It took Fabio's ships five days to reach Scalehide. The tropical isnd was on the eastern side of the Southern Seas, halfway between the Scorched Lands and the eastern continent, most of which was the domain of the Sekiguchi Empire, except for a long stretch of nd on it's far eastern side, the reptilian's nation. As reptilians did not take cold very well, it was customary for their northern inhabitants to leave their homes during winter and wander down south – these annual migrations have resulted in several rge scale conflicts historically, and not just with the Sekiguchi Empire, but even within their own country. Some question why they need to hold onto areas where it snows in the winter, if it causes so much trouble for them. But the reptilian's nation is old, and its people proud and rather territorial, even if not the most stationary.

  And so Scalehide, along with several other small isnds on the south, was used as a winter home by certain tribes of reptilians. Right now, during te summer, there was nobody here. At least none of those regur periodical habitants.

  “This is the pce where I hatched,” said Gator as they entered a rather rge cave system. “Early in the winter, right when me parents got here. I liked the pce, much more than the north.”

  “Silence!” Fabio hissed, and the reptilian shrugged, exchanging a gnce with Iesha.

  Most of them were here, all twenty-six of the sellswords and almost all of Fabio's men – well over a hundred – except for a couple who were left behind on their two ships. The vessels were anchored on two sides of the isnd. They first circled around it for a while, trying to look for signs of life, then they decided to go in. On the western shores, a rather steep and tall hillside wall was stretching by the sea, with a rge crack that led inside the mountain. On one side, there was a pathway takeable by foot, just a few meters wide, that's where they were walking. To their left, there was a stretch of water, wide enough so that their ships could have easily sailed in, but Fabio thought they better not do that, lest they get ambushed.

  A few minutes ter, the whole cave-passage took a turn, and it got rather dark. They lit some torches, but still continued quietly, as the captain of guards ordered. It was a rather tense march. Their footsteps knocked on the stone floor, the water on their left spshed rhythmically against the cave walls, and the torches coated the pce in an eery light. Fabio gnced back at Iesha at one point who was close behind him, and the elf smiled at him lightly. He is nervous, she thought. She is nervous, he thought.

  Eventually, after another turn, they saw a rge structure ahead, on the water. Soon, they could see that it's a ship, must have been the pirates'. They heard voices too, the sound of talking. Fabio was at the front, and he signalled to everyone to slow down and stay quiet. They moved forward inch by inch. The stone-floor they were walking on began to gradually widen on their right, until it reached the size of a pza. They found themselves in a huge, circur cavern, about half water and half ft stone ground. And here was the pirate's camp too: firepces, improvised beds made of rugs, and a group of people sitting around.

  “They found us!” someone yelled, and the folks around the firepces got up swiftly.

  “Follow me! Quick!” Iesha heard Carlos' familiar voice. The pirates were caught off guard, and began to escape further into the cave system.

  “Catch them!” yelled Fabio, and his men roared, charging forward, their battle cry echoing off the cave walls. The sellswords too were caught up in the flow of soldiers, jogging amongst their fake allies. During their voyage here, Iesha was sure to secretly tell them to act their part as long as there is no open fight, just as she agreed with Carlos through their mirrors.

  The elf began to run too, wanting to stick by the side of the rge Gator, who kind of made her feel safe. But suddenly, someone grabbed her arm and made her stop.

  The pirates all bolted through one of several smaller passageways that opened from this chamber, their pursuers followed them relentlessly. The tunnel was turning slightly to the right, and suddenly descended a bit, right into water. The soldiers found themselves about knee-deep in a rge, but shallow pool, in a second chamber that seemed just slightly smaller than the previous one. They stopped for a moment, taking the sight in: this cavern was quite tall, and some rays of daylight came in through cracks on the ceiling. The only way forward was yet another dark opening on the other side, where they could see the st of the pirates escape through. And so the pursuers pressed on. And then they were stopped in their tracks. To their shock, the water they were spshing through turned frozen solid in seconds.

