Star Wars: The Great War

by Iroa19

The Clone War was a time that many remember. Many battles were fought, and many lives and people we knew were lost. All across the galaxy, the battle between the force's light and the dark side is at constant ends. War has engulfed everybody as the bitter conflict between the Galactic Republic and Separatist rages on.

172. Chapter 171: Tales from the Ancestors

Chapter 171: Tales from the Ancestors

"Dad... can you tell me about our ancestors?"

"Again?"

"Yeah."

"Alright. Which ones?"

"I made a list of who I want to learn tonight."

"Well, it all started with the very first one. Astros..."

A vivid transition occurred as a valley full of lush and green was shown. A jungle so dense with canopy trees that it served as the perfect hiding place for any secrets. Walking along a mountain trail was a group of people. A tribe was shown as the women were more clothed than the men, as most men wore animal masks and helmets. To them, they felt a stronger connection to the heavens above. For the past few days, this specific tribe had been roaming the land for days on end in search of land. A land overflowing with milk and honey.

The one in charge of the tribe lifted his hand as he spoke. He told the others to break to give the woman and children a chance to rest. The warriors stood outside the small circle as a few went into the jungle around them to hunt. Their spears, bows and arrows, and other weapons were in hand. Near a large rock next to some trees, the tribe leader and some men wearing clothing on their shirts were gathered. They were considered the scholars among the group and conversed with the one they followed.

"How much longer must we suffer?"

"Days on end. Our future, nowhere in sight."

"Have faith. The heavens are here for us. They will guide us." said the most intelligent of the scholars. Everyone looked at him as he spoke. "A vision I received. Our land, the sacred land. For we are the chosen ones. Our land will be when the Roc atop a cactus shines the light to the promised land."

The other scholars and leader in charge all took in what their comrade said. Whether he was right about the vision he received, they had no choice but to keep going if they wanted to find a home.

"Astros, pray you are correct. Less the heavens require a sacrifice," stated the leader.

Days went by. The more the tribe trekked, the more their restlessness in searching for a land to call home grew. And the trip took a toll on the tribe as, slowly, sickness began to fall. Burials for the dead as they trekked on. A night fell as the fire around the tribe camp and the stars above them glistened in the dark sky. Astros was shown looking at the heavens as the quest to find their promised land seemed to grow fainter and fainter. He would be offered to the heavens if they didn't find a home soon.

The next day, the tribe kept walking as they roamed a land mixed with desert and greenery. The rations of the tribe were depleted as it seemed the search for this promised land was turning out to be nothing. However, just as Astros was about to give up, he noticed something that caught his eye. A cactus was a fair distance away, and on top of it... was a Roc. The bird eyed the scholar as its keen eyes were trained on him like a meal. The scholar fell to his knees and began reciting some ancient dialect while chanting. The bird screeched loudly before it flapped its wings and took off.

The scholar watched the bird disappear, never seen again, as he rushed toward the others. He informed them of how his vision came true, which meant they were close to their land. And so they kept on for a bit longer, and soon... they came across it. Standing on a mountain hill, they looked down at a lake. And in the middle of that lake was an island which soon became their home.

"And can you guess what they named their home?"

"Tenochti,"

"That's my girl. Yes, that was the name of the city they built on that great land."

"At its heart, a stone temple 100 feet high where the sky, earth, and the underworld met. A civilization is thriving. Gold and other precious metals. Obsidian was used for the weapons before Equis was found. And one of the pioneers to this great city was our ancestor Astros."

"Hey, now. Who's the one telling the story here? But you're right. Now then..."

Upon discovering their holy land, the tribe began to work on creating the paradise they envisioned. But they had no idea how to turn one piece of land in the middle of the lake into the lush city they would call home. The island was so swampy because it was untouched by man. No one knew... except for one man.

Astros could see that whenever the tribe tried to build something, it would begin to subside due to the swampy land and the lack of foundation. So, the scholar devised a plan. He informed them to begin anchoring their buildings deep into the ground using a wood pilings system. The workers understood and began cutting steaks into 30-foot lengths, 3 to 4 inches wide. Astro also instructed that the pilings be surrounded with volcanic stone to strengthen the base. As a result, masons and bricklayers could then build walls on top of the base without any trouble. This engineering strategy devised by Astros was not only revolutionary but would be the basis of this great city to come.

"5, 6, 7... the foundation here. Over there..." said Astros as he was giving a group of masons their task of building their next foundation.

The workers nodded at the scholar as they grabbed huge sacks of wood and stone and began to haul them away. Astro then looked out about as he saw tons of boats with some workers going back and forth between their island and the mainland. The scholar looked at this as he wondered if there was a way to make it more accessible to get to land and their home and increase the workload.

So, the young scholar got to work. He spent days on end trying to devise something that could reach the mainland and not only connect them but design it so that they could raise the walkways in the event of an invasion or attack. It took a while, but Astros soon created a causeway. Forty-five feet wide that connected their floating city to the mainland provinces. Like the rest of their buildings, the causeway was supported by strong wooden pilings. However, the causeways needed more than their temples and other monuments. Thousands of pilings were instructed to be driven deep into the lake bed.

"To build the causeway, two lines of stakes, laid out. Space between, filled with stone and earth. Until above water level." stated Astros as he presented his idea to the other engineers and masons on the small scroll he had drawn his blueprints.

The other workers were confused by what the scholar was saying or suggesting, as they didn't believe his idea could work. But given how it was similar to how they built the rest of the island, they trusted Astros to know what he was doing. And he did. Soon, thousands of causeways extended from the island to the mainland in all directions.

Soon, the city was starting to grow. However, Astros and the people faced a new challenge even with the causeways. The scholar looked from the giant temple in the middle of the city as he saw many workers crossing the bridges. Small loads were carried on the backs with a rope hanging from the forehead. The large items being transported, like stone blocks or sculptures for a temple, were being dragged by huge numbers of men pulling ropes, as they used logs as rollers.

"One stone alone bound for a temple required a force of 50,000 men to drag it from the mountains on the mainland across the causeway and into the city. But that wasn't the only issue. With the water demand, Astros was faced with another problem."

"So what did he do, Dad?" said the girl as she knew the answer but still wanted her father to tell.

"Well..."

Astros saw two new problems. Getting fresh water to their people to keep up with the demand, continue production, and deal with transporting supplies and goods. While it was impressive that they could do all this by man, he knew they needed more. And so... the young scholar attended a priest's home. The sacred priest began chanting as he danced around the scholar who sat in the middle of a circle of precious gems, beads, and candles. For Astros, the scholar was looking to the heavens to see if they could grant them something of use to build their home. And what was given... was a mighty beast. A horse could not only carry more than the average man but also gave Astros and the people a new means of transportation.

"That's why horses are so scared to us, right, Dad?"

"Indeed. If it weren't for Astros begging the heavens for help, they wouldn't have given us such magnificent creatures. Creatures that we bond with and live in harmony with." stated the man as he rubbed his daughter's head. "Now then..."

With the gift of horses from the heavens, Astros now turned his attention to the water problem. The solution the scholar came up with was an aqueduct. However, to control the mountains' springs, they needed to deal with a dominant tribe in that region. The tribe were controllers, lords of the valley as they were called. And they were ruthless, not willing to let anybody take what was theirs. To them, they saw Astros and people like him as tributary subjects.

Astros sent a messenger to the ruthless overlord tribe as he demanded that they let them control the water and also to come to work with them. The answer from them was a brutal one. The ruthless tribe sent assassins to murder the leader of the tribe in cold blood. And so, the final straw was broken. Astros and the people began to make their move and launched a war against their overlord suppressors. Astros recruited some help from other smaller, neighboring tribes as he gave them the promise of not only a new life but also freedom. And so, with their massive army and the use of the horses the heavens gave them, they launched an all-out assault on the capital where the ruthless overlords were stationed. In a siege that lasted more than 100 days, Astros and his men broke through and slaughtered their oppressors.

With now having control of the spring water, Astros had to devise a way to get the water to their city. And so the aqueduct was made. It was constructed with two 5 feet high and 3 feet wide channels. Astro thought one would be cleaned and maintained while the other was being used so the water flow was never interrupted. The twin-tube aqueduct ran 3 miles from the mainland to the center of the island city. In the town, water streamed into public fountains and reservoirs, which could be distributed to the public in large clay jars or by canoe. Astro and his people now had an easier way to get water and keep up with demand.

"And with that, Tenochti boomed and flourished for many, many years to come. All thanks to the work and intellect of Astros and the gift of the horses given to us from the heavens. In time, the people needed a leader to choose; they all selected Astros, but he declined the offer as he felt he had fulfilled his life's purpose. However, before Astros passed, he made one last huge discovery. In his late years, he encountered a rare metal while trekking on a mountain trail. A metal that, when looked from afar, gave the mountain a glistening shine. And it was strong metal that was much more durable than anything he and the people used, and that metal was..."

"Equism," said the girl.

