Drifter and his fellow craftsmen companions made their way past the maze of upturned and scattered cargo in the messy hold, Drifter leading the way. As they reached the stairs leading up to the deck, however, Drifter stopped in his tracks as something suddenly forced its way through his mind.
Drifter found himself staring at a dark horizon from the bow of a huge ship, way larger than any he has encountered in his trade. What time of day that was, he was unable to discern, for sunlight streamed from behind him yet he faced darkness ahead.
Then, like magic, the darkness seemed to ripple and radiate like disturbed water, followed by a slow appearance of seas and lands. It was like seeing them spawn from nothing like plants growing out of seeds. Then he turned towards another man - his companion - and flashed a thumbs up at him.
"Hey! Are you there?"
Drifter snapped back to reality as the carpenter lightly tapped him on the shoulder.
"Right, let's go. I was... just listening for any men outside." Drifter hastily remarked, then resuming their escape.
They reached the deck afterwards and was thrown right at the middle of a commotion. Drifter instinctively pushed the craftsmen back to the hold to keep them from harm.
All of a sudden, a man met him from above, thrown with such force that he was unable to react in time. Both he and the man fell on their feet, the poor thing knocked out cold.
Can this be a joke?
Drifter's mind rang with a barrage of questions as he scrambled to his feet and found his mysterious attacker. Perched atop the cross mast was one of Coral's notorious pirates, Knife of the Ocean.
"YOU!" Drifter cried.
Drifter knew whether the reaction came from him first or if it took place exactly at the same time, but nevertheless shock entered his system upon discovering the identity of their ship's attacker.
"Why, I don't believe my eyes!" the sailmaker cried, chancing a peek from the doorway leading to the hold. "It's Knife of the Ocean!"
The man seemed to closely scrutinize them, but more pressing matters broke Drifter's eye contact with him as angry cutlass-wielding sailors charged towards them.
"Stop them, you fools, DON'T LET THE PRISONERS ESCAPE!" the Captain yelled desperately. "K-kill those Anathema!"
"I'd like to see you try." Drifter said, grinning at himself.
"You won't escape this ship alive, boy!"
The Captain now squared up with him, a cutlass in the mariner's hand. Drifter faced the Captain, the other sailors now busying themselves with Knife. They knew better than to interfere with a Captain's duel - let alone their Captain.
"Bring it on." Drifter said.
The Captain lunged towards him and aimed a chop at Drifter's shoulder, which he evaded, causing the cutlass to bury itself on the mast.
"Damn you!" the Captain cried, unable to extract the cutlass from its deep burrow in the wooden mast. "I'll bring you down without a sword!"
He charged towards Drifter once again, one fist extended, but Drifter once again danced out of the way and took the Captain's extended hand, using his own momentum against him and swinging him round and round.
"You never learn from your own sailors' mistakes, don't you?" Drifter said, as they both spun faster.
"LET - ME - GO!!!" the Captain cried angrily.
"Suit yourself." Drifter said, grinning.
He released the Captain's arm and stopped, causing the Captain to fly away from Drifter and out of the ship, landing in the water a good distance away. The Captain let out an anguished yell as he did, attracting Knife's attention.
"Was that the captain you just dropped?" Knife of the Ocean asked.
Drifter could only nod and scratch his head.
Knife snorted and said, "I think we should fish him out. We might need him later. I think I'll give him as a present to a friend of mine. He's this big ass barbarian who likes people who know about the Fair Folk..."
Sudden shouts of "Drop your weapons!" and "Surrender!!!" came from behind as another ship grappled the Guild ship. The marines had their bows drawn and were taking bead at all the remaining sailors. Apparently this was Knife's ship, Drifter thought.
Knife of the Ocean raises his voice, "ABOUT BLOODY TIME!!!" he roared.
In a more normal voice, he started giving orders, "Relieve them of their weapons, you can manacle them all downstairs in the slave area. Go free the slaves, they are coming with us. And oh yes, someone fish out the captain before he drowns on me. Go see if we can crew this ship back to the island, it's barely an hour away anyway. I'll be returning with this ship, I'm taking a guard. Continue with the shit raid, if we can split up..."
As Drifter turned to his fellow craftsmen and watched the marines board the Guild ship, Knife went into a sort of trance, causing him to grip the nearest rigging and stand still for some time. He turned to Drifter after that.
