Despite The Rotten Barrel’s primary focus being around night time, it still opened up for breakfast just like any other eating establishment. Sailors, mercenaries, or those looking for something cheap and greasy would often sit in for something comfortable in their bellies before heading out to earn their daily wage. Half of the time that meant stealing another’s wage one way or the other.

Although he was well known for his work in the kitchens, Spike didn’t often find himself busy around morning hours compared to the evening ones. That didn’t mean he still didn’t get praise for his work, and he took more pride in that then a Canterlot noble’s personal garden. Aquilina often said that if any of the cooking guilds got a hold of him, they would make him Guild Master in less than a year. Not that Spike wasn’t flattered, but he was fine working for the Red Lightnings.

“Pancakes, sausages, and a bowl of berries! Also, order up on that griffin waffle house with changeling love syrup!” Spike cried out, hitting the bell near his serving window.

Rupert took both plates and presented them to a watering griffin and changeling duo who started devouring it like it was no tomorrow. “Don’t eat all at once, fellas. I can’t keep having the morticians come in for more choked dead bastards.” Upon hearing this, the two stopped and slowly sipped their water before eating slower. “Just kidding. It only happens once and while.”

He stopped by the kitchen where Spike was busy frying some eggs while Peewee was by the corner eating some bird seed in a bowl with a water dish on the side. “That should be all for now. You think you’ll be free tonight or back on a mission with your friends?”

“Don’t know. It’s my turn to pick the next job, but I was hoping to get some training from Marc today,” Spike replied as he flipped the eggs. He looked at one of his fists and summoned a green flame that enveloped it. Using that fist, he placed it over the bacon and allowed the fire to cook it. The smell of sizzling fried pork flared Spike’s nostrils as he licked his chops while fighting the impulse to add more heat to hasten the cooking. It had to be done just right with his powers or else this effort would be wasted.

“Wouldn’t the oven be quicker?” Rupert asked with a raised eyebrow. “I mean it’s not the best oven in the world, but she can still run.”

“It’s a training exercise Master Marc gave me. Use my own flames to cook the food without burning it. It helps with control and focus,” Spike answered before turning his head to look at his boss. “But regarding tonight, we’ll let you know by this afternoon if Aquilina and I will be busy.”

“Speaking of which,” Rupert muttered as he turned towards the direction of the stairs as the sound of paws stomping on the wooden stairs echoed in the room. A bageyed Aquilina stumbled into the kitchen with her fur and feathers a mess. The nightgown that Spike got her for her birthday was dragging itself behind her as she pushed herself towards the small table inside the room. Plopping down on a seat, she saw a bowl porridge, toast, and an apple with a glass of milk already prepared for her by the dragon in front of her. “Morning, sleeping beauty. How was the morning sun’s warm rays today?”

“Ruck you, Uncle. And ruck the sun. And that sun princess. And anything else associated with it,” Aquilina grumbled as she rubbed her head. “Why didn’t either of you stop me at the fifth drink last night?”

“Because you were threatening to castrate me with your knife again,” Spike answered with a smirk as he flipped his eggs onto a plate along with the nice crispy back before sitting across from his glaring friend. “So I figured I’d let you suffer if you weren’t going to listen to me.”

“And I stopped trying to get you to act with common sense years ago,” Rupert replied with a shrug. “You’ve got nobody to blame but yourself.”

The moaning griffin just growled before picking up the apple and stabbing it with one of her knives. She proceeded to use it to eat the fruit from the blade before turning to Peewee. “And what about you? How about you cry some of them phoenix tears to heal me?”

“One, Peewee is not old enough to do that,” Spike pointed out as he paused to eat some of his eggs before continuing. “And second, you do know that only works once per phoenix, right? I’m not going to waste the most powerful healing water in the world on something like a hangover because you decided to be stupid and blitz yourself to oblivion like every Sunday night. Unless you drink yourself to death, then I’ll revive you with it.”

“You’re just saying that because you don’t drink, you pussy! Drink yourself under the table, and then you’ll be rethinking that, jackass!” Aquilina responded as she spat out the core to the floor.

“Hey! I take offense to that you jerk!” a donkey shouted from the tables.

