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The pirate walked into the tavern, his leather sole shoes stepping lightly and quietly. It was a typical evening in Booty Bay: drunken sailors, whores leaning against buildings, bruisers attacking enemies of the city. He stopped by the bar, asking the bartending goblin for his usual, a large tankard of cherry grog. With drink in hand, he walked up the stairs and looked for the darkest corner of the tavern. That’s where he would find him.
He slammed his tankard onto the table and glared at the shadow. A dark figure chuckled and a gruffy old voice spoke out in common, “Imagine seeing you here, Seapup.”
“Wolf, jackass.”
“I call you whatever the fuck I want to call you. I should call you dead. You never came to tell me you were alive.”
Cris smiled and shook his head. “I figured someone would have told you.”
“Oh, they did. Two whores called Rumor and Hearsay.”
“Well, there you go. What more do you need?”
“I need you, fucker, to tell me that you’re alive. Now sit your ass down before I decide to make the rumors true and kill you off once and for all.” Cris chuckled and sat across from the figure, who now leaned over and showed his face in the candlelight. His peppered beard was unruly, with bits of food hiding beneath his chin. His bushy eyebrows cast a shadow over his green eyes. The long hair of his head reached his shoulders but it matched the beard and eyebrows. He grinned, as if his smile contained the many years of adventures and piracy. His golden teeth in his mouth were his pride, showing them proudly as he smiled, followed by the reeking scent of alcohol and years of not washing his mouth. His heavy golden embroidered overcoat was in shambles, patched here and there with pieces of leather and scrap cloth. “Who helped you?”
“Tia’Zula.”
“A good woman. Has she tried to get into your paints yet?”
“All the time.”
The Captain chuckled, “I wonder if she’s still good fuck.”
“Lovely. You look like shit, Captain.”
“So do you, asshole. Let me guess, another heartbreak?” Cris blinked at him several times and the Captain shook his head. “If it wasn’t for my sources, I wouldn’t know shit about you. Tia told me you were being pathetic. And I knew she had helped you with your little death incident.”
“She did?”
“Of course. She talks to me all the time.”
“So why the fuck did you ask?”
“Because I want to hear it from you! She also told me that some little wench ‘broke’ your fucking heart.” He mocked the word broke and laughed, “Didn’t I tell you that was your problem? Falling in love with the first wench that shows you her smile and before you know it, you’re a blubbering fool.”
The memories were blurry for Cris but if Tia had said that, then he knew it was true. “I’ll move on, Captain”
“Damn right you will. You’re pathetic, pup. Letting a wench control your heart.”
“Not anymore.”
The Captain looked at Cris and grinned. “Good. Maybe you will begin to act more like a man. How’s the business going?”
“Good, but I need you to teach me once again.”
“How to be a merchant? I never was a bloody merchant.”
“No, Captain. I want to be a real pirate.”
The Captain laughed, droplets of spit falling onto Cris’ face, followed by an invisible cloud of foul breath. “A real pirate? What, you were pretending all this time?” He continued to laugh again.
“I’m serious, fucker. I want to change.”
“And what led to this? Couldn’t handle your wenches? They’re a waste of time. That’s all they’re good for; to distract a man from what their true goals in life are.”
The conversation was enough to trigger the memories back. Cris sighed and leaned back against the chair, his ears wilted slightly. The Captain rolled his eyes and threw a sharp kick at Cris’ legs. The elf perked up and growled at the Captain. “What the fuck was that for?”
“You’re a fucking pussy! If I ever fell in love with my wenches, I wouldn’t be here.”
“Drunk, dirty, and in rags?”
“Rich and satisfied. I love me life, boy. That’s the point to life. Live for yourself. Enjoy your life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”
“Live without love? You told me yourself I was the marrying kind.”
“I ain’t perfect, am I? So I was wrong. “
Cris sighed and leaned against the table. “Teach me.”
“You must be willing to listen, ass. All those years I had you on board and all you wanted to do was play your sissy flute and stare at the sea.”
“I’m going to travel. By land.”
The Captain stared at him silently. He gestured for Cris to get closer, which Cris obeyed, only to feel the Captain’s hand strike his face. The elf’s eyes widened and glared at the Captain. “No, seriously, what the fuck!”
“You come to me for advice and you say you’re going to travel by land? Get your fucking insulting self away from my presence.”
Leaning back, Cris rubbed his face. “I need to find myself.”
“You’re right there.”
“I need to really see the world. Meet other people, find other ports.” The Captain didn’t say a word after the last thing he said and Cris noticed. “I want to be more familiar with what’s around us.” This time he leaned forward voluntarily. “I want to see what the world has to offer me.”
“Ay, smart boy.” The Captain smiled widely, his gold, brown, and holed smile not phasing Cris. “And then when you see all you want?”
“I take it.”
“You take it.” The Captain nodded and lifted his calloused hand, moving toward the elf’s face. Cris winced slightly, but he felt the hand gently tap his cheek. “Smart boy.”
“Will you guide me?”
They stared at each other and the Captain grinned. “Very well, Captain Seapup. Here are a few rules I follow. Share them, and I’ll kill you. Break them, and you’re bound to get yourself killed. Choose not to follow them, and you can go back to a life of pussy love and self-defamation. But hey, you’re already used to that, right?”
Cris rolled his eyes and paid close attention. “I’m ready.”
“Remember, boy, these are my guidelines. Other seascum will differ and I hope you aim for your own guidelines one day.” He leaned back and grinned, chuckling softly as his body lifted and dropped with each laugh. “We’ll make you a pirate yet.”
Cris nodded, ready to hear his words. His mind was clouding slowly and now filling with excitement at the thought of going through the world and planning his attacks. The Captain was right. There was no time for love. Romantic love was simply a waste for him now. He knew he could be charming and get what he wanted, but otherwise, he swore to keep his emotions away from women.
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