The small fishing village of Stonegap was a peaceful village once. Wedged in between the otherwise so hostile and fickle Virens forest and the untamable sea, this quiet little hub of civilization is one where nothing happens and where the inhabitants can go about their daily lives without much worry beyond their haul and the daily village gossip.



They have tales of adventure, passed down from generation to generation. Always in the past tense, and a very ancient tense at that. Not even the oldest residents of the village can remember the old days of their turbulent past, or the once great dungeon that drew the people to this place. No, the dark crevice in the rock that led to a cave of monsters had been cleaned out and stripped from all its treasure centuries ago. Stonegap is just a gap these days, a cave filled with seawater and nothing more. The adventurers that went dungeon delving here left, the people who made a living off these adventurers left, and everyone who wasn’t needed left. Only the villagers remained.

And it was perfect. The villagers were gifted with building much bigger than what the locals could construct themselves, and a small stone keep to keep them save. As time passed, the large docks that once ferried in treasure hunters rotted away, to be replaced by smaller piers for fishing ships. The walls meant to keep out enemies since forgotten crumbled, sufficient to keep out the occasional wolves or bear but little more. And the graveyard would fill, the empty graves of adventurers whose remains were forever lost were replaced by the ever growing legacy of the local populous.

If one visits the village these days, they’ll find a serene and simple living. The fishermen pray to the spirits of the sea before setting sail, and their wives and children will do the same as they wait at the shore for a safe return. The herbalists and lumberjacks would make sacrifices and perform rituals to appease the beings of the forests, taking only as much lumber and herbs as they needed. What few people had secondary jobs would not charge for their services, instead the carpenter would be supplied with food from all equally for his efforts to build more boats and houses and the priest was given alms to continue guiding and advising his flock.

You might be pleasantly surprised by the complete peace and acceptance of the locals, even. The humans and lizardfolk who live here don’t just coexist in peace, they seem to completely lack the understanding of why people would let their appearances separate them into groups elsewhere. Even though they are incompatible races anywhere else, in this village they are a seamless community. The cabins and cottages of men are mixed in with wooden huts and clay cabins of the scaled folk.

I wish you would find the same serene and peaceful village as usual, I really do. Unfortunately though, you find Stonegap in its most dire hour. The village lies in the shadow of a greedy and cruel foe, outsiders of a lowly but malign origin. A pirate ship, larger than any sloop or skiff that the fishermen have ever made or seen, has taken anchor in the village bay. A caravel that carried with it dozens of vicious low lives and thugs, and released them upon the defenseless villagers.

The pirate captain, Cpt. Leon Goldeneye, currently occupies the mayor’s office. This otherwise unremarkable two-bit captain from Vilpamolan takes great enjoyment in being the biggest fish in what he calls ‘his little capital’. His lieutenants and sailors are similarly terrorizing the villagers, killing the ones who fight back and taking those that catch their eye. They don’t bother chasing those who try to flee, knowing that the superstitious villagers are too afraid of the woods that surround them. Knowing that the family that the fishermen have will always draw them back home. Knowing that this village is a cage to the villagers as much as it is their home.

As we speak, this terrorizing of the innocent is happening. The hardships of the villagers are currently taking the form of two sailors harassing a group of fishermen. One of them is brandishing his scabbard and keeping the fishermen back, while the other is checking under the nets and in the large baskets. The fishermen are looking nervously at their little ship, one father in particular is sweating profusely and praying fervently to all the gods that he knows. Hidden in one of the baskets, a young girl does the same. Being just old enough to look desirable, she had been getting quite some unpleasant stares and glances from the pirates. Glances that spoke volumes of the fate that awaited her if she would stay here. She was not just one of the chains that ensured that the fishermen would return to the village, she was a pretty doll who would entertain the sailors greatly and make a pretty dime afterwards.

Taking the lids off the baskets one by one, the sailor comes closer and closer to the terrified girl. She grabs the little amulet carved out of a large fish’s bone and prays. She prays for a miracle. A savior. She prays for anything, anything that could save her from these vile men. Anything to change her cruel and dark fate.

Jago was out in the forest, Scarlet hat atop his head and staff in hand. The tree’s in these parts had been whispering recently, and Jago had come to check it out. A sparrow called out to him. It was one of the birds he knew and used as a network of eyes throughout his forest. Jago listened to the report and quickly made up his mind to help. Stonegap was a village he knew, it wasn’t too far from where his forest home was. They respected the forest and its inhabitants, he had even bought the odd fish here.

With all the speed he could muster Jago made his way to the familiar hole in the old walls by the graveyard. So far so good. The wizard was a reasonable sneak – his halfling heritage was a major advantage. He checked for sentries, then darted behind a gravestone. Ducked down even the top of his hat was hidden by the stone.

The wizard held his breath and looked around the corner from his hiding spot. Beads of sweat appeared on his brow instantly as he saw their ship for the first time, for the first time in a long time he considered weather he had bitten off a little more than he could chew this time.

