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English
Series:
Part 2 of The Blacksmith
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Published:
2021-10-31
Completed:
2022-12-03
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6/6
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The Blacksmith, Part 2: "Vultures"

Summary:

Things are going a lot better for David in the quiet town of Hofstead. Here's hoping there aren't any new and incredibly fabulous villains around to get in the way of that! They'd probably look amazing doing it though.

Chapter 1: The Captain

Summary:

In which some people really know how to make an entrance.

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

KEY:

  • "Speech bubbles unless otherwise specified."
  • <not spoken, describes the thought/idea behind a facial expression>
    • so, "I'm as surprised as you are." would be spoken aloud
    • and <I'm as surprised as you are.> indicates I should draw a face that expresses this idea.
  • *sound effects and non-verbal actions*
  • [Artist's/Author's note: Notes I put in for my reference specifically. Feel free to read them, but also feel free to skip them.]

 

 

Part 2 cover page:
   Title text reads: "Part 2, Vultures"
   Cover design: An ominous winged shadow cast upon the ground with the title in the center.

 

 


Title text at top of first page reads: "Chapter 1: The Captain"

 

Below that, a smaller text-box reads: "ONE WEEK LATER" over top of a high-angle wide shot of the quaint walled village of Hofstead.

 

Cut to David's room at the inn in Hofstead. The room looks lived-in, slightly messy but not filthy - a pile of books in the corner, the bedsheets rumpled, dirty dishes in a neat stack on a wooden tray, ready to be carried out. The city wall is visible from the window.

 

Shots of David from behind as he buttons his vest and heads down the stairs. He waves to the innkeeper, who responds cheerfully in kind.

 

David opens the front door of the inn and stops there for a moment. In doing so, we see his face for the first time this chapter, as well as a full-body shot:

Standing in the sunlight, he looks completely different from the beaten, bedraggled, exhausted man we've seen him as so far. He has trimmed his beard neatly and cut his hair, which is still a mop of curls on his head but now it is shorter and has seen a comb. The curls look soft and healthy rather than limp and dirty like before. His clothes are clean, simple, of good quality, and they fit him - a plain blue-gray vest over a white tunic with the sleeves rolled up, light brown pants, dark brown boots. He wears brown leather bracers that cover his wrists. The circles under his eyes are much-reduced. He looks good.

He takes a moment to close his eyes and feel the sun on his face. A deep and peaceful breath. He smiles.

 

Concept art of the above moment: 

A man stands in the open doorway of a wooden building. He looks towards the sky with a soft smile. He wears a light blue vest over a white shirt. His stance is confident and ready. Rays of sun shine down on his face.

[Artist's note: see the Part 2 section of the Google drive folder for all collected concept art not included here. Or, well, all the concept art I've gotten around to organizing so far anyway.]

 

Suddenly, David is narrowly missed by a projectile. He is startled, but it turns out to be a suction-cup toy arrow, which sticks to the doorframe just behind him. His expression of shock turns to a warm amused smile when he sees the contrite-looking little girl in front of him with her toy bow-and-arrow set. He laughs, and tosses the arrow back to her. The little girl gives him a shy gap-toothed grin of thanks and scurries off. 

David looks around: What a nice day at this bustling marketplace just in front of the inn! Merchants sell colorful produce, fabrics, and pottery; families and friends shop together; a busker plays a stringed instrument; and children run about playing tag. In the distant background, there is a town announcement board of sorts, including a warning to not travel alone in this area because of the recent aggression of bluewolves in the forest.

 

An extremely windswept-looking parrot lands a few yards away from David; David looks at it with mild surprise and interest - unusual to see a bird like this in these parts, but he's not shocked. Probably it is somebody's pet. 

 

But then! An ominous bell ringing from one of the watchtowers sends the townsfolk into a sudden state of terror! David's peaceful expression turns to one of confusion and alarm.

Slowly, a shadow engulfs the town square, blocking out the sun. People point to the sky. Dogs bark. Flocks of birds flee from trees and rooftops.

