The ocean breeze swept through the beach, the skies were clear and painted with a beautiful brilliant blue. The seagulls sang as a flock of the sea birds flew overhead. The ocean waves rushed back and forth leaving its mark on the sands as imprints of the waves etched their marks on the temporary foundation built on sand. The rays of the sun showered its warm light to the denizens of the small island nation. Fishermen lined up at the shore and in their boats casting their lines and nets. It was simple but beautiful, this was the scenery that greeted the locals of the island. The clothes of the locals were simple, hand made and worn, this indicated that the community was far from wealthy. Most of the small fishing town's income came from the sea, thus the people only profited from what the ocean gave. There we're little to no means of technology and even fewer practitioners of the arcane. The community was small, not going beyond five hundred people, the community was led by a village chief of sorts. And the town was classified to be a "barangay" (a small territorial and administrative district forming the most local level of government) this was just one of the many islands of this small island country.
The country was located south from Midi, the island country was classified to be a third world country. This country was called Maharlika, a once prosperous nation that fell from grace. After hundreds of years of enslavement and being occupied by other nations Maharlika's wealth was leached out of her soil leaving the small island country tattered and in shambles. Many of the rich history and cultural history of Maharlika was burned, buried or lost at sea. The first country to occupy Maharlika and enslave her people was the country of Enca. Maharlika at that time was many years behind in technology so when Enca's navy clashed with the Maharlikans they had superiority when it came fire power, the Encan's were armed with muskets and cannons while the Maharlika were only equipped with swords, spears, and bows. The Maharlikan were equipped with lighter armor that was inferior to the the tempered steel that was worn by the Encan navy. Maharlikan's numbers were far greater, and they had a few powerful shamans in their ranks, this allowed Maharlika to fend Enca for a few years, but eventually Maharlika fell when Enca began to send mages to aid in their conquest. With the overwhelming fire power, superior armor and navy, along with the powerful enemy mages the country fell into the hands of Maharlika.
During Enca's rule the Maharlikan's faced intense persecutions, the people were practically enslaved and many of their cultural heritage were destroyed in attempts to stifle any ideas of rebellion against the Enca rule. The language spoken by the Maharlikan's eventually assimilated with the Encan language thus creating the language that is spoken in Maharlika till this day. Maharlika's tropical islands were eventually repurposed as docks and ports, essentially making Maharlika a trading hub for Enca and the other nations. Thus Maharlika transitioned from being a nation of scattered tribes to a trading epicenter for the nation of Enca. However the Maharlikan's refused to remain enslaved to Enca and eventually rebelled against their conquerors. Thus was a start of a bloody one hundred year war between the two nations. Fiore eventually sent aid half way through this 100 year war, the conflict claimed many Maharlikans lives, but the people persisted in hopes to reclaim their homeland back from their current conquerors. The 100 year war eventually came to a close during the time of the calamity of sin, and with he eventual execution of its king Enca pulled out it's forces returning Maharlika back to its people.
Although victory was achieved and freedom was attained, Maharlika was left battered and broken after the 100 year war. However, there was hope, the ports and cities made by Enca still remained, thus the people seized the opportunity and a group of powerful and influential Maharlikan merchants gathered together to form a republic in attempts to organize the tattered nation and unite the Maharlikan people. After a few years later the Maharlika began to recover and slowly get back on its feet. Just when it seemed that the nation of Maharlika would reclaim its former glory, another great trial seized the nation
After seeing that Maharlika was weak and recovering, the nation of Midi saw this as an opportunity to expand and take over. Midi saw Maharlika as a strategical location not only in a military stand point but as a asset when it came to trading and exporting goods. Thus Maharlika was thrust back into the fires of war... Soon Midi attempted to take over using force to seize Maharlika and her assets. The two nations eventually battled and Maharlika and her people was once again forced to fight for their independence and freedom. Even though the nation of Maharlika's was weak from the previous one hundred year war waged with Enca, Maharlika was remained firm, the nation's navy contested with the Midi's forces fighting back valiantly and managing to hold its ground for about a year. However, the defenses of Maharlika crumbled after the betrayal of one of the merchants who help establish the republic of Maharlika. The traitorous merchant sold the nations secret and revealed where the nations defense was the most fragile and at its weakest. The night before the new year the nation of Midi struck like lightning swiftly exploring the crack in Maharlika's defense and before sunrise the nation of Maharlika found itself bound to chains by another country.
Midi soon occupied the small island nation, forcing its people to work for a country that was not their own. Midi made sure to stifle any resistance and silenced the people. This occupation lasted for about 10 years not nearly as long as Enca's occupation, however, the people of Maharlika still suffered great persecution. Those who dared speak against or were even suspected of going against the empire, were brutally executed. Often times the natives were forced to dig their own graves before being slain...
Despite all of the suffering and pain the people went through an unlikely hero emerged. A Maharlikan captain of the ship called the Aguila, struck a deal with the rebel forces of Maharlika. This deal was to provide assistance in the war by means of creating and gathering a fleet strong enough to push Midi out of the waters of Maharlika, in return for this favor Maharlika would retain its freedom but its ports would allow the Pirates that were part of this fleet would be permitted to dock and restock supplies in Maharlika. Thus the deal was struck and the Pirate Brotherhood was made. The Maharlikan captain gather pirates from all over Earthland. And with in six month a fleet of the greatest pirates was born. No one knows how the captain was able to convince the other pirates to follow suit, some say he made a deal with the devil others say his charisma won over his fellow sea thieves support. During one night in the cover of thick fog the fleet sailed into Maharlika, legend has it that it was the captain of the Aguila that conjured the ghostly fog, other say that it was a tactical decision. Whatever the case maybe the fleet was able to sneak in rage of their long nines and opened fired creating a barrage of canon fire immediately shredding the enemy ships, sinking them to the bottom of the sea. It was over in a matter of hours and similar to how the nation fell before the sun rose, victory was attained before sun rise. Upon the sun rising the nation of Maharlika found itself free.
The nation kept its promise allowing the pirates that assisted in the battle to dock at the ports. This inadvertently fortified Maharlika creating its own pseudo fleet to defend its shores. With the constant traveling in and out of the island the pirates became a militaristic deterrent against other nations. The island nation thus created a symbiotic relationship with the pirates, allowing one of the nation's largest ports to become a haven for pirates. In order to protect this haven, many pirate crews inadvertently grew to become loyal to the nation that welcomed them...
Although freedom was attained much work was still needed. Unfortunately human greed has a way of ruining things, as the years went by corrupt officials were able to infiltrate's the nations government. Due to this corruption the progress of Maharlika was greatly slowed down which is the reason why the nation is a 3rd world country till this day. Slums in the main cities filled the streets, and crime became a common occurrence in one of the metro cities in Maharlika...
This nation is where the story begins for Jack Leonhart Nightlocke... The scene opens up with a young boy rushing as he ran through the sands as if trying to out run an incoming ship sailing its way into the port. Jack was a handsome young boy, with dark brown hair, light caramel skin and brilliant green eyes. He wore a worn white t-shirt, shorts and beat up sandals. He ran through the docks dodging and weaving through ropes, cargo, fishermen and sailors. As Jack ran through the docks a few of the locals and sailors would call out to him and greet him.
"Hoy! Dahan dahan Jackie! Baka madulas ka at mahulog!" (Translation: Jackie slow down! You might slip and fall!)
"San ka pupunta Jackie?" (Translation: Where are you going Jackie?)
"Sino ang humabol sa iyo?" (Who's chasing after you?)
Jack would eventually stop and explain to an old fisherman. "Ang barkong iyon doon, ang aking nanay ay nasa kanya! Siya ang kapitan ng barko at sa wakas ay nakauwi na siya! Papunta na ako para batiin siya!" (Translation: That ship over there, my mom is on it! She's the captain of the ship and she's finally home! I'm on my way to greet her!)