"That's right. The metal that would give Astros and his bloodline their power to grow."

---

"So, what about our ancestor, Finn?"

"Well..."

A battlefield was shown. In the distance was a large fortress as the walls were 20 feet high. Standing in front of the fortress was an army as they were looking to defend against the invaders in front of them. On the other side, there was another army as they looked upon their enemies from their horses. One of the soldiers from the fortress looked through a set of binoculars as they looked at their foes. Through the lens, he saw a figure on a horse coming through the army as the cloak they wore covered their face.

The figure stood as it was at the front of the army before a hand came out and tossed the hood back. It revealed a man wearing some armor designed for him as he looked at the massive army before him.

"Archers!" shouted one of the generals in charge of the fortress as the archers drew their bows back up on the walls.

The other army prepared to move when the person at the front put his arm out. The person then flicked the reigns of their horse as they charged forward alone. The rest of the army watched their commander as he looked to take on the army in front of the fortress by himself.

"Fire!" shouted the general from atop the fortress.

The archers let loose as arrows were shown in the air. The person looked up and saw the barrage of arrows as they were coming down on him. He quickly shifted his position to crouch on his horse and jumped. The horse turned away as the person came down with the arrows just a few meters above him. The man then slammed to the ground as it picked up the dirt as the arrows landed.

The army before the fortress looked on as they kept their weapons and shields up. In front of them was a dust cloud as they wanted to see if their foe was dead. The dust remained there for a few minutes. Soon, one of the soldiers saw something. There in the dust was the warrior whom the arrows attempted to kill, but he, in fact, was unharmed. The person, now free of the cloak they were wearing, stood up, and on his arms were revealed to be rings that glowed with power.

The army in front of the fortress began to shout and charge forward. The ones on horses were let loose from the gates as they zoomed toward the lone warrior. The warrior kissed his necklace as the rings on his arms began responding to his command. The first equestrian was approaching the man as he flicked his arm out, and one of the rings he was wearing hit the soldier, knocking him off. He repeated the same thing to other horse riders coming at him as the rings, when they hit their target, hovered nearby the man so he could use them again.

The rings that the warrior was using were not only powerful but fast. He was fast in his own right as the main army reached him; he used the rings to launch himself into the air and came down to slam the ground with the rings around his arms to push most of them back. From there, he was surrounded as he combated his foes using his rings and hand-to-hand combat skills.

The army tried to take down their foe, but he proved to be too much of a challenge. The warrior then looked at the fortress and saw the archers preparing to fire away. He quickly used all ten rings and spun in a circle to push back his foes to give him room. The man then shot the rings into the air as he jumped. The army was stunned as they witnessed their foe air-stepping on the rings as he approached the fortress. The army then heard some noises as they turned to see the warrior's army approaching as they began to take some down.

With the distraction a success, the warrior sought to penetrate the fortress' defense. The archers loaded their bows as the warrior used half of his rings to launch them at the area underneath the archers; they felt the shock and momentarily lost their balance.

"Hurry! Hurry!" shouted an officer inside the fortress as he was running with some soldiers.

They were running past a door when it suddenly burst open as the debris pushed them back. Walking in was the warrior as the rings on his arms glowed. Some soldiers from above came running down some stairs as the man shot his rings out again. He then blocked a sword using some rings before he broke it and kicked his foe back. As he began to walk up the stairs, many others tried to attack, but the rings were moving on their own as they knocked them out.

The person entered a room, as he was suddenly grabbed. He was pinned against the wall before he put his hands on the person grabbing his neck and switched their positions as they tumbled to the floor. They rolled until the warrior pinned his ambusher as he had three of the ten rings he wore light up and near the person's face. The warrior gasped when he saw the identity of his attack as it was a mere squire.

"You're a kid," said the man to the young adult as he let go of the person's neck and called off his rings as they returned to his arms.

The squire looked at the warrior as he breathed hard, seeing the man show mercy.

"Get going!" stated the warrior as he walked past him.

Some commotion was happening in the main room of the fortress; several soldiers were barricading the room as a few more were running toward it to hold back with their own strength. It all burst as the men were flung back in all directions. Emerging from the rubble was the warrior as he continued to walk.

The warrior suddenly grabbed one of the soldiers crawling on the floor.

"An lann briste!"

"Cá bhfuil sé?"

The soldier's army was rounding up the prisoners they had captured. They soon saw their leader as he was walking toward them nonchalantly.

"Go ginearálta, tá na príosúnaigh gafa againn." said one of the officers as he and his comrade approached their general.

"Maith. Tá suíomh ár namhaid faighte agam." said the warrior as he was brought his horse by one of his men. "I'm heading there now. Finish rounding the prisoners and send word to meet me in Galway!"

"At once, sir," said the officer as he left.

His comrade was left as he spotted their general.

"Sir Finn. Would it not be easier for us all if you just used your rings every battle?" asked the officer.

"I've been gifted these rings to use for the good of humanity. I will not abuse the power given to me," said Finn as he removed the rings he was wearing and attached them to his belt. "I bear the weight of my family and all their accomplishments. And now... it's my turn to live up to their expectations."

A squire appeared as he offered a cup of water to his general. Finn grabbed it as he began to drink the water before handing the cup back to the squire.

"Go raibh maith agat!" said the man to the squire. "Now then... let's ride, men! Our final battle awaits us in Galway!"

Finn flicked the reigns of his horse as he began to trot off. The sole warrior sought to end this injustice by taking down his foe. The city of Galway was shown as a fierce battle was taking place. Finn was in a circle in the middle, using his rings to fight against his foes. The warrior slammed the ground as he cut a path through the middle of the massive force and began to air step using his rings toward the temple.

Finn jumped off the last ring as he commanded his weapons to concentrate into a ball of energy as the rings circled it. He let out a cry before throwing the ball of rings toward the gates and causing a massive shockwave to occur.

"The mighty blade breaker, Finn, has finally arrived."

The man looked up as he saw his foe. The foe wasn't a man or a beast but a Balor. An evil supernatural being. Often described as a giant with one large eye wreaking havoc when it was opened. Accompanying the Balor were a Dullhan and an Oilliphéist. The three creatures looked at the mortal as he stood his ground with his rings.

"I've come to slay you all. In the name of my family and ancestors who came before me and will come after me!" shouted Finn as his rings powered up.

"Kill the mortal!" shouted the Balor as the Dullhan and Oilliphéist charged at the warrior.

Finn started by shooting his rings out as the two monsters deflected them. He then charged as he slid under the Dullhan's sword while calling back some rings as they latched onto his arms, and he quickly thrust his left arm as it held back the fire attack from the Oilliphéist's mouth. Finn quickly thrust his other arm out to shoot the rest of the rings at the Dullhan as he swatted them away.

The warrior quickly rolled away from the fire attack as he got to his feet. The Dullhan was charging from behind as he sensed the attack and quickly leaned back as the blade almost sliced his nose off. The horseman rode past as he leaned straight back up. The Dullhan raised his sword as the Oilliphéist opened its mouth to shoot fire while the Dullhan fired a light beam attack from his weapon.

Finn used all the rings to create a barrier before him as he tried to hold off the attack. The two beings applied more pressure as they were pushing back the mortal. Finn screamed as the rings began to glow more powerful than ever. Soon, the rings shot out through the two attacks and hit the two beasts. They were pushed back as Finn began to charge; he shot out the rings as they made contact and hit the two beasts. The Dullhan charged as Finn used the remaining rings he held back to air step again. He shifted his position to kick the Dullhan off his horse.

The horse roared as it became a skeleton with flames, turning around to charge at the warrior. Finn recalled all his rings and fired them as he took out the legs before a ring came in and sliced the head off. The skeleton's bones then faded to dust. Finn turned as the Dullhan hit him with his sword. The warrior fell back as he tumbled, feeling the attack. The Dullhan charged as Finn's arms vibrated as he channeled the rings' power. Finn then aimed his arms down as it sent a wave along the tile floor, sending the material flying as it reached the Dullhan. It stunned the Dullhan as he stood his ground.

He looked around, hoping to find his target, but couldn't. Finn closed in during the commotion as he possessed the Dullhan's head. The being saw that as the warrior had his rings circling the head, it began to affect the headless horseman. The head in the helmet screamed as the rings' power began to ramp up. Finn then threw the head with the rings as it collided with the Dullhan, making him erupt into flames.

Fiin quickly turned and used the rings to put up a protective barrier to hold back the attack from the Oilliphéist. The dragon roared as it turned up the heat. Finn commanded four rings to fly out and smack the Oilliphéist's face as it stumbled back. It allowed Finn enough breathing room to move as he jumped high into the air and onto the Oilliphéist's back. The warrior ran up the creature's hind as the Oilliphéist turned its head to shoot fire at its foe. The man was ducking and avoiding the flames while he continued to run the creature's scale.

