Fable - Ask Always Ask for More

[Elise Virak]

The Black Bay - Near Cera 'At'Thul

"Forty thousand?" The contempt in Elise's voice was about as clear as the light of day shining through the nearby window. Her lips were thinned in a scowl, and the bruises on her face were evident. "What am I?"

Her disgust was clear. "Some kind of peasant farmgirl waiting to be raped in a shed?"

The Princess of House Virak spat onto the floor, contempt shining from her golden eyes as she looked up at the pirates standing around her. One of them was decorated with a bandolier and some sort of blade, the other two were standing right behind him wearing nothing but stares of disbelief. None of them could understand why she spoke this way, and she suspected that a few were even afraid.

"Four hundred." She told them, her wrists working against the bindins. "That is what you demand, not a penny less."

The Pirates stared at her, not quite sure what to make of Elise setting her own ransom.

She could understand the confusion, they were after all just simple commoners.

Unfortunately for her, even simple commoners could overwhelm a single warship if there was enough of them. Six vessels had come for her ship, and they had overcome the soldiers onboard with only a quick fight. During that battle she had chosen not to utilize the well, if only to ensure that her escape could later be facilitated.

For now she was just sitting in this decrepit shack, waiting for what she knew what be a rescue. "Go on you fools."

A strike landed across her face, one of the braver pilots.

"Shuttup you little bitch."​

The words came, though were immediately followed by whispers of prices and the like. Elise glanced up at the man that had hit her, lips thinning and a smile slowly pulling across her lips.

"I'll make sure you die last." Another strike across her face.

Then she began to laugh.

 

[Vittorio]

Their ship rocked from some rogue waves as Vittorio put together a bouquet from random flowers he'd gathered before they'd left shore. He was irritated to be here. While he didn't despise the ocean it was nothing like the forest. He wanted to roam the Falwood more. On top of that, he didn't quite care for the woman they were heading towards either.

Apparently some time ago the princess of House Virak's vessel was intercepted by an overwhelming amount of pirates. Now, due to this, or due to what he's been told, Vittorio was ordered to aid in her return. Meaning the only friends he would have may be a friendly rat if it weren't killed by the others on the ship.

"Here." He handed the bouquet to the nearest Dreadlord companion he saw, not really out of kindness, more out of boredom. The skull masked individual then found himself meandering over to the railing of the ship, staring into the waves and hoping he could see some nice fish. The killing of pirates was going to be so tedious.

 

[Ania]

It was typical. Unsurprising really.

Elise Virak allowed some of the most simple minded hounds of her House to provide protection for her. Were it not entirely inappropriate to question the noblewoman of House Virak's decision making Ania would have told her this weeks ago. Yet, perhaps now Lady Virak realized her miscalculation. Reliance on the weak makes you just as weak as them.

What was far more infuriating though was how House Weiroon had learned of this obscenity. One of the survivors had been spared and brought word back to Vel Anir.

Survivors.

This was precisely the problem with Elise's chosen entourage. Had she chosen a true dreadlord, had she allowed a devoted citizen of Vel Anir to protect her they would've come back in a coffin or not at all. No self respecting son or daughter of Anirian principles would be waltzing right up to the city gates with a few scrapes and bruises as their lord was held captive. Naturally, Weiroon alerted Virak of the conundrum and swiftly put to death the cowardly survivor.

And then, like clockwork, it was Ania whom Weiroon dispatched to recover the baroness. She had worked with Lady Virak before and truth be told her brutality and cunning made the lady one of the few people outside House Weiroon whom she respected. "If they have plucked a single hair from your head I will feed them their entrails," the pale dreadlord said to no one but herself.

Ania sat near the front of the vessel that was spearheading the rescue effort. Staring directly at the Black Bay, the supposed hideout of the vandals who'd committed this egregious sin. She paid no mind to whomever else might be aboard, especially the skull wearing dreadlord handing out flowers.

