- POV General -
Night had fallen on the city of Belfort and Achi, after the strange day spent, was in her room on her bed staring at the ceiling. Facing the sea, in the biggest and highest house of the city, she couldn't find sleep and was thinking about the events she had witnessed. The young teenager was replaying the scene in her head and the more she thought about it, the more it pissed her off that she had been tricked like that.
"That....that thief kissed me without my permission and stole my money !! What's her problem honestly ? There's no such thing as stealing from people like that !! I almost got raped on a crappy street and I didn't even get my candy !!"
Achi was hitting her pillows hard while complaining again and again about this day that for her had been full of emotions. However, despite everything she said, her heart was pounding and the chills she had felt still hadn't left her. Suddenly touching her cheek where the mysterious woman's lips had rested, the young teenager straightened up on her bed.
"But when I think about it... she neutralized that disgusting giant so easily... I didn't even know that was possible. Hehehe~ she even sat on him while she was telling her weird stuff about women. But...there was something scary and disturbing about her...she seemed to enjoy making him suffer."
Achi was unknowingly completely obsessed with this woman who had appeared out of nowhere to rob her and save her on the same day. Despite the anger she felt after losing her gold coins, she couldn't help but be in awe and kept thinking about it since the event. The courage, strength and nonchalance she had shown, remained etched in Achi's mind.
"Sigh... to think I don't even know what she looks like after all this. Aaarg but she stole me anyway ! If...if I ever see her again I'll...I'll...I'll...aaaaargh whatever ! I'll probably never see her again anyway..."
Dropping onto her large bed, the girl dressed in a light blue robe turned her head towards the window to look out at the full moon. The cool night wind made her silk curtains dance and only the distant sound of the waves lulled her ears. Suddenly, as her eyes slowly closed, an explosion sound was heard in the house making all the walls shake.
*BOOM*
"Huh ??"
Almost falling off her bed, Achi stood up, panicked and completely lost trying to figure out what had just happened. Rushing towards the big door of her room, she opened it to discover in the big corridor dozens of people running in all directions. A man who seemed to be the butler, seeing her turned to speak to her in a hurry waving the door shut.
"My Lady ! Please stay in your room !"
"Albert, what the hell is going on !?"
"The...unsavory individuals broke into your father's treasure room and blocked off access before fleeing. They're still in the mansion so we're trying to find them but we don't know where they are yet so stay in your room and double lock the door !"
Nodding hesitantly, Achi closed the door as the butler signaled for a guard to remain stationed outside her room for added security. Grabbing the key on the wall, the girl locked her door before placing a chair against the handle. She could hear the many voices in the hallway and the various orders given to find these night thieves.
"This is the first time this has happened in this city, what's going on ? First I get robbed and now the whole family fortune is gone ?"
As she spoke these words, Achi ran to her bed to retrieve the dagger she had hidden under her pillow in case of trouble. For added precaution, she tied up her hair and grabbed a skirt, shoes and a small jacket. The young teenager didn't know why she was doing this but knew that she had to be ready at all times, after all, never had an explosion like this one taken place in the mansion before.
"Watch out they may be close !!!"
"Yes ! Look everywhere, even in the smallest bushes !!!"
"We must not let them escape ! Lord Von Kokosnuss wants them alive !!!"
Suddenly, voices could be heard outside in the large garden of the mansion while all the employees and guards kept running around. It was a pretty crazy commotion and one never seen before in this city, especially at the Lord's house itself. Achi, always curious, moved slowly to her balcony which overlooked the garden to observe with a discreet eye what was going on.
The full moon was perfectly illuminating the whole garden with its pure white rays, there were no stars in the sky and a smell of burning was floating in the air. The smell of gunpowder was in the wind and the sounds of sharpened swords and loaded pistols rose into the sky. Achi now crouched against the stone embankment of her balcony and tried to figure out where the situation stood, still holding her dagger in her hand.
