|✘| swindle v.2 [OLD THREAD]

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

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The temperature in Port Royal quickly rose with the sun. If the nights were merely thick and warm, the days were sweltering and uncomfortably muggy.

Vin had taken off his jacket, having nothing more to keep safe inside. He kept a safe distance from the western side of the island. Hasset was still alive, and he knew there would be guards looking for him. He cursed his carelessness, but at the same time regretted nothing of his actions. He had made his way towards the northeast side before slumping against a wall from exhaustion caused from both lack of sleep and the heat.

He’d had the sense to hang on to all the weapons he had stolen from Hasset, though the pistol was practically useless without bullets and he only had room for one sword on his belt.

Now, as he sat on the ground in the dirt, he wondered what he could possibly do. It was still early in the day when he heard the sound of multiple sets of footsteps around the corner. He scrambled to his feet and stood still, gripping his second sword tightly in his hand. He waited for them to come into sight, but instead they stopped.

He heard faint voices from the direction the steps had come from, though he could not make out what they were saying. Vin cautiously stepped forward, closer to the edge of the wall towards where the voices came from so he could better hear. Once he began to hear words being formed, he halted and practically held his breath as he listened.

“What was the damage to the household?” One of the voices asked, flustered.

“Minimal, but the key was taken,” another spat.

A low gasp escaped the first voice, anger and shock in his voice now. “So the Scotsmen were right? She has the map?”

“For once they weren’t lying.”

Vin caught his breath and his face twisted in confusion. Scotsmen? They couldn’t possibly be talking about-

Vin’s eyes widened in realization, though it was still unclear to him. Had Thorton not killed Alistair? Vin desperately searched his memory. No. That had not been a fatal wound. But how would they have gotten here before the Obsidian? Vin shut his eyes tight. Merseyside. Their detour would have given Phantom’s Harmony time to get to Port Royal first. It was then that the first voice had interrupted Vin’s thoughts.

“Are we really going after her on the word of a pyrate?” The first voice said dumbly.

The second voice became harsh and laced with greed. “Captain MacDuncan said he was hired by… Some Norwegian Duke to stop the Obsidian. Obviously Captain Waters has this map, and by God the British Colonies will be the first to lay their hands on the gold of El Dorado.” The statement was followed by a pause. “I doubt we’ll be needing more than four ships. Can we be ready by tomorrow morning?”

“Yes sir,” the first voice said hastily.

Vin waited until he was sure the footsteps of the men were long faded and let out a large breath, leaning heavily against the wall. Despite his overwhelming fatigue, adrenaline now coursed through him. Naval ships and Phantom’s Harmony we’re chasing down the Obsidian and they had no idea. The longer he let it set in, the harder he found it to breathe. There were too many people he cared about too much on that ship. He concluded that standing by was not an option.

He winced as a sudden sting seized his arm. He looked down and held it up. The dried blood and ripped cloth reminded him of the wound he had suffered at Hasset’s hand. He gingerly worked the sleeve of his tunic up to his elbow and examined the damage. It was deep and a finger and a half long. It was red and swollen and he knew he couldn’t leave it like that. At the very least, it needed to be sterilized before infection set in. With that thought in mind, he gathered his possessions and cautiously began a search for a tavern.

He only had to walk so far before there grew to be a level of noise in the distance that could only indicate the establishment he was looking for. Hesitating only a moment, he pushed the door open. The sound from the other side was undoubtedly louder and no one had seemed to notice him enter. Glancing around briefly, he wandered to the bar and sat heavily upon one of the stools. Digging the proper amount of coins from his jacket pocket, he tossed them carelessly onto the counter and the bartender glanced over at the sound, sauntering towards him and scraping the coins off the table. “What’ll it be?” He croaked.

“Anything strong,” Vin sighed dismissively, his thoughts occupied elsewhere. He heard the footsteps of the bartender fade, though his eyes were on his arm. The bleeding had stopped, but he tightened his fist against the festering sting, his sleeve shoved up past his elbow. The bartender returned swiftly and dropped a glass of dark gold liquid before him. Vin didn’t even bother to ask what it was before taking it and carefully drizzling it over his forearm, clenching his jaw in reaction to the pain. Ideally, he would have bandaged it as well, but he figured any loose fabric to be found in that place would render the strongest of alcohol useless. After pouring it onto the full length of the laceration, he promptly downed what little remained before burying his face in his hands, deep in thought.

When the door slammed closed again, he was jarred from his fruitless thoughts of rescue. However, instead of returning to his plotting, Vin lifted his head slightly and intently listened to the conversation that began behind him.

“The Obsidian’s gone,” a deep voice announced. “Should we be goin’ after ‘em?”

A loud grunt sounded from nearby. “Nah. As long as she is gone and never comes back.”

Upon hearing the words spoken, Vin turned sharply and scanned the crowd for the voices that spoke.

“If ya say so, Ferric,” the first voice said as he passed a man sitting alone at the other end of the room. Ferric had a smug air about him as he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

Without taking his eyes away, Vin reached for his glass and brought it to his lips, only to look down and remember that it was gone. Groaning quietly to himself, he put it back down and stood. He began to walk away, then stopped and turned back to grab his jacket. After holding it a moment, he begrudgingly slipped it on. If hiding things in the pockets hadn’t been necessary, he wouldn’t have dared wear it in this heat in the first place. Eyeing the second sword, he finally decided to add it to the other side of his belt and hoped it stayed put. He made a mental note to snag proper belts next time he had the chance.

With a deep intake of breath, he eyed his target and began to make his way to the other side of the room with as much confidence in his step as he could manage.

Ferric only looked up when Vin nearly reached the table, his expression more curious than anything when the rugged man slipped into the chair across from him. “What can I do for ya, mate?” Ferric asked.

“How do you know Captain Waters?” Vin asked calmly and without hesitation, folding his hands on the table.

Ferric’s expression fell and he glanced around before leaning forward. “Ya should know better than to say ‘er name here,” he growled. “Especially in front of me.”

Vin only leaned closer. “So are you going to tell me or do I have to ask someone else?” His heart pounded, for he knew being so straight forward was not the wisest action to take. At the same time, he hardly had the luxury of time.

Ferric eyed him, trying to decide if this man was brave or stupid. “I captained a ship in her fleet before she left without reason,” he said in a low voice and thick accent.

“What if I told you there was a very good reason?” Vin dared to venture to the truth- the only thing he thought would be convincing enough to get what he needed.

Ferric raised an eyebrow. “What reason could she possibly have to abandon us?”

A smirk crept onto Vin’s face as he lowered his voice. “El Dorado,” he answered slowly.

Ferric paused, eyes widening in surprise before he scowled suspiciously. “Who are you that ya would know of this?”

“I am the one that had the map,” Vin said coolly, leaning back and gesturing to himself. “And I have a proposition for you.”

“What would that be?” The dark man asked, raising an eyebrow.

Pausing, Vin glanced around before he took on a more serious tone and spoke more rapidly than before, leaning halfway across the table. “She is not the only one that knows about the map, as she thinks,” he explained. “Phantom’s Harmony is already on their trail, and British ships here will follow before tomorrow is over.”

“Are ya suggestin’ I should help that witch?” Ferric scoffed, crossing his arms.

“Would you not have done the same if you knew where the keys were?” Vin asked casually.

Ferric paused for a long while before drawing a breath to speak. “I hear what ya are sayin’, but what is in it for me?”

Vin leaned back and laughed. “The map, of course!”

Ferric narrowed his eyes. “Why would ya give it to her just to take it away again?”

“She took it from me, and my sister,” Vin answered. “Two things I would very much like to have back before they burn at the hands of their pursuers.” When Ferric seemed unimpressed, he quickly continued in a dark tone. “The only things I do not want to watch burn.”

This sparked the interest of the other man and after only a moment’s hesitation, he reached out and Vin readily shook his hand. “Ya have yourself a deal.” He leaned back again with a grunt and crossed his arms. “So do ya have a plan?”

Vin paused. He had about half of a plan, though he hadn’t exactly thought it through or knew what he’d have to work with. They couldn’t follow the Navy ships with their own, nor did they have a chance at leaving sooner. Besides, he personally had no idea which direction they were heading anyway. So, the only reasonable conclusion he’d been able to come to was- “We must disguise ourselves and blend in with the military men.”

Ferric’s face twisted in mild anger. “Those men are more familiar with each other than ya are with yer own hand,” he pointed out. “There is no way to pull that off.”

Vin pressed his lips together in thought and glanced around. “How many men do you have?” He asked.

“Right now? Two ships worth,” he answered with an air of pride.

Vin shrugged and shifted his hands on the tabletop. “Then we will just have to take two ships without the third noticing.”

Ferric scoffed. “And how do ya suppose we do that?”

Vin raised his eyebrows and the slightest hint of a smirk reached the corner of his mouth. “When it gets dark.”

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

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The port town tavern was bustling with the din of loud voices and music. The pianist kept a quick tune while equally speedy strings were played on the small stage. The entire environment was very fast-pace, but enjoyable. Drunken conversation and hearty laughs were never far away.

A smile lit Thorton’s face as he glanced at Scarlet beside him, sitting at a table with some of the other men from the crew. She was waving her arms and leaning over the table, laughing as she gestured wildly, her voice nearly drowning out those of the grown men surrounding her. Though deafening words were flying about him, he would not have been able to say what they’d been talking about for the last hour.

Thorton looked up suddenly when the song playing changed. The corner of his lips rising with what he believed to be a grand idea, he nudged Scarlet’s arm the few times it took for her to stop and look at him. “Care to dance?” He asked mischievously.

Scarlet raised an eyebrow and looked at him, wondering if he was serious. She then burst into laughter. “Dance?” She scoffed. “Oh… I don’t think so…” She gripped her mug of ale in both hands and looked forward again as her laughs faded nervously.

“Come on,” Thorton insisted, continuing to nudge her with a grin.

“Stop it, Timothy,” she laughed, playfully shoving his arm away. “I don’t even know how to dance!”

“That’s ok, I’ll teach you,” he offered happily.

“Ye know how to dance?” She asked skeptically, giggling at the thought.

“As any gentleman does,” he confirmed with pride.

Scarlet paused and looked him over, her lips quivering with the attempt at keeping her laughter at bay. “What if I’m no good at it?” She countered. “It would hardly be good for morale, the crew watching their first mate stumble around the floor.”

Thorton shrugged and gave a small shake of his head in amusement. “You don’t have to be first mate all the time, you know.”

Smile slowly fading, Scarlet sighed and looked forward again, leaning her elbows on the table. “Yes I do.”





That night back on the ship, Scarlet stood at the helm enjoying the silence and serenity of the night. It was the one time she could look at the sea and sky without having to be aware of the crew. She’d allow blackness beyond the glowing lanterns swinging from the ship to engulf her and become lost. To her, there was no better feeling than to be at open sea, floating alone in a void of salty air and the soft sound of waves. She was intently staring at the stars with her head craned back dangerously when the sound of footsteps ascending the stairs made her jump.

Thorton approached her with an amused grin. “What are you doing?”

“Uh- I was just… Findin’ me own constellations…” Scarlet began. “And… Makin’ up stories for them…” she concluded hastily, clearing her throat.

“What?” He laughed, walking up to stand beside her.

“Nothin’,” she said quickly, shaking her head. bouncing the red curls that were tied back and reached just below her shoulder blades. She then paused and raised a sharply arched eyebrow at him. “What are you doin’?”

“Looking for you,” he said plainly.

“Why?” She asked cautiously, though a smile crept onto her lips. “It’s a bit late, wouldn’t ye say?”

“Ah, I know you’re always the last one awake,” he pointed out with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I’ve come to encourage you to take me up on my earlier offer,” he said with a grin, folding his hands behind his back.

“What offer?” She scoffed playfully.

“Teaching you how to dance,” he said, straightening up and holding out a hand. “You said you didn’t want to in front of the crew-” he looked around dramatically before returning his dark gaze to her and smirking mischievously.

“What? No,” she laughed, smaking his hand away. “I can’t leave the wheel.”

Thorton simply put his hands on his hips and raised his eyebrows. Then, he pulled his sword from his belt and stuck it through the wheel and into the deck. “Problem solved,” he announced, holding out his hand again.

Scarlet stepped back and looked at him, then at his outstretched hand. “Don’t ye think we should take height difference into consideration?” She tried. “I mean yer so tall, I don’t even reach yer chin- hey!” She yelped as he leaned forward and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him with a roll of his eyes.

“It’s not as hard as you think it is,” he told her. “Shall we begin with something up-beat?” He asked with a soft smile, taking her other hand and raising them both, taking a step back in the same moment.

“As opposed to what?” Scarlet asked cautiously.

A laugh escaped Thorton. “As opposed to something slower,” he said.

Scarlet paused in hesitation then shifted her feet. “No, I can do this,” she said with a nod of determination, staring at the ground.

“It might help to look up,” he suggested, dipping his head slightly.

“Nope!” She snapped. “If I’m doing this, I’m doing it my way. I’m ready,” she insisted, gripping his hands.

“Alright,” Thorton said slowly, though amusement played on his face. “Start by taking a step back, then,” he instructed. Scarlet took a step back so their arms were stretched out in front of them. “Now forward again- quickly this time.” She did as she was told and he did the same. Only with his pull accompanied by her jerking too far forward, Scarlet ended up ramming into his chest and stumbling back half a step with a groan. Thorton reached up with one hand and tilted her face back. “Look up,” he laughed softly. “Now let’s try again.”

He took a step back and she did the same, giving him a wicked smirk of accomplishment as they flawlessly stepped back together again. As they stepped away once more, Thorton let go of one of her hands and lifted the other, twirling Scarlet. However, it didn’t go as well as intended when she stumbled in her heels and nearly fell to the floor, letting out a small squeak.

Thorton couldn’t help but burst into laughter as he hurried to steady her. “I’m sorry,” he laughed. “I thought you’d be expecting that.”

“Wasn’t there a slower option?” Scarlet asked flatly.

“There was,” he confirmed with a nod.

“Right,” she said, clearing her throat and standing before him. “Show me that one.”

“I can do that,” he agreed, straightening up and taking her hand in his. He used the other to place her free hand on his shoulder before resting his on her waist. “Ready?” He asked. Determined, Scarlet nodded. “Alright, one step back-”

He took one back himself, but Scarlet stepped with the wrong foot and ended up tripping over his. However, she quickly fixed herself, growing frustrated. “Again,” she demanded.

Thorton simply met her eye and nodded as a signal. They stepped back again and Thorton managed to lead her in small circles. Scarlet, visibly concentrating, did her best not to look down, though she still stumbled a few times. After a little while, she let out a breath it seemed she’d been holding the entire time and slumped against him, pressing her hands and the side of her face to his chest. “Is there something slower?” She asked, exasperated.

“Well… Yes, I suppose so,” he answered cautiously, looking down at her. Hesitating, he wrapped his arms around her and began to sway slowly back and forth, waiting for repercussions that didn’t come. They remained that way for a long while before Thorton spoke in a low voice. “So why the sudden voluntary interest?”

“Oh,” Scarlet sighed, “I don’t know. It probably won’t work…”

Thorton pinched his brow together. “What won’t?”

“Well…” She paused and bit her lower lip. “I was just thinking… Do you think Alistair likes to dance? I started thinking he might like it if I could.”

“Oh…” Thorton muttered, his face falling and his grip on her loosening slightly. “Right…”

“What do you think, Timothy?” She asked quietly. “I need to catch his attention somehow.”

“Being yourself was always enough for me,” he murmured quietly.

“What was that?” Scarlet asked.

A small sigh escaped Thorton. “Nothing.”

Thorton approached the double doors to the captain’s quarters and knocked on them. He waited a moment before knocking again, harder this time.

“Go away,” Scarlet groaned from inside.

