text: [Themes: fantasy]
  
  You creep quietly among the outskirts of Captain Kano's villa. From your vantage point, you see several patrol units on the perimeter. From a few open windows, it doesn't look to be that heavily guarded on the inside. To the east of the villa you see his sloop, The Boar, docked with members of his crew playing dice and drinking outside. Lady Myrr leads the raid group. There were only ten of you total, way less numbers than you expected. When you brought it up she simply said, We will create more fear if Kano disappears during the night. The others will not sleep as easy.
  
  Lady Myrr whispers her commands, "We'll split into two groups. Darius' will strike near The Boar cutting off reinforcements and my group will sneak into the villa, find Kano, and end his life. Once you see the building burning, we'll meet back at the manor. Kill anyone who gets in your way."
  
  Everyone nods in agreement. Unsurprisingly, Myrr puts you in her group. You are a little disappointed when Caitlyn is put in the other, especially since Darius was in charge. At first you're afraid his hatred of you will cause problems for Caitlyn, but then you remember he hates her too. Myrr silently leads the way towards the villa. Staying in the high grass, you use the cover of night to sneak past the patrols undetected. One unlucky pirate chooses a spot near you to relieve himself. Lady Myrr takes advantage of his vulnerable position and greets him with knife to the throat.
  
  Your group reaches the villa with no other encounters. The inside is filled with mahogany furniture and oil paintings. You move stealthily through the hallways. Internally you comment on the decor, Captain Kano sure is a lavish man. Hmm, I would have assumed a pirate captain's villa to be, well, more rambunctious, you think. It's quiet. Too quiet... A whirling sound fills the air. Led by your acute senses, your blade automatically moves into a defensive position blocking the projectile that was aimed at your heart.
  
  "Ambush!" you yell.
  
  Several doors in the hallway swing open and men rush out with their scimitars and sabres raised high. You meet the first attacker, parrying his blade before countering with a deadly blow to the gut. The second doesn't even get a chance to swing before your lighting thrust drops him. The narrow corridor allows your group to fight a few at a time, but each kill is replaced with another fresh body.
  
  Fighting with her back to yours, Lady Myrr shouts, "Show yourself, coward! I know you're here!"
  
  "Halt your advance!" a voice cries amidst the fighting.
  
  The pirates halt their attack and stand aside for their captain. Kano, you presume, strides forward. His tall frame overshadows his men. His mouth twists into a crooked smile as he takes the pipe from his mouth to speak.
  
  "Well, well. What do we have here? A pirate queen out in the open? So unprotected. So exposed." Turning to you he adds, "Ah, the prince that I've heard so much about. You're a little more baby-faced than I was expecting. The tales of your swordsmanship made me think you were a seasoned man."
  
  "Prince?" Lady Myrr asks.
  
  Ignoring her and putting the facts together, you reply to Kano.
  
  "I take it you and Governor Lucius have been talking. You are fools if you think aligning with Rath is in your best interest. They'll turn on you in a second. You think Rath will just let you rule here without oversight? No, they'll use you for their own gain and toss you aside once they have what they need."
  
  "You're a prince?" Lady Myrr asks again. Captain Kano also ignores her.
  
  "Ha-ha-ha! How dumb do you think I am? Miranna will survive as it always has. Rath is only a means to an end. There isn't a nation that can rule Miranna. Miranna belongs to the free. If Rath decides to dishonor their agreement, they will meet the same end as every invading nation. Our ships will sink any attack force. Neither Rath nor Brelia has a navy that can defeat us. But that is none of your concern. I'm afraid your time is at an end. I would have preferred to ransom you to Orson, but Darius was very adamant about this part of the deal. He even refused a majority share in your would-be ransom. Can you believe that?"
  
  "Actually, I can. That guy hates me," you respond.
  
  "Darius would never—"
  
  Lady Myrr starts to speak before Darius enters with a bloodied Caitlyn bound and gagged. He pushes her to the ground in front of you. She looks up to you, eyes watering as if to apologize for getting captured.
  
