Pirate Tales Ch. 3

Chapter 3

"Into town? Really?"

Kiku sighed as he helped Roderich harness the horses. Kiku was telling Roderich about his little… encounter in the hallways.

"Yeah," Kiku said, gently brushing one of the horse's mains. "He said that he grew up here so… whatever…"

"Is there something you're not telling me?" Roderich asked with a sly look in his eyes.

"Umm…" Kiku started, running bright red. "Well… ummm…. I can't really talk about this to anyone else…. And umm…"

"You're crushing on someone, aren't you?" Roderich asked with a sly smile. Kiku looked at him disbelief. "I've been down that block before, I know what it's like."

"With Elizaveta?" Kiku asked with a knowing smile. He was met with a frown form Roderich.

"No, not Elizaveta," Roderich said with a sigh. "I was a member of Antonio's crew back in the day. And there were two captains that he was good friends with: Francis, whom you've met, and another boy, Gilbert. Gilbert's Prussian, and he was the rudest, most obtuse person in the world… but I still loved him…"

"What happened to him?" Kiku asked, listening in awe as how Roderich spoke of this Prussian captain. Roderich didn't seem to mind that the boy was rude or anything, in fact it seemed like the straight-laced Austrian seemed to love those things about him…

"His ship was sunk off the coast of Greece," Roderich said with a sad sigh. "No one's heard from or seen him since…"

"I'm sorry," Kiku said, looking down. "I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject…"

"It's alright," Roderich said with a smile. "I think that wherever he is, he's glad I'm still thinking of him…"

"Did he love you too?" Kiku asked, leaning on the horse, who also seemed entranced.

"Yes…" Roderich said with a small smile. "That's why he didn't want me coming with him when he went to Greece… I think he knew it was a suicide trip…." Roderich shook his head, sighing. "Enough of this depressing stuff. Now, who, pray tell, are you falling for?"

"Mister Kirkland…" Kiku said, looking down at the ground. Roderich just smirked.

"I knew it," Roderich said with a small chuckle. "He's sweet on you."

"He probably thinks I'm a girl…" Kiku said with a sad sigh. "What happens if he finds out I'm really a boy… a Prince no less!"

"It sounds like Romeo and Juliet," Roderich said with a smile. "It was a play that I saw not too long ago. Brand new, just out in London."

"What's it about?" Kiku asked, giving the horse a carrot.

"It's about these two young lovers," Roderich started, closing his eyes. "Their families hate each other, and the two are forbidden to meet. But they're in love, and they find a way to be together and, in secrete, get married. But, Juliet's father wants her to marry someone else… I can't quiet remember what happened, but Romeo is somehow banished. And so, Juliet fakes her own death with the help of the Friar. The Friar is supposed to send word to Romeo somehow, but the letter never gets to him. Romeo really thinks that Juliet is dead, so buys some poison and goes to the catacombs. There, he drinks the poison, just as Juliet is waking up. So Romeo dies and Juliet kills herself as well to be with him. And that is the end."

"That's so sad and so romantic at the same time!" Kiku said with a small squeal. "Do you really think that this is like Romeo and Juliet…?"

"Well, sort of," Roderich said with a soft smile. "Mister Kirkland IS a pirate captain, he's also known as the King of the Seas."

"Wait, he really IS a pirate?" Kiku asked, clearly devastated. "No, this is terrible…"

"Not necessarily," Roderich said. "Look at him, he cleans up rather well, don't you think?"

"Even so, he's a pirate, and someone is bound to find out sooner or later," Kiku said with a sigh. "This is terrible, Roderich…"

"Come, come, now Kiku, let's see how this pans out," Roderich said, leading both horses over to the carriage. "Go into town with the Master and Mister Kirkland and see what happens. Respond to your brother when we get back. I'm sure everything will work out."

"I hope you're right…" Kiku said with a sigh as he went inside to change out of his uniform.

~*~

"My, this place hasn't changed at all…" Arthur mewled as the carriage rode down the country side.

Roderich drove the carriage down the old dirt road, Elizaveta at his side. Antonio, Lovino and Arthur were in the carriage, with Victoria sitting next to the Brit and looking very uncomfortable. They were just coming into the small port city of Brixham. The city was a hive of activity as merchants traded their goods and villagers ran about doing their errands. Arthur smiled at the sight of his home. It was exactly as he remembered it, with some minor differences. Everything looked older now and everyone seemed… what was the word… just different.

"It has seen some changes in the past several years," Antonio said with a smile. "When was the last time you were here again?"

