“How did the trade talks go?” Petor asked as Mesurial slipped through the last of the coral islands and out to the open sea.

“Very well. Delmara is a damn good trader and has a lot of contacts. Those that trade above and below the water. She quickly recognized the value of the goods and well. She bought them all!” Mya cackled, jumping up from where she held the helm and clicking her boots together. “Should have seen Desari too. Knew all the best ingredients and their prices in Ilus and those here, cut deals like she cuts through fighters.”

Desari gave a demure smile. “I can see why you take joy in it. Though I didn’t expect you to quite buy so much.”

“I wondered why she hurried out here to chat with me about any spare cash I had,” Valter said. “Thank you for bringing me into it.”

“Not a problem, saved my butt too. Also why it took a bit longer to get everything loaded,” Mya said.

“If you sold everything then, and I thank you for including me. But why did you need my coin?” Valter asked.

“Well with all the Nether Forge gear out of our holds, we’ve got a lot more room for more. I was dealing with stores in Ilus, here I was dealing with Delmara who owns and island and from what she was saying, what we see on top of the water is but a hundredth of what’s below it. The scale she trades on is a whole different level.”

“You bought more than what your profits equalled,” Petor said.

“Yes, see a wealth of a merchant isn’t always in their coinpurse, but in their hold,” Mya tapped the side of her nose with a grin.

“What did the numbers end up looking like?” Petor asked.

“Well I think we came away with about twenty five percent profit and then I took all of that plus Valter’s injection of funds to uhh well re-stock. Though that was but a taster!” Mya rushed to add. “Something to get them interested. If we were able to come back with full stocks I think that we could drive that up to thirty to thirty-five percent.”

“They have a lot in terms of raw materials they do have some manufactured goods, though they are the kind that are more decorative than functional,” Desari said.

“Things that they can sell to the people in the rich islands,” Mya said.

“Right. As with most elemental pieces of gear it is focused on the innate abiliites instead of the ones that could be added in or those enchanted into the piece. Ilus and Nether Forge’s pieces in this area will take a premium as they’ll sell well with Delmara and those that are looking for stronger items,” Desari said.

“If she becomes the seller of those higher level items then she gains power and people can stop trying to mess around and get part of her island’s take,” Mya said. She turned the helm as they came out of the island.

“Where are we going? This isn’t the way to Demon’s Rest is it?” Petor asked.

“Going to head off in a different direction, anyone that’s watching us will see us head off in the wrong direction. Then we’ll turn around and get headed towards our meetup point,” Mya said.

“Good ole pirate hunting,” Petor said.

***

“Half sail!” Crixim bellowed across the decks as he came out of the ship’s hold. Cannons fired on their quarter-charges. Mister Urie moved among the crews as they worked the cannons, stalking them as a first mate knew how.

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The big man was not one to waste time on words. He hauled on the ropes as he passed by, getting the crews moving faster to meet his strength.

He weaved through the firing cannons with ease. His eyes catching the small things. A quick word to correct a command to reprimand.

The rest of the crew not on the guns worked the sails, up the rigging, hauling on training ropes not attached to anything.

“Rolling barrage separate decks!” Crixim yelled as the sails got organized.

“Hit to the mizzen mast!” Someone yelled, one of the watchers. Crew grabbed gear and ran to them, they explained the damage and gave answers and rushed to carry out ‘repairs.

Crixim made notes on people’s performance. He looked over the side of the ship at The Reckogning the new name carved into her timbers and painted fresh. She was about two hundred meters back from the Noose with all of her cannons going through drills.

Lirina was over there helping Thalios and Worbeck his first mate in making sure their crew was settled in the best way they knew. Endless training tests.

A whistle carried out and rose in pitch.

“Hold fire!” Crixim’s voice cut through the firing as Urie repeated it.

“Sail on the horizon,” the lad on watch up the mast called out. Caelum was next to him, training him up. “Coming in from the West.”

“Clean guns, load with live charges!” Crixim yelled. “Remove training gear, signal the Reckoning. Crixim moved up the stairs to the poop deck.

The crews set into new action. Those in the rigging threw down training rope and pulleys, checking on the sails.

Gun crews cooled their guns, pulling up metal cannon balls and storing the stone training rounds. Barrels were scoured clean and reloaded. Pans left empty, ready for a touch of powder and spark.

“It’s the Mesurial,” Caelum said from the top mast.

“Cap guns, hold in storage positions!” Crixim said. He turned to his signaller Emilie but she was already talking into the conch that connected her to those within Noose and Reckoning’s signaller.

“Mister Urie see if we can’t get some food and water dispersed. Review your actions this morning team leaers.” Crixim checked the sky, it was lightening with mid-morning, two days after Mesurial left them for Coral Bastion.

The crews settled in, their leaders checking with their teams, going over what worked, what didn’t. Food and water was distributed. Training was hard work and Crixim wanted them in the best condition for what was to come.

Mya’s ship appeared on the horizon and quickly neared with them.

“Signal to fall in staggered line behind her.”

“Confirm we understand, full sail!” The crew moved into action, ready for the order.

Up into the rigging, onto the ropes calls went out as sail was unpacked, catching onto the wind now it was treated with Zephyr’s Embrace. Reckoning did the same.

Mesurial swept ahead of them in a swinging arc that took ten minutes to complete. A new current drew Noose forward, the water smoothing as a fresh wind drew her full sails tight.

“Smooth the waters and balance the wind!” He called out to his mages. They stood on their casting platforms on the poop deck or down in the hull.

Their bow sliced through the water. Crixim took in the formation. Mesurial forward and to the starboard, Reckoning to the rear starboard of his own Noose. Ready for whatever fight might come their way.

At least we got some training in yesterday and today. Thankfully they had more than enough crew for Noose anticipating taking some prizes back to port with themselves. Crewing the two ships was a stretch but they’d hashed things out over the last two days.

Now with the wind filling their sail Crixim could feel the crew coming together once more. He tapped on the railing infront of the helm. A grin spread across his face, three warships plowed through the water to unleash flame and iron upon their enemies.

“Captain, Crixim, Desari’s voice came through the air next to him. He glanced to the side finding nothing there.

“Miss Desari?”

“I’m using a spell to cross the space. The plan as it stands is we will close with Demon’s Rest. I can find where they are entering and exiting the islands, which I and the other horsemen will scout through to find a path to the pirate cove. Your ships remain at the mouth of the islands, to hit ships exiting or entering. With the path scouted you can bring your ships through and hit the ships while they’re moored.”

“Won’t they see you coming with Mesurial?” Crixim asked.

“We’ll go in by our other mounts,” Desari said.

“Okay.”

“Also we’ve got four stormcalling orbs for you to use.” A satchel was thrown off the rear of the Mesurial, the wind catching it and bringing it to land on the bow of the ship.

“Bring that back here!” Crixim yelled to his crew.

“That should help you out if the pirates begin to move,” Desari continued.

“Thank you.”

“No problem, if you need to contact us signal so and I can do this again. Mya anticipates it will take us a day to reach Demon’s Rest with half sail at night.”

“That falls into what I’m thinking.”

A lad ran up the stairs holding the satchel. Crixim nodded to the lad and opened the bag.

“Chat later.”

Orb of Storm Calling–Cost: 2,500 GP

Description: Summons a localized storm. Lightning strikes upon command.

“Yeah those could come in handy for sure.”