The Captain's office is sparsely furnished and ultilitarian, with oil lamps mounted to the stone walls, and a desk with an ink blotter, quills, and parchmentwork. A round beaker full of water served as magnifying glass and to amplify the illumination of a candlestick. The Yberian coat of arms hung from a flag behind his desk, and there was a large map of the island made of honest to god paper on the wall.

As I enter I take a deep breath, sigh, and bow my head. I fucked this up the first time. Here's to that not being fatal to what me and mine plan to do next.

He looks up after sealing a document with his signet ring and scowls. "Didn't I tell you lot to stay out of my way?" he says, pouring himself a glass of something clear.

"Yes, Captain," I say.

His eyebrows raise. He pours a darker substance into his glass from another bottle. "And yet here you are, and my soldiers say you have something to tell me. Out with it, Adventurer, I have your defense to plan."

I clench my fists. This is a terrible idea and I shouldn't be here but it's a less terrible idea than going ahead and...

Deep breath.

The captain slices a lime with his dagger, impassive.

"...I, on behalf of my Free Company and the Adventurers here, wish to place ourselves at your disposal in the defense of Costa Dulce," I say, head still bowed, face burning with embarrassment. "Please let us know where we might fit in with your plans."

The man stops with his drink halfway to his lips to look over me. Broken off his stride, and re-evaluating.

"In exchange for...?" he asks.

"Our lives? Respectfully, Captain, if this town falls we're either killed in the battle or we run, and then get picked off by the pirates later," I say, trying to hide the bitterness in my voice. "Speaking only for my Free Company, we are not asking for or expecting reward for our own defense, though poor as we are we're not foolish enough to turn anything down."

He considers this for a second, drinking a pull of his cocktail. A fact buzzes in my brain, something about scurvy and malaria and sailors, but it doesn't land.

"...what's your name, girl?" he asks, finally.

"Deedee," I say, and grimace. It's not like he'd get the joke, right? "Deedee Yeowoo."

"Hmn." He gets up, leans over his map. "And, to rectify your disadvantage, I am Captain Miles Diez Caballero Valencia."

I've forgotten just enough high school Spanish to know that's his given name, 'Son of Diego,' probably an honorific, and a final matrilineal name.

"I wish we had met under better circumstances," I say. "We're, uh, not holding up well either."

He snorts. "Given that most of you were acting like spoiled nobles who just realized your free lances are heavy, I would imagine the danger to be an unpleasant shock."

My breathing is starting to become easier, but I still need to consciously direct it. "Less than you'd think, but enough, sir."

Captain Miles indicates a chair. "Let's talk about how you might save your skins and mine, then," he says, taking his dagger and pointing at the map of Costa Dulce town.

Captain Miles has his own handpicked officers, his guard, who’s task is to be anywhere and everywhere and deny the enemy entrance through the walls. We adventurers are to act as backup and shock troops – heavy cavalry, where it counts.

I relay the plan to the others. Alesha and Hikaru don't see obvious holes in it, from a strategic level; Ace has a million questions, but then she would. It involves splitting into light parties – six-player teams - each slowing down and softening up the enemy for the teams of common soldiers with pikes.

"Defense in depth," Hikaru calls it. "Break the wave against many walls."

There’s only one problem: a standard small party in The Wonders of Mundus is six players strong. With Ace, we’re one shy, so we need one more.

We don't have much time, and need someone to do crowd control: when we address the crowd the eithyr from before, who's mostly coral and rippling seafoam green, raises her hand. Cora Philomena, she calls herself, with promises to do her best.

"How are you building?" Hikaru asks her.

"Uh, I was just following your guide, so mostly Vigor and Mind?" she says. "Blast folks away with TK Wave when they need to be gone, and otherwise just alternate Healing Kythe and Ravaging Kythe to keep myself from bleeding too much health from healing. - God, this is weird, is that your pride or mine?"

Hikaru blinked, swaying back.

"Trust me this is even weirder for me," she blurts out. "God, I never considered what telempathy feels like on this side. I thought AV feedback gave me a headache," she says, and laughs, more to vent than anything. "If I could turn it off I would."

"Is it better or worse than wearing this stupid metal thong?" Ace asks, flat-eared. "At least I have the padding now."

"Please don't make me find out firsthand," Cora says. "Turns out being Psychic sucks."

Ace smiled. "How long have you been playing, anyway?"

"One of my friends bought me a sub last week," Cora said, shrugging. "It's a lot to take in."

Ace clapped her on the back. "Look on the bright side: at least you were trying to make a character that works."

For the moment, at least, I had found our sixth.