text: Year 28
  
  When you joined three years ago, you figured it would be a couple months maybe. You didn't know how far away all these places you're raiding were going to be, let alone how long it would be before you returned home.
  
  The raids themselves aren't exactly fun for you either. You realize you're really not the bloodthirsty type who gets off on killing folks all the time. There's been a lot of times you've hung back just so you can avoid most of the direct combat.
  
  And that's starting to getting a bit noticeable mainly because enough of the crew has died that it can't afford to have any slackers. Fortunately Captain Rifiv hasn't called you out on it and it's just been a few of the crew bitching at you.
  
  This isn't even counting the rape and there's a lot of that you haven't been engaging in either. Though some of them seem content on buggering each other. (And no matter how long you've been at sea, you can honestly say there's nothing that would even make you THINK about sticking it to any of this loathsome lot you're with!)
  
  The only minor upside is you've been doing okay as far as loot is concerned. These idiots haven't been paying attention that you've been pilfering the odd coins or baubles from them so you actually have more than your share. However, you aren't exactly doing all that much better than you were as a regular thief though and worse, you're stuck at sea most of the time so you can't even enjoy it like you'd prefer.
  
  There's also the fact that you've learned your way around a ship a lot more, though you question if this knowledge would actually ever be useful since you're having serious doubts about ever setting foot on another ship ever again.
  
  Currently you're somewhere in the far southwest seas at some small port town called Gix. The Steadfast has been using the place as a rest stop in between raids mainly because it's the only civilized place in this area that is accepting of pirates and has been for as long as anyone can remember.
  
  This place isn't Hessla though and isn't a "criminal town." It's just run by normal people going about their simple normal lives. The locals are a bit live and let live for the most part. They don't particularly enjoy having violent drunken pirates visiting, but as long as the pirates aren't messing with them, they're fine with accommodating them.
  
  Sort of reminds you of how Teckleville used to turn a blind eye to you and your sister robbing travelling merchants.
  
  You miss those days and not even the robbing part. You find that you're missing home in general. Maybe not even home so much you miss the environment as strange as that might seem. Then again, you never had the wanderlust that your sister had. (You imagine other than the killing and rape, she'd find all this pirate stuff pretty exciting) Had things been different you probably would have never left Teckleville.
  
  Maybe you would have eventually settled down and become boring like everyone else in that town. At this point that doesn't seem all that bad. You guess you're just realizing that you're starting to get tired of this life.
  
  Since you're hanging out with the Steadfast crew most of the time, you always take the opportunity to stay away from the lot of them when in town. Instead of drinking at the "pirate bar" of the town, you drink at the quieter one that the locals seem to prefer.
  
  The first time you entered you got a lot of strange looks, but now nobody bats an eye. You're just minding your business after all. Still, occasionally the barmaid speaks to you and is fairly cordial. Seems to be in a more talkative mood today... 
  
  "Another successful voyage of raiding and pillaging?" Ola asks.
  "I suppose so. Got enough money to spend here." You answer.
  "Drinking does seem to be one of the more civilized favorite past times of you lot. Good thing of course since we'd have significantly less coin coming into the town. Sort of wondering though, how come you always come in here rather than going to the usual taverns?"
  "Because I have to spend practically all my time around those assholes, so the moment I actually don't have to is a blessing."
  "If you don't like the folks you sail with, why do it?"
  "Good question, and one I've been asking myself more and more each day before finally coming to the inevitable conclusion."
  "Which is?"
  "That this pirate life isn't for me. As soon as we get back to Hessla, I'm not setting foot on a ship again. (Sigh) Another year at sea though before we return... ugh... I just dunno if I can take it."
  "Well, why not just leave now?"
  "... hmmm... I suppose I could... I doubt if they'd come looking for me. Do you have any transport ships that go to Hessla?"
  
  Ola frowns a bit.
  
  "We don't have ANY big ships. In case you haven't realized, we're a small town not a bustling trading city we hear you lot talk about. If it weren't for pirates coming here, we probably would never have much contact with the rest of the world. I mean the best you could do is get yourself a rowboat and row to this Hessla place. How far is it?" Ola asks.
  "Too far. I doubt if I could even make it to Jicol in a rowboat. Oh well, guess I can tough out another year." You say.
  "Why not just stay here?"
  "Here? What would I do here?"
  "Um, well you know your way around a ship right? You could work as a fisherman."
  "Ugh, trying to get away from boats actually. Still, sitting in a rowboat and peacefully fishing sounds a lot more attractive right now than what I am doing."
  "What are some of your other skills... um, I mean those that don't involve killing and raping people."
  "First off, I've never raped anyone... " you start to say before Ola interrupts.
  "You haven't? Oh thank Kalhu!"
  
  You give Ola a bit of a strange look. Granted you two don't really know each other that well, but she seems way more talkative than she has in the past. If you didn't know any better you'd say she was flirting with you in some strange way.
  
  "Okay, first who is Kalhu?" you ask.
  "The god of this island of course. All the times you've been here, you've never heard of him before?" Ola says.
  "Don't really pay much attention to religion. You're not going to preach at me are you?"
  "No, why would I?'
  "Because you seem very interested in my future and we don't know each other very well, so I'm wondering what this is all about."
  
  Ola looks around and finally sits down next to you. A couple people look, but say nothing, you're a little taken back by all this though.
  
