Dragon Advanced

I readied myself for anything, or so I said. Now attired as a captain, I prepared to go ashore. I shrugged on my long embroidered vest to hide the ink across my back. I didn't need someone calling me out now as a pirate. Not so close to freedom. I had a new purpose, and I had heard from the master of the Chart house, that the records of the ship I wanted were there. And that they also had a collection of the Lost maps. I took a moment to see to my ship, assuring myself that those who might wish to ransack her would have little entry. My cabin was securely locked and only a single boarding plank was lowered. My two men of the watch were good men, but I had been betrayed by Dock masters and their servants before. They had come aboard the last time I was there and killed my guard, trying to frame me for the crime, so that they could bring me in. The men here were sure I was a pirate, but I gave them no proof with which to hang me. I wanted none now. The Dock master stared at me with as much ire as he could muster as I passed him, he knew without my saying what I was, and only the fact that he was handsomely paid, and now, appropriately afraid of my Patron kept him from calling the Empire. Truth be told, Delphe scared me too. I knew I was likely to find my crew in their cups at the Tavern, as was the past time of all men of boards. I tried to ignore the ill looks I got as I walked the quay toward my destination. But I knew, even with the mark covered, they saw me as a Man of Bones. The sailors of Corimar all knew who I was. Once a Captain went to bones, or 'bought the banner' as we said, there was no going back, that was what they saw of him for the rest of his life, even if he spoke 'Aye,' it would only be with very heavy words of debt that he would ever see the open waters again. Very few Captains would speak against me, they all knew my speed and grace with a blade. I fingered the simple crossed hilt on the straight blade at my hip. Nothing like the heavy Empire saber I had borne in my youth. I wondered how many other Pirates had actually taken the time to serve the Empire. To know the enemy as the saying was. My mind wandered back to my brothers under the Black Flag, specifically, the man who had finally named the ship that had taken my wife. I thought about the fact that he had asked me for a Pirate's Mercy, to lay him low quickly to keep him from lingering, and I wondered who would lay me low, who would give a Pirate's Mercy if I should need it. But the only name that came to mind was Marek, and he was not so close as he might have been. He'd been too-long absent, and the rumors I heard of him disturbed me. I heard he had gone Dragon. I had heard worse; I had heard that not only had he gone Dragon, but that he had betrayed my wife to do it. If he was indeed twice-bought, it might come to blades and shallows between us 'afore the end. I shook my head to clear it from those thoughts and rapped lightly on the doorpost of the Golden Dragon as I entered. That was to scare off any Evil that might be lurking. Too bad it didn't work. I approached softly, and from the shadows so that my crew couldn't see me. I wanted to know what I was facing with this crew. The Golden Dragon was set up, as most pubs were, in a square. The bar at the back, large square tables littered the floor, and a couple of longer 'crew' tables in the alcoves on either side. It was one of these longer tables that my crew had taken. The boards beneath my feet had been sanded smooth, and I counted no less than six colors of ale, and knew for a fact their rum was poor and well-watered. I could still see the faded posters tacked to the wall, both of which I had caused to be put there. The first was dated before the rigging, warning patrons of marauding pirates, and that leaving the city square before the bells chimed was ill-advised. In reality, all that did was give us a chance to look over the ships while they were in port and see what they carried, and how well seasoned the crew was. The second poster, equally as faded, was a warning by the Empire of a "phaeon-haired" pirate, a brigand known to be good with the sword, and wanted for desertion. But the notice went on to tell those who were interested not to seek to apprehend this man without the assistance of the Empire, and the names of all who had tried, and failed to capture him. Most of those who had tried, had died in the swordfight that inevitably followed. The rest had long since gone to the hereafter, just from dint of years. I could smell the mingled scents of roasted kesswa bird and candied Sugar tubers. Such heavy fare was ill-suited to island palates and I longed for some simple stew and brown bread. Even the gruel they served at some of the 'low water' pubs like The Broken Scale, was more appetizing than the dry hard tack I'd been eating for the past two days, I had been to the temple and was paying penance. I turned, after taking in the appearance of the pub, and making sure that there were none who vocally objected to my presence here, and saw my crew at their table. Great Dragons, I had forgotten how like a Pirate crew we still looked. The Golden Dragon was an upscale and 'honest' pub that catered to Men of the Sea. So my kind were tolerated but not liked. My crew's garb was rough and ready as was their course, uncultured language. But I was worried for another reason. The sight that met my eyes was one that was not happy, nor boisterous. It was a sign of discontent. Cups