'Tis Better to be Feared

[Grayzers]

Arielle Lancaster peered through her looking glass angrily. They had just reached daybreak, and already, a ship was headed their way. She was in no mood to deal with another arrogant captain, who no doubt thought she had no place among men who lived on the sea. "Be ready men! Hostiles ahead!" her voice rang out strong and clear to her crew below. They obeyed her without hesitation, scrambling about as they readied the ship and themselves. She put her looking glass back into her coat pocket, ignoring her long black hair that whipped about, dreaded and glistening with metal pieces, as decoration, in some places. Her sea green eyes remained on the ship ahead as she drew her sword. It wouldn't be long now before their ships met. She smirked as she thought of adding more loot to her collection.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"A'hoy, cap'n!" Both Captain Nathan and Travis looked up at the man calling down from the crow's nest. "Ship ahead!" In simultaneous motions, the captain and first mate pulled out their spyglasses. "A few hours away, perhaps, and headed right toward us," Travis murmured. "What do you say Captain? Fancy a challenge?" He recognized the flag flying on the other ship's mast, and he knew Nathan would, too. Arielle Lancaster. He'd never met her, but he'd heard much from others. Some good, some bad, most he was sure were just fallacy. "Stay the course," the captain grunted.

[Grayzers]

Arielle made sure the ship was secured, especially her maps, before everyone returned to their battle stations. She kept her maps in a chest in her price cabin. And the loot stayed wherever the crew preferred. She trusted her men, and they trusted her. It wouldn't be long now, before their enemies were upon them. She prayed silently to Calypso, hoping the none of her men should perish during this fight.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Prepare the men for a battle," Nathan ordered his first mate. Travis gave a curt nod before waving over two men to help him gather weapons for the fight, in case it came to close contact. He selected three more to prepare the cannons.

[Grayzers]

Everything was silent except for the wind, the waves, and the creaking of her ship as they grew closer to that of the enemy's. She stood tall, walking calmly to the edge of her ship as the two began to flow closer, side by side. "Shall I be expecting a challenge form you and your crew?!" She called out, though it sounded more like a threat. Her men tensed on the deck below, prepared to board the opposing ship if need be.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Captain Nathan took a few seconds to respond. "Captain Lancaster, is it?" he called back. "My crew has no quarrels with you. If you go on your way now, there will be no conflict."

[Grayzers]

"So you're not after my loot like every other d@mn pirate on these waters?!" She yelled, eyes narrowed.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Not at all," Nathan said calmly. Really, for a pirate captain, he was a fairly reasonable man. In certain cases. "We have plenty of loot of our own." Now, some people might see that as a slip of the tongue, but he did it on purpose. He wanted to see how she'd react to that. He didn't want a fight, but... well, he didn't mind one either.

[Grayzers]

Her eyes narrowed further as she heard a murmur amongst her men. "Hear that boys?" She called to her men. Their voices rang out with "Aye ayes" and "Yes captains!" She smirked, "It seems this strip of the ocean can't possibly be big enough for the both of us." She said to the opposing captain. With that being said, her men took it as an order. And the fight began. Shouts rang out as her men prepared to board the other ship, cannons ready to fire. She watched, proud of her crew.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Ready to fire!" Travis shouted, not needing an order from his captain. The men manning the cannons slid balls into the chambers and readied themselves to fire on Travis's order. The rest of the men, including Travis and Nathan, drew their swords.

[Grayzers]

With her crews swords already drawn, they raided the opposing ship, attacking ferociously. The men below waited to see if the canons would even be necessary. Arielle stood tall, letting her men attack first. She kept an eye on the enemy captain and his first mate, deciding to take them on herself. Her men were busy with the other crew after all

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"Travis," Nathan said calmly as the men rushed onto their ship.

He didn't say anything more, but Travis nodded and said, "Yes, Captain." While the rest of the men clashed with the attackers, including Nathan himself, Travis made his way toward the other ship. He had to cut down two men along the way, but Travis was probably one of the best swordsmen on the Seven Seas. Which was why his captain had sent him after Arielle.

[Grayzers]

Her gaze when to him and she sneered, twisting her sword in the air a bit. He would regret challenging her. She'd make sure of it. She started forward, not wasting any time with challenging words.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

As soon as Travis's feet touched down on the deck of her ship, he kicked off his boots, leaving barefooted and much more comfortable. Boots were supposed to be a luxury for high-ranking crew members, but he found them a burden in these situations. "You shouldn't have done this," he told her once she was in earshot, though the wind almost carried his voice away. Though his long red hair was tied back into a ponytail at the base of his neck, the stray locks got caught in the gusts. He didn't look that intimidating, really. He wasn't a muscular man, though his lean body was misleading when it came to his strength. Mostly, he was just tall, 6'3" and with surprisingly good posture for a pirate. His eyes were the frightening part. Chips of aqua ice, those eyes held a calm certainty laced with a dangerous fire.

[Grayzers]

"Funny, I was going to say the same to you." She replied. She certainly wasn't as tall as him, standing at a not so intimidating 5"6. But she was toned, her muscles showing even under her long white shirt that billowed in the wind. She began to circle him, blade ready as she assessed him. *The bigger they are the harder they fall* she thought to herself. She refused to be intimidated, even as he stared her down. Her sea green eyes shown her ferocity.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Travis's eyes tracked her, slowly turning in a stationary circle to keep her in his sight. His body seemed relaxed, but was coiled to spring at a second's notice. He held his sword loosely in his left hand, ready for her to attack.

[Grayzers]

She suddenly spun toward him, adding extra power to her stroke as she aimed a blow to his free arm. Her face remained stoic, but she let out a snarl

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Travis stepped to the side, raising his sword so her blow glanced off his blade. If he'd tried to stop it head-on, he probably wouldn't have been able to. Just in that one move, he could already tell he would be facing a skilled opponent. Good, a challenge, he thought, a small smile spreading on his lips.

He took another step to the left and slashed toward her, not particularly aiming at anything. He was testing her.

[Grayzers]

She quickly regained her position, sword flicking his to side and away from herself. Her eyes narrowed once more. This wasn't going to be an easy fight but then again she'd never taken the easy way for anything. She attacked again, stepping toward him.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Travis parried and then spun to the side, bringing his sword around toward her neck with all the momentum of his turn.