The Sea Hawk sailed on the high tide, sails full, with her bow pointing away from the rising sun. She sailed for hours, and the sun was high up in the sky before the special crew members made an appearance. Nicholas never seemed to suffer from hangovers, another of his special talents. The rest of the crew from the bar were in much worse shape. Charity covered her head to fend off the glaring rays of the morning sun.

“Good morning! I see you made the most of your last day on dry land,” Dulcinea said to the beleaguered crew. It’s a good thing that it’ll be a good week before we’re expected to encounter raiders.” She looked at the group, “Looks like we picked up additional crew.”

“If we’re going into battle, we need every advantage that we can get. I decided to invite these two,” Connor pointed at the Thief and the Bard. “This is Charity Evangeline, and he is Cormac Hasso. I’m sure Lady King will be glad that I brought them along.”

“Don’t you think that you should have consulted the leader of this expedition in the decision-making?” she asked.

“I did. I said ‘Connor, can these people help us to defeat the pirates?’ I answered, ‘Yes, I think their skill sets will be most helpful.”

“I’m the leader of this group. I helped to recruit you two!” The elf was getting upset.

Nicholas gave his best smile, “You are a very powerful and terrible wizard, but my friend and colleague here is a trained leader of men. When we were in the Army, he was a Centurian, tasked with leading one hundred soldiers.”

“But… but,” she stammered. Indrani tapped her lightly on the shoulder. She looked at him and he made a hand signal that let her know to accept the situation. She exhaled, thought for a second, and was quickly at peace with the demotion.

“My first action item is to get some sustenance. My head is throbbing!”

Dulcinea was wrong, it was not a couple of weeks till they met raiders, it was six days when they spotted a ship bearing the skull and crossbones. All hands were roused to battle stations, the captain was busy with the running of the ship and left her defense to his special passengers. Aside from the team assembled by the elves, Regina had collected two dozen men for the sole purpose of defense which was a much larger force than had been sent out previously. The leader of the soldiers was a young knight named Radek Oskar.

“What do you think about that Radek fellow?” Nicholas asked, nodding at the young knight. The man was early twenties, with short black hair, and always had a clean-shaven face. He wore an old set of armor, no doubt passed down from his father or his father’s father. The armor was crafted in an older fashion, but it was well-kept and clean as if new. The plate was shined to a near mirror finish and the leather straps and belts were oiled and polished. On his chest, he wore the pure heart crest, a symbol of Domina the pure. Many followers of the Panist church followed gods like Domina, extolling their virtues and holding them in the highest reverence. Nicholas and Connor had tried to get to know him, but he had so little in common with them that they found it frustrating to speak with him. He was a true believer, having an almost single-minded adherence to the precepts of chivalry. There was a small movement among some of the noble class, both in Kronos and Tychon to return to a time when knights were pure of heart, mind, and body. They lived their lives trying to reach a higher standard of behavior and honor.

“I know some people see me as being a bit uptight…” Connor replied.

“They think that you have a stick up your…,”

“That’s enough!” He looked at the young knight and when the man looked up, he waved him over, “Radek, are your men ready to repel boarders?”

“They are sir, and if you don’t mind, I prefer to be addressed as Lord Oskar,” he said with not a trace of humor in his voice.

“I do mind. Your father is Lord Oskar, you are a second son who will never hold a title.” His words cut the knight to the bone, “Check their gear, and more importantly, check their heads. There will be no time for fear or second-guessing. Men will die on both sides today.”

A voice came from up in the crow’s nest, “Second ship! There’s a second pirate ship not even a league behind the first!”

“Two ships!” the captain exclaimed, “We need to turn and make for home!”

“No time. If we were already headed in that direction, they would still catch us. If we take the time to turn this ship around, they’ll be here before we can make it a dozen leagues.” Connor turned to the bard, “Cormac, play us a rousing tune.”

The bard seemed to always have his guitar within reach and quickly started to play. The music started loud and brash and then grew in intensity. The salt air was filled with sound and energy, as his words spoke of men fighting and dying for honor. Connor looked around at the soldiers and even the sailors who would only fight as a last resort. Their backs straightened and their brows furrowed. Muscles tightened as each man clutched his weapon to his breast. He could feel it himself, despite knowing the cause of his growing tension.

The first ship was heading at them in a trajectory that would cause the ships to collide. Hanging on her rails were a couple dozen men, and a few women, bearing all manners of blunt and edged weapons. They looked galvanized and ready to take the fight to their next victim. She proudly flew the Jolly Roger from her main mast.

Indrani stepped to the rail with a large quiver on his back and a second one at his feet. When the ships were about two hundred yards apart, he started loosing arrows. The human soldiers were astonished at how fast he could fire an arrow and nock the next. His aim was flawless as he took out a dozen men before the pirate ship turned and ground its hull against the trade ship’s hull. Dropping his bow, he took out his twin short swords and stood behind the press of men who were waiting to greet the boarders.

