Red Eye stopped listening almost immediately after the man started speaking. It mostly seemed to be "blah blah blah save me something something", and without any mention of an adventure or a good fight, there wasn't much in there to hold his interest. He quietly pondered cutting something off the kneeling figure, a hand, or an ear, maybe. ...If they didn't get moving soon, perhaps he would. That white crow had been more interesting than anything else...he'd given it a wink from his own red eye before it'd flown off again. Clever birds they were, and one such as that he wouldn't be surprised to learn was something special. The others were muttering among themselves about the rambling stranger. He didn't listen too closely, but it seemed some animosity was beginning to fester between Sally and Elva... It was to be expected, he supposed; one was young and reckless and eager to prove herself, and the other was Sally. Much as he loved a good feud, he'd have to keep an eye on that. There'd be plenty of time for the crew to tear itself apart after they'd got the map from Blast's mother. He watched the black sand hang in the air as Elva kicked at it... What an odd beach this was to be sure. He'd have to find out more about the place, time permitting. For the time being, he allowed himself to wander some ways away from the group, gazing about at the scenery. Crabs with shells like black glass scuttled in the sand, blending in with the other fragments in the beach. Somewhere nearby he could hear an unfamiliar warbling cry, doubtless from some tropical bird. Even the air smelled strange, the salty stench of the sea mixing with something spicy and smoky. He couldn't wait to see what manner of exotic creature lived here. Then he stopped. What was that he'd heard? He stood still, tensed, listening. There it was again. He peered into the jungle foliage, the deep brush that reached almost to the water's edge. From within, a pair of gleaming golden eyes looked back. Then they vanished, and there was the sense of something large moving almost silently away. Red Eye grinned. One hand on his cutlass, he ventured carefully into the jungle.
“Rise, a free man. However, there is one issue that remains, a wise man once told me anything with two heads is a monster. I can’t release you into my charge because I am his charge. You would have two masters. If you want to get off of this island, that leaves you with two options, Mr. Arkwright: Join us as equals, with the captain’s permission, of course. Or… try your hand at the age-old art of shipbuilding. I don’t doubt your woodworking skills, darling, but I think you know which is the wiser choice.” It takes a few moments to get the adrenalin out of system and process what she said. Then it all starts to fit. I rise to my feet and sheathe my sword. I feel a smile touch my lips. It has been a long time since I’ve smiled without sarcasm. A smile that makes you feel warm inside. “Forgive me my lady, it would seem I used up all my words in that speech and have some trouble finding the right ones to express my gratitude. I have taken an oath to serve your family which is not easily disavowed, but I shall use the same loophole you used to set me free, to treat you like an equal. So thank you, Miss Lovelace, and my apologies for any trouble I may have caused you.” With the moment over, I suddenly sense a restlessness in the crew. The young woman with only one arm mentions something about slavery, which I’ll choose to ignore, but the younger one seems genuinely agitated. I’ve seen that look before and nothing good ever followed it. Time to finish this and let them be on their business. I turn again, to the man in charge. “Captain, I hope you’ll forgive my rudeness, but this had to be cleared out of the way before I could ever be of any use to you. I won’t lie, if you were to accept me into your crew it will make whatever you came to do here more difficult if, or rather when, Shekinah finds out. I am also but a simple soldier and, as you undoubtedly noticed, a little out of my element among pirates. That said, I know this island like the back of my hand, can hold my own in a fight and make a mean alligator stew.”
Captain Blast smirked at Allan. "Matey, I could care less about your qualifications," he said plainly. "I don't even know what the rest of these people can do, other than what they've shown me. But you can join the crew if you please, we could always use a cabin boy...especially now that one of us is missing an arm." Billy Bones chuckled and Captain Blast smiled proudly at his little joke. Then he quickly said to Sally, "No offense, just teasing. Now, everyone, lets get to stepping." They collectively headed into the jungle. It was uncomfortably warm and humid and steam seemed to rise up from the ground. In moments they were all damp with moisture from the wet steam and the water droplets that constantly fell from the limp leaves and vines. They had to hack with their swords at the foliage and vegetation simply to make progress and it was hard and tiring. Several times they came across wild creatures going about their business: a raccoon with four ears and four tails, a black snake with spikes on its back, and a huge shaggy beast with golden eyes that stayed a good distance away but was always close. The deeper into the jungle they went, the more swampy and foul-smelling it became. Captain Blast instructed them to step exactly where he stepped and they followed him in a tight line through the swamp, over rotting logs that served as bridges and slippery moss-covered ground. Huge alligators lurked in the green water and every once in a while on of them would poke out of the water and glare at them with hateful crimson eyes. "Almost there!" Captain Blast told them, right before they were ambushed. Four muscley men surrounded them, each with the head of an animal: a lion, a goat, a bear, and a wolf. They only wore flimsy loinclothes and their rippling muscles were exposed to the moist air. Each one held a crude spear and they pointed them at the pirates and made menacing animal growls and squeals.
