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heroineimages · 3 years ago

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Extended Royal Family

So here’s the scene I mentioned in this earlier post about Queen Viarra’s cousin. King Edron of Lecne is Queen Viarra’s uncle through his marriage to Viarra’s aunt who died in childbirth. Prince Delernan is Edron’s son from his second wife, who has also passed away. Princess Aulnia is Edron’s stepdaughter with his current wife, Queen Pulnia. Though Edron’s name gets mentioned earlier in the story, the following scene is where these characters are first introduced.

The scene takes place around eight days after Queen Viarra usurps the Hegemony of Andivel and is where our characters first learn that King Edron’s niece is now his hegemonic overlord. I want this to be a cathartic scene for the characters, whose kingdom had basically been abandoned and left to the pirates by their former overlords. This is a whole new scene, btw, something I added that wasn’t in the first complete draft. As always, feedback is most welcome!

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Built up a hillside and against a cliffside, the island city-state of Lecne looked out over a natural harbor that had sheltered sailing ships since centuries before writing and recorded history. Docks, drydocks, warehouses, shipwrights, fishing huts, and repair-yards littered the beach, though nearly all of these facilities were seeing less and less use the last couple years.

Using the slope to their advantage, past settlers had built a mile-long crescent of palisades at the base of the hill to defend against raiders. The palisades had since been expanded into a seventeen-foot-tall stone wall with crenelations, gates, and defensive towers. The beach also lay within bow-shot from the walls, preventing invaders from conducting a proper land-based siege. Unable to do more than blockade the harbor, even powers like Andivel or Pellastor thought twice before considering an assault on Lecne. The city was long-regarded as a small beacon of safety amid a vast, dangerous sea.

The problem was getting people across that vast, dangerous sea.

And with three of his fourteen warships under extensive repair after an unseasonal squall, King Edron grimaced at his recent inability to keep his waters safe. Glaring at the drydocked bireme and pair of triremes surrounded by repair crews, Edron thumped his ceramic rhyton on the balcony in frustration, not quite slopping his wine.

Just today, what was left of a merchant convoy had sailed in a day late with only four of their seventeen original ships. He was trying. Gods, he was fucking trying to keep his territorial waters safe and secure for travelers and traders. With their navy’s upkeep crippled by debts, the Hegemony of Andivel had steadily lost control of their territorial waters over the last three years, forcing their island and coastal allies to rely more and more on their own fleets to police the trade lanes. But it wasn’t enough. Like every other island city-state on the northern and western Vestic Sea, Edron’s warships were just spread too thin.

“I heard what happened,” Aulnia’s voice came from behind him. “We lost most of another merchant convoy.”

“That makes five convoys since the winter storms stopped, along with Nyrus knows how many independent merchantmen,” Edron nodded, turning to his stepdaughter. She smelled strongly of perfume—which seven-in-ten times meant she was disguising from her fiancé that she was bumping cunnies with the kitchen girls again. “If there’s any good news, it’s that a lot of the bigger pirate groups are starting to charge protection fees instead of raiding and sinking. So hopefully that will improve their chances of a successful voyage.”

“Maybe that is a good thing,” Aulnia offered, her obsidian curls bouncing as she shrugged and leaned on the balcony next to him. “I mean, most of the Illaran Confederacy started out as pirate nations, and these days their maritime commerce seems to flow better than anyone’s. Hey! Maybe we should turn pirate!” she suggested.

“Oh, gods, I can just see it,” Edron laughed in return.

“Hey, I’m serious!” Aulnia insisted. “We’ve got fourteen perfectly good warships—well, eleven right now, but the others’ll be fixed—and we’re ideally situated to prey on shipping from Andivel or Pellastor. I think this is a thing that could work!”

“And Queen Sita would love us forever if we created a major pirate threat in Emperor Orvandius’s backwaters,” Edron added, still chuckling. He sobered as a thought occurred to him. “And it would be fitting revenge against Andivel for what they’ve done to our family,” he added, a familiar, heavy emptiness filling his gut.

Aulnia frowned and hugged herself as she looked back out over the sea. “Has… is there any word from Kel Fimmaril?” she asked, voice growing shaky.

“Nothing,” he shook his head. “I thought about sending a scout lembas to investigate, but we need all of our ships here. If I didn’t I’d have… have…” he trailed off, angrily wiping a tear.

“Hey, I know,” Aulnia insisted, reaching over to take his hand. “I understand. If you had the chance, you’d have sailed all fourteen warships and as many troop ships as you could muster to break Andivel’s siege and rush to Viarra’s aid.” He saw tears on her cheeks as she stepped up to embrace him. “I know you would have. But we both know you weren’t in a position to do that.”

“And yet everyday, I dream of doing exactly that,” Edron admitted as she stepped back from the hug.

“Dad, you told me yourself that it’s never the dreams that fail people—”

“—it’s the reality. I know,” he finished for her.

Laughter from further up the balcony interrupted their quiet moment. Edron frowned to see his wife and son rushing toward them, both laughing.

“Get back, I want to tell him,” Queen Pulnia warned, laughing and attempting to push Prince Delernan back.

Taller and stronger than his petite step-mother, Delernan picked her up by the waist. Pulnia gave a cackling squeal as he spun her out of the way. “No, no, it’s funnier if we tell him my way,” he insisted.

“Now, what the hell are you two on about,” Edron asked, crossing his arms but silently thankful for the distraction.

“There’s word from And—” Pulnia started before Delernan clasped both hands over her mouth. She scowled and gave a muted shout into his hands.

Edron heard Aulnia chuckle from beside him as her step-brother manhandled her mother.

“Just a few minutes ago, we got a missive via diplomatic courier from Andivel that—ow, ow, ow, biting!” Delernan protested as Pulnia attempted to wrest her way from his grasp.

“Unless the Tetrarchs are all dead, I’m pretty sure I don’t give a damn what Andivel has to say,” Edron scowled, feeling his fists clench in bitter anger.

The comment made Delernan laugh and Pulnia cackled again as she broke free of his grasp. “You guessed right!” she explained, a single snort punctuating her laugh.

“What?” Edron frowned, tilting his head.

“The tetrarchs of Andivel are all dead!” Delernan grinned, finally releasing Pulnia.

“All four of them,” Pulnia explained, smirking while miming a noose around her neck. “They’re as dead as Aulnia’s interest in husbands!”

“Are you two drunk?” Aulnia asked, raising a brow.

“No, just giddy as fuck,” Delernan admitted, grinning bigger.

Pulnia snorted another laugh before straightening up to her five-foot stature and trying to look official. “The missive is not from the tetrarchs or the council,” she explained, producing a parchment letter. “It is in fact from the new hegemon of Andivel.” She paused and smirked as Edron felt his brows raise. “Our new hegemon, Queen Viarraluca of Kel Fimmaril!”

“Are you fucking with me?” Edron gasped, snatching the parchment. Though the letter was written by a scribe, the signature at the bottom was indeed Viarra’s, but with Andivel’s official signet beside it instead of Kel Fimmaril’s.

“Oh my gods,” Aulnia murmured as she peered around his shoulder.

“Vi says she’s having a big meeting with all of her new allies, vassals, and client-cities starting around the twenty-fifth of Zupor’s Month,” Delernan explained, pointing to the letter. “She’s invited you to come help hammer out plans for the future of the hegemony and even asked a special request from you and me.”

Edron clutched a fist to his heart and felt himself chuckle as tears obscured his reading. “How…?” he started to ask, choking on the relief, joy, and pride swelling in his throat all at once.

“According to the messenger, Cousin Vi subverted the army Andivel sent to invade, then sailed back to Andivel and marched them right up through their gates,” Delernan explained. “They took the city without a fight and disposed of the tetrarchs.”

“Gods, she’s so awesome,” Aulnia whispered.

Edron barked a laugh as he turned to embrace his step-daughter. He laughed again as he felt Aulnia chuckle against his chest. Reaching out, he pulled Pulnia into their embrace, feeling Delernan’s arms wrap around them as well. Edron wept and kept laughing, the sheer catharsis of Viarra’s letter washing from him. It was a good, hard, loud laugh and cry like he hadn’t had in a very long time.

#my writing #my novel #First Empress #King Edron #Queen Pulnia #Prince Delernan #Princess Aulnia #excerpts

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doctorslippery · 4 years ago

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1 - A kamakaze ship filled with tnt runs directly into your port

2 - Cargo arrives with undocumented prostitutes hidden as stowaways.

3 - Political exiles arrive as stowaways, asking for asylum. The empire they fled demands their return, threatening to embargo your port.

4 - There are reports of a livestock disease going around overseas. You are asked to shut down imports of foreign livestock.

5 - A noble landowner imports high quality, yet highly explosive fertilizer. However, his plans to transport the fertilizer fell through, and he asks you to hold the fertilizer in your port for a few days in exchange for extra gold.

6 - Cargo filled with highly taxed luxury goods arrive. You are asked to count the cargo as "essential items" to avoid the associated taxes in exchange for gold.

7 - Banned books arrive in your port. Although you are not offered much to look the other way, looking the other way might be the right thing to do.

8 - Refugees seeking asylum arrive in your port.

9 - Weapons for an insurgent group in a neighboring kingdom arrive, you are asked to look the other way.

10 - Unregistered exotic pets arrive in your port. You are offered gold to look the other way.

11 - Diamond jewelry arrives in your port. The importer has exploited a legal loophole to import them tax free, but you may demand otherwise.

12 - A ship captain cant afford the docking fees. They request time to sell their cargo, so they will have the money to pay any taxes or fees.

