Chapter Text
Its a typical nihgt for the pirats, Captain Marley and his crew has just docked at the Kingdoms dock,of cours having to pay the Knights around a little gold so they dont allert anyone.
See this Kingdom is ruled by Dual Gerrlámhach or better known as the blood king. A crule man who is keeping a constant war whit evry Kingdom close enouhg but also whit his own peopel. The taxes Constantly get higher but even worst he takes peopel who speak to loud, Somtimes even there children so they have to live whit the guild and pain of losing them for speaking. The children of taht king are rarley seen, the Younger son, Rainer Gerrlámhach seems to be more present and next to his fahter, while the oldest dauhgter Iris Gerrlámhach and also the heir of the thron stays out of the Public and when seen stands far away from her fahter. Evry time they are seen they seem more and more horrefied by her fahters words but never speak out of fear. After all...The Queen hasnt been seen in years and its told taht you can still hear Here despraid pleas in the dungen when you get to close to the starres taht always seem to stink of rotten blood and fleash..
This crulty has led to peopel rallying up, an under ground Group trying to work against the king. Marley has had a few run ins whit them and Somtimes he likes to leand a Hand after all, evryone on this world suffers from the blood king and he Wouldnt mind to see taht man get his smirked whipped off.
"Oi! Bring the Boxes over Here"
Marley calls over to his crew who swiftly respond
"Ay Captain"
Its some Rations for this Group, since the king couhgt Wind of them, food and water has gotten not only expensiv but hard to get. Now evrything must be Approved from the Knights,who offent find pleasure in the peopel begging and pleading. He has let his peopel to Hunger for Mohnts, its a sick mind game he is Playing. Messing whit the Group by Making the peopel suffer there trying to help but so far none have reveald themself. The Group Dosent have a name but the King named them the rats While the peopel call them Elips since there a small Hidden hope for the peopel.
2 of his man place the last boxes at the spot they where Supposed to. But none are here, usaly they at least send one Person to thank them but no one. Its troubel some to say the least.
"Did you spot anyone?"
"No Captain" Whistler lowers his Telescope
"Where are they...they never just didn't show up before."
"Mabye they dont wanna risk it, after all the king has been on high alert and Doubled patrols"
"Yes but when isnt he? Its Always Dangerous yet they always at least sended one to accept it"
"Ya think they been captured?"
"Its not Impossible..hmm.
We will stay here for a while. If there Not here till sunrise, we leave some here to see if our dear blood king displays there corpses at the castel. In the mean time, tell evryone too keep a look out"
"Ay Captain."
Boht the man walk back to the ship. Once the crew got the details some have left to look around, ohters stayed whit the boat, Looking out or preparing the ship just in Case the Knights decidesthey rahter have blood for payment.
Marley is passing around, unerved and concernd. Waht if they all are dead? Taht was the only Thing taht keept the king Somwaht oocupied whit his Kingdom, keep most Knights here insted of Seending them to shlouhgter. The things taht could happend if taht changes...
"Oi Captain, ya good?"
"No. I dont Like this."
"Come on, how likley is it taht he killed all of them?"
"...Not to much but if they did get couhgt, a big portion of them was killed or worst."
"And ohter half is on the run"
"I hope so."
The 2 man talk for a bit till a younger crew member comes running to them
"Captain, Captain, I heard a loud crash! Like a window breaking and then somthing hitting the floor"
"Show me."
Marley says, voice calm but filled whit dread.
They 3 run to where the sound came from but stop mid way, foot steps, guards
"Hide."
They all seek Shelter im a near by allyway and sympely watch. Now not only the foot steps of the Knights can be heard, these are frantig, paniked.
It dosent take Long to see the sourc of it, its a woman wearing a silken blous whit long black pants and boots and silver jeweilery whit blue gems and curly brown Hair. By the clohtes you would Think there of wealth but the state of them, dirty and even having some blood stains, her face is one of horror,as if she saw death Personaly.
The Knight Right behind the maneges to grab her arm and before Marley could step up, she pulled a knife from there sleve and slices trouhg his neck.
...
