HoloJourneys

by vanderblast

A fateful encounter with a fluffy sheep inside a castle dungeon, begins a journey that will change the world. In a world of magic, swords, magical spirits and endless possibilities, Anon, sets forth on a journey with his friend Watame to see everything this world has to offer and to find their origins. The journey won't always be easy, but together, they can always make it through.

40. A Lovely Night For Swashbuckling

"Excuse me? I don't remember agreeing to be part of your crew. I'm not a pirate." You say, slightly flabbergasted by the declaration made by the previously boxed captain of the Houshou pirates.

"I can't go just teaming up with plain landlubbers. My reputation would be destroyed." Marine, looking considerably brighter, casually remarks as she lets go of your hand.

"I'm pretty sure your reputation is already sunk…at least as far as every other pirate is concerned." You mutter under your breath.

"Ehh? What was that?" The Houshou pirate holds her hand over her ear. "I'm your captain now, you gotta speak loud and clear with me. Understood?"

"You are NOT my captain. And we are not pirates." You sternly argue back.

"But you need my help riiight? You'll follow your captain's orders if you really wanna free all of Blackfin's prisoners." Marine commands, her uppity attitude begins to grate on your nerves.

"You pushy little" You start, ready to remind the short redhead disgraced pirate who is really in charge here, but Pomu steps between you.

"Anon. Marine. If we're gonna work together, we need to stop arguing. How about a compromise? Marine, you need a crew under your wing to take the fight to the guys who locked you up, right?" The fairy speaks calmly, even going so far as to place a gentle hand on your chest.

"That's right. Those guys disrespected the Houshou Pirates, and as their captain, I need to fight for our honor. We'll make them sorry for all that they did." Marine answers fiercely, disdain and rage laces the words that roll past her teeth.

"And since we're going to be fighting all the other pirates anyway. Summoner, would it be alright if we let Marine call us part of her crew? Just until the battle's over?" Undine chimes in, eager to have you be on peaceful terms with a woman who clearly reveres her.

You mull the idea over, but you purposely don't look happy about it. Every single pirate you've met so far has been either selfish, rotten, perverted, untrustworthy, or any combination of the four. The idea of letting yourself be counted among their ranks, Especially the Houshou, is more than a little unwanted.

"I think our summoner is still a teeeny bit upset about what happened with the last Houshou he talked to." Sylph whispers to Undine, bringing up the elephant in the room.

"I know you said Roxy lied to you, but the girl I know wouldn't do something like that. Did you do something to her first?" Marine asks, her stance firm with her balled hands pointed straight downward at her sides. She seems willing to hash this out however you need to right now.

"I only promised her that I would help her find someone. She said she would get me exactly where I needed to be, and that she would make sure I had an easy way out." You cross your arms as you sorely explain the plan as it was meant to be. "Next thing I know, I'm face to face with Blackfin, she's up for a promotion, and I'm knocked out and about to be molested by two bird women!"

Marine looks off to the side as she processes what you just told her. She looks slightly appalled and even apologetic when she hears about your recent hardship, but as you look at her, a few things start to fall into place within your own head.

"Anon? Do you think Marine is the one Roxy wanted you to find?" Pomu voices the question you yourself just had.

"She did seem to care a lot about her Captain…." Your rage slowly begins to subside. Could the entire situation have just gotten out of Roxy's hands and she just went with it? It still feels really crummy to be taken advantage of like that though.

"She's the only one left who would…out loud anyway…" Marine laments, confirming your impression of her subordinate.

"Ya know what? Why don't we just ask her later?" You propose, since you are more than ready to leave this unpleasant conversation behind and focus on more important things. "And as members of the same crew, she likely can't betray me again anyway, right?"

"Of course not! That kind of act is unforgivable." Marine says adamantly. "I'd never tolerate it. The Houshou Pirates take pride in our loyalty to one another, and as its newest crew members, I expect the same loyalty out of you."

"Fine. You can count us as part of your crew then. Until Blackfin is taken care of, and you have your real crew back. Fair?" You offer with a few minor stipulations.

"Fair. Now as my cabin boy-" Your "Captain" starts to speak with a minor authoritative flair.

"Cabin boy!? I'm no one's cabin boy!" You bark.

"You will find your beautiful Senchou some proper clothes." Marine ignores your protests and looks at you slyly, her eyes hooding halfway and the corner of her mouth curving to a small grin. "I know you like how revealing my lowly prison rags are, but I can't fight in this. It could come undone at any second, exposing my sexy body to the world, and you might just lose control of yourself when you see it. I'd hate to distract you and cause you to get a sword in your belly…when you could be stabbing me with something instead~"

"I think I saw some clothes back in another room not too far from here." You deadpan as you choose to ignore the woman's perverted fantasy, and walk back towards where you came. "Come on."

Pomu, Undine, and Sylph all follow you happily, seemingly amused by your new company, who continues to stay engrossed in her own sadistic fantasies. Only when you cross the threshold back into the underground cave's inner workings, does she realize you have left.

"H-Hey! Wait for me!" Marine cries as she scurries to catch up with you.

You lead your group back to the small storage room that originally held your sword and a small amount of treasure that you feel compelled to check up on. Thankfully, the spell Pomu placed on it earlier is still there, giving the illusion that the simple wooden treasure box contains nothing whatsoever. Marine inspects the folded clothes that laid on top of the nearby standing table and sighs, suddenly at ease.

"Thank goodness. I was afraid my own clothes wouldn't be down here…I can't really fit into most girls' skirts…" Marine mutters to herself.

"What was that? Will those clothes over there work for you?" You begin to ask, and Marine snaps her head to look over her shoulder at you, her face more red than her hair. Did she honestly forget you were here?

"I-I-I was just saying that it's lucky that my outfit was kept down here!" Marine then laughs nervously. "Just let me change, and I'll take you to where all the other prisoners are. Did you…did you want to watch?"

"Nope! I'm good." You raise a hand to turn down the woman's offer. "We'll be waiting outside, try not to take too long."

"G-Good answer. A good cabin boy knows how to peep on young ladies as they change." Your captain tries to play off the rejection.

"And if I were a cabin boy, I certainly wouldn't peep on older women either." You say smoothly as you exit the room with Pomu and your two spirits. As you close the door behind you, you can swear you can hear some minor agitation and possibly swearing from the Houshou captain, something about how she's seventeen.

"Dang Anon. That was cold." Pomu giggles as little once you and her take sentry positions at the end of the halfway and make sure the coast is still clear.

"Come on, Pomu. Seventeen? Really? Not even you would try a lie that bad." You scoff.

"She is pretty though. You gotta admit that. She also knows what she wants and isn't afraid to say it! I respect that." The fae goes on to say.

"Or just take it…I still feel a little violated." You whine, but are unwilling to admit that the unique introduction Marine gave you was…exciting in a way.

"Cut the girl some slack, summoner. She's been cooped up in a box. Any girl would get pent up after that." Sylph remarks, making you cringe slightly at how casually the great spirit will just bring up matters of that nature. "Plus. Handsome hero, coming to the rescue? Eh? Eh? Getting an actual lady as a prize instead of gold? It writes itself."

"Oh yeah! I'm gonna write that one down!" Pomu exclaims as she quickly reaches into her rectangular pouch and takes out her journal and pen.

"What do you mean, 'write that one down'?!" You snap. "You are NOT writing about what just happened! What happened in that room, stays in that room, got it!?"

"Oh don't worry Mr. Popular. I'm not writing about THAT part down." Pomu scoffs at your concern and begins to scribble something down onto the stained yellow pages of her journal. "I'm just writing down the scenario. I got a lot of cute and steamy ideas like that jotted down in here. I can show you sometime if you want?"

"No tha-"

"I did a little research on kitsunes " Pomu grins as she taps the bottom of her writing instrument to her cheek.

"Okay. Maybe I will check out what you have sometime."

"Ahoy!" Marine calls as she slams open the storage room door and demands all eyes on her. A red crop town that barely reaches past her breast line is tightly held together by three golden buttons. Underneath its white collar that is trimmed with gold, is a small golden badge that depicts a ship. A red frilly skirt whose white underside folds over slightly at her waist above an angled leather belt, hugs her very generous hips tightly and covers just a little bit past her crotch. The belt itself seems to have a buckle in the shape of an anchor, and the skirt itself actually has two strands of white to add just a little more color variety to her outfit. Alluring pantyhose cover her meaty legs from the upper thigh down. Leather high heeled boots cover her feet, and simple white gloves the hands. A leotard that looks to be made of the same material as what covers her legs, hugs her plush form in all the right ways, making you avert your eyes back up to her face, where a red ascot tied at her neck with a sky blue pendant looks to show the emblem of her crew.

"I feel like me again!" Marine cheers merrily, her arms lifted high above her as she makes a small jump. Her garnet hair bounces behind her, and still looks to be in desperate need of maintenance.

"Good. Now can we get going, please? There are two people still down here I'd rather not have to meet again." You ask impatiently, you have lingered in this underground prison long enough. Oh gods. The time! It's already past sunset. Flare is gonna be so pissed. Watame is gonna be worried. The pack…oh no.

"Can we get going, please….what?" Marine asks rhetorically.

"Can we get going, please…Captain." You manage to vomit the words, but you are way too impatient right now to care that you might be feeding this woman's ego.

"Yes! Follow me, and feel free to stay close." Marine coos as she struts past you, and begins to walk back towards where you originally found her.

Rolling your eyes, you slowly begin to walk after her. "I think I'll cover our rear instead. Wouldn't want any surprises to catch us from behind."

"Speak for yourself." Marine teases, making you audibly groan.

"Focus, 'Captain'." You scold. "Just get us to where the jailbreak needs to happen, and I'll take care of the rest."

"You really think it'll be that easy? I'm pretty sure we are just walking to our deaths, but it's not like I got a lot of options right now." Marine says over her shoulder, finally dropping her act and speaking reasonably.

"Easy? Probably not, but nothing I've ever done has been easy." You say with budding confidence. "But that doesn't mean we can't pull it off. I'm sure we'll come up with a plan once we can see what we're working with."

"He's right! We're professional heroes after all." Pomu says with an air of pride. "I bet it'll be a piece of cake."

"For all our sakes, I hope you're both right." Marine says softly as she starts to pick up the pace, her face tightens, heavy with thoughts of what is to come.

When you pass through the room you originally found the Houshou Captain in, you make a note that you should come back for that expensive looking chest. You'll need every bit of wealth you can find if you hope to pay Kiara back. At the thought of the sun warrior, you can't help but wonder what happened between her and Pomu. You could always ask her, but she didn't seem like she wanted to talk about it earlier. It could just be nothing after all.

"Up here." Marine stops at the natural exit where stone steps spiral upward. "These will bring us back to the surface. From there, we'll have to sneak to the back of the island. There's a big mountain there. That's where all the people of Shallah and other slaves are kept for work."

