• Chapter 2: Kitchen Boy
    Blake followed Violet out onto the main deck where many of the pirates were working. They all finally took off their cloaks. They all looked the part of real life pirates. Blake could feel the cool air going through him. He finally thought that this was a place where he belonged. It was a life in the sky.

    “Oy, Violet!” yelled out the pirate named Caitlyn. She was wearing a blue and white striped shirt and black pants with pirate boots. She was also holding an old clip board with papers almost falling out of it. “You will be cabining with…Josephine and Clover, the Bowdrey sisters. They are a little…revealing but they are very energetic pirates. Good luck with that.” She then left shaking her head with relief that she herself wasn’t sharing a room with those two.

    “Aye, my goodness! Why am I rooming with them!? They were the ones who accidentally brought you onto the boat. The Bowdrey family are famous for being very…promiscuous. This will be a long pirate life…” she said then kind of trailed off.

    “I have a question…” Blake hesitated to ask. “When you were taken off this boat when you were little, was Captain Jenison still captain?”

    “Correct. I got on this ship when I was around ten years old and taken off straight away by her.”

    “So she was captain when she was ten too? If she was captain than, then wouldn’t she be a kid captain?”

    A couple laughs came from above their heads. Josephine and Chloe jumped off from one of the masts. “Once you stay on one of these types pf pirate ships for exactly one year, you lost the gift of aging! Kid pirate…what a stupid idea.”

    “What?” asked Blake with confusion, “You two can’t age? So, it’s like immortality.”

    “Not exactly, we still can die any minute if we’re not careful fighting you see,” answered Violet, “This is why I was sent to grow up a little more so I could have the strength and skill of a pirate. You should listen to Captain Jenison though. She’s the eldest pirate here! She has a lot of wisdom that’s for sure.”

    Blake stared back to the captain’s cabin watching Captain Jenison exit it and going around to everyone.

    “Oh yeah,” Violet remembered, “I’m bunking with you two.”

    “Aye! You’re the fresh meat!” Josephine stated while laughing. Josephine was wearing a very short skirt with pirate boots and a loose puffy blouse. She had on also just normal boots. “How bout this, love; we’ll take young Blake here to David while you go get comfortable in your new room. Choose any hammock you please.”

    “You know what; I’ll take you up on that offer. So I’ll guess I’ll see you later Blake…” She then turned to head for the pirates rooms.

    A huge grin appeared on Clover’s face. She was wearing torn up black leggings and short shorts with a black blouse. She took Blake on one side and Josephine took him on the other side. “Aye, we’ll show you the kitchen.” They kind of ran off with him while Blake screamed a little.

    All Blake remembered next was darkness. Clover lit a lantern and…they were in a storage room. He was lying down on a sac of potatoes and carrots. He could see Josephine and
    Clover just staring at him, like he was buried treasure or something. Clover began to clap and cheer. “Aye, we finally have a male on board! Other than David but David is too old for us. You are perfect, love.” She then touched his arm.

    “Hey!” Josephine interrupted as she pulled Clover’s hair, “I want to make out with him first. The last boy that we captured, you got to make out with him first. So now it’s my turn. Come to me, Blake love.”

    “But that last one was around twenty years ago, stupid girl!”

    “Aye, that hurts! You are a wretch!”

    “Cheap clothes buyer!”

    “Stupid parrot!”

    “Flowerpot!”

    And then they went at it. Josephine was pulling at Clover’s hair and Clover was biting Josephine’s leg. Blake just grabbed his things, slipped out of the storage room and began to run onto the main deck. He then ran across a part of the deck someone was cleaning and he slipped. He slowly got up. “Sorry about that, ma’am.” He then looked up to see not a woman… but a man!

    The man had greasy brown hair and his stomach was very round. He had a small beard and was wearing a t-shirt and pants underneath a dirty apron. He had these black rimmed glasses and his eyes were two different colours. One eye was green and the other yellow. His muscles were kind of flexing as he held the mop. His brown boots made a thudding sound as he walked closer to Blake. Blake thought that his life was going to end right there and now. The man leveled his face to Blake and just stared at him. Than, came a nice soothing smile.

    “You must be the young assistant I was promised,” he said as he stuck out one of his gigantic hands to help Blake up, “Blake, I think that was the name.” Blake took his hand and without any effort from the man, he picked him up and propped him on his feet.

    “Yes, I’m Blake,” Blake returned with a smile, “You must be David.”

