A fourteen year old yawned as he reached for the sky, popping his back in the process. His eyes fell onto the setting sun, looking worn and tired. An old man called up from the boy, who rested on top of the port's stone entrance.

"Levi my boy! Work is done for the night, collect your pay and return home. You'll worry your mother to death."

Levi stood up, glancing down at the old man. He gave a heavy sigh, before sliding down a rope to reach the ground below him. The old man's eyes lit up, recalling his own younger days.

"I see a future fisherman in you boy. It's such a shame your father didn't take you out this time around…"

Levi glanced the man in the eyes, annoyed that the old fool was telling him something he didn't want to hear. He extended his hand out, waiting patiently.

"Where's my pay old man?"

The "old man" smiled, reaching for his pocket and pulled out a small pouch of shillings. He placed it in Levi's hand and watched as the boy's sour mood change to shock.

"This isn't 6 shillings, I can't take this."

The old man laughed, patting the boy, who was now eye level with him, on the head.

"Take the extra pay for your hard work. After all, if you weren't here, there'd be no one small enough or bright enough or brave enough to do the work you do for me."

Levi took his pay and hid it in hidden pocket.

"You mean stupid enough…"

The old man tsked.

"Go home boy. See you tomorrow at the wheel."

Levi nodded, before heading down the near empty streets. On a normal day, the streets would still be full of people, selling all types of fresh goods and items. But with the fishermen out in the seas, the place seemed to die down.

The youth ran down the street, jumping over discarded garbage and old walls, taking a short cut to get to his home away from the bay. He climbed up an old tree and gained access to the rooftops. There he was free, away from the dirt covered grown that smelt of old fish guts and sewage. Levi returned to his brisk run, jumping over the gaps from house to house, tumbling and rolling to save himself from a nasty fall. He came to a slow jog before jumping out for a rope he had placed their since the start of his passage away to his home. He let the rush of the swing slow down, before sliding down the rope, where his feet touched the ground.

A small woman smiled, the door wide open for the lad to come in.

"How was work today?"

Levi walked in, latching the door behind him. He reached down to his hidden pocket and pulled out the leather sake that held his pay. The woman looked shocked to see how much the boy had received.

"I told him he gave me too much, but you know how he is, mother…."

Levi's mother kissed her son on the head, before taking his shillings and placing it in a hidden compartment. Levi relaxed, before making his way over to the table, where is mother placed down a bowl of stew. She started playing with her son's long hair.

"He's a good man you know. He must have heard about your sister being sick…."

Levi took a large bite of bread, leaning back in his chair. A tired smile fell on his face.

"Is she asleep yet?"

His mother leaned forward, hugging her son.

"You know she's not yet. She won't sleep till you are home and a story is told."

Levi nodded, quickly eating his stew and leaving his bread for tomorrow.

"Then let's not let her wait any longer!"

Levi shot up, running up the old rotten staircase. He made his way to his younger sister's room, where she stayed far away from the lone window in her room. Her dull eyes seemed to light up when her brother walked in.

"Levi! You're home!"

He walked over to her bed and sat down slowly on the edge of her bed.

"How are you doing Jane? Keeping warm by the hearth?"

Jane nodded, even if she was tired, she was still energetic when it came to her brother. The children's mother walked in, grabbing a footstool and sitting down next to her daughter's bed. Levi crawled up, lying close to his sister.

"Ah, my children are the best children in the world. A hard working son and a lovely daughter…what story should I tell you today?"

Jane brushed her messy black hair out of her face, getting exited for a story, new or old, her mother was going to tell her.

"How about a story about Mermaids?"

Their mother giggled with delight and she clasped both of her hands together. The story she told was energetic and lively. It was a wonderful tale of the Mermaid people and how they could create gold pearls from their scales and talk to the elegant dolphins that danced on the surface.

Levi liked his mother's stories, because they were never as scary as the rumors he heard from the fishermen at the docks summers ago. Where Mermaids would sing sailors to their deaths or take a whole city and sink it at a whim. It was rather calming, to hear her voice, he drifted off to slumber, with his sister sleeping by his side.

