Finches

Chapter 1 - Fish Duty

The familiar sound of screaming was in the air. Pirates had invaded a small town and were doing what they did best. Plundering, pillaging, and looting whatever treasure they found. Oh, and drinking all the alcohol their bellies could contain, which was a whole lot.

Meanwhile, the citizens of the town fled in a panic. Pirates were on the rise in the world, and every inhabitant on every island knew the protocol when they arrived. Run, hide, and stay out of their way. All the doubloons on the island weren't worth picking a fight with a pirate. And that wasn't their job, anyway. They had the Authority for that. Unfortunately for this town, there were few officers on duty. So while some of the crews' pirates picked fights with the officers, others roamed freely through the town and took whatever they pleased.

But Colt did neither. He stayed on the pirate ship, like usual, and watched all the fun take place from atop the crow's nest. From way up where he was, he had a view of the entire island. He could see everything happening at once, all while the cool air whipped against his face. But he was not content. Far from it, in fact. You see, Colt didn't want to be watching all the action from the top of the ship. He didn't want to be a cabin boy, stuck forever doing mindless chores. No, he wanted to be a part of the fun. He wanted to be fighting alongside the crew. More than that he didn't even want there to be a crew. He wanted to be on his own, only answering to himself. To be able to take the ship wherever and do whatever he pleased. He would be unstoppable. His name would be known throughout the seas, either feared or respected. He wouldn't have to do anymore mindless—

"Work! Get back to work!"

Colt jumped at the sound of the voice, causing him to fall over the crow's nest railing he'd been leaning over. He grasped the air wildly as he fell and managed to secure a hand back on the railing, stopping himself from plummeting down onto the ship's deck far below and breaking his legs. He tried to catch his breath as he hung suspended over the ship. Then he looked up, immediately recognizing the face that stared down at him. It was One-Eyed Morgan, a nasty-looking pirate whose looks fit his personality perfectly. Morgan was second in command under the captain of the ship, and Colt was not his biggest fan. Not even close.

"I have half a mind to kick you the rest of the way off," said One-Eyed Morgan. "We could easily find another cabin boy that could do twice the work you do and eat half as much as you."

Colt's jaw tightened. He swayed a little over the ship and adjusted his grip on the rail. His muscles were already starting to ache from the hanging.

"If you were planning on doing that you would have already," Colt replied, trying to seem as tough as possible. His circumstances didn't help any. "What is it you really want, Morgan?"

One-Eyed Morgan looked conflicted, and Colt wondered for a moment if he actually was going to kick him off the railing. But then he took what looked like a painful step back.

"Captain Rave and the rest of the crew will be back shortly. This island was an easy take, but didn't yield much reward. You know what that means. He won't be in the best of moods, and the last thing he'll want to see is one of his cabin boys slacking off. So, for your own sake, get back to work."

With that, One-Eyed Morgan headed back down the ladder, leaving Colt still hanging from the crow's nest. It looked like he was on his own when it came to not falling to his death. Good thing he was used to doing things by himself.

Colt built some momentum and swung his legs around the ship's mast. He then gripped the railing tightly and he shimmied a little up the side of it to get into a better position. He caught his breath for a moment and then hoisted himself further up on the rail. His feet found the bottom of the crow's nest and he was finally able to climb back over the railing. He stood for a moment and let the pain in his muscles subside. Then he began the descent down the ladder to the main deck of the ship.