You look over at Pomu who gives you a small nod. This is her time to shine.

"I'll lead the way then. I'm really good at being stealthy." The fae volunteers as she steps next to Marine. "You can count on me to get us to our objective without being seen, Captain." Pomu then salutes, addressing the woman respectfully and with genuine enthusiasm.

"And if anyone happens to notice us, they'll soon wish they hadn't." You add, giving your sword's handle a firm squeeze and making a silent prayer that someone tries to mess with you.

"Your first duty is to protect your captain while she is unarmed. Don't forget." Marine orders, to which you give an accommodating smile and shrug.

"Yeah yeah. I won't forget." You wave off the nagging pirate and tap your foot impatiently. "Now are we ready? I'd like to get back to the mainland before tomorrow."

"I think now is the perfect time to get this rescue mission underway. I noticed as I was getting here that a lot of the pirates were either passed out, or heading somewhere with a lot of bright lights. They might be busy having a party." Pomu says, perhaps as eager as you to get things moving.

"Okay…I'm doing this. I can do this." Marine says to herself, but you can clearly see the apprehension on her face. If everything about the girl you know so far can be taken at face value, she is about to possibly put herself into the line of fire with a group of complete strangers. Ones that could end up leaving her out to dry the second things start to go south. She might be a little weird, but she deserves to know you can be trusted. Be the change, right?

"First, we take away Blackfin's main advantage. Then, we get your crew back." You say with breaming confidence as you step forward and put a steady hand on Marine's shoulder, causing her to turn and look up at you. You let your smile grow even wider. "Finally, we kick that orca bastard and anyone who wants to follow him out for good."

The small pep talk does wonders for the abandoned Captain. Her eyes glimmer with hope, her stance straightens, and her smile returns. She's actually kinda cute. When she's behaving normally that is.

"I couldn't have said it better myself, cabin boy. Alright! Houshou Pirates, move out!" Marine commands with brightened spirits as she points your group towards the stairs that would lead back to the outside world.

As you groan at your less than impressive title, Pomu jitters with a whimsical excitement. The prospect of being part of an actual pirate crew probably checks a box of hers off. You wish you could admit the same of yourself right now. Kiara is probably going to blow a gasket over how much potential danger Pomu is flying into. Did she really agree to let Pomu come to your rescue all on her own? After how protective she seems of her fae friend, what was she thinking?

—

Back at Shallah's main port, when the sun still shining brightly overhead, Kiara stomps through the connecting alleyways of this ocean side metropolis. Her vision is almost blurry from how livid she is. Pomu Rainpuff, that dorky, cute, and kind fairy she met what feels like ages ago, had been roped into playing hero in a game that is far too dangerous for her. Pomu was no fighter. She is a mischievous little fairy who likes reading stories about hot men fighting and playing pranks. Isn't she?

The question of how much her friend changed since their time apart makes Kiara stop in her tracks. Without even realizing it, she had walked herself back to the main market street. She finds a nearby wooden bench that faces the ocean to sit and try to sort out the feelings that collide and conflict with each other like the tide that slaps against the wooden poles of the pier.

Was I wrong? No. I've been down this road before. Too many times. That summoner just doesn't know what it's like yet, and here he is dragging poor little Pomu into all that. Pomu…her life was flipped upside down on her. I can't believe I wasn't there for her. If I had just visited sooner like I said I would. If I had just…Kiara. You're spiraling. Get a grip. There's nothing you could have done. There's no way I could have faced a beast like Grendel on my own…hell I wouldn't have even tried. I would have taken Pomu right out of that forest and…

Kiara's face sags with self loathing. She runs her hand down over her nose and past her mouth, stretching and pulling at her own nerves. "And do exactly what I tried to do just now…she probably would have listened to me then at least. Anon, that stupid summoner. Because of him, she's putting herself in danger, and for what?"

With her elbows pressed against the tops of her legs, her chin in her hands, Kiara watches the roaming populace, who only give her quick, curious glances before worrying about their own lives. Down the block she sees a trio of pirates stumbling from their own drunkenness. The corner of her sharp and experienced eyes then catches a group of small and messy heads retreat into one of the nearby alleyways. She's seen enough already to realize that little kids are scrambling and living on the streets, just hoping to survive. All because some lunatics helped a group of no good pirates strongarm a local government. She sighs again.

It won't matter. That's what I tried to tell her. It doesn't matter how many creeps you defeat, another takes their place soon enough. Does anyone even remember how you risked your ass? No. Sure there's this big show with thanks and parties, but it doesn't last. Nothing lasts long enough for me…

"We're just different, Pomu…why can't you see that?" Kiara laments to herself again, still trying to understand how to best convince her friend that they should have no part in all this. "She feels obligated to help Sylph. I know she does. Her and that cocky human. He thinks he can bring Aska back too? Pshh. He shouldn't even bother. She would just abandon him too at some point. They all abandoned us."

Don't you want everyone to be able to live freely under the sun that Aska made? The young man's words from earlier this morning invade Kiara's thoughts, causing her frown to deepen. She tries to swat away the thought like it was a common housefly, but another just comes to take its place.

I want to help Anon because he wants to do the right thing! Lady Sylph wants the right thing too. I trust Anon. Pomu's words ring in her head next, bubbling her frustration even further.

"You're wasting your time, girl." Kiara mutters under her breath, as if right back in that heated argument the two had not too long ago. "Sometimes the right thing…isn't worth the cost. The guy's no miracle worker. He should give up, like the people here…have?"

In the middle of her own self assurance, Kiara notices something she hasn't seen since she had arrived in this country a couple days ago; people who aren't pirates actually smiling. They are small, because how much can an oppressed people have to smile about, but the curve in their lips is as plain as the sun in the sky. Hushed whispers quickly become murmurs between passerbys, and eyewitness reports become rumors.

"A young man and lady took down five of the Sunflower Pirates without even trying!" Kiara hears a younger man say to the older gentlemen next to him as they carry large wooden crates.

"Did you also hear? The elderly up by the desert borders are more active today. My mother was actually smiling." A woman who is cleaning discarded apple cores and other food scraps off her stand says cheerily to another.

What the hell happened to you, Kiara? The girl I remember telling me all those fun stories in my forest would jump at the chance to fight pirates. Pomu's voice resounds, almost as clear as day.

"I got real." Kiara says for the wind as she gets up. She begins to walk along the port's edge, as if walking away after winning an argument, or maybe more accurately in her case; to avoid potential defeat.

"What did happen to me?" She asks herself once she reaches the last dock. She turns and looks out towards the ocean at the island in the distance where her friend is recklessly on her way to. A large galleon is quickly making its way to its shore. The physical reminder of the fraction of the force they are up against helps squash Kiara's self doubt.

"This will never work. And even if that little shit manages to not get himself killed, how can he really expect to fight an entire armada? Maybe I should-" She starts to say, but covers her mouth. "Kiara. Stop. You gave up this kinda thing. You're a respectable restaurant owner now. You're not a wandering hero. You're not…"

To keep herself from taking this conversation with herself further, Kiara forces her eyes shut, and turns from the oceanfront, swiftly walking back towards the main street of the port. More people she passes shared hushed words about a supposed spark of a man who claims to be here to help them.

You're not going to be the light of hope for these people…but maybe Anon can be? Can he really do all he says he can? That Pomu believes he can? You both better get back here safely. I don't want to have to come over there and get you. The summoner will never let me hear the end of it. He will probably hold the fact that I said I wouldn't set one foot in the sea to help him over my head forever…"Forever"? There's a word I hadn't used in a while…especially when it comes to someone else…Shit.

—-

After taking the stairs upward and reaching the outdoors again, you are hit by the crisp salt air that floats along the evening winds. The exit spits you out onto a small secluded beach. The natural rise and formation of the land hides this small entryway well. You would likely never find it unless you knew about it or could see it from out at sea, but even then, the entrance to the underground tunnel system is dug straight into the ground like a crypt might be. The moon and the passing clouds slowly intersect each other, creating the perfect cover for you to begin your movements. After turning the corner along the shoreline, you are presented with a vibrant and lush woodland. The sight makes you relax a little.

"At least those jerks haven't been cutting everything down." You remark as you remember how a lot of the land close to the docking port has been deforested to a plain greedy level.

"I know right? I wanted to barf a little when I saw how much they've been brutalizing everything here." Pomu says with a serious tone in her voice. "Are all pirates like this?"

"Nuh uh." Marine shakes her head. "Most ships didn't even come near this island most of the time before Blackfin took charge. There was no reason to anchor here anyway. It was all just wildlife and trees."

"And I promised some of that wildlife I'd help them take back their home…I'm also just remembering that I left a sheep in charge of them. Pomu?"

"Yup! Let's take a shortcut!" The fae picks up on your sense of urgency and feels similarly as she takes the lead in front of your group.

As if back in her home turf, Pomu expertly guides you through the surrounding woodland towards the end of the island where the large mountain rises. Through most of your trip you catch Marine turning her head and staring at the water spirit who floats beside you more than once, as if she can still hardly believe she is in the presence of someone that has only been known through passed down stories and tradition. You'd love to know what the Houshou captain has been taught about Undine. You'll even stomach any amount of forward and questionable comments from her to do so. Hopefully there will be time for a proper conversation later.

Eventually the cover of the forest wanes when meager stumps become all that remains of every other tree you see ahead. Pomu holds up a hand signaling you to stop. You and Marine wait behind a nearby brush as the forest fairy shrinks down and flies further ahead.

"I've heard that fairies exist, but seeing one for real... Are they all that pretty?" Marine whispers while you both anxiously wait for Pomu to complete her scouting.

"Most likely. Sylph made them in her image after all, and she's pretty proud of how they turned out over the years. Pomu might be an exceptional Rainpuff though. She's the only fairy I've met so far…it's a long story." You decide to indulge the pirate, knowing this is part of one of your overall goals anyhow; making the entire world believe in fairies.

"And who is…See-ilf?" The woman asks curiously.

"She's the other girl floating behind me?" You raise an eyebrow. "Next to Undine? You can see them both, can't you?"

"I can only see Undine floating behind you, which is still kinda weird. Is she there with you all the time?"

"Pretty much. I wonder how you were able to see Undine and not Sylph. Oh well. Easily solved." You ponder before saving the mystery for later. A shared agreement between you and the wind spirit allows her to be visible from Marine's own eyes, who jumps back slightly in shock. She opens her mouth to yelp, but you quickly hold a hand over her lips to muffle the noise. "Shush!" You hiss. The captain nods meekly and you take back your hand and wipe it against your pant leg.

"Don't just make people appear without warning me." Marine scolds you, her chest still heavily heaving as she recovers from the scare you and Sylph must have given her.

"Sorry, sorry." You half apologize. "Well there you have it though. The great elemental spirit of Wind, Sylph."

