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Whisper 'Pretty' Jinx
‘Those’ Isles
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>
>
> Gallant Dogs
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> Mercenary Company
>
> (Banner -an ‘aroused’ black Molossus war dog)
>
> (Dictums – ‘Call the dogs’, ‘Do it for me Pretty’, ‘Pull it Rick’, ‘Bite their ankles off’ and ‘Send for Liko’ amongst others)
>
> *Command structure (194 NC)
>
>
>
>
>
> Gold Badge
>
> (Company’s Staff members – by seniority)
>
> Captain Dante Blackwood (KIA 189 Hellfort)
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> Captain Ottis (KIA 190 Eikenport)
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> Captain Whisper ‘Pretty’ Jinx (not with unit after 190?)
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> ‘Mighty’ Soren (not with unit after 190)
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> Victor ‘Pale’ Hook (KIA 189 Teid River)
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> Zola (KIA 190 aboard the Marquette)
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> Kirk and Cassara (The twins- KIA 188 in Oakenfalls)
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> (Commandant) Captain Rollon Martel
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> ‘Purse Officer’ Crafton
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> ‘The Kid’ Liko (later sergeant of First Office)
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> Monarch Arguen Garth Aniculo (Rumored)
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> -
>
>
>
> Three Companies
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>
>
> Old Dogs –
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> 350 soldiers (veteran armoured fighters)
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> First Sergeant Flavius Super
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> Second Sergeant Lu Douc-Re
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>
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> Gold Contract –
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> 250 soldiers (ex-300 company members)
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> Captain Nathaniel Wyncall (2nd in command)
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> 3rd Sergeant Bardo Masin
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>
>
> The Grunts (Spear infantry)
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> Around 400 (All recruits served here first)
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> Captain Elmer Sax (3rd in command)
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> 4th Sergeant Tule Nzo
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>
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> Engineers
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> (With the supply train)
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> Around 120 (+ Ten Scorpios, 3 Heavy Catapults)
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> Sergeant (of Engineers) Ricard White
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> Second (Engineer) Rick Willian
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> Dottore Dalai-Tue
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>
>
> Company Staff personnel
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> ‘Purse Officer’ Crafton
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> ‘The Kid’ Liko (Sergeant of First Office)
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> Johnny ‘Hardwood’ (Recruiter)
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> Nita Ola (Female scribe –Johnny’s slave)
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>
>
> *The company was stationed permanently in the Garth District of Eikenport in the ‘Home’, but had business interests in other districts and ports. Later it expanded in several cities and had recruiting agents in most Guild headquarters. According to the ‘ledger’ the Mercenary Guild’s records in Castalor, the Dogs reached the status of being ‘the richest’ company in the realm around 193 (toppling the Iron Fists of Parmaport) and never lost it. Usually numbered around a thousand soldiers.
>
> 2) Rollon Martel was the last member to receive the original golden badge as it was replaced with the now common silver ‘dog pendant’ after 193 NC.
>
> 3) All original members were portrayed in commissioned paintings inside the commander’s office in the headquarters’ building, what Martel later turned into the company’s museum hall to generate revenue, moving the headquarters’ into the Watchtower after the Dogs ‘camp’ expanded outside its walls.
>
>
-
Early Spring 194 NC
Eikenport
image [https://i.postimg.cc/GbrJcjNF/Eikenport-city-fu-png.jpg]
“YEET!” Jinx screamed vaulting from the roof of the water mill, Sam Mathews watching horrified as she skimmed dangerously near the rotating blades, left hand holding on for half-a-second to change direction and then plunged towards the frothy waters. With a protracted yelp the Gish hit the surface of Felmond River and disappeared inside.
Bubbly bubbles and murky water with sugarcane leaves.
Rotting.
Jinx kicked her legs and dived under the current produced by the blades hitting the surface. Flaying hands and knees scrapping thick sludge at the bottom. The tunic making swimming difficult so she kicked and clawed out of it, small bubbles coming out of her nostrils.
Wrapped it around her right forearm not to lose it.
Gish are very difficult to drown in friendly clean water –be it ponds, bathtubs or half-barrels. Full barrels are difficult to get out of. Anyways, they are not easy to drown unless they are drunk which is pretty common in the species or fall asleep in them which is the only way to rest fully. So there is that. Hmm.
The sea or a big river now… well, then it gets trickier, she decided, the whole matter proving way more dangerous an activity in retrospect and Felmond is a big river in the winter?
Uhm.
You wouldn’t know it of course in Eikenport or this south on Eplas.
Jinx had almost died from lack of sleep anyways and insufficient moisture crossing the mountain tunnels. Not to mention of fright of the creepy dark and creepy crawlers wit their pointed creepy feet and little creepy eyes.
Dead mostly but walk by a two meter tall insect and see how you feel about it!
Something slapped her in the face and she panicked, let out a mighty scream.
Forgot she was still swimming at the bottom of the river.
Got half-a-barrel of water in her lungs via her open mouth.
OH SHIT!
HELP!
NO!
More drink went in!
