Chapter VI

The Soulless Captain and the Giant Sea Serpent

It was a rainy night, but the sea was calm and the crew was nowhere to be found. Captain Heero Yuy turned to his first mate with a troubled frown, but the Chinese man merely shrugged and resumed steering the ship. The captain followed the trail of lamps down to the main deck and from there to the sleeping quarters where – as already expected – he found all of his men and two women sitting on barrels or hammocks or wooden boxes surrounded by lamps to give the space as much light as possible. For once, they were not gambling.

'Oy, Howie! How 'bout ye tell us that tale ye were going to tell us the other night?' Duo shouted from the other side of their almost-circle as the oldest pirate on board puffed on a pipe. Their previous topic of conversation seemed to have expired.

'I can't remember which one it was…' Howard scratched his chin thoughtfully, but without result. 'How 'bout I tell ye the tale of the soulless captain and the giant sea serpent?'

'I think it's about time you returned to yer posts.' Heero chose that moment to step out of the shadows, his eyes cold as ice.

Relena looked up at him wide-eyed while the others avoided his gaze as best as they could, most picking random spots on the wooden deck to stare at sombrely. It was Howard who spoke. 'Everyone here's already heard that story, Heero. The princess's the only one who hasn't.'

The captain turned to Hilde, who was also a newcomer, and she nodded in confirmation, meeting his eyes only for the briefest of moments before turning away again. 'Do as you will then.' Was all he said and returned to the upper deck.

'Will he be mad at me if you tell me the story?' the blonde woman immediately asked the older pirate. 'Because if he is…'

'He's not mad at us, lass.' Howard reassured her. 'He's mad at life and 'imself.'

'So this tale's about Heero?'

'Partly, aye, but mostly about Odin Lowe.'

XXX

After eight long years at sea, the fearsome ruthless Captain Odin Lowe was back to Manila where he had once built the closest thing he had ever had to a home away from the sea. The small Spanish founded city in the Philippines was where his love – the young Aoi Clark – lived, or at least Lowe hoped she was still there just as he had left her. He was anxious to see her… So anxious in fact that as soon as they docked he left his crew to their own devices and headed straight to her house.

People along the streets stared at him with surprise in their eyes and a long wave of whispers followed the captain all the way to Aoi's place. He paid them no mind. It was not uncommon for locals to talk about him, after all Odin Lowe had made a name for himself or was on his way to. He meant to be the one pirate who would conquer all seas, kill all monsters and find all treasures. Captain Lowe would be the richest, most powerful pirate to have ever lived and he would go to whatever lengths were necessary to get there. He would buy his own island and there he would sit, in a throne made of gold, with Aoi at his side.

He had never expected to find her married…and with a child. She paled at the sight of him and the wet tunic she had been about to add to a long line of newly washed clothes fell to a heap on the ground. The boy – noticing the change in his mother's behaviour – turned to fix the captain with an angry glare. Aoi turned to him as soon as she recovered from her shock. 'Heero?' in quiet resolute Japanese she told him to go play and the boy ran away, however reluctantly, towards the open fields.

'How old is he?' the captain asked, finally stepping closer.

'Odin…' she started, but he would have none of her excuses and Aoi saw that in his eyes. 'He's just short of eight.'

'He's mine then. What is it that ye have named 'im?'

'I've named him after my husband.'

'Ye have named me spawn after another bloke?' Lowe sneered, making the woman take a step back.

'He's not your spawn.' Aoi said despite her sudden fear of him. 'You weren't here. You were gone for eight years. Heero is the one who raised him. He is the boy's father.'

'Heero, eh?' the captain spat. 'Ye slit-eyed people think ye are so much better than the rest of us…' he turned to leave then, feeling dead inside, but changed his mind at the last minute. 'I would've come back sooner. Do ye think I would've abandoned ye? I had bounty hunters and privateers tailing me! I had to lay low, Aoi. I had to do it in order to come back to ye alive.'

'Come back to me?' she questioned confused and tears rolled down her cheeks. 'I thought you'd come back for the shipbuilder…'

'Shipbuilder?' he frowned disbelievingly.

'Hai.' Aoi nodded. 'Mike Howard. He's in Manila with his crew and a brand new ship. They call it the Peacemillion.'

Lowe snorted. 'What a foolish name for a ship.'

