Cutter

Celestia sat with her head hanging and her face hidden under her hoof. I considered her with a purse-lipped smile for a moment before humming. "So, I take it Harum-scarum was, ah," I cleared my throat and knit my fingers together. "Also known for his learned perspectives?"

"Southpile was so remote and far from where most of our challenges were appearing that we couldn't spare our best for its garrison," she explained, slowly dragging her hoof down her face with a chesty sigh. "Though this now clarifies the full story of the Quicksilver's mutiny. Oh dear." I chortled aloud and slowly nodded.

"I reckon that's twice now my experiences with your less than stellar military came down to simple, shall we say, bad luck?" I offered with a snort, wagging my eyebrows at her. "Still not a good look, Princess." Rather than react, she simply stared off to the side with an annoyed expression. I hummed as a thought occurred to me.

"Whatever happened to Captain Quicksilver? Figured she could've cleared that mutiny business all up for you," I asked, rolling my head to the side before I clapped my hands. "Oh don't tell me! She lied, eh?" Celestia's expression softened and she shook her head.

"No. Sadly, she never recovered from the affair," she explained, causing me to raise an eyebrow. "Former Lieutenant Harum-scarum failed to provide her with appropriate levels of care following taking her into his custody." She quietly hummed and faced me with a sad frown.

"She was interred in her family crypt six weeks after you parted, and the lieutenant was demoted shortly before that," she added. I blinked in surprise before snorting with mirth.

"Hah! Serves the idiot right," I barked, causing Celestia to recoil and consider me with a shocked expression. I shot her a toothy grin and wagged a finger. "Ah! And now you're wondering, which idiot does he mean?" I leaned forward and winked.

"And I'm not telling," I added with a grim chortle before clearing my throat. "Now! Even though, as Gab had pointed out previously, a fully-rigged frigate could at the very least keep up with us, we had the advantage of already being in the wind and not having our anchor lowered."

"I don't think they're following us!" Early called from the crow's nest, slicing through the tense air that had held the entire crew since we started sailing. I glanced up from the helm toward the quarterdeck, where I could just barely see Gab's ears as he continued monitoring the small fleet that had turned to attack us.

"Aye! They're backing off!" He declared, drawing a sigh of relief from the crew. He collapsed his spyglass and sat upon the edge of the quarterdeck above me with a huff. Zamaradi, who had also been on the quarterdeck trotted into view and sat down beside him.

"What's the next closest Equestrian port?" I asked, steading the wheel with one hand as I looked up at the pair.

"Nah, that won't do us no good," Gab said, shaking his head. "If even this backwater hovel's actin' on wartime rules, then you can bet the rest of the country's workin' a similar schedule." Zamaradi nodded in agreement.

"And depending on how quickly that loon gets the word out, we might sail right into another fleet seeking to arrest the mutinous crew of the Quicksilver," she added, drawing an annoyed huff from me.

"So what do we do?" I demanded, throwing my free hand up. "Mount Aris?"

"Mount Aris is good!" Someone from the crew chirped.

"We still don't have nothing to offer 'em," Gab shouted at them before his head sank with a severe expression. After a moment's silence, he slowly nodded and spoke with a low tone. "But I reckon I know somepony who'll take what we got." Zamaradi closed her eyes with a quiet hum as I looked at Gab expectantly.

"Straight east o' here there's a cozy little neutral port, right on the cusp of the Lost Lagoon," he said with a sigh, waving his hoof in an easterly direction. I considered that direction for a moment as Zamaradi chuckled quietly.

"Ain't that Kirin territory?" She asked without opening her eyes. "And therefore Nirik territory?" I furrowed my brow at her question.

"Aye, but only just so," Gab argued. "Naysow's very well protected thanks to her governor." Zamaradi laughed aloud.

"Naysow? Really?" She barked, shaking her head with another laugh. "Goodness me, we are in trouble."

"What's Naysow?" Happy Bay called, drawing my attention to the crew. As before, the more experienced sailors who had caught on to the shanty earlier had all wore uncertain faces.

"A port propped up, guarded, and maintained by the privateerin' Boss of the Flying Gang," Gab explained with a huff. "Ben Burigold."

"Burigold?" I balked, looking up at the two.

"Mmhm, that old dog I told you I saw runnin' the place a few years back," Zamaradi explained with a playful bob of her head. "Since then, he got hisself a fleet and all that." Gab jolted at her words.

"That was Ben you were talking about?" He gasped, before frowning when Zamardi nodded. "Wonder what he was doing in Southpile?"

"Nothing wholesome, that's for sure," the zebra replied before leaping down beside me and fixing me with a serious leer. "The hound is a scoundrel." I furrowed my brow at her as she trotted away.

