I Am The Sea || Choi San

interlude

The Pirate King sits at his desk.
There is a flask of golden whiskey sitting in front of him, a glass next to it is half full.
It's getting dark outside, though the Pirate King barely notices it at all.

He's holding a bullet between his right pointer finger and thumb, feeling the smooth metal, the edges and ridges, the flat end of it.

In his other hand, he's holding a small piece of paper.
On it is one simple word written in ink.
A word that holds much more power over him than he had ever expected.
A word that encapsulates everything he's hated and hunted over the past twenty-five years.
There, in small letters and royal blue ink, is the single word that the Pirate King has been staring at for hours now.

Never.

Nothing more.
The Pirate King almost had to laugh at the audacity of that young Captain on the Inception, the purest manifestation of bravery he's seen in a long time.
No one talks back to the Pirate King.
No one speaks up against the Pirate King. 
No one challenges the Pirate King.

And that is exactly what Captain Hongjoong did when he sent the bullet - he dared the Pirate King straight to his face.
He called into question everything the Pirate King stands for, as if he was asking "Are you brave enough to take it up with me? Are you what you think you are?"
That boy is challenging the very man he fled from all those years ago, as if the Pirate King has lost his powers over him.
How dare he?

The Pirate King leans back in his chair and thinks back to his darkest day to date, the very day he allowed that boy to step upon his ship.
He should have known by the glint in his eyes and that wicked grin not to take him on, but the Pirate King had been a softer man back then. Ignorant.
And for a few months, Hongjoong showed potential. Following orders came easy to him. Keeping quiet not so much, but well enough for him to work his way up from a simple scrubbing boy to a sailmaker.
He was a fast learner, had big dreams. Witty. Intelligent.

And then Hongjoong turned on him.
The Pirate King takes a big gulp of whiskey to wash away the bitter taste in his mouth, shaking his head to drive away the memories.
He does not want to think of that day when Hongjoong stole from him, and took so much more than just a part of his pride.
When Hongjoong humiliated the Pirate King, the mortifying ordeal still haunting the veteran pirate in his sleep.

The door to his cabin opens and a man steps in. He comes to a stand in front of the Pirate King's desk and clasps his hands together behind his back, straightening his spine.
"Commander Xiao," the Pirate King says, "Speak."

The commander is only one of five men working directly under the Pirate King, each one of them leading a trio of ships across the sea.
Xiao clears his throat.
"I am here on behalf of the crew," he says, "Some men are wondering wether or not you want us to attack the Inception?"
The Pirate King's eyes travel over Xiao.
He scoffs. "Tell them to settle down."
Xiao shifts from one foot to another.
"It's just that there's a bit of confusion amongst the men. And some are wondering if it's worth it..."
"Some?" The Pirate King takes another sip of whiskey. "Or is it you thats doubting me?"

Xiao swallows thickly and sinks down to one knee, bowing his head until his chin meets his chest.
"I would never, Your Majesty," he says, but there's a quiver in his voice that tells the Pirate King he's lying.
The Pirate King looks at Xiao. Old enough to lead ships into battle, too young to stand up for his own opinion. It's not his fault.
The Pirate King doesn't much care about being lied to, as long as the liar is too scared to defy orders from him.
"We're following them," he says finally, "Tracking them to the island. Slowly, to let them think we're falling behind. Give them enough space to slip out of their sight every few hours. They'll lead us right to the Pearl. Send note to Commander Sparks and Malik, have them join us two hundred miles southwest from our location."

Xiao stands, still not looking at the Pirate King, and nods.
Before he can leave the room, the Pirate King calls after Xiao, "And let our dear Commander Lawrence know we have a trail, he may join us, if he dares."

When the door closes behind Commander Xiao, the Pirate King takes out his own musket and places Captain Hongjoong's bullet into the bearings of his own gun.
He won't know what's coming for him.