Sally was beginning to think that everyone was ignoring her unless she insulted them. She complimented Elva and that woman ignored her. She'd asked Cephilia if she could slap the monologuing moron. Both totally ignored. The only one who paid attention to her was Red Eye, and that was only because he enjoyed playing with people's minds. She was going to make him an ally, but first. "Cephilia, you do know I complimented you on our first meeting, right? " She then looked at the men around her. They were giving grunts and growls like animals, and she was frankly tired of all of this. She drew her rifle, lowering the barrel to be level with Wolf's head groin, and pulled the trigger.
Sally's shot hit its mark. The Wolf let out a painful gasp before doubling over and grabbing his private area. The other animal-headed men rushed to Wolf's side and knelt by him. They made strange tittering noises that were not any language that any of the pirates could understand, but they were obviously asking if their friend was okay. Wolf glared up at Sally and stood, leaning heavily on his spear for support. "Um, Mr Wolf, sir," Captain Blast interjected. "Maybe we could talk this out? I know you just got shot and all, but I'm sure Ms Sandalwood Greenbloomers is sorry." "Now you're just mispronouncing her name on purpose," Billy Bones grumbled, both his pistols aimed at the Wolf. Wolf growled at them and they both shut-up. His lips curled back and long strings of saliva dripped from his daggerlike teeth. If anyone thought he was just wearing a mask, it was now abundantly clear that he wasn't. His head was actually the head of a wolf. "Oh, calm down," came a new voice. It belonged to a slim female who slinked out of the trees, dressed in a plain brown dress. The only adornments she wore was a piece of twine around her neck with a rainbow-colored abalone shell hanging from it. Her crinkly black hair hung freely to her waist, framing her dark brown face, and her large mahogany eyes surveyed the pirates with the same look of disgust that someone would give a cockroach. She looked to be in her twenties, but when she laid eyes on Captain Blast, she frowned and hate contorted her features until she looked twice as old. "You swiving bastard," she spat out. "Anya, let me explain," Captain Blast said in a rush, holding up his hands. "No explain!" Anya cried harshly. "You break trust! No trust between us! You no more speak! Zip it!" Captain Blast closed his mouth. "Good," Anya growled. Then she turned to the others. "Why you here? Speak quick, or I will end you all." She had no weapons, but by the dark glint in her eyes, it was clear that she meant to follow through with her threat if they displeased her.
"Firstly, I'm averse to violence, and I know you're probably going to oppose this, but I'm very stressed right now, slapping him will probably relieve it,” Asara whispered to Cephilia. “Not to mention that he seems delusional. Not to mention what'll happen if Red Eye or preteen decide to act first." Cephilia’s only reply was a brief, yet intense, glance into Asara’s eyes, the sort of glance that conveys disappointment, yet falls juuuust shy of disgust. It was the sort of glance a noblewoman would give a commoner. No, worse. It was the sort of glance one might give a dog that had just pooped on the carpet. No point in being upset; it’s just an animal doing as animals do. The man had just poured out his heart in front of a group of absolute strangers. Delusional? Yes. Insane? A little. Worthy of respect? Undoubtedly. "Actually, having a helper monkey doesn't seem like a bad idea,” Asara added after a pause. “Or we could just sell him next time we go to port." Cephilia took a slow, deep breath, and was just about to give Asara a piece of her mind when Adam spoke. “Forgive me my lady, it would seem I used up all my words in that speech and have some trouble finding the right ones to express my gratitude. I have taken an oath to serve your family which is not easily disavowed, but I shall use the same loophole you used to set me free, to treat you like an equal. So thank you, Miss Lovelace, and my apologies for any trouble I may have caused you.” “Trouble? You have caused none,” Cephilia said graciously, thankful for this ray of sunshine