  “Hey, what the fuck!”

  “It's a trap!” someone screamed.

  The soldiers at the tail end of the group stopped at the entrance of this area, staring at their comrades in disbelief for a moment, then they turned around and hurried back where they came from. But the majority of them were caught.

  On the left side of the cavern, three meters above them, a woman appeared from an upper passage, standing on a ledge over the confused soldiers. Her outfit was light-blue and white – a pretty, tight, immacute dress complete with long gloves. Her hair was white as snow, and her skin just a tad pinker. Pureness, dylike dignity, a cold mysterious aura... were NOT the words to truly describe her. One could have assumed so from a single gnce, but just seconds after she appeared, she revealed her true nature: she began ughing manically without restraint, leaning forward and spping her knees, arching her back like a cat.

  “You fools!” she screamed. “You just fell prey to the great Marcel Whiterose! That's me. Yes, me, a singur little girl! Oh, how I waited for this moment! This is the first time I've got to use my power in such a manner, in other words, you are privileged, really.”

  The crowd below replied with a chaotic mix of yelling, with some “who the fuck”s, “what the hell”s, and “hey”s in the mix. Meanwhile, a second person appeared besides Marcel, a short, chubby guy with shoulder-length hair wearing a golden cape. He was then followed by a couple of armored knights. The girl just ignored them, and continued talking to her captive audience in a high-pitched, melodic voice.

  “I mean think about it guys, would you rather get involved in some violent, brute-like brawl? Limbs getting cut off, skulls smashed in, blood spshing everywhere... yuck! This way, your battle is already over. No real casualties, just some cold toes, hehe. I know I called you guys fools just now, but really, you are lucky fools. I'm not only a natural beauty, I'm a mage too, you see! Marcel Whiterose, master of ice! How does that sound? Amazing, isn't it? Young, clever, talented and full of potential, that's what I am! A brilliant mind in a brilliant body! But also, I trained a lot, I really did! Sooo many hours of boring repetition, reading through old scrolls, listening to my mentor yapping and yapping and yapping and... I'll spare you the details, you don't wanna know, trust me. Talent or not, becoming a mage is a...”

  An arrow bounced off the stone wall just inches away from the girl's head, followed by a second wave of chaotic yelling from below. There were some “who did that”s, “shut up whore”s and “calm down everyone”s in the mix.

  “That's ruuude!” screamed Marcel, getting rather angry, like a child who's game was ruined. “Don't you guys have MANNRES?! As if you could... could...” she suddenly seemed out of breath. The guy with the golden cape grabbed her arm and escorted her back through the opening of that upper passage, leaving only two fully armored knights in sight.

  “Silence!” one bellowed at the trapped men. “Try that again and we will pour boiling oil on your head!”

  The soldiers quieted down. Someone dropped a bow on the ice he was frozen in.

  “That's right! If you wanna live, I need you all to drop your weapons, and slide them over to this side of the cavern!” the knight pointed towards the opening where the pirates escaped through. The soldiers argued a bit amongst themselves, but their conclusion was quick to form. They obeyed the knight, and did a coordinated act of getting rid of all their weapons, even their shields.

  Meanwhile, the soldiers who got lucky to avoid the ice-ordeal, about ten in total, rushed back to the previous rge cavern, where they were greeted by the sight and smell of burning. A couple more soldiers stayed behind here, including Fabio himself. Using their torches and the firepces of the pirates, they set the pirate-ship (used to be mercenary ship) on fire. Fabio was watching their work with satisfaction, but he was quick to turn to his returning men.

  “Captain!” one panted. “They pyed a trick on us! They froze our mates in pce!”

  “They did what?”

  “They froze them!” the man repeated, and the other soldiers nodded along.

  “I think they have a mage with them. A strong one,” another added.

  Fabio turned to Iesha, who he forced to stay by his side.

  “Damn,” the woman said. “A mage? That's...”