"Obviously, neither Father nor Mother thinks to come and see how I am...as usual. Sigh...what's the use of hoping ? I guess I'll just wait there and open my eyes carefully and I'll know well tomorrow how it ended."
Sighing with a sad look on her face, Achi was about to get up to bolt to her bed when suddenly a figure appeared right in front of her. They had jumped from the roof and landed delicately on the balcony right in front of the young lady of the manor. The bottom of their face was hidden by a half cloth mask and the top was covered by the hood of the large cloak they were wearing.
Achi, paralyzed by this sudden appearance in her chambers, had lost her tongue and was clutching her knife with wide eyes unable to utter a single word. The person carried a large bag on their shoulder and the eyes of the young Lady Kokosnuss were on their hand. It took her only a few seconds to recognize once again those rings and that "H" she had seen so many times today.
In her mind there was no doubt, that this woman she had met, who had stolen and saved her, was once again in front of her. Achi could not believe her eyes and as her heart started to beat again all the fear vanished in an instant. The woman hadn't even noticed her but after the shock, the young teenager stood up hurriedly before shouting.
"Y-YOU AGAIN ? HEY, YOU FOLLOW ME OR WHAT ? YOU SICK FREAK !"
"Eh ?"
Turning around, at last, the woman noticed the presence of Achi who had just shouted from nowhere to attract her attention. At that moment, the girl felt chills running down her spine as she felt something different about the woman. Unlike the afternoon she had met her, she did not give off a teasing, powerful type of aura but rather a murderous, dark aura.
It was as if a completely different person was standing in front of her, making even Achi doubt despite that hand she had not forgotten. Was she mistaken ? What was this feeling of mortal danger that had suddenly invaded her without warning ? However, a few thousandths of a second later, this impossible to describe, disturbing and terrifying feeling disappeared as the woman finally spoke.
"Yo cutie~ what the hell are you doing here ?"
"NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE ? THIS IS MY ROOM AND...
"Shhhhh !!"
Without giving her time to finish her sentence, the woman rushed at Achi at a rather impressive speed to cover her mouth with her hand. Unfortunately it was already too late and the young Lady's voice had already reached the ears of those below. Those armed with swords, rifles and pistols were now naturally raising their heads towards the balcony while shouting to whoever wanted to hear the position of the thief.
"Up there in the room of the young Lady Kokosnuss !!!"
"Lord Von Kokosnuss and his wife are safe but not the young Lady ! Hurry, she might be in danger !!! Go go go !!!"
As the manor staff went back inside to head to Achi's room, the door was already taking a beating. However, a chair was blocking the handle and the person trying to get in still couldn't. Removing her hand from the young noblewoman's mouth, the woman with the hidden face stood up instantly. Digging into her pocket, she didn't fail to show her annoyance for the situation.
"Tch... great !"
Unfastening her front-buttoned cloak for the first time, Achi would then catch a slightly more detailed glimpse of the attire of the one in front of her. The woman was wearing black pants, brown boots and a simple white shirt lined with a black and red jacket. She was also wearing a belt where knives, mini bombs, pistols and a sword were hanging, not failing to scare the young lady.
"Y-You...are...a...pirate !?"
Achi's eyes had landed on her belt, which had a buckle in the shape of a human skull, a common symbol among all pirates. Lady Von Kokosnuss still hadn't seen the face of this strange woman but was now sure of one thing : before her stood one of those dreaded sea criminals. Instinctively backing away from the one who seemed to be carrying a whole armory on her, Achi remained silent.
"Are you afraid of pirates, young lady ?"
Grabbing a pistol from her belt, the woman moved dangerously close to the girl as that terrifying feeling overtook her. However, she didn't have time to reach her as the door to the room was being kicked in by the guard in front. Without even bothering to turn around, instantly and reacting very quickly, the mysterious thief shot without hesitation a bullet directly in the forehead of the guard.