Finn closed in as he powered up his rings, and when he got close to the Oilliphéist's face, he delivered a hard right to its face. The Oilliphéist roared before it fell and tumbled. The warrior jumped off as he concentrated his rings into a ball again before shooting it toward the creature as an explosion occurred. Finn slid to a halt as he spun around in a battle stance and stared at the Balor.

"Last chance!" shouted Finn as he had his rings returned to his arms.

The Balor stood up from his throne and grabbed his club. It opened its eye and let out a huge roar echoed throughout the room. Finn stood his ground and didn't let the roar shake him; the Balor then charged forward as Finn did the same. The two closed in as the warrior leaped and reeled back his right arm as he moved all the rings to that arm and thrust it out.

"In the end, our ancestor Finn slayed the Balor and freed the Northern hemisphere of Equis from its reign. As a result of his actions, he became a saint that many looked up to for years and centuries to come."

---

"Do you think people will look up to me one day, Dad?"

"I'm sure they will, sweetie. Your ancestor Salim thought the same thing..."

Another transition occurred as the setting was Saddle Arabia. A bird flew high above the market square as in the distance was a mighty palace. Guards in tunics and turbans, wielding swords, stood at their positions as they watched for danger. They were unaware of someone sneaking out of the palace as they jumped on a tightrope and began to run along it with their arms out for balance. The person was running along effortlessly as he jumped into a haystack. He then peeked out before he wall-jumped between some buildings to reach the top. The person was wearing a white robe with a red sash; he took the hood off to reveal a man in his mid-20s as he took off. He had a scimitar in its hold as he wore special braces on his wrist that would reveal a hidden blade when triggered.

The assassin looked over the rooftop and saw some guards running through the streets. He smiled before putting his hood back on and ran. He jumped from the rooftop he was on to another as the guards in the alley looked up and saw his shadow. They began to give the assassin a chase; Salim looked back to see some guards attempting to catch him from the roofs. The man smiled before jumping and popping out one of his hidden blades to slice at a rope that dropped the cargo it was carrying and sent him up. It flung the assassin into the air, and he dropped and continued to run.

The assassin encountered some guards, and they cut him off; he fought them off and kicked a few off the roof as they crashed through some wooden boxes. He continued running as he jumped to street level and ran into a huge crowd with many guards chasing him. The assassin blended in with the huge crowd as he and the palace guards pushed some people out of their way. Salim quickly hopped over a window into a building as a few chased after him. The assassin slid under a table before parkouring flip over a couch; he bounced off the wall to hop over the guards protecting the exit as he continued to run.

Salim noticed a chain as he put his hand out to grab it. In the blink of an eye, he hurried up the chain fast, moving like a blur. Some guards were stunned as the assassin got to the top when Salim noticed some guards waiting for him. He smiled as they swung their swords down, and he quickly climbed back down the chain with his powers. He landed on some guards' heads and began using them as steps to get away before leaping. He landed and quickly stuck his hand out to make the wind blow sand in their face as it allowed him some breathing room.

The assassin turned the corner as he approached a door, hoping it was open, but found it locked. He rammed it using his shoulder, hoping to bust it down, but it was tightly locked. At that moment, the palace guards cornered the thief from around the corners. Salim was now surrounded as the guards sought to regain what he had stolen. The assassin made both wrist blades pop out as he prepared to fight. Soon, a bell was heard in the distance as it ranged. The man smiled as he knew what that meant. He retracted his blades and stood with his arms out.

The door behind him opened, and the church's priest and members came out. They were all dressed in white robes, with the church symbol on the front as a few walked past Salim. Soon, the guards all stepped forward as they pushed some out of the way to spot the thief, but he was no longer there. While the guards tried to find him, the assassin was shown on the opposite rooftop as he smiled before disappearing.

A horse was shown riding through a nearby forest; it was Salim. The rider came to a wall of rocks as he pulled back the reigns of his horse. He got off his steed and approached the wall of rocks.

"Open Sesame!" said the thief.

The rocks began to move as they revealed a hidden cave. Salim walked in as the rock behind him closed. The thief kept walking deeper into the cave as he came to some gold piles and trinkets. Among the piles were other thieves as they were moving some stuff.

"Hurry up. That pile won't move itself, you know," said the thief leader as he turned and noticed Salim. "So you made it back after all."

Salim smiled under his hood before revealing his face. He reached into his robe and tossed a small jewel to his boss. The thief caught the gem as he inspected it.

"Stolen from the Lazar palace."

"Heh, Salim. Your skills still haven't rusted," said the leader thief as Salim walked to a pile of gold and sat in with his arms crossed. "But do remember the promise we made."

"Of course. Whoever is last remaining shall inherit the entire collection," stated Salim as he looked at his leader.

"Now then... we've got a mission. Saddle up, for we ride to Ponstantinoply to rid them of the corrupt Pope."

"Rodrigo and I have a score to settle," stated Salim as he looked at his wrist blade that popped out as he was looking to kill the Pope himself.

"Then I'll round up the men," stated the thief leader, leaving as Salim reached inside his robe.

The advisor to the group of thieves looked at his pendant. Inside was a picture of the woman he loved as he recalled his promise. In the city of Ponstantinoply, a huge army was gathered as in the church, the Pope was conversing with his allies.

"We've received word that the thieves are on the move. Reports indicate they're headed here." said an officer. "What shall we do, Father?"

"Let them try. The walls of Ponstantinoply will protect us. So long as we have faith in the heavens, they protect us. We are the true people. They are the villains. And tonight, they shall confess their sins." said the Pope as he was shown with a Papal Staff in his possession. Atop it was a large golden orb as it generated power.

While the people inside were doing their business, they were unaware of what was happening outside the city walls. Salim and the other fifty thieves were on a hill as they were looking at the city where their enemy had sealed himself.

"Our scouts can confirm that Pope Rodrigo is inside the Papal Palace. You do realize that the people will see us as invaders when the real enemy is controlling them as the head of the church?" asked the thief leader to his advisor.

"Maybe so, Lorenzo. But the people will see that it is Rodrigo who has been corrupted. Once we enter the city, do not harm the citizens," stated Salim to his leader.

"Well then... how do you plan to enter the impenetrable city?" asked Lorenzo.

"I already have a plan," said Salim as he looked behind and saw the other thieves pushing some cannons forward.

Smoke came from the city as chaos filled the place. Salim's place to fire stone balls from the cannons they brought worked. The balls hit the walls, leaving a hole and shaking the city. The people felt it as a few cannonballs kept going through the wall and into nearby buildings. Many of the masons tried to rebuild the wall as per the order of the Pope, but it was all for naught. Once they made a sizeable opening, Salim and his thief brothers began to raid the city.

The courtyard of the church was shown as a massive fight was happening. In the middle was Salim; the assassin was fighting with his wrist blades as he countered and parried many of his foes. He blocked a sword from one of the Pope's men before he stabbed his other arm into another guard. he quickly blocked some more attacks as he stabbed and sliced open the throats of some foes as they fell around him.

"Salim!"

The assassin looked at where his leader was as he tossed a special gauntlet at his thief brother while he held a guard.

"Hook blade, brother!" shouted Lorenzo as Salim caught it and attached it to his right arm.

"Grazie Lorenzo!" responded Salim as he ran toward the church.

Salim was running some stairs as threw guards were coming at him. Salim quickly ducked under a sword swing from one of the guards; he used the new hook blade he got to take his foe off his feet as he spun and plunged his left arm downward as the blade stabbed the guard and to the ground. He quickly spun around as he blocked the attack from the second guard and quickly rolled over his back while coming off; the hook blade tugged his turban and pulled him back to hit the stairs hard. Salim then used the hook blade to grab the third guard's sword to swing it to the side; he quickly spun to deliver the back of his elbow into the guard's head, knocking his headwear off before spinning to his original position and plunging his left wrist blade into the guard.

Salim retracted his arm and ran as the guard rolled down the stairs. He quickly climbed over the locked gates, now inside the palace. Many guards were on the lookout for any intruders as Salim was shown scaling the palace's walls. He took out the guards on the towers as he managed to make himself inside the cathedral. Salim now found himself on the upper level inside the main room as down below, the Pope was speaking to the masses of his followers that gathered.

"Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, factorem coeli el terrae, visibilium omnium, et invisibilium. Et in..."

The Pope was speaking with his head down as he held his mighty staff. He kept speaking to the masses in prayer as Salim was on an overhead ledge as he looked down. With a jump, the assassin pounced on his foe and took him down.

"I've waited too long for this," stated Salim as he looked at the Pope. "Prepare to die, bastard!"

"I don't think so!" responded the Pope as he quickly grabbed his staff and swatted the thief off of him.

Salim was sent back as he tumbled before the bishops and priests attending the Pope's mass. Rodrigo used the power of his staff as he slammed it on the ground upright. The life force of the bishops and the priests was drained as they screamed. It left their bodies as it flowed into the Pope's staff; the bodies fell to the floor as Salim stood up.

"What?! How do you resist?" asked the Pope, shocked to see that Salim's life force didn't leave him.

