"So there I be..." Captain Orc replaced his red tricorn cap atop his bald green head "stood at me desk. Fresh hole put through both sides of me quarters-"

"Captain"

"Pale woman's brains all over me drawings and her pasty friend splattered against one of me wall-"

"Captain"

He lit a cigar off a pile of papers that had somehow caught fire.

"Angry and alive I gathered me crew of fighters and rallied them onto the attack, demanding no quarter be given on this day-"

"CAPTAIN!" Alayne screamed as he fell against one wall, knocking parchment and splinters across the floorboards

"What lad? I be telling a story"

Raven was pulling himself up with the Captains blood stained desk, Adeline was scattered in pieces across it from the shoulders up. Educai's legs were just visible, caught on a splint of wood that stuck out of the hole that had appeared on the other side of the room.

"What story?"

"The story, boy, of how I saved me ship and crew from an attack that killed these two grey buggers."

Screams were sounding outside on the deck and Raven could hear the constant impacting of projectiles on water, wood and sometimes bodies.

Alayne fell against the desk next to Raven

"The story of now?! The thing that is happening right now?

Captain Orc looked at Alayne for a moment, a thick eyebrow raised above his eyepatch confused, then he looked at the hole in either side of his cabin and then he took in the Greymen seemingly for the first time and stroked his beard in thought.

"Ah right I see, I thought this was yesterday, sorry boys-" he stood abruptly and pulled a gold handled cutlass from his belt "let's get going then AHHHH" and he jumped across the table with unexpected ease almost barrelling through both Raven and Alayne who shared a look with each other. In that moment even the ever confident Alayne seemed slightly unsure if they'd not have been better off dying on that shadowy road.

He looked at the two Greymen one final time before grabbing his raven hilted sword he'd seen in an umbrella stand near the door.

"Are they dead?"

"They'll come back," responded Alayne.

"Are you sure?"

"I don't know, I've only killed them the once and it wasn't this destructive"

There was no time for further questions as they burst into the chaos.

Alayne stumbled onto the deck, although he felt like his wounds had fully healed he didn't want to test them, or gain anymore.

"PLAY ME MUSIC"

Captain Orc bellowed the order at the grey bearded man Alayne recognised as Shard who sat on the steps clinging to the railing as he suddenly leapt to his foot and began playing a jolly and quick paced tune on an accordion.

They quickly passed and climbed the steps to the helm, from there they could all see what was attacking the. On the waves parallel sat a ship at least twice the size of Captain Orc's pride and joy which wasn't a particularly small ship in itself. The hull was a brilliant white and the only other detail from this distance was the large white sails larger than Alayne had ever seen adorned with a red tidal wave covering half of them.

The Emperor's fleet.

"AHA, Victorious at last"

Even with all the chaos Captain Orc's laugh could be heard, it was a terrifying sound that usually meant something bad was happening, about to happen or had happened. Alayne had woken up in cold sweats after hearing it in his dreams more than once.

"Why is there music?" Raven's voice was oddly calm, but that was the question of a panicked mind. Alayne had a much better questions following the Captains maniacal outburst:

"Victory? Have you finally lost what remained of your mind?"

"What? WHAT? No, you soft fingered donkey. That be the ship of Victorious, leader of the entire Empirical Navy. He's been hunting me for awhile now thanks to you, we been laying low in Fools' cove before you needed ferrying home, looks like we get to try your plan after all boy. HARD TO STARBOARD, FULL SAIL AND RAM THE BASTARDS AHAAA, AND PLAY THAT FUNNY THING LOUDER SHARD BEFORE I INSERT IT INSIDE OF YA!"

Victorious. 2nd born son of the Emperor, exactly what Alayne needed but the timing could have been slightly better so luck wasn't the right word for it. Nor was it the right word for being caught in a naval battle with a mad man but Alayne was getting what he wanted, if he survived this and captured one of the princes they had their best bet at drawing the Emperor out...he guessed.

There was very few things Alayne as a bard could do in a battle such as this, with a flourish he ran his fingers along his lute to help the poor accordion player below who was trying to figure out how to play something louder, Alayne turned his open hand to the sky and raised it slightly and then pushed it out towards the aft, as he did the shanty music of Shard spread further along the ship, almost drowning out the sounds of cannon fire and impact.

