Ash held on to her satchel so hard she worried she might crush its contents as her mismatched boots slapped against the uneven stone pavement leading down to the docks, but she couldn’t risk dropping it. Or having it snatched off her hands.

She bobbed and weaved among the small crowd heading into and out of the market. Further behind her, she could hear the shoes of her pursuers closing in. But nothing alarming. Not yet.

She knew one of the enforcers would show up at any time, and she needed to disappear before then.

“Stop him! Thief!”

Ash dodged an outstretched hand and dipped into an alley. Puddles burst around her feet and wetness crept into her shoes, but she didn’t stop.

Her heart hammered in her ears as she sprinted down the familiar alleyways. Up ahead, more goons from the gang she'd just stolen from appeared, and she took a sharp right into one of the many abandoned warehouses.

The air was stale. Rats scrambled away from the sudden daylight that exploded into their home. Ash continued running, and heard the decrepit door burst open behind her.

“You’ll pay for this, Ash!” screamed the voices behind her.

Ash ran on. A strange smell hit her nose first before she burst into a room full of glowing liquids and strange, dirty vials. Large glass cylinders held different monsters, preserved by magic and the clearly glowing etchings around the cylinders.

It took Ash a second to realize what she’d stumbled into.

She sprinted down the wide room, but before leaving, she stopped at the exit. Out of a hidden compartment in her pants, she pulled her Wand of Firebolts.

The Guild of Alchemists was a rotten place that should be purged and disbanded, but they had rules. They had a code of conduct that they rarely stepped over. They could live in a civilized society without committing atrocities in the name of knowledge and profit.

They could be tolerated. Especially considering how useful they were. But not rogue alchemists.

Those should not be allowed to exist. Those should be exterminated on sight.

Ash’s nostrils burned from the fumes of the chemicals present as she stared at one of the bodies in the preserving cylinders. Her skin chilled when she recognized what it was.

“Pillars take you,” Ash cursed under her breath. She raised her wand, and a small ball of fire shot at the barrel of fuel.

The barrel burst into flames before the spell even touched it, and Ash turned away and ran. The magical tinctures would start reacting at any moment.

Seconds later, she was at the last wall separating her from another alley. Ash put her hand on the wall, then began climbing the wooden surface with Spider Climb. Behind her she could hear shouts that turned to screams of surprise and alarm, then she heard the first explosion.

Ash grinned, teeth bared as she slipped out of the partially caved-in roof. That would make her another enemy. Maybe more if the rogue alchemist had backers–which they most certainly did–but Ash didn’t intend on staying in Coralspire.

She was taking her stolen prize, her notebook, and she was heading to the Pillars. To the Reach or to Dominion’s capital: the Emerald Isle of Stormhaven.

Minutes later, Ash arrived at the dock. She was drenched in sweat and grime, but she couldn’t stop. Not yet. She glanced behind her, and saw some familiar colors and faces surged out of the alleys in her pursuit, so she briskly walked down the pier and activated Faint Presence.

The few dock workers and passengers coming up or down the piers seemed to take less notice of her, as a Skill pushed their attention away from her whenever their eyes landed on her small frame. Ash, mouth dry, hoped there wouldn’t be anyone who could see her through her meager ability.

She had just made it to E-Rank, and she knew she was still a nobody compared to the real powers of this world.

Up ahead, the Jewel of the Seas was docked, ready to carry travelers, and most importantly alchemical and enchanted merchandise back toward the home Ash had been smuggled out of a year ago.

The Jewel was a massive brigantine with white and golden sails. Pristine, even though it was said to be dozens of years old, and it would have hundreds–if not a thousand or two–of travelers and deckhands aboard. It would be easy enough to blend in, if she climbed on.

But Ash didn’t care about that ship. No, she eyed the smaller, less imposing red and black xebec. The ship that’d been hired to escort the Jewel through the monster and merfolk infested waters of Serpent’s Bay, captained by one of the few humans who could stand up to those monsters. From below the sea or above it.

One of the Great Privateers. Captain Velistraine. Krakenbane.

Ash got as close as she could. Then, when she was sure no one nearby was paying too much attention to her, she disappeared between the boxes of provisions and slowly climbed down to the water.

Quietly, she breaststroked her way around the xebec until she got to a spot that wouldn’t be visible from land. There, she used Spider Climb to slowly make her way up the dark hull. Water rained down below her, and her hood fell backward to reveal a buzzed head, which she quickly covered up again. High above, Seavaria hung in the day sky, resting atop the five Pillars.

