Chapter Text
Ever since her father was killed, Ruby was alone in the world. The last person she had to love and take care of her was now gone as well. After his death, her crew had left her after being keelhauled and the worst part of it all was that she knew exactly who had done it and why. However, she didn’t plan on focusing on him at the moment, because the first thing she was concerned about was making the person responsible for her misery - maybe not intentional - pay. This person had ruined her life and it wasn’t one of those things she was just going to have to get over.
At that moment, the shore of the Stone Isles came into view, the bleak rocks growing bigger and bigger as the ship moved closer to the land. The high towers of the city of Ashkara were hard to miss, where her most trusted informant was usually found.
She had finally arrived, after having to endure drunk sailors and the captain of the ship attempting to flirt with her multiple times in the last couple of days. There was a direct passage into the browsing city from the port, where merchants were loading their supplies on their ships or bringing them to the nearby warehouses.
In the streets she quickly found herself wandering around in, merchants were selling their good to the rich whilst the beggars were holding up their hands for some money or food. Ruby enjoyed walking around, despite the stench of the poor scavenging for food, by trying to steal from the stalls, being everywhere.
She walked past a stall where she used to deliver her own - mostly stolen - goods, a business she had enjoyed for years and which had been her primary source of income before disaster had struck her.
After a long climb through the cobblestone streets and through small alleys, she arrived at the highest point of the town, at the bottom of a tall building, its shadow nearly spreading over the entire street below it. In its shadow stood a tall man, obviously waiting for someone.
“So, what have you got for me, Ace?” Ruby asked while moving closer to the man.
He smirked and held up his hand in a suggestive manner. “You know the drill, Ruby. First, you pay me. Then, I will tell you what you want to know.”
She took out her pouch and threw it in his direction. Ace caught it with ease, pleased with its weight. “Your father was killed by a young man named Kodyr,” he told the girl while he examined the gold inside the pouch, playing with it. “A half-dwarf who’s a member of the Coast Guard. He’s just like any other halfling around here, trying to prove his worth and become more than just an outcast. Obviously, he believes he will achieve that by killing pirates or putting them on trial.”
“Where can I find this man?” Ruby asked with a raised eyebrow, “I know you have eyes and ears everywhere and I refuse to believe not a single one of your own informants know about his whereabouts.”
“You know me so well,” Ace said with a grin, “Why do you still trust me while you seem to know so much about me.”
Ruby shrugged and pointed at the pouch he was holding. “My gold is the only reason you’re still loyal to me. You’re not going to betray me as long as I can still pay you.”
“You’re right about that.” He put the pouch in his long, black coat. He then observed the girl in front of him, his grin widening. “I can get him in the place you would like him to be. An easy, yet distracting job so you can take him even easier.”
“Let me guess, that’s going to cost me extra.”
He shook his head, “You’re one of my most faithful customers, I’m just being nice.”
Ruby scoffed, sceptical about the whole reason for his sudden, uncharacteristic kindness. In the end, she did accept his offer, somehow knowing there was no way someone else had offered him more to betray her. “Can you get him in Magda by the time I arrive there?”
Ace nodded and bowed. “Of course, my lady. Why there, if I may ask?”
She smirked. “You know how it goes there, don’t you? News spreads like wildfire and I do want something to boast about. He supposedly defeated an infamous pirate captain with ease, yet lost to his daughter so easily. I want him to feel what I felt because of his actions. I want him to know what it feels like to be humiliated. I want him to know the loss of pride I’ve experienced.”
“Anything else?”
“Whatever else you’ve got.What is his weakness? I would like to exploit that.”
His grin grew. He did like working with her for different reasons; she had enough gold to spend and unlike many of his other clients, she was determined to use every bit of information he provided. “Do I get anything out of it?”
She took out another pouch and played with it for a while, before putting it back where it belonged. “If people with similar goals and plenty of gold ask how I knew all of it, I will tell them about you and your services. There’s a lot you would do just for more customers and gold.” She winked.