  "This town is a good place with good people. We like our relative isolation, especially after hearing some of the tales from your pirate shipmates and other pirates we've dealt with in the past. But um... isolation has its downsides. There sometimes is um... lack of potential mates. At least not related ones." Ola says.
  
  You start to tense up at where this might be going.
  
  "Now some women of this town have sex with the pirates that visit here and that's good as it provides new blood for the town, but it is sometimes hard on these mothers to raise these children without a father around. A good family should have a mother and father." Ola says.
  "So... what exactly are you asking me?"
  "I'm asking if you would consider... (breathes nervously) being my husband."
  
  You had a feeling, but you still weren't quite prepared. How could you be? It isn't like you get asked out of the blue to be someone's husband!
  
  Ola goes on to explain that she knows how this might seem strange to an outsider like you, but she says that she fears her arranged marriage to her cousin since he has many undesirable physical traits that would not make for a strong child.
  
  However, she also doesn't wish to submit herself to a one-night stand with some pirate (Apparently she's a bit on the moral side which is funny that she would come to you in the first place) and wants a husband to stick around to help raise your children. (Yes, she's already implied that she wants more than one.)
  
  So she's picked you as a "last ditch" effort to find a husband who is physically fit (and attractive as she has mentioned as a secondary concern) and is most assuredly not related to her in some way. She also has said in the few conversations you've had with her you seem okay personality wise and not being a rapist is a big plus to her. (Curse your parents for instilling some sort of values in you)
  
  For her part, Ola seems like a nice girl and isn't ugly. She's no Annah or Yvette, but you could certainly do worse.
  
  You're a bit overwhelmed by all this sudden information though and as much as you don't want to get back on the Steadfast again, that's only going to be a year. This is going to be well... presumably until you die because she's already made it quite clear that passage off this island is a rarity.
  
  You probably wouldn't see home again.
  
  But then again what did you really have going on there? You tried being a thief and that didn't work out like you planned. You tried this pirate thing and that hasn't worked out either. All you've gotten is headache from your life of crime and not much to show for it ultimately. Also you don't really have a home anymore anyway seeing as you got permanently kicked out of Teckleville.
  
  That thought about you finally giving all this up and becoming a normal boring person? Well that day might be today.
  > get back to the ship
  It's just too much to sacrifice. Maybe you'll settle down one day, maybe even after you get back to Hessla, but you can't see yourself doing it here stuck in some island at the ass end of the world to a girl you hardly know.
  
  "I'm sorry Ola, but I just can't do it. You're a nice girl, but this is too sudden and we don't know each other well enough." You say.
  "I understand. I was not hopeful of my odds anyway."
  "We could still, you know... do the other thing if you want."
  
  Ola shakes her head.
  
  "I'm sorry but I just wasn't raised that way. Things might be much easier if I hadn't. (Sigh) I will remain pure for my husband to be. My cousin deserves that much." Ola says and gets up to leave.
  
  Seeing as things are a bit awkward here now, you decide to leave altogether. You figure you'll just spend the remainder of your time on board the ship in the bunks. It'll be time to leave soon anyway.
  
  Sure enough in a few days you're on your way.
  
  Year 29
  
  Half of the year has already passed, but it can't end soon enough. You're barely getting along with most of the crew at this point and all this violence you've been participating in has made you less tolerant in general.
  
  You've already had a couple of fistfights with a few. While this hasn't done much to improve your popularity nobody is ever accusing you of being a pussy who doesn't pull his weight. Figures you'd start fitting in towards the end.
  
  Of course you have no intention of continuing being a pirate and are still fully dedicated to leaving this shitty experience behind. You still have no idea what you're going to do when you get back. Your experience with Ola months ago has made you rethink your ideas of possibly "settling down." You're starting to think maybe you might try your hand at being a mercenary or something similar. You have gotten very good at killing and it doesn't even bother you anymore after all. (It's just being around all these assholes on this cramped ship that bothers you)
  
  As you're looking off into the ocean pondering your potential new career when you get back, you start to hear something.
  
  Yes... kill.
  
  You look around and immediately shout at one of your nearest shipmates.
  
  "What did you say?" you demand.
  "Huh? I didn't say nuthin." He says and backs away a bit.
  
  You return to your thoughts and then hear something else.
  
  Kill them all... 
  
  The voice is very close, like it's almost coming inside your head. You rub your eyes and then you notice a medium splash in the waters. When you look harder you see a head briefly pop up. Looks female.
  
  You need to kill them all and return them to the sea... to be with us... forever
  
  Now your mind feels like a thousand needles are being shoved in it as these voices assault it. You crumple to the deck and you're so busy clutching your head in pain and trying to fight whatever is attacking you, that you don't even notice that other crew members are starting to suffer similar affects.
  
  Some of the crew immediately jump overboard, others are wailing in pain and barely moving. Captain Rifiv at this point has come out of his cabin and begun yelling at everyone to shove wax in their ears.
  
  It's a little too late for you however. The mermaids already have taken advantage of your less than stable mood and are now directing you to do something you've thought about doing many times anyway. Namely killing the assholes you're sailing with.
  
  You waste no time in obeying the siren's call of murdering your shipmates, most of which don't put up too much of a fight due to their own mind assaults.
  
  You do fairly well cutting down most of the crew, but even with mermaid help, you still are only one man and eventually Captain Rifiv puts you down with shot to your back which is then followed up by several cutlass chops to the neck and head by some of the less helpless crew.