The Mermaid Pirate (Rewrite)

Prologue

Chapters 1-3 coming soon on August 21, 2022

By the time he found this half standing shit-hole of a building the sun in the sky has started it's decent. The area surrounding the crumbling two story building is in the far deeper reaches of the city, up against the back walls that surrounded this bustling trading port. The building seemed to only be held together by the thick ivy that overtook the roof and climbed up the city's walls. In search of sunlight. Thanks to those walls it caused the building to be cast in constant shadows, as if the sun itself did not want to shine its blessings here. Not even a fresh sea breeze would find its way here causing the air to permanently smell of rot and decay. 

He took the stairs that led down to the long abandoned courtyard, not bothering to draw his weapon he had holstered to his side. There was nothing here. No one here. Anything that would have been worth stealing would have been gone already. So there would be no threat of greedy thieves. He didn't even feel any presence of restless souls that were usually found around parts like this. It was as if all life itself had abandoned this whole section of the city.

"Pitiful." He said aloud to himself as the stairs creaked and groaned under his steps, threatening to break under him.

A brutal life lived out in sea on ships has given the Pirate King a respectable frame and stature. He stood well over a head taller than any man and carried himself with impressive confidence. He did not earn the title of 'Pirate King' by politics like the other pirate lords tried to do. While they argued rules and successions, he had just gone into the meeting and slit the throat of the Pirate King before him. He wasn't a man of words and from that day on he had become the new Pirate King. 

The whole courtyard leading up the building had pools of standing, brown water and the Pirate King tried his best to ignore what it is making that water brown. As he stared at the two story building he made a mental note to kill the man who gave him this lead if it were to turn up empty. He did not take to wasting his time lightly. 

Not bothering with the rotting front door, he kicked it down and to his surprise sounds of shrieks and cries sounded out from inside. Bending his head to step through the door, he took in his surroundings. A small living space with various pillows and blankets were scattered across the filthy wooden floors. To his left was the kitchen with an over turned table and a huddle of small children, none over the age of thirteen, hiding behind it. Not well he might add as the youngest struggled to hide their terrified cries. 

He approached the group of children and after one look of the half starved lot, he knew the one who he was looking for was not among them. "Pitiful." He mumbled again, voice empty of emotion, and took in a deep breath as he turned to leave but stopped short. 

He took another deep breath in and instead of the smell of rot and decay of the outside, he was greeted with a breath of fresh air. Air that had the scent of an ocean's breeze. To himself, slowly he started to smile. In three strides he crossed the kitchen room to where the children were huddled and with one hand grabbed the overturned table and tossed it across the room where it broke into pieces. 

A few of the children screamed, another started to pray, and the youngest started to wail. "Shut that baby up." He growled to the oldest child who held the screaming toddler. 

"Do- do you mean to- to- to kill us?" one girl sobbed out. "We've nothing to steal but moldy bread and we're- we're too young to work."

The Pirate King let his eyes sweep over the children. There were nine of them, and the one he was looking for isn't one of them but is certainly here. "While I'm not above killing children," he showed them his wide grin with three glittering gold teeth on the right row, "I'm not here for your souls tonight as long as you tell me where the girl is."