It'd been a few weeks.
Outside, the wind was barely audible. The calm tide reached their ears along with a mixture of giddy laughter.
On deck, there were a few dimly lit candles that seeped into the darkness. Combined with the moon's rays, it was easier to see the cheerful board game.
"Boom!" Yang cheered as she threw down a card in triumph. "Trap card! Sucks to suck, Rubes!"
"Aw…" Ruby lowered her head in defeat. "Someone, please save my kingdom! We can't let it be controlled by- by her! How's she supposed to control two kingdoms when she doesn't even make her bed?!"
From that, Yang tilted her head. "How are those things related?"
Weiss chimed in and spoke for her captain. "It means you can't get the simplest of tasks completed. How do you expect to run two kingdoms when you can't even make a bed?"
Excitedly, Ruby pointed to her girlfriend. "What she said!"
Blake simply glanced to the older pirate, who had a bottle of mead next to him. "She takes after him."
"Me?" Qrow pointed to himself, which earned a nod. "What's the point of makin' a bed when you're going back in it?"
Yang flailed her hands in emphasis. "Thank you!"
A few chuckles sounded and several more cringe expressions.
Blake stared at him in disgust. "You don't mind the gross dust that settles on it?"
Qrow stubbornly crossed his arms. "If I can't see it, it doesn't bother me."
Weiss quirked a brow as she spoke in disbelief. "Germs don't bother you?"
Together, Qrow and Yang replied in unison.
"Nope."
Grossed out, Ruby said. "You guys are nasty."
Playfully, Blake rolled her eyes. "Says the girl who licks everything."
"That touches my face!" Ruby countered as she leaned up from her spot on the floorboards.
Wanting to toy with her, Weiss mentioned. "There are microscopic bacteria living on your face as we speak. You aren't licking them."
"Eh," Ruby shrugged like that didn't bother her in the slightest. "As long as they stay out of sight, they can live on my face all they want. Besides, I can't lick my eyeballs!"
Quietly, Blake muttered. "That image is disturbing…"
Suddenly, Qrow threw down one of the best cards in the game. He couldn't hide his poker face any longer as multiple gasps sounded. In victory, he took a swig of mead and glared at Yang.
"I destroyed one of your kingdoms in one turn," the pirate said arrogantly. "What're you gonna do about it?"
"No fair!" Yang whined.
"Yes fair!" Ruby pointed triumphantly.
As the blonde folded, she heaved a sigh.
By now, it'd been a couple of weeks since the ambush on the ship. Repairs for the Howling Thorn had been fixed thanks to hard work. For the cherry on top, Weiss' injuries were almost fully healed.
Through her friends' snickers, Blake's sensitive ears unintentionally flicked. Sometimes, her cat ears flickered subconsciously, but this time it felt like they adjusted with purpose. Sensing that was odd, she focused on the direction they'd turned. With effort, she honed in on a troubling noise. It sounded like metal clinking against metal. It could only mean one thing. The rush of a fight.
But we're in the middle of nowhere, Blake thought, thinking that was strange. Are enemies nearby?
Suddenly, the faunus stood. Since she was abrupt, that grabbed her crew's attention. Words of worry echoed, but Blake was too concentrated trying to pinpoint the noise.
More clashes. It couldn't be more than a mile away.
With a rush of adrenaline, Blake hopped up and started to scale the watchtower. Due to her sudden behavior, her crew stared as she scurried to the top. This couldn't be good.
"Uhhh…" Yang scratched her head in confusion. "What's goin' on? Wanna fill us in?"
Concentrated, Blake drowned out any unnecessary sounds. When she was firmly at the top, she scoured the area. It didn't take her long to find the source of the noises. With her night vision, she was able to clearly see who they were dealing with. Dread pooled in her stomach.
Under the moonlight, three tiger stripes were carved down an ominous black flag.
The Khans, the faunus realized, caught off guard. Why does it sound like they're fighting each other? Is someone trying to escape?
What happened the night she escaped was a night she wanted to forget. She'd done everything in her power to suppress it, but the sight caused her to relive it full force.
"Blake!" Ruby yelled, which snapped her out of her trance. "Who is it?!"
"It's the Khans!" Blake informed as she leaped down from the tower. "Do they own this territory, too?"
"The ocean is for all pirates. It's meant to be shared," Qrow answered, not liking the revelation. "Listen, we need to get out of here. We can fight Sienna on our own terms. Preferably when it's lighter outside."
Several nods. This wasn't exactly the best time for them to go head-to-head with the ruthless captain Sienna. The night would only be an advantage to her. Revenge could wait.
"Wait," Blake said hesitantly, which caused her friends to focus on her. She didn't want to say this, but something inside her nudged her to. Like it would be wrong to remain silent.
Sensing she was troubled, Ruby set a hand on her shoulder. "You can tell us, Blake."
"I think some faunus are trying to escape," Blake said. "They're making a lot of ruckus. They're fighting."
Instantly, Qrow quipped. "It's not our job to help them."