13 - Brawl on the docks (ship crew, dock workers, city guard, merchant)

14 - Catch someone trying to smuggle items (onto / off of) a ship. d100 Smuggled Items

15 - Ship collides with another ship in your harbor. Now the two crews are involved in a large brawl on the docks.

16 - Ship comes in too fast and collides with the dock. (ship is damaged, dock is damaged, both ship and dock are damaged)

17 - One of the pilings has come loose and the dock is now sagging dangerously, threatening to dump everything and everyone into the water.

18 - All of the pilings have suddenly shifted, leaning the entire dock to one side.

19 - An enormous cast of crabs has climbed up onto the docks and is eating all of the fish they can find.

20 - A single enormous crab has climbed up onto the docks and is eating sailors, fishermen, and even the town guards.

21 - Local birds are crapping on literally everything and everyone.

22- A local magistrate is demanding the docks be closed unless an exorbitant fee is paid to keep them open.

23 - A local noble is blaming everyone in sight for a missing delivery and trying to open every sealed container to find it.

24 - A powerful storm out at sea, not too far away from your port, has ship wrecked many ships. Those who seek any survivors want to use your port as a base of operations, and its up to the Harbormaster to organize them.

25 - Rumors of a haunted ghost ship circulate around the port. Many of the more superstitious sailors take this as a bad omen, and now will not set sail. This is setting the entire port behind schedule, and now you, the harbormaster, have to think of a way to quell their fears.

26 - A special ship, unlike any you've seen before and claiming to be from a far away land, is carrying the most peculiar live cargo you've ever laid your eyes on. A live young dragon (can be any type depending on the alignment of the sailors) rests in the cargo hold, and its starting to cause many problems. From scaring the locals, to now destroying a house, you have to find a way to get the sailors to get a move on (or free the dragon if its good) but the sailors seem to be taking a liking to your port.

27 - The Young Dragon (mentioned above) was not forgotten by his/her kin. A group of dragons comes to rescue them, and they are hellbent on seeking vengeance. You need to find a way to stop the dragons from destroying the port, or convince them to let you go in peace.

28 - A boat owner in the port is operating an unlicensed houseboat AirBnB.

29 - Ship comes to port to resupply. It's clearly carrying slaves as cargo to sell in a different city.

30 - There's been rumors that slaughterships (ships that hunt whales, walruses, etc. Grueling, disgusting, and dangerous work) have been using charm/suggestion/sleep spells to trick people to come on board. The ship sails away before the magic wears off, forcing the person to be crew of they want to get back home.

31 - Ship arrives with a magically living figurehead. (Robin Hobb, Ship of Magic, anyone?)

32 - Gnomes/artificers arrive in a metal clad steam-powered ship. It could explode at anytime. Or they need some rare ingredient to power it they will pay big money for the heros to find.

33 - A very inconspicuous ship arrives towing the Black Skull, a infamous pirate ship. The pirate ship is deserted.

34 - Dragon turtle attacks. It craves treasure.

35 - The port mysteriously runs dry.

36 - An earthquake happens, expect a tsunami!

37 - Bunch of nobles arrive in yachts/pleasure vessels insisting this is the weekend of their regatta and they need the harbor cleared.

38 - Bioluminescent plankton moves into the harbor at night. It's strange and beautiful but otherwise has no significant effect.

39 - The harbor is fed by a river. The town upstream is dumping their trash, causing big problems for the port town.

40 - After an earthquake, the river mysteriously changes color one day. It becomes acidic, eating away at the hulls and injuring people and killing wildlife. It only happens for a short time before washing out to see but earthquakes could happen at anytime...

41 - Every night a strange green fog rolls in. Sailors have been going missing. The fog is a vaporized gelatinous cube that dissolves beings caught at a certain depth within it. (Or replace with a similar threat)

42 - Two very large cargo ships with expensive cargo have crash into one another. Littering the port with the cargo and attracting opportunists.

43 - A local noble is demanding that his yacht be given the most convenient priority docking position by reserve. He is not offering anything extra for it outside what anyone else would pay, maybe even less. His nobility is all he thinks is needed.

44 - A strange quake happened in the night. When you awoke the port was filled with large sharp rocks. A light house will be needed for this to continue to be a port. (The rocks are a family of large earth elementals. If someone climbs on them, the elementals attack.)

45 - A strange mold is rotting holes in the hulls of ships within a couple of days. It is beginning to spread throughout the port.

46 - A bloody and cut up being comes screaming for help from one of the docked ships. Obviously they have been attacked from something or someone inside the ship. Once boarded, the characters find a ship full of demonic paraphernalia, the being was being sacrificed by someone and escaped.

47 - A ship sails into port with no one on board. When boarded to be investigated they catch out of the corner of their eye a figure running down below deck. When further investigated they find no one, but as they turn to go back out they realize that this isn't a normal ship, this ship is alive, and they are in the belly of the beast. If not investigated, after the ship takes port, people start disappearing, and no one ever comes out of the ship which starts to get noticed.

48 - The port must brace for a large storm, expect flooding and wind damage

49 - There are rumors that the port workers are unionizing soon, demanding better pay and better working conditions

50 - An unexpected rogue wave comes out of nowhere, killing and damaging anyone unprepared in your port

51 - Humanitarian aid for a neighboring kingdom facing famine arrives, however they lack the proper import paperwork

52 - After a rough week of piracy near your waters, a larger kingdom's navy arrives to help stop the pirates, asking to use your port as a temporary base

53 - A snake-oil salesman carrying cargo with "alternative herbal remedies" arrive in response to a viral outbreak in a neighboring kingdom. Although they have the correct import paperwork and pay the proper taxes, you know that this cargo will likely cause the deaths of uninformed peasants.

54 - A prophet arrives in your port. Although peaceful, he risks radicalizing your portworkers into religious fanatics.

55 - A ship arrives in your port with cargo that is clearly stolen.

56 - A cruise ship arrives in your port carrying tourists. Tourism is unheard of in your city, and the citizenry is angered by obnoxious tourists wandering the city demanding things.

57 - An ordinary ship carrying barley arrives in your port. The captain made an honest mistake, forgetting to obtain the harbormaster's signature on his paperwork before departing from his home city. He begs you to make an exception to avoid the month long journey back.

58 - A ship of scientists arrives, asking to see your port's climate data and tide tables. They cannot pay you, but promise to return with gifts once their study is complete.

59 - An engineer arrives to your port, offering to expand your port and improve its efficiency in exchange for gold.

60 - A travel agent arrives, offering to make your port a destination city in exchange for gold. He also recommends that you build a tourist trap or make up a myth about the origin of your city or the peculiarity of its people.

61 - Fishermen arrive from a nearby village in your port's bay, complaining that sewer water from your port is destroying their ecosystem

62 - Three separate people happen to drown in one day in three separate incidents in your port. You must contain the rumor that your port is unsafe before your reputation is damaged.

63 - A nearby port is closed temporarily. Your port must deal with almost double the traffic until it is repaired.

64 - A polar vortex comes and goes, freezing over your harbor. All traffic is shut down until the ice is broken or melted.

65 - A traveling circus arrives. Residents complain that the carnies are stealing and pickpocketing, although these reports may or may not be exaggerated.

66 - A ship carrying highly explosive, yet legal, materials, arrive in your harbor, destined to a rebellious region in a neighboring kingdom. You must decide to warn the neighboring kingdom, or stop the import all-together.

67 - A ship carrying strong moonshine arrives. Your portworkers are known to be drunks, so you worry that the moonshine could hurt your port's efficiency for several weeks.

68 - Portworkers make a bad habit of skipping work. Today, over half of your workforce is missing, severely impacting your port's efficiency.

69 - A ship arrives carrying prisoners accused of piracy. You are, by international anti-piracy law, required to execute them.

70 - A disgruntled portworker comes to work with a dagger and starts massacring his peers.

71 - Gambling becomes popular at the port. Today, several portworkers gamble away their paychecks.

72 - Retirees move to the city. They make a habit of spending all day out on the water, getting drunk, and regularly getting in the way of ship traffic. However, these old people are wealthy and pay your city a lot in taxes.

73 - Reports of bombings at nearby harbors coincide with a high traffic day at the port. Increasing security measures may greatly harm your port's efficiency.

74 - A portworker falls in the water and is maimed by a shark. People blame the market salesmen who throw rotten food into the harbor for the increase in shark visits.

75 - A cargo container with dead prostitutes arrives at your port. The captain genuinely has no idea how they got there.

76 - Massive amounts of illegal drugs come to your port. You are given gold to look the other way.

77 - A shipment of grey market methamphetamines arrive. You are offered some to help the importer avoid trouble. They may help the productivity of your portworkers.

78 - You catch a portworker "in the act" with another portworker's wife.

79 - You noticed that your port's scale is broken, and you are slightly ripping off all your incoming ships. You can ignore and pocket the extra cash, but if someone notices it they will probably raise hell.

80 - A crane topples over in your port. D4 determines how many casualties, D2 decides if each lives or dies.

81 - Rumors are going around that portworkers are now trying to hurt themselves on the job in an effort to secure workman's comp.

82 - A portworker who has been on workman's comp all year is rumored to be faking his injury.

83- A group of people (some of whom you recognize) are dumping out all the contents of a shipment into the ocean. It blocks ship passageways but smells pretty good, so the residents gather to see the commotion.

84- Two ultra-rich businessmen arrive and are disgusted upon being received poorly by the busy unionmaster.

85 - A spillage of ultra slick syrup happens on one of your piers.

86 - Cargo filled with exotic spices ordered by a nobleman arrives. The ship lacks the proper import papers, but you are offered gold by the nobleman to look the other way.

