Chapter 83: Captain Hook (Part 3)
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The next morning, Vladstin came to meet the Gigesdi leader.
"Hello, Chieftain. Or should I call you Your Majesty of the Gigesdi Island? What should I call you, sir?" He happily shook his hand, all smiles.
"Sangfroid. No other names than Sangfroid." The 6-foot tall man stared menacingly at him with his single purple eye. He wore an eyepatch made of goatskin on his other eye.
"Great Purple Eye, then." Vladstin grinned.
The chieftain scoffed and turned to Leron Pan. "Why is he here?"
"Uh...Er..... Sangfroid, don't give me that look. Vladstin means well." Leron gave him an awkward smile. "He just wants his hand back, and I think he deserves it. He hasn't been bothering anyone in Neverland anymore, and settles on persecuting the mortal lands instead."
"And also a bit of help to find someone." Vladstin chimed in with a jolly demeanor. "Do you know the Hermit----"
"He is evil. He is Captain Hook." Sangfroid rejected them plainly, and started to walk away. "I will not help him."
"Evil is a very broad word." Vladstin caught up to him and blocked his way. "Besides, it is entirely a matter of perspective. We think our enemies are evil and we are good, and they also think the same thing. It's a very amusing thing, morality, don't you think?"
The tribal leader just gave him a look as cold as a raging blizzard, and left with his goatskin cape back to his tent.
The Gigesdi settlement was a very pleasant spot, with its flora and fauna naturally spread about and the breeze blowing now and then so fresh that one can feel that it rejuvenates them and extends their youth. Large tents made of patchwork from different hides and totem poles of carvings of the animals that symbolize each 'house' or family can be seen even across the waters of the Island. But the Gigesdi also has a rule that for every animal they kill, they must help another one grow strong, and for every plant they harvest, new seeds must be planted.
This is very easy to do since they never lack resources thanks to the tribal leader.
The tribal leader has a special Amulet on his staff that brings life all around the island. There would never be famine or shortage as long as he is around. Everywhere he steps, new flowers and grass grow at his feet, birds soar at the sky singing praises to him, thunders roar in synchronicity whenever he declares a new judgment.
Vladstin had found it all fascinating. To think that the person who would bring him to his long-awaited death would also be the bringer of life, like the Hermit that in mortal terms would be seen as a god.
Leron sighed. "I'll talk to him, just stay here."
The sprite was about to fly towards the tent flaps, when Vladstin puts a hand on his chest to block him.
"Let me speak with him. I'm the one requesting assistance." His golden eyes never strayed from the trail where Sangfroid once was, positively radiating with glee despite being dull and hollow just a few minutes ago before they went here.
"But Vladstin, he doesn't---"
"Even if he doesn't want to talk to me, I will continue to bother him until he does." Vladstin picked up a very small pumpkin flower that grew on Sangfroid's footprints. "I don't need your help in this, Leron. I can handle it. Go back to the Lost Ones, they probably can't survive a single day without their legendary Pan."
The 'legendary' Pan's face was visibly struck and hurt, yet he bit his tongue and said nothing.
Vladstin entered the tent.
It was very minimalistic, unlike all the other tents of the Gigesdi that collects all kinds of baubles and memorabilia that they like to find. These tribal people are like fowls when they create their nests, they like to fill it in a sloppy yet somehow aesthetic way with shiny things or even just odd things that they find during their hunts or exploration in the wilds.
Yet Sangfroid's 'nest' was almost empty except for a small simple bed on the floor, a homemade desk, a chair, and a hanging rack for his bow and arrow, clothes, and other things that could not fit on the desk.
He saw the Great Purple Eye lying on the bed and massaging his temples. His eyebrows creased and he stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.
But he quickly noticed the intruding pirate captain, and turned his head at him, grumbling.
"Get out." That was all he said, with that deep, intimidating voice he has.
"I don't want to." Vladstin gave a grin that a child would give when he found a new playmate.
