Light of the shadows

It has been a long time since I last had seasickness. But now, I feel something in my stomach twitching; not nausea, but nervousness has overcome me. I grip the rope with my left hand and check the blunderbuss in my belt with my right one. I feel sweat dripping off my forehead as I watch the flicker of lights growing as we get closer to the harbor.

The whole ship is quiet, trying not to be noticed by the residents of the city in the quiet night.

I am standing on the main deck, slightly crooked, gripping the rope coming from a knot, ready to jump anytime if necessary.

Norman is fully bent on the floor of planks next to me, carefully giving signs to the boys when and how to move. Even though it is dark, I can still see his eyes moving from one spot to another, his sword slightly shaking in his hand from excitement.

Others are also moving carefully or not moving at all.

Leon, I recognize him by his dirty but blonde hair, is crooked near the stairs next to the quarterdeck. We made a deal.

Whoever would get more booty: gold, silver, anything worthy, would get half of the other's.

I feel a smile building on my face as I also feel the excitement just like Norman, but the nervousness is still here.

I am a bit surprised.

I have almost never been that nervous, if we don't count my first attack as a pirate, of course.

Norman whispers words next to my ear.

I climb on the railing and check my blunderbuss again, as if it could have moved.

I hear the silence of the sea as my feet meet the fresh and cold air, while I sit on the railing. I grip the rope with one hand and the rail with another and wait for Norman's command.

I hear the boys moving behind me.

Lights are growing; I register part of the dock in the darkness.

I tense, feel the hit of dopamine, and start shaking from both coldness and thrill.

I feel blood rushing in my veins. I remove the blunderbuss from my belt and hold it tight.

Norman promised that first shot would be mine.

My hands are shaking; I cannot wait any longer.

The wind keeps messing my hair, and I take a slow breath to feel the moment just before jumping off.

I see the lights moving in the harbor.

They noticed us.

I hear Norman's loud yell, which is followed by others too.

I hold up my blunderbuss and fire it.

The sharp voice cuts the air just like a blade cuts flesh. Someone screams on the dock. I immediately press my boots against the railing and leap onto the dock.

I instantly hear several other boots landing.

Yells, screams, laughs mix with each other.

I feel my blood rushing in my hands as I ran straight to where I first saw the movement.

I don't shoot; instead, I attack the guard of the city. I kick him in the stomach and then hit him with my firearm in the face.

Another one approaches, but I hear a shot, and he falls hard on the ground. I can't see, but I am specific that there's blood leaking through his clothes.

I didn't want to see blood tonight.

I look behind and see a tall figure with the same type of blunderbuss.

That's how I recognize Marcus.

We both have been practicing shooting together, and I can recognize his movements everywhere.

"We said no blood tonight," I call loud to make my voice clear for him in this turbulence.

I keep moving forward. The city is swallowed by darkness, but I can hear panic screams from afar:

Pirates!

I move fast but steady, trying to swallow any information from around about the city and the situation.

I find my way out of the harbor maze and finally find my way through the city streets.

There is barely anyone in the street. This city is too weak for this world. I see only one or two people who immediately rush back to the buildings as they see us.

Guards?

They are easy to overcome.

I usually use my own hands to knock them off or hit them with the gun.

I smile as I hear one young guard crack as I hit him in the nose.

I feel fresh blood running on my hands.

"No blood? Really? We aren't here for playing, Devin."

I hear Marcus's voice from behind. He is coming right behind me; he is as much excited as I am.

He usually fires a gun, and I look back at him:

"At least aim only for limbs,"

I yell at him.

I hear his laughter as he fires his gun again.

I ignore him and keep moving.

I remembered the whole map of the city the night before.

I run within streets and only attack guards if they stand in my way.

"Stop playing hero, Devin boy."

I hear Marcus from somewhere but I can't see him.

I keep moving on the cobbled street. Darkened houses look down at me; somewhere, lights flicker, and I can't help but smile. Residents are starting to realize now that something's not fine. I bet some of them are still peacefully sleeping as I move forward to the Governor's estate.

I put my weapon back in my belt and slow down a bit after leaving the main streets and coming to a more calm place.

