(2023-03-07) Pirates and Angels

Details

Author:	inkie
Summary:	Ben and Lena pitch in with a pernicious pirate problem. They discuss intent vs. action, unexpected consequences, and why the f*ck anyone would fall in the snow on purpose.
Rating:	M for Mature 17+

Arc: Season 9

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Slavery, insanity

Lena waves at Ben.

[Ben]: Miss Coit. Afternoon.

[Lena]: Mister Hazan. *Lena grins at him.* Good afternoon.

Ben grins back at her.

[Lena]: What're you up to today?

[Ben]: I ain't heard back yet from that tuskarr elder fellow, thought I might go check in with him.

Ben might just want to ride the lift again.

[Lena]: I think you might just want to ride that lift again. *Lena giggles.* But then again, maybe so do I.

Ben laughs. "Well, all right, then."

They head out to the lift. There is no conversation; they are in a hurry to ride the cool ship-zipline. The shipline.

[Ben]: Shame it is such a short ride.

Ben peers over the cliff's edge down toward the island.

[Lena]: Yeah, but worth it.

[Lena]: And it feels proper made. Safe.

[Ben]: You reckon they stole these boats from the vrykul? Ain't seen anything like 'em down to the village.

[Lena]: If so, who can blame 'em?

[Ben]: I got no complaints.

They land at Kamagua.

[Ben]: … s'pose since we're here we ought to check in for real.

[Lena]: Couldn't hurt. Though I don't know if we can handle the pirates just us two.

[Ben]: Nah. But if he's got a plan, we'll get it an' then get the squad.

Ben bows before Elder Atuik.

[Ben]: Sir. We were just comin' to check back in on the pirate situation.

Lena waves and then belatedly bows to Elder Atuik.

Elder Atuik says: Cobalt Company! An unexpected pleasure.

[Lena]: Figured out how we ought to deal with them yet?

Elder Atuik says: I am… negotiating a potential solution to the pirate problem, but there is no plan in place yet. I do have another matter you could aid us with, if you are willing?

[Ben]: Oh. Sure, yessir. I mean —

Ben looks a question sidelong at Lena.

[Lena]: Depending on what it is, sure?

Elder Atuik nods. "That is fair."

Elder Atuik says: We tuskarr rely mostly on our fish catch for sustenance, though in times of great need, we will hunt land animals.

[Lena]: I can tell, *Lena says with a nod, and then freezes, unsure if that was an insult.*

Kamagua is… pungent.

Elder Atuik only nods back at Lena. If there was an insult, he doesn't seem to have taken it.

Elder Atuik says: The nearby village of Iskaal was recently attacked by pirates — these same pirates! — and we have many refugees sheltering with us now.

Elder Atuik says: Our fish catch of late has been modest, and we have many mouths to feed. The hunting trails above are no longer safe for us, as you know.

[Lena]: On account of the undead vrykul skeletons, yeah.

Elder Atuik says: Would you be willing to hunt a few of the shoveltusks on the islands here and bring us their meat?

[Lena]: Shoveltusks? Well, sure, we did that for Westguard, too.

[Ben]: Oh, sure. That's no problem, yeah. We are shoveltusk pros.

Elder Atuik says: … Excellent. We would be in your debt.

Elder Atuik bows to the pair.

Ben bows before Elder Atuik.

Lena bows before Elder Atuik.

[Ben]: Okay. Shouldn't be hard.

[Lena]: Think I ought to call out a demon?

[Ben]: Outside the village, maybe? Though I reckon we can handle some shoveltusks.

They watch a nearby pack of worgs maul a pair of shoveltusks to death.

[Ben]: … if the worgs don't get 'em all first.

[Lena]: You talked to Rae at all since yesterday?

[Ben]: I have not. But I am goin' to. Ain't sure if she's avoidin' me or just kind of holed up as usual.

[Ben]: Hard to tell with her sometimes. She does keep herself to herself, mostly.

Ben glances over.

[Ben]: You gonna talk to her?

