To Yonder

Neon
“I can’t be her angel now
You know it’s not my place to hold her down
And it’s hard for me to take a stand
When I would take her anyway I can”
- John Mayer

Tanek stood still for a very long time. It may not have been that considerate of an amount of time, but seemed inordinately long due to the pressing matter at hand. The only sign of life from Tanek’s still body was the occasional hand running through his hair, or a pinch to the bridge of his nose. Other than that, the room stayed in an eerie frozen state almost as if time had been stopped.

Sometime within the silence the shipmate playing the role of “bringer-of-the-bad-news” had been able to escape the tension and return to wherever he had come from. Smart man. Alessia began trying to conjure up her own escape plan while also simultaneously debating whether Tanek was scarier when he was yelling or when he was dead silent. So far, the dead silence was killing her and her window to escape had already expired.

Damn.

Everyone waited around silently for their Captain to speak. Will stayed quiet afraid his leader may snap at any moment. He knew his friend better than Tanek knew himself. With such knowledge, Will recognized that Tanek needed to be left alone at this particular moment.

The only other person who would dare speak was Alessia who knew at this exact point in time she was in no position to utter a single word if she valued her life. She had observed both Tanek and Will’s face – she valued her life too much.

The Princess was already in a world of trouble.

“You two…” Tanek spoke softly yet sternly. His ability to remain calm sent shivers down Alessia’s spine – secretly she wondered if he was violently erupting inside, “You two are to stay in here. If I find you doing anything I will not hesitate to hand you right over to them. I do not care who you are or where you come from.”

Nelly’s eyes widened unsure of whether that would be a good thing or not. She could finally get off of this horrible pirate ship and back to the castle. She began to think of the marble floors and perfectly manicured, green lawn that seemed to extend forever. Returning would be an absolutely wonderful thing.

Alessia on the other hand nodded slightly. Would she rather stay here and face Tanek or go back home with the possibility of never really being free again… possibly never getting the chance to see Tanek… No. Tanek was like the ocean. Powerful… Overwhelming… Beautiful… She could never get enough of him.

With so many bodies in Tanek’s bedroom it almost felt cramped. Each individual seemed to be lost in their own thoughts until they were interrupted. The door to Tanek’s bedroom swung open again to reveal Toothy, “Capt’n, I’ve readied them cannons, but we’re waitin’ on ye order. Everyone has been assembled. They’re all lined up on deck.”

Toothy looked around surprised to see everyone else, “Oh, ‘ello there lads. I was wonderin’ where you’d gotten yerself off to.”

Tanek’s sharp mind quickly jumped into action returning everyone to the issue at hand, “Toothy, did you happen to notice the ship’s origin?”

“With this storm here goin so violently it was hard to tell. I believe they were flying blue flags. Must be from an Arcadian fleet.” Alessia’s eyes widened. She wondered who was on the ship, whether she would recognize them or not.

More likely than not, they would recognize her.

“On the bright side, the rain seems to be letting up,” came from Will who was obviously the least stressed out about the invasion. His hands were dug into his trouser pockets and he leaned lazily against Tanek’s solid, wood desk. As of right now he looked more like a male model and less like a fierce pirate.

Tanek nodded while maintaining his neutral expression and turned his head toward his beloved window as if seeking answers – or perhaps to check if Will’s statement was true. The seconds continued to tick. For someone who had such an urgent matter at hand he really did look calm. It unnerved Alessia. She wondered how her Father would handle the situation if put in a similar position. Was this the making of a truly great leader?

“Will, you are to come with me,” Tanek began barking out orders, “Toothy, stay with them. You know what to do if anyone is to come in here.”

…He knew what to do?

Alessia cocked a brow and wasn’t sure when to start panicking. Toothy had been nothing but kind since her arrival on ship. She was sure the man wouldn’t hurt a fly… well, maybe. Would Toothy really be willing to throw them overboard?

“Yes, sir,” both men responded to Tanek simultaneously.

And with that Tanek was on the move. He swiftly exited his room with Will on his heel. Making their way over to the center of the front deck, Tanek noticed a figure standing erect. He wore a pristine uniform that was highly decorated, his eyes held a challenging look. The metals his outfit was adorned with reflected the sun peeking out from the clouds at every angle. He was blinding. Looking directly at the figure was difficult, but Tanek refused not to.

“I come in peace…” The man said… no, he resembled more of a boy than anything, “All I request is the ability to search your ship.”