"Nice to meet ya, cap'in!" Sylph gives a cheery wave. "And just so ya know, my big sis might have a lot to do with what you sail your boats on but I'm the one who helped those sails of yours get you all moving."

"And she's very modest." You add on playfully.

"Hey if you got it, flaunt it." The wind fairy retorts.

"So how does this all work? Like…what exactly are you, anyway?" Marine asks.

"That is a very good question, and when I have a more detailed answer, I'll let you know." You say as your head turns to notice Pomu flying back toward you. "For now, you'll just have to settle for this; I'm just a guy who wants to help people live freely, and be able to enjoy this great big world of ours. Oh, and I guess I'm one of the newest members of the Houshou Pirates. Can't forget that one…even if I want to."

"Hey guys!" Pomu chirps quietly as she grows back to her normal size. Once her feet touch down she bends forward with her hands heavily pressing against her knees. "Phew! I forgot how much magic it takes to go back and forth between normal Pomu and mini Pomu. I'm not sure how many of those I got in me today."

"Don't worry about it from here on out then. Save your mana for when the fighting starts. So what's it look like up ahead, Big Boss?" You inquire, and the fairy in front of you picks herself up, and takes a short breath.

"There looks to be a path leading up to that mountain. I think the jig is just about up though. I overheard a pair of pirates heading in that same direction talking about how those two ladies I knocked out got a complete tongue lashing from their captain when they told her you were gone." Pomu decides to give you the bad news first, then her serious expression dons her usual comforting smile. "Which might actually be good for us. They will probably start looking for you by the docks or the water. No one would expect a prisoner to run to another jail. The path ahead seems pretty unguarded."

"I'm sure they're not too happy about their bargaining chip for HoloX getting away, but how pissed are they gonna be once they figure out you're out too?" You point the question at Marine, who only gives you an unsure look.

"Honestly, I don't really know at this point. At first Blackfin kept me in that box so that my crew wouldn't step out of line. He was basically using me to control them. Parts of my crew used to come down and bring food. There's a little hatch in the back of the box, but only big enough for a plate to go through. Eventually though…the visits stopped happening." Marine answers, her look of uncertainty quickly changes to dejection.

"How did you survive though?" Pomu asks an obvious, but maybe delicate question for right now.

"They still sent someone down to drop off some food once a day. Blackfin might have killed Morgan in cold blood, but letting a Houshou starve would mark him as a coward. Not to mention that if he killed me like that, there would be hell to pay." The pirate captain explains, and a little more conviction makes itself known through her words.

"Sounds like that bastard was gonna use us both as his playing chips. How about we make him regret that?" You offer Marine with a cocky smile.

"I wish I could see his face when he finds out I escaped AND that I helped free all his workers. C'mon! I don't wanna wait a minute longer." Marine says through a full toothed smile, her eyes flashing excitedly.

With moonlight burning, you all hurry through the island landscape, using the fading woodland to mask your movements as much as you can in the darkening night. The light of standing torches along the nearby dirt path becomes more radiant as you go on. A pair of shadows move further in the distance that you have to assume are the ones Pomu spotted earlier. Your first instinct is to suggest that you overtake the unlucky bastards right there, but Pomu interrupts that thought by outstretching her arm to block your way. Taking her silent command, you wait and allow the two sentries to continue their patrol. When they are further veiled by the teeming darkness, you advance once more, following Pomu as she crouches and slips between trees in no discernible pattern, but reliably stays out of the flickering light created by the nearby torches.

A sudden hand held upward by the fae brings your group to a halt and she nods to you in a way that tells you something big is up ahead. You follow slowly behind her, staying in the shadows until the makings of a large prison camp come into view ahead.

Just outside the base of a large mountain, sits a collection of rectangular cages, all of which look to be filled near their capacity with occupants. A single campfire roars at the center, where three of the five small wooden chairs that surround it hold pirates who drink and chew the meat off of large drumsticks. A large and in your opinion, shoddily built house is erected about thirty feet away from the center area, where another pair of pirates lean against its walls, smoking and conversing with one another.

Well, looks like we found it. Now what? There only looks to be five of them? I could take them out no problem I bet, but how do I know more aren't in that building? Or if there's more in the mountains for that matter? I guess the best option would be to see if I can get those cages open first without raising any alarms, but how…

As you ponder a potential next move, Marine taps your shoulder to get your attention. You turn slightly to be greeted by the captain's confident grin. She points a thumb to herself and nods her head in the direction of the camp. She then points at you and Pomu, and then to the outer laying cages. The Houshou captain seems to be suggesting she will cause a distraction while you and Pomu work on freeing the prisoners. You raise your eyebrow at the supposed implication. You've been burned once already by one of these pirates promising to cover your back, so you're not exactly itching to put yourself at risk like that again.

Marine sees the uncertainty on your face and makes a pleading expression. Even in the dark, you can see the pirate girl's eyes widen like saucers, and her lower lip pouts to further try to sway you. You cross your arms and sigh. Unfortunately, Marine might be your best option. Likely any attempt spearheaded by you will end in the whole island chasing you down…at least earlier than you would want.

Albeit reluctantly, you nod to give Marine the go ahead. She smiles and opens her arms to hug you, but keep her at bay with a stern finger against the spot just above her chest. She pouts again and gives you more puppy dog eyes before doing an internal makeover of sorts that now paints her expression with a confidence that borders on troubling. She then runs her fingers through her thick cascading hair behind her, and gives it a final fluff to give it a little more bounce. What the hell does this woman have planned? Regardless, since she's unarmed you'll have to be ready to step in at a second's notice. You just hope that she is half the captain Roxy seems to think she is.

Marine takes a small breath through her nose, straightens her stance, places her hands on her wide hips, and then begins to strut right towards the center of the camp. You jump to get in her way, but Pomu takes you by the wrist and begins to lead you towards the outer perimeter where the caged innocents are. The fae seems to be putting her trust in the Captain, so you'll trust her to trust Marine.

Once you and Pomu make it about halfway to your target, Marine picks up her pace, the sound of her purposely elongated steps alerting the three pirates who sit together at the fire.

"Oh boys! Yoo-hoo~" Marine cat calls as she waves a hand toward the confused men. "Would any of you strapping men be willing to keep a lonely young lady company for a while?"

You run your hand over your face. THAT is her plan?! This is never gonna work! What if they realize Marine is supposed to be locked up?!

"Hey ain't that…the uhhh." One of the men, a muscular and brown bearded fellow remarks as he looks up towards the sky drunkenly, as if his thoughts were flying away.

"It's no young lady, that's for sure." A scraggly wolf beastkin spits as he takes another generous swig from his bottle.

"H-How would you know? I'm not a day over seventeen and got the looks to prove it." Marine, her pride damaged, stammers.

"Seventeen, thirty, what's it matter anyway? Get lost ya harlot." The third, a dwarf, barks with a venom that manages to ignite some strange protective instinct within you.

"C-Could a thirty year old do this?!" The captain declares, and her one leg slides behind her as her opposite knee is kept upright for her to press both of her hands on as she does a forward lunge of sorts. Chest puffed out and forward, Marine makes a small gasp escape her lungs that was intended to be seductive. Maybe it actually is, you don't really want to look that closely right now…you might even start to feel pity for the girl.

"You gotta hand it to her, she's got guts and knows how to improvise." Pomu whispers as you approach the back corner of the first outdoor jail cell.

"I guess the fact she hasn't just pointed at us and went 'there's the fugitive! Get 'em!' Is a good sign at least." You grumble, but quickly try to focus back on the task at hand. "So how we wanna do this?"

"I honestly…haven't thought that far. Have you?"

"Nope."

"Well, anything's better than being locked in a cage. Let's start breaking some locks." Pomu suggests with a wide grin.

"Right. I'll head to the next cage over. Tell them we have a plan to get them off the island." You whisper as you begin to walk past the forest fairy.

"We do?" Pomu tilts her head, but then seems to find her own answer. "No problem! If I believe it, they'll believe it too!"

"That's the plan." You remark as you split up to walk behind the first cage as Pomu crouches to walk on the opposite side.

Through the bars you see many bodies turning to observe both you and the fae. Some are also confused at the still ongoing spectacle that is Marine trying to distract a group of guards. You're honestly surprised this has lasted this long…maybe most pirates are just plain stupid.

You quietly approach the second cage in the row and unsheathe your sword. The lack of torches near the prisoners gives you slightly more cover, but you also curse the fact that these monsters keep these poor people in almost pure darkness. Even that asshole Hector had enough decency to give his prisoners some light. A quick slice through the padlock that hangs around the door's handle is all it takes to unlock the prison. You open the door slowly so as to not be caught off guard by the creek of the metal hinges grinding against its movement.

"Come on, quickly!" You beckon everyone inside to come out. A few bodies stir but no one makes any sudden moves. You suppose the situation does seem rather suspicious from their point of view. Perhaps a familiar name will help. "Kukai sent me. My friends and I are springing you out and getting you back to your homes and families. I have a way back to the mainland but you gotta trust me and get a safe distance from here."

To your relief, people begin to shuffle towards the open jail door. They scurry out like frightened barn mice as you direct them to head directly behind the cage that once confined them. You look in front of you to see that Pomu managed to convince her charges to do the same. A small wash of pride falls over you as you watch that fairy take charge and do what is needed to help others.

"Oi! Wait a sec!" One of the pirates at the campfire exclaims, making your heart stop. You snap your head over in that direction to see them still trying to get the Houshou pirate to leave them alone. "Ah know who ye be now. Yer that Houshou brat. The joke Houshou. Didn't Blackfin lock ye up?"

Shit! Is the jig up already? Damn. I guess I gotta save her ass now-

"He did! But that's all behind us now." Marine declares as she flips some of her hair from behind her. "I'm a new pirate now. I decided it was better to just play nice instead of being locked up in that box. Soooo, since we're all on the same team now~"

Marine takes a few "sexy" steps forward. She makes a show of sitting her butt down on the empty seat from the side and takes her time crossing one leg over the other.

"Now which one of you fellas will give this captain a drink? I don't mind if we share either. We can share a lot more tonight if you want…"

"Get yer own." The wolfman snarls.

"Ah also don't believe ye. Blackfin woulda said somethin' if he let you out." The dwarf accuses.

"I may still be a captain, but he said I gotta work my way back up." Marine shrugs. "I got put on guard duty over here. He said it would be the perfect test."

"I do remember you making a big stink about using slave labor. That Blackfin is a nasty son of a bitch. That's why he's the best." One of the two pirates who were previously leaning against the nearby building decided to come over once the newcomer revealed herself.

"Why fight what you don't have the power to change? Am I right?" Marine lays it on a little thick, but no one seems to capitalize on that just yet.

Well I'll be damned. She's actually sticking to this. Alright, time to move.

You and Pomu quietly manage to unlock another two cages. Four down and only…eight more to go. You start to work faster as Marine's explanations and flirting grow more desperate. Thankfully her audience is just drunk enough where suspicion leads to simple questions, whose simple answers are just plain enough to appease them and spark another question that lets the Houshou Captain keep talking them in circles.