The old fisher man would chuckle and reply to the boy. "Magandang balita yan Jackie! Sabihin mo sa iyong ina, minakamusta siy ng asawa ko" (Translation: That's good news Jackie! Tell your mother, that my wife and I say hello)
"Oo naman! Paniguradong sasabihin ko sa kanya." (Translation: Sure! I'll be sure to tell her.) Jack said before bolting off to the area where the ship would dock. The sea vessel slowly made its way to the port eventually dropping her anchor and docking. Jack could hear a cheerful tune of sea shanties come from the ocean vessel. He watched in excitement as ropes were thrown off to the side of the ship, cargo being unloaded off the vessel. Sailors swinging off and landing at the dock. Each man and woman worked in unison eagerly to get off the boat to go home and see their families. Many of the sailors on the ship actually knew Jack and happily greeted the waiting boy. Jack's eyes widened as he saw his uncle get off the ship.
Jack's uncle raised his tanned muscular and scarred arms to a big wave to the boy as he yelled out to him. "Pababa na ang nanay mo, Jackie!" (translation: your mom is on her way down, Jackie) Jack's uncle Vic ran up to Jack and gave him a hug and a pat on the head. Jack laughed at his uncle's bear hug.
"kailangan mong maligo tito, ang baho mo!" (Translation: you need to take a bath uncle, you're so smelly) Jack laughed as he pinched his nose pretending his uncle reeked.
Jack's uncle Vic sniffed his shirt and gagged letting a bellowing laugh after "Tama ka, maliligo na ako" (Translation: You're right, I'm due for a bath) The two laughed when suddenly a commanding female voice echoed through the docks.
"Anong mga kasinungalingan ang sinabi mo sa aking anak ha Vic?" (Translation: What lies have you told my son this time Vic?) said a beautiful tan skinned woman with black hair. Her face was stern but immediately softened to a caring gaze at Jack. Her frown turning into a gentle smile.
"Nanay!" (Translation: Mom!) Jack ran up to his mother, Captain Avelina.
"Kamusta anak! Tumangkad ka na!" (Translation: How are you son? You've grown taller!) Captain Avelina said as she looked at her son, she gave him a tight embrace again clearly showing how she missed Jack during her time at the sea. The family eventually headed back to a small home where Jack lived with his grandmother.
There Jack's uncle Vic, the brother of Jack's mother, Avelina began telling stories to his nephew Jack.
"Nang kami ay naglalayag ay may isang kahila-hilakbot na bagyo na dumikit sa dagat. Ang kalangitan ay itim at ang kulog ay bumagsak sa paligid ng bangka. Bumubuhos ang ulan! Umiling-iling ang bangka sanhi ng pagbagyo ng hangin. Napakalakas ng hangin na napunit ito sa aming mga paglalayag. Ang mga alon ay napakalaki at nakakatakot. Ang mga alon ay mas malaki kaysa sa ilan sa pinakamataas na gusali sa Maharlika! Ang bawat alon na bumagsak sa bangka ay kinalabog pa ito! Kami ay sigurado na ang bangka ay nalubog at na natutugunan namin ang aming wakas. Mayroong kahit isang sandali kung saan muntik na akong mahulog sa bangka! Kung hindi dahil sa iyong ina nalunod ako sa dagat!" (Translation: When we were sailing there was a terrible storm that stuck the sea. The skies were black and thunder was crashing down around the boat. The rain was pouring down! The boat rocked back and forth due to the storming winds. The winds were so strong that it tore through our sails. The waves were huge and terrifying. The waves were bigger than some of the tallest building in Maharlika! Each wave that crashed on to the boat rocked it even more! We we're so sure that the boat would have sunk and that we would have met our end. There was even a moment where I almost fell off the boat! If it wasn't for your mother I would have drowned at the sea! ) Vic continued his story as he made grand hand gestures showing the intensity of the waves and how it rocked the boat. His loud booming voice conveyed the ripping winds and danger of the furious sea.
Jack was on the edge of his seat wide eyed as he attentively listened to the grand tale that was being woven and spoken by his obnoxiously loud uncle. Jack's mother rolled her eyes as she listened to her brother boast about the exploits of the crew on the sea. "Nagsimula kaming lahat na manalangin sa pag-asang titigil ang bagyo. Ang iyong ina ay tumaas at sumigaw sa umuugong na hangin at kulog. Napakalakas ng sigaw niya kahit ang dagat ay hindi matalo ang boses niya. Sumigaw siya sa lahat ng mga mandaragat na maging matapang at nagsimulang sumigaw ng mga intsruction sa amin. Sa una ang lahat ay natatakot na gumawa ng anuman. Ngunit ang iyong ina ay nagsimulang kumanta ng isang kanta sa bagyo. Ang kanyang tinig ay umikot sa alol ng hangin at ulan. Isa-isang nagsimulang kumanta rin ang mga marinero! Ang bawat kalalakihan at kababaihan ay ginagawa ang kanilang bahagi upang panatilihing nakalutang ang barko! Para sa mga oras na labanan namin ang bagyo, ngunit ang iyong ina ay humantong sa amin sa labas ng bagyo na iyon at bumalik sa ligtas na tubig!" (Translation: We all started saying our prayers in hopes that the storm would stop. Your mother stepped up and yelled over the rushing winds and thunder. Her shout was so strong even the sea could not beat her voice. She yelled to all the sailors to be brave and began yelling instructions to us. At first everyone was too afraid to do anything. But your mother began singing a song over the storm. Her voice pierced through the howling winds and rain. One by one the sailors began to sing as well! Each man and woman doing their part to keep the ship afloat! For hours we battle the storm, but your mother lead us out of that typhoon and back to safe waters!) After that story Vic took a big swig from his giant tankard of rum, he exhaled a loud yell of satisfaction after finishing his beverage.
""Nakakagulat yan! May nasaktan ba? Lahat ba kayo nawala sa ilang oras? Paano kayong lahat upang makalabas sa bagyo" (Translation: "That's amazing! Did anyone get get hurt? Did you all get lost at sometime? how were you all able to get out of the storm") Jacked began to fire question after question to his uncle, in hopes to find out more.
"Sa gayon ang iyong ina ay may espesyal na kumpas na laging tumuturo sa kung saan namin kailangang puntahan, nagtatrabaho kami ng higit pa upang maiwasan ang paglubog ng bangka at sundin ang kumpas mula sa bagyo. Mayroon kaming iilan na nasaktan ngunit walang mga pangunahing pinsala. Sa huli ang lahat na sumakay sa barko nang umalis kami ay makakabalik sa kanilang mga pamilya salamat sa iyong ina at katapangan!" (Translation: Well your mother had special compass that always points to where we needed to go, we worked togther to keep the boat from sinking and followed the compass out of the storm. We had a few who got hurt but no major injuries. Ultimately everyone that went aboard the ship when we left was able to come back home to their families thanks to your mothers wit and bravery!) Vic stroked his beard and laughed as he answered his Nephews questions.
"Mayroon ka na bang mga kwento tito Vic? Nais kong malaman ang tungkol sa iyong mga pakikipagsapalaran kasama si nanay!" (Translation: Do you have anymore stories uncle Vic? I want to know more about your adventures with mom!) Jack said practically bouncing in his seat from excitement.
"Sige Sige sasabihin ko pa sa iyo ... tingnan natin ... nasabi ko na ba sa iyo ang tungkol sa kung paano namin pinatay ang isang halimaw sa dagat?!" (Translation: okay, okay I'lll tell you more... let us see... have I ever told you about the story of how we slew a sea monster?!) Jack's uncle asked as his eyebrows rose in excitement. Jack's eyes widened even more, showing off his jade green iris'.
"Hindi mo pa sinabi sa akin ang kwentong iyon! Sabihin mo sa akin tito!" (Translation: No you haven't told me that story yet! Tell me uncle!) Jack said said almost holding his breath in excitement. Avelina sighed as she shook her head disapprovingly. "ito nanaman..." (Translation: This again) Avelina murmured.
