Five years ago Dandelion Everett, as he was known by most before his rise to infamy as Captain of the Carrion Maker, came to the Bechman household to pay a call on Julius.

  The eighteen year old was not welcomed by Maximus nor Kelly, for they knew of the boy’s deceitful nature and his womanising tendencies towards girls. Kelly had expressed many times to her husband that Elissa was to be kept out of sight when Dandelion came calling. A notion he strongly agreed with. But they could not stop Julius from meeting his best friend.

  Years earlier, Julius struck up a friendship with Dandelion whilst staying at the same orphanage in New Malta Market. They, and most of the newly arrived children that day, were all victims of the same tragedy that took their parents’ lives.

  A fire had broken out on a fishing ship. One of the largest in all of the Millennia Trade Company’s fleets. Its daily hauls of fish from the oceans below would feed the hundreds in the capital. And now that resource was threatened. The fire broke out in the hold and spread quickly due an oil spill from barrels dangerously left in the hold.

  Crews rushed to save the ship from immolation. Julius’ parents, Darius and Julia, with Dandelion’s own parents, Mark and Tessa, were amongst the first to arrive. And the first to die. The explosion was great, hot and instant.

  It seemed that there were still powder magazines and barrels aboard for the ship’s four cannons.

  The explosion obliterated the ship and two others moored next to it and ended the lives of 23 good sailors.

  That shared grief united the two orphans and they proclaimed themselves as blood-brothers from then on. Dandelion did not speak much of his father or mother.

  A few days afterwards, Julius was collected by his uncle and was brought safely home. Dandelion remained at the orphanage. But the pair never lost contact.

  Call it loyalty or care or love or even obsession, but Dandelion never left Julius alone for more than few days. Whether it’d be for a simple excuse such as buying savage for mechanic repairs, volunteering to help on the wind turbine system Maximus had conjured or even happening on the farm by engineered chance, Dandelion craved Julius’ company and the adoration Julius had for him. It was a need Dandelion desired. Julius, young and naive as he was, was blind to the dependency that Dandelion expressed.

  As they grew up to teenagers, Dandelion began investing his days with the lesser peoples of the sky. He had been caught as a cutpurse and was stockaded for a full day in the cold as punishment. After that, he had snatched a wallet from the very same policeman who had snatched him.

  He was thrown out of a tavern for starting a bar fight with a group of Russian builders for apparently cheating him at cards. But it was he who had chased them.

  He stole parts from mech-heads and supplies from merchants, only to sell them back to his victims later on at a higher price.

  He lied and cajoled his way to acquiring a small longboat to sail around the various outposts that dotted around the Market.

  All of these scams, they were just ways for him gain money as fast as possible.

  And Julius was a willing participant to Dandelion’s schemes. For there was an undeniable charm that Dandelion utilised every chance he could. With his mother’s charm and the good looks he had inherited from his father, Dandelion succeeded far more than he failed.

  After all, Julius had grown bored with his life at the farm. He wanted to do more with his life. He wanted the freedom that the pirates experienced. He had very few books about the pirates from the Old-Time Era who marked their place in history. What did they do to get such fame? What could he do to get that immortality? And what was he doing now?

  All his hours were spent fixing machines, building pieces for the silos, helping his aunt with the upkeep of the house… All the while, his cousins were soaring across the world with their prospective goals to achieve. Augustus was studying in the capital and Elissa was reading about warships. Julius could not help but feel left behind by them and held back by his protective uncle. But he also understood that. Maximus was deeply pained by the passing of his brother. He had loved Darius was such a deep care that the very act of looking at Julius - who looked near identical to his brother - caused Maximus’ heart to tremble. So both he and Kelly resolved to protect their boy from the dangers of the world.

  But irony abounds. The more they held him back to be safe, the more he pulled to be free.

  Dandelion did not hold him back. He encouraged Julius to sneak out as often as he could afford, so he and Dandelion could engage in yet another adventure in New Malta.