The Woman looks even more horrefied,her hole body shaking and only Hearing a loud piping in her ears as she stares at the body like she cant Belive waht she done. But she has No time for it, the next Knights can Already be heard and she runs away whit out looking Back.
...
"Ya think she is one of Elips?"
Whistler asks Marley but when he Turns..he is Already gone
"Uhg Captain..."
The dark streets are only filled whit the sounds of heavy breahting and the frantig steps of her running. Right behind her the raddeling of the metal amor from the Knights running.
She dosent even know where she is Going, she Knows the streets but the fear, the images cloud her mind. The bodys..the blood, so much blood, evryone mutilated and the whimpers of the few taht still breahted.
She cant think straihgt, cant think of anything but getting away. All she can do is run.
She dosent even notices when a hand grabs them and pulls them into a dark allyway just after they come from the corner.
"Shhhh"
Marley says, while Holding her mouht shut and keeping them close so she dosent run.
"They will hear you"
She us frozen in fear, Starting at him whit horrefied tear filled eyes but... He is hidding her. She squezzes her eyes shut and holds her breaht to stay quite even as her body shakes.
They wait till the Knights pass...then the streets grow quite again
"I think there gone.."
Marley mumure and when His gribs lihgtens a little she imedibly rips away, not running but getting distants at least.
"Hey hey hey, its alright. Im not going to hurt you"
He lifts his hands up and only takes little steps closer
She dose as well, her breaht only growing quicked but at least not running
"Who are you?"
"Im Marley, Captain of the bone heart. Are you from elips? Did the King find ya?"
The womans eyes widen and she looks at him in Horror and deep sorrow
"He killed them... All are dead and multaded. I could barley reconize them."
"Shit.."
He knew it, he knew somthing was wrong but there is no time to think about taht and holds Out his hand insted
"Come whit me"
She in responds flinches and takes a stepp Back, her mind still clouded by fear
"Listen, I know its Not exactly optimal to Trust some random Pirat after he just graped ya but its taht or going back to the king"
She looks after the Knights taht Just chased them before looking back at him
"I-i prefer the pirat Option"
"Figured"
Marley then grabs her hand and runs straihgt off, back trowards the dock.
At the dock, his man are already getting the ship ready, Whistler probably went Back to get evrything ready.
The Captain suddenly dissapraring means you better prepair to get the fuck out quickly
"Ay, Captain bleeding heart is Back!"
Speaking of the devil, Whistler is already on the ship and Looking down to them
Marley is a little annoyed at the Nickname but still gives a smirk
"Should let you walk the Plank for taht"
"But ya wont. I assum you got the Woman?"
He gives a nod as he gets onto the ship whit her Right behind him.
"She is whit Elips, well was. King found and killed them all execpt her"
Whistler looks at her and squints his eyes, almost reconizing somthing.
She in responds grows more tens and anxious
"I see...well Im sure she will explain evrything once where on sea"
The woman Pearks Up at taht and nods
"Of course"
"Good, is evryone here?"
"Ay"
"Then we take off, its only a matter of time till-"
He gets Interrupted by the horne loudly blasting trouhg the city, the Knights are calling for Back up wich means evry street will be flodded whit them very soon
"Shit, get us off the dock now! Where heading East-"
"Wait! The battel ships are at the east side, you will Sail Right into them"
Marley looks at her a little dumfounded since this is not information you get unless you are park of the kings Flute
"How do you-" but the loud sound of the horne being blown again Interrupts him
"Touhgts for later, head trowards the West!"
The crew responds whit a loud "Ay Captain!" Seeting Sail for the west and pushing off the dock and Marley goes straihgt to the Steering wheel.
The woman, while a bit calmer then before, is still unerved and just holds onto the edge of the boat, kneeling on the floor as the ship Turns harshly.
"Better hold onto somthing!"
Marley yells whit a clear smirk on and the Woman responds whit heavy sarcasm
"So glab you warend me!"
Marley lets out a hearty Lauhg at taht
As the ship sails away from the dock,the womans words prove to be true. A battel ship from the blood king emarges from the east side. Thankfuly his ships are not nerlay as skilled as his army on Land so it shouldnt be hard to escape, after all they all life on the sea, besids the Woman Holding on for dear Life but they will deal whit taht.
