One-Thousand Little Voices

by syrograph

Birds of Paradise

The wind whipped around them furiously, cutlasses drawn and thunder crashing. "Stand down, Marten! You're surrounded!" Commodore Koroto The Komodo Dragon bellowed as he pointed his sword at the plucky bird. Marten was a notorious pirate, a brigand and a vandal. He smirked, letting his blade drop. It caught on his finger and swung limply by his side. "Bring him in." Koroto growled, lowering his weapon. His crew swept in, carrying ropes and chains between them. "You'd best come quietly, pirate. We'd certainly hate to have to throw you overboard."

"Well, I wouldn't speak too soon, mate." Marten shrugged, his camp swagger all too casual for the commodore's tastes. "You might get more than you wished for." He stepped back, reversing slowly until his tail feathers met the wooden railing.

"What are you playing at, Marten?" Koroto approached, intently glaring at the troublesome avian. "Don't do anything stupid, now." The pirate smirked, his soot-shadowed eyes sparkling from under his tattered tricorn with a mischief the reptile had seen too many times before. "Don't you dare!"

"Gentlemen." The bird spryly hopped on to the rail, claws gouging the wood. He brushed his messy braids aside. "You'll forever remember this as the day you almost caught Captain Jay Marten."

"No!" Koroto lunged, trying to grab his legs, but it was too late. Marten toppled backwards, falling out of sight. "No, you imbecile!" He leaned over the edge, watching the pirate disappear into the clouds below. He reared back, screaming his anger to the heavens. "Get back to the skiff! Find him!" He turned, storming off with his handsome coat swishing behind him. His men saluted, then charged back to their ship. The chase was on.

The music blared, a rousing orchestral gallop. The crowd cheered, stomping their feet, clapping and whistling. A young parrot held on to the top of her father's head, bouncing around with glee."Yeah, Captain Marten!" She cheered, pumping her fist in the air.

"Make sure you're back next time for more pulse pounding action!" A gruff voice bellowed over a loudhailer. A flexing minotaur stood in the crow's nest atop the mast, the giant ship forming the whole stage. The blue bovine was shouting down his headset microphone. "Will our hero escape? Will he survive the fall? Find out next week! Make sure you don't miss the next exciting installment of Pirates of Paradise: Curse of The Black Skull!" The noise of the crowd was deafening.

"C'mon, let's go!" the youngster squealed over the din, pulling on her dad's eyebrows. The patient man winced as he felt his feathers straining under the skin.

"Okay, calm down!" He held on to his daughter's knees and headed to the exit. His sheer size made the people part in waves.

---

The back-lot of the theater was bustling; creatures of all shapes had crowded around the doors, waiting for the cast to meet them. They had their autograph books ready, giddy smiles plastered across their eager faces. A few of them hopped from foot to foot.

"Marten, we love you!"

"I can't see!"

"Hey, I was here first!"

The little girl and her father stood back, waiting patiently. Or, as patiently as an excitable chick would allow.

"Where are they?" She leaned over, her pink hands mushing her dad's forehead into a frown. He laughed, reaching up to sit her straight.

"They'll be here. Just sit tight, okay?"

Sure enough, the back door opened, warm light flooding the twilit alley. The gathering erupted into a flurry of shouts and cheers, people jostling to reach the front. A smattering of applause echoed off the brickwork, mostly from dutiful parents who, up until now, had been checking their watches.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please step back from the doors!" The same minotaur from before ducked under the door frame, holding out both palms to ward them off. "The faster you form an orderly line, the faster the cast will see you."

"Where's Marten?" a stocky shark waddled up to the front, hands on his hips. "He snubbed me like three weeks in a row!" Holding up three fingers, his angry scowl turned to fear as the imposing figure loomed over him.

"Iron Will isn't sure you want to go down this road, friend!" He was young and hot-headed, muscles rippling under the skin. His knuckles clicked as he flexed his fingers. The shark shrunk away, rejoining the queue. "That's better."

When the crowd was under control, Iron Will stepped aside. The cast and crew slowly emerged into the alley, forming a row beside their narrator-slash-bodyguard. They greeted their fans, smiling and shaking their hands, signing their autographs. The young bird tried to watch as one of the actors signed a woman's... something. "Dad, I can't see 'em!" He kept his hand over her eyes. "Daddy!" She pulled at his fingers, feebly tugging them apart. With a sigh of relief, he finally let her look.