With only four cages remaining, the end is in sight. You start thinking about an actual exit plan. How exactly are you going to get all these people off the island? There are easily over a hundred of them. You recall Roxy talking about an old ship just before you got knocked out earlier. Hopefully that and her loyalty to her captain can be your ticket back to the mainland.

Your attention is then brought back to the central campfire where you see a pair of taller figures approach. The flickering light from the fire shows that it's the pair of harpies that were assigned to your guard earlier.

"What are you lot doing lazing about?!" One of them squawks. "There's a prisoner on the loose!"

"That you dopey birds let go free." The dwarves pirate scoffs, he upturns his entire mug to get the few drops of ale that remained inside down his gullet.

"He had help." The other growls through her teeth, but then her anger is subsided when she notices Marine. She moves her parted blond hair out of the way of her eye to examine her more closely. "What the bloody hell are you doing out?"

"Blackfin let her out?" The one human remarks, but even he is having doubts.

"T-That's right! I decided to become a true member of the Blackfin fleet." Marine stutters slightly and fidgets in her seat. She had been playing a decent act up till this point, but now surrounded by seven possible enemies, her composure is fading fast.

"Is that so?" The brunette harpy asks, taking a commanding step towards the much shorter woman. "Then how come ye little laundry girl was using that boy as a bargaining chip for ye?"

"She wot?" One of the other human pirates chokes.

The blond harpy's eyes then catch some movement in the darkened distance, you can feel your gazes meet, and your stomach drops when you know she knows what you've been doing.

"It's the boy!" She screeches as she lifts up one of her arms, her long talons pointing at you. "He's freeing the slaves!"

"You bloody halfwits! The Houshou bag is probably in league with him!" The other harpy curses, and before she say anything else, she is sent reeling backward, gasping for air, all courtesy of Marine's elbow.

"Pomu, keep going. I'll keep them busy." You raise your voice loud enough for her to hear as you run forward. Even at the announcement of your presence, the other pirates are dead set on punishing Marine first. Two draw their own short sabers from their sashes, and one even pulls a pistol out. The other harpy however, is dead set on you. Good. You're in the mood for some payback, but first, you need to get your ally out of danger.

"Hey Sylph! Want to have some fun?!" You ask rhetorically as the wind spirit who races beside you is already in the middle of phasing into her physical form.

"You betcha! Let's show these jerks who they decided to mess with!" Sylph cheers, and she opens her hands behind her where her two silver chakrams appear in a glitter of magic. While still in flight, she winds her arm back over her opposite shoulder, and cracks it back across her body, letting the circular weapon soar forward.

With the power of her own winds enchanting her chakrum, it flies between Marine and her assailers in the blink of an eye, keeping everyone, including the Houshou captain in a state of shock. Between a fairy girl appearing out of thin air, to her flinging a dangerous weapon at them, the pirates can only stare in disbelief as their bodies are forced from the ground by the gale force wind that erupts from the soaring chakrum's passing. The three men who were planning on running Marine through are blown backwards, and their backs hit the dirt with a chorus of thuds and groans.

Caught between a split second of fight or flight, the harpies glare at you with defiance. The blond one doesn't take her eyes off you, but you see her partner begin to twist her body in a tell that lets you know that Marine is in danger of having her back torn apart. Needing a projectile attack to buy yourself the seconds you need to come to the captain's defense, you bring your mana to your palm and wave across your blade, enveloping it in a cool blue aura. With your magic primed, you slash your sword quickly across your body as you run, sending a thick ball of blue energy at the pair of bird women.

Your azure blast strikes the first harpy's raised guard, causing her to stumble backward and the residual energy splashing behind her makes her partner hesitate once more. The minor lapse in concentration does not last however, and she raises her large talons to strike the girl in front of her.

"HeyHeyHeyHey!" Marine pleads, her hands held in front of her as she violently shakes her head. "I-I-I'm unarmed!"

"Should have thought of that before leaving your box, you frumpy bag!" The harpy screeches, and her arm is brought downward to slash at her target's face.

The grinding of metal meeting sharpened nails fills your ears when you put yourself between Marine and the harpy with your sword raised above you. Both your hands grip its handle tightly as you struggle against the impressive strength of the demi-human. Her eyebrow twitches are your interference, but you put on a smug grin.

"What's wrong? I thought you'd be a lot happier to see me." You snidely remark, which further enraged the brunette harpy. Her claw buckles slightly as you put more of your legs into your push. Another press from your own mana causes a pulse of wind to erupt from your body, pushing your engaged opponent backward enough for you to deliver a harsh kick to her midsection.

Keeping your second opponent's movements constantly in the corner of your eye and in your thoughts, you intercept the second woman's clawed assault with a well executed parry. These girls move at a snail's pace compared to Flare and Botan, and their strikes are clumsy at best. You overpower the harpy and free your sword from her talons to follow up with a quick horizontal slash across her stomach. Her partner screams and curses you when she sees her comrade fall backwards with her eyes glazed over. You could tell her that she's just overreacting since you didn't actually want to kill the girl, so your non lethal enchantment kept your blade from actually rending flesh, but you're not feeling that merciful.

Before you can follow up with another deciding strike, the woman jumps backwards and flaps her arms, and the large feathers that jut out along her forearms begin to propel her into the air. You turn your head to the Houshou Captain and look past her, the three pirates Sylph had knocked over with her introductory assault have risen to their feet, but they were better off than the other two who had drawn their weapons last.

Like a ballerina, Sylph dances with her metal rings that resound against the steel of her opponents' blades. Her feet never touch the ground, but she moves with an agility and grace that takes your breath away. Her lithe body bends backwards to avoid a slash meant for her head, and she brings her left arm straight up to catch a second blade aimed at her neck. Her leg extended toward the sky falls downward, teetering her right side up again, and in one fluid motion, her feet plant against thin air and she begins to spin in half turns. Her chakrums are held outward to create a deadly pirouette with the two pirates who are now realizing they are severely outclassed. The sharp edges of Sylph's rings tear through clothes and skin alike with each pass she makes. One. Two. Three. Four full spins, each earning more pained cries to play backup to the song the wind fairy likely sings in her own head.

Sylph places one of her bare feet elegantly in front of the other and does a mock bow as her opponents fall. You can feel how absolutely thrilled she is to be showing off and to punish those who would keep others from living freely. She looks up at the harpy who flies above, then at you.

"Ohhh! I know you were handling that one, summoner, but do you mind if I take things from here? She's kinda on my home turf right now. You can have these three if you want. That a fair trade?" Sylph asks with a wink.

"You know what? I think I'll take you up on that deal." You play along while resting your blade on your left shoulder and turning to the three shaky men. "I think I got a bone to pick with these guys anyway. Hey! Assholes!"

The human and dwarf pirates raise their swords, the name calling looks to have helped them find some of their backbone again. The wolfman simply snarls and bares his fangs at you.

"I don't really appreciate how you were giving my friend the cold shoulder earlier. A real man doesn't let something like age or race keep him from appreciating good company." You remark coldly as you match towards the trio, your protective instincts fueling your power to start to burn brightly within your closed hands.

Having stepped one step too close, the three decide to charge at you, swords and claws raised. You quickly gauge who will be the first to come in range; the human, easily the tallest and with a longer weapon, then the dwarf, and finally the wolf who approaches from your far right. Pure battle instinct takes over as your open hand glows with azure magic. You'll subdue all three of these jerks and make them sorry. Marine might be pushy, strange, and a little degenerate, but she willingly put herself in a lot of danger for the sake of rescuing others, so you're gonna introduce anyone who wants to disrespect her to the ground.

You concentrate and formulate a liquid weapon whose pronged points spin just above your palm. With a quick flick of your wrist across your body, you send a watery throwing star at the human pirate who is almost in striking range. The spinning projectile collides with the pirate's exposed chest, tearing through his cloth overshirt like it was nothing, and breaking the skin underneath enough to mark a thin layer of red before it disperses into droplets that mix with blood as they fall.

One.

Next you plant your feet firmly and guard yourself with your sword, the flat of your blade catching the tip of the dwarf's saber as it sought to pierce your heart. The impact and your steady stance makes the pirate stumble back a step, but he quickly regains his momentum and prepares himself for a second swing, he won't get the chance. A simple switch of your magical elements creates a spiral of air around your blade. You made a quick thrust forward, and the winds you conjured surge forward and nail the dwarf in the upper body. Immediately he is flipped through the air several times over, he screams and curses in that laughably jolly accent, and then he is silenced when his head hits the ground.

Two.

As if the world was suddenly moving more slowly, you turn and are met with the vicious visage of the wolf beastkin lunging at you, his jaw opened wide and his claws ready to maim you. Due to his drunkenness, he jumps too far to your side, allowing you to easily sidestep him, and now you have the perfect opening to punish him for his own misstep. You ignite your starlight mana within your fist and give your knuckles a particularly hard overcoat that shines brightly even against the light of the campfire. A firm step forward in rhythm with your arm sends a devastating right hook into the jaw of the beastkin. You hear the chipping of teeth amidst his pained growls as he stumbles to the side. As you expect, he would not go down in just one hit, so you continue. You deliver a series of jabs into his snout, spurting blood from his nostrils as he yelps and attempts to guard his punished face with his paws. With his midsection now unguarded, you bring both hands around the end of your sword, and guide your blade through his body. The shock of seeing a sword fully embedded within him in conjunction with the pain makes him black out. You place your foot against his barely clothed chest and kick him off your blade. Again, your enchantment of mercy holds true and there is no hole to be seen, but the pain is there just the same.

"And that's three." You say proudly as you take what feels like your first breath in minutes. Marine looks at you with utter awe. You grin and jerk your head back towards the skies. "Don't get distracted now. Sylph will be pretty upset if you miss even one part of her performance."

The Houshou captain manages to turn her head and look upward to see the wind fairy flying circles around the harpy pirate. Her fluttering wings combined with her natural agility in the air allows Sylph to evade every attempt by her opponent to grab or scratch her with her taloned feet. You let out a laugh as you can tell the great wind spirit is just toying with the harpy who gets more frustrated with every failed strike. Sylph notices you watching and gives you another wink as she swoops closer by during one of her trips around the battlefield.

"Now like I was saying! I'm just a teeny bit protective of my summoner, and I don't very well appreciate how you tried to put your hands on him without his consent! Sooooo, you gotta go!" Sylph chirps as she spins and ascends up and above the harpy. The wind fairy takes a very deep breath, her chest puffs out as she reels her head slightly backward. She breathes out, and a tornado the width of two fully grown bodies funnels out from between her lips, instantly engulfing the screeching pirate within its eye. The windy torrent worms through the air and strikes the ground a good twenty feet ahead of you, the gale it creates makes you squint your eyes and cover your head, the fire next to you is completely blown out. The centralized storm only lasts a few more seconds until Sylph's magic subsides and the magical gust dissipates, leaving only a knocked out demi-human in an indent within the earth matched exactly to her shape.

