Heat: Simmering
Content Warnings: Violence, Political Intrigue, Implied Sexual Themes, Implied SA
Director's note: Episode four brings us back to Brinemarch, where charm hides corruption and every promise comes at a cost. Nadine proves she can outplay anyone on the council, while the Captain reminds us that diplomacy and danger often share the same table. Riley and Thomas set out on a mission of espionage. This chapter deepens the world, revealing the city's glittering rot and setting the course for the storm ahead.
Chapter 10
They were returning to Brinemarch much to the disappointment and fear of Thomas. He was supposed to be a thousand miles away and safe from the prying eyes of his family but instead he would soon be returning to the underworld they puppeteered. Despite his disappointment no one else could relate, as they didn't know the danger he was putting them in with the fortune he held in his boot. Riley offered words of encouragement and for Thomas this needed to be enough.
The Abyss crew itself had stumbled into a precarious situation. With plenty of stores, they could slowly return to Brinemarch and think through their next plans with little disturbance. In the days that followed the Kraken attack, they discovered the identities of the three people they "rescued". The sea-soaked man, Trudy, was little help. He whimpered, begged for mercy, and seemed mostly harmless. Finneas had failed to uncover how or why he was aboard the ship, but Trudy's shrill voice and meek appearance offered little value. Trudy would be held captive until he could be dumped unceremoniously at the next port. Or sooner if he didn't "SHUT THE FUCK UP" as Finneas' thick accent demanded several times.
The ghost in white offered a different intrigue. She was ghastly quiet with piercing, pin-point eyes. She mostly stared as Finneas examined her. It wasn't until he tried to look at her teeth that she made her move, biting his hand with great speed and a determined chomp. But this gave Finneas most of the information he needed.
She was smart enough to keep quiet, observant enough to look for an opportunity to rebel, and defiant enough to suggest she was from a higher standing. The biggest giveaway was her appearance however. Her skin was young, smooth, and untouched by the sun. Her teeth, paper white and well taken care of. While not particularly big, she was clearly fed well and regularly. As she chucked the bowl of oats Frank had prepared, Finneas reckoned it was as much to do with the quality of the food as much as it was a hunger strike.
The shadow, however, offered full insight into the mystery ship. In broad daylight Korlai was not a shadow of danger but an athletic wonder. He stood a bit shorter than Finneas with a little less weight, but Korlai had the body of a trained olympian. With long push-backed black hair, abs with abs, and thighs resembling tree-trunks, Korlai would pose a threat to anyone on ship. Given his arrival on the ship and his former crewmates' untimely ending into the ocean, Riley demanded he stay locked up with the others despite his charming personality and giving demeanor.
With a smug smile and a nonchalant demeanor Korlai explained they had been a part of a royal transport. For extra security and protection, he had been hired as a royal mercenary. Their mystery woman was Aaliyah, princess of Widding. The country lay just southwest of the city of Brinemarch.
Although the conservative kingdom disapproved of pirates far more than Brinemarch, its key location on the peninsula meant it could dominate lawful trade in the western hemisphere. However, Wedding had fallen behind to the Kingdom of Sandia which had been profiting heavily from Brinemarch's illicit trade. Korlai said their ship, and one other set out on a secret mission to wed Aaliyah to the second prince of Hinckia.
With an alliance between Widding of the western coast and Hinckia of the eastern coasts the two could squeeze Sandia from either side, limiting their growing wealth and unapologetic dealing with pirates. While Aaliyah didn't admit to her identity or their plans, Finneas saw a great anger flicker in her eyes. If Korlai was telling the truth the crew had secured a prize much bigger than the two barrels of oats they had secured from the wreckage.
This was a gift wrapped in a poison veil however. Widding would pay greatly for the return of their daughter and Hinckia for the consummation token of a powerful alliance. Even yet, Sandia or other rival kingdoms might pay even more to stop such an alliance or even worse, force a different marriage under duress.
Once knowledge of the princess' survival spread the danger would be neverending. Rescue parties, rival crews, and assassins would all be on the hunt for Aaliyah. Even now, several days out from the Kraken attack, it was likely that the princess' disappearance would have made it to the mainland, sparking a flurry of rescue forces and ambitious crews to set sail.
No, if the Abyss crew wanted to make it out alive and be rewarded for their captured prize they would need to move quickly, quietly, and with partners they could trust to fulfill such a contract without betraying them. As far as Captain knew, there was only one place to get such a deal done, Brinemarch.
Finneas announced their full return at the end of day three. While much information was forthcoming, the most important parts were left out. Some men had just the week prior, and returning to their home port made the Abyss crew more vulnerable than normal.
Chapter 11
"Thomas" a voice whispered. The night had grown dark and Thomas wondered if he was dreaming. He opened his eyes sleepily. Riley peered inches from his face. She signaled for him to be quiet. Plopping out of his hammock, Thomas took Riley's hand as the two slinked towards the Finneas' quarters. She had been more distant the last few days but the touch of her hand warmed his mood.
Riley knocked on Finneas' door twice before stepping inside. Finneas looked up from his desk with heavy eyes. Thomas wondered when the last time he had found sleep was. The quartermaster raised his eye to Riley.
