Chapter Text
“For the crimes of piracy and murder these criminals have been found guilty, and are sentenced to be hung by their necks until they are dead when the dawn sun rises!”
An authoritative rings out through the cell block Technoblade is trapped in, counting the minutes until his execution.
Playing with his golden earrings he growls, thinking of his previous ‘crew’ that abandoned him the moment that he was captured. He never should have signed up with them, sure the money was great but pirates cannot be trusted at heart, and the moment things looked dire they fled.
Leaving the scarred mercenary for the authorities to find, half dead from blood loss after the fight his former ship started. Funny how they will let you heal before they hang you, wanting to give a good show to the people they wished to control.
Standing up with a groan, his plain prisoner clothes rustling he began the same pacing circle he had kept for days now, the moment he was healthy enough to stand they branded him and scheduled the date of his death. Rubbing the burned indent on his collarbone he makes the resolve to never trust pirates again if he gets out of this, but the situation was looking worse by the moment. The Navy ran a tight security, his knack for escapes so far hadn’t had the opportunity to try as they never let him out of this space.
This tiny cell around him was made of weathered stone brick and iron bars, the window too small to even crawl through. There was no furniture in this room, only a bucket and a scratchy mattress made of hay covered by rough fabric. Once a day a guard would drop off some stale bread and water, enough to keep the prisoners alive and that was it. Hard to gain your strength back on such a measly diet, Techno only received half-decent food while he was recovering from his injuries.
He had been trapped in this cell for going on a moon cycle now, and it seemed today would be his last either way. The pink-haired pirate had been round the wheel of emotions more than once in this tiny room; from praying to the Death Siren for some kind of miracle, raging about the crew that left him to die and cold acceptance these might be the last few days his heart would beat. He searched everywhere for a chance to escape this fate but found none, the few prisoners who did were given a far more painful death as an example, discouraging any attempt he thought of.
“To the front of your cell, condemned!” A Navy officer orders, his voice ringing across the stone brick this structure was built out of.
Techno’s heart begins to beat faster, sending one last prayer to the Death Siren to let him live beyond this day.
She was the deity all pirates worshipped as She cared for them in life and death. She handed down the Pirate Code all who sailed the seas were supposed to honour and She would take you into Her embrace after your demise. Rumours about what She looked like were unclear, and pirates loved to exaggerate, the most concise stories spoke of a tall woman who had a scaled tail of vibrant purple instead of legs and curtains of cosmos-shaded hair.
A physical manifestation of Her influence adventured the high seas, an ethereal vessel dubbed the Stormdancer, piloted by a crew of people with many legends surrounding themselves and the vessel they sailed. All abroad had inhumane powers but still bled crimson, chosen by Her to lead the dead home to their final resting place. How and why you were chosen were shrouded in mystery, no one truly knew the requirements needed. Rumours aplenty but no concrete knowledge was ever spoken about, Techno knew of more than a couple sailors who dedicated their lives to finding all they could on the Death Siren’s Stormdancer with little luck.
A guard broke Techno from his musings, cell door clanging open and Techno held out his hands to be cuffed. He did not want a painful death if that were to happen today so he chose to cooperate for now, shuddering over the examples they were all subjected to watch. Slapping the heavy manacles around his wrists, the chains clinking together as two guards gestured for him to leave the place he spent the last moon in for the final walk to the scaffold. Grabbing his upper arms in an iron grip, they began to lead him towards the outside for the first time in far too long.
Blinking against the harsh sun, he squints as his pink hair blows across his face. Four other branded pirates stood upon the platform, the Navy leading him up to where the last noose hung. Technoblade’s heart pounded against his ribcage, rapidly losing hope that he would escape his fate at the end of the rope. They slip the loop around his proud neck, tugging it tight after pulling his long braided tresses out of the rope and stepping back. He glances down to see the trapdoor below just as the dawn sun peeks over the horizon.
A crowd of townspeople gathered below, screaming support of the deaths about to transpire. All ages stood in the square the scaffold was built in, these sort of executions often became festivities celebrating the ‘dangerous’ dying that day. All Technoblade wished was to be free of the rules the Navy put into place, having run away from the orphanage he was placed in to explore the seas that cover their world rather than suffer under their order.
