Red Waters, Almond Eyes (Sandpaw vs Ashleg)

[LT Sandpaw]

 OOC: Here we go @Ashleg , the vessel that the lookout spots is Vilu's.

IC:


  There was no greater vessel then the Freebooter in Ublaz's opinion. Her red banners streaming gallantly, her white sails billowing in the warm Caribbean breeze. Every creak of the gunnels and crack of the rope sent shivers of pride down his spine. The perfect ship, for the perfect commander. Ublaz was the perfect commander. A young Emperor of the ocean if one will. Dressed in fine silks, a red coat and a tricorn hat Ublaz was adorned as any wealthy captain should be. Brushed fur, trimmed claws, and curled whiskers all holding the scent of a rose perfume that he had vainly dabbed on, all this demonstrated his self-importance more than the glimmering sword at his hip or many bits of jewelry did.
It was the crew that disgusted him. Corsairs, nasty dirty creatures that preferred to drink and sing sea shanties rather than keep themselves clean. Flanking Ublaz were two other creatures, whose differences were almost as stark as their roles within Ublaz's entourage. The first was a female rat by the named Sagitar Sawfang, leader of the trident rats and a competent servant. The other was a monitor lizard, titled Lask Frildur, general of Ublaz's army and his trusted right claw. Lask's dead gaze matched his mud colored scales making him terrifying to even the boldest of corsairs. A true asset when controlling a fleet full of wavescum.

"Ahoy Cap'n, sails ter th' east. She's a great big'un too." The lookout called from the crow's nest. The stoat captain Barranca who clutched the ship's wheel spun his gaze to the east while Ublaz kept his focus locked on the port that the Freebooter was steadily heading towards. Already creatures onshore were prepping ropes, and a large welcome committee was gathering on the docks.

"Ignore them," Ublaz ordered, not even having to look to know what Barranca was thinking. "Our business with Lord Gilvur is more important than chasing around after merchant vessels. Keep straight ahead, we'll be in harbor within the hour."

"Says ye," Barranca snorted turning the wheel ever so slightly to the east. "I got a crew to feed n' keep 'appy. We can't jus' tote ye 'round all o'er th' seven seas wit'out any profit." Still he did not challenge Ublaz beyond that, riding the swell, as the tide pulled them towards the waiting landmass.

Ublaz ignored him for now turning so he was looking at Sagitar and Lask. "Gather your trident rats, make sure their weapons and armor are polished to perfection. Lask, you will remain on the ship, as... Insurance." Ublaz glanced towards Barranca who quickly averted his eyes. Anybeast who had worked with Ublaz for any amount of time knew never to look him in the eyes.

[Ashleg]

The "Merchant Vessel", or so they thought, rode the waves in the distance behind the Freebooter, though she was gaining speed quickly as the winds picked up.
This ship, this frighteningly beautiful, ginormous, red ship...was captained by a stoat named Vilu Daskar who was rather refined himself.
Not just that, but he was a long-time lover of red.
It thrilled him to see the blood of his enemies go spraying out onto the sand or to perhaps spy the fearful look of an innocent as such things happened to his friends.
The Goreleech was painted red because of it, and as she sailed the paint which washed off into the current would leave a bloody trail in her wake.

The ship was large not merely because of Daskar's large ego or due to being a slave ship, but because of the fact that his crew was no schoolyard gang.
The stoat corsair had followers aplenty, some there out of loyalty to him though most there out of fear of what he would do to them if they resisted.
He had his moments of weakness or pettiness, surely, but he had never been afraid to get his paws dirty.

Vilu quietly lounged in his cabin, spiked helmet on one ear and red cloak hanging lazily off one shoulder. He was nearly half asleep, blinking tiredly, as a knock sounded on his door.
"Who is it?" He snapped, fixing himself as he ran to open the door.
A ferret stood cringing outside.
"'Tis me, Sir, Akkla!"

"Well, hurry up and spit it out. I am busy."

