Joseph
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"Time to fight, mate."
Posts: 44
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Post by Joseph on Sept 24, 2009 2:58:09 GMT -6
The trip was a short one for Joseph. He was used to longer voyages on the sea. However, he was happy to be there, on the deck of a ship, working to keep it running smooth. Back on the stern, the captain had the wheel. Most of the crew were on deck, some in their personal quarters. Joseph knew that the cook was preparing some meal for when they get done with their business.
On most days, when there was a fog rolling in, someone would rig up the crow's nest, and search for land. This was not the case today, as it was a perfectly clear afternoon. Everyone could see the dock, and the whole crew couldn't wait for a good drink. Joseph was different that way. He didn't drink with the rest of the crew, so no one knew if he even drank at all.
Once the ship was secured to the dock, which Joseph took part in, he jumped. Usually, he would wait for the wooden bridge to be set up. Today was not a day for waiting, as he seemingly flew over the gap between the ship and the dock. Joseph landed roughly down on the wooden boards, but they held. He could tell that the rest of the crew was a bit envious of his act.
Joseph was about to walk towards the buildings, when he noticed a group of men heading his direction. They were lightly armored, and had lances with them. The pirate faked rubbing his neck, to feel the axe strapped to his back.
The men were suddenly in front of Joseph, and blocked his way off the dock. Joseph said nothing as one of the men began to speak.
“Sir, you and your men do not have any authorization to dock here. Unless you show me legal documents proving that you have permission to even set foot here, I order you and your group to leave, immediately. Am I clear, or do I have to make my point in a more direct way?” There was an edge to the man’s voice, as he gripped his lance. The rest of the soldiers did the same, preparing themselves.
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Joseph
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"Time to fight, mate."
Posts: 44
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Post by Joseph on Sept 24, 2009 20:31:50 GMT -6
Joseph looked down upon the group. There were six of them in total, each similar in weaponry and armor. All he could think of as he inspected them was, You have no idea who you're messing with. As if to read Joseph's mind, some of the soldiers began to take small steps back. The pirate was going to reply to the man, but was interrupted by a comrade behind him.
"Yar, Joseph, thinkin' you can take 'em by yer lonesome, eh? Not when the crew's about matey!" Behind him, several other crew members stood, along with the captain, who had been speaking to Joseph. Without turning around to face the fellow pirate, he replied with a grin, "I was thinkin' you would be 'ere to help." With this, Joseph loomed over the men, slowly reaching for his axe.
It was obvious that the little platoon of soldiers were outnumbered greatly. With this realization, the leader of the group said sternly to the sea rovers, "You have been ordered to leave this dock under the will of the Prophet. We will return to see that you have taken our... advice. Men, move out. " The soldiers then left the dock, leaving the buccaneers to themselves and the surrounding establishments. To the majority of the crew, it was a victory. But to the rest of the men, it was only the beginning of a battle.
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Joseph
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"Time to fight, mate."
Posts: 44
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Post by Joseph on Sept 25, 2009 22:06:41 GMT -6
Once the soldiers had officially left, the crew scattered about. Some went back to the ship. Most of the rest ventured into the town to find a pub. Joseph didn't have much to do, so he followed the men to the bar. It wasn't too long before they found it.
The bar, which actually was a tavern of sorts, was dark, but warm from a nearby fireplace. There were light flames from it, nothing to dangerous. There were tables around, six in total. The bar had a few stools, with a door that led to the supply room. All in all, it was an average inn.
Joseph sat at a table nearest to the bar. Some of the crew sat with him, the others went about, majority at the bar. As he sat down, not going to have anything, one of his shipmates sitting by him said, "Oi, Joseph, I bet I could beat you to a drinkin' game. Whadd'ya say, mate?" Joseph sat calmly in his chair, and replied in a firm voice, "I bet you could, I bet you could..." The one who had spoken to him muttered to himself. It was something about not being human. Joseph let it go, not reacting to the hyped buccaneer. He wanted to be ready for the night.