She scanned their faces. She recognised every single one, but there was one all important actor missing. "Where's Captain Marten?" She craned her neck, hoping that he was just obfuscated by some of the larger fans, but there was no sign of him. "Where is he?"

Soon, the crowd had dissipated, leaving behind a few stragglers. The same shark from before was pleading with Iron Will as he ushered the cast backstage. "C'mon, what's Marten doing in there?"

"He's not signing autographs today."

"Please, I gotta-"

"Not. Signing. Autographs." The minotaur clenched a fist. The shark vanished, skidding on one foot as he turned the corner. Iron Will caught the young girl's eye, guilt flashing up on his face as he crouched through the door and slowly closed it.

"Let's go home."

"No!" She fought back as her father tried to walk away. She grasped fistfuls of his plumage, sadness overtaking her. "No, I wanna see Captain Marten." She sniffled, blinking away the tears. She felt two strong hands lift her to the ground.

"Baby, he's not signing autographs today."

"B-but, but I..." she blubbered, falling down in the dirt.

"Next time, okay?" he ruffled the green feathers on her head. She cried silently, struggling to catch her breath. Sure, they'd be back next week, but that was another week without him. It was an eternity. The door remained unopened, the night now upon them. The moon cast a silvery streak through the narrow alley. "Let's go and get something to eat." He picked her up by the arm, brushing off her knees. She reluctantly agreed, hanging her head as she followed by his side.

There came a metallic clunk. They both turned to see as the door swung open. A short figure stepped out, face lit by the smoldering ash in his pipe. A puff of smoke seemed to glow in the moonlight. The young girl escaped her father's grip and ran back to see the newcomer. As she drew near, the man looked up. She slowed to a stop, cocking her head as she tried to recognise them. He was a bird, unremarkable and with dull feathers; maybe he operated the lights or something.

"Oh." she shied away. "Never mind."

"Wait, don't leave." The realisation made her lose her balance. Clumsily, she swung around. That was it! That was his voice!

"Captain?"

"That's me, sweetheart." Snapping back into the role, the sparrow stood triumphantly, grinning at the awe-struck child in front of him.

"Captain Marten?"

"The very same. And what can I do for-" He was cut short by two little arms around his knees. She hugged his thighs, squeezing like she'd never let go.

"Captain Marten sir I'm your biggest fan and I love you and I love your hat and I love how you fight the bad guys and I love how you always do the right thing even when it's the most dangerous thing in the world and-"

"Slow down." A calm, fatherly voice urged the excited girl away from her idol. She beamed up at him, hands now clasped together in front of her beak.

"It's very sweet of you, miss." Marten knelt down, tapping the tobacco out of his pipe. "It's always good to know that I have allies wherever I make port." She was back to a stunned silence, quivering with excitement from tail to tip. "And what might your name be, young scallywag?"

"Celaeno, sir. Captain Celaeno!"

"A captain! A bet you run a tight ship."

"I'll say." her father quipped.

"Aye sir!" Celaeno giggled, a crest of feathers standing on her head.

"Well, Captain Celaeno, it's very nice to meet you." Now aware of his lack of makeup, Marten ground the cooling ashes into the dirt. He scooped up a small amount on his fingertips and smudged them around each eye, darkening them. Celaeno clapped. "Did you enjoy the show?"

"Yes! Always do!"

"And do you think I'll escape the evil Commodore Koroto?"

"You wouldn't have jumped off the ship if you didn't have a plan! You always have a plan." Marten laughed; this kid was smart. "One day, I wanna be a pirate, just like you."

"Well, hopefully you'll stick to The Code."

"Aye sir!"

"Well, in that case: keep your beak sharp as your sword, keep your eyes peeled for opportunities, and never take no for an answer. Savvy?"

"Well-" her father interrupted.

"Uh, well, sometimes take no for an answer. If your dad says it, for example."

"Yes, sir." Celaeno smiled, a pink glow in her cheeks as the reality of meeting her hero sank in.

"Wait here just a moment." Marten slipped backstage, leaving the door open. His talons clicking on the concrete floor were all they heard before he returned, triumphantly standing with his tricorn and braided wig atop his head. Celaeno squealed as Marten took the battered leather hat off and placed it on her head. It was far too big, sagging to one side. "Follow the horizon, Captain Celaeno!" Marten added, dipping his thumb in the ashes. He carefully placed a black dot on the parrot's cheek, looking her straight in the eyes. "You're going to be awesome."