Chapter Text
“On the clearest of nights, when the winds of the Ethruim were calm and peaceful.”
The large ship sailed through the night sky, the sails swaying in the soft breeze of the environment. All around was the void of space, the twinkling stars and nothing else. A simple luxury cruise, that also carried a rich amount of precious materials. Gold, jewels, mystium, ancient artifacts among other rarities and wealth were stored below deck. The people inside were busy waltzing with their partners to the soft music that played in the corner and dining on the finest treats, unaware of what was coming their way.
“The great merchant ships, with their cargoes of mystium and diamonds, felt safe and secure. Little did they suspect that they were pursued by pirates.”
A smaller ship made from onyx metal was steadily creeping up on the ship. The obsidian sails flapped angrily against the winds. The emerald green lights that the sails gave and the orange glow of the engine were the only lights aboard. A man stood on the quarterdeck of the small ship. The horns that sat on his head cast shadows onto the nearby ground. His black jacket fluttered in the breeze as the iron mangles on his wrists jingled in anticipation. He smirked once he found his target. The lights from the other ship shined onto the black scales that littered his face like freckles.
“And the most feared of all these pirates was the notorious rogue prince, Captain Malleus Draconia.”
Malleus turned to the gunners, who were buzzing with excitement. There was nothing a pirate looked forward to than looting an unsuspecting ship. “Fire!” Malleus ordered, his sharp fangs evident underneath the lights of the larger ship. The dragon slit like pupils dilated against his green orbs. One by one, the cannons were set off as they attacked. The merchant ship rocked and swayed from the power of the cannons. Those inside the merchant ship all gasped in fear, some holding one another tightly. Some quickly sprang into action. Those who had combat experience were quick to find guns and swords and ran to the deck of the ship. Gun fire flew from both sides. People were shot and some fell overboard from their injuries. “Don’t stop!” Mallues ordered his crew.
In reality though, the scene was merely a scene from a child’s story book. This book was powered by magic which allowed the reader to see what was happening. The three year old boy eagerly gripped the edges of the book as he watched the battle. His bright cyan eyes never moved from the battle scene and the light of the storybook seemed to glow off his dark navy blue hair. He laid on his bed, on his stomach with his legs swinging in the air. It didn’t matter how many times we went through this book, the story of Malleus Draconia will always be his favorite.
“Like the dragons that he descended from—“
“Deuce Spade!” A familiar voice said. Deuce quickly shut the book and placed his head in his hands, trying to appear innocent. His mother, Dylla Spade was almost an exact replica of her son, with the exception of a singular dyed blonde streak in her hair. She wore a rose red nightgown and stood at the edge of his room. It was past the boy’s bedtime and she sighed a little when she saw that he was still awake. “I thought you were asleep an hour ago.”
“But Mom.” Deuce said. He sat up and crawled towards the headrest of his bed. “I was just getting to the best part.” He grabbed the book and hugged it tightly. “Please?” He pulled out the biggest puppy eyes a three year old could muster.
She smiled, not having the heart to send him to bed without finishing his favorite story. “Oh, can those eyes get any bigger?” She said with the smile growing a little more. She sat on the bed next to him. “Scootch over.” Deuce moved closer to his mom and opened the book back to where he left off. The edges of the book were lined with small magestones and began to glow as the story came to life once more.
“Like the dragons that he descended from, Malleus and his loyal army swooped in out of nowhere.”
“Get the planks!” Malleus ordered once the defending party’s numbers had dwindled to his liking. Parts of the ship’s walls beneath the cannons opened, with claw-like metal planks appearing and latching themselves onto the deck of the merchant ship. Some of the pirates already grabbed some rope and swung over to handle any stragglers. Pretty soon, Malleus boarded the ship. He appeared in a blaze of lime green fire, startling the navy men nearby. They fired their bullets but Malleus simply flicked his wrist, letting them hit the ones who fired them.
He went further down into the belly of the ship until he found where the treasure was. He took the lock that kept the chest closed and crushed it with his hand. He opened the chest and his pupils dilated more once we saw the gold and jewels. He picked up a handful and smirked. He was joined by his men and they took the spoils back to their ship. The ship detached its planks and flew off.
“And then, gathering up their spoils, vanished without a trace.”
Deuce and Dylla watched as Malleus’s ship sailed towards them before disappearing in a cloak of lime green fire. They both shared an excited look, Deuce’s from the story and Dylla from her son’s excitement. “Oooh.” They both said. Deuce flipped the page. The scenery changed to somewhere in the farthest reaches of the galaxy, where the asteroids that fluttered around were covered in thorns and vines. Green smoke like clouds covered the area like a blanket. A large castle shaped planet stood out from among the thorns and smoke. From afar it appeared to be made of stone and had vines wrapped around its towers.
“Malleus’s secret trove was never found, but stories have persisted that it remains hidden somewhere at the farthest reaches of the galaxy, stowed with riches beyond imagination, the loot of a thousand dreams.”
“Diasomnia.” Deuce said with the narrator, his eyes sparkling with wonder about the trove of a long gone pirate. Dylla closed the book.
“Okay.” She said, taking a tissue from the tissue box that sat on the boy’s nightstand. “Blow your nose.” Deuce took in a breath and blew his nose as hard as he could. His mom took the used tissue and threw it away in the trash after placing the book on his nightstand.
“How do you think Captain Malleus did it Mom?” Deuce asked as he climbed up the headboard of his bed. “What spell he’d used to swoop in out of nowhere.” He jumped off the headboard bouncing a little on the mattress and crawled under his blanket to the foot of the bed. “And vanished without a trace?”
“I don’t know.” Dylla said. She sat back on the bed, waiting. The boy smiled. “Come here, you.” She grabbed him from under the blanket and tickled him. Deuce giggled uncontrollably. “I’m gonna get you.” She added as she pulled his shirt up and gave him raspberry. Once Deuce stopped laughing she knew he needed to get some sleep. “Okay, now it’s time for this little spacer to get some sleep.”
As Deuce laid his head on the pillow and his mom tucked him in, she heard a squeak come from behind his pillow. “You think somebody’ll ever find Diasomnia?” He asked as she reached behind the pillow and pull out a rubber pirate toy that squeaked when it was squeezed.
“Sweetheart, I think it’s more like a legend.” She said, glancing at the toy and placing it next to the book.
“I know it’s real.”
“You win. It’s real.” She caved in once she saw the determination in his eyes. The kind of determination that only a child who believed in something wholeheartedly could have. She kissed his forehead for the goodnight kiss.
“Nighty night, Mom.” He said as his eyelids became heavy and he pulled the blanket over his shoulders.
“Nighty night sweetheart.” She stood up and walked over to the door. She gave her son a soft yet loving smile. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She slowly closed the door, leading him to sleep. Once he heard that the door was closed Deuce’s eyes flew wide open. He waited until his mom’s footsteps faded before grabbing the book from his nightstand. He crawled under the blankets and opened it. The light from the storybook made his shadow visible if Dylla caught him again. He stared at the images of pirates in complete awe.
“There are nights when the winds of Etheruim, so inviting in their promise of flight and freedom, made one’s spirit soar!”