"Give it up, pirate!"
Even with his boot on my neck I could smell this guy's breath. I guess the navy doesn't promote dental hygiene. But then, I couldn't tell you when I last brushed my own teeth. Yesterday? Last week?
"...ghh..." I managed to reply weakly.
"I can't hear you, worm!" He growled.
"...time out..?" I managed to gasp.
He wasn't expecting that and his foot relaxed for the barest moment. But it was moment enough for me to wiggle out from underneath.
"Time out!" I said, louder, but this time he answered with his right fist, rattling my skull and making me see stars. His left snatched for the amulet around my neck and he tried to wrench it free. The chain gave in the same moment I surged forward, headbutting him below the jaw.
The airship chose this exact moment to lurch starboard in the turbulent air and we sprawled in a tangle of flying fists, finally coming to a stop against the taffrail. A glint of silver caught my eye as I triumphantly pinned the other Viera below me and we both watched as the amulet skidded happily between the ornate railings, past our hands, and out into oblivion.
"...Fuck." I let go of the man and flopped down in a sitting position beside him, my back to the rail. We were both panting heavily. They don't really show it in plays but fighting, real fighting, for more than a few minutes at least, really takes it out of you.
"Well there goes a moon and a half! All my evidence, just gone." The Yellowjacket sighed and hunkered forward, looking sidewards at me from beneath his blue eyebrows. "Just how in the Hells did a moron like you get your mitts on the Eye of Omphalos anyroads?"
"It has a name?" I blinked, for once genuinely surprised.
"A name, and a purpose. And an owner. An anonymous tip says you and your band of cut-throats lifted it from a private barge in the Sea of Jade."
"That'd be a stretch," I answered, Rising to my feet and also stretching, "Since my father gave it to me ten years ago. And also since the skies over the Jade Seas are worse than the Devil's Shroud."
The Yellowjacket mulled the words over and scowled, seeing the truth in them. "So I've been had. And the damned trinket's swimming somewhere in the Rhotano by now." He concluded, scowling again at me. He was a really good scowler. Probably practiced in front of a mirror.
"Sorry to waste your time, officer."
He grunted and got to his feet. "This ain't over, you know. We'll pin you and your lot for something, yet."
"Will you cuff me personally, my dear wasp?" I purred.
His fists balled again and I braced for another punch. But then his hands relaxed, clearly deciding I wasn't worth the split knuckles.
"Let me put it this way;" he answered, putting his face close to mine. I winced at his breath. "There won't be enough of you to cuff!" He turned and strode towards the Flying Fish; my cloudmallow dinghy, and let it carry him off, back towards land. I fanned away the last air of his stale breath.
"Fun guy."
"Who, me?" Came an affable voice from behind me. "I was just thinking we should do something fun. Unless it's 'fungi'. I didn't know you were into mushrooms."
I started and wheeled towards the familiar voice. This one belonged to Merely, or whomever he was claiming to be today. Seeing his face split in a wide yawn made me tense up anew. I could never tell what he was thinking, but he was whatever passed for a friend on this tub.
"Ah, you're awake." I forced a friendly smile. "You slept through a hells of a fight. I won, of course."
Merely shook his head. "You woke me up!" he countered.
"Sorry, I'll fight a little quieter next time."
"No I-- I'm about to tell him, alright?" He snapped at nobody and huffed. As if remembering he was still talking to me, he glared in my direction and thrust his hand out, silver necklace hanging taut with the weight of the star-shaped ruby it supported. "Addi, you threw your dad's necklace through the porthole at me!"
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