Jinx kicked wildly to get to the distant surface, spitting out water and taking in more which was frustrating!
Oi, I lost me good tunic! No!
Nooo!
Get it back.
“Geter lht blanh!” She cried out ineligibly upon bursting to the surface, soaked hair covering her eyes and shoulders in a pink blanket. The Gish coughed to clear her mouth and lungs, relieved but nicely wet. Then Jinx was taken by the strong current towards the sea and she had to start swimming again.
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An hour later a drenched in sweat Marlo appeared walking down the north banks of the river, the sound of a heavy slap landing on skin waking a dozing off Jinx up. She’d an oldfly flying in her mouth trying to get out.
Made her front teeth tickle something fierce.
Jinx coughed it out and an alarmed Sam Mathews voice was heard.
“You heard that?”
“I hear bugs and the plaguing river,” Marlo griped not five meters from Jinx. Granted the muddy Gish was hidden behind relatively tall foliage. “Wait, is that a frog? Ayup, that’s a good lung there.”
“Think I heard her,” Mathews insisted, arms crossed on his chest.
“I don’t want to be the bringer of bad news lad,” Marlo told him sadly. “But I saw her going under. Few folk come back from that.”
“She’s a Gish.”
“Isn’t she a Folk in theory?”
“Oi,” Jinx croaked and pushed herself up, then used fingers and heavy snorting to clear her clogged nostrils. “Here, hey look!”
“Jinx?” Sam said and then turned her way. “There! I see some pink.”
Marlo squinted his eyes looking at the bouncing up and down Gish. “I see it too, size of them old copper coins! Goodness me. Them are some perky tits. Who would’ve thunk?”
“Allgods,” Sam grunted and rushed near her. “We found yer tunic!”
Jinx grabbed it from his belt and twirled around to put it on, missed the correct side and the tunic hang lower at the front, but showed a lot of arse at the back.
“I took a nap,” she explained casually whilst trying to get the fabric to cooperate under the adventurers’ scrutiny. Marlo’s head bent sideways to see whether her efforts were met with any success.
“It is three kilometers from the water mill Jinx,” Sam scolded her. “What was the purpose of this?”
“Wanted to shock the sleep out of my system,” Jinx explained and looked at Marlo.
“Good grief,” Sam exclaimed not believing his ears.
“Well?” Jinx asked Marlo.
“Pull at it a bit more,” the veteran adventurer replied to her query all serious. “Got most of the area covered up. Plenty of flesh there to work wit lass.”
Jinx grinned. “I’ve lost some in the journey.”
“Happens to me too,” Marlo agreed and eyed the frustrated Mathews. “What? That right there is yer problem mate. You got to learn to make casual conversation. Yer too uptight.”
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Marlo placed the big beer cup down and burped thunderously. Blinked once to clear the tears from his eyes and looked at the waiter.
“As I was saying,” he continued his conversation from earlier. “You need to get yourself a girl mate.”
“It’s not easy in our line of business,” Sam replied stiffly.
Jinx glanced at him. “What’s that got to do wit anything?”
“You know. We are living a dangerous life and people get hurt.”
She sighed, Marlo shaking his head across from her. “Sam just because you lost someone on the job don’t mean it’ll happen always. You must stay positive.”
“Wow, this coming from you is fresh,” Mathews retorted. “You almost killed yourself ten times in this journey.”
Jinx pouted. “No, I didn’t. When?”
“Remember the plant?”
“Pfft, was trying to piss.”
“So?”
“Don’t you think about other stuff when on the task?” Jinx queried and glugged down the rest of her beer. Even managed a burp but it wasn’t nearly as impressive as the experienced adventurer’s.
Marlo –the experienced adventurer- got a silver coin out of his purse and slapped it on the table. “There,” he said looking at Mathews shrewdly.
“What is that?”
“A silver dinar? Oh, wait… it’s a fucking Imperial coin,” he took it back and placed a smaller silver in its stead. “There.”
“What is it for?” Mathews asked pursing his mouth. He is really cute in this light, Jinx thought. Nice cock too. She smacked her lips. Must be the beer.
“You use it to find a girl,” Marlo explained.
“Yeah, I don’t need a cheap whore from this place,” Mathews grunted and pushed back on the chair.
“Cheap? Lad, ye want a loftier one, get yer own purse out. It’s a plaguing gesture. Ain’t about to fund ye to experiment and shite,” Marlo protested. “And you can get plenty out of that coin I’ll have you know. Yer in Eikenport not Issir’s Eagle.”
“Gratitude, but I won’t take advice from you. You find Aenymriel attractive,” Mathews cut him off.
Aww, Jinx thought glancing about the small tavern for anything interesting.
“Hey,” Marlo grunted seeming very passionate about the matter. “You got to look past them boyish short hair and the weird aloof attitude. Lass has some right exotic eyes and a darn lethal figure. A gazelle. Good fucking grief! You can tell right away she knows how to use it.”
“Aloof ain’t what I’d have used. More like lurking aye,” Mathew argued with a peeved stare. “But I’ll give ye lethal.”