A raven landed on the next gravestone along. It was Jago’s familiar Huginn - the large bird gave him a knowing stare. “Our odds don’t look great again.” Jago said quietly to the bird. Huginn didn’t reply, he just took off and led the wizard towards the two sailors causing trouble. He flew silently until he was three feet away from the sailor busy holding back the sailors. Then he opened his beak and gave the loudest caw he could muster. As the armed sailor jumped in surprise Jago smashed the base of his staff into the back of his skull.

The halfling stepped between the angry men and the sailor searching around. “Tell your captain that The Red Wizard is here- and that you have minutes to get out of this village.” Huginn landed on the unconscious sailors’ chest and began plucking at his left eye.

"Yes, Peabody, I am certain. We are almost there."

Ed looks down at the compass, consulting back and forth between it and the map. They had been travelling for seven days, now, along the coast. Twinkle kept their little boat moving quickly enough, supplementing the wind when necessary and parting the water before their prow to add less resistance. They should have been there by now, surely. Placing the map and compass aside, he slipped open the looking glass and began to scan the coast for any kinds of landmarks. Nothing.

"I am just saying, sir, that we should have been there by now. If you would just let me check the map…"
"Peabody, we will be there today! Calm down, man!"

Another three days had passed, and tempers were getting frayed. They should have reached the city by now. They had taken on a simple enough job. Pick up a package from Adeluna, take it down the coast, find the contact and collect payment. Simple. It had the added benefit of getting them out of the city for a few day, or so had been the thought. It truly wasn't meant to take this long, not if his calculations had been correct.

Not even two hours later, Ed finally spotted something in the distance. It wasn't a city, that was sure. They would be able to stock up on supplies, stretch their legs and find out how much longer they had to go. Maybe then Peabody would stop nagging. He stood up suddenly, stretching tall and making the skiff rock gently. There was a small squeak from behind him, drawing his attention. Over the course of the journey, Twinkle had shrunken more and more into her bundle of robes that were far too large for her. Currently, all that he could see of here was the gentle green glow of her eyes coming out from the deep shadows of the hood. A tiny head poked out of the hood and gave a small meow of it's own. So that was where the cat had gotten to.

With land in sight, there was a very noticeable increase in their speed. Almost as if Twinkle had been holding back the whole time, not wanting to go too fast too far from land. That was just paranoid thinking, however, and Ed refused to mistrust the little stone girl. She was far too innocent. For some reason there weren't any fishing vessels out. Surprising for the time of day. Perhaps the fish in these waters just weren't any good. There was a large ship of some kind, Ed had no idea what kind of classification such a thing would have, docked in the harbor of what looked to be a small village. Upon the docks, he could see a bit of a commotion happening. A short figure, dressed all in red, was in the middle of causing a scene upon the docks. There was a man at his feet, and another attempting to fend him off with a sword. Other terrified villagers huddled behind the small, dangerous figure. This would not do!

Their little vessel drew up to the docks and Ed was already leaping out, sending it rocking violently and eliciting a tiny scream of terror from Twinkle. Peabody, disembarking more carefully, followed him, sword in hand already. The little person seemed to be delivering some kind of ultimatum to the innocents.

"You there… Halfling! What is the meaning of this?"

Ed struck his most threatening pose, with Peabody circling slowly to the side so the two would not be two close together. The conscious pirate saw the distraction as an opportunity, running off to get help.

Young Lucy wasn't happy. Things were too serious for that right now. The grown-ups were being too serious for that right now. They were moody and jumpy, getting angry at her much quicker than they used to. Lucy didn't like it. She and her dolly Ann-Mary wanted the mood to be cheery and fun again, like it was before. Before those other grown-ups came to town.

Lcuy was upset. She was always allowed to talk to anyone before. She was allowed to walk into any house, if the door was open, and talk to the residents. They liked talking to her, and having tea time with her and Ann-Mary. And they had always told her that if other people came from beyond, she could talk to them too. Other people were exciting and heroic, they had told her. But now that there were outsiders, her parents suddenly kept her indoors. Which was no fun at all. Lucy didn't want to stay inside all day. She wanted to play with big sis and all the kind people of her village. Instead, she had to follow her parents wherever they went. And she had to remain silent while doing so. Lame.

Lucy puffed her cheeks. She didn't want to be silent. People liked it when she giggled, so why were they getting mad now? She wasn't like Ann-Mary, who was always so obediently quiet. And she didn't want to follow her parents to this damned graveyard either. They always got upset when she played around the weird stones for some reason, but there was nothing else here to play with. And they had been around here way too often these last few days, ever since the others came. Always standing around a box and then burying it, without telling Lucy what was inside.

Lucy pouts again, looking at her parents and some of the other villagers standing around a box. They were being so sad and serious right now, and actually got angry at her for being cheery. Lucy didn't like it. They otherwise never got angry with her. These outsiders were just dumb, and they made her grown-ups act silly.

