Chapter Text
On a dock by the mainland, there was a ship.
That ship might've had a rat infestation, but that was just a minor detail.
And on that ship was also a boy.
He'd tell you how old he was if he was sure. His guess was about thirteen.
But he'd tell you his name. It was Jaden.
And why was Jaden on that ship? It was certainly no place for anyone, let alone a boy that young.
Well...
Jaden wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his sleeve. He rested the mop clutched in his hand against the mast of the ship. His work was tedious, but at least it would pay decently.
He'd recently taken up a job aboard a pirate ship, quickly being integrated into the ship's crew due to his proficiency in combat and excellent navigation skills. His crewmates, Caleb, the redstone genius, Emma, the vessel's gunner, and Spongs, the chef, had been extremely kind and welcoming despite the career path they'd chosen to follow. In the short time they'd been a crew, they'd managed to form a strong bond and sense of loyalty. He greatly enjoyed the company they provided after all the time he'd spent alone beforehand.
"Hey, Jaden!"
Jaden turned to see Emma and Caleb waving him over. The gunner patted the empty spot next to her as a sign for him to sit down. Jaden obliged, and Caleb slid him a sandwich. "Spongs is busy in the kitchen," he informed him. "He's prepping some food before we take sail. We'll probably do so in about half an hour, so make sure you eat beforehand in case you get seasick."
"Sure can do," Jaden agreed, taking a large bite out of his sandwich. Salmon, beetroot and carrot. So Spongs had remembered what he liked after all. He smiled with gratitude at the chef's efforts, scarfing down the sandwich in no time.
Before he knew it, they had hoisted the ship's anchor out of the water and set sail into the vast blue ocean. The thrill of the voyage's beginning consumed Jaden, for he was jumping around excitedly. He quickly scaled the rigging, taking post in the crow's nest atop the tallest mast. He pulled a spyglass out of one of his pant pockets, lifting it to his eye to inspect his surroundings. All the while, a grin of pure ecstasy slipped onto his face. This was the sea, Jaden's home.
The ship cruised through the endless water, and there wasn't a single bit of land for thousands of blocks around. They were in The Great Sea after all, so it wasn't likely that they'd come across any land for at least a few days. As Jaden looked up at the sky, which was dotted with fluffy white clouds, he sighed contentedly. He loved the sea. It spoke to him in more ways than one. It was beautiful from the brightest day to the darkest night, it was everywhere and everything. The concept of sea soothed Jaden's mind, for he so loved the freedom that came with it.
At long last Jaden returned to the ship's deck. Caleb stood by the steering wheel, whilst Emma and Spongs were seated on the stairs and chatting animatedly. Jaden decided he'd go to Caleb, since Emma and Spongs looked to be rather occupied already. From the looks of it, Spongs was recollecting the story of how he wrangled a shark once. No one on the ship believed him of course, but they all let him tell the story anyway.
"Yo," he greeted the redstoner. His greeting was returned with a nod, since Caleb was focused on the thick grey clouds that had begun to appear overhead.
"I think there's gonna be a storm soon," Caleb remarked, his brow furrowed with worry.
"Don't worry!" Jaden chirped. "It's just a storm, and we're more than capable of handling that."
"I hope so," Caleb murmured darkly. He dug into his pocket before pulling out a piece of navy blue cloth. "You should take this and wrap it over your head," he advised. "The sun is hot, and this cloth will help prevent you from getting sunburnt in the future."
Jaden accepted Caleb's gift with a wide grin, tying the bandana into a tight knot. His hand drifted to his head as he felt the soft fabric, playing with the bits of hair that stuck out from under the bandana.
Just then, rain began to pour from the large grey clouds. It pattered onto the ship's deck, making the wooden surface slippery within minutes.
"Go inside!" Caleb instructed Jaden. He nodded, carefully making his way across the half flooded deck. He did his best not to trip, but almost fell over halfway to the cabin, only barely catching himself on the ship's mast. The rest of the way he walked slowly, measuring every single step.
