The Silent Tides

[MarineAvenger]

In the early 1800s a strange event occurred. The world was thrown into chaos when the waters rose and the lands were flooded, killing millions and nearly destroying the infrastructure of the world. There was anarchy. Some proclaimed it the end of the world, brought on by the sins of the people. Some didnt know what to believe. With little communication throughout the world, it was plunged into another dark age. Governments had fallen, the people scared an unknowing what to do.

From the ruins of civilization, people rose from the ruins and went out to claim their lost homes. They built ships of all shapes and sizes and set out as the pioneers of the new world. It was not so easy. Treacherous seas and forgotten land made the journeys perilous and many died. Food was scarce as much fertile farmland had been destroyed and turned into swamps or bogs. But the worst threat yet, were those that appeared from down below.

Cryptids, long thought dead or myth rose from the depths of the seas and prayed on the weak and helpless. Giant squids, serpents and other horrors made travel horrible and was on the forefront of all pioneers minds.

But there was hope. People indeed began to rebuild, and in nearly half a decade, civilization seemed into the rode of recovery. From the ruins of North America, the North Atlantic Union was formed. It is a democratic Union of the ruins of the United States, Canada and Mexico, all coming together as one of the few free nations left in the world.

In the ruins of South America came the Latin Federation, a land run by a council of twelve that rule over the the South American continent.

In Europe, they have returned to the days of a feudal government system. Kings ruling over their respected territories, which there are five major ones. The French, ruling over much of Western Europe. The Germans, ruling Eastern Europe in a totalitarian government regime, run by the National Socialist German Party or in short, the Nazis. In the South there are the Italians, a rich people who have adapted very well to the new naval lifestyle. In the North, the Scandinavians have returned to their Norse heritage, becoming people who live off their harsh winter environment. And the last being the United Kingdom, being mainly what is left of Britain, Scotland, and Ireland.

In Asia, the Soviet Union is still very large, industrialized and communist. Their main exports being iron and steel, commodities that have become scarce with the world flooded.

The rest of Asia has converted to communism, China taking over almost all of mainland Asia, being as they were the least effected by the flooding of the world. Japan is still an empire, their reach spreading all he way from the Philippines to even a strong control over Australia.

Africa and the Middle East were the best effected by the flooding, their long dead deserts returning to life with the new sources of water. North Africa and the Middle East have become rich farming nations, building up their now easily developing nations into modern empires. However, South Africa did not wish to join up with their North African counterparts, splitting off and not modernizing, the lands fractured and run by oppressive warlords.

Also throughout the world, many independent pirate factions rule the waters. They range from freelancers, to outright oppressive bandits but no matter the faction, the pirates are hated by most common people, although governments often seek them out for job offers.

Now, it is the booming 1920s. Economies are pretty stable and there are currently no major wars. Sailing has become daily life for the people of the world. All trade, communication and transportation being on the water. People all around the world go out and try to prove themselves the best captains of the perilous waters, battling Cryptids and making a profit, whether for themselves, or more personal reasons.

Welcome to the story of such captains in...The Silent Tides.

Spoiler

The World

 

[MarineAvenger]

General Tips of the World Part 1:

Ships- The world uses a variety of ships ranging from old style Victorian sail boats to modern airships and iron battleships. Ships that use sails are the largest type of ship in use. South America has the largest fleet while the North has more experienced crews. Air ships are almost exclusively used by the kingdoms of Europe, Nazi Germany having the largest airship armada. Air ships however are really vulnerable when targeted by anti air batteries. Iron battleships are the rarest and most expensive of the ship classes as they are large and are completely made of the limited iron reserves. The Soviet Union currently has the largest of the iron ships though Japan's armada is nothing to laugh at as their ferocious battle tactics and traditional military make them a worthy foe to even the most seasoned of sailors. The biggest drawback of iron ships are their slow speed and more than occasional chance to breakdown and malfunction.

Ship Classes:

Sail Ships
Carrack- A three sailed ship widely used as civilian and exploration vessels. The standard ship around the world.

Sloop-of-War- A Three sailed vessel that is used for lightweight battles, using maneuvering and small size to make up for their usual lack of firepower.

Trade Ship- A standard merchant ship that have wide designs to carry a large assortment of goods and other cargo. Virtually no armaments means they always have an escort.

Frigate- Standard battleship of the world, has a design that is universally used around the world and nearly makes up the bulk of the world's navies.

Air Ships
The Beetle- A small airship design that is mainly used for civilian or police use.

The Clunker- A medium sized ship with two ballon design, it is used for merchants and municipal transports though some have been modified as war vessels.

The Hindenberg- These very large blimps are a common sight in Nazi Germany as many of them are used for international transport and tourist vessels. However, the Hindenburg's war counterpart, the Reichstag, is no joke. They are covered with guns, both long range and short but a major flaw in the design are the blimps themselves as they can easily be shot down if hit right.

The Royal Airship- Only four of these are known to exist, each owned by the leaders of the European Kingdoms, these very large ships are a marvel of modern technology and engineering, some of them made for luxury while others made for war.

Iron Ships
The Destroyer- Small ironclads with armaments to take down other ships, these iron ships are the heaviest gunned but have minimal armor to compensate.

The Battleship- A large iron ship that has found the perfect balance of armor and firepower. These high sea menaces are in short supply but are no joke when met on the seas.

Spoiler

Carrack-

Sloop-of-War-

Frigate-

The Beetle-

The Clunker-

The Hidenburg/Riechstag

Royal Airship-

Destroyer-

Battleship-

 

[MarineAvenger]

General Tips of the World Part 2:

Armaments

Guns- Guns in this universe have developed in such a that they are up to par with World War One. There is a mix of steampunk in there as well, (So get creative as well as realistic) though don't rule out melee weapons. Ammo is somewhat expensive and guns, although useful, are not the best built so they tend to misfire or need repairs while in battle.

Anti-Air- There are anti air units but most of them are stationary ground unit and not a lot of ships have them.

Armor- Armor in this world is basically gone. Guns have made most armor obsolete so you will be vulnerable either way. There are people out there that make bulletproof vests and helmets but are almost exclusively made for the military and are nowhere near reliable.

Cryptids (Here is a fun addition and one that really changes up things. Cryptids are creatures that have inhabited the world when the Dark Age came and are terrors for sea captains, as well as sky captains.) *Note*-Keep in mind these creatures are rare to run in to but are bad when you do.

Giant Squid: Need I even explain.

Sea Serpent- Very unlikely to run into one but if you do...run.

Sea Dragon- The Serpent's Asian Cousin (Only one has ever been seen)

Mermaid- Not very hostile but rarely seen by humans (And yes...I had to)

Air Cryptids-

Giant Eagle-Cause why not

Firefly Swarm-Taking a page out of Atlantis's book, I really loved this creatures, can literally set fire to whatever they touch

Siren- These wispy creatures are basically the sky mermaids but are much more hostile and love to torment air crews, possibly killing them in the process

 

[MarineAvenger]

General Tips of the World Part 3:

Races: (No outlandish fantasy races, everyone is human, sorry.)
White- Nothing has changed.

African American- In this universe, this race has broken the chains of slavery and have become a wealthy and respected people, though most have returned to their home nation and rarely leave.

Latino- Unfortunately, Central and South America were the most flooded, resulting in a lot of deaths. They mainly keep to their own nation and tend not to mingle much with outsiders except for business.

Asian- No real changes, though they are the second largest ethnic group.

Native American- One of the ethnic groups with the most drastic changes, Native Americans are the third largest ethnic group and have adapted to the modern world very well. Their shamanistic and totemist beliefs still are still around but many have shifted away from that lifestyle. One of the more dispersed groups, they can be found almost anywhere.

Culture

Music- The music around the world has taken a step away from the classical arrangements and have branched out. Irish and Nordic music have become very popular to ship crews. However, there has been a surge of a New music that has really gripped the world from the African nation, Jazz.