Sangfroid grumbled again, and turned to the side opposite of the tent entrance where the unwanted visitor was standing.
Vladstin just kept on walking forward with a smiley face and sat crossed leg beside Sangfroid's bed, patiently waiting.
Eventually, the scary yielded to his annoyance and turned to him. "What?"
"You are sick, aren't you?"
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
Sangfroid sat up, pushing away his leopard striped blanket. "No, I am not sick. I am tired. Get out."
"Why are you tired?" Vladstin tilted his head to the side.
"I don't want to tell you."
"Tell me!"
"No."
"Tell me!"
"No."
"Tell me---"
"Alright. If I tell you, would you leave?" Sangfroid gripped his skull like he was aching to crush it.
But the 'evil' captain just leaned on his touch!
"No. I wouldn't go whether or not you tell me, Great Purple Eye." Vladstin raised his hook to his own chin. "I want my hand, and I want you to bring me to the Hermit."
Sangfroid narrowed his eyes, then let go of Vladstin's head. Even if he crushed it, the immortal Captain Hook would still live. He would just look even more hideous and terrifying, or perhaps the wounds would heal themselves and he would keep that objectively handsome yet bothersome face.
"What is your relationship with Pan?" The Great Purple Eye asked.
"Darling?" Vladstin grinned. "What, do you like him?"
Sangfroid's single amethyst eye widened at the word 'Darling' but became neutral again at the question. He asked without any change in tone: "You are his lover?"
"So you do like him." Vladstin nodded. "Why don't you confess to him?"
"Don't mock me." Sangfroid said, then laid on his bed back again.
"How do you say I'm mocking you?" Vladstin poked his eyepatch.
Sangfroid let out a heavy breath, his patience obviously being stretched thin by Vladstin's prodding. "You are his lover, are you not? Go back to him, tell the Lost Ones you have changed, and perhaps they would accept you and your crew among them so that you and Pan can live together."
"Change? I never change!" Vladstin chuckled heartily. "I, who was vanquished by the great Leron Pan. Hand for hook, hook for a hand. A monster in the form of a man. The menace of Neverland."
When he said all this, the whole truth dawned upon Sangfroid. He sat back up.
"So you mean that...."
Vladstin nodded excitedly. "Yes, yes! You realized the whole plot of our play! Now, did your perception of good and evil change?"
Sangfroid rubbed his chin. "Why would you.... trick everyone.... and in exchange of your own hand....."
"Neverland needed a hero." Vladstin said. "Me, a villain, had appeared. And so I created a hero for them. I created Leron Pan."
"But why would you choose to be the villain in their eyes instead of explaining your side? Instead of reasoning with them?" Sangfroid frowned.
Vladstin nodded in agreement. "True, speaking with people in a diplomatic manner to take away their prejudices truly is good form. But.....
The Captain flashed his hook and smiled. "Would anyone listen?"
"Who would listen to the Ballad of Captain Hook?"
At this, the reflection of this private captain in the tribal leader's eye shone in a different light.
-------------------------------
"Full speed ahead!"
The ghost ship Jolly Roger raised its sails and zoomed past waves of clouds, fighting against the strong tides of wind, casting its shadow on the lands below. They are racing towards the North Star, Polaris, gaining altitude as they kept on sailing upwards.
Vladstin took out his flask of rum and offered it to the person standing beside him on deck. "Want some?"
"No."
Vladstin chuckled. "Hehe, I really like how you always answer so shortly. Are you only like that when you're around me, or do all Gigesdi have to get used to their stoic and quiet leader?"
Sangfroid ignored his question. "Our deal. You still haven't fulfilled it."
Vladstin set down his cup and rubbed his right wrist, stretching his fingers. His hook is now gone, he had reattached the hand that was cut off a few human years ago.
