Captain Blast seemed to find this all rather hilarious. Cephilia stood and let him have his laugh. She didn’t mind. She probably wasn’t the first noble to wander into the world of piracy. Ships and the labor needed to operate them weren’t cheap. There were probably quite a few noble pirates, or at least pirates backed by nobles. The Lovelace family had a few privateers on the payroll that could make pirates look like children. But after the laughter stopped, he scrutinized her very closely. A little too closely. Well, what did you expect? You just pulled a gemstone from between your tits. He is a man, after all. But she suspected that’s not why he was studying her. Blast was sizing her up, trying to see if she’d be of any use. After everything she’d done, he should know the answer to that... “Father won’t pay a cent, if that’s what you’re thinking,” she said. “Not without a fight. He’s too proud. I’m worth more to you as a crewmember than as a hostage. But if that ever proves to be untrue, I will gladly be ransomed off... so long as a portion of the spoils goes to Holystone Orphanage in Westhaven. I gave those children my word and I will not be made a liar, Captain." Cephilia sheathed her sword, bowed, and stepped back.. "Speaking of my usefulness as a crewmember, where would you like me to serve, sir? I have no intention of being a passenger.”
When the ship had started moving Asara had the suddenly realization her leg was still wounded. This came to her in that, when she tried to stay upright, she found herself tumbling, rolling along the floor. It wasn't that painful, having managed to brace herself for the worst of it, using her rifle to steer herself away from anything paticulalry sharp. Unfortunately, the jewellery box had shattered putting a few splinters in her blouse and leaving a few silver earrings on the floor. Most were plain, but one stood out from the others, being decorated with a few sapphires. When she ship had stopped she was within earshot of the captain and Cephilia. "There’s an orphanage of starving children depending on me. Even a small fraction of that fortune could change their lives.” That was when she started laughing. Out loud, clear enough for all to hear. She began to pull herself up. "Hahaha." Upon doing so, she leant over again, resting her hands on her legs for support. "Hahaha." She managed to go up again, stopping her laughter and opening her mouth, about to speak before. "Hahaha." She did not stop for some time, instead simply pointing while she continued laughing. Every so often she would pause, taking a few deep breaths, before bursting into laughter again. After a period of about five minutes, she managed to get a word in edge ways. "I'll, I'll just, let, haha, let someone else, else speak."
Captain Blast smiled as Cephilia stood up to him. "I like a lady with moxy," he said when she was done. "I had no intention of kidnapping you. Far too much trouble. Been there, done that. I ransomed Princess Kwan Li of Gyongxe and it was extremely stressful. You would not believe how unmanageable a princess can be. Kwan Li killed five of my men before I decided to just give her back." He shook his head sadly, thinking of all the riches he could have gotten. "It depends," Blast continued in answer to Cephilia's question. "What are you good at, Miss Noble Pirate?" He grinned to show he was just teasing. Then Asara started laughing nonstop. It was a very infectious laugh and Blast was tempted to join in, but he feared that Cephilia would murder them all if they kept laughing at her. (And he didn't have to check his schedule to know that dying wasn't on it!) So, he snapped his fingers in Asara's direction and a tiny explosion went off in front of her face. It wasn't big enough to burn her, but it was just hot enough to distract her. "So, who are you?" Captain Blast asked Asara. He tried to telegraph with his eyes that he was trying not to push Cephilia over the edge.
The moment Captain Blast told them to grab something, Elva quickly conjured a spirit and it brought her a piece of rope that was hanging from the mast. She barely had time to wrap it around her forearm before the ship jumped and lurched forward at incredible speeds. "Yeeeeeeeeeeees!!" She whooped with joy as they crashed through the waves, her long hair and skirt whipping in the wind. Elva almost wished it didn't end when the ship finally came to a sudden stop. But now Captain Blast wanted to get to know them, so she let go of the rope and skipped to where he was sitting on a barrel. She had just sat down on the floor with her legs crossed when Asara started squawking with laughter. Elva smirked, but restrained herself. She also thought what Cephilia had said was funny, but just like Captain Blast, she didn't want to upset her by laughing in her face. After all, they had all just gotten together, and Elva for one was not in a rush to make enemies among her new companions. "I'm Elva Silvermoon," Elva announced with a big smile while Asara cackled. "I'm a gypsy from the Silvermoon Clan and I've always wanted to be a pirate, ever since I heard stories about them....stories about you, too, Mr Captain Blast," she added, her smile getting even bigger.
