The scent of smoke was not a new one for the pirate captain. His room often smelled of it because the cooking stove was below the hardened floorboards by his own heating stove, the pipes interconnected and coming out through the wall to let the exhaust free while together they helped keep his quarters warm and comfortable. It was usually followed by the scent of whatever Cook was making that day, because they were in harbor it usually was actually pretty good. She hunted in the mornings and caught them lynx, and deer, sometimes even dragonhawk, though the dark haired elf put a stop to that. Their ship sigil was still one of the magnificent beasts and he wasn't about to eat one, that was just bad luck.
Rolling over, the captain groaned, burying his face into the neck of his bedmate. The soft blond hairs that hung loosely around muscular shoulders tickled his cheek, and for a moment Arkhos could forget the scent of smoke and fire to smell the scent of sweat and musk that was his paladin. He had almost decided to wake the other up with a sweet morning smack to the rump and a mounting, when the scent made him twitch...usually the odor would change, it was never this acrid, never this off. It smelled of pine pitch and varnish and shellac, that was not a cooking fire.
"Keythan." The big elf said quickly, sitting up and looking around the barely lightened room. The sun wouldn't fully be up for another hour or so, but there was an odd glow coming from somewhere outside his window...somewhere very close to his Drakonbane. "Keythan!" he shouted as he leapt out of the bed, eyepatch grabbed and slid over his left ruined eye by sheer muscle memory as the spiky haired elf got dressed, grabbing up his sword. and pushing the window open. A slew of things that might be happening went through his mind, boarders? Sudden pirates attacking another ship? He hoped not, he hated killing other pirates. But no, as he looked out in confusion all he could see were flames...his ship was burning at the water line.
"Fire...SHIP FIRE!" He couldn't even make sentences, the fire had clenched his heart, had frozen his veins. Arkhos stared, leaning forward so far he almost fell from the window but a sudden powerful hand grabbing him had him turning and striking wildly.
"Hey! Woah! Captain!" Keythan soothed, worry-filled eyes reaching up to catch his arms. He was already dressed, hair pulled back tight in a pony tail, weapon latched to his side. "Arkhos...shh. Fire? Come on let's go put it out." he said quickly, knowing it was imperative the dark haired elf focus on the task at hand. "Let's go save Drakonbane."
Arkhos let out a short breath, managing to suck in another, forcing his lungs to work and his heart to beat again. "Right..you're right." quickly running through the things they needed to do the captain pulled on his boots. "Let's go do this." he said confidently, and then walked right into the door.
Stumbling back, Arkhos stared in confusion as he reached down and wiggled the handle. Then he slammed his shoulder into the door hard. "Keythan it's blocked." he snarled, slamming in again.
"I got this." Keythan said, motioning for the captain to step back, gripping his sword tight. From his hands golden light flowed, and with a snarl of determination the blond leapt forward, slamming into the door with the blade, slashing downward. The wood exploded from the impact of the concussive holy magic, sending bits flying down below onto the burning deck of the ship. The charred remnants of a large bolt lock lay at the blond's feet. "Someone locked us in, Captain." he said softly, dread building in his own chest.
"Who...who would do this?" Arkhos growled, but his focus was on his crew. He didn't see anyone on the tantalizing gangplank, which still rested unburned on the dock far below.
Screams below deck made him look away, the door to below was locked just like his own room had been. Grabbing up his rapier the spiky haired elf moved to get it open much like Keythan had. Only the paladin's warning had him duck in time as a massive great axe swung, nearly colliding with his head.
Turning the warrior saw his first mate, eyes blazing with insanity as he wrenched his ax from the wall, swinging to meet Keythan's sword, a grunt and snarl all the tauren made as he raised a hoof to kick the paladin back, sending the blond slamming into a pile of crates.
"Nat what are you doing?!" Arkhos cried, the betrayal burning as he dodged another attack, rapier coming up to strike at the other's arm, sliding away once more, shirt being torn from how close the sharpened great ax blade came to his chest.
"I will light a fire that the shadows can come into, a burning beacon of suffering for all the world to see!" The deranged tauren shouted, swinging again, barely parried by the warrior he was attacking. He had two feet and at least a hundred fifty pounds on Arkhos, he would take down his captain and complete his sacrifice.
"Natha, your wife is down there...she's...she's dieing we have to save her!" Arkhos pleaded, gritting his teeth as every muscle in his body fought to keep the parry going.
"Great sacrifice must be made, Captain...you will know soon enough that any price must be paid for the glory that shall come." The tauren crooned, before suddenly digging his hooves into the heating wood, slamming Arkhos back into the wall. "Good bye Captain, your soul will writhe in the torment and be free!"
Arkhos tried to raise the sword to block the ax that was swung, closing his good eye in expectation of feeling his rib cage crushed, when a whooshing down roared over his head, and the scent of charred meat assaulted his nostrils. Opening his eye again, blinking up at the tauren that had fallen harmlessly backwards into a pile of singed fur and charged flesh, he saw Keythan standing there, hand out stretched, a wild look of rage on his face.
"Key?" he asked numbly, voice so small that the paladin had no choice but to focus through the sudden panic that his lover had been about to be killed and rush to him.
"It's okay Ark...you're okay." Keythan promised softly, moving to help him stand. The deck was breaking apart, the screams were softer now. "Go to the dock Captain, let me get them." he encouraged, pushing the dark haired elf towards the gangplank, watching him with fear but Arkhos complied with his request, stumbling down and landing heavily on the wood below.
Racing to the door, blasting the lock open, Keythan raced downstairs into the blackened smoke that choked his lungs and blinded him, the inferno roaring around him as he sought desperately for survivors. There were no more screams now, the flames burned his ears and made him deaf, but he searched...he had to find something, someone had to survive this.
Arkhos sat up, still numb from shock but he stared at his ship..his beautiful Drakonbane, she glowed like a funeral pyre...a funeral pyre that included the one person he'd given his heart to. "Keythan." he whispered, before suddenly standing. "KEYTHAN!" he screamed into the blazing night, by now rescuers and others were joining him on the dock, and strong arms grabbed him before he was allowed to go forward back onto the raging inferno that was the top deck.
Water was starting to be pumped onto the ship, the fires being fought as well as they could but there was nothing they could do, the ship was burning freely with everyone he cared for inside. Arkhos dropped to his knees as all strength left him, staring blankly at the ground, unable to hear anything around him as his world fell apart. Vaguely he remembered being helped to his feet, and carried to a wagon. There was cold and wet around him, soft words spoken to him but he couldn't hear them. Gently he was covered by something coarse but warm, and a hand touched his face, soothing him to unconsciousness.
Great sacrifice Captain...everything comes with a price.
