Here is the twenty eighth or so chapter of the Black Glove Pirates. To summarize: Cassandra and Lyn are in their cell, one waiting and one sleeping, Damien has just put his head on the block, and Alexander has just created a key for something that may or may not be his cell.
Alexander was shaken from his sleep by what sounded like an elephant stampede during an earthquake. He fell to the floor in a most undignified manner, somehow ending up with his feet above his head. Grumbling darkly as he righted himself, he rubbed his aching head and stared through his seastone bars. "What is going on?"
As expected, he received no response from the guards rushing by his cell door. He carefully leaned on the bars, ensuring that a couple layers of fabric rested between his skin and the substance, and gazed in the direction where the guards were coming from. It took almost a full minute, but eventually the gaggle thinned out. He carefully withdrew the metal key from his jacket pocket, holding it gingerly between his fingers. He tapped it lightly against the bars, reverting it back into stone. He prayed that the rock was strong enough to hold up against the door lock as he inserted it into the hole. Closing her eyes and holding his breath, he slowly twisted it around.
A light click sounded out.
He allowed himself a small smirk as he pushed the door with a dark shoe. He strode into the hallway, savoring his first breath of freedom. The dim moonlight reflected in his glasses and shone off of the buttons on his rumpled suit. He exhaled and adjusted his tie, pleased with himself. And Raven wondered what use I was for the crew…
"Halt!" cried a voice from his left. "Get back in your cell!"
Alexander started as he saw a delayed Imperial Guard stop a few cells down he hallway. His joy rapidly vanished when he saw the spear pointed directly at his heart. He froze, trying to figure out what to do. The other prisoners had started paying attention and were clamoring to be released as well. He didn't know what to do; he couldn't think. He remembered his captain's warning that he wouldn't stand a chance. Merely by staring at the Imperial Guard, he knew that she was right. The guard, not taking any chances, made a swift jab in his direction. He barely dodged to the side, feeling the spearhead rip through his suit and graze his skin.
"Alexander!" he heard from behind him. "Free me and I will aid you!"
The musician trusted Nikasen, but the guard showed no signs of letting him release the other prisoner. He lunged for the key still stuck in the door, but his opponent was faster. She swung her spear in a sharp downward slash, breaking the key in half. "End of the line, pirate!"
"Eau Magie!" Alexander cried out, deciding to try to make another key. He slammed his hand into the floor, dissolving the stones completely. The woman let out a yelp of surprise as she fell to the floor below in a gush of water. He quickly cupped some of the water in his hand and ran back into his cell, pouring it into the impression he had made earlier. He turned the water into metal and picked up the makeshift key, rushing outside once more.
He stiffened as he felt the spear prick his throat, a soaking wet guard holding the other end. "You can't free anybody, scum. You'll receive no help from them!"
Alexander was suddenly struck with another idea. "You are correct: not from them! Eau Magie!"
The spear dissolved into crystal clear liquid and dropped limply to the floor. He retreated slightly and watched her reaction. The Imperial Guard was shocked for less than a second, apparently accustomed to rapidly-changing battle situations. She leapt forward and dealt a sharp kick to his cheek, shaking his head like maracas. The dazed musician would have tumbled to the ground had his stomach not come into contact with something quite hard and unforgiving: her knee. The wind was knocked from his lungs and he let out a pained gasp, praying that she would let up for a split second.
She didn't. The next attack came in the form of getting his feet swept out from under him and a solid kick to his side, sending him tumbling down the hallway. He felt his glasses bend, but not shatter, as he bounced along the rough floorstones. His roll was cut short as he collided with the Imperial Guard's boot. She roughly grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him into the air, slamming him against a nearby cell door. He let out a shrill cry of pain as he came into contact with the seastone bars. The brutal blows had already robbed him of the ability to breathe properly; the seastone made him feel like he was suffocating. He felt tears well up at the corners of his eyes as unbelievable pain shot through his body, almost fully paralyzing him.
"How does it feel?" the guard hissed. "We of the Imperial Guard take our jobs very seriously. All prisoners attempting to violate either of the rules here are severely punished." She slammed him against the bars again. "And you broke both of them. Can you even imagine what hell you'll be going through?"
