Chapter Text
The trip to Rosian was a miserable one.
It was a long journey—over two thousand miles across a vast, empty ocean. Kryoz did the majority of the steering. Their new galleon was nice; spacious, private, and comfortable. Grizzy had managed to convince his fellow shipwrights that Smitty paid for the ship—(he hadn't)—and once the ship was successfully pulled in the water, they took off.
They then sailed to Saint Mary's to stock up on supplies for the long journey. Once they were ready, they started sailing for Rosian.
The first two weeks were alright, but after that, Grizzy began to struggle. He'd never even left his home island before, after all—he wasn't at all prepared for a month-long trip.
"I'm going insane," Grizzy complained, slouching in his chair.
He was sitting in the captain's quarters with Smitty and Blarg, watching the two try to organize their maps. They weren't doing a great job; Kryoz was normally the one who handled navigation, but he was steering the ship.
"That makes three of us," Blarg grumbled, flipping through a few maps.
"I've never been stuck on a ship like this," Grizzy said. "It's been weeks since I've done any work. I'm losing my mind."
"You'll get used to it," Smitty said. "We're roughly halfway there. It'll be over before you know it."
"But I need to do something," Grizzy insisted. "There's nothing to do. I'm going to lose it."
Blarg shrugged. "We have booze. Go drink."
"Tried that already. Just made me feel shitty and bored," Grizzy complained. "Being a pirate sucks—I regret joining you."
Smitty chuckled. "Every pirate thinks that at some point or another. You'll feel better when we get to Rosian."
Grizzy groaned, slumping down even more. "This kingdom better be good."
"I have a feeling you'll be impressed," Smitty murmured. "I've never been there myself, but John talks about it from time to time."
Blarg nodded in agreement, squatting down to fish around in a drawer of the desk. He came back up with a paper in his hand. "Here, look—John drew this a bit ago. He told me it's the view he remembers from his childhood window."
Grizzy perked up a bit, curious about the picture. He got up to take it from Blarg.
The drawing depicted a landscape with high mountains over a line of tall pine trees. Snow covered the trees and ground. It was a messy drawing, but it was a nice one. Grizzy could see the image John had been trying to get across.
"...Wow," he said. "I've never seen trees like this before. The mountains are different, too. Our mountains are just rock, but these ones are covered in trees."
Smitty hummed. "There, see? You've got something to look forward to."
"I guess so," Grizzy relented, sitting back down with the drawing to continue to look at it. He was interested in seeing snow—if Rosian did actually look like this, maybe the month-long journey was worth it.
———
They finally arrived at Rosian's port two weeks later.
Once they'd been able to see land, Kryoz handed steering off to Smitty and retreated below deck, where he decided he'd stay for the duration of their visit. He didn't want to risk being recognized.
But Grizzy was elated to finally get off the galleon. He kicked the plank down and climbed off the ship the second the anchor went down, eager to stand on land again. The stability of the dock felt like heaven compared to the constant swaying of the ship.
Rosian was in a mountainous region, so the kingdom itself had a lot of elevation changes. From the dock, Grizzy could see the royal castle, probably a mile north and a few hundred feet of elevation higher than the port. All the buildings were made entirely of stone—starkly different from the thin wood Grizzy was accustomed to back home. The weather was much cooler, too, especially compared to the hot tropics of New Providence. He found himself buttoning up his thin coat.
Once the sails were raised, Smitty and Blarg disembarked to join Grizzy on the dock.
"This is definitely different from our continent," Smitty said. He seemed impressed. "I don't think I've ever seen so many trees."
Blarg nodded. "...Yeah. They actually built all this into the hills, too. I have a feeling we're going to be walking up a lot of stairs." He glanced at Grizzy beside him. "Well, what do you think, Grizzy?"
"...It's pretty," he said lamely, still somewhat awestruck. The other two both laughed.
"I'll take that to mean you like it, then," Smitty said, patting his shoulder. "We might as well get to checking it out. John doesn't want to be seen, so he'll stay and watch the ship."
