"Captain Theo herself," a voice echoed throughout the chamber she was in.

It was a large room, ceilings vaulted high in the air. Whatever bit of sunlight peeked through the clouds found itself shining through the large windows framing the entirety of one of the walls. The rest was elaborate stone and there was a finely crafted oak table in the middle of the room where her old Captain was sitting.

"Captain Uncilo," Theo took off her hat and bowed a bit.

Uncilo stood from his chair and began walking toward Theo. He was slow, his old age starting to show. He was nearing 50 now and there wouldn't be much time left for him to rule as Head of the Pirate Council. He was slower, frailer than before but he still could command a legion of soldiers; Theo would bet on that. She made it easier for him and walked closer. Uncilo met her with a tight hug and Theo found herself sinking into it. She and Uncilo had a long and complicated history but she knew he only had love for her and she loved him too.

"I cannot tell you how worried I was, Theo, that you were not going to come back," Uncilo confessed, walking back to his chair.

"I have to admit I almost didn't," Theo said, "I had a group of traders try to execute a hit on me and a ship full of soldiers that were faking distress and we almost got roped into the trap."

"It's bad," Uncilo said, getting straight to the point. There was no beating around the bush, they were at war.

"How bad?"

"We will discuss it more in detail at the meeting tomorrow but we are missing a third of our pirates on the island right now. Confirmed dead or missing? Close to 20 in the last three cycles. They're attacking anybody they can. Small ships, big ships, legends, amateurs," Uncilo looked concerned, aged.

"Who do you think is behind it?"

"Who do you think?"

That was a rhetorical question. The only place with that kind of intercontinental reach and those kinds of resources to execute a long term campaign was The Center. It reeked of orders from the Council.

"It's not the first time this has happened," Theo pointed out, "every few classifications they crack down on pirates. Sometimes worse than others."

Cooker was fascinated with pirate history when they were younger and she used to teach Theo. Every few classifications, pirates became a hot topic of discussion. It was easy politics to go after a hated group and this classification that happened to be pirates. Sometimes it was traders, sometimes it was gambling, sometimes it was underground religion, sometimes all. But what was a known pattern was that nobles on the council tried to go after these easy political problems to guarantee their votes to stay on for another classification.

If The Center was behind it and if that was their working theory it was a lot more manageable than an unknown enemy. The Center was predictable in its strategies and schemes and Cooker had studied their methods in case that moment ever came. Now that they knew their opponent, the offensive could begin.

"It isn't the first time, no. We need to hear from everyone tomorrow, see who else has been subjected to their tactics and what those tactics are," Uncilo said, wrinkles defined on his forehead as he scrunched his brows together in worry.

"And you need me for what?" Theo asked, she had been called there by Uncilo for a reason.

He was her captain for many years and because of that, they knew how to effortlessly work together. With Theo high up on the social ladder within Corinspe, she held sway at the pirate meetings. Solutions backed by Theo usually passed. There was a vocal minority that made things difficult at first but persuasion was her strong suit and she was able to curry favor with many of the pirates on the council. Uncilo knew this and used Theo as an asset, not that Theo minded. Her views usually aligned with Uncilo and she got to have the ear of the Head of the Council.

"Fletching, Firinz and Bortyl are going to kick up some fuss. They've already been here for a few suns and you know how the island gets when they are around," Uncilo sighed.

"Riled up," Theo commented, even if those Captain's didn't want to stir up trouble, they did.

Some people liked them and others didn't. They were a polarizing set of pirates with flawed principles and no respect for rules, the morality brigade is what they were called. Those that disliked the pirates were usually vocal about it and standoffish. That behavior usually incited supporters of the morality brigade to be standoffish as well and the result was an island divided. Not too much grief came from it on the regular but during meetings they could rally quite the commotion.

"I can't predict what will happen tomorrow or what information we are going to find out but I know whatever our proposed solution will be is going to be hard to market to these pirates," Uncilo said as if Theo hand't been in dozens of the meetings before.

"I swear we could propose a bill that means all pirates drink for free on the island and there would still be people up in arms," Theo joked.