and pints had been upended and my men were scattered around the large rectangular table they had taken over, but most of them were standing or leaning. A bad sign. A Pirate never sat when he thought a fight might erupt. And it was obvious some sort of shoving match had sparked this argument. But amidst the chaos, my cup sat at the end of the table, untouched. I stood and listened for a moment. What I heard chilled me to the heart. "Are you cowards that you stay? Why don't you just Ask Price and leave?" Asking Price, another word for demanding to be paid or threatening to Mutiny. A word so feared by sea captains that even speaking it could gain a man quite a few lashes. "And betray my word? Never." Coram responded. He was still seated across from the speaker who paced only a few feet from me. He was not yet ready to fight. He felt there was no reason. "But it has been what? A double Talon-count since he paid fare? And now he seeks to send us on a grouse-chase after a ship that may not exist at all, and meanwhile we starve. Face it, the only pay you will get from him is the blade or the noose, you'd be better off on your own." "Are you advising we lay to?" Coram asked, wanting the boy to speak clearly and thereby damn himself. "Lay to, lay against." The speaker spat in disgust. "Has no one got the stones to say what he means?" "What you want is forbidden." Jemek replied from across the table. He was leaning, both hands on the table, a sign that he was agitated and trying to keep himself from killing the boy. I cursed silently and reminded myself that the young man was not a boy, as much as we called him one. He was a man, and he was calling down a heap of trouble on himself. "Lay against," were words not lightly spoken by those who knew the law of the sea. Jangir's law was exceptionally harsh to those who chose to lay blood against their free-sworn word. They had sworn themselves, to the man, with the exception of Geru, as men before the mast. Geru was still only a cabin-boy, unwilling to throw in with me, and doing only the minimum that had to be done to secure a berth. He was not trusted when any blood-sworn brought up debts or honors and was, as such, dismissed from all such business. "Aye, but so is what your captain does. Which crime will outweigh which? All I know is that I am tired of waiting. If I wanted to stay ashore I would have walked away. I never thought he would hide here under the blue waves." "Why didn't you?" Coram's voice held a taunting lilt. As if to say that he was a coward for coming. "I figured your captain for the man-of-bones they said him to be. I knew he was King of the Pirates, and I wanted to go a sea with him, to be away from the dragon, and those who seek my life for a crime not my own." "And the Captain commands us stay." Coram reminded. "Or are you as double-minded with us as you were with the Dragon Banner?" Coram leaned forward. "Will you betray us too boy?" "I am no boy. I've served nearly a score of Talon, and what I have to say is this; your captain has forgotten his way, the Code is nothing to him. Furthermore, I'll say what all of you are too afraid to. Jalen's grown soft, it is time we took the Wynd for ourselves." I was shocked not only that he would call me out, but that he would call me by my given name in a public venue such as this. There were likely to be servants of the Empire here, and what was worse, men of the Guard were likely here as well. All it would take is for one of them to give report that I was here, and the banner would be advanced against my crew again. Coram clenched his jaw against his retort, I knew he bristled over Geru's accusation that I was a man of No Code. A captain who lost the code was a sorry scoundrel indeed, for no one would fight for him. "If we lay blood against the boards…" Jemek said. "Aye, death to mutineers, but would you rather die slowly here at shallows? How many of you can live off of what he pays?" The young man laughed. "And now he sends us to Jangir-alone-knows where, in search of a ship that may not even exist, to save a woman who is most likely brought to shallows by now. He turned to face some of the younger crewmen. "So will you aye with him or me?" "You ask us to taint our word." Coram replied, rising at last. "I ask you to be what you are. Are ye not Pirates?" "Mutiny is only forbidden for those who fail." One of the bolder young men said. "Aye," Coram said, "That is true. But, I have stood with our Captain both in noose and in battle." Coram said. "I do not know a man on these boards who can lay against with impunity." He turned to Jemek and some of the other, older crew. A few who had started murmuring assent with the young man's call to arms. "You have all seen the captain at blades, how many of you have the speed to match him?" There was silence for a moment as they thought that over. They knew I could prove, on their bodies, that I was the better man. "And I know most of us are older than we should try. Besides, our word is tainted enough as it is, why would we wish to damn ourselves to shallows chasing glory that is not ours to have?" Coram stopped to take a drink. When he spoke again his voice was wistful. "Perhaps, were my brother a better man, and he were to suggest we lay against, we might, but who are you? Unblooded, unmarked, and yet to earn banner?" "I may not be marked but I stand ready. Your captain has grown soft." "You are not sworn save as cabin-boy but he is your captain too, and I pray this will not be