Riara in Morocco

Chapter One: Part 1: The Prize of the Ocean

Blackbeard 1718

In the early hours of a stormy night, the waters are tossing violently as he navigates his ship along the battling waves surrounding the outskirts off North Carolina. The battered ship heaved up and down on the plundering waves, being tossed around, before smashing into a reef, shredding its hull, and then letting water rapidly in. The bowel begins to engulf with sea water, and the crew scurries around frantically emptying the ship, and attempting to save what they could that was valuable. It slowly makes its descent to the darkened ocean bed, whilst the crew rush to transfer their supplies onto smaller row boats. Some of those boats are swept up, along with the crew, but the fierce figure of a man with a heavy black beard preserved through the fierce waves and makes it back to land. His limbs are pained and agonized from the fight against the fierce waves. His eyes come back to his ship, poured with emotions, and watches as it slowly sinks further into the violent ocean. He watches from a distance. His bushy brows pull together. The last of Queen Anne’s Revenge was seen before she slowly disappears into the dark deep water. He knew exactly what was left back on his ship… and he would be back to claim it. He would be back for what was his once again.

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Nearly did he miss it. Kiara running through the cluttered corridor of the congested strip of the market, her maron scarf flapping loosely behind her. She’s dressed in a long olive robe and harem pants. Her familiar sneakers hit the cobblestone streets as she hurried past many people wandering along the cluttered strip, squeezing through the mass. Her hood partially obscured her face, but he could tell it was her- he had no doubt. She slips through a narrow door and into a red tiled clay brick building surrounded by some bright market stalls, filled with colorful garments and an array of shiny jewelry, surrounded by people and a couple of palm trees… and then she'd disappeared from Rafe’s sight.

Rafe stood on top of a walkway of a bridge, looking down at the streets, and at this scene. The bridge was nestled in the center of the city, with the perfect view of the mass of people mingling around the markets. He rakes his eyes over the crowd, scanning for the others- he knew they had to be somewhere not far, or somewhere at least close by to their friend. He walks over to the barrier, leaning up against the side and over a little, so he could get a better look… he squints his eyes… but he couldn’t see them… the other pogues, where were they?

Sophia stops abruptly, gazing at him curiously. “You ok?” Her dark eyes find him leaning over.  

Rafe can’t peel his eyes away, eyeing that door carefully. But he slowly manages to pull his gaze back to her. “Yeah…” he clears his throat, trying to draw himself back to what they had been doing, bringing himself away from the barrier… but his mind can’t seem to stop from wandering- from wanting to know more… His eyes start to flicker away slowly, and he rubs the back of his neck, appearing a little tense. Sophia could tell something was heckling his mind, and she stops in her tracks, waiting for him to continue. He clears his throat again. “Umm. Y-yeah, I don’t know if I may have seen who I- ahhh- think… ahhh, maybe someone…” he swallows thickly before continuing- “but it’s probably nothing. Nothing we should care about…” he stops, and shakes his head, because he knew who he saw- it was her- he was certain- and his curiosity would get the better of him. Sophia could tell whatever it was- his thoughts- it would be eating away at him all day. And then it occurs to her… how had she not caught on earlier- she knew what it was- what he’d been trying to say-

Her expression softens, and she sighs. “Rafe… I know they may be here- that you're worried that they are here… but you can’t keep doing this. You need to let go. And you can’t keep bringing them back in, not when you're not ready- not when they keep making you feel like this. We’re here for my cousin anyway, that is what we will stick to… let that be your focus- so help me pick something out for her-” she says slowly, then she begins to travel over to one of the stalls, but stops when she notices Rafe hasn’t moved. “Rafe?” Her expression tenses with questions.