"I'm freeing the slaves, I'm taking them home with me to meet my associates. Not to worry no harm will come to them, but as for you... I'd like to welcome you to the family..." tapping Drifter lightly on his caste mark and pointing at his own.
Drifter found himself staring at a dark horizon from the bow of a huge ship, way larger than any he has encountered in his trade. What time of day that was, he was unable to discern, for sunlight streamed from behind him yet he faced darkness ahead.
Then, like magic, the darkness seemed to ripple and radiate like disturbed water, followed by a slow appearance of seas and lands. It was like seeing them spawn from nothing like plants growing out of seeds. Then he turned towards another man - his companion - and flashed a thumbs up at him.
"Hey! Are you there?"
Drifter snapped back to reality as the carpenter lightly tapped him on the shoulder.
"Right, let's go. I was... just listening for any men outside." Drifter hastily remarked, then resuming their escape.
They reached the deck afterwards and was thrown right at the middle of a commotion. Drifter instinctively pushed the craftsmen back to the hold to keep them from harm.
All of a sudden, a man met him from above, thrown with such force that he was unable to react in time. Both he and the man fell on their feet, the poor thing knocked out cold.
Can this be a joke?
Drifter's mind rang with a barrage of questions as he scrambled to his feet and found his mysterious attacker. Perched atop the cross mast was one of Coral's notorious pirates, Knife of the Ocean.
"YOU!" Drifter cried.
Drifter knew whether the reaction came from him first or if it took place exactly at the same time, but nevertheless shock entered his system upon discovering the identity of their ship's attacker.
"Why, I don't believe my eyes!" the sailmaker cried, chancing a peek from the doorway leading to the hold. "It's Knife of the Ocean!"
The man seemed to closely scrutinize them, but more pressing matters broke Drifter's eye contact with him as angry cutlass-wielding sailors charged towards them.
"Stop them, you fools, DON'T LET THE PRISONERS ESCAPE!" the Captain yelled desperately. "K-kill those Anathema!"
"I'd like to see you try." Drifter said, grinning at himself.
"You won't escape this ship alive, boy!"
The Captain now squared up with him, a cutlass in the mariner's hand. Drifter faced the Captain, the other sailors now busying themselves with Knife. They knew better than to interfere with a Captain's duel - let alone their Captain.
"Bring it on." Drifter said.
The Captain lunged towards him and aimed a chop at Drifter's shoulder, which he evaded, causing the cutlass to bury itself on the mast.
"Damn you!" the Captain cried, unable to extract the cutlass from its deep burrow in the wooden mast. "I'll bring you down without a sword!"
He charged towards Drifter once again, one fist extended, but Drifter once again danced out of the way and took the Captain's extended hand, using his own momentum against him and swinging him round and round.
"You never learn from your own sailors' mistakes, don't you?" Drifter said, as they both spun faster.
"LET - ME - GO!!!" the Captain cried angrily.
"Suit yourself." Drifter said, grinning.
He released the Captain's arm and stopped, causing the Captain to fly away from Drifter and out of the ship, landing in the water a good distance away. The Captain let out an anguished yell as he did, attracting Knife's attention.
"Was that the captain you just dropped?" Knife of the Ocean asked.
Drifter could only nod and scratch his head.
Knife snorted and said, "I think we should fish him out. We might need him later. I think I'll give him as a present to a friend of mine. He's this big ass barbarian who likes people who know about the Fair Folk..."
Sudden shouts of "Drop your weapons!" and "Surrender!!!" came from behind as another ship grappled the Guild ship. The marines had their bows drawn and were taking bead at all the remaining sailors. Apparently this was Knife's ship, Drifter thought.
Knife of the Ocean raises his voice, "ABOUT BLOODY TIME!!!" he roared.
In a more normal voice, he started giving orders, "Relieve them of their weapons, you can manacle them all downstairs in the slave area. Go free the slaves, they are coming with us. And oh yes, someone fish out the captain before he drowns on me. Go see if we can crew this ship back to the island, it's barely an hour away anyway. I'll be returning with this ship, I'm taking a guard. Continue with the shit raid, if we can split up..."
As Drifter turned to his fellow craftsmen and watched the marines board the Guild ship, Knife went into a sort of trance, causing him to grip the nearest rigging and stand still for some time. He turned to Drifter after that.
"I'm freeing the slaves, I'm taking them home with me to meet my associates. Not to worry no harm will come to them, but as for you... I'd like to welcome you to the family..." tapping Drifter lightly on his caste mark and pointing at his own.
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