Blades in the Dark

 

"Funny I don't think we left that window open" thought Whisperleaf. It was the middle watch of the night, and he was standing it alone while the rest of the party slept. Safe in an inn, in a civilized town, you could make the argument that no watch was even needed. But paranoia ran deep among the adventuring party known as The Lord's of Doom. Paranoia that was more often then not, justified.

As Whisperleaf turned to investigate the open window, the assassins' struck. Three dark shapes detached themselves from the shadows in which they had been concealed, keen edged daggers were swiftly drawn from under dark cloaks. It should have been an easy kill, three on one, and the Druid still not fully alerted. But the elf's reflexes were honed from many a deadly encountered, and he reacted instantly, instinctively to defend himself.  

Still, one of the assassins' was faster.  His first strike was true, and the Druid screamed in pain as the dagger plunged deep into his side. Despite the Druid's relatively light armor, the second blade failed to find it's mark though.

"I toughen your hide, so that crocodile teeth won't bite so hard next time" Red Alice had said to him back in Old Valoria, and that tough hide stood him in good stead this night, as the blade turned and failed to bite.

Whisperleaf called out a quick incantation and a gigantic creature composed of the earth itself rose from the floorboards. He no longer fought alone. Even as the assassins' turned to confront the new threat, Whisperleaf's form shimmered and changed, as a great cat, with fangs like daggers took his place. 

The cat gave an earsplitting roar and pounced.

----

The Sturg was not asleep. He didn't really sleep anymore, not since Red Alice had blessed him. "I grant you the gift of eternal sleepless vigilance that you may never be caught unaware" she had said.

Sometimes he missed sleeping. The nights were pretty long without it. He was thinking about maybe taking up knitting, to give himself something to do, it looked relaxing. But tonight, it meant when he heard the great cat's roar, he rose smoothly and without hesitation from his chair, drew his sword and strode toward the noise. On the way to the door, he paused to reach down with one hand and flipped Dakhir's bed over, to the startled cursing of it's occupant.

-----

Ricmo's eyes snapped open and he was moving, a pistol in each hand before his brain had a chance to catch up. Life on the streets of Valoria didn't last long if you were a deep sleeper. There were at least three times in his past where he'd actually killed someone before he fully woke up. He slid off his bed and quiet as the night, slipped to the door that connected his tiny room with the large common room of the suite they had rented, and eased it open.

------

When Ricmo and the Sturg entered the common room they saw Whisperleaf, in cat form, desperately battling three cloaked foes, supported by one of his conjured creatures. One of the cloaked figures was pinned to the floor screaming as the cat tore at him, but the other two were plunging daggers over and over into the druid's cat form. The cat was already bleeding heavily from half a dozen wounds

Ricmo didn't hesitate, leveled both pistols and fired point blank into the back of one of the assassins, staggering him. The pistols shots were deafening in the enclosed space.

The Sturg made a beeline for the other unengaged enemy, who whirled to face him. 

And there the battle raged, three-on-three for a few moments, but then more of the party entered the fray. Dakhir strode into the room, hurling bolts of eldritch power. Tello raised his staff and summoned his cannon construct, which immediately opened fire with a deafening roar. And the tide began to turn.

And once Radiant Lightbringer and Ozraeline finally emerged, the enemy stopped thinking about victory and started desperately searching for escape. A blade in the dark was their business, a quick kill and then fading back into the shadows. Pitched battles with heavily armed and armored foes was not what they had signed up for.

The assassin closest to the window achieved his retreat easily enough by leaping out it, however the other two were less fortunate, prevented by the mass of the Stuirg and the enraged lion. 

"Take them alive" shouted Dakhir, The Sturge nodded and the remaining two enemies were quickly incapacitated.

It was at that time that Lil, the manager of the inn, entered the room with a couple of large muscular guards. 

"What in the world is going on up here?" she demanded?

 -------

"Totally a tough break" said Freddy sympathetically to one of the attackers. I mean I totally get it, you were paid to do a job, everyone has to eat right?"

