Bastard!! Fan Fiction ❯ Rapture. ❯ Part 3. Four Months Earlier. ( Chapter 3 )

Part 3. Four months earlier.

The exotic city that had grown from the ground up of the desert like an oasis had been one of the lucky few to survive hundred of years of war; first from an ancient race unleashing a man made monster in a land far off from their little tucked away city, to a being almost as ancient as the memories of that day, but their lands had been too south for him to bother with at the peek of his conquering days, and the final war of the man made monster and ancient would be ruler of the world. Not only seemingly being blessed by the ancient gods the natives were said to worship and gave praise for such heavenly protection; for thus many traveled to this city with their money. Rich families of titles or royal blood wanting to escape with their lives and not a thought about the peasants they had left behind. The money was always welcomed with the merchant city and any new comers willing to adapt fully to their ways were welcomed to stay with their money. But also being built right by the sea had made the city flourish with traders by sea in the time of peace.

The desert city built by the sea had lost her original name long ago, but even the natives whose blood line that went all the way back hundreds of years seemed to care. Compared with the rest of the world, they thought their city to be the only civilize one left, thus did she really need a name? Names for cities only seemed to bring trouble in many forms.

Captain Hunter Moon strolled the length of his ship, the Scarlet Sea Lady. At the wheel stood his first mate, steering her course for that nameless city with merchants whose greed for wealth made them turn a blind eye to any pirate stolen goods that might come into their procession. The sun was setting, casting a golden light against the sea captain and pulled his shadow over the stretch of his decks while a handful of his crew carried out with what was left with their work before the Scarlet Sea Lady was to dock in the morning. Captain Moon had once been what some who thought themselves to be a man's judge of morality and character simply by his titles, an honest man with the splendors of what life had to offer at his finger tips by right of inheritance. But the man cared for none of that.

Gold from the sunset ran a caressing light against the captain's sun tanned skin from long hours under her rays. His aristocratic features were of a strong jaw, high cheek bones, chestnut hair kept short, and captivating and unusual light green eyes, like the color of maple leaves in the spring, seemed out of place in a pirate's garb of worn, sea worthy knee high boots, dark breeches, sash, an open plunging v-neck line, white billow shirt, a sea's man's coat of navy blue, and of course a three pointed hat. Captain Moon was a pirate of a maiden's dream. In his mannerism and natural leadership skills, he could have been any kind of a sea captain, but the man was drawn to pirating. Perhaps it was just a thrill behind the idea or the feeling of freedom. Taking what he wanted without caring what other's thought.

His feet brought him by his first mate's side. William Deep. Another gorgeous man with shoulder length, fair blond hair, brown eyes so dark they almost seemed black, and when they had first met the young man told without speaking of a longing to escape an unwanted married set up by his father. William was five years younger then his would be captain and wasn't ready to settle down any time soon with his young man's inpatients still coursing in his veins. He was only to happy to have met up with the handsome Captain Hunter Moon, putting together a crew man by man. The captain was searching for particular, able men to make up his crew. Men with morals and, here the captain paused to smirk, tastes similar to his own. Sea voyages were long and dear Captain Hunter had taken quite an interest in the younger man.

William smiled at his captain once he sensed the man's presence. " We'll be docking sometime in the early morning, Captain, as you requested, " the blond informed him, " It'll do the crew some good to be on land again, if just for a brief stay while we unload the goods. "

" Hmmm… " Captain Moon replied, his smirk melting into an all to familiar smile across his face in the setting sun as he reached out and played with his favorite treasure, his first mate's natural gold that fell past his shoulders.

William's dark eyes dropped for a moment to the front of the other man's front and saw the obvious bulge of Captain Moon's arousal. The blond lifted his eyes and licked his lips at the other man's burning gaze.

" Something I can do for you, sir? "

" I wouldn't doubt your skills, Deep, " Moon purred as sea roughed, but nimble fingers untied the lacings of the blonde's' shirt and a hand slid inside, approving of the strong, smooth warm skin it caressed underneath.

" You flatter me, my captain, " William smiled and shivered feeling a warm, large presence come to press up against him. Now both hands of his dear captain began to explore his upper body. Every time this passionate man could leave him breathless, William mused as those hands rose higher, pinching a nipple. He could feel his lover's bulge press up against his firm rear as moist lips trailed his ear. William was panting and moaning under Captain Hunter's touch, the man living up the predator his name hinted wickedly at. Moon's free hand brushed gently against the matching bulge of his lover's before flatting his palm and cupped William's manhood. The first mate's head fell back against his captain's shoulder and struggling to keep his hands on the steering wheel least he head the Scarlet Sea Lady straight for the coral reef, but it was so hard to concentrate with his older lover spooned up deliciously so against his backside, that hot arousal and seeking tongue branding him so.