A little streak of red catches her eye. Lucy looks, and then holds Ann-Mary so that she can see it too. A funny little man was trying to hide, but the silly short man was dressed in bright red. He even had a bright red hat of a kind that Lucy had never seen before. Not even at ole Heddy Hat's place, who had a lot of silly hats. That's not a hiding outfit, silly. Lucy giggled. This stranger looked fun, not at all serious and keep-away-from-them-y like the other outsiders. He was just a bit taller than her, but his beard was much too long for him to be a child. Maybe he was a grown-up who decided to become a child again? None of the other grown-ups ever did that. They were so lame.

The little red man says something to a bird, and Lucy smiles at Ann-Mary. This grown-up child talked to his toys too! Lucy already liked him a lot. She wanted to play with him. But first, she would sneak up on him. Grown-ups always jumped in the funniest ways when she did that. Well, before. Now they were suddenly getting mad at her, which was no fair. Before she could near him though, the red man ran away.

Lucy pouts, disappointed that the little red man would leave her be. She ran after him and snuck through a gap in the wall that real grown-ups didn't fit through. She saw the man in glances of red, leading her to the shore. Her father was standing there, as well as a few other friends of hers and two of those bad men. The little red man snuck up on the bad men, about to play the same fun trick on them as Lucy. She was liking him more and more.

Suddenly, the black bird caws and the little red man jumps up really high. Much higher than Lucy could. She puffs her cheeks jealously. The little red man swings his weird stick and smacks one of the bad men with it, causing him to fall over. That didn't seem like a fun and innocent surprise, Lucy thought. The bad man didn't get up and seemed to refuse acting surprised and startled like the villagers did when she surprised them. Lucy squeezes Ann-Mary a bit closer, feeling like there was something wrong with what just happened to the man. And with how the bird was pecking at his face. She looked at Ann-Mary's wooden face, and the unmoving expression looked back at her. A whisper in her mind tells Lucy that the man would soon be in one of those wooden boxes, though she didn't know why.

The little red man shouts something, something she couldn't overhear. A small ship that Lucy hadn't seen before landed on the shore quickly, and another strange man appeared. Another one of those bad men? He shouted back at the red man while yet another man left the boat.

Lucy had lost interest in the grown-ups talking, though. She had heard something in the boat that sounded like a child, and immediately got excited. There were so few children in the village to play with, and most of them were either dumb boys or 'good girls' who would help their mothers weave baskets. A new girl would be real fun, and Lucy would be her first and therefore best friend.

As the two bad men and the little red man stood face to face while the first bad man ran away, Lucy and Ann-Mary snuck around them carefully to the new small boat.

Clunk. Clunk.

Frustrated Huginn cawed angrily. This had been his first opportunity to chomp down a tasty eyeball for a long time and he’d chosen a nice big non-juicy glass one. As he looked over to the right eye – he spotted a tiny, ragged boat slide into the shore and two rough looking sailors get off.

Jago had spotted them too, them bursting in had ruined his stylish ambush. It didn’t matter though; the effect would be the same – captain would be informed. “With the runner Huginn.” Jago commanded. Huginn stared at the juicy brown eye in front of him longingly for a moment, then took off in flight to track the sailor.

Now, these two sailors – they obviously weren’t with the original lot. They were too shabby for a start. “Don’t be an idiot.” Jago said to the man that had called out – he seemed to be the leader of tiny crew. Calling him a captain seemed a bit of a stretch when his boat was only slightly bigger than some of the fishing boats.

“Is there a safe place to hide? A big house? Temple? Try and gather everyone together.” Jago said to the villagers he had just rescued. The father of the teenage girl lifted the lid of the basket she’d been hiding in and helped her out, before following the rest of the villagers towards the small temple by the graveyard.

Jago turned his attention to the two men that had just arrived. “You’ve just sailed right into an occupation – I’m trying to liberate this village from these thugs.” Jago tried to explain quickly, his eyes kept darting to the sky, he was looking for Huginn and the reinforcements. The wizards keen eye missed the little girl as she climbed aboard Ed’s ship. Instead he was focusing his energy, harnessing the elements around him so that he could call them into action at a moments notice. Jago knew they crew to a ship that large would be substantial – and these pirates were not all the trees whispered of.

The clouds started to gather – a storm brewing above the villiage. It made picking out the raven difficult, but Huginn made himself obvious with copious cawing. The wind was picking up. Huginn relayed his intel to the wizard. “First wave is coming from the big house up there.” Jago gestured with his staff but needn’t have bothered as a solid column of sailors rushed towards them. The wizard ignored them – they still had plenty of distance to close. Instead his emerald eyes spotted the same runner from before, on his way up the dock to his ship.

