Chapter Text
The water raged.
Darkness had taken over the land and the sea.
The imposing sails of a pirate ship gathered the wind behind them, as the crew worked. Old or young many men were running around the deck, pulling thick ropes or carrying heavy barrels.
Tonight was important.
Just two hours prior, the Pirate ship had cast their hook deep into the waters near a Kingdom. The black ship kept clean of any light source, letting the darkness upon the ocean hide their presence. Some of the men had taken small boats to row towards the shores of the Kingdom as the captain stared towards the shore. They had a single goal and a single chance to achieve what they had set sail for.
The news of the Kingdom's first heir spread fast. The news reached other Kingdoms, countries and eventually the ears of the pirate spies. The king and queen held a ceremony to announce their boy.
Neteyam.
The royal castle was deep into the forest, hidden among the tall trees and the town that formed a barrier circle around it.
But the pirates were determined. The captain of the ship ordered, and the strongest of the crew reached the rocky shores. They climbed up the vines, they reached the edge of the cliff. They went into the forest and eventually sneaked into the town.
It was no surprise to see that the guards were increased in number, and the security around the main town was increased.
The pirates were known to raid, and they were fairly good at it.
The night ended with the queen's scream of agony when she entered the room where the heir was supposed to be. Neytiri found the windows wide open, expensive curtains lashing out with the aggressive wind.
"Find them!" The King's voice echoed in the long halls. "Find them and hang them all!"
But the pirates had already left the town.
Now, two hours later the old captain held the baby in his arms. The little dark skinned boy was wrapped into expensive fabrics still. In contrast, the captain wore worn out pants and boots, a long coat on top and a big hat adored with big black feathers.
But he looked mighty.
Beside the captain stood the quartermaster with the navigator. They held the rudder, leading the ship away from the Kingdom.
The darkness swallowed the ship whole. They continued to sail with no light source for a couple of hours, until they were a safe distance away from the Kingdom. Only when they reached the safe zone for pirates, which meant the open ocean with roaring waves, they finally lit out some gas lamps. Although, the sun had already started to show itself on the horizon.
The old captain brought the stolen prince into his shack.
That Kingdom had long lost the respect of pirates. The great-great King had made an agreement with them decades ago. Then he betrayed them, causing the death of many men and women in the hands of soldiers from different royalties.
Ever since then, the pirate lord had planned a slow, painful return for the Kingdom.
This baby would be raised to be the next in line, not to be the King of a mere Kingdom anymore.
But a King to all pirates across the seas.
🏴☠️
The wind hit his face as the boy with long braids slided down the stairs of the deck. Neteyam didn't slow down, he ducked under some wooden parts of the ship and avoided the busy crew.
He didn't stop until he reached the forecastle of the ship.
This was second nature to him. Having grown up on this ship, spending the 15 years of his life as a pirate had shaped him into a warrior of the ocean.
His braids were free under the red bandana that he wore. They flied around just how the wind moved them, completely free.
With an easy grin he watched the endless waves far beyond. The ship was sailing slow since the winds were calmer during the summer season. It was early in the morning, the ships company could be found groaning and complaining as they started with the early day tasks.
Neteyam turned around, leaning his back on the wood of the railings as he watched the crew.
He was way too younger than most of them. Yet he was aware of the special privileges that the captain gave him. He wasn't his father, that part had been clear in Neteyam's head ever since he gained his consciousness.
As far as the dark skinned boy knew, he grew up in this ship. Where he came from was a mystery to him, just like most of the other crew members.
Yet, unlike most of them his rank had always been high.
The old captain always kept him by his own side, and occasionally the quartermaster. Neteyam learned to lead the ship, he knew her like the back of his hand now.
There were other young boys on board. The cabin boys worked to keep the ship clean. Their job was to get basic but shitty chores done before anyone could realize something and call them out. So unlike Neteyam, those cabin boys barely had any time to themselves. Which caused them to be distant from the dark skinned boy.
Needless to say, Neteyam wasn't experiencing what they were.
All the younger ones, or the ones on the same age, they all arrived to the ship later on. They hadn't grown up on the sea like Neteyam was. So whenever a new one joined them, the boy with the long braids tried to talk to them.
Tried to make friends.
But he soon learned that being friends was not an option, not as long as those cabin boys worked to survive while Neteyam lived his life.
Was he free? Definitely a lot more free than the crew who were here to pay debt or held hostage. Neteyam knew that there was another world out there, on land. Kingdoms and countries ruled their borders. Different cultures and lifestyles were out there.
And as a pirate, Neteyam did not have the freedom to leave the ship. He simply had the freedom to use his time on the ship as he willed.
Sometimes he wondered what his life could have been on land instead. But those curious moments disappeared quickly whenever he watched the waves.
Because there was a single thing that he seeked.
The sea.
And it's rage.
The ocean brings you many things. Teaches you what you weren't supposed to learn.
And Neteyam grew to love the life that he had known ever since he was just a baby. Now at fifteen years old, the wonders about where he came from slowly disappeared. They left the place to familiarity and fondness of sailing.
A pirate was a sailor.
And as long as Neteyam protected his rank next to the captain, and one day achieved the tittle himself, being a sailor of dark waters would give him the rest of the freedom he needed.
He just needed to stay on his feet.