"Once, the world was covered in water. Ships littered the shining blue of the seas and oceans that covered it. However, that was long, long ago. Now the planet is naught but a little dusty nugget in the system, nearly all the water gone from its surface. The ships that once sailed in the waters are gone.
Gone from the surface at least. As the water began to vanish, the greatest minds came together, concocting new ways for the vessels to exist.
'Instead of water,' one suggested, 'why not take to the air. The air will take far longer to run out than the water.'
Of course, this suggested was at first scoffed at. Ships flying in the air? A preposterous idea. There was no way one could get a ship made for water into the sky.
'It would require too much power, or too much magic,' one of the scientists shouted over the quarreling.
The one who suggested it-- Sir Joseph Tweednorth-- took this as a challenge. He would build a ship that could do as he proposed. Years it took him. Test after test after test, each one moving him closer to the goal he desired to achieve. Twenty years of countless experiments, designs and failures, he finally had what he had sought. A small ship that moved not through the water, but the air. Very little powered it. The power source was an orb of magic Sir Joseph had created especially for this ship. The orb could power the ship for over 100 years, depending on the size of the vessel. The engines were also rather uncomplicated at the time. It was a very simplified jet engine. Without the need for gasoline, or any other physical propellent, the magic from the orb was all that was needed to lift the ship from the ground, and hold it in the air.
When the others saw this, they were at first stunned. It had actually been done. When the shock of seeing the new ship work wore off, they all rushed to know the plans. Sir Joseph refused to give his plans out until they apologized for their earlier disregard of his proposal, and made them swear that his name would be the only one associated with the creation of this ship. Of course the others refused, too proud to ever do such a thing. For this they received nothing of how the ship was made. Instead Sir Joseph patented his plans, selling them to all the ship yards for a meager royalty fee. Though he was offered far larger sums by the other scientists, he refused it.
'It's not about the money,' he began, ' it's about making sure the world can continue on once one recourse has left us. I'm sure should the air run out, there will be another that would find a way to assure the continuation of life.'
This all happened many thousands of years ago. Today the ships are far more advanced than when they first came to be. Far more complicated than Tweednorth would have liked perhaps. The only thing that remains of his design is his name, carved into every ship and every engine of every ship. The ships are used by everyone on this desert planet, from the military, to the common people. Pirates have taken especially well to these ships. They were in fact the first to truly become skilled at understanding and working with the ships.
However, the ships are not the only oddity of this world. Here on this sandy world, there were certain persons that had a rather distinguishing trait.
Wings.
It was rare, but a few people were born with wings. This was so rare that those who had wings were given positions of power. Kings, Generals, Head Priests. Different wings came to represent different positions. Kings and queens had large golden wings. Generals had grey wings that were slightly smaller than the kings they served. Priests had white wings. Any position of power usually had someone with wings at it. And those with wings often had other abilities and traits, such as magic, or long life spans, among other things.
There was also another class that had wings. These wings were dark; the color of blood. These wings were stained by the blood that had been spilled, and that would be spilt. These people were to rule over all of those who wanted nothing to do with the law. Those who didn't want to work a plain job. Or those who just wanted something more thrilling in their lives. The scoundrels of the seas became the scoundrels of the winds, continuing on a long line of thievery and killing. These people were pirates, the masters of law-breaking.
And those winged fellows? Why, they were destined to be the King of Pirates. Men that were the best of the pirates. These men handed down their power to others that had the same wings, teaching them what they needed know to rule over all the unruly. This has gone on since nearly the beginning. Long before there was sand instead of water. There have been many who have been named the Pirate King, but none of their names are remembered. Legend says The King is just one person. Using magic to change his appearance so no one recognizes him. Well, believe what you will. All that matters is that there is a King of Pirates. Today he is seen more as a celebrity than a fiend, having worked hard to change his reputation among the people. Of course, the law still views him as nothing more than an outlaw. Even with his lightened image with the public, the law still learns of his looting and razing. They've been after him for centuries, and have even caught him a number of times. However, he always manages to free himself, and continues his thieving ways.
The newest face of the Pirate King has been around for around 300 years. On top of his looks, there is one thing different about this newest King. He lacks one wing. How did this come to be?
Well, you'd have to ask the traitorous first mate that took it off him. This all happened on a rare stormy night. Perhaps this was destined to happen, since most events like this tend to have a clichéd beginning. The Pirate King had gone to bed earlier than the rest of the crew, having begun to feel ill. Only when he was attacked by the first mate and other he had recruited did he realize he was poisoned. But for now he was in his bed, doubled over from the pain that tore through his abdomen. Upon hearing a knock, he simply did not answer. When the knocking continued, he groaned for them to come in. Seeing that it was his first mate, he relaxed slightly, asking the man to retrieve him a glass of water. However, the first mate didn't move. The captain sat up, sweat soaking his clothes. He again asked the man to get him something to drink. This time the first mate moved, but not towards the door. It was towards the captain. Weakened from the pain of the poison, he didn't have the time to react as the other lunged towards him, golden eyes catching a glint of silver in his hands. That glint of silver buried itself into the King's side. Again and again the blade sunk into the King's flesh. After seven stabs the first mate shoved the bleeding captain on to the floor, his fingers curling around one of the wings that made the captain King of the Pirates. He slowly cut at the wing, twisting this way and that.
There's a time after that that gets rather hazy, but eventually those who had not turned against the king tossed the traitors over board. Who would have guessed that traitor of a first mate would have survived such a fall. Oh, he didn't come out of it unscathed of course, but he survived. As did the King, though he was now missing one wing. The first mate still wanted to take over the rank of Pirate King, so he formed his own crew, trying to build a force to go against the King."
Ten years after the incident, and the King is also gathering new souls. Today he sits at a small dock behind a rickety table, staring blankly at the line of people that wish to be on his famed ships. Behind him stands the only one he would ever consider truly loyal; his cabin boy. The young man had taken over the position of the first mate, and is the King's right hand man. The cabin boy holds in his arms a mass of papers, and a pen tucked behind his ear. The King on the other hand has a bright orange megaphone settled atop his head, and resting daintily on the bridge of his nose a petite set of glasses. The air about the King is that of constrained boredom, and the expression send the message that he is all but ready to finish up this laborious process.
So wait in line, and see if you are able to join the legendary King's crew.
Kait Yslanaa Community Member 
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