Akkla nodded eagerly. "Oh, yessir, I know, sir. 'Tis jus' that I've spotted another ship ahead of us, a big 'un--not nearly as big or awe-inspirin' as yours, though," he added quickly, practically dancing on the tips of his paws when he caught the glint in Vilu's eyes.
"Sh-should we loot it, Cap'n...?"

Daskar held up a paw for silence.
"...No. Now would not be the time to waste energy on something so meager. Lord Gilvur is expecting us, and what would he say if we showed up exhausted from battle?" He leaned down on the ferret and bumped him out the door.
"Go now, Akkla, and focus on your duties."

[LT Sandpaw]

Gradually the Freebooter eased into the harbor, which nestled just a few miles from Lord Gilvur's citadel. Crewbeasts cast out ropes to the waiting vermin on the docks, who worked together to pull her in. The short trip had been more or less uneventful, though the lookout had found it necessary to report every ten seconds about the oncoming red vessel, whose presence grew upon them by the minute. Literally.

Ublaz stood amidships with Sagitar and a dozen trident rats watching the massive ship bear down on them with no obvious intent of turning about.

"That thing looks big enough to hold an army an' a half." Sagitar commented leaning on her trident shaft. "Should we prepare the forces for battle?"

"No," Ublaz mused, stroking his silky brown chinfur thoughtfully. "Best not to be entirely unprepared, keep the ship ready to sail, but I have a feeling whoever captains that ship was meaning to come here as well. To talk, which is not a good thing." His last words came out as a low hiss and his almond eyes blazed momentarily revealing the monster under the posh and show.

The gangplank was hastily lowered allowing Ublaz and his cohort to descend onto the wooden platforms. A small routine of corsairs accompanied them along with a large weasel by the name of Bowfly who was Barranca's first mate. Barranca would remain on the ship with Lask, ready to sail at a moments notice. Meetings between pirates and vermin warlords never ended without some form of bloodshed, and Ublaz had no reason to believe this meeting would be any different.

"Look away," Grunted a fat rat, who met them on the planks. He to was flanked by vermin warriors, no less then a score stood ready with spears as insurance for a civilized discussion.

Not surprisingly Ublaz kept his gaze where he wanted, inadvertently forcing the one who gave the order, to in fact follow it.

"Our master refuses to discuss th' island o' Samperta, if ye don't cover yer eyes in some way." The rat continued, determinedly not looking at Ublaz. "Ye'll tie a length o' silk o'er yer eyes, or be killed 'er an' now."

"How does your master know that my magic eyes do not work through such coverings?" Ublaz asked silkily, stroking the rodent's head. "And why does he assume that I would walk blind into whatever trap he might have laid out?"

"'E jus' does," The rat grunted ducking away for the pine marten. "Now put this on." He offered up a length of white skilk, which was thin enough to see through, but would still effectively keep Ublaz's powerful gaze in check. Releasing a weary sigh Ublaz did as he was told and everybeast who had been clutching their weapons with white knuckles relaxed.

"Now we'll wait fer Cap'n Daskar," The rat grunted, looking relieved.

"Captain Daskar, hmm," Ublaz commented in a dry voice. "Well good thing I wasn't dying to see him."

[Ashleg]

OOC-
For some reason your pin DARN TYPO! pun had me laughing pretty loud. Good job, Mate.
IC-
Minutes had passed since Akkla had scurried back to his duties, though in Vilu's eyes they couldn't have passed long enough.
Sitting before a mirror, the stoat curled his fur into place and adjusted his helmet. Ah, yes. He looked every bit the leader the crewbeasts wished they were.

Bullflay, the fat weasel slavemaster, stumbled to Daskar's cabin door and barked out a quick "Cap'n, we're there!"

It flew open to reveal the stoat in all his refined wickedness.
Pushing Bullflay aside and chatting airily as he waltzed into the deck, the captain said, "I know, moron, did you not know I can feel it beneath my paws? Bring to me Parug and tell Akkla and his friends to stay on this ship, along with yourself. We don't want anything going...astray."

The slavemaster nodded eagerly. "Aye, Cap'n Daskar! An'...an' that big ship, well, she's docked 'ere, too."

