---

Summoning a rope out of blue flames, Cahira latched the snake-like whip onto the railing of the smaller ship before hopping down to meet Sadie on her modest little vessel.

Bonnet wouldn’t dare pull up on them and unload his cannons—not that she was particularly concerned—thanks to aligning herself with Rachel; she was among the strongest pirates on the sea with the trouble the hare-girl had brought.

Swinging down, Cahira nimbly landed in a roll to straighten a few feet away from the black-haired woman, adding a toothy grin; she didn’t miss the lass’ missing right ear.

“Sadie!  What brings a northern doe like yeself to mi waters; ya aren’t gonna break mi heart and say it be fer Jackie, hmm?”

Ward was close behind her, with Mara using Nemesis as her ride down; Cahira vowed to have her own turn in time.

Sadie’s small crew of nameless New York wannabe pirates couldn’t take their eyes off the colossal cannons of her Dreadnought; they were far from the typical guns with their magical enchantments.  Adding to that, the moment Nemesis landed, they knew any attempt at a fight was impossible.

“Ah-heh-he…”  Her New Yorker accent came through as right as rain.  “No, eh-Lady Queen, Ma’am.  I-eh wasn’t made aware ya knew the ol’ Sparrow—ho there, that be mi merchandise!”

“Aye, it be!”  Ward mused, sallying toward a crate to check the contents.  “Ya be one of the messenger pigeons of the seas, hmm?  I be hearin’ ‘bout yer services—ah, and I see, heh, ya be stealin’ a bit of ol’ Japan’s goods—sake… don’t mind if we do!”

“Mmgm…  Heh, of course, help yourself,” Sadie mumbled through tight lips as he tossed a bottle to Cahira, Nemesis, and Mara before helping himself, much to the crew’s displeasure.

Catching it in one hand, Cahira couldn’t help a chuckle.  “Yer gonna squeeze mi influence for all I’m worth.  Hmm, Jackie?”

Ward’s mouth twisted with a gleam in his eye, and Cahira could guess why.  “A bottle or two be a trife for an audience with the Queen of the Sea!”

“And yet, heh-he, it be ye that be stealin’ mi bottles an’ hospitality, Ward!”  she accused, cutting the top of the bottle off with a stiff slice of her hand before letting the relatively mild liquor—at least compared to her mythical rum—slide down her throat.  “Ye be too pretty o’ a dog—curse yer fine face!”

“Aye!  A face of pearls, heh, some might say!”  Jack laughed, lifting his bottle in a toast.

Sadie’s twitching lips were centered on the casual pirate, his face half-obscured by the fashionable and decorated dreads he wore.

“Excuse my rudeness, Captain Cahira, but…  I don’t want to get wrapped up in Ward’s trouble.  Can I deliver my message and go?  Ol’ Teach has a bounty on his head for the Queen Anne, and I try to keep my nose clean when dealing with the big fish.”

“See, Jack,” Cahira pointed with her bottle and grinned at Mara and the Lion as they observed the show between drinks of their own liquor.  “Sadie be a right upstandin’ lass, unlike yerself!”

“Be requirin’ me ta be a lass, Love!  Savvy?”

“Ya may be, Jack, when I be done with ya!”  Cahira roared, causing Mara to giggle a bit at her joke.  “In any case, be showin’ our one-eared goat some courtesy!  She be a dog o’ the sea as much as the next, and she be comin’ a long way ta deliver somethin’ important, no doubt.  Do I be talkin’ straight, Sadie?”

“Absolutely,” the girl swiftly nodded, evidently keen to cut their meeting short and to be on her way.  “I, eh…  I don’t think Ward should hear about this—at least not from me—can we, umm, go into my cabin to talk?”

Cahira’s eyes twinkled with entertainment as she smirked.  “A lass be invitin’ me ta her room, hmm?  Hehe.  Understandable, though!  Hehe.  Jack be the type o’ man that always be bringin’ a storm on his heels…  Eh, Selvaria?”

Everyone jumped as a splash came from the opposite side of the ship for the well-endowed woman’s immense weight to crack many of the planks she landed on; in both hands were two men that appeared to have seen the devil and lost much of their life in the process.

