Hybi glares at me for a moment, I can see the gears turning in her head. I tense my body, preparing to try and catch her if she bolts. Then, like a deflating balloon, her shoulders droop. She walks over to me and hugs my leg, much like when we first met. After a few moments, she pulls away sniffling.

She looks up at me with red, puffy eyes, “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you this whole time. I just didn’t wanna say anything stupid and push you away... “ She looks back at the priest, “I know I’ve done it before.” She turns back to me, and she’s barely able to hold back tears, “I guess not talking did the same thing.”

That hits me in the stomach like a fucking dumptruck. Her behavior all starts to click in my head, and I feel for this kid. I have an overwhelming need to protect her, and honestly, for a moment, I consider dropping my plans to fully take care of her. But, I realize that if my plans succeed, situations like this will become such a rare thing. “Kid, I’ve had a lot of fun the last couple days. I’ve really enjoyed your company, but I can’t take you with me on a pirate ship. It’s cramped, dirty, and dangerous… It’s not just me, but all of the crew doesn’t want that done to you. If you don’t want to go with the priest, I’ll find something else.”

I see her taking in what I just said, and she thinks about it for a moment before she shrugs, “I like the fatty over there. He was always really nice to me, but he gave me away to some… well nevermind. I guess I’m just going to be handed off again. I should be used to it by now, but I just felt like you would never hurt me. I thought you were different.”

I look back to see the priest wearing a look of horrid guilt. I look down at Hybi, a warm smile spreading across my face, “Hybi, how about this. In a years time, I will have a spot that you can have a permanent home in. I won’t be there all the time, but when I’m there, we can spend all the time together you’d like. Also, you're right. I could never hurt you.”

Hybi looks up at me, hopeful tears spilling freely, “You promise?”

“Promise.”

She hugs me again, and I ruffle her hair with my hand. Father walks over and puts his enormous hand on Hybi’s shoulder, “Come child, I promise that you will not have to go with anyone that you don’t wish to. I learned my lesson last time. I’m just glad to see you alive after all this time.”

Hybi breaks off the hug and looks at me with bleary eyes. I give her a smile before Father starts leading her away. I grab Father’s arm as he goes to turn away, which is kinda comical since my hand doesn’t even reach a quarter of the way around his massive arm, “Father.”

“Yes my son?”

“If anything happens to her, I will hurt you.”

He gives me a big smile through his black, unkempt beard, “Good, I wouldn’t have it any other way my son. Honestly, your the first person I've met in a long time that could back that claim up. Although, I have a warning for you as well. I'll break your legs if this little one doesn't have a home in a years time.”

I feel a sense of relief spread over me as I hold his gaze. I honestly never knew that a threat like that could give me such a sense of comfort.

As I’m making my way through the streets, I am having a hard time clearing my head. When I think back on that whole interaction with the priest and Hybi I can’t help but feel like it was… too easy.

I mean, I’m glad it went well, but easy and Hybi don’t usually go well in the same sentence. Well, I’m probably just overthinking it, but I really hope she’s gonna be ok. I just feel like she... gave up.

As I finish up that thought, I find myself in front of Liber’s shop. I knock on the door.

“Who is it… ah hell, Utah is the only one that comes to see me, come in.”

I push through the door, and I see four stacks of shields along the wall. On the opposite wall, there are three kilns going at the same time. Liber is currently carrying a ceramic crucible the size of a medium size watermelon to a wooden box filled with clay. His arms are bulging with a ludicrous amount of muscles and veins as he begins to pour the molten metal into what I can only assume is a cast. I don’t dare say anything before he finishes and sets the crucible back into the kiln. Could only imagine the disaster it would be if his skill stopped midway like last time.

Liber turns to me, “I’ve gotten a lot better at controlling my concentration, but I’m glad you didn’t say anything. I don’t wanna risk dropping 50 pounds of molten iron everywhere.”

He walks over to a bucket of water and pulls out a washcloth. He wipes most of the grime off of himself, then dumps some of it over his head to cool off. He turns to face me, and he looks waaaay better. His face isn’t sunken, the dark circles under his eyes are gone, and the workshop doesn’t smell like ass anymore.

“Damn Liber, you look better! What happened?”

“Ehh, I used all of the coca leaves up. I actually sleep now.”

“Ah, well sorry about threatening you, but I couldn’t risk you spending all of the coin on coca leaves.”

Liber scratches his head while looking away from me. He barely whispers, “I’m just glad I couldn’t find anymore.”

“Me to, I’d hate to have beat sense into you.”

Liber's eyes widen as he looks up, “Utah, how high is your perception? I barely whispered it.”

I give him my cockiest smile, “High enough. Now, show me what you’re working on.”

Liber looks at me for a moment longer before letting out a nervous chuckle. He walks over to a crate and lifts the lid. He pulls out a two and a half foot long dart, handing it to me. It weighs probably 20 pounds and the shaft is about two inches wide, and it has four fins sticking out another inch or so. The fins are placed about a couple inches from the back of the dart. The last bit of metal sticking out is tapered to a blunted point.

I have no fucking clue what he could be thinking. I look at him, “Liber, what the fuck are we going to do with this? I told you I wanted rifled cannons.”

Liber gives me a huge grin, “Utah my friend... rifling barrels. with the equipment I have now, are impossible. That dart you’re holding there is the answer to our problems. If it works, it’ll have better range than a rifled cannon… if not, you’ll still have more range than a roundshot cannon.”