    “David O’Terrance,” he introduced himself, “head custodian and basically the whole kitchen in the kitchen.” This followed with a hardy laugh. “So you’ll be my new assistant and new roommate. Well finally, another lad to share stories with. I have many for I’ve been everywhere! I’ve walked across many lands, sailed across seas and oceans, and what I’m doing now, I’ve flew through many parts of the sky. Let’s see… I could clear out the hammock right above mine for you. Oh, I hope you don’t mind me snoring. Well, I hope you can cook too. These ladies may look like they don’t eat much. But, between you and me, they do. Shall we get you settled in lad?”

    He kind of pushed Blake and his things in the kitchen. Blake opened the old wooden doors with the writing of “kitchen” on them. Inside wasn’t very impressive. It was a small wood stove and a small brown table. There were cabinets of many spices and it was a pantry. The kitchen pots and pans were hanging from the ceiling and the kitchen utensils were stuffed in this other cabinet.

    The hammocks looked rather comfy being surrounded with pillows and having a skylight right above the top one. But, the top hammock was full of kitchen tools. There was a small area for their wardrobe but, Blake had a homey feeling about the kitchen. He could feel the warmth from the stove.

    “Well, this is it,” David announced. “It’s not very big but I try to keep it clean enough.”

    “Don’t worry it’s perfect. You know what David? I think I’m gonna like this place.”

    “Well, I’m gonna make you start right away, starting by cleaning out the top bunk. Are you up for it, kitchen boy?”

    “Aye sir,” he said as David tossed him a new apron. It was a little too big since it was David’s but Blake managed. He set his new clothes down and headed for the top hammock. He slowly took all of the sharp utensils out and set them down on the table. Slowly, all of them were on the table. The next order of business was trying to figure out where everything belonged. Nothing was really organized so, Blake decided to do something about it. David left to clean the main deck so Blake found himself alone.

    “Uncle David!” Blake heard from outside. Someone swung the door open to see Blake. She had light blonde hair and big green eyes. In Blake’s mind, she was the cutest pirate out them all. She had part of her hair in a braid with golden feathers coming out. She had on a dark brown pirates jacket and a white sundress underneath with brown pirate boots. “Aye, you must be the new kitchen boy. My uncle’s assistant. You’re a lucky boy to work with him. You know he used to cook for Royal pirates but then he quit for them and took me with him to this ship. Oh, the name is Tressa, Tressa O’Terrance.”

    Blake didn’t say anything. Just stared at how pretty she was. She waved in front of his face.
    “Hello, anyone in there? You don’t talk that much, do you?” she teased.

    “You’re pretty…” he said in a trans. She backed off a little and blushed. “No, I’m sorry. No wait, I don’t mean you’re not pretty, because you are. Um, sorry, I’m Blake Desman.”

    She laughed a little. “You know what Blake Desman, you’re a funny guy. You’re sixteen, right?”

    “Wow news travels fast here.”

    “What do you expect, we’re girls. Gossip travels quickly. Well, I’m fifteen.”

    “As in you look fifteen?”

    “No, as in I’m fifteen,” she explained. “We just started going on sky pirate ships two years ago since my uncle waned to travel so much. He even wanted to try the sky! I joined this ship last year. And today is my birthday so ‘happy birthday to me’. I used to ride on the Royal ships, until my uncle got fed up with their rules.”

    “Um, what are ‘the Royals’?”

    “You see, ‘the Royals’ are these pirates who, in the olden days, negotiated with kings and queens. A pirates life is suppose to be free. You know, steal money, and adventure new lands, stuff like that. But the Royals are greedy pirates who would do anything for money. The Royals try to capture captains of other pirate ships who try to live a free-lifestyle, then they try to, well, stop the free-life. Once, they capture a captain, the ship and crew that belongs to that captain has to work under the name of the Royals. Unfortunately, this tradition lived on and is still living. So that’s why we have to run when a Royals ship is coming. My uncle finally got fed up of those pirates. They were taking out the freedom of even being a pirate! So, late at night, he took me and we escaped in a fly boat. There like those escape boats on real ships on water except, they glide on the wind. That gust of wind brought us here and we’ve been working under Captain Jenison’s order ever since. In my mind, this life is the way to go. Care-free and just enjoy the sky.”

    “Well sounds like you’ve been on many adventures,” Blake answered. “And I have to say, I’m glad you decided this ship.”

    “You know what, maybe now I’m glad I did too,” she responded.

    The doors of the kitchen opened which scared Blake a little bit. David came in carrying a barrel of rum. He saw his niece and smiled.

    “Aye, Tressa, nice to see you love,” he answered as he placed the barrel down. “This is the new kitchen boy, Blake.”