[Lena]: I'm a bit worried about… well, maybe she thinks I'm not trustworthy anymore. After all the dormant vrykul stuff.

[Lena]: I tried to explain, but I think it just made it sound more awful.

[Ben]: Yeah. I mean, if I'm honest, I can see both sides of it, you know?

[Lena]: But on one side of it our people are getting sacrificed.

[Ben]: Yeah. Them fellows did not do nothin'. Yet. But also, they can't be woke up without killin' our fellows.

Lena nods.

[Ben]: And if we solve the thing by freein' all the prisoners or killin' all the necromancers, like Rae said, then they just ain't gonna wake up anyhow.

[Lena]: We didn't actually kill them asleep. We just woke 'em without sacrifices.

[Ben]: Yeah. Which, you know. Kind of only showed that you can't wake 'em without sacrifices.

[Lena]: I don't know if I ought to talk about it, or just let things go.

[Ben]: That's up to you, I guess. You are her friend, so.

[Lena]: You're going to, right?

[Ben]: I will hate for her not to trust me on account of it. So yeah. I had better. Because trustin' me is I think what keeps her together an' safe with us sometimes. If she don't trust no one, she gets reckless.

[Lena]: I don't know, I just feel like I got all the rationalizations. But maybe the heart of it is just if something threatens me and mine I'm not gonna give it quarter.

[Ben]: I mean, maybe she will understand that, if you talk it over with her. Y'all are both tough as hell, survivin' types.

[Ben]: Sometimes I am surprise by how hard she can be, an' then other times she is suddenly real soft-heart and I don't always know which side of the coin is gonna land up.

[Lena]: Maybe my coin will always turn up selfish.

[Ben]: That how you figure yourself? Selfish?

[Lena]: Well, yeah? I got my flaws, same as everybody else.

[Ben]: Sure, same as everyone. But why's “selfish” one? Don't reckon you'd be out doin' this kind of work with Cobalt if you was selfish.

[Lena]: You know May, she wants to be a warlock to fight for the Alliance, save the world, all that?

[Ben]: Yeah?

Ben smiles a little, fondly.

[Lena]: And you know I went into it to keep myself safe and make some money. So. Selfish. *Lena shrugs.*

[Ben]: Yeah, but. You are fightin' for the Alliance an' the world. So.

[Lena]: Yeah. I did ask her if I could borrow her dream. It's a good one.

[Ben]: You got to look at what a person does an' not what all goes on in his head. Or else I am f*cked.

Lena laughs. "I'd ask what you got going on in your head, but maybe a girl shouldn't."

Ben nods solemnly. "Maybe she should not."

[Ben]: But also I ain't out here tryin' to act how I think all the time, you know?

[Ben]: An' that's what is the important part I reckon. I hope.

[Lena]: Maybe so.

[Ben]: You can't always not think sh*t. But you can decide what you are or ain't gonna do.

[Ben]: These shoveltusks is scrawny as hell. Worgs must be overrunnin' 'em.

[Lena]: Hope we get enough for the Tuskarrs.

[Ben]: Yeah.

[Lena]: Part of it might be what I do, too, though. I did not kill any of those vrykul, but I would have. Even if it didn't take sacrifices to wake 'em.

[Ben]: But not just cos you saw 'em pass on the other side of the street. Because they been harpoonin' and torturin' and killin' ours. Yeah?

[Lena]: Yeah.

[Ben]: If you never saw what we saw down to Valgarde an' just met one hangin' out in Elwynn or somethin', you might've been like 'What the hell?' but you wouldn't just kill him.

[Ben]: So.

[Lena]: I s'pose you're right. I wouldn't kill them just for being different.

[Ben]: You wouldn't. It is a war mindset. And you don't got to be a fan of wars, but it makes sense, you know?

[Ben]: And you ain't just killin' 'em for you, you are doin' it for our people up here.

[Lena]: As kind as I can be without being cruel to my people.

[Ben]: Yeah. An' I mean, maybe a war mindset ain't always the best, but… I dunno.

[Ben]: Sometimes the world ain't leave a person a lot of room for another way.

