The Final Goodbye
By Kiyoko
The fog rolled in shortly after midnight covering the harbor in a thick layer too dense to see clearly. A hooded figure in a black velvet cloak slipped out of its dark hiding place between two water saturated crates and stealthily slipped onto the nearest ship in the harbor. Checking thoroughly and making sure not to be spotted, the figure crept into the cargo hold. A storm had been anticipated for days now, and the thick fog had been an added bonus.
Weeks seemed to pass in a matter of days before the figure emerged from its hiding spot. Creeping slowly across the deck of the huge ship while looking up, the figure noticed the heavy black clouds rolling in. Dawn was a mere ten minutes away. A hazy orange could be seen on the sea?s horizon like a crack in the never-ending sky. A lone cabin boy had fallen asleep at his post sitting against the mast. His straw colored hair covered his eyes as his thin chin rested on his scrawny chest. Clearly he ranked low in the crew by the state of his shabby dress.
Slowly and soundlessly the figure crept up behind the boy, hiding in the wide shadow of the wooden pole. Swiftly the figure clamped a hand over the boy?s mouth and shoved a sharp dagger against his side. The boy?s eyes went wide, his light blue orbs moving frantically from side to side. Feeling the prick of the dagger in his side, he abandoned his struggle and sat silently against the pole.
?Take a message to the Crimson Blade. Tell him the final hour has arrived. If you alert anyone in any way I?ll gut you from nose to navel slowly and painfully.? The figure could feel the young boy trembling with fear, his shoulders quivering. A small smile made its way onto the figure?s face. ?Do you understand?? The boy nodded quickly and the hand was lifted from his mouth, the dagger from his side. A wave of relief coursed through his body as he bolted to the cabin door toward the captain?s quarters.
***
The black sea winds blew violently causing the three-mast ship to sway dangerously. The dark, frigid salt water thrashed wildly around them. This was what everything had come down to. The final moment approached rapidly. All the pain and bloodshed had led her here, to this man. He had wrenched away all that was dear to her. It was like watching tiny grains of fine sand slip through her slender, petite fingers. No matter how much she tried, they kept drifting away.
Her deathly cold gaze bore into the man in front of her. Eyes darker than a pitch black night glared back. His long, dark beard was braided with midnight blue satin ribbons that reached down to the middle of his chest. The red coat buttoned safely onto his torso swayed lazily in the fierce wind. Black leather boots stood firmly on the wet deck of the rocking ship.
If his attack went as planned her pretty little head would be swinging by her long, ebony hair from the mast. His thin gray lips, chapped from days at sea, twisted into a demonic smile as he imagined the mangy seagulls pecking out her lifeless eyes.
The girl?s hand twitched against the handle of her katana. This man, the Crimson Blade, would die by her hand. Her parent?s death would be honored by his blood; her brother?s abduction would be rectified by his death. She traveled from the tiny island of Japan following the Crimson Blade the best she could foraging by land. For years she sought him out, perfecting and practicing her katana technique. She gripped the Japanese sword by her side tightly. By the time she reached England, no one could stand in her way.
The harsh sea wind blew harder, licking her black hair, the ends dancing wildly with the wind. Her coffee brown eyes were devoid of any emotion, never looking away from her target. Compared to her, the Crimson Blade towered over her by nearly twenty inches. His height would certainly give him a strong advantage, but her amazing dexterity would make up for it.
?It be nice to be seein? ye again Aya. When I last saw ye, ye was laying on your backside, me blade against your neck,? the Crimson Blade said jokingly, then laughed heartily. Aya scowled at him, anger heating her blood and causing it to boil.
?You?ll die by my hand, Blade, here and now. Say your prayers because that?s all the time you?ll have before I dismantle your head from your shoulders,? she spat back at him, venom thick in her voice. The Crimson blade glared maliciously, piercing into her soul. Aya tried to block out that look on his face. She had seen that look right before her parents fell to his Blade. Her brother?s shrill scream still resounded loudly in her ears before the crew bound and gagged him, and then dragged him to the lonely ship swaying in the dark sea.
Aya gripped the very top of the katana sheath with her right hand while gripping the handle with her left then lunged at him. Expert hands ripped the sword from the sheath, the momentum of the action causing the sword to fly faster. The Crimson Blade?s dark, sinister eyes narrowed, then jumped back and parried expertly with his own sword. The swords met with a clash, the Crimson Blade?s sword nearly knocked from his hand.
He bared his chipped, yellowing teeth at her before heaving forward forcing the blade of her sword from his, a battle cry escaping his lips. Continuing forward, he swung his sword high into the windy air and brought it down toward her head. Aya had predicted his move and twirled out of the way to the left then before bringing her sword up to meet his torso, her arms extended. Kicking her blade out of the way with his foot, he shuffled backward. Aya lunged at the Crimson Blade again, slashing the material of his red coat.
Glancing down at his ruined coat, he frowned deeply. His forehead creased from anger.
?I?ll kill you like I killed your pathetic parents,? he sneered loudly over the blowing wind. Their swords met again with a loud ?clang?. Thrust, parry, thrust, parry. The odd dance continued as they fought around the wet deck of the ship. One wrong move could prove to be fatal. Aya didn?t plan on joining her parents anytime soon.
Suddenly she slipped in a large puddle of water falling backwards, the deck of the ship rushing up to meet her. Bending backwards quickly, she managed a back hand spring while kicking the Crimson Blade painfully in the jaw. A loud growl escaped his lips, the ache in his jaw halting his advance. The throbbing pain felt like he was on fire with no water to put out the scorching flames.
Quickly Aya regained her footing. Looking around the dismal ship she soon realized she had been backed into a tight corner. Panic coursed through her veins sending panic signals to her brain rapidly. Her brain quickly searched for a solution, all of them escaping before she could grasp even one of them. The Crimson Blade looked as if he had recovered from the painful blow while assessing the situation. Spotting a rope dangling from the mast above her head, Aya jumped onto the rail of the ship maintaining her balance. She sheathed her katana, leaped off the wooden rail, and grabbed onto the hemp rope.
A foul curse escaped the Crimson Blade?s lips as he watched the young girl maneuver around the ship like an out of control monkey. Aya let go of the rope and flipped gracefully onto the opposite side of the ship. She advanced on him slowly, one foot in front of the other. Raising her sword to meet his, she stepped forward using her entire weight against the sword. The Crimson Blade smiled as he shifted to the side sending Aya stumbling forward before he ripped through her skin with his sword. Dark blood ran down her side then dripped onto the deck of the ship.
Aya gripped the katana tightly and swung around sliding on her knees.
Her curved blade went through him swiftly and easily, like a hot knife through butter. Dark eyes growing wide, his large, two-handed sword clattered loudly to the wooden deck of the ship. He grabbed the blade that had slid between two of his ribs with both hands. Gasping greedily for air, all he could do was stare with disbelief. Aya smiled blankly up at him from her kneeling position below him.
?Your life will be the last that I ever take. The bloodshed will end here,? she said before pulling out her katana from his bleeding torso. Wiping the blade clean, she slipped it back into her light, black sheath. She felt as though a huge, overbearing weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Her parent?s spirits could rest peacefully now and dance happily in the heavens.
Hope everyone liked it! I'd really love some feedback on this story, good or bad because I really would like to extend it. All comments are appreciated. Thanks for reading! :
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ilove pirate stories!! :razz: 
