Seafaring Flames

Phweet~

A clear high pitch sound echoed across the vast blue ocean, emitting from a tiny golden whistle specially designed to have a unique tone. A large ship rocked on the clear waves, the whistle’s owner sat perched on the bowsprit, legs dangling off the sides. With one arm wrapped around the teenager with a snaggle toothed smile blew the whistle once more before letting it drop down to his chest and dangle on it’s silver chain.

Rylan, a spunky seventeen year old deckhand, had a trusty partner in crime. Gliding across the clear waves was a streak of crimson, wings beating hard a Scarlet Macaw. Patch, a glorious scarlet bird with a vibrant blue patch on his back was notorious and well-trained. Rylan and Patch were merchant ship’s worst nightmare, they were the children of the modern-day pirate ship Syren’s Call. Known across the Atlantic and Indian, from the Hudson down to Arabian they were a ship of legends. Anyone who came across the Syren’s call would risk bankruptcy.

A common rule is women should not sail on ships, such sailing is bad news; An omen of misfortune such sweet creatures should never leave the flowers of shore. Yet a siren’s song is far too appealing to be ignored, for seafarers who lay in ignorance they’ll find themselves inevitably drawn into the appeal of a mermaid, the embrace of the sea. Ignorant, irritable and irrational sailors fall victim to the Syren’s Call time and time again. An unremarkable ship, with a crew that’s easy to forget will be sold out by their exotic child and their beautiful maidens. Their most memorable child is Patch, glorious in his red feathered coat who was raised from the time he was hatched by Rylan and his elder sister the Master of the ship, medic for humans and parrot alike. Sylvia followed her father onto the boat and brought a young Rylan with them, they grew alongside their feathered baby. Patch was trained and tamed by Rylan from the time he was able to walk, now the bird listens exclusively to their youngest.

Rylan was their father’s golden egg, he would allow Rylan to take point on some of their larger jobs; like their current one. Patch was coming back from flying recon with a small tracker in tow. The Syren had docked under the cloak of nightfall at a lively port, no one noticed a youth slip into a merchant ship when the crew were drinking, a small audio transmitter was placed in the galley in a delivery Rylan carried in acting like a scruffy porter while the crewmen were busy pleasuring themselves he slipped away.

Patch was trained to respond to certain sounds and tones, and the transmitter would emit a certain tone which is how they followed the boat, now calling him back as they approached in the middle of the sea was best. They had approached their blindspot in their dark ship with no lights, only the red could be seen under the glorious moonlight, as the clouds covered it once more the ship disappeared as Patch landed on Rylan’s shoulder. Rylan stroked his beak before feeding him a treat “Good job boy, they can never track this back to us now.” Usually shipping crates will be stowed somewhere on deck when emptied, just like this. Patch would follow the sound to retrieve the beacon even if it meant destroying a crate, he would do so until he got the thing he was after. Then he would follow the whistle back and land.

Macaws were glorious birds, they were intelligent, strong and resilient. Although unable to swim and hard to train, when they learn from youth they’re peerless. Patch chirped back ‘I’m awesome.’ Earning a chuckle and more intimate petting, although Patch had inherited the cockiness of the first mate, he had no reason to be scolded for well placed arrogance. That likely he didn’t understand.

After all, thanks to this, the Syren would feed once again on a maiden merchant’s first time. A beautiful right of passage, being violated by those who were peerless. Such an honor, the despicable merchants who were the feast of tonight, had likely no idea they were about to fall victim to the vicious pirates of the east.