Pirates,

Privateers and
Magic: The
Forgotten Ones

By Seabrook Ng
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Chapter 1:Slice
The world seems to slow down to a crawl as the blade slices through the air closer and closer
towards me. The bright morning sunlight glints off the silver blade and the air seems to
shimmer and hum in response to its presence.

It looks almost like a curved talon, poised to rip straight through my clothing and bite into my
vulnerable throat. I bring up my sabre to deflect the blade, but my arm feels like a solid piece
of lead, as it slowly lifts and the other blade slices in a downwards arc. Our blades collide in a
shower of sparks and I hear a distant metallic sound. A sudden impact smashes upon my
wrist and I stagger backwards, off balance onto the deck of my crews ship.

My crew are a group of people called privateers, hunting pirates for money and hired by the
rich, usually important government officials. Our crew name is Dragons Roar and although
we are not the most renowned, if you were looking for someone to hunt down pirates, we
would be one of the best options. Occasionally, we would get an easy job like escorting a
merchant ship, however today was not one of those days.

Time seems to go back to normal and the volume of the before drowned out cries,
momentarily overwhelm me. All around me I hear the cries of criminals and privateers alike
crying out in pain and a fire crackling loudly somewhere close. My adversary is the notorious
criminal Timothy 'Headhunter' Starkweather and I have orders to bring him in at any cost,
dead or alive.

Timothy Starkweather smirks cockily at me and his left hand drops to his holster, taking out
his flintlock pistol before aiming the barrel towards me. He concentrates slightly, his eyebrow

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furrowing from the effort and glistening cobalt light suddenly starts to emanate from his eyes
and from the hollow barrel of his weapon.

His nickname 'Headhunter' is for good reason, because his aim is rumoured to be the best in
the seven seas and also his dangerous 'shot barrage' magic, multiplying and spreading the
amount of bullets from a gun in a wide area. As I tense up my muscles preparing to break into
a sprint, I desperately hope his infamous reputation is just a rumour.

In simple terms, his magic meant if he shot a pistol, it would be like he shot a blunderbuss
instead. Yes, he uses magic and in fact, a lot of people use magic these days, except for me
that is. It is almost a necessity to have when travelling the treacherous seas of the Caribbean.
Magic usually develops at the ripe age of eighteen and I am a single year short of this magic
limit.

Well technically it was not a limit, it was just that using magic before this age was extremely
dangerous and hard to control. Before I know what I am doing, I run across the wooden,
slippery deck of the ship, ducking and weaving between thick ropes, as I hear the sound of a
nearby shower of gun shots raining down upon the deck and the sound of splintering wood,
as luminous, red hot lead sprays just where I was a moment before.

I hear a gruff voice cursing and immediately know it is Timothy Starkweather. A few of his
pirate buddies stand right next to him and I see Timothy talking to them, gritting his teeth
angrily and pointing furiously towards me. His face is a deep red colour and I know he is
shouting, even though I cannot hear his voice through the sound of the huge battle. The

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pirates seem to get his message and all aim their barrels at me and I start to realise how
precariously low my chances of survival are.
I continue sprinting, bullets whistling through the air in my direction and come to a sudden
stop next to the main mast of the ship just as a bullet whizzes straight in front of me into the
wooden pole.

I hear a sickening crunching sound as the lead ball pulverizes the wooden pole, seemingly
effortlessly creating a small, ragged hole in the roughly cut wood before continuing on its
journey. I feel a small tinge of sadness, as I see the damage done to the ship, especially when
her main mast had been repaired just recently. Don't worry you old girl, I promise I'll get
revenge for you.

I reach for my pocket and take out an iron grenade. I light up the small fuse and throw it
directly at the group of pirates and they all scatter trying to get away from the grenade. The
iron grenade lands with a heavy thud upon their ship and rolls about, its fuse blazing a fiery
orange colour. I look away from the bright explosion, the hollow iron sphere shattering and
the gunpowder igniting, as a wave of heat, force and shrapnel fires outwards from the original
detonation zone and I feel the wind being knocked out of my lungs.

I look upon their pirate ship and almost feel pity for them as I spot the massive flaming hole
in their wooden ship and bits of shrapnel embedded into every surface. One last pirate stands
defiantly on the quarter deck of the enemy ship, miraculously unharmed by the explosion and
waves his sword defiantly in the air. I hear the sound of a gunshot and just manage to catch
the sight of a lead bullet traveling towards the pirate.

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I blink and within the second which I am unaware, I hear a cry of pain and disbelief and then
the sound of a body collapsing heavily onto the deck. When I look back I see the pirate has
been shot in the leg and a small stain is spreading across his white clothes.

"Nice shot." I say to Scarlet, as she lowers her rifle, still gazing intensely upon her target. She
flushes slightly at the compliment before replying, "Nice throw." I grin at her and suddenly
spot the captain, weaving his way between the privateers, before jumping onto the gangplank
and using it to cross to the enemy ship to inspect it. The captain wears a dark hood and wears
a mask underneath, is unparalleled in his swordsmanship and is silent for most of the time.
Well at least for the time I have been on board, which has only been a few months.

He has a mysterious and dangerous aura and when he walks into a room, everyone stops
talking. I have never seen him actually fight, because I am the newest on the ship, but I have
heard mere rumours from the crew that he once conquered an entire Spanish battleship,
commandeered by a deadly crew of pirates with nothing but his sharp blade and his own wits,
to test his abilities.

A light cough from Scarlet distracts me from my staring and I look away blushing furiously,
realizing how rude I must seem staring directly at the captain. My eyes scan for Timothy
Starkweather and I find him straightaway, lying flat in front of me on the wooden deck. A
piece of iron shrapnel seems to be stuck in his leg and blood is oozing from the injury.

The captain points at him and I immediately rush across and pull him across the wooden
gangplank, understanding his non-verbal gesture and stare at the orange sunset signalling the
end of yet another day and yet another successful hunt.

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Chapter 2:Negotiation
"Five hundred pounds, you have got to be kidding me! The poster even says 5000! "I shout in
disbelief, pointing towards the yellowed poster, stiffened by sea salt. The government official
stares blankly at me and his expression stays neutral. I cannot explain why, but his knee
length silk coat trimmed with gold braid and blank expression seems to really start to get on
my nerves.

This old man was doing nothing but sitting around all day, while I hunted down dangerous
criminals and he was still richer than me. "The terms have changed, either take it or leave it."
He replies curtly, his eyes showing that in his mind, I was nothing more than a small
nuisance.

"You listen here old man!" I yell, grabbing the government official by the scruff of the neck,
clenching my teeth and shouting directly into his ear. "I have been risking my hide to save
your country and the least you could do is pay my proper fee!"

His pale face whitens even more so then I thought could be possible. "Okay then, I'll go get
your fee now." he mumbles, terrified by my threatening appearance.

My anger subsides a little and I release my tight grip on him. He stumbles backwards before
exiting the grand room. My eyes wander about the surrounding lavish accommodation,
slightly in awe, taking in every detail of the luxurious room. A large glass, fragile-seeming
chandelier hangs above me, illuminating the dark room and swings ever so slightly in a
hypnotising fashion.

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In front of me I spot a large painting, which hangs above a small fireplace framed with
intricate golden edges. The painting is full of rich colours and depicts a knight standing
gloriously upon a mound of his defeated enemies.

The knight lifts his sword up victoriously and a ray of light shines down through a hole in the
dark clouds upon the grisly scene. I shake my head disapprovingly at the government
officials taste in art. Although I liked the life style of a privateer, pointless killing and gory
details did not appeal to me. Anyway, even as a privateer I had vowed never to kill, unless
the situation absolutely required it.

A sudden sound of movement alerts me to the government official's return. The government
official has returned, and with three guards by his side. Each of the guards wields a rifle, a
bayonet attached to the front of the barrel and they all have white wigs, thick moustaches and
a weird tricorn hat.

The guards march in an orderly fashion towards me, their multi-coloured uniforms jostling as
they move. I automatically realise that the guards are not here to give me a friendly hug and I
quickly cross my arms and reach for my two holsters on the side of my hips, upon my belt. I
point the barrel of each pistol at an individual guard, my arms still crossed and pull the trigger
on both.

A cloud of smoke rises from the guns and the resounding sounds of two gun shots echo in the
small room. Both of the guards fall simultaneously, bloodstains spreading across their pristine
uniform. Well I never said anything about harming people.

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The third guard points his rifle at me and I duck immediately. A lead bullet flies through the
air and into the glass chandelier and the deafening sound of shattering glass seems to
reverberate through the air. I hear the sound of a fire igniting the painstakingly carved and
complex wooden table and hear the government official shriek. The smell of burnt ash wood
wafts through the air, effectively cancelling out the acrid smell of scented soap, causing my
eyes to water slightly.

The heat of the fire is like a warm embrace, even though it does not touch me and tall
shadows start to develop from the flickering flames.

The guard just stands there momentarily dazed, glancing at the burning table, rifle still held in
his tight grip, giving me enough time to sheath my pistol and grab my blade. He suddenly
seems to wake up from his dazed state and drops his rifle immediately and pulls out his
sword rather hurriedly. I make an upwards strike and the fight is over in a matter of a second.
His blade somersaults into the air before I catch it with my other hand and smile at him.

I hold the sharp edge of my blade against his throat and he stares at his hand, which had had
the sword a few moments ago disbelievingly. "Stay still if you want to live." I threaten,
pushing my blade harder against his throat. He tries to nod, but realises the blade is on his
throat and a small grin breaks out on my face.

I grab the guard and put him in front of me, the sword still held to his throat. I push him
through the exit of the room and back to the front entrance. As I pass the government official,
I think of my options. Whether to threaten him for money or run, that is the question.

