Sarpedon

The great pirate era. (Sanquin/Sarpedon)

Octavius was quiet proud of his little escape, but of course Ceres had to show up and poke holes in his sails. She asked about the next step. But it wasn't time for that. It was time for this step. This step involved holding on, reloading as quickly as possible, and hoping no one tried to stop them. That last bit was obviously too much to ask, though. The pirate had just gotten his revolver reloaded when someone appeared on horseback behind them, followed by another four marines, also on horses. All of them looked very upset. Being the intelligent sort, the captain was smart enough to know that they were being slowed down by all the extra weight on the carriage. So he hopped down beside the driver, snatched the reins away, and pushed the poor bastard off of his seat. Then he snapped the reins and yelled for the horses to run faster, which they managed, but only a little. The marines hadn't yet managed to catch up to their prey, but only because the street they were on was narrow enough to make it unsafe. But not for much longer.

"What do you believe in, Ceres?" Captain Cuttlam asked loudly. He was just curious to know what was keeping her alive through all this. She had a deity as kind as his own fickle mistress, it would seem, and he was interested to know if that one might be more consistent than Lady Luck. For now, though, she was still helping him out. Another opportunity presented itself, and the pirate lord wasn't going to shy away from it just because it was insanely dangerous. He lashed at the horses once more, to keep them running, and then climbed on top of the carriage once more. He opened fire on the marines, winging one of them, and causing another to flinch a little too hard, directing his horse into a harrowing trip that ended with the beast tripping and flying end-over-end and killing them both upon smashing into a wall that jutted out a little too far. But by that point, Octavius had jumped up and off the carriage, his canine arm lengthening to latch onto a steel rod that extended out over the street. At one time it had held a sign, now it was empty, and just waiting to help a notorious ne'er-do-well get away from the law. It took but an instant to haul himself up and onto the roof of the building. And now he was cooking with naphtha.

Since he didn't have a home to go back to, the captain was prepared to go all out in his escape, regardless of Ceres. She hadn't shaken his hand, so he didn't owe her a damn thing. Heedless of her progress, he began to sprint along the rooftop, stuck on the decorative ledge that wrapped around the steeply sloped roof. But it was more than enough for the man in need of escape. The marines took potshots, but couldn't hope to hit such a glorious pirate. And then, in a feat of mind-blowing speed, and balance, the escaping criminal tucked away his pistol, ripped a loose board from the decaying roof beside him, and tossed it in front of him as he veered out and away from the buildings. There was a pair of wash-lines strung across the street, and on the other end, they were secured to a flat-roofed building that led to further escape routes. The only way across was those ropes, though. Being insane enough to try such a thing, the pirate let his momentum push him and his board across the street, supported only by a man's determination to not have to deal with his wife's complaints about where she was to hand their laundry for the rest of his life. That man's determination held, and it was beautiful.

Despite his captivity, the brigand had no trouble doing a front-flip dismount and landing mostly on his feet. He then sprinted across the roof and looked like he was going to try and jump across the next street too. That wasn't quite the case, though. This time he used his daemonic limb to latch onto the lip of the roof even as he jumped. He stopped it from lengthening any more immediately before he crashed into the building across the street. Grabbing a window sill with his regular hand, he then dropped onto the canopy below, sliding off of that and into an empty cart. The store had hoped was still around was indeed open for business, and the deranged Captain Cuttlam flipped himself out of the cart and into the shop. He whipped out his revolver as he stormed the place, grabbing a cloak with his empty hand and throwing it on. The man behind the counter didn't look like he had aged a day, though, and they exchanged a nod as the pirate lord slipped out the back door. Tired, scared, and shaking with the rush of the insanity he had just pulled off, Octavius dove head-first into a pile of scrap-cloth that had been tossed into the alley from the floor above. And then he just stopped moving. He was positive that no one had seen him well enough to realize what was going on. And the marines hadn't been down that last street yet. Yes they would search for him, but they weren't going to waste their time digging through refuse. Even if it was mostly clean refuse. He did wonder if Ceres was okay, but it was her own fault if she wasn't. She should have shaken his hand...

