Berry Backpost: The First Promise, Part One

Posted on Mon Nov 5th, 2012 @ 7:07am by Berry
Edited on on Wed Jun 8th, 2022 @ 2:04pm

2,780 words; about a 14 minute read

Chapter: Additional Stories
Location: Velusia
Timeline: Eleven to Twelve Years Ago...

~The First Promise~

The day was bright and beautiful. Seagulls cawed near the shore of the volcanic island. It was quite large, which was not the norm, but several Aquar were interested in this piece of land. Here lay a small village with just a few people, mostly herders and some farmers. Not many people lived on this side of the mountain range. But today there was an addition to the population, for a large wooden sailship was docked at the shore. Sailships seem counter-intuitive for a waterworld, but the preservation of the creatures under the surface (and survival of the travelers) deemed surface travel necessary.

It wasn’t the first time that sailship had been at the village, but today was a first for the ship to have a young girl on the bow.

She had a rough knife in her small hands, and must have been seven or eight years old, coming up to just below a full-grown Aquar’s chest. Technology was basic here on Velusia, but the pirates and navy made do with what they had. This one, unfortunately, was sharp despite its primitiveness.

“I wanna go with you!” the girl shouted across the ship, her dark eyes flashing. Her black hair was short and stuck out at all angles. She had golden-green skin but no gills, not even at her neck. And even now, her skin was slightly shimmering silver, her emotions running high. This strangeness was enough for her to stay away from the other children, as being called “that jungle girl” wasn’t very nice.

The pirates continued loading their cargo, laughing amusedly at their biggest fan who happened to be a child. They were of both genders and of all ranges of Aquar and Firrerreon so they were obviously getting along enough to be stuck on a ship together. “We already told you, we can’t take kids, especially kids without gills. C’mon, Berry, just put the knife down...”

“No!” she yelled again, a mighty pout on her face. “You guys don’t take me seriously, but I really wanna go with you and be a pirate!”

“We don’t take you seriously,” a pirate said, to be quickly elbowed by another. “Oh, uh, no, we do,” she quickly recanted.

“Hmph!” The part-Aquar girl slowly rose the knife to her face, brows starting to knit. “Well, maybe if I do THIS you’ll take me seriously!”

The pirates all dropped their boxes as they dove for the girl, eyes wide. “No, Berry, don’t do th—”

She shoved the knife into her face.

“AAAAHH!!!”

O—O—O—O

The tiny village bar was overflowing with the new arrivals, so the bar counter was reserved for the special people. Tonight, that included a young girl with a bandage under her eye.

Sitting next to her was a lanky Aquar woman with red-kelp shaggy hair. A part of her hair falling over her eyes was streaked bright crimson, compared to the dull red-brown. She must have been barely twenty years old. Her eyes always twinkled with fun, and she loved parties, but her demeanor was very laid back, even with a fine line of a scar down the side of her face. She always wore a black coat on her shoulders, sleeves empty, and a small blue necklace. The beads were small but beautiful, glowing an ocean blue in certain lights.

Everyone was having fun, including her first mate, Shek, a tall, imposing man with long hair, and especially her markswoman, an Aquar with fuzzy hair and the name of Massi.

“Everyone!” the Aquar with the coat shouted across the bar. The rowdy pirates quieted as their captain spoke. “Today let’s have a toast for Berry for being the bravest girl today!”

They all roared and raised their glasses, knocking back fruit wine or kelp mead or a mix of the two.

“Did it hurt?” Kahns asked the young girl with a slight smirk.

Berry smiled widely, the expression very unconvincing. “Nope!” Then she giggled, wincing slightly as the lingering pain increased from her cheek muscles pulling. “Hey, I want a drink!!”

Kahns laughed, offering the young child her glass filled with wine. “Here ya go—”

“Captain,” Shek suddenly murmured, frowning at her. He was a man of few words, but this was enough of a hint.

The pirate captain smiled weakly at her first mate. “Nevermind. Here, Kana can get you something.”

A young Aquar, probably in his late teens, smiled at them from across the bar. He was busy drying the last unused glass in the whole bar, but was totally fine with the ruckus—the pirates paid, after all, and they were good people.

“Want some sea-cow milk?” Kahns offered, smiling a little too widely.

Berry nodded, smiling excitedly. “Yeah!”

Kana poured her a small glass and handed it to her eager hands. As the young girl raised the glass to her face Kahns blurted, “Only little kids drink milk, so you’re still a little kid!”

Berry quickly spat out the offending liquid and pouted at the pirate. “Heeeey,” she whined, pushing the milk away. Some of it still dribbled down her chin. “I’m not a little kid!!” She used the back of her hand to wipe at her chin.

Massi grinned as she drank from a mug, almost as laid-back as her captain. “Velus, this twerp reminds me of the one I left at home.”

