"Get the people to the Temple! Hurry!"
Shren heard a familiar voice as he ran out of the inn with Evie right behind him.
Villagers rushed out of their homes, escaping death as cannonballs crashed into the buildings from the sky.
A single Crimson Blade bravely stood in the center of Colhen. Wherever he pointed, the mercenaries followed obediently.
"Shren! You and Evie get to the General Store and get the people to the Temple! Meet back here after!" ordered the Crimson Blade.
Shren saluted back with his hand against his chest. "I'll be back shortly, Captain Aodhan."
The captain went back to yelling names and directing them. A risky task, but it was needed in a situation like this.
Just as Shren turned to face Evie, a cannonball slammed the ground between them.
The impact knocked Shren backwards into the ground, kicking up dust that rivaled a sandstorm around the two.
Shren sat in shock for a few moments before he collected himself. His eyes scanned around for Evie, but the dust was too thick.
He forced his body to stand before he staggered through the dust. His sense of balance tiptoed back to him step by step. The dust had begun to clear as well.
Soon, his feet came to a halt.
She had been knocked against a wooden post.
Legs spread out. Shoulders slouched. Her head bent to the side with her long, light brown hair sprinkled with dust. And her wide eyes staring blankly at Shren.
While Shren's mind had fully recovered, Evie's had dived into a deep chasm.
"Evie!" Shren crouched and shook her shoulders. Not a reaction.
A memory flashed in Shren's mind. He had to get her somewhere less chaotic.
"I guess I have no choice." Shren hefted Evie to over his shoulder and ran towards the General Store. He grimaced, realizing that even magicians could be heavy after months of lying around.
They reached the General Store. Shren propped Evie against a wall exposed to sunlight. He hoped the sun flashing on her face would speed up her recovery from darkness. Part of the roof had caved in thanks to a stray cannonball. The table that would contain the town's finest alcohol and Clodagh's 'creations' had stacks of disheveled lumber and straw instead.
Shren left her alone while he inspected the building for possible stragglers.
Evie's situation was unfortunate. All Crimson Blade mercenaries had the duty to defend when present. If she were still paralyzed, everyone would know.
Aodhan would deem Evie unfit to be a Crimson Blade if he saw her right now. Shren knew this from hearing him lash at a female mercenary he worked with in the past. She too froze up like Evie.
Shren hoped that she would snap back to reality by the time he was done searching.
"They must have left earlier," thought Shren, as he wasn't able to find a soul.
It gave Shren a bit of a surprise. Earlier, he had found a pelt resembling a gnoll's head with arrows sticking out of it. Clodagh wasn't one to abandon her creative pursuits.
He walked back to where Evie was. A grin formed on his lips as he observed Evie standing with her eyes closed and her hands clasped together like she was meditating. Unlike that female mercenary, Evie seemed to be more aware of her condition.
"Hey," said Shren in front of her.
Evie opened her eyes and took a step back from Shren, her body tensed up as she pointed at him. Arcs of lightning danced along her pointed finger.
"Are you feeling okay?" asked Shren, undaunted by the growing arcs.
Evie took her time as she scanned over Shren. Upon recognizing the Crimson Blade robe, she halted the arcs and relaxed.
"Did you bring me here?" Evie had asked this while averting her vision away from Shren's eyes to the side. She seemed embarrassed.
"I did. You didn't remember coming here, did you?" replied Shren.
Evie shook her head while still looking away. Her answer lined up with what Shren had seen from the female mercenary.
Part of his mind desired for him to ask for more similarities between the two. Unfortunately, time wasn't willing to let them chat. And she didn't seem too willing either to open up.
"I see. Well, it looks like everyone in the General Store has already left. Let's move to the center of town."
Shren turned his back and headed towards the door.
"Wait!" shouted Evie as she directed her eyes at his back. Shren's question seemed to leave a deep impression on her. Her mouth opened, about to ask a question. Only to be dispelled in the next second.