"We have a plan, Thomas, one that requires complete discretion. Given the risks, we also need you to volunteer for it" Riley gently explained. They both looked to Thomas with sincerity.
"Yes, yeah. Whatever it is, I'm in."
Finneas nodded approvingly. "Good man. Now, here's the deal. We can't glide into Brinemarch with the Princess onboard. The second that news of her disappearance breaks, the first thing they will do is search every ship."
"That's assuming it hasn't already broken" Riley pipped in.
"Correct. Also, there's the matter of good ole ma and pa looking for their golden hair boy. I imagine you're not keen to return to your kennel, ay?"
Thomas scoffed, a sense of relief flushing his face. "No, thank you." He had spent the past day fretting over what to do with the Moon Gem and if his new crew would abandon him once it was revealed. He didn't think the Captain a forgiving one.
"So, we need to get you off this boat, along with the missus. And we need to do it discreetly. Now she's a handful." Finneas held up his bandaged hand. "Since we need someone we can trust, Riley will be going with you."
The idea of more alone time with Riley was more than pleasant. "But what about the crew?" Thomas asked.
"Aye, let us take care of that. You two just need to focus on keeping the princess alive and unsullied."
"When do we leave?"
Finneas stood up from his desk, "Now".
Making their way down to makeshift cells, the three prisoners already sit awake in their cell. Finneas unlocked the door and Riley stepped inside to a grinning Korlai, "Finally come to your senses and invite me to your crew?"
"You wish merc." Finneas huffed back.
To Aaliyah's surprise, Riley undid her shackles before pulling her to her feet. Aaliyah pulled back, resistant to Riley's direction, but Riley's sheer size was no match and she carefully but forcefully pulled Aaliyah out the cell.
"Oh c'mon, don't take my princess," Korlai smirked.
Thomas tried to look half intimidating as Finneas locked the door back. Trudy watched on silently, miserably as the group vanished back into the ship with Aaliyah.
The captain waited on deck for them, the setting moon welcoming their journey with shining light. Aaliyah had coldly accepted her fate.
Thomas climbed down the netting first. At the bottom of the ship rested a dinghy not too unlike the one he had boarded on, although this one was bigger and had some resources for their journey ahead.
"Down!" Riley barked at Aaliyah who listened, much like a cat defiantly listens to their owner.
As Thomas gave her a hand into the boat, he thought he saw a rare embrace in the shadows above. The two lingered and it was several long moments before Riley appeared on the netting. He knew that Riley would die for the captain, and of the night they had shared, but he wondered if their relationship was deeper than just pleasure. What did the Captain offer Riley in the sanctity of privacy? Was he in the middle of a strange love triangle? He chuckled to himself, amused that these questions always seemed to arrive only when he must row small boats in dark waters.
Riley slid into the boat with ease, and it was time to leave. Thomas was at awe at the form and technique that Riley commanded their small vessel. It was a glint in the night compared to the Silent Tide but they seemed to almost skate across the water. This wasn't the experience of a pirate but of someone with years of experience.
Thomas offered support with his own oars being careful not to disrupt Riley's own cadence. Aaliyah sat in the middle, refusing to look at or acknowledge either of them. It would be several hours before they made it to shore.
Finneas watched out at the sea for a long time next to the Captain, both in silence. He rubbed his red beard as the small boat vanished into the distance. "Aye, well I guess that's that" he huffed.
"That's that…" she echoed coldly. She turned to him and his heavy eyes. "Get some rest, I have a feeling we have more surprises in store. I'm going to need you fresh."
He looked off into the water, as if not to give her access to his troubles. "No, it's not that much of a hassle. The crew will need me in the morning."
She refused him, "Finn, sleep. That's an order. I will not see you before noon."
The Captain immediately walked away, leaving him no space to rebuttal or logic with her. This tactic was very effective so she knew to only use it when it was truly important. And Finneas, the tactician he was, knew to listen when she did it. He would sleep. Well… maybe after fine tuning the plans for a few more hours. But then, he would sleep.
Chapter 12
The morning light broke over a string of several small islands. Riley drifted through them with ease, the deep blues of the open ocean giving way to a green hue of shallow waters. Nestled in the interior was the target. A small island, protected on all sides with islands that broke large swells, making the whole string a thick sandbar that would repel everything but small boats from making it inward.
Once at this centermost island, all one would have to worry about is scouting parties, but venturing here offered very little strategic value so no one ever did. Furthermore, there was a cave hidden amongst the vegetation. Watercarved and deep, the cave provided even more cover to keep low in. The biggest downside was that with all this obscurity and the denser than average vegetation visibility outward was nearly impossible. One would struggle to see any oncoming ships to the island chain, friendly or otherwise.
The front of their dinghy hit the sand, a welcomed reprieve to Thomas' sore shoulders. "Home sweet home" Riley proclaimed with her warm smile. Getting out of the boat the two readied themselves to pull the Dinghy inward. Aaliyah remained in the center of the boat, arms crossed.
"Aaliyah?" Riley addressed her coldly.
