Pirates in Love: Treasure of the Heart

Prologue

"Mmm."
I stretched my arms out as far as I could, attempting to loosen out all the knots that had formed in my shoulders from today's work at the bar. As soon as I opened my eyes, they were met with the colorful array of gold, orange, salmon, and violet of the evening sky.
I smiled. The great thing about this tavern is the large glass window at the front of the joint. Everyday I watch as the sky changes several shades of several different hues, and catch faces of the people who walk by this side of the shopping district. I've been at this job for so long that I've come to remember the routines of our regulars and a good number of the people living in this city.
I sighed contentedly as I wiped down the last of the tavern's tables. Smiling to myself about the fact that my day of work was done, I started toward the door. Suddenly, rapid and obnoxiously loud knocks sounded from the entrance. I jumped in surprise as two two rough-looking men staggered in.
"Hey! Gimme some booze!" the shorter man shouted.
I raised a brow at them, and wiped my hands on the front of my apron. They seemed as if they had already been drinking; plus it was passed working hours and the owner had already gone home. I was not willing to serve these two in the least.
"I'm sorry, but the bar is closed. Please- hey!"
The thin man shoved a chair as he made his way towards me.
"God, gimme some booze already, ya damn bar!"
I bit my lip.
This isn't good.
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to come back tomorrow-" I started, but was once again interrupted.
"You tryna get ridda us?" the short man asked.
"Huh? No, well..."
I scratched the back of my head. The two men quickly glanced at each other. Two wide grins found themselves plastered on their faces as they eyed me up and down.
"That's a nice body ya got there," the thin man said.
He grabbed my wrist and forcibly yanked me toward him. A painful jolt shot through my right arm as my body lurched in his direction. My blood pressure spiked immediately.
"No! Stop! Lemme go!" I yelled, trying to free myself from his grasp.
"Stop? Booze and women are doctor's orders," the short man responded with a lascivious grin.
A glint near the short man's hand caught my eye as he slowly slipped a knife out from the pocket of his pants. My eyes widened. Unlike its appearance from his pocket, he quickly brought it up against my cheek.
"I'm not letting ya back down. If ya go without a fight, ya won't get punished."
K-Knife!
"Somebody, help me!"
I shouted at the top of my lungs, hoping dearly that someone could come to my aid before he plunged that sharp iron blade into my flesh.
BANG!
W-Was that a gunshot?
"Ugh."
The short man groaned and slumped over, his left hand tightly grasping his right arm.
"Too many bottoms feeders around here."
I turned in the direction of the new voice. A tall, pale-skinned man stood in the doorway, a gun in his right hand. His hair was a pine-wood brown, and was neatly slicked back on his head. He wore a large, loose, brown overcoat with bronze lining, and a large belt was slung over his shoulder and around his waist. The most alluring feature about him was his one chocolate brown eye, as the other lie hidden behind a jet-black eyepatch.
I gulped.
Could he possibly be a bad guy, too?
"Stop flirting with a child. It's embarrassing."
His nasty remark sent a rush of irritation through my system, but it enraged the scrawny man much more than it did me.
"Who are you?" the thin man interrogated.
"You go for a scrawny one like this?" the man in the eyepatch asked.
Ugh, is he attacking my assailants or is he attacking me?
"That's it! You're over!" the scrawny man yelled.
BAM!
Another man bursts through the door. This one had messy, dirty blonde - almost a light brown - hair and emerald green eyes. He wore a thin, long-sleeved white shirt with a large collar and such a deep V-neck that nearly half of his chest was visible. A loose, navy blue vest was worn over this, and it was all held together by a red scarf at his waist. Also by his sides were two light, metal swords. The look in his eyes gave away the fact that he was extremely vexed.
"Eduardo, don't go off on yer own!"
A third thug appeared at the doorway beside the new arrival.
"What's going on? Are ya with this guy?"
He gestured toward the man in the eyepatch, whom I assumed was Eduardo. Before I knew it, ten other men had piled into the tavern after the third hooligan.
"W-Woah," I breathed.
"What're ya bragging about?" the blonde asked spitefully. "I'll take up the glove."
It's two against eleven; they don't stand a chance in numbers.
"You're only two people! Ya know that ya have no chance, right?"
"Let's beat 'em up!" another man shouted from the rear.
"Fine!" the blonde man answered confidently. He drew out the two swords from his sides and took a stance.
Is he a two-sword fencer?
I was given only a moment's worth of thought before he lunged toward the gang of thugs.
"Uraaah!" he grunted as he took his enemies down one after the other.
"Ughh."
"Ack!"
"Guh!"
One by one, the men each fell with a grunt or cry of pain.
"What the hell?"
"Whatta ya looking at?" the man in the eye-patch asked threateningly, his eye narrowed at the last few men standing.
Effortlessly, he fired at the glinting knives in their hands, causing them to fly from their grasps.
"W-Who are these guys?" the short man from before asked upon recovery.
"Y-You're the Sirius," his scrawny man gulped.
I cocked my head to the side.
The Sirius? Isn't that a constellation?
"Yo, woman!" the man with the eyepatch called.
I turned to him with wide eyes. He quickly grabbed me by the arm, his brow furrowed.
"Don't just sit there! Get out!"
"Uh, no, I can't!"
For a moment he was taken aback.
"What?"
"I hafta watch over the bar while the owner's gone!"
"Yer talkin in yer sleep! Get out!"
Excuse you; I'm damn serious!
The look in his eyes told me that he would not take no for an answer. In the end, I dashed out the door without a second glance, hoping dearly that my boss wouldn't kill me for abandoning the tavern.