In the sky, a massive dark silhouette comes into focus. And oh dang! It is a big ol' flying pirate ship! An enormous thing that looks like a regular pirate ship had a baby with a steampunk aircraft, and then grew enormous mechanical turbines upon hitting puberty. A faint purple aura of magic emanates from the ship, especially around the turbines. 

The ship begins to descend into the square. Closer up, we see that its mast flies a flag featuring a stylized jolly roger. At its helm, there is the classic masthead of a woman, but instead of a statue of a mermaid it appears to be a wooden carving of a harpy, her fangs bared in an ugly snarl. On the side of the ship, crisp red and black paint spells out "The Vulture" in flowing script.

 

Concept art of the flag; haven't decided on mustache or no mustache. I'm afraid I... MUSTACHE your opinion. *dodges rotten tomatoes*

A rough digital sketch of a jolly roger pirate flag in purple. A skull with an earring where its left ear would be. On its head is a pirate hat with a large feather. Below it, two cutlasses are crossed in such a way as to look like wings. They have a design on them reminiscent of feathers.

The same pirate flag image except this skull has a mustache and a goatee.

 

The ship seems huge and inexorable. People run out of the way as it lands, parents pick up their children, merchants flee their market stalls just in time. People scream.

The little girl with the bow and arrow watches frozen in fear beneath the oncoming ship. Her eyes huge, clutching her little toy bow.
She will be crushed if she doesn't move. A woman shrieks - the mother, unable to reach her in time. 

David is off before he has time to think about it: He sprints towards the little girl underneath the shadow of the ship, not stopping for a moment as he clumsily but successfully scoops her up in the nick of time and half-stumbles, half-dashes out of the way with a panicked look on his face and the child clutched to his chest.

Seconds later, a crying woman with similar features to the child shows up to take the little girl from David. The child reaches out for her mother and then clings to her. The pair disappear off-panel; no thanks are exchanged beyond a grateful look from the mother, but David has bigger problems to worry about.

 

The ship lands with a great commotion, crushing the empty market stalls beneath it into splintered wood and smashed produce. Carefully built wooden dolls crushed into the ground. 

 

A large door on the side of the ship opens and a gangplank falls out. Pirates tumble out into a menacing tableau. Unlike Scorcher's gang, this group has a lot more gender diversity, and each of them has a strong and unique aesthetic. Unfortunately, they all look pretty damn mean regardless. Menacing smiles abound. The parrot from earlier flies over and perches atop one of their shoulders with a *SQUARK!*

 

Collected concept art of pirates: 