a reason for you to have to stand at-boards again' him." Coram sneered openly. For a crewman to not pass cabin-boy in almost a score of talon was saying that the crewman was not trying. "Do you think I fear him?" Geru laughed. "I know Deep Law and the Code." He spoke more bravely than he had a right to. I still thought of him as a child though. I slipped up behind mutineer and silently grabbed my drink as though I had been there the whole time. I finished my drink just as he proclaimed his knowledge of the code. I set the mug down, upside down and placed my dagger on top with the tip pointing at the young man. "And by both you are found to be a traitor." Coram stifled a laugh as the startled boy let out an expletive in Thalgiri and turned around to face me. "I haven't said anything they were not thinking." I gestured for all of them to sit, and waited until the sound of chairs had died before continuing. This was my court. They would only bring themselves to my attention by standing. I could feel the eyes of the rest of the tavern on me. This was a rather public venue for a court of boards, but if I let this pass, the news would get to the deeps before I would that I had lost my nerve. That I no longer knew the code. "I've heard your words. So I must ask, stand Aye? Stand Again?" Were they for or against me? I needed to know this and prayed I was wrong. Coram was the first to answer 'Aye,' but I held up my hand to keep him in his seat. "Having heard your words I don't know to trust you anymore. If your blood no longer binds you then what is your word? Nothing but Dry Sands." To a Pirate, that was the worst insult. The gist of it was that they were only good for stranding on a deserted island. And even then they would not know the code if it meant they could walk free. Jangir would be of no assistance to them if they went against their free-sworn word, and, in the end, for men of the boards, it always came back to your word, and your blood. I let them murmur for a moment before quieting them again. "I know where you stand by what you have said, and I must know, if I call deep laws will anyone speak for the boy?" I purposely used the term boy to show them that I thought him young and foolish. I had to know, would they risk my wrath? Had they spoken for the mutiny out of desperation, or were they truly unhappy on my boards? Mostly it sounded like very hungry, very poor men wanting to go out fighting, if that was the case, I could forgive them. I too tired of this life. There was dead silence and I thought that I might have to lay the boy low, proof that the crew might indeed mutiny. I let the silence go on a moment longer before I asked again. "Men of the Dragon Wynd. I ask again, Lay to, Lay Again? Who will speak for the boy's life?" For a moment, I saw, what I thought to be pain wash across his features. "I'll speak for myself." The boy said rising. "I've heard your word but you are unsworn you have nothing to wager of value to me or the Code." I dismissed him with a wave to be seated. I put my hand on the knife that still rested on top of my tankard. I had just about decided to lay the boy low when a voice cried out. "Hold." I looked over to see who it was, though I knew the voice. "Do him no dishonor captain, I'll speak for Geru's life today." Coram jumped up, his chair protesting loudly at the movement. "I'll pledge for him." He approached. "I'll balance the scale in his behalf, I will swear reciprocation for him." "That's a lot to risk on a Cabin-boy Coram." "Aye, Captain," Coram smiled. "But you swore the same when I had no more Talon-count to my name than he does now." "Coram you don't know him." Joram, the Master-at-Arms rose to speak. This was open court anyone could speak who felt he had a say. "Don't throw your life or your word away on this." "I know what I pledge but he is young. I am afraid, I will admit as much. But my fear has never ruled my action or my word. I also know that he is young; that I was young once. And I know that like me, he thinks he knows the code. He's never been sworn to uphold it, he has no blood to pay. He doesn't understand what it really means to lay blood against our oath." He shook his head. "I will not unspeak my words, this boy knows nothing of what he wagers, at least until he has blood to pay, I will stand in his place." Coram stepped forward and then reached for my hand. "Lash for lash, Strike for strike, this I will pledge for the cabin-boy." He stepped between Geru and I, grabbing for my knife. The intent was clear, I had to go through him to get to the cabin-boy. I paused a moment. That was an unusual pledge. But then, I had done the same for him. Geru was already condemned for his words, he would, at least get the lash. That could be bad for Coram. "You understand Coram, this makes you responsible for lash and life. That any stripes he takes, you must also. Any dishonor he takes you will bear, and any treason you must pay him out and then Stand to face me At the Boards." "Aye. This I know, I pledge the same." The last few minutes seemed to take the fight out of Geru who now stood patiently waiting for my say. He didn't seem the least bit afraid, and for a moment, I thought I saw the hint of something darker in his eyes. No, I told myself, it was just residual from my meeting with Delphe. Coram knew what he was doing, I had no grounds to stop him, and if I didn't accept it, I had to lay the boy low. I also knew it would be a long time before I could think of him as