Grand Theft Trash Novel (Closed)

[Varus Gakarian]

(Closed to Brielle)

High above the sea, with two masts and a pair of slowly moving wings combing through the clouds, was a beautiful ship. She moved at a very relaxed pace, which belied the actual distance being covered. If another flying ship had happened to pass by, the occupants would have seen several men manipulating little bits of machinery attached to the mats, as well as the one who was at the helm of the ship, pulling levers and checking instruments on a small console mounted on a pedestal in front of him. The man wasn’t anything much to look at, really. He was just a black-clothed, gray-skinned humanoid with pointy ears and white hair. Considering the sheer number of Dark Elves on the planet, it wasn’t an unusual sight to see one fiddling with machinery in the middle of the sky.

This elf was different, though. The ship that this particular man was piloting was a pirate ship, and the elf was a pirate captain. Captain Varus Gakarian, the Dance Master, people called him. He wore nothing but black, including his sword. When he set the course for his beloved ship to follow, he stepped down from the control podium and strode towards the bow. Leaning over the railing gave him a perfect view of the passenger ship floating along beneath his Tango. It was big, heavy, and slow, as most ships for the purpose were. Although, he happened to know that there was something other than a passenger aboard that ship. There was a certain collection of books he wanted rather badly to read.

As the Tango followed the larger ship, Varus fancied that he could see the man-sized crate of books through the upper decks and planks. And the lovingly bound volumes themselves, probably newly printed and smelling like ink. Quite a lovely scent. He could never get enough of books, ever since he learned to read. It had been his treat when he escaped that den of slavers as a boy: the old man who’d given him his first job as a killer had also taught him his letters. He’d had such fun poring over whatever he could get his hands on. Especially novels. Even in the fantastic world full of reality-defying magic, some things were still ridiculous enough to be put on paper… like romances.

So, the Dance Master, terror of the sky and sea… was after a crate full of sappy and possibly smutty romantic fiction. Score one for insanity.

[ravens.grim]

The sky was riddled with clouds, large puffy cotton ball looking clouds. The air was warm and the breeze was refreshing as the large air ship sailed through the sky. I hadn't been on a ship since well ever, not even one that belonged in the ocean. I guess that's what happens when you live at an orphanage you don't get to do much. I looked over the side of the large beautifully built ship, my knees grew weak. Wrong thing to do, oh God why did I do that.. My stomach rocked with the ship as I felt as if my face turned a slight shade of green. The captain that happened to be built like a house slapped his hand on my shoulder. "Well don't you look as green as the forest below our feet." Chuckling he patted my already throbbing shoulder from the first impact of comfort he was trying to give me. "M'hm.." Was all I could manage before shrugging his heavy hand off my shoulder.

"Sh- shouldn't you be like steering the ship?"

He simply gave me a wink before heading back to wherever he was going, I tried to focus on the craftsmanship of the boat. The wood you could tell had been freshly washed, still shinning in the sun. Sighing softly I let my finger run across the smooth wood as I walked around the deck. I had explored earlier but not to this extent. I could tell that the crew was hard at work, their skin glistening with sweat. Smiling at some that offered me a kind nod.

I messed around down below opening crates that I probably should have stayed out of. I found some other goods that the ship must have been taking back to the city. The surprising thing though was a large crate half way filled with books, the smell was comforting of a freshly new printed book. Sighing I fingered through some of them, most sappy love fictions others historical books. I was just reading the first page as the boat veered sharply to the right. Tossed to the side like a little rag doll I hit a supporting post that knocked the wind out of me. I could hear the captain bellowing about pirates. Fear froze me for a moment before a crew member came running down the latter.

"You! You get in this crate of books they are probably here for the goods and few weapons we have don't come out till I or the Captain come get you!"

Before I could even answered he picked me up off the ground tossing me into the crate and shutting the lid. I heard a lot of hollering as I curled into a ball. My heart raced and it was a good thing I wasn't on land or dead things would start popping up. Covering my mouth I squeezed my eyes shut. All grew quiet after a few moments, the cover of the crate was lifted off. I knew my soft purple hue eyes were large-doe like as I had been discovered.

" 'Ello poppet."

[Varus Gakarian]

Captain Taric was quite right to be scared. The Tango had more or less fallen out of the sky right above the larger vessel, casting its lean shadow over the main deck. A crane has been fashioned to raise the crates from the transport up to the pirate ship, and ropes were being dropped as the defending crew scrambled for whatever weapons they had. Taric was better off than the majority of the crew, with a rather nasty-looking mace just waiting to be swung at his counterpart, who he supposed was the smirking elf looking over the rail at him.
For his part, Varus was trying to pick out which of the crewers below were officers. The captain was massive, and wore finer clothing than the rest. The elf couldn’t tell who the first mate was, but there was a man built similarly to the captain toting something that looked like a battleaxe. Clearly, neither of them were new to pirate threats, but the Tango’s crew had a bite worse than their bark. Compared to the two big men, Varus and his crew looked like twigs, but appearance isn’t everything. Ignoring the actual rope ladders, the gray-skinned man slid down one of the grappling lines mooring his ship down to their prey. When he spoke, his voice had an affected drawl to it.