"Stay here if you are going to freeze up again." The sharpness of those words had frozen Evie in shock as she watched Shren leave. Her question had left unasked.
Evie bitterly smiled and looked down. Soon, she too went out of the General Store after gathering up the ashes of her confidence.
Every Crimson Blade in Colhen regrouped in the center of town save for one who kept watch over the docks from the entrance. They hadn't noticed Shren and Evie approaching from behind.
They faced a woman with a posture so sharp and armor so shiny that it made her an easy target for eye rolling and sneers. She too sneered to herself, as her eyes assessed over the rabble.
"So that's Gwynn," muttered Shren to himself. Tieve had told him of her arrival in Colhen while he was recovering. He didn't mind haughty soldiers, as long as they were capable.
"Now that we evacuated the villagers to Colhen, we must be ready to defend!"
It was a statement so obvious to the surrounding Crimson Blades that she might as well be whipping them with her tongue.
"Where is your garrison, Gwynn?" This mocking question made Gwynn grit her teeth. Marrec wasn't afraid of confronting those above him.
"I sent Ellis to ask for reinforcements, but I doubt they'll be here before the bandits have their swords at our necks," said Gwynn. Emphasizing her last words only resulted in eyes pointing with daggers.
"Isn't that perfect? After we're finished off, your garrison will swoop in and-"
"That's enough!" shouted Aodhan who stood by Gwynn, halting Marrec. His words brought every mercenary to full attention. Even the captain of the rabble seemed worthy enough for Gwynn to glance at him.
"You came from the docks. Report," ordered Aodhan as he pointed at a Crimson Blade.
"Yes, captain! A large ship is razing our boats," replied the Blade.
"Our ships?" Aodhan scratched his head. "Is it possible to see Rocheste from the docks?"
"Yes, sir."
Rocheste was a huge castle; the sight of its battlements would scare off any Fomor. There shouldn't be a smell of smoke within sight of the castle. Despite hating their royal counterparts, the Crimson Blades had relied on the fortress' dominating presence to operate unhalted.
Gwynn, losing part of her haughty stature, seemed to rack her mind as to why the Fomors would target a town like Colhen.
"Anything else?" asked Aodhan. The blade hesitated at his question.
Shren knew that an invaluable piece of information would soon come. His mind started grinding for a plan while he waited for the Blade to spill.
"They…they have guns. Not just cannons. Muskets and pistols too. My friend was shot down while trying to fight off the flames." The Crimson Blades balked from the report. Guns were their natural enemy as the typical attire was a robe with a single piece of armor.
This only made identifying the issue more confusing. Fomors were known to use handheld cannons, but muskets? Both Gwynn and the mercenaries knew that only humans were reported to use those guns, particularly pirates who went against the trend of crossbows. The rookies, especially Karok, were alarmed. The only ranged weapons they encountered in their missions were bows.
While the mercenaries talked amongst themselves, Shren remained silent. This revelation had no effect on him. He rubbed his slight stubble at his chin as his plan started to come together.
Aodhan remained calm and made eye contact with Shren, knowing his best skill from hearing a mix of reports and rumors. Soon, Shren gave an approving nod.
Aodhan loudly cleared his throat, bringing the mercenaries back to full attention.
"Well then, Gwynn," said Aodhan as he faced Gwynn. "If our campaign in Perilous Ruins hasn't convinced you enough, we shall demonstrate to you."
Gwynn raised her eyebrows at Aodhan's confidence. Although the campaign could not be completed without the help of the Crimson Blades, those gnolls were the equivalent of an untrained levy. The royal army forces sent there were only caught by mere surprises.
What can the Crimson Blades do against a group of well-trained marines?
Gwynn challenged Aodhan with a knowing stare. Aodhan then turned to face a mercenary. A mercenary known to bring favorable results.
"Shren!"
It was as if Aodhan declared a curse.
Worried eyes sprouted outwards in all directions before locking onto one location. Marrec stared with wide eyes. Some shared his same sentiment, some didn't care but were surprised by the fear their fellows showed.
