Invasion, Pt. 2
Shaad was a kid in a candy store except instead of sweets, sours, and chocolates, his eyes roved over and hands rummaged through rows upon rows of hardened leather, wood, and steel. The room was larger than Shaad ever would've imagined, looking like the designer converted a full size basketball gym into an armory and tacked on the locker rooms for good measure. Scores of swords of varying types rested snug in notches in the left wall above large shields of a few differing designs opposite rows upon rows of an assortment of firearms. Directly ahead of the pirate, armor pieces decorated the wall. While he took his time (read: wasted) examining much of what was within his immediate range, what truly drew Shaad's eyes was a dark tinted, crimson red suit of armor with a helm emulating a fierce dragon. Running his fingers along the eye-catching gauntlets, he learned the scaled appearance wasn't just for show, pricking his fingers with just the slightest graze of the immaculately sharpened 'scales'.
A mischievous smile appeared on the pirate's lips before he carefully removed the gauntlets and greaves from their respective positions. While the armor itself looked to have been made intentionally lighter than most metal designs, it was still too cumbersome for his tastes. And, a helmet that limited his peripheral vision was a definite no. Securing the greaves beneath his pant legs and slipping on the scaled sleeves, Shaad jumped a bit as he flexed the fingers (having been sharpened to a point like a dragon's claws) and a small curved blade sprung forward from beneath the scales, extending just a couple of inches over his knuckles.
Relaxing his hands and letting the blade recede, Shaad was ready to leave with his haul which included a locked treasure chest squirreled away behind a false wall panel below the armor. The chest was quite heavy as he heaved it onto his shoulder and turned to leave.
"Don't move!"
Shaad, stepping back through the now gaping entrance to the palace armory, was met by a line of soldiers, each with a rifle pointed at him. However, instead of the standard armor much of the palace guards wore, these soldiers were outfitted in matching uniforms, clearly favored for the intimidating style as well as ease of movement they provided. The pirate could also tell this group was nothing to scoff at. In the silence, each of their steady heartbeats were easy enough to make out; the calmness of trained and experienced combatants evident.
"You have one chance; surrender and discard the 'Dragon Lord' armor this instant!"
'Dragon Lord,' Shaad mused, his eyes remaining focused on the enemy leader in back of the firing squad despite his mind drifting. 'A bit audacious, but I like it.'
"Sir," one of the gunmen called, and Shaad followed the commander's eyes to what the soldier was alerting him: the chest hoisted atop the pirate's shoulder.
The commander's glare became increasingly intense as he met Shaad's gaze. Neither side would back down nor could they give in. "Formation: Charlotte," the soldier's booming voice commanded.
Shaad was curious what change in tactic this might be, but nonetheless he seized the moment when the rifles relaxed just a fraction. In an instant, Shaad was behind the gunmen, a merciless kick blasting across the commander's face. Even through the greaves, the pirate captain could feel the commander's nose and skull give way to the force of his shin. A fountain of blood spouted forth as the commander's shredded face swung back, his body rocketing through the hallway wall.
"Woo", Shaad whistled, admiring the effectiveness of the 'Dragon Lord' armor.
The well trained soldiers reacted almost immediately, but between dropping their rifles and drawing their swords in such tight confinements, they were both unprepared as well as outmatched. Shaad, however, held no worries of friendly fire. The upstart pirate, always dangerous when those words held true, whipped around, clawing one of the soldiers across the face with the gauntlet's sharpened 'talons' before flexing his fingers to activate the wrist mounted, spring loaded blades and driving them deep into the torso of two separate foes.
The first was only half turned around, the blade ripping into his side and scratching at his ribs, but missing anything vital. The other was faster, and that gift proved a curse as the blade plunged deep into his abdomen, curving behind the ribs enough to tickle at his heart.
