87 Vol 2. pt. 24 Patch 4.0: The First Round (2/2)
Tabitha looks over at him with a thumbs-up and cheeky grin.
”Aye. She lures captains with promises of boostin' their ships and makin' them the best possible, then they always sink after somethin' of hers breaks down,” Jax explains. ”She's lured many ships to their graves.”
”Oi! It wasn't my toys that'd break down, it was their ships! It ain't my fault if their ships couldn't handle my genius,” Tabitha explains.
”Well, this ship wouldn't have been able to save Morven and them without her. She built our engine, the stuff to manage the sails, and that ballista you see up at the front,” Fenrir defends her.
”That so?” Jax asks. ”Well, I'm not goin' to doubt your word, so,” he looks at Tabitha, ”thanks for helping out today, Tabitha Strism. I'll make sure that the others hear about your help today.”
Tabitha shows the rare blush and scratches her cheek. ”It's nothin',” she says.
”Hah! Even the Orange-Haired Siren has her girly moments!”
”Oi! I ain't havin' no girly moment!” she shouts and stomps her feet.
”Alright, alright. Ya ain't havin' no girly moment. Now,” Jax looks at Fenrir, ”I suggest ya go ahead and return to the piers. Take it easy, get some more fishin' in, and wait until the round is over. We're goin' to make sure that those bastards don't even think about comin' back over here.”
”Got it,” Fenrir says, finally letting go of Oleander. ”Thanks again for everything.”
The Shoebill heads back to their usual spot at the piers.
”Hey, Orange-Haired Siren, what're you planning on doing with that tree anyways?” Fenrir asks.
”Oi. Call me that again and I'm sneakin' a bomb into the next thing you eat,” Tabitha says.
”You… you can make bombs?”
Tabitha smirks.
”Alright, alright. Tabs, what're you planning on doing with that tree?”
”You'll see.”
…
”Looks like a wolf needs to learn its place,” Ull says, trying his best to retain a calm composure but Blackstache and Rachel can see it cracking.
”Gotta admit, what 'e did was pretty damn impressive. Didn't think he'd be able ta pull any o' that off. Gave yer champs a good fight and helped out Morven's lot,” Blackstache replies.
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”That he did. He has even made off with one of Yggdrasil's branches. I will have my men down there to collect it from him once the round is over.”
”What're ya talkin' about? Anythin' goes in the first round. If somebody wants ta steal part of another's ship, they can. Yer champs stole a bunch o' catches, killed some NPCs, and sunk dozens o' ships on 'er own. If part of their mast got stolen, 'at's their own problem. Ya interfere and yer goin' ta start some major problems.”
”I do not think you understand, Blackstache. Every one of my fleet is made of branches from Yggdrasil herself. To steal one of her branches not only makes that wolf dangerous, but the act itself is greatly disrespectful. To not recover that will be a slap in the face to all of those whom have earned the right to own one of her branches. There will be many issues if it is not recovered.”
”Yer not tha one understandin' here. Anything goes in the first round. We're pirates 'ere. We may have a lot o' rules in tha city, but durin' tha tournament, anything goes.”
”So, you expect me and mine to allow somebody as disrespectful as him to own one of my nation's most prized possessions? You are supporting him stealing from me?”
”I'm supportin' tha rules of tha tournament, and 'at's 'at.”
Ull turns to look at Blackstache but sees Rachel standing between them instead, her hand on the hilt of her blade as electricity begins sparking off of it.
”Very well, Blackstache, very well. If you wish to support the actions of a thief stealing what belongs to me, then we will just have to take it back during the next round. I am sure both his crew and my champions will proceed on to it, and I doubt he is patient enough to wait until after the tournament is over to make use of his prize,” Ull says, getting up from the cushions that he has been kneeling on with his four cervine legs.
…
An hour later and the dome around the water disintegrates.
Less than one hundred out of the nearly two thousand ships that participated in the tournament are left floating.
Debris and bodies float on most of the water.
Only twenty of the surviving crews make it to the next round, and of them are: The Shoebill, The Weeping Tit, The Steel Tiger, and Ull's champions.
Serra and Cassiel hug Fenrir in a moment of satisfied accomplishment. Morven and his two surviving crewmembers limp off of The Shoebill and go to spend time with those whom they came close to never seeing again. Corwin and Oleander head off for a secret meeting someplace dark and private, and Tabitha starts barking orders at Bonekraka to go and get the parts that she needs to get The Shoebill back in top condition.
Rock shakily walks up to Fenrir, sits in front of him, and whines.
Fenrir bends down to pick Rock up and give her some love.
Almost the entire first round for Rock was spent clinging onto the mast trying not to get flung off the ship.
She requires many belly rubs and headpats.