Chapter 2: All Your Booze Are Belong to Us
It was a crisp and sunny day that the residents of the Thalia awoke to; a beautiful start to another day of successful pirating, they were sure. Even the South Ocean, which was famed for its harsh wind and vortexes, seemed calm and delightful in the light of this new morning, allowing them easy access to the faraway continent of Ixa'taka, land under the green moon.
"I wish we could have seen the shopkeeper's face when they he arrived at the store this morning… must have been a hilarious sight." A girl in her late teens sighed, seeming truly sad that she didn't have the opportunity to marvel at her handiwork. She understood why they needed to be cautious; one too many close calls for both of them resulted in the need to be wary, but it took some of the fun out of stealing. While the action itself was all well and good, she mostly enjoyed watching their victim fume about the loss of their property. This secretive method was dull.
Not that she could complain, though. She was the one that came up with the idea.
"The weapon's store owner is a giant. Watching him throw a hissy fit would have been priceless." Her friend joined in, entering the bridge by climbing the ladder that was connected in the room behind them. She paused, imagining the outcome. "Ah, I can hear their cry of dismay from here… isn't that wonderful?"
"I'm not too sure I get why you two take such pleasure in this." A third girl, much younger than the other two, spoke from behind the helm.
"Of course you wouldn't, Theora." The blonde stuck out her tongue. "You're far too stupid and cowardly to get the thrills of stealing."
"Come off it, Skye." The other teen, a taller girl with lush curly hair, commented. "Theora manages just fine as the resident pilot. You and I can barely fly; she contributes in her own way."
"Yeah, what Vanessa said!" Theora exclaimed, looking away from the window to make a face at the surly blonde. Skye rolled her eyes from behind the glasses she wore. She couldn't stand the annoying little pipsqueak; it still annoyed her that Vanessa was always quick to rush to her defence too.
"Whatever you say then, I guess." Skye shrugged. "I'm still all for you throwing her overboard."
"Vanessa..." The whine in Theora's voice was grating when she reached that tone. Skye thought it sounded like a spoiled brat, and based on the exasperation that was appearing on Vanessa's face, she wasn't too fond of it either.
"Not going to happen. Just focus on flying, if you would Theora." The girl nodded obediently and turned back to face the window, jumping when she realized just how close they were about to sail into a vortex. Why hadn't the other two said anything? She veered the Thalia to the left to avoid it.
"So why are we heading to Ixa'taka?" The brunette pig-tailed preteen decided to ask. Neither Skye nor Vanessa had explained to her, though she wasn't too surprised. They usually forgot to tell her or intentionally left her in the dark because they knew she'd be judgmental. The truth was that while Theora truly loved flying (it had always been a dream of hers), she did not approve of how Skye and Vanessa chose to live. Many innocents got wrapped up in their games, leaving them either completely ruined or dead. When she had vocalized her opinion, Skye had again threatened to have her chucked overboard, but what frightened her most was that Vanessa looked like she had actually considered it. Theora was quick to shut up and pilot for them. They were the only two friends she had; she didn't want to lose that connection…
"None of your business." Skye snapped abrasively. "Why bother asking when you know what we're going to do?"
"Skye…" Vanessa warned; her face stern as she stared at her black and white clad companion. "Give her a break already; she's allowed to ask if she wants."
"She's just going to run her mouth as she always does." Skye retorted, throwing the back of their pilot a sneer. "I don't know why you care about her. She's whiny and shrill, is always asking for the most stupid of things, and her flying isn't actually that great either! If you hadn't told her to focus on flying, we would have been torn to shreds by the winds already." Theora's body stiffened as she gripped the helm tightly. How dare she!
Vanessa sighed, her enthusiasm from this morning completely deteriorated by the events in this room. Why did it always have to be like this?
"Theora's my friend, and I don't care what you think about her. Everyone in this room has their faults; you don't need to excessively pick her apart to provoke an explosive reaction. I know you don't like her, so just ignore her existence if you have to, but she's staying with us. That's final."
"You know what? Fine." Skye headed towards the ladder, barely managing to control the bristling temper that was sure to flare out at any moment. She didn't want to fight Vanessa over something so stupid; certainly not over Theora, at any rate. "I'll be in my room. See you in Horteka." Without another word she descended, leaving the two to stand in silence as they could hear the slam of the blonde's door echoing up to their position.