“I have to admit, I’m not in a mood to crack skulls this morning. If I could just possibly take a couple of crates and be on my merry way, that would be amazing.”

“Like hell, sky rat.”

The insult came from the man on the captain’s right, the one with the axe. It seemed likely that he was the quartermaster, with all the muscle needed to haul barrels and heavy crates… and seemingly the temperament and vocabulary to match the annoyance the other crewers posed to him. Varus gave the man a pained look. Was ‘sky rat’ really the most creative insult he could come up with? Not even a jab at his parentage, or a possible query into his mother’s hypothetical sexual relations with animals? Apparently not. But the pirate captain was also too lazy to come up with anything before he’d had his coffee. He simply flipped a long, black-gloved, finger at the bigger man.

“Let’s go, then. I’m bored.”

While three other raiders scrambled down from the Tango, Varus drew his sword just in time to block the mace swinging at his head. A few others went below decks to secure the cargo, a couple of them shooting parting shots at the defending crew. The first one in was the one who sighted the crate the captain wanted... and the girl inside it. He grinned unpleasantly at her as he spoke.

" 'Ello, poppet... Be a good girl or ol' Gaster will... make you good."

Gaster drew a finger across his throt as he closed the box again, dragging it up to the deck without any concern for jostling his 'cargo'.

[ravens.grim]

My heart sunk as he drew his finger across his throat signaling that is what would happen to me if I didn't keep my mouth shut. Nodding like a good little girl I put a hand over my trembling lips. Oh Gods I am gonna die, they are going to skin me alive and than toss me over board.. The warning of tears stung my purple orbs as I whimpered softly. The impending doom that I was soon going to meet was all to real. I was only nineteen and yet here I was about to be butchered. They lifted the box causing the books and me to shift to one side, hitting my head with a thud than tossed to the other side. I groaned softly rubbing my head as if it would stop the throbbing.

"Jeez this thing weighs a damn ton for some books!"

My mouth fell open slightly almost forgetting that the only person that knew I was in here was threatening to kill me. As the ascended the latter I was literally buried alive by books, the weight of them slowly crushing me. "Did you get the crate that we came for," I am assuming it was the Captain speaking. In unison the people said "aye" before moving, "well thank you for the goods we will be leaving an no one try to be the hero.." Just like that was a signal for all hell to break loose it happened. Gun shots rang out and the sound of metal clashing together causing my ears to ring. "Grab the damn crate and lets go."

The transitions from ship to ship was rough, I was jolted this way and that way. A few yelps came from me but when a bullet came threw the crate I screamed.

[Varus Gakarian]

It hadn’t even occurred to Varus that he should have used his Blood Dance against these two musclebound traders. He certainly paid for it, though. As he pushed Taric’s mace away, the quartermaster’s axe caught him in the side, right below the edge of his black chestplate. With a gasp, he lifted his leg up to kick the huge man away, then ran for the crane as it rose. Standing beside the crate of books as he was, the bullet that went through the wood bounced off his leg and made a nasty dent in the metal there. He didn’t hear the scream until Gaster pulled out his knife and went for the box.

Leaning heavily on the crate, the elf kicked his murderous-looking crewman off the platform as it made it to its destination. Strangely, there was no remorse for the old man in his heart. Maybe Varus was a thief and a killer himself, but he had some shreds of decency. As soon as the crane’s platform landed on the deck of the Tango, he gave the order to cast off and fly towards home. It wasn’t long before he cast a worried look at the crate of books. He was almost unsurprised to find a young woman shaking in it. He offered her the hand that wasn’t trying to staunch the flow of blood from his side.

“Are you okay, Miss? I’m sorry. Very sorry. Let me help you out of there.”

[ravens.grim]

The lid opened blinding me some, blinking rapidly waiting for my eyes to adjust. There was an out stretched hand offering help, shaking her head at first declining his help he casted a puzzling look down at her. "He- he said I had to be quiet or he would slit my throat." The words all but fell out of my mouth in a way hard to understand. The man's frown deepened slightly as he still held his hand out for me, I took his hand as he hauled me out of the crate. Standing on my own two feet, my knees shook knocking together. Looking around I didn't see the man that had threatened me and all but shoved me back into the box after shortly discovering I was in there. Must have been a causality.. I thought morbidly but a small part of me was happy he wasn't alive. Glancing at the rest of the crew they started at me with mixed emotions making me fidget slightly under their intense gaze.

"Who are you miss?"

His voice was deep and rough, causing me to jump with surprise. "Br- Brielle Viviette." Nodding slightly the Captain winced slightly holding his side. "Well this is my crew and I am Varus Gakarian, Captain of this fine vessel." My words failed me as I glance down at my black combat boots adverting my gaze for a moment. I could see something dripping on the deck of the ship before following it all the way up to the Captain's side. "Blood, you- you're bleeding!" Quickly I looked in my satchel that was over my right shoulder for my needle and thread. "I can sew it up..."

Licking my lips nervously I waited to see if he would take my offer or let himself slowly bleed out on the deck of his ship.