anything other than a boy. And while I didn't agree with Coram, I did have to admire his integrity. He had spoken for the boy, and was willing, regardless of the cost to stand beside him. Coram had shown me the same loyalty how then could I fault him? I bound their hands together, and placed my knife between both of their hands. I pulled the knife out and watched the blood drip to the floor. "Just as I cannot tell whose blood flows to the boards 'neath my feet, so I will not tell whose back meets the lash." I waited another second or two, I wanted them to both understand the nature of what Coram had pledged for this boy. "Coram, you have placed yourself betwixt him and me. Any lash he receives you shall also take, any dishonor is yours to bear, including that you threatened to lay against." "I surrender to your judgment," Coram replied, head bowed in submission. I cut the tie binding them. "We will take up this matter in a time more befitting." I put the knife away and turned up my glass, signaling for another round. I paid out the tab with a little extra for any inconvenience. This fight had been brewing for a while, I knew, as the bill was only a few silver coins, less than a single day's wage, and so I paid a scale to set them at ease with us. I figured the overpayment would soothe the injured spirits enough that there was less chance that they would call in the Empire. At least not until they had burned through the rounds that the funds would have paid for. I knew how men thought, anything that got them their ale. I sipped my ale as I spoke. "Do not count my generosity as weakness. I spare the lash because we do not have enough time as it is. This afternoon, while we were aflounder, my Patron from Devil's cove came to claim my service to the oath I had made. And to that end, I gather you now." I forced myself, with a silent prayer to speak like an Empire man, using the Empire word for Pirate's Cove. "Where we go, none will follow, and with what has happened, I will speak no farther on our end, lest we draw undue attention to our goal." I glared at Geru, he did have the worst timing. "Because of this end, I can afford no repeats of what has happened this day, and I cannot press-gang men into service." I raised my hand for silence. "I have not come to tell you away. I have come to tell you to step to at the bells or I will dismiss you from my memory forever. I have, on this cruise no time for shirkers, and I will not now spare the lash." "Where go we so hell-for-leather?" Coram asked. I think he more wanted to hear me say it than needed any clarification. "Those who stood in the noose at Devil's Cove with me some Twenty-talon agone know the place of which I speak, the place to which my patron asked me as a favor to go. This is the journey we are surety-bent on and those who understand it know why I will not speak it here at the Shallows of Corimar, and within earshot of the lawless." The Lawless was a rough translation of the word Empire into my home dialect. It meant 'servants of none', for they served neither Corama nor his brother Jangir. "Do we draw fare?" That was five or six of my crew together. I had to smile. They were, after all, Pirates. "Aye, any who step to with a merry will, these gain fare for the voyage. He has given his word that we will be very rich or very dead afore the end. Though he will not speak of an amount, he paid an honest man's wage, a full talon just that I stand aye and hear him speak." "This day?" They looked at the purse I carried with a new respect. A talon of scales, that was enough to hire a man to look after his family while away. It was enough to buy and provision a ship like mine at least twice over including any dock fees along the way. And, more importantly, it was enough to prove that Delphe was serious about this attempt. "Aye." "What grant that he will not away and leave us to the Lawless?" One of the crewmen asked. I didn't see who had spoken. "To go where he demands is against all good fortune and good will." I smiled at the substitution. The words "Fortune' and 'will' were near rhymes in island with the words "sanity and law." Like most pirates my crew were masters at turning words to other meanings so that we could not damn ourselves in front of the empire. Only the cleaver or those who had betrayed the flag would even understand the statement as he meant it. "To go where he demands is both insane and illegal" was the gist of the translation. "He comes with us." I smiled. "He wagers his own fortune along with ours, and says that his will is as ours. But he reminds us of the words Hergir spoke when last we met, and what those words would mean." I saw my command crew at least got the gist of what I wanted them to remember, the power of his spoken words. "The scales are broken where we seek to go, this should be known by all. I will no longer spare the lash, for any man. And further, that you understand, where we go there is nothing but the Code. And once the Empire understands our goal fully they will not give quarter so there will be time to send many, our own, and those who wear the Dragon, to the Far-remembered lands." I finished my drink, pushed back my chair and rose. "We make the Turning Tide, if you do not make the cruise I do not know you." The words were akin to 'you were never friends of mine.' "I will not call against unless you try to lay blood again' my boards. And then you know what manner of man I am. Lord of the Seas have mercy on you then, for I know none."