A knowing dread had spread throughout the entire town. Hardly anyone knew he came back. When he came to the mercenary outpost, they assumed he was new. His short black hair? Any mercenary could look like him.
Gwynn's eyes shot a piercing stare at the mercenary who saluted with a dark smirk.
Unknown to Gwynn and the rookies, he had a title that could shake even the most hardened Crimson Blade.
Smoke and fire flared against the shore of Colhen. Burning wood crashed against the ground. They had nowhere to sail now.
An unlucky town filled with lousy excuses for ships and a flimsy palisade. Filled to the brim with straw and wood, it would all crash down too easily.
A foreign ship made its way down the shore, decorating its docked ships with oil and lit torches. Anyone who was caught near those ships was shot down with the blessing of gunpowder.
Before the ship had gotten close to the dock, it had rained a barrage of cannonballs with their 'acquired' mortars. Any more barrages and the natives would be too scared of the thunder to come out and fight.
A helmsman at the ship's wheel steered the ship towards a spot of open ground to dock the ship.
Behind the helmsman was a man dressed more luxuriously than any other sailor on the boat. And yet, he looked wearier than an overworked slave.
He was the former captain. Officially he still was, but now his newest passenger had become a favorite.
The sailors had thirsty eyes for the far entrance. Some brandished their cutlasses. Some primed their flintlock pistols. And all waited for a door in their ship to open.
With a flit of a telescope, he watched the remaining natives scramble away into their town. He had known its existence, along with the castle that towered over it. But it was the closest town he could promise. A town farther away would have him ejected from his very ship in a mutiny.
At this point, he was a shadow of what he was.
He used to be the one the crew looked up to; a wise man that could tell which town was worth sacking with a glance. They built up enough riches to keep themselves singing with ale for years. Gold had only mattered to them.
Ever since he picked up the new passenger from an affluent dock, the crew began to listen less and less to the captain and more to their newest crewmate. With her damned promises, the men became minions whom desired nothing more than a culling.
To the captain, a culling was nothing more than a waste of resources. There was no need to kill when there were bigger priorities.
He heard of a legend where certain women can lead anyone to their doom. When in fact, those women were succubi. Fomors. He had known their ability to seduce and kill.
But what his newest companion did was unheard of. His crew was still human, not mindless sheep who did what their master desired. And he never saw her more than a vixen. Whether she was a succubus or not, she successfully cut off any influence the captain held over his men and took hold.
Now he could only stand and watch his corrupted crew. The ship had struck ashore. The men vaulted into the shallow waters and ran with a psychotic fury that surpassed any Fomor towards the entrance.
"They're coming!" warned the sentry at the docks before he moved away.
Doors squeaked open from every building. A few metal helmets peeked out from where the horses were. Every Crimson Blade concealed themselves in every hiding spot in town.
Shren peered out of a corner behind the Inn. No sight of the invaders yet.
He squeezed his grip on a spear. The wooden texture felt familiar to him, even if he hadn't held a weapon in months.
Aodhan and Gwynn watched over the recovered mercenary from behind. For Aodhan, it was a chance to witness how the fabled Shren gained his track record. For Gwynn, it was the Crimson Blades' last chance.
The rookies also stood behind in the Inn. Gwynn had expressed their importance while he dictated his plan, so he placed them near Gwynn and Aodhan for their discretion.
Lann peered out, his swords eager for battle. Evie recovered her metal staff and whispered quietly to herself. Karok…found a broom and started sweeping the ground. Some mercenaries waiting at the general store stared at this bizarre sight.
Fiona was nowhere in sight. Gwynn labeled her as the most important one, but there wasn't enough time to hunt for her. Shren hoped that she herself found a hiding place.
There wasn't enough time to prepare as much as they could. When the call came out, only a couple of throwing weapons were only acquired. Luckily, one of those weapons happened to be a Light of Palala; a sphere that can turn the tides of battle if used right.
