The rough, churning, black seas swirled around the outcrop of rocks, a lone man marooned atop its jagged face. He stood upon it and stared out towards a distant island where smoke and shadows danced into the sky. It wasn't hard for him to see what was there even though he was missing an eye, moreso because he had just been swept from that wretched place. He would not call what happened a blessing or a rescue. The majority of him burned to start swimming no matter how foolish and treacherous that would be however he was probably one of the few survivors and if he was to rescue his captain from that horrid rock then he would need more manpower. He continued to stare in hatred even as he stepped into the small boat recovered by his lone savior, someone who he had only just met and was very curious as to why all of this traspired. The two of them rowed on for some time across the dark waters, navigating carefully until they found the right boat.
Throwing the small boat a line, the fishing ship began to reel it in so as they could board. Climbing up the rope ladder, the one-eyed man made his way onto the deck, wary from travel yet grateful for this chance encounter. "You are a long way from any land, sir," the captain of the vessel said, he and his few crew huddled around to see who that had found. "We thought you was either a dream of the sea or one very lucky survivor." "I am neither," the black haird man replied, grimacing and looking over the ship for a moment. "I am however grateful for your hospitality. My vessel was attacked and destroyed… I fear I am the only survivor." The captain became visibly nervous as did his crew, the news of an attack shaking their nerves. "Did you see who attacked you? Were it royal? Were it pirates?" The crew asked, focused on the ordeal and their safety, all but one.
One-eye had not noticed the man until he came down from the crow's nest, a real sly, dangerous movement about him. Halfway down he prompted a question that made the crew even more nervous. "There were two of you, were there not?" the man in the nest shouted, decending down with effortless agility. "I beg your pardon?" One-eye asked, his lone gaze fixating on the fellow. "You were traveling with another," the lithe man said, keeping a distance between him and the new arrival. "Thought I saw something fall overboard, that or you was ditching something you didn't want us to see." The crew was silent now, even the captain, the air became tense with danger as they all waited for the next words, their eyes darted to the water and to the one-eyed man. "The Butcher has no need to travel with others," the rescued man replied, his words stirring the blood of the crew, hot and cold at the same time. "He's a pirate!" One of the crew man yelled, drawing a knife and readying himself. "Wait!" The captain suddenly interjected, halting even the one-eyed man from action who was now curious by this action. "The man just told us his ship was destroyed and crew dead. If he is indeed The Butcher then we have very little to fear. Plus, he is worth a lot more alive." The Butcher began clapping for the captain in response to his plan, impressed by this turn of events. "Wow! I must say that I am impressed…" the notorious pirate said, chuckling at the lot of them. "You are dumber than you all look. Oh, and i'm not traveling alone."
Shambling up from the fish hold, a hulking figure lurched at two of the crewman and the captain, shredding them as its claws tore into them. Quickly, both the one-eyed man and the crows nest crewman lunged for one another, their hidden blades both now stabbing and slashing past one another as the deck became awash with gore. As the extra thing made short work of the remaining crew, The Butcher dueled across bow and rail, each of the combatants dodging and dancing with their blades, both very skilled and extremely agile. Fighting their way into the inner deck, The Butcher gained the upperhand and caught his opponent in a doorway, piercing the mans shoulder and causing him to drop his blade, pinning him against the wall.
"You live up to your name," the last crewman replied, panting and wincing as one-eye twisted the blade slightly to keep him from moving. "Oh, you should see me when I am rested, have both eyes, and wasn't just recent;y in a large scale battle," The Butcher chuckled, looking over the man on how he should kill him. "Perhaps, a rematch then?" the wounded man asked, causing the pirate to pause, continuing to elaborate on his question. "She's a troublesome ship and two men are going to have a tough time getting her into port. If you allow me a rematch then I will help you with the ship until we are both healed and ready. Deal?" The man with one-eye was in awe, so much so that he began to laugh. "I have had so many beg me to spare their lives," he said, shaking his head at the idea and the memories. "But never have I been asked to a rematch, especially by someone in your position." The Butcher stared at his blade for a few moments before responding, thinking over the information. "Very well, you shall have your rematch when we are both whole and ready." Quickly, he removed the knife and offered his hand to the man, pulling the dagger up to the man's neck. "What is your name?" the exhausted pirate asked, still ready to kill the man. "My name is Marcus but everyone… used to call me Crow," he replied, knowing his shipmates were dead already by his companion. "Crow it is," The Butcher replied, reeling his knife back and patting the man on the shoulder. "So, Mr. Crow, do you know of a place called Harlot's Hold?"
After seeing to his dagger wound, the man called Crow shambled up on to the deck to survey his situation. To his surprise, the bodies of his crewman were all gone, only blood remaining where they had once stood. There was also no trace of whatever had slain them, that horrid shape somehow hiding in their hold. "Do not fret, Mr. Crow," the Butcher's commanding tone echoed from behind the man, stirring him to turn around. Already manning the helm, bottle of rum in hand, the monster of a man smirked down at the reluctant shipmate. "He won't bother you so long as you pull your weight and don't do anything stupid." Crow nodded to his temporary captain, his gaze still pulling back to the hold which was open, the dark waters sloshing within along with the rocking of the boat. "What is it… he?" Crow asked the one-eyed devil, making his way to manage the sails to set out. "HE is a member of the crew," Butcher replied sternly, his eye glaring at the man for questioning him. "That is all you need to know. Ready the sails, Mr. Crow. I need to reach Harlot's Hold as soon as possible." They did not speak much the remainder of the day, both men focused on their solitary goals, both wondering what would await them when they reached port.