"Well, the last time I came to England was about five years ago," Arthur said with a sigh. "But I really haven't been home in over twenty…"

"You grew up here?" Victoria asked, looking out the window at the beautiful city.

"Well, I wouldn't really say that," Arthur said with a chuckle. "Near here. And it wasn't the best childhood… how can it be when your father is a wanted pirate and your mother is constantly in fear…?"

"I know how you feel…" Victoria mumbled, looking down at her feet.

"Enough depressing stuff!" Antonio cried, hugging Lovino tighter. "We're here to have fun and relax! Please, don't be upset!"

"Sorry, mate," Arthur said with a chuckle. "This place holds a lot of memories for me, that's all."

"That is all well and good, but keep the depressing things to yourself!" Antonio snapped, pouting at the Brit.

"Sirs, we're here," Roderich said, opening the carriage door for the men.

"Splendid!" Antonio said, standing up. He helped Lovino out and then came out shortly after, immediately hugging the boy.

"Ladies first, my dear," Arthur said with a gentlemanly smile, helping Victoria out of the carriage.

"Thank you," Victoria said with a smile as Arthur came out of the carriage.

"How about this, amigos?" Antonio said with a smile. "Lizi will come with myself and Lovi and Victoria, you can stick with Arthur. Roderich, you watch the carriage."

"Of course, Sir," Roderich said, walking over to the horses.

"Now, why do we need to split up?" Arthur asked, feeling a little uneasy about being alone with the maid.

"Because!" Antonio proclaimed with a smile, not elaborating any further.

"Alright, git, alright," Arthur said with a sigh. "Come on, Victoria, let's leave these idiots to their own devices."

"Yes, Sir," Victoria said, walking off behind Arthur while Antonio, Lovino, and Elizaveta when off in another direction.

"I bet Arthur'll make a move by tea time," Antonio said with a snicker.

"I bet right before we leave," Lovino countered, a sly smirk on his face.

"I bet Kiku will make a move first," Elizaveta said, chuckling with the Spaniard and Italian.

~*~

"So, I bet you know where everything is here, right?" Victoria asked, looking at Arthur sheepishly.

"Pretty much," Arthur said as he lead Victoria towards the center or town. "There's something here that I want to make sure is still there…"

"What's that?" Victoria asked, her eyes wide.

"Well, there's this fountain in the middle of town," Arthur said wistfully. "It's huge, at least it looked huge when I was last here. A few of the neighborhood boys and I would play there all the time. There's even a rumor that if you make a wish and toss a coin into the water, your wish will come true."

"That's amazing!" Victoria said with wide, awe-filled eyes. "Did you even try it?"

"Yes, I did…"

"And did your wish come true?"

"Yes…"

"…What was your wish, if it's not a rude question?"

"Not at all," Arthur said with a  smile as they walked into a large piazza type setting.

In the middle of the piazza, there was a large circular fountain, like Arthur had said. It's basin was about ten feet in diameter and three feet deep. There was a large pillar in the middle that had reliefs of mythical creatures like fairies and unicorns and the like, all spouting water from their mouths. At the very top, there was a mermaid that held up a large shell and made a geyser of water and the flowing over the shell and then into the basin.

Victoria looked at the fountain in awe and amazement. She looked completely enthralled by the structure. There was a sparkle in her eyes that nearly melted Arthur to look at. The water reflected the light of the morning sun right onto the maid, making her tanned skin shine like an angle. Arthur smiled and slipped a coin into her hand.

"Make a wish and toss the coin in," Arthur whispered with a smile.

"No, I can't…" Victoria said, his face red, as she tried to give Arthur the coin back.

"Yes, you can, love," Arthur said, closing her hands around the coin. "Go ahead."

Kiku turned bright red and looked down at his hands, which were being held by both of Arthur's. He felt a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach when he felt Arthur's hands close a little tighter around his own. He gulped audibly and sighed.

"If you insist," Victoria said, regretfully pulling her hands away from Arthur's. She closed her eyes and held the coin to her chest, just over her heart.

I wish… I wish that somehow Arthur and I can be together Kiku thought as he tossed the coin into the fountain. The coin sunk into the water with a small plip.

"Wish for something good, love?" Arthur asked, tossing his own coin in.

"I think so…" Kiku said, turning to Arthur and smiling. "Thank you."

"No problem, love," Arthur said, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and pulling the boy into a one armed hug. Kiku flushed a bright red and started to sputter. Arthur let him go, his hand lingering just a little longer than necessary. "Come on, let's explore a little, what do you say?"