"But he's also a reasonable fellow, where money is concerned," Gab called after her. "And I'm sure he'll find some value in our trade pass if we give it to him. Maybe enough to give us shelter and food for a little while."

"Ain't Naysow full of pirates?" One of the experienced sailors yelled, drawing a nervous shudder from some of the others and an anxious grunt from me. We all looked to Gab who nodded firmly.

"Under the Flying Gang's control, aye," he explained with a severe look. "And that means so long as we do right by them, we won't be maliced."

"Define 'do right by them,'" I pressed, drawing his attention to me.

"Like I said, we can offer Ben our trade pass in exchange for safety and shelter," he said before adopting a knowing smile. "That old dog's sure to know how to make use of it, which is a sight better than we could do now."

"Even with wartime rules?" I pressed, tilting my head. The old pony's smile widened.

"Aye. Especially with wartime rules," he said with a curt laugh. "Fella didn't become famous by lettin' a few government restrictions hold him back, savvy?" I considered him and his words for a moment before looking back at the crew. The more experienced sailors looked expectantly at Gab and me, while the others just seemed completely lost. Nodding, I called out.

"Naysow! All in favor?"

"Steady, Cutter," Gab urged from the staircase to my left, illuminated solely by the lantern he had with him. "Keep her steady."

Despite the fact the sun dipping below the horizon meant we were no longer assaulted by its scalding heat, the air was still humid and miserable, which when combined with the fact we now only had the distant lighthouse to navigate by meant the positives of night coming were utterly neutralized.

"Would you believe me if I told you if you banked hard to starboard we'd be traipsing through a glacier field by midmorning t'morrow?" Gab said with a laugh, wiping his brow with a wing.

"Fuck this planet, man," I spat.

"That's the spirit!" He chirped. "And on that note, four notches larboard! Reel in the mains!" The crew and I operated as instructed, easing our speed as slowly the lighthouse grew closer and closer. Suddenly, to my shock, I found we'd passed through a narrow strait and were now hemmed in on either side by tree-covered beaches.

"Mr. Cutter, eight and a half notches starboard," he ordered. "And be ready to reverse that on my command." I considered him for a moment before complying. Once I was set, I kept my eyes locked on him and took a bracing breath as he slowly raised his hoof.

"Now!" He yelled, and I spun the wheel with all my might.

"Bwah! We almost ran aground!" Someone yelled shortly thereafter. Looking up, I saw we'd narrowly turned away from a sudden beachfront that had popped up as the strait around us suddenly turned at a sharp angle.

"And that's why they call it the Lost Lagoon! Perfect geography to lose your ship and get lost yerself!" Gab barked back before laughing. "But never mind that! Look there!" Looking forward, I found we were now approaching an entire town littered with lights. The trees had completely obscured the place on our approach, making it seem as if it had popped up out of thin air.

"Cutter, hard to starboard. Prepare to drop anchor!" Gab ordered, hopping down from his perch before smiling at me. "Welcome to Naysow, Mr. Cutter." I looked from him up at the town. It was so well-illuminated that I could actually make out the general shape of the place. Most of the nearest buildings seemed to be lean-to's or small shacks, giving it the partial appearance of a shanty town, but the further inland I looked, the more brick and stone structures I noticed, with the occasional log cabin-type structure like I'd seen back at Vanhoover.

At the farthest end, I could barely make out a tall, imposing silhouette in the moonlight which suggested the shape of a large castle or fortress that cast a shadow thick enough to hide whatever was closest to it.

Finally, as I considered the whole place, I blinked upon realizing there were countless masts between us and the shoreline, revealing who knows how many ships anchored just at the shoreline. Our own ship groaned and lurched as the anchor brought us to a stop, and I looked down at Gab.

"What now?" I asked, drawing a nod from him.

"We wait for an envoy and request to speak with Commodore Burigold, that's what," he explained. A gasp and a giggle made us both pause.

"Ooh, you're here to talk with the commodore!" A squeaky female voice chirped just beside the helm. "Silly me! I thought we were gonna have to kill you!" Turning, we found a bright-eyed and smiling bat pony standing beside the helm. And when I say bright-eyed, I mean it; her eyes were quite literally glowing in the dark. Gab and I shared a look before he cleared his throat.

"We?" He asked. At that moment, one of the crew screamed, and we turned just in time to see at least a dozen other winged shapes explode from various hiding places all around the ship. They took off toward the mainland, squeaking and screeching like a swarm of bats. A flapping noise drew my attention back to the pony who'd surprised us just as she prepared to fly off.

"Wait right here! We'll send a rowboat!" She chirped before vanishing into the night. As we watched the swarm zip off into town, I let out a shuddering sigh as Gab huffed.