A tall teenager walked past the open door at that moment and caught her eye.
“That’s Liko!” Jinx s squealed and jumped up from her chair. Landed on the table, toppling the cups and causing quite the startle to both adventurers. She leaped from it, arm of her bow pushing the approaching waiter’s foot aside mid-stride when she landed in his path. The man went down with a panicked yelp, the loaded tray landing on his head with a clang, drinks spilling, empty cups clattering on the tiles and an indifferent Jinx twirled around lithely on the tips of her toes before coming to a brief stop. With the patrons staring her way shocked at the sudden mess, she fixed the protruding bow on her back, blew some of the loose pink curls away from her face and then sprinted out of the tavern screaming at the top of her lungs.
“OIII THERE! HEY YOU! LIKO!”
Liko paused and turned around unsure on who the screeching crazy female voice belong to but quickly recognized the dashing his way Gish. He grinned pleasantly surprised, eyes ogling full of concern when Jinx jumped into his arms and almost brought them both down.
“Ugh. Jinx?” Liko gasped while she sniffed at his neck to gauge where he’d been. He had a fine piece of leather armour on and a small sword. “You’re here?”
“Whoa,” a flushed Jinx replied, straddling his waist with both legs, arms around his neck and still not reaching him fully. “When did ye get so fucking big?”
“Eh, not really,” Liko turned red in the face and glanced at the onlookers that stopped to watch the exchange and the furious tavern employee standing at the doorway dripping spilt beer. A bleeding gush marring his forehead. “I gained some inches last couple of years,” he murmured embarrassed and tried to place his arms around the smaller Gish to keep her from falling.
Jinx wasn’t about to fall –unless she wanted to- but she had a sudden urge to piss either from the excess consumption of cheap beer or out of arousal from getting her soft parts nicely squashed against the larger male’s protrusions.
Bulges?
“Mmm, yer plenty grown I see,” Jinx purred looking in his flushed face. “Is that yer belt buckle poking at me nether regions?”
“Standard issued belt,” Liko croaked an excuse and Jinx climbed down, which only made Liko appear even bigger.
He-he.
Facts.
“I thought Gallant Dogs up and left already?”
“Two ships have departed,” Liko said and fixed the left side of her tunic, Jinx had her leather vest in her bag. She now wore the tunic properly but due to all the earlier pulling, tits tended to pop out which was fine by her. A girl has to showcase what she has especially when there’s a lot of it. “But Martel is still at port, some of the officers and the engineers,” Liko explained a bit weirded out seeing the large silly smirk creeping up on the Gish’s face.
“Aha, whose idea was it?” Jinx queried and reaching in her pants pulled out a silver coin. She lobbed it towards the angry tavern employee and he caught it with a glare. Marlo and Mathews coming out of the tavern right after.
“It’s a contract Captain,” Liko replied with a glance at the approaching duo. “Is big Soren with you?”
“He has a girlfriend,” Jinx replied stiffly.
“That’s nice.”
“But she’s too old to travel and needy. So Soren stayed in Goras,” Jinx added.
“Ah,” Liko blinked comically.
“Lass,” Marlo grunted, windswept face scrunching this way and that. “I’ve a carafe of spilt beer lubing me arsecrack something funny and them areas a decent man doesn’t touch.”
“How about a decent woman?” Jinx retorted and Marlo furrowed his brows thinking about it.
“Is that young Liko?” Mathews intervened and gave the nervous teenager a manly bone-crashing hug that made him squeal. “You got to eat some son,” he counseled looking at him up and down. “You’re still too small for the army.”
What a bunch of crock!
Jinx glared at the adventurer. “What is it that yer implying mister Sam?”
“Huh? Wasn’t… Oh, goodness me! Not everything is about you Jinx!”
“Hmm,” Jinx channeled her inner Glen in her next stern reply. “I don’t believe you.”
“Lad,” a still scowling Marlo grunted, interrupting their silly back and forth. He had a cloth in his right hand and used it to clean the back of his pants. “Where are the Dogs?”
“The Cofol docks,” Liko explained then blinked unsure. “You guys didn’t come in a ship? No way! You didn’t?”
Marlo smacked his lips, brought the damp cloth near his face and sniffed at it. With another grimace and a glare at the shoulder-shrugging Jinx he replied hoarsely.
“Ayup. Through that plaguing deadly jungle our Monarch calls ‘Goras Boulevard’ me arse and them blasted mountain caves the blue idiots baptized ‘Quiceran Road’, because why the fuck not?” The veteran adventurer sucked air in to clear his lungs after tossing the dirty cloth on the street. Then he added gravely. “Twas a calloused finger up the stinger.”
Everyone made a face at that.
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Commandant Martel frowned seeing Liko and Jinx approach on foot followed by the two Adventurers. Mathews was bringing up the horses. The ship docks mostly empty, but for a large transport moored at the largest slipway, two ramps lowered from its deck that had soldiers and civilian crews loading supplies to its cargo holds.
