Einar Yarrow's POV

The pitch black darkness that surrounded me and my maps was interrupted by a flash of colours in the distance. Only for the briefest of moments, but it was there.

I grabbed the rope that hung from the side of my desk, ringing the bell. A moment later, my messenger arrived slightly out of breath.

"Send Fah'stus in here immediately." I ordered. The man saluted hastily, saying "yes captain!", before running off.

I tapped the map of Laestrithan with my finger, thinking. A secret cave that is yet to be discovered, is in Laestrithan of all places? Half the mountains have been either carved out or mined, yet somehow, they'd missed the cave containing the next clue to the Leviathan's Hoard? It was strange, but the Sea Warden must have learned something.

My thoughts were interrupted by a familiar knock on the door. "Come in." I called, looking up from my maps to see my first mate enter.

His gold hair was tied in a messy ponytail above his head, a testament to his long travels. It still managed to reach between his shoulder blades.

He was smiling obnoxiously like usual. He obviously took this mission as a chance to lay back and have fun. Typical.

I returned my attention to the map in my hands, my eyes gliding along the paper, waiting for an epiphany to strike me. It wasn't good enough to just follow the Sea Warden's lead. We had to be ten steps ahead.

"Where are they?" I asked, remembering my first mate.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He asked with that annoying smirk of his.

I looked up at him, questioning if I should throw a knife into his head but eventually decided I would restrain myself.

I believed in rewarding good behaviour - and for whatever reason, my first mate found some kind of pleasure in small talk.

"Welcome back, Fah'stus." I said, holding back a world weary sigh. "Now answer the d*mn question." I added, my irritation and impatience, making me reconsider the knife-in-head option.

"They're at the docks. They plan to leave for Laestrithan before dark." He finally answered.

Good. Very good. Whatever it was that rushed them forward would increase their haste. While I might not be able to find the location of the cave before they arrive, I could do the next best thing.

In their haste, they won't see us coming. They won't be prepared enough, or perhaps, too much. It wouldn't matter. I just had to sit back and let them do the work until it was my time to strike.

The plan began coming together in my mind, the satisfying flow of events rolling out in perfect rows. It wouldn't be long now, before I had the upper hand in this battle. No, this masscre. I'd make them regret ever deciding to go after this treasure for whatever pathetic reason that drived them.

My thoughts were once again interrupted as a thud sounded on the far side of my desk. Had it been anyone else's sandy boot that now lay crossed on my desk, I'd have a knife in their leg before they had time to reconsider their choices.

But I contained the overwhelming urge as I looked up at my first mate, now sitting across from me, leaning forward to look at the map in my hands.

I had thought people of Azodu were meant to be raised with some kind of status of honour and dignity. Yet I was left with this absolute buffoon, who seemed to have zero hopes for self-preservation.

I often wondered why I had apparently made him my first mate. I wouldn't know, I thought bitterly.

Perhaps, I decided, if I treated him like an equal instead of inserting my knife into his leg, he would return the favour and stop acting so foolish and unpredictable. "What are you doing?" I asked.

"Aren't you going to ask me how my trip went?" He asked. His face was split into a grin, apparently finding something amusing.

His gold eyes looked down at me with unrestrained energy and mischief. Was this man drunk on fun or something?

I sighed, leaning back in my chair to create distance before speaking.  "Fah'stus, I already know how your 'trip' went. You spied on our targets, enjoyed your local drinks, and had more fun than you should have. Am I right?" I asked.

When I saw his mouth open to add something dumb, I added, "and caused trouble for some foreigners." It was an all-encompassing statement.

The way he smirked, shrugging his shoulders told me I was right. But before I could dismiss the fool, he said, "I also got you that suprise you asked for."

I remembered asking him to try to intercept the Laestrithan miner before he left Ecethis. Since he'd arrived silently, taking only moments before he knocked at my door, I assumed he mustn't have succeeded.

After all, it wasn't an easy task to lug a grown man across a flying ship. I smiled, realising we finally had a chance to begin the Sea Warden's massacre.

"Where is he?" I asked eagerly, standing up from my seat.

"In the dungeon already~" Fah'stus said, chuckling, seemingly proud of himself.

"You're welcome, Einar." He added, making me want to smack him over the head. The way he shortened my name like I wasn't his captain got on my nerves.

I decided not to hold back on my justified impulse this time and allowed my hand to make contact with the back of his skull with a satisfying thud. "And get your dirty boots off desk." I added.

I didn't turn around to look as I fast walked toward the dungeon. Despite that, I already knew he was smiling once more, right on my heals.

We did it for work, not pleasure. I was eager to make progress. Yet I knew he found the same satisfaction in the job that I did. I could release my anger, him his energy.

