[center] [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220927/23fb834f443fddf069b302a80ffae13a.png[/img] [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220927/713c9ea7f90a3bccf2680492bc93671a.png[/img] [img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/220928/bcf4c8fb894d886cf1f86d12d903935e.png[/img] [color=1E90FF][b]Time[/b]: Late Morning[/color] [color=1E90FF][b]Interactions[/b]:[/color] [color=1E90FF][b]Mentions[/b]: [/color] [color=1E90FF][b]Attire[/b]: [hider] [url=https://i.postimg.cc/8z5xjhFf/b73aac48-9c15-4c53-9289-37731ac8aace.png](Placeholder until I get a better reference image)[/url] Roughspun, blue trousers A shoulder belt and waist belt carrying his equipment Two swords and two pistols, one on either side A woven, conical hat wide enough to shade his entire face[/hider][/color] [/center] Sjan-dehk didn’t linger at the beach. After Kalliope told him where they were to meet – and after he agreed to her suggestion – he bade her a short, but still polite, farewell before taking his leave. This morning had been eventful enough on its own, and he wasn’t too keen on making it more so. Between meeting a bevy of new faces – as well as learning the names which came with them – and the small debacle courtesy of the Alidashti princess, he felt he had seen and heard enough for one day, let alone just a part of it. There was already plenty for him to think over as things were. And yet, as the crunching of sand beneath his boots gave way to the tapping of leather against stone, his thoughts were of neither new acquaintances nor of capricious royalty. Rather, they were of Kalliope and Cassius, the man who had accompanied her to the beach. Specifically, he pondered over the nature of their relationship for the umpteenth time. He wasn’t sure what vexed him greater: that he didn’t know, or that he was devoting so much thought to a trivial matter. What did it matter to him? Both were little more than strangers to him. Kalliope less so, granted, but he still only knew her for all of two days, at best. And Cassius? The man may as well be a giant question mark. Sjan-dehk couldn’t think of a reason for him to be so concerned with how the two were linked. They could be friends, or even lovers, for all he cared. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Though he couldn’t say for why, that last thought – of Kalliope and Cassius being lovers – made his chest feel ever-so-slightly tighter, and brought a twitch of a furrow to his brow. He willed both away with a shake of his head and a growl that wasn’t quite as muted as he had intended. This was all just a result of having too much time on his hands, he was sure of it. Spending a bit of time aboard [i]Sada Kurau[/i] and busying himself with the tasks of the day would fix that in short order. Mending sails and polishing yardarms for hours on end would numb anyone’s mind to whatever it was that plagued them. However, the sight that greeted him as he stepped onto the dock put a quick end to those plans. Standing near the end of the boardwalk, and right by the foot of the gangplank leading up to his ship, were two familiar faces. Or to be accurate, it was one familiar face – Iyen – and one somewhat-familiar head of flaxen hair. With how raised their voices were and how wildly they gestured to each other, Sjan-dehk didn’t know if he was witnessing a particularly animated conversation or the start of a fight, and so he proceeded cautiously, as if he were sneaking up on a skittish animal. Iyen’s eyes found him as he drew closer, and the barely-hidden exasperation on her face melted away to a look of relief. “Sjan-dehk!” She called out over the shoulder of the other person, who revealed herself to be Aislin – the fishergirl he had met just days before – as she spun around. “Praise the Mountain and the Shadowed Green that you’re here. It’s about time, too.” Iyen rested her hands on his hips. “Any longer and I would’ve had to go out looking for you.” [color=1E90FF]“Well, are you going to tell me what’s so important, then?”[/color] Sjan-dehk asked. Iyen shrugged. “Not a clue.” She cocked her head towards the shorter Caesonian girl. “I found her running up to every one of our people near the beach, asking about you and your ship. Couldn’t understand much more than that, so I brought her here. I was hoping that you’d know what she’s going on about.” Her eyes shined with mischief, and a smirk tugged on her lips as she leaned in closer to him. “My, Wasun Sjan-dehk of Jafi, you haven’t done anything to her that you shouldn’t have, have you?” Sjan-dehk ignored her and addressed Aislin directly. [color=1E90FF][i]“Iyen says you looked for me. Why?”[/i][/color] Worry was written plainly upon the fishergirl’s visage. She had clearly left her work in a hurry – her simple, over-patched dress and bodice were streaked with stains of red-and-brown, and there was a strong scent of the ocean – laced with that of fish guts – that clung to her hastily-tied hair and clothes. [i]“Sorry Cap’n, but I need your help.”[/i] Fretful eyes flitted between Sjan-dehk’s face and Iyen’s from beneath knitted brows, and she wrung her hands over her chest as she spoke. [i]“A few boats went out fishin’ early in the mornin’. They should all be back by now, aye they should, an’ most of ‘em are, but we’re still missin’ one wi’ crew an’ all, an’ I ‘eard frae the rest that they went farther out, but ‘tis pirate waters o’er yonder, ‘tis so.” She paused to take in a heaving breath. “Pa said tae tell the city guard, but if anythin’s really ‘appened tae ‘em, it’ll be too late by the time those bastards do anythin’, an’ I cannae think o’ anyone else who can ‘elp, so I came tae you, Cap’n–”[/i] Sjan-dehk stopped her torrent of words with a gentle pat on her shoulder. He offered her a small smile and said, [color=1E90FF][i]“It is…It will be okay. We will go find them. If there are pirates, we can fight. Will be okay.”[/i][/color] He glanced at Iyen and nodded. [color=1E90FF]“Missing ship,”[/color] he translated for her. [color=1E90FF]“Sounds like there might be pirate trouble too, or not. I’ll take [i]Sada Kurau[/i] out and see what I find. It’ll do the crew some good, either way. Nothing like a surprise journey every now and then to keep them sharp and on their toes.”[/color] “And any excuse to step away from shore, eh, Captain?” Iyen teased with a grin. “Just as well that I’ve got nothing planned for the rest of the day. I’d hate to miss out on the fun. It’ll be just like old times.” [color=1E90FF]“Don’t you have duties?”[/color] Sjan-dehk asked. [color=1E90FF]“Like looking after our Lady Adiyan?”[/color] “She told me to take the day.” By the sourness in her voice and the brief twisting of her lips, it was clear to Sjan-dehk that Iyen was too pleased about that. Then, she shrugged. “But I guess it’s better that I take it today, when she’s safe aboard the [i]Sudah[/i], than when she’s able to come ashore.” She let out a breath that was halfway between frustrated and resigned. With a shake of her head, she brought a cheeky smile back to her face and playful mirth to her voice. “Anyway, there’s nothing for me to do other than to go wandering around a city I don’t know, and you know that means I’ll pay you a visit sooner or later. Might as well make things easier for us both and let me join you now, eh?” Sjan-dehk took a moment to consider her offer. It didn’t take long for him to nod his assent – Iyen wasn’t a stranger to his ship, and her skills would be more than welcome if it came to a fight. [color=1E90FF]“Alright. An extra pair of eyes is always helpful.”