He couldn't muster enough air to articulate a response.
She threw him to the ground and kicked him hard in the gut. "You'll feel pain you can't even begin to think about. You'll be tortured, mentally raped, over and over, for what will seem like an eternity. To top it all off, you'll suffer knowing that your friend is enduring whatever you are, tenfold."
"…What?" he managed, spitting out a mouthful of reddish saliva.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the guard cooed with a syrupy sweet voice. "Did I forget to mention? The disturbance down below? It's your fellow pirate, who slaughtered over a hundred prisoners without a second thought and now he's attacking guards. He doesn't seem to be one for morals. But we'll catch him, make no doubt about that, and we'll break him nonethele-"
Her boast was cut short as he reached forward and grabbed her pant leg in a weak grip. "Don't… say… that… Verre…"
He channeled most of his remaining energy into his loose fist. The guard made as if to attack, but found that moving proved to be difficult. She looked down at herself and saw that her underclothes were plainly visible through a sheet of glass. She froze when she realized the implications: if she moved, the glass would shatter and cut into her skin.
Alexander gave a pained smirk as he began pulling himself over to the hole he had created previously. Along the way, he threw his new key at Nikasen, hoping that the apprentice would get it. More than anything, he hoped that the key would hold up to the lock. He had only had enough time to create half of it, after all. After a few more painful pulls, he was at the lip of the gaping hole in the ground. Without a second thought, he pushed himself over the edge, needing the reinforcements he knew would come. As far as he could remember, the bars of the cells below were composed solely of simple iron…
After hanging onto the lip long enough to partially right himself, he landed painfully in a puddle of water, his leg slipping out from underneath him and falling fully to the floor. Shaking water from his eyes, he tried to stand, biting back a cry as he felt pain shoot up his left leg. By the feel of it, it was broken. Scrunching up his face as he raised himself into a kneeling position, he put his hands out and planted them on the bars, praying that he was right. He nearly sighed in relief as his fingers came into contact with normal, cool metal. "Eau Magie!"
He felt a foot kick him in the back, sending him sprawling to the floor. He let out a gasp of pain as somebody planted their knee on his neck, preventing him from moving. "You think you're pretty clever, don't you?" the guard breathed into his ear. "A few cuts won't prevent me from doing my job, so nice try. Unfortunately for you, none of the prisoners on this floor are stupid enough to try to fight us. You're just earned yourself a one-way ticket to-"
Her knee suddenly dug into his head, pressing his face further into the stone. His glasses shattered with a loud crunch and shards dug into his skin. Clutching his wounded face, he curled up into a ball, trying to minimize any more damage dealt to him. He felt something descend onto his shoulder and started, trying to withhold a pained hiss. Looking up, he realized with some surprise that Lyn was crouching next to him, her hand resting gently on his arm. Staring around, he smiled as he saw a vague outline of a person standing defiantly in front of him, his vision swimming and fading. "Don't even think about harming my musician."
\\'/.\\'/.\\'/.\\'/.\\
Cassandra stared down at the mostly-naked Imperial Guard, her cowboy hat casting dark shadows across her eyes. She had been leaning on her door and staring at the moon when she suddenly pitched forwards, but managed to keep herself from falling. After seeing the water on the floor and realized what had happened, she roused Lyn from her slumber and set out to find the free alchemist. She had apparently found him in the nick of time, just as he was about to be permanently incapacitated by the guard.
The aforementioned guard sprang to her feet, ignoring her bruised cheek. "Back in your cell, pirate. Don't make me force you."
"Please," scoffed Cassandra. "I just got free. There's no way I'm going back. Voluntas Carnae!"
The Imperial Guard lunged forward, but Cassandra was ready for her. She dodged to the side and threw her hand out, dealing a swift chop to the woman's throat. Lyn jumped in as well with a well-placed uppercut to the jaw. The guard stumbled a bit, then turned back around, looking more furious than before. "That's it. You're going to hell, express!"
"Hey, Captain! Captain!" Lyn exclaimed. "Remember what I was trying to get you to do last time? Can we try it? Pleeeeeease?"
