The Pirate Prince of the Ice Sea (Book 1 of The Legend Of Kaleania)

Chapter 9

Three days later

During the last three days, Kara had been teaching me what a captain of a ship does. She basically made me follow her around while she did her "substitute" job as captain. And last night, she gave me the hardest test ever about what positions the crew had and what a captain does. I only got a couple wrong and today, she made me steer the ship all the way to Airu Shima.

"My brain hurts," I muttered to Sarngika.

"Becoming captain is hard work but you'll soon get use it." he said.

"But why is she making me do stuff that are a little bit extreme?" I asked. "I mean, last night she made me climb to the top of the main mast and stand there for a few hours."

"It makes your fear of heights into a little dot of memory in the back of your head," he answered. I've had a fear of heights when Kan and I were fighting on the roof of the castle, a couple months ago. I didn't know how we got there but I did know that he thought I took his meat-leg when he wasn't looking which I did. Once we got on the roof, he grabbed onto my neck and held me over the edge. I remembered that he said something about a slave should never take a prince's food when he isn't looking.

I was deep in thought when a man shouted from the bowsprit. "Airu Shima coming into view!" That shot me back into reality as I saw the biggest island that I've ever seen. I gave the wheel back to the man as I jumped onto the railing and then onto the main deck. I raced across it until I got to the forecastle deck to get a better look.

The island looked like it was a green mountain sticking out of the sea. It was still snowing and there was ice around it. But what I didn't get was why it wasn't white with snow? "The island has special plants that stay green during the entire winter," Kara said, coming up beside me. "What does the captain order when the ship is about 500 feet away from land?" I knew the answer so I turned to look at the man steering.

"Weigh anchor on the starboard bow!" He nodded as he pulled a lever that brought the anchor down to the sea which made the ship come to a complete stop. I looked back at Kara to find her grinning. I could tell that she was impressed since I was just a numskull, a birdbrain, and a meat-head to her in the last three days.

"Come on, I have something for you," she gestured me to follow her to the captain's quarters which was where I slept now instead of a cell. Inside, I saw her bring out a bag with a note attached to it. "From Derek and I to you," she held it out so I took it and read the note first. It read:

Airon, vadhā'ī on making captain. Kara probably made you work hard. Wonderful lass, ain't she? Look, on the day you were born, yer mother and I had no choice give you up. Before I end my breathing, I'd like to say don't run away from a fight. Stand up and follow your heart that will lead the pirates to freedom. -Jake Derek, X374

Airon or whatever you call yourself now, your counterfeit birthday may have been on the day whatever the royals' made but your real birthday is on the day your parents were killed by Nekian in the year of X374. I was there for everything. Nekian somehow heard that Akira was giving birth. She got onto the ship and killed most of the men who were trying to protect your mother and you. Once she got to the captain's quarters, Derek fought a good fight while Akira told me to take you to a far away place. I was still a little girl back then but I was brave enough to get out, take a rowboat, and bring you to Akaenia. Aye, I was the one that brought you to the royals. In the bag, I made an outfit for you when you become captain with Derek and the crew's approval. -Lady Kara, X389

I opened the bag to find a red and black outfit. I took it out and told Kara to leave while I got dressed. She left as I began taking off the cape and then the bracers off my arms. I stripped my shirt and put on the white undershirt on. The sleeves went all the way just below my elbows that was little too tight and the neck of it went down to my collarbone. Next I put the white comfortable and loose pants over my brown ones and buckled the belt that had a dark red cloth which kind of looked like a skirt-which wasn't, thank Kerala- around my waist. I took off my brown boots and replaced them with a pair of black ones that went half way up my shin. After that I placed small black cuffs that were surrounded by white on my wrists and they were quite agreeable with them. Finally I put on the red, leather overcoat. The black collar went loosely around my neck and met in the middle of my chest. The black shoulder part seemed it was protecting the tops of my shoulders while the rest of it was bare with the white showing underneath. The front part of the vest went diagonally from the bottom of my ribs that past a little bit of my stomach and all the way to the the back that made a tail which its tips barely touched the ground. The other tail was connected at the back of it but hung a loose strap that was supposed to go across my stomach and meet with a tie that barely was under my arm. I tied it and I looked at my reflection in the window across a mahogany desk. Everything looks great, I thought. Kara really did an impressive job.