Through the threadbare curtains stained with the stench of rum in a welcoming early-17th-century pub. On the Caribbean Island of Jamaica, where our story takes sail.
Within the pub, there are cheers. Other nights, there are fears. But one notion that often carries the day, without doubt, is the thrills all around the Old Kings pub.
The clock had struck dusk. As usual, the place was lively at this hour. However, some drunkards may have come for a reason other than drinking rum this night.
In the distant left corner, two men are seated across from each other. On wooden chairs, with a wooden table fixed between them.
One sat stiff as a board, with his hands clutched onto his tankard filled with rum, and his eyes didn't wander far. Even so, he sat with his back to the wall. That allowed him to see everything, or better yet, everyone.
The other was all smiles, he rocked back on his chair, and his breath reeked of boozes.
Their corner drew bold stares and endless grumbles. It was clear who's the unwelcome guest tonight.
Ahem!
"I must say, it was quite challenging locating you, Sir Livie," Spoke in a tense voice by the man who wore a white wig, well-groomed red jerkin, and white breeches. Feet wrapped in low-heeled shoes and a leather cap in which he rests on the table. Skin pale as the moon, and his face was smooth as a pearl.
Those words had broken the awkward silence which was previously looming over their table.
The man who sat opposite to him wasn't only on the opposite side of him. But he dressed opposite to him as well.
He donned ragged clothes, a wild afro, and a much more unkempt appearance. Even so, he somehow appeared neat in his own unorthodox way.
Livie placed his coarse fingers on the table and held up three digits. He said,
"Firstly, regards to ye for leaving steps on a place such as this. Yer kind is, well, rather famous around these ends. Still, it's better than Tortuga or Havana."
Both men glanced around at the piercing daggers eyeing them.
"Yikes!" The Lieutenant replied, "Seem like it."
"Secondly, we are in a pub, no need for the formalities, at ease, sailor. Thirdly, I repeat, we are in a pub. And I've been sobering like a bloke who's sailing home. Yet I would like to be three sheets to the wind, therefore make haste with your intentions. Savvy?"
"Not one to play the fiddle, I see." Calmly replied the sailor. He then began to loosen up his posture. While acquainting himself in the process. "I am Sir William Brethem the Third, Lieutenant of the British Royal Navy."
Ack! Humh…!
"Blimey!" Livie exclaimed as he choked when chugging down his liquor. He wiped his lips and uttered, "And ye came to heed me, a modest buccaneer. Interesting."
"Oh please, you're far from modest."
The Lieutenant pulled out a letter with a red wax-like object keeping it secured.
That made the stares from the drunkards even bolder.
Livie sat up straight on his chair. It truly is a royal seal. Is the sailor boy not made to bluff? Very interesting.
He read, "We, the Royals of Great Britain, desire to pay our esteems to one, Sir Toka Livie, known at sea as Captain Livie. For his heroics in rescuing the princess, her highness, Rebecca Ivy, from vile abductors. His reward will be given to him as stated, forty pieces of gold coins."
Rescuing the princess, he said? Is this about us boarding that rivalship for plundering and finding the damsel below deck?
Livie took a slight glance at his arms. Towards his left wrists were a few nail scratches and a small bite mark.
Hm…! Blondie?
"The letter further includes a section in which Miss Rebecca insists on showing her gratitude to her rescuer. Face to face in England. To receive the reward, you must undergo this act." The Lieutenant folded the letter and told him,
"I'm going to be dangerously honest, Toka Livie. It is neither proper nor suitable. It is not acceptable nor adequate for her highness, our Goddess Rebecca. To meet with someone such as you who participates in piracy."
At this point, the Lieutenant allowed his pride to get ahead of itself. He carried on by saying,
"I view it as perturbing, for the most part. For you not only laid one of your many filthy fingers on Miss Rebecca. But you dared to obtain her majesty onto your vessel for four endless days. It makes my blood run sour. Hmph! A rather unpleasant feeling admittedly."
This scurvy dog has one hell of a mouth on him…! But why is he so sensitive about Blondie? So emotional, though it does kindle with me, thoughts a bit.
"Eighty."
"I beg your pardon?" The Lieutenant's eyebrows rose along with the number.
"Eighty pieces of gold coin," Livie declared. He placed both hands on the table and gazed at him dead in his twitching eyes. "Frankly, I prefer doubloons, but whatever ye got will do."
"Apologies, but I discern the letter from his highness, Lord Timothy Ivy, stating forty pieces of..."
"Seems like her highness is important to you, right?" Livie had intrudingly asked.
"Indeed, Miss Rebecca is..."
Those words left him with a secluded smirk. "The letter states, the reward shall be given to the rescuer, correct? In other terms, the person who saved her life."