"Huh. That was fast," he mused.

As our rowboat only had space for six, Gab, Zamaradi, Happy, a crewmate named Stitches, and myself were chosen to go ashore along with one of the bat ponies who'd offered to be our guide. Holiday had elected to remain with the injured.

"I don't get why I needed to go," I huffed as I sloshed through the shallow water and finally onto the damp sand of the beach before catching up with the others.

"Because if he is not satisfied with our trade pass, we can sell you to him," Zamaradi replied, causing me to flinch.

"A solid plan B, but you're our helms-stallion, Mr. Cutter," Gab retorted with a chuckle. "You've played a vital role in everything that's happened recently." I grunted at his words before Happy whirled around on one hoof.

"This place is amazing," he gasped, gawking at the place once we got a better look at it.

"Aw, you think so? The commodore will be thrilled to hear it!" Our guide chirped. I furrowed my brow and considered the town as we marched through it. The lights we'd seen from the ship were now revealed to be paper lanterns for the most part, with the main road we now walked upon having iron posts that reached up nearly twenty feet and were topped with three candles each inside three glass bulbs.

The air was still hot and humid and now formed a faint fog that hugged the rooftops of the larger and sturdier buildings. Just like Vanhoover, these were revealed to be more official establishments, and thanks to my time studying at sea, I could make out what was written on their signs. Most declared themselves to be general stores, liquor shops, weapon shops, and even a few candy stores.

But a few which were evidently the most popular if the crowds were any indication served a much bawdier purpose. As we passed by one such place, I nearly tripped over Happy, who'd gotten distracted when a pair of mares in silk dresses standing on the porch had waved at him specifically.

"Sorry!" He squawked before tripping over himself to catch up with the rest of the group. I furrowed my brow at him before considering the pair who'd distracted him. I wasn't sure whether to be insulted or not when they balked at my attention and then scurried out of sight.

Returning my attention to the town, we passed by what must have been the town square, where an absolute ruckus was happening. At the very center, two minotaurs stood at the center of a ring of on-lookers of all sorts, circling each other with their hands raised. All at once, they leaped toward each other and began trying to throw each other to the ground.

Up on a stage near one end of the square with what seemed to be a gallows, I was certain some lean pig man was being sentenced by an Abyssinian judge in a powdered wig, until I realized it was a literal show trial.

"And on the charge of sleeping through your watch, how do you plead?" The judge demanded, waving his gavel at the pig who shrugged despite the loose ropes around his wrists.

"I dunno! I was asleep at the time! Do we have any witnesses?" He argued to the amusement of the crowd. The judge rolled his eyes and gently bopped him on the head with his gavel as we passed by.

To our right, I spied a group of ponies and these strange, pony-like things with fluffy manes and strange-shaped horns cheering for a portly pigman as he heaved a full barrel of sweet-smelling and amber colored something-or-other and began guzzling the whole thing in one go.

Then a pair of fighting diamond dogs fell right in the midst of our group before they both tumbled away, with their paws firmly locked on each other's throats. Happy and I had both paused at the two before turning to catch up with the rest of the group. When we finally caught up, I saw we were now approaching the looming silhouette that was proven to be a proper fortress.

All around it were fenced-in areas with training dummies, and rough-looking creatures idling about. Each of them had some kind of weapon on them but paid us no mind as we approached the fortress. Just at the end of the road and to the left, there was a white-walled and very clean-looking villa which seemed to be our destination as our guide led us toward it.

The villa was a two-story building with a white-washed wall surrounding it and what seemed to be a few smaller fruit trees. The roof was made up of red shingles, and there was a warm yellow light visible through the glazed glass that filled each window. Now that we'd left the town behind, the night was filled with the quiet murmur of countless chirping insects, but as we approached the rounded entrance to the villa's wall, faint and reserved laughter met my ears.

"Commodore! Here they are!" Our guide chirped as we passed into a well-lit and partially tiled yard. To one end, almost all the way up to the wall, was a crystal-clear pool of water a few female diamond dogs and ponies were swimming in. Just at the edge of the pool and facing us, was a wide wicker sofa on which a pair of female diamond dogs, one pony mare, and a male diamond dog lounged. The former three had their attention on the latter, and I found myself staring as well.

He was fully dressed, with loose-fitting black pants down to his ankles, and an off-white shirt hanging from his chest. Over both, he wore a weathered blue coat with red fringes and golden buttons. Around his waist was a yellow sash, and on his head was a grey bandana. His fur was white and he had the overall head shape of a schnauzer.

Just before his couch was a glass table, upon which sat a big flat hat with a massive plume stuck in it, and a gilded hookah pipe he was currently smoking from. As our guide led us just before his table, he took one long and intense drag from his pipe before slowly reclining, holding in whatever he had inhaled with his eyes shut.