Aaliyah peered over the boat's edge at the ankle deep water, then returned to Riley, eyebrow raised.
Aaliyah wouldn't move and Riley grew impatient. "Fine! Thomas, ready?"
She grabbed the front of the boat, both of them pulling it through the wet sand. The feat wasn't impossible but Aaliyah's dead weight didn't help matters. With the boat fully out of the water, Riley returned to Aaliyah's side. She glared down with all her might and gestured to the dry sand beneath her boots. Aaliyah stared back, she would not move a muscle.
"The princess cannot walk on sand?" Riley gritted. She paused for Aaliyah to give into a quiet that most men could not bear. But Aaliyah was the queen of silence and Riley did little to sway her. "Okay then, the princess will be carried."
Riley stepped into the boat, squatted down, and scooped Aaliyah up and over her shoulder. Riley stomped her feet vigorously with every step, making the ride as unpleasant as possible for her pampered princess as they quickly cleared several meters of sand.
"PUT ME DOWN!" Aaliyah shouted, smacking Riley's back with all her might, not that it mattered much. Thomas followed in close pursuit as Riley squeezed tighter.
"NO! PUT ME DOWN NOWWWW" the princess screamed.
This was the first time Thomas had heard her speak, let alone scream. Aaliyah fought with meaningless passion. "You didn't want to walk; now you get carried" Riley huffed out as she put an extra bounce in her step.
Thomas slipped in the sand trying to keep up. Several times he attempted to utter but no words would come out. Riley marched out, Aaliyah twisting and screaming as sand turned to dirt, and dirt to trees. Thomas was unsure of how to proceed so all he could do was follow. There would be no saving either woman from this situation.
Stepping into the cave Riley plopped down the distressed princess. It wasn't pleasant but she took care not to injure Aaliyah. Riley squatted down in front of her face. "Please, for the love of God, sit down and be quiet."
Aaliyah scoffed with superiority "As if someone like you believes in God."
Riley squinted her eyes towards the princess but was not exactly hurt by the attempted insult. Thomas stumbled into the cave entrance.
The main room was quite open, with a spot for a fire, sleeping pads, and even crates of goods from past smuggler runs. Further in, there was a chamber that seemed wide enough, but narrowed quickly. Thomas reckoned it better not to go wandering past this main room however.
"Thomas, I hate to ask you, but we need to get the boat unloaded and hidden." She looked back to Aaliyah, her tone changing curtly. "Normally we could do it together, but we have this one." Aaliyah gave her best glare.
"Of course, I'll grab our stuff."
"Once you have all the supplies, drag the boat further inland and cover it in some limbs. I'm going to get set up here." Riley wished him well.
Thomas set out; cave, trees, dirt, sand, boat. It was a longer journey than he remembered and the thought of doing this multiple times pained him.
Back at the dinghy he pulled a few sacks from the front. Fresh rations and water for a couple days, some firestarter tools with a hatchet, and general supplies. Even this small amount would take him three trips. He was regretting not grabbing anything the first time.
He considered pulling the whole boat, it was on sand anyways. Going to the front he lowered himself parallel with the dinghy and tugged with all his might. The boat inched forward ever so slightly. Thomas doubled down, hoping to gain some momentum. No luck! Thomas fell into the sand exhausted. He had fully underestimated how much of the hauling Riley had done.
He returned to the food sack, throwing it over his shoulder before setting out. His legs ached and labored with every step, and once again he marveled at Riley's ability to carry a squirming human with relative ease. Thomas would need to be stronger if he were to make it as a pirate.
Returning to the cave mouth, Riley had a small fire burning in the interior. "Ahh, yes, some food!" she reveled at Thomas' sight. He smiled, taking the sack over to her.
"It's going to take me a couple trips," he admitted. Riley smiled pleasantly at him, "That's okay, you have a few hours before patrols would come through". The two looked longing at each other, Aaliyah watching nearby. As the two puppy-eyed each other Aaliyah groaned, breaking up the moment.
"Erm, yep. I better get going," Thomas scratched the back of his head. He walked towards the entrance.
"Oh hey Thomas. Grab the hatchet and fire starter next. This wood isn't going to last long." "Sure thing!"
Thomas headed out again. Cave, trees, dirt, sand, boat, hatchet. Grabbing the hatchet he noticed its handle had been carved for perfect grip. Holding it in his hand, he imagined the violence it must have seen. The violence it must have delivered. It bounced the sun cleanly, shining it into his eyes. He latched it onto his belt and returned to the firestarter kit. Then it happened again, a flash of sunlight irritating his eyes momentarily. Except this time was relentingly ever present. Covering the hatchet with his hand he realized the light wasn't from the hatchet at all.
Silver shined from the distant waters towards the exterior of the sand bar. Thomas squinted towards the silver but it dissipated, bouncing in and out of existence. Could it be hunters? A shine from distant waves? Thomas didn't bother to find out. He grabbed the front of the boat, his heart thumping louder.
Even with an ambiguous threat on the water he managed to pull it a few yards further before his strength gave way. He couldn't do this by himself. He would need Riley. Thomas dropped the boat and decided to sprint to the cave entrance.
