A Tail of Pirates

[Minibit]

@Princess of the Teacup

"Well I'm not doing it"

The statement was followed by grumbles of assenting opinions from the crew of the Serpent's Rage as they stood, assembled, on the forecastle deck. The ship was moored in a friendly port, the sea was calm, the anchor dropped, and the townsfolk scurrying about in appropriate submission. Tyrell looked at the dock and swallowed hard.

If he had heels he would have attempted to dig them into the boards of the deck. However, the dark-haired gunner lacked these extremities, and could only coil the loops of his black snake's tail tighter below his human stomach, lowering himself by degrees. His tail was probably over twice as long as his human legs had been, and he could usually elevate himself to a more impressive height, but right now, he didn't really care to be noticeable. He's thought as a minor officer, he might get to stay aboard the ship again, but apparently anyone not Captain or Captain's brother on this ship was to suffer as equals.

He'd tried going ashore in their last port. Being a half-serpent creature helped to keep the streets clear, and a horde of other mutated monsters such as himself bolstered the terrified elbow room. However, when he woke up on a pub table the next morning, he was fairly sure it wasn't the free alcohol that made his bones ache and his head whirl as he weaved his way back to the ship in a cold sweat, with the same feeling in his stomach that he'd had when he found a bullet hole in the corner of his tricorne hat.

"Some of you." The Quartermaster reiterated in a growl "Go into town and get supplies and a bead on our next target."

His orders were met only with silence and muttered reservations. The master looked over them a moment before adding with a darkened face; "Anyone I have to order twice is stripped of rations for three days."

 

[Mundane Monster]

The threat of being deprived of food, spurred Lochlan into action. He stepped forward immediately and shouted, "I'll do it!" like a complete and utter imbecile. He in no way, shape or form wanted to brave the masses of scurrying people who could easily and quickly turn into an angry mob, but he oh so loved food.

Most of the crew turned to look at Lochlan in surprise but quickly accepted his offering. The Quatermaster nodded, "Good. Take someone else. Even with your bulk, and tusks, you won't be able to carry it all by yourself." He stated and Lochlan nodded.

Turning to one of his closest friends, Tyrell, Lochlan gave the other man what he hoped was a charming and enticing smile. "Whadya say pal? Want to give it a go? An elephant and a snake strolling through town together? It'll be a story told through the ages!" He exclaimed, emphasizing his point by waving his hands in the air. He always did have a flair for being dramatic.

 

[Minibit]

Tyrell suppressed a huff, and nodded in consent. Looking over to the Quartermasrer, he held out a hand, rising on his coils enough to reach over the shoulder of the man in front of him. "We'll need some money" he reminded the literal bear of a man. Reaching one oversized hand into his greatcoat pocket, fishing out a purse of coins and tossing it to him. Tyrell tipped his tricorne hat in appreciation as he pocketed the funds. Before turning to Lochlan, he raised his voice, calling on Cormick, one of the ship's powder monkeys, and Fletcher, an A.B.S., to come along. Neither of them were willing to skip meals, either.

"Right, let's be off, then. " he said to Lochlan, beginning to slither toward the gangplank.

"Back before dawn, boys!" His senior hollered after them. As if they needed the reminder.

 

[Mundane Monster]

As they walked through town, and various folk leapt out of their path and the faint hearted well, fainted, Lochlan began whistling a merry tune. It was more for himself than the lads though. It was easy to focus on his whistling than look around at the people gawking and boring holes into their heads with their heated stares.

"Will you shut up!" Cormick hissed, and Lochlan stopped abruptly and cast the monkey a dirty look, before quickly smiling and throwing one arm around Tyrell and the other around Fletcher. "Okay, you guys aren't one for music, but how about a joke? So a snake, a monkey, a gull and an elephant walk into a tavern--

His joke was met with a flurry of groans and he pouted. "Well now you'll never know what happened will you?" He muttered childishly, before pointing to their first stop on their supply run, The Wailing Wench, a tavern run by a surly, gap toothed man named Nathan. "Quick in, quick out, yeah? Oh and if there's still some folk left in their how about the least frightening of us ask around about those treasures?"

 

[Minibit]

"I think I can live with that.", Tyrell thought to himself with a smirk as Lochlan's joke was cut off. He looked up as they arrived at the Wailing Wench, a splintery wood building with paint bleached by the salt air, and a large expansion which housed an equally seedy brothel rising up from behind.

"The least scary?" He repeated, looking at Lochlan with a raised eyebrow "where's your ugly mug going, then?"

~^*^~

Inside the Wailing Wench, Marion "Mercy" Faulkner was returning from the kitchen with a bottle of rotgut for the man who sprawled on the bar, out of breath and white with terror.

"Now, drink up." She commanded, setting the bottle before his eyes, which exposed their whites before he snatched it up and started chugging.

"I'm tellin' ye, y'got t'lock the doors an' bar th'windows! There's monsters in the streets, a haulin in from the seas!"

Marion heaved a sigh, pushing her first-streaked blond curls back from her face. She was too tired for this nonsense. Tired and aching in her legs and feet and other places too shameful to mention. "Now Ben, are you telling me there's a sea monster crawled in from the surf?" She asked calmly, hoping it would help the drunkard hear the stupidity of his announcement.

