Scorching tendrils of yellow light rubbed Josette’s skin a glistening copper huge, the warm grains of pale sand chafed the tender pads of her bare feet, her clunky boots have been left behind lying like two dead soldiers on the quiet beach.
The day was so perfect, almost surreal and the girl sang an ancient pirate chant as she hiked the beach, completely oblivious to her jungle beach crossover of surroundings. A breeze whispered by, fondling her golden tresses and tugging playfully on her baggy pants, tickling her exposed, muscled stomach and cooling the sheen of shining perspiration that had misted over her slim body.
"...and a bottle of rum..."
Her tune stopped abruptly when the hull of a washed up schooner caught her attention. The monotonous stretch of white sand had grown boring, and this shadowy boat seemed dangerous. Full of starving pirates maybe?
The soaked wood was varnished a blackish green from the growing allege, boards splintered and dripping. It moaned and creaked in loud protest as the tide slammed against it, water sputtering out of the chinks in the shattered starboard side. Gazing at with gleaming, excited eyes Josette scuttled aboard, running her fingers along the damp wood, giving the broken wheel a good spin.
Padding across the front deck, splashing through small puddles and leaping over the fallen mast the girl made her way towards the captain’s quarters. Door swinging open with the slightest touch, welcoming her into the damp, cool depressing darkness of the stomach of the ship, she invaded the cabin.
The place was oddly clean. No dust. No animals. No people. Absurdly empty, except for a corner, full of cobwebs and one other thing. A large chest, overflowing with glimmering gold.
Caius had grumbled as he walked down the shore of the beach. His boots clunked heavily along as he dragged himself through the hot sand. Beaches and golden shore were no place for knights like Caius and he dreaded the sea air and heat as much as he hated being on this assignment. His dark blue silk cloak cape flapped behind him in the wind and he had to raise his shield over the brim of his eyebrows to block out the sun.
Early during the day the commodore of the Imperial ship he had been on had seen a schooner stationed ashore. Every vessel was supposed to fly the colors of what city, or lord the ship recognized. Yet as they passed the ship the captain noticed it was totally unmarked. Pirates were a problem for trading vessels throughout the region and Caius, a pirate hunter himself, was sent to see who the ship belonged to. And of course the captain was a hater of ‘land lovers’ like Caius so he sent him alone.
With the sun beating of the white sand and shiny in his face, Caius squinted to see what lay ahead. None the less he came around a bend in the shore line and caught sight of the schooner and a young looking girl investigating it as well. “Hey!” Caius shouted and waved his hand to get her attention. Yet she disappeared below deck before he could shout. Perhaps it was the heat getting to him.
When he got to the ship he realized it was old and out of commission. The wood had been saturated with sea water and mold had grown all over the planks and had turned even a blackish color. In many places the wood had entirely rotted away and a few large holes could be seen in the hull. He set foot on board and the ship creaked loudly and as he did so Caius almost jumped of in fear of falling through the decaying deck. “Hello?”
He pushed the short sword down toward the mans chest, it scratched the flesh and the scarlet blood trickles down the chest of the man… A sadistic smile rolled over Xile’s face as the blood touches the soft yellow sand. It’s not worth living for… whispers Exile as a tear drops from the mans face, Xile puts a single finger out and the tear falls gracefully onto it… Xile puts his finger in his mouth and immanently gags… WHY? He yells as he pushes the sword down further this time pricing the skin… three scarlet colored blood drops trickle down the mans chest and stomach region… this brings a bigger grin over The Dark Menaces face… Please don’t kill me… please… the man begs for mercy but Xile just shacks his head… Pathetic he says in a angry tone… you will die it is just a matter of time… Xile pushes the sword deeper into the mans chest before twisting it to the right side, the man breathers harder and another small tear drips from his eye… Xile pulls the sword out and the man looks up, divested by the amount of pain he was just put though…
Xile looks down at his victim and puts his hand in front of the mans face before muttering the words, Flaming arrows five fiery arrows sprout from Xile’s hand and shoot out smashing into the mans head… The man falls over, and Xile draws his sword and comes down on the hip of the man… he take’s a look at his work… and walks down the beach, Xile walks for a good five minutes with his bloody short sword in his right hand before looking up to see in the far distance a ship… Xile kind of stare’s looking at it… before walking to it…
Hello?
The wary greeting echoed through the shadowy room, breaking the sound barrier of the ancient floater. She could hear footsteps, the noise vibrated through the rotting floor.
Skin prickling with the urge not to be caught with her hand in the cookie jar, Josette hurriedly flung hand full’s of the weighty, sparkling coins into her baggy pockets, ignoring the satisfactory jingle and clink as her pants slowly filled with gold.
She had to get out, escape. What if the unknown stranger owned this boat? What if this loot was his? Creeping to the door way, sluggishly edging to the rusty hinges the not so elf girl attempted a quiet escape. Cautiously she peaked through the illuminated crack between door jamb and wall and that’s when his head popped out from behind the fallen mast. He was young, about her age give or take a few years and, randomly enough, he had a shield.
Stealthily, she stayed in the shadow of the protruding cabin, crawling under the mast and grappling the sail, trying to drag herself over board, crawling upside down and clinging to the shredded canvas with knuckle. Except for the sail couldn’t hold her weight, and it happily dropped its load with a loud, groan like tear, sending her spiraling towards the surf, it would have been an awesomely clean getaway.
“AHH!” She yelped and with a great, splashing cur plunk she fell in the mist of a glimmering rain fall of gold, pouting as the sea stole her treasure.