  “Seize her!” the captain of guards commanded, and two of his men, who he already told to keep an eye on the elf, grabbed her by the shoulders. Fabio then walked up to her, taking off her scabbard.

  “All right, all right, you still don't trust me. But don't be hasty, man, I...”

  Iesha fell silent, and all the soldiers turned towards one of the openings on the side of the cavern, from where footsteps were heard. The pirates did a full circle, and now returned. Stopping at the entrance, they took a look at their burning ship, being visibly surprised, then their leader walked forward fearlessly.

  “The great Carlos Wayne, if I'm not mistaken,” said Fabio.

  “Are you the leader of these soldiers?” the man asked.

  “I am. My name is Fabio Araki. Does that name ring any bells, pirate?”

  “Not really, but I fail to see why that's relevant right now. Your men have been defeated, Fabio. It's time for you to...”

  “Kenji Araki! That was my father's name. He was the son of an exile from the Sekiguchi Empire, and he made his own business in Midridge, which he would have passed down to me. You sunk his ship two years ago, pirate! He drowned!”

  “Ah, I think I remember. Chubby man, small eyes, bald except for a ponytail, right? I'm sorry for your loss, truly, but...”

  “You're sorry? You think that's worth anything to me?”

  “I assume it doesn't. Unfortunately, pirating sometimes results in violence, just like being a soldier. It was nothing personal. Your father was a brave, stubborn man, and he refused to negotiate.”

  “With bloody pirates, yes!”

  “Look, this is not just about us. As I said, your men were defeated, trapped in pce by a mage ally of ours. What is going to be your course of action?”

  “Your ship is on fire, pirate. You can only leave the isnd on my ships, and they are out on the water, only to leave when I command them to. If you kill me, you are stuck here until Lazarus sends more assassins after you.”

  “I see. Good thing I don't have to kill you. We can all mutually get out of this, if you surrender, that is.”

  “How about this?” Fabio pulled out Iesha's sword and pointed it at the restrained elf, who flinched. Carlos reached for his own scabbard instinctively, but his hand stopped.

  “Ahha! I knew it! She is your woman, isn't she?”

  “Fuck, man!” Iesha gulped. “I don't know what you...”

  “You're a liar and a snake. Keep your moth shut now, don't make me lose my temper!”

  “All right, Fabio, you've got me,” said Carlos. “She is a friend of mine indeed. She brought Lazarus' ship back to him on my command, and I tricked the man into sending his forces here. That was our pn. What do you want?”

  “I want you, Carlos Wayne.”

  “Me?”

  “I'll take you as my prisoner, and serve you justice as I see fit. Your damned men can stay here.”

  The pirate thought for a moment. “Would you leave them one of your ships so that they can leave? You have multiple, right?”

  And now Fabio was the one thinking, staring straight into the pirate captain's eyes. Then he turned to his men, who stood by his side tensely. “Was that ice mage alone? Did you see him?”

  “N-no, we left as fast as we could.”

  Fabio looked at Carlos suspiciously. “You don't really need my ship, do you? You have more of your own, don't you?”

  “Hmm. I appud your wits, Fabio.”

  “Stop calling me that. I'm Araki to you.” He clenched his fist, then sighed. “You won. I'll let her go, if you swear to spare my life.”

  “I intend to spare all your lives. Yours, and your men's. That's no issue.”

  Fabio dropped his sword.

  “B-but captain! Why?” asked one of Fabio Araki's soldiers. “Was he not about to surrender?”

  “He just wanted me to let go of the elf, so he pyed along, pretending I had him cornered with this ship deal. We don't have the upper hand, not in any sense, so y down your arms, if you want to live!”

  His men exchanged some looks, and dropped their weapons too. The two guys holding Iesha reluctantly let go of her, and she dashed past her captain, joining her real crew mates, then falling to her knees. The orange cat-pirate, Roy, patted her on her head gently. It was finally over.

  “Who is this mage ally of yours?” asked Fabio.