  He even helped Julius lose his virginity at a high-end brothel in New Malta during his nineteenth birthday. Dandelion was just that type of reveller, vivacious and lustful for life and women.

  Julius had to admit it. He loved Dandelion like a true brother with feelings deeper than he had for his own family.

  And the only people the charm and looks failed against was Maximus and Kelly.

  The nineteen year old Julius came to the door and embraced his blood-brother and welcomed him into the home.

  Maximus and Kelly were cooly seated at the dining table as Dandelion explained that he had signed up with a crew to explore the Pacific Skies. A freelance crew to be exact.

  Maximus knew exactly what type of ‘freelance crew’ Dandelion had joined. A pirate crew.

  When he called Dandelion out on it, the boy denied the accusation and stated vehemently that they were an exploratory group badly named as pirates by the oppressive MTC who wanted to pressgang the ship and her crew into their service.

  Julius had listened and nodded eagerly, agreeing with Dandelion’s statements. It made sense.

  Maximus held up a hand and asked Dandelion what he meant by exploring.

  Dandelion worded it as ‘monetary opportunities’.

  ‘Stealing’ was what Maximus replied back with. He then stood up and firmly asked Dandelion to leave and never return. They had been patiently waiting for him to see the light and pursue as worthy goal in life. To be like Julius or one of their children and work for a living. But this was too far, They would not be associated with piracy.

  Dandelion sniffed the air, stood up, thanked them for their time and left.

  Julius rushed after his friend, despite his uncle and aunt’s protests. Outside the pair stood in the darkening evening with the sun setting, painting the sky in a swath of orange and red. Dandelion was angry. Angry that he was called a liar. Angry of being rejected and thrown out.

  Julius apologised to him for his uncle’s words, making the excuse that he was just being protective of them both.

  Dandelion snapped back at him, that Maximus was just too scared to go out and take the wealth for himself.

  Taken aback by his friend’s sudden venom, he asked if Dandelion really was with a pirate crew.

  Dandelion nodded slowly and confirmed that he was. He looked at Julius for his reaction.

  Julius was shocked. But then he grew excited. He began to ask Dandelion everything about the ship, the crew, the weapons and the cannons.

  Dandelion beamed at his friend’s excitement, relieved that he would not be judged, and began to tell grand takes about the adventures of the Carrion Maker, as it was called, had embarked on.

  The skirmishes with the Venezia Republic Fleet.

  The pirate race with a rival ship during a hurricane that nearly sent the ship careening into Mount Everest.

  Or when they saw an actual skysnake in the wild and how it nearly attacked the ship.

  All of these he had heard but not been a part of, which killed Dandelion. He told Julius that this was the opportunity he was waiting for.

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  No longer would he have to outrun the law for making an honest Peso here and there.

  No longer would he have to watch as rich fat men and women swanned about on extravagant ships, lording it over the lower class.

  He would finally fly away and never again return to all he disliked.

  Expect for one.

  He then turned to Julius and asked him, that fateful night, if he’d would like to come with him.

  Dandelion asked that and said nothing else. He stood and waited for a reply.

  Julius stared at his friend, mouth open. He had no idea that this would happen. That his friend would offer him such a choice before him. Join a pirate crew. Him? A pirate? The idea of that should have scared him. But just as Dandelion had said, this was something he had been waiting for. For a long time. A break of the monotony he had allowed himself to accept.

  Julius looked back to his house and asked Dandelion to wait. Dandelion nodded and walked back to his longboat that rested on the Bechmans’ pier.

  Julius returned to the diving room whee his uncle and aunt was in discussion. Aunt Kelly had stood up and explained that Julius could not keep in contact with Dandelion. That he was a bad influence on Julius and she feared something truly terrible would happened should Dandelion remain a part of Julius’ life.

  Julius was shocked by his aunt’s request. He defended his friend, explaining that Dandelion had a tough life where no one gave him a break.

  That was when Maximus spoke out. He asked if anyone should be given a break. And if that were the case, what would the point be for success? It be hollow, gained with no effort. Maximus used himself and friends of his in New Malta as examples of men and women who built their lives from nothing. And people like Dandelion would only follow the easy route.

