As Markus walked into his cabin, he set his backsword down and glanced behind him, making sure the door was locked. Slowly, he reached into his coat and slid his callused hand into the coat pocket, to reveal a large, curious looking egg he had taken from WyvernWatch. Several books on spells were lain across his desk, along with other tomes that were simply of topics he fancied. But at the top of the stack was a book of dangerous wildlife. Whatever was within this, he would find it out. 

Grabbing a tattered cloak that had been gathered from the keep to be used in the winter months, he rolled it up and placed it within his top desk drawer, and then set the egg within. Whatever hatched out of it, he would be its master.

[hr] 

Markus had stayed below decks with the crew this day, playing a round of cards with the lads in the hold. He did his best to appear cordial to them, and to be charismatic as well as dangerous to them. The fact was, he was quite charismatic even without trying, but he would never realize it. But by the time darkness has settled on the horizon, he even had the tripplettes smiling. Bill had a metal hook on his hand, courtesy of Sketti's craftsmanship. Only one of the myriad of items that Sketti had made with the raw materials from Wyvernwatch nearly two fortnight's ago. 

"I fold." Sketti said, grumbling into his straw colored beard and laying his cards on the ground. It wasn't like him to quit, but he didnt want to lose anymore of his gadgets, which Markus had made a killing on the past few hours. Halvar and Phill remained in the game, the two men veritably glaring at their cards and suspiciously looking at one another, as well as their Captain, who grinned. The glint was in his eyes, the same competitive glint he got when blood was about to be spilled. 

"Two mermaidens and a skull kraken." Halvar said, laying his cards down. Phill tossed his cards away, already defeated by the hand. His two brothers patted his shoulders, giving him a drink to cheer him up. Markus sucked in a large breath, shaking his head. "I'm afraid all I have is Straum and two Skull Krakens." he said. Sketti burst into a git of laughter while Halvar roared to the Gods on why they had forsaken him. As Markus, Halvar, and Phil began hashing out the details on what they owed the Captain, Jim ran into the room, nearly slipping over the cards. 

"Sails sir!" he declared, eyes wide. "Two of them!" 

"Colors?" Markus asked. 

"B-Black flags with red axes." 

The lower deck was silent, until Markus roared. "Beat to Quarters!" as he reached for his sword. Halvar grabbed his Axe and Corsica used her long legs to make it to her hammock where her sword was kept. Sketti yelled out what Markus had just ordered, his stout voice echoing through the lower halls of the Weathered Witch. There was an intense bustle as they rushed to gather their equipment. "Sir, are we really about to fight?" Jim asked Markus. 

It was still odd the lad called him sir. Markus was less than 10 years his senior. He supposed that was still some time, and he was the Captain. "Aye, they're Blood Reavers." Markus said. "Even if they weren't after us, they'll attack anyone not of their fleet." He'd fought them once before as a privateer. There were many vicious corsairs near the Corsair Strait and the Arad Luin. This was one of the larger groups of pirates. 

Calliope appeared before Markus and Jim as they crested the stairs to the poop deck, as if she was apart of the very night itself. Jim yelped and blushed at her sudden arrival. Markus gave a smile that showed his teeth at the boy's reaction. "When we make port next, we'll find you a girl." Markus joked, pushing the boy's shoulder. 

"They've a mage on one of their ships." Calliope said, eyebrow raised at their exchange. 

"Which one?" 

"Right on, on the Starboard bow." She replied. 

Markus walked passed her, and they followed in his wake as he made his way to the gun deck within the other staircase. "That's the one we'll board. We'll gun the other one down. Jax!" he called up. 

"Three clicks Capt'n and closing at 9 knots!" 

"Sketti!" he yelled into the stairway. As he began barking orders, Calliope would notice Sron at the headbow, taking a tarp off of a large item the size of a feast table. Bestial hands tore the cloth away to reveal a seige ballista raised on a small dias to give it extra elevation, and to allow it to turn 60 degrees. One of Sketti's new toys, where one could place special ammunition on it to fire from ahead. 
[@Penny]