Blackbeard; The Legend

An Impromptu Escape

Akahana was pulled away from the King swiftly by some force, and not a second later, gunfire and the clashing of steel resonated throughout the tent, and Akahana was thrown to the ground. Trying to focus from where she lay, she looked up to see Stormfeather in front of her, cutlass drawn and dueling with the King, who was taken aback. Looking around, she saw that the other  pirates who had once been sitting calmly by each other, had suddenly started fighting one another, their fists and swords striking one another. Akahana was pulled up off of the ground, and she felt the rope around her wrists fall away. Turning around, she immediately recognized one of Stormfeather's crewmates.

"Go!" 

"Bu-"

"Just go!" The crewmate blocked a strike from one of the King's men, and he pushed Akahana away. "Head to the dock!"  He shouted, and Akahana began sprinting towards the exit of the tent. Looking around frantically, she could see the familiar cloaks of Stormfeather's crew clashing with the black hoods of the King's men, although it appeared that some of the King's men had turned to Stormfeather's side. She kept running through the brawling, trying her hardest not to get struck by any sword or bullet. Looking back briefly, she saw Takahiro and Ryota right on her heels. Bursting out of the tent, Akahana was caught off guard as she stared at what was unfolding before her. All of the King's men were fighting one another, as if something had prompted them to betray one another. Tents were ablaze or toppled over, and bodies were equally strewn around. 

"Hurry!" Ryota yelled, and Akahana was brought back to the present, and she spotted the dock down below the hill, and she started sprinting, the other two behind her as they narrowly avoided getting struck.

Scrambling down the hill, Akahana saw Stormfeather's ship preparing to leave, as his crew fought off the King's men. Upon seeing the three of them, one of the pirates at the helm of the ship yelled something back to the others, and the sails began unfolding. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a familiar silver figure appeared in front of them, and Akahana's heart stopped in her chest as Hati looked at them with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

"Well, well, well," Hati drawled. "I was wondering where you lot went." He took a step forward, and Akahana saw that the King's men had surrounded them, their weapons drawn and aimed right at them.

Hati giggled mockingly. "You know, I still find it hilarious that the birdbrain thought that he could make our own men betray us and get away with it. There's a reason why this army has gotten to the point that it's gotten to now. And one fool thought that he could end it." Akahana looked around despairingly as Stormfeather's men were slowly being overwhelmed. Hati noticed the hopelessness in her eyes, and his grin grew even wider. "All for two nobodies and one traitor." He spat. "Take them alive." He commanded, and the soldiers converged on the three of them. Akahana dodged one of their grasps and punched one of them, but she was immediately grabbed from behind, her arm twisting behind her back painfully. Ryota was ungracefully whisked away, screaming and clawing, and Takahiro timidly accepted his seizure, head hung low.

Akahana looked around the encampment with terror and hopelessness, as Stormfeather's pirates and the King's men that aided them lay defeated, some alive, some motionless, the pure white snow stained with red. When they reached the main area, the rest of the captured passengers kneeling, some with wounds, other uninjured. Suddenly, the entrance of the main tent's burst open, and Stormfeather was flung out, battered and bruised beyond all belief. The King followed after, his face contorted into the most furious expressions Akahana had ever seen as he slowly marched towards Stormfeather.

"Leave him alone!" Akahana shouted, but before she could try to yell anything else, a dagger appeared before her throat, and Hati mockingly hushed her. The King grabbed the captain by his coat and lifted him up, glaring into his bloodied face. 

"Tell me," He growled. "Why?" He asked. "You were one of my best and most trusted captains, and yet here you are, after your attempted coup on me and my army." He spat in the snow, and threw Stormfeather on the ground. "So tell me, Halcyon Hyacinthus, why?" He repeated, glowering.

Stormfeather staggered as he tried standing, wiping the blood from his mouth. "Because, Brynjar Hálendiskú," The King's eyes widened at the mention of what Akahana assumed was his name, but he kept quiet as Stormfeather continued. "Has it ever gotten through yer thick skull that I ne'er wanted to be apart of this..?" He coughed crimson, but kept talking. "As well as that, I know what yer trying to do here. And believe me," His eyes were burning with flame, and even with his injuries, he was radiating defiant strength. "Ye won't get yer revenge. You'll fall, sooner or later, by me hand or another's."

At first, the King was silent. Then, a cruel smirk appeared on his face as he stared down at Stormfeather. "Is that so?"

Stormfeather spat blood. "I know so." He raised his fists. "Now come and fight me, ya bastard!" 

The King chuckled and mockingly raised his large hands in a brawling stance. Akahana wanted to scream for Stormfeather to stop, but the dagger pressed against her fur, and she could only watch in despair and horror as Stormfeather tried fighting the King. The captain weakly threw a punch which the King easily sidestepped, and the highland bull circled around him, a look of pitying amusement on his face. Stormfeather tried to attack him again, and the King gently blocked it, and slightly pushed him, which nearly sent the captain toppling. Heavily breathing and bleeding, Stormfeather tried one last time to strike at the King with all he had. He punched the King in the chest, but what little power he had left, Stormfeather didn't even make a noise, and the King looked down at the captain sadistically.

"All bark and no bite." The King remarked, and in an instant, he backhanded the captain. Blood flew from the captain's mouth and splattered across the snow, and he landed with a heavy, earth-shattering thump. 

"That's what happens to those who don't follow." Hati murmured in her ears, and her breath caught her throat, unable to respond as the wolf giggled. The King stepped away from the body of the captain, and walked towards the passengers. Hati drew his blade from her throat and kneeled before the King.

"My King," Hati bowed, "I managed to recapture our pirsoners before they escaped." He looked eagerly to the King. "I did a good job, yes?" Hati asked, awaiting for the King's response. The King grunted, and his eyes searched through the faces of the prisoners until he found Akahana.

"Bring her here." He demanded, and Akahana was brought forth before him. Once more, that same look appeared on the King's face as he stared longingly at Akahana, and he tentatively reached out, before pulling back. "Hilda...You don't look a day over when I last saw you." He murmured. "But now you finally arrived, although it's been quite the wait. Six years, in fact." He chuckled bitterly.

Akahana was too terrified to respond, and too confused to ask what he was talking about. Hilda? Letter? Why did he confuse her for someone else? The more the questions circled around her frightened mind, it felt like she was going to pass out. The King watched her appalled face, before he reached up to his eyepatch, and slowly lifted it up. Akahana gasped. Where an eye should've been, instead was a long gash down, and an empty socket. The King smiled harshly at Akahana's horror.

"I'll never forget what you did." He murmured, and he put back his eyepatch. "But it seems that you have." He stood up. "Take her away from the others. I want to talk to her personally." Akahana couldn't respond, and as she was dragged away, her eyes returned to Stormfeather, sprawled out in the snow, blood pooling around him. Yet by some miracle, he was still alive, and his eyes fluttered open slightly. Even with everything that had happened to him, he gave a weak smile to Akahana, and rasped. 

"My debt is paid..."

Before Akahana could ponder what he meant, for the second time, the world erupted. Multiple explosions occurred, and Akahana was tossed into the snow, the ringing in her ears cancelling out everything. The air was filled with the scent of sulfur and gunpowder. Slowly opening her eyes, Akahana gazed at the sudden inferno that engulfed the tents, and in the flame, she could see two figures...walking through the blaze.