A couple of hours after Reina and Mirella concluded their report, another knock came. This time, it was Leon and Barnaby.
"Captain!" Leon announced. He stepped inside. Barnaby was a shadow behind him. "We have information on our sinister friend."
"What is it?" Jack asked.
"Captain Khezam Gillbuster." Leon began. "His ship is the Dragon Queen. A dark frigate, notoriously fast, rumored to be partially enchanted. He's a known smuggler and is suspected to be pirate. His crew members are tight-lipped and as sinister as he was."
Barnaby added. "He wasted no time. His ship weighed anchor a few minutes ago. He sailed out of the main harbor. Heading east. Very likely getting a head start to set an ambush."
"The Dragon Queen." Jack repeated, committing the name to memory. An enchanted dark frigate. It fit the profile of the man. "And the nobleman's ship plans to depart tonight. Where to?"
Reina, who was in the room, interjected. "They were mentioning Port Greycliff. That lies to the west. In the Grasshill Island."
Jack considered the information. The captain headed east. The noble planned to head west. A deliberate misdirection, perhaps. Or a plan to loop around. Well, only one way to know...
"Excellent work!" Jack declared. "Let's see if our suspicion is right. Gather everyone."
...
Later, Jack's gaze swept over the small group assembled in the main hall of the ship. Every crew member was there.
"Prepare for departure!" Jack ordered. "Argust! Bring the ship to sea. We will maintain our disguise until we are clear of the port lights."
Within minutes, the Silent Mermaid was abuzz with activity. Though it was a subdued, efficient bustle. Jack made a quick round. Ensuring everyone was aboard.
Baroness Artheim was in her cabin. Looking tired but holding her tome with a satisfied expression. She gave Jack a brief nod. A silent acknowledgment of his spellcard's utility.
Serene and Autumn, the healer sisters, were in the infirmary. Checking the medicines and potions, ready for whatever the night brought.
Don Donson, the cook, was sharpening a formidable-looking cleaver. His way of calming his nerves. A subtle sign of his readiness for conflict.
Bell, Moby and Ned, stood by the rails on the deck. Their expressions were grim and focused.
Argust Osprey, the navigator, stood at the helm.
"Ready to cast off, Captain!" He reported in steady voice.
"Do it!" Jack commanded. "Maintain speed, clear us of the harbor, and aim for open water. No fancy moves. We are just another sloop leaving port."
The Silent Mermaid, still cloaked in its Ocean Wanderer illusion, glided smoothly away from the docks.
The lights of Crescent Town began to recede. The sounds of the city faded into the vastness of the sea. The twin moons were hidden behind clouds. Offering little light. Aiding in their inconspicuous departure.
Once they were several distance away, well beyond the reach of any casual observer from the shore, Jack gave the next command. "Rune! Drop the illusion. Revert the ship to its true form."
Rune glowed bright. A subtle tremor ran through the ship's timbers. The Ocean Wanderer's mundane sails, mast, figurehead, and hull began to distort, shimmer, and then unravel.
The worn canvas of the sails turned black and shredded. Becoming gloomy and slightly translucent. The wooden hull faded. Replaced by old, weathered timber. Barnacles encrusted its rotten planks.
The beautiful mermaid figurehead opened her mouth and was frozen in silent, sorrowful wail. The name 'Ocean Wanderer' on the stern shifted into the 'Silent Mermaid'. Carved in bone-white script.
And then, parts of the hull, the deck, and the mast burst out with cold, silent purple flames. And soft white mist began to spill from the gunwales. Pooling around the water line.
The Silent Mermaid was no longer a simple, regular sloop now. It was a ghost ship. A mysterious vessel born of supernatural energy. Silent and swift.
The air around the ship seemed to grow colder. And the faint, otherworldly mist from the gunwales began to swirl around the deck.
The crew, having witnessed this form before, quickly adjusted with the change.
Rune pulsed with an excited, bright blue light. Acknowledging the ship's true nature.
"Now..." Jack's voice resonated. Carried across the eerie deck. "Argust! Activate the invisibility cloak. I want us completely unseen. Then, full speed. Track the Dragon Queen."
Argust nodded and moved below the deck, to the real control chamber of the ghost ship. A few minutes later, another distortion shimmered around the entire ship. This one was like heat haze over a desert road. But colder and more intense.
The ghostly shape of the Silent Mermaid dimmed. Then vanished completely to the eyes of the outsiders. They were gone. Swallowed by the night and the sea. A phantom pursuing a predator.
...
The invisible Silent Mermaid moved. It sailed through the inky blackness of the night. Argust, in the control chamber, guided the phantom vessel. Following Rune's direction.
Rune, the fairy guide, pulsed softly near him. Her glow was like a delicate compass in the vast ocean. She indicated west. Then north-west. Her colors intensified as a target neared.
A few hours passed. The Crescent Island's distant lights had long faded. The air grew colder. Carrying the sharp scent of salt and the fainter, metallic tang of the ship they were approaching.