The puppy-dog look Lyn had on her face was impossible to resist. She sighed, put her ring onto her gloved hand, and clenched it into a fist. "Very well, Lyn. Let's go!"
"Give me your best shot!" the Imperial Guard shouted.
The two pirates gave broad grins, one eager and playful, the other vicious and waiting. "Farben von Isis!"
Cassandra bent over and let Lyn use her back as a springboard, grimacing slightly at the impact. Feeling the first mate fly forward, she dipped to the side and lunged forward as well, trying to catch her opponent in a pincer movement. The guard was quick enough to dodge both punches, but was unable to launch an effective counterattack. Lyn slid along the floor and braced her shoulder against the stones to strengthen her upward kick, which the guard barely deflected. Cassandra used the upraised leg as a boost, leaping into the air and executing a neat butterfly kick. Her eyes widened as the guard grabbed her boot and swung her around, slamming her into the floor and fracturing a bone or three. Her eyes crossed temporarily as a dull buzz vibrated within her ears.
Despite her injuries, she began to clamber to her feet, intent on finishing off the guard somehow. Much to her surprise, she was hoisted upright by an eager first mate, who managed to jump over a particularly quick low kick. Cassandra grinned thankfully and caught her breath, thinking of her next course of action. By now, she was no stranger to close combat, yet her hand-to-hand skills were merely above average. Unlike Lyn, who seemed fine without her rapier, she would feel a lot better with a physical weapon between her fingers. How had Alexander managed to cut the woman up that badly? He must have had something, something that she could use…
"Lyn, can you hold her off for a bit?" she asked, deflecting a rapid jab and throwing one of her own. "I have an idea that might help us out a bit."
The first mate nodded and took up a defensive stance, her grin unfaltering. "Whatcha have in mind?"
"No matter," Cassandra shouted, rushing backwards and searching for a certain hole in the ceiling. "Just give me a boost!"
Lyn caught her meaning instantly, forming a step with her interlaced fingers. Cassandra leapt onto her hands and was thrown into the air, her fingers barely managing to catch the edge. She dangled there for a moment, watching as the Imperial Guard threw a flurry of punches and kicks, only a fraction of which Lyn could fully avoid. The rest hammered into her defense, threatening to overwhelm her. Summoning her strength, Cassandra pulled as hard as she could, bringing her head above the slanted lip. The moon glittered off of glass shards and hazel eyes alike as she found what she was looking for. Grabbing a sizable piece in one gloved hand, she dropped back down to the floor below and prepared herself. "Voluntas Carnae!"
She sprinted forward just as Lyn's guard was broken, delivering a nasty front kick and knocking the Imperial Guard aside. Crouching beside the downed first mate, she muttered out of the corner of her mouth, "Are you alright?"
"Dear spirits, that hurt," Lyn groaned, her bruised lips still drawn in a cheerful smile. "Hurry up next time, will you?"
Cassandra could detect the reprimand underneath the jesting tone in the pirate's voice. "Go tend to Alexander. She is mine."
"Go get her!" Lyn shouted, rising slowly to her feet.
Grunting affirmatively, Cassandra began weaving from side to side, eyes scanning for an opening. The Imperial Guard had caught sight of her new weapon and was behaving more cautiously, not wanting to lose more blood than she already had. Cassandra feinted to the right, trying to attract the guard's attention. However, the guard was not fooled and lashed out with a powerful roundhouse kick, forcing Cassandra to dance back out of her reach. She needed to get in close and attack with her makeshift knife, but the Imperial Guard showed no signs of letting up her defense.
Cassandra grinned as she was struck with an idea. She slammed her gloved fist into her right palm, listening to the glass shatter in her clenched hand. Darting forward, she threw out her hand, sending the particles of glass hurtling at the guard. Unfortunately, her opponent was faster than she had expected. The Imperial Guard dashed forward as well, shielding her face with an already-bleeding arm. Cassandra had no time to slow down as she ran directly into the guard's chest. Grinning cruelly, the guard grabbed her in a tight hug and flipped backwards into the air, spinning around slightly. "Take this, bitch! Imperial Pile Driver!"