  For a pirate to have a mage crew member of this caliber was quite unusual – magic users were rare, powerful ones rarer, and even then, many mages refrained from using their abilities in battle out of principle. Still, having such a trump card or two was not unheard of when it came to royal armies of big kingdoms, but a group of criminals having a power like this at their disposal was the type of news that spread quickly. Warren Crown was the only pirate in this decade who was rumored heavily to have some dark magical powers. But ice magic at Carlos Wayne's disposal? Fabio figured that his assault on him won't be so simple, but he did not expect this.

  “She is a Cesanitian,” said Carlos. And right then, a group of soldiers arrived through the same passageway where the pirates came from. These soldiers looked more elite then Ike Lazarus' private hired forces, even the formation they walked in was more disciplined. They were armored well, all armed with swords and rge shields with a sigil on them, which depicted a man wearing a golden cape standing over a white background.

  “Cesanitians allying themselves with pirates against a minister of Midridge...” Fabio said in disbelief as he was letting some pirate bind his hands behind his back.

  “Not against a minister,” the leader of the Cesanitians said, removing his helmet. He had grey hair and a stern, clean-shaved face. He was Sir Kleid. “Down here south Ike Lazarus is an opportunist wearing his own colors, representing nothing but himself. We have no business with Midridge.”

  Fabio grimaced.

  An hour ter, Eric Goldman's two ships, which were hidden further in the cave system, maneuvered out into the sunlight on the eastern side of the isnd. They had to take this more complicated route, as the burnt ship's wreckage blocked the western cave-entrance now, but it was no big deal.

  The fate of Lazarus's defeated soldiers was the same as what Fabio threatened Carlos with in the cavern: they were to be left here on Scalehide without a way to leave. The pirate captain told them that they should be able to sustain themselves here, as the isnd is rge enough and has plenty of coconut trees, even some wild pigs, and easy to access fresh water. Half a year ter, when it's winter time on the northern side of the world, the reptilians will arrive. Carlos promised he will notify them about the left-behind soldiers here, and pay them in advance to bring them to Midridge.

  “Wont they be a problem half a year ter, then?” one-eyed Owen asked his captain as they looked at the Cesanitian ships emerging from between the trees, waiting for them on the shore.

  “They will be armless, jaded and disillusioned, happy to rejoin civilization, and probably not too keen to get back to Lazarus,” replied Carlos. “Besides, by then, this conflict will almost certainly be settled. Lazarus does not have a lot going for him anymore.”

  Goldman's ships were now out in the open sea, getting anchored. Eric Goldman and the ice mage Marcel Whiterose were already aboard one of them, while Sir Kleid and his men took off their armors, and carried several rowing boats to the sea. There were about a hundred of them here, and another fifty on their two ships, an army of the same size as the one led by Fabio. Some of these Cesanitians, along with the pirates, were still pointing their weapons at their rge group of prisoners, who were bunched up together, standing around with their hands tied. It took them quite a bit of rope to restrain this many people, but they had enough.

  “Wayne!” Sir Kleid approached the captain, stopping a few meters away from him. The experienced knight still wasn't too used to the idea of interacting with pirates. “Warren Crown did not come. That wasn't how you predicted.”

  “Predicted is perhaps a bit strong of a word. But you are correct, I was wrong about that hunch.”

  “We won this battle for you, but I hope you remember why my lord came here.”

  “He wants to eliminate the despicable Warren Crown. As do I, sir. The moral principles of your lord are commendable, and I appreciate all of your help here. It's quite the feat that this battle was settled without a single casualty. I'm going to thank Eric and dy Marcel as soon as we get aboard, and then we will discuss what's next.”

  “Hmmm,” Kleid stared at the pirate for a moment, did a little nod, and turned to his men handling the boats.

  “Carlos!” it was Iesha now who walked up to him.

  “Ah, Iesha! Are you all right?”

  “I'm fine.”

  “I'm sorry you had to be in that risky position.”

