The last few months had been trying indeed. Hunter Killers were often employed to track down individuals, since tracking is among the skills they had mastered. But never before had Kiera been tasked with tracking down someone at sea, let alone a pirate captain. A wealthy nobleman had send word for a meeting with Kiera, and seeing as those are usually the most profitable contracts, Kiera accepted. Turns out that a few weeks prior to the meeting, the nobleman's son was en route back to Cane's  Anchor commanding a large galleon transporting spices and whatnot. This had made the ship a prime target for pirates, and as bad luck would have it, the ship was indeed raided. Piracy was a risk the nobleman was all too familiar with, he had run the business for many, many years and was considered the largest importer of spices along the Maiden Coast. While troublesome, it was something every trader eventually had to learn to live with. But in an act of youthful bravery, the nobleman's son had decided to fight back. Lacking any real combat experience, the young man was cut down along with the rest of the crew. He had been the only son, and therefore successor to the nobleman's heritage. Too old to father another child, the nobleman was stricken with grief. It wasnt just a son he had lost, but it heralded the end of a chapter in history. With no son to take over the business, the company would fall apart.<br/><br/>Mad Matty, is what they called the pirate she was too find. The pirate was a known pest in the southern parts, employing brutal blitzkrieg assaults on unsuspecting merchants and transports. Kiera advised the nobleman to seek out the help of the navy, as she had no experience tracking on sea, but the old man was adamant. He needed a Hunter Killer for the job, because that was exactly what he saw Mad Matty as, a monster. Kiera protested, she was no sailor, and the search could take forever. The old man was as stubborn as they went, saying he'd cover for anything. With no heir to the throne, he was willing to spend it all to bring justice to the butcher of his son. Kiera reluctantly accepted, under one condition. Half a year, that was the time she would allot herself in this search. If by then she hadn't produced any meaningful results, she would move on. The nobleman agreed.<br/><br/>The nobleman spared no expenses in aiding the Hunter Killer, providing her with a decommissioned frigate to use in the hunt. And thus began a hunt spanning a good four months. Kiera took the time to visit past raids, visiting known anchor points and talking to survivors. It was a slow and arduous task, but Kiera could feel how they were slowly catching up to the prey. The third month was the month they finally made first contact. They had tracked Mad Matty down to Horse's Bay, where they planned to assault the pirate. Kiera had discovered that Mad Matty operated from a corvette, a relatively small war-vessel, perfect for piracy. The battle was short, but heated and made it all the clearer that Kiera had underestimated the pirate captain. The corvette may not have had the armament of the frigate, but it had speed and agility. It kept to their blind spots and peppered the armored ship until it lay crippled. Since there was no treasure to be had from raiding a warship, Mad Matty left them adrift and fled over the horizon. Direct combat was a no-go, they needed something else.<br/><br/>In her hunt Kiera had a general estimation of where Mad Matty operated in. The area was known for its open seas and winding rivers that broke up the many islands. While the many rivers offered captains plenty of shortcuts, most avoided them as they were hard to navigate. But Mad Matty knew how to navigate them. So Kiera came up with a new plan. If they could not get to Matty, let Matty come to them. With the help of the nobleman, she bought a simple fluyt, an economical ship, large cargo space, few crew to operate it. Prime target for any pirate. The plan was to lure Mad Matty into Devil's Tongue, an especially infamous river known for its jagged rock formations. No pirate would ever risk going in there, unless they were forced, or knew how to navigate it. Kiera knew that Matty could navigate the dangerous river and wouldnt hesitate to chase the much slower fluyt. What Matty didnt know, was that the fluyt was carrying a different kind of cargo. Instead of being greeted by a cargo hold full of spices and herbs, she instead came face to face with a crew of armed soldiers and a Hunter Killer. Kiera had caught the pirate out of her element. It was a short fight, as Matty proved no match for the Hunter Killer. Seeing their captain fall made the rest of the pirate's crew quickly surrender.<br/><br/>Which brings us to today, aboard the Queen of Mythril...<br/><br/>Unlike most, Kiera had resided herself in her quarters. The captain had offered her a better suite, but Kiera had insisted she got the room closest to the brig. Matty may be behind bars, but the pirate had proven crafty in the past and Kiera wanted to keep an eye on her. Entering the room, one would find Kiera sitting on the floor, legs crossed , arms loosely hanging across her lap and her eyes closed. Just a few more days and she could close this chapter. The seas werent her thing, ships made her feel confined.<br/><br/>Her eyes snapped back open as a sudden screech pierced her calm thoughts. Her Mortiferium was glowing a bright blue, indicating a strong magical presence, far more than normal, even with the ship's sea witch around. Had Matty finally played her card? Not wanting to wait, Kiera jumped up and rushed out the door. The brig was only a few paces away. Storming in, she gave the guards a scare as they looked over, but it wasnt them Kiera was interested in. Her brilliant green eyes focused on Matty. She knew the pirate had no magical inclination, but that didn't mean she didnt have friends who perhaps did...<br/><br/>"You. Speak..." She directed towards Matty, ignoring the baffled guard. "That sound just now... your doing?" She asked, not even gracing the tiefling with a glance. By now the Mortiferium was practically shining. Whatever was happening, it was going to be big.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>