Shaad pulled out of both, jumping back to avoid sword thrusts from a few of the remaining men and using the gauntlet sleeves to block bullets fired by the rest. Shaad grinned from behind his crossed arms. 'Oh yeah. I'm definitely keeping these.' The soldiers may as well have been defenseless as Shaad easily tore through their remainder with simple yet effective strikes. Whether a powerful forearm club or a basic straight punch, his moves now were gritty and straightforward, more focused on substance than style.
Blood painted Shaad's crimson accessories, blending near seamlessly with the sharply scaled armor aside from the droplets of the viscous liquid splattering atop the pile of carnage at the pirate's feet. A parade of footsteps drew the young man away from ordering his thoughts, but he hardly concerned himself with the new revelation.
"What was I doing again," Shaad asked himself, looking around with a blank expression. "Oh yeah," the pirate exclaimed before picking up the densely packed chest and turning down the hallway away from the incoming guards.
"Stop," Shaad heard someone shout from behind him accompanied by an errant shot. To their surprise as well as his, Shaad actually did as ordered. Turning around with a lopsided smirk on his face, Shaad addressed the guards staring him down and cautiously approaching with casual regard.
"I'll bet that's the first time someone actually went ahead and stopped, isn't it?" A couple of the younger guards in back exchanged questioning glances with one another, though whether at the question or the audacity shown was hard to tell. Nevertheless, "Thought so," Shaad declared almost triumphantly. "Tell you what," he spoke again after a pause, unconcerned with the few guards getting close enough to be a hindrance. "This chest is actually pretty heavy. How 'bout I give it back to ya.'
Caught off guard and too stunned to move, the unit of soldiers froze as the chest hurtled towards them. Some, truly not thinking, reacted by instinct, firing shots at the speeding projectile. And, what ensued made Shaad suddenly thankful he'd let a couple of guards get as close as they'd gotten.
An earth shaking explosion ripped through the lower levels of the palace, the force of the blast snapping pillars and shattering windows. The rolling blaze bombarded and blackened the narrow confines indoors before escaping in a blast visible for miles, the immense heat scorching the surrounding gardens. Floors collapsed and ceilings fell, large chunks of debris falling all around while a raging fire spread.
*cough* With a cough and a groan, Shaad lifted two heavy slabs of concrete off of himself, rolling away the two guards' bodies he'd used to shield himself from much of the blowback. "Whew. . . 's a good thing they didn't let me leave with that chest. Woulda been a maddening way to die."
Looking around at the decimation wrought, it was time to go. While he'd come in to provide backup, anybody still standing would be scrambling for the nearest exit, and Raine knew where to meet him.
The main ballroom was in a state of chaotic disarray, diplomats strewn across the floor, scrambling for cover and safety, while the ceiling collapsed near the front and the smell of smoke gradually became more prominent. The Queen, protected by her Chief Advisor, was visibly shaken. But, not by the blast. No, knuckles clenched to whitening and teeth gritted with emotion, it was anger that shook the tempestuous royal, an anger that vowed payback against whoever had the gall to perpetrate this attack.
However, anger without a clear target merely equals frustration. For the Queen, though, the target of her ire appeared within her sight line for only a second thereafter. No matter how quickly, though, she would not soon forget or forgive the visage now emblazoned in her psyche.
Shaad had been running around a bit aimlessly. He barely knew his way out before the hallway looked like a bomb test site, thick plumes of black smoke escaping through spots where the ceiling had caved in and pieces of the floor missing whole cloth. It was by following one of these smoke trails that Shaad made it out. Running down a path with the least amount of debris, the pirate weaved through areas where walls once stood before ascending a slab of concrete that previously constituted the ceiling but now served as stairs.
Arriving on the new floor, Shaad stepped in view of a room full of people. But, far from soldiers, many of them were very finely dressed with others appearing to be servants. Only able to muster an awkward smile given the circumstances, Shaad dashed off as quickly as he'd appeared.