((too far, or just far enough?))

The great pirate era. (Sanquin/Sarpedon)

Octavius silently admitted that Ceres had a point when she observed that executing all of the guards would take too long. He supposed she was right, but didn't like the idea of the government cracking down on pirates. He supposed he point was emphasized by his trouble killing all four guards, and sighed, having to actually admit she was right once the woman had saved his life. So he retrieved his blade and they headed for the docks in earnest. But now the bayonet was tucked away in his bag, and the captain was toting his revolver. They were already detected, and marines were rushing about, likely preparing blockades to try and apprehend them. Such a fate was not going to befall the pair, the pirate was sure, but he wasn't going to take chances trying to do things quietly. Plus, he had ten shots in his pistol, a lot more than the one he got out of a knife. Even if it was a very large knife. He smiled at the thought of escape, and couldn't keep the grin off his face. Inspired by the desperation of their situation, he led the way up the nearest stairwell. He was still grinning, even as they rounded another corner into a whole squad of guards. They appeared to be preparing to descend into the prison levels to contain the emergency. Unfortunately for them, the emergency had already gotten up several flights of stairs. He didn't bother trying to kill these ones though, instead firing three shots wildly into the press of bodies, and then triggering the shotgun barrel of his handgun into the lock of a door just across the hall from the corner they had come around. Another shot into the crowd had the soldiers hesitant to follow as he disappeared into the side room, hoping his new friend stayed close behind.

He wasn't sure what the room was supposed to be used for, but it had a nice, person-sized window, and he took advantage of that, thinking quickly, and hoping for a bit of luck. A fifth pistol round blew out the glass, and Captain Cuttlam hoped that Ceres trusted him. He didn't have time to explain, and probably wouldn't be bothered to, either. He could hear a cart coming, and the horses pulling it were moving swiftly now, spurred on by the gunfire. He took three quick steps to cross the room, and hopped up on the sill. An instant later, he threw himself out the window, reaching back beforehand, trying to grab his companion and pull her along. He supposed it was her own fault if she wouldn't try the jump. As it was, Octavius made it just fine, landing heavily in a bit of a heap on top of the carriage. It wasn't what he had hoped for, as the landing was a good deal less pleasant than the hay cart he had imagined, but he wasn't going to complain, since he was now out of what passed for the prison. Clearly this place was running out of space, as he was sure he remembered security being tighter. That was okay with him, though, he was not one to complain about good fortune.

When his pursuers appeared in the window, he was ready, firing a shot into the opening, and driving them back before he could get picked off. The shot also spooked the horses, and the carriage took off. In a panic, his canine arm bit into the luggage-tie rail, anchoring the escapee firmly to his ride. The driver didn't seem inclined to argue, and that was a nice change. It was now just a matter of heading toward the docks. And if he wasn't mistaken, those were at the very end of the street they were barrelling down. "What a stroke of luck. Things are just going swimmingly today." He was still grinning to himself, proud of his piratical skills. They were almost home free...

The great pirate era. (Sanquin/Sarpedon)

Octavius silently admitted that Ceres had a point when she observed that executing all of the guards would take too long. He supposed she was right, but didn't like the idea of the government cracking down on pirates. He supposed he point was emphasized by his trouble killing all four guards, and sighed, having to actually admit she was right once the woman had saved his life. So he retrieved his blade and they headed for the docks in earnest. But now the bayonet was tucked away in his bag, and the captain was toting his revolver. They were already detected, and marines were rushing about, likely preparing blockades to try and apprehend them. Such a fate was not going to befall the pair, the pirate was sure, but he wasn't going to take chances trying to do things quietly. Plus, he had ten shots in his pistol, a lot more than the one he got out of a knife. Even if it was a very large knife. He smiled at the thought of escape, and couldn't keep the grin off his face. Inspired by the desperation of their situation, he led the way up the nearest stairwell. He was still grinning, even as they rounded another corner into a whole squad of guards. They appeared to be preparing to descend into the prison levels to contain the emergency. Unfortunately for them, the emergency had already gotten up several flights of stairs. He didn't bother trying to kill these ones though, instead firing three shots wildly into the press of bodies, and then triggering the shotgun barrel of his handgun into the lock of a door just across the hall from the corner they had come around. Another shot into the crowd had the soldiers hesitant to follow as he disappeared into the side room, hoping his new friend stayed close behind.