" Ahem! " Both turned to see the only woman aboard the Scarlet Sea Lady. Pirate was in her blood, by father and mother. Hair dark like the night and curled like one of the gypsies in the sea side city, sun tanned skin like the rest of her fellow crew with bright blue eyes that spoke of her father's blood. Gloria Faith was her name and she guarded her captain, her crew, and her ship with a storm's fury. Captain Moon knew of the sea man's tale against having a woman on board a ship, but he liked to break even pirate rules when it best suited him. Gloria was anything, but bad luck aboard his lady and if the Scarlet had any malice towards another woman, the dark haired one would have been tossed over board long ago in some storm. No, Moon mused, Scarlet probably appreciated having another woman around.

Faith smiled, well smirked, at the two. Ah, yes, that was another reason why this woman fitted so well with his crew and ship.

" As much as I love to watch two of my favorite, passionate men in a heated moment, the ship needs to be steered without distractions. Gentlemen get yourself off to Moon's quarters or move over so the lady won't have to steer herself, " Gloria said with a bow and a wink.

" You're too kind, luv, " Captain Moon smiled and escorted his lover off to his cabin while Gloria took the helm.

She watched them go, groping and kissing along the way. She shivered with delight. The only woman aboard the Scarlet Sea Lady and surrounded by handsome men all after each other, some including her in their activities, just about made her day.

" What are we going to do with our boys, Scarlet? " Faith chuckled. The Scarlet simply creaked as she moved through the calm waters.

* - * - *

Getting the rather large treasure to a certain merchant's house, where Captain Hunter planned to bargain the man for its value, proved to be a mild challenge. The seer size of the perfectly shaped sapphire colored crystal made the moving awkward enough. He and a few of stronger men brought it to the house at early morning before the rest of the city woke.

He didn't need to deal with people getting in their way or someone taking a chip out of his hard earned treasure.

First he sent word of the seer size of the gem and how it was required making for the prefect bait of a man who liked to boast about his wealth and any tales they had to tell. That alone sent a servant of the merchant back with eager agreement to bargain for the treasure stolen from enchanted Sirens. Captain Hunter wasn't fond of this merchant, whose name he could never remember, nor did he care to recall, but this seedy man was one of the few to eagerly bargain with pirates for any trade because he believed they stole the best riches of the world and didn't mind dealing with dirty, stealing pirates to get his seedy hands on such wealth. Which explained his rich surroundings after years of exchanging stolen wealth for wealth. Captain Hunter disliked the man after his first encounter with him.

The first time of their business exchange was haggling over the price of a chest full of jade and the merchant had invited Captain Hunter and William who had accompanied him for dinner afterwards when a price had been paid and the money sent back to the ship for safe keeping. The feast itself was as flamboyant as the merchant tried to be himself having hardly any wit to keep allies or good looks to keep his harem warming his bed at night. Hunted game, fruits, expensive spices, and wines reserved for wooing the nameless city's mayor or an member on his board in hopes for political ties were placed before the two pirates and were served by the finest girls in the merchant's personal harem. Wine flowed, music swelled, and the air grew heavy with the scent of burning incense and laughter as the night's sky darkened. Perhaps a little too much wine flowed, the captain of the Scarlet Sea Lady would come to muse afterwards, as William consumed a little too much wine and was distracted by the dancing harem girls to notice the merchant pawing at his persona.

Captain Moon would never forget the rage he felt watching that desert pig paw at his newly acquired lover and had all, but slit the man's throat as a means to an end of the whole ordeal. William had handled himself in a less violent manor and the memory never ceased to make the older man smile. Mildly drunk and disgusted with the man pawing him who wasn't his handsome lover, who was the only person who had any rights of groping his body, not some unwashed, ego stroking, balding fat pig and wearing too much god awful perfume to hid his body order… Hmmm, Hunter is looking like he wants to disembowel the man pawing at myself so I better do something quick before he gets himself arrested for murder, had thought William. Getting his thoughts back in order, wine fueling the wheels in his head and already amused by his thoughts of revenge once the blond brainstormed a way to cool off the merchant. He gestured for one of the harem girls holding a fresh jug of wine to come over, paused briefly to think 'Sweet looking girl she is. Wonder if she'll laugh?' and simple poured a jug of wine over the man and left. It had taken all of Moon's will power not to burst out laughing, mumble something about his first mate not being able to handle his wine, and quickly left to joined his lover a few moments later. Out on the streets Captain Hunter burst out laughing and swooping in to kiss his blond lover. A day later word was sent to the captain that if he ever wished to do business with the merchant again he would leave his first mate behind. That was fine with Captain Hunter Moon.

Coming back to the present, the merchant had gained some weight from the last time Hunter had seen him and was at the moment drooling over himself at the seer size of the blue crystal before him. Captain Moon wasn't kidding. The perfect sphere was the size of two men, one standing on the other's shoulders and just as wide around.

