Seaborn Chapter 57: Mutiny

The Deaths Consort had disappeared to hunt once more. This ti, Id have to do sothing drastic enough to satisfy the being whose na was synonymous with danger to your very soul.

I wondered what I might do. The adventurer team behind g the mystery girl might have been an option, but ignoring that they were probably a well-sponsored, well-equipped and likely high level team, they were sowhere on land. Whatever spell or ability let g do her portaling, shed disappeared inland and I had no ans of tracking her there. Besides, while Jones had been intent on interrupting whatever she was telling , hed only been annoyed at her presence. It was who was in trouble, who had to do sothing drastic to salvage my freedom. But what?

I didnt wonder for more than a few hours, the sun scarcely having risen on the start of the day.

Transport ship above, Captain. Joash reported perfunctorily, snapping from my bloody thoughts.

What?

Transport ship, he repeated. There was no interest in his voice, wed passed many such ships. They held little interest to us since I got no experience from winning against a non-threatening ship and they didnt have anyone onboard worth targeting for my crew to level their combat abilities. Aside from the first ship wed captured in the Broken Isles, wed left them alone.

Wed left them alone just as much for those reasons as we did because of my distaste for doing to civilians what we were doing to navy ships.

You caused this whole ss with your bleeding heart prove to that youre worthy of the profession I gifted you.

I ordered us to co about.

Captain? Joash asked, startled.

Co about alongside that transport, I ordered, adjusting our depth to roughly a hundred feet. Prepare to disable it.

There were shocked expressions among the crew, many turning to each other for confirmation. Burdette stood at the helm at t the questioning glances coming at him with a blank expression.

Co about! I yelled. Whether because they realized I wasnt jesting about my first order, or because I frightened them into doing so, they complied.

I moved below decks to where Sadeo was passively giving instructions to his teams to be ready. He was looking through an artillery port at the transport.

Dom, what are we attacking that ship for? They have soone important on there?

Theyre a target of opportunity. I said. Theyre here, and I need to make a statent.

Dom, the kitsune said, his tone heavy. Weve avoided civilian targets. Dont change the rules now.

Sadeo, everythings riding on this.

I signed up with you first! The kitsune cried. I swore to fight for you in grand battles, not gutter innocent ships like a common wayfaring bandit!

Storm it, Sadeo! If this doesnt happen then everything Ive given up on everything weve given up on these last weeks it all ans nothing. Whats a little more blood in the water?

The blood matters, Donic. Sadeo said. He crossed his furry little arms and said quietly. Im not going to do it, Captain.

I felt my blood freeze and boil. First Phillip, now Sadeo. I couldnt count on any of my crew.

Stand aside, I said coldly. Not trusting any of Sadeos teams to follow orders, I loaded the ballista myself, targeted the ships rudder, and fired. I didnt have Sadeos skills, or even the skills of the other artillerists, so it took two shots to completely disable the rudder even at optimum range.

I stood and regarded the kitsune coldly. You may stay below until this is through. Turning, I left the artillery deck; one friend poorer than when Id entered.

What was I doing? That was Sadeo, whod never judged for my curse or balked at danger. That was my friend! What was I doing, what was I doing, what was I doing?

I raised the ship to the surface, my flag breaking the water first with its chained, dagger clutching hands. The transport might have felt relatively safe in these waters, but by now everyone in the Broken Isles knew what that flag ant.

Rather than put up a fight, by the ti wed dropped a plank from our deck to theirs they had a white flag flying and everyone assembled above decks. One person who looked like a bodyguard kept his charge at the edge of the opposite rail, but all others had disard.

They were surrendering, hoping that I would be rciful. If not rciful, than at least leave half like the rumors said I did. I told my crew to have them all bound on deck. They were reluctant to obey but after a few minutes my orders had been complied with, minus the bodyguard, the woman he was guarding, and a few other holdouts. When they resisted I told my crew to move on.

43 people were on deck. I just needed them manageable.

Voyagers of the I paused. What ship is this?