Sand, Sand, Sand. In his panic the distance tripled. Dirt, Dirt, Dirt.
Hitting the treeline, he struggled to catch his breath. He had always hated running, something that was not expected of him as a pirate on a ship. Now after hours of rowing and an hour of hauling, he found himself pained with running again.
By the time Thomas reached the cave mouth again, he could hardly breathe. Riley rushed to him with concern. "What happened?" she asked him. "Silver shined from the ocean. I think, I think they were pointing at me."
Her face turned into a puzzle, no regular scout would be out this early. Perhaps it was another smuggler, more likely it was hunters, but regardless, their remaining hidden was of utmost importance. "Did you get the boat covered?"
Thomas looked down embarrassed, "There wasn't time and I couldn't pull it further." "Thomas! If they find that boat… We have to go back."
Thomas sighed with disappointment in himself.
Riley approached Aaliyah. "Listen to me, woman to woman. Those men will not be your rescue. Best case scenario, they were sent to capture you for their own purposes."
"And those purposes are worse than yours?" Aaliyah shot back.
"OR they were sent to kill you." Riley threatened. "Worst case scenario, they are just a lonely crew of hunters who will use you for more than your name. They will beat you, rape you, and when that's over, sell you into a market for a lifetime of servitude."
Riley softened her tone, "I don't intend for that to happen. But you can'tcall out. These men are not your rescue."
Aaliyah scoffed, "Yeah, we will see. Perhaps my parents sent them."
"Please don't be stupid. Stay here, stay hidden, and we will be back. Please, just trust me." Riley pleaded softly. "Thomas, let's go!"
Chapter 13
As Brinemarch came over the horizon bad news awaited the Silent Tide. Two galleons and a smaller brigantine waited ready in the bay. "Looks like the news broke…" Finneas grumbled to the Captain.
"Are they ready for this?" she asked coldly. "Aye, they better be."
As the Silent Tide entered the bay and headed for the docks, the picture was clearer. One galleon from Widding, one galleon from Sandia, and the third brigantine flew the flag of the Goldhairs. The ships were clearly scrambled immediately and their condition was lacking, but in the coming week more legitimate threats would arrive, sealing the bay with thick security.
The growing power of the Goldhair family with their new ship was apparent and offered a new obstacle for any that opposed them, but the three vastly interests in the bay left room for opportunity. The Goldhairs money, the Widding's family, and Sandia regional safety.
Upon docking, three people awaited the crew. An official from Sandia, mostly likely in the pockets of the Goldhairs, a shapely and cunning foreign diplomat from Widding, and a stout blonde man with a conniving gait. The Sandian official approached as their boards hit the pier.
"Captain, quartermaster, first mate… I presume?" He charismatically addressed the Captain, Finneas, and Korlai.
The Captain and Finneas walked onto the pier to speak closer, Korlai lurking nearby with a grin. "What's happened, dockwarden?"
"Someone of great importance has disappeared. Given their vanishing we are inspecting every ship and hold. Until further notice, this ship will need to stay docked. Do you have your roster and papers ready?"
Finneas stepped forward with a large, worn book, handing it over to the dockwarden. "Thank you…" The dockwarden flipped the book over to find the quartermaster's name "Finneas Murphy! I'll be back momentarily."
The cheery dockwarden returned to the other two officials who looked over the roster. The blonde man pointed with great vigor at the book, the three of them sharing glances as the man talked boldly. His words were unintelligible but his boisterous tone was undeniable. After a few moments, the man slammed the book shut, pushing it back in the hands of the dockwarden. The dockwarden scurried back to the Captain and crew, his happy disposition returning as he departed his counterparts.
He handed the book back to Finneas. "Captain, I hope you understand the extra need for security. At this time, we are requesting that you, your quartermaster and first mate follow me into town. We will have a short meeting later today to verify a few things and then you will be free to go about your business."
Although not particularly happy, the captain coolly agreed. "Very well."
The dockwarden continued, "There is one more we would like to join us… Thomas Middlenight?"
Finneas' face tightened. Four Sandian soldiers arrived at the end of the dock. "Grab him for us and then me and these fine fellows will begin our search. Strictly non-invasive of course."
The captain stepped closer, "Dockwarden, anyone on my ship is invasive. Please do mind to take care of her." The sentence, a politeness swirled with a hint of threat.
On the island, Thomas peered from the treeline at the three men looking over their dinghy with swords drawn. Their outfits a mismatch of scavenged gear, their bodies frail and underfed. Yet, even from a distance he could tell their gaits were those of killers. They were most likely a crew of hunters. Riley's jovial demeanor had been exchanged for absolute concentration. "Can you fight?"
Thomas had spent much of his childhood fighting off Jack, oftentimes losing, and with little sympathy from his ever aloof father. As he got older he trained with the item he used most often at the warehouse, two short daggers. He had become adept at throwing them and doing party tricks when he was bored, but no, he was no fighter. In fact, he had never even gotten into a street fight.
"Can is the imperative word there. No, not really."
Riley grunted in disapproval. "We need to get back, it won't take them long to make it inland."