A digital sketch of a swarthy-looking man with a mean-looking smile and a broken nose. He has brown skin, light hair, and looks like he's around 60 years old. In one hand, he brandishes a bowie knife, in the other hand he carries a bottle labeled "XXX". He has stains and scuffs and patches on his clothes and is dressed in a headband, vest, pants, shirt, and boots. He has a large scar on his arms. The sketch is in shades of red. Next to him, the artist has denoted basic coloration with splotches of color - hair: grey; eyes: dark brown; skin: brown A digital sketch in shades of blue of a thin feminine person in a loose vest and corset with pants and boots and a bowler hat; They are squatting on something and brandishing old-timey double-barreled. Their face is wrinkled and crooked with a big nasty smile. A tattoo on their arm reads "606." They have large spiked hoop earrings and hair pulled back into a short ponytail. On their right, a parrot with creepy eyes is flying and squawking. Above them, the artist has denoted basic coloration with splotches of color - hair: black; eyes: dark brown; skin: brown A digital sketch in shades of purple depicting an AMAB person in a feminine outfit of a corset belly top, skirt, jewelry, and gladiator sandals. They have heavy eye makeup and stand at a profile with a smirk towards something behind them. Their hair is in a long high ponytail and they are holding a large wooden staff in front of them. Their right arm appears to be robotic. They stand tall and confident. Above them, the artist has denoted basic coloration with splotches of color - hair: black; eyes: lavender; skin: brown A digital sketch in shades of navy blue. An older gentleman in an old-timey naval uniform, complete with epaulets, stands with his back very straight, one hand in a salute, and the other tucks inside the breast of his coat like he's Napoleon. His eyes are closed in an expression of duty. A cutlass on his hip, a top hat on his head. He is bald with a large bushy curled mustache and pointed ears like an elf. On the left, the artist has denoted basic coloration with splotches of color - hair: gray; eyes: purplish-brown; skin: brown A digital sketch in shades of greenish-grey. A muscular middle-aged woman with a wicked smile holds onto a rope with one hand and is using it to stand sideways on an unseen surface. In her other hand, a medieval round flail hangs down from her grip. She is dressed in an off-the-shoulder flowing shirt, as well as some leather armor. Her eyes are covered by a visor in the style of sunglasses. She wears a loose necklace. Long white hair flows in the wind. Above her, the artist has denoted basic coloration with splotches of color - hair: white; eyes: blueish green; skin: light-ish brownA digital sketch in shades of purple showing a masculine person with breasts, white-ink tattoos all over their body, and a dashing smile, one eyebrow raised. They are an Asian person with a beard and shoulder-length hair pulled back into a bun. They have a bow and a quiver of arrows on their back. They stand flexing one muscular arm, with the other on their hip, their confident stance slightly pigeon-toed. They are shirtless except for a heavy fur shawl. They wear boots with fur and a kind of heavy fur knee-length skirt. Above them, the artist has denoted basic coloration with splotches of color - hair: light blonde; eyes: light violet-brown; skin: light brown A digital sketch in shades of greenish blue featuring a spindly woman who is drawn in all sharp angles, from her chin to her breasts to her heeled boots. She is wearing a fashionable coat and a beaten-up fedora that is covering her eyes and casting a shadow over her face. Her hair is green and she wears lipstick and a menacing smile. One hand brandishes a glove with long sharp pointed fingers. The other hand holds onto some fishnetting on the wall casually. She leans against an unseen wall with one foot against it. Above them, the artist has denoted basic coloration with splotches of color - hair: dark blue-green; eyes: lighter blue-green; skin: dark brown A digital sketch in shades of blueish green showing a heavy-set Asian man with his arms crossed, standing in a wide stance. He is scowling at the camera and looking distrusting. His hair is pulled into a bun and long bangs curl into spirals on either side of his face. He has light stubble. His outfit and design contain a lot of curves and spirals. His bare arms are covered in spiral tattoos, and his loose flowing pants are covered in spiral patterns. A dagger sits at his hip and he wears a bandana on his head. All loose fabric on his seems to curl like it is becoming a spiral. He wears an eyepatch over one eye, an earring in one ear, and a large pendant around his neck, all with a spiral pattern. Next to them, the artist has denoted basic coloration with splotches of color - hair: black; eyes: lime-green; skin: light brownA rough digital sketch in shades of magenta shows a Black woman in a long flowing white dress with a heavy leather belt carrying many accessories of vials and small bags. She wears her hair in two braided buns, and she is holding a small vial of potion between long painted fingernails. She is fat with large hips. She wears heeled booties on her feet and a kerchief around her neck. She wears eye makeup and dark lipstick and stands with her feet together and one hand on her hip. She is smirking knowingly. Next to her, the artist has denoted basic coloration with splotches of color - hair: magenta; eyes: brown; skin: light-ish brown A digital sketch in shades of greenish blue shows a man standing with his heels together and his hands behind his back. He is staring at the camera with an expression of polite smiling innocence. His eyes are huge with tiny dot pupils and circles underneath them. He has short afro-textured hair, parted on one side. He wears a long form-fitting vest over a high-collared white shirt, tight pants, and tall folded-over boots. On his waist, there is a large fabric belt, some rope, and a whip. He wears one diamond-shaped earring. He has a mustache and goatee. Next to them, the artist has denoted basic coloration with splotches of color - hair: black; eyes: yellow; skin: dark brown A rough digital sketch in shades of blue shows an older middle-aged white man with his feet together and his hands on his hips in an effeminate and pleasant stance that matches his closed-eyed expression of a warm friendly smile. His cheeks are rosy and he wears stud earrings. His outfit is a simple tunic, with a fabric belt, pants, and boots. On his belt, there are three round items with wicks that look like small cartoon bombs. Next to him, the artist has denoted basic coloration with splotches of color - hair: grey; eyes: blue; skin: light beige A digital sketch in shades of lime green shows a skinny ginger-featured young man no older than 20 waving at the camera with a shy smile. In his other hand, he hold a small pointed hammer close to his chest. There is a tiny tattoo of a skull on one of his arms. He wears a small short vest over a shirt, with rope around the waist. He wears striped shorts and loose fabric booties. He has freckles all over his face and body and he slumps a bit in his posture. Next to him, the artist has denoted basic coloration with splotches of color - hair: ginger red; eyes: green; skin: very light beige