“Suck it up, ya snowflake!” Aquilina yelled back before she grabbed her stuff and started making her way back to the stairs. “Forget this. I’ll eat upstairs and get an ice pack. Let me know when we're heading to the guild.”

She then took a bite into her porridge and paused with wide eyes. Swallowing it, she calmly put the spoon down and looked back with her mouth in a nervous twist. “Um, did you put brown sugar in the porridge?”

“Yup, I know how much you love it. I figured you’d need something good to eat after your hammering last night,” Spike answered, smiling warmly at her.

Aquilina's cheeks turned a bit red before she turned her face around. “Th-thanks for that.” With that said, she darted upstairs without a word.

A regular guy would have been insulted by how Aquilina acted, but Spike had known his best friend for a while now to see that she really didn’t mean it. Well, most of it. Of all the residents on the islands he trusted with his life, it was Aquilina who was top of the list. Ten years of living with her, fighting with her, and adventuring with her had helped shaped both of them for the better. She made him open his eyes to the naivete he once had about the world, while he, in turn, helped her find some form of optimism. Funny how we used to be at each other’s throats when we first met, Spike thought, thinking about his first two days in Judecca. Guess, going through dangerous scenarios really does bond strangers together. Just like Mom and her friends.

“You know, it's hard to believe she used to be worse in the mornings six years ago. I guess you’ve been a positive influence on her,” Rupert said as he leaned against the wall. “The old her would have just marched right out there to fight that donkey. I’m so proud of how far she’s come.”

“I don’t know if that’s a joke or if you're being serious,” Spike giggled before finishing his meal. He motioned for Peewee to fly to his shoulder while tossing his work apron away. “I’m going to do some exercising before we head off to the guild. See ya in an hour.”

However, just as Spike was about to head to the door, it already opened to reveal Windward right outside. “Oh, great. There you are. Listen, Master Marc’s got a job for us. Better get your scaly butt in gear.”

***

The great thing about so many mercenary guilds in Erebus was that each one had a different set of qualities that could fit any employer’s taste. Everything from the management to mission handling was different for each group that provides their particular style. In The Legion, being the most militaristic, its members worked as a military with officers giving commands or assigning missions to entire regiments. Everyone worked as a unit and didn’t dare act out on their own in fear of punishment. Commanding officers gave orders, rules, and strict disciplinary action with the Grand Legate being the leader of the entire Legion. If your superior gave you a mission, you were to do it or wait for a job. This was the complete opposite of the Red Lightnings, where you were free to choose and handle a mission in whatever manner you wished.

Did you want to go solo or in a team? Either choice was optional. Wanted to play fast and quick or slow and cunning? Fine by the guild. Wanted to wait a month or so to take another job after you just finished one? Enjoy your vacation days. Some would say it was a bit lazy, but to the members of the Red Lightning, they were just embracing the top virtue that everyone loved: freedom. Freedom was what the Erebus Islands were all about. The freedom to do whatever you want with the right to fight back against those who stood in your way. It was anarchy, pure and simple.

The guild still had rules, most of them amount to “Don’t be a dick” in the general sense. However, there were rules that ALL guilds followed regardless of their behavior:

One: Never quit a contract or betray your contractor.

Two: No payment until the contract is complete.

Three: Always accept a contract if your Guild Master gives one to you.

Master Marc didn’t often give jobs, but when he did, he usually had his reasons. Spike had only ever taken a position from Marc once before, and it was... it was...

***

“Oh, well, we decided just to kill them all and take the mine for ourselves.”

“W-what?”

“Yeah, it was kinda easy thanks to your help. They all let their guards down and BAM! Got them all in one blow. Kinda too easy.”

“... but... b-but... you promised!”

“Yeah, and I lied.”

***

No, don’t think about it. Now’s not the time to think about that, thought Spike as Peewee nuzzled his neck. He gave his friend a soothing stroke of his feathers before gazing back at his team. Apparently, I’m not the only one distracted.

