Burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp.
A loud burp filled the air of the wooden porch, the lousy hammock trembling slightly with its force. The owner? A woman that could be way too beautiful if she cared about it.
Anne Ashford was tall enough to look intimidating when standing on a barrel, and short enough to complain about it. Her messy, wavy dark brown hair could be stunning if she ever bothered to brush it. She was lean but don't let appearance deceive you, she was strong, thanks to genetics and an active pirate childhood, which she happily forgot about.
"Ah, that's life!"
She muttered, taking another sip of the strong root beer she loved. Another perfect day. Another lazy afternoon dozing and drinking on the porch, basking in the warm sea breeze. Until a vast and deep shadow was casted over her sun-kissed skin. A storm was brewing? Really? It had been going so well.
"Anne, get up."
Way too lazily, she tilted to look at the one responsible for stealing her sunlight: her father. A powerful and retired pirate, stood up tall by the side of the hammock, his arms crossed.
She yawned. "Later, father."
His thick eyebrows twitched and with a flick of his fingers, Anne's world flipped. One moment she was laying on the hammock, one the next she was sprawled on the hard wooden door of the porch.
She was able to save her mug of beer though! Priorities.
"You're twenty-seven!" Her mother yelled from the door. "Twenty-seven, Anne! When I was your age, I'd raided six merchant fleets, stolen a governor's wig, and was wanted in three kingdoms!"
"Way too go, Mother. Impressive." Anne smiled, giving a thumbs up from the ground.
Her father rubbed his temples. "Enough Anne. Me and your mother decided that it is time for you to leave."
"What?" She got up way too easily for someone that didn't exercise at all. "To where?"
"Anywhere but here." Her mother snapped, throwing a black satchel at her. "You're wasting your life… and ours! So you are officially kicked out!"
Her golden-hazel eyes were looking at them in disbelief. Why? What has she done? Maybe stealing her fathers precious mead was a bit too much?
"Oh, come on, I apologize for stealing your mead father, I won't do it again…"
"Wait, what did you do?" Her father growled, but with a look of his wife he coughed and got back on track. "Forget it." With a heavy sigh, he reached out his hand and a little cage appeared on it. Inside? A rat! It was small, scruffy, with one thorn ear and the expression of someone who hadn't seen the sun for ages.
"This is your inheritance."
Anne blinked… "A rat?"
"A very special rat." Her mother said, starting to get back inside. "Take care of it."
The rat sniffed. Anne sniffed back. "Can I eat it if things get rough?"
"NO!"
"SQUEAK!"
Father and rat protested together.
Then, before his lazy ass child could say anything else that would bring her misfortune, he dumped the cage on her and pointed at a rowboat on the shore. "Go."
Anne was still in disbelief. "What do you expect for me to do with some supplies, a rat and a rowboat? Are you trying to kill me?"
"Just row, the little fella will help you once you are at the sea." With a shrug, he turned back, leaving some last words before closing the door of the house. "Goodbye, Anne. And don't come back unless you are bringing our grandson to meet us!"
"ON YOUR DREAMS!"
Really, what were they thinking? While she dragged herself on the sand, she couldn't stop thinking about what just happened. Was this a prank? Did they want a free night pass?
The rat twitched its whiskers as she plopped herself into the boat. "Ah, so heavy." Complaining, she paddled away. In her mind, once she got to the ocean her father would come back laughing at her for being stupid, telling he was just making her exercise.
So, she rowed.
And rowed.
Thirty minutes in, the boat rocked gently, the salt air sticking to her skin.
"Alright, buddy. Guess it's you and me." She muttered, reaching a finger into the cage. "Aren't you supposed to help me out, huh?"
He bit!
Blood flowed.
"You little piece of shit! That's it. I'm serving rat skewers for dinner. You…." She would have insulted more, but…
[ARTIFACT DISCOVERED]
[ROGUE'S EMBRACE HAS BEEN BOUND]
No.
[SYSTEM ACTIVATING…]
Oh, no.
[Welcome, Captain! Your journey begins!]
She groaned. "Oh, for the love of…"