" Almost afraid she would sink my ship when I brought this beauty on board, but no. Must be something to doing with those Northern land dwelling Sirens' magic, " Captain Hunter remarked, slapping a side and clearly in his bargaining mood by the way he was standing and grinning to himself at the merchant's greed shinning in his dark, native eyes.

" And I'll let you have this one for 700,000. "

" 200,000. "

" 600,000. She wasn't easy an easy win. Sirens weren't about to let us walk away with this one. "

" 350,000 then! "

" 550,000 and nothing lower. Take it or leave it. I do know a few other merchants in this city who wouldn't mind getting their hands on such a trophy, " Hunter said. Nothing like having a stab at a greedy man's pride to make him consider excepting the price. Captain Moon could see the wheels turning inside the other man's head. Perhaps in scheming a way to lower his final offer? Or consider excepting the pirate's final price? How it wouldn't do to let another have such a gem and make a mockery of a wealthy man such as himself? Moon moved as if to leave and take the gem elsewhere.

" 550,000 then! " The man shouted and Captain Moon turned around with a smile on his face.

" Deal and in unmarked gold and silver, " he said. The merchant nodded, barely hearing the pirate as he already began to admire his new treasure. Hunter turned and followed a servant out to the room to collect his money. Ugh, the man was groping the thing like he had tried with William.

" I'll break it up into smaller pieces and decorate my house with them. Make myself some fine new trinkets to wear. Those bastards down at the city hall will be turning with envy once they get wind of my few found wealth, " he was murmuring, " Maybe I'll let the mayor have a few, if he begs nicely. Or will make me a member of his party! "

With the bag of his payment hidden well on his persona from years of experience in dwelling with cities like this one and the thieves and cut throats that roomed the dark allies looking to jump unsuspecting foreign traders of their wealth, Captain Moon made his way through the city market aware of sticky hands or trouble that came in packs. They were easy to spot. The pickpockets were usually orphanage children and the assorted cutthroats. But the green-eyed captain had already been in this city enough times with a good enough reputation that he wasn't a man even a group of thieves could surprise. Rumors he knew black magic or was in liege with the devil kept most of the superstitious believers away.

Captain Moon passed by a merchant shop selling rolls of imported and domesticated satins and silks, all died glorious colors and some with gems or tiny bells or even beads woven into the delicate strands. From the thickest weave to keep out the desert's night's chill to the thinnest mesh for a maid to tease a suitor or master of what harem she might belong to. A sash of satin dyed a dark plum caught the sea captain's eye and he smiled to himself, already planning to come back and buy it as a gift for his lover. Captain Moon would have stolen it right then and there, a bit of a pickpocket himself with lessons from Gloria, if the shop hadn't been owned by a free woman, as evidenced by the shawl hiding her face from the desert sun, with a few half grown children of her own with another on the way. Pirate or not, Captain Moon had morals he lived by and made up each day that pleased him. Today was you don't steal from expecting mothers.

Hunter boarded his ship and went to his cabin to unload the earnings he had gotten from everyone's not-so-favorite-but rich merchant. 550,000 would be divvied equally among the crew. Captain Moon was glad to have the weight off him and rotated his shoulders a bit.

" Did it go well? " William's voice came up from behind him.

Hunter turned and pulled the blond into am embrace once the younger man drew closer enough. William stumbled a little at the sudden jerk and glared at his lover.

" Drinking so early in the day, luv? " Moon teased.

" You're impossible sometimes, Captain Moon, " William retorted, but neither did he struggle when his green eyed lover sat down and seated himself in his lap or when the man began to nuzzle his neck.

" It went well. Everyone will be real happy with his or her share we got from swiping that blasted bubble, " Hunter said.

William chuckled, " Well, you were the one who wanted to steal the damn thing. "

" But it was so huge. It simply begged for stealing! "

" You're lucky it didn't sink the Scarlet. "

" Would have pushed it overboard. Let the lady Sirens retrieve it back themselves then, " Moon chuckled.

" I think they would have. They made quite a fuss when we took it. Something about it must have been special, " William said with a thoughtful look in his dark eyes.

" Saw something in the market I thought you might like, " Hunter said, changing the subject.

" Really? " William replied with an innocent greed whenever his lover spoke of a gift.

" M-hm, " Hunter replied, just reaching for the ties on his lover's shirt when the blond caught his wrists and held them down.

William smiled. " Later, love. I was helping Gloria with some loose riggings before. If you distract me now, the poor girl will have to take care of them herself. "

" Your captain needs you to attend to his needs, " Hunter smiled.

" But as your ship's first mate, I must see to her needs first. They won't take as long, Hunter, " William smiled and climbed off his lover. He was at the door when Moon sat up and paused to wink at the man, " But come find me later when you have that gift and I'll be sure to thank you thoroughly. "

" I'll be sure to see that you keep that promise, luv, " Hunter grinned.

TBC.