Razkar watched the confrontation unfold carefully once he realized that was what it was. Having grown up with Taloba Grey, he was used to the effect, but after such an... exertion as the ritual, it has hitting him hard. Then he was Edreina and Tonio and some smug-looking barbarian talking... then arguing.
He blinked away the fog settling around his eyes and got to his feet, but by the time he did Edreina had already turned on her heel, fiery hair matching her towering expression as she rushed past him in a blur of furious movement. Even Razkar was struck dumb for a moment at her anger, just watching her go with a slack mouth...
Then his head snapped back to the two remaining barbarians.
"What happen?" He said to Tonio, ignoring the bruised male who was suddenly looking not-quite-so-smug. "Why she leave? What was said?"
Tonio narrowed his eyes slightly, oddly more comfortable talking to some snarling savage than a female of his own kin on the warpath.
"What did I tell you about questions, Myrian?"
"She is my friend." Razkar said patiently, slowly, getting every word correct and in order this time, black eyes boring into the Svefra captain to impress the importance of that to him. "So I ask question. What. Happen?"
Tonio relented by only a fraction, but it was enough to loosen his lips.
"This... gentleman," he paused over the word with reluctance, and while Razkar caught he inflection, the youth didn't seem to. Typical. "Is a passenger on my ship, the same as you, and he was assaulted by Miss Edreina. He-"
"Your friend struck me for no reason!" Mr Smug made the mistake of interrupting. Razkar's eyes slid to him and he hated the little runt on sight. His nasally, whining voice, his soft hands, silk shirt and air of entitlement. "I was merelyGRRK!"
The Myrian moved so fast that even Tonio had to take a few seconds to realize what was happening. Razkar's hand shot out and took a firm, cruel grip on the male's crotch, expression not changing at all. One firm squeeze was enough to both quell his voice and tell him that any attempt to move would be met with a very, very messy castration.
The Myrian... inhaled... smelled the salty, sweet flavor of her around him... the liquor permeating him... and his eyes narrowed in thin, wrathful slits. The attitude, the bruise, the stench of strong drink, and the undeniable fact that Edreina was a beautiful specimen of a female.
Razkar didn't speak Common, but that didn't make him stupid. Or blind.
"You not talk, boy." He snarled through gritted teeth, tweaking the sack in his hand one more time, just to make his point. "Men talk. You stay quiet. Yes?"
A furious nod and he was released, Captain Tonio standing there rigid with shock. But Razkar knew the type, and his shock would soon give was to an eruption of fury, probably ending with him getting thrown off the ship. So he decided to end this quickly, and savagely.
Just his style.
"You want people to know you let man who would rape on you ship?"
Razkar could see the surprise on Tonio's face when he let go of the boy's balls. Slowly it subsided and a furious, indignant anger replaced it, that his passenger and his ship had been the sight of a savage committing violence. When Razkar spoke again, voice low and smooth, that shock came back even harder. And with his reputation mentioned...
"How... How dare-"
"I tell good story, Captain." Razkar said with an air of satirical, biting levity. His fingers played with the pretty little shell on his belt. "See this? Gift from Svefra girl. Nice girl. Liked my story, so did many other. How you like I tell story tonight? About captain who let land-walker scum-" he spat the word with utter disgust and directed it at the cowering boy "-put hands on Svefra girl, him own kin, and take scum money more than girl honor?"
Tonio's face was at war with itself, or so it seemed. Fear and shock and apprehension and dread and murderous rage advanced, retreated, flanked and charged over and over again, but no side was really winning. Slowly, however, the hard pragmatism that had served him well was shining through...
"You still need me-"
Razkar made a dismissive noise and waved a hand, half-turning away, tracking a mop of angry red hair zigzagging across the decks. He kept his voice airy as he surveyed the myriad of ships.
"Ah, there are more ships. Other captain. Perhaps girl know one? Sure she does. I be here for a while, I think. Many nights." His eyes slid back to Tonio and the threat was clear and loud, though his words were not. "I tell story every night, Captain. I tell every Svefra in Flotilla that Captain Tonio of Cuttlefish value barbarian gold more than young girl of him own people. When summer come? Everyone know. Think that would hurt business?"
Captain Tonio was a man weathered by a lifetime at sea. Had had survived storms, sharks, beasts he did not even know the name of, pirates, even a mutiny once or twice. He had killed before, and save for one occasion felt no remorse for doing so. He was not unfamiliar with blackmail, either, but more times he had been able to just sail away from it.
But not now. Not with his own people brought into the mix.
"You threatening me, Myrian?"
Razkar took one step forward, and smiled with a mouth like a shark's.
"Most definite yes, Captain. Because this wrong."
"I need the money!"
"No!" Razkar shot back, voice rising to match the Svefra's as an accusing finger jerked up. "You want money. Not need. Scum's father give you coin, you forget what you are?"