She said nothing, merely stood there wringing her thin white hands and staring at his boots, wishing he would leave. It pained the captain to see it, but he could not take his eyes off her. Aoi no longer loved him. She had a child now and a husband. There was no need for him whatsoever. He turned to the fields, where the boy stood staring at him, mindless of his mother's words and saw a future that was no longer his to take. Without another word, he turned around and left.

XXX

'Capt'n, have ye 'eard?'

Lowe put down the bottle of rum he had just been about to polish off and turned to his quartermaster. The man was clearly excited. 'What?' he spat.

'That Capt'n 'Oward's 'ere with 'is ship, sir.'

'The Peacemillion… Aye. I've 'eard. What of it?'

'They says it's a hell of a ship, sir. That she's so fast she can soar over the waters…'

The captain snorted. 'A ship that flies, eh? Stop spreading that codswallop or ye are the one who's gonna learn how to fly. Ye hear me? Ye scum!' he managed to kick the man even as he scurried away, and turned back to his bottle. Was it not enough that this Heero whoever-he-was had stolen his wench and his brat? Now he had to hear about how Captain Howard had a better ship than he? He turned to the owner behind the bar counter. 'Do ye know this… Heero?'

'Heero Yuy? Everyone knows 'im, sire. Some even think he ought to be our next gov'nor… Things have improved mightily around these parts ever since he came round.'

'That so, eh?'

'Aye, sir. It is.'

'So 'e's some sort of public leader?'

'Ye could say that.' The man nodded.

'Interesting…' Lowe took another sip of his drink, his eyes fixed on the reflection of the lamps on the countless bottles around them. He willed his mind to go blank, willed the pain to disappear, but – as hard as he tried – it just would not. Lowe could not take it. He needed to kill someone…or something. He needed blood, needed to make someone suffer as much as he was. 'Isn't it a full moon tonight?'

'Aye, sir. That's why the whole town's in vigil.'

'It still comes with the full moon?'

'The bakunawa? Aye… It comes. To try and devour the moon, it does.'

'Good.' The captain said and took a final draught.

'Sir?' the owner frowned not sure if he had understood, but Lowe did not answer him, instead he stood up and turned to his men.

'Back to the ship, ye' lazy bilge rats!'

'Captain Lowe!' the man behind the counter was instantly horrified. 'Ye should not set sail, sir! If ye do the bakunawa will show up for certain! It likes the taste of men just as much as the taste of moons, sir.'

'Aye…' the captain smiled an ugly evil smile. 'Let it try and eat me then.'

With nothing left to lose, Lowe led his men back to the ship and, underneath the light of a full moon, they left the port and headed straight to the open sea, following the silver trail of the moon's reflection. Half the crew was protesting, mumbling their fears to one another, but the captain ignored them. His quartermaster was nowhere to be seen and Lowe suspected the man had been left ashore. That did not faze him either. His courage had been boosted by the rum and his rage was so great at that moment he was sure he could have defeated the monster all by himself.

XXX

They had been sailing for hours and the moon was almost past its zenith when the waters grew agitated. Captain Lowe ran towards the railing while the tripulation tried to stay as far from it as possible. What he saw sliding underneath the waves filled his pumping arteries with adrenaline and he smiled, feeling the relief to his blood-thirst grow ever nearer. 'Untie the harpoons, lads!' he shouted. 'And load them canons!'

All pirates ran frantically about, trying to fulfil the captain's requests. Some more for their own sake and fear of the beast than anything else. The waves kept getting more and more violent and one of the men suggested they tie themselves to the main mast, providing a safe-line in case they happened to be thrown overboard. That caused the commotion to cease for a moment and Lowe turned to the crew angry and confused.

'What is the meaning of this?' he questioned, but no one seemed inclined to answer. They had been safe ashore after so long, enjoying their drinks and the company of a few wenches… How had they ended up on a dangerously rocking ship about to be devoured by a sea monster? None of them seemed too excited by the action and adventure. 'Ye gutless chickens! Tie yerselves if ye wish, but once that thing is dead all those with ropes 'round their waists will be keel hauled. And don't ye dare sneak down to the gun deck either. There're enough hands down there to man the canons already.'

While the tripulation tried to find a way out of their dilemma, the bakunawa decided to make its grand entrance. It emerged from the sea like a spear, sending water flying all around it, soaking all those on deck. Lowe smirked as he admired the beast… It had the head of a dragon with long whiskers and gills, two sets of fins forming a constantly moving halo around its neck and the long never-ending body of a gigantic sea serpent covered in reddish scales. The bakunawa sneered at them, barring long pointy fangs, raising itself even higher to hover over the ship.