100 - A ship loaded with gold arrives at your port. The ship has no captain or passengers. If you want to keep the money, it must be laundered in some way.

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ask-de-writer · 5 years ago

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DARING DO and the ADVENTURE of the X'IBIAN VASE! : MLP Fan Fiction : Part 8 of 21

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to MLP Fan Fiction

DARING DO and the

ADVENTURE of the X'IBIAN VASE!

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck) @ask-de-writer

And

Carmen Pondiego @askcarmenpondiego

Cover Art by

Doctor Dimension

52630 words

Writing begun 08/26/15

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Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights. They may reblog the story. They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions, provided that such things are done without charge. I will allow those who do commission art works to charge for their images.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fictions is actively encouraged.

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Jeremy was fuming when he was let out of the hold. He stomped to the rail and pointed to modest sized twin turret iron clad ship, clearly made for river work. It was fairly broad and shallow of draft. It was flying the Imperial flag and had a blue pennon below it.

“Look there! The Imperial Navy is about to take down this cheap collection junks that you call the Pirate Queen!”

Soree tapped his shoulder and pointed to the blue pennon. “That is the pennon of Qushi Han Le. It is one of her River Monitors. It has been assigned to escort us to Cantrot.”

Jeremy stopped cold, like he had run headfirst into a solid brick wall. “How could that happen? That is the Imperial Naval ensign.”

Soree chuckled. “Qushi Han Le OWNS the entire Imperial Navy. How could you have missed reading about it in our expedition information on cultures, customs and lands that we will need to deal with along the route?”

“What! That is insane! How could some pirate own the navy?”

Soree gave Jeremy a deeply troubled gaze. “It is in the material that you were given for the expedition. You did not read it or you could not ask that.

“I must let Doctor Do know at once. You have nearly got us killed at least twice since we arrived. In the Empire, NEVER assume that because somepony is polite or seems harmless that you can insult them or push them around verbally. That can get you killed on the spot. They put a very high premium on courtesy.”

“What? Was she carrying a gun or something?”

“No, Jeremy. She had seven snipers with modern rifles aimed at us. She only needed to signal and we would have been shot down.”

Jeremy shook his head. “Makes no sense. We are from EQUESTRIA. They HAVE to treat us with respect. Even you, in spite of being from an inferior …”

He was talking to empty air. The sound of her hooves clattering on the companionway steps was all that was left. He realized that he was not totally alone. Daring Do was sitting on a line tub next to the Sea Sage’s main mast, watching.

Soree emerged carrying two talwars, swords ornately made and curved, though not as much as most scimitars. The tips were widened out to nearly twice the width of the rest of the blade and came to a wicked point. These weapons were, in spite of the rich ornamentation, businesslike blades made for both slashing and point work.

Soree held them out, hilts first. “Choose the weapon. I am challenging you to a duel. I have had enough of your superiority and insults.

“These swords are practice spelled. They will not cut or bruise living flesh nor break any bone. They WILL hurt severely if edge or point touches living flesh.

“Choose!”

Jeremy sneered, “I don’t have to …”

Daring Do cut across his words with, “Yes, Jeremy. You do. When you insult members of the expedition you put the whole enterprise at risk. I will not allow it. That is in the expedition profile that you were given.

“Fight Soree now or spend the rest of the time until we return waiting for us in one of Qushi Han Le’s prison cells.”

Jeremy tried to divert the demand by snorting, “I hear that bribes go a long way around here! You bribed that ignorant pirate with a cheap imitation tea set!”

Daring Do’s face froze. “Jeremy. Retract that at once.

“Qushi Han Le holds TWO advanced degrees from the Royal University of Equestria. One is in Antiquities which she studied under me. She was a better student than you!

“Her other degree is in naval architecture, weapons and strategy.

“Both were granted Summa Cum Laude. She speaks and writes six languages fluently.

“The tea set is genuine and part of the things recovered during the Darkling Expedition. It was a promised gift in return for her freely given assistance on that expedition.”

“So what? A bribe is a bribe!”

Daring Do’s backhoofed slap across his face nearly took him from his feet. “Soree is not the only one you will fight! I challenge you too! You have just called me a liar. I gave my FRIEND AND FORMER STUDENT a gift from PRINCESS LUNA and myself for ASSISTANCE ALREADY GIVEN!”

Turning to Soree, Daring Do offered, “The many insults to you and your culture have precedence. Your duel shall be first.”

Soree grimly held out the swords again, hilt first. “If you refuse to choose, I have the choice. If you refuse to fight, you go to the jail cell, as Doctor Do has ordered.”

Jeremy reached and made a fast grab and swing, striking at Soree without warning. Her block was so fast that his weapon did not even get close.

Her words cut to the bone. “I expected that sort of cowardice from one so low as yourself. I was not disappointed.”

Instead of striking back, she stepped back, weapon at guard.

Jeremy slowly realized that she was waiting for him to strike again. He paused and then made an actual pass of arms, striking high to allow the rebound from her block to add speed and power to a low line cut. It was stopped cold. She had let her weapon drive back some, taking the energy from his attack.

Her riposte slithered up along his blade toward his chest.

A blinding pain dropped him to his knees, sword falling to the deck.

He got up slowly, panting as the pain receded. Daring Do had recovered the sword. Soree hoofed over hers.

In a few moments the pain was only a memory. It was intended to teach, not disable. He faced a grim Daring Do, holding out the weapons hilt first.

He was far more cautious this time. Taking the sword, he backed off. Daring Do nodded to herself as she hefted the blade that she had. She swept it through several practice cuts and made a trial lunge.

Jeremy made a sweeping cut attack while Daring Do was extended from her lunge. Her block deflected his sword, letting it swing on past her. Her own stroke paralleled his now out of control cut. The blinding pain in his shoulder forced him to drop his sword again!

Daring Do picked it up and suggested, “Go below and READ. Read the expedition materials that you were given. Read the the Daring Do and the Adventure of the Darkling’s Tomb.

“It is a popularization, true. It is also totally accurate. Everything in it happened just as told. Much of the customs that we will be running into, and the consequences of breaking them are explained in it.”

He stared at her incredulously. “Those things really did happen like that?”

“Yes, Jeremy, they did.”

It was a chastened Jeremy who went below. As he was descending the companionway, he heard, “These are lovely weapons, Soree! I never used a talwar before! Can we work out together?”

That was followed almost immediately by the swift clashing of steel on steel!

It was completely dark outside of his stateroom when he heard Soree and Daring Do saunter past. “That was a wonderful workout, Doctor Do! I have not had a real challenge in simply ages! You scored on me three times already! That is amazing for learning the Talwar!”

“It was great, Soree! I love that safety spell on the blades! It is far superior to the one I use at the Adventurer’s Guild! It really pushes me to learn about how that extra tip weight works! I would have said blade heavy before I found out how to use it!”

A closing stateroom door cut off the conversation.

It was not long before there was a knock at his door. Expecting Soree or Daring Do, Jeremy opened it.

Dressed in black from head to hooves was the golden mare, Qushi Han Le. Trembling, he backed up a step. She entered so silently that she might as well have been a ghost.

She signed for silence and suggested softly, “Sit. We need to talk privately. For her own reasons, Doctor Do values you or you would not be here. It is out of respect to her that I wish you to live. That is what this conversation is about.”

Jeremy realized that his door, which always creaked, had shut silently. He sat.

So did Qushi Han Le. “We must talk of two things or you will die in this land. The first is of bribes. The second is of courtesy.

“So, first. Bribes. I know that you have a low opinion of bribes where you come from. I have lived years in Equestria, studying at your Great Universities.

“Therefore I must ask you, what is a bribe for and what purpose does it serve?”

Jeremy was deeply puzzled by the question. He shook his head, “As far as I know, a bribe is to make the one who demands it richer for doing something that he or she was supposed to do in the first place.”

Sadly, Qushi Han Le replied, “That way of thought will get you killed here. In your land, you are totally correct. Here you could not be more wrong if you tried. Let me give you an example.

“Here, beggars are licensed. The license fee is small and in exigency may be paid later, after the beggar has earned enough copper cash to pay it. Along with the fee he may pay the tribunal a bribe of some few coppers and receive for his bribe greater consideration from the Justice than a wealthy merchant seeking a license for trade and paying a whole string of silver cash. Do you know why?”

Jeremy shook his head. “I don’t understand that at all. Why would the beggar get more for so much less?”

Qushi Han Le smiled at him. “The admission of ignorance is the first step on the path of wisdom.”

She paused while footfalls passed in the corridor outside. “The bribe is a recognition of the importance of the person bribed. It has no thing to do with the amount at all. Thus, the wealthy merchant may be offering a trivial amount with his large bribe while the beggar may be offering all that he has.

“Our fees and taxes are low and are always paid to the purpose intended by our Magistrates, Justices and others. They will NEVER demand a bribe nor set the amount. It is our custom to make them the offer which shows them proper respect. That bribe is for them and them alone.

“Do you grasp this principle?”

Jeremy thought deeply before nodding. “I believe so. This sort of sets my world on edge, if you follow. I will need to study the idea for a while before I am comfortable with it.”

“You have taken the second step on the path of wisdom.

“Now we must discuss courtesy. You lack it greatly. That lack can be fatal here. First, the bow and second, restraint of speech.

“I know that you have seen our people bowing to each other. I know that you have made fun of it or dismissed it. Your Soree put her hoof squarely on it. We place a very high premium upon courtesy. The bow is the first and very important part of that courtesy.

“There are three grades of bow. Those who are of higher station may bow by a mere inclination of the head. Equals bow some from the waist. Those of low station bow deeply from the waist.