"Huwag maging isang kill joy ate Avi" (Translation: Don't be a kill joy big sis) Vic laughed as he gave his nephew a pat on his back. "saan na naman tayo?" (Translation: where were we again?) Vic mused. Jack promptly reminded his uncle where they left off. Vic laughed and took a deep breath before telling the story of how they slew a sea monster.
"Tama! Ang halimaw sa dagat! Habang naglalayag kami malapit sa mga karagatan na malapit sa Pergande ay nang makita namin ang higanteng hayop ng dagat! Napakalaki ng halimaw ng dagat, ito ay kasing buog ng pinakamalaking bangka sa daungan! Ang napakalaking nilalang ng dagat ay may mga tentikal na bawat laki sa laki ng palo ng mga bangka. Ang mata ay hindi bababa sa sampung beses na mas malaki kaysa sa iyo at iyon lang ang mata Jackie! Ang halimaw ng dagat ay may bibig na puno ng labaha matalim na ngipin na mas malaki kaysa sa pinakamataas na tao sakay ng aming barko! Amoy ng hininga ng halimaw na dagat ang isang libong bulok na bangkay. Nakakatakot ang dragon sa dagat na ang ilan sa mga mandaragat ay pumanaw dahil sa nakakatakot na aura ng nilalang ng dagat. Ang ingay ng halimaw ng dagat ay napakalakas na halos mabingi kami! Sa tuwing lilipat ang halimaw ng dagat, ginulo nito ang dagat! Ang bawat galaw ng mga galamay nito ay lumikha ng malalaking alon na tumba sa barko." (Translaiton: Right! The sea monster! While we were sailing near the oceans near Pergande was when we saw the giant sea beast! The sea monster was huge, it was as big as the biggest boat in the port! The enormous sea creature had tentacles each the size of the boat's mast. Eye was at least ten times bigger than you and that's just the eye Jackie! The sea monster had a mouth full of razor sharp teeth that was bigger than the tallest man aboard our ship! The sea monster's breath smelled the a thousand rotten corpses. The sea monster was so frightening that some of the sailors passed out due to the terrifying aura of the sea creature. The sea monster's roar was so loud we almost went deaf! Every time the sea monster move, it churned the sea! Every move of its tentacles created massive waves that rocked the ship)
"At saka anong nangyari ?! Mayroon bang nasaktan o kinain ng sea monster?" (Translation: And then what happened?! Did anyone get hurt or eaten by the sea monster?) Jack inquired as he took a sip from a cup of milk.
"Oo natatakot akong nawala ang ilan sa ating matapang na mandaragat sa halimaw ng dagat ... Ngunit ang kanilang mga sakripisyo ay hindi walang kabuluhan. Matapang kaming nakipaglaban na inutusan kami ng iyong ina na maghintay hanggang ang mga galamay ng halimaw ay pumulupot sa barko. Sa huling segundo ang iyong nanay ay sumigaw sa amin upang sunugin ang mga canon, at sa gayon ay ginawa namin. Ang apoy ng kanon ng barko ay tulad ng kulog na pumutok sa kalangitan. Ang mga bola ng canon ay lumipad at winasak ang mga tentacles ng mga demonyong dagat. Ang halimaw ay sumigaw sa sakit habang dumugo ito sa buong deck ng barko. Ngunit hindi kami tumigil doon, sinabi sa iyo ng iyong ina na magtapon ng mga bariles ng langis at pulbura sa halimaw, at ganoon din ang ginawa namin. At tulad ng pag-angat ng diyablo sa dagat mula sa karagatan, ang iyong ina, kinuha niya ang kanyang pistol na nakatuon at pinaputok ito sa mga bariles. Ang mga barel na kargado ng langis at pulbura ay naipalabas sa isang higanteng bola ng apoy na sumisira at pumatay sa demonyo sa dagat sa isang solong pagbaril. Umulan ang laman ng halimaw sa kubyerta at ang mga tauhan ay nababad sa dugo ng mga monster sa dagat! Nawalan kami ng pitong matapang na kaluluwa sa araw na iyon ... nawa'y makapahinga sila sa kapayapaan ... ngunit dahil sa katapangan ng iyong mga ina ... nakauwi kaming lahat. Nagkaroon kaming lahat ng pagkakataong mabuhay upang may kwento kung paano si Kapitan Avelina, kapitan ng Aguila ay nagawang sirain at pumatay ng isang mabangis na halimaw sa dagat!" (Translaiton: Yes I'm afraid we lost some of our brave sailors to the sea monster... But their sacrfices were not in vain. We fought bravely your mother instructed us to wait until the monster's tentacles wrapped around the ship. At the last second your mom yelled at us to fire the cannons, and so we did. The canon fire of the ship was like thunder cracking the sky. The canon balls flew and destroyed the sea devils tentacles. The monster yelled in pain as it bled all over the deck of the ship. But we didn't stop there, your mother told us to throw barrels of oils and gunpowder on the monster, and so we did. And just as the sea devil rose from the ocean, your mother, she then took her pistol aimed and fired it at the barrels. The barrels loaded with oil and gunpowder exploded into a giant ball of fire destroying and killing the sea demon in one single shot. The monster's flesh rained on the deck and the crew was soaked in the sea monster's blood! We lost seven brave souls that day... may they rest in peace... but due to your mothers bravery... we all got to go home. We all got the chance to live to tell the tale of how Captain Avelina, captain of the Aguila was able to destroy and kill a giant sea monster!)
Uncle Vic told his story, his words full of life and vigor as he told the tale to his beloved nephew. Avelina watched her brother talk to her son, she wore a somber expression as she watched her soon dream about the sea.
"Kailan ako makakasali sa tauhan ng Aguila?" (Translation: "When will I be able to join the Aguila's crew?") Jack asked his uncle. His uncle scratched his head and looked to his sister, Jacks mother, Avelina.
"Hindi sa akin jack, nasa sa iyong ina ang magpapasya kung sasali ka sa tauhan ng Aguila ..." (Translation: It is not up to me jack, it is up to your mother to decide if you get to join the Aguila's crew...) Vic sighed as he looked at his sister. Avelina scowled as if she knew that this question would come back up.
"Ina kailan ako makakasama sa iyo at tito?" (Translation: Mother, when can I join you and uncle?) Jack pleaded with his mother. Avelina looked at her son with a serious look. Her face softened as she put her hand on her son's cheek. Avelina wrapped her arms around her son and took him into an embrace.
"Anak ko, ang dagat ay isang napaka-mapanganib na lugar ... ikaw ay bata pa ... huwag magmadali ng mga bagay ... balang araw matanda ka na upang pumunta sa iyong sariling paglalakbay ... isang araw magkakaroon ka ang iyong sariling barko at ang iyong sariling tauhan ... ngunit sa ngayon ay tamasahin ang iyong oras dito sa isla ... kung umalis ka sa amin, sino ang mag-aalaga ng iyong lola?" (Translation: My child, the sea is a very dangerous place... you are still young... do not rush things... one day you'll be old enough to go on your own journey... one day you'll have your own ship and your own crew... but for now enjoy your time here on the island... if you leave with us, who will take care of your grandmother?) Avelina spoke gently as she explained the situation to her son.
"Kailan ako magiging sapat na gulang upang sumama sa iyo at tito vic? Patuloy mong sinasabi sa akin na hindi pa ako handa! Kailan ko malalaman kung kailan ako magiging handa?" (Translation: When will I be old enough to go with you and uncle vic? You keep telling me I'm not ready yet! When will I know when I'll be ready?) Jack asked as he let out a sigh of disappointment.
""Gabi na, oras na para matulog ka anak ... bukas masasabi sa iyo ng tiyuhin mo ang tungkol sa aming mga pakikipagsapalaran sa dagat" (translation: "It is getting late, it is time for you to go to sleep child... tomorrow your uncle can tell you more stories about our adventures at sea") Avelina smiled and ruffled her sons hair before gesturing him to go to bed. Jack hesitated but eventually complied with his mothers instruction and headed off to bed...
