The group arrived at the Blue Swan just as the sun reached its zenith in the sky. Or rather, it might be more accurate to say that they reached the enormous line leading out the doors of the Blue Swan and wrapping around the building.

It continued down the block before finally coming to stop in front of a butcher shop. The three pirates exchanged annoyed glances as they gathered behind a thin man wearing a cloak that covered his entire body and face.

“Doesn’t look like we’ll be getting in anytime soon,” Maya said, raising a hand to shield the sun from her face.

“Why don’t we just walk in? Nobody else is moving,” Patty said. She frowned at the massive queue of people in front of them.

“It’s called a line. We can’t pass everyone. It’s how the restaurant keeps order. If we just walked in, they’d throw us out,” Cyll said. He tapped the man in front of them on the shoulder. The cloaked figure turned around, but they still couldn’t make out any of his features from under the hood.

“How long have you been standing in this line?” Cyll asked.

“Don’t talk to me,” the figure snarled, flashing a dagger at their waist. It sounded like the voice belonged to a younger man.

“I asked for the time, not your mother’s hand in marriage,” the pirate replied, his brow darkening.

“It’s okay, Cyll. We aren’t in a rush,” Maya said.

“Question retracted,” Cyll informed the hooded man with a sarcastic bow. “You can put your little pig sticker away again.”

The cloaked man drew the dagger and pointed it at Cyll. The pirate didn’t even budge as the man pressed the weapon against his neck.

“Can I help you?” Cyll asked.

“I don’t like you,” the man hissed.

“You’re a real melodramatic shit, aren’t you? Going to cut my throat in the middle of the day, are you?” Cyll asked, smirking. “And for what? Because I asked you how long you’d been standing around?

The man in line in front of the cloaked figure turned around with an exasperated sigh. He wore a similar cloak, but its hood was down. He was on the larger side, with a ruddy orange beard and dark beady eyes. The new man grabbed the hooded man’s shoulder and shook his head, pulling him back slightly.

“Enough. Contain yourself. We can’t afford to cause a scene here,” the new man said.

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“Get your hand off me,” the hooded figure hissed, wrenching himself away from his friend. “And I’ll do what I damn well please. The guild gave me this job, not you. You’re just here to watch.”

“Be silent! You won’t be doing any jobs if you cause a scene here,” the bearded man growled.

“I’ve always favored a more direct approach anyways,” the hooded man snapped back. His voice had grown loud enough that several people had turned to watch the confrontation.

The hooded man turned back to Cyll, who still stood there with a bemused expression on his face. Maya and Patty stood beside them, their hands resting on their weapons. The man noticed them and chuckled.

“Do you think they’re going to protect you?”

“I have deduced that you lacked the warmth of a parent’s love when you grew up. If you aren’t going to tell me how long you’ve been standing here, go ahead and shut up. I prefer the sound of my thoughts to your whiny complaints,” Cyll said.

The cloaked man stabbed him in the chest. Cyll blinked, looking down at the patch of red spreading across his shirt. Then his eyes narrowed. He grabbed the man by his neck and lifted him into the air.

“You slimy little shit. I didn’t think you’d actually do it, but now look what you’ve done!” Cyll roared.

“You’ll be dead in seconds. You better say your goodbyes,” the man laughed. His voice was strained from Cyll’s grip. “My blade is coated in poison, so don’t bother trying to get to a doctor.”

Without breaking eye contact, the ancient pirate reached down and pulled the knife out of his chest. The wound shimmered and disappeared, leaving the bloodstain on his shirt. The hooded man swallowed.

“You probably shouldn’t tell somebody that your knife is poisoned after you stab them,” Cyll growled. “Especially not when they’re still in stabbing distance.”

The bearded man cleared his throat.

“Ah, sir? Could you let my colleague down? I’m afraid he was a bit rash with his decision making. We’d very much appreciate it.”

Cyll glanced back at Maya. She shrugged and glanced pointedly at her weapon.

“You’re the one he stabbed, not me. We’re a crew. I’ll stand behind whatever decision you make,” Maya said.

“Thanks, Cap,” Cyll said, smiling at Maya before he returned his attention to the man in the air before him. “Now, what do you say after you stab somebody and make them mad?”

The man didn’t respond. Cyll’s hand tightened around his throat and he let out a groan of pain.

“E-eat shit.” He hooded man hissed with the little air he had remaining.

“Nope,” Cyll said cheerfully. His hand tightened around the man’s neck. “Try again.”

“Sir, if you don’t put my colleague down, I’m going to be forced to intervene,” the larger man said, anger appearing in his features.

“What do you say after you stab somebody,” Cyll’s grip tightened further and the man let out a cry of pain. The larger man lunged forward, thrusting a hidden sword into Cyll’s chest. The pirate ignored it. “…and make them mad?”

The hooded man spat on Cyll’s face. The pirate shrugged and dropped the man on the ground. He collapsed in a heap, gasping desperately for air.

“Your prayers,” Cyll said. He backhanded the larger man and ripped the sword out of his chest. He plunged the weapon into the hooded man’s chest. The man let out a garbled cry that was quickly cut short as Patty’s axe finished him off.

“Thank you, Patty,” Cyll said nonchalantly. He shook the blood off his stolen sword as the hole in his chest disappeared, leaving yet another hole in his shirt. The pirate walked over to where the bearded man was cowering on the ground. He flipped the sword and offered it back to him hilt first with a wide grin.

“Thanks for letting me borrow your sword,” Cyll said. “It’s not weighted quite right, so you might want to get that checked.”