At the ripe age of six, she realised that the country of Enpraso was shaped like a broken heart.

According to the stories her superstitious grandmother told her, Enpraso was once ruled by a loving queen. Widowed and infertile, she was deemed useless by a majority of her court and was years away from being ostracised and replaced. Though the public loved her to death, nothing could trump the hatred her brother had for his dear sister and queen, and after an act of political sabotage, she was found guilty of corruption, and hanged.

Enpraso fell into what could only had been described as a depression. And not too long after, the landscape began to change. Northern Enpraso began to be split by the sea. A hundred years passed and the land began to resembled a broken heart. A tiny island remained between the west and east, a reminder that the country had once been whole.

A belief about the country’s people rose from this; they there were tormented, in constant anguish and frustration, unable to love and thus, finding unconventional ways to fill that gap in their heart. Supposedly it was why they turned to the sea, whose arms embraced them and suffocated them. The thrill and danger must’ve been a way to keep their minds off their agony. And even now, as Susanoo observed her three Enpraso crewmen lift the anchor, their scars couldn’t hide themselves from her.

The breeze had since calmed after her arrival. When on the run, it was as though the sea dreaded with her. They had charted their course to southern Enpraso, where from they would attempt to enter serious pirate lord territory.

The captain of the Medusa had yet to formulate a plan. She knew she sought alliances and wished to avoid enemies, but she already had two; the armada, and her old pirate crew. They would track her eventually and when they realised that their little sailor had gotten her hands on the Medusa, they would do anything to get their old crone to replace her as captain.

Kuni. Susanoo had thought of him as a father once upon a time, harsh but a father nonetheless. He taught her how to wield a sword and gun, how to load a canon and avoid imprisonment. She couldn’t yet let go of the thought that he had been the one who gave those two Nar soldiers information on her whereabouts. He was keen on sending her somewhere where she would be caught, and his alliances weren’t exactly transparent. Though she was yet to forget the day he took her under his wing as a damned seventeen year old, the pain of betrayal was fresh in her skin.

“Captain, might I have a word?”.

Turning, Susanoo found Emil motioning her to the captain’s quarters. She went past Yellow Eyes, who had managed to find the crate of rum after rummaging the brig. She didn’t miss the sneer he gave her.

Upon entering the quarters, she closed the door behind her and found Emil to be particularly tense. She had given the crew a reason to feel such a way. To say she didn’t feel guilty would be a lie. “Is there any particular reason why you think the Fourth Pirate Lord would ever wish to form an alliance with you?”, he quizzed. Susanoo circled around towards her desk. “I also find it unlikely that he would even consider any of us after how badly we lost to his crew just a week ago.”

“In a game of cards. You lost money, not your dignity. For him to turn us down just because of that…”, she pulled a face as she sat herself down. “Doubtful.”

“I believe you. But what do you have to offer that he is willing to take? What is your plan, as captain and as king?”.

Her plan…

The truth was, she didn’t have one. Survival was at the top of her list as well as the insurance that the crown remained in her possession. The odds were already against her, and she didn’t know how to flip them in her favour. Her experience in eavesdropping over old Ejiri noblemen taught her that alliances were everything.

“My plan is to retain what I have. Through no fault of my own, I became king. I don’t know the first thing about it, but I know that my hands are safer than that of another pirate. When there’s an overhanging danger on all of us, petty rivalries simply get in the way”, Susanoo explained. “I want an unshifting alliance because when the armada eventually find me, I won’t be able to fend for myself. We won’t.”

“An alliance isn’t exactly Pavoni’s thing, you have to be specific over what he has that you want. Name it, captain”, Emil countered. He probably knew more than she did, she wasn’t going to turn an attentive ear away.

She thought hard, and it brought her immense dread to go forward with this plan, but it was the only one she had for now. “As a Pirate Lord, he has the power over something the armada doesn’t. He can summon things. Well, thing. A beast from the seas, I hear. He’s been around long enough for me to know of the many ships that creature has sunk. A tool that can be readily used against the armada.”

