Chapter 24: The Price of Loyalty

Hayate

I had not liked this plan from the beginning. I thought it ludicrous to trust the success of this mission on a single individual—the second mate and quartermaster of all people. He was certainly more predictable than Sasame, but in that he only acted for his own self-interest. When I tried to probe Sasame's mind, he simply chucked and said that it would be a good test of Kei's loyalty.

Loyalty…

I splashed a handful of cold water from my washbasin, trying to clear my head. The look of fear on her face at my impulsivity contrasted sharply with his satisfaction as I drowned myself in my basest desires—what was I doing? What was it that I wanted?

No. It was not about what I wanted. It was about what duty dictated I needed to do. Sasame was correct; Himeno was becoming too much of a distraction, keeping me from performing my duty as his first mate.

Fear gripped me when Sasame proposed this plan. So much hinged on Kei, whom I had antagonized in an outburst of emotion. Uneasiness filled me as I realized I had endangered not only Sasame, but his precious ship and ambition by the surge of anger I had felt when I had found her.

But I could not condone myself completely; she was a crucial crewmember and Kei had overstepped the bounds of his authority in trying to sell her at Tortuga. The panic I felt when I found her missing, however, had been wholly inappropriate. True, she was an effective boatswain, but—

No—I was terrified of losing her. She was out of my sight only for the latter part of a day, but I feared the worst. I asked Go to sweep the entire ship to look for her, and when that sweep indicated she was not aboard the ship, I immediately made my way ashore. What would she do for her revenge? Anything—even if it meant compromising her safety.

When ashore, I had asked the second mate if he had spoken with the boatswain recently, and he simply held out a finger to point down the line of prisoners. And that was when I saw her, fighting with tooth and claw against the slaver. I felt a sudden rush of anxiety and anger, the likes of which I had not felt in ages, and moved without thinking.

I drew my sword and ran it through him—anger coursing through my veins as I did so. Anger at the slaver for touching her, anger at her for putting herself in such a situation, anger at the second mate for trying to sell her and anger at myself for almost being too late to save her.

I barely registered that I had killed the man who had, until now, completed our transactions without fail at this port. Trivial matters like that did not seem to matter now—not with her in such peril. I pulled my sword from him, and sheathed it still dripping back into my scabbard so that I could steal her away from here as quickly as possible.

"Hayate," she said hoarsely, relief flooding her features when she saw me. But I could see my anger frightened her as well. She was trembling and all I wanted to do then was take her back to my cabin and seal her away. To keep her as mine alone.

"Hayate, I…" she said weakly. I fought with myself, afraid of this sudden desire to monopolize her that washed over me and simply replied, "Don't speak."

The very sound of her voice grated inside of me. The sound of it echoed pain, and I couldn't stand that I had been so careless; I couldn't stand to see her so frightened, hurt and so close to getting…

Blinded in fury, I registered nothing until I had closed my cabin door. She was safe—that was what mattered. That was all that should have mattered. But it wasn't enough. Whatever her reasons—whatever the circumstance—the danger she had put herself in—

"What the hell were you doing?" I managed through gritted teeth.

And the tough woman who had fought the slaver melted away and revealed the frightened girl underneath. And in her frightened eyes, I held a glimpse of another precious woman's fear. The fear that had destroyed her…Not again. No. Never again. I would destroy anything that threatened to take this away from me. She was mine. Mine alone.

I slammed my fist against wall as I thought of the many things I wished to do to the quartermaster. How dare he threaten her safety? How dare he try to take her away from me? She was mine—mine—mine—

I would consume her and make her mine once and for all. I felt her soft lips coated with her salty tears and almost growled in pleasure. I had wanted this since the first moment I had seen her, her eyes flashing with determination as she dared to take the Pretear. The woman who had the audacity—and the sheer idiocy—to exact her revenge on her own ignited something within me that was changing me. She held something within her I wanted—desired—so strongly.

And then I felt her tremble and go still as if enduring the moment until it ended. I quickly tore myself away, horrified at myself at my lack of control, lack of sensitivity to her feelings and lack of regard to her own wishes.

In that instant I understood Sasame's desire to possess without regard to anything else and was horrified to see it within myself. This was not the man I wished to be. This was not what Himeno deserved. I turned away from her, averting my gaze. I could not look her in the eye now. I could not face the look of betrayal she would undoubtedly possess.

