The seas were vast, endless. Traversing them offered sights that all souls should experience, for many marvels laid past them. However, few survived such journeys, because the oceans were also treacherous.

Peace in the waters could be attained, but humanity was too relentless in its violence. The currents usually carried away the blood of sailors, who perished all too often in their vessels. Sadly, it was not due to storms or ill-fated circumstances, but warfare.

One could not trust the sea, nor the ones who lurked it. That was why only the strongest roamed far from shore, safe in their mighty ships. The carriers of the most precious riches needed to defy what plagued their world: piracy.

At dawn, a ship set forth from a port. Its sails were immense, as strong as the wind that brushed them. The masts pierced the sky, as tall as the towers of a castle. There were three main decks, which concealed the big cargos below them. To match such grandness, the ship was led by a large crew.

All worked diligently, and so, the port was soon left behind. Not even one of those men was a simple labourer, unlike the ones that would crowd lesser vessels. Even the lowest-ranked crewmember was devoted, selected with care for their journey.

Inside the main quarters, the captain eyed very carefully the young mariner that followed him. Those hands held the most important asset under their care, and all knew well to respect that fact.

“Leave it inside the cabinet and lock it well, boy.”

The sailor did as told, proceeding to walk past the table where the captain halted. Those old eyes examined the course drawn on a map, very carefully. The were trailing a route that was dangerous, far away from their homeland.

The colonies had never been safe. After years of struggle and arduous diplomacy, they had suffered great loss. Although the queen had many heirs, she was still dismayed by the fact that her oldest son had been killed. Not only were the seas treacherous, but the lands as well.

“Done, captain.”

Locked the cabinet, the royal necklace was secured, hidden away. The captain stood upright and eyed the young cadet again, commenting tiredly.

“Do not trust anyone, ever.” He took two steps closer, and his gaze softened clearly, even if he did not wish to hint it. “The closer you are, the easier it is for them to wound you, Olve.”

It was only in solitude that the captain would refer to him by name. He was the closest thing he had to an adoptive father, yet he was still cold and meticulous. It was due to his grace that he found his way out of the streets, and into a life of servitude to the militia.

Olve made sure to nod to that statement, understanding his wariness. The captain let out a deep sigh, eyeing his surroundings, almost in paranoia. Two days after they set sail, he had seen a crewmate roam far too close to the small chest in the cargo, and he chose to take it away, just in case.

“We can’t let anyone seize it. It’s the last thing the queen has to remember her son by.”

The chest contained a necklace, adorned by rubies that shined like fire itself. It was a royal heirloom, granted to the prince as he set off to the colonies to assert their dominion. The golden chain was now stained with blood, for he only lasted two years before he was murdered by insurgents.

Olve stood tall and affirmed with confidence, displaying the same dedication that his captain upheld.  

“No one shall steal it away, for as long as we live to-“

He could not finish the sentence. Both gasped and stumbled, for a terrible rumble struck the whole vessel. The two held onto nearby furniture, paling as they recognized the earsplitting roar of a cannonball piercing their ship.

As their crew panicked and assembled, something emerged from the mists that engulfed the waters. A second smaller vessel surged the waves, approaching their position, fast. Smoke still emanated from one of its cannons, which stood on the bow of the ship. Its point peeked through the figurehead, sculpted to resemble the maws of a dragon.

There were snarls and jovial growls, which echoed from the small deck. The door of the quarters was slammed open, and a slender figure stepped out strongly. All eyed their captain with smirks and grins, eager to hear the words that would lead their hunt.

She chuckled, setting eyes onto the ship of the royal navy. It was alone, with no aid to reach them. Her bright green eyes narrowed, almost mockingly, pitying the fact that they thought they could traverse her turfs unnoticed.

She knew beforehand of their intentions, for she had many scouts inland, and bureaucracy was slow in its procedures. They would be easy prey.

“Ladies…” Barbara smirked at last, with bloodlust and avaricious anticipation. “Get me that necklace. I want to wear it while I dream of loot.”

Her crew cackled and promptly lunged into their positions. Meanwhile, she kept piercing their target with her gaze, her mind obsessed with that trinket. She had dreamed of seizing a royal heirloom for years, but she had never had the chance to act on her wishes.

Today is the day I crown myself.

That necklace was not a crown, but it was close enough. She would steal from the queen herself, and that was something that no other pirate could manage, not to such extent.