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Joseph
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"Time to fight, mate."
Posts: 44
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Post by Joseph on Sept 28, 2009 18:51:50 GMT -6
As the time droned on, some of the men were getting rambunctious. It was apparent that straight drinking wouldn't keep their destructive nature at bay. And in this world, there were few things that kept them in line. One ‘thing’, the captain, who was the higher authority by sheer honor among the pirates. Another kind of force was being on a ship at sea. They had nowhere to go, and could do whatever they wanted, without harming any bystanders. But there was one man who had a bit off respect among the freebooters. And that was Joseph. Maybe he earned such respect from fear, jealousy, or for being a good man. However, the most likely answer would be all of those reasons coming together as one.
The buccaneers were about to storm out of the tavern, when a figure stood in their way. They all knew who he was, and they all had to look up at him. Joseph stared down the sea rovers, hard. One of the men piped up, "Oi, matey, we're just goin' out tah have a good time!" As soon as there was eye contact with Joseph and the man, it became deathly silent. Surprisingly, it was Joseph, with a firm voice, who broke the silence. "I'm goin' back to the ship. You either come with me, or yer going to stay put. Got it?" Joseph didn't wait for a response, as he left the building on his own accord.
Joseph got to the ship, with a small portion of the crew in tow. He went straight for the captain's quarters. The tall pirate knocked on the door lightly, and a loud grunt came from behind the door. Joseph slowly opened the door, and went on in. The captain greeted him heartily, saying, "Aye there, Sea Wolf, come tah speak with me, eh? Well, whats on yer mind, mate?" Joseph held his straight posture, and replied, "Shouldn't we be gettin' ready for a fight, Cap'n? I mean, to be honest, them soldier's could've raised a whole army to wipe us right of the world, 'bout now."
"Aye, that they may 'ave. But yew know what?"
"Hmm...?"
"I'm ready. And I see yew're right ready 'swell. So, we've got nothin' to worry about."
Joseph nodded, and left, feeling a bit more assured for the coming fight. If the captain was prepared, he was as well. The Sea Wolf had faith in the man. Still, Joseph was curious about how many people he would be fighting.
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Joseph
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"Time to fight, mate."
Posts: 44
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Post by Joseph on Sept 29, 2009 20:07:50 GMT -6
A few hours passed by, and Joseph watched the sunset that lay behind the clouds to the West. He loved the ocean, and to him, the sea loved him back. It was his true love in life. Some of the crew had short-term relationships back on the isles. But those never lasted long. Joseph never had anyone to care for, save for his parents. But he made them a promise, and he would keep his promise. The tall pirate decided that when he achieves his goal, he would walk from the sunset, and finally find peace.
A few shouts from the distance snapped Joseph from his thoughts. They were from the inn, but abruptly ended. Then, a lone figure limped into view from behind one of the buildings. The man was trying to run, and made it so far as to the midpoint of the dock. Joseph quickly looked back to where the man came from, and saw three soldiers run after him. Joseph sprang into action.
In no time at all, Joseph was at the aid of the fellow buccaneer. The pirate collapsed in his comrades arms. As Joseph was holding the man, the three soldiers stopped in front of him. They were prepared to attack, but faltered seeing the gathering crew. One of the soldiers warned, "Watch as you are crushed by the will of the Prophet!" The men retreated, and other pirates came to the wounded sea rover's aid. Two of them carried the man off to the ship, leaving seven other axe wielders, including Joseph and the captain. All eyes were on the captain, waiting for some kind of instructions on the matter.
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Joseph
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"Time to fight, mate."
Posts: 44
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Post by Joseph on Sept 29, 2009 21:10:03 GMT -6
The captain's voice was calm, yet all could see the man's eyes light up with sparks as he spoke. "'Right men, listen carefully. At least half of our men were at the bar, and they seem to be done in. We're goin' to let them rest right, and take a few lives fer our own, in payment. Now, let's go kick their *sses, lads!" The rest of the men roared in excitement, but Joseph had a deeper reaction. His eyes were the image of a raging storm on the sea. A slight smile hung on his face. And his rihgt hand was firmly gripping his axe. It was going to be a fierce fight.