"Can't we run? That boat seems a bit bigger than this one"

Raven jumped in again, this time asking a much better question of the Captain, well it was a better question if you didn't know Captain Orc. Unfortunately one of the crew also didn't seem to know the Captain very well.

"Aye sir, can we run? We might get away with the right wind"

Captain Orc turned as fast as Alayne had seen him, he took the Cigar out of his mouth and pressed the lit end against the outspoken pirates forehead.

"We don't run, We don't hide, We don't surrender. We kill who we kill and we die when we die. No gods, No bargaining, No Mercy."

"Aye sir" The man hadn't screamed but had responded with the strained, short breaths of someone holding in pain.

The Captain then rounded on Raven and flicked him on the forehead, his thick green fingers were strong enough to make Raven wince and leave a strong red mark on his skin.

"It's a ship" he said pointing to the target they were now heading towards " and don't make me crew question me boy. First ones a flick because you be a guest, next time I make you eat a bowl of the crews fingernails, and you don't want to see what be underneath most of them."

Raven was seething visibly but clearly thought better of carrying this on and the Captain for all his shortcomings didn't ask for a response like he would his crew.

"Now boys, stay low and try not to die."

What followed took an agonisingly long time from their perspective, they stayed low to the damp creaking plans as per the Captain orders, avoiding the rushing pirates and ducking lower whenever wood cracked and splinters flew over their heads.

On his orders the crew had whipped sails up and turned the ship, circling their opponent that pelted them with balls of lead the size of Alaynes torso. He didn't know how much of the ship was left or how long it would hold but they kept moving, with shouting continuing all around them as what remained of the crew kept in constant motion.

Eventually Captain Orc called more orders and the ship was turned hard enough to make the remaining planks audibly strain as they tried not to rip apart. More calls from above where echoed by the crew as full sails where unfurled above their heads, sheets upon sheets of black dyed fabric dropped down to catch the wind and Captain Orcs boat flew like a loosed arrow across the waves and before the crew opposing ship could react they found themselves impaled like a target in an archery competition. The gleaming white hull shattered just off its centre and buried itself just below the deck.

Crews from both sides screamed as bodies fell into the water with repeated splashes that were lost among the chaos of the impact.

"CHARGE"

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Captain Orc wasted no time as he bellowed the order.

He jumped from the helm to the main deck below, running with his remaining crew into the hole they'd just stabbed into the heart of the empire flagship. Alayne jumped to his feet not sure what to do but survey the remains of the ship, as he looked at the charging crew he realised it was lucky that the Captain had started the day with a larger crew than a ship like this needed, because he now had a much smaller crew than a ship like this needed.

Raven stayed by Alaynes side, he had his raven hilted sword in hand which Alayne hadn't noticed from where he'd reclaimed it from, but neither man moved very quickly. They couldn't stay on the current vessel, it wouldn't last very long he was sure, but neither were they suited to fighting at sea after escaping death once already not too long ago.

Alayne helped Shard to his feet as they passed him on the steps down from the helm, the man was still playing as he'd been ordered and the music echoed ahead of them drowning out the slashes and the cries which was nice. Raven had habitually taken a step ahead to guard them as they entered the enemy ship, the words 'Trident' in gleaming gold letters above them as they did so.

Despite a delayed start Alayne and his two companions, and Surrich who he had strung through a leather strap and tied to his waist, caught the pirate crew after climbing a single deck. Raven dispatched a few lingering fighters who were more desperate than skilled and they continued to follow the trail of destruction through the ship, occasionally hearing the maniacal laughter of the captain ahead of them.

Deck after deck after deck of cannons, stores, living quarters, Captain Orc led them through tearing through men like Alaynes voice cut through an audience. It was impressive, if barbaric, as he ripped men in half with his sword or pulled off arms after their own swords had gotten stuck in either his flesh, his thick jacket or one of his poor crew.