"Are you calling me poor?" Uncilo mocked, dropping his voice to a lower tone.

"Are you trying to make us alcoholics?" Theo tagged along.

"Are you saying I don't pay my crew enough?" Uncilo laughed.

Theo stopped but she laughed along, it was easy to see where her and the other girls got their humor from. It was nice to see Uncilo light up, even just for a moment. She missed him some days, he gave good advice and was good company. He had taught Theo alot. Not only Theo, all of them. Uncilo was like a father. Like being the key word. Theo had a father and he had loved her enough in the time she knew him that she didn't need to replace him.

"I have your back," Theo smiled and got up, "tomorrow and forever, Captain."

She put her hat back on her head and Uncilo got the hint that she was leaving.

"Before you go," Uncilo said and stood up, "heard that you have a new quartermaster."

"Aye, Lilith left us a while ago."

"She is not a pirate," Uncilo stated, it was not a question. He had already gotten word, there was fresh blood in the top of her ranks.

"No, she is not one yet," Theo admitted, hands behind her back.

"And do you believe that is wise? A crewmember becoming a quartermaster before they become a pirate is not often seen," Uncilo questioned, a hand reaching out and supporting him against his desk.

"If I allowed my decisions to be dictated about what has been done before, I wouldn't be where I am now, Captain," Theo said with a smile and took off her hat, bowed, then walked out of the room.

--

Ava was thankful that she had large quarters. When she had first moved into her quartermaster cabin she felt herself longing for more fun nights in the lower decks. However, if there was ever a time she needed a giant space it was then. She had an utter mess surrounding her and she was no closer to getting ready than she was when she woke up from her nap, four hours prior. The clothes she had bought and borrowed along her journey were all scattered across the room, dozens of outfits halfway put together. She was seriously contemplating walking out and getting initiated in her silk nightdress.

There was a knock on the door and Ava gave a cursory glance to her window to make sure there was still light out. The sun wasn't quite close to setting so the good news was she had a little bit more time before it was dark and the ceremony started. Ava walked to the door and flung it open to reveal an energetic and peppy Oceane. Ava would have reciprocated the infectious attitude but she was too stressed.

Oceane looked around and at an underdressed Ava and made a face, her mouth tightening into a worried smile, "Oh, Ava. It's getting late."

"I know!" Ava huffed and turned back around to stare at the outfits scattered about.

"You have so many options," Oceane said, stating the obvious as usual.

"Thank you for that input," Ava snipped and crossed her arms in an attempt to concentrate harder, it didn't work.

"I like this one," Oceane stepped into the room and grabbed an emerald fabric, all one long piece. The fabric was thick and soft and it started as a tight turtleneck, into long sleeves then dropped down to pants. The whole outfit was connected and Ava hadn't even considered that one yet. It was such an odd style that she didn't want to risk looking ridiculous on one of the most important nights of her life.

Ava just shrugged and Oceane shoved it into Ava's arms and then flitted around the room. She picked up different items of clothes, set them down, picked others up, shoved some things into Ava's hands, and then repeated the cycle. It did not take long before Ava was unable to see over the pile of clothes in her arms.

"Now, let's get you dressed," Oceane said, taking charge of the situation. Ava didn't even agree to anything, she hadn't even asked for help.

"Alright," Ava conceded, deciding to trust Oceane's fashion sense.

It did not feel unlike the night of her election. The positivity Oceane always radiated made Ava feel comfortable as she got ready. She was glad to have someone there for her big moments, supporting and helping her. Oceane was what she always wanted from her sisters, Ava remembered the tears spilled at their expense. As they gathered in each other's rooms to gossip and giggle Ava was forced to listen from the hallway. But the feeling of isolation and the cold clutches of solitary nights were but a distant memory to her now.

Oceane kept Ava's thoughts busy while they were getting dressed. She spoke of her Corinspe shenanigans and the very attractive man she slept with shortly after arrival. Upon further pressing her about it, Oceane revealed that her mystery man was a return playmate and he was quite infatuated with Oceane. Ava laughed at the explicitness of some of Oceane's recountings of her sun and before Ava knew it, she was dressed.