Sylph crosses one leg over the other as if she were sitting and folds her hands behind her head while she gently flutters down. She looks all too proud of herself, but to be honest, you are feeling pretty prideful as well, not to mention immensely satisfied from finally being able to knock down some more rotten pirates. You could even be convinced to take a slight detour for your escape if it meant you could do that some more.

As you come down from your adrenaline high, you notice that the camp is considerably darker now due to your soul bound companion snuffing out the fire accidentally. There are a few noticeable lights within the building that the two pirates stood against earlier, but not much else aside from the light of the moon that is half obscured by passing clouds. You solve the minor vision issue by creating a small ball of starlight that now floats above your palm, and you give the area a quick once over. Seven downed pirates. Not bad, not bad at all. It doesn't sound like any more are around either. You squint in the direction of the remaining cages and are pleased to see that their doors are ajar, and their occupants missing. Perfect.

"Hey. Not bad, captain." You look to Marine as you add extra emphasis on her title. "Thanks to you, Pomu got a head start on freeing the captives. Although next time you want to get into a possibly dangerous situation like that, let's make sure you're armed, okay? I saw you jab that one girl in the gut though. She didn't even see it coming."

"No need to worry about your captain!" Marine answers your praise with a heavy bravado, puffing her chest out as she lets out a small chuff. "Everything was completely under control. Those lightweights wouldn't have been able to lay a single finger on me, no matter how badly they wished they could."

"Sure…" You say, not having the heart to bring up how frenzied with terror the Houshou captain was when the group had first moved to attack her. Before either of you can think further on the remark, you hear Pomu's voice speaking quietly to someone as her presence draws closer.

"Everything's fine guys! Just like I told you, they beat up all the guards." The fae talks over her shoulder as she slowly walks towards you, and you notice a small group of people following behind her. "Nice job! I bet it felt good getting those old birds back for how they treated you earlier. I diiiiid soften them up already though. Waking up after being unconscious for a while ain't gonna exactly leave you limber and fresh."

"Yeah yeah. Thank you, Pomu." You say sarcastically, but fail to stifle a snicker. "So what are you doing back over here? We would have come found you. Are there patrols in the surrounding woods already?"

"Nope. It's all clear for now." Pomu shakes her head. "The rest of the Shallahan people are over there, but a few wanted to come talk to you. They got some info you'll want to hear."

When Pomu steps out of the way, a portly man, well into his forties, clad in a torn button up that is left open and colored in a pale teal with light violet floral patterns decorating its surface, steps forward. The light from your held spell casts a shadow under his weary, but experienced eyes. He says nothing for a moment, causing you to stare awkwardly back at him, and you must let the discomfort of the situation show slightly on your face, and the lips under his heavy and ungroomed facial hair curves to a small smile.

"I'll admit, even when I watched a young man run in sword blazing towards Blackfin's cronies, I was skeptical that someone was actually putting themselves at risk to help us." He suddenly speaks, his voice is boisterous, but controlled, almost like a calming thunder booming just within earshot. He offers you his hand. "It also sounds like you're a fugitive now too, along with THE Marine Houshou."

"Well I don't plan to run for long. Just until you all are safe back on the mainland." You say as you take the man's hand and you test each other's grips as you shake. "I'm Anon, by the way. Now I'd love to go more into introductions, but our schedule is about to get pretty tight. There was something you wanted to tell me?"

"Right." The man nods, letting go of your hand. "You mentioned you had a way for us to get off the island, but I can't imagine you came prepared to rescue as many people as we have here. Did you?"

"I'll be honest, things haven't exactly gone as planned, so I'm just a boat or two short of a great exit plan." You mix a little of the harsh truth with an optimism possibly more blinding than your brightest starlight. "So I'm more than willing to hear your suggestions right now."

"If it's boats you need, that is exactly what I was going to suggest. I can explain along the way. I'll be upfront with you though, you'll likely have to get into a few more scrapes once we get to the shipyard. It will be a little more manned than here."

"Well that's lucky for me then. I barely warmed up after that last one, and my friend over there didn't even get to throw one punch yet." You retort playfully.

"Not that I don't want to spend the night fighting pirates on their ships in the dark and cloudy night, but we should REALLY get back to the others sooner rather than later." Pomu chimes in with a fact that spurs your sense of urgency.

The thought of a very concerned sheep, a pissed off half-elf, and a hungry fennec lights a fire under your ass and you tense up considerably. Not to mention the pack! Oh gods. You pray that they haven't been trying to eat Watame. Yup. You've been away long enough. Time to hightail it back.

"Alright. Let's go." You say flatly, inviting the Shallah native to lead the way. He and his small ground head back towards the camp's borders, and before you can begin to follow, Marine gently grabs ahold of your wrist. "What's up?" You ask, turning to show illuminate the face of your temporary captain.

Marine faces you, but her eyes avoid yours, they look off to the side at nothing in particular. You give her another second, her grip around your wrist loosens, and she opts to hold onto your sleeve ever so slightly between her finger and thumb. The two of you stand there in an awkward silence as Pomu, Sylph and the Shallah people get a little further away. You begin to feel nervous. Is she going to back out? Betray you? No. For some reason, it's as if she is fighting to get the words she wants to say to leave her lips.

"Did you really mean what you said earlier?" She finally says, still not making eye contact. "When you beat the snot out of those guys who said mean things to my face. You called me your friend…did you actually mean that?"

"Oh…Oh that." You say, slightly embarrassed by the call out. "Well I was pretty in the moment there…but yeah. I meant every word of it. I guess when I saw you giving it your all to help our plan work, and I don't know…isn't there an old saying along the lines of my enemy's enemy is my friend? Maybe that's what's going on here."

"Well well~ I didn't have you pegged for a shy one." Marine giggles as she holds a hand up to her mouth, her mood suddenly doing a complete one eighty. "You don't have to be so polite. I may be your captain, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends…and more."

"How about we focus on winning our next battle?" You ignore the woman's implications and shift the situation while gently but firmly removing her hand from your sleeve. "There's likely gonna be more fighting soon, so are you gonna show me what a pirate captain is made of? Or do the Houshou Pirates let their lowly cabin boy do all their dirty work?"

"Hmph! You're not bad, I'll admit, but just wait till you see what I can do." Marine boasts as she strolls over to where one of the pirates from earlier still lay unconscious and she bends over to get something off the ground. She straightens back up to place one of the discarded flintlock pistols under the waistband of her tight miniskirt, and rests the smooth curved edge of a saber over her shoulder. She gives you a confident grin that actually looks like it belongs to someone competent and ready for a fight. "They may not be mine, but they're better than nothing. Now let's get going before these lugs have a chance to wake up and follow us."

You give the garnet colored captain a mock salute and gesture for her to proceed in front of you. With a pleased nod, Marine takes your invitation and briskly walks with you by her side towards the rest of the group. While you follow after her, your attention is drawn to the large mountain that looms overhead, its plateau coming just short of the almost full moon above. Your thoughts are brought back to the pack, and how this very mountain could be a special place to them. From what you could tell from the surrounding camp, the prisoners were being used to mine something from deep within the stone monolith. You know deep in your heart that none of what Blackfin is doing is for the sake of simple survival. What could be worth driving the lions out of their home? What could be worth enslaving a peaceful people like this? While you have resolved to put a stop to the fleet captain's madness, you can't help but wonder what is driving him so far. Maybe Marine knows a little more.

Before you can initiate a conversation with the Houshou captain, the man who spoke for the people of Shallah earlier falls behind the group to walk beside you. He introduces himself as Sammy, and he is part of what are known as the Pillars of Shallah. The people that make up these pillars sound like they act as a governing body for the coastal country. Kukai is apparently part of this group as well, which helps further explain why his name seems to be well known among his people as well as the respect they seem to have for one another. Sammy mentions that another one of the pillars; Clara, along with at least another dozen or prisoners or so, should be at the shipyard he is taking you all to.

When you ask the question of why there is a shipyard on the opposite side of the island from the docks, Sammy just shakes his head and says you'll understand once you get there. The answer both intrigues and puzzles you. You turn your question to Marine to see if she has any insights, but she is just as clueless as you are. Apparently the Houshou captain renounced Blackfin's ambitions early on, so she wasn't exactly privy to his current doings. Either way, a daring escape on one of Blackfin's own boats sounds like the perfect way to show him that you mean business and you are not to be taken lightly.

About a mile or so from your destination, within the sheltered safety of the woodland that is still standing strong, Sammy has his people stop to rest for a moment. He invites you and your comrades to walk a little further along with him. Thick and artificial lights obscure the stars and flood the surrounding skyline as your shapes along the ground become more clear. Again, you are met with the somewhat unpleasant sight of tree and plant life already cut down in their prime.

Sylph begins to trail behind your small group, taking her time to inspect and look regretfully at the various stumps that lay before her. She kneels down and gently glides a finger over the rings that mark the tree's age. The wind fairy sighs and looks over at you, her normal bright demeanor is gone, and her wings droop as sadness paints her dainty face. The deforestation that Blackfin likely ordered has been taking its toll on you, but you hadn't even considered how hurt Sylph felt by it all. At your other side, you notice Sammy trying to wave you down to urge you to keep going, but you stick close to your soul bound partner.

Possibly seeing your slight defiance or maybe the wind spirit's troubled face, Marine surprisingly quickly strolls past you and places a gentle hand on Sylph's shoulder.

"Hey. Everything all right?" Marine asks her in a tone that is full of matured concern and comfort. It almost makes you do a double take that the words are actually coming from her own voice.

"It's just…I don't get it." Sylph sighs, fighting to put her thoughts into words. "Why so much? What could they possibly be building that they needed so much? There's barely any left for the animals now. It's just…it's just plain…"

"Greedy? Yeah. I know." Marine says with her own mild resentment showing. "Real pirates know not to take more than they need from the land. If you over harvest the land, it won't be there when you truly need it. Just another one for the list of things that Marine Houshou and the modern pirate don't agree on. That's why I need to help put a stop to Blackfin's twisted example. If I don't, people might forget what true pirates are all about."

What true pirates are all about? The thought puzzles you for a second, but just like a passing breeze, it swoops away and your thoughts focus back on the wind fairy who is in a desperate need of a little extra hope. You walk in front of Sylph and crane your head low enough to come into her view.

"Don't worry, Sylph. When we give this island back to the pack, I bet they'll work really hard to fix it up and get it back to the way it used to be. I bet even some of the people from Shallah will help." You say with your brightest smile.

"My cabin boy is right. The people native to Shallah have always had a deep respect for nature, and so does every Houshou who has ever been a captain. My crew and I are going to help things go back to normal. We can plant new trees! Does that sound nice?" Marine says, playing off of your pep talk and bringing her face a little too close next to yours while she does it, but you'll let it slide for now.