Still, it was only a simple plan. Plans didn't need to be so complicated, even if the invaders had a guaranteed kill with every gun. The Crimson Blades specialized in melee, and he planned to use that to his full advantage.
Simple plans can go wrong. Every plan can. While Shren dictated, he noticed a bunch of mercenaries giving glares and brandishing their swords. Some blades were always too prideful for their own good; even Gallagher knew when to listen compared to these impatient swords.
They have arrived.
Dressed in sewed hand-me-downs and leather, the invaders swarmed into the town with guns high and swords drawn. They looked like pirates, but they seemed to lack their swagger. Shren found that strange. Fortunately, they had no awareness of the waiting mercenaries.
The swarm soon halted as every invader looked around as if they were lost. Where was the slaughter waiting to happen? One of them shouted that they could be hiding, so they started aiming their guns at nearby doors. They treaded towards the doors, getting closer and closer.
Shren smiled. Everything had gone according to plan. He walked out of the corner and prepared to throw his spear. He took his aim at a dual pistoleer.
But before he activated the trap, a shout shook the air.
The inn's door flung open. A mercenary jumped out and stabbed a pirate in his momentum. Three more came out of the door to have their hand at bloodshed.
Mercenaries still inside the buildings became confused. They looked at each other and collectively wondered if they should also attack.
Lann looked ready to jump at any moment, but Karok calmed him down with his hand on Lann's shoulder.
The attack had begun much sooner than it should.
Shren dove back behind the inn with his spear before he was discovered. His eyebrows contorted in pure anger.
Those who couldn't follow the plan. Those were the rabble that Shren hated.
As soon as the mercenary pushed away the skull from his sword, gun barrels pointed at them.
They brought up their large shields and dropped down to their knees.
The famous Heavy Stander stance. A powerful defense said to nullify any attack.
But this defense did not take guns into account. The flint of the guns had begun their descent.
Smoke filled the clearing in Colhen, as the guns fired at will.
Multiple shots had peppered the guarding Blades. The bullets smashed through their shields and riddled them with holes.
The pirates continued to shoot at them as they fell over. Maddened smiles and cackling echoed throughout the entire group. Almost every invader that had a gun had taken part in the one-sided massacre of the four.
Wisp-like streams of smoke filed out of the barrels; they had to be reloaded before they can be used again. Some had sat down and begun to load in gunpowder from their sacks. Voices rang out warning for more ambushes, so they decided to stay put until guns were reloaded.
For the pirates, they think they won with the example they made. Shren called this an opportunity.
He commended the dual pistoleer for not wasting bullets, before he threw his spear.
A shriek that rivaled the sirens of lore echoed through the air. Poor lady was the unluckiest of them all to be handpicked. Every invader turned to look at her drop knee first into the ground; even those reloading their weapons stopped.
As the woman clutched her new bloody shoulder decoration, a small sphere flung out of the horses area. Only a few noticed the ball rolling, and only one recognized what it was.
Before a warning could ever come, the sphere exploded.
A brilliant flash blinded every exposed eye.
The light show also came with a deafening echo, ringing every unlucky ear.
Some had even fallen over from the effects.
They were vulnerable.
Crimson Blades from all around leapt out. The sweep had begun. Those still reeling from the shock of the flash were finished.
Some pirates could fight back. Some dropped their guns and parlayed with the nearest mercenary.
Shren stood back and monitored the fight from behind the inn. In hindsight, the four mercenaries leaping out was a nice twist. Now the Crimson Blades had less to worry about.
Glancing around, he saw the rookies fighting as well. Unlike the other mercenaries, fighting seemed almost easy to them.
Lann had slipped under a diagonal slash and rose with two upward slashes.
Evie pushed away pirates with air and knocked them unconscious with a lightning-charged staff.
And Karok...loved twisting, squeezing, and 'clapping' heads. It was better not to look in his direction.
Shren noticed the woman he speared crawling towards the Docks. The Crimson Blades were too busy fighting to notice her escape. To Shren, letting someone get away would be a grave mistake.