Connor and Nicholas stood in front of the defenders and were joined by the knight Radek Oskar and the elf Indrani. As soon as the ships came together, instead of waiting to be boarded, Nicholas leaped forward and into the mass of armed invaders. Soulbane sang in his hand and removed the hand of a dark-skinned pirate before he knew that the table had been turned on them. The next swing severed the vein on his neck, and he fell back into his comrades. Nicholas was in his element, fighting at the head of an army. He worked on instinct more than learned techniques, blocking attacks with his steel buckler, and then dealing out life-ending strikes against his opponents. The faces of the pirates were lost in the haze of battle, men who were used to being the aggressors were now being pillaged on the deck of their ship.

Connor was equally dangerous, having honed his fighting skills since boyhood. He was technically proficient, and his quick mind kept him a step ahead of the men facing him. The narrow corridor where the ships met made it difficult for more than a few men abreast to face off. He was able to employ his personal style of fighting a single opponent, wearing him down till a mistake was made, then he would execute the man and move on. In the army, he had been a leader, and he always led from the front.

Silent Indrani, who had already slain more than his share, stood with the humans to carry the fight to the pirates. His twin blades were eighteen inches in length and looked like the razors a giant would shave with. As in his display of archery, his speed was dumbfounding. He attacked relentlessly, slashing at hands and faces, whatever came within range. His dingy white clothes were splattered with the blood of his enemies, his blades were dripping with their lifeblood.

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The last of those in the vanguard was the young knight. His sword was the most expensive piece of his gear; made of good Ursina steel and made sharp by hours of grinding and honing. Nicholas and Connor had seen him practicing, and they thought he retained the same habits in actual combat. The signs of a strict sword master’s teachings were all over his movements. Stiff, yet precise. His best quality was that he was fast, and that was hard to teach. Out of the corner of his eye, Connor saw Radek take out two men efficiently before the second ship arrived.

In what was probably a practiced strategy, the trailing pirate ship came alongside the transport ship on the opposite side, and its crew began fastening lines to hold the ships together. As the first of the boarders hit the deck, they were encased in man-sized crystals. Like insects stuck in amber, the pirates were frozen in semitransparent blocks that were golden yellow, ruby red, and bright green. Dulcinea was casting spells as fast as she could, not only stopping the pirates in their tracks but also causing a bottleneck for the men behind who were trying to board them.

“Radek, take half your men and help the mage on the port side!” Nicholas called out.

Radek grabbed a dozen men and rushed across the deck to help fend off an attack from the other ship. Dulcinea was looking haggard after incapacitating more than a dozen of the pirates. Rough-looking men stormed around the huge crystals, wielding swords, axes, and clubs. The first man to cross the deck was an older man with swarthy, mottled skin, and a medium-length scraggly beard. He was racing towards the elven mage when he was intercepted by a knight in full plate armor and carrying a full shield. He wasn’t even looking at Radek Oskar and was surprised when the young man’s sword was pushed through his side and into his vital organs.

The Pirates had faced increasingly heavily armed ships, and with their two-ship attack, each ship carrying dozens of fighters, they were almost guaranteed to gain their prize. Connor and Nicholas led a dozen men onto the deck of the Pearl Diver. They waded into the pirates, cutting them down like wheat before the scythe. Connor was cracked on the head with a glancing blow from a belaying pin. His head rang and for a second, his vision swam for several seconds, only his instinct and training keeping him from getting skewered. A particularly large fellow with breath almost as scary as he was, lunged forward with his war hammer held high. Connor realized that he wouldn’t be able to bring up his shield in time to block the strike from caving his skull in. The weapon started to fall when suddenly a knife blade protruded from his throat. Life left him instantly and he crashed to the deck in a heap. Behind him, Charity stood with one of her blackened daggers, dripping with the man’s blood. She gave him a quick wink, then dashed off towards the stern of the ship.

Nicholas felt a blade cut across his thigh, sending waves of pain through his body. He was dealing terrific damage to the pirates, but now he was surrounded by two men and a woman, all intent on murdering him. The man in front of him was a short, wiry type. Long stringy black hair and a patchy attempt at a beard. He was fast, nearly as fast as Nicholas was. Pushing the pain back, out of mind, he kicked the man, then bashed him with his shield. Through the thin steel, he could feel the man’s skull crack. He fell where he stood, just as another slash cut across Nicholas’ shoulder blade. Wincing at this new wound, he blocked a thrust from his attacker on the right. The fat pirate was bald and looked like a sweaty pig with his loose and dirty clothing. Nicholas kicked the woman behind him, causing her to double over in pain. He went on the offensive with the fat man, pushing him backward with the ferocity of his attacks. The man made a single mistake, a missed block, and lost his hand. Soulbane twisted ever so slightly so that it neatly severed his hand where it met the wrist. Unceremoniously, he ran the man through, then turned to meet the female pirate who’d recovered from being kicked. Her dirty blond hair was matted with sweat and blood, probably his blood, and she was thin, and her pendulous breasts swung wildly in her loose yellow shirt. He kicked her again, and when she doubled over, he cleanly took off her head.

