Periwinkle skies stretched out over azure seas as a setting sun splashed the horizon with crimson red. As the sunset twinkled against the shimmering sea, like a child putting off going to bed, a ship neared a small island, surrounded by high cliffs. The huge snowy sails flapped in the brisk, tangy sea air, but eventually came to a standstill as the S.S. Mystic pulled up against the sun-bleached cliffs.

"There's no way you can climb it, Captain Rubiti!" exclaimed a mousy looking man, waving his hand erratically as his superior started towards the cliff. The captain glanced back, an amused grin on his face as he observed his Advisor for a moment.

"Now, now Barnaby," chuckled the raven-haired Captain, his brown eyes glittering at the thought of the challenge, "Nothing is impossible for those who believe. Right?"

Barnaby bristled, and opened his mouth to dash the Captain's blatant disregard of the impossible. However, Rubiti had already climbed atop the railing of the ship and started to climb up the cliff. Again, Barnaby started to wave his hands, as if attempting to fly, as he squawked out warnings to his Captain.

For hours, Barnaby watched his Captain fearlessly climb up the cliff. Once, the Advisor thought his heart gave out, for Rubiti had slipped and skidded dangerously down two feet of rock. But, Barnaby knew his heart was fine, for the beating organ almost burst with glee once he saw Rubiti finally reach the top of the cliff.

Once the man disappeared from sight, however, Barnaby's worries started to rear their ugly, monstrous heads. What if his lord got killed on this island? The foolish man wouldn't let anyone follow him, let alone trek onto this fabled island! What were they to do if Captain Rubiti didn't return? But, that answer had been supplied by the raven-haired man earlier, "Set sail without me, and head home if I do not return within two days. By then, I'll probably be stiff as a board."

Feeling faint, the Advisor sat down on a nearby barrel and wiped his sweaty brow with a stained handkerchief. Shakily, he thrust the cloth back into his pocket, and murmured to himself, "Foolish man, heading to his doom for some stupid fruit. Foolish, yet admirable."

Slowly, Barnaby's eyes trekked back up the cliff, where he had seen his Captain disappear behind the edge of the cliff. His heart twisted slightly as he prayed to all the gods he knew to bring his lord and Captain back safely. And if not safely, at least alive.

Setting foot on the cold earth beneath his feet, Rubiti scanned his surrounded with still glimmering brown eyes. A soft grin was pulled across his features, and he started to trek deeper into this concealed island. Overhead, the two moons shone down on him brightly, as if helping him on his quest by guiding him.

Concealed within the cliff sides of the island was a lush, green landscape. A tropical jungle formed over half the island, hiding it's soil and treasures within its clutches. This is where Rubiti was heading, off in search of the fabled fruit he was searching for.

Orange Immortality, that's what it was deemed as. In fact, it was just as it sounds. The orange, spherical fruit on this island was sure to bring those close to death back to life, and to lengthen the life of one until the end of time. The former was why Rubiti was on this island, why he was risking life and limb for such a treasure. A treasure, in Rubiti's mind, that was worth more than all the gold and gems in the world.

"I'll find it," Muttered Rubiti to himself, as he set foot into the dense jungle, "For her."

With a faint crinkling, he pulled a thin, yellowing map out of his belt, where he had wedged it for the time being. Unrolling it, he looked over the sketch of the island, and searched for the tree that bared the Orange Immortality.

"Right in the center of the jungle. How predictable." Rolling up the map, Rubiti then set out, on pure instinct, for the deepest bowels of the jungle. The anticipated glimmer in his eyes was now replaced by flaming determination.

Hours of trekking through the jungle later, found Rubiti with no orange bearing tree in sight. Becoming a bit disgruntled, Rubiti continued to walk, scanning the scene carefully as to not pass by the tree. Every now and then, a hiss from a snake or a twig breaking somewhere in the midst of the plants made the raven-haired Captain halt.

When nothing succeeded in happening after such events, he continued his search. The man wasn't afraid of anything on this island, even though it was thought to be highly dangerous. That was only because few people ventured into this island, and fewer people had returned. Only one who had returned, and was still sane enough to recall his experiences, had told of the horrid creatures that lived within the walled-in island.

Those tales now revolved around Rubiti's mind, and he ached to see any sight of these creatures. Not out of curiosity, but in hopes that the tale of Orange Immortality wasn't just a tale, but fact. All he needed was some creature, anything, to make itself known, and then he could put all doubts of false tales to mind.