"I know," Blake lowered her head and took a deep breath. Her heart leaped into her throat since she was about to be vulnerable, which wasn't something she was accustomed to. "When I escaped a couple years ago, I wished someone would help me. They- I know how they're feeling right now. Like they're about to die. They will die if we leave."
This was rare. Blake never mentioned her escape. It was a topic she'd avoided at all costs. A day that haunted her. Knowing that was enough to move some hearts.
Yang beamed her a sunny smile. "I love it when you get all justice-y like that. I'm with you. One-hundred percent."
"The Khans- they treat their crew horribly," Ruby reminded them. "They might as well be slaves. Blake's right. We need to help!"
If they could do anything, anything, they were going to try.
"Being with Sienna…" Blake mumbled as she swallowed the tears. "It was a nightmare. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."
"Blake," Qrow firmly addressed, not liking where this was going. "It's either they die, or we do. Take your pick."
While his crew wanted to help, Qrow wanted to keep their best interests in mind. If they were going to encounter Sienna, there might be a fight. If that could be avoided, he'd rather take that route over helping strangers.
"We're gonna help them," the captain said sternly like there was no room for argument. "You can join us if you want."
Reading their solemn expressions, Qrow could tell they were dead-set on their decision. This wasn't a debate.
After heaving a sigh, Qrow asked. "When did you all become so troublesome?"
A few soft chuckles.
Interested in the change of events, Weiss turned to her captain. "What's the plan?"
"You, my dear Weissy, are not going to like what I say," Ruby warned, which earned a few raised eyebrows. "You're sitting this one out."
"What?!" Weiss blurted, making Ruby flinch. "This is supposed to be a team effort. The more people, the less dangerous it will be for us."
While that was a good point, the rest of her crew looked like they wanted to say something. Ruby spoke for them even though she didn't want to.
"You're still not fully healed," Ruby informed reluctantly. "We need to be safe. We can't chance it."
"That's ridiculous," Weiss insisted. "I feel fine."
"Princess," Yang chimed, causing them to glance at her. "Your wounds still hurt sometimes. We'll play it safe for tonight, alright? Then you can do whatever you want."
Silently, the rest of the crew agreed.
"Fine," the ex-heiress replied after a sigh.
An epiphany popped into Blake's head. "I know how you can help."
If there was a way Weiss could help, she'd take it. Her plan wouldn't be taxing on her at all and it would make things more efficient.
"Slingshot us over," the faunus said. "We can't let the Howling Thorn get too close."
Knowing time was vital, Weiss formed a large glyph that spun into the night. It glistened above the deck and emitted a bright blue hue. Surprisingly, Qrow was the first to hop in. There was no way he was letting his crew go in without him. They were clearly determined to do this.
"You get ten minutes," Weiss said to her crew. "If you're not back by then, I'll join you, so make it quick."
Ruby hopped into the massive glyph. "We'll give you the signal."
When they were settled, they positioned themselves.
Blake pointed into the distance. "Fling us in that direction. Really fast."
Steadily, Weiss pulled her arms back like she was about to fire a bow and arrow.
"Can you make the shot?" Ruby asked, unsure.
"Hm," Weiss scoffed like the answer was obvious. "Can I?"
"Can you?" Ruby asked to clarify.
"Of course I can!"
Instantly, her entire crew shot off like rockets while screaming bloody murder.
Weiss only watched in amusement. "And that was the last time anyone had ever seen them."
At these speeds, the wind was violent and slapped their skin. The four tried to hold onto each other as the dot in the distance became large.
Somehow, all of them managed to land onto the enemy ship. Blake stuck the landing perfectly, while the other three practically face-planted. From the sudden impact, the large ship swayed. It was enough to grab unwanted attention.
Painfully, Ruby rubbed the back of her head. "Ow…"
"Look!" a faunus pointed. "It's the Cardinals!"
"We're not the Cardinals!" Ruby yelped, slightly offended.
"The Funky Crew?" another asked.
"No!" Ruby declared. "We're the Thorns!"
"Stop it, sis," Yang said softly. "Doesn't matter."
Now that they were closer, they could hear the grunts of battle. There was no Sienna in sight and wanted to keep it that way.
In the center of it all, there were two faunus that were back-to-back. One of them was holding up nunchucks while the other wielded a red sword. About a dozen people surrounded them with weapons ready.
The two heaved in exertion as sweat coated their skin. They were on their last legs. They came just in time.
Curious, Yang crouched as she gazed down at them. "Hey, you're the one's tryn'a escape, right?!"
"Reinforcements?!" the blonde faunus yelped in glee. "Sweet! Good timing, guys!"
Since that was a confirmation, the four leaped down and poised their weapons. The second they touched the floorboards, they were met with weapons of steel.
Easily, Blake was able to parry and kicked a sword out of a man's grasp. After she whirled around and kicked him in the back, a glare of red caught her attention.
As the sounds of battle erupted around her, the only thing she could focus on was the familiar mask in front of her.
"Adam?"
Oho! Adam and some-other-faunus-you-definitely-know-who-it-is enters the fray!
Stay dandy,
~Toto