  "I'm sorry, my Lady. I believed in you, I really did, but this prince has corrupted your mind and your ideals. I don't know why you took so much interest in him. It should have been me at your side and yet you cast me aside for what? For an irresponsible fling? I've known you long enough to see the way you look at him. Why couldn't it have been me? I've always done everything you've asked! Yet you treat me like one of your common slaves. I am more than that. We could have been more than that! Miranna deserves a strong ruler. I'm sorry it had to come to this," Darius confesses.
  
  "I'm sorry too," Lady Myrr speaks softly. Louder she adds, "Sorry that I trusted a miscreant like you! The deepest levels of Hell belong to fucking traitors like you. You're betraying me because I didn't fuck you? I doubt your small cock would even get close to satisfying me. You're despicable, you're a bitch, and I will fucking kill you for this. One by one, I'll remove your fingernails and then move to the fingers themselves next. I'll break every bone in your fucking body. Then I'll show you your reflection in the mirror before ripping out your eyes, so the last thing you'll see will be your fucked up, mutilated body."
  
  Visibly hurt by her words, Darius replies to you and Lady Myrr.
  
  "I will miss that passion once you're gone. This is all your fault, Prince. Everything was fine before you arrived, although I guess you didn't really have a choice in that matter. Captain Kano filled me in. Perhaps you both were meant for each other having the whole betrayed thing in common. Before I kill you, I want to make you suffer so I'll give you a choice. You can save one of your precious ladies here... you'll just need to kill the other. You have my word, I'll spare the one who you don't execute. You'll still die, of course, but at least you can save one of them. My final gift to you. So, Prince, who will it be?"
  
  > kill Caitlyn
  Lady Myrr gave you her trust. There is no way you were going to betray that. She's the one that rescued you. She's the one who you owed your new life to. Taking a deep breath, you know there's no going back after this. Even if you somehow managed not to get executed, you wouldn't be able to face Brelia after this.Without hesitation, you draw your sword back with both hands towards Caitlyn's kneeling body. The blade cuts through the base of her neck with ease. Her headless body falls limply to the floor. Try as you might, you can't avoid seeing Caitlyn's face as her head rolls to the floor. It's a look of sadness as if disappointed her prince would choose an outlaw over her. Your boots are stained with blood. Her blood. The blood of your nation.
  
  "An unexpected choice. Again your actions fuck me," Darius comments as he tosses a coin purse to Captain Kano.
  
  "Ha! Of course the Prince would side with the woman currently fucking him," Kano points out.
  
  "You got what you wanted. Now kill me and let Lady Myrr go," you say.
  
  "I suppose this is the end... for you," Darius speaks as he drives his dagger into the unsuspecting Kano.
  
  "Wha— (gurgle) the fuck!" Kano cries out through his blood in surprise.
  
  Lady Myrr briefly brings her hand to her mouth and whispers incoherent words into one of the rings on her finger. A piercing screech echoes within the hallway causing all it's inhabitants to drop their weapons in order to cover their ears. As quickly as it came, the screech subsided. Disoriented, but still reflexive, you grab your sword from the floor, sticking it through Darius' gut and slicing it wide open. You move on to the next target, while he doubles over in attempt to keep his organs inside. Frenzied by the madness of the situation, you lose yourself in a bloodlust cutting down man after man. The few cuts you receive in your reckless assault are disregarded. You only want more blood. You only want to end more lives. Lady Myrr and her remaining allies join the massacre. Only two members of Kano's crew manage to escape with their lives.
  
  "Let them go. They will tell the island of our victory. No one will dare challenge me after this," Lady Myrr says. "Thank you, Prince, for choosing me. You saved my life and that is a debt I mean to repay. You're free. I mean it. If you want to leave, go ahead. I won't stop you."
  
  "How can you just expect me leave after this? I chose you over my own country. I would have nothing without you," you say.
  
  "Then let's go celebrate your decision."
  
  She takes you by the hand, but you pull yours away. You answer her quizzical look as she orders the raid team to disperse.
  