“Your first bow to a stranger whose station you do not know or are unsure of should be the bow of equals. Their return bow will set their station. Thereafter you will bow to them accordingly. Few will falsely bow a higher station than they properly have. They die quickly. Do you understand?”

Jeremy thought carefully and Qushi Han Le let him.

“Um, I think so. Do you need to keep bowing every time that you have something to say?”

“Once precedence is established, you may, if you are equals use the bob of high station between you FOR THAT CONVERSATION. Use a slightly deeper one than a head bob if the one you speak to is higher.

“These rules make our society run more smoothly.”

Jeremy sat among his papers and the open book, staring at it with new eyes.

“Now, Jeremy, we come to restraint of your tongue. I have heard some of what you called me. I had to restrain my sharpshooters three times from killing you on the deck of this ship. They were deeply offended by your words about me and my culture.��

Jeremy paused and then tried a deep bow, saying, “I thank you for giving this unworthy one the chance to live and learn. I will likely find this the hardest of the lessons of this land.”

Thinking very deeply, Jeremy offered, “If you will deign to accept it, I have something for you.”

He rummaged in his luggage and removed a small, carefully wrapped object. He handed it over to the Pirate Queen. Delicately she unwrapped it. Her breath drew in admiringly.

Examining it minutely, she finally said, “How did you get so perfect a copy of this figurine from the Darkling Collection? Ordinary museum and study copies are never this well done.”

Jeremy nodded. “I know. This is my talent. I can take almost any ancient thing and make a copy of it so good that if I do not mark it, it can be taken for an original. I can often, but not always, fill in missing parts. This is one of five that Doctor Do had me reproduce back at the Royal University.

“She wanted them for surface studies and then returned them to me.”

Bowing to Jeremy the bow of an equal, Qushi Han Le wrapped the figurine and left as silently as she came.

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#DARING DO AND THE ADVENTURE OF THE X'IBIAN VASE #Part 8 #MLP Fan Fiction #Written by De Writer and Carmen Pondiego

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theclanscript · 6 years ago

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ruby

⋈ pairing: minhyuk x reader ⋈ word count: 5,279 ⋈ genre: pirate au ⋈ notes: welcome to the 1600s where minhyuk is still minhyuk except by candlelight ♥

Land Ho!

The cry of the ship's watch positioned in the crow's nest high up on the main mast set in motion a seemingly chaotic array of actions. Men started running across the deck and were joined by more crew emerging from the belly of the aquatic beast. Some started climbing up the smaller masts at the front and rear of the merchant ship and furling the sails, others began to loosen the ropes of the cargo that was stored on deck to prepare it for quick unloading. After weeks of being at the mercy of the rough ocean and even rougher weather, the once dark and sturdy wood had been bleached out in places by the brutal sun and nearly been whipped to the point of breaking by strong, salty waves. The sturdy hemp ropes that had kept them in place were frayed and stiff, but they had made it; destiny had been kind throughout the voyage and they had once again bested the sea.

You turned your head toward the wind and smiled.

You were standing at the taffrail watching the shore getting closer as the ship approached. The breeze was gentling ruffling your dress and behind you the booming voices of the crew mixed with the screams of seagulls as they crept closer and closer to the shore. It was just before noon and the sun was sitting high in the sky as you watched the preparations for the ship to end its duty. You were one day ahead of schedule, but that concerned nobody, least of all you. It just gave you one more day to spend in the infamous port town before embarking on the next leg of your journey.

You had boarded the Havant in Charleston before it had set sail to Jamaica, one of about a dozen passengers making their way from the colonies to the Caribbean. You usually didn’t mind lengthy journeys and spending time on the ocean if it wasn’t for a wealthy businessman from Virginia slightly past his prime who seemed about ready to propose to you after a couple of weeks at sea. Thankfully, you had brought Kihyun with you, who had not only acted as your servant, but also as your protector from unwanted advances of so-called gentlemen.

The journey could have been so pleasant.

It had been swift and without any disruptions worth mentioning once the Havant had made its way through the Windward Passage between the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola; the downward wind had allowed you to make good headway. The ship had used the momentum to round Jamaica from the east and was now headed straight for the town that was built on a stretch of land extending into the bay from the mainland, like the earth had tried to reach across the sea and split the coastal waters in two. The cargo the ship was carrying was mostly for the rich families living further inland, mostly on the prosperous sugar plantations. Since Jamaica had fallen under English reign, noblemen and traders had relocated from both the motherland and the new colonies in the north to the sunny island, which in turn naturally also demanded the presence of the Royal Navy – although it was barely felt.

You saw two officers conversing with the first mate as you and Kihyun disembarked, presumably collecting fees and a list of the passengers on board. Other than that, there was hardly any military present and overall the harbor felt like a peaceful civilian port on this sunny Friday. Kihyun was carrying your luggage, walking one step behind you as you strolled down the dock. You were swept along by the stream of people leaving the Havant, the crew having started to unload and the passengers making their way to the carriages waiting to take them to their domiciles. As you got closer to the cluster of vehicles, the door of a sleek, black coach opened and a familiar face appeared in the opening. The woman smiled gently when she saw you, waiting for you to get closer before reaching out her gloved hand. You took it and let her squeeze yours affectionately.

“It is so good to see you,” she said warmly. “It has been too long.”

“I hope you are adjusting well here,” you replied as Kihyun helped you into the carriage and closed the door behind you when you had sat down opposite of the woman. He stowed away the luggage before climbing onto the box next to the coachman. With a jerk, the carriage started moving. You pretended to watch the scenery outside for a while before turning back to the lady across from you.

“So, the move went smoothly?”

“Very,” she said. “The formalities were easier than I had anticipated.”

“I’m glad.” You both smiled, your shared secret filling the air between you. You had met the woman about a year ago, somewhere in the colonies, while traveling up north. When you had heard that she had settled down on a hill just beyond the large port town, you had contacted her with a small request – and she had willingly offered to accommodate you during your stay here. The estate she had recently purchased was new and spacious, and she had insisted that she would be honored to welcome you in her house.

“Madam Moreau,” you resumed the conversation, “I’m afraid I have another favor to ask.”

“Of course, my dear” she replied, her smile never faltering. “Anything you need.”

Kihyun was standing in front of the open window, the humid night air flowing past him and into the room. He had exchanged the white ruffled shirt and black breeches for comfortable pants and a tan linen shirt, apparently having given up on the buttons halfway up his torso. You were still trapped in your pompous dress that covered a petticoat and a suffocating corset. You knew you could not risk being seen in any state of undress with him in your room. Despite the pleasant relationship with your hostess, you intended to uphold a certain image, especially since Madam Moreau was not the only person living in the house. They were probably wondering why you were traveling with only a male servant already, and you did not want to fuel the rumor mill this shortly after your arrival.

“Tomorrow then?” Kihyun ran a hand through his damp hair to free his face of the bothersome strands. His prominent eyebrows knitted together, giving his face a somber expression.

“Yes.”

“Those parties are such a circus,” he mumbled disapprovingly. “Nothing but a meat market for people to find spouses or sinners.”

You smirked. “Precisely.”

“Which will it be for you then?”

“Whichever will find me.” You got up from your chair and walked to the window closest to you, facing away from Kihyun. You could hear him huff.

“That is not funny.”

“Then stop asking silly questions and start praying I find the right man.” You stared down at the town below you; the dim lights, the dark streets, the moonlight reflected on the still surface of the bay. Beyond the cliffs and rocks to the east the world was completely swallowed by blackness and there was no telling what lurked in the deep waters. Despite the heat, a chill rippled through your body.

You turned to look at Kihyun, but he was already gone.

The governor’s estate lay a little closer to the town than Madam Moreau’s home. The enormous iron gates opened cumbersomely to let your carriage pass. Madam Moreau’s cream-colored dress created a stark contrast to your own dark, deep red attire as you walked up the stairs and into the mansion. A maid led you into the dining room that was already filled with the local aristocracy and their guests. You had asked Madam Moreau to let you accompany her to the governor’s monthly banquet, although, or precisely because your intended stay here was going to be fairly brief. Your friend’s position was your advantage, and this event was very important for your business in the Caribbean.

The interior of the governor’s mansion was impressive. Accents of gold and marble decorated the walls, the furniture was foreign and expensive. Heavy tapestry complemented the delicate features in the hallways and the dining room. The china and wine glasses on the large oak dining table cost a fortune and outshone the many ornate solid gold candlesticks standing proudly along the middle. Despite the warm, humid evenings, the room was pleasantly temperate and people seemed to be in good spirits as you and Madam Moreau entered. A tall man in fancy clothes greeted you and introduced himself as the governor. You responded politely, telling him your name and mentioning that you had just arrived from the colonies.

“Is that right!” the governor laughed. He was a pleasant man and seemed to be enjoying himself immensely even though the party had barely started. “Are you traveling with your husband, young lady?”

“Oh no,” Madam Moreau answered in your stead. “She is yet to be wed.”

“I see.” The governor’s eyes sparkled as if she had just proposed a fun game. “I believe there are some eligible bachelors here tonight. I shall introduce you later, my dear.”

“No, please,” you said with the appropriate sense of abashedness. “I would not want to inconvenience you and your guests.”

“Nonsense!” He laughed again. “A lovely young woman like you has no business being unmarried. You need a fine man to take care of you.”

You smiled and thanked him. When he had left, Madam Moreau scoffed.

“I am curious to see how many of those eligible bachelors are British officers looking to cheat on their poor wives at home.”

You chuckled and followed her to the table to find a seat.

“We shall see. I have heard the governor entertains very colorful circle of friends and acquaintances. There may just be one man who will pique my interest.”