“Scarlet, please let me in,” he called in a low voice.

“That’s Captain, to ye!” She called louder.

Thorton set his jaw in frustration and couldn’t help but raise his voice a little more. “Captain, please let me in,” he repeated begrudgingly.

After a moment, he heard her stom towards the door and swung it open, already turned and walking away when he caught sight of her. He stepped inside stony-faced and shut the door behind him. Scarlet fell heavily into one of the chairs and slouched, hanging her head. Her arm fell limp, her fingertips nearly brushing one of the empty bottles on the floor.

Thorton looked upon the scene in dismay, though held strong to his intentions. “Scarlet, you can’t keep-”

“Captain,” she corrected, leaning over to swipe a bottle off the table, only to find that it was empty and tossed it aside. She slouched back, staring straight ahead. Thorton followed her gaze and noticed Gail’s hat sitting on the middle of the table and his heart fell.

“Captain, listen to me,” he continued insistently, though his tone softened as he took a couple steps closer to her. “You have to do something. Something- anything,” he told her desperately. “We’re bringing in nothing. I’ve even heard rumors of mutiny.”

“What?!” Scarlet barked, gripping the arms of her chair and digging her nails into the wood. “Is one not enough?!” On the last word, she reached forward and forcefully backhanded one of the standing bottles off the table, Thorton managing to dodge it as it flew past.

“Think about what he would want you to do,” Thorton pressed, gesturing to the hat on the table. “What would he think if he knew you were running this ship into the ground, destroying his reputation, whoring around-”

Scarlet stood from her chair and cut him off with a slap to his face. Now her body and voice were shaking as she bared her teeth and stared up at him with fire in her eyes. “Don’t ye dare talk about me that way,” she hissed.

Thorton’s hand flew to his shocked face, though the physical pain he felt was the last thing on his mind. As he regained himself, he looked over and prepared to speak, but found Scarlet slumped in her chair again. This time, her anger had given way to heartbreaking sorrow.

Thorton lowered his hand back to his side and wandered over to her chair, which was askew and no longer faced the table, kneeling before it. “I’m sorry,” she whispered in a raspy voice.

“No,” he said with a shake of his head, leaning forward and taking her hands in his. “I am sorry. I should know better than to talk to my Captain in such a manner.”

“I’m not yer captain,” she muttered, defeated. “I never will be.”

He looked up at her with only his eyes, but her hands and head remained limp. “You always have been,” he told her quietly.

That made her look up with a puzzled expression. “What do ye mean?” She asked hesitantly.

He met her eyes then quickly looked away, clearing his throat. “I mean you always passed on the orders,” he told her with a small nod to himself. “You’re the one I always listened to, not Gail.” After a moment of silence, he began to pull his hands away, but she held fast.

Scarlet slid from her chair and kneeled as well, facing him and still holding his hands, though her eyes had migrated to the ground. “I’ve never thanked ye for being there fer me,” she murmured.

“Just doing my duty, Captain,” he assured her.

Scarlet shook her head and looked up with a small laugh. “I don’t see anyone else in here,” she pointed out. A few seconds of silence followed, before Scarlet lurched forward and threw her arms around his neck. Taken aback by surprise, Thorton’s eyes widened and he returned her embrace tentatively. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome…” He murmured after a moment.

Scarlet leaned back again, but her arms lingered on his shoulders and her face hovered a short distance from his. Thorton’s heart quickened at the close proximity, though when she slowly began to close the remaining distance, he found himself doing the same until their lips touched. His previously hesitant hands instinctively wrapped around her as she kissed him, and he kissed her back, but only for a moment. When Scarlet began to pull him closer and kiss him harder, he forced himself to break away. He pulled his hands to his sides and looked down at the ground. “I’m sorry…” He stammered, giving his head small shakes. “I can’t.”

Scarlet slowly leaned back and wrung her hands together in her lap. Her lips moved, but only one word managed to slip out. “Oh…” she rasped dumbly.

Thorton looked up at her, but she wouldn’t meet his eye. “I won’t enable this when I know you can be better.” The words pained him and he wanted nothing more than to take him back, but just enough of him refused. When she said nothing, he sighed and pushed himself to his feet. “You will amount to great things, Captain Waters,” he said, his professional tone slowly returning. He gave her one last glance, but she looked away still. His face fell before he turned away, heading for the door. The moment his hand touched the knob, he paused, hearing a voice behind him.

“At least be my first mate,” Scarlet said to him, then her voice lowered again and she couldn’t be positive he heard. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Thorton tensed, then swung the door open hastily. He stopped again before taking a step, then turned his head to glance over his shoulder. “Aye, captain,” he said before walking out and closing the door behind him.

Moonlight trickled through the windows of the captain’s quarters like the purest of liquids, pooling upon the dark, worn wood of the upright piano in the corner of the room. Dust motes danced in the glow of the full moon and coated the ivory keys with a gray cast. It had not been touched in over a year.

From the table, a blue gaze just as pale as the moon itself rested steadily on the daunting instrument. Phantom music flowed flawlessly around the room, feeding off of Scarlet’s memory. Captain Gail had tried to teach her many times to play, but she had neither the coordination nor the patience. He, however, would play whenever he got the chance, creating beautiful sound from the collection of sheet music he kept in his mind. Now that he was gone, it held no purpose other than to haunt her, as she was acutely aware of its presence, like a shadow cast by nothing.

It could not be said how long she stared, unmoving, before standing and briskly walking over to the piano. Hesitation caught up with her as she reached it, though she quickly brought herself to sit upon the bench and place her fingertips gently on the keys. She grew still once more, her mind beginning the search for one of the many lessons that she’d refused to listen to. After a moment, she pressed what she was sure to be the first key of a short tune with the utmost caution.

The right note rang through the silent air and she was surprised and encouraged by this. She continued on slowly, but her luck quickly dissipated. She remembered the first few notes, but struggled to remember what followed. Scarlet searched her mind harder for the melody, but the rest of it had fled from her. Still, she repeatedly tried different notes with growing frustration.

Eventually she had managed to double the length of what she initially remembered, but was brought to an abrupt halt when the wick of her patience burned out and she was left in cold, empty air with the pathetic attempt at a tune long lost ringing through her ears. Tears brimming, she clenched her teeth and grunted with anger, slamming her hands on the keys.

The jarring sound that followed was enough to startle her from her growing rage and her expression quickly went slack. She stared straight ahead where she remembered old sheets of music being placed, her face twisting in pain moments later.

Scarlet shifted her arms so her elbows rested on the keys, her head falling into her hands. Taking her fiery hair in tight grasps as her shoulders began to shake, her breaths became hitched. Soon enough, the sound of the abused keys melted away and were replaced with crestfallen sobs, her tears reflecting the liquid moonlight as they fell onto the ivory below.

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

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The morning was bright and warm, the crew taking advantage of the pleasant weather before the heat rose with the sun.

Instead of enjoying the sea air, Sam, however, was on his way below deck.

“Where are you going?” Warren called accusingly, approaching the other man from where he’d been standing by the rail.

Sam stopped and glanced over at him with a shrug. “Figured I’d welcome the new lass meself.”

Warren raised an eyebrow. “You know she’s-”

“Aye, I know,” Sam interrupted with a dismissive wave of his hand.

“Then why would you-”

“Why not?” Sam countered with a smirk before continuing down the steps, leaving Warren behind to heave a heavy sigh of disapproval.

Meanwhile, a laugh escaped one of the chambers below as Finnegan told Fia the story of a man he once knew with a lazy eye and wonderfully horrid sense of humor.

“So,” he continued, clearing his throat with a smile on his own face. “How’s that sickness been treatin’ ya? Any better?”

“Hardly,” Fia corrected, having felt ill just that morning.

The both of them looked up as approaching footsteps sounded and Sam appeared in the doorway. “Top o’ the mornin’ to ya,” he greeted cheerily in an exaggerated Irish accent.

Finnegan’s expression dwindled to that of unamusement. “What do you want, lad?” He asked casually.

“Just came to introduce meself to the lady,” Sam said with an innocent grin at his father as he walked forward, taking Fia’s hand to kiss the back of it. “Samuel Devol,” he greeted with a wink that pried a giggle from Fia and an eye roll from Finnegan.

“Fiorenza Nicchi,” Fia greeted with playful sophistication, forgetting entirely to use her legal surname. “Lovely to meet you.”

“Not near as lovely as that smile o’ yers,” Sam countered, causing a slight blush to reach Fia’s cheeks as her hand flew to her mouth to stifle her flustered laughter. Sam straightened up with a crooked grin. “Has my ol’ man bored ye to death yet?”

Fia placed her hands neatly in her lap and gave a small shake of her head, glancing towards the older man with a soft smile. “We were just exchanging stories.”

“Ah!” Sam exclaimed, clapping his hands together and following her gaze. “Has ‘e told ye the ‘un about the woman named George yet?”

“No,” Fia laughed.

“Well! Ye should tell that ‘un next, it’s me favorite.” Sam continued to speak as Finnegan stood from his chair and approached him.

“Can I talk to ya a moment?” The older man grumbled, taking his son by the arm and dragging him from the room until they were out of earshot. “What do ya think you’re doin’?”

Sam looked at him and shrugged. “Bein’ a distraction fer a girl desperately in need of one,” he answered curtly. “Yer tales won’t hold ‘er off ferever.”

Finnegan paused, slightly taken aback by the logic presented. Though still, he hardly trusted the intent behind them. “You know she’s-”

“As I keep bein’ reminded,” Sam groaned. “I know.”

“Then why-”

“It’s not like I have anythin’ better to do,” Sam pointed out defensively, bitterness in his tone from people seeming to assume the worst of him. “What’s the harm in makin ‘er laugh?” He asked as he shouldered his way past and returned to the other room. Finnegan followed after a moment, a lingering sigh trailing behind him.





There was a gust of air as Scarlet swung open the doors to her wardrobe before taking a step back. “Like I said,” she said in a low and rather bored tone. “If any of the dresses fit, you can have them. They are of no use to me anymore.”

Fia clasped her hands in front of her from where she stood a few paces from Scarlet. Eyes wide with mild curiosity, she watched as the Captain walked away from her without so much as a glance. “Why do you not wear the dresses?”

Scarlet stopped and stiffened. “I never liked them, and now I don’t have to,” she answered curtly. Had it been anyone else she’d hardly have bothered to answer, but Fia had been on board three days and Scarlet still hadn’t been able to bring herself to ignore, say no to, yell at, or altogether lose her temper with Fia in the slightest. It was one thing to command a ship full of thieving men that deserved less, and another thing entirely to interact with a girl as kind and patient as she was. Not to mention the state she was in after escaping her previous situation.

Fia pursed her lips, not believing her answer, but deciding not to press further. Though, as she peered at the Captain, who generally wore her hair down though in the humidity and heat she’d been forced to braid it, Fia noticed something she hadn’t before. “What’s on your back?”

Scarlet pinched her brows together and looked over her shoulder to find that the back of her blouse collar was lower than she thought it was, and that along with her braided hair indeed exposed markings on her back and neck. “Oh, that’s nothing-” she began, but Fia had already rushed up and tentatively pulled her collar down a little further, gasping in pleasent surprise.

“Oh, it is tatuaggi… What is the English word?” She asked curiously. She’d never had a reason to learn it before.

“Tattoos,” Scarlet pointed out before turning to face her.

“May I see all of it?” Fia asked excitedly.

“Uh-” Scarlet let out a breath and glanced around her cabin. “Sure.” She gave in after only a moment and quickly pulled her chest strap and plain white blouse over her head, leaving her in just a brassiere before turning around and pulling her braid to the side.

Fia gasped in awe, never having seen a pattern so intricate on someone’s skin. She saw that what she had noticed at the base of Scarlet’s neck took the shape of a compass rose, though that was no longer what she was most interested in. Across her upper back were two circles, each filled with a crude map and grid, though it was beyond impressive to her. On her lower back was an upside down squid-like beast with symmetrical tentacles reaching up to the map and around her ribs.

“These are beautiful,” Fia breathed.

“Well thank you,” Scarlet grumbled under her breath while gathering the fabric of her shirt around her arms.

“Wait,” Fia said quickly, and Scarlet felt a light touch on her upper right arm, where she had another: a skull tangled in thorns with a rose sprouting from it’s eye socket. That one made Fia more uneasy than anything, but now she rushed to her other side. “Do you have more?” She asked, though she soon found her answer upon reaching the other side. On Scarlet’s left forearm were worn banners with the words “surrender to none” written in an elegant script that took Fia a few extra moments to make out.

With that, Scarlet pulled her arm away and replaced her blouse. “There aren’t any more,” she stated firmly.

“Oh,” Fia murmured, watching Scarlet make for the door again. She wasn’t much of a fan of being alone and she rather enjoyed the Captain’s company- at least, more so than she expected to enjoy that of most of the intimidating men on board. She quickly looked around for another subject to talk about and spotted the upright piano in the corner near the windows. A wide smile reached her face as she rushed over and pulled out the bench, frowning at the thick layer of dust coating the ivory. Choosing to ignore it for the time being, she placed her fingertips delicately on the keys. “I did not expect you to play piano, Captain,” she stated as her fingers began to drift in a melodic tune over the piano that hadn’t been touched in years.

Scarlet instantly went rigid when she heard the foreign music, far different from what had ever played on it before. Whipping around, she marched towards the instrument and snatched the girl’s hand from the keys by the wrist, her grip like iron. Startled, Fia looked up at her wide eyed before Scarlet threw her hand back down, letting go. “I don’t,” she hissed tautly, turning and hastily leaving the cabin before the taken-aback girl had a chance to stop her.

Fia sat, dumbstruck, as Scarlet left and slammed the door behind her. She blinked and looked down at the keys with a small sigh. Perhaps playing it without permission hadn’t been the wisest idea. Wiping the dust from her fingertips off on her skirt, she stood and made her way to the open wardrobe.

The inside was filled with dresses and ridiculous overcoats, accompanied by the smell of stale must. Obviously nothing inside had been worn in a long while; it was a curious thing to wonder why she kept them at all. Some had even been torn at the hem or all around tattered. At the same time, some were still beautiful, and though she was certain the majority would be too short on her, she hardly minded. Even Scarlet’s brashness could not dampen the thrill that came with her own adventure.





A warm breeze drifted across the deck of the Obsidian, seemingly out of place yet at the same time familiar coupled with the dark sky. The Captain stood at the helm, curls that escaped her braid caressing her face. There were few souls on deck; just enough to keep things running through the night. The moon was a mere sliver, lending all of it’s glory to the stars which shone their brightest when they hung alone in the sky. Scarlet’s attention was unwillingly diverted to them for the first time in a long time, though she soon found herself unable to look away, her head craned back as her eyes followed the tail of the milky way.

“Find anything interesting out there?”

She jumped when a voice sounded near the stairs, looking down to see Thorton approaching her. “Not particularly,” she answered, immediately righting herself at the wheel. “What are you doing up here?”

He stopped beside her and gazed out over the deck with his hands folded behind his back. “I just wanted a word, if I may, Captain.”

“Isn’t it a bit late?” Scarlet asked, her eyes on the lantern hanging from the mast as its firelight cast long, flickering shadows across the wooden planks below.

“Yes, well,” he began casually, “I know you’re always the last one to sleep.”

There was a pause as Scarlet drew a slow breath. “Very well,” she said, words escaping with a sigh. “What is it, then?”

“May I speak freely, Captain?” He asked flatly.

Scarlet was taken aback by the question, her first instinct to laugh at such an absurd question, but she resisted. Surely he knew his opinion was one of few she cared to hear? “Of course,” was the only response that escaped her.

“Well,” he began, clearing his throat. “Something has seemingly been bothering you since we left port in Merseyside. Assuming it’s at the fault of your brothers joining us, I suggest you speak with them about whatever has been on your mind.”

