Nassau

Jarrak Hassar walked through the shithole of a port town with less than a amused vasard. He hadnt been on the island a day and already had lost his ward, "Damn it Kalila," he mumbled under his breath as he walked down another winding alley, "Why do you do this to me?"
Some guardian he was. Protector of a damn princess, a prophesied reincarnation of Ishka, and still his biggest problem was merely keeping the mad girl in his sights. He hoped against hope, that word never reached her father's ears about how lax his skills at protection had gotten. He was used to chasing Kalila around a palace, not a slum. A beggar stepped out in front of him, hand proffered, mumbling something about coins for an old man, Jarrak had no time for it and a solid knee to the gut sent the beggar doubling over in the dirt.
"Filth." He said under his breath as he continued to walk through the stinking town, "Filth and foul, why on earth have we come here?"

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Lady Elizabeth Benezia Harlington sat in her on the terrace of her estate looking over the sapphire blue waters off the coast of Nassau. On a small table beside her sat a china cup of inky black tea, and above her an umbrella, keeping the harshest of the suns rays from her, even if she was fully covered, from her long gloves to halterneck dress and face mask. She stared out over the stunning vista view, she had lived here nearly twenty years but she never tired of that view. She lifted her tea cup to her face and took a careful measured sip. She had her masks fitted and specially designed so that she could still enjoy tea while she wore them, but it was still a delicate art to avoid covering herself in the dark liquid. An art she had perfected over the years.
"More tea ma'am?" said a deep voice from behind her, and Marcus Bolo, her infallible butler and manservant materialised from where he had been standing.
"No thank you Marcus I am quite alright," she said, her voice melodic and light, but with a hint of the deadly intelligence she had acquired over the years, "What time was our appointment in town?"
She knew perfectly well what time their appointment with the Pirate was, she knew Marcus knew too. The man never missed a beat, but she asked anyway, some part of the daily facade they played with each other.
"Noon Ma'am," Marcus replied without batting an eyelid, "Just under two hours."
"Of course," she replied lightly, her demeanor as unreadable as usual, "How silly of me. Come, fetch Nassara and bring the carriage around the front. I must go and fetch my things."
"Of course lady Harlington," Marcus said with a bow, "At once."

~Early that morning~


Kalila lay on her soft cot in the inn she and her guardian were staying in.

It wasn't the nicest of inns, but then they weren't in the places. They were in the Kingdom of Thieves, the Kingless Kindom.

Nassau. Land of the Pirates. Pirates, from all the lands did their business here, having no sovereign, this was a safe harbor for pirates to dock, careen their ships, trade their wares, and bed whores for the right price.

This was no place for a 15 year old girl nor was it a place for a highborn Princess of Jeddah and the incarnation of a Goddess...and yet here she was, laying on a bed, her guardian sleeping not far from her.

Kalila rose from her bed, looking at him. She knew she didn't like making him crazy with worry but she had a mission, she couldn't ignore it. The voices in her head were too strong, too loud.

If she didn't obey, they'd start to scream...and so would she.

"Find him."
"Stop him."
"Help her."
"Find her."

They repeated in her head as she stood, her brown hair hanging stringyly around her soft round face, her large doe eyes watching the moon that hung over Nassau.

She didn't want to leave,she didn't want to do half of the things she did but it was Ishka's will...Ishka...sometimes was a bully.


Kalila then leapt from the large window, her fall broken by a cloth awning that hung over the inn entrance.

"Find her."

Kalila began walking, down the dark cold streets of Nassau, alone but unafraid.

She knew, no one in this place could stop her.


~Presently~

"Filth and foul, why on earth have we come here?"

Kalila stood behind her guardian, unmoving and statuesque in the ever moving bustling streets of Nassau. She didn't say a word, which wasn't rare for Kalila but this was Jarrak, her only friend...so she believed, or atleast wanted to. It couldn't be easy chasing her around, he'd been doing it since she was born, she actually remembered the day, she was presented to him, she was still wrapped in a soft blanket, tucked into her mother's arms, watched by her father whose face was stern yet held a proud gleam in his eyes as he gazed down at her. Jarrak had been her father's apprentice and had been tasked with being Kalila's guardian. She never saw him that way, and the first word she ever spoke, was spoken to him. She was 10 at the time.

She walked up to him, and grabbed his hand. Wordlessly, looking at him with her large eyes and tapped the side of her head in reply to his rhetorical question. As if to say 'My head' He knew exactly why she was here.

She was on a mission. A divine one.

When he was younger, Theodosos never imagined that he would be in a place like this. The taverns of Nassau were filled to the brim with thieves, whores, and scoundrels of every shape and size. The type of scoundrel that held sway here was, of course, the pirates. Pirates were scum in the eyes of the world. A convicted one was hung quickly if he or she was lucky. If they were not ready, they suffered longer punishments, though, no punishment could compare to his.

"Hello, lover. You seem down," a sweat voice whispered in his ear. Theo was not surprised to see a beautiful figure sit across from him. She was dressed provocatively and wouldn't have looked out of place here among the whores save for the aura of power he could feel coming off her in waves. He nursed his pint. Once, he might have thrown it at her, but he knew it was no use. He could not harm a goddess.

"Your curse does have that effect, Lila," he said dryly. She laughed lightly. In all fairness, she should have attracted unwelcome attention by now, but none could see her. None but him. He stared in his pint. Was there a true God? Lila had taught him that the gods of his people much too petty to be divine. Once, such a question might have interested him, but now, he was beyond caring.

"I wouldn't call it a curse so much as a game. You are so interesting, Theo. I like interesting."

"That is not all that you like about me. How did it feel to be rejected?" he asked with a light smile. The goddess frowned at him.

"How does it feel to lose so many friends? Honestly, with mortals so short-lived and us gods immortal, I am unfamiliar with the loss humans experience. Losing a mortal to death... It's like losing a pet. There are plenty more."

"Captain Black Bart was a good man, Lila. He did not deserve to die. You will pay. Maybe not by my hand, but you will pay. Now leave, whore!" he snarled, thrusting forward with his fingers to cause a bolt of lightning to spring out of them at her. But, like so many times before, she simply vanished, leaving a smoking chair behind.

