Chapter Text
The ocean roared beneath the ship as it came crashing down a wave, climbing another one right after. The rocking motion was aggressive, the blow of the wind hard.
The sky had darkened with gray rain clouds, yet the air was still dry. The storm was approaching upon the open ocean quickly, and the mighty pirate ship was nowhere near the land.
But it was nothing. They had faced it before.
Several times.
Neteyam ran across the deck, boots clicking against the wood. In his hand he carried a small wooden box that contained some beads. He had stored them a couple of weeks ago, waiting to have some free time to weave them into his own braids.
He ducked his head as he walked through the old door that led to the captain's shack. Keeping the box in one hand, he stood tall infront of the captain as the ship continued to rock.
"Captain Andred."
The rocking motion was growing violent.
"Neteyam." The old captain acknowledged the teenager. He was calm, unfazed by the ocean.
"The storm is closing in from the Starboard."
The man raised his head.
"Me hearties are working to keep Royal Blue steady, yeah?"
Neteyam crooked a small smile. "Have no worries."
Captain Andred slammed hid hands on the desk as he stood up. His heavy steps took him towards the door, passing Neteyam.
The younger watched the captain.
The older man opened the door, looking around the dock to see how the crew was doing.
"You go to your shack." He spoke to Neteyam, stepping out of the door.
"I can help!"
The old captain stopped. Then he turned back to look at the younger boy.
"That was an order, not a suggestion."
"Captain, I can help. I know the ship a lot better than the cabin boys under your command." Neteyam stressed.
Neteyam was not a precious pearl in the ship. He had many chores he had to fulfill, some dirty and some more privileged duties.
But whenever something too chaotic was in sight, the Captain sent him down to his shack. As if he was keeping him away from something, for some reason Neteyam was yet to figure. He didn't understand why he was so different than the rest of the cabin.
Was he the son of someone that the captain used to love?
Neteyam had no idea.
"It is just a storm. I can handle it." He added.
He was still standing confident under the old Captain's gaze.
But Captain Andred's face hardened. He was raising this boy because he was told to do so.
By pirate law.
Neteyam might have been important for the Great Pirate Council, that didn't mean he got the privilege to talk back.
"Really?"
Neteyam understood his mistake too late to take back his words. He faltered, face falling from the confident look into a softer expression.
"No Captain."
The old Captain slightly nodded his head, a short form of acknowledgement.
"That's what I thought."
The old Captain left through the door, left Neteyam to stand alone in the middle of the shack. The dark skinned boy exhaled a breath, which he hadn't realized he was holding.
With a sharp turn he moved to his left, the heels of his boots stepping on the wood sharply. There was another door leading to his and the Quartermaster's shacks.
When he entered the small and narror hall, he stood still a moment in silence. There were only two doors and a single oil lamp hanging on the wall. The ship was rocking, the walls swaying in his vision.
Neteyam huffed in frustration.
Entering his own shack, he sat down on his bed. The "bed" was a big wooden box, on top were placed soft fabrics and a pillow. It wasn't the most comfortable thing to sleep on.
But Neteyam also had a hammock hung from the top of the shack on the opposite side of the bed. When the ship swayed too much during the nights, it was hard to stay on the hammock.
He was luckier than the rest of the crew to get his own small room like this, instead of sleeping in a shared space with all the other men.
He laid down, staring up at the decorations and tools hanging on the rope nets. They too were swaying fastly as the ship continued to push through the storm outside.
Neteyam had been on riots before. He joined in on the attacks against storage and delivery ships. He was one of the best in one by one sword clashes.
Yet a mere storm was enough to send him down to his shack.
From his place he could still hear the faith shouts and other sounds from upon the deck.
Neteyam yearned to be out there, feel the wind and ocean salt on his face. He wanted his long braids to be able to swing free.
The only thing he got was the stillness of the shack.
Fair enough, the darkness and the rocking motion slowly lured him into sleep.
He didn't know how long he was asleep for when he woke up to an odd stillness. The stuff around his room were almost not even swaying. He sat up, reaching to move the heavy cloth that covered a round window next to his bed.
🏴☠️
The morning greeted him.
The storm had stilled. But the rain remained.
A small sigh left Neteyam as he stretched himself up and groaned at the pain of sleeping on a hard surface. Nothing he couldn't handle.
He left the chambers, stepping out to the deck he was met with a couple of crew members here and there.
Royal Blue was still far away from land. But Neteyam could sense it that they were sailing on more shallow waters than before now.
Neteyam reached up to slide his bandana off of his head. He shook his head slightly, letting his braids do their own thing. Then he stepped towards an empty side of the railings.
He leaned on them, looking down at the water lapping against the wood of the ship.
The sound of wood creaking under someone's steps came from behind him. Neteyam turned around to see who approached.
