"Sea rats and sea geckos! 20?! Ya' here to sell me-"
"20 stowaways. Not a scratch, healthy, and useless as a sea monkey on land. I don't even know how they slipped past us at customs."
She said with a big, big, big frown on her tanned, freckled face.
"Cap'n, we unloaded them already."
"Good! By the way, Ratifack, three of those slaves speak some kind of Oriental language. From Zipanggu, maybe? They'd sell well."
She said in an angry voice while the slant-eyed mountain of a man beside her collected the payment for the fresh meat they just sold.
"Indeed. Indeed! They'd sell well with one of me' clients. Exotic, is what they are. Exotic and young! Pleasure doooooooooin' bus'ness with ya', Cap'n Salthair! Akathos prevails!"
She flipped a finger at the ratty-looking man while she and her first mate left one of the many sandstone buildings in the Slaver's Bazaar of Akathos.
As she left, she passed by the large group she sold to the Pleasure Slavers of Ratifack, one of the most famous slavers in Akathos. They called out to her in their strange tounges. Only five of them spoke the Common Tongue and two of them looked Esuryien, though their accent is clearly not from this continent. She paid them no mind as she tucked a strand of her dirty peach hair behind her ear. They were around 16 or 15 years old, no older than her when she first answered the call of the sea. She was no Pirate, but she is a businesswoman. And they just made her a fortune. She grinned as she strolled down the road that led to the port of Akathos, one of the largest port cities on the western coast of Esuryien but not the greatest since that honor belongs to the capital of Ehenakhra and its famous harbours that could shelter tens of thousands of hulking ships.
They would have good lives. But their lives will be spent in brothels or in the harem of some noble. But they will not be mistreated. The slavers will make sure of that for they treat their products with the greatest care and sell only to reputable individuals. She hummed as Noko, with his soft-spoken tone, mumbled beside her. He had a soft heart for people like them, but he knew full well what happens to thieves, especially stowaway thieves that decided to waste three kegs of Lakishzaar Rum. She would have to change course once again just to replenish stock. She sighed heavily as she put her hands into the spacious pockets of her oversized captain's coat as her wide hat slightly sagged. The heavy sigh did not go unnoticed.
"Heh. That's 3 pieces of gold from Matakoko. Told him you'd feel bad about it."
"About the rum or the kids?"
"Rum."
"Damn. You know me too well."
She laughed and shook her head.
The two continued to chat as they strolled down towards the docks. Mostly about booze and where to buy some. Noko brought up the idea of buying fish to replenish their stock of provisions, but she turned it down. She hated fish. Especially dried fish since it left a fishy taste in her mouth throughout the day. What she wanted was beef. An entire cow if there was one available near the docks. She wanted to make that drink of hers where she mixes milk with cacao from Axalusia and a hint of rum to make a sweet but intoxicating drink. A smile, a wide smile that curled up from ear to ear could be seen on her face as she giggled to herself with excitement. A tap on her shoulder made her head turn. Noko shook his head as his large hand adjusted the hat on top of her bright, fiery-red head and fixed the Roc feather that adorned it.
"You look creepy. Again."
"Shut up. I'm thinking, that's all."
"Mhm. Next you'll tell me you're shitting gold pieces from your- Ow."
Thuvia nudged him. Hard. On the spot on his side with the giant scar.
"Can't a Captain think of worldly pleasures in peace? Load up five cows as well onto the Farsight. I want our boys to celebrate tonight."
"Aye, Captain."
She hummed as they continued their brisk walking pace.
A slave walked past them. A Buffalokin slave carried a large bag full of raw ore and metals that was chained around his chest and collar. He looked like a Minotaur, but with a pair of horns that curved up and a large hump on their back and a generally thicker body. Their thick, black fur made it easier for them to deal with hot climates. They did good farm work as well, based on what she heard about them. She would love to have one on the Farsight. But the main problem of Beastmen slaves is that they rarely do well at sea. Special ships are needed for special products, and in the case of Beastfolk or Beastmen or Beast-whatever-the-fuck-you-want-to-call-them, there are special slave ships like the schooners used to transport them from nearby distances or the hulking beasts of galleys used by the Sadishyayan Pirates to haul absurd amounts of slaves within their ships.
The Farsight was different from them. Very different. The very thought filled her chest with pride as she walked with a slight skip in her steps. In fact, she could see her beloved seafaring vessel as they crested the low incline. With sails dyed in various bright colors and a sky-blue hull, it was nigh impossible to miss unless one was colorblind. The Farsight was special. Not just to her but to those who knew of it. Built by a shipwright on the brink of madness to sail to the ends of the world, the Farsight was one of a kind and an incredibly fast ship with no other like it. With two decks and three sails, it looked like a brig except it was sleeker and could take on waves over 30 meters high. Enchantments made it sturdy and light. And the colorful coat of paint and bright sails the ship was famous for were also enchanted to resist mighty storms and battles on the 9 seas. It was her pride, her joy, and her life.