"Exactly Fred" said the assassin eagerly. "We didn't have no beef with you and your friends, we were just after that Davis guy. I mean who cares if the oligarchs kill each other right? Hell man, I'm a big fan, used to catch your shows back in Haven Towne!"

"I get it man, I get it. I can help for sure. But you gotta help me, capiche? My buddies want your head you understand. You gotta give me something more then "we was hired by some guy".

"I would Fred, totally, but that's all I got. The people that hire us, they value their privacy, you know? No names." 

-------

"He doesn't know anything" said Freddy. "He was so scared and so magic'd he would have given up his mother if he could have. Whoever hired them was careful. Davis was the target for sure though."

Davis over in the corner nodded. "Not surprised. Probably the De Rojas."

"Who. The Hell. Had the gall to try to kill one of MY GUESTS IN MY OWN GODDAMN HOUSE" the roar of rage from outside the suite was punctuated by Bella Bell kicking the door open and striding in. Somehow, even though it was the middle of the night she was impeccably dressed. And enraged. 

"These gents, Bell.” answered Lil. “Some pro killers from Haven Towne, Freddy says. Some Merchant Houses bullshit"

Bella Bell walked over to the bound assassins.

"Who hired them?" she asked softly.  

"Don't know Bell" Freddy said. "Whoever it was, he covered his tracks, pretty sure they don't know anything." 

"Well I am gonna be more then pretty sure. Lil, let's round up someone good with the fingernails and pliers thing, and lets get REAL FUCKING SURE. I am seriously pissed and these fuckups are about to become a Skull River Bay legend. Only these two?"

"Third one got away." said Lil

"Well what are you standing around for, fucking find him!"

Lil nodded and left with her goons. Bella Bell took a deep breath and got herself under control, the anger draining from her face, replaced with her normal flirtatious half smile. 

"A girl does have a reputation to maintain, after all. Oh Freddy, this must have been so traumatic on you.  You poor kitten. How can I make it up to you?"

"That lady really scares me." whispered Dakhr to Ozraeline. "Me too" relied Ozraeline. "Me too."

----------------------------

"The Wizard of the Yellow Tower was an excellent host" replied Whisperleaf. Mostly he wanted to talk about our homeland, The Golden Sylph, back in Mythras, catch up on news from home basically, speak the old tongue with someone. Not many elves out here evidentially.

"It's been years since you've been back to the Sylph" remarked Merus. "Your news is hardly current." 

"Still the most recent news he's heard. He didn't even know old King Elon finally died. Hasn't been back in a century he said. Says he's not allowed back. Guessing some kind of exile, by his accent he must be from the High Nobility. 

"You should have seen this candlewax golem he had though, quite amazing creature, says it helps him with his research! 

He did give me some insight into how the Pirate Market and the auctions work though. He certifies all the magical items sold there, so he understands it all pretty well. 

"I doubt we can afford any of that stuff" groused Dakhir. "Ten thousand gold piece minimum bid on some of those things."

"Yeah he said unless you are drowning in gold, to stay away from the high profile lots, especially weapons and armor. Evidentially people come from thousands of miles to bid on some of those. But he did confirm it's all legit magic. He also said that if you are clever and focus on less high profile items, you can often get a deal. He suggested a couple, like the Half Life Chest as examples of those."

"I still doubt we can afford anything" said Dakhir.

"We would be able to, if we took Diamond Joe up on his offer to knock over that fat prize of his" commented Ricmo. 

"But do we really want to cross the line into piracy" asked Dakhir?

"Line? What line?" grinned Ricmo. 

"Might be hard to pay to upkeep the ship and the crew without some income stream" commented Ozraeline. "We have a lot of work to do on the Lady Jezebel before she is ready for a serious long distance voyage, and that costs gold. Crews need to be paid, supplies need to be repurchased..."

