Chapter Text
The open sea was chaotic, the waves, the wind, and the salty air that irritated your nose. The open sea was freedom, a freedom that cannot be compared to anything else. The salt air filled their lungs refreshingly... they had missed the salt air and the singing of the seagulls.
Although they had to stay in the port of the city where they landed in order to maintain their ship for a couple of days, those four days were enough to make him desperate and anxious. It was rare for the Clementine to moor at docks, being only when the crew needed supplies and maintenance for the captain's precious ship.
"Secure the moorings!" the Captain exclaimed at the top of his lungs with a smile on his face. He watched everything from the stern of the ship, both hands on the tiller, holding the course. The waves were wild, rocking in the wind. The sun was high overhead, and the sky was clear...it was the perfect day for plundering. "How about an act of charity for the merchants?!". The proposal was accepted with shouts of excitement. His crew worked with smiles on their faces, enjoying the sea like their Captain.
Assembling the current crew of the Clementine was not easy, most had families to return to and few had that true spirit of aimless adventure... but thankfully, his crew was the fiercest and most daring on the continent's seas. Men and women willing to plunder, to sail for months and even years, willing to kill without remorse... they could be classified as savages but that would be very polite of others. They were one big family, and as the years went by, they all became closer, like brothers and sisters. Many of them were orphans on the docks, they were people without family... and they were grateful to their Captain, for giving them a family. All because of Captain Theseus. Captain of the Clementine, Marauder of the Seas, and Rescuer of the Lost.
"Captain! The moorings are set and the topsails are ready to be dropped!" one of the crewmen reported. The Captain smiled in response.
"Then full speed ahead, we have ships to plunder!". He got a cheer in response. Shouts of joy echoed throughout the length of the ship as the sails were pushed hard by the wind, making them accelerate with vigor. Water drenched the deck, filling everyone with life as they were bathed by the salty seawater. And once they were far enough from the shore and entered the full open sea, they slowed down.
A black-haired, blood-eyed boy was running barefoot on the ship, being greeted with smiles from the crew. His clothes were gray, white, and red like those of his father. On his head was a red bandana decorated with gold beads and feathers, his smile revealed his fangs, and his face was decorated with freckles. "Papa!" he shouted excitedly, "Papa, dolphins!". The Captain smiled as he lifted the boy.
"Dolphins ahoy!" the Captain shouted, causing the crew to run to the side of the ship to appreciate and admire the creatures.
The water was crystal clear, the reefs teeming with life, and sailing in those waters was a blessing. "Go with the others, Shroud." The boy almost jumped out of his arms if it weren't for the fact that he had a tight grip on him, that bastard was slippery but he still loved him with all his being. Theseus looked at the compass in his hands. Not that cheap piece of metal that at some point in his past a ghost gave him, no, no, no, no, that was a piece of art. Black metal and gold accents, it was a gift from one of the many kings he served as a bounty hunter and treasure hunter.
Theseus had a past, one full of pain, wars, and abandonment... but that was there, in the past. He was no longer Tommy Innit, son of Philza... now he was Theseus, Captain of the Clementine and plunderer of the seas. That person had been forgotten, now he was a truer version of himself.
He could still remember it as if it were yesterday, the day he escaped from his exile with the purpose of never returning to those lands called SMP. Those lands were cursed, inhabited by evil gods and out-of-control entities... among all his destinations and knowledge of the sea, that place was the most avoided of all. No one stayed more than a week in the ports of SMP or L'manburg, even the people born there wished to leave. But those were rumors he had heard years ago, he could only confirm the fact that those lands were cursed with suffering. His crew knew his hatred for those lands but not why he hated them, they only knew to avoid stopping in those ports.
The compass pointed north; his intention was to go east. He had heard that there were islands full of shipwrecks that no one dared to explore. He secured the rudder with ropes to hold the course, and went below to the main deck, drawing the crew's attention. "Okay, we'll head east. In the harbor, I hear there's an abundant amount of unplundered wrecks... no bastard can last more than two months on the open sea apparently." They all laughed at that, they called themselves sailors, captains, and so on but the bastards couldn't spend more than two months on a ship without getting sick or missing their families.
Connections make people weak .
Someone he didn't want to remember had taught him that. "For now, we are on course, I know those days on dry land uncalibrated your internal compasses so..." and with one of his hands, he pushed one of the crewmen into the water, making the others laugh and enjoy. Theseus joined in the laughter and soon they were all swimming alongside the ship. They could have dropped anchor in the water, but those bastards refused to do so and preferred to compete to see who was the fastest swimmer, and of course, no one challenged the Captain.
Shroud moved to the other side of the deck so he could run and jump into the water, soaking his clothes and worrying his father that he might get sick - although that boy never got sick. The atmosphere relaxed, a couple of men with the help of the women picked up the heavy ropes to store them. Others were mending their clothes, and the rest were on alert on land or resting in one of the holds where hammocks hung where the crew slept. Shroud spent his days in the crow's nest, and his father, the Captain, plotted routes in his cabin.
