“You’ve boarded your last ship, Crowe.”
“Yes, and you’ve seen your last sunset.”
“What?” The air pirate chuckled and shook his head, mumbling a reply under his breath. In the mind of Captain Allan ‘Devius’ Crowe, this was not his last day alive. Far above in the heavens beyond the stars the Weavers of Fate (or simply the Weavers) were making sure that Devius would live.
The rain made the air pirate look as sunken as the treasures of the Ancient World. Lost below the sea of clouds forever, shrouded in myth and never to be seen again. The man was being marched into the town square of Fulmenis he was scheduled to be hanged for all to see. He had been a thorn in the Empires side for far too long, and both Emperor Theodore Maelstrom and Lord Admiral Halskriim were going to make sure of one thing: That Captain Devius would hang and die before the day was done.
But that was not his plan.
Shoved onto the hanging platform, he saw the executioner eyeing him up and down giving him a cold look through eerie yellow eyes. “Great,” he muttered “it had to be a damned Lycan.” Of all the luck, he thought with a flicker of a smile. Looking to the guard next to him- a large man with not much in the way of hair –Crowe coughed and spoke as warmly as he could. “Pally, couldn’t I be hanged by a creature with some level of intelligence instead of this hulking brute?”
“You don’t make the decisions, Crowe.” The man said with a grimace towards the air pirate.
A hearty laugh emitted from the dead man. “Certainly true because if I made the decisions you’d all be blown to oblivion!”
“In your dreams pirate.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t count on that.” Crowe said with a smile. Focusing his attention to the ground, long black hair covering the shallow sunken eyes he started to think. He would not die. He had to make sure of that. These bastards were still alive and kicking, he couldn’t very well have that could he?
With the Lycan executioner was sitting on a bench preparing his axe to cut the rope, Crowe examined him. He really wished that he’d brought some rosemary- the only thing Lycans were known to get disoriented from –or at least some silver. At least then he could do something. Though with his hands tied behind his back there wasn’t much he could do. The Lycan growled loudly, testing the axe by brushing his fingertip across. A short red-headed member of the guards walked over to the large wolf like humanoid. Dressed in the traditional navy overcoat with black crystal armour underneath, he looked quite confident in himself. “That axe nearly ready? Maelstrom and the Addie are gettin’ impatien’.”
Growling, the fur covered warrior stared through the man, huffing for a moment. “The Admiral can wait. There is an art to execution, no hurry.”
“Not according to the Admiral—”
“Oi!” Crowe piped up, both of the guards were staring daggers at him though the Lycan looked amused, broad shoulders shaking with silent laughter. “If the big dog wants to take ‘is time in killing me, I suggest you bloody well listen to the brute.”
“Pinky’s right,” the Lycan replied, eyeing the guard nearest him “leave me be. The people haven’t even shown up yet.”
“Yeah,” Crowe agreed “and I want a big crowd. No, I want the biggest crowd in the world to witness my death!”
Huffing for a moment the Lycan bared its sharp teeth in reply, “You’ll get even bigger,” it said “every continent is coming to witness this.”
“Damn right,”
“Shut up the both of you. Dog, keep sharpening that axe! And you,” redhead said angrily, “sit there and wait to die all right? One more word out of either of you and you’ll both be arrested.” Crowe scoffed at this, “something funny?” The redhead asked.
“Uh, yeah actually, look at my position mate. I’m under arrest and about to be hanged. A piece of advice kiddo, maybe you should practice your speeches of anger to your wife more often.” Redhead stared at him, grumbled and stalked off back into the fortress. Baldy, the guard who was with Crowe ever since the capture, laughed loudly much to Crowe’s dismay since he was standing next to the large man. “You have quite the tongue,”
“I know your sister told me.”
“Watch it Devius.”
“Hey,” the air pirate said with a shrug “I’m about to die in a couple minutes. Can’t I have some fun?”
“The only fun you’ll be having is flailing in the air.” Baldy said with a grimace. The Lycan looked at the axe fondly, running a thick furred finger over the blade. A large toothy grin and a trail of blood told Crowe he was going to die much sooner than he wanted. Standing, the Lycan stretched for a second and looked to the nearest guard. “Tell Maelstrom that I’m ready when he is.” The guard rushed off into the large stone fortress, mostly from fear of disobeying the executioner. Crowe was ushered farther onto the platform until he stood where everyone wanted him. Looking around, Crowe saw that the square was filled with thousands of people. A variety of races were gathered from Vampires to Elves, Raveniirs, and Wraiths as well as at least a dozen more. All of them there only to watch this one air pirate hanged.
