Snippet #1203898

Jack Highwind let out a disappointed sigh as he turned around to face the loudmouthed man. His polite speech was gone with the wind as the situation grew in tension.

"So you're nothing more than common thugs, then." He declared loudly, seemingly disappointed. "A hero? You must be joking." He snorted in disgust. With a quick move of his hand, he unsheathed, almost lashing out with his saber with a sharp metallic woosh. The gentle glimmer in his eyes was quickly replaced by a cold, hard sheen as he let the point of his saber hover in front of the man's throat, similar to the blade at his own throat.

"I am Sky Pirate Jack Highwind of the Highwind Merchant Family of Meridian, the Scurge of the Skies, and Captain of the Batavian skyship. You will address me as such, or I shall have your tongue cut out from behind your teeth, worm! I have spilt more blood in my days than any insect like you of the Borgia Dynasty could ever hope to spill. I am not proud of it. I curse myself with every day that passes for it, and I am forever haunted by the memories of the lives I have taken." The tip of his saber caressed the other man's rapier almost playfully, running up and down the blade for a moment, as he added:

"But it is an ugly, crude art which I daresay, I have mastered."

Vinsces stepped forward as well, when the circle around them grew larger. He left the leader to his new-found friend to deal with, and looked around at the other Borgias, clenching his fist in his characteristic manner as he growled at them:

"Oi, you bastards! Don't hide among the guests! Come out here and fight me, you cowards!" With a look at Osefi and Jade still sitting over by the table, he grinned and made a thumbs up, to signal they had things under control, before tossing his spear aside, hitting his fists together knuckles to knuckles in an aggressive move, as if saying he didn't need a spear to tackle the men. Of course, the truth of it was, it was too confined a space for him to efficiently use his spear. In such a case, it was better to rely on his innate strength, size, and muscles. That he was more than a head taller than most of the men would serve him far better in this fight than his loyal spear would have.

Jack Highwind had one more ace up his sleeves. Satisfied that Vinsces had the other men covered, he looked around at the patrons, and smiled coldly as he reached inside his coat, pulling out a leather pouch ringing heavy with coins. It was a small fortune in gold and jewels, a fair part of his treasure that had been brought from the Batavian intended as payment for supplies in the city before the skyship's voyage to Ignir. Without hesitation, he tossed it on the bar, where it landed with a heavy, ringing thud.

"I offer the contents of this leather purse to be shared by any men in here who claim the heads of these troublemakers." His eyes met with the leader's, and he added, with a slightly lower, almost bloodthirsty voice: "I'll double it, if it's the head of this insect."