Cutter

I hissed through my teeth at the tingling clawing into my hip from the salve Amethyst had applied to it. She considered her stitchwork for a moment before nodding with a hum. "You should be walking by the time we make it to Naysow," she declared before clamping shut her bag and trotting to the table in my cabin. Just beside my bed, Catarina pouted, resting her head on her folded arms as she squeezed my hand.

"I can't believe that bastard survived," she grumbled. "Worse still that he did this to you."

"It was worth it to see him squirm once I spilled his guts," I said with a grim smile that managed to cheer her up a little. Though, as I held up and examined the amulet I'd swiped off Arnoso, her mood brightened further. "Not to mention we got the amulet. How does it work?" Amethyst turned and approached my bed.

"May I?" She asked and I handed her the amulet. She took it in her magic and turned it over a few times. It shimmered in response to her magic and then she nodded. "This might not make sense to you, but effectively while you hold this amulet you can project your will outwards." She approached the window of my cabin.

"As it's tuned to only work on the sea, its applications are thus limited to natural functions of the open water," she explained, offering me a knowing smirk. "So don't bother trying to shape the water into golems or anything like that." I furrowed my brow and shared a bewildered look with Catarina. We were both shaken then when the whole ship lurched suddenly. Looking back and ignoring the distressed cries of my crew, I saw Amethyst holding the amulet out the window.

"That said, you can very easily whip up a hell of a wave or two just by willing it," she added, examining the water outside with a smile. She then turned and returned the amulet to me. "With a little practice, you could get a full current rolling from one end of the sea to the other."

"Aces," I huffed as I considered the magic tool. A wicked smirk broke across my face. "First things first, let's go drown those birds who blasted your ships."

"Wrong. First things first is you staying in that bed," Amethyst chided as she made for the door. "Catarina, stay here and restrain him if he tries to get up." I blinked as the crystal pony left us alone before looking at Catarina who fixed me with a satisfied leer before climbing beside me and wrapping her arms around me.

"Was she soft?" One of the council ponies interpreted. I blanched and looked up to see the rest of the council looking at him with equal astonishment. The pegasus in question stared at me with an invested look on his face before he realized everyone was staring at which point he wilted with a blush. "Sorry."

The mare who had been doing the majority of the questioning so far shook her head before considering me with a suspicious leer. "So the amulet actually worked?"

"Yes," I replied with a curt nod, already guessing where her question would lead. A few other council ponies murmured excitedly at my confirmation.

"So that's how he managed to dominate the sea over the last four years!" One whispered to his neighbor.

"It definitely helped," I added.

"Where's the amulet now?" The mare demanded. At her question, the murmuring ceased and all eyes fell upon me.

"Safe," I retorted with a smirk, tilting my head. The mare narrowed her eyes before I hummed. "And anyway, I thought we were on the topic of the Edict?" She glared at me for a few moments before nodding.

"Sure. Go ahead," she said before tilting her head back. "Though, just to confirm, you used the amulet to break the blockade of Southpile?"

"Yes. You're welcome," I chirped. She slowly nodded in thought.

"If I have my dates right, that was around the time the griffins published news of their execution of several high-profile pirates out of Naysow," she replied before fixing me with a curious look. "Including Junior the mountain troll." My expression melted to a harsh scowl and I huffed.

"They did worse than that," I replied.

With help from Catarina, I managed to limp my way onto the deck where Bolt, Cast, and Yas were waiting with expressions ranging from despair to poorly restrained rage. Leaning over the starboard rail and peering through my glass, I confirmed why and found myself running the emotional gauntlet as well.

The beached warship we used to defend Naysow was burning along with a vast stretch of jungle, seemingly all the way up the lagoon. Sitting just at the entrance was a small fleet of six ships in a tight formation with all cannons pointed inward. If the smoldering wrecks I could spy just beyond them were any indication, they'd had a few challengers come out to face them.

"How the hell did they pull this off?" Bolt yelled, pounding his fist against the rail. "Those batty ponies should've blasted every last one of them long before they got this set up!"