I’ll give them a nice show. Smiling as he looked around at the people, he decided to shout. “I hope you all rot!” He spat, a lot of people booed him. One cheered which raised his morale slightly. He heard a shouted reply from the crowd, “hope you suffer in oblivion you thievin’ bastard!” I hope you suffer more, is what he felt like saying, but he stayed quiet. A clapping hand on his shoulder startled him, looking to the side he saw the Lycan. “I liked you; Too bad that you won’t be around much longer.”
“I’d quite like to be if that’s all right.”
“Nice try, Allan.” The Lycan huffed as he stalked behind the air pirate. The fact that he’d used Crowe’s first name showed some respect for the man. This made the dead man smile. He was getting ready to cut the rope as the noose was put around the man’s head. Hailing and cheering erupted from the crowd as the Emperor stepped out, his arms spread wide, laughing to the people. Black and red cloak billowing in the harsh winds that took place on the stormy day, his hood was down revealing long silvery hair. Cold crimson eyes scanned the crowd, and rested on the form of the air pirate, hands tied behind his back. Eyes looking sunken and shallow while black hair covered his face as his head hung low. He yelled to seem confident, defiant. Though, Emperor Maelstrom could tell that the man had lost all confidence.
In Crowe’s mind he’d lost all confidence in himself, this was certainly true. He did however still cling onto that one pitiful illusion: Hope. Shaking his sleeve, slowly, deliberately to shake out a coin he’d hidden, he smiled to himself. This was no ordinary coin. This was his coin, enchanted by a man he once knew. The coin was extremely rare, because it could grant a person ability they didn’t have before, allowing them to bend reality as they saw fit. Though- Crowe had made sure when it was created –nothing came without a price. Each time an ability was used a person would slowly turn into a spectre. A ghostly creature a mere shade of their former self, driven mad by insanity and by rage. Nothing was free and Crowe wanted whoever had the coin to know that. Of course there wasn’t only one. He had one with him its counterpart was with his friend. Together they’d decided to call it the ‘Scoundrels Luck’.
And he had it with him today. This was his passage out, he wouldn’t die today all because of a shiny golden coin about the size of his palm. The coin itself felt smooth and cold in his hand, he rubbed his thumb over the skull-and-crossed-sword design that they’d carved into it. If only his friend could see him now. But he knew the man wasn’t in the crowd that day, he was either back home or on the run.
“Captain Devius,” Emperor Maelstrom started, getting more hails from the crowd. It always looked good to talk to a dead man after all.
“If you’re going to kill me, best get on with it.”
“Where’s the fun in that?”
“Could’ve killed half your guards and yourself while that brutish dog over there was getting ready.” Maelstrom cursed the air pirate under his breath. Turning to face the crowd instead, he smiled and raised his arms to them all. The Lord Admiral Halskriim, a Drow (or dark elf), smiled coldly behind them both, hands clasped in front of him, fiery crimson eyes staring at the entire crowd in the mixture of rain and sunset. Beautiful to anyone else in the world but him, and that could say quite a lot about who he was he thought with a smile.
“People of Cimmarii and all other continents: we have been plagued by air pirates ever since we sailed the first ship into the sea.” These were Emperor Maelstrom’s opening words. The crowd was going to get a momentous speech, one that would make them hate air pirates as much as he did. “But the clouds are harsh to sailors and pirates alike. And we will be just as unforgiving as the storms we sail through. Today,” he yelled, spreading his arms, and turning to acknowledge the dead man behind him, “I give you the notorious Captain Devius. A noose upon this Empire, and the people allied to it! A terror upon our people for two decades! Today is the day that we have wiped that terror from our lives. Today is the day we have proven that we are more powerful! We are supreme! And no one¬— not even an entire armada of air pirates--can stop us! Under the guidance of the stars--of the Weavers--and under the ever-watchful eye of our forefathers, I promise deliverance, I promise justice, and I promise to rid the world of this scum, which has plagued us for far too long!”