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I decide I do not have enough time as I hear the sound of boots on the wooden floor and settle
for a satisfying punch in the smirking official's face, smashing his head directly into the
wooden floor and he crumples, unconscious. All the while I am still holding the blade to the
guard's throat and push him forward to signal that we are moving again. We move
agonizingly slowly towards the front entrance, going down a set of grand stairs with a
fountain in the centre of the marble floor.

A group of guards rush in to the entrance and point their guns at me, in response I hold the
guard protectively in front of me and without saying a single word they know my meaning. If
they shoot he dies. I walk towards the front door with no obstacles in the way and I open it
while walking backwards so that the guard is facing the guns and not me. A cold breeze
rushes past me as I exit the building.

I hit the guard squarely in the jaw with my fist and his eyes become glazed, signalling his
unconscious state. I move to the side of the entrance and rush to hide in a nearby bush. The
guards exit from the building and into the empty courtyard. I wait for them to search around
and eventually they call off their investigation, thinking I must have escaped. I walk straight
through the open iron gates and past a wooden tavern where Scarlet is waiting for me.

She stifles a laugh, grinning widely and says "Great job." Her crimson, luscious lips send a
shiver down my spine as they move. "Shut up." I answer gruffly, clearly not in a mood to
talk. She joins me and we walk slowly back towards the ship.

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Chapter 3:Preparation
I watch as the hull of the ship cuts cleanly and gracefully through the tranquil dark water,
leaving ripples in its wake. I wish I could be a ship, I would just sail peacefully across the
seven seas, watching the tide come in and out, what an excellent life that would be. The
wooden railing I am sitting on creaks, seemingly agreeing with my observation.

I sit for a couple of moments, the bow of the ship nearby, accompanied by the dim glow of a
lantern, the flame inside flickering from the light breeze. I should have just accepted the
government official's offer, but sure did hitting the government official in the face feel
satisfying.

I hear the silent creak of the wooden deck behind me and draw my sword and turn around,
my blade at the ready. "Now, now, no need for violence," Scarlet teases, a light, cheery grin
upon her face. "What do we do with him now?" She says pointing towards Timothy
Starkweather, tied tightly with many lengths of rope across the wooden pole of the main
mast. I shrug and put my sword back within its scabbard and go back to staring at the ocean.

"Did you come all this way, just to ask me that?" I ask, secretly enjoying the fact she had
come from the cabins up to visit me. "No, as much as your presence attracts me, I also come
with a message from the captain. He requests that you go to his cabin as soon as possible."
She answers sarcastically, rolling her eyes at the concept of me being handsome.

"Whoa don't look so surprised, many women dream about this face." I protest indignantly,
half joking. She laughs, as I walk rather hurriedly towards the captain's cabin. When the

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captain wanted you, you had better arrive there quickly, especially if you were in deep
trouble like I was right now.

I knock on the large wooden doors, engraved with bronze dragons, seemingly accusing me of
my wrongdoing and gulp nervously. I hear a soft voice from inside. "Come in." I open the
wooden door tentatively, the door creaking noisily in response to the movement. The captain
still wears his hood and mask and behind him, I can see a set of four windows showing a
spectacular view of the ocean. He looks up from a stack of papers he is holding and he
captures me in his unwavering gaze.

"If this is about the about the government official, I apologise deeply, I will pay for all of the
damages I have caused. I just let my anger get the better of me. Please don't kick me off the
ship, I promise I will never make a mistake like that again." I stammer out all in one breath,
as I try to avoid contact with his dark charcoal eyes.

He smiles, seemingly amused at my small, eloquent speech I had come up with while
walking to his cabin and puts down the quill he holds in his hand onto the desk.

He opens his mouth to speak and I dread what his next words will be. "No Azrael, this isn't
about the Timothy Starkweather case, this is about something much bigger." he rumbles
quietly a low, soothing voice coming out of his mouth. I pinch myself to check if this is real
and feel a small pain in my leg, confirming the reality of my situation.

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"The Spanish government is offering to pay 3,000,000 in equivalence of British pounds for
the elimination of every single crew member of the 'Forgotten Ones'." He continues, as my
eyes widen at the sound of the exorbitant amount of money.

"For one pirate ship? That seems like a really easy way to gain money." I queried, one of my
bushy eyebrows rising upwards. He sighs at my reaction, seeming to have expected it.

"It isn't as easy as it sounds, as the 'Forgotten Ones' have a fleet of three ships, carrying three
hundred people in all. In addition, we aren't the first ones to take up the offer, as many have
already tried, but are never heard of again, with small pieces of their ships found washed up
on beaches. In fact a month ago a fleet of 500 fully armed privateers went to fight their ship,
only to disappear completely." He counters, his voice a small whisper, but somehow holding
great volume.

I listen intently to his speech, hanging on to his every word. "What I am saying is we must be
careful, but I think we should be up to the job if we team up with another crew." I nod at his
words and ask him a question. "What crew?" He smiles and replies quietly, as a strong wave
rocks the ship slightly. "I think I have the perfect one in mind."

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Chapter 4:James
I lie on my small, hard wooden bunk, still fuming about the captain's decision. Out of all the
privateer crews, he had to choose the one who we were going to meet in a few minutes. I hit
my pillow hard, forgetting the material is as hard as stone and feel a sudden burst of pain in
my knuckle and hear the sound of the impact echoing across the small cabin, as I stare at the
empty bunk above me.

"What did that pillow ever do to you to deserve such abuse?" James questions jokingly,
smiling at me through his blonde fringe. My eyes flow seamlessly across the room and find
James staring at me a couple of metres away, wearing a bright smile upon his handsome face.
James wears a red sash around his waist and his scabbard hangs loosely upon his belt. His
light aqua eyes seem to stare right into the depths of my soul and I look away immediately,
knowing his mind-reading effect.

Nobody can hide anything from James, with his disarming smile and his charming words and
of course, his mind-reading ability, you would be better off trying to hide a bottle of whisky
with a clear glass container. If he were to look into your eyes, he could read your mind
straightaway and 'hear' anything you were thinking of at that moment.

Pity 'somebody' cough, cough Scarlet had neglected to tell me until I had looked into his
calm, ocean-like, blue eyes more times than I could count and he knew my whole life from
back to front.

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Apart from his ability, James is also a natural charmer and flirt, with his handsome, sociable
face and masculine features. He has that rugged sea feel to him and mysterious charm about
him that no woman could resist.

"Everything." I retort, yet again staring up at the ceiling, jealous of how charming his voice
sounded and how his eyes drew in women like moths to a flame.
"Haha you always had a soft spot for pillows," he joked, "anyway, get up on deck, the other
crew is set to arrive pretty much now."

He leaves me in the room alone and I sigh before slowly getting out of my warm, comfortable
bed and into the icy-cold cabin room. Even though I was jealous of him, James is my closest
friend on the ship and he understands me like no other person, although sometimes I wish he
could somehow turn off his mind-reading ability.

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Chapter 5:Meeting
I open the cabin doors from within the crew's quarters and the cold air suddenly starts to
whirl all around me. The ship is stationary, however it bobs up and down, synchronised with
the movement of the waves.

Below the ship, I see choppy waves crashing on a beach in the distance and can feel the salty
sea spray upon my skin. The waves collide with a nearby cliff, viciously carving a notch into
the rock face, causing the continuous sound, calming my nerves.

A light rain pours down upon us, worsening my already moody temper and I walk slowly and
silently across the gangplank and onto the rotting planks of the dock. As I do this, I perceive
my captain speaking with yet another hooded figure at a nearby bar, through a grimy
window. To the side of them, my crew mates, including James and Scarlet are taking drinks
and talking excitedly to the other crew.

Both captains speak in hushed tones, as if wary from a snitch, who could rat us out to the
'Forgotten Ones' for a few coins and every now and then they glance around them. I presume
this is to check if anyone is listening in on their conversation.

I walk towards my fellow crew mates, reluctant to approach the other crew. A warm, soft
hand caresses my back and I feel a rush of pleasure as a seductive low voice whispers to me
playfully, as she slides around me.

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"Hey Az, why are you so shy? You should meet up with some of 'Dragon's Fang', the captain
ordered us to be friendly with them anyway." Scarlet's voice is like a siren's call and her
tantalising scent wafts towards me, seducing me into meeting her appealing gaze.

I try to look away from her and end up meeting James's gaze as he holds a glass up, casually
sipping his drink. I try to not think of Scarlet whatsoever, but instead my thoughts. James
starts laughing and looks at me amusedly, obviously at my failed attempt to block him from
my mind and instead revealing how much I truly like Scarlet.

I had so far kept it a secret, always thinking of something else when I accidentally met
James's gaze, but this time I could not think of anything else except Scarlet, especially as I
felt her body so close to mine.

Scarlet's gaze suddenly flickers to James as she hears his cheerful laugh and she looks at him
puzzledly, not quite meeting his gaze. "What's he laughing at?" she questions curiously, as I
feel a cold spike in my heart realising that he has captured her attention over me. "No idea." I
reply, looking at the ground, before walking slowly towards the 'Dragon's Fang members to
introduce ourselves and find out a little about them.

"You're such a bad liar," she accuses, obviously picking up on my lie. "Anyway the rumours
that 'Dragon's Fang' members rob the helpless and kill all they meet is false, you know that."
As I walk across the floor, my footsteps echo loudly off the wooden rafters and ceiling and
the 'Dragon's Fang' members, a previous moment talking to each other, turn to face me and
Scarlet.

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One of the guys wolf whistles upon seeing Scarlet and I am really tempted to punch his lights
out. His friend turns to him and gives him a furious glare in response, before starting to
speak. "Hey guys, sorry about my friend Micheal, he has had one too many drinks tonight.
Am I correct in assuming you are the 'Dragon's Roar?"

