The pirate ships Reckoning and Redstar are grappled to the great slave ship Melkarth, lines tightly linking the three ships into one great vessel. Those who were once slaves on board the slaver are now free on her main deck, while the crews of the two buccaneer vessels jostle over their prey. An argument over the ship's spoils appears close to breaking out, as the hands from the Reckoning defend their claim against the brutish Urag marines from the Redstar.
Vendig shakes his hook at an Urag, warning him, "Back off, greenskin, and hands off! This is Cap'n Rhyll's prize, won fair and square!"
Baj, trying to calm tensions, says, "Gentlemen! Perhaps we should investigate the spoils before we kill each other over speculations?"
Rhyll says tersely, "Mister Mirko, have our men search the ship for spoils."
Kelyess standing near Rhyll, objects, "And have your men hide what they find? I think not, Captain."
Baj says, "Perhaps the search should be carried out by myself and the first mate from the Redstar? That way, there is no chance for any further musunderstanding."
Dacien leads one of the children toward the two arguing Captains, "Captain Rhyll, sir? What should we do about the little ones?"
Rhyll looks over to Dacien, annoyed, but on seeing the children his face changes, "Have them brought to the Reckoning."
Dacien snaps a sharp salute, "Aye, Captain." He herds the boy back to the group of children, "Alright, lads and lasses, let's go and see what we can find to eat over on the good ship Reckoning." The six children tag along following Dacien, uncertainly. Benning helps Dacien herd them towards the Reckoning, trailing behind.
Rhyll steps up into Kelyess' face and says, "Mister Mirko, I believe I gave my orders, now carry it out."
Baj says, "Aye, Captain! He turns and calls to Candra, "Mistress Candra, two marines, if you please. Have them search the ship and report to Captain Rhyll with an inventory!"
Rhyll stares grimly at Keyless. In response, the lean and muscular Kelyess sets his hand on his sword. His eyes glimmer with warning. "Not following this sensible Urag's counsel would be most unwise, Captain..."
Baj turns to face Kelyess, towering over the dark-skinned man, "Threatening my Captain where I can hear it is more unwise, sir."
Kelyess turns away and calls his first mate standing nearby, "Orzul! Tally up the slaves, take our half, and prepare to depart this vessel. We will sink her." The broad Urag touches a hand to his forehead and prepare to carry out his orders.
Candra designates Erris and Drarn. "All right, you two, hop to! Search the ship, tally it up, and keep your filthy pockets clean!" The two men nod, salute and scramble down the ladder.
Rhyll says, "I hope you don't mind staying, Captain, until we've unloaded. I'd hate for your men to start firing a bit early."
Kelyess looks about, as if considering how to cut his way out of here. He gestures towards Izmeralda and asks Rhyll, grinning defiantly, "Now there is a prize. How much for her?"
Izmeralda stands proudly nearby, watching from the deck of the Reckoning.
Rhyll seems to relax a bit then says, "Her, more then you could afford I'm afraid."
Kelyess says, "That is the nature of a woman...to make you pay and pay. Still, I offer you a third of my spoils for her."
Rhyll seems to consider then says with a smile, "I don't need a third of your slaves, Kelyess, that's why I'm letting you have them."
Kelyess says, "She is special to you, then?"
Rhyll says, "Not particularly. She is just worth more then you can offer."
Dacien pokes his head up the ladder to the quarterdeck, "Mister Revas, ye might want to keep a sharp eye and a ready wheel, the two Captains ain't seein' quite eye-to-eye."
Revas grumbles, "Two Captains on one ship is a recipe fer trouble, Mister Dacien.."
Dacien steers the children toward the Reckoning's galley and calls down to Dernit, "Dernit! We have guests and they're hungry ones."
Dernit asks Dacien, calling up through the hatch, "Ahoy, Dace, who are these younglings? Are they yours?"
Dacien smiles at Dernit and speaks slowly, "No, Dernit, they ain't mine, but the Captain said to take care of them. Can you give them some food, please? The poor things be mighty hungry. And just water ta drink, Dernit, wine and rum ain't good fer little ones, okay?""
Dernit asks the children, seriously, "Right, food. I can do that, Dace. Do you younglings like food? We have some." The six children nod, starved and frightened.
Dacien leans over to the oldest of the children, "Don't be scared, he's harmless. I'm putting you in charge of the others, can you do that fer me?"
Dacien stands and says loudly, "Go with Dernit, children, and get some food. I'll come and check on you later."
The oldest says to Dacien, "I can do that. My name is Scatha."