A simple plan was made out. Joseph and one other pirate would head out to the inn, while two other groups would go around the town to flank the main group, and take care of whatever forces would come up. It was a solid plan, with no real errors. This was because they had other men at the ship, who could shout out if there was trouble.
As Joseph walked with his acquaintance, they noticed that the town was very quiet. The residents knew there was trouble right from the beginning. That and the enemy troops seemed to be very careful. It was then that the two stopped on Joseph's command. He then pressed his back against the wall, and slowly looked passed the corner. Joseph quickly pulled himself back, whispering, "Three of 'em. Each with lances; simple soldiers." The pirate responded quietly, "Right, so whats the plan, eh?" Joseph then said, still very quiet, "On my mark. Three, two, one..."
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Joseph
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"Time to fight, mate."
Posts: 44
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Post by Joseph on Sept 30, 2009 20:31:18 GMT -6
The sound that came from Joseph was that of a rolling storm across the sea, waging its war with all sailors alike. The thunder was the warning, like his feet, striding across the distance. The soldiers saw what the noise was, and froze. It only took seconds for the enormous sea rover to reach the lightly-armored man, and attack. Joseph slashed upward at the first soldier in range. The man was still in the air, feeling such pain, when he cleaved into the lance wielder horizontally. The man fell to the ground, dead. It was then that the closest soldier came to help his comrade.
The man thrusted his lance at Joseph, aiming for his exposed left side. Joseph determined his attack, and side-stepped to the right. In retaliation of the soldier's attempt to spear him, Joseph swung around, once more cleaving at the simple foot-soldier. The attack ripped into the hip of the man; a bone crushing move. As the man drop to his right knee, cursing and yelling in agony, Joseph finished him. The man's agony left his face as he was silenced, never to fight again.
Joseph looked to his left, and saw the other pirate finish the last soldier. Apparently, he got jabbed in the soldier, but the wound was not fatal, and he was able to go on. However, the battle wasn't over. Surely, some of the enemy units heard the shouts, and would come investigate. Joseph motioned to the buccaneer at his side to follow, and the pirate did. The two then went behind another building, and watched two other soldiers come. Joseph and his acquaintance would wait for the right time to strike.
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Joseph
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"Time to fight, mate."
Posts: 44
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Post by Joseph on Sept 30, 2009 21:39:17 GMT -6
While the two pirates were behind a house, the two soldiers examined the bodies of their fallen comrades. One was kneeling down, keeping one hand grasping his lance, propping himself from falling on the corpse. The other man, standing, remaining ever so vigil. The one kneeling down muttered, "D*mn pirates. I tell you, these guys don't know when to quit." The other man responded, "I'm telling ya, if the Prophet lent some of his elite guards to fight, we'd be home by now." The kneeling soldier nodded, and continued inspecting.
All the while, Joseph and his partner waited patiently. They had to strike at the right time, to catch the enemy off guard. A chance popped up, when the lookout soldier looked back at where they had came from. Joseph sprinted towards the men, preparing himself mentally for the kill. Then, it actually happened. The giant pirate made a quick cut at the soldier's stomach. The man growled in pain, seeing his own blood, then swung his lance at Joseph. The tip would have made a gash through his chest, had he not ducked down. Joseph then jumped at the soldier, blade facing the enemy. Both pirate and soldier fell to the ground, the soldier with an axe lodged in his gut. Joseph quickly yanked at his axe, blocking out the horrific sounds that came after.