Raven was alongside Alayne picking up any that managed to avoid the Captains Tsunami of death, he was less brutal and less confident, he picked his spots with precision but took his time. Alayne helped them both and the other pirates where he could, causing a quick flash in the eyes of one or making a sailors sword look limp in his hands, nothing to big or flashy, his lute had taken a beating in Rha'Vander and he couldn't risk doing anything that might cause his allies just as much bother as their enemies, but what he did was enough to create openings and eventually help the crew and Captain clear their way to the deck.

Alayne had seen Captain Orc and his crew descend upon several ships during his travels with them, he'd sometimes take prisoners and sometimes not, but every time without fail he would burn the opposing ship and send it to the depths. When running through this ship though he had made no such motions, the opportunity was there, fuse stores, gunpowder barrels and lit hanging torches had marked their path through the ship but Captain Orc hadn't touched one on his blood soaked crusade.

Alayne had underestimated him, he was actually mad enough to not only try and take down the Trident but claim it for his own instead. Alayne watched him as he picked up a young man, barely in his twenties from the ground, still bleeding from a wound in his shoulder, and help him to his feet by the back of his neck and pat him on the back as others quickly removed him to the back of the crew where Alayne and Raven lingered so he could be treated by those able.

After what felt like hours of travelling this palace sized ship Captain Orc led the crew up the final set of wooden stairs and they were hit with the sight of what seemed like a golden tunnel of light that begged to be climbed through, it was almost blinding after the gloom of the lower decks.

"Final fight lads, LETS BE DONE!" he called as a middle aged man, and the last of the sailors swung a dagger at him.

He grabbed the man's arm by the dagger wielding wrist and snapped it outward so the bone was clearly visible. Captain Orc cupped a hand over the man's scream before it emerged and held him tight, he then charged up and out the stairs.

As soon as his body disappeared into the light the deck above them snapped alive with the sounds of bowstrings being released and the clicking of crossbow triggers.

The man with the snapped wrist fell down the hole, looking more tree than man, the amount of wooden arrow shafts sticking out of him.

Captain Orc screamed in anger and a panicked scream was returned as Alayne could imagine him jumping into his enemies.

His crew wasted no time chasing their Captain and Raven followed.

Alayne and Shard stayed behind for a moment, not much they could do up there. He found himself somewhat surprised by the Captain; not by the brutality of course but by the wisdom his old friend had shown in that moment, it was always a rare surprise when Captain Orc showed the reason he was such a long surviving pirate captain in an age of zero tolerance to piracy or Orcs.

The sounds of fighting died quickly and Alayne and Shard climbed onto the deck and took in the sights.

The ambush had failed and the remaining soldiers of the Empires navy had found themselves disarmed or killed in no time at all, what remained of the Tridents crew where gathered in the middle of the deck, on their knees with their hands behind their back. The remains of Captain Orcs crew stood guard and started to loot bodies as Alayne, Raven and the Captain gathered outside the round arch topped double doors towards the stern of the ship, exactly where Captain Orcs quarters were on his own vessel, they'd not seen Victorious so far among the living or the dead they were sure.

Alayne was praying to everything he didn't believe that the man was inside.

The giant orc looked at Alayne who nodded and at Raven who nodded as well, then he leaned back and kicked the door with a giant boot, it cracked inwards splintering off its hinges and they jumped inside lute and swords at the ready.

Where as Captain Orc kept his quarters in a supposed organised chaos, with cupboards unable to close and walls covered with memorabilia and maps from who knows what fight or place and a small hammock that dropped down from overhead to sleep in, Prince Victorious Aniamatatus 2nd in line for the title of Emperor was the polar opposite. His room was 3 times the size of the Captains but with a third of the contents, a lavish 4 poster bed in one corner, a heavy wooden desk in the centre and a map on the wall was all it contained, no personality, no fancies, it was drab. Alayne would need to embellish this when the story was told later on.

The man himself was a typical sailor though, shaved head but not quite bald, tanned skin with signs of burns from sun exposure in places, his eyes were small and dark like much of his line and he had a long curved scar from his chin to his eyebrow, a war wound was the story but Alayne had heard enough rumours to know it was likely his father who had graced him with it in his youth. He was getting on in his years, rivalling the good Orcish captain to Alayne's left if his history was correct.