in what had nearly become a very dark situation. She truly did abhor unpleasantness. “And ‘Cephilia’ will do just fine, Adam.” Moments later, they group was on the move again, traveling deeper into the misty jungle. The heat and humidity were oppressive. Cephilia shed her coat and tied it around her waist. She also fashioned a headband out of a strip of red cloth, to keep the sweat from running down into her eyes. Strange demon-creatures watched them from the shadows. What kind of hell is this? She thought, keeping a close eye on Adam as they traveled inland. He knew this place best; if something happened, he would be the first to react. Unfortunately, nothing could prepare her for the ambush. When the four beast-men appeared, Cephilia was standing ankle-deep in swamp muck, clutching her sword tightly. Not that it would do any good. Her sword might be a tad longer than most, but she couldn’t out-range a spear. At best, she might parry one or snap its spearhead, but there were four of them. "Cephilia, you do know I complimented you on our first meeting, right? " Really? Now, of all times, you want to have a conversation? Cephilia thought. She rolled her eyes. “I seem to recall the words ‘bitch’ and ‘burgundy bramble-fuck,’ or whatever it was you called me,” she murmured. “That is how we met, Asara, and, if you continue on like this, that is how we shall part, dear.” And then the woman shot the wolf-man in the crotch. There you go again, making friends. He doubled over, howling in pain. The other three looked more shocked and concerned than angry. Nevertheless, Captain Blast quickly tried to smooth things over. And that’s when ‘Anya’ appeared. Didn’t take a genius to see there was history between her and Blast. The name rang a bell. Anya… Anya… Anya… I’ve heard this before, but where… Cephilia gasped. “The Swamp Witch’s daughter!” she exclaimed, pointing at the woman. The moment she realized she had just said that out loud, she promptly clapped her hands over her mouth, as if she’d blasphemed. She imagined this ‘Swamp Witch’ had a name --probably something that starts with ‘Shek’ and rhymes with ‘Inah’-- and wouldn’t take kindly to being called ‘Swamp Witch’ or ‘Jungle Hag’ or ‘Queen Bitch of Cursed Island.’ “I… uhhh… I mean the Nice Swamp Lady’s Daughter…. who is very kind and merciful… and beautiful… and forgiving, too. Yes, that is what I meant to say.”
Red Eye winced and gave a small "ooh..." as Asara's rifle went off and the man - correction, the wolf-headed man - doubled over. Internally, he was laughing his head off. Then after Cephilia's "introduction" he had to laugh for real, albeit a bit quietly. Honestly, he was surprised no one was dead yet. With this atmosphere, it was only a matter of time. He stepped forward and bowed to the woman Blast had addressed as Anya in a proper and respectful manner. In his mind, anyone practiced at unknown magic was worth respecting...until he'd learned their limits, at least. The swamp witch might be her mother, if he'd been listening properly, but that wasn't to say Anya possessed no skill of her own. He spoke respectfully, enunciating clearly but not insultingly so. "We've come to trade for services; specifically we seek the location of that one's mother." This he said with a glance at the somewhat sweating Blast. "Suffice it to say we need information which only she possesses. Now that's not to say he has to be a part of the bargain." He raised an eyebrow. " I gather there's some history between you, and that's none of my business. As for trust, I admit I'm somewhat unpredictable at times in that area, but this is a matter interesting enough to me that I don't intend to jeopardize it needlessly. "Besides...I have a rather high interest in any magic that might have something to do with gentlemen such as these." He nodded to the beast men, huddled around their wounded comrade, and internally he started laughing again. Thank the gods he had such a practiced poker face. "I would be very interested in learning more, especially if there might be a way of acquiring such power oneself..." He grinned in a way past experience had taught him made most people uncomfortable. "Believe me, should it pique my interest, there is nothing I would be unwilling to pay."