  Julius disagreed, stating that Dandelion was taking the initiative.

  Maximus retorted that Dandelion only cares about taking money, not initiative. Then he followed up that he would be taking Julius with him to the capital to work with his cousin Augustus in the very restaurant that he would be set to run once his mentor retired.

  Julius stared at his uncle and asked if he really care that little for him.

  Maximus stared back and asked the boy to repeat himself.

  Julius then launched into an impassioned rant. He wanted to explore the world. To fly. To engage in fights and duels and battles and adventures. Dandelion is his best friend. Not only because he is kind to him and cares for him, but also because he brings excitement into his life. And not this place, that had grown dull and old to him. He wanted to leave and pursue his new vocation.

  Maximus asked if that vocation meant being a pirate.

  Julius then snapped back at him that being a pirate was better than being some poor farmer.

  Julius had shut his mouth, instantly regretting the words he had said.

  He saw his aunt Kelly. She was standing, hand over her mouth and shock in her eyes.

  His uncle Maximus was worse. He was silent and a little pale. His eyes screamed of hurt and disappointment. But that emotion was soon glazed over by a stubborn anger.

  He then spoke softly, using that tone he reserved for his deathly serious words.

  Julius was to choose Dandelion or his family.

  If Julius stayed with them, he would cut out Dandelion from his lives forever.

  If Julius left with Dandelion, he would be disowned from the family and never return.

  Julius stared at his uncle, who stood there arms crossed. Kelly watched in horror at this sudden development, tears forming in her eyes.

  Julius felt his chest heave with pain until he snarled and shouted at his uncle that he hated him and wished his parents were still alive so that he would never have stayed in this dusty place in the first place.

  With that final sting, he turned and ran. Out the door and across the platform. Towards a waiting Dandelion sitting on his longboat thaw as already slowly lifting away from the pier.

  Dandelion grinned and offered his hand.

  Julius sprinted and leapt aboard.

  Behind, Julius heard his aunt screaming his name. But he chose to ignore it.

  Dandelion gunned the boat and the pair sped away into the evening’s vermillion horizon.

  Life abroad the Carrion Maker was different to how Julius had envisioned it.

  It was supposed to be excitement and terror each and every day.

  It was, in fact, quite a hectic, but safe life abroad the frigate vessel.

  Chores were plenty such as prepping the foods in the galley for the crew. Running up and down the windsails to make sure they did not get torn off by any rogue winds that swept the sides of the ship. Scrubbing the main deck off all the grim and sweat and dirt that accumulated from the treading feet of her passengers.

  There wasn’t much in ship hunting as in scavenging. Sometimes, ships would fall from lack of power from Tesla stones or faulty machinery. The Carrion Maker would track down these lost relics or abandoned ships stuck on the sides of mountains in the high peaks of the Asiatic Wasteland. Plenty of loot could be found and plenty of tools and machine parts (which were fare more valuable than loot in the right hands).

  The crew were brash, rude and foulmouthed. Just like how pirates would be. Julius, who had grown up in pleasant or plain company, found the experience of being amongst such rabble-rousers exhilarating. Dandelion, who had already grown up associating with people like them, fitted right in and happily did so with deep satisfaction.

  Julius had noticed something strange though. The more the time passed whilst being on the ship, the wider the distance became between he and Dandelion. Dandelion was happy where he was. But Julius would look back in some regret for his hard words to his family and the certainty that his old life had. Dandelion would always tell him to forget it and move on. But the regret would always creep back in. These two differing views soon began to drive a subtle wedge between the blood-brothers.

  This slow fracture exploded into a chasm when one night Dandelion grew frustrated with him and actually shoved him from behind during their shift on the watch. Julius nearly fell down the steps towards the middle deck before turning on Dandelion and shouted at him for being reckless and asking what the hell was the matter with him.

  Dandelion, cold and sharper then ever, stated he had grown sick of Julius’ whining over people who didn’t really care about him.

