The Relic: Deadly Liaisons at Sea

Chapter I: Never-ending Nightmare

The guardsman screamed a warning as he ran toward his hometown. One of his sworn duties was to protect everyone within their county and keep their borders of Cliffside secure. If he wanted to protect what he cherished most, he would have to take charge of the situation. "Call the fleet admiral and navy command! Assist the citizens to shelter! They are coming! Those pirates are coming!"

Earlier, the head of the guardsmen had seen the ship drifting in the distance. The flags were down, and there were no movements seen anywhere on the deck of the ship. It was only when the sun had begun its steep descent into the horizon that the ship emerged with a vengeance.

The flag it carried proudly waved in the air with a strict maliciousness. The intended target was the postman's hometown where all his friends and family resided.

He was not going to let those pirates set one foot on his town's cove without a decent fight. Those pirates presumed that this town only had food, supplies, and women to steal; but in reality, this was the town many pirates did not dare attempt to pillage from. After all, it was the hometown of the fleet admiral, Gerald Rothschild: best renowned for annihilating all seven vessels known for its ruthless leader, Zaine. It dealt a serious blow to Zaine's pirate fleets; it also helped in freeing all those slaves they captured for the black market. Not only did the fleet admiral's skill commanding a fleet demand acknowledgment, the fleet admiral also was well-known for his swordplay and pistol control.

His courage and bravery became blatant in his last battle with Zaine, the owner to a pirating vessel. There had been quite the rumor that Zaine happened to be carrying some mystic jewels: the Relic stones. As the state was sworn to protect its citizen from any threats, it was determined that the fleet admiral would take charge of the Relic stones. Even if it was only a rumor of a legend passed down, it could not be ignored.

The battle lasted for seven days straight, and it only ended when the general boarded its enemy ship and slayed its pirate captain. This was before Rothschild had realized that Zaine had faked his death using those stones as a decoy.

The existence of these jewels caused many amateur pirates to fear both Zaine and the state. In several sad attempts to gain the stones from both sides, many of the fledgling pirate population diminished significantly.

As his legacy continued, the current Fleet Admiral Rothschild became a man to be feared. A majority of pirates found him to be their worst nightmare. This sole thought comforted the guardsman as he ran up the cobble path. He knew that his commander would save them all. That was what their fleet admiral was there for.

Echoing his warning throughout the coast, the young postman turned sharply into the alcove of the postman's tower. He climbed the steps to the top of the building only to find his voice gone; worse, he could not feel anything down past his shoulders.

How could he have not seen the attack coming? He had thought he was ahead of the onslaught. It was thoughts like this that only prolonged the man's life as his nerves finally recognized the tip of a poisoned blade sticking through his abdomen.

The young man gaped in silence, blood slowly seeping from the corner of his lips. His last view was of his hometown colored in the rays of a bloodred sun, hoping his family would not be stained red with it.

"We can't have you forewarning everyone."

"You betrayed us?"

Zaine merely smirked before twisting his blade. He watched with enthusiasm as the man squirmed in agony.

"I was never on your side, fool."

The man did not respond because the soul of the man was already gone at this point.