"Whatever you want to do, Sir," Kiku said, looking down at the ground.

Well, I WANT to slam you into the nearest wall and ravish you till-- Arthur stopped his train of though before his imagination could get away from him.  He shook his head to rid himself of the images in his head and coughed slightly. He looked back at Victoria, who was blushing madly and looking at the ground.

"Is something wrong, love?" Arthur asked, putting a hand on the girl's forehead. "You're not ill, are you?"

"No, I'm fine!" Kiku said, jumping away from the hand. "Really, I'm fine. Please, let's go…"

"Alright, love," Arthur said with a smile, taking the girl's hand and leading her through the village.

"See, I told you, before tea time!" Antonio hissed as they watched the two run off.

"Shit," Lovino hissed, glaring at the Spaniard. "You were right…"

"It's just a matter or time, now," Antonio said with a smile. He looked across the street and saw a small shop with small trinkets. "Oh, Lovi-Tomato, I see a beautiful necklace for you!! Let's go see it~!"

Antonio dragged Lovino across the street, ignoring the curses and swears that were coming from the Italian's mouth. Elizaveta chuckled and shook her head, following the two across the street.

~*~

"Look at that, Victoria, a magic shop!" Arthur said, looking at the maid who was nibbling on a piece of banana nut bread. "Come on, I want to take a look."

"Isn't magic dangerous?" Kiku asked, a little scared of the dark shop. Yao had always told him that magic was a horrible thing, that it was the creation of the Devil himself…

"Pish tosh, love," Arthur said, walking over to the shop. "It's perfectly safe."

"Are you sure?" Kiku asked, clinging to the pirate's leather jacket for dear life.

"Would I lie to you?" Arthur asked, flashing Victoria a reassuring smile.

"N-no…" Kiku said sheepishly, his face heating up.

"Come on, then," Arthur said, opening the door and walking in.

The two walked into the dark shop and looked around. The candles were burning low, casting odd shadows and shapes on the walls. The entire shop seemed to have a strange aura around it. Arthur pulled Kiku closer, wrapping a protective arm around the boy. Arthur took a glance around the shop and fingered the Sai underneath his sleeve, ready to pull it out at a moment's notice.

"Ah, welcome, welcome!"

Arthur and Kiku jumped at the strange voice. It sounded female, but it was old and cracked, like an old hag. Out of the shadows came an old woman, staring at the two. She was wearing a long black cloak with a hood that she kept up. Her long silver hair was spilling out of the hood in front of her. The two men couldn't see her face, but they could imagine the wrinkled old face and the large, bright eyes of the hag. She held out a wrinkled hand, beckoning the men in with a long, bony finger. They felt themselves moving against their will farther into the store. Arthur wasn't scared at all, he knew that this hag would go down easily in a fight. But Kiku was scared and clung to Arthur tighter than before.

"What can I do for you?" the hag asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"Just browsing," Arthur said, turning a little to get Victoria a little farther away from the hag.

"Looking for a spell?" the hag asked, shocking Arthur. "I know a pirate when I see one, my dear. Been around quite a few in my day." The hag went to walk behind a counter, looking through a few potions. "Now, what do you need?"

"Nothing from a hag like you," Arthur said, glaring at the woman.

"Now, now, Arthur, don't be so mean," the woman said with a smirk. "Granny just wants to help." The hag turned her gaze to Kiku and smiled. "Maybe a little trinket for your girlfriend?"

"What?!" Kiku asked, turning bright red. "No, I'm not his girlfriend… I work for a friend of his and—"

"No need to hide it from Granny, Deary," the hag said with a smile. "I know young love."

"You're crazy," Kiku snapped, glaring at the old woman.

"That's a tad harsh, don't you think?" the hag asked with a smile.

The candles in the room began to burn brighter, revealing a very homely shop. There was a calm yellow color on the walls and the cabinets were a bright white. In one corner of the shop, a bit of exotic jewelry lay in a glass case. Along one wall, there were come cloaks and hats hanging on a wrack. In the middle of the shop were a few wracks that held decorated staffs and cabinets that held small knives and daggers and the like. There were even a few local paintings hangings, depicting scenes of fields of flowers and sunsets and the like. The counter itself was a nice oak color with cabinets underneath, holding a few trinkets and bottles filled with colorful liquid. Behind the counter were shelves laden with thick leather volumes with odd writing on them. Under the books, there were more potion bottles. Nothing looked as sinister as it did when the lights were dull.