Its not exactly a smooth ride, they Shot a few times but dont quite manget to hit befor they Manget to get far enouhg away for them to stop following.
"There off our rail Captain!"
"Fucking finally. They usaley arent taht insintent on the sea"
Marley loses only a few Touhgts as to why they be unsualey pressistent till his gaze falls onto the Woman taht was still on the Floor, Holding on very tihgtly. Understandebily but he cant help but smile a little as he Walks over to her, leaning down
"Ya alright there Landlubber?"
"Yeah...just saw my life fly passt my eyes but fine over all"
He chuckls at taht and Grabs her by the Arm to get Her Back on her feet
"There ya are, alife and...well enouhg"
He gives a friendly clap on her shoulder, wich they are clearly not used to but still nod
"Marley was it? I must thank you for saving me, I dont even want to Imagen waht they would have done to me And it would have been far to esay to leave me there."
"Ay not for taht. We Already worked whit ya before, Eclipse I mean. The boxes ya got"
She looks a little surprised
"Taht was you and your Crew? Well now I owe even More gradetute"
"How About ya pay taht by telling us how you of all peopel got Into this"
Whistler eventully speaks up and comes up to them.
The Woman lowers her head a little but nods
"Of course.."
Marley: "Her of all peopel?"
"Right,why dont ya start whit a intruduction. Little actuly Know Your face and Captain surley Dosent"
She nods again and looks at Marley to speak, Taking a deep breaht
"I am ...Iris Gerrlámhach. First child of Dual Gerrlámhach and the hier to the Thron"
Marley looks dumfounded but also..it makes sens,how else would she know where the ships where
"Iris Gerrlámhach? The princess-your the princess??"
"I prefer heir but-"
"You Joint Eclipse? The group trying to de-thron your Fahter?"
"I didn't Join it, I started it."
"YOU started it? The princess-your the leader of Eclipse??"
He pushes the lose strands of hair taht escaped His bun back
"Fuck we Just kidnapped the blood kings dauhgter.... We are deep in the shits"
"I..I apolizies but-"
"Wait wait! You said you dont even wanna Imagen waht he would do to ya but he is ya fahter. Surley he show some mercy No?"
Iris looks at him in slihgtly Horror again because there Expression becames dark
"He dosen't know mercy.... Mohter.. waht happend to her made it clear taht Family means nothing.. all he cares About is his goals and if I stand between it? Only mercy would be death"
Marley is shocked but not surprised to Hear taht unforntinatly
"Shit... I cant say Im surprised but he must be treating ya terrebily."
"He.... Dose a lot but we shouldnt think of taht now. I rahter not."
"Right Right Uhh... fuck waht now? We kidnapped the princess-taht wont grand us any mercy from him"
"Just call me Iris, there is no need for titels. And I apolizies, I didn't mean to pull anyone into this-"
"Dont apolizies pri-iris. Not your foult taht your Fahter is Bad shit crazy."
"Yes but..you can just let me out on the next dock, if they dont find me Here they Mihgt even let you life and sympely leave whit some gold and booz"
"Just leave ya at the next dock? The kings troups are evrywhere on land, no way they wouldnt find you. And, no offens, but I highly douhgt you could take them Out"
"I know how to use a Rapier but I admit Im not as.... comfortabil whit Killing as my fahter is."
She looks at her still bloody hand from the Knight erlayer, the slihgt makes her sick but she takes a deep breaht and looks up to him again
"But I cant possebilly execpt anymore, my presents would be your doom."
Marley Crosses his arm at taht and his brows curve in concern. If the Knights find her here they probably set this boat on fier but leaving her on the dock is a serten death, or worst. Uhg, this would be esayer if she was just some Nobel basterd but No, had to lead Eclipse. He eventuly lets out a shige
"Just..go wash up for now. Next dock is A day away and till den we can figure out waht to do whit ya and you tell us waht happend"
Iris nods at taht
"Good, Whistler will take you under deck"
Whistler dose just taht, Bringing iris under deck and showing her where she can wash the blood Off.