He picked up a nearby cutlass. It felt heavier on his hand than a spear did, but he was never really fond of melee weapons.
Shren approached the woman, only to be interrupted by two wide horizontal slashes. He leaped backwards to dodge.
The new opponent stepped forward with bloodied cutlasses. He had killed a few Blades before.
With a step here and a twirl here, the pirate kept up a dance of spinning slashes.
The average Crimson Blade would fall in seconds to this experienced swashbuckler.
Shren kept moving back from the dance. Any thrust and slash he made would be pushed back far.
His back slammed against the inn wall. He dove to the side to avoid the onslaught of blades.
He rolled to a crouch as he turned to face his opponent. A bloodied cutlass swished straight towards Shren.
His feet leapt off the ground again to the side, but it was too late. The cutlass pierced through his shoulder.
Sharp pangs of pain swam through his side as Shren struggled to stand up. The pirate wasted no time as he sprinted and jumped towards Shren.
Shren managed to lift his cutlass enough to meet the overhead slash. But when the blades clashed, his hand gave out as the cutlass it held stabbed the ground. The pirate clearly had the upper hand.
With a kick to the center, Shren met the ground with his body convulsing upon the impact.
Gloating and a spinning blade were the only sounds Shren could register. The pirate loomed over from above.
The natives couldn't hold a blade close to his dance. The one that lay before him couldn't even fight back. Guilt was far away from this man as he spat on Shren's face. There would be nothing left for the new captain at this rate.
He twisted his body with the cutlass moving back. He intended to take it slow with this one. His eyes aimed for his thighs, then his arms, then his toe, he would stab everywhere until he fainted.
Shren didn't wait for an intervention. He did all he could to help defend Colhen.
But the torture didn't even start.
At the last moment, a mercenary rushed in.
That invader suffered a shield blow to the side. The force knocked him against a wooden wall.
Before he could recover, a sword pierced in and out of his throat in one clean motion. His rampage was now over.
Shren had watched his new savior easily take care of his former opponent. She had red hair flowing out of her helmet and wore a standard Crimson Blade tunic.
"Just in time, Ceara." Shren sighed in relief. He really lucked out, especially on his first day back.
She pulled him up to his feet before she jumped back into the fight. Only a few pirates remained, while the rest were slaughtered in one way or another. They fought much like the one who danced against Shren. They however did not have much hope against multiple mercenaries at the same time.
He was glad it turned out this way. There were only a few shots of gunfire in the whole fight.
Then Shren suddenly remembered. The woman who crawled for her life. Surely, she would have made it back to her ship by now. There was a distinct trail of blood, so that made it easier to follow.
His mind raced. There had to be a reason why Colhen had invaders in the first place.
This town did not offer much more than a pretty oracle and its alcohol. Human collaborators with Fomors seemed out of the question. And then there was Rocheste Castle practically having Colhen in its shadow.
But the longer he took to ponder, the bigger the possibility loomed for the ship to escape.
It was time for a counter-attack.
"Aodhan!" yelled Shren as he moved towards the center of town. He had to let him know that pursuing was important right now. He glanced around, looking for him.
He winced from his wound as he stepped over the fresh corpses and equipment. He would have to get it bandaged and treated when everything was done.
After finishing off the last pirate, the mercenaries had transitioned to more peaceful duties.
The Crimson Blades that have fallen, including the foolish ones, have already been covered with a cloth. Some Blades have gotten to scavenging, tearing the armor and searching the pockets of their dead enemies.
Shren leered at a few Crimson Blade mercenaries sitting back by the Forge. Their wounds flashed away in red and white as they slurped their red potions. One of them was Lann, who had five empty potions by his side.
He approached a weary Aodhan who stood beside an observant Gwynn, who looked like she was evaluating the current situation. A streak of blood stained her breastplate; she too fought in the ambush.
