Midday had come and it was quickly slipping into afternoon. Petor held place at the helm. Mya and Valter spending their time on the ships behind Mesurial.

Desari had opened up the chest Mya found as if it wasn’t trapped, easily removing the trap and checking the letter before she commanddered Mya’s cabin and desk.

Mya had laid in a course towards Coral Bastion. Noose and its crew moved alongside them, towing their two prizes. The crews had fashioned boats in a cradle of pulleys that they hauled back and forth, shifting supplied between the various ships.

“Just a lonely ole sailor,” Petor sung wearily, putting on his best terrible accent. Amusing himself as he checked the angle of the sun.

“Shouldn’t be long till lunch.”

A wail sent shudders down his spine and made him whip around, white flames burned on the last ship behind Mesurial. The fire spreading into runes across the ship as it was cut away, shrinking in size till he couldn’t see it anymore.

Valter appeared over the rear of the large ship, jumping on the water. Petor saw it earlier. The water would detonate under his feet, turning to explosive steam that launched him forward before he touched the surface, a couple of bounds and he landed on the next ship.

Mya swung through the ropes of the ships, flinging herself from one, across distances that made Petor’s stomach clench. Snagging another rope and hurling herself forward again. Landing on the ship behind Mesurial.

He turned back, shuddering at the thought.

Much safer to teleport across plants stuck against a wall with lava right under you.

“I miss solid ground sometimes.”

More of the undead let out their last breaths as their ship shrank and then disappeared.

Mya whooped as she grabbed a rope attached to Mesurial, sliding down it as it slowed its swing till she dropped from it to the deck.

Petor looked back, Valter flung high before he could sink into the water, coming down on the poop deck, taking the impact in a squat.

“Welcome back,” Petor said. “Rituals all laid out now?”

“Yeah, cleared out the ships too, give them my hellos, I got to go dump this quick.” Mya said, grabbing onto the stairs railings and sliding down, the momentum carrying her to the nearest stairwell as she hurried down into the depths of the ship.

“Good looting?” Petor asked.

“I think so, they had a lot of gold and gear,” Valter said. “Wasn’t like the loot we got last time where they had all kinds of random stuff.”

“Maybe they were more organized?” Petor asked.

“Maybe? Though they had good supplies of food too. Not much in the way of water though.” Valter shrugged. “Seemed odd is all. Mya took her time looking through it all. I think she figured out something from it.”

“Well fortune tellers might read the winds and the rain, Merchants read goods.”

“That might be some truth,” Valter said, his voice growing distracted.

Petor followed where he was looking.

Thalios, Crixim and Lirina swung over from the Noose.

“Welcome to our ship!” Petor said and stomped on the decking a couple of times to get Desari’s attention. He hooked the helm with a rope to follow Valter down the stairs to the main deck. Mya could steer the ship from anywhere.

“Thanks for having us.” Crixim approached and held out his hand. “I’m guessing Valter and Petor?” He indicated with his eyes.

“Yup,” Valter said shaking his hand.

“Well I would say I hope we stop meeting like this, though its turned out better for us each time we see you.” Crixim grinned and reached for Petor’s hand.

“Happy to help.” Petor said.

“Thank you, truly. There are a number that would have been without limbs or dead if not for your healing.” Crixim’s smile faded into something somber and genuine.

Thalios grunted in agreement and Lirina pursed her lips nodding.

“We do what we can,” Petor said.

Crixim released his hand as they all exchanged handshakes.

“I’ve heard rumors of your swordsmanship,” Lirina addressed Valter.

“I’d be happy for a spar if you’d be interested?” Valter asked.

“If the time permits I would enjoy that,” Lirina’s smile bloomed.

Valter tilted his head in what Petor knew was interested amusement.

Thalios’ greeting was brusque, adding a pat to Petor as Mya bounded up from the depths of the ship.

“So I hear your in the market for a ship huh?” She grinned as she waved to everyone.

“Maybe, maybe.” Crixim grinned. “Go easy on us sailor types you hear?”

“Bah, starting the negotiations early is what I hear,” Mya waved him off. The door opened ahead of her into her captain’s quarters.

“Well shall we get a meal in and chat about our next moves?”

They all filed into the room, Desari cleaning up her papers, nodding to the crew of the Noose.

Mya took out snacks and drinks, laying them on the table with cutlery.

“Please please, make yourselves comfortable. Tea anyone?”

“I’ll take some,” Desari said.

The others placed their orders and got seated around the table, its middle covered in a large map that showed much of the area.

They made idle chatter, checking on crews and the other’s stories.

“So once I got the ships I took out everything in them, took it all to market, got it sold off, then I sold the ships. Warships are expensive to get new, but Noose was an older gal, though much bigger than what we had before. Some of the crew didn’t want to join in on the endeavor so we paid up their share and sent them on their way,” Crixim sipped from his rum. “We got the ship into good shape and headed off to take on some of the smaller pirate contracts. Cleared out around Misty, got new weapons and gear then heard Lirina here was looking to retire and offered her a job.”