Alistair didn’t really have to ask, he was just being courteous and Tanek knew it.

“And you are?” Tanek asked skeptically already having full knowledge of who stood before him.

If Tanek weren’t mistaken he would almost say the Prince looked… dare he say, bored. His eyes were a dull slate and his expression didn’t leave much in way of positivity. He stood defensively with his arms crossed and his stare solid.

“Prince Alistair under the throne of Arcadia and the rule of the Great King. I have been sent out to search for the Princess Alessandria,” Alistair stated simply without breaking eye contact with the fearless pirate. Alistair had heard stories about the pirate before him. For some reason he had pictured the Captain to be more gruesome, Alistair was almost disappointed, “She has unfortunately gone missing.”

Tanek picked up on his exasperated tone. So this was the boy destined to inherit the Arcadian throne. Tanek observed him. He looked royal, not doubt about it, but was he majestic? Tanek almost laughed, could this boy really run an entire kingdom? First he would have to prove himself by taking on a crew of pirates head on without running home to Daddy in tears?

Tanek would find out.

“And?” Tanek needed to know all the terms before he agreed to anything. Luckily he wasn’t reckless like his Father had been. Tanek knew the extent of his responsibility; his decision, mistakes, fears… they would all affect every man on this ship.

“We will take a look. If she is not here, we will leave…” Alistair observed the abundance of pirates who began to crowd around the scene. Strangely he still wasn’t intimidated. Tanek observed the Prince for a moment. For a fleeting moment, Tanek even toyed with the idea of accepting the boy as respectable, “If she is here… well… I suppose we will have to talk about that when the time comes, right?”

Tanek stayed quiet for a few moments thinking about his options. He didn’t find any problem in letting Alistair in. He had nothing to hide, besides, he would be fully aware if the Princess was on his ship. After all this searching he wouldn’t allow her to stow away on his ship under the radar. No, he would have to be a complete idiot. Tanek would have known if a Princess was seeking refuge on his ship, there was absolutely no chance.

Then he thought about the two mysterious women who were currently smuggled away in his room. How had he landed himself in this position? Tanek was always smart about his decisions and tried to be as kind of a man as possible. What had he done to deserve this? Perhaps in a past life he had done something delightfully dreadful.

Yeah, that and the fact that Will had warned Tanek all along. The Captain could kick himself. He was the only one to blame. He had put himself in this position and he would have to be the one to fix it.

“I grant you permission… on one condition…”

“Yes? I am listening.”

“I must accompany you,” Tanek stated adding, “and you must stick to you word. Leave peacefully and not bother us.”

“Very well then. A Prince is always true to his word. I am glad we could come to such an easy agreement… Tanek,”

Alistair, always the diplomat.

“Captain will do,” Tanek offered. The Prince was probably a few years younger than him, very much still a boy.

“From what I have heard, you are like the Prince of pirates. I would say that makes us about equal… respectively. If we choose to see it that way, we can see it… conciliatorily. Besides, you are not my Captain.”

“Bold boy you are,” Something about the boy reminded him of someone, he just couldn’t think of whom exactly. Tanek wasn’t one to mull over it for long. Perhaps he’d think about it later if it happened to cross his mind again, “Come along then Alistair. Let us be off.”

“You will not refer to the Prince with such informality,” One of the guards threatened stepping forward with his hand resting firmly on the hilt of his sword.

Instantly, a growl was heard from behind Tanek. Thankfully, his men were just as loyal.

“He is not my Prince.”

Alistair smiled wickedly. In a blink of an eye the young Prince seemed to age well beyond his years. The bored expression was completely gone from his features making him look like a brand new person, “Men, stay here.” His Father would have had a heart attack if he knew what was going on, “I believe Tanek here is a man of his word. If anything happens to me, well, that will be his problem when the royal fleet is sent out.” Both parties stepped back leaving Tanek and Alistiair in the middle.

Smart boy Tanek thought. Such a keen mind would have done well as a part of his crew. Something about Alistair appealed to Tanek – reminded him of himself. That was it. Too bad, the boy could have made quite a decent pirate if he had chosen. Never would Tanek make an offer though.

“You know you should not be so trusting of a pirate,” Tanek said testing Alistair, “Surely your Father would have warned you.”

“Honestly, I do not have a care about you or the pirates, I just want to find my sister and know that she is okay. As I see it right now you have not given me any reason not to trust you,” Alistair spoke eloquently, “From where I am standing, my eyes only see a man. Are you trying to tell me otherwise?”