 

[Ademar Acero]

Concern was on Ademar’s mind when he had heard the news of Lady Elise being kidnaped by pirates at sea. He remembered prior before her capture he implored to his mentor to allow him to serve as her personal guard and escort to which he was denied the times he brought it up. And now because of denying his services and wants to serve the Princess of House Virak they now had to worry about the noblewoman in the clutches of these foul men and hope she wasn’t killed or critically injured. Hopefully a ransom from the pirates would arrive, but for Ademar there was no time to negotiate with these shits.

Nor could he stomach the idea of House Virak sitting down from across the table with these criminals.

A single ship, carrying elite soldiers and experienced Dreadlords, rocked the waves of the sea with determination to rescue the Baroness. He hated the sea, not because he got sick from it, but because it bored him. There was no glory in fighting at sea, especially when laying siege.

Walking about in his heavy armor, the Dreadlord came from the armory of the vessel as it could be see with a war hammer in his hand and his signature claymore strapped to his back. He passed by a Dreadlord that was...making a bouquet of flowers?! This infuriated Ademar. The man ought to lead as example for his fellow Anirians aboard the ship.

“Disgraceful,” and batted the bouquet of flowers the Dreadlord made which would hit on the deck of the ship. “Lady Elise is captured by these fucking pirate scum and you are playing with flowers? Pathetic.” Of course, Ademar prepared on the defensive if the Dreadlord retaliated. In this profession when slightly insulting someone? Always prepare your guard.

 

[Elise Virak]

"What the hell do we do?"

"We can't just do what she says, that's insane. She's our prisoner, not the way around."

"Yeah but if we can get more..."​

The argument went back and forth for quite some time. Elise watched it quietly, her gaze flickering between the men as she learned the dynamic held between them. It was clear to her that those who had taken her ship were not of a single crew.

From what she could ascertain there were four Captains, and each of them had a stake. One clearly, the fellow who had struck her, clearly held the most weighty words. If she had to guess Elise would have said he controlled three of the ships that had attacked her.

"Look, we're in the Black Bay. There's no way Vel Anir will send a fleet, waters are too dangerous. We got all the time in the world, no ones coming to rescue this bitch."​

The words brought a smile to her face. "What makes you think I need to be rescued?"

A sudden stop came to the conversation, and most eyes within the tent turned towards her. One of the men moved a hand to his sword, the fear in his eyes more than a little evident.

These men were in over their heads.

Another strike landed across her face before she could speak again. Her fingers tightened almost instinctively, and she felt blood well within her mouth. Rage and temptation filled her, a breath sitting in her lungs as she desperately held onto control.

Elise spat onto the floor, blood staining the sand.

 

[Vittorio]

Vittorio watched as the bouquet he'd made hit the ground from the smack Ademar Acero delivered to it. While contempt brewed from this, all that was heard was an exasperated sigh.

"Always a pleasure, Ademar." He said, toneless. Not even sarcasm. He turned to walk towards the ships navigator while offering a wave of goodbye back to the overzealous Dreadlord who just attacked his flowers out of what? Anxiousness? Impotence? Who knew. "Try not to blow a vein." He barked back before exiting the conversation altogether. How he wished he could just kill the man where he stood.

As he approached the wheel of the ship he noticed Ania staring off to the sea. He was surprised he hadn't seen her when they boarded. She was one of the few Dreadlords kind enough to leave him be. He spoke to the navigator;

"How far off are we?"

"Shouldn't be too long. Land is expected to appear soon. Hang tight."

"Thank you." He offered the navigator a short bow before walking over to stand beside Ania, where he stood in the same silence, staring into the bay.

 

[Ania]

Ania stood and looked over the railing of the starboard side of the ship. Waves crashed against the sturdy wood of the mighty frigate which progressed across the sea at high speed. The element of surprise would be their most vital ally to the success of the operation. Facing an overwhelming force would require a strategic assault so as not to alert the entire enemy force. If they progressed too slowly it was possible the kidnappers would panic and eliminate Miss Virak, so they had to be quick and press the advantage of a confused enemy force.