The pirate captain let out a gasp of pain as she was smashed into the floor. By the feel of it, several of her blood vessels had ruptured and more than a few bones were broken. With the power of that attack, she was lucky that none of her internal organs had been damaged. Nevertheless, it would be some time before she would be well enough to move quickly again.
Her eyes widened as the Imperial Guard planted a foot on her throat, beginning to slowly choke her. "Fools! We are the elite, the top fighters in the world. What hope do you have of victory? You cannot defeat me! Your fighting skill is far below mine, or that of any other guards on this island! How do you dream of escape? Your fat friend will be locked away forever, you will be executed right here, and your bitch will be whored off to whatever scum we manage to dredge up from the bowels of this land! You will all suffer!"
""We all have dreams to fulfill!" Lyn shouted, shooting to her feet beside the unconscious musician. "We won't die here!"
The guard gave a bark of derision. "Dreams? You make me laugh. Your dreams are worthless. They will achieve nothing."
"No…" Cassandra managed, grabbing the woman's foot and easing the pressure on her neck. "I… will be… Queen… of the Pirates. Be… sure of… that."
"Yeah?" the Imperial Guard sneered. "And how do you plan to achieve this fantasy?"
"Because we still have one more nakama," Lyn retorted, crossing her arms defiantly. "One whose fighting skill is better than yours will ever be! He's a sadistic bastard, but he's still one of us!"
The Imperial Guard was about to retort, but something drew her attention. The buzz had increased to a loud roar, which was evolving into a polyphony of screams and yells. The stairs began glowing a flickering orange hue, signaling the approach of their final hope. Cassandra imagined what the navigator would do if she told him that they all depended on him when they were most desperate. He would probably laugh and go back to doing whatever he wanted without a care in the world, but the fact still remained true. Despite all his flaws, they needed him right now.
"I thought they had him contained!" the guard shouted, dashing over to the stairs. "There is no way that-"
The rest of her sentence mutated into an agonized scream as a gout of flame erupted from the stairwell and completely engulfed her. The ground shook as their one and only navigator exploded through the wall, falling at their feet amid hunks of rock and mortar. He was completely immersed in flames and blood, his growl reverberating like thunder. Cassandra couldn't help but grin. She was glad to have him back.
Her smile evaporated as a horde of Imperial Guards streamed in from the hole he had created. Damien struggled to his feet, his ponderous bulk preventing him from moving quickly. Guards darted in like hornets, poking at him with their spears and keeping him at a distance. Forcing herself into a sitting position against a nearby wall, Cassandra picked up a handful of pebbles and began slowly flicking them at the guards, aiming for their eyes and mouths. "Fall back, pirates! Let's blow this joint! Damien, I need your help to stand!"
Lyn wholeheartedly agreed and began making for the exit, hoisting Alexander across her shoulders. Unfortunately, Damien seemed hell-bent on taking on the wave of soldiers, unwilling to depart until he stated his hunger for slaughter. Frowning, the pirate captain sent a small rock whizzing past his head, attracting his attention. "Damien, we are leaving! Now!"
The crazed navigator whirled around, dreadlocks spinning around his head, and gave an earsplitting roar. He lunged forward and threw out his shackled arms, his claws leaving lines of fire hanging in the air. Only Cassandra's enhanced reflexes saved her life. She dipped backwards, listening as deep furrows were gouged into the wall above her. "What the hell, Damien?"
Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the problem. His face was covered in deep gashes and blood was flowing freely into his eyes, completely blinding him. He bounded forward once more, his flaming feet drawn back to deliver a devastating kick. Cassandra used her foot and hand to flip herself over and land on the floor, narrowly avoiding his attack as he plowed directly through the wall. However, she had again forgotten about his great metal wings, brutally reminded of them as they crashed into her body and sent her skidding across the floorstones. She eventually slid to a stop, her head spinning. She lay there for a moment, slowly regaining her senses. Her eyes focused just as Damien hurtled at her again, spinning around to increase the power of his mace-like arms. She tried to move out of the way, but her body wouldn't respond in time.
Suddenly, something large and white dropped in front of her, obscuring her vision. "Bao He."
