Headed by a Snake

Sorina placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin on the back of her hands.

"Hm hmmm~ I knoWw that look," She smirked, "What'cha thinkin' bout?"

Korr looked back at the coin-woman through her red hair, her one good eye unfocused... "What... what do I do?"

"You're... worried, then?" Sorina shook her head-- "I really don't know why. In all honesty, Boss is probably the most mature person in Sol Invictus. He can take care of himself."

"...Y..yeah. But I think even Leader can be hurt too..." Korr sighed...

"Was that really what you were thinking?" Sorina gestured towards herself, "Ssssssay it~"

"I think..." Korr bit her lips, "I should tell him that I love him and want to bear his children?"

Puppies? Tres' tail continued to wag. It would not stop.

A few weeks ago, he had the opportunity to keep the pups of the Bloodpaw tribe company. The tribe females told him he'd be a very good uncle.

"Pshhh! Fufufu~" Sorina laughed out loud.

It made her curly ponytails jiggle... and made Tres want to nip at them.

He held back, though.

"I don't think you should," Sorina leered, "A man won't betray you until you actually make your feelings known."

"I... I believe in Leader," Korr declared.

"Alright, alright," Sorina shrugged. She reached for one of Tres' wooden pieces and replaced it with one of hers. "I'll be taking this, doggo."

Tres stared at the board... trying to make sense of it... "(Don't... humans have a courtship ritual before mating?)"

Korr pursed her lips and looked away... staring blankly at a wall.

Tres whipped his head back to Sorina.

"(Am... am I wrong?)" He whined.

"Well... no," Sorina frowned.

"(I think I broke her.)"

Sorina stretched her arms, yawning, "Korr... hey listen, girl. I'll take care of it, 'kay?"

"Y... you will?" Korr looked up, pouting.

Tres Leches tilted his head, one of his fuzzy ears flopping over. As vulnerable as she looked... he had seen Korr rip the top of a man's head off of his lower jaw.

...It was nice to be able to rely on others.

"Yeah, I feel a little guilty talking so much smack about him," Sorina shrugged. "And the happier Boss is, the easier it'll be to convince him to buy me a Divine Armor."

"(Can you get a wolf?)"

"I'm thinking... like five wolves... that transform into one bigger wolf."

Korr began to fidget... and she gave off the unmistakable scent of nervousness, "How..."

"The first step in winning Boss Tycon's favor," Sorina grinned... "is kicking Lone in the balls as hard as possible."

"(That's... that's my friend!)" Tres Leches narrowed his eyes, squinting at the woman... "(What does assaulting my partner achieve?)"

"Got it," Korr lifted a leg and slapped the front of her knee.

It made... a very loud, very scary sound...

"And... then what?" She asked.

"Don't question it," Sorina shrugged. "I'm a Calculator. Just trust in my calculations. Now Korr, head out there and fight the pirates about to siege the ship."

...Tres Leches sniffed at the air. There were new scents above deck... many new scents, "(How did...)"

"Calculating!" Sorina declared as she balled up her fist.

Korr nodded, picked up her two-handed blackblade and jogged up the stairs.

"Also," Sorina continued, "getting onboard the Marlin Monroe was cheap because the Captain has a deal with the pirates on this route."

"(Calculating, then,)" Tres nodded thoughtfully.

"Your move."

"(Shouldn't we... help the other members of the pack?)"

"Do you surrender?" Sorina smirked, gesturing at the board between them.

Tres let out a slight whine as he thought it over...

The scents atop the deck didn't seem too threatening...

He nudged another piece forward with his paw, "(If they die, they die.)"

...

⟬ Top deck of the Marlin Monroe. ⟭

A panicked cream-color horse trotted towards Tycondrius, suddenly appearing through the thick fog.

"(BOSS! BOSS! The ship is under attack!)"

That was quite obvious. Though Tycon's vision was abhorrent, the sounds of screaming and swords clanging together were quite unmistakable.

"Private First Class Jeremy... how did you get up here from your quarters?" Tycon asked.

"(I used the STAIRS, BAWSS!!)"

Tycon was referring to the fact that to open the door to the hold, a circular knob had to be turned. PFC Jeremy had his hooves... and not opposable thumbs.

He shook his head. It didn't matter, "Shut up. Open your mouth."

Tycon stuck his sword's handle in the horse's maw and commanded him to clamp down, "Now go. We'll promote you to Lance Corporal if you can get a kill."

"RRrrhhhmrrrrhh!!" The horse neighed before sprinting off towards, hopefully, the enemy.

"And you," Tycon turned around. "Corporal Horse."

One of his guild Invictus' most senior members, Horse, the chestnut-coated stallion had... somehow equipped his Letalis armor, covered in Arcanite plates and sharpened spikes. A flat, slicing implement on his head was designed to deliver painful cuts while being dull enough to avoid sticking into wood.

Corporal Horse bucked up on its hind legs, whinnying loudly, "(I thirst for BLOOD AND COCAINE!!!)"

"You'll have to settle for blood and spoils," Tycon rolled his eyes.

"(TO USE TO BUY COCAINE!!!)"

"Empty night, Horse... Just... just keep the rookie alive. Go."

As Horse sped off towards Jeremy, Tycon made his way towards the back of the ship... where, in theory, the Captain should have been.

From the sounds in the waves and the number of unwelcome visitors, there was likely an enemy vessel somewhere in the fog.

Tycon grabbed a human by the throat-- a pirate. He crushed his throat and threw him off the ship.

Retrieving his curved blade and adamantine scabbard from his spatial ring, he swung twice more as he walked, crushing pirate bones and continuing onward.

They wore interesting symbols... painted silhouettes of a white raven on a black background. Yet... they did not use White Raven swordsmanship, which Tycon was an expert in.

It must have been a coincidence...

The ship Captain was on the defensive with his cutlass, surrounded by four enemies. There was a deep cut on his left coat sleeve and he smelled like fear.

...He'd soiled himself.

"A-adventurer!" The bleeding human screamed, "Save me! I'll do anythin' ya ask!"

Tycon sighed and shook his head, "Have some self-respect, Captain."