Tamarrio Washington's Arc

Chapter 4 of 5

The ship appeared two days after the fortress. It hung in the air above the forest canopy, close enough that Tamarrio could see the woman standing at the bow. She wore captain's colors and held a staff carved with symbols that matched the creatures' skin. Tamarrio climbed to the tallest branch and studied the vessel. The figurehead was carved in the shape of a pirate with massive white wings, its face frozen in a sneer that matched the captain's expression. Behind her stood the creatures from the tower, perfectly still, their eyes locked on a swirling orb she held in her other hand. The patterns inside it matched the ones on her staff. She raised her voice so it carried down to him. "These beasts answer to me, pirate. Surrender Oldgrowth and I'll call them back. Refuse, and I'll send more than you can cage." He wanted to laugh, but the creatures didn't move without her command. That orb controlled them somehow, which meant his barrier wouldn't hold forever. She tossed down a rolled parchment that landed at his feet. He opened it and saw a map of Oldgrowth with borders drawn and conditions written in careful script. She wanted his territory, his flag, his fortress. Everything he'd built. The woman from his crew climbed up beside him and read over his shoulder. "What do we do?" she asked. Tamarrio looked at the captain's ship, then at the creatures circling below it like trained dogs. He could fight her and lose people, or he could surrender and lose everything that made him more than a drifter. But there was a third option. He turned to the woman. "We find out where that orb came from. If she's got one, there's more. And if we can break it or steal it, those creatures won't answer to anyone." The woman grinned and nodded. Tamarrio folded the map and shoved it in his coat. He wouldn't surrender, but he wouldn't fight blind either. He'd take what made her powerful and turn it against her. That's what a pirate king would do.