I browsed the words some more and finally got back to the skill tree. Unlike last time, this time I actually had time to read what was written. No naked female pirate about to lunge at me with death threats.
[Break] - [Chain] - [Illusion] - [Paladin] - [Construct] - [Hive] - [Interact]
“They don’t look like your skills,” I grumbled. I was hoping for some guidance on what each ability meant before spending my material points on it.
“I told you,” Kaya folded her arms. “There are twenty one skills in total so one can get only a subset of seven skills. But concentrate on one skill. The details for it will appear.”
I focused my mind on the Construct skill.
The letters disappeared before huddling together again. This time it formed a description.
[Construct]
[Create a Construct of your choice be it an offensive or defensive weapon. The structure of the weapon, it’s powers and it’s durability duration depends on the psychic energy placed and the material points available at your disposition]
“I can create weapons,” I grinned. “Now that feels like something that is worthy.”
“See its cost.”
I moved my eyes down.
[500 Material Points]
“Bloody hell,” I cursed. “500? For that?”
“Strong skills require more material points,” Kaya said, not looking surprised at all. “Besides it’s good to keep a bank of material points to use each time you create a weapon.”
“So skills are like bags of gold. You spend half of it each time you need something.”
“True, but so is the gains from it. If you kill more people with it, you gain more material points. I think that’s how we can aim higher.”
“I need to-”
I heard footsteps behind the doorway. Large ones and small ones.
Shit.
“Use that skill,” Kaya said, lifting up my sheets. “If they see how much material points you have they’ll find a way to cut your arm off and take it. Pretend to look sick.”
“I am sick.”
“Just do what I said!”
I concentrated on the skill again, and this time the letters changed to show a new message.
[Constrict skill obtained]
[Level 1 - Basic weapon creation unlocked]
I jumped to bed, lifted the sheets, and pretended to cough.
At the same time the small door at the front lunged open, and Chagum came in looking sour as usual.
“Little shit is awake,” if voices tasted like venom hers would definitely be an instantly killing venom. “Did the birdie suck his dick to wake him up?”
Kaya looked more neutral than ever. “I’m sorry for your girls Lady Chagum. I wish there was a way to help them, but I know they died valuable deaths fighting for the greater good of the Waylong pirates.”
Chagum stared at her, as if about to say something, then zipped her mouth. That was wise of Kaya. Picking a fight with a pirate was the last thing we need. My survival depended on the Waylong pirates. If I needed to survive and stop getting my dick chopped by Isla’s crew, I needed to give them everything I got.
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My eyes fell upon the next three figures that entered. One was a fat and rowdy pirate with a torn shirt, burnt skin and a beard that hadn’t been cut in centuries. Behind him came a woman a few years older than Kaya, dressed in a half battle armor. She had the pauldrons, breastplate and greaves on, but didn’t wear any gauntlets. Her red hair was cropped short, and her freckled face eyed me like seeing a half naked beggar.
I guess my luck with women for the night only lied with Kaya.
But behind him came a chubby and fat boy who still had grime in his mouth. He was chewing something, and when he saw me his eyes puffed up. He was dressed more neatly, but looked like he was dragged out of bed then kicked in the ribs before being dragged up here.
“The captain of the Waylong pirates,” Chagum gave a short bow at the fat boy. “Ogel The Sixth, the Sixth of his Name, the Sixth of the Trials, the Sixth of Padrin Warriors, and the Sixth of Everything…” she cleared her throat and looked at him. “I’m sorry Captain but we don’t have the time to say all of that.”
Ogel did like a wave, then looked at me. His eyes looked softer than the pirates I’ve encountered so far, but with pirates you could never be sure of anything. Hassan was limping before starting to disappearing with smoke and backstabbing at least three skilled soldiers.
Ogel’s eyes moved to Kaya. “Nice girl you have.”
Kaya wrinkled her nose, and I groaned inwardly. Of course the captain of the pirates had to be a creep. Wouldn’t fit any other way. I wiggled my fingers and hoped I could summon at least some mental construct. If the bastard keeps a hand on Kaya I didn’t care how many buxom women with blades were in the room I was going to chop his fingers off.
“But today we aren’t here for girls,” he moved his eyes to me. “We are here for war. A war that you caused because you couldn’t keep your hand in check.”
“I did you a favor my lord,” I decided to follow Kaya. At least I could start with some respect. “With Isla dead her crew is disorganized. You have the upper hand.”
“Yes, that hand is so up I can stick it back in my ass,” he spat. “Rasheen!”
