Private Tales Two Bounties on the High Seas

[Zufar el Hassan]

"Resilience is all about being able to overcome the unexpected. Sustainability is about survival. The goal of resilience is to thrive."
- Jamais Cascio
​

"...if ta winds hold, we'll make it t' port in about three day's time." Zufar el Hassan, Captain of the Magnificent Liberator and the Pirate Prince of the Velvet Fleet, though you wouldn't know it just by looking at him. Indeed, he was a considerably scrawnier fellow then most people might have imagined, though one that held himself with the dignity to command something that had included the phrase "Magnificent". Said captain was standing at the helm, conversing with what appeared to be some members of the crew. It seems some new information had just been dispensed.

“Faster than I expected, though I suppose that is if we don't sail head first into a storm." Zufar said idly, eyes gazing towards the deck of his shop, watching as his motely crew of ex-slaves running to-and-fro about their posts. The Liberator had left a small port not too long ago after loading up on supplies for the journey ahead, for the captain and his crew had some business in the region they were sailing to. Of course, supplies weren't the only thing the crew had picked up.

"Very well then, you have command for the time being, mate. Keep her steady and the crew working...I'll go check on our "little" passenger." With a light pat on the shoulder, the captain of the ship sauntered off, leaving his first mate to take his position near the helm. Despite the commotion that came with the normal operations of the ship, its captain seemed rather casual about it all, even as some of his crew scurried past him on the way to the stern of the ship. Then again, they're crew was a veteran one, one that didn't really need a captain barking orders for the slightest adjustment of the sails.

Instead, what was more out of the ordinary on that day was the additional "cargo"; specifically a passenger, one who stood out even among Zufar's motley crew of crocks and sea monkeys. And while most captains likely would have charged for taking on the extra passenger, Zufar and his crew were gracious enough to bring her aboard without charge, given that they were heading in the same direction.

Though the term "free" may have been relative given what was to come...

"Fine view, isn't it?" Zufar's voice peaked up as he approached the passenger, relaxed in every sense of the word as he idled up. Despite the fact that the man was a pirate captain, he spoke with a sense of clarity and refinement that seemed almost out of place given the myriad of hardy accents floating about the ship. The man certainly fit the "prince" part of his title like a glove.

"Not many can stomach a life on these seas. The ocean, she can be a cruel unforgiving mistress to the unprepared. Luckily, you sail with some of the best, and ones that will arrive at our destination ahead of schedule." Zufar smirked as he look to the horizon, arms crossed though posture relaxed. "Yet before we commence with any more of this awkward small talk, how about a formal introduction?"

Zufar's eyes idly wandered to the person next to him.

"What did you say they call you?"

 

[Jezebeth Af Malakath]

Indeed the passenger jumped upon the boat alongside the others; her footsteps seemed extremely heavy, releasing a sound that did not suit her average build and size as If she was heavier than she seemed to be. Even the wood croaked under her weight but nothing to worry about for now. Nevertheless, Jezebeth sought to travel through the ocean in order to find some pirates or people who enslaved others for jobs; she always pursued these types of people and she made It clear from the beginning that she liked naught those who chained others for no reason. She was a brown-esque lass with raven hair and amber eyes that glowed beneath the shadow of her hood and in general, she looked average regardless of her unusual behavior and lumbering; She was sure someone of the most desert land- a woman of the south, If anything. Her eyes orbs sought thereafter the figure who called her. A smile grew atop her lips whilst she offered a deep courtesy by bobbing her head-- furthermore, she lacked a right arm; a crippling condition that may carry a tale or two.

"Jezebeth. That's mine own nameth, I'm a wanderer of the sort and thee cameth in handy. Thanketh thee again for thy help-- I loveth exploring the ocean; It is a fantastic environment, is't not? so calm, so grand yet so destructive and chaotic. AND YET... So free without anyone telling it any orders. Nevertheless, thy view is most accurate."​

Her voice was rough and needless to say steady; like a calculative being always studying anyone's move. She lightly leaned against the wooden wall of the ship. Her hand toying with the sleeve of her fine robe before she would offer another comment yet in a curious manner. an inquiry that may raise some doubts; why this crippled figure sought a weapon before all. Her build was thin and her entire poise unbalanced: Shattered, battered by her health. Nevertheless, she was determined to know. Regardless of knowing the man's name or not, she was too focused on this strangely so.

"Do thee knoweth any blacksmith of the sort? I'm in seeketh of a weapon"

Zufar el Hassan ​

 

[Zufar el Hassan]

"Jezbeth? Interesting..." Zufar mused, stroke his beard as he watched the women move.

"Aye, freedom, but only for those who know how to sail its waves." Zufar's lips curved upwards, a tad bit amused as he listened to Jezebeth's description of the seas. Perhaps once upon a time he would have thought the same, but after being on the waves for so long, he was a bit more experienced to know better. "Make no mistake, every being that is foolhardy enough to leap to a plank of wood and drift from shore is at the mercy of the ocean. Attempt to fight her head on and she'll swallow you whole. But learn to dance to her jig? Then there is no end to the possibilities, for no man nor government from any of the mainland's can truly dominate these high seas."