Kahns eyebrows shot up in interest. “How old is she?”

“ ‘bout the same age.” Massi sighed, pushing back a strand of tightly curled brown-kelp hair. “I miss her. But the ocean is where I belong.”

“Me, too,” Berry interjected, frowning. “Look, I’m all better!” She pulled off the bandage, revealing nothing strange on her golden-green skin.

“Wouldja look at that,” Kahns said with a smile. “So you’re not even three-quarters Aquar, are ya? Explains a lot, especially the gills—which is why you can’t come along.” She ignored Berry’s pout. “But y’know, not many of us pirates are quite full blooded—or else, why would be crazy enough to wanna go to the Line of Chaos??”

Berry grinned. “Tell me the story of Lee Z. Marshall!!”

“Well, years ago, there was a man named—”

-CRASH-

Suddenly the wooden bar doors burst from their hinges, clattering across the floor. All the pirates quieted, their guards immediately rising as they eyed the intruders.

A tall Aquar man ambled in through the doors, his hair long and greasy. He had to be mixed blood to be so tall, but there were definitely gills on his neck. A long sword dangled from his waist with his swagger, and he sneered at the pirates as his bandits entered behind him.

“What’s this?” he said in a smug voice. “Pirates? What a bother.”

The bandits slowly approached the counter, smirking at the pirates as they walked. The pirates eyed them but made no move without their captain.

“My name’s Jo Snake, and I’m the most dangerous bandit alive!” The greasy guy brandished a crinkled piece of kelpaper, with his ugly mug on it and a number underneath. “I gotta bounty from the World Government of 7,000,000 shells!” he declared, hooking his thumbs in his belt. He glared at Kana. “So get me the best wine you have!”

Kana’s brows knitted as he took a glass, hands shaking slightly. “W-we’re…out of wine. D-do you want some…juice??”

The pirate captain, however, smiled affably at the bandit leader, leaning over to hand him a bottle. “Here’s the last bottle. You can ha—”

-SMASH-

Jo Snake’s sword dripped with the wine, and he sneered at the pirate woman, which turned into an outraged glare when he saw she wasn’t even looking at him.

Massi and Shek tightened their grips on their weapons, watching him carefully.

“Aw,” Kahns sighed with disappointment as she looked around at the glass bits and wine spilled everywhere. “Look at this mess…” She smiled faintly at the shaking Kana. “I’ll clean it up.” She set down the top half of the glass on the counter and knelt to pick up the bottom half.

The bandit growled, then grabbed the top half of the wine bottle and smashed it onto her head.

Berry’s dark eyes widened in shock, lips parted as the glass of milk fell out of her hands and to the counter.

The pirate captain, however, just blinked. She reached down and picked up the glass. Red blood started to trickle down the side of her green face.

Jo Snake scowled and turned. “C’mon, men. We’re leaving this dump.” He stomped out, followed by the smelly bandits.

Kahns breathed out and sat down, back against the bar counter. Her head was bowed as the blood dripped from her face, mixing with the wine. Then she lifted her head and grinned at her crew, bursting into laughter.

The pirates laughed as well, the tension easing immediately.

Her sniper smirked. “That was a good one.”

Berry couldn't take it anymore. “Why are you laughing?!” she exclaimed in confusion. Her eyes flashed and skin shimmered as she demanded an answer. She hopped down from her stool, fists clenched as she glared at Kahns. “He just humiliated you in front of everyone!”

The pirate captain smiled faintly at the child, eye level with her at this position. “Someday you’ll understand, Berry. He wasn’t worth my time.”

The young girl’s brows lowered as she frowned in extreme disapproval. “Yeah, well…it was disrespectful!”

Kahns smiled and patted her on the head. “Don’t worry about it. You gotta be tough if you wanna be a pirate, yeah?”

Berry hmphed and pouted to the side, very put out. She glanced at her glass and reached out for it, the glass zipping into her hand. Then she stomped over to Kana. “Gimme another drink!”

The pirates, Kahns, and Kana included, all gaped at Berry.

She wiggled her cup, pouting, then glanced at the others staring at her. “Whaaat?” she asked in a very annoyed voice.

Kahns blinked, and then she laughed anew, eyes twinkling. “She uses water magic?? I should’ve known.” She grinned at the young child. “How long have you been able to do that?”

Berry shrugged, still waving the glass. “I dunno…since forever.” Her brows lowered up at the bartender. “Milk please! Uh, I mean…juice?”

Kahns grins and leaned over, tousling the young child’s hair. “If you had gills you’d be all set for the voyage.”

The part-Aquar child just pouted up at the pirate captain. “I’m already all set!”

O—O—O—O

The day was clear again in this part of Velusia, and everything seemed normal. Kahns stepped off the stationary ship and onto the familiar village ground. “Ah, solid ground. It’s been a while.”