"Oh, right," Grizzy said. "Is he really the prince of this kingdom?"
Smitty nodded. "Yes, even if he deserted it twelve years ago," he murmured. "They're still looking for him, too, so it's best if we don't talk about it. If they find out he's here, there's no way they'd let us leave."
Grizzy was a little confused. "Well—what exactly is the business we're here for, then?"
"Tying up a loose end," Smitty said, rather cryptically. Grizzy raised an eyebrow before looking to Blarg for a better answer.
Blarg shrugged. "Apparently, someone is here with extensive evidence of John's whereabouts. Smitty needs to shut him up before this entire kingdom starts mobilizing against us."
Grizzy looked back at Smitty, who pointedly avoided eye contact. He almost looked embarrassed.
"...Right," Grizzy said. "So...where is this guy, then?"
Smitty cleared his throat. "That's the thing—I don't actually know."
Blarg's brow furrowed. "What do you mean you don't know?"
"Well, I told him to come here and hide out with the evidence until a specific date. But obviously, neither of us knew anything about this kingdom, so..."
"So he could be anywhere?" Grizzy finished for him.
Smitty sheepishly nodded. "Basically, yes."
Blarg groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why didn't you tell us that before we got here? We could've talked to John about places he could be, and how to get to them."
"Oh, come on, you know John. He would've cussed me out for hours, and we both know how colorful of a vocabulary he has."
"Not when it's his own head on the line," Blarg argued. "Smitty—if they find out about him, they'll take him back by force and execute us. They'll assume we kidnapped him!"
"It won't come to that," Smitty immediately assured him. "We have time until the day my informant is scheduled to head to the royal court."
"How much?" Blarg demanded.
"Three days."
"Three days?" Grizzy and Blarg both repeated, stunned.
"We don't even know where to begin looking for this guy, and you're telling me we only have three days?" Blarg demanded.
"Three days is more than enough time," Smitty said, trying to calm them down. "He's probably just at an inn somewhere. We'll find him."
"You are ridiculous," Blarg snapped, crossing his arms. "And we can't even split up, because only you know who we're looking for. We're so fucked."
"Come on, Matt, it's going to be okay. You know you can trust me. When have I ever led you astray before?" Smitty tried to reassure him.
Blarg glowered at him. "Your manipulation tactics don't work on me. I know how your mind works," he said. "But—fine. Whatever. We don't have the time to stand here arguing on this dock. We need to start searching." He promptly spun around and stormed off.
Smitty watched him stomp away with a sigh. "....We'll start searching for inns first," he murmured, glancing at Grizzy beside him. "That's where I expect to find him. That sound okay?"
"...Well, I don't really have any other choice but to go along with you," Grizzy said. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"I do," Smitty assured him, but it sounded a little too weak to stick.
———
Those pirates had been arguing on the dock for an awful long time.
Droid was too far away to hear what they were saying, but he could see their animated argument. Red Coat seemed to be in a bit of hot water with the other two.
He knew they were pirates the moment they stepped off the ship—he'd camped out at this port for years, watching the different ships and people that sailed in. Pirates were different from normal sailors. They were more paranoid; their eyes were shifty, and they never remained in one place for long. They kept to themselves. But sailors never bothered to keep themselves quiet—after all, it wasn't like they had anything to hide.
So, these guys were obviously pirates. Wealthy ones, too, if their clothes were anything to go by. They were too tidy, which meant they had clean changes of clothes. Normal pirates wasted their lives stewing in their own filth. These guys obviously weren't normal pirates, and that meant they'd have some good loot for Droid to take from their ship.
He waited and watched from his hiding place—a tiny, cramped alleyway where he hid behind a barrel, watching the docks through a small hole—until the three pirates finally left the dock and headed into town. He waited a few minutes after that, just to be sure they wouldn't return, before he finally got up and left the alleyway.
