Snippet #1977532

Inside the tent was extravagant to the umphteenth degree. A lavish lifestyle built and fit for the Captain of the Smuggler's Cove, Captain Jerrod Rottsan. A ruthless hack, who currently was off pillaging and raiding, leaving a boy and a girl to a vast wealth of useless junk that he'd accrued over his years and years of pirating. Beautiful colors of gold and crimson lined nearly everything because he sought to feel like a king. Caches of gold in chests from sailors bidding safe passage and their blood still dried and sticky on the coin, for he'd take it and their lives.

I crept silently through the tent, not fooled by the luxuries within because I was his personal slave. I'd seen this stuff for over fifteen years and it wasn't all that spectacular to me anymore. I saw what harm it had on men. I saw that no matter how much ruthless plundering and worthless stuff the Captain had, he was still a miserable, cold soul -- filled with sorrow of his own wrong-doings and those he commanded. Peeking out of the main entrance to the tent, I saw one man laid out on the porch of the infirmary and the others, a total of ten had banded together, with her step-father in the lead.

Scooting back, I sighed, looking to the girl who was staring at the rather extravagant spectacle. I couldn't blame her, because it was all the stuff that dreams and kings were made of, but hollow and soulless as one. I whispered softly, "I'm Kalenis... what's your name?" It donned on me that we'd been together for nearly a half-hour and still hadn't introduced ourselves. I felt a bit nervous about talking to her and I could feel the blood boiling beneath the surface of my cheeks. A sigh escaped as relief that I didn't stutter, spit, or fall on my face.

I crouched for a moment before remembering what the zenith said as I'd spied a sword before my very eyes, "Pay the Gold Cost..." I whispered. Looking to her, I nodded softly, "I am a slave. I will not steal while another man is away. I will only take what I kill... and I will kill to be free." As nervous as I was talking to this girl, the stern pride that I held in my voice declared that I would fight to the death if that's what it took in order to be a free man like the rest of the world around me. "I will get us out of here, if ..." Incoming shyness. She was cute. Kind to me, more so than anyone else had. And she hadn't hit me since we'd been together. "...if you want to come with me. We will take ... lives." It sounded crazy, even as it came out of my mouth, but I felt confidence in the zenith within me and the taste of power that my soul had earlier was now festering like a dark desire.