Aether : Calraem

Chapter 13: Thanks, Captain

5 years ago...

"Hey kid!"

A teenage girl had just stolen a loaf of bread and was moving through the streets. She was being chased by knights and the merchant she stole it from. The people in the streets just ignored the scene as if it had been a daily occurrence that they shouldn't get involved in. Luckily for her, she had grown up in this city and knew her way around it. After a few turns she would lose them... Or so she thought.

Bang!

Something hit her shoulder and she fell face first onto the pavement. A burning pain was immediately coming from her shoulder. The bread fell out of her hand and rolled a few metres away from her. To make it worse was the fact that another thief grabbed the bread and made a break for it. Dammit... So I got shot for nothing, huh?

She could almost laugh at how it turned out. This was how her life has been ever since her parents had died. There was no point in her trying anymore. Why was she forcing her way to live anymore? Sixteen years of what? Living in the streets, suffering and stealing just to get through the day. What was the point anymore?

"G-Geez..." She gritted her teeth. The pain was becoming unbearable.

"There she is!" She heard one of the knights say and then heard the footsteps of them coming closer with their metal armour. Can't even use my wings... Her colourful wings were still growing, so she can't use them properly yet. No! I can't accept this yet! I want to live. I want to live my life! I can't accept dying like this! Just as she was about to accept her fate.

"Strike them down, mateys!" Yelled a man.

As she looked up she saw a young man in front of her with a bright smile on his face. He was an elf dressed like a pirate. The knights were being beaten by his crew but she didn't seem to hear anything. At that moment everything was quiet. All she could see was the smile he gave her. It resembled her Father's.

"What's you're name?" He asked. His green eyes seem to look deep into her soul. Like he had already seen what he wanted.

"A-Alavara..."

"Wanna join my crew?" He still had a bright smile on his face. It was full of life and made her feel at ease.

Before she could answer her vision blacked out because of the blood loss. When she awoke she was in a strange room and from the continuous rocking she could tell it was a ship. In the room with her were two other people. The man who helped and a young Lycra women dressed like a doctor.

"The name's Kaizoku." He pointed at himself. "This is Elaine. The one who saved your life."

"Why... Did you save me?" She asked but her voice was still very soft and weak. Her stomach also felt like it was eating itself apart.

"Before that, let's get you something to eat."
He said and the called a man named Sully. Then came a man who had pale skin with horns on his forehead. He also had a chef's hat on. He had a large plate full of fried rice and meat with a glass of milk. She stared at the food in front of her but didn't know if she should eat it. She still didn't fully trust them.

"Sully, did you bring some for me too?"

"No, you idiot!" He said and threw a wooden spoon against Kaizoku's head. Kaizoku then went to sulk in the corner.

"Don't be afraid, you can eat as much as you like." Said Sully.

"B-But b-be c-careful because y-you just recovered." Said the woman named Elaine.

And with that she began digging into the food. Sully smiled and then left. Kaizoku finished sulking and stood up to see how she was doing. Elaine also patiently waited for her to finish. As Alavara ate she felt something warm run down her cheeks. It felt almost unreal to her.