Dacien sticks out a rough hand, "Good boy, Scatha. Me name's Dacien, you jest give a holler fer me if'n you be needin' anything, okay?"
Vendig has finished his tally of slaves and has separated them into two roughly equal parts. There are about thirty in each group. One group appears to be foreigners from overseas, non-speakers of Marreith mostly, Zhalifah and Dhaziri and Molossans. The other group seem from the Seven Kingdoms: Reith, some Urag, some Tobon and some Gholibin.
Kelyess appears mollified that he is getting half of his share, as his Urag check Vendig's count and nod. The Reckoning's crew would have a hard time communicating with the half of the slaves designated for the Redstar.
Vendig has also presciently included wounded slaves in the division intended for the Reckoning, because he knows what would happen to such men on the Redstar among Urag.
Erris appears on the deck, red hair flashing in the bright afternoon sunlight. He salutes Rhyll. "There are four chests in the Captain's cabin, sir, we left 'em for you. And the forward hold has sacks of that stinking black bean that these gobblers drink. Kaf, it's called? Probably been usin' it as trade goods, sir."
Baj turns to the two Captains, "Shall I have the men bring the good up on deck so that you may inspect them together?"
Erris says, "Beggin' yer pardon, Mister Mirko, we'd need a crew of hands t'haul it all up."
Rhyll says, "No, Captain Keyless can see it from here. Start loading the chests onto the Reckoning."
Baj says, "Mister Erris, take two men and haul as many sacks of the kaf as the three of you can handle over to the Reckoning, place them in my cabin, if you please."
Baj turns and bows to Kelyess, "You may keep the rest of the Kaf, sir, I am one of the few among our crew to have acquired the taste."
Rhyll says slyly, "Consider it a gift from me."
Kelyess nods to Baj and Rhyll. "Very well. Thanks to both of you." He turns and says to the newly freed slaves, assembling on the main deck below you. "You men! You may now crew the Redstar, the finest ship in these waters! I am Captain Kelyess! Your choices are these...take the Oath and serve under me, and be Free Men... or be put over the side and take your chances with what fate the Powers plan for you. Which is it?"
Kelyess' words are translated for the slaves. Too terrified to refuse, here in the open ocean, all of them agree to take the oath. "We assent..."His Urag first mate, Orzul, begins herding them towards the Redstar.
Talon is sewing closed the wound of a Tobon who is cursing in fluent Marreith, and was wounded fighting the Molossans in the battle. "I shoulda stayed in Anghara. I fought in a bloody civil war for Baron Brock and never took me a scratch, I come here t'get away from war an'strife, and look what happens-- fsst! Hey, watch the needle, sawbones!"
Talon says, "Easy mate, don't what to lose the hand now, do we?"
The Tobon looks up at Talon. He is an older fellow with muttonchop sideburns and clear blue eyes. "Don't mean t'appear ungrateful, sawbones."
Talon smiles back at the Tobon and says, "Course not,"
The Tobon says, "Name's Pelian. What's gonna happen to us, sawbones? You healin' us up to sell us somewheres?"
Talon says, "I don't think so mate, Captain Rhyll is a fair man." He finishes his sewing then smiles and says, "Name's Talon, Pelian. Welcome to freedom."
A Molossan man comes scrambling up the ladder from belowdecks, followed by Kell with a drawn sword. "Come back here, you little bastard!"
The man stumbles before Rhyll, weeping and pleading. "No kill, no kill!" he gabbles, grasping at Rhyll's ankles.
Kell seizes him by his ragged black clothes. "Sorry, sir, this one was hiding below decks like the cur he is. He's the last of 'em. Shall I put him with the others?"
Rhyll says to the man, "Are you one of the ships crew, sir?"
Dacien joins Revas on the quarterdeck, watching the events unfold on the deck of the slaver.
The man is clad in black like the other slavers, but he shakes his head. "No, no! Slave! Dabul is slave!"
Rhyll says, "That seems odd, why would they enslave one of their own?"
Dabul seems only to speak limited Marreith and is not really able to respond to Rhyll's rhetoric. He looks terrified about the circle of hostile faces, with a shrug. "Dabul is slave! Can go now?"
Rhyll turns to Baj and says, "What do you make of this one, Mister Mirko?"
Kell says, "Let me throw him with the others, sir. They're all vermin."
Rhyll raises his hand to halt Kell, and waits for Baj's reply.
Baj gazes at the man in black and shrugs, "One of the other slaves should be able to tell us if he is truly a slave or one of the slavemasters."