“You don’t think he’s already planning on using it with or without an alliance? He’s a pirate, too, he’ll use it for his own sake”, the quartermaster responded, and she found every word of reason drastically decreasing her confidence. Susanoo sunk back into her seat, deflated. “You cannot offer him the crown nor the Medusa, either. Perhaps you’ll have a better chance asking him what he wants, and give it to him.”

Susanoo hummed, “You think he won’t abuse that power he’ll then have over us?”.

“Of course he will. But then you’ll just have to prove how much of a pirate you truly are. Accept his terms, no matter what, if you want a shot at having him fight by your side”, Emil said, setting his hand on her desk. Susanoo wondered if Emil would stay a pirate for a long time, and if whether he could take her place after she had her run. “You were ambitious enough to pick him above all the others to try and impress. That’s got to count for something.”

She’d heard things in her old crew. The word ‘immortality’ had bounced around a lot in her travels, and she thought it to be the stuff of fiction until she realised there was magic beneath the sea. Miracles didn’t exist, but the macabre and mythos did. With it, many legendary pirates managed to live longer than morally allowed, and many of them were still out there, most having been driven out of Champier, exploring other continents and seas. Whilst Susanoo couldn’t exactly imagine a life quite like that, she wanted to meet a pirate who had accomplished such a feat. Alcide Pavoni had apparently done just that.

His brutality whilst sailing the Hydra had not gone unnoticed. Even in her youth, she had seen the bodies of sailors turn up at the beaches in Ejiri. A warning. The stained maroon waters still haunted her dreams till this day and even now, when she would stir in her sleep, she swore she would hear a groan under the sea, something waiting to be unleashed.

“If all else fails, I still have four others.”

As Emil opened his mouth, the door of the cabin swung open. Yellow Eyes was white like death.

“T-There’s something out there, captain!”.

Susanoo bolted out of the cabin and onto the main deck where she found she couldn’t see beyond three feet of her. Just an hour ago, the skies were blue and perfect, not a cloud in sight. Now, she felt cold all over, with a fog that chilled her to the bone blurring her vision. Around her, the crew ran to clear the vision ahead of them, some running to raise the sails to slow the Medusa. The lamp in the bow of the ship had gone out.

Subconsciously, her hand went to her pistol. “You said you saw something, sir?”, the captain quizzed and advanced further into the deck, looking over the starboard side to see if her eyes could spot the waters crashing beneath them. The Medusa began to slow.

“Not too long after the long began to form, captain, we were certain we saw something move. Something big”, Yellow Eyes remained shaking until he could barely formulate any words.

Something big. It was very likely that it had been one of the water creatures that tended to travel between Isleta and Tamlif. Yet it made her somewhat ill in being unsure. Susanoo sighed and placed her hand on the railing. “This fog is no result of the weather, we’re nearing perhaps the warmest part in the continent. Be on high alert, gentlemen!”.

As the crewmen rushed to turn the rest of the oil lamps off and lower the flag of the Medusa, Susanoo reached into her pocket and took out the telescope that had come along with the ship. Squinting through the glass, she observed every angle and listened out for any suspicious splash. Not that they were traversing at slower speeds, there would’ve been no reason for any loud noises. The waters had calmed, as well. No, this wasn’t anything to do with the weather.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

They had just left Isleta del Sur. She had kept her head down he entire time, careful whether she was being trailed. Had someone snitched? Had she already been tracked by something supernatural?

Suddenly, the world began shaking.

The Medusa halted as though it had hit the sea bed. Susanoo barely gripped hard enough to keep herself from being sent flying like the rest. Once she found her footing, the captain observed an odd shape far off the star board side. Almost completely opposite of them, mirroring their exact position, a ship. Silver rim, tall pearly sails and a flag that churned horror inside of her, blood turning to ice.

“Stop! Don’t move!”.

The panic between the crewmen grew quiet as the fog began to clear ever so slightly, enough for Susanoo to squint and find the other ship to still be there, frozen still like the Medusa. As she gulped, a chill ran down her back. Something splashed beneath her and though she looked down, she didn’t need to investigate to know exactly what they were up against.

The canons weren’t loaded, her crewmen weren’t armed and she barely had the courage to breathe.

