The skies erupted in flames, the water below an eerie blood red, as he wrapped himself up in their torturous screams. The very sound of their deaths was music to his ears. He thoroughly enjoyed every second of it, uncaring whose side they were on, all he cared about was winning.
"Captain!... Captain!! We got a live one for you." A surly blood-soaked messenger called from the main deck. Already Malachite stood at the helm, a breath away from the top of the stairs.
"Only one? How pathetic..." Malachite sneered.
His polished red uniform with gold buttons, glinting in the setting sun, as the thin unwavering scarecrow of a man alighted the stairs. Slowly and calmly, he took one step at a time. Relishing in the sound of his sheathed sword, as the scabbard hit every step on the way down, jangling furiously at his side. Fingering the sandy fulgurite at his neck, a treasured piece of preserved lightning. He wore it like a medal, his one and only gift from a long lost sister. As the youngest of thirteen mages, he craved power. He'd once been the weakest mage in the North seas, now he owned them but he could never have stopped there. Not with the power he'd stolen from twelve of his siblings.
A trembling child of four was thrown at the Captains feet. Perplexed, Malachite helped the little girl back to her feet.
"What's a gorgeous witch like you, doing in such a terrifying place as this?" He grinned, the slow ringing of his sword being drawn, a complete contradiction to his cheery welcome.
The main deck was already awash with blood, or perhaps it was the sea water still lapping at the sinking vessel. Hungrily devouring it. Either way he was only going to add more.
"Add her to the crew Temari, kicking and screaming if necessary..." Malachite ordered, flinging the girl at the surly messenger, who'd brought her to him in the first place.
Temari barely managed to catch her, slashing a man across the chest with his own cutlass. The girl screamed then, too terrified to even move as her wet dark hair threatened to strangle her. She hid in the bunched material of Temari's trousers, as Malachite swung his untainted blade at the crumbling rigging. With one swing a deafening crack sounded with the roar of thunder, the lightning mage's power disintegrating what was left of the mast. The hum of the vessel died abruptly, its ambient lighting cut out, as all remaining power in the vessel drained out into the ocean.
"Leave nothing behind!" Malachite snarled, storming up the gangway his crew had boarded with. It was time to go, there really was nothing left worth taking anyway. Temari followed with the small girl slung over one shoulder. Both men the only adults left standing in a bloodied sea of war torn children.
"Where to next, Captain?" Temari questioned, dumping the little girl down an opening in the deck. She screamed all the way down, until she hit the stacks of crated vegetables they kept below.
"I think I'd like to take a vacation, Temari." The Captain sighed, the West seas were beginning to bore him. Not enough mages and he was quickly running out of time.
"How about the Shal again Captain?" Temari suggested, there were always mages there willing to fight. However, the Captain shook his head.
"No, not yet Temari. Let's take the Kraken Skies to Etherea, the East sea first." Malachite grinned, he had yet to visit the East sea's, and besides he had a feeling that what he was looking for would be found there.
"Etherea it is..." Temari winked, racing up the stairs of their blackened war ship to take the helm.
The blackened beast powered up immediately at Temari's request. It's solar powered sails, dotted with tears and gunshot holes the same angry red as the sky.
"All aboard the Kraken Skies, you worthless pack of bilge rats!!" Temari bellowed, tilting the ship a painful fifteen degrees as the hordes of children aboard the sinking vessel climbed aboard.
The Captain merely sighed, marching towards his quarters. Yet another disappointing rummage, through the four treacherous seas.
"Sorry dear sister, I have yet to keep my promise." Malachite whispered, his fingernails tearing strips off a painted portrait of a lovely woman easily twice his age. Before he slammed the door shut behind him.
*******
I know it's short but you have two now lol.
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Icarus
Fantasía~ Sunbird Series: Book 1 - Icarus ~ Nails, an orphaned 12yr old boy has a lot to deal with. He desperately wants to be like the other teens his age, getting work and making a use for himself. His only setbacks are the fact he has one arm, a seemingl...
