The Fire in the Wind // Book One (Complete)

Four - An Unlikely Rescue

He wasn't exactly sure what had first awakened him, but he knows it was sudden and jarring. He bolted up in the dim cell, his chest heaving, Leo was awake as well, tying some straw into an intricate crown. He looked around for the source of his awakening and found nothing, he sighed, about to lay back down. A deafening explosion sounded, followed by a crash, and screaming, Phoenix bolted back up as soldiers ran past the cell to defend the town. The earth shook as the same cacophony sounded outside, he scrambled to his feet and looked through the iron bars of the window.

Towns people ran to and fro, screaming and shouting, british soldiers shouted orders and shot their muskets, fire danced across nearly every surface, and once sound rang true above all else. Cannon fire. He watched in horror as bodies dropped like flies, red staining the town he grew up in, he looked to the beach, and nearly blanched. Sitting at the shore, in the water, was a ship, a huge one, far bigger than any merchant ship he'd ever seen in his small home, it's sails were raised high, painted black. One word echoed in Phoenix's head, pirates.

Leo gave a small chuckle beside him, he turned and looked to him in shock, he must be mad! He stood shakily and looked out the window behind him, as Phoenix tried not to faint, Leo simply smiled thinly.

"I know that ship." He said proudly, Phoenix prayed silently, please let my family be safe, please, God, save us.

"Y-you know it?" Phoenix managed, he watched as pirates flooded the streets, pillaging and killing, red ran down the road, and terror filled the air.

"Aye." He laughed happily, as though this were the best thing to ever happen to him. "I live on it."

Phoenix stepped away from the window, nearly tripping onto his arse, and leaned against the wall for support. Leo watched the chaos with awe, as though he was a blind man who was now finally seeing the sunrise, the black of night covered the pirates as the flooded the town like the sea itself. There was a crash that left Phoenix's ears ringing, he covered his head as it sounded, and when he saw the source, his heart leapt into his throat, the church around the corner, the one he spent every week in since he was five, was crumbling to the ground, swallowed by fire.

"Oh my god..." He mumbled, Leo sighed, looking up at the sky, blurred as smoke rose up.

"Took 'em long enough." He muttered, still grinning, there were shouts from behind, and the two turned around as three pirates burst through the door, blades covered in blood, and wild looks in their eyes. The guards ran towards them, and were swiftly defeated, Phoenix couldn't help but feel slightly avenged when the officer that branded him was stabbed in the wrist, he shook the feeling away with disgust. The pirates sheathed their weapons, and one stepped forward, they pulled off the cloth mask over their mouth and spoke.

"Maggot." she hissed, staring at Leo, she pulled a gun from her belt, and Phoenix instinctively moved in front of him, she stared at him strangely, and shot the lock off the door. The second Leo stumbled out of the cell, the woman pulled him into a hug, then promptly pulled away and punched his shoulder.

"Idiot." She scolded, "Getting captured like that, you're bloody lucky Cassius was able to find you in the stars you blundering-"

"Nice to see you too, quartermaster." He said cheekily, she sighed, and gestured to another pirate. He was a tall man, covered in muscle, he draped his own coat around Leo and gave him a side hug, frowning at the blood he was covered in.

"What happened?" He asked, sounding concerned, Leo snorted.

"Damned red backs did this," He said angrily, he jabbed his finger back at Phoenix. "Mr. Finch over there saved me though."

"Finch?" The woman questioned, she looked directly to Phoenix, who wanted nothing more than to disappear. "You know a man named Abraham?"

"That's my father." He said slowly, She turned to the last pirate, a dark skinned man with snow white hair and icy eyes.

"Oliver." She said, and he somehow knew what she meant, he turned to the hallway, and Phoenix gasped as his father was pulled into the room. He tried to rush forward, but a blade was put against his chest, the blonde woman stared at him coldly.

"Phoenix?" His father managed, "You're alright! What are you doing here?"

"It's no matter." The woman said, "Captain wants us back soon."

"Come on, Esther, at least let them say goodbye." Oliver pressed, Phoenix frowned.

"Goodbye?" He questioned, his father swallowed.

"They're taking me, son, they need a doctor." He replied, Phoenix felt as though the night couldn't possibly get worse.

"What?!" He exclaimed, Esther didn't answer, and instead, walked to lean against the doorway. "That- no! You can't!"

"We're not bound by your laws, kid, we can do what we want." She said, "And what we want, is a doctor."

The next words that came out of Phoenix Finch's mouth were probably the dumbest things he could say, and yet later on, he would never come to regret them. "Take me instead."

"Phoenix!" His father gasped, the pirate chuckled.

"We need a real doctor." She said.

"He is." Leo said, "He patched me up, and he's younger too, he'll last longer, besides, Adilah only needs an assistant, right, Oliver?"

"Aye, but it's up to you Esther, Captain put you in charge, and he'll be expecting us." He said.

"And he seems nice! Please?" The tall man said, his green eyes sparkling.

Esther considered their words, thinking deeply, it looked like she was sucking on a lemon, she let out an aggravated growl.

"Fine." She hissed, "We'll take the boy." Oliver let go of Phoenix's father, and he ran over, hugging his son tightly.

"It's okay son, if you stayed here you'd be hanged, this is- this is okay." He said, voice thick with emotion, Phoenix hugged his father back, shocked. He had never been so... open, emotional, he must be terrified. He pulled away, and held his son's face in his hands. "I love you, son, now go."

"Wait, father, Amber, she's heading to rhode island, through the woods, she won't be back until morning." He said hurriedly.

"I know, son, I heard, I'm- I'm proud of both of you, I could have never asked for a better son." Phoenix felt tears in his eyes as Oliver began to lead him outside.

"I'm sorry, Phoenix, that was brave of you to go in place of your father." He said, and his icy eyes seemed somehow warm. "I wish we could've given you more time to say goodbye, but we need to leave quickly, we were just here for Leo." Phoenix didn't say anything, he just allowed himself to be led outside, where chaos pulsed around him.

If he thought it was bad from the window, this must've been hell. Bodies were strewn all about, all soaked in red, all lifeless. He gagged when he saw Mr. Hamish, his old teacher. He laid in a pool of his own blood, his eyes were wide, though the life that once resided there was gone. He was pushed along by Oliver, and he watched as the green eyed man, whose name he still didn't know, helped Leo along the battle field, Esther lead the way, clearing their path.

They went through the town quickly, and he noticed how the pirates all seemed to be heading back to ship, as though they shared some sort of hive mind. As the ground beneath his feet turned to sand, Phoenix's reality started to settle in, out in the water, the ship towered above him, he swallowed, trying not to vomit in fear. Oliver led him up to the ship with a sort of strange gentleness, as if he felt bad for him, Phoenix shook the thought away, he's a pirate, he reminded himself, and as he boarded the ship he thought one thing.

I hate pirates.