"Oh, right. Your deal to listen to my 'story'." Vladstin said with a bit of reluctance and bitterness. "What good would a story be to you, Great Purple Eye? You could have asked me to search for legendary treasures in the mortal worlds for you, or strange things that you and your people have never seen. Do you know that humans can put together pieces of metal to create what they call 'machines' that will do their work for them? I bet you did not, let me tell you about it---"
"My people and I have no use for treasures and these 'machines'." Sangfroid persisted. "What I need to know is your story. How did you die? Who are you?"
"You really want to hear the whole thing?" Vladstin sighed, hitting the bottom of his flask for more droplets to fall on his tongue. It was completely empty, and he threw it off the ship.
"Mn." Sangfroid nodded.
Vladstin observed him once more. His fine chiseled features that were like that woodwork on the homemade desk, made with meticulous effort yet still a bit rugged nonetheless. His long curly brown hair is the color of the cocoa that the Gigesdi cultivate and turn into chocolate. His sharp eyes that look lethal at first, yet when you peer deeper, the shadows cast by his long lashes show a bit of hidden sorrow in them. He smells of pine trees, the type that grows in the eldest of woodlands. On the parts not covered by his eyepatch, you can see the edges of scars that seem to be made from the slice of a sharp object.
"That eye of yours...." Vladstin reached out. "The one that is hidden. May I see it?"
Sangfroid took a step back and held his wrist quickly before it can touch him. "This isn't part of our deal."
"Aw, come on. If it is such a big secret that you can trust no one about, you can tell me. Haven't you heard of the saying 'Only trust a dead man'." Vladstin made a toothy grin. "And aren't I as good as dead eventually?"
Sangfroid hesitated, his eyes flitting from side to side. This was the first time he looked lost. The pirate captain grinned wider, he had stumped him. He wonders if this is enough to make such an overly-cautious tribal leader give in and knock down a few of his walls a bit.
"Well?"
The Great Purple Eye gave him a long look. Then he said, "Do you have another bottle of rum? This is going to be a long night."
Vladstin beamed at this, chuckling with his hand on his chest. "Oh, we have an entire case of it! I can have Mr. Smee bring them for us. Since you say this is going to be a long night, who would go first?"
"I would." Sangfroid relented. "But you have to promise me that when you tell your tale, you wouldn't hide any details. Do not be vague, or I would not join you in this expedition to find the Hermit anymore."
"Deal." Vladstin offered his hand, and Sangfroid shook it.
Captain Hook, who is now hookless, found himself very hooked on this person. After all, he is the type who only attaches himself to a few at a time. The last time he was this hooked to someone.....
Didn't go well.
"Mr. Smee! Bring us a bottle of moonshine and two glasses, eh?"
They drank and talked through the whole night.. The smell of sea breeze, fresh pine tree, and alcohol mixed as the moonlight and the stars arrived along with the velvet cloak of twilight, casting three shadows at the Jolly Roger's wooden floorboards.
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The next morning, Vladstin came to meet the Gigesdi leader.
"Hello, Chieftain. Or should I call you Your Majesty of the Gigesdi Island? What should I call you, sir?" He happily shook his hand, all smiles.
"Sangfroid. No other names than Sangfroid." The 6-foot tall man stared menacingly at him with his single purple eye. He wore an eyepatch made of goatskin on his other eye.
"Great Purple Eye, then." Vladstin grinned.
The chieftain scoffed and turned to Leron Pan. "Why is he here?"
"Uh...Er..... Sangfroid, don't give me that look. Vladstin means well." Leron gave him an awkward smile. "He just wants his hand back, and I think he deserves it. He hasn't been bothering anyone in Neverland anymore, and settles on persecuting the mortal lands instead."
"And also a bit of help to find someone." Vladstin chimed in with a jolly demeanor. "Do you know the Hermit----"
"He is evil. He is Captain Hook." Sangfroid rejected them plainly, and started to walk away. "I will not help him."
"Evil is a very broad word." Vladstin caught up to him and blocked his way. "Besides, it is entirely a matter of perspective. We think our enemies are evil and we are good, and they also think the same thing. It's a very amusing thing, morality, don't you think?"
