Headed by a Snake

⁆ Captain's Log, Date XXXX ⁅

⁆ So there we were... two handsome fellas on a beach with a buff, half-dead guy. While I would have preferred the company of a buxom young lass for... personal reasons, having the start-up kids for my new crew was ultimately in my better interests. ⁅

⁆ Now, Petty Officer Tycon, the guy was pretty weird. ⁅

⁆ Bright green hair-- rare but not unheard of. Bright golden eyes-- really rare, never heard of it. Good with a sword-- not as good as me, but good enough to rate. ⁅

⁆ Kinda short. He had some muscle to him, so he wasn't scrawny. He looked real young... and didn't even have a shadow of facial hair... but the way he acted made it feel like he was even older than I was. ⁅

⁆ He didn't show off about it, though. Really good guy, altogether. ⁅

⁆ He said he was good at cooking. He could make salt and pepper come out of his hands. It was, without-a-doubt, the dumbest magic ability I've seen in my life... ⁅

⁆ Also really gods-damned useful. It meant I didn't have to hire another guy just to feed the crew. ⁅

⁆ I'm sure Tycon wouldn't mind having extra duties, as long as I gave him a little bit of praise... maybe a promotion. ⁅

⁆ Anyroad, the guy was pretty quiet during the downtime. He talked quite a bit when prompted, though. I asked him to share his story while we were waiting for the meat to cook over the fire. ⁅

⁆ The story he was telling... it sounded made up. ⁅

⁆ I wanted to ask Seaman Shadowdark about how true it all was... but didn't seem to have much to add besides snoring so loud he could wake the dead. ⁅

⁆ It was fine, though. Most of the story I said was mine was complete fiction-- not that he could tell the difference. ⁅

⁆ But really... He didn't get the girl in his own story? 7 points out of 10. ⁅

"So... did you bang her?" Krysaos nudged the guy with his elbow.

"I did not sleep with Natalya," Tycon furrowed his brows. "Why?"

"Kinda seemed like you did. Come onnnn, y'can't keep that kinda secret from your Captain," Krysaos grinned.

Tycon rolled his eyes, keeping his gaze up at the sky, "I did not. Stop asking."

"So after you left the uh... the High Oracle's place... Tell me she's as hot as they say she is."

"Seldin Korr and Sorina Capulet have gone ahead, their goal, to reach the city of Archangel," Tycon continued-- blatantly ignoring the most important question...

"To Archangel?" Kryasos asked. "You said the quest was to bring the Swords of the Forbidden King to Whitehearth?"

"The Swords of the Forgotten... whatever," Tycon sighed-- "We have a contact in the Sapphire Tower, a young Elven Arcanist."

"Whoa hohhhh~!" Krysaos chuckled, "Sapphire Tower? The big mage guild? Very nice... She single?"

"She is not," Tycon shook his head. "Unless the situation has changed, Miss Coraline is Mister Lone's romantic companion. As such, she has a personal stake in researching the cure for her boyfriend's curse."

"Fair, fair," Kryaos nodded. "You know... I'm something of a caster, myself."

Tycon raised an eyebrow, "You're interested in magecraft, Brother-Krysaos? I do have more than one contact in the Sapphire Tower, should you require their services."

Krysaos chuckled to himself. That was practically impossible. The Sapphire Tower was the wealthiest and most powerful mage guild in the Free Nation, founded by Sol Invictus member Bella Sapphira.

"Yeah, speakin' of mage services..." He grinned smugly, "Let me tell you about this Half-Elven Earth Shaman I knew... Now, she had the biggest... all-natural..."

...

⟬ Onboard the Marlin Monroe, one sun after the events at Cersei's Rest. ⟭

Tres Leches, the Dark Iron Wolf, sat on his haunches, belowdecks of the sailing ship. It smelled like old, wet wood, smelly fish, and human sweat.

While it wasn't a... nice smell, it at least reminded him that he was alive.

There were rats, too. Lots of rats. He would have sped off, seeking to tear his metal teeth into their dingy coats... but one of his partner's friends told him to sit.

...So he sat.

The human female named Sorina Capulet always smelled like coins, so it was easy to tell her apart from the other humans.

She pushed a wooden piece forward on a wooden board.

It was a game, she said... and it was called... Pettaia?

