"How was it?"
"So you did wait for me."
"Of course, hopefully I can get a reward."
"You will," He said as he took off his coat, "How old are you?"
"27, I think," She replied, "Why ask?"
"No reason."
"Come on, there has to be a reason."
"Guess my age."
"I dunno, like 30?"
"Actually, I am 42."
"How? How are you 42? You have to be lying, what have you been doing since then? You make me look old," He sat down next to her.
"I arrived here 22 years ago in my quest for an exciting life. When I arrived the Noxians were very present in the seas around Bilgewater, but the two leaders had agreed on temporary peace. I worked on one of the fleet ships. My job was to fix the ship's possible holes," He paused and took a drink, "Well, one day, the Noxians attacked our ships. They destroyed the ship and then captured whomever they could, I was captured," He took another drink, "They executed some of the survivors in cold blood, one by one. I was last. The final shot I heard rang out before the Noxians started shouting, something about a sea monster heading towards their ships. They described it as a huge, silver serpent with a long horn. Soon after that something hit the ship. I took advantage of the panic and jumped off of the ship. I stayed below the surface as the ship sunk and the beast devoured the panicking men. I started to swim away, towards the island," He took a drink and looked over at Cassidy who, to his surprise, was still awake and listening, "I turned at looked back at the Noxian ships, they had been destroyed. I kept swimming and suddenly, I hit something. I turned and fell face to face with the beast who had attack the ships. I froze. It stared at me before vanishing underwater. I was still terrified but I didn't have much time to think about it. The beast had swam below me and raised its head out of water putting me on it head."
"What? The beast just helped you?"
"Well, that beast is one of the five guardian leviathans," He said as he took another drink, "I came back to town on his head, and the people saw me as their protector. They decided to make me their leader, the High Captain of the Bilgewater Fleet, but most of them call them Capt'n."
"So from then on you were the leader of these people?"
"It wasn't clear sailing the whole way," He took another drink, "The Noxians launched immense forces soon after, they sent nearly the entire fleet, 320 ships. We had a small fleet of 20 and only Gialis, Sevinor, Beromoth and Hikli to defend. In the battle we lost 20 men and 2 ships. But aside from that, the people support me and my decisions, now what reward was I planning on?"
"Think about it real well."
"Might as well join you," A knock came on the door. Cassidy was asleep on top of him. He lifted her off of him and laid her down on the bed. He put his clothes on and opened the door.
"Capt'n, the announcement you asked for," The man told him as he opened the door, "You wanted to check it."
"Sit down here," He said as he took the poster and pulled a chair for the man, "So, let us see," He read through the poster and the details, "I think it is good, I think that we can hang these posters to make sure we get the plan running as soon as possible, good job."
"Very well, Capt'n," He said as he got up and left the house, "I will make a public announcement on the main square."
"Do that," He said as he got up and went back into the house, "Make sure we have the men we need," He closed the door. Well, the offensive will start in a matter of days, Sevinor will probably accept the ships defending Bilgewater, the land he protects. He sat down near the table in the middle of his house, he looked down at the Bilgewater map. He circled the areas of rotation for the new warring policies he had planned. He sat down, took a drink and lit a cigarette. Maybe I should organize a speech to get the people fired up and have them join the war, that would work in our favor, and in the Noxians disfavor. He returned from his thinking when he heard Cassidy whimper as she did when she woke up.
"You're up early," He said as he walked over to Cassidy, "Sleep well?"
"Yeah," She yawned, "What time is it?"
"Noon," He laughed, "I will go to the main square to make a public speech."
"Maybe I should come watch one of these days."
"You would have to be careful," He said as he looked out the window, "The people don't really like you, but maybe because you are with me, you would be fine."
"Hopefully," She said as she got up, "They adore you as if anything you touch became gold, they might see your influence over me as a benefit for the society."
"Or that you have too much influence over me, you can never know with them," He said as he moved towards the door, "You should get dressed if you want to see my speech," He left the house. The summer brought along with it beautiful, clement days, but along with them the pounding sun, and the humidity. He walked down the path and onto the main street. Some bowed in respect to him, but most of them were interested in the posters that had been hung up, large groups formed around them. He walked by the groups and headed towards the market place. This is where the main announcements were made and the highest concentration of people during the day. A stage was already built for the possible announcements. He sat on the edge of the stage. He took a drink. He got up and started talking. "People of Bilgewater," He started, "As your leader, I am here to make an announcement!" People started to crowd around the stage, "I have a question for you all, who here likes the Noxians?" The crowd booed, "Now that I have your opinions, as you might have seen, posters have been put up around the city and this empire, I need your help and your will to prevent the Noxian attacks and even PUSH THEM BACK! We need people for the smelteries! We need more ships! We need people to enlist for the fleet! And I need your help to defend OUR EMPIRE, OUR HOMES, AND OUR PEOPLE!" The crowd cheered, "We shall crush the Noxians, we shall turn their aggression against them! We shall crush their fleets! I will fight until my last breathe to defend these lands and its people!" He put his arm diagonally up with his fist closed, the crowd mimicked him and cheered, "Now, you know what you need to do," He hopped down from the stage, the crowd cheered as he walked through the path they had made for him. He walked back up the main street under the thunderous applause of the crowd, he waved to the people smiling, they cheered. He arrived on the path to his house and waved before turning around and going up the path. He arrived half way up the path and turned when he heard someone speaking.
"Nice speech, I see the people are behind you on that project of yours."
"Cass, I can recognize your voice," He turned around to face her, "So you were there, I didn't notice you."
"I know, I was in the back," She said as she got up, "That speech surely work to raise their morals and their anger against the Noxians. They surely trust you."
"I know," He said as he grabbed her hand and dipped her, "And you, do you trust you?"
"Oh, well then, you know that answer," She said, "I do, I trust you."
"How about we go back to the house?"
"Sure thing," She said, "I am kind of tired, can you carry me there?"
"Of course," They walked up the path. She is light as a feather. He arrived in front of the door and put her down, "Here we are, my lady."
"Thank you," She said as she passed her hand down his cheek. She went inside and sat at the table, he followed her and sat in front of her and took a drink, he held out a cigarette and she took it. She leaned forward and he lit it. He lit his own. She coughed, and looked at the cigarette.
"What is this? My head hurts so much," She looked at him confused.
"A personal favorite, just relax."
"What is in this thing?"
"Some tobacco, some blood kelp, and I think that is it."
"Why blood kelp?" She seemed to be fading.
"It helps you relax, just relax."
"Why aren't you reacting the same way?"
"Mine is a normal cigarette, just tobacco."
"Why did you do this to me?"
"Don't worry," He said as she slowly leaned forward, passing out in her chair, "Don't worry about it, I have some things to do, you need a rest." He caressed her cheek, and put her on the bed. A knock came on the door.