  The elf rolled her eyes. “Story of my life, man. I'll think about how you can make up for it.”

  Carlos smiled.

  “Anyway, I do have a suggestion to make. About Fabio Araki. He is a good fighter, I experienced that firsthand, he is quite witty too, and he has a strong sense of justice. As you just saw. I don't think we should leave him here.”

  “Really? You think he would be willing to help us?”

  “I just talked to him. Told him about Warren Crown, how much more of a despicable pirate he is than you. I mean he obviously heard about him too, but I told him what I myself know of him, and his deeds we witnessed since his return. And that even Goldman is after that guy. He said he is interested in helping us, if you will have him.”

  Carlos stared at Iesha thoughtfully. “He is a capable man, that's for sure. But you really think we can trust him?”

  Iesha lowered her gaze, then looked up again. “I think so.”

  The pirate captain slowly nodded. “Go and get him, then. But keep his hands tied still. I will talk to him ter.”

  As the elf walked back towards the captain of guards, she gulped, wondering whether she was a fool for doing this. The truth was, she wasn't at all sure if they can trust Fabio. She liked to believe they could, but the real reason she wanted not to leave him here was purely emotional, and she knew it. She felt guilty about leading the guy into a trap.

  Their voyage to this isnd was quite tense, as expected. Half of Iesha's sellswords were pced on one ship, half on the other; they were way outnumbered by the soldiers. If Fabio decided to get the untrustworthy mercenaries thrown into the sea at any point, there really wasn't much they could have done. And so Iesha, who was traveling on the same ship as the captain of guards, had a strong incentive to try to ease the man's suspicions.

  The twist was that Fabio came to the conclusion that he should allow that and py along. Let the elf think she convinced him, so that she herself won't be too worried and too keen to for example run away from him as soon as they get on ground on that isnd. If his suspicions were correct, and Silverlight really did work with Carlos, that would have meant she is someone the pirate holds in high regard. To trust her with this mission, he must have. She might have even been the lover of Carlos, for all that Fabio knew. Which meant that keeping her close during the battle seemed like a good idea. Fabio was going to use her as a bargaining tool if he had to, and he thought that's easier to ensure if she doesn't think about having to find an escape route asap.

  And so a few days into their voyage, he finally accepted the elf's suggestion of having dinner together, just the two of them. As they ate in his cabin, he acted reluctant and distant at first, but ended up telling her a bit about his childhood, his life leading up to this point, and his retionship with his parents even. He had an eastern father and a western mother, who's family was amongst the first ones to move to Midridge when its republic formed, hence his unusual combination of names.

  At their second dinner the day after, Fabio asked her some questions too, and she was the one to talk mainly. Things got spicy at the third dinner.

  They drank some wine, a bit more than on previous nights – Iesha kept refilling his gss, and he pretended he didn't notice or care. And then she initiated a kiss. He pulled away at first, but let her keep resting her hand on his thigh, and listened to her surprisingly seductive voice, her telling him that they should rex and enjoy themselves that night. Just that one night. He did not resist her second kiss-attempt. Their lips touched, and they made out with open eyes, staring at each other. She had the wildest, most raw version of that elf-like beauty Fabio ever saw, she was certainly a unique person. He grabbed her, lifted her up and carried her to his bed.

  Is he starting to trust me? She wondered. Is she starting to trust me? He wondered. Neither of them were certain, both felt like they have to really make sure. And so they really did.

  Now that Iesha led the man away from his tied up and confused underlings, as they walked towards the pirates and Cesanitians who were about to leave, she felt that tense chemistry between them, that intense mix of hostility and attraction they somehow developed. She thought back at that night they spent together, how shockingly good it was, how thoroughly thrilling. For like a decade, she thought she is over sex and romance, that she had enough. But this was a matter of life and death. Even if it's just a bit of a connection, a piece of affection she can solidify with him, if it so much as makes him hesitate in a crucial moment during whatever chaotic fight is awaiting them, that could decide whether she gets to live or die. It was such a subtle, mind game-y, significant night, and so passionate. And the guy was quite skilled in lovemaking too, he was definitely one of her best partners ever. He was quickly getting in tune with her body, pleasuring her enthusiastically, licking her tenaciously. He really went out of his way, and he took charge – in a sense, it was a simir experience to their wooden-sword duel. If sex was a game where one person wins, he would have been that one. Did that mean Iesha's manipution worked? At the height of that night, she almost didn't even care.