"You are mine, pet. You could have experienced pleasure far beyond a mortal's wildest imagination. Now, you are reduced to this. Be careful, that little display attracts a lot of attention in places like this.

Theo finished his drink, nonplussed. He laughed wildly and stood up.

"I still live! Now, a round of drinks on me!!!!" he cried, much to the delight of the onlookers he attracted. He made a pile of coins on the table.

"To Black Bart!" he whispered as he was brought another pin

---

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Damien & Sebastian

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---

Damien and Sebastian were slipping in between the crowds easily enough until they spotted each other and got an even brighter idea. Both knew their crew was somewhere around them, grabbing purses and anything that suits their fancy while Damien and Sebastian just grabbed things they could sell. The two purposefully bumped into each other, hard, and Damien fell to the ground easily.

"How dare you?" Damien demanded as he stood angrily. Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Seriously Jack, you might as well try to not dress like a pig," Sebastian says with an almost drawling voice, not looking like his brother with the fake beard his men had assisted him with that morning. Damien had blonde hair at the moment making them look even less like brothers.

Damien looked down at his clothes, truly distraught. Did Sebastian truly not like his clothes? He was wearing a red soldiers jacket he had found over a loose shirt and pants that allowed movement without being baggy. His boots were relatively clean as was his earring which was nothing but a large blue sapphire in his right ear.

"You know what, let's see how confident you are with knife in your stomach," Damien demands as he charges his brother, grabbing him by the shoulder and bringing his knee up to knock the wind out of Sebastian. Sebastian went down, momentarily looking up at the surrounding crowd before smiling and holding his stomach as he waited for Damien to jump on him only to roll away and kick out at his brothers ribs.

Damien didn't look happy as he glared at his brother, the two grappling another minute before their first mate, Kato, pulled them apart. "Boys boys, your mothers are going to hear about this," He says as he holds them at least a foot off the ground. Kato was a giant and at least seven feet tall. He was burly with a lot of muscle and tanned skin. He looked like the devil himself when he wanted to be though he was anything but as he was a sweet guy when he wasn't angry and was under your command.

"Kato, let us go," Sebastian demands as the two are held apart. Kato shakes his head as if wondering why they had given them this job. Kato was the only one that didn't like to steal for whatever reason, so he just closed their mission up with a nice touch so people didn't think anything was going on. During their brawl, the entire crew had had a stealing spree and were not weighed down with twice as much as before to sell.

Kato took the two boys down an alley and dropped them rather unceremoniously. Kato smiled down at the twins as he messed up Damien's hair. "You, sir, look strange without black hair," Kato says as he passes Kato what looks like an old comb. Kato accepts it, brushing away whatever Sebastian had put in his hair that morning. Meanwhile, Sebastian wiped away the fake beard. The two, yet again, looked exactly like each other.

If, and when, people recognized the twins, some would avoid them, others would try to apprehend them, then the smart ones would just get out of their way and let them do whatever they wanted. They did, after all, have Kato with them.

Damien and Sebastian began walking down the street, both looking around them. They had docked a week or so ago in hopes of having a break from getting chased and have a vacation of sorts here in Nassau.

"Want to go see if there are any pretty ladies nearby?" Damien asks his brother with a smile as he watches a group of what must be whores walk by. His mood towards them is foul however, anyone who does it like they do is not someone he wants to be with.

Just then Sebastian spots a man knee another man in the stomach. He frowned as he walked towards the two angry. "Hey, hey you, this may be Nassau, but even pirates aren't cruel to everyone they ever meet," Damien calls to the man as he walks towards him. Sebastian passes the older man a necklace from their morning of stealing, then points him to the alley before going with Damien towards the man. Kato helped the older fellow to the alley to sit down.

Damien watched as a girl went up beside him and held his hand. Sebastian stepped in front of the fellow, pretty pissed off now. Sure he had done the same to hundreds of men, but never to such an old man that had nothing up his sleeve, the twins however, had much up their sleeves. They could tell a thief when they saw one and the old man was legitimately an old man.

"Damien, do you believe that was a very good thing to say?" Sebastian asks as he hears what the fellow says. Damien shakes his head as if he was sad. "No, I believe that was in fact a very bad thing to say," Damien says, icy cold towards the man.

Damien tried not to look at the younger, very pretty girl beside the man, and succeeded, partially. "Damien, stop staring at the girl," Sebastian says knowing exactly what Damien was slightly distracted by. Damien shakes his head as if to clear it as he steps forward towards the man.

"Hey guy, just know you shouldn't say stuff like that, or do stuff like that in a city full of pirates, older homeless people, and idiots looking for fights. Also, you should really get this girl off the street if you want her to live another night. I'm not threatening you, but with looks like that, any and a lot of pirates will want a night with her, and any slaver might just grab her," Damien says quietly, under his breath as he saw another crowd forming around them.

"People, people, my brother and I must warn you to back away. How about we all celebrate a wonderful day tonight with a round of drinks that we pay for? Meet by the tavern in front of our ship," Sebastian offers, knowing anyone that knew them would know their ship.

Damien looks the guy who seems to be in charge of the girl up and down before holding out his hand. "Hey, got anything you would like to give to the old man that you just possibly injured very badly? Not everyone here is young, and he probably can't take a punch like we can, so don't be rash and stupid," Damien says before getting cut off by Sebastian. "Like he is most of the time."

Damien holds his hand out again, looking at something that seems to be on the mans shoulder and brushing what might be dirt off it. "Now seriously, pay up for an old man that deserves something after that treatment. I may be a pirate, but I'm not going to hit some random person," Damien says in an almost friendly way.

The Fishing Game

“Come on over; don’t be shy. Within this tent behind me, we have a spectacle; we have a legend; we have a living sea monster—living proof that they are real and not just sea tales. The creature, however, is quite clever. Only the best fisherman can catch him,” the monster keeper announced.

“Best fisherman me arse!” an old and gray man exclaimed. He emerged from the rolled up entrance of the tan tent and threw the fishing pole on the ground.

“Better luck next time, Sir!” the monster keeper called after him with a smile as he lowered his bull horn to stoop and pick up the pole. The man walked back into the tent to see that three, determined fishermen were still going at it. There was a cylindrical, wooden bucket filled with poles for the fishermen to use freely. They were stolen poles plucked from around the docks of Nassau. The monster keeper returned the pole to the bucket and set to untying one of their fancy hooks from the end of the line.