"Shren. Good to see you're still alive," breathed Aodhan, whose words have prompted Gwynn to focus her eyes upon Shren. They both eyed the cutlass on his shoulder.
Despite the pain, Shren saluted back. "Captain. I hate to say this while we are still recovering. But we must pursue them back to their ship. We need to find out why they would raid a town that's so close to Rocheste."
Aodhan took a few breaths before answering, "So be it. I will accompany you soon."
"No, Captain Aodhan." Gwynn interjected as she stepped towards Shren. "I will accompany you instead."
"Commander Gwynn. We can still handle this. You don't need to intervene for our sakes," replied Shren. He saw Gwynn's eyes lit up. He was probably one of the few who acknowledged Gwynn, fairly, compared to the rest of the mercenaries.
"No. I am convinced after seeing this unfold," said Gwynn as Aodhan looked up at her. "The Crimson Blades are sufficient enough. I see no reason to replace them anymore. Perhaps cooperation will be better?"
Aodhan looked at Gwynn and chuckled. "I told you not to underestimate us. You can go."
Aodhan sat down and continued to breath. He was always known to be a hard fighter; no doubt he would be so tired after a surprise scuffle like this.
"Shren, take the rookies with you. With your shoulder like that, you could use some backup," mentioned Aodhan.
"Understood," said Shren before glancing around. Karok had heard the conversation and made eye contact with Shren before walking over.
Shren still felt uneasy around Karok, especially after seeing him twist off a head so easily. Thankfully, he was on their side.
"Lann! Evie!" yelled Shren. "Aodhan ordered us to go to the docks. Let's go!"
Even though Shren had actually suggested the idea, he knew it would be easier if it seemed like an order from the higher-ups.
Evie sprang right up to him, but she turned her head away as soon as Shren turned his wounded body towards her.
Lann chugged a few more potions as he walked over to Shren. Ten empty potions were littered from where Lann sat at. He didn't even show an interest in Shren's injury as he stared at the docks.
"Will you be okay with that in your shoulder? I can easily take it out" offered Karok.
"It's fine. If I leave it in, it won't bleed as much. There's no time for a bandage right now" replied Shren.
"How about drinking a potion?" asked Karok.
This question was a gut-punch to Shren. He didn't want to waste time explaining.
"Anyways," said Shren. "I believe we're forgetting another person. Oh Ceara, she'll do."
Shren walked towards the red-haired mercenary standing at the dock entrance. She was still in a battle stance, as if the next pirate was about to come out.
Lann followed after him while Gwynn, Evie, and Karok looked at each other. It was very clear that Shren tiptoed around the question that Karok asked. Gwynn and Evie in particular were interested in knowing why he didn't partake in something that would heal his injury in an instant.
The three caught up with Shren after a bit at the dock entrance. They were ready to go, but Gwynn was still annoyed by the cutlass in Shren's shoulder.
"Karok, please take that cutlass out," asked Gwynn.
"Commander Gwynn. I said not to-" Shren yelped when Karok took out the cutlass with his two fingers. He tried to hold his wound together, seeing blood gush out.
Gwynn nodded to Evie, who opened her palm. A white wisp with a blue aura appeared and danced in her fingers.
'Pushing' the wisp towards Shren's wound, it swam through the air.
"No!" Shren felt immediate danger from seeing the wisp. He wanted to avoid that constant cycle of pain ever since that experiment. He tried to shirk his shoulder away from it, but it was too fast for him.
The wisp enveloped his entire wound, while a blue light began to cover Shren's entire body.
"Here it comes. I hope Gwynn knows….oh," Shren had expected to succumb immediately. HP Potions, as explained to him, was a derivative of healing magic. If it was a derivative, healing magic should be a punishment from the God of Fomors to him. And yet, Evie's magic had done its job.
Gwynn, Karok, Evie, and even the red-haired mercenary eyed his shocked reaction. Shren knew that he was going to have a lot of questions pointed his way. It was fine. He had some questions of his own anyways.
"Thank you Evie. But why am I blue?" asked Shren, surrounded by his new blue aura.