    “I know, we’ve met,” she said with a smile. “Oh, uncle, do you remember what day it is?”
    “You think I would forget? Happy birthday poppet,” He gave her a big hug and she hugged him back. “Now, yer gift is a little delicate…don’t tell anyone you got it from me, you here?”
    She nodded in agreement and she placed a finger in front of her lips. “I promise not tell a word for let the sea serpents eat me alive.”

    “Ha, that’s my niece for you,” he said as he patted her head. He walked up to another small door and took out her gift. It barked twice and David petted it.

    “Annabelle!” she gasped, “You found her? Where, how, when? Ah, I don’t care, let me see her.”

    “I snuck out onto the Royals ship and got her. Can’t believe we forgot her when we ran! She’s such a wee thing though.” He petted the Maltese dog and handed her to Tressa. “Happy birthday love, but you should hurry and keep it in your room.

    “Yes, I will uncle,” she said then her gaze went to the direction of Blake’s, “I’ll see you later Blake.” She then winked at him as she hid her puppy in her jacket.

    “Will do,” he said very coolly even though he was shaking in the inside. She left David and Blake by themselves.

    “If you’re interested in my niece, I can put in a good word for ya,” he said with a wink.

    “What! No, I’m not- I mean, I am a little… but no!” he said a little confused.

    “Meh, suit yourself. Aye, I see you’re trying to re-organize everything. Well, this kitchen could a little organization…Let’s work on it now!”
    ______________
    On the Lock, many of the pirates were celebrating their close victory with wine and food. They sang joyful tunes and filled the air with laughter. One pirate noticed something dangling in the clouds. He placed a bucket down in the clouds and picked it up.

    “Oy, first hand Conrad, look at what I’ve found!” he called out to another pirate. The pirate turn to see what the commotion was about.

    Captain Conan Lock Harven sat in his captain’s cabin of deep red walls and white trimming. He looked at the map at his desk. He wanted to win so badly against his sister, Captain Jenison. He looked at the map to see where they could hold the next battle. He knew this was somehow out of fun but some of it was serious too. Another concern were the Royals ships that were being more frequent. Something was happening, something to the other ships. He hadn’t made any contact with any of the other pirates in a while, which seemed a little strange.

    His first hand pirate, Conrad Molson, barged inside the captain’s cabin. He had blond hair and he had blue eyes. He was wearing a dark red pirate’s jacket and black pants and a red belt. He also had a red bandana on. “Captain Conan, we’ve received a letter from ‘The Marcus’. It’s addressed to you.” He dropped the letter on Captain Conan’s desk. He opened the wax seal and read the letter.

    "By Order of the Royals this ship “the Marcus” has been taken over
    And over thrown I advise you to do the same. The Captain of the “
    Lock” should be aware that we are after them and it would be a better
    Decision to surrender let it also be known that we will be after “The
    Darla” If you attempt to over throw us We WILL use Force. We will find you
    The Royals"

    Captain Conan ripped the letter apart and threw it in the fireplace. His comrade had been taken in by the Royals! It couldn’t be possible. And they were after them as well.
    “Conrad place more security at night on the Lock. If they see anything suspicious we are to sail off, clear?”

    “Clear sir. But, what are you to do about your sister? The Royals will be after her as well.”

    “We must find them. Tell Ronan to figure out where they are. Once, that’s done, we’ll pay her a little visit,” he said with a smile.

    It was now dangerous in the skies. The Royals had begun to exterminate the free-life. Everyone was in danger.
    __________________
    “Kitchen boy!” began David, “I think we did a mighty fine job cleaning this kitchen up.”

    “I think so too,” he said with agreement as he rubbed the grease off his forehead.

    A low whistle came from behind them. Captain Jenison was standing there, arms crossed but her face seemed please. “Very nice work boys haven’t seen this place like this since I first got this boat. I must admit, it’s very impressive.” She took out a bag from underneath her captain’s cloak. Caitlyn was standing right next to her and was holding her clip board.

    “Caitlyn, record I gave these boys twenty extra gold pieces each.” She placed the bag on the table. “Well, I must figure out who’s on night watch tonight. Have a nice night gentlemen.” With David giving her a salute, she left the kitchen.

    “Well, it’s lights out right about now, Blake,” instructed.

    “It’s only nine o’clock,” he said as he checked his watch.

    “These pirates eat early you see. So, we have to be up earlier.” He climbed into his hammock and pulled a blanket over him. “Could ya blow out the lantern please?” Blake did as told and climbed up to the top hammock.

    He could feel David’s belly underneath the hammock. He found it a little funny. He gazed up into the skylight, where he could see the twinkling stars. They were so bright above the clouds. The majestic moon was settling into the sky as well. Blake agreed on one thing; everything was ten times beautiful up here on “the Darla”.