Aquilina was still struggling with her hangover as she continued to curse Marc under her breath for interrupting her breakfast; a feat she had been doing since they left The Rotten Barrel. Azura was busy looking at herself in a mini mirror while manipulating her mane with her horn. All while Windward was doing his best to make it look like he wasn’t staring at Azura’s flank which was covered by her usual robes. Too bad the pervy grin he was giving was preventing that. And Yasahiro wasn’t there... because that was just typical behavior for him.

In front of them was Marc, resting his legs on his red oak desk that was covered with scattered papers, beer cans, and a few potato chip bags. His office wasn’t much since he didn’t often use it. All it had was a desk, some chairs, and a shelf for folders. He preferred to just relax with the rest of the guild at the bar, listen to the news on the radio, or do some training. The only time he ever came up here was if it was severe, so Spike stood in attention while nervously wishing his friends would do the same.

“So what’s the big mission that you want us to do? Wouldn’t someone more experienced and higher ranking like Ringo or Kela be good? Or even just Yasahiro by himself?” Spike asked his mentor.

“Well, it's not really important. More fancy I'm asking ye to dae favor for me from an olde mate since I'm too busy to dae it myself,” Marc answered with a grin. “I promised these two chaps from our merchant guild allies to discuss new deals. Usually, I'd let Ringo handle that kind of borin’ stuff, but he and his apprentice r’orf on a job. So I gotta go.”

“And this couldn’t wait until now because?” Aquilina growled.

“Because the ship is sailing in a few hours and I promised me mate a crew to back him up. Hope yeh got yer flippers because yeh're going sailing fer treasure,” he said which instantly got everyone’s eyes staring at him. “Dae I hae yer attention now?”

“Woah! Woah! Woah! Treasure? What kind of treasure?!” Aquilina asked as her eyes began to widen in excitement. She pushed Spike to the wall face first as she got in front of Marc’s amused face. “Is it dragon doubloons from the ancient empire days?”

She didn’t get her answer as Windward rushed forward and pulled her back to take her place. “Is it enough to pay rent?” he asked hopefully. However, he too was lifted off the ground thanks to an icy blue aura and thrown to the side.

“Screw rent. Treasure means jewels and jewels means accessories,” Azura pointed out with a dreamy sigh. “I’ve been looking for something new to go with my dresses. Like some sapphires or diamonds. Maybe even a tiara can be found? It would look great with my newest purchases.”

“Can you put the diamonds on your underwear instead? I hear it’s all the rage now. I can provide an opinion on the look if need be!” Windward happily suggested, but that happiness was cut short when Azura smacked him with her staff.

Rubbing his snout, Spike began to feel his mouth water at the thought of a tasty diamond with a crunch inside. Pounding his claws on the desk, he rushed up to Marc’s face with a beaming smile. “We’ll take it!”

“Ace! E's a griffin at port dock C1. Ye'll know him when ye ce his scar. Tell him Marc is payin’ him back, and that he'd better not get killed this time.” Marc gave Spike the mission request paper before saluting them off. “Mint luck to ya lads, and don't drown in Seramora’s Locker.”

“Well, first we gotta find Yasahiro and-” Windward was interrupted by someone tapping his shoulder only to turn around and yelp in surprise. Holding a hoof to his heart, he took a few deep breaths before glaring at the said kitsune. “Faust above, you sneaky fox! Stop appearing and disappearing all the time! I thought you were a samurai?! Not a ninja!”

Yasahiro only gave a brief smirk before exiting the room with the others.

***

If there was one thing Spike could say about Judecca, it didn’t change much. The port he arrived in ten years ago still had the same drunken sailors, bloodthirsty pirates, greedy merchants, and backstabbing sellers it always had. He had no less than six individuals try to pickpocket him and his friends, but thankfully that ended when one pony tried to reach between Azura’s legs. A few ice bomb spells had that effect. They had to promise to send the repair bill of that one area to their guild. Thankfully they didn’t also need to get a mortician this time.

“So what kind of treasure do you think this is?” Windward asked, happily flying a reasonable distance from Azura who was still steaming mad.

“Well, I’m more surprised there even is treasure,” Aquilina said. “After all, most of the islands have been picked clean of all its treasures except for a few legends. Like Captain Bluebeard’s hidden treasure. The Amulet of Ashina. The Hoof of Omega.”

