Eyes on the Prize

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"What's up, Pretty Perry, you look sadder than a sardine who just realised he was caught in a net?"

Perry blinked and looked around as Dray Mord, the ship's doctor, took a seat beside him and a huge swig of beer from his tankard.

"I'm not sad," Perry said, bristling at the notion.

"And I'm not drunk enough to miss the pouty mouth and distracted gaze out of the window," Dray said, "You've sighed about six times in the last fifteen minutes and haven't played a single hand of cards. My medical deduction concludes that you're as heartsick as an untouched lass. Exhibit A."

He pointed across the room to where Cole leant against the wall, his arms draped low on the back of one of the barmaids who wasn't do anything to earn her wages and was staring up at him like she'd just met Adonis, giggling away as he ran a hand through her hair and muttered something low in her ear.

"I do not look like that!" Perry cried, outraged by the notion of being compared to one of Cole's successes.

"Sure, sure," Dray said, taking another drink and pulling a notebook from his pocket.

Perry pursed his lips, eyes narrowed on his captain who slid a slow hand up the waist of the barmaid and she pushed in against him.

"How does he do it?" Perry asked.

"What?" Dray asked, looking up from the medical journal he kept on all the crew, scrawling 'Puppy Love' on Perry's page.

"That," Perry said, nodding at Cole, "What's so special about him?"

Dray looked over to their captain. "He has no shame?" he suggested, looking back.

Perry snorted and looked away again, dumping his chin in the palm of his hand.

Dray couldn't help smiling at the younger man, the baby of the crew who didn't notice when he was in an utter sulk.

"He's not that amazing. Why does he find it so easy to catch the girls?"

"Alright, who's the pretty lady who's caught your eye?" Dray asked with a dramatic sigh, snapping his book shut.

"No one," Perry said, lying through his teeth.

"Uh huh, sure. Well, I suppose that's good seeing as I thought it was against the rules for you to get involved with us, ur, humans," Dray said, raising an eyebrow at Perry.

Perry glanced at him. "That's not something you should be saying in public," he muttered.

Dray shrugged. "Who's listening at twelve at night in a pub? Half this lot have been drunk since the workday ended. The rest caught up around nine."

Perry bit his lip, his foot tapping the floor as he watched Cole.

"Say I did like a girl," he said; Dray looking back at him, "Should I really approach her like Cole approaches people?"

"Cole doesn't approach people," Dray said, "Cole demands their attention and they give it to him before they realise it. People don't argue with Cole, they just do as he says, so no, I wouldn't approach your lady like Cole."

Perry rolled his eyes at the annoyingly accurate description of the captain.

He wants a girl? He calls her over.

He wants a man? He snaps his fingers.

He wants a ship full of riches? He strides on board and charms the opposing captain into surrender – or he shows off exactly why he'd earned the title of pirate, despite what Kazimir thought of him.

Thinking about it, Kazimir was probably the only man in Cole's sights who rebuffed him, but then Perry didn't exactly find that strange when Kazimir's entire species specialised in seduction.

And Cole wasn't seriously going after Kazimir.

Cole didn't seriously go after anyone.

So he was an appalling person to copy.

But then Dalton was hardly the golden boy either.

So why the hell did Aeralie obsess over him so much?!

Because he was a prince?

Because he was handsome?

His striking appearance was exactly the same as Kazimir's and yet she didn't squeal over him... alright, they were best friends but...

Perry couldn't compete with those looks... not like this.

Never once since he'd started all this fun had he ever regretted not being able to compete as his true self. And outside of Cole, no one could know the full details or the game was up. It would be over for him.

So he couldn't compete with Dalton who was playing on his home ground.

"I didn't realise you were competing with Dalton in the first place," Dray said absently and Perry jumped and stared at him. "I don't know what nonsense you're thinking but you thought that last bit out loud," the doctor pointed out.

Perry flushed a flaming red and the doctor started laughing at him.

"Look, kid," Dray said, leaning forwards, "I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark and say the girl who's caught your eye is that princess the captain mentioned. And since it's been a few days since you were last at the palace, I'm betting you miss her. From what I hear, I get it; she's pretty, but save your heart. She's a princess. She's not staying here. She's not after a kid playing pirate."

"I'm not playing."

"But you're not in it for the long haul either."

Perry couldn't argue that one.

"So I have no chance?"

"Nice guys finish last. And you're a nice guy."

Perry looked away and Dray settled a hand on his back, rubbing gently, feeling compelled to comfort him like he would a child even though Perry would resent that. But, better to cut the problem off quickly before it became something serious.

Perry wasn't like Cole. Perry wasn't like most of the people who flew under the flag of skull and crossbones. He was kind and sweet. He was thoughtful and clever. He wasn't so innocent he would get eaten alive by the big bad wolves out there but he wasn't like Cole who didn't care about anything or anyone.

His smiles weren't fake like Cole's and he could be hurt, unlike Cole.

Cole didn't need looking after. Since the day they met when Cole had been nothing more than a snot-nosed brat of twelve with the attitude of the world owed him everything and a vicious streak to make it happen, the now-twenty-three-year-old brat still didn't need looking after.

Perry, on the other hand, Dray may only have known him for three years but he needed a tad more minding. Not that he was going to tell Perry that.

"Come on, how about a hand of poker, you'll cheer up after some winnings," he coaxed, "Or Black Jack, I'll even let you count the cards."

Perry made a sound of disgust and continued his sulking until the door to the pub suddenly blew open, the freezing winter wind racing in with it, making everyone look around and Perry sat bolt upright, staring as, of all people, Kazimir walked in.

His midnight hair blew out around him, icy eyes electric in the firelight as they swept the large room and the dozens of faces that stared at him.

