FSE

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I had always had a thing for history, the moments in the far reaches of days long pass and times that were different then our own. The lives of men and women that made history and shaped the world as they saw fit. However, I learned quickly within the field how dull it is in a sense. My teachers always try to liven up their lectures, but the material we were presented always felt so lifeless, as though the passion was beaten out of them. They were slow to read through most of the time and way too stiff. I wanted them to be more like how the teachers described them, fun and full of excitement.

That is when I decided to do something about it. I decided to write the events as stories. No longer would the retelling of history be so stiff and dull, but with life and passion. The people who changed history will no longer be just names with achievements with them, but characters in a story, showing the reader how they changed the world through their wills and powers. Yes, I have found my calling and have embraced it wholeheartedly.

My success with it however, has been mixed. Some stories and plays have been well received by the audience. Others have not. I have always strived to be as accurate as possible with everything I created. But there will always be something that will be criticized by everyone. A difference in portrayal, the use of slangs or words, me absentmindedly adding something because I misunderstood something from my sources. It was a road of many hardships.

Then, days ago, a letter arrived at my residence. A letter of a job offer. The sender wishes to hire me to turn a certain point in history into either a novel or play. He would provide all the sources needed for this project as well as pay out of pocket for any expenses I incur while working on this project, including lodging and food.If i was interested in the work, i was to board a certain ship arriving soon. And instead of a name, the letter was signed with a crest of a triton. It was a strange letter to be sure, but I have heard nobels doing similar things with others in my line of work.

On the day the ship was supposed to arrive, I wished my family well and left on the ship. Once I was on I was escorted into a modest room on the ship, for my own personal comfort, I have been told. As I got used to the shaking of the waves, a knock sounded from my door. "Who is it?" I ask as I put my clothes in the drawers.

The door opens and walks in a massive polar bear. He gives me a warm smile as he closes the door behind him, "why hello sir Fraz. I have come to see if this cabin is to your liking."

"Yes," I answered, "this cabin is a fine place to stay on this ship. The finest I have ever stayed in, in fact."

The polar bear beams, "I am glad that you think so highly of my ship sir Fraz. For I only wish your stay on this ship will be as comfortable as possible."

"Oh are you the captain of this vessel?"

"I am."

I pull out the letter I received out of my belongings, "then you must know the sender of my letter. It told me to board your ship to talk about a possible story or play. It didn't have a name or anything on it, but it did have a crest at the bottom. But I do not recognize whose house it belongs to."

"Aye, of course I would know the one who set that letter." the captain sticks his chest out, "It was me."

I was a bit surprised by the revelation, "it was you sir?"

The captain gives a smirk, "oh are your ears for show? I told you it was me who sent the letter and I do not have a habit of lying on my ship."

"My apologies sir. I just didn't think a captain would be interested in having a book written. Oh right, you are also a noble as well."

The Captain guffaw, "a noble, it's been so long since anyone even bothered to call me one. I am just used to my other titles now."

"Is it captain?"

"Yes, but i have another title i go by," the captain leans close to my face. That friendly smirk now looking predatory, "others have also called me a pirate."

"What?" I backed away slowly from the polar bear, "what do you mean by pirate."

"Oh but not just any pirate," he adds as he straightens his back and stretches out his arms, "for you see, you are on a ship with a certain man. A man some might say is the devil of the sea. The king of the pirates. The man of the sea who has taken many men from their homes to be lovers of my own, and most famously," the captain pauses, almost like he was enjoying the tension he was creating, "the man who single handedly destroyed the Olerecan Empire, an empire that has lasted for centuries and spanned most of the world, a mere twenty years ago. Yes," he stomps his foot, "for you are on the ship of CAPTAIN ARANKO SEABROOKE." he bellowed the last part so loud I wouldn't be surprised if the whole ship heard it.

My blood ran cold. This man was the one parents tell stories so kids would behave. The man who, in a sense, destroyed the world twenty years ago. Captain Seabrooke.

I make a mad dash to the door but the Captain catches me by the arm, "now where are you going, Sir Fraz. for we have business to discuss."