"Yes and you are the 'Dragon's Fang?" I reply, hearing the rain pouring relentlessly against
the roof.
"My name's Liam, nice to meet you. You know anything about the assignment? Our captain
just said we were going to team up and capture a group called the 'Forgotten Ones'. No
offense their name sounds too clichd." he says, shaking hands with both of us, as I feel his
coarse hands gripping my hands in a friendly manner. I am about to speak when the captain
touches my back and interrupts my sentence.

"Azrael, we've decided that half of their crew will join us, because our ship is faster and it is
likely that we will be attacked first. Their ship will be sailing behind us, but make sure to
make room for a few people in your cabin. If that's fine with you we will be going now." He
tells me softly and I nod in agreement. It's not really like I could have disagreed anyway. I
hear the sound of thunder in the distance, gradually becoming louder and continue
conversing, simultaneously taking a sip from a glass which a waitress fetches for me.

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Chapter 6:Attack
Both our crew, Dragons Roar and half of 'Dragon's Fang', including their captain stand
awkwardly around our captain's table, as we gather around a large map of the Dread Isles.
James stands at the left hand side of the table and I try to keep as much distance as I can
between him and I, so I choose to stand with members of the 'Dragon's Fang' crew on the far
right hand side of the long, rectangular table.

"The 'Forgotten Ones' have been rumoured to be seen near the towns of Tarmsworth,
Blackpool, Ironhaven and Axminister. If we draw all these points on the map and join them
up, we will be able to see roughly where they sail." the captain of the other crew suggests, his
voice projecting itself through the medium sized room.

He dips his white quill into a glass ink bottle, filled to the brink with dark ink, before
applying it to the page. At each one of the towns he draws a bold 'x' and once he is done, he
joins all of the marks together with straight lines.

As he does this, outside I hear the sails flapping madly to the wind, as it howls across the
deck and slamming upon the door, as if it was a creature trying desperately to get in. I hear
the rain as it lashes itself across the wooden deck and slamming itself on the roof above the
captain's cabin.

"That's about 100 square kilometres of sea we have to search and that's a lot of space if you
think about it." Liam points out, after doing some quick calculations.

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"Yes, but for the most part, it is open sea, so we would spot them easily." our captain,
responds. A sudden knock on the door ceases our conversation immediately and we all turn
around to see what the commotion is about. No one comes in.

"Who did we leave outside to keep watch?" I say, trying to figure out why someone would
knock on the door.
"We left Amias, Angus and Chester outside. Although, we did tell them not to disturb us,
unless something was very wrong." Alistair, my roommate declares, as I slowly feel a sinking
feeling in my stomach. I take out my blade and walk slowly towards the closed door, as if
expecting a snake to strike. The others follow my lead and also walk towards the entrance.

I push the door and it slides suspensefully open. For a split second, my world seems to
shimmer with a green glow and I think nothing of it and continue. I exit the room, the
wooden boards creaking beneath my feet and out the corner of my eye, I spot a dark shadow
right next to the entrance. I brandish my sword, and look carefully at my assailant.

A masked figure stares back at me through his eye slits, glowing with a creepy, green light.
His mask itself is a purple colour, with the edges of the mask a ghostly white colour. On his
black jacket, there is a metal skull with two rapiers behind it. He pushes the air in front of me
and I fly backwards, smashing straight through the wooden railing and onto the wooden deck.

I open my eyes, disorientated and I feel a throbbing pain in my right arm and in my left leg. I
try to move them and grimace in response to the pain. It felt as if there were a million needles
piercing through my arm at once. My assailant takes out a rapier and I try to pick up my
sword with my left arm in vain, as the attacker thrusts forward with his rapier, stabbing a

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little to the left of the centre of my chest, aiming for my heart. His blade penetrates my flesh
and I feel pain sear through my chest as, blood weeps from the wound.

I scream in pain, as I look back to the captain's cabin and see no one there. Where were my
crew mates? What had happened to them? I had so many questions, but I knew that I would
be dead in a few moments. I stare at the bright stars, noticing how brilliant they seemed
tonight and feel myself drifting into a state of unconsciousness, as my world slowly fades
around me.

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Chapter 7:Recovery
I open my eyes to the warm glow of a nearby candle, and my eyes slowly adjust to the bright
light. My throat is completely parched and as I start to recognize objects in the room I realise
I am in the infirmary. I blink a couple of times and try to get up off the bench, but realize I
am tied tightly to it with layers of rope. Strangely, I look down upon my chest and can feel
none of the wounds sustained by my attacker.

My scabbard and sword lay nearby and just outside the doors I can just make out the soft
sounds of a conversation happening. "Thank you so much, for saving him James, I fear that if
nobody had helped him, he would have died. You were so compassionate and courageous."
Scarlet whispered, in her captivating voice. I move my head slightly on the cold steel bench
and am able to observe the scene through a small crack in the unclosed doorway.

Scarlet hugs James tightly in a flirtatious grasp. "I would do it all again just for you." He
replies irresistibly, looking deep into her chocolate brown eyes. Her lips travel up the nape of
his neck and find his strong, firm, lips and crushing them in a needy embrace. I watch in
horror as they kiss passionately and do not know how much time passes, as my world slows
to a crawl. They finally part with each other and smile at each other hungrily and I feel numb
as they walk into the infirmary.

"Az, you okay? Once you exited the captain's cabin, you started to wave your sword at the
air, before dropping onto the floor and started to convulse rapidly while screaming in pain.
Luckily, you had no injuries. It took five people to restrain you and finally bring you to the
infirmary." Scarlet queries innocently, as if she had not just kissed James.

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"I'm fine thanks, I just felt kind of ill." I mumble, not looking her directly in the eyes. "Can
you let me have a look inside your mind Azrael?" James asks, as a matter of politeness.
I recall watching Scarlet and James kissing and my heart stops beating for a second.

"NO!" I shout tartly, closing my eyes tightly. I can feel James' and Scarlet's prying eyes upon
me and I feel a tear sliding down my cheek. I had thought James understood me the most,
especially since he knew I loved Scarlet so much, but he was the one who knew least about
me and I was going to keep it that way.

"Az what happened?" Scarlet asks softly, her voice cutting into my heart like shards of glass.
"Nothing," my voice going back to its regular volume, but with my eyes still tightly shut,
"now go away." I sense Scarlet wants to question me further, but can almost see James
shaking his head, knowing that I wanted to be left alone. I hear them leaving the room and
hear myself crying pitifully, my entire body shaking, as uncontrollable sobs rack my body.

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Chapter 8:The Hunters

I push the cabin door open, after finally being freed from the ropes by my roommate Alistair,
angry, red marks in the shape of coils of rope still distinctly showing upon my skin. A
southerly breeze brushes past me and into the cabin as I slowly walk across the deck,
stretching my sore muscles. The memory of James kissing Scarlet replays in my head,
seemingly echoing endlessly, as I walk absentmindedly across the deck.

"Azrael, you're finally up," the captain rumbles. His quiet voice rolls across the deck of the
ship and catches me by surprise. I look to the side of the door and find the captain standing
there silently, expecting a reply. "Yes I'm fine. Do you happen to know what happened after I
lost consciousness?" I enquire, curious to why he had not asked me why I had brandished my
sword at the empty air last night.

"We found Amias, Angus and Chester all unconscious upon the deck, their swords partially
drawn from their scabbards, as if they all knew they were being attacked. We also found a
piece of paper nailed to the ship's main mast saying 'The Forgotten Ones. Blackrock Cove'. I
believe they are still recovering from minor injuries and they said they just remember
something attacking each of them. Additionally, you know the ship which the other half of
'Dragon's Fang' was travelling on and following us?" he explains grimly, his resonant voice
dipping slightly to a lower octave.

"Yes." I reply, desperate to hear the answer.

"It's completely vanished. In fact there is no evidence of any of the crew or the ship ever
existed, not even a single wooden plank floating in the sea or crew member floating across
the sea." he continues, as a cold feeling of dread gradually starts to creep up on me. "Are you

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sure? They might have just lost us in the storm." I reflect hesitantly, thinking of the previous
night's tempest.

The captain of Dragon's Fang suddenly appears to the side of me. "Unlikely, Logan was my
second in command and he could easily handle a simple downpour like that blindfolded. We
should turn back now while we still can, it is obviously a trap if they are giving us a
location." he counters, his voice uneven and expressing a feeling of tragedy.

"Let us hope for the best, but now is not the time to dwell on such tragedy. It may be a trap,
but it is one we must trigger to wreak vengeance upon the perpetrators of this crime. We need
to regain our bearings promptly and make these Forgotten Ones truly forgotten, as we wipe
them off the face of history." our captain advises, gritting his teeth at the prospect of having
to admit defeat.

I clench my fist into a tight ball, my fingers whitening slightly under the force of my
fingernails digging into my skin, imagining the Forgotten Ones being crushed in my grasp.

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Chapter 9:Pursuit
Our ship glides silently across the still water, skimming across the surface of the reflective
liquid as dusk falls rapidly. Dark silhouettes begin to replace the forms of the stone pillars,
sheer, impenetrable cliff faces seeming to surround us on all sides.

A thick blanket of fog covers the massive cove and as we enter the thick wall of fog, the
temperature seems to drop by ten degrees, maybe more. I breathe out warily, my breath
forming a cloud of water vapour in the frigid air in front of me.

Whose reckless idea was this again? A dark shape materialises in the distance and my hand
automatically gravitates towards my blade, my heart pounding heavily within my chest. As
the shape drifts closer towards us I realise it is merely a clump of seaweed and sigh in relief,
before looking back into the dense fog.