"It looks like they managed to disable the fortifications first," Yas murmured as he picked his teeth with a claw. "But that only raises more questions." A sharp growl rolled up from my chest as I considered the scene before Amethyst called out from her ship.

"Cutter!" She yelled, drawing my attention. She gestured to her neck. "If you would?" I glanced down at the amulet hanging from my neck before nodding.

"Cat, help me to the bow," I asked, earning a cheer from the crew and a purring laugh from her. The crew crowded either rail to watch as she escorted me to the very front of the ship and once there, she helped me steady myself as I raised both arms to either side. I felt the amulet tingled against my skin as its magic began to activate and I heard the water below us gurgle in response.

Slowly, I swept my arms forward, casting my desire out like a net and focusing on the sea immediately below the fleet. I watched ripples and foam shudder all the way to the fleet and then slowly spread my arms out again. Then, clutching my hands in the air, I heaved my arms to one side with all my might. I repeated the motion a few times until I nearly lost my balance. Cat helped me to a sitting position on the rail as we watched the magic go to work.

The sea began to roil and turn, slowly bubbling with more and more foam that started flowing in a circular motion beneath the fleet. By this point, they had spotted us and were unfurling their sails to better line themselves up to shoot at us. The act only sealed their doom, as once their anchors were raised, they were caught even more severely in the motions of the sea. A pair of ships at one end of the line were smashed against each other and then pulled along the line as the water swirled harder and harder.

Before any of them could do anything, a massive whirlpool had formed beneath their fleet and rapidly crashed all the ships against each other. Two of them capsized, one got caught right in the middle and was sent spinning, and another must've had an accident near its magazine as it exploded, spreading flames to the others. The sight drew a chorus of cheers and a few songs from all of our crews as we watched the griffins' destruction.

Catarina hummed and I turned to see her peering through her glass. "A few managed to escape and are flying into the jungle," she declared.

"Guess we've still got some work to do," I hissed in response as I watched the first of the enemy masts begin to vanish beneath the waves.

Naysow was surprisingly untouched as I worried it would have been. While the harbor and streets were occupied by griffins, the town itself was still standing. Frustratingly, however, the fake gallows in the square had been replaced with the real thing, and a few local pirates I recognized were currently swinging.

"That does give me an idea," I hummed after reporting what I spied through my glass before turning to our company and the escaped birds we'd captured. "Maybe we put you and your buddies through the same treatment, hey?" Most of the uniformed birds balked and wilted at me, seemingly fearing me more than the minotaurs, diamond dogs, or Blood Orange and her company who now surrounded them. We'd run into the bat ponies when we came ashore near the burned warship to chase down the griffins, and they revealed they had to flee the town to regroup and were just then preparing to launch a counter-offensive.

"It won't do you any good, Throat-Cutter," their leader hissed, yanking against the ropes Orange had him bound with. "The tides are changing in our favor. Admiral Burigold has seen to that!" I slipped back and grabbed him by the beak, earning a grunt of discomfort as I yanked him up.

"Wrong. The winds are changing in your favor," I retorted, jostling my amulet with a grim smirk. "The tides belong to me." I hurled him to the side and against one of his compatriots before turning to Orange with a huff.

"How the hell did they get so far inland?" Cast demanded. "Where's Junior?" The bat pony's ears snapped back as she winced.

"Well. Ah," she murmured, casting her gaze down. "Dreadless popped up and called us all to the fort. He said he had vital information about the commodore." An uneasy murmur rolled up from our crews as Catarina, Amethyst, and I shared a look.

"He said he needed Junior to sneak through the jungle way up north and meet him on a beach for an ambush," she continued, earning a nod from the other bat ponies. "Once Junior was gone, he launched a firework and the griffins attacked." Catarina folded her arms and looked away with a hum as Cast and Bolt growled.

I rubbed my face with a sigh, shaking my head. "Dreadless betrayed us too, huh? Where'd he go?"

