Dauntless Trust

Year 765 Manuk Soulstone

The new truth weakens for the days to come, breaking at the seams, since its appearance. He can’t stop observing either the after images of her actions or the drastic shifts of her expression when interacting with the crew. The crew he punished two days ago work morning to late at night. That time he watches her every chance he got, wastes the little free time he had on asking about her through Ruffin or Gash. Ignore the strange expression that he earns when he did.

It’s not the first time he had gone through these lengths to learn more about their newest recruit. What is strange is that the questions did not carry any relation to his goal. A goal he is convinced is more important than any fleeting fixation, this includes a certain female that is in his ranks. Yet here he is, his core belief behind some haze that her existence created in his mind. How can he explain away his recent symptoms? It had been one day less than a week since she agreed to join the crew and had done everything she can to stand out on his plane of attentiveness.

The last day of her working non-stop cleaning the deck with some of the other hands, is spent with him watching during his helm shift. Connor is dress down again to better endure the raging heat of the sun. This time Gash kept by his side, as an attempt to go over the next plan of action. This quartermaster is no fool to not notice the captain’s sudden lack of interest in planning. It isn’t normal for Connor to half-ass any briefings.

“The lass has taken up yer attention again, Capt’n.” Gash comments out of nowhere and bravely so close to Connor’s arm reach that it tempts the captain to whack the old sea dog on his head.

Enough of this. “I am merely keeping an eye on her like I would do to any troublesome crewmate.” Connor’s attempts to explain his recent obsession held no weight, which is obvious by the way the old quartermaster chuckles. Thankfully, they are alone up here or the hands that white knuckled on the helm will surely try to harm Gash. A good punch on the shoulder would be enough to stop his jeering.

“I don’t mean t’ tease, capt’n. It’s hard t’ see any other reason when ye already let her in yer quarters a few times ‘n the rumors are growin’ fierce.” Gash side-steps away when Connor shot him with a deadly look, increasing the distance between them.

“Were you spreading the rumors?” Captain Connor is very ready to put any blame on Gash even though the old man isn’t the type to be involved in rumors. This is beyond a brute man like Gash.

“Ne’er capt’. Rumors are fer sprogs ’n morons…. But ’tis different. Ye fancy the lass in yer owns way.” Gash points out, again being braver than anyone else on this ship. Barely anyone can ever face off the captain’s wrath so nonchalantly. Connor both hates and admires his quartermaster for it. Right now, he hates Gash’s every fiber of his existence for calling out Connor’s newest affliction which is his budding obsession with their newest recruit.

“Eat…your words, Gash…” Connor snarls, but having no way to leave the helm to face off his quartermaster, his threats are as helpless as a small babe.

He perks up when he heard Rhea’s name being called by one of the hands. His gaze should have been ahead towards the sea that surrounds them, but it homes in on one female with curls reddened by Manuk’s light and how it bounces with the teasing of Chemuk’s winds. This time her bow and quiver are carefully latch onto her slender back. Now he caught himself scanning each part of her alluring backside, as she faces the other way to talk to the individual that sought her out. The small shoulders that drown underneath the bagginess of her blouse are showing how small she really is. Everyone on this ship, besides Ruffin, towers over her small frame. Connor can and had already easily picked her up in one arm. It stirs some of his protective side of him during the spar club the other night. The way her hips fills up the pants that she got and augmented herself, it should not be curving around her plump rear like a second skin but here it is. It is almost worse that she wore those pants, distracting him when he least expects it, like right now.

For an insane moment, he imagines taking her away from that other man and making an excuse to explain why she had to spend time with him. Training, briefings or more work…whatever to make sure that Rhea Nox isn’t tangled with anyone else that might get her attention for the wrong reasons. After all, this ship is full of criminals with shaky morale compasses…. like himself.

Crap...

“Capt’n. I don’t judge. But ye be lookin’ at her too hard lately.” Gash mumbles in his direction, crossing his arms over his chest, and sporting a knowing grin.

“Don’t say another word.” Connor hisses through his gritting teeth, ripping his attention away from Rhea and focus on ahead. He reduces the tension in his whitened knuckles, not wanting to crack the pegs of this helm. Tenderness did not exist in him, what he is feeling is the heat obscuring his senses and making him… possessive . Infatuation is not something that he can allow himself to be distracted by when so many people rely on his strengths. He can’t let himself meek under lust of flesh or anything like that, his mind must be clear to better command his crew.