Now for his choice of freedom, he was labelled a monster to be killed.
The Navy officer who awoke them this morning began his spiel of the crimes they committed as the sun-ray’s creeped across the horizon but before he could finish the sky darkened once more. The Navy grew quiet, several of them laying their hands on their weapon handles as the blue sky fades to black, Techno’s smirk growing wider recognising the coming event. Never having been through it himself but knowing the tales well, lightning crackled across a once peaceful dawn announcing the arrival of a legendary crew.
“READY UP, MEN!” The accusing Navy official ordered those in uniform, all pulling out their muskets and swords.
An eerie singing rounded the corner in the form of a tall lanky man with a headful of chestnut curls, drawing soft tunes from the wooden guitar he strummed. Dressed in a long flapping travelling cloak and an elegant brimmed night-black hat with a long crowfeather, worn black boots upon his feet. All Navy officers that heard the tune stopped what they were doing, the symphony lulling them into a sense of confusion and lethargy. Making eye contact with the man standing at the podium, a sonorous voice serenaded the older official.
“Go undo the fifth pirate’s noose.” His deep voice suggested, continuing his musical melody from the singing instrument he wielded, the official jerkily walking over to where Techno stood. “Take off his shackles.”
Drawing out a keyring full of skeleton keys, the heavy cuffs of metal fall to the ground as the pink-haired pirate rubs his wrists. “Give him your sword.”
Doing as the musician beckoned, Techno suddenly stood facing the official who once was announcing his demise. The Navy officer also hands over the holster with some more direction, Techno watching the whole encounter with some shock.
It was one thing to hear how powerful these shepherds of the dead were, it was another to watch one control a whole square of people with his voice and some lovely chords. There was no one else it could be, even in daylight being able to bring darkness was a calling card of the Stormdancer’s arrival. Even the other accused stood waiting for their deaths with blank stares, when they would currently be free to make an attempt while the Navy was entranced by the handsome man with the worn guitar.
“Come on Technoblade, I can only keep this up for so long.” Jumping as that deep voice addressed him directly, the tall pirate clambers off the stage while the curly brunette keeps humming while gesturing as they walk back the way they came. “Name’s Wilbur by the way, may as well get formalities out of the way now that you are no longer under threat of dying right yet.”
“Are you one of Hers?” Techno finally asks as they near the edge of the square, the other man nodding as he sings. “Why should I come with you?”
“Do you prefer I leave you with the Navy? I can’t force you to come but I promise we are much more welcoming of the free lifestyle you love to lead.”
“...Fine.”
Once they are outside the range of the scaffold, Wilbur stops playing guitar and flips it to his back while holding out a calloused hand, his chocolate eyes wild in the early air. “You have been selected to join our crew, friend, now hurry up! We must get back to the ship before the moon sets!”
Techno’s mind whirled, thinking of the others he had in his past who would kill over this opportunity. He always listened to the tales with a healthy level of scorn, he believed in Her because you had to cling to something in the darkest storms but the Stormdancer always felt more mythical than reality. Something practically out of a fairy tale was reaching its hand out to bring him aboard for the adventure of a lifetime, he would be a fool to not take that offer.
Taking that outstretched opportunity, they talk off running while yelling grew louder from the square, realising the deception. Pondering why he was chosen, he let the singing man bring him to the docks to confront a ship straight out of a myth.
Made of dark oak planks, it was an elegant specimen Techno had only ever heard spoken about with a tone of awe. Never having laid his blue eyes on it until now, his mouth drops open as they come closer to the lowered gangplank. With several rows of windows, the vessel towered above the other ships docked with rose-red curtains within the glass panes. A vibrant purple flag flew in the masts, a black rose surrounded with electric blue lightning strikes waved proudly in the warm salt-smelling air of the open sea.
Wilbur whistles happily the moment his feet touch the plank leading up to the Stormdancer, someone with nearly as many legends waits at the top for the new member of her crew. Captain Belladonna stood with her hand upon a shining sword hilt, her calling card bloom tucked above her ear pierced with an emerald earring with a golden foundation. Noticing a similar piece in Wilbur’s lobe, Techno lets the excitable man drag him onto his new life.