Inside, Spongs and Emma were waiting for him. They too were dripping wet, resorting to squeezing their clothes out at the sink.
"Phew!" Emma sighed. "Looks like a big storm!"
"Is the ship gonna sink?" Jaden fretted.
Emma took a moment to assess the situation. "It won't, don't even worry about it. This ship's been through worse storms before, and we're still here!" Jaden wanted to believe her, but the look she gave Spongs after her reassurance did not boost its credibility.
She placed a gentle hand on Jaden's shoulder. "It'll be alright, kid," she whispered. "Come on, let's all sit together on one of the bunks. Once the storm passes, we can find a market island and you and I can go look for something nice to bring back, alright?"
A little more comforted by her promise, Jaden relaxed his tensed shoulders. He sat down next to his crewmates, hugging his pillow close to his chest.
Outside, thunder roared like a ferocious beast. When he looked outside, Jaden noticed the enormous, choppy waves that rocked the ship. They seemed bigger and scarier than they'd ever been before. Lightning flashed brightly, startling the three crew members, and although she tried to hide it, Jaden picked up the troubled look Emma shot at Spongs.
The waves crashed into the ship's windows, and small streams of water began to trickle through. The three pirates scooted away from the window, but it was growing harder to ignore the severity of the storm. The boat had begun to rock even harder now, and any belongings that weren't secured to the floor or wall were beginning to slide across the floor.
"Emma," Jaden piped up, his voice shaking. "Are you sure we're gonna be alright?"
"Yes, Jaden," she repeated. "Everything will be-"
But before she could finish her sentence, the door burst open. In stumbled Caleb, who was drenched from head to toe. He struggled for breath as water dripped down his goggles into his water-desaturated hoodie. "We'll have to- dock- the ship," he huffed. "The storm- it's too...too..."
What the storm was, Jaden never found out. For at that moment, the metal window sill began to creak. Jaden, Emma and Spongs all spun around, watching the window apprehensively.
"Shit," Spongs swore, transfixed on the window.
"Spongs!" Emma scolded him. Then she turned to Jaden. "We'll be fine. Come on, let's get away from the window now."
They stood a good way off from the glass, which was beginning to crack. Jaden shot nervous glances at his crewmates, who looked equally on edge.
Crack.
Crack.
All of a sudden, the glass holding back the ferocious storm outside gave way. It shattered, its sharp fragments washing into the ship. Water began to flood the bunks with surprising strength, crashing against the legs of the pirates.
Just then, another window gave way.
Then another.
Water was pouring in at unimaginable rates now, barely giving the panic-stricken pirates any time to think, and before they knew it the water was up to their waists. The ship jostled through the churning sea, and with one massive jolt it began to sink into the inky black depths below. Out of the corner of his eye Jaden spotted the wooden hull of the ship begin to split and splinter, more water gushing into the already waterlogged ship.
The water had risen to his chest now, and Jaden was finding it difficult to breathe. Every single breath was a struggle, a fight against the tightness in his chest caused by the fear washing over him, and against the water and debris that surrounded him on every side. Although the struggle was difficult, he fought with all he had. He had too much ahead of him, too much to live for, to just give up like that.
Crrk!
At last, the planks that lined the walls, their last saving grace, gave way. Yet more water gushed in at rapid speeds, almost completely filling the ship in a matter of a few seconds.
Jaden's vision was warped by the dark, swirling water, but only one thought rang through his mind. Breathe.
He didn't know which way up was. Where could he go?
It didn't matter. If he stayed where he was, he'd most certainly drown.
With a powerful kick, Jaden's head burst through the water. There was an air pocket just big enough for him to breathe if he looked up to the ceiling. He took several great gasps for air, his fatigued legs still kicking away to keep him afloat.
"Jaden!" Emma called out frantically over the cacophony. "Jaden, swim over he-!"
Before she could finish her sentence, Jaden was forced under the surface by a massive surge of water flowing over him. The current was strong, and it ripped through the once still ocean with previously unknown ferocity.
Jaden kicked and kicked and kicked some more. He was almost there, almost-
It was then when he heard a sickening crunch.