"I need to have a word with the second mate. Stay put and don't do anything stupid," I said in a curt voice, trying to keep my self-disgust contained within me.

I needed to get out of here. I needed to release my anger—and my unbridled desire—elsewhere where it would not injure her.

Which is precisely what I did a little over a month ago. I confronted the second mate—and possibly compromising this mission—and seduced Sasame—no doubt endangering Himeno by raising suspicion in his mind. I kept my distance from the boatswain, trying to repent in the small way I could for my moment of impulse. I was concerned for her ankle, which seemed to be the only major injury she had suffered from the incident. So I left bandages for her and small doses of opium to dull the pain, but nothing more.

I was only doing my duty as first mate to ensure the fitness of the crew so that they could continue their duties aboard this ship. Nothing more.

But Kei—his insubordination in his decision regarding the boatswain was nothing to scoff at. I kept a close watch on him from then on. While I agreed with Sasame that his skills made him a worthy asset, he was like a double-edged sword. And I feared he would use this opportunity to turn on Sasame.

And this plan—I only partially understood why Sasame had wanted to take the risk. In order to ensure success in the final steps towards Sasame's ambition, a second smaller ship—one with speed and maneuverability comparable or greater than the Pretear's—was necessary. And since we were less than a week's sail away from the Mediterranean Sea, the Pretear could afford some minor damage. But we were more than capable of capturing the sloop with minimal damage to either the Pretear or our intended prize using conventional tactics.

Why then risk such damage upon the Pretear? Sasame loved the Pretear since the moment he had claimed her as his own. When the serpent attacked, I sensed his anger at the creature for daring to harm his ship. Why then would he willingly endanger her? What could possibly be more important to him than his ship and his ambition?

And why then take the risk of putting everything into Kei's hands? Was Sasame confident of Kei's loyalty? Or was he confident of his own ability to succeed even if Kei turned on him? Or was this merely a fun game for him? We were so close to our goal, and yet…

I shook my head of my musings. I could only stand by my captain now and stay alert for any signs of treachery. As I headed back to Sasame's cabin I nodded in acknowledgement to the small prize crew our current Spanish captors had left aboard the Pretear. I wondered at their confidence at leaving the crew free to roam about. Or perhaps it was because of the fear Sasame's reputation had earned him that they did not dare to be too aggressive?

"Captain?" I said as I knocked on his cabin.

"First mate. Stand by for the quartermaster's return. I will join you shortly," he ordered, his voice carrying through the closed door.

I hesitated. I had wanted to discuss the plan with him separately in an attempt to determine what the true objective of this operation was, but to no avail. Sasame had decided to be as incomprehensible as ever. So I did what I always did. I did my duty.

"Yes sir," I replied after a moment's pause and then turned away to head back to the fo'c'sle to await Kei's return.

I remained at the fo'c'sle, for it gave me an elevated viewpoint from which to observe the sloop. Kei had disappeared into the captain's cabin as soon as he boarded the sloop and had come out mere moments later, but remained aboard the sloop instead of returning to the Pretear immediately after the terms of the parley were discussed. I narrowed my eyes as I saw Kei patrolling through the deck, greeting the officers and crewmembers aboard the ship.

That treacherous bastard! Though I did not expect much better from him given his propensity to act only in his own self-interest, to see him acting so blatantly against Sasame infuriated me. I tightened the grip on my saber.

After the sun had almost gone below the horizon, Kei returned back to the main deck of the Pretear. I watched him carefully, eyes narrowed in suspicion. His usually expressionless face almost looked smug as he made his way over to where Sasame and I stood on deck. What kind of deal had that bastard made?

"Captain," he stated, giving a curt bow to Sasame.

"Welcome back," he replied, almost giving the second mate a warm smile. A smile so warm that it sent shivers down my back.

What are you thinking now, Sasame? His face was like a mask to me; beneath that seemingly warm smile was a layer of ice that even I could not penetrate. Even in all the years I had known him, he was still a stranger to me. As he had been since that day.

With ice-cold eyes and a blank expression, he looked up at me, neither condoning me for my inaction nor breaking down from the shock of his desperate action. No—there was nothing there. No warmth, no familiarity. Only nothingness in his gaze…

I turned my gaze back to the second mate who only nodded in response and followed Sasame as he headed back to his cabin. I trailed by silently, every nerve on edge. Sasame…

He sat at the head of his table that was adorned with charts tracing shipping routes, currents and landmarks hosting small figurines of ships on top. Otherwise, the table hosted a single decanter of wine with three glasses. I glanced at Sasame briefly before taking a seat at his right hand side. Kei mirrored my action and took a seat to his left.