“I believe this is yours,” Cephilia said, kindly returning Elva’s axe. It was all she could do to ignore the cackling hyena-woman. Just don’t make eye contact, Cephilia told herself. Pretend she’s not even there. Pretend she’s not laughing at your life’s work. Ha-fucking-ha. Despite her best efforts to empathize with others, Cephilia just couldn’t figure this woman out. Was it the flashbang? Was she still angry about that? Maybe she’s the type who holds a grudge. Maybe she’s just having a bad day. Or maybe she’s always like this. In any case, Captain Blast’s tolerance for it appeared to be much shorter than Cephilia’s… or maybe there was a secret ‘no laughing’ policy aboard the Vengeful Maiden. “I know my way around machines,” Cephilia said in belated response to Captain Blast asking what she was good at and to diffuse the tension. “In my spare time I dabble in metallurgy, blacksmithing, clockworks, and 'reactive chemistry'… that's fancy-talk for 'bomb-making.' My friend here,” she gestured to the laughing lady, “has already been introduced to one of my creations. It was an unfortunate accident and I’m afraid she hasn’t been the same since. Must have knocked a few screws loose.” Cephilia smiled obnoxiously at the woman. "But fret not. I will set them straight, dear." She offered her hand to the woman, as a gesture of peace. "Let's bury the hatchet, shall we? Metaphorically speaking, that is."
The explosion, while not entirely stopping her from laughing, get the message across. She bit her lip in an attempt to stop herself and managed to succeed for the most part, and then "I'm a gypsy from the Silvermoon Clan and I've always wanted to be a pirate". A total look of seriousness crossed her face before she sighed and walked away from the main group, getting as far away from the main group as possible. "Hahaha." She put her hand to her face attempting to stop herself from laughing and failing horribly. This was just hilarious to her. The entire situation. Everything just seemed to be stacking up. Firstly, there was the noble who 'believed' that going on a treasure hunt was the best way to feed orphans. She was either stupid, believing a treasure hunt was the best way of charity. Vain, not wanting to give up her own money for it but still willing to throw her life away, a return to stupidity. Or, and much more likely to Asara, Cephilia was lying. The smuggler had met many different varieties of dumb, though nothing quite to this level. Not to mention the fact that during their escape, they probably made a few more 'starving orphans'. Then there was the younger woman, Elva she'd called herself, who'd always want to be a pirate. In Asara's mind the voice was a slightly higher pitched than in reality, as if belonging to some pixie. This was all just... Once again the word stupidity came to mind, though, as with Cephilia, there were two other possibilites. Stupidity at this point was the most preferable and most unlikely. Asara had seen the girl had killed the guards without care or thought. She likely knew full well what the life of a pirate was like, and that placed a little bit of terror in Asara's heart. She either had no respect for the life and would just kill whenever she felt like it. Or she knew full well the scope of her actions and just didn't care. Neither of those were things that put the smuggler at ease. After a period of laughter, she came back to blast. "I apologise, I was reminded of a funny joke." She lied, finally returning to normal. "Anyway, Lady Asara Verant. Entrepreneur, supporter of free trade and professional courier." It was the politest, noblest sounding way of saying smuggler. "I doubt you'd have heard of me."
Red Eye, blown right off his feet as the ship burst into motion, found himself swinging wildly about on a hanging rope clutched entirely by instinct. The entire moment was deliciously unanticipated. As he trailed through the air on the rope, flying with the rest of the ship at speeds he'd never before dreamed were possible, he couldn't help but laugh. Gales of delight escaped his lungs as they sped, their sound lost to the rush of the wind and spray, and the roar of whatever mechanics were at work below. When at last the ship drifted to a much more reasonable speed, he found himself swinging some short distance above the deck and its other inhabitants. Bones headed below, while the others seemed to be exchanging introductions. With a hoist and a swing, he found himself a comfortable place in the rigging to observe. Red Cloak, or Cephilia, was a bit of a disappointment, as altruists tended to be. They were often so...safe. Predictable. Dull. Plus they tended to have that thing about "not harming innocents", which always put a damper on a party. Though this one had proven herself to be perfectly chaotic with that wonderful little firebomb back at the docks... perhaps there was hope for her yet. Besides, he'd hate to kill someone who, by the sound of things, had made that one-of-a-kind weapon set all by herself. Then there was that young one, Elva. She was young, eager and impressionable. What fun. He'd often wondered what it might be like to sculpt a young mind. The things he could teach her about making mayhem... The notion of spreading chaos that might travel even beyond himself? It gave him a shiver of excitement. And then it was Angry Braid's turn. She and Cephilia seemed to have the beginnings of a grudge brewing. He'd have to see about nudging that along; everyone was always so much more interesting when they were angry- Wait, did she say her name was Asara Verant? That one made him laugh out loud. "You underestimate yourself, Madame Verant! Many's the time I've lost a decent score to you, nearly as many as you've lost to me, I should wager. What a delight to finally meet you in the flesh!" He stood upright on the rigging, his sea legs and fine balance keeping him solidly positioned. Braced thusly he bowed low, sweeping off his hat and twitching loose his eye patch in the same movement. "Captain Alistair Hawking, at your service." A wicked grin on his face, he raised his head once more to face them, the light glinting in his ruby eye. "But you can call me Red Eye."