He strolled down the docks as casually as he could, approaching their ship. They'd left the plank down; unsurprising, but it meant there were likely still some more of them on the ship. He'd have to be cautious.
Droid didn't see anyone on the main deck, so he quietly boarded the ship. It was eerily silent on deck—the ship swayed gently on the water, causing the masts to creak. Empty ships always gave him a foreboding feeling of anxiety.
But he had a quota to meet, and this ship was the best opportunity he had in weeks. He had to take his chances.
He made his way over to the lower deck door. He pressed his ear against it to listen for anyone inside, just in case. When he heard nothing, he quietly pulled it open. Behind the door was a staircase to the lower deck; luckily, it was walled in, so he wouldn't have to worry about someone spotting him right away.
Droid quietly crept down the stairs. It led down to a hallway, and there was a door right across from the stairs. He still didn't hear anyone. If he knew ship anatomy, this door probably hid the captain's quarters. The best loot he could hope for would certainly be behind it, but if the captain of this ship was in there, he was definitely dead.
Oh, fuck it, he decided. It wasn't like he had anything to lose.
He pressed his ear against the door again, listening attentively for any activity inside. He didn't hear anything besides the creaking of the ship on the water. This was his chance—if he could loot this room and get out, he'd finally be able to pay off his debt. He had to try.
He grabbed the door handle and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.
Droid quietly pushed it open, peeking his head in immediately to scan for anyone in the room. He didn't see anyone yet; maybe he'd finally found a bit of luck. He quickly slipped inside the room and shut the door behind him.
There was a desk and a cartography table in here, so he walked around behind them to check for anyone hiding. No one. He quickly did a full clear of the room, making sure nobody was about to ambush him, and he didn't find anyone. The captain's quarters really was empty. Maybe one of those three pirates was the captain.
Either way, this was his chance. He immediately got to scanning for valuables. The room was messy—maps and papers were everywhere, on the desk, walls, and cartography table. It seemed as though the captain had been having a difficult time navigating. Bookshelves lined the walls, full of messily stacked books, but Droid couldn't afford to go through those. It'd take too long, and he didn't have that much time. His best chance was the desk.
He hurried behind the desk and started opening drawers. The first drawer was simply full of papers, quills, and ink, but the second drawer had compasses and pocket watches. They were made of metal Droid didn't recognize—certainly not a type produced in Rosian—and the engravings were completely foreign to him. Whoever these pirates were, they'd come from somewhere far away. That meant these would sell for a damn good price in Rosian.
He grabbed them and stuffed them into the pockets of his coat. In the third drawer, he found some odd trinkets, and he pulled a particular one out to look at it. It was a strange little piece of metal and wood, no longer than his palm and no thicker than a knife hilt. In fact, it almost appeared to be a knife hilt. But there was also a little switch on the side—what was that for? Should he-
"That's called a switchblade," a voice suddenly spoke.
Droid flinched, startled. The switchblade clattered to the desk as he stumbled back, heart pounding.
A man was leaning against the closed door, watching him with a mirthful look in eyes. He must've been one of the pirates—his white shirt and brown boots were far too clean to belong to a poor sailor.
Droid pressed himself against the window behind him, terrified. How did this guy get in here? Droid knew for a fact he'd closed the door. How did he get in without him noticing?
The man looked incredibly amused. "A friend of mine made that," he continued. "He's a weapons dealer. He likes to invent new, illegal weapons."
He casually pushed off the door to walk over and pick up the switchblade Droid dropped. Droid just watched him, frozen in place.
The man clicked the switch on the side of hilt. A silver blade flipped up, turning the small item into a knife in a second.
"Cool, isn't it?"
It was, to be honest. Droid had never seen a weapon like that before. "...It is pretty cool, yeah," he managed to say, voice obviously shaky.
The man smiled in amusement and slipped around the desk. He sat on top of it, only a few feet away from where Droid was still attached to the paned windows.
"You're not a very good thief," the man said. "You get distracted too easily. You didn't even notice me come in."
Great. Now I'm getting insulted by the guy I tried to steal from.
