image [https://imgur.com/KFYxEJI]Aidan held onto the driftwood with all his might, beseeching Edos, God to all, for salvation. The relentless sun beat down on him, scorching his forehead and causing his already dry skin to crack. He tried to call out for help, but his throat was hoarse and burned from the salt water. He knew crying out was futile; even if he needed to, he wasn't capable of anything above a whisper in his current state. Despair clawed at his chest, a heavy, suffocating weight. How long had he been adrift at sea? His mind swam in a fog of fatigue and hopelessness. He strained his eyes and saw a figure in the distance. Exhaustion dulled any fear that may have arisen - if it was a siren or shark approaching, they could just take him and end his suffering.

As the figure drew closer, Aidan's heart leaped with hope. It wasn't a siren or shark, but what looked to be a sail boat. Relief flooded through him, mingling with gratitude towards Edos for answering his desperate prayers. As the vessel grew closer he mustered all his strength and waved frantically, trying to catch their attention. The crew spotted him and altered their course towards him, skillfully maneuvering the vessel beside Aidan. A rope tossed overboard landing in the water next to him. Aidan's hands trembled as he grasped it firmly, feeling his callouses tear as the crew pulled him up.

He looked up at his rescuer with tear-filled eyes, whispering words of thanks to the divine one for sending this savior in his darkest hour. That was until his eyes adjusted and he noticed the black sail hanging from above. The sight of the black sail, hanging ominously above him, sent shivers down Aidan's spine. It was tattered and torn, an eerie symbol of death and destruction. The flag fluttered in the wind, a stark contrast to the pristine white sails of the rescue vessel. Pirates.

An oversized man's grizzled face twisted into a grin as he loomed over Aidan, who felt a chill of dread run down his spine. The pirate’s eyes gleamed with a mix of amusement and malice as he surveyed the exhausted castaway clinging to the rope.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" the pirate boomed, his voice rough like the ocean in a storm. "A lost soul in need of saving, eh?"

Aidan's heart pounded in his chest as he struggled to find his voice. "P-please," he stammered, struggling to get his blistered lips to speak. "I-I am just a sailor, stranded at sea. What harm could I possibly cause you?"

He chuckled darkly, a sound that made Aidan's blood run cold. "Oh, I'm sure you mean no harm," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "What brings you all the way out here, I wonder? No matter. You belong to us now.” The crew cheered. It had been ages since they had fresh meat.

Aidan's mind raced as he tried to come up with a plan, but his body was weak from days without food or water. He knew he was at the mercy of these ruthless pirates and could do nothing but comply with their orders.

Two crew members hauled him to the stern of the ship. Tossing him to the ground. His body ached. A shadow covered him from the blazing sun. He looked up to see a tall woman, her eyes cold and calculating. She wore a frayed captain's hat perched atop her head. Her blonde hair billowed just above her shoulder in the salty breeze. She surveyed Aidan. The piercing eyes bore into his, assessing him with a mixture of curiosity and something else Aidan couldn't quite place. The monstrous woman knelt down beside him.

"Who might this be?" she mused aloud “A lost lamb come to die on the Crystalline Expanse…” Aiden struggled to meet her gaze as she rose again. SMACK! Aiden’s vision flashed as his head struck the scrubbed deck of the hull. “Well worm! When I ask a question I expect an answer, you driveling lech.”

Aidan’s mouth filled with liquid. Just a shame it’s my own blood Aiden thought to himself as the first drops of liquid he had in days. His mind scrambled, trying to grasp what happened. This fierce woman held his fate in her hands. He tried to search for a slimmer of humanity, in the beautifully ruthless exterior but he was only met with her daunting, spectral blue eyes which unsettled him. They glowed with an eerie luminescence that seemed almost unnatural, like shards of ice that could freeze a man's blood with a single glance. Her gaze was cold and unyielding, a testament to the countless battles and betrayals she had witnessed. The intensity in those blue eyes hinted at a well of savagery and cunning, making it clear that she was not someone to be crossed lightly. When she fixed her eyes on her prey, it was as if she could see right through them, stripping away any façade to reveal their deepest fears.