Abridged summary of what happens next:
Avelina and her crew stayed at port for about two weeks before heading out. This was the pattern Jack learned as he grew older. Her mother would sail for months, return for a few weeks and then head back to sea with her crew. This went on for years until Jack was the age of eleven. This lasted until Avelina, Jack's mother, got ill and was no longer able to captain the ship. Jack spent the next two years caring for his sick mother. His uncle Vic was the one to provide the money for Jack and his mother until one day the Aguila along with her crew, including his uncle Vic disappeared and never returned back to port... Then it was Jack's grandmother that passed away leaving Jack alone to provide for himself and his mother... Before Jack's mother passed away she gave Jack a black compass, and the location of the money she had saved up for him. Upon his mothers death, Jack decided that he should leave the small island and move to the bigger ports found in Maharlika. But before he could leave, a tall, light skinned man with the same green eyes as Jack introduced himself as Jack's father. Jack was surprised to find out that his father was alive the whole time, he grew to despise his old man blaming him for the death of his mother. Jack's father revealed the truth that Jack was a bastard son, and he had come to take the boy since his eldest son had passed away. Jack resisted but was eventually taken by force. Jack soon learned that his father was a wealthy merchant who owned a large trading company known as Nightlocke trading company. There Jack met his half sister Elizabeth Avantika Nightlocke. Jack hated his father but was glad to find out he had a sibling, however Elizabeth was not thrilled to find out about her fathers bastard son. Elizabeth was cold and mean to Jack at first, but Jack continued to treat Elizabeth with kindness and eventually Elizabeth came around and grew close to her new brother. Elizabeth and Jack both had a mutual hate for their father.
Jack eventually became a captain in one of his fathers ships that belonged to the Nightlocke trading company, while Elizabeth became the captain of a seafaring ship that also belonged to the Nightlocke trading company. The two siblings working together soon brought more prosperity to the business. Although the two were highly and incredibly efficient working separately, the two were essentially unstoppable when working together. Usually it was Jack that acted as the captain while Elizabeth acted as his 1st mate. Things were good for a while until Jack found out that some of the cargo they were taking were in fact people, beast folk, and other sorts of creatures. To Jack's horror he found out that the Nightlocke trading company secretly worked as a slave trading business on the side... Jack then told his sister, and the two hatched a plan.. the two siblings both stole a ship and each gathered a crew.... the two then took their ships and fired their cannons at the company in the dead of night essentially burning down their fathers business in a single night. The two siblings were then forth branded as pirates, each going their separate ways temporarily to avoid being caught by the authorities... for awhile the two had decided to separate to make it harder for them to get caught by the authorities, they had promised each other that they would meet 1 year later at one of Maharlika's ports. Elizabeth made her name for herself as a fearsome pirate that inspired fear and respect, while Jack on the other hand was famous for gathering those lost and giving them a purpose in his crew, inspiring respect and camaraderie. Each sibling led their crew with valor and ferocity... however a year later Elizabeth and her crew disappeared... Jack went to look for his sister, but before he could find her, Jack's first mate betrayed him and started a mutiny, those loyal to Jack were killed and Jack was marooned on an island left to die...
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Present day
The beat up makeshift dinghy made out of empty rum caskets, swayed. The tattered and worn sail made out of some sort of used tarp, fluttered through the air. Standing on top of the mast a young man gazed at the nearing port. His long brown hair swayed through the wind one hand on the makeshift mast and the other hand on his tricorne hat adorned with golden seashells, a golden piece that decorated his hat in the shape of a piece of coral made out of gold. The makeshift boat creaked and groaned until a loud audible crack rang out into the air. The young man raised his eyebrows and looked down realizing his macgyvered hull had just cracked and sprung a large leak. "Well that doesn't look good..." The young man muttered to himself as if the situation was just a minor inconvenience. The young man took hold of the makeshift rope woven out of pant fibers and vines, the young man then jumped off the mast, using the DIY rope to slow down his fall, he landed on the boat creating a splash of ocean water caused by the leak in the hull. The young pirate then picked up an empty bucket to gather the water that had leaked into the hull. He quickly dumped out as much water as he could, attempting to delay the sinking of the boat, as he did so he hummed a sea shanty to himself not over concern that his ship was in the process of sinking.
The salty ocean water continued to flow into the vessel, as the pirate filled his bucket only to dump its contents out back into the sea. It was a vicious cycle and eventually the pirate gave up because he knew his efforts were ultimately useless. The weight of the water in the ship proved to be too much for the makeshift rope that bound the ghetto boat together, thus the ropes began to break and snap one by one. It would only be a matter of minutes before the makeshift dinghy would fall apart and be swallowed by the sea. He looked around on his sinking dinghy for anyway to stop the leak from sinking his sorry excuse for a ship. He sighed wishing he had an affinity for the arcane, he had witnessed some sailors that were magically inclined cast spells and incantations that made sailing exponentially easy. He recalled how his sister was magically gifted and wondered to himself if she had any spell that could help solve his current predicament. He then looked around taking a quick scan of all that was available to him, his eyes eventually at the half filled barrel of rum (an essential cornerstone of a true pirate diet). A smile curled upon his lips as an idea popped into his head, he quickly made his way to the barrel and looked inside, no leaks. If there was no rum leaking out that meant the barrel was still sealed properly and no liquid could come or out. The barrel was his ticket to dry land, he looked around and found the cap for the barrel and picked it up.
"Bloody shame to waste all this rum..." The pirate muttered as he gazed at the beautiful amber liquid. He licked his lips and picked up the barrel and drank as much as he could. The amber liquid dumped all over his body, it sloshed into the salty ocean water and mixed with the sea. The pirate exhaled a sigh of satisfaction before taking off his tricorne hat and placed it over his chest giving the empty barrel a moment of solemn silence to the wasted booze, he could almost feel a tear trickle down his eye. However, it was not time to mourn for the lost rum, the pirate quickly got to work, he grabbed a heavy sack and tossed it into the now empty barrel. He stumbled about fastening his sword onto his belt.
"where in Davy Jones did I put that damned thing..." the pirate muttered as he sloshed around the water that was already up to his knees. He could feel the salty sea water gush into his soaked boots. He frantically looked around at the water until a glint of silver caught his eye. He immediately dove for it and was able to grab hold of the object, he pulled it out from the water revealing a beautifully made flintlock pistol with one shot loaded inside. "There you are! I was lookin' all of for ye.... ahhh what else might I be needin'..." The seasoned pirate muttered as he holstered his flintlock pistol. He quickly looked around at his already half sunk ship and decided he had gathered everything, he then sprung his plan into action. The barrel was still just above the water, he made his way to it, the pirate then checked the winds and checked to see the direction of the oceans waves. A large swell was making its way towards the shore, the pirate laughed as he knew that was the ride he was waiting for.
The pirate drew his blade and in one shift motion he cut the last remaining ropes that barely held the already sinking ship together. He then sheathed his blade and hopped into the barrel. The pirate then took the cap and used it to seal the top of the barrel with him inside. The ship fell apart, gently placing the barrel on to the water. The incoming wave picked up the barrel along with the pirate inside. The wave dragged the barrel carrying directly to shore. Inside the barrel it was dark, damp, and smelled like rum. The pirate inside was tossed from side to side, bumping his head as the barrel tumbled in the waves. "OW! Damn it!.... GAH!" the pirate yelled as he was tossed about in the churning sea. The waves continued its course until the barrel came crashing on to a beach a few yards away from the port.
As soon as the pirate felt that the barrel had hit land, he quickly shifted his weight causing the barrel to roll away from the waves in order to avoid the barrel from being sucked back into the ocean. Once he felt that he was far enough he tried opening the barrel but to no avail. He was curled up in a ball making it impossible for him to have any leverage to force the barrel cap open. He took out his flintlock pistol in hopes to fire a shot to loosen the cap, but when he went to pull the trigger nothing happened, the gunpowder was wet thus rendering the firearm useless.