Selvaria’s shimmering horns, hair, and scales tempered as the water slicking her skin was absorbed into her body.  Cahira laughed as her unexcited, glowing turquoise irises shifted between the group with a little dragon pet Cahira hadn’t seen before; her mirth continued as it hissed in the men’s petrified faces.

“Mmh…”  The Leviathan’s unimpressed, even tone was on point as she sent the two men tumbling across the deck to a white-faced Sadie.  “I found these two trying to sneak onto Zippy.  Are these bad pirates, Cahira—want me to cut the boat in half—I can do it?  I smell some good fish inside, too.”

Sadie flinched at the girl’s tone and the more-than-likely near-drowned men; some of the crew shot forward to perform CPR to try and bring them back.

“I—it ain’t what it looks—”

Jack clicked his tongue in disappointment.  “Rookie mistake.”

Cahira puffed out a long stream of air before taking a swig of the sake.  “Sadie, Sadie, Sadie…  Ya breakin’ mi heart, Dearie; a message and a thief for me, is it?  Ya gonna throw some sod under the hull?”

Jack leaned against the barrel of spirits with a wry smirk.  “What do ya be expectin’ from the lass, Love; she be hearin’ the rumors a bounty o’ kings within yer lil’ boy.”

Nemesis flexed his fingers while staring at the tense crew, and the two soaked men gave a start, choking up water as their friends brought them back from the edge; the threatening aura the Lion King released—no doubt not even intending it—made sweat slicken their foreheads.

“I’ve never destroyed a ship before.  Do I start in the center or back so it can’t steer, Mara?”

“How should I know?  Break it in half, and it doesn’t matter about the steering.”

Selvaria nodded at Mara as her little Leviathan sprayed water in the face of one of the resuscitated men.  “She’s right.  I can cut it in half in one tail swipe, too.”

Sadie held up her hands as she backed away, hoop earrings and thick black locks swaying with her head’s motion as the girl’s thick tail smashed a hole in the deck with a casual beat.  

“Cahira!  Haha… I didn’t come here to steal from you—why would I—I’m a messenger!  I just needed some way to try and reach you, so I sent my boys out to see if you would be cool with me pulling up.  That’s all!”

Is that the best ya can do?  Cahira thought while running her fingers through her flaming locks and sighing.

Selvaria lifted an eyebrow.  “Should I go get Maria?”

“No need,” Cahira snickered, walking a step closer to lightly tap Sadie’s cheek and making the girl stumble and fall.  “I’m sure she’ll make the discourtesy up to us.  There be no need ta overreact an’ dirty this here fine port with yer broken ship.  Hmm…”

Mara tilted her head to the side while glancing at the other Miami ships at the dock.  “True.”

“Aww,” Selvaria crossed her arms under her bust and turned to glare at the new vessel sailing toward the opposite side of Sadie’s ship.  “What about that one, Cahira?  I can pull it out into the ocean and cut it in half; Galatea needs to practice her tail slashes too.”

“Oh?”  Cahira hummed, eyeing the little spinning Leviathan as she made flicking motions with her tail.  “Lil’ Galatea evolved into yer lil’ Leviathan baby, huh?”

“Mhm!  Isn’t she adorable?”  Selvaria cooed, one of the rare times emotion lit up her voice.  “She can turn into a seal again, too, for a limited time, well… whenever she’s on dry land, and when she’s flying—boom—Leviathan Mode!”

Nemesis gave the pet a nod.  “If she has potential like yours, I can see her becoming a fine companion.  I would like to gain a lion pup myself at some point.  What do you think, Mara?”

“I think you just want something to cuddle up with at night,” the moss-haired woman smirked.  “I’m sure we can find something to satisfy you.”

“So long as it can kill a man,” the Lion King grinned.

Selvaria presented her puffed-up little Leviathan.  “Galatea can totally kill a man!  Show them your super beam!”

Sadie scrambled to her feet, waving her hands in a panic.  “P-Please, not on my ship—the cost for repairs is…”

“Let’s see it, Love!”  Ward cheered, holding up his second bottle.

Galatea breathed in deeply, white light collecting in her mouth before releasing a thin beam that cut deep into the deck.

Sadie seemed to be on the verge of tears.  “Mmgm…  At least… it’s not on fire.”

“Cool, huh?  Oh, we can do that, too!”

“No!  Please!”

