A few minutes earlier
Fynsell was aware of the Pirate-to-Pirate negotiations. It was without a doubt a idiotic and at the same time, clever plan the Foreman came up with. To use the slaves as the negotiators was a bit far fetched in her mind but the fact they succeeded was amazing. Then again, the Wood Elf was among them so it was expected. Still something didn't seem correct, like an inner feeling that she should be paying close attention to.
The True Elf has been like this ever since the chess match. Looking at the time it was infuriating but also a great lesson to not lower her guard even among slaves and keep her senses sharp in case she needs to do something while still making eye contact. And what she wanted to pay attention to right now was the current situation Richardson and company were doing. Her being at the ship wouldn't really help as much as others might hope she would.
It's hard to not spread rumors in a ship, even more so when the crew inside it doesn't really try to hide it. Fynsell was seen more like a watcher, a constant gargoyle that would document, note and report everything that happened in and out of the ships while eating the best food they had without moving an ounce to help when needed. She took offense to that because first, she is documenting everything, yes, but because she was asked to do so. And secondly, she truly never wanted to help these people, but ever since Connor broke the visage she showed of unfiltered authority, people stopped taking her as seriously as before.
Which for her was equal to not being taken seriously at all.
The slaves came and delivered news of a battle, which meant that this was either to take even more of the leftover authority she had if they won or have catastrophic consequences if the Foreman didn't do his job. In all seriousness, why is she even doing all of this? Why is she bothering so much with how she's seen? Why is her image and family name so important to her when there is only one person in that family that shows some amount of care? Why did she strive so much to be recognized and worthy of her place when the entire Confederation didn't want her there?
“My Lady?”, Jay asked, noticing the pained face Fynsell was making.
“Yes?”, She replied, forcing her face to hide her pain.
“Is something bothering you?”, Jay asked as he closed the door of her personal room.
“A lot of things actually.”, Fynsell sighed, “One of them is the possibility of a battle with the Pirates.”
“If you allow me, I doubt that a man solely focused on riches and schemes can prepare for the unpredictability of warfare.”, Jay said with a sarcastic tone, yet not untrue to the actual message.
The True Elf got up from her chair, “Then let's go verify the progress of it, shall we?”
“If you say so, but from a safe distance.”, The Magna said before any ideas sparked in his Lady's head.
They left the ship and galloped all the way towards the mountain range. No one questioned the reason why they left or why would it be it, they only breathed with ease having a sweet time for themselves. A shame that they took a horse to go there but the cost was worth the peace. As they rode to their destination, Jay’Ky spotted the catapults shooting something at the forest below. That puzzled him but he could guess what was happening after he heard the gunshots. They arrived shortly after the allied forces marched down the mountain towards the woods.
“I guess we can just wait.”, Jay said as he dismounted the horse. He offered to help Fynsell leave but she remained at the top of the animal.
“Do you have a monocular?”, Fynsell asked, her hand already stretched to take one.
“Binoculars, actually.”, He put the object in her hands.
The Noblewoman inspected the object with a curious and positively surprised “Huh” as she used them to inspect the battlefield. The Guard did the same with his single monocular, not as effective but still useful. They witnessed the progress of the battle, the pirates shooting the massive horde of animals and predators that appeared and the somewhat leadership of them failing to give any results whatsoever.
“Seems like they are completely disorganized.”, Fynsell commented idly. Jay couldn't tell if she was bored or apprehensive.
“That's probably because they don't have a competent leader.”, The Magna offered an explanation, “A Leader should have the traits that draw the attention of their followers, the intelligence to know when to act and when to wait as well as the ability to see others potentials.”
They saw the Sharpshooter Trap being used, drawing even more pirates to their death, the supposed leader being cornered from every direction, desperately trying to order his troops. They also saw a Sharpshooter defying said orders, or what they could guess to be defiance, actually doing more damage to the Foreman's troops than what the leader wanted or ever could do. Eventually the Sharpshooter fled and hid somewhere while the leader was captured. What puzzled the both of them was the allied Pirate giving a gun to Connor to finish the job instead of doing it himself.
And from the agonizing pain it followed, he…
Refused.
Why?
*BANG*
The Sharpshooter got back, attacking everyone. The Allied forces rushed for cover but a bunch of explosions and well aimed shots with the (likely) survivors of the attack breached the troops, killing a lot of soldiers. The battlefield turned into a mess, but nothing could predict the main fight of it.