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“Liko…” Martel started then paused. “Captain Jinx? Why, I’ll be a dog’s mother!”
“Hey Rollon!” Jinx beamed happy to see him again. Several soldiers stopped what they were doing upon noticing the short Gish. Murmurs were heard immediately from the ‘Dogs’ present, those that knew her from before and those that didn’t.
“Is that Jinx?” A young Dog asked squinting his eyes.
“That’s the first Captain!” Another yelped trying to get nearer.
“She’s sort of pretty? What’s wrong wit her face?”
Jinx scowled and threw a stare at the watching soldiers.
“Captain,” Martel greeted her and grabbed a forearm she’d raised in greeting with his large fingers to shake it. “I wasn’t informed you were in Eikenport.”
“Just got here. Paused for a bath and a drink?” Jinx grinned and jumped to give him a slap on the shoulder. “Checked the camp and thought you were out training.”
“We had enough of that,” Martel replied and glared in turn at the noisy mercenaries. “Get moving,” he ordered warningly.
“I learned the company is going to Jelin?” Jinx asked and Martel glanced at her serious expression troubled.
“Why, yes ma’am. The Gold and the Grunts have already sailed,” he said unsure. “It’s a lucrative contract.”
“To fight against the Khan,” Jinx noted hands lodged at her waist in frustration.
“We are helping the Queen of Kaltha. Future Queen that is.”
“Does the queen have any other army?” Jinx queried looking at him knowingly. “Because the Khan usually travels in big company.”
“With her? Aye. But she expects Scaldingport and Castalor to have more soldiers raised already.”
“And?” Jinx asked with a pout. She got distracted by a handsome Issir waving at her from the ship. “What about the other cities?”
Martel stood back a little uneasy. “Well, I’m not privy to the political stuff but I assume they’ll make their own effort. Unite under the common foe and all.”
“It sounds risky Rollon.”
“It’s a big contract Captain. Elsanne is good for it and think of the future potential rewards here!”
“You got paid in advance?” Jinx queried with a side-glance and Martel nodded sheepishly.
It was more of an upwards looking glance. Jinx’s neck had started cramping. She took a small step back from the tall human. Then another.
Eh.
“Half the sum. I had to take it that’s a lot of mouths to feed. Also extra animals to replace our old ones upon landing in Scaldingport, whilst we secured a good price for supplies and an order for a couple of hundred crossbows made for the Dogs in Castalor.”
Jinx grimaced, her eyes on a familiar sergeant approaching. A former Rida guard.
“We could go through the plans on the ship,” Martel explained seeing her considering it.
“Eh, no I can’t,” Jinx cut him off.
“I have a cabin. The whole ship is leased,” Martel insisted.
Jinx shook her head right and left. “I can’t do it. It’s too dangerous for everyone.”
“Ahm, how is it… never mind, we can talk here I suppose,” Martel yielded.
She allowed her eyes to roam at the loading docks and the many mercenaries that had returned to their jobs, though several remained to gaze at the Gish and a couple of sergeants were arguing passionately next to a large wagon ten meters away.
Look at all the Dogs, she thought a wave of emotion overwhelming her.
“You’ve done a great job Rollon,” Jinx started, her voice breaking. “Dante would’ve been proud. I’m sure he watches us right now,” she sobbed, fat tears rolling down her red-rimmed eyes.
Commandant Martel rubbed his short hair with a hand, looking a little uncomfortable. “Others have laid the foundations ma’am,” he started and seeing Jinx’s face crumbling in the attempt to keep the ugly sniffles in, he paused.
“I’m fine,” Jinx’s croaked and wiped her face with a forearm.
Fuck. That’s a lot of snot coming out.
Martel approached to offer her a hankie and she hugged him tight shuddering all over. What the allhells has gotten into you? She admonished herself and planted her face in the officer’s chest.
“Ehm, there… it’s,” Martel glowered at the frozen sergeant. “Go get that bottle of whiskey from my cabin.” He ordered gruffly. “Move yer feet sergeant Super!”
“Aye sir,” Super replied and trotted up the ramp several nearby soldiers commenting at the high-ranking officers hugging in plain view.
“Are they?”
“Don’t be a fool, she’s crying I think.”
“How is that better?”
“Had a piglet once,” a third reminisced. “Made the same sounds?”
Jinx raised her head to glare at him with swollen eyes.
“We could perhaps move this somewhere more private?” Martel offered then frowned, while Jinx wiped her face on his leather armour. The surface was pretty rough. “This came out wrong. Apologies Captain.”
“I’m much better now,” Jinx replied with a hoarse voice. “Must be close to my breeding years,” she murmured unconsciously and extricated herself from the officer’s arms half-heartedly. “Me hormones are all fucked up.”
“What was that ma’am?”
“Nothing,” Jinx retorted quickly and blinked somewhat panicked.
“I thought ye said—”
“Ye heard wrong Rollon!”
“Yes ma’am,” Martel replied stiffly. “Must be all the noise.”
“I’m telling ye Rick,” Sergeant (of engineers) Ricard White told Sergeant Rick Willian ten meters away. “I molded a large lead shot for the catapult.”
