now."
Morgan nodded. "Yayuh. Cap'n Jo'en talks a lot aboutcha." He blushed. "Sorry, milady. My grammar sometimes slips without the cap'n here to correct me."
"It's okay," she said. Her thoughts were not on his occasionally atrocious grammar – it was on the fact that Joren spoke of her. Maybe, just maybe, he remembered too.
"How has," she faltered. "How has Joren been?"
Morgan shrugged. "Up 'til now he's been doin' good. Looks differenter than he did. Tanner, maybe. He's still an arrogant li'l bastard – gods forgive me, Jo'en – but he's a good 'nuff guy."
"You call him by his first name?" she asked, startled. The rules of pirating were strict and formal.
"Only 'cause he ordered it so," the dark man said cheerfully. "I never would of any other time."
"Oh." Then she asked, "Who's captain now that Joren is gone?"
"Well, first-mates are always cap'n when their own cap'n is away, and since I'm first-mate, that makes me cap'n."
"I see."
Silence reigned once more as they came closer to the Mageskull. Peachblossom had his head resting on his mistress' shoulder. She patted it absently, taking in the shreds of a Jolly Roger flag – black, marked with a white skull – whipping proudly in the wind like so much battered cloth.
"Are you and Joren…close?" she asked curiously. He talked about him fondly, and she was eager to know how close they were. If they were as close as she thought, then she could pry information from him about Joren.
"Aye, m'lady. He's like my own albino brother. Sometimes he makes stupid choices that I disapprove of, but so did Cap'n Lucas, bless his soul –" Morgan made the sign of evil on his chest –"and Jo'en's a good guy." He looked at her slyly. "Why do you ask, milady?"
She colored. "No reason. I've not seen Joren for five years, Morgan. I'm curious to know how his life has been, as would anyone who had a fr – an acquaintance turned pirate."
Morgan was silent.
"Back then, before the…the Priests came…were you and the cap'n…friends?
Kel hesitated. "No," she said quietly, her gaze roaming to the sea. "We weren't."
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"Anesia."
"Yes, Master?"
"Come here."
The beautiful raven-haired girl stood up, skirts swishing around her ankles, large brown eyes dull and soulless. She moved automatically to the ash-blond man sitting on his throne. He reached out and cupped her smooth pale cheek and gently pulled her onto his lap.
"Smile for me," he ordered softly.
Her lips curved into a smile. It did not reach her empty eyes. The man sighed regretfully and pushed her off his lap so he could stand up.
"Come to bed with me," he said, and ambled toward a door on the far left. The girl, who was fifteen, but trapped in her eleven-year-old body, followed obediently.
He opened the door for her, and Anesia sashayed in. She looked so pretty, with her dark hair done up so neatly into a braid.
"Sha'sa'in should have waited for you to grow up," he murmured as he kissed her soft full lips and trailed kisses down her long, elegant neck. "You would have been so much better." He pulled away. "Now, tell me you love me."
"I love you, Master."
"I love you too, Anesia."
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Anyone remember who Anesia is? Hee hee. In that paragraph with the whole statue business, I want to make myself clear. The statues I'm talking about are those figures that are built right on the front tip of the ship. Like mermaids or whatever. If you need anymore explaining, just tell me.
Kassi, did you tell Jenny of Masbolle I was a good author? 'Cause she reviewed my two songfics and said you did. If you did, thankies so much. And when the heck are you getting that K/J story up??! Or is it up already…? Just hurry up and tell me when you do!!