I played with the knife on my belt. Perhaps I just craved the breaking point.

~

Kota's POV

The Sea Warden gathered around on the main deck as Captain Talaedra collected the dimensional rings from the A.I.M.D soldiers. The same soldier who had confiscated them upon our arrival - I remembered his black hair and dark eyes - now piled them all in the captain's cupped hands.

They exchanged a few words in... whatever the native language of Azodu was called... and parted ways. The captain approached us, handing each person their rings back. Excluding myself, of course.

Words were exchanged between people as they put their rings on and went their separate ways, most going below deck.

Reneta mentioned something about a vegetable stew. The captain called for Lysandra and Lyrandros to get the ship in the air. Talaos told Dune he was going to install the new engine cog he bought at the market earlier - as if he understood.

I decided to go fetch my new jacket, which I'd placed in my room below deck. While it was sweltering hot now, droplets of sweat running indiscretely down my skin, I knew that our destination was going to be much different.

I caught Noe's glare in my direction as I made my way down the stairs and below deck, wondering if people got sick often from the sudden change of temperature. Or did their bodies just get used to it?

I wasn't sure how cold Laestrithan was, but I'd heard it being called 'mountainous' and 'cold' often enough to get the hint that my sleevless Azodu top wouldn't make for a pleasant experience.

I crossed the hallway quickly, entering my room, which was perhaps the 6th room on the left. I was curious, eager even, to be above deck when we entered the new dimension. Partially to lessen the chances of me vomiting - and also to enjoy the sky view of this new world.

I grabbed my jacket off of my bed, the yellow and black suddenly reminding me Ibryn's colour choices.

I turned around to quickly exit but found Noe standing in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest, a scowl on his face.

"You accepted her offer?" He sneered. It was more an accusation than a question.

I shrugged, my attitude quickly turning flat and dismissive. "So what if I did?"

Noe scoffed loudly, incredulous. "You want me to trust an Eastilian - no - a complete outsider into a role like this?"

I understood his concern. It was risky to trust too easily. I agreed with that. The captain seemed to trust too easily, in my opinion, and apparently, Noe thought the same thing. But in the end, that wasn't my problem. I gained something, she gained something, and the deal was made.

"I guess you don't have a choice." I said, crossing my arms over each other, mirroring his own body language. "As I've said before, take up your problems with your captain, not me."

Noe shook his head, anger visibly boiling within him. "You think it's an easy job, don't you? You think it will be like whatever blasted things you did on your planet!" I flinched, not at the rising volume of his voice, but at his words. I did do bad things, didn't I. But they were far from easy.

"Every single mission I do," he began, pushing off the wall where he leaned and approached. "Every single one is a risk on my life!" He hissed, now close enough to jab his finger in my chest. "You expect me to risk my skin by having your clumsy Eastilian 'skill' dragging me back."

I didn't react to his words or actions. I was only a step away from the wall, my back facing it. But I knew if things got serious, it wouldn't matter. My senses were heightened; if he moved wrong, I'd have my knife in him before he saw it coming.

"As I've said before, it's not my problem." My voice was low, somewhere between a warning and a threat; daring him to do something.

Noe huffed a dry, humourless laugh. We appeared the same height, but as he stood closer now, I realised begrudgingly that he was just a few inches taller than me.

"What did she tell you this job intales, hm?" He asked, his voice low and venomous. His strange purple eyes stared down at my yellow ones for a few silent seconds. I didn't respond.

He scoffed dryly. " 'Just a spy', perhaps?" He said quietly into the silence. I raised an eyebrow in return and he shook his head. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"She's signed you up to be an assassin, Eastilian." He stated. My stomach tightened slightly. Was that really her intention? It wasn't like I could be forced into killing someone.

"I'm an assassin. She plans for you to go on my spying missions with me until the moment you're forced to kill someone to save yourself." My stomach twisted into a tighter knot. Had I been foolish to begin to start trusting her.

"You think she's nice, don't you? Laid back and flexible. What a nice captain. Well, there's a reason many of us have our loyalties remaining with Axe."

I remained silent. Perhaps it didn't matter? What was I willing to do for this mission? I'd already left everything I knew behind - or what was left of it. I knew travelling with pirates wouldn't be all sunshine and daisies. Was I willing to do what it took to get this treasure? The treasure Gran Shelly wasted her youth trying to find? The treasure that could turn my life around?

"You don't know what it's like, do you?" Noe cut into my thoughts. "To kill someone?" I couldn't identify the tone behind his voice. Was it anger? A threat? A warning? Or just a question.

"I've killed people." I responded. Was this a competition? It wasn't something to be proud of. I could suddenly feel the warm metal of my gun in my hands and the sight of Cash's injured form beside me.