Sasame poured three glasses of wine, generously offering a glass to the second mate and another to myself. My eyes narrowed at the gesture. It was not in his nature to offer his services freely. And I did not miss the slight; Kei was offered a glass before I was.

"Shall we toast for our upcoming victory?" Sasame asked, picking up his wine glass delicately by the stem.

I did not like this conversation already. The tension in the pit of my stomach was only growing with each action and each word he uttered. I tightened my grip on the glass's stem.

"Pardon my impertinence, but what of our current situation indicates victory?" Kei inquired in his usual matter-of-fact voice.

"Ah, well that depends on you," Sasame replied evenly.

"What a position of power, Kei mused aloud.

"Indeed," Sasame murmured, taking a sip of wine. I gripped my glass so tightly that it shattered in my hand.

"What a waste of good wine," Sasame remarked.

I surveyed my hand; red wine mixed with the blood the shattered shards had drawn from my flesh. I watched it absently as it made a puddle of red upon the floor.

"Apologies for the interruption, captain," I muttered. I could sense the hint of smile playing on Kei's lips. I felt an overwhelming urge to hit him that I contained only by clenching my bleeding hand into a fist. The sting of the glass focused me out of my anger and back to the larger issue at hand.

"While the first mate tends to his wounds, I have a question to ask of you, Captain," Kei asked conversationally, allowing his lips to touch the rim of the glass, but not actually drink. I did not miss the gesture and a brief glance towards Sasame confirmed that he did not either. And we both knew what that insinuated; it was bad luck to partake in food or drink with one you were about to cross.

Bloodied as my hand was, I still tightened it around the hilt of my sword. Kei was never one for subtlety when his mind was set, after all. But why all the deliberation?

"Ask away," Sasame said, now looking—at least on the surface—positively bored.

"How much are you willing to pay to keep me from separating your head from your shoulders?" the bastard asked coolly, giving a half glance towards the head of the sea serpent adorning Sasame's cabin. Before he had even finished his mutinous question, I had drawn my sword and held the tip not so subtly near his neck.

"You will die for your insolence!" I hissed, shaking with rage. Why was Sasame tolerating this kind of behavior from his quartermaster? Where was his unshakable authority now of all times?

"If you believe yourself capable of killing me…" Kei began, merely holding up the back of his hand against my blade as if to push it away as a trifling nuisance.

"Now, now gentlemen, I would prefer no bloodshed in my cabin," Sasame drawled, taking a sip from his wine glass as he observed us.

He was enjoying this! Of all the games to play, of all the times to engage in this kind of 'fun'! I shot Sasame a look of incredulous rage, which he returned with a cool gaze of masterful superiority. I sheathed my sword and sat back down, seething at my current situation.

"Am I correct, Kei, in assuming that the deal made from the parley was to obtain my head?" Sasame asked while helping himself a slice of the pig.

"Quite so," Kei replied.

Kei's expression was as impassable as usual as he swirled the wine around in his glass. I remained abstinent from drinking, though Sasame had graciously offered me another glass, in case I needed to act on short notice to protect Sasame from his own game. I was reminded sharply of the mutiny he had allowed to occur and wondered what his objective was this time—allowing Kei to have greater influence was far more dangerous than the influence Himeno and Go had managed to gather for the mutiny. Was it the rush that such brushes with danger provided that Sasame truly desired?

"And your decision?" Sasame asked with an air of almost complete disinterest.

"I believe you already know what that is, Captain," Kei countered evenly.

A moment's silence. I stood again, poised to attack at the slightest provocation from Kei.

"First mate, your thoughts?" Sasame asked, tilting his face up to meet my gaze. It was almost as if he was asking something else beneath his seemingly simple question. But what? And why go to such lengths to ask something of me?

"With all due respect, Captain, I do not trust the second mate's intentions," I replied.

"Very well. Since we have completed dinner, you gentlemen are welcome to have a go at each other. If you are successful, Kei, you are welcome to do as you please," Sasame concluded, dabbing the corner of his mouth.

My eyes widened slightly in surprise. The captain was authorizing a duel—aboard the ship no less? It defied the code; it defied logic. I watched Sasame carefully as he rose and headed out to the main deck. I followed him, my attention split between trailing him and keeping a sharp eye on Kei for any foul play.