Both captains stand stationary next to me on the front of the ship, their statuesque features
immobile with guns and swords drawn, like predators waiting to strike.

More clumps of seaweed drift past the ship and the dim white glow of the moon slightly
penetrates the blanket of fog. This is a waste of time. Why would they tell us exactly where
there were anyway?

I drum my fingers on the wooden railing in frustration and hear the sound of something heavy
collapsing upon the wooden deck. We all turn and rip our blades from their sheaths at once,
looking for the cause of the commotion. Six of our crew members lay flat on the deck, a pool

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of crimson liquid expanding beneath each of them, leaking through the gaps in the wooden
planks.
Two dark figures crouch behind two of the figures, each duel wielding two jewelled sabres,
their faces unidentifiable under the cover of darkness and mist. A flurry of movement erupts
within the water, as a swarm of auxiliary figures emerge from the dark water, camouflaged
with pieces of seaweed upon their dark, leather jackets. The realisation smashes into me
brutally, as I remember the inconspicuous pieces of seaweed floating past the vessel.

A series of battle cries echo through the empty night, as several privateers advance upon the
two warriors on board our ship, while the others take out their guns and fire at the warriors in
the water.

I hear the deafening sound of several gunshots all at once and turn to see James wielding a
blunderbuss, shooting at the enemy warriors. A group of pirates climb up onto the side of the
ship, taking advantage of the chaos and I see our captain rushing towards them with a
blinding speed. He trains his blade on one of them, before instantly carving his sharp blade
through them and moving onto his next target.

He slices through their ranks, like a hot knife through butter, his swordsmanship at the
pinnacle of perfection. He pirouettes on the spot, cutting down a pirate attempting to catch
him by surprise, and continues on his ferocious streak, his sword a gale force hurricane
howling across the battlefield, lusting for blood.

A soldier climbs up onto the wooden railing next to me, using his daggers to climb the steep,
curved surface of the ship, simultaneously slicing with the curved edge of his scimitar

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towards my torso, leaving his two daggers lodged into the wood. I dodge his blade narrowly,
feeling the wind caused by the speed of the blade caress my throat. He slices again and again
and I weave nimbly between his strikes before grabbing his shoulder and impaling my blade
into his chest, adrenaline surging through my every vein.

I cannot see his face through the mask, but feel sorry for the nameless soldier who I had just
injured. I pull the blade out of his chest and spot James nearby fighting one of the assassins
who was on board earlier. The assassin makes a whirlwind of lightning-fast feints and
slashes, but James parries them easily with a flick of his wrist, looking deeply into the
assassin's eyes and predicting her every single move. He feints with his sword and sweeps her
off her feet with his leg, catching her off guard, before smashing her head with the hilt of his
blade, while she is still in mid-air.

"Show off." I grumble, as I spy Scarlet, flying gracefully through the air her cutlass moving
so fast it seems to shimmer in and out of the plane of existence. Her face is devoid of any
emotion and her usually cheerful smile has shed to reveal a beautiful but deadly mask of
concentration. She isn't even using her powers yet.

I remind myself, as I remember the captain telling us not to use magic unless completely
necessary or they were hard to figure out, as the less the enemy knew of us, the better. A cry
rings out and I see five privateers fall in a single swing to a monstrous behemoth of a man.

His small beady eyes seem to be those of an experienced buyer appraising goods at a market
and his huge muscles seem to pulse and become tense as he rains down a series of blows. As
his sword tumbles through the air I realise from the edge of his sword, the blade seems to

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bulge and thicken slightly towards the middle and the steel seems to be polished so much so,
that the shiny metal reflects the tiniest sliver of light.

The warrior lets out a bloodcurdling roar, swinging his massive claymore through the air and
felling yet another row of privateers and smashing a ragged, enormous hole in the wooden
deck.

His eyes and weapon are a malevolent green colour and I notice something peculiar about his
swing. He did not even graze the privateers or deck, but they had both been carved open from
the massive swing. His magic must have something to do with it.

I watch him slice again and the same thing happens, his blade not touching anything, but
seeming to affect everything in a much larger radius. A vast set of three shadows suddenly
distracts me from my examination and I see three massive battleships approach us through
the thick fog, moving towards us slowly but inevitably, seemingly signalling our doom. As I
sprint back to warn the captain and back into the fray, I hear the sounds of more fallen
privateers and cannon fire from the vast battleships.

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Chapter 10:Battle
As I dash swiftly towards the captain, in the corner of my eye I unconsciously perceive a
brilliant, emerald coloured light blazing speedily down upon me. Too late I realise it is the
claymore of the inhuman, mountainous swordsman and brace for the impact, hoping for a
painless and quick demise. I open my eyes, not feeling any pain, a bright aqua colour shining
into my vision. Had I already died in such a quick moment?

A sudden realisation hits me and I come to realise the light is in fact coming from me and
gasp in surprise. I slowly adapt to the bright light and inspect my surroundings. The scene
around me is beyond bizarre. Enemies and privateers alike all levitate around me, their faces
frozen in battle cries, their swords poised to strike.

All around me wooden chips from the shattered wood planks float in the air peacefully and
bullets lie suspended amidst the chaotic scene. I spot two large cannonballs still red hot,
wisps of smoke silently steaming off the incandescent metal a metre away from our ship.

The bestial man in front of me has his claymore a metre and a half away from me, but I can
still feel the sharp, invisible edge just touching my torso. He clenches his teeth, as if trying to
overcome the force stopping him from cutting me apart, his legs dangling a few centimetres
away from the deck. Just ten metres away, I see enemies and privateers frozen in shock,
staring at me disbelievingly, but not because of a force holding them back, but because of the
scene I had caused.

How was I able to use magic? I was still a year short of the age and to be able to stop this
mountain of a man, this hidden power that I have must be quite powerful. I take out my

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sheathed rapier only briefly hesitating, somehow realising I had precious time to take
advantage of the miraculous situation.

I approach the muscular, vast giant of a man, expecting him to burst out of his frozen state
any minute and carefully grasp the hilt of his luminous, eerie green sword and separating it
from his tight, two-handed grasp. I carry it slowly to the wooden railing, the enormous weight
burdening me hugely, as I see everyone watching me, their slack jaws wide open.

I watch the enormous warrior still hovering in the air and his expression is one of a
devastating rage, as if threatening me, silently growling "Don't you dare." Yes I dare. With a
great heave and enormous effort from my lanky frame, I throw the demonic weapon off the
deck and into the deep, black sea.
Everything seems to happen all at once, all that was floating in the air a second ago drops
onto the deck and I see a cannon ball that I saw earlier drop with a soft, satisfying thud open
the deck, now completely cooled down. My knees start to feel weak and start to give way
under my heavy form and my head starts feel dizzy.

I hear a scream of pure anger and turn my head to see the vast warrior charging towards me
and I don't need to have a mind-reading ability to realise his intent. He is going to kill me for
real and this time the strange power will not save me.

A figure rushes in front of me, blocking off the path of the charging attacker and then rushes
to the side of the attacker, racing past him. A massive cut appears on the giant warriors torso
and he collapses, mere metres away from me, as I recognise the figure that had saved me. It is

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the Dragon Fang's captain, Atticus and he stands his back facing me his cropped handsome
blond hair and dark cloak flowing with the constant wave of the wind.

His hand is still on his sheathed sword, as if he had never taken it out and his cloak with a
symbol of a dragon's claw ripping apart a piece of cloth and leaving ragged holes, showing
the brutality and force of the razor-sharp claw. His back still faces me, the fog a little lighter
than before, so I am able to see about fifteen metres in front of me. "I thought we agreed on
concealing our abilities."

"Sorry, I didn't know the extent of my powers." I reply, smiling despite myself, as I slowly
get back onto my feet, the brief surge of wooziness finally over. Atticus turns to face me, a
small grin upon his face, one which I had not expected would fit with his normally serious
features, however look perfectly in synch with one another.

His handsome smile seemed casual, yet practiced, a slight sense of humour within his tall and
muscular figure. "Well keep it in check soldier, we still have a large battle to fight in case you
didn't notice." He pats me reassuringly on the back before looking at the imposing battleships
surrounding us in a triangle shape and closing in quite quickly.

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Chapter 11:Catacalysm
It is hard to believe that the body upon the deck was the man who just a few moments ago,
had been smashing right through our ranks. He grabs my leg feebly and I turn around my
sword pointed at his throat, surprised at his extreme endurance, but realise he is in no fit state
to harm or kill me.

He breathes in, his breath coming in short, pained rasps. "I am Leo's second in command, but
wait until Leo comes. You won't believe what you see." He cackles heartily, before erupting
into a series of wheezing coughs, puzzling me slightly with his strange comment.

I shrug off the weird feeling in my mind and go to help the rest of my crew, seeing only four
'Forgotten Ones' left upon the deck. They are quickly disposed of as I approach the main deck
where they are fighting and join James, Scarlet and the two captains in deciding what to do
next.

All of a sudden, I hear loud voice, ricocheting off the large sails and in my direction. Timothy
Starkweather stands triumphantly on the back of the ship, wielding a glowing blunderbuss
and looking directly at us. He must somehow have escaped during the confusion and chaos.
And the dragons were finally vanquished. He laughs, his voice distorted by the magic.

If Timothy could make a pistol shoot like a blunderbuss, what could he make a blunderbuss
shoot like, especially with so many people in one place? I begin to shout a warning to the
captain as Timothy's finger approaches the trigger, but a dark, wicked, curved blade stabs
straight through his back and appears through the front of his chest.