The tribal leader just gave him a look as cold as a raging blizzard, and left with his goatskin cape back to his tent.
The Gigesdi settlement was a very pleasant spot, with its flora and fauna naturally spread about and the breeze blowing now and then so fresh that one can feel that it rejuvenates them and extends their youth. Large tents made of patchwork from different hides and totem poles of carvings of the animals that symbolize each 'house' or family can be seen even across the waters of the Island. But the Gigesdi also has a rule that for every animal they kill, they must help another one grow strong, and for every plant they harvest, new seeds must be planted.
This is very easy to do since they never lack resources thanks to the tribal leader.
The tribal leader has a special Amulet on his staff that brings life all around the island. There would never be famine or shortage as long as he is around. Everywhere he steps, new flowers and grass grow at his feet, birds soar at the sky singing praises to him, thunders roar in synchronicity whenever he declares a new judgment.
Vladstin had found it all fascinating. To think that the person who would bring him to his long-awaited death would also be the bringer of life, like the Hermit that in mortal terms would be seen as a god.
Leron sighed. "I'll talk to him, just stay here."
The sprite was about to fly towards the tent flaps, when Vladstin puts a hand on his chest to block him.
"Let me speak with him. I'm the one requesting assistance." His golden eyes never strayed from the trail where Sangfroid once was, positively radiating with glee despite being dull and hollow just a few minutes ago before they went here.
"But Vladstin, he doesn't---"
"Even if he doesn't want to talk to me, I will continue to bother him until he does." Vladstin picked up a very small pumpkin flower that grew on Sangfroid's footprints. "I don't need your help in this, Leron. I can handle it. Go back to the Lost Ones, they probably can't survive a single day without their legendary Pan."
The 'legendary' Pan's face was visibly struck and hurt, yet he bit his tongue and said nothing.
Vladstin entered the tent.
It was very minimalistic, unlike all the other tents of the Gigesdi that collects all kinds of baubles and memorabilia that they like to find. These tribal people are like fowls when they create their nests, they like to fill it in a sloppy yet somehow aesthetic way with shiny things or even just odd things that they find during their hunts or exploration in the wilds.
Yet Sangfroid's 'nest' was almost empty except for a small simple bed on the floor, a homemade desk, a chair, and a hanging rack for his bow and arrow, clothes, and other things that could not fit on the desk.
He saw the Great Purple Eye lying on the bed and massaging his temples. His eyebrows creased and he stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.
But he quickly noticed the intruding pirate captain, and turned his head at him, grumbling.
"Get out." That was all he said, with that deep, intimidating voice he has.
"I don't want to." Vladstin gave a grin that a child would give when he found a new playmate.
Sangfroid grumbled again, and turned to the side opposite of the tent entrance where the unwanted visitor was standing.
Vladstin just kept on walking forward with a smiley face and sat crossed leg beside Sangfroid's bed, patiently waiting.
Eventually, the scary yielded to his annoyance and turned to him. "What?"
"You are sick, aren't you?"
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
Sangfroid sat up, pushing away his leopard striped blanket. "No, I am not sick. I am tired. Get out."
"Why are you tired?" Vladstin tilted his head to the side.
"I don't want to tell you."
"Tell me!"
"No."
"Tell me!"
"No."
"Tell me---"
"Alright. If I tell you, would you leave?" Sangfroid gripped his skull like he was aching to crush it.
But the 'evil' captain just leaned on his touch!
"No. I wouldn't go whether or not you tell me, Great Purple Eye." Vladstin raised his hook to his own chin. "I want my hand, and I want you to bring me to the Hermit."
Sangfroid narrowed his eyes, then let go of Vladstin's head. Even if he crushed it, the immortal Captain Hook would still live. He would just look even more hideous and terrifying, or perhaps the wounds would heal themselves and he would keep that objectively handsome yet bothersome face.
"What is your relationship with Pan?" The Great Purple Eye asked.
