From the Beginning [Promotion Thread]

[Cefia]

Cefia grimaced as she took a sip of her drink. The alcohol was light and watered down but it was easy to swallow. However that wasn't the source of her discontent, it was actually the man on the other side of the table. She had managed to escape the other pirate crew but unfortunately lost Derick along the way. No doubt she was worried about the young man but she had little doubt that he will be able to survive. She didn't escape unscathed however and suffered a bad wound around her ribs. 

"You alright Cef? Not as grande as ya use ta but we got ta save corners," a man reassured, giving a small chuckle at the end. She responded with a small smile but that didn't make her feel any less nervous. She was happy to see her old crew again but what troubled her was the captain's reaction. The captain seemed to stare at her intently as if looking for something and she was just told to wait after supper so they can speak privately. The captain has never been a private person and the crew caught that as well. They were smart enough to not ask about the details but they seemed to feel awfully sorry for her.

One by one, the crew left the room, even the few that were there to play cards. It would have been better if she was to talk to him in the captain's room but he wanted to speak here of all place. Her hands began to tap the desk, her fingers going from the pinkie to the index. It went on for what felt like an eternity before finally a rough slam onto the table surprised her. She jumped and yelped out in surprise, getting a stern look from the captain. He would have normally laughed to calm her but there was only a slow sigh come out of her mouth. 

"I'm sorry for startling you there but maybe it means..." he paused for what seemed to be hours. She almost yelled at him to get on with it. This was not her captain, he seemed too different. Did something happen to the crew while she was away? No, everyone else seemed to be the same except for when the captain came to talk to her. 

"Just...spill it," she pleaded, her hands entwining with one another as if to pray and beg at the same time. 

[Cefia]

"Ya know I never got ya, Cefia. Why would a pretty lass like you get into the pirating business?" the captain finally asked, easing himself back onto a seat. He had asked this question quite a bit in the past but this time it seemed different. The way he said it was darker, deeper, and very serious as compared to the past. He had always been a charismatic old man but it was different this time. His usual charm was replaced by a look of agitation with a hint of uncertainty. That was what Cefia's eyes told her, it was the same as many other traders she had encountered with her parents. The only problem was, she didn't know the cause of it, therefore she was at the mercy of the source and had no ways to know how to defend herself. 

"You better drink the rest of that mug down instead of wasting it," he encouraged as if to change the topic. Instead she slammed the mug down defiantly as to go directly against the order. The with a gentle push (at least for her) she slid the mug towards her captain. His large grizzly like hands seem to almost encompass the whole mug. He looked over at the woman and raised his eyebrow as if expecting something more. The only response from her was indicating to the mug itself. Nodding as if he got the message, he gulped down the contents and looked back after her asking the same question again. 

"For the adventure, I guess," she shrugged giving a half interested response. As he did so, he could see the captain bristle up in anger. This was rare, she had only seem him get angry once or twice and each time it often ended with someone going overboard. She believed that even if it was a crew member, if they made this often tempered man angry they would get the sharks as punishment. It became even more obvious when the man's muscle tensed and his grip on the mug tightened. Before long there was a distinctive crunch from the mug before finally it shattered into splinters. Such brutality from this man made Cefia want to hop up and make a run out of this ship. There was nowhere to go however as they were already out in the sea. Why? Why was he like this? What had she done wrong? 

"Do you think being a pirate is just a game?" he growled his eyes appeared as though it was a predator chasing after a prey. Out of sheer response she shook her head to say no but he did not let on with the intensity. It felt as though the whole room was going to explode if she somehow didn't diffuse the situation and quick. 

[Cefia]

"The sea is a dangerous place Cefia and I know you know it," he stated, slamming the remnants of the poor mug onto the table. It caused the table to shake and the pieces to scatter, one even sliding in front of her. She picked up the piece as if to examine it. Cefia was frightened as any woman can be of the situation but she had to keep a calm demeanor. Years had taught her well about bluffing and the dangers of showing your weakness. She almost looked bored as she rested her head on her right hand and twirled the splintered wood on the other. What was his point?

