(This is my first writing post so it’s not exactly great, but I just write it for some practice.)
(Basically this is a short made-up story of how I met my deckhands, Navarro the reckless, Weber the vigilant and Welch the fancy. I got bored and decided to write this.)
Navarro the reckless
The winds of the Bronze Sea blew across the city of Rasna, a gentle breeze stroking past the inhabitants, like a pair of smooth hands comforting them. The Ravennan city was having it’s typical activity: Bronze Legion soldiers tightly looking for any suspicious activity; the town square bustling with people; Aulus Bronze standing at the same spot for the past few months (lol); and outside of the city, flames bursting across the plains – Ferminus Lurco is at it again.
A man stands on the railing, staring north, at the vast ocean, at the many adventures awaiting him. He was covered in brown clothes, a hood, a bandana, and wore long black trousers and boots. On his waist was a cutlass, one he does not intend to reveal. He hid it under his cloak.
His name was Navarro, and it was obvious he wasn’t from Ravenna. He felt uneasy under the scorching heat of the land of Bronze.
Orphaned at 14 and never having a reliable source of income, Navarro joined a pirate crew under the feared Pirate Captain Arcturus, spending his early adult years plundering and manning the cannons. Hailing from Redwake, he obviously had some sort of experience welding blades, and proved to be a formidable warrior. His end nearly came in 1854, when he was 20 his ship was attacked by another pirate crew. In the confusion he swam to the nearest island, Sailor’s Lodge, and the fate of his crew was left unknown. With both powerful pirate factions and the Gravy after him for both his treasure and his bounty, Navarro was clueless about what to do or where to go next. He boarded a merchant Ketch, disguised, and traveled to Ravenna. A few weeks passed, and Navarro still lived in fear. Although the assasination of King Calvus caused enough chaos and confusion to prevent the Bronze Legion from dealing with him for a while, he could not help but have a dreaded feeling every day when he wakes up.
“Nice weather today,” a voice behind him suddenly startled Navarro. He turned and a chill went down his spine. A man stood before him, but not just any man, it was a man in a Gravy Captain’s uniform, around the same height as him. He had hair mixed with red and black, and his right eye was white with a scar, while his left eye was like a pure sapphire. He had an exquisite Sabre on his waist, and he had a huge hammer on his back, one embedded with a cyan jewel.
“Who are you?” Navarro asked cautiously, both surprised and worried that this young man was upon him. “My apologies, where are my manners? My name is Mikhail Kuznetsov, but just call me Captain Kuznetsov.” Navarro eyed the man with suspicion. “May I help you?” Navarro said in his most polite way possible, “or are you looking for another person? Ravenna is a pretty big place, it’s easy to mistake others for someone else.”
“I firmly believe I have found the right person – you.” Navarro places his hand on the cutlass. Kuznetsov looks around to make sure no one is listening, then whispers, “I know who you are. The fellas at Silverhold are itching to get that bounty of yours.” Navarro took a step back and nearly fell into the ocean. A seasoned warrior like him was very sensitive around Gravy troops, let alone a Captain. “Why else would a Gravy Captain travel across half the Bronze Sea other than to capture a criminal and claim your prize?” “I’m not here for your bounty, it’s not even worth my time.” “Then why? Why me of all people? What are you trying to give me here?” “Redemption. A second chance.”
Navarro’s face immediately switched from caution to confusion. “Why would a Gravy Captain be willing to help a lowly criminal?” The Captain smiled, “when I saw you, I didn’t see your bounty, I saw your talent. Your potential. Long story short, I needed deckhands. Competent ones. And what better choice than you? You’ve got plenty of experience as a cannoneer, and that’s exactly what I need. Those huge bronze carronades won’t fire themselves after all.”
Navarro still looked a bit confused, “and what’s gonna guarantee you’re not going to hand me over to your higher ups and let me rot in a cell while you celebrate?” “Believe me, I hate them more than you do, and I equally hate this stupid system where small criminals receive terrible punishments. If it’s a powerful criminal that had terrorized the seas, sure, I would’ve bought them in for execution already, but you’re not. You can be something more, and now I’m handing you the chance. A chance to join me on my travels and fight valiantly like you once did, only this time, it’s for justice and glory.”
Navarro put his hand in his pocket. There weren’t many galleons left. “Sooner or later the Gravy will find you, and those who come after you will not be as nice as I am. Besides, once you’ve become my deckhand, you’re basically pardoned, they cannot arrest a member of a Gravy Captain’s crew. I see the potential in you, and I can help you empower it.”
Navarro was still a bit hesitant. “Follow me, if you wish to seek the adventures you truly wanted,” and then headed to the docks. Navarro followed behind, his curiosity conquering his hesitation. The Captain boarded his ship: a large Ketch colored with the distinctive Navy Blue color, with its Gravy banners hanging high with pride and armed with heavy bronze cannonades. Aboard the ship were several marines manning the cannons, an old man in a wizard’s attire stood in the front, while another man wearing a gray cloak and purple clothes and armed with flintlocks stood next to the steering wheel.
Navarro stood on the docks, just one step away from the opportunity that will change his life forever. “So, you coming?” Navarro stood still. “Don’t hesitate. I promise you you’re in for the adventure of your lifetime.”
Navarro stepped onto the plank and onto the ship. He was the deckhand of his new captain now, and he was about to sail the seas and go on journeys of excitement and adventure he had never felt before.