My knees give way as I collapse on the floor, "please sir," I beg, "please let me go. I do not have any money to give or jewels but please let me live."

The bear laughs, "oh sweet child, we have much to discuss." The bear pulls me to my feet and sets me at the bed.

In that moment my life flashes before my eyes. Here I was about to be the latest playing for the most infamous pirate on the seas, and maybe even history itself. I could only hope that some of the stories of what I heard about what he did to men he fancies were only rumours.

But the Captain just walked up to the desk, pulled up the chair and sat in it, his face more serious, "you see," he said, "I am going to have you write something. Be it play or books, I couldn't care less. I just want something written."

"But what would you want written?"

"An autobiography of sorts, set in the times of the Gulek wars, twenty years ago."

"But plenty of stories already tell the events of the Gulek wars."

Captain Seabook scowls, "yes, i am aware of them and let me tell you right now, they all suck. Every story I read and every play I watched all plays up the tragedy of an empire dying, or a noble trying so hard to protect their land and people. But do you know how they treat me in such things?"

I stayed silent.

"They do not treat me as a person. They write me as a monster, or if possible, not write at all. They write me as a two bit villain that just wins and fucks off to cause chaos and i am getting sick of it. I mean, not one play, not one FUCKING PLAY OR STORY, even discuss my motive for wanting to even fight the empire." he stood up and towers over me, "that is when i hatched an idea. If the world is so set on not listening to my words, they might be more interested in reading it off of a book. And low and behold, I found the perfect person to be my scribe."

"B-but why me? I am not some big name author or anything. There are plenty of people who write historical fiction just as good, if not better, than me."

The captain chuckles as he walks over to the bookshelf. He grabs a book and tosses it to me. On the cover was my book: The Earl of Hunaway, a historical fiction that did not sell that well. Granted, I did take a very beloved historical figure and kind of aired the more unsavory bits of him to the world to see.

"What does this have to do with anything?"

The captain chuckles again, "you might say, I am a bit of a fan of yours, Sir Fraz. I have seen how you wrote your stories and plays about characters. You do not treat them lightly. You make beloved heroes flawed and the villains more than one dimension. In a sense, I would call your writing of them: fair and unbiased. You do not hide a person's flaws or shortcomings, but put them front and center for the world to see. Yes, that is what I need for this story. Someone who is willing to write me as a person instead of some flat villain with no motivation. I want a story, with me as the protagonist, and I want to be treated as one."

I hold the book up, hiding behind it like it offered some protection, "then write it yourself, why kidnap me to write it for you?"

The bear clicks his tongue, "Because, Sir Fraz, if I were to write and publish it myself, or even a pen name, no one would read it. To them I would be someone trying to romanticize someone who is a villain for the world to see. However, you have done similar things and have readers. If you write a story about a villain, and treat him as an actuarial person, people might actually read it."

"You overestimate my fame. My sales have not been ground breaking or anything special. I am just average."

"But, and this is important, you have readers. You have people who read something, just because you are the one who wrote it. Many on my crew right now joined me because of my reputation alone and I can guarantee you that there are people like that everywhere."

"So you kidnap me just so you would have someone read your ego trip?"

The captain sighs, "two things. one , this is not an ego trip, what I will tell you is nothing but the absolute truth of what I saw and my motives for the Gulek war. Second, I did not kidnap you, I invited you on this boat for a job, which I will say now, you can turn down."

"Yeah like you would just let me walk away like that."

The bear lets out another sigh, "Look, if you are really not interested in this job, I can, and will, drop you off at the next port and pay for your trip back. But I do want you to honestly at least think about it. I am about to give you something that not even scholars know: my motivation for taking down an empire and even how I did it. I am willing to spill even the dirty secrets that the empire was hiding for the world to see, just for you and your book."

"What secrets?"

"That is between me and whomever I get to write for me. If you are curious enough about my motives, then accept my offer. However, if you don't want to write anything, I will drop you off at the next port. But please consider it." as he turns to leave, "also do not worry about my crew, they are under strict orders not to do anything towards you or enter your room without permission." with that the bear leaves me alone with my thoughts.