I thought we would have arrived at a port by now since the captain had said that going to port for an update was our next move. I hadn't heard that the plan had changed, but I wasn't around him all of the time. I finally got my answer one morning during one of the many exchanges between Erik and the captain.

"I'd like t' head t' port fer news sir. We've nah met wit' any ships fer a while now 'n add to this, without any other orders I fear the scallywags will get restless," said the captain.

"If we make sail t' port thar be a chance that the yellow-livered scoundrel that I am trying t' root out could up 'n part the ship escapin' t' freedom. This ship'll be his prison 'til I weed 'im out. Ye've got supplies from the ships ye've destroyed so make it so and stay at sea," commanded the pirate lord.

"But sir, the men," pleaded the captain. He might have wanted a break from the domineering man just as much as the rest of us, if not moreso.

"The scallywags will do thar jobs 'n follow orders or else they can blame their own self for their death. Unless you fancy a swim yerself you'll also follow orders." I found myself tightening my grip on the broom I was holding. I didn't realize how angry I was getting as the fiend spoke of casually killing all of the people I had spent all my time on board getting to know. Talking is a good pastime when you're doing the same menial tasks over and over again.

I'd found myself looking at them in a different light. Most of them weren't bloodthirsty goons, they just loved the sea and loved living a life of free-spirited adventure. I may have gotten lucky with the ship I had boarded, but I really care for these men and especially for the captain that took care of them and was a good leader to them.

"Yes sir," the captain said unhappily. He had to comply to protect his men from whatever power this pirate lord could command against them. The conversation ended with the captain exiting the room and giving orders to change course.

"Ye could stop all o' this by confessing or telling me who be responsible for the attacks," said Erik when we were alone in the captain's great cabin. He stared at me for a while. He was trying to make me uncomfortable with the silence in order to get me to speak. It was a method that I had seen before but I was getting good at keeping my mouth shut. "Have it yer way, boy."

I didn't think he actually had anything on me. It was just a change of tactics to try and draw out his prey. I was too smart to fall for something like that, or at least I thought I was.

He parted, leaving me to my work. After I finished I walked out to the captain who was with the helmsman giving orders. He saw me and gave a slight nod.

"Nothing more for today, lad. Fair winds and following seas," said the captain with a hint of sadness. I could tell he just wanted control of his vessel back. I wasn't sure what the last part of what he said meant but from context and with the solemnness in which he spoke it, I figured it came from a place of sadness but was spoken to give me hope. I was really starting to like Captain Porter and under different circumstances, I think he would have made a good mentor. He was probably at least twenty years my senior, but it was hard to tell sometimes just where he was in life.

It was about another week of sailing until I got my next revelation from the snooping I was doing. During another of the conversations between the two men, the pirate lord was clearly irritated at his lack of progress.

"If no one on this ship wants t' natter we shall sail t' Sharkfin Island 'n the council o' the six lords will deal wit' the perpetrator. The other pirate lords will likely call fer the execution o' all hands includin' yerself, Cap'n Porter. The Pirate King ain't goin' t' take the destruction o' ships under his protection lightly. Shift yer helm and pray that i find me quarry afore we dock on the island that will be the death o' ye." He slammed the door as he left and the captain just stood there speechless.

I learned more at the pirate lord's wit's end than in any other conversation. I wouldn't let the captain and his men die, I couldn't. I now knew that there were six pirate lords that oversaw these seas and that they answered to this Pirate King. I also knew that they were at Sharkfin Island and they had some sort of power over the pirates that I needed to deal with. I wondered if I would be able to speak with sharks and I hoped that I wouldn't have to get an answer to that question.

I left the captain in his quarters after he dismissed me and I went below decks to ask Hubert about the island's location. If I got the location I could take care of this pirate lord and save the crew. That had to be good enough to keep them from killing me for dispatching one of their leaders. I mean, they didn't even seem to like him at all. It wasn't like he was on board to make friends or anything.

Before I could make it to Hubert I heard yelling from above. I poked my head out of one of the cannon ports and saw an approaching ship. I knew that the whole crew needed some action and the supplies would be nice so I used my Distance Utterance spell again to get us to attack them. I made sure to include something about the approaching ship's intention of killing the pirate lord on our ship. Then I ran upstairs. My hope was that this would put the pirate lord off of my trail and possibly even show him that we were not just attacking random ships.

I ran up to the captain to wait for orders. The pirate lord was frantically looking around trying to figure out how we had done it. He also was scared and didn't want to die if their intention was to kill him so he commanded Captain Porter to attack.