Aidan swallowed hard, mustering what little courage he had left. "My name is Aidan," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "I was shipwrecked... I barely managed to survive on a piece of driftwood. I beg of you, spare my life. I mean no harm to you or your crew."

The pirate captain's lips curled into a smirk. "Well, well, Aidan," she said, drawing out his name as if tasting it on her tongue. "Shipwrecked, you say? Thank you for stating the obvious, boy. What did you think we assumed when we found you clinging to driftwood in the middle of the sea? That you were out for a leisurely swim? You’re lucky you’re handsome because you’re clearly not smart."

Aidan's face flushed with embarrassment, but he held her gaze, determined to show his sincerity. His fiery red hair, now matted and salt-streaked, clung to his forehead in tangled knots, a stark contrast to his piercing green eyes that shone with a mixture of fear and resolve.

"You find yourself aboard The Royal’s Rot now. My name is Captain Lusitania Shadows and you, little worm, are our newest recruit."

“Now listen carefully, Aidan,” Captain Shadows said as she gripped his face. “You have two options to pick from. Whatever you choose, you will have to face the consequences. You will see no mercy in my eyes boy.” She could not have been much older than Aidan in her mid 20s but the sea had aged her.

Aidan's pulse raced like a wild drumbeat. The saltiness of the sea clung to Aidan's hair, mingled with the musty scent of dried sweat and blood. His mouth was dry, and he could feel his pulse in his temples. "What... what kind of consequences?" he managed to ask, though he feared the answer.

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Captain Shadows smiled, but it was a smile devoid of warmth. It made her beauty all that more alluring. "Simple," she said. "If you choose not to join us, you'll be left to the mercy of the sea. And trust me, the sea is far less forgiving than I am."

“Yer not all that forgivin cap’n,” laughed one of the other pirates in the background. A glare from Captain Shadows hushed the group instantly.

Aidan glanced around, taking in the hardened faces of the crew. They were all watching him, their expressions a mix of anticipation and menace. He knew he had no real choice.

"I'll join," he said, his voice trembling but resolute. "I'll join your crew." As he spoke, a flicker of determination sparked in his eyes. His thoughts drifted to his sister, her face a beacon of hope in his mind. He could almost hear her laughter, feel the warmth of her embrace. Aidan knew he had to survive at all costs. He had to see her again.

Captain Shadows nodded, satisfied with his answer. "Smart choice," she said. "Welcome to the Royal’s Rot, Aidan. Consider this your only warning: we have no patience for the weak or the foolish. Prove your worth, and you may find a place among us. Betray us, and you'll wish the sea had taken you."

She turned to the crew. "Prepare him," she commanded. "And make sure he understands the rules. We have no room for weakness or disloyalty here."

Several of the crew pulled Aidan to his feet. As they led him below deck, he couldn't shake the feeling that his life had just taken a dark and irreversible turn. But at least he was alive. And as long as he was alive, there was hope.

***

Over the next few days, Aidan found himself immersed in the chaotic world of pirates, learning their ways and adapting to their rhythm. Captain Shadows was as enigmatic as ever, her elegance and cunning hidden beneath her ruthless exterior. The crew, a motley assortment of misfits and outcasts, moved with a fierce efficiency that belied their brutish appearance.

Aidan's days were filled with grueling labor, from mending sails to cleaning the ship's filthy bowels. Aidan tried his best to keep up with the crew member, although it was a struggle as his legs grew weaker from the exertion. He quickly learned that the pirates' strength lay in their adaptability and resourcefulness. They could turn their hand to anything, from seamanship to swordsmanship, and their diverse skills made them formidable adversaries.

Despite the backbreaking work, Aidan found moments of reprieve in which to observe the crew more closely. He noticed patterns, connections, and loyalties that he couldn't quite decipher. Each member had their own unique role and contributed to the smooth running of the ship. It was almost like watching a well-oiled machine, but one with a heart that beat with the rhythm of bloodlust.