They slank back from the treeline, crouching in hurried step to return to the main path-
A man, weapon drawn, just meters ahead of them on the path and unaware of their presence. Thomas froze, a cold heat running down his back. The world warped as the heat hit his face. His heart pounded but he could not move.
Without hesitation Riley stalked behind the man jamming a knife in his neck, his cry muffled by her firm grip. The hunter's body slouched as she removed the knife.
"Thomas!" she hissed. "His feet."
Her words propelled him to life and together they crumpled his body behind a tree off-path. "We need to hurry." In a rush she made it back to the path, this time abandoning stealth for speed.
Arriving at the mouth of the cave, Aaliyah could be heard struggling inside.
Riley crept closer, Thomas mimicking her steps. Two gruff voices could be heard inside. "Boss said we couldn't fuck her…"
"Yeah, but he didn't say anything about her mouth. Maybe she wants a taste."
Riley slowly crept into the shadows as the man undid his pants.
"Now be a good girl and we might let you live." Aaliyah obediently moved towards the man's crotch before he shrieked and recoiled backwards.
"Fucking bitch, she bit me!" he cried in disbelief.
Riley moved in, striking the man true, puncturing his gut with her sword from the side. The other one, shocked, reached for his sword but only found Thomas' sword sliced into his arm.
The gruff toothless man scowled and drew his sword. A bolt found his face as he collapsed, dead weight returned to the floor.
The pantless man panted faintly, a small whimper quickly ended by Riley's dagger. Blood covered the cave floor.
Thomas had seen blood a hundred times over on stained crates and ruined linens, but never so close, never so fresh. He stared for a while as Riley cleaned her weapons, stripped the hunters of their gear and prepared for whatever was next.
After collecting himself, he grabbed the smaller of the two men, pulling them into the corner then covering their face with the hunter's hat.
Aaliyah, a bit shaken, finally spoke softly. "I didn't call to them…"
Thomas walked over to the fire, next to her palette. For all her determination, this had surprised her too. He reached out a hand of support as Riley walked to the fire. Aaliyah latched on, squeezing much tighter than Thomas had anticipated. "I promise, I didn't make a noise!" she said much louder this time, almost pleading to Thomas who nodded gently to her.
"It was probably the smoke," Riley offered quietly.
Aaliyah looked up to her, eyes darting with thought.
"The smoke. It wasn't your fault." Riley doubled down. She crouched at their level. "The others will find us soon enough. It doesn't matter if we try to cover our scent, the best thing we can do is prepare."
Thomas readied himself for his new reality "How long do we have?"
Riley shrugged, "Minutes, hours? If they're smart they will wait for sundown. They'll regroup. At least five more, probably not more than twenty."
Thomas swallowed in anticipation, Aaliyah's eyes danced in the fire, images of her captor's abuse flashing in her mind.
Chapter 14
The Captain, Finneas, Korlai, and Trudy waited on a bench inside Brinemarch's townhall. The townhall, while relatively small compared to the larger cities of the interior, was remarkably posh, laden gold with illicit money.
"This was your ripe idea, Finneas?" the Captain hushed.
"Everyone else was accounted for and how could we explain the prisoner in our hold?"
She glared at Trudy. "One false word and we will kill you in your sleep"
Trudy tried to laugh it off but Captain did not smirk.
Korlai chuckled, "What, no kind words for me?"
The Captain squinted at him with a hint of playful annoyance.
A small older man opened the city council room, before calling out "Abyss Crew, we're ready for you."
The council room was quite large, fit to sit 80 people as well as a dozen council members. Today, however, it was just the same three officials that met them at the docks, an attentive scribe, and a handful of city guards posted around the room. The council's seating overlooked their presentation table by several feet, giving a true sense of the power and prominence the council had over all those who presented.
As the Captain and others arrived at their table, her voice echoed up to the three officials. "With so few people, could this have not been handled at the docks?"
The dockwarden smiled his unarming smile, "I understand your tested patience. We needed to prepare our questions. Also a cunning captain with their full crew is liable to run. Now let me introduce ourselves. I am dockwarden Gene Hartwright of Sandia. Joining me are Jack Goldhair, Brinemarch's Harbor Comptor, and Silvia Moras, honored guest and diplomat from Widding." Silvia's beauty transcended that of the men around her. Her dark features and long elegance made for strong diplomatic sway.
"Please state your name for the record."
One-by-one they stated their names. Korlai would be first mate Riley, and Trudy was Thomas Middlenight.
"Thank you, now a few things to clear up. First, we see that you were just here a little over a week ago. Now you're back. That's a bit strange for a trade ship."
Finneas spoke up, "Aye, we were on our way to the Port of Hardwood when we caught an unlucky break. Pirates off the coast caught sight of us on night two, and despite our speed, we're not running from two sloops."
Jack interjected with a tone of superiority. "Run East of the coastline and the current will naturally push you past them!?"
Captain spoke plainly, "East of Sandia runs a Kraken lane. We never venture far from any coast, it's our rule."
Jack scoffed, "Leave it to a woman captain to be afraid of myths." He looked around for a man to laugh with but only found the pursed lips of Silvia.