"Darling?" Vladstin grinned. "What, do you like him?"
Sangfroid's single amethyst eye widened at the word 'Darling' but became neutral again at the question. He asked without any change in tone: "You are his lover?"
"So you do like him." Vladstin nodded. "Why don't you confess to him?"
"Don't mock me." Sangfroid said, then laid on his bed back again.
"How do you say I'm mocking you?" Vladstin poked his eyepatch.
Sangfroid let out a heavy breath, his patience obviously being stretched thin by Vladstin's prodding. "You are his lover, are you not? Go back to him, tell the Lost Ones you have changed, and perhaps they would accept you and your crew among them so that you and Pan can live together."
"Change? I never change!" Vladstin chuckled heartily. "I, who was vanquished by the great Leron Pan. Hand for hook, hook for a hand. A monster in the form of a man. The menace of Neverland."
When he said all this, the whole truth dawned upon Sangfroid. He sat back up.
"So you mean that...."
Vladstin nodded excitedly. "Yes, yes! You realized the whole plot of our play! Now, did your perception of good and evil change?"
Sangfroid rubbed his chin. "Why would you.... trick everyone.... and in exchange of your own hand....."
"Neverland needed a hero." Vladstin said. "Me, a villain, had appeared. And so I created a hero for them. I created Leron Pan."
"But why would you choose to be the villain in their eyes instead of explaining your side? Instead of reasoning with them?" Sangfroid frowned.
Vladstin nodded in agreement. "True, speaking with people in a diplomatic manner to take away their prejudices truly is good form. But.....
The Captain flashed his hook and smiled. "Would anyone listen?"
"Who would listen to the Ballad of Captain Hook?"
At this, the reflection of this private captain in the tribal leader's eye shone in a different light.
-------------------------------
"Full speed ahead!"
The ghost ship Jolly Roger raised its sails and zoomed past waves of clouds, fighting against the strong tides of wind, casting its shadow on the lands below. They are racing towards the North Star, Polaris, gaining altitude as they kept on sailing upwards.
Vladstin took out his flask of rum and offered it to the person standing beside him on deck. "Want some?"
"No."
Vladstin chuckled. "Hehe, I really like how you always answer so shortly. Are you only like that when you're around me, or do all Gigesdi have to get used to their stoic and quiet leader?"
Sangfroid ignored his question. "Our deal. You still haven't fulfilled it."
Vladstin set down his cup and rubbed his right wrist, stretching his fingers. His hook is now gone, he had reattached the hand that was cut off a few human years ago.
"Oh, right. Your deal to listen to my 'story'." Vladstin said with a bit of reluctance and bitterness. "What good would a story be to you, Great Purple Eye? You could have asked me to search for legendary treasures in the mortal worlds for you, or strange things that you and your people have never seen. Do you know that humans can put together pieces of metal to create what they call 'machines' that will do their work for them? I bet you did not, let me tell you about it---"
"My people and I have no use for treasures and these 'machines'." Sangfroid persisted. "What I need to know is your story. How did you die? Who are you?"
"You really want to hear the whole thing?" Vladstin sighed, hitting the bottom of his flask for more droplets to fall on his tongue. It was completely empty, and he threw it off the ship.
"Mn." Sangfroid nodded.
Vladstin observed him once more. His fine chiseled features that were like that woodwork on the homemade desk, made with meticulous effort yet still a bit rugged nonetheless. His long curly brown hair is the color of the cocoa that the Gigesdi cultivate and turn into chocolate. His sharp eyes that look lethal at first, yet when you peer deeper, the shadows cast by his long lashes show a bit of hidden sorrow in them. He smells of pine trees, the type that grows in the eldest of woodlands. On the parts not covered by his eyepatch, you can see the edges of scars that seem to be made from the slice of a sharp object.
"That eye of yours...." Vladstin reached out. "The one that is hidden. May I see it?"
Sangfroid took a step back and held his wrist quickly before it can touch him. "This isn't part of our deal."