Rhyll nods, "Quite wise, Mister Mirko, his fate will be in their hands then."
Pelian tests the arm Talon sewed up, nods, and steps forward and says, "He's no slave, Captain. He's the bloody ship's cook, if you can call a man a cook who can't boil gruel."
Kell smacks the cowering Dabul cruelly in the back of his head.
Rhyll stands up to the rail and says, "Newly freed men--what shall this man's fate be? Think well--a man's life hangs in the balance."
The former slaves jeer and hiss. "Kill 'im! Drown the bastard! Slit 'em open and watch him scream!"
Kelyess says, "He's a Molossan, Captain. Let him meet the same fate as will his countrymen." He gestures to the other Molossans, locked in the hold beneath the main deck. "Too much compassion in a man is as great a failing as not enough."
Rhyll gives Kelyess a stony stare, knowing he is looking for weakness. , "Whose new crew members do you think will be most loyal now Captain? Yours given the choice to join or die, or mine who have been empowered over their oppressors?"
Kelyess shakes his head. "You are their Captain. Not their friend."
Rhyll says, "No one's talking friendship, Kelyess, we're talking loyalty. I expect my crew to be loyal. A little honey can go a long way."
Rhyll speaks to the crowd, "He was only the ship's cook. Can any think of a cruelty he bestowed on one of you? Again I ask you--what fate would you have?" He signals Kell to wait, waiting for the slaves' response.
They roar back in disbelief, "Think well?" "It wasn't you his kind had locked downbelow!"" Cut his bloody head off and put it on the mast!"
Baj sighs, "They have spoken twice, Captain. Sometimes a man is judged by his company, whether he is guilty on his own or not."
Rhyll nods, "Take him away, Kell."
Kell hauls the cringing man away, who makes a piteous whining and pleading.The slaves cheer as the cook is hurled into the hold with the other Molossans.
Baj says, "Candra! Move the rest to the ship and get the crew back aboard."
Candra orders that the Reckoning's dead be borne back to their ship and preparations made to get underway.
Pelian says to Rhyll, "What's t'become of us, Captain?"
Rhyll looks down on the Tobon, "For now, you will be taken to my ship. From there, we will decide what to do with you and your fellows."
At Rhyll's high-handed answer to Pelian, the newly freed slaves look from one to the other, voices raised in anger. "We won't be enslaved again! We'll fight first!"The thirty or so slaves crowd forward, looking for weapons, bumping up against the crew of the Reckoning. This could turn ugly.
Dacien sees the angry crowd on the Molossan ship and moves quickly to join his mates.
Baj turns and steps up onto the railing, towering above all on the deck as he addresses the freed men, "You will not be slaves! You can choose to join us or to go your own way! There are only free men among the crew of the Reckoning!"
Rhyll steps to the rail and yells down, "You push too far for men who have been delivered. Here's your choice: take the Oath and join the Reckoning, or stay here and take your chances.!"
Some of these men look like sailors, some like warriors. Although they're starved and filthy, most of them look like they know how to handle themselves.
Pelian says, "We've heard o'the Reckoning. You're Tyree?"
Rhyll looks saddened for a moment then says, "I'm Captain Rhyll Tyree's successor. Tyree has passed on to the Powers.
Kelyess says to Rhyll, "Now you give them the same choice I did, Captain. The same choice all of us have. Fight as a free man or swim as a fish."
Rhyll looks annoyed at Keyless. "That's if I let you sink this tub."
Kelyess narrows his eyes. "Let me? You can hardly stop it, sir. The holes in the hull will send her to the bottom by sundown. The men in the hold will get what they deserve whether I put a few bolts in her side or not."
Rhyll looks back to Kelyess and says, "Perhaps, perhaps not."
Kelyess warns, "Do not play treachery with me, Captain. I mean to see this cursed ship sunk and her crew drowned."
The slaves look back and forth one to another, nodding. They have few choices. "We will take the oath, before the Powers!"
Rhyll says, "Well, since all will take the Oath, then I don't give a damn what you do to it, Captain."
The Redstar's crew lead their new crewmates to their own ship, and begin untying the lines binding her to the Melkarth. They are making ready to cast off with their new spoils.
Vendig barks to the former slaves, "Step lively there, lads! The Reckoning awaits you." The freedmen move out, herded over to the Reckoning.
The Molossans, locked in the hold, clutch and grasp at the grates in the deck that trap them below.
His work gangs having completed their tasks, Erris reports, "Booty aboard, Mister Mirko!"