Salim stood up and revealed the necklace attached to his waist. It was the same necklace that his beloved gave him; that necklace that Salim had was encased with an enchantment from a genie that protected the wearer from any artifact powers.

"I see. Well then... tell me, Salim. How long do you plan to live this life? The life of a thief. To think your family ancestry must be ashamed of what you've done. You bring dishonor to them and for your future generations." stated the Pope.

"Enough of these lies, Rodrigo! You are the one who enslaves these people. I seek to end this injustice. My family name has brought more honor to this planet than you ever will. Even as a saint, you are anything but God itself!" stated Salim.

"Always the fighter. Well, rejoice, my child, for you will soon join your ancestors in death!" said the Pope as he aimed his staff at his rival.

Salim tapped into the necklace as its powers responded to him. Soon, more copies of the assassin appeared as they all stared down the Pope.

"Fascinating! An impressive power, this. But if you think it will save you, you've another thing coming!" stated Rodrigo.

Salim and his copies all charged at Rodrigo as they drew their swords. The Pope stood his ground as he began to fight all five copies of his foe. The fight was fierce one by one; the copies faded away. Soon, it was down to a one-on-one battle as Salim used all his fighter and thief skills to get the Pope to his knees.

"No! You will not take this away from me!" said Rodrigo as he tightly clutched his staff while on his knees.

"It's over, Rodrigo!" said Salim as he aimed his scimitar at his rival, struggling to breathe from their hard-fought fight. "Lay down your arms, and I will make sure the end comes swiftly!"

"Heh. Really, Salim? And would you give up so easily? Were it the other way around?" taunted Rodrigo. The Pope yelled as he slammed his staff into the floor, causing a shockwave that pushed Salim back and fell to the floor.

"Why don't we find out?" laughed the Pope as he stood up. Suddenly, he disappeared.

Salim, who was on the floor, was struggling to get up. He was about to sit up when a foot appeared on his arm and held him down. Rodrigo reappeared as he grabbed the necklace attached to his robe and snickered before crushing it. He let the pieces drop to the floor as Salim gasped upon seeing the destroyed trinket his beloved gave him. The thief felt lifted into the air as the Pope used his staff to control Salim's body.

"And now... to deal with you!" said the Pope.

He approached Salim, who was helpless as he thrust his dagger into the thief. The assassin gasped as he felt the blade pierce his skin; it felt like the wind got sucked out of him as the Pope retracted his blade, as some blood poured out. Rodrigo smiled as he turned and walked away; Salim soon fell to the floor as he lay there. As for the Pope, he disappeared through a hidden stairway on the floor.

A while passed as Salim slowly began to move. The thief grunted in pain as he clutched the wound Rodrigo had given him when he was stabbed. He tore a piece of his robe and wrapped it around the area where he was stabbed. He struggled to pop open a bottle of purple vial as he drank it before dropping the vial as it broke into pieces. Despite the vial's healing properties, Salim still felt the wound as he stumbled forward.

A few priests and bishops that Rodrigo stole the lifeforce from began to stir as they started to stir. Salim approached the wall, and he put a hand to lean against it. The thief took deep breaths as he tried to push past the pain and looked at the wall. The man then began to examine the wall as he looked at it. Salim deduced that a hidden mechanism was embedded into the structure's design using his family trait. He began to put his hand out as he was looking to feel for something loose or a button, but to no avail. Salim turned his back and sighed; he looked at the window from the balcony he jumped from as he saw the mosaic tile picture.

He noticed three special symbols that stood out. The picture of the sun, the Pope, and a tree. The thief saw it and wondered as he turned to the wall he was leaning against. Salim began to look around as he noticed that when certain things were looked at from a certain perspective or angle, they looked like the images he saw in the window. The assassin looked as he saw what looked like a sun and an image of the Pope. But nothing of a tree. He pondered that until he noticed a small sapling and a single leaf. Acting on instinct, he pressed a finger as the leaf was a small button that made a pop sound.

The floor next to him began to open up to reveal a hidden staircase. Salim noticed it as he began to walk down. The staircase led to a corridor, as he walked down the passageway.

"What is this place?" said Salim as he looked about the corridor.

He soon came to the end of it as it led to a huge room. The room had a space down below, as inside was the Pope.

"Where is it?! It's supposed to be here!" said the Pope as he looked at the wall and pounded it as if to reveal whatever was hidden. At that moment, Salim jumped down.

"It's over, Rodrigo. No more tricks. No more powers. No more ancient artifacts. No more weapons." said Salim as he approached his rival and tossed away all his gear as he was left with his garments and fists. "Let's see what you're made of."

"Alright then, if that's how you want to play it!" said the Pope as he turned and raised his hands.

The two rivals squared up as they threw a fist at each other. They both turned from the punch's impact as they fell to the floor. Each individual was groggy as they got back to their feet. The pair stumbled as they were wobbly; the Pope threw a punch as Salim turned. Salim then returned fired as he threw a punch. It went back and forth slowly as both rivals sought to take down their opponent.

"Why do you seek to find here, Rodrigo?" asked Salim as he was punched in the face.

"Power! The power to erase my foes! The power to end you and your family!" said the Pope as he was punched. "To punish you for all you've done to me!"

"What have I done to you?!" responded Salim as they both punched and knocked each other down.

"You... you..." coughed the Pope as he and his rival got to their knees and struggled to get up. "You... stole her... from me."

Salim looked at his foe as he processed what was said.

"Ruby... you stole her from me. She was the only one that I ever truly allowed in my heart. And like the thief you are, you stole what was precious to me. For that... I cast damnation onto you and your family name! I invoke that your ancestors to come after you will be damned for all eternity!" yelled the Pope.

"You are the Pope, and you yet reject the central text of your faith?! You see yourself as a prophet, yet your ideology blinds you!" responded Salim.

"Are you so naive, Salim? Do you know why I became Pope? I became the Pope because it gave me ACCESS. It gave me POWER. The power I need to destroy you and your family's bloodline. I could give a single god-damned word of that ridiculous book! It's all lies and superstition. Just like every OTHER religious tract written over the past ten thousand years!"

"I never meant to steal her from you. It was her choice... She chose who to love. But one thing I will not allow you to do is reign over your corrupt vision as a messiah!" said Salim.

The thief began to run as he delivered a jumping knee to the Pope's face as he turned and tumbled to the floor. Salim quickly got on him and began to wail at him. Punch after punch, blow after blow, Salim made sure that Rodrigo looked at him as he kept swinging. His knuckles started to get bloody, and a broken nose was on the Pope's face. Salim screamed and began to let his anger take over. Salim reeled back from his latest punch as he looked at his rival, who had a bloody nose and was nearly beaten to death. The thief also has blood and cuts on his face as he stares at his enemy.

"Get it over with! Kill me! Kill me like your ancestors before you have done! Show them who your bloodline really is!" yelled the Pope.

"AAAAHHHHHHH!" yelled Salim as he had enough and brought both of his fists up, and they came down with a slam.

Salim panted heavily as he looked at what he'd done. The Pope lay underneath him as his fists were near his head. Rodrigo was stunned to see that his rival didn't finish him off as he stepped back and fell onto his hind with his arms resting on his knees.

"No. Killing you is not how I want to honor my legacy and my family's name. I'm done."

The Pope blinked at his foe as Salim began to stand up.

"Salim!" said Lorenzo as he and some men arrived.

Salim looked up at his leader and comrades as he began to walk away, clutching his side. A few thieves jumped down as they were to apprehend the Pope.

"He's all yours, boss. I've done my job," stated Salim as he finally found peace.

"You can't! You can't! It's MY destiny! MINE! I am the prophet!" yelled Rodrigo as Salim's comrades lifted him as he struggled. He saw his archrival walking away as his anger grew.

"You never were..." responded Salim softly as he turned to his rival before walking.

"Salim! Salim! SALIM! SALIM!" yelled the Pope as his voice echoed upon being taken away as he shouted at his rival, vowing to get revenge.

"After that, Salim would remain with his comrades for a few more years before he decided to leave the brotherhood. They all gave their advisor a heartfelt sendoff as he spent the remainder of his life with his love. During his final years, being the sole remaining thief, Salim honored the promise he and the others made as he took the gold and treasure from the cave and would start the foundation for our family's wealth."

"Wow," said the girl as she took in the tale of her ancestor.

"But... Salim wasn't the only thief in our family..."

---

A sea was shown as the waves glistened with a blue color. Many fishes were shown traveling under the water as they quickly moved out of the way from a passing ship's hull. It zoomed out as the ship was shown with a set of sails; many crewmembers were pulling many rigs and pulleys. Emerging from their cabin was someone. They stepped onto the deck as the captain hat they wore signaled who they were.

"Captain on deck!" shouted one of the crew.

"Men! All hands to your posts! Free all sheets! Wait for my command!" shouted the captain as it was revealed to be a woman commanding a crew of men. "Rig the main yard to the fors'le!"