"North, a week ago," Orange replied with a wince as she clenched her eyes. "I think he was going to kill Junior." Her wings drooped as she slowly shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Cutter," she murmured.

"Nah, don't be. Can't be helped when not one but two of our friends turned out to be snakes," I grunted, bending down with a wince of pain to gently rub the spot between her ears. The gesture managed to coax a weak smile out of her and so I then turned to our prisoners with a weary glare. "You guys, though? I guarantee sorry's the least of what you're going to be." I reached out for Cat, who helped me back to my feet and I loomed over the griffins.

"Talk," I demanded, causing one of them to wilt.

"I-" Before he could continue, his superior rolled over and yelled.

"Don't tell him anything!" He squawked. "Let him squirm like the rest of-" My sword snapped free from my belt and cracked him across the beak. He fell to his side with a scream before I reared up and hacked it into him. Then again. And again. And once more for good measure, with the heat of the moment completely overshadowing the stinging ache in my hip. I twisted my sword free of his carcass before turning back to the guy I was interrogating. As he looked up at me in utter shock, I gently placed the tip of my sword under his chin.

"The pirate Dreadless made contact with Admiral Burigold just before the launch of the Edict," he whimpered. "From what we heard, the two entered an accord in exchange for Dreadless earning a pardon from His Excellency."

"And that accord included disabling our defenses here, huh?" I demanded in a low growl, sharing an annoyed look with Cat.

"Yes, so we could seize and neutralize Naysow," he replied before swallowing hard. "We had orders to inform the criminal element here that if they surrendered to us willingly, they would be pardoned."

"Considering that mess at the mouth of the lagoon, I'm guessing that was a load of shit?" I pressed, rubbing my chin as I considered the town in the distance as well as the fort's silhouette.

"Most of the pirates preferred to wait until you three returned to hear your input," he murmured, drawing a leer from me. "Thus, we had to blockade the area."

"And yet you tried to attack us when you spotted our ships," Amethyst huffed, causing the bird to shudder.

"The captain felt if you were reported as dead, the pirates would give up," he said before offering me an anxious smile. "We, ah, planned to tell them you shot first." Amethyst, Cat, and I shared a look before I smirked at the bird.

"Well, now they get to hear that the blockade is cleared," I hummed, tilting my head. "I'm guessing you've taken control of the fortress, right?"

"Yes, and the villa," he reported.

"Brilliant. That thing's cannons will be a pain in the ass," I huffed as I looked over our company. I stumbled a little when Orange suddenly dropped onto my shoulders.

"Let us soften them up, Cutter," she whispered in my ear. "We can fly right to its top. It's the least we can do."
I nodded at her. "Fair enough. How quickly can you get to the jungle near it?"

"Ten minutes, easy, if we're being sneaky," she explained aloud.

"Alright. Get into position and then wait for a commotion to kick off in town," I declared. "Let's try and wipe 'em all out in one go."

Though I could walk again actually fighting wasn't a given, so I wound up not taking much part in the uprising that followed and instead lingered near the shore, whipping the lagoon's water into a frenzy. A few of the griffins who were posted along the docks were swept away by the sudden waves I threw their way which only increased the panic overtaking our invaders.

An echoing explosion from the fort split the air and signaled that Orange and company had begun their attack. In response, I sat upon a post at the dock with a sigh as I rubbed my hip.

"Cutter!" Came a yell, drawing my attention to the main road. A burly earth pony with thick iron shoes and a ratty grey coat on his dusty black shoulders came galloping up, followed by his rag-tag crew.

"Captain Charcoal Stain," I called back, waving to him as he and his crew stampeded onto the docks. He trotted right up to me, panting as his crew took off toward his ship.

"I hear you cleared that damned blockade! Is it true?" He demanded, drawing a smile from me.

"Surely," I reported with a wink as I jostled the amulet. "But more than that, I'm-"

"Ah! Aces!" He chirped before whirling around and shouting to his crew. "You heard him, lads! Haul to!" They cheered and hollered in response as they clambered aboard.

