Lyric just stood there on the dock as the bell echoed around her. Everyone else winced or covered their ears to muffle the sound. She just stood there with her eyes fixed on Fina's ship. There was no way in hell she was going to allow any nonsense. It was a shame that Eve wasn't around since Fina really seemed to like her.
The wind blew in mixing with the sound of the bell. It whipped Lyric's hair around as if it was dancing to the beat. When the bell finally stopped the ship had docked and a ramp smacked against the dock. Lyric still had yet to move even when the dock beneath her shook from the weight of the ramp. There was nothing going on around her that was able to disturb Lyric's focus which was solely on Fina.
Sounds of boots echoed down the ramp which finally grabbed Lyric's attention. There wasn't much of a change to her, and it hadn't been that long in the first place since they last saw each other. However, the situation for both parties had changed drastically. The territory of the whole known world had shifted which meant old loyalties and alliances needed to be reevaluated. The only areas that might not be affected just yet are the capital walled city and the pirate free market.
"It would seem someone still doesn't know how to respect their elders. Where is Alexandria and why did she send you to meet me?" Fina gave Lyric a cocky grin as she walked down the ramp stopping only a few feet in front of her.
Lyric let out an exasperated sigh tilting her head to the side and looking up at Fina. "You may be an elder but you're not my captain. So how about you keep the bullshit comments to yourself and follow me. If you want to talk crap at least do it to her face."
There was a stunned silence for a moment as Fina moved her hand into her trench coat pocket. She pulled out a smoke placing it in her mouth letting out a soft chuckle. "You really are something else you know that? You seem to have gotten stronger in just a short time. I wonder if Alexandria has done the same." Fina lit a match holding it up to the hand rolled smoke taking a few breaths in a small ember lighting up Fina's face. "Lead the way, Lyric."
A raised eyebrow crossed Lyric's face a bit surprised that Fina was acting this way. Of course, there was the chance that Fina was really looking to change the setup of this world. Lyric let out a playful giggle as she moved forward without another word. There was no point in talking anymore. Alexandria needed to be the one to get through this minefield. The only reason Lyric needed to be a part of this discussion was to shield her captain from any threats that might see to take her life.
The click of boots on stone was all that echoed down the path as the two women walked. No one was outside at the moment since there was plenty of work to be done. Most of the workers were at the dry dock working on the grand flagship. Everyone else was either training on the other side of the island or resting for a bit to get ready for the next big project. Fina was impressed with the progress they had made thus far. Of course, it wasn't on par with her island just yet however changing the landscape to project everything they had gained was a sound strategy.
Lyric noticed the doors to the main hall were wide open. She was a bit puzzled at first to the reasoning behind it however it became clear why the closer they came to the stairs. Alexandria, Amina, and Tyra were all standing not far from the door with what looked like a massive spread to welcome Fina to the island. Even though it wasn't as grand Fina did welcome them onto her ship when they were complete strangers and after they had attacked each other. Alexandria was doing roughly the same thing in kind. Of course, this time there was no exchange of violence beforehand.
They both walked up the steps as Lyric pushed open the doors the rest of the way. It was so quiet the creaking of the hinges was almost deafening. Tyra winced a bit shaking her head in order to gain some relief from the sound.
Fina pushed past Lyric walking straight up to Alexandria who was standing in the center of the room. "Well, it seems you have gone and made a name for yourself. I'm glad to see my instincts were right on the money." She took a small drag off the rolled smoke that was hanging from her mouth blowing the smoke into the air above them.
Alexandria raised an eyebrow looking Fina up and down for a moment. It hadn't been that long since their last meeting however something was a bit different then the first time. Fina seemed more relaxed and a bit too friendly. "You seem a lot more friendly than when we first met. Why are you acting like this after all the veiled hostility you put us through last time?" All the fear and uncertainty she was carrying around before had evaporated completely.
A sly smile crossed Fina's face moving the smoke to the corner of her mouth so as not to lose it. She was impressed at Alexandria's level of composure at a time like this. Even though there was no reason to be bringing it up she wasn't buying the relaxed friendly act at all. "The fact of the matter is you've become a real threat. You not only took the land I left for you with speed and efficiency, but you also laid waste to not one but two walled city areas. No one in their right might can ignore Crimson Judgement at this point. I have no reason to act hostile to you like I did in the past." Fina could keep talking but Alexandria should get the point by now. She was officially a big player and now it was time to enter the real game.
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A playful giggle escaped Alexandria's lips as she tilted her head to the side. "Yes, I did all those things you said however I did them to get back at those assholes for what they did to me and my family. Second the fact ability users like us are being tested on for the betterment of a few men that want to live in the outside world." She paused for a moment taking in a deep breath. She needed to keep her emotions in check and after all this it would be time for some writing in her journal. "I suspect the reason for you coming here is to either form an alliance on equal terms or wipe us out, so the status que doesn't change."