Jago had started the mumble and ancient chant, the language was old – druidic and powerful. All of a sudden the arrival of the storm made perfect sense. The wizards chant grew louder as he channelled more power. He thrust his staff into the air and thunder roared in response.
A ferocious bolt of lightning blasted at the ship. The main sail erupted into flame as the mask exploded. Embers rained down from the burning sail like deadly rain. Jago turned to the two pirates and shouted over the noise of the burning ship and incoming horde. “I am Jago – The Red Wizard. You are with me or against me!” He drew his little sword from his belt and held it high in his left hand.

If he hadn’t been the size of a tall child it might have been an impressive sight.

Someone was entering the boat. She was sure that wasn't meant to happen. They were small, though, which was good. The boat barely moved when the small human girl got in. Twinkle remained, frozen in place, eyes fixed on the human. Was she meant to do something? The boat was secure in place, as long as she remained with it. She did not know how to tie the ropes, though. Was she meant to stay here with the girl? She would stay here with the girl, until told otherwise.

Lucy scrambled over the benches in the small boat, seeing the statue at the end of the boat. Why had they dressed the statue in clothes? What a silly thing to do! Lucy giggled to herself, looking into the eyes of the statue. They were such a pretty green, whatever they were made of. The light made it look like they were glowing! She reached out to touch it's cheek, a little surprised at how warm it was. Well, it was in the sun, wasn't it? That must be why. The stone was so smooth under her fingertips.

Ed stood back and watched, a little bored as the small wizard started playing with the elements. Sure, the way he threw around wind and lightning was pretty fancy. But where was the sense of showmanship? The pizzazz? Not to mention the sheer waste! Did the little man have any idea how much it cost to repair a mast, to have new sails made? If he was here to kill a bunch of no good pirates, then why not profit a little? That vessel he seemed intent on burning to the shoreline could fetch a fair amount of silver, not to mention how much use Ed could have gotten out of it himself. With a proper crew, that ship would have been a huge improvement over the skiff he was bouncing around in currently. Perhaps he could have Twinkle use her water magic to put the flames out before they spread too far. Speaking of which, where had the mage gotten to? Hadn't he told her to come with him? Either way, the halfling was now posing in a storm, holding a metal object up towards the sky. Sure, the storm was magical in origin, but did that mean it wouldn't strike him with a bolt if he stood there like a lightning rod?

The question is chased out of his mind by the sound of dozens of booted feet rushing towards their location. Would the halfling be able to take care of whatever was coming alone? Probably. Would Ed be able to take the ship and leave? Of course not, not now that the mast had been destroyed. But, if the pirates were removed from the equation, would the townsfolk feel so grateful to their rescuers that they might possibly repair the mast free of charge and set them up with supplies enough to leave here and continue on their way? Well, that was the question now, wasn't it? Mind made up, Ed turned to face the oncoming pirates, seeing them as they drew close. He hoped the halfling would continue on with his impressive displays, because there were at least twelve of them. Ed, awful with a blade in hand, would be lucky to account for one of them. Maybe two, if he used magic to increase his speed. Peabody on the other hand. Well that man was a machine! Who knew what he might accomplish, against pirates no less! Ed was sure that this would be taking the man back to his younger years. Where had he gotten to, though? His manservant was nowhere to be seen. That could be a good thing, couldn't it? A little bit of worry building inside him, his hand dropped to the hilt of his sword. Which wasn't there. Balls.

While the halfling and his captain postured, which knowing Ed could take a while, Peabody decided it was about time to take a look around. From the looks of things the village was under attack by pirates. It made a little more sense than a lone halfling wizard terrorizing them. If the ones who had been on the docks were the guards left with the ship, then where were the rest of them? That was what Peabody wanted to find out. It would be inconvenient to have an entire crew drop down on their heads, unprepared. To be honest, it would be inconvenient to have a crew of pirates drop down on their heads at any time. Unless that wizard had more up his sleeves than single lightning bolts after long chants, they could be overwhelmed easily. As well as finding where the rest of the crew was, he would need to find a location that could be defended, and the rest of the villagers. If any could be convinced to stand with them, this whole situation could be turned around easily. As he ducked inside a house, he heard the sounds of people approaching. A peek around the corner of the door showed him it was the first of the pirates. A lot of them, but not enough to occupy a village of this side.

Lucy giggled. With her pinky held high as a noble lady ought to, she handed the black statue an imaginary cup of tea. This statue was fun. It felt more alive than mere ragdolls and puppets, but not alive enough to complain, argue or walk away from Lucy. Ann-Mary was still her favourite, but she definately wanted this statue to be her toy too. With her pinky held high again, she hands Ann-Mary a cup. The wooden doll doesn't move either, but that was okay. The pleasantries and socialising was all in Lucy's head.

***

Carol cries as the lid of the basket is taken off, but they are tears of joy. She quickly jumps into her father's arms, so scared when the pirates suddenly decided to search his ship. They were usually too lazy to do that. Her father hugs her tightly, the few terrible minutes that he feared for his daughter's safety were more than any parent could and should ever handle.