"Aw, come on. If it is such a big secret that you can trust no one about, you can tell me. Haven't you heard of the saying 'Only trust a dead man'." Vladstin made a toothy grin. "And aren't I as good as dead eventually?"
Sangfroid hesitated, his eyes flitting from side to side. This was the first time he looked lost. The pirate captain grinned wider, he had stumped him. He wonders if this is enough to make such an overly-cautious tribal leader give in and knock down a few of his walls a bit.
"Well?"
The Great Purple Eye gave him a long look. Then he said, "Do you have another bottle of rum? This is going to be a long night."
Vladstin beamed at this, chuckling with his hand on his chest. "Oh, we have an entire case of it! I can have Mr. Smee bring them for us. Since you say this is going to be a long night, who would go first?"
"I would." Sangfroid relented. "But you have to promise me that when you tell your tale, you wouldn't hide any details. Do not be vague, or I would not join you in this expedition to find the Hermit anymore."
"Deal." Vladstin offered his hand, and Sangfroid shook it.
Captain Hook, who is now hookless, found himself very hooked on this person. After all, he is the type who only attaches himself to a few at a time. The last time he was this hooked to someone.....
Didn't go well.
"Mr. Smee! Bring us a bottle of moonshine and two glasses, eh?"
They drank and talked through the whole night.. The smell of sea breeze, fresh pine tree, and alcohol mixed as the moonlight and the stars arrived along with the velvet cloak of twilight, casting three shadows at the Jolly Roger's wooden floorboards.
The next morning, Vladstin came to meet the Gigesdi leader."Hello, Chieftain. Or should I call you Your Majesty of the Gigesdi Island? What should I call you, sir?" He happily shook his hand, all smiles."Sangfroid. No other names than Sangfroid." The 6-foot tall man stared menacingly at him with his single purple eye. He wore an eyepatch made of goatskin on his other eye."Great Purple Eye, then." Vladstin grinned.The chieftain scoffed and turned to Leron Pan. "Why is he here?""Uh...Er..... Sangfroid, don't give me that look. Vladstin means well." Leron gave him an awkward smile. "He just wants his hand back, and I think he deserves it. He hasn't been bothering anyone in Neverland anymore, and settles on persecuting the mortal lands instead.""And also a bit of help to find someone." Vladstin chimed in with a jolly demeanor. "Do you know the Hermit----""He is evil. He is Captain Hook." Sangfroid rejected them plainly, and started to walk away. "I will not help him.""Evil is a very broad word." Vladstin caught up to him and blocked his way. "Besides, it is entirely a matter of perspective. We think our enemies are evil and we are good, and they also think the same thing. It's a very amusing thing, morality, don't you think?"The tribal leader just gave him a look as cold as a raging blizzard, and left with his goatskin cape back to his tent.The Gigesdi settlement was a very pleasant spot, with its flora and fauna naturally spread about and the breeze blowing now and then so fresh that one can feel that it rejuvenates them and extends their youth. Large tents made of patchwork from different hides and totem poles of carvings of the animals that symbolize each 'house' or family can be seen even across the waters of the Island. But the Gigesdi also has a rule that for every animal they kill, they must help another one grow strong, and for every plant they harvest, new seeds must be planted.This is very easy to do since they never lack resources thanks to the tribal leader.The tribal leader has a special Amulet on his staff that brings life all around the island. There would never be famine or shortage as long as he is around. Everywhere he steps, new flowers and grass grow at his feet, birds soar at the sky singing praises to him, thunders roar in synchronicity whenever he declares a new judgment.Vladstin had found it all fascinating. To think that the person who would bring him to his long-awaited death would also be the bringer of life, like the Hermit that in mortal terms would be seen as a god.Leron sighed. "I'll talk to him, just stay here."The sprite was about to fly towards the tent flaps, when Vladstin puts a hand on his chest to block him."Let me speak with him. I'm the one requesting assistance." His golden eyes never strayed from