'Fire!' someone shouted and the already panicking pirates ran for their weapons as the first canon blasts sounded.

'No!' the captain roared. 'Not yet, ye fools!'

He dashed for the harpoon. It was his kill and if he did not want it stolen he would have to take matters into his own hands. The monster was impressively fast for its size, dancing easily out of the canon balls' trajectory, but it would not be able to keep that rhythm up forever and when it slowed down Lowe would be ready.

It did not take long. As soon as the first harpoon was fired, amidst the canon balls, the bakunawa's focus was lost and the beast was forced to change its rhythm. The captain's own harpoon soared straight to its heart. Lowe had not expected the scales to be as hard as stone. The weapon left barely a scratch and the monster was furious. Its long muscular tail hit the ship so hard all standing pirates went crashing to the floor and those who were standing too close to the railing fell overboard and into the raging waters.

The bakunawa's teeth sunk into the main mast, breaking it in half and the captain cursed as he threw himself out of harm's way. He had to find out a way to scare off the beast or it would sink the ship. 'Man the canons!' he shouted unsure what the situation was in the lower deck and no longer hearing the blasts of the weapons going off. His crew seemed to be listening to him again for soon he was the only one left on the main deck and the canons started firing again.

Lowe drew his sword. Running away was probably their best and only option, but the monster would never let that happen so they would have to take their chances. He would have to take his chances. Laughing madly, he stood on the main deck ready to attack and met the bakunawa's eyes in a silent challenge. 'Come at me.' He said more to himself than to the beast. 'Eat me and be done with it.'

When he saw the approaching jaws of the monster he realised he no longer feared death. He really had nothing left to lose. The canons fired and the bakunawa shrieked, retreating. Its rage only seemed to grow as the humans' weapons failed to cause him any permanent damage. Lowe was not prepared when the beast struck again, thankfully he had good reflexes and he swung his sword just in time, cutting the bakunawa's mouth from inside out. Thick hot blood gushed into him, bathing him in red, and once he had cleaned his face enough to be able to see again the monster was gone.

The crew cheered as they returned to the main deck. Lowe ran to the railing, searching the moonlit waters for his giant opponent, but the sea seemed to be calming down. The bakunawa was gone. The bakunawa was gone and he was still alive and empty and hurt and furious. He kicked the already damaged railing and howled his pain up at the moon.

XXX

Aoi was awoken from her sleep by the sound of something hard hitting the ground. She turned to her husband, but he was not there. 'Anata?' she called him quietly in the darkness of their bedroom and received no answer. So she stood up in the cold moonlight and stepped into the corridor, shivering as she crossed the short distance that led to her son's bedroom. From underneath the door she could see the yellowish light of a lamp. Her heart was in her throat and her hand shook as she lifted it to push the door open. 'Anata?' she called again, hoping it was just her husband telling their son one of his scary tales in the middle of the night.

The scene that met her would forever be etched to her mind.

Captain Odin Lowe stood by the open window, covered in blood, a lamp in one hand and a sword in the other its blade pressed against her son's neck. Her husband stood in the middle of the room, his arms slightly open as he tried to talk the pirate into letting the boy go. The sound of the door had him turning around though, with wide eyes. 'Aoi.' He said and Lowe's sword went clean through his back.

'No!' Aoi screamed, but even though she wanted to do something, to go to him, she was frozen on the spot. She covered her mouth with shaking hands and closed her eyes as the pirate twisted his sword slowly before pulling it out of her husband's chest.

Her son tried to run, but if to get to her or to his dying father she would never know for Lowe seized him by the back of the nightgown. He dropped the lamp on the floor as he did and the fire sizzled and spread. 'Where do ye think ye are going, lad?'

Heero's blank eyes met his mother's tearful ones. 'Please, Odin… Not my son… Please, not my son.' She begged him. 'Onegai…'

'Farewell, Aoi.' The captain said and left through the window, dragging the boy with him.

Aoi tried to get to them, to stop them, but the fire had taken over half of the room and there was no way she could get past it. She gave her dead husband one last look before dashing down the short corridor, out through the front door and around the house. 'Heero!' she shouted.

'Hahaue!' her son answered and as she grew closer she could see him fight against the pirate's hold.