The ship groaned as it banked on a larger wave and the freckle faced dreadlord looked over her shoulder to see Ademar approaching the skull masked one. The hulking dreadlord from Virak was the embodiment of intimidation and he proved useful for scaring some of the simpletons they were likely to encounter.

But Ania did not trust him. Virak was his house and he had allowed his matriarch to be captured. It didn't matter to her that the mountain of a man wasn't present for the kidnapping, the shame of her abduction was on the hands of every dreadlord pledged to Virak.

He spat words and brutishly threw Vittorio's bouquet to the ground.

Looking back up to the horizon for a few moments Ania eventually came to realize that the flower giving dreadlord had decided to stand nearby. He wouldn't receive much sympathy from her but her ears perked up at the words of the navigator indicating they would land soon.

"I'll lead the away team," Ania informed Vittorio and any others within earshot, "the incompetence of the other houses may have allowed Lady Virak's capture but I will not allow them to botch her rescue."

 

[Ademar Acero]

How he wished they weren’t on this mission so he could have his war hammer in the back of his skull, or even better how much he would’ve like to have him as his opponent on the Tower that all apprentices had to complete if to continue their journey. He had accomplished that task some time ago, and the way he killed his opponent was cruel and disfigured his corpse. This Vittorio would never have lasted a second against Ademar, and he wouldn’t even last half a minute with him now.

Maybe he’d find a way to kill him off in this mission.

“I will focus on finding Lady Elise and bringing her to safety,” he informed Ania and Vittorio once he heard Ania speaking. The only glory here was rescuing Elise before eliminating the pirates as was his orders; he had yet to graduate, but he had already made the decision of what House he’d swear loyalty to and that was to House Virak. Ania was of House Weiroon and outranked him, but his orders meant more than ranking. Besides if one was to be technical, his directions from the nobility of House Virak surpassed Ania’s own if she tried to command him.

 

[Elise Virak]

"SHIP! SHIP IN THE BAY!"​

The men inside of the tent froze as one of their lackeys opened the flap and began to scream frantically. Elise watched him with amusement, already knowing who the ship belonged to. Her gaze shifted slowly to the man that had struck her.

"You should have acted sooner, Captain." She commented quietly, her tongue darting out to lick some of the blood off her lip.

The man looked at her, then the others, a frown cutting across his lips as he began to bark out a quick set of orders to his men.

"It's only one ship against six! Bring it down before it gets here, and if it reaches the shore we'll cut them down!"​

Elise couldn't help but be impressed by the man's confidence. Though at this point she wasn't entirely sure that it wasn't madness. The smile she wore on her face did not fade as several of the Captains left the tent, only three men remaining inside.

They talked among one another, then the one who'd struck her turned. Smiling in a taunt.

"Thought you didn't need rescuin'?"​

Elise glanced up at him, gold meeting green. "Oh I don't."

Her eyes fell shut for one brief second, and when she opened them there was nothing but black.

 

[Vittorio]

"Hmm?" As he listened to the plot of his allies, his eyes caught the formation of land in view. Not only that, but several ships began to take form as well.

"Ah, it seems we are being intercepted." He said with a hint of annoyance. A large boom would follow his words, an ever increasing in volume hum would come after that.

"What an incredible shot." The Dreadlord spoke aloud as he ran up the ships bow. In seconds, a cannon ball would be seen hurling toward the dead center of their frigate. As it was mere inches from Vittorio, he waved his hand against it in a flash, the cannon ball splitting in two and landing near their navigator. Scaring him but not causing any real damage to the ship.

"I'll deal with the frontal cannon attacks best I can. Do your best to get us near them."

"Y-you got it!" The navigator cried back. Vittorio turned his gaze to Ademar.

"Perhaps you can blow off some steam now, no?"

 

[Ania]

Ademar said what was expected, his primary focus was to see Elise returned. Ania would’ve scolded him. Informed him that his house was to blame.

But no, best to not rub salt into that wound.

“When we arrive on land we mu-,” the eruption of cannon fire overpowered her words.