[/color] Then, he shifted his attention to Aislin. [color=1E90FF][i]“You know where….You know where it is the boat can…Might? Yes, might be?”[/i][/color] She nodded. [i]“Aye, I’ve got a pretty decent idea. She canne ‘ave gone far frae our usual waters, otherwise the others would’nae ‘ave let ‘er sail away, nae they would’ve.”[/i] [color=1E90FF][i]“Okay. You come with us. Take us there.”[/i][/color] [i]“You got it, Cap’n.”[/i] Aislin smiled, but Sjan-dehk looked away. He would have preferred to leave the young fishergirl behind. Bringing her – someone unused to battle – to a potential skirmish was a risk to everyone involved, most of all the Aislin herself. But when the alternative was to wander aimlessly across unfamiliar waters for Mother-knows-how-long, what choice did he really have? Sjan-dehk led the two of them up the gangplank and onto [i]Sada Kurau[/i]. Her crew milled about on her main deck. Most were in the midst of returning to their duties – descending steps into her bowels, clambering up shrouds ratlines to her tops, or scuttling across the deck to their stations – and some were either sitting or laying by her gunwales, catching some hard-earned rest while they could. It almost made Sjan-dehk feel a little guilty about what he was going to do. Almost. [i]Sada Kurau[/i] was a warship. The crew knew what they were getting into when they joined her. The first of Sjan-dehk’s barked orders shocked those closest to the gangplank awake. Those who heard it clearly immediately sprang into action, and with his subsequent commands, he pushed more and more of his crew to action. Before long, Azwan’s voice – along with those of the other officers – joined his in urging every sailor to their station. There was little time to waste; if there were pirates about, Sjan-dehk wanted to catch them as soon as possible. Every delay, every slight moment wasted, was simply another chance for them to slip away. Nevermind that there was only the possibility of pirates; Sjan-dehk acted as if it was all but confirmed that they were involved. And it was that attitude of his which he spread to his crew. Like a well-maintained machine, they prepared Sada Kurau for a speedy departure. The gangplank was pulled up, and her mooring lines cut and allowed to drop into the harbour. Teams of sailors called out their cadence in unison as they hoisted her long yards into position. Crimson sails, once free from their lashings, fell in waves from them, bellowing and stiffening almost immediately as they caught the wind. With a deft hand on the wheel, Sjan-dehk guided her away from the pier. And soon enough, her svelte hull was slicing through the water like a shark’s fin. [hr] [hider=Sjan-dehk's Afternoon Adventure] [center] [color=1E90FF][b]Time[/b]: Late morning to Early Afternoon[/color] [color=1E90FF][b]Interactions[/b]: [/color] [color=1E90FF][b]Mentions[/b]: [/color] [color=1E90FF][b]Attire[/b]: [hider] [url=https://i.postimg.cc/8z5xjhFf/b73aac48-9c15-4c53-9289-37731ac8aace.png](Placeholder until I get a better reference image)[/url] Roughspun, blue trousers Lamellar Chest plate with tassets A shoulder belt and waist belt carrying his equipment Six pistols and two swords A woven, conical hat wide enough to shade his entire face[/hider][/color] [/center] Finding the missing ship wasn’t as difficult a task as Sjan-dehk had assumed. He couldn’t take much credit for it, however – that honour belonged to Aislin. Were it not for her knowledge of local waters and her able guidance, he doubted they would have found their mark as swiftly and smoothly as they had. The sun was only just approaching its zenith when they arrived at the fishing grounds, and it wasn’t long after that when Sjan-dehk caught sight of a ship which he thought looked familiar. The other vessel – sleeker and armed – that was with her was an unpleasant surprise, however. A tangled mess of ropes tethered the two together, in such volume and disarray that it was visible even from afar. Sjan-dehk, Iyen, and Aislin observed the two ships from [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s quarterdeck – the fishergirl through the Captain’s spyglass, and the two Viserjantans with only their eyes. Ghostly whispers of a north-westerly whistled and rushed past their ears. Large, triangular sails shading the main deck ruffled, even in winds so light, as they propelled Sada Kurau through gentle waves glimmering in the bright, midday sun. The glare stung Sjan-dehk’s eyes, and made it difficult for him to see much of the unknown ship. All he could make out was that she sported three masts, and from that he deduced that she was likely a larger ship than the two-masted Celestine. [color=1E90FF]“I can’t see shit,”[/color] he grumbled beneath his breath. Using his hand as a shade did painfully little to help with his situation. “Speak for yourself,” Iyen teased with a grin. “I see two ships.” Aislin spoke up before Sjan-dehk could snap off a reply. [i]“That’s her, aye it is. The [/i]Dawn[i]. ‘Tis young Tom’s boat, ‘tis so, ‘tis so.”[/i] She had the spyglass pressed against an eye and half her body leaned out over the gunwale. [i]“She went out fishin’ wi’ us yestermorn, aye she did.”[/i] Her lips curled into a slight smile. [i]“Cannae say I’m nae surprised, Cap’n. Did’nae think you’d ‘ave remembered ‘er.”[/i] [color=1E90FF][i]“I did not,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk admitted with some awkwardness in his voice. [color=1E90FF][i]“It was only a guess.”[/i][/color] She waved off his remark. [i]“‘Tis close enough, ‘tis so. I’d take the compliment, Cap’n.”[/i] She swept her gaze across to the unknown vessel, then back to the [i]Dawn[/i], and alternated between the two for a moment. Her grin quickly vanished, replaced by a troubled and worried frown. [i]“I cannae see anythin’ movin’ aboard the [/i]Dawn[i], nae I can. An’ that other boat…There’s plenty ‘o things ‘appenin’ on ‘er deck, but she’s nae a boat I recognise, aye she’s nae.”[/i] She leaned even further out, as if doing so would get her an even clearer look at the ships far off in the distance. [i]“I’m nae likin’ this, Cap’n. Feels all sorts o’ wrong, aye it does.”[/i] Sjan-dehk quickly took her by the shoulder. [color=1E90FF][i]“You lean too far,”[/i][/color] he said. With a firm tug, he guided her back fully onto [i]Sada Kurau[/i]. Aislin let out a surprised yelp, but did nothing apart from shooting him a glare. She returned her eye to the spyglass and her attention to Dawn. Sjan-dehk paid it no heed. [color=1E90FF][i]“Do not worry. Just say what you see. We will do the rest.”