Looking around, he saw that Connor was surrounded by dead enemies and was taking a well-deserved breath. Bodies now littered both decks, mostly on the Pearl Diver, and mostly those of the pirates. Some of their men lay among the dead. He had zero sympathy for a dead pirate, but he grieved every one of his fellow crewmen who was lost. Even the ones he didn’t know that well. The pain he felt from the two slashes he’d taken was beginning to lessen. Soulbane was healing him, not as fast as the priest Father Sebastienne had, but the relief was greatly appreciated. The fighting seemed to be over on this side of the Sea Hawk, he looked to see how things were progressing on the port side of their ship.

Radek Oskar stood near the railing with half a dozen men, along with Dulcinea. They watched as the other ship; the Beach Comber was pushing off and making for open water. They all felt relief that they had survived the battle and given the pirates a right thumping when something very unexpected happened. A dozen small doors opened on the side of the ship, several feet above the waterline and several feet beneath the deck. A thick metal tube was pushed through each door, and they were pointed in the direction of their vessel.

“What the hell is that?” Nicholas asked, pointing at the other ship. A loud explosion crashed across their deck, followed by a rain of steel. Metal spheres the size of grapefruit punished the side of the Sea Hawk, punching a few holes and sending wood splinters in every direction.

“Get down!” Dulcinea yelled, creating a thick wall of crystal in front of herself. The wall was roughly eight feet high and a dozen feet long, but it shattered when struck by the second volley of cannonballs. She threw herself flat on the rolling deck and looked to her right just in time to see a man’s head explode. Shots peppered the deck and pummeled the main mast.

“Looks like they decided that if they can’t take a ship, they’ll sink it,” Nicholas said to his partner. They were both lying flat on the deck, hoping that the mayhem would soon end.

“Hey, doesn’t that sword of yours have a special power?” Connor asked.

“I think so. When Landis carried it, it didn’t have the power to heal. I’ve almost recovered from the wounds I took. I can try it.” He looked at his outstretched sword, “I’ve seen the old man do this, I have to call on its power, and you need to cover me while I control the spirit animal.”

“Do it now before we sink!”

“Soulbane, come to my aid!” Nicholas yelled. His sword disappeared and above the ship, a giant bird appeared. It was easily as large as the ship, and flame enveloped its wings and tail. At its master’s command, it swooped down towards the pirate ship and belched a gout of flame that swept over the ship. Men screamed as they burned, the sails became walls of fire, and the wooden deck and masts became a fiery inferno. The Phoenix landed on the deck, and with talons the size of small tree trunks, it ripped back the burning deck to expose the lower deck. The fiery bird sent another wave of flame into the lower deck, causing explosions to rock the doomed craft. It flapped its mighty wings and even though the Sea Hawk was hundreds of feet away, they could feel the intense heat. When it reached a hundred feet above the ships, it exploded in a ball of fire and disappeared.

“What magic was that?” Dulcinea asked, picking herself up.

“I’ve been chosen by Magnus to be his champion from Kronos,” Nicholas answered. Soulbane was again in his possession.

“When you came with such high recommendations, I had no idea that you could do such things! I do not doubt that you saved all of our lives.”

All those who were unharmed started to sift through the wreckage. The men stuck in crystals were sent overboard. Members of the crew jumped to assess the damage. The captain determined that there were no holes below the waterline, but he insisted on a day, maybe two, to make repairs and swap masts with the Pearl Diver which was still clinging to their Starboard side.

Charity came up to the soldiers, leading four men who were dragging two Mavit Tomar. The goat men were chained and had suffered a beating. The taller of the two had white and blue fur, and one of his horns had been broken off.

“This one’s the captain of the Pearl Diver,” she said to Connor. The sailors with her tossed the creature at their feet.

“Another Mavit Tomar,” Nicholas mused aloud. “It seems that recently, whenever we encounter trouble, it's at the behest of one of you furry bastards.”

“Rot in Kajal, human!” he said, spitting blood.

“There were three of these boys, but I had to lose one to make my point,” Charity said with a smile. “This one was in charge, and you can see that his sword has probably never been drawn in anger, much less against an enemy in combat. Like my old boss Dex, it seems these bastards are being put in positions of power in criminal enterprises, sometimes with no experience whatever.”

“Unhand me now!” the Mavit Tomar demanded. “I am a citizen of Warfield, a member of the Mavit Tomar empire! I demand to be set free! If not, you’ll face the wrath of my people!”

“Your people? You are not people!” Nicholas raged at the man. “Your people invaded our lands; a thousand mounted soldiers were sent to try and kill humans or take us as slaves! I lost family to your kind.” Connor had never seen him so worked up. “Your Mavit Tomar empire will never know what’s become of you.” He dragged the man to the edge of the ship, and with borrowed strength, lifted him up and over the railing. “See if you can swim back to your ‘empire’.” The man landed with a splash and cursed them as he slowly got weaker from treading water and sank beneath the waves.

Connor looked at the remaining prisoner, “As you can see, you have no rights here. If you can tell us where your operation is based, you just might live to see another sunset.”