She had a dusk orange coat on, brownish in the dim light in the room. The coat was closed, pulled tight over her body. The buttons were a shiny gold that made her look important. She was wearing boots that rose up to the hem of the coat and accessories to match her green piece under the coat. She felt different, less awkward than she normally did in fancy clothes. She wasn't sure if it was because she finally got rid of the voice of her mother in her head telling her she wasn't good enough for nice things or if it was her newfound confidence in being a pirate. Either way, she was ready for her big night.

"Thank you," Ava said with a smile, touching the jade clip that was holding some of her short hair out of her face, "I don't think I would have even made it to the pirate meeting tomorrow if I was getting ready at the rate I was."

"I figured you would be struggling, which is why I came," Oceane admitted, "Can you believe I could have stayed longer with my gentleman friend but I chose you."

Ava chuckled and held out an arm for Oceane, "I appreciate the sacrifice. Let's go."

Oceane took her arm, "All your stuff is still out."

Ava smiled and walked them out, "If I don't see the mess. It doesn't exist."

Ava closed the door behind them.

-----

Oceane had walked with her to where Xyra had told all the new recruits to wait, in front of Grog's pub. Ava learned that Grog's pub was not only a hotspot for Captains, it was a landmark on the island and meeting point for many groups. Ava was the last one to arrive and Xyra was leaning against the outside of the pub with an unamused expression on her face.

"The quartermaster should not be the last one to her initiation ceremony," Xyra scolded and Ava couldn't argue with that, she was an example now.

"It's my fault, I made her change a million times," Oceane hopped in to save Ava, "she has to look her best on the day she becomes a pirate."

Xyra didn't respond. She pushed herself off the wall and began to walk, alerting everyone to follow with a whistle. Oceane looked over and gave Ava a wide grin and a thumbs up and Ava put an arm around the slightly shorter girl and brought her in for a side squeeze. Ava let Oceane go soon after and kept pace with the rest of the group. The mood around the group was varied; while some were happily chatting others kept to themselves and nervously fidgeted with their clothes.

It wasn't long before the shoddy pebble paths of the city gave way to dirt and grass. After only a few minutes of walking on dirt, they came upon a dense jungle. With the sun rapidly setting, Ava was interested to see what they would be doing in the thick jungle at night. She followed the person in front of her closely and she was so focused on stepping over vines and plants that she didn't realize the scene in front of her until a tap on her shoulder advised her to look up.

There was a small section of the jungle cleared, the trees still interlocked above them, blocking out what little sun was left in the sky. The path in front of them was cleared and lit torches were lined up every few feet to illuminate their path. The path opened up to a courtyard, or whatever the jungle equivalent of one was. It held a large fire pit that was currently red, as the flames rose from its core and all around the pit were logs and wooden benches. It looked as though it was commonly used as a gathering place. Behind the jungle courtyard was a simple, one level stone building. A large double wooden door marked it's entrance and the two doors were being held open.

There was a faint light emanating from the inside and Ava began to follow the group past the courtyard and onto the short path to the building. Xyra, who had stopped at the entrance of the path to the stone building, held her hand out and stopped Ava from going forward. Xyra motioned to the girls behind Ava and told them to pass then turned her attention to the redhead.

"You are staying out here. I have already gone over this with you but I will remind you: the name-dropping process is something intimate so not everyone will be out here. Everyone gets to pick three pirates to bear witness to your name-dropping. Since you are the only one, the audience for your ceremony will be just those you choose and me, I'm going to conduct it," Xyra informed her, some of the information was new and some was not.

"Theo isn't conducting it?"

"She doesn't do name-dropping ceremonies. Cooker or I do it," Xyra informed and then called attention to one of the girls wandering around then snapped back to Ava, "I have to wrangle everyone and get things in place. Who are your three?"

Ava was stumped, there were so many people she could choose but she felt confident that those close to her would understand if they weren't picked, "Cooker, Tuni and Oceane."