As Joseph rose, he saw his fellow sea rover keep fighting the other soldier, not able to get a good hit on him. Joseph decided to intervene, before he lost a shipmate. He quickly swung his axe at the lightly armored man, the hit being direct, killing him. The pirate said to Joseph, "Oi, he woulda been dead soon, if yew just kept outta it." Joseph thought to himself, sarcastically, Well, you're kindly welcome, chum. This time, the enemy hadn't called out for aid, which gave the little group an advantage.
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Joseph
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"Time to fight, mate."
Posts: 44
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Post by Joseph on Oct 2, 2009 4:07:20 GMT -6
The two buccaneers were about to move forward, when a man suddenly came around the corner in front of them. The man was not like the other soldiers, as he wielded a bow, and did not wear plating. The archer drew back his bow, and released the shaft. Joseph felt a searing pain in his left arm, and grunted because of it. The tall pirate took hold of the lodged arrow, and yanked, hard. Some blood dripped to the ground as Joseph began his charge. His companion was right behind him, ready to assist.
The archer was horrified by the giant pirate's display of perseverance through pain. It was clear on his face. Unfortunately, the bowman did not have the same iron will that Joseph had. The archer gave loud groan as he felt Joseph's axe tear flesh at his shoulder. It was then that the other pirate came in for the kill; finishing the archer with a slash at the right side.
Joseph was gasping for breath, doing his best to be silent. Yes, the pain was great, but he could overcome it. The pirate next to him asked quietly, "Need a bit of a Vulnerary, mate?" Joseph shook his head, refusing his partner's help. He didn't want the sea rover to waste his healing potion on him when he had his own. For now, he decided to wait before using it.
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Joseph
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"Time to fight, mate."
Posts: 44
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Post by Joseph on Oct 9, 2009 14:44:01 GMT -6
It seemed that now, there would be fewer enemies ahead of the duo pirates. So, they decided to move forward, making sure to be as stealthy as possible. Joseph's wound did hurt, but he could still fight. As for his acquaintance, he used some of his vulnerary. Turns out, the buccaneer Joseph was fighting with also knew how to think.
The two were about to round a corner, when Joseph heard voices. Quickly, he pressed up against a wall, now being out of sight from anyone. His comrade did the same. The voices did not get anymore quiet or loud, and seemed to stay in place. Joseph cautiously looked around the corner, and saw three men. Two were average foot soldiers, and the lasted was mounted, wielding a lance. Joseph knew that the mounted one was stronger than the other two, just by the armor; it seemed to be adorned with more plating than the soldier's.
Joseph was at loss of what to do. Sure, the two sea rovers could rush them, but the risk of the mounted lanceman was too great a threat. He had a better chance of killing the pirates, but how much greater? Perhaps he too was an average soldier for his stature. Then again, he may not. Joseph had to contemplate on what to do, what action to take, and how to survive.
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Joseph
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"Time to fight, mate."
Posts: 44
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Post by Joseph on Oct 14, 2009 17:26:57 GMT -6
Joseph decided to play a bit of the cat-and-mouse tactics. He decided that he would wait for the cavalier to attack him first. Then, when the mounted lance man was attacking him, Joseph's partner would strike from the side, and would overwhelm the enemy. Then, they would have to deal with the soldiers. That part was going to be the hardest.
Joseph stepped out from behind the corner. Immediately, the trio of lance men noticed him, and began their attack. However, before the buccaneer became known to the enemy, he drank a slight amount of his vulnerary. His wound was fully recovered. However, it was not long before the cavalier's lance was being thrusted at him. Joseph attempted to jump to the left, but it was too late. The attack was too great for the pirate to avoid, and was stabbed in the gut. Blood came from the wound, and Joseph cringed in pain, close to falling to the ground.
The cavalier was about to strike again, when this time, the sea rover swung to the right, using his axe to lead him. Joseph was counterattacking the enemy, and was successful. The axe tore into the man, causing him to yell in pain. The horse he was mounted upon was also hurt as well. There was a rather long cut running down the front left leg, as the beast suddenly sprang up, also crying out in pain.