"The hell are you striking at, bloody pirate!?" A brass question from a timid man.
"Now, Mister Lieutenant, do tell. But do you sincerely believe the princess, your Goddess Rebecca, is worth a measly forty pieces in gold coins?" He wittily asked with a baffled look on his face.
However, before the Lieutenant could say a word, he continued.
"I see it rather unpleasant, admittedly. And I'm disgusted on the princess's behalf." He then screwed up his face like a sly gambler who has all the right cards.
"Eighty is quite generous if both of us are being fair. Since I deem Blon…! [ahem], Miss Rebecca to be worth an entire coffer." Livie ended his speech by rocking back on the chair. Along with a sober sip of his boozes.
Though his points hit the nail on its head, the listener didn't take too kindly to them.
Bam!
Growl! "You dare question how I value her majesty? Damn degenerate pirate!" Outburst the maddened Lieutenant as he slams his gloved-up hand on the table.
He solely grabbed the attention of everyone, more so now than ever.
Livie sank his eyebrows, along with his smile, and menacingly uttered. "Calm yourself, Mister Lieutenant. Yer mask is beginning to slip. And your fangs are for us to see."
He placed his blade on the table, "Moreover, we ain't sheep nor lambs at Old Kings." Then immediately got followed by the other drunkards who bared their weapons as well.
The Lieutenant instantly saw the bright side of Livie's scheme. Or rather, his charm. He unwillingly smirked back at him.
"You are utterly despicable, Captain Livie. Very well, sixty gold pieces of coin, take it or leave it."
His swift change of heart was probably caused by Livie's intimidation, although he wouldn't be the one to admit it.
Livie grinned like a Cheshire cat under his tamed face. It looks like the little sailor boy is made to bluff after all. His ass got robbed by a bandit without a knife nor gun.
"I'm just providing her highness the respect someone of her status deserves, mate." He softly said before spitting on his hand to shake on the agreement.
Eww! The Lieutenant cringed up from his actions and only shook his index finger.
After the weird handshake, Livie signaled the drunkards to lower their weapons.
"La vies est amusante."
"French?" The Lieutenant inquired.
He fell back in his chair and replied, ".... oui,"
--
Their conversation gradually became less tense and hostile. It shifted into more of a chat rather than a deal, per se.
"When I contemplate on our encounter, Sir Livie. In my ten years of being a sailor. Including my three as Lieutenant. Sailing on the British waters, be that as it may. Why is this my first time facing you?"
He tried to read Livie's face and the way he held his eyes for hints.
"Nevertheless, I recently came to learn a lot of tales about the notorious Scarlet Blade pirate. And his mortal vessel, Goddess O War. [deep stare], Plus, you're quite youthful, to boot. It's quite peculiar. Let alone being uncanny. [leans head], For you not to be spotted once by yours truly. Please elaborate on why that is for me?"
Livie let out a shallow sigh and gazed up at the ceiling. "Let it not shiver ye timbers. I don't familiarize myself with British waters. The voyages I embark on are mostly on Spanish and French shores. Seldom, the East. If I'm in the market for something nice."
"East?" The Lieutenant blurted out with a prying look on his face. "Are the voyages in the East where you got that fascinating sword?" He asked while pointing at Livie's unique cutlass.
"Ah, I notice ye been eyeing her ever since she drew." He held up the blade in its scabbard.
"Aye! I brought her off a merchant in Singapore. Over there, the natives call the blade a Katana with its high value." He replied as it hisses out of the scabbard when drawn. It glistened briefly in the dim flames of the lantern. "However, I call her Shibito. Apparently, she's worth more than the princess."
"Hmph! Refrain from mentioning her highness. Though the sword is a true beauty." The Lieutenant stated. He continued to stare at the blade as though it was a piece of eye candy.
Livie placed the blade back in its scabbard and told him. "The East isn't, well, opened to sailors, let alone British ones. Savvy?"
The Lieutenant's staring was slightly justified. Livie had possessed a blade that was of no other kind in the Caribbean. It was solely unprecedented for a pirate to obtain such a gem.
The most standard sword for the sea dwellers was cutlasses. So, a katana was quite weird to acquire, to be frank.
His title is Captain Livie. Though, he also goes by Beast in the East. The feared one, from his time in Asia, where he made his name.
"I won't speak the devil's speech. However, I certainly wasn't expecting my night to swing this way. When I saw ye pull out the Royal Letter. I felt it was an invitation to the gallows."
"Well, it's not all that shocking for a pirate such as yourself to conceive." The Lieutenant smugly replied as he finally took a sip of his rum.
"A buccaneer is the preferred term. Anyways, I forgot something."
"Huh?" A confused face by the Lieutenant went with the sound.
Creak!