[/i][/color] Aislin drew in a deep breath and nodded. [i]“She’s got ‘er stern tae us, so there’s nae much I can see, but…I think she’s unfurlin’ ‘er sails? Plenty ‘o fellas climbin’ up tae her ratties and masts, ‘tis so. An’ they’re cuttin’ off the lines tyin’ them to the [/i]Dawn[i], aye. Might be they’re tryin’ tae make a–”[/i] She cut herself off, and would have leaned out over the gunwale again had Sjan-dehk not reined her in with his hand. [i]“Her crew’s raisin’ the Black Flag,”[/i] she said in a hushed voice, and gulped. [i]“Pirates, Cap’n, and ones dangerous enough tae be eager for a scrap wi’ a warship, aye. I’d be careful, Cap’n. Might be they know somethin’ we don’t.”[/i] [color=1E90FF]“Helmsman, two points to starboard,”[/color] Sjan-dehk called out over his shoulder. A shouted acknowledgement later, Sada Kurau creaked and moaned as she leaned into a gentle turn. [color=1E90FF]“Well done. Keep her steady and maintain an oblique approach, but be ready for sudden manoeuvres at Captain’s discretion.”[/color] He tapped Aislin on the shoulder to get her attention, then held out his hand. Reluctantly, she returned the spyglass to him, but kept her eyes on both ships. Sjan-dehk peered through the tube of polished brass, his brows knitted in concentration as he searched across the deck of the pirates’ vessel. There was prudence in Aislin’s warning; no pirate – no one, for that matter – would willingly pick a fight that they had no chance of winning. And as far as Sjan-dehk could see, the pirates didn’t have one. They were out-gunned – even looking from an unfavourable angle, it was clear that [i]Sada Kurau[/i] carried far more guns in one broadside than their ship did in total – and unless they could untangle themselves from [i]Dawn[/i] faster than any crew Sjan-dehk had ever seen, they would be fighting more as a floating battery and less as a ship. So they had to have a plan. Some strange trickery that would be unleashed at the last moment, and which was up to Sjan-dehk to find before it was too late. But he found no such thing. Nothing about her seemed out-of-place. Her unfurling sails were a filthy shade of white, and her green-tinted hull could likely do with a proper scrubbing, but those weren’t anything out-of-the-ordinary for a ship like her. Sjan-dehk huffed and lowered the spyglass. Right then, Iyen spoke up. “So,” she began, her grin so clear in her tone that Sjan-dehk didn’t even need to turn around to see it. “Can I assume that we’ll be going into a fight soon, and I can finally earn my keep?” [color=1E90FF]“Maybe,”[/color] Sjan-dehk said grimly. He tilted his chin towards the pirates’ ship. [color=1E90FF]“She’s got pirates aboard, Miss Ai-shi-lehn tells me, and they’re picking a fight with us.”[/color] “That’s awfully stupid of them.” [color=1E90FF]“Yes,”[/color] Sjan-dehk agreed. It was also convenient – it saved him the trouble of having to chase them – and if there was one thing he knew for a fact, it was that behind every convenience was likely an ambush or trap he had failed to spot. [color=1E90FF]“Or might be that they’re very smart, and that they’re deliberately making themselves look stupid. Oldest trick in the books, y’know?”[/color] He glanced at Iyen, then looked back at the ship. [color=1E90FF]“Could be that I’m overthinking this, I’ll admit, but nothing about this feels right to me.”[/color] Iyen chuckled and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Be calm, Captain. If you’re able to tell me all that, then I’d say that whatever they’ve got planned isn’t going to play out in their favour.” She gave him a pat on the back and rested her arms on the gunwale. “You Jafins are the better sailors, I’ll admit, but we Sudhrayarns have better noses for battle, and mine tells me that [i]Sada Kurau[/i] will come out of this on top, as she always does, and you’ll look like a bloody fool for worrying so much, as you always do.” [color=1E90FF]“This worrying keeps us alive, and [i]Sada Kurau[/i] afloat.”[/color] Despite the dryness of his words, Sjan-dehk’s face still broke into a smile, however slight it was. He brought the spyglass up to his eye. And just as he directed his gaze at the pirates’ ship once more, two puffs of white smoke shot out from her stern. Not a moment later, low rumbles – akin to that of distant thunder – reached his ears. He knew it for what it was in an instant. [color=1E90FF]“They’re firing!”[/color] Sjan-dehk shouted. [color=1E90FF]“Down! Everybody down!”[/color] Alarmed yells rippled down [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s deck as everyone dropped whatever they were doing – in some cases, literally so – and threw themselves onto the planking. Sjan-dehk did the same, grabbing Aislin and roughly pulling her down with him. The elfin fishergirl cried out in surprise, and then again in pain when her body struck the quarterdeck with a distressing thud. She squirmed on the floorboards, a hand pressing on her hip and a litany of Caesonian expletives flowing like a river from her mouth. Sjan-dehk made a note to apologise later, but for now, his mind was too preoccupied by other things. Was this the pirates’ secret? Guns that out-ranged [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s? On their own, they already robbed [i]Sada Kurau[/i] of one of her chief advantages. Combined with whatever else the pirates had hidden away on their ship? They could very well turn the tide of battle to their favour. Sjan-dehk clenched his jaw. Not knowing anything about his enemy was a grave mistake on his part, and now he could do little more than count the agonisingly long seconds and brace for impact. Except, the impact never came. Sjan-dehk slowly returned to his feet, but motioned for Iyen and Aislin to remain in cover. He hadn’t heard the familiar scream of cannonballs flying overhead, so they couldn’t have overshot. Neither did he hear the splashes that would have come with a near miss. Each passing second felt like a decade, but eventually enough time passed that it was impossible for any cannonball to still be in the air. [color=1E90FF]“Looks like they missed us,”[/color] he called out. [color=1E90FF]“On your feet, everyone, and make ready!”[/color] Shouts and yells echoed all throughout his ship as the crew scrambled to their stations, but Sjan-dehk was still deep in thought. If the pirates’ shots didn’t overshoot [i]Sada Kurau[/i], didn’t hit her, and didn’t hit the water close enough to be heard, then they must have fallen exceptionally short. They wouldn’t even have value as ranging shots – shots fired to ascertain the distance of a target – and that only puzzled Sjan-dehk even more. Such an act reminded him of past adversaries who fired useless volleys out of defiance after having been thoroughly defeated. But why would these pirates, who sought battle, carry out what was essentially an act of desperation? And then he saw it. As his eyes swept over the side of his own ship – by chance, as it were – he got all the answers he had been looking for. He was wrong, and Iyen was right. The pirates had no trick, and he had been worrying over nothing. Earlier, in his haste to find the missing fisherfolk, he had called for his crew to squeeze all available speed from [i]Sada Kurau[/i]. That meant that she had been sailing with every gun retracted into her hull, giving her a sleek and smooth appearance. And with the sun directly overhead, her large