"I know," Droid mumbled miserably. "It's how I got caught last time, too."
The man raised an eyebrow. "Last time?"
Droid nodded. If he was going to die, he had no reason to hide anything. "Yeah...I got caught in a house," he admitted, ashamed. "The guild had to bail me out. Now, I'm stuck working to pay off my debt to them. I can't earn any money for myself until I pay back what they spent to free me."
The man hummed. "Blackhand?" he asked.
Droid blinked. "You...know my guild?"
"I do," the man murmured. "I can't believe they're still around. The royal forces started hunting them over a decade ago. They were always corrupt in their methods; the top brass always exploited the work of the rats they pulled off the streets. Uh—no offence."
Droid waved him off. "'Rat' is way nicer than what I'm usually called," he grumbled. He finally just slumped into a crouch on the floor. "I'm not cut out for this."
The man chuckled. "I'll say," he said. "I'll need those other things you stole, by the way."
Droid just shrugged his whole coat off and held it up to the man. "Here. It's all in the pockets. I stole the coat the other day—it'll probably fit you."
The man accepted the coat, one eyebrow raised. "You're giving me your whole coat?"
"Not like I'll be needing it. Besides, it'd look better on you, anyway."
The man looked at the coat for a few moments, thoughtful, before he set it on the desk beside him. "What's your name, kid?"
"...I go by Droid."
"You're in the wrong profession, Droid."
"You think?" Droid said miserably.
The man chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose that's probably not a shock to you," he said. "Listen. Being a good thief takes a lot of years of experience and training. I would know—I used to be one. I was even younger than you."
Droid looked up at him. "Really?"
The man nodded. "You're not a good thief because you haven't had that experience or training yet. But honestly, you'd be completely wasting your time trying, because you'd be wasting your actual talent."
Droid raised a skeptical eyebrow. "My actual talent for what? Getting arrested?"
The man laughed. "No, though it does sound like you're good at that, too," he said. "You're good with people."
Droid blinked. "...I am?"
"You are," the man affirmed. He moved off the desk to crouch in front of him. "You blatantly stole my things right in front of me, yet I never felt threatened or had any urge to kill you. You've got a particular gift for interacting with others—I like that. We could use that."
"...'We'?" Droid nervously repeated.
The man smiled and tilted his head. "Yeah. Me and my crew," he said simply. "Have you ever wanted to a pirate, Droid?"
"Not particularly," Droid said, voice weak.
"Well, unfortunately for you, our captain doesn't like to be told no, and I have a feeling he'll like you. So, here's what'll happen—you'll meet him, and you'll see what he says."
"...And if I say no, you'll kill me?" Droid guessed.
The man smiled and patted him once on the head. "Exactly. I'm glad we've come to an understanding."
Droid was confused and slightly terrified, but he supposed he should at least be grateful the guy was giving him a chance. Besides, the man was right—Droid wasn't cut out to be a thief. He'd just continue to get caught like this until he was eventually killed or arrested for good.
"Well, alright," Droid agreed. "I guess it's better than going back to Blackhand. Thanks, uh...sir?"
"Kryoz," the man said, obviously amused. "Now, let's see if the captain likes you."
———
The people of Rosian were as cold as their country.
Smitty had certainly expected the locals to be wary of them; after all, their clothes made it obvious that they weren't from this country. But almost everyone they tried to talk to completely blew them off. Even just asking for the nearest inn or pub earned them glares of obvious distrust. The worst part was that this country operated on silver as their currency instead of gold, and Smitty didn't have much silver. He couldn't afford to waste his money bribing people.
After almost three hours of wandering and searching, they'd only managed to find one inn. His informant wasn't there, and no matter what Smitty said, the innkeeper refused to help them. They were exhausted, chilly, and Smitty was not about to give that shitty innkeeper even a single coin to stay at his inn. So, they finally decided to head back to the ship.
"I hate this shithole," Smitty grumbled as they walked.