"Haul to what?" I huffed, looking at him in confusion. He tipped his crooked cap to me.

"Naysow's finished! Nice working with you, Cutter!" He chirped before trotting to his ship, leaving me stunned.

"What!" I finally yelled, straining as I pushed to my feet. "You can't leave!"

"Why not? Burigold and Dreadless turned on us, Junior's probably dead, and the forward defenses are gone!" He yelled back halfway up his gangplank. "Sorry, Captain, but the second we had claws and paws stampin' around our streets that was sign enough we're through." As I stood there dumbstruck, his quartermaster appeared at the rail.

"All due respect, Captain Cutter, but many other crews already accepted the King's pardon, as they too recognized what the captain has just said," he declared, waving a hoof. "Others, like ours, have no love for the griffins, but were unwilling to risk getting blasted if we left." Stain nodded before turning to me with a wry smile.

"I'm setting sail for Abyssinia with some other colts intent on making a fleet of our own. You interested?" He asked, causing me to sputter for a moment before snarling.

"We can't leave! We have to pay back Ben for betraying us!" I bellowed, nearly stumbling as I stomped toward him. "And for fuck's sake, have you heard about their new weapon? If we don't stand against it-"

"I know. The Edict, isn't it?" He asked with a nod. "That ship Ben's piloting." I huffed and nodded in response, earning a huff from him.

"Even with that trinket around your neck, I don't fancy our chances against that thing," he said with a shrug before he trotted all the way aboard. "We sailed for coin, Captain Cutter. Burigold's done us dirty, but that's just business in the end." I recoiled with my jaw hanging and as my head went spinning, another voice cried out.

"Captain Cutter!" Loop, a pegasus captain, yelled as she dove onto the dock beside me. She reared up and hugged my waist. "Thanks for clearing the blockade! C'mon, colts and fillies! Let's hit the waves!" She waved at a crowd of ponies and dogs before zipping toward her own ship. A stampede of other companies and grateful declarations followed as a vast majority of Naysow's populace scrambled along the docks.

I sat at my old table on the inn's patio, scanning the bloodied square where most of the fighting had taken place. Even with most of the companies fleeing the town, they'd still killed their fair share of griffins on their way out. As a result, the birds either surrendered or took off into the jungle an hour after the fighting began. Or they were dead and currently being shoveled off into the lagoon.

As I huffed in frustration at the silence that filled the streets, Catarina suddenly appeared beside me and sat down, placing a mug in front of me. "Seven companies, not counting our own, are still with us," she said as she reached over and rubbed my wrist. "Tangle, Barges, Low, Little, Swan Song, Greg, and Jamboree."

"Where are they now?" I asked, just staring at my mug without grabbing it.

"Tending to their crews," she explained with a quiet huff. "Additionally, the kirin, pigs, dogs, and ponies who call Naysow their permanent home have elected a few representatives who wish to treat with us."

I snorted and shook my head before grabbing my mug. "They finished with us, too?"

"I think they're more concerned if our presence is going to draw more trouble," she replied as I took a swig.

"Precisely that, Tenderclaw," someone said just behind me. I turned as I swallowed to find six faces I recognized from around town in the forms of two earth pony mares, a diamond dog in a top hat, a kirin with a mess of beads tied through her mane, a pantsless bipedal hog in a tuxedo and top hat, and a unicorn stallion. Though I'd never gotten their names, I knew they were likely the representatives Cat had mentioned. I glared at the kirin who'd spoken first.

"The fuck'd you just call me?" I demanded.

"S'what all the friendly girls call you in private," she replied with a shrug before fixing me with a severe frown. "And anyway, Naysow doesn't have Burigold's commission keeping the law out, and it doesn't have that ship you stole as a backup."

One of the mares nodded and stepped closer. "So, if you stick around, how do we know we aren't going to get bombarded and invaded?" I grunted and shook my head as I reclined in my seat.