Many of the other dreadlords and apprentices wielded magic which altered the physical world. Made impossibility become reality. Those powers would prove useful in a battle taking place aboard a seafaring vessel.

Unfortunately, Ania’s skills were limited to close quarters swordplay and domination of the mind. Neither was all that handy on the high seas.

She shielded her face with a raised arm as Vittorio split a cannon ball down the center, spewing fragmented metal all around their feet.

“Grab the boarding ladder!” she shouted at a deckhand who retrieved one of the retractable ladders from storage. “Once aboard kill anything that breathes, spare the captain if you can, he’ll lead us to Lady Virak.”

 

[Jana]

Jana had stayed back for most of the way. Focus was important for her, and, even more so, there were no opportunities of making allies valuable enough for her to disturb her own peace. Ramble was for others. Weak ones, those who needed words for reassurance and feeling of their own importance. She wasn't like that. She was here on a very precise mission and she planned to pursue her goal and nothing else.

Her presence here was really like a gesture of good will. The House Sirl was barely on amicable terms with House Virak, but there were certain matters going on between them that required a bit of a friendly air between them. Jana didn't know too much about it, she wasn't told and she didn't really care all that much. She would learn, sooner or later, if it was important.
And, after all, her mission was the only thing that mattered. Help rescue the Lady Virak. Don't get into conflicts with other Dreadlords, especially those of House Virak. Complete this as soon as possible. That was all Jana needed to know for now. And having the same goals was all that mattered in others.

She was finally awoken from her trance like state by a voice of an apprentice, stating that they weren't alone anymore. Hearing that, Jana allowed her astral perception to widen, taking in a perimeter larger than the one she kept track of previously. She felt the other ships very faintly, but the people in them burned like bright flames in her mind, making them abundantly clear. She sensed enough, as she stood up, walking up to the young man with a lot more confidence than one could expect from a blind girl. She also avoided the metal fragments in the air with more grace than one without sight should have done.
As she did so, Jana let her mind slip into another plane of being all together, the one that hadn't happened yet. The opposing sailors turned out to be easily predictable. Just as one could expect. She saw the threads of possibility, and she distinguished the ones that would almost certainly happen.
"The furthest to the left, then the second from right," she stated in a rather monotonous voice. "There and there," her finger pointed at the places the cannonballs would hit, if nothing stood in their way. Her blind eyes peered into the distance, blank as ever.

Right as she finished speaking, two loud booms echoed in the air again.

For now, until they got close enough, Jana would let others sort out the shots. Her powers weren't optimal for dealing with them. She had to reserve her strength for when it mattered.

 

[Ademar Acero]

He grunted at Vittorio’s comment, opting to not retort back at the man. So far he’s be given plenty of meat to slaughter from the pirates that were now approaching them. Hopefully a cannonball would blow up near where Vittorio stands, that would definitely appease Ademar and not have to deal with a man that hid his face with the skull of a stag. Almost made him seem like a woodland elf or some sort of elvish scum that worshipped nature.

Truly disgusting.

Two Anirian guards in their armor were near Ademar and the hulking lad looked at them before placing his hands on their armor.

“Hey what th-“

“Shut up,” he said rather harshly. He absorbed the strength of the steel armored plates and the guards would look in confusion when their armor was too light on them. They would have to be careful as their armored breastplates was fickle than its previous states.

One of the pirate vessels approached at starboard and began to halt their sails in order to board the Anirian galleon. Naturally they were scum of horrendous features and personalities. They were eager to storm the ship, and their desires would lead them to their deathbeds. The sea would be their coffin and they’d never be remembered again.

A boarding ladder bridged the two ships with a rush of bloodthirsty pirates that would encounter Ademar as he, too, was eager to board their vessel. Their attacks would be futile as his claymore sword cleaved their ranks as they attempted to board their ship. Outnumber they were, yes; but they weren’t outmatched.

 

[Elise Virak]

Selene dabbed at some of the blood on her dress with a small handkerchief she had taken off of a nearby table.