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He slides slowly to the deck, his victorious smirk now replaced with a shocked gasp of fury,
his eyes starting to look blankly into open space. A familiar dark figure appears behind him,
his green eyes glowing with malicious intent, but this time he wears a full set of demonic,
epic looking armour.

His green eyes start glow with an even fiercer colour, like a flame turning from a yellow to a
vibrant blue colour with the increase of temperature and I hear the hiss of swords being
drawn behind me.

I turn around to see all of my crew mates lashing out at the empty air and I watch on,
confused to what they are attacking. "Hello kid, I don't believe we've met before, have we?"
He asks sarcastically, watching the privateers flail about, seeming to silently laugh at them.
"Oh you don't have to worry about them, they are just under the illusion I am attacking them
this present moment. Now, onto business. I don't think I made you scream enough last time.
How about I fix that?"

The monstrous mountain of a mans words come back to me, as I realise that this man is
using magic to fool the others and influence what they perceive. "Why are you doing this?" I
ask him, thinking of as many ways as I could to escape.

"Oh no I'm not falling for you trying to delay for time. I've got quite a tight schedule. In fact
Captain...Ambrose is it? Go finish him off for me. Don't worry, your good captain here won't
even realise he's killed you, he will probably think he is killing me instead and doing the
world a favour."

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My captain suddenly turns, a rabid look in his bloodshot eyes and he walks towards me
menacingly his sword by his side. "May I also say that I may or may not have created a fake
illusion of me, pardon me I meant you torturing him endlessly or something, so he will be
pretty angry at you? Most of the time their own minds create half of the illusion, using what
they think is morally correct or incorrect to influence them. Pretty smart don't you think? In
fact my whole 'crew' except my sword-wielding, now dead friend Andrei, are just people who
I influence into thinking they are doing the right thing. "

So this was how countless crews had fallen to the Forgotten Ones, killing their own crew
members, mistaking them for pirates. I have no extra time to think as the captain hails down
blow after blow towards me. I barely manage to fend him off, clumsily blocking his precise
blows and I lose precious ground, backing closer and closer towards the railing with every
second.

Leo, the captain of the Forgotten Ones watches in amusement and looks carefully at the cape
of the Dragons Talons captain. Ah that symbol looks familiar. I had them sailing
mindlessly across the ocean. He says, his eyes blazing with an emerald green colour.

"Sorry captain." I mutter before feinting with my sword to my captains left and using my
right hand to hit him in an uppercut to his right. He falls for it perfectly and my fist smashes
against his hard jaw, stunning him momentarily. I run at the dark figure at full speed taking
advantage of the captain's dazed state and lash out with my blade, but it passes straight
through him.

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The captain of the Forgotten One's, Leo laughs cruelly at me. "Do you think I would be that
stupid to tell you my location?" In order to limit the amount of magic he was using, so he
wouldn't fall unconscious or die from magic overuse he must be close to use his power. Yes
you are stupid enough to tell me your location. I take out a grenade and the world seems to
slow to a crawl as I light up the short fuse and wait for it to explode. If I am going to die, I am
going to take you with me.

A burning fuse crackles loudly in my ears and I breathe in the sweet air for the last time. The
bomb shatters, its insides turning to a cloud of fire and shrapnel inside my hands.

The illusion shatters like a piece of glass, dropping from a building and I gain a glimpse of
the true evil captain's presence to the right of me, the wave of darkness finally overwhelming
me as the fire blurs my vision.

I can hear someone screaming in agony all the while and I realise it is me, as I see Scarlet's
unconscious face, lying on the wet wooden boards of the ship, seemingly staring beautifully
back at me and saying goodbye as I meet my blazing end into the inferno of hell.

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Chapter 12:Repercussions
The warm blanket of darkness welcomes me and I feel warm and comfortable inside its warm
grasp. Time seems to have no meaning in the world I reside in and I do not have a single care
or regret, as I embrace the darkness, willing it to take me away from my crippled body.

A blinding light suddenly seems to pour forth like a liquid river of brightness, flowing
straight through the darkness and I hear the sounds of voices in the distance. I don't want to
go back, I just want to sleep forever and ever. "Az, you need to come back." a pleading
feminine voice coaxes, the voice sending a familiar shiver down my spine. No, just leave me
alone.

I feel a warm feeling upon my shirt and I realise they are tears, dampening the soft cotton
material of my waist coat. Why should I go back? I have no reason to. I hear Scarlet sobbing
pitifully and a lump forms in my throat, as I immediately start to feel guilty. I sigh and walk
towards the bright light in resignation.

You win this time Scarlet. I open my eyes with a start and the bright light seems to scorch my
retinas in the matter of a split second. "Hey stop crying into my shirt, you know this is my
new one right?" My voice is extremely hoarse and dry, but for some miraculous reason, I am
still able to make the words sound like rough sounds, although when I do enunciate the
syllables, it feels like sandpaper is being scraped across my voice box. She doesn't reply and
merely hugs me, her soft warm hands contrasting my cold and clammy skin. Gosh the things
I did for friends.

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I spot a nearby glass of water and a holy halo of brilliant light seems to hover above it. The
iridescent crystal glass scatters shafts of various coloured light about the room and as a pick
up the cup and gulp greedily, Scarlet continues to hold me in her tight grasp.

"You can let go of me now, just saying. By the way, why am I always the one who gets
knocked unconscious?" I yawned, feeling fully rested. She releases her rib-crushing grip on
me and starts pouting angrily. Why did she have to look so cute when she did that? I barely
manage to keep myself fawning over her and am grateful I didn't decide to, as she breaks into
a long and convoluted rant on how I could have hurt myself.

"Let go of you so then you can go detonate a grenade inside of your hands, to try hurt
someone you didn't even know the location of? That was the dumbest idea I have ever heard
of and believe me I have heard some pretty dumb ideas...." She trails off and I try to pay
attention, but her luscious lips distract me from her speech.

I am severely tempted to kiss her right then and there and interrupt her rant, but remember
she is with James. She continues on with her long list of reasons and I realise the sunlight is
streaming in through the curtains.

"....and you should have retreated, instead of almost killing yourself, but overall, I have to
admit, it was a pretty courageous idea." I blush a deep red colour at her compliment and as
feeling returns to my numb limbs, I start to feel a small ache in my legs.

"Lucky your magic protected you somehow and you ended up surviving with only minor
bruising. In the good news, no one seems to have died and they seem to be free from the

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illusion. Even Timothy Starkweather, although once we dock, we will give him to the
appropriate authorities. We picked them all up and our ship is now completely stuffed.
Unfortunately, in the bad news we couldn't find any evidence of the Forgotten One's captain's
or his first lieutenant bodies, though I don't think anyone could have survived that blast."

Well I did. A cold feeling goes through my body, as I hear her statement. I get up slowly
from the bed, removing the thick blankets from my torso. "Well you know what they say:
We'll deal with it when we come to it. Now let's go to the galley and eat some breakfast, I
don't know about you, but I'm completely starved." She smiles radiantly at me and I watch as
the sun starts to rise above the horizon, signalling a new dawn and a new challenge.

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Chapter 13:New Dawn

I aim my sights at one of the three figures close to me, aiming from between the gaps
between two barrels. Hopefully this would go as smoothly as I had planned. My cheek is
tightly pressed against the barrel of the rifle and I breathe out slowly, seeing my breath turn to
mist in front of me.

The tension on board the ship is almost palpable and I see James and Scarlet getting into
position and finding their three targets. The captain hides behind a large crate and I see his
hand come tentatively up and then strike down with a massive force, stopping just before it
hits the crate. We all shoot at once and the sound of the exploding gunpowder rings through
the air. We immediately vault over the meagre cover we currently reside in, each looking for
our two other targets to hit.

In the corner of my vision I see the figure topple over, a gaping hole where the torso is and I
realise I am accurate in my shot. My still smouldering rifle lies on the ground and I quickly
draw both of my pistols out and blast both of my other targets from point-blank range. I see
my other two crew mates do the same, but I see James barely nick a figure, not managing to
push it over.

Confirming my two shots were on target I instantaneously draw my sword and rush towards
the figure, spearing it with my blade. The burlap sack rips, spraying hay everywhere, as the
satisfying sound of the laceration of cloth reverberates into the empty night. I pull my sword
from the target dummy and it plummets to the ground before bouncing once and then laying
completely still and lifeless.

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The captain rises from his cover, making his way slowly towards us, beaming towards
Scarlet, giving a hard glance to me and a furious glare at James.

Scarlet, that was impeccable planning and flawless in execution, it was poetry in motion.
Azrael, your planning was unsophisticated and you were lucky you somehow were able to
annihilate your targets. Your reaction time was too slow and in a real battle if the enemy had
their guns drawn, you would have been dead. James, what should I even say? You fumbled
your gun, shot a target dummy in the head and missed your last shot. How many times do I
have to say this? We don't aim to kill or be killed. If Azrael was dead, then you would have
been dead ten times over."

I think back to the simulation of a stealth attack and seem to remember myself immediately
shooting the targets, however do not respond. If you argue with the captain you are as good
as dead, better to keep your trap shut and take the advice.

James looks ashamedly down at his boots and I try to avoid the captain's steel gaze as much
as possible. The past few months we had been collecting small but simple bounties and
training up to become tougher and stronger. There were more and more rumours of stronger
pirates, roaming about the sea, slaughtering anyone in their path and it was our job to stop
them.

I take out a small lead ball bearing, seeing that I would have to endure the captain's speech
why not practise my magic as well? The fact that I could use magic and to such an extent
while I was still young, had been widely discussed upon the ship and even I still did not know
the extent of my magical abilities.

