Into the Siren's Storm - Agathario

Into the Siren's Storm

The sea's roar grew familiar, not by its sound but by the tongue of pirates who sailed far beyond land. There weren't any ambitious heights that a pirate couldn't reach, especially not for Agatha Harkness. A former captain, if you will, or a backstabbing motherless cur, they'd say to her. Yet, the last person to say that was her former crew, who so happened to disappear along with the ship.

Agatha stood on the wishy-washy shore, its horizon sparkling with adventure. She had traveled on land through the coastal towns that provided her with recruitment intel, succeeding in her endeavors to form a new crew. She could never be on a ship where she didn't own it.

"Ahoy lady, I reckon this be the ship for the pirate's sail, the one that makes yer wishes come true?" A boy said, waving his hand as he scrambled beside an algae-covered bollard. He wore a blue bandana with a loose white shirt.

"Get off, boy, there be no place on this perilous journey for ye!" Agatha replied, raising her eyebrow. Yet, the boy relented, pleading with her even when earning a hard kick to the ground from Agatha's boots.

"So be it when ye lay in the hands of a Kraken," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose irritatedly. Suddenly, a new wave of arrivals came over, looking hopeful. They were all women: two girls named Jen and Alice and an old lady with exquisite taste named Lilia. Agatha sharpened her smile, and her eyes were gleaming with greed.

"I reckon her pockets filled with gold," Agatha whispered out of earshot when she glanced at Lilia before stepping aboard. "Now tell me, why are most o' me crew women?"

"Well, most crews be men, lass. Ye be the first woman captain from these parts, so we joined up!" Jen spoke up, her eyes sparkling in confidence, her head tilting. Alice glanced anxiously over the railings into the sea. Reading her look, Lilia uttered, "We haven't left yet, mate."

Agatha hauled the ropes, setting off into the sea. She wasn't as disappointed with the haul of recruits, hoping they weren't lackeys. Yet, as she glanced over the lot, Agatha realized that each one had experience with pirating. "We are ex-pirates," Lilia uttered, rolling her pocket watch over her hand as she briefly introduced Agatha.

Wiccan glanced up, seemingly the odd one out with all the women around him. The lamp in the center of the group illuminated his face. "I would know. Ye smell like fish," Wiccan scoffed. Jen shot him a look of discontent. It didn't take long before Agatha grew annoyed with the time spent with her crew, who liked to bicker at the most minor things. Lilia and Jen disproved what it meant to be a pirate while Alice was comforted by Wiccan with her seasickness.

...

"Lilia's off her rocker," Agatha retorted to Wiccan, who nodded in agreement. He was assigned deck duties while Agatha looked beyond the sea, her hands gripping the railings. "She'd be first to go off the plank," Wiccan joked, giving her a coy smile.

Wiccan was a quick worker who did most of his activities, following the group and chatting their ears off. Jen was witty and snappy, especially towards Agatha, which irritated her to the extent that she decided to show her jurisdiction.

"Gather around, lasses. Aboard, there is strict loyalty to the captain. You'll be sailing off the deep end if you defy these rules. Do your duties and–Alice, stop yer gaggin'–Lilia, you be our navigator," Agatha ordered, tilting her hat as she adjusted her black dress. The crew was silenced under their superior, who dressed elegantly despite their shabby situation.

"Cap'n, I be wonderin' why you've got silken garb when you be a pirate?" Alice asked, ducking over the ropes high above her head. The group followed her, too, seeming to look for something amusing to do. There wasn't much to do on the ship besides play cards, and everyone had finished their duties with productivity. Agatha glanced at Alice without movement before giving a sarcastic smile. "It be a long story. Ye can say it's from my successful raids. A cap'n can wear 'em."