Feet pounding, men shouting, hard breathing, swords gleaming, guns firing, brilliant maneuvering and completely showing up the Stiffs;

Blimey being a pirate is fun.

Being the cocky girl I am, I couldn't help but cackle my head off as I ran away from a squadron of them.

The clumsy fools couldn't hit a whale if it sat in front of them-though what a whale would be doing sitting in the middle of a town, I have no idea.

I ran up a couple stacks of crates and jumped onto the nearest roof, where I continued to run and sail over the gaps between buildings as I headed to the harbor.

Three more roof-cruising figures appeared in my peripheral vision, and I smiled to myself as I slowed to an easy run, making sure the Stiffs wouldn't lose us anytime soon. That wouldn't be very hard to do, the soldiers are dreadfully slow with all that equipment.

I took hold of the little crown that had been previously resting upon my head and shouted to a figure across the gap of buildings, "Catch, Prentice!"

Then I threw the thing like a flying disk, right across the soldier's field of view.

A boy with shaggy hair the color of fine ocean sand snatched the crown from the air and in return threw me a smile that would have melted the heart of any other maiden, the playboy.

Prentice sent a knowing wink my way before slipping down onto an awning and jumping onto the road after that, bolting into an alleyway as the Stiffs drew near in pursuit.

So the game began.

We went on like that for awhile--a half hour, maybe--one of us leading the Stiffs on for a bit before tossing the valuable to another crew member and disappearing back up to the rooftops, while whoever had the crown dropped onto the street and continued leading on the soldiers.

Took them long enough, but the Stiffs eventually started using their brains and split into smaller groups, which went off in their own pursuit of my crew mates.

My amusement grew with gaining my own little to play with. I decided to egg them on directly, frequently popping up next to a soldier lagging behind the group and mocking them with a "Lovely day for a run isn't it?" Or "You're looking a little tired there, would you like a break?" The whole group would give a start, then flip directions and chase me back the other way.

My breathing was starting to edge on the heavier side, signaling that I could only keep the pace up for another twenty minutes at most, if I had any hope of making a successful dash to the harbor to officially lose the Stiffs.

So I needed a good advantage to get back on the roofs. I made a turn into an alley neighboring a food stall, and it led to a dead end with a few food crates stacked in the back. I nearly stopped right there in horror, thinking I might actually get caught this time.

Frantically, I climbed up onto the boxes just as my little squadron swarmed into the alley, and I made a desperate jump to the lip of the roof. I didn't come close to grasping it, much to the triumphant albeit snickers of the soldiers behind me.

I gave a small huff of relief. While an initial jump couldn't reach the roof, I would be able to get up just fine via some none-too-graceful scrabbling up the walls.

"This is your last chance." Said one man, whom I assumed to be the captain of that particular section due to his air of superiority. He was a wiry fellow, with a narrow face that seemed to be permanently stamped with an expression of hautiness, accompanied by a rather thin and overly-waxed mustache. Overall he wasn't very nice to look at. The man drew his sword, followed by the rest of his group. "Surrender peacefully, or you will be taken by force to the gallows, pirate."

Where are their rifles? I wondered belatedly, looking down at them from my vantage point. I wandered over to a crate on the edge of the pile nearest them, putting on an exaggerated thinking face before widening my eyes in an innocent fashion. "Oh of course sir! Why wouldn't I surrender after all that effort I went through to not get arrested?"

The men's faces were just beginning to show the first traces of irritation at my sarcasm-or confusion for those who couldn't catch on-as I reached my designated crate and gave it a good kick, sending it toppling right onto the captain a foot or two below me.

"Oh, clumsy me!" I snickered as the captain fell flailing onto the cobblestones, sending a couple men tumbling with him. I took that chance to run to the opposite wall and scramble up a few feet through the very brief handholds the slightly protruding stones provided. When I felt myself beginning to slide back down I pushed off and just barely managed to snag the lip of the opposite roof, just as the captain screeched "Sieze her!!"

