Herera - Stories of The Purple Pearl

6. The plan

The wind caressed my face and the salty mist sprayed my skin. Finally we were free of the earthen air and the confining mainland. For the first time in weeks, the sight of the vast open sea was accompanied by the rhythmic sway of the ship.

Wherever I turned to, the endless blue and briny scent invigorated my senses, cleansing away the stagnant days spent yearning to set sail again.

I wasn't the only one being revived by the vast openness stretched out before us. The minute Kailynn had set foot on deck, she had let her copper blonde hair loose. It now brushed her shoulders as it danced in the wind. She would never say it out loud, but her heart was at the sea. The sea and a saw maybe.

Steering the mahogany wheel at the helm, Idir seemed like a little boy who finally got his favorite toy back, although he had quickly figured out that he could only turn it in the direction Yui gave us.

"So far, it's no different than the directions I would give," I'd told him.

I allowed myself one last breath of pure sea air before I put my mind on the task ahead.

"Ay, everyone, gather 'round! Vacation is over! We have work to do, plans to make!"

"Oh, so there is a plan already?" Lemington taunted. I did the most adult thing a pirate in her mid-twenties could do to answer a century-old gnome. I stuck out my tongue.

Everyone assembled before me on the upper deck. A blend of all kind of creatures in sizes, colors and styles compiled from around the world. Skin colors ranged from Eryk's brightest white to Idir's midnight black, and styles varied from the coarsest linen that Kailynn wore, to the fine pink satin dresses from Rhea. That and everything in between was the assortment that my crew appeared in.

And the other half of the company was soon to join us.

"Thanks to Yui's big connections," I started, getting some chuckles in response, "we know where Hachi is headed and we managed to calculate when they will approximately arrive there."

"And I know that place quite well," Yui said.

"So do we," Elias said, meaning him, Kailynn and Idir. I got the feeling that something went down there between the four of them long before I was part of The Purple Pearl.

"All the better," I continued. "Eryk, what have you found?"

Our soon to become second gunner master enthusiastically stepped forward.

"Material is top-notch, and there's quite a large amount of explosives and gunpowder in stock. No guns though, but I figure we can easily fill the cannons up to eight rounds, maybe even more."

"That's better than expected," I said.

"The ship is not half bad," Elias admitted. "It's small, but fast, and we will be able to sneak up on the others if we're careful."

"I also found some powders that could form some nasty bombs combined with the sea water, but I'll have to test the salt level of the water in these surroundings. If it works, the bombs may produce a smokescreen that can cause heavy skin irritation, so we'll have to be careful where to use them."

"Your master would be proud, Eryk," I smiled.

The twinkle in his eyes faded in a more worried look. "Will it be enough?"

I knew he was thinking about Bolin, his master, but also about Quinn, his girlfriend. He loved her very much and I hoped Hachi and their crew hadn't already taken advantage of the shy, mute girl that barely dared stand up for herself.

"I'd walk into that smokescreen myself if I had to," I told him, and everyone, "but I am not returning before every single shell stands beside us again."