Cahira couldn’t stop laughing as she closed the distance to throw an arm around Sadie’s shoulders.  “Let’s quit teasin’ the lass!  Nemesis, Mara, Selv, ya mind keepin’ Jack company and an eye on ol’ Bonnet until I get back?”

“Boo!”  Ward roared before averting his eyes and holding up his hands when the Lion King looked at him.  “Eh-heh, I be mindin’ mi fingers, just… another bottle, and heh, I be good!”

“That’s a good boy, Jackie!  Selv?”

“Will I get to eat something soon?”  she yawned, illuminated vision moving to Stede’s approaching vessel.  “I’m getting hungry.”

“I, heh, imagine there will be a buffet in the future for ya, Lass.”

“Ooh!  Okay.  But if he makes fun of Galatea, I’ll blow his ship up.”

“Fair,” Cahira chuckled with Nemesis, and giving the girl next to her a pointed grin, she guided her to the captain's cabin not far to their left.  “Why don’t we be havin’ a nice chat.  Hmm?”

“If you swear you won’t damage my ship any further…”

“Eh, I don’t know if I be able to make such a promise.  Hehe.  Yer crew best be behavin’ themselves!”

Entering the room, Cahira closed the door and slapped Sadie on the butt as she passed, examining the room with a wry smirk.  “Ya brought yer troubles on yerself, Sadie; mi crew be a wylin’ bunch, and if ya be steppin’ outta line, ya bound to get her panties twisted, Love.”

Sadie rubbed her rump with a disgruntled grimace as she sat on the small table across from her.  “I just wanted a peek to see what a true Legend’s store looked like; I didn’t mean nothing by it.”

“Come now,” Cahira sighed, kicking her boots up on the table and noticing the brand-name items strewn atop the dresser, bed, and floor.

“Ya want ta be seen with the sharks, but ya don’t got the Legend for it, Sadie; I be gettin’ yer motives—I get it—ye just need ta remember the pond yer swimmin’ in.  Miami and Boston are not in the same ballpark with Mythic based here.  Savvy?”

“I get it.  I get it,” she grumbled, wiping away the sweat on her brow.  “I messed up.”

Cahira tapped her mostly full bottle between her thighs as she pressed her chair and back against the wall, a small, compassionate smile following a sigh.  “I have a soft spot for mi lady pirates, Sadie—‘tis a hard life for a lass—and I know ya be a fine thief when ya got the details right.  Water under the bridge?”

One arm over the back of her chair, Sadie picked at her bottom lip for a moment while studying her.  “Mmh…  I admired Grace O’Malley’s legend growing up, and you don’t disappoint, being her incarnation or whatever…  What do you want?”

“Let’s not be hasty,” the fire-haired Pirate Queen hummed, her vision falling to the maps on the table.  “Ye want ta play with the big names, huh?  Well, I be quite a grown, lovely, lucky lass, Sadie, but ya see, I be havin’ a bit o’ a problem.”

The dark-eyed woman’s eyes narrowed.  “Ward?”

“Hehe.  One among many, yet I can deal with a crafty man as Ward.  No,” she said, tapping the table with her fingernail and drawing her gaze.  “I be needin’ a canary that sings, and ya seem ta have a lovely voice, Love.”

Sadie’s gaze drifted to the door, possibly thinking about the warship and monstrous Mythickin outside it.  “I’m… not a snitch, Cahira.”

The seductive woman dropped her chair’s feet to hit the planks, placing her elbows on the table to rest her chin and smile at the nervous girl with a twinkle in her emerald eyes.

“I can draw mi own conclusions, Sadie, and all I need ya ta do is give me an overview of the playin’ field.  Mi sources tell me a great many pirates be comin’ together to discuss somethin’ big Blackbeard be plottin’, and I can guess it be this that is yer message, Love.”

“Who…  The U.S. military?”

“I wouldn’t be underestimatin’ the Intelligence Departments of the Great Nations.  Do ya think yer little… escapades have gone unnoticed; what if I were ta tell ya, I had some, he-heh, information regarding yer return ta Boston?”

Sadie’s hands tightened in her lap as she stared at the file Cahira summoned to place in front of her.  “What’s this?”