He wasn't sure what the room was supposed to be used for, but it had a nice, person-sized window, and he took advantage of that, thinking quickly, and hoping for a bit of luck. A fifth pistol round blew out the glass, and Captain Cuttlam hoped that Ceres trusted him. He didn't have time to explain, and probably wouldn't be bothered to, either. He could hear a cart coming, and the horses pulling it were moving swiftly now, spurred on by the gunfire. He took three quick steps to cross the room, and hopped up on the sill. An instant later, he threw himself out the window, reaching back beforehand, trying to grab his companion and pull her along. He supposed it was her own fault if she wouldn't try the jump. As it was, Octavius made it just fine, landing heavily in a bit of a heap on top of the carriage. It wasn't what he had hoped for, as the landing was a good deal less pleasant than the hay cart he had imagined, but he wasn't going to complain, since he was now out of what passed for the prison. Clearly this place was running out of space, as he was sure he remembered security being tighter. That was okay with him, though, he was not one to complain about good fortune.

When his pursuers appeared in the window, he was ready, firing a shot into the opening, and driving them back before he could get picked off. The shot also spooked the horses, and the carriage took off. In a panic, his canine arm bit into the luggage-tie rail, anchoring the escapee firmly to his ride. The driver didn't seem inclined to argue, and that was a nice change. It was now just a matter of heading toward the docks. And if he wasn't mistaken, those were at the very end of the street they were barrelling down. "What a stroke of luck. Things are just going swimmingly today." He was still grinning to himself, proud of his piratical skills. They were almost home free...

Tales of Eyreseum - The False King

whoop whoop!

The great pirate era. (Sanquin/Sarpedon)

Octavius was smiling as he strolled out, only to find Ceres had taken care of a pair of guards who thought they could stop the two of them. She hadn't done a very good job of it, though, as they were still alive. Not only that, she seemed to have ignored his words on their "deal". But that was fine. Less responsibility for him. However, it would seem his new friend couldn't navigate her way out of a sack of potatoes, and that was his problem entirely. Thankfully, the captain was a good deal better at escaping than she was. He bent over the two unconscious guards, and without hesitation, very deliberately thrust his bayonet through the left eye of each one, executing the oblivious men without remorse of any sort. His canine appendage seemed pleased with that, though it was smart enough to not make any noises. And with that taken care of, they could escape. Captain Cuttlam took the lead now, figuring it was probably better than trying to direct his directionally challenged companion. "This should be easy. Follow my lead, and don't look like a criminal." he said as they headed for the nearest door. This whole building stretched all the way down to the docks. All they had to do was get to the servants' corridors, and they were essentially home free.

The only problem was, that between them and a straight shot to freedom, was a quartet of angry guards. Even worse, Octavius could only kill two of them quietly. He did so with relish, though, letting his mastiff arm lash out and latch onto the throat of one guard, even as he whipped his blade into the eye socket of another. But his daemonic dog-arm had a bit too much freedom and refused to release the throat of the dying guard. And he could only hold one knife at a time, leaving two more enemies undispatched. The two were shouldering a shotgun, and reaching for pistols respectively. And there was nothing for it, the captain was left to watch all of this happen in very slow motion, thanks to his adrenaline rush, and there was nothing he could do. He just hoped Ceres had the necessary motivation to keep him from getting shot up like target dummy. If he'd had a holster, he supposed the other two wouldn't have been a problem, but obviously he didn't, and his last act wasn't going to be scrambling through a bag for a weapon like some kind of peasant. He was the notorious pirate Captain Octavius Cuttlam. And it was going to take a lot more than them to stop him...