“A Caster and an Alchemist.”, Jay said, both impressed and worried.
“I guess you did tell me warfare is unpredictable.”, Fynsell looked with great interest as the fight continued, “You might need to help them.”
“Me?”, Jay stopped using his binoculars and looked at the Elf, “What do you want me to do against that?”
“The Alchemist might me young from here,”, She looked at the Magna, “but I guarantee that the Pirate will lose this one.”
“If you say so.”, He wasn't particularly eager, if you couldn't tell.
But the prediction was correct. With an almost too perfect plan the Alchemist blasted the Caster to bits and finished him on the spot. This meant that Fynsell would be alone, but that wasn't a problem. She can hold herself with the majority of the fodder this island has shown, but better be safe than sorry.
“Please my Lady, keep your guard up.”, The Guard bowed, “I won't be here to assist you.”
“No need for worry, Jay.”, She said as she kicked the side of the horse, making it gallop, “I will be safe and sound!”
Jay nodded and proceeded to mentally prepare for what was coming.
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*CRACK*
“C'mon little bastard! This Magna here is ready for battle!”
“Even more so because I bottled up wrath from that stupid slave.”
“Ouch!”, Sam put a hand on his nose while assessing the pain, “What the hell?!”
The previous overall vibe of the battlefield was completely changed when the Human Sharpshooter was just punched in the face by a big horn leather wearing guy that just so happened to be very very sneaky. Convenient but also hard to believe that Fynsell was left alone on her own, a thing that sparked even more stress to Richardson now that he thought about it. Now however, the allied forces were somehow very grateful that someone did something to stop whatever the Sam guy would do, since none of them had any resolve to do anything about it.
Jay just drew his two short swords, reverse gripping one of them, “Thought you should be humbled.”
Sam clicked his tongue, “Really? That's the one line you had to say? Lame.”
The Magna rushed in a piercing movement who got quickly deflected by Sam's rifle. Using the butt of the gun and spinning his hip, he blocked the hidden slash that was coming from the reverse grip blade, but what he didn't expect was that Jay would just sweep his legs, making him fall on the ground. With no time to waste, he was about to stab the Human as he fell, but Sam managed to roll out of the way and hastily shoot at the Horned Man. The shot was made too quick to the point that Sam couldn't aim properly, thus Jay just weaved away from the gun while at the same time, landing a kick at Sam's side ribcage.
The human really didn't have time to use his magic since Jay constantly attacked him with relentless strikes. Each swing of Jay's short swords came with a force and precision that left little room for Sam to counter. Despite his quick reflexes and sharp instincts, Sam found himself on the defensive, dodging and parrying blows that seemed to come from all directions. In a desperate attempt to create some distance, Sam kicked up a cloud of dirt with his boot, momentarily obscuring Jay's vision. Taking advantage of the brief distraction, Sam scrambled to his feet and backed away, trying to catch his breath and think of a strategy.
He needed to be honest though, this battle was way better than the one McTavish gave him.
“Argh! Really?!”, Jay said as he cleaned the dirt off his eyes, “Now that's a low blow!”
“You are fast!”, Sam shouted behind cover with a tired smile on his face, the saltiness of the sweat dripping on his lips, “I need to be smart!”
Sam decided to change things for now. The rifle is a great weapon and all, one of the most sophisticated too, but the fire rate of this thing just isn't going to help, no matter how fast he is at reloading the single shot inside it. He decided to put one of his prototypes to the test, the latest form one could use a rifle with a lot of gun shells inside it to shoot at will. Instead of using a bolt action or a single shot reload, manually removing the cartridge and putting another, he was testing for a good while how a lever action rifle with a magazine would work.
In theory it should increase the firepower while at the same time reducing the need to constantly reload the gun, something that was still too much present as the rifles were relatively new to the world, existing for about five years. He started casting his Alchemy onto the gun, using the remaining materials of the musket he was using just a few seconds ago, transmuting the components and reorganizing them properly to make the weapon he envisioned. It was a complicated process to do, but since he studied, practiced with lots of trial and error as well as with different components and chemicals, this now was easy to do, especially with a motivated Sam wanting to see the results of said craft.