Livie abruptly stood up from his seat. "Yo Ho Ho! Ye Carouser. Splice the Mainbrace! And don't leave till ye squiffy." He cheerfully announced to everyone in the pub. "Rum is on me this nightfall."
"Hoorah!" Roared the drunkards in delight, for they knew it was going to be one hell of a pleasant night.
The Lieutenant shortly after rose from his chair, took his cap from the table, and expressed, "The twilight can only last so long, Sir Livie."
"Departing already, Mister Lieutenant?" He smiled ear to ear and passed him another tankard. "Why don't we have ourselves some more drinks to bless our journey."
"Accept my remorse, but I'm one of those sober sailors." He pushed in his chair. "Who's sailing home with his mates."
Livie stroked his low-haired chin and tittered, "Haha, can't hold ye liquor?"
"I can indeed hold my liquor. Plus, it wouldn't be proper for my men to bear their eyes on an inebriated leader." He proceeded on his way to the curtains.
"I query if that's actually the case, or do ye have some momentous words to tell your crew tonight?" The atmosphere suddenly became tense once more with those words.
The Lieutenant stood at the doorway for a fleeting instant, then commenced with his exit. He left with a few words, though. "Forbear from overdoing it. We set sail at the crack of dawn."
"Aye," He answered as the Lieutenant left.
--
Livie remained seated at the table, pondering and wondering.
Some views aren't settling well. Is that bloke truly a Lieutenant in the British fleet? Much less, I ought to go to Great Britain.
Although, he wasn't alone for long. A woman with short hair black as coal, late-twenties yet youthful, and cocoa brown skin approached him with a friendly smile. "A show always seems to come with yuh at my likkle pub, Toka."
"Ahoy, Miss Paula." He gave her an embracing wave. "Ye knows misery loves its company."
"So, what's its company this time?" She snatched his tankard away from him and stole a drink. "A job offer?"
"Um, something like it." He replied while cracking his knuckles.
"Pay?"
"Adequate, I suppose."
"It better be, seeing that you brought rum for the whole damn pub." She took a seat on top of the table. "Plus, you two even took all the eyes away from me."
"Apologies, Milady." Livie tapped three fingers on the table. "But I solely wanted to confirm mere speculations."
"Speculations?"
He had a glimpse around the pub. "Aye, for ye see, there are more foreign faces among us this eve. Three, to be exact."
"Er...?" She had a glance at the guests. "Where?"
Livie slightly tapped one finger in the direction when explaining.
Tap!
"The bloke near the door who hasn't ordered a drink. He doesn't look too pleased in being here. Most likely a royal, a prideful cunt he is. Clearly, he won't stay for much longer."
He turns,
Tap!
"Sailor two seems to be into his role as a pirate, a bit too much, though. He's livelier than a horse on open fields."
To another direction,
Tap!
"Last but surely not least, is the fella in the dark shirt over there. I wasn't sure about him, to be frank. Albeit, when I pulled out Shibito, he bared his weapon like the rest, yet his fury hadn't aimed at the Lieutenant."
"Sink me!" Paula was at a loss for words, "Yuh certainly is a different breed, Toka."
"Plus, the reason I brought rum for the entire pub was to stop him from prying into my bloody life," Livie added while rubbing the back of his neck.
"Ye knows how rowdy drunkards can get when it comes to free booze."
"All too well I do," She replied, looking at her festive customers. "Still, the crew is going to have a handful with Peacoat."
"Ha…!" He sighed. "I'm leaving it up to Kido Bree."
"Aww…! Poor Bree Bree." She shifted to him. "Say, how do yuh thinks he knows yuh?"
"A lot of canaries chirping around the docks, I guess."
"Pfft!" She giggled.
"Urm," Livie sharply inhaled and stroked his nose. "I may need to borrow yer old man for this."
"Oh," She gazed up at the ceiling. "I guess if it's you, then there's nothing to fear."
"Aye," He smirked a bit. "He's with me."
A period of silence came into play as Livie was reflecting on the whole ordeal.
I haven't had an encounter with the British Navy in a while. Even Blondie insisted on seeing me. Now, what luck or hell did I wander into this time? Very well, whatever shite it is, I will play your fiddle, Mister Lieutenant.
He sat in his thoughts with his face looking like an old geezer reading in the dark.
Paula had noticed his hush behavior, so she tried to lighten up the mood a bit.
"How long has it been since you tamed this wild beast on your head? An eternity?" She asked while tugging on his hair. "And how does this little cap even fit?"
"Hehe... not too sure me-self, to be quite honest," Livie replied in chuckles.
His final thoughts that bizarre night was,
Jolly ye hearts out tonight, me hearties. For I'm not sure, the sun shall set on our souls ever again. A drink for me, a drink for ye, a drink for us, so let's sail through.