“While mi friends have been tearin’ up warlords in Cuba, what do ya think I’ve been doin’, hmm?  The sea has been a show of entertainment, and now that we be havin’ some time on our hands, I be thinkin’ it be well ta fill in the gaps.  Yes?”

Cahira’s vision fell to the woman’s chest, where a golden chain hung, hiding something between her breasts before sliding the folder forward to open the folder and making Sadie’s face turn ashen.

“Where did you…”

Shutting it, Cahira leaned back and hummed.  “I wonder…  I be havin’ some suspicions from yer activities, but there be a reason ya were able ta nab a ship as ye have on such a poultry record in Boston.”

She winked, waving a hand at the girl’s nervous twitches.  “I suspect it be havin’ somethin’ ta do with yer fine rump.  Hehe.  No need to be so frightened, Sadie!  I be a good Queen o’ the sea.”

“How… did you get those pictures, Cahira?”

Seeing her flushed face, she felt a little bad for the woman.  “Did ya think governments don’t be employing Demi with exceptional abilities, Love?  Ya be a slippery one—fair enough—but ya got caught at the wrong time, is all.  Hehe.  Still, I be havin’ mi suspicions as to how ya got on the trail of such a horde.”

Not looking at her, Sadie glared at the folder she was tapping.  “What do you want—my body—the loot…  All of it?”

“No need to paint me as such a deviant, Love!”  Cahira protested, snapping her fingers for the folder to vanish in blue flames.  Her voice softened.  “As I said, I have a soft spot for a lass on the sea; I’d like ta help ya, Sadie.  Ya had a harsh life, no doubt, and a woman needs to help her fellow.  No?”

“You aren’t telling me what you want,” she growled.

“Haaa.  I suppose not…  Give me the names of the main players gettin’ Blackbeard’s invitation, heh,” Cahira smirked, “and tell yer man I send mi regards; he best be comin’ himself next time he be wishin’ ta check out mi fine tail.”

“Blackbeard is not—”

“I didn’t say it be Blackbeard,” she winked.

“Mmgm…  Is that all you want to know?”

“Did ya think you would meet the Legend of Grace O’Malley without mi gettin’ the better of ya, Love?  Know I be a reasonable woman and always open for a little fun an’ adventure.  Hehe.”

Arms digging into her sides, Sadie seemed to give up as she closed her eyes and puffed out her stress.  “You just want to know who is getting the invitations?”

She leaned back again.  “Hmm.  On second thought, give me everyone invited to this Pirate Summit and who you think will crash the party!  Isn’t that more fun?”

Taking a deep breath, Sadie laid out the major player across the seven seas, making Cahira’s mouth water with the anticipation of who would be present.  It went without saying Edward Teach would be the centerpiece, and the word was that he had an extraordinary Group Legend’s Quest that required all hands on deck.

Blackbeard had been the one to give Sadie the task of inviting Mythic since they were both in the U.S., but the big names across the seven seas were said to make an appearance to see what the Legendary firecracker had to offer.

Bartholomew Roberts of Wales had a fleet ready to sail, as did the elusive William Kidd, and both had allied as the Welsh pirate was slated to offer his rules of engagement in the Pirate’s Round Table.

Francis Drake had caused quite the waves along the U.K. coast, and Bonnet seemed to disdain the English hero, who was at odds with Black Bart due to his widespread fame in dispatching a few seafaring Crystal attacks with his fleet.

Anne Bonny was a name that piqued Cahira’s interest since the lass had been a close second for her compared to Grace O’Malley in terms of female pirates, and as could be expected, she captained a ship in Calico Rackham’s small fleet, which, alongside another female legend on the seas, Mary Read, had a leading role in his modest group of united scalawags.

Sadie speculated that Rackham would try to muscle his way into the meeting with the pirates he’d managed to pull under his banner, but he wasn’t big enough of a name to receive an invitation himself.

On the other hand, Zheng Yi Sao made Cahira sit a little straighter; in all the meetings she’d sat in with Tom, listening like a fly on the wall, she knew there was so little that the U.S. could get out of China that anything regarding the newly reformed Empire around their glorified Empress made her ears prick.

Zheng was a colossal pirate figure, having taken over the massive Chinese pirate confederation after the death of her husband and leading it with her adopted son, Zhang Bao.

