Salt and Blood [A Pirate LitRPG]

Often we find ourselves working with people we despise due to the circumstances we find ourselves in. Such relationships lead to either disaster or greatness, but they always end with a bang

-Excerpt from 'Silversea Saga' by Norris Howell

The deafening voice empowered by arcane energy broke the silence that followed the blast of the foghorn. "The Derridas High Command orders you to drop your weapons and surrender!"

Rose had only just finished recovering from the sudden attack when a new participant to the battle appeared. However, she wasn't yet sure if they were friend or foe.

Derridas and the Emerlan Isle had never been enemies, but they had never been allies either. All nations competed in the field of mercantilism, although she hoped that a shared hatred for Minenblum might bind them.

Perhaps this was the opportunity she needed to reach out an olive branch. The soldiers looked uncertain what to do at this new development, looking to her and Everyn for direction.

"Do what the loud man says," Rose said, storing her own cutlass after wiping the blood from the blade. "They should simply be curious about the disturbance on their coasts."

"And if they aren't?" one soldier asked.

"I told you we would return home victorious. If that means we have to cut down a few more enemies than expected, so be it," she replied with a vicious smirk.

At her words, the soldiers either nodded or fixed their faces with a steely expression of determination. All of them had families or lovers waiting for them at home and they would do everything they could to make sure they returned to their embrace.

The ship drew alongside them. Through the shimmering barrier which trapped them on the deck, Rose saw uniformed men and women lined up along the side of the deck, staring at the bloody scene within.

Once the ship was right beside them, she watched as they unfurled dozens of hooks and tossed them at the railings, attempting to lock the two ships together. However, they bounced harmlessly against the barrier of the dead commander's technique.

A man wearing the most badges and stripes on his chest stepped forward, the uniformed soldiers parting to allow him through. He stepped up onto the railings and gazed down at Rose and her crew. She saw his eyes taking in the aftermath of the battle.

At first he wore a stern frown, but when he saw the corpses of the black-clad soldiers his eyes widened like a pair of saucers. "Take down this barrier. I need to ascertain if you are a threat to Derridas," he ordered.

Rose's crew looked at each other and then to her, unsure what to do. None of them knew how to bring down the barrier that the enemy leader had created. Most techniques were dispelled when the person who cast them died.

When no one acquiesced to his demand, the man who'd made it grew furious. "You have five seconds to comply or I will consider you enemies of Derridas and wipe you off the face of the ocean!" he bellowed.

Rose cleared her throat and stepped towards him, separating from Daniel and Everyn. "There's no need to shout, chill your britches," she said, holding up her hands and offering peace. "I would love to dispel the barrier, but unfortunately that isn't something I'm able to do. We just finished a rather vicious battle and their commander created this technique, which lingers after his death. If it helps reassure you, I can tell you that our only enemy is the Minenblum bastards who attacked our homeland. We have no quarrel with Derridas," she finished, making sure her joke didn't drive a wedge between the two forces.

For a moment the commander froze, unsure how to reply. Usually when he gave commands with the weight of his nation behind them, they were followed promptly.

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Most sailors knew that ignoring an order from a Derridan Commander this close to their shores was suicide. Yet this young girl was speaking for a crew of battle-hardened sailors with such a lackadaisical tone.

When he eventually gathered his wits, he could only scratch the day-old stubble on his chin while his brow furrowed in confusion. "The burning wrecks and corpses go a long way to proving your story is true, but I'll still need to figure out what has happened here. I need you to accompany me to Nirodas. I see that your ship can still sail despite the barrier around it," he said after much thought.

Rose looked back to Everyn, who shrugged his shoulders. Commander Axel facepalmed and then nodded in his stead. Despite how reliable the crown prince was, he was a bit of a dolt when it came to matters of state.

There had been many times where the king's men had to step in before he caused unfortunate incidents. This was one of those times.

After receiving the go ahead, Rose thought about what to say. She didn't want to delay their return home, but at the same time this was the best opportunity to make an ally out of Derridas.

They had won the battle, but the war was far from over. Fighting it alone was almost impossible, but uniting with Derridas might give them a chance at true victory and bringing lasting peace to the Bluestone Sea.

That would be her final gift to her homeland before she set out to accomplish her own goals at last. However, Rose was willing to die if it meant getting vengeance for her mother's death.

What honour or glory would there be in becoming a legendary pirate if she couldn't even do that much for the woman who'd brought her into this world? None whatsoever.

"As the representative of the Emerlan Isle, I would be glad to accompany you to Nirodas to clear up any doubts and discuss the current situation in our oceans," Rose replied with a friendly smile.

"I'm glad to hear it. It would have been a shame to kill you all after you just won a battle," the man replied without a trace of humour. "Sail towards Nirodas. It's to the west, on your starboard side. We will follow behind you and if you try anything our cannons are hot and raring to fire."

"Sir, yes sir!" Rose exclaimed with a mock salute, making the man go red before he coughed and turned around to give his men orders.

She snorted seeing that, before pulling Daniel close. "I don't think he realised some of our enemies were alive. Get the prisoners below deck and secure them. I want to interrogate them, but now they are also our only means of keeping this barrier up if it functions the way I suspect it does," she whispered.

His face paled but he nodded and walked over to a group of soldiers to carry out her orders. They dragged all of the bodies, alive or dead, together so that it didn't arouse suspicion.

The soldiers of Derridas simply watched them work without interfering. However, once the final corpse was disposed of and the prisoners successfully moved into the lower decks of the ship, the commander appeared again.

"I would like it if you could remain on the deck while we travel. The journey only takes a few hours and it would reassure me of your amicable cooperation," he said.

Rose grunted in annoyance, but nobody was close enough to hear. She'd wanted to interrogate the prisoners during the journey, but it seemed that wouldn't be possible. At least not for her.

"Do you need all of us to stay on deck or only me? Please understand that we're tired after a brutal battle and many of us were injured. We need rest and to treat the wounded," Rose replied.

The alliance had barely left the cradle yet it was already strained. However, the commander was at least somewhat reasonable.

"Only you and that fellow with the pompous plumage. The other soldiers are of course free to rest and recover. I would not want anyone to come to further harm because of my ineptitude or suspicion," he said tactfully.

Rose wasn't sure what he meant by pompous plumage. The only person it could possibly apply to was Commander Axel, with his golden helmet that had verdant feathers sticking out of the top.

It was the mark of his station as one of the top commanders in the Emerlan Army. Rose felt the helmet was pretty cool, but apparently the other commander didn't share her views.

"Then Commander Axel and I will be at your service until our arrival at Nirodas, Commander…?"

"Second Class Commander Greavis of the Derridas High Command at your service, my lady," he said stiffly yet with the utmost politeness. He'd mistaken Rose for a noble due to her young age yet clear position of command, even if the way she carried herself was anything but ladylike.

"Well then Commander Greavis. Let's have a pleasant journey. I will try to figure out how to bring the barrier down in the meantime. It's such a shame we can't shake hands," Rose finished the conversation with a smirk, walking over to the opposite side of the ship to figure out the weird working of arcane energy.