[Lena]: Yeah, guess not.

[Ben]: … you reckon we got enough meat?

They head back to the village.

[Ben]: Maybe I'm rationalizin' too, I dunno. I am pretty full of sh*t sometimes.

Ben shrugs.

Lena shrugs back.

Lena waves at Atuik. "Got you a big bag of meat!"

Elder Atuik says: Ah! I thank you, friends. My people are in a time of great need.

[Lena]: I see that, yeah.

Elder Atuik says: If I may ask a more dire task of you?

Elder Atuik blinks rheumy eyes at the pair.

[Lena]: More dire? I mean, you can ask.

Elder Atuik says: Sometimes there is a need for nurturing, as in collecting meat to feed the impoverished — though even that work contains a kind of violence. But sometimes as well, there is a time to fight.

Elder Atuik says: We will need to craft new weapons to protect our people here from the same fate as Iskaal. Will you collect chimera horns that we might use as spearheads?

[Lena]: That, I understand, *Lena says quietly, glancing at Ben.*

Ben glances at Lena and back to Atuik. He nods.

[Ben]: We'll get 'em for you.

Lena nods.

Ben bows before Elder Atuik.

[Lena]: Even these people, though a lot of 'em look so peaceful.

[Ben]: Yeah.

[Ben]: Funny how sh*t comes up when it is on your mind sometimes, you know?

Ben points at a Frostwing Chimaera.

[Lena]: It's like how you learn a word, and then it seems like everybody and their brother is using it at you.

Ben laughs. "Yeah. Yeah, just like that."

[Lena]: It's a nice little island, though. Little bit of beach, little bit of mountain.

[Ben]: Way the hell too much snow.

[Lena]: If only it got warm sometimes.

Lena nods vigorously.

[Ben]: Y'all got snow up to where you was from?

[Lena]: Oh yeah, it got snowy in winters. I got spoiled for warmth since then. What about Westfall?

Ben makes a 'tch' sound. "Snowed maybe three whole times in my life."

[Lena]: Was it enough to make snow angels in?

[Ben]: Snow angels?

Lena falls back in the snow and waves her arms and legs.

Ben lunges to grab her as she falls and then brings himself up short when he sees it was deliberate. He stares at her flailing.

Lena clambers back up, dusting snow out of her hair, and points at the imprint.

Ben stares at the imprint.

[Ben]: Uh.

[Lena]: Snow angel.

Ben squints at it. His expression clears. "Oh, yeah! I see it now."

Lena brushes more snow off her shoulders and giggles. "Okay, maybe I didn't notice the cold after when I was a kid."

[Ben]: … you tellin' me y'all fall down in the snow on purpose just to make a print in it?

[Lena]: When you say it like that it sounds pretty silly.

Ben laughs.

[Ben]: We never got enough to do that kind of thing, I guess. Not more'n maybe a fingertip worth.

[Lena]: Oof, you wouldn't want to fall back in that.

[Ben]: Last time it happened, actually, was on my birthday. Twenty-second one.

[Lena]: Specially for you!

[Ben]: Just a few months before I come up to join Cobalt.

[Ben]: If it was specially for me, someone got the wrong idea about me.

Ben shivers.

[Ben]: … was a good time, though.

Lena laughs.

[Lena]: When I was twenty-two… I was still in Theramore.

[Ben]: I was in the militia, down there. An' actually I peeled a lot of potatoes that afternoon on account of kickin' sh*t out of a fellow who put snow down back of my shirt.

[Ben]: But after that it was a good time.

[Lena]: Peelin' potatoes is honest work. And you hopefully get to eat potatoes after. *Lena grins.*

Ben nods solemnly again. "Nothin' wrong with a potato."

[Lena]: I haven't really done anything for my birthday since before I left home.

[Ben]: I mean it wasn't nothin' special we was doin' for my birthday. First time I ever did anythin' was… maybe the one before this? Mizmainy got me a present.

[Lena]: Aw, that's sweet. What'd she get you?

Ben says a thing.

