The Origin of the Resin Pirate • Law of Talos | IN PROGRESS

|•~Part Ten~•| Ailill the Wily

Pronunciations/Glossary:

- Ailill: AH-YILL

- Cilhaign: SILL-HANE

- Indignation: A state of anger provoked by what is perceived as unfair treatment

~~~

January, 1713

Three long, tiresome days had passed on Nassau before any viable information regarding Erarty or his ship was uncovered. A pirate who Erarty had traded rum for stone with, upon being confronted by Victor, relayed to him everything he knew about Erarty's next heading. He expressed that Erarty was aggressive and fast-moving, wanting to strike a deal immediately and hurry on his way. To the Armaven's men, this insinuated that Erarty knew they were coming, and needed to hasten his stay on Nassau. However, it appeared that he and his men, save for the newly deceased Nathaniel, had departed the port. But Victor gathered from the informant that they were heading to Tortuga, another common respite territory for pirates, for a reason that was unknown. Needless to say, the Armaven's crew fled Nassau for Tortuga as soon as possible.

When they arrived and docked, Karl and Jack were the first ones to begin searching while Victor assigned jobs for the crew. Normally, the two boys would be barred from initiating such a venture on their own, but Karl was capable, and Victor trusted that wherever Karl went, Jack would follow. Jack was three years younger than Karl, 19, and still relatively young in the harsh world that they lived in. But Victor knew that the Dhann boy would be perfectly safe with Karl, who many a pirate would not dare to challenge.

Like Victor, Karl Anivan had unintentionally created a rather notable name for himself. Within the community of pirates, privateers, and other estranged sailors, his name was well known across the Caribbean and West Indies. The Anivan legacy was infamous, as it had been for decades, and Karl Anivan was its newest name to watch out for. The Anivans had long since been known to shell out fearsome male pirates, going as far back as Victor's great grandfather. Every generation grew up fierce, brave, and strong. Karl was no different.

As Karl peaked in his late teenage years and young adulthood, his talents were already renowned, as was the notoriety spread about him. Few men had to ask his name upon seeing him, as the telltale blond hair told them everything they needed to know. The Anivan males all possessed a shade of blond hair scarcely seen in the rougher parts of the sea. Hence, Victor, Karl, and their predecessors were all easily recognized, for better or for worse.

Therefore, when on Tortuga, it did not take long for someone of Erarty's crew to spot him first. It wasn't Morgan himself, but his own quartermaster, a young Irishman named Ailill Cilhaign, who brought it to attention. Ailill swiftly approached the pair, loosely threatening Karl with a warning that it was a big mistake to dock on Tortuga. He questioned the Armaven's quartermaster on Victor's whereabouts, of which Karl said he was happy to provide, as no one who sailed with them was afraid of Harndal or his lackies. Ailill scoffed as he stared them down, focusing more intently on young Jack, Karl noticed.

He asked Jack's name, which the young pirate answered with a similar harsh stare. Following that, he spoke in steadfast support of Karl, relaying that none of them were weak, and any of them were ready to take on the Koveil at any moment. Ailill, who found Jack's attitude amusing, laughed. In a condescending manner, he implied that Jack was failing at trying to act tough, and that his attempts to mirror the Anivan boy's demeanor were pathetic. Ailill went on to say that Karl had effectively proved himself a fierce pirate, but as for Jack, how had he? Who even was he? Another no-name, like the rest of them? Pathetic and replaceable, like all of Victor's mindless servants?