Sylph's cheekbones slowly begin to rise up and she sniffs a little building mucous from within her nose. She gives you both a recovering smile and nods at your captain's question, which makes you smile more in turn.

"Can I ask for one other thing?" The wind fairy then directs the question at both of you, causing you to look at one another. You can't be certain, but the look in Marine's eyes tells you that she is being fully genuine and will likely do everything in her power to help the great spirit. Maybe this is part of what she meant by being a "True pirate". She is certainly different from all the others you've met so far, that's for sure. Without any verbal agreement, you both nod which prompts Sylph to continue. "Can we go punish the people responsible for all this? I think that would really make me feel better right now."

"Sylph, do you even have to ask?" You grin, more than excited to be on the same happily vengeful wavelength as her. "I promised you a roof to blow off, remember? Now let's go find a nice big one with lots of enemies under it."

"T-Those are the types of things you promise someone to make them feel better?" Marine giggles nervously.

"When they sound like the perfect thing to put some wind back in these wings of mine?! You betcha!" Sylph answers in your stead and rises back to her full height, and then some when her wings begin to flutter rapidly and keep her slightly overhead. "Let's go! I mopped long enough!"

Having had her spirits lifted, Sylph flies over to where you see Pomu and Sammy's shapes kneeling behind a thick shrub, likely peeking through at your next objective. You look to the pirate next to you who still wears a slightly surprised look on her face.

"You really are cut from a different cloth than the others, aren't you?" You try to phrase the question as a compliment that is then well received; Marine lifts her chin up slightly with a prideful look on her face.

"Every Houshou is. We define eras you know. And you're not exactly a run of the mill guy yourself. A perfectly unique cabin boy for a perfectly youthful and unique captain." Marine smugly replies.

"I really doubt your average cabin boy can fight like I can." You huff, thinking that you should have earned yourself a promotion by now.

"That's why you're unique!" Your captain shrugs.

"Oh whatever." You remark as you stomp past the girl, more than hoping to take out some of the mild frustration this woman causes you on some very unlucky pirates.

Pomu motions for you to kneel down next to her as she holds a batch of the shrub's foliage apart so that you may look through. Beyond the small opening, you see a gigantic shipyard illuminated by several circular spotlights that stand along the ground. There must be at least a dozen ships anchored along the docks that stretch outward from the nearby shore. Some look to be closer to be seaworthy than others, you can easily notice how some ships are missing parts such as their masts, while others have gaps in their hulls. What really catches your eye however is the boat that lays easily a mile away from the rest.

Beached along the sandy shore is the largest ship you have ever laid eyes on. It is easily three or maybe even five times the size of a galleon! Five thick masts shoot upward toward the light sky, and thanks to the spotlights that shine below it, you see the unmistakable Jolly Roger of the Blackfin Pirates. The way that frontal profile of an orca whale that looks like it is swimming out of the tapestry fills you with a cold fury.

"What the hell is that thing?" You gasp softly to yourself, there is simply no need for a boat THAT big. Can it even float?

"That is what Blackfin has been putting all my people to work for." Sammy says bitterly. "Every few days or so, people from the mining camp are brought here to help carry materials to that monstrosity. I've been back and forth a few times now. There's no mistake about what he's trying to do here."

"That insane bastard of a whale…" Marine hisses. "He's actually building that damned armada."

"What the hell for? Is he trying to go to war or something…" You begin to say before you realize that you just very likely answered your own question. Sammy looks at you and nods.

"While I would love to further talk about what that warlord parading as a captain wants to do, I have a lot of hungry and tired people who want to get back to their homes. A few of these ships should be ready to sail." Sammy then begins to say quickly, his own patience easily waning from the likely months of hardships he has endured. He makes a good point. You can find out all you never wanted to know about the orca demi-human later. First, you need to get a city's worth of people to safety.

"I think I got a good idea, Anon." Pomu then says to grab your attention. "There's no way we can sneak all these people on a ship without them being noticed, so if you're up for it, would you and Lady Sylph like to take the spotlight off of them?"

"Now that's a plan that's speaking my language." You answer the fae with electrified glee. "They already know I'm out on the loose, so I'm gonna make myself known. Sammy, you said more of your people are here right? If you worked here before, where can Pomu find them?"

"That row of wooden buildings along the border of the beach and mainland. They would lock us in those when we weren't working. Not like they really had to though. All of the shipwrights and other pirates stay either in the ships, or the workshop they built next to the docks. They have people working around the clock too." The older man points to the various spots of interest as you formulate an attack plan.

"You wanna get real loud right in the center of it all, don't ya?" Marine clicks as she seems to read your intentions from your eyes. "I'll be right there with ya then. When these clowns find out I escaped, they won't care about anything else."

"Sorry captain, but once they see what I have in store for them, you might not be such a high priority anymore. But if you can keep up…we can make a hell of a show." You find yourself joking with the Houshou captain as you unsheathe your sword.

"Then I say, let's crash their party and make some noise. It's about time I showed you what the Houshou Pirates are made of." Marine snickers as she taps the dull side of the saber she borrowed against her shoulder.

"Sounds good to me. Sylph, you both ready to swell up a storm?" You ask your winged comrade which is met with an adamant nod from her. Sylph can already tell what you have planned, and the look in her eyes tells you she wants to say something, so you give her a small nod back so she doesn't contain herself any longer.

"I was thinking…" Sylph begins with a mischievous smile. "Could Pomu and I actually help out with the rescuing first? Then once they're safe and on their way to a boat, we coulddddd"

"Say no more." You interrupt politely, knowing just exactly what the great wind spirit is getting at. "I'll make the stage nice and bright for the grand entrance of the fairy calvary. And Sammy, make sure all of your people have a nice seat for that. You're not gonna want to miss it."

"Young man, under normal circumstances I would not be alright with sending you into the lion's den like this, but from what I saw earlier, you can handle yourself enough for me to take this gamble…I just hope we're not going to have to pay too hefty a price for this." Sammy says in a low voice, with foreboding hanging thick off his words.

"I've already been through the lion's den before, and I came out just fine. In fact, I came out better than fine, and with some extra muscle that's waiting for us on the mainland." You joke slightly to try and cut through the clouds that surround the Shallah leader's mood. "Which by the way, you can count on them to help keep any friends or family you're worried about back home safe. In fact, I got a friend back there right now who promised me she would keep all the people you care about safe from the pirates at the port, and she's one of the strongest warriors I ever fought."

"Kiara…promised you that?" Pomu picks up on who you might be talking about instantly, and you see sudden conflict and uncertainty peek from those pale ruby windows to her soul.

"Mhmm. She may want almost nothing to do with me, but she doesn't seem like the type of girl who would break a promise, so I believe in her." You give the fae a thumbs up, and her smile slowly returns, but all too slowly for a girl who is about to be a fairy hero for a large audience to see. "Now I wanna see the best entrance you and Sylph got when the time comes, okay? Marine and I are about to set a pretty high bar, so don't slouch, got it?"

"Cheya!" Pomu chortles slightly, her happy and determined demeanor restored. "You're not gonna be able to show us up, Anon! Polka has been giving me pointers!"

"We got stiff competition then, think you can back me up on this, captain?" You bring the flat of your blade atop its comfortable resting place on your shoulder and look to the Houshou captain who does the same with her own.

"You're the one backing me up, cabin boy." Marine chuckles as she begins to walk around the shrub that conceals your group and towards the natural path that shifts from earthen dirt to sand to lead towards the shipyard.

"Guess I'll follow your lead for now then." You chuckle back as you wave goodbye to your fairy companions and follow after your captain. You have to admit to yourself, Marine walking with purpose, a sword in her hand, and determination in her two different colored eyes, is a very good look on her. THIS could be a person you could see other people wanting to follow.

The two of you walk side by side down the narrowing pathway as the artificial light covers more and more of your immediate surroundings. This is truly it. Before you were just getting into a forgettable street brawl and making your own escape, but you're really going to up the ante now. Taking their forces by surprise? Stealing one of their ships? That might as well be a declaration of war.

By the time your feet meet the raised wooden planks of the dock that covers the shore, the noise of the workshop that lies in the center of it all fills your ears with the clanging of tools striking metal, the grating of wood being sanded down, and the grunts of the shipwrights who are doing it all and more. The few who cross your path from going from one point to the next give you curious glances, but choose to finish whatever their current task might be before opting to investigate you further. Some distraction you're turning out to be.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Marine suddenly shouts in a voice that is both sharp and playful. Then, she pulls the pistol she brandishes from its holding spot within her skirt's waistband and fires three ear piercing shots into the sky. The sounds of tools and crafts grind to a halt, and a still silence hangs in the air.

"I am Marine Houshou! Blackfin's number one prisoner and I'm here to remind you all why the Houshou are not to be messed with! I'm gonna burn that bastard of a whale's ambitions straight into the ground! So if any of you got the balls to try and stop me, come and try to take my head!"

Half a minute goes by before the rumblings of voices start. Along the night air you hear questions such as: "Is that really the Houshou Captain herself?", "Wasn't she supposed to be gone?", "Who cares! If we take her down, Blackfin will pay us enough to retire!" Then the grumbles of man and woman alike arming themselves for battle comes.

"Heh, that sure got their attention." You scoff as you observe the pirates slowly approaching you and Marine from all sides, forming a slowly tightening circle around you.

"The Houshou Pirates are the best that ever sailed the seas. The head of their captain is a prize like no other." Marine tuts her pointed finger back and forth as she boasts.

"Ohhhh so that's why all these guys look like they have gold bars glinting in their eyes instead of fear. Speaking of fear though, you're not the least bit nervous about being outmanned like this? They're not a bunch of sloppy drunks this time, and I imagine being stuck in a box for a while hasn't been great for your sword arm." You grin as the excitement of battle lust begins to bubble from within your gut.

"My grandmother always said that a captain is only as good as her crew, and with a cabin boy like you, I got nothing to worry about. Now let's mop the floors with these chumps." Your captain declares proudly as she points the tip of her saber at your enemies that are almost within striking range.

"Now there's an order I don't mind following! Try to keep up, captain." You say as you hold yourself back no longer, and charge into the fray of pirates ahead of you.

Three men, all human and wearing the overalls of carpenters along with tied bandanas that showcase their crew's colors, all raise their swords at your approach, and quickly bring them down upon you. The sound of steel colliding rings through the air when you bring your blade up to block all three attacks. Your arms shake as you press the flat of your palm against your sword to hold off your adversaries who press forward in hopes of breaking past your defense. You lock eyes with the bloodthirsty gazes of your enemies, and something ignites within you. Thoughts and feelings about the true character and intentions of these men begin to course through you. They have no regard for your life and the lives of the innocent, you can feel as much through the clash of your steel against theirs. A person's true nature can be felt in the heat of battle, and everything is screaming at you that these pirates are just as greedy, maniacal, and downright mean as the captain they follow.