The Quartermaster was walking towards him. He was younger than the old Captain. But he was stil carrying wounds and experience from the years he spent on the sea.
"You are up early." The older man said.
"I slept early." Neteyam replied shortly. A small pout grew on his lips. "Not that I wanted to."
The quartermaster raised a brow with amusement. He knew the younger well enough. Neteyam hated being useless, especially since he knew Royal Blue better than most crew members.
"Atleast you follow orders." The older man spoke with a quiet tone. "We had a few men fall into the water last night mate."
"Oh." Neteyam mumbled, shrugging his shoulders. He didn't bother to ask if they made it back to the deck or if they were abandoned to death.
"Listen, Neteyam."
The Quartermaster threw a heavy arm around the younger's shoulders. "Women like men like you and me, obedient and reasonable."
The dark skinned boy scrunched his face in irritation.
It was an awkward topic to get lectured about on random times a day.
There were barely any women on board, let alone any Neteyam's age. He had only interacted with women when him and some of the higher ranked crew members snuck into towns to collect food or resources.
Neteyam brushed off the arm around him and dusted his shirt. "I really don't have to hear this."
"You will need it one day, son "
Honestly, Neteyam didn't know if he would at all. Women had never been the center of his attention, never. He hadn't thought someone to be attractive, let alone think about having any relations.
He was a pirate after all, pirates didn't have relationships.
Unless the woman was a part of the higher rank crew members.
But even then, Neteyam was too young to get to know someone like that. Most of the time, it started off with something inappropriate that the young pirate choose to stay far away from.
"Yeah. Sure." He said, just to brush the older man off.
The sooner the Quartermaster left him alone, the faster Neteyam could bring his own mood up and ready for the day.
The older man shook his head with a laugh.
"We are arriving at the islands in two sunrises."
The Quartermaster changed the topic. Enough messing around, he needed Neteyam's mind back on the chores, not women. Though It wasn't even the case for Neteyam.
The younger pirate nodded. His hands reached back to his hair together with the bandana to tie it back on.
"That sounds like we don't have a lot time left."
"Doesn't matter Neteyam, we are already ready."
"I don't have doubts on that."
Two sunrises would pass quick.
After, finally managing to escape the older man, Neteyam found himself strolling down to the orlop decks.
There, the cabin boys or the rest of the crew were waking up and getting ready for the chores the new day would bring.
Neteyam stayed closer to the entrance under the shadows, not making his presence loud. Instead he choose to lurk and observe.
A couple of people were around his age, some only slightly older looking.
He watched them interact carelessly. They were playful with each other as long as they weren't around the higher rank people, like Neteyam.
So the dark skinned boy didn't approach them. His presence would cause sudden panic, he knew that well.
So just as how he silently arrived, he left without making any sound other than the creaking wood. But it was left unnoticed as everyone were already loud enough.
Neteyam often realized that he was lonely.
At first, when he was younger, he didn't realize. Because he didn't know the concept of friends. All he knew that they were a big crew, so he was never alone. Besides, the Old Captain had never left him wander alone until he got to a certain age.
Only when he first saw how the cabin boys acted together did he realize;
That he lacked the company of people he could freely have fun with.
The thought made him sigh as he stepped back onto the upper deck.
The only was to get his mind off of it was to focus on their plan ahead.
🏴☠️
Two sunrises passed.
There were chores that had gotten done.
And sleepless nights.
But the islands were soon in eye sight. The tall mountains stood mighty behind the golden shores. The water of the reefs looked like a clear turquoise crystal under the sunset. Even from the distance of the ship the pirates could make it out.
Palm trees and strong green vegetation had hugged the deeper parts of the islands towards the mountains.
With the sails lowered and the anchor thrown into the sea, the pirate ship slowed down.
"We will wait until nightfall!" Captain Andred's voice bloomed across the deck.
Then he turned to Neteyam, who was standing by his side on the upper deck with his hands folded behind his back.
"Darkness should arrive quick. You move together with the crew, find the Chief."
"We are going for the Chief, directly?"
"Going for the Chief means their people will not risk attacking. Reef people take peace for religion."
"I see." Neteyam nodded.
He knew, that the trove they were looking for was hidden deep into the island chain. The pirates didn't care about the reef people or their royalty.
As Andred said, they were peaceful. They choose to stay out of other Kingdoms' businesses unless it was strictly necessary.
The reef people wouldn't fight back if their lives were at danger, but offered a deal.
The pirates only needed a full day to find the chest. They would leave the islands alone right after, if the reef people cooperated as planned.
Neteyam's gaze dragged out towards the nearest islands then.
As night started to set, the lights around the village started to be fired up.
Either way, the reef people would not fall asleep tonight.