Well, this has certainly been one hell of a day. First I get to meet the lady I’ve always looked up to, then she actually grants me my freedom, something I’ve never truly believed to be an option and now her captain accepts me into his crew without a second thought. He is an odd man, Captain Blast. A leader that does not know the capabilities of his men? Still, he did get this unlikely group of people together and seemed to know exactly what he was doing, even on Cursed Island. Well, he can never be as bad as Shekinah. I do not believe Lady Cephilia would side with someone like that. He seems to know his way through the jungle too. We’re going straight for Shekinah’s hut. Seeing an alligator move reminds me that I still haven’t caught dinner. They’re a lot more active than usual, but that’s probably because we are cutting through the jungle about as subtly as a parade of elephants. Huh, look at me, still worrying about my daily tasks. This “free man” stuff is going to take some getting used to. As we start to dig through the swamp the captain orders us to walk in a straight line. Not much later Anya’s men jump up out of nowhere and surround us. I could speak up, but I don’t want to undermine the captain’s authority a second time today. And then, out of nowhere again, the jumpy lady with one arm shoots poor wolfman straight in the unmentionables. Mental note: find out who she is and how not to piss her off. The captain tries to smooth things over when Anya joins in. "You swiving bastard," "Anya, let me explain," "No explain! You break trust! No trust between us! You no more speak! Zip it!" Swiving bastard. Break trust? Wait, does that mean… “You’re the back-stabbing, two-timing Captain Traitor!?” “The Swamp Witch’s daughter!” “I, uh, sorry captain.” I turn my head just in time to notice Lady Cephilia said something equally embarrassing at exactly the same time and tries to talk herself out of it. I almost forgot she’s just as human as the rest of us. I really spent too much time with that self-proclaimed shaman. Apparently the fancy man believed this to be a good moment to try his hand at sweet-talking Anya. The last man who had tried that shared a similar fate as the poor wolfman over there. Still, he might get away with it. Perhaps. … Maybe I should step in. No, I’ll just stay low a little while longer. With any luck she’ll notice me soon enough and the surprise should make her forget about her anger if only for a little while. That’s probably the best moment for us, any of us, to talk our way out of this situation. Just, focus on her and try to give her a friendly smile.
Elva smirked at Lady Cephilia when she heard her retort to Asara. "You go, girl!" Elva told Cephilia, not caring if she made Asara angry. Who does Asara think she was? Why would they throw themselves at her feet and worship just because she gave them a measly compliment, compared to all the horrible stuff she has already said? Was she really that delusional? Elva was going to go back to minding her own business, but she had to speak her mind about something. "Asara-Sally Devil-Bitch, please give us all a break," Elva began with a tight smile. "If you're going to be That Person, the person that is always making fun of everyone and being hella rude, then just OWN IT. Don't act like you don't know what kind of person you are. You're a fully grown woman, so just own it." Elva stopped herself there because she didn't trust herself not to call Asara a "stupid old bat" again, and that was just plain unproductive. Then the beast dudes showed up. Elva whipped out her cutlass and her throwing axe and conjured a spirit in less than a second. The silvery gray cloud hovered over her head, whistling softly and darting back and forth. If any lightweight projectiles came her way, the spirit would divert them, or at least try to lessen the blow. After the first initial shock of seeing human people with animal heads, though, Elva stopped fearing them and started to admire their phsyical beauty and inherit mystic. Their bodies were perfect and glistening in the moist jungle air, and their animal heads were majestic and beautiful. It was like some kind of myth come to life. Leave it to Asara to go and shoot someone in the groin and possibly ruin their chances to get the Swamp Witch's help. Elva sighed mightily and cast Asara a withering glare, her large green eyes filled with loathing. Then she turned back to watch Captain Blast and the others try to rectify the situation. If things got out of hand, she would jump in and try to use her old gypsy bargaining skills to trick their way out of this rotten situation, but in the meantime she just watched and waited.
When Cephilia shouted “The Swamp Witch’s daughter!”, Anya gave her a look like death. Luckily, she correct herself. “I… uhhh… I mean the Nice Swamp Lady’s Daughter…. who is very kind and merciful… and beautiful… and forgiving, too. Yes, that is what I meant to say.” Anya tried to keep her face composed, but her lips twitched in a tiny smile. But she quickly suppressed the smile and went back to looking royally pissed off. Any listened closely to Red Eye, her eyes glancing suspiciously from him to the other pirates as he explained what they needed. She didn't make a comment, but she also didn't shoot him down. Her expression remained smooth and unreadable. When he got to the part about learning their magical ways, Anya raised one perfectly arched eyebrow. "You do anything for power, you say?" she asked sharply. "Be careful what words you use. Mother will take anything you say and hold it against you. For you to say those words to her would bring her great joy." As she spoke, her English got better and better. It was clear that she had not used it so much in a long time and she was relearning it as she was talking. Once more, Anya's keen gaze swept over the pirates. There was a moment of silence, except for Wolf's heavy breathing, and then she said, "Follow me. I take you to Shekinah, if that be your wish." She turned and slinked away. "It might be your last wish," she grumbled under her breath. Captain Blast eagerly tramped after Anya, as if he was desperate to keep her in sight. Billy Bones cussed udner his breath and he put away his pistols