"Than wha' ya gettin a' capn?" she asked taking on a more serious tone herself. His reaction however wasn't something she expected. Instead of getting mad, he suddenly flipped his head back and let out a hearty laugh. It was so unexpected that it cause Cefia to jump up from her side of the table and take a few steps with the chair at hand. It almost appeared like a new circus tamer trying to fend off a bipolar aged lion. In many ways the comparison can be seen as quite accurate as the laugh slowly died down into a chuckle. She flinched, bring the chair up as even the chuckle vanished and the tension returned to as before.

"There is no doubt in me that you have quite a bit of potential Cefia, my question is why do you truly risk your life at sea  when you can so much better opportunities out there for you?" he asked, not daring to approach the armed woman. That question, she wasn't sure how to respond to it fully. For a start she put down the chair in front of her and placed her butt back on the seat. The captain appeared to be in no such hurry for an answer. It appeared as though she had no choice but to tell the absolute truth unless she wanted to be frightened again like before.

"Har, ye're right, I don't need 'tis ship if doubloons be what I wanted but I didn't join fer th' doubloons. I be needin' 'tis life fer adventure 'n it be still th' same as before. I be knowin' that it be stupid, bin seen people die, jolly crew members hanged. I be not th' same innocent lass that started but th' sea be whar I feel I belong," she stated as honestly as she could. Hopefully this was what the captain wanted from the start because she hated spilling her guts out like this. 

[Cefia]

"Aye, well said," the captain grinned, moving forward to pat her on the back. Of course Cefia was cautious and tried to step out of the way but the captain saw and predicted her reaction it seemed. He had a heavy hand, even with the force that she had, her body couldn't help but bend forward. The more he patted the closer she got to the ground before she finally stomped on the ground and held her place. She had been through worse the past few months and the captain will be sorely mistaken if he thought it was so easy to bring her to her knees. Now that she thought about it, she had become a bit more rebellious than she was before. Back before she went to Etruria, she had followed orders without question.

"You've grown lass and I see it," he said, his voice changing to his once kind expression that she recognized. It was still stern but there was a tinge of kindness that returned. She supposed that she had answered the question correctly or at least satisfied his curiosity. His response to her retaliation was a finally heavy slap against the back that caused her to stumble forward. She twisted on her heel to face him, to tell him to stop. What she encountered was a face so solemn that she was awfully confused. 

"Listen lass, you really grown. When was the last time you had a real brawl?" he asked so casually that of course Cefia recognized the problem. Cefia did think though and could not come up with an answer. Why did he suddenly ask such a question? The transition was so sudden that she couldn't help but take a few steps back. He couldn't mean to fight her here and now? Than if this was his intention from the beginning it was obvious why he had picked this area of the ship for a fight. As if to coincide with her realization, the captain began to charge at her, his fist prepared to hammer a hole in her head. 

"Oh dear..." she said under her breath before reacting to the attack. 

[Cefia]

Cefia was thankful for the years of training and actual combat experience, especially the combat experience. Her body had forced itself to stop until the captain was just about to wheel back his arm for a downward strike against her head. She dodged to the side, his fist shattering the chair she was once using as a shield. It definitely seem to shock him enough to let out a grunt from the force. That chair could very well have been her head and he was definitely not going easy.

She had seen her captain fight off other pirates before and each time she was glad to have him on her side. This matter was completely different however as his goal was now her hide. There was no talking to the man when he has his mind set out to crush his enemies. The only way to stop him was bring him down before he can do any real danger. The problem was, she didn’t have an army to back her up.

Knowing that this was the time for action, she brought up her right fist to catch the man under the chin. She used the most force she could release. However when the fist made contact, it felt like hitting a wall with steel reinforcement. She swore the cracking noise she heard was the bones breaking in her hand but she couldn’t very well tell in between the panic and confusion. It didn’t seem as though the man was unharmed as he doubled back a few steps to gain some distance, so to reevaluate his approach.

“I’m not going easy on you Cef just cause yur a lass and a mate,” he grinned, as his hands went up to readjust his jaw. All this time, she couldn’t help but agree with him. If anyone was out for her life, she wasn’t bound to lay down and give up. Some of her brightest skills shone in the most crucial and dire situations. Perhaps this was what the captain was trying to draw out but the question was why?

It didn’t seem as though he was ready to tell her anything just yet as once again he charged at her like a rabid animal going for the throat. This time she was far more prepared, an eager smile to show him what for plastered on her face. It was crazy what she was about to do and even now she was injured but it was her best shot in surviving this. She was going to pound the man down until he stopped. This was what it meant to go berserk in a bar fight although the consequences can very well lead to either if not both of their death.