How many people? How many people have they hurt, worked to the bone, abused? All for what? Some ships and some likely batshit plan? These bastards ran Botan and the pack out of their home. This spot was probably a lovely beach before they came along and turned it into a naval factory for war. No more going easy! These jerks are done!

With a loud battle cry, you push forward and begin to overpower the three pirates. A harsh bash from your sword makes them stumble a step backwards along with their blades. Gripping both hands around your weapon's handle, you swing it across your body, its point catching the chests of all three of your direct adversaries. With your emotions ignited, Shining Comet pierces the skin and draws blood, not deep enough to be fatal, but more than enough to send the men falling onto their backs in pain where they should stay for a while.

While your sword is finishing its arc at your right side, a dwarf man with a sharp cutlass charges from your left, thinking he can take advantage of your supposed unguarded flank. Your left hand opens in his direction and begins to glow a deep blue as your emotions fuel your mana like a building wave. The sudden burst of magic that creates a surging jetstream to erupt from your palm catches the pirate by surprise, and is unable to guard himself before the deluge of water sprays into his face and sends him tripping backward. The display of quick spell casting you just performed makes your immediate opponents hesitate. You give them a cocky grin and let your eyes trail over your shoulder to check on your partner.

There Marine stands, with the body of a wolf demi-human already at her feet, while she crosses swords with a pair of elven women. With expert precision she peels her saber along the sharpened edges of her opponent's blades, the sound of the metal biting into one another gives you goosebumps. The Houshou Captain jerks her wrist hard to slide the curved tip of her sword off the one woman's with a satisfying snap, and with her foe's guard displaced, she slices upward, cutting through her muscular forearm. The woman curses as she is forced to drop her sword and hold her opposite hand over the wound, and with one opponent disarmed, Marine moves on to the next. In a fluid motion, your captain flings her weapon across her body to meet the desperate guard of her opponent.

You stand momentarily captivated by Marine's swordsmanship. Instead of locking swords and attempting to overpower her opponent, the Houshou captain lets the resulting force of her blade bouncing against that of her enemy's act as her momentum as she swiftly turns her wrist to bring its sharp edge across the woman's midsection. The woman grunts and holds her bleeding stomach, but keeps her own cutlass tightly gripped and held at the ready to pay Marine back for it. The Houshou Captain scoffs as a pearly toothed smile stretches across her face. A quick step to the side in rhythm with another quick series of slashes tear through the thin fabric of the pirate's clothing around her leg, arm, and upper chest.

Marine chuffs as she comes around to deliver a harsh kick to the reeling woman's back to send her to the ground. The defeated's partner curses again and recklessly charges the Houshou captain with a hand still clutching her open wound. Marine brings her saber down over the clumsy thrust meant for her side and knocks the blade clean of its user's grip. Now unarmed, the pirate can only watch as the garnet haired captain back hands her across her cheek to put her down.

With triumphant flair, Marine brushes her thick hair behind her, and points her sword at the circle of challengers, welcoming the next attempts on her life. You are nothing short of impressed by the shorter woman. She fights with a clear comfort and grace that can only come from true experience and sharp intuition. The vibe she gives you makes you want to try even harder and be a worthy comrade in arms for her.

"They're just two people!" A crocodile beastkin shouts in frustration as he waves a harpoon over his head. "Kill the Houshou bitch first! She never had the guts to be a real pirate."

"And I'm sure you'd love to slither back to your scumbag of a captain and say you did it all by yourself too." You snap, holding your sword in front of you in a steady stance. "Just tell me one thing first. You're part of the SeaKroc pirates, right?"

"And what if I am? What's it you…whoever you are?" The green scaled humanoid asks in response, his eyes narrowing and blinking from side to side as he tries to figure out if he should know you or not.

"What's it to me? Damn, I'm glad you asked." You chuckle as you bring the power of starlight to your fingertips. You give Marine a subtle eye movement in an attempt to warn her of what's coming next. "Get ready, the answer is surely gonna brighten things up a bit."

You extend your arm towards your target and let loose a series of flicks from your thumb and forefinger, each time sending a small nail sized star shooting across the air at many astonished faces. The instant your celestial array comes within inches of a pair of eyes, you press your thoughts to unleash your spell's true purpose. A blinding flash of silver-white light erupts in a cascading chorus across the air in front of you, which is followed by shrieks of pain and hysterics. Weapons fall to the ground, and chaos quickly ensues within the mob before you.

"You blimey cheat!" The croc spouts as he presses his leathery palms to his eye sockets, wrenching with pain.

Fighting the urge to form a rebuttal, you dash forward while your enemies are momentarily stunned and bring your sword down low along your left side. When you come within sword's length of the pirate crocodile, you chop right into his thick leg, burying your sword a good few inches deep as the tough flesh gives ever so slightly along your edge. The leg's owner howls at the sudden incision, and hooks his arm wildly in front of him hoping to catch you at the end of his balled fist. After slicing your sword free and splattering the ground with blood, you dodge the blind strike and flip your sword so you can jab its butt right into that scaley reptile's soft underbelly.

Having the wind forced out of his chest, your enemy hunches forward, gasping for air. You then remember you still owe this lowlife an answer to his question.

"What's it to me? Well for one…" You say as you bring your sword's tip under the beastkin's long snout and pull him slightly upwards. "I got a beef with your captain. He thinks I wouldn't last five seconds against him. And two…" You clench your fist, letting your magic envelop and harden around it before slamming it down over the pirate's nose, sending him jaw first into the ground. "I got a problem with all you dipshit lizards for disrespecting my friend."

With the temporary blindness you inflicted the circle of ruffians with beginning to fade, you look for your next target. Eyes that strain to even squint look at you with unprecedented rage and hatred. You grip your sword and prepare yourself to bring down the next unlucky soul, but then internal alarms begin to blare so loudly that your own thoughts are jumbled. Your body freezes when the click of a flintlock pistol echoes in your ears. Had you gotten too careless? What should you do? A mana coat? A wind spell? Duck?

A terrific bang echoes through the shipyard, and you quickly realize that you feel…nothing. No pain, no loss of any senses, not even a new hole somewhere on your person. You look over your shoulder to see a man face first on the ground with Marine planting a single foot on his back as she blows the smoke from the pistol she kept at her waist.

"It's the captain's job to break in and penetrate her newest crew." Marine says with a sultry look on her face, before she parries an incoming sword strike from one of the small fry pirates. After deflecting the next blow she aims her side piece and pulls its trigger, making another body fall limp to the ground with a loud bang. "No getting distracted now, cabin boy! I'll give you plenty to stare at later."

You scoff and shake off the troublesome woman's implications, but step backwards so that you are both almost back to back with each other. She is right, you got a little sloppy and almost paid the price, it's a good thing you can trust this pirate to have your back…Trust?

Only a few hours ago you were kicking yourself for being too trusting, since it almost landed you a one way ticket to being delivered to HoloX in a neatly wrapped box, but Marine…you're not sure why, but you just know in your heart that you can trust her fully in this battle. There is no need to look over your shoulder with questions of if she will suddenly be gone or be stabbing you in the back.

"Sorry Marine. Watching you fight was kinda mesmerizing. Do you think you could show me some of those moves later? Also, what is it like to shoot one of those things?" You ask, still slightly distracted with thoughts of how you could incorporate the Houshou captain's multi weapon fighting style into your own movements.

"Oh Anon~ I'll show you moves you've never even dreamed of, but first…our crowd is getting a little small. I say we give 'em a reason to send the whole place after us." Marine giggles as she nudges her head towards the lit up wooden workshop.

"You're thinking what I'm thinking then?" You grin at the playfully destructive images that come to mind when you look at the large building.

"Let's blow that place skyhigh and put that whaley bastard's progress back months! Follow me, cabin boy!" Marine says with a malicious cackle as she charges forward in the direction of the workshop, planning to go right through the line of pirates that stand in her way.

Gathering the power of wind around your blade, you hold your sword over your shoulder. Once you gather the force you need, you swing your weapon in a sweeping arc in front of you, blowing a powerful gust towards your pursuing enemies to knock them back and disorient them. You quickly turn and follow your captain who is currently crossing swords again with a human adversary. After gathering water within your free hand, you shape your spell and fling it forward, sending a spinning star of sharpened liquid for the sword of your target. The azure star breaks through the shoddily smithed shortsword of a flanking stocky elf who had moved to try and stab Marine like it was made of glass. You come between your captain and the shocked pirate as he looks at his shattered weapon. His narrow eyes flash with a fear and understanding that he is done, and you'd hate to prove him wrong, so you slash your sword across his raised arm and then the top of his chest.

A satisfying clanging of steel followed by a sharp yell tells you that your battle partner had quickly dispatched her next foe. Then another loud bang from her pistol roars in the air, and another falls ahead of you. The pirates are growing more brazen, attempting to dogpile on you both with swords, spears, and firearms raised. All your training, all your hard work and determination has helped mold your body into an instinctive fighting machine. Your mastery over your own mana has honed you into a spellblade of a calibur that these pirates have never encountered before.

You heave and gather the winds that begin to blow restlessly around the group of bodies that block your advance, and with a mighty push from both your magic and your hand upward, you bring a burst of force that knocks no less than six bodies onto their backs. Marine hurries forward, harshly stepping onto the soft bellies of those who now make up her path, and she lashes out at a nearby woman armed with daggers, who blocks the Houshou captain's strike with one blade, and makes a hasty stab with the other. The smaller blade cuts through Marine's bodysuit and grazes her skin, drawing blood, she winces but brings her pistol under her opposite arm and presses its barrel right against her transgressor's midsection.

Only the click of the hammer coming down comes when Marine pulls the trigger, then she curses. The woman grins nastily and turns her blade to plunge it into her prey, but you will not let such an injury befall your partner. With a desperate plea to your mana, you reach your hand forward and fire a sharp bullet of water that strikes the top of the girl's wrist, causing her to drop her weapon as the skin becomes red and bruised from the impact of your spell. You ignore your own immediate adversary who makes a quick slash downward at you, and as you race off to help Marine, the blade grazes your shoulder, tearing through your clothes slightly as it descends down and cuts through the skin. White hot pain pulses through your body, but you will not deter from your goal. Another sword comes from the side of the crowd, angled to chop your head off, but you drop down and use your momentum to slide along the ground on your knees. Your travel ends just where Marine struggles, and you raise your open hand at her opponent and let your rage build the storm in your heart.

"Burst forth o' mighty waters. Break down and wash everything that stands before me away! Tidal Surge!" You shout as the spell you conjure begs for a name, and water erupts from your hand as if it were a portal to a dam that had a hole just punctured through it.

