Director's note: As we begin our journey with Thomas and Nadine, note that episode 1 is purposely PG-13 and focused on world building. This allows us to introduce the characters in a meaningful way, while still being safe for public censors. Thank you readers!
Chapter One
Thomas walked alongside the creaking docks of the Warrens, a soft seabreeze running through his hair. He knew he had to choose the right crew to join, but his choices were limited. The ships closest to the harbor were well acquainted with his family, suppliers of the goods that kept the Goldhairs' illicit services well stocked.
His brown hair would cover his true identity for a time, but with any true interrogation, they would all too quickly know it was him. With word sent back to his father, his plan would unravel before it ever truly began. He would be forced back into a life of unnoticed servitude, or even worse, sentenced to his early grave by a father who disdained his existence.
Luckily for Thomas, having spent years repackaging smuggled goods for his family, he could tell from sigil and style who his family's best clients were. All the closest ships were off the table, but further down the docks, the less established crews might give him an opportunity.
His toes pressed lightly against his boot, where the Moon Gem radiated its strange warmth. Nadine's eyes had lingered on it the night before, full of knowing intensity, her hand grasping his in awe. Any knowledge of the Moon Gem would put his life in peril, but for now, it was their secret. A great fortune of death, gold and magic lay in his right boot.
"Thomas?" a curious voice called.
A dockhand named Clyde had noticed him. Thomas froze before turning. Clyde had always been kind though never the brightest. Clyde was the perfect fall man and therefore often spent his afternoons in the Goldhair warehouse unloading whatever goods would need repackaging by Thomas that evening.
"What are you doing down here?" Clyde pressed, wiping his hands on a salt-stained apron.
Thomas forced a small laugh. "Um, looking for new business. Up and coming crews needing our services."
Clyde frowned. "But your brother always does that."
"He's away this week!" His reply came too quick, and Clyde's confusion deepened.
"You sure? Thought I saw him just this morning with the quartermasters."
Thomas's stomach tightened. His boot ached as the hidden gem pressed harder against his foot, almost as if reminding him what was at stake. He stepped closer to Clyde, forcing a firmer tone. "Clyde, please. I don't have time to explain the trivial, I must go on."
He left before the dockhand could respond, refusing to look back. Thomas could feel Clyde's puzzled stare but distance meant safety.
Further down the pier, the chaos of Brinemarch's unproven crews spilled over the planks. One captain barked at his men with a strange mix of encouragement and insult. "That's right, you dog-hearted bastards! Lift with your back not your arms! Faster lasses! Oh no, wait, stop!" His crew exchanged glances, more confused than driven. Thomas chuckled under his breath. Early mutiny would be no better than returning to his family.
At the next berth, a recruiter leaned over the railing of a weather-worn sloop, bottle in hand. "Boy! You look sharp-eyed. We need hands. Pay in coin and powder. The first voyage leaves by dusk."
Thomas hesitated, then shook his head. "I'm already committed."
"Committed? Unlikely boy, I know green when I see it." the man sneered.
Other crews were worse: gaunt men shuffling with empty barrels, ships with torn sails and no supplies, captains with eyes too perceptive and smiles too thin. No secret would be safe with those crews. Not his identity, and absolutely not the Moon Gem.
A cutpurse brushed against him, hand grazing his side. Instinctively Thomas pressed his foot harder to the planks, the stone beneath burning hot as if alive. For a heartbeat he imagined the thief had felt it too. Imagined quick hands reaching for his ankle, a knife, blood spilling red across the pier. But today, Thomas was not the target.
The air shifted to something sweeter. The smell of rose petals and lavender cut through the sea wind. A courtesan brushed past him, hips swaying like waves at high tide, several pursuers trailing in her wake. She was striking, tall, and with hair dark against her maroon dress. Thomas couldn't help but smile.
No woman like her came cheap. The crew must have scored a large prize, and in doing so likely lost men who would need replacing. It was not just her beauty that stirred him however, but the comforting reminder of Nadine. Her sway, her sharp eyes, the way her presence could silence a room. For a moment Thomas could almost smell her perfume, her scent.
As he moved to follow, a brute nearly bowled him over. Thomas staggered, ready to protest, but stopped when he saw the man's attention fixed elsewhere. An equally stunning woman had his full focus, his rough hand closing greedily over her backside as he laughed.
The women's presence drew men like flies. A crowd gathered at the gangplank, desperate for work, eager to claim coin and pleasure. Thomas hurried down the dock, his pulse racing. Battle-tested crew, fresh off a score, unknown to his family. THIS was his way out.
At the bridge of the ship, women, goods, and drunk pirates spilled across the deck. The brigantine itself was not overly imposing, but its modified design carried an efficiency Thomas could not ignore. Sleek lines, narrow beam, sails trimmed for speed. Unlike the bold decorations of many merchant or warships, the Silent Tide was coated in a dark grey, almost midnight blue pitch. In the water it looked like a shadow, like a shark gliding in an undercurrent. Its prey might never see it until it was too late. Its figurehead was that of a heartcage maiden. Carved from black walnut, she rose unclothed in a way that was neither erotic nor ashamed. At her chest an ironcage filled her cavity with a soft red glow. There was something unsettling about her presence, an untapped power that felt ancient and dangerous.