All six of the Captains that had remained in the tent now lay on the ground, blood seeping through their bodies. One of them was pinned to the ground with a large pike of solidified red, his body still twitching as lifeless eyes stared towards the Baroness.

"H-how?"​

Elise half turned towards one of the men, lips sinking as she realized the stain would likely never come out of the silken cloth she wore. Her head slowly shook, and she took a step over towards the fallen man. Her eyes had returned to their normal gold as she peered down at him.

"Poor little simpleton pirate." She made a 'tsk' sound with her lips, then slowly squatted down besides the filthy peasant. "There is so much you can't possibly understand."

A soft smile touched her lips, black specks floating across her eyes as some of the blood in the man's open wounds began to bubble. "Now, where is the shipbuilder?"

The pirate stared as his own blood floated from his body, and then the screams began.

 

[Vittorio]

The words from Jana and Ania caught Vittorio's ear immediately.

"Understood." He called back calmly to the both of them. The shots were simultaneous. He would need to be quick on his feet. However even with training the Dreadlord knew he would not be able to reach one immediately after the other. Not without causing some strain on himself, at least.

The eccentric ran to the spot on the left where the attack would land, and extended his arms out from his robes. Both his arms exposed now. The skin and flesh on both folded backwards as if his cells were their own organism, retracting as a slime mold would. His skeletal arms now displayed to the wind.

The arms began to reshape yet again. The left curving and hardening into the shape of a blade as his right hands finger elongated and connected, making a net like object out of his skeleton. The first cannonball arrived on the left, which he gracefully sliced in half once more.

The other cannonball landed square in his netted hand, exploding instantly. He winced in agony as the fire spread over his hardened skeleton but he was able to prevent damage to the ship. Exploding would be easier than drowning, anyhow.

Despite this, his skeleton other than being a bit charred, seemed quite okay. And was visibly recovering from its burns. Vittorio retracted his bones and flesh back to their normal state and let out a deep sigh.

Irritating.

The front ship was now upon them, slamming a boarding ladder onto their bow. Vittorio awaited the sorry souls who dared further anger him.

 

[Ania]

As the frigate launched its own boarding ladder at an encroaching enemy ship two of the other pirate vessels were attempting to invade them. One of the Anirian guard stepped foot on the ladder until Ania grasped at his arm, pulling him back.

"No, too many now, help the others," she instructed.

While the blind fool from Sirl aided with the artillery and the two apprentices sat around waiting by boarding ladders the dreadlord from Weiroon had a different strategy in mind. As pirates began to flood onto the ladder and approach the vessel of Vel Anir she looked out at the lead boarder, catching a glint in his eye caused him to stop abruptly. In a frightened panic he let out a gasped and tried to retreat, his attempt lobbing himself and several other pirates into the sea below.

She scanned her head quickly towards the helmsman hoping the diversion would merit his attention. Success. He looked towards the mound of flesh that now pounded in the rough waters and as he attempted to go back about his business he noticed the pale woman aboard his enemy's ship. Ania grinned.

He perceived a mighty wave rupture up and move towards him. It looked as if a leviathan had awoken and was boring down on the mast of his ship. In a panic he swung the steering wheel of his ship wildly to the left, not only detaching the ladder but causing him to run his ship directly into one of the other five pirate ships.

Ania joined Ademar who was waiting at the end of a ladder. She wouldn't admit it in front of him but it was exhausting to use her magic from so far away. Now she just relished the idea of killing something with her bare hands. "Don't hog every boarder Ademar," she requested simply. "I'd like to gut a few myself."

 

[Jana]

Well, they weren't completely hopeless after all. The lack of sight robbed Jana from observing precise details, but she saw the flashes of their magic, swirling through the air. The one she had helped with the cannonballs had a brutal kind of air around his powers. Mighty, even if still unpolished. He would be interesting to follow in the future, as far as their paths would ever cross each other. And the girl from Weiroon, whom she recognized faintly by the bubbling of life underneath her skin, she was even more impressive. As weak as her magic would be in other circumstances, she had a certain finesse about using it right now. Obviously, it was only the bare minimum one could expect from a Dreadlord, but Jana could appreciate it well enough.