Word was that she sailed under the banner of Empress Wu, having a flood of Mythic and Legendkin within her ranks; an invitation to the Chinese Empire was not something Teach would pass up, considering their influence.

Rumor would have it they’d already conquered a powerful Legend’s Quest themselves, and the Pirate Queen of China sailed on a flying dragon.

The living vessels had many crews calling for the title Pirate God to be given to the current Lords of the Sea, and Zheng was on that list with Cahira herself; she couldn’t help but grin at the revelation.

As for Japan, their waters had become infested by the rapidly growing Noshima Murakami Pirates, a family-run group of marauders that had built a very strategic and capable crew of Demi with Murakami Takeyoshi as the family head.

There were rumors of the infamous Japanese pirates having the ability to come and go without notice; potentially being close to completing their first Legend’s Quest soon.  They weren’t on the greatest terms with his home country—much like Blackbeard—by the raids and requirement of fidelity to the family as new lordship over Japan’s shores.

When it came to divenire pirates that had women swooning, few could match the Netherland’s Laurens de Graaf, in service to France and seen with its legendary figures, such as the famed Jeanne d'Arc.  He had the support of the E.U. and had, as some might say, the devil’s charm, which only served to wet Cahira’s lips at the chance of meeting the fellow.

Sadie didn’t know how such a backed-by-the-state pirate would be given a place in Blackbeard’s infamous assembly.  Still, Laurens was among the Seven Lords of the Sea that Teach sent a messenger to, and there were rumors of special backing because everyone seemed to love the devilish man.

No one knew if he was at the level of a ‘Pirate God’ or if he’d completed a Legend’s Quest, and that was only another reason to add to the mysterious addition of the enigmatic man.

As for the third ‘definitive’ Pirate God, Cahira’s stomach squirmed with internal delight as Sadie let a mythical figure for once touch her lips—Sinbad—the famed figure in the stories told in the One Thousand and One Nights tale by Queen Scheherazade.

The hero had already undergone his own Legend’s Quest to obtain a massive Roc that acted as his ship, much like Zippy to Cahira.  Cahira couldn’t wait to meet the man, but it also made her ponder a few things she’d connected and learned through all the top-secret meetings she’d sat in on with Clay and Tom.

To top it all off, it went without saying that Jack Ward would be making a flashy entrance as his legend always portrayed, and having the ability to not only pull from his own history but the pop culture surrounding him, Cahira wondered what trouble he’d land her in.

Cahira stood to give Sadie a half-smile and salute.  “Much appreciated, Love!  Best be takin’ that tail back to be paddled, hehe, or… ye could stay and let me do the spankin’, hmm?”

“I had my fill with our earlier slap, thank you…”

“Shame!  Why do ya think I seem to run off all the pretty men and girls?”  she thoughtfully whispered.  “Too bad yer already marked by another, Sadie—quite literally, might I add—haha!”

“You’re, heh… not exactly how I envisioned, Cahira.”

“Right, ye be!  I be a wylin’ lass ah’ready fer adventure wherever it may be!  Now, do ya wanna join mi side fer a little o’ fun, or do ya need to be gettin’ back to yer handsome fellow in waiting, hehe?”

“I’d love to stay, but…  I honestly don’t know how safe I’d be around you, Ms. Queen,” she added with a forced smile.

“Ho-ho.  I’d keep you nice and safe between mi legs!”

“I’m sure…”

Half-turning to give her a tight smile, Cahira’s light, joking tone sobered.  “Careful, Sadie.  Be wise in who ya be targetin’ in this here dangerous landscape…”

A coin flamed into existence before she flipped it to the woman to catch.

“What’s… this for?”  she muttered, studying the mark with Cahira’s winking grin printed on the front.

“Heh, a little insurance for ya since I like a lady with brass; if ya land yerself in hot water, kiss mi gold an’ I be there in a blaze ta bail ya out.  I suspect ya may be needin’ it with the luck ya seem ta have, so let yer ol’ Irish Queeny be yer lucky charm!”

Cahira exited the cabin with laughter and a wave, her grin turned predatory upon catching the well-dressed man in a suit standing in wait, and by his nervous, shifting eyes, quite uncomfortable with Selvaria’s watchful gaze, her swaying, club-like tail creating wood shavings as it waved left and right.