Behind her, a grunt. An Enpraso crewmen dropped cold.

And then a second one, and only by looking up did Susanoo swear she was seeing bodies drop from the sky. No, not bodies, figures. They rose to their feet slowly after having knocked out their target, like eagles diving and resurfacing after piercing their prey. Pale, ghostly pirates in fur, long coats. Her suspicions were cleared.

A shadow loomed over her and Susanoo rolled to the side, just in time to avoid the crushing pirate that landed in front of her, a glistening sword in one hand and a dagger in another.

She stared at those heavy leather boots storming up to her and picked herself up, reaching for her pistol and firing a bullet. It bounced off the pirate’s blade, and so the captain gave chase towards the quarters. The main deck began to fill with these pirates seemingly dropping out of the sky, the cries of her crewmen echoing all around her.

Sword, sword, sword; she needed a damn sword! And though she was quick on her feet in dodging the various pale shadows haunting her, she could not make to her cabin in time before a heavy weight pinned her down. She gave a cry and found her cheek pressed against the wooden floor, cold. The hands seized her wrists behind her back and continued to pin her down until she could move her head ever so slightly to look around her.

Her crewmen were being captured, but at least it was not by the Nar. The relief soon transformed into further horror as the fur, black coats reignited a memory she had been hiding. The masks covering their pale faces, their silver swords, the rough language she could not comprehend. There were Nar pirates, she could smell the bitter cold from them.

“Captain!”.

Emil’s cry made Susanoo fight out of her bounds and attempt to crawl back to her feet, but halfway to her knees, something pushed her onto her back, her spine hitting the floor harder. Pain brought tears her eyes and though her blood was running hot with rage, she froze completely as a figure soon approached and loomed over her. Hydra mask.

A glistening silver blade was unsheathed, the tip hanging over her throbbing throat. The man before her was tall, his black clothes reminded her of death, and a rich scent radiated from him. Greatness, power, murder. It was the same scent Kuni had. Susanoo hated feeling powerless but in the presence of a Pirate Lord, there was nothing else she could do. The crown pressed hard against her thigh, she ignored it.

A grunt seeped through the mask, which was then removed. Golden eyes, the purest gold she had ever seen, still being smithed into rings. A mop of walnut hair, untamed by the sea. A scar on his left eye. Full, cold lips. This man— no, boy, reminded Susanoo far too much of the sailors flirting in the docks, bloodhounds to hostels and warm bedsheets and trailing hands. A single gem bejewelled his left ear.

His pouted lips then curled into a wide smirk that ignited a personal hell for Susanoo. It wasn’t a rage she could comprehend, it only made her see red and it awoke her most primitive emotions of wanting to punch, scream, kick and kill. She smelled murder and the blood that she would proudly smear over her face and body. She wanted that head, that pretty head, served on a plate to a shark.

“I heard you were looking for me, captain.”

Alcide Pavoni. Fourth Pirate Lord. Captain of the Hydra.

Polished, seasoned, ancient. He had been sailing before Susanoo’s feet had even touched the sea. Hardly anyone knew how long he had been immortal, but he acquired lordship not too long after killing a former captain and performing various mutinies. If Susanoo were to live long, she wanted to see how long it would be before her crimes were on par with this demon standing before her. Her desire in seeking him had led him exactly to her, which went against what she had intended. And the anguish in seeing him now made Susanoo regret having even opened her mouth.

He hummed, smile dropping. “I will say, when I heard my name being uttered so many times, I believed it was just some stranded sailors telling each other stories”, he dropped his sword slightly and moved closer, before dropping and crouching beneath her. He let out a laugh that shook her bones. “And yet, imagine my surprise to find the Medusa sailing on her merry way, and for my king to be the one guiding her.”

She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t even look at him. She simply listened to his small chuckles until he rose back to his feet and Susanoo then attempted to find her footing. Her crewmen were outnumbered, and seriously in danger. The Hydra had world class criminals boarding her and though the Medusa was the same, her men were rusty. Susanoo couldn’t even lift her pistol and fire it.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about the crown, captain, I’ll let you keep it for longer”, he continued, looking about her crewmen as though they were to soon be added to his collection. She was shaking far too much to even lift a sword against him, she had to be smart. “I heard you wanted to make a deal with me, is that correct?”. With no response, he looked at her and his eyes glistened, a smirk on the side. “Lost your tongue?”.