There was dumb silence that I hadnt even analyzed the na of the ship before attacking and boarding it. Having asked the question, I waited for an answer rather than simply redying that.

The Mockingbird, sir. Soone supplied.

Voyagers of the Mockingbird, I restarted. I want you all to say a simple phrase. This is not an oath of service, or anything else. It is a simple witness. Say Davy Jones, bear witness to this. Understood?

They may have questioned the reasoning, but most obeyed. There were so that remained stubborn enough not to utter a peep, but that was fine. As far as statents went, this one had been made.

I was fulfilling my orders.

This was following orders, wasnt it? I didnt have a choice, did I?

I moved to the first person, an apprentice of so sort in his late teens. I looked him in the eyes.

For the sake of others, I said. Then I killed him.

There was an outcry from the others as the apprentices HP plumted and his heels drumd the deck. Zander moved forward to pacify the struggling crewn.

No! I shouted to him. Stand back! This is my ordeal, my burden! He obeyed, but the half-mad spearman seed to think I was just hogging XP.

I moved to the next bound person; a sailor. He started hyperventilating. So others might live, I said. I claid his life next.

There was an old wives tale that when soone dies, the levels of their profession return to whatever developed them. I was analyzing my fellow sailor as his HP bottod out and for a mont could have sworn his levels spun down to zero before I was no longer able to analyze him.

Oh, sailor. You could have been a companion of mine. A brother on the waves. Now you were dead because I was clinging to the vestiges of my freedom the sa way a drowning man pulls his rescuers down to claw for the surface.

Could I still be saved? Did I deserve to be?

I killed six more before soone wriggled free from their rope restraints. A thrown knife and grabbing him with a water whip before he went overboard stopped the escape attempt, but seed to convince the whole crew that none of them were going to be spared.

The bodyguard, thinking my back being turned ant I wasnt aware of him, tried to attack . He had skill with his sword, but wasnt a professional warrior. My blend of movent capabilities, spells to knock him off balance, and martial prowess ant he had little chance once his surprise attack failed. After slipping on so ice suddenly coating the deck, the man found himself disard and at my rcy. I had as much rcy for him as the previous 7.

So others might have a chance, I said to his body. I told each of the corpses why they had to die.

I stepped over several terrified prisoners, the scent of soiled trousers perating the deck. The woman the bodyguard had been protecting trembled, but after a fearful glance over the side stiffened her back and t my eyes.

My eyes which suddenly had tears in them. Oh stars above, what was I doing? How could I be such a monster?

For others free I choked. For others I couldnt say it. For my freedom. Because Im too cowardly to take another route because I wasnt able to swim the depths I found myself in.

We were both crying. She lifted one hand to her face, the other half held up between us to ward off.

Close your eyes, I said, reaching into my bag. I found a bag of I was looking for: a powder. It was a numbing agent. Breathe, I instructed. She couldnt take deep breaths in her panic. Breathe, I said, tossing a handful of powder. She jerked back and coughed, opening her eyes, but monts later her mouth and throat were numb.

Close your eyes, I said, as gentle as I could.

She passed much easier than the others had.

I didnt feel better about it.

I wished that I had a gas that could put them all to sleep, but my bag of tricks wasnt that comprehensive, and I didnt think Jones would have the sa reaction if I peacefully killed them sleeping.

Each death gave so XP, which I cursed more heavily than the 10 XP Id gotten for killing Redmund. Back then Id been careless, now I was evil.

Oh stars, oh depths of the sea, what was I doing, what was I doing?

I was being as hard as I had to be.

Was it worth it? Was my freedom worth it?

How could I look at this ship full of people and say my freedom is more precious to than your lives?

How could I turn myself into this? I was letting fear rule . Not fear of Jones, but fear of a cage. Because of my fear my cowardice I was turning myself into sothing the Donic of a year ago would have hated.

I was turning into sothing the Donic of today hated.

Donic, dont you think anythings worth fighting for?