But there was another sound at the dock than sea gulls and lapping waves. Footsteps, quick and frantic, neared the dock as Kana ran as fast as he could to the newly arrived pirates. “K-Kahns!” He barely made out as he sighted the familiar woman.

Her brows lowered. “What’s wrong?”

Kana bent over, chest heaving. “It’s…Berry…” He looked up, brows knit as his eyes wide with fear. “The bandits…took her…” He clapped a green hand to his mouth, gills fluttering in anxiety.

“Why??” Kahns demanded.

“They just…walked into the bar when you were gone!”

The doors hadn’t been broken, but the quiet definitely was. Berry glared at the bandits as they sat at the wooden tables, and especially at Jo Snake, who sat right in the stool Kahns did a week before.

“At least no pirates are here,” a bandit commented to their greasy leader.

“Yeah,” Jo Snake said after a swig of his wine. “They’re weak, to be mooring on land when there’s plenty of spots on the shelf. And that fish captain ‘specially.” He smirked at his men. “Didja see what she did when I smashed her head in? Oh that’s right—nothing!”

They all burst into laughter, sniggering away.

“Hey!!” Berry glared up at them as she stood on the floor, her hands balled into two little fists. “Stop making fun of Kahns that way! She’s a great pirate,.” Her nose wrinkled. “And not as stinky as you guys.”

The bandit leader frowned as he drew out a dagger. “Why don’t you just get on out of here like your weak pirates before I gut you like a fish.”

Kana put down his glass, brows knit. “Berry, don’t—”

The girl’s eyes flashed as she shouted, “They’re not weak! And you look like a sea slug!”

The dagger flew straight at Berry. The tip of the metal blade lightly pierced the skin of her cheek before thudding into the wooden counter behind her.

Jo Snake scowled. “I aimed at your face.” He glanced at his men. “I never miss, do I?”

They growled, shaking their heads. And he wasn’t above taking out small fry like this one here.

“You missed,” Berry retorted, her skin shimmering as she scowled back at the taller Aquar.

“Look, Snake,” a bandit murmured. “Her cheek…”

Indeed, the surface cut had already disappeared. At that, a small smile started to form on his greasy face—an evil one. “Let’s see how weak you really are,” he growled.

A bandit scooped up the small girl and took her outside, throwing her down in the dirt.

“Hey!” Berry yelped, glaring up at them. “What’re you doing?”

“Seeing how long you last,” Jo Snake replied before kicking her in the side.

It seemed like forever had passed as Berry tried her best to deflect the kicks and punches with her water magic…but there were so many, and the knives were sharp, too. They seemed to find more enjoyment in watching the cuts heal, and even though they were shallow, they still hurt.

Suddenly a welcomed voice reached her ears.

“Let her go.”

The bandits paused to look. Standing across from them was Kahns, flanked by Shek and Massi and several pirates from the ship. The pirate captain’s eyes flashed from behind the streak of crimson hair, no fun or joy in them now. No, now the seriousness of only a powerful captain was carried in that gaze. Her coat sleeves fluttered behind her.

“Why should we?” Jo Snake asked with a sneer. “You pirates can’t do nothin’ around here. So get!”

“Not until you hand over the girl,” Kahns demanded.

“Nothin’ doin’. She insulted me, so she’s gotta pay.” Jo Snake glanced at one of his men. “Take them out.”

The bandit smirked, eager at the chance to prove how strong he was. He ran forward, blade drawn, when suddenly a shot was fired, and he fell to the ground—all in one second.

Massi brushed her curly hair out of her serious face, gun in her hand. The gun was quite primitive as well, but it served its purpose in shooting out fast projectiles. It also helped Massi never missed.

As the bandit thudded to the ground, Jo Snake’s eyes widened in rage. “Get ‘em!”

The bandits roared and ran forward, to which Shek, who had been still this whole time, stepped forward as well. In his hands was a huge staff, one that seemed thick and heavy—and perfect for hitting people with. He did, with great skill, knocking out bandits with each swipe.

Kahns' glare never left Jo Snake’s.

The realization that bandits were not as strong as he thought seemed to finally set into the bandit leader’s simple mind, and he snarled, “You’ll never get me!” Then he threw something down at his feet.

The pirate captain’s eyes widened, and she lunged forward. The dust dissipated, and she frowned to the side. “Ink dust. The coward.”

“Fan out and look for them,” Shek thundered in his deep voice.

As the pirates ran out into the village, Kahns sighed, brows knitting with worry. “I can’t believe what that idiot did…” She had to admit she was impressed and touched by the gesture of the twerp, but not when it came to something like this.

O—O To be continued O—O

((OOC: Just a mini disclaimer--Technically, we are all writing a sophisticated form of fanfic, so if the familiarity of this story is an issue to anyone, contact me so we can discuss :) ))

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