Headed by a Snake

Captain Krysaos gave Stickyfingers a nod.

"Open 'em up, boys." Stickyfingers waved to the other Looter Boys, "Let's show da Cap'n da gifts we'z borrowin'."

Most of the bags were bloody and sticky, and some still a bit wriggly. They were filled with skinned crocodilian hides to leather up later... fattened leeches that'd make tasty snacks... and a great deal of big, fist-sized, clear-shelled eggs that weren't going to be born anytime soon.

Or at all, really.

"What the HELLS are those?!" Krysaos pointed.

"They're... eggs," Imperia grimaced.

Krysaos gestured to Stickyfingers. The Captain didn't say anything besides-- he just knew which of the Boys had all the answers. The Captain was real smart-- smarter than even Bob. It's why he was the Captain.

"We'z followed da villagers, "Stickyingers explained. "Dey'z was doin' sum sort'a ritual. So we... grabbed everyfing while dey'z was lookin' de uvver way."

"The sacrifice..." Willow whispered.

Everyone turned to her. It sounded like what she had to say was important-- not like when Wonderboy talked. Nothing Wonderboy said was important.

"Go on, Sister," Imperia urged. "The Corralidae are our allies. They can be trusted... unlike--"

"--Unlike me," Krysaos interrupted. "Right. We get it. Go ahead, kid."

"O-okay," Willow nodded... and she took a deep breath, trying not to cry or whatever humies do when they take deep breaths and their fleshy lips wiggle like worms. "They take members of the village and sacrifice them to earn the favor of the Sea God."

"Ya don't say..." Krysaos rubbed his chin... while the elf glared at him, for whatever reason.

Stickyfingers continued, "We took a buncha da eggs dey'z were guardin'. They'z got plenty of 'em, so we didn't fink it was any harm."

"Ah told 'em not to take too many--" Bob bellowed, "not enuff ta be no-'iced."

"Hm," Krysaos twisted his lips, "You boys did good."

"Y'HEAR 'AT??" Bob grinned, "We did GOOD, BOYZ!!"

"YEAH!!" "YEAHHH!!" "WE'Z DID GOOD!"

"--but not good enough," Krysaos frowned.

"BOYZ!! You'z all SUCK!" Bob scowled, "I'z gonna KEELHAUL e'rry last one of ya's!!"

"WAHHH!" "NOOOOO!!!"

"I wuz just keelhauled last WEEK!!" Wonderboy cried.

"Yeah, belay that order," The Captain rolled his eyes.

"What are we going to do, Krysaos?" Imperia asked. "These eggs... the villagers... kidnapping Willow-- whatever they're doing, it isn't right."

"Don't worry, girlie," The Captain adjusted his huge, official-looking hat. "The villagers are allied to the sea god. That means we go to wherever the Boys found those eggs and bleed 'em for everything they're worth. You good for that, Stickyfingers?"

"Eh hehehe," Stickyfingers grinned. "At's wot we do best. Just give us da word, Cat'n."

Wonderboy raised his hand high up in the air.

Krysoas pursed his lips... "WhaaaAAt?"

"Cap'n?"

"Spit it out, Wonderboy."

"Should... should we'z be worried about da li'ul humie dey took?"

The little humie child, Willow-- her eyes got real big and she nearly dropped her axe. It was real good she didn't, because that would have got her keelhauled by the Bosun's orders.

"Sprig?! They took MY BROTHER??!"

"Ya don't say?" Imperia sneered. "My, look at the time. Has it been four weeks already? Did you hear that, *Captain* Krysaos?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Krysaos rolled his eyes, "Bob... take it from here."

"BOYZ!!!!" Bob pounded his fist against his wooden chestplate, calling the Coral Boys to attention, "DA LIZARD PEOPLES TOOK ONE OF OURRRRS!!!!"

"Say it ain't so!!" Catshit shouted.

"SAY IT AIN'T SOO!!!" "Say it ain't soooo?!?!"

"S-say it... it ain't so," Willow sniffed.

"Lizard peoples?" Krysaos raised an eyebrow.

"...Oh. Eggs. Right," Imperia pouted. "Gods, I feel so stupid for not realizing it sooner."

"As stupid as you look?"

"Shut up, filth."

"Da LIZARD BOYZ..." Bob seethed, "Dey FINK... dey DaaaaaAAARE to F*CK WIV US!!"

"SAY IT AIN'T SO!!!" "How DARE DOSE SCALY FINGS!!"

"Ehehe..." Stickyfingers chuckled as he nudged Willow, "No one f*cks wiv da Coral Boy Marines."

Willow's eyes brightened, "M-marines? We're... we're Marines?"

"Aye," Stickyfingers whispered. "No boy, girlie, or snotling left behind, eh? Quit wettin' yer face, li'ul one. We'll loot yer bruvver back."