I looked down at Redmund as we pored over the chart, pausing my explanation of where Id go and what Id do to avoid naval warfare. I rembered this, Id tried to explain to him I wasnt a pacifist but there wasnt any sha in avoiding fights. That wasnt what I said now.

Freedom is worth fighting for. Everyone should have that right.

Redmund leaned forward and his eyes bored into with an intensity no living juvenile had. Then explain why instead of fighting for your own true freedom you are fighting against the very ideal of freedom?

I snapped out of my mory or vision, or dream, or stress-induced hallucination and looked around the deck of the Mockingbird with horror. Fighting ships had n that had made their choice. They were free to do so and risk their fate. The only choice these people had made was to sail from one island to another. They were free to risk the tempests of the sea, but should not face .

I stepped towards the next bound crewman in a haze. I dont know whether I intended to kill him chanically, cut his bonds, or fall to my knees beside him and beg his forgiveness. Before I took a second step; my head swam, the world tilted and I fell to my knees, vomit spilling from my lips in a thin bile from my empty stomach.

My crew shouted, so said poison and others said various skills. As Zander rushed to , he slew all in his path with his spear. The man Id been facing fell on his back to get away but that didnt limit the reach of Zanders weapon.

Stop! I choked out, spitting my mouth clear. Zander glanced at the man had heard but pretended not to, stabbing again and again to take lives and gain the XP he craved.

Stop! I said again, louder, getting unsteadily to my feet. I saw that Zander wasnt the only one whod begun to execute everyone who might be using a skill or casting a spell on .

Zander paused, looking at , then over my shoulder at soone on the Deaths Consort. He grinned at whatever he saw there, then turned and thrust his spear through the chest of another unfortunate.

My mouth seed sealed shut. Why? How dare he countermand my order and lay another life at my feet!

The hands that were holding up were shrugged off and I summoned a horde of water whips. My mana pool suddenly dropped by three quarters with the cost, and my nose began dribbling blood over my bile covered lips at the ntal strain of controlling so many. My watery arms grabbed Zanders limbs, chest, and neck, pulling him back even as the spear left his hand. They grabbed at the haft of the spear too, but not before its point dug into the throat of a rchant whod been quailing before his executioner.

My other arms lashed out and grabbed anyone else with a raised or bloody weapon. Stillness and silence fell over the ship. We all stayed in our frozen or bound positions until the drain from maintaining so many water whips threatened to bottom out my mana pool and dropped the spell, dismissing my restrictive arms.

It didnt matter. A handful of killers versus three dozen bound and unard prisoners was no contest. The crew of the Mockingbird was dead before Id rallied myself and constrained my own crew. I realized that the shouts and whimpers werent out loud anymore, just in my head. Blood and bodies coated the deck.

Oh stars, what have we done.

Oh stars, what have I done?

JONES! I shouted, my howl echoing over the waves as the blood of innocents ran over the side. See what I have done? Do you see? Are you satisfied with what Ive proven? What youve driven to?

I didnt hear any reply. Not a scoff at my weakness, not a condemnation, not a brackish remark, not a word of satisfaction.

Just , the ghosts of the dead, and the crew who stared at .

After we subrged, I scrubbed myself as clean of the blood as I could. Whatever I seed to do, it wouldnt co off. I scrubbed my hands so raw they were bleeding themselves, and still I wasnt clean. My ears still rang with a discordant symphony of pleas and curses.

I set the ship to sail west, then stepped into my cabin without addressing the crew. I didnt have the words for them. I didnt have words for myself.

I laid on my bed and stared at the ceiling. I foolishly tried to sleep, but sleep was impossible. My mind was too tied up in who I was and what Id done.

I could justify the deaths of hundreds of naval sailors and port residents. I could justify the deaths Id ordered, and the deaths Id caused with my own hands. Most of them, I could. The victims of the Mockingbird? I couldnt pass it off as Jones mandate. It was my own desperation.

Why should Jones mandate have ever made do sothing so contrary to my nature? When Id killed that woman, before seeing the vision of Redmund, I could have sworn Id felt my perk Heart at Sea tearing away from . Id given my life to the sea, but gotten lost along the way and now sohow Jones was holding my heart instead, and I was letting him dictate my principles.

