Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

"Do you recognize this man?" Cage's demeanor softened somewhat, but he still gripped the navy cutlass tightly.

"Can't really say I know him... He was originally a pirate captain, planning to rob our ship, but we caught him and brought him back. As for how he ended up on your navy ship, I have no idea."

"In the interest of launching our assault as quickly as possible, the magistrate allowed us to press all serious criminals into service." Cage sheathed the navy cutlass, "This fellow got lucky. Being a pirate is punishable by death, but rowing for a ship is certainly better than hanging, right?"

Lucky Gold was no longer the spirited figure who had once dominated the inner seas. Layton had knocked out half his teeth, and the flesh on his cheeks had sunken in, leaving his lips crisscrossed with bloodied fissures. His shoulders and arms were nothing but bone, and the man looked completely wasted.

Winters felt some pity for him and said to Cage, "Get him some water to drink."

Cage glanced at Gold and whistled to the sailors watching the spectacle from above, and a water skin was tossed down.

The man who had been shouting in grief at the sight of the water skin, couldn't be bothered to feel sorry for himself anymore. He lunged forward to snatch back the water skin and clutched it to his chest, then, wiping away a tear, eagerly pulled out the stopper and tilted his head back to drink deeply.

Winters said nothing more and turned to leave with Cage.

What more was there to say? In Winters's view, Gold had brought this fate upon himself—the moment he became a pirate, he should have been prepared to face the gallows. He felt the same about himself, the moment he donned the black uniform and slid the spring-loaded pistol into its holster, he was prepared: if this affair led to the gallows, he would not cry out in protest.

He wouldn't sympathize with Gold, but neither did he enjoy kicking someone already down. Nor did he feel like a saint for giving Gold a bag of water.

Winters thought the matter was settled, not expecting that somebody had already taken notice of the commotion here at the stern of the ship.

In the center of the deck on the high podium, several people clad in navy officer uniforms advanced from the stern castle, as the sailors made way for them.

The leader wore a navy uniform with generous cuts, a deep blue coat, a white shirt, and breeches. Gold lace decorated his collar, cuffs, and lapels. Amidst the grimy ship, this officer was pristine, memorably so.

Even the least observant could tell the captain had arrived.

Unlike army officers, naval officers didn't wear boots, yet Captain Spire's footsteps still produced a "thud, thud" sound as he walked.

Several officers with unadorned tricorn hats followed him; Winters surmised these men were likely lieutenants from the Golden Lion since the naval cadet Cage never wore a tricorn hat.

As Captain Spire drew near, Cage immediately stood at attention and saluted, while Winters just nodded in acknowledgment.

"Mr. Bastille, please inform me of what transpired here?" Captain Spire's voice was slightly hoarse, but when he spoke, the entire Golden Lion fell silent instantly.

"Yes, sir. One of the rowers impeded this gentleman from the army."

Captain Spire shifted his gaze away from the water skin in Gold's hand, already discerning what had happened here.

The captain of the Golden Lion ordered, pointing to Gold, "At the thirteenth bell, give him ten lashes. Mr. Delong, I leave the task to you."

"Yes, sir."

Cage shook his head slightly and exchanged a look with Winters, signaling him not to plead on the man's behalf.

After resolving this episode, Captain Spire turned and strode away. The lieutenant and several sailors jumped down, unlocked the irons, and carried Gold away.

Once Captain Spire was out of sight, Cage began to speak to Winters, "Only giving him ten lashes is already considering your face. Had it been another rower, cutting off an arm would have been considered light punishment."

"I... did not intend to plead for him," Winters realized he had been misunderstood and said with a wry smile, "How could I, a mere army warrant officer, presume to meddle in ship's affairs? Besides, I hold no affection for that man, quite the opposite."

Cage let out a light laugh, "Then he's lucky, managed to save an arm."

After delivering the nautical chart to Captain Spire, Cage and Winters left the Golden Lion.

Before leaving, Winters took a careful look around the stern castle of the Golden Lion. The ship hadn't set aside separate cabins for officers in the stern castle; Captain Spire's "private quarters" were merely a small space temporarily partitioned with thin planks at the stern.

Several hooks screwed into the posts seemed to be for hanging hammocks. A few sticks propped up a board on which a slide rule and an ink bottle weighted down maps; this was the captain's desk. There was no chair, just an overturned wooden bucket.

Next to the desk stood a large cannon, and Captain Spire resided beside the stern cannon of the Golden Lion. It seemed the captain's quarters became a gun deck only when not engaging the enemy, turning back into sleeping quarters once the threat was gone.

"A captain living in such a modest place? It seems to be even worse than where we're quartered," Winters couldn't help but ask Cage as they embarked on the small boat returning to The Glorious.

With a sigh, Cage replied helplessly, "There's no helping it, space on a galleon is limited. These ships are meant to attack by day and rest ashore by night. They mustn't stray too far from port and are not designed for long voyages. Ah, if there had been other ships available, these coastal vessels wouldn't have been called to action."