Bustling Docks

Hot, stinging sunlight and the smell of the sea greeted the immense figure lying on her back in some small wooden container. Sheva Visari awoke with a headache, and a realization that she was out of her armor. It took no more than a minute for her to realize the immense, life altering event that had come over her.

“You are awake, Captain.” It was a raspy, female voice, greying hair and a scar upon the face. Sheva peered up at an older woman, but incredibly fit, in a tank top and military pants. On her arm was a tattoo of an Iron Mask. All within this wooden cage had it. Dietrich Roth, Veteran Sergeant, and mentor and surrogate mother figure to Sheva.

“We... I... we survived...” Sheva said, murmuring, as another woman came over to give her a wooden cup of water. Sheva sat up and drank deeply her throat incredibly parched.

“Indeed we did, captain. Better to live to fight again, I would say.” A younger woman took the cup back, drinking the remaining water. She was young girl, just entered adulthood, a much leaner body but still quite tall. Kharlene, a blonde half-zaunite, the newest addition to the unit, nodded at Sheva. She too, was out of her suit of armor, and missing her signature firearm.

“I... honestly thought we were going to die fighting.” Sheva wiped the exhaustion from her eyes, looking down to see her body covered in bandages. She looked around, and saw the third soldier, the one with dark raven hair and the perpetual silence surrounding her. Erika Jurgen, the... specialist of the group. The expressionless Erika turned and nodded to Sheva, then began making gestures with her hand.

“Escaped with pirates. Cut a deal. You must survive. Captain.” Sheva took a few moments to decipher the mute swordswoman’s gestures, and looked up, with an understanding that came from long experience.

“...The deal did not go well?” Sheva asked. They were in a hold, on a large boat, as prisoners. Above, footsteps and haggling indicated that indeed, they were now to be sold off as slaves in Bilgewater. It was such an Ironic fate, for a group of hardened Noxian warriors.

“It was, until they decided they wanted to... inspect the goods.” the dry witted retort came from the Veteran sergeant, who grinned as she said so. No mere pirate would dare to lay a bare hand on any of them.

“Our gear?” Sheva asked briefly, noting their lack of arms or armament. She studied their confinement, and though indeed they could break out, they were unarmed- foolish to face pirates with their flintlocks and cannons.

“Being auctioned separately. I say we join the bidding for it.” Kharlene said, picking up on her mentor’s sense of humor. Kharlene sat beside their captain. Sheva was never truly strict, and now that they were very likely listed as Killed in Action, rank was now irrelevant.

"You have. plan of escape. Captain?" Erika asked with her gestures, Sheva taking a moment to make a response.

"No... not yet." Sheva simply sat there and waited. Their fate was out of their hands for now.


“Step right up! Step right up one and all! Fine stock and fresh meat for you today! A limited offer, only today! Four! I say four mighty warriors from Noxus! And not just any warriors, but warrior women, from the esteemed Iron Maidens! Come now and make your best offer! Great discounts for buying the whole set!” The auction crier repeated his message upon the deck of his ship at the docks of Bilgewater.

Sheva and her three companions were all on their feet and alert when a commotion rang out above, the auctioneer’s platform suddenly giving way... which arguably, did not cause panic. The deckhands and dozen or so armed pirates simply laughed as the auctioneer fell on his bottom, wig fallen off.

The gaoler, also laughing, having had his keys taken in a very unsubtle manner, was unable to react to his keys taken. Instead, he began shouting. “To arms! To arms! Jailbreak in progress! Some landlubber is tryin’ to spring the pris’ners!” At which point a dozen pirates on deck drew their weapons and awaited at the entrance, while more of them were heading below deck.

Sheva looked at their rather unsubtle savior. While she remained cool, the youngest of the quartet looked at Arnyek with stern disapproval. “Are you mad or simply stupid? Have you never mounted a rescue before?”

The elder one though, simply grinned. “What’s the matter, Kendral? Don’t want to leave?”

Kharlene rolled her eyes, uncrossing her arms. “Not before we have a word with them, sergeant.”

Sheva simply looked at Arnyek. “Gratitude for the rescue, stranger. But is it too much to ask you buy us time? And I’ll be taking this as well.” Their leader, perhaps indicated simply by her titanic proportions, simply takes the key out of the shadow walker’s hand, and heads to the far cage where their equipment was stored.