I entered Tadra, hoping that the ntal realm would give Jones the opportunity he needed to pull into his own mindscape so we could be done with this. I didnt want to wait the hours until nightfall. However, the dark ship that was the center of my mindscape had skeletons hanging from the yardarm and the rigging by chains, each one belonging to the crew of the Mockingbird. The sea around was the sa red color the deck of the ship had been.

I fled.

I sat on the edge of my bed, clutching my knees and rocking back and forth when I got the prompt.

The average morale of your crew has dropped to Mutinous!

So that was it. My crew had been spiteful. Theyd skipped hateful and dropped straight to mutinous.

I stopped rocking. Very well, if I was to have a mutinous crew, I wouldnt wait to face them when they stord my cabin.

I stood before the mirror, making sure that my Captains outfit was in perfect order. The tricorne hat seed too large for my skeletal features, and there were so bloodstains Id been unable to launder. I was still Captain, though. I would face down this rebellion with dignity, since not a single one of those now rebelling could claim they were doing less than I had.

I opened my door to an empty deck. I went to the quarterdeck where Joash stood at the helm, not eting my eyes. I paced to the side of him, daring him to et my gaze. He dropped his eyes from the horizon to the deck.

Joash, you are relieved.

He nodded, shuffling away before going below.

Holding the helm steady, I took a deep breath of the salt air. I had done many hard things. Today was a day that would remain etched in my mind as one of if not the very worst. I would show that I had what it took to remain Captain, though.

When the ti ca, the mutineers flooded the decks like they were storming an enemy ship, racing to cordon off before I had a chance to escape. I made no move besides keeping the ship steady. I could have done this business deep underwater, but on the surface under the light of the sun seed fitting.

I cant say I was surprised when Burdette stepped forward, his ringed fists clutching a curved blade. The shaven-headed bulldog of a man was showing more glee on his face than Id ever seen before.

Mr. Burdette, I said curtly.

Donic, he sneered in reply, cutting my title. He gestured at the mob. This is what we are calling a change of command.

Im not abdicating, I said simply. And you havent the power to take my profession from

There were a lot of my crewn on deck

There were all of my crewn on deck!

When I saw that the average morale had dropped to mutinous, Id thought that I had a mutiny to repress, after which I could make so examples and force everyone back into line. What I hadnt realized was that all were involved!

There was Joash, still ashad even if he now t my eyes.

There was Phillip, the man whod tried to be a friend but whom Id scared off, then broken the spirit of.

There was Varinya, the leonid forr slave prostitute, whod once exulted in the freedom being in my crew ant.

There was Zander, the bloodthirsty man whod Id freed from slavery and given a spear only to have the spear kill those I wished to live.

There was Kuko, the man Id saved from the sirens and who had never quite forgiven for it.

There was Myota, the gentle surgeon whod objected to the violence Id used against Burdette on behalf of the slaves.

There was Arnnaith, the half-elf boy whod been my shadow, but who had withdrawn from as he found friendship in the others Id pushed him towards.

There was Rhistel, the elf who Id liberated from Burdette, who Id helped recover the profession that was stripped from him, and given the opportunity to bond with the juvenile sea monster Cherry which was even now stalking through these isles.

There was Sadeo! The one whom Id rescued from the slave auction, who Id first recruited, whod voluntarily served and sworn to fight my battles with who now held a sorrowful, but firm countenance as he beheld my removal.

Now you see, Burdette said quietly to . Every one of us has their own reason. So still hate you for what you first did, tricking us into being your crew forever! So are tired of fighting and killing at sea. So only just realized that whatever ideals you hold youll break. A few are even learning what you and I knew from the start: that you dont have what it takes to be a Captain!

So it was. I had betrayed my crew when I broke my promise to free them. I had betrayed the tenants of my own principles. Now my crew was betraying .

You think to replace ? I said quietly, my voice more hoarse than Id expected. Im the only thing standing between you and Davy Jones.