*BANG*
The brains had exploded and had spread on the walls in the surroundings and tinted the room lit by the rays of the moon in a bright red. The shot had been so precise that the body of the unfortunate man had remained standing for a few seconds before collapsing heavily. The smell of gunpowder had filled the place and while Achi was still paralyzed, the sounds of running footsteps could already be heard in the hallway.
"No time for fun here even though I'm dying for it. You ! Are you part of this family Koko…thing ?"
"Y-Yes.."
"Very good. Even perfect."
Achi had automatically answered her question far too busy integrating everything that had just happened in only a few minutes. Unfortunately she was not at the end of her surprises because as soon as she had answered she was already upside down. Indeed, the woman with the hidden face had caught her and put her on her shoulders after having declared that everything was perfect.
"EEEEEHHH ??"
"Sorry but...no actually I'm not sorry at all. I just need some insurance by the time I leave this field. See cutie~ I'm kinda in a hurry and expected somewhere"
"L-Let go of me you brute, murderer !!!"
"Aaannw~ How cute~ The answer is still no."
Achi struggled but in vain, she could move in all directions and hit with her fists, she could not free herself. Even worse, the one who was holding her firmly didn't even seem to feel the blows and was enjoying watching her squirm in vain. Suddenly, dozens of people armed with swords and pistols burst into the room, discovering the scene that was unfolding and the dead man.
"L-Lady Achi !!"
"A-Assassin ! Thief ! L-Let go of her ! Let go of the young lady !"
One by one, both male and female guards entered the room, brandishing their weapons in the direction of the two women. No one dared to shoot or do anything that might hurt the young Lady, opting instead for deterrence. Unfortunately that didn't seem to work at all as the woman placed her bag over Achi before climbing up the balcony's embankment.
"Ladies, I would have loved to train you, play with you and taste you. Gentlemen, I would have loved to break your bones, hear your cries of pain, spill your blood but unfortunately...or fortunately for you, I am in a hurry !"
"W-What...AAAAAaaaah !!!"
Without waiting for a single response, the woman waved a defiant goodbye before toppling into the void without even looking back. The last thing the guards could hear was Achi's scream as she fell away. Rushing to the balcony, they were all shocked to see that the thief was already running off into the garden without a scratch carrying their damsel and the loot on her shoulder.
"H-How..."
The woman had jumped two flights of stairs and landed safely at the very bottom in the grass leaving a deep footprint in the dirt. Unfortunately, no one dared to shoot because of Achi only being able to warn the others to chase her. However, she ran very fast and in only a few minutes the two were in front of the big gate of the Von Kokosnuss property.
Kicking the two large iron gates with a mighty kick, they flew several meters away, letting the two runaways through. The cool sea wind was still blowing and the moonlight seemed to light their way. The streets of the city were quiet and empty, but for the first time, the screams of a young girl pierced the night.
"You crazy woman ! You steal my money, you steal my house and now you literally steal…me ?! Put me down right now ! Pl...plus I feel like throwing up, don't throw me around like that !"
"I'm not stealing you, I'm making sure I don't get shot from behind ! Now shut the fuck up and if you feel like throwing up, sleep !"
Not letting Achi answer, the woman would give her a headbutt, knocking her out to shut her up and stop her from fidgeting. Thus, she would walk into the streets of the city of Belfort with a young girl on her shoulder and guards chasing her to catch her. For the first time in this city, the Lord's house had been robbed and his only daughter Achi Von Kokosnuss kidnapped in one night.
_____
- POV Achi -
*BOOM*
'Uuurg I feel all weird... why is it shaking like this ? What happened ?'
I slowly opened my eyes with difficulty as a relatively loud and close sound seemed to wake me up suddenly. I felt myself being tossed around and a sudden urge to vomit came over me as my head hurt. As my vision became clearer and clearer, I could finally see a wet wooden floor that had holes in some places.
'It is daylight. Where... where am I ? A ship ?'
I couldn't figure out where I was when suddenly I felt several presences around me as shadows appeared on the ground. Once again, I felt shivers run through my body as I looked up and found myself face to face with five people I had never seen before. Unconsciously, my body began to tremble as one word came to mind : pirates.