"I noticed."
Vilu shooed him off. "Go now, go on."

--

Once each and every vermin knew where they had to be, the gangplank was lowered and they filed out, headed by Vilu.

The stoat's eyelids fluttered as he was greeted by a great array of vermin of all different shapes and sizes.
He noticed that the crew of the Freebooter happened to be among them.

"Padra," he commented, leaning over to the rat at his side.
"Keep an eye out for who their captain is."

"Now we'll wait for Cap'n Daskar!"

Vilu knocked Padra out of his way and strode down to the center, bowing illustriously.
"Captain Vilu Daskar. What an...event it is to meet one under the service of Lord Gilvur."

[LT Sandpaw]

 "Th' pleasure is all mine Cap'n. I am Viceroy Calcabba, the voice of Lord Gilvur of the seven isles." The rat simpered preforming a short bow to the pirate captain. "If ye would all foller me." The creatures crowded on the docks shuffled along behind the rat as he led them off the water and onto the sandy log path that led to the citadel. A few rough shacks had been set up along the waters edge, taverns to hold wavevermin and bilgescum of the worst kind. Small crowds of drinking vermin watched as the two lords of the ocean were led along the pinewood planks. These logs kept the many marching footpaws off the shifting, white sands that covered the beach allowing them to walk easy.

"Captain Vilu Daskar," Ublaz rolled the title over with his tongue, using a low silky voice that managed to display his disdain and guile all at once. The prim pine marten was flanked by the big Bowfly and the sinewy Sagitar as he marched alongside this Vilu. He idly plucked at the white silk that covered his eyes carefully considering the stoat's blurry, burly form.
"I haven't had the pleasure to meet you before. Nor have I heard of you. I suppose for a beast who sails a ship so enormous and not have a name for themselves you must be particularly skittish or shamefully unskilled. Not that it matters." Ublaz smirked wickedly, he was used to belittling pirates whose vocabularies rarely exceeded the usual insults and petty curses. He expected nothing more from this pirate captain, even if he carried himself with such confidence.

"You have of course heard of me, the mighty Ublaz, Emperor of the oceans, and the commander of a great fleet of ships?" In truth Ublaz had only three ships under his command, including the Freebooter, but that was hardly common knowledge.

[Ashleg]

Daskar shrugged and flicked his tail as he walked along, a skittish-looking Parug lingering at his side. The stoat captain's calm attitude towards Ublaz's insults seemed to be upsetting him.

"No," Vilu said simply. "Though if you don't rule over anything but fish I can't see why I would have."

Parug scampered around him.
"S-speakin' of seein', Cap'n, how does he see with that blindfold on...?" He hissed, letting out a gasp as he nearly tripped over a crack in the wood.

Vilu grimaced and held up a paw for silence.
"Do not speak, Parug, for this marten is quite visibly a delicate one. Ye would not want to go distressing him."

[LT Sandpaw]

"No, no." Ublaz countered, his voice like honey through clenched teeth. "I find it reasonably befitting of such a creature to speak. One could judge a beast by those he surrounds himself with. My creatures are disciplined, and loyal, speaking true to my capability as their leader." The pine marten cast an appreciative glance over the ten and two grey rats that marched behind them. Their dead soulless eyes staring blankly ahead, trapped in total servitude. Only Sagitar and a few other trident rats still acted under their own willpower, a gamble Ublaz had made when choosing officers amongst his little army. She however did not speak out or make any foolish statements, as she had been strictly instructed. Bowfly however, was a different matter altogether, though the weasel had the gumption to stay silent, probably under Barranca's orders.

"I do pride myself for my delicate appearance though. Obviously you can tell, I can see it quite clearly in your expression, blind fold or no." Ublaz continued, flicking sand from his clothing in a meticulous manner. "You might find the marten underneath to be as quick witted, and capable as any pirate, mayhap more so. But I do thank you for your concern, it shall not be quickly forgotten."

OOC: One more response from Vilu, and then they reach the citadel?

