“Ey, lass. Mind if I set up me machinery on yer boat?” The dwarven gunsmith asked, pulling a cart with machine parts onto the boat. “With what I’ve seen et do on the fair, it can definitely carry this thing.” Kat looked at the dwarf and the machines he hauled onto there. “Uh… Sure! But we won't need it, right?” The dwarf eagerly began constructing the anti-air defense mechanism on the port side of Kat’s ship without responding to her question. “Hey, can I set up Cloudpiercer on the quarterdeck?” The aqui illith asked Kat while the dwarf set up his cannon. “Cloudpiercer…? Oh, sure! Go right ahead, I guess…”

  “Thanks! And uhm… my friend, Dringrik is an alchemist, he would like to set up a small alchemy station but he’s too shy to ask… Can he?”

  “Sure! You can set up your workshops here!” Once given the green light, the researchers got to work, all setting up their workstations on the ship except one. The Cykx kept to himself, just tightening the bolts on his exo armor. The mercenaries, on the other hand, did not ask for permission. Lorkill had a weapon rack set up against the Mizzen. Keya set up a hammock between the main and foremast by attaching a net between the masts, her bag was tied to the net with a rope. She laid there with a cap over her head. Keya’s friend, Bernard, was pouring explosive materials in small tubes to create new bombs on the quarterdeck. Abdone, meanwhile, sat by Lorkill, busy unpacking and assembling his weaponry.

  “That’s… a lot of weapons…” Kat flustered, as she looked over the mercenaries on her ship. Bernard was behind her, having just assembled another bomb. “Never worked with mercenaries before? Take my advice, stay with your science fair friends. You don't want to get in the way of your own mercenaries, especially when they’re on our level.”

  “I'm sorry sir… I don't even really know them.” Kat said, as she leaned on the handrail of the quarterdeck. “Bah, they’re your best shot, so you better get to know them.” Kat smiled at Bernard. “Have you been friends with them for long?” Bernard turned back to his assembly workshop. “Only the elf up in the masts. But that’s enough for now, I need to concentrate. Oh, one last thing. See this?” Bernard picked up a flask from his cart and held it right up to Kat’s face, who responded by nodding. “Don't. Drink. It. This is nitroglycerine. Shaking it with the cork on can make it explode strong enough to take a chunk out of the ship.” Kat nodded again nervously as Bernard turned back to his workshop, putting the flask back into the cart.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Kat looked over the ship, watching the people at work as Dexter emerged from Kat’s back pouch. “Any developments, kid?” Kat leaned on the handrail of the quarterdeck, watching the sunset. “It’s not as fun as I thought… but that’s okay! We’re still finding the thieves’ vault and that’s what matters… I just wish I didn't have to hide you though…”

  “Bah, maybe you don't really have to hide me. I just can't talk, you know…”

  “Yes, yes... They can't know I didn't come up with this thing…” Suddenly, the Aqui Illith showed up, though Kat could hear her approach as she had to drag her fishtail over the metallic deck. “Hey there, who’re you talking to?” She asked, leaning on the handrail next to Kat.

  Kat panicked, quickly responding with some nonsense. “What? Talking? Oh, I was just talking to my… pet?” While Dexter was offended, he couldn't say anything, instead just making his way onto Kat’s shoulder by following her arm. “You talk to your pet, hunt treasure, and build ships? I take it your parents tell you a lot of bedtime stories involving pirates?” Kat smiled at her and rested her head on the handrail. “He used to… My favorite one was about the thieves’ vault, though. My dad read it for me nearly every night.”

  “He must be proud that his daughter is setting out to find it, then!” Kat nodded and blew a tuft of hair out of her eyes. “I'm… sure he is... “

  “What’s wrong, already miss him? The expedition won't take that long, you’ll be with him again before you know it…. and with all the treasure you could ever hold.”

  “I’ve been alone for longer than the journey. He went to the vault on his own about four years ago to escape something. He trusted me to find it.”

  The water elf looked somewhat shocked. “Oh… Sounds like he puts a lot of faith in you, but it looks to me like he wasn’t wrong.” Kat sheepishly nodded while staring at the deck, watching the soldiers. “Don't worry Kat, we’ll make sure you'll see him again. You can ask me if you need anything, my name is Melissa.” She patted Kat’s head before walking off to her telescope again, leaving Kat with her thoughts, at least until Bernard’s voice pierced the silence. “I told you they were your best bet.” He snickered as he walked past Kat to get to the deck to collect some fuses. Kat stared off into the distance, watching the sunset and listening to her dad telling the story again in her head as the sun began to climb down slowly. The evening was upon them...