Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

Chapter 1

I yawned and stretched contentedly as I stepped out onto the sunlit deck of my ship the Sparrow. Lucas, the cabin boy, halted his work when he saw me and snapped to attention, a damp mop in hand; he'd been swabbing the deck. I smirked and shot him a quick salute.
"At ease, Geldings. Back to your job."
"Aye, Captain."
He dunked his now-dry mop in a bucket of soapy water and swept it across the space where I had been standing as I strode past. Lucas Geldings was a semi-new addition to the crew--a replacement member. About ten years ago he'd murdered one of my best friends--one of the original six members of my crew--and I'd only spared his life because he did something that convinced me he belonged in the crew; if only as a cabin boy. He was a werewolf. A unique individual. Originally my crew was composed of only vampyrs (of which I am one), and I've, as of late, steadily acquired all sorts of creatures--vampyr, human, and many more supernatural beings.
I strolled on, leaving Lucas with his mop. Other members of the crew were scattered about the deck; some working, others just lounging about. And why not? It was a lovely day. As I strode across the main deck I would stop to talk to some, others would wave and I'd wave back.
"H'lo, Cap'n."
" 'Lo, Meghan."
"Ship-shape weather we're havin' ain't it?"
"That it is, that it is. Comf'table over there, Kira?"
"Aye, Captain. I love hangin' in the nets."
"Ha ha. Yo, Jonny, keep that dragon of yours under control, y'hear? It keeps trying to eat Mari's osprey!"
"Aye aye. Sorry, Captain!"
"That's all right, luv."
I stopped in the shadow of the foredeck. Looking up, I could just barely see the familiar silver spikes of the bosun's hair. I shifted into a crouch, the lithe muscles in my legs coiling like springs, then propelled my body off the ground faster than the human eye can follow; ignoring the awed stares from those of my crew watching from the main deck. I executed a precise flip in midair and landed lightly on the railing in front of the helm. The bosun--a tall, handsome man, standing 6'2'', also a vampyr, with spiky silver hair and dark, navy blue eyes like pools of liquid night--didn't even flinch. He'd been on the ship long enough to become quite used to my extreme moods. He just smiled and kept steering a steady course.
I hopped down from the railing and steeped to his side. I pressed up against him, draping one arm behind his neck and over his shoulder, playing with the buttons of his midnight-black trenchcoat--open to reveal a skintight red shirt, black pants, a sharp silver cutlass and a long, leather whip hung on his sash (which was also red)--the contours of my body fitting neatly against his side.
"Hello, lover," I purred.
His smile grew slightly wider.
"Hello, Captain. I trust you slept well?"
I smirked again.
"That I did, hon," my hand traveled up his toned chest and slipped beneath his shirt to touch his collarbone while the fingertips of the other hand ran lightly up and down his arm, caressing his bicep, "I'm surprised you didn't join me."
"Well someone'sgot to steer the ship," the bosun laughed.
"Aw, let Scarlette take over for a bit."
"Tsk tsk, Jaquie," he teased, reaching up to remove my hand from his shirt, "It's too early in the day for this type of play."
"Hmph," I pouted playfully, "You're no fun, Vasharl Pheonix."
"Aw, don't be like that," my husband smirked, detaching one arm from the wheel to wrap it around my thin waist and kissing me on the cheek, "You know I love you. Now go mingle with the rest of the crew; you know how much they miss you if they don't see you for more than an hour."
"Oh, alright, ya don't have ta tell me. I was gonna anyway. Who are you anyway, my mother?"
I cupped my hand around Vash's chin, making him look me in the eye, and planted a kiss full on his lips. Then I turned and walked away, swinging my hips and knowing my husband's eyes were on my as always. Ha, ten years hadn't changed a thing. I still had it.
My first- and second-mate were sitting against a mast, chatting about nothing in particular. Both looked up when I approached.
"H'lo, Mr. Ebon, Mr. Edokawa." (Isn't it odd how the first- and second-mate are always called "Mr. So-and-So" even if they're female?)
"H'lo, Cap'n."
"Heya, Jaquie. What's with all the formality alluva sudden?"
"Eh, no reason," I shrugged as I sank down beside them, "So, anything happen while I was 'gone'?"
Scarlette shrugged.
"Not that I know of. You'd have to ask Lilly or Neji."
"Maybe I will. Of course, I can't talk to Lilly 'til dusk; her bein' our figurehead an' all."