“You are an optimist, my dear.”

“So I’ve been told.”

You took a seat and looked down at your hands; they were clad in the same shade of crimson as your dress, a drop of color among the otherwise muted garments like a speck of blood staining the phonily modest fabric of the town’s upper class. Some were glancing at you as you continued to talk to Madam Moreau, some whispered, some didn’t pay you any mind at all.

It took a minute for you to notice the one who was staring.

He had chosen the seat across from you, arms folded on the table, his eyes greedily taking in every word, every movement, every inch of you until you finally registered his deep gaze. His hair was as black as his eyes, his skin kissed by the Caribbean sun. He had delicate features but there was nothing delicate about his presence – his aura crept into the space around you, drowning out the rest of the room; the smile he offered you was knowing, beguiling, captivating.

He was a dangerous man and he knew it.

“Pardon my straightforwardness,” he said when he had your attention, his voice like the thick velvet of the night sky. “But I don’t believe we have met.”

“No, we have not.”

“Allow me to introduce myself.” He got up halfway to reach across the table and take your hand, the smile on his face growing impossibly wider. “I am Lee Minhyuk.”

Your heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name. It resonated inside you like a familiar song, a long-forgotten voice; like you had been on a journey and this moment was your destination.

Lee Minhyuk.

You smiled despite yourself but your voice was strained when you spoke. “Mister Lee. Your reputation precedes you.”

“Please, call me Minhyuk,” he insisted. “And I wish I could say the same about you. Won’t you tell me your name?”

“Miss Vermell is a dear friend of mine,” Madam Moreau interjected and put a hand on your arm as if she was trying to break the spell he had created. “She is only in town for a few days.”

“Well then,” Minhyuk grinned and raised his wine glass in a toast. “We shall make the most of them.”

After dinner, Minhyuk had been quick to round the table and offer you his arm. You let him lead you around the room to join a few conversations here and there; he was an excellent conversationalist and you had quickly learned more about every person in the room than you ever needed to know. He had a way of getting people to talk, open up, casually revealing deep secrets as they were being fooled into an illusion of small talk. Minhyuk’s smile was warm but his eyes remained cold. Rather than watching the other guests unravel in front of you, you had been watching him; tall and beautiful, astute and statuesque, a man of the finest manners hiding the roughest edges. You had heard all about him; the stories, the rumors, the accusations.

But right now, you simply did not find it inside you to care.

You followed him onto one of the balconies overlooking the estate’s gorgeous garden, most of which had already been veiled in darkness by the advancing nightfall. The air was thick, promising rain in the early morning hours, and you found yourself taking a few deep breaths against the restraint of your corset.

“Are you feeling alright?” Minhyuk asked and allowed you to withdraw your hand to brace yourself on the banister.

“Quite,” you lied and stood up straight only to find him leaning next to you, looking at you with slight concern.

“I do not understand why women wear those,” gesturing vaguely in the direction of the laced-up front of your dress. You scoffed.

“Yes, I’m sure you prefer your women without them.”

Minhyuk gave a bright laugh. “So that’s the reputation you spoke of.”

“Was there any question about it?”

“Indeed, there was,” he said and leaned down slightly, closer to you. “I have quite an assemblage of reputations, Miss Vermell.”

“I have no doubt.”

“Tell me about yourself,” he suddenly asked. “We have spent all evening listening to other people talk. I have barely learned anything about you.”

“I am but a simple girl on the passage to England,” you evaded. “There is not much to learn.”

“Oh,” Minhyuk got even closer to you, an ominous smile on his lips. “I’m sure there is.”

You stood your ground, looking back at him with cold distance. “Perhaps. But it is not for you to learn.”

Minhyuk stared at you for a few seconds, his eyes scanning your face, the vein in his neck pulsating lightly as he considered his next step. Your own heart was beating hard in your chest as you waited for the result of your gamble – would he shut down, keep his soul hidden like you expected him to?

Or would he surprise you?

In the distance, the rain clouds were rolling in an covering up the moon and stars above the sea. A light breeze sent a shiver down your spine and raised goosebumps on the exposed skin of your neck and when Minhyuk noticed, he wordlessly took off his jacket to wrap it around your shoulders.

“You are an odd one, Miss Vermell.”

“And you don’t play with open cards, Mister Lee.”

“Maybe I don’t like the hand that I was given.” His voice was low now but you could hear him perfectly fine; he was still facing you, his head inches from yours.

“Then what do you hope to accomplish by not playing the game? The fate of your cards will never change if you hold on to them so desperately.”

Minhyuk frowned and it seemed as though he was not in control of his expression for the first time since you had laid eyes on him. Another few slow seconds passed while he regarded you, took you in as if the memory of the night so far had been lost to him. When he spoke again, his dark eyes had softened, the smile tugging on his lips was playful but reserved. The light of the lanterns next to the balcony door flickered over his face; shadows dancing across his elegant features as his eyes searched yours.

“Interesting.” He dragged out the word as if he was still thinking. “You wish to play with open cards?”

You nodded tentatively. “If you really care to find out who I am.”

“I do,” he replied, surprising himself as much as he did you. “It is not often a treasure like you emerges from that godforsaken ocean, especially on this island.”

You stood perplexed. “The rumors did not say that you detest the sea, Lee Minhyuk.”

“Well, I do.” His smile stretched with a hint of affection. “But I will gladly tell you more over dinner tomorrow.”

“I shall look forward to it.”

“Good. In the meantime.” Minhyuk grasped the edges of the jacket that still rested on your shoulders, carefully pulling it close in front of you. Then, he leaned down and gingerly brushed his lips against yours. The contact sent heat radiating from your chest through your entire body and instead of protesting, you simply allowed him to kiss you. He tasted like the sweetest red wine and when he pulled back slightly you realized you had been holding your breath.

“Lee Minhyuk,” you whispered, looking him straight in the eyes. “You are a scoundrel.”

He chuckled, his words tickling your face gently.

“So I’ve been told.”

Lee Minhyuk was by no means part of the aristocracy of the town, but he seemed to be very well off. His house was on the edge of town, not among the wealthy mansions and plantations, but far enough from the grime of the port, the shops, and public institutions like the overcrowded jail to separate him from the poor and the working class. He employed a handful of maids and servants, and an evidently fantastic cook because the food you had been served at dinner had been spectacular, especially with three weeks of ship meals still fresh on your mind. Instead of the dining room, you had dined on the shady patio outside of his sitting room where you were still seated now, having moved to a comfortable bench on the edge of the small but vibrant garden. Everything was a deep green specked with intense pinks, yellows, blues, and a rosery in the middle of it all; a vision in blood red.

“How long have you lived here?” you asked into the comfortable silence that had spread between you when a maid had served you a new bottle of red wine.

“On the island? About five years.” He swirled the liquid around in his glass before taking another sip. “It’s a quiet life.”

“How did you get here?”

Minhyuk glanced at you and smirked. “You just know how to ask all the right questions, don’t you?” You threw him a confused look so he continued. “It’s a long story, but I somehow ended up on a naval ship and it dropped me off here.”

“So you just – stayed?”

“Yes.”

“And-“

“No.” Minhyuk put an arm on the backrest behind you and turned to look at you. “I have talked enough about me for now. It’s your turn. You wanted to play with open cards, so tell me something about you. Anything.”

“Like what?”

He scooted a little closer and you could smell his perfume, feel the heat emitting from his body. “What is your first name?”

“What do you think it is?” Your voice was barely a whisper, its tone mischievous and challenging. Minhyuk’s body reacted by leaning in closer, his hand reaching out to drag his thumb across your bottom lip agonizingly slowly.

“Ruby.” His eyes were fixed on yours as his palm found the side of your face. “I see it in you. Passion, love, a zest for life. That energy, those emotions. A beautiful ruby.”

Your heart was drumming against your ribcage as you simply stared at him, searched his face for his true feelings. But all you saw was warmth, affection, vulnerability; all those things he had not even seemed to possess just a day earlier. You felt yourself break a little at the way he offered himself to you, at the way his fingertips ghosted over your skin, the way his lips found yours as if they had been on a journey and you were their destination.

“Ruby it is,” you breathed when you parted, his hand still firmly cupping your cheek. Minhyuk chuckled and used his other arm to pull you into his side, into his warmth. You closed your eyes when your head sank onto his shoulder, your body melting into his so readily.

“That’s the problem with treasure chests,” he mused and kissed the top of your head. “Some of them are too hard to open, and all you can do is wonder what is inside.”

“What would you like to be inside?” you asked solemnly, trying to suppress the urge to give him everything he was about to tell you. Minhyuk inhaled deeply and pulled you even closer.

“What is out there for you, Ruby?”

“What do you mean?”

“What is out there on the ocean, in England, wherever you’re headed that you cannot stay here on this island. Live a quiet, peaceful life. Grow old under the warm sun, surrounded by roses and love.”

You shifted. “Why would I do that?”

“For me,” he said and your heart ached at his yearning voice. You reached for the hand that had traveled down to your neck and intertwined your gloved fingers with his as a deep sadness overcame you. Your hand felt small in his and for the first time in your life, you wished you could just allow someone to protect you, wished you could live a quiet and comfortable life, and be happy.

Lee Minhyuk really was a dangerous man.

“What about you, then?” you retorted, avoiding his question. “Why are you not considering a life anywhere but here?”

“I have,” Minhyuk replied. “I have thought about it many times. But there has never been a good enough reason to leave. I am content here. I have everything I need. I am safe. And I could provide the same for you, Ruby. I could make you happy like I know you could make me happy.”