I find myself near a forest, following the cobbled path.

This path is my compass to the estate.

I follow it without hesitation and soon I see light in the shadows.

I force myself to run faster.

I can't hear Marcus anymore.

I wonder what others are doing. The estate was my job, and I should get there, no matter what.

I keep moving and register three guards at the gate.

I can barely see the house itself, but the iron gates with guards are enough proof that I am on the spot.

I hide behind the shadows and start using technique that has always worked for me:

"Mix with shadows."

I slow my steps and gently touch the ground with my boots.

I hear footsteps behind me.

I take a cloth from my pocket and wrap it around my face.

I was 7 years old when my father let me leave the house to find my own life. He just couldn't take care of me and decided that I was a burden for him and just let me go.

I remember how I asked people in the streets to take me.

I begged them to bring me with them to their houses,

but no one listened.

I once found my way back to the house, but my father didn't see me approaching, or he did but didn't care.

I ventured alone in darkness; no one ever saw me, a kid with ripped clothes and a dirty face walking in the shadows.

No one saw me; they thought me as nothing.

So I turned into a shadow.

I learned how to mix with darkness.

I started pickpocketing.

At first, I got hit and yelled at, but later I learned how to do it so slowly that no one could notice how I slipped their golden watch out of their coats.

I was 13 when I tried to steal from a pirate.

He noticed me and caught my hand. Then he brought me to their captain because he believed I would make a good pirate.

He was right.

I learned how to fight, use a sword, steal better—everything for a pirate.

I have been living on a ship for seven years.

I have changed crews many times, and I have changed myself a lot too.

I mix in the shadows just like when I was 7 and attack one guard. The second one immediately grabs his weapon, but before he can do anything, I hear a bullet cut the air before it hits the second guard.

I knew those footsteps belonged to Marcus.

I hear another loud shot, and the third guard is down too.

"Are you going to bring him to ship or will you let him go?"

Marcus steps from behind the tree, and I observe him under the gate lamp light. His white shirt is covered in dirt and blood, and his gun is wrapped in smoke; his hair is sticking to his sweaty face.

"I know the map of the city but not the estates themselves." I have my hand on the guard's mouth; his eyes are widened from fear. He is about my age. I take a blade from my boot and place it on his throat: "Tell me where the Governor keeps his treasure, and I won't harm you, nor him. We will have already left by the time he wakes up." I keep my voice steady, even though I doubt the governor will stay alive tonight.

I wait a few seconds before I remove my hand from his mouth:

"In the basement... must be in the basement." He says instantly.

"Good boy," I say before I knock him out.

"Let's go." I get up and look at Marcus.

"What's different between hitting and killing?" he asks curiously. I feel teasing in his voice.

"There actually is a big one"

I don't say anything more and keep moving in the garden of the house after entering the gate.

The garden is filled with different types of flowers, especially roses. The house has three floors, with several balconies and the newest architectural style.

"Good taste," I whisper more to myself before Marcus and I croak at the sight of more guards.

"If you use the gun, they will immediately see us," I whisper.

"I know," he whispers too.

"What if I..." I start, but he interrupts:

"Go in, check the basement or whatever before I take care of the guards."

He doesn't wait for my answer and moves to the opposite side.

I want to oppose, but he doesn't let me; instead, I am left alone behind the marble pillar. I can see the back entrance from there.

I don't even have time to think what to do when I hear guards chatting.

They look on the opposite of me, and slowly they grab their weapons. They follow something they saw in the darkness.

As soon as they shift attention to Marcus, who is venturing too loud on purpose, I ran towards the entrance, half-bent.

I put the tip of my blade in the lock hole.

I move it faster than I should and don't take away my eyes from the guards.

They are distracted by movement in the garden but can't fully leave their posts.

I keep moving the tip inside the locker.

I want to call to Marcus, to do something more noticeable, something that will force them to leave the post.

But I cannot.

I think of withdrawing and replanning things, but I don't have that much time.

Well, I do, but I just cannot wait anymore to find out what that treasure is.

There have been rumors going around that the Governor is not only rich but owns a special treasure, which no one knows what is.