Suddenly, as if a thick crowd was parting to make way for one being, the jungle parted to show the unobscured view of a clearing. Not just a clearing, though. Right in the middle of the field, leaves glittering with golden flecks as the round orange fruits themselves glowed lightly, was the tree Rubiti was seeking.

His brown eyes widened, his breath caught in his throat, and his heart danced at the sight of the tree, standing there in regal beauty. Rubiti stopped for a moment, and just stared at it with wide eyes. His mind has gone blank upon seeing such an awe-inspiring sight.

Finally, his legs came to life, and bolted to the tree, ready to pick one of the luscious fruits. But before he could reach the tree, something halted him, something which grabbed him by the back of his shirt and threw him away from the tree.

Landing on the ground with hard impact, Rubiti let out a yelp, and groaned as he pushed himself up onto his elbows. Wondering vaguely what threw him so roughly away from his goal, his brown eyes found a pair of dirty feet, with claws for toenails. Slowly, Rubiti's eyes followed the figure up, seeing heavily muscled legs, signifying this being was fast. A tunic was wrapped around the being's body, a belt wrapped about the figure's middle.

Finally, after gazing past the figure's chest and neck, came the face of the being which tossed Rubiti. Dark, hard blue eyes glared down at Rubiti as a firm scowl was planted on his dark skinned features. A small tattoo on the dark man's face, shaped like a feather engraved with small bits of gold, made the young man's heart jump. Rubiti's mouth started to move, yet no words were issued, and finally, he realized he must look like a gulping fish.

Scrambling to his feet, he stumbled back, and gazed upon the sight of the man before him. The man was taller than him by half a foot, that is, without his horns. The crystalline white horns gracefully curved backwards, over the dark-skinned man's long, sleek, black hair.

"Cigam." Gasped Rubiti finally, taking a step back again and stumbling up against the trunk of a tree. His brown eyes were still wide in awe, and Rubiti felt it hard to swallow for his mouth had become dry.

Cigam grinned, showing off pearly white fanged teeth, which glistened in the light of the two moons. Rubiti continued to stare at the God of Judgement, simply amazed. Cigam took a step forward, head high as he stared down his nose at the Captain.

"Captain Zinsil Rubiti, heir to a kingdom, and quite the pirate." Cigam's deep voice rang over the sounds of twittering birds and chattering animals as Rubiti shifted from foot to foot in front of him, "What brings such a mortal as you to this island?"

Rubiti licked his lips, and nervously looked down, his arms hanging uselessly by his sides. The god waited with the patience of a man who had watched eternities pass by in amusement. Finally, finding his voice, Rubiti looked up, brown eyes flaring with the same determination as earlier.

"I'm here for the Orange Immortality." Rubiti stared up into Cigam's glowing blue eyes, his hands clenched into fists. He wasn't about to inform Cigam why he wanted the fruit, it wasn't a memory he liked to relive. However, the god crossed his arms and looked bemusedly down at Rubiti.

"And I assume you want such a valuable orange for your own personal gains, mortal?" asked the God of Judgement, as if he had heard the story before and knew what all mortals wanted. He eyed Rubiti lazily as the young man bit his bottom lip in slight hesitance.

However, sighing heavily, Rubiti closed his eyes and unsteadily leaned against the tree behind him. Around him, Rubiti heard the slight rustles of animals in the trees, and the occasional unidentified sound.

"No. I've been questing for this fruit for three months, for my the children in my home town." Slowly, Rubiti's eyes opened, and stared at the grown dismally, "It's a town near the ocean, and three months ago the pirate, Crimson Hawk, and his crew terrorized the town. Kidnapped all the kids, told the parents if they didn't pay the ransom, that they were going to kill all their children."

Cigam still looked bemused, and he levelly watched Rubiti. The young man's hands were pressed up against the trunk of the tree he leaned on, and just slightly his fingers were trembling. Rubiti kept his eyes locked on the ground as he continued to retell his story.

"But, the villagers weren't able to come up with the ransom that Crimson wanted. It was near three million dollars, and it was no surprise that the villagers were unable to come up with it. So, the kids were killed." Rubiti's last sentence was released in a whisper, but he continued on anyway.

"Thirty-two children, seven babies. I should have been there to protect the families, but I was off looking for gold. Any valuable treasure to add to my collection." Cigam inclined his head slightly, raising an eyebrow as he detected a bitter note in Rubiti's voice, "I was a fool, thinking there was nothing more valuable than jewels and gold. When I came back to the town, everybody was dressed in black, and it was horribly silent. All the villagers were mourning for the town's lost youth."