and tried to keep up, tripping over tree roots and slipping on moss. They arrived at a village of huts standing on stilts, right over the filthy swamp water. They were connected by rickety bridges and they could see the native wandering about, the women chatting and weaving baskets, the men carrying dead alligators on their shoulders, the children playing with sticks and rocks. Anya led them up to the village via bridge. The natives stared openly at them. Many of them smiled and laughed and pointed. They said in broken English, "They be crazy. Want go see Shekinah. Shekinah put the voodoo on them, heehees!" Outside the door to the Shekinah's hut, the large white crow from earlier was perched on a basket, cleaning its feathers. When it saw them, it cawed loudly and flew at Red Eye, landing on his shoulder. It stared at his red eye with its own, as if it thought it had found a brother. "Captain Blast," a female voice rasped. A hunched old woman tottered out of the hut, wearing a clean sky-blue dress and walking with a silver-handled ivory cane. Her pure white hair was made into a braid that was piled on top of her head, decorated with many jeweled golden pins. She also wore many jeweled rings and pointy leather boots that looked like they cost a lot of money. Her face was made up with tons of makeup, from the dark rouge on her wrinkled lips to the vivid purple kohl smeared around her sharp black eyes. "You have much nerve, coming back here," Shekinah continued. She looked around at his crew. "And you brought friends. How charming." Her tone was as dry as a desert and as biting as a blizzard. Old-school sarcasm, honed by decades and decades of practice. "I know what you want. I read it in Anya's mind a mile away." She grinned and showed that her mouth was full of rotten brown teeth. "You come here, you expect service from the Great Shekinah!" she rasped grandly, opening her arms wide. "Then you pay like everyone else. Give me something valuable, each of you. Put it in the basket." She kicked the lid off of the basket that the crow had just been sitting on and pointed down at it imperiously, waiting.
Sally glanced back at Elva. "Oh don't you dare give me that look. You're the person who's been leaping into killing people. I've just been wounding and maiming, yet apparently I'm the morally reprehensible one." The last one was directed at Lovelace, giving her an elongated stare as she continued to talk. "I tried to talk the sea hag down and lost an arm for it. So, I apologise if I'm not exactly in the most negotiable mood. Now, how about the three of us put on our big girl bloomers, I'll keep my insults quiet, Cephilia can stop acting like she's morally superior to all of us, despite me being the one that's not killed anyone, and Elva can learn the meaning of hypocrisy considering she was the one who threw her axe at the sea hag. Is that fine with everyone?" It was a rant. Not anything planned more a conscious stream of thought that had leapt out. When they were escaping at the docks, had she killed anyone? No. That was Elva and possibly Red Eye with the docks exploding. Why the hell was she the only one that was noticed? Even now she hadn't killed anyone. She might have killed potential children, but potential didn't mean anything. She went next to Red Eye, deciding his eccentricities were better than the other's hypocrisies. "Miss Shekinah , will you be able to heal him? The one who's got less balls than me." She clarified at the end, digging through her pocket. After a few seconds she found what she was looking for. The silver and sapphire earring. It was the most valuable thing she owned, not having any items of sentimental value, or at least not on her. She walked towards the witch, holding it open in her palm and clearly offering it.
Shekinah's eyes opened wide and she took the earrings without hesitation, plucking them from Asara's hands. Instead of putting them in the basket, she quickly put them in her ears and then smiled at Anya. "How your mother look?" Shekinah asked brightly. "Am I pretty?" "Pretty old," Anya grumbled in reply. Shekinah's face fell and she gave Anya a murderous look. She turned back to Asara. "I can do anything with enough time, child," she said, clearly bragging. "Wolf will grow back his man bits. But I advise you not to shoot any more of my Beasties." Then she face the rest of the pirates and pointed at the basket again. "More," she snapped. "Each person must give something." Captain Blast stepped forward and dropped a large onyx ring into the basket. Billy Bones gave her his silver flask. "It's my greatest possession," he whined, his bottom lip wobbling. Blast patted him on the shoulder comfortingly.
"What about the stump?" She asked, rolling her shoulder back as if to gesture to the missing limb. She said she could heal things with time, but that was something she neither had or would be able to make.
Anya didn’t notice me or if she did she chose not to react. Could she be angry with me? No, if she was I’d have found out soon enough. So now here we are and the mistress of the island is demanding offerings again. It is strange. I’ve seen her this very morning, but already she looks different in my eyes. Whatever she may do to my body now, she no longer has any control over my soul. I take off my left glove, grab a hand full of sand and step forward. “Shekinah. You know what I have to offer, for until today it was all yours. You have taken three years from my life but today, for a change, I will give you something that I wish to part with. I return to you my citizenship of this island. I relieve you of your responsibility over my wellbeing. I give you, in short, my resignation. Goodbye Shekinah, I pray you will find peace of mind before the end. Before you have drawn your daughter into the same empty existence that you have stretched out for so long. Believe me or not, I wish you well.” I take out my sword and make a shallow cut in the palm of my left hand causing the blood to flow through the sand. I stretch it out over the basket and let go. Sheathing my sword I make one last bow to the woman that governed my existence for so long, turn around and walk just behind Captain Blast, where I take up my new place in his crew.
