Pirates For The Mainland

Reaching in again, she pulled out a large iron key that was at least half a foot long. It was dull and scratched from time out in the world but well enough for a key. It only had two sharp teeth pointing out like knives and the head had the skeleton of a fish inside a fancy circle of vines.

"F.u.c.k.i.n.g thing tries to kill me if I move just right," Nog complained.

"Was that what we were trying to do the whole time?" Neko asked.

"No," Nog answered. "Because we were just charging forward trying to reach the mainland, slaughtering beasties when we could. But now I have some convincing leverage to get some help."

"That sort of puts a light tone to the loss of two crews," Dart said.

Nog finished her second drink and slammed the cup down with a satisfied exhale.

"Look, I'd go to Hell and back for you two, but let's not dwell on that," Nog replied. "We gave them a proper sendoff when we weren't in danger no more, didn't we? Feeling sorry about it ain't going to bring them back to life or make their afterlife no better. Just keep looking forward."

"Aye," Dart and Neko said together.

"Good," Nog said.

Finished with their food, the trio slouched against the bar top, feeling fuzzy from their drinks. Dart took off her hat and combed her hair with her hands, trying to keep a mind about her appearance. Nog had all but fallen asleep on the wood by her empty plate while Neko only held one eye open and stared into space.

"Well, what do we have here?" a deep voice said.

A giant of a man grabbed hold of the Cray key and held it up in the air, well out of the reach of the owners. The trio reacted with a bit of a delay but were instantly filled the rage. The bartender took notice immediately.

"You best leave those three be," Grif warned. "I'll not allow any violence in my bar and you're poking the hornet's nest."

The man looked down at the trio and smirked with a face that made them angrier.

"What, these little pups?" the man questioned. "These three shouldn't be messin' with things that are over their heads. Especially if they have a key belongin' to the Cray."

The loud statement made the rest of the patrons look on with greed and curiosity, but most of them knew better than to act upon such feelings. Nog stood up with a slight wobble and looked up at the man. He towered over the little captain like a round statue against a child.

"That key is my property," Nog said. "Return it, or I'll take it back."

The man looked down at her mockingly and gave a laugh.

"That's the law," Grif said.

The man looked at Grif with and irritated look.

"So what'll it be, ugly?" Nog asked the man.

"You can have this key back when you pry it from my dead fingers," he replied.

"Neko," Nog said. "Cleanly."

At his captain's call Neko stood from his stool and swung hard into the man's side. His movement was swift and precise, acted out in a fluid, single motion. The man's squishy body rippled with the blow and he grunted loud at the strike. The Cray key fell from the man's grip and into the waiting hands of Nog. At the sight of the strike, several men from nearby tables stood and began to draw their weapons, but Dart stood in their way.

In a flash she was up from her stool and behind the giant man, sword drawn and face blank. Despite their advantage in numbers the men held back, frightening by how quickly she readied herself for battle. The giant man held his side and g.r.o.a.n.e.d, wincing from pain and looking angrily at the little captain.

"F.u.c.k.i.n.g Hells, I think you broke my ribs," he said.

"Be thankful I didn't have my mates kill you," Nog said to him.

"What's wrong?" the man asked. "Can't do the dirty work yourself?"

With a bloodthirsty smirk the captain opened the right side of her coat and a dozen blades flew out and held in place, just enough to touch their cold steel against flesh. They moved and held points against the big man with the captain's unspoken command. Instead of daggers or other purposefully crafted weapons, each blade would have been right at home in kitchen serving a family. But there were a few special ones she kept.

"Oh, I love to get my hands dirty," Nog said, taking a black chrome meat cleaver into her hand from her left side. "But my crew handles the light work."