"So pirates turned you around. Did you happen to see God's Light? They would have sailed with Widding colors and were accompanied by another galleon." the dockwarden pressed on.
"No, we crossed no such ship. Nor did we see any activity beyond the coastal pirates," Finneas reported.
"My niece was aboard that ship, quartermaster. It is my personal mission to find her. Please, consider if there were any signs of such a crew." Silvia asked personably.
"Sincere apologies for her missing, but nevertheless, that is the full truth."
Silvia connected with Finneas, although with diplomats their sincerity was never to be fully trusted.
"Thomas Middlenight!" Jack demanded. Trudy looked back blankly before remembering HE was Thomas Middlenight. "Uh- Yes, yes sir."
"You know my family's youngest son, Thomas has gone missing as well. You know he kinda looks like you… A bit weasly." Jack dug into Trudy with his gaze. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about Thomas, would you?" Jack spoke slowly, a bully towering over the meek.
Finneas cut in, "A strange coincidence is-"
"I ASKED HIM, quartermaster. What do you know of Thomas?"
"Nothing. I mean, I am Thomas, but…" Trudy's voice trembled.
"But what boy!?" Jack gritted.
"COMPTOR, my crew answered you. You will not dishonor me with further questioning!" The captain's voice held a finality that even Jack Goldhair was compelled to accept even though his mug face hid any sort of retreat.
The dockwarden coughed with a smile to break the tension. "There is one last item on this agenda Captain, and you are not going to like it. You've answered our questions satisfactorily, but we have concerns with the origins of your ship. You see, a ship of a very similar build, owned by a very prominent merchant, was captured a year ago. Someone has reported its likeness."
The Abyss crew tensed with anger, surrounded and detained in a room of guards. They coyly measured their opposition.
"Now, I am sure it is a misunderstanding, but we have an inspector on their way to verify your ship's legitimacy. He will arrive first thing in the morning."
Jack grinned greedily, "In the meantime, we have booked you rooms at the Shucked Clam. We hope you enjoy your stay, Captain. Don't try to leave early."
For a family known for not trading in flesh, putting the Abyss crew up at the most notorious brothel in the city was a distasteful insult. The Captain had found a new man to despise, something Thomas had already done a decade prior.
Chapter 15
The sunset was clinging to the smuggler's island, Riley had been right.
The cave was refitted for a strong defense. With valid concerns of sheer overpowering of numbers, they reworked the terrain to their advantage. The fire placed at the cave opening and stoked for a longer burn. The bright light would leave any advanced blind to the shadows. Thomas suggested netting towards the front to slow any advance. Finally the crates were stacked in the center of the room, providing physical cover for any oncoming projectiles.
While not abundant, Riley preloaded three hand crossbows, stashed a handful of fisher's spears amongst the stalagmites and created two fall back zones. If the hunters progressed any faster than that, it would be hand-to-hand combat.
The passageway towards the back was their final option, but with only two available torches, they couldn't risk exploring the room, so falling back would be the worst case scenario. Not one for myths, Riley did warn of strange stories from that section of the cave. Some called it haunted, while others spoke to God. Regardless, it was not a place for the living and the sane.
Riley donned a long fishing hook and her sword. Thomas his sword and a small knife. The plan was for Aailyah to hide in a dense row of stalagmites. Riley had insisted she take a hatchet just in case.
Thomas and Riley had been taking turns watching the entrance for hours with no activity. No blood-hungry hunters, no metal, nothing that suggested they had been found. Just when Thomas decided the threat might be imaginary, Riley caught his curiosity peaking. "No, they're there. Do not go for a better look." she warned sternly.
As the light dropped, Aailyah tucked herself into safety, covering herself in a cloth-sack cover. Thomas and Riley peered attentively at the entrance. Then, ever so calmly, the tension broke. A single voice echoed in.
"Hi. So we know you're in there. And I imagine you know we're out here." the calm voice called out. "We already found your boat AND your water. So we're happy to wait you out. "
Riley readied her first crossbow, but no one came through the entrance.
"Look, it's okay what happened to Greg. He was a shitty person anyways. But we are going to need the princess. Also, we're still missing two of our crew. Do you know anything about that?"
"Your friends are dead!" Riley called out.
The man scoffed, his voice a bit more strained but still attempting to be harmless. "That's okay, I'm sure you had your reasons. But why don't you come out here and we can settle these matters face to face. Man-to-man. Or erm, man-to-woman I should say!"
"You're welcome to join us in here. The fire is quite cozy. "
"Final offer?" The man called out. This time Riley said nothing.
A stillness came over the cave. Thomas looked at Riley, a flicker of death in the darkness. He thought that she should scare him. She was not just the warm smile that welcomed him to her family, but also capable of unhesitating violence. Looking at her he instead felt a bolt of lightning run through his veins.
A loose pebble tick-tacked its way at the entrance followed by a man with a bucket. Shink! Riley's bolt found his eye. Man and bucket fell forward, water splashing and body smothering fire.
"YAHHHHHH" a flurry of men rushed in. Riley's bolts found another victim as Thomas haphazardly threw a spear that met a scream. Two more men appeared in the entrance, metal and flames sparked cracking the crates in front of Riley and Thomas.