The woman behind him moved his hand to her blade, and partially sheathed it. I doubted she was showcasing the silver.
“Rasheen is a good counter,” Chagum grinned, though the grin never reached his ears. “She will count to thirty before plunging this blade to your foot unless you give me at least five hidden warehouses of Isla.”
That was easy. “One behind Rebek street’s Winehouse. Another at the edge of the garbage lake down in the city. There’s behind the abandoned docks east of the town, and one is right underneath Sabbath Inn.”
Ogel made a face. “Ah…very wise of you to say that.”
“That’s the reason I got here.”
“Shhhh!” he hissed. “I am the ruler here, and you do what I say.”
“I just did what you said.”
He paused and thought for a while.
“My lord?” Rasheen’s voice was deadlier than Chagum’s own. “Are you alright?”
“Of course I am!” he patted his own chest. “I am Ogel the fifth-”
“-the sixth-”
“Yes, that’s what I said,” Ogel looked at me nervously. “I believe it is time to create a battle plan now that we know the basic warehouses. Rasheen, gather the men for a council. Chagum, go with her.”
“Are you sure Captain?” Chagum looked nervous. “I’m not sure of the boy.”
“I can handle myself Chagum,” Ogel spared a glance at her. “Do you doubt me?”
She bowed. “No, Captain.”
“Go.”
Rasheen’s face said she wanted to stay, but she gave a quick bow and left with the other woman. Ogel scuttled after them, then closed the door as soon as the two were out. He did the locks, one at a time, then cracked his neck.
Oh no…
If I was in for a torture session then I preferred to have Kaya out of it.
Ogel turned, and I expected a pirate-grin plastered to his face. But he looked like a baby about to cry for his mother.
“Help me!” his voice came like a choke.
“What?”
He scrambled towards us and then nearly fell down beside my bed. “Help me! When the council assembles they will be looking up to me and I have nothing to say because this is the first time I’m doing this and I don’t know what sort of strategy I should build and this happened at the worst time just when I was finishing my dinner so I don’t even know what’s going on so PLEASE HELP ME!!”
He spoke like a man on his dying breath before ending it with a scream.
Kaya looked at him funny. “Aren’t you the captain?”
“I am,“ he muttered. “Recently appointed after my mother died one month ago. And you had to start a war didn’t you?” he looked at me. “Couldn’t you at least wait a month so I can escape out of this damn ship?”
“You wanted to escape?” Kaya raised her eyebrows. “Some nice captain you are.”
“Hey!” he pointed a stubby finger at her. “Being a captain is a hard job. These pirates always want to go to war and have the head of someone on their lap. It’s like keeping dogs on a leash. Besides,” he looked like he was about to cry. “If they realize their previous captain’s son doesn’t want to inherit her position they will hang me and beat me alive. So..” he patted my hand. “Lead the battle.”
“Wha-”
“During the council meeting I am introducing you as the person who will take charge in this mission. That way if something happens to the crew the pirates will brutally slay you, not me!” he grinned.
What an altruistic fellow.
But as much bad it sounded it ws also a good way for me to position myself in the pirate crew. If we managed to get rid of Isla’s crew I needed a way to get out of this damned city. The Waylong crew was my only chance.
“Fine!” I said. “But I can’t make assurances about your crew-”
“I don’t care about my crew! I care about myself! And you are going to help me care about the only thing I care about,” he patted my hand back again and stood up, still holding to the grin. He looked at Kaya. “Sorry for calling you pretty! I mean, you are pretty, but I didn’t want to come off as an asshole.”
Kaya smiled from the corner of her mouth. “Why, thank you!”
I kept a hand over her shoulder. “She’s already taken.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean that,” Ogel’s face went red. “I am already engaged, so if I even think of any other girl my rowdy fiancé is going to chop my dick off…which is of course, hard to chop because it’s so bi-”
“Get out!” Kaya snapped.
“Right away ma’am.”
He turned and scuttled off.
I only heaved a sigh when the door was shut.
Kaya looked at my arm, which I hadn’t removed. I didn’t remove it though.
“When was I taken?”
I gave a sheepish smile. “Hey, I’m trying to keep you away from bandits….and cowardly captains.”
She didn’t shrug me off. Instead she sat on my bed, and leaned on until she was resting on my shoulder.
“You have a plan?”
“No, I don’t. But what I said about the warehouses was a lie, and what I have is just a hunch. So pray to all gods that the hunch works, or we’re going to end up down in the ocean.”