After a few days of planning, the Bloody Princess set sails for Sagmis. Her crew remained mostly unchanged, except for two additions: Diego the Spaniard and Gordon, the cook. They prepared enough food, beverages, and other commodities for two weeks, then said goodbye to the Crimson Refuge and the rest of their mates who stayed behind. Captain Casey Doves gazed at the base for a long time before concentrating on the deck and the journey ahead of them. She went through plenty of hardships until now and never knew if she could see this cove, which she called home, again.
She grabbed the inside of her coat's pockets. It helped putting her at ease. She looked over the deck, seeing everyone getting busy with something. Sometimes it was hard for her to believe she could achieve this much in less than 8 years. But then again, these 8 years meant a third of her life so far.
Once they were out on the open sea, the lookout sitting in the crow's nest gave his sign. There were no ships in the vicinity. The captain nodded and gave an order to Brent to head north. The journey ahead of them took 7 days if they were lucky, or 14 days if they needed to take detours. Although they were in a region controlled by the British, it wasn't unusual to see Spanish, Dutch, or French ships sailing through it. They only needed to stay low until they reached the northern parts, which were under the control of the Pirate Republic.
The existence of the republic was something unimaginable outside of the Thousand Isles, not to mention their coexistence with the other nations. It's not to say there weren't conflicts between them, far from it. But the pirates living in the north didn't need to worry much about the British Navy or the Spanish Armada chasing them relentlessly. The great countries, which were feared in all the seven seas, couldn't afford taking those risks here. Being cut off from their countries without any way to contact them taught them to be more careful, lest they lose precious ships and resources to sea thieves.
Casey Doves entered her cabin to look through her papers yet again. Philip Griggs left Blackrock around 12 days ago, which meant he must have arrived in Sagmis around now. If her intel was right, he should spend around a month there before leaving for another place.
This cartographer had a reputation for exploring and taking note of the islands in the regions he visited, although he had a habit of ignoring some islands in his notes. She also heard that he had exceptional navigating skills and could measure distances with great accuracy thanks to his eagle eyes. It could be a lifesaver inside the abandoned regions.
While she was thinking so, Roberts entered her cabin.
"Something happened?" asked the captain.
"Stella and Brent had another argument, and Bill is already drunk."
"So nothing," said the captain, nodding. "I suppose you didn't come to tell me that."
Roberts stayed silent for a while before speaking. "Captain, am I... really a quartermaster?"
"What?" The question came out of nowhere for Casey Doves.
"While you were having that duel, I spoke with Jenkins. He told me I am... a cabin boy."
"Does it really matter what I call you? We are not children." said the captain, focusing on her documents again.
"You know well Captain that my rank—"
"Your rank, Roberts, does not exist among pirates," Casey Doves interrupted. "I don't care what rank you had in the admiralty. Neither should you. You were a marooned fugitive when we met. You are lucky I was also on the island at that time."
"Being attacked by a savage beast is anything but lucky in my eyes."
She looked at him with a smile on her face. "Yet you came along with this 'savage beast' you are talking about."
"Because the beast said I had two options: die there or join her crew. I didn't have much choice."
"You're too focused on the minor details," his captain sighed. "I know it must be difficult to fit in among pirates. But... I can also pick the other option if you don't want to continue this charade."
One glance. That much was enough for Roberts to back away and instinctively grab his sword. The captain didn't move, just looked at him with killing intent in her eyes. Soon she started laughing. "So you don't want that. Good. Now get back to work and ask Jenkins if there are some things we should look out for in Sagmis." Roberts did not say anything, just turned around and left the cabin with a red face. The female pirate looked after him and shook her head. This man had countless opportunities to escape, yet he stayed. He sometimes whined about things, but he still did everything she ordered him without saying a word. She couldn't get a clear read on him, so she decided not to think too much about it and focused on the things she needed to prepare before they arrived in Sagmis. A letter to Lottway, a list of equipment and goods for the Forgotten Seas, and a compilation of information she can trade either with other pirate captains or the cartographer she aims to hire.
Out of those things, the letter was certainly the hardest to write. Sometimes she cursed Lottway for the way he managed the Republic, but she needed to admit it was better than the constant chaos.
Days went by without any unusual things happening. Sometimes they could see a few ships on the horizon, but they were too far away to consider chasing the Bloody Princess or for the pirates to consider plundering them. Then, on the fourth day, they saw black clouds coming towards the ship. The sun was ready to set.
"Tonight is a full moon, Captain." Stella stood next to her on the fo'c'sle as they gazed at the setting sun. "Have you slept enough?"
"Even if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to sleep," answered Captain Doves with a wry smile. "I'll go tell Jim I will be on the lookout tonight." Stella nodded at her captain's words and went back to adoring the stars in the sky. Meanwhile, the captain grabbed onto the ratlines and climbed up to the crow's nest.