“Vamos!” She unsheathed her sword as their cannons blasted again, this time while they turned their vessel to sail parallel to theirs. “Aim for their masts! Cripple the vessel and search through its guts!”

Some sailors heard her shout, for the two ships were not so distant now. They quickly noted that she was a woman. It could only mean one thing.

“That’s the damn Red oyster!” A mate snarled, having heard before of the infamous pirate that led it. “Thought it was a simple telltale!”

Another sailor gasped, seeing a hook latch onto the railing of the deck. He yelled as he unlatched it, managing a peek at their assailants.

“All women!” He seemed more bothered by that fact than that they were pirates. “Come on, this will be easy to deal with!”

Most of the crew shared that sentiment, for they were rugged men and experienced soldiers. Sadly for them, the pirates were skilled too, and much more bloodthirsty than them. When more hooks latched onto their ship, they tried to cut the ropes, only to be shot at with deadly aim.

A woman reloaded her rifle at the top of a mast, eyeing all below on deck with extreme wariness. Although she wore an eyepatch, she never failed a shot, preventing those sailors from moving too close to the hooks.

Given cover, a few girls lunged. Agile and light, they stepped expertly on the ropes, swaying to keep balance as the very waves below them. They soon hopped onto the deck of the other ship, daggers and pistols in hand.

The sailors were finally answering with their own cannons, but with the speed with which they had been neared, it was too late. Like a swarm, the pirates surged onto their vessel, and it did not take them long to be done with the men on deck.

Their smaller bodies were more difficult to shoot at, and their fighting style was much less dignified and honourable. One dropped to her knees and then shot up with her pistol, striking and dodging at once, wounding the man who stood above in the upper deck. That mate dropped down dead, the last to defend the latch that led to one of the cargos and canons.

Inside the quarters, Olve saw his captain dash to the door, sword in hand. He shouted an order to him, adamant, and stern.

“Whatever happens, do not let them put their hands on it!”

“S-sir, wait, they-!”

His words were ignored. He did not know it at the moment, but that would be the last time he would see his captain… alive, at least.

He stood there for a few seconds, eyeing his own sheathed sword. His hand would indeed reach for it, but first, he did something else. No one had breached the quarters yet, and none saw him act upon that fact.

Outside, both captains crossed paths. Barbara laughed, noting that her adversary was an old man. She commended his firm loyal expression but mocked it as well.

“You should have retired many years ago, don’t you think? Perhaps then you would have lived longer.”

He pointed his sword at her, ready to confront her in a duel.

“Maybe so, but at least I am more able than you, worthless slut. A woman has no place in-“

He could not finish. His eyes opened wide, his ears ringing after a shot echoed. He looked at her, and the gun she had pointed sharply. She blew the smoke off her pistol, smiling as his vision blurred.

“I will gladly take your place then.”

She did not bat an eye as he dropped dead, unable to mock her anymore. If he had not muttered those words, she would have duelled him fairly. She was proud of what she was, and she despised the ones who did not show respect upon that fact.

The few sailors that were nearby and alive froze for a second, seeing their commander drop lifelessly. That momentary shock was all it took for the pirates to gain control. On deck, all mates were stolen from their swords and rifles, while below the ones who manned the canons were backstabbed.

Their ship was jumped so quickly, that their numbers did not really make a difference. The pirate ship was truly small, but it carried a fair number of fiends in it. Its hull had a red hue, which was like the corals that dwelled in the depths. Its size allowed it a speed that no other vessel could match, and its crew knew to hide in the mists that commonly plagued the ocean.

With their captain dead and most of them slain, all were rounded up and gathered on deck. Although a few were tied up, not all were. The women simply kept pointing their pistols at them, and they knew to stand still, for the shooter on that tall mast made an example out of one of them. A man tried to lunge at a girl who gave him her back, only for his forehead to be pierced by a bullet.

Barbara eyed down all the men, condescendingly. She noted the disdain in their gazes, but she had little care for it. Like usual, she took a pipe from her pocket and began to smoke leisurely while her crew searched the ship.

A few minutes passed, and her jovial anticipation soon grew sour. Her comrades sorted through the cargos diligently, and even if they found good loot, the trinket they sought was evading them. One of them climbed out of the hatch and neared her meekly, tugging at her long ponytail while she whispered.