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I had become quite accustomed to the feeling of magic and was now able to lift small objects
such as a lead bullet, although heavier objects, like books were still beyond my reach,
although I speculated my power was stronger in times of need. I focus intently upon the lead
ball bearing upon my hand which I clutch behind my back and feel it begin to levitate
upwards, out of the grasp of my hand.

In the corner of my eye, I see Scarlet, her adorable eyes, causing me to lose track of the
captain's gruff voice. Stop it now, she's with James, a much more deserving and better person
than you. My mind wanders back to their lips caressing in a show of emotion and I dig my
nails deep into my leg in order to overcome the numbness that I start to feel. She's still your
friend, right? The Captain's brusque voice interrupts my train of thought and the lead ball
bearing falls straight back onto my open palm.

"Azrael, are you listening? I said you need to be more strategic and react faster to each
situation." I nod in agreement, thinking the exact opposite within my mind and wait for us to
be dismissed. He trails off, continuing his speech for what seems like forever before finally
dismissing us. Once the captain is out of range, Scarlet walks towards James, whose perfect
jawline is set tightly, still his charming, handsome self and strokes his fluffy hair fondly.

"Don't worry, just be calm and the rest will do itself." Her low voice starts acting upon me
rapidly, turning my legs to a wobbling mess. She pecks him lightly on the cheek before
consuming him in a full blown kiss. I suddenly feel like I have swallowed an entire bottle of
acid, almost feeling my cells disintegrating and burning throughout my body. I steer my
vision away from the scene and start walking, rather hurriedly off to the ship's galley, when

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Scarlet's voice ceases my movement straightaway. "Az, wait up." I turn around my heart
palpitating spasmodically within my chest.

"I just wanted to say how good you did too." She pants alluringly, having abruptly appeared
beside me with James. The absence of a kiss or hug causes an agonising reminder of her love
for James. I am extremely grateful I do not need to reply, because if I needed to, I would start
to stutter just by looking at her dazzling hair. "Now who wants lunch?" she continues, to one
in particular and it seems that an additional ten people appear, excited at the idea of being
able to stop work and eat a relaxing meal.

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Chapter 14:Report

I push open the doors, yawning sleepily as I rub my tired eyes. It wasn't often that we were
called up for a practice surprise attack when the sun just started to peek over the horizon. The
smell of salted meat, roasting upon a spit causes my stomach to ache and the sound of awful
jokes being made fills the air. Now this was home. I look at the massive dining table and
discover almost thirty extra figures dining silently among the rowdy and cheerful members of
the crew.

Among the crowd a shy familiar looking girl, catches my eye immediately. She is munching
thoughtfully on a loaf of bread, sliced open neatly, pieces of roast meat generously stuffed
into the bread. Some of our crew members try to nudge our new crew members to talk, but
they only reply in one word answers before continually munching on their meal, but amidst
the raucous cries and heated conversation she is the one that seems most withdrawn and
unfazed, as if she is within her own world, while the rest of the world passes by her.

A sudden recollection embraces me and I recall the ferocity which she had fought James
with, her blades flying like steel talons upon James, only his ability saving him by predicting
every one of her movements.

A large, purple, striking bruise lies upon her cheek and she opens and closes her mouth, as if
hearing my thoughts, stretching her taut muscles from her fight with James. A single vacant
seat lies to her side and as I move towards it she glares at me angrily, her eyes giving off a
furious aura.

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As I walk across the small dining room, I almost knock over the cook as he balances massive
platters upon each hand and they tip, causing the roast meat piled upon the plate to shift to
one side, precariously close to the edge. The cook scowls at me darkly and I really believe if
he had not been holding two platters in both hands he would have slugged me right in the
fragile cartilage of my nose.

I rub my nose gingerly, imagining how the injury would feel and walk to the side of the cook,
letting him pass first before walking towards the familiar girl.

It seems as if her eyes are trying to say "Don't you dare, sit beside me." "Scarlet, can you sit
beside me?" She pleads desperately, as if I am some kind of demonic fiend. "Sorry Lola, I
need to sit with James and the captain, to discuss our next course of action." Scarlet offers her
condolences, her regret clearly showing upon her face. "Ah okay don't worry then." she
replies, her tone one of resignment.

How had these two ladies already been so well acquainted within such a short period of a
time? It had only been a few months since the attack and our entire crew had been working
endlessly. We had commandeered the three massive battleships, taking the most superior one
and hauling our damaged ship, alongside the other two ships to the nearby town of
Blackrock, selling them for money to restock on supplies and upgrade our arsenal.

We had loaded up on supplies, for our now massive crew, almost 175 men and women,
unfortunately the battleship only had 160 beds, although we had bought a few and everyone
had been forced to share a cabin. That is, except the captain. The mind-controlled privateers

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had come out of their trance quite quickly and had come to realize that they had been
controlled by the illusionist, to do his bidding.

All were offered to join our crew, however only fifty of the one hundred and twenty five
agreed to join us, the rest either joining other privateers or reuniting with family and friends,
although all of them vowed to repay the debt to us in some way.

"Why are you so scared of me?" I ask bluntly, peering curiously into her sea green eyes,
similar to mine.
"No I'm not." she answers, trying to avoid my gaze as much as possible.
"Yes you are." I reply. She always seemed to find excuses for not being where I was at any
given moment in time and scurried away whenever I appeared. "Fine you want to know why?
I'm not sure you'll like it though. It's because you're a cruel, repulsive creep, who doesn't even
have the decency to leave a girl alone in peace."

Repulsive, yes I had heard people say that of me, but to be cruel and a creep, now that was
just a low blow. Why does she even demise me so, I haven't even had the time to offend her.
My mouth twitches slightly and I put my hands up in a gesture of surrender, as she begins to
reach towards her rapier.

"Okay I'll leave peacefully, sorry for offending you, even though I don't recall ever doing it."
I apologised, simultaneously looking for another seat I could sit in. Our captain suddenly
pushes the Galley doors open, silencing the loud ocean of voices.

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"Quiet down, I have a few announcements to make. King Reginald has died from old age and
to celebrate his life his successor, prince Dean has called all privateers and pirates alike to
come in harmony to end this bloodshed, once and for all. We as the Dragon's Roar and Fang,
have agreed to go on the terms of peace, with no weapons and if anyone else would like to
join we welcome you as well."

Our crew had now since combined the Dragon's Roar and Dragon's Fang, finding the other
half of Dragons Fang sailing aimlessly near the town of Blackrock and the extra privateers
from the Forgotten Ones joining our crew, but this was the first time he had formally
addressed us as the title. A voice calls out from the quiet audience and I recognise it as
Liam's, previously a member of the now disbanded Dragon's Fang. "This seems kind of fishy,
pirates and privateers in the same place would be impossible not to cause bloodshed."

"We trust the new king and will obey his rules and he only seeks to usher in a new age of
peace." Our captain replies, effectively dismissing his theory. "The ceremony will be held in
two days and those who will be leaving are welcome to stay until then if they please. Now
let's eat." We all cheer as he mentions the food and each sprint to the table with food upon it
and grab a piece of bread, vegetables and meat and for some, their second helping.

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Chapter 15:Notebook

"Hey Az, want to join us in a modified game of darts?" Scarlet says, standing by the alcove
near the door. I pause from writing in my leather-bound notebook, stiff from sea water, the
feather of the quill slightly tickling the skin on my palm and almost reach for my sabre in
surprise, but am just barely able to control the urge.

"Sure, I'll be right there." I respond, finishing off my sentence rapidly, my ink smudging
slightly upon the page, knowing fully well that I would not be able to reject her offer and just
bring more unwanted attention to myself.

"What are you writing?" She asks inquisitively, treading lightly upon the wooden planks of
my cabin and then sitting next to me upon my bed. Her intoxicating scent fills my every
thought and I have to focus intently upon the wall just to think clearly.
"Oh nothing." I answer, hastily closing my notebook, while Scarlet opens his mouth to speak,
her exquisite, delicate lips sending my heart into overdrive.
"Let me see."
"Sorry, private stuff you know." I sigh, "Anyway I thought you said we were going to play
darts."

"We are, just after I look at your notebook." She says, sensing my desire to switch the subject
and ceasing any hope of it.
"There's nothing there!" I deny passionately.
"Really? If you've got nothing to hide, then what are you so afraid of?" She whispers into my
ear, her hand reaching around my torso for my notebook. I hold the leather book as far away
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from my body as I can, attempting to prevent Scarlet from taking it, only just managing to
resist her insistent pleading.

She playfully barrels into me, her lips dangerously close to the nape of my neck and I
immediately topple over from my sitting position upon the side of the bed, into lying face up
with her on top of me. She prises the book from my hands and starts to opens to the page with
a crimson coloured book mark. "17th of December 1723, Scarlet...." she reads aloud, before I
snatch the book back.

"Exactly nothing, now if we're done can we go play darts already?" I question, still pinned to
the bed by her.
"It's not nothing and I have every right to know, especially since it involves me." She retorts,
reluctantly letting me go and sitting back onto the side of the bed. "This isn't over, I'm going
to find out later what resides in that notebook."

No you're not. I see exactly what she was about to read and I wipe tears flowing from my
eyes. '17th of December 1723, Scarlet you make the most beautiful bouquet of flowers seem
bland and the brightest stars dull. I love you so much and I yearn to tell you so, but no words
would be sufficient to tell you how much I love you...'

It seemed like a lifetime ago since I had written this, although it was only just before I had
seen James and Scarlet kiss and all my hopes and dreams had been shattered, like a glass ball
being crushed in an iron gauntlet. Nothing was the same now and I wished I could turn back
the time and tell Scarlet how much I truly loved her before James and Scarlet had kissed.