Shaad recalled passing by a few unconscious soldiers when he got to the palace, but as he passed through those imposing double doors a second time, where maybe a dozen once lay, now unceremoniously rested nearly a hundred. In fact, reinforcements had returned from their various posts moments earlier, but at the same time Shaad's clash in the palace reached its explosive climax.
Shaad stood stoically, eyes cast longingly out over the cliff side. While no moon or sun rested in the sky, the stars were out in full, casting a beautiful glow over the lapping waves below. With the cool breeze blowing against him and only a few clouds in the sky, Shaad faintly desired to simply rest right there and relax with only the stars.
However, more pressing concerns weighed his mind as two pairs of footsteps approached at a casual pace. While one, the heavier pair, stopped, the other moved ever closer, though Shaad stayed looking straight ahead, eyes sometimes closing to fully embrace the feeling of the wind against his face while he breathed the crisp air deeply.
"This reminds me of the place we met," Shaad commented wistfully.
"Careful; you're too young to be reminiscing like an old man," Raine joked, hoping to lighten the mood. Her captain may have sounded relaxed, but she could tell he was unbelievably tensed at the moment, and he actually got more so with her and Vega's arrival.
Shaad released an exhale. "I was so innocent back then, and you. . .," the captain paused a moment, eyes drifting over his navigator beside him. "I was so innocent back then," he simply repeated, the playful banter earning him a stiff elbow to the ribs. "You used to be nicer," Shaad chided in jest while massaging his ribs.
"You have to get to know me," Raine shot back with a smirk. "The explosion. That was you?"
"In part," Shaad shrugged.
"Now, you can tell me who the fishman is."
"You could've asked Vega, ya know?" Raine leveled a hard stare at the captain, and he adopted a similarly dour expression before answering, finally looking the way he felt. "The courier. Or, at least that's who he says he is."
"You don't believe him?"
"No, but I needed to be certain."
"Well, before your flashy escape signal, Vega and I caught your little friend conversing with an officer. . . The man handed him something interesting, too."
Shaad eyed the sealed envelope carefully. The gold leaf ink as well as the grand insignia stamped on the front gave it quite the high brow appearance, especially for simple correspondence. "Seems it's time we find out who our friend really is."
As Shaad and Raine turned away from the cliffside, Vega dumped the dead weight between the three of them. It wasn't lost on Shaad how unresponsive their captive was, and his quizzical expression prompted an explanation from Raine.
"Our guest wasn't initially thrilled to come with us, so we had to explain our position."
Scoffing, Shaad crouched in front of Satori, poking at the half-fishman's cheek to wake him.
"So, what if he insists he is who he says? We jus' gonna hand over an unconscious body to Morrigan?"
"No; change in plans," Shaad announced, earning a raised eyebrow from his navigator as she crossed her arms across her chest.
"Change in plans?" Calling Raine's tone skeptical would be an understatement as she scoffed at Shaad's gall. "You pulled us into this because of the threat of reprisal from your 'uncle'. Now, what? Screw it? Screw him? You want us to follow you on what; the assumption that a cold-hearted bastard respects your father enough to not have us killed?"
"Morrigan lied to me. This fool lied to me. Or, he lied to Morrigan. Or, everybody's lying to everybody. I honestly don't give a fuck anymore! Morrigan's coming here for something, but it isn't something coastal guards retrieved, and Satori here wasn't simply hiding out. Morrigan. . . or Uncle. . . or both manipulated the circumstances to put me right here in the middle of it all. There has to be a reason, and I want to know what it is. What is Morrigan coming to pick up? Why get me involved at all?"
"Maybe Morrigan wants this," Raine suggested, flashing the envelope. "The courier needed your help to get into the castle right? Maybe that soldier he was talking to is some kind of contact, and he's just a middle man."
"Possible, but something feels off. The explanation Satori gave just doesn't sit right."
"Inconsistent?"
"No; perfect. There were no holes in it at all and everything added up to the current situation at the time."
