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It had been many moons since captain Teardrop set sail on the great sea. The ocean was cruel and her salt cut at the crew’s noses. The vessel, The Wave’s Wardon was truly a beauty. She stood tall and strong against her advisory, the cold murky green depths below. Teardrop guided her through thick and thin but after so many years this would be the last for her, she feared. Time didn’t hold back, and she couldn’t do this forever. She was not without great accomplishments in her two-thousand seven-hundred and sixty-three years of sailing on the great blue, however. Her name sticked fear into any object who heard it. She was revered and feared throughout the seven seas. She was as cutthroat as her curved precise blade she claimed mastery over. Teardrop watched as sailor Spongy mopped the main deck and Gelatin tackled and tamed the ropes. She took in the salt in the air and the wind whipping her droplet’s tip back and forth and her hat’s feather flat. The weather treated her kindly and they made great progress, pillaging every village they encountered. The wealth they amassed was filthy and they flaunted it without worry. No one would dare approach her.
One of these villages along the coast, the township of Gloiky, was littered with outlaws like them. The seedy underground stood above the grass and well above six feet under. The stone streets mostly filled with cloaked figures. Teardrop stood tall as she strutted in the center of the road. The local riffraff fled out of her way and hesitated to return to where they were in her wake. She commanded all eyes on her. No one dared to oppose her until today. A bottle crashed to her feet, it’s shards shot off like sparks. Her eyes darted up to meet his. With a fiery fury he thew his cloak to the damp stone below. The sailor known only by fearsome Firey sought revenge. Teardrop looked at the man with condescension, aggravating him even more. “You took everything from me!”, he hollered as his knife dove towards her. She swept him by the leg and his blade missed. Among Teardrop’s company was nonother than his dear crewmate, Leafy. She was currently aboard the ship. Bound in the cargo hold and fed only the stalest of hardtack. A candle was placed in front of her so she could see the magots writhe in her meal as she ate. Teardrop was ruthless and cruel but just. Leafy stole her homeland, Dream Island; Firey was too a victim of hers, but also, of her siren’s call. Empathizing with such a crook was a fool’s mistake. Tear drop gestured to her men not to move and strode towards Firey on the cold dirt and gravel. He was huffing in pain and looked up at her, “Give her back.”
Teardrop said nothing, shrugging, and dove down with her cutlas.
The sound of cold steel rang out causing her to ripple. A blade to her right intercepted her own. Gelatin! Turning to her insubordinate crewmate, Firey took the moment and bolted away in a desperate sprint. In one fowl swoop Teardrop turned her knife to Gelatin. Her gaze colder than her steal. He dropped his blade and surrendered, “I’m sorry, Teardrop. I couldn’t let you hurt him.”
She was irate. She shook her blade at him before huffing and letting her arm fall.
He let out a held breath, “Thank you, Captain.”
She tugged him to her side and held him close. She would deal with him out at sea. She continued down the street to her intended destination. With Gelatin in her claws, she kicked open the bar’s door. The orange glow of the interior bathed Teardrop. The patrons watched her closely, paralyzed. The striking light of the outdoors framed her perfectly as she strode through the building. She was a spotlight. Teardrop approached Flower, a customer in a large pink dress with a thin decorative belt. Giving her an once overlook, Teardrop pulled the belt off the customer’s dress in one quick tug. Flower raised her hands and stepped back. Turning back with the belt in hand, Teardrop bound Gelatin’s hands together. She nodded and put a hand to her chin in down thanking Flower. Flower gave a nervous thumbs up before sitting herself down. The crowd was glued to Teardrop’s every move. She pulled her new prisoner to her side and hopped up on a bar stool. Pointing to the local beer she then showed three fingers. The bar tender obliged and handed her three beers. Teardrop tied Gelatin to another bar stool before walking over to Flower and handing her a beer as well. With a balled fist to her chest, she apologized and then gestured to Gelatin. Flower looked baffled but happy, nonetheless. The captain gave Spongy a beer and then enjoyed the last one herself. She tuned out Spongy as he rambled on about nothing and took in the ambiance. Gelatin sat there fuming silently. He was mad but feared that arguing with Teardrop would seal his fate and he’d never see the mainland again. Spongy had a long chat with several patrons and enjoyed himself. Teardrop could tell that none of them really took in anything he said. A shame for him, he rarely was this talkative. Though, Gelatin was to blame for that. If he wasn’t knocked down a peg leg he’d be talking until the sun came up without so much as a breath for air. The chandlers were wood and steal, circular and decorated with several candles each. The candles melted down and reached for the wooden floors below. The tables were the same warm wood as the floors. There were few tapestries and paintings. The few that were there were themselves decorated with blades of previous brawls. Tonight, the bar was dead quiet. Even with Captain Teardrop seated the chatter did not recover (aside from Spongy.) Teardrop smiled to herself enjoying the moment of peace and quiet.