"Thank you, kind sir." He says, turning to the halfling in red. "If it weren't for you, my daughter might have…"

He grows silent, not wanting to finish that though and allow the grim reality of what nearly happened kick in. He merely grows silent and nods thankfully at Jago. His daughter does the same.

One of the other fishermen who was standing nearby walks towards the knocked out sailor and picks up the cutlass that the man was clutching on to. The sword looks a bit small in the large lizardfolk's hands, the engraved fingerholds not at all fitting his fingers and his pinky awkwardly resting on the pommel. Tough Terry didn't care. With a single thrust, he plunges it through the unconscious sailor's chest and pulls it out again.

The gatorman straightens himself again and rolls his shoulders to get the blood flowing. There were others who'd fight now, finally. These newcomers weren't like the villagers, without spine and guts. They were more like him, though rather small. Terry was close to two meters tall, clad in thick scales and with a powerful jaw that could snap a limb straight off to the bone. His muscles were swoll and his figure buff, like the powerful orc barbarians from the stories. And his fists were tough, the scales twisted and serraded after all the punching he did with them.

First he had been striking wood. Punching it over and over again, practicing until he had felled three trees. Then he started punching stone. But that got boring quickly, so he turned to the fishermen. He had learned how to fish and use the boat, but only because he had to. They wouldn't let him join them until he knew how to help them. After three uneventful trips, his real reason to become a fisherman became apparent. When the shark appeared, lured by all the fish that they were netting in, he had jumped into the water and wrestled it. Sharks had a tough skin and the water slowed him down, so Terry had to punch really hard. Punch harder than the shark could bite. It was awesome. He had fought a few more such beasts of the sea since, and the other fishermen gained an appreciation for his simple solution to some of their hazardous work problems. 

So when the pirates came, he wanted to punch them. There were a few others in the village who agreed, but most were scared. And Terry couldn't help but notice that it were mostly the humans who cowered, while the majority of the brave fighters were lizardfolk. And he was clearly the strongest and bravest amongst them. But, the villagers had told him to wait. Told him not to fight or stir up trouble. Well, now he didn't have to hold back any more. Now the trouble had been stirred, so he might as well help stirring it even further. Stir it so hard that there would be no more pirates left in the bowl.

His reptilian eyes turned to the dozen men who were coming at them, and he shoved the cutlass into Marone's hands. The middleaged man fumbles with the somewhat heavy and bloody weapon, clearly not too excited about having to use it soon. Not the villager who he would've chosen to fight besides when things got serious, but not the worst either. The fisherman knew how to handle a knife around their fish, so he should figure out quickly how to gut these pirates too. And if not, well… Terry looks at his fists and his claws. Which one would he use here? Would he crush them, or make them bleed. Perhaps both?

***

Captain Leon grimaced when he saw the mast of his beloved ship burn. The gathering of clouds had seemed like a good omen, but clearly he was mistaken. He looks at his meteoromancer, Raoul Windweaver. Raoul was already chanting some stuff to prepare for his weather control magic, but he probably wouldn't contribute a lot to the fight. He was meant more for getting the crew out of windless waters and giving his ship a slight tactical advantage over fellow naval opponents. He wasn't the kind of guy who could hurl lightning at his foes.

Yet.

Leon looks at the small fellow in red. He hated the man for harming his ship, but he should look at things from the bright side. If he would string this man up and dangle him up side down for a few days, drown him every once in a while, and of course test out some knives on his flesh, the shorty should break. And then he could teach that trick to Raoul.

Yes, that's why they called him Leon Goldeneye. Not because of his Golden eye, though that was certainly helping, but because he had an eye for silver linings and golden opportunities. Where others might've seen this red wizard as a problem, he saw the potential to become stronger and more fearsome. Where others saw a piss-poor village barely worth raiding, he saw an isolated vacation resort for him and his men. Where others saw competition in the form of whomever this new pirate was, Leon saw at least one new member to add to his crew.

He looks at the old man, sneaking away from the rest. Seems like the captain didn't particularly care for his one crewmember. He even stole the lad's sword without him noticing, or perhaps the sailor was just so daft that he had forgotten it himself. Didn't matter. Even if this guy wasn't a proper fighter, they could always use more deckhands for scrubbing and rowing.

His one good eye turns to the villagers that were with the invaders. Seems like they were trying to sneak out Carol, probably the fairest maiden in this backwater place. Not as pretty as the ladies of lust at his favourite brothel, but certainly nothing to scoff at either. They had been hiding her from him thus far, kept her just enough in the back streets to prevent him from appropriating her. She would entertain him well for a month or so, and then she'd make him some good money on the market. And this little disturbance allowed him to find and corner her. See? He just turned a bad thing into a silver lining again. Goldeneye Leon.

