The Colour Black

Prologue

I smiled as the surf hit my face, the waves almost completely capsizing our boat. The man up in the cross nest was screaming profanities as my brothers and the other crew members ran around, tying knots and trying to keep the mast out of the water's reach. I slowly let go of the railing I had been gripping onto hard enough to carve my nails into it, and started to move towards the wheelhouse. On my way, I was stopped by my brother. "Oy, don't be doin anything stupid, yea? Last thing we need is you messin' up our hard work!" He continued on his way as soon as he had finished berating me, no doubt to go and help the other men on deck. I turned and instead headed to my quarters.

The underbelly of the Sao Maria was damp and dark. I stumbled my way to the nearest lantern and grabbed it off the wall. I made it to my room after almost tripping myself, and knocked four times before slowly opening the door. A girl around the age of 10, sat in the corner reading a book by candlelight, extremely calm, almost as though there wasn't a storm raging outside. The girl, whose name I had learned was Jade, had been a stowaway on our ship since we left Bendelor. She looked a lot like my mom. Maybe that's why I took pity on her and let her stay in my room, blissfully unaware of what the men outside would do if they ever found her.

On our second month out from Bendelor, I gifted Jade a pearl necklace that had once belonged to my mother. My father wouldn't notice it gone, as it sat alone in his bottom drawer and I felt that it was right to give it to Jade.However, if I had known what kind of destruction it would bring, I never would have even touched that thing.

A few nights later, Jade and I were sitting in my room, listening to the waves crash against the sides of the boat. Then, all of a sudden, my door was knocked on and then quickly busted open by my eldest brother, who was yelling before he even stepped past the threshold. "Why the hell've you been taking extra food, you little shit! If it were up to me, you wouldn't be alive right now! All of us-" he stopped when his eyes came to rest on Jade. Slowly, he broke out into a grin, before he spoke again. "So... this is why. You got yourself a little whore and wanna keep her to yourself. Well the jig's up lil bro. We'll all get a turn, lemme tell you." He sneered in Jade's terrified face, but in milliseconds, the sneer had fallen and his face had turned as white as snow. The sharp end of my blade rested across his jugular vein. "Oh little brother, I wouldn't do that if I were you. I've seen your sword skills, and let me tell you they're some of the shittiest-'' I pressed my sword further into his throat, preventing him from speaking. A fine line of crimson trailed down his neck. "But at least I'm not afraid to use it when it counts, unlike some people in the room." I glanced at Jade signaling for her to run. "Instead of belittling the ever living shit out of my adversary, I'll stand up to them. I'm not sure if you've realized, but your little tactic has gotten old. Lucky for you, I'm here to put my foot down. I'm standing up for myself, and I'm not afraid to strike you down if need be. All this 'brother' act is bullshit, and you know it. You want me dead. Admit it. And if this is how I die, so be it. At least I tried.''

After I finished my monologue, I discreetly looked around the room, and sighed in relief that Jade had gotten the message and was somewhere else now. My brother drew his sword and swung at me. I blocked and countered, slightly confused at his fundamental level of fighting. His talk was always so big, and my father taught him well. So, when it really mattered, did he just forget it all, or did he never actually learn? He took my thinking as an opportunity to strike, and hit my cheek, cutting it slightly. I countered it with all the grace and wrath I had stored up in me, and I sliced right across his chest. Red was all I saw. He fell to the floor and let out a groan. I knew I would be dead if I stuck around and if I ran, so I took off sprinting.

When I got to the deck, the sight that greeted me was horrifying. Jade's dead body was sprawled across my father's feet, and he held the pearl necklace that I had given her. 'I did this to her' was the only thought in my head. I was so busy with this devastating thought that I didn't even hear my dad, the captain of the ship, call my name. "Sol. Look at this. A stowaway. And she stole your mother's pearl necklace. Isn't that terrible? Well, no use of her now. Throw her to the fish, men." As my father turned to leave, my brother came up the stairs, mangled and looking like his chest had been mauled by a bear. "IT'S SOL'S WENCH! HE'S BEEN KEEPING HER IN HIS ROOM, AND FEEDING HER!" My brother screamed out, before sputtering out blood. My dad looked at me and asked. "Is this true?" I started to say no, but was cut off. "Don't lie to me, boy. You know the repercussions." I paused, before meekly saying. "Yes father." My dad looked amused for a moment before turning to his men. "Throw em both to the fish." I was bound arms and legs and pushed over the railing I had leaned on so many nights ago. 'I'm so sorry Jade' was my last thought before I hit the frigid blue water.