  But in the end, Fabio did let her go without a scratch. He did. And so it was now her turn. She gave him an out, a chance, an invitation. If it comes down to it, she thought she wouldn't even mind sleeping with him again. If she can tame this man like that, bring him over to their side, it might be worth a try. And even if it's foolish of her, just what could Fabio do all alone? He was a strong man, but surrounded by so many of them, he surely wasn't really a danger. And if they were to find Warren Crown, if he saw that evil man, he surely would understand the gravity of their mission against him. If he witnessed Warren's pure wickedness...

  But she and Fabio did not exchange any words before the guy was seated in a boat with Carlos, somehow getting separated from Iesha. And the boats began to row towards the Goldman ships. Fabio's ships, which were still stationed on two sides of the isnd, surrendered quick, the renaming couple of men who currently crewed them were given a rowing boat to get to Scalehide. And so they had 4 ships now, 4 ships sailing back to the Scorched Lands. They were going back to Murky Bay.

  As the sun began to set, Carlos walked into his cabin, his new captain's cabin. One of Fabio' ships (which were really owned by Ike Lazarus) was appointed to be his new one. He shared it with his crew and their newest member, Fabio. He did have a one on one conversation with the man, who wasn't very talkative, but said that he knows how horrible Warren Crown is, and if he can assist in taking him down, he will. In exchange, he wanted compensation from Carlos: he asked him for Ike Lazarus' best and biggest ship, Annabelle, to be given to him once this is all over. Carlos agreed.

  He then went over to one of Goldman's ships, where he ate and talked in the company of the young lord. Eric arrived on Scalehide five days before Fabio did, sooner than he predicted – he was still rather enthusiastic about his quest, and they got good winds too to sail here. As soon as he arrived, Carlos did his trick on Lazarus, and their pn was set in motion. Eric's mage friend turned out be a real blessing. With her help, the csh with Fabio was settled so quick, so easily, it couldn't have went any better.

  Marcel Whiterose got a stomachache after her feat though. She said she really did not hold back, and that weighed on her body. She was already getting better, but she still didn't come out to eat with them. Carlos found her to be quite an amusing person, and he told Eric to tell her he wishes her a speedy recovery.

  As for the young lord, he wasn't hard to read, and he was easy to deal with too. Carlos thought it's obvious what's going on with him: he was in love with this Marcel girl, overjoyed by her victory, and he certainly enjoyed the opportunity to carry her to their ship after. He was on top of his world, full of passion, and eager to serve and potentially impress – perhaps save – Marcel. And the girl was certainly on-board with hunting down the infamous Warren Crown. Not only out of justice, but out of vanity too, to add that triumph to her image of awesomeness. As far as Carlos was concerned, that was a perfectly fine reason.

  He sat down on his bed, staring out his small window at the sunset, repying the events of that day in his head, and wondering what the future holds in store for them. He eventually y down, taking a bit of a nap. And then someone climbed out from under his bed. It happened rather quick, and Carlos couldn't react in time. The sneaky Fabio stabbed him in the heart with a dagger. The pirate captain gasped, his expression stiffened... then it softened into a smile. The startled Fabio let go of the dagger's handle and stepped back while Carlos sat up. He looked down at his own chest, and slowly took the bde out. There wasn't even any blood.

  “It takes more than that to kill me, Fabio Araki.”

  The man jumped to the drawer and grabbed the pirate's scabbard, trying to unsheathe the sword frantically. Then he colpsed.