“Capt’n…” Barbara pierced her with her gaze, in warning, yet the words she did not want to hear came out anyway. “It’s not in the cargos.”

Those green eyes did not seem to recognize her words, at least for a moment. After a few seconds, the captain grinned, affirming.

“It has to be there, somewhere.” She pointed calmly at the riches they were dragging out, concealing her anger under her poised tone. “Keep looking.”

“I swear we have gone through every chest and crate, it’s not-“

“It IS there!” She stopped glaring at her subordinate, to snarl at the sailors instead. Her sword was unsheathed and promptly pointed at a sailor. “Where is it, maggot?!”

The man took a deep breath, wishing he could punch her, due to the fact that his arms were tied behind his back.

“I’ll never utter its location, you wench.”

She leaned closer, making sure to sink the point of her blade slightly, enough to draw a little bit of blood.

“I can make you squeal, believe me.”

“I’m not like the men you sway in brothels…”

The blade sunk without further word. She growled and nodded at the corpse, commanding wordlessly for it to be dropped off-board.

“If I have to gut you all for one of you to speak, I swear to Dios that I will.” She waved at them all with her weapon, threatening with a dire smirk. “I asked, where is the-“

“Captain!” Her green eyes narrowed, because her first mate had gone into the captain’s quarters, only to come out with another sailor in tow. “Found something!”

Olivia pressured her gun against Olve’s back, snarling as she threw his sword away onto the deck.

“This one was messing with a cabinet before he lunged at me!” She not only stole his sword after a small scuffle, but the item he had tried to conceal. “I have it!”

Barbara sighed with a jovial smile, seeing Olivia take out a small chest from her satchel. It was locked, but all knew what it contained because all the sailors paled when they saw it in her hand.

“At last…” The captain brushed away a few strands of black hair from her face, to look closely at the chest. She took it from her first mate, eyeing it with fascination. “The necklace is mine, an heirloom worthy of kings.”

She tried to open the chest to take a peek, and then she chuckled, noting that it was closed. Her eyes fixated on Olve, smiling at him threateningly as she inquired.

“Where’s the key, boy?”

He hated to be called that by her, for she surely was younger than him. His comrades felt nothing but disgust for this pirate crew, and he felt the same, even if for fewer reasons.

“The keys are hidden, where you won’t find them.”

“Oh, you think?” Barbara turned slightly and looked at a woman that held an axe, to then shout something loudly in Spanish. “Necesito otro ejemplo, Laura!”

An example was asked and said crewmate obliged. Olve cringed as the axe came down, promptly sunk into the back of one of the sailors. The blood dripped onto the deck, painting it red. Barbara smirked and ignored the insults that the sailors shouted, to eye him again, whispering.

“Perhaps you could give me some hints, so I don’t have to tear everything down to find it. A blind strike can be really messy, right?” She circled him, toying with her long black hair like if she was speaking of the weather. “I don’t want to force this little chest here open, ‘cause I could damage the necklace. Nobody wants that. So, let’s reach a middle ground. Tell me where those keys are… and I will let you go.”

Olve’s blue eyes opened at that suggestion, for he saw honesty in Barbara’s green ones. His expression grew thoughtful while he glanced at his comrades. He soon asked, glaring at her.

“Will you leave then?”

“Yes, I got what I wanted.” She crossed her heart, promising. “None of my girls will kill you, and we will leave this vessel behind.”

One could never trust a pirate, yet he knew he did not have much choice in the matter. The pistol on his back pressured a little more, and the axe a woman wielded swayed almost happily, far too close to another neck. He spoke again, after a very long pause.

“I hid the keys under the floorboards, right by our captain’s bed.”

Barbara’s eyes glinted, and a girl dashed into the quarters as soon as he finished his sentence. It only took seconds for that pirate to come out, swirling the keys around a finger. He felt the accusing glares of his comrades on his neck, but he was firm in his resignation.

“Good.” Barbara handed the small chest to the woman that found the keys, instructing her to carry both things to the Ostra. “Now, I shall fulfil my part of the deal.”

What happened next made all men pale. Barbara swung up her pistol again and promptly pointed it at Olve’s head.

“Turn around.” He was sure she would just shoot him dead, until she insisted. “See that distant island?”

He leaned to look back, and indeed, one could see the very faint outlines of a remote desert island. The pirates cackled as he began to realize what would happen, arranging a plank that soon peeked overboard.

