Enter the Sea Vulture Pirates

WRITER'S NOTE: This is a retrospective of Orisimin Wate in Chapter 20 of "The Fisher-Orc and His Voyage" where him and the Warriors are confronted by pirates. This also happens to be Sean's favorite chapter. Please enjoy the reading.

The female pirate and her crew walked in there like they own the place. Our innkeeper Eban and server Zenia felt rigid, as well as the rest of us warriors.

Lemmy asked Eban, “Who are they again?”

Our innkeeper replied shyly, “They call themselves the Sea Vulture pirates.”

“P-p-pirates!?” shuttered our dwarven companion.

“Yes,” says the innkeeper as he explains it all in a whisper: “And they are the most ruthless and cutlass individuals you will ever meet. They take things that don’t belongto them and they are no better than their counterparts. ”

“There’s another?” asked our elven friend: Arkcon curiously.

“Yes,” said Eban as he continued onto explain: “They are the most kind-hearted and caring individuals anyone has come across. Their crew is called the Sea Otter pirates. Each and everyone of them have a good heart and have better intentions than those buzzards.”

The Sea Vultures sat themselves down in one of the booths without either Eban or Zenia escorting them as they stood by us. I can see the two of them were petrified in fear. Once the pirates had seated themselves, their leader demanded while slamming her fist on the table: “Server, bring us our beer! The usual!”

Zenia, bless her heart, replied with a quick bow: “Certainly.”

Our beloved server went to fetch the beer. As they were waiting, the pirates made themselves at home with one putting his feet on the nearest chairs over, while the other was picking at his nose, as the third took off his shoes which made the place stink, and lastly the leader took out her dagger as she carved onto the table. The warriors and I were of course disgusting by all of this but just sat there, while watching what else was going on around here.

When Zenia came back with the beers on the tray, the first two pirates quickly grabbed the beer off the tray from her without saying a simple thank you or acknowledgement. Zenia then turns around and stands off to the side waiting for them to place an order. But no, instead the Sea Vultures just drank their beer and asked for more. Zenia fetched them another round and when she came back, they still were grabbing their beer without saying any thank you or any form of gratitude. The pirates continue drinking their beer without ordering anything else.

Sonas the honorable knight talks amongst us with a disappointed look, “They’re just a bunch of rude and obnoxious drunks.”

Arkcon whispered as he was disgusted about all of this: “I agree, and they haven’t even ordered anything else besides beer without saying a simple thank you. To each of their own, I guess but still they should show some gratitude. One of them just placed his foot on the table. Disgusting. I may lose my appetite.”

“Maybe they’re not hungry,” said Maren our fairy friend, distraught as much as the rest of us about the pirates’ behavior.

“Maybe so but still, it doesn’t give them the right to be rude and obvious,” mentioned the Knightly King: Terrance with a disappointed look.

“Yeah, my mother would’ve spanked me if she was alive and saw me act like how they were,” said Arkcon thoughtfully out loud.

Something must be done. I stood up from my chair and walked towards the Sea Vultures.

“Orsimin, what are you doing?” asked Lemmy with eyes of concern.

I didn’t answer as I was too focused on going over by the Sea Vultures. Their leader noticed me right away as well as her shipmates. They, along with everyone else in that dining room were witnessing me being courageous. For once, who would have thought.

Once I came over to where the Sea Vultures were, I just stood there giving them a blank stare. I didn't know what to say nor what to do.

The leader responded with an intriguing face, “Yes orc, what is that you want?”

I put my head down but quickly moved it back up, and finally replied boldly: “I just want to greet myself to the Sea Vultures themselves.”

The captain smirks and replies to my bold approach, “How humble of you! Glad to know that we’ve been talked about. What is your name?”

“The name is Orsimin Wate,” I replied a little nervously.

The leader bursted out with an obnoxious laugh before replying back, “Orsimin! Sounds like a good name for a pirate, my lad. Here, take a seat!”

I grabbed one of the chairs to sit down with the Sea Vultures. All the meanwhile my friends watched this unfolds. I bet I look silly.

Once I placed myself with the Sea Vultures, the lady pirate goes on by saying: “Let me introduce myself. The name is Captain Helma, and these are some of my shipmates: Till, Vill, and Mill. We are the Sea Vultures who are cunning and ruthless if things don’t go our way. We’re scavengers who take things, even if they are owed or not. We are rivals to those great and honorable Sea Otters who are nothing but a bunch of do-gooders. But anyways, let’s forget about it. Let’s hear it!”

“Hear about what?” I asked confusingly.

“About you, my lad,” smiled Helma. “Unless you’re a spy of those precious Sea Otters then I’ll advise you to get out of our sight before we kill another one of Pearl’s dearest shipmates,” she even stabbed her dagger deeper into the table as she finished her sentence.

I tried to not look nervous or scared but quickly take a mental breather. That was much needed anyways. I next reassured Helma and her crew by saying, “I can tell you I’m not a spy nor a pirate. I’m just a humble fisher-orc.”

To my answer, Helma responded obnoxiously, “Ahhh, so you know the waters as much as we do.”

“Yes,” I nodded, “You can say that. Back when I was little, I always wanted to be a pirate.” Deep down, I really didn’t. I am just trying to get information about this group.