But instead of adventure, she used it as a merchant ship to transfer cargo quickly from place to place. The [Wavebreaker] and [Fortified Hull] enchantments are wasted on such trips. But that meant the Farsight was one of the few ships that could sail through even the mightiest of storms. But she never dared it. Not because she feared for her safety, but for the other ones that sailed during such terrible storms. Farsight was fast, one of the fastest. But there were at least five ships that are as fast and even faster than the Farsight. And one of them was spotted near during a particularly powerful storm. It appeared along the route they took, a day after they had passed. The thought of running into the now legendary ship of the new Pirate King terrified her more than Krakens and Leviathans.
She shook her head and scoffed.
"15 years ago, huh?"
"Hmm, Cap'n?"
"15 years ago was when the current Pirate King first appeared and made his legendary appearance."
Noko nodded and gave her a stern look.
"The Battle of Crackhull Bay. Where a single ship took out three fleets led by the most powerful of Pirate Lords."
"And you were there, right?"
Noko nodded solemnly. His face was as still as the sea before a storm. And in his mind, the storm raged.
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From the mists, it appeared. Its deafening roar silenced even the roaring thunder and crashing waves. The terrible horn that blew heralded the beast that appeared from within the storm that raged around them. Seven times, their great fleet fired salvo after salvo. Seven times, it continued its relentless charge towards them, unscathed and unbowed. It was metal and steel. It breathed fire and smoke but it also tamed the wild winds that howled into its great, black sails. Waves so massive it sunk a dozen galleons broke upon its hull as it thundered forward towards them like a terrible monster from the depths. Its crew screamed with a fury that matched the storm and the seas and the Salt Gods that beckoned them all to their watery graves. Yet they all faced the beast. Pirates, Corsairs, and all manners of men who took to the sea to carve not just a living, but a chance of glory and adventure for themselves stood against the hulking leviathan.
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It was like the legends of the Automaton cities of old. A floating city of steel and metal. But this was a lesser version of it and it was more fortress than city. Its body was mostly steel, but it had taken the parts of the many ships that crossed its path and turned itself into a patchwork of various warships from various nations and fleets. Colossal galleons and vast warships were attached to the main body of steel. Giant columns that looked like great furnaces that belched out smoke and flame jutted out from the centre while seven masts made of Skytoucher trees sprouted from the ship like great frills. And then there was the tower at the back, with steel windows that glowed brighter than any beacon. It scared them all. But what terrified them was the armaments.
Aside from the pilfered cannons and arms of its victims, it had four steel domes with long cannons that rotated with a metallic groan. They were yet to fire but he knew that those armaments can take out a ship each time they fired. Their size was bigger than most of the Ardeyyan Corsairs' ships. There were also hundreds of smaller but similar "turrets" all along the side of the ship's main body. They fired relentlessly earlier, hundreds- No! Thousands of rounds were pumped into the ramming vessels earlier. They shredded the ships within seconds as if they were just some drifting pieces of wood. Still, the three fleet's numbers combined were at least 9,000 ships strong and there was only one ship in fro-
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"Only seven ships returned that day. Battered, but alive. Whatever weapons that ship had, it destroyed even the Drownedmen's Fury, the greatest Pirate Warship of the time. And the flagship of the Drowned Pirate Nation."
"What- How?!"
"One shot. The bastard fired a salvo from those massive cannons, or whatever those were, and destroyed half of the fleets in one single attack. Turned the Drownedmen's Fury into smithereens and whatever those things fired, didn't even have to hit the damned ship to do it. It struck the fifth ship to its right and suddenly, it seemed as if it was in the middle of the day with the blinding brightness."
Noko said as he scratched the spot on his side with the scar he gained from that battle.
"Well, as long as we avoid it, I don't think we'll have any fucking trouble out at sea. What was it called again?"
"The Mage-Land, I think. I'm not sure how it was pronounced again."
"Heh. I doubt it'd be able to catch the Farsight though."
She puffed out her chest with a smug grin on her face.
"Farsight or not, if that ship were to dock here, I doubt we'd be able to escape it."
"If it could dock here. There's only one port in the world for a ship that size to be able to dock safely and Ehenakhra is far, far away from here."
She placed her hands into her coat's pockets.
Their walk had taken them to the docks, and by extension, the markets that propped up wherever there was money to be made. They were not in the Blood Docks where all manner of beasts and creatures of the sea were being cut up, prepared, dried, cleaned, and sold. If she were here after a hunt, she would be drinking at a tavern there called "The Flying Leviathan" with most of her crew. Sadly, they were in the Spice Docks, the second-most mundane area of the docks right after the Customs Docks. She would've dropped anchor further down south in Akisizaan Bay, but Akathos taxes the ports there too steeply to her liking. She wanted to find something exotic in the markets there. She sighed. Peeved. Whoever designed this city was clearly an idiot without foresight.
Akathos, or rather, Akathos-Akisizaan was a city made up of two cities that just so happened to overlap with one another. Akathos built a district along its coast that consisted of 8 "Docks" where each dock had a dockyard, a berth, and other amenities that ships might need. The problem was that the depth of the waters around the docks made it hard for large ships to dock in Akathos. Akisizaan, however, was built in a bay that sheltered it from storms and had deeper waters so larger ships could dock there and unload their cargo onto the sprawling markets just beside the busy ports. The only problem is that the waves and the currents there made it hard for smaller ships to enter the bay. Not treacherous, but it will inevitably cause damages to fragile cargo such as liquids, spices, and people. The two cities were divided by a mountain that ran between them, but a tunnel through it easily bridged the two cities together.
