To take the ship

Celessarae walked to her longboat, looking around furtively to ensure that no one had tampered with the hidden cove where she had left it. Seeing that everything was as she left it, she slowly pushed the boat out into the water, preparing to row back to the Shattered Blade in the early morning. As she peered across the bay, she could barely make out the lights of the ship in the dawn, although it seemed as if there were more than there normally were when her men kept watch.

A distant light over to her starboard side caught her attention as it flickered. She watched for a time, and noted that it was repeating in a set pattern, directed at the cove where her ship had been docked. It would blink on and off, sometimes concealed for long periods of time, sometimes short. She realized in an instant that it was a signal lamp flashing from the deck of the Eversong's Revenge that had been docked for the last several days at another wharf. They were sending her signals using an old smuggler's code; one she was quite familiar with. Though simple, the message was clear.

Treachery. Murder. Authorities.

Something was amiss. She reached into a pocket and took out her collapsible spyglass, setting it to her eye and letting the magic within it magnify the distant deck of the Shattered Blade. Although the figures there were still too hard to make out clearly, she was able to discern the flash of metal on their bodies, and a hint of red coloration.

Blood Knights. Armored Blood Knights on her ship! She ground her teeth together in frustration. It was clear what the message from the Eversong's Revenge was now; her ship had been seized by the authorities! As she watched through the spyglass, she saw the Blood Knights carrying large bundles down the gangplank; bundles about the size of crew members.

They had slaughtered her crew.

She was livid. How could the night watch have allowed this to happen? What the FEL did she pay them for anyway? The idiots had gotten what they deserved for being lax with security while at a hostile pier as far as Celessarae was concerned. Now she had to figure out what to do, and get some more men to crew that ship once she was able to get it sailing again. An idea formed in her mind, and she stopped paddling, letting her longboat drift for a time.

Eventually the dawn brightened into morning, and fishing boats and other small craft began to make their way into the harbor. Judging the time was right, Celessarae began to remove her body armor and most of her clothing, leaving her undergarments and a loose fitting, overlong shirt on. She paddled into the middle of the harbor, just close enough to the Shattered Blade to see it clearly, without attracting suspicion. It was time.

She reached down into her clothing and took out a vial. Drinking it down, she dove over the side of her longboat and swam towards the Shattered Blade, taking care to duck beneath the water whenever anyone onboard happened to be looking over that side of the ship. She made her way to the aft of the ship, and began to climb the netting there, climbing high enough to reach the windows to her cabin. With a gentle push, one of the windows opened and she crawled inside.

Once in her room, she moved quickly, pushing her clothing on the floor out of the way to reveal a chest. Opening it, she took out a small chain connected to a metal orb with a pin on one side. She placed it around her neck and then scooped up some of her clothing, tying it into a bundle on her back. Might as well take a few things with her while she was here.

The orb was the most important thing of course. It was the key to the magical engine attached to the ship's hull. Without it, the engine would keep the ship anchored in place, and if the magic were dispelled the wards around the engine would fail, quickly flooding the lower decks of the ship. The key was necessary to get the Shattered Blade off the wharf, and now it was hers. Let the have the ship for a time, it wasn't going anywhere without her.

Barefoot, she crept to her door and pressed an ear against it. Hearing nothing, she pushed it open gently and made her way to the crew quarters, noting the blood everywhere and searching for clues as to what happened. It was then that she saw it; a twilight cultist's robe and ceremonial dagger, sitting amongst the first mate's possessions.

A lie.

She knew it was a lie, but she also knew no one would understand that to be the case. Someone had set her up, and she was going to find out who. Before she could finish the thought, three Blood Knights entered the crew quarters and spotted her. They quickly drew their blades.

"Ms. Sunblade. You are charged with murder, theft, and crimes against Silvermoon City. You will come with us at once," one of them said.

Celessarae grinned and picked up a saber from amongst the crew's possessions, brandishing it at the three. "The Dead Scar will grow over before that day comes my lovelies. I'm a chartered privateer under Garrosh Hellscream, and this is my ship. I am the law on this vessel, and you have no authority here. Stand down, or face the consequences."

The Blood Knights look at one another and then back at the half-naked, armed pirate and their faces grew grim. "No, Ms. Sunblade, you must come with us. There are questions to be answered."

Celessarae smiled at them wickedly and said, "Wrong answer."

Before they could react she whirled to the first mate's hammock. As they rushed towards her, she turned back towards them and threw the most unlikely projectile; a pillow. The lead Blood Knight slashed his sword down to bat the object out of the air, and his sword went clean through it. Feathers erupted everywhere.

In a heartbeat Celessarae had lept through the disorienting cloud of feathers and batted aside the first Blood Knight's sword. Using her momentum, she slammed her body against his and crashed the pommel of her weapon against his temple. He fell to the floor like a piece of lumber, unconscious. The other two dashed forwards, one tripping over his fallen companion and the other's attack deflected with ringing steel. Celessarae grinned again and spit in the second Blood Knight's eye. He reeled back in disgust and her sword flicked out, wounding his knuckleds and making him drop his weapon. Her bare foot came up and connected squarely with the nose of the Blood Knight who had tripped, blinding him with a mask of his own blood.

The pirate tumbled past the two dased and floundering Blood Knights, dashing past them and up onto the deck, where other Blood Knights shouted out in alarm and took up blades. Celessarae hurled her sword at the nearest blood knight, who frantically batted it aside with his own weapon, giving the pirate a chance to leap up and grab the rigging lines hanging from the sails.

With dexterity that the plate armored Blood Knights couldn't match, Celessarae climbed up the rigging and ran across one of the lines towards the side of the ship facing the bay. Even as her pursuers gawked at her from below, she dove off and sank beneath the waves. They armed themselves with crossbows and waited for her to surface, but she never did.

Back in the middle of the harbor, Celessarae finally broke through the surface of the water, not even straining for breath. The water breathing potion she had ingested before setting out had worked wonderfully. It would take them some time to figure out where she had gone, and she'd be long away from the harbor by then.

She had the ship's key, she had some wet clothing, and she knew now that she had an enemy. It was time to go find some friends.

Time to find dear cousin Kyli.