Caius's heart raced as he rowed furiously after the map, the parchment drifting farther away with each gust of wind. He cursed under his breath, each stroke of the oars cutting through the water with desperate force. The map was the key to finding Elara; without it, he would be adrift in his quest and the vast, unpredictable seas.

The map floated just out of reach, but as he strained his eyes, something appeared on the horizon—a small ship, its black sails rippling in the wind. Caius's stomach dropped when he recognized a pirate flag's unmistakable skull and crossed bones.

Before he could react, the map fluttered through the air and landed on the ship's deck ahead. Caius's eyes widened. He knew what he had to do.

Without thinking, he grabbed a coil of rope from his boat. With practiced skill, he swung it toward the pirate ship, the loop catching onto its railing with a satisfying snap. Caius braced himself, took a deep breath, and leaped from his boat, gripping the rope as he swung across the gap. His boots hit the side of the pirate ship with a thud, and he began climbing steadily upward.

Though smaller than the mighty vessels of legend, the ship was still much larger than his humble boat. It had a sturdy frame but an undeniable ruggedness—a ship built for swift raids rather than grand battles.

As Caius pulled himself onto the deck, he quickly scanned his surroundings. The crew turned toward him, their eyes narrowing in suspicion. Among them, one pirate held the map, casually inspecting it like a piece of loot.

"Oi, who are you?" one of the pirates growled, his hand on the hilt of his sword. The others followed suit, closing in on Caius with curiosity and hostility.

Caius kept his cool, a smile creeping across his face. He wasn't intimidated. These pirates didn't seem particularly dangerous, and he had no doubt they wouldn't harm him—at least not yet. He raised his hands slightly to show he meant no harm.

"Easy," he said, his voice steady. "I'm not here to fight. I just want my map back."

The pirate holding the map grinned, his teeth crooked and yellowed. "This map?" he asked, holding it up for everyone to see. "Looks like a treasure map to me."

Caius's brow furrowed. "It's not a treasure map. It's mine, and I need it back."

Before the pirate could respond, heavy footsteps echoed across the deck. A burly figure emerged from the ship's cabin, towering over the rest of the crew. He had a thick beard, scars across his muscular arms, and a gleam in his eye that spoke of experience and danger. The crew parted to make way for him as he approached.

"What's goin' on here?" the burly man asked, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder.

The pirate with the map gave a sly grin and handed the parchment to the captain. "Cap'n, this lad here claims this map is his. Says it's not a treasure map, but I reckon he's lyin'."

The captain unfolded the map, his eyes scanning it with interest. After a moment, he looked up at Caius, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"So," the captain drawled, his tone dripping with sarcasm, "you come onto my ship, uninvited, and claim that this map—now in my hand—is yours?" He rolled the map back up and tucked it into his belt. "Seems to me that if it's in my possession, that makes it mine."

Caius's smile faded as the tension on the deck grew. The crew shifted, their hands inching toward their weapons. He knew he had to tread carefully.

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The captain stepped closer, looming over Caius. "Now, you can either walk away... or you can die where you stand," he said coldly. "And since you're on a pirate ship, you know how it goes. There's only one option."

Caius felt the weight of the threat in the captain's words, but he didn't flinch. He wasn't about to back down. This map was too important to his mission, and he wouldn't let a pirate captain bully him into giving it up.

He stood his ground, his eyes locking with the captain's. "I don't want any trouble," Caius said, calm but firm. "But that map is important. It doesn't belong to you."

The captain's smirk deepened, and the crew laughed at Caius's boldness.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that," the captain said, cracking his knuckles. "But guts don't keep you alive in these waters."

Standing a few paces behind the captain, one of the pirates squinted at Caius, his eyes narrowing as they landed on the two blades strapped to Caius's back—the twin cutlasses, the Stormfangs. He nudged the captain, pointing.

"Cap'n, look at those swords on his back. Those could fetch a fortune! Maybe that's a treasure, too," the pirate said with a greedy grin.

The captain's eyes gleamed with interest as he stared at the blades. He let out a booming laugh that echoed across the deck. "Looks like luck's on our side today, lads! First, a treasure map lands in our laps, and now we have a walking treasure trove strolling onto our ship!" He turned his gaze back to Caius, his grin widening. "You've come here with more than just a map, boy. Looks like you've brought us a fortune."

Caius could only smile slightly, keeping his composure despite the growing tension. If only they knew what the map was really about, he thought. They'd be regretting this decision soon enough.

Reynar's words echoed in his mind. He had warned Caius about Elandra Duskwind's temper, and Caius knew that getting on her bad side was the last thing these pirates would want. But the map held far more than just information about her—it contained valuable leads shared by Reynar. Caius wasn't about to lose it to a bunch of opportunistic pirates.

Still calm, he asked again, his tone firmer this time. "Are you sure you don't want to hand that map over to me? It'll save you a lot of trouble."

The pirates laughed in unison, brandishing their weapons as they circled Caius. Swords gleamed in the fading sunlight, and the tension snapped like a rope pulled too tight. Still smirking, the captain pulled his blade from its sheath, the sound of steel ringing out ominously.

"We don't hand over treasure, boy," the captain sneered. "We take it."

Caius sighed, his smile fading but his resolve unshaken. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

The pirates lunged toward him, their blades flashing in the sun, expecting an easy victory. But Caius didn't reach for the Stormfangs. Instead, he pulled a small compact knife from his belt, a simple tool compared to the twin cutlasses on his back. The pirates laughed again, seeing the knife as a joke.

But then the battle started.

Caius moved swiftly, his body weaving between the pirates' strikes. The first swing of a pirate's sword met nothing but air as Caius ducked under it, his knife flashing as he slashed across the pirate's arm. The man howled in pain, clutching his wound as blood seeped through his fingers.

Another pirate came at him from the side, his blade slicing down toward Caius's shoulder. Caius sidestepped effortlessly, the compact knife parrying the much larger sword with a quick flick. In one fluid motion, he twisted his wrist and drove the hilt of his knife into the pirate's gut, sending him staggering backward with a gasp.

The rest of the crew hesitated for a moment, their confidence shaken. How could someone with such a small weapon hold his own against them?

Caius wasn't even breaking a sweat.

Reynar's words echoed again in his mind: Don't go easy on bad pirates. If you don't want to kill them, at least make sure they learn their lesson.

Caius wasn't here to kill but wouldn't let them off lightly, either.

A third pirate charged, his sword raised high, aiming to cleave Caius in two. Caius ducked low, sliding under the pirate's arm and slicing the back of his leg with the compact knife.

The pirate crumpled to the deck, groaning in pain. Another pirate swung from behind, and without turning, Caius spun his knife backward, deflecting the strike with a quick, efficient block.

The crew's laughter died as they realized this wasn't the easy fight they'd expected. Caius moved like a shadow, his small knife cutting through their defenses with terrifying efficiency. Swords clanged uselessly against the deck as a pirate after pirate fell, clutching wounds that weren't fatal but would leave a lasting sting.

The captain, still standing back, watched in disbelief as his crew was dismantled. His jaw clenched, and his grip on his sword tightened. "Enough!" he roared.

The crew backed off, breathing heavily, some nursing their injuries. Caius stood in the center of the deck, his knife still gleaming, his eyes locked on the captain.