Lirina drank her tea as if she didn’t hear the story.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

“She trained us up proper. With cannons, swords, spears, axes bows and ballista. All of it. Took on some longer trade contracts, hunted down more pirates and now we’re all paid up on Noose and taking in this haul.”

“So, you looking to add another ship to your fleet?” Mya asked.

“Alright I’ll say I’m interested, Thalios said she’s a good ship that’s been used wrong. That you’d throw in some enchantments with her, gear and loot?”

“What do you think?” Mya asked.

“I think that I’ll take it right here and now.” Crixim stood, putting down his drink and went around the table.

“You okay with this?” Mya asked the other horsemen as she stood.

“Don’t need another ship,” Petor shrugged.

“Puts it in better hands,” Valter said.

“I trust your judgement Mya,” Desari said.

Mya took Cirxim’s hand.

“Alright, she’s all yours. I’ll get the undead off of her and onto the other ships, she’s mostly good on wares,” Mya said. “If your crew wants to swing over here and then onto it I can sort that out.”

“And for our two ships?” Crixim asked.

“Valter and I can head over there, we’ll get the ritual set up, store them and we can carry on?” Mya proposed.

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Crixim said.

“Okay, well the other thing we wanted to share is what we learned from the pirate leader’s notes,” Mya indicated to Desari, taking her sear again.

Crixim moved back to his as Desari took out a pad of paper.

“It seems that your attacks and those of Lord Osori have been pinching the pirates pretty well. They had to pick out their targets more. Then when one of their ports got raided it shook things up well. Each pirate had basically a territory, with many getting killed in the raid or in the attacks, territories are changing. That’s caught them attacking one another and making their own claims. Though without a port in the area they’ve been finding it hard to get ships out there.”

“Not much forward thinkers,” Mya said.

“Rare for them to be far from a port, rather spend their blood coin as fast as it comes,” Lirina said.

“Right, so they don’t lay in supplies much. The other fact is, that most of their supplies are terrible. Most of what they get is what they’ve looted and isn’t worth that much to sell. Pirate value wealth, drink and weapons,” Desari said. “This folly started to eat at them. Most are operating out of a new port.”

Desari took out a map and folded it out, lines moved around the area, some faded, some new. A line to the screaming shoals was among the new ones.

“You can see the older marks in this area where the other port was located. Ships coming and going, but not marking where they came from. Same here. They’re not marking the port, but you can see where they’re moving around.”

A red circle highlighted an island archipelago.

“Demon’s rest, fitting,” Crixim said.

“Ships always disappear around there. Local legend says that it was created from a great twisted beast being sealed there. No one knew the real answer. Guess we know now. Pirates,” Lirina curled her lip.

“Place has an unnatural fog around it, not much room to move around in,” Thalios said.

“Its apparently hostile to life as well,” Desari said. “Nothing grows there. Then that changed two weeks ago.” She ran a finger down her pad of paper. “Food, drink and new weapons. Catch was, they wanted a blood price in return, slaves.”

Faces hardened around the table.

“I’m guessing the help came from the depths,” Mya said.

Lirina raised her eyebrow.

“That would fit with what I read and with the ledgers,” Desari took out a ledger and passed it to Mya.

She flipped through it.

“Also someone in Coral Bastion was feeding the pirates information on the new shipments coming in. They didn’t know exact dates, but time periods. They knew we were on our way three days ago.”

“Before we left Anvil Spike. So it wasn’t anyone on the ships in the port,” Petor said.

“Had to be someone in the loop with the buyer,” Mya said, still flipping through pages. “Contract would let Jaxus know if the buyer was trying to double cross.” Mya tapped the ledger. “This is weird.”

“How so?” Thalios asked.

“Selling paintings, carvings, got it down here as ‘some stone statue that makes noise in water’. Junk stuff to pirates and in the last couple of weeks they’ve been flushing it out. I expected more of this among the pirates loot.” She dropped the book to the table frowning. “Whoever this underwater benefactor is, they’ve got expensive tastes and aren’t afraid of giving pirates weapons.”

“Have to be strong or have something that they know will keep the pirates in check,” Valter said. “Only way to deal with bandits is to turn their biggest weapon against them, make them fear you.”

There was a cold familiarity to his words.

Mya grimaced as she tapped her hands on the table. “I want to charge in there and tear these pirates up, but the merchandise we’re moving. It’s the kind that people need yesterday.”

“What are you moving?” Crixim asked. “If you don’t mind saying.”

“Weapons from Nether Forge itself. Fire enchanted and alloyed. The kinds that take out warships,” Mya said.

