"Captain!" Carlos shouted and came running. "The cannons are ready. We're awaiting orders." He said. James let out a loud laugh and looked – if anything – excited.
"Then we blow the son of a bitch away!" He said and dodged an attack from one of the big tentacles and stabbed it with his sword. "Death to the beast!" he shouted and pulled his pistol out and aimed it for the tentacle gripping the mast.
James smirked, hearing the pained wheezing when the shot hit its target and he took four determined steps forward and sank his sword deeply into the soft flesh and grinned when the tentacle uncurled itself from the mast and slid back down into the ocean.
"Arm the cannons!" He ordered and jumped up on the railing and held on to the ropes dangling down from the sail.
"Ay, ay, Captain!" The crew called out and shouted once more when they were all in position. James grinned wickedly and waved his sword around.
"FIRE!" He ordered and the deafening sound of cannons going off shook the whole ship.
Kendall stumbled around in the captain's cabin as the ship violently rocked back and forward and various items that weren't nailed to the floor shifted across the room. "H-Holy lord." He panted and grabbed a hold one of the supporting beams by the bed.
He could hear cannons go off constantly and between them he could hear the captain of the ship laugh loudly and bark orders to fire at the beast. Kendall gripped the dagger tightly and yelped when the whole boat felt like it was heeling over and he fell over and slid across the floor and hit his back against the door that flung open and he tumbled out on deck.
The prince's breath hitched in his throat when he managed to get back up on his feet again. The whole deck was filled with wiggling meaty tentacles, grasping after the crew that was scurrying around fighting them off with various weapons.
Kendall grasped the dagger and dodged an attack that missed him by just a foot. He jumped backwards when the beast slammed one of its tentacles down by him and sliced the fleshy organ open with his dagger and let out a nervous chuckle when the beast howled and the tentacle writhed by his feet before slipping back into the ocean.
The blond looked around and tried to make out something in the semi darkness and gulped seeing the crew of pirates fight the beast bravely. He wanted to help. He didn't want to be completely helpless. Even though these were his kidnappers he couldn't stand back and watch them struggle.
He saw the captain of the ship up by the rudder deck, shooting at a tentacle that had wrapped itself around the rear mast and tugged at it, making the whole ship sway.
James let out a victorious laugh when the tentacle uncurled itself from the mast and retreated back into the sea with a wail. The brunet pirate happened to spot the young prince and waved happily while swinging his sword and dodging another attack from the sea beast.
James' eyes eyes flickered back and forth on the deck before returning to the prince that was too busy helping one of the crew members back up on his feet to notice the thin snakelike tentacle darting towards him and encircling itself around his ankle, successfully sweeping him off his feet.
"Hey!" James shouted and leaped from the rudder deck and landed by the blond's side and cut him loose. "I thought I told you to stay in the cabin." James said sternly.
"I would." The prince said. "But I can't stay in there unless I want to be crushed by moving furniture." He said and furrowed his eyebrows. "W-Watch it!" He yelled and shoved the tall pirate in the chest, making them both avoid being crushed by the thick tentacle landing in between them.
The young prince yelped when he was smacked in the chest and fell backwards, down the stairs down under deck.
"Are you alright?" He could hear the captain call.
"I'm alright!" He responded and got back up on his feet and looked around in the dark.
James let out a sighed and for just a few seconds he lowered his guard. "Captain!" He heard someone call and looked up moments before the beast slammed him in the chest and curled itself around his middle and dragging him overboard.
"C-Captain!" Carlos shouted and ran over to the railing and watched the sea monster struggle weakly. The tentacles slipped off the deck and the crew cheered at their victory. But cheering was however cut short. "Captain!" Carlos shouted down into the water.
Kendall climbed back up the stairs and looked around. He spotted the latino shout into the water and when he looked around he couldn't see the captain of the ship anywhere. "C-Captain?" Kendall called and ran up to the railing.
He could see the monster slowly sinking and on the surface floated a familiar red hat with a big gray feather on it.
"Captain!" Carlos called. The whole crew was now gathered on the starboard side of the boat, leaning far out over the railing to see. The latino next to Kendall was nearly sobbing. "Captain...?" He called again, but less hopeful.
"James..."
Silence fell over the murmuring crew and Kendall just stared down into the water. He didn't know if he should be happy or sad, he just felt... empty. A new word popped up in his head and he blinked a few times. James.
That was the captain's name. James.
"Will one of you sons of bitches help me the fuck up?!" A voice called from behind him. Kendall swirled around and Carlos shrieked loudly and ran to the other side of the ship and dragged the captain of the ship aboard.
"Captain!" He said and eyed the brunet for injuring, finding none Carlos calmed down.
"That bloody monster. Overgrown squid!" James growled and shook some water off himself. "Scratching my goddamned ship." He cursed and looked around. "Where the hell is my hat?!" he roared and a sailor was immediately sent to fetch the hat.
"Are you alright?" Carlos asked, less worried, more collected.
James shrugged him off. "I'm fine." he said and sighed. "Now!" He said and the crew all tensed up. "I want y'all to search the ship for leaks and damages and if I find out that you've missed something I'll carve your eyes out!" He threatened and the crew got to work. "You." James hissed and turned his glare to the prince. "Cabin. Now." He ordered and Kendall gulped and glanced at the latino – that nodded frantically – and then hurried into the captain's cab and barely had he gotten inside when James stormed in while cursing under his breath.
