The clear, ringing sound of eight bells echoed out across the cool air hovering above the Turquoise Waves as midnight brought the moons to their highest point in the sky that evening. Putting out his pipe prematurely at the sound, a scruffy half-orc midshipman straightened from his leaning position against a mast, pulled his jacket tighter across his chest, and made for the top of the stairs to fetch his relief. “Bahriin!” You’re on watch!” he hollered down below deck.
Startled and exhausted, Ka’l rose from her hammock, staggering for the first few paces as she woke up and regained her balance. Scratching the sleep from her eyes as she searched about for her sandals, the fifteen-year-old groggily made for the main deck to take second watch for the third night in a row. The slight chill in the air was a welcomed aid to staying awake as she was passed the lantern, its warmth too kind to do anything more than make her want to fall back asleep.
As a way to keep her mind occupied, she unfolded her green fleece over her lap, rubbing one of the corners of it between her forefinger and thumb as she practiced the newest piece of magic she had recently realized she could cast: whispering the incantations, she swallowed back tears as she produced a minor illusion of Jida's smiling face, jolly with its deep-set wrinkles, just the way she remembered it. She practiced in this way for an hour or more, looking up every few minutes at first to scan the waters from up in her crow's nest; however, she eventually became so focused in her practices that she didn't notice the air grow thick with fog…or the ship that silently floated ever closer to the Golden Afternoon.
Ka'l felt her concentration disturbed as the sound of three bells brought her mind back to the task at hand: keeping an eye on the waters. With the jarring realization that the mist had swept in upon them, she fumbled for her telescope and felt her heart beating in her temples as she scanned the horizon, cursing under her breath at her accidental negligence.
There are times one genuinely hopes or prays for the best in a stressful situation, and then there are times when one already knows that the worst is about to come, no matter how much supplication they offer up to otherworldly entities: the latter is exactly what Ka’l was experiencing at that moment as her brass eyeglass fell upon the tattered sails that bore the face of a crudely-painted canine amid azure waves. Her heart jumped up into her suddenly dry throat as she realized what was about to take place, knowing there was nothing she could do now to stop it - she leapt from the crow’s nest, partly riding down the soggy wooden pole before latching onto a rope to swing the rest of the way to the deck as she yelled at the top of her lungs, “PIRATES! PIRATES OFF THE STARBOARD SIDE! BEAT TO QUARTERS!”
Tripping over her own feet as she ran, head racing, Ka’l desperately rang the deck’s bell, summoning all hands to the main deck. As a few sailors surfaced from below, she watched as the ship sailed ever closer into range, ignoring any effort to provide a suitable berth for safe passage around them. Standing at the helm, with one boot casually perched against the rail as he leaned out over the front of the boat, a calico-furred tabaxi eyed the merchant vessel with visible hunger. Ka’l watched with dread as he raised a curved blade in the air - holding in there for a moment or two - before lowering it in her ship’s direction as he shouted, “Lock it down!”
Stunned by what she was witnessing, Ka’l stood there, immovable, as the light from three fireballs glistened as distance tangerine reflections in her eyes before something rock-solid blindsided her, sending her slim frame skittering along the deck. Disoriented and alarmed, she rolled over to meet Mica’s gaze, his grey-brown skin tough as gravel matched his commanding tone as he motioned and yelled for her to stay down. He had not yet finished his last word before - boom! boom! boom! - the blazing balls of fire crashed into the sides of the ship, scorching a hole right through the hold and incinerating one of the masts’ sails.
Debris rained down from above, some of it still burning hot with flames, as Ka’l covered her head in fear, still prone from Mica’s heroic tackle. As she lifted her head to assess the damage, her eyes took in the all too efficient havoc that was being wrought upon the Golden Afternoon: mages of substantial abilities flew in from the pirate ship as though they had wings; others appeared out of thin air upon the deck, carrying others with them though a dimension-like door; the remaining swashbucklers swung from long tethered ropes from one ship to the other, effortlessly boarding the now smoldering vessel as her ill-equipped sailors tried in vain to defend themselves.
Lost in a moment of despair, Ka’l did not notice until she reached her hand out to grab Mica’s that the young genasi boy was not moving. “M--Mica?” Ka’l stuttered, convinced that her eyes had deceived her. “Mica, c’mon, we need to get out of here...please, grab my hand…” She tried to pull in out from under the splintered piece of mast that had fallen in the initial chaos, but she was unable to pull him from beneath. Wiping the soot from her face, she crouched low, covering him from the torso up with the green fleece, its warmth no longer needed as the ship sweated with high-burning flames.