As I was pulling myself up, I nearly fell right back down from the force of the tug on my foot. I looked down to find one of the soldiers latched to my foot, with a couple of his buddies climbing onto the crates after him.

With a renewed sense of urgency, I took my free leg and brought my heel hard into the soldier's face, making direct contact with his nose. He let go instantly with a cry of pain and staggered back, holding a likely broken nose that was already bleeding.

I heaved myself up and over the edge, the next soldier's hand only managing to graze the sole of my boot before I pulled out of reach. Standing up, I took a couple steps backwards from the ledge until I couldn't see the soldiers below. I stood there for a couple seconds to catch my breath, surveying the rooftops before me. A couple roofs away, I saw Prentice climb up himself, the glint of the crown in his hand.

With a running start, I easily cleared the gap over the alley, urging the soldiers to yet another chase.

This one ended much sooner than the others, for my goal was only down the street. I strode up next to prentice, who was leaning against the chimney. I leaned casually on the other side and we both silently contemplated the blue mass of bodies below as our groups merged.

After a few moments of the soldiers mulling around and angrily cursing at us, Prentice leaned in towards me while still looking below and said, "Do you suppose any of them like men?"

I laughed, and took notice of two more figures silhouetted against the now setting sun among the rooftops, watching us.

"Even if one of them were, they certainly wouldn't be interested in you now." I reminded him. He gave a dramatic sigh and placed the crown on my head, instead of taking off again with the thing in hand, our signal to return to ship and lose the Stiffs. The dark figures dropped back down into the streets.

I gave Prentice a couple reassuring pats on the shoulder. "Come now, you'll have plenty men and women to whore around with later."

"So harsh." He commented as we both walked away from the edge of the roof, before going our separate ways to lose the soldiers.

Having had my fun, I ended our game of chase and sprinted away from the Stiffs.

The ocean wind whipped my face as I listened to the frustrated Stiffs' voices get farther and farther away. Chuckling to myself, I slowed to a stop at the last roof before it dropped off to the cobblestone paved market square, with the harbor just beyond.

Breathless and gulping for air, I looked down at the masses of common folk bustling about in their daily lives. Conversing, laughing, shouting, trading. Leading a life that was almost foreign to me. All sorts of different scents wafted up. I smelled meats, fish, leather and spices, there were even a few cattle lounging around in the market waiting to be sold.

I tore my attention away from the activity below to listen for the Stiffs. I didn't detect their angry voices, or even the distinctive sound their marching made when they stomped down the streets in their fancy boots, accompanied by the clinking of their rifles and swords bouncing against their signature blue jackets.

Satisfied, I dropped onto the ledge and hung there for a moment, before falling down onto the street below. I ignored the startled cries of those who noticed a girl in trousers wearing a crown drop from the sky, and strolled to the docks.

Taking a quick glance around, I easily spotted my ship, the Solaris. She wasn't too special, a little on the smaller side with ordinary sails, built more for speed than anything, with a dark wood. But my crew an I painted the railings and her name in a gold color. We're cocky like that. Or stupid.

Most likely the latter.

Our flag also stood out: black background with a sun and crescent moon bound together by a silver chain. The sun a marigold color, the moon a blood red.

The gangplank was already lowered, so I made my way up.

"Welcome back, Canis..." Came a drowsy voice, and our youngest crew member, Skit, walked over to me rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Hey, bud." I said, smiling softly at him and ruffling his platinum blond hair. "Did you get enough sleep? I'm sorry, we depended a lot on you in our last raid."

He shook his head and smiled shyly. "It's okay, I'm glad I was helpful."

"Well, you can rest awhile longer if you want. We don't have any other big plans for now." I said.

He nodded, soon after snapping his head towards the captain's cabin, as if drawn by an unseen force. My smile grew wider. Sometimes I forgot how good of a nose he has. "I saved some cinnamon pancakes from breakfast for you. Go ahead and eat up."

Skit beamed, all signs of drowsiness immediately gone. He ran to the captain's cabin shouting "Thaaaaaank yoouuuuuu!"

I chuckled as he disappeared into the room. It warmed my heart every time the boy smiled, those used to be so rare when we first took him in.