Once Ash reached the top–and made sure no one was around–she nimbly jumped on to the deck and crouched.

Ash stood still for a second, awestruck at where she was, then remembered her situation. A quick check on her back told her both her notebook and stolen Skill-potion were safe in a tightly wrapped waxed paper, and both were wrapped again with treated leather. Plus, the potion was still in its own enchanted bottle, so it should be safe.

“I need to find a spot below deck. Then I can beg for a spot once we’re far out from land.”

Ash glanced around, and her eyes landed on the stairs leading below deck. She’d taken a total of five careful steps when something slammed behind her, ruffling her hood against her face.

Ash’s heart sank. Her throat went dry and she suddenly wished she’d had her wand out. Instead, it was back in its sewn-in holster. Too far from her hand.

She knew who she was about to see when she looked back. As she slowly turned, she wondered if screaming would alert any of the crew–if they were around–to come help her.

That is, before they threw her back out on her ass on the docks, where the gang she’d infiltrated and stolen from would come pick her up.

A young, short man was behind her, hands behind his back. He wore a cowl that he pushed down to reveal a lean face squared by greasy hair. The man was frowning at the deck, and Ash took a step back.

She’d bet that he didn’t like how the wood didn’t seem to register his impact, and Geric would take that frustration out on her. He loved to make an impact whenever he landed from his powered jumps, especially when that jump broke a few things to herald his presence.

Flooring. Roofs. Spines. Ash had seen and heard too many unpleasant things about this man. He was relatively new in the gang, so it seemed like he went out of his way to establish a reputation. And him being here? He was going to make an example out of her.

After all, she’d stolen the most valuable item the gang had seen in months.

The young man looked up, and gave her a cold, cruel smile as he put his hand on his dagger.

“You didn’t think you were going to get away with this, right?”

[Rogue (E) - Lvl ??]

Ash swallowed and backed away. Her mind scrambled for a plan–or anything–that would allow her to lose this jackass and hide in the ship. But whichever way she looked at the situation, she saw no exit.

She only saw herself being dragged back to stand before the gang leaders, where most probably she’d be executed. If not worse.

“I have to admit. You did your homework. You got the timing right. Waiting for us to be out on a job to do yours? Not bad. Not bad at all. But there’s something you're forgetting, rat, is that we own you. You’re one of us, and you don’t get to leave without paying your dues.”

He took a step forward and pulled a dagger out. It shone green in the clear daylight; poisoned, most probably, but that wasn’t worrisome. Ash had Toxin Resistance. But what she didn’t have was Stabbing Resistance. If that was a thing.

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“Nothing? You’re not gonna beg? Oh wait–you’re mute, aren’t you? You’re the one who writes stuff up, right? Riiight. I guess I can’t gut your right here, huh. The boss will probably have questions for you.”

Geric put the dagger back in its sheath, and before Ash could react he flashed forward and sunk a fist in her diaphragm.

Ash sank to her knees. She tried to breathe, but air refused to enter her lungs. Her eyes watered as she retched and struggled to inhale, but when she felt the satchel being pulled from her hand, she gripped at it fiercely, with all her strength.

The pull loosened for a moment before something hit her in the face. Next thing she knew, she was on the ground.

Ash struggled to make sense of the world around her for a moment. The satchel was ripped out of her hands, but she couldn’t do anything about it. She tasted blood.

Her hands reached for her wand, but they found nothing.

“Nice wand. You won’t be needing it anymore.”

She heard him rifle through her possessions, but she could only try and get her breath back. By the time she managed that, it was too late.

“There it is. The big prize.”

The orange vial was in his hand. It had the familiar glow that high-magic potions usually displayed, along with the two Cores that Ash had saved up. She had intended to use them as currency and exchange them for coins wherever she ended up going, but now they were secure in the man’s grip.

The rogue threw the bag–along with the notebook–which went flying up the cabin deck, and focused on the potion. Greed shone in Geric’s eyes, and Ash knew he must be thinking about drinking it himself.

The man’s eyes swiveled down to her. “I could just gut you and say you drank it, I guess. The alchemist could try getting the Trait back out, but they often fail anyway. Which one is this again…”

Geric peered at the vial, then squinted. “Cha–Chameleon. Drake. Chameleon Drake.”

Geric put the vial in his pocket, then grinned down at Ash. “Thanks to you, I’ll be getting myself a Treasure Skill. So I’ll make this quick.”

