The Pirate Prince
The Merman's Hall was filled to the brim as it always was with the sound of laughter, and song. The sailors and merchants had settled there burdens at the door or they left it in the fourth or fifth cup of ale. The young wench ran from table to table bustling to keep up with the bulk of orders, she was a pretty thing in her late teens, although Entan wondered how much prettier she would be if he could get her to smile. One raucous table, who had apparently left their inhibitions with their worries a few flagons ago, had taken to see which could make the girl blush more. Entan watched passively as they escalated from proclaiming how beautiful she was to pinching her bottom as she passed, and laughing when she squeaked like a mouse. She disappeared through the curtain that separates the common area and the kitchen, and when she emerged again her already stiff lip looked close to disappearing. She passed by the end of the bar where Entan sat trying oh so hard to avoid crying. She was composed enough not to yell when Entan grabbed her arm, but she looked close to smacking him when she spun on him. Entan released her raising his hands in a symbol of peace.
"I apologize to you my lady," Entan stood and bowed slightly, but ended up a little too close to her when he stood up. "I couldn't help but notice that those men are bothering you, and judging from that bruise on your leg, the owner would have you do nothing about it." He looked with a queer intensity as if he could see right through her, and the girl was forced to retreat a step.
"Ser…"
"Don't say anything; just nod once if you would like me to," He paused "bother them." The girl retreated another step, and he could see her wonder if she could simply run away from the situation she's found herself in. Then it came the tightening that ran through someone as they made a decision that could change someone's life. She met his gaze, and stiffly nodded once.
The men were big and broad of the type that all sailors were, but between them they had two knives and the most sober had a small cudgel he'd left on the table. The loudest had just finished telling some bawdy tale, and the table erupted with loud voices, and general disbelief. The voices fell silent when Entan's gilded sword clattered to the table in front of them.
"Unfortunately gentlemen there have been several complaints concerning you, and I must ask you to clear out." Entan could hear their drunken minds melting trying to find the meaning of his words, eventually one of the men with a knife rose slamming the point into the table.
"The man-child is making fun of us." His thick accent came from the free cities, but he had the pale skin of a northorner. The one who had been telling the story turned, and let out a roar which interrupted even the furthest tables in the room. The sober one with the club paled.
"Lads I know who that is, it's him Entan Waters." He looked to the others who seemed not to hear him, and shook his head, "Boy even you can't stand against all six of us." Entan gentle laughter sounded like a gentle wind on a calm beach.
"I only count four of you." This drew confusion from most of the men, but the roaring man lunged at him blinded by rage, and whatever cheap draft he was drinking. Entan's punch came out of nowhere, but when the fist connected with the big man's throat, he went down without so much as a sound. One of the men near the Pentoshi slipped away as the other gaped, and then they came all four at once the Pentoshi man arrived first. One fist came down on his wrist, and as his knife clattered to the ground a second weapon appeared from somewhere in Entan's shirt. The remaining three slowed as they saw the glint of cold steel against their companion's throat. Entan's smile glinted just as dangerous as any knife.
"Gentlemen I see no reason this must go any further," He tsked as Pentoshi man struggled, and dug the dirk a little deeper into the soft flesh under the chin, and he fell quiet once more. "Now why don't you leave with what's left of your pride, and with this man's insides on the, well inside." The laugh was simultaneously mocking, and welcoming. The sober one gathered his friends, and after all three had left Entan released the pentoshi, and pointed at the large man still crumpled on the floor. "It appears your friend requires some help." The other man seemed to be following the order for a moment, but he turned suddenly. As fast as the Pentoshi was Entan was faster the sword he'd left just in arms reach was out and slid up through the air in one swift motion. The Pentoshi man clutched at the stump where his right hand once was, and the one they called the silver dread's laughter was replaced with something harder. His eyes the color of darkest sea in a storm so blue some would describe it as purple, but just as the other Entan appeared he left as he ran a hand through his short silver hair.
"Well friend I did try to warn you, now get your friend, and get the fuck out of here." From the crowd emerged a dark haired youth, and put his arm around Entan's.
"Alright everyone show's over the next rounds on me," A handful of golds was exchanged as he smiled merrily, "Why not the next few rounds." A cheer went out as Byran Celtigar led Entan out of the inn, with much shoving and laughing at the people around them. Once in the cold wind and on Greenstone's cobbled roads Byran twirled on the younger boy.
"You know you can't do that anymore, you're a member of the Dracrhys court you can't get away with attacking everyone who crosses your path." Entan laughed so hard it forced him onto his ass.
"But did you see the man's face when he realized his hand wasn't apart of his arm anymore, I thought he was going to die right there, from embarrassment." Byran tried to hold back his laughter, but after a few seconds of trying to pout his smile crept back onto his face, and he busted out laughing too. After a long moment of levity between the two friends, the sound of the inn's door silenced Byran. The silver boy laughed for a few seconds more before realizing his friend had turned back into the Celtigar he was. The twinkling eyes met the bartender's soft brown ones, they seemed to offer her a shoulder and mock her relentlessly in the same second.
"Milord you. I wanted to thank." She grimaced at her own faltering voice. "I've seen their type before, and you." She sighed suddenly, and stormed toward those troublesome eyes. "You didn't have to do that, and I appreciate it is all I wanted to say." He leaned down a little too close to her lips, and the eyes looked into her seeing all there was to see. As suddenly as he melted her heart he laughed in her face, his hot breath caressed her cheek as gently as the songs. Then he was gone, and the space where he once was felt colder than anything she'd ever felt.
"Unfortunately, as much as I would like to explore this." His words were roses pretty, and painful. "I have a meeting with my liege on some matter or another, perhaps next time I come through this old town." The words were only heard long after he'd left, along with the sudden realization that his breath hadn't smelled of any drink.
"Why do you break so many hearts, I don't think I've ever seen you take any of them up on the…" Byran turned a slight pink as he struggled to find the words, he looked to his companion for help, but all he found was that eternal smile that curved cruelly. Eventually Byran gave up, and shook his head. "Is it because you're a bastard? Tomert used to say that he was afraid of a bastard of his own." The moment hung by Byran knew better than to try, and rush his friend. They were at the docks, and the sun began poking its head above the far sea before Entan replied. "I never even considered marriage, or tumbling with any girl, growing up I had one thought that invaded every waking moment." He seemed poised to finish the thought, but Entan looked at his friend, and realized he'd never understand. To seek something so powerfully that everything else slides to the unimportant. Instead the smile returned, and he patted the hilt of the sword at his waist. "To see every man of the free cities with one hand short." He laughed, but it even felt hollow to Entan who prided himself on never questioning himself.
"You are a confusing man, but I would like you to know, I've been your friend as long as I can remember, and I'm not abandoning you anytime soon." Byran's dull black eyes were the counterpoint to his friends sparkling emotive eyes. This laugh was much fuller this time as he threw his arm over the crab prince, but the sound seemed to thank him.