Art- Art has really taken a back seat in the intellectual community as not many people become artists. However the ones that have and been successful are praised, many of them either Victorian style or depictions of great ship battles. Photography is a relatively New concept as is video.

Literature- As with art, not many writers in the world. Many great works are those of journals written by famous captains. Many books from the Old World were destroyed though those saved have become classics.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

Isakin Ishida

Gender: Male
Current Age: 19
Birthday: September 8th, 1903
Nationality: Japanese
Allegiances: Emperor Susumu, Shogun Manabu
Hair Color: Black
Hair Length: Base of skull (Somewhat spiky)
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 180.3 cm [5 ft 11 in]
Weight: 69.4 kg [153 lbs]

Occupation: Imperial Navy Officer
Rank: Kaigun Daisa [Captain]
Previous Service: None, though Isakin has received extensive training on tactics and personal combat, and is clever.
Uniform Description: Black naval uniform with white gloves, black boots, and the Ishida crest.

Personal History:

Being the Shogun's heir comes with a combination of luxury and expectation.

Isakin grew up in the city of Tokyo, bearing this duality of a blessing and curse. The city itself is not the capital of the Japanese Empire, but rather the military HQ of the nation. After the Great Flood, the Tokugawa Shogunate fell, and was replaced by those who wished to preserve the position of Shogun while restoring the power of the Emporer: the Ishida clan. They built up the Edo Castle to be even more impressive, and were instrumental in the conquests of the Philippines and Australia.

Isakin had many acquaintances in the castle as a child, but few that he could really call friends. The exceptions to this general rule were Keewa, Caleb, and Juku. Keewa was from the aboriginal portion of Australia, and served as the boy's personal bodyguard like an odd shinobi guardian. About the same age as him, she was loyal to the Ishida heir, but became friends with him because she appreciated his honesty and appreciation of her. And he tolerated her quiet and pensive nature, where many grew frustrated. The other two had a linked story. Caleb was from the other portion of Australia, and a conscripted soldier after her stole from one of the Shogun's retainers. Juku was the son of that retainer. The former resented Manabu, but grew to like the kid he was assigned to protect, whereas the later admired Isakin and tolerated Caleb.

By the time he was thirteen, Isakin began to show a bit of a rebellious streak. He would go off with his three friends to the seedier parts of Tokyo, enjoying the town itself rather than a life of luxury in the palace. Manabu allowed this, however, seeing that it was an adventurous spirit that did not remove Isakin's desire to become Shogun, perhaps even strengthening it. When Isakin was 15, he met someone new on one of these escapades. The teenager caught the eye of a lovely girl his age, who tagged along with him for a few nights before telling him the truth about herself.

She was Kohaku, the Emperor's daughter. She had the same enjoyment of the city and other parts of Japan considered beneath her as Isakin, and she thus found herself drawn to him. Although she was indeed deeply infatuated with Isakin, the Shogun's son hesitated. Perhaps he felt the same way, but he knew her father would likely disapprove of another with her rebellious nature, and his own father would see it as a grave error to fall in love with a member of the imperial family. So Isakin kept her at arm's length, though Kohaku never gave up trying anyway, knowing he wasn't being completely honest with her.

Now nineteen, Isakin awaits the day when he can see more of the world, and start truly earning the title of naval officer he carries.

Spoiler: Isakin Ishida

Spoiler: Ishida Crest

 

[DarkGemini24601]

“The Heir to the Shogunate”

1922: Tokyo, Japan
Late Evening, around 10:00 P.M.
Boyaketa Raito no Kurabu [Club of Blurred Lights]

Isakin Ishida, Eldest Son of the Shogun [0]

Why did they have to go and say that? I wondered as the jeering men around my friend continued their insults beneath the tinted lamps of the club.

“You deaf, gaijin?” the first sneered. “We don’t need your kind in this nice place!”

The blond man, perhaps in his thirties, clenched his fists and grit his teeth. “Oh, piss off, you whackers.” [1]

“You think you can talk to us like that?” The second slugged the foreigner across the jaw, turning his head to the right, facing me.

“Permission to kick their sorry asses?” the Australian, Caleb, asked me.

I could tell he probably couldn’t be convinced otherwise, and honestly, I wanted these two aho [2] gone anyway. I put down the glass of sake I was drinking from, the liquid churning back and forth from the abruptness of the action. “Only if you let me join in.”

“Eh?” the first idiot growled. “Who do you th-“ I silenced him with a punch to the gut, forcing him to grab it in pain. Before he could retaliate, I quickly went behind him, and slamming my palms into his back. The troublesome man was knocked onto his face, though the other lunged for me.

Caleb was there to watch my back. He delivered a swift kick to the angry man’s prized possessions, and then proceeded to knock him onto his fallen comrade, blasting the wind out of both of them.

I yawned, glancing between the two groaning troublemakers and the geisha [3] that owned the club. “Sorry for the trouble, Mi-chan [4],” I quickly apologized. Sincerely, mind you, but an unconscious smile betrayed the fact that I had enjoyed the quick brawl.

The older woman sighed, shaking her head. “Honestly, Isakin…” Her lips curled up into a smile. “Make sure that’s your last glass for today.”

“But-“ I began to protest.

“And take out the trash for me.” Mi looked at the two groaning troublemakers meaningfully.

Caleb slapped me on the back, unable to hide a chuckle. “Don’t argue with the lady.”

“I know how pointless that is,” I mumbled. Giving a disappointed look to the white-faced entertainer, I said to my friend, “You’re helping, though.”

“Oh, c’mon, mate… you get the feet, then,” the Aussie groaned.

Heaving a sigh, I grabbed one of the idiots by the legs, and Caleb helped me lift them out of club.

Early Morning, Unknown Time
Edo Castle, Headquarters of the Ishida Shogunate

I awoke to a familiar face staring down over me. The fact that I was used to it wasn’t encouraging. “Kohaku, three things. One, I have a bit of a headache. Two, if my father walks in here now I don’t think he’ll approve of seeing the Emperor’s daughter straddling his son. Three, how many times do I have to tell you not to do this?”

The young brown haired woman chuckled. “You can’t get rid of me that easily, Isakin.” She punctuated the second half of my name to where it sounded more like ‘kun’ [5] than anything.

“So I’ve noticed.” I managed to get her off me, and sat up, halfheartedly trying to fix my ruffle hair. “Sneaking into my room to give me trouble is a misuse of the training you received.”

“I call it practice.” Kohaku grinned, and I knew to move to the side to avoid her attempt at a kiss.

“Why must you be such a temptress…”

“Why must you spurn my advances?” Kohaku countered, crossing her arms indignantly.

“Because you’re obnoxious,” I muttered, standing up. The princess mimicked my movement, raising an eyebrow.

“You don’t really mean that, you softie…” Kohaku protested. She wasn’t wrong, of course.

I did steal a glance over the princess, dressed in her black shinobi [6] garb. To be honest, I really do like her. But I don’t think it’s meant to be. Between how her father is, and how mine is… it’s better if I push her away, right? “I have to get going, Kohaku. Father needs something from me.”

Kohaku smiled. “Actually, that’s why I came to Tokyo.” She walked to the door, opening it, and turned her head to face me. “Get dressed in your uniform: it is official business.”

The door closed, and I sighed. “Great.” Opening my closet, I put on my black navy uniform, the hat pressing down my spiky hair. Slipping on black boots and white gloves, there was only one thing left. I looked over the last piece of the outfit in my hands, a pin depicting the Ishida crest. It was characterized by a circular in the center, five lines that opened up into heart-shaped symbols, which had three similar shapes on the top. Despite the fact that my father and I would sometimes argue, I still took pride in what my family was.

“It’s not the worst thing in the world, being the heir to the shogunate,” I mused before stepping out the door.