Scarlet glanced over with a stair, raising her eyebrow at him. “That was freely indeed,” she muttered.

He glanced down at her with a small smirk before looking back up. “Though I don’t suppose I am wrong?”

Scarlet searched his face and pressed her lips together before turning away in defeat. “No,” she sighed. There was a short pause. “My mother has been dead for twelve years,” she added in a quiet voice, “and I never even knew.”

After a moment, Thorton let out a breath that seemingly deflated his demeanor, his eyes travelling downwards. “I am sorry about that,” he told her.

“I don’t want to know how she was killed,” Scarlet said sternly, though there was a quaver of doubt in her voice.

Dark eyes looked up only to glance at her. “But if you don’t ask, will you ever stop wondering?”

Something about the way his tone changed made Scarlet stop. She pinched her eyebrows together and drew a breath to speak, but when she looked up, he was already on his way back down the stairs.





“So what did you want to talk to me about?”

Edwin wandered around the edges of the captain’s cabin, taking in all the jewels and oddities as most people did the first time inside. Scarlet’s eyes remained trained carefully on him as he circled the room. “I wanted to ask you- Don’t touch that,” she interrupted herself with a snap as he reached for a tiny shark skeleton pinned to the wall. He lowered his hand and glanced casually over his shoulder before wandering back and sitting neatly at the table where she was placed at the head with her hands folded upon the tabletop. “I wanted to ask you…” She began again, her voice low and level with a hint of hesitation. “What happened to mother?”

Edwin looked up at her in mild surprise, sitting sideways in his chair so he faced her with one arm resting on the table. “If that’s what this is about, why didn’t you call in Warren as well?”

Scarlet looked up at him and raised an unamused eyebrow. “What for, so I could be accused of being the one at fault and fed some overexaggerated sob story?” She grumbled bitterly.

Edwin didn’t even bother to argue, but simply pressed his lips together and gave a small nod. “Fair enough,” he muttered before sighing heavily. “Well… As you probably remember, her and I were in the marketplace, yeah?” He began, looking up at her His voice was low, barely above a whisper, but at the same time he spoke volumes. “Then, suddenly, everything was on fire and everyone was screaming,” he said, his brows creasing at the memory as he gestured the chaos with his arms. “She was right next to me, and then… She wasn’t. I didn’t see what happened, but-” He paused to drum his fingertips on the table. When he spoke again, his gaze was distant and his voice seemed void of emotion. “When I looked over, she had a sword through her and Warren was on the ground trying to reach her and the man that did it was about to strike him down, too, so I did what I had to and pulled him out of there.” Now, the emotion began to seep through and when he looked at Scarlet again she could have sworn he was fighting back tears, the thought causing a pang in her chest that seeped into her entire body. “We left her there, Scarlet,” he whispered, then shook his head and glanced around, his expression beginning to mingle with anger. “I just left her there in middle of the square, and the next day, she was gone.”

Scarlet leaned on her elbow with her fingers running through her hair, the grip growing tighter with every word he spoke as her blank stare remained on the wood of the table. When he ended the last sentence, she slammed her other forearm on the table. “You could do nothing?” She asked with quick words, her teeth clenched in concentration and her eyes darting across the table between her arms.

“It doesn’t matter,” Edwin said bluntly, causing her to look up in a mixture of anger and surprise. “She wouldn’t have lasted much longer.”

“How could you say that?” Scarlet whispered harshly.

Now, his voice raised to an only mildly intimidating audacity, but startling nonetheless. “With you and Bennett gone and Warren dead in her place had she not been there?” He let out a humorless laugh and leaned back heavily. “She was close enough to taking her own life as it was.”

“What are you talking about?” Scarlet asked with a small shake of her head, eyes wide.

“Don’t play daft, Scarlet, I know you’re not,” He said accusingly.

Scarlet’s face fell in thought. “Da…?” She asked quietly, met with a nod from her brother. “But… He wasn’t bad enough for that,” she insisted, her voice bordering on hysterical.

“Scarlet,” Edwin stated sharply, running his hand through his hair and letting it fall limply back onto the table. “You have no idea how bad he was.”

Confusion melted onto Scarlet’s face, followed by rising fury. “I was struck by him too,” she growled defensively, both hands flat on the table now. “I know just as well-”

“No, you don’t!” Edwin boomed, causing her to snap her lips shut, though a scowl remained on her face. “I made sure you didn’t! I stood between him and the two of you every damned day! And that baby mum was expecting after you? Losing her was no accident either!” They exchanged glares for a long moment before he broke the silence. “What did she tell you, about how he died?”

Scarlet was taken aback by the question though retained a cautious demeanor, answering as slowly as the dread that crept through her. “She said it was a construction accident; a beam that fell while he was walking home.” Edwin only shook his head slowly, the corner of his mouth twisted up though sorrow reached his eyes. “Well, what was it, then?!” Scarlet demanded.

“You don’t want to know,” he muttered hoarsely.

“I do,” Scarlet insisted.

Edwin paused then looked up to meet her eye as he spoke. “Fine,” he spat. “He came home from the tavern later than usual and woke mum up with all his crashing about. Got a few good swings in before drinking himself to death,” he added in a grumble, resentment coating his voice like molasses. “Which I know,” he quickly continued, “because she was pregnant with Bennett and had to wake me up to help her get him out of the house before you two woke up!”

“Jesus-” Scarlet whispered harshly, looking away from him and squeezing her eyes shut, pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself quickly blinking away tears.

Edwin’s expression slowly softened as he watched hers fall and ultimately he was plagued with guilt and let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, Scarlet,” he said gently. “I won’t blame you for running away and I won’t judge the path you took,” he paused when she grew rigid at his words, but continued despite the fact. “I just hope wherever you grew up was better than where we did.”

Tension plagued Scarlet’s body as her eyes stiffly swept the room until they came to rest on the piano by the window. She exhaled and relaxed, but before she could respond, there was a loud and repeated bang on the door that made them both jump.

“Cap’n!”

“Aye, what is it?” Scarlet called, righting herself and looking towards the door as it creaked open.

“A ship ahead-” the crewmate declared. “Flyin’ Sco’ish an’ Norwegian colors.”

Scarlet tensed all over again, rage and dread washing over her like a tidal wave, only increasing as the men continued.

“An’ three ships on our tail- British Navy. I reckon they followed us from Port Royal.”

Scarlet’s rage grew further and dread was, for the most part, replaced with determination. She stood hastily from her chair and shouldered her way out the door and immediately marched up to the bow and pulled the telescope from her belt to take a look at what lied ahead.

“They be alone, but ain’t flyin’ no jolly rogers, cap’n,” one of the men told her.

Hearing what he said hardly changed what she expected to see as she extended her spyglass. Though she hoped desperately to be wrong, ice clutched her chest. Black flag or not, she’d recognized the faded blue and white of Phantom’s Harmony any day.

“Broadside cannons!” The command left her lips before her instrument was even collapsed, her voice ringing out of the deck as she dragged out the words. With a last glance at the dot of a threat with her own eyes, she turned swiftly only to be faced with three more ships as she swiftly made her way down the stairs to the deck. They were also distant, but not as much.

“Listen up, ye dogs!” She howled in a rough voice that carried easily. “We’re about to be faced with four hostile ships that seek to take what is ours!” She continued on with confidence, the heels of her boots creating a ruckus as they crossed the deck. Though her men were rushing about, she heard outcries of determination among them as she spoke. “There is no fleeing this conflict! They are the ones in our way, and that simply will not stand.” She reached the stairs to the helm and easily climbed them, exchanging a nod with Thorton at the wheel before he took a step back and she took it herself. By now, half the crew had stopped to listen to her words and the rest kept their eyes on her while they could as they bustled back and forth. “I have no doubt this ship can hold up against four pathetic enemies, but if we are to go down this day, it will not be without a fight! If we go down this day, we will take as many of those scurvy rats with us as possible!” The strength in her voice steadily grew until it peaked at the last word, creating an uproar of agreement and from the deck below as the men thrusts their fists in the air, a smirk reaching her lips at the reaction. “Now get yer arses to work!” She shouted and they quickly complied, though the noise continued on a while after.

Then, Suddenly, there was the jarring sound of distant cannonfire ringing through the air. Scarlet’s first reaction was confusion. They were much too far away to be hit by any ship at this point. Whipping her head around, she narrowed her piercing eyes against the sun as she watched the two outside Naval vessels completely obliterate the one that stood in between, sending the splinters remaining to the depths. Her confusion only intensified, as did that of the others, until what they had just witnessed dawned on her.

A wide, mischievous grin spread across her red lips as a breathless laugh of disbelief escaped from them. “That crafty bastard.” Perhaps it wouldn’t be four against one after all.

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

_________________________________________________________________

Blowing the center ship to pieces was only half of what needed to be done. As soon as it began to sink, the crew began to flood the decks of the other two vessels. Outcries and the sound of steel being unsheathed and clashed together replaced the din of the cannons.

Vin stood on the bow of one of the naval ships with his eyes narrowed towards the Obsidian and Phantom’s Harmony beyond it. Not far to the left of both was a small island lined with white beaches and riddled with dense foliage. Rum Cay.

He listened as the unwavering sound of battle grew steadily nearer behind him, pulling off the hat to the military uniform he had stolen off the back of the man it belonged to and tossing it aside before running his hand through the pieces of hair which had fallen from its bonds. When he turned to face the commotion and sheathed his own two swords- from an extremely handy belt which also came with the uniform- the smirk on his face faded to a look of determination.

Two men came rushing up the stairs towards him. He waited for the first to be close enough before he leaned back and kicked the man in the chest, sending him toppling, then easily struck down the second before rushing down the stairs himself. He headed swiftly for the helm, attempting to skirt the thick of the conflict. Though when he was nearly there, another man sprung from the battle and Vin lifted his nearest arm in instinctive defense, eyes widening in surprise before darting up to the wheel. “Ferric!” He shouted with a tensed jaw, leaning into his attacker and forcefully swiping the opposing sword away before bringing the hilt of his own to the man’s head, knocking him to the ground. He looked back up to see the attention of the acting captain on him. “I must reach the island!”

“Workin’ on it!” Ferric growled back, spinning the wheel away from the sinking ship. “Full sail, boys!”





“Phantom’s Harmony be growin’ ever closer, cap’n!”

“Let ‘er come!” Scarlet bellowed from the helm. “He’s a fool to challenge three ships,” she added in a lower snarl, shoving away the fear that pricked her skin.

“Captain,” Thorton murmured from beside her, “they will reach us before the aid of the other two ships.”

Scarlet looked over to him with her eyes narrowed and not a hint of amusement or hesitation on her face. “Let. Them. Come,” she repeated quietly, swiftly retrieving her sword from her belt as she turned to face forward once more.

“Aye,” Thorton said with a nod, though he continued to be plagued with anxiety as he watched the blue and white ship advance.

“Cannons!” Scarlet shouted, her voice easily carrying as she dragged out the word. “Shredders! Full sail! Get me as much speed as possible!” She demanded, keeping the Obsidian directly on course towards the rival ship. “Thorton,” she said suddenly.

“Captain?” He responded attentively, looking towards her and raising an eyebrow.

“The second we make impact, I want ye to take on of the longboats and to to the island,” she instructed hastily, nodding towards the patch of land not far off. After a pause, she let go of the wheel with her free hand to scramble for her jacket pocket, pulling out the map and shoving it against his chest before returning her grip to the wheel. “Find the key.”

Eyes wide and at the same time brows pinched together above them, Thorton took the map in a tight grip. “With all do respect, Captain, do you truly expect me to leave you with him?” He hissed.

“I can handle him.” He was about to argue, but she interrupted, already knowing what he was going to say. “Last time I was alone. This time I am not.” She looked up at him, lowering her voice. “You are the only one I trust with this.”

Snapping his mouth shut, Thorton pressed his lips together and let out a sigh before slipping the map into his jacket. “Aye, Captain,” he stated reluctantly.

However, Scarlet’s attention was trained on the path ahead. “Brace for impact!”

No sooner had she finished the sentence did the steel blades protruding from the flank of the Obsidian collide with that of Phantom’s Harmony, burying themselves deep into the splintering wood, the sound of it akin to thunder. The crew of both ships lurched forward, Scarlet and Thorton nearly thrown over the rail despite holding fast to the nearest solid object.

“Fire at will!” Scarlet’s voice rang out, closely followed by the sound of canonfire before she turned to a stricken Thorton and shoved him towards the stairs. “Go!” She growled insistently, holding tight to the sword in her hand.

A look of determination came over the first mate’s face and he scrambled for the stairs, swiftly descending them and leaping the rail into one of the longboats. Hands wrapped around the rope, poised to lower himself into the sea, he looked back up at the helm once more and met Scarlet’s eye, exchanging a nod with her. Then, before he could give it a second thought, she was out of sight.





“This is as close as I will get to the shore.”

The voice belonged to Ferric, his words directed towards Vin, who stood a short distance from him to take down anyone who tried to sabotage the helm. He looked over as the acting captain spoke, hair falling into his face and breaths coming heavily.

“So ya better get goin’!” Ferric pressed, shooing him away. “Take a longboat!”

“Right,” Vin muttered under his breath, looking around for said boats. Upon finding one, he rushed over and hastily lowered himself into the water.

It was only a short distance to the island and rowing there did not take long. He was, however, momentarily distracted by the scene a bit of a distance away as the Obsidian collided with rival ship, his heart lurching. Though now that the other two ships were back on course, he prayed they would be of assistance in keeping the red-sailed ship afloat. Above all else, a suffocating worry for his sister nagged at him, but he forced it down. He had no doubt she was, at the very least, smart enough to have gone somewhere remotely safe- if someone had at not taken her there already.

As he neared the island, however, his attention was taken by something else entirely. He narrowed his eyes at the second, empty rowboat a short distance away. Now on his guard, he stepped carefully into the ankle-deep water and pulled the boat onto the sand before retrieving one of his swords.

Proceeding with caution, he strode across the beach and into the treeline before stopping to try and remember what the map had said. He leaned against the trunk of a tree, acutely aware of his surroundings and attempting to listen to any out of the ordinary sounds over that of his own breathing and racing heart.

Finally, whispering under his breath to try and keep his thoughts straight, Vin continued into the forest with speed in his step. The key was said to be at the heart of the small island, then he figured the best direction would be away from the water. However, he did not get very far before his pace began to slow with hesitation, growing nervous and looking up at the canopy.

Suddenly, there was a snap behind him and he stiffened, freezing to the spot. After a few seconds, there was another one and he whipped around, his weapon instinctively poised. However, what he faced was far from a threat and Vin paused, pinching his brows together before lowering his sword and straightening up.

Thorton raised his hands, one holding a piece of parchment in one hand. “I have the map,” he pointed out, looking up and meeting the eye of the other man. “This way,” he said quickly, turning and taking off straight into a run off to his right.

Allowing himself only a moment to stand dumbfounded, Vin sheathed his sword and bolted after the Obsidian’s first mate.

The two ran through the thick undergrowth, Thorton all the while looking down at the map to check their progress, slowing to take a turn every now and then. Eventually, he emerged from the treeline only to find a steady incline that lead down to a pool of clear water that would take approximately half an hour at a face pace to circle- time that they didn’t have.

Vin rushed up behind him, slowing to a stop as he gazed around the clearing. “Where to now?” He asked breathlessly.

“Uh,” Thorton responded, looking at the map as his own chest heaved. “Here,” he confirmed in defeat, gesturing to the surrounding area.

“What?” Vin snapped, snatching the map and looking between it and the space in front of them.

“Well it must be in the general vicinity,” Thorton retorted, grabbing the map back. “We might as well try. You go that way,” he instructed, pointing to the left, “and I’ll go this way. Alright?”

