Trouble in the Little Garden

Farmer was elated that they had finally come across an island. Immediately, he dismissed himself from the company of Lampa, Serena, and Raven, and joined Myk up in the crow's nest with a single leap. Taking a look through the spyglass, he estimated that Alana's Regret would dock in the island's waters in just a matter of hours.

Sure enough, he was right, and two hours later, the ship arrived at the island's coast. The island was large, its edges unseen in the distance, and surrounded by tall cliffs made of vermilion rocks. With just a single glance, Farmer knew that not even he could scale the jagged, sharp edges of the cliffs in a short time.

Thus, Alana's Regret began surrounding the coast in search for a port to dock at or at least a beach where they could cast the anchor safely. Little did they know that this would prove a troublesome endeavour.

The size of this island could simply not be understated, and it took them until Sunset to see a lighthouse in the distance; signalling the presence of a port. Eager to reach land, Farmer hurriedly shouted out orders to quicken the pace and a hundred men conjured up long oars to give the ship a boost in speed.

By the time the moon had popped its head over the horizon, the ship passed by the small peninsula where the lighthouse was at and entered into a large artificial port within the confines of a massive sea-side city. The city was surrounded with tall granite walls where towers were raised at regular intervals. Thousands of guards were patrolling the walls; indicating that the city was heavily guarded. From the port, Farmer couldn't see what was behind the walls, but he assumed there would be many opportunities for him to find a navigation charter there; only a rich city would be so well protected. Hence, he ordered the anchor be cast at a distance where arrows couldn't reach them.

Although he wasn't expecting an attack it was never a mistake to be careful, in his experience.

"Listen up, men!" He shouted from the ship's helm, calling out for order amongst his crew. "I will lead a small party of ten to shore to spend the night and scout out this city come morn. Whoever's up in the rotation, step forward now!"

At his behest, ten pirates came up to the helm and stood in line with their chests held high. Amongst them was Krill and he was grinning from ear to ear for this opportunity to go into the city with the captain. Farmer wasted no time and handed each of them a handcrafted talisman of his design.

The purpose of these talismans was simple. If any of his men got into trouble and needed his help, they could crush the talisman and it, in turn, would send a unique symbol revealing their location to Farmer. This was a method he'd devised to keep his crew safe after a particularly gruesome incident when visiting an island home to a race of seductive women who enjoyed eating the flesh of men; and the method had saved the lives of many of his crew ever since.

As they made their way to the cutter, Serena suddenly came forward holding Raven's hand. "We want to come with you." She said calmly. Her tone was more like she was informing him of the matter rather than requesting to be allowed to come. This irked Farmer a bit, but he kept himself level-headed.

"Why should that be the case?" He asked with a grunt.

"We're women. We need a bath and some dry land. Is this reason enough?" She replied playfully. "Don't worry, none of my men will come."

"Is that wise, young Lady? After all, you'll be in the midst of dreadful pirates."

"Oh, c'mon captain, they'll liven the mood!" Exclaimed Krill as he rushed forward to pick up Raven and place her on his shoulders, much to the delight of the little girl. "It'll be fine!"

Farmer wanted to throw his hands into the air and shout out since when his wishes had to come second to Serena's? Nonetheless, he kept himself calm and examined the two girls with his gaze. Seeing nothing more than a healthy degree of enthusiasm, he sighed and handed each of them another talisman; promising himself to ask Serena for reimbursement in the near future.

With that, the party was formed and they were able to leave aboard the cutter. Raven, in particular, seemed to really enjoy sailing on a much smaller vessel than Alana's Regret and so she leaned over the edge of the cutter, placing her hand in the water to feel the waves.

Farmer smiled to himself and took the time to make the boat twist and turn in order for Raven to enjoy the sensation of truly being one with the sea that only a tiny vessel like the cutter could give.

When they came to an empty spot on a pier, the pirates worked quickly to tie the cutter down and emerged one after the other. Raven rode on Krill's shoulders and beside them walked Serena. Heading the group was Farmer.

They all made their way orderly towards a massive stone gate that led into the city. However, standing guard were a band of unruly heavily armed watchmen that barred their pass. Thankfully, Farmer had expected such a reception and handed the lead watchman a heavy pouch of silver, thus gaining his group access into the city without further hindrance.

The city was well constructed. The streets were wide and straight, and the cobbled roads bore no signs of damage. Despite the late hour, many people walked up and down the paths and quite a few restaurants and inns were still open. Farmer was also surprised to see that very few of the people around carried weapons.