She lingered on her spot only so long as she needed for the flashes of magic and fading threads of life to illuminate the full scene for her, clinging to the wood, water and even air, mapping it all out for her. Jana sensed it now. And she was ready to finally take a tangible part in all of the action.
As many of the little bugs crushed there already were, there were even more ready to feel the full extent of going against those raised in Vel Anir. Another boarding ladder slammed into the side of their ship, not too far away from where the two of other Dreadlords were waiting. Jana made her way there in a few swift strides, her staff in her hands, the sword sheathed for now.

A crowd of men, as nasty and pathetic and cockroaches in a basement, tried to make their way onto their ship. They were probably surprised to see a blind woman step in front of them, only a piece of wood in her hands. Maybe one of them, the one in the front, was relieved, thinking that they had encountered an injured warrior. A weak warrior.
Jana enjoyed slamming her staff into his ribs with inhumane strength, hearing his ribs crack as he plummeted into the water. The next one thought that he saw an opening, a crack in her armor, as her weapon slipped to the side. He jumped straight at her, sword in hand, perhaps thinking that he could see her blood already.
This one was less lucky. Because as he approached Jana close enough, a silvery pair of arms emerged from her shoulders, as if made from an odd, half-transparent kind of flesh. They grasped the head of the man, and in the next instant he went limp, falling down as well.
If the first one had some chance to survive, the second didn't. There was no more life to speak of left in his body.

 

[Ademar Acero]

He knew little of Ania, only informed she gave fealty to House Weiroon; the only thing the two shared in common was a lust of blood and battle, though there was small differences. The Weiroon Dreadlord was a sadist and enjoyed torturing before killing them, almost like picking her food. Ademar was blunt and straightforward, he enjoyed killing people and desecrate their bodies to send a warning for others, and he didn’t bother to break a few bones or scalp his foes before their deaths unlike Ania.

“Then you’ll have to kill better,” was all he offered to Ania in a grunted shout as she was behind him, Ademar clearing through the boarders on the ladder as he finally came to the ship’s deck of the pirates.

What remained, in decent numbers, of the pirate crew on the ship naturally focused on Ademar. He was a colossal compared to them and to his fellow Anirians, and their narrow minds agreed that by bringing him to defeat would blow morale for the Anirians. It probably would, but they could only dream about it in their own minds. By focusing most of their strength on him that would allow Ania, Jana, and the other Anirian couriers to swarm the vessel without much obstacles in their way. They would use the very tactic of the from the pirates against them, just for being close minded.

Then again, what could one expect from them. The only reason they captured Lady Elise was because of having the advantage of numbers, not of intelligence.

He hacked through the flesh of the pirates that offered themselves to him, his motions with his claymore swift like a man with a longsword which was fairly lighter than what Ademar enjoyed to carry. Poor Ania, though, as she would probably have a kill count fewer than his.

 

[Elise Virak]

The beach where the pirates had made their temporary home was now in utter chaos.

Men who had been trying to prepare themselves were now fleeing to and fro. Some boarded ships, others went for long boats, and still others simply made their way into the jungle as it became evident that their leaders had abandoned them.

Elise simply waited.

She had found herself a large plush chair in the main tent that they had held her in, and behind it was a man hog-tied with thick bindles of rope.

The ship-builder had been kept in a small underground cubby. Apparently punishment from the pirates when he'd tried to escape. Elise had found him with the helpful instructions of the pirate she had spoken with, and now she simply had to wait for her Dreadlords to reach her.

If they would hurry up about it.

 

[Vittorio]

The ship charging forth sent several men across the ladder to intercept them. Now their frigate was being pincered from multiple sides. From the sounds of it, the other three were making short work of these under-trained buffoons who thought they could hold a candlestick to the might of Dreadlord magic. While he hated admitting it, his allies were powerful and would make this job go much smoother.