"But that would stop us dead!" shouted one of the crew to their leader.

"Just do it!" shouted the female pirate.

"Aye, aye, Captain."

"Slack to all sheets!"

"Aye, aye, Cap'n!"

"Cut the fore and main trusses! Aft yard astern! Swing the fors'le to port! Ease the aft! Full hoist to forward sails!" yelled the pirate to her crew as she up at the front of the ship. She got on the tip as she held a rope while staring ahead.

In front of her ship was another pirate ship; she was looking to attack them and take the precious treasure onboard.

"Cannons!"

The men down below prepped and loaded the cannons of the ship. They then rolled them into position as they awaited the command of their leader.

"Hoist the colors!" yelled the female pirate.

As the flag was shown, one of her men began to pull hard on the pulley. It caught the attention of the men from the other ship, and upon seeing it, they all gasped as they knew who was attacking.

"Men, let's get rich! Fire!"

The command was given as the fuse was lit. The cannons fired the cannonball as they collided with the ship, rocking it back and forth. It allowed their pursuers to catch up as a large ramp was dropped to connect the two ships. The female captain yelled excitedly as she cut the rope she was holding and was flung into the air. She twisted her body and spun before facing straight as she pulled out two swords. The group of pirates above saw her in midair as they gasped.

"It's the Silver Maiden!" shouted one of the men.

The woman smiled as she aimed her swords out and spun as she came down with her swords as the tip. She crashed into them as they all were flung back. The female pirate then ran as she began engaging with other pirates. Her crew followed their leader as they began to fight their competition. The woman slashed at any foes before her, easily cutting them down. She blocked an opponent from the left with one sword as another was about to strike her. Soon, a shot was heard as the woman revealed a pistol. She pushed the pirate she was blocked back before spinning and firing her pistol as she took him out. More began to surround her as she wasn't worried. She smiled and quickly spun in a circle, halting on a knee as she fired her blaster during the rotation, killing the pirates as they fell like dominos.

"Captain!" shouted the second mate to his leader.

She looked as a massive barrage of pirates were coming at her. The female buccaneer smiled as she sheathed her gun and swords and walked toward the charging group. She lowered her head and took off her hat as she kept her face hidden. Just as the pirates were about to strike her down, she lifted her head as a light shined from her face.

The light was bright as it lasted for a good while. When it died, the massive group charging at her was downed and unconscious. As for the woman, it showed her face as a unique detail was revealed. It turns out that she had a rune in her left eye. A mystical relic embedded into her eyesocket served as her eye and allowed her some unique powers. The woman put her pirate hat on and straightened it out as she began to walk.

Her men were still fighting the remaining as she kept on walking. She approached the captain's quarters and kicked it down. She quickly jumped on the table and held out her sword as it was aimed at the owner of the ship.

"Captain Morgiana," said the person to whom the ship belonged as he looked at the woman and her rune eye.

"Where's the treasure?" asked Morgiana.

A creak was heard as a secret compartment in the ship's hull was revealed. Inside, piles upon piles of gold were revealed. Morgiana walked down the stairs with a few of her crew as they saw the treasure. Her crew all became enamored by the gold as a few began to sift through it with their fingers. Morgiana merely picked up a gold coin and smiled at it.

A town was shown as many people were walking in the square. Many sailors and seamen were trading down by the docks and preparing to set sail on their boats when the massive pirate ship rolled in. A ramp was dropped. Walking down the ramp was Morgiana as she was being followed by her men, who were carrying a trunk full of gold.

"Cheers! To the Captain!"

"To the Captain!" yelled the rest of the men as they raised their mugs and glasses to celebrate their latest score.

Soon, the drinking began. Some men began chatting, betting, brawling, and drinking some more. Watching her crew was Morgiana as the female pirate smiled. She approached the bartender as she called for some rum; a glass was slid over to her. The woman held her glass as she shook it and was about to take a sip.

"P-Pardon me, miss?"

Morgiana looked as next to her was a young man roughly about her age from his appearance. And speaking of his appearance, he seemed to be a reporter.

"Come to join me, crew, laddie? Well, congrats, you're in!" said Morgiana as she downed her glass of rum in one shot before placing it on the counter and asking for another.

"Uh, thank you, miss. I mean, no."

"No?" said Morgiana, stunned to see the man she was speaking to reject her offer while downing another shot of rum before asking another.

"Let me make my case, ma'am. I've been wanting to document a pirate's lifestyle. I'm sure you know the stories and tales spread among the common folk."

"Oh, let me see... that we're drunken bastards, sailing the seas, stealing treasure, and wreaking havoc," stated Morgiana as she downed another shot of rum.

"Well..."

"And... I'm a girl," stated the pirate as she downed another shot of rum. "You think me ignorant of the gossip mongers?"

"I can tell by how you speak you're not like the rest of your crew. You're educated."

"Well, of course. You think these idiots can read half the stuff we steal," stated Morgiana, as her family's smart trait allowed her to become captain of a crew of men. "They barely know what's what in the kitchen cabin without coming to me to read the label."

"Fascinating," said the man as he pulled out his journal and wrote some stuff down. "So then... what was your upbringing? Surely, if someone like you knows how to read and write profounding, that must mean you were taught with a strong education. Possibly belonging to the nobility."

"Look, laddie. I admire the persistence. But I'm not telling you my secrets so easily. The first rule of a pirate, mate. Trust is often delicate." smiled Morgiana as she downed another glass of rum in front of the man beside her.

"Your eye?" said the young man as he noticed the rune relic that was Morgiana's eye.

"Most people turn away from the mere sight of it. But rest assured; I can still see out of it as if it were my regular eye."

"Well, I'm not offended by it. It makes you look more fierce and dangerous," responded the man.

"Mate, trying to woo me will not get you the answers you seek about pirates and me... but... I think I can offer a solution..." stated the woman as she downed her 15th shot of rum and still wasn't drunk.

"What do you propose?" asked the man.

"Join me, crew," smiled Morgiana as that got the male to make a face. "You want to study pirates, mate? What better way than to get a first-hand experience of what we pirates do? I'll show you what we do for a living. Documents that we've stolen and kept secret. Secrets... that you don't even know about."

Morgiana waved a glass shot in front of the man she was eyeing. The way she waved seemed seductive as if to entice the man to her offer. While she didn't admit it, Morgiana was fascinated with the man sitting next to her. Sitting alone beside her caught her attention, given her reputation, especially among men.

"So, what's it gonna be, mate?" said Morgiana softly, waving the glass shot seductively.

---

A ship was leaving the port as they were looking to return to sailing. On the main floor was Morgiana; she gave orders to her crew. Beside her was the man as he had accepted the captain's offer to come along and learn all he wanted about pirates. The man's name was Alex; he looked about to see the crew of the woman he was looking to know more about.

"Mr. Will!"

"Yes, Cap'n!"

"Show our new crewmate around. Make sure he gets accommodated!" said Morgiana as she slapped Alex on the behind to push him forward, which got a reaction from the man.

"Yes, Cap'n!" responded the second mate.

"Oh, and uh," said Morgiana as she gestured for her second-mate to lean in as she whispered into his ear. "Hide the rum. This one is a bit, you know," stated the woman as she made noises to indicate Alex's drinking state.

"Ah," nodded second mate Will as he winked at his leader.

"Well, maties, I'll be in my cabin. Make sure all sails are straight," stated Morgiana as she began to walk before turning around. "Oh, and Al. Welcome aboard the Silver Maiden."

The man looked at the female pirate as she winked at him before slipping into her quarters.

"Come along, private. Let's get ye changed into proper attire," said second mate Will.

"Proper attire? But I like my clothes," stated Alex as he was dressed rather nicely and didn't see the need to change his garments.

Second mate Will led Alex to the cabins below as the young man got a closer view of the pirates he would be with. Many had some horrible BO as he nearly avoided some fighting between the crew. Eventually, he caught up with his superior as they entered his quarters.

"So wha''s a sprog like ye wantin' t' do wit' us pirates?" asked Will as he began to rummage through a trunk full of belongings.

"Well, I hope to publish a book about pirates. And seeing as how many locals refer to Captain Morgiana as one of the fierce pirates to sail the seas..."

"Careful thar, scallywag. I wouldna wnt t' get too close t' the cap'n. Ye try 'n get cozy wit' her 'n she'll slice yer pegleg off."

"Pegleg?" said Alex, unsure what the pirate meant as he still had all his limbs.

"I be nah natterin' about yer leg, heartie. I be natterin' about the one in yer pants."

At that moment, the young man realized what he was being told as he gulped.

"Ye know the name o' this ship? It's called the Silver Maiden 'cause o' all the booty we've looted 'n 'cause the Cap'n o' the ship be Morgiana. But it's also her nickname." stated second mate Will. "Every scallywag that has tried t' shiver me timbers our Cap'n 'ave learned that thar's no way t' tame her. Apart from booty, our cap'n has but one love. 'n that's the sea."