Burdette shrugged. Theres been argunt on that, too. See, most realized real quick that our curse didnt link us to Davy Jones, like your curse did. Our curse tied us to you. Now, so are hoping that with your death well be free.

But not you.

He grinned. Not . The way I figure it, Davy Jones needs soone to be his lieutenant. Hes been putting up with your sputtering for months. I think I could do a better job! I kill you, and if I dont get your profession myself, then I make my own deal with Jones.

I shook my head. Here I thought Id overestimated your greed and the promise of skill levels I made to you. It turns out I underestimated it.

You underestimated a lot of things about , Burdette said. You forgot that I was Captain of this ship! Ive had skills Ive developed for years related to running her, more tied to my job as a slaver. And you put as second in command! It was borderline easy to turn the crew against you, even the ones whod been loyal to you since you pulled that stunt with getting whipped for them.

Then he was the one I needed to remove. How much of the cancerous growth of sedition had been fueled by this man? How much better might morale have remained without his input? Cut him down, then those around , then then

Was I to slay my entire crew? If I slayed half, how would I convince the rest to obey my orders short of flaying their souls?

Where do I stop this madness?

I only realized Id spoken that last thought aloud when Burdette answered . You cant. You didnt do what you should have done over the last weeks, and now youre out of options. He grinned while lifting his blade. Now I take back whats mine!

Even as he swung his blade for my neck, I turned and looked him in the eye. No, I stated. I refused to let him do this. I refused to let him take this ship from however much I hated it. I refused to let him even move.

And he froze.

He was shocked, and I was a little bit too. I had suspected I could do as much for a long ti, even back to the ti when Id been injured and heard my crew couldnt find it in them to finish off. They were tied to , and their curse ant that I just needed to repress their freedom should I so choose.

If only Id done this before theyd slayed the rest of the Mockingbirds crew.

A pair of Burdettes accomplices attacked from behind, and they froze too. It strained my ntal capacities to their limit, but I froze each one of my crew. So were much harder to keep restrained than others. I felt blood trickle from my nose for the second ti that day.

Now what?

What have you hoped to accomplish? I demanded with a shout. Why do you force further down a path I dont want to go?

It dawned on that Davy Jones hadnt passed his final judgent on yet because he knew this was coming. My slaughter this morning had only been the first act, and he wanted to see how I handled my crew.

Did he want to slaughter them too? No, that would be a waste and leave crippled, a Captain without a crew, adrift to be picked up at the Eralds leisure. He wanted to repress their freedom permanently, make them into the slaves he made his own crew into aboard the Perdition. He wanted to deny others what I held so dear myself.

And in the back of my mind it started as a whisper, a whisper that grew into a shout that escaped my lips before every witness.

I REFUSE!

I refused to betray my principles any more. I would not take from my crew the freedom that I so desperately craved. I stalked to the aft of the ship, stepped on the gunwale and dropped into the sea. I wasnt going to kill my crew. I wasnt going to surrender to them. I needed a mont to think, process, and commune with the sea.

I just I just needed a mont

The weight of betrayal had hit hard both my crews betrayal of and my betrayal of them. The fire of my adamant refusal to secede this moral battle even so late in the war on my tattered morals remained.

When I received the notification and felt the portal of deep magic forming, I nearly welcod it. It was ti Jones and I had another talk.

Water sucked forward, darkness blurred my vision and the water temperature changed. I was suddenly sowhere else. Not in Jones pocket dinsion, but in the sea sowhere in the northwest.

There was a galleon sinking even as I watched. Jones level 100 kraken was pulling orcs and Tarish bodies from it.

What in the na of the six depths do you be thinking? Jones shouted from behind . I turned and noted for the first ti how similar we looked. Not our features; hed cursed to be uglier than him, but we were standing the sa way, we had the sa height, and our outfits nearly matched.

You surrendered to your crew! Jones continued, his face red with anger. Surrender! I gave you many chances, boy, but what am I to think of you being a Captain under when you cant even manage a mangy lot like that?