“Well, I reckon the lass be a fine addition t‘ the crew. Ye be allowed t’ reckon fondly o’ her as well, capt’n.” Gash had a way of speaking with wisdom; it is too bad that he tarnishes it soon after with a not so favorable comment. “I was young like ye ‘n may be hungrier. Ne’er held back when I wanted somethin’ Ye shoul-“

“Shut it.” Captain Connor refuses to listen to any more of his rambles. It is painting a possibility that never should have exist in his imagination in the first place. It constricts his chest to even sense it, just like a few of his selfish desires, he had to take a moment to rip it out of his chest. Whatever his imagination plays can never be reality.

Never .

“Gash. Do not talk about this to any-“ Connor froze, because the next words had to wait. The bursting sound of a mortar cut through his eardrum, and he searches behind them to see a ship many nautical miles away. What is his barrel man doing not noticing this ship readying to attack?

It didn’t matter; the cannon ball flew towards them from above. Neither Gash nor he can call out a command with the cannonball just directly above their heads. Anukrin wishes death upon them on this day…Or so he thought.

Captain Connor had been through plenty of ship battles to have seen some oddities, nothing should shock him from here on out. Again, his stubborn thoughts are proven wrong. A flash of light, then a huge, long fire spear flew towards the cannon ball. The fire pierces right into it and in mere breaths it bursts inside the metal ball. The whole thing explodes in midair, scattering metal shards in all directions. Raining them with chilled metal, black smoke with flashes of fire billow outward. However, everyone survives the attack.

Did…Manuk-?! Connor isn’t religious but he had become weak to it after seeing such a miracle unfold today. No, he cannot let himself lose concentration. Seeking around the deck for any suspects, he only saw Rhea scaling the center mass towards the gullian’s roost, screaming downward to a crewmate to come help her. Upon closer inspection, the barrelman is unconscious, probably from the heat of the day. That’s why she is scaling the mast and calling for anyone that can hear her. This is all to help the unconscious barrel man from such a high place.

Her limitless kindness again surfaces even at dangerous times like these, burning up his chest.

The captain must protect his crew; he must protect her because she is part of this crew. There is nothing to be confused about that.

“FULL SAILS, HANDS! LET’S SHOW THESE BASTARDS THAT THEY DON’T MESS WITH THE NIGHTMARE MAIDEN AND LIVE TO TELL!” Connor bolsters up all his might into his tone of voice, removing the panic stupor from his crew. In no time, his crew roars excitedly and work to get her sails full. He saw Rhea, with the help of a few others, reach the barrel man and is working to get him down. She remains at the roost afterwards, donning her bow and arrows.

Connor had a ship to sail, and he will sail the Nightmare Maiden to enact her deathly revenge. He spun the helm around to swing the Nightmare Maiden and face off this upcoming ship. The other ship isn’t as graced with many sails, struggling to shift as efficiently as his ship. The hull of this ship is midnight purple, with white sails and donning the flag of the mercenary group. Priodontes sigil etched onto the red flag with golden stitches, an armored creature with spikes on its spine. It has a long-hooked tongue and beady golden eyes; its tail is thick and stubby with two spikes at the end. It is the Armor Brothers, a renowned mercenary group that hunts pirates. He isn’t shocked to see them finally chase his trail. Who put the hit?

“Gash have them ready our mortars!” Connor barks, bracing every time a mortar round flew a little too close and he makes the ship turn just right to deftly avoid it. Though the constant weaving made it hard for his crew to work efficiently, his goal is to get close. This other ship trades its cannon power for near exact mortar fire. It is smaller than the Nightmare Maiden. It can’t carry more than twenty cannons. Based on Connor’s expansive knowledge of ship models and their efficiency as well as their load capacity, this ship isn’t prepared for close-range combat.

If only the mortar rounds stop firing, he might be able to close in enough to fire his cannons and land a devastating blow. Just enough of a blow to stop this other ship from keeping a healthy distance from the Nightmare Maiden, he is losing his patience.

“STEADY YER AIM!” Gash is beside the two of their crew that are currently adjusting the giant mortar in the center of the deck. The dark metal is unassuming but the huge round that these two loaded into the mortar hid its true potential. Too bad they had to readjust with each sway of this ship. “STEADY!”

Cussing under his breath, Connor forces to shift the ship again. Having them to start again with the alignments.

“DUN’T BELAY THE MATEYS! STEADY SHE GOES!” At this rate, they will be out here till nightfall if they both keep this game up. Connor won’t allow anymore foolishness.