Arthur looked around the room with a calculating eye. He did not like the look of this place at all. It was too innocent, too homely… There had to be something sinister in here, and Arthur was sure he knew what it was…

"Oh, your shop is so cute!" Victoria said with a smile, looking around with wide eyes.

"Why don't you take a look around?" the hag asked, a smile in her voice. She made a shoo-ing motion with her hands and Victoria sauntered off, looking at several of the displays. The hag turned to Arthur with a smile. "Now, sonny, did you need something?"

"What are you up to?" Arthur asked, fingering the tip of his Sai. He was really starting to loose his patients.

"I'm just an innocent old lady, dear, I'm not up to anything," the hag said with a smile. She walked over to a curtain that separated the back room from the rest of the shop. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

Arthur sighed and watched at the hag disappeared into the back. He turned around to see Victoria looking at a few pieces of jewelry. It was just like a girl to be thinking of that… Arthur could not help himself, he walked over to her and smiled.

"See anything you like, love?" Arthur asked, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Oh! Mister Kirkland, you scared me!" Victoria said, dropping the necklace she was looking at onto the display.

"Please, dear, just call me Arthur," Arthur said, looking at the necklace.

It was a simple black cord with a silver pendant. The pendant was a dragon's claw that clutched a black jewel. Arthur had to admit, it was lovely. And for some reason, Arthur had the urge to buy it for the girl. He wanted her to be happy, and he did not even know why…

"Arthur…?" Victoria asked, snapping Arthur out of his thoughts.

"Sorry, I guess I spaced out for a minute…" Arthur said, shaking his head a little.

"That's alright," Victoria said with a small smile.

"Oh, young love," the hag said, holding something in her hands. "It's a beautiful thing, it really is…" The two started to sputter, trying to refute the hag's claims. She just held up a hand, quieting them instantly. She went over to Victoria and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Darling, your friends are outside. Go and meet with them. I'll give you your man back in a few minutes."

"Oh... umm… alright, I guess…" Victoria said, walking out of the shop slightly mechanically, as if something else was controlling her.

The hag just smiled as the maid left. She picked up the necklace that Victoria had been looking at and dropped into a small silk bag in her hands. She walked behind the counter, motioning for Arthur to follow her.

"What are you up to?" Arthur asked, his voice dripping with venom.

"Absolutely nothing, dear," the hag said with a smile. "Now, stop hiding those Sais of yours and let me see them."

"You want to see them?" Arthur asked innocently. He then smirked widely and flipped both of them out till the tips were hovering just centimeters from the hag's neck. "What do you think?"

"They were made in Asia, off the coast of Thailand," the hag said, looking at the Asian characters that were etched into the blade. "Quite a remarkably find for a pirate."

"Shut up!" Arthur snapped, glaring at the woman.

"However, they are rather week from years of use," the hag said, pulling a small brown bag out of her cloak.

She opened the bag and sprinkled a pink dust on them while muttering a few words. The blades glowed brightly for a second before returning to their normal color. The hag smiled and walked behind the counter. Arthur was stunned for a second. He knew that spell, and he knew that his blade were in desperate need of it as well. But what he didn't know was how the hag knew where he got them, much less that they needed the spell. He glared at the hag as she pulled out a small wooden box. He knew that box anywhere.

"Where did you get that?" Arthur asked, glaring at the hag. He walked up to the counter, Sais at the ready.

"You mother gave it to me," the hag said, handing the box to Arthur, along with the pouch that held the necklace. "She wanted me to give it to you. She also asked me to do whatever I could to help you."

"You are a strange old lady," Arthur said, taking the box.

"Yes, I know that," the hag said with a smile. Arthur just sighed and walked to the door. "Arthur, you should know something!"

"And what is that?" Arthur asked in an exasperated voice.

"Beware of Emperor Yao Wang," the hag said in a sinister voice. "Do not take what is his."

"Thank you, I'll ponder that for a while," Arthur said sarcastically as he walked out.

~*~

"So, how has your day been so far?" Antonio asked as they all sat down for lunch.

"Interesting," Arthur said, glaring at the box on the table. "An old hag… 'helped' me earlier…"

"And scared me half to death," Victoria said with a pout.

"Poor Vicky!" Antonio cried, smiling that same goofy smile.

"Dare I ask, how was your day, Antonio?" Arthur asked, his voice slightly nervous.

"It was simply amazing~" Antonio said with a smile, tightening the hold he had on Lovino's waist.

Arthur groaned while Victoria and Elizaveta giggled as Antonio plunged into an hour long explanation of why his day was amazing.