His golden eye couldn't discern a good side to that damn gatorman though. He had tried to recruit the lad, for anyone could use such a raw force of strength and toughness. Someone like him would've probably climbed up the ranks to be one of his lieutenants soon enough. But, the guy was stubborn. Not for ethical reasons, he was just too thickheaded to adjust his opinion once deciding that he disliked the pirates. Well, a savage like that would make some good money on the black market too. The Vilpamorian fighting pits loved this sort of slave fighter.

Leon looks at his crew gathering behind him. His lieutenants were already here, as were most of his combattant crew. Only two of them wouldn't come, being stationed on the ship. There were about half a dozen deckhands there too, who could take care of the fire. It was just the mast, it shouldn't spread too much. And tomorrow the village would be put to work to sow him a new one.

With a single nod of Leon's, Raoul returns to the back line. Leon didn't want him to get killed, the mage was no fighter. His second and third lieutenants however, Vero the Knife and Brute force Barry, they would certainly be front and center. Vero, with his many throwing knives both openly carried and hidden in his sleeves, was a delightfully ferocious and agile lad. You never knew which one of the knives was coated with poison, until the effects would kick in. A good lad to contorl the battlefield with, while keeping out of battle enough not to get hurt and thus hospitalised too often. And BfB was just a beast, both in barfights and any situation that didn't require subtely. Not too useful when boarding a ship, but there was no risk of him falling off and having to be fished out of the sea here. Here, the half-ogre could charge directly at his opponents and start bashing them in with whatever he could find. Which was a table in most bar fights.

His first and final lieutenant, Lady the Lass, would stay in the back. She was quite the master of the cutlass, but he kept her behind in most fights. She'd fire at the opponents with her longbow, easily deceiving them that she wasn't a close-combat fighter. When one would charge at her, they'd find out how wrong they were. And if not, then his first lieutenant wouldn't be wounded and worn out after the fight. The three other reliable long-range sailors stay with her, loading their respective weapons. The rest gathers behind Leon and the lieutenants. Four sailors for each of them, and two more for Leon. They'd fight in squads, ensuring that the enemy couldn't separate them. Leon draws his cutlass and rubs his golden eye. The magic within prepared itself, ready to be used if needed. But if he knew his skill with the blade, he wouldn't have to resort to his magic item.

Despite the situation being one of rebels undermining his authority, Captain Leon Goldeneye smiles. Raising his cutlass in the air, he screams. His crew screams with him. Certainly intimidating, even if the other guys weren't severely outnumbered.

"Alright, you pompous bastard. I see you've set my ship on fire and given me a general headache to worry about. And you don't seem to be fearing me quite enough. Because while it's smart that you put on your red shirt for this fight, you should've been wearing your brown pants too!"

The pirates laugh, all knowing the thousand-fold told joke that Leon just referenced.

"I will give you one chance to surrended. If you do, I'll consider letting you lads join my crew, if you're good enough." Leon continues. "Most of you just have to put down your weapons. You though, Mister red robes, you will have to conjure up some more of your fancy clouds to rain on my ship. Put out that fire you caused. Not just to save me the trouble, but also to prevent the dozen women on there from burning alive. They're not exactly in a position to evacuate the premise themselves, if you catch my drift. And once you've done that, throw down your weapons and lie down. I want your face in the sand when I get there, or I'll make sure you wish you surrendered completely when you had the chance."

Leon smiles, revelling in the bloodshed that he was about to cause. There was a chance that they'd surrender, but he wasn't counting on it. And a part of him didn't want them to, either. A part of him had been bored for far too long.

***

Bloodlust. There was bloodlust in the air. And a hint of blood, only a fraction of the bloodshed that was to come. The feral energy of death and war stirred him awake, made him more aware than he had been in a long time. He had been in this peaceful village for far too long. He had been amongst the calm for far too long. But now, now he was back in his element. And he wouldn't…

The the thoughts of the great and old being of bloodshed are cut off when a hand is suddenly waving in his face. Right, the girl. The one who had glued this wig onto his head with nectar and painted over his ceremonial engravings with what was probably supposed to be a dress. She would suffer for this humiliation. Oh, how she would suffer. But she would do his bidding first. She would first bring him back to where he had to be. Her weak mind and her familiarity to the persona that she had given him, it left her wide open for him to dominate her mind.

Ed watched as the pirates came marching down the street. He had to hand it to them, they cut an imposing figure. Even though they weren't in step like real soldiers, and even though they were all lightly armed and none of them really wore armor… Well, there were a lot of them. There was only one Ed. One Peabody who was who knew where. One Twinkle, who was parking the boat. A couple of fishermen who… Didn't look like they were going to be much help. Then there was one small mage who was stood remarkably still, posed in that odd position. Great. Wonderful. Fine. He could deal with this. What did he have at his disposal? No weapons, but he did still have some magic and his wits. He needed a weapon though. A weapon would truly make him feel much more comfortable in this situation. Gathering his magic, he prepared the spell quickly that would see a weapon summoned to his hands. A green flash of light and.. A throwing knife appeared in his hand. Great. Wonderful. Fine. He could use this. Looking up at his attackers, he powered up his throw with magic and threw the blade, which hit one of the leading sailors in the chest. The force of the blow knocked him backwards, into the pirate that had been running close behind him. Ed chuckled. One down. Only… A lot more to go. The chuckle turned into a groan. He could see children with the fishermen. Innocents. The pirates wouldn't spare them. Ed sighed. Okay.