She saw in shock as Damien flew right above her head, crashing into the group of Imperial Guards. Shaking her head slightly, she gave a clipped cry of surprise as she was gently pulled to her feet by a pair of strong, calloused hands. Whirling about, she saw a tall bald man staring down at her with kind brown eyes. "Are you all right, Captain Black Glove?"
"Who are you?" she asked in surprise, wiping a trickle of blood away from her temple.
"I am Apprentice Nikasen," the fighter said, standing up straight. "I have met your musician, who is a fascinating man. To think that he was able to free himself, then you and I not long afterwards, is astounding. He goes to prove that looks can be deceiving. However, the most pressing matter is-"
A loud growl cut into their conversation. Violently knocking aside the multitude of guards trying to keep him down, Damien rose to his feet once more. He turned to face Cassandra, his breath manifesting in short blasts of fire. "Why are you attacking me?" she shouted at him. "I am your captain!"
"He is completely immersed in the battle at this point," Nikasen told her. "And he perceives you as the greatest threat."
As if to prove Nikasen's point, the psychotic pirate threw himself at her once more, but the fighter placed himself between the two once more. He began moving his arms in a slow spiraling motion, preparing himself for the oncoming navigator. "Bao He!"
Cassandra watched with shock as Nikasen lifted Damien up as if the pirate weighed no more than a beach ball. Damien flipped through the air and left a crater in the floor as he landed. A cloud of red flew from his mouth as he gave a pained grunt, blood flowing from his wounds. After a second or so, he pushed himself upright and charged forward again, his shackled arms drawn back. "Diavolo Gorilla!"
"How do you do that?" the pirate captain asked.
"I redirect the energy of his attack into my own," Nikasen replied. "Luo Xuan!"
The fighter leapt forward, meeting Damien head on. Damien threw his fist forward, but Nikasen grabbed it and used it to turn his own body around, driving his elbow into the navigator's jaw. Swearing loudly, Damien stumbled backwards and shook his head. Having recovered slightly, he lashed out with his bound feet. Nikasen launched himself into a handstand, letting his hands get kicked out from underneath him. He used this spinning motion to drive his feet into Damien's skull, causing the navigator to roar in pain. The two combatants fought like this for some time, every exchange of blows ending the same way: Damien would attack, Nikasen would somehow use it to deal damage back to the pirate.
After a particularly nasty roundhouse kick to the stomach, Damien was sent rolling across the floor, his partially-blinded eyes falling closed. Nikasen stood there, gasping for breath and staring at the burns manifesting on his palms. "He is far heavier and more powerful than I anticipated. I would hate to fight him if he were unshackled."
"But what am I supposed to do now?" Cassandra asked. "He weighs more than I can lift! There is no way that we will be able to drag him out, especially with the Imperial Guards attacking us."
"Speaking of which, why haven't the guards attacked us?" Loren chimed in.
"Why waste energy subduing two dangerous prisoners if they take each other out first?" Nikasen replied logically. "As for you, Cassandra, I would not worry about dragging him out just yet."
"What do you…" Cassandra trailed off, staring at her navigator. "He's not unconscious?"
Once again demonstrating his incredible constitution, Damien was climbing to his feet, staring at them with bloodied eyes. Nodding to Cassandra, Nikasen took a ready stance, slight facial spasms betraying the pain he was enduring. Cassandra watched in awe as the two fighters began their final attack. Damien was bleeding out and Nikasen looked as if he only had enough energy to stay a little longer. With this, it would all be decided.
"Hai Liu!" Nikasen bellowed, bringing his hands up and firmly planting himself on the ground.
"Diavolo Rinoceronte!" Damien roared, using his claws to propel forward at an alarming speed.
The guards were content to wait and try to apprehend whoever came out on top.
The entire scene seemed to slow down as he raced across the floor. Cassandra was wondering who would come out on top when something caught her attention. A blur of white had appeared out of the corner of her vision, racing towards the fighting duo. It flew the charging navigator and circled him once, striking at him with lightning-fast blows. Ducking out from underneath him, the blur slowed down enough for Cassandra to make out that it was a person dressed in the full clothing of the Imperial Guard. Outstanding. One of them could move faster than eye can see.