[Artist's note: see costume screenshots for more info on costume color and detail. The costume screenshots are all already pasted into their respective Sketchapp files on mobile also. Also, skin color is approximated here, so I still have to double-check all of them to make sure I haven't chosen a shade that will look unnatural or oversaturated when applied; I especially don't want to mess up the characters of color with that.]

 

The townsfolk and the pirates stare at each other, waiting for someone to make the first move. What are the pirates waiting for?

 

Oh, but what's this?! Up in the sky, there is something else! The pirates look up expectantly; the townspeople and David look up in fear.

Circling down from the sky is something with wings - a large bird, perhaps? A human-sized bird? No, it's... a person! A person... with wings?? David's eyes widen. Several townspeople in the crowd gasp.

 

Said winged individual lands with a flourish atop a fresh pile of rubble in front of the crew and strikes a fabulous dramatic Captain-Morgan pose with the wings spread. Between the feathered pirate hat, the fabulous coat, all the gold he's wearing, and his general air of 'I'm in charge, bitches', there's no mistaking that this must be the pirate captain. There is a distinct possibility he will also be drawn holding a rose like an anime villain.

 

Concept art of the pirate captain:

A digital sketch in shades of red shows a pirate captain with high folded-over boots, a long fashionable coat blowing in the wind with his long red ponytail, one hand on the cutlass at his hip and the other resting on his chest. His eyes are closed and he is striking a dramatic pose as described above. He looks extremely self-satisfied and vain. He is a thin fit young man with sharp cheekbones, long eyelashes. a mustache and goatee, earrings, a little bit of makeup, and large metallic wings on his back. Next to him, the artist has denoted basic coloration with splotches of color - hair: dark red; eyes: green; skin: light brown

The wings themselves are mechanical and fastened onto the captain's back with leather straps. They appear to move at his will. They are pretty sleek-looking, composed of thin metallic feathers, nuts and bolts, and inlaid with several faintly glowing purple runestones. (In addition to the runestones artfully embedded in the wings, the pirate captain is also wearing a number of violet runestones woven into his clothing and inlaid on the hilt of his sword. This detail is not currently represented in the concept art.)

A closeup on the wings reveals a lightly-carved pattern in the metal that we have not seen before: a small lightning bolt, no more than 4 inches, in the shape of an 'S'.

 

Concept art:

a digital rendering of a lightly-carved pattern on metal in the shape of a lightning bolt or a stylized 'S'.


Cut to David reacting to this. He looks as shocked and alarmed as the townspeople, but there is something else in his expression: Recognition, perhaps. Anger.

 

The captain speaks: "Ladies! Gentlemen! Esteemed friends! Please, do not panic. You have the distinct privilege of finding yourselves in the presence of the infamous Birds of Prey pirates and the even more infamous Captain Nicholas J. Cassowary, Terror of the Seven Skies!" He doffs his hat and bows dramatically, smiling wide. Clearly, he loves to introduce himself.

