Through the Eyes of the Dragon

Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – Redemption

He learned a lot that day: about the pirates, how they worked, why they worked. He got to learn the truth about the lower districts via Etienne the Navigator and her lover Hirato who both rallied together the pirates to demand ‘bread and butter’ from the capital. It was a truly inspirational tale, for Etienne, formerly Hoshi, had to abandon her family and everything she knew in order to fight for what she believed in.

Likewise, Hirato and a bunch of his friends banded together to cause a riot; a riot that resulted in many innocent deaths and a man’s shattered heart. These forces, combined with Captain Norishige’s cultural struggle and determination, served as the Pirates of the Eastern Sea’s foundation. However, it would not be until a certain bitter teenager stumbled upon their anchor throwing competition and bested them all that the pirates’ fates changed forever.

“Wow. Was Rin really that strong?” Nao gasped, innocent eyes wide and rotund with interest.

A small giggle escaped Etienne as she reached over to pat her guest on the head softly. “Ah, who knows? Some say Nori sensed the boy’s conviction prior to the competition, so he took it easy on him. Others believe the corrupt prince was possessed by a demon, hence granting him his demonic strength. Though, I think it’s kind of obvious which is more... realistic,” she mused. There was this warmness to Etienne’s eyes, Nao noticed. It was comforting and gentle, like his mother’s...

His mother? Nao rarely saw Tsuru’s mom. So how come the image of a pretty woman with chocolate curls for hair kept popping into his head? Shaking his head slowly, he pushed himself to his feet and cast Etienne a thankful smile. “Thank you for your time, Mme. Ettie! I... really appreciate it,” he murmured.

“And thank you, mon petit chien, for listening so intently,” Etienne mused, giving him a small wave before returning her focus to the charts on her desk.

As he walked, Nao let this new information float about inside his head, relishing at how knowledgeable he felt. Even if none of it really had anything to do with him, the information really helped to broaden his horizons. All he had ever known was the comforts of the capital and being a part of a family of nobles.

Pausing behind the one named Musashi (or who Nao much preferred to call ‘the guy with the crazy hair), Nao watched intently as he lifted several heavy crates and dumped out their contents for organization. “Hey, runt. How ‘bout you lend a hand rather than spectate?” the pirate muttered, pointing to the closed crates to his left and plopping himself down to begin sifting. While Nao worked on prying the crates open, he managed to pick out various articles of clothing, bags of bread, and stolen goods to be mixed in their stores.

“M. Musashi, were you part of Hirato’s group? You know, the one that eventually formed the Eastern Pirates...?” he asked curiously, dumping some shields beside Musashi.

Cracking a wry smile, the pirate’s hand suddenly shot out to grasp a sword scabbard and, before Nao could even finish blinking, had the poor kid cornered with a sword tip at his throat. “Hah, heck no. The name’s Miyamoto Musashi. In the older days, I was a renowned sword master, ya know? But frankly, Herba hates using swords! It was a major bummer... But alas, all hope wasn’t lost. I considered running off to Aeros where I heard there was some REAL swordplay, but was... say, interrupted,” he bragged, grinning down at Nao with a toothy grin.

Swallowing hard, Nao leaned back slightly to put some distance between himself and the blade. “U-um... by what, if I may-?” he choked out before the Herban could cut him off with a frightening flick of his sword.

“Rin,” Musashi mused, seemingly pleased by how uncomfortable Nao was, “See, I snuck onto this one cargo ship for a free ride to Ignis, but just moments after we set out to sea, we got bombed! I got to lock blades with Rin as he and his men poured onto our sinking vessel, taking all that they could hold and loading it onto their ship. I was captivated by his skill... the kid really knew his pole-arms. So with my ankles soaked in salty seawater, I begged him to take me with him, so that I may learn some cool tricks and make use of my skills. He knew all I wanted was a ticket to Aeros... but he let me aboard anyway. I haven’t disappointed him since, ya see? Though I did lose my only chance at an epic duel with the kid... oh well...”