When the battle began, Niccolo went straight after Diego Reyes. The baron’s son had claimed he had been a demon with a sword. While Niccolo was confident the story had been greatly exaggerated, his interest had been piqued nonetheless.

The two of them circled around each other. The other pirates ignored Niccolo, no doubt due to misplaced confidence in their leader. Reyes at the very least had the footwork of a swordsman. He was crouched slightly and moved with the motion of the boat.

“Diego Reyes? My name is Niccolo di Falcone, scion of the noble di Falcone family from Talua. You might have heard from us. My first cousin is a pirate himself, though he mostly just walks around with an eyepatch on and that wretched parrot of his on his shoulder. I think he’s in it for the ladies, rather than the wealth,” Niccolo said.

He lunged, his right leg driving him forward. Reyes jumped backwards and slammed his cutlass down on Niccolo’s rapier, driving it to the ground. Niccolo withdrew, raising his main-gauche in an anticipation of a riposte. Reyes just backed away himself instead. The man was cautious enough, that was for sure. Niccolo decided to rile him up some more.

“Tell me, why steal a pleasure barge of all things? Surely there must be faster options out there. I saw how slowly the dumb thing turned as you were chasing us. I think even my grandmother could outswim it, and she’s dead,” Niccolo pressed. Reyes’ left eye twitched. At least the pirate understood him, even if he refused to rise to the bait.

Niccolo batted Reyes’ cutlass aside with a flick of his wrist and lunged again. Reyes twisted aside, drew closer and slashed at Niccolo’s shoulder. Niccolo caught the strike with the main-gauche in his right hand before creating some distance. Niccolo had to admit that Reyes was not that bad. They circled each other again. Behind them, the Esprit had somehow caught fire.

“Your boat is burning,” Niccolo remarked. “Shouldn’t you be doing something about that?”

“I’ll just take yours after I kill you,” Reyes spat.

“Aha, he speaks. Finally,” Niccolo said, deciding to reward Reyes’ loquaciousness with another attack.

He lunged, feinted left and then moved his point to the right with a small gesture. Reyes missed his parry and while he still leapt back, that didn’t stop Niccolo from hitting him. The point of the rapier came away bloody.

“First blood, I win”, Niccolo chuckled.

“Oh do you ever shut up?” Reyes snapped, throwing himself at Niccolo.

Niccolo parried with his left and rammed his right elbow in Reyes’ stomach. The pirate groaned and doubled over as his cutlass clattered to the deck.

“That settles that. Let’s see about outing out that fire, shall we?” Niccolo said.

He stowed his weapons, picked up Reyes’ blade and hurled it into the water for good measure. However, rather than a splash, a soft thud followed. It was then that a massive scaly head rose from the water right next to Niccolo. It looked like a regular green snake, only dripping wet and twenty times as big.

“River snake!” someone shouted. Reyes cursed and crawled up, waddling towards the other side of the boat and jumping off. The snake opened its mouth, showing sharp teeth the size of daggers.

Niccolo smiled. This serpent was going to make him famous. He straightened his hat and stared at the beast. It stared back for a few seconds, then lashed out. Niccolo rolled to the side and could hear the deck crunch. Swift action would be needed.

“Someone, get me a few barrels of gunpowder, fire and a long rope, quickly!” he commanded as the beast was crunching on the wood. “I have a plan.”