Rubiti looked up, meeting Cigam's gaze with brown, watery eyes, but they weren't sorrowful. Rubiti's eyes were glinting in the soft moon light, and were filled with tenacity, "That day I knew that the most valuable treasure wasn't gold or jewels. It was life. And the lives of children are beyond the most valuable thing on this earth. I remembered the tale of Orange Immortality, and set out. I went from port to port, finding all information on where to find this island, and what lurked on it."

There was a pause, and Rubiti smirked in grim, rueful humor, "Of course, no one told me you were here waiting, God Cigam. Here I was worried about the Orange Immortality being a myth, and my greatest worry should have been getting past you."

The god continued to stare at Rubiti, letting his gaze sink into the deep, chocolate brown depths of the young mortal's eyes. Rubiti's breath caught in this throat, and he remained still, clutching at the bark of the tree behind him. Cigam's eyes were glowing brighter, and Rubiti knew what that meant. The God of Judgement was scouring his soul, searching for the truth behind Rubiti's words.

The raven-haired mortal tensed, and clenched his eyes shut. He was preparing himself to fight for the fruit if he was deemed unworthy and untruthful. Nothing was going to stop him from getting that fruit and bringing those children back to life. Nothing. He even kept the town from burying the children, convincing the villagers that he'd find a way to bring them back to life.

Finally, Cigam's deep voice sounded, and Rubiti opened his eyes to face his fate without fear. He glared up at the God, awaiting the verdict as his nails dug into the bark of the tree. Clenching his teeth together, Rubiti felt every muscle in his body tense in anticipation.

"You show much determination for a mortal, boy." Started the dark-skinned god, as his blue eyes flickered across Rubiti's face, "And such a cause is worthy. But, I cannot allow you to take an orange of Immortality. They are the property of Shin, God of Gods, and his wrath would be horrendous if he found a mortal had taken one of his precious fruits, let alone thirty-odd oranges."

Rubiti felt the lump in his throat drop down into his stomach. His eyes were glued to Cigam's face, and burned in rebellious anger.

"No." Muttered Rubiti, in a devastated cracking voice that was held together by perseverance. Before the young man knew what he was doing, he had lunged at the god, grabbing the surprised being by the shoulders and slamming him down to the ground. Straddling Cigam, Rubuti continued to shout, "No. No. No! I need those oranges. Not thirty-nine! Seven or even six will do! I don't need immortality, I just need the kids to come back to life! They don't deserve to be dead!"

Rubiti's hands shook, and the trembling climbed up Rubiti's arms. Tears were starting to stream out of the pirate's eyes, and down his tanned face, landing on Cigam's tunic. The God of Judgement watched Rubiti, still struck dumb by the fact that the mortal had lunged at him. The tears glistened lightly in the moonlight as Rubiti continued his pleas.

"Strike me dead after the kids are returned to life! I don't care! Just allow me to fix the mistake I've made! Please!" Rubiti's shoulders started to shake as his grip loosened on Cigam's shoulders. The young mortal's voice was starting to crack again, and threatened to break if his pleas were ignored.

Cigam watched at Rubiti's shaking overtook the mortal's whole body. The more he shook, the softer Rubiti's voice became, until it was softer than the clouds that hovered in the sky. The god sighed in despair and closed his eyes. In an instant he was gone, leaving the huddled figure of Rubiti on the ground, fingers digging into the earth under him as he continued to sob in silence.

Rubiti remained in the same position all through the night, and bristled once he felt the warm rays of the sun hit his skin. Old remainders of tears remained streaked on his cheeks, and he stared hopelessly down at his dirty hands. His eyes were glistening in despair, and failure.

"I failed." He muttered, trembling as tears started to form in his eyes again, "I-I-I lost...everything."

The lump had returned to Rubiti's throat, and started to increase in size as if attempting to choke Rubiti to death. Feeling nausea swell in his stomach due to the disgust in himself, he slowly got to his feet. Looking around, Rubiti thought he'd see Cigam sitting near the tree, watching him. Yet nothing graced his brown eyes save for the Orange Immortality tree.

A glimmer of hope alighted in Rubiti's eyes again, and he stepped towards the tree. Determination returned to his body, and he rigidly continued to move closer to the tree. Once he was close enough, Rubiti looked around again, seeing no god or goddess in sight, he snatched an orange from a low limb.

Again, he looked around, his hand holding the orange shook as he anticipated the God of Gods popping up to kill him. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he shrugged off his shirt and pulled the sleeves inside it. Knotting the sleeves, so a huge knot rested over the hole for the head, Rubiti started to steal oranges from the tree, silently begging Shin and Cigam for forgiveness. He hopped they'd allow him to live long enough to give the children another chance at life.