"Supposedly a sure thing" commented Freddy. "And no unnecessary killing, according to Diamond Joe. I gotta admit from what I have been hearing, I am not a big fan of these Merchant Houses and the way they've exploited this region and these people"

Lightbringer nodded. "There is much blood on their hands, they would enslave these folk if they could."

 "I am more worried about the reputation that goes along with piracy than anything else. I don't want every ship we run into taking shots at us." said Dakhir thoughtfully. 

Tello, who had been quiet up until then, commented for the first time. "I have some ideas around that. If you grant me a modest budget for materials I believe I can disguise  the appearance of our ship so we are not marked, at least not from a distance."

"Well can't hurt to go to the meeting with Diamond Joe and find out more" said Dakhir.

-------------------

The Bayou, on the other side of Skull River, where the meeting with Diamond Joe was scheduled to take place, was like a different world from the main town. Built on the edge of a huge swamp called The Great Mangrove it was a ramshackle affair of wooden buildings built on stilts over the water. No actual roads, and even paths were few, the locals mostly travelled around in small flat bottom boats called piragues.

And looming over all, was the massive skull shaped rock from which the town, bay and river all got their name

The meeting was in the upper room of the single inn, The Lucky Kraken, built directly on the beach. Diamond Joe, his second in command Barnabas Frost, and an assortment of halfling and human pirates sat around a large table.

Diamond Joe as always, was good natured and charming as he spread a large chart over the table. 

"My inside man says the Nancy Lee is scheduled to depart Puerto Lejos tomorrow evening. She's a big 28 gun Galleon, so she isn't too scared of pirates, and rightfully so, there is no ship in the Reach that is a match for her in a fight and even both my ships together could not take her. However, your Lady Jezebel is almost her equal, and combined with my sloop and brigantine we clearly have the advantage 

It is five hundred leagues from Puerto Lejos to Skull River Bay. About halfway between there is a small island with good water called "Querta", only lightly populated, by a small village of the First People. The island also marks a turning of the Cadena current, which flows westernly this time of year. My man says the Nancy Lee intends to make for this island, both to catch the current and to resupply. Not an uncommon route for this particular journey at this time of year. And it is here we will be waiting for her.

Diamond Joe cleared the chart away and used several plates and mugs to quickly illustrate the waters around the island.

"My two ships will lay low in this cove to northeast, see? With our shallow drafts we can hug the coastline behind this headland and he won't see us until he is close. We may be smaller but we sail weatherly to windward so we can make headway on him even as he sails large. Once he sees us he will crack on sail and make for the current, where he will hope to lose us. Even though we aren't really a match for him, he knows we will be packed to the gills with fighters and can maybe win a boarding action, so we will want to keep us away. Plus I'll let him see my flag. We do have a bit of a reputation.

So meanwhile you will be lying in the southern lea of the island near the village. You come out, cut him off. Then he's stuck. He can't turn to the west, the trade winds are steady westerly this time of year and those Galleon sail like bathtubs against the wind.  He can't turn to the east without running aground. He's got you before him and me behind. We fire some cannons, and I give you three to one odds he strikes his colors right there."

Diamond Jack sat back from the table.

"That Galleon is full to the brim with gold extorted from the reach. There is a famine on at Puerto Lejos and House Vetinari has been milking it for all it's worth. 10,000 pieces of gold easy, once we take her and sell her at auction. We split it 50/50.  There ain't no certainty on the sea, but this is about as good as it gets boys, so what say you? In or out? I give you a moment to talk amongst yourselves"

After a consultation, the party came back to the table.

"We are in" said Ricmo, firmly.

"Amazing, welcome to piracy boys! A short life, but a merry one!" said Diamond Joe. "This calls for a drink and  song!"

And when the round came to Freddy's place at the table

I shagged her and then her mother,

Telle Ru Telle  Rey Ta Day;

I then had her cousin and more fun Lovin',

Tell Ru Telle Rey Ta Day

Ozraeline groaned while the Pirates cheered