~2~Aurelian Raiders

"Avast, we are nearing Aquarise. Full speed ahead, boys!" I called to my men from the centre of the ship's deck as my crew scrambled around, still dripping with water. I grabbed a telescope from the hands of my friend, "Sorry matey, Aquarise said we should expect to see a navy ship meeting us at the docks. I do not see such a thing!"

"I do not think visiting this kingdom is going to benefit us, Asari!" A woman waved her bedecked hands in the air, thrusting her finger at me once she finishes her work. "I am a sea witch, I do not see any good from landing here, in this forsaken kingdom. We should sail to the next kingdom, the richer kingdoms!"

I glared at the witch, slightly annoyed by her constant nagging. "Vasanthe, I know you and your spider senses which rarely prove to be correct. Aquarise is not a ruined kingdom because here, I can trade the most. Their king is a greedy man wrapped around my scummy fingers. Little does he know that I am the cause of his dwindling economy!"

The sea witch curled her fists but I knew she would not do anything more as she is a gentle woman. She has tried to hit me during many of our squabbles only to realize she is not capable of harming me. She is a peaceful woman who keeps her rage bottled up inside which I fear is unhealthy for her. Again, she is silently fuming.

"You know Vasanthe, she's known by the lads as 'Rage in a Bottle'. She wishes to relieve her stress but cannot." My first mate, Brock, hobbled towards us, leaving a group of young boys to clean my golden anchor which will be utilized soon. "We are approaching the kingdom quickly. There is no turning around now."

"Yes, I know." Vasanthe sighed like a mother would when disappointed in her children. She shook her fists towards the sky, "If anything happens, I will not be able to open another whirlpool for us to escape. I will fly away and watch you all meet your watery demise!"

"Oh, Vasanthe, ye should sit back once in a while! Worrying about nothing is not going to benefit anyone." Brock shook his good leg, almost toppling over because of the wooden peg that is his left leg.

His left leg had been bitten by an alligator and although it was treated by Vasanthe, he got a nasty infection. After dead flesh reached his knee, Vasanthe used a knife to saw his lower leg. Then, she threw the ugly limb to be fish chow. I believe I saw a shark but the event was too long ago.

"You are a prime example of why they say men die earlier than women! Recall the times I saved your limbs from death or when I had to remove them to save you from death!" She pointed a slender finger at Brock's missing hand and leg. She was the one who removed them while he cursed in her face.

"We are pirates, Vasanthe! I would have joined my brothers as a farmer if I am not reckless and a lover of adventure. You should say yo-ho-ho once a week to drive away that suffocating personality of yours." Brock immediately plopped onto a stool provided by one of his favourite boys. His only hand slapped the boy's wet back.

"Stop fixing the sails, let the ship is adrift starting now!" I felt a spark of pride in my heart as my men salute me and climb off the masts. I had a few boys take up mops to wash the deck and two men carried buckets to collect strands of seaweed. "We must look presentable in front of Aquarise's best admiral!"

"Aye aye, Asari!" Then, the ship rocked under the weight of fifty men dropping to the floor. I smiled with my comrades as we let the wind carry is towards Aquarise.

We are the golden pirates dominating the Seven Seas of this world. The Aurelian Raiders was not our original name, but those who encountered us in the past have seen our rise from a mere crew of ten. We have been nicknamed The Aurelian Raiders. Now, we have three guilds all under my command. The Aurelian Raiders are not your average pirates.