Mid-Morning, 10:00 A.M.
Edo Castle, Headquarters of the Ishida Shogunate

I found my father at the balcony on the top floor of the castle where he held his court. Beside him was the princess, dressed more formally in an elegant golden robe with stylized suns reminding us of the royal family’s claimed lineage from Amaterasu. [8] “What did you need?”

Rather than say his reason for calling me first, Manabu pointed out to the harbor. There, I could see an impressive ship sitting in the harbor. Bearing the imperial standard, and loaded out with a collection of cannons and mortars was one of Japan’s few but mighty battleships. “The Emperor requested something of me.”

“And that is…?” I questioned.

My father turned to face me. “You have received training in tactics, in combat, all to hone your abilities for the day you succeed me. Emperor Susumu feels that you could use field experience.”

Kohaku smiled pleasantly. “You’ll have assistance of course, but we want you to command the Susanoo.” [9]

My eyes widened. “I…well…I’m honored to be given command of such an impressive ship.” Especially considering my age. Sure, I’m an officer, but I wouldn’t expect them to ask a nineteen-year-old to command one of the imperial fleet’s finest.

Kohaku’s smile only widened, the woman reading me like a book. “Don’t worry, we have confidence in you. You’re proven to be very clever indeed.”

“You’ll be joining me for awhile, I suppose?”

“Until the Emperor’s confidence is completely assured,” she answered. Great.

“Well, how soon?”

Manabu gave one of his rare smiles. “The Susanoo sets sail tomorrow morning. I suggest you prepare.”

I quickly saluted, and went off to do just that.

Mid-Morning, 10:00 A.M.
Edo Castle, Headquarters of the Ishida Shogunate

Waiting for me was naturally my three true friends. Caleb was there, of course, my retainer wearing his traditional, lightweight samurai armor, even if it offered little protection from bullets. “You’re coming, then?” I asked, knowing the answer already.

Caleb grinned. “Even if I wanted to stay, it’s not like I have a choice, you know. Conscripted soldier and all that…”

The man in more modern military garb glared at him. “That is what you get for trying to steal from my father,” eighteen year old Juku snapped, though we knew he was joking. It was always awkward for those that couldn’t tell the strong man’s real mood.

Keewa just gave me a slight nod. The aborigine from the Australian Protectorate was selective with her words, but I knew I could count on her. She was as good as any shinobi bodyguard, skilled with a variety of weapons. She could kill an enemy with a spear, a boomerang, a sniper rifle: whatever the situation called for.

“You happy to be finally doing something?” I asked the dark-skinned woman, who was only a year older than me.

“Of course,” Keewa replied. “Puts my skills to the test.”

“I’m sure you’ll make us proud.” I looked over my Arisaka-30 rifle, admiring the bayonet and impressive size of the weapon. Even if it was a bolt-action rifle. “Anything else we need?”

Keewa shook her head, as did Juku. Caleb held up a thumb. “Good to go, Isakin.”

“Well then…” I looked out to the harbor. “Tomorrow, we set sail.”

 

[DarkGemini24601]

The Heir to the Shogunate [Notes]

[0] A hereditary commander-in-chief in feudal Japan. The shogunate is his administration. In this version of Japan, the Shogun is the commander, while the Emperor is the chief. The Shogun is the Emperor’s second, wielding power perhaps equal to his.

[1] Whacker – Idiot; somebody who talks drivel; somebody with whom you have little patience; a dickhead

[2] Aho – Similar to [1], except Japanese slang rather than Australian.

[3] Geisha – Traditional Japanese female entertainers who act as hostesses and whose skills include performing various Japanese arts such as classical music, dance, games and conversation, mainly to entertain male customers.

[4] Chan – A Japanese honorific, or suffix added to the end of one's name. In this instance, used to refer to Mi as ‘cute’ in a joking manner.

[5] Kun – A Japanese suffix added to a name (preferably to a male's name). It is used for friends, and possibly the men that you fancy.

[6] Shinobi – A high level ninja, highly trained in the art of stealth. Roughly translates into "Walker of Shadows" or "Warrior of the Night." These ninja were considered to be very powerful in both body and spirit.

[7] Shogunate – The administration of the Shogun; the government during the Shogun’s reign. In this world, this is basically the military administration of the Japanese empire.

[8] Amaterasu – The goddess of the sun in Japan’s Shinto religion, and also the goddess of the universe. The name Amaterasu derived from Amateru meaning "shining in heaven." The imperial dynasty claimed descent from her.

[9] Susanoo – The storm god of the Shinto religion. Younger brother of the sun goddess Amaterasu, he is infamous for his mischievous and sometimes destructive behavior and therefore has a reputation as being something of a trickster. The battleship in the story is named after him.

Spoiler: Geisha

Spoiler: Amaterasu

Spoiler: Susanoo

 

[MarineAvenger]

Name: Cheyenne
Gender: Female
Current Age: 18
Birthday: April 7th, 1904
Nationality: Native American
Place of Birth: California, North Atlantic Union
Allegiances: Freelance
Hair Color: Red
Hair Length: Waist length
Eye Color: Blue
Height: 5ft 7in
Weight: 127 lbs

Occupation: Doctor (Herbal Medicine)
Rank: None
Previous Service: Apprenticeship from tribal elder woman
Uniform Description: Hide short vest, blue denim shorts, brown high boots, white silk shawl around her waist and goggles

Personal History:

Cheyenne was born to the Algonquian refugee tribe that has settled on new reservations on the West Coast, named after the language that they speak. Cheyenne's mother was a tribe woman but her father was an Irish sailor who came to California for work. Her father is no longer around as at a young age, he set out on a voyage to the Australian islands and was never heard, or seen from again.

This left a newborn Cheyenne with her mother and her small tribe and they raised her as their own. She had taken heavily on her father's side, retaining little of her mother in her except for her pale blue eyes. Though she was loved by the tribe and was always welcomed with open arms, Cheyenne could never stop herself from feeling segregated from the other normal kids, often going off alone to think about her father whenever she could. Time passed and when Cheyenne was in her young teens, she had taken up tutelage under the tribe's elder woman. She was taught how to speak many Native languages as well as the customs and rituals of each.

A hidden talent of Cheyenne's was her proficiency in herbal care, the taking of wild herbs and create mixtures to help heal wounded and sick. She had gotten so good at it that she was considered the go to person for health care, as she could cure almost any ailment among the village. However tribal life bore down on her and Cheyenne began to dream more and more of adventure and going out to see the world, maybe going as far as to hunt down her father, if he was indeed still alive like she believed.

Although hesitant, when Cheyenne turned 18, he mother allowed her to leave the tribal life behind and to go out to shape her own future. After leaving, she quickly became accustomed to modern living and it even became second nature to her next to her tribal nature. Finding transport aboard a zeppelin bound for London, Cheyenne began her journey by traveling to one of the biggest centers of trade in the Atlantic, the United Kingdom.

 

[MarineAvenger]

Name: Anton Ludwig
Gender: Male
Current Age: 20
Birthday: May 23, 1902
Nationality: German
Place of Birth: Berlin, German Kingdom
Allegiances: Freelance
Hair Color: Blonde
Hair Length: Neck
Eye Color: Blue
Height: 6ft 3in
Weight: 172 lbs

Occupation: Mechanic
Rank: None
Previous Service: Worked on various airships that came in and out of Berlin
Uniform Description: Brown leather vest over white dress shirt with bow tie and matching brown pants. Wears glasses

Personal History:

Anton was born the eldest son of an influential Burgermeister who lived in one of the towns just outside of the capital of Berlin. His life was often filled with pampering but although life was easy, Anton found his true calling in hands on work from a young age. It started with fixing toys he had broken and developed into a full blown hobby an interest, taking on small jobs repairing a bike or wagon for the neighborhood children.