"Fascinating," said Alex, hearing that fact about the woman he was looking to learn more about. He was then handed a pile of clothes.

"Here ye be. Now get dressed 'n met on the dock in five minutes. Don't wants t' keep our fair cap'n waitin'. 'n ye along wit' everybody else here reports t' me." stated second mate Will as he left.

After changing and finding something decent from all the "clothing" he was offered, Alex made his way back to the deck as he saw all of Morgiana's crew hard at work. He looked about as the men were at their posts; he looked at the ship's helm as he saw the woman who was focused on steering the vessel.

"Men! Attention!" shouted Morgiana as her crew turned to face their fearless leader. "We got a special delivery to make for Klugetown. Investors have already paid handsomely for use to deliver the spice. And I got word that we'll run into some competition. You know what we do, boys."

The crew all cheered their captain and raised their fists.

"Then set sail for Klugetown!" yelled Morgiana as the men rushed to their stations.

Alex looked at the woman as he was looking to go to her before second mate Will grabbed him and gave him some rope. The pirate instructed the man to pull as he did so. The flag of the Silver Maiden was hoisted as their sails caught a breeze heading northwest, giving them a boost.

After sailing on the seas, the Silver Maiden gently rocked on the water. The crew relaxed a bit as they roamed about the ship. Alex emerged below the deck as he finished polishing the cannons per the second mate Will's orders. The man looked around the deck as he got a few looks from the crew. Most believed the young adult wouldn't last long as they felt their captain was showing pity. Alex approached the captain's quarters, hoping to get a word in.

He entered through the door and walked in. Morgiana was at her desk inside her quarters, leaning over with a pencil in her hand. She had a compass, an astrolabe, a diptych dial, and a pencil. In front of her was a map; she was eyeing it keenly and making some marks on it.

"That there is about... hmm, 30, 40 degrees, northeast. The time is a little over a day... knots about... 15 to 25," muttered the pirate as she did some serious calculations. "Our path should be about here... meaning we'll pass through Skull Cavern."

"Wha' do ye propose, cap'n?" asked a pirate next to her.

"The winds are too harsh to go the long way. And our buyers are expecting us. We have no choice. We'll have to go through it." stated the young woman.

"I'll inform the crew, Cap'n," said the pirate as he grabbed the map scrolls and left as he passed by Alex, who had been silently watching the interaction.

Morgiana sighed as she took off her pirate hat and set it down. She shook her head as her ponytail came undone, and her hair flowed down. The young woman ran a hand through her hair as the young man became enamored by the scene.

"Wow," said Alex.

"Never pegged you as a stalker," said Morgiana as she noticed the young man looking at her; she turned and grabbed a glass before pouring herself a drink.

"Pardon me, miss."

"It's Cap'n to you, Al!" said Morgiana as she turned to address the man and leaned back. "You're on my ship. You follow my rules. And you address me as such."

"Yes, sir. I mean, ma'am. I mean... Yes, Cap'n," said the pirate.

"That's more like it," smiled the woman as she began to walk around her desk toward another table with a globe. "What brings you to my quarters?"

"Well, Cap'n. I was hoping to..."

"What? Spill my secrets? Tell you about myself? Let me set the record, matey. I ain't like any of the poppets that ye chase around at parties. I'm the kind of girl that can't be tied. My first and only love is the sea, and that's not changing anytime." stated Morgiana as she turned to her ally.

"Duly noted. But that's not why I'm here. I do want to learn more about you and your crew."

"You're persistent. I like that," smiled Morgiana as she sipped her drink. "I suppose you want to know about my rune eye. You've been staring at it since I first revealed it."

"No disrespect, Cap'n. But it's very hard not to look at it," stated Alex.

"Fair point. When I was young, I had an unfortunate incident. My eye was beyond saving. Now, my family did everything they could. They spent all the money trying to get the best doctors and medicine to help me restore my vision, but it was all for naught. Then... one day, an old woman came by our house seeking shelter during a heavy rainstorm. My parents and I didn't know it, but she was an enchantress in disguise. Because we showed hospitality, she gave us a gift. She inputted a relic into my eye that not only came my powers but restored my vision in my left eye."

"Powers? You mean magic?" said Alex as he had but heard tales of sorcery from ancient texts.

"Believe it or not, my family name has some magic wielders. Yours truly happens to have magic of her own."

"Fascinating. Anything else?"

"Alright, cut the act. What is your intention?!" said Morgiana as she glared at the young man beside her. "No one has ever asked me about my life? What's your end goal? Are you trying to divulge my secrets to my crew so they can revolt against me? Or are you trying to court my favor and claim me as some prize? 'Cause I assure you..."

"It's none of those. Honest. I just want to know more about you." stated Alex.

"And yet I find that hard to believe. Nobody gets far in life without an agenda. So... what's your agenda? What do you want from me? Or with me?" glared the captain as she looked into the eyes of her new crewmate.

"Just call me a curious man. That's been a habit of mine for as long as I can remember. This is the truth. I really do want to get to know you better. Honest. No intentions of any sort." stated the man.

The door to her cabin flung open before Morgiana could press further.

"Cap'n! We've got trouble!" stated a crewmember.

Morgiana nodded as she quickly put on her pirate hat, not bothering to tie her hair as she marched out of her quarters. She quickly grabbed her swords and pistol from the rack as Alex followed her. The pair were on the deck when they saw the others all running about.

"Second mate, Will!" shouted Morgiana. "What's the issue?"

"Trouble on the port side!"

Morgiana and Alex rushed to the ship's left side; they leaned out to see the danger. Behind them and slowly gaining on their tail was another ship. However, it wasn't just any ship. It was a ship that the pirate captain knew all too well. The flag being flown was the symbol of her rival.

"Man your battle stations, men!" shouted Morgiana to her crew as she began to walk.

The men all yelled as they began to move.

"What's going on?" asked Alex as he followed behind the woman.

"You wanted to see pirates in action, private? You're about to get a first-hand experience."

"What?"

"You good with a sword?" asked Morgiana.

"Uh..." said Alex before he was tossed one by the captain, not waiting for his answer. "Hold on!"

At that moment, some cannons were shot. The opposing ship chasing Morgiana fired their cannons but barely grazed the wooden structure. Serving as the waning shot, Morgiana's crew all scrambled as they began to prep their own cannons. Soon, the ship pulled up alongside Morgiana's vessel as the pirate crew looked to their right. They eyed the ship as on it were some pirates as they glared down at their opposing foes. A thud was heard as the men parted ways to allow their captain to reach the front. The person kept their head low; when they lifted their head, it was revealed to be a woman who was also the captain of her ship.

"Well, well, Morgiana... It's been a while," smiled the woman as she stared down her foe, who was standing on the edge of her ship.

"Lerae," responded Morgiana as she eyed her rival before taunting her, "Daddy let you set sail. Oh, you must be a big girl now."

"Daddy said I could do whatever I wanted. And I want to prove that I'm the greatest pirate ever to exist," stated Lerae as she sat on the edge of her boat, her back turned to Morgiana as she began to inspect her nails.

"Who's that?" whispered Alex to second mate Will.

"That thar be Lerae. The most self-centered, snobbiness, 'n self-entitled strumpet. She thinks 'cause her cap'n owns the biggest tradin' crew, she can get whatever she wants."

"So, why are you out here, gal? You know these waters are my territory."

"The way I see it, the sea belongs to everybody," stated Morgiana.

"How naive. My daddy owns these waters. So, therefore, whatever he owns, I own. I have the deed right here." said Lerae as she began filing her nails. She snapped her fingers as one of her crewmates presented the deed for Morgiana to see before rolling it up.

"Well, I'm here on official business. I'm heading to Klugetown to deliver some goods! So, if you kindly get out of my way, I have a deadline to make." stated Morgiana.

"A delivery? What kind? Illegal? I doubt anybody did a full inspection of your goods. So I'll need you to hand over it to me." stated Lerae.

"Like bloody hell, I will!" shouted Morgiana. "Fire!"

The signal given, her men lit the cannons down below. Morgiana quickly fired the first shot before any more tension could be piled. The sudden attack from her rival rocked Lerae and her crew as she fell.

"That sneaky son of a bitch," muttered Lerae, as she wasn't expecting Morgiana to attack without any banter. She then noticed something as she gasped. "My nail! Kill her!"

"Fire!" shouted Morgiana.

Both sides yelled as the battle began. The two ships were shown with two boards as each side was boarding the other. Everywhere, there was a fight: on the ropes, the masts, the boards, the deck, and even swinging in the air. Alex was doing his best to avoid fighting; he was trying to remain out of sight, but he soon ran into some of Lerae's crew as they finished taking down some of Morgiana's men. He chuckled before he ran away with the pirates chasing him. He ran toward some barrels, picked some up, and began throwing them. The pirates dodged them, and one of them got hit.