He observed the captain and noticed she talked with elegance and like a noble. Her voice was smooth, lilting, and her words fell like velvet upon his ears. Her eyes were a deep, captivating blue, and they seemed to hold a thousand secrets that she kept carefully hidden behind her enigmatic expression. Who is this woman? He had worked with a few nobles over the years, she had the same air about her.

Aidan often found himself studying her, trying to read the unreadable. He had heard the rumors about Captain Shadows - that she was a former royal who had been cast away from her kingdom, forced to turn to piracy to survive. Others said that’s how she obtained her scar.

There was one particular rumor that was gossiped about in hushed tones when she wasn’t around. It was said that she was a noble's daughter who rejected the advances or a prince from a faraway kingdom. After that he beat her, and sold her to a slave trader hoping she’d die along the way. He left that scar on her face to remind her that she was nothing but a noble’s daughter. But there was something about her that didn't quite fit that narrative. There was a steeliness about her. Almost an unrefined sophistication. Maybe it was just her way of surviving.

The gruff and burly first mate, Ballast, had a soft spot for the ship's doctor, a delicate older woman who had been with the crew longer than most. The second mate, Thorncutlass, who was a slender and agile fighter. Watching him fight the others on deck was like watching a graceful dancer with a strike like a serpent. And then there was the cook, a rotund man named Ironfoot who had a wicked sense of humor and a mean right hook.

Aidan found himself growing closer to these pirates, their camaraderie and shared sense of purpose drawing him in. He learned to trust them, to rely on them, and to never underestimate their strength or cunning. And as he grew more comfortable in this new world, he began to find himself changing, evolving into someone he hardly recognized. Until he grew too comfortable that is.

On a cool, mist-laden evening aboard The Royal’s Rot, the ship swayed gently on the restless sea, its sails billowing with a favorable wind. Aidan, who had gradually found his footing among the crew, leaned against the wooden rail, watching the stars peek through the thinning fog. The routine of pirate life had begun to weave into his bones, filling him with a misplaced sense of belonging and a dangerous comfort among these ruthless seafarers.

As Captain Lusitania Shadows emerged from her quarters, her commanding presence cutting through the chill air like a sharpened blade, Aidan’s newfound confidence spurred him into a reckless inquiry.

“Captain,” he called out, his voice carrying over the deck with more audacity than he’d intended. “Before you took to the sea, were you ever a noble? You command like royalty.”

The crew fell silent. The captain stopped in her tracks, her silhouette stiffening against the backdrop of the night sky. Turning slowly, her eyes blazed with a fury that flickered like the lanterns swinging overhead.

“What did you just ask me?” Her voice was low, almost a growl, as she approached Aidan. The crew shuffled, sensing the storm about to break.

Aidan realized too late the line he had crossed. “I only meant—”

The captain’s hand struck Aidan’s cheek with a force that spun him to the deck, his words cut off by the sharp slap of skin on skin. The sound echoed, a harsh reminder of the hierarchy aboard the ship.

Before Aidan could recover, First Mate Ballast was upon him. The large, burly man pummeled Aidan with heavy fists, each blow punctuated by grunts from the mate and gasps from the crew. Aidan tried to protect his head, but the assault was relentless and fierce.

“Ne’er question the captain’s past!” Ballast bellowed, his voice thundering over the sound of crashing waves and Aidan’s pained cries.

With a final, crushing blow, Aidan’s world went dark, consciousness slipping away as his body lay battered and bruised on the cold wooden deck. The last thing he heard was First Mate Ballast’s cold, hard voice cutting through the air, “Let this be a lesson to ye all. Ne’er overstep yer bounds.”

“Seems we had to damage that handsome face of yours once again,” she scoffed, stepping over Aidan’s body.

As Aidan lay unconscious, the crew stepped back to their duties, the tension slowly dissipating into the night air, leaving the deck to the sound of the ship slicing through the sea and the captain's heavy, disappointed footsteps retreating back to her quarter.