Bleugh. The sound of cackling laughter awoke Ace from an uneasy sleep. Nauseated and up too fast once again, Ace fell back down into the hole he had found and steadied himself as his eyes rolled around in his head. The cackling continued and he groggily rubbed his forehead, but winced and recoiled to find it throbbing in pain. Where the hell am I? Ace gave himself some coaching breaths, trying to ease his uneasiness and stood up to find himself 50ft in the air in the eagles nest of the Vengeful Maiden. Whoa. The horizon was awash with blue, the rippling rolling waves licking up at the beautiful clear sky, the storm now fully behind them, a speck of grey in the distance. Clouds rolled up far on either side of the boat, gliding off the surface of the ocean and bounding freely like sheep in fields. Ace filled his lungs with that sea air and basked in the heat of the afternoon sun, watching it glisten and dry off his brown leather coat. He smiled. Somehow he'd made it. Stonehaven was in the past and the chance of finding The Lost Treasure was ahead. No more thugs or Countesses or Dukes for that matter. He pondered on the thought for a moment, realising just how bad his stint in Stonehaven had been for him. The Hansley heist had seen him lose out on fifty thousand pesca and earn him a cell in Mahrez's dungeon. The words, "Don't get the job done then don't come back at all" still rang in his head. Though he broke out of the cell soon enough. Then there was that slim chap, oh what was his name... Barnti, the foolish bastard. He thought it would be clever to burgle the Lovelace estate to the east over in Westhaven. A "solid" contact had set them up. Set them up for a evening with the Red Widow more like. Ace remembered it with a wry grin on his face, the moment he had picked the window lock and the pair of them had snuck in onto varnished wooden floors. A thick layer of darkness held over the house, and Ace could just see the dining table in front and the opening to the great hallway. Movement. Something shifted between rooms and Ace squinted for a moment, backing up and grabbing whatever he could off the dining room sideboard. "Something's not right." He whispered and shifted for Barnti to retreat, but the skinny man was having none of it. "Stop your yammering. Come on." Barnti pressed forward and Ace sveltely moved back through the window, and lowered it just in time to see Barnti look back in anger. Ace shrugged and smiled for a moment, before seeing the glinting metal arm of the Red Widow sweep from the great hall and throttle Barnti straight to the ground. It all happened in a blur, but Ace never even gave it another thought and sped off away from the estate. He was sure she hadn't see his face, but stayed underground for a few weeks none the less. And he managed to get out with one thing a least, a golden ring with a red crest in the centre. Ace pulled off his glove for a moment to view it in the light, it was such a marvellously crafted wonder to behold. It fit perfectly and was so beautiful he didn't have the heart to sell it. Plus the fact that no one would actually buy it - it was deemed too hot to handle. That had been probably the only good thing he had come away with from Stonehaven. It had been a terrible place of luck for Ace, but it had led him to here at least. And with that he gazed back at the sea, spotting the small speck of land that was Stonehaven, and raised two middle fingers in its direction.
Elva's smile vanished when she realized Asara was laughing at her as well. She accepted her axe from Cephilia with a polite thank-you and stood up, spinning it in one hand and touching the hilt of her cutlass. Her wide green eyes seemed to darken as she glared at Asara and she stopped spinning her axe, holding it firmly by the handle. "Exactly what about me do you think is so funny, old lady?" Elva asked calmly. As she said this, her left eyebrow twitched and her grip on her weapons tightened. She was clearly not amused. "I know you saw what I did to those soldiers. I've done the same thing to many people before. To guards who tried to get me thrown in jail, just for being a gypsy. To idiots who tried to double-cross me and take my money. To the men that held me down and tried to..." She paused and breathed deeply, lowering her voice to a dangerous whisper. "You don't want to be next," she advised sincerely. "I promise you that." Then her smile came back in full force and she swiveled around to face the others, determined not to let some stupid old bat ruin her first meeting with the legendary Captain Blast.