The battle went just like the others before it. The enemy ship came broadside, we fired all of our cannons, I jumped over and started taking out pirates and ended in the captain's quarters. Once again I killed him and looted everything on him besides his clothing and everything from the room. I left my junkiest cutlass lying next to him as was my custom. Two new things happened this time around. First, after the sword fight, I received a notification.

New Special Ability!

I quickly pulled up my menu and checked the description.

Forward Slash

An unseen force pushes you straight forward fifteen feet. Anything that your sword touches will be sliced through with no resistance or damage to the blade as long as it is a material that your blade can reasonably cut through under normal circumstances.

Must have a sword equipped to activate and has a thirty-second cooldown.

I wish I could say I was speechless but I couldn't help myself.

"Sweet! I can't wait to use this bad boy!" I exclaimed. This is when the second new thing happened. Erik pushed the door the rest of the way open and it gave him away with a loud creak.

"Looks like I've caught ye in the act. I knew that thar was somethin' odd about ye. Well, now yer deception be o'er. Nah only can ye speak but ye 'ave some magic abilities based on items around ye poppin' in 'n out o' existence. Ye'll answer t' me blade fer yer crimes," said Erik as he pulled out his amazingly detailed and beautiful cutlass.

"Whoa, I'm sure that there is a way we can work all of this out," I said not at all thinking there was a way we could work all of this out. I didn't want to try my new special ability because I was pretty sure it would slam me into the wall in front of me since we were in a slightly confined space.

"Ye looted all o' the those other ships aft somehow trickin' 'em t' attack. There be no t' save ye. I be yer judge, jury, 'n executioner." He took a step forward as I took a step backward. I was trying to gauge the fifteen feet needed but I wasn't exactly sure what fifteen feet looked like. I pulled my own cutlass.

Captain Porter walked in and saw us facing each other with our swords drawn.

"Avast ye. I won't let ye scuttle me cabin boy or any o' me crew fer that matter. I've let this go on too long already. Come wit' me, there's a good lad." He motioned for me to move out of the doorway he was standing at so I started moving over to him without taking my eyes off of Erik.

The pirate lord smiled a wicked smile and quickly thrust his cutlass into a defenseless Captain Porter that stood beside him with his eyes on me still beckoning me over to him.

I saw red. As the captain crumpled to the ground from the critically placed sneak attack screamed and mentally activated my new special ability. I felt the force behind me push me forward unnaturally fast. My sword went clean through the pirate lord's body and stuck into the wall behind him. If that didn't finish him the force of the guard on my cutlass hitting his body at that speed may have done it. Of course, if that didn't do it, the force of the rest of my body slamming into his may have also been enough.

His body cushioned the blow between myself and the wall. It turns out that I was right to be concerned over how much fifteen feet was. I sustained some blunt force trauma since my cape didn't protect my front. If I had been any closer and hadn't had some padding, I feared that I may have died from hitting the wall at that speed. I wouldn't be using that special ability lightly anymore. I also thought about what would've happened if his sword was facing me at the time. I magically healed and refocused on Captain Porter. I touched his neck to feel for a pulse instinctively but a loot box came up and I knew he was gone.

I took nothing and closed the loot window out of respect for the man who stood up for me. I didn't show the same respect for Erik and looted everything he had on him. His sword was the best item he had by far.

Cutlass Supreme (Ultra Rare)

This beautifully forged sword balances the classic cutlass design with ancient technique.

This sword is unbreakable and will never dull.

"Wow, this is a nice sword." I held the sword out and gave it a few swings. It was definitely the nicest sword I had ever held. I popped it back into my inventory and picked up the captain's body to carry it out with me.

I walked it out onto the deck of the enemy ship and multiple pirates who were on my side saw who I was carrying. Soon I had the eyes of every pirate left on the two ships.

I spoke loudly for everyone to hear.

"The pirate lord Erik murdered Captain Porter. He was a good man and I will not stand for this injustice! I will use all of my power to bring down the other pirate lords and the pirate king himself. Their reign of terror is over. Sail with me and we will have the freedom to enjoy these waters once again." Everyone was silent and I noticed a few of them glancing over at each other as if they didn't trust me or didn't want to listen.

I used my Pyrokinesis to take the flame of an oil lamp that was hanging nearby and made it grow into a large flame that swirled around and over me. Then, I said the words to cement my place as their new leader with them standing around me in awe and wonder.

"I'm the captain now."