headsail would have hidden her bow chasers in its considerable shadow. From a distance, anyone unfamiliar with her make – such as those native to these waters – could easily mistake her for an unarmed vessel. Given that she approached the pirates bow-on, they wouldn’t even have had a chance to spot the gun ports cut into her hull. To them, it would have looked as if an easy mark had made herself known. One, perhaps, they thought they could easily scare by simply firing their guns. A wicked smile stretched across Sjan-dehk’s lips. Then, he bent over and laughed. Partially at the pirates whose mistake was about to cost them very dearly, but mostly at himself. There was probably a lesson to be learned here. What it was exactly, he wasn’t quite sure. Figuring it out would have to wait. For now, there was work to be done. He made his way over to the guardrail and looked over the crew below. With a soft chuckle, he shook his head; half of them would be pleased as the easy fight, and the other half would be disappointed for the very same reason. Well, nobody could please everyone. He smirked and drew in a deep breath. [color=1E90FF]“Well, they had their turn,”[/color] he shouted. [color=1E90FF]“Now it’s ours. Let’s give them a surprise. Run out the guns!”[/color] [hr] [i]“Are you going to say anything?”[/i] Sjan-dehk ignored the gruff words of an impatient man and instead, took a bite from an apple. He chewed with deliberate slowness, making sure his companion could hear every crunch over the cacophonous din surrounding them. Casually, as if he were seated at a teahouse rather than on the deck of a ship that had only moments ago been an adversary, he placed the apple on the table in front of him and turned the page of a small, leather-bound book. Its cover was badly torn, and the parchment within damp to the touch. He frowned deeply, and pushed the brim of his hat up and away from his eyes, giving them the best chances they had of parsing messy sentences made worse by hasty scrawls and smudged ink. Across from him, the man growled and slapped his hand on the table. The rickety, wooden structure shook and rattled. Sjan-dehk’s apple rolled away, but he caught it just before it reached the edge. Still, he didn’t deign to look at the man. [i]“Oi, are you listening? How much longer is this going to take? We’ve got places to be and little time to waste sitting around doing nothing. Are you going to let us go or what?”[/i] [color=1E90FF][i]“Shut up.”[/i][/color] There was no anger in Sjan-dehk’s words, or much of anything, for that matter. He said them as if the man was nought but an afterthought. A slight annoyance, at best. [color=1E90FF][i]“Look around,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk said and gestured to the deck. From quarterdeck to hold, and prow to stern, the pirates’ ship was packed with [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s crew as they searched every square-inch of her. Captives were hauled up through hatches at rifle and musket-point, and anything suspicious brought onto the main deck for inspection. [color=1E90FF][i]“Does not look like we are done, yes?”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk continued. [color=1E90FF][i]“So be quiet, be patient.”[/i][/color] [i]“I’ll do no such thing,”[/i] the man said with barely-concealed rage. [i]“We haven’t done anything wrong. You’ve got no right to search or hold us. What you’re doing right now is fucking piracy.”[/i] A tired sigh left Sjan-dehk’s lips. The upturned crate he had been using as a makeshift bench creaked with his shifting weight as he drew one of his pistols. With blithe nonchalance, and still without looking up from the book, he rested his wrist on the table with the weapon’s muzzle pointed at the man. [color=1E90FF][i]“Last warning. Be quiet and do not interrupt me. You do again, I shoot you,”[/i][/color] he said in a calm monotone as he thumbed the hammer into position. Only then did he peek over the edge of the book. As far as captives went, the man wasn’t in too bad a shape. He was still whole, for one, and that was more than what could be said for most who crossed paths with [i]Sada Kurau[/i]. Neither did he seem to be doing too badly; apart from a few cuts and scrapes on his face that were unlikely to leave any lasting marks, he was otherwise unharmed. Perhaps that was the reason for his foul mood. Had he been more seriously injured, he could have at least had the pretence of having fought hard to prevent his ship from being captured. The man swallowed hard and slowly balled his hands into fists. Nails dug into palms, and his sinewy arms visibly tensed. He had likely intended for it to be a threatening display, but all it got out of Sjan-dehk was a derisory smirk and a wag of the pistol’s muzzle. So tightly did the man clench his jaw that veins in his neck bulged, but he soon relented. Even so, he glared daggers at Sjan-dehk from under brows so furrowed that they looked as if they were attempting to bury his eyes. [color=1E90FF][i]“Okay, fine. You want me to talk? I have questions.”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk closed the book and put it aside. [color=1E90FF][i]“First one, you talk a lot about Yola. It is a place, yes? Where is it? I am new here, you see. Would be good for me to know more places.”[/i][/color] The man scoffed and averted his gaze. Sjan-dehk chuckled and glanced at the book’s cover. [color=1E90FF][i]“Captain Saellas Yent, is it? Yes. Captain, you asked me to talk. Now I talk. Do not be rude.”[/i][/color] With a jab of the pistol, he grinned and said with dark words but a light tone, [color=1E90FF][i]“Give me answers. Or I can pull the answers from you. It is your choice.”[/i][/color] Saellas glanced at the pistol, then at Sjan-dehk. With a snarl, he said, [i]“It’s a city. Alidashti city. You’ll find it on the east coast. That’s all I’m saying.”[/i] [color=1E90FF][i]“I decide how much you say,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk countered. He made a note of that nugget of information. Though memories of his time at the beach felt like they came from a wholly different life, he recalled meeting a few Alidashti royals and nobles there. Perhaps whatever he uncovered here would prove useful for them. [color=1E90FF][i]“But that is enough. For now. Next question. You talk a lot about this…‘Harvest of the sea’. Every entry, almost, you write it. What is it? Food? Water? Weapon?”[/i][/color] [i]“It’s slang. Just means fish,”[/i] Saellas replied quickly. A touch too quickly. Sjan-dehk dragged the book to him and flipped through a few pages. [color=1E90FF][i]“You move a lot of fish. And always from Yola. But I see you never write where you go.”[/i][/color] He glanced up at Saellas with a curious gaze. [color=1E90FF][i]“That is not good captaining, yes? You have…You have other ways to do things here? Or you do not need to know where to go?”[/i][/color] Saellas looked off to the side and folded his arms.[i] “We take contracts. They always write the destinations on them, so I never had a need to note where we’re going in my logs. Some of my employers preferred to keep things that way.”