“And what, pray tell, was inside the ring?” Cyll asked, cocking his head to the side.

In response, the other man slipped one of the rings on his fingers off and handed it to Cyll. The immortal pirate took the offered piece of jewelry and raised it to his eye, inspecting it. It was gold, with a small red ruby at the top. Aside from that, it didn’t seem particularly special.

Cyll ran his hand along the ring. His eyebrow twitched slightly. There was a rough line about halfway down the ruby. He pressed his fingers against it. The top of the gem popped off, revealing a miniscule piece of paper.

With a surprised grunt, Cyll pulled it free with his fingernails and tossed the ring back to Humbol. He unfolded the small paper, squinting to make out the miniscule writing on it.

“Twinkling Terry’s?” He asked, baffled. The pirate glanced back up at his new crewmate.

“A smithy,” Humbol explained. “And a secret passage.”

“To where?”

“Out of Greenhill,” Humbol said, clapping Cyll on the shoulder. “There’s nothing these people want more than a ticket out of this hellhole, and I’m more than happy to provide it. Anything to spite Vorpal, that son of a bitch.”

“Why not just tell everyone if there’s a way out?” Cyll asked, frowning. “There’s no reason to hold it over their heads.”

“Bah. If everyone knew, then Vorpal would show up and destroy it.”

“I assume this Vorpal character is the tyrant you were referring to earlier?” Cyll asked, staring back out at Greenhill to see if he could spot the dockmaster between the shadowy buildings.

“He is. Overseer Vorpal would be his full title.”

“Never heard of him,” Cyll replied, shrugging and turning away from Greenhill. He strode towards Maya’s cabin, where his captain was still sleeping. “But that’s hardly surprising. Are we going to have any problems with Vorpal? It doesn’t sound like you like him.”

“It might be best if he doesn’t see me,” Humbol admitted. “I may or may not have been banned from ever showing up in port again.”

Cyll shot Humbol a withering glare. He raised his hand to knock on the door, but it swung open before he could, revealing an annoyed Maya.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“You’ll wake the city up if you’re any louder,” Maya said. “I assume it’s time for us to get moving?”

“It is,” Cyll said, tearing his eyes away from Humbol. “And we apparently have contraband on board, so we should move quickly.”

There was a slight thump as Patty dropped from the crow’s nest, somehow landing almost soundlessly beside them in a crouched position. The puppet rose to her feet.

“I think I see the fleet,” she said, gesturing towards the dark water behind them. “I think it’s big. There are around fifty ships.”

Maya’s eyes bulged and she fought to contain a curse.

“That’s huge. Is someone going to war?”

“Muse later, act now,” Humbol said, waving his hands hurriedly. “We need to get moving.”

“Maya gives the orders, not you,” Cyll growled.

“It’s okay, Cyll,” Maya said, sighing. “He’s right. I’m not the slightest bit attached to this city, and I have no desire to stay within its borders any longer than I have to. I do appreciate the backup, though.”

The immortal pirate gave his captain a curt nod and ascended to the wheel while the rest of the crew brought Wavedance back to life. The dark sails unfurled with a gentle whisper. Patty heaved the anchor on board, setting it down like a baby rather than a heavy piece of metal.

“Don’t you need to get your ship?” Maya asked Humbol as Cyll steered the ship away from the docks and angled it to blend in with the approaching fleet.

“No need. I’ve got everything I need with me,” Humbol said with a sly smile.

“Just how long do you plan to stick around on my boat?” Maya asked.

Humbol cackled and darted below deck. Maya rolled her eyes and made eye contact with Cyll.

“I think we’ve let a gremlin aboard,” she said.

“It’s not too late to change your mind,” Cyll replied. “We can always toss him overboard.”

“I’ll think on it,” Maya said, repressing a laugh.

Cyll shrugged. His eyes were fastened in the direction of the approaching fleet. The sun had yet to rise above the horizon. The dim lights from Greenhill cast the sea in a dull purple hue. Maya could just barely make out the edges of multiple ships as they drifted silently through the calm water.

Wavedance slipped through the water faster than the boats before them. It didn’t take long for the edge of the fleet to fully come into vision. The boats ranged in size and appearance, but they all had one similarity. A black flag depicting a grinning skull wearing a blue eyepatch had been planted in just about every spot where a flag could be. There were flags at the top of the crow’s nest, all over the decks, and along the railing.

“Wow. I wonder who they sail for,” Maya muttered under her breath.

“I’d rather have too many flags than none at all,” Cyll replied. “At least they sort of look cool.”

“You’re supposed to be on my side,” Maya complained.

“A flag would be pretty nice,” Patty put in.

“We’ll get one soon!” Maya whispered, glaring at both of them. “Just as soon as we figure out a name. Unless any of you have any genius ideas?”

They all fell silent. Maya’s nerves tingled as they fell just behind the straggling ships in the fleet. Her jaw tensed as she waited for an alarm to go up or a man to call out.

Nothing ever came. Greenhill passed along them on either side, its streets barren of life. Ahead of them, the massive black bars of the sea gate loomed, wide open yet still unwelcoming.

Wavedance continued at a steady pace. The gate grew closer and closer. Maya forced herself to appear relaxed. She kept her gaze locked firmly on the back of the ship before them, ignoring the sea gate entirely.