Scarlet Queen

Chapter 1- Scarlet's POV

Darkness.

Faint, flickering torchlight comes from the corner of her eyes, behind her. But she doesn't run to it. She flees as fast and silently as she can to the dark forest, beyond the walls. She is almost there. She's so close...

But a branch snaps, and she is surrounded by guards. Walls of pure, unfailing, dedicated muscle. There's no way out of this barricade. She is trapped.

A crown. Voices, hers and the voice of her worst enemy. Talking. Back and forth, getting louder and louder, angrier and angrier, until a blade of silver comes up and slashes towards her...

Darkness again. But this time, loud, thunderous roars explode around her. This moment has been haunting her for years. She knows how it will end. But try as she might, she can't break free. A figure, running desperately towards safety. Towards her. But a bomb falls out of the sky, streaking towards the runner, and her scream mixes with the explosion that shattered her world... and possibly her mind...

"RUUU-"

I bolted upright, my body soaked with sweat. I looked around. I'm in the darkness again, but instead of hearing torchlight or explosions, I hear the gentle creak of the wood decks, the rough breathing of the people in hammocks around her, and the occasional snore. I lets out a relieved breath, not realizing that I had been holding it. I remember my dream, and chants my mantra in my head.

Scarlet, Scarlet, Scarlet. My name is Scarlet. I am the First Mate of the Sky Pirates, and it is my destiny to restore peace to our land, no matter the cost...

I slid out of my hammock, grabbed my cloak and scarf, and narrowly avoided bumping into Peg, my best friend, who was in the hammock next to me. Peg had lost his leg at a young age from airstrikes, and had come to join the Sky Pirates after his parents were taken by the Royal Guard. He got his name for the peg leg he wore. Everyone who joined the Sky Pirates got new names. It was a way to help forget your old life, your old identity. Once you joined the Sky Pirates, you weren't you anymore. You were whatever they chose for you to be.

I like it that way. I hate my old identity.

I climbed up the ladder leading out of the bunks and stepped onto the deck. Breathing in the cool dawn air, I climbed up the mast without using the ladder. The other pirates claim I climb like a monkey. I've only seen a monkey once, locked in a cage when the circus came to town. I could never truly forget those sad, hopeless eyes. So I had made it a mission that next time the circus came, I would free that monkey. And I did.

As I pulled myself up into the crows nest, I smiled as I remembered how happy the monkey was. She had stayed completely silent in my bag as I smuggled her out of the tent, but when I had gotten into the forest, she had given me the best hug a monkey could ever give. Then she ran away. I haven't seen her since.

I looked out across the horizon. The deep midnight blue of the sky was slowly fading to deep red and orange. Soon the sun would rise, and the crew would begin its work. I often came to the crows nest to think. At least, I did at night. During the day I drowned myself in chores and tasks that needed doing. And I only came up here when the nightmares woke me up. Which was every night. Try as I might, the past still haunted me. No new identity could stop it.

"Couldn't sleep, First Mate?" The smooth, kind voice came from behind me. It was Slinger, Captain of the Sky Pirates. I pulled up my hood and scarf before turning and saluting to him. "'Fraid not, Captain." No matter how many times I heard it, my voice still surprised me. A lot deeper, more husky than it used to be. "Them nightmares be getting me again."

Slinger gave me a pitying look, which surprised me. Does he know that I get nightmares every night? It wouldn't be too strange if he did. He seemed to know everything that happened on the Airhaven, our ship, from when someone was planning to betray the crew to who took the last bread loaf (It was Sticky- named for his thieving ability).

"I understand. I sometimes have nightmares myself. The past is hard to forget, especially when you experience loss," he said, gazing out at the sunrise. He glanced over at me and caught me staring at him, and his cheeks turning slightly pink. "Forgive me. I tend to talk, forgetting that other people are around," he said, starting towards the ladder leading back down to the deck. "Mind ringing the morning bell?" he called, striding towards his quarters. "Sure," I called back, feeling a bit confused. Was he embarrassed that I now knew he had nightmares? Nightmares are normal. Even the toughest Sky Pirate has nightmares from time to time. I was about to ring the bell when I caught his last words:

"Spread the word: we have a meeting today at half past sunrise! Make sure everyone's there..." he said right as his door swung shut.

A meeting! I thought excitedly. We only have those when something really important is happening. What could be so urgent?

I jumped out of the crows nest and grabbed the rope of the bell. Swinging the bell back and forth, I yelled, "Wake up, lazybones! Meeting at half past sunrise! Captain's orders!" A slow stream of pirates came out of the bunks, yawning and grumbling. I saw Peg slowly making his way across the deck, and he looked up and waved to me. Jumping down from the bell, I landed on the deck next to him. "Nice day today. How'r ya doing?" he said casually. Behind the scarf hiding my face, I smiled. "Well, Captain Slinger musta found something mighty important, given that he's callin' a meeting."

"You kidding me?" His eyes widened. "Meetings are only for the real important stuff. Last time he called a meeting, we got to bomb Fort Hydra off the face o' the earth!"

"I know that," I said, unable to help my rising excitement. "But when I talked to him earlier, he hinted that it was something big. I don't know what could be so important, but if he orders it, I'm doing it!" Peg laughed, then said, "Right there with ya!"

But as we walked into the mess hall, I couldn't help but wonder. Fort Hydra was a huge operation. We had spies everywhere, and it used a lot of ammunition. Our airstrike gear still isn't quite at full capacity. If this is larger than Fort Hydra, will the Airhaven ever be the same?

Is it even possible to have a bigger operation?