I watched closely as the Jerboa made his way through the bar and over to my table. Other Jerboa near his path got up and moved away but it didn’t seem like the same respect I saw out in the street. This looked more like disgust or pity.

When he finally stood on the opposite side of the table from me, he spoke. “May I sit?” he asked quietly through a raspy voice that sounded like he had smoked three packs a day for his entire life.

I glanced around the bar, seeing it had filled up since I had first entered. That didn’t mean there weren’t other open seats, but I felt like this wasn’t a random guy down on his luck, just looking for a place to sit where someone didn’t hate him. No this felt like someone who wanted something. I had considered taking on crew after spotting this port town, but I wasn’t about to make a yes or no decision without learning more.

I grumbled internally at being a nexus of events and replied. “I guess.”

The Jerboa nodded once and hopped into the chair, sitting crosslegged to raise his height up. He set a dusty and worn tri-tipped hat on the table and ordered a drink from the bartender as he walked past.

“I can see you have questions but allow me to ask a few of my own first, it might make things more clear,” he said after his drink arrived. “Are you from around these parts?”

I shook my head.

“I thought not. Then are you familiar with Jerboa customs at all?”

“Nope,” I replied.

He nodded slightly, causing his earrings to jingle. “Then let me give you some background to help you.”

He pointed to his hat. “Jerboa custom is to get a trinket for every ship they sail upon. As you can see by my hat I have sailed upon dozens of vessels over my lifetime. It is rare to see a Jerboa with fewer than five as we don’t like to remain in one place for too long.”

Next, he brushed his right ear, sending a rippling tinkle down the attached earrings. “Each silver ring represents a hostile action, successfully fought off as a crewman. Each gold represents the same thing, but as a captain instead.”

I looked at the ten silver rings and my eyes widened at the twenty-five golden rings. There was one final ring on the ear with fewer rings and it looked like obsidian or some black stone.

“And the black one?” I asked, gesturing with my cup.

“… that one is a mark of shame. For surviving when the rest of your crew and ship was lost to pirates.”

I was starting to get a picture of what the Jerboa wanted. “Why bother wearing it then?”

“A mark of shame is preferable to being cast into the great blue,” he replied simply.

“Ok, so now that I know, and as I look around this bar, it appears you have the most experience of anyone in here. So why me?”

“It is taboo for a Jerboa to have someone aboard their ship that carries a mark of shame. It is thought to be a bad omen, no matter the man’s accomplishments. Simpler to play it safe though and actively avoid them in ports as well.”

“Okay… so what did you want from me then?”

“The dockmaster said you had a gunship and had a run-in with Captain Grulaine. Is that true?”

“The dockmaster should learn to keep his fat beak closed,” I hissed, “but yes, it's true. Why do you ask?”

The man chittered at my insult, “I wish to join your crew, and get out of this small backwater port.”

“No offense, but I don’t even know your name.”

“Khikall,” he replied quickly.

“Khikall is your name?” I asked.

He nodded.

“Listen, Captain Khikall, I-,” he cut me off.

“Just Khikall, I am no longer a captain.”

“Ok, so why would I want you on my ship, why can’t you join a non-Jerboa crew instead?”

“The guild ships only take on Guild personnel. The birdbrains or Dormian’s would take me on but at the first sign of trouble, they abandon their ships and fly to the nearest port. I would be left to the mercies of the pirates at that point. I would be better off throwing myself into the ocean.”

The guy’s reasoning seemed legit and I did need more crew for the Retribution but could I trust him. I mulled it over in my mind before coming to a decision.

“I can’t have useless people aboard my ship, it's small and there isn’t room for slackers. I’ll need you to prove to me that you can hold your own in a fight. So, you will duel me, and if I determine you are acceptable, I will take you on. Deal?”

I had already used Identify on the man and saw his level was nineteen. I thought given his impressive rings that it would have been higher but I’m sure there was a story there. As for his class, that was hidden. Heck for all I knew his level might be falsified as well. A duel should quickly ferret out if he was stronger than he let on.

“Fine,” he said, beginning to stand, “but a word of caution. You should never call into question another Jerboa’s fighting ability, even if he does have a black ring. That sort of insult would result in a blood feud and the entire clan of the aggrieved would throw themselves at you until either you or they were dead.”

I quired an eyebrow, “fair enough, so why are you any different?”

“I have no family,” he said, turning around and beginning to walk out.

“Wait, where are you going?” I asked.

“To the dueling ring, we can’t fight it out in here, the constable would toss us off the island.”

I quickly downed the rest of my drink and hurried after the surprisingly quick Jerboa as he made his way out of the bar. It was kind of neat the way the crowd parted at his approach. Then I thought about what he had said. Tossing someone off a floating island would definitely be more effective than doing it on a normal island. I would have to remember to stay out of trouble.

