This story begins, where all good stories do on a ship, traveling across the ocean. A young red-haired boy not old enough for a beard but tall enough to dwarf a man with one stood above a sick man, with a black beard and eye patch.

“Alexander my boy, I am not long for this world. As my last act as captain, I transfer ownership of the Black Devil to you.”

“I can’t do that father.” Alexander with a strong baritone.

“You must.” His father coughed.

“When you die the Black Devil dies with you. I have already prepared my own ship.”

“But my legacy!” 

“You will live on as part of the Scarlet Devil.”

“I see. Then at least take this.” Black beard took out a crooked stiletto and stabbed a black orb forming at the end of the pommel above his heart. As the light faded from his eye, his body turned into dust. Only his clothes, a cutlass, and eye patch remained, symbolizing a gilded skull with horns and crossbones.

“A spirit core. His spirit core. What did he….” Alexander picked up the core, cutlass, and eye patch. Set the captain’s quarters on fire and left the ship. As the whole thing began to slowly burn. As he made his way off the ship, he raised the anchor and then undocked the ship, letting it go far into the sea. The fire lit the horizon before the ship sank into the ocean. A pirates funeral is best done over the sea.

Alexander entered the tavern, dubbed the Busty Sea Hag. It got its name from the tavern owner’s wife, who had a bust that could make a monk that had taken an oath of chastity look twice but a face that could give demons nightmares and a voice that denoted years of smoking and ill care.

The tavern was full of pirates partying like there was no tomorrow. Some were laughing, some were crying as they all knew what had to happen today. Captain Blackbeard had died; it wasn’t anything new as he had been sick for a while. Their last voyage was rather lucrative. They robbed a Tetsan Empire’s merchant fleet with an absurd amount of gold and treasure aboard. There were no survivors; therefore, no loose ends of need to be tied up. And the black devil has been retired for good. If the crew wanted to, they could live out their days in opulence.

Alexander’s best friend Klaus was the group’s best archer, trained by his father, trained by his father’s father. The bow was in the family for generations, and his spirit was that of a white scaled bow that could create arrows of ice, among other things. He would marry into his childhood sweethearts family and raise them up in nobility with his earnings in Limguard.

Alexander could not understand settling down, the sea spoke to him, and so many things were left to see. Then again, as the youngest member of the crew at 15 years old, he grew up as a traveler and loved the instability. As a spirit master in the late practitioner ranks, he was the strongest still around.

Alexander grabbed a tankard and filled it with ale before walking to a table in the center. He sat the cup on the table, which sent a shockwave throughout the tavern. He mainly got everyone’s attention. Oddly enough, the drink didn’t spill a drop before. “Ahoy, mateys! Me da’s finally gone to the jolly sea in the sky. Now all o’ ye need to make a choice. Either come with me or find a quiet place to retire. I may not be as experienced as me da. But I know me way around a ship an’ inherited the devil’s legacy!” 

He picked up his cup and lifted it above his head. “For Blood and Booty!”

“Arg!” He heard the tavern cheer. As everyone downed their drinks.

They divided up the remaining treasure, and as discussed. Finally, The Crew disbanded, the coin they had, enough to settle down or party until the day they died. That is taking expanded lifespans into account.

Klaus stayed with his friend as everyone left. “They have seen lots of things with your father, some of them are older now and not fit for sea travel anymore. You’re still young, might I recommend finding somewhere to settle down for good. The sea can be treacherous.”

“Nah, building my crew from scratch could be fun. May I recommend that you join me as a sniper. Or at least offer one of your many unborn children for me to raise right?”

“No chance in hell, the red shimp, and children does not sound like a recipe for stable growth.”

“I’m taller than you!” Alexander yelled jokingly.

“Yet your face is naked, like a baby’s bottom.” 

Alexander touched his smooth chin and found it bare. “One day I will have a beard capable of bringing awe to those who witness it.”

“And one day I’ll be marrying one of my descendants off to the king’s son.”

