CHAPTER XVII

KATHUNK. The false wall slides away with a resounding thud as Marcellus presses the glowing switch. The true workings of the Pirate hideaway lay before them. Barrels, crates, pots, and sacks line the walls down a winding passage. The faint sounds of drunken shouting and laughter can be heard from further in.

Stepping forward into the passage, it is not long before Marcellus holds up his hand to stop them, crouching behind a crate, and motioning for the others to do the same. "There's a patrol, a man, and two hounds…we're going to have to deal with them before those hounds catch wind of us and they alert the whole cave." he whispers, peering over the top of the crates, ears twitching attentively.

As the patrol draws near, the hounds begin to sniff the air, catching the scent of the intruders, markedly pungent, covered in the blood of the fallen Couerl. A deep chested growl comes from the larger of the two dogs as it slowly moved towards the crates hiding the three adventurers.

"Oi' what's gotten inta' you, ye' flea bitt-" the man's sentence is cut short, along with his life, as Marcellus surges forth from the crates, passing the dogs, and silencing the man before he can shout in alarm.

The hounds turn quickly, intending to maul the intruder, but only manage to utter a single guttural bark before being cracked in the back of the skull, the brothers knocking one out each.

Soft boots whisper across stone as the adventurers continue forward, creeping passed several barred doors blocking their way, forcing them down the dimly lit passage. At the end of the passage, two large wooden gates open into a circular room. A man with a flamboyant red shirt stands facing them, berating two guards, whom he apparently had caught sleeping. Around his head flutters a tiny pink parrot, mimicking some of his more colorful words.

"This best be the last time I find you lazy arse excuses for men sleepin' on MY watch, ya' hear?!" the man finished, "If I catch either o' you again, I'll have ya' up by yer' bits, and let the hounds at ya'!" Not waiting for a response, the man stalks off through a wooden gate behind him, the parrot fluttering after him muttering "Squaaawk, lazy arses, squaaawk!"

The larger of the guards shoots the bird a venomous glance, spitting on the ground before closing and locking the gate. "Ain't no one gettin' in here… we's wastin' our time here on watch. Time we could use for drinkin'… and whorin'!"

His partner nods dumbly to him, a toothy grin crossing his face as he remembers the buxom lass he had spent a night with recently.

Crouching in the shadows of the entryway, Maleko nods to the others. Bhaldryss suddenly stands upright, strolling into the room. The guards gawk dumbly at the massive Roegadyn who, to them, seemed to appear out of nowhere. Before they can gather their senses, they drop to the ground, lifeless, with throwing knives protruding from each of their necks.

Searching the men, Marcellus produces a key, unlocking the gate that the man in the red shirt had left through. Following after him, it is not long before they reach a large open chamber. Wooden pillars, platforms, piles of crates and barrels, litter the room.

Skirting the cavern wall, they climb up a sloping rock, ducking behind a boulder and scanning the room. Pirates stand about, arguing and drinking. Young, terrified looking women stand apart from them, serving food and drink. One, far from sober man sits apart from the rest; a bow strapped on his back, as he drunkenly tries to hold a conversation with his confused hound.

Quickly forming a plan, Marcellus stalks towards the lone man, as the brothers move into position beneath the stairs of the raised platform where the majority of the Pirates are drinking and cursing.

Maleko gives a sharp whistle, signaling to Marcellus, who clubs the dog with a small blackjack, catching it while it is distracted by its owner, then dispatches the loner with a twist of his knife. At the same time, the brothers rush onto the platform, making quick work of the drunken pirates.

The women scatter, screaming in fear as they find places to hide amongst the crates and barrels. As the last body falls, the adventurers scan the room quickly, tensed for a rush of men drawn by the screaming women, but, being accustomed to the women's "crying", none of the pirates in the adjacent rooms even bothered to check.

Time seems to slow down as they wait, every sense alert, but as the sounds of undisturbed laughing and drinking continues. The braver of the women come out from hiding, moving nervously towards the adventurers, desperate hope etched across each of their faces.

"Are… are you… here to save us… sir?" a young Hyur mumbles, eyes fixed on the ground at her feet.

As the rest of the women come out of hiding, Maleko grits his teeth, his heart heavy as he looks from face to face, none of them able to meet his eye. Quietly, he nods, squeezing the young girls hand reassuringly. "Everything will be okay now…"

A fierce light of hope burns in the girl's eyes as she looks up at him, tears streaming down her face as she silently mouths her thanks, unable to form words. One by one, the women begin to cry, some breaking down and falling to their knees, the long nightmare finally over.

Sudden determination fills the girl's eyes, as she manages to find strength. Pointing down a small passage to an iron gate, "The hole..." she pleads, using the name the Pirates had deemed their prison. "You must help the others!"

As the adventurers move towards the prison where the rest of the women are being held, the freed women begin to flee, heading back the way the adventurers had come. Approaching the gate, they find two men arguing with each other, one of them leaning lazily against a barrel. Before they can react, Maleko rushes forward, smashing one of their faces into the barrel, then turning and stabbing the other deep in the gut with his rigging knife, over and over again, anger from the evils wrought on the innocent women burning in his chest.

Marcellus opens the gate with a key found in a fast forming slick of blood on top of the barrel, and the adventurers enter the cage. Terrified faces turn to them, crouching pitifully in the darkness, eyes filled with fear from the noises heard outside.

Maleko steps forward, dropping his weapon at his feet and holding his hands out to calm them down. "It's over, you're all free…" Once again, the women begin to cry, some thanking the twelve for salvation… others unable to, blaming them for the ordeal in the first place.

As the women file out of the prison, one of the Miqo'te women implores them to "Slit them between the legs, every last one of them!"

Maleko's stomach churns as he looks the room over one more time, spotting a chest of treasure. He begins to make his way to it. Even the finding of treasure could not brighten his mood.

From a dark corner, he hears quiet sobbing. Abandoning the treasure, he approaches the noise. A Miqo'te girl kneels beside another, curled on the ground and hugging her knees, sobbing uncontrollably, and whimpering pitifully. "Mother… Father… what did I do to deserve this?"

The kneeling one looks at him wildly, but he nods reassuringly to her. "Can she walk?"

"She spent her first night in the 'Deckhands Quarters'" she explained, stroking her friend's fur softly. Her fur was matted with blood. "They beat her for resisting…"

Maleko's heart ached as he kneeled beside the girl, at a loss for words. The girl was losing blood at an alarming rate, and he searched desperately for a way to help her.

His eyes lit up as he had an idea. Reaching quickly into his pack, he pulls out the 'useless' potion, and hands it to the kneeling girl. "Here, give her this, it should slow the bleedin', at least long enough for you to get out of here. Go straight to town, get her help, it's going to be okay now…"

The crying girl drinks the potion, her hands trembling. As it passes her lips, the pain begins to numb, and she sniffles, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hands, smearing grubby dirt across her face.

Maleko sets his teeth, fury flaring in his eyes, disgusted by the atrocities that he could only imagine.

"I will make them pay… I promise."