Felazo starts to make sure they were all ready for a fight or a peaceable passing upon their intersection with the fleet va Cotropla. When most of the fleet turned away from the hungering, Felazo figures it’s going to be the first option, that they’re trying to get the drop on the Ekzokia. Probably didn’t expect the small ship to have such a skilled scout on watch at all times. So, as the pair of quick and low ships rush closer to their own, Felazo takes up his place near the center of the deck. If a fight’s to come, best not to risk the ship’s more important elements. At least that’s his idea. Alessari clearly doesn’t have the same idea, as she darts up the mast to plant herself among the sails, partially obscured from view and above it all. Everyone else, much to the Sea Elf’s chagrin, does not seem to have much of a plan, simply milling about waiting to see what happens next.
The first of the two ships to approach seems to have four people along with their pilot on deck. One, wearing a much fancier uniform than the others, stands tall from beside the pilot. “So,” this captain shouts over, “Did the one who plays with what ought not be touched pick up anything valuable in his grave-robbing?”
Felazo, readying himself for battle, shouts back, “It’s called aggressive archaeology, Nobody va Cotropla.”
The pirates aboard the approaching ship get ready to board once they’re in place. “It’s Klazero va Cotropla, one of Zeltaro’s most trusted captains. Remember the name!” Zeltaro calls everyone his most trusted captain, so they all think they’re more important to his pirate caravan than they actually are.
Denlo stalks across the deck to the side facing the captain’s ship. The second boat begins to approach the Ekzokia’s other flank. Denlo stares down the pirates who are readying themselves to board their ship. As though she expected the Elf’ika to leap across the distance to the enemy ship, Alessari looses an arrow into the side of one of the pirates. Before the pirates could notice Sari in the sails, and risk damaging the sails, Felazo pulls a small vial out from his pouch of secrets. Kissing it, he throws it at the captain, standing behind the pair in the front. The small vial explodes in lightning, erupting around the captain and arcing to the pirates in the front as well. And it successfully draws their attention away from the archer. He sends out a pulse of darkened red energy immediately following the vial, striking the captain as well, turning him pale. Renalt, readying for combat, looks around at their flanking opponents, and seeing Denlo at the ready, adds on his own help. Playing a tune on his loot that starts low and raises in tempo and pitch as it continues, they all feel a rush of empowerment, a feeling like not only will they win, but they’ll win well.
“Kill them all and loot the corpses,” Captain Klazero shouts, pulling out his crossbow and firing it at the mage who struck him twice. The bolt hit well, sinking deep into Felazo’s flesh. Hilan, from behind Felazo, stared at the captain, bringing the full weight of Cold Fist’s judgment down on the captain. While the captain does continue to push through, he seems to be worn, especially in combination with the paleness brought on by Felazo’s sickening pulse. Hilan throws a dagger into the fray, killing the pirate who had an arrow sticking out of them. Stopping for a moment to contemplate her own actions, she shifts tactics, gripping her shield well and moving to interpose herself between Felazo and Renalt, so she can defend the pair from any attacks. The boats finish their pincer maneuver, and the pirates get ready to board. One of the Captain’s ship’s pirates, the surviving one of the pair who’d been ready to board, obeyed his boss and swung across onto the deck of the Ekzokia to attack the closest person. Attacking with both his sword and following up with his dagger, he could not seem to find Denlo’s body. The person in charge of the secondary boat, looking at what’s happened thus far, decides to target the weakest one and launches her pike at Felazo’s fleshy form. Hilan interposes her shield, but it still manages to break through and cut at Felazo’s arm before clattering to the deck.
Behind his shadowed mask, Denlo smiles. Coming down hard on the pirate who was dumb enough to get close, he splits the man cleanly in twain. Twirling his blade, he points it towards the deck in general, challenging any more to approach and die. Alessari turns her attention to the next most immediate threat. The second boat has more people on deck and is organized. She launches a pair of arrows into the one who seems in charge on the secondary boat. They both strike her, though not extremely firmly. Felazo realizes they’re about to be overwhelmed. “That won’t do,” he mutters to himself as he reaches out for the energy around the newly dead. Pulling unlife into the corpse on their foe’s deck, he wrenches the body awake, warping it with a corrupted undeath befitting their need.
The newly awakened body pulls itself up as though by strings and hisses at the three remaining on deck with it. Charging at the one that it smells as magical, the unliving corpse bites down hard. Sickness spreads across the magical mate’s shoulder as he screams. Ren looks around and sees Felazo, with a gaping wound in his chest and another on his arm. “You’ll be okay,” he sings out as he plucks a calming chord. Felazo’s wounds seem to seal themselves in response to the bard’s music.
