Fable - Ask Hemmed In

[Garigg Bracken]

The Stormy Hag, Murder Cay, Aina O Ka La

It was a rather simple name, but it was apt. The coral reefs around the pirate settlement had sunk a hundred vessels over the years and no one knew the route except for the pirates and smugglers that visited the port city.

At least, that was what Garigg thought.

His vessel, The Bladed Lotus, was moored on the far side of the island. They had taken small boats around the island.

Garigg liked The Hag, but he wasn't popular today. He didn't know how news spread quickly but he was left alone with a few crew members. Somehow the working girls already knew that Captain Jalt of the Harvest had caught a cortosi merchant caravel whilst Garigg had come back empty handed.

He wondered how they found out before the crew even arrived back at port.


There was a bright flash, the edges of the shuttered windows turning orange. Then a dull thud reverberated through the tavern.

"What the fuck was that?" Garigg spat.

The doors were flung open.

"Cortosi naval ships in the harbour!" cried a young man. "Troops are coming. And they brought a fire mage!"

Izzetta Rex

 

[Izzetta Rex]

Izzetta thought the name of the pirate settlement was funny. Murder Cay? Only pirates would come up with such obvious nonsense. It seemed the only they were good at naming was their ships.

Speaking of which, The Crimson Lady had just finished docking on the far side of the island. Izzy descended from the ship, her first mate Lox close behind her. She had some business to conduct (which mainly consisted of getting her hands on several crates of rum), and there was a swagger in her step and a swing in her hips. Her coat flared out behind her, her choppy brown hair in braids under her large tricorn hat. Sure, her hat may have been a tad large, but it got her looks and she liked getting looks.

She had not been walking long when there was a flash of orange in the distance. There were some shouts in the streets, and a young man ran past her into a tavern called The Stormy Hag, shouting something about the Cortosi navy.

Izzy and Lox stopped in their tracks. Izzy sighed heavily and cussed loudly, turning to look at Lox, who looked equally displeased. "You want to know what's going on," he said, sighing as Izzy nodded eagerly. The others would be fine back on the Lady, they could more than defend themselves. Besides, their ship was clean- they had recently dumped off a load of treasure.

Garigg Bracken

 

[Garigg Bracken]

"Ah how the fuck did they get into the cove," Garigg complained.

The cove was full of the skeletons of old vessels. The route safely past the sharp rocks hidden beneath the surface was a closely guarded secret.

Someone had given it up.

Two more pirate stepped into the tavern. He knew of Captain Rex by reputation but had never held a conversation.

"Jalt, Rex," he grunted. He addressed the two other captains.

The two in the door was suddenly silhouettes by a flash of light behind them. Another fireball had landed in the port.

Garigg stood tall. And he was tall. The half orc's head nearly touched the beams above.

"For the rocks to hide or to the boats?" he asked. They were his rivals, but in this situation with their backs to the wall he would address them as equals.

He glanced around at his crew members. He had three close by for the fight.

Izzetta Rex