the trail where Sangfroid once was, positively radiating with glee despite being dull and hollow just a few minutes ago before they went here."But Vladstin, he doesn't---""Even if he doesn't want to talk to me, I will continue to bother him until he does." Vladstin picked up a very small pumpkin flower that grew on Sangfroid's footprints. "I don't need your help in this, Leron. I can handle it. Go back to the Lost Ones, they probably can't survive a single day without their legendary Pan."The 'legendary' Pan's face was visibly struck and hurt, yet he bit his tongue and said nothing.Vladstin entered the tent.It was very minimalistic, unlike all the other tents of the Gigesdi that collects all kinds of baubles and memorabilia that they like to find. These tribal people are like fowls when they create their nests, they like to fill it in a sloppy yet somehow aesthetic way with shiny things or even just odd things that they find during their hunts or exploration in the wilds.Yet Sangfroid's 'nest' was almost empty except for a small simple bed on the floor, a homemade desk, a chair, and a hanging rack for his bow and arrow, clothes, and other things that could not fit on the desk.He saw the Great Purple Eye lying on the bed and massaging his temples. His eyebrows creased and he stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.But he quickly noticed the intruding pirate captain, and turned his head at him, grumbling."Get out." That was all he said, with that deep, intimidating voice he has."I don't want to." Vladstin gave a grin that a child would give when he found a new playmate.Sangfroid grumbled again, and turned to the side opposite of the tent entrance where the unwanted visitor was standing.Vladstin just kept on walking forward with a smiley face and sat crossed leg beside Sangfroid's bed, patiently waiting.Eventually, the scary yielded to his annoyance and turned to him. "What?""You are sick, aren't you?""No.""Yes.""No.""Yes."Sangfroid sat up, pushing away his leopard striped blanket. "No, I am not sick. I am tired. Get out.""Why are you tired?" Vladstin tilted his head to the side."I don't want to tell you.""Tell me!""No.""Tell me!""No.""Tell me---""Alright. If I tell you, would you leave?" Sangfroid gripped his skull like he was aching to crush it.But the 'evil' captain just leaned on his touch!"No. I wouldn't go whether or not you tell me, Great Purple Eye." Vladstin raised his hook to his own chin. "I want my hand, and I want you to bring me to the Hermit."Sangfroid narrowed his eyes, then let go of Vladstin's head. Even if he crushed it, the immortal Captain Hook would still live. He would just look even more hideous and terrifying, or perhaps the wounds would heal themselves and he would keep that objectively handsome yet bothersome face."What is your relationship with Pan?" The Great Purple Eye asked."Darling?" Vladstin grinned. "What, do you like him?"Sangfroid's single amethyst eye widened at the word 'Darling' but became neutral again at the question. He asked without any change in tone: "You are his lover?""So you do like him." Vladstin nodded. "Why don't you confess to him?""Don't mock me." Sangfroid said, then laid on his bed back again."How do you say I'm mocking you?" Vladstin poked his eyepatch.Sangfroid let out a heavy breath, his patience obviously being stretched thin by Vladstin's prodding. "You are his lover, are you not? Go back to him, tell the Lost Ones you have changed, and perhaps they would accept you and your crew among them so that you and Pan can live together.""Change? I never change!" Vladstin chuckled heartily. "I, who was vanquished by the great Leron Pan. Hand for hook, hook for a hand. A monster in the form of a man. The menace of Neverland."When he said all this, the whole truth dawned upon Sangfroid. He sat back up."So you mean that...."Vladstin nodded excitedly. "Yes, yes! You realized the whole plot of our play! Now, did your perception of good and evil change?"Sangfroid rubbed his chin. "Why would you.... trick everyone.... and in exchange of your own hand.....""Neverland needed a hero." Vladstin said. "Me, a villain, had appeared. And so I created a hero for them. I created Leron Pan.""But why would you choose to be the villain in their eyes instead of explaining your side? Instead of reasoning with them?" Sangfroid frowned.Vladstin nodded in agreement. "True, speaking with people in a diplomatic manner to take away their prejudices truly is good form. But.....The Captain flashed his hook and smiled. "Would anyone listen?""Who would listen to the Ballad of Captain Hook?"At this, the reflection of this private captain in the tribal leader's eye shone in a different light.