The tank was huge yet small for a beast boasted to be the size of a tugboat. The container was submerged underground with five-feet of it above. It kept the water dark and cool, hiding the creature that not even the keepers believed actually existed. All they knew was that they were getting money to watch a fish that could have simply been the size of a minnow and was smart enough to know how to remove fish from the most complex of hooks.

Sitting over the tank was the second keeper, slumped in a chair that held his plump form like a cup of jelly. In his left hand, he held a cloth fan that he used to keep himself cool, and in his right, a tin mug of beer. He had managed to make room for a beer keg to be up there in what he called his Crow’s Nest. The pay was good, keeping him well-supplied with beer kegs. With his vest open, his hairy and sweaty belly sat in his lap as he monitored the fishermen, making sure they weren’t dumping chemicals into the pool or doing anything stupid. Heck, if there was anything in there, it should have died a long time ago for there had been countless of times where he spilled beer in the tank, and when no one was around, even pissed into the water. It had been a faster way to relieve himself than trying to will his fat ass to climb down.

With a few “drats,” “damns,” and “for the love of-“ the three visitors left in a fit, leaving their fishing poles scattered on the ground. The monster keeper sighed in exasperation as he went to retrieve the poles.

“Why am I doing your job?” the monster keeper called to his associate.

The pudgy man grinned and chuckled at him, “Because you wanted to be down there, and I wanted to be up here.”

“Good thing I chose wisely then. I wouldn’t want to look like you,” he grumbled.

“You mean sitting on your arse and getting paid to drink beer?”

“Shut it!”

His associate laughed heartily at him before he washed his mirth down with a few heavy gulps of beer.

Dorian made is way through the market while chewing on some bread. Nassau was crawling with filth of all sorts. Pirates, thieves, murderers, and worse of all, slavers. Since he got there a few days ago he's killed over a dozen slavers. One even got away, no doubt spreading rumors about him. Ahead he heard a man shouting. “Come on over; don’t be shy. Within this tent behind me, we have a spectacle; we have a legend; we have a living sea monster—living proof that they are real and not just sea tales. The creature, however, is quite clever. Only the best fisherman can catch him,” He stepped into the tent only to be pounded with foul stenches.

The bandaged man made his way to the keeper and paid him before taking the food. "I'll pass." He told the keeper when offered a fishing pole. Instead he uncovered his bandages on his right arm, revealing his burns which were immensely grotesque. Dorian dipped his hand into the feed and, to the surprise of the others around him, stuck his arm into the tank. Even if this "monster" did bite his arm he could still heal it again. He just wanted to see if it was as intelligent as other mythical creatures that he had encountered before.

Kalila's hands dropped to her side as the two boys approached them. The one seemed to be avoiding looking at her while the other's eyes were locked on Jarrak.

They had a 67 percent chance of getting out of this without a fight.

The odds were low.

Kalila stepped in front of Jarrak, as the one invaded his personal space, Jarrak wouldn't react well to that.

Kalila looked up at the boy, he wasn't much older then her, a few years or so. She reached up and touched his face, examining it and in the same moment began to convulse, her slate grey eyes never moving from his as flashes images passed before her eyes. Blood, a stone room, pain.

This is why she never liked to be touched. Jarrak, her mother and father were the only people able to touch her, she could see the past. She could only touch her father when her mother was around to hinder her ability...she tried it once and was unconscious for a week.


Kalila's eyes began to roll behind her head.

"F-fff for your...brrottthheer...." She said before dropping unconscious.

---

Alexandrine sat in a bar, a hood covering her head as a crowd of people suddenly poured in, her eyes were on the dark skinned man who seemed to be talking to himself. She watched him as lightning flung from his fingertips.

Her eyes narrowed but she waited for him to calm.

As the crowd rushed in. Alexandrine moved to a barstool beside him. The rogue ordered another drink for the both of them.

"People might dz'ing your crazy, with dz'e way you go on by yourself like dz'at." She said, her voice low, her Velalian accent thick in her words. "Dz'ere is alot of magic in, Nassau, but never on such display...no'dzing real anyway." She said sipping her drink.

The monster keeper stood from his stooped position when a strange man wrapped in bandages entered the tent. For a second, he eyed the man, wondering silently if he was a leper before he realized leper or not, he was clearly a customer.

“Welcome friend, come to try your luck?” he greeted.

He accepted his gold and in exchange offered him a pole, and his brows rose in surprise when he heard him refuse.

“Come again? Heh, I’m not sure I heard you right.”

He watched Dorian unravel his bandage to reveal his marred flesh, and rudely, his face scrunched up in disgust for he was too uneducated to see that they were burns. He was still stuck on his leper stereotype. From disgust to horror, the man had managed to fill him with two emotions almost instantaneously. The fish and the hand holding it were both dipped into the tank, and with a frightened gasp, the keeper rushed him, attempting to snag his hand by the wrist and draw it out of the pool. The keeper in the Crow’s Nest sat up in his chair with a suspicious frown when he watched the bandaged man dip his hand into the bait bucket and draw out a large fish.

“What are you doing down there? You must have a fishing pole to play this game!” the man in the Crow’s Nest yelled.

“Are you crazy?” he exclaimed. “It’ll take your hand off!”

“Why’d you let that mummy in here? He’s gonna get us fired!”

Glancing down, he noticed the water had mysteriously darkened. Dividing the water, a dorsal fin rose out of the tank like a giant knife and the creature’s pointed nose was inches from touching Dorian’s hand and the fish he held. The keeper in the Crow’s Nest nearly collapsed out of his chair as he held onto it, quivering in terror. The sight of the dorsal fin made the keeper below him dart away from Dorian into the bait bucket as it dumped over, sending the remaining fishing sliding under his feet as he comically went falling to the ground.

Two rows of serrated teeth hung open as the shark’s gills flared with its breaths. Black eyes gazed up at the man whose hand and arm belonged, unnatural golden rings taking in his bandaged face. Never had he seen such a human, and he didn’t know what to think of him.

