Rise of the Shark((Void)

The tavern was full of activity, which was to be expected. But the man sitting in the corner closest to the door had a feeling today was going to be a bad day. He wasn't far off as a hooded figure slipped into the tavern and went over to the bar. Well, I just overstayed my welcome, he thought bitterly, polishing off the tankard of rum he'd ordered before he rose and walked out of the tavern into the light of day. Inagua. A beautiful city. Too bad he couldn't have enjoyed his stay a bit more.
"Hey wait!"
"Shit!"

Bryan took off at a run, his hands fiddling with the mask that hung around his neck before clicking it into place around his face while the other hand flipped up the hood behind his head. As he ran, he constantly pushed people behind him and knocked over a couple of boxes on purpose to ensure he made it to the docks in time. The second he saw his ship, the Demon Shark, he shouted up to the men to prepare to leave immediately.

None of the men questioned him as he pulled himself on board and went straight to the helm of the ship, where he grabbed hold of the wheel. "Raise the anchor and lower the sails! We leave now!"
"You heard the Captain, you swine! Hoist the anchor and lower the sails, you landlubbers!" Bryan twisted his head down to the docks in time to catch the Assassin racing up the docks just as their board was hoisted onto the deck.

Quickly as he could, Bryan turned the ship out to sea as the wind filled the ship's sails and put distance between them and Inagua's port. Thank God that didn't go any worse. He thought, passing off the wheel to the Helmsman before he went to the railing to stare out across the sea. Something stirred within his gut. There was bound to be more trouble before he reached Havana's shores safely.

"Another boring day with nothing to do" Darcey said with a sigh before she made her way into town. It was strange for her to have gone this long without seeing an Assassin. She paced around the port, hoping that something would happen. She was waiting for an adventure to fall into her lap.

Bryan raised his head as the blue robed Assassin caught sight of someone else. A woman. "Oh for Christ's sake!" He exclaimed, leaping over the railing of the ship before it could get out far enough. He could hear the men shouting "Captain Overboard!" behind him as he hit the water with a splash. He swam much like a predator, quick and efficient. By the time he'd reached the docks, Bryan spotted the Assassin heading for the woman. Instantly, he acted, drawing his twin swords before he sprang into action, intercepting the Assassin before he could make it to the woman. Swords clanged against hidden blade as the two clashed before the woman.

"See that ship out of port?" He growled to the woman, his voice deep and dark as he shoved the Assassin away. "Swim out to it. The men aboard will help you up."

Darcey quickly leapt into the water, and swam as fast as she could to the ship the man had pointed to. She hung onto the side of the ship. She didn't know this man, and she didn't know his crew, so she wasn't taking any chances by going on deck.

Bryan continued to clash with the Assassin for a time before one of his blades caught the man in the arm, earning a yell of pain from him. It was then that Bryan turned tail, shoving each blade back into its holster before he took a swan dive off the edge of the docks back into the water with a splash. He came up for air for a brief second before he ducked back underneath the waves as they flooded back onto shore, causing the Demon Shark to rock where it sat, waiting for its Captain.

Bryan surfaced on the side of the ship, where he hauled himself up the ladder to the top. There, he was pulled aboard by his men, his outfit dripping salt water onto the ship's decking. He'd spotted the woman on the side of the ship while he was climbing up and now jerked his head toward the ship's side to his Quartermaster. "Haul her up, would you, Crowley?"
"'Course, Captain."

Spencer looked over the side of the ship and gave the woman a friendly grin. "Captain wants you on deck, Mistress. None of us bite, so you should be fairly safe." He sounded a pirate, but a good man. He even reached a hand out for her to take should she wish it.

"Thanks" Darcey said with a sigh before she forced herself onto the deck. She had to prove that she was strong, that she could take care of herself. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to think that she was weak. She kept a hand on the hilt of her sword, ready to fight if she needed to. "Where is your captain?"

Spencer rose up to his full height and jerked his thumb toward where Bryan was at the helm of the ship, his long, wet hair tied in a loose ponytail at the base of his head. His hood was thrown down and he no longer wore the mask he'd worn earlier. "Over there. Don't expect an answer to all your questions at once, Miss. He ain't much one for talkin'." Spencer sounded like a pirate at that moment before he turned back to overseeing the wellbeing of both crew and ship.

Darcey made her way over to Brian, and sat on the railing closest to him. She didn't know what to say to the man who had just saved her life, she didn't know what to say to anyone.
"Thanks for doing that back there. You know, saving my life?"

Bryan didn't say anything at first, though a smile did cross his face. After a while of the sound of waves crashing against the ship filling the air, he finally said something. "Well, it was an Assassin," he said simply as the men on deck began to sing a shanty. "Couldn't very well let him do whatever it was he intended. Might not know you or where you stand on the blasted war between Assassins and Templars, but I have my morals and will not stand by while a woman is mistreated."

"Well, I suppose there's no harm in giving you my name" Darcey said as she rubbed her neck. "Name's Darcey Sinner." Darcey offered her hand to Brian, the hand with her Templar ring.

"Bryan Waverley." Bryan's own Templar-ringed hand clasped hers over the other arm that stayed on the wheel of the ship. He hadn't even bothered turning his head away look at her either, so he very well couldn't have known she had the Templar's ring on her hand. His hair had dried decently at least, so the second his hand released hers, his fingers pulled the hair tie from his locks and the wind caught what remained wet. He'd have to remember to brush it out later. "Welcome aboard the Demon Shark, Darcey."

"So, brother, where are we headed" Darcey asked curiously. She had no plans, and no ship. She was an outcast with virtually no friends to speak of, and no family. Even among pirates or Templars, she was a pariah. Darcey looked out over the water, closed her eyes, and smiled as the wind gently caressed her skin.

