Joseph stumbled back from her stare.

“I mean… you are on a pirate island… are you not a pirate?…”

She grilled Joe with her eyes for a minute. Then Evalyn’s face relaxed and the smile returned.

“It is a common mistake, Joseph. Ghastly Wail is a special place. Its shadows are hiding all manners of mercantile souls, from merchants operating above and below the law, to the mercenaries, looking for a quick slice of silver. That’s me, by the way. ‘Firelight’ company, at your service.”

She mockingly bowed. Even if the spite was obvious, the gesture itself was ridiculously graceful.

“But if you are not aware of that, then you haven’t been with the ‘Morning Star’ for very long, correct? How much time has passed since they kidnapped you into their ranks?”

The words ‘five days’ tried to rip themselves out from his throat, but Joe managed to blurt out a different answer.

“A week…”

Something red in the upper-left corner of his vision was bugging him for a while now, but his attention was locked on Evalyn all this time. He decided to ignore it, together with something black at the lower-left.

The distant voices of Memory and Empathy echoed in his mind. Joe barely registered them.

She is quite nice… Right, Empathy?…

Yes… like, she is beautiful and sweet… I like her…

The green eyes squinted.

“That’s not a lot of time… not at all. They didn’t treat you well, did they? Left you all alone in the hostile, alien world… Didn’t acknowledge your good sides… say, Joseph… do you want to join my company? My working conditions are simple and pleasing… the pay is always on time and big enough to fulfil your every desire…”

Her whispers enveloped Joe in a soothing veil. He felt much better than when he was strolling around the empty streets, unable to fill the abyssal hollowness inside of him…

Evalyn was right. What good working with pirates would bring to him? Adventures? Mercenaries had no fewer opportunities to fall into any kind of adventure on the way. Money? He had simple pleasures - good beer, soft bed, enough coins to last for a month (and preferably, enough to save some for the future as well). Women? Eh, well… maybe…

All he had to do was to say ‘Yes’.

...But why was it so hard?…

Xander did pay him as promised…

Alchfrid took his time to teach him fighting techniques…

Ralf allowed him to use his kitchen practically whenever he wanted. He also let him run around the entire ship without a leash on the neck…

The faint sound of a familiar voice was coming closer and closer…

Brother! Brother! Brother, full alert!!!

…Understanding?

Something clicked within Joseph’s Mind.

He looked at the upper-left corner of his vision.

Interference Detected!

Interference Detected!

Interference Detected!

The entire corner was stuffed full of the red messages with the same exact words repeating over and over.

Understanding, what is going on?!

No idea, brother! The System went mental! Joseph, all other Stats are compromised, you can’t trust them! Even I can barely control myself! Something is off about this Evalyn woman, brother, you have to get the hell out of there!

His Mind hastily scrambled the details of the events in a state of absolute panic. If even the Inner State and his Stats felt off, then whatever happened had to be an absolute disaster.

He flipped through his thoughts.

The person herself.

The sweet voice.

The poisonous green eyes that drag you deeper, the more you are trying to resist them.

His weird dreamy state and stuttering.

Her invasive questions.

The mercenaries.

The reaction of Memory and Empathy.

…The pieces merged together. All that’s left was the true reason.

Natural abilities? Magic? Something else entirely, like some sort of invisible drug or gas?

…It didn’t matter. He knew what this woman was now.

His enemy.

*****

“...Are you alright?”

She reached his hand out to him.

Joe found himself jumping back before his brain even had a chance to catch up.

The reality triumphantly returned. The looming presence of buildings, the laughing wind, strolling through the narrow passage - the cruel and dark world of shadows finally showed its true face.

Together with the concentrated faces of mercenaries, reaching for their clothes.

The tutorial was done. The real game was just about to start.

And to end right there, if he would not be able to find his way out from this alleyway.

Evalyn kept her gaze on him. Her fake concern lingered still, but the intense glare betrayed her true emotions.

“You didn’t like my proposition, Joseph?”

The voice was as sweet as before, melting everyone caught in its venomous net. Even now, Joe had to focus and constantly remind himself that he could not trust anything this woman says or does.

What is going on?… Darling?… Wait a second… This bitch!!!

Welcome back, Memory. We have a situation.

The light of the Moon shone through the clouds. The silver ray illuminated the alert silhouettes of the mercenaries, who clumped around Evalyn.

“I mean…” Joe wasn’t even sure where he was going with this one. “…At the end of the day, mercenaries and pirates aren’t that different, are they? Both kill people for a living.”

To his surprise, Eve nodded.

“You are not wrong. Money is the engine of the world, and it has been this way ever since the first sprouts of society and economy. What I offer you is safety. Piracy is profitable, but the risk is immeasurable. As mercenaries, we do not have conflicts with the military, nor are we in any danger of being betrayed and hunted down by yesterday’s friends, simply because the bounty for one’s head went up by two Zinks. There is no point in wasting your life for the ever-elusive Fate over having a reliable team of professionals at your back, who work by the letter of a well-defined contract. Wouldn’t you agree?”

The last couple of sentences sounded honest, but Joe would be a fool if he trusts anything that comes out from this woman’s mouth. Even if the presented points were valid in their own right.

“Sure… I wouldn’t mind, but I want a guarantee.”

That was the first time he saw a genuine surprise from Evalyn.

“Guarantee?… Of what kind?”

