Chapter 3: Dark Alleys

Captain Jos Blackfyre waved as the pudgy asura stepped off the gangplank onto the stone dock. “Okay then, buh-bye now. Buh-bye.”

“Seriously, Captain?” Nexx said from beside her. “Is it fundamentally imperative that you antagonize the Councillor further?”

“Further? You don’t know that I antagonized him. Were you listening through the door?”

“Eh...no.”

“Uh-huh.” Jos looked down at her physically diminutive First Mate. She studied him, but he never took his gaze off the departing Councillor.

She shrugged. “And no, it’s not necessary. But it is fun. By the way, how’s your nephew doing? I want this trip to go without a hitch. Last thing I need is to get into a fight because Councillor Grint called my crew incompetent.”

As if on cue, a young asuran voice called out. Wood clattered on the deck behind them and a rush of water splashed up the back of Jos’s legs. When she looked back, Nexx’s nephew lay sprawled on the deck, a mop and bucket just a couple feet away. 

Nexx grunted. “Maybe I should just put him out of his misery now.”

The captain watched Councillor Grint head toward the Commodore’s Quarter. As soon as he disappeared around a far corner, she started down the plank to the dock. “Make sure we’re ready to set sail by the time I get back.”

Nexx cleared his throat. “And where might our illustrious captain be galavanting off to now?”

She turned and walked backward a few steps. Jos smirked and tweaked her face in mock confusion. “Uh, to see if there’s any jobs we can do along the route?”

“Interesting.” Nexx’s eyes narrowed. The fact that they were so large only made his skeptical expression more dramatic. “It was my understanding we were to complete this engagement singularly, no?”

Still walking backward, she jabbed a finger at him. “Ah-hah! So you were listening.”

“Of course, I was listening. I had to make certain you didn’t say something inappropriate that we’d all regret. Seriously though, you are not going off for simultaneous contract, right? That’s a significant breach of contract.”

Jos waved him off. “Nah. I just have...er...captainy things to do.” The captain turned and speed-walked away before her first mate could get another word in edgewise. The little asura always had such little faith. She did have to admit that was part of what made them a good team. He did tend to keep her from stepping in it too deep.

The Great Lobster disappeared behind her as she made her way to the Shipment Broker’s office. Along the way, she kept her eyes peeled for any sign of Councillor Grint, just in case he decided not to go straight back to his office. In the distance, hawkers called out and the air was filled with the tick-tick-ticking, bubbling pots and pinging hammers from the crafting pavilion. The smell of roasting meat mixed with the acrid tang of the leather tanning stations wafted on the breeze. Shadows loomed up around her and she passed into the narrow corridor between two of the buildings. 

Her gaze focused on the shadows. Footpads were uncommon in the Commodore's Quarter, but not unheard of. That was why she was surprised when the dark silhouette of a charr appeared at the far end of the corridor.

Jos’s hands slipped to the pistol and sword on her hips as she slowed to a stop.

“Please, Captain. There’s no need for violence.” The voice, which came from behind her, had the unmistakably regal accent of someone who grew up in The Grove.

Turning around, Jos found herself just a few feet away from a well-built sylvari with dark green plumage. Even though the plant-based people didn’t technically have a gender, this one looked decidedly male. The purple feather-leaf on top of his head that looked like hair nearly glowed in the dim passageway. 

A shiver ran down her spine. Her body automatically took up a stance, ready to dodge. On instinct, the warmth of magic filled her chest as she readied to call a phantasm. Her grip tightened on her pistol. “Well, that depends on you.”

A warm, comforting smile crossed his face. He blinked slowly and took a step forward, one hand out in a sign of surrender. “Please, I truly mean that. My name is Gaetan, and I come bearing an offer, not ill will.”

The charr at the other end of the corridor kept his distance.

“Look Ragweed…” She adjusted the grip on her pistol. “Those’re nice words, but cornering me in a dark alley doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.”

Gaetan angled his chin up as he regarded her. “You don’t like me very much, do you?”

“Why would you say that?” It was true. From the second she laid eyes on Gaetan, she had an instant dislike. Of course, she usually felt that way about his kind. Jos tried not to hold it against them, but after everything that happened in the Heart of Maguma, she had very little trust for any sylvari.

He scoffed. “It’s in your eyes. Besides, I’m used to dealing with humans and charr, and even some asura, who just don’t like us. Learning of our true parentage has certainly soured much of the world to my kind.”

“Fine, not really, no. Don’t take it personal, I’m just not fond of dragon minions.”

“I understand.” He gave a gentle nod.

She arched an eyebrow. “Not likely.”

“Fair enough.” Gaetan sighed, his smile vanishing. “My employer would like to commission your services. We understand that you were recently approached by the Arcane Council for a shipment.”

“Maybe.”

“And did you accept their offer?”

Jos straightened her stance but didn’t let go of her weapons. “Maybe.” Despite the cooling breeze and the deep shade between the buildings, a rivulet of sweat trickled down her spine. 

The corner of Gaetan’s mouth turned up. “Excellent. Well, we wanted to let you know that someone is planning to attack your ship on your journey. They will want to steal your cargo.”

Her eyes narrowed, but she let her gun slide back down until it was seated. “And what’s your price for this information?”

“No price.” He chuckled. “Actually, you misunderstand. I’m not really warning you. Rather, my employer wants—when they come for you, and they will—he wants you to surrender willingly.”

Jos barked a laugh. As she shook her head, she snuck a peak back at the other end of the alley. The charr had taken a couple steps forward. “And why would I do that?”

“Well, you’ll be facing overwhelming odds, for one.” Now Gaetan’s smile returned. “But probably more for the gold than anything else.”

That caught Jos’s attention. “What are we talking?”

“Double what the Councillor offered.”

Jos struggled not to show her surprise, but an eyebrow arched before she could stop it. Three hundred gold was a lot of loot, more than she’d ever seen in one sitting. With that kind of money, she could buy a lot of rum. Maybe even a new ship.

The voice of her conscience nagged at her. She wasn’t in the habit of breaking a contract, but if the price was right, all things were on the table. If word got out though, it could damage what little reputation she had. The options swirled in her head. 

Still, if she could play it just right… “I’m listening.”