Captain Blast was impressed by Cephilia's long list of specialties. "Sounds like you would be best suited working in the engine room," he said finally. "It's not really complicated, just a crank to tighten the massive coils that spin the fans. Like a child's wind-up toy, except much bigger. Every time we use it, we have to wind the crank all over again. Usually it takes five men, but Billy Bones can do it all by himself; shows ya how much fighting he's been through in his life. If you could improve our mechanism, that would be much appreciated." Blast was uncomfortable with all of Asara's laughter. He was beginning to think Cephilia was right and that a screw was a loose. "Are you like this all the time?" he asked Asara politely, meaning the uncontrollable laughter. "I would just like to know what I'm getting into. I had a crew member once who talked to fish. No, it wasn't his Talent. He just talked to fish." Next, Captain Blast smiled at Red Eye. He really did like his swagger and his style. It actually made him a little self-conscious. He looked down at his own clothes and brushed out the wrinkles and picked off a few pieces of lint. Then he cleared his throat and gave everyone a brilliant smile as if nothing had happened, revealing a shiny gold tooth. When Elva introduced herself, Captain Blast found himself wondering if he had ever crossed the paths of a gypsy before, and if so, did he play a trick on them in any way? He would hate for Elva to find out and try to slice his throat while he was sleep. But no, the girl seemed to be entranced by him...maybe even a little enamored. Blast gave her a special grin. He could use that to his advantage. Girls who liked him were always more loyal than people who just wanted something out of him. "I think you would be best in the crow's nest," he told Elva. "Judging from your acrobatic skills, I bet you would do much better up there than anyone else."
"Exactly what about me do you think is so funny, old lady?" "The stark contrast between your light heartedness and willingness to kill." Asara replied flatly. "Not sure what the word for sharp contrast for comedic effect is." She decided to reply with total honesty. She didn't fear Elva. She likely never would, that being reserved for her mother's frying pan and her old neighbours' dogs. True, she did have brief moments of terror, but those were purely for survival. "It's like if Red Eye actually had a poppy in there instead of a ruby. Nothing wrong with you. Got a good level of skill , slightly naive but that's to be expected. Given enough time, a bit of training, and less trying to act edgy, you'd be great. Anyway, killing people's a waste of effort. Wound them and their buddy has to look after them, taking two or three people away from a fight. Not to mention the increased demand for bandages and opiates. The later of which are highly profitable." "What a delight to finally meet you in the flesh!" She turned to Red Eye. "The fact you've heard of me means I'm not doing my job properly. I'm going to have to start cleaning through contacts to see who's been leaking information." This was unfortunately true. Asara worked hard to maintain her image, or her lack of one more accurately. A famous smuggler was one people knew about. People talk, more so under duress. The people doing the duress probably had similar intentions towards her, and Asara did not like being tortured. "I'm gonna trust you to keep my existence a secret, and maybe be a future business partner." She made a mental note that if there was a situation where he was, for example, struggling to pull himself up a cliff, to give his fingers a kick. "Are you like this all the time?" "No." She stated flatly. "Just when I find something funny. Anyway, skilled navigator, excellent duelist with blade and tongue, once managed to fit four cubic feet of artifacts into a two foot space, and capable of talking my way in and out of most situations. Thought you'd like to know as you're handing out jobs."
Captain Blast scratched his chin and eyed Asara. "I heard a colleague whisper your name once. He was scared to death of you." He looked her up and down. "You'll be the Quartermaster. You have free range of the ship, supervise everything and report anything suspicious back to me. If anyone tries to mutiny, you have my permission to put them down." "And you," Blast turned to Red Eye. "You can be the Master Gunner. You're in charge of the cannons. I like what you did earlier, I think it's what you'd be best at. And when you're not manning the cannons, you can help other people out with their jobs. And try not to get anyone pregnant," he added seriously. Blast recognized the same sexual, charismatic vibe in Red Eye that he himself possessed and he didn't want to have to deal with any relationship drama. "Is that everyone?" Captain Blast called out, looking around. "Because we have a treasure to be finding, ya know."
"I heard a colleague whisper your name once. He was scared to death of you." "This acquaintance have a name?" She asked, cracking her knuckles. It was a habit she had, not intended for intimidation, more for the fact that they tended to get stiff over time. She'd gotten lazy it seemed, or worked with someone who just happened to have a habit of not shutting up. How long had she been going with that alias, five, no six years. Time to pick a new one. The moniker lady had gotten her far, she'd keep that. Guards tended to put a higher value on your words when your the queen's eighth cousin three times removed, and men in general placed a higher value on flirtations. What was it the highborn had said, Lady Cephilia Lovelace, daughter of so and so, and heir to the estate. That would be useful when this was done, and if she could get her hands on the amulet, even better. "Anyway, call me Sally, Sally Green." She added, deciding to use that name while with this group.