In order to learn about how to better move forward with his skills, Anton was sent to live with his uncle in the capital where he found work in local mechanics and even the occasional airfield. As he neared adult hood, Anton seeked more from his life of constantly fixing broken things for a small amount of pay and decided to take the next step in his life, attend an aeronautics campus in the United Kingdom.

His father greatly disapproved of the venture, stating that Anton should stay home and learn to be like his father but it was too late and his mind was set. At the age of 18, Anton left his home nation and traveled to the United Kingdom, spending two years in a college learning about machinery, becoming a skilled mechanic but also going for classes in the science of physics. He is currently living on campus of his college and is eager to finish hos two years to become a well known airship mechanic and designer.

 

[MarineAvenger]

Name: Edward Carwyn
Gender: Male
Current Age: 19
Birthday: September 11, 1903
Nationality: Welsh
Place of Birth: London, England
Allegiances: Freelance
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Hair Length: Short
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 6ft 2in
Weight: 165 lbs

Occupation: Thief and Pilot
Rank: None
Previous Service: Steals boats and airships, as well as other petty crimes
Uniform Description: Black jacket with white undershirt and black jeans

Personal History:

Edward grew up an orphan on the streets of London, fending for himself after his parents were murdered when he was only seven. He was in and out of multiple orphanages, each one right after the other he escaped and lived on the streets until he was thrown back into a different one.

Over time he developed connections and powerful friends in the shady crime world of the prosperous trade city of London and the young Welsh used his newly found street smarts he had acquired from buddies to work, making money jacking boats and airships, either taking them down to shady shipwrights or chop shops for a profit. He became good at it, Edward becoming one of the most wanted juveniles in London at the time he was a teenager. Over his time stealing many vessels, Ed had become a good captain, and even at one point considered the navy but was rejected for his shadowy background.

Staying in and out of the system for a while, Edward got into even more trouble, getting into the drug trade with opium and other substances. He didn't use it personally but it made him a huge profit. Living large, he had money in his pockets, a roof over his head and food in his belly. More than most low rate criminals had aspired to.

At age 19, Edward currently lives out on the crummy part of London's port areas, continuing his trade and thinking of moving on to bigger and better things.

 

[MarineAvenger]

April 1st, 1922: London, England
Early Morning, Around 4 A.M.
Pier 13

Edward Carwyn

The pier was covered in a thick lair of fog that blinded a man from seeing at least five feet in front of him. As I stepped out from my shabby apartment building I made a quick left down a narrow alley, putting my hands in my pocket to keep them warm from the cold, misty morning. Yes, the fog would blind anyone, but for Edward, he didn't require a clear line of vision to get to where he was going. This route was one he took every morning and every twilight, the route to his work.

Very few people were on the streets as it was still early dawn, many normal people were still in their beds sleeping away the day. The wolves were on the prowl, it was wise to keep in their burrows. I was one such of those wolves, looking around cautiously for any ambushers or obstacles that would indicate something out of the ordinary that could bring unexpected harm onto me. In my line of work, everyone tries to kill you. Your success on the streets dictated how large the target on your back was, and mine was the biggest. I made a living off selling opium on the streets, selling out to multiple dealers that were all run by a shadowy network of thugs, thieves and scoundrels. I was by no means the leader, but I was the most valuable distribution agent.

Arriving at an unmarked warehouse, I pushed the door open and walked inside, covering my mouth and nose with a mask that protected me from the psychedelic drug fumes. Workers were moving crates as I entered and I quickly found the foreman of the operation smoking a dream pipe in the backroom. He looked at me with an apprehensive look and sigh. "What is it Carwyn? Can't you see that I am...occupied." He growled at me with a voice that was damaged and gruff from the years of drug use.

"I am here to make sure your sorry ass doesn't smoke all the product before we ship it. This is the largest order we have ever gotten. The sooner we get the first shipments of opium to China, the sooner we make a profit." I told him, all business as I waved away the pipe and leaned against the wall.

He inhaled deeply and breathed out the smoke in a smoke circle. "Still planning on trying to get out, are we Ed?"

"I told you, I have had enough. After we get this last pay check, I am telling Felhorne I want out."

The foreman chuckled at me in the way that I absolutely hated. "You are funny Ed. You don't tell the boss you want out, he tells you when you get out, and there is only one way out of the underworld my friend." He made a slicing motion with his finger on his neck.

I tightened my fist into a ball and scrunched up a nose. "I have paid my dues and worked dutifully for years. I owe no debts, no strings attached. He doesn't own me anymore."

He cackled again and I just grew more angry. "Boy, he owned you before, he owns you now, and he will continue to own you in the future. Like you said, you worked dutifully for years. A valuable assets much like yourself isn't allowed to just. 'walk away'. That isn't how it works here buddy."

I closed my eyes and rubbed them, shaking my head. "Well my mind is made up. I am telling him."

The foreman waved me off. "I will be sure not to attend your funeral."

I turned and went out the door before I stopped and went back into the room. "One last thing, where did you get the money for more opium?"

The foreman just looked at me. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I know you ran out of your supply last night and penniless to buy anymore so I ask you again...where...did...you...get...more?"

He smirked at me. "So I nicked a small bit from the supply, big deal!"

"Oh, this is a very big deal. We told you last time if we caught you stealing what would happen." I warned him, flexing my right hand.

His grin grew as he stared at me, licking his lips and shaking slightly. "You can do shite to me...absolutely nothing!" The foreman dropped his pipe and there was a long, serrated knife in his hand as he charged at me. Unfortunately for him, I was quicker, not high, and knew he would lash out. My hand was already behind my back and I raised my Winchester square with his chest and pulled the trigger, blowing him back and landing on the coach with a clear, bloody hole in his chest.

"And it seems the only way you are leaving is in a body bag." I stated to the corpse as I called out for a worker to take out the trash.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

"Imperial Maiden Voyage, Part One"
Isakin Ishida

Tokyo, Japan
October of 1922
Beginning of the Susan-oo's Voyage

Isakin stood at the bow of the Susan-oo, gazing over the twinkling city of Tokyo. It was perhaps four or five in the morning, the light of dawn fast approaching, but the lights of the city, ranging from mono-luminescent electric lamps to vibrant paper lanterns still cast their respective shadows over the military capital of Japan. Directly below him, Manabu stood at attention, seeing his son off. "Good luck," the Shogun told the young man simply, never one for farewells.

"Yeah..." Isakin said, sighing. Very helpful, dad. "Well, I suppose we'll be off then." Saluting one last time, Isakin spun, walking back to the center of the ship. Kohaku was waiting at the door, and lead the captain inside. The bridge was a metallic crucible of command, all six walls, even where they curved, made of tempered steel. Consoles and navigational instruments were present, mainly maps and experimental radio. Compasses were understandably absent, considering the magnetic inteference within the room.

Isakin nodded to Keewa, who joined him at the table looking over the map. Juku and Caleb stood at the doors, content to stand guard, both disinterested in the minutia. "Alright, Kohaku... so what exactly did the Emperor have in mind for us?"

Kohaku knelt to trace the route inscribed in this particular copy of the world map, still being charted to record the extensive changes that had occurred to the now-bluer than before blue planet. "I thought you'd never ask." Standing straight, and speaking in an overly stately tone, the Emperor's daughter explained the route the battleship would be taking. "The Emperor would like us to visit the Australian Protectorate to confirm that affairs there are stable, and as a means of bringing the Aborigines closer to us, in political bonding and friendship."

Keewa looked down at the map curiously. "Excited to visit?" The Captain asked her.

"Perhaps... I can't remember what it was like...I've lived in Japan since I was seven. But I see no reason to not enjoy this journey."

Isakin smiled. "Got it. Now..." he traced the path as it curved, tracing the Horn of Africa. "What's this for? And why head to Europe?"

Kohaku shrugged. "Typical stuff, gathering trade supplies, impressing the locals... and as for Europe, there are a few... special transactions father wants to make there."

