A Pirated Heart

His Honor and Belief

Arabella sighed when she and Damien finally stepped foot in the charred ruins of Sortega. There was nothing left. The gallows that had been erected to hang convicted pirates stood ominously in the center of what used to be a bustling port town.

“Father is thorough,” she grumbled as Damien nodded before looking down in shame. They searched the buildings that still stood and found a few supplies that had been hidden away.

“This should be enough to get us to the next port, at least,” Arabella remarked as she and Damien took stock of all they had gathered.

“Bella!” Kaden’s voice echoed through the deserted town and the Cartridge siblings turned to face their captain as he walked toward them with Ashik at his side. Kaden stopped in front of Arabella and looked around.

“So Sortega did fall.”

“It would appear so. However, Damien and I gathered enough supplies to get us to Lauricia,” Arabella informed Kaden as he nodded his head.

“The Leviathan is joining us,” Kaden announced as Arabella sighed.

“His name is Ashik.” She replied. Kaden stared at her. He hadn’t thought to ask the strange man his name, but apparently Arabella had. Kaden smirked.

“Ashik, then.” He responded as he patted Arabella on the shoulder. Ashik moved to stand next to Damien and bent his head to whisper in the other man’s ear.

“Do they always do this? Talk as if no one else is around?” He questioned as he studied the interaction between the captain and woman. Damien chuckled.

“Yes. You have to get used to it.” Damien replied with a shrug as Ashik’s features turned thoughtful. He continued to study Arabella and Kaden as they argued about how to get the supplies back onto the ship, tell their shipmates what had transpired and why a mythical being was joining their crew. Damien sighed as he sat on a nearby crate and waited for the bickering to end.

“I will take the blame for Ashik.” Arabella remarked resolutely as Ashik and Damien looked up. Her face led the men to believe this was the finale of the argument. Kaden opened his mouth to refuse but instead let his shoulders droop with a sigh of defeat.

“Very well. If you want to take the blame for it…”

“It makes the most sense, Lockes. They could mutiny against you and kill you. They can do neither to me.” Arabella replied with a shrug as Ashik frowned. Kaden frowned at the thought before he nodded. It was true. Sailors, no matter if they were pirate or legitimate, were superstitious to a fault. For them to accept Arabella had been a sheer miracle. But he knew even Jarrus would object to the Leviathan’s admittance onto the crew.

“You two do know you don’t have to tell anyone he’s not human, right?” Damien piped up as he climbed to his feet. Arabella and Kaden turned to face him as Damien patted Ashik’s shoulder.

“We just tell them he’s a survivor from Sortega. No one has to know he’s a Levithan.”

“Leviathan.” Ashik corrected immediately with a tone of indignation. Damien shrugged as he looked toward his sister. Arabella looked deep in thought as Kaden stared at her brother.

“I have no problem lying to the men.” Arabella replied as she turned to lift a crate onto her shoulder. Kaden glared at her back.

“Captains don’t lie to their men!” Kaden growled as if the thought of lying to his men would bring dishonor upon himself, his family and his cow.

“You’re a pirate!” Damien exclaimed as he punched Kaden in the shoulder before he grabbed a crate and started to follow his sister back to the ship. Kaden growled. Ashik hid his chuckles behind his fist before he lifted two of the remaining three crates and followed after the Cartridge siblings. Kaden glared at their backs before he threw his hands into the air and let out a roar of frustration. After a few seconds of heavy breathing, Kaden grabbed the last remaining crate. He stomped after the other three, fuming at their willingness to up against him.