"For the love of Neptune..." The pirate grumbled, there was only one way to get out, one option left. The pirate closed his single good eye, took a deep breath... and yelled at the top of his lungs. "HELP! FOR THE LOVE OF CALYPSO, LET ME OUT!!! IS ANYONE THERE! HELP A MATE OUT! S.O.S! HELP!!! I'M IN THE BARREL!!! OVER HERE! HEEEEELP!" The Pirate would yell for minutes with no shame, in hopes that someone would hear and free him from his improvised life boat and now prison.
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6,471 Words / 20,000 Words
@Ran
The country was located south from Midi, the island country was classified to be a third world country. This country was called Maharlika, a once prosperous nation that fell from grace. After hundreds of years of enslavement and being occupied by other nations Maharlika's wealth was leached out of her soil leaving the small island country tattered and in shambles. Many of the rich history and cultural history of Maharlika was burned, buried or lost at sea. The first country to occupy Maharlika and enslave her people was the country of Enca. Maharlika at that time was many years behind in technology so when Enca's navy clashed with the Maharlikans they had superiority when it came fire power, the Encan's were armed with muskets and cannons while the Maharlika were only equipped with swords, spears, and bows. The Maharlikan were equipped with lighter armor that was inferior to the the tempered steel that was worn by the Encan navy. Maharlikan's numbers were far greater, and they had a few powerful shamans in their ranks, this allowed Maharlika to fend Enca for a few years, but eventually Maharlika fell when Enca began to send mages to aid in their conquest. With the overwhelming fire power, superior armor and navy, along with the powerful enemy mages the country fell into the hands of Maharlika.
During Enca's rule the Maharlikan's faced intense persecutions, the people were practically enslaved and many of their cultural heritage were destroyed in attempts to stifle any ideas of rebellion against the Enca rule. The language spoken by the Maharlikan's eventually assimilated with the Encan language thus creating the language that is spoken in Maharlika till this day. Maharlika's tropical islands were eventually repurposed as docks and ports, essentially making Maharlika a trading hub for Enca and the other nations. Thus Maharlika transitioned from being a nation of scattered tribes to a trading epicenter for the nation of Enca. However the Maharlikan's refused to remain enslaved to Enca and eventually rebelled against their conquerors. Thus was a start of a bloody one hundred year war between the two nations. Fiore eventually sent aid half way through this 100 year war, the conflict claimed many Maharlikans lives, but the people persisted in hopes to reclaim their homeland back from their current conquerors. The 100 year war eventually came to a close during the time of the calamity of sin, and with he eventual execution of its king Enca pulled out it's forces returning Maharlika back to its people.
Although victory was achieved and freedom was attained, Maharlika was left battered and broken after the 100 year war. However, there was hope, the ports and cities made by Enca still remained, thus the people seized the opportunity and a group of powerful and influential Maharlikan merchants gathered together to form a republic in attempts to organize the tattered nation and unite the Maharlikan people. After a few years later the Maharlika began to recover and slowly get back on its feet. Just when it seemed that the nation of Maharlika would reclaim its former glory, another great trial seized the nation
After seeing that Maharlika was weak and recovering, the nation of Midi saw this as an opportunity to expand and take over. Midi saw Maharlika as a strategical location not only in a military stand point but as a asset when it came to trading and exporting goods. Thus Maharlika was thrust back into the fires of war... Soon Midi attempted to take over using force to seize Maharlika and her assets. The two nations eventually battled and Maharlika and her people was once again forced to fight for their independence and freedom. Even though the nation of Maharlika's was weak from the previous one hundred year war waged with Enca, Maharlika was remained firm, the nation's navy contested with the Midi's forces fighting back valiantly and managing to hold its ground for about a year. However, the defenses of Maharlika crumbled after the betrayal of one of the merchants who help establish the republic of Maharlika. The traitorous merchant sold the nations secret and revealed where the nations defense was the most fragile and at its weakest. The night before the new year the nation of Midi struck like lightning swiftly exploring the crack in Maharlika's defense and before sunrise the nation of Maharlika found itself bound to chains by another country.
Midi soon occupied the small island nation, forcing its people to work for a country that was not their own. Midi made sure to stifle any resistance and silenced the people. This occupation lasted for about 10 years not nearly as long as Enca's occupation, however, the people of Maharlika still suffered great persecution. Those who dared speak against or were even suspected of going against the empire, were brutally executed. Often times the natives were forced to dig their own graves before being slain...
Despite all of the suffering and pain the people went through an unlikely hero emerged. A Maharlikan captain of the ship called the Aguila, struck a deal with the rebel forces of Maharlika. This deal was to provide assistance in the war by means of creating and gathering a fleet strong enough to push Midi out of the waters of Maharlika, in return for this favor Maharlika would retain its freedom but its ports would allow the Pirates that were part of this fleet would be permitted to dock and restock supplies in Maharlika. Thus the deal was struck and the Pirate Brotherhood was made. The Maharlikan captain gather pirates from all over Earthland. And with in six month a fleet of the greatest pirates was born. No one knows how the captain was able to convince the other pirates to follow suit, some say he made a deal with the devil others say his charisma won over his fellow sea thieves support. During one night in the cover of thick fog the fleet sailed into Maharlika, legend has it that it was the captain of the Aguila that conjured the ghostly fog, other say that it was a tactical decision. Whatever the case maybe the fleet was able to sneak in rage of their long nines and opened fired creating a barrage of canon fire immediately shredding the enemy ships, sinking them to the bottom of the sea. It was over in a matter of hours and similar to how the nation fell before the sun rose, victory was attained before sun rise. Upon the sun rising the nation of Maharlika found itself free.
The nation kept its promise allowing the pirates that assisted in the battle to dock at the ports. This inadvertently fortified Maharlika creating its own pseudo fleet to defend its shores. With the constant traveling in and out of the island the pirates became a militaristic deterrent against other nations. The island nation thus created a symbiotic relationship with the pirates, allowing one of the nation's largest ports to become a haven for pirates. In order to protect this haven, many pirate crews inadvertently grew to become loyal to the nation that welcomed them...
Although freedom was attained much work was still needed. Unfortunately human greed has a way of ruining things, as the years went by corrupt officials were able to infiltrate's the nations government. Due to this corruption the progress of Maharlika was greatly slowed down which is the reason why the nation is a 3rd world country till this day. Slums in the main cities filled the streets, and crime became a common occurrence in one of the metro cities in Maharlika...
This nation is where the story begins for Jack Leonhart Nightlocke... The scene opens up with a young boy rushing as he ran through the sands as if trying to out run an incoming ship sailing its way into the port. Jack was a handsome young boy, with dark brown hair, light caramel skin and brilliant green eyes. He wore a worn white t-shirt, shorts and beat up sandals. He ran through the docks dodging and weaving through ropes, cargo, fishermen and sailors. As Jack ran through the docks a few of the locals and sailors would call out to him and greet him.
"Hoy! Dahan dahan Jackie! Baka madulas ka at mahulog!" (Translation: Jackie slow down! You might slip and fall!)
"San ka pupunta Jackie?" (Translation: Where are you going Jackie?)
"Sino ang humabol sa iyo?" (Who's chasing after you?)
Jack would eventually stop and explain to an old fisherman. "Ang barkong iyon doon, ang aking nanay ay nasa kanya! Siya ang kapitan ng barko at sa wakas ay nakauwi na siya! Papunta na ako para batiin siya!" (Translation: That ship over there, my mom is on it! She's the captain of the ship and she's finally home! I'm on my way to greet her!)
The old fisher man would chuckle and reply to the boy. "Magandang balita yan Jackie! Sabihin mo sa iyong ina, minakamusta siy ng asawa ko" (Translation: That's good news Jackie! Tell your mother, that my wife and I say hello)
"Oo naman! Paniguradong sasabihin ko sa kanya." (Translation: Sure! I'll be sure to tell her.) Jack said before bolting off to the area where the ship would dock. The sea vessel slowly made its way to the port eventually dropping her anchor and docking. Jack could hear a cheerful tune of sea shanties come from the ocean vessel. He watched in excitement as ropes were thrown off to the side of the ship, cargo being unloaded off the vessel. Sailors swinging off and landing at the dock. Each man and woman worked in unison eagerly to get off the boat to go home and see their families. Many of the sailors on the ship actually knew Jack and happily greeted the waiting boy. Jack's eyes widened as he saw his uncle get off the ship.
