Akai Ragnarok

A rare picture of Akai

Overview

A hardheaded and mischievous young man that longs for nothing more than a legendary adventure with a Grand Finale.

Background

A town bustling with trade and a booming economy, peaceful people carrying on about with peaceful lives. However the haven is quite often terrorized by one of the local youth known as "White-Hair" or "Ragna". Ever so often the youth would 'borrow' goods from various vendors and merchants to facilitate himself being an orphan. This lifestyle continued for many years, little action taken against him for his parents had been known around the area before their untimely disappearance. When he was younger it had been more light-hearted and free-spirited but ever since corrupt marines began frequenting the outpost, things took a turn for the worse. No longer were there bright smiles and welcoming faces, instead soft weeping and grimaces plastered themselves onto the faces of the town's inhabitants.

By now, Akai had grown up into a young man around seventeen years old, his once 'cute' antics no longer worked in his favor. By now the patience of everyone had been wearing thin, the stress of the corrupted marines, the steep rise in taxes over the years and Akai's theft placed too heavy a burden on the townfolk. No longer could they afford to turn a blind eye even with their knowledge of his circumstances. The first time he was caught the marines beat him in an alleyway, the second time he was beaten once more and imprisoned, the third time he was caught the marines didn't even bother imprisoning him, merely beating him unconscious and leaving him for dead. The last thing he had seen was the faces of the people he grew up around turning away, wanting to help, but fearing the marine scourge that settled on their land.

His eyes fluttered open and the sun's rays graced his face once more, however not in the streets he was left in. Rather it was a warm bed, soft and cozy; the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore was familiar. As he sat up, he found himself cleaned and bandaged. Moments later, an elderly man came through the door with a teapot in his hand and a warm smile on his face. The two spoke from sunrise till sunset, the man telling stories of his adventures on the vast sea, the dangers and thrills and finally his retirement to this hut on the beach. His tales filled Akai's heart with hope that there might be purpose in his life still and this mediocre lifestyle was finally over. After a couple more days of recovery, Akai was almost good as new, however on that faithful day, a squad of marines arrived at the elderly man's door.

In their hands they held a wanted poster for a man that looked identical to the elderly man that had helped him. Akai's mind raced, the man on the poster could never have been the man that helped patch him up when everyone else watched him dying. He was always told pirates were the worst of the worst, scum, but in his moment of need, a pirate is the one who helped him.. Just then he'd hear the old man's voice drift to him with it's gentle tone. The marines still at his doorstep, the man spent the remainding time speaking with Ragna, "I've never claimed to be a good man.. I've done many wrongs in my life, but I've been trying to atone for it. I hope.. I hope by doing this good deed, I can finally meet peace. Ah.. Even now I might still just be thinking of my own good."

A warm and friendly smile adorned his face before the marines heard all they needed to- viciously they assaulted the old man, beating him before the man's voice belt out above the rest. "RUN! AKAI! LIVE A LIFE YOU WILL BE PROUD OF, HAVE NO REGRETS! THAT IS WHAT IT MEANS!"

"THAT IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A PIRATE!" loud and hearty laughter uttered from bleeding lips. With tears in his eyes, Akai turned to run, "Thank you old man! I'll never forget what you've done for me!". With little more than the clothes on his back, the youth made his way to the docks, hijacking a dinghy and setting sail to the sea without ever looking back. Reaching into his jacket pocket which had been a hand-me-down from the old man, a crumpled note was taken out. On it, only two words were scribbled: 'Paradise Blue', tears on his cheek and a smile on his lips, he set his eyes on the horizon.