Algernon Black

(Chapter 98) Petty Old Pirate

Loy opened the creaking door to a dark room just barley illuminated with a tapering light. Selice wondered if her depth perception was off because she thought there was nothing behind these buildings but water. When she crossed the threshold inside, the floor started to sway ever so slightly with the waves of the ocean.

"Are we really back on a boat?" Beal dreaded, stepping inside to sense the familiar rocking sensation.

"Shhh," Loy quieted him, peering around. Scarce light showed from the back where a curtain hung and from behind came faint clinking noises, like a machine toiling. Loy's eyes adjusted to the darkness to see the figure of a man stationed in front of the machine.  Selice looked around to see the cabin had all the furnishings of a very oddly stocked shop with various random items, like the full-size taxidermy of foxes and squirrels that held large shining stones in their jaws.

Loy gestured for them to stay hidden behind a counter to their left, and to remain quiet with a single finger over his pursed lips. Behind the stand was an open apothecary shelf floor to ceiling length. The small slots possessed unusual glowing marbles held in place by a top and bottom mechanism. Selice examined one near to her. The top part released upwards freeing the marble and clamped back down to keep it in place once she let it go. Beal and Cal kept beside her, while Loy steadied his way to the back of the room as quietly and stealthily as possible. He used the collection of randomized junk to his advantage, ducking behind ottomans, and glass cases of stuffed animals.

"What's Loy doin?" Beal whispered.

"Why don't you watch and see," Another man answered. Selice jerked in the direction of the voice, the first to register it, while Cal and Beal noticed a beat behind her. Their faces washed pale white in quiet shock, while Selice's eyes shot wide open in recognition.

The man quietly chucked at their reactions and gave them a reassuring smile on a face Selice knew but a smile one was almost never present on. The man noticed the realization in the girl's face and his smile widened as he put the same finger over his lips as Loy had done.

He nodded in the prince's directions as they watched Loy reach the curtains separating the back room, grinning to himself as the back of the man had yet to turn around. Loy unhooked his artifact, calling the ball and chain to hand silently, before whipping back the curtain. He swung the ball at the figure of the man, and it collided with its metal face which clamped down like a bear trap on Loy's weapon and yanked him to the ceiling.

The man next to Selice started to bellow in laughter.

"You're still a thousand years too early to challenge me, little prince," Marve pronounced, strolling to Loy strung up to the roof by ropes.

"Petty old pirate." Loy threw back with a smile. He grabbed onto the ropes, intending to use destruction magic to free himself but it stung him instead.

"Nice invention," Loy noted, studying the small stone beads braided into the stitching and prevented him from using magic.

"It sure did take me a while," Marve said, pulling a lever near the machine, and abruptly releasing Loy.

Anyone else would have landed on their backs, but Loy landed perfectly on his feet from the abrupt ten-foot drop to the ground. He rubbed at a rope burn on his arm and saw Selice's wide gaping eyes trained on the man.

"Selice, this is Marve." Loy introduced. "Devane's twin."

"Through no fault of my own," Marve added with a smile, which was such a foreign thing to see on the face of Devane.

"Devane has a twin?" Selice asked. She had known Devane almost her entire life and had never heard that he had family, let alone a twin brother.

"Yeah, he doesn't like talking about me much." Marve uncaringly revealed, "Might have to do with the fact that I choose the life of an honest moraless pirate and he chooses the life of a dishonest moraless politician."

"You're a pirate?" Beal exclaimed.

"A wannabe pirate," Loy was quick to correct, "To actually be considered one, you need to sail the seas, not dock in it for a decade."

"I retired," Marve said, flipping his opulent jewel encrusted leather hat at them. "But I'm guessing you're here to change that."

Loy smiled. "Retirement is boring anyway. But you know what's not?"

Marve stood with his hands on his hips glaring down at the prince. "Getting involved with you and the endless life or death situations that ensue?"

"Exactly." Loy smiled his lopsided grin.

Marve laughed again. "I see my brother was never able to teach you manners after all. You're supposed to ask permission before boarding a man's ship."

"If I still remember correctly this is a ship belonging to my country that you commandeered."

"It's on loan," Marve said. "Indefinitely."

Selice looked around wondering if anyone would want it back after the mess that overtook it.

"Well, you've got to pay interest on a loan," Loy said.

"And have you come to collect?" Marve asked as a dare for the prince to try, to which Loy only grinned.

Marve took in the prince in another long pause. "When did you get so tall, Loy?"

"Maybe you're shrinking," Loy said though the man possessed the same substantially tall stature as his brother. "I heard that happens when you stagnant," He added, starting to climb the stairs near the entrance to the second floor with the many unoccupied cabins.

"And where are you going?" Marve called out.

"To make myself at home," Loy replied, "Since we'll be staying here for a while."

"Who said you're staying here!" Marve yelled to Loy's back, which he ignored.

"Thank you for hosting us," Cal said with his hands straight by his side in a perfect respectful bow.

"Yes, thank you," Beal added, repeating the bow.

"Geez," Marve uttered, rubbing the back of his head, but conceding. "Just don't mess anything up." Selice looked at the complete disarray of junk in a dusty room that probably hadn't been properly cleaned or organized in over a decade, and then she looked back to the man with Devane's face. Their strikingly similarity in features blindsided her but it was the drastic difference of their disposition that floored her almost beyond comprehension.