The man pulled his dagger again, and Ash grinned with bloodied teeth. She glared up at the enforcer and even though she considered calling for help, she wouldn’t give the man the satisfaction.

Ash had been ready for death since the day her family was taken from her. Since the day she found herself in the streets and had to join a gang or starve, alone in an alleyway. She wouldn’t scream in her last second, but she could plant doubt in the man’s mind. Give him a taste of paranoia.

She spat at the rogue’s feet then bared her teeth. “I already drank it. That’s just poison.”

“Oh? You speak?” He grinned wider, and wound up to kick her in her guts. “And that’s no boy’s voice. Now isn’t this–”

His leg came down and suddenly, it slowed. As if it had hit a cube of jelly and couldn’t sink deeper. Above them, a voice filled the air, loud and clear.

“That’s enough of that.”

It sounded like a decree from the heavens themselves.

Ash looked up. From the quarterdeck, a red-haired woman was coming down. She wore dark leather and a wide tricorn hat. A bone-white cutlass was at her hip, along with at least three wands.

Ash recalled her tutor’s lesson about enchanted materials. Bone was a better conductor for mana, her teacher had said. A more efficient weapon for spellblades. The challenge was finding bones that could rival steel.

Such bones could only be harvested from exceedingly dangerous monsters. D-Rank and above.

The red-haired woman had Ash’s notebook in her hand. She smiled at the illustrations and notes as she paged through it, to Ash’s embarrassment.

It had taken Ash years to collect its contents. The known monsters that roamed the world. Their abilities. Where they could be found.

Ash didn’t need to use Identify to know who this was. She felt the air grow heavy as the captain approached, and from this angle she could see how Geric’s features had gone taut. He was sweating. Trembling. Even the whites of his eyes were showing.

She couldn’t help but grin. She wished she could take a mage-picture and spread it on the street. The terror of the Claw Syndicate. Their newest enforcer. About to piss himself.

To his credit though, he still had the guts to speak.

“Captain. Apologies. This one’s part of my crew, and she stole from us. She got on this ship, and I pursued. I’ll take her off your hands in a moment.”

Geric tried to lean forward to pick Ash up, but he struggled to move.

“Stay right there, friend,” said the woman. Her voice was calm. Almost friendly. Her clear brown eyes–Ash almost thought she saw red for a moment–looked down at her and narrowed.

She strolled up, plunged a hand into Geric’s pocket, while her other hand pointed at the discarded satchel. The bag flew toward her hand, and Captain Velistraine placed the vial back within, along with the notebook. Then she helped Ash up, gave her the satchel back, and told her to wait.

Ash hugged her satchel and stayed quiet, eyes wide.

Geric spoke between gritted teeth, eyes on the satchel. “That is our property, Captain. You’ll make enemies of the Syndicate.”

Velistraine took a step back, as if struck, and howls resounded from above. Ash looked up to see at least a dozen sailors watching.

One of them–a giant of a man carrying a bone-tipped spear–shouted down, “He got you there, capt’n.”

Velistraine dropped into a squat in front of Geric. He was still frozen in an awkward stance, leaning over the spot where Ash had been. This time, her eyes shone red. “Do I look like I care about what some pissants think? Syndicate? I could go down there and wipe all of you out before my dinner gets cold. I don’t, because little gangs like you are pests. Like cockroaches. I could stomp all of you, and two weeks later, you’d be right back. Well. Not you, specifically. You’d be dead. But another cockroach would take your place, and it’d be as much of a pain in my ass as you are.”

She picked the enforcer up by the collar, and the man’s feet left the deck. “Next time one of you gets on my ship, I’m feeding both halves of you to the shark and I’m using your leaders as chum. Let them know I said that. Got it?”

Geric seemed ready to protest, but Velistraine cut him off. “Alright. Get off my ship.”

She wound back, then threw. Ash–jaw hanging–saw the man be chucked like a common fruit for at least a hundred feet before he hit the surf.

The crew roared with laughter, then most went back to their business aside from one middle-aged man wearing glasses. He stayed up there, and watched as Velistraine turned her attention back to Ash.

The Great Privateer smiled at Ash, who’s insides began to knot. “So. What brings you onboard my ship?”

[Human (?) - Lvl ??]

It took Ash a couple of tries to get the words out. “I want to see the Pillars. I want to get stronger.” And I want to avenge my family, she thought, but she kept that part to herself.

Velistraine hummed, then shrugged. “Alright. We’ll see how you do until the next island. You’ll have to work hard.”