  And for the first time since knowing him for years, Julius disagreed with his friend. He said that his family loved him and he missed them. And that Dandelion was wrong to say that.

  Without warning, Dandelion threw a punch that cracked Julius around the forehead and yelled that he was ungrateful for all the help he gave Julius.

  Julius snapped back that Dandelion was insane and the two friends brawled on the ship until they were stopped by some of the crew.

  Both boys were put in the hold for two days to cool their heads before being ket out and warned that any more fights would be to the death.

  The boys then stayed away from eachother for the rest of the voyage.

  But despite that fracas, both boys were hard workers and smart, which was what drew the Captain’s eye. And soon, after two years and some carefully made apologies from both sides, both boys were made second lieutenants in the ship’s roster and became friends again. Tentative friends, but friends all the same.

  That all changed the same day when the pair - Dandelion now twenty and Julius twenty-one - opened the Captain’ locker whilst he was asleep and stole two of his bottles of single malt whiskey to celebrate their promotion. Prime booze brewed in the UK sector. Shipped out with a batch of supplies from a merchant ship that was struck into a crippled state by a terrible lighting storm. The Carrion Maker offered to escort the crew to a way-station to be picked up by a rescue team, provided they left with some of the cargo as payment.

  The two newly minty sailors took one bottle each and began to drink merrily and laughing. They talked about life, friends on the ship and the plans they set for themselves.

  Dandelion set himself up as the next captain of the Carrion Maker. He even generously offered the role of first mate to Julius when made captaincy. Julius laughed and thanked his friend but he had other plans. He wanted to just fly on his own time. To buy a sailing airship and slip across the clouds to unknown skies… or something like that.

  Julius drank and Dandelion drank.

  They became quite drunk. Dandelion more so, as he enjoyed the drink more than his friend. And because of that, Julius was still lucid enough to understand - and more importantly remember - what his friend said next.

  Dandelion smiled simply and then said that Julius was welcome.

  Julius asked him what for.

  Dandelion then explained that Julius was welcome for what he had done for him.

  Julius stopped drinking and asked Dandelion what exactly he should be thanking him for.

  Dandelion suddenly laughed and stated that he hated his parents. That his father beat him every day for any reason and his mother scolded him. That they could have brought into this world a better son but they had to settle for him. He always failed in their eyes. Never amounting to much that his father expected from him. Dandelion grew to despise his parents and then decided to make them pay. That he would do it the smart way, not the dumb way.

  He would destroy their livelihoods. And seeing as they were fishing folk, burning down the fishing ship they worked on would be a good start.

  Julius stared in horror as his whiskey-addled brain began to understand what his friend was saying.

  Dandelion continued. It was easy to find an oil barrel and slip it aboard when no one was looking. Setting the fire and leaving was even easier. He knelt there, in the shadows as he watched the people rushing about screaming and pointing and flailing. He giggled as he noted his parents wringing their hands at the sight of the burning ship that they held jobs to. They panicked and rushed with others to stop the fire. He expected the ship to burn down. But he didn’t expect it to blow up. It was a welcome surprise.

  Dandelion laughed. His parents were dead, taking all the problems and expectations with them.

  He looked at Julius, who stared back at him in dumbed horror.

  Dandelion then apologised. He didn’t think that Julius’ parents would be there too. But maybe them going was good. Because of that, they became the best of friends.

  Dandelion drunk the last of his bottle and stood back up. He roared to the sky that he was the luckiest man in the world to have the bestest of friends by his side. And Julius should feel so lucky to have him by his side, forever.

  Dandelion flung the empty bottle over the side, watching spin through the air. He ruffled Julius’ hair affectionately before bidding him a goodnight and retiring to bed.

  Julius remained there, seated on the deck, silent and in shock. Tears fell as he realised what had just happened, what he had just learned and what he had lost, all because of the boy - the murderer - he once called friend.

  His best friend, who killed both their parents without the slightest hint of remorse or shame.