At this point, I would be forced to say that I had grown pretty attached to this s.h.i.+p in its all rickety glory. Every time I looked across the wide wooden deck I would be shot with waves of nostalgia. I could almost see my silhouette as I stood atop the wide s.p.a.ce, arms akimbo as I heroically announced for the departure of the boat from its marine base home.

With a twist of my neck I could see the fading forms of Fawkes and Sorren as they chortled, christening the sails and generally supporting my decision to do so.

With a clap I slowly gazed around, startling a surprised Rein, who had been till that time swabbing away at the deck with a mop. ( as the defacto weakest member on s.h.i.+p, he had been delegated all the ch.o.r.es that Scipio had been doing)

"I've decided!" I called out, uncaring for the broad chested red heads scowl of annoyance as he cleared the puddle of water that had been formed credit to my interruption.

The others shot me an unimpressed look, before looking over at my shoulders nodding in satisfaction and going back to what they had been doing. Angella flipped through the pages of a book on slavery, thoroughly unimpressed both with my attention grabbing ways and the overall fraudulent contents of the political propagandrife book.

Terrick snorted, not even deigning to give me a glance all the while polis.h.i.+ng his s.h.i.+ning curved daggers. Sorren looked at me with a mild confusion, then seemingly decided that what I had to say was going to pull us into a rabbit hole that he did not want to enter if he could help it.

Fawkes looked at me with slight pity, his hands still holding onto the stick that he used to correct Barts' posture. "What have you decided O' great and wondrous captain?" he called out with a bored drawl in his already derpy tone.

I shot him a glance of grat.i.tude before I snapped back into seriousness. At any other time I would revel at all the gag opportunities that that statement could segue me into, not now though. "After we've ama.s.sed enough resources I'm planning on taking this old boat-" here I patted the st.u.r.dy mast, "To waters seven so we can get him outfitted. At this point I don't think I want a new s.h.i.+p." I said grimly.

Fawkes looked at me in surprise before shrugging. "As long as his keel stays remotely unbroken things should fine." and then he was back to training Barts.

"On another note, captain how long till land fall?" Rein asked as he ran his hands over his clammy brow, panting slightly at the strain that cleaning a slightly swaying deck with weights tied to his thighs caused. Pshaw amateur..

I turned around smiling slightly as I smelled the salty sea air. With an appraising look I shot the distant sh.o.r.e a keen look. "Eh. Around another half hour if the waves and winds are anything to go by.."

"This is the new world big bro. Do YOU think that they're anything to go by?" Sorren queered as he looked up from a leather bound book.

"Point.." I muttered as I gazed piercingly at the island coast.

"Cut that time by half Rein, the winds are going to be picking up. You can finish the cleaning job later, just get your body slightly stretched for any eventuality. Fawkes, get the boxes you prepared this morning ready. As soon as we hit land all of us will get a box that we can use for lunch. Angella, prepare the signal flares. Sorren, first aid." I belted out as I ran below deck.

The time in the calm belt had taught me that things could strike at any moment, and for all my bl.u.s.ter as a fairly decent pirate, I was sure that the flippant att.i.tude I had developed on the blues would not fly. I needed to be ready for everything.

With hasty steps I ran back up the stairs, seven revolvers in my hand. These would serve as a last resort. Angella and Terrick had awakened their observation and would be able to use it well. Scipio had been given basic training on the usage of all weapons and for the other two, it would serve as a last resort at least.

As soon as I got on deck I tossed the guns I had over to the crew, a tiny pouch of ammo and gun powder tied to the ends.

Angella nodded to me as she caught the one I tossed her way, her sword resting at her waist as she got up, the book firmly tucked away someplace.

Terrick smiled as he caught his, daggers s.h.i.+ning wickedly in every conceivable place that it could be shoved.

Fawkes stood to the side, an ax on his back as he smiled. Where he got the dull looking weapon was anyone's guess.

Sorren smacked his fists together as he nodded, taking extra caution as he stowed away the gleaming revolver. He had made significant progress with his wound, but he wasn't at his full power by any stretch of the imagination. He could take out mooks easy, anything higher than a regular new world pirate on the other hand would be slightly hard to deal with.

With a dull thud the s.h.i.+p neared the shallow waters of the coasts, I could see the vast fields of green that surrounded the small wooden landing that worked as a makes.h.i.+ft port. No one was in sight, and so I could relax at least a bit.

They might not be able to recognize the faded print on the sides of the s.h.i.+p, or the pure black flag that we flew, but they would sure recognize the faded colors that lined the s.h.i.+p.

And as we began to lower the anchor I could not help but hiss in surprise. For regarding us meekly was a ugly creature with a white coat and a black face. Its lower fangs curved around its mouth as its brownish black eyes balked at the size of the s.h.i.+p.

"f.u.c.k me sideways with a spiky d.i.l.d.o, it's a sphinx!"