Maps were scattered on the table, pens, and ink were at hand. One of the things he loved about sailing was plotting new routes for navigation and discovering new lands... he loved that. The cawing of a crow distracted him, the bird with black plumage and light harnesses of fine golden chains was there, staring at him. He remembered how that bird stood there. Tommy disliked crows, birds that reminded him of his father. Philza raised crows, or well, rather the crows invaded the chicken coop and made their own home. Those birds seemed to look into his soul and his father seemed to communicate with a masterful talent with them. But he learned to love them once again thanks to his adopted son, Shroud.
The boy had found the injured bird on one of the docks, Tommy refused at first but the mere fact of making his son sad caused him to change his mind. Shroud nursed and fed the bird, and the bird stayed with them, accompanying them on each of their journeys. The women in the crew decided it would be a good idea to decorate the crow with fine gold chains, after all, they were rich in a way. So, it was done. Some feathers were left as ornaments on Tommy's hat, among the sockets and decoration on Shroud's bandana, and others among the braids of the women and men under Tommy's command.
People everywhere knew how to recognize the Clementine and his crew. They all wore crow feathers, the Captain instead of a monkey or parrot was accompanied by the black-feathered bird and they all wore gold without fear of being robbed. If we are honest, no one dared to steal the Clementine or even mess with the people who inhabited it. Each and every one of them were excellent swordsman and warriors, almost elite soldiers.
One thing Tommy loved about his naval family was that everything was balanced so to speak. The men wore braids and beads in their hair just like him, and the women were muscular wearing men's clothes. Anyone would say that everyone on that ship was crazy, but the truth was that they were free, with no ties or connections beyond the people who sailed alongside them on the same ship.
They were free, and they could do as they pleased.
A light tap on the door caught his attention, and through the door peeked his son's dark hair. "Papa, what are you doing?" He asked as he approached the table, being seated on Tommy's lap.
"I'm drawing maps and plotting routes, are you interested in learning?" Shroud nodded, paying close attention to his father. "We use maps to guide us, and along with maps we use compasses. We guide ourselves with maps that other people created and we create more maps, it's what many call cartography." The little boy's red eyes bore into his icy blue ones.
"Cartography?" Tommy nodded.
"When you're older, I'll teach you to draw your own maps." The younger boy celebrated the teaching promise and proceeded to lie down on Tommy's bed.
He couldn't deny that those red eyes reminded him of Technoblade. Sometimes he wondered how everyone was doing, but those mental questions were vague since they were not of the slightest importance.
He got up from his chair and covered his son with thin sheets so he wouldn't get cold. He extinguished most of the candles and fixed his ice-blue gaze on the black-feathered bird, "You'd better watch him, you winged rat." The bird squawked in response, sometimes he hated being able to communicate with the bird. He left the cabin to approach the main deck, he could smell the food being prepared.
He looked out at sea, which stretched even further out where the human eye cannot see - though he was not fully human. He had missed that, sailing and getting lost in the ocean. He knew every constellation, every star. He could travel without a compass and reach his destination without a problem. He was one of the best captains or pirates in existence today, even though he had not been sailing for many years.
Seven years ago, Tommy escaped from exile.
Seven years ago, Tommy tasted the true flavor of freedom.
He faked his death. He lit all of Logstedshire on fire and fled in a boat without looking back. He didn't care what Tubbo felt, he didn't care if they were looking for him, he was free now and he wouldn't let anyone take him away.
He studied navigation, memorized constellations, and with effort, he obtained the Clementine. He assembled a crew and began to sail aimlessly. All seven years ago, seven long years ago that felt like three weeks. And in those seven years, he changed dramatically.
His eyes were more electric than before. His hair was no longer golden like strands of gold, it was now almost white due to intense sun exposure and his skin was tanned by the sun. His sword and bow skills were immaculate, and he had recently begun practicing with what he called a pistol - a creation of his own.
His appearance was completely changed, unrecognizable if he set foot in the lands of L'manburg. His hair was long, brushing his shoulders, and parts of it were braided and decorated with beads and adornments -all thanks to Shroud, who often plays with his father's hair- even his ears were pierced and adorned with jewelry. His clothes were iconic; red, white, and gray fabrics. Loose shirt and pants made of cool fabric, leather boots, and a hat with gold details and raven feathers.
He was no longer that reckless child soldier that everyone hated, the kid who was always being affected or manipulated by who he thought were his friends. No, now Tommy was an adult... if he returned to the SMP, many would fear him. He killed for fun, he had no remorse for those actions that once terrified him at the thought of it. He was wild and uncontrollable. This was him, a free and true person. Now he was Theseus, one of the most feared captains of the seas of the continent, father of the next captain of the Clementine, plunderer of the seas, and rescuer of the lost. That was him, that was his true self. He had healed, he had overcome, he had grown and matured.
Tommy Innit was dead, now only Theseus existed. The great and famous Theseus, master of the seas.