“If someone is buying those, they have a rather sizable problem,” Thalios said.

“Right, and while I’m all up for hunting down pirates and recovering the rest of the weapons that were supposed to get to the client. Ain’t no telling what we’re really putting our hands into. I’d rather get those weapons to the client, that way if something happens, they can defend themselves and they can pass onto our employers our reports.”

The others nodded, in this line of work, death was always a possibility.

“Is there a way we could contact the Water Lord or Osori to get them to hit the pirates?” Valter asked.

“With the break-up of Kirtana, lots of elementals left the city. All of them protected under the water lord. That’s going to be their focus. Finding them.” Lirina shook her head. “Unless you know a way to summon them. That won’t be happening.”

Mya caught Desari squinting in thought.

“Okay so not much we can seek in help there, maybe the Coral Bastion has forces we can get some help from,” Petor said.

“Temper expectations,” Crixim sighed. “I regularly went between the corals for trade. Its more a group of factions in the same area than a collective whole. Some would rather trade with outsiders than those on the island next to them because of some kind of feud. The islands on the periphery have the least amount of power and are under the greatest threat for being raided. Its only if the attacks start making their way into the Coral that the right pressures and arm twisting will be instituted, and the interlopers destroyed.”

“The Coral Bastion is not like Misty Cove,” Lirina said. “Misty Cove had a convergence point and was under the Water Lord’s Domain. Controlled by one of his vassals. I am sure that he will come to some kind of agreement with those at Anvil Spike soon enough, else they be replace by his vassals too.”

“So the Water Lord doesn’t control the Coral Bastion?” Mya asked.

“No, there are agreements, but it’s a free domain. They don’t mess with the elementals that flit around their islands. They rule the people that deem to live under them. The coral continues to grow, unless there is a clear benefit, there’s few that will be willing to hunt down a place where pirates converge,” Lirina said.

“Do you know a lady Delmara?” Mya asked.

Crixim’s face pinched together as he looked at the ceiling. “Wasn’t there that one time, with the? Oh what was it? It wasn’t normal.”

“Seaweed seeds,” Thalios snapped his fingers.

“That was it!” Crixim landed his chair legs back on the deck. “Her crops got raided as well as her seeds so she bought them from us. Its odd because there is so much seaweed that you never really need to have seeds.”

“Bought them from a lord that lived not that far from her coral,” Thalios said. “Sold a bunch underhand, Zilthor didn’t know about it. Quite a few years back now. She was on the outer islands.”

“South-east? I think it was.”

Mya took out a map that Jaxus had given her and tossed it over to Thalios and Crixim. Crixim pushed it down to the table and held it between them.

“Yeah that region looks right, though that’s pretty deep into the coral,” Thalios said.

“As the coral grows the islands at the center meet one another and what were once passages close up,” Crixim said. “We can check on our maps for a route through.” He looked up from the map. “How long do you think it will take you in Coral Bastion?”

“Depends on the situation there. Good crew, no more than a day to unload everything. Probably two to three to make all of our sales,” Mya said.

“Can go through the books Zilthor kept on the merchants in the area?” Thalios looked at Crixim in question.

“Yeah, tell you the ones to look out for and avoid at the least,” Crixim grumbled.

“That’ll help out nicely,” Mya said.

“Okay,” Crixim thumped the table and pushed his chair back, the others doing the same. “We’ll get the new ship crewed up and ready, you pick out a new name for her yet Thalios?”

“Ah, I’m thinking the Reckoning.” Thalios grinned as they made their way to the door.

“A fair name,” Crixim said.

“We’re well supplied, I think it best that we take the time to get everyone used to the new ships and meet up after you’re done with the Coral Bastion.” Lirina looked from the four horsemen to Crixim.

“The crews won’t like it too much after such a victory, though with the new ship and promise of more we can keep them in-line,” Crixim said. “We know someone’s telling the pirates. Let them think Mesurial came through unscathed or the pirates just didn’t listen to them.”

“Puts them off balance.” Petor added.

Mya pulled out a map and put it against the wall the door leading out to the deck. “Where you thinking?”

“The hidden bluffs?” Crixim asked Thalios, tapping on the map.

“Best we work off of a location instead of on one right?” Thalios tapped away from the small dot on the map.

“Northward, just over the horizon,” Crixim nodded.

Mya put a mark on her map. “Alright, then we’re set.”

Thalios pushed open the door, the groups weaving together as they walked out onto Mesurial’s main deck.

“Let us know if you need anything,” Crixim said, the groups separating.

“Should be pretty easy, just have to get the extra ships stored away,” Mya said.

“Till later then,” Crixim pressed two fingers to his hat, Mya did the same as ropes swung down to greet the trio at the railing. They jumped up and grabbed onto the ropes. Thalios let out a whoop as he swung across, Crixim and Lirina following behind to land back on the Noose.