“The Hoof of Omega? What’s that?” Spike asked.

“Eh, some powerful object from another world or something that can cause stars to go supernova. My uncle heard it from a funny dressed pony with an umbrella and a big blue box,” Aquilina answered. “Either way, I just hope this treasure isn’t some bogus rumor or ends up getting us nothing in the end. It would be a bit of waste of my time.”

“Eh, I think it pretty cool we’re going out to sea. We haven’t taken a mission off of our island since... ever,” Spike recalled. In fact, this would be the first time he would be leaving the island since he arrived.

The group finally arrived at dock C1 and were surprised by what kind of a boat they were going to be on. It was no bigger than a galley, yet was shaped like a caravel. There were vast ruins on every board colored in blue, while it looked to be a bit heavier in weight and width. A steel rutter stood in place of a wooden one while the front was also made of steel, with two large harpoons sticking forward that were big enough to skewer a dragon. The big thing that stood out was that there were no sails. Just some large metal masts, but no sails. Peewee decided to leave Spike’s shoulders and make for one of the masts.

“Are you the ones Marc sent?”

Looking up, they saw a scarred middle-aged griffin walking down the bridge connecting the boat to the pier. He had a dark navy blue longline trench coat with a red scarf around his neck that blew with the wind. Despite his greying feathers and fur, he had a light red feathered mane that reminded Spike of a cockatoo. His face was covered with scars, but the most noticeable one was the long dark red razor mark that went down from his right eye to his neck.

“Um, yeah. Marc sent us,” replied Spike as he handed over the job paper. The scarred griffin gave it a quick look before nodding.

“Alright, get on board. We’re wasting time,” the griffin replied.

“Uh, aren’t you going to tell us what the treasure or details about the job are?” Aquilina asked.

“I’ll tell ya when we’re out in the sea. Now let’s go,” their employer pushed as he motioned for them to join him on deck.

The group looked at each other and shrugged before getting onboard. Upon arriving, they saw that it didn’t look any different from your typical average ship deck. Except for one crucial feature. “Where the hay is the crew?” Windward asked, doing a few zooms around the place. “There isn’t a single person here.”

“I hope he’s not expecting us to manage a boat. I don’t know the first thing about sailing. Do you guys?” Azura asked to which the three of them shook their heads while Yasahiro quietly moved to a corner of the ship and sat down calmly.

“Don’t worry, you won’t be working the ship. Your job is just to protect me and help me when we reach the island,” their scarred employer said from the quarterdeck where there was a large steering wheel with a metal block in front of it. Curious, Spike walked up to see what was going on and his eyes widened at what was in front of the steering wheel. It was a bunch of buttons, knobs, and levers on a metal board that was connected to the floor. “This ship is gonna take us there herself.”

He pressed a green button, and in an instant, the ship began to shake. Although caught off guard, the group managed to keep to their feet and watched in awe as the ship metal masts began to open up, unleashing the sails that started to pick up the wind as a surprised Peewee flew off soared above. A few more buttons were pressed, and the rutter in the back started to activate. Looking overboard, Spike saw holes in the ship opening up, revealing a set of oars that were being held by steel claws.

Windward, flying to a nearby door where clanking noises could be heard, opened it up and gasped at what he saw. “It’s one big factory down here!” The group, minus a sitting Yasahiro, gathered around and saw that the stairs lead to a room filled with cogs, pipes, pistons, and more. It looked like a mini-factory then the inside of a ship. “The ship is a machine that moves on its own! Something like this had to have cost a fortune!”

“Aye, it does,” their captain replied as he smirked, “but there’s a far more important fortune that awaits us.” He put his talons to a nearby lever and pulled, allowing the boat to move out of the pier and straight into the ocean blue. “And this time I’m not going home without it.”

Author's Note

I know not much happened in this chapter, but that's because its build up to what comes next. I also hope to have the cover art commissioned next chapter. It does cost money you know.

As always please feel free to help out at the TV Tropes Page https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/FanFic/TheAssassinationOfTwilightSparkle

And be sure to read Path Of The Tyrant for its chapters.