Isakin groaned. "Need-to-know basis, I'm guessing?"

Kohaku grinned mischievously, holding a finger to her lips. "Don't tell me you don't like a girl with secrets, Isa-kun..."

"You're insufferable," the Shogun's son told the Emperor's daughter, shaking his head.

***​

The Susan-oo made headway towards Australia by way of the Philippines, though the ironclad certainly took longer to move from place to place than a speedy carrack could. The first few days passed uneventfully, with calm waters and clear horizons. On the fourth day, however, two problems occurred at once. The first was directly related to the Susan-oo itself, which experienced a moderate mechanical failure, one of the engines heating and throwing other processes out of whack. The second only made the first worse, as a storm was fast-approaching on the horizon.

The crew of the Japanese warship quickly got to work below deck, though they certainly were not swift in their repairs. From what the captain could tell, many of his crew were as new to this as he was, at least in field experience rather than actual knowledge and skill. Still, the older men of the engineers took the new ones under their wing, showing them practical solutions to problems they would probably face time and again. The storm was not as patient as the veterans were.

Rolling in as if the storm god himself wished to test the mettle of the ship that bore his name, lightning and thunder boomed and rain fell in torrential capacity, washing away a few small boxes of supplies that hadn't been taken below deck in anticipation of the downpour. The ship rocked dangerously, though not as violently as a lighter boat would have, indicating an advantage of the battleship outside the battlefield. This was small comfort to the crew, however, as any prospect of getting rest during the storm was quickly dismissed.

Isakin had initially hoped to remain in the bridge to keep an eye on things through its reinforced windows, but as soon as the Susan-oo began to tilt from side to side, felt most strongly from within the command tower, he had wisely reconsidered. The captain headed below deck, finding a seasick Juku along with an uncomfortable Keewa and unfazed Caleb in the cafeteria at an unsteady, squeaky table. "Where's Kohaku-dono?"

"Hurling into a bucket," Caleb told Isakin bluntly.

"...wonderful," Isakin replied. Thank you for the mental image...

"Just telling you how it is," the former thief responded, leaning back in his chair despite the fact that he soon rocked forward a bit from the motion of the boat.

Isakin nearly fell over with the next undulation of the ship, Caleb merely smirking at the younger man's trouble. "Damn it all... this is going to be a long night." His words rang true for most of the crew, who didn't get much sleep in the coming hours, the storm going on until well into dawn, the rising sun finally breaking through the clouds. With most of his subordinates exhausted, Isakin was forced to halt progress, letting everyone rest, though many waited until night to sleep.

Keewa followed her charge as he returned to the bridge, Caleb going to patrol the deck as one of the only people that managed to get a reasonable amount of sleep. The aboriginal woman glanced down at those wearily sitting in the sunlight on-deck, and then to Isakin, who was leaning back in a chair. "Are you alright?"

"It's not like I haven't gotten... this little sleep before. I just... haven't been this stressed while awake for an entire night," the shogun's son groaned. "And sleeping during the day would be equally hellish."

"You might as well try," the brown-skinned guardian replied. "A leader must be in the best condition possible in order to effectively lead."

Isakin smiled weakly. "That... is true, I suppose... although sometimes he must suffer along with his..." A yawn betrayed how he really felt. Damn it.

"Get some sleep," Keewa told him firmly, looking Isakin in the eye.

"There's no arguing with you, is there?" Sighing in defeat, Isakin stood, returning to his quarters, secure in the knowledge that his bodyguard would defend him as always.

 

[DarkGemini24601]

"Imperial Maiden Voyage, Part Two"
Isakin Ishida

Pacific Ocean
October of 1922
Several days into the Maiden Voyage

The rumble of cannon fire in the late afternoon roused Isakin from his sleep. Sitting up straight from the mat he was resting on, the shogun's son panicked for a moment. "Keewa, what's going on?!"

"I don't know any better than you do," she replied calmly, if loudly so he could hear over the noise.

Muttering a few curses, Isakin straightened his uniform, and grabbed his Arisaka-30 from the wall, running out the door and on deck. Having no time to spare, he dashed outside, and witnessed the chaos unfolding on the water. Three frigates escorted by four sloops of war were formed up off the right side of the Japanese battleship, the smaller ships moving to surround the slow enemy. "Who in the hell is attacking us?"

Caleb put away a spyglass, shouting at some of the crew to stop gawking and get below deck. Turning to his captain, he spat, "Goddamn communists."

"Be more specific, please!"

"Chinese! Come on, they plaster their flags on their sails, for God's sake!" Caleb cried out, shaking his head incredulously. "For fuck's sake, we have more important things to worry about right now, Isakin! Retaliation, for instance!"

"R-Right!" Come on, you've been training your whole life for this. Now is not the time to pan- Interrupting his thoughts, a incendiary round crashed against the deck between him and Caleb, spitting up flames and nearly frying the captain if Keewa hadn't pulled him back.

"Get up to the bridge," the aborigine warned him, and after a brief moment of processing what she had said, the captain nodded and ran up the stairs.

"Man the guns, you sorry excuses for sailors!" Caleb yelled out to the gunners, prompting them to operate the twelve guns that made up the side cannons of the Susan-oo. By the time everyone was in place, the hull had taken some hits, but was dented at worst, the guns of the sloops not sufficient to penetrate the larger ship's thick armor.

Isakin grabbed the intercom, giving orders to the gunners. "Right side, focus fire on the frigates! Blow them out of the water before they have a chance to split up!" Following suit, the six cannons on the right came to life, firing their shells into the reinforced hulls of the basic warships. Some of the shots went wide, but three rounds found their mark in the following minute, ripping through sail and underside alike. Crippled, the ship began to slowly sink, forcing the crew to abandon ship. Those foolish enough to jump off the side facing the Susan-oo soon dyed the water red as a machine gunner on the battleship's deck riddled them with bullets.

The remaining two Chinese frigates returned fire, their heavier weapons managing to concentrate fire and punch a hole in the Susan-oo, opening up the crew quarters. Frightened, those inside dashed behind cover or left the room entirely. The left didn't fare much better, as the sloops of war targeted the gunners, managing to damage a gun and tear through one of the operators themselves.

"Keep your head down!" Caleb warned, taking his own advice as a round whizzed over his head, coming to rest in the side of the command tower.

Isakin flinched, a bit of sweat beading his brow, but didn't back away. "Gunners, lead your shots to the side. We're going to turn!" The battleship began to swivel around 180 degrees, and as it did so the gunners were safe from return fire, knowing to aim differently to compensate and take down two sloops and another frigate. The last three ships realized they were losing, and attempted to flee. "Destroy the last two SoW, but only crippled the frigate! Bring us next to it, helm."

Following their captain's orders, the crew finished off the last two smaller warships, and heavily damaged the final frigate as they approached it. When they had come up alongside the Chinese boat, a metal plank was extended from a room designed for soldiers to breach. Some of the soldiers from the Susan-oo poured out, accompanied by Isakin in the back. The weakened Chinese defenders stood little chance, but managed to kill another Japanese opponent. Isakin paled, but didn't give in to fear, his training having prepared him to some extent for the crimson reality of combat.

Lifting his Arisaka, the shogun's son took careful aim, and fired, hitting the man in the shoulder, drawing a gout of blood. Not having killed the communist, the imperial ran forward, jabbing his bayonet through his enemy's heart. His hands shook as he watched the light fade from the other man's eyes, and only after a few moments of shock did Isakin remove his blade from the dead Chinese soldier's heart.

The hesitation could have cost Isakin his life. Seeing the shogun's heir unprotected for a moment, another enemy soldier brought up his pistol and aimed at the young man's head. Before he could pull the trigger though, a shot punched through his head, Keewa's deadly accuracy ensuring her charge's safety. Caleb wisely distracted his friend, knowing the mess left behind was not something the nineteen year old ought to see. "Let's see if we can capture one alive and figure out what they wanted... but I think I have an idea of their goal."