A curious Jinx turned her head to watch their exchange.
“Still, a quarter the size of the bucket,” Rick argued.
“Sure, but we could load four of them each time, fired in a spread like canister?” Ricard explained.
“That’s a lot of trouble. How do ye know it’ll be effective?” Rick Willian wasn’t convinced. The higher ranking sergeant pointed a finger to a boat moored at the dock.
“We could test it right now on this ship.”
“That’s a fishing boat sir.”
“So?”
“Eh, what about the owner?”
“I bought it this morning for this very reason,” Ricard assured him. “So we assemble the machine on the quick, set it up… say next to the Cofol headquarters building and fire a couple of shots at the docks. See if we sink it.”
“Why, that’s a sound idea sir,” Rick agreed. “I’ll get the crews going.”
Martel had to intervene. “There’ll be no bombarding of the docks!” He bellowed and walked towards the two sergeants. “Get the wagons unloaded. That is into the ship White!”
“Sir!” Ricard White argued. “We just need an hour to set it up!”
“I don’t care!” Martel barked.
“Rick can do it sir!” White insisted clenching his teeth. Jinx chuckled between snorts.
“That’s right Commandant, it’s no bother really,” Rick backed up his fellow engineer.
“Shut up Rick!” Martel snapped and eyed them both warningly. “You rascals get yer stuff on the ship afore nightfall. White, I mean it. Don’t make me deal with this malarkey again.”
The engineer grimaced unhappy with his decision. “This is a golden opportunity wasted. I’m logging a complaint with Crafton.”
“You better not!”
“What about the fishing boat sir?” A disappointed Rick Willian asked in a sad voice.
Martel glanced at the boat. “Tie it on the blasted ship. We’ll bring it with us,” he decided.
Jinx grinned and accepted a cup of whiskey sergeant Super had brought her. The commandant returned all flushed from the encounter and eyed the bottle.
“You brought just one cup?” He asked Sergeant Flavius Super.
“Affirmative sir.”
“Give me the bottle. I’ll take a sip,” Martel decided.
Jinx gulped down the strong drink and blinked, her throat burning nicely. “Tits! Can I have another?”
“Of course,” Martel replied keeping his face straight and filled her cup back up again. “You’ll be coming along to Scaldingport Captain Jinx?” He asked casually.
“I can’t.”
“I’ll have a cabin prepared,” Martel insisted. “The men’s morale needs your presence given the task ahead.”
Jinx shook her head negatively. “I can’t risk a sea journey Rollon. Or the men’s lives.”
“The route is clear and we can handle anything coming our way ma’am.”
“Yeah, I can’t.”
Martel furrowed his thick brows. “Can I have a reason?”
“Can you handle a Kraken?” Jinx countered.
“Eh, that’s a remote…” Martel paused unsure.
“It isn’t. Not if I travel with you,” Jinx explained and finished her second cup.
Damn.
Made my toes tingle!
“I can’t see another way to cross Shallow Sea,” Martel said deep in thought sounding very disappointed.
“For me?” Jinx turned a grimace into a grin. “I could use Glen’s transport.”
The commandant of the Gallant Dogs stood back. “Which is?” He queried with renewed interest.
Jinx pursed her numb lips comically. “A Wyvern?”
Mathews who had managed to remain silent up until this point started coughing. Marlo being more critical.
“Don’t see how ye pull that off pink lass,” he argued and Jinx glared at him.
“Sen got a ride. She was like way heavier than me!” she griped hefting the cup in her hand. Not that Jinx wanted to risk befriending Biscuit but this was a matter of fucking principle!
“Ayup, don’t take it the wrong way now,” Marlo agreed with a knowing smirk. “She was and in all them right places.”
Jinx did take it the wrong way as a matter of fact.
So Marlo got an empty cup right between the eyes for that. Almost knocked him out cold right then and there.
-
Two hours later
PLINK
PLONK
PLINK-PLONK
TADUM
“Stupid fucking tune makes me head hurt,” Marlo complained pressing a wet cloth on the welt formed on his forehead.
“Serves ye right,” Jinx retorted still angry with him and stared at the pirate crowd slipping downstairs to the ‘games’ room. “Think they got races going, hmm?”
“I just want to have a quiet meal,” Mathews replied looking at his plate. “That’s a strange piece of meat, small legs. What do you think it is?”
“Fuck I know?” Marlo griped and downed a goblet with rum in a single go. “This smells like piss fer sure!”
“Better I check it out,” Jinx decided and got up.
“Lady Jinx surely you won’t wager at this time?” Mathews noted.
“What’s wrong wit the time mister Sam?” Jinx taunted.
“It’s early?” Mathews commented tasting the meat. Teeth crunching on the small bones. “Eh, chicken-like I think.”
“Races run the whole day I have you know,” Jinx replied and pouted when a pirate bumped her aside rudely.
“What races be that?” Marlo asked burping.
