B2 Chapter 23: Second Chances (Patreon)

Hugo and I left the safe house feeling more determined about our situation. Elise watched us go from the roof. A lot of the buildings were packed tightly together, making the rooftops a perfect vantage point to see if Pete was being truthful or not.

If he came alone, then he would be welcomed into the crew. If he came with others, then this city would have another fire to deal with this night.

None of us liked leaving Hemi alone while he was nearly unconscious, but he assured us that his present state wasn’t life threatening. He said that he just needed rest and told us to get on with what we had to do.

Hugo sat on my shoulder as I walked down the dark streets. He told me we should go to an upscale tavern first, since it was closest and there we’d find a great recruit for our crew.

“Seriously, this guy is amazing,” he said. “He worked with the Marauders and the Serpent’s a couple of times as a contractor! They wanted him so badly that he was allowed to temporarily assist them without having to join a crew.”

“Is he tower climber?”

“Not sure. I don’t think so, but apparently, he’s a genius when it comes to naval combat.”

“And you think this genius is going to be sitting in a bar drinking right now?”

“He left the Golden Serpent and the Marauders on bad terms. There’s no way he’d go back to them and the other pirate crews are too small for him to waste his time with. We’re his best option and he’s ours.”

“What’s his name again?”

“Antonio, and before you ask, we’re going to his favorite tavern. There’s nowhere else he’d be.”

We reached the alleyway behind the tavern and stood next to the back door. Hugo claimed we’d attract less attention if we came in through the back. I had to say that I was impressed with his knowledge.

“How do you know so much about this guy?” I asked.

“Lucas, it’s my job to know as co-leader of the Black Corsairs,” he replied with a dignified air. “Ever since coming here, I’ve been cultivating leads and learning everything I can about the people who matter.”

The back door suddenly opened and a bearded man in his fifties wearing an apron stepped out. He was holding a packet of cigarettes and smiled when he saw Hugo.

“Didn’t think I’d be seeing you again so soon,” he said. “Karaoke night is not for another couple of days.”

I grinned. “Karaoke night?”

“We’re just here to meet someone,” replied Hugo stiffly.

The man gestured to let us pass.

Once inside, I said, “cultivating leads, huh?”

Hugo sighed. “Let’s just get this over with.”

“You’re really not going to tell me what you sang?”

“Nope.”

We went into the bar and I almost couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The place was packed with people drinking. The mood was amiable, and the room filled with lively conversation.

I clenched my jaw.

The port was still on fire. There were less than four days before the elevators and doors disappear for good and these people were acting like there’s something to celebrate? People are fighting and dying and yet these people are just sitting here?

“Antonio is at the end of the bar,” Hugo said, prodding me forward.

The famous sailor Hugo had spoken so highly of was a man in his mid-thirties with a handlebar mustache. A man who appeared plucked from another century entirely. He slowly sipped his beer and stared at the wall in front of him, deep in thought.

The chair next to him was empty. I sat in it and thought of how best to broach the conversation when Hugo hopped onto the counter.

“Hey, wanna join our pirate crew?” Hugo excitedly asked.

Well, there goes the subtle approach.

Antonio looked at the bird and then at me. Frowning, he asked, “you’re with the Black Corsairs too?”

I nodded. “I just got here.”

He grunted. “I heard the Black Corsairs are finished. That they don’t even have a single ship to their name.”

“You heard wrong. But perhaps you might’ve heard that we possess the only map to the Golden Door.”

Antonio returned to staring at nothing and took another sip of his beer. “I did. I wish you all the luck in the world.”

There was a look in his eyes that suggested he’d given up completely. He was not blindly celebrating like the other patrons but instead was trying to quietly come to terms with the fact that he considered himself dead already.

I stood, considering the matter closed, but Hugo wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“You can’t just give up!” he said. “What about when you charged those boats with nothing more than a skiff? Or the time that you single-handedly disabled three ships with a handful of cannons?” Hugo gestured with his wing. “All of these people could die if you don’t help us. Don’t you care?”

Antonio didn’t respond, and I wondered how much of what Hugo said was true and how much could be attributed to him. After all, many tower residents on this floor seem to have been given roles to play. Why not give one of the residents this heroic swashbuckling persona?

Whatever the case, the man certainly seemed tired of it all.