Klazero turns to the twisted corpse of his old companion and, shaking in some mix of fear and horror, skewers it with his rapier before cutting its head off with his dueling dagger. “You!” he shouts, and Felazo assumes it’s about him. As though a part of his upset scream, what Felazo was hoping to avoid comes to pass. Everyone floods onto the Ekzokia. Fortunately, they combat those closest, meaning the magical mate who wields a pike tries and fails to strike at Denlo and the pirates on the other side find their swords clanking off Sister Hilan’s armor and shield. Sister Hilan answers their strikes by pushing at them with her shield, causing one of them to stumble slightly. Unfortunately, this also opens her flank up to the secondary ship’s leader, who leaps across from the topdeck, with a roll grabs her pike, and sticks it firmly in Sister Hilan’s side.
Denlo, having been attacked by yet another foolish person, swings his blade once more, cleanly separating the magical mate’s head from his body. Turning once more to the enemy deck, which only has the pilot and the captain, he lets out a ferocious scream, “We await your blood as well!” Through his mask, Denlo can see the captain’s face, already paled by sickness, turn white with fear.
Sari takes a breath and launches another arrow at the one in charge of the secondary ship, hoping to send the pirates into disarray. It slides firmly through the woman’s eye and out the back of her head. The huntress in the sails turns her attention to the next pirate down the line. Felazo, who’s attention had been on the leading boat, suddenly is forced to pay attention to their surroundings. Considering there had briefly been a pair of big, scary threats right up near them. Muttering a few utterances, his hand goes briefly numb and he taps the nearest pirate on their shoulder. That dark, sick energy begins to spider out from the place on the pirate’s shoulder. Renalt recognizes this might be trouble and dances around to aid his captain. Taking his dagger, he catches the pirate’s blade and spins it around, twisting the pirate’s wrist until he hears the slightest indication of a cracking. The pirates on the deck of the Ekzokia attack, not even noticing the lead pirate ship beginning to pull away. The pirate engaged with Renalt tries to strike at the musician, but their wrist just does not move like it should. The other two attack the Sister in unison. One strikes at Hilan so she moves her attention ever so slightly to the flank, allowing the other unengaged one to get a single glancing blow in. Hilan smashes her shield against the attacking pair, once again sending them off balance.
Seeing the off-balance pirates, Denlo rushes across the deck to stand between the two of them. “Hello,” he half-whispers. The pirates notice him only just as he stabs through the first of the pair, then cuts out of the pirates body, twisting it around and using the momentum to slash across the other’s chest. As they both fall to the deck he turns towards the last one. Before he can say anything or move closer though, Alesari shoots a pair of arrows striking the pirate in the shoulder to open him up for a shot in the center of mass.
Felazo looks between the pair of pirate ships. Animating the rope of the boats to bind his ship to the now defenderless boat, he walks over towards the fleeing boat. “Hey, Captain Nobody va Cotropla,” he begins, putting emphasis on Captain, “Tell my old buddy Zeltaro that I said hello, and next time maybe he can visit me himself.” Then, after a pause, he adds, “And I’m keeping these bodies. They died on the Ekzokia, so they belong to her.”
The leading pirate ship flees, with its unimportant captain yelling back at him, “Don’t you worry, we’ll be back. And next time, I’ll kill you myself.”
Felazo turns back around, only to see Denlo and Renalt are already aboard their opponents ship to start the looting. Hilan approaches her temporary captain. “Should we be worried about that one?” she asks Felazo.
“Klazero? No. If he manages to convince Zeltaro to come at us in force? Probably,” Felazo answers the holy woman honestly. “Why? Are you concerned?”
“Always,” Hilan replies honestly. “But not about them as much. Did you hear what Denlo said to this Klazero to cause his flight?”
Felazo nods. “I did. You can keep an eye on him if you wish, though I myself will chalk it up to the young man trying to be scary until something proves otherwise.”
As the captain spoke, Sari slides down the mast. “Do you believe the new guys will need help searching that boat?”
“Yes. If you do not mind holding down the Ekzokia’s deck, dear sister, I believe Sari and myself might be of use to our violent and our fanciful friends.”
“Go,” Sister Hilan says to them. “I do not promise I can see every danger as it may approach, but I shall keep the Ekzokia as safe and stable as I can.”
Felazo and Alessari join Denlo and Renalt on the deck of the smaller pirate ship. Den looks back at them, as he finishes wrapping his blade back up in its proper cloth and sliding it into its straps. “Are you both ready, in case there is trouble below decks?”
Felazo shrugs, Alessari nods. “Are you?” Alessari asks, staring Denlo down as though she knows something.
“Never,” Denlo says with a thin smile, “But who likes being ready anyways?”
Sari chuckles, which Felazo is pretty sure might well be the first time he’s seen the fleeing huntress laugh. It’s not a pleasant sight, kind of scary, actually. “I, for one, much prefer it to the alternative,” Felazo states firmly. “Now, it’s time to teach you guys about the art of aggressive archeology.”
Denlo looks at him. “Um, looting old shit has literally been most of the work I’ve done in my life,” he states.
Felazo pauses, looking the Elfi’ika up and down. “Fair,” he replies, “In that case, we can teach these two the art.”
“Very well,” Denlo says.
Renalt chimes in. “I do hope there be no one who was awaiting us below deck. For if there were, they would be well ready for our entrance after your bickerings amongst yourselves.”
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