Ward appeared to be thoroughly enjoying the presence of Nemesis and Selvaria—two Mythickin that could easily be the make or break individuals in a Legend’s Quest alone by their unreasonable power—Nemesis was the only thing to date that had stood against the night fiend that was Rachel and survived.

“Bonnet!  Hehe.  And what might you want with one o’ the Pirate Goddesses, hmm?  Mi time don’t be cheap, Man.”

He cleared his throat and gave her a courteous bow.  “I expect not, Lady Goddess of the Seas!  My only purpose is to relieve you of this sodden dog that hopes to hide behind your skirt.”

“I don’t seem to be wearin’ a skirt, Stede…  Do you see one, Jackie?”

“I do not, Mi Fiery Goddess!  Do my ears deceive me; you’ve been dubbed a Goddess?  It seems word of your exploits has traveled the seas swifter than expected!  A celebration is in order, hmm, Nemesis?  Rum all-round!”

“Aye, is the correct term, Mara?”

“Ugh…  Don’t encourage him, Nemesis.  He’s trying to use you.”

“By a party…  I suppose English does hold many hidden meanings,” he mumbled in confusion, making Ward and her laugh.

“Hehe.  Celebration, indeed, and mine, no doubt, Jackie,” Cahira snickered.  “Ya be a broke lad beggin’ fer scraps!”

“That, I be, Mi Queenly Sweet!  Yer hospitality has displayed no bounds for this troubled soul, and, ya know I be willin’ ta make it up in… other ways that might suit yer fancy!”

“Don’t be teasin’ a girl, Jack; she may just take ya up on yer offer, and ya not be knowin’ the fire ya be startin’ beneath yer ass!”

The corners of Bonnet’s mouth twitched with agitation at their banter, fingers without a doubt tightening around his wrist at his back; Sadie drew his attention when she exited the cabin, but Cahira soon snatched it again as she gestured at her ship.

“I ‘ave a little apology fer ya, Sadie.  Nemesis, might I bother ya in grabbin’ the gift just there on the deck?”

Nemesis followed her gesture to the Dreadnought above them before bending down and jumping the entire distance in one bound.

“What’s your game?”  Sadie mumbled, but Cahira could feel her coin in the woman’s back pocket; she’d taken her up on the offer of support, which made her happy.  “You couldn’t mean…”

Bonnet’s hungry eyes fixated on Nemesis as he hopped back with a medium-sized chest in his hands to set down on the shiny planks.

“This?”

A thoughtful smile lifted Mara’s full lips as she pulled back her thick, green hair to open the box.  “Wow…  Filled to the brim with gold.  What did she deserve to get this?”

“I’m not going to owe you a favor, Cahira,” Saide hissed, crossing her arms, but she was struggling to keep her eyes off the horde that would make any small-time pirate’s knees weak.

Cahira held her hands behind her back, adopting an innocent grin.  “Trade me your soul, and I’ll trade you my heart!  Sound like a deal?  Haha!  I’m joking!  I’m joking!”

Expression becoming more serious, she moved to her side to whisper, “Don’t report back to Blackbeard, and it’s yours.  Upgrade your ship, pay your crew, and return to your man to have a nice dinner.”

Bouncing back, she laughed.  “Sound good!?”

Bonnet desperately wanted to know what she’d told the girl by his attentive stare, and after a few tight-lipped seconds, Sadie pointed at the chest and one of her men.

“Benjamin, get that below deck, and get ready to shove off; we’re headin’ for Scotland, boys!”

“Aye, aye, Captain!”

Sadie gave her one last unsure stare before nodding, confirming what Cahira had already assumed.  Kidd, ye lucky bastard.  She’s a fine woman; ya best treat her well and teach her how to play in the big leagues, or I’ll be findin’ another sizable chest ta shove up yer ass.

Her vision shifted to Bonnet as Jack quietly drank in the corner, glaring at the man; a small piece of her offering to Sadie had been for Ward stealing her goods, but that was her softer side talking—they were pirates, after all—power was everything.  As such, it was time for a power move.

She tilted her head to Bonnet.  “We’ll be speakin’ on my ship.  Heh.  If ya be gettin’ outta line, don’t be thinkin’ you’ll get off unscathed, Mr. Gentleman Pirate.”