“Is that so? Tell me, where do you come from Orsimin?” asked Helma curiously.

“I’m from the Capital of Rissindell, madam,” I replied without hesitation as if I had been practicing to answer an pirate's question about my hometown in my life.

“Ahh, the home of the marketplace. My boys and I still have yet to go there. One of these days, we're gonna have to take a trip. We’re just been so busy with these islands and Alladornis.”

“Busy with what?” I asked as my own brows arched.

“I can't say it. Because if I told you, you might not like it,” smirked the Captain of the Sea Vultures. Not only did she make a smirk face, her shipmates did as well.

“Try me. Sorry I mean, please tell me. I would like to know,” I patiently commanded.

Helma gave one of her shipmates Mill a nod, and Mill whispered to my ear ever so softly that no one could hear it. Once I retrieved the news, I was impulsed. I next quickly stood up having my chair fell back from me and replied in horror: “How could you? You are no better than the Dark Wizard!”

My group of friendly yet skilled warriors quickly stood up once they saw me stood up. They quickly rushed by my side to defend me and my back. “What is it, Orsimin?" Terrance asked me right away.

Helma and her shipmates stood up as well. She shakes her head as she then goes, “Now, now Orsimin: don’t go around revealing our little secret.”

Lemmy then asked bravely, “Oh yeah, and what if he does?”

As previously asked, Helma replied while smiling, “Then it is the end for you all.” She and her shipmates took out their weapons.

Our elf then mentioned, “You’re right, Orsimin. She isn’t any better than the Dark Wizard.”

“Don’t compare me to that bastard!” shouted Helma as if we pitched a nerve. “I am Captain Helma of the Sea Vultures and I’m more capable of things without dying.”

“Oh, did you not hear the news?” asked our good pal Lemmy trying to get under Helma’s skin.

“Hear about what exactly?” asked Helma irritatedly.

Terrance replied this time saying: “The Dark Wizard has returned.”

“What? How can this be?” asked the Captain in horror.

“It was I that summoned him…” I replied shyly, regretting I said anything.

“Why would you do that, you idiot!?” asked Helma as she too shouted it.

“I had to in order to save my family,” I said orc as I lowered my head, still feeling the lost.

Helma then says amusingly: “Let me guess: once you did, he ended up killing them after all?”

“Yes…” I replied sadly but honest.

Aforesaid, the Captain shouted: “You’re all insane! You all got a traitor among your crew and you call me a villian?! This is unbelievable. Ha, don’t make me laugh.”

“Newsflash: we know about what Orsimin did and we would have done the same thing if it was us,” replied Terrance standing up for me before I could even put any words out.

“Yeah, and no one here has called you a villain by the way,” mentioned Maren.

“Even still, you all are crazy,” replied Helma with annoyance. “What does Gerlard plan to do?”

“He plans to rule beyond Rissindell,” replied Arkcon.

“So without him ruling your precious country of Risssindell, he’s going after these Islands and the country of Alladornis that me and my crew worked so hard on?” asked the lady pirate with disbelief.

Annoyed myself, I replied without any regret calling out the truth: “If it’s about you trafficking people, then yes.”

“Why you little-” shouted Helma. She then commands: “Till, Vill, and Mill: kill these bastards.”

The warriors and I quickly brought out our weapons as the Sea Vultures charged at us. Each of us held our respected weapons as the pirates each held cutlass swords. Helma meanwhile holds a rapier of black guard and coating along the blade. The rapier even had a golden vulture sigil among the guard. Nice craftsmanship but this wasn't the time.

Mill swung his sword to Maren but Arkcon saved her by standing in front of her encountering it with his dagger. Vill went around Mill and found himself fighting off Lemmy. Till then went to battle against Terrance and Sonas. This then leaves me with Helma. The captain brought herself walking upon the table and came to where I was as I was ready to fight off against her with my harpoon. The two of us were in a sword & harpoon locked of sorts.

A bit nervous, I remained there with a heart of courage.

“How could you do such an inhuman thing?” I asked as I blocked her swung from the rapier she drew.

The Captain of the Sea Vultures then replied: “It’s a way to make a living when you're a pirate. And here I was going to make you an offer.”

I responded curiously: “There are other ways than trafficking. And what kind of offer? I don’t want to buy anyone!”

Helma smirks before saying: “It pays a lot more than anything this world has to offer. But no, I was going to ask you to be part of my crew.”

To what was an offer, I replied while shaking my head: “Well, clearly I don’t see myself doing any of that. I have morals as you know.”

“Morals that might end up killing you,” smiled the Captain.

“Not when I have my friends by my side,” I said proudfully.

“Yeah, friends who are as good as dead,” smiled the Captain of the Sea Vultures.

I then reassured her by saying: “Not when these friends are the Warriors of the Three Kingdoms who once defeated the Dark Wizard.”

“Wait, what?” She then lowered her blade and saw that my five friends have knocked out her crew of triplets unconsciously. The warriors and I were victorious, my friends even disarmed the shipmates, just in case .

Helma looked at us with fear in her eyes. She next quickly withdraws her sword, and turns around 180 from where she stood on the table. The next thing she did was run hightide across the table and crashed through the window breaking it in the process.

'I have a gut feeling that I don't think that's going to the last time we will be seeing her,' I said to myself.