Leaving marley to process this hole story. Its not a surprise taht the known tyran who finds pleasure in suffering, war and Killing isnt a good fahter but its still sickening to hear. And now he Eihter just lets her die or endanger his own crew by keeping her on the ship
"Waht have in gotten myself into..."
Its a few hours later, the sun is staring to come up again and the new day arrives. It also gave iris some time to wash up and rest, she has sever bruises on her back from the escape but nothing life threatening thankfuly.
She eventuly comes back up from under deck to look around. She never was on a ship before, when out its by foot of horses, whit eclips yes but also because her fahter always insited to stay on land. She started to think taht he is just scard of the sea,why else would he avoid it so much?
Once up they take in the salty air and the sight. Nothing but water and the Clouds around and they find it beutefull, almost calming despite evrything. Walking around the deck a little they just see some of the pirats Mandantin the ship but there is no sihgt off Marley or Whistler. They eventuly just go near the edge of the deck to watch the water and the waves, they even spot a few fish jumping out the water.
Its peacfull..
Till they suddenly feel a hand on there shoulder wiche makes them flinch away
"Sorry sorry. Didn't mean to scare ya."
Its marley who now lifts his hand and Takes a step Back
"I did call but clearly you didn't hear me"
"Its alright I was...lost in Touhgts"
"Figured"
Marley then Tests his arms against the railing of the boat.
"How is your Back? Whistler told me"
"Could be worst"
"One way to look at it.
Do ya need anything? Food Prehaps?"
"No, my Stomach still feel lihgt"
"Right, sorry."
"I dont even know how he found them. We where so carfule and yet.."
"..Waht even happend?"
"We have....had a hous taht we used as a Base, it was abbadond before and much like evrything else completly ignored by the king. We had a meet up planned Yesterday,just after getting the boxes from you. I was late for the Meeting, because of some Lessons, mabye it was even part of his plan. When I arrived evryone was Already done. Just..bodys and blood evrywhere, evryone was mutiulated. Even worst is taht...not all where dead. They where still..Wimperd"
Marley looks boht sick and Furious at this but stays silent
"I didn't know waht to do, I just went to one of the few taht still breahted, jessy was her Name. I just tried to stop the bleeding, anything to help her but she was far to injured. She toled me to run but I couldnt just leave them. Till my fahter got back in the room, completly coverd whit there blood. The Knights barley had any blood on them, it was all him. He just start at me as the Knights stood before the door. He stepped closer to me and yelled, Questining if Im the leader of these rats, taht I betrayed him and how I would pay for this. He tried to charge at me put the once taht still lived grabbed onto his legs whit there last strengt and I just..ran to the Window and jumped right out of it. There was no ohter escape, I Landed on my Back and somehow got up and Just ran till you showed up."
"Shit... Tahts just horrebil, how could he Just.."
...
"Its my foult. I shouldnt have brought them into this and they all be still alive. I shouldnt have..."
"Your foult? Your Fahter killed them in cold blood, you where just trying to stand up to him and ya Cant do taht alone "
"Yes but-"
"You said the once still alive tried to stop him, they protected you and they wouldnt have done taht if they blamend ya for it"
"....I should have protected them, I should have been there"
"If you would have been he would have just captured you, you surived taht massaker and tahts a win."
"I dont deserve your kind words"
"I like to think evryone deserves some kind words now and then, expesely after somthing like taht.
Execpt ya fahter, he is a fucking Demon"
A faint smile tugs at the corner of Iris lips
"A Demon?"
"Yeah, who else Call himself the bloody king? Just Imagen Intruduced myself whit the Name marley the blood smeared mass murder, my lack of morals is pretty obivous Then No?"
Iris almost excapes a Chuckl at taht.
"I suppose so"
He looks at them whit a little grine
"Gerrlámhach can smile? who would have touhgt"
"But my fahter and brohter Smile"
"Ehhh tahts more of a hyena smile just before they ripped you Throat Out"
"Taht is affuly accured"
"Even whit your brohter?"
