The Captain was a great man. A legendary leader, a maverick, a battle genius.
The Grand Navy and the Ravennian Army attempted to recruit him, but he turned to the life of a pirate.
The Captains name was Lucius Drake, but some say it’s not a real name.
However, this story is not about Lucius Drake. It’s about a true king, a king born from the cold, darkness of the world.
They called him their king.
King Cryonical.
…
Lucius was a great man. For example, he was the kind of man to look into another persons eyes and understand just who they really are.
As a pirate, he had seen many people.
Cowards. Weaklings. Brave weaklings, strong cowards, bystanders, warriors, scholars, adventurers.
And as a pirate, it was his living to pillage and plunder.
He saw a ship in the distance.
“Sails down, men! My eye catches a nice lookin’ bounty over the horizon!”, Lucius yelled.
“Yes, yes sir!”, answered his crewmates, yelling back.
The sails shot down, and they swiftly made their way to the ship.
Lucius carefully examined it.
“A large ketch, bigger than usual, but only two cannons. And of course, no ram…”, he muttered.
As he thought, he came to a conclusion, and shouted a command.
“Ram them! They have no defense! After we ram, quickly board the ship! It has merchant colours, so they should have a lot of treasure for us to take.”
The men unsheathed their swords, loaded their guns, and braced themselves.
A huge crash, followed by small but many blades of wood heaved out of the ship.
“Board them! The ship is large, so they shouldn’t have noticed us too soon!”, yelled Lucius, unsheathing his sword.
There were three men on the ketch’s deck.
“Pirates! Pirates!!”, they yelled. Lucius grinned, and his men swiftly beheaded them.
Perfect, he thought, Now, the other crew members will come out to investigate. We will round them up, take the treasure, then dispose of them.
And as his plan entailed, the merchant sailors came out to investigate the commotion.
A couple sailors died, but eventually Lucius and his crew surrounded them.
“Give us your wares, and I’ll consider letting you go unharmed.”, he said.
“You bastard,”, said one of the sailors, “You won’t get away with this. Our king will not let this slide.”
“King? Yes, King Calvus would be trouble… however, he is definitely not known for batting an eye at his warships, not talk of lowly merchant ships.”
“Old pirate, where the hell have you been? I suppose the news hasn’t spread far yet, but King Calvus has been killed!”, shouts the sailor.
Lucius’s crew murmurs, and the Captains eyes widen.
“Huh? Who killed that wannabe tyrant? Oh well, that’s one sword that won’t be pointed at my neck, at least not until Revon takes the throne… although, he’s just a timid boy. I doubt he’ll even know how to handle Calvus’ affairs.”
Lucius takes a good look at the sailors eyes, unsheathes his sword, and beheads him.
“Big talk for a small mouse, in the face of a lion. Throw him overboard. Now, about that treasure…”
However, before Captain Lucius could finish his sentence, another man came out from the ship.
A cold, frigid aura surrounded the man.
“King…!”
“He’s come to give us salvation once more!”
They called this man their king.
They called him, Cryonical.
…
Captain Lucius Drake was a great man. For example, he was the kind of man that could look into another person’s eyes, and accurately tell what conviction could be behind them.
So, when his eye’s met this ‘Kings’, he was…
Astounded. Amazed, even.
He had never seen such glorifying eyes, eyes like his own, the eyes of a true leader.
The eyes of a king.
Some may say kingship is a curse, and they would be correct, but this man’s eyes…
Swayed Lucius. Made Lucius question himself.
And so, he understood. Specifically, he understood his own situation.
“Dammit. We’re in trouble.”, says Lucius, nervously grinning.
“Captain?”, said one of Lucius’ crewmates, who was skilled at reading faces.
“You, there. What is the meaning of this?”, said the king.
I must kill him. If I let this man talk anymore, I might not have the will to fight., Lucius thought, and immediately advanced towards the King.
One swing.
Two swings.
And soon, it reached more than a hundred.
However, not a single slash had come close to the King.
The air was cold. Lucius gripped his sword.
“Your swings are fueled with doubt. I can tell you are a leader, like me. Can you understand this and sheath your sword?”, said the King.
The King proceeded to drop his weapon to the ground.
“You meet my standards to become a leader under me. Let’s discuss over some beer, shall we?”
Lucius quickly cut across the King’s chest, a shallow cut, but the King does not flinch.
“…I can tell you don’t want to speak. Fine, then. How about a manly duel? If I win, you have to give me your crew. If I lose, feel free to do whatever you like.”
Lucius pauses, for a moment.
“You realize what I am, right? I am a pirate. I pillage and I plunder. And you ask me to have a beer with you?”
“Whatever. Let’s do this.”
The battle lasted for what seemed like decades.
It was masterful, and those that witnessed it couldn’t understand it completely themselves.
Lucius’s sword clatters against the ground.
“Damn it. This isn’t good…”
The King judged Lucius, under an ice cold, piercing glare.
“I’m warning you. Join me, or die.”
Lucius took a glance around, looking at his “former” crewmates.
They were already with the King.
“…What’s your name, King?”
The King smiled.
“I am Cryonical, of a cold tundra land far, far away from here.”
“My men’s hearts are already with you, so what the hell? I might as well just see what you have to offer, King Cryonical.”
And that day, the men and women of both leaders drank until the next morning.
Unknowing, unknowing of the tragedy that will befall them due to falling to this King’s charm.
Could anyone really blame them?