But my worries were groundless for no such foul play came. We arrived onto the main deck with Kei almost nonchalantly strolling about as if this were only another task in his long list of duties for the day. And for him, I supposed, even a mutinous desire to take his captain's head was just another monotonous task.

Sasame theatrically poised himself on the main deck, arms outstretched and his cape flying behind him as he announced the terms of the duel to both our crew and the prize crew from the sloop that were aboard.

"The duel between First Mate Hayate and Second Mate Kei shall commence forthwith till one is unable to fight. As Captain of the Pretear, I shall stand as judge to fairly assess this duel. Duelists, present yourselves and state your terms!" Sasame declared with Kei translating for the benefit of the prize crew.

"My terms are the following: upon my victory, I hold the right to face the Captain in a duel," Kei announced once in English and then again in Spanish.

"With my victory, I hold the right to banish the second mate from the Pretear," I announced.

Though I hoped to kill the bastard during our duel, I gave myself another option to rid myself of the bastard in case I suddenly felt merciful. Which I was certainly not feeling at the moment. A right to duel with the captain indeed—what a carefully worded request to conceal his mutinous intentions.

"Take your places..." Sasame began.

I viewed my opponent suspiciously; he was holding neither sword nor pistol and was crouched into a street fighter's stance, fists raised in front of his face, legs firm upon the ground. I unsheathed my sword and whipped it in front of me, poised to lunge.

"And begin!"

I thrust forward with my saber, impatient to strike. Strike at the one who dared to endanger everything that I—that I what?

My thrust fell too far to the right and I was wide open. I tried to turn to block the attack that was surely to come, but was too late. I felt the brunt of his attack—his powerful right fist—slam into my jaw. I fell back, panting at the blow that had caught me unawares. In all our mutual years aboard the Pretear, we had neither the need or nor the opportunity to fight one another. I had known he was skilled in fighting with his bare fists and had seen its prowess in many captures, but had underestimated it exceedingly, having never been on its receiving end before.

I snapped back my head reflexively as I heard the whoosh of another attack, missing the kick that would have surely sent me flying overboard. Shit, I was on the defensive already. I needed to focus and find the gap in his defenses.

I let my saber hang loosely by my side and looked at Kei evenly as if to say, 'Come and get me—I'm wide open, second mate.'

He caught my taunting gaze and cocked an eyebrow as if to say, 'Very well, here I come.'

As soon as he began to move towards me, I kept a close eye on his footwork. Solid, yet lacking grace and flexibility. He was most likely self-taught, after all. I pivoted smoothly to the right, letting my footwork take over. When it came to speed, only Sasame could rival me. I balanced myself lightly upon my toes as I danced around Kei. I could sense that he was getting accustomed to my movement for his eyes tracked me closely, so I began to shift my momentum until I was half-swaying in an erratic pattern.

And then he closed his eyes. I lightened my steps so as to avoid making any sound he could track, but it was not enough. He suddenly swung his right arm in a wide sweep, nearly catching me in the chest. I leapt back, saber poised in front of me to block rather than to attack. How had I been so overwhelmingly forced on the defensive? I needed to break his momentum.

Breathing hard, I watched his movements and lunged the moment I saw an opening. My saber tip grazed by his left ear, barely drawing blood. But it was a start. I whipped around and smirked as I saw Kei impatiently flick at his earlobe. And he flashed the same look of disdain that had crossed his face when I had confronted him about the boatswain. That single look—

Roaring, I lunged in again, missing by a wide margin—only to bring the back of my heel in my saber's wake. Kei blocked with his arm, but the damage was done; I felt the impact my blow had made as an easily audible crunch followed the block. Kei continued to act as if all was well, but I saw the way his wrist now dangled out of his control.

But I was not unharmed. My jaw throbbed from where his fist had connected with it, and I could taste blood in my mouth. And my hand was pulsating in pain from the injury I had foolishly inflicted upon myself. I needed to end this quickly, before my pain—and my anger—took control of my senses.

Despite being in pain, the second mate managed to master himself, keeping his face and stance calm and focused. At that moment, I envied his lucidity, his clarity and his ability to act beyond the moment itself. He was one who moved forward, whereas I always looked to the past. Bound by the past.