Vin scanned the direction he was to go then looked back and nodded. With that, they went their separate ways in search of a single key.





“Alistair!”

It hadn’t taken Scarlet long to realize the captain of the other ship was not on her own deck, which had flooded with his crewmates. When the shredders had not succeeded in piercing the ship below the waterline, they were hastily retracted and cannons were fired to keep the others at bay until the Obsidian was able to push away. She’d left the helm to run up to the rail closest to the sinking ship, leaping onto it and grabbing onto one of the ropes.

“Show yerself, coward!” She spat as loudly as her lungs could manage. She knew he had to be there somewhere, her pale blue eyes flickering across the deck of the all too familiar ship. That’s when she noticed something in the water- another rowboat heading for the island with a single passenger that was not of her crew. Alistair.

Scarlet cursed loudly and jumped off the rail, pulling the weapon belt across her chest over her head and shedding her jacket on her way down the stairs, which she glided down two at a time. Reaching the last longboat, she tossed them inside, hastily looking around for any threats as she undid her weapons belt. She jumped when there was a hand on her shoulder, whipping her head around to see the wide eyes of her eldest brother looking back at her.

“Where are you going?” Edwin demanded, looking around wildly.

“I have to get to the island,” she explained, her shaking fingers struggling to undo her belt. Eventually, she hissed under her breath and simply removed the weapons in it, tossing them into the longboat save for two pistols. “Where’s Warren?”

“In the gally with Sam and Fia,” Edwin answered.

“You shouldn’t be up here,” she insisted breathlessly. “Go down there and tell Sam to get his sloth arse on deck with a sword, got that?” They exchanged stares a moment before he nodded. “Go!” She snapped and he took off. Her eyes scanned the deck once more. “Denton!” Tajo turned his head at the sound of his name being called, sword locked with that of another man. Scarlet gestured to the helm and he nodded, quickly striking down his enemy before rushing up the stairs.

With that, Scarlet glanced around for any last minute threats, though her crew seemed to be doing their jobs well. Without wasting any more time, she whipped around and aimed the two guns she had, one for each rope pulley holding up the longboat. Once she fired, she tossed the guns into the boat as it fell to the water. The luxury of time was not hers to hold in that moment, and hitting the water in that boat from the height they were at would have been similar to hitting concrete from thirty feet.

When the boat hit the water with a distant splash, she leapt onto the rail prepared to jump when a searing pain struck her right upper arm. Left hand flying to grip the injury, she let out cry of pain, squeezing her eyes shut and baring her teeth in pain before she found herself falling rather than diving from the side of the ship. Twisting herself around in a desperate and determined struggle, she managed to hit the water feet first, the world slowing considerably once she broke through.

Looking up, she swam in the direction of the light, resisting the instinctive intake of breath she would have taken as burning pain shot through her arm. She gasped upon resurfacing, throwing her arms over the side of the longboat as the sounds of waves and warfare returned to her. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she hung off the edge before throwing her leg over the edge and hauling herself up. She collapsed on the inside and her body arched as she coughed up seawater that was accidentally swallowed in the event of her premature fall. Groaning, she hefted herself upright and onto one of the benches, looking over her arm to find that her torn sleeve was already soaked in blood. Cursing under her breath, she knew there was no way to do anything about it at that moment. Reaching forward, she gripped the oars and began to row.





Nearly having completed circling his half of the clear blue pool, Thorton grew ever frustrated. He had no idea what he should have been looking for to find something so small in an area so vast in comparison. He gave no second thought to the sound of rustling ahead, eyes still trained on the ground and trees behind him. “Make it this far already?” He grumbled bitterly.

“I’m assuming the second boat belonged to a friend of yours, then?”

The eerily familiar Scottish accent sent a chill of dread down Thorton’s spine as his relaxed demeanor began to bristle. He whipped around and narrowed his dark eyes at the sight of Alistair leaning smugly against a tree with his arms crossed. “What do you want?” Thorton demanded.

Alistair merely let out a breathy laugh and pushed himself from the tree, causing Thorton to draw his sword. He paused, his smile fading as he gazed upon the weapon. “I thought you were smarter than that,” he continued, his eyes flickering back up. “I’m sure you already know what I want. Where is the key?” He asked through bared teeth, drawing his own sword.

“I don’t have it,” Thorton answered, weapon poised as he took slow steps back.

“Liar!” Alistair shouted, lurching forward with a twitch reaching his face before he paused and took a breath, straightening up and running a hand through his hair. “All you have to do is hand it over,” he said coolly.

“I. Don’t. Have it,” Thorton repeated, the grip around the hilt of his blade tightening and thanking his past self for tucking the map into his jacket before.

“Give it to me!” Alistair growled, rushing forward and bringing his sword down with both hands.

Thorton raised his blade and blocked the blow, gritting his teeth with effort and he shoved his attacker away. Breathing heavily, he watched with rising anger as Alistair stumbled back from the force, but wasted no time in approaching again. Though as he stalked forward, rather than his weapon, Thorton raised his fist and struck Alistair square in the face.

The Scot staggered to the side, his fingers flying to his lip only to be retracted with the red gleam of blood. “And here I thought you to be a man of honor,” he spat.

“Not against a man who has none,” Thorton retorted in a venomous tone.

Alistair righted himself and scowled at the man that stood before him. “It’s her fault, isn’t it?” He began casually, though a hint of malice lingered in his voice. “She got inside your head,” he hissed in a low voice, beginning to stalk in a circle around Thorton, whose eyes remained carefully trained on his opponent. “But you never heard my side of the story,” he pointed out in a sickeningly innocent tone, gesturing to his own chest. “Now- I’m sure Scarlet does not hold the kindest words of me, but there is something she would leave out,” he continued. “She is weak,” he hissed, leaning into his words towards Thorton, meeting his glare with that of his own. “Oh, you should have heard the way she cried,” he groaned craning his head back. “Of course, she didn’t think anyone was listening,” he added with a dismissive wave of his hand. Then, he stopped for a brief moment to turn and stalk his way closer to Thorton. “No, no, no,” he mocked, waving his hands lazily in front of him. “But,” he concluded in a lower voice, stopping nose-to-nose with his opponent. “She still came running back.”

Emitting an outcry of rage through bared teeth, Thorton lashed out with his sword and caught Alistair in the side, sending him reeling to the side with a wail of pain. “Go to hell,” Thorton snarled, threateningly looming above the doubled-over figure. He paused after a moment in confusion, confirming the sound escaping Alistair next to be a low laugh.

“Only if you go with me.”

Then, before Thorton could react, he felt Alistair’s sword be driven through his ribs, eyes widening in shock. Looking down, he watched as the blade was slowly retrieved, glistening crimson with his own blood. He looked up again in a daze, meeting the menacing blue of murderous eyes before the weapon was completely freed and he collapsed to the forest floor.

Alistair didn’t bother to clean off his blade before sheathing it once more, straightening up and stepping over the limp form on the ground. “Pathetic,” he rasped, heading for the treeline.

Meanwhile, from the ground, Thorton lolled his head to the side in search of his own sword. It laid in the sandy undergrowth just out of reach. Breaths growing more shallow by the second, he forced himself to inch nearer to it. He gritted his teeth reaching out for the hilt, brushing the still warm metal with his fingertips until he was finally able to scrape it into his hand. Sitting up despite the screaming pain that shock had not yet begun to numb, he lashed out and caught the back of Alistair’s leg with the tip of the blade.

Crying out, Alistair fell to his knees and Thorton scrambled forward, driving his sword through the other man’s back. Though his mouth widened as well as his eyes, Alistair made no sound. Holding tight to the hilt with both hands, Thorton leaned forward enough that the other man would be able to hear his weak words, breaths growing rapid. “See you there.”

With a twist of the blade, Alistair went immediately limp. Not bothering to retrieve the sword, Thorton hastily backed away before his strength gave out.





Vin was not entirely sure what he should have been looking for, though he continued the futile search with a growing impatience. He grew to the point of muttering under her breath in his native tongue, having migrated closer to the beach rather than battling the undergrowth with every step.

Suddenly, he saw a figure appear from the treeline a short distance ahead. His expression was overcome with curiosity, picking his way towards the person. It didn’t take long to realize that it was an aged man with dark skin and pale gray hair. It took a similar length of time for the man to notice Vin's presence. He looked up, seeming equally curious, despite the rugged exterior and potential threat the significantly younger and better built man with swords and guns presented.

“Hello there,” he greeted casually in a thick Jamaican accent, calling down the short distance of beach.

Vin waited the few seconds it took to approach the man before responding with a nod. “Hello,” he replied before pausing and looking the man over. “I did not know this island was inhabited.”

“Neither do most people,” the man retorted with a grin missing a great amount of teeth, pressing the chair he carried into the sand.

Hesitant, Vin glanced around in an attempt to confirm that he wasn’t imagining the strangely out of place interaction. “Are there… Others?”

The man shook his head and sat heavily in the chair before looking back over and narrowing his eyes against the sun. “Not that I know of,” he answered. “So what brings ya here?”

An idea came to Vin’s mind. If this man lived here, surely he would know of the key? “I am looking for something,” he answered hastily. “Have you heard of a key that would be hidden here somewhere?”

“Slow down,” the old man groaned with a wave. “I don’t understand a word ya say; ain’t never heard anyone talk like that. Where are ya from?”

“... Italy,” Vin answered hesitantly before giving a small shake of his head when the man merely made a face and shrugged. “Do you know of a key hidden here?” He tried again, attempting to keep the eager words at a manageable pace.

“Ya can call me Ormsby,” the old man continued, gazing out over the water. “And what are ya called?”

Vin frowned, heaving a sigh. “Vin,” he answered impatiently.

“Ack,” the man scoffed. “One of them made up European names,” he grumbled.

Groaning, Vin squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. “A hidden key,” he repeated, gesturing with his hands. “Do you know of one?”

“Of course I know of one,” Ormsby answered.

Vin anxiously waited for him to continue, but when he did not, he ran a hand through his hair before letting his arms drop back to his sides. “Do you know where it is?” He pressed in a strained voice.

“Ya will not find it here,” came the reply.

Vin’s demeanor fell considerably as the words sank in. “What do you mean?” He asked, dread lacing his voice.

“That key been long gone.”

“Where did it go?”

“Taken by mermaids.” Ormsby answered casually.

Vin paused before the panic drained from his face and became utterly humorless as it became apparent the old man that lived alone had lost a bit of his mind. “Such creatures do not exist.”

Ormsby frowned and looked over to Vin, narrowing his eyes and slowly twisting his torso towards him. “Aye, but they do,” he insisted. “Born of the salt water tears of the fresh water goddess,” he explained, putting startling emphasis in the words. “Collectin’ the souls of men who were claimed by the sea before their demonized sisters can drag them to the locker.”

Vin looked over sharply, face pinching together in focus when the last bit was spoken. “Sirens?” He breathed.

Ormsby flashed his scraggly grin and nodded, causing dread to seep down Vin’s spine. “Ya must cross the Devil’s Triangle to reach the isle of the mermaids, if ya wish to retrieve the key.”

Vin drew a breath to reply, but it was cut off by a cry across the water that made both their heads turn and Vin’s heart to fly into his throat.

“Ya best address that,” Ormsby commented, but Vin had already taken off at full speed.

Stumbling in the sand, Vin veered towards the treeline until he was running on a surface more solid. Heart racing, he skirted the water in the direction he had been going, knowing by then Thorton would have gotten at least as far as he had. Suddenly, he skidded to a stop at the sight of a scene that made the color drain from his face.

Before him laid Alistair face down with a crimson blade protruding from his back and Thorton a short distance away, facing away from him.

Vin let out a pained breath, his face falling to that of sorrow. His expression, however, quickly changed when the first mate’s body shook with a meager cough. Immediately springing forward, Vin fell to his knees and rolled the man onto his back, finding his eyes glazed over but open; his breath shallow, but existent. “Thorton?” He asked carefully though his eyes were wide, looking him over as he tightly gripped his shoulders. The dying man moved his mouth, but his words were too quiet to hear. “What?” Vin asked breathlessly, leaning closer.

“Help her,” Thorton rasped desperately, grasping the other man’s sleeve.

Vin only offered him a puzzled expression. “The Captain?” He asked, receiving a weak nod in response. He shook his head in confusion. “Help her what- find the treasure?”

Thorton shook his head. “She is not a tyrant,” he insisted, the words causing him pain that was far beyond physical. “You… Have changed her when I could not,” he whispered. “I’ve seen it.”

Vin listened intently, resisting the urge to argue with the possible last words of the man before him. Then he caught something in Thorton’s tone and eyes that made him pause. “Did you…” He began hesitantly, “Love her?” He asked in disbelief.

Thorton’s gaze drifted away and after a moment he drew a breath to speak, but instead erupted in a bout of coughing, turning his head as to coat the forest floor with a spray of blood. Then, a feminine voice sounded from behind.

“No!”

Scarlet, still soaking wet and wearing her weapons without her jacket, flew forward from where she stood, shoving Vin aside before dropping to her knees beside her first mate. Eyes wild with fear and choking on her own breaths, her hands hovering over his torso before peeling his jacket away from his chest. “Don’t you die on me,” she demanded, repeating the words as she sought out the wound and pressed both hands to it, though tears glistened in her eyes as the reality that he’d already lost too much blood threatened to surface.

Vin lifted himself to his feet and stepped back, unsure of what he could do other than watch the scene unfold with a grim expression.

Scarlet’s eyes flickered over to Thorton’s face only to find that he looked oddly calm, the shadow of a smile on his lips as they moved with a nearly silent request. Looking between him and his bloodied torso, Scarlet hesitantly lifted her shaking hands from his wound before shifting and leaning low enough that his lips nearly brushed her ear.

What he said Vin could not hear, but Scarlet’s head fell limply so her nose brushed his neck and escaped sobs shook her shoulders. She lifted her head and looked at him to reply, but her words were cut short when the shadow of lifelessness swept over him. She repeated his name, growing more and more frantic as she reached up and grasped his face in her bloody hands, but to no avail. Unable to hold back the tears any longer, she pressed her head to his and they fell freely onto his pale skin.

That is how she stayed for close to a minute before she was able to control her crying. Shaking breaths escaping her, she pressed a light kiss to his forehead before standing and leaving behind streaks of blood across his face. When she turned around, Vin was surprised to find that she portrayed not one emotion. “What of the key?”

“Not here,” Vin answered, which made her stiffen and a flash of grief and rage crossed her face before it was gone again. Without another word, she stalked past him back towards the shore.

Vin glanced over his shoulder and watched her go before turning back to Thorton’s body. Pressing his lips together, he kneeled beside him and carefully pulled the now bloodstained map from his jacket pocket. His eyes lingered on him a moment longer as he murmured a prayer under his breath before standing and taking off after Scarlet.

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

_________________________________________________________________

“Captain, wait!” Vin rushed through the foliage, picking his way through as fast as he could without tripping and smacking things out of his way while Scarlet continued forward, seemingly without any issues. He called to her again as he grew closer, then paused when he noticed her gripping her arm. He slowed a few paces behind her and frowned, the blood soaking her arm quickly becoming apparent as her own. “You are hurt,” he stated.

“Ye don’t say,” Scarlet hissed bitterly, halfway looking over her shoulder for a brief moment.

“If we go back-”

“I am not going back there,” she interrupted, her voice cracking slightly at the end. “I’m gettin’ back to me ship before it’s blown to bits,” she said through clenched teeth, her words losing the force behind them as she began to grow slightly dizzy. Stumbling a little, she paused to lean heavily against a tree, looking down at her arm and pulling her hand back, the pressure having done hardly a thing to stop the bleeding.