“You'll be the Quartermaster. You have free range of the ship, supervise everything and report anything suspicious back to me. If anyone tries to mutiny, you have my permission to put them down," Captain Blast said, after naming Asara the quartermaster. Asara, of all people… Suddenly, I feel a strong urge to mutiny, Cephilia thought, but she was too tired to be angry. She sighed and her shoulders slumped ever so slightly, as if Miss Verant’s new position had literally taken the wind out of her. He then put Red Eye in charge of the cannons. A waste of potential, Cephilia thought. He was smart, could handle himself in a fray, and looked out for his comrades. He had saved her and Asara with that trick involving the ice and stairs. He had the makings of a first mate or quartermaster much more than that damned woman. And he was better looking, too… not that Cephilia needed Blast’s warning. She wasn’t going to be walking anyone’s plank, no matter how fine the woodgrain looked. She did, however, have a few ideas regarding the ship's munitions. They might be spending some time together... "Is that everyone?” Captain Blast called out, looking around. "Because we have a treasure to be finding, ya know." “Well, there is that fellow up there who appears to be quite pleased with himself,” Cephilia said, nodding to the crow’s nest high above their heads. “He seems harmless enough. I assumed he was one of yours, Captain. Miss Silvermoon can make his acquaintance… he is, after all, occupying her post.” Cephilia folded her arms. “But nevermind that. What’s this about ‘finding’ the treasure? You do know where it is, right?”
"Sally?" Captain Blast smirked at Asara. "You don't look like a Sally to me. I'm sure you can think of a better name more suited to your visage, my dear." When Cephilia questioned Blast his smirk disappeared in an instant. He stood up from the barrel and wandered over to the mast, twiddling his fingers. "Ummmmmmm, I do not rightly know where the treasure is," he began slowly. "If that's your question, then no, I don't know. But if I'm capable of finding it, that's a yes! If I have the attitude and the smarts, then that's also a yes!" He smiled hugely and raised his long curved sword in the air, a rustic scimitar with a gold hilt. Then he coughed and put his sword away. "What I meant to say was...while I may not know where the Lost Treasure is exactly located...I know who is in possession of the map." He looked around, grinning sheepishly.
“Well… that’s… a start,” Cephilia said, unable to hide her disappointment. She knew, all along, that this was a possibility and was prepared for the worse. The worst possibility was that he didn’t know where the treasure or the map were and had duped them all into rescuing him. Thankfully, this didn’t appear to be the case. Although she was disheartened to hear he didn’t know the location of the treasure, she found his honesty refreshing. A lesser man might have lied and continued leading them on a wild goose chase, pretending to know the treasure’s exact location. Instead, Blast told them the truth: he didn’t know, but knew how to find out. She could work with that. That small act of integrity earned him a great deal of respect from Cephilia. He was a cut above the average pirate. “Who is this person?” she asked him. “Friend or foe? Are we stealing the map or will we be working with the one who possesses it? Either way, I am at your disposal, Captain.”
Captain Blast smiled at Cephilia, obviously relieved. He had suspected that they would turn on him once they discovered his treachery, but so far that didn't seem to be the case. "We will not be working with the person who currently holds the map," Blast replied. "You wouldn't even mention that if you knew who she was. She's a beast. She's a monster. She's pure evil." "She's his mother," Billy Bones finished gruffly. He had just came back up from the engine room. "Aye, that she is," Captain Blast confessed. "She's a vicious pirate, goes by the name Madame Spark. Originally I found the map, bought it off a merchant who didn't know what it was, but word got out and here she comes in her big ship and swoops in and steals it from me. That's why I was getting drunk at the pub in Stonehaven, I was downright depressed." He hung his head and Billy Bones rolled his eyes and took a swig from his flask.