I ‘ad t’see fo’ me self the fool dumb enough t’stick ‘is ‘and into me water…

The voice seemed to echo around the tent and the keeper in the Crow’s Nest wailed as though a ghost had been about.

“It talks. The damn thing talks!” he cried.

Dorian gazed at the creature with interest. Indeed he seemed to be fae though he hadn't enough knowledge on fae to tell of what it all encumbered. What he was sure of was that the creature was not human. Another thing he also knew was that there was know way this creature was here under free will. If it was intelligent it couldn't possibly be happy living in a small dirty tank all day.

"So it does, though I have a feeling that the it is in fact a he." He said in a calm tone in response to the keeper's words, all while looking at the creature. "I bet that you're not here because you feel that tank is homey, now do you? How about you come with me? I promise that there's a much bigger world out there. I know because I have seen more than most men see in their entire lives. What do you say?" He asked the creature, extending his hand out.

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Damien & Sebastian

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Damien stared at the girl as she stepped in front of him. He was surprised that she would do it after what he had just said even though he hadn't threatened her. Sebastian made as if to protest when the girl reached up to touch Damien's face. Sebastian froze, his gaze on his brother as he watched the girl, looking for anything that might possibly hurt him.

"Hey, little lady, I don't know what you're doing but I-," Damien stops as he see her start to convulse. "Sebastian what do I do? Damien asks his brother as he looks at the girl unsure what to do. His brother knew how to handle these situations better than he did. He wasn't a medical person whatsoever, quite the contrary actually.

Only then did his back race with pain. He had these occasionally, ghost pains from the day in the dungeon. He remembered only bits of it, but would always remember that it happened because of what his tormentor put on his back. The scars that spelled out the man's name felt as if he was being branded again.

Damien didn't scream, but felt his knees buckle slightly. This girl, he knew then that she wasn't what she appeared to be. "F-fff for your...brrottthheer...." She said before dropping unconscious. Damien caught her as she fell down and was able to land on his back, keeping her from getting stuck under him, but letting out a gasp of pain as his back made contact with the hard stone.

Nobody knew that Damien had done it for his brother but his brother, and there was only one thing that this girl could have seen. He didn't want anything to do with her, didn't want her to think he's any different than who he is, but didn't want to leave her either, even with the guy who must be her protector.

Sebastian pushed the man away and knelt by his brother. "Damien, Damien listen to me, we have to get you back to the ship. Hold it together for a few more minutes, got it?" Sebastian says to his brother who swallowed and nodded. He hated this, absolutely hated this. Rarely did it happen in public or during the day, but today it seemed to be full out and horrible.

Their crew kept the gathering crowd back and at bay so as not to watch Damien in his current state, a good crew constantly. "Let her go Damien," Sebastian whispers as Damien didn't realize he was still holding onto the girl.

Instantly, Damien released her and Sebastian picked her up like she was nothing, passing her off to her guardian before reaching down to scoop Damien up over his shoulder, his brother exhausted from the episode.

Sebastian eyed the girl and her protector. "If I ever see you hurt anyone here who didn't deserve it again, you can sure as hell bet that I will come at you without hesitation. Got it?" Sebastian asks as he holds his brother close.

Sebastian turns to leave before hearing Damien's voice in his ear. "Get them to come with us. She might be able to help us Sebastian," Damien says as he continues to breath in a labored way.

Sebastian sighs as he turns to face the man. "Come with us, I have something that'll make her feel better and you can sure as hell bet that our ship will be far safer than wherever you lot are staying," Sebastian says as he nods towards the docks not too far away and the twins' ship.

Sebastian began to walk, leading the way with his crew still packed tightly around them. He wondered if the man would follow, he had after all just threatened the mans life. Then again, if he knew what was good for his ward he would bring her to the ship.

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Sebastian set Damien down on his bed in their cabin, leaning his now sleeping brother up to remove the shirt before flipping him over and looking at the scarred back. The letters on his back were jagged and the two were unsure what was used to make them, but they both knew what it did to Damien.

Sebastian didn't know if the man and the girl followed, but motioned towards his bed while kneeling by Damien, not looking away. The man could set the girl there if he wished, and was even present, but Sebastian truly didn't care when he looked at Damien and wondered what to give him this time for the pain.

"Fortunes for you good sir...fortunes for you madam, come and get your fortune told by the gypsy princess." The tent was set up by the corner, a place usually that went to the best merchant seller in Nassau. Sinead was sure she hear about it later on from whomever owned the plot. A scrap of a boot stopped in front of her tent, most likely eying the young girl trying to get customers inside. She was scantily clad and overly decorated for Sinead's taste.

"And what is the price for a night with you," the girl answered with a giggled and looked up at the stranger, "Oh I don't think you could afford it, and my three brothers are so protective of me, but come inside and see the beautiful lady for your fortune." The tent flap slide aside and let in the light for the third time that day. The gentlemen much have been more captivated by the girl then he realized to refuse, and stepped inside.

Sinead sat looking at her cards, not really reading them, and looked up at her customer. "Sit, relax, good sir," she said as she gathered them and shuffled again. Glancing at the man again, she looked at him curiously. "You just arrived in port today didn't you, merchant ship." He flicked his eyebrow up, "How do you know I am from a merchant ship," he asked. "You don't smell like a pirate," he had to chuckle at her.

Finally she fanned the cards out in front of her, "Pick three." He chose three cards, "Face down on the table please," he put the cards like she wanted, "You've come to make a deal with a rich lady, you want to be a captain of one of her merchant ships." She turned the first card over, a ship appeared on it." She watched was it did in her minds eye, "You will have three good journeys being captain of this ship...yet the forth." She turned the second card over, a dagger appeared, "The forth someone will betray your trust, someone you least expect." She didn't look at the third card, "You have a choice to make at a certain moment, there are two people who are going to give you the advice about the same matter. Whose advice you follow with either lead you to recovering everything that you lost, or..." she turned the last card. "Death."

The gentlemen looked at her, she could have sworn he might have gone a little pale and she sighed, "Just remember, none of us can really avoid when death comes to our door. Yet now you know a way, so use it wisely." The man stood a little shakely and put five gold coins on her table. "Tell me one thing, what if I don't chose to met the lady in question," she looked at him again. "You never find the one thing you have always wanted...a life all your own."

