Celessarae sat in the
tavern and nursed her ale, looking sullen with her blackened eye and the
cuts on her arms and cheek. It had been a rough few days, and the trip
back to booty bay had been long and embarrassing since she couldn’t use
her own ship. Half of her old associates laughed at her on her return,
and the other half were trying to get her to sign on for new ships and
contracts with different privateer bands. She would have none of it
though, that ship was hers, and she was going to get it back.
She sighed and rubbed her temple with one of her hands. The fight with Rusty and his crew had left her feeling as if she’d been on the deck of her ship in rough seas with loose cargo flying around. All of her bones felt bruised and by the looks she was getting her appearance wasn’t that pleasant at the moment either. Worst of all though were the memories that her brief encounter and conversation with Rusty had brought back to mind.
Why on earth had she mentioned the maelstrom? Why even bring it up or dwell on it now? She closed her eyes as the memories came flooding back.
*****
*Several years before the Shattering*
The ocean was bright and sparkling as the Shattered Blade practically leaped across the small swells. The black, redesigned House Sunblade emblem flew from her mainmast, declaring to one and all that she was a privateer and that she was out on the hunt. Dozens of other pirate ships sailed alongside her; an entire flotilla of pirates under High Captain Blackspear.
Celessarae normally hunted prey on her own, using the speed and firepower of the Shattered Blade to take small cargo vessels and alliance patrol ships. She had joined with the pirate flotilla because a new threat had arisen on the sea; the alliance had launched their own small fleet of vessels, intent on eradicating the pirates that plagued their ports and raided ships heading to Northrend. It was through strength in numbers that the pirates would be able to continue their raids; that or by eliminating the alliance vessels that hunted them relentlessly.
And now that time had come. Hunted for days over the open sea, the faster alliance vessels had finally caught the pirate flotilla several miles from the maelstrom. Celessarae could see the distant storms that wreathed it through her spyglass, and already the currents pulled in that direction, making navigation difficult. There would be no more running for the pirates. It was stand and fight, or die.
They had only a brief period of waiting as the sails on the horizon grew into the shapes of High Elf sailing vessels. It made sense of course; only High Elves could have so skillfully tracked the pirates with the speed needed in their vessels to gain on the pirate flotilla. It would be bloody fight.
The engagement was surprisingly brief as the High Elf ships sailed in close and began raining arrows, bolts, and magic down on the pirates. Although well equipped and armed, the High Elves that served the alliance had little recent battle experience. The pirates on the other hand had been fighting all of their lives to eek out a living on the open sea through robbery and bloodshed. Although many pirate ships sank beneath the waves, many more managed to grapple alliance vessels and begin to board them, resulting in fierce hand to hand combat; an arena where the pirate crews excelled.
Celessarae watched several stricken vessels slowly get pulled towards the distant Maelstrom, even as her own ship sailed in to the battle, ramming and the grappling an enemy vessel. All around her ship other fights raged, ship locked to ship with little pockets of dreadful life or death struggles occurring individually. Celessarae closed her eyes and breathed deeply before opening them and shouting for her crew to secure the grapples and board the enemy vessel. As was expected of her, she led her men personally; a pirate captain could do no less and keep face before her crew.
The vessel she had selected to board was a smaller High Elf vessel with the name Edge of Forever written in fine elfish script along the side. Her crew fought valiantly to keep the pirates at bay, but were outnumbered many times over. It was a simple matter for Celessarae and her men to slaughter those who resisted and to take the others prisoner. She had the High Elves lined up on the deck, even as she watched the conflict surrounding her.
Other pirate vessels were beginning to break away from the fight and flee, and it became clear why; the High Captain’s ship had been rammed below the waterline, and it was going down. The pirate flotilla would be leaderless, and without guidance would break into smaller groups. Regardless of the outcome of the battle, the flotilla was finished. It was time to take what loot was available and leave. Celessarae looked over the prisoners with a smirk; they would make good ransom. Her smirk faded as she recognized one of the High Elves that had been captured.