"Careful, Myrian." Tonio said, hand sliding down to the sword at his belt. "You're pushing it."
Razkar blinked and struggled against the desire to snort. He calculated that he could have the good Captain with two pieces of iron in him before that sword could clear its scabbard... but that would be poor treatment of his transport. So instead he just shook his head, very slowly...
"You do right thing. Not wrong thing. Or I do what I say. If I had money, would pay, but do not have that many miza." The Myrian leaned back on his foot and crossed his arms, eyes cool and utterly in control of himself. "You choice."
Saying the pause was pregnant was like saying that Isurians are fond of metal. The noble boy fumed but he fumed silently, unable and totally unwilling to open his mouth after that marked and bedecked savage had treated him so. He would be sure to tell his father about this; father always took care of messes like this. Tonio breathed slowly and deeply, weighing his options...
"... the boy will have to find another ship."
"What?!" Finally there was an explosion (well, more of a strangled, squeaky squawk) from the youth. "Captain, my father will-"
"Get his money back, minus your expenses so far." Tonio's nose wrinkled distastefully and Razkar was happy to see that the Captain secretly had pretty much the same opinion of the drunken fool as he did. "Based on mead and wine alone, that may take come calculation. In the meantime, pack your things. I have a few other captains I can call on to take you on."
The boy's mouth opened and closed a dozen times, quickly, but despite everything, Razkar was not smiling. Gloating was something he did not do often, and then only over a dying and especially hated enemy. This was... dirty. Having to bandy words and make threats to talk, not act, it jarred with his warrior's soul.
It would be easier back home. We'd just cut his dick off.
Finally the boy screwed up his tiny reserve of courage and straightened his non-existent shoulders. He raised a finger and Razkar could see some pithy barbarian insult forming behind his lips. When he opened his mouth, Razkar's lips slid open and every one of his filed teeth were visible. Not he was not smiling. Not even then.
"What you say. What you threaten. Not matter. I will be waiting."
Then he turned on his heel and went after the girl.
Which was not an easy task. Edreina was as graceful on solid ground (or wood) as she was on water, and her knowledge only added to it. She knew every deck her feet hit and the best way across them. Razkar was nearly decapitated by a passing boon and fell into the Suvan once, missing a zipline. But finally, soaking wet and exhausted, he closed the gap, reached out to grasp her shoulder-
-and got a fist in the jaw for his troubles.
Polished and carved oak greeted the back of his head with a dull thunk!
He blinked away the fog settling around his eyes and got to his feet, but by the time he did Edreina had already turned on her heel, fiery hair matching her towering expression as she rushed past him in a blur of furious movement. Even Razkar was struck dumb for a moment at her anger, just watching her go with a slack mouth...
Then his head snapped back to the two remaining barbarians.
"What happen?" He said to Tonio, ignoring the bruised male who was suddenly looking not-quite-so-smug. "Why she leave? What was said?"
Tonio narrowed his eyes slightly, oddly more comfortable talking to some snarling savage than a female of his own kin on the warpath.
"What did I tell you about questions, Myrian?"
"She is my friend." Razkar said patiently, slowly, getting every word correct and in order this time, black eyes boring into the Svefra captain to impress the importance of that to him. "So I ask question. What. Happen?"
Tonio relented by only a fraction, but it was enough to loosen his lips.
"This... gentleman," he paused over the word with reluctance, and while Razkar caught he inflection, the youth didn't seem to. Typical. "Is a passenger on my ship, the same as you, and he was assaulted by Miss Edreina. He-"
"Your friend struck me for no reason!" Mr Smug made the mistake of interrupting. Razkar's eyes slid to him and he hated the little runt on sight. His nasally, whining voice, his soft hands, silk shirt and air of entitlement. "I was merelyGRRK!"
The Myrian moved so fast that even Tonio had to take a few seconds to realize what was happening. Razkar's hand shot out and took a firm, cruel grip on the male's crotch, expression not changing at all. One firm squeeze was enough to both quell his voice and tell him that any attempt to move would be met with a very, very messy castration.
The Myrian... inhaled... smelled the salty, sweet flavor of her around him... the liquor permeating him... and his eyes narrowed in thin, wrathful slits. The attitude, the bruise, the stench of strong drink, and the undeniable fact that Edreina was a beautiful specimen of a female.
Razkar didn't speak Common, but that didn't make him stupid. Or blind.
"You not talk, boy." He snarled through gritted teeth, tweaking the sack in his hand one more time, just to make his point. "Men talk. You stay quiet. Yes?"
A furious nod and he was released, Captain Tonio standing there rigid with shock. But Razkar knew the type, and his shock would soon give was to an eruption of fury, probably ending with him getting thrown off the ship. So he decided to end this quickly, and savagely.
Just his style.
