MEANWHILE!

A cloudy sky grays the normally lush and colorful island creating a malaise that flows through the small settlement. A few people are relaxing on the beach letting the waves wash over their bare feet. A gull flies to a window of the largest building at the peak of a small mountain. A hybrid human shark is shedding tears whilst humans and a few dwarfs surround him as a human woman stands away from the rest next to the window the gull is sitting on.

“Thank you guys so much!” The shark man wipes an eye “I thought you would-” He sniffles “You would’ve voted me out after our last failed raid.”

“We love you captain!” The closest crew members hug him “We’ve been getting real rich besides that one mess up!”

“Silence your crew Fernando.” The woman sneers at the shark captain “They are too loud.”

“I know you’re a grump Emilia but even you have to understand-” Emilia glares as she is now holding the gull and walking out of the room “We-we’ll try to keep it down.”

Emilia steps into a small empty room.

“You are to head to Deru.” A deep voice rumbles from the gull “There have been rumors of two oni rampaging through the region. I want you to go and see if you can hire them.”

“Of course sir.”

“Fernando will go with you for backup.” The gull flutters its wings.

“Yes sir.” The woman bites her lip in frustration.

The gull squawks at the woman. She grabs the bird and sets it on her shoulder as she steps out of the small room back into the large meeting room.

“What’s the next plan captain?” A red headed dwarf woman looks at a map on the large table pointing at a few islands “I hear the Coralbeards are trying to expand around here.”

“We’re heading to Deru.” Emilia interrupts as the gull flies out the window.

“You gonna clue us in on why?” A blue male oni glares at the woman “Last I checked you ain’t-” Fernando puts a hand in front of the oni “But captain.”

“Immediately?” Fernando’s voice is more subdued than normal.

“Immediately.” Emilia nods.

-- -- --

Despite the distance from the pirate’s hideout, the voyage to Deru was oddly uneventful. The sun is high in the sky reflecting against the waves as the large ship gently rocks while Fernando and his crew are up the deck.

“Well enjoy your trip.” The captain waves at Emilia.

“You are to come with me.” Emilia’s voice is cold and agitated as she crosses her arms.

“You expect me to just leave my crew behind!?”

“Orders are orders.” Emilia’s glare bores through the shark man.

“Alright men,” The captain looks at his crew “I’ll be on land for who knows how long.” He hops off the deck and lands in the water “Keep her safe while I’m gone.”

“You could have just walked off.” The woman sighs with a facepalm as Fernando leaps onto shore.

“You’re not my boss!” The shark barks sounding more like a petulant teen than a ferocious pirate.

-- -- --

The sun is hanging low as one moon is rising in the sky. The palisade walls of a small hamlet are visible on the horizon. The misfit pair stops at the top of a small hill overlooking the settlement.

“Unfortunately we will have to stop for the night.” Emilia sighs as she wipes her brow.

“At least there’s a river.” Fernando looks at the thin body of water flowing past the walls.

“You are a salt water shark.”

“Yes, but it’s still water.” The pirate side eyes the woman who simply rolls her eyes in response.

“Wear this.” Emilia removes her cloak and tosses it to the man “Want to avoid what happened last time.”

With only a groan Fernando quickly puts the article of clothing over his shoulders and raises the hood over his head.

They quickly make their way to the walled hamlet gate. A muscular human raises an adze with a long haft at them attempting to stop them from entering.

“What do you want?”

“Shelter for the night.” Emilia remains constrained while Fernando nearly doubles over trying to contain his laughter before his traveling companion stomps his foot.

“And how could we know you don’t help them onis!?” The guard thrusts the tool slightly towards the duo.

“Oh leave them be Miguel!”

“Why!?” Miguel turns around to look at an old woman “For all we know they could be working with them onis!”

“Why would they ask for shelter at night when that’s when them savages attack?” The old woman gives Miguel a look of parental annoyance as her hands rest on her hips.

“Welcome.” Manuel sighs in defeat with an outstretched arm. Emilia and Fernando step into the small settlement.

“We don’t have much in accommodations.” The old woman puts a hand around one of each of the travelers’ shoulders “But we do wanna help how we can.”

“That is alright.”

“Got any grub?” Fernando slurps up a bit of saliva as Emilia rolls her eyes.

“We got a whole deer so plenty of meat to go around.” The old woman leads the pair to a building in the center of the hamlet “Got very blessed by Gentira it seems.”

“Been a long time since I had deer.” Fernando slurps up a bit of saliva again.

The central building is larger than the rest of the buildings in the hamlet but still smaller than the pirates’ own meeting room. The building is filled with a small group of humans sitting around the large campfire in the center of the room. While it is not very full the sound and atmosphere would tell otherwise.

“We have two guests tonight!” The old woman smiles at the sitting group.

“Really?” A man asks above the noise as the group get up and crowd around Emilia and Fernando.

“Where are you from?”

“What brings you all the way out here?”

“Are you staying only tonight?”

“Stop.” Emilia’s voice carries over everyone killing the voices and atmosphere.

“Sorry about her.” Fernando chuckles “He he, we’ve just been traveling all day and quite hungry so she’s just very frustrated.”

Most of the people begin to laugh and bring the guests to a pair of seats. The hamlet dwellers continue asking frivolous questions of the newcomers until the meal is finally ready.

“Goo’ d’r.” Fernando scarfs down his meal with gusto.

“Someone can eat!” A younger man pats the pirate on the back.

“Thank you for letting us stay.” Emilia takes small bites of the deer.

“Oh think nothing of it dear! Ha!” The old woman from before laughs. She takes a bite of deer “We have to look out for each other, it’s dangerous out there.”

-- -- --

“The onis are here!”

Emilia is awoken by the smell of smoke. She quickly rises from the small bed and kicks Fernando awake.

“Well this is rather bothersome.” Emilia groans with a huff. Fernando grumbles unintelligibly as he gets up.

“Fwa ha ha!” A massive blue oni towers over the small old woman that greeted the pair earlier “You’ve got a warrior’s spirit being able to stand in my way!” He points his tsurugi at her “I can appreciate that!”

“Why would you do this to us!? We only live here!”

“Fwa ha!” The oni raises the sword up “Why?” He slices the woman across her torso “Because we can.”

Emilia and Fernando step out of a small building nearby and are quickly spotted by the creature.

“More of you?” The oni grins at them, the expression full of malice and joy.

“LEAVE!” Emilia’s voice carries over the din of the massacre.

Without any argument, the oni walks away from the ruined hamlet.

“Why was I brought along?” Fernando groans wearily.

Emilia turns to her companion before he grabs her and dives to the ground. They narrowly dodge the large blade of a tsurugi.

“What did you do to him!?” A red oni woman stands over the pair and raises her weapon.

“LEAVE!”

The oni does as her fellow oni did and walks away. After a moment the pair get up to their feet.

“Quite troublesome.”