When he finally exhaled, I blinked as the smoke seemed to glitter in the moon's light like a cluster of tiny stars.

"Ah," he hummed before handing the pipe to one of the girls at his side. He fixed us with a toothy smile and tipped his paw to us. "Welcome to Naysow, dear people. I understand you wish to speak with me?" His voice was heavy and smooth, matching the light in his eyes as he seemed to study each of us individually and all at once. Gab cleared his throat and nodded.

"Commodore Burigold, we are the crew of the Quicksilver, and by misfortune and happenstance find ourselves in need," he explained with a desperate tone I wasn't sure he meant to use.

"Very sorry to hear that," Burigold hummed with a nod before holding out one of his paws. "But please! Indulge me in my sorrow. What misfortune might that be?" The pony that had just taken a drag from his pipe sputtered and fell into a coughing fit, but Burigold's eyes remained locked on us. Gab shared a look with us before Zamaradi nodded at him.

"We set sail under a Captain Quicksilver and ran afoul of a pirate crew near Mount Aris nearly two days ago now," he added with some reluctance, now regarding the commodore with a hesitant look.

"Don Arnoso?" Burigold mused, tilting his head and fixing us with a critical leer.

"Yes sir, the very same," Gab murmured. A chill danced up my spine upon realizing Arnoso might have been one of the commodore's friends.

"You're not dead?" He accused, narrowing his eyes.

"Correct again, sir," Gab said with a mild chuckle. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Zamaradi tense up.

"Did you outrun him?" He pressed.

"We did not," Gab replied.

"So he's dead?" Burigold concluded with an even look that caused Gab to wince.

"Yes, sir," he replied. To our surprise, Burigold let out a single, stiff bark of a laugh as he reached over and retrieved the pipe from his companion.

"Good. He sank one of my ships when we kicked his sorry ass out," he explained, now wearing a smile as he spoke through teeth clenched upon his pipe. "Got too rough with one of our girls and drew a sword on Catarina when she told him off about it." Our whole group relaxed at once until he fixed us with a narrow-eyed smile, sparkling smoke leaking out of the opposite side of his mouth.

"I hope you didn't come here expecting a reward for killing him though," he said. Gab waved one hoof at him.

"No sir, as I said, we're-"

"In need, yes. Go on," Burigold interrupted, waving a paw at him. Gab hesitated and then nodded.

"Due to a misunderstanding, we are currently suspected of mutiny by the Equestrian state," he huffed, fixing the old dog with a serious look.

"I see. What does this have to do with me?" Burigold pressed, still smoking. Gab nodded before unfurling his wing, under which our trade pass was kept hidden.

"Seeing as we can't use it ourselves anymore, I believe this could be of some use to you," he said as he handed the pass to the old dog. Burigold carefully examined the paper, tilting his head back and forth as he read its contents. His eyes narrowed and rolled up as he seemed to be pondering something for a moment.

"You're hogging it all!" The pony at his side humphed.

"Four months," he finally said, waving off the pony as she tried to take the pipe from him.

"Hey?" Gab murmured as the rest of us shared a look. Burigold tapped the pass with one claw as he handed the pipe off.

"This buys you four months here," he explained before snapping his claws and scanning the yard around us. Finally, he pointed at someone. "Vicious. Go tell Ms. Stainless that the, the Quicksilver was it? The Quicksilver is here on my tab for four months." Before I could see who he was speaking to, they flew off into the night.

"After that, you pay your own way. Square?" Burigold added with a smile as he reclined in his seat. I sighed in relief at his words.

"Thank you kindly, Commodore," Gab all but laughed before clearing his throat. "What, uh- What all-"

"Everything except new arms and raw cash," Burigold replied, rubbing two claws together. "I reckon you need repairs after Arnoso, yeh?" We all nodded and he mirrored the gesture.

"That's fine, but you ain't taking my goodwill out of this port, savvy?" He said, jabbing his claw at us. "Four months of credit, here."

"Very fair, Commodore. Thank you!" Gab replied, looking at me with a relieved expression.

"I reckon you five are the officers of your crew?" Burigold asked, drawing our attention back.

"Well, we're," Gab murmured, rocking his head back and forth. "A bit out of sorts in terms of hierarchy, at the moment."

"Fine. Why don't you six stay here for the evening?" Burigold asked, waving a paw back towards town. "Send someone with Blood Orange to tell the rest of your ship what's what."

We all flinched at his offer, but Happy was the first to speak up. "Here? In- In your-"

"Aye," Burigold replied, leaning forward with his paws knit together and a wide, grim, toothy smile. "I wanna hear how that mangy cat croaked."