The Tarnished Knight groaned from the dull throb emanating from his forehead. His head felt as if an ogre was using it for drum practice. He tried to move, but once he was awake enough to move in spite of his aching head he realized his mobility was limited by the iron manacles which bound him to the curved wall of the ship's hull.
Slowly he remembered. He had taken a ride from Stormwind Harbor aboard the Relentless under Captain Hicks, and the ship had been attacked by a pirate ship called The Firebrand, which flew the flag of the Blackwater Raiders.
He remembered fighting, and then leading a boarding action, taking the fight to the raiders. He remembered his compatriots being pushed back to the Relentless and the Tarnished Knight being cut off. What he didn't remember was the club that had rendered him senseless.
Focusing, he summoned the healing energy of the Light to remedy his likely concussion and headache. He settled to his knees and began to pray; meditation and prayer often cleared his mind and allowed him to figure out his next move.
Before too long a pair of sailors appeared, one a green-hued troll and a goblin. "Time for your interro... interview with the Captain," said the goblin as the troll unlocked the chain connecting the manacles to the wall, leaving the manacles in place like an oversized pair of handcuffs. They conducted the Tarnished Knight to the almost-luxurious Captain's Cabin, and then left, leaving him alone with their captain.
"Well, well, well... what do we do with you?" said the pirate captain. She was a Blood Elf with long black hair and luminescent green eyes. "You managed to kill quite a few of my crew before we took you down; clearly, you are a skilled combatant. Ordinarily, we'd just have slit your throat and tossed you overboard as fish food. We still might do that, unless you give us a reason to spare your life and earn your freedom. We could use a good healer; would you be willing to join my crew?"
"No," responded the Tarnished Knight.
"OK... how about ransom? Anybody willing to buy your freedom from us?"
"You saw my armor," said the Tarnished Knight with a suppressed smile. "All my earnings have gone to support the orphans of Stormwind and Boralus."
"The Order of the Silver Hand?" asked the Captain.
The Tarnished Knight shrugged. "You can ask, I suppose, but don't hold your breath."
The Captain sighed. "I guess that leaves us with personal service to me. What service are you willing to offer me?"
"Well, I do have some skill with my hands and mouth..." the Tarnished Knight offered.
"So you are skilled at either talking your way out of trouble with your mouth? Or brawling your way out of trouble with your hands" asked the Captain.
The Tarnished Knight smirked. "I meant more of a more intimate, personal way of using my mouth and hands for your... satisfaction".
(The rest of the pages are written in [Thalassian], and practically illegible.)
No comments:
Post a Comment