"Nay! Ten hunnerd or more! Monsters I tell ye!" She jumped as he reached across the bar, grabbing a fistful of her low-lying blouse. Her eyes watered as his acrid breath puffed into her face, keeping a practiced straight face. "Y'got t'seal th'place! Call that brawny manager of yers, stack th'chairs, somethin!"

 

[Mundane Monster]

"Hey the ladies love a man with obvious strength and power." Lochlan insisted, gesturing at his large biceps. "I'm irresistible to 'em." He said cockily before entering the tavern. There weren't many people still in the tavern, but there were enough to make one worry. If the folk decided to take up arms and fight, the cursed men would have to retreat. Thankfully, it seemed like they were simply going to be gawked at and not ran out of town.

Lochlan didn't waste any time staring and instead headed towards the bar where a young woman with blonde hair was being grasped by a man who seemed to be frantic with worry. As Lochlan approached, the man turned let go of the woman and whirled around his eyes bulging out of his head. Lochlan thought the man might do something, but he seemed frozen in place, so the elephant man, gave the drunk a wide berth and sauntered up to the bar maid.

"Hello, gorgeous. Is Nathan around?"

 

[Minibit]

"He's sleeping" Marion lied, carefully adjusting her bar apron over her skirt. She looked the new customer - if he was a customer - over with wide eyes and raised brows. He was huge, head and shoulders over Nathan, easily. He had some kind of deformity in his teeth, and brushy red hair that called attention like a flag. He seemed to loom over the bar in a gargantuan way, though his movements were casual, his tone nonthreatening. "And I'm on my way out, so what do you want and make it quick" she added, hearing the door go in the back; that'd be her coworker showing up. It was imperative she leave as soon as Victoria got here; she'd planned to be out the door already. Morning shifts were always slow, she was supposed to lounge about for a few hours, switch out with Victoria, and then get the hell out of dodge. It took effort not to glare at the catalyst of her plan's ruination.

 

[Mundane Monster]

Lochlan cocked a ginger eyebrow, "Sleeping? Really? At this time? At the height of this lovely hour?" He said incredulously, fully aware that there wasn't much truth in her response. With what he hoped was a friendly smile, Lochlan planted his backside on one of the bar stools and leaned onto the counter. "Well I guess me and my friends'll have to wait till he wakes up, eh?" He said casually. He was hoping that if he showed that he wasn't about to leave, the bar maid would run to find Nathan.

He gestured behind him at Tyrell, Cormick and Fletcher. "We'll take some rum while we wait." Lochlan then turned to Cormick and beckoned him closer. "Looks like we'll be here for quite a bit with this fine lady being how she is. Why don't you and Fletcher start making the rounds? And just-just hint at the information we need, alright? Don't go blurtin' it out like last time." Lochlan muttered, giving Fletcher a hard look. The lad wasn't the most subtle of men.

 

[Minibit]

Tyrell, who liked to consider himself intimidating at the very least but wasn't about to let Lochlan tell him where he could and couldn't go, slithered across the rough bar floor, coiling his long tail around a bar stool but not really sitting on it. He looked expectantly at the bar wench, having heeded Lochlan's mention of rum.

"He had a busy night" Mercy defended, blanching as her attention was directed toward the strange man's associates. "He won't be back for several hours"

"Then unless you want us scaring your customers away all day, I suggest you go wake him" Tyrell said, staring steadily at the nervous wench as Fletcher settled into a stool beside him.

Mercy glanced over her shoulder, she could hear the squeak of the water pump from the kitchen; Victoria was probably starting with dishes; that bought her some time.

"Nathan won't be joining us." She said firmly, lowering her voice to avoid the attention of her coworker in the other room. "But if it's information you're after I can help you for a favour"

 

[Mundane Monster]

Lochlan cocked an eyebrow, and leaned forward. "Really? You can provide us with the information we want? And just for a favor," He repeated, doubting the woman's words. It wasn't that he thought she was stupid, but that someone who was so unwilling to simply fetch her employer for them, was suddenly interested in dropping tidbits? Lochlan decided that he would indulge the woman but be wary of her.

"Fine. I'll bite. What d'you want?" He inquired, glancing over his shoulder quickly to see that Cormick was making the rounds and starting conversation with a few of the braver patrons who had stayed despite their arrival.

 

[Minibit]

Marion set three tin cups down on the bar, and began filling the first from a keg behind her - a short portion, she didn't need them nursing it forever. "A bunk" she said, hoping her voice was steadier than it sounded. "On your ship. And passage to your next port; I can earn my keep. I hear everything on this street, and I have an excellent memory; I can tell you anything you need to know."

The last of her speech came out in a hurried breath, and she held her next one, waiting for an answer. Maybe she should have said more; mentioned she could sort of read and stuff, added that so long as she arrived in one piece with a beating heart it didn't much matter how she earned her keep. Maybe she should have just passed them off to Victoria and taken her leave. But no, Victoria would have gone to get Nathan without question, it would take her less than ten minutes to get to his room upstairs and see the blood on the wall; less than five after that to discover his by-now smelly corpse in the wardrobe, and then her disappearing the same day would be suspect. Then people would look for her instead of discounting her as another port whore succumbed to sickness or hunger or depravity somewhere.

Tyrell's brows shot up at her proposal, and he opened his mouth to make the obvious refusal when he was cut off by one last rushed addition to her plea

"You'll be lucky if anyone else stays is willing to talk to you" she interjected "luckier if anything they know is of any use"