Lirasae Sunblade
Her sister. Celessarae could see the look of recognition on Lira’s face. It was a look of surprise first, then anger mixed with pity. It made the pirate shiver with rage. How dare she? How dare she come here, to the middle of the ocean to try and stop Celessarae after all that she had been through? Didn’t she deserve a chance to live her own life? To forget about Eversong forever? To just BE without having the past come to haunt her? Apparently it was too much to ask.
“I always knew it would come to this Cele,” Lirasae said sadly. “I always knew that you would fall to a dark path; that you would be unable to turn away once you fell. You could have made up for what happened. You could have explained your actions. You could have at least paid for your crimes instead of running. Now look at you.”
The rage grew within her. Like a rampaging beast in her chest, Celessarae’s heart pounded. Her sister, here again to judge her. Here again to tell her that her life was a waste, and that everything she had done to survive had been pointless. And now, to make matters worse, she was challenging her before her crew. It was a deadly game, and silence fell all around the two elves as they glared at each other. Celessarae had to show her crew how tough she was. She had to remain in control and in charge; her very life depended on it.
“Way I see it, sis, is that you’re the one who is falling to darkness. I’m here on your ship. The sun’s shinin’ on me, and you’re my prisoner. I’ll escape this little fleet of yours, and keep livin’ as I want. I’ll keep survivin’ without help from you and the rest of them, just like I always have,” Celessarae replied, her voice cold.
Lirasae looked at her and shook her head sadly. “No sister, you’ll fall. Maybe not here, maybe not immediately, but you chose your path long ago. You are not my blood any longer. I thought once that I could find you, convince you that what you had done was wrong. I see that I can never get through to you now. You’ll never learn your lesson.”
Fury blazed in Celessarae’s eyes, “Learn MY lesson?! Let me tell you what I’ve learned, sister. I’ve learned that it’s only me that I can rely on. I’ve learned that I have to look after myself if I want to survive, ‘cause everythin’ and everyone will just let me down. I am the only one lookin’ out for me.”
Lirasae’s calm demeanor cracked at Celessarae’s words, “Yes, you look after yourself SO WELL. We all know that. All of Eversong knows that. It would have been better if you had never been born, so I wouldn’t have to know my sister is a murderous criminal. I wish that I never saw you again after you left. I wish you were gone for good.”
The tension around the two could almost be cut with a knife. The pirate crew watched Celessarae closely, judging how their captain would take this challenge. A show of weakness in the middle of battle could be fatal to them all. Celessarae knew this. She walked up to her sister and reached out, grasping an amulet around Lirasae’s neck. It had been their mother’s, before she died in the scourge invasion. With a quick snap it was removed from the High Elf’s neck, and in Celessarae’s hands. She looked at Lirasae with hate in her eyes.
“Throw them to the sharks and scuttle this ship. It’s time we’re leaving lads.”
Lirasae never stopped staring Celessarae down. Even as the pirates pulled her towards the edge of the ship she glared, her hatred burning. Even when the High Elf prisoners started to scream as they were tossed over one by one Lirasae’s anger stayed focused on the pirate captain that had declared her fate.
Celessarae looked away as her sister was flung still living into the water. Her mail armor immediately dragged her beneath the waves, never to be seen again. She looked down at the amulet in her hands, a dozen emotions passing over her face. Finally she placed it down on the deck as her crew set the Edge of Forever ablaze. It would sink with the ship, joining her sister in her audience with Azshara.
As she returned to her ship, Celessarae could hear her crew muttering and talking amongst themselves. Most were joking and enjoying the loot they had taken from the High Elf vessel. Many others looked at their captain in awe though, impressed by her strength of control and command.
It was then that the rumors started. They said she had thrown her own still-beating heart into the ocean, along with her sister.
Maybe they were right.
****
Celessarae shook her head, clearing the memories and taking a deep pull of her ale, trying to banish the thoughts that came with them. They faded slightly as the alcohol dulled her senses and the pain in her body. Lirasae was someone she hadn’t thought of in a long time, and she hoped she never would again.