Perry almost stood up but stopped. Kazimir wasn't looking for him, that was clear when his eyes swept straight passed him.

Perry looked towards Cole.

Cole was staring at Kazimir – hands slowly pulling back from the barmaid.

But Kazimir wasn't looking for him either as his deep blue eyes passed him by without a second thought.

He walked into the tavern, eyes scanning each face that looked at him.

The tension he created by just standing there sent the warning hairs up in an instant; skin prickling, muscles tensing.

"Can I help you, Sir?" the bartender called from across the room, his voice tight in his effort to hide the fact that the slender, young man with the striking face scared him.

Because that was it, Perry realised with a jolt of surprise.

Kazimir wasn't trying to damper the effect he had on people at all. The aura that rolled off him was... downright scary.

What was wrong with him? Perry hadn't seen him since he'd walked out of the palace some days before. Why was he suddenly showing such intensity? Why was he suddenly showing up in a pub in town in the middle of the night?

He was scaring the men around him.

These were men who did not scare easily and did not take kindly to being scared by a man half the width of most of them but they could all sense it – that old primal instinct that kept them safe, warning them the man by the door was dangerous.

"No," Kazimir answered bluntly, dismissing the bartender, "You're not who I'm looking for."

"Maybe I can point you in the right direction," the bartender suggested.

Cole moved.

He pushed the girl away from him and his old, easy grin spread across his face as he strode forwards, moving through the tables and joining Kazimir.

"You could have just sent me a message from the castle," he said, his tone teasing, "I'm happy to come runn—"

Kazimir clamped a hand over Cole's mouth and manoeuvred him out of the way with staggering ease, walking passed, completely ignoring him.

Cole's smile vanished like a bolt of lightning. Anger flashed across his face before he caught himself.

Perry assumed it was insult to injury; Cole wasn't used to being dismissed – even by the royal family.

Dray spotted the concealed emotions under the anger and the sight floored him as everything he had just been thinking about Cole mere minutes ago crashed.

Cole De Val, Pirate Captain, kid who didn't have it in his heart to care about anyone... was genuinely hurt by the fact that this newcomer had ignored him.

Dray stared at Kazimir with newfound attention.

Kazimir gave everyone his attention for a second before dismissing them until they settled on a young man from a rival ship to the Black Dragon.

Skinny as an underdog rat, with a face to match, the young man quickly shoved his straggly blonde hair from his face and stared up at Kazimir with wide eyes as Kazimir strode towards him and grabbed him by the arm.

"You're the one I'm looking for," Kazimir said simply, dragging the man up from his seat.

The man followed without a word like he was in a trance, people getting out of their way like they were parting for revered royalty.

Only Cole refused to move from Kazimir's path.

He caught Kazimir's arm as Kazimir made to passed and forced him to stop.

Kazimir looked down at his arm then up at Cole and blinked, like he had only just noticed Cole was even there.

"What the hell would you want with a weasel like Cilfor? He's a thief and a rat!" Cole demanded, clearly unnecessarily irritated and clearly not entirely sure why – which only irritated him more.

Kazimir just looked at him, his expression slightly annoyed but mostly impassive.

He slapped Cole's hand and Cole released him.

"Who exactly are you again?" Kazimir asked and Cole visibly bristled. He almost made to surge forwards but seemed to remember he had an audience.

He opened his mouth to respond and Kazimir cut him off.

"Oh wait, I remember," he said, his tone snide, "The man who's business this is none of."

Cole gaped at him and Kazimir walked out, dragging the rat with him, door closing behind them.

Cole stood there, mouth open.

He took three long strides to the door and Perry intercepted him.

"Now, Cap'n, stop!" he cried, wrapping his arms around Cole's broader build and struggling to hold him back. "Leave it alone, Cole! Let it go!"

Dray and Rolly – the ship's carpenter – appeared and dragged their captain and his wounded pride back towards their table.

"Who the hell does he think he is?" Cole was raging. "Where did that come from? We were fine the last time we spoke! What? Is he mad I ignored him for a few days?!"

"Not everyone is broken up by the fact that you don't give your entire heart and soul to them," Dray muttered, shoving a tankard into Cole's hand.

"He thinks he can just walk away after a comment like that?" Cole snarled, his brilliant eyes flashing like a lion ready for a kill. "Does he know who he's speaking to! Oh, I'll teach him some respect next time I see him! Even if I have to smack it into that pretty little head of his!"

Perry felt a sudden sinking chunk of ice in his stomach.

Not because of the threat of Cole smacking Kazimir – that was an empty threat if ever he heard one from his captain. He was the one more likely to get smacked by Kazimir if anyone threw a punch.

It was because of Cilfor.

Cilfor was a thief and a rat. He was from an opposing crew and he was a wretch.

But he was a thief and a rat... he was a thief.

A really, really, really damn good thief.

Kazimir could manipulate people.

But... surely he wouldn't do something so... so gutsy. So rash?

The chunk of ice settled in the pit of Perry's stomach.

The next morning, as cold sunlight fell on the first dusting of snow across the city, Kazimir was notably absent.

Less notable – as she had not worn it since being informed it was fake – was the absence of the queen's white diamond necklace – which had seemingly simply disappeared into the night and no one had yet to notice. 


~~~~

Next Up: Thursday

Art By: http://88grzes.deviantart.com/

Here, have a chapter, I'm so lost with this story atm, it's waaaay to clunky. I need to figure out how to smooth it and advance the relationships and move it along and no one is cooperating. Which is a shame because I really like the character personalities in this book...

I hate characters -.-

So we'll be looking at characters in the next chapter of the writing advice book lol

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net