Siren's Kiss

52: Of All That Has Passed Part Four

Perhaps it was the universe's way of mocking him that, in this timeline, Drake also had to confront his father's past. He had admired Garrick ever since he became aware of the world around him. Though he never knew his mother, Garrick did his best to raise Drake as a formidable pirate of the sea.

Seeing his old man's younger version was unsettling for Drake. He wasn't sure how to feel or even how to react. The idea that his father had once been friends with a templar—someone destined to become a High Sentinel—seemed utterly absurd. Drake knew his father's disdain for the templars was far stronger than his reluctance to talk about sirens or his mother. In fact, Garrick had never mentioned that his mother was still alive and actually the Amazon Queen. To be fair, Garrick had never said she was dead either; Drake had simply assumed that because his father refused to discuss her.

Ciel immediately noticed Drake's discomfort as he watched his father getting along with the High Sentinel of their time. Though Aurelius wasn't yet the High Sentinel in this timeline, he was still a templar, which made Drake uneasy. Ciel was right to think that this situation felt strange to Drake.

"Here, I've met some interesting lads." Aurelius led his "good" friend, the pirate Garrick, to a table where two reptilian figures sat, frozen in his presence.

Garrick narrowed his eyes at them. "I've ne'er seen saurians 'round these parts. What brings ye to this side o' the harbor?"

The saurians blinked their vibrant eyes as if seeing double. One of them kept shifting his skin color, which began to irritate the templar. "Tone it down a bit, will you, mate?" Aurelius tried to mimic a pirate's accent, drawing a chuckle from Garrick. "Garrick here's just started his career, and you're already overwhelmed by his presence."

But Drake wasn't buying any of it. He still refused to believe that his father had once been friends with the High Sentinel of the First Order. Everything felt surreal and impossible. "How'd ye two even become pals?" he demanded.

The question left both Aurelius and Garrick staring at him in astonishment. "Ye reckon it ain't possible?" Garrick asked, curiosity in his voice.

Drake, whose father didn't recognize him due to the skin he and Ciel wore, replied, "I don't reckon it be plausible at all."

Garrick laughed. "There be many mysteries 'round the Seven Seas, but a pirate makin' friends with a templar ain't one of 'em."

Drake shook his head. "Ye say that now, but twenty years hence, ye'll be singin' a different tune."

Ciel elbowed Drake, trying to steer him away from the argument he stubbornly held onto. "Pirate King, sir... what do you think of Sir Aurelius' belief that the god is dead?"

"Pirate King, ye say?" Garrick was taken aback and then burst into laughter, clapping Aurelius on the shoulder. "Did ye hear that? They be callin' me Pirate King! And they even called ye Sir Aurelius! Never thought I'd hear anyone show ye that kind o' respect."

Aurelius shot a glare at his friend, though it was clear he wasn't truly upset by the jest. However, Ciel's way of addressing him clearly bothered him too. "Could you not address me like that?" he said with a hint of irritation.

"So, what do the folks 'round here call ye?" Drake asked with a smirk. "A hermit, mayhap?"

Garrick laughed even louder, clutching his stomach in amusement, tears forming in his eyes. This was yet another surprise for Drake, who had always known his father as a hard man to please, let alone amuse. They had shared tender moments as father and son, but never like this. Seeing his father laugh so freely, even without knowing it was him, became one of the highlights of Drake's life.