“Greetings Technoblade, and welcome to the Stormdancer!” Belladonna’s smooth deep voice greets them, dressed in a smart royal blue blazer with golden fastenings. Reaching out a hand covered in shimmering jewellery, Techno releases Wilbur’s to take hers. “I am glad Wilbur got to you in time!”
“You asked me to rig the chances in our favour and you are always surprised it works!” A light-hearted voice sounds from beside them, Techno turning to see a long-haired brunette with a red hat and striped shirt, a teasing smirk on her face. “Why do you never believe me?”
“Cause it's funny to watch you come for my throat, little one.” Belladonna chuckles, reaching out to ruffle their long tresses before turning back to Techno. “I can imagine you must have many questions.”
“Only about a thousand.” Techno jokes, glancing around to see a few more of the crew poke out from where they are creeping forward, clearly curious about the newcomer. “Firstly, why me?”
“Let’s set sail, then we can go through them.” Belladonna affirms, gesturing for Aimsey and another excited brunette boy to pull the gangplank while raising their echoing voice. “All hands on deck, it’s time to be underway!”
Watching their pearl white eyes flash a blinding white before dimming, the unnatural darkness pulling away from shore as Eret leads him further aboard. Thunder continues to rumble as a stormcloud curls above them in the sky, moving with the boat.
Another question for the list, Techno muses, watching the weather obey the direction of the Stormdancer and protect them from the harsh sun.
Several people jumped across the ropes doing as Belladonna commanded, adjusting masts with heavy thumps of thick fabric while masts creaked, all regarding them with equal looks of respect as while as curiosity when their eyes landed on the pink-haired former mercenary. Rubbing at his neck where a noose lay earlier, Belladonna leads the new recruit up to where an attractive man stood. Wearing a similar emerald earring he gives a smirk to the pink haired man, showing a mouth full of gold teeth. A large scar cut through this left brow, milky white eye beneath the healed wound that cut deep into his flesh.
“Hello fresh meat!”
“Quackity, don’t scare him!” Belladonna reprimanded, the helmsman rolling his eyes before continuing to steer away from the port.
A serious blonde stood at his side, tall and slight with a sharp blue gaze as he glanced down at a compass looped around his neck and mumbling things beyond Techno’s comprehension.
“I believe you asked me earlier why you were selected, that I myself cannot answer other than it is as She commanded.” Belladonna rubs their emerald earring, carefully glancing the scarred man up and down. “I can see you have had a hard life so far, may I guess your background?”
Techno, unsure how exactly to even process what the hell is going on now, wordlessly waves for them to continue. “You never had a place to call home, nor stay in one long enough to form attachments. I assume you lost your parents young, most of us did, and turned to the life of being paid for your work with a blade. You had a love for the salty oceans we traverse each day and enjoyed the high-stakes risk of it all until one day you fell too far and no one was there to catch you.”
Techno’s mouth drops open as they lay him out to dry, barely batting a pearlescent eye while they stripped him bare for the world to see. Staring at their wise face for a bit longer, he eventually shakes his head and tugs at his shirt, swallowing before finally responding.
“Right on the nose.”
“I usually am.” She sounded cocky, Quackity rolling his eyes once more with a fond expression towards his Captain. “Now then, I don’t believe I properly introduced myself. My name is Captain Belladonna of the Stormdancer, but you can call me Eret. The nicknames are part of the grandeur which can be amusing but Eret is the name I was born with.”
“Where are we going?”
“To gather the souls of the dead so you may unlock your abilities as one of Her crew, this will be your chance to question the Death Siren directly as She always greets new members personally. A large passenger vessel is set to sink soon and we must attend to our reaping duties.”
“I am going to be talking to the Death Siren Herself…soon…” Techno trails off, not believing the words coming out of either of their mouths.
“Indeed you are, friend. Prepare yourself!” Eret says joyfully, the serious dirty blonde even gaining a smirk at his Captain’s antics.
“You are aware that sounds insane.”