Jack's uncle raised his tanned muscular and scarred arms to a big wave to the boy as he yelled out to him. "Pababa na ang nanay mo, Jackie!" (translation: your mom is on her way down, Jackie) Jack's uncle Vic ran up to Jack and gave him a hug and a pat on the head. Jack laughed at his uncle's bear hug.
"kailangan mong maligo tito, ang baho mo!" (Translation: you need to take a bath uncle, you're so smelly) Jack laughed as he pinched his nose pretending his uncle reeked.
Jack's uncle Vic sniffed his shirt and gagged letting a bellowing laugh after "Tama ka, maliligo na ako" (Translation: You're right, I'm due for a bath) The two laughed when suddenly a commanding female voice echoed through the docks.
"Anong mga kasinungalingan ang sinabi mo sa aking anak ha Vic?" (Translation: What lies have you told my son this time Vic?) said a beautiful tan skinned woman with black hair. Her face was stern but immediately softened to a caring gaze at Jack. Her frown turning into a gentle smile.
"Nanay!" (Translation: Mom!) Jack ran up to his mother, Captain Avelina.
"Kamusta anak! Tumangkad ka na!" (Translation: How are you son? You've grown taller!) Captain Avelina said as she looked at her son, she gave him a tight embrace again clearly showing how she missed Jack during her time at the sea. The family eventually headed back to a small home where Jack lived with his grandmother.
There Jack's uncle Vic, the brother of Jack's mother, Avelina began telling stories to his nephew Jack.
"Nang kami ay naglalayag ay may isang kahila-hilakbot na bagyo na dumikit sa dagat. Ang kalangitan ay itim at ang kulog ay bumagsak sa paligid ng bangka. Bumubuhos ang ulan! Umiling-iling ang bangka sanhi ng pagbagyo ng hangin. Napakalakas ng hangin na napunit ito sa aming mga paglalayag. Ang mga alon ay napakalaki at nakakatakot. Ang mga alon ay mas malaki kaysa sa ilan sa pinakamataas na gusali sa Maharlika! Ang bawat alon na bumagsak sa bangka ay kinalabog pa ito! Kami ay sigurado na ang bangka ay nalubog at na natutugunan namin ang aming wakas. Mayroong kahit isang sandali kung saan muntik na akong mahulog sa bangka! Kung hindi dahil sa iyong ina nalunod ako sa dagat!" (Translation: When we were sailing there was a terrible storm that stuck the sea. The skies were black and thunder was crashing down around the boat. The rain was pouring down! The boat rocked back and forth due to the storming winds. The winds were so strong that it tore through our sails. The waves were huge and terrifying. The waves were bigger than some of the tallest building in Maharlika! Each wave that crashed on to the boat rocked it even more! We we're so sure that the boat would have sunk and that we would have met our end. There was even a moment where I almost fell off the boat! If it wasn't for your mother I would have drowned at the sea! ) Vic continued his story as he made grand hand gestures showing the intensity of the waves and how it rocked the boat. His loud booming voice conveyed the ripping winds and danger of the furious sea.
Jack was on the edge of his seat wide eyed as he attentively listened to the grand tale that was being woven and spoken by his obnoxiously loud uncle. Jack's mother rolled her eyes as she listened to her brother boast about the exploits of the crew on the sea. "Nagsimula kaming lahat na manalangin sa pag-asang titigil ang bagyo. Ang iyong ina ay tumaas at sumigaw sa umuugong na hangin at kulog. Napakalakas ng sigaw niya kahit ang dagat ay hindi matalo ang boses niya. Sumigaw siya sa lahat ng mga mandaragat na maging matapang at nagsimulang sumigaw ng mga intsruction sa amin. Sa una ang lahat ay natatakot na gumawa ng anuman. Ngunit ang iyong ina ay nagsimulang kumanta ng isang kanta sa bagyo. Ang kanyang tinig ay umikot sa alol ng hangin at ulan. Isa-isang nagsimulang kumanta rin ang mga marinero! Ang bawat kalalakihan at kababaihan ay ginagawa ang kanilang bahagi upang panatilihing nakalutang ang barko! Para sa mga oras na labanan namin ang bagyo, ngunit ang iyong ina ay humantong sa amin sa labas ng bagyo na iyon at bumalik sa ligtas na tubig!" (Translation: We all started saying our prayers in hopes that the storm would stop. Your mother stepped up and yelled over the rushing winds and thunder. Her shout was so strong even the sea could not beat her voice. She yelled to all the sailors to be brave and began yelling instructions to us. At first everyone was too afraid to do anything. But your mother began singing a song over the storm. Her voice pierced through the howling winds and rain. One by one the sailors began to sing as well! Each man and woman doing their part to keep the ship afloat! For hours we battle the storm, but your mother lead us out of that typhoon and back to safe waters!) After that story Vic took a big swig from his giant tankard of rum, he exhaled a loud yell of satisfaction after finishing his beverage.
""Nakakagulat yan! May nasaktan ba? Lahat ba kayo nawala sa ilang oras? Paano kayong lahat upang makalabas sa bagyo" (Translation: "That's amazing! Did anyone get get hurt? Did you all get lost at sometime? how were you all able to get out of the storm") Jacked began to fire question after question to his uncle, in hopes to find out more.
"Sa gayon ang iyong ina ay may espesyal na kumpas na laging tumuturo sa kung saan namin kailangang puntahan, nagtatrabaho kami ng higit pa upang maiwasan ang paglubog ng bangka at sundin ang kumpas mula sa bagyo. Mayroon kaming iilan na nasaktan ngunit walang mga pangunahing pinsala. Sa huli ang lahat na sumakay sa barko nang umalis kami ay makakabalik sa kanilang mga pamilya salamat sa iyong ina at katapangan!" (Translation: Well your mother had special compass that always points to where we needed to go, we worked togther to keep the boat from sinking and followed the compass out of the storm. We had a few who got hurt but no major injuries. Ultimately everyone that went aboard the ship when we left was able to come back home to their families thanks to your mothers wit and bravery!) Vic stroked his beard and laughed as he answered his Nephews questions.
"Mayroon ka na bang mga kwento tito Vic? Nais kong malaman ang tungkol sa iyong mga pakikipagsapalaran kasama si nanay!" (Translation: Do you have anymore stories uncle Vic? I want to know more about your adventures with mom!) Jack said practically bouncing in his seat from excitement.
"Sige Sige sasabihin ko pa sa iyo ... tingnan natin ... nasabi ko na ba sa iyo ang tungkol sa kung paano namin pinatay ang isang halimaw sa dagat?!" (Translation: okay, okay I'lll tell you more... let us see... have I ever told you about the story of how we slew a sea monster?!) Jack's uncle asked as his eyebrows rose in excitement. Jack's eyes widened even more, showing off his jade green iris'.
"Hindi mo pa sinabi sa akin ang kwentong iyon! Sabihin mo sa akin tito!" (Translation: No you haven't told me that story yet! Tell me uncle!) Jack said said almost holding his breath in excitement. Avelina sighed as she shook her head disapprovingly. "ito nanaman..." (Translation: This again) Avelina murmured.
"Huwag maging isang kill joy ate Avi" (Translation: Don't be a kill joy big sis) Vic laughed as he gave his nephew a pat on his back. "saan na naman tayo?" (Translation: where were we again?) Vic mused. Jack promptly reminded his uncle where they left off. Vic laughed and took a deep breath before telling the story of how they slew a sea monster.