Gritting my teeth, I leapt forward, feet barely touching the smooth wood of the deck. As the world became a blur around me—Sasame and the rest of the crew falling into nothingness—I moved forward, focused only on my target. That vain, proud, treacherous demon—

As I closed the distance, I struck out, blade whipping furiously. My goal was to hit my target—and hit it I did. Over and over and over again I drew blood. It didn't matter to me that I was using my energy excessively only to make shallow cuts. I was on the offensive at last. And I intended to keep this onslaught going until he fell.

But he did not become second mate of the Pretear by his cunning alone. His endurance—of both body and mind—made him both a formidable ally, and now a formidable foe. He continued to block my attacks with his limbs, protecting his core from my attacks. My attacks were doing no more damage than a crude meat cleaver hacking away at a tough chunk of meat. I was only slicing away slivers that amounted to nothing.

And I had exhausted myself with my attacks. As I began to slow down from exertion, Kei took his chance. He swept his leg powerfully towards me while balancing upon his one unbroken hand. He caught my arm and sent my saber flying out of my grasp. I fell back, eyes focused on my saber that now lay on the opposite end of the deck.

Very well, Kei, I can play with fists as well. Though I preferred not to, since it was a crude manner of fighting that reminded me too strongly of my years surviving on the streets. I clenched my currently non-bleeding hand into a fist and rushed forward to attack.

And I let myself go. The anger that I had felt at his nonchalance regarding Himeno and the anger that I had felt at his insinuations at mutiny against Sasame poured into my attack.

My fist landed smack into his open palm, as if he had been anticipating me. He clenched his hand around my fist, holding my quivering fist at bay. The muscles in my arms tensed. I wanted to break through his wall and strike. I would not back down. I brought my other hand into a fist and brought it hard onto his jaw. He released me and fell back as I rushed over to reclaim my saber.

In that moment, as I raced away from him, I saw how his determination and strength was affecting both the crew of the Pretear and the prize crew. He was earning their respect. I could tell from the way their eyes followed his form—filled with envy at his prowess and a more subtle fear.

I couldn't let his influence spread any further. I leapt up into the rigging and knew that Kei would not let the opportunity to follow me pass. Saber hilt in mouth, I climbed higher until I reached the crow's nest. I watched Kei scramble faster towards me, but I was not worried. I had the advantage of height and stable footing. I cut the rigging, sending him flailing for moments until he leapt down.

I smirked in triumph as I heard the unmistakable crunch of his leg as he landed hard upon deck. This fight was over. I anchored myself to the main sail with my blade and ripped my way back down to the deck. I hoped Sasame would overlook the damage I had done out of necessity. I looked down at Kei, who was still struggling to get to his feet, unwilling to admit defeat.

And then the point of my sword was mere inches away from his neck. He looked up at me, glaring at me as if daring to finish the job. And I wanted to—Himeno's fear and Sasame's condescending yet questioning gaze flashed through my mind—but something was staying my hand. I was hesitating, now of all times?

I glanced down at the hand that held my saber. It was trembling, rivulets of blood flowing down from my palm down the length of the blade until little droplets landed onto Kei's skin. In that moment, I saw that he had seen it. He had seen the sliver of weakness that was cracking through my exterior. And that knowledge he now held could be my undoing.

I tensed my arm, about to thrust the blade into his vulnerable neck, when Sasame announced the end of the duel, staying my hand. Sasame was being quite forgiving today, I thought darkly, flicking my saber to the side and returning it to its scabbard.

"As per the terms of the duel, Second Mate Kei is hereby banished from the Pretear!" Sasame announced.

Kei got to his feet and coolly made his way back to the sloop, the prize crew following him closely to ensure no harm came to him. What a sudden burst of loyalty towards one they had known for so little a time. I turned to see Sasame, positively beaming as if his success was now completely ensured. When I cocked an eyebrow towards him in confusion, he signaled with a tilt of his neck to follow him.

I trailed behind him silently to his cabin. The moment his door closed, Sasame knelt in front of me, his lips upon my injured hand. I gazed at him in shock.

"Sasame?" I asked, suddenly frightened of his unusual behavior.

"My shining knight in armor," he murmured, rising up from his knelt position while cradling my hand in his.

"Sasame?" I asked again, half wanting to take my hand out of his.

He said nothing in reply, but instead turned my hand palm up and began to remove the shards from my hand. I hissed as the glass shards were shifted out of my flesh. As he disinfected my hand with alcohol and tenderly wrapped my hand with a cloth, he seemed practically ecstatic.