Returning home to the ship after some much needed rest in a real bed on land, Teardrop hefted Gelatin to the center of the deck. For a moment he believed she was going to toss him across and over the edge of the boat. She tried to sign to him but he staired blankly at her, “I’m sorry I don’t get it.”
Defeated she pointed at him, then her knife, and then him again.
“Wait! Wait! Don’t kill me! I won’t betray you again. I swear!”, Gelatin pleaded.
Satisfied with the panic she instilled she cut him lose from the belt that bound his hands. “I’m free? I can live!”, he was elated.
She glared back at him.
“Understood.”, he stood at attention. He was unsure what she meant but he knew one thing: this was not a kindness she would extend to him again. Teardrop sparing him at all was unusual. He was not one to test his luck.
And off they went again. A man who wanted her dead was still at large but he could not have a massive impact on her. Who would join him to stand against her? She was not to be messed with. And for Leafy’s sake? Not a chance. So long as she was traversing the mighty depths, he couldn’t even attempt to oppose her. Gelatin dragged Spongy along the deck as a sponge. She deeply regretted her choice of crewmates but that would have to be delt with at a later date.
They continued along the great sea, plundering as they followed along the coat at a distance. Teardrop felt rejuvenated and considered sailing till the day the sea takes her itself it it’s cold embrace. She sat in her quarters in her massive velvet chair. She basked in the beauty of her favorite gems she had amassed. They gleaned bright red and its light flowed through and flickered against her body. She attached the pendent to her hat and admired her new look momentarily in her small intricate golden hand mirror. The gem glowed orange. It glowed? Following the light, she looked out her window to see a ship far off yonder. The mighty vassal heaved itself over the horizon and crept towards The Wave’s Wardon. Decorated in mighty orange sails, it stood out like a sore thumb against the clear blue ocean and sky. There was only one sailor that would be that foolish and brazen. Teardrop darted out of her room and pointed commanding Gelatin, he followed and prepared the canons. Spongy helped and then pulled down the main sail as ordered. She wanted them to approach her. She had made it through thick and thin and if Firey thought he could challenge her, he was sorely mistaken. Firey’s ship continued its path undeterred by Teardrop’s confidence. The Wave Wardon stayed still as the other approached her. Gelatin screamed to the other ship as it drew nearer, “I’d turn around while you still had the chance.”, he loaded the canons.
Teardrop rolled her eyes and adjusted her hat, there was no way on earth Firey or his crew could have heard that yet.
The distance was kind to Firey’s vassal. The closer she approached the smaller it clearly was. But still he was undeterred.
Teardrop was no longer entertained by this and with a wave of her hand, she ordered the first shots. The canon balls made impact with hull and knocked the figure head clear off. They were to fare away to make out what it was a depiction of, but insult to injury was a sweet reward regardless. The wave’s crashed into Firey’s ship and its water licked at the deck above. There was no coming back from that, his ship would not make it back to land. With great haste the ship made it next to theirs. His boat was on its last legs. It creaked and heaved as it took in more water. The ship contorted and was eaten by the waves as a plank of wood was tossed to the deck of The Wave’s Wardon. In a sprint, Firey hurled himself onto the other’s vassal, the only survivor of his crew. He was met with Teardrop’s cutlass at the tip of his nose. She clutched another knife in the other hand in case Gelatin decided to jump in again.
“We can talk this through.”, he spoke calmly with his hands raised. He was desperate and a liar.
She sneered and swiped at him with her sword. It ran through him without friction. He remained mostly unscathed. Noticeably shorter, but he remained standing in front of her.
“Did you really think that would work?”, he whipped out his own blade and charged.
Teardrop jumped out of the way.
Gelatin had had enough and charged to Firey, “Please, don’t fight you two!”