He nodded to think on her words and left the tent, there were many thoughts running through his head, but at no time did he think she wasn't being truthful. Sinead sighed, and picked up the five coins, and stretched her arms. She left to look out in the opening and stand in the sunlight. "Sinna, take a break," she tossed a coin in her direction which landing in the girls hand. "Thanks," she smiled. "And don't go any where near that tavern, or your father will have my head."

Sinead saw two figures melt from the nearby shadows, they were large men, each with his own imposing looking scar. "Ras, follow her, make sure she doesn't get into trouble." The other stepped into place behind her as she walked down the merchant lane to look at the wares, she caught sight of first hand of Lucifer's Angel, "I see the twins have been busy this mornin, anyone survive with their purse still intact." She heard a chuckle behind her, "No milady, not that I could tell." She stopped in front of the man cooking spits of food and gave him a coin, picking up the ones she could identify, she handed one back to the man behind her and started eating the one she held on to, "Jaxon, any other news,"

"Nothing of note just yet." They heard yelling nearby, "But its early in the day." She nodded, "To early if you ask me."

The human was offering him an escape. The shark said nothing as it slowly sank back down into the tank. The keeper in the Crow’s Nest felt his nerves slowly calm once he saw the fish vanish. Grasping the rail, he sat up and glared at Dorian.

“You’re not taking our monster! If Mr. Barnabus found he’d-”

The tank surface exploded with gallons of water upheaving into the air alongside the gaping mouth of a gargantuan shark. Its gaping mouth and double rows of teeth clamped about the crow’s nest before gravity pulled the giant back under. Water swelled and gushed over the sides of the tank in waves that washed against the gaping monster keeper’s ankles.

Thieves and scoundrels strolling the market halted in their tracks when they saw the water dumping out of the tent. With a hysterical cry, the monster keeper ran out of the tent, flailing his arms as he ran for the little shack built next to it.

“Mr. Barnabus! Mr. Barnabus!” he cried.

Meanwhile, a stark-white hand grasped the edge of the tank, hauling the shoulders of a rather large man. His hair was a pale blonde and teeth bared like a vicious bear trap. About his hips were brown, ripped-up pants that he managed to steal off the fat man. The humanoid dumped weakly onto the ground and hissed softly as the gills at his pits dumped the foul water he had been living in from his lungs.

“Get me to the sea,” he demanded desperately.

From the shack, a man emerged dressed in a noble grey coat with a brown waistcoat and vanilla cravat at his throat. An oiled and “C” curled moustache adorned his upper lip, and his hair was greased neatly back. The money his business had been making him had been treating him well, and he wasn’t too pleased to learn that a man was trying to steal his business. As he strode toward the tent entrance, he removed his rapier from the sheath at his hip, drawing quite the attention as several onlookers began to crowd around it.

The shark bursting from his cage was not what Dorian expected. The expectation was to simply take his hand to pull himself up, but extravagance was fine too. “Get me to the sea,” He could imagine the man...or shark, could use a breath of fresh water. "We'll get on with it, but firstly we must deal with your former master." He told the newly freed man then turning to who was obviously the one in charge. The Mr. Barnabus.

"I understand that you might not want me to take your prisoner, but alas I must. For you see none of us hold the right to own any creature on this fair earth. Normally I would just kill you, however, these are unique circumstances since he is obviously not human and thus not subject to the laws that many nations have made. Fifty silver pieces and four jewels in exchange for this specimen. If you take the offer then we shall not fight. However, should you refuse...." He took out his kukri and a flintlock.

The kukri began to glow and electricity started to surge through it. The sparks burned with red and purple. Dorian was using a bit of his magic, which would hopefully intimidate Barnabus. "We shall duke it out right here, right now. I've killed many people and I assure you that I have become quite efficient at it. Take that massacre at that store house near the docks the other day. Only one man got away and that was because I only nicked his privates. Rest assured I won't give that mercy a second time. So what's it going to be Mister? Are you going to take the gold or die?"

The Mercos was in no condition to fight. His body felt weak and muscles heavy. His limbs even shook with the simple task of holding his weight upon his hands and knees. He glared at the ground, which would have been for his hero for he would have rather high-tailed it to the sea than to stick around for justice. Justice could have come later. It was too late, however, for the polished and pressed man came before the tent with his rapier in hand. It was almost humiliating to imagine that such a weak human could easily dispatch him in his current state if allowed to.

The wrapped man tried to negotiate. Buy him? He didn’t think the man’s offer would work, and he was right as he gazed at the frown gradually hardening on the businessman’s face. Mr. Barnabus’s face flushed a little in his anger as he thought that this man had some nerve. Like he was going to let him take his prized catch. The freak had made him more money than what fifty silver pieces and petty jewels could cover. He couldn’t even buy a decent ship with such change. However, when the man drew his weapon, his expression became a little nervous. He noticed the magic dancing about the weapon’s edge and the flintlock that could take him out in a single shot.

“You’ve killed many people you say…” Mr. Barnabus began. “Then you shall kill many more.”

Mr. Barnabus turned to the crowd and announced, “200 gold pieces for the man who kills this leper and takes back my freak.”

The announcement had passed through the ear of every thief, scoundrel, pirate, and dog in the vicinity. There were many weapons drawn from flintlocks to various types of swords and throwing knives.

Mako’s lips twisted in an ugly scowl as he narrowed his eyes. “I should ‘ave jus’ crawled back into me tank, but this chance is too good to pass up. I ‘ope ye got some tricks up yer sleeve. Save yer ‘eroism and get me to the bloody ocean!”