"Tama! Ang halimaw sa dagat! Habang naglalayag kami malapit sa mga karagatan na malapit sa Pergande ay nang makita namin ang higanteng hayop ng dagat! Napakalaki ng halimaw ng dagat, ito ay kasing buog ng pinakamalaking bangka sa daungan! Ang napakalaking nilalang ng dagat ay may mga tentikal na bawat laki sa laki ng palo ng mga bangka. Ang mata ay hindi bababa sa sampung beses na mas malaki kaysa sa iyo at iyon lang ang mata Jackie! Ang halimaw ng dagat ay may bibig na puno ng labaha matalim na ngipin na mas malaki kaysa sa pinakamataas na tao sakay ng aming barko! Amoy ng hininga ng halimaw na dagat ang isang libong bulok na bangkay. Nakakatakot ang dragon sa dagat na ang ilan sa mga mandaragat ay pumanaw dahil sa nakakatakot na aura ng nilalang ng dagat. Ang ingay ng halimaw ng dagat ay napakalakas na halos mabingi kami! Sa tuwing lilipat ang halimaw ng dagat, ginulo nito ang dagat! Ang bawat galaw ng mga galamay nito ay lumikha ng malalaking alon na tumba sa barko." (Translaiton: Right! The sea monster! While we were sailing near the oceans near Pergande was when we saw the giant sea beast! The sea monster was huge, it was as big as the biggest boat in the port! The enormous sea creature had tentacles each the size of the boat's mast. Eye was at least ten times bigger than you and that's just the eye Jackie! The sea monster had a mouth full of razor sharp teeth that was bigger than the tallest man aboard our ship! The sea monster's breath smelled the a thousand rotten corpses. The sea monster was so frightening that some of the sailors passed out due to the terrifying aura of the sea creature. The sea monster's roar was so loud we almost went deaf! Every time the sea monster move, it churned the sea! Every move of its tentacles created massive waves that rocked the ship)
"At saka anong nangyari ?! Mayroon bang nasaktan o kinain ng sea monster?" (Translation: And then what happened?! Did anyone get hurt or eaten by the sea monster?) Jack inquired as he took a sip from a cup of milk.
"Oo natatakot akong nawala ang ilan sa ating matapang na mandaragat sa halimaw ng dagat ... Ngunit ang kanilang mga sakripisyo ay hindi walang kabuluhan. Matapang kaming nakipaglaban na inutusan kami ng iyong ina na maghintay hanggang ang mga galamay ng halimaw ay pumulupot sa barko. Sa huling segundo ang iyong nanay ay sumigaw sa amin upang sunugin ang mga canon, at sa gayon ay ginawa namin. Ang apoy ng kanon ng barko ay tulad ng kulog na pumutok sa kalangitan. Ang mga bola ng canon ay lumipad at winasak ang mga tentacles ng mga demonyong dagat. Ang halimaw ay sumigaw sa sakit habang dumugo ito sa buong deck ng barko. Ngunit hindi kami tumigil doon, sinabi sa iyo ng iyong ina na magtapon ng mga bariles ng langis at pulbura sa halimaw, at ganoon din ang ginawa namin. At tulad ng pag-angat ng diyablo sa dagat mula sa karagatan, ang iyong ina, kinuha niya ang kanyang pistol na nakatuon at pinaputok ito sa mga bariles. Ang mga barel na kargado ng langis at pulbura ay naipalabas sa isang higanteng bola ng apoy na sumisira at pumatay sa demonyo sa dagat sa isang solong pagbaril. Umulan ang laman ng halimaw sa kubyerta at ang mga tauhan ay nababad sa dugo ng mga monster sa dagat! Nawalan kami ng pitong matapang na kaluluwa sa araw na iyon ... nawa'y makapahinga sila sa kapayapaan ... ngunit dahil sa katapangan ng iyong mga ina ... nakauwi kaming lahat. Nagkaroon kaming lahat ng pagkakataong mabuhay upang may kwento kung paano si Kapitan Avelina, kapitan ng Aguila ay nagawang sirain at pumatay ng isang mabangis na halimaw sa dagat!" (Translaiton: Yes I'm afraid we lost some of our brave sailors to the sea monster... But their sacrfices were not in vain. We fought bravely your mother instructed us to wait until the monster's tentacles wrapped around the ship. At the last second your mom yelled at us to fire the cannons, and so we did. The canon fire of the ship was like thunder cracking the sky. The canon balls flew and destroyed the sea devils tentacles. The monster yelled in pain as it bled all over the deck of the ship. But we didn't stop there, your mother told us to throw barrels of oils and gunpowder on the monster, and so we did. And just as the sea devil rose from the ocean, your mother, she then took her pistol aimed and fired it at the barrels. The barrels loaded with oil and gunpowder exploded into a giant ball of fire destroying and killing the sea demon in one single shot. The monster's flesh rained on the deck and the crew was soaked in the sea monster's blood! We lost seven brave souls that day... may they rest in peace... but due to your mothers bravery... we all got to go home. We all got the chance to live to tell the tale of how Captain Avelina, captain of the Aguila was able to destroy and kill a giant sea monster!)
Uncle Vic told his story, his words full of life and vigor as he told the tale to his beloved nephew. Avelina watched her brother talk to her son, she wore a somber expression as she watched her soon dream about the sea.
"Kailan ako makakasali sa tauhan ng Aguila?" (Translation: "When will I be able to join the Aguila's crew?") Jack asked his uncle. His uncle scratched his head and looked to his sister, Jacks mother, Avelina.
"Hindi sa akin jack, nasa sa iyong ina ang magpapasya kung sasali ka sa tauhan ng Aguila ..." (Translation: It is not up to me jack, it is up to your mother to decide if you get to join the Aguila's crew...) Vic sighed as he looked at his sister. Avelina scowled as if she knew that this question would come back up.
"Ina kailan ako makakasama sa iyo at tito?" (Translation: Mother, when can I join you and uncle?) Jack pleaded with his mother. Avelina looked at her son with a serious look. Her face softened as she put her hand on her son's cheek. Avelina wrapped her arms around her son and took him into an embrace.
"Anak ko, ang dagat ay isang napaka-mapanganib na lugar ... ikaw ay bata pa ... huwag magmadali ng mga bagay ... balang araw matanda ka na upang pumunta sa iyong sariling paglalakbay ... isang araw magkakaroon ka ang iyong sariling barko at ang iyong sariling tauhan ... ngunit sa ngayon ay tamasahin ang iyong oras dito sa isla ... kung umalis ka sa amin, sino ang mag-aalaga ng iyong lola?" (Translation: My child, the sea is a very dangerous place... you are still young... do not rush things... one day you'll be old enough to go on your own journey... one day you'll have your own ship and your own crew... but for now enjoy your time here on the island... if you leave with us, who will take care of your grandmother?) Avelina spoke gently as she explained the situation to her son.
"Kailan ako magiging sapat na gulang upang sumama sa iyo at tito vic? Patuloy mong sinasabi sa akin na hindi pa ako handa! Kailan ko malalaman kung kailan ako magiging handa?" (Translation: When will I be old enough to go with you and uncle vic? You keep telling me I'm not ready yet! When will I know when I'll be ready?) Jack asked as he let out a sigh of disappointment.
""Gabi na, oras na para matulog ka anak ... bukas masasabi sa iyo ng tiyuhin mo ang tungkol sa aming mga pakikipagsapalaran sa dagat" (translation: "It is getting late, it is time for you to go to sleep child... tomorrow your uncle can tell you more stories about our adventures at sea") Avelina smiled and ruffled her sons hair before gesturing him to go to bed. Jack hesitated but eventually complied with his mothers instruction and headed off to bed...