[Ashleg]

OOC-
Sure.
IC-
"I am not just a pirate," Vilu chuckled, flashing Ublaz a fake smile.
"And my creatures are plenty disciplined."
He recalled one time seasons past when he had a large clump of his crew beaten for backsassing him, Parug included.
The pirate stoat did a little hop-skip over another piece of jutting board and turned round as he walked to take a gander at Ublaz's crew.
Blank stares, no expressions...surely Daskar didn't suck the souls out of his own, but what he did to guarantee their obedience was fitting enough.

"Perhaps it's better for me to have a crew that is scared, but not to the point of losing their own unique personalities." He ventured, "After all, if you only surround yourself with the same types of beast, you will never know anything else. Like how to make deals! I dare ask if we're near Gilvur's place?" He asked the rat, padding up and away from Ublaz.

[LT Sandpaw]

"Aye m'lord." The viceroy indicated the large fort-like castle they were approaching. "Lord Gilvur will be waitin' fer ye in th' main hall. I suppose ye know enough not ter foolishly ire 'is lordship. But keep yer manners about ye, an yer creatures silent. Ye'll be allowed ter keep all ye' guards. But jus' so ye know, they'll be twice outnumbered inside."

Ublaz mostly ignored the pompous rat, simply considering the large expanse of the island, and the solidness of the castle walls that now faced him. The pine marten imagined having his own palace, perhaps similar to this one, except better. Though, to tell the truth he wouldn't mind having this place to start off with.

They strolled on past the slave fields where captured woodlanders toiled with the soil. Weaving in-between tall stalks of sugarcane and other unidentifiable plants, working under the watchful eye of cruel taskmasters. Farther afield were wooded mountains covered in thick foliage and sparkling streams that wound their way down to the ocean.

These sights did not interest Ublaz as much as the new swarm of creatures that had assembled in front of the citadel. There seemed to be an air of confusion, and maliciousness over them that was infectious. Pirates and horde vermin alike tightened their grip on sword and spear as this new group, numbering well over a hundred wandered forward to meet them less then fifty yards from the citadel's entrance.

"Was goin' on 'ere?" The Calcabba growled, crossing his arms in obvious frustration. "Lord Gilvur be waitin', an we don' 'ave time fer this. Someone answer!"

"Lord Gilvur is dead!" Somebeast amongst the crowd shouted. There was an immediate uproar from all around and many creatures began shouting at once. It appeared that even some in the opposing party hadn't even fully realized what had happened, and it was obviously news to Calcabba who stood in bewilderment between the two sides.

Ublaz to his credit had remained calm throughout the encounter, not even bothering to draw his sword. Even as Sagitar and Bowfly, along with the dozen trident rats closed ranks around him the pine marten seemed only surprised, if a little disappointed at the news.

Curious to see Vilu's reaction Ublaz glanced over, commenting aridly as he did. "Well it would appear our business will have to wait until a new lord of the oceans is found. Whoever that might be..." Only when the words left his lips did Ublaz realize what he had just said. His sable ears twitched angrily and he hopped Vilu hadn't caught on as quickly, but one could never be too sure.

[Ashleg]

Vilu's brown eyes glimmered with interest.
Gilvur, dead...
Who was the new "Lord of the Oceans"? Surely not Ublaz, for he was the one asking.

The stoat grinned widely, fiendishly, almost, as he took a graceful bow.
He bobbed his head and winked, throwing an arm around Ublaz's shoulders.
"I hear you loud and clear, friend. What was this deal you were trying to arrange with Gilvur? I am sure I could offer the same thing or at least a decent substitute."
He turned to Gilvur's rat and mused above the chaos, "I think I will take control while dear old Gilvur is so peacefully laid to rest, at least until you creatures find a leader for it. We cannot have disorder reign upon this land, eh?"