“Come on, Hugo. Let’s look elsewhere.”

A man thundered down the stairs. His movements were unsteady, and he slipped down the last few steps, landing on his ass.

The tavern owner, having just returned from his smoke break, came to help him up.

“I told you. Keep sending bottles to my room,” the drunken man slurred.

The tavern owner assured him that he would and the drunken man climbed back up the steps.

Maybe coming here wasn’t a waste of time after all.

I grabbed Hugo and went up the stairs, just in time to see the drunken man slam his room door behind him. Hugo hadn’t seen what I saw from his position and didn’t understand. “What are we—”

I motioned Hugo to be quiet as I approached the door. I counted to ten and then kicked it open.

Sebastian Calder looked up from the chair he was sitting in, startled. Confusion turned to anger. His face twisted, but before he could act, the tip of my blood sword appeared next to his throat.

“Don’t,” I said.

All the energy sapped from Sebastian and he sank deeper into his chair. “If this is for revenge, can you just get it over with?”

Hugo was concerned. “Do we really have time for this?”

“I’m not here for revenge,” I told both of them before addressing Sebastian. “You knew that Hugo was the one looking for me and that I wouldn’t be in any danger if you collected my bounty from him. As far as I’m concerned, you just helped me out and found a way to get paid in the process.”

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. “You broke my door just to tell me that?”

“No, I’m here to tell you about an exciting opportunity. One that—”

“Pass.”

“Yeah, this isn’t a pass situation. We’re all dead in four days if we don’t solve this quest. So either you can choose to join now or I kill you. Then Hugo steals your soul and puts you to work as part of his ghost crew.”

He looked down at the tip of the sword, uncertain. “You wouldn’t.”

I shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned staying in this room is a form of suicide. I’m just offering to speed up the process.”

Sebastian appeared to consider it for a moment and then asked, “how do you know I won’t agree just to placate you and then run away?”

The stick got me almost there. Now for the carrot to cross the finish line.

“Hemi’s in rough shape,” I said. “He could really use your support right now.”

If Sebastian felt guilty over losing two of his party members, then he must still feel something for his last surviving member.

He looked up with an expression of hope. “Does he still ask about me?”

“Once or twice,” I lied.

I might pay for that one later once they’re reunited, but that was a conversation we could all have once we were at sea. Besides, Sebastian has wallowed in self pity for long enough and the crew could use another close combat type, provided he could sober up.

Sebastian agreed to my terms and joined the party. I told him not to worry if Hemi didn’t reply, as he was likely asleep. After vouching for him, Elise gave a muted greeting and told him where to go. Sebastian nodded and swiped a fresh bottle of booze before walking out the door. I didn’t like that, but he had taken a step in the right direction.

Hugo and I left the tavern and made our way towards an apothecary that was stocked with potions. It was dark inside, so we were going to have to break in. But when I reached the door, there was a cat’s meow that gave me pause.

There Persephone sat in her cat form, licking one of her paws.

“Try the apothecary two streets over,” she said. “You’ll find what you need there.”

Hugo jumped back off my shoulder in fright. “What the hell?!” he sputtered before flying up to perch himself on the store’s shingle.

When I looked back, the cat was gone.

“How are you this freaked out over a talking animal?” I asked.

“That was a mangy death machine that used to kill my kind for sport,” he spat.

I bit back a retort that there was no kind like him. That he was unique.

“She won’t hurt you and she’s not a cat. That’s just one of the forms she takes.”

Hugo laughed nervously while looking around at shadows. “Who would willingly choose such an unpleasant form?”

I told him we should follow her recommendation and try the other potion store. Hugo wasn’t thrilled at the idea, but followed me anyway.

The second apothecary store was different. This one had the lights on and its door laid wide open. Through party chat, I told Hugo to wait outside and keep watch while I investigated. He flew up to the neighboring roof to watch the street.

I drew my knife out of my inventory and creeped inside.

It could be Jason’s people raiding the place for supplies or some looter trying to take advantage of the current chaos. If it was the former, then I needed to take them down fast before they could alert anyone through party chat.

Behind one of the shelves, a box fell with a crash. And then another a few seconds after that. They were looking for something.

I crept closer, ready to ambush them, when I felt the cold press of steel at the back of my neck.

“Don’t move,” they warned.