Erupting in cheers, the people didn’t seem to care about the rain any longer. Thunder crashed throughout the village, filling everyone’s ears. The city of Fulmenis was charged with bloodlust from the people. “Hang him! Hang him! Hang him!” Was being chanted throughout the air, the people needed blood, they needed energy. This would be perfect for the Dolusi coliseum later on.
Captain Allan Devius Crowe smiled as he heard the chants echoing in his ears. “Sorry chaps, luck’s on my side.” He muttered. Gripping the Scoundrels Luck tightly in his fist, he smiled even more as his thumb grazed along the metal. It was time to bend reality as he saw fit. Suddenly, his entire body engulfed in flame as the rope was incinerated. Untied now, he looked to Baldy the guard, and used the coins ability to direct a fireball from his palm. The flame seared through the armour as cleanly as any bullet. Jumping down from the platform, he landed next to the guard, and grabbed the man’s pistol. “If you want me, lads” he said, aiming the weapon to the Emperor, who was in shock. “You’re going to have to catch me first.”
Turning to run, the flames around his body vanished. The coin was his weapon and he gripped it as tightly in his hand as he would any newborn. He heard bullets ricochet off of the ground around him. Wading through the crowd as quickly as he could, he heard one man- and only one –cheer him on. The man would definitely be shot for such treasonous words. Cheering on an air pirate, it made Crowe grin. Behind him, he heard the Emperor yell frantically: “Catch that bastard! Catch him! Hang him! I want that man dead!”
“I won’t die just yet.” The air pirate muttered confidently. He gripped a wooden beam and used the momentum from it to speed around a corner. Suddenly, he was running straight for a stone wall. He kept his momentum up and sprang himself forward, his foot on the wall he boosted himself high enough to grip onto the wall. Jumping over he landed in a crouch and smiled. “Stupid bastards,” he said and leaned against the wall. They wouldn’t find him now.
“There he is!” A guard, Redhead from before was standing in front of the alleyway. “Aw, damn.” Crowe said. He had no blade to defend himself, but he did have a gun. And that would work just as well. The guard unsheathed a long sword, gripping it tightly and ran forward at Crowe ready to slash. The air pirate thought only for a second, aiming the pistol in a rush at the man’s chest, firing three times as quickly as he could. Redhead stumbled and fell forward like a rag-doll, shock frozen on his face.
The shots attracted the attention of guards. Leading them was the navy-cloaked, purple-vested, and scarred Drow leading the pack. The Drow was Lord Admiral Halskriim. Rumour had it the man was fair with both a blade and a firearm. His dark grey skin highlighted midnight blue eyes as he unsheathed his blade, a fine black crystal short sword with red runes painted along the side, glowing eerily. He also took out a firearm, aiming at Crowe.
“Drop the weapon, Devius. The game’s over, the chase is done.”
“I’ll admit, you chaps are quick.”
“Surround him,” the Drow said. Navy overcoat-clad soldiers surrounded the air pirate, all of them with either a blade or a pistol. Guards beside the Drow were dressed in scarlet capes tucked into their silver shoulder plates. Their other arms were heavily armoured, as if they were some sort of ramming plate. The guards themselves gripped thick broad swords, holding them with one hand. Each one smiled; they were like clones. Pale skinned and gaunt, they were similar to Vampires. But they weren’t Vampires: they were Wraiths. Just as deadly, just as mysterious.
Crowe smiled, nodding his head to the two guards as he put his hands together, making sure to keep the Scoundrels Luck out of sight. “Those are new, Admiral.”
Halskriim simply clicked the safety from the pistol. “My Vanguard soldiers—”
“Really, they’re quite impressive, Admiral.” Crowe, thinking calmly, eased himself down on one knee.
“Enough chatter. Arrest him, and he’ll be made an example of.”
“Sorry, Hal, I can’t let you do that.”
“You think so? Fire” Crowe growled, cursing under his breath. Focusing the energy from the Scoundrels Luck, he spun himself quickly, making a quick burst of telekinetic force. Most of the guards around him were shoved back painfully into the walls of the alley. The two Wraith Vanguards and Halskriim put a foot back to keep themselves still. Halskriim smiled, “impressive Crowe.”