"Right, go wait in the courtyard. I will be there to start shortly," Xyra said quickly and dismissed Ava. Ava went to walk away but a hand grabbed at her arm and stopped her, "Are you alright?"

"Aye," Ava nodded and even though it was a simple three-worded question, it meant much more to Ava. Xyra pulled herself from her snappy, rushed attitude to check in with Ava during a very important event in Ava's life and she was grateful for that.

Xyra gave Ava a nod and let her go. Ava took that as her hint to do as she was told. She walked back to the fire and stared at it, unmoving. The intensity of the heat burned her cheeks and the effortless movement of the fire made it seem like it was dancing, putting on a show for Ava. Ava got sucked into its warm, hypnotic flow and she felt her body release the tension that had built up since she woke up from her nap. When thinking about the initiation and the name-dropping then, she was less afraid, less nervous than she had been when thinking about it before.

Her new life was as chaotic and unpredictable as the fire in front of her but for the first time, she was wholly and absolutely confident in the trajectory of her future. She was committed to whatever she had gotten herself into. Ava would be damned if she didn't use the rest of her life to right the wrongs done by the Center and her father. She heard footsteps crunch around her and she broke away from her intent gaze at the fire to face those that had come.

Cooker, Oceane and Tuni all stood behind her, proud smiles on their faces. Tuni gave a reassuring nod which Ava returned and then she focused back on the fire. She felt the warmth of the fire from the front and the warmth of the love of her friends from the back. Beyond the fire pit, Xyra emerged from the stone building with a large book in her hand. She approached the courtyard and came to a stop on the other side of the fire pit.

Xyra cleared her throat and began, "Ava Ableworth, witnesses, I welcome you to the Scorned Woman's name-dropping ceremony. Ava, you are here because in order to register as a pirate within Corinspe, you must not have a last name. Last Names for pirates represent an allegiance to The Center and as a requirement for you to be recognized as a Corinspian Pirate you must drop your last name and present yourself with only one during initiation. You have made the decision to not only omit your last name from the Corinspian record but drop it altogether. I want to start off by saying I commend you for the brave task of leaving what you know behind."

Xyra took a second to pause and nod at Ava. Ava took a small bow as she nodded back.

"The fire in front of you represents a way for you to shed yourself of your past. In a moment, you will receive a book. You will write in it your last name and whatever else you feel is needed. Some have written letters, others have used it to burn secrets of their past along with their names, others keep it simple. The choice is yours. You are limited only by your own self. Once you are finished you are to rip the paper and cast it to the fire," Xyra said and nodded to the girls behind Ava.

One of them began to walk, Cooker, and retrieved the book. She walked over to Ava and handed it to her.

"Once she tosses it in the fire, witnesses are asked to leave and give her a moment alone," Xyra recited as if they hadn't all done this before.

Xyra stopped talking and after a minute of silence, Ava realized that it was her turn to do something. The whole thing was a lot simpler and more streamlined than she had expected. She had expected an oath against the center, loyalty to all things criminal, and a public denouncement of her past. This was more of a ceremonial process to help someone symbolically move past a major part of their background.

Ava opened the book and it easily fell open to a blank page with a piece of charcoal fashioned into a pencil on the crevice of the book. She looked around and found no easy way to write so she set it down on the ground and knelt down as she began to think of what to write. She heard a snicker behind her, presumably at her bold choice of moving to the ground in an expensive outfit but she persisted.

The blank page in front of her overwhelmed her and her mind was as empty as the book. She was given a blank canvas and expected to use it to decide how to say goodbye to the last 16 lengths of her life. She felt the presence of her chosen witnesses behind her. As she stared at the paper, they stared at her and Ava could feel anxiety rising in her chest as she continued to go blank. Xyra hadn't said how much time she had and no one was rushing her but she still felt the pressure to perform and to do it quickly. She lifted the writing instrument off the paper and placed its tip on the page. She started off simple. She wrote her name.

Looking down at it, however, revealed she had not written her real name as intended. A small "Ava Ableworth" stood alone, in the middle of the page.