Hunkering down momentarily, Thomas heard another scream. A hunter fell on the ropes landing squarely on the sword of a fallen mate. Encouraged by the defensive advantage, Thomas rose to smoke and smoulders. He readied his spear for the next wave.
CRACK! The wood next to Thomas splintered. Wheeling to his right, his spear impaled an attacker that had broken through in the chaos. He lunged his spear further, the man gasping backwards in pain and confusion.
Another volley exploded into the crate. HEAT, PAIN. Thomas stumbled a few steps. His shoulder exploded in pain! "Fuck!" he cried out.
"Fallback" Riley called out. Another hunter was bearing down towards Thomas. Blurred in pain Thomas hummed his dagger out, catching his attacker.
Riley wrestled with several shadows, begging Thomas to fall back. He limped away from the crates, more masculine screams bounced through the cave as Riley unleashed carnage.
Without the large fire, finding his next spot proved difficult. He pulled his sword out, but his clammy hands misjudged his grip and it clattered to the cave floor. Shink! Riley had made it to her next crossbow. Still silhouettes pushed through the cave entrance.
Two more pistols smashed fire into the crates. With their brief light, Thomas recovered his senses and scrambled to the only thing he could find, Aaliyah's hatchet.
Turning back to the fight he found himself staring down a brute of a man. With the cheap labor now expended, leadership began to roll in. Thomas swung his hatchet but the brute sword made light play of his attack. The man stepped closer closing the gap as Thomas reeled backwards. "Thomas! Get to the back," Riley called out in the distance. He could hear Riley's boots slinking away as the brute readied his strike. Thomas held his hatchet above his face and hoped the best.
The brute's roar snapped into a new pitch. Thomas braced but nothing came. He opened his eyes to see the dagger jammed into the brute's neck, Aaliyah standing sheepishly behind him.
Breath, slice, screams. Thomas' hatchet drove into the brute's achilles as the big man fell, smashing his head into a nearby stalagmite. Aaliyah disappeared down the back hall with three more hunters hot on her heels.
The room grew quiet as Thomas lay on the cave floor looking for any more threats. Thomas couldn't see or hear anymore hunters. His shoulder had gained its own pulse but Thomas needed to help the others. Another scream echoed down the hall.
He followed the noise to the back before hugging the wall and forcing himself forward. Sounds of fighting hurried his pace, but the wall curved and turned in a strange labyrinth of rock and dripping water. "AHHH" Riley cried out.
Thomas panicked! "RILEY!" No wall, just sounds. He bounced through the cave towards her screams of anger, but every new grunt came from a new direction. "RILEY!" he screamed, her reply directionless. Thomas scurried from wall to wall, bump to bump, but her voice had grown quiet.
He stopped to listen intently. Voices murmured in his head clouding his judgement. "She's dying. You're dying. Everyone is dead," the murmurs scraped into focus. His shoulder aching was suddenly drowned out by their voices and a scorching heat on his foot. He thought it a trance until he remembered the Moon Gem.
"Oh fuck this," he muttered to himself. Thomas wiggled off his boot, a bright light glowing brighter as he slipped it off further. Pouring his boot, the Moonstone rolled into his blood-stained hand, its light glowing brighter before flooding the room in a white light. The voices shrieked to a silence as he marveled at the gem and its sheer power. For the first time, he understood why others might kill for it. Even with the shimmer of its power revealed he felt vitalized.
With his boot back on and Moon Gem in hand, he navigated the cave tunnels with ease to an injured Riley laying on her back next to a dead man.
Thomas sprinted to her. Riley panted, blood running down her nose, her breathing faint. "Riley!" he cried as he reached her side.
She looked up to him with bated breath "That Fucker was strong, I thought I was a goner."
Thomas looked over her bruised body but spotted no wound. "Did he get you at all?"
Riley gingerly shook her head, "No, just my neck." Thomas shined the light on her bruised throat.
She continued hoarsely, "I was fading out when you saved me."
Thomas struggled to understand "But I- uh, I didn't".
A flash of movement sent Thomas scrambling!
Aaliyah stood in his white light, dagger in hand. They paused, both grasping the violence they had unleashed. Aaliyah dropped the damp dagger, daintily crouching to Riley's side and grabbing her hand.
Thomas inched closer, rubbing Riley's arm tendering, "Do you think you can sit up?"
Riley stirred slightly approvingly. "Yes, but Thomas… What's that light?"
The Moon Gem pulsed, its illumination suddenly becoming an uncomfortable truth that Thomas would struggle to explain away.
Chapter 16
"One bed?" the Captain stated unamused.
"Oh c'mon Cap, it's not all bad" Korlai enthused, "There's a tub!"
"It's Captain. Why don't you get lost in another room, I'm sure there are plenty of women you could spend the night with here."
"No, that's not how I like to earn my women."
She raised an eyebrow, an invite to continue.
Korlai removed his knife, poking it to his finger with great admiration, "Women love a man who dances with death. Much hotter that way. You can really feel their heat." Korlai reenacted pumping his hips.
