Cock-A-Doodle-Do...! Ack!
Smack!
"Hush ye blasted beak, ye damn chicken!"
It was the crack of dawn. Up came the golden sparse of rays lighting up the dim sky. With its gorgeous shimmers gliding off the glittering waters. Like restless stars in the daytime. At last, the blazing sun grew out of the multi-hued horizon.
Hourglasses had met its final grains five times for the day, while the roosters were the first to come alive. As if they were daybreak alarms to inform sleepers that it was time to get cracking.
At the town's harbor is where most of the awakened folks wander for business or other ventures. It is also where the Royal Navy boarded their Frigate.
The vessel flew a Red Ensign to represent the British. Of course, the gesture didn't go without the mean stares of the locals.
Though, Livie's crew had worn their weary faces with lowered shoulder postures this dawn.
So, they were too out of it to bother about the flag. On the flip side, the sailors were on pins and needles to get off the pirate-infested town of Port Royal.
Livie was usually an early bird at the harbor, and this morning was no different. He would always come to stare at the turquoise sea waters.
The scenery of waves crashing onto the chalk-white sand of the beach. Amidst the soothing harmonies produced by the windy sea and the mewing seagulls on the seashore. All always seemed to put his mind at ease.
He laid barefooted on the coast with his eyes shut. Minutes had passed him there until a recently familiar face stood over him.
"You arose much earlier than one would expect, Sir Livie."
"This is the best time for awakening, Mister Lieutenant." He calmly replied.
His once closed eyes became opened as he stated, "We can listen to the wonders of the blimey deep. Mother Sea can be generous at times. Other times, she can take it all with one big wave, haa…! So majestic."
"I will beg to differ from the first part, at least. For I am convinced that your men would be inclined to disagree with it."
The Lieutenant drew awareness to Livie's fatigued crewmates, who rubbed their necks and yawned like hippos. They had stayed up all night partaking in the thrills.
His crew consisted of twenty-eight men. All of whom were drunk as a fish.
He had more comrades, but one event led to the next. And the hands-on-deck for the ship came to an ill decline.
Still, his main buckos were; Selly the Boatswain, Bree the Quartermaster, Peacoat the Gunman, and Baba the Navigator. Those were the few he could hang his life on.
"Drunkards sail better than sobers. Heck! Me maties may even take us to the promised lands."
"I wouldn't dare take on that risk, thank you very much." Smugly expressed the Lieutenant. "But I must confess we do desire some navigation on these waters. Seeing that, the trip here was anything but pleasant. Our vessel almost turned into the Flying Dutch Man."
"Aye, the weather can be quite inconsistent at times. Even so, I have a suitable mate for the task at hand." Livie answered. He then followed it up by asking. "So, did any pirates cross paths with your ship on the voyage here?"
"Luckily for us, no. Uh, well, I should say not any threatening ones." The Lieutenant timidly replied.
Ah...?
He leisurely got up from the beach and headed to the dock. However, something unexpected occurred at the same time he did.
And it came from the Lieutenant's mouth. "Your hairstyle is quite intriguing, Sir Livie. Although, take care to let your cap not fall off." He grinned with the backasswards compliment.
"Urm! ...thanks." Livie hesitantly responded.
He had his hair braided by Miss Paula the previous night.
The attire he chose to wear with the hairdo was a matte black jerkin and breeches with his dark leather cap. It differed from his Shibito in a scarlet wooden scabbard.
All in all, it was a much neater look than last night.
He brushed off the weird tribute and resumed his way to the British ship.
Suddenly, a kid no more than twelve years old enthusiastically sprinted up to him like a pet greeting its owner. "Captain Livie! Captain Livie, can I join your crew on this journey?"
"Ahoy, Sebby boy. Oh, I'm not one to let others hang the jig. Nevertheless, this trip is for sharks above water. So, play the men here for now."
The lad stuttered, "But, but you're Captain Livie. The greatest pir...! The greatest buccaneer in the entire sea. Plus, I heard the crew has dwindled."
He placed his hand on Seb's shoulder. "Aye, that may be true. But there comes a time when the great warriors also carry the greatest weaknesses."
He waggled his hair and send him off, "On ye way now, hold this place down till I return."
"Aye, Captain!" Seb replied as he waved goodbye.
Livie continued to board the British Frigate after the chat when he overheard some pirates muttering.
"Have ye heard? Old salt Jinkins said the voices are getting louder each night." The pirate with an eyepatch voiced while strolling along the dock.
The one next to him replied, "Aye, it's out for the pirate with the scarlet...!"
"Uh!" The eyepatch pirate blocked the other's mouth and cautiously asked. "Is that... him?"
He frantically blurted out, "Where?!" while glancing around like a child in the dark. Not too long after, he looked right at the man himself.