"Hey there… Er… Idiots! Over here! Come get me!"

Not exactly the wittiest line, but the best he could think of as he waved his hands in the air and jumped up and down. That seemed to get their attention. That, or the two men who were left behind had somehow bothered them. It didn't matter. They were coming for him now, weren't they. With a little yelp, Ed turned on his heel and ran off. He would need to play a game of hide and seek, it seemed. Maybe the wizard would do something, or maybe Peabody would appear with a contingent of mounted knights. Anything could happen, couldn't it? Ed made a lot of noise as he went through the town, trying to lure the guards onward. He had magic at his disposal, improving his agility and making him move faster. He could easily out pace them, as long as they didn't split up to surround him…

Peabody, seeing the sailors run past, waited a heartbeat before slipping out of the house and back onto the street behind them. There were two of them on the ground, which he dispatched quickly. He then turned and followed the rest down the street. They weren't paying any attention to anything that went on behind them, leaving them wide open. As they entered the streets between the houses they began to spread out, obviously hoping to corner his captain. Well, that was a good plan. But it also made their superior numbers count for a whole lot less. Peabody could now deal with them in ones and twos…

Marone shrieks when the pirate runs at him with the intend to kill. He hated this cutlass, it made him look like he intended to fight. He didn't. He definately didn't. He was just a simple fisherman, with a family to take care of. He fumbles with his cutlass and drops it on the ground. Oh, why had Tough Terry shoved the damn thing into his hands to begin with? He was so scared right now…

Why hadn't that sailor guy not accepted the cutlass before running away? Marone had offered it when noticing that the man could fight and intended to do so, but had no sword to use. But the guy seemingly hadn't even noticed him, instead running off after throwning a throwing knife that came out of nowhere. A lot of pirates ran after him, which was good. But there were also a lot that still came for them, which was very, very bad.

Marone screams scared again when something warm hits his face. He steps backwards while trying to wipe off the blood, slowly beelining it for the ship where the other villagers were already hiding. Carol and her father had retreated into the ship hull right away, and the other two fishermen were hiding behind it. Only that madman Terry was fighting. The splatter of blood on Marone's face came from the now smushed skull of the pirate that rushed at him, only for Terry to almost punch his whole head off with a single strike.

***

The gatorman roars angrily when a cutlass scratches him from behind, and he swipes at the pirate with his tail. The skull of another pirate cracks between his hands as he presses them together. Then he is thrown off his feet as something massive hits him.

Wiping a bit of blood from his lip while getting up, Terry looks at the big guy challenging him. The half-ogre had bashed straight into him, shouting angrily about the death of two of his men. Well, at least he hadn't used his weapon against Terry when he was still unaware of the brute's presence. Being struck by a rowing boat wielded like a giant two-handed cudgel, that wouldn't just bruise a bit. That would probably hurt real bad.

"Alright, you ugly son of a bitch, let's see who's the strongest here." Terry says, taking a boxing stance. He'd show this brute how hard he could punch, and how little their raw force meant compared to his great focussed strength.

***

Leon Goldeneye runs after the weaponless sailor, liking the sport of killing such a fast though harmless prey. The guy was fast, real fast. But that only made things more fun. And they could-

A knife whizzes past, after the weaponless sailor. Leon looks to the right, seeing Vero the Knife standing right next to him.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Leon shouts, to be met by Vero shrugging dryly. "Why would we EVER chase after one unarmed man with two officers when there are actual combattants about? There's a damn mage on the beach, we shouldn't leave someone like him to just Barry! I mean, it's BARRY! We can't even trust him with guarding a locked door by himself! And why aren't you with your wounded man? He-"

Leon gestures at the guy who was struck by the throwing knife and the guy stuck underneath him, only to see another man near them. The pirate captain from that sloop, who left his one sailor all alone and unarmed! He slit their throats quickly, before running away again.

"You damn fool! That's why you don't just leave your wounded and prone behind while you rush ahead!" Leon shouts. "No, leave them. They're dead now, nothing we can do about that. But their deaths are on you, Vero! Just… Just go kill that damned sailor. He did throw a knife, which is your thing. Knowing Lady the Lass and her tactical oversight of the battlefield from the rear, she too should've seen the captain kill your men, and already began riddling him with arrows. I'll go to the beach to deal with that damn red wizard."

Leon turns around, annoyed and dissappointed. Both at himself and his lieutenant, because Vero had forgotten all about their tactics but it was Leon who had forgotten the strategy. Yes, the wizard was the biggest issue, so it was up to him to face that guy. Not the unarmed lad. But they had just lost a few regular pirates, those were easily replaced back at Vilpamolan so it wasn't a big issue.