“Captain, we already have one stow-away. The extra cost is coming out of your shares.”

Velistraine cursed under her breath, and Ash didn’t dare move.

That’s it? They accepted her?

“What’s your name by the way? Ash? Listen, Ash, if you ever get your own ship, don’t let your crew get chummy with you. Or they’ll become insubordinate little shits who talk back when they’re supposed to–he’s gone. He ignored me. That mother–”

The captain took a deep breath, then her eyes went down to the satchel. Ash instinctively gripped on to it tighter. At that, Velistraine chuckled. “No one’s gonna take that from you. Not on my ship. We’ve all been to the Pillars,” she said, grinning. “All of us have Treasure skills.”

Ash took in the meaning, and she couldn’t help the grin that drew itself on her lips.

Velistraine laughed and clapped her on the shoulder, then led her up the stairs. “I’ll show you to your room. In the meantime, which one did you get? If you’re trying to get a few interesting abilities, you should be careful with the copying skill you commit to. You won’t be able to switch to another, you know? We could find you a better one. If you stay with us, that is.”

To be fair, Ash didn’t have much of a choice. Treasure skills didn’t come by often, so she picked up the first that came by. “Chameleon drake. That’s what I got.”

Velistraine grimaced. “Nasty buggers, those. But the ability isn't bad. They copy body enhancements, I believe? Makes for great close-range fighters. Though I guess it depends on what you want to be. A fighter. Mage. Enchanter, alchemist, sailor, scout, the list goes on. But you know what, hold off on drinking that. You should talk to the crew a bit and figure out the direction you want to go in, because the number of Skills and Traits doesn’t matter. What matters is who you want to be. You’re still young and you’ve got time, but don’t let the legends fool you. Treasure skills aren’t all that. That’s not where power is. Anyway, let’s get some food.”

Ash followed in the captain’s footsteps. She’d heard many things about Captain Velistraine. Serpent’s End. Conqueror of Herava’s dungeon. Defender of the Reach–a title she’d earned along with a few others while holding off hoards of jungle and sea monsters as the city walls were being built and enchanted.

What stumped Ash was how normal of a person the captain seemed. And she wouldn’t stop ranting about her crew.

“Ah, this is our first stow-away.”

“Captain,” said the young man as he bowed. He was wearing clean sailor clothing. His hair was cut short, but that wasn’t enough to make him unrecognizable.

Ash looked up at Captain Velistraine. “That’s the governor’s son.”

The young man paled, but the captain only shrugged. “Eh. He wanted to see the world. Just like you do. Who am I to say no?”

Ash tilted her head. “You’re the captain. You’re the one person who can say no.”

A loud “hah” made all three of them look up, but no one was there.

The captain tsked and shook her head. “I had high hopes for you, Ash, but I guess my crew already rubbed off on you.”

Ash paled and spluttered, but before she could apologize, Velistraine burst out laughing. “Ah, you should see your face… But anyway, the boy wants to see the world. He’s a free man. We’re all free,” she said, hands on her hips as she watched the open sea that stretched ahead.

But Ash knew the politics of the Dominion too well. “Wouldn’t that cause a problem with the governor? Wouldn't they think you kidnapped his son and come after you?”

Ash knew she should keep her worries to herself, but she couldn’t help but ask. It was as if the year of imposed silence–lest her identity be known–made it so she couldn’t stop talking when she knew she should.

“Old Frederic?” Velistraine grinned. “Let him.” She turned to the boy, and nodded to Ash. “You two will have to work together. Show her her room, then come and eat. Savros made lunch and he’ll get mad at you if you skip meals.”

And with that, she hopped down–not taking the stairs this time–and another hop landed her on the docks.

Ash watched, mouth still open.

“I’m Fabian, by the way.”

Ash turned slowly toward the governor’s son, and nodded dumbly. Then she realized she might have outed his identity and her cheeks colored. She didn’t like the nobility in general, but this man was going to be a comrade of sorts. And he hadn’t done anything to deserve her hostility.

They were all hoping for a new chance. So Ash forced the word out. “Sorry.”

Fabian smiled. “No problem! And don’t worry about it. It took me hours to recover from meeting the captain. She wasn’t at all what I'd been expecting.”

Ash could only nod at that. Then she followed the young man to see her cabin.

She was going to have her own room. For the first time in almost a year. And she might not even need to block or trap the door.

Ash exhaled. She wrapped her hands around her satchel, and hoped this wasn’t a dream.