Hey guys, long time no see! Sorry, I was a bit busy so had no time to write. But here we are with a new chapter. This is a bit short, because I intended this to be a start of an new sub-arc with new characters. Whatever, have fun!
Everything happened at once. A gun fired, then another; then a dozen of it... Bullets was flying everywhere, there was no way to tell who was targeting whom. Air was heavy with gunpowder and smoke.
Guess what? Vladimir was in the middle of that hell.
" What the fuck? " He thought to himself just before ducking under a sword, a buckler to be exact. Without thinking, the hemomancer touched to his attacker, poisoning his blood in the process and making sure he'll die in a minute. Pity.
He drew blood from someone, a pirate, using it for exploding outwards. Pikes of blood teared the flesh of those who close to Vladimir. Men fell down with screams. " Did they got played? Or was this just an another scheme of Jhin? "
On his account, Jhin also had questions. Firstly, how the hell Caitlyn managed to reach Gankplank's crew? He always knew that there was a leak in connections, it was not unexpected when you're working with thousand different gang in three continent, but the second mate of the Fortuna II? It shouldn't be possible. This was like Jayce working for Jhin.
" Take no prisoners! " Talon shout beside Jhin. He cut a man down, turned on his heels swifly and threw his knives. Three fell down as the metals found their targets. Jhin had to give him, Shadow of Blades was fighting with vigor
" Find Billy Bones! " Jhin shout back. The man who sold all of them. As he saw someone sneaking upon Talon he fired his gun, Whisper. A bullet, infused with black magic left the barrel only to kill another one of his enemies.
His target died in an instant and fell to floor, but even if Talon had realized Jhin just saved his hide, he didn't showed it. " We'll get to it too! "
" We shall… "
At the same time, while all that were happening, Vlad was fighting alongside with Israel and Gankplank in order to survive in the madness surrounding them.
" Jhin! " Vlad shout, trying to have the virtuoso's attention.
Luckily, he heard Vladimir, who was fighting on the deck. " What!? "
" What's happening!? "
Before even Vlad could warn him a man tackled Jhin and they both fell down to the wooden floor. " How barbaric..." he murmured to himself then fired the Whisper. Another one of magic infused bullets flew forward, ripping the heart of the man on top of him.
Quickly Jhin got onto his feet like nothing happened. " Caitlyn is happening!"
The Sherrif? " I thought you said you were going to find a way to deal with her! "
"As you can clearly see, I am trying to! " Jhin shout back. " Find Billie Bones! And be quick! "
"Who the fuck is he!? "
" Vlad I also wanna have a long talk with you! " An explosion heard somewhere near Jhin. " But my hands are a little bit full right now! FIND HIM!"
Guessing that Billie guy was the reason they were in this mess, Vladimir turned around and made his way to Gankplank. Withi some help, they were somehow managed to fend the crew off.
" Who the fuck is Billie Bones? " He asked as he grabbed Gankplank's shoulder. They had to shout even though they were close to each other.
" My second mate! " Gankplank answered. There was blood splattered all over his body but Vladimir guessed that none belonged to him. The old pirate was smiling. " Why!? "
" Jhin asked! " he replied, wondering if the answer he just gave was a sensible one. Gankplank had no idea about what's happening and likely thinking Jhin was attacking him and his ship, not defending.
" Bastard escaped! " said Israel. " He was the leader mutineers but upon hearing you guys getting 'board he flew off! "
" What mutineers!? "
Gankplank laughed roaringly as he cut a man down. " Look around! "
What was they gotten into? A pirate mutiny? And what was making it worse, the whole thing being caused by Caitlyn. He never thought she could be that dangerous. Damn, and it was only drugs…
The whole, mutiny thing ended after an hour full of fighting. Without a leader, men were already ready to drop their swords, they just needed a little bit of concinving. Talon's blades, Jhin's gun and Vladimir's exploding blood trick also helped things go faster...
To their luck, no one had thought about cutting the ropes or burning sails, or doing any real damage to the ship. Maybe it was because rebellion intented to keep pirating, or maybe because it was about the respect they had.
All in all, the ship was still ready to sail.
" Did you find Bones? " Jhin asked as he came closer to Vladimir.
Under the mast of the ship, remnants of the Bones' men were tied down to each other and to main mast, waiting for judgment. All had that defiant look on their faces, a detail Vladimir didn't liked, not even a bit.
" He had escaped long before the fight starts. " Vladimir answered. " How'd all that happened? "
Instead of Jhin, Gankplank answered. " We took Billy in a few years ago. He was a soldier from Demancian navy. "
" By force, I assume. "
" He joined us. "
" A man of Demancia never deserts. How did he? "
" There was a fight. A small frigate, named Jarvan III found us near the Ionian shores after a plunder. We were down to thirty man, so we tried to escape. But one our mast was broken down so she catched us. "
" Note that, Billie wasn't a Demancian. He was a refugee from Zaun. " Israel added.
" So he had no chance of moving up. Could only be a simply sailor, nothing more. And he thought joining to you will be more profitable. " said Vladimir.