  "I'm not a fucking fool, Myrr. I know what you planned here. You played Kano by planting Darius in his midst. Darius is a piece of shit, but I've been around him long enough to know he's not the traitorous type. You arranged this whole encounter. For what? Out of sheer jealousy and pettiness. When he stuck his dagger into Kano it all made sense. You gave him the fucking idea for the ultimatum because you wanted Caitlyn dead. You knew you couldn't execute her with me around, so you schemed up this entire thing. You know what the worse part is? I had no fucking choice. I'm enslaved to you, whether you own me or not."
  
  "My, my aren't you the clever one, Prince? It's time you forget your heritage. It's holding you back from reaching your full potential. I knew who you were the moment you arrived here. You don't belong in elegant castles wearing frilly clothing. You belong with me. The things you've told me about your past, though not the entire truth, made it clear that you aren't suited for the throne. That's Urijah's responsibility, is it not? You may have hidden the full story from me, but I know you. Your heart longs for the freedom of Miranna. Forget Brelia. You and I will rule this island together. Only Caitlyn's death would convince me of your undying loyalty. When you insisted she join the raid, I knew what had to be done."
  
  "You manipulating bitch," you curse grabbing Lady Myrr by the throat and throwing her to the ground. She rises to all fours to stand up to her feet. Your foot meets her gut, collapsing her back down to the ground. She rolls over, drawing her sword and lunges towards you. You easily parry her attacks. With ease, you block her advance, taking pleasure in her struggling, futile maneuvers. Lady Myrr thrusts forward into your trap. You slide back just out of range, taking her off balance in her attack. With too much weight in her front foot, you grab at her wrist holding the sword and twist it from her grasp. At the same time your foot finds the underneath of her knee, taking the weight out from under her. She lies at your feet. At your mercy.
  
  > kill her
  Your mind wanders inside the prison cell to the words you first heard about Lady Myrr. She's a devil. Her actions ruined your life. Her mad infatuation with you would only mean further manipulation. If she were willing to maneuver you to execute a childhood friend, there is no telling how far she would go to keep you under her spell. With an anguishing cry, you thrust your blade forward. It tears through her upper thigh and lodges deep within the wooden floor.
  
  "I... can't," you utter shaking with the realization. The sword drops from your hand.
  
  Lady Myrr rises from the floor, "I know. We are destined for one another. Our fates are now intertwined. Killing me would be as if killing yourself."
  
  She picks up your fallen sword and places the hilt within your hand. Her fingers traverse the flat of the blade, staining them red. Then she lightly touches your face marking it with streaks of her blood.
  
  "You and I will rule together."
  
  Her hand glides to your chest.
  
  "You will have everything you ever want."
  
  Her hand drops lower.
  
  "That which is not freely offered, you take by force."
  
  Her hand reaches the intended area causing a slight gasp to escape your lips.
  
  "Are you with me, King of Miranna?"
  
  Lost in madness and overtaken by the moment, you answer her with with a grunt, grabbing her forcefully and throwing her back to the floor. Only this time, you join her. Covered in blood, surrounded by the freshly slain bodies of Kano's crew, you consummate your commitment to Myrr.
  
  > Epilogue: The Mad Pirate King
  For years you prey upon ships in the Daen Sea. Word had spread throughout Kria of the 'Mad Pirate King' uninterested in treasure. Only blood. It didn't matter if the ship flew Rathan or Brelian colors. They all sank. Your piracy disrupted the flow of trade into Brelia. In order to prevent economic collapse, King Urijah surrendered Brelia to a new rising empire across the eastern sea. His surrender was conditional upon the destruction of Miranna. Their joint fleet littered the Daen with nimble schooners and heavily cannoned galleons. Only a small portion of captains remained loyal to you. The ones you didn't execute turned to privateering. Upon the deck of your brigantine, The Lady's Reaper, the armada sailed before you.
  
  "Captain! There are too many of them. Shall we turn course?" your first mate, Scully, shouts from the helm.
  
  "What good would that do?" you answer. "The entire Daen is filled with their ships. I will not run like a frightened child. I will end this on my own terms."
  
  "But Captain, it's suicide!"
  
  Suddenly, a pistol shot rings out over the deck. The bullet slams into Scully catapulting him backwards.
  