The great pirate era. (Sanquin/Sarpedon)

Octavius laughed when Ceres refused to shake his hand. That was her loss, not his. "We don't have a deal yet, sweetie." he replied, still chuckling, "It's not a deal until we shake on it." he winked at her as they began their escape. Then, of course, the alarm went off. He had a hard time believing they were ringing the bells because of someone dead down here, but it was always good to be careful. He was in the lion's den, now. But before he could start working on that, his new friend started going off about their deal and such. "We haven't made a deal yet, Ceres. We've set terms, but we didn't shake. Terms don't mean shit." but despite all that, she still tossed him the keys and pointed him toward the lockers in the back. And she was right, his things were indeed all the way back there. He found his clothes, dusty, but as nice as the day he'd been captured. He changed quickly, then, scanning the racks of weapons for his. Unfortunately, his once-beautiful fowling piece was ruined by the damp and the fouling that had been left in it. It was but an instant before the captain realized what was wrong. He swore violently and tossed the ruined scattergun across the room. His sidearm was in a similar state. He almost wanted to cry for the craftsmanship that was wasted. But there was nothing for it, and they had an escape to make.

Thinking quickly, he decided it would be best to arm himself swiftly and bugger off. Captain Cuttlam figured functional was best for now, and he snatched up a new-looking service piece, and its matching revolver. Then he grabbed a case of ammunition for each of them, stuffing the bulk boxes into his satchel before tearing into another one. From this one, he loaded his new weaponry, brass-cased sixteen gauge shells, and vicious forty-four magnum rounds were snatched up and nimbly slotted into tubes and cylinders. Despite his lack of practice, the pirate found his fingers remembered the actions well. It was mere seconds before he was ready to go, with more ammunition than he expected to go through in the next several months. As a final touch, he grabbed a bayonet for his fowling piece on his way out the door, smiling at his fortune. The only thing he had to complain about, was his poor, glorious weaponry, destroyed by thoughtless gaolers. He'd get them back. but not today. For now, he needed to escape. And hopefully the lady who'd freed him would be a bit more agreeable now that they were armed.

Shotgun slung across his back, pistol tucked neatly into his bag, and bayonet in hand, the Shotgun Preacher headed for the light of day, and his freedom...

The great pirate era. (Sanquin/Sarpedon)

She only wanted a ship and a crew. That was more than doable. The captain nodded at her request, waiting for something to happen. He couldn't give her anything if she didn't help him out. It seemed that trusting a notorious pirate was the lesser of two evils here, though, since the cell opened, and his chains came off in short order. Octavius, having not quite braced for the act, slumped to the ground in a heap when he was finally released from his prison. But he did not waste time in dragging himself to his feet. He fought on, despite his muscular atrophy, and forced himself to stand properly. Once he was out of the cell, he grinned devilishly. "Wonderful to meet you, Ceres." he said, extending a hand. "You'd be correct in your guess. One hundred exactly. And I think I'd be correct in saying: we have a deal." he was just waiting for her to shake his hand. Once that happened, anything was possible. Nothing was possible until then, though. Or, he supposed she could just wander off, and he could escape separately. That was an intriguing notion. Not one he was inclined to presently, though. This Ceres lady might know some people. At the very least she had been out and about longer than him, so she would know if things had changed.

But now she was running off on him. He shook his head. "Remember what I said, Ceres. Octavius Cuttlam fucks over two kinds of people. You introduced yourself, but you haven't shaken my hand..." he chuckled at that, wasting no time in find the food he was directed to. At this point his left arm exploded. It quite literally detonated, starting at his shoulder, and going all the way down to his fingertips. It sent blood, bone fragments, and bits of flesh in all directions. The explosion was kind enough to stop short of Ceres, and was neatly directed around the pirate lord, but remained impressive. In place of an arm, the Shotgun Preacher was now possessed of the head of a dog. A very large dog, by the looks of it. The head extended on a neck that didn't seem to end, and that sprouted from where his arm should have. The thing wolfed down the sandwich with a single bite, while the human part of Octavius chugged back the tankard full of water. He sighed upon tossed the mug, and he figured now was Ceres' last opportunity for a handshake. If she didn't want it, he couldn't help her.