What was past was past after all.
“I hope you and mother are getting along well dear sister,” Celessarae murmured into her drink. “I’m not dyin’ for you though, or for any of em. I’ll keep doin’ what I have to so I can live.”
She sighed and rubbed her temple with one of her hands. The fight with Rusty and his crew had left her feeling as if she’d been on the deck of her ship in rough seas with loose cargo flying around. All of her bones felt bruised and by the looks she was getting her appearance wasn’t that pleasant at the moment either. Worst of all though were the memories that her brief encounter and conversation with Rusty had brought back to mind.
Why on earth had she mentioned the maelstrom? Why even bring it up or dwell on it now? She closed her eyes as the memories came flooding back.
*****
*Several years before the Shattering*
The ocean was bright and sparkling as the Shattered Blade practically leaped across the small swells. The black, redesigned House Sunblade emblem flew from her mainmast, declaring to one and all that she was a privateer and that she was out on the hunt. Dozens of other pirate ships sailed alongside her; an entire flotilla of pirates under High Captain Blackspear.
Celessarae normally hunted prey on her own, using the speed and firepower of the Shattered Blade to take small cargo vessels and alliance patrol ships. She had joined with the pirate flotilla because a new threat had arisen on the sea; the alliance had launched their own small fleet of vessels, intent on eradicating the pirates that plagued their ports and raided ships heading to Northrend. It was through strength in numbers that the pirates would be able to continue their raids; that or by eliminating the alliance vessels that hunted them relentlessly.
And now that time had come. Hunted for days over the open sea, the faster alliance vessels had finally caught the pirate flotilla several miles from the maelstrom. Celessarae could see the distant storms that wreathed it through her spyglass, and already the currents pulled in that direction, making navigation difficult. There would be no more running for the pirates. It was stand and fight, or die.
They had only a brief period of waiting as the sails on the horizon grew into the shapes of High Elf sailing vessels. It made sense of course; only High Elves could have so skillfully tracked the pirates with the speed needed in their vessels to gain on the pirate flotilla. It would be bloody fight.
The engagement was surprisingly brief as the High Elf ships sailed in close and began raining arrows, bolts, and magic down on the pirates. Although well equipped and armed, the High Elves that served the alliance had little recent battle experience. The pirates on the other hand had been fighting all of their lives to eek out a living on the open sea through robbery and bloodshed. Although many pirate ships sank beneath the waves, many more managed to grapple alliance vessels and begin to board them, resulting in fierce hand to hand combat; an arena where the pirate crews excelled.
Celessarae watched several stricken vessels slowly get pulled towards the distant Maelstrom, even as her own ship sailed in to the battle, ramming and the grappling an enemy vessel. All around her ship other fights raged, ship locked to ship with little pockets of dreadful life or death struggles occurring individually. Celessarae closed her eyes and breathed deeply before opening them and shouting for her crew to secure the grapples and board the enemy vessel. As was expected of her, she led her men personally; a pirate captain could do no less and keep face before her crew.
The vessel she had selected to board was a smaller High Elf vessel with the name Edge of Forever written in fine elfish script along the side. Her crew fought valiantly to keep the pirates at bay, but were outnumbered many times over. It was a simple matter for Celessarae and her men to slaughter those who resisted and to take the others prisoner. She had the High Elves lined up on the deck, even as she watched the conflict surrounding her.
Other pirate vessels were beginning to break away from the fight and flee, and it became clear why; the High Captain’s ship had been rammed below the waterline, and it was going down. The pirate flotilla would be leaderless, and without guidance would break into smaller groups. Regardless of the outcome of the battle, the flotilla was finished. It was time to take what loot was available and leave. Celessarae looked over the prisoners with a smirk; they would make good ransom. Her smirk faded as she recognized one of the High Elves that had been captured.
Lirasae Sunblade
Her sister. Celessarae could see the look of recognition on Lira’s face. It was a look of surprise first, then anger mixed with pity. It made the pirate shiver with rage. How dare she? How dare she come here, to the middle of the ocean to try and stop Celessarae after all that she had been through? Didn’t she deserve a chance to live her own life? To forget about Eversong forever? To just BE without having the past come to haunt her? Apparently it was too much to ask.