The other cages held captured ‘indentured servants’, who were rescued on the high seas by the pirates. They all stood up and pleaded with Sheva to be freed, but she didn’t quite listen. She began sifting through keys to open the storage room, while two of her three companions- the elder and the quiet one- were fending off pirates with their bare hands.

The two younger girls resorted to old fashioned fisticuffs and pugilism, while the elder lady of war demonstrated more esoteric manners of twisting a weapon out of a man’s hand, then twisting that man’s arm into uncomfortable angles, before striking another foe with the pommel of the obtained weapon.

“Trying to strike a lady. Your mother must be proud of you.” Were the words uttered by Dietrich to the men she incapacitated, with a most cheeky grin... though the women were quick to take cover once the bullets were flying.

Árnyék dreaded the decision he made that day. He saw a big bottle of rum on a nearby deck. A quick trip to the shadow realm enabled him nearby it, he grabbed a knife and popped the top, he threw the rum over the side of the ship, lit a match, and threw it straight into the rum. Screams broke out among the crowd.

"That a good distraction." Árnyék hiccuped, then realized that he was getting close to sober... 'Shit'

Chaos ensued and it seemed that the auction had quickly taken a turn for the worse for the slavers. From the looks of things, huh, wait a second. Tekun thought he recognized that armor... Seems this was going to be very worthwhile after all. With the well placed swing of a sword, Tekun over powered the incoming swing of a cutlass and plowed through into the man himself. He went down with ease.

Tekun forced his way through to the Iron Maidens, only killing three men who swung at him in the process.

"Now this is interesting!" Tekun turned his attention to another pirate who was swinging at him, this one was much larger than the last he exchanged blows with the pirate, locking blades before shoving the warrior away. "Sorry if it seems like I'm making light of this. I hope someone doesn't mind filling me in later on why the Iron Maidens were being sold on auction."

Árnyék smiled has he watched the fight break out, and then an eyebrow raised when the grapeshot hit her directly, with little to no effect... Árnyék had no choice but to get out of here. The Grey Maiden's meant business, and Árnyék was meant for anything but business. Árnyék sighed, 'no human relations.' The Koyu inside of him said. 'Shut up Koya' Árnyék thought back. He went to the shadow realm and walked to Sheva's newly 'liberated' quarters and left a note, 'The Pub outside your ship is where I am. Its called the Glass Unicorn, Signed by: the Unyielding Shadow.'

Árnyék snuck into the treasure room and grabbed a small bag of jewels, 'Just a small profit.' Then he walked up the stairs and he heard a creak. Erika stood thier staring at him, with no sense of recognition. Árnyék cursed, "Damn girl, just let me leave." Erika stared at him, her eyes seemingly staring into his soul. Árnyék stepped back, surprised. Then he made a quick shadow dash under her. Erika stood looking at the same place he had just left. Árnyék continued up the stairs and walked to the pub. Hoping that they would not attack nor strike as he made his escape. At the top of the deck he looked at the water, and jumped.

He swam out and walked past all the chaos and walked into the pub.

Dietrich, the veteran sergeant, kept pace with Tekun as they approached Sheva. She stops them from getting too close though, as the grey-haired senior soldier woman explained to Tekun the situation they’ve been through.

“Once again, you have our thanks, Valos. But, we would prefer to find a place to stay before we share our tale. To sum up, we had been left for dead by our homeland, and to survive we allowed ourselves the indignity of capture. We have a long story to tell, but our captain... has a great weight on her shoulders. She needs time to deal with it.”

Kharlene emerged from the hold, having helped to liberate the slaves after the battle. She did not wish to hold them long, as they’d shared the same ordeal. She did eye a pretty boy though, and wanted to keep him as a slave... Dietrich shot her a quiet look and made a few gestures towards their captain. Kharlene nodded, and stayed on deck near Sheva.

“Well, Tekun. Do you know of any place in this pirate cesspool?”

Erika cleaned out the lower decks of bodies, when her arcane senses spied Arnyek’s note. She took it, read it, and pocketed it; feeling slightly disappointed their help left so casually. She would make no mention of it to her fellows, though.

On the ship's helm, Sheva stood quietly, looking out to sea. She couldn't recall where the island was without a map... the blood of the dead stained her hands, and her soul, clouding her decisiveness. She barely acknowledged Kharlene's presence.

((SPELLING ERROR, WEOOH WEOOOH))