“ENOUGH!” Connor didn’t want to waste another round like a heavy mortar just because they can’t get a clear shot, ammunition like these are expensive and even rarer to pilfer. He won’t waste it unless he is certain. Cid came into his line of sight, helping the other members load the cannons.

That’s it! “CID! MAN THE HARPOON!”

Cid blinks at Captain Connor while holding two cannon balls on the cusp of his arms. Then the friendly giant beams at the captain, “AYE AYE Capt’”

Cid offers the cannon balls to his weaker members, who struggles to hold one in two arms. The half giant thuds towards the hatch, opening it and hopping down it with an exaggerated battle cry.

That simple bloke... Connor shakes his head, somewhere deep in him still grateful to have someone so eager to work through the pressure. Even though that someone betrayed his trust by setting up a sparring ring.

“CAPTAIN!”

Another voice calls to him; he surely didn’t recognize it in the haze of his adrenaline rush, but he still shifts his gaze upward to see the ’ wild ’ woman in the gullian’s roost. She is a beauty in the sunlight. He can’t help but think so. Not even the concerned dip of her eyebrows sullies her features, her words are the only thing that snaps him out of the thought process. “CAPTAIN! THEY HAVE FOUR OF THOSE METAL BIG BALL THINGIES ON THEIR SHIP! WITH THEIR MEN ALL MOVING THEM TO SHOOT! MOVE AWAY NOW!”

Metal...big...ball...thingies? Connor scoffs at her lack of ship lingo etiquette, ready to take his chances. In his understandings, they are too far from the other ship for her to tell. Then he heard the booming rounds, counting four total, all directed at them.

Connor is much quicker, responding by shifting the Maiden left and she sashays away before any of the rounds touches her hull. His crew fell with the drastic sway of the ship. He watches as each round plop into the ocean water. His heart tightens at how close they are to getting hit and he gifts the woman a pointy stare, the woman gifts him an equally tense stare with a well-deserved frown all the way up the gullian’s roost. The beautiful look of ′ I told you so ’.

She had no spyglass to see such details, and the sun is as bright as ever, which meant any normal person will struggle to see that far.

How are you-? That is not important right now!?

“RHEA CALL OUT WHEN YOU SEE THEM READY TO FIRE!”

“AYE AYE!” Rhea pumps her fist over her banded chest and climbs even higher. The crazy woman is just beneath the black flag, holding onto the rope to anchor herself. Her shoes are long discarded before this. And he gets it because there is no way she is up on the main yard and top mast with the heels she worn today. That woman stumbles just standing with those on neutral ground before.

If we get out of this, we will get you better clothes.

Connor forces to ignore her recklessness, now relying on her superb eyesight to get them out of this mortar hell. They need to get close enough to provide Cid with a proper vantage point to launch the harpoon and reel those bastards in.

“CAPTAIN!”

“AYE!” Connor weaves forward of the other ship, having to keep the enemy ship guessing with their shifts. Rhea will call it; he picks a different direction every time. She will even get better and explain the way the mortar points, helping him make the split decision to point the other way. This dance between the two ships got Nightmare Maiden close enough to now be able see the moving bodies of the other crew.

“FIRE THE HARPOON!” Connor bellows out and the whole crew carries the command below deck, pointing her bow strip towards the ship. A loud clicking of chain, and a snap, then this large harpoon spits out beneath the bow strip. It is meant for any sea beast that dared mess with them, only having to use it once or twice for its intended purpose. However, he uses it in over a hundred ship battles, and this is Cid’s favorite artillery since it requires his muscles.

The tip is serrated with blades that can pierce right through a hull, and it had another of Iggy’s fanciful augmentation. Once the harpoon pierces anything, it latches on with these hooks that spring loose from the base of the giant serrated blade. Exactly what is happening to the ship now, the harpoon burrows deep into the wood. The captain could see the crew scurry to unhook it from the inside. All foolish tries. They obviously don’t know any muscular half giant. The chain link is already taut in mere breathes, the clicking sped up as Cid is reeling two whole ships close. Connor scoffs to fight down the tugging of his lips, victory is just at their horizons, and these fools deserve his punishment for even testing him.

“GET READY TO BOARD THE SHIP AND SHOW YOUR METAL! MAKE THEM REGRET EVER CROSSING OUR PATHS!”

The excited hoots and thudding of the boots easily drown out the clicking of the chains. These men are ready to fight for the honor of the Nightmare Maiden. The Armor Brothers are simply doomed.