The attack became even more effective, as the other pirate attacked the opposite side of the man. The pirate's attack was a direct hit, as there were now two gashes in both his legs. However, the horse was not injured by this pirate's strike. Now, the horse was suddenly overtaken with fear, and attempted to dismount the rider. It succeeded, causing the man to land on his back, watching in horror and pain as the beast ran away. Joseph then pounced upon the man, slashing at his face. The death was practically instantaneous.
Now, the two pirates had to deal with the soldiers just in front of them, not sure how to react. In fact, for that one short moment, the two sides of the battle simply stared at each other, waiting for the other to attack. Joseph wanted to move, but couldn't. It felt to the men as if time itself stopped...
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Joseph
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"Time to fight, mate."
Posts: 44
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Post by Joseph on Oct 15, 2009 21:42:27 GMT -6
Then, the moment dissipated, and reality came back into focus. Joseph let out a roar comparable to the berserker he truly was. The pain he had gave him the strength, the speed, the edge that would truly make him the greater opponent than the two confronting him. Joseph was now about to slaughter the soldiers and the pirate next to him decided to enjoy the fight.
With the boiling rage in his eyes, Joseph used his empowering emotion to clear the distance between the nearest soldier to him, and slashed. The blow was deadly, but not completely fatal. However, the pirate did not stop there. He continued to control the momentum of the first blow, swing back and around again, and let the axe crash through the man's lower jaw, into his face.
The soldier to the sea dog's side was going to make an effective attack, had he not seen his comrade's face split in two. He faltered on his jab with the spear, and was too slow for the buccaneer. Joseph grabbed the spear as it came close to his back, and spun around, edge facing the lance user. There were horrific sounds that came from the man's ribcage, as the axe was lodged there, still held by the pirate. Then, without warning, Joseph pulled it out, again making the heinous sounds, and finished the kill.
Now, he was standing next to three corpses, the former cavalier a few yards away. Joseph was panting, letting the adrenaline rush simmer down. When he was able to control himself completely, the buccaneer asked his companion, "So, how'd you like that' un? Good ‘nough for yew, right?" The pirate simply nodded to Joseph. Now, there was a quiet moment between the men. They had won the fight. Now, all they had to do was meet up with the captain. It was so simple; what could possibly go wrong?
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Joseph
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"Time to fight, mate."
Posts: 44
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Post by Joseph on Oct 16, 2009 13:47:25 GMT -6
The pain was slowly creeping into his senses. Joseph looked down at the wound at his stomach, and knew he would bleed to death if he didn't do anything soon. He then drank another small amount of the precious healing liquid. The sea dog could feel the heated reaction within his stomach, as the wound began to heal.
Joseph was about to sit on the ground, when his partner began to speak. "What, yew too tired to keep goin'? We need to find the cap'n, fast. God now's what're they dealin' with. Come on, man." With a snort of disapproval, Joseph stopped himself from falling, rather irritated of his shipmate. But the man was right; they had to keep moving.
As the two began to move north, they began to hear noises. There were shouts, the clanging of blades, and the occasional howl of a dead man. The two pirates moved forward cautiously. If they did not, they would surely be seen by some of the enemy units.
In as little time as he could spare, Joseph, followed by his fighting partner, were hiding behind a few bushes and a tree. Ahead of them, the fight raged on. He could tell that it was between the crew and some of the soldiers. Joseph had to make sure they were alright, and stole a peak at the fight. It was a terrible sight to see.
It was apparent that there were reinforcements for the crew, because there were many dead buccaneers laying, scattered, bloody. There were five of them left, including the captain. Two of them were fighting their individual fights, while the rest were attempting to take out another horse mounted unit. Only problem was, that was no ordinary cavalier. The man on the horse was a paladin, wielding a mighty lance. As for the other two enemies, they were knights, wearing incredibly durable armor. It was apparent that the pirates were losing.