Kendall stayed silent and still as the captain shrugged his jacket off and placed a chair that had fallen over back on its legs and hung it there. He kicked his boots off and tossed his belt – with sword and gun holster – on the table before flopping down on the bed and cursing.
"C-Captain Diamond?" Kendall gulped. The brunet turned to glare at him. The prince regretted calling out for the pirate and silenced down and let his eyes fall and stick to the floorboards. The blond seated himself in one of the chairs by the table and James stayed on the bed, while struggling with the last few buttons of his white cotton shirt.
When he finally got it off he threw it on the floor and finally laid down on the bed and sighed. "Goddamned beast." He grumbled and smothered his hands over his damp face. He got up and leaned on his elbows and eyed the blond sitting curled up in one of the chairs. "C'mere." He said angrily and when the blond hesitated he got up and grabbed the blond, before forcefully pushing him down on the bed.
"C-Captain!" Kendall whined and pushed the brunet that was hovering above him away. "P-Please! T-This won't solve anything!" He gasped and struggled when James yanked at his robe. "Please stop!" He begged. The brunet ignored the wails of protests and managed to get the prince out of his blue velvet robe. "James!" Kendall shouted.
As if frozen James stilled his movements and clutched the blond's shirt in his hands. "W-What did you call me?" he merely breathed out, eyes hidden behind his damp hair.
"J-James." Kendall repeated. "I-I called you James." He said and gulped. "T-That's your name, isn't it?" he asked. "James is your name." The handsome brunet looked up at the green eyed blond and shoved him away. "James." Kendall said softly and it was as if the brunet's anger just... subsided and went away. "James?"
The brunet sighed and closed his eyes, gulping and taking a deep breath. "How do you know my name?" He asked. "I've never told you."
"I-... I don't know." Kendall said. "I... It just kind of popped up in my head." He said shyly. "It... It is your name, is it not?" He asked worriedly. The captain nodded weakly and opened his eyes and look down at the blond.
"Ar." He said quietly and pushed himself off the bed and looked away. "'Tis my name." He confirmed and a sudden sadness fell over his face. It'd been ages since someone had called him that. It was always 'Captain'.
And the way his name had rolled off the prince's tongue. It was like it was his name was made for that voice. He looked down at the blond that was staring at his naked chest, eying the large scar he had. James smirked and dragged his fingers along the scarred skin. Starting up by his left shoulder and stretching all the way across his chest down to his waist on the right side.
"Pretty impressive, huh?" He asked and Kendall seemed to be snapped out of his little daze.
"H-How did you...?" He mumbled. "How are you even alive after something...?" He asked but left the sentence hanging. James chuckled lowly and rolled over to his side and continued running his fingers along the scar.
"I got it while fighting giant killer birds of the north." He said. "They were many and I was surrounded." He explained and sat up. "I'd fallen into the ice cold water and had managed to get up onto a large ice flow where I fought them." He said and gestured with his hands. "There must have been five of them... and only one of me."
James enjoyed seeing the curious glint in the prince's eyes and smirked a bit and jabbed the air with and imaginary sword.
"I slayed one of them." He said. "But it only made the others angry and they tore me up pretty badly. But I survived, defeated them and got a scar to prove it." James said and puffed his chest out a bit and grinned proudly.
Kendall nodded slowly and looked awfully impressed even though he tried to conceal it. "You must have seen much." The prince said silently and sighed.
"I've seen everything." James said and laid back down. "I've been all over the world. Met all kinds of people. Eaten the strangest food and screwed a wench in every country we've stopped by." he said.
The young prince scoffed silently and curled up a bit more and turned his back against the pirate and sighed again. "Pirates..." He muttered and grabbed the silky covers and pulled them around himself and snuggled deeper into the soft mattress.
"What about yourself, Blondie?" James asked and laughed.
"I've lived in a castle my entire life." Kendall mumbled. "I would be lucky to catch a glimpse of the foreign salesmen when they sailed by the fortress." He said and curled up. James shook his head and laid down and looked up at the ceiling and put his hands behind his head.
Kendall gulped a bit and tried his best to stay awake but he was tired and his eyes were dropping close. It was a struggle to keep them open but he knew that eventually he'd have to give in and get some sleep.
"You are in for a real adventure, your majesty." James mumbled after what must have been an eternity of silence. The blond turned his head to look at the brunet who was already on his way out of the bed and grabbing his wet boots and coat and putting them back on.
"W-Where are you going?" Kendall asked.
"To see who's eyes I'm gonna have to carve out." James muttered but stopped to smirk at the blond and put his hat back on before exiting the cabin.
Kendall hesitated before getting out of the bed and scurrying over to the door and cracking it open just enough for him to peek out and spot the captain barking at the crew and pointing out various things that needed to be fixed and/or upgraded.
"And what is this?!" James shouted and picked up a broken board and threw it at the crew. "I got these railings in the far east! Do you realize how much work it'll take to fix it?!" He shouted angrily and let out a frustrated growl. The brunet's eyes darted over his crew before they turned towards his cabin and locked with the blond's.
Kendall quickly shut the doors and leaned against them, holding the handles to keep them shut and slapped his hand over his mouth but out on deck James was grinning to himself for a moment before turning back to his crew and started shouting at them again.
I'm so incredibly happy that you like this story. I like it. And when you like it I think it becomes better and better for me :)
Thank you all so much for reading! You make all this worth it for me. I love you guys so much! I really hope you like it.