Jarrack watched the two boys cooly, as they got all worked up over one old man in a sick city, "Children." he thought, though he was not much more than a child himself. Kalila stepped out in front of him and he let her move. Kalila was more than capable of looking after herself and never did anything without somehow knowing that she would be ok, even if it didn't appear that way.
She reached up to his face and he protested briefly before his eyes went wide and his knees buckled beneath him. Jarrack had seen it happen before, but was still too slow to catch her as she fell into the stunned boy, "Forrr... yourr... Brotthhhheerrr..." She sighed as she fell.
The other twin panicked as his brother fell and quickly jumped on his brother, "Damien, Damien listen to me, we have to get you back to the ship. Hold it together for a few more minutes, got it?"
A crowd was forming but appeared to be kept back from them by associates of the two ruffians, keeping prying eyes away as the second twin helped the first form the ground, bring up the exhausted kalila with him. "Let her go Damien," the second whispered to the first. After helping his brother two his feet the twin helped Kalila up and passed her back to Jarrak, who caught her deftly and picked her up into his arms. The second twin glared at Jarrak, "If I ever see you hurt anyone here who didn't deserve it again, you can sure as hell bet that I will come at you without hesitation. Got it?"
They turned to leave but they stopped and the collapsed twin whispered something into his brothers ear, the second then turned back, his face still a scowl, "Come with us, I have something that'll make her feel better and you can sure as hell bet that our ship will be far safer than wherever you lot are staying," before they walked off in the direction of the docks.
"Gods Kalila, you dont half get us into these situations." He looked down at the girl barely conscious in his arms, "Kalila, I follow your wishes, what do you believe we should do? What do the voices say?"

The situation was growing more dire by each passing moment. The tent was now filled with a horde of enemies and their current position would make it rather hard to make it out alive when done. Dorian could think of only two ways to get out of the situation. Using a few spells for the short term problem of escape and outbidding the man in the bounty. However, it would consume most of the gold he had brought to the island.

"I know more than evocation..." He whispered to the dragon. He holstered his pistol only to cast a new spell. That of darkness. A supernatural darkness began to fill the tent. I did no harm, only blind those who were not equipped to see through it. Normal light could not shine through it, but it would fade within minutes. Then he cast a spell of silence on the two of them. Before leaving he sent a spell that acted as his voice from across the tent. "A brick of gold and five diamonds for anyone who brings me the head of Mr. Barnabus." It said. With that he took the creatures arm and ran out of the tent.

The streets were crowded and the ocean far. Running to an ally with a fortune teller near he stopped. "I hope you have no problem riding? By the way did I ever catch your name?" He smirked at the creature when he began casting his last spell. After about six seconds a horse formed. Dorian got on and reached for the creature's hand to help him up.

Kalila's eyes opened just as she was passed off to Jarrak. She lay her head against his chest, as the voices bounced around her head.

"Gods, Kalila, you don't have get us into these situations."

She looked up at him, meeting his downward gaze. "Kalila, I follow your wishes, what do you believe we should do? What do the voices say?"

She looked at the twins, shaking slightly, still too weak to walk on her own. She looked at Jarrak and nodded to follow them.

"Find him..."
"Help them."
"Help him..."

That was different. The voices instructions tended to change but only when she did what she was told. They told her to find 'her'. Did she find the woman or girl already?

She didn't know but now, they wanted her to help the twins...so she must.

She saw Damien, he pulsed in her vision as Jarrak followed them to their ship.

Damien. She was to help him...somehow.

Draed stood on the deck of his top of the line, beauty of a ship, Beatrice. Docked at the nearest port on Nassau he could find, this was the beginning of his return, a time to start anew, maybe even creating new tales of his adventures along the way.

“Now let’s see if the legend of Captain Dread is still alive.” He whispered to himself with vain in his voice.

Leaping off of his ship, he landed on the dock way as if he were a young man, planting his feet firmly. Draed then made his way into the inner workings of Nassau’s port town. He hadn’t been to the island in quite some time, but it was like a home away from home for him back in his active years. Seeing as it was the most infamous place for the works of pirates and criminals alike, he knew it wouldn’t be hard to find cheap help and a willing crew. But he wasn’t in search for some makeshift crew of no talented flunkies; Draed wanted the cream of the crop, and not a start-up project. Unfortunately he hadn’t a clue where to begin. Walking through the many paths which were infested with the less fortunate, the Captain approached a familiar sight. A black and white painted wooden door.

“Well some things never change. “ Draed chuckled as he opened the extremely old door.

Creaking open with the ring of a bell, the door widened. Walking in, Draeds boots clattered with each step he took. After entering the establishment he realized even the inside remained the same.

“Hello sir, may I help you?” A female voice interrupted the nostalgia that was currently washing over him from seeing the dust filled shack. The walls adorned with decade old animal heads and fancy rugs from across the seas. This place was home to stolen artifacts that typically only the wealthy cared for. But it was also a hub of information.

“Ah yes, is there a Fiona here?” Draed questioned, still looking over the place.

“Yes, that would be me.” The woman responded with a more intense look at the mention of the name.

Now looking directly at her, he gazed upon a beautiful, young woman with long, slick, black hair, emerald eyes, and thick red lipstick covering her luscious lips. He was a bit shocked, only because the Fiona he knew was a rather large, burly woman with a little bit too much hair on her chin, she was a nice lady though.

“No no, that’s not possible, I knew Fiona and you… you definitely aren’t her.” Draed said exaggerating that it couldn’t be the woman he once knew.

“What could you possibly want with my dead mother of ten years?” there was a hint of hostility in her voice.

“Mother? ...Dead?” He hadn’t known Fiona had any children.

“Why would any man do anything with a lumberjack of a woman like Fiona?”
“Well it’s possible she could have hidden the pregnancy with all that blubber…”
“How did she produce such a… beautiful young lady?”
Just some of the thoughts that raced through his head before the actual realization that another one of his old friends had met with an untimely death.

“Well… me and your mother knew each other way back when. I guess I was expecting to catch up with an old friend and maybe get some information, that’s all.” You could hear the sincere sorrow in his mild voice as he explained the situation to the lady in front of the counter.

“Well, don’t feel too bad, she died doing what she loved… smoking and drinking.” Scoffing, it was quite obvious she didn’t care too much for her mother.

“And you’ll be happy to know, I run the family business now.”

Walking slowly over to the counter, he stood in front of her. Towering over the woman, he shoved his hand into his coat pocket, and pulled out a hand of silver coins. Slapping the coins on the counter top, a grin replaced the solemn expression that it once had, while the clang of the change filled the silent cubby.

“No sir… information cost a little bit more these days.” She said looking down at the pile of silver.

Raising his eyebrows… he reached back into the coat, and a few more silver coins were plopped onto the counter. The woman smiled as the coins clanged against each other once again.

“Looks good to me… My name is Salia, Now what is it you need to know Mister…?” She said trailing on.