“Naturally,” he muttered, eyes still on the chest Benjamin was trying, unsuccessfully, to lift, requiring three other men to help bring the heavy booty below.

Cahira hopped the gap between their ships to start making her way up, Jack taking her tail to watch it sway, no doubt, and shouted back, “There be 350,000 gold coins in that there box, Lads—best be knowin’ I’ve counted every last one, lads—hehe.”

“Bet your mothers on it!”  the Boston lady returned.

Letting the girl return to her Scottish man, Cahira guided their group to the strategy room of her colossal, metal behemoth and sat at the head of the table to face Bonnet, settling in across from Jack to her right, with the Mythickin wondering when things would get exciting for them.

Well…  It’s time ta earn back mi gold, Jackie, she internally mused as she sat back to address the two.

“Let’s get to the point, Boys!  Bonnet, ya be wantin’ hard cash and somethin’ ta brag about, and Jackie, ya be wantin’ the means ta secure yer own Legend’s Quest ta have a seat at the table.”

“Ahem, Goddess of the Sea, might I—”

Her side-long look made Bonnet’s mouth snap shut.  “Haaa…  Ya don’t even be havin’ a Legend’s Quest, Bonnet—ye don’t even know how to get one goin’—so stay in yer own league, mi man, and don’t be gettin’ greedy.  Ya be givin’ me a hefty favor at the end o’ this venture.”

A lump dropped down his throat before he nodded.  “Understood, Lady.  I will hold my place, but… might I ask what favor this is I am to do.”

“Do ya want in a Legend’s Quest or no, Bonnet?”

“Favor it is, Lady.”

“Good.  Now, let me check with mi own boss on the details, so shut yer traps…”

Ward had been quiet while sitting in his chair as he studied Cahira pulling out her phone to dial the Lunar Hell Hare herself; it had been more than a few hours since the Mythickin had left, and she expected enough time had passed to allow disrupting her.

Still, Cahira’s stomach squirmed with every ring the phone made; Rachel was a frightening person to deal with because she never knew quite what was on the girl’s insane mind—a mind that contemplated gods and the eldritch—and that was a terrifying person to deal with when they were your boss.

The call connected, making Cahira’s breath catch at Rachel’s even tone, giving nothing as to her mood away.

“What is it, Cahira?”

“Bad timing, Boss?”

“As good as any.”

Give me something, Girl!

“Hmm…  I just learned I’ve been named a Goddess of the Sea—one of four Pirate Gods, currently—including…  Zheng Yi Sao, who serves Empress Wu of China, and I’ve been invited to a Pirate meet-up by ol’ Blackbeard ‘imself.”

She paused for a moment, muttering, “It, umm, may involve some of the things you were discussing earlier, and I got the Legend of Jack Ward here wantin’ some help with his own Quest.  He’ll owe me, and Jack always keeps his word, so, heh, it may come in handy down the line.”

Selvaria, Mara, and Nemesis were fixated on her as she spoke to the head of Mythic, and the two pirates beside her could sense the tension in the air.

The low hum in Rachel’s throat only told Cahira she had already spun the information around, dissected it, chewed it up, and spat it out.  “Who will join you?”

“Jack, another pirate crew interested in fame, and the Beastie Crew, Mara, Nemesis, and…  Selvaria—you in for a late-night snack?”

“Mmh…”  the Leviathan rubbed her chin with a frown.  “I can’t miss my mom—she’ll be in Miami in two days…  We have to complete it before then.”

“Speedrun then!”  Cahira laughed.  “Selvaria—”

“And Galatea,” the Leviathan interjected, causing the little flying monster to cry for fish's blood.

“Heh, yeah, Galatea and Selvaria are in.”

“Mara’s got a tactical mind—give her the information regarding our Legend’s Quest—and between Selvaria and Nemesis, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I’ve got a pretty neat battleship, too!”  Cahira defended.

“You do.  It shouldn’t be a problem since the numbers of Demi will be…  The combined Seed Level might be a consideration.  Remain on guard, and don’t bring Zippy; he may trigger a much larger event.”

“Understood, Boss!  I’ll give ye a detailed report when we’re back to shore!”

Rachel hung up, and Cahira gave them a big grin.

“Boss gave the green light…  So, we shove off ta greatness, mi ragtag crew.  Let’s go—on to adventure!”

---