Throwing the small boat a line, the fishing ship began to reel it in so as they could board. Climbing up the rope ladder, the one-eyed man made his way onto the deck, wary from travel yet grateful for this chance encounter. "You are a long way from any land, sir," the captain of the vessel said, he and his few crew huddled around to see who that had found. "We thought you was either a dream of the sea or one very lucky survivor." "I am neither," the black haird man replied, grimacing and looking over the ship for a moment. "I am however grateful for your hospitality. My vessel was attacked and destroyed… I fear I am the only survivor." The captain became visibly nervous as did his crew, the news of an attack shaking their nerves. "Did you see who attacked you? Were it royal? Were it pirates?" The crew asked, focused on the ordeal and their safety, all but one.
One-eye had not noticed the man until he came down from the crow's nest, a real sly, dangerous movement about him. Halfway down he prompted a question that made the crew even more nervous. "There were two of you, were there not?" the man in the nest shouted, decending down with effortless agility. "I beg your pardon?" One-eye asked, his lone gaze fixating on the fellow. "You were traveling with another," the lithe man said, keeping a distance between him and the new arrival. "Thought I saw something fall overboard, that or you was ditching something you didn't want us to see." The crew was silent now, even the captain, the air became tense with danger as they all waited for the next words, their eyes darted to the water and to the one-eyed man. "The Butcher has no need to travel with others," the rescued man replied, his words stirring the blood of the crew, hot and cold at the same time. "He's a pirate!" One of the crew man yelled, drawing a knife and readying himself. "Wait!" The captain suddenly interjected, halting even the one-eyed man from action who was now curious by this action. "The man just told us his ship was destroyed and crew dead. If he is indeed The Butcher then we have very little to fear. Plus, he is worth a lot more alive." The Butcher began clapping for the captain in response to his plan, impressed by this turn of events. "Wow! I must say that I am impressed…" the notorious pirate said, chuckling at the lot of them. "You are dumber than you all look. Oh, and i'm not traveling alone."
Shambling up from the fish hold, a hulking figure lurched at two of the crewman and the captain, shredding them as its claws tore into them. Quickly, both the one-eyed man and the crows nest crewman lunged for one another, their hidden blades both now stabbing and slashing past one another as the deck became awash with gore. As the extra thing made short work of the remaining crew, The Butcher dueled across bow and rail, each of the combatants dodging and dancing with their blades, both very skilled and extremely agile. Fighting their way into the inner deck, The Butcher gained the upperhand and caught his opponent in a doorway, piercing the mans shoulder and causing him to drop his blade, pinning him against the wall.
"You live up to your name," the last crewman replied, panting and wincing as one-eye twisted the blade slightly to keep him from moving. "Oh, you should see me when I am rested, have both eyes, and wasn't just recent;y in a large scale battle," The Butcher chuckled, looking over the man on how he should kill him. "Perhaps, a rematch then?" the wounded man asked, causing the pirate to pause, continuing to elaborate on his question. "She's a troublesome ship and two men are going to have a tough time getting her into port. If you allow me a rematch then I will help you with the ship until we are both healed and ready. Deal?" The man with one-eye was in awe, so much so that he began to laugh. "I have had so many beg me to spare their lives," he said, shaking his head at the idea and the memories. "But never have I been asked to a rematch, especially by someone in your position." The Butcher stared at his blade for a few moments before responding, thinking over the information. "Very well, you shall have your rematch when we are both whole and ready." Quickly, he removed the knife and offered his hand to the man, pulling the dagger up to the man's neck. "What is your name?" the exhausted pirate asked, still ready to kill the man. "My name is Marcus but everyone… used to call me Crow," he replied, knowing his shipmates were dead already by his companion. "Crow it is," The Butcher replied, reeling his knife back and patting the man on the shoulder. "So, Mr. Crow, do you know of a place called Harlot's Hold?"
After seeing to his dagger wound, the man called Crow shambled up on to the deck to survey his situation. To his surprise, the bodies of his crewman were all gone, only blood remaining where they had once stood. There was also no trace of whatever had slain them, that horrid shape somehow hiding in their hold. "Do not fret, Mr. Crow," the Butcher's commanding tone echoed from behind the man, stirring him to turn around. Already manning the helm, bottle of rum in hand, the monster of a man smirked down at the reluctant shipmate. "He won't bother you so long as you pull your weight and don't do anything stupid." Crow nodded to his temporary captain, his gaze still pulling back to the hold which was open, the dark waters sloshing within along with the rocking of the boat. "What is it… he?" Crow asked the one-eyed devil, making his way to manage the sails to set out. "HE is a member of the crew," Butcher replied sternly, his eye glaring at the man for questioning him. "That is all you need to know. Ready the sails, Mr. Crow. I need to reach Harlot's Hold as soon as possible." They did not speak much the remainder of the day, both men focused on their solitary goals, both wondering what would await them when they reached port.