The powerful deluge nails the pirate square in the chest and carries her within its harsh embrace as it flies forward to take several unlucky pirates who had been standing in the line of fire along with it. Even as you watch your spell splash the night sky with droplets of water that makes your heart sing with satisfaction, you feel immediate danger creeping over your senses. Another loud bang resounds in the air, and the sound of a metal casing ricocheting against the ground rings in your ears, as you have a delayed reaction to a bullet grazing the arm that fires your spell. The pain is sharp, but not unmanageable as you grit your teeth and give your magic one final push. A final wave pulses along your watery jetstream, and causes a great crash in front of you that knocks several opponents down for the count as they cough for air.

You rise to your feet, knowing there isn't time to check your wounds, you have to keep going. Beside you, Marine trails her sword along the front of another victim not skilled enough to cross blades with her. She then buries her weapon an inch within the man's chest, where she pulls him closer and relieves him of the pistol he had concealed within his vest. With her creative reload finished, she plants her boot against the pirate's upper thigh and kicks him away, freeing her weapon from his flesh. She turns and looks at you, her dark golden eye flashes with an intense focus and clarity as she raises her newfound weapon up and aims.

Marine pulls the hammer back with her thumb and squeezes the trigger with her gloved finger. The barrel of her weapon is aimed right in your direction, but something screams at you not to move an inch. The pistol fires, and you feel the shift in the air as the bullet it sends forth whizzes past your cheek. It was incredibly fast, but you also detected the faint remnants of mana? Several loud screams then explode behind you, belonging to several different people. You focus back on Marine who turns the smoking gun upward and blows the trailing smoke from it, happily observing how the surrounding mob had been intimidated into inaction.

"S-She just hit four people with one shot!" One stammers from the forefront of the fighting ring.

"And the guy! He just made a tidal wave come out of his hand! I thought you could only manage magic like that if you're one of them stuffy elves or mages." A woman then adds on, the praise, while coming entirely from ignorance, does help your wound sting a little less. Speaking of, this might be a good time to take care of that really quick.

"These two be monsters!" A wolfman then howls. "The Houshou brat wasn't supposed to be a fighter!"

"Blackfin locked her up because she was too soft for what real pirates need to do, yeah? Guess he also didn't want that inherited deadeye of hers pointed at him either." Another answers, perfectly happy to discuss matters amongst themselves before resigning themselves to fighting you and Marine.

"Blackfin put her out of the way because Captain Marine has a very different idea of what pirating should be, and isn't afraid to speak her mind." An older man's voice cuts through the crowd and heads immediately turn to who would address the fugitive as a captain. Marine ears perk up at this voice, and she quickly scans the area.

"What are ye doin' out here captain?" Another man asks, his voice ripe with age as well, and the surrounding group parts to give you a view of a small band of pirates, all on the older side, standing as the perfect picture of what you would have thought a pirate crew used to look like.

A small group of men step forward, almost all of them having thick and gruff facial hair ranging from full brown to gray. Most wear simple bandanas tied around their heads of either a full forest green, or red and white stripes. Their simple corsairs are stretched out and dirty from likely years of wear and tear. What strikes your eye however, is the emblem of the Houshou Pirates that rests faded on different parts of each member's clothes.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Marine begins to answer the question, slightly taken aback to be suddenly met with who are likely members of her own "real" crew. "This guy here let me out, and he has the balls to do what I've been itching to do ever since Morgan died. We're taking Blackfin down, and you all can help me. You don't have to work for Blackfin anymore."

"But is that really the best thing to do?" A woman Houshou then asks. "C'mon little Marine. Think about it. We weren't getting rich off how Morgan ran things, and none of us are gettin' any younger."

"If you had just went along with things…if you just didn't let that damn pride of yours get in the way…" Another man begins to lament, slightly regretful that he is saying what he feels he has to.

"If I just 'went along with things', I'd have the blood of countless innocents on my hands! Are you serious!? Blackfin is insane! He doesn't care about sailing free, or exploring the unknown, or even finding treasure and the adventure of it all. He just wants carnage and absolute rule! That is NOT what a pirate is!" Marine shouts back, full authority in her voice, but it shakes slightly.

"No disrespect to you and the old Senchou, but that ideal is just a fantasy." One of the men steps forward with his hands held in front of him, as if Marine needed to be soothed and calmed like a threatened animal.

"A fantasy? What grand-What your Senchou wanted was to be a different kind of pirate! Sure, we plundered and took what we needed, but we didn't attack the defenseless!" Marine argues back, her voice getting more hoarse.

"And where did that get us? Where did that get you? Sure, Senchou retired along with your pop…but all that left us with was you. A captain who doesn't know when to wave the white flag and got herself caged in a box."

"But…but wasn't our life alright? We have always sailed free, looking for new places, treasure, and-" Your captain starts to speak more softly, broken down by the unexpected negativity of her own crew.

"Captain! We're all old now, and you ain't no spring chicken either! We can't be going around chasin' myths and the treasures of kingdoms that kept better seafarers than us out for years. We all thought we would spend our years robbin' and sinking trade ships, that way we could all retire if we wanted."

"You KNOW why that had to stop." Marine hisses, her hands now trembling over the handles of both her weapons.

"So we lost a few of our mates chasing a bad score, but that should have been more reason not to go sticking our noses into unfamiliar lands!" One of the women retorts. "The new era Blackfin wants is one where the strong thrive. If you don't got the stones for it, you should just hang up your hat."

"Just surrender, captain. The Houshou Pirates are done. If you really come along quietly, Blackfin might just put you back in your box and-"

"SHUT! UP!" You raise your voice in a hot fury, your mana becomes uncontrolled as you stomp your foot on the ground, creating a pulse of wind that flows over the surrounding audience. "I've heard enough. You assholes really call yourself part of Marine's crew? After you sat by and did nothing!? You're still just doing nothing, like a bunch of cowards! Are you really the crew Marine was so proud of?!"

"Tch! No stones? Too soft? What a load of crap." You sharply remark as you slowly step towards your captain who you can tell is fighting to hold back tears. "Marine is braver than all of you combined. She knows all the sick shit that orca is doing is wrong! You all used to live in harmony with the people of Shallah, and look at you now. Look at what you stood back and let happen. You and everyone else I've talked to today say the Houshou Pirates are all washed up. That their captain is not a true pirate. Well that's a load of bullshit! You know why?"

You point your sword towards the collection of emotionally defeated pirates and put your other hand on Marine's side where her recent wound lays open. She jolts slightly at the sudden skinship, but her muscles begin to relax as your water healing spell starts to mend and close the injury she sustained. You turn your head to meet her gaze with a confident smile, her eyes are watery, but she looks at you with such surprise and hope that it spurs your words further.

"Because their captain is gonna be the one who helps put an end to Blackfin's sick schemes and be a hero of Shallah! I am Anon, a summoner and the Houshou Pirates' newest crewmember. Together, we're going to knock every other crew that gets in our way down until we dismantle Blackfin's fleet to pieces! Starting with that workshop of his! Now if you're an EX member of the Houshou Pirates, you can either fight us, or go find a box of your own to hide in. I don't care which!"

"Anon…" Marine sniffles, her composure overpowered by either the emotions of your proud speech, or the sensations of having her pain suddenly lifted thanks to your magic. You continue to stare down your potential adversaries, hoping that one of them will make a move, you are more than itching to get back to the fighting and teach these bastards a lesson.

"You're both bloody insane! Not even Senchou could have taken Blackfin in a fight! The brute is just too strong. Plus he's got some crazy secret weapon he stole from Captain Morgan."

"And that's another thing!" You growl through gritted teeth. "Your Senchou is right here, and it's about time you started calling her that! And as for that traitor of an orca, I don't care how strong you think he is, I'm not backing down, and neither are my friends!"

"Like you and the Houshou bag will get a chance! Just kill these two already!" One of the pirates behind you shouts, and a collection of footsteps start making their way towards you, but you only let out a small chuckle at their sudden attack.

"No better stage than this, right?" You mutter softly as you feel a certain pair of someones approach.

A blast of wind from above booms in the night sky, causing everyone besides you to turn their heads upward. Flying side by side, Sylph and Pomu dive down, their wings folded back to cut the wind resistance they face. The great wind fairy makes her silver chakrams appear in her hands, and she sends both flying outward towards the ground. The bladed rings halt their descent at chest high level and begin encircling the man-made perimeter, slicing the tops of every weapon that the pirates who began to approach you held. Both fairies touchdown and create a large gust of wind with their landing, knocking the unlucky pirates in the immediate area over.

"Sorry we're late, Anon!" Pomu chirps as she slowly rises from the kneeling pose she took when she landed. "There's a LOT of people to herd around, and we wanted to make sure there weren't any surprises."

"Late? I'd say we came RIGHT on time!" Sylph snickers as her magical rings glide back to her and she snatches both from the air, standing ready behind you. "Now a little birdie told me that some people think we don't got the chops to take down that oversized fish. Summoner, want to show them how wrong they are?"

"We're gonna do more than that. See that building over there?" You barely contain your excitement as you take your hand off Marine and point to the busy workshop just twenty feet away. "There's that roof I promised you."

Sylph turns to you and is practically bursting at the seams with excitement. Her legs hike up and down while she stays fluttering in the air, and she dismisses her weapons and holds out her hand to you.

"I have been looking forward to this since the day we made our pact! Fighting pirates? Helping good pirates who appreciate sailing free? The chance to blow prime real estate off its hinges!? I couldn't have asked for a better debut, summoner! Let's go!" The wind fairy says excitedly as she gives her hand a few flexes to urge you not to keep her waiting a second longer.

"What can I say? I aim to please." You chuckle and take Sylph's hand in yours, your palms slapping together amidst the shocked silence of the onlookers. A spark between both your beings ignites at your deliberate joining and you feel yourself immediately begin to feel the wind spirit's presence tenhold.

A bright green burst of light envelops you and reaches out past the crowd of people who shield themselves from the unknown. After a few fleeting seconds, the light retracts and you feel yourself recenter as you adjust to the melding of both yours and Sylph's souls. A distinct light green aura surrounds your body, and you feel a constant breeze localized to your person. You breathe in deeply, and then out. This feels incredible! You feel so free, so light, so…full of energy and life.

The intangible wind fairy now floats at your side, her smile could not be any wider if she tried. Her constant support she has given you all this time now feels stronger than ever. The presence and sound of the winds is now so clear, you can sense the breeze that is coming from miles away. You breathe in again, really taking it all in. Then, right as you predicted, a small passing of air tickles your hair as it passes. THIS is your spirit resonance with Sylph.

"This is you and Lady Sylph joined together…" Pomu says, awestruck while at the same time trying very hard to not let herself geek out and ruin this moment.

"And the fun don't stop there! Hey Summoner, I think my audience is a little confused. How about we start this party and introduce ourselves?" Sylph proposes eagerly.

"Damn right! Now let's show them all who we are!" You agree, more than happy to test your conjoined powers and demonstrate for anyone watching that you WILL be a hero for this country. "Get ready, this is gonna blow you all away!"