With no more objects to throw, Alex again looked to run before the back of his collar grabbed him. He was now being held by one of the pirates as another looked to bring his sword down on the young male. He instinctively kicked the pirate holding the sword award before biting the hand of the one holding him. He was released when the pirate whom he kicked ran at him; he saw some nearby rope and yanked on it as it created a tripwire that caused the pirate to trip. He quickly grabbed the fallen sword and turned as a pirate approached him. He blocked it and soon began to exchange some attacks as the sound of metal clanged. The duo were being backed to the side of the boat as Alex was kicked and nearly fell over as he stared down the water. He quickly turned as a pirate yelled, charging at him; he blocked the sword as the stronger pirate was overpowering him, and he felt his back leaning over.

Alex was about to go over when he kicked the pirate in the balls. The buccaneer felt that as Alex quickly grabbed him and flung him over. The pirate yelled; it was soon followed by a splash as water shot into the air. Alex was breathing heavily as the adrenaline inside was kicking in. He looked over to see the pirate in the water below, unaware of another pirate aiming his pistol at him. The trigger was pulled as Alex turned; the pirate aiming at him fell over. He was saved by second mate Will, who spotted the rookie in danger.

"Eyes in the aft o' yer head, rookie!"

Alex nodded as he looked up. At the top of the ships were Morgiana and Lerae as the two captains were ducking it out above their crew. The battle was fierce as both women had expert sword fighting skills and kept their balance while fighting on the mast.

"Where is it, Morgiana!" shouted Lerae as she swung.

"Where what is?" responded the woman as she kept fighting.

"The treasure! Hand it over!" shouted Lerae as she went for a downward stab. Morgiana flipped into the air and twirled before landing on the beam gracefully.

Morgiana then had her rune eye glow as she prepped a magic attack. A blinding light happened as nearly everybody turned away and stopped fighting below. The light died down as Morgiana's sword stopped glowing; the pirate smiled until she gasped. Lerae was shown holding an amulet as it shined with magic before dying down.

"You're no longer the only one with a magical relic, Morgiana. Your rune eye has met its match!" smiled Lerae as she had a way to counter her rival and her magical powers.

Morgiana quickly slashed her sword upward, and the blade tip grazed Lerae's cheek. The woman felt the blade as she touched it with her fingers. She quickly pulled out her hand mirror and looked at herself as she saw the small cut. A small cut that would heal no problem, but to her, she was an imperfection as her perfect and beautiful face was ruined thanks to her rival.

"You ruined my makeup!" yelled Lerae as her blood boiled, and she swung wildly at her foe.

Morgiana deflected and blocked Lerae's swings; when she went to attack, her sword was knocked out of her hand by Lerae's more powerful swing. The weapon spun and fell as it embedded itself into the dock. Morgiana looked over as she was now weaponless before having Lerae put her sword at her throat.

"Let's see how pretty you'll look when I stab your other eye!" yelled Lerae.

Morgiana chuckled sheepishly before she jumped just as Lerae looked to strike her.

"Cap'n!" shouted Alex as he saw the woman jump.

Morgiana quickly grabbed a rope as she was now swinging about. Lerae saw where her rival was going and began to jump down as her amulet gave her powers quickly. Morgiana pulled out her pistol and extended one of her arms as she focused and took the shot. She pulled the trigger; she nearly shot Lerae's hand. The woman pirate growled at her rival as she kept firing the trigger, using her speed to avoid the shots, and landed on the deck. Morgiana was about to fire when she heard some yelling.

The woman saw some of Lerae's men approaching her as they swung their ropes with swords. She put her legs out to kick the first one off before jumping and grabbing onto another one.

"Pardon me," said Morgiana to the pirate she held onto as she used her rune eye to knock the pirate off as he yelled and fell.

She was now coming back around as the remaining pirate was coming at her. She twisted her body back and flipped as her rope was cut slowly. Morgiana flipped back first as she put her hands out to grab the remaining rope and swung around; she was coming at the pirate who tried to strike her as her rune eye shined and made the rope cut itself as he fell.

Lerae made it onto the deck as she hurried; at that moment, Morgiana landed as she looked to get her sword. She spotted it and was about to grab it when a slash came down; she halted and fell back. Lerae growled at her as Morgiana reached into her coat and pulled out a small knife. Lerae laughed as she swung for Morgiana to counter using her dagger. The pirate was holding her own against her rival using the smaller weapon as her rival's boot kicked her away. Morgiana quickly scrambled away as Lerae chased her.

The two ran through some fighting between their crew as they came to a part of the ship. Morgiana was on one side, and Lerae was on the other. Each tried to see if they could predict and fake out the other by trying to see which way they would go. Lerae had enough of this as she used her amulet and began to phase through the obstacle to her rival.

"Oh, come on!" shouted Morgiana as she ran again as Lerae chased her.

Morgiana jumped from the upper deck and rolled as she came to the side of her ship. She grabbed a piece of wood that was broken off as she turned and swung at Lerae, who ducked and moved behind her. Morgiana was now wielding the piece of wood like a staff as she held it with both hands to swing, which Lerae blocked with her sword. She pushed Morgiana back and brought her blade down as it cut the wood being held by her rival in half.

Lerae then jumped into the air and twisted her body as she delivered a flying kick to Morgiana, who was sent tumbling back as some water splashed onto the deck. The woman, now wet from the water, looked on as she eyed her rival approaching her with her sword dragging behind her.

"Silver Maiden! You'll see no mercy from me," stated Lerae to her rival.

Just as she was about to strike down her foe, Lerae was kicked by Alex, who arrived to help his captain. The woman was pushed as she was knocked off the ship's side. The man and Morgiana looked over and saw the woman spitting water out of her mouth as she struggled to remain afloat given the current's power.

"Help me!" shouted Lerae to her crew.

"Cap'n overboard, save her!" shouted one of Lerae's men as they all began to head back to their ship, with some jumping over to rescue their boss.

"You're wel-" started Alex when Morgiana pointed her dagger at him, who put his hands up.

"Don't expect a kiss," responded Morgiana as she glared at her new crewmate. She grabbed her sword from his hand and flipped her hair in his face as she turned.

"I was just saving you. Honest!" said Alex, as that was his true intention before chasing after the woman.

"Mr. Will!" shouted Morgiana as she got on the upper deck and grabbed the wheel.

"Yes, Cap'n!"

"Prepare to set sail!" shouted the woman.

"Yes, Cap'n! Move you scallywags!" yelled the second mate.

"Private!" said Morgiana as she reached over, grabbed Alex by his front collar, and pulled him close. "Take the wheel!" She then threw his into the thing as she saw it spinning before grabbing it as he tried to reposition it.

Morgiana got on the back of her ship and looked to see Lerae being lifted out of the water. Her men saved her as she looked out to see Morgiana's ship starting to sail away. The pirate growled as Morgiana pulled and aimed her pistol at her rival despite being far away. She tapped into her rune eye as her weapon began to glow with magic. Lerae pulled out her amulet and held it out just as Morgiana pulled the trigger.

A magic beam fired from her pistol as the amulet did the same thing. The two beams collided as they started a chain reaction, causing an explosion in midair. The explosion set off a shockwave that pushed Lerae into some of her men as they caught their leader; the shockwave sent Morgiana's ship forward as the sails caught the updraft created by the explosion. The woman and her crew were moving forward fast as they soon left behind their competition.

"This isn't over, Morgiana!" shouted Lerae as she watched her rival escape.

Morgiana smiled, seeing her rival in her rearview mirror; she turned to see her crew all shouting and cheering as they praised their leader for her plan. Alex looked at the woman as he saw first-hand how the rest of the men looked at her like a god.

"Alright, that's enough! Come on, we still have a deadline!" shouted Morgiana as her crew began repairing the ship. She looked at Alex as she approached the man steering the ship. "Nice work, rookie." stated the pirate captain as she took over the wheel.

"Thank you," said the man as she kept his eyes on the woman. He was about to ask her something when...

"Private, get down here 'n pull yer weight!" shouted second mate Will.

Alex began to head down to the lower deck when his attention was caught.

"Thanks for the assist," said Morgiana as the young man turned to look at the woman. "I appreciate the help."

"Well, I'm glad..."

"Private!" shouted Will as Alex quickly left to do his job.

Morgiana couldn't help but laugh at seeing how the young man acted when she praised him. She also laughed at him trying to pull a rope only to lose his grip and fall on his behind. Sometime later, the Silver Maiden was riding the smooth waves as the explosion had saved them some time, and they were now ahead of schedule.

---

Alex was shown observing a group of men as they were all gathered around a table. They had dice, cups, and doubloons as it seemed they were playing some game and gambling their money.

"I'll wager ten doubloons 'n one silver," stated one of the crew.

"I'll match his bet," said another crewmember.

"Agreed," stated the final pirate in the game.

They all began lifting their respective cups to peek at the dice they had under. Alex saw observing this keenly as he tapped second mate Will on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Tell me, what's the game they're playing?" asked Alex.

"Wonderin' how it's play, blast ye? Well, it's basically a game o' deception. Blufferin', if ye will. But ye bet includes all the dice present, nah jus' yer owns." said Mr. Will.