“So its a bet then.” Alexander smiled and put out his hand.

“I guess so. Until we meet again.” Klaus shook his friend’s hand.

“In this life or the next.” Alexander finished.

Klaus left, and Alexander sat alone in an empty bar. “I’ll need a Navigator, a Surgeon, and A Cook first. A good quartermaster is also welcome.” 

“Its only mid noon. I have some crew to find.” Alexander paid the tavern owner a generous amount before dropping three gold coins into a pouch on his hip and depositing the rest in a special bag that he kept in his boot. 

The Etrovinan empire’s port city, Clast. A den of villainy and pirates. Alexander didn’t see himself as a villain though he was sure many would. Killing as a pirate isn’t all too rare. Though most who are killed had it coming. See a flag surrender, release goods, and it’s over. Alexander had put down quite a few heroes himself. All were either untrained or had a high sense of nobility. If they were wiser, then they’d report the pirate to the authorities, assuming they had insurance, then it is a simple reimbursement, and our bounties go up. 

Alexander pulled out a sheet of paper revealing the face of a red-haired man, covered in scars and blood. His eyes were beastie, and his face looked more beast than man. The Dread Bear, Wanted, Dead or Alive, 750 Golden coins.

“They can never get the face right.” Alexander began rolling up the sheet of paper when he felt a small body collide with his leg. A pickpocket, he realized instantly. He let the boy go and continued forward a bit more before he turned into an alley.

Alexander checked the pouch at his waist, which seemed identical to the one he had on before. Only instead of the three gold coins, there were only rocks.” Sneaky, sneaky. I should probably snatch him up.”

Alexander partially transformed his body, becoming beastlike, his nose changed shape into that of a bear’s snout, and his eyes grew slits, his teeth grew sharp, his nails grew into claws, and his body’s strength was increased by quite a bit. 

Using his modified strength, he jumped from wall to wall until he made his way up a building. He then sniffed the air, locking on to his target. Finally, he bounded across rooftops with practiced ease as he followed the scent of the boy along with his coins. The fact that he rotates the coins in his boots may or may not have made finding them easier.

Alexander finally got a good look at the boy as he entered a run-down building with graffiti resembling a Green rat. The boy had blue hair and gaunt features as though he was starved. He talked with a thug outside who seemed to recognize who he was and almost turned him down before the boy showed him a gold coin. 

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

The thug happily let him in. Carefully drawing his great club before following the boy in.

“That kid must be an idiot.” Alexander jumped down from his perch adjacent to the building. Through an already broken window and above where they entered. They had no guards on this floor which seemed stupid to him. Then again, they probably don’t get enemies that can come from above too often. He found the staircase down and found that it had collapsed completely. “That explains it.”

Alexander stopped dead as he found a heavy scent of decomposition. There were corpses here, lots of them.

He carefully turned around and followed the scent from above until they ended up in a room with approximately five more common thugs and a late fledgling rank spirit master.

The boy spoke. “I have the gold you requested and more. Can you please release my father now?” He held out the three gold coins. Which were snatched up quickly.

“Wow.” The boss seemed surprised for a moment before a sinister grin came across his face.

“You did it, you surpassed my expectations, now I will take you to see your daddy.”

Alexander only smelled eight other living people in the. Seven thugs and the boy. A sinking suspicion crossed his mind as they went to the area with all the corpses.

The boy stood outside a locked door with chains on the outside. They unlocked the door.

“Your daddies inside, go say hello.” Said the leader.

The boy ran into the room and stopped suddenly when he saw that everyone inside the room was already dead. The boy turned around with a broken look on his face. “Is my da?”

The club going at him with enough strength to smash a skull was answer enough. The boy raised his hands to block out of reflex, yet the pain never came.

A red bear of a man had fallen from the ceiling and stopped the attack with his bear hands. Bare would imply standard human hands or claws, but no, these were full-on bear hands. 