“Ok, but how are we going to use it?”

Liber gets that crazy look in his eye when he is thinking up something insane, “That’ll be a surprise, but just know, when I was a kid, I had a great idea for a explosive-assisted ballista.”

“You serious?”

He gives me a crazy look, “I don’t know, am I?”

I flick my eyes towards him, all humor gone from my face, “I hope for both our sakes, you are.”

“Hahaha, you’re so funny Utah. Anyways, I’ve been thinking, and I think that in order to do what you planning, it’ll take at least a hundred 12 pound cannons. I’d start acquiring them if I were you.”

As I walk through Nassau for the last time before I board “Going Swiftly” I try to shed the doubts I have on Liber. I’ve put all of my eggs into one highly qualified basket, but damned if I don’t feel like that basket is unstable… a hundred 12 pound cannons? Does he realize how many fucking cannons that is? I guess even if he does break all my eggs, I can still cripple him for the rest of the game. Killing him 30 times should leave him with the skill stats of an infant.

I shake my head to clear those thoughts. No use in thinking about it until he fucks it all up. I walk through the town I feel a sense of relief and apprehension. I’m so ready to start working towards my goal, and I have to leave the island to do that. I just don’t want to lose the connections I’ve made here, and all it will take is two mistakes. Two mistakes and every person on this island besides Liber will forget who I am.

That thought makes my stomach sink… Hybi will forget everything about me…

“Utah, UTAH!”

Zijde breaks me out of my somber realization by shaking my arm slightly, “Are you ok my friend? You seem disturbed.”

I give Zijde my most reassuring smile, “I’m good, I just have a lot on my mind.”

Zijde gives me a skeptical look, “Well, are you ready to set sail? We have a lot to see and a lot to pillage.”

The smoothness of his voice and the warmth of his smile really does wonders to set my mind at ease. I smile, looking out at the “Going Swiftly”, “Yes, we do have a lot to pilfer through. I think I need to keep looking forward instead of worrying about what might happen.”

Zijde takes out a pipe, lights it, and takes a long drag. As he exhales, he slowly nods his head, “I couldn’t put it better myself my friend.”

We both get onto the supply laden rowboat and make our way to the ship. As I put my feet on the deck, I look around seeing the ship slowly but surely being prepped to sail. The cannons are being tended to, the rigging is being inspected, and the excess supplies is being taken down below. I walk down to make sure the shields are covered with canvas like I asked. We smeared animal fat on the across the surface of them to keep them from rusting, but I’d still like them covered from the ocean air.

I make my way back topside when I hear Zijde calling the crew. I find him surrounded by the crew , “Alright my friends, are you ready to sail for Havana? Are you ready to take from good ole’ King Phillip? Are you ready to get even richer boys?”

The deck shakes from the crew stomping their feet, clapping, and yelling in agreement to our captain's words.

“Well, lets see how fast our little ship can fly now it’s been repaired. Let’r rip boys!”

As soon as the captain gave the command, every sail on the ship was opened up at the same time. The ship lurches forward, accelerating with reckless abandon through the crowded harbor. The helmsman is swinging the wheel back and forth, trying his best to miss the small fishing boats that litter the harbor. As we pass them, we can hear the men screaming curses at our ship.

I turn to Zijde at a loss for words. He sees the frantic look on my face and laughs, “My boy, we are the crew of the “Going Swiftly”! Why in the hell would we ever pretend otherwise. Let the men surrounding us spit and curse our names! There’s little else one can do when staring at the ass-end of my ship.”

After a few hours at our breakneck pace, we had traveled 20 miles out from Nassau. The crew is starting to lose their exuberance and fall into a methodical rhythm. Most of the men are working the rigging, and the rest are either relaxing or gambling. Since the ship is fresh out of the dock, there isn’t anything to clean, organize, or fix, so most of the crew is idle. Which, is sometimes a problem… it’s hot, cramped, and already starting to reek of body order. Zijde and Bheki have already had to break a couple scuffles, but that should get better once the ship is needing constant attention.

As for me? I’m just laying here sipping on rum. I’m soaking up the sun, enjoying the salty breeze, and enjoying my buzz. I watch Zijde start heading my way after talking to the helmsman.

“Well my friend, you look like you’re enjoying yourself.” He motions for the bottle, and sits down beside me after taking a long swig, “Ahh that hit the spot, there isn’t anywhere else I’d rather be right now. So, are you excited about taking the next step in your plan?”

I take the bottle, taking another swig, “You know it. Although, Liber did drop another bomb on me. Apparently we need a few dozen 12 pound cannons for the attack on the treasure fleet. I really don’t know how we are gonna get that many.”

Zijde looks at me with a crazy grin, “You know, we could try assaulting a fort. Twelve pound cannons are usually what they are armed with. We that’s always an option... and something I've always wanted to accomplish.”

I just laugh while shaking my head, “Well, let’s see if we can’t just take a few ships for now. I am glad to know we have that option if need be though.”

“Ship off the port bow, looks like a schooner, flying Spanish colors!”

Zijde and I look at each other, each of us sporting a huge grin. Zijde stands up and yells to the crew, “ Alright friends! Let’s see if we can punch ol’e King Phillip in the royal cock right quick!”

Zijde turns around giving me an all too familiar thumbs up, and all I can do is smile.