"Sasame…what in the devil's name…" I began, my impatience getting the better of my unease.

"Oh, everything went exactly as planned, my sweet," Sasame said, his voice dripping with honey. He caressed my cheek with his hand as he leaned in to give me a light peck on the lips.

What had happened to him? I licked my lips and did not taste the hint of opium to explain his elated mood. I frowned in return, waiting for him to provide an explanation.

"Don't you see…this capture is as well as done!" Sasame exclaimed, nearly giggling.

"What do you…" I began and then stopped mid-sentence.

I realized what a fool I had been. Kei never had any intention to take the Pretear from Sasame. He was one who always weighed risks and benefits, and turning against Sasame contained far more risk than potential benefit at this juncture. In his own way, he respected Sasame's ability and knew it was in his best interests to follow him for future profit and benefit.

His true goal was the loyalty of the prize crew—so that he could capture the sloop and gain his profit. He was not one to squander the larger prize that lay at the end of this journey, after all. And by losing his match with me, he would be given the perfect opportunity to capture the sloop, gaining a larger share of the prize for his efforts.

Sasame watched my expression change as the realization hit me; this seemingly huge gamble was no gamble at all in his eyes. Kei acted exactly as he had expected.

"But why?" I asked simply.

"Why indeed? Wasn't this a fun game?" Sasame replied, nuzzling my earlobe with his lips.

"Risking the Pretear…risking what we've worked for together for years…all for the thrill of a game?!" I hissed, moving away from his attentions in sudden anger.

"Do you think of me in such a petty way?" Sasame asked coyly. I clenched my jaw to hold back my retort. I did not know when his mood would shift and I did not wish to tempt fate.

"Have I made you angry? Know that everything I did I did for you," Sasame drawled, bringing his lips close to mine. I turned my face aside, half-sickened by his almost subservient manner.

"You had been acting so strangely of late, I needed to confirm," he explained, running a finger across my throbbing jaw.

"Confirm what?" I asked, my eyes narrowing.

"Would you rush to my aid when my safety was threatened? Or would you use the chance to take advantage of my vulnerability?" Sasame asked, a strange expression crossing his face.

And I found myself looking into the lonely eyes of a lost little boy, abandoned and far from home and desperate to know whom he could trust. I wrapped him into my arms to tell him he was safe; I would not throw him aside or abandon him. Not now and not ever. I kissed the crown of his head and held him close. All these years and at his core he had not changed.

I would not betray that trust.

"Of course I would always fight for you. You needn't put your Pretear in such peril to simply determine that," I murmured.

He broke the embrace I held him in and crashed his lips onto mine, kissing me with such urgency and yet tenderness I was once again caught off guard. I returned his fervor with some hesitancy. I wanted to ensure the safety of the Pretear and the capture of the sloop before drowning myself in pleasure with him.

"The…sloop…capture…" I managed. He pulled back, his look of condescension now firmly back on his face.

"Always so conscientious, first mate," he snapped, clearly irritated at the interruption.

He headed out of his cabin without another glance and I followed him silently, hoping the capture had proceeded without a hitch. I shivered at the thought of the price Sasame had paid simply to test my loyalty—the Pretear, his capable second mate, his ambition and possibly his own life.

The horror at the extent of Sasame's games left my mind as soon as I saw the scene on deck. Almost all of the crewmembers of the Pretear, along with some of the crew from the sloop stood in a ring. Sasame crossed his arms and indicated for me to make a path through the men. I whipped my saber out and the sound alone caused the men to turn—and hastily make a path for their captain.

And there it lay, not feet away from where the sea serpent's head had lain. A head, removed from its body, still oozing fresh blood onto the deck sat beside a note. Sasame picked up the note and after a quick glance, chuckled and threw the piece of parchment at me.

Head of the Captain. Secured sloop, its prizes and crew. I remain aboard awaiting further orders.

- Kei

"Celebrations are in order for the capture of the sloop by our second mate!" Sasame announced, accompanied by cheers from the men.

"If you would be so kind as to deliver this message to him," Sasame stated, handing me a second piece of parchment.

Good work. Stay aboard the sloop as its captain. Follow Pretear's course.

-Captain Sasame

"And do try not to fight again," Sasame teased. I nodded curtly and headed over to the sloop, relieved now that this insensible game was over.