That wasn't true. He could, but he wouldn't. He didn't like the way that young pup had spoken to him. Just because he was in chains, didn't mean he was powerless. And somehow she thought he could be bested. He wasn't so sure about that, and he didn't like people threatening him. Nor did he like being ignored. They were not off to a great start, but he figured a handshake was a good opportunity to try again. If nothing else, she seemed a shrewd pirate. The two of them could likely become firm allies if they cared to. Captain Cuttlam wasn't going to bank on anything yet, though. He wanted a ship, and his crew, before he did anything. And even that wasn't quite true. Before he did anything, he needed his stuff back. Escape could wait. He needed his things...

The great pirate era. (Sanquin/Sarpedon)

Octavius clearly wasn't making any progress. Indeed, the woman threatened to kill him. It would be harder than she thought, for certain, but he supposed she could probably pull it off. Probably. But then she left, and it didn't matter any more. She was leaving him behind. The pirate was not happy in the slightest, though he didn't express it. His rage was starting to boil, and he wondered if it would be enough to get him out this time. It hadn't been last time, but he hadn't been half so desperate, then. This slow-burning, desperation-fueled anger was about ready to burst, now, and the captain hoped that when it did, he would have the strength to rend steel. Otherwise he would likely be stuck down here forever.

Thankfully, it did not appear to need to come to that. The door to his cage was once again occupied by the woman who had been escorted in. But now she was holding a set of keys, and had a guard's blood on her figurative hands. She asked if the offer was still standing, and set out her demands. "I'll give you a solid gold ship crewed by diamond golems if it will get me out of here, lass." he responded earnestly. He didn't have his hopes up now, though. His voice was low and gravelly, like he had no expectation of actually escaping. She seemed pretty honest about it, though. At least now that she needed his help. Even pleading for a lack of tricks. He chuckled. "I only play tricks on people if I don't know their name, or if they don't shake my hand. Deals made properly, well, those are stronger than iron. All a pirate has is his word. I give you that, lass. You get me out of here, and you can have your ship." he grinned at her, which probably wasn't the smartest idea, but he figured it would get the message across. He was still in chains, waiting for the very fickle woman nearby to make up her mind. He wondered if she was just a delusion. It made sense. He'd seen them before too. She wasn't helping her case, with all this dilly-dallying, either.

"But make up your mind, woman. I've got rotting to do, if you're not going to help me. And if you are, then you're wasting perfectly good escape time." indecisive people had to be the worst. Whether the decision was right or not, what mattered was committing to it whole-heartedly. At least then no one would doubt your conviction. That was why he was so notorious. And why his chains were so heavy. The people had once understood that Captain Octavius Cuttlam went all out at every opportunity. Home was the open sea, so he was already there, leaving Big as the only option. He would teach this woman that as well, if she was around long enough...

The great pirate era. (Sanquin/Sarpedon)

Octavius raised an eyebrow when the interloper declared that she saw no reason to help him. What did that mean? He was one of the greatest pirate lords to ever live. He had never lost a fight at sea, never even come close. And now this woman didn't think it might be a good idea to get this man in debt to her? The captain was about ready to puke he was so offended. Then he watched the woman's hands liquefy as she slipped her manacles. Cuttlam's eyes widened in surprise, but that faded quickly when the woman said she had heard of him. Remembered reading about him a year previously. Not many would remember him, then. And he had to admit, the "shotgun preacher" moniker he had earned earlier in his career had always had more appeal to him. Then again, people could call him whatever they wanted, as long as they knew his name. But that thought disappeared quicker than cake left out around fat people, when the woman said she was leaving. The man chained to the wall was suddenly stricken by desperation. He would not be left here to rot, not like this.