[/i] By the time he realised what he had said, it was too late to do anything about it. He could only look at Sjan-dehk with wide eyes, who simply beckoned for him. [i]“Fine,”[/i] Saellas grumbled under his breath. [i]“I’ll admit it. I don’t ask too many questions about my jobs, but I’ve been around enough to see smuggling work for what they are. I’m not ashamed of it. They pay well and that’s what everyone needs at the end of the day.”[/i] [color=1E90FF][i]“Calm,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk said with a smirk. [color=1E90FF][i]“I did not say anything. I only want to ask, you said you take contracts and you use them to know where you have to go. But just now, when I searched your cabin, I found no contracts. What do you do with them?”[/i][/color] [i]“Maybe you didn’t search well enough,”[/i] Saellas shot back. Sjan-dehk shrugged and nodded. The man had a point; there was no shame in accepting that. Besides, to catch a fish, one had to know when to give and when to pull. Saellas would be caught in due time. It was a simple question of when. [color=1E90FF][i]“So today,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk asked. [color=1E90FF][i]“You were going where?”[/i][/color] [i]“Does it matter?”[/i] Saellas snapped. Sjan-dehk merely glanced at the pistol, then back at him. He scowled, but could do little else. [i]“We were on our way to Sorian. There, are you satisfied?”[/i] [color=1E90FF][i]“We will see.”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk picked up the apple and turned it in his hand. Then, he looked at the dozen or so sacks stacked into a neat pile further down the deck. All of them had been cut open, allowing various fresh fruits within to come tumbling out. [color=1E90FF][i]“Very sweet,”[/i][/color] he remarked after taking another bite out of the apple and placing it on the table. [color=1E90FF][i]“You make a lot of money like this? Moving fruits?”[/i][/color] Saellas looked away again, and scratched his neck. [i]“It’s enough.”[/i] He cleared his throat. [i]“Or it would be, if this fucking nonsense didn’t happen.”[/i] Unable to help himself, Sjan-dehk snickered, and the seething glare Saellas shot him could have set water aflame. Not only was the Viserjantan not intimidated in the least, he even broke into a scornful laugh. Normally, that would have made Saellas even angrier. Furious, even. But the sight of the pistol waving about with Sjan-dehk’s finger around the trigger only made him flinch every time the muzzle drifted over his person. [color=1E90FF][i]“Do not be so angry,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk said between breaths as he composed himself. He holstered the weapon and looked at Saellas with a wide, mocking grin on his face. [color=1E90FF][i]“No need to feel shame, Captain. You did not give a bad fight.”[/i][/color] That much was true. It hadn’t been a bad fight. From start to finish, it had been a comical farce. Those first two shots fired by the pirates proved to be their only shots throughout the engagement – to call it a battle would be an insult to all battles. One-sided didn’t even begin to describe it. [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s speed allowed her to bring her guns to bear before the pirates could fully free themselves from Dawn. Unable to move, unable to turn, and unable to even return fire, the pirates’ vessel was little more than target practice for [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s veteran gun crews. Accurate broadsides raked them from stern-to-bow, and only became more precise when [i]Sada Kurau[/i] stopped moving entirely, sitting well beyond the range of the pirates’ guns with sails furled. Were it not for Sjan-dehk’s orders to avoid targeting the hull, Saellas and his crew would have surely been sent to the frigid depths below. In fact, it had been so unfair that Sjan-dehk had been tempted to call for a ceasefire to allow the pirates at least a chance to free themselves and put up an actual fight. They struck their colours, however, before he came to a decision. In total, less than half-an-hour had passed between [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s arrival to the fishing grounds and their surrender. [color=1E90FF][i]“Maybe some shame,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk added with a smirk. [color=1E90FF][i]“But we do not need to talk about that. There is one more thing I am curious about.”[/i][/color] He turned a few pages in the book. [color=1E90FF][i]“You also move…Livestock?”[/i][/color] Saellas bristled noticeably, but Sjan-dehk decided against bringing attention to it. For now. [color=1E90FF][i]“I see you write about it a few times. Not as often as ‘Harvest of the Sea’, but it is there. Two to three times a week, yes? Always to Yola, never to Caesonia. That is strange.”[/i][/color] He looked at the other Captain, then at the ship in general. [color=1E90FF][i]“You use this ship to move livestock? Usually it needs bigger, no? Needs more space. Unless livestock means another thing for you?”[/i][/color] [i]“It’s just–”[/i] Saellas began, but choked. He coughed into a fist and tried again. [i]“I-It’s just small thi– animals, that we deliver. You said it yourself. It’s not too often, and it’s always on our return trip to Yola so it’s really just a matter of convenience. We don’t earn much from those jobs.”[/i] Sjan-dehk scanned down the page, and nodded. Saellas was telling the truth, it seemed. Every shipment of ‘Harvest of the Sea’ or fruits or spices or whatever brought to Caesonia was always followed by one of livestock to Yola. [color=1E90FF][i]“I see,”[/i][/color] he said. [color=1E90FF][i]“Sorry. Did not read. My fault.”[/i][/color] With a glance, he saw Saellas visibly relax. Shades of confidence and defiance gradually returned to the man’s face. [color=1E90FF][i]“Okay. I have one last question for you. If you answer well, I let you and your ship go. Will even pay for what you lost. Is good?”[/i][/color] [i]“About damn time,”[/i] Saellas said loudly. [i]“What do you want to know?”[/i] Turning back a few pages, Sjan-dehk asked, [color=1E90FF][i]“Why did you attack [/i]Dawn[i]?”[/i][/color] Saellas groaned.[i] “I already told you. We didn’t attack that damn fishing boat!”[/i] With a sigh of exasperation, he leaned over the table and hunched his shoulders. [i]“I’m going to say it one more time, so you had better listen closely. We were on our way to Sorian when we came across the[/i] Dawn[i]. She looked like she was in trouble, so we decided to get in closer to have a better look. There wasn’t much we could do to help, and it was my opinion that she wasn’t seaworthy, so we took her crew onto our ship for their own safety. You can ask them yourself. Anyway, you showed up not long after, and my boys panicked. They opened fire, and I think you can fill in the gaps on your own from there.”