“Brooks… Draed Brooks.”

Her eyes widened. “How could one claim to be a man that is dead… a man that might not even exist?” Salia knew the legends. Her mother said she knew the infamous man, but one could only take that with a grain of salt, Fiona was known for her lies and tall tales.

“I assure you, I am no myth.” Draed said with a menacing look in his eyes, with his hand the hilt of his cutlass. Quickly removing the black sword from its sheath, it sliced the air and the point of the blade was near the tip of her nose.

Salia’s emerald eyes already wide, her mouth dropped open and she began to sweat… all in an instant. Draed tilted the blade to the left, showing The Feral insignia etched into the steel. Her eyes analyzed and recognized the mark.

“Shit!” She said backing away, legs a bit shaky.

Letting out a hefty laugh, he slid the sword back into its sheath.

“It was just a small joke girl! The Daughter of a fine woman like Fiona must be a Fine woman as well. Friends?” Draeds grin very friendly, putting his calloused hand out to give her a handshake.

Letting a huff of air out, she relaxed a bit, not taking the joke very well. Still keeping her distance from the man, Salia stretched her arm out, daintily shaking the man’s rough hand. Snatching her hand back, she folded her arms.

“Well about that information?” Draed questioned.

“What do you need?” The hostility in Salia’s voice returned, but it was more apparent now.

Aja lay beside a pale skinned woman with deep dark blue-green eyes, both equally free of clothes. The woman on her back, with Aja resting on her stomach.

"Xandra?" Aja called. "D'is is not what you came 'ere for," She said, sitting up. "Atleast not today." She said, her hair falling over her shoulder.

Xandra looked over at her.

"No, I suppose not." She said, a clear Northern accent in her low, rough voice.

"Well...What is it?"

"I need a crew."

"Why now?"

"I am merely a theif...The Crimsom Lady was not a theif."

"She was...to start." Aja said as Xandra sat against the headboard, she abruptly stood, leaving Aja in the bed alone. Aja merely watched her.

"She did not stay that way..."

"You should be concerned with 'ow, nor when...You know d'at she did, d'at is all d'at matters." Aja said and Xandra clicked her teeth impatiently as she slid back on her clothes.

"Why do I come to you?" She spat. Aja merely smiled.

"For advice....for a relief of stress, like all of Nassau." She said.

Xandra huffed. "You could me more stress then you relieve."

Aja laughed. "Don't be like d'at. I'll read." She said and climbed out of bed and walked up to her. Xandra sighed and as she took her hands. "Close your eyes." Aja said and closed hers but of course Xandra did not listen.

"Do it..." Aja urged and Xandra closed her eyes after rolling them.

Aja focused as images played behind her eyes.

The image of a man passed before her eyes, a large ship, nearly as infamous as the Crimson Lady.

Aja's eyes fluttered as she saw a door, painted black and white. She opened her eyes and looked at Xandra.

"Find the black and white door, inside is the man you seek." Aja said, running her hands up Xandra's arm, only to have them snatched away.

"Stop it." She hissed. Aja only smiled. "None of your trickery Faery." she warned and Aja laughed. "No, trickery, I just enjoy you,"

"You enjoy a good fuck like the rest of us."

"Partially...but you return to me...only me." She said and Xandra walked toward the door.

"The others would break..."

Aja laughed as Xandra made for the door knob.

"Xandra..."

She paused and reached at her hip, and without looking toss a small bag of coins behind her.

Aja caught it with little effort.

"Black and White Door." She repeated and Xandra walked out.
*****

Xandra cracked her neck, grabbing her cutlass as she left Aja's brothel and hooking it at her size. She made her way for the black and white door that she hadn't any idea at where to begin to look.
Aja was like that, telling her just enough to keep her interested but never enough to be useful.

As she strolled down the street, her spiked corset at her back, people knew to avoid her dark gaze. She smirked.

A bell rang that seemed oddly louder then the rest, she turned and laughed. A Black and White Door.

"Fae..." She sighed and walked inside to see an older man and a younger woman, who seemed none too pleased.

"You there..." She said, her voice gruff as usual. "I was told you could be of some assistance to me....or vice versa...I don't suppose you are in the market for a crew?" she said with a hand at her hip, resting on her cutlass.

"People might dz'ing your crazy, with dz'e way you go on by yourself like dz'at."

Theo looked up to find a woman he hadn't seen before take a seat beside him. He could only assume she was a Velilian with that accent of hers. He chuckled as he took a sip of his own pint.

"People could't care less if I was crazy or not. All that matters to this crowd," he said, gesturing at the people around them who were drinking, laughing, cursing, and brawling in their own little world, "Is that they got a free pint out of it."

"Dz'ere is alot of magic in, Nassau, but never on such display...no'dzing real anyway."

"I take that as a compliment. I've been training since I was a boy. Of course, such power inevitably attracts attention from powerful people, particularly if you're serving in their temple!" he laughed. He took another sip from his pint.

"Of course, such powerful people are fickle. You do not always like their attention."

He paused for a moment, lost in deep thought.

The tables were turned. Mr. Barnabus didn’t have to see the man’s face to know that he was nervous. The man was cornered and he was certain that he would be getting his pet back. Pinching the curled corner of his moustache between his index finger and thumb, he rubbed it as a victorious smirk quirked upon his lips.

“Why would you want to runaway? I gave you a nice tank to swim in and you have fresh fish to eat every day. Now you’ve gone and wasted this man’s life thinking that you could escape me. How far did you plan on getting with those legs? You haven’t used them in years.” Mr. Barnabus dropped his hand and breathed a sympathetic sigh. “I forgive you, my pet. After I put this leper out of his misery, you can tell me all about how I can improve your living.”

The shark posted his hands out before him and his fingers curled into the dusty earth as his body trembled with exertion. Baring his teeth in his effort, his back arched and arms extended as the pops and crack of loosening tendons and shifting bones were heard from under him as he curled his left leg. He planted his foot flat upon the ground and raising his chin, began to shakily stand. A few of the thieves, even with their weapons drawn, stepped fearfully back once the monster found his feet. The way he seemed to tower over most of the killers there and with how his devilish-black eyes settled on them made them wonder if Mr. Barnabus’s pet had actually been a demon.