"Can you wager anything?" asked Alex.

"Aye."

"Can... anybody be challenged?" asked the young man.

"If ye're willin' t' bet."

"In that case..." said Alex before speaking up. "I challenge Captain Morgiana!"

Nearly everybody gasped when they heard that. Second mate Will was left speechless as he was shocked to hear the young man had decided to challenge their leader as she was the best player of them all. Soon, a sound was heard. They all looked as if hearing her name being said outloud; Morgiana appeared, walked down the steps, and stood before her crew.

"Who speaks my name?" stated the woman as all her men immediately pointed at Alex as if ratting him out to their mother. "I accept, mate." snickered the pirate captain.

The pirates playing all stood up and picked up their stuff as Alex sat on one end of the table with Morgiana sitting on the other end. They were each presented with some dice and a cup. Alex picked up a dice and shook it to see if they were loaded, which they weren't.

"I'll go easy on you, mate. Wager nothing," said Morgiana, as this would be a friendly game to test the young man's skills. "See, I only bet on what's dearest to one's heart. Otherwise, there's no way to tell if he's bluffing. What a person is willing to risk or not to risk. That's a measure of one's soul."

"Fine by me," said Alex as he wasn't backing down from the woman's terms. After hearing how Morgiana dealt when playing the game, he now had another insight into who this woman was.

Both young adults gathered their dice and put them into their cups. They shook it as one hand covered the top to prevent the dice from falling out. They stared into each other's eyes and continued shuffling, not letting their emotions show. Alex looked at Morgiana's rune eye as he wondered if one of its magical properties could allow the captain to see his dice, and that was how she remained the best player.

"It's all smarts, Mr. Alex. No magic," said Morgiana as if she knew what the man in front of her was thinking. She assured him that her magical eye had nothing to do with her skills and intellect as a player.

Both pirates dropped their cups upside down as they had a hand over them. The game was now on; Alex made the first move as he peeked under his cup to examine his dice. Once he saw his numbers, he put the cup back down to cover them.

"Two 3s."

"You're a desperate man," said Morgiana as she stared into the eyes of the man before her. "What's the cause of it? It can only be a curiosity. Perhaps... a woman." The pirate captain lifted her cup to see her numbers before covering them. "Three 3s."

"My father always told me that a woman need not cause you to be desperate. If you choose the right woman," stated Alex before lifting his cup and covering them up. "Four 3s."

"I see... You hope to find something out about me. Isn't that right?" smiled Morgiana, as even in this game, Alex still wanted to learn more about her. "Unfortunately, I don't share anything. Not even what my fate will be."

"I believe you choose your own fate," countered Alex as he smiled at the woman.

"Then it wouldn't be fate, would it?" countered Morgiana as she got a smile to appear from having the intellectual talk with the man. She peeked under her cup once more. "Five 3s."

Alex peeked under his cup as he looked at all his dice. Under them, four of the five dice had sixes on them, and the last one had a three.

"Six 3s," said the man confidently.

"Liar!" stated Morgiana, as she called it.

Both lifted their cups to reveal their numbers as true to Alex's word; he was right. The crew gasped as Morgiana called it; she lost as she was wrong. The pirate captain smiled as she looked at the man; she didn't know why, but losing to someone as smart as her gave her a warm feeling. Ultimately, she began to clap slowly at Alex for beating her fair and square.

"Well done," said the woman as she got up and began to walk.

"Another game?" said Alex as he stood up and addressed the woman.

Morgiana stopped as the rest of the crew were shocked to see the young man wanting to play again with their captain. She chuckled as she kept her back turned to him.

"You can't best the devil twice," stated Morgiana.

"Then why are you walking away?" taunted Alex as the crew gasped to hear him calling out their leader.

Morgiana didn't like that; she turned and quickly returned to the table.

"You made a grave mistake. This time, we play for stakes!" stated Morgiana as she would no longer take it easy on the young man as she sat down and removed her pirate hat. The captain set it down and stared at her crewmember.

Alex sighed as he reached into his shirt and pulled something out.

"What did you say about that which is dearest to a man's heart? This necklace belonged to my mother. It's the last thing I have of her since she passed away. I wager this and..." He gestured with his fingers for the captain to lean in as she did. He also leaned in as he whispered to her. "I wager this, and when we stop to make port, I ask for one night out."

Morgiana was taken aback by what the man was offering. The necklace she could understand as it was a valuable item to him. But asking for a night out with her meant he was determined about his commitment. Alex did want to learn more about the woman for his book. She didn't know why she did, but she seemed to agree to that wager.

"Very well. And I wager... everything I own."

The crew gasped after hearing what their captain had just gambled. Even Alex was taken aback by what the woman said.

"Like I said, I only bet on what's dearest to one's heart. Otherwise, there's no way to tell if they're bluffing. What a person is willing to risk or not to risk. That's a measure of one's soul." restated the woman.

"The die is cast," said Alex.

Both grabbed their dice, put them in their cups, and shook them. They flipped them upside down as the game was now on. Alex began as he peeked under his cup.

"Three 2s. It's your bid, captain."

Morgiana smiled after seeing how Alex had fully grasped the game after playing it only once and was now acting like a pro. It grabbed her attention, and she couldn't help but crack a small smile. She then peeked under her cup.

"Four 4s."

"Four 5s."

"Six 3s."

"Seven 5s."

After hearing Alex's latest gamble, both peeked under their cups again as the game intensified. She then cast her next wager.

"Eight 5s," said the woman as a slight hesitation from Alex was picked up by the woman. To which she smiled. "Better luck next time, mate."

"Twelve 5s!" said Alex as that got the attention of everybody and cut off Morgiana's pre-victory laugh. "Twelve 5s," stated the young man as she doubled down on his call. "Call me a liar or up the bid."

He was now testing Morgiana.

"And be called a liar myself for my trouble!" responded Morgiana as she grabbed Alex's cup to reveal his dice. She then revealed her dice as true to her word; she was right, and Alex had bluffed to no avail.

Once again, the captain proved why she was the best player. As she won and called out the man's bluff, she took the necklace off to the side as she examined it. Looking at it, it could fetch a nice price. Morgiana grabbed her pirate hat and put it back on as her crew began to disburse to get back to work. Alex sighed as not only did he lose, but the last thing he had of his mother was gone. Soon, his attention was caught as he looked up just in time to see something being thrown at him and caught it.

The young man looked at what he caught as he opened his hands to see what it was. The object in question was his mother's necklace, and he was shocked to see it. Alex looked up as he saw Morgiana on the steps. The woman flashed him a wink before heading to her cabin. The woman could see how much the necklace meant to him and felt it was right to let him keep it.

---

"Your ancestor didn't know that every day Alex spent on her ship as part of her crew during their voyage to Klugetown, they slowly got to know each other. In the following years, not only would Alex become a permanent part of the crew, but he and Morgiana slowly developed feelings for each other. And when the time came for them to retire, Alex published his book and... married Morgiana. The last bit of their life was spent looking over the sea and starting a family as your ancestor Morgiana became the first female pirate and the most famous one ever to set sail."

"Wow," said the girl as she soon yawned.

"Sounds like it's bedtime," said the man as he saw how tired his daughter was. He leaned over and kissed her forehead before putting out the candle.

"Good night, Dad."

"Sweet dreams, my little Twily," said Night Light as he slowly closed the door of his daughter's room.

Twilight turned in her bed and closed her eyes. The young princess was thinking about the latest stories of her ancestors. She was thinking about each of them doing something to have their name remembered throughout history and how they added something to her family legacy. She had many more ancestors, and each did something to grow her bloodline.

"I want to be as good as them," muttered Twilight in her sleep as she drifted off to dreamland. A shooting star shot across the sky of Equis.

Author's Note: A different chapter than usual as it's a from the past where Twilight was very young and asked Night Light about some of their ancestors of their bloodline. As you can see, before the royal throne got started, the girl had an array of family members. Each doing incredible feet. And each of Twilight's ancestors mentioned in this chapter does reference something. Astros being the reference to the Aztecs, being a wandering tribe and building an advanced city from scratch, just without the whole blood ritual and sacrifice aspect of that society. Sir Finn representing the sort of Irish/Celtic ancestor of Twilight's bloodline as he took one three monsters of that culture. Salim belongs to Saddle Arabia and tearing down the city of Ponstantinoply is referencing the actual falling of Constantinople and being part of a brotherhood made of 40 thieves to tie that legend in. And the last we saw was Twilight's pirate ancestor to depict the age of pirates.

All in all, Twilight has even more to live up to when you compare her adventures and tales to the ones her ancestors made famous. Also, this isn't the last we'll see of her ancestors. This is to set the tone that we're going to be seeing and learning more about Twilight's family. So expect even more ancestors to appear and know what they did. As always, leave a review expressing your thoughts and comments. Trust me, there are still tons of ancestors that will blow your mind.