[/i] Just as Sjan-dehk had expected, there it was. He had to give Saellas credit, however. The man did a good enough job of weaving in just enough truth to make his falsehoods that bit more difficult to unravel. For example, it was true that [i]Dawn[/i] had experienced trouble with her rudder soon after leaving the main fishing fleet, and it was also true that the fisherfolk had been brought aboard Saellas’ ship. What he failed to mention, however, was that the fisherfolk had almost fixed the problem when the pirates chanced upon them, and that rather than being invited onto the pirates’ vessel, the fisherfolk had been herded at gunpoint into the cramped hold – which was where [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s boarding party found them. Coupled with Saellas’ lack of explanation for flying the black flag, and his story had more holes in it than a sinking vessel. Aislin had said as much – in her own colourful manner, of course – before she brought her rescued people back onto [i]Dawn[/i]. Sjan-dehk never believed a word of the story, either, but he wanted to go a step further. It wasn’t enough for him to simply disprove Saellas’ claims. Neither was it enough to prove that Saellas and his crew were, indeed, pirates. For Sjan-dehk, nothing but the total exposure of every crime the man had ever committed would do. If not for the justice done, then purely for the fun of it. [color=1E90FF][i]“So…You do not attack fishing boats?”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk asked. Saellas clicked his tongue. [i]“Haven’t you been fucking listening? We don’t do that.”[/i] With that response – likely one Saellas hadn’t even thought much of – the man had sealed his fate. For a moment, Sjan-dehk did nothing and simply savoured the moment. Saellas looked so relaxed, so confident that he had secured his undeserved freedom. A shame then, that in a moment, Sjan-dehk would snatch it all away. [color=1E90FF][i]“That is strange,”[/i][/color] the Viserjantan began and turned a few pages of the book. He turned it around and pushed it towards Saellas. [color=1E90FF][i]“Read this. Left side.”[/i][/color] [i]“I thought we were done.”[/i] Saellas’ eyes narrowed. [i]“You can read it yourself.”[/i] [color=1E90FF][i]“I cannot read.”[/i][/color] A cryptic grin spread across Sjan-dehk’s face. Saellas scoffed. [i]“Who’re you trying to fool? You were doing fi–”[/i] The click of a pistol’s hammer interrupted him. Sjan-dehk was standing now, with pistol in hand and aimed at Saellas’ head. [color=1E90FF][i]“I pretended,”[/i][/color] he said with a fiendish smirk. [color=1E90FF][i]“It was good acting, yes? But that is not what is important. What is important is that you understand this. I am not asking, Captain Saellas.”[/i][/color] Leaning over the table, Sjan-dehk pushed the pistol towards Saellas, who leaned back as far as he could to avoid it, but found himself unable to prevent the cold steel of the muzzle from touching his forehead. [color=1E90FF][i]“I am telling you to read. Do it. Or I shoot you.”[/i][/color] He pulled back and lowered the pistol to aim at Saellas’ shoulder. [color=1E90FF][i]“You will not die yet, but I can hurt you in a lot of ways. So do as I say. Or suffer. Your choice.”[/i][/color] Saellas looked back at Sjan-dehk’s grinning face with a vicious snarl. Despite his rage, however, he lacked a counter-argument for a loaded and cocked pistol aimed at him. And so, he had little choice but to comply with Sjan-dehk’s forceful request. [i]“Sola 11, 1739. Alif will be the death of me. That Alidashti bastard wants double of what we agreed to deliver on the 15th. How does he expect us to find that much livestock in just four days?”[/i] As he read, Sjan-dehk sauntered around the table to stand behind him. Saellas’ eyes followed him the entire way. [color=1E90FF][i]“I did not say to stop,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk said and tutted. He tapped Saellas on the shoulder with the barrel of the pistol. [color=1E90FF][i]“Read more. Do not stop until I tell you.”[/i][/color] [i]“I’m going to have words with him when we get to Yola. Damned idiot’s always making ridiculous promises to customers without first using his brain. At least he’s paying triple the usual price, and there’s word–”[/i] The colour in Saellas face drained away in an instant, and his voice died in his throat as he realised at last just what exactly Sjan-dehk was making him read. [i]“I–”[/i] He cleared his throat. [i]“I think that’s enough, Cap–”[/i] The deathly cold touch of a pistol’s muzzle against his neck stopped him short. All the strength in his limbs vanished, and his blood turned to ice. [color=1E90FF][i]“You still do not understand?”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk leaned in and whispered, a deadly playfulness to his words. [color=1E90FF][i]“Then I repeat. I say when it is enough. You only read.”[/i][/color] Dry-mouthed, and with a heart pumping frenetically out of abject terror, Saellas could only reply with a few silent, unsteady nods. He touched the rough pages with numb and trembling fingers. [i]“And there’s word of a f–fishing fleet off the Vermillion coast. If we can h–hit them quickly, we might be able to…”[/i] Already weak and whisper-quiet – and without its earlier defiance and bravado – Saellas voice gave out towards the end of the entry. Sjan-dehk sighed, shook his head, and reached over the man’s shoulder to tap the next entry twice. [i]“S-Solas 12, 1739. We managed to catch one f–fishing boat alone. Her crew put up a fight, and not all of them s–survived. We’ll have to get a–another one to make up the numbers for Alif. There are–”[/i] [color=1E90FF][i]“That is strange, yes?”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk interrupted. [color=1E90FF][i]“Just now, you tell me you don’t attack fishing boats. But it is not what you write. So, you are liar? And if you need livestock, why attack fishing boats?”[/i][/color] [i]“I–It’s slang–”[/i] [color=1E90FF][i]“For fish, yes?”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk chuckled. [color=1E90FF][i]“So many slang for the same thing. It is confusing, no? But that is not what is important now.”[/i][/color] Pressing the pistol against the base of Saellas’ skull, he pointed to the final entries on the next page. [color=1E90FF][i]“Do not waste time. Read the last one.”[/i][/color] Every part of Saellas froze. He couldn’t even nod, and merely gulped. [i]“S-Solas 14, 1739. Damn it all. Two of my crew a–assaulted…”[/i] Once again, his mumbled words trailed off and faded into nothing. Sjan-dehk grinded his pistol into his flesh as a means of encouragement. [i]“T–Two of my crew assaulted the livestock despite me telling them t–that we had to deliver them to Yola untouched and un–unspoiled. D-Damn idiots couldn’t keep it in t–their pants for just another day. I g–gave them fifteen lashes each and I–I’ll be leaving them behind next time we dock.”[/i] [color=1E90FF][i]“This is where I get very, very curious, Captain Saellas.”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk grinned and closed the book. [color=1E90FF][i]“You see, the facts give a strange story. You take livestock to this…Alif of Yola, yes? And he sells. It is something he orders you to get, and from Caesonia, it looks like. But you do not say you got to town or city. You only say you take from fishing boats. So I am curious, what livestock is it? You say it is fish, but then you say two of your crew assaulted the livestock. I am not stupid, Captain Saellas. I know what happened. It is difficult to do such things with fish, yes? So there is only one option left. You want to tell me?”