"Oh, moons…" Vanessa groaned. At the time, joining forces with Skye had seemed like a great idea; almost instinctive in nature. They balanced each other's weaknesses quite well in battle, and both were competent enough to learn to listen to their partner while in the act of stealing. Skye was eccentric and fun to be around when it was just the two of them, but when Theora came in the picture, the two almost immediately locked swords at every opportunity. Vanessa never knew if their next adventures on the Thalia were going to be peaceful or not, or if she would have to step in as a peacekeeper. It gave her unnecessary stress she really didn't want to deal with.
"Vanessa, I'm sorry…" Theora's voice was very small as it broke the silence that hung around them.
"Its fine, Theora, don't worry about it." She tried to sound comforting, but it came off flat. Vanessa was no longer in the mood to be with either of her crewmates; a feeling that Theora recognized from her friend as she could hear Vanessa also walking toward the ladder, just like Skye before her. "We're going to sell some weapons in Horteka. We haven't decided what we're going to do after."
"Oh, all right then." Theora replied, a bit more chipper that she was now in the know. Her mood dampened when Vanessa said nothing more, climbing down the ladder without so much as a goodbye or see you later. The young girl pouted, seeing the chain of islands that made up the continent of Ixa'taka on the horizon.
Sometimes, with moments like this… being a member of the Red Rogues was not all that it was cracked up to be.
"About time we're away from that cockroach, eh?" Skye grinned, elated to finally be moving and to be away from Theora (naturally). Vanessa was not too amused by the comment, so she decided to ignore it and instead continue on their pace toward the city center of Horteka. They had no idea where they were going; although they had previously visited Horteka once or twice, their sense of direction was notoriously bad where ladders and walkways were concerned. Not that anyone could blame them; the inhabitants had chosen to build their dwellings to coincide with their environment, so each pathway was quite literally a labyrinth of branches near the canopy of the trees. Skye and Vanessa were not individuals who gave up over something so simple, however, and so they stubbornly proceeded to take any which passage and hope for the best.
Some things are truly meant to happen for a reason. Some call it fate; others, a coincidence. For Skye and Vanessa, however, it was a little bit of both. Skye pulled Vanessa out of view and gestured for silence, her grip on her friend's arm slackening as she did. Vanessa was confused but complied with the request, standing quietly at the side of a building that rested precariously close to a cliff face. Skye could have chosen a better location for snooping, Vanessa thought, hugging the wall with her back uneasily. That is quite the large drop; wouldn't want to fall down that…
Vanessa didn't quite understand what they were doing there. She heard nothing but the rustling of the leaves as a gentle breeze fluttered through them; the sounds of children playing in the far off distance. Vanessa threw Skye an inquiring look but was given no response as she was met with the sight of blonde hair. Skye was keenly observing something that Vanessa could not see from beyond. She would just have to trust that it was something important and leave it at that.
"…shipment of loqua to be delivered tonight…" Skye perked up as two men spoke with deliberate low voices to deter eavesdroppers. Unfortunately for them, though, the Red Rogues had just stumbled upon a wonderful opportunity. She strained to hear for more details. "Think Ivan is up to looking over the transfer?"
"I don't know why you guys would even consider Ivan, however loyal he might be." The other replied, notably louder than his soft-spoken companion. "The kid's blind. He wouldn't be able to differentiate between a merchant and pirate; he can't see them!"
"Ivan's a good kid. He's got a good head on his shoulders, and he's overseen plenty in his time. I don't see why we should discriminate against him now."
"Because this shipment is much more important than the rest was?" The man gave an irritated sigh. "No matter; use the boy if you have to. I just hope you realize that you are placing your entire year's wages in the hands of a blind guy, Leon."
"I'd trust him with my life, Isaiah." Leon gave as a sincere response. "I have confidence that he'll pull through. It's not like he'll have to worry much. There haven't been any reports of Black Pirates in the area recently."