As the first pirate reached him he swung his blade blindly, and Vittorio caught it with his bare hands. No blood, no sound. His fingers elongated from beneath the blade and punctured both of the pirates eyes, sending him down to the water below. The others on the boarding ladder halted as they witnessed Vittorio's skeleton rearrange and kill their comrade.

"Come now. Certainly you've seen ghouls before." He taunted, emotionless.

The Dreadlord rushed forward and cleaned house across the ladder quickly, using his bladed arm to bifurcate the remaining pirates who stood in his way. Once the halves of each men met the fish, he moseyed across what was left of the ladder to their own ship.

Once aboard, he wasted no time finding the captain's quarters, and kicked the door down with cold precision.

"I've been informed that you're to come with us."

Vittorio uttered to the mangy, bearded man. The pirate captain retorted with a straight forward blast of lightning from his palm, which the Dreadlord side stepped without thought. He faced his palm outward towards the captain and his arm elongated and gripped him by the throat. His fingers shifting and wrapping him up in a makeshift skeleton cage. The captain was bound and terrified. Vittorio retracting some of his arm to bring him face to face with the pirate.

"You could have just cooperated."

Vittorio brought the man above deck and to the boarding ladder attached to their frigate. He dangled the man above the water in his bone prison and called out over the ongoing warfare;

"PERHAPS YOUR CAPTAIN'S DEATH WOULD PERSUADE YOU THAT ALL IS LOST?"

 

[Ania]

Men flooded across the ladder onto the Anirian frigate likes cattle stampeding towards slaughter. Many of them went straight at Ademar, likely due to his size and fearsome demeanor. Most men were simple and she assumed that the bragging rights of, 'I killed the big one,' would earn them some sort of kudos if they survived the day.

Unfortunately, if she had her way, none of this excrement would see tomorrow's sunrise.

A few of the deplorables flanked Ademar and came towards her. Probably liking their odds against the smaller woman a bit more. They had made a fatal miscalculation there. Ania showed no mercy as her blade cut through flesh and organs. The bodies she and the other dreadlords were carving up began to prove a different kind of problem entirely. They had piled up so quickly that it made it challenging for more of the fools to board the frigate.

"Their ship is smaller, faster, a few of us should board and seize it. We can make landfall and get to Lady Virak," the pale woman communicated to her allies.

The naval battle would be won, she was certain of that. However all of these ships fighting in the bay had certainly alerted the kidnappers on the shore to the Anirian rescue effort. She didn't wish to dwell on it but it was possible they could be harming Miss Elise right this very second. As such, it was vital that they storm the beaches immediately.

Ania lifted herself on the nearest boarding ladder and gestured for Ademar and whomever else to accompany her. In the distance she could see that Vittorio had already cleared out one of the other ships. It was a good thing, their enemy's numbers were thinning.

Her blade cut a two more of the scum to pieces until she reached the pirate corvette. It was a small and nimble craft, she had wondered how it had held so many of the enemy. As her comrades secured the vessel and killed off any further resistance she made her way to the helmsman. The tip of her estoc pressed against his chest.

"Unless you want me to run this through you I need you to take us to shore." She motioned for the last dreadlord to board the enemy ship to sever the ladder still tied to the Anirian frigate as the captured ship moved towards the beach.

 

[Jana]

The first two had gone down in traceable, controlled way, but the rest followed under her staff and the touch of her magic like a swarm of annoying but rather harmless flies. Jana was in the moment of the battle the same way she was in the dozens of following ones, stepping away from blades flung at her with such precision that many of them subtly grazed her clothing, landing killing blows one after another, not allowing herself to waste more than one hit on one of this scum, even more so, mainly sweeping of a few by one motion, her weapon led by inhuman strength.