"Damn it, you fools! Stop spreading out! Stick in groups and stay with your lieutenant. Don't let yourself be killed one by one!" Leon shouts at the pirates already running ahead and completely unaware of any traps and ambushes that could be waiting for them. "My men, with me! We're returning to the beach!"

***

Blood was flowing. He could feel it. He could feel the power grow inside of him. Yes, he could feel his powers return.

The eyes of the wooden doll begin to glow, and Lucy grew more quiet. Finally, that annoying brat wouldn't ever shut her trap otherwise. Now, she was to pick him up. She had to go into the forest. She had to go to a specific location, and have her tea time there.

Ignoring the strange black statue that Lucy was suddenly so interested in, Ann-Mary dominated the feeble-minded girl's mind so that he could finally see to his return. For once he liked being picked up and cradled by the girl, knowing that she would take him back to his ancestral home.

Arrows began flying through the air at him, forcing Peabody to duck and roll out of the way. He came to a stop, thinking that surely now he was safe when another arrow landed less than an inch from his foot. He uttered a curse and began running, ducking through a doorway and into another house. It looked like the house had been ransacked by the pirates. There was a bloodstain on the floor, an overturned table, all kinds of debris strewn about. He kicked the door shut behind him and dragged the table over to block it. Would it buy him more time than it had cost him? He didn't know. He was safe from the arrows now but what was he meant to do at this point? There were still a lot of pirates out there. He sighed, scratching the top of his head while he thought. He needed to rejoin the captain, which meant getting back onto the streets and finding him. There was a crash as something collided with the door and Peabody was across the room, climbing out of the window.

Ed had turned two corners and could no longer see his pursuers. He could hear them, though. What to do now? He turned another corner and saw a door suddenly close. There were still villagers here? If they had been avoiding the pirates up until now, then maybe they would be able to help him now somehow. They might have weapons, some knowledge of secret tunnels… Anything would be useful at this point. Ed rushed up to the door and knocked on it as loudly as he dared. He could hear his hunters, they were getting closer now. Their movements had slowed, though, as they searched for him. Having lost sight of him and not regained it, they now had to work to find their prey. Which he was. There was a quiet call of "Go away" from inside the house but Ed kept knocking. He was screwed if they didn't let him in. He was probably did even if they did. There was the sounds of doors being kicked open and houses searched now. 

Peabody kept low, moved slowly and peeked around corners before making sudden moves. He could hear commotions everywhere now. There was a hell of a search going on, both for him and for the captain. He hoped Twinkle would remain safe where she was, and the villagers… There had obviously been some willing to put up a fight. Not everyone was taking this occupation lying down. The problem now was that he was separated from the ones who were trying to do something as well as from his captain. Two pirates appeared around a corner a street ahead of him and Peabody charged at them. He heard a shout from behind him too. This was not going to go well, he could already tell.

With a small burst of telekinetic power Ed broke the lock holding the door closed. There was no time to convince the residents to help him. He would have to risk whatever was inside. He burst through the door and was faced with seven children, the oldest of which was running at him swinging an axe. Ed yelped, ducking and swiveling in place, pushing the kid over. There was a shout from out on the street and Ed cursed. "Listen, all of you keep down and don't move." The child with the axe was glaring up at him, intent written across her face. She was going to attack him with the axe again, wasn't she? Ed sighed, using telekinesis to snatch the axe out of her hands and bring it across the room into his own outstretched hand. Just in time for him to spin in place, magic strengthening his muscles as he swung it into the gut of the pirate who was running into the house behind him.

Peabody parried the blade of the pirate in front of him, spun around and thrust the blade into the throat of the other pirate who had been sneaking up behind him. That made two dead pirate and one left… The cutlass missed him with plenty of room to spare. He hated to admit it, but Peabody was enjoying himself. The back and forth of fighting had been missing from his life for so long. He was glad that he had signed on with the captain, but the skill of his opponents was lacking. A throwing knife skimmed past his face, tracing a line across his cheek. What was it with these people and ranged attacks?! Peabody ducked and turned to see his latest enemy running up the street, hands full of knives.

Ed kicked the body out of his way and peeked outside of the door. Another cutlass came swinging down and almost took his head off. If he hadn't been so on edge, magic coursing through his muscles and causing his reaction speeds to become heightened then he could have died right there. As it was he was back inside the house and counting. After a count of three and no pirate appearing in the doorway he took a few steps back and ran forwards. Jumping out into the street beyond he saw there were now three opponents out there, all with big grins on their faces. Ah.

Ed sighed, leaning against Peabody. They were done, at least with the pirates that had been chasing them through the streets. They had met up, both of them covered in blood, only some of it their own, and were now heading back towards the docks. There were more pirates there, but they were together again. If the wizard was still alive then hopefully he had taken care of the remaining pirates. Ed was beat. It was about time they head out of this place and go find a bar.