"You want people to know you let man who would rape on you ship?"
Razkar could see the surprise on Tonio's face when he let go of the boy's balls. Slowly it subsided and a furious, indignant anger replaced it, that his passenger and his ship had been the sight of a savage committing violence. When Razkar spoke again, voice low and smooth, that shock came back even harder. And with his reputation mentioned...
"How... How dare-"
"I tell good story, Captain." Razkar said with an air of satirical, biting levity. His fingers played with the pretty little shell on his belt. "See this? Gift from Svefra girl. Nice girl. Liked my story, so did many other. How you like I tell story tonight? About captain who let land-walker scum-" he spat the word with utter disgust and directed it at the cowering boy "-put hands on Svefra girl, him own kin, and take scum money more than girl honor?"
Tonio's face was at war with itself, or so it seemed. Fear and shock and apprehension and dread and murderous rage advanced, retreated, flanked and charged over and over again, but no side was really winning. Slowly, however, the hard pragmatism that had served him well was shining through...
"You still need me-"
Razkar made a dismissive noise and waved a hand, half-turning away, tracking a mop of angry red hair zigzagging across the decks. He kept his voice airy as he surveyed the myriad of ships.
"Ah, there are more ships. Other captain. Perhaps girl know one? Sure she does. I be here for a while, I think. Many nights." His eyes slid back to Tonio and the threat was clear and loud, though his words were not. "I tell story every night, Captain. I tell every Svefra in Flotilla that Captain Tonio of Cuttlefish value barbarian gold more than young girl of him own people. When summer come? Everyone know. Think that would hurt business?"
Captain Tonio was a man weathered by a lifetime at sea. Had had survived storms, sharks, beasts he did not even know the name of, pirates, even a mutiny once or twice. He had killed before, and save for one occasion felt no remorse for doing so. He was not unfamiliar with blackmail, either, but more times he had been able to just sail away from it.
But not now. Not with his own people brought into the mix.
"You threatening me, Myrian?"
Razkar took one step forward, and smiled with a mouth like a shark's.
"Most definite yes, Captain. Because this wrong."
"I need the money!"
"No!" Razkar shot back, voice rising to match the Svefra's as an accusing finger jerked up. "You want money. Not need. Scum's father give you coin, you forget what you are?"
"Careful, Myrian." Tonio said, hand sliding down to the sword at his belt. "You're pushing it."
Razkar blinked and struggled against the desire to snort. He calculated that he could have the good Captain with two pieces of iron in him before that sword could clear its scabbard... but that would be poor treatment of his transport. So instead he just shook his head, very slowly...
"You do right thing. Not wrong thing. Or I do what I say. If I had money, would pay, but do not have that many miza." The Myrian leaned back on his foot and crossed his arms, eyes cool and utterly in control of himself. "You choice."
Saying the pause was pregnant was like saying that Isurians are fond of metal. The noble boy fumed but he fumed silently, unable and totally unwilling to open his mouth after that marked and bedecked savage had treated him so. He would be sure to tell his father about this; father always took care of messes like this. Tonio breathed slowly and deeply, weighing his options...
"... the boy will have to find another ship."
"What?!" Finally there was an explosion (well, more of a strangled, squeaky squawk) from the youth. "Captain, my father will-"
"Get his money back, minus your expenses so far." Tonio's nose wrinkled distastefully and Razkar was happy to see that the Captain secretly had pretty much the same opinion of the drunken fool as he did. "Based on mead and wine alone, that may take come calculation. In the meantime, pack your things. I have a few other captains I can call on to take you on."
The boy's mouth opened and closed a dozen times, quickly, but despite everything, Razkar was not smiling. Gloating was something he did not do often, and then only over a dying and especially hated enemy. This was... dirty. Having to bandy words and make threats to talk, not act, it jarred with his warrior's soul.
It would be easier back home. We'd just cut his dick off.
Finally the boy screwed up his tiny reserve of courage and straightened his non-existent shoulders. He raised a finger and Razkar could see some pithy barbarian insult forming behind his lips. When he opened his mouth, Razkar's lips slid open and every one of his filed teeth were visible. Not he was not smiling. Not even then.
"What you say. What you threaten. Not matter. I will be waiting."
Then he turned on his heel and went after the girl.
Which was not an easy task. Edreina was as graceful on solid ground (or wood) as she was on water, and her knowledge only added to it. She knew every deck her feet hit and the best way across them. Razkar was nearly decapitated by a passing boon and fell into the Suvan once, missing a zipline. But finally, soaking wet and exhausted, he closed the gap, reached out to grasp her shoulder-
-and got a fist in the jaw for his troubles.
Polished and carved oak greeted the back of his head with a dull thunk!
Bit of a lore splurge as well, lots of things happening, so apologies in advance for all the updating you have to do. Cheers guys, and keep these threads coming!