The thug holding the great club found his head looking up at a familiar headless body that was falling on top of him.

“You killed Lenny!” The boss said. “Nobody kills my men!”

The boss ran towards Alexander, who Clotheslined the man knocking him unconscious with almost no effort. The remaining thugs were ruthlessly slaughtered by Alexander’s claws.

The boy lay shaken by the sight of blood and gore when paired with the rotting corpses and lack of food in the last few days. The boy found himself dry heaving.

“Sounds like you have a weak stomach. Let’s go somewhere to talk.” Alexander picked up the blue-haired boy and held him over his shoulder. He then dragged the boss of said bandits across the hall. He was by no means gentle about it, making sure to knock him up against a few corners.

The two found themselves in the bandit’s headquarters. Junk was strewn about, and it was infested with rats. Alexander took a seat and sat the boy down in front of him.

“So, what’s your story?”

“I don’t have a story?” The boy replied.

“Nonsense everyone has one. How did you end up here.”

“Oh, that. My mom got sick, and my father had tried to work extra to pay for the medication she’d need, only he needed to take out a loan for it. My mom did not survive long enough to get the medicine, and my dad was made into an indentured servant for not paying off their interest. What even is interest, and why does it feel like bullshit. 

“It is.” Alexander noded.

“They sent me a note saying that If I want to see my dad again then I need to pay off the debt of only one gold. So I took three from you so that they couldn’t say I owed them interest.”

“Ha! Thats not how it works, but I’m sure it’s closer to what these bandits can comprehend. Kid, do you want vengeance?”

“Yes!”

“Then learn this lesson, when you steal from a pirate, the pirate will find a way to get back twice as much. In this case, I’ll obtain a crew mate along with the gold that was taken from me. But what about you, you can’t kill the man twice. Does he have a family? You could do to him what he did to you?”

“No! I can’t do that, he’s the only one to blame, I shouldn’t get his family involved.”

“What if they decide to get revenge?”

“Then I will explain why I did it?” The boy said.

“Uh huh. Can you hold my sword for me?” Alexander passed the boy the unsheath cutlass.

“Ok?”

“Now what would you do if they don’t care why you did it and try to take from you?”

“I. Don’t know.”

“Do you care about why he killed your father?”

“I…”

“Do you want to hear his excuse?”

“Y-yes.” The boy said.

“Well then. Guess I should wake him up.” Alexander stabbed his claws into the bandit’s skull and forcefully injected mana. The man woke up with a start.”

“Where am I?” He asked.

“We ask the questions here, so if you don’t want to die then answer them.”

“I see.” A calculating grin appeared on his face.

“I’ll go first. Do you have a wife or child that know of your whereabouts?”

The guy went to say yes, only his mouth fought him. “No, neither of those.” He seemed surprised by the answer.

“Good to know. If you go missing then we won’t have to worry about being in the situation you’re in. Boy your turn.”

“Why did you kill my dad?” His voice held a hint of anger.

“Well, kid, I did it for the screams, to see the despair on his face as I fed him to my rats.” First, the expression looked sorrowful, which then shifted to surprise.

“So you tried to lie again. You’re under a compulsion to tell the truth in my presence. Boy is this?” Alexander raised an eyebrow as he looked at the sharp end of the sword that was poking out from where the man’s heart should be.

“Reason enough, yes. Though I don’t think I cared. I just wanted to kill him.” The boy looked sullen.

“What now?” He looked up at the young man.

“Whats your given name?”

“Charles Luthier, is my name.”

“A last name and a fancy one at that.”

“My dad made instruments, it’s a trade name I guess.”

“How old are you Charles? Seven years sir.”

“Drop the sir. Though if you want to be respectful, call me captain.” Alexander reached down and retrieved his gold along with quite a few more that the bandit had on his body.

“Yes captain.”

“It’s... We’ll work on that. Now we booze it up.”

“But I can’t drink since I’m a kid.” 

