Chapter One: Bold Attack

Himeno

"They've raised their colors, captain!" my first mate called out to me from the bow of my small ship, the Awayuki. I could feel my pulse racing with excitement and fear. I would finally be sure of my target.

"What are they?" I cried back.

"The devil's black with the cursed skull and all!" he called out.

I felt a wicked smile come across my face. I faced the sharp, cutting wind head on and urged the small crew of my pinnacle towards the dark ship at the edge of the horizon. We were too slow to escape the sloop that was racing towards us. A head on offense—as risky as it would be—was better than a useless attempt to escape. And escape was the last option on my mind now. I had been waiting for this moment—the moment to strike back at the pirate scum that had ruined my father's business.

"They're approaching towards us at 15 knots, captain!" our young cabin boy called out from the crow's nest. Perfect. My pinnacle was bait enough to draw in those greedy pirates. A small ship that looked defenseless. I would show them how defenseless it truly was.

"Good. Let's get the guns ready!" I cried out.

My crew was a meager five of us: the first mate, the navigator, the purser, the cabin boy and myself. This was all that was left of my father's merchant company after he had disappeared. But it was enough for today.

"Guns pointing starboard, captain!"

I took the wheel and turned us, so that we could tack our way against the wind towards the hell ship.

"Ship approaching at 20 knots!"

"Fire!" I called out.

It was too soon for any shot to hit its mark, but I knew it would be a clear signal that we would not go down without a fight. In response, the sloop fired its own cannon, which landed only a little shy of my tiny ship. I wanted to laugh at how quickly they had responded, but caught the fearful eyes of my crew and suppressed my crazed glee.

I ran across deck, feeling my blood burn with rage. We were in close enough range that I could see the brutish faces of my enemy. My eyes caught the dark blue eyes of a solemn, well-dressed man. Probably the captain or first mate at least. I glared at him and bared my teeth. He would be my first target.

They fired another shot, which hit its home target. I held my footing and drew my gun. My first mate drew his sword, while my poor purser huddled in the aft of the ship, as far from the action as possible.

"Get Carin and yourself on the escape boat," I called out to my navigator, who had come up from below.

"I won't leave you, captain!" they both cried out in unison. Loyal to the end. I was grateful for their sentiment—they had been the only ones who had stayed with me after my family's merchant business had fallen apart, after all—but now they would only weigh me down. I pointed my pistol at them.

"This is an order!" I commanded, releasing the lock and preparing my finger on the trigger. They looked pained, as if my actions had somehow betrayed them.

"Ay, captain!" they responded, giving me a salute before getting into the escape boat. I watched them row away from the ship, giving them a quick nod of thanks before turning back to the fight.

My first mate and cabin boy ran to the cannons and continued the unsuccessful volley of cannon fire. I joined their efforts, firing at the pirates daring to throw anchors towards my ship. There were too many. I watched as the anchors held purchase on our railing.

"Here they come," I cried.

I raced forward, shooting blindly, trying to avoid the sharp tips of the pirates' cutlasses. I felt alive, my world finally in focus after months of confusion. My bullets hit their target, weakening my opponents long enough for my first mate to finish them with his sword. Crazy as this had been, I began to feel an elevation that we could win.

I flashed my first mate a rare smile, which he returned. Back to back, we hit pirate after pirate, drunk on adrenaline. But they were too many. For every one man down, there were at least three to take his place.

Without further instructions, my cabin boy had decided to continue firing the cannons. At point blank range, he did not miss—but our enemy had not ceased fire, either. I felt the entire ship rock as a cannon hit deep into the underbelly of the ship. At this rate, we would sink before we had the chance to put up a good fight.

Another gun fired, and its bullet hit my first mate's upper arm, causing him to drop his sword in pain. He clutched his arm and struggled to pick up his sword again. As I watched the blood dripping from his arm, I felt myself exploding with anger. So this was what it meant to see red, I thought, while flailing his sword uselessly. I cursed myself for never having learned swordsmanship. I felt a sword rip through my weak defenses, slashing me on the chest and arm, and watched as my pistol dropped from my now blood-soaked hand. An instant later, my first mate and I were at the mercy of both sword and gunpoint.

The owner of the gun that had shot my first mate parted the crowd and made his presence known. He had brilliant silver-blond hair with deep-set purple eyes that seemed crazed with a thirst for blood, but tainted with a cold intelligence that made my skin crawl. He wore a fine red velvet suit with an elegant cap and a sizable feather. The lace ruff around his neck spoke to elegance and good breeding, but I knew better. The way he smiled at my defeat made me sick.

"Well, well, well," he said softly, "You have given us trouble today. How shall I reward you?"

His crew laughed while his gun pointed at my head. I refused to drop the sword and stood protecting my first mate. The pirate captain walked towards me and drew his sword. With one quick, deft movement, he threw my sword aside. I stood my ground, eyes blazing.

"Impressive," he said in a low voice, taking my chin in his filthy hands. His smile, his silky voice, and the way he surveyed me sickened me, "You look no older than a child, yet you had the audacity to attack my ship…Now what shall I do with you?"

"Get your filthy hands off me," I growled, my pride rising to the surface.

His eyes instantly clouded and he frowned, pulling back his hand.

"You will learn respect," he said sharply.

Before I had time to realize what had happened, he had fired again, and this time hit my first mate through the center of his head. I watched, horrified as my first mate fell to the deck, his eyes lifeless even before he finished falling. My eyes stung with tears, but I held them back.

"Well, see. I don't like being talked back to, you understand?" he said with a smug smile on his face.

I cried out and punched the pirate that was holding my arms back. He let go with a yelp of surprise, allowing me to rush forward to try to strike the captain. From nowhere, a pair of hands stopped me and pinned me to the deck.

"Ah, Hayate. What do you think of this boy? I quite like his boldness," the captain murmured.

I looked up and saw the man with deep blue eyes gaze at me with no emotion. I trembled under his clasp, but he would not yield. After a moment's pause, I heard him reply in a low voice, "We could use a new cabin boy."

I heard the captain chuckle, a sound that made me want to vomit. I struggled in vain against Hayate's grip, but his iron grip on me did not relax.

"If he has caught your interest as well, I have no reason to kill him. Do as you please with him," the captain muttered to Hayate. Hayate nodded, pulling me roughly to my feet and binding my hands in a swift motion. I felt his gun in the middle of my back, and watched helplessly as my cabin boy was thrown overboard. I prayed that he would be able to reach the escape boat that my navigator and purser were on.

"Sink this pathetic ship once you've taken what you will. Kei, see to it that what little loot there is, is split amongst the crew. My work is done," the captain ordered and turned on his heel.

"No!" I cried out—my father's last ship! I struggled out of Hayate's grasp for a moment, before he pinned me back down. He placed a gag on me and covered my eyes, leaving me only with my ears to hear my father's last treasure—the Awayuki—destroyed with cannon fire.