Ka’l darted between one-on-one battles that were taking place, calling as she ran, “Darja! Darja! Where are you?!” Escaping below deck, she found him, wet with fearful perspiration and muttering pointless positivities to himself as he rocked back and forth in his velvet-upholstered chair. “They’re taking the ship! Why aren’t you up there with us?” Ka’l rebuked, her voice catching a bit in escalating anguish. “We need you right now! Get upstairs!” Her skin hot with anger, Ka’l felt a foreign sensation rising up within her as a darkness - not yet unearthed - welled inside her, ready to explode like a geyser. She felt the daggers her eyes threw at Darja as he quickly stood to his feet, seemingly more shaken by her sudden change of aura than by the situation at hand. It was strange, but Ka’l sensed as though she had a literal shroud of darkness surrounding her at that moment, unsure of what would happen if she didn’t pull herself together.
“I--I--I understand, I’ll make my way up to see if I can reason with their captain,” Darja stammered, knocking over several items on his desk as his hands fumbled about, seeking guidance for a path while his eyes remained locked on Ka’l, “perhaps we can come to some sort of a parlay...I’ll be off now,” he trailed off, backing away towards the ladder in an effort to keep a visual on the young Ghaanian.
Taking but a moment to steady herself, Ka’l scaled the ladder shortly after. Noticing that the brief battle aboard the deck had come to a stand-still, she scanned the crowd of pirates and sailors until she locked eyes on that which she sought: the calico-furred pirate. He dressed neatly yet informally, but there was no mistaking him for anything other than the ship’s captain - he had a certain air to him, a swagger in his step, a cool and calm tone in his voice. “Greetings, all: I know the hour is late, so I won’t keep you long - my name is K’Sirr, captain of the Sea Wolf. I’m sure we all want to head back to our warm beds or, I don’t know, put out some fires perhaps; but before we move on to more exciting things, I must have a word with your captain…” He gave a pause, his green eyes scanning the audience for anyone who might step forward, before adding, “Come, come now, don’t be shy, we truly don’t want anyone to get hurt - we simply need to arrange for some goods to be exchanged.”
Ka’l could tell that her breathing had leveled out, and for that she was thankful. She stayed ducked behind a small panel, peering out to get a view on the crew: to the best of her knowledge, everyone was there and alive, save for Mica and Darja. Sliding around to the opposite side, she craned her neck as far as she dared to check for any stow-aways near the deck closet - sure enough, too plump to wedge himself inside and be able to close the door, Darja stood, trembling, hunched awkwardly in the small cubby space. Her ears steaming with rage, Ka’l could have sworn she heard a low, silky voice in her head saying, “Why should he get to hide from fate?” Without more than a second thought, Ka’l felt her hands waving and arching in sharp staccato motions as she conjured up a translucent arcane hand, oddly shaped like a tiger’s claw. Raising her right hand to her face, she thrust her fist into the open area in front of her and swatted at the air, watching her mage hand do the same as it opened the door, causing Darja to spill out onto the ground with a loud thud.
K’Sirr’s feline eyes dilated as his head turned in a flash to zero in on Darja’s stout form, now floundering to right himself amid the buckets and mops that tumbled out with him. His eyes locked onto a set of leather boots as he slowly turned his gaze upwards at the tabaxi man towering over him. “Am I to presume that you are the captain of this fine vessel?” purred K’Sirr, his words thick with sarcasm. Darja’s jaw hung open as he stammered, looking as though he could wet himself at any moment: this gave Ka’l a satisfaction she had not realized she craved.
Then it happened - whether it was an attempt at flight or a foolish desire to fight, Darja pulled from his vest a small dagger and lunged for the pirate’s chest; K’Sirr, however, was quick to react and his kukri streaked out just in time, causing Darja to inadvertently spear himself on it as he tried to rush the calico tabaxi man. A little surprised himself, K’Sirr held him there for a moment before withdrawing his sword. “What a shame,” he commented softly, sounding genuinely disappointed as he wiped his blade off on a handkerchief he produced from one of his pockets, “I was really hoping to avoid anyone getting seriously hurt tonight…”
Ka’l hardly had time to react as the pirate captain’s eyes shot in her direction, meeting hers and causing her to jump. She tried unsuccessfully to dock behind some crates, knowing full well that she had been spotted. Still, she heard the captain call out to his men, “Take only what we need, leave the rest and tend to the wounded…” he trailed off for a moment before continuing at a louder volume, “so sorry about the mess, all - we’ll be out of your hair as quickly as possible.” Ka’l held her breath as she heard the steady-paced foot falls of the tabaxi’s boots. Bracing for the worst, she pulled her knees up close to her chest and waited for the inevitable. There was a second of stillness before K’Sirr’s gentle voice met her ears: “Come on now, you’re tougher than this,” were his first words to her. She looked up to finally meet his gaze - his eyes were kindly but wild, a creature seeking only excitement and adventure. He extended his hand out towards hers as he continued, “I saw you earlier, before this all began - you would have stared down three fireballs if it hadn’t been for that lad who pushed you out of the way.” He let a stifled chuckle slip at the memory, but Ka’l felt her anger flare with a monstrous passion.