“Captain?” Vin murmured worriedly, rushing up to stand in front of her and looked her over. “You know, there is a man back-”

“I told you, I’m not going back,” Scarlet insisted, sucking in air through her teeth as she tried to turn back towards the water. “I’ll fix it on the ship.”

Vin grabbed her forearms with just enough force to keep her from wandering away- which wasn’t much at this point. “You will not make it back to the ship,” he said curtly.

Scarlet struggled but quickly gave up the futile attempt. “I don’t need help from any low-life hermit-”

“He knows where the key was taken,” Vin said quickly, cutting her off.

Scarlet paused before turning her head towards him, a glare slowly crossing her face. “The key?” She scoffed. Shaking her head, she tore her arms from his grip and shoved her hands against his chest, making him stumble back as she strode closer. “The search for those damned keys cost me my first mate!” She snarled. “Yer map was wrong! he died for nothing!”

She went to shove him again, but Vin grabbed her wrists, growing in frustration. He would have gladly let her go at that point had it not been for Thorton’s last request echoing in the back of his mind like a nagging fly. Help her. He had yet to understand exactly what he’d meant by those words, but he was sure letting her bleed out on an island did not qualify. “No, stopping the search now would mean he died for nothing,” Vin shouted loud enough to be heard over her protests. He moved his head to attempt to look into her eyes but she refused to meet his. “Look at me!”

Scarlet snapped her mouth shut and stopped fighting, though bitterness still plagued her expression. After a moment, she gave in a looked up, steadily meeting his gaze.

“We cannot give up on this now,” he insisted, considerably lowering his voice and giving a small shake of his head. “We have come too far.”

Scarlet held his stare a while longer, though she had no words. Soon enough, she hastily looked away before he could see her troubled expression, at the same time jerking her wrists from his loosened grip. She swayed slightly where she stood, growing paler by the minute. “Take me to him,” she mumbled under her breath.

Vin eyed her nervously before nodding himself. Before continuing on, he offered her an arm but she hastily shoved it away. However, when she tried to walk, her sluggish steps couldn’t keep up and she leaned dangerously forward, stumbling before he lurched forward to catch her. This time, she gripped his arms tightly in her shaking hands. “Can you walk?” Vin asked, looking her over and holding her steady.

“Not for long,” Scarlet answered tautly, turning to walk in the direction they came from and leaning heavily against him in order to do so.

He was unusually unnerved by her sudden closeness despite how ridiculous the feeling seemed in the dire moment. He went to hook his arm around her waist, but paused and moved up to her shoulders instead. Clearing his throat, directed her towards the beach where he’d met the old man.

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

This is an important note.
Everything after this is going to be a sum-up of the rest of the story.
It will be composed of important scenes (or ones I already happen to have written) and in between notes to connect them.
This is only so I can begin work on the second draft.
This thread will always be open to suggestions and corrections for this version.
I would love to hear absolutely anything anyone has to say because the second draft is going to be written drastically different.
Anything you wished would have happened or any parts you particularly loved and want me to keep or anything you felt confused or bored with, please tell me!
Anything, anything at all, I'm open to it all.
[a break down of thoughts on each chapter would be flipping amazing and I'd love you forever but I also know that would take... A very... long time...]
... Alright I think you guys get the point.
Moving on to the vague ideas I have for the second half.

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

Alright, so what happens after the last bit I wrote is Scarlet and Vin go to the man on the beach. I have been seriously considering changing it to a woman and also having women appear periodically, running into them, running shops they go to, being barmaids, things like that, but its the same woman in disguise. This is because the second half of this story takes a huge leap into the fantasy side of things, but I don't want that transition to be as sudden as it would be at this point. The woman would be the goddess of water- basically Calypso- but since she reveals herself in South America, she will use her South American name, Chalchiuhtlicue, or Chal, but I will explain more about her purpose later.

So after what I just wrote, Scarlet gets fixed up by the hermit, the point of this being that by the time they get back to the Obsidian, Ferric is already on board with the means to take it over if she doesn't hold up to Vin's agreement. But even suffering from bloodloss, we all know by now that she wouldn't let that fly, and would probably shoot the guy. I was thinking something like:



"I should have known you would stab me in the back."

"Lol actually I shot you in the chest though admittedly that wouldn't have been a bad idea."


Meanwhile, Vin would be checking on Fia the second he got the chance. And that's when this scene comes into play.



Vin immediately rushed belowdeck towards where he figured his sister would be. However, hers was not the first face he saw. “Where is Fia?” He asked flatly; impatiently.

Finnegan and Sam looked up in surprise. “Vin,” Finnegan said with relief, standing to approach the man he had not seen in far too long.

Vin put a hand on the old man’s shoulder in greeting, but said nothing. He was out of breath and his eyes turned to a chair where he saw who he was looking for, with Sam standing behind her chair with a look Vin had not seen in his friend’s eyes before. Was that… Fear? Silence alone was so unlike the ragged man.

Fia looked at Finnegan and gave him a nod. “Could you please leave us for a moment?” She asked quietly, her polite tone never faltering.

Finnegan nodded back and looked to Sam. His son was hesitating, but Finnegan silently ushered him over with a gesture.

Sam reluctantly walked forward and exited with his father.

Fia was wrapped in a thick woolen blanket, as the chill reached one’s bones if they were not accustomed to it, as Vin had become. He rushed over and kneeled before her, taking one of her hands in his, her long fingers pale and cold.

“I am so glad you are safe,” he said, nearly laughing with the relief he felt. When was the last time his joy was genuine? His smile? It spread wide across his face in this moment. However, when he looked into her eyes, they did not share his elation. A pathetic smile was attempted in her futility, but it did not reach her dull gaze.

His grin fell instantly and he furrowed his brow. “What is the matter, piccola stella?” He said in soft concern. “Please tell me,” he added when he sensed her hesitation. He offered another encouraging smile. Once she caught sight of it, there was a flicker of light in her eyes but it quickly faded.

Her face only fell further after that and tears began to brim in her eyes. She suddenly leaped to her feet and Vin quickly stood, though stayed put where he was.

Fia walked away and stopped, facing the wall, the blanket falling to the floor. She was wearing a dress she had not arrived in. It was an old white color with a faded pink floral pattern of roses, edged with ruffles. It was simple and as practical as a dress could be on a pyrate ship. It looked old and smelled of must. Vin wondered briefly how long Scarlet had kept it lying around.

Fia then buried her face in her hands as her shoulders began to heave with quiet sobs. “I was going to tell you,” she whispered, her voice cracking. Tears streamed down her face, hot against the cold of the air. “It is why I left, I- I was going to tell you, but then- but then-” she gasped for words, but could not manage any more. Her chest tightened with anxiety as she was nearly sent into hyperventilation. She wrapped one arm around her torso and put the other hand over her mouth in an attempt to calm her breaths.

“Fia,” Vin murmured, growing increasingly concerned. He quickly snatched the blanket from the ground and approached her, draping it over her shoulders and wrapping his arms around her in the process as well. Seeing such dismay in her made his own heart heavy.

Fia held the blanket tight against her and leaned into his chest, her cries muffled. Vin did not know what the problem was, but he knew he would have to wait for her to calm down before she would be able to explain.

Suddenly, he thought he could hear an attempt at words between her sharp breaths. “I… I… am-” she stuttered.

Vin gently held her back by the shoulders and found her eyes had already began to redden and swell. The look in them was like a dagger in his chest. He had never seen such heartbreak in the gentle girl he had left behind in Italy so many months ago. “Calm yourself, dolcezza, and tell me what is the problem.”

Fia looked down and held her breath for a moment. She then slowly took a step back and shrugged the blanket off her shoulders, opening her arms.

Vin’s expression was akin to confusion until he looked her over. The change was ever so slight. He would not have noticed it on that dark night in Port Royal, if it had even shown at all then. Fia’s lower belly protruded just enough to be abnormal. Realization as well as shock simultaneously overcame her brother’s expression, and her composition broke as soon as it did.

Fia’s arms went limp and dropped to her sides as she broke down once again. “Please do not be angry with me,” she begged, staring at the ground though she could not see it through the blur of the tears.

Vin snapped out of it and replied quickly. “I am not angry with you,” he assured her. Though there was a slight snap in his voice, it was not aimed towards her. No, it was not her he was angry with. He stood dumbly for a moment, overwhelmed by a wide range of emotion.

“I did not want to stay, but I did not know what to do,” Fia continued. This time, she didn’t seem able to stop herself. She held her hands out before her helplessly. “I was ready to live that way, but I could not have that life for…” She trailed off and began to shake with dry sobs, her expression now numb and her hands tremoring. “What would mother think? What-”

Vin pulled the blanket over her shoulder and embraced her again. This time, she wrapped her arms tightly around his torso and remained silent.

“I will bring you home safe,” he promised. "Both of you."

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

So next stop is the Devil's Triangle, aka the Bermuda Triangle. I'm sure there's a plethora of shananagins that could go on in such a place, but I have thought... Of... Nothing. Nothing except for one thing: their first encounter with mermaids. And the thing about mermaids, is they're keepers of souls that die at sea. Well, more like collectors of the ones that don't make it to the locker. Still haven't completely figured out that bit, but they do keep souls that die at sea. It could definitely be written better, but it gets the point across. And just a warning, when I wrote this I was planning on Killing Edwin in the Rum Cay battle, but changed my mind. He won't be dying any time soon.



Vin’s head suddenly broke the water’s surface, but he could not see a thing in the pitch black. He reached out on either side and felt his hands touch cold stone. They migrated upwards and he could still feel the damp crags above his head. They were in some kind of cave. He felt a sudden pressure in his chest being enclosed in such a small place, but he knew it meant they were on the right track. “Captain?” He called out quietly.

He jumped slightly when he heard and echoing gasp behind him, followed by coughs and sputters. Vin immediately turned and waded through the waist high water in the direction of the sounds. “Are you alright?” He asked, reaching out to console her.

Scarlet felt his hand make contact with her arm and swatted it away. “Leave me alone,” she snapped between coughs. “I can’t see a bloody thing,” she commented in a frustrated tone.

Vin retracted his hand and shrugged instinctively, though he knew she could not see. “Well, there’s only one way to go,” he replied. “This way.”

He slowly turned and reached out again to get a sense of direction before making his way forward. A few moments later, he felt something bump into him and stumbled forward.

Scarlet staggered back, the pressure of the water that reached her chest nearly knocking her over. “Move faster!” She growled in a scolding tone, using it to mask the quaver of her own folly.

Vin was suddenly glad it was as dark as it was so she could not see the smile that spread across his face.

He continued forward at a quicker pace obediently and managed to avoid any more incidents. They continued forward in silence for what felt close to an eternity. The sound of swishing water surrounded them. Vin kept his hands on the walls and Scarlet held hers at the level of her eyes as to not have her arms submerged. She bumped into the side of the cave just a few times, but mainly focused on progressing forward.

Vin suddenly realized as the tunnel walls left his fingertips that it was getting wider. He also noticed a dim blue glow ahead, which he had previously thought to be a trick of his vision. “Do you see that?” He whispered.

Scarlet made a face and peeked around him, his silhouette outlined as they grew closer to the light. She said nothing, however, preferring to discover the source rather than ask someone a question she knew that could not answer. What is it?

Their pace then began to pick up subconsciously and they soon reached a wide cavern, the level of water dropping fast. They looked around in awe. The high ceiling and crags in the walls were covered in glow worms and white crystals that magnified their light.

Suddenly, Vin felt the floor of the cave give out beneath him and was submerged, though he quickly bobbed back up and pushed himself onto the other side of the water where the ground was flat and dry.

Scarlet stopped dead when he disappeared before him, her heart skipping a beat from the startle. She relaxed when he showed up again and swam to shore. “Watch out for that drop off,” he called.

Scarlet rolled her eyes and slowly lowered herself into the black water. She drifted over and pulled herself up beside him, sitting heavily. “So what now?” She asked bitterly.

He was about to answer when he noticed something in the water. Freezing, he stared at it, trying to make it out in the dim light.

“Hello?” Scarlet said, looking over at him. “What are you-” she followed his gaze and let out a small gasp, her eyes widening.

The head slowly approached them, everything under the eyes submerged. They were a vibrant blue clear through the part that would normally be white with horizontally slit pupils that dilated as it got closer. The ears were large and fin-like. Slowly, the figure began to emerge before them.

It had pale skin with a gray cast and dark, long hair was slicked against its skull and shoulders. Gills pulsated along it’s neck. A small splash of what could only be a fin behind it caught their attention, but they did not dare take their eyes away from this face.

“I know why you have come,” it said in a soft voice that took them both by surprise, though they remained speechless. It’s eyes darted between them. “No human has come for less. But I’m afraid I cannot help you.” Her eyes studied Scarlet closer. “Medusa of the sea.”

Scarlet snapped out of her stupor and furrowed her brows. “What do you think we’re here for?” She hissed.

Ignoring the question, the mermaid drifted over to a stone nearby and hefted herself onto it swiftly. Her hair reached the small of her back and was draped over her chest. Her tail was pale; an ashen red and swished slowly back and forth. She looked up and delicately brushed one of the glow-worms with the tips of her webbed fingers. Fins along the backs of her arms retracted and her gills sealed shut as if by command. “I sense death in your hearts,” she said, her lips hardly moving and her words a mere breath.

The worm she stroked then began to change to a golden hue that quickly spread among the others. Scarlet leapt to her feet defensively and Vin slowly followed suit. They stared in skepticism and awe as the soft blue glow in the cave transformed into the color of firelight.

Vin’s eyes travelled until they found the mermaid staring directly at him. She tipped her head to the side and held a delicate hand to him. “You have felt loss but the pain is gone,” she murmured. Her eyes bore into his as if looking for something. “You are no longer afraid.”

Vin straightened up as if he’d been smacked in the face, his expression changing into something sharply defensive. He took a breath to speak, when a light under his chin began to grow brighter. He took a step back and looked down. A golden string of light appeared, looking similar to a thread being pulled from his chest. It slowly formed a delicate figure before him; that of a woman.

Vin’s eyes widened as if he couldn’t believe what he saw before him was reality. “Imilia?” He breathed.

The apparition tipped her head and smiled, tears brimming in her eyes. She was flawless; every detail preserved in perfect beauty. “Vinazio,” she choked, holding her arms out.

Vin took a step that quickly lead to another as he hurried forward to embrace her, his throat beginning to burn and his eyes stinging with the threat of tears. She rushed forward in return, but when he closed his arms around her, he found nothing there. After a moment of confusion, he looked down in despair at his empty hands, squeezing his hands and eyes closed tightly.

Scarlet watched them run to each other but as the woman reached Vin, she simply continued on through him and disappeared. Fear touched her eyes in this moment. “Who was that?” She breathed.

Vin looked over his shoulder to respond, but instead quickly turned his entire body and shot upright.

Hesitantly, Scarlet looked behind her. Another… Ghost stood there and she stumbled backwards closer to the water while Vin approached it slowly.

This one was near his height and though it’s face was fuzzy and out of focus, the man’s blonde hair stood out clearly.

Vin stopped before the form of his father and hesitantly reached out. The glowing figure did the same, but dissipated as soon as their fingertips touched. Loss overcame him. He hung his head and ran his fingers through his hair, gripping it tightly.

Scarlet whipped to face the mermaid, rage replacing the fear that was previously prominent. “What are you doing?!” She shouted accusingly.

The mermaid’s concentration broke off from Vin and her eyes darted to Scarlet. “You have seen far more death,” she said in a dauntingly curious tone. “Unlike him, it continues to haunt you,” she stated, her voice getting unnervingly lower.

Scarlet hardly noticed the light escape her chest before a figure appeared before her, blocking the path between her and the mermaid. She immediately staggered back, blinking away tears in a matter of seconds.