[Varus Gakarian]

Varus wasn’t stupid. As soon as he and Brielle exchanged names, he felt a wave of dizziness that threatened to topple him. That was a pretty decent sign that he was about to bleed out, as far as he was concerned. He began to limp away, cringing slightly as he moved towards the stairs to the cabins on the lower deck. More space to work there, and he was infinitely more comfortable on a medical cot than the planks of the main deck.

“Right. Need patching up. Follow me, uh… Brielle.”

The pain got worse and worse, until he was basically staggering towards the doctor’s cabin. Considering that the last doctor had stayed on the ground for the last two trips, she would have room to work and medical supplies to work with. All he managed to do before collapsing was take off his jacket. The mail and plate under it was harder, though, and he blindly gestured towards the hooks on his breastplate so Brielle could see where she had to unlock them.

“Goddamn axeman. Should’ve killed- AGH! Frakking bastard!”

[ravens.grim]

We had made our way to what looked like where I would be working, licking my full lips nervously I glanced around at all the medical supplies. Putting my needle and thread back into my satchel I took that off setting it on a table before looking around once more. Memorizing all the small trinkets and where they were placed before a heard a thud and a groan. Right focus... Walking over to where the male was I swallowed harshly, "I need to cut open your shirt after I take your armor off.." Nodding slightly I raised my trembling hands, clenching and than unclenching my fist. Unhooking his armor I looked at his blood soaked shirt, cursing under my breath at how much blood he had lost. Keep calm, remember back on all those books I read.. I gave myself a small pep talk before I bent over, my face mere inches from his own. "Sorry," my breath fanned across the elf's face as I took his crimson drenched shirt ripping it wide open.

"Damn it!"

"Sorry, sorry..." I looked at the cut, more like a large gash on his right side. "Iodine I need iodine to sterilize it." Looking around in the cupboard, loudly clanking glass bottles before I found the brown-yellow liquid. Pouring it around the area to kill infection and my hands before looking for a needle and thread. I gave him a rag stuffing it in his mouth, "bite down, I don't want you chipping your teeth from clenching too hard." Taking a deep breath I pinched the skin together before pulling the needle and thread through. He jumped as I laid my hand across his chest leaning into his face, "I need you to stay still okay, if I do this wrong you could leak and slowly bleed out with out knowing it. No jumping and wiggling please! I need you to close your eyes and grin and bare it.." I could hear the desperation in my voice as I pleaded him to stay still, we locked eyes for a moment before he laid back down.

It took me a few moments to stitch him up with a few little jumps here and there. Sitting back I admired my work before looking at Varus. Taking the rag out of his mouth and fetching him a glass of water. Cradling his head I helped him take a drink before laying him back down. Washing my hands I glanced back at him, my purple orbs wondering over his flat stomach that held abs. His chest slightly broad and defined sculpted with muscle. My own mouth went dry slightly as I bite down on my lower lip.

[Varus Gakarian]

Pain. Blinding pain. Varus quietly mumbled agreement whenever the girl said anything at all. She could have offered him a knife through the hand and he would’ve mumbled please and thank you. By the time Brielle had gotten the shirt off him, his fingers were clawing into the softness of the cot under him. He was quite grateful for the rag between his teeth, because it stopped the little inaudible whimpers from being much more audible screams when she poured iodine all over the huge gash.

She looked into his eyes and told him to hold still, and he held still. Varus just grabbed onto the metal and wood bedframe as hard as he could. He actually managed to keep himself from shifting long enough for Brielle to stitch the cut up, and when she was done he let go of the bed and let her give him water. When she stared at him, he stared right back with a grin.

“Admiring your work? Or everything around it?”

[ravens.grim]

I jumped at the sound of his voice, looking at him his crimson eyes bore into me with a smug smile on his face. I quickly looked down at myself analyzing my clothes or pretending too. I had simple pants, blue jeans that hugged my small frame. My shirt more of a sweater that hung off one shoulder it was a blue color showing off my creamy white complexion. I bit down on my lower lip as I tended to do when nerves sat in. "I- I'm sorry I was looking at something else.." I tried covering up me pretty much I raping him with a lie that any one could see through. My eyes so badly wanted to travel up his body. "I- I need to clean off the blood on your body, you are going to be stiff and well I have all the supplies to nurse you back to health if you let me." I took a chance glancing up to meet his gaze as the smirk on his face had grown.

"What?"

The word had come out more harshly as I pushed back my raven black hair that tended to fall into my face. Looking around for a piece of string I suspended my hair into a pony tail, small tendrils fell around my face framing it. Pushing my sweeping bangs to the side I looked for a sponge and opened the door calling to one of the crew members.

"I need clean water, please.."

"Aye boys she is about to give our Captain the VIP treatment!"

Gasping I could feel the color in my cheeks as I glared at him before he handed me a new pitcher of water. Closing the door again I mumbled softly to myself about him being a pig. Walking back towards the cot that Varus laid on I dipped my sponge in before ringing it out. "This may be a little cold.." I couldn't meet his gaze which I could feel burning into the side of my face. Letting the sponge gently graze his flesh, I drug it over his chest. I tried not to lick my lips as if the scene before me wasn't delectable enough to drool over but it wasn't working.