“Think that’s impressive, watch this.” Spreading his arms out on either side of him, focusing more of the energy, a small concentrated ball of blood red energy shot from each of his fingertips. Burning through each of the soldier’s armour like miniature suns, killing them as it spread inside their bodies, melting their insides. Quickly, Crowe took the pistol he had dropped, and quickly shot one of the Vanguards.
As the Vanguard’s armour protected him, his Lord Admiral smiled and shot the air pirate. “Not quick enough, pirate.” The Drow spat the words harshly. Both of the Vanguards walked over to the dying man, picking him up.
“What would you like to do with this rat?” One of them asked, looking curiously to their master. Halskriim calmly stepped in front of the pirate, the Scoundrels Luck dropping from his hand. As Halskriim picked it up, he looked at it with interest.
Thinking for a moment, he smiled. “Bring Captain Devius back to the Emperor. I will bring this to Admiral Daedalus.”
“Yes, sire.” The Vanguards trampled off, with Crowe dragged behind them in their grip. Halskriim stood still for a moment, eyeing the Scoundrels Luck. “What an interesting coin. So this is what gave you those abilities, you were no magus after all.” Shrugging, Halskriim made his way towards the labs.

“What manner of joke is this?”
“I’m unsure.”
“I am a scientist, Lord Admiral. Not some bloody merchant.” Daedalus, a short and raggedy Dwarf- and the Third Admiral in the fleet -fumbled with the coin staring at it as if willing it to become a very large axe. The short creature was dressed in a serpent-scale coat with leather underneath his blue tinted goggles reflected the light as he eyed it. “Halskriim, I don’t know what you want my scientists to do with a simple coin.”
“You don’t understand.”
“What?”
“This coin gave the Captain… Magic,” at these words the Dwarf stared at it more intently. As the head of weapon development, he was always interested in new technology and especially had a dangerous fetish for fusing magical and mechanical properties. He mumbled as he fiddled with the coin, smiling as he stared at it more intently. Now he liked the coin, he loved it. So simple, yet crafted so finely. It was beautiful more than beautiful it was perfect in the eyes of the Dwarf.
“Magic you say… Magic… How interesting,”
“What is?” Halskriim asked, moving aside to let another Dwarf shuffle past. The entire lab, which doubled as both a lookout and an observatory was filled with mechanical wonders and bubbling cauldrons. Elixirs, poisons, potions and remedies were also scattered about in their bottles and vases powders, too were also strewn about. The place may have interested the Dwarfs, especially with an enchanted well in the middle of the room with plants and vines growing around it. Halskriim however found it sickening.
“Well, this is a coin my Lord.” The Dwarf said, twirling the large palm-sized coin in his fingertips.
“I’m well aware of that.” Halskriim replied, leaning against the table. He was suddenly disinterested. The coin seemed to be of no use unless they could unlock its ability.
“I’m not questioning your powers of observation, sire. But this coin is something far more.”
“I know,” Halskriims tone was suddenly bitter. “What I want to know, Jethros, is how does it work?”
“I can’t say for sure- not yet at any rate –but give me time—”
“How much time?”
“Enough time for me to figure out how the properties of the coin work. I have a theory of it, but that’s of no use to me until tested.”
“Then test it. I’m sure Emperor Maelstrom will want to know how this works. And I especially want to know.”
“In due time Lord Halskriim.” The Dwarf sighed heavily. He wanted to know how the coin worked just as much as anyone else. He knew it could be of a great advantage to the Cimmarii Armada. And he also knew that Halskriim and his right hand man would definitely be impatient of the project. The small Dwarf eyed the coin and turned to another Dwarf- his assistant –a strong, black haired man dressed in the simple heavy clothes Dwarfs preferred and smiled. “Melvorne take this coin over to the study room.” Melvorne bowed and graciously took the coin, waddling over to a large metal door afterwards.
As Halskriim turned to leave, Daedalus bowed politely and smiled; though as his Lord got to the door he chuckled as if amused by the shorter people’s actions around him. “Oh and Daedalus,”
“Yes sire,” the Dwarf looked over to his Lord, almost cringing in fear. A last word was never a good thing.
“Do not fail me or else.” And with that Halskriim walked away briskly. He didn’t need to say what the ‘or else’ was, the Dwarf’s imagination could easily figure it out. Stepping out into the cold, mist-like rain the Drow smiled briskly, pulling his hood up to protect him from the chilling winds he started towards the fortress.