She had moved to the enemy ship in the midst of it all, gaining more space around her, beneficial for fighting with her staff. It would get most of them, and those who managed to get through after all would be met by the deadly touch of her astral form, draining life from then in an instant.
Jana rarely felt as alive as now. She wasn't the one to fight the most of the grand battles, her abilities having proven to be far more beneficial in smaller, more delicate conflicts, but it didn't mean that she had lost any kind of appreciation towards a good battle. Not that any of these men could provide a true resistance to her, but all put together they made a rather amusing opponent, one that she enjoyed crushing under her sole. This was why one should be mindful when dealing with Vel Anir. This was shy one should be mindful when dealing with House Sirl.

It took her some time until there were no more flickers of life around her, except those of her fellow Dreadlords and those of opposing men, still clinging to life. They were as faint as it could get. She made sure to put them out anyways, with careful, calculated touches of her ethereal hands, before letting them slip out of the material plane of existence.
They didn't need any of these survivors, other having secured the pawns that could play temporarily important role in their mission, this scum staying alive could just be nuisance. Nobody needed any last resistance from them.

And as the captured ship approached the beach, Jana stood between countless bodies of dead men.

 

[Ademar Acero]

They didn’t stand a chance.

For common men it was like a titan in the body of a man being unstoppable with almighty strength. Blood was caked on his claymore sword and armor after the battle they had with the pirates. Hell, it wasn’t even a battle; it was more like a massacre. Even their side didn’t suffer too much casualties, just a handful of wounded marines and a few dead ones mixed with the pile of dead pirates.

More death followed as they captured a pirate ship with Ademar causing more of the death than anyone. Resistance was limited and pathetic. An abattoir was more humane than this scene.

After securing the ship and breaking the ladder between them and the other Anirian vessel, they sailed with great speed towards the beach. No one else stood in their way. Just whatever scum that remained on the beach.

They arrived with the ship’s hull coming to a halt on the beach’s sand. Immediately the Dreadlord jumped from corvette and onto the sand. The beach was deserted, almost deserted. There was some stranglers here and there that were fleeing from whatever chaos occurred here. He could went after them, but his eyes caught Lady Elise.

“Lady Elise,” he called out with relief in his voice that his baroness was safe, though some marks and bruises on her face. “My Lady, I am relieved you are safe. Are you injured?” One of the few times Ademar would show concern over a person’s wellbeing as oftentimes he’d be indifferent towards most folks about their health.

 

[Elise Virak]

Elise's face was bloodied, even bruised, but she sat upon the small chair surrounded by corpses without so much as a care in the world.

She had her prize.

"I'm perfectly fine, young Ademar." There was a smile on her face, her gaze briefly flickering towards the shipbuilder that was still laying tied up behind her chair. A hand reached up to her wounds, touching the notch on her lip.

"Though these Pirates have shown a severe lack of decorum." Her lips turned down into a deep frown. "Be a dear and see none leave this place."

She looked at the shipbuilder. "And ensure that he lives."

Elise now needed nothing less than a massacre. None of these pirates could be allowed to tell the tale of what had happened here.

 

[Vittorio]

"Ah, land. You must dread it, no?" Vittorio asked the dangling ship captain held captive in the cage of his own skeleton.

"You've won 'aven't ya? Let me live, I beg of you."

"Have you no shame? We'll leave that up to the lady you decided to take into custody. Trust me, I don't like her much either. I do believe you've taken it a bit too far this time, though."

With this exchange of words the ship made its way onto the beach. Vittorio followed close behind his Dreadlord colleagues as they arrived. Ademar, like the dog he is, was already nipping at the heels of Elise. Imagine that. He interrupted their exchange as he could not hear the conversation they had.

"My dearest pardons, madame." Vittorio spoke to the Virak heir with a bow of his head. "I know how much you enjoy your... 'Prizes'... And so I thought this might do." With that he let the captain out of his prison, the pirate falling to all fours before Elise and Ademar. Vittorio was more about making sure Himmary knew he'd done all he could rather than caring if this princess got her precious little toys. He hoped this'd suffice.

The captain looked up to her and held his hands together.

"Gods, please. I know I've done wrong but can't you offer a poor man some forgiveness?"