"That's true."
"Well," I got to my feet, "Either of you seen Tayu? Or my daughter?"
"Tayu's with Neji," said Sakura (Edokawa), pointing up at the crow's nest towards the top of the mainmast.
"An' li'l Swallow's in Yuta's cabin watchin' him practice."
"she does love him 'n' his tricks. I just hope he's not showin' her what he's gonna do tonight."
"Oh, I'm sure he's not."
The aforementioned tonight was my daughter's eighth birthday. Like Vash and me, she was a vampyr. Her supernatural talents wouldn't manifest for a few years yet. The day of her birth, a little brown swallow (extremely rare at sea) flew down and perche don the ship's railing, singing it's little heart out. the bird never leaves the child's side, so the crew have taken to calling her Swallow, though her real name's Jennifer. You'd think by now we'd know why and how this swallow came to be out in the middle of the ocean and just happened to choose the Sparrow as a landing place. We don't know for sure, but Vash and I suspect it might be Jenny's familiar; the conduit fro her vampyric abilities. That's just a suspicion though. Many of my crew (including me) still don't know what their familiars will turn out to be. Some have had them for years. And still others have had their familiars since birth. The ship is crawling with animals.
"Well, guess I'll go talk to Neji and Tayu," I said, "See ya later, Scarlette, Sakura."
Instead of just leaping down from the topdeck I decided to take the stairs, passing a table where my attack-team leaders Takahashi, Emily-Rose Riddle, and Azsharae Ish'nua were huddled over the plans for our next raid.
"Hey, Takahashi."
"Ahoy, Cap'n."
"H'lo, Riddle."
"H'lo, Cap'n."
"Hello, Azsharae."
"Hi, Captain."
"Planning goin' alright?"
"Perfect."
"Good. You three ready for t'night?"
"Aye, Captain Sparrow," all three said at once, their voices leaving a belllike tone ringing in the air.
"Can't wait to see what you do this year." I said with a wink.
I strolled on down the stairs to the main deck, stopping at the mainmast. I grabbed a rope and shinnied up till I was a few feet from the crow's nest.
"Neji! Tayu!" I called up, "Give yer captain a hand up, eh?"
A pair of faces appeared over the edge of the crow's nest; one framed by long brown, red, and blonde hair, the other tan with cropped black hair. Both smiling as each extended a hand for me to grab. I let go of the rope, pushing off the mast, and grasping my friends' hands as I frogleaped up and over the edge of the giant basket.
"Hey, Jaquie," Neji beamed, "What's up?"
"Yeah," chuckled Tayu, "What brings you to our domain?"
A gull cawed and swooped down from the clouds to flap around my head.
"Buffy! Stop that!" Neji scolded, trying to catch the bird.
"It's okay," igrinned as the gull landed on my shoulder, then extended my arm so it could move to the lookout.
"Thanks, Captain," Neji grinned once her familiar was safe on her shoulder. She had found the gull a few days before during a storm. It had been flying and crashed into the mizzenmast and broken it's wing. Once Neji picked it up, the wing had mended; a sure sign that the two weremeant to be master and familiar.
I shook myself as I realized Tayu was asking me something.
"Hm?"
"I said, tell me again why you came up?"
"Oh. Just wanted t'know if you'd seen anythin'."
"Nope. 's all clear."
"Good. Neji, how long've you been up here?"
"Since dawn."
"Tayu?"
"Only half an hour."
"Neji, you can take a break. Tayu, are you okay stayin' here till dusk?"
"Aye. Sure am."
"Good. Neji, come with me."
"Why? You just said I could take a break."
"I know. I'm headin' to the galley next. Let's see if Rex or Mari c'n rustle us up some grub. Want me ta getcha somethin' Tayu?"
"Nope. I'm fine, Jaqueline."
I shrugged.
"Okay."
Neji and I leaped from the crow's nest. We both landed lightly, crouching, then stood, perfectly synchronized. Something cold and wet touched my leg. I looked down to see a little arctic fox sitting on the deck staring up at me, eyes a-twinkle.
"Heya, Kit," I murmured, picking up the little furball.
"ISn't that Lilly's familiar?" Neji asked.
"Yup. Little guy's hungry. C'mon, mate, let's go."
The lookout shrugged as she led the way down to the galley.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And that's the end of the first chapter! How'd ya like it folks? Leave a comment!