The Captain sat on the bed careful not to touch too much. She wanted to claim it but the idea of detestable men doing detestable things gave her pause.
She rose back up, taking off her coat and laying it about as an extra layer of protection. Korlai plopped his hat down on the other side.
"What are you doing?" Captain snapped.
Korlai continued undressing, "There's one bed cap, don't be like that!"
"One bed for CAPTAIN and one tub for Korlai" she grinned cruelly.
"Oh that's cold, even for you. Fine, I get it," Korlai grabbed his stuff and set it on the bed before removing his shirt.
A soft gasp escaped her mouth. His shirtless body was sculpted from the gods themselves. She had seen large opposing men with flabby bellies, and small underweight men with defined abs, but Korlai was neither. His bulk was carved lines, flexible, and meant for much more than show. She wanted to… lick him? The thought surprised herself.
A soft knock at the door preceded two curvy, scantily dressed women shyly pushing into their room, grinning greedily upon laying eyes on Korlai.
"NO, absolutely not!" The Captain pointed at the door.
The two courtesans settled momentarily, "We're compliments of Mr. Goldhair". Their plump lips were familiar with protesting customers.
Captain rose to her feet, this time much more threatening and armed, "Get out!"
The two women scurried for the door. They were just about to shut it when Korlai's voice rang out, "Actually, there is one thing you could do."
Ten minutes later, a proud Korlai stood smiling next to the tub, naked in all his glory.
Despite her best attempt, his chiseled body could not be ignored. At the center of her attention was his pole at full salute.
As the first courtesan poured steaming hot water into his tub, the woman admired him standing proudly just inches away from her face. The Captain wondered if the show was for her or the two women. Undoubtedly it was for himself. She rolled her eyes, turning away from him.
As the second bucket emptied Korlai bid the ladies a goodnight. He climbed into his tub, sinking down with relaxed confidence. "Goodnight Captain" he called out in the spoken melody of a masterful fuckboy. She scoffed, unwilling to play his silly games. She blew out the lantern next to her as moonlight splashed through their second-story window.
On the first floor, Nadine bowed seductively to the guard at the bottom of the stairs who ogled her as she went up the stairs. Clearing the corner she hustled down the hallway passing moans and groans of all sorts. Approaching the final door on the right, she paused with a hint of confusion.
She pushed her ear against the door. The squeaky and annoyingly familiar moans of Lexi and rocking wood.
She scowled, Thomas had always told her that he was not interested in courtesans. Could a couple weeks at sea already really change his tastes? She listened in again and sure enough a man's grunts could faintly be heard under Lexi's whistle tone. Nadine shook her head and prepared herself for the worst.
Cracking the door open, Lexi was bent over the bed. Her voice cried "Yes, yes, yes" but her face was bored of the man making small thrusts behind her. Trudy, sweaty, excited, thought himself a lion of sex, claiming what was his.
"Thomas?" Nadine asked performatively. Lexi squinted her eyes questioning Nadine's presence.
"No, erm- yes!" Trudy recovered, dick firmly still inside Lexi.
Realizing the mistake, Nadine looked away, "Sorry. I was sent to provide you some comfort, but I see you have company already."
Trudy's voice jumped with excitement, "You could join too!"
"No, no, sorry for interrupting," Nadine slid out the door.
A wanting Trudy failed to think of something clever. Lexi annoyedly pushed back so he could return to his feverish fit of "sex", her squeaky voice pushing him towards a quick end.
Out in the darkness of the street, Nadine moved around to the side garden outside of the brothel. She counted the windows to Trudy's room. The uneven build of the building and a small trellis would let her get a better listen.
She tossed her heels and forcefully scaled the wall. It was a bit unorthodox but she was able to scramble up to the open window as Lexi's screams rang out to Trudy's climax, the big finale.
After cleaning herself up and confirming that Trudy was big, Lexi promiscuously whispered to Trudy. Their hushed voices made it hard for Nadine to make out much, but whatever it was, Trudy grew greedily anxious.
Lexi was playing into his ego and Trudy was singing whatever tone she wanted. Nadine needed to hear more. Grabbing on the window ledge, she pulled herself even with the window. If they looked over, it was likely she would be spotted but it was worth the risk.
"So your name isn't actually Thomas?" Lexi asked with fake promiscuity.
"It's Trudy," he said shyly.
"Trudy!" she squealed. "That's a hot name. I want to see you again. You know if you told me more, my boss would be very happy. And I could be with you. Did you know I am a butt virgin?" she snickered.
Trudy slobbered with want, "Yes, please."
Lexi had him hooked, "So why did you lie about who you were darling?"
"Because I know where the real Thomas is… He left with the princess," Trudy revealed, his confidence growing. Lexi giggled and planted his face between her b****ts. "Yes, baby! We are going to be so great together." She giggled.
"What else can you tell me?" Lexi pressed for more.
Nadine slid away from the window, sighing as she looked at the moon.
Under the same moonlight Riley, Thomas, and Aaliyah looked out to the small sloop docked 100 meters off the shore.
"There she is." Riley grinned at Thomas, Aaliyah peeking between their shoulders.
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