Silence fell again as you thoughtfully played with his fingers and ran the pad of your thumb across the soft back of his hand. You could sense the tension in Minhyuk, sense the impatience, the anticipation. But he remained quiet, giving you the time you needed to find your answer.

“I’m sorry,” you finally mumbled, squeezing his hand. “I can’t stay.”

“I see,” he simply replied. You half expected him to let go of you, maybe even get up and leave. But he held you tightly to his body, rhythmically stroking your arm. You raised your head and lightly pressed your lips to his neck.

“Minhyuk?” you said and he gave a low chuckle at you using his first name for the first time. “Why do you hate the ocean? What are you so afraid of?”

“I’m not sure,” he replied. “I just get these dreams, and they are all the same.”

“Dreams?”

“Yes. You see,” he turned his head to kiss your temple. “In all my dreams, I drown.”

The town lay in restful silence as you made your way to the docks the next night. You had spent the day with Madam Moreau in her kitchen as the rain had fallen outside. She had told you about the time after her husband had been discovered dead in the shallow waters off the coast of South Carolina – pirates, they had said. After his death, she had inherited everything and relocated to the Caribbean; away from curious neighbors, prying family, away from the past. Nobody knew how he had become their target; he had been a wealthy man but his ship had carried neither cargo nor other riches.

Nobody, that was, except for Madam Moreau and you.

You had met her on a sweltering summer evening in Charleston, her beaten and bruised body covered by expensive fabrics and thinly-veiled lies. It had not been long until she had told you about the true nature of her respected and prominent husband – and you had made her an offer she had been more than happy to accept. You had told her that you had the connections, the means to make him the victim of a seemingly random attack.

Everything had gone precisely according to plan.

“I cannot thank you enough,” she had said in the kitchen that afternoon, almost exactly a year later, her voice serious but at peace. “You have freed me.”

“You can thank me by living a content, peaceful, and safe life. You deserve it,” you had replied, holding her hand. “If you ever need anything else, just send for me.”

“The same goes for you, my dear.”

You had smiled at each other, the secret between you forming an invisible, unshakeable bond.

Long after nightfall, long after Kihyun had picked up your luggage, you had taken the carriage to the edge of the town and decided to walk the rest. You enjoyed the darkness, the dim lights, the soft moonlight guiding the way. You stopped when you saw a person by the water, cloaked in blackness. But you knew who it was. You knew why he was here, knew why he had come.

You just wished he hadn’t.

“Minhyuk.”

“Ruby.” He turned and smiled at you, his hand instinctively reaching out for you when you approached. He did not seem surprised by your unusual attire; black pants and a wine red shirt with sleeves rolled up to your elbow. He just looked at you, like he had been waiting forever, like he had been waiting for this moment. The humid night air had caused the ends of his black hair to curl a little bit and his smile was so careless, so innocent that, for just a second, you forgot who he was.

Lee Minhyuk.

He was a dangerous man.

And yet your heart broke at what you were about to do to him.

“I have to leave,” you said, letting him pull you into his chest.

“I know.”

“I’m sorry I cannot be who you want me to be,” you whispered but Minhyuk just laughed dryly. He examined you; the real you, and he lifted your right wrist to his mouth and pressed his lips to the scar on the inside of your arm. “I wish you hadn’t come.”

“I wouldn’t want you to be anybody else than who you are,” he said and smiled. “That’s why I’m here.”

You stared at him, confused, anxious to ask him why; why are you saying this, why are you smiling, why are you here.

But deep inside, you already knew.

The dull thud barely disturbed the night and you groaned as Minhyuk collapsed into your arms. You managed to lay him carefully on the ground and looked up to glare at Kihyun who was casually twirling the club in his hand.

“Well, whaddayaknow,” he grinned. “You found the right man, Captain.”

The shackles clinked against the walls as Minhyuk started to stir, started to come to. He had been out for a while; you had long since left the hidden spot beyond the cliffs and rocks to the east and were headed for the open sea. The voices of your crew on deck seeped through the wooden planks and into the belly of the ship where Minhyuk was being kept for now. In the pitch black night, the shade of the sails seemed no different from the that of the starless sky. But by day, your ship sailed with proud, dark red colors and lived up to its name.

The Ruby.

It was the ship you had inherited from your father at the tender age of seventeen, along with most of his crew. Your first mate, Kihyun, had been your best friend ever since you could remember, and would willingly take on any role you asked him to play when you were on land. Nobody ever suspected one of the most infamous pirate ships between Europe and the Americas was commandeered by the polite, soft-spoken girl passing through various harbors of the old and new world, not even Madam Moreau.

And you intended to live your life without telling her that you had personally delivered the fatal stab to her rotten husband’s heart.

Minhyuk slowly lifted his head as he regained consciousness. You crouched down in front of him and held his head between your hands, inspecting him with worry evident on your face. He managed a weak smile when he registered you.

“I still don’t know your name,” he panted, leaning back against the cold, moist wall behind him. You swallowed hard.

“You knew, didn’t you.”

“Of course,” he grinned. “Vermell – Catalan for red, isn’t it? Who came up with that name?”

You chuckled and made a mental note to smack Kihyun. “Ruby?”

“I lied.” Minhyuk coughed and held his head where Kihyun had hit him. “Your reputation does precede you, Captain. Of course, the good townspeople wouldn’t know.” He reached out with his other hand and wrapped his fingers around your right wrist, his eyes trained on the scar; a branded P.

“Why did you come if you knew? Why did you ever even talk to me?”

“They got bolder with these,” he murmured, still staring at the pirate mark. “I struggled so much, they put it on my knee. Slipped a couple of times. Hideous scar.”

“Minhyuk,” you tried again and finally he met your gaze.

“You know how I ended up there, don’t you?”

“Shipwrecked.” You nodded. “Your ship sank in a battle with a merchant ship. The Royal Navy fished you out of the water and dropped you off on that island believing you were a survivor of the merchants. The Crown put a price on your head for being a pirate, the pirate council wants you dead for being a traitor and a coward. Whoever we decide to hand you over to, the money would be good.”

Minhyuk gave a crooked grin. “So I’ve been told.”

You were struggling to hold back tears. “If you knew – why did you come. You knew we were going to take you. Why give it all up?”

“For you,” he said with a light shrug. “You said you couldn’t stay. So I knew it was time to leave.”

You dropped to your knees and Minhyuk reach out for you, his shackled hands gently squeezing your upper arms and then resting warmly on your back when your head fell against his chest. Your heart broke into a thousand pieces at his kindness, his bravery, his love.

He was a dangerous man.

But you were an even more dangerous woman.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered. “I truly am.”

“Don’t be, love. I would follow you anywhere.” He nudged your chin with his hand to get you to look up, look at him. “Even if it’s to my death.”

A tear fell from the corner of your eye as you leaned in to kiss him, capture his ruby red lips with yours and make a decision. It was too late to turn back now. You had been on a journey.

And Lee Minhyuk was the destination.

Finally, you pulled back and rested your forehead against his as you spoke.

“So be it.”

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caseopening-blog · 6 years ago

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Not everything that we're preparing for will be a progressive activity for pc gaming. A minimum of, as for Sony and also Microsoft are concerned, you can swing farewell to playing utilized games on their systems.

Although these are simply rumors at this point, it wouldn't be surprising if they came to fulfillment. It's possible, specifically when taking into account that numerous game authors have already discharged chance ats the used video game market.

Most noteworthy is Electronic Arts(EA), who became the first publisher to set up the method of billing gamers, that bought made use of video games, a fee to access codes that feature the game.

To clarify, Downloadable Content(DLC) codes are included with new copies of a particular video game and just with those codes, can that web content be accessed.

EA increased its job to include playing used games online. Players would certainly currently have to pay $10, along with the price of the used game that they purchased, to have accessibility to the on the internet elements of their video game.

Ubisoft has given that followed suit, requiring an on the internet masquerade its video games too. You can determine the games which require an on the internet pass as they are the "Uplay Passport," logo design on the box.

Ubisoft determined they would certainly take things an action additionally and carry out Digital Rights Management, a method more often associated with DVD or CD anti-piracy initiatives.

Assassins Creed 2 was the first video game to be impacted by this practice. To play the PC variation of Assassins Creed 2 gamers are called for to create an account with Ubisoft and also continue to be logged right into that account to play the game. That implies that if you shed your net link, the game will instantly pause as well as attempt to improve the connection.

If you're unfavorable adequate to be unable to reconnect the net you'll have to continue from your last conserved video game; shedding any development; you may have made because after that.

That will certainly be the case for every one of Ubisoft's COMPUTER titles, despite one having fun single-player or multi-player. While Digital Rights Management has been used to battle DVD and CD piracy for fairly time currently, this will note the very first time it been made use of for a video game.

Due to Ubisoft's application of DRM, Matthew Humphries of Geek.com, warns that it's viable that at some point also gaming console games will certainly require on-line enrollment play them.

According to Denis Dyack, the head of Silicon Knights, the sale of utilized video games is cannibalizing the earnings of the primary video game market.

He also declares that the made use of the video game market is somehow causing the cost of new video games to rise. There are also reports that the X-Box 720 will certainly accept the exclusive usage of digital downloads as well as not make use of disks at all.

One might argue that Sony has currently laid the ground help stopping utilized video games from working on their future system.

At the minimum, they've already made fairly an initiative to make used video games substantially less preferable. Kath Brice, of Games industry.biz, reported that the most up to date SOCOM game for PSP, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3, will certainly call for customers that purchase a utilized copy to pay an enhancement $20 bucks to get a code for online play.

I would certainly like to see some measurable proof to sustain the case that made use of video games are in reality, hurting the sales of brand-new video games at all.