A strapping redheaded man stood over the operation, tallying every crate and body with a practiced hand. Beside him, a woman of equal size gestured toward the crowd on the dock. Her strength was undeniable, but her smile was just as eye-catching. Her two long braids made even her hair look strong. She was a woman who could command with crushing passion and tantalizing comfort. He reckoned she was the most unapologetically existing woman he had seen. His pulse quickened at her power and grace.
The redheaded man, who Thomas guessed was the ship's quartermaster came over, called out. "Yes, yes. I need eight good men. Do I have any fighters?"
Thomas kept his hand down. His boyish face would not convince anyone. The quartermaster studied the crowd, then picked three men. Shorter than him, but broad and muscled, their confidence was evident.
"What about sailors?"
A knot tightened in Thomas's gut. He had never stepped foot on a boat before. Doubt crept in. Under the glowing light of the Moon Gem, Nadine's words had made sense, but here in the harsh sun, reality felt heavier. He remembered the way her eyes had lingered on him when she whispered that he was meant for more. Under her gaze he could almost believe it, but the quartermaster's silence made him feel small again. Three more men climbed aboard.
"Lastly, I need eyes."
A man with thick glasses raised his hand. The crowd laughed, and the quartermaster smirked. "I meant eyes that work, grandpa."
Thomas raised his hand high, heart pounding, but the quartermaster chose two others.
"That is all for today, men. Thank you."
The crowd groaned, some cursing, others slinking back into the Warrens. Thomas stood frozen. Rejected. Perhaps his family's wealth had softened him more than he ever realized but he had never considered being turned away. He watched as the last of the supplies were hauled aboard. The gangplank rattled. Then heat surged in his boot. The Moon Gem pulsed against his skin, warmer with every passing second.
"Wait!" His voice cracked across the dock. "I need on!"
Two hands caught him, one on his shoulder, one pressing his chest. "Hold on, friend. We're full."
Thomas fumbled into his pocket, dragging out a pouch of coin Nadine had pressed on him the night before. "Please, I can pay!"
The sailor chuckled, shoving him back gently. "We're pirates, not a charter. Besides, why would you want to be on the open sea?"
The sailor climbed aboard. The plank lifted. Ropes were drawn. That was it. Thomas's escape slid away, mooring itself in the harbor beyond peering eyes for what promised to be a night of debauchery.
Chapter Two
By nightfall Thomas drifted through Brinemarch in a stupor. The dark alley gave way to a blisshouse. The Velvet Current's maroon lanterns glowed against the cobbles, perfumed smoke curling from its open windows. Topless women laughed at crude jokes, pressuring drunk men to be drunker. The smell of lust and sin mixed with perfume and smoke. Tonight, however, Thomas couldn't muster a half agreeable smile as he pushed through the crowd. He climbed the narrow stairwell, heart heavy, and pushed open Nadine's door.
The sound of wood-striking-wood came from inside. A crack in the door frame revealed Nadine's shocked, breathless face. Her patron continued his pillaging, either unaware or unbothered by Thomas' intrusion.
Thomas's chest tightened. Heat rose in his face. He knew she was a courtesan and he also knew they were not exclusive. Still, jealousy lanced through him like a blade. He pulled away, retreating down the hall, his own shame twisting in his stomach.
The night air was damp when he reached the street. He was half swallowed by shadow when Nadine's voice cut through. "Thomas!"
He stopped. She rushed from the doorway, dress pulled hastily around her, hair tumbling across her shoulders. He caught her in his arms, breathless. Even disheveled she was striking, the lantern light turning her skin golden. The green of her eyes pulling him in. "I'm sorry. I thought you were already gone." Her voice held truth, but also practicality.
Thomas's reply was thin. "They didn't take me."Moon Gem
Nadine's face hardened. "You can't take no for an answer. Someone is going to come looking for it, and your only safety is the open ocean. Are they still docked?"
Thomas shook his head. "No. They're in the harbor now."
She held his gaze for a long moment, then nodded. She mulled over a thought. "I have an idea. Come with me."
They slipped into a narrow alley where a shallow canal trickled along broken cobbles. Nadine took his hand and led him to a dinghy tied beneath the overhang.
"It was supposed to be for me, if I needed to get away," she explained. "But we can't let this chance slip. You hold literal magic in your pocket, do whatever it takes to leave while you still can!"
Thomas's throat tightened. He pulled her close, kissing her, a final reprieve before the water claimed him. Her lush lips were always a welcomed touch and the calm in chaos. The world seemed to still whenever she kissed him, as if fate itself waited on their choice.
He stepped back, staring at the dark current. "Thank you, Nadine. For everything."
She steadied the dinghy as he climbed in. "This is your destiny, Thomas. Our destiny. Return to me successful." Her eyes showed a glint of hesitation, of vulnerability.
She shoved the boat free.
The current tugged immediately, pushing him toward the open harbor. The stench of fish and rot filled his lungs and the oars felt foreign in his hands. One poor angle risked tilting him into the black water.
Her words echoed in his head. Were they business partners, or something more? Their partnership had proved profitable. He had always assumed their romance was one of practicality, but leaving her now felt different. Did she also feel this yearn? He had no time to know. His future waited, its lanterns glowing faintly in the distance.
He adjusted the Moon Gem deeper into his boot, tightening it against his toes. It burned, alive, as if urging him on. He rowed haphazardly but with purpose.
"Thomas the shunned" would become "Thomas the pirate", or he would die trying.
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