But the cities didn't bother removing the massive walls that jutted out a mile out into the sea since they were too lazy to do it. The streets that also propped up between the two cities were also confusing. So if a Captain that was docked in Akathos wished to visit Akisizaan's markets, they would either have to sail around a few miles south into the Bay of Akisizaan or ride around the mountain and the old walls that still remained and that took a week, three if one travelled with valuable cargo. She cussed as a seagull flew past her. Noko laughed as another tried to snap at her and the bright feather on her hat. She hurled an insult and a stone at it and the sea bird flew away with an angry squawk. Akisizaan has few of the pests, but that meant having to watch the skies for the many hawks that patrolled the sky.
But she had her fill of Akathos' sights already. As they approached the arch that separated the Spice Docks from the Ship Docks, she saw a familiar face haggling with a Daegon over some dried fish and kelp. The fish with legs and hands snarled and displayed the pointy set of teeth hidden behind his lips. He snarled and rubbed his chin with a webbed hand. The man in front of him was crouched and jabbed a finger at the Daegon's exposed chest while the Daegon's green eyes narrowed and the nostrils on his flat face widened. With a hiss, the man took a step back and his snout twitched a bit. The Daegon stuck out a blue tongue and threw a thumb over his shoulder. The Merfolk's equivalent of flipping someone off.
"Listen 'ere, baldy! H-Hey! Fish face! Don't fookin' 'alk uf from me! Oi! Fookin-"
"Tick, the fuck are you doing?"
The Ratman jumped and turned towards her.
His face twitched and his rat ears perked up as his red eyes stared at her. His nose sniffed and his hands(paws?) loosened. He laughed as he skittered towards them on all fours before Noko stood between her and Tick. He lifted a paw off the ground and stared up at the man. He snarled and stood up, his back hunched and his arms folded together like a rodent on its hind legs. He wore a black coat that looked more like rags than a proper coat and tight pants. That was it. He had no shirt and his furry chest and abs were laid bare for all to see. The Ratkin Beastman spat on the ground and scratched the spot behind his gnawed ear with a sharp claw. He twitched when Noko bent slightly with a dirty look in his eyes.
"Captain! Fisheyes 'ver der tryin' to scam me out of good, 'onest coin!"
The Daegon muttered something and tossed a handful of fish guts at Tick. The Ratman hissed and snarled.
"Tick. Don't fuck with the Daegon. How're the... new recruits?"
"Recruits? Ain't no new- Ach! They! They in yer can'n, like ye' ord'rd."
"Good. Noko, buy some fish for Tick over here and you! Bring me to them."
The Ratman smiled, the yellowed teeth beneath glistened with the probably toxic saliva of the Ratman.
"Aye, aye, Cap'n."
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She stood in front of them. A boy and a girl that was just a year apart in age from each other by the looks of it. They still wore the strange clothes they had on them. And the young boy had the strangest pair of spectacles she has ever seen. The girl wore a man's clothes. A simple, white shirt with some strange image on the front and tight-fitting pants made of a cloth she has never seen before. Tick sat beside them, an odd sight since passengers mostly throw a fit whenever the seemingly dirty Ratman takes a seat beside them. The two, however, looked fascinated. The girl was the most taken with Tick the Cook and kept sneaking glances at him. Stowaways, but good-mannered ones. They did not raid their rations as the others did. She sighed, again, and took off her hat while she ignored Noko loudly barking the orders he gave her at the crew.
"Ollie and Bert, right?"
"I-It's Rober-"
"Shut up. You two are lucky you hid in those cannons instead of the barrels like those other idiots."
She groaned as she rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"Ollie! You haven't spoken a word since we found you hiding behind one of the cannons. What's-"
"S-She's mute, Miss..."
"Captain Salthair. And mute? Damn."
Just as she was about to let out another disappointed sigh, the girl rummaged through the strange bag she had on her. She pulled a small book and flipped to its first page.
My name is Ollie Waters. Nice to meet you.
"Okay, the handwriting's cute but that's not enough to win me over. You! Bert! Where the hell did all of you come from?!"
"Huh? Oh, w-we're classmates. Ollie and I are in the same class and we're from San Jose, California. W-We don't know about the others. We just woke up with them in... this... ship."
"California? California... And San Jo-seh, is this a city? Tick! My maps!"
"Aye, Cap'n!"
"I-It's pronounced as San "Hos-say" and... I don't think you have maps with that city on it."
"Impossible! Tick! Grab Noko and ask him where are the maps for North and South Axalusia, Esuryien, Alfheim, Mithendam, and Illyricia!"
They turned to the Ratman, who looked as if his head was spinning from all the names the Captain spewed out. But before Tick could scurry off to call her first mate, Robert coughed.
"W-Well... That's the problem. You don't have maps for where we come from since... it's not here."
"... Explain."