Susanoo spoke with knitted brows. “I wish to buy your alliance”.

Alcide pouted his lips, and nodded slowly. He weaved between her crewmen, looking at their terrified faces and then back at her. “Aye, an alliance. And uhm, what is your currency? I’ll have you know, gold means nothing to me, neither does the trusting companionship of the Medusa against my enemies.”

She stopped, and looked at Emil whose gaze had not fallen once. His eyes caught her and he slowly nodded. Despite being restrained, his slight encouragement pierced confidence back into her body. “I’m aware that your alliance, nor that of any other lord, will come not cheap”, she began.

“Flattery won’t do it, captain.”

“Then allow me to do something else, sir”, Susanoo snapped back quickly. Alcide stopped and gazed at her keenly. “You name the price. I am out of ideas and have barely anything in my possession that could buy me even ten more crewmen, so I am willing to leave it in your hands. I will do anything… within reason.”

A silence fell in the air. It made Susanoo fear her words weren’t enough, or if she had misspoken. Alcide remained unmoving until he trailed slowly towards her, the echo of his boots nearly bringing her to tears. She hated being scared, and she hated herself for being intimidated by a man, an immortal. It would not be long before monsters and beasts were ramming onto the side of ship, she couldn’t allow a man with flesh as raw and useless as her own to scare her.

He stopped until his face was a breath away from hers. “Be careful with that word. Anything. Some men might take it for something else”, he uttered. Humiliation bloodied her face red. “You’re not suited to my tastes, either.”

Susanoo almost rose her hand to smack him. Halfway there, he grabbed her wrist and squeezed it hard. She stopped resisting and lowered her hand. ”Then I trust you have something else you wish that is more your tastes, pirate”, she hissed, the anger making her want to bare her fangs. Alcide stepped back and walked towards his crew.

“In fact, there is”, he vocalised and rose his hand. His crewmen then allowed hers to go free. Yellow Eyes whimpered as he rubbed his aching wrists, whilst Emil looked about suspiciously. “There is a relic buried in Tamfil that belonged to an ancestor of mine. It has been my mission for some months to possess it, but my duties as lord has kept my occupied.” Alcide turned and pointed at her. “You will therefore be acquiring it for me, captain.”

A relic, how gorgeous. Except, Tamfil was a land full of relics, and most were impossible to acquiring unless if you had previous knowledge. “And this relic will single-handedly swear your alliance to me?”, she asked.

Alcide nodded simply. “Aye. I simply wish to test whether or not you, as my king, are willing to vouch for me as I will for you”, he said and glanced at her with a glint of mischief she unfortunately didn’t miss. “I think you’ll find I can make a very loyal servant, Your Majesty.”

Ugh. Despite her frustration, she had promised herself that she would do anything if it meant avoiding a pointless and avoidable death. Alcide had skills that were unmatched between the other lords and his crewmen could sharpen hers up. His name alone added to the roster would command respect towards her. To have a Pirate Lord at her side would be a golden medal. And it would ensure that the others would be inclined to do the same. She hoped, at least. And besides, she did not want anymore enemies.

“If it eases your troubles, I have no real interest in that crown of yours. I find that serving as king for eternity doesn’t bide by my plans”, he added, searching for face for anymore doubt. His eyes were too attentive, she couldn’t avoid them. “So, my king, do we have a deal?”.

He had reached his gloved hand forward but Susanoo made no effort to move until she had looked into the eyes of every one of her crewmen to see their certainty or their vote of confidence. Emil presented her with a firm nod and so, the captain clasped her hand with the pirate lord. She squeezed it hard, finding the courage to look at him. Something could not shake a growing dread in her stomach.

She couldn’t trust him, not with her back turned, eyes open or closed, awake or asleep.

It didn’t matter, though.

Once she had conquered the oceans, she would crush Alcide Pavoni.