'Odin!'

Lowe stopped and turned to look at the woman he had once loved framed by the flames that would soon consume the place she had grown to call home. She had taken everything from him and now he was taking everything from her. 'Don't get any closer.' He warned her, raising his sword dangerously close to her son's throat yet again.

'You have no soul!' she spat between angry tears.

'Nay.' He agreed quietly. 'I gave it to ye with me heart… This is what you've done to it.'

'Hahaue!' Heero still tried to fight the pirate regardless of the blade threatening him.

'You're coming with me, boy.' Lowe told him, tightening his grip to the point where he knew he would leave bruises, but the child did not seem to feel the pain and he only went quiet when Aoi fell to her knees. 'I will be yer father now, eh?'

'Hahaue…' he tried one last time, but his mother remained where she was, weeping silent tears. So Heero surrendered and let the captain drag him away from his home and his family and everything he had ever known.

XXX

'Capt'n!' Lowe's missing quartermaster was already waiting for them when they reached the port. 'What happened to the ship? There's no way she can sail anywhere like this, sir.'

'She won't.'

'What?' the man rushed on his short legs to keep up with the captain and the scrawny brat he was dragging about. 'Is that blood yers, Capt'n? Should I fetch the local medic?'

'Nay, the blood's not mine. Do ye really think I'd be walking and talking had I lost this amount of blood, ye fool?'

'Nay, Capt'n.' the man agreed nearly breathlessly. 'Where are we headed, sir? If ye don't mind me asking…'

'Do ye know where the men are?' Lowe raised his eyes as he sent his quartermaster a meaningful look over his shoulder.

'Nay, Capt'n.'

'If ye did yer job right, ye would. And then ye would also know where we're going.' The captain's mirthless smile was nothing short of evil and the quartermaster refrained from asking any more questions even though he was extremely curious.

They reached the end of the port, where Captain Mike Howard had stashed his precious new ship. Lowe looked up at it as he waited for his lookout to approach him. 'It's done, Capt'n.' the man said quietly.

'Good. Any trouble?'

'Nay, sir. There were only half a dozen men on board and all half drunk.'

'No signs of Howard?' the captain raised his eyebrows surprised.

'Nay, sir. The men believe he must be lying drunk on the floor of some tavern somewhere in the island.'

'Well… It's his gain. Were he here we would've taken his ship and his life. Be ready to set sail at my command and take the lad with ye. Make sure 'e learns something.' The captain pushed his son towards the other man then turned to the quartermaster. 'Not you.'

'Capt'n?' the man froze on his way to the ship.

'Ye are staying here… To tell former-Captain Mike Howard what happened.'

'I'm… I'm sorry, Capt'n Lowe, but… I'm yer quartermaster.'

'Aye.'

'Who'd take me place?' he tittered.

'My son will take yer place.' Lowe smiled somewhat proudly and, ignoring his gaping former quartermaster, turned to leave. 'Best of luck.' He said without looking back. The Peacemillion was waiting for him.


TRIVIA:

Manila – During the XV and XVI centuries, Japanese sailors started moving to the continent to sell and buy goods. Most of them were pirates - originally from the kingdom of Ryukyu (later Okinawa) - who started to build communities in the islands around the continent. Manila was a Spanish-colonised* city in the Philippines that had a very active Japanese community at the time. Nowadays Manila is Philippines' capital city.

*Thanks to Jadaerys for correcting this information.

Bakunawa - The Bakunawa is a sea serpent/dragon god of Philippine mythology. It is the cause – according to the stories – of eclipses as it is mainly a moon eater. Of course, since moons seem to have grown rather scarce here on Earth, it also enjoys one man or another… Just as a little hors d'oeuvre.


GLOSSARY:

Keel haul – It was a form of punishment in which the sailor was tied to the body of the ship, thrown over board and then dragged under the keel (the bottom of the ship) where all the sharp molluscs and barnacles and what not were ready to tear the sailor's back open. For me it looks like an adaptation of whipping to life at sea. Very cruel, to say the least… :/

Hai – Yes.

Anata – Darling, Honey, Sweetheart… Take your pick?

Onegai - Please

Hahaue – A respectable word for mom, would be the equivalent of Mother, I should think.


A.N.: I thought I'd hate Odin Lowe at the end of this, but I sort of sympathize with him... And, of course, we needed to have a cruel - stereotypic - pirate in here somewhere. P)