Before her stood the figure of her mother, young and vibrant as she remembered. In her arms was a child; a boy approximately one year in age. The two of them were mildly blurred, but clear enough for her heart to cause the sensation of choking.

Her eyes flew to the left as another figure appeared. It simply stood motionless, though emotion showed clear in its face. Tears fell down Scarlet’s cheeks as she stared. “Captain,” she choked in a pathetic squeak of a word, her shoulders dropping limp to her sides. Captain Gail’s form simply smiled weakly, his face clear as day. Another figure appeared on the other side of her mother, the face completely blurred and clad in a military uniform. She would not have recognized her father had it not been for the faint red coloring of his hair.

Figures began to appear all around her and she turned where she stood, watching them all appear as the dread in her chest became overwhelming. Alistair stood before her, bloodied and smirking just as she had last remembered him. “Stop it,” she said in a broken voice, speaking to the mermaid though her eyes stayed glued on him as she began to back away.

She jumped when another form appeared beside her and she looked up to see the dark eyes of Thorton gazing upon her. “Scarlet,” he murmured in a desperate whisper, holding out a tentative hand.

Her face twisted in pain as she stood, rooted to the spot. “I said stop it!” She called again, though the force was replaced with begging. She drew a sharp breath and began to shake with sobs, wrapping her arms around her torso.

A final form appeared behind Thorton. Scarlet stopped dead, her chest too restricting to allow a breath and her mind began to panic; eyes widening in an attempt to make sense of what she saw.

There was the figure of her eldest brother, simply looking upon her with a sad blue gaze.

“No!” She screamed, crying out in unbearable pain. He reached out for her and she began to shake her head. “No, Edwin,” she sobbed, stumbling backwards away from the two men as quickly as she could manage.

It did not take long for her to bump into something behind her and she felt Vin’s hands rest gently on her shoulders.

Desperately sucking in uneven breaths, she doubled over, the weight in her chest too much to bear, and fell to her knees, burying her face in her hands as her nails dug into her skin.

Vin watched as the formations, only three of which he recognized, disappeared around them and the cave began to fade back to blue. He felt a new pain in his own heart upon seeing Edwin’s face among them and he knew they would be grieving back on the ship.

His eyes drifted to the mermaid and he shot her a fiercely accusing look, clenching his fists. However, she only looked confused.

The sound of Scarlet’s sobbing stole his attention back. He kneeled beside her and tentatively touched her arm. She jumped and looked at him through a veil of her hair. He held out his hand to her and after a moment she took it and he helped her stand unsteadily.

She had not realized how tightly she had gripped his hand until she was forced to let go. The sensation she felt upon this action was akin to letting go of a rope while dangling off a cliff and she did so reluctantly.

He kept her eyes on her a moment longer as her tears subsided and were replaced with a cold stare aimed at the ground.

The mermaid tipped her head in confusion and pity. “I misunderstand,” she stated. “If you are not here for the dead, then why have you come?”

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

So after Bermuda, they're off to South America. I haven't yet figured out how, but this is where Chalchiuhtlicue comes in. The ring, you see- Alistair's ring- has her essence trapped inside. She's a water goddess, but she's confined to land without it. She knows they have it, but they make an agreement to trade her for it if she leads them to the treasure. Now, these scenes don't line up perfectly with that idea or with each other, but they will happen to some degree.



In the purple light of an early dawn, the forest floor crackled and snapped underfoot as Scarlet trudged stiffly through it. Her narrowed eyes stared straight ahead at the figure that had her there at such an ungodly hour. Vin had woken her before everyone else, suggesting that they continue what was left of the journey alone. Scarlet had not taken kindly to orders that had not come from her, nor to the hand that had been firmly planted over her mouth when she’d tried to protest. Yet somehow, she’d been compelled to follow when he had started to leave without her.

“I can feel your eyes on me,” Vin said suddenly from a few meters ahead, hardly bothering to turn his head.

Scarlet’s scowl intensified and she began to pick up her pace just slightly. “I wouldn’t have to look at ye if ye weren’t here,” she pointed out sharply.

“I would not have to be here if you had not burned the map,” Vin retorted flatly.

“Yer not the only one that can memorize a few lines and landmarks,” she snapped.

Vin shrugged, acutely aware of her footsteps slowly growing closer. “True, but I do still have the keys,” he reminded her.

“That can easily be changed,” Scarlet snarled, holding her sword out in front of him once she reached his side, causing him to stop abruptly.

Surprised, he looked over at her and held his hands up. “You want the keys?” He asked innocently.

“Well I certainly don’t want you here,” she replied bitterly, keeping her blade poised at his chest. “And if havin’ the keys’ll fix that, then aye, I’d like the keys.”

“Alright,” he said simply, making her expression falter in surprise. “But,” he continued, “You must take them without weapons.”

Scarlet scoffed. “Challengin’ me with or without weapons would be a deathwish.”

“Then you have nothing to worry about,” he replied. Then, he reached for his own sword and unsheathed it, tossing the blade to the side. He then looked to Scarlet expectantly, gesturing to hers.

Scarlet narrowed her eyes untrustingly before she tossed her own sword aside. Hesitating a moment before, she lurched forward and reached out, only to find her arm smacked away and Vin taking a step back. “Surely you can do better than that, captain,” He taunted with a smirk.

Icy glare trained intently on his challenging gaze, she bolted forward in an instant and grabbed his wrist, ducking under his arm to twist it dangerously.

Bending to the side in surprise and pain, Vin grit his teeth and grabbed her arm with his free hand, tearing her away.

Scarlet jerked back against his chest and promptly crushed his foot under her heel, causing a yelp to escape him and his grip on her arm to be released. Taking advantage of the momentary freedom, she spun to face him and reached out, holding fast to the string that dangled around his neck. She yanked it, expecting it to break, but instead it only jerked his head forward.

With a glare, Vin met her eye and grabbed her forearm and tore her grip off. Still clutching tight to her wrist despite the flow of profanities that loudly escaped her, he whipped her around and hooked his arms through hers, lifting her off the ground and walking forward.

Scarlet kicked and growled furiously, twisting back and forth, but to no avail. “Let go of me!” She snarled breathlessly, rattling off insults between her demands.

“Fine,” Vin spat, stopping and letting go so she hit the ground with a thud. He paused before stepping around her and continuing on his way.

Scarlet groaned and rolled sideways in the undergrowth, attempting to catch her breath. Blinking her eyes open, she saw him walking away and determination crossed her face before she pushed herself back up. He kept his back turned as she gained speed and ultimately jumped onto him, sending them both toppling to the ground.

Scarlet scrambled to slip the string from around his neck while simultaneously holding him down with her weight. “Ha!” She cried when she succeeded, holding it far from his blindly flailing hands, keys jingling together.

With a smug grin, she stood. As soon as her weight was lifted, Vin rolled onto his side and scowled at her through his hair, coughing and spitting out bits of dirt and leaves. Before she got too far, he impulsively lashed out and grabbed her ankle, rolling onto his back and effectively pulling her back down.

With a squeal of surprise and widened eyes, Scarlet fell to the ground and was dragged back over. She scrambled to push herself up, but was forcefully jerked upright when Vin’s grip moved to her arm. She soon found both of her forearms in his grasp as she sat on her knees over his torso, flailing wildly in an attempt to break free. “Yer not gettin’ these keys, rat!” She barked.

“You think taking them will keep me from following you?!” Vin responded bitterly, twisting his head away from her sharp nails. With a grunt of effort, he shoved her arms against her chest and rolled over, pinning her beneath him.

Scarlet’s back and head hit the ground a second him and she shut her eyes tight, gritting her teeth. Pieces of her hair sprawled behind her, more and more escaping the loose braid as the struggle continued. It took only a few moments for Vin to pin her arms to the ground. Unable to thrash further, Scarlet opened her eyes and the two of them glowered at each other, breaths coming heavy from either chest. “I should have killed ye the second I had the map,” Scarlet hissed, keeping an iron grip on the key string.

Vin’s face softened and he let out a breathless laugh. “Am I really that bad?” He asked innocently.

Scarlet’s expression faltered and showed more confusion than anything, her eyes searching his for some kind of sinister trickery that simply wasn’t there. “Worse, actually,” she replied dumbly, maintaining her sharp tone though unable to sink back any further into the ground when she noticed him drifting closer to her.

“Surely I am no worse than you,” he teased quietly, leaning forward until his nose brushed hers.

Scarlet froze though her heart began to race. Normally, the comment would have put her off, but she was far too concerned with his body language to pay attention to that which was spoken. “What-”

The second Vin felt her relax, he snatched the string of keys from her hand and swiftly stood, cutting off whatever she would have said.

Dumbstruck, Scarlet laid there a moment longer, processing what had just happened before catching her breath and scrambling to her feet, rushing after him. “Hey!” She shouted, scraping up both swords as she passed them. He did not respond. “Hey!” She repeated impatiently.

Vin slowed and looked over his shoulder, gesturing to himself and mouthing, Me?

Scarlet rolled her eyes and let out a heavy breath. Upon catching up to him, she shoved his sword against his chest, forcing them both to stop. She glared at him a moment longer before turning away and walking ahead of him.

Once her back was turned, a smile reached his lips and he lumbered forward after her. “What were you going to say?” He asked curiously. “Of course it could not have been a ‘what now?’ or a ‘what was I thinking, trying to kill you?’ or ‘what do you do to keep your hair so smooth in this heat, Vin?’” He reached up and ran a hand along his hair then paused and frowned. “Or perhaps it could have been… Two of those,” he concluded.

Scarlet’s bitter expression melted way and her lips quivered with the attempt to hold back a smile. Clearing her throat, she added smoothly, “More like what the hell are you doing.”

“Would you like to know what I was doing?” He asked. Her silence indicated that she waited intently for him to continue. He held up the string of keys in his hand and jingled them so she could hear before slipping them back over his head. “Fighting without a weapon.”



This next scene has been rewritten a multitude of times, and I have no doubt it will continue to be rewritten. It must... Be... Perfect. This is the scene where it all goes down. This is when Scarlet breaks. This is probably one of the most important scenes in the entire story, and its essential that it reads like it. Anyway, this is the most up to date version of it that I have at the moment. So... Brace yourselves.



The sound of wet steps splashing through shallow puddles echoed through a wide cavern. The occasional, rhythmic drip was the only other source of sound. That, and the quiet hush of breath stirring the air.

Vin touched one of the daunting stalagmites and scratched at it. “It is salt.” Though he spoke quietly, his slightly bewildered voice bounced continuously off the cavern walls until ebbing into no more than a murmur.

Breathing heavily in the thick, humid air, Scarlet scanned the walls. She stopped when her ghostly eyes found what they were looking for, glowing in the light of the lantern she held at eye level. Without looking away, she grasped Vin’s forearm tightly and jerked it towards her, shoving the string of keys into his hand.

Vin looked down, shifting them with his fingers before looking back up at Scarlet in the flickering firelight. She glanced at him and gestured towards a crudely flattened wall to the right. “There.” She spoke low, flat, and urgent.

He looked down and tightened his grip on the keys before looking towards the wall. Drawing a breath, he began to make his way towards it. Scarlet watched him for a moment before turning towards the entrance and slowly making her way backwards, making sure they had not been followed.

Vin approached the wall. He placed his hand upon it to find six keyholes in a circle and one in the center. His sight was fed only by the dim light of Scarlet’s lantern dancing upon the wall. One by one, he placed the keys until only one remained. He held it up at eye level then glanced over his shoulder at Scarlet, still turned the other way. He returned his gaze to the wall and brought the back of his hand to his forehead in a futile attempt to brush away dirt and twisted strands of dark blonde hair.

Hie eyes followed the wall to the top, towering high above him. Looking back down at the final gap, he drew a breath. Slowly, Vin lifted the key and put it in its place, letting out his breath and smiling in relief. He was not sure what he was expecting, but whatever it was did not happen. He slowly turned the key clockwise, but stopped halfway when it clicked and he jerked his hand back. In that moment, a defeating rumble began to sound behind the wall.

Scarlet whipped her head around as the ground began to tremble from the roar. The din was followed by a sound like air being whipped aside. Then suddenly, Vin began to sway.

Scarlet’s heart and breath grew faster as her eyes grew wider. “No,” she whispered before she could bring herself to move. Then, as he crumpled to the ground, she pushed forward as fast as she could manage on the damp rock. Just a couple yards from his fallen body, she lost her footing and slipped, letting out a small cry as her forearms hit the ground. Her lantern was sent skidding across the stone floor. Though the glass shattered, the dim light lived on.

Immediately, she continued forward at a crawl, slowing as she approached Vin. Scarlet jerked her hands off the ground and shifted to her knees beside him the moment she touched a liquid thicker than the water flooding the other half of the cave. “No no no no no,” she whimpered under her breath. The red that coated her hands glinted in the dim firelight behind her. She stared and trembled, her wild hair lit with a halo and sticking to her dampened face. She stared, until a rattling breath caught her attention.

Scarlet’s head snapped up as she leaned forward and gently touched a shaking hand to Vin's face, paying no heed to her own blood running down her arms. Her eyes looked him over in the quivering glow. Gashes shown on either cheek and across his nose. His clothes were soaked with spots of blood quickly growing in size. Small arrows protruded from his arms, his ribs, his legs- Scarlet’s vision was quickly blurred with tears and she squeezed her eyes shut, turning her head away.

A weak cough escaped him and Scarlet instantly opened her eyes. “Vin- Vin,” she repeated, quiet and hysterical. She reached out and carefully shifted his head onto her lap.

He winced and groaned as she gripped his shoulder, his head lolling towards her. “Do not do that,” he insisted breathlessly.

“Vin.” Her voice started as a whisper and cracked in a high pitch. With shaking fingers, she hastily brushed the hair away from his face.

He blinked open his dark eyes, dull and glazed, having difficulty finding her face. “Captain?” He murmured brokenly.

“Yes,” she breathed. “Yes, I’m here. Don’t worry.” She spoke quickly and quietly, her voice quavering dangerously along with the rest of her body. “You’ll be alright- I’ll take you to the ship- I’ll-”

She was cut short when a raspy laugh escaped him and he looked away in another coughing fit. When he looked back, blood ran from his lips and stained his mouth. “No, I… Will not be,” he stated.

Scarlet let out a small, humorless laugh. “Of course you will be.” She drew a sharp, hitched breath and bit her lower lip as tears began to spill down her face, leaving streaks through the grime. “You always are,” she burst through her sudden, wracking sobs.

He shook his head weakly. “Not this time, tesoro,” he choked, sputtering as blood continued to escape his mouth. “But do not worry,” he gasped. He grappled for her hand and gripped it tightly once it was found, holding it upon his chest. “I… Am not afraid,” he breathed.

Scarlet clutched his hand as tightly as she dared, and even more so when his grasp began to slacken. Blinking her eyes against the sting of tears, she struggled to speak past her heart pounding in her throat. Finally, she managed to breathe less than a whisper. “I am.”

Vin’s eyes began to shut and Scarlet started to shake her head rapidly. “No. No!” She shrieked, gripping him tighter as his body began to go limp. His head fell to the side and she reached over and turned it back towards her. “Wake up,” she cried. “Wake up, damn you! Wake up!” She screamed desperately, but he did not respond. Her voice fell to a voice low and broken. “I can’t lose you, too.”

Scarlet let out a breath and her muscles went slack in defeat. She stared at him numbly, her breath nearly nonexistent. In the silence she created, a stir of breath could be heard. Not from her, but from him. Scarlet’s eyes moved to his face, then darted to the stalagmites and the pool on the other side of the cave. Saltwater- no. Seawater.

Scrambling to her feet, Scarlet’s caution was taken over by determination. She hooked her arms under his and began to pull. It was difficult enough to shift his dead weight herself, but on the slippery stone it was made that much more difficult. Nevertheless, it was not long before she felt the pressure of water surround her boots. Instantly she collapsed with a splash into the shallow pool, breathing heavily. She then leaned forward and pulled Vin into the water and into her lap, grunting with the effort.

