Chapter Text
A streak of light split the purple and gray clouds that covered the star speckled night sky apart as rain pelted down in sheets and the wind shook shudders on their hinges. For just a few seconds the figure of a hooded young man could be seen clutching two bags close to his chest before the loud clash of thunder chased the light away. Heeled black leather shoes silently made their way down muddy dirt roads until at long last the stranger found himself walking down a dock filled with all kinds of ships tied down by aged ropes but he didn't bother to even look at any of them. Instead he kept his eyes focused on the singular lantern being held by the tall figure of a man standing at the end of a ramp that lead up onto the deck of the ship he had had commissioned for himself and the crew he had hired just about a week ago.
"Oh thank the void you made it captain I was starting to worry you weren't going to make it. Pearl has made sure we have enough rations to last us the whole trip over to the caribbean islands and I've already made sure this beauty's in tip top shape to sail." The mustached male spoke as he quickly looked around making sure no one saw them as they hurriedly boarded the ruby colored sloop as she rocked and swayed with the wind and sea. From the corner of his dark black eyes he watched as four more crew members pulled the ramp he had just been walking on up onto his ship and for once in his twenty nine years of living he, Grian Watcher ,The Duke of Sahara, felt truly alive.
The storm would pass before the first rays of light could even wake his sleeping wife and while he felt bad for leaving Stress alone to take care of everything he simply couldn't stay any longer. He had grown tired of the same old thing every day and while he loved his wife deep down he knew this wasn't the life he wanted. His life had become a cage of his own making and for once he was finally taking charge and doing what he had always wanted to do. He was breaking free from his families gaze and forming his own path. From the moment he was born his life had been planned out heck he didn't even get to choose his wife for crying out loud but no more will he let his family keep him down. He was going to spread his wings and fly far away.
He had always dreamed of a life full of adventure as a young lad and as he stood on the slippery deck of his very own ship clutching onto the arm of his first mate as rain pelted down on them and lightning lit up the night sky Grian let himself laugh out loud without a care. He was free. He was finally taking matters into his own hands and living. He wasn't going to let his life pass him by and so as the storm started to drift away from the shores of his hometown Grian turn to look at the pale man at his side and made his first order as captain of The Crimson Keep, "Cut the ropes and set sail for the Caribbean! Adventure waits for no man!" And just like that the ropes tying him down were cut and he was sailing away into the unknown.