That's why I am here. I am here to mix with shadows and find out what the Governor possesses and take it away from him.

I push the tip harder and finally hear a click.

I exhale, and the door cracks open.

One guard suddenly looks back.

He sees me.

I curse under my breath, but I can't stop in here, so I enter the house and shut the door behind.

I hear orders outside.

This is literal suicide, but I go into the deep parts of this palace like house instead of running.

"Hope Marcus will back me,"

I think as I walk into prosperous rooms, filled with books, too expensive furniture, and too clean floors.

I can hear guards inside call to each other.

The house is waking up.

I keep the black cloth on my mouth, and instead of running, I keep leaping between soft furniture, and I even hang on the plank of the ceiling when guards run down me.

I softly land on the couch, feeling sharp pain in my ankle but keep going to the stairs. I am trying to find the basement, but where is it?

Finally, they see me as I run in a hall which is filled with golden mirrors and pictures of some elite members.

"Don't move," one guard orders and points a gun at me.

I turn back to him, smiling.

I have my blunderbuss in my right hand.

Now we are both pointing weapons at each other.

I can read fear in his eyes.

This will benefit me: "Don't you want to go home safely today? Go back to your mum's arms?" I ask with too softened a voice.

He blinks his eyes, doesn't say a word for a second, but then his face fills with fake confidence:

"Drop the gun," he orders.

I laugh loud. I am about to bite him back when I hear the door behind me swung open. Someone fires a gun.

Marcus.

I look back and immediately see him with blood flowing down his face. He has someone's sword in one hand; he drops it and shoots a gun at the guard which followed him inside.

I don't know if he is fascinated with what he is doing or if he's scared, but his face looks like someone who just looked into death's eyes.

"Is this blood..."

My words stop mid-sentence as I feel something sharp entering my stomach.

I drop my gun, and in seconds I am sitting on the floor, blood running on my hand as I touch my shirt which is getting soaked in a red substance.

My brain stops functioning for a second; all I can think of is that something unnatural for an organism entered my body.

I can barely hear voices, and I stare at the patterns of the floor, trying to bear the burning fire in my stomach.

The next thing I see is the guard who shot me lying dead, with a hole in his forehead, where he was standing a second ago.

"Devin,"

finally, I am back to life.

Marcus forces me to get up.

"I need to find it."

I come back to my senses and forget the wound for a second, even though I feel dizzy.

"Forget that damn treasure for a second," he makes me lean against the wall. "We are going back."

"I am not..."

I hear another yell and guns firing.

Marcus curses as he hides me behind the wall before he starts shooting. He moves forward to find his victim easier.

I feel pain growing as I move, and blood has soaked my shirt.

I look around, looking for any sight of some bigger cloth than the one for my face, when I see it...

Part of the floor has hinges and a locker.

It is under the table.

I look up at Marcus, who has moved away from me and keeps shooting or loading the bullets in his weapon.

I am covered by the wall, which already has holes from bullets, but it doesn't matter.

I move, more crawl, towards that table.

I feel sharp pain near my ribs, but I need that treasure, whatever it is. It has to be mine. I have to prove that shadow pirate is a perfect criminal, that I am worth enough to be captain's favorite; I need to show Marcus that I can still be a pirate without killing.

I don't breathe as I keep moving, crawling, but trying to keep my stomach up.

I have felt worse than this before, but that doesn't ease my pain right now.

Finally, I reach the locker.

It is locked.

After a few torturing seconds, I finally grab my gun and shoot it at the locker.

I cover my face when the locker bursts.

Though iron hits my hand, and I see another wound forming.

I groan and hold one hinge up and somehow open the floor door.

There is only darkness, but I see the stairs.

Nothing else until...

Until I see the sun itself inside.

I see yellow, almost white light shining the whole basement. I have woken up before sunrise a lot of times and witnessed darkness and light meeting each other, but what I see right now is not just light and darkness meeting...

It is light being a lot weaker than darkness, but still being the first thing you notice.

The light moves, and finally, I see that that light is just too white hair...

I thought the treasure would be anything but a woman.