With an amused huff, I walked to the other side of the ship, playing with my necklace as I went.

The sun was setting, casting a fiery orange glow on the gentle waves. The water barely rippled in the soft ocean breeze and seagulls cawed overhead. I held my necklace up into the sunlight, the red stone shining brilliantly. It was a medallion made of what seemed to be ruby, a disk with a hole in the top in which the leather cord was strung through. It was thick as a gold coin, and would fit into the space between your thumb and forefinger if you put them together. The edges were riddled with nicks of varying lengths and depths-displaying the medallion's age. However, the most unique part was the strange carvings on each side. They were a bunch of intersecting and curling lines, creating symbols I could not recognize from any languages I knew.

It was my only keepsake of my mother. She gave it to me when I was young, saying "It will keep you safe in grave danger."

She died only a week later.

At first I believed what my mother said about the medallion, but growing up left me knowing it was a made up promise for a wide-eyed, naive child. I didn't mind though, it left me with one more pleasant memory of her.

My mother-Judith-was just about the only light in the darkness of my early childhood. She was stunning. Long, wavy, light brown hair like mine. Though she made it look beautiful while I made it awkward. She had warm brown eyes, and the most gentle smile you've ever seen. Her features radiated beauty, from her delicate little nose to the bangs that perfectly framed her lovely rounded face. She was the kindest person in the world, even the servants loved her. You would always let your guard down around my mother. She never raised her voice or got angry, always soft-spoken and understanding.

So, I thought to myself, why did she have to marry Thomas?

It was a pointless question I already had the answer to, but it didn't make things any more bearable.

"You're lost in your necklace again." Came a voice from behind.

Surprised, I dropped my medallion and turned to see Steffen. His dark hair was plastered against his forehead and he looked very shiny in the dying sunlight, with the sheen of sweat on his skin.

"Yeah, I suppose I tend to do that. Sorry." I said, fully turning my body to face him and leaning against the railing.

Steffen shrugged and shook his head once. "It's not really a problem, since you only ever do it when you're alone. The rest of us just don't like it when you get upset."

I grinned at him cheekily. "Aww, you care! Don't tell me you fearsome, battle-hardened pirates are getting soft on me."

At this he rolled his eyes. "If we are, it's your fault."

I opened my mouth to retaliate, but all sassy comebacks were forgotten as a blue head of hair appeared, signaling my first mate's arrival.

"Ah, and there's Neil." I commented. We all knew simply from his unnatural hair color that Neil had at least previously owned an Artifact.

The other guys and I sometimes joked that Neil's heart had been replaced by an Artifact, hence his navy blue hair and apparent lack of positive emotions. Though really he was just way too serious about everything.

I had to reach up to clap him on the shoulder, seeing how he was practically a head taller than me. "Nice work today, lad."

Neil glowered down at me. "You've no right to call me that. I'm older than you."

"True," I replied. "But I'm also your captain, putting you in a lower position of authority than me, and therefor rendering you unable to do squat."

My first mate deadpanned at me, unimpressed. "Are you standing by that statement?"

I placed my hands on my hips and lifted my chin, staring haughtily at him. "Aye, I am. I am your-"

The bastard never let me finish as he bent down and grabbed me, proceeding to pick me up and fling me over his shoulder like a mere sack. Steffen made a dive to grab the crown that had fallen from my head and managed to snatch it before it hit the ground.

"Hey hey hey hey!" I exclaimed warningly. "What do you think you're doing? Put me down!"

"I've no desire to do so until you swear to never call me 'lad' again." Neil responded in his usual monotone.

I scoffed and struggled against his hold. "Well aren't you ramming talkative today. You've no right to demand such a thing of me. Now put me down before I skewer your eyes out!"

"Eye." He blatantly corrected.

"Canis, you might as well relent. It sounds weird anyway." Steffen said from where he had retreated to the railing.

I narrowed my eyes at him and hissed. "Traitor."

Neil huffed and Steffen rolled his eyes. "I almost forgot it's no use trying to verbally convince her to do anything with how she gets after a successful heist."