"Just because there aren't reports don't mean they're not there." Isaiah frowned. Was Leon truly this ignorant or was his faith just as blind as the boy he directed it towards? "I'm not just worried about them, either. There's also the Red Rogues-"
"Red Rogues? Pah! Now we see who's delusional here. They're just an urban legend to frighten the children, and even if they did exist, they've never been seen in Ixa'taka." Leon smirked, amused. "Don't tell me that such myths frighten you as well!"
"With a personality like yours, you're just asking to be mugged." Isaiah rolled his eyes. "I tried to warn you. Whether you choose to heed my advice or stumble forward your careless ambition is your own decision. May Drishti be with you." With that said, Isaiah left Leon to fume in place while he wandered back to the inn.
"That guy pisses me off!" Leon exclaimed to no one in particular. He did not know that his supposed 'urban legend' was actually listening in on him at this moment. "To insult my boy and then attempt to cover his insolence with our deity… Oh, we will see who is in the right tomorrow!" Leon nodded, as if that were a satisfactory decision on his part. Ivan would guard the loqua tonight; of that he would make sure. He left, presumably to tell the said boy of his decision.
"Did… you hear that?" Skye's voice nearly cracked from how much excitement she restrained. She didn't want to accidentally give away their position after they had just overheard such a juicy conversation.
"Bits and pieces." Vanessa admitted, not sounding nearly as enthusiastic. Her trademark grin revealed that she had heard enough. "The words loqua and blind stood out quite well…"
"You know what I'm thinking?" Skye asked; her mouth twitching as it erupted into a huge smile.
"I'd be a horrible pirate if I didn't." Vanessa chuckled. "I just came up with a brilliant idea."
"Ohhh… Care to extrapolate?" Skye gave a suggestive nudge and a wink, to which Vanessa gave a shy dismissive wave.
"Not now, my dear. We've got some weapons to sell and some inexpensive nothings to steal before the grand plan comes to fruition. Let's go."
"I'm right behind you… as always."
"Let's leave the sexual innuendos for when we're drunk in celebration, all right?"
"Aw… drat."
"I never thought you would be one for arts and crafts, Skye." The young girl giggled at the collection of materials on the centerpiece table. Skye grumbled instinctively, never once actually settling her gaze on the putrid child beside her. It appeared that Skye had actually taken Vanessa's advice and was now carefully avoiding confrontation by ignoring Theora completely. The blue wearing bimbo wore a perturbed expression at this arrangement, but out of respect for their third partner, who was currently sorting the scattered materials into neat piles, she chose to remain silent.
"So here's the grand plan I conjured up earlier…" Vanessa was having a hard time keeping it together; so amused was she at the elaborate masterpiece she was about to share. She directed their attention to the two piles, which really just seemed like an odd assortment of leaves they had ripped off of low hanging branches. A crown of thorns each rested on the top. "Well, we just might have overheard that a kind young gentleman by the name of Ivan will be overseeing the safety of a rather large shipment of loqua that is to be collected tonight… I do believe that we will need a convincing disguise to pull this off. Theora, I want you to remain aboard and prep the Thalia for loading."
"I hate to be a pessimist, Vanessa…" Theora said slowly, clearly disbelieving what she was hearing, "but do you honestly believe that sticking some leaves in your outfit and wearing a crown will actually convince anyone that you're an Ixa'takan?"
"Fret not, Theora. In this particular scenario, I am quite confident in my abilities as a master of deception. Do not worry of the details. Just have the Thalia ready."
"Aye aye, I guess…" Theora mumbled. Skye snorted, picking up the crown.
"Your creativity never ceases to amaze me, Nessa. Got to say, this might be one of our finest moments." She placed the crown on her head, over the bandana. "Not the most comfortable or fashionable, but… it'll do."
"Come now, what do you think the flowers are for?" Vanessa asked mischievously, stepping aside to reveal a clump of flowers on the counter behind her. "Thought it might be fun to decorate otherwise boring crowns. Don't really know why any Ixa'takan would want to wear them as is…"
"I hear you, I hear you." Skye agreed, smirking as she grabbed a handful. "Might I make your headpiece, darling?"
"Only if I get to decorate yours, miss." Vanessa replied, her tone playful as she took the crown from Skye's head.