"But have you ever assassinated someone?" He insisted.  "To feel their blood still warm on your hands? To see the light fade from their eyes? Hear them beg for you to stop, but you know you need to finish the job?"

Images flashed in my mind of blood on my shaking hands, smaller but just as pale. The thud of my heart seemed to be louder than all the sounds in the world, drowning me. She looked up at me with pleading eyes, which faded into hollow, empty shells, void of the life they once shone with.

Before I could think, my knife - gold with deep red gems - was in my hand, striking forward at his stomach.

He reacted quickly, jumping back fast enough to only earn a scratch. In the same movement, he grabbed my wrist and twisting the knife out of my hand.

As soon as I let go with my right hand, however, my left hand lunged forward, snatching the knife from the air. Instantly, it was making its way into the arm Noe held me with, but was cut short as he spun my own arm around. Before I could figure out what was happening, my right arm was wrapped around my neck, my back pressed against his chest, so I was forced to choke myself.

His left hand held my right wrist, pulling my arm around my neck; while the other fought to snatch the knife from my left hand.

"Struck a nerve, did I?" He taunted. The anger bubbling within me surged. I slammed the back of my head into his face, causing him to grunt in pain and loosen his grip.

I took the opportunity and spun out of his grip,  stepping forward quickly to strike him. I aimed for his shoulder - somewhere that would hurt.

Somehow, despite his bleeding nose, he was quicker. His forearm struck mine, causing me to momentarily lose balance. Taking the opportunity he created, Noe stuck his foot behind mine, shoving me back.

Realising it was too late to avoid my fall, I twisted in hopes of landing on my hands. Luckily, I achieved that, but quickly felt Noe's boot shove hard on my back, my face crashing into the wooden floor.

Before I could make any attempts besides to brute force my way up, he relocated his boot to step on my left hand. The calculated pressure was painful but not crushing. I attempted to keep hold of the knife. I eventually released it, however, as he gradually increased pressure.

I quickly placed my right hand on the ground to push myself up off the floor, now that his boot wasn't on my back. But before I got any further than that, Noe snatched my knife off the ground where it lay beside my hand and his boot, directing its point at the side of my neck.

I froze for a moment, calculating my options. After a long moment, I let my right hand drop to the floor, relenting.

A tense silence surrounded us, the only sound coming from our own breathing - deeper but controlled. It stretched on, with his unreadable eyes staring at me, the point of my blade an inch from my neck.

My left hand ached from the pressure of left his boot, which he had relaxed slightly after my surrender. I stared at the wooden floor that pressed up against my face, simmering in my own anger.

"Someone really needs to teach you how to fight." Noe stated, slightly breathless, his tone as unreadable as his expression.

"Go to hell." I hissed, my voice strained from being pressed against the floor, breathing harder.

"You first." He retorted casually as he released his boot from atop my hand, standing up. His anger seeminged to have expelled after our fight.

I pushed myself up so I was sitting on the floor, holding back a groan as the pressure from my body was released.

"Keep fighting like that and you really will get me killed." He said, standing a few paces away from where I sat. Smart. Just far enough that I couldn't lunge forward and strangle his insufferable soul from his body.

Instead I resorted to glaring daggers at him, like I hadn't in a long time. I forced myself to calm down, controlling my anger.

"Don't act like I wasn't a second away from bleeding you dry." I snapped. The image of me strangling him intensified in my mind.

Noe scoffed dryly before throwing my blade forward, letting it clatter loudly in front of my aching hand. "You were sloppy," he started before his expression shifted ever so slightly, "but I'll admit, you're better than I expected. Seems you can be deadly when pushed. I suppose you might have some potential."

I gritted my teeth at his careless response. "I'll stick a knife in your neck regardless." I hissed. 'When pushed'. Did he take credit for my efforts?

"That's what drives you forward in this job." He said, a humourless smile twitching in his face. "The anger. The detached, cold and calculated viciousness. Just keep it controlled and you'll be fine."

As the fog of anger unclouded from my brain, I picked up on a hint of compassion in his tone. Perhaps it calmed me. He wasn't blaming me for what I did. What did I do? What was that image?

It flashed in my mind once more, just for a second - bloody hands, lifeless eyes. A pang shot through my brain and I mentally flinched away from the thought.

"She wants you to join me once we land." Noe started. "If we're lucky it will be a solely spying mission. But if it isn't, don't let your demons haunt you. It's not personal, it's just efficiency."

With that he left me, sitting alone on my floor, pondering all my life choices. A moment later, colourful lights shone in through the windows and a sharp chill hit my bare arms.

-Interdimensional Pirates
-April Bluebird/@BlueWhiskers1
-19/Nov/2025
-Chapter 23: Demons
-3069 words
-1.4K 👁‍🗨, 342 🌟, 547💭