Ava frowned and shook her head and took the paper once again, this time attempting to write her real name. Soon enough, her charcoal lifted from the white, and under the first piece of handwriting was her name, "Avery Vaith". Writing it only made her feel guiltier. She took to the paper again, writing what she had first written. The same feeling of guilt washed over her, that wasn't her real name. It was a lie. She put her hand to the paper and her mind went blank, her hand taking control.

Ava was in a fugue state for a few minutes and when she emerged from it, there were frustrated tears in her eyes and she couldn't look down at the paper in front of her. She wiped the welling tears away and stared at the black that besmirched the page. It was a chaotic mix of words with a few fat droplets from her tears staining the page. In the book that was handed to her was a page with little white left, her two names covering every inch of the paper. The tears that were now back in her eyes and threatening to fall was an odd mix of emotions she didn't think could go together.

Sorrow for her past self, for having to endure what she did when there was a whole world waiting for her. Sorrow for all of those her family had hurt. Frustrated that she couldn't come clean. Guilt over the secret she was determined to keep forever. Happiness over the new chapter in her life and relief to finally put it all behind her. There was a build-up of emotions but no room for release, there was no time for that. She had people around her and a pirate ceremony to attend. The only thing standing between her and her initiation was throwing her past in a fire.

She ripped the page from the book, slowly to make sure no scraps were left on the book. She stood up with the paper and stepped closer to the fire. She didn't look up to where Xyra was or back to her witnesses. This was her moment, she couldn't let anyone invade her thoughts. This was her goodbye, this was the last time she would think about herself as belonging to Elox, belonging to the noble class, belonging to the Vatih family. From here on out, once she put the paper in the fire her past was the past and she would no longer be looked at as an outsider. No more last name jokes, no more feeling like she didn't belong.

She ripped the paper up into several pieces and held them in both hands. She took a deep breath and centered herself in the moment. The heat from the fire felt like her skin was being singed but she stepped closer instead. She closed her eyes and took a large breath, holding it in. She was going to make an effort to move forward and not look back. She would try not to reminisce on her childhood or remember her family. She would look ahead and forget where she came from. From the moment the flames touched the paper, she would be free from the last name that carried so much pain behind it. In the eyes of her crew and the eyes of Corinspe, she would no longer be an Ableworth or a Vaith. She threw the pieces of paper out of her hands and gave it a moment to settle in before she opened her eyes.

The flames curled around the pieces of paper and soon their once white pages were black and crumbling into ashes. Some pieces caught on the edges of the fire took a little longer to burn up and she could see the red overtaking what were soon to be names of the past.

"You may leave," Xyra spoke and Ava looked up.

She heard shuffling around her and realized that it was the witnesses leaving her. She locked eyes with Xyra and Xyra gave her a nod then turned around, her back to Ava. This was her moment alone, with no eyes on her to do what she wanted. The tears from earlier were gone and no lingering feelings of a tight chest. Whatever state she had put herself in before tossing the paper into the fire was working, her head was clear. Ava knelt back down on the ground in front of the book and closed it, setting it to the side. She put her hands on the floor in front of her and took a second to think.

Ava looked up at the sky, finding the moon peeking out from between the interlocking tree branches of the jungle.

"Thank you," Ava whispered but she wasn't too sure who she was talking to, "I will use the freedom I was given to liberate others and push for the tides to change in favor of those deserving of more."

She was vowing herself to whatever or whoever was out there. Whatever entity, or fiend, or god, or being was out there was definitely watching out for her. Realizing that other people had gods or beings they communicated with called into question everything she believed yet again. She made it from Northern Elox down to the South without so much as a scratch to then show up on a ship that offered safe passage for free. Then she happened to become a pirate and ascend to the top of the ranks and now she had a real home and a family for the first time. That was not chance or fate, that was someone helping her along the way and she was going to repay the world for helping her by helping it.

Ava stood up and dusted herself off. She looked up one last time at the obscured sky then made her way towards Xyra. She stopped in front of the taller woman but Xyra motioned her towards the large building that currently housed all of the pirates. Ava took the hint and began to walk into the building, not nervous for this next chapter anymore.