" Or so we thought." Gankplank agreed with him. "In the fight, just as we were about to lose he blew off the gunpowder barrels in their ship, killing his captain and half of his mates. "
" You know what happened then. He was smart, brave and could fight like a mad dog. Quickly became our second mate." Israel completed his captain.
" While keeping in contact with his Demancian uppers. " said Jhin. There was a subtle anger in his voice. " He never deserted. Jarvan III, she was sent to death. All that thing was a fake... Then Caitlyn reached him, with the help of Crownguards I think and tried to foil our plans by an uprising."
The plots of Demancia was nothing new to his lifes, but it didn't make them less annoying. " So he went to Caitlyn now? "
" Withput a doubt. " Jhin growled. Bones' was Caitlyn's only known contact. " If I knew Caitlyn, she had already gave him to the Demancia. "
Only place they had no chance of reaching. Unlike Ionia, Demancia was organized, with all of their champions monitoring all and any threats…
" We can't reach there… " said Talon. Vladimir had no idea how Jhin convinced him to come help. The blade master always seemed eager about Jhin failing.
" What happened to spy network in there? "
Talon shrugged. " Got busted a month ago... "
" Fuck! " said Vladimir and Jhin together. The hemomancer added; " If he crosses the border, "
" Then we'll have no chance to get him. " Talon completed his sentence.
" We need to deal with this." Turning, Jhin signed one the men around. A young boy still in his seventeens, with a strong jaw and piercing blue eyes. His shoulders were broad, golden blonde mane was flowing down to his neck like a poem. " You. Come here. "
" What, sir? "
Jhin produced a piece of paper from his pocket. " Take this. Go to The League and find the Hall Of Champions. Head to West Wing. Look for a woman with violet skin tone but not the horned one. "
" Maybe, the horny one… " Vlad added with a smirk.
" You got it? " Jhin asked.
The blonde sailor shook his head. " Hall, West Wing, the horny purple woman. "
" Perfect. Tell her, the Khada Jhin sent you and give the paper. She'll do the rest. Then return here immediately. "
Vlad grinned again. Return here immidiately?
Shooking his head again, the young sailor went off running.
" Poor fool. " Gankplank mumbled after he left the hearing distance. " Purple woman. You send him to Evelynn. "
" I may be. " Jhin replied without care. " Desperate times desperate measures. Do you like that guy? "
" Nah. " Gankplank flashed a crooked smile. " Not really. "
" No problems then. " said the virtuoso. " And Talon, I'm gonna need a bunch of safe passages to Noxia and Zaun. "
To everyones surprise, Talon said; " Consider it done."
Seems even they could work together, time to time.
The virtuoso turned to Gankplank. " Captain, carry on with loading the ship. You must be ready when the time comes. "
So he was still intending to do it. " Are we really still doing this? " Vladimir asked in surprise. Risks were a Demancian fleet already blocked all available ports.
" Of course. " Jhin turned to the remaining crew answered. " This is a big deal! Lots of money! For everyone! "
################
" Are you okay? " Caitlyn asked to the man in sailor clothes.
Bones clenched his teeth in pain. " Got shot... " What's hurting him was not the teared flesh but the defeat. For a moment he was this close to killing Gankplank, then another he got shot by that maniac Jhin and fell to water.
By gods or by pure luck no one had noticed Billy went missing in the heat of battle. He quietly swam to shore and crawled to the League. He thought going to Garen for a moment, then remembered his official status with Demancia. No way he could go to his commander so he went to Caitlyn's room.
She looked to the bullet hole in his left arm with concerned eyes. Even when she's talking, flesh around the tear was slowly darkening. " Wound is decaying faster then it should be. What happened? "
How did he learned about the coup? Billie thought if there was a leak in his connections..." That freak shot me… "
" Jhin?" Caitlyn replied with a puzzled look. " It's not possible. If he had shot you, you would be dead by now. He never misses. "
" He did now! " Billie hissed through his teeth.
" Unless… " Quickly getting onto her feet, Caitlyn grabbed the rifle strapped to her back. " You need to go! Can you travel? "
" What's happening!?"
" Jhin. He left you alive for a reason. " said Caitlyn, looking around to see if there is any traps in her room. Under the bed, inside the cupboards, the armiore. Normally, no one ever tries to do that, considering it too risky in the League borders, but this was Jhin. One can never be too cautious. " And I imagine this was not for a pleasant chatter. "
" What we'll do!? " Now, he was beginning to panic. Billie heard the stories about infamous Khada Jhin too.
" My friend, Jayce, will be here in any minute. " Caitlyn replied, taking cover under the windows. " You'll go to Ionia. "
" What? What happened to Demancia!? "
" Jhin probably figured out who you are. He'll be sending men to the places you'll likely to be. " said Caitlyn. " We can't send you to Demancia. You die probably in an hour if any of his men find you. That, if he doesn't find you by himself. "
" Greeaaat... " Billie murmured to himself.