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Scarlet picks the worst moment to look back over and just manages to see a tear flowing
down my face. I wipe the tear swiftly from my eye, hoping she had not seen it, but it was in
vain. "Az what's wrong? Is it something with the notebook? Is that why won't you show me
it? Please just tell me something!" She pleads, causing my resolve to fade rapidly, like a
melting piece of butter in the hot sun.

"Don't worry about, I'm fine." I reply, choking back a sob, as she begins to speak, her amber
eyes melting my soul and her voice like sweetened honey.
"Fine, I'll let it drop for now, as long as you don't feel comfortable talking about it. Just
remember that I'm here for you and you don't have to lie to me. Anyway cheer up let's go
play some darts."
She gets up from the bed and I follow her mindlessly, trying to think of anything but Scarlet.

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Chapter 16:Discussion

We walk towards James and Liam's cabin in silence and I hear the thud of steel against wood.
The sound of laughter echoes through the air and I hear another thud and Scarlet opens the
door to reveal James, Liam, Lola, the previous captain of Dragon's Fang and a few other crew
members throwing knives at a red target made of oak wood. The cramped cabin seems to be
even smaller than mine, but somehow, it manages to fit ten crew members quite snugly.

Two knives lay embedded in the wooden target, both of them on the inside of the large set of
concentric circles, near the large dot which was the bullseye and the previous captain of
Dragon's Fang, Raven still holds one in his hand about three meters away, poised to throw.
He brings his hand backwards and then forwards, releasing the knife exactly at the apex of
his throw. The knife whirls through the air and then bites into the wood directly on the
bullseye and everyone roars in pure amazement.

"Hey Azrael, glad you could make it, you want to try your luck at this obviously rigged
game, which requires no skill whatsoever?" James asks cheerfully.
"N..."I manage before Scarlet cuts me off.
"Yes of course, he would love to." She answers for me, smiling wickedly, as James hands me
the knives.

I sigh and everyone watches me intently as I make my way to the red line marking the
distance which I had to throw from. I bring my hand backwards and then forwards, just as the
other captain had done and exactly at the pinnacle of the throw, a voice startles me.

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"Scarlet." James addresses and I fumble the knife, as I release it causing its flight path to be
affected adversely. The otherwise perfect throw, turns into a flimsy fling, instead hitting the
wood on the outside of the largest circle handle first, bouncing heavily off the target and onto
the floor, triggering a few laughs from the audience.
"Yes?" Scarlet questions, as I scold myself internally. How was I letting myself become so
affected by her and only the mere mention of her name as well?

I shake my head to shrug off any fatigue I have and throw the knife up in the air before
catching it by the handle and focus fiercely upon the target. My breathing slows down and
everything else but the bullseye blurs.

The knife follows my hand backwards and I release it as my hand goes forward. It soars
through the air, the metal reflecting the candlelight all around the room and it spins perfectly
towards the target. The knife seems to bend in mid-air changing its direction, but I realise it is
a trick of the light and it flies true towards the bullseye.

The sharp point of the knife nails itself deep within the wood, exactly within the centre of the
bullseye causing a satisfactory thump, as if announcing my victory and I reach for my second
knife immediately and throw it instantly, exactly the same way I did for the first knife. I
watch the second knife in anticipation, the knife a spinning blur. I blink and I hear a sound
signifying that the knife had flew into the wood. Was my aim true? The knife hilt faces me,
impaled in the oak, exactly next to the other, in the bullseye.

The whole room erupts into cheering and I hear my name being called loudly behind me, as I
am hoisted up into the air by several other privateers. When I am finally let down and the

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cheering dies down a bit, Liam approach me and wolf whistles, in appreciation for my
accurate throws. "Remind me to stay away from you when you have a knife." He jokes,
causing laughs across the room. The other captain looks at me proudly. "Glad you didn't
choose to be a chef, otherwise a lot of people would be severely injured." He says, causing
another round of laughter.

I suddenly notice a small cut on my finger where I had grasped the knife, realising it must
have nicked me slightly. The previous captain of Dragons Fang, Raven grasps my hand and
starts to speak. "Let me help you with that." I silver and gold light surrounds my hand and a
warm feeling flows through my body.

A wave of startled oohs and ahhs spreads throughout the room and when I look back at my
hand it is completely healed. "Thanks." I remark, marvelling at his strange ability which he
had just used, realising that I had never seen a lot of the magical abilities which members of
my crew had used.

"No need, you deserved it." He congratulates, before walking outside of the cabin, alongside
a few other privateers, who used to be in his crew.
After a while, Liam goes to the target and takes out the knives, trying his own hand at darts,
simultaneously making conversation while shooting. "You know, there's something weird
about the meeting of privateers and pirates together which prince Dean is organising. King
Reginald would never allow pirates anywhere near his waters, let alone the castle to mark the
funeral."

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"Who knows? King Dean may just actually want peace." James speculates, watching Liam's
hopeless shooting.
"Maybe, but if he isn't, then whatever sinister plot he is hiding is bound to be a bad one."
Liam replies, the point of his knife colliding profoundly loud upon the wooden target.
"We can only speculate." Scarlet contributes, her beautiful eyes staring blankly, signifying
her mind was elsewhere.
Her head turns back around to me, wearing a triumphant smile. Now, arent you glad you
tried your hand at darts?

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Chapter 17:Arrival

The ship comes to an abrupt halt and I hear the sound of a heavy steel anchor dropping into
the deep ocean and imagine the disturbance causing a white plume of bubbles to rise to the
surface within my minds eye. I look in the mirror of my cabin, adjusting the collar of the
stylish leather jacket that I wear. Our crew was often known for our queer fashion sense and
now that we were attending the funeral, we had all opted to wear our battle gear just in case
conflict did break out, even though our captain assured us that none would.

Although others thought our fashion sense was weird, I thought their fashion sense was
weird. Fake wigs, oversized dresses, strangling corsets, socks so long they would come up to
your knees? No thanks. I would rather keep to my black shirt and leather jacket.

"Looking good Azrael." Ace, one of my cabin mates says, grinning at me humorously,
obviously being sarcastic, he too wearing the exact same thing as me. I scowl at him angrily
and he laughs. "Just saying." He adds, his face calling desperately to me for a slap.

"Say one more word and you will be the one not looking too good." I reply sharply before
stalking off towards the wooden cabin door and the outside of the ship. Ace follows me
outside, hopping just behind me like an overexcited rabbit. "I wonder what prince Dean is
planning for the royal banquet he invited us to."

"Ace, it is a funeral, be respectful."

"Sorry, I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I'm just wondering how prince Dean is going to
feed that horde of people."

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Ace points towards a massive line of people at the entrance to the castle in the distance and I
start to get his meaning. How was prince Dean planning to feed all these people? Sure, he
had invited every privateer and pirate group that anyone knew, but I hadn't imagined so
many would have come. I bet some of them were not even pirates or privateers and merely
here for a free meal. Ace looks through his telescope intensely, studying the people waiting in
line.

I pat him on the back gesture for him to lend me his telescope and he complies. Many of the
people waiting carry scabbards with blades concealed within their sheaths and I hear the
raucous roar of faint conversation from the docks.

Our captain, Scarlet, the shy looking girl, James, Raven, Liam and a whole group of our crew
members are already upon the dock and our captain is speaking. I quickly return the telescope
into Ace's expectant hand and run down the ramp onto the dock, Ace trailing me in my path.
"Now I want to see everyone behaving appropriately and if there is danger, which there will
not be, I want everybody to follow me." Our captain says pointedly, looking especially at
some of our commonly misbehaving crew members.

As I draw closer towards the group, I suddenly start to feel a strange warmth blanketing me,
contrasting the cold air I had felt just a second ago when I had exited the ship. I look at a few
members of our crew who are very sensitive to cold and am surprised at the fact that they
aren't shivering either.

I look just 50 metres away in every direction and find a bitterly cold, icy wind, whirling about
the bay and other privateer crews disembarking shivering and chattering their teeth at the

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biting cold. Meanwhile, the wind, carrying with it an icy snow, seems avoid our group and a
comfortable warmth is heating us all up, not to the extent of suffocation, however just
comfortable.

I look at the shy, familiar looking girl, Lola and her eyes glow with a molten hot gaze, her
irises, a crimson orange colour, burning with a light akin to one of a furious wildfire,
contrasting her sea green eyes. "By the way, if anyone is wondering why you feel so warm
and everyone else seems to be shivering, you have Lola here to thank. Just stay within a fifty
five metre radius of her and you'll feel hot and toasty." Our captain answers to our curious
glances at one another, gesturing towards the shy, familiar looking girl, her dark flowing hair
covering her now blushing cheeks.

"Oh its nothing don't worry." Lola dismisses, avoiding a few of our crew members' curious
glances. Ever since I had done that telepathic trick, many had also looked at me curiously
when they thought I could not see them and occasionally, I still heard my name in hushed
tones.

"Now if we're done let's go to the castle." He says and we all look towards the looming castle
in the distance and I sigh awaiting the long trek to the ceremony location.

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Chapter 18:Stone Fortress

Almost two hours later of walking towards the castle and waiting in the cue, we finally reach
the entrance of the castle and a guard stands by the massive open iron gate, its pattern like a
convoluted grid of a sea chart, the iron forming countless geometric squares and with sharp
pointed edges on the bottom edge of the gate. "Crew name?" The guard asks our captain,
looking slightly disgruntled at the large line waiting behind us. "Dragon's Fang and Roar."
Our captain replies, his mask slightly muffling his speech.

After a few moments of flicking through the massive stack of papers, he waves us through
the gates and caters to the next group. I walk through the shiny marble hall, marvelling at
how the light shines through the massive windows on the right side of the room and the
intricately detailed, stone sculptures of famous people which lie in little alcoves within the
walls.

