Author's Note: Yay! I finally hit the thousand word mark! Woohoo!
Btw, I edited the earlier chapters, so check it out! It seems better...
I'm finally here! The Nautilus…
Alec practically drooled when he saw the humongous ship. The sight of the shiny aqua marine metal, the clear unbreakable glass, the sharp twirling rotors, oh, how he wanted the ship…!
"Hey. Kid. Are ya going to pay or not?"
He turned around. He noticed how long he had been looking at the Nautilus. Alec bowed profusely, then handed the cab driver a sack of mesos. He didn't notice as he shut the door on his shirt…
After a deep lecture about shirts and card doors and why he hated driving taxis and ranting about how he never wanted the job, the driver sped off, muttering about stupid teenagers.
Alec brushed off the dirt from his bruised side and limped his way up the stairs. He put his hand on the door when- "What the-! "
Two ghostly images appeared next to the door. They seemed to have been conjured out of thin air. The left one seemed to be a twenty year old man, or ghost, to be exact. He seemed young compared to the ghost on the right. The right one seemed older, more experienced, if you will. He had a rugged look to his face, as if he had ben through numerous fights..
"State your business." They said simultaneously.
Alec was genuinely freaked out. Alec rubbed his eyes again to make sure he saw right.
The guards simply stared at him. The one on the left started to speak.
"I told you we shouldn't have appeared like that, it frightens the mortals!"
"Don't you remember, you dim-witted fly, that you were the one who suggested this?"
"Do not call me a dim-witted fly, you… you…!"
Alec simply stared back.
"See, now you made the mortal mute!"
"The 'state your business' was your idea! I just wanted to say 'how was your day'! But NOOOOO, you just had to seem like a creepy pedophile!"
"Oh, shut up, it's not entirely my fault!"
Suddenly, the iron vault door opened and the infamous ship captain walked out. The two guards immediately straightened themselves out and gave a salute.
Alec did not dare to look at the captain. He knew that if you did not show proper respect, you had no chance of advancing. After a few seconds of silence, a burst of laughter rang out. Alec looked at her feet, which slowly walked in his direction. The clacking of her boots made him nervous and he slowly started to fiddle with a small snail shell in his hand. Whenever he felt nervous, he liked to fiddle with anything he had.
"Come on! Don't be so serious!" the captain chortled.
Alec finally dared to look up. Amber hair and soft olive eyes greeted him. Even though Alec did not really want to admit it, he thought that Kyrin was kinda cute.
"Come into my quarters!" she exclaimed.
The captain strolled into the room. Alec was surprised by the sudden jolliness of the joyful ship captain. He reluctantly followed Kyrin into the Captain's Quarters.
"I want to be a Brawler. Please, Master." Alec pleaded.
Kyrin just stared.
"A Brawler. You? Really?" Kyrin hesitantly asked.
Alec felt slightly hurt.
"Yeah, why not?" he replied.
"It's just that… you're so… well… weak." she finally forced out.
He looked at himself. To be honest, he also agreed. His arms look like they could be used as ropes. His legs looked like a broken toothpick. His blue shirt looked really baggy on his skinny body.
"Well, that doesn't stop me from being a Brawler, right?" he asked hopefully.
Kyrin rubbed her chin and took a few steps closer. She looked at his legs.
No, that won't work; he couldn't possibly do a somersault…
She looked at his arms.
Arms… to weak. Not enough force exerted to create energy round the fist…
She took a final look. Then she socked Alec in the stomach.
With a loud grunt, he flew all the way to the iron door and whacked his head real good.
"Well, you just failed one requirement for Brawlers. You must always keep on your feet. Never take your eyes off the opponent. Besides, that was a light punch!" She said, with a smug grin.
Alec's mouth dropped open as he rubbed the bump the size of a baseball on his head.
"That was LIGHT?" he yelled.
Kyrin chuckled. He was loud one, just like Hawkeye.
Alec quickly got himself up. He had already been hurt twice today and he was most certainly not going to get hurt again. He cautiously moved toward Kyrin.
"Then what choice do I have?" he said.
"Well, I'd suggest you become a thief."
Alec's mouth opened a second time. A thief? Him? He didn't want to live off of trash and spare change. He wanted to be proud and show the world what he was made of!
"I don't want to be a thief. I am a pirate. I can just feel it inside of me." He said, determined.
"Good, you passed your first test." She said.
Alec eyed her suspiciously. That was it?
"Now, I suggest you become a gunslinger. Your… stature… would not allow you to become a Brawler."
She walked into a dark storage room. Alec took this time to rub his painful head, side, and stomach. Hesitantly, he took out another one of a bitter orange potion. The Bishop had been nice enough to buy him a few of these. He choked it down, almost throwing up in the process. He couldn't wait to buy a soda pop later.
Kyrin came out holding two objects.
Alec immediately recognized these two objects. One was a knuckler, something he had seen Joseph use, smashing monsters to the ground. Another was a small pistol, looking relatively weak compared to the two iron monsters.
"Try them on," Kyrin offered, "and see how you feel."
Alec grabbed the knucklers. He slowly slid them on as if they were the most precious things in the universe. The cold metal brushed past his skin. He smiled… then slowly frowned.
'I can't move my hand." He simply said.
Kyrin smiled and offered him a pistol. He eyed it with suspicion. He heard from many people that a pistol had far range, and fastest attacking speed, but one of the worst damages. Alec slowly reached over and put his forefinger in the trigger hold.
He was shocked.
The pistol seemed to conform to his hand. The slender, wooden grip just felt right in his palm. He brushed his fingers cross the cold, hard steel of the barrel and it felt absolutely incredible. The Bishop had tried to make him hold knives, wield swords, pull a bowstring, and wave a wand, but none of those weapons had ever felt like the way this pistol did.
"It feels… wonderful." He said in awe.
Kyrin simply smiled and said, "The weapon always chooses its master."
Alec smiled. "Alright let's do this! I want to be a pirate!"
"Woah, woah, woah. Not so fast. You're going to have to pass a written exam."
Alec opened his mouth for the final third time today.
"What does a pirate need to write about?" he asked.
Alec was exhausted. He never knew pirates had to take a written exam...
Kyrin took his hand and said a few undecipherable words. Both their hands started to glow and a giant light appeared under his feet. All of a sudden, a huge flow of knowledge flooded his mind. Images of attacks, methods of using them, and how to combine them with other moves appeared in his brain.
Alec gasped for air. "Thank you Master! I will train hard!"
"I bet you will!" She said joyfully.
Meanwhile…
A tall dark figure rose in the shadows of a cave.
"It is time."
A low growl came from within him. It was time to do what he did best.
A Wyvern flew to his side. He petted it slowly, then grabbed it's head and crushed it. Pieces of it's skull and blood fell from his gloved hand.
Cruelty is the key to power.
"I'm coming for you. Bishop."