"I kind of agree," Grizzy said. "Even the people in the slums back home weren't this miserable."
"Well, we're halfway across the world," Blarg reasoned. "You can't expect the people here to be just like the ones we're used to. They probably have a good reason to be wary of strangers."
Smitty huffed. "That doesn't mean they can't help us."
"It kind of does," Blarg said. "And anyway, it was about time you learned what life is like for peasants. You grew up pretty sheltered."
Grizzy glanced at Smitty thoughtfully. "Oh, yeah. You're probably not used to people treating you as if you're not a noble."
Smitty scoffed, offended. "That's not it," he protested.
"It is," Blarg said. "You're too used to people kissing your ass. Peasants aren't usually kind to each other—they can't afford to be if they want to survive. Kindness is a privilege in places like this." He sighed. "Besides, if you think this is bad, try being an enemy soldier in a town like this."
Smitty went silent, considering this for a moment. Maybe he was expecting far too favorable of treatment from people who were struggling just to survive. If they couldn't even help themselves, why should they help him? They probably didn't even have the time to entertain a stranger's needs.
Smitty exhaled a defeated sigh. "...Yeah, you're right. I think I am being a bit stuck up," he mumbled. "I have to admit, I'm not used to being outside of my comfort zone."
Blarg smiled softly and patted him on the shoulder. "As long as you learn to adapt, you'll be fine," he said. "Now, let's get back to the ship. If we want to get out of this country alive, we're going to need John's help."
The walk to the ship was a lot easier than the one into town. They'd had to climb a lot of steps, and getting around was confusing at first, since everything was made of stone. The paths, homes, shops—all the same stone. It all sort of blended together in a disorientating way. But after almost three hours of wandering, they'd gotten a somewhat better idea of how the town was laid out.
They made it back to the ship in about a half hour. They climbed on and raised the plank back up, since they were stuck sleeping on the ship for the night.
Smitty knew they needed to talk to Kryoz, so he decided he should check the captain's quarters first to see if he was in there.
He opened the door, half-expecting the room to be empty. He'd thought Kryoz would've been in his cabin, if anything. He was surprised to find him here, but he was extra surprised to see a new face, who was looking at him nervously from a chair in the corner.
Smitty stared at him for a moment. The guy gave him a tiny, timid wave, which only served to confuse Smitty even more. He looked to Kryoz for clarification.
Kryoz just smiled. "I found a stray dog."
"I...can see that," Smitty said. "But I thought you weren't going to leave the ship."
"I didn't. He came to me."
The other two came to see what was going on. Smitty stepped fully into the room to allow them in as well, still thoroughly confused.
"Right," Smitty said. "What actually happened, and who the hell is this?"
John looked at the man and nodded for him to talk.
"...I tried to rob your ship," the guy said. "Sorry about that, by the way. But I got caught almost immediately, so...here we are."
Blarg looked at Kryoz, one eyebrow raised. "You didn't kill him?"
"No. He's a pretty terrible thief," Kryoz said. "But he's going to be the perfect guide for you guys to get around town. I could tell right away."
"I'm confused," Grizzy said.
Kryoz chuckled. "You guys are back here because your search was a total failure, right? I'm not surprised. All the townspeople probably treated you like shit."
Smitty blinked. "Wait—you knew we'd be searching for my informant? And you knew everyone would be allergic to strangers?"
"Of course I did. I'm not an idiot, Smitty." Kryoz said. "You had no possible way of knowing where your guy would be if you'd never been here; I knew you'd probably end up wandering around. I also knew that an obviously wealthy little group of guys with clean clothes and jewelry would be shunned by the poverty-stricken masses. They don't trust you—at all. And judging by the looks on your faces, you learned that pretty quickly."
Smitty was speechless. Kryoz let them leave knowing they were on a wild goose chase?
Blarg was just as stunned. "Well, then—if you knew, why didn't you say anything?"
Kryoz just smiled, looking pleased with himself. "For Smitty's sake. After how everything went down in New Providence, I figured his ego could use a bit of a reality check."