[/i][/color] Saellas didn’t answer. He trembled like a loose sail caught in a stiff breeze, and that alone was enough for Sjan-dehk to confirm his suspicions. The man knew he was finished, and all that was left was to simply put everything out in the open. [color=1E90FF][i]“Your 'livestock', it is people,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk leaned in and practically whispered into Saellas’ ear. [color=1E90FF][i]“You are worse than pirate, Captain Saellas. You are slave-taker.”[/i][/color] And just like that, the dam burst. Saellas’ started sobbing uncontrollably. Dripping tears and mucus formed dark spots on the book. [color=1E90FF][i]“I-It was supposed to be only once!”[/i][/color] He cried, not even noticing when Sjan-dehk stood back and removed the pistol from his neck. [i]“B–But they kept asking, and th-they offered so much money just for a f-few trips, and I-I really needed it!”[/i] [color=1E90FF][i]“I am sure,”[/i][/color] Sjan-dehk said with a quiet laugh. He gave the man a couple of pats – in an almost reassuring manner – on the shoulder. This was a sight he had seen many times before. [color=1E90FF][i]“And I can understand. Life is not easy, yes? We all find ways to survive.”[/i][/color] It was clear that Saellas, with his body wracked by sobs and a series of blubbering pleas tumbling from his mouth, wasn’t listening anymore, but Sjan-dehk continued on nonetheless. [color=1E90FF][i]“But your way, it makes others suffer for you. That is not right, yes? It is bad thing to do. You do something bad, you need to be punished. It is only natural. So there is no need to be sad. Wise people, they say to punish crime, and not people. But now, I do not know if I can. To punish this, I must punish you also.”[/i][/color] He took aim with the pistol. [color=1E90FF][i]“If you talk to Gods or what it is you people pray to, now is good time to say something to them.”[/i][/color] [i]“No! Please! I–I’ll go quietly with you to Sorian! Don’t–”[/i] Saellas’ desperate cries fell on deaf ears. [color=1E90FF][i]“You, Captain Saellas Yent, are pirate. And slave-taker. Maybe other things. I do not know. But those two, it is certain. And by Viserjantan law, you must die. So as Fourth Lesser Marquis of Jafi, of clan Wasun, of Viserjanta, and as Captain of Sada Kurau, I, Wasun Sjan-dehk, sentence you to death.”[/i][/color] Such a statement should have been filled with authoritative grimness, but Sjan-dehk had recited more-or-less similar words so many times that the best he could manage was a half-bored, half-official tone. [i]“Please!”[/i] He pulled the trigger. The powder in the pan ignited. An ear-splitting crack cut through the air. Gunsmoke, thick and acrid, engulfed Saellas’ head. Unburnt embers singed his hair, and the bullet smashed a jagged hole through the table before embedding itself into the discoloured planking underneath. Pale, grey wisps curled like ghostly snakes from the barrel of Sjan-dehk’s pistol. Saellas collapsed into a heap on the deck, his eyes wide open, a deathly pallor sapping colour from his flesh, and his quavering pants shallow. Blood dripped from a shallow wound just beneath his hairline. Sjan-dehk squatted beside the man, a mischievous smirk on his face. [color=1E90FF][i]“Only a joke,”[/i][/color] he said. [color=1E90FF][i]“You are very lucky, Captain Saellas. The fisherfolk, their ship is still here. They are not used to our kind of work. Is good for them, yes? So I do not want to show them. So you will live a little more, for now. Later, maybe, you can show them thanks.”[/i][/color] There was no response from Saellas. It didn’t even seem like he was aware of all that was going on around him. Frowning, Sjan-dehk prodded him with the still-hot barrel of his pistol. [color=1E90FF][i]“Hello?”[/i][/color] A strained yell from further down the deck pulled his attention away. “Sjan-dehk!” It was Iyen. Looking up, he saw her and Azwan shuffling down the deck, their faces clenched in exertion and a bulging sack between the two of them. So full was it that their hands couldn’t find much purchase. They didn’t set it down as much as it simply slipped from their grasp once they were close enough to Sjan-dehk. “Look at what we found,” Iyen said cheerily, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. She drew a dagger sheathed in her boot and sliced open the sack. Rough granules, each of them roughly the size of a thumb, came spilling out. They glittered in shades of blues and greens in the sun, akin to the sea. “There’s more, Captain,” Azwan added. “One of Master Hai-shuun’s boys, In-shah, found a false bottom in the hold. We pulled up some planks and found dozens of these. My guess is that there’s probably at least a hundred of these hidden away down below, Captain. I have the men pulling more out as we speak.” Sjan-dehk nodded slowly. [color=1E90FF]“Is that so?”[/color] His gaze drifted over to the catatonic Saellas. [color=1E90FF]“Well, whatever it is, he’s not going to tell us anything anytime soon, though I think I’ve got an idea what they might be.”[/color] If there was anything at all that looked like it could be called ‘Harvest of the Sea’, he was more than certain that it would be these strange granules scattering across the deck. Saellas had been lying when he said that the term was slang for ‘fish’, and Sjan-dehk knew it for one simple reason. No one with any modicum of sense would willingly write such a long phrase for something so innocuous. Iyen giggled. “My, Sjan-dehk. What did you do to him?” [color=1E90FF]“The usual.”[/color] He shrugged and nudged the man with his boot. As expected, there was no response. [color=1E90FF]“Asked him a few questions, had a short chat, and one thing led to another. I found out that he wasn’t just a pirate, he was a bloody slave-taker as well.”[/color] “I’m surprised you didn’t just shoot him.” [color=1E90FF]“I was tempted,”[/color] Sjan-dehk admitted. [color=1E90FF]“Mother alone knows how much I wanted to kill him even during our chat. Man’s got a tongue that could make a nun choose violence. In any case, just as well I didn’t. He can answer whatever questions we have about that blue stuff.”[/color] He smirked, and Iyen responded in kind. [color=1E90FF]“Have our new friend here brought to [i]Sada Kurau[/i], and I’ll get Dai-sehk to collect a sample of whatever it is that’s in those sacks. Get him to get certain as to what we’re looking at.”[/color] “That should get that surgeon of yours to start smiling,” Iyen said with a giggle. Sjan-dehk chuckled and nodded. [color=1E90FF]“It would.”[/color] He looked at Saellas with an impish grin. [color=1E90FF]“And we’ve even gotten him a new friend to help him with his work. He’d better be bloody thankful.”[/color] [/hider] [hr] [center] [color=1E90FF][b]Time[/b]: Late morning to Early Afternoon[/color] [color=1E90FF][b]Interactions[/b]: [/color] [color=1E90FF][b]Mentions[/b]: Kalliope [@Tae][/color] [color=1E90FF][b]Attire[/b]: [hider] [url=https://i.postimg.cc/XqyzY9zm/taetaesaurus-create-me-a-mens-Zhongshan-Suit-outfit-on-a-dress-b533374d-9a94-4ce7-ad0f-7aea9cce3819.png](Thanks, Tae!)