[Artist's note: Consider, a textbox in the style of a ribbon of parchment over top of him that reads 'Nicholas J. Cassowary, Captain' in scripted font. If you really wanna get silly about it, do "Nicholas J. Cassowary, Captain of the Birds of Prey pirates, Terror of the Seven Skies, snappy dresser"]

 

By now, the town's group of guards has managed to gather in the square - 10 or so individuals in uniform who don't look particularly equipped for this situation.

But the head of the guard - an older man with a white mustache - is not deterred.

"Now, see here! What is the meaning of this?" the old man blusters.

 

The Captain shoots a winning smile at him. "I'm so glad you asked! The meaning of this is that my crew and I have stopped in your quaint little town, and so until we leave, this town is, for all intents and purposes, ours!"

 

Frightened murmuring from the crowd. The guard's mustache bristles indignantly.

 

Cassowary raises his hands in a calming gesture. He gestures a lot while he speaks, sweeping his long-fingered and nicely manicured hands through the air in elegant little flourishes. It is all very fruity.

"No need to be alarmed! We're only stopping in for a couple of days at most to pick up some supplies, meet up with our new recruits, and also pick up some free food and valuables while we're in the neighborhood. So as long as everyone here shows us the same hospitality you might show to any poor wayward travelers, no one has to spoil their appetite with any nasty violence!" 

 

The captain of the guard snarls. "This is nonsense!!!" He draws his sword and brandishes it threateningly at Cassowary. "Unhand this town, you miscreant!"

 

Cassowary raises an eyebrow, a glint of mischief in his eye. " 'Unhand it,' you say? If you insist."
With that, Cassowary takes up a ready stance, and the purple runestones in his wings all light up at once. The next moment, he launches himself into the air and simultaneously draws his cutlass. He soars into a effortless flip towards the guard and then lands in a maneuver which slices off the guard's sword hand in a clean sweep, the guard's weapon clattering to the ground alongside the severed hand.

Cassowary sticks the landing in a stylish pose and then daintily dodges the blood spray, pulling away his long coat before it can be stained, a look of faint disgust on his face. The guard screams in agony and the crowd erupts into frightened cries. The injured guard captain, clutching his wrist, is helped away by two other guards. 

 

Cassowary wipes the blood off his sword with a handkerchief and turns back towards his crew, raising his eyebrows. "Get it? Unhand??" 
Most of the crew laughs. At least one pirate seems to have only realized the joke with the explanation. At least one more rolls their eyes at the pun. One scowling pirate with crossed arms covered in spiral tattoos nods his head in dead-serious confirmation. None of the townspeople appear to appreciate the joke, continuing to make noises of alarm.

 

Cassowary sheathes his sword and then shoots his revolver in the air to quell people's frightened murmuring and ensure everyone is paying close attention.

"AS I WAS SAYING, I really don't particularly care for violence - the amount of family vendettas against me currently is really quite enough for my schedule as it is - SO if you can all just remain calm and hospitable, I'm sure we won't have any further problems." He smiles in a way that would be terribly charming if he hadn't just dismembered a person. Just a bit of edge to it.
"Now, if you'll all form an orderly line, my crew will be around to collect any gifts of hospitality you might have for us! Cash and jewelry will do great, thank you! Also, start up a meal at that inn!! Our cook deserves a day off."

Cut to the pirate cook, who folds his arms and nods his head in solemn agreement.

 

Some pirates fan out to demand people's valuables, while Cassowary and the rest pile into the inn for free food from a very nervous-looking innkeeper. 

 

David stays hidden, but from his expression of grim resolve, it seems he is determined to do something reckless.

 

 

To be continued in Chapter 2, "Second Impressions"!

Notes:

The nice thing about being a queer writing a story featuring almost all-queer characters, is that the "queer villains" trope is fair game.