"We're close, Dear." Reina murmured. Her voice was a low thrum next to Jack.
She stood beside him on the deck. Her black hair was whipping gently in the breeze. Her eyes, usually dark and serene, held a predatory glint in the shadow.
Jack nodded. His broad-shouldered form barely visible against the night. He raised his steamrune binoculars. The polished brass and intricate runes glowed softly.
Through the powerful lenses, a dark frigate materialized. It sat low in the water. Its sails were furled. Like a silent predator crouching. It was large and menacing. A beast waiting for its prey. This was the Dragon Queen.
Jack activated his [Eyes of Judgement]. The world around him shifted. Showing analytical overlay of information and spiritual presences. He focused his unique vision. A panel materialized in his ghostly vision. Shimmering with cold data...
[Object Name: Dragon Queen]
[Vessel Type: Disguised Pirate Ship]
[Affiliation: Glorious Pirate]
[Threat Level: Moderate]
[Karma Signature: Extremely Negative]
[Cargo: Slaves, Sealed Artifacts, Sweetfire Pills (Illicit Stimulant), Various Contraband Objects]
[Sins: Numerous acts of piracy, murder, rape, enslavement, drug dealing, torture...]
Jack's incorporeal breath hitched. The list of sins scrolled were seemingly endless. A testament to pure, unadulterated evil.
"Sweetfire pills and contraband objects? I've expected that. But sealed artifacts? And slaves?" His voice was a low growl. Laced with a cold fury.
He had expected villainy. But that ship was a cesspit of depravity. The 'moderate' threat level might be accurate when it referred to the ship's combat capabilities. But for its moral standing, the term 'moderate threat level' was a cruel joke.
He lowered the binoculars. His initial plan had been simple. Let the pirates engage the Gilded Swan, then intervene. Neutralize the pirates and help the targeted ship. Scooping up the [Kirin Egg] for the price of saving the noble, if possible. A clean, efficient plan.
But that plan was now scrapped...
To allow the Dragon Queen to engage anyone was to risk catastrophe. The slaves, trapped below decks, would suffer further or die in the crossfire. The sealed artifacts, if unleashed in a chaotic battle, could devastate the area. Perhaps even worse.
"No!" Jack said. The word was cutting through the night. "This changes things."
Reina looked at him. Her expression was serious. "What is it, Dear?"
Jack turned. His gaze swept over the gathered crew on the deck of the Silent Mermaid. Everyone was here. Except Argust and Rune, in the control chamber. But they could hear him well through the ship internal communication.
"Alright everyone. Change of plan!" Jack informed them decisively.
The crew had their eyes fixed on Jack. The Baroness stepped forward slightly. Her usual aristocratic calm was now mixed with keen interest.
"I've got ways to gather information through the uniqueness of my eyes and these binoculars." Jack began. "The ship before us, the Dragon Queen, is worse than what we had thought. It's not just a simple pirate vessel hoping to steal a mythical creature's egg. It is a floating den of filth and troubles."
He paused. Letting his words sink in.
Rune appeared. Leaving the control chamber in Argust's hands. She spun around Jack. Her light was dimming to a deep grey. Reflecting Jack's grim mood.
"Its cargo includes Sweetfire Pills... illicit and dangerous stimulants. It also holds Sealed Artifacts that could be classified as dangerous objects. Items that, if accidentally unleashed, could cause tremendous harm. Worse yet, they keep... chained slaves in there."
A collective gasp went through the crew. Quickly stifled.
The Baroness widened her eyes imperceptibly. Leon's hand drifted to the rifle he had taken from the armory. Chloe and the rests looked troubled.
"Our initial intention was to let them engage the Gilded Swan, then intercept." Jack said. "That plan is discarded. We cannot risk the lives of those enslaved, nor the potential unleashing of those artifacts. This is not about a Kirin egg anymore. This is a rescue and neutralization mission."
He looked at each of them. His gaze was piercing. "This will not be a direct naval engagement. Not yet. This requires stealth. Infiltration. Surgical removal of the threats."
He pointed at Reina and Chloe. "Reina, your [Absolute Blink] and illusion power are vital in this mission. Chloe, your new shadow power provides perfect ability for stealth."
He pointed at himself. "I personally have some tools to move discreetly. Unseen and unheard."
"The three of us will infiltrate the Dragon Queen." He decided. "Our objectives are clear. Locate and secure the Sealed Artifacts. Free the slaves and well... make them faint. I can keep them in a safe place for a while."
He turned to the rest of the crew. "The rest of you will remain here. On the Silent Mermaid. But, prepare for combat. If we are compromised, or if the situation escalates beyond our infiltration, you will engage. Do not show mercy. These pirates are pieces of filth."
The Baroness's expression hardened. "Understood, Captain. We will be ready."
"Argust!" Jack ordered the navigator through the ship's communication device. "Keep the ship cloaked and close enough for rapid intervention."
"Understood, Captain!" Argust's voice responded immediately.
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