Asking around for directions, it took them a short while to find out that there was an inn called Little Garden wherein they would surely be able to find suitable lodgings and a warm bath for the girls. Hence, they made their way there with haste.

They found the Little Garden in one of the larger streets. It was a tall building four stories high. Its walls were bright green and lavishly adorned with jasmine vines. On every storey, there was a balcony with tables and other pieces of furniture. Satisfied with the inn's exterior appearance, Farmer instructed the party to head in.

Inside, the inn was even more extravagant. Each table and wooden column was intricately decorated to look like trees. From the ceiling hung pots filled with exotic flowers and other forms of flora. Evidently, the décor was how it got the name of Little Garden. In next to no time, they were able to book a few rooms for the night and then they made their way to grab something to eat.

Finding a large table to one side, Farmer called over a rather comely waitress and ordered them a generous serving of food and ale. The waitress smiled as she took his order and quickly headed off to the kitchen. She had seen in Farmer the bearing of an aristocrat and didn't question for a second whether he had the coin to afford their products or not.

While they waited for the food and drink to arrive, he instructed four of his men to mingle with the rest of the guests and find out three pieces of information: what was the name of this city, how important was it, and where were the best places to trade. The men nodded and set off to fulfil Farmer's order.

The inn was ram packed with people and it wasn't hard for Farmer's pirates to find drunk city-folk all too eager to demonstrate their superior knowledge to foreigners. After sharing a few shots of strong liqueur and exchanging oaths of eternal friendship, the four crewmen returned to the table.

"This city's called Yort." Explained one of them.

"Main source of income is trade. Usually through pirates or their own corsairs." Said the second.

"What's a corsair?" Asked Serena.

"A disgrace." Replied Krill without giving Farmer the opportunity to speak up. "They're basically pirates that sold their souls to local governments. They give most of what they haul back to their masters and keep the rest for themselves. In exchange, they have a stable place to live and don't have to fear the pursuit of bounty hunters or lawkeepers."

"That's beside the point." Chastised Farmer. "What are the conditions for pirates in comparison to corsairs?"

"Terrible. Heavy taxes are levied against them and pirates are banned from most reputable establishments." Remarked the third crewman sent to gather information.

"It seems the young Lady's presence will benefit us greatly in the end. I sincerely doubt that these 'reputable establishments' will bar a member of the Tael family from entering their premises." Chuckled Farmer and added before Serena could refuse his implied suggestion, "What about you Jona? I saw you chatting quite profoundly with that old man over there at the bar. Find out anything I should know about?"

"No, captain." Casually said Jona. He was by far the biggest in the group. His body was as large as a wardrobe and he stood well over a head taller than Farmer. In fact, rumours had once spread on Alana's Regret that he was a member of the giant's race. Nonetheless, his heart was as big as his muscles and he abhorred violence with a passion. "He's in mourning. His daughter was killed by the city guard because of some altercation with the city lord's son and he needed someone to listen to his plight. I obliged."

"Jona, you big oaf, has anyone ever told you that you're too fucking nice?" Mocked Krill.

"Be quiet Krill." Chastised Farmer yet again. "Jona has just revealed a crucial bit of information. I was wondering why a city thriving from pirating activities would have such an orderly appearance. From Jona's words, we can deduce that the city lord is a corrupt son of a whore who rules this place with an iron fist. This information can be useful to us if used wisely."

"How so? I fail to see how such a conclusion follows from Jona's tale. Maybe the woman deserved it." Mentioned Serena. She couldn't believe how quick Farmer was at seeing the worst in the people surrounding him. All she had witnessed in this city was an orderly lifestyle that had nothing to envy of the capital.

"Just because you've lived a sheltered life, doesn't mean I have." Replied Farmer curtly, surprising his companions with his tone.

Truth be told, he was in agony. He hated being in large crowds, and the rowdiness of the inn and those inside it was really starting to get on his nerves. He missed his solitude and his wolf's companionship. Add to that the fact that he wasn't used to being questioned or rebutted in public, and you had a cocktail of bubbling emotions begging to burst forth in an impressive explosion.

In addition, it had been half an hour and the waitress had yet to return with their orders. Something in the back of Farmer's mind was screaming that there was something wrong with this. Then, he saw her making her way through the crowd. To his dismay, she was coming empty-handed.

"Fine patrons, I must apologise profusely, but we are currently unable to provide you with your orders. Please accept these jade tokens as a courtesy from the management. You can redeem them in the future for a free meal." She bowed to them apologetically handing out a handful of ornately designed tokens.

