Submerge

After his encounter with the priestess, he had to get off the island for a while. Not because he feared repercussions, but because he needed a goddamn break. Besides, there was nothing much he could do now that would be useful for his cause. For a while he had to lay low and let the story spread throughout Sunfall. Let them worry and feel hunted. In the end, they would start making mistakes and that’s when he would strike again. And he would not rest until the last one of them was either dead or forced to hide somewhere far away. But he had to take it slow. In the meantime he might as well enjoy what he already accomplished.

So naturally he returned to Brightwater Keep, where it seemed like a lot had changed in the time he had been away. Even though he knew the streets like the back of his hand, he had a feeling the whole environment had been messed up. Or he simply got some memory issues. Either way, he wasn’t quite sure if he had ever set foot in this bar. It wasn’t particularly crowded, but he made sure to let his gaze go over every face he could find. His hand went visibly to the handle of his sword. He wasn’t here to cause trouble, but if trouble were to find him, he would react accordingly. After a few seconds, he marched over to the bar, leaning on it with one elbow as he waited for a server to turn up and fix him some well deserved booze.

&Annalise Marshall

Even though he was in Rhoynar, and people were used to carrying their weapons visibly, he made sure to have some surprises stacked on his body as well. No one would tell him to leave his sword or harpoon on his ship, but in case someone would steal it from him, he kept some extra weapons hidden beneath his clothes. If anyone dared to attack him, he would be sure to fight tooth and nail to make them regret their decision. It wasn’t like he looked like easy prey though. But it was also his pride that made him act this way. Hard-earned confidence. Probably what would kill him one day, but as long as he could help it, that day would not come soon.

No, there was still a lot of things he needed to realise before he left this world to join his God in the next. The man worked hard. But every hard-working individual deserved a break sometimes. That’s how he had ended up in this unknown (to him) bar. They were sure quick in here. The woman that came up to him caught his attention, in an unexpected way. White bandages covered her wrist, which made him wonder what had happened before he had entered through the doors. “Can I help you?” She asked, forcing a smile around her lips. ”What’s the strongest liquor you have?” He returned the question. Probably some type of rum. But he wanted to hear what she had to offer.

Brightwater Keep sure was a whole event by itself. So different from Sunfall. Way more chaotic, but at least there were no obnoxious priests parading around, covered in gold. Which was sure a positive trait to him. He would take this over Sunfall any day, even if it meant he had to be more on guard. Probably, when he returned to Sunfall, he would have to pay more attention to his environment as well. He had made enemies, for sure. But that had been his intention. His plan could only work if those heathens declared a ‘war’ on the Drowned God. And he would do whatever it takes for them to take the first public step.

For now he had to be patient, and wait. Not his forte. Liquor would make it easier though. But she advised him not to take the strongest one out of their assortment. ”Regret it huh? I’ll take your word for it. Some whiskey sounds good”, He said, with a little smile around his lips. Fair, he wasn’t the one to make friends easily. But if he knew one thing, it was to stay on the good side of a waitress. God only knew what she could pour into his cup if she decided she couldn’t stand his presence in her bar.

It didn’t really matter what he was drinking anyways. He just wanted to be around his own kind for a while. Pirates, criminals, thieves, murderers, the real scum of Rhoynar. He might as well have gone to Seere, but there was no place like Brightwater Keep. The fact that he associated with these kinds of people, was no insult to him in any way at all. If anything, his God encouraged his followers to be exactly that. The waitress put his glass down, and he picked it up to take a sip. “So, you’re from around here?” She asked, while picking at the bandage. ”Aye, I grew up on these streets”, He answered her question. ”It’s been a while since I’ve been here though”, He continued.

With a sigh, the blonde finally poured a drink for herself. She looked exhausted, but not in a tired way. More done with the whole day. A feeling that was familiar to him. ”Rough day?” He therefore asked. Hopefully not something a drink couldn’t fix.

It was nice to talk to someone that wasn’t a crew member once in a while too. He was so used to them respecting and fearing him a little bit, that he never really tried to connect with the most of them. Just to keep his reputation strong. If they feared him, they would never try to overthrow or betray him. He would like to keep it that way. So this was a welcome change of environment for him. After all those stressful days on Sunfall, Brightwater Keep seemed like a holiday. “I guess it’s not the best place in the world, but it has its charms,” She replied to his words, and he chuckled amused. ”There’s worse places too though, for sure”, He said, nipping from the liquor she had picked out for him.

Her choice of words was remarkable. He paid more attention to how she was saying it, than to what exactly she was telling him. ”I guess it must be hard to avoid those when you work in a bar”, He joked. Casually he circled his glass around, moving the gold liquor around before taking another ship. ”So, you often go on little trips to the beach with your drunk customers or”, He said, cocking his head slightly to the right. Her choice of words surely had made him curious..

It appeared that he had picked the right bar to enjoy his day off. Something about her had sparked his interest, and he started paying more attention to her than he already was. Even though she was not at all the most impressive figure here, he felt like she knew how to take care of certain things. The bandage around her hand was probably proof of what she was capable of. He was curious, so he decided to steer this conversation in the right direction a bit. She didn’t immediately show her cards though. “Sometimes they need to get some fresh seawater in their face, don’t you think?” She replied, with an innocent smile around her lips.

”I agree”, He said, pulling the corner of his mouth up in his signature smirk. The captain took another sip from the gold liquid before focussing his bright amber eyes back on her. ”If they are lucky, they will feel reborn afterwards”, He mentioned, slightly hinting at how a priest of the Drowned God would baptise a novice. If she caught on, he would be fairly sure.. He was dealing with a woman who shared his faith.

Of course he had heard about the days where the ironborn ruled these waters in the name of the Drowned God. Now, unfortunately, the islands were poisoned with disbelievers or even worse, people who practised another faith. Times were prosperous and the true ways were being forgotten. People had settled for a more peaceful life, which had made them lazy. It would never be how he would want to live. There was nothing more satisfying than going out at sea and plunder other ships for gold and fame. One of his goals was to make his colours the most feared of all. Where other captains would know better than to resist or run from him, giving up even before the battle had truly started.

And his God would support him, he was sure of it. For now, He had put this woman on his path. A sign that He was still looking out for him. “A man of good faith, I see,” She replied to his comment, confirming his suspicions. “Those are rare to come by these days,” She noted, and he nodded slowly. ”It’s a shame”, He said with a soft sigh. ”It seems like people have forgotten who we truly are”, He continued. They all took it for granted. And they were wrong.