Mako stood with his broad shoulders back and stature rigid with defiance as his amber eyes settled on the businessman’s bothered face. His lips rolled back, parting about large rows of triangular teeth that filled the man with dread. He could have probably eaten him alive with those teeth or left him with half a face—and that wasn’t all…a second row of teeth converged over top of the other pair, coming together into a wicked and eerie smile.

“Ima’ come back for ye,” the shark threatened on a deep chuckle. “Ima’ be gettin’ mine.”

I know more than evocation…

Thank God. The shark didn’t know how long he could keep up his intimidating front. His legs were so numb and weak that standing might have been all they were good for at that moment.

The wrapped man conjured a spell of darkness that blackened the area about the tent. It had become so dark that not even Mako with his nocturnal vision could see anything. He could hear people shouting in startle and confusion until they suddenly fell silent. For a moment, the shark felt alone until Dorian’s voice rang through the silence:

A brick of gold and five diamonds for anyone who brings me the head of Mr. Barnabus.

The businessman felt his heart skip in terror for a second before he tried to shout in his defense, but no sound left his throat. Magic. The leper had been a wizard!

The shark hissed when he felt a hand grasp his wrist, and defensively both of his rows of teeth parted as he near attempted to bite the stranger’s hand right off. It had been a split second decision to resist, his body tensing as he restrained himself and felt the harmless pull, leading him wobbly through the darkness and out of the tent into daylight.

The sun stung his retinas, his eyes unused to its exposure. It had been a long time since he had seen it, and he knew what evil it could do to a fish. Keeping up with the human proved difficult as he walked a little stiff legged and tried not to let him get too far ahead or he’d surely cause him to fall. As they fled through the market and down the back alleys, Mako couldn’t help but regard the human and how passionate he had been about freeing him. He was willing to risk his own life for him. But why? They hadn’t known each other but he wasn’t about to ask the man why he had freed him. Freedom was freedom.

They stopped nearby a fortune teller’s shop and the large man bent over with his hands upon his knees as he panted in exhaustion. He was so out of shape. His body had leaned out and was slightly slim, his muscles smaller than what they had been before. If he had spent a few more years in that tank, he surely would have gone belly up from atrophy. Sweat rolled from his pale-blonde brow and dripped from his chin as the gills at his pits huffed another breath of stale vapor.

I hope you have no problem riding? By the way, did I ever catch your name?

“I never ‘ad a problem. It be the ‘orse that ‘ave the problem wit’me,” the shark explained with a smirk. “I be Mako…s’all ye need t’know ‘bout me ‘uman. I don’t know why ye gone risk yer life trynna’ save me, but I owe ye. Ye get me to the sea, an’ I’ll repay ye somehow—in blood or favors.”

He glanced up to suddenly see a horse. His brows came together in brief confusion before he remembered that his new unsaid friend was a sorcerer. He gazed at the hand held out to him and grasped it within his large, clammy one, while his other grasped the back of his saddle. With a grunt, Mako climbed onto the back of the saddle mostly on the horse’s backside than in the seat, and already he could tell that the horse was magic for no normal equine could bare his weight without buckling. Even while malnourished, the fish was still pretty heavy.

“I jus’ need t’fill me gills wit’ fresh sea water again and me belly with fish.” The Mercos had ropes of drool descending from his lower jaw just thinking about it. “I miss ‘ow they used t’wiggle all the way down. I can’t wait t’get me strength back.”

The two galloped down the streets, gaining much distance from the tent that they had just escaped from. Dorian knew that people would be looking for him later, but that was nothing new. He always pissed someone off when he went to a new place. He reigned the horse once it got near the docks and turned it to gallop to the area left of the docks. They arrived at a small beach that he thought would suit.

"Mako sounds like a fine name." Dorian said as he dismounted the horse. He began to bandage up his right arm again. "You know I could have used a Banshee Wail, but then again you might of died too. I'll make sure Barnabus pays in one way or another. Maybe we could sell him to a Khalidoran slaver? Those ones are cruel and it would be fitting." He said in a smirk. The bandaged man walked around until he found some driftwood to sit on. He made a hand motion for Mako to the seawater. He looked forward to seeing the shark man in better health.

Jarrak followed the twins carrying Kalila in his arms. He was used to doing it, Kalila collapsing was no new event, the voices and abilities coursing through her body and mind took their toll on her body. She was after all just a little girl.
He felt no remorse for the old man in the street. His master had taught him to be ruthless and uncompromising, and he had a quick temper to begin with, always stressing about Kalila, and what mischief she could be up to.
The two boys seemed harmless enough, especially in a land of pirates and cutthroats, and he had to admit, killing Pirates on a ship was easier than killing thugs in a city.
If it could indeed be called a city. It had no ruler, no governing body, it was ruled by gangs and pirates, thugs and scoundrels, it was not city, it was chaos.

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Lady Harlington rode in her carriage silently, not that her company spoke much anyway. The silent woman opposite was clad in black cloth from head to toe, with nothing but her eyes visible, which were dark and beautiful. Her name was Nassara, and she served as her loyal bodyguard and handmaiden.
Lady Harlington peered through the curtains of the Carriage upon the streets of Nassau. No matter how many times she looked upon these streets there was always something new to see. It was part of the reason she stayed, boredom with the rest of the world.
There were people of every stripe in Nassau, every country and walk of life, and she was very, very good at discovering who was what, and something caught her eye.
A young man, Dark of skin with curly brown hair and the look of a warrior, and in his arms...
A girl, young and beautiful, her face unblemished, her hair dark and long, her clothes were fine if simple. She was not from here, anyone of note, anyone who could afford such clothes, she knew on this island, and she did not know this girl.
"Marcus Darling," she called to the front of the carriage, "Pull over would you?"
"Yes Ma'am." He replied, and the carriage pulled over to the side of the street, stopping before the two strangers. Nassara opened the door and stepped out, hands behind her back and head bowed.
Lady Harlington stepped out into the street, her garish, flamboyant dress and white mask, making her shine like a bizzare, colourful beacon in the street.
"Hello my dear," She said, in her musical, melodramatic voice, "My name is Lady Elizabeth Benezia Harlington, and on behalf of The higher society on Nassau, I welcome, you. What might your names be my darlings?"