"No! No!" he growled, unwilling to make too much noise, but still worried about his escape. "You know who I am! I'm Octavius Cuttlam! Pirate Lord! Villain extraordinaire! Fuck! By whatever gods you believe in lady, don't walk away from me! I'll give you whatever the fuck you want. Anything! Don't you walk away from me, lass. I'll fucking kill you. I will. You can have anything you want, anything. Just get me out of here." he wasn't sure if it was negative or positive reinforcement that was going to work for this woman, but he had to try something. "You'll die horribly if you walk away from me. But I'll give you anything and everything if you get me out of here." he was glaring at his temporary cell mate now. She wanted to just waltz out of here like it was nothing. No one walked away from Octavius, not like this. All she really had to do was get his shackles off. But if she wouldn't even do that, he would just have to devise a way to have her brutally slaughtered. There was no room for negotiating here. She could have everything, or she could die the most horrible death a sick, mentally broken hitman could come up with. Captain Cuttlam was not one for half measures in general, but now, most especially...

((good to know))

The great pirate era. (Sanquin/Sarpedon)

It had been a long time. A long time indeed. In the furthest cell pit of the prison. The man in the last cell, the very furthest iron cage from anything, was waiting quietly, like he had gotten used to recently. For the first little while, the pirate had offered a mountain of gold to anyone willing to spring him. But it seemed no one was willing to try. Not even on the word of Octavius Cuttlam. That was understandable, though, all things considered, this place probably wasn't so bad for most of them. Most of them got fed. Most of them had a pile of straw stuffed into the shape of a mattress to sleep on. Not so for the vicious pirate captain. He was heavily restrained, and left to rot. Food came more frequently as time passed and the guards forgot, but atrophy had long since taken its toll. He was in no shape to be yelling or making a scene any longer. Indeed, such a thing would surely induce a swift execution. And since he still held out hope, the lord of the seas held his tongue and waited. Hopefully, though, it wouldn't have to wait much longer.

Octavius looked up when he heard rattling outside his cell. It sounded like another prisoner was being paraded into the pit. He chuckled, wondering who was going to get stuck with the new guy. Then, of course, his cell was popped open, and the new guy was tossed in. The captain didn't make a sound, and he didn't move a muscle. The guards had mostly forgotten about him now, and that made things easier. The last thing he needed was someone remembering. And then he heard his cell mate speak. That was no male voice. What was a woman doing down here? He didn't know, but she had to be slippery if they tossed her in this pit. Obviously not too slippery, though, since she was still allowed to move about. What sort of thing would a woman have to do to get tossed in here, but not tied down? The original occupant of the cell was chained to the wall, given only enough slack to get his foot close enough to the door to haul his meals over to him. He couldn't even reach the bed. That was how little they trusted the notorious Captain Cuttlam. It was heartening to know he was that dangerous, but he didn't like sleeping this way. In general, this sort of situation was very uncomfortable. And now he had to share this little room, on top of all that. He snarled when the girl spoke to him. She was still managing that youthful sass, it sounded like, despite her situation.

"Yes, hello. I can't fucking help you, obviously, lass." Octavius snapped, glaring up at the woman who struck him as being strange. He didn't know why, but he could feel it. "I'd suggest you leave well enough alone. Let a sleeping dog lie, as it were. Unless of course, you can spring me..." he shook his head, chuckling hopelessly, if only to avoid crying. "The reward for freeing the notorious Captain Cuttlam would be ridiculous, I'm sure." he muttered. "Who ever got me out... Why... I'd cover them in gold..." he made sure to maintain eye contact as he offered his reward to the lady, meeting her gaze with a confident smile more convincing than any other proof he could offer. She was still up and about, she could still do something. "I don't suppose you've heard of me, though, have you?" he asked, curious to see how his name was holding up. Probably not so well. Octavius Cuttlam had not been out and about, causing havoc on the seas, for a very long time. He figured nearly a year, if his count was right. Give or take three months. Time passed differently when it was all spent waiting to rot away. But maybe it could pass normally again. That wasn't on him, though. That was all up to how rich his new cell mate wanted to be. And how little she wanted to be raped to death. That was another factor she might want to consider. He wasn't going to bring it up, but guards tended to get lonely down here. And once they got wind of a woman, well, the neighbourhood would just go out the window, along with her dignity, and then her life...