“I always knew it would come to this Cele,” Lirasae said sadly. “I always knew that you would fall to a dark path; that you would be unable to turn away once you fell. You could have made up for what happened. You could have explained your actions. You could have at least paid for your crimes instead of running. Now look at you.”
The rage grew within her. Like a rampaging beast in her chest, Celessarae’s heart pounded. Her sister, here again to judge her. Here again to tell her that her life was a waste, and that everything she had done to survive had been pointless. And now, to make matters worse, she was challenging her before her crew. It was a deadly game, and silence fell all around the two elves as they glared at each other. Celessarae had to show her crew how tough she was. She had to remain in control and in charge; her very life depended on it.
“Way I see it, sis, is that you’re the one who is falling to darkness. I’m here on your ship. The sun’s shinin’ on me, and you’re my prisoner. I’ll escape this little fleet of yours, and keep livin’ as I want. I’ll keep survivin’ without help from you and the rest of them, just like I always have,” Celessarae replied, her voice cold.
Lirasae looked at her and shook her head sadly. “No sister, you’ll fall. Maybe not here, maybe not immediately, but you chose your path long ago. You are not my blood any longer. I thought once that I could find you, convince you that what you had done was wrong. I see that I can never get through to you now. You’ll never learn your lesson.”
Fury blazed in Celessarae’s eyes, “Learn MY lesson?! Let me tell you what I’ve learned, sister. I’ve learned that it’s only me that I can rely on. I’ve learned that I have to look after myself if I want to survive, ‘cause everythin’ and everyone will just let me down. I am the only one lookin’ out for me.”
Lirasae’s calm demeanor cracked at Celessarae’s words, “Yes, you look after yourself SO WELL. We all know that. All of Eversong knows that. It would have been better if you had never been born, so I wouldn’t have to know my sister is a murderous criminal. I wish that I never saw you again after you left. I wish you were gone for good.”
The tension around the two could almost be cut with a knife. The pirate crew watched Celessarae closely, judging how their captain would take this challenge. A show of weakness in the middle of battle could be fatal to them all. Celessarae knew this. She walked up to her sister and reached out, grasping an amulet around Lirasae’s neck. It had been their mother’s, before she died in the scourge invasion. With a quick snap it was removed from the High Elf’s neck, and in Celessarae’s hands. She looked at Lirasae with hate in her eyes.
“Throw them to the sharks and scuttle this ship. It’s time we’re leaving lads.”
Lirasae never stopped staring Celessarae down. Even as the pirates pulled her towards the edge of the ship she glared, her hatred burning. Even when the High Elf prisoners started to scream as they were tossed over one by one Lirasae’s anger stayed focused on the pirate captain that had declared her fate.
Celessarae looked away as her sister was flung still living into the water. Her mail armor immediately dragged her beneath the waves, never to be seen again. She looked down at the amulet in her hands, a dozen emotions passing over her face. Finally she placed it down on the deck as her crew set the Edge of Forever ablaze. It would sink with the ship, joining her sister in her audience with Azshara.
As she returned to her ship, Celessarae could hear her crew muttering and talking amongst themselves. Most were joking and enjoying the loot they had taken from the High Elf vessel. Many others looked at their captain in awe though, impressed by her strength of control and command.
It was then that the rumors started. They said she had thrown her own still-beating heart into the ocean, along with her sister.
Maybe they were right.
****
Celessarae shook her head, clearing the memories and taking a deep pull of her ale, trying to banish the thoughts that came with them. They faded slightly as the alcohol dulled her senses and the pain in her body. Lirasae was someone she hadn’t thought of in a long time, and she hoped she never would again.
What was past was past after all.
“I hope you and mother are getting along well dear sister,” Celessarae murmured into her drink. “I’m not dyin’ for you though, or for any of em. I’ll keep doin’ what I have to so I can live.”
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