Red Eye sat back in the rigging and grinned to himself. This was shaping up to be quite a trip. Blast's mother, eh? He'd heard stories of the woman. Anyone still going strong in a career like this one at her age was someone to be reckoned with. Ought to be quite a challenge, or so he hoped. Plus it was always more fun when family got involved; it always became so much more personal and intense. He surveyed his new crew mates with a sharp eye. Blast seemed fairly capable of setting people where their abilities would serve best...with the possible exception of himself and the new quartermaster. Red Eye had been on enough ships to know the basics of cannon use: Which end was the front, which end was the back, and how to load the thing. And that was about it. Well, it wouldn't be the first time he'd shammed his way through a job. Besides, he wouldn't be surprised if Cephilia were be able to help him make some..."adjustments". "I'm gonna trust you to keep my existence a secret, and maybe be a future business partner." Sally/Asara was cracking her knuckles so fiercely he could hear them all the way up here. Red Eye returned with a toothy grin and a bow of his head. Seems that little comment of his had landed. Granted, he'd been exaggerating; he'd only heard her name whispered once or twice before. She really was almost that good. And now she probably wanted to kill him. He hoped so; he rather liked having at least one person trying to kill him at any given time. It kept him on his toes. That comment of Blast's about "try not to get anyone pregnant" really had him laughing to himself, though. People always seemed to get the wrong impression about him. Well, that was fine. “Well, there is that fellow up there who appears to be quite pleased with himself,” Cephilia said, nodding to the crow’s nest high above their heads. “He seems harmless enough. I assumed he was one of yours, Captain." Red Eye had been wondering when they'd notice him. "Allow me to be the first to make introductions!" He swung himself easily up the rigging towards the crow's nest. An acrobat he wasn't, but he had good balance and liked to move with flair and so over time he'd grown to be light on his feet. There were a couple of momentary slips, but he recovered well enough with some unnecessary flipping around. He raised himself up to the rim of the nest and promptly came face to face with the back of another man's head. The chap was staring back at the fading Stonehaven and gesturing in a way that was not at all polite. How very inconsiderate of the fellow not to join them in introductions on the deck below. Red Eye scooped of a coil of loose rope, securely affixed to the mast at one end. This should be about the right length to prevent an untimely splat. Probably. Then he tapped the gentleman on the shoulder. "Good day, sir! Red Eye at your service," he said cheerfully. "See you on the ground floor!" Then he snapped the rope in a snug loop around the man's waist, and gave him a fierce shove out of the crow's nest.
Elva gasped and covered her mouth when Captain Blast mentioned his mother. Then she lowered her hands to reveal a huge smile. She was going to meet Captain Blast's mother on top of Blast himself! Madame Spark! This had to be a dream! Elva quickly pinched her arm and jumped a little, then giggled ecstatically. "This is real life," she breathed, dizzy with euphoria. "I'm a pirate on Captain Blast's crew and this is real life." Then Blast gave her a job, the crow's nest. She was pretty good with heights. Whenever her clan was traveling they would always send her hiking up the cliffs to look around or clambering up trees to pick delicious fruits or bird's eggs. Her balance was superb and the captain was right, she could flip and tumble better than most circus performers. She blushed a little, immensely happy that he had noticed her abilities. When Red Eye climbed up to the crow's nest to knock somebody down, Elva watched curiously, not sure how to react. She decided to wait and see what Captain Blast did. In the meantime, she turned to Cephilia and said in a friendly tone, "Hey...so, is your first day as a pirate turning out how you imagined?"
His mother? It had never even occurred to Cephilia that Blast had a mother. He was a legend; she figured he just popped into existence one fine day when the universe decided the high seas needed more epicness, more awesomeness. In retrospect, that seemed rather silly… and yet, so very fitting. She had grown rather fond of the illusion that he was more than just a man and was already missing it quite dearly. What next, would he reveal ‘Blast’ wasn’t his real name? Oh, the horror! Now you’re just being silly, Cephilia told herself, smirking slightly. They were going to rob the legendary mother of a legendary pirate. The excitement was making her rather giddy. She should probably get to work, find some technical conundrum to wrap her head around lest she become hysterical. We can’t have these boys thinking every woman on this boat is a loon. She was about to take her leave and see what manner of beast lurked beneath the Vengeful Maiden’s unassuming shell --and how best to tame it-- when a shrill voice halted her. “Hey,” the gypsy girl said. “So, is your first day as a pirate turning out how you imagined?” Cephilia stared blankly at her, as if the question had gone in one ear and out the other. Her head was swimming with mathematical formulae, theories, and schematics of dream machines. After a few awkward seconds of silence, she snapped out of it. “I… ummm… why yes, it is actually turning out much better than anticipated,” she said cheerfully. “I expected things to be more… what’s the word…” she gestured vaguely. “'Pirate-y.' More stabbing and cursing and whatnot. All things considered, you all have been quite pleasant. I mean, we’ve been pirating for over an hour now and haven’t even cracked open the rum yet.”