Fina was impressed by Alexandria's ability to reason. Even though her ability made her seem like she was all fight and no brains what she was saying at the moment proved she was a worthy captain. She took a long drag from her smoke holding it in for as long as she could. There was no reason for her to be sober for any of this since Alexandria was clearheaded for the both of them. She reached up taking the small piece out of her mouth and putting it out in her palm tucking it away in her trench coat pocket. Lifting her head up she blew the smoke into the air above them. "It would be a waste to kill Crimson Judgement. You have made the world more interesting. I do think it is a bit reckless to challenge the walled cities on this scale when your fleet is still lacking however if we can come to an agreeable alliance, I wouldn't mind helping you out from time to time."
"I had no delusions that this wasn't about you from the start. I'm also pretty sure any help you offer is going to come at a hefty price. Are you going to name that price up front or are we going to exchange pleasantries first in the form of food I have set out behind me?" Alexandria wasn't so naive that she was just going to throw out a price right off the bat. The last time they made a deal she had to fight tooth and nail for it. It didn't matter how fast or effected she was at doing it. The fact of the matter was Fina was going to try and get exactly what was best for her and this time Alexandria wasn't going to allow herself to be walked on.
A hearty chuckle filled the room as Fina almost bent over laughing from Alexandria's response. She wiped her face since it was almost enough to make her tear up just a bit. "You did learn something from our last meeting. I'm glad to see you've evolved a bit especially since in this world negotiation is half the battle. You can't allow your opponent to get even the slightest edge on you. I take it you already met the leader of the walled cities?" Fina walked towards the table since she had yet to eat anything. There was no reason to just stand around and talk forever while there was food to be eaten.
Alexandria's eyes widened a bit at Fina's question. Even though that information hadn't been made public somehow Fina already knew or at least suspected they had run into the leader of the walled cities. She followed Fina's lead and went to the table as well. "We didn't meet in person, but I did converse with him via projection. I made them all watch as I sunk the nearby walled city under the sea. The look on his face was priceless. I'm sure they are beside themselves trying to figure out what to do next." A small giggle escaped her lips as she motioned for everyone to join in and get something to eat.
No one spoke for a time since the food was something everyone was eager to get to. Of course, the conversation had to continue at some point. Everyone sat down to eat with Alexandria and Fina taking a table to themselves while Tyra, Amina, and Lyric sat together not far from them. There was still much to discuss and at the moment the ball was firmly in Fina's court since Alexandria did answer her question about meeting with the leader of the walled cities. The Red Eye pirates were a fairly large crew and even though Fina preferred to travel light due to her ability there was rumor her fleet numbered close to one thousand spread across her territory.
Fina cleared her plate rather quickly even licking her fingers a bit to savor every bite. They didn't have to reach a full agreement right away since there was still a bit of time however the more allies gained early the faster the war could end. "Last time you entered into a deal with me I really made you work for it. However, this time I'm willing to pull more of the burden since your crew as already laid so much on the line. It still won't be cheap and the fact you have angered the leader of the walled cities means we could face a force of even stronger pirates than myself." Fina grabbed a piece of bread from the center of the table and took a big bite out of it.
Alexandria covered her mouth trying to stifle a laugh. That had to be one of the funniest things she had ever seen and Fina did it with such a serious face. "Eve is out on a mission as we speak to help gather some information on the status of the other walled cities. At the moment any information you have about anything, or anyone would be helpful. Of course, I would like to know right off the bat. Are we going to be equals on this or are you seeking to gain more influence for yourself and your crew?" She wasn't going to hold anything back at this point. Fina was already forthcoming that she would do more however the end goal was the most important thing to consider.
She took a moment to shallow her food taking a drink of water. "I was wondering where the little spitfire was, I really wanted to see her this go around. That girl has a way with words and with knives. At this point in time, I have all the influence I could ever want or need. The walled cities leave me alone for that very reason. However now that you have rocked the boat so to speak, they are going to reach out to anyone and everyone. To put it bluntly my price for an equal alliance would be half of the spoils from the capital walled city. Asking for anything less than that would be foolish. What do you say to that?"
Of course, Fina wanted what the capital walled city had to offer. There were untold riches there not to mention the wealth of technology and know-how. "How about you stay with us until Eve gets back from her mission? We can continue to discuss terms and iron out a treaty for our alliance that way both parties can get what they truly desire." Alexandria extended her hand across the table a small giggle escaping her lips.
Fina reached out grasping her hand firmly shaking it in agreement. "Very well then let's see what all you have to offer and how deep your resolve actually goes."
The two of them didn't break eye contact or the handshake. They were sizing each other up even now wondering if they could coexist to take down an extremely formattable enemy.