Because inkie could not remember.

Lena smiles fondly at him about the thing.

[Ben]: When is your birthday?

Lena tells him the date.

Because Alli could not remember.

[Ben]: Aw. That's a nice season.

[Ben]: Reckon we got enough of these?

[Lena]: Reckon so. They probably don't need too many.

They head back to the village with a bunch of chimera horns.

Ben bows before Elder Atuik.

Ben holds up a sack of chimera horns. "We brung you some."

[Lena]: They're plenty sharp.

Elder Atuik says: Ahhh. You continue to prove your worth as allies. Your actions will not be forgotten.

Elder Atuik says: A final favor, if I may ask it?

Lena gives him a friendly smile. "Sure, ask away."

Elder Atuik says: I would not, ordinarily, but it is a grievous task indeed.

[Lena]: I'm all ears.

Elder Atuik says: The pirate slavers that raided Iskaal have lost their minds and slaughtered all of their captives. My people, those who did not escape.

[Ben]: Oh, sir. I am — sh*t, I'm sorry. We can —

[Lena]: They're… they what? That's terrible!

Elder Atuik nods heavily, his whiskers rustling. His small, clouded eyes are glassy.

Elder Atuik says: I would ask you to go to Iskaal, to the east, and put down these madmen.

Ben looks at Lena.

[Lena]: We can take 'em out, right Ben?

[Ben]: Yes we can.

[Ben]: Our specialty. We're on it, sir.

Elder Atuik says: I thank you, friends.

Lena bows before Elder Atuik.

[Ben]: Gone mad? What the hell?

[Lena]: They are not even being proper slavers.

[Lena]: That'd already be bad enough, but…

[Ben]: Yeah I mean I ain't inclined to treat with a “proper” slaver, if it's such a thing, but….

[Lena]: At least there'd be people to rescue.

They reach the pirate encampment on the eastern shore.

Ben watches the pirates pace the camp in aimless, restless furor.

[Ben]: What's got into 'em?

[Lena]: I don't know. Not even going on their own particular brand of evil.

They set to pirate murderin’.

[Ben]: … you hear anything? You reckon it's like the dwarves?

[Ben]: I ain't hear nothin'. Yet.

[Lena]: Nothing yet. And… it could be, but I don't see any ore.

Still with the pirate murderin’.

[Lena]: Wait… did that fella toss our ore off the cliff?

[Ben]: … uhhh.

[Lena]: This is off the cliff…

Ben winces.

[Ben]: I told him to. But, I mean. I meant back into the damn quarry.

[Ben]: Not into the sea.

[Lena]: We can ask, when we get back?

[Ben]: Or what about —

[Ben]: The ghosts.

[Ben]: They was sayin' all kinds of curses for disturbin' their relics.

[Lena]: Oh, you think it might be a ghost curse? *Lena looks oddly hopeful about the ghost curses.*

[Ben]: If these fellows was in on it…?

Ben sounds oddly hopeful too.

[Lena]: That could be it, yeah.

[Ben]: But yeah I will check with 'em at the keep.

[Lena]: I bet they threw it in the gulch. They probably did.

[Ben]: I thought I was pretty clear on it, but.

Lotta pirates murdered. They head back to the village, neither voicing their secret hope for a burial-ground-curse kind of situation rather than a discarded-ore-of-madness situation.

[Ben]: Sir. We have done for the slavers.

[Lena]: Those ones will not be killing any more people.

Elder Atuik bows low, wearily. He blinks at the pair of humans. "You are formidable friends, Cobalt Company. My people will be forever in your debt."

[Ben]: We are happy to help, sir.

Ben bows before Elder Atuik.

Lena bows before Elder Atuik.

[Lena]: Yes, happy to help.

[Ben]: Reckon I am, uh. Gonna head back to the keep an' check on that ore situation.

[Lena]: Reckon they'll have the plan up for the other pirates soon.

[Ben]: Yeah.

[Lena]: Yeah, probably a good idea.

[Ben]: I will keep an ear out.

[Lena]: See you later, Ben.