“You’re a clever one, Ruby,” Ace said, gaining her undivided attention. “You’re right, I do enjoy having enough to get by and more. That’s what I like about working with you. You do not share the blind faith that many fools who come here have in me, you are fully aware of the fact that I am not trying to gain people’s trust or friendship. You know I want to see silver and gold before I make a deal.”
“What was that? A speech before you are going to betray me?”
He winked. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
She decided not to think about it for too long and paid attention to him as he started spilling more details on her father’s killer and how he was going to get him in Magda. A wide smile lit up her face as he told her more and more useful information.
Before she could actually board a ship set for Redport, she had to stay the night in Ashkara. As long as the light lasted, she browsed through different stalls for things such as food and other necessities for along the road. She had a great time, enjoying the sun and the dry and warm climate, haggling with the merchants and ultimately getting a good bargain and all kinds of gifts.
That was until she was met with a familiar face right in front of her, a man who grinned like a child who had just received the perfect gift. “If it isn’t the failed pirate,” he started, not even trying to hide his cocky attitude. “Where’s your ship? Or your crew for that matter? Did you really rely on your father so much that only now you realised women are not suitable for a life on the rough seas? You better prepare for a loveless marriage as someone’s whore and housewife.”
She shot him a death glare. “I would pick a fight with you if it wasn’t for the fact that I have more important matters to attend,” she told him through gritted teeth, casually pushing him away from her. “For now, I suggest you take a hike and leave me the hell alone if you know what is good for you.”
“Why would I do that?” he asked her while following her around through the crowded streets, walking fast in order to catch up. He kept tailing her, annoying her to no end. “Why are you walking away from me? Scared to confront me? You’re even more of a coward than I originally thought you to be. I must say, I’m disappointed.”
She quickly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him into an abandoned, small and dark alley, taking out a knife and holding the metal close to his neck. “Choose your words carefully, Royce. Unless you want to end up as one of my trophies hanging on my wall, of course.”
Royce just smirked, his blue eyes revealing nothing but amusement and mockery. “Oh, I have to admit, you are stepping up your game in terms of insults,” he said before he looked at the knife that was held to his throat in an uncomfortable manner, the cold metal a tad too close to his vitals to his liking. “Is that a new one? I bet you’ve never even used it before. I wonder, do you even know how?”
The two of them remained in the same position for a bit longer, before Ruby leaned back without averting her gaze for a second. She played with the knife, examining every feature from time to time with nostalgia. “It was my father’s,” she said, “I’m saving my first bloodshed with this particular weapon for a specific person. Unfortunately for you, you are not worth the honour that comes with it because you are not the one I’m currently after. Actually, you deserve to die by my hands on a rusty, old dagger that has been used to slaughter worthless filth like you.”
“I’m looking forward to our next meeting then,” Royce said before leaving her alone, deciding he had bothered her for long enough that day.
She looked at it while she was fidgeting with it. The handle was black, decorated with golden and red gemstones and the blade itself was made from a valuable and rare black, shiny metal, making it seem as though it was made of glass.
No matter how long she had already it in her possession and no matter how many times she looked at it, she couldn’t help but think of her father every time. The day he had left her behind had seemed like any other day; he would go away and come back after a while, bringing gold and other valuables with him. For a long time, she hadn’t taken it out of its holster, not wanting to think about that day. He had given it to her before he left for good, believing it was more useful to her than it had ever been to him, believing that it was more suitable for her preference for close combat.
Before she knew it, it was already starting to get dark. She decided it was probably wisest to take a shortcut to her favourite inn in the city, hoping to not run into someone she would rather not meet again.
After moving through the shadows and climbing over boxes and fences, she arrived at a charming inn, a piece of timber hanging out with the text ‘The Screeching Siren’ on it.