Tanek was shocked. It had been such a long time since he was regarded to as a normal person. He was always “Captain” or “that pirate” or the “infamous Tanek”, not once had anyone thought of him as otherwise since he had joined this ship.

“Of course not. Where would you like to go?”

“There is just one place...” Alistair said and looked him right in the eye. Even though Alistair was younger, the two of them were about the same height. “Your private quarters. That shall be all I need to see. I have heard more than once that a man stows his secrets there.”

Alistair knew exactly where he wanted to go. With everyone crowded around on deck there wouldn’t be anyone left elsewhere on the ship. If Alistair had something to hide he would stash it away where no one else would be allowed to go… his room.

He remembered an instance when he had found a stray puppy and asked his parents if he could keep it. After they had denied him for the millionth time, Alistair brought it upon himself to take action. He remembered hiding the poor dog in his room hoping he could get away with it. What had he been thinking?

It had taken precisely six minutes before his parents had been notified about their son’s disobedience and sadly; the Prince had not been allowed to keep the puppy. Alistair was on a hunt to find Tanek’s puppy. Well… maybe that wasn’t the most fearsome example Alistair could give, but it worked nonetheless.

They continued to stand face to face waiting for the other one to say something.

Tanek wondered why he had picked there. There was no possibility of him knowing about the two women hiding in there. Maybe that boy was just that smart… or just plain intuitive. Whatever the case, Tanek was a man of his word and couldn’t back out now. It would especially look conspicuous anyway if he denied the man access.

Suddenly, Tanek’s thoughts took an unexpected twist. He thought about the new shipmates. In the short period of time, Tanek had genuinely come to like Alec. Even if there were women stowed away on his ship, they were still part of Tanek’s crew. It wasn’t even an obligation, but a promise that he would protect them. The women were on their own… with a whole fleet of men right behind them.

Tanek sighed.

Tanek tried his hardest to send a mental message to Toothy that he and the Arcadian Prince were on their way. Did Tanek think it was going to work? Absolutely not. Did it hurt to try? Absolutely not.

“Well then mate, right this way.”

---

“Shhh…” The Toothless man made a whistling sound as the noise passed through the gaps in his smile, “Ye hear that? Someone is on their way. I reckon you two act like…well… less like frightened females and more like pirates, ayy? Man up boys!”

Nelly looked at Alessia with fright evident on her face. He knew! Everyone knew! Surely whoever had come to get them would recognize them the instant they set eyes on the two women. Though, Nelly was still puzzled by the fact that nobody had figured out Alessia. She was way too beautiful to be mistaken for a man, much less a pirate.

“Make yerselves busy. Act like yer doin’ something important… like errr tidying up the Captn’s room. Yeah, do that!”

“Nell, go around, fold the clothes in that corner keep your face hidden,” Alessia directed, her blood trait kicking in, “I will go fetch a pail of water and a rag.”

Alessia grabbed the pail from Tanek’s bedside when she heard a very familiar voice. She was so excited to hear the familiar sound that she could hardly contain herself. Alessia walked over to Nelly whispering quickly, “Stay low, it is Alistair.”

Dread lasted shortly before it was overcome by anger. How dare Alessia’s Father allow her baby brother to chase down pirates! Once she saw her father he was in for a rude awakening. Did her Mother know where her baby boy was? There was absolutely no way in hell. Her Mother would slaughter her Father the moment she found out. King or not, nothing could protect Alessia’s Father now.

“Right this way,” Tanek’s voice reverberated off the ship’s wooden walls. If Alessia weren’t mistaken the Captain sounded louder than usual, maybe even shouting… was he trying to warn them…?

“Alright, we good Nell?” Alessia walked back into the room with a bucket in hand and looked down in an attempt to hide her face.

Just in the knick of time, they were in position.

The door opened in one swift moment. Alessia instantly got lost in her brother. She hadn’t seen him in such a long time, almost an eternity. He had grown, and the stubble on his chin was more prominent. It wasn’t until she laid eyes on him did she fully realize how much she missed her family.

“Well?” Tanek began, “Toothy, good to see you… men…”

Alessia tried to muster her most gruesome face possible, “Yea Captn?” She hoped she sounded something close to Toothy…

Alessia stared at Alistair. He was really there; if she reached out she would be able to touch him. Realizing her stare Tanek cleared his throat. Alessia slightly smiled appreciatively back at him. He had made it this far and he was still going. She swelled with pride. She knew Alistair would be okay and that was all she needed to make up her mind. It was okay to stay here knowing that Alistair was doing well.