“Rats usually. Best way to keep the population down,” Jinx answered absentmindedly and tripped the legs of the pirate that had pushed her earlier. She send him head first on one of the tavern’s supports. Mathews had paused chewing with a shocked expression on his face. Then he swallowed slowly all the material and reached for Marlo’s refilled goblet.
Washed everything down in large desperate gulps.
“Who done that?” The bleeding down his nose pirate grumbled angrily getting up and the band stopped playing. Not the same band as years before, but you wouldn’t know it given how awful they both were.
“This guy,” Jinx said and pointed a dirty finger to a fat bellied patron hiccupping nearby.
“Ugh? Fuck off… Bill Jung! That pink… cunt is lying!” The man protested between hiccups.
“Bill?” The dazed pirate asked a man standing behind Jinx for a second opinion. Another Bill apparently.
“This Gish done it Bill,” the other Bill said and pointed a claw at Jinx who squinted her eyes.
“Yer lying Bill,” she retorted pushing her chest out. The fat patron pursed his mouth to keep the burps in and focused his attention on her.
Eyes glinting.
“Lurd does a lot of that,” another pirate agreed. A scarred heavy-set thug, part of a large group that had entered the tavern together. Jinx had missed that. “Right Bad Penny?”
“Arr,” Bad Penny, a wiry pirate replied with a smirk. “As ‘Scarred’ Clive said it’s a common thing. But is this the case dis time I wonder?”
“It is,” Jinx hissed glaring at them.
“I know what I saw. She tripped him,” Bill Lurd insisted and Bill Jung clenched a ring-adorned fist, the other planted under his nose to stem the bleeding.
“No, I didn’t! You limp-cocked son of a goat!” Jinx protested with righteous indignation and plenty of cursing.
“Now that’s a nasty cunt alright,” he growled. “Could she be lying though?”
“Now, don’t be going about fouling all cunts in this kind o’ manner,” Clive admonished him. “Tack ye tell him. Some good wenches in the brotherhood eh?”
Another pirate with a murderer’s eyes had appeared, the group getting larger around Jinx. He smacked his lips, a couple of large golden teeth visible in the grimace. “Some,” Tack rustled slowly.
That was it. He didn’t elaborate further.
“Aye,” the fat patron agreed picking up the thread, although he wasn’t part of their group. Obviously this is a ship’s crew, Jinx thought quickly and looked for a way to leg it out of trouble. “Not Leona though. So he got a bit of truth in there me thinks.”
“I give ye dirty ‘Foxy’ sure,” a badly weathered man wearing a new yellow sash on his neck said. New, given how worn out the rest of his fancy clothes and boots were.
“Rose was nasty as well. Good riddance eh?” Jinx said to steer the conversation away from her completely and the gaunt man’s expression changed in an instant. Eyes turning suspicious first then angry.
What in Lena’s tits is this? Jinx thought alarmed.
“No she wasn’t,” the older pirate grunted eyeing her. “Why would ye say that?”
“Dawson is in the right,” Clive decided with a nod. “Why would you?”
Jinx gulped down caught unawares. “She tried to kill me?”
You could hear a pin drop inside the tavern.
And a tray laden with ceramic rum cups. It clattered down making a hell of a ruckus. Dawson pressed his wrinkled mouth tight, cracked lips turning white and stared at his half-torn boots thoughtfully for a moment.
“Obviously she failed,” the pirate rustled slowly, all other men from the group looking at him intently. That’s their fucking captain, Jinx decided. I got a whole foot in me mouth, didn’t I? “And then you killed her.”
Jinx blinked her almost red pupils panicked. She also wanted to piss badly, which was a problem she carried since they had left the docks with a promise to return afore the Dogs departure, but Jinx had kind of forgotten about it for a while.
Eh.
“I didn’t,” she started, all eyes set on her making her very uncomfortable. “A blue cunt did.”
“What did she say?” Bill, the one with the bleeding nose, asked.
“This is getting confusing,” ‘Bad’ Penny admitted with a frown. “That’s a lot colors thrown in. More than I ever encountered.”
“How do you justify that?” Dawson asked her solemnly.
“I don’t. Not really,” Jinx replied in the same vein and gauged the distance to their table. Mathews and Marlo had gotten up but the numbers inside the tavern would get them both killed. Not that way. Find the stairs, she decided. “These are your laws human.”
“Such they are,” Dawson agreed sadly and eyed his crew. “Grab her.”
You don’t give a Gish half a warning. By the time everyone got going, Jinx was on the move.
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A dash and the nimble Gish ducked under the injured Bill Jung’s open legs, top of her pink head smashing his jewels. Bill groaned and doubled over spraying blood on Tack’s face. Jinx twirled out of ‘Bad’ Penny’s arms, the left grabbing at her right tit over the tunic. Penny pulled at the fabric, but it slipped from his fingers. Jinx leaped on a table, touched the edge briefly, the other side rising about to topple and then somersaulted over ‘Scarred’ Clive, boots using his head as leverage squashing the roaring pirate’s tall hat.