Correct me if I'm incorrect however you haven't heard Infinity Ward grumbling concerning the made use of the game market as well as it affecting their bottom line.

Possibly the problem isn't that used video games have an unfavorable impact on the sale of new games but, the trouble is rather that game developer require to make far better video games that gamers are willing to pay full rate for.

In my point of view, not every game is worth $60 simply because it's the recommended retail price. Looking at points fairly not every game is produced similarly. As a result, not every video game is deserving of costing $60.

I think that the War on Used Games is nothing more than a money grab by developers, distressed that they're unable to capitalize a very financially rewarding market.

To put it in bucks and also cents, in 2009 Game Stop reported almost 2.5 million dollars in income from the sale of utilized gaming consoles as well as utilized games. And also not one red cent of that profit gets to the pockets of game authors.

Greed as the encouraging factor for the statement of War on Used Games is transparent. Especially when you think about that when Game Stop began separating their profits from brand-new video games as well as used video games in their economic declarations, EA after that instituted their 10 dollar cost for utilized video games.

The development in the 2nd version of the video game, which allows you to disembowel your opponents, is sufficient of a uniqueness that I 'd like to play via it at some point. I can acquire it currently, utilized, for regarding ten bucks. My point is that video game designers are not losing cash cause of used video games; you can not miss out on loan you weren't going to receive anyhow.

Unless you have a significant quantity of non reusable earnings and a significant amount of leisure time, you're possibly like me, and also you focus on which games you prepare to purchase and also how much you're eager to pay for them.

You determine which video games are should riches and which video games you 'd such as to play yet agree to await a rate decline before getting them. Then there are the video games which you're interested in, but they tend to fail the cracks because they're not all that high up on your radar as well as you'll maybe select them up a number of months later, or even years after their release, if you ever before picking them up in all.

I find it ironic that the impending death of the used game market can likely mean the death of Game Stop that, ironically, push their customers to brand-new pre-order games and also acquire them at full price.

One would think that game authors would be appreciative regarding this service as well as not dislike Game Stop and also treat utilized video games with such refuse. Pre orders not only help advertise their video games; however, they work as a forecast of possible sales too.

Also Dave Their a contributor for Forbes Online, that explains Game Stop as, "a parasitical bloodsucker that does not do much besides mark up discs and being in the shopping mall," acknowledges the folly of passing the problem of the utilized game market onto the customer.

I've just as soon as pre-ordered a game myself. At the wish of J. Agamemnon, I pre-ordered Battlefield 3, which is paradoxically a residential or commercial property of EA.

I paid full cost for this game and more than happy to do so. In big part, since I was given access to several weapons as well as maps that I would have had to wait to download had I not pre-ordered it. I suggest that instead of penalizing players for wanting to save their difficult-earned cash, the pc gaming industry requires to find out to incentivize players into intending to bet to that 60 dollar price.

I labeled this write-up The War on Used Games in an initiative to be jokingly and poke enjoyable at how whenever the government proclaims battle on medications or horror or whatever it might be, they only succeed in intensifying the problem.

If the gaming sector does indeed go down this path; they'll only harm themselves in the long run, fall short to share in the profits they so greedily fancy as well as worst of all, hurt their consumers, that keep the gaming industry abreast with currency.

It's extremely paradoxical and also in fact very fitting that it's EA that is heading the effort to assault the used video game market when they are one of the biggest beneficiaries of made use of games.

Chips world MD Don Mc Cabe informed Games Industry.biz that EA has what he referred to as a "franchise business software application home" in that they "update their titles; FIFA, Madden; all of these are effectively the same title updated each year. Shutting down the utilized video games market efficiently ruins a tried and real technique in which followers of EA's franchises maintain updated with each of EA's annual releases.

Don McCabe, an exec at Chipsworld, discusses that "customers won't flourish under this new system, as duplicates of the game will certainly shed their resale value.

That implies that ultimately it will be the publisher who ends up shedding money because when merchants readjust their prices to show the rise in price for made use of games, the resale worth of the game will go down and also brand-new games are much less most likely to be purchased.

I'm a follower of numerous EA franchises; I appreciate Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed, and also I'm a resist Sony PlayStation enthusiast. As their client, I'm annoyed and also upset by their current methods. I am afraid wherefore future techniques they may utilize to more suppressor perhaps kill the utilized video game market.

That claimed, I'm confident that these firms will certainly be responsive to the outcry of their clients and also abide by our wants. I beg them to stop punishing their customers for catching what they regard as missed revenues.

They take the chance of not just alienating their customers however, they run the risk of discovering themselves with significantly fewer clients and also significantly fewer earnings. As well as at the end of the day, that's the lower line.

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rrmarines · 2 years ago

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Best Merchant Navy College in Jaipur

Merchant Navy Management is a course available from many institutes across the country. This is a full time course that provides all necessary skills to the students who enroll themselves for this course.

This article will provide a list of top Merchant Navy Colleges in Jaipur which provide quality education and are affordable too.

List of best Merchant Navy Colleges in Rajasthan

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The merchant navy college in Jaipur is one of the best colleges for the Merchant Navy Course. It is a co-educational institute that offers courses related to Ship Management, Marine Engineering, Navigation and Design.

The Merchant Navy College in Jaipur offers various undergraduate and postgraduate degrees related to shipping.

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The UK has the largest merchant navy in the world, with over 3,400 ships, of which more than 240 belong to Her Majesty's fleet.

What does this mean for you?

If you are looking for a career in marine transport, your prospects are excellent. The need for qualified people to work in merchant shipping is large and growing. The skills and training you receive at a Merchant Navy College will put you in the driving seat of this maritime sector.

#Merchant Navy College in Jaipur #Best College For Merchant Navy Course #Best Merchant Navy Colleges in Rajasthan #Merchant Navy College in Rajasthan #What is The Fee So Merchantnavy #Best Merchantnavy Training College in India #Merchant Navy Training Period #Rajasthan Merchant Navy Training College Fees #Merchant Navy College in India #Merchant Navy College Near Me #Merchant Navy College Jaipur #Merchant Navy College Rajasthan

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ltwilliammowett · 4 years ago

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The Bum-boat

A bum boat is a small vessel which brought goods of various kinds, such as food, alcohol (but only for the officers), fresh fruit, meat etc. mercantile itmes and also whores to the ships as soon as they entered the harbour.

Bumboat. Illustration for An Illustrated Vocabulary For The Use Of The Deaf And Dumb 1857 (x)

The owners of these ships were not professional traders or were commissioned by the navy. The Navy had their own ships that brought their necessary goods to the ships. The bumboat traders tried to make an extra profit from what they sold. And so in the 17th year, it was mainly women who rowed out to sell their goods. In the course of the 18th century, more and more men joined in and started to bring the local prostitutes to the ships for a fee.

Exporting Cattle not Insurance - the bum-boats swarm, by William E., early 19th century (x)

This continued into the 20th century and was not limited to English ports. The word bum boat seems to be derived from the Dutch boomschuit (tree boat) and means canoe. These small merchant boats are thought to have evolved from the scavengers' boats of the 16th and 17th centuries, which collected rubbish (any kind of rubbish) and brought it ashore.

#naval history #ship types #bum boat #16th -20th century #age of sail #age of steam

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dionnecox0576-blog · 6 years ago

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GYM FITNESS - a Short Overview

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theticklishpear · 7 years ago

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Greetings, friend! I absolutely love all the medieval resources on your blog and had a couple of questions. Firstly, what are the different rankings in a medieval army and the distinctions between them (captain? commander? the dude who carries the flag into battle???). And secondly, could you define the terms "guild" and "free company"? From what I understand, the former is more civilian and the latter is more military, but that's as far as I got. ^.^" Thanks in advance for your help!

Hey! Thanks for the kind words. Those are very old posts and could do with a lot of rewriting, but I’m glad you’re finding them helpful. Your questions are pretty disparate, so I’ve taken them in two chunks. I hope it helps! -Pear

Ranks & Titles in Medieval Armies:

Unfortunately, the way armies were divided and named was heavily dependent upon what nation you’re talking about and the terminology they used to refer to various positions. Terrain, weather, availability, commander preference, and the situation of the battle at hand changed the types of troops involved, the make-up of each unit, how many units the army as a whole was broken up into, etc.

It’s virtually impossible for me to say anything like, “30% this, 20% that, 5% whats-its” and so on because of how variable things were, not only from country to country but also simply from conflict to conflict. (Hell, even in today’s military, a Captain in the Air Force is an O-3 pay grade vs. the Navy as an O-6, which is literally a $28,000-57,000 per year pay difference; so what means one thing in the hierarchy in one place doesn’t always mean the same elsewhere.)

If you’re going for historical accuracy, you’ll have to get into some deep research of that particular kingdom/country, its warfare tactics, and what time frame you’re writing in (since many distinctions were made depending on what weapon they used, and what weapons used depended heavily on when you’re talking about; plus some positions rose or fell in popularity and ranking depending on what year and nation you’re talking about, too).

The following are generalities and Western European for the most part:

If you’re hoping for some easy chart of ranks and titles, you’re going to be disappointed. Medieval armies had a loose idea of “centralized administration” that fell apart not too far into the ranks.

For the most part, the army as a whole was broken up into big divisions called battles (yes, the same term used for when they clashed arms on a big field) of heavy-armored soldiers. (These soldiers were called men-at-arms and were generally common folk, as distinct from peasants.) Typically there were 3-4 battle units depending on the preference and situation of the lead commander of the army as a whole (the king, if he’s present). There is evidence of France at one time moving out with as many as 10 battles, though, so it really just depends. Individual battle units were led by the king, a commander, a constable, or a marshal, all of which were nobles.