[LT Sandpaw]

 His disapproving frown turned into a full on glare under the silk mask as Ublaz realized that Vilu had realized the profitability of the situation. Sending Bowfly scurrying off to the ship for Lask and reinforcements, Ublaz laid a heavy paw on the stoat's shoulder sinking his claws in just a little, as a sign of aggression and intolerance for any foolishness. The pine marten hissed a staple warning under his breath into Vilu's ear, making his meaning clear.
"Stay out of my way pirate, this is mine, you hear?" Releasing Vilu, Ublaz turned to the rat viceroy resting his paw on his sword hilt. "Ignore Captain Vilu my good rat, take me up to the palace at once, and send for all the overseers and captains. And disperse these creatures their quarters." He motioned at the small army that was still on the verges of a panic.

Calcabba to his credit was taking the loss rather well. Assuming the role of temporary leader, the rat knew that a strong commander would be necessary, or the army would tear itself apart in a desperate power struggle. The only problem was that two qualified creatures had already staked their claim. Nervously Calcabba looked from stoat to pine marten, wondering whose willpower would win the day.

[Ashleg]

Vilu's eyes widened in shock and he took in a sharp breath.
Nobody touched him like that and got away with it!
He wasn't just some hordebeast to boss around.

"I think Ublaz is just bluffing, Calcabba..."
It was evident he was trying to keep a snarl out of his tone.
"He's an entitled snob. A plethora of idiocy. I laid my claims first, so step down, Ublaz."

Parug's eyes flitted anxiously from his captain to the mysterious pine marten.
Surely Vilu couldn't be beaten...

[LT Sandpaw]

Ublaz's ears sank low as he released a growl from behind clenched teeth. Nobeast, nobeast called him an 'entitled snob' and got away with it. Captain Vilu Daskar was treading on thin ice with his comments, ice that was about to crack. Red coattails twirling the pine marten danced away from Vilu pulling off his blindfold as he did. It would be better to remain out of striking distance for now, maybe he could demonstrate his authority. Those present would flock to his aid should he seem confident enough.
"Never you pitiful excuse of a captain, you... You wave scum. I am Ubaz, master of the seas and this is now my Empire. You three there," he ordered flicking his claw at the chosen horde vermin. "Arrest this insolent pirate, and his crew members. Throw him in the nearest slave pit, and keep him under guard until I have time to deal with him myself."

The three he had indicated, several big weasels, looked less then comfortable with these orders. They glanced hesitantly towards Calcabba who appeared just as unsure as they did.

[Ashleg]

"Wavescum? Perhaps. But at least I do not look like a prissy maiden, all done up and ready for a dance."
Vilu grinned broadly, knowing the weasels would not make a move.
"Do you wish to fight me, Ublaz Blindeyes? Don't make these creatures do your bidding." He pulled out his bone-handled blade.
"Have a go."
He knew he wouldn't either.
Image mattered too much to this marten.
Perhaps one day their crews would do battle, but this did not seem like the day...

[LT Sandpaw]

Showing a admirable amount of self restraint Ublaz left his sword in its sheath, wishing seven deaths upon the weasels who refused to follow his orders. Even if Bowfly was still around Ubaz's little company was heavily outnumbered by the pirates, and it had been made clear that the horde vermin wouldn't follow his orders. His only chance was if Bowfly pulled through bringing a whole host of loyal fighters with him, and then Ublaz have the numerical advantage. Thinking quickly the pine marten made a sudden bow, flourishing his tricorn hat in a sweeping gesture.

"Fight you, no, no my good captain. I would be rather indisposed to fight against you. I do not fancy my chances." Ublaz said carefully, keeping his voice low and soothing.

"I'll gut him for ye sir." Sagitar offered hefting her trident threateningly in Vilu's direction.

"Shut up ingrate," Ublaz hissed back as he replaced his hat back between his ears. "As I was saying Captain Daskar, you clearly have a greater claim on this... Place then I do. I cannot fight you myself or otherwise, and I cannot change your mind any other way. Perhaps it would be in my best interests to return to my ship and preform dealings with you when you have sanctioned yourself as lord of these lands. You can continue with Calcabba and claim the citadel as you clearly wish to do. I shall wait patiently for your summons aboard the Freebooter. Is this an acceptable agreement Captain?"