Just like her, he was on his own adventure.

Alistair gazed at the one man who stared right back at him. The Prince ignored the other two men in the room; it was the one in front of him that peaked his interest. There was something so familiar about him… Alistair got an eerie feeling that he didn’t belong on this ship. He observed the rag and pail in the man’s hands perhaps he was a prisoner…?

His hands… not a single callous… like they hadn’t seen an ounce of hard labor in their lifetime… smooth like a…

“Man, what is your name?”

Alessia didn’t realize Alistair was referring to her. Before taking a quick glance at Nelly who was practically buried in the closet, Alessia mustered up her deepest, manliest voice and answered, “Alec, sir.”

Alessia watched her brother scrutinizing her. He looked puzzled for a moment before all emotion left his face. His face began to glaze over and that’s when he went from looking at her to looking past her.

Did he know?

No.

Alistair knew something was familiar about the man, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. There was no use pondering over it though. Standing here all day would not change a thing. He could only believe in what his eyes saw, “Alright, I have had enough. Thank you for your cooperation Tanek, my men and I will take our leave now.”

Tanek sent a subtle nod in Alessia’s direction. She wasn’t exactly sure what it meant, but decided to take it as a job well done. Alessia watched silently as the two men made there way out of the room. Her chance of leaving was slipping through her fingers.

Regardless, all she could think about was the present and what needed to be done. She whispered under her breath, her message only intended for two sets of ears, “Stay good baby brother, we shall meet again soon. Until then, I love you…”

---

As soon as the Prince had returned to his ship he had crossed a threshold. No longer was he just some silly boy going off and playing Prince, he was a leader. It was in his blood and it was what he was born to do.

What he was going to do.

Immediately, he called his men to attention. They lined up on the deck and waited for his order. Finally, he was getting some respect and all it took were some well-behaved pirates. Alistair could’ve laughed at the stupidity of it all.

“Someone send out a message to Cameron, Prince of Dalmasca. Last I heard he was readying a ship for take off. Send him our current coordinates and keep him updated on our location. I believe if he leaves tomorrow he shall be here within a few weeks time. Let us all hope the winds are in his favor.”

To think it had been raining so violently earlier. The sky was now void of a single cloud and the sun left a nice, warm blanketed feel. Everything had turned around so quickly. Alistair would have to notify his Father about his whereabouts as well. He tasked another crewmate with the order before continuing with his speech.

Alistair wasn’t so in to motivational speaking, but felt compelled to speak further. Being on that pirate ship had inspired him immensely, “I understand that many of you have been looking forward to returning home, but just stay patient a little longer. Stay and you shall return home as heroes.”

That was good enough for most of the men. They nodded and erupted into cheers praising the crown and pledging their allegiance. Alistair turned toward the edge of the vessel to look out at the open sea. He stared out and watched Tanek’s ship on the horizon. What an interesting encounter it had been.

Alistair turned to look at the lineup of men and observed their faces as if memorizing before turning his back to them once more. He observed as the infamous Tanek’s ship sailed away from him. Had Tanek really mistaken him as a fool?

Alistair was no fool.

His Father had been correct all along about their deceptive nature. Tanek was obviously trying to pull one over on him. What the young Prince couldn’t understand was her compliancye Maybe he had previously threatened her… Alistair hoped that weren’t the case. He would have to hope Prince Cameron could come quickly enough before something drastic happened. For now, Alistair would just have to keep an eye out. There was too much at stake.

Eventually, he would have his chance.

“Make sure to trail that ship. Do not be obvious; we do not want to give ourselves away. Men, prepare yourselves for an ambush. Sharpen your sword, check the gunpowder, hell, even shine your bloody shoes! We are heading into war.”

With that a cheer erupted. Not for the impending fight… well, maybe a little for that… but for the adventure that awaited. There was a call for Arcadian pride and “long live the king” before the Prince dismissed the crew to return to whatever they were doing. Hopefully, things would all go according to plan.

The wretched ship was now a single speck in the distance. The sight was burned into his mind and when he closed his eyes it was only more vivid. The Prince could feel the ship slowly being redirected to follow. This was it.

Once more, Alistair smiled wickedly coming to life once more; he had found exactly what he was looking for on that ship.
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