The detective sound of a slice through his soft rubbery collagen silenced the world. He wobbled and stared at the blade in his gut. Firey backed up in shock, small tears evaporating off him once they left his eyes, leaving steam and shrinking him further. Firey dropped the blade, but it stayed still in Gelatin’s body. Neither of them said anything. Spongy had already booked it for the inside of the ship. In the commotion none of them had noticed that he fled. With Firey and Gelatin locked eyes in shock Teardrop took the opportunity to lift Firey up with a log of firewood from the captain’s quarters. Firey yelled, “What’s happening?”, as his body was lifted, and his legs and arms disappeared as his body consumed the wood he was on. His body was too injured and weakened to not eat at the log. Teardrop carefully carried the dangerous ember covered log back to her room and tossed him into her fireplace. With a quick slam and click the fireplace’s metal guard was shut and locked. He was contained for now. “Hey! Get me out of here and face me, you coward!”
She ignored him and locked her quarters behind her. Gelatin was staring out towards the cold wind. He was looking at nothing before turning to face her, “Am I going to die?”, his voice trembled.
She shrugged and stuck her tongue out.
He started to tear up.
Startled she shook her head and waved to him as she carefully put her hands on the blade’s handle. Scooping a bit of her own water with one hand and drawing the blade out with the other, she used the water to bind his parts back together. With great precision she saved his life. She wasn’t sure why she bothered. By all accounts he did betray her again.
He thanked her, “I’m forever in your debt.”
She agreed with him but didn’t express it. She could tell he was still conserved over his old friend. With a sigh she gestured for him to follow her.
Unlocking and opening her doors to her room she watched as Gelatin very carefully followed her in. “Where is he?”
Before she could point to him, Firey heard them and called out, “I’m in here! Save me!”. Firey’s face visibly fell when he saw Teardrop was with Gelatin, “Oh, you’re still here.”, his his temper heated him up and caused the wood to crack and pop.
She rolled her eyes at him.
“I will never forgive you. Leafy doesn’t deserve this.”, he continued to ramble. He was completely unaware of the situation he was in. He was in the clutches of Captain Teardrop. She was feared across the entire world. No one dared oppose her. He should be begging for his life. She should have killed him by now. She should have thrown Gelatin off the plank. At that point she couldn’t really judge him for how he was acting. She had grown soft. Perhaps retirement was closer than she initially thought. Tuning back into him yelling at her and Gelatin emphatically nodding along, she cupped a part of herself in her hands and splashed it in Firey’s face. Not enough to kill him, but just enough to hurt. Gelatin yelled, “Hey! Please don’t kill him.”
She nodded and gave him a glare.
He stepped back and gave her an awkward thumbs up. He was unsure how to read that, but he thought stepping back was a safe bet.
Rolling her eyes one last time she freed Firey. He slowly crept out of the fireplace, careful not to slip and take the ship down with him. He was about to open his mouth when Teardrop put her hand in his face and pointed to tell the two to follow her. Confused, they both followed her.
She led them to the ship’s hall. She grinned looking at the mess of rubble that once was Firey’s ship that littered the water as the group past some windows. What was once a great ship was reduced to firewood by her command. In the depths of the cargo hold the group saw Spongy by a candle eating along side a green figure. It was Leafy. Spongy stood at attention, startled out of the pleasant conversation he was having with the prisoner moments prior to seeing Teardrop’s stern and exhausted face.
“Leafy!”, Firey called.
“Fire ball?”, she squinted at him. In the dark he was blinding, and he charged towards her.
He physically stopped himself from hugging her and beamed at her instead, “Oh my oxygen, you’re safe! I’m here to save you.”
She looked confused but smiled at him, “I’m glad to see you again too. I’m sorry for-”
He cut her off, “It’s okay, that’s in the past.”
Teardrop sulked as she untied Leafy’s bindings.
“I’m actually free?”, Leafy cheered. The realization dawning slowly on her. And by Teardrop’s hands no less. She assumed she had died, or the ventilation in the ship was cut off and she was about to. Gelatin, Firey, and Leafy danced in a circle together in joy as Spongy watched gleefully.
Teardrop’s reputation was in shambles. She looked on in quiet contempt as she saw the three dance and cheer. She freed The Stealer, no one would ever respect her again. She must have grown soft over the years. Maybe if she drank harder water, it would have prevented this. Begrudgingly she guided her crew and two exe captives to land. Her reputation would never recover after allying herself with the likes of Leafy, but with the smiles on her crew’s face she considered that she might be able to live with that.