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Levi sighed as he worked in a tight, dark whole. His only light source was a lone candle that flickered back and forth. He started to grumble to himself.

"That old man knew I'd take this job. "The help with the wheel" my ass…"

He was covered in mud, rats running all over him and here he was gutting muck out of the drainage system. This was the last place he wanted to be in.

The youth looked behind him, the sunlight he saw at the entrance was flickering, as if people were running around or messing with him. He half wondered if it was some of his friends playing tricks again. Whoever it was, it was starting to tick him off. Levi decided he want to find that person and kick him, so the boy edged his way out of the tight spot. Even before he was able to get close to the main entrance, the opening was covered up.

Levi's ticked went to a full blown out pissed off and grew into a rage when he heard a click. Someone had locked him in there. He made his way to the entrance and started to kick at it, but it wouldn't budge. The youth yelled, kicking still. The force made his candle flicker out.

"Farlan, if that is you, I'm going to shove my boot so far up your ass you're going to need…."

Levi stopped and listened to the outside world. His heart started to race when he heard screaming. It just wasn't one person screaming, it was many. He could also hear metal clash against metal and flesh being cut to the bone. In that darkness he was in, he heard people cry out "Pirates!".

Levi started to crawl forward, in hopes the other location wasn't block as well. It would take him awhile, but he had to get out. He knew he was small enough to climb deeper into the tunnel without getting stuck.

He pulled his way with only two thoughts in mind, his mother and Jane. The cries he heard, echoed, seemingly amplifying their wails. Never in Levi's life, had he prayed so hard. Prayed that his mother and Jane escaped with no harm. In his rush into what seemed like a never ending darkness, Levi hit a wall. He was able drag himself up to get some standing room, he was now able to climb up to the fish mill. He took rushed his way up and found another blocked entrance. He supported his body on the wall and pushed himself on the door. His first attempted moved the entrance a bit. It gave Levi the boost of energy that he needed. With another, stronger and heavy push, he lifted the board up and knocked whatever held it down. He climbed out and rolled onto his back to catch his breath. The action took a lot out of him, but all he needed was a short break. He needed to let his eyes adjust to the bright light that assaulted his eyes and the clean air that attacked his lungs.

Levi turned and got on his knees, pushing himself off the dirty ground and started off in a run. He pushed open fish mill doors and was blasted with a wave of heat. The buildings were all set ablaze. Many of the villagers he knew, lay dead or dying. He could still hear the cries and screams of people everywhere. In that moment, Levi wished his father was there with them. He swallowed back that wish, along with his fear, as he charged forward into the chaos. His only goal was to go home and save his family.

In a flash of silver light that caught Levi's eye, the boy dodged and took a tumble. A pirate walked out from a mess a smoky path, laughing at the youth.

"My, quick on your toes, aren't you lad?"

Levi narrowed his eyes at the man who blocked his path, he was mad and angry.

"Why have the pirates attacked this village? I thought we had a deal with the Captain?"

The man laughed, throwing a sword towards the boy. Levi caught it in mid-toss and pointed it back at the much older and taller man.

"You could say, the ship is under new command now. So your town's free for the pickings…"

Levi was in no mood to play games with the man before him. He charged forward, clashing metal against metal, getting extremely close to the man. The older man laughed, pushing back and looking the young lad in the eyes.

"Is that all you got?"

Levi smiled and reached for his hidden pocket, he pulled out a small dagger and jabbed it hard into the man's temple. The pirate dropped, never knowing what hit him. Levi glanced down at the dead man, before dropping the sword and once again started running. His short cuts blocked, he had to climb and find other ways to his house. The farther away he got away from the bay, the more the death and carnage grew.

His paced slowed, as his heavy eyes fell onto a familiar burning house. The fear was growing and feeding whatever strength he had left to push him farther.

Levi stumbled into his house, tripping over of what remained of the front door. He pushed himself up, climbing up the stairs that seem to give way with his weight. The hall way to his sister's room was hot and suffocating, but he pushed on. His fear overridden his need of self-preservation as he pressed forward. He leaned on the door frame to his sister's room and peered in. His eyes losing life with every second that he took in.

