Many pirates have come and gone in the history of this world, but none of them have ever reached the magnetic allure and majestic grandeur of Captain Haley Stories of her exploits have been told for decades, and any pirate worth his salt prays to the Gods to possess her strength, resilience and sheer luck. From Prince Caxos, the slayer of the Kraken of the North to Little Boy Mickey, the dwarf captain that terrorized the free cities of the West, all would look upon the sky and whisper her name the night before their adventures. But her story is not only one of fortune and fame. Her story ends in tragedy as pirate’s stories often do. For she was blinded with a false promise of gold and treasure. This is her story:

A hundred years ago, there were twins enslaved by a wealthy merchant. The twins were called Haley and Halford. Haley and Halford were sold into slavery by their father as he had no more gold left to feed them. The merchant had accepted them and used them to perform a variety of tasks on his flag ship, the Crown Jewel. As the years went by, they worked themselves up from scrubbing the floor, to cooking in the galley all the way to organizing and managing the deck hands. They had a hard life, forever bound in chains but then a roll of the Gods’ dices changed everything. One morning, with the sun just barely surpassing the horizon, a ship with black flags sailed their way.

The merchant had become the victim of Captain Meriosa the Dreaded. Swiftly, all the merchants guards were disposed of and the slaves were given the choice between walking the plank or working for Meriosa as free pirates. Hayley and Halford, experienced in running a ship, were accepted by the pirates and over the years, they took up the mantle of helmsman Halford and Quartermaster Hayley. Years went by, plundering merchant ships but the Captain was never satisfied. On more than one occasion, the twins caught him staring at the horizon. It seemed like he was staring at a goal net yet achieved but he never spoke about it. But on his deathbed, he gave the ship to the twins, so that they may achieve what he could never achieve, to uncover the treasure of Mictlan. Just before his dying breath, he gave a map to Hayley. He died five seconds later.

Hayley studied the map for months hidden inside the Captains Quarters, whilst Halford kept carefully executing his role as helmsman and acting captain. Gold fever had taken over Hayley and the moment she had found a lead towards Mictlan, she ordered her brother to sail towards it. As Mictlan, the city of Gold, was believed even by the Aztecs themselves to be a myth, Halford advised her against it. But his caution was only met with ignorance, as Hayley believed she had found the gate. She had found the location of an ancient and forbidden cave, one where the map said was the gate to Mictlan. For weeks they sailed without meeting other ships, completely abandoning the streams well traveled and away from the trade lines.

Each day, Hayley became more sturdy in her instructions, more assured of her belief in the mythical city. Each day, Halford became more suspicious of his sister, more cautious with her aggressive tone. Until finally, seemingly in the middle of the ocean, they saw a cave rise above the waves. The cave was large enough to let a ship enter and so they did. And within this cave was another entrance, a large arch stood out from the now shallow water and next to it was an altar. Hayley and Halford stepped out but the moment they did, something shifted. The water started to ripple on all sides of the ship as monstrous beings rose from the water. These creatures resemble humans in physique but their heads were twisted and refigured into aquatic shapes. Dolphins, crocodiles, squids and sharks jumped out of the water and raised their swords attacking the ship. Halford tried to get back to the ship but his sister took his hand and brought him to the altar. She started reading the cypher inscribed on the marble.

“Blood of Kin…Door to the Unbeing…Guardian of Splendor….”

Halford looked upon the ship and its assailants but suddenly his eyes widened and he gasped at the sight of his sister’s sword pushing out of his chest.

“I am sorry, brother. It had to be done.”

With the blood dripping from her sword, she pushed it into the small notch on the altar and immediately purple arcanic energy filled the portal, creating a doorway to something beyond. She returned to the ship, where her crew was surely losing the fight against the aquatic monstrosities. But she didn’t flinch, she didn’t blink as she took the helm once more and set sail towards the portal. The ship touched the energy within the portal and it disappeared from the surface of the planet.

Beyond space and time, the ship of Captain Hayley touched water once more. Before her lay the golden city of Mictlan. She looked next to her, to where her brother used to stand but was hit with the realization that Halford was no more. She looked around the ship. Gills had formed on the necks of some of her crew, whilst others saw their noses change into slits, their skin becoming oily or scaly.

And this is where the story ends. Some say she still sails the waves with her monstrous crews, the decks and storages filled with the splendors of Mictlan. Others say a mythical creature rose from the water, a gigantic snake, and swallowed her ship whole as if it was the guardian of Mictlan. The truth however, will forever be lost to the high seas, as will Captain Hayley and her crew.