Elva giggled and slapped Cephilia's shoulder. "If rum makes a pirate, then I know several gypsies who are amazing pirates and they haven't even set foot on a boat, including my father," she added wryly. Elva liked Cephilia. She was confident, smart, and had a certain womanly air about her, as if she knew who she was and everyone else could just fuck off. Elva wished she was that certain of who she was. Maybe it came with maturity. Or maybe it was a talent, like Elva's Talent of conjuring spirits. A magical element that some people possessed and others did not. "I guess I better be heading up to the crow's nest before Captain Blast notices I'm lollygagging," Elva commented. "If you ever need help with anything, you know who to call." She gave Cephilia a friendly smile and a nod and headed for the mast.
And apparently Elva had the attention span of gnat. A double edged sword of course, but still useful. Her infatuation with Blast was a single edge sword, and one that the pirate would use to full effect should there be any issues between everyone else and him. So, two, possibly three if she counted the first mate. Red Eye would be a wildcard no matter what she did, though he'd likely side with the underdog for excitement. For all the talk of Red Eye's individualism and unpredictability, he would always side with whoever gave him the most interest. The toughest fight, a variable dependant on the people's skills and who sided with who. The person most likely to betray him later, Asara, no Sally, herself. The person he could twist into something they hated, which was, without a doubt, Cephilia with her moral aggrandising. Sally turned to the noblewoman and gave a deliberate sigh. "Look, I think we got enough on the wrong the foot, you blinded me, I insulted you. Mistakes on both sides." Her voice held an honest tone, yet a slight undercurrent of annoyance. "And we're going to be spending most of our time below deck, and I'd rather not have us at each other's throats. That make sense to you?"
Ace outstretched an arm to shake Red Eye's hand, only for the bastard to shove him off the crow's nest. "Crap, crap, crap!" The world suddenly turned sideways for the third time that day, and Ace left his stomach at the top of the crow's nest while the rest of him fell like an anvil, straight for the deck below. Arms scrambling, he reached for the mast he fell from with futile effort and twisted and twirled in the air, plummeting towards Blast and his crew below. Eyes wide, the ground now ten feet away, he prayed to whichever God would listen. I'll kill that bastard, I'll kill him - just let me live! And with that the rope became taut and Ace's entire body lurched with a sickening crunch as he dangled a foot away from the deck. "M-my back..." Was all he could muster while his arms and legs left him a rag doll. At the top of the crow's nest Red Eye grinned, holding the strain of the rope and watching the friction as it tugged at the edge of the crow's nest, before letting go. For that single fleeting moment Ace had felt his muscles relax, only to fall again, slamming hard into the dirty wet deck, crunching his own arms under his chest. His squashed cheeks and lips opened, "M-my face..." Ace lay there for a moment, contemplating what he had done to get him to this excruciatingly painful position, and wondered if it was time to reassess his life. Then he decided, still in excruciating pain, to pull out his pistol and aim it straight for the crow's nest. "I'm gonna put a bullet through your head Red Eye! Err w-when I stop seeing d-double that is." The sky was so bright right now, and the crow's nest just would not stop spinning. Ace held the shot for a moment, then turned on his hands and knees and hurled his stomach through his mouth. "R-Red Eye... what a r-ridiculous name." I'll kill him another day... today is all about R&R. "What's with these pirate names, Captain Blast, Red Eye, the Red W-" It was at that moment that Ace looked up to see the Red Widow, and her fierce armour and weapons glinting dangerously in the afternoon sun. And that's when his face went pale. He stared at her for a very long time. She remembers me! He thought. Or maybe she doesn't. It was dark, she couldn't have seen me... but maybe... maybe she did. Oh god, she did didn't she - no wait, Ace your being foolish, she never saw you. But what if Barnti said something,"That lousey bastard!" Ace shouted right at the Red Widow and instantly remembered where he was, and more importantly, who she was, "Errr I'm ever so sorry, the name's Ace." He got up to out stretch a hand but heard another sickening click behind him, "Ow...my back..."