My eyes fell first on a tall man with silver-blond hair and green eyes with red highlights. He was wearing big black boots, pants but no top except for a long red jacket on his shoulders showing off his thin and muscular body. The man had his arms crossed and the intensity of his look terrified me, forcing me to look away immediately.
Next to him, there was another man who seemed a little younger but of an incredible height, so much so that it seemed to me to be in the presence of a giant. He had long, beautiful brown hair and eyes of the same color that also stared at me with interest. Dressed in boots, pants and a black shirt, he was also wearing a navy blue cloak hiding a sword and a pistol.
Behind them, a man was leaning against what appeared to be a flagpole and watching me out of the corner of his eye while playing with an axe. He had long red hair and a bushy beard with small braids at the end ending in small black beads. He was the same size as the first man, but he wore only a short made of black fur, leaving his tattooed, muscular and scarred torso for all to see.
These men in front of me were far from being the most welcoming and although all three were quite different, they inspired the same fear. The older one seemed calm but my instinct was to be wary of him as if his mind was analyzing my every action. The taller one had a softer face but his piercing eyes, destabilized and frightened me just as much as if he could read my soul directly.
Finally, the man a little further away gave me a more instinctive and primal fear because physically he was without a doubt the most frightening of the three. With one look it was easy to understand what a powerful warrior he was, his body bearing the marks of his many deadly fights. Then suddenly, two softer and reassuring faces drew my attention on the right while I discovered two women near the railing.
One had shoulder-length brown hair and coffee-colored eyes looking at me with tenderness. She was also wearing black boots and pants, a burgundy shirt and a jacket cut off at the waist. This woman was chubby but this particularity only made her more adorable and less terrifying despite this atmosphere of danger that also reigned around her.
The woman next to her was a little smaller, with red hair and amber eyes, dressed in simple white and black clothes and a fancy hat. She was sitting quietly on the railing and swinging her feet in the air while looking at me with a teasing smile. At the sight of her, I couldn't help but swallow without realizing it, as a familiar voice echoed behind me.
"Hey cutie~ are you finally awake ?"
I was shaking, the five people in front of me were scaring me but I still found the strength to turn around to face this woman. Had she kidnapped me for her Captain ? Did he want a ransom ? I was definitely on a pirate ship, but who was the Captain ? Turning my head, for the very first time in this madness I could see what she looked like.
The woman I had met so many times had long golden blonde hair shining in the sunlight and flying in the air. Her face was uncovered and her eyes were a beautiful and hypnotic grey-green, carrying for some unknown reason a cruel glow in them raised by a scar on the left eye. On her right ear, four rings starting from her lobe and going up along her cartilage were hanging as earrings.
The one who had kidnapped me had the same teasing smile as the first time but this time a cigarette was stuck between her teeth. Still dressed in the same way, however, her sleeves were rolled up revealing numerous tattoos whose meaning escaped me. Her fingers still filled with rings held a rather large white snake wrapped around her arm and passing through the collar.
"Who...who are you all ? W-Where...is your Captain ? I...why am I here ?"
The woman was incredibly gorgeous but at the same time so terrifying, and I didn't want to appear any weaker than I already was in front of this band of sea criminals. I wanted to be able to negotiate with their boss for money even though it made me want to die. Suddenly, as I continued to stare at her waiting for her answer, I could hear the others around me giggling without any restraint.
I didn't understand what was going on when the man with the silver-blond hair approached the woman with the snake with a coat that was much more imposing than the others. It was long, black and red, embroidered with gold threads and admiral's epaulets. Without speaking, he put it on her shoulders just as he wore his while she posed a black hat on her head, large with dark red and white feathers.
"Hestia Hellfire, Captain of the Hysterics and the Cerberus... nice to officially meet you, cutie~"
[N/A : Chapter one will start one month before the two prologues. You'll see how Hestia and her crew arrived at this situation.]