She landed in a roll before the staircase leading to the second floor, a hand tacking calmly the spilt breast inside and the other slapping the fat patron’s fingers away. A pouting Jinx sprang up and run the steps two at a time whilst the tavern exploded in chaos. Tables upturning, glasses breaking, patrons yelling, wenches screaming and pirates cursing behind her.
Jinx climbed up the stairs, a determined half-snarl on her flushed face, turned upon reaching the top, boots sliding on the floor and left shoulder slamming on a closed door. A gasp and she tried the next one, heavy boots rushing up the stairs after her and the place coming alive as the band started playing with enthusiasm mistaking the patrons changing mood.
The usual pandemonium ensued.
The third door was unlocked and Jinx burst inside breathing heavy. The Gish glanced at the window unsure recalling the previous time she had used it, but not recalling if this was the same room.
Very important detail this.
“Shit,” she cursed, then turned around and peeked outside the door, yelping scared when a pirate spotted her. Bill Lurd.
“It’s you!” Bill yelled accusingly.
“No, I just work the rooms!” Jinx screamed and retreated inside the room.
“Ye lying wench!” Lurd cursed and run after her. Jinx looked about the room, found nothing of use so she went for the window again, quickly adjusting the weapon harness she wore over her tunic. She had left her bow and arrows with the horses but the stable was near. Just a floor down. Got cold feet midway there and turned left instead of jumping off of the lip. Talk about options. Walked the rim, fingers gripping at the wall and skirted nervously towards the next room. Now, where was that darn merchant’s stand? She wondered afore catching herself a bit freaked out.
Don’t look down!
“Ticu be sleepin’ in Abrakas’ tentacles!” Lurd grunted and poked his disheveled head out of the window. He looked left and then right. Blinked when he spotted the Gish acrobating her way towards safety. “Good grief.”
“Get her!” Somewhere barked from inside the room and Lurd turned to glare at him.
“Arr ye cracked in the head? Ain’t no blasted way, I’m stepping outside the window!”
Jinx reached the next one and put a foot on the edge but found it closed. She tried to give it a kick and almost lost her grasp. Started pissing down her leg in her panic. A little. Just a tiny spurt. Cursing Jinx glanced down, her legs shaking and then beyond the window. She spotted a drainage pipe there and leaped at it without a second thought.
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Jinx turned around to leg it towards the Black Market the moment her toes touched the ground but a blade almost took her head clean off. She ducked under it, reaching for her shortsword, but Dawson grabbed her arm and shoved her back on the wall of the tavern, lifting the short Gish clean off of her feet.
Jinx swung with her free arm and caught him at the ear, but Dawson slammed her head on the wall once furious. The rattled Gish pretended she had fainted and the pirate captain let go of her to rub at his hurting head.
She sneakily opened a teary eyelid and saw the blade aimed for her face.
“Don’t even think about it,” Dawson grunted, the voices of a small crowd reaching them. More pirates turned the corner of the building, along some patrons with Sam Mathews and Marlo amidst them. “We’ll settle this according to the old brotherhood code.”
“What’s the code then for this?” Jinx hissed not impressed.
“You’ll walk the plank lass,” Dawson retorted gravely. “Rose was a good sister of the guild.”
Well, if this was bad afore, it is doubly bad now, an anxious Jinx thought.
“I defended myself!” Jinx snapped angrily going on the offensive.
A darn true story also. Cost Zola her life.
“You’ll say yer piece first. Then we’ll vote,” Dawson rustled setting his jaw. “Running away showed yer guilt in front of men and gods.”
“Cut the pious crap mister yellow sash!” Jinx hissed with a glare. “I know yer lot! Good sister me arse!”
“Captain,” Mathews said diplomatically over the murmurs of the small crowd that had gathered there. “If I can have a word on the matter?”
“That’s just plaguing great,” Marlo commented sourly counting the pirates amidst the crowd, a nervous hand on the handle of his sword. “As if talking didn’t bring all this on our heads!”
“She killed Red Atterton’s daughter,” Dawson grunted and glared at the tensed adventurer. “You seem like a man of the guild. Ye don’t defend yer members?”
“Lady Jinx isn’t a senseless killer Captain,” Mathews protested, clenching his jaw. “You go through with this, I intent to stop you.”
Aww, bless his heart, Jinx thought getting all emotional again. He’s so brave!
“This be a rather lofty statement,” Clive rejoined eyeing him and Marlo. The veteran adventurer shoved a civilian away to have room to draw his blade, probably because he didn’t trust Mathews was going to convince them with words. “But yer lacking in numbers mate.”
Yep.
“Ayup,” Penny agreed as well pursing his mouth. “Indubitably.”
Several of the bystanders looking at him surprised at the eloquent verbiage. Penny shrugged his shoulders.
Jinx glanced at the silent Dawson and frowned seeing the look on his face. The pirate reached with a rough hand, whilst Jinx flinched away unsure, to touch her cheek.
Ah, this is getting creepier, the Gish thought. Then again…
“Hey there,” she whispered in a negotiating mood but Dawson pulled his fingers back and lowered his sword.