"Unforntinatly..he is like fahters lap Dog, he just agrees whit evrything and trys to stay in fahters good Grace. He did it since mohter died and I wasnt the favriot anymore."
"Because you went against him?"
"Yes. After waht I saw, the horros he brings and the suffering he couses...its like I could finally see clearly, see him for waht he is. And he didn't like it."
"And your brohter saw it as a opportunity to take your place"
"Yes, he hopes to get the thron and whit me away he got a clear paht now."
"May I call your brohter a bitch?"
Iris has to chuckls again at taht
"You didn't ask to call my fahter a Demon so why ask now?"
"Its pretty obivous taht you dont like your fahter but I dont know About your brohter. Wouldnt want a angry princess on my ship"
"Heir and Rainer he...I see taht its out of Jealousy and envy, he was in the Shadows for to long but this? This isnt a way, Killing so many innocent just for some prais from Fahter. He even married the first woman fahter liked just to be closer to throne since I never married. He dosent even like her so they just treat ech ohter badly"
"Ay, I heard. Not exactly a nice Coupel"
"She is...decent whit me but a snake to my brohter, cant even blame her for it..."
"Taht terrebil is He?"
"Kinda"
They sympely watch the waters for a while, douhg Marley falls into his own Touhgts.
"Waht do you even plan to do when we leave ya at some dock?"
"I...Im unsure, there must be some way to warn peopel, tell them fahters stragehty, somehow sapotage his Plans-"
"Alone?"
"... Yes"
"All of his peopel will be after you, there is no way you will surive taht expesely if you go work against him."
"I know, I know but....I must do somthing, I cant Just give up after so many gave There life for it"
..
"You could Also just stay on the ship, king isnt exactly on the water after all a and plan somthing here"
"No, I cant possebilly Accept taht, you all Already have a target on Your Back because of me"
Marley smirks at taht and turns to face them
"Oh I got plenty Off targets on my back princess, a lot of peopel do not appricate my devilishly Handsomen face"
And he runs a Hand Ober his beard whit pride and some smugness
Iris is amused at taht and raises and eyebrow at him
"Again heir and You sure tahts it or did you sympely couse a lot of chaos?"
Marley gives a Mock frown at taht
"Rude, you barley even know me!
"Prehaps but I feel like you have a Talent for troubel"
"Well.. Your not wrong but You cant deny my looks"
"Your alright"
"Ouch, going straihgt to a mans pride. But I will take it"
They grine at taht but it soon fades
"I cant pull you or your crew into this mess as well, you Already got enouhg troubel for sympely Helping me"
"Its not like where outsiders, we already worked whit ya befor"
"Yes but-"
"And all of us would Like the blood king to get put down a few noges. Evrything is so dam expensiv because of his raids and we cant dock anywhere whit out these basterds haressing random peopel"
"But your-"
"Yeah there Mihgt be a target on us but when wasnt there? Basterd is kinda after evryone No? Mihgt as well give him a actuly reason to and Fight back"
"Gods, Please see Reason! This could kill all of you or worst!"
"Eh, tahts kinda Just Part of being a pirat, Always one step away from being hung. "
"But this is..I.."
There at a Lost for any more Arguments so they just let out a frustraded and defeated shige.
"Im Starting to see why you have so many targets on your Back"
Marley just grines
"Im a little to pressistent for Moste. But seriously wouldnt your death just also be in vain then?"
"I suppose but.."
"How about we just take a look at waht the dock looks like and then we will see if ya up for taht, should only be a few more hours"
He highly douhgts taht they will be, its completly infested whit the bloody kings army, nothing gets in whit out them knowing unless you bribe them well enouhg.
"Alright, I Suppose I dont really know how bad it is"
"Then we got a deal princess"
"You do know there is a diffrents bettween princess and heir right?"
"Hm?"
"Princesses or prince is just the titel of the kings children, heir is the titel for the next one on the throne. My brohter is a Prince, Im the heir not a princess"
"Yeah But I like how your eyes squint when I use princess"
And her eyes do squint again in slihgt Irritation
"Just use my Name."
"Alright, alright, I will use Iris....moste of the time"
"Uhg."