Red Eye chuckled as the raven perched on his shoulder. "You are something special, aren't you?" he asked with a smile, offering up one gloved hand for the raven to investigate and imparting another wink from his own red eye. Truly, a creature this unique was indeed precious. He felt pleased to have drawn its attention. "More," she snapped. "Each person must give something." Obligingly Red Eye stepped forward, making certain not to upset the bird's balance. Reaching inside his coat, from one of its many hidden pockets he drew forth the emerald necklace. This was a much better use of it than fencing it with that tedious, forgettable man back in Stonehaven. ...Though given what he'd gone through to get it, it would be a waste not to trade it for all it was worth. As he pulled the necklace out, he placed his thumb against the impressive emerald set in its center and pushed. The gem slipped out easily into his palm; the setting was one designed to open up so that it might be polished separately. "The gold this chain is wrought from is worth no small amount on its own, to say nothing of the craftwork, which I can assure you is excellent. But if your taste in finery is any indication, I'm certain you already knew that." As he spoke, he placed the chain carefully in the basket, making sure it caught the light enticingly as it went in. Then he opened his palm to reveal the emerald. "However...it has a friend." He held the sparkling gem out towards Shekinah, showing her its size and beauty. "There's been quite a lot of blood spilled over this particular stone, lives lost, and flames fanned." He smiled to himself in pleasant recollection. "Obtaining it was neither simple nor easy...but I would be willing to part with it in exchange for your services." "Allow me to cut to the chase. The nature of these gentlemen intrigues me." (This said with a glance at the beast-headed folk) "I would like to acquire power of that kind for myself...with some adjustments." Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the raven watching the emerald sparkle in his hand. The bird clearly knew better than to make a grab for it, but he could sympathise with its hunger. He fished about in his coat until he located the silver earring he'd found on the deck. If Sally's offering was anything to go by, it had probably been hers at some point...but "some point" wasn't now, was it. He offered the silver piece to the raven with a smile. "And one for you, my friend." he added quietly.
Shekinah laughed in Asara's face and pointed at her burnt stump. "You should have thought of that before you shot Wolf in private area!" she exclaimed. "Before, maybe I help, but now...this will be your punishment. Find other way to fix arm. I will not lift a finger to mend it." The white crow snatched the coin out of Red Eye's fingers and flew away with a powerful flap of its wings. Shekinah frowned after the bird, clearly displeased that it had left her presence. Then she gave Red Eye a piercing look. "You want two things," she said in a flat tone. "Find your precious map and also give more power. I can do this. I am the Great Shekinah. But I can also see something in your mind..." Shekinah tottered forward and leaned closer to Red Eye. Her eyes glowed briefly, like twin moons. "I see a Kelpie," the ancient witch growled. She turned to the side and spit on the ground. "Which one was it? Siren? Sosa? Silena? Syra?"
"Before, maybe I help, but now...this will be your punishment. Find other way to fix arm. I will not lift a finger to mend it." "I have more silver." She replied, digging into her pockets and pulling out two other sets, one being little more than a set of metal beads, the other being in the shape of fish. "What about for these?"