It didn’t take more than a few minutes to reach an open square filled with packed sand. I felt a prickle across my skin as we passed a line on the ground. I figured it was a barrier of some sort to keep fights contained. I guess to protect you from inadvertently harming others while you were dueling.

“How do you want to do this?” Khikall asked.

“I’m not sure what you mean?”

“Weapons and skills only or magic as well?” he clarified.

I shrugged, “wouldn’t do me any good to only see part of what you’re capable of, so go all out.”

“Very well, are you ready?”

I nodded, my staff appearing in my hand and my helmet appearing over my head.

I did see him spare a curious glance at my armor and weapon before he produced his own. His loose-fitting clothing was replaced by buckled leather armor with crisscrossing straps that held dozens of small knives. His weapon of choice appeared to be a small whip.

I initiated the duel and as soon as the countdown finished, he reacted, using his tail to grab one of the knives and flick it toward me with impressive speed. The knife took on a blue glow as it flashed across the space. I flicked my staff over and knocked it out of the air, then twisted aside as the tip of his whip streaked toward my head. The crack as the whip hit its extension, blew me off my feet and I rolled away from yet another incoming dagger, this one impacting the ground with a small explosion.

I smiled inside my helmet and snapped my hand out, firing off an Arcane Bolt. Khikall used his tail as a third limb to push himself out of the path of my spell as he tossed two daggers into the air.

So far he had taken the initiative in the battle, it was time to turn that around and see how he handled it. I activated Blink Step and rushed him, dodging the two daggers his tail grabbed out of the air and tossed at me.

He swung his whip again but I was able to catch it before it cracked the air. It felt like gripping a high voltage wire but I endured the agony as I swung my staff at his torso with my other arm. Khikall pulled on the whip, probably trying to pull me off balance but instead pulling himself closer.

I realized quickly that I had been wrong, he had fully intended to pull himself closer to me. His unoccupied hand now held another weapon. Just before the short lance would have pierced my chest, I activated Time Shudder which gave me time to activate Unstoppable Force.

The lance skittered across my armor as I shoulder-checked the smaller Jerboa, sending him rolling across the arena. The damage of the attack had been minimal as I hadn’t had much momentum built up but my strength was enough to bowl over the lighter fighter.

I reset my stance as he somersaulted to his feet, not wasting any time and attacking again. This time three daggers were thrown at the same time, but all three landed between us, creating a hazy ripple that made him vanish from view.

“That’s a neat trick,” I said, activating my tattoo. When I didn’t see him behind his daggers, I jumped to the side but not before I felt the impact of his bladed whip against my back.

So not just a concealment ability, but a short-range teleport, interesting. I whipped my staff around, Activating Shockwave as I did so.

The sickle of energy tore through the space the Jerboa had been standing in a moment after he leaped into the air using his tail as a spring. I knocked away two more daggers before I Overcharged Frostwave and turned the area he was going to land in, into a frozen hellscape.

He slipped as he landed, his taloned feet unable to gain purchase on the frozen ground. The mistake was small but more than enough for me to take advantage of. Before he could recover, I fired Energy Lance, hitting him in the shoulder as he tried to twist out of the way. He was sent tumbling across the square but he wasn’t out of tricks either it seemed.

Before I could chase him down and take advantage of his weakness, lightning crackled across the square, locking up my muscles. My eyes caught the discarded daggers and I groaned in annoyance. Somehow he was able to transfer elemental powers through the weapons and created a field to his advantage. It was an effective tactic. It may have even worked against someone with a lower resistance but with my armor and my Elemental Defense, the stun effect only lasted for a second and the damage was minimal. He also wasn’t prepared to take immediate advantage of the situation as he was slow to rise from my last attack, so I activated a staple of my spell repertoire and cast Earth Fist.

The pillar of Earth slammed right into his gut, lifting him off the ground and the match ended.

“I’m getting old and slow,” Khikall groaned as he rose to his feet.

“No, I think you were just a bit outmatched. Is nineteen your true level?”

He nodded.

“Well, it's not mine.”

“So above twenty then,” he grunted, “care to share to soothe an old man's pride?”

“Perhaps when there are fewer eyes around,” I said, glancing at the crowd of spectators we had drawn.

“Fair enough, does that mean you’ll allow me to join your crew?” he asked, a hint of hope in his voice.

“You seem competent enough, it's more than I can say for most people I come across. So for the moment, sure.”

He nodded once as he turned to retrieve his weapons.

Honestly, the Jerboa was quite the fighter. I wondered what he had been like in his prime? Even at his advanced age, he had been able to keep up with someone twice his level. It showed how much skill trumped levels. And just pointed out that I still had a long way to go before my skill was anywhere close.