The crate guy stifled his laugh. The gray rhevalian covertly punched him.

The colourful light chased away the shadows around them. Looked like people did not want to end the festival night just yet.

Blue this time, huh.

If only he didn’t waste his last bomb... His only option was to stall for time and look for a way out.

“I would like 5000 upfront, with a signed and stamped contract with listed benefits. I would also need a day or two to prepare for departure.”

The woman giggled. Joe found it cute, despite his instincts screaming at him with all their strength.

“A scrupulous man!” She shook her head, still giggling. “An unexpected discovery. I am tempted, Joseph. Truly tempted.”

She went silent. Her eyes reflected the darkness of the alleyway. Joe could see a slight hint of hesitation in her pensive posture.

He would have run away, but his atrocious position presented several issues.

First, in this stifling alleyway, he could not see a single suitable cover. Barely any crates or barrels could offer him enough protection from a stray bullet, and he wasn’t sure he had time to sprint to them.

Second, the mercenaries. They would make a sieve out of his body the moment he makes a wrong step. Would the black armor and the Archrhyder coat give him enough durability?

It wasn’t a casino. Betting on the wrong outcome would lead to losing more than just his money.

They had to be his last lucky draw.

Time froze.

Evalyn didn’t give order yet. But Joe was outnumbered six to one. It wouldn’t matter anyway.

Neither side was willing to slice the thin thread of stillness.

…Until the prancing steps invaded their stalemate.

“Am I interrupting?”

Despite the fact that Joe met him only a couple of hours before, the familiar voice brought a wave of relief to him.

George Firebreacher strolled past the bristling group and stopped near Joseph.

He could see the frivolous smirk on the ‘Bloody Bane’ captain’s face.

“Rough night, huh, sailor?”

“Rougher than usual, right.”

He was rewarded with a cold smile. George scratched his chin and turned his head in the direction of Evalyn.

“Bullying the poor guy with your team of fans, girl? Not the prettiest sight, I tell you.”

The woman crossed her hands on the chest, choosing not to lower herself to George’s level. The black-bearded man sneered.

“Women, am I right?” Firebreacher winked at Joe. “You better get some rest, sailor. You look tired.”

That was not a suggestion. That was an order.

Not that he had the need to object. Quite the opposite.

“Right…”

He turned around, preparing to escape.

“Thank you, George.” He would return the favour some other day.

The eyes of the captain absorbed the silver moonlight. The devilish grin returned.

“Sail on, warrior!”

*****

Heroic tales were supposed to be heroic because they promoted virtues. If the hero complains the entire way, whining like a toddler, who would ever want such a person as their role model?

No hero would ever admit that he is afraid.

No warrior would ever admit that he is tired.

In the stories, at least.

Would it be cowardly for Joe to admit that he started running from the cursed alleyway the very moment he turned around a corner?

Definitely.

Would he care?

Hell, no!

Everything to get to that sweet, sweet bed…

The encounter gave him the energy boost so potent, as if someone shoved a battery up his private place.

The path from the gates - through the cave - and to the port had at least a kilometre in length, not counting elevation changes, stairs, and such.

He covered the entire distance in two minutes.

He practically flew up the ladder on the ship too.

Alchfrid sat on a chair on the Upper Deck, reading a newspaper, when the wild gust of wind burst past him, waved to him on the way, and disappeared inside the ship.

The Captain shook his head, chuckled and went back to reading.

Irfan was cleaning his axe, when a weird beast stormed into his room. Hunter jumped up and raised the weapon - no way this lump of sweat, dirt, with eyes of a starving animal, could be a human.

“Die!”

“Irfan!!! Wait!!!”

The axe froze near the face of the invader. The arid’s brows climbed on his forehead when he recognized that the creature was, in fact, the person he knew.

“Joe? What happened?” he lowered the weapon.

The man raised his hands and gulped. Joe just couldn’t get his breathing back after speedrunning a marathon.

After some time, he could speak again. The hunter waited patiently, continuing the work that Joe interrupted by his arrival.

“I… I was in danger.”

The arid couldn’t hold down a chuckle.

“What else is new?”

“No, no, you don’t understand! I think I almost got witched… bewitched… Magic’ed? Argh, I don’t know! I met a devil, that’s what I wanted to say.”

“Devil? What is that?”

Joe fell down on a bed nearby.

“It’s like daemon… I guess… Look, I have no idea what happened. I ran into a woman, I felt weird. I think she messed with my mind somehow, or something…”

The man kept mumbling on. The hunter shook his head, put away the shining axe and grabbed the half-full bottle of wine.

“Here.” He shoved the scientifically proven, working elixir of life into Joseph’s shaking hands. “You need a drink.”

Joe nodded and emptied the bottle in a second. He coughed violently, but his pale face finally got some colour back.

“Thanks, mate…” he put the bottle away.

Irfan nodded.

“Why did you come to me?”

The man put both of his hands on top of his head.

“I ran into the first open room...”

The hunter grinned, but didn’t say anything.

There was a simple answer he could provide. If there is a Mage around, then Joseph had to report to the Captain or the quartermaster. If neither were there, even Roth would do, as another Mage.

Irfan nodded to himself and laid out his thoughts to his perturbed crewmate.

Joe lowered his head, thinking.

“That is… a good idea. Thanks, Irfan.”

When Joe left, the hunter picked up his rifle and began to disassemble it.