As the crews and slaves move to their new ships, Baj walks to the gratings locked over the holds. He spits into the face of the Molossan Captain, "You get a more certain fate than those you imprisoned, but perhaps a kinder one. May the Warrior look upon your souls and find something to forgive, for we are not Powers and it is not our place to forgive in their stead." He spins on his heel and strides quickly back to the Reckoning.
The Molossans gabble and plead in their harsh tongue. One wipes the spittle from the face of the Molossan Captain.
Rhyll turns to Kelyess and says, "Well, it was nice doing business with you Captain. She's all yours."
Kelyess offers Rhyll a bow. "I wish you good hunting." Then he turns his back on Rhyll and stalks off, scrambling across the line back to his ship.
The Redstar's crew sever their boarding lines and make ready to back off.
Rhyll turns and strides back to the Reckoning beckoning any stragglers as he goes.
Koster taunts the doomed Molossans, waggling his finger at them. "How long can you hold your breath, you ugly bastards? Whassa matter, Molo, you no savvy?" He uses the slang term for Molossans.
Baj grabs Koster's finger and twists the man's arm almost to the point of breaking, "They are not children, Mister Koster. They chose the life of men, they fought like men, let them die like men."
Koster's eyes bulge as Baj nearly snaps his finger in pieces. He chokes on his laugh, going to his knees in Baj's grip. "Aye, sir, aye!"
Baj releases Koster's hand and storms up the ladder to the quarterdeck, "All hands, get to your stations!"
Dacien jumps up into the rigging and climbs aloft, directing men to their places among the lines and sails.
The crew of the Reckoning is all aboard now. Hands cut the remaining boarding lines and others prepare to get under way. You are several days from the westernmost outliers of the Yandar chain to the east.
Baj says, "Captain! Your orders, sir?"
Rhyll says, "Make ready to sail Mister Mirko, we continue on to the Yandars. Mister Revas, lets be gone from here, aye?"
The swift current bears the Redstar backwards, as she drifts from the Melkarth. Her rudder spins starboard, wheeling her to port. Her portside scorpions doors are open, and she loads a broadside to fire into the side of the big slaver.
Baj nods sharply, "Full sail! We sail for the Isles!"
Revas calls, "Aye, sar! Full sail, sou'-sou'east, sar!"
Deeshon, alongside Dacien in the tops, watches the Redstar get into position. "Poor bastards. Almost feel sorry for 'em, Dace."
Dacien nods, tight-lipped, "Wern't nothing for it, Dees."
The topsmen unfurl the mainsail and stays, and the Reckoning slides forward, slowly at first and then picking up speed as the wind catches her.
Izmeralda asks Rhyll, "What's to become of the other vessel, Captain?"
Rhyll turns to Izmeralda and said, "They sealed their own fate. Kelyess will take his revenge on them. May all who deal in the misery of other learn from this."
Kelyess swings his cutlass. The Redstar's port scorpion fire as one, massive bolts thudding into the far port side of the slaver ship. Timbers shatter, and the sea eagerly floods the Melkarth. The slaver ship spins, showing her gashed side to you as the Reckoning retreats.
The big slaver lists to one side, whirling gently, as the sea has her way. Her side stove in, her hold broken, some figures still clad in black kick free as the big ship begins to go under. Her masts droop and tilt, her oars submerging, the debris and litter on her deck sliding away and disappearing into the green water.
The hands on the Reckoning pause in their tasks to watch the big slaver go under.
The Melkarth gives a gurgling roar, her belly full of water now, as her bottom breaks there is an enormous cracking sound, and the shattered hulk slides beneath the surface with barely a splash of green water. There are only bits of debris bobbing on the surface, and tiny struggling figures. The men in the water behind you scream and wail, their voices growing more faint, as the distance grows between your ships.
The Redstar, her job done, turns away, her sails filling, and heads
west, back towards the Crimson Coast.
The Reckoning sails on. Benning and some others say a silent prayer.
Rhyll turns from the sight and says, "Well, time for more pleasant things. Mister Mirko, lets get that Oath from these new men and then we can find out if there is anything of worth in those chests."
Baj takes a deep breath and sighs heavily, "Aye, Captain."
Baj says, "Mister Erris! Bring the chests to the Captain, please!"
The chests are borne aft to the quarterdeck, four large seachests, and presented to Rhyll with a flourish from Erris.
Izmeralda stands beside Rhyll, watching.
Rhyll bows slightly and says, "Thank you, Mister Erris."
Sails set, Dacien and the other men slide back down to the deck, eager to see the spoils of the days work.The chests are opened, to reveal the glistening reward within.