"You guys always leave me out of the fun…" Theora grumbled, sulking away from the table. "I'll be awaiting further instruction below deck." She headed to leave, though she froze as she felt something be placed on her head. She raised a hand to touch it, feeling the prickling sensation of one of its extended thorns as it grazed her finger. Her face transformed into one of pleasant surprise as Vanessa gently patted the top of her head.
"Be at ease, Theora. I wouldn't intentionally forget you." The older teen gave a warm smile as Theora pulled off the crown to marvel at its pattern. Plenty of purple and red flowers; accompanied by the traditional leaves that an Ixa'takan wore… It looked fantastic.
"Thanks!" Theora rushed in and gave Vanessa a quick hug. Her mood was notably improved as her stride became more enthusiastic. She left the bridge, whistling an ecstatic tune as she went.
"I would." Skye said under her breath, in response to Vanessa's reassurance. It would thankfully go unheard, or else she would have received quite the glare from her younger teenage companion. There would be plenty of time for lectures and off-putting remarks for another day.
The dynamic duo stood in silence as they observed the only obstacle between them and their target; the presumably blind boy that paced slowly back and forth in front of a small opening to a cave. Ivan was a typically built Ixa'takan male; his skin was dark and tan from constant exposure to the sun, his muscles were toned from consistent use in the city and in the wilds, his outfit had the same leaves that they had stuffed into their own pirate attire before coming. The only true differences between Ivan and the casual Ixa'takan they might have seen walking down a street was that this guy chose instead to wear dark green pants and a light open vest, which was actually quite suiting as it did not intentionally expose too much and marked the boy as a bit more conservative than the norm. From their vantage point they could see that he had thick, unkempt brown hair, emblazoned with streaks of red at the tips. It partially covered his face, though that likely didn't matter to a guy that had no sight to begin with.
"He's… kind of cute." Vanessa whispered, feeling her cheeks slightly burn as her eyes scanned his outline from a distance. Skye gave a soft chuckle, though she shook her head and rolled her eyes as she did.
"Sorry miss, but you're stuck with me. Can't be sharing you with no Ixa'takan boys now."
"Aw…" Vanessa faked a pout in her friend's direction. "You sure you don't want to take him with us? He could be of some use…"
"What are you thinking for, exactly? A blind kid would be useless on the Thalia; he wouldn't be able to do anything."
"Not at first, but… he'd make for some good eye candy." Vanessa giggled. "That and you could use him as bait to lure Theora away… so we'd have some quality time."
"As good an idea as that is…" Skye started, seriously thinking about it now, "I think we should just focus on the task at hand, first. We'll evaluate him later."
"I'm all for that. Let's go." Taking another glance around the empty clearing, Vanessa led Skye away from their established hiding spot, walking directly towards Ivan. The male teen stiffened as he heard their approach, though his stance relaxed slightly as the rustling of the leaves they wore reached his ears. For all he knew, he was being approached by the Ixa'takan merchants that had just arrived from the east to deliver the shipment he now guarded. Their scent was appropriate too; they had definitely come from Sailor's Island by the way its foreign smells lingered on them.
"Who goes there?" Ivan demanded; his voice thick with a cultural accent. He brandished a spear, pointing its sharp tip in their direction.
"Easy now, Ivan; we're here to retrieve the loqua. Leon said you would be here?" Vanessa greeted, a tad nerved by how close the spear was to her face. Ivan's expression changed at the mention of Leon, now looking a bit more embarrassed as he moved away from them and propped his spear on the cavern's wall.
"My apologies. You must be the friends that my father spoke of. Are you the two he said would be loading the boxes with me?" His vacant eyes were staring at Skye as he said this; prompting her to speak to confirm his inquiry.
"That we are, friend. Our vessel is docked not too far from here. You are to give us a hand with this, yes?" Skye at least made the attempt to sound Ixa'takan; she emphasized certain words with an authoritative air as she mimicked mannerisms she had observed earlier in the day. Ivan appeared surprised that two distinctly feminine voices were speaking to him; most merchants he had dealt with were the stereotypical gruff men that wanted nothing to do with him and his blindness. These two seemed more respectable to him, though something was nagging at his mind.
"Forgive me for rudeness, but… females?"