"You come here, you expect service from the Great Shekinah!" the old woman said. "Then you pay like everyone else. Give me something valuable, each of you. Put it in the basket." Without hesitation, Cephilia began undoing the buckles on her sleeve of red plate armor. The witch’s daughter had told them there would be a price to pay and the long trek through the swamp had given Cephilia plenty of time to reflect on what she would give up. She had four options: Vengeance, Vigilance, her signet ring, or her armor. They were about the only things of value she had. She immediately ruled out giving up her weapons. The materials weren’t costly enough to suit Shekinah’s expensive tastes; they were made of copper, steel, pot iron, and some bits of brass. She took good care of them, but they still showed signs of use and wear. They were certainly unique, but both had gone through numerous iterations. Vengeance, in particular, was still something of a prototype; a careful appraisal of the gauntlet showed numerous spots where she’d hacked off features that didn’t work and grafted on other ideas in their place. Vigilance, on the other hand, was now at mark III and actually looked like she knew what the heck she was doing when she’d made it. In any case, neither was worth much more than the sum of its parts. So, that just left two options: her armor or her signet ring. The latter was definitely worth more money. It had a fat ruby set in a gold band. Rather than wear it on her finger, Cephilia kept it on a thin gold chain around her neck, and that too was worth something. But it wasn’t unique. There were at least four others like it in the world her father’s, her mother’s, and her two brothers’… one of which had already been misplaced. Stolen, actually, which lessened its value a little. Shekinah valued finery, but Cephilia suspected the old woman didn’t want just any old piece of jewelry. She wanted them to sacrifice something. She wanted them to give up a piece of themselves. Cephilia had spent over a decade building up the mystique of the ‘Red Widow.’ The cloak, the armor, the sword… it was all part of an elaborately concocted persona built to instill fear and self-awareness in those who thought they were safe from the long arm of justice or thought no one knew what they do in the dark. While the others were stepping forward, and making their offerings to the witch, Cephilia was still shedding her armor. And that was just one arm. There was a reason plate armor had fallen out of fashion over a century ago. You don’t so much wear it as step inside and strap yourself in. She couldn’t believe people actually wore full suits of this crap.
Red Eye could feel the prodding of Shekinah, like a snake slithering through his brain. If he hadn't been so intrigued and impressed, he might have shuddered. "You are good at what you do, aren't you. 'Syra', I believe, is the one we had the dubious pleasure of encountering. It's true, I wouldn't mind finding her again...she's a rare breed of being, and to me that makes her a fascinating target to pursue. But for me, at least, it's hardly personal." His eyes slid to Sally at this. "For my compatriot, on the other hand...let us say she wouldn't hesitate to take an arm off of Syra to even the score." "I'm gathering that you're no friend to a selkie. Now me, I'm not entirely sure I can become angry; it's certainly never happened before. Odds are I'll find something more interesting to do before I ever hunt down Syra. But Lady Sally, here...well, you've seen her temper, and Syra's someone she intends to make pay in blood. Of course, that may be somewhat difficult..." he said with a shrug, "...short-handed as she is. Doubtless she could benefit from your gifts more than any of us. It's up to you, of course. I admit I only mention it because I'm curious to see what your magics might be capable of doing with her missing limb. "Now, as for myself." He held the emerald up once again. "I feel I should make myself clear: Simple power means nothing to me. I have no desire to be the strongest, or the fastest, or the smartest person alive. What I want is simply what cannot be found elsewhere. I desire something unique. If you can give me that..." He gazed after the white raven as it disappeared, then again at the beast-headed men. Then he stepped forward and, with a bow to Shekinah, dropped the shining emerald into the basket. "...Then I am happy to pay the price."
Light. Seagulls. Alan yawned and squinted his eyes, blurring the world into a blinding haze. What a strange dream. I should stop drinking alcohol before going to bed. His attempt to prop himself up was met with a sharp pain in his wrist. Alan tiredly flopped over to his side like a fish. As his vision came into focus, so did reality. The glare of metal stood out in the wooden patterns of the deck. It was his knife, still embedded in the planks. Alan jumped up and ran for it. He pushed the knife back and forth until it was dislodged from the wood and inspected the blade for scratches. The knife was nothing special in terms of monetary value; Alan had simply grown attached to it through years of use. Rivers of rust had formed along the edge like Damascus. Damn. The seawater really did a number on the steel. Alan took out a small triangular whetstone and set it on the guardrails. As he glided the blade along the stone, a realization dawned on him. Wait, what the hell am I doing? There were people on the ship. They're gone, probably eaten by that sea monster. And I'm stranded on an island. Great. I have no idea how to operate a ship, so I'll be stuck here until I die of old age.