-------------------------------"Full speed ahead!"The ghost ship Jolly Roger raised its sails and zoomed past waves of clouds, fighting against the strong tides of wind, casting its shadow on the lands below. They are racing towards the North Star, Polaris, gaining altitude as they kept on sailing upwards.Vladstin took out his flask of rum and offered it to the person standing beside him on deck. "Want some?""No."Vladstin chuckled. "Hehe, I really like how you always answer so shortly. Are you only like that when you're around me, or do all Gigesdi have to get used to their stoic and quiet leader?"Sangfroid ignored his question. "Our deal. You still haven't fulfilled it."Vladstin set down his cup and rubbed his right wrist, stretching his fingers. His hook is now gone, he had reattached the hand that was cut off a few human years ago."Oh, right. Your deal to listen to my 'story'." Vladstin said with a bit of reluctance and bitterness. "What good would a story be to you, Great Purple Eye? You could have asked me to search for legendary treasures in the mortal worlds for you, or strange things that you and your people have never seen. Do you know that humans can put together pieces of metal to create what they call 'machines' that will do their work for them? I bet you did not, let me tell you about it---""My people and I have no use for treasures and these 'machines'." Sangfroid persisted. "What I need to know is your story. How did you die? Who are you?""You really want to hear the whole thing?" Vladstin sighed, hitting the bottom of his flask for more droplets to fall on his tongue. It was completely empty, and he threw it off the ship."Mn." Sangfroid nodded.Vladstin observed him once more. His fine chiseled features that were like that woodwork on the homemade desk, made with meticulous effort yet still a bit rugged nonetheless. His long curly brown hair is the color of the cocoa that the Gigesdi cultivate and turn into chocolate. His sharp eyes that look lethal at first, yet when you peer deeper, the shadows cast by his long lashes show a bit of hidden sorrow in them. He smells of pine trees, the type that grows in the eldest of woodlands. On the parts not covered by his eyepatch, you can see the edges of scars that seem to be made from the slice of a sharp object."That eye of yours...." Vladstin reached out. "The one that is hidden. May I see it?"Sangfroid took a step back and held his wrist quickly before it can touch him. "This isn't part of our deal.""Aw, come on. If it is such a big secret that you can trust no one about, you can tell me. Haven't you heard of the saying 'Only trust a dead man'." Vladstin made a toothy grin. "And aren't I as good as dead eventually?"Sangfroid hesitated, his eyes flitting from side to side. This was the first time he looked lost. The pirate captain grinned wider, he had stumped him. He wonders if this is enough to make such an overly-cautious tribal leader give in and knock down a few of his walls a bit."Well?"The Great Purple Eye gave him a long look. Then he said, "Do you have another bottle of rum? This is going to be a long night."Vladstin beamed at this, chuckling with his hand on his chest. "Oh, we have an entire case of it! I can have Mr. Smee bring them for us. Since you say this is going to be a long night, who would go first?""I would." Sangfroid relented. "But you have to promise me that when you tell your tale, you wouldn't hide any details. Do not be vague, or I would not join you in this expedition to find the Hermit anymore.""Deal." Vladstin offered his hand, and Sangfroid shook it.Captain Hook, who is now hookless, found himself very hooked on this person. After all, he is the type who only attaches himself to a few at a time. The last time he was this hooked to someone.....Didn't go well."Mr. Smee! Bring us a bottle of moonshine and two glasses, eh?"They drank and talked through the whole night.. The smell of sea breeze, fresh pine tree, and alcohol mixed as the moonlight and the stars arrived along with the velvet cloak of twilight, casting three shadows at the Jolly Roger's wooden floorboards.
