"Listen up!" Called Azalea to the small section of crew she was with. "I know this hasn't exactly gone to plan but-"
"That's an understatement!" Cried Thomas, a squat man with a rounded face.
"Look it's not that bad." Azalea replied.
"We're in Jail!" Cried another crewmember, Leon. "Things can only get worse if we get dragged off to the gallows." It was true that currently the normally indomitable captain of The Red Rose was sitting in an Empire jail, awaiting her fate, but she had been in worse situations before. Or at least that was what she told the crew. But she had a plan.
"What plan?" Asked Little John. Together, the four of them comprised all the manpower currently at their disposal.
"We'll just get you to break through the walls Jonny." Thomas jabbed. "You must be big enough to."
"Nah, we'll get him to pull the bars out of the wall." Said Leon. "It's a straight dive down to the water from here."
"Yeah, it's not like we're at the edge of a cliff or anything. And we don't know how deep the water is. Or how-"
"Enough." Said Azalea, and Thomas fell quite instantly. Azalea started to pace up and down the small jail cell, which would have been small for one person, let alone four. "Listen. I'm pretty sure that the Governor will want to gloat, you know how he is, so he's probably going to pull me out of the cell for a little chat. After he does that, be ready. I'll think of something when I'm out and come rescue you lot, just make sure you don't doze off or anything." She glared at Thomas as she said this.
"Hey, that was one time!" He replied.
"Yeah, and because of that one time we don't have the amulet of kings." Leon snapped at Thomas.
"But what did we really loose with that amulet anyways?" Thomas replied, trying to look innocent but failing spectacularly.
"Command over the seas and the tides." Replied Azalea. "Not to mention the hefty profit we would have gained from selling the thing."
They continued arguing about it in the dark and damp cell until they heard a rattling of keys on the bars. They all looked up. One of the governor's men, a lieutenant judging by his epaulettes, held the iron keys and was unlocking the door, with two guards aiming their muskets at those inside. Azalea stood up to her full height, which was quite tall, and shook her crimson coat in the same manner that you might if you were trying to straighten your clothes, but in her case it only made them look more ruffled.
"The Governor requests that you join him for a meal." Said the Lieutenant. He had that pompous accent that you can only get when raised by high society.
"We'd be happy to attend." Replied Azalea. The Lieutenant looked up. He appeared to not have noticed the other prisoners in the cell.
"No, that's quite alright. He just wants you." The other prisoners grinned. Azalea knew the governor a bit too well. The lieutenant led Azalea through the fort to the upper floors, where the officers spent most of their time. Azalea couldn't resist poking fun at the lieutenant as they went though.
"So tell me, how much did you daddy pay for your commission, boy?" She asked. As the lieutenant's face went red, Azalea knew she had poked a nerve, although she wasn't sure if it was the insinuation that he was unsuited for the job, or the fact she had called him boy, when he was clearly older than her. Before he could answer, Azalea continued,
"I mean, you're clearly green, otherwise you would know how to walk on stone, and that polishing only makes the problem worse." As she said this, the lieutenant slipped on the stone floor, smashing his face into ground. Azalea cackled with laughter. "Ah, hobnails. They may be fashionable, but they're only practical for the army, not the navy."
The lieutenant got up, his face now even redder, and his nose bleeding. Still, he ignored the blood now flowing down his face in favour of opening the door to the governor's room. The room was quite spacious, though modest by Empire standards, and the governor sat on a desk in the middle of the room facing a war table and with a chair deliberately placed in front of him.
"Ah lieutenant, good I- What happened? Did she try to resist?" Said the governor, looking at the lieutenant's face which was now streaming a truly magnificent amount of blood.
"More like the floor tried to resist his face, violently." Cackled Azalea again as she went to sit down. "You can go now." She said to the lieutenant. However he continued to stand there at attention.
"Lieutenant, I do not need your presence to interrogate the prisoner." Replied the governor. "You may leave. Go wash your face."
"Yessir!" Said the Lieutenant, and he spun on his heels and left the room. Azalea turned to face the Governor.
"Bit green that one, isn't he?" She said. "What happened to Salisbury?"
"Promoted." Replied the governor. "Promoted and transferred."
Azalea studied the governor's face. He was old, but had lost none of his brilliance. Going from a daring naval captain to admiral and now governor, his reputation was one that was well earned.