'Least not any that weren't already there before.' Zufar thought to himself, thinking of the encounters with the various denizens of the seas.

"You fancy yourself a sailor one day?" Zufar said with light chuckle, thinking on the various roles of the ship that such a individual may be capable of fitting.

"As for armament, that'll depend on the type of weapon you're looking for... and the quality to which you seek." Shifting topics, Zufar began to ponder what the women might have meant. Usually when someone said something like that, they had either just broken out of a prison and were in need of arms for protection, or were looking for something rare and powerful for something as grand as dominating the world. Sometimes both were true.

"Most ports or villages should have some sort of weapon's smith if you're just looking for a common hunk of metal. You should be able to get something usable at the next port. But if you're looking for something of higher quality, I'd suggest visiting one of the larger cities, where the pockets can afford the quality. Though, I'd be mindful of the cities Northeast of the Cortosi Coast. In my experience, they don't tend to take too kindly to those who are not strictly human..."

'...or pirates for that matter.' A dark laugh followed his words. Not a lot of people were happy the last time Zufar and his crew visited that part of the continent, and even less were happier by the time they left.

"Is there something in particular you're after? Sword? Axe? Spear? Shield?"

 

[Jezebeth Af Malakath]

The hooded figure seemed to smile in a more content fashion at hearing the man's rebuke about the ocean. In a moment he felt a subtle lack of energy that lasted one precise second, the feeling of being free and expressing it was indeed feeding this disguised devil; it was probably nothing and wouldn't hurt him at all, even in the aftermath. Nevertheless, this slim figure did not answer about the sailor part for she began to walk ahead to gaze towards the horizon. Her thin fingers curled around the wind; she grasped nothing but at the same time she offered a swinging gesture as If she was wielding a mighty blade, swinging around it in a such strong manner and Zufar If was attentive; would behold and feel the strength of such gesture of hers, How It created a small breeze of wind due to the great force yet as stated before- she was not at bulky, she lacked an arm and was a simple average human.

"Thou art beyond wise, mine own friend. I und'rstand though- luckily I'm human"

She chuckled at the pirate part. Perhaps she could relate to the fact of being forsaken by the unchained pirate. She exhaled a sharp before turning to face the man; her cold amber eyes open wide, frozen as they regarded him. She showed a small bag filled with gold or what could be useful for trade. Yes, she was showing it to a pirate for perhaps It was a test to see how good and honest Zufar el Hassan was.

"A sword wouldst be most suitable. This a dangerous world and I needeth a noble weapon but mine own requesteth is quite odd thus I needeth to find someone who won't be loud 'r surprised. I have another question- A person with thy charm doest has quite the enemies for sure. Doth thee knoweth if these enemies could be tyrants of the sort?"​

 

[Zufar el Hassan]

The lack of substance, from the energy to the words, didn't go unnoticed by Zufar, though he said either of the matters. Whatever he was thinking, he was certainly keeping it under his turban for the time being.

"Ah, but no request is too odd or too big so long as you have the right amount of coin." Zufar said, idly glancing towards the gold purse that the women held out. Even on land, it wasn't the wisest to be showing off so much currency, even less so in a den of pirates. Luckily for her, she hadn't done anything to Zufar that warranted a highway robbery just yet. "At the end of the day, it still comes back to the specification of such a weapon. That much may fetch you a fair quality blade, but I can't speak with any degree of certainty about the cost of the weapon you're after. For that, you'll need to ask a smith of the trade, and no better place to find them than in the city."

Even Zufar sword of his birthright was reclaimed from the markets within one of the bigger cities, even more so a stroke of luck that Zufar that no one recognized its hidden value.

"You'd be surprised how many enemies you can make with my form of charm." Such a notion made Zufar laugh. Such charm was seen as arrogance to some, but truly it was simply the way Zufar was born and even more so how he wanted to live. "Whether or not they are a tyrants, that's a matter a of perspective. Better you see for yourself the actions of these people and decide for yourself whether or not their tyrants. I alone may be a tad bit bias in these matters."

A "tad bit" was putting it mildly; most authority figures didn't like him, and the feeling was more or less mutual.

"Personally, I find what I take from them to generally be far more important than what I call them." Zufar shrugged, eyes drifting back to the high seas. "I'd call my enemies the emperor of the world if it meant robbing them of everything their worth."

 

[Jezebeth Af Malakath]

There was clear confidence lingering in Jeze's actions to the point she cared naught to show the numerous coins or the accessories she wore unto these pirate individuals. Nonetheless, she would nod at the suggestion to find a smith of the sort before her expression grew in delight; she was astonished to heed the knowledge and wisdom of the pirate. She didn't think someone like him could bear such things in their mind thus she approached him, a hand lingering up in an attempt to pat his shoulder

"you art very wise. Thee shouldst show me these enemies of yours; these emperors of the world, aye?" ​

She inquired; If her gesture with the hand landed on his aforementioned- he should feel an untold strength, a strength that a figure such as hers by no means could wield. One may wonder who was this person. Furthermore, when she regarded these emperors; there was a sounding disdain. Perhaps she shared a similar hatred to the pirate's. She cleared her throat before another idea surged in her mind; her amber eyes gazed in a serious manner into his before uttering her words firmly.