  "Anyone else have reservations about following orders? Good," Lady Myrr speaks while casually reloading her flintlock pistol.
  
  With the smell of gunpowder in the air, you address the crew.
  
  "For years you have served me faithfully. We have made both Rath and Brelia terrified of the seas. Terrified of you. I have given you wealth, freedom, and a life unrestricted by society's rules. I ask now that you join me one last time. My fate will not be the gallows. I'm glad they sent an armada. Hunting is easier when the prey gathers before you. Let loose the sails! Bring me more ships to sink!"
  
  The crew cheers and frantically run to their stations. The deck is organized chaos as crewman rush to ready their positions. A heavy wind lies at your back propelling the brigantine to top speed. You take the helm, Lady Myrr alongside you.
  
  "This is not how I imagined things would go when you were first brought to me," she speaks staring at the multitude of ships before you.
  
  You answer taking a swig of rum, "Urijah is a fool. He surrendered Brelia to an outside ruler. It's despicable. He would clasp the shackles at his own wrists. For what? To defeat one man? Only a weak man surrenders. The strong man fights until he is physically unable. The body is harder to break than the mind. My brother, The King of Slaves, will learn that the hard way."
  
  Myrr grabs the bottle from your hand and takes a long drink. Wiping her mouth she answers, "I only hope to take as many of these fucking cunts down. They will experience true pain with my blade at their throat. The last thing they'll see before I send them to Hell will be my smiling face and their blood on my sword. The skills you taught me years ago will take many lives this day. How naive I use to be. I only regret we didn't have more time to fuck and drink. The Brelians have robbed us of that and they will be punished for it."
  
  Cannon blasts echo across the sea. The front line of the armada fire their forward cannons as they move to engage The Lady's Reaper. All but one miss, knocking an unfortunate crewman overboard with the impact. One of the galleons flies a family crest you recognize: Kane. Spinning the wheel hard to the left, you direct the brigantine towards The Paragon. The ram at your ship's bow rips through the galleon's hull with a deadening crunch. Before your crew, or even Myrr react, you jump from the helm across to The Paragon.
  
  "Kane! You cock-sucking leech. Where are you?" you scream as your blade sweeps through the poor defense of sailors. Each kill increases your vigor as the blood frenzy continues. A pistol shot slams into your shoulder, only furthering your longing for blood. More enemy crewman gather around you. More lives for you to take.
  
  "I had heard tales of your madness and lust for blood, but seeing it with my own eyes is another thing."
  
  An older version of Garrick emerges from below deck. You recognize him instantly despite his finely trimmed goatee and grown out shoulder length hair.
  
  "It's a tale of misfortune. A former prince, swayed by pussy, turned his back on his people. You caused the downfall of Brelia. You are a disgrace. I was there the night of Caitlyn's death, did you know that? Your brother and I infiltrated Kano's crew in attempt to rescue you and escape back to Brelia. But you killed her. You fucking killed Caitlyn, you piece of shit. I don't understand how the royal family of Orson and Urijah could bear a decadent failure like yourself. Your life has been a whirlwind of chaos and it ends now," he boldly says.
  
  Suppressing fire shoots from the deck of The Lady's Reaper causing Garrick's crew to scramble for cover. Lady Myrr lands next you, throwing the rope back to your ship. She gives you a wink, tosses a bottle of rum your way, and ignites the fuse of a grenade. The shrapnel finds unlucky sailors in it's way. Through the smoke's cover, you rush towards Garrick. Your sword is a blur as you feint and attack from unconventional angles. You didn't forget the reputation of Garrick's dueling ability, which is why you used untraditional sword forms. His defense is a wall. Not even your expertly disguised feints throw him off. His parries send entire shocks through your arm. By honor, mercy, or perhaps a little of both he does not toy with you. His counter-attack is swift, deflecting your sword aside and taking advantage of the opening. Garrick's broadsword pierces through your chest, driving straight through the back. Dropping to your knees, you see the fallen body of Lady Myrr bleeding out on the deck. You don't even try crawling her way. Garrick stands above you, resolute, a tinge of sadness at his face. His sword arcs high in the air. You meet his eyes. Finally, you think. Peace.