“Nonsense, my dad once told me this sagely advice. If ye can kill, then ye can drink with us. He then proceeded to pick me up and offer me a sip of the good stuff. I was around four at the time.” 

“I always wondered what the stuff tasted like, wait you were four the first time you killed someone.”

Alexander laughed quite a bit. “Being a pirate isn’t safe. A mark saw me as a potential hostage for negotiation. I pulled out my training crossbow and shot him in the head from behind. Didn’t know what was going on and the rest of the crew cheered. They also started calling me the red shrimp.”

“I see…” Charles began to worry that this man may be a horrible influence on him.

They made it back to The Busty Sea Hag and sat at the bar.

“One ale and a shot of it for my little buddy over here.”

The boy looked at the ground shyly. The tavern was loud and full of sailors, pirates, and other rowdy people.

The tavern owner returned with a loaf of bread along with a small shot glass and mug of ale.

“I didn’t ask for bread?” Alexander seemed confused.

“The boy is skin and bones, straight alcohol could kill him.”

“Huh didn’t know. Thanks for the advice.” Alexander seemed genuine.

A blond man approached them from behind. “Alexander he’s a bit old to be one of yours, you didn’t happen to rob an orphanage did you?”

“Klaus? What are you doing here. I thought you were leaving for Limguard.”

The boy quickly gulped down the piece of bread and moved on to the ale. He downed it in one go and then started coughing.

“I am set to leave tomorrow morning. Is the kid going to be alright?”

“Water.” Charles got out.

The tavern owner returned with a cup of water and another loaf of bread. The boy drank it as well and then consumed the bread.

Alexander pulled a tangerine from his jacket and handed one to the boy.” You need your vitamins.”

“You keep oranges in your jacket?” Charles asked him.

“Tangerines and yes, I love the things.”

Klaus shook his head and sat on the other end of Charles as he continued to talk to Alexander.

Charles ate the tangerine as well. Soon after, tears began to fall down his face in rapid succession. Then, he started to quietly cry.

Klaus looked down. “What’s wrong with him?”

“Not sure, he found out that the person who was keeping his father had killed him a long time ago and then got to enact vengeance onto the bandit. He should be happy.”

“So, he killed, for the first time today. Not everyone is born with 90 proof blood and your innate bloodlust. Heck I wasn’t excited to kill for the first time, it was as though a part of me was lost forever, but it’s thanks to you guys that I turned out stable. I still don’t know which war goddess popped you out of her womb, onto this world to cause destruction and chaos. Those shitty diapers could kill seagulls.”

“That hurts, I don’t remember ma much.” Alexander looked by no means hurt.

“She didn’t survive the birth, as far as I’m aware that was the first and last time you cried.”

“So I’m the crazy one. That makes a bit more sense.” They let the boy sob a bit more before he calmed down and began stumbling around the tavern. 

“Gotta pee…” The drunk child walked to a table and relieved himself all over one of the customers with a peg leg.

“What arrrrg, ye doin, brat!” Replied the pirate.

“Huh? You’re not a tree?” Drunk Charles answered.

“A wise guy, how did you figure that out!”

“Trees don’t talk.”

“I have half a mind to slap some sense into you!” The pirate raised a hand, but before anything could happen.

Crash!

Alexander turned to see Charles lying on the floor unconscious but breathing in front of a one legend sailor with a hand half raised. He ran over to the scene.

“What happened?” Anger was visible in his voice.

“He pissed all over my leg!” Said the pirate.

“And you hit him?” 

“I was going to, but then he kinda just passed out on his own. Was he drunk.”

“He had one shot. Only one shot, how is he this drunk?”

“Smaller body, it works faster. Probably shouldn’t let him drink and to be honest the wind was knocked out of my sails when he just fell over.”

Alexander carried Charles back to the bar. Where Klaus seemed to be smirking.

“What?” Alexander asked.

“I pray for any children you have in the future.” Klaus got up and left the bar.