The rifle boasts a sleek design, with a sturdy steel receiver and a rich, walnut stock that not only adds to its aesthetic appeal but also ensures a comfortable and secure grip. The crescent-shaped buttplate aids in managing recoil, making the rifle more manageable during rapid firing. A tubular magazine, ingeniously situated beneath the barrel, allows the rifle to hold up to 15 rounds, significantly increasing the shooter’s capacity compared to traditional single-shot rifles. Cartridges are effortlessly loaded through a convenient side gate, enabling quick and efficient reloading. At the heart of this rifle's innovative design lies its lever-action mechanism. This mechanism allows the user to cycle the action by simply operating the lever loop, which surrounds the trigger guard. Pushing the lever down and forward ejects the spent cartridge, while pulling it back up chambers a new round, all in one smooth motion. This seamless operation not only enhances firing speed but also ensures reliability in various conditions.
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It looks like Sam is very good at designs too as he proudly looked at his gun.
Jay had about enough of cleaning his eye and was thankful to already be near a stone when his vision returned. Sam raised and aimed at the Magna, full intent on shooting but he sidestepped soon enough as the shot deafened his auditory ossicles. The recoil of the gun was unexpectedly small now that Sam noticed it, but what really caught and made hostage of everyone's attention was the sheer power behind the shot as the giant boulder just ceased to exist. Jay was scared for his dear life as the fragments of the stone were falling from the impact.
“Holy…!” Jay exclaimed, his voice shaking slightly as he glanced back at the remnants of the boulder. He looked over at Sam, eyes wide. “Where did you get that thing?”
Sam grinned, the exhaustion in his eyes replaced by a spark of triumph. “Made it myself,” he said, his voice filled with pride. “It's a prototype, but I think it works pretty well, don’t you?”
Jay'Ky frowned at that comment. It just seems like the kid is playing a game rather than risking his life. Not a bother to himself as Jay was very skilled in dealing with this kind of people that never took the environment seriously, but to everyone else. People that do things for fun are genuinely dangerous as they can develop their abilities at an absurd rate if not checked properly. Uncheckable power tends to send people's minds in a spiral of crazy and insane ideas, maybe one of the reasons he was grateful to only be a Martial Artist. Speaking of, he started breathing differently and Connor could swear for his dear life that the Magna was exhaling steam off his mouth. He positioned himself to launch at high speed and—
*WHOOOOSH*
*THOC*
Jay propelled himself forward using his internal Éter to increase the strength in his legs, blipping from the previous hiding spot to right in front of the Sharpshooter, piercing his torso with one of his blades. Not missing the surprise attack, the Magna slashed Sam in his arm, incapacitating his abilities to properly use the rifle. The human screamed in momentary agony as he successfully used another spell of transmutation to super oxidate the ground, making a non-lethal explosion, enough to split them apart from each other. Jay only managed to back off with only one of his swords, but that was the indented action.
This fight was going back and forth and the Wood Elf could only watch in the hopes of Jay winning, despite the previous interaction they had. The feeling of dependency teared up his skin as he felt again, powerless to do anything. McTavish gave him a gun, so should he use it? Can he use it? Well, he can but, how to do it without remembering that day is what he is wondering. As the Alchemist got new ideas for his fight, the Martial Artist quickly thought of a counter, so should Connor take as many notes or interfere somehow? Wouldn't it make the fight worse? Wouldn't he get in the way?
----------------------------------------
As the fight progressed, Richardson could only think of one thing right now: loose ends.
The Foreman turned to Zhivko, “Captain, order everyone to kill every pirate.”
“What?!”, The Eldorian Sailor asked, baffled by such an atrocious request, “Aren't they our comrades?!”
“Not anymore. We need to let the Magna do what is doing and ensure our safety.”, Richardson explained, not taking the eyes outside of the battle, “And besides, I was going to do it anyway. The less trouble we have in the future, the better.”
The logic was sound but the methods… not so much. Despite Richardson being only a Quartermaster here, he is the advisor on Gazeff all the way to Eldora. Going against him might have consequences. Bad consequences.
“Maybe that was his plan all along.”, Zhivko frowned.
“Alright Lads!”, The Captain called, “Every Pirate will meet the devil today! Fire at will!”
“Aye!”
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“Despite his craziness, he is good.”, The Magna thought as he assessed his wounds. Nothing too dangerous but enough for him to change his approach to this fight.
