Episode 4 – “Bargains”

Heat: Simmering

Content Warnings: Violence, Political Intrigue, Implied Sexual Themes, Implied SA

Director’s note: Episode four brings us back to Brinemarch, where charm hides corruption and every promise comes at a cost. Nadine proves she can outplay anyone on the council, while the Captain reminds us that diplomacy and danger often share the same table. Riley and Thomas set out on a mission of espionage. This chapter deepens the world, revealing the city’s glittering rot and setting the course for the storm ahead.

Chapter 10

They were returning to Brinemarch much to the disappointment and fear of Thomas. He was supposed to be a thousand miles away and safe from the prying eyes of his family but instead he would soon be returning to the underworld they puppeteered. Despite his disappointment no one else could relate, as they didn’t know the danger he was putting them in with the fortune he held in his boot. Riley offered words of encouragement and for Thomas this needed to be enough. 

The Abyss crew itself had stumbled into a precarious situation. With plenty of stores, they could slowly return to Brinemarch and think through their next plans with little disturbance. In the days that followed the Kraken attack, they discovered the identities of the three people they “rescued”. The sea-soaked man, Trudy, was little help. He whimpered, begged for mercy, and seemed mostly harmless. Finneas had failed to uncover how or why he was aboard the ship, but Trudy’s shrill voice and meek appearance offered little value. Trudy would be held captive until he could be dumped unceremoniously at the next port. Or sooner if he didn’t “SHUT THE FUCK UP” as Finneas’ thick accent demanded several times.

The ghost in white offered a different intrigue. She was ghastly quiet with piercing, pin-point eyes. She mostly stared as Finneas examined her. It wasn’t until he tried to look at her teeth that she made her move, biting his hand with great speed and a determined chomp. But this gave Finneas most of the information he needed. 

She was smart enough to keep quiet, observant enough to look for an opportunity to rebel, and defiant enough to suggest she was from a higher standing. The biggest giveaway was her appearance however. Her skin was young, smooth, and untouched by the sun. Her teeth, paper white and well taken care of. While not particularly big, she was clearly fed well and regularly. As she chucked the bowl of oats Frank had prepared, Finneas reckoned it was as much to do with the quality of the food as much as it was a hunger strike.

The shadow, however, offered full insight into the mystery ship. In broad daylight Korlai was not a shadow of danger but an athletic wonder. He stood a bit shorter than Finneas with a little less weight, but Korlai had the body of a trained olympian. With long push-backed black hair, abs with abs, and thighs resembling tree-trunks, Korlai would pose a threat to anyone on ship. Given his arrival on the ship and his former crewmates' untimely ending into the ocean, Riley demanded he stay locked up with the others despite his charming personality and giving demeanor.

With a smug smile and a nonchalant demeanor Korlai explained they had been a part of a royal transport. For extra security and protection, he had been hired as a royal mercenary. Their mystery woman was Aaliyah, princess of Widding. The country lay just southwest of the city of Brinemarch. 

Although the conservative kingdom disapproved of pirates far more than Brinemarch, its key location on the peninsula meant it could dominate lawful trade in the western hemisphere. However, Wedding had fallen behind to the Kingdom of Sandia which had been profiting heavily from Brinemarch’s illicit trade. Korlai said their ship, and one other set out on a secret mission to wed Aaliyah to the second prince of Hinckia. 

With an alliance between Widding of the western coast and Hinckia of the eastern coasts the two could squeeze Sandia from either side, limiting their growing wealth and unapologetic dealing with pirates. While Aaliyah didn’t admit to her identity or their plans, Finneas saw a great anger flicker in her eyes. If Korlai was telling the truth the crew had secured a prize much bigger than the two barrels of oats they had secured from the wreckage. 

This was a gift wrapped in a poison veil however. Widding would pay greatly for the return of their daughter and Hinckia for the consummation token of a powerful alliance. Even yet, Sandia or other rival kingdoms might pay even more to stop such an alliance or even worse, force a different marriage under duress. 

Once knowledge of the princess' survival spread the danger would be neverending. Rescue parties, rival crews, and assassins would all be on the hunt for Aaliyah. Even now, several days out from the Kraken attack,  it was likely that the princess' disappearance would have made it to the mainland, sparking a flurry of rescue forces and ambitious crews to set sail. 

No, if the Abyss crew wanted to make it out alive and be rewarded for their captured prize they would need to move quickly, quietly, and with partners they could trust to fulfill such a contract without betraying them. As far as Captain knew, there was only one place to get such a deal done, Brinemarch. 

Finneas announced their full return at the end of day three. While much information was forthcoming, the most important parts were left out. Some men had just the week prior, and returning to their home port made the Abyss crew more vulnerable than normal.