Isakin nodded. "They were after me."

*** ​

"Alright, sooo..." Kohaku began, pacing back and forth before the Chinese prisoner. "We can make this simple, if you're willing."

"I'm not going to tell you anything, imperial scum! One day your own people will rise up against you just like we did the Qing." The soldier contested in Mandarin, struggling against his bonds. "You are even worse than they for harboring the foul remnants of the Qi-ahhh!"

Kohaku ground her heel into the communist's solar plexus, earning a cry of surprised pain. "Hey! Did I say you could talk shit about Pu Yi's family? He's a sensitive kid..."

"Not surprising that a tyrant is friends with a tyrant..."

"You idiots want to kill a kid and his family that doesn't have any power anymore? Should I call you Jaques?" Receiving no response, Kohaku groaned. "Bet you don't even know what I'm talking about. Let me make this easy for you. Why. Were. You. Sent. Here?" No answer.

The man screamed in pain as Kohaku drove a knife into his shoulder. "I'll n-never..."

The Empress's daughter twirling another knife in her left hand. "Next one goes between your neck and shoulder blade. Might crippled you arm or even sever it if you make me angry enough. One after that? I put it through your neck, and try the next guy."

"You're...you're bluffing..."

"Am I?!" Kohaku said angrily, bringing her knife to sink in an inch into the second spot. "Don't...push me..."

"T-They sent us to kill the shogun's son!" He cried out, terror filling his eyes. Kohaku removed the blade in her hand, putting it away and looking at the one imbedded in the fleshy part of his shoulder. "Eh, you cooperated fairly fast." Knocking on the door, Kohaku told one of the guards something quietly, and they handed her a bottle of sake. Walking over to the communist, she popped the cap and lifted it to his lips, offering him some. "Should help with the pain." With that, she yanked the knife out cleanly, and brought a bandage over the wound, ignoring his whimpering.

Kohaku found the captain waiting outside. "Would you... really have done it, or were you bluffing?"

The princess grinned. "Depends on how mad he made me. Like a certain person that spurns my advances." Isakin's eyes widened, and she laughed. "Oh, come on..."

"Vicious..."the heir to the shogunate muttered, sighing and walking away. Kohaku followed.

"Don't be like that!" the Emperor's daughter complained.

 

[MarineAvenger]

"The War of the Roses" Part One

Cheyenne
October of 1922

It was around late morning, not noon yet but nearly there. The sun was high in the sky but the shadows cast by the building kept much of the street still in shadow. Cheyenne sat on the side of the road, watching as carriages and pedestrians walked past her small stall that was set up with remedies and other medicinal products. She had gone through a lot trying to get the proper permit to be a vendor, and although business was slow for now, the Native American girl was hopeful she would get her just dues, and soon.

Morning turned into noon, and noon into the afternoon, people still passing by and not even glancing at her direction. Before Cheyenne knew it, the sun turned the sky into a bright orange and yellow, indicating that the work day was almost done for her. “And not even a single sale…” She thought out loud, pursing her lips and trying to think why she wasn’t getting any business.

She had heard all the wonder tales about people who made a lot of money off wonder tonics and even though she knew those were just shams, hers actually worked. Getting people to believe it was the hard part and with the British economy teetering on the edge of instability due to the lack of global trade lately, not a lot of people were interested in wonder medicine but rather on food, clothing and coal for their ovens with winter right around the corner.

After a while more, twilight fell and the moon rose in the air, moths buzzing around the lanterns that lit up the street, giving it an eerie glow. Breathing out a deep sigh, Cheyenne took a large covering out of a cabinet in her stall and covered it up after storing away and locking her stuff up. Putting her hands on her hips and shaking her head Cheyenne turned around but was pushed to the ground as a person ran past her, not even noticing that someone had been running down the street.

Yelping in surprise, Cheyenne landed with a grunt as she held her palm, having scraped it in a jagged piece of a worn storm grate. “Ow...hey, watch where you are going asshole!” There was no response as the person, who was obviously a man, quickly turned and dashed down an alley.

A moment later three men speaking rapidly in a language Cheyenne did not understand quickly went down the same alley the other person had gone down, the shouting echoing off the walls. Looking around, Cheyenne ripped a piece of covering off her stall and quickly wrapped it around her hand, slowly approaching the alley to get a look at what was going on. There was a sound of a struggle, which made Cheyenne all the more cautious, having heard the stories of what London gangs did to nosy bystanders. Pressing up against the brick wall, there was a brief grunt and all went silent, the sound of running echoing down the alleyway.

Waiting for a moment, she turned into the alley and began walking very slowly. The first thing Cheyenne noticed was the droplets of blood leading down the alley, her gaze following the trail all the way behind a stack of crates. When she looked around it, her eyes widened in terror and she had to cover her mouth to keep from screaming, a man dressed in a long dark green trench coat and fancy clothing was laying in a pool of blood, a giant gash cut into his throat.

Cheyenne started to hyperventilate, taking hr hand away from her mouth as she realized her hand had touched a splatter of blood on the crates. Wiping her mouth with her arm, Cheyenne wanted to run and scream for her life but she was paralyzed, frozen in place by the sight before her. What made the situation all the more worse was that the man suddenly moved.

Her medical instincts kicking in, Cheyenne ripped a piece off the man’s shirt and placed it on his throat, the mystery man, not looking old but somewhere in his late forties, gray specked across his black hair, looking at Cheyenne and opening his mouth to speak. “...merry...maid....find...ma...ma…” The man could say no more but he weakly rose a hand, Cheyenne taking it and realizing that there was something in it. The man gave a final weak smile as his eyes seemed to roll into the back of his head and his chest ceased to rise.

The Native American girl had to take deep breaths to calm herself, not making any sense of what the man had said, looking at the object in her hand. It was an oval pin, about the size of a walnut; a smooth, rounded porcelain bead held in an silver holder, small gold accented lines going around the circumference of the silver. On the bead, two red roses were painted on, the details looking painstakingly placed on which made the flowers look astonishingly realistic. Being caught up in the detail of the pin, Cheyenne had not noticed the sounds of footsteps echoing closer towards her and she pocketed the pin, running in the opposite direction back out the way she came and down the street, wanting to get as far away from the people who had done that to that mystery man.

***

Cheyenne didn’t know what time it was by the time she stopped her running, not really caring as the pain in her chest and the burn of her legs took up a lot of her brain power. Sitting on a stoop of an apartment building, the Native American girl panted with thirst, finally realizing just how much her dead sprint had taken out off her.

As Cheyenne got up to move on, a voice called out to her and she immediately turned around, scared for her life because she had never heard the voice before. Cheyenne finally allowed herself a sigh of relief when she saw it was a man in uniform. “Just a police officer…” She thought out loud, walking down the stoop and waving to him, immediately stepping back as she saw the officer had his gun drawn. “Whoa! What are you doing!?”

“Whose blood is that Miss?” The officer asked, a younger man, not looking a day out of the academy. He didn’t even have a hair on his chin and his big, brown eyes studied her with caution.

Cheyenne looked down at herself, noticing the blood on her left arm and some having specked over her clothes on the left side. “Oh, oh, oh...this is mine officer. Look…” She stepped forward, holding out her left hand in the light of the street lamp that showed her wrapped and bloody hand. “I was out for a night run, since there are too many people on the street during the day and I just don’t sleep well at night but I tripped over myself and cut it on a storm drain. I quickly wrapped it up and thought I would treat it later. I sell medicine for a living after all.”

The officer eyed her as if weighing the truth of her story in his mind. Cheyenne allowed herself another breath of relief when he put the weapon away. “Alright then….just make sure you get that treated.”

“Yes sir, I will.” Cheyenne turned to walk away but stopped and looked at the officer again. “Can I ask you some things, if you don’t mind?”