They were split now, Sam quickly hid, the knife still stuck in his stomach. He watched from the trees as he saw the dual wielding warrior looking for him. Maybe he could take a shot and be more proactive, but it would also open the opportunity for the Magna to pull the blade and make Sam die of blood loss, and that's a no-no for him. Casting a spell would reveal his position regardless, so better make it quick. His mind came up with a spell that would make it so he would partially heal that affected area and remove the blade, but it was going to be a dangerous maneuver.
Mainly because he doesn't know if he can properly transmute something made of biological matter as well as said matter being alive. Most experiments made by other Alchemists in this area resulted in failures or gave serious deformations, but they tested it in big scales and stakes. A small part of the overall body should in theory be fine, but the thought of it permanently deranging himself always took a portion in his mind.
“Ah, fuck it.”
He casted it, the flesh molding itself, the muscles rearranging and the organs morphing into something he wasn't sure. Sam needed to put a hand in his mouth to not scream as his body did something it didn't like, but the blade did come out as the blood loss was way less severe then he anticipated. Good, he could deal with some good news, as the bad news was that he was still with a severed tendon in his arm, unable to use it effectively as well as Jay being aware of his location.
Jay used his blade, sticking it on the trees to use it as a way to pull himself up, using his Éter to enhance his physicality. With precise jumps he got to the same level as Sam, who was still not in a good shape, but way better than before. The Sharpshooter jumped to other trees as he tried to heal the tendons in his arms while simultaneously being chased by the Magna, who quickly caught up and delivered a mean blow to the head, making him fall to the ground. Connor pushed against his inner turmoil, moving his feet even if trembling as he held the pistol close to his chest. He checked the gun and it was a single shot pistol. One chance was all he had, better not waste it.
Sam hit the ground hard, but rolled and proceeded to run, using his transmutation to shoot pillars from the dirt, sometimes using stone, others wood. Jay took cover on the trees, boulders and sometimes just stopped running as the projectiles passed right in front of him. He had to admit that Sam was making good progress in buying time as he healed his wounds, since even with the increased speed, reflexes and strength, Jay was unable to be near him for enough time to land a strike. The explosion he did earlier, despite not knowing exactly what it was, he knew that it took a great amount of Éter to use that spell.
In a matter of Magic Reserves, Jay trained his Éter Coils to be more effective, reducing the amount of magic needed to use his spells. It was essential to develop them like this because of his low levels of reserves compared to other Magic Sensitives, and it paid off most of the time. If the Sharpshooter didn't train his Coils even once, he might be running low on Éter eventually, but the consistent usage of spells one after the other made this line of thinking not be so accurate.
Sam finally managed to properly transmute his arm, making it operable enough to be usable. He quickly shot four times at the Magna, who needed to use even more speed to not be in the sights of his gun for more than half a second, especially since the Sharpshooter was shooting explosive rounds. The shockwave of each explosion was enough to send shivers down the spine of the expectations of the battle, so seeing Jay'Ky actually holding his ground and keeping with the pressure was impressive.
The Lever Action Rifle offered at least one shot per second, so the speed was necessary in order to avoid the bullets. Sam was aware that the Oxydated Rounds were good, but not enough to the speed of this guy, so instead of reloading another set of the same bullets, he removed the cylinder and replaced it with another set of rounds. These were a different brand of rounds, designed to be faster and lighter than the overall bullet.
Common bullets and cartridges are made of either lead, copper or steel, since these materials are highly malleable and cheap compared to other types of metal. Their design is usually made for general usage, most of them being interchangeable or even replaceable to other guns, thanks to the high demand but lack of technology development in both Vyzar and Petruvia. However, Sam managed to increase the effectiveness of his craft with a different type of bullet that focused on aerodynamics and light weight. Sure, it will reduce the power of the bullet, since it's not a High Piercing Round, designed to penetrate the hardest of armors, but…
Hypervelocity Rounds, made mainly of Copper and Bronze, extremely light on weight, requiring less power of the powder to travel the same distance and speed as standard bullets, as well as both cartridge and bullet being more aerodynamic in nature, but since Sam didn't reduce the power of his gun, the velocity was exponentially increased.
*BANG*
One shot was enough to hit Jay in his feet, tripping in himself but luckily landing near cover, as Sam continued to fire more shots. Some of them hit the Magna on the shoulder and belly, but the overall damage was way less severe than the standard bullet.