“You look like her,” the pirate Captain murmured. “Now I see it.”
“Yellow?” Clive rustled unsure on this new development.
Ah, so this is the reason, Jinx thought and licked her dry lips to prop them up some. Girls jumping down a building find it more challenging to maintain their looks than girls working the ports. “Rolled in the hay with a Gish didn’t ye? Where was it?” She asked Dawson teasingly, eyelashes flickering and all, which caused a bit of a stir with some of his men. Others pretending indifference not very successfully.
The pirate Captain made a face, his eyes blurry. “The Isles,” he admitted hoarsely and pursed his mouth at the memory.
“What? Didn’t ye say we shouldn’t touch—” Bill Lurd cried out in shock afore getting silenced by ‘Bad’ Penny with a slap on the shoulder mid-sentence.
Alright dude, Jinx thought unsure and smiled friendly. She didn’t really like old men.
“But you remind me of Linx not her. I see it clearly now in the light,” Dawson added and breathed out finding himself facing a dilemma for some reason. His next words confirming it. “So thus I stand baffled at this marvel, for I can only hazard which deity is at fault.”
Whoa, ye knocked it right out o’ the park.
But sure, me too. Let’s work this out. Hmm?
Wait…
“Linx?” Jinx asked her face turning pale and heart skipping a beat in her chest. Dawson nodded, then shook his head stoically, decision made.
‘Those’ Isles was yer meaning.
Shite.
A black curtain fell over her head. The overwhelmed Gish collapsed next to the building before Dawson could catch her. Jinx’s legs just gave under her.
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That night Jinx stood at the docks in deep contemplation. She’d a small necklace, a rough leather cord entwined with pink pearls, looped twice over her left wrist. Dawson had ‘given’ her the necklace as a parting gift. The pirate captain had sailed for Scaldingport that noon for ‘one last job with the Brotherhood’ as he’d said.
Hmm.
Returned, not given.
It belonged to her initially anyway, the pirate Captain had said. Rose is gone but I found what we all miss in yer Sinking Isles. Most of us I reckon. Not everyone is lucky like that. Life works quite differently. Mostly you lose stuff, never get anything back. Once ye do… well, a man ought to rethink his priorities.
Jinx had given the necklace to Linx the day she had left the Isles, never expected to see it again. Her sister was at Armium Dawson had said. Staying with a Southern dwarf friend of his. She had made it out of the Sinking Isles but was still a world away. Derix, Ubix, Vitrix and Virtix were fine.
So many years away she could barely recall their faces.
So many tales Jinx wanted to share but now she feared that her chance was gone.
That’s your trade then, oh ye vile god of the Deeps, the Gish thought bitterly.
Here’s the lure for me eh?
Come and try it little Gish.
Come into the sea.
Jinx wiped her eyes and stared away from the lit docks. The Gallant Dogs, mainly the veterans, preparing to sail for Jelin. She turned her back and walked away from the docks a determined look on her distorted face.
Distorted because she was hurting.
“Jinx,” Sam Mathews said apprehensively seeing her approach. “I can make the journey. I have friends in the guild there.”
Jinx paused and reached to touch his unshaven cheek. “We’ve a whole new family in Goras,” she told him managing to keep her voice steady. “Friends that need us and little ones deserving of our care. The Gish only need to reach their teenage years. They are fine after that. It’s the Isles way.”
Marlo sighed deeply and turned his head away.
“She would want to know Jinx,” Sam insisted and she caressed his cheek softly.
“Maybe later. Let Linx find her own way,” she murmured looking at him.
Sam would go anyway at some point. It was how he was. She loved him for it.
“What now?” Mathews asked hoarsely and grabbed her hand to kiss it. Jinx tapped his big nose once with a finger to stop him.
Jinx didn’t want to love him like that.
“We’ll find a good woman for you,” she teased and glanced for a last time towards the ship loading at Eikenport’s docks. The allure of going with Martel’s men so strong it made her bones hurt. “Then we’ll head back to Goras. See if we can help Glen and Inis Mir. Even Assara. Show them they are not all alone in this world.”
You need to find something else, a bitter Jinx taunted the unseen, all watching tentacle deity. If this was yer best fucking shot, then you lost.
“Oh, for poor pity’s sake!” Marlo protested wiping his swollen eyes, face crumbling in frustration. “Not back into the plaguing caves again! Let’s take some time off. What is this bullshit schedule we are running here? First the fingers, then all this drama. I can’t take this emotional roller-coaster for much longer!”
Jinx chuckled and leaped near the grumpy adventurer.
“Let go to the races,” she told him and reached to dig her heavy purse out from the loosened front of her tunic. One of them. “The whole weekend. My treat.”
“Rounds of drinks and round tits?” Marlo queried perking up, with Mathews letting out a groan at their childish shenanigans. Jinx sashayed away without answering, expertly flinging up and then catching the purse with her right hand, whilst working those famous fit hips back and forth hypnotically.
Not five strides later she turned her head around, long pink ponytail whipping loudly at her back and winked.
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