"Ello, mates," Livie calmly greeted.
The two pirates got helter-skelter as they responded, "Ahoy, matey. We would love to stay and chat, but would ye look at the time."
They followed it up with an awkward laugh and scampered away.
Livie paid no heed to their words since his mind was already full of headless worries. Speaking of, he shared another thought with himself before stepping foot on the ship.
Haa...! I had a night's rest to reflect on the entire princess and royal situation. Yet, it's still not tallying up in my head. Hmm, let's hope Baba is up for the task. He's Jamaican, so he should be fine. Plus, it will be a hell of a lot more fun with him steering.
--
Baba's speech,
"Of ah time we have never seen before, in peace hour. But right now, mi ah fi show yuh ah route to tackle de stormy seas. Alyuh muss bi mad if yuh think to say, yuh nah ah goh make it back to Great Britain and gimme here sah money. Mi pockets dem shallow, everything sell-off, mi broke right now mi ah tell yuh. Look pond de shoe wah mi have, ah one pair mi have."
Baba looked around at everyone on the ship. They all gaped at him in utter shock. Well, everyone except Livie and his crewmates.
"So alyuh listen to mi pussy-claat boys. When mi using this stormy threat level map. Yuh see when it dey pond green. That means everything is crisp, it noice. But sharks and blowers will still be present. Where dey is red, de threat level reaches five, stay clear. Because everything goh mash-up. Alright, soh follows mi properly, and we bless."
He rolled up his expert map and sauntered away casually. He left the sailors gaping at him with exposed tongues.
"What in God's name was that?" One of the sailors muttered in dismay.
Livie strolled up to the sailor in question. Thereupon, he rests his arm on the man's shoulder. He replied, "Him, mate, is our ticket not to become the Flying Dutchman."
The sailor quickly shrugged Livie's arm off and uttered. "We are not of the same cloth, you whoreson pirate."
As I estimated, to be correct. These fellows don't fancy us one bit. But why does his face look so familiar? Uh…? Was it Old Kings last night?
He peeped over to Baba, who's currently on the British ship. Then he peeked over at the Goddess where most of his crew stood.
Relax, it's fine…?
"Okay, I believe it's time to commence our voyage back to Great Britain," voiced the Lieutenant. He promptly made his way upon the ship to take sail.
"Oi!"
Livie, out of the blue, stretched out his hand in anticipation.
However, the Lieutenant wasn't swift to catch on to what he was implying.
So, Livie decided to be blunter the second time of asking. He took a vocal approach instead of using his hand.
"Give me half the amount of the thirty pieces of gold coins before we set sail."
The Lieutenant, in anger, uttered, "What nonsense is this?! You haven't performed the act yet."
"Well then, I don't recall making an accord with a hornswoggle who runs a rig." Livie followed his words up by making his way off the British Frigate and signaling Baba to leave.
"Safe trip, Mister Lieutenant."
"Tarry, a moment." Irritatingly voiced the Lieutenant. "Very well, you may get it. Albeit, I'm not sure what good it will do you as of now."
He ordered one of his men to retrieve half of the payment.
A sailor tramped up to him and shared a brief word.
"Tsk! May I ask why we, The Royal Navy, are acknowledging this hooligan's wishes, William."
"Our King views him as a peril. For her highness has taken a rather repugnant fondness to him. And it's sir to you," He whispered back in the sailor's ear.
"Don't falter yourself with the title. And the objective goes on."
"Of course, we are halfway there, Samuel." Their whispers came to an end.
The sailor next to him had a different aura around him than the other fellas. Wasn't he in Old Kings as well?
He soon after walked up to Livie and handed him his request.
"Here you are, Livie."
He didn't call me Sir Livie this time around? Is his mask slipping again, or am I overthinking it? Ah, whatever. Let me put a pin in that for now.
Livie quickly ran over to the scuppers and yelled out. "Yo Ho Ho! Sebby boy."
He then threw the sack of gold pieces to him. "Take this to Miss Paula at the Old Kings pub. Tell her, Toka said, to pour him a deep one when the moon glows at its brightest. Savvy?"
"Aye, Capt'n!" Seb voiced as he briskly scampered off to the pub.
Some sailors saw Livie's actions as quite obtuse and pig-ignorant. They snickered at him amongst themselves. Stuff like he's doltish for giving away half his reward without a second to spare.
One of them, however, was probably a bit too noisy with his taunts. He poked at a dormant beast who's better left asleep. For his sake, at least.
"How typical of foul pirates. They receive their winnings and give it to the nearest wench without a moment's delay."
Those harsh words flew into one of Livie's ears. However, it didn't make its way to the next.
He dismissed the majority of the bad-mouthing up until that point. But this triggered him a lot.
Swoosh!