“Guess the tables have turned!”, Sam chuckled in delight, “Although I have to admit that I am not so sharp myself.”
“More speed, less power. You bastard, good move.”, Jay thought as he gripped the holes in himself.
Despite the confident claim of the Human, Sam was feeling the strain of his injuries and the continuous spellcasting. His Éter reserves were depleting quickly, and the pain from his makeshift healing was creeping back into his consciousness. But he couldn't let the Magna get the upper hand again. He needed to press his advantage. With his rifle reloaded and a plan forming in his mind, Sam decided to change his position. He darted through the forest, moving swiftly and silently, using the terrain he knew so much to his advantage. He needed to find a spot where he could get a clear shot without being seen. His eyes scanned the area, and he spotted a fallen tree that provided decent cover and a good vantage point.
Well, as good as any place on the ground can be in his state right now.
Jay, meanwhile, was trying to patch himself up. He tore a piece of his shirt underneath the leather armor and wrapped it around his wounds to stem the bleeding. The Hypervelocity Rounds had made his movements slower and as the bleeding, albeit in small amounts, still made the combat way more dangerous. He knew he couldn't rely solely on his speed anymore. He needed a different approach, especially if these bullets now in his body weren't properly disinfected, as infection can be as lethal as poisoning if not treated appropriately.
The thing is, what can they do to outsmart the other? Sam being in overwatch, patiently waiting for the slightest mistake of shift in concentration and Jay'Ky, trapped in his hiding spot with no possible way of leaving without getting shot.
*BANG*
Neither shifted their focus as Richardson and Zhivko shot the remaining pirates near them, no mercy being offered. Brutal? Yeah, obviously, but they were gonna be killed regardless. Connor only heard the shots fired and flinched slightly at them, barely containing his utter fear of being on the other side of the barrel and that was enough to Sam shoot at the tree Connor was in. Recon By Fire it's the name of this tactic, which did its purpose as Connor fell from shock, but Sam's eyes widened as that wasn't who he thought it was.
Another slash, this time hitting the neck, barely cutting the carotid vein, but avoided from being so by a shot hitting the arm of Jay as he lunges forward. Both were wounded on the exchange, Sam not being able to use his gun once again and Jay not being able to use his right arm to attack, but even if one arm was unusable, the other could still do damage, with the Sharpshooter using the rifle as a bat, hitting the Magna in the chin. Both collapsed on the ground, drained from energy, mainly Sam thanks to his reserves being completely erased, not being able to do nothing, not even heal his arm.
The Magna, although still conscious, couldn't exactly do anything for himself, as he laid down looking at the sky, the thoughts of his head only thinking if he proved himself to his people. And even if the Human did not have the Éter, he had enough strength to pick up the blade that was still with him, drawing it closer to the fallen Guard. Connor aimed the pistol, still trembling at the memories, the act and possibility of using the gun. But it was needed, he needed to shoot, he needed to.
To save Jay? To save himself? To save the crew? To have some agency in this war instead of being just a spectator? To confront the fear he has? To finally kill someone again after all these years? To have blood in his hands?
“Lad, shoot! NOW!”
The blade was descending, but Connor's finger just retracted on his own, shooting the gun again, after that happened. The bullet traveled at his usual speed in the air, cutting it in a terrifying symphony of Death, Despair and Closure. The projectile lodges itself in Sam's chest, saving the life of Jay in the process.
He did it. He shot the gun.
He used the gun.
He used it.
He killed someone.
Connor killed.
Kill.
The weight of that action settled heavily upon him, each syllable echoing through his mind like a thunderclap. He killed, not out of malice but necessity, driven by a primal urge to survive and protect those around him. The gunshot rang in his ears, drowning out everything else as he stood there, trembling, grappling with the enormity of what he had just done. His hand, still clutching the pistol, felt foreign to him, as if it belonged to someone else. The recoil of the weapon had jarred him, but the real impact was deeper, visceral. He had taken a life to save another, a decision made in an instant yet bound to haunt him for eternity.
Jay looked at who did the saving act and almost choked in his own blood after seeing the Wood Elf, “No… Fucking… Way…”
Connor just let the gun fall to the ground, no words spoken. The innocence of bystanderhood was gone, replaced by the stark truth that in war, survival demanded sacrifice.
He had shot the gun.
And in that single moment, Connor had irrevocably changed.