It was... more complicated than 'fetch the thing'... but Tres liked learning new games.

Whenever the fates decreed that he be taken by the sweet embrace of death, there wouldn't be any more fetching... and certainly no more Pettaia.

The other human female was leaning against a wooden post, crossing her arms.

More than Sorina, Korr always changed her clothes... and she was wearing... light leather trousers, a white sleeved shirt, and a cloth on her head.

Tres could always identify her by the color of her dark red hair and the sweet scent of wood smoke.

"What do you think about... him?" She asked.

Tres always found her soft, low voice pleasant to listen to, so he found himself wagging his tail...

Ah.

It was his 'turn'. He nudged one of the game pieces forward with his nose.

Sorina looked over, tilting her head.

Korr pouted... and it smelled like she was feeling a little hurt, "What?"

"Oh, sorry, sorry!" Sorina waved. "It's just-- you don't usually talk first. I was just surprised, is all.

"ANY-road... He's trash." The coin-woman firmly declared, "Terrible, absolute trash-- bottom-of-the-trash-heap trash."

Sorina pushed one of her wooden pieces forward, taking one of Tres' off the board. "Don't talk to him. Don't you dare."

...Why did she take his piece? Tres stared at the board, trying to make sense of it.

Korr stared back quietly... her scent changing through all sorts of different emotions. Upset. Confused. Sad. In heat. Sad. Aggressive. Hungry. Content. Hungry again.

Tres turned his attention back at the game board. What should he do next?

"I mean... he might be hot," Sorina whined... "And I guess he's hardworking... and he's mostly honest. He's mature and reliable? And I mean, he is a Ranger now... but overall, he's trash."

She started to grow more agitated as she went on, "He snores, he smells funny, he's gross and hairy, clumsy and forgetful. He can't cook to save his life and... and he'll let you down when you need him the most.

"Nope!" She twisted her lips to the side. "Don't like him. And neither should you."

Tres Leches started to wag his tail. Sorina was talking about his partner, the Lone Shadowdark. It sounded like she was highlighting his faults-- but she was missing a few.

"I was talking about Baron Tycon," Korr said flatly.

Oh!

Tres Leches liked that person, even though he smelled like a snake.

Most everyone called him 'Boss,' his partner, Lone, included. He was the leader of their pack and took the responsibility of gathering everyone together and ensuring everyone was healthy and well fed.

He always had tasty meat on him-- and he'd always offer some if one of their pack members did well.

Also, he was also old and wise. According to him, Tres' bloodline was continuously evolving because Lone continued to walk the path of the Ranger.

It was convenient, since Tres always did his best to keep his partner safe. Lone had the common sense of a young pup... but that just made him more endearing.

"Oh," Sorina looked up in thought, "Right. Well... he's rich. He's no Tarquin, so I can only give him a 9 out of 10 in the looks department..."

Korr nodded along, listening attentively.

"But he's got a huge problem," Sorina grimaced. "in that he doesn't appreciate that which is Truly Awesome... I mean... ⌈Market Crash⌋ is a top-tier finishing Skill, isn't it? Triple S-Rank, for sure."

"Yeah..." Korr agreed. "Double, at least..."

"I suppose the fact that he's rich makes up for it," Sorina shrugged. "Oh, did I mention that?"

She turned to Tres Leches, "And what are you looking at? It's your turn."

It was? Tres looked at the table. Two of Sorina's pieces had moved when he wasn't looking. He'd thought, according to the rules, she could move only one piece... but maybe there was a different rule he didn't know about.

"(You kicked my partner in the genitals earlier this sun,)" Tres whined, "(You said all males are trash.)"

Sorina shrugged, "I think it's a Lone-only thing."

Tres looked up, furrowing his brows, "(Y...you can understand me?)"

"My Armor Cube translates it for me," Sorina winked.

Tres looked at the metal box resting underneath the table. It hadn't moved in bells. Was it really doing... anything at all?

He moved one of the pieces on the Pettaia board, "(I did it.)"

Korr folded her hands in front of her waist... "I think... Leader... is lonely."

Lone? Tres began to wag his tail.

"Well, yeah," Sorina shrugged. "He got his heart crushed. Of course, he's gonna mope around for a few suns... it is weird that it doesn't seem he's broken anything, though."

",