"That's…uhh..." Evie stammered; she didn't seem to remember what it was exactly.
"A magician's way of healing," said Gwynn. "We're hurrying, yes?"
Shren nodded before saying, "I'll ask later then."
Evie sighed in relief and smiled back. Now that problem was taken care of, but there was one more precaution Shren wanted to take.
"Karok. Do you see that corpse?" asked Shren as he pointed to the one closest to the entrance.
"I do," replied Karok.
"Bring it with you and use it as a shield. They may still have guns," said Shren.
Gwynn gave an incredulous look at Shren. His plan for eliminating the invaders had been the main reason why she started approving the Crimson Blades. Yet, suggesting using a human shield in a heartbeat?
"Alright. Karok, you lead. Let's see if their ship is still there."
No one returned to the boat. The only crewmate who escaped the town was resting against a rock with a spear in her shoulder.
The captain of the invading ship felt his end approaching as he dropped his telescope. With no one else willing to serve him, he was just a poor man in a rich man's clothing.
He had known it was a bad idea. Every part of him wanted to avoid attacking this town.
He slumped down, sitting against one of the masts. He faced that same door everyone else looked at before they went to their doom.
But he believed it was not his fault.
He regretted taking that certain passenger onto his crew. Everything had gone worse and worse since then.
The crew thought they had everything with all the gold they pillaged. They could have anything they wanted. Their itches were even easily handled whenever they anchored at a dock.
Then she joined the crew. She didn't care about gold, carrying around an air of exclusivity that made the crew slowly desire her. The passenger made empty promises to every member, even to the other woman, the captain's personal mistress.
Throughout all of her promises she made, one thing was common. She wanted excitement in return. Though the crew was at first complacent in their wealth, they then started getting a different kind of itch.
They too began to want excitement. They were willing to give up their lives, their hard work, for a few moments of glory.
They soon approached the Captain as they went from friendly and hypothetical questions to threats and demands. He had bore witness to his crew becoming animals.
And by now, he had become a servant to satiate their desires.
The door in front of the captain opened. That passenger had slept in his quarters last night, requesting the best rest possible 'to win for the handsome captain leading the way to victory.' By leading the way, the captain had stayed up all night steering the boat.
The passenger came out adorned with dazzling armor akin to a white shark. The captain had only seen that armor once when she was just entering the crew. The bottom cleavage she showed prominently had been the start of the corruption of his crew.
"Thank you for sharing your bed with me," said the passenger coyly.
"Better than a mutiny."
"Oh don't say such a sad thing. I bet you always keep women in mind like me when you're dressed like that."
He hated how she danced around in her language. He spat out to the side.
"You led my crew down to hell."
"Ohh, is that so?" She didn't seem to care whether they lived or not.
She sashayed towards the captain. She giggled when the captain averted his eyes.
She bent down in front of him, waiting for the captain to look back.
"My my, you're quite the grumpy one today. I can make you feel all better" toyed the woman.
She continued to wait, and when the captain did give in, she slowly licked her top lip and winked at him.
"You have to be a succubus," asked the Captain, remembering the legend. "My men had been loyal to me before you came on."
"You can call me whatever you like, captain," she replied, with a mocking emphasis.
She took the telescope beside him and rose up her upper body, toying with the captain again when her breasts briefly brushed against his face.
The captain could only sigh as the woman saw through the telescope towards the town.
"Looks like some people are coming to welcome me," the passenger tossed away the telescope into the water, making the captain grimace. He couldn't wait for her to go away.
"What makes you think you will last against them?" asked the captain.
"I always last, my captain," replied the passenger. "Whether if it's just a fight or like when I stole your crew away from someone as weak as you."
It was a slap in the face to the resigned person. In the end, he was perhaps, one of the many people the passenger had ruined.
"You bitch," cursed the captain.
She smiled at the captain before she faced the entrance again. Her twin swords at her side gleamed with the sunset.
"Praise me."