However, Rubiti kept to his word and took only six oranges. The juice would be enough to bring the children back to life. He wished not to make them immortal by feeding them all the juice from one fruit.

The pirate looked around once more, bolting from the tree, his precious treasure clutched to his chest. Running blindly through the forest, Rubiti stumbled every now and then, but remained upright in balance. The last thing he needed was to trip and squash all the oranges he had. Every sound that echoed through the island made the captain run faster, until he found himself nearing the sun bleached cliff.

Sweat ran down his back and chest as he gasped for breath, the sun overhead was burning with the intensity of one wishing to broil a duck. Rubiti stared up at the cliff before him, still attempting to catch his breath, then looked down at the oranges that sat in his shirt, glimmering with moist coolness in the sun.

Shaking his head, Rubiti glared up the cliff determinedly, before slipping the top of his make-shift bag through his belt and knotting the cloth to his pants through three belt loops. With the bull-headed tenacity that lived deep in his soul, Rubiti started to climb up the cliff, hoping to at least get the oranges to his Advisor before the Gods found out what he had done.

Pacing down the ship, Advisor Barnaby was trying to thwart all worrisome doubts that were trying to embed themselves into his brain. It was nearing noon, and the old man was starting to become shaky with fear. Every other minute, Barnaby wiped at his brow, which was doused in sweat, and waited for his lord to return. Hoping that the man would return.

"Advisor!" Shouted a young boy from the crow's nest in glee as he pointed to the cliff side, "Captain returns! Captain returns!"

Barnarby's eyes shot up to the cliff side, and tears of joy sprung to his eyes as the figure of his captain emerged from the top of the cliff. The advisor laughed as the tears fell from his face upon seeing the shirt Rubiti was wearing was now a make-shift bag, carrying, no doubt, the fruits his lord had been searching for.

But, soon fear fell over Barnaby's face as he watched his captain sway back and forth. Then, to all the advisor's fears, the man fell forward, plummeting for the deck of the ship.

"Zinsil!" shrieked the Advisor, frozen to his post beside the ship's steering wheel, his eyes wide as the once joyful tears now turned sour in fright. In horror, he watched as the man slammed into the wooden deck, and a horrendous bone-shattering crack whipped through the air.

Again, the advisor shrieked Rubiti's name, as did others of the crew, and rushed forward to the captain. The man rolled over, his arm laying at an painful angle and his eyes closed in pain. Cuts ranged around his body, and slowly bled. Yet, ignoring this searing pain, Rubiti's unbroken arm went to the bag on his belt, and he tugged it free of his belt loops.

"Get out of my way!" Wailed Barnaby as he shoved aside crew members to kneel over his lord's body. Rubiti slowly opened his eyes halfway, and smiled painfully up at Barnaby. Attempting to lift the bag, Rubiti murmured, "Please, get this to the villager's children, Barnaby."

The advisor's eyes widened, but he took the bag in silence. Once the burden was lifted away from him, Rubiti laughed weakly, tears slipping into his glittering eyes. Then, finally, the tenacious eyes closed, and Rubiti let out one body-heaving sigh.

And all fell quiet over the ship, save for the sniffling and sobbing of the crew as they stared helplessly down at their beloved captain. Above them, a raven circled overhead, eyes blue and glowing as it sang out a death requiem, before disappearing over the cliffs.

A town on the edge of the sea, once wrought with black streamers decorating the street, and used to the noisy sobbing of mothers and silent cries of fathers, now watched as the sun set over the azure ocean. Sitting in the town docks bobbed a magnificent ship dubbed the S.S. Mystic, which basked in the light rays of the setting sun.

All the villagers sat on the docks, watching the sea and the sun in it's glittering, fiery performance. Some were crying tearfully, while others were holding babies close to their bosom. Children ran up and down the wooden dock, giggling and laughing as they played their games. One child broke apart from the crowd, and scampered over to her mother.

"Mother, why are we at the dock? Are we waiting for someone important?" The girl tilted her head to the side so that the rays of the setting sun played with her golden locks. Her blue eyes were flickering with innocent curiosity as the mother slowly turned to the child. Tears were glistening in the mother's eyes, as she smiled and hugged her daughter close.

"Yes, darling, we are waiting for someone very important." Whispered the woman as a single tear fell down her face, glittering lightly in the final rays from the sun. Slowly, the tear fell into the ocean with a soft 'plip', later joined silently by others as the sun went down. In the distance, a cloud lingered in the sky, determined to watch the sun set before dispersing.