Once he was in the water completely, she pulled him close and held her ear to his chest. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the faint thrum of his heart. Unable to bring herself to pull away, she listened at the sound of it grow slower and slower until, finally, it ceased altogether.

Scarlet’s expression slowly twisted with the pain of loss and she curled her fingers into his torn clothes, gripping them with all her strength. She turned her head and buried her face in his bloodstained shirt.

The sound of her sobs was hidden; muffled. They showed, however, in her shaking shoulders. Her wounds stung with the saltwater running red with their blood, but she did not notice. She murmured to him between cloth and hitched breath as if he would respond any moment. As she knew but not as she hoped, he continued his endless silence.

After a long while, Scarlet grew numb, both physically and emotionally. She left his body slumped limply on shore and emerged from the pool. Wearily, she wandered over to the cave wall and craned her neck back to look at the stalactites above. She pressed her palms to the stone and her gaze slid back down to her boots. It took only a moment for her blank expression to become that of anger. She curved her fingers forcefully into the wall, bearing her teeth, before taking a step back and slamming her palm into the wall.

"Why?!" She screeched. "Why him?!" She pushed away from the wall and walked in a small circle before coming to it again and brought her fist down upon it. "Why. Him?!" Her roar echoed through the caverns, the din of the reverberations surrounding her. She struck the wall until her knuckles bled then took a step back, looking up again. "Don't ignore me!" She howled, beginning to pace but continuing to look directly above her. "Answer me! I know you're up there!"

"Actually, I am down here."

Scarlet froze in her tracks as a motion on the wall beside her caught her eye. The shadow of a figure cast by her dying lantern, growing smaller as it approached her. She remained tensed and still, her breathing labored, until she felt a hand touch her shoulder.

In a flash, Scarlet grabbed the forearm of the other woman and pulled a dagger from her belt. She pinned Chal against the wall with her forearm to her throat and the point of her blade pressed to her middle. “You did this,” she hissed.

The fear in the goddess’s stormy blue eyes melted quicker than it could be caught. It was replaced by a steady laugh that escaped her. “How could that possibly be my fault?” She taunted in her exotic accent, gesturing to Vin with her eyes.

“You led us here with false instruction,” Scarlet accused, leaning closer to Chal and causing her to wince.

Now the goddess’s face grew dark with anger. “I am a goddess,” she pointed out bitterly.

“You are nothing without the ring.” Scarlet spat the words like venom, nearly nose to nose with the other woman.

A chilling laugh flowed from Chal like a toxic fluid. “You are forgetting that death cannot claim me.”

Scarlet shifted her arms and pressed her dagger against Chal’s neck. Suddenly, her opponent’s eyes grew wide. Scarlet applied pressure, bearing her teeth, until the woman’s dark skin broke under the sharp edge. Rather than blood, water seeped from her veins and she glared sharply at Scarlet from the tilted angle of her head.

“I forget nothing,” Scarlet growled. “It is you that does not seem to remember who-” Her blade flicked Chal’s face, creating a slash that leaked water as her neck did. “I-” She quickly did the same to the other cheek. “Am.” Scarlet tossed the dagger into her other hand and forced it against the unscathed side of her throat. Then, she spoke low and fast. “I’m the one that can make you wish it could.”

Scarlet drew her dagger across her skin quickly, causing Chal to cry out and begin to babble a long line of pleas. Scarlet struck her temple with a force that sent her to the ground, sprawling onto her back. Sauntering towards her, Scarlet drew her sword. She pressed a boot to Chal’s throat and leaned forward until her hair shrouded the faces of them both. Chal promptly turned away, but Scarlet used the edge of her sword to force the goddess to look her in the eyes. “I am Captain Scarlet Waters-” Her sharp, spine-chilling gaze pierced Chal’s eyes as she spoke with violent ferocity. “-and I am what death fears.”



Alright, now that that's over with, here's what follows, which is a quite fed-up Scarlet with a whole new motive for determination. I was rethinking how harsh she acts in this scene, but I know that really is how she would probably respond. This is the scene I was thinking about using as the end of the first book. Thoughts on that would be lovely c:



Scarlet had refused to speak on the way back to the beach. Not a word had escaped her for days until they reached her ship. However, she had not been alone. The men had brought along Vin’s body with the intention to have him brought back to Italy with his sister. They could not bring themselves to speak; indeed no one had the stomach for words.

Once they reached the ship, Fia had retreated below deck where her wails could still be heard in the eerie silence that plagued the Obsidian. They rang through Scarlet’s ears like threads of ice, chilling her to the bone and freezing her to her post. Her complexion was pale and her face void of emotion. The only tension that remained was in her hands, seizing the wheel until the lacerated skin on her knuckles white as the ghost she might as well have been.

Finnegan slowly make his way up from below, walking across the deck and to the helm where Scarlet stood alone. His own eyes were rimmed with red as hers were. He stopped at her side and hefted a small sigh. “Captain,” he muttered, but she said nothing. “Please, speak to me,” he insisted quietly. “I will help you.” He searched her eyes for something, but found nothing. “Scarlet,” he whispered, reaching out to touch her arm. Scarlet flinched from his touch, but did not move her eyes away from the sea. Sorrow filled Finnegan’s face and weighed it down as he began to walk away in defeat.

“Tesoro.” Finnegan stopped immediately when he heard the words escape Scarlet and looked over at her. “What does it mean?” She asked flatly. Finnegan remained silent. “What… Does it mean?!” She shouted, striking the wheel with the hell of her hand.

Finnegan kept a steady gaze on her without faltering, hesitating before drawing a breath to speak. “It means… My darling.” He paused and glanced aside, clearing his throat before glancing back at her. “My treasure.”

Scarlet’s grip tightened on the wheel and she set her jaw. Suddenly, she spun the wheel rapidly, causing the ship to lurch to the left. Shouts of surprise sounded from the deck as her men stumbled, Finnegan reaching out and gripped the rail. “Where are we goin’, Captain?” He asked her.

Scarlet steadied the wheel in a northeast direction and narrowed her eyes with determination. “The Devil’s Triangle,” she told him in a dark voice. Though she kept low and quiet, the way she spoke was enough to make a brave man cower. She drew a breath and her jaw stiffened as she continued, speaking quickly. “And if I have to I will slay the namesake himself to take back what was stolen from me.



Oh look, another scene that doesn't line up with the rest. In this version they traded the ring for the Bermuda key, so there's that. And just a fair warning, this part is kinda... Out there in comparison to the rest of the story. The drastic change to a fantasy feel is something I really need to work on in the second draft. I do not like one bit how the end of the book doesn't feel like the same story as the beginning and that is something I will change. So here, have a weird scene.



Sloshing echoed through the familiar tunnel as Scarlet led her men through the waist high water. The surface slowly began to drop and at knee-height, she stopped and held up a hand, the rest of them stopping behind her. From there, Scarlet continued alone.

Minding the drop off, she waded along the edge of the wall and gazed into the black pool with the blue glow floating upon it. “Hey!” She called as she sauntered onto the shore. She waited a moment before the anger showed on her face and she kicked the waterline, disturbing the glasslike surface. “Hey!” She shouted again. She waited only a few moments before she saw a head bob above the water.

The mermaid drifted at a snail’s pace towards Scarlet and tipped her head slightly. “Such appalling and impatient behavior for a guest.” Her liquid voice flowed musically through the air.

Scarlet scoffed and placed her hands on her hips, rolling her head back before looking at the mermaid again. “Pyrate,” she pointed out with a snark in her tone, gesturing to herself.

The mermaid stared and blinked before offering a simple nod and shifting her course towards the stone at the edge of the cave. “You did not behave in such a way last time you were here, Medusa of the Sea,” she stated.

“Last time I came to ask for a petty trinket,” Scarlet spat.

The mermaid hauled herself upon the rock and swished her tail through the water as she gazed upon the red-haired captain with curiosity. “Why have you returned?”

“I have come to claim a soul,” Scarlet stated without hesitation, taking a step forward as she spoke.

Surprise overcame the mermaid’s face. “Man does not hold claim to the dead.”

Scarlet raised an eyebrow and slowly shook her head. “I am no man.”

The mermaid paused and looked at her carefully. “What could one woman possibly have to trade for a key and a soul in one lifetime?” Her eyes flickered to the tunnel. “Perhaps your bribe is with your company?”

Scarlet froze then hesitantly whistled a signal. “Tajo,” she called.

“Only one man?” The mermaid asked accusingly.

“The rest are not yet needed,” Scarlet snapped defensively.

Tajo emerged with Chal in tow, the two walking along the edge to the shore as Scarlet had done. The mermaid looked over and immediately gasped, dropping into a hovering bow with her arms and shaking, webbed fingers stretched out before her. “Mother Chalchiuhtlicue,” she whispered frantically. “What will you do with her?”

Scarlet took the rope from Tajo and yanked Chal forward, the two exchanging glares. “Your mother is trapped and unable to hope for death while she remains in this body…” Scarlet drew her sword from her belt and touched it to the face of the goddess. "Or pieces of it," she whispered threateningly. "Unless," she added, louder now and lowering her sword. "Unless you bring me the soul I seek and return him just as he was. If you do this, you will have your mother and her ring and you will be able to return her to her glory." She looked over at the mermaid, who remained bowing low, her entire body shaking now. "Do we have a deal?"

"She's mad," Bishop spat from the tunnel.

Edwin heaved a sigh. "I'm afraid its hereditary."

Slowly, the mermaid lifted her head and looked at Chal, who gave her a brisk nod. She then slowly straightened up and looked to Scarlet and nodded herself. “Of course. Have you brought the body?”

Scarlet continued to stare at her as she waved an arm, motioning for Edwin and Bishop to bring Vin to the shore. She stepped back as they placed him on the shore before her. The mermaid slipped swiftly from her rock and disappeared into the black water.

“Where is she going?” Bishop demanded. “I didn’t come all the way here to-”

He was cut off when Chal both held up her hand to silence him. “She will be back,” the goddess assured him, brimming with anticipation. “My daughters do not forsake their word.”

They waited in tense silence until the mermaid resurfaced. This time she held a rounded bottle in her hands with what seemed to be a whisp of smoke or mist jerking about inside. Scarlet’s eyes widened as she held it out to her. After hesitating, she rushed to the waterline, walking around Vin, and kneeling to the ground. She forced herself not to tremble as she took the bottle from the mermaid. As she did so, the cloud inside knocked against the glass hard enough for it to rock, making Scarlet lurch to steady it. Suddenly, she felt the rough skin and thin webbing of the mermaid’s hands grab her wrists and she looked at her.

“He senses your presence,” the mermaid said, her eyes flicking from the bottle up to Scarlet’s ghostly and fearful gaze. “He is in your heart, Medusa of the Sea. A soul cannot live on its own.”

“What do you mean?” Scarlet meant to snap at her, but instead her words were weak and afraid.

The mermaid let go of her wrists and drifted backwards, gesturing to him. Hesitantly, Scarlet rose and walked to where she stood before, kneeling once again beside him. Behind her, Chal extended her arms and stepped back, forcing the three men with her until they reached the wall. Scarlet hesitated before quickly setting the bottle down beside her and reaching forward to pull the canvas cover away from Vin’s face.

She was not as startled as she expected to be. The gashes on his face remained and his skin was pale, but he looked peaceful. However, the rattling bottle beside her said otherwise as it rocked precariously back and forth. She tore her gaze away and snatched it up in her hand, freeing the cork from its hold.

The mist flew from the bottle and into his mouth, causing his body to convulse once. Scarlet looked around as the blue glow surrounding them became a deep red. She was jerked forward suddenly with a small yelp, extending a hand to the ground before her to steady herself. Breathing heavily as her heart pounded, Scarlet watched as a string of red light escaped her chest. It swirled slowly before her but when she reached up to touch it, it shot into the body at the waterline. She cried out, as it felt as though her body was unraveling and she curled forward, gritting her teeth.

As soon as it began, it ended. The glow in the cave returned to a soft blue. Scarlet went slack and hung her head between her shoulders as she pressed a palm to the cold ground, her breaths labored. She looked up through a veil of hair to see that Vin’s wounds had healed, the scars inflicted by the treacherous arrows fading into nothingness. The color had returned to his skin and his chest was slowly rising and falling with breath. She scrambled forward and gently took his face in her hands, brushing away his hair. A smile of relief reached her face and she let out a breathless laugh.

Scarlet looked over her shoulder, expecting to see her elation reflected in the eyes of her crew, but only met three pairs of wide, petrified eyes. She frowned when she realized Chal was missing and whipped her head to the side, where the goddess stood at the water’s edge. Scarlet quickly stood to face her, but her attention was taken by the words of the mermaid.

“He will wake at the first light of the sun.”

“Will he be as he was?” Scarlet asked.

The mermaid nodded slowly once, then looked up at Chal. Scarlet followed her gaze and looked at the woman standing beside her, returning her gaze. After a moment of hesitation, Scarlet took a step forward and as she pulled the dagger from her belt she swiftly severed the bonds that held the goddess. Chal let the rope drop to the floor and grasped her wrists before looking back up and giving a nod to Scarlet, who returned the action warily.

Chal abruptly turned from her and walked into the water, her jade skirt flowing in her wake. “Come, child,” she murmured, stroking the mermaid’s hair. “Take me to my ring."



See, I told you that'd be a bit weird. But still cool, neh? ... At least a little bit? ... Maybe...? Anyway...
So obviously things will be a bit awkward when he wakes up. Scarlet being Scarlet, her tackling and kissing him or something simply won't happen. In fact, she'd probably linger behind while everyone else welcomes him back to the land of the living. No one would dare tell him it was her idea to bring him back, and so the tension between them will be on a whole new level. And actually.. I still have no idea what will happen when it snaps or when. It will, of course, but the question is how. I have tested a TON of scenes regarding this. A ton. It's ridiculous. None of them are better than any other. Its actually driving me a bit crazy. But I do have one more scene for you. And it goes a little something like this:



The sun was only just beginning to rise off the coast of Italy. The pink and orange rays of the morning sun warmed the spring frost that followed a chill into the night. The arrival of light breathed life into the port town they had docked in- a necessary detour.

Watching the man that boarded her ship as a mere stowaway nearly a year before walk off her ship brought less joy to Scarlet than she had anticipated. Standing at the rail, the ocean breeze whipped violently at her loose curls, though she remained perfectly still beneath the flaming chaos. She thought she’d wanted nothing more than to rid herself and her crew of his presence, but just two steps onto the dock and the Obsidian already felt empty; lacking.

The feeling hardly belonged to her alone. Sam heaved a sigh and slumped over the rail, watching the forms of Vin and Fia wandering off the dock with a distraught expression. He glanced up the stairs at Scarlet before looking down at the gently lapping water and pushing himself up, gripping the wood a bit tighter than necessary. “I really thought it would work.”

The words matched those echoing in his mind, but the voice was not his. Sam glanced over as Warren stopped beside him with a look of hopelessness on his face and shook his head, his eyes flickering to his sister before looking up at Sam. “He was actually starting to get through to her,” he continued in a low voice.

Sam pressed his lips together and sighed, slapping a hand down on Warren’s shoulder. “Truth be told, I think ‘e was gettin’ to all of us.” He looked in the other direction as Finnegan began to make his sluggish way back up the ramp from sending them off and caught sight of the rest of the crew- half the men moving with more stiffness than the coldest of mornings could bring. As Sam’s sights found Scarlet once more, his expression changed to that of determination and his grip on Warren’s shoulder tightened before he threw his arm down and shoved past him towards the stairs. “An’ we can’t let ‘im walk away.”