Neil nodded in agreement.

I didn't give the blue-haired shnitz another second before driving my knee into his stomach, earning a surprised wheeze as he loosened his grip on me.

Seizing the opportunity, I used his shoulders for support as I swung my legs around and dropped to the ground, grabbing one of his arms on the way down and using the momentum from my fall to flip him over me and onto his stomach. He grunted on impact and rolled away once I released him.

I heard an impressed whistle from Steffen. "Good to see you've still got your edge. Still, it impresses me every time you take someone down, given how short you are."

I whipped around to face him. Now I was just plain offended. I stood at over five footspans tall-nearly six-not short in women's standards by any means. And he was only taller than me by a fingerspan or so.

Setting my face into a mask if I difference, I strode up to him and stood there for a couple of seconds with my hands on my hips once again, as if deciding what to do. Then, giving no warning, I ripped the crown from his hands and simultaneously brought my leg up and kicked him in the chest. He toppled  over the railing with a surprised yelp and fell into the waiting sea below.

I couldn't help the smirk that played across my face as I leaned casually on the railing, looking down at Steffen as he spluttered to the surface.

"Oh dear," I said with mock concern. "Looks like you've taken a tumble. How in the world did you manage to do that?"

His only response was a drenched glare as he treaded water below me. I allowed myself a triumphant smile before turning back to Neil, who had picked himself up off the floor and was standing stoically with his arms crossed.

"Grab the ladder and lower it for him." I ordered, jerking my head to where Steffen fell. "I'm gonna stow this away."

I held up our stolen crown, receiving a nod of acknowledgment from Neil before going belowdeck.

I wound my way through the couple corridors we had until I reached the kitchen. With a grunt, I shoved aside the wooden shelf laden with spices and preservatives to reveal the wall behind it. I felt along the wall until my finger hooked into an otherwise hidden notch near the ceiling, tugging at it until there was an audible click and a small portion of the wall swung down to reveal a compact hidden space. I grinned proudly as light leaked into the little cube room and bounced off the gold and jewels stashed there, among other valuables. It was probably big enough to fit a couple people standing shoulder-to-shoulder. Gingerly, I took the crown and placed it atop a small mound of coins, admiring the sight for a couple seconds before lifting the portion of wall back into place with a dull bang.

I maneuvered the shelf back into place and, having secured our treasure, went to fix myself a snack.

~~~

Simple bread and cheese sandwich in hand, I made to return to deck when I was practically smacked in the face with an eye-watering stench. I had to pause in the doorway to make sure I didn't collapse from the assault on my senses.

When I was certain I wasn't going to keel over anytime soon, I cautiously raised my arm and took a tentative sniff.

I gagged. Yep, that's me.

Naturally, such an epidemic had to be taken care of immediately.

I hurried to my room, unbuttoning my shirt and untucking it from my trousers to slip off, leaving my arms and torso bare save for the undercloth I kept wrapped around my chest. I similarly removed the colorful bouts of cloth I kept around my waist, the gold coins attached to one clinking as I shifted all cloth to one hand to open my door.

The sight of my room warmly welcomed me as I stepped inside. My bed was pushed to the far right corner of the room, with a small set of drawers on either side. A chest for my clothes sat at the foot, lid open and its contents haphazardly strewn about from my rush to get ready that morning. Across from my bed and to my left sat my desk, a few books and papers littering the surface along with my inkwell and feather pen. In the rightmost corner closest to the door, an overflowing bookshelf sat with a small pile of dirtied clothes.

I tossed my load onto the pile before quickly ridding myself of the other offensive-smelling clothes, and grabbing a cleaner set to wear.

~~~

Afterwards, I walked back up to the main deck to find both Steffen and Neil gone. Instead, Skit was sitting on the port railing watching the last fiery rays of light as the sun was swallowed up by the dark ocean waters.

I strode over next to him and noted that the boy had pancake crumbs strewn about his shirt.

"Do you know where the other two have gone?" I asked him, absently swiping at the residue.