Abridged summary of what happens next:
Avelina and her crew stayed at port for about two weeks before heading out. This was the pattern Jack learned as he grew older. Her mother would sail for months, return for a few weeks and then head back to sea with her crew. This went on for years until Jack was the age of eleven. This lasted until Avelina, Jack's mother, got ill and was no longer able to captain the ship. Jack spent the next two years caring for his sick mother. His uncle Vic was the one to provide the money for Jack and his mother until one day the Aguila along with her crew, including his uncle Vic disappeared and never returned back to port... Then it was Jack's grandmother that passed away leaving Jack alone to provide for himself and his mother... Before Jack's mother passed away she gave Jack a black compass, and the location of the money she had saved up for him. Upon his mothers death, Jack decided that he should leave the small island and move to the bigger ports found in Maharlika. But before he could leave, a tall, light skinned man with the same green eyes as Jack introduced himself as Jack's father. Jack was surprised to find out that his father was alive the whole time, he grew to despise his old man blaming him for the death of his mother. Jack's father revealed the truth that Jack was a bastard son, and he had come to take the boy since his eldest son had passed away. Jack resisted but was eventually taken by force. Jack soon learned that his father was a wealthy merchant who owned a large trading company known as Nightlocke trading company. There Jack met his half sister Elizabeth Avantika Nightlocke. Jack hated his father but was glad to find out he had a sibling, however Elizabeth was not thrilled to find out about her fathers bastard son. Elizabeth was cold and mean to Jack at first, but Jack continued to treat Elizabeth with kindness and eventually Elizabeth came around and grew close to her new brother. Elizabeth and Jack both had a mutual hate for their father.
Jack eventually became a captain in one of his fathers ships that belonged to the Nightlocke trading company, while Elizabeth became the captain of a seafaring ship that also belonged to the Nightlocke trading company. The two siblings working together soon brought more prosperity to the business. Although the two were highly and incredibly efficient working separately, the two were essentially unstoppable when working together. Usually it was Jack that acted as the captain while Elizabeth acted as his 1st mate. Things were good for a while until Jack found out that some of the cargo they were taking were in fact people, beast folk, and other sorts of creatures. To Jack's horror he found out that the Nightlocke trading company secretly worked as a slave trading business on the side... Jack then told his sister, and the two hatched a plan.. the two siblings both stole a ship and each gathered a crew.... the two then took their ships and fired their cannons at the company in the dead of night essentially burning down their fathers business in a single night. The two siblings were then forth branded as pirates, each going their separate ways temporarily to avoid being caught by the authorities... for awhile the two had decided to separate to make it harder for them to get caught by the authorities, they had promised each other that they would meet 1 year later at one of Maharlika's ports. Elizabeth made her name for herself as a fearsome pirate that inspired fear and respect, while Jack on the other hand was famous for gathering those lost and giving them a purpose in his crew, inspiring respect and camaraderie. Each sibling led their crew with valor and ferocity... however a year later Elizabeth and her crew disappeared... Jack went to look for his sister, but before he could find her, Jack's first mate betrayed him and started a mutiny, those loyal to Jack were killed and Jack was marooned on an island left to die...
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Present day
The beat up makeshift dinghy made out of empty rum caskets, swayed. The tattered and worn sail made out of some sort of used tarp, fluttered through the air. Standing on top of the mast a young man gazed at the nearing port. His long brown hair swayed through the wind one hand on the makeshift mast and the other hand on his tricorne hat adorned with golden seashells, a golden piece that decorated his hat in the shape of a piece of coral made out of gold. The makeshift boat creaked and groaned until a loud audible crack rang out into the air. The young man raised his eyebrows and looked down realizing his macgyvered hull had just cracked and sprung a large leak. "Well that doesn't look good..." The young man muttered to himself as if the situation was just a minor inconvenience. The young man took hold of the makeshift rope woven out of pant fibers and vines, the young man then jumped off the mast, using the DIY rope to slow down his fall, he landed on the boat creating a splash of ocean water caused by the leak in the hull. The young pirate then picked up an empty bucket to gather the water that had leaked into the hull. He quickly dumped out as much water as he could, attempting to delay the sinking of the boat, as he did so he hummed a sea shanty to himself not over concern that his ship was in the process of sinking.
The salty ocean water continued to flow into the vessel, as the pirate filled his bucket only to dump its contents out back into the sea. It was a vicious cycle and eventually the pirate gave up because he knew his efforts were ultimately useless. The weight of the water in the ship proved to be too much for the makeshift rope that bound the ghetto boat together, thus the ropes began to break and snap one by one. It would only be a matter of minutes before the makeshift dinghy would fall apart and be swallowed by the sea. He looked around on his sinking dinghy for anyway to stop the leak from sinking his sorry excuse for a ship. He sighed wishing he had an affinity for the arcane, he had witnessed some sailors that were magically inclined cast spells and incantations that made sailing exponentially easy. He recalled how his sister was magically gifted and wondered to himself if she had any spell that could help solve his current predicament. He then looked around taking a quick scan of all that was available to him, his eyes eventually at the half filled barrel of rum (an essential cornerstone of a true pirate diet). A smile curled upon his lips as an idea popped into his head, he quickly made his way to the barrel and looked inside, no leaks. If there was no rum leaking out that meant the barrel was still sealed properly and no liquid could come or out. The barrel was his ticket to dry land, he looked around and found the cap for the barrel and picked it up.
"Bloody shame to waste all this rum..." The pirate muttered as he gazed at the beautiful amber liquid. He licked his lips and picked up the barrel and drank as much as he could. The amber liquid dumped all over his body, it sloshed into the salty ocean water and mixed with the sea. The pirate exhaled a sigh of satisfaction before taking off his tricorne hat and placed it over his chest giving the empty barrel a moment of solemn silence to the wasted booze, he could almost feel a tear trickle down his eye. However, it was not time to mourn for the lost rum, the pirate quickly got to work, he grabbed a heavy sack and tossed it into the now empty barrel. He stumbled about fastening his sword onto his belt.
"where in Davy Jones did I put that damned thing..." the pirate muttered as he sloshed around the water that was already up to his knees. He could feel the salty sea water gush into his soaked boots. He frantically looked around at the water until a glint of silver caught his eye. He immediately dove for it and was able to grab hold of the object, he pulled it out from the water revealing a beautifully made flintlock pistol with one shot loaded inside. "There you are! I was lookin' all of for ye.... ahhh what else might I be needin'..." The seasoned pirate muttered as he holstered his flintlock pistol. He quickly looked around at his already half sunk ship and decided he had gathered everything, he then sprung his plan into action. The barrel was still just above the water, he made his way to it, the pirate then checked the winds and checked to see the direction of the oceans waves. A large swell was making its way towards the shore, the pirate laughed as he knew that was the ride he was waiting for.
The pirate drew his blade and in one shift motion he cut the last remaining ropes that barely held the already sinking ship together. He then sheathed his blade and hopped into the barrel. The pirate then took the cap and used it to seal the top of the barrel with him inside. The ship fell apart, gently placing the barrel on to the water. The incoming wave picked up the barrel along with the pirate inside. The wave dragged the barrel carrying directly to shore. Inside the barrel it was dark, damp, and smelled like rum. The pirate inside was tossed from side to side, bumping his head as the barrel tumbled in the waves. "OW! Damn it!.... GAH!" the pirate yelled as he was tossed about in the churning sea. The waves continued its course until the barrel came crashing on to a beach a few yards away from the port.
As soon as the pirate felt that the barrel had hit land, he quickly shifted his weight causing the barrel to roll away from the waves in order to avoid the barrel from being sucked back into the ocean. Once he felt that he was far enough he tried opening the barrel but to no avail. He was curled up in a ball making it impossible for him to have any leverage to force the barrel cap open. He took out his flintlock pistol in hopes to fire a shot to loosen the cap, but when he went to pull the trigger nothing happened, the gunpowder was wet thus rendering the firearm useless.
"For the love of Neptune..." The pirate grumbled, there was only one way to get out, one option left. The pirate closed his single good eye, took a deep breath... and yelled at the top of his lungs. "HELP! FOR THE LOVE OF CALYPSO, LET ME OUT!!! IS ANYONE THERE! HELP A MATE OUT! S.O.S! HELP!!! I'M IN THE BARREL!!! OVER HERE! HEEEEELP!" The Pirate would yell for minutes with no shame, in hopes that someone would hear and free him from his improvised life boat and now prison.
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6,471 Words / 20,000 Words
@Ran
Last edited by Noctis Rose on 12th July 2021, 12:24 pm; edited 1 time in total