As soon as she entered, she was greeted by the scent of rum and the welcoming and appealing sound of chatter while the smiling owner walked towards her, gesturing for the girl to hug him. “Long time no see, Gem!” he exclaimed after a brief hug. “Or should I call you Captain Gem now?”
She chuckled. “I wish.”
He leaned against the wooden counter, holding up his drink and offering her one as well. “I thought you wanted to roam the seas for all eternity and never set foot on this wretched land ever again.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Ruby said, “I still have my goods to sell so I can get paid. With the gold I receive I can get information that I need to know in order to know where to seek the next treasure. And of course, I could never live with the knowledge that I will never get to see you again.”
“Ah, the endless cycle of ask and supply,” the owner trailed off with a nod, “All that pressure, it makes me feel so glad that I have been retired for many years now.”
Ruby grinned. “It seems running an inn has proven to be a better business for you than being a pirate ever was. Or so my father said.”
“Now you’re just getting cheeky.” The owner stood up and walked behind the counter. “I take it you want the same room as usual?” He turned his back on her, pouring a drink and offering it to her immediately after.
She nodded and took the cup of rum with pleasure. “I thought you would have forgotten about that by now. It seems to me that you care more about me than you like to admit.”
“Well, what can I say, I missed you. This inn isn’t as lively as it is when you are in it, Ruby. Or your father for that matter. He really knew how to get everyone pumped up for whatever adventure or search he was going to embark on.” He let out a sigh and briefly looked down, a wave of sadness overpowering him. However, his smile soon returned. “I will miss him greatly, but I am sure that you will be just as great as he was.” He winked and added, “Maybe even greater.”
“Thank you.”
“Now, go and take a seat. I will prepare the room for you and make sure this will be the best night you have ever spent here before you go off to do gods-know-what and not enter this place for too long.”
After he walked off, Ruby headed to a nearby table, where a group of men was already sitting and talking about all sorts of things. Obviously, they weren’t too keen about a girl joining them. “This is no place for a fine woman,” one of them said, his breath revealing the fact he was suffering from an overdose of rum. “Why don’t you go back to your husband, pretty?” He stood up and looked down at her, trying to be intimidating as he grinned, revealing his partially rotten teeth. “Boys, we’ve got a nasty one here. Are you here to sweep other men off their feet and cheat on him?”
She maintained her prideful posture, making sure to not let him now his gaze was making her feel uncomfortable and slightly nauseous. “I’m not married and I probably never will. I’m not some dumb, weak whore who needs the approval of other men.” She moved closer to the man and pushed him back into his seat with ease. “You’re drunk. I suggest you lay down on the rum next time unless you want to be beaten so easily by pretty much everyone in this room.”
Another man laughed and pointed at her. “The whore speaks! But all I hear are lies and deceitful comments. You’re not a convincing liar, missy.” He attempted a seductive wink - failing miserably - and held out his arms. “Now, who do you want to fuck first?”
“None of you,” she told them, “I don’t want to sleep with someone who has obviously never been with a woman before, judging by his awful flirting skills. I do truly feel for you and the fact all of you are most likely to die lonely and feeling unloved after many one-night-stands with drunk women.” She could have stopped there and ignored them for the rest of the night, but she didn’t. Instead, she provoked their anger even more. “I dare to bet all of you are no good pirates either. Cheap rum? That implies that you aren’t very successful and that I could beat you in a swordfight easily.”
The cocky grin didn’t leave her face when the biggest one of them stood up and walked towards her, his sword taken out of its holster. “Are you sure you want to do this? Because I don’t believe you are actually up to the challenge.”
She unsheathed her own sword and her grin widened. “Try me, big guy. Or should I call you little brain?”
From all around them, men were shouting the same words over and over again, fight, fight, fight, but before the two of them could actually start, the owner intervened. “No fighting inside my inn. I would rather not have blood splattered all over my walls and intestines scattered all over the floor.”
Ruby smirked and raised an eyebrow at the big guy in front of her. “Well then, let’s take this outside, shall we?”