“Unlike your mates, you may live…” He was pushed towards the edge of the deck, and he was taunted. “If you manage to swim all the way there, of course.”

Olve snarled and scowled, glaring down at her even if she was pointing a weapon at him.

“You said that you would not harm us!”

“Ah-ah, no, I promised to not kill you.” She leaned her head and feigned being apologetic. “You see, one can indicate individuality in Spanish much more easily. It’s not my fault that “you” can be used as singular and plural!”

“Deceitful piece of-!”

He was given a fierce shove by two pirates, and it managed to make him tumble backwards. His feet slipped off the plank, and he fell towards the water below. All pirates laughed as the splash echoed, and many proceeded to watch as he began to swim towards land.

Bets were placed, regarding his chances of survival, because he was in clear danger. Even he knew it. Dark silhouettes soon twirled up from the depths, alerted of his presence by his strong collision.

Most betted that he would die before reaching those shores, for few survived being stalked by Brine eels. The maws of those creatures opened in anticipation, full of the venom that could kill a shark in seconds. Although slow, it only took a single bite for them to kill.

If he could outspeed the eels, he would survive. Yet the island was very far, and exhaustion could mean death. Luckily, he was a fast swimmer, and many pirates who betted against him soon cursed, seeing him win distance.

Barbara was not all that interested in those bets, and she was growing impatient. The more she waited for her crew to stop having fun, the more annoyed she grew. Many sexist and demeaning expletives were being yelled, and the sailors were getting on her nerves.

Olve’s silhouette faded in the distance, but it was clear that he made it. With a few cheers and many damnations, the game was over. Barbara took a long inhale from her pipe and then shot down the sailor who had dared to insult her most, to then walk through the plank that connected both ships.

“We’re off, ladies! Leave the men alone…” She winked back, saluting them away as she hopped onto her own deck. “Hopefully, you can meet some sirens on your way down!”

The few of them that were not tied up finally tried to make a move, only to be stabbed or shot. It was clear what their fate was, and the ones that were bound wished they could at least jump off-board.

Far away, Olve gasped and gagged, crawling onto the beach of the isle. He raised his head to look back to the distant vessels, only to flinch and pale. Once more, those canons blasted, but this time much more maliciously. They were not aimed at the masts and decks, but at the hull of their ship. With a terrifying moan, the vessel began to lean, pierced through by those cannonballs.

He could only watch as the ship sunk slowly, filled by the water that surged into the lower cargos. Not only was he witnessing the loss of a mighty vessel, but the crew that had made it soar. If the waters did not end them, the eels that lurked in them sure would. He let himself drop to his knees, dismayed.

He stared as the red oyster set sail again, away from the wreckage. They did indeed leave… unknowing of his real ploy. He moved a hand to one of his pockets, slowly. A sigh escaped him as he closed his eyes for a moment, to mourn, for he was successful in his most urgent manoeuvre.

What was a resigned scowl soon turned into a resentful and prideful glare. He stood once more, and began to walk away towards the nearby jungle, knowing he did not have much time. There was no doubt that he would pay for his choice.

Far away, the pirates were celebrating their victory, and multiple bottles of rum were opened. As the crew laughed and counted the loot, the captain ignored them all. In other circumstances, she would join them, but not now.

Barbara grasped the chest and keys and moved silently into her cabin. She let her comrades have all the riches they seized, for she got the most precious asset of it all. Her next words were relieved, ecstatic. 

“Por fin…”

Ever since she was a child, she had always envied the royalty. Perhaps she had managed to convey the same authority by becoming a captain, but she had to fight for it. All nobility was granted that power since birth, and it lasted until death.

She made herself comfortable on her chair and looked around her quarters. There were many beautiful trinkets hanging from the beams and shelves, yet her eyes did not admire any of them. Her hands soon laid onto the chest, almost reluctant to open it, for doing so would end the moment. She basked in her gratification, her success, all her own.

The key was inserted into the lock and turned very slowly. Her eyes widened as she opened the container, glinting as much as the heirloom she expected to see inside. Her expression was full of wonder, joy.

That sentiment soon faded. She sat there, frozen. It was not due to the beauty of the trinket, or her disappointment upon its sight. There was nothing in the chest. It was empty.

“No.” Her tan skin paled, understanding what had happened. She closed the chest strongly and growled, remembering those deceitful blue eyes. “Hijo de…”

She let that boy go, and the necklace as well.