“You killed him...you said you didn’t want to hurt anyone, but you killed him, he’s dead...he tried to save me, and now he’s dead....” Ka’l bit back tears as the words spilled from her mouth - she was without fear in this moment, unconcerned of her own safety and mindful only of the injustice dealt to her closest friend aboard the ship.
K’Sirr’s facial features shifted once more to that of great concern. Ka’l heard him call over his shoulder in the direction of one of his men as they hauled a large sack from the hold: “I need you to send for Sasha at once, GO.” He got down on one knee as he spoke two words very softly - “Show me.”
Ka’l got to her feet and led him to the fallen mast. She pulled back the fleece blanket to reveal the young boy, still pinned beneath the weight of the wooden pole. A half-elf woman with upwards of ten small hoop earrings in each ear came rushing over to K’Sirr’s side then dropped to her knees once she laid eyes on the boy. Her hands moved swiftly and deftly; Ka’l watched on in amazement as the woman pressed her fingers to his neck and announced, “He’s still alive, but he’s barely breathing - I’ll do my best.” Clutching a serpentine amulet that dangled loosely from around her neck, the half-elf pirate whispered a prayer as a wave of positive energy washed over Mica, and Ka’l sighed in relief when she heard him take a large gasp of air.
Finally able to move, Mica weakly leaned out toward Ka’l as she fell into his arms for a tight embrace. Ka’l hardly heard the woman as she got to her feet to make for the pirate ship. She turned to express her gratitude but saw only K’Sirr standing there with his arms crossed in front of himself, happy to see that the boy had pulled through. Low but still meaningful, Ka’l produced a quick “thanks” and extended her hand for a shake. The tabaxi pirate obliged her and placed his other hand over hers as they shook.
Bending his head to meet Ka’l’s averted gaze, he asked, “What are you doing here with these sailors? I sense you want something more from the sea, and I can teach you how to get it - what say you? Fancy an extended tour aboard the Sea Wolf? You’ll see places you never knew existed and become rich beyond your wildest dreams...we need only find the treasures this world has hidden for us to seek after.” He waited for a reply, but no words came from Ka’l as she stood there, staring off into nothingness as white smoke from extinguished flames mingled with the fog. “Well, can’t say I didn’t offer...it was nice to meet you…” His voice trailed off, anticipating a name to be given. No answer came. “Okay, I’ll leave you to it then,” he finished and turned to leave, walking back towards the gang planks that had been dropped to bridge the two ships.
Ka’l stood there, her mind clouded with indecision. Rich beyond your wildest dreams...what if? What if she could lay up enough gold to return home, move Jido, Jida, and Mama to Felgra to be closer to Papa’s fleet, help purchase a beautiful house? But how could she justify becoming one of the very things that Papa and his men fight so hard to combat?
K’Sirr boarded his vessel, assuming his position near the wheel as the rest of his crew made preparations to set sail again while the few remaining stragglers finished dragging their plunder up into their ship. He pulled a cold sum of sea breeze into his lungs, satisfied with his crew’s haul, when he felt a tap on his shoulder: turning his head, his eyes fell on Ka’l, her two different-colored eyes welling with tears. “It’s Ka’l...my name is Ka’l…” she blurted out as she choked back her emotions, still unsure of her decision.
“Ka’l...is that short for Ka’lya?” he asked, unable to hide a grin. She glanced down and to the side with a frustrated nod. “Alright,” K’Sirr resumed, “well, I’ll call you Ka’l since that’s what you seem to prefer - now what do you say we go find some treasure?”
Thanks again for any and all who take the time to read - as the backstory of Ka’l Bahriin progresses towards a natural cliffhanger, I’ll be gearing up to introduce another PC next, so stay tuned. If you’d like to be added to the taglist for these installments, let me know.