"We're new recruits." Vanessa explained, knowing that the issue was sure to come up. "Our captain wants us to prove our worth before we're truly considered as part of his crew. This is our initiation, so to speak."
"Lazy guy just didn't want to do the physical labour himself." Skye joked, laughing. Ivan felt at ease around them, chucking along with her as he led them towards the loaded wagons of loqua in the small cavern. For the first time since his childhood days, Ivan wished that he could see. Based on their voices alone, projected images of pretty girls entered his mind. They must be gorgeous.
Ivan would prove to be of invaluable assistance to the Red Rogues, showcasing his strength as he singlehandedly pulled the heavy wagon along while they gently guided him towards the Thalia. The three of them would have several good laughs as they helped each other load the precious cargo onto the ship; Theora mutely observing in disbelief in the far corner as Skye and Vanessa were assisted by the very fellow that was meant to be protecting said loqua from them. Theora noticed the enthusiasm that both of her crewmates shared as they animatedly conversed with the Ixa'takan, who was putting on quite the heartfelt show as he displayed in full force what he considered his best assets. It seemed that even a blind man could be subject to the sexual drive of a regular Ixa'takan male as Ivan tried his best to impress them. Theora wondered if the guy had ever attempted with another girl before… and she also wondered if Skye and Vanessa recognized what he was trying to do.
If they did, Theora couldn't tell. They usually liked to play with fresh meat for awhile before eventually ditching them.
Vanessa was sad when they finished up their chores, leaving the three of them (and Theora, who had never announced her presence) to idly sit around the loading bay as they made pleasant conversation. She shot Skye a look to tell her friend that she was still debating on kidnapping Ivan… he had turned out to be just as helpful as she thought he would be, not to mention a lot more fun. Though she would not vocalize it, she also felt bad about what Ivan would have to face if they left him behind… the amount of grief he would receive for failing to protect the loqua seemingly without any resistance.
Skye had already made up her decision. They would not be taking him this time, though if they visited Ixa'taka in the future and he were still around…
"Here, you've earned this." Skye passed a bottle of loqua to Ivan. He went to protest, mumbling something about loss of profits, but she quieted him. "It's our thanks."
"Do you need assistance with anything else?" He pushed himself up from his position, holding the bottle in one hand as he blankly looked around the room until he finally settled on where he thought her voice was coming from. She smiled at how obedient the fellow was. It would have made things so easy… but no, not now.
"That's it, thanks. We'll be heading off to deliver the shipment shortly. You have a pleasant night, Ivan." Skye waved, catching herself as she realized how strange that must have looked.
"Hopefully we'll see you again sometime." Vanessa added. She had found herself comfortable around this Ixa'takan; a fact that she sorely noted as they bade him farewell. They didn't have time to take him… he surely would have lost his enthusiasm once he realized who they truly were anyway. If he ever found out, that is…
"Cheer up, you've still got me." Skye teased, punching the distracted teen playfully on the arm. Vanessa turned to face her, giving her a small smile.
"And me!" Theora jumped in, now that their visitor had finally left their presence. Skye frowned at this.
"Don't ruin my moment, Theora."
"What moment?" Theora stuck out her tongue. "Sorry to tell you, but Vanessa doesn't swing that way."
"Oh, and you would know? Tried and failed already, have we Theora?" Skye smirked as the younger girl gasped, flabbergasted at the implication.
"Why you –"
"Stop it, you two!" Vanessa laughed, pulling them close into a hug. Skye and Theora stiffened at their close proximity but did not complain, as a moment like this was very rare in the lives of the Red Rogues. "We just pulled off something big… let's get off this primitive isle and celebrate, shall we?"
"YES." Skye exclaimed, her thoughts on the drinking party that was soon to come. Oh, she'd get so completely wasted, it would be fantastic!
"I'll get to piloting, then. One of us has to stay alert while we sail, at least." Theora shrugged. "Try not to drink too much if you can… You both get a bit odd if you do." Her glare was on Skye as she said this. Skye shooed the young girl out of the room before she placed her hands on one of the crates.
"I think it's time we give this 'New World Loqua' a go, don't you?" Vanessa's face lit up at the question.
"Gee Skye; I thought you'd never ask."
END CHAPTER 2