"Why can't you give us what we ordered?" The one to speak up was Serena. She was upset at how Farmer had spoken to her and this waitress had just provided her with the perfect excuse to vent her frustrations. "Is this how the Little Garden treats its guests? I expect an explanation!"

"What explanation? Didn't you hear what she said? Why don't you all just grab your stuff and scram the fuck out of here." An ugly man close to his thirties said as he walked up to the waitress and placed his hand shamelessly on her arse. "This lord here needs this table. It's mine, you see, so you better get the fuck out of it!"

The young man had short black hair. His eyes were brown and his nose large and crooked. He was skinny and wasn't carrying any weapons. However, he was dressed in expensive silk clothes and carried himself with the arrogance of a king. Clearly, this was someone of some status within the city of Yort. Beside him were a few other youths dressed in a similar fashion; obviously his drinking buddies.

Following closely behind them was an entourage of extremely well-armed men. They were wearing steel plate armours and carried both swords on their hilts, and crossbows on their backs. From the looks on their faces, they were well experienced with combat. Perhaps they were veteran soldiers, thought Farmer.

What a pity that this fool had chosen his group to look for trouble.

Crossing his legs and placing his hands behind his head, Farmer began laughing. Following which, his companions followed suit. "I would recommend the young lord here to reconsider his actions." He said after he laughed to his heart's content.

"Such insolence! Do you know who you're talking to?!" Angrily spat one of the drinking buddies.

"You're the fool!" Quickly spat back Krill. "You're currently in the presence of captain Farmer!"

"Farmer? His name is Farmer?" Asked the young man in his thirties in amusement. "Everyone, did you hear that? This man's name is Farmer! Oh, look at me, I'm trembling from such a terrifying name." He mocked. The joke wasn't that funny, but the inn erupted in laughter nonetheless. Evidently, the people here truly feared this youth's reprisal.

"You…" Krill clenched his teeth in anger and was about to lash out but was stopped by Farmer's hand.

The youth had seen this and was about to order his soldiers to apprehend these people when his eyes fell on Raven sitting beside Krill. Instantly, his eyes widened in lust. Farmer saw this and he understood that the young man was truly a pervert. Knowing this, his smile disappeared and was replaced by a ghastly cold expression.

"Let's make a deal Farmer." Said the man in excitement. "Give me the girl and I'll forget your insolence tonight. Hells, I'll even pay you!"

"What did you say?" Replied Farmer in a cold tone. Everyone else at the table tensed up and readied themselves for a fight. Serena even clutched Raven to her bosom, wanting to shield her from the slaughter that would surely ensue. In fact, she was rooting for Farmer to massacre a few of these men and give them the fright of their lives.

Farmer's deathly glare was unnoticed by the youth, but his soldiers did see it. In that instant, they wanted to pull their young Lord back because this was clearly a man not worth messing with. However, before any of them could quietly whisper something in the youth's ear, he made matters worse.

"What, you don't agree? That's alright, then. Men, apprehend these criminals and send them to the gallows, but leave the girl to me." He ordered with a wave of his hand.

In the next instant, everything turned silent.

With the speed of thought, Farmer rushed in front of the two soldiers furthest from him. No one even saw how he did it, they just felt a strong rush of air caressing their faces. That said, before anyone could see where Farmer had disappeared to, two shrill cries of agonising pain echoed through the establishment.

Farmer had pierced the two soldier's bodies through and was holding their hearts in each hand. His speed was so swift, that they lived long enough to see their bodies impaled; that's why they screamed out. Following which, Farmer pulled the two hearts out of the soldier's bodies and they both dropped down, deader than dead.

To the horror of everyone present, Farmer took a bite out of one of the hearts and crushed the other one with a simple flick of his fingers. Then, he grinned evilly at the youth in his thirites as he spat on his face a mouthful of blood and chewed flesh.

The inn went deathly silent. No one dared to move or make a sound. Staring at Farmer's violet eyes and blood-red hair, they all wondered whether a devil of the Thirteen Hells had made its way to the city of Yort. In their eyes, Farmer was the most terrifying being they had ever seen!

The youth had gone completely pale. With the mere act of killing two soldiers in an instant, Farmer had proved that he was more than capable of slaughtering everyone in there in a matter of breaths. And he had dared to threaten such a man! In that moment, he was cursing his own foolishness!

He had really caused himself a lot of trouble in the Little Garden!