A heavy gust of wind blew, leaving the place deathly quiet, and faces lost all expressions.
Livie abruptly shuffled his foot on the deck's floor. Widen his legs in a lowered stance, placing his left arm behind his back. With a flick of the thumb, Shibito jumped out of its scarlet scabbard.
He caught her with his right arm in mid-air and swung the blade. She made a shrill whistle noise in the strong ocean winds and had met the throat of the wordy culprit.
The sailor held his breath and bit onto his dry lips. The thought of exhaling on the sharp edge of the blade drew tears to his trembling eyes.
All the snickering from the fellow sailors had instantly halted. They all felt the sensation of the katana slicing through the air.
Before he knew it, the weapon was already at his throat.
There were noisy murmurs from the Goddess. "The Captain bears his scarlet blade. Does it mean war?"
Livie stared blankly into the sailor's eyes with his dull ink-black pupils. He uttered the words, "Dead Men Tell No Tales." In an ominous tone.
The sailor most definitely either shat or pissed himself. He quivered like a mouse in a snake pit.
Luckily for the hopeless sailor. The Lieutenant came to aid him in his time of worries that he brought upon himself, nevertheless.
The altercation got broken up as quickly as it had begun. Frankly, Livie's crew was still down to clash blades. Though, some were as spooked as the sailors.
Perhaps the confidence of the willing ones is forged by the ship they sailed on, Goddess O War.
It's a distinguished Sloop in the East. With a jolly roger of an angel holding a spear.
She pointed it forward like a commander leading their army into battle. Its destructive nature, along with the onboard crew, was fierce as a shiver of sharks.
When the British sailors saw the pirates grasping cutlasses and pistols, their cockiness quickly vanished.
"Conduct one's self, gentlemen!" The Lieutenant voiced. "This isn't why we are here. Please, cease from acting like brutes."
Livie let out a massive sigh while lowering Shibito from the sailor's neck. To the man's relief, of course.
He firmly yelled,
"Avast Ye! Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen of our Goddess. All Hands Hoy! The voyage to Great Britain is upon us. Mr. Selly, Kido, and Peacoat make yer way to the British ship by Jacob's ladder at once. Me other hearties will remain onboard and follow behind till otherwise. Any of ye who becomes lily-livered like a scallywag will get blown down. Savvy?!"
"Aye, Aye! Capt'n!" His crew loudly roared.
"Toppo! Man, the Goddess, for now. And if anyone dares to give ye hell. Tell me then I will show them hell itself."
Toppo did a subtle smirk. "As ye wish, Capitán."
The names he listed promptly boarded the British vessel.
"Ahoy, Captain. I must admit I'm not a fan of sailing on a Navy ship. Still, I will respect ye choice." Selly expressed as he walked by.
"Strange being on another ship without plundering," Bree said while glancing around.
And last but not least.
"There better be some rum on this focker, you son of a biscuit eater. Or ye shirt ain't gone be the exclusive one presenting red," Peacoat announced to the entire fleet.
"Aaaarrrrggghhhhh! Capt'n, me Capt'n, why are we sailing with these bilge-sucking Fowl-Fockers?"
Seriously, has he no respect for his Captain? The startled sailors asked themselves.
"For claps of thunder and rum of many varieties, mate." Captain Livie replied. "Now climb to the crows' nest and lookout for any foes through the spyglass." He also firmly ordered.
"Bwahaha... Say less, Capt'n." Peacoat made his way up to the mast with the rigging when a British sailor intercepted him.
The sailor sternly voiced with authority. "You're not authorized to go up there. Prohibited, to be exact."
Except Peacoat didn't give two shits about the warning, as he wanted the sailor to,
"Fock off!"
He then shoved him aside and went to the crows' nest, as his Captain ordered.
"You speak all your filth, you revolting pirate. We're sure to have the last laugh when it's all said and done." The sailor portentously grumbled under his breath.
Livie recommenced with his orders. "Selly, join Baba at the binnacle; ye is on navigation duty."
"Aye!" He marched to his post.
"Man-O-War, Cap'n?" Bree inquired.
"Not sure. Though, walk-on nails from here on."
"The newcomers were rather fishy this sunrise, Cap'n."
Livie muttered in her ear. "Do tell?"
"They weren't allowing anyone below deck. But it could be the lads making a mess again and hiding it from others."
The newcomers have joined for a few months now, more or less. Why the hell are they telling others what to do?
Livie whispered to her. "I have an intuition that the Briney deep isn't the only one who's going to be uneven on this voyage, Quartermaster."
Bree inspected the not-best-pleased sailors' faces. Aha! She gave a slight nod to him and tramped away.
"Wondrous, Livie." The Lieutenant stated when he advanced to him. "You truly are a superb captain."
"Let's flow with the wind and see where the waves take us, Mister Lieutenant."