"So, Mr. Northall, what brings you to me?" Azalea asked.
"It's Governor Northall."
"Not to me."
Governor Northall sighed, then got up out of his chair. He walked over to the map on the table, a map of the whole archipelago. Azalea got up and sidled up behind him, looking at the map herself. Although he had removed all markers of where the Empire's ships were, there were still clues that she could piece together. The Governor's eyes rarely strayed up to the north of the map, where the islands were less clustered or profitable, and there were faded patches on the islands close to the west. So they were probably moving around there at lot.
"I offer you the same opportunity that I offered you months ago. Reveal to me where your haven is, and I will grant you immunity." The Governor said.
"Oh how could I refuse." Replied Azalea, and pointed to an island on the map, Port Edmund. She then grinned as the governor looked unconvinced. "You know, what's the point of asking me if you're not going to believe me?" Twice before, she had pretended to surrender the location of her base to the governor, and both times it had resulted in a trap. The governor was about to speak when a sudden explosion shook the entire fort.
"Dammit!" Cried the governor, and he rushed to the window to see what was happening. "We're under attack! Pirates!"
Seeing an opportunity, Azalea quickly picked up the governor's sword that was lying on the desk and slashed at an oil lantern, spilling burning hot oil on all of the governor's notes and paperwork. The Governor quickly turned around, and his eyes burned with fury as he saw his desk on fire.
"Get back here!" He screamed, as Azalea vaulted over the table and sprinted for the door. She ran out of the room and headed towards the jail cells. when she arrived, she faced the prison warden, who was grisly with matted hair and stunk of rotting meat. He grinned as she arrived, and picked up a large hatchet, marching menacingly towards her.
It was over in a flash, and the warden lay on the floor. Azalea quickly picked up the keys and rushed over to the cell where her crewmates were.
"It's damn good to see you!" Cried Leon.
"Was this part of your plan then?" Asked Thomas. "What's happening?" He asked as Azalea threw open the cell door.
"This isn't part of the plan, we're under attack from pirates, and we're about to escape." Replied Azalea.
"Good enough for me." He said. They took off, running down the hallway.
"Free me!" Cried a raspy, wheezing voice from one of the jail cells. Azalea stopped and looked at him. He had the blue bruised face of a drowned body, yet was very much alive.
"A sorcerer!" Whispered Leon. "They're powerful people. Who knows what he'll do to us?"
"He'll owe us a favour, that's what." Said Azalea, and opened the man's cell.
"Thank you." He wheezed. "I am Ogygos."
"Follow me, Ogygos." Said Azalea.
They ran out of the jail, but were stopped by the lieutenant, who was brandishing his rapier at them.
"I will not let you pass." He said. Azalea sighed and pointed her own sword at him.
"You won't be able to stop me." She said.
"I have trained with a sword since birth." He replied. "It is you who won't be able to stop me."
Azalea charged forwards, and instead of attacking, she spun her large crimson coat at him. Temporarily blinded, Azalea thrust her sword at him, slashing his face over his eye. He screamed and clutched his eye as he dropped to the ground.
"The funny thing is, only fighting noblemen means you only know how to fight noblemen. You would never have been able to fight me." Azalea said to him as they passed.
They met no other opposition on their way out of the fort, and once down by the pier they grabbed a skiff and started to row.
"Allow me." Said Ogygos, and he muttered something under his breath then threw a small bone into the ocean. At once, they were picked up a tide and travelled to the ship in record time. Azalea breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the familiar crimson paint of The Red Rose.
"Captain in a skiff!" Cried one of the crewmen on lookout, and everyone rushed towards the side of the ship to look down into the water. Ladders were lowered and the crew brought up from the skiff."
"Let's be on our way!" Cried Azalea. Although her crew had taken them by surprise, they were no match for the navy stationed at Fort Wellington. "We have the wind on our side, full sail!"
As she headed back to her cabin, she saw the sorcerer Ogygos waiting for her.
"What do you want, sorcerer?" She asked.
"I wonder If I might be allowed to stay with the crew for a while." He said, his voice still raspy. "I have no doubt I would be of benefit to the crew."
"Why?"
"My reasons are my own, but I can promise you they will not interfere with yours."
Azalea thought for a second, then decided. "All right. Welcome aboard."