Surprise replaced her thoughts as the scene began to accelerate slightly and the effects of the guard's attack began to become evident. Damien was slowing down, his limbs were no longer moving as quickly as they had before, and he seemed to be losing control. Just as he was about to spring forward, he retracted his claws. His fingers and toes could not gain as much purchase in the stone floor and slipped out from underneath him, causing him to stumble slightly. His momentum was vanishing and his attack was falling apart.
Cassandra suddenly remembered that Nikasen's fighting style relied on his opponent's energy to deal damage. Turning to him, she saw that he realized this as well, trying rapidly to shift to a different stance. Before he could, Damien bulled into him, sending them both crashing to the floor.
Time seemed to resume at its normal pace.
The two fighters lay groaning an arms-length apart from one another, both breathing heavily and barely moving. The Imperial Guard who had just attacked Damien was still, merely staring at the pair. At first, nobody made a sound. Then, slowly but surely, cheering emerged from the surrounding guards, who were blocking every possible exit. Cassandra stared around, feeling all hope try to drain from her body. She wouldn't let it. Not yet. Not ever.
"How does it feel?" a guard taunted. "You almost made it!"
"You're worthless trash!" cried another. "You can't even control your own crewmate!"
"The lot of you deserve this, thinking you can defy us!" came a third voice. "We are the Imperial Guard of King Lui Juyon! You will never defeat us!"
Lyn was roughly shoved over to where Cassandra was, accidentally dropping the unconscious Alexander in the process. The jeering of the guards began to fill Cassandra's ears, but she kept her temper at bay for once. Her first mate was staring around, her smile gone from her face. It came back a little when she glanced at Cassandra, which was good enough. Alexander and Damien remained in their states of inactivity, though the latter was still emitting fearsome growls. He hadn't given up yet, and neither had she.
The badly burned, mostly naked Imperial Guard from before walked up to the pirate captain, staring down at her contemptuously. "What did I tell you? You have no hope of victory."
"There's always hope," Cassandra said calmly.
"These rings will be on your face forever," the guard said, poking Cassandra in the forehead hard enough to send her stumbling backwards. "Even in death, you will be our prisoner. Can you imagine that?"
"No, because it won't happen," Cassandra said. "I will remove them."
The Imperial Guard gave a derisive chuckle. "Keep telling yourself that." Shaking her head in amusement, she strode over to the short guard who had incapacitated Damien. "Nice job! Everybody, what do you say to letting this one carry out the punishment?"
Roars of agreement echoed around them. At this point, the restraint Cassandra had on her anger was growing thin. Pure, unadulterated hatred was boiling in her stomach. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the first guard hand the second a knife, her mind trying to figure out a way to seize the weapon and exact some retribution, no matter how small. The cheers of "Take the eye! Take the eye!" were distracting her enough to almost miss the guard stepping up in front of her. Her eyes snapped up, preparing herself for whatever suffering she would receive. However, her defenses fell apart and her jaw dropped as she stared at the guard's face. Her body involuntarily relaxed as she gaped in amazement, unable to form any coherent thought. "No way…" she whispered.
The guard suddenly whirled around, slashing the scantily-clad guard's neck open in one fluid motion. The cheering abruptly halted as the woman stared forward uncomprehendingly, her hands slowly going to her profusely bleeding throat. She fell to her knees, then to the floor, her eyes glazing over with death. The hallway fell completely silent as everybody process the events that had just occurred in front of them.
"What is the meaning of this?" a tall Imperial Guard asked gruffly, clutching his spear tightly. "Why did you kill her?"
"The Black Glove Pirates are an unorthodox crew." The guard's voice was monotonous, almost artificial. They pointed at Cassandra. "She, their captain, rules over the crew with friendship, not fear or power." The finger moved to Lyn. "She, their first mate, supports the captain and gets her through emotionally rough times." To Damien. "He, their navigator, can fight with the ocean itself and still come out on top." To Alexander. "He, their musician, boosts morale and keeps the crew from being disheartened."
"That does not answer my question," the guard stated.
Two eyes, as dark as voids in existence, focused upon his own. "And I, their doctor, keep the crew alive, no matter the collateral damage."
I can't really think of anything to say after this, except for that I couldn't let my arguably most popular character simply vanish from my story. Yet.