Joseph looked back to his shipmate, not knowing what to say. They had to do something, but what? He knew that the paladin would be impossible to take out, and the knights would be incredibly difficult to defeat. The battle seemed hopeless. Joseph kept his kneeling position, thinking, not sure what to do.
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Joseph
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"Time to fight, mate."
Posts: 44
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Post by Joseph on Oct 31, 2009 12:17:51 GMT -6
Joseph was at loss of what to do. He couldn't let his captain die out there, but the pirate also had a life to live. The buccaneer brought his left hand to his head, lightly feeling the headband that his mother made him. Joseph thought of what to do; how to go on. It was then he knew what to do, as he heard the captain yell out to the rest of the free booters, "Retreat men, back to the ship, mates!"
The bigger group of pirates began to high-tail it out of there, with a paladin on their tail. Joseph stood up, knowing the mounted lance man would only strike them down. The sea wolf had to act fast. Joseph bolted upward, running at the paladin. Within a matter of moments, the paladin would pass right by him, almost running into his axe.
Suddenly, the rider pulled on the reigns, causing the speeding horse to veer off to the right. Now, because of Joseph's false swing, the paladin was having a bit more difficulty with his mount. The horse reared up, almost throwing off the lance man. The buccaneer looked back, seeing the five pirates leaving. He didn't see his fighting partner with them, but Joseph had to bring his attention back to the paladin. He was gaining control over the equine.
By now, the two knights had caught up with their mounted comrade. They had their lances ready, prepared to strike. The Sea Wolf just stood there, waiting. He was ready to die for his captain, his crew. His only regret was that he let down his parents. Joseph never got that loot to bring back home. As the pirate stared at the three enemies, the paladin finally said to him, in an evil, satisfied voice, "Surrender, free booter. Relieve yourself of your weapon. Now!" Joseph did just that by tossing the axe in front of him a bit. The paladin continued speaking in the irritating voice. "You believe I'm going to kill you, scum? The will of the Prophet denies such a honor. We will be taking you to the capital, for a public humiliation."
All Joseph could do was to follow such orders. He stood there, in defeat. The pirate waited, watching as one of the knights retrieved his axe from the ground, hastily standing up again. The Sea Wolf thought to himself, Do they really think I'm goin' to do somethin'? What kinda men are they, anywho?
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Joseph
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"Time to fight, mate."
Posts: 44
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Post by Joseph on Nov 18, 2009 21:27:02 GMT -6
The following takes place after dark, many hours after Joseph's capture.
The pirate sat there, bound to a chair. The knights refused to travel by night, fearing a surprise attack by the pirates. But for Joseph, he knew there would be no saving from the captain. When they had passed the dock, the "Rough-Boot" was already out of sight. It warmed his heart, knowing his mates had escaped. This also diminished his hopes of escape. So now, the once free wolf of the sea was tied down; no freedom, just a life wasted. Yet, as Joseph sat there, he felt he lived well. The sea rover was not unhappy with what he did in life. As much as he wanted to go on, Joseph was content.
Joseph sat in his chair, head low, and listened to the knights. Their conversation was nothing to special to them. To a pirate, some of the information might be useful.
One of the knights spoke up first. "You know, I hate coming out 'ere all the way, for one pirate. That's it; just one sea dog." It was the paladin that spoke in response. "Aye, you know what we do is good for all. Besides, that's one down. Keep your head high, bud." "Come on, man. Look at the guy. I'm sure there's a least a 'undred more like 'im. And I'll bet a fair sum of gold you think the same." "What I think? I think Elimine, the Prophet, and all those who care for their well beings will be thanking us. That's what I think." "Whoa, man, hey. I'm just saying... five of the mangy mutts would have been better than one. Besides, this guy didn't put up a fight."
There was a long moment of silence. Then, the knight who didn't talk got up. He muttered something about relieving himself. The rest waved him off, the others being: the paladin, the other knight, and a soldier who came up. So, all in all, Joseph was told who to blame for his capture. Now, he just needed to get the motivation to escape. But how would he get out in such a predicament?
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