"Perhaps, we could find some interesting material to steal from them. Hm?"​

 

[Zufar el Hassan]

"Hah! If we get lucky, then you may meet some of my enemies on this voyage." Zufar's laughed outloud at the notion, as even his crew were not as eager to meet one of their numerous opponents. "Vast as the oceans are, it can surprisingly compact when you just traveling the coastlines."

Was it bravery? Arrogance? Naivety? What caused this woman to utter these words? Zufar truly wondered...

"Though if we do encounter any number of enemies on this trip, you're more than free to give them a stern word with fire and steel. And of course if they happen to have anything that catch your fancy, then I don't think they'd mind too much if you..."appropriated" it for yourself."

Laughter would die down, giving way to a bemused chuckle as the pirate captain turned away. Despite their little conversation, there was still more to do on the ship, not to mention preparations to make for the operations after the voyage.

"In the meantime, relax and enjoy yourself. We still have quite the journey ahead..."

---

"Sail Ho! Cap'n! Brigs on the northern horiz'n!"

About a day and a half after Zufar's conversation with Jezebeth, a loud cry could be heard coming from the spotter stationed within the ship's crow's nest. Indeed, such few words seem to have sent the crew of the ship scrambling quickly about, seemingly agitating the pirates as they hopped between their stations and called to one another to quicken pace.

Zufar himself was standing near the helm of his ship, spyglass already held up to one eye, as he gazed towards the direction to which his crew had called out. Unlike his demeanor during their previous conversation, there was no smile present on his face. Instead, the captain was wearing an expression that seemed mildly irritated, as if something had been inconveniencing him.

Whatever he saw through his spyglass, it didn't seem to amuse him all that much...

 

[Jezebeth Af Malakath]

She mumbled under her breath, It seemed that the pirate had quite a similar mindset. A nod of respect was given before the advice was taken and she went to 'rest.' However, her own type of rest was different for she never went to sleep, her eyes were permanently open, staring at the horizon of the ocean. Nevertheless, when danger occurred; she followed the captain's suit never leaving his side before a question was issued albeit with no worry in her voice. She sounded very eager to jump into a fight and show her worth to the aforementioned captain.

"What's the problem, captain?! I may be able to help."
​

She noted the lack of a smile and It was what perturbed her more. The all-grinning captain that naught smiled. It only meant that the oncoming danger was truly not to underestimate. Ashes appeared on her thin hands; a demonic hue rising bright across her brown skin for she was preparing herself for the aforementioned conflict.
Zufar el Hassan

 

[Zufar el Hassan]

"Not unless you are capable of moving this frigate to beyond 40 knots." Zufar replied calmly, his officers already scrambling to his side as the vessel’s alarm bells continued to ring.

"Four ships on the horizon, and by the look of their armament, their hunter vessels." The captain spoke as if he were annotating the situation, taking stock of what was occurring even at this very moment. “Likely more squadrons in the area. Probably heard we were in the area and mustered as many ships as they could. I’d even wager that there are more hunter squadrons nearby.”

“Think we can take ‘em?” One crew member spoke up, asking a question that many were likely thinking at the moment.

“Oh, we can certainly take them, most of us might even survive. But the Liberator? She’ll be lucky to limp out of this fight, and these hunters know that.” Zufar said, lowering his spyglass. “No, their plan is akin to taking down an elephant; trap the prey then overwhelm it with numbers. In this case, their plan is likely to tether us with their ballista and weigh us down with their vessels, before signaling the rest of their friends to come box us. Clever, really…any other crew might stand and fight.”

Zufar spoke in almost a matter-of-fact tone, before turning to his subordinates and flashing a surefire grin.

“Luckily for us, we are not “most” crews.” Despite the direness of the situation, it seemed the pirate prince had a plan already in mind, as he now turned to his first mate. “Mr.Tompkins, if you would please, gather the lads and lasses. We’re going to have a little fun before we make our daring escape.”

The first mate replied with an ‘aye’, before rushing off to give the orders, along with the other pirate officers who were now rushing for their post. With one last glance to the horizon, Zufar collapsed his spyglass before sauntering over to where Jezebeth had stood.

“Looks like we’ll be seeing some action after all.” Zufar said with a calm chuckle, coming up to the women despite the commotion happening all around them.

“Now, most sane people probably would want to hide under-deck until the safety has passed. But if you're interested in some of this fun, I’ll need to know what you're capable of first. Fighting, magic, anything of the sort would do, considering we’re probably going to need all the help we can get to survive these tides.”