"I'd stopped in Inagua for supplies. Thanks to that bloody Assassin, I wasn't able to finish getting what I needed, which is just a few things some hunting should be able to fix. Oi! Crowley! Find the nearest island or sea faring hunt spots! We've still some supplies to pick up!"
"Aye, Captain!" Spencer disappeared into the Captain's quarters for a time. Didn't look like Bryan was going to reprimand his Quartermaster for doing such a thing, so he probably didn't have a problem with it.

"May I join in on the hunt? It is the least I can do to thank you for saving my sorry hide back there." Darcey pulled a small bottle of rum from her pocket, and sipped at it slowly. She didn't know what to do. Where would she stay? What would she do when they reached the next port? She was in a bit of a predicament.

"Sure," Bryan said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I'd be glad of the company. Just know that on the Demon Shark, everyone pulls their own weight. You'll be treated like one of the men and will be expected to help out. Now, whether you remain as a Crewmember, that remains to be seen and is entirely your decision."

"Don't worry, I'll pull my weight on this beautiful ship." Darcey was overjoyed at what seemed to be an offer for employment. She tried to hide her excitement, and she seemed to be succeeding. "So, what would you have me do?"

Bryan's eyes scanned the deck of the ship for a moment before they raised to the sky and the sails. "The deck hasn't had a proper cleaning since the storm. I'm pretty sure there's seaweed stuck somewhere. And the sails need to be prepped in case another storm hits. And by prepped, I mean tied securely to the mast. And I'm sure Malcolm would welcome some help down in the galley. Start wherever you would like." Bryan finished as Spencer came from the Captain's quarters with a map in hand and a smile crept onto the Captain's face as he leaned to whisper to the woman. "And if Spencer Crowley asks you to do something, I suggest you do as he says. He's the best of the lot and my Quartermaster. Do your best to stay on his good side and you'll be spared his anger."

"I'll get them done" Darcey said happily before she made her way up to the sails, and inspected the rigging. As soon as she had become familiar with the rigging, she set off securing the sails to the masts. She proved to be quite efficient with the sails, and seemed at home amongst the sails.

Bryan grinned just as the boys below picked up another shanty, one he was quite familiar with and one that was rather catchy to his ears. His crew only sang their favorite songs and when one sang, the others joined in always. It was a tradition among the crew. Bryan was even known to leap in or even start one song. Whenever he did, his crew would often stop and stare before they joined in happily. Now, though, Bryan kept silent and merely listened.

Darcey was immediately spurred into action by the shanty. She rode the hook down to the deck, and set about cleaning the deck. Darcey moved like a hurricane on the deck. Picking out seaweed, and scrubbing the deck like she had done it before.

(oh my God, I love that shanty)

(XD I really need to get this game and 3 so I can listen to them all :3 lol cause they sound amazing)

Bryan couldn't help but grin as they soon came to the end of the shanty. He wouldn't have any of it. He enjoyed the music as much as the sound of the waves and immediately kicked up another shanty, abandoning the helm to Spencer as he made himself ready to leap down to the deck, his voice strong and beautiful. "Now we're ready to sail for the horn!" Immediately after he kicked up the shanty, the crew burst into song following his lead.


(this one's my favorite so far and I've just been youtubing them XD)

"Soon we'll be warping her out through the locks,
Weigh hey, roll and go!
Where the pretty young girls all come down in their frocks,
To be rollicking randy dandy-O!" Darcey was having the time of her life. For the first time in a long time, she forgot about all her troubles. It was a good feeling, to forget, to belong.

Bryan moved through the men, his voice a musical sight to behold as he stopped at each man's station and either clapped them on the back or flung his arms over their shoulders and tugged them close before he moved on. "Come breast the bars, bullies, heave her away."
"Weigh hey, roll and go!"
"Soon we'll be rollin' her down through the bay." As the men finished that portion of the line, he continued singing with them as a wave threw up against the side of the ship, sending misty spray on board in what felt like a dramatic ending.

To add onto that ending, the boat jarred suddenly and nearly everyone save Bryan and Spencer lost their footing and tumbled around on the deck. Bryan was at the railing within a bound and peered into the waters just as the gray dorsal fin of a shark floated through the waves for a brief second before disappearing. Bryan suddenly grinned and called back to the lads. "It's time to hunt, boys!" The men all cheered and went about their business while a couple prepared the hunting boat while another dropped the anchor. Bryan immediately made himself more comfortable by shrugging off his baggy shirt and just tossing it onto the steps that led to the helm.

His chest was well chiseled and toned and unlike some pirates who had tattoos, Bryan's skin was clean. Bryan approached the ship once it was ready and looked over to the woman who had joined them. "Staying out of danger or plunging into the mouth of the beast?" He seemed to be asking her if she wanted to accompany him or stay on board with the rest of the crew where it was no doubt safer.

"If it's all the same to you, I think I'd rather watch from the safety of the crow's nest" Darcey said sheepishly. She quickly raced off to the crow's nest, and smiled as she looked down at Brian. She blushed violently, and looked away from Brian. Still, the idea of watching him take on a shark was far too enticing, so she peered over the edge of the crow's nest, and watched him work.

Bryan merely shrugged and told the boys to throw the boat to the water before he plopped into it safely and held secure to the sides as the men dropped the boat to the water with a splash. Another man soon joined the Captain of the ship in the boat and took up the oars before he rowed away from the vessel. While they rowed out to meet the shark, Bryan made ready the harpoons and made certain the ropes were secured before he took a breath and kept his eyes to the ocean as his man halted the rowing so that the boat settled on the water.