“Uh...sure, I guess.”

“Do you have the time? I don’t...have a watch on me.” Cheyenne asked, pressing her index fingers together.

“Oh, alright. Let me check.” The officer took a pocket watch out of his breast pocket and looked at it for a moment. “10:24”

“Alright great, and one last thing...have you...heard of a place called the Merry Maid? I thought I heard a friend mention it earlier today and I have been meaning to visit it.” Cheyenne put on her most girly smile, giving a sort of ditzy look that she thought would be overdoing it.

The officer smiled and thought for a few moments. “Y-Yes, it is a bar not too far from here. Would you...like me to escort you?”

“Thank you, I would like that.” Cheyenne followed the officer closely as he led her down the street, trying to be as flirty as possible. With what she had seen earlier that night, she didn’t know why she was doing anymore. Cheyenne had to stop herself as she realized she was unconsciously rubbing the slight bulge in it where the pin was.

Soon, the pair arrived at the bar, the wooden sign hanging outside indicating it was indeed the Merry Maid. The officer reluctantly said goodbye to Cheyenne, the Native American girl giving him a kiss on the cheek as she opened the door to the bar and walked in, surprised how much noise came in from the inside.

 

[MarineAvenger]

"War of the Roses" Part Two

It appeared as if the place was packed to the brim, waitresses and serving girls rushing around to get orders to the patrons, shouting and singing mixing in a chaos that made the Cheyenne’s ears hurt at first before she became accustomed to the sounds. Cheyenne pushed past a bunch of drunken men and the occasional women, people having to be dragged by the arms and ears as they got a bit too touchy with the serving girls.

It seemed like Cheyenne had crossed an ocean to get to the bar front, squeezing in between a group of two people and looking at the woman who manned the bar. She was a very large, and robust woman, looking not too appealing at first glance with a scrunched up face that reminded Cheyenne of a pitbull and the large black mole on her cheek. Big, beefy and hairy arms slamming drinks onto the bar top and turning to keep up with orders.

Cheyenne had to yell above everyone else to finally get noticed by the large woman. “Yeah, whatcha wan’t? Time is money.” She said in a hard voice, one that made Cheyenne think of both an angry sailor and a grandmother.

“Uh...I am…” Cheyenne spoke in a low tone at first but spoke up when she realized the woman couldn’t hear her. “I am looking for someone!”

“Sorry hun, I don’t do matchmaker. Go away, I have patrons to attend to.” The big woman turned around and went back to her work serving drinks to the bustling crowd.

Cheyenne took a deep breath after calming her blush and said, “I am not looking for a man, I am looking for someone named Mama!”

The large woman immediately stopped what she was doing, slamming a cup down that was half filled with it’s drink and she spun around, grabbing Cheyenne from across the bar and pulled her close, the woman’s breath smelling of a strange mix of garlic and root beer. “Where did you hear that name girly?”

“A-A man told me about it...he gave me this and told me to come here and look for someone called Mama…”

Cheyenne took the pin out of her shorts and showed it to the woman, her eyes widening and looking around the bar with a grim look. “Sharon, take care of the bar! Sia, come with me!”

The pair of girls called out in acknowledgement, the large woman wiping her hands on a rather dirty apron and beckoned for Cheyenne to follow her, the serving girl, Sia, meeting them in the back. The sound of the bar scene being muffled as the stood in a dark, dusty room that looked like an oversized storage room. “What did the man look like child? The one who gave you that pin?”

Cheyenne looked in between the barwoman and the serving girl, shaking her head to gather her thoughts and reluctantly brought back the image of the man into her mind. “He looked...like in his mid-forties with some specks of gray in his hair...he had a dark green trench coat...he looked...well...I guess I would say fancy?”

The barwoman put a hand over her mouth and shook her head, the serving girl putting a hand on the big woman’s arm. “Oh Francois...no…” The woman said in a low whisper, looking at Cheyenne with a harder look than before. “Sia...take the girl and go into underground passage. She must be brought before Mother Rose.”

“As you wish.” Sia said with a small bow, looking at Cheyenne for a brief moment before waving her to follow, walking over to a stack of crates and pushing them to the side, revealing a hidden door, Sia pulling it open and climbing inside.

“Go child. I must remain here to make sure you were not followed by...unsavory guests. Whatever you do, do not say a word to anyone. Keep close to Sia and make sure you do not stray...the tunnels are like a labyrinth to the ones who don’t know the path. Now go!” The bar woman pushed Cheyenne along and to the hidden door.

“Wait, wait...I am so confused! What is going on? Who is Mother Rose? Who was that man? Why have I got involved in!?” Cheyenne asked in rapid succession, having a million more questions to ask.

“No time. Go, now!” With a final shove, Cheyenne jumped down the hole and landed on a hard metal floor, looking back up at the opening.

“Will you at least tell me who Mama is?” She yelled, her voice echoing off the dark metal tunnels.

“I’m Mama, now get going. Oh, and whatever you do, don’t lose this!” Mama threw down the pin and Cheyenne caught it, looking it over briefly before pocketing it. Soon, the hatch closed and the sound of the crates moving on top of it could be heard.

When Cheyenne turned around she was met face to face with Sia, the serving girl who would act as her guide, a lantern in her hand. For the first time, Cheyenne actually got a good look at Sia. She was tall, almost taller than Cheyenne and looking her directly in the eyes. She had milky pale skin that shone, the skin visibly smooth and soft that contrasted her night, black hair that was a bit wavy and fell to her shoulders. Her eyes were two pools of hazel and had a small amount of freckles on her nose. Her serving dress was tight against her chest, the girl no doubt having to wear a corset underneath, the bottom half of it poofing out with a hem that was decorated with a flowery white pattern that looked almost like a doyley. Overall, Cheyenne thought Sia was stunningly beautiful. Sia blinked a few times and said, “Well...you coming?” She said in a cool and dignified tone, her eyebrow raised at the Native American girl.

“Uh...yeah, lead the way.” Cheyenne followed close behind Sia, heading the warning Mama had given her and once again unconsciously finding herself running the pin in her shorts.

One thing was apparent quickly and that was the tunnels they were traveling were old, most of the metal walls covered in thick layers of dust and spider webs were hanging in the corners. Another thing was that they way Mama described it as a labyrinth was pretty on point, multiple corridors and hallways branching off in unknown direction, completely shrouded in darkness as there were no sources of light other than the lantern that Sia was carrying.

A couple of times Cheyenne had tried to initiate conversation with the quiet serving girl but each time she received no response. It was about the seventh time Cheyenne spoke up that Sia finally responded. “I thought you were told not to talk to anyone?”

Cheyenne quickly snapped her mouth shut, looking at Sia’s back and shaking her head. “Even you?”

“Even me. You don’t know me. I could be leading you to your death and you would be none the wiser.” Sia stated coldly.

“There’s no way. I mean, you seem like a nice girl. And that barwoman trusted me with you so you must be trustworthy.”

“How do you know my mission isn’t to kill you down here and leave your corpse for the rats?”

“‘Cause…” Cheyenne wanted to think of a reason but for whatever reason, she could not.

Sia was silent from then on, leaving Cheyenne with an uneasy feeling of butterflies in her stomach. It seemed like a long while of walking, but soon the pair came to a ladder and Sia began to climb it, opening up a metal hatch and waving for Cheyenne to follow.

Coming up the ladder, the two were in a very large closet, cleaning products giving off a strong smell and cleaning tools scattered about. Funnily enough to Cheyenne, the cleaning closet looked a lot bigger and cleaner than the store room in which they entered the tunnels.

Sia did not wait for Cheyenne, opening up the door of the closet and walking out with haste, Cheyenne still half up the secret hatch. Quickly pulling herself up, she closed the metal door as silently as possible and ran out the closet door, looking around for Sia but seeing no sign of the serving girl.