[Cefia]

The captain was far more experienced in brawls and even though Cefia knew it, she still charged at the man. Yes, she charged at the man the same way he came at her. There was however a very distinct difference between the two at how they approached one another. The larger, gruffer man came at her the same way a beast would, letting out something close to roar. It was intimidating and very well frightening, at least that was the plan. Cefia was however tired of being afraid and instead felt it necessary to retaliate, to replace the fear with an intensity akin to his rage. 

In the past the pirate woman had raged and charged recklessly like the man had. She tore through her enemy, slashing, thrashing, almost unpredictably at those who got too close. In time she learned to control her anger in the sense that she would at least not hurt her allies while enraged. Now was no time to fight like that, instead she had to be cold and strong. She had determined the true way for her to go berserk. It was a cold anger instead of a volatile flame ones. In comparison she was going to use a force similar to that of a storm at sea instead of a raging wildfire. 

There was a strange enjoyment about her, the thrill was still present in a life and death situation. The only difference was the way she retaliated. Any normal person would have tried to run but she had already determined that the only chance she had was a head on collision. The small smile soon rose to a wild grin of elation as she swung at the man. Her fist made contact and then there was a satisfying crunch. Honestly she could not tell if it was her own fist that cracked or the captain's jaw. 

This however left her vulnerable as the man crashed forward and tackled her body. This caused her to stumble backwards and soon she found herself colliding with the floor. It literally knocked the wind out of her but she was prepared for at least this much. There was just one miscalculation on her part. The armor she wore was in the way, it might be better if she had minimal defense on her part. 

[Cefia]

The next few moments of the battle was a true frenzy. Both parties would be unable to recount exactly how many fists and kicks were dealt but in general it was just a massive beat down. Cefia on her side was struggling to release herself from the constraints of her armor while trying to avoid be beaten to pulp. She did manage to strike him a few times but the ratio was hardly fair in terms of the amount of damage she was dealt. However she learned to reallocate the damage to somewhere less frightening throughout her body. That didn't mean she wasn't taking a real beating in the end. 

"You are still weak Cefia," he laughed as he pounded away at her body. At that moment she was released from her armor and managed to squirm away. Honestly she had kept the concussions to her head at a minimum, suffering perhaps a black eye in the end. Her right eye was difficult to see out of but it wasn't much of a disadvantage considering that was her bad eye. She could still see fine from her left albeit the bangs didn't help improve visibility. 

"What are you running away?" he taunted, standing back up after pushing up with her knee. She grinned in response as she charged forward, faster than before now free from excess weight. His fist stroke down far heavier than before and even he stumbled back in surprise. It was inconceivable that he would be knocked by with a punch of this force. He shook his head, confused and dazed but that was all she needed to strike another blow, causing him to go backwards again. 

"Hurtin now?" she asked with a happy and almost silly grin on her face. She almost seemed playful when she made that remark. He wiped a bit of blood from his mouth and smiled back as if another thought rose up in his mind. She didn't know what he had planned but she didn't like it. 

[Cefia]

Cefia didn't expect what happened next as arms grabbed hold of her from behind. She was dragged off the old captain by the first mate, a look of pity plastered on his rugged features. She attempted to kick him off or loosen his hold but she was held on tight. It wasn't until she registered the rhythmic clap of the captain. She was awfully confused and the concussions she suffered didn't help the matter. Her struggling settled down as she looked at the man expecting an explanation. 

"Ya know lass, you're smart but you act dumb," he grinned, indicating to his head. He shook his head and chuckled as if the statement was the funniest joke ever. Oh, she just wanted to knock him out. 

"When will ya learn to be yourself?" he said pumping his fist against his chest. Cefia relaxed and let out a laugh, oh did she laugh. This was gold! Yet if only he knew how herself she had been. She nodded as if to approve the message and the hold on her loosened. 

"Lass, it is nice having ya back and all but there is a lot more to this world, you got stronger I'll give ya that but you still got a lot to see," he grinned further giving a nod to the first mate to let her go. She fell on her knees, her body far tired than she expected it to be. She knew what was next as she got back onto her feet. Once again she was handed her equipment as one of the other crew called out land... More adventure, great. 

-Exit Cefia-