Warren looked up in surprise then whipped around to scramble after Sam. “Wait, what?” He rambled in confusion. “What do you mean? You expect him to stay for her sake?” He asked, voice heavy with doubt.

Sam hardly paused as he looked over his shoulder to answer, scurrying up the stairs. “Aye.” Warren snapped his mouth shut and hastily followed as Sam approached Scarlet, slamming his hands on the rail beside her hard enough to make the redhead jump with a startle. “Cap’n!” He greeted, his tone half playful and half demanding.

Scarlet took a step back and looked him up and down, drawing a breath she did not expect to be shaky. “What do ye want?” She snapped.

“Same thing ye do,” he answered coolly before gesturing to the dock.

Scarlet pinched her brows together then followed his gesture, taking a moment to realize he was motioning to the two fading figures. She scoffed defensively and shot a glare his way. “I’m gettin’ what I want,” she corrected. “Him gone.”

She tried to shove past him, but he blocked her with an arm and pushed her back to where she stood before. She looked at him as if she were ready to put a bullet through his head but he spoke before she had the chance. “Ye can’t lie to me, cap’n,” he said pointedly.

“I’m not lyin’!” She barked defensively.

“Scarlet-” Warren said, clearing his throat before pointing to her fingers drumming on her thigh.

Scarlet immediately clenched her fist and looked between them before her icy stare settled on her brother. “Ye told him about that?!” She hissed.

“... Should I not have?” Warren mumbled innocently.

Scarlet’s red lips made a line and her eyes narrowed as she slowly shook her head. “Damn you,” she muttered bitterly.

“So we followin’ ‘im er what?” Sam asked again, steadily meeting Scarlet’s stern gaze.

“He won’t come back,” she insisted.

“I think ‘e will,” Sam countered casually.

“He’d die first,” she hissed.

“Already did,” Sam pointed out, catching her off guard. “So how much ye willin’ to bet?”

Scarlet paused and eyed him. “On what?”

“Whether or not he’d come back.”

She hesitated before answering. “How much ye got?”

“However much ye want,” Sam said with a smirk before gesturing a crossed arm towards her cabin. “Against yer fancy saber on yer wall.”

Their eyes locked in silence for a long while before Scarlet shoved between them. “Deal.”

A grin spread across Sam’s face and he let his arms drop to his sides before following her.

“Wait,” Warren called after him. “Where are you going?”

Sam didn’t bother looking back to answer. “To win a bet.”

--

The journey to Abruzzo from the port they’d arrive at took far less time than it had from Spain. Nevertheless, Vin and Fia were still exhausted upon arriving at a familiar vineyard during mid-day. They’d caught the eyes of a few of the workers, one of which had run to the villa.

They rode on a horse-pulled cart they had bought early on after Vin had refused to allow Fia to ride horseback, pregnant as she was. He jumped off now, walking around to help her down. They exchanged a smile as she took his hand and helped her down. “I told you I would get you home,” he said, having reverted back to speaking the language most familiar to him about halfway through the journey, when the two of them realized English was no longer necessary. Still, both of them found themselves going back and forth, finding it a strange thing to have difficulty letting go of.

“I never said you wouldn’t,” Fia pointed out in a playfully sassy tone, the smile on her face reflecting her relief at being home. Vin smiled and put a hand on her shoulder as they began to head for the door.

Once they were close, a familiar figure appeared in the doorway. Isabetta stood in slight shock before gripping her dress and rushing down the stairs.

Fia left Vin’s side and ran forward. “Mamma.”

“My Fiorenza,” she said softly, a smile on her face and her tired eyes brimming with tears. She held her arms out and touched Fia’s gently as she looked her up and down. A hand flew to her mouth and then wiped away a tear that began to roll down her cheek. “Look at you,” she whispered before pulling her daughter into a tight embrace. “Forgive me, little star, I should have never let them take you from me,” she murmured, tears beginning to flow more steadily.

“It was not your fault, mamma,” Fia insisted in a soothing tone. “I am back now.” She tried to be comforting, but tears reached her own eyes as well.

“Yes, you are,” Isabetta said, leaning back and holding Fia’s face in her hands before kissing her forehead. She then looked over as Vin approached, stopping a short distance away. She flashed Fia a last smile before wandering over to him. Stopping, she put her hands on her hips and looked him up and down. “Oh, my son,” She said with a shake of her head. “You look terrible.” She looked at him only a moment longer because a smile stretched across her face. Vin laughed and stepped forward until he was close enough to hug her tightly. She reached up and smiled, pressing her delicate hands against his back. “I missed you, Vinazio. I was worried I would not see you again.”

“I missed you too, mamma,” he told her quietly.

--

That night, Vin did not sleep as well as he expected he would. He laid in a familiar bed in familiar clothes with the familiar smell of the vineyard on a warm draft. It was as though the last year had never happened. Though when he squirmed against the softness of the bed, he knew it wasn’t true. He told himself it would be a relief to be back home where things were safe and well known. Instead, thinking of his life being as ordinary as it was before was more terrifying than than a sword to his throat. He’d been content before, but then again he hadn’t known what he was missing. He had been unable to comprehend a world more beautiful than Abruzzo, but now he knew he’d been wrong and all he wanted to do was see more. He groaned in frustration and turned to the side. It was too late to go back now.

He startled when he heard a knock on the door, followed by his mother’s voice calling his name. “Vinazio?”

Frowning, he threw off the blanket and walked up to the door, opening it quickly. He paused when he saw her seeming out of breath and slightly flustered. “I do not know what is going on,” she said in a quick and stern tone, “but you are wanted downstairs.” Her hair was in a messy braid and she wore a robe over her nightdress.

“What?” He asked urgently, instantly on edge. “By who?”

She shook her head. “I do not know, but the man’s Italian is dreadful. You mustn’t make me listen to another word of it,” she said, exasperated and slightly disgusted.

Confusion only growing, Vin walked past her and headed for the stairs, Isabetta following close behind. “Mamma, go back to bed,” He told her in a warning tone over his shoulder.

“I will not!” She scoffed and he didn’t bother to argue.

As they passed, Fia’s room, she exited with her own candle and easily fell into step beside her brother. “Who is here?” She asked with a little too much excitement.

“Fia, go back to your room,” he told her sharply, hardly thinking twice about the switch back to English.

“I will not!” She said, with a scoff all too similar to their mother’s.

Vin groaned as they followed him down the stairs. Why did he even try? As he reached the bottom, he began to head one way before feeling a tug on his sleeve. “This way,” Isabetta muttered, pulling him in the other direction.

It didn’t take long before the sound of voices could be heard. The closer they got, the more familiar they became and Vin picked up the pace until he was well ahead of the other two.

“I still don’t understand why I had to come along,” one of the voices huffed.

“Ack,” a gruff grunt sounded. “Quit yer whinin’, blondie. Ye wouldn’t last a day wi’out me th’r to keep ye from bein’ torn apart.”

“I would have been fine,” the first voice argued.

“Ye just wish you could have stayed behind to whore around on shore,” the gruff voice snapped back. “You’d ‘ave the ship burned down by th’ time we got back.”

“Hey!” The other shouted defensively. “That was an accident and a very small fire!”

A grin forced itself onto Vin’s face as he rounded the corner. The first thing he saw was a smug Sam with crossed arms, shooting an amused look at a red-faced Warren, and Scarlet standing behind the two of them with her face buried in her hands, fingers curving into her hair.
“Will the two of you shut it?!” Scarlet hissed sharply before the attention of all three of them diverted up to the approaching candle light.

Sam smiled at Vin and threw his arms in the air dramatically. “Ey, pretty boy!”

Vin stopped before them and let out a laugh of disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, we did risk our arses to save yers, mate,” Sam pointed out, gesturing to him. “Is it really so ‘ard t’lieve we’d make sure ye’d get ‘ome safe?” His eyes flickered to Fia as she stopped beside Vin and he offered her a smile that she returned with the addition of a blush.

Vin’s eyebrows raised in surprised. “So you came back and followed us across Italy?”

“Don’t think too much of it.” Scarlet spoke now, pushing the two men aside and standing in front of them. She held out a hand and examined the new rings decorating her fingers, stacked upon the old ones. “It was hardly an inconvenience.”

Warren stepped forward, pushing Scarlet aside. She stumbled back and glared at him sharply. “Well, we never really left in the first place,” he pointed out. “It took all of five minutes to realize we didn’t want you to go.”

Vin let out another small laugh. “Really?”

“Well yeah,” Warren said with a scoff, leaning on one leg and crossing his arms. “What, you think we’d drag you back from hell and not Italy?”

“We want ye back, mate,” Sam admitted. “The Cap’n wouldn’t risk the wrath of a goddess fer any ol’ rat,” Sam pointed out, taking a step forward and slapping a hand on his shoulder before looking over his own at Scarlet. “By th’ way, I believe I’ve won.”

“Not yet,” Scarlet snarled in a low voice, crossing her arms.

--

After a briefly hushed exchange of Italian between Vin and his mother with a word or two of input from Fia, it was agreed that the band of pyrates was to be allowed to stay overnight.

Vin had the intention of showing them all to their own room- they had no shortage- but upon opening the door to the first, Sam claimed loudly that it would do just fine and sprawled onto the plush bed, throwing an oversized pillow at Warren who promptly hugged it tight and collapsed straight onto the floor, practically asleep before impact was made.

Scarlet took a mere few steps past the door, arms wrapped tightly around herself as she looked around. She could hardly believe this was where Vin lived- or anyone, for that matter. She’d seen grand things, but never a home such as the Nicchi villa. It was a wonder to her why anyone would want to leave. It made her feel small and out of place, like a mediocre wood carving placed among elegant porcelain dolls.

Noticing her hesitation, Vin had mentioned there were still empty rooms she could have to herself, but she’d quickly turned down the offer, fairly certain the night would bring no sleep to her. Before leaving, Vin voiced the assurance that if he were needed- by her or any other- he was merely down the hall.

When he closed the door, Scarlet wandered through the darkness to the only light in the room- the moonlight streaming through a window taller than herself. She rested her hands on the sill and gazed through the chilled glass, already fogging from her distant breath. She looked for a long time on the view beyond- hills rolling in the distance like a storm’s waves frozen in time. Draped with the dark blue of night, the description was hardly far off. She’d never seen land so vast and unblemished by trees and cliffs.

Eventually, she found herself hastily shoving away from the window and pacing the room instead. She reverted back and forth between these actions until she lost track of time completely. Hands folded behind her back mid-pace, she slowed to a stop and turned her head towards the door. After a bout of inner conflict, she rushed towards the direction of the bedside table, picking her way around her sleeping brother until she reached it and snagged the candle in it’s holder, swiftly lighting it.

Once she had the means to light her way, Scarlet rushed for the door before she had time to change her mind, opening it and slipping to the other side before closing it behind her with a soft click.

She was taken aback when she turned around simply by the way the firelight reflected off marble floors and trinkets on display. Making her way down the hall as quietly as possible, she halted and backtracked when she passed a mirror on the wall. What she saw in the reflection very nearly made her turn right back around and pace the remainder of the night away.

There was a gaping lack of reflective surfaces on the ship, and not without reason. She’d changed nothing of her average look, and what she saw would have normally made her smirk smugly for startling herself. At that point, however, it seemed even more out of place than she already felt. Her red curls were wild and tangled, a halo of stray, aimless hair glowing around the beads and twisted braids. Her eyes looked pale and lifeless, offset by the black smudges ringing them. A frown reached her faded red lips as she stared at the scar that split them- had she not seen herself since she’d acquired the injury? Cautiously, she parted her lips, but snapped them shut the instant she saw the glint of her gold tooth.

When her eyes flickered up to stare back at themselves she realized they were wide and unsure as a child’s, but only for an instant. Narrowing them, she turned hastily away, back the way she’d come in the first place. However, in a few paces she began to slow. Growling under her breath, she whipped around and marched past the mirror without slowing, at the same time keeping a pace that wouldn’t make the candle she held flicker out.

Soon enough, Scarlet came to a dead stop in front of the door Vin had indicated as his. She raised a clenched hand to knock but stopped short, drawing a breath before reaching straight for the knob instead.

Her heart pounded against her will as she slowly pushed the door open and slipped inside. She didn’t have to walk far before a single bed and sleeping body became illuminated by her handheld flame. She slowed as she reached the bedside, her eyes on Vin, still with slumber, as she gently placed the candle holder on the table.

Her expression softened as she looked down at him, an uneasy mixture of regret and longing overwhelming her. She bit her lip and raised a hesitant hand, the back of it nearly brushing the side of his face before she curled her fingers and recoiled. What was she doing? Why had she come? She concluded that there was no logical reasoning behind her actions, blamed her thought process on sleep deprivation, and snatched the candle holder from the nightstand. Eyes lingering on the man a moment longer, she turned and hastily made her way back to the door without a second glance.

The second her back was turned, Vin blinked his eyes half open and breathed a sigh composed entirely of breath he hadn’t been aware he held. He remained still and watched the light fade as she walked away. He wanted to call out. He wanted to tell her to stay, but the words caught in his throat and soon enough, there was a closed door between them and he was left alone.

Perhaps if she had given in to one last glance before walking through the doorway- perhaps if he had been able to find the words he wished to speak- then, perhaps, the night would have had more to offer than darkness and regret.

[ʞ ɔ ǝ ɹ ʍ d ı ʞ s]

//cowering in the torch light and pitch fork shadows
That's all I have.
But I will make a compromise with you guys.
IF I DO get ideas to connect those loose pieces [I haven't in months, but if I do] I will be absolutely sure to share them with you guys.
Thank you everyone who stuck with me all the way to this point c:
I really do appreciate the dedication!
And remember, you can always share any comments with me!
And I do have a few last things to add before I'm done here.

Things that could very possibly be changing:


- El Dorado. This WILL be changing. The treasure has to be a smaller artifact in order for the entire second book to take place.

- Vin's name. I made it up. I literally- I just stuck sounds together that I liked before this was a serious project. BUT there are real names that are very close, and I have been leaning towards Vincenzo, but I'm still totally conflicted when it comes to his last name.

- Key locations. I'll definitely be mixing that up. They find the keys far too quickly and conveniently, and there are shenanagins galore that could have happened if I had been more tactful with the locations.

- To be honest, I'm not even 100% sure about a goddess at all. I might just make Chal a witch or something.

Things that will definitely be added:


- More of Scarlet's past. Her childhood growing up with pyrates. I will definitely elaborate more on her relationships with Alistair, Thorton, Gail, and Sam as well as all the trouble she got into and the things she went through. Things that lead up to her being the way she is.

- More Benny. In all honesty, I should have introduced him way earlier than I did. I only mentioned him about once because by the time I did it was too late to do any kind of interesting development. Though he gets the least "screen" time, this problem also applies to other characters, like Sam, Thorton, Edwin, Warren- basically all the secondary characters. I would very much like to mix up the interactions with all the characters since they spend so long cooped up on a ship together.

- BETTER CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. I cannot even begin to tell you how much the choppy character development in this version annoys the holy living hell out of me. I- just- I can't even- AH.

Things I have no idea what I'm going to do about:


- Sam and Fia?? Would that be a thing?? Would it?? I wanted it to be but I'm just not feelin' it guys, I ship him with Warren more than with her. Maybe a crush or a fling but... Eh. Maybe Fia and Benny since they're actually the same age?? But with both we run into the problem where I don't want either of them to leave the ship.

- Scarlet and Vin oh my god at this point we all know they're gonna be a thing. Obviously. It will take a painfully long time but it will happen. But hoooooow is the question. And I don't fluffin' know is the answer. It's a battle of wills. Who will give in first? And will it be sweet or sudden? One kiss then storming away or flat out attacking each other? These are the things I think about someone help me.

... Obviously romance is very much not my thing.