If the inside of the cleaning closet looked nice, the hall in which Cheyenne entered was even more so, the walls decorated with ornate paintings and the architecture looking like something out of a fairy tale. “It’s like a palace.” Looking around in wonder, Cheyenne wandered the halls admiring the multiple busts of people Cheyenne had no idea the names of and looked at the paintings of which were the likes she had never admired before. To the best of her knowledge art wasn’t easy to come by these days, especially not the kind she was seeing, or any good ones for that matter.

Soon, Cheyenne heard voices and cautiously approached, peaking around the corner. Her eyes widened as she saw a group of three men in long green trench coats, their clothes underneath varying of that from nobleman’s wear to what looked like peasant’s clothes. From her position, Cheyenne couldn’t hear what the men were saying and she dared not to get closer, backing up slowly but bumping into something, turning around just in time to see a man’s hand wrap around her throat, sword in hand and pushing her backwards against the railing, his blade at her neck and his grip strong.

“Who are you? What do you think you were going, girly?” The man had a grizzled voice, a blonde beard cut short and golden hair slicked backwards. He too was wearing a green trench coat and from close up, Cheyenne could see the rose pin on his collar. Desperate for her life, Cheyenne lashed out with her nails, scratching the man across the face, causing him to let go of her and grab at the small wounds, crying out in pain.

 

[MarineAvenger]

"War of the Rose" Part Three

Behind him, the three men now had their attention on Cheyenne and she started to panic, kicking the man who had grabbed her back with a straight shot to the gut, the man falling backwards and dropping his sword, one which Cheyenne quickly picked up and held in a defensive stance as the three men had their swords drawn and fast approaching.

As the first reached her, she parried his quick thrust and ran forward, ramming her shoulder in to him, making him grunt in pain but doing nothing of real damage. Cheyenne would have skewered him there if not for the second man approaching behind her, the Native American girl spinning around and matching his swipe strike for strike.

Cheyenne didn’t know how she was doing it, she didn't have time to think about what she was doing, her mind focused completely on staying alive. The moves felt natural and she didn't need to think about what she did, she just did it. By the time the third guy was on her, she felt the overwhelming feeling she couldn’t win the battle

The man she had kicked to the ground was on her, trying to wrap his arms around her in an almost bear hug but she ducked under him, kicking out his leg and spinning around another man, causing him to trip over the one she had kicked down. Cheyenne caught herself laughing at the display, both how it unfolded and how she had been the one who caused it. “Not bad for a girl, now was it?”

“No, it was not.” A voice said from behind Cheyenne, causing the Native American girl to spin around and be met face to face with one of the most gorgeous and regal women Cheyenne had ever laid eyes on, the woman looking directly out of a storybook from her beautiful looks to her intricate dress and motherly smile.

Cheyenne turned at the sounds of thuds on the floor, the four men she had been fighting were on their knees with heads bowed low and right fists over their hearts. Turning back to look at the woman, Cheyenne finally noticed the younger girl next to the woman, Cheyenne noticing her almost immediately. “Sia! There you are. You ran off and I got lost and had to, uh…” Cheyenne looked down at the weapon in her hand and dropped it immediately with a blushing face. “Sorry ‘bout that…”

Sia had a stunned look on her face and the older woman chuckled briefly. “My, my child, you are a rowdy one. Liandra has told me to watch out for that.”

“Who is Lian...dra…” Cheynne looked to Sia and said, “Wait, your name isn’t Sia?”

“Of course not. That is just a cover name. My real name is Liandra Victoria. I am the queen’s daughter.”

“The queen’s daugh...no...no does that mean….” Cheyenne had a look of horror on her face as she looked at the regal looking older woman.

“Queen Victoria child, at your service. Or as it might concern you...I also go by Mother Rose.”

Cheyenne took a deep breath and looked around, unsure of what to do. “Wha...bu...how...uh...I am NOT prepared for this...um…” Cheyenne looked around and scratched her head.

“Come child. Your questions will be answered.” Queen Victoria gave Cheyenne a warm, motherly smile and began to walk away with Liandra at her side, “You are probably wondering what you have got yourself all caught up in so allow me to explain. That pin you recovered belongs to member of The Guild of Roses. They act as my spy network and last line of defense. They are the best of the best. Some are nobleman who are skill in the art of word, others are lowlifes with connections in the underworld and others are soldiers and people like you.” Queen Victoria gave Cheyenne a look that made sure to say she meant that in the best way possible.

“So...how do I fit into all of this? What have I gotten in to?” The Native American girl asked.

“Well...that is harder to answer. The man you unfortunately stumbled upon was named Francois De’Leon. He was a French turncoat and one of my best men. His death is...disturbing news. It shows that our enemies are closer than we anticipated.”

“Who are these enemies?”

“They are both foreign and domestic, I assure you, though the number of those domestic are what scares me most. There are those who blame our growing economic problems on my inability to rule due to the fact I do not have a husband. Well...I refuse to step down and that has earned me powerful enemies. Nobles from both House Lancaster and York are working to remove me from power and restore what they claim are their family’s right to rule. This led to the two houses making an alliance to remove me. Thus, the second War of the Roses has begun. The men you see in the green trench coats...they are my soldiers. They stand between my success and defeat.”

Cheyenne nodded, not really having a real understanding of the English royal political landscape but understanding enough that she was in deep. “So what...is going to happen to me now? Why tell me all this.”

“I wish I knew child. I must make a decision of whether to kill you...or the alternative.” It was how matter-of-factly that scared Cheyenne most.

“...And that alternative would be?” She asked cautiously.

Queen Victoria stopped where she stood and a small smile donned her lips. “To join The Guild of Roses.”

“Absolutely not!” A man’s voice called out from behind them, the man with blonde hair Cheyenne kicked into submission storming up to them furiously. “You can not allow her to join our organization! She is unskilled, and unfit! We have no idea how reliable she is and worst off this could all be a trap to have us lower our guard!”

Queen Victoria sighed and waved her hand. “Please excuse Sir William, he only cares for my safety child. Now Mister Treval, I would say our dear here has already proven she can handle herself just fine and with the...loss...of Sir De’Leon we need a new member.”

“But...but…” Sir William shook his head and said, “Your Grace, we have never had a female member...officially join. We have agents, and I was hesitant to even allow your own daughter that but come on, this is madness!”

“Are you saying the same girl who managed to evade our enemies, manage to track down the Merry Maid and find Mistress Grelin in order to get here, and on top of that manage to hold off four of my best men with a sword she managed to get off you mind you...is not fit to join an organization I founded?”

Sir William shook his head and hung his head. “N-No your Grace.”

“Good. Now that we are all agreed, I say get her a coat and begin training her immediately.” The Queen said with a victorious smile.

“Wait, wait, wait...I haven’t agreed to anything!” Cheyenne protested, holding up her hands.

“Well my dear, I am afraid it is this or I have you killed before the morning sun even rises.” The Queen stated.

“Oh...well then by all means I would be honored your, uh...Grace.” Cheyenne gave an awkward bow and the Queen merely chuckled. “Good. I see potential in you child.”

As the Queen began to walk away with her daughter, Cheyenne had one final thing to ask. “Your Grace...one last thing…” The Queen turned and raised an eyebrow, “How do I know...if you aren't the villain or not?”

The Queen thought for a few moments before finally saying, “To be honest dear, I don’t know the answer to that question myself. I just try my best to be the best person I can be and...to try and make sure everything turns out for the better. Good is a point of view after all.”

With a final nod of her head, the Queen walked off with Liandra by her side, Cheyenne turning and looking at Sir William, who ran a hand through his hair and said, “Well...let’s get a move on. I have to get you fitted for a new attire and train you into an elite soldier. Oh, this is going to be easy.” Shaking his head, William turned and walked away, Cheyenne running up to be beside him and let out a sigh of relief that she had avoided certain death once again, or so she hoped.