His uniform was a dark grey button up with a dark red wave cresting the lower third and rising along the cuffs of the sleeves, it was adorned with shiny brass buttons fastened tight to his throat and golden epaulettes to signal his high rank.

Victorious was sitting in his fancy gold (not painted like CO's) chair, he was held there by Adeline and Educai who both had knives trained on his throat. He looked pitiful, not scared or angry, just a sorry sack of a man, wiry for a sailor as well, nothing like the mass of freakish muscles standing next to Alayne.

"Told you they'd be back"

"Bah, this is daylight robbery, glory stealing buggers, ruin me cabin and then steal me prize fight"

"I tend to agree with the good Captain, it is a bit anticlimactic, I was expecting him to push me aside and fight Raven and Captain Orc, two versus one, as a thunderstorm cracked around them"

It was a lovely day outside so that last part had always been unlikely but he hadn't wanted to rule it out.

He could always add it later, he would add it later in fact, he took a mental note to add some more dramatic flair and retake the glory the Greymen had stolen from the good captain.

"Apologies bard, maybe you could get him to kill us with another cannon ball to the head and you can have your big moment?"

Even Educai looked up at her in a form of stoic shock. Alayne hid a smile. He ground everyone down eventually, he was likeable and he knew it and used it to its full advantage, and that made him unbearable but unavoidable.

"Well I feel like a priest in a brothel, I be going to go kill his crew"

Captain Orc stated this in such a matter of fact way as he turned to leave and Alayne noticed the 7 or so arrows sticking out of the orcs back as he moved.

"Those men have surrendered, it would be barbaric to kill them on a whim, monstrous even." Raven stepped into his path, eyes narrowed.

Why pick a fight when the day is won, this man could be so tiresome.

"Relax Brokenoath, I just be offering them a chance to join me crew and replace those they took off me today."

Raven relaxed the slightest bit but Alayne knew there was more.

"and if they refuse, well then I'll kill them."

"But they were just following orders, they didn't have choice"

Alayne tried to interject himself but Captain shot him a look with his one powerful eye that held him in place.

"We all made choices to get where we be, do you think they'd show us mercy?"

"We are not them."

Captain belted out a laugh that made Alayne's teeth shake.

"No we not be, because we won and they lost. In a short amount of time we be alive and they be dead. That's the difference between us and them, not mercy. You want the moral high ground lad go join another cult, this is war where all tides lead to a gruesome death"

Raven seemed tired in that moment, he shook his head in disbelief, or denial.

"You're an animal"

Another bone shattering laugh.

"I be a pirate and whether ya kill them when they begging ya or ya kill them when they fighting ya, they curse ya all the same. They got a few more breaths than others, an extra moment to piss themselves or pray to a god that won't answer is all, but more time is more time, and now it be up. Time to grow up lads, there aint no animals, or monsters or even heroes out here despite what that one sings about. It just be men, be that what it may."

Ravens black and white mindset was naïve, and that naivety was going to cause him problems the darker their path got, Alayne hoped that some time with a man like Captain Orc would open his eyes to the greyscale of the world

"Raven, let it go, help Addy and Edu tie our new friend to the mast"

"We move to the mainland now, I assume Cornostus can be skipped."

Alayne had no intention of changing their heading, he had one piece of a plan and if he changed it he would have none. Cornostus was a good place to go and buy him some more thinking time.

"We fix the ship and keep our bearings for now, please trust in me, Raven would you..."

Raven without speaking moved towards their prisoner and the two Greymen helped him get him out of the cabin.

Good, no further objections.

He was tired and the music still poured in around them from Shard, overpowering the screams that had started up again outside.

Fix the ship,

Question Victorious,

Sail to Cornostus,

So much to do and this was just the beginning, he was so tired already, he sat himself in the gold seat of the former Admiral and Prince, he had good taste in chairs at least. The deep purple cushions swaddled Alayne and he couldn't help himself get lost in the music, a sadness to the shanty like music and every missed note by the aged player reminded him of a little boy whose name he didn't dare mention, even to himself, and his terrible playing of the tambourine.