How did I get tangled up with such an odd group of people? Ace shrugged to himself and smiled with resignation. In fairness, this was not the craziest group he'd ever travelled with, nor the most dangerous - I mean they were no Globber Clan, or Stabby Sisters, and who were those twins that liked to play poker with fingers? Regardless, as long as they got him to the Treasure he really didn't care a hoot who they were. "More," Shekinah snapped. "Each person must give something." Ace had drifted off somewhat, realising they were giving "precious" offerings to the She-Devil woman whose teeth he couldn't dare to look at. Ace rolled his eyes at himself a little, always asleep for the job but awake for the money. I suppose that ring would probably do, he thought to himself. It was valuable and beautiful, with a big ruby set within a golden band and a sigil on the inside - but it was never his in the first place. Money was money at the end of the day, no matter what dead end he found himself in. Taking off his glove, he removed the ring and placed it in his pocket. He'd give the ring, but first... Moving closer to Red Eye, who was engrossed in talking with the She-Devil, Ace held out a hand and smiled. "Oh mighty She-Dev..." Outside voice, remember idiot? "I mean Shekinah, I present to you one of the finest rubies found in anyone's eye socket." And with that he gave Red Eye an almighty whack on the back of the head, hoping to catch the eye at the front. But alas, the eye was clearly wedged in there tight. "Wow, how did you get it in there in the first place?" He whispered with a lack of interest. "Ah mighty Shekinah the eye is yours, if you can pry it out. But please accept this secondary gift, a beautiful golden ring with a gorgeous ruby finish." He dropped the ring into the basket nonchalantly and moved back towards the exit of the hut.
Elva gulped. She didn't have any expensive trinkets like her companions. Everyone seemed to have a ring or something except for her. Red Eye had a goddamn emerald the size of her fist...didn't he know he could sell that for a small fortune??? Hell, if it was Elva's, she would have sold it a long time ago, bought herself a whole new wardrobe. She would also get a new throwing axe and a cutlass that wasn't chipped and scratched from extreme use. "What am I going to do?" Elva mumbled to herself. She hung back and let everyone else go first. When she saw Cephilia giving her armor, she had an idea. She took out her cutlass, stepped up to Shekinah, and slashed her flowing dark locks. It all fell in a heap into the basket on top of everyone else's treasures. Before, her hair had hung behind her like a silk cape, but now it barely brushed her shoulders. "My hair is my sacrifice," Elva told Shekinah, her voice trembling with emotion. "I'm not rich. I don't have little treasures stashed on my person. This is all I can give." She looked down at the basket and took a deep, calming breath. "I've never cut my hair before." Then she turned and stood at the back of the group, hanging her head. She knew it was necessary to find the map to the Lost Treasure, but she couldn't help feeling severely depressed.
*WHACK* Well, thought Red Eye as his head rang, at least he now knew Ace was the type to hold a grudge...that, and he had quite an arm. The man would have to do a lot better than that to get his ruby, of course; many had tried in the past with much more elaborate tricks than that only to meet with failure. It wasn't so much that the ruby itself was too precious to lose, but Red Eye had long ago decided that whoever took his namesake from him would have to earn it well. He heard a confident voice speak through the throbbing. "Ah mighty Shekinah the eye is yours, if you can pry it out." Ace was certainly being a little careless with his offerings... Red Eye remained perfectly still for a moment while his head throbbed, then stood up straight again, shaking his head back and straightening his braid. He smiled and raised an eyebrow at Ace as he addressed him. "I'd be careful making promises like that to someone such as Shekinah. It's hardly a proper payment to offer something that doesn't belong to you." His smile widened as he turned to Shekinah once more, making sure to keep Ace visible in the corner of his eye. "That said, should you choose to collect what this gentleman has offered, well...he has eyes of his own, hasn't he. As he himself has said: 'it's yours, if you can pry it out '."
Ace scoffed a little, taking a strange looking fruit from a nearby thatched basket, tossing it in the air and biting a big old chunk out of it. "Come now Red Eye, play along," the fruit juices dribbling down his mouth, "Trust me Shekinah, dazzling crimson is all the rage in Stonehaven." Hmmm this fruit is sweet, kinda making my jaw hurt. Ace continued to chew, still holding his smug shit-eating grin towards Red Eye. "Honestly Red Eye, one would think you just wanted an eye patch buddy." He finished with a sarcastic "Yarrr!" and an arm swing to boot. Time to put this right. "Shekinah, that ring was a family heirloom. Belonged to my sister before she died," Ace never had a sister, "Dory her name was... ah she had spunk... taken so young."
Sally give a quick look at Elva. "Suits you better." She commented. "And you're less likely to have someone grab it in a fight. It's why I keep mine like this." After a moment she sighed. Blast had told her to keep an eye on people, and stop any attempts at mutiny. She supposed she was also in charge of stopping people from killing each other. Perhaps, providing a common enemy could do that. She walked over to Ace and, within a second, took hold of his ear. "It only takes two pounds to remove a human ear, first ship I was on, captain had a flare for it and taught me. I imagine it'd be rather easy. I mean, it's been a while since I've done, but, still, I have my good arm." Once again, rambling, but oh well. "Now, say sorry to Red Eye, before I pull."