“Oh I fell off that plank many, many years ago.” Eret gives a loud laugh, the others joining before she continues. “One of our own decided it was time to move on so you were chosen to take his place, my Quartermaster position needs to be filled and you must have some similar experience for Her to choose you!”
Techno tugs on his mane of pink hair, thinking back. “I mean I have led a few crews here and there but I am more often hired for my proficiency spilling blood.”
“Those days are now behind you, dear one.” Eret lays a steady hand on Techno’s shoulder when he doesn’t flinch away, waving across the deck people scurried across to keep the ship sailing. “This is your new world, you must be special for Her to have chosen you. I look forward to watching you find your home here.”
Techno’s eyes roam across the pirates who rushed across the deck, putting the finishing touches on their tasks for the long haul. They had a camaraderie between them, an easy chemistry as they moved around each other in well practised actions. Laughter aplenty throughout the crew, a curly sunshine blonde the centre of it all as his antics amuse those around him.
“So tell me about the crew you wish for me to lead.” Techno looks to Eret, who looks fondly at those below them.
“Everyone here comes from wildly different backgrounds, all saved from the brink of death as you were.” Eret gestures to each person they describe as they speak. “My helmsman, Quackity, was in a very similar situation to you, set to die for the crimes of freedom before we saved him several cycles ago.”
The handsome man gives a shining smile, tugging on the wheel at the serious blonde’s directions. “Our navigator, Purpled, was in the middle of a fight to the death his former crew set him up for before we swept in to take him away from that dangerous situation.”
“You already met Wilbur, our resident musician who helps with morale on the deck during the darkest of times.” Pointing to the curly brunette who was speaking with the obnoxious blonde who drew Techno’s attention earlier, loud banter echoing across the planks. “Tommy boosts the overall attitude with his bright personality even if he rubs you wrong sometimes, it hides a golden heart.”
“I’m Aimsey!” The long-haired brunette who Techno met at the beginning, coming up to shake his hand with an enthusiastic action. “Eret found me nearly dead on the shore of an island I was marooned on.”
Between the two brunettes, they went through the rest of the crew quickly. Foolish, the Boatswain, supervised the activities of Tommy and his best friends Tubbo and Eryn as they finished knotting the ropes they used. Fundy rushed around doing some last minute repairs and helping Awesamdude prepare their cannons if they ran into trouble. Niki had to patch up Tubbo after he accidentally hurt himself on an exposed nail, with kind tones and empathetic ears. The only person not on deck was their cook, Sneegsnag, down below cooking up delicious food.
Techno swore to never trust pirates again in that cell of stone, but watching their kindness towards each other made him begin to waver on that vow. From their interactions alone you could see just how much they trusted one another, and respected the other people they helped.
Eret was so proud of those people they directed, an ease among them of long times spent together on the rough seas they sailed.
Among all the kindness, there was an inhuman nature all aboard carried themselves with. Each person moved with an ease of many years of experience, along with their powers blessed by the Death Siren showing in unique ways.
Niki picked up entire gunpowder barrels by herself to move it where Awesamdude directed, weights that usually took at least two to move. Purpled barely had to glance at any star charts to guide them, knowing immediately their location and the direction they must travel. Quackity was pulled away to lay glowing hands on a warped cannon, metal moulding to a functional status once more. Multiple crows and avians came to chirp at Tommy, the boy talking back to learn what surrounded them. Eryn had sparks lighting at his fingertips, lighting lanterns around the ship as the night’s shade surrounded their ship even in the high sun.
Eret’s eyes glowed as the Stormdancer sailed, intimate knowledge of how his ship moved while they travelled upon the waves of the salty seas they would be leading the dead home on.
Maybe, just maybe, he could learn to trust this group that found him. For now, he chose to observe and listen, watching this crew of legend work together to navigate the rough seas they sailed through towards something Techno had only heard about.
And he was meeting the Death Siren soon, not a terrifying thought at all to the former mercenary, absolutely not something he would feel anxiety over the entire time to their destination.
Not much choice he had now, being aboard the ship of myth, but he did prefer this to the execution he was lined up for earlier.