"That'll probably happen whether Naysow hosts pirates or not," I huffed before furrowing my brow at them. "At least if we're here, you have an armed populace invested in keeping the place free."

"Only ten companies worth against the whole of Griffinstone," the dog retorted, tipping his hat at me. "And I beg your pardon, but the griffins weren't hassling the honest business folk around here." The others nodded in response, especially the hog who wore a constant self-satisfied smile as he stood with his thumbs in his coat. I nodded before offering them a grim smile.

"Sure. But I made a promise to my crew nigh on two years ago," I explained, rattling my amulet. "I would carve the fear of my name into every griffin that breathes." I considered the amulet as I spoke.

"If I turn Naysow into the lair of that which they fear, they'd be damned fools to risk coming here," I added with a curt nod.

"They already did," the hog replied, earning a snort from me.

"Sure! But that's because they don't all fear me yet," I declared, facing them again with an even darker grin. "When I send Admiral Burigold and that expensive vessel of theirs to the bottom of the sea, I reckon that'll do the trick." They all shared a look before the unicorn tilted his head.

"Can you do that?" He asked, causing me to chortle.

"Haven't you heard?" I hummed, rattling the amulet at him. "Alicorns rule the sky, but Cutter rules the sea." They all recoiled at my assertion and even Cat seemed taken aback, but the unicorn recovered and shook his head.

"Talk's talk, Captain," he retorted, fixing me with a firm glare. "But you won't always be here to protect the town."

The dog nodded and tipped his hat again. "And beg pardon again, but I don't now believe reputation alone will serve in your absence." My confident expression melted away and for the third time today, I found myself balking. The hog hummed and nodded at my expression.

"Our tradehogs will still be pleased as pudding to fence your goods if no other option presents itself," he explained, tilting his head and adopting a more sympathetic sort of smile. "But I do not believe we can tolerate an extended visit from pirates any longer."

"Sorry, Captain," the kirin added with a meager shrug. I stared at them all individually for a long while before huffing and shaking my head.

"Guess it's just my lot in life to always get kicked when I'm down, hey?" I murmured, fixing Cat with a weary smile. "And sure as shooting my lot to never have a home. Alright!" I sighed and pulled myself to my feet before limping up to them. Once there, I pulled my coat back and rested my hand on my sword.

"Make me leave," I ordered. The six of them flinched and now regarded me with shock as I scanned each of their faces. "Well? Don't be shy." I swept my free arm to the square and harbor.

"Most of my men are weary, I've got a limp that hasn't healed all the way, and there are six of you and only one of me," I chuckled before drawing my sword and taking another step, causing them to retreat. "Make. Me. Leave." The ponies all hugged the ground while the kirin turned her side to me with her head low. The dog held up his paws and backed off to the side, leaving only the hog looking me in the face. He held up his hands and fixed me with a nervous smile as he began to sweat.

"Captain Cutter, please-" I hopped forward and grabbed him before bringing my sword up between us.

"I ain't asked you for squeals, pig," I hissed as he scrunched up his mouth and seemed to retreat like a turtle into his own flesh. "Make me leave." As his pupils shrunk, a hand fell on my shoulder. Looking back, I saw Cat behind me, regarding me with a mournful frown.

"Cutter," she said, shaking her head. "Don't."

"We got eight companies in need of shelter and an entire navy out to get us," I hissed, shaking the hog by the collar. "And after we just cleared the birds from their streets they want to give us the boot."

"Yeah, there's a lot that's rancid about the cards we've been dealt," she replied with a nod before stepping closer and wrapping her arms around me, resting her head against my neck. "But we're still free and we still have each other."

We stood there for a little while, my attention solely on her as she held onto me. Eventually, I considered the town representatives who still regarded me with terror. Slowly, I sighed and let go of the hog, causing him to squeak and slowly fall onto his back, stiff as a board. My sword arm drooped and Cat began pulling on me.

"C'mon, we need to get things ready," she urged and after a few moments of silence, I turned and we walked away from the inn in tandem.