His mother lay above his sister, a single rusty sword pierced both of them to the bed. Levi stumbled, crawling his way over to the bed. It was like he couldn't see anything else, his mind had gone blank. He crawled himself to the bed, placing a hand on his mother and sisters tangled ones.

Tears fell from his unblinking eyes still trying to grasp the situation. To him, this wasn't real, it couldn't be. Only this morning did he see them moving, talking, laughing…living. He just wanted to lay there and join them in an eternal slumber.

But he couldn't give up that easily. He couldn't just leave things half way done. Levi glanced behind him watching as the flames over took the door way. He laid one last kiss upon his mother and sister, before running and jumping out the window to the streets below. He hit with a heavy thud, but managed not to break anything but skin. Levi pushed his already spent body off the ground and glanced up as his house started to cave in and burn down.

The tears left clean trails down his ashen covered face. He turned his head towards the bay, keeping his eyes focused on the pirate ship that destroyed everything that he knew. So he was damn well determined to destroy everything these bastards held dear to them as well.

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Levi glanced up from his chained position in front of the new Pirate Captain and his Quartermaster. His eyes burned with hatred and an idea. The Captain let out a deep hearty laugh, as he played with his ratted black beard.

"So you wish to be me Cabin Boy? Scrappy things like you isn't even worth feeding to the sharks, let alone to being my Servant…."

The Quartermaster glanced over at his unruly Captain, obviously not wanting to place any more orders, more so to a fiery brat who managed to slay three crew men when he jumped on board. People like the boy before him were the type to take over and rule. He placed his bets on the youngster doing just that.

"I think we should give the lad a chance, it's not every day a youth jumps board a ship and kills members of our own crew just to volunteer himself to be a Cabin Boy. The Rats got talent, besides if he gets out of hand, we can always kill him later."

The Captain lifted up the boy with one hand. His huge bloody hand wrapped around his neck, cutting off his air supply, but Levi didn't struggle. The Captain laughed, tossing the boy away from him. Levi landed hard on his back, his anger growing.

"I'll take you on boy. Your first order is to go out and bring me every head of the bodies you find. Give the boy a cleaver, a mule and a wagon. Welcome to the crew."

Levi pushed himself up. The Quartermaster pulled out a set of keys and freed Levi from the heavy shackles. The man was well dressed and looked somewhat apologetic. He glanced over at his Captain, giving the final orders.

"I'd rather have the boy pull the gold teeth and leave the heads where they lay. It's less work and will be faster. We don't have time to play around with your sick games."

The Captain waved his hands, letting his Quartermaster's judgment play.

Levi rubbed his raw wrist, still glancing up at the tall, looming man. The Captain snared.

"Something else boy?"

Levi gave him a smile fit for the Devil.

"I promise you, your shit head will be mine."

The Captain walked away, leaving the man laughing at Levi's open threat. The Quartermaster took his leave as well.

Levi sighed, making his way off the ship and towards the rest of the crew. He was handed a hammer and a bag, to do the job he was ordered to.

The boy walked down the path he once knew, to the place where he was locked into that damned tunnel. His feet felt heavy, seeing a body slumped over, covering the entrance. He got closer, already knowing who it was.

The old man used his body to hide Levi. Used his own life to protect the boy as long as he could. Levi couldn't help but recall his mother's words about how kind the old man was. Always looking out for him. He walked over and tried to open the old man's mouth, but rigamortis already set in. He gave a heavy smile. The old man never made things easy for him, not even in death.

Levi raised his hammer high and cracked the jaw that held what he knew was there all the time. The old man's gold teeth. All it took was one swing and the prize scattered all over the blood covered ground.

Levi's mind fell to his mother's last story, of the Mermaid and her Golden Pearl. He felt regret, not being able to hear the end of that story, now he'd never know the meaning behind the story and why a mermaid would give away something so valuable. As he picked up the scattered teeth, Levi hoped that if he ever saw a real mermaid, he'd ask her before she dragged him to his death.

He cracked up laughing. Even at a time like this, he was believing in Mermaids. Even at a time like this, he thought he couldn't cry anymore, but he did.

tbc