"Hey, Captain. Is it time again?" The sailor in the nest asked. His skin was tanned by the sun, and he wore a bandana on his head.
"You guessed right, Jim. You can rest tonight."
"Will you be alright alone? I saw some clouds approaching."
"Don't worry about them. Tell Brent it's a silent rain again. I can see it." As Jim looked at his captain, he could see her eyes shining in the night.
"Aye, Captain." It was all he said before leaving the crow's nest to inform the helmsman.
Casey Doves sat down inside the nest and looked at the clouds. The full moon gave her the ability to see farther, and she could also see things others couldn't. Sailors always talked about seeing dark clouds in the sky that came and went without a single drop of rain or surging waves. Even the wind, defying every logic they knew, blew in the opposite direction of the clouds, ushering all vessels towards the stormy clouds, which never yielded any rain or thunder.
At least not for the naked eye. A few years ago, she had the opportunity to witness the silent rain during a full moon. She could see colorful droplets and lines falling from the clouds and disappearing into the deck without doing anything. The people were unfazed by them and continued their work without noticing the phenomenon.
But Casey Doves saw it. Like the currents in the night sky twisting between the stars, it was something that was only visible to her during the full moon. It was a mesmerizing spectacle. The fluid colors fell down and went through her body, into the ocean. As if she wasn't even there.
And maybe she really wasn't, as far as the silent rain was concerned. Sometimes she thought these lights lived in another world, far from her. The same could be said for the phantoms she could sometimes see. Transparent humans and other beings she couldn't describe. Some were 10 feet tall, others had planks instead of arms, and yet another group looked like monsters with shark heads, spiky fins, and several tentacles or crab claws.
They were the reason she chose the crow's nest on nights like this. Them, and the strange shapes and colors surrounding some of her crew mates. Whenever she looked at them, she got nauseous or frightened, sometimes her eyes started watering for an unknown reason. She only felt lucky because her ears didn't receive this curse, so she never heard anything. After all, it's easier to turn a blind eye than to act deaf.
She looked up at the clouds and saw the colors falling down again. Every time she saw it, it was a strange but captivating sight. She could see the colors clearly in the darkness, yet they didn't produce any light themselves. It was one of the few things that made her curse feel like a blessing.
Thanks to the backwind, it didn't take long for them to pass the clouds, and she could see the sky currents in the night sky. They were like water streaming down between rocks as those color currents ran between the stars. She tried to draw them before to show them to Stella, but it was never the same. She felt that something was missing, but couldn't tell what it was. A feeling of amazement and awe that a drawing couldn't give back.
There were also the flying mantas she could see from time to time. They flew high in the sky, although she was sure they didn't swim in the color currents she saw. Seeing them put her at ease, unlike those creatures in the water.
Before she realized it, it was already morning and they were halfway to their destination. And she could see their next obstacle in the distance, as her beloved vessel slowly approached it. The Rondo of Poseidon, a wall of maelstroms. Ships heading to the northern waters usually take a sea route around them, but they had Brent. Unfortunately, Brent was also not enough. Usually.
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"Here ya go, boy!" Bill grinned with a brandy-blossomed face and handed the helmsman a bottle of grog. "Make sure to drink it all, alright?"
Brent sighed. "I guess there is no choice. Find yourself a nice rope, Bill. I do the same." The helmsman warned the sailor and picked a rope, which he tied to the pedestal and his waist. Then he started drinking.
The captain thought it'd be better if she also went under the deck, so she climbed down the ratline as fast as possible and joined her crew inside the vessel. Her eyes were more accustomed to the night thanks to her curse, so she could quickly regain her sight in the dim darkness and find a rope for herself to grab onto. Gunner stood on her left side, while Sven, one of the midshipmen, stood on her right. Some of the sailors talked with each other, then soon the ship started shaking and the first leaning happened.
The leaning did not stop. With each passing moment, they leaned more and more to the left as the ship entered the first maelstrom they would ride. Everybody focused fully on not letting go of their ropes because they knew it could be fatal. Sometimes they could hear Brent's laughter coming from the deck, but it didn't put them at ease. Most of the crewmates could still remember the first time they invited Brent to drink with them. The boy couldn't handle the alcohol well, which made them laugh.
But they soon stopped laughing when Brent went into a storm willingly. They tried to stop him, but by the time they could react, the helmsman was already reckless enough to enter a white wave and slide through it with the ship. Nobody could get close to him, but by some odd luck, the ship stayed in one piece and nobody fell into the ocean, despite the waves washing over the ship.