[/url] A shoulder belt and waist belt carrying his equipment Two pistols and two swords A woven, conical hat wide enough to shade his entire face[/hider][/color] [/center] As [i]Sada Kurau[/i] quietly slipped into Sorian harbour, so too did thoughts of the masquerade drift to the very top of Sjan-dehk’s mind once more. The setting sun, a blazing disc of orange hovering just above the horizon, splashed calm waters with hues of vibrant pinks and fiery reds, even as the skies above were cooling to shades of soft blues and enigmatic purples. From shore, a breeze swept across the harbour and washed over Sjan-dehk, its chill a welcome contrast to the gentle heat warming his back. Quiet murmurs of conversation, the occasional ruffling of his ship’s sails, and the slow rush of waves graced his ears. They were all that accompanied Sada Kurau as she returned to her berth. It was a fine evening by any account, and a finer way of ending a day of sailing. But it wasn’t one Sjan-dehk found himself enjoying very much. Not when the prospect of having to mingle with other nobles – and the observation of niceties that came with it – loomed over his head like a gloomy shadow. Such events rarely sat well with him. They called for someone with finesse, decorum, and at least the airs of nobility. Sjan-dehk possessed none of those. He might have the rank, but he was a sailor and a soldier through-and-through. The events of the day only made that all the more apparent; he had been so comfortable, so in his element, in leading Sada Kurau out to hunt pirates, rescue the fisherfolk, and mete out justice. But now? He felt like a lamb awaiting slaughter. “My, you’re a cheerful one, aren’t you?” Iyen’s voice freed Sjan-dehk from his thoughts, and he turned just in time to see her join him at the starboard gunwale. The slight slurring of her words, the pale flush tinting her cheeks, and the fact that she was wearing a sleeveless tunic rather than her usual attire told him that she had been part of the victory celebrations going on below decks. [color=1E90FF]“You’d be the same too, if you’re going where I’m going later,”[/color] Sjan-dehk replied drily. Iyen laughed, hiccuped, and slapped him on the back. “I heard from the others,” she said with a grin. “But I think I would’ve guessed anyway. The way you’re dressed, you’re either going for something fancy or your burial, and I think I would’ve noticed if it’s the burial. You look pretty good, by the way.” Sjan-dehk tugged on the collar of his shirt. It was strange; the other day, when he had bought these exact clothes with Kalliope, everything had been well. The fit was perfect, the soft-yet-hardy fabric gentle against his skin, and the design elegant yet simple enough for his tastes. Now, however, with the masquerade less of something far away to merely think about, and more of a real thing that was happening soon, Sjan-dehk felt ill at ease. His clothes felt restrictive, as if it were a prison tight around his body. [color=1E90FF]“Think I’d prefer the burial,”[/color] he said wryly. He glanced sideways at Iyen with a little smile. [color=1E90FF]“But thank you.”[/color] “You’re welcome,” Iyen replied as she tied her hair into a messy tail. “I heard that you’re going with quite a lady, as well.” [color=1E90FF]“Is that what they’re saying?”[/color] Sjan-dehk asked and chuckled bitterly. Although where exactly the bitterness came from, he wasn’t quite sure. [color=1E90FF]“It’s nothing like that,”[/color] he continued with a wave of his hand. [color=1E90FF]“I’m just her escort and nothing more. She's probably already got someone in her life, anyway.”[/color] “Huh.” Iyen’s lips twisted into a lopsided frown. “Why would she invite you, if that’s the case?” To that, Sjan-dehk could only respond with a shrug. He had been pondering over that same question, and found no good answers. Perhaps Cassius wasn’t available? Or perhaps he was seeing things that weren’t there, and this was nothing but an invitation of politeness or friendliness. [color=1E90FF]“Right place, right time, if you ask me,”[/color] he said with uncertainty clear in his words. [color=1E90FF]“Either way, it doesn’t matter. I gave her my word, and I’ve to keep it. The Count hosting the damn thing invited me again at the beach this morning, too. Can’t back out of something like that even if I want to, now.”[/color] “A Count?” Iyen’s surprise was palpable, as was her concern. “Not sure I like the sound of that, Shanya.” Sjan-dehk turned to her and patted her shoulder. [color=1E90FF]“I’ll try to be careful.”[/color] He smiled, though perhaps it wasn’t as reassuring as he had hoped. [color=1E90FF]“Don’t worry, Yen-yi. If there’s a way to get out of dealing with nobles and their gullshit, I’ll find it. Been doing that for a damn long time, now.”[/color] The deck beneath them shuddered as [i]Sada Kurau[/i] pulled up alongside the same pier it had left earlier that morning. Shouts went up the masts to furl all sails and to prepare her yards for lowering. [color=1E90FF]“I should probably get–”[/color] [i]“Iyen!”[/i] A shout from Aislin came from behind the two of them. They looked back over their shoulders, and saw the fishergirl poking her head through a hatch. By the tone of her voice, she had clearly been drinking whatever it was Iyen had drunk. [i]“The lads want tae start another round! Are you joinin’ in?”[/i] Then, she saw Sjan-dehk and waved. [i]“Good evenin’, Captain! An’ thank you again!”[/i] Sjan-dehk waved back with a nod. [color=1E90FF]“Look after her,”[/color] he said quietly to Iyen. [color=1E90FF]“And do not let her drink Avek’s brew. In fact, you shouldn’t drink it either. Nobody should. Mursi drank it once and we found him the next morning half-naked and in the shrouds. Removes stains like nothing else, though, so I don’t want to think about what it does to your insides.”[/color] [i]“Aye, comin’!”[/i] Iyen shouted back to Aislin. To Sjan-dehk, she said, “Don’t worry, my dear Shanya. Azwan’s making sure nothing bad happens, and I’m keeping an eye on Ai-shi-lehn. I don’t think anyone would do a thing to her, though. She’s getting into everyone’s good graces by teaching us bits of her language.” Then, she smirked. “And in return, I’m teaching her how to fleece coin from some of your boys. And that’s where I’ll leave you, Captain. My game awaits.” The two of them parted ways – Iyen returning below decks with Aislin, and Sjan-dehk leaving Sada Kurau for the pier. It was a strange feeling for him. All his life, he had never worn anything that wasn’t Jafin or just Viserjantan in general, and now here he was, doing just that in a foreign city. He pulled his hat a little lower over his eyes as he walked towards the waterfront, and brushed his hands against the swords and pistols at his belt. At least there were those pieces of his normalcy still with him. He stopped at the edge of the passing crowd, and looked for a familiar face. Kalliope had agreed to meet him at his ship, but seeing as how he had only just returned, he wondered if perhaps she might have gone elsewhere upon seeing [i]Sada Kurau[/i]’s absence. He hoped not. It would be a poor start to what he was already expecting to be a difficult night.