"What is taking him so long?" Aphrodite groans pacing back and forth. She, Anemone, and Payne had taken refuge in the shade of a banyan tree by a stream adjacent to the sealed Pyramid. "What was he thinking? He didn't have to collapse the exit!" She accentuates this with a stomp of her foot. "He didn't want the Cro'gal to follow us." Anemone says gently. She rises from her kneeling position to stand beside the flustered Mage.
"It's the Captain, let's not count him out yet." She places a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder. Payne leans with his back against the tree and his nose in the book from the Laboratory. He closes the book, tucking it away in his satchel, and turns his gaze to address the Pirates. "The Captain's actions were valiant. Believe me when I say, he has truly earned my respect."
Aphrodite sneers, "Great! What good does that do him? This is all your fault, for making us come here in the first place!” faint tears decorate the edges of her golden eyes. Anemone fixes Payne with a scowl but says, "We've all done dangerous missions, Aphrodite- none of us expects to go unscathed forever." then she adds with a smirk, "But this is Percival we're talking about- he's too promiscuous and arrogant to die."
Aphrodite giggles, "'The prince of whores.'" She recites, "He still needs to get his body count up before he can rest. He still has some serious magickal fucking to indulge in.” Anemone sucks her teeth, “That boy better be ready to deliver on some serious magickal fucking when he gets back- for making us worry about him.” Aphrodite raises an eyebrow, “Ah! So you admit to being worried as well.”
Anemone looks away, “Look, I just don’t like the idea of dealing with ‘Captain V’… she’s crazy.” She then adds, “You see? This is why we need more dick on the ship- in case that fool gets himself killed playing the hero.” Aphrodite gives a boisterous laugh. “My my… you’re all very liberated aren’t you?” Payne remarks, intrigued by their lewd banter. Aphrodite beams, “The Captain is the most liberated of all- why he’s even fooled around with one of the Ada-Sith.”
Payne is taken aback, "Congress? With an Ada?" He cuts in, unable to contain his curiosity. "Yes, how do you think he can use Faerie Magick? Once, we got drunk and he told me that he fucked a Fae Queen of the Star Court, and now he must serve her forever." She waggles her eyebrows. "No, his servitude is only for a few years so... he probably just performed cunnilingus." Anemone interjects. Aphrodite titters, “I bet her licked her butthole.
"It's always hard to tell when he's Joking. You know how boys are- they're always exaggerating." Aphrodite's fake pout becomes a wicked grin. "We should ask him who has a better ass." Anemone blinks, "Between you and this Goddess of his?" She asks. "Nooooo," Says Aphrodite, "Between me.. and you." Anemone narrows her eyes, "Please, as if that’s even a question-" she stops and all three sets of eyes are drawn upwards as Dia emerges overhead.
"Dia!" calls Aphrodite. The Valkyrie descends to their level before vanishing, just as Percival's transparent form rises from the ground directly in front of Payne. He has lost the fur-lined hooded jacket and is now shirtless with his fitted black pants and elaborately belted boots. Now solid, Percival faces the Magister with an unreadable expression and the single shot Hexgun gripped in his right hand.
"...Hi." Says the Captain. "...Hi." Says Payne. The Magister's hand goes for his silver bracelet just as Anemone uses her Aether-blade to remove both hands at mid forearm. The Magister seizes and drops to ground in abject horror. "Aaaaaaaargh!" He wails in shock and agony. "You know," Percival says. "Back in the pyramid, when you were going on, and on, about how dangerous we all were... I may have told Anemone that if we cut off your hands, you wouldn't be able to use the bracelet to hurt Nyxxa.
Since technically, you wouldn't be dead. At least not while you were wearing it. She laughed." Aphrodite gasps, "That's what that was about? I can't believe you two were using telepathy without me!" Payne's shivering ceases as Percival uses a spell to anesthetize him and stop the bleeding. "No no. Can't have you going into shock just yet." He scolds.
"I have three questions for you Payne." The Captain holds up his index finger. "One, how did you know about our personal lives? We're wanted by the AUF but take great caution to never use our real names. Where did you get your information, and who else have you told?" Payne's breathing is ragged. "W-when you contacted me, to make a deal for your f-friend. I put out the word to the Infiltrators that I was looking for anyone with personal information on the Crystal Pirates.
I met a Strydishman named Royce Bell who claimed to be your friend, and I offered him Fifty diamond Coins to drink a truth serum and tell me everything he knew about your identities." Percival closes his eyes and takes a breath. 'Fucking Royce...' "But," Payne continues, "I swear on my life, I've told no one else. Please, I was desperate." The Magister's face is slick with sweat.
"That brings me to my next question Payne. Were you planning on trying to kill me from the start?" Payne shivers, trying to focus through the now dull ache where his hands used to be. "No, I really Intended to make good on our deal. I'd been meaning to make the journey here to the laboratory. I-I considered hiring adventurers, or even the Tower- but then you contacted me and when I learned who you were, I saw an o-opportunity.
I Just wanted the b-book, but when I saw what was in there. If you knew what they're trying to do- if you knew what was coming. You would do the same!" Payne is suddenly frantic, "They- the so called ‘Hidden City’ are trying to open the Gods Damned Pit, boy!" Percival's blank expression further enrages the Magister, "Don't you look at me like that, Percival Grimm! You of all people know damn well that other dimensions exist! The Pit is real!
THAT is what these intend to bring upon us!" Percival nods, "Okay, last question. Say we believe you. Or at least believe that you believe yourself. What was your end game? I am tragically killed by Desmavali-hating Cro'gal warriors due to your clever sabotage... my crew is left all alone. Then what?" Payne takes a sharp breath.
"It- it was a long shot, but after seeing the book... I knew I needed your ship. A vessel like that- I might have been able to monitor and maybe stop those Hidden City Magi. And... if the Pit Lords do rise up, being able to leave this dimension altogether would be a fine thing." Percival looks annoyed, "Cool, but if I die that doesn't mean that you get my ship- you know that right?"
Payne nods weakly, "Yes I know. I would have told your comrades about the coming danger- suggested that we join forces. Sometimes... tragedy and... catastrophe can create new alliances... If all else failed I could have used Nyxxa's life as a bargaining chip." Percival's white/grey eyes finds the Magister's hazel spheres. "Thank you for your honesty." He says softly, “By the way, you were able to ferret out all of our real names… except mine; Percival is an alias. My name is Fae’dren; thought you might want to know.” With that he pulls the trigger on the Hexgun, eviscerating Payne with a bolt of black electricity.
The Magister slumps, lifeless, at a grotesque angle. “Now what?” Asks Anemone. “Now, we go get Nyxxa and then pay our friend Royce a nice visit.” Replies Percival. Payne’s eyes stare blankly at the sky- seeing nothing. The Book with the cover titled "Practical Alchemy" has fallen from the Magister's satchel and lays inert on the blood soaked ground. The three Pirates stand together in silence, watching the Sunrise.
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