Note: Constables and marshals were originally in charge of various operations within stables. When they started gaining military purpose, marshals reported to constables; however, later, marshals gained more notoriety and rose higher than constables. Both were known to be in charge of cavalry-composed battles depending on which position was considered more important at the time. Whichever was lesser could lead other battles who were not cavalry.

Battles were then broken into banners (yes, the same term used for the sheet of cloth with emblems symbolizing the presence of certain nobles) which were led by individuals who mustered retinues of men-at-arms from their own estates and localities. These retinue leaders could be knights banneret (a higher echelon of knight), knights bachelor (the lower echelon of knight), or sergeants. Bannerets generally rallied ~13 men-at-arms while knights bachelor generally rallied ~2-3 men-at-arms in earlier time frames; in later time frames, bannerets led retinues of more than 100 men-at-arms.

Each banner unit theoretically had its own banner (also called a standard) that was carried by a standard bearer. The banner helped keep units organized on the battlefield and coordinate movements, but also acted as a morale boost for friendly soldiers and a challenge issued to enemy soldiers.

For the light-armor soldiers such as archers, crossbowmen, pikemen, spearmen, etc., who were mostly peasants recruited and trained before being sent to meet up with the rest of the army, they were split into groups of 1,000 (led by millenars), 100 (led by centenars or constables, depending on who was available and around), and 20 (led by vintenars). There’s not much more in terms of ranking or hierarchy for these groups.

Guilds & Free Companies:

These two terms had vastly different purposes in the grand scheme of life.

Free Companies were groups of small standing armies who were beholden to themselves rather than belonging to a particular noble, monarchy, or government in general. They were free of that kind of governance, choosing instead to act as men-at-arms for hire. Other common names were mercenary groups or sell-swords.

Often composed of veteran soldiers, they had some training and kept themselves up on the tactics of the day by keeping involved with battles where they could manage contracts. Their expertise and experience made them useful in comparison to the sometimes untrained recruits nobles were forced to muster for their crown in times of war. The free companies also usually had their own internal code of honor which kept them loyal to each other, though that loyalty generally extended only to each other and not particularly to the individual who hired them.

They could abandon or even turn on an employer if there were reason to believe payment wouldn’t be forthcoming or if survival to be paid was unlikely. When work was scare, they did sometimes resort to pillage and plunder, but they were otherwise pretty happy to take up arms for those with coin to pay.

Guilds, on the other hand, were craftspeople and merchants. Similar to the idea of modern-day unions, guilds came together as tradespeople practicing the same trade (so, for example, the tanners guild and the jewelers guild, etc.) in order to foster aid between each other and fair dealings within their respective markets. They set rules on the ethics of business in the area to maintain good business practices, and helped to monitor and balance out pricing of goods in the region to ensure fairness across the board for the merchants/craftspeople.

Each major city (or region, if it was more rural) had their own guilds, and there was often a fee or due to be paid in order to be a part of the protection that guilds offered. Bandits were common on the roads, and merchant caravans were a great target for robbing, so guilds would help to hire protection for those who were a part of their guild, and that was a great boon for traveling merchants.

Guild: Trade Association from the Encyclopaedia Brittanica is a good initial breakdown for you to research further.

#writing #history #research #posts by pear #medieval life #troops #pear responds #Anonymous

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ranseiuniter-archive · 6 years ago

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“Ransei has always had a long and turbulent history, and the conflict has never stopped at any kingdom’s borders. For a land at war, revolts, betrayal, revenge--it’s all simply part of life... and in some cases, death.

“Fontaine is a kingdom with plenty of tall tales to go around--phantom ships and leviathans and pirates--but the most bone-chilling is the onryō of the Kuromizu clan.

“Like all kingdoms, Fontaine has seen its share of villains in its long history. Many generations ago, the kingdom was all but controlled by a pirate clan who had dubbed themselves the Kuromizu; they were a cruel and ruthless bunch, exploiting the people of Fontaine and controlling the seas around the kingdom with an iron fist. They demanded every ship that crossed into their waters paid them a toll--gold, trade goods, concubines--so long as you fulfilled their price, you could sail, whether you were a mainland trade merchant or a poor fisherman.

“Those that refused, or hadn’t enough to give, however, were not given a warning. If you failed to satisfy the Kuromizu’s demands, you would soon meet your grave in the ocean’s depths. Every last man aboard the ship was captured, bound with weights, and thrown into the waves. No one dared cross them, and what was worse, their power had grown so great that not even the Warlord’s fleet then stood a chance against the Kuromizu.

“At that time, the Warlord of Fontaine was in declining health and in desperate search of an heir, as his only child was a single, unmarried daughter by the name of Mitsuha. Many of the kingdom’s finest warriors were vying for control; the conclusion had been drawn that whomever could successfully sink one of the Kuromizu’s ships would be deemed a worthy successor and win the hand of the Warlord’s daughter, thus cementing his rise to power.

“Mitsuha, however, was an ambitious and clever young woman. While many a warrior met his end at the pirates’ hands, dying in vain for his dreams of grandeur, Mitsuha had formulated a plan. As her father lay on his deathbed, she sought out the finest boatmakers her kingdom had to offer and ordered the construction of a new ship--one unlike any the kingdom had seen before. The completed ship was the first true warship in Fontaine’s history, sturdier and more powerful than kingdom’s entire armada combined--and all kept a careful secret within a covered berth behind the castle’s walls until the plan was complete.

“Her father would pass away just after the warship’s completion. Without a chosen successor, Mitsuha quickly sized the void of power left by her father. Any doubts regarding her rule were soon silenced by the revelation of her plan; she ordered her men to orchestrate an attack against the Kuromizu, leading from the helm of her new warship. They say for the following weeks the seas ran red with the blood of the Kuromizu. Not a single member of the pirates clan was left alive; their ships burned to ash, bodies sunk beneath the sea. Over the course of a single battle, the Kuromizu were snuffed out.

“The ship was named Mitsuhahime in her honor, standing as the commanding vessel of Fontaine’s fleets for many years to come. However, where there is a battle, there are bound to be spirits tied to that ground...

“Sailors who hadn’t made offerings to the gods of the sea before departure would return to port with sinister tales of skeletal faces beneath the water, blackened hands rising from the waves, ghastly whispers in the wind... they told of their shipmates being dragged under, some even of narrowly escaping as their boat was torn to debris. Oft were these stories would be written off as tall tales--ramblings of drunken sailors who had spent far too long at sea... Until, some decades after the Kuromizu’s defeat, the younger of Lady Mitsuha’s two sons went out to sea.

“He was an arrogant young man; clever, yes, but lacking any humility. Before his departure, he had failed to pay his respects to the leviathans, Fontaine’s gods of the seas. After all, he had reasoned, he had made plenty of offerings to the gods before; surely they would be satisfied enough that he needn’t waste time with prayer.

“As he and his crew set out aboard the Mitsuhahime--another show of his arrogance, taking out the crowning jewel of the armada for no reason other than his pride--the waters were calm and the sky clear. However, things soon took a turn for the worse--the crew was quickly lost, seeming to sail for miles and yet not moving from their spot in the ocean for even a moment. No matter where they turned, they couldn’t seem to find shore. The waves grew choppy and dark, slowly turning to a deep, unfathomable black like the sky on a starless night.

“Indeed, the Kuromizu were defeated--but their reign of terror over the seas around Fontaine was still ongoing. The souls of the fallen pirates had clung to the site of their defeat, their greed and cruelty twisting them into spirits of vengeance. And here, the very ship that had defeated them, bearing the name of the woman who had orchestrated their downfall, had drifted into their domain without the protection of the gods to keep them at bay. They would rule the seas yet again.

“From the water rose hundreds of grotesque, skeletal figures; some still had sickly, translucent blueish skin stretched across their frames; others with blackened flesh clinging to their bones, all shrieking in inhuman voices words of anger and revenge. Every last fallen Kuromizu pirate, all scrabbling atop one another to board the Mitsuhahime like a pile of rats. They tore everything aboard the ship apart piece by piece with clammy fingers. Nothing was spared from their rampage--not even the crew themselves. And though they screamed as the phantoms ripped the still-beating hearts from their chests, there was no one for miles around to possibly hear them.

“No one knew what had become of the Mitsuhahime until days later, when debris began to wash up on Fontaine’s shores. For weeks, they found splinters of the ship stained with blood; scraps of cloth of clothing and flags; and bones, enough to assemble entire skeletons from--then, finally, the skull of the missing son, cracked in two.

“They say the Kuromizu still rule the seas of Southern Ransei to this day as onryō. Some claim that ships without the gods’ protection can appease the pirates by paying the fee they once charged in life--should a ship encounter the spirits, they can escape by throwing their most valuable item into the sea. However, this mercy is will never be extended to a warship--the soldiers of Fontaine only enrage them, and the Warlords even more so. Any boat belonging to the Fontainian navy can only be saved from the Kuromizu’s wrath by the gods themselves--should they fail to seek the gods’ blessing before setting out, then their crew is surely doomed. For until the day they claim the life of Lady Mitsuha herself, the Kuromizu will continue to pursue their revenge.”

#chika or takahiro prolly told her this one #i'm laughing at the idea of chika fuckin telling smol hiro and roshi this like.... chika they're like ten bls #roshi is just fucking sobbing #HERO OF RANSEI 🌸 main.#drabble #i need a damn tag for Just my ransei ghost stories #death mention /#gore mention /#??#horror /#I Guess.#i dunno man just lmk if you need anything else tagged #this is a wall of text

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