Question my place under you as you wish, I said coldly, my voice steadily rising. But you do not get to question my right to Captainship. I may have made many mistakes these last weeks, but my worst was thinking that I needed to turn into you. I will be true to my own tenets. I dont know how you rationalize your oppression with whatever perk or blessing from the ocean you claim to have, but I will not abandon the spirit of mine!

A ripple went out from us, reaching distant shores and catching the attention of any beings or creatures attuned to such things.

Jones scowled and flourished his arm. With an appearance like a sleight of hand trick, my heart was suddenly clutched in his fist. I wont release you, boy. Youre too far in to be a wild card in the ga now. His grasp tightened, and I felt it crushing my heart, my very being. You will BOW!

I will not! I shouted back. If I was standing Id have fallen, but the ocean supported in her embrace. I will not surrender my freedom to you anymore! I dont care if you scourge my very soul I will not surrender!

My heart burst into blue, liquid flas in Jones grasp. I gasped at the maddening sensations of tornt and and relief that I was feeling inside . Jones seed as shocked as I, and with a wave of his arm my heart disappeared, along with the crushing weight and flas.

His gaze upon now wasnt the sa angry look as before. Nor was he cold, as Id seen he could also be. Now he was imperious with a touch of warning?

Donic, you want to be careful about the powers you invoke. Choose your path with more wisdom.

I have been set upon my path, I said, readying myself for whatever conflict between us ca next. I will finish this now, even if it ans my death or doom.

Jones raised his arms, his empty hands readying to cast stronger magics than Id ever seen. I hadnt a hope of winning but I would be defiant in the end this ti. I would rather die than take on shackles again.

Before Jones destroyed , the water around us was disturbed. I couldnt sense any physical presence, but the fact sothing new had arrived was unmistakable. It was powerful. The kraken which had glanced my way when the ripple went out but continued its feast now curled each of its arms tightly and shrunk itself down, activating a camouflage ability to hide itself from sight and mask its signature from detection. Other monsters even remotely nearby similarly fled, but small, less sentient creatures turned towards it.

Jones straightened and lowered his arms, his signature scowl back in place. Its ti for you to go, Donic. He turned his back on and faced a point where my own eyes seed to both be drawn and averted. Mommy and daddy need to have a little discussion.

I moved forward. Im not leaving until this is finished

'Spirit of the Ocean hits you with an unknown spell!

When Jones had teleported , he had accessed his link to to draw upon my mana to complete half of the required matrix for the spell. The result was a simple portal that I passed through easily, if it was a bit disorienting.

This this was sothing else.

I felt like I was pulled into a vortex that spun into a tightly wrapped ball, then shot through the water. Id gone through the water with speed before, but nothing like this. The water stripped the flesh from my bones but even as it did, I was healed with powerful restorative magic. But then the water was stripping that flesh away too. The pain was unbearable, but I couldnt draw breath to scream. I wished to pass out, either from the tornt or lack of air, but the magic that restored my body fed my body whatever it needed to stay conscious.

When would this end? Oh, please let it end!

After the thousandth ti Id thought that and hoped it would finally be true, the spell did end. I flopped and spun through the water at a speed that didnt cut my body apart. I even ca to a stop.

My body felt like like it was uncomfortably new. I had all my hair, scars my outfit wasnt even out of place, but my body felt like Id been sent over the falls at the edge of the world only to have a legendary healer restore from the drop of blood that had remained.

I had prompts waiting for my perusal, but I was so out of it I spent several minutes in numb awareness of not being jettisoned

What shook from my stupor was a mast that sank slowly to my right. A tattered flag of Nilfheim was still attached to it. I looked up and I saw wreckage. I swam to the surface and I saw a battlefield. There were burning wrecks, frozen wrecks, splintered remains where wrecks had once been, and the battered survivors of ships that had avoided becoming wrecks themselves, by however narrow a margin.

I wasnt in the sa place Jones had summoned . I wasnt back with the Deaths Consort, either. The ocean had sent sowhere else.

Sowhere adrift in the flotsam of a battlefield.