"Huh? So, because something makes sense you don't trust it? What kind of dumbass reasoning is that?" Raine was clearly getting fed up with Shaad's conspiracy theory, railing against his 'logic'. He'd dragged them into this mess due to the supposed lurking threat of some Uncle Black. Then, after having her stay back, gets her involved anyway without telling her anything. Now, he wanted to put them at the mercy of some murderous mafioso because a story made sense. "You ever think they ain't tell you because you didn't need to know. Maybe this is all some ruse, maybe it's not. But, we can still turn this bastard over and be on our way! Or, and this is just spitballing, ya think his story made sense cause - oh, I don't know - it's true!" Sarcasm dripped from Raine's words now.
"If you grew up like I did, you'd know the truth is rarely that flawless. It takes a good liar to craft a perfectly fitting narrative. But, a great liar sets up a flawed tale and lets the truth fill in the blanks."
"Oh. My. God," Raine deadpanned. "Are you serious right now? Well, how about this. We have one of the starring characters for this drama unfolding in your head right here. How 'bout you just ask him? But, careful, he may just end up telling the truth. Either way, we need to start back towards Morrigan in just a few hours. If you're wrong, we're dead, right; isn't that why we agreed to this job in the first place?"
Moving past the depricating and derisive sarcasm, Raine was right. About the need for answers quickly, that is. Roughly yanking the unconscious Satori up by his collar and applying pressure to his chest with all the care of a toddler playing with a new toy, Shaad again crouched in to look the fishman in the eye. Satori was jarred into a daze from having his head slammed against the ground and his breathing briefly obstructed.
"Hey! Come on now. Focus!" Shaad, his voice coarse and stern, yelled and snapped his fingers for the courier's attention.
"I'm gonna have to ask you hand that man over to me." A new voice pulled the trio's attention away from the groggy Satori, but they had no idea who was interfering. The young man, shorter but made of strong stock outfitted in a pair of bright, loose fitting pants with his top tied around the waist and a head of messy, shoulder length black hair held back by an ocean blue bandana decorated by a hammerhead shark and the word 'HAMMER' across the front in matching style to the tattoo coloring the right side of his scarred pectorals, wasn't dressed like any guard they'd seen before nor did he brandish a weapon, but his mere appearance seemed to greatly annoy Shaad.
"Listen, we got no issue with you. Leave, and we're done. . . I'd like you to forget you ever saw us, too, but that's not even necessary; we won't be here much longer." If Shaad's tone didn't carry his threat clearly enough, Vega's slow, deliberate steps toward the stranger surely did.
But, far from being intimidated, the young man appeared emboldened. "I'm sorry. I said 'ask', when I meant 'demand'," he stated while taking a few confident strides forward. That earned him Shaad's undivided attention, the pirate's growing frustration clearly simmering just below the surface.
Raine was visibly uncomfortable. She'd seen Shaad serious before, but never just flat out angered. She was a bit nervous over what he might actually do.
Vega, on the other hand, stood ready but nonplussed by the whole scene, the expressionless mask he wore not once wavering.
With a frustrated growl, Shaad threw Satori's slack body to the ground behind them. "Vega. . . rip his throat out. If he's tired of breathing, he has no need for it."
Donning his 'Claw' from behind the sash tied around his waist, Vega was ready to comply without a moment's hesitation. But, Raine stepped in between the two.
"Did no one ever teach you, you'll catch more flies with honey?"
"No, but I was taught everyone always has two choices in life: his are comply or die. So, would complying be the honey?"
"Ugh. . . Just let me talk to him, alright? . . Back off, Vega." Raine tapped Vega's arm to get him to pull back. Shaad affirmed the directive when Vega checked back over his shoulder and took a small step back as well to give Raine a bit of space.
Despite Raine's kindest overtures to convince the young man to walk away, he remained bullheaded in his conviction as well as his 'demand', Raine eventually relenting and turning the field back over to Vega.
"I guess it's time we give vinegar a try," Shaad smirked, drawing a sword with his good arm. "Don't worry, you won't die quickly."