Mara watched the little girl sitting outside the customs house.
She was holding her father’s hat.
It was much too large for her.
MARA:
“Why won’t they let her papa come back?”
CHIBI:
“They say he’s a pirate.”
Mara frowned.
MARA:
“But he fought for the king.”
CHIBI:
“He did.”
MARA:
“Did he attack ships?”
CHIBI:
“Yes.”
MARA:
“Take their things?”
CHIBI:
“Yes.”
Mara looked troubled.
MARA:
“Then maybe he did something bad.”
Chibi nodded.
CHIBI:
“Maybe.”
She looked at him.
MARA:
“But the king told him to.”
CHIBI:
“Yes.”
MARA:
“And everyone cheered when he left.”
CHIBI:
“They did.”
MARA:
“So what changed?”
Chibi looked toward the church.
The bells were ringing.
CHIBI:
“The king made peace.”
Mara stared at him.
MARA:
“Did anyone tell the captain?”
CHIBI:
“No.”
MARA:
“Then he did what they asked.”
CHIBI:
“Yes.”
MARA:
“And now they’re angry because he did it?”
Chibi thought for a moment.
CHIBI:
“Now they call it something different.”
Mara folded her arms.
MARA:
“That’s silly.”
CHIBI:
“Very.”
They watched the little girl pull her father’s hat down over her eyes.
After a moment, Mara spoke again.
MARA:
“Why did her papa want to fight?”
CHIBI:
“Someone killed his brother.”
Mara became quiet.
MARA:
“So he was angry.”
CHIBI:
“Very.”
MARA:
“And the king was angry too?”
CHIBI:
“Yes.”
Mara thought.
MARA:
“So they shared the same fire.”
Chibi looked at her.
CHIBI:
“For a while.”
MARA:
“Then the king made peace.”
CHIBI:
“Yes.”
MARA:
“But the captain’s fire didn’t know.”
Silence.
CHIBI:
“No.”
Mara watched the soldiers outside the door.
MARA:
“Can a piece of paper make you stop being angry?”
CHIBI:
“Can it make you?”
She shook her head.
MARA:
“No.”
Another pause.
MARA:
“Then maybe he shouldn’t have carried the king’s fire.”
CHIBI:
“What should he have carried?”
Mara looked toward the little girl.
Then toward the sea.
MARA:
“His own.”
Chibi smiled gently.
CHIBI:
“How do you know which one is yours?”
Mara opened her mouth.
Then stopped.
MARA:
“I don’t know.”
Chibi nodded.
CHIBI:
“That’s why you have to be careful…”
“…when someone tells you what your fire should burn.”
🜍 THE KING’S FIRE
Children understand something adults often forget.
Permission does not make anger righteous.
And a cause borrowed from someone else can disappear long before the fire it awakened.
If someone gives your anger a purpose… what happens when they no longer need it?
🏴☠️ Black Flags, Deep Waters
A living Pirate Borg campaign where kings make peace, old wounds remain, and yesterday’s heroes can become tomorrow’s outlaws.
👉 https://startplaying.games/adventure/cmqz3q4850005jx04zjz62c0e
Want to go deeper?
The stories, history, research and worlds behind Mythveil Chronicles continue here:
👉 https://www.patreon.com/MythveilChronicles