They could hear laughter among the sailors. "Why the stern face, amigos? I bet I can stay still for five seconds without the rope! How is it, boys?" It was Diego, who seemingly enjoyed this madness. Some of the sailors laughed with him and accepted his bet, so the Spaniard released his rope and tried not to move. It was going well for around two seconds, then his balance slipped and he crushed into Jenkins.
"You divvy nyaff! Wooden-headed sumph! You are worse than a bauchle, you prat!" Jenkins started shouting as he felt the sailor collide with him. "I wish you the worst of luck in cards, you clod!"
The other sailors laughed, and Diego gave him a wry smile. "My apologies, Bosun. You know how I am. I can't help gambling."
"And I won't help crushing your skull, jackass!" Jenkins was red with rage, but he didn't hit Diego in the end. He just mumbled under his breath while the Spaniard went to grab onto something.
Soon the ship became calm again, and they all went to check on Brent. The helmsman was still tied to the rope, grabbing a bottle in one hand and the ship's wheel in the other. "E'ryone alive? Den let's go fo' anotha' round!" The helmsman yelled, but the sailors were faster this time. They grabbed him and took him to his cabin. They knew he'd fall asleep quickly once he was no longer at the helm.
"Should I take the helm, Captain?" asked Stella with an amused face as the others took Brent away.
"No need. I will do it. Who knows when someone will think of meeting us on the way," said Casey Doves, standing by the wheel. She certainly did it less frequently ever since Brent was on board, but the pirate sea was an exception. Despite their skills, Stella and Brent were no better than landlubbers when it came to the cunning of pirates. A faint chase, trap, or lead to a specific sea route were not things they would notice right away.
And it was the reason Captain Doves stayed alert. They had just left the Rondo of Poseidon, but there was no ship in sight. The region they sailed in was under the jurisdiction of Fokke and the Dutch pirates, but they couldn't see any vessels on the open sea or around the islands they passed by.
"Captain! A ship! From southeast!" Jim yelled from the crow's nest. She looked in the direction and noticed a vessel with blood red, fully battened sails that looked like the fins of a flying fish. There was also a figurehead on its front, which resembled a dragon's head. The female pirate clicked her tongue when she saw it. The ship's name was Qilin, and it belonged to Jiang Wei's fleet. What's more, it was the Eastern pirate's favorite vessel, so she was sure he was on board.
"Of all the people, it had to be you..." She could count the number of people who irritated her more than this Chinese pirate on one hand. He was hung up on restoring his honor and always tried to convince others that they were in the Chinese Sea, not the Caribbean area. It didn't really matter to Casey Doves. For all she cared, they could be in Africa, the Bahamas, or any other region her parents told her about. But this Asian man could not understand it, so she kicked his ass. Ever since then, he had had a personal vendetta against her.
And she couldn't kill him. Not only because Lottway asked her not to, as Jiang Wei is important in keeping the balance, but he also slipped from her grasp whenever she could deal a finishing blow. Sometimes she wondered if that's how Lynott felt after their encounters.
But something else also bothered her. Why did the ruler of the eastern parts come this deep into Dutch territory? The Dutch and Chinese were rivals and raided each other quite a few times. But those raids were mostly in the border regions, as both sides had patrol ships coming and going by there.
The female pirate didn't want to find out what Jiang Wei was doing in Dutch waters, so she tried to get away from them as fast as possible.
"I think one of them is... waving, Captain. And it looks like they are also shouting something?" Stella said with a puzzled expression. "I wonder what they want."
"I'm sure they want to give us a warm welcome and invite us over for tea," replied the captain in a mildly sarcastic tone. "Stella, tell Doc to make Brent sober as soon as possible. He will take over once I get tired. Tell Roberts to get some rest as well. He will give advice to Brent while I sleep." The navigator nodded and did as the captain ordered. "Alright boys! Get the sails! Show those sea rats that our Princess doesn't give herself so easily!" The topmen shouted in unison as they replied and got to work on the deck and masts.
Hours passed, and the Qilin still didn't give up. It was already night again, and the captain started to feel tired after being up for two days. Fortunately, Brent soon emerged from the hold to switch with her. She called for Roberts and went to sleep for a few hours. Then, after she woke up, she switched with Brent, and so on. Two days passed, but the Qilin were still after them, getting closer little by little.
"Quite persistent, aren't they," Roberts said one time as they looked at the Chinese vessel that approached them. They could clearly hear the shouting from this distance but couldn't make out what the Qilin's crew was saying.
"That's Jiang Wei for you. I want to avoid a battle with them, but I already told Gunner to stay ready, just in case. Once we get to Sagmis, we will be safe from them."
"Right. Lottway's rule. 'If you want to kill, kill me first', was it?"
Captain Doves nodded. "He is a man even I have a hard time winning against. And killing him is not an option. He is immune to poison, wakes up at the slightest noise, and it's like he has an eye on the back of his head. He has been the longest standing ruler of Sagmis with his six years."