"If you ever need help with anything, you know who to call," Elva said before departing. “Thank you. I shall,” Cephilia said as the girl left. She was about to turn and leave herself, when a familiar voice addressed her. "Look, I think we got enough on the wrong the foot,” Asara --errr, Sally-- said. “You blinded me, I insulted you. Mistakes on both sides. And we're going to be spending most of our time below deck, and I'd rather not have us at each other's throats. That make sense to you?" “Indeed, it does,” Cephilia said with a smile, “which is why I apologized to you… many times, in fact. Rest assured, your throat is safe, Miss Verant. I harbor no ill will toward you.” Well, maybe a little ill will, but it’s my throat I fear for, Cephilia thought. “Oh, and you are still Asara Verant to me, but I understand the reason for the change and shall endeavor to use your alias when in the presence of outsiders. It just feels odd to call someone something other than who they are. We should all just be ourselves, I think.” A loud thump followed by some slurred grunting signified that the crow had been evicted from its nest. Cephilia turned just in time to see the man eject his breakfast all over the deck. She frowned and put a hand to her bosom, as if shocked.by such base behavior.She had actually been slightly hungry a moment ago. Well, not anymore! The man stood stiffly and approached her with an outstretched hand. "Errr I'm ever so sorry, the name's Ace," he said. "Ow...my back..." “Umm… Cephilia,” she said, staring incredulously at the offered hand as she began cautiously backing away. “And I… I think I’m needed below decks, sir. But our... ummm… our quartermaster may wish to make your acquaintance.” She turned on her heels and marched away toward the peace of the engine room.
Back at the Palace... "He got away!" roared King Roger, overthrowing a heavy oak table. He whirled around and glowered at the Royal Wizard. "How did he get away!?" he demanded. "He had help, my liege," Allan replied calmly. He was sitting in a wing chair by the fireplace, looking bored and a little annoyed. "Please calm yourself, you know what the Royal Physician said about having fits like this. Too much stress on the heart." "RAAAH!" King Roger jumped up and down. "I. Want. Captain. Blast's. Head!" Allan sighed wearily and inspected his nails. "My love, what is the matter?" a sweet dreamy voice asked. A short angelic woman glided into the room, her long white dress trailing behind her. Shiny blonde curls fell to her waist and a crown of white daisies adorned her head. In her arms she carried a grumpy fox that kept trying to bite her, but she gently pushed its head away each time. "My queen," Allan murmured in greeting without looking away from his nails. "AnnaBeth," King Roger sighed, falling to his knees. He looked completely defeated. "That bothersome...imbecilic...obnoxious pirate slipped through my fingers. Again." "Captain Blast, you mean?" A new voice rang out. It belonged to a tall beautiful woman wearing a slim gray dress with silver embroidery along the edges. Her platinum blonde hair was pulled back into a long braid with a a silver thread winding through it. Her plump cherry-red lips curved into a smile when she saw Allan in the corner. "Royal Wizard," she said politely. "Royal Witch," Allan grumbled, shooting her a dark look. Lilura Silkweb smiled even wider and looked away. There was professional competition between them, but the difference was that Lilura thought it was funny and Allan hated her with a passion. "Yes, Captain Blast!" King Roger roared at Lilura, jumping back to his feet. "Who else would I be talking about?" Then he froze and a devious grin split his face. "I know what to do!" he exclaimed. "What is that, my darling?" Queen AnnaBeth asked dreamily while her fox growled at her. "I'm going to hire Quickblade to kill Captain Blast," King Roger replied. Everyone in the room gasped, even Allan. "B-b-but, my liege!" Allan stuttered. "Quickblade is the most deadly assassin in all the lands! It took myself and Lilura and a whole squadron of your best soldiers to capture him! We finally have him locked away in the deepest, darkest cell of Mahrez! Why would you let him out now? He could kill us all!" "I will offer him his freedom in return for this favor and a chest of gold," King Roger snapped. "He won't kill me, he will be grateful. Now, fetch me a horse and my guards. I'm going to Mahrez." ............................. On the Vengeful Maiden... Captain Blast winced when Ace hit the ground. "That had to hurt," he observed. He turned to his new Quartermaster. "Asar...I mean, Salty Greenleaf. Whatever your new name is." He flapped his hands in the direction of the injured pirate. "Deal with this, please." That said, he strutted back up to the steering wheel and took out a compass and a dirty yellow map. After a few minutes of muttering to himself, and looking back and forth between the compass and the map, he spun the wheel and turned the ship southwards. "Before we find me mother, we have to figure out where she is," Captain Blast shouted so everyone could hear him. "Don't tell me we're goin' where I think we're goin'," Billy Bones whimpered. "We're going to the Cursed Island to meet the Swamp Witch!" Captain Blast finished with a smile. Billy Bones slapped himself in the forehead. "We might as well feed ourselves to the sharks! She told you never to come back after you fooled around with her daughter!" "Well, how was I supposed to know Anya was her daughter?" "She lives in the Swamp Witch's house!" "Hmmm, I didn't make that connection at the time. But that's where we're going. I have a plan." Billy Bones shook his head and stomped away. "If you need me, I'll be in me cabin, drinkin' meself to death," he grumbled darkly.