As I walk around the hall, my footsteps echo loudly across the stone walls and throughout the
large hall and off the tall ceiling. To think this was a mere hallway and it was still probably
worth half of the value of our battle ship. I see a statue of John Churchil, his expression one
of a strategic tranquillity, as if watching a chess game unfold and I can see how he would
have conquered countless battlefields with his calm, yet never complacent tone.

A large fresco, framed by a border made of gold lies on top of the ceiling, colours
interweaving gracefully between one another and blending together with their entwinement.
The colours mesmerise me, spiralling in and out of my vision like a tornado of colour.

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"Hey are you going or are you going to stand here and gawk? Like it's not as if the ceremony
is going to start in approximately thirty minutes or anything." James remarks sarcastically,
staring at my awestruck figure.

"This hall must be worth half the value of our ship." I manage, still staring at the grand hall.
"Yeah probably. Now let's go, we're falling behind." James acknowledges, before patting me
on the back and walking ahead of me.

I follow behind him as we walk up a large spiralling staircase, slowly making our way
through the vast expanse of the castle and into the wide courtyard. As we go down another set
of stairs a person dressed completely in a white jacket, complete with a hood hanging over
his head and a terrifying, completely blank white mask. A cold shiver goes through me
because of the figure's presence and my hands starts to shake rapidly, as I feel like my soul is
being purposefully ripped out of my body.

I recognise the figure immediately. The figure that I was seeing before me is a part of the
White Reavers, a crew of privateers rumoured to be the strongest in their land. A few of their
members had a rumoured ability to drain magic from others and had worked directly with
King Reginald to hunt down the most wanted pirates in the seven seas.

"Don't worry that's just a White Reaver, I guess prince Dean wanted to ensure there was no
trouble." Our captain replies, dismissing a few worried glances among our crew. We carry on
strolling throughout the castle seeing all kinds of privateers and pirates, all walking towards
the courtyard.

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A guard runs in our direction and ushers everyone forward, wearing a worried expression
upon his face. "Please everyone hurry up, the ceremony is about to start in thirty minutes and
the current King Dean asked us guards to emphatically express how he would like to get
everyone into the courtyard."

We pick our pace a little bit more and eventually reach a massive courtyard within the castle,
surrounded by the stone walls of the castle. Scarlet and I somehow end up leading the group
by ages and everyone else seems to lag behind. In front of us, a crew of thug-like pirates
aggressively shove their way through the small entrance and into the courtyard in front of us
and one figure in particular seems to shine out to me, within the centre of the brutes.

A petite, vivacious looking girl bats her eyelashes at me, my whole world seeming to become
suddenly cloudy and she blushes and giggles, holding her hand to her mouth when she
realises I am gazing at her.

Her hair falls in a thick curtain, covering one of her eyes, as she smiles warmly towards me in
a cute and appealing way. "Snap out of it Az." Scarlet calls out to me and snaps her fingers in
front of me, causing me to blink several times and shaking my head to relinquish myself from
my dazed state. I look Scarlet directly within her amber eyes and I suddenly start to feel
something really weird.

In fact, it is a lack of feeling which I think is weird. I don't feel anything when I look within
her eyes and none of the sadness and misery plagues me. "Az... That's Piper Heartbreaker,
stop looking at her, she's one of the notorious pirates and has her love spell which she puts
everyone around her under." Scarlet tells me, looking viciously towards Piper.

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"No she's not, she's just being friendly." I snap back at her, not really sure why I am
defending a girl after just seeing her.

"Az... she's trying to seduce you with her magic, don't look at her. Az please.." I can't quite
manage to catch onto her words as my eyes seem to flicker back over to Piper and she starts
to beckon me towards her and I feel a strange bliss just looking at her face and deep into her
starry eyes. The sweet smell of roses drifts through the air and I hear the distant sound of
Scarlet trying to discourage me as I walk towards Piper. Scarlet suddenly appears in front of
me and blocks off my path.

I try to brush past her, but she stands defiant against my wishes. Within the courtyard, Piper
blows an air kiss towards me and shakes her hair alluringly, before winking at me. I want her.
I need her. I moan in ecstasy just watching her and my desire for her skyrockets. I need to get
to her in any way possible. I feint running towards the left side of Scarlet and she falls for it
slightly, before I sprint to the right side of her towards the small entrance. Scarlet grabs both
my arms and pin them to my back, as she pulls me back in front of her while I struggle
fruitlessly against her strength.

"Please let me go. I need her. Please." I plead with her, my desire for Piper clearly showing
through my tone. Tears streak down my face, as I try to break free of Scarlet's grip. Every
second without Piper feels like a stake is being pierced through my heart again and again.
"Please stop Az, look deep into my eyes. You're under the influence of her magic." She
manages, keeping a hold of me. "I need her..." I sob, before being effectively cut off as
Scarlet's lips cover mine.

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Her slender tongue parts my lips and her sweet scent enters my mouth. She swirls her tongue
expertly within my mouth, coaxing my tongue into action with a gentle swipe.

My frantic struggles melt into groans of pleasure as her wet tongue collides with my tongue
in a passionate embrace. Her tongue retreats, leaving me wanting more and as I see her honey
coloured eyes, my pupils dilate and my heart starts to beat erratically. My breathing increases
tenfold, as I realise how close we are. "Are you okay now?" She asks inquisitively looking
deep into my eyes and causing me to blush.

"Yes, sorry about earlier. I had no idea what I was doing." I answer, embarrassed trying not
to meet her intense gaze, trying to resist the temptation to start fawning over her, as she
finally releases my arms.

"Don't worry, she was concentrating all her magic upon you, feel glad that you were able to
resist her even a little bit."
"Thanks, I think we should get back to the rest of the crew behind us." I murmur, gesturing
towards our crew, walking slowly down a set of spiral steps, towards us.
"Az... Wait James told me you had a crush on me and he was afraid if we went into a
relationship, it would hurt you and then you started to act really weird. He wanted to ask me
if it was fine with you if we were in a relationship before we get serious."

"I'm totally fine with it. James is delusional, I don't have a crush on you in any way."
"Az.. You don't have to lie to me." She whispers softly, biting her lip attractively. Well what
was I meant to say, I love you so much, but James deserves you more? It wasn't like I could

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really stop their relationship anyway. Even if I did, I would just end up hurting Scarlet and
James.

"I'm fine with it, don't worry." I say, putting on a brave smile and avoiding her unwavering
gaze.
"Okay then Az. Just remember I'm always here for you." Her words echo in my mind, as the
scene of her kissing me replays again and again in my head taunting me. She was never going
to be mine, but that was okay. As long as she was happy with the one that she truly loved.

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Chapter 19:The Kings Reign

As we quickly re-join the rest of the group of one hundred and seventy-five of us, James and Liam
abruptly stop speaking and glance at us inquisitively.

How does the courtyard look? Liam asks, break the tension.
Its right in front of you, why would you even need to ask me? Scarlet counters, unimpressed by
Liams attempt to break the awkwardness.

Yeah, but. Liam stammers, trying to come up with something to reinforce his failed attempt. He
stops speaking and I sigh in relief. Finally, some peace and quiet for me to gather my thoughts. We
walk side by side, soundlessly into the courtyard, looking for somewhere to sit in the massive
courtyard, as a group. Our captain picks a row of seats close to the back, seeing the crowds fighting
over the front seats and we all sit down beside him.

A heavily muscled, weathered looking man sits in front of me and he turns around, looking at me
curiously. Are you Azrael Nightmyst?
Yes, whos asking? I reply, eyeing the man up carefully.
So it is you! Im Logan, I used to be Ravens second in command. Nice to meet you. He goes on,
smiling widely, covering my hand with his massive one, before shaking it.

I never really got a chance to say thank you for saving my captain and crew. So now I just want to
say thank you so much for your effort. It was a really brave move to light a grenade like that. Logan
reflects, seemingly grinning at the prospect of my bravery.
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No need it was only a small thing. I dismiss, slightly embarrassed by his thanks. He looks like he is
about to reply when a figure appears upon the balcony facing us. Guards line the tops of the walls and
towers above us and two guards stand to the side of the figure in regal robes. A beautiful, gem lined,
furry crown lies upon his head and it is obvious that he is the king.

He smiles and waves towards the crowd beneath, namely us and all the other privateer and pirate
crews, receiving a confirmation that everyone had arrived in the courtyard by a guard besides us.
Everybody suddenly hushes and the only sound is the wind whirling around the courtyard,
occasionally flinging pieces of paper across it. His blond hair sticks out handsomely from his crown
and even his beard seems to look polished.

I would like to start by thanking all of you pirates and privateers for arriving so early, for our
miserable ceremony we must perform today. He speaks, his voice booming out across the courtyard.
My father, king Reginald was a great man. He was well spoken, educated, was loved by all his
subjects and left behind a great legacy. However, one thing he constantly rejected to let happen was
progress. Progress means the advancement of our militaries, the strengthening of our economies and
the improvement to our nation. I have you gathered you here today to celebrate the life of a great man,
but also to right one of biggest mistakes: letting pirate and privateer scum like you all still exist upon
this planet and stop progress. You are the drain on the economy, you constantly harm our militaries
and cause illegal activity to run rampant. Today all this ends, with your lives. Now please do this
country a favour and cease to exist. He conveys spitefully, before signalling his guards to point their
rifles at us and returning back into his room.

So Liam was right, this was all a trap, to get us into one place and massacre us like sheep. I hated it
when Liam was right. We all rise from our seats and loud shouts of protest can clearly be heard

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through the commotion. The guards all aim the rifles upon us and white robed figures advance upon
us. I very much hope this is not the last time I will draw breath

End of Book 1

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