The island served as the capital of the Pirate Republic, which changed rulers quite frequently in the past. Either because of jealousy, bad leadership, greed, or fame, some pirates killed each other to get a hold of Sagmis. The smarter ones, like Fokke, Jiang Wei, or Gomis, were content with supervising just a smaller part of the republic. It's not to say there weren't attempts to kill them, but they were far fewer compared to the pirate capital.
Other pirates, like Casey Doves or Old Niels, chose to stay away from this entirely and sail the countries' waters instead. It might have been reckless on one hand, but they could also trade intel this way whenever they visited the north. It was a high-risk, high-gain business compared to having a base of operations in the republic's territory.
And despite those less life-threatening options, Lottway aimed to be the ruler of Sagmis. Once, when Casey Doves asked him, he said he trained himself for more than a decade. But he didn't do it for fame or greed. He had a vision of equilibrium in the Thousand Isles. He wanted to work together with the other nations to find a way out of here. Casey Doves thought he was a fool, but on the other hand, she could understand his feelings. She never felt homesick, but she knew that the great countries and even some pirates longed to get back to their homes. And she often thought that Old Niels would have agreed with Lottway, as her captain also looked for a way out of the region.
"Are you planning to meet with this Lottway guy?"
"I have to. He owes me a favor, and I would be a fool not to use it." Captain Doves smiled and grabbed her pocket, which contained the letter she wrote to the ruler of the pirates. "We also need to stay in Sagmis for a while. As long as we are in the harbor, Jiang Wei can't bother us. He will give up once he sees that we don't move for a week. And we can gather information on our dear cartographer in the meantime. Or even meet him, if he is still on the island.
After half a day, the pirate capital became visible before them, but the Qilin chasing them also got much closer. They were at a distance where, if Casey Doves used her lungs, she could communicate with them, but they were still too far away to understand what they were shouting. But she found Jiang Wei's red face quite amusing. The Chinese pirate jumped, flailed his arms, and punched the ship as the Bloody Princess got closer to the island.
Once they were in the harbor area, the female pirate sighed in relief. One less problem for the journey, she thought. They started to unload the goods they brought for trade, and Jenkins also formed a group that would help him get everything they needed. As they were busy in the harbor, the Qilin also arrived and dropped the anchor. A fuming Chinese man with a Fu Manchu mustache left the ship first, walking right towards Casey Doves. She just smiled.
"Maybe next time, Wei. Can I invite you for a beer? Or do you want to keep your cha?"
"You are a fool, Dòu Kǎixī," the Chinese man whispered under his breath. "Get out of here. Now."
"Oh? Unfortunately, I had other plans. Maybe I will stay for a week or two. I have a lot to talk through with Lottway anyway. And it has been so long since I was here."
"Lottway is dead," said the Eastern pirate while looking into her eyes.
Casey Doves blinked in response. She had a hard time processing what the Qilin's captain said. "Dead? Are you sure you meant dead? It's when someone doesn't move anymore. Forever sleep."
"I know what dead means, you idiotic English woman!" Jiang Wei shouted. "Lottway is dead. He was killed."
"Who?" asked the female pirate with sparks of rage in her eyes. "Who killed him?"
"I did." A voice answered her from behind her back. She instinctively jumped away. She didn't feel anyone approaching at all. The voice belonged to a middle-aged man with a twirled mustache. "You must be Mademoiselle Doves, the Sea Witch. Thank you for escorting her here, Monsieur Wei." The Frenchman bowed before them. The Chinese pirate just spit on the ground and turned around to return to his ship.
"I tried to warn you, Dòu Kǎixī. The best of luck." With that, Jiang Wei left, and Casey Doves concentrated fully on the man who had a punchable face.
"You have ten seconds to tell me who the hell you are, bastard."
"Oh, where are my manners," the Frenchman giggled. "The name is Laffite. A pleasure to finally meet you, Mademoiselle Doves. Now, I know we are off to a rough start because I killed your lo—" He didn't finish his sentence as he needed to dodge the female pirate's blade, which she unsheathed. "It was a close one!" The man laughed and twirled his mustache. "I can understand if you are still upset. So how about this: I invite you to my mansion for a talk. Only a talk, nothing more. I can help you find the man you are looking for. He couldn't arrive in Sagmis, but I know where he is right now."
"I don't know what you are talking about."
"No need to pretend, Sea Witch. I have a better espionage system than your Lottway." The Frenchman raised his hat and turned around to leave. "I will be waiting, Mademoiselle Doves."
Casey Doves looked after Laffite in silence. Fortuna is a cruel lover, she thought. The moment you think she will give you a nice gift, she takes out a knife to stab you in the stomach, still smiling at you.
And sometimes you can't help but wonder how to stab her back.