"I think Stef went to his room to warm up, and Neil left saying something about an appointment."

I felt my eyebrows tilt down slightly with a small spark of anger. I don't remember giving him permission to leave. I then gave a small sigh, trying to suppress such anger. Nothing to be done right now. There must be a reason he thought it was alright to disobey me. Not that it gives him an excuse.

"Why was Stef all wet, Canis?" Skit interrupted my thoughts, his big blue eyes bespeckled with pink staring at me inquisitively.

"Oh, I kicked him overboard." I replied dismissively, giving a noncommittal shrug.

Skit's adorable little face scrunched into a frown. "That wasn't very nice! Why did you do that?"

I chuckled. "Steffen deserved it, he was being a meanie."

The boy crossed his arms and stared down at the water that began to sparkle with the light of stars, a contemplative frown on his face as he debated with himself who to scold: Steffen for being mean in the first place or me for retaliating rudely.

I couldn't help but smile and ruffle his hair before turning to look behind us at the town, the lamps flickering to life as they were lit to bathe everything in a warm glow.

"Stay on the ship, okay? I gotta go and see where Prentice wandered off to."

Skit nodded, spinning his legs around and hopping from the railing onto the deck, scolding plans forgotten. "Okay, will Prentice be bringing back a friend this time? Lots of weird noises come from his room when he does."

I almost instantly bristled and my blood began to boil at the very thought.

"No," I said through clenched teeth. "He most certainly will not be bringing any 'friends' onto my ship."

"Okay, have fun!" Skit chirped, oblivious to my anger. He then skipped belowdeck, his blond curls quickly swallowed up by the shadows.

With a huff, I shook my head in an attempt to rid myself of Prentice's past indecencies. Though unfortunately, that wasn't going to be effective for long.

I made my way down the gangplank in irritation and back into the market square, where the crowds had thinned with the lost daylight. Knowing exactly where Prentice would be, I asked around for directions to the nearest pub. I got a couple weird and disapproving looks, but nonetheless received directions to the Tipsy Sailor.

The second I laid eyes on the building, I knew I wasn't going to have a fun time.

The pub's front windows were very large, spilling vast amounts of light onto the street and showcasing what the establishment was popular for; the Nightwomen.

So it doubles as a brothel. Fantastic.

Loud music and raucous laughter permeated through the cracks in the walls, and i dreaded going in. But I caught a glimpse of Prentice, red-faced and mouth stretched wide in laughter as women crowded around him. I was going to have a lovely time trying to get through that.

With a sigh, I donned my big girl drawers and entered the pub.

My nose was immediately assaulted with the smell of alcohol and sweat, among other things. I didn't get very far in before I felt a sharp tug on my skull, making me stagger back and gasp in both surprise and pain.

One of the Nightwomen had picked up my braid and was holding it in her hands. "My, what pretty hair you have, such a peculiar shade of brown." She said, looking up at me with a flirtatious smile.

Oh dear.

"I reckon it's nearly long as I am tall! And the little metal toy you added at the end is very cute." She continued, running a hand along my braid.

I shivered violently, unsure if I'd be able to keep my last meal in my stomach for two reasons:

1. I hate people touching my hair. Hate it.
2. That woman reeked.

I reached up and tugged my hair from the woman's grasp and glared at her. "This toy can crush your worthless skull in the blink of an eye if you so much as look at me again." I growled, feeling my big bad pirate mask slip into place.

I whipped back around before she could respond, plunging further into the crowd. As I shoved along, I mentally scolded myself. Empty that it was, there was no need to threaten the poor woman. She was only doing her job, and I shouldn't have reacted so harshly.

Just as I was beginning to calm down, however, Prentice spotted me through the crowd of women and made a really horrible decision on his part.

He opened his big, drunk mouth and shouted for the whole pub to hear, "Red! Greetin's Captain!"

Suddenly the music, the laughter, the clinking of bottles, the chatter, everything ceased to be in an instant. Patrons and staff alike looked at me in a silent, growing horror and my already bad mood turned foul.