Smitty stood there in stunned silence for a few more seconds until he finally just laughed in defeat. "God—you really are something else," he said. He ran a hand through his hair. "Normally, I'd complain, but I'll admit that you were right. It seems I did need a bit of harsh truth."
Kryoz chuckled as well. "I'll say. I've been waiting for this ever since I killed your parents. I'm very happy to have gotten my revenge."
The guy in the corner went wide-eyed. Smitty had almost forgotten about him. "Since—since what?"
Kryoz flapped a dismissive hand at him. "Don't worry about it, Droid. That was just my old job."
"...I'm a little worried."
Grizzy looked at their new passenger. "I feel like we skipped the part where this guy came in. Uh...Droid, was it?"
Droid nodded. "I'm a thief," he said sheepishly. "I work for a thieves guild called Blackhand. I saw you guys leave earlier, so I snuck on your ship, but...obviously, I didn't get very far."
"...Right," Grizzy said. He glanced at Kryoz. "And you said something about him being a perfect guide?"
Kryoz nodded. "He's poor, and he's lived here his whole life. The locals won't be near as hostile towards him. Plus, he knows his way around. He can even get you into Blackhand—I have a feeling you'll want to head there," he explained. "Besides, he's great with people. He's way less likely to find himself in any trouble."
"...Well, we'll trust your judgement, since you're from here," Blarg murmured. "But I'm surprised. You're not usually this welcoming to strangers."
Kryoz shrugged. "I have a soft spot for dumb people."
Droid looked offended by that, but he didn't protest.
"I am also a bit surprised. You don't like very many people," Smitty murmured. He looked at Droid. "Do you do anything outside of being a thief?"
Droid shook his head. "No. It's my only way of making money. Even if I am bad at it."
"So...you're just a lackluster thief?" Smitty bluntly asked.
Droid slumped in his chair. "...Yeah," he admitted. He looked like a kicked puppy—Smitty almost felt bad for being so blunt.
"Isn't he pitiful?" Kryoz asked. "He's perfect for recon or intel gathering. He's not threatening in the least."
"Well, that's a little harsh," Grizzy said.
"I'm complimenting him," Kryoz responded. "It takes a very particular type of personality to survive around dangerous people. I've seen it before, and he's perfect for it. I'm being serious."
Smitty hummed. "Well, we definitely need a friendly face for making connections....and if he was able to avoid being killed by you, he could survive just about anywhere." He thought for a moment before looking at Droid. "Alright, then. We'll try this. Droid, if you can find us the man we're looking for, I'll allow you to join the crew. Once you do so, you'll never have to worry about money again. We have more than enough to support you forever."
"...Really?" Droid asked. "You—you'll let me live, even after I tried to steal from you...?"
"Kryoz is the only one who saw what you did. If he's decided to let you live, then you'll live. I have no issue with that."
Droid looked at Kryoz, who gave him an encouraging nod. "We could really use your help."
Droid's eyes lit up. "W-Well—yeah, I mean, if you're looking for someone, of course I can help. I know a lot of people, and Blackhand has a lot of connections! It won't be difficult at all to find a foreigner."
Smitty chuckled quietly, slightly endeared by Droid's excitement. He was obviously eager to get himself off the streets.
"I'm glad to hear that. I'll be relying on you," Smitty said. "We'll begin our search again tomorrow. It'll be me, you, and Grizzy. I want Matt to stay on the ship with John, just in case any more thieves get brave. For tonight, you'll stay on the ship with us, Droid, and we'll have to watch you."
"That's fine," Droid said quickly. "I'm good with that."
Smitty glanced at Blarg. "Are you okay with watching the ship with John?"
Blarg nodded. "Beats being out in the cold. I'll be wrapped up in a blanket while you guys are out there."
"That's our plan, then," Smitty said. "Everyone eat something and get some rest. We'll take turns keeping watch over Droid, just in case. We've only got two days to track down the informant—let's make them count."