It was more flapping his jaw than Stickyfingers usually kept to... but if it came to lootin' anything, alive or not really, there was no Coral Boy in the crew-- maybe even in the whole Sea Wolf fleet that was better than he was.

"'Opefully in one piece," Catshit added.

"SHUT YER FUGGIN' GOBS!!" Bob roared-- and he pointed his actual weapon, the biggest, and scariest, and most impressive looking axe that any Coral Boy had. "We'z got MURDERIN' TA DO!!!"

He stared down at the tiniest, littlest crewmember, "You should know 'ow this goes, girlie. So say it loud, or I'll cut off yer li'ul legs and feed 'em to da toofbirds."

"...A... aye aye," She nodded.

"BOYYYZZZZZ!! TO DA 'ATCHERIES!!! BLOOOOOODD!!! ANNNNND 'FUNNNNDERRRRRR!!!!"

"""""VICTORY AT SEAAAAAAAAAAAAA"""""

...

⟬ Thorne Hatchery, mid-sun. ⟭

"Oooh!" Iyuri hopped around in glee, "Everyone's dead! Something big and scary must've come by!"

"Indeed," Tycon nodded... "But please, Princess... I'd like you to act with more... seriousness, if you would."

Tycon wished he'd bound Iyuri's bosom tighter. At the time, he chose not to as he did not wish to cause her discomfort. The drawback was that her natural movements still had a distracting sway to them.

As he was not attracted to her in the least, the sway appended to her natural movements, he found to be annoying.

He casually observed the carnage in the cavern hatchery.

A few villager corpses lied about... their heritage far more obvious than that of Elder Thorne. Scales covered parts of their humanoid arms and underneath their torn clothing. Their unbroken teeth were spiked and pointed and many had eyes with yellowed sclera.

Their eggs-- all broken, their life essence spilled into the shallow waters.

"Did you do this, Tycon?" Iyuri asked with hopeful eyes, "You're big and scary! Well-- small and scary?"

"Again, young lady, I assure you that my size is quite normal for my species," Tycon frowned. "And no, I was not directly responsible for this."

He had been accompanying Iyuri for the past several bells. How she got to that conclusion was beyond him, "--but I can make an educated guess to the party responsible."

From the broken and discarded weaponry... Tycon recognized the handiwork of his fellow crewmen, the Coral Boys.

Also to drive the point, crude etchings of male genitalia had been scrawled onto the cavern walls.

From some of the lingering magic damage on the various surfaces, it seemed that Krysaos had summoned Mina, the Heart of the Ocean, to assist with the battle.

...Imperia was not nearly as well-versed in water magic, nor did she have the ability to mana-create swords of rending water capable of shaving off stone so smoothly.

Tycon turned and looked over the black-and-blue haired Iyuri who was trying her best to keep still and 'serious.'

"Would you say you are... pure of heart, young lady?"

"Nope!" Iyuri grinned, "I think about killing humans all the time! I'm super evil!"

"Evil persons don't... admit to their evil...ness," Tycon frowned.

"They... they don't?"

She'd probably be fine.

Tycon patted her head with affection, "Grant me a favor, Princess, and release your aura outward for a moment."

"Um. Alright?"

...Ah. Tycon felt foolish. Iyuri was still young. It was not surprising that she did not know how to--

Iyuri thrust her hands out to her sides, "Hear me, spirits of water! I command and you ⌈Obey!⌋"

Tycon snatched his Officer's cap before the pulse of bright blue energy sent it flying away. Iyuri's affinity with water mana was quite high. If they were to fight seriously, he would not have had as much of an advantage as he had originally estimated.

That amount of mana would do, for his purposes.

He flicked his wrist... and drew a quick spell circle in the air to amplify his message... "⌈Heart of the Ocean,⌋ to my side."

The Sea Serpent Princess' mana began to gather... slowly growing more clear. In a burst of white, a purple-haired mermaid appeared, her hands solemnly folded in front of her chest.

"Hark, heroes, for I am the Heart of the Ocean, summoned by one pure of h-- huUUuh?"

She blinked her eyes.

"S-sir Tychon? Did you just-- wha? Huh?"

Her surprise was warranted.

The Weapon Spirit had wholeheartedly-- but mistakenly believed that Krysaos was her wielder. While she appeared at his side when requested, he had no special ability to command her. In actuality, Tycon was the person responsible for drawing the Heart of the Ocean. Thus, he could summon her... with enough water-type mana.

Granted, Tycon had no wish to soulbind the weapon to himself. It was far more useful in Krysaos' hands than his.

Based on their relationship, the gentleman-Captain would soulbind with his weapon in time. Until then, it was useful for Tycon to be able to summon an Iron-Rank Sea Witch on a whim.

...Even if he only planned on utilizing her to provide information and deliver messages.

",