None of them moved. Everything within the fort seemed to cease for a moment as if the world forgot to breathe. Derrin hadn't registered when the three of them had left the residents of the fort behind. They had been focused on far more important matters after all.
Now, only he, Silas, and Zara remained.
Except Zara wasn't there anymore.
The Pirate King wore a long black coat, the color of midnight. It seemed like an ominous omen that he arrived cloaked in the colors of death. His eyes glistened with a murderous intent despite the subtle smile on his face.
His smile deepened and, in a cheerful tone, said, "It is a quite sudden arrival I do have to admit."
Those words were like a bombshell dropping. Derrin grasped the hilt of his sword in an instant. This man could not be allowed to proceed. Silas, for his part, acted as well. A glowing teal spear manifested itself into reality. In less than a handful of moments, both of them were prepared to lunge at the invader.
But the Pirate King didn't move. He didn't so much as flinch.
"How about we hold off on our blades for a moment, gentlemen?" his smile turned wolfish, showing his teeth; one of them glistening golden.
When neither of them reacted, the Pirate King continued, "The end is upon you, and none of you even realized it was coming. Your great protector is lost while your biggest enemy is present. Your chances of coming out today alive are slim to none, but I am a gracious man after all. Despite your many opportunities for surrender, and your many refusals, I will still offer you a chance at life."
"So do me a favor and lower your weapons before things get messy."
They didn't lower their weapons.
Silas stepped forward, snarling, "What did you do to Zara?"
"What did I do? I didn't do anything. I am here after all, and I certainly can't be in two places at once."
"Don't jape with me, bastard! What did you do!"
The Pirate KIng scowled, "As I have already told you, I have done nothing. What happens now is solely up to her and the gearborn."
"What?" Silas staggered back as if slapped.
"You can teleport. That's your power," Derrin narrowed his eyes, "At least, you can swap places with people when you have them marked. That's why you wanted to mark Zara so badly. You knew that you had no chance of beating her, even if you got the jump. So instead, you left it up to the robots. You're a coward getting monsters to do your dirty work."
"Montrelan," his voice grew cold, "I don't remember inviting you to this party in the first place. It seems you happened to arrive unintentionally. So, I offer the same deal as the Valencians. Surrender yourself, and you will be left alive."
"You wish for us to surrender ourselves to you, despicable creature. You who have allied yourself with the most wretched creatures on the face of the planet," Silas roared, "You disgust me, traitorous scum. Give us Zara."
He was spiraling. Derrin knew it. He was as well, if not as rapidly. They had known their situation was trouble, but never had they realized just how much trouble they had been in. All along, the pirates had just been playing for time when they thought they were playing for time.
The Pirate King may not have been a strategic mastermind. He was also clearly not an overwhelming fighter. But that didn't make the man weak and stupid. He was far smarter and craftier than they had given him credit for.
Instead of allowing his weakness to control them, he had utilized it to drop Zara right into enemy hands. The remaining cards were falling into place, and their hand wasn't looking good. It wasn't looking good at all.
"Oh, Valencian, I don't think you understand. Zara is not your concern anymore. She will be dead or captured by now. You have this entire fort to worry about and all the people in it. I know what you seek, and that duty now falls on your soldiers. Whether your commander has fallen or not, matters little. You must make this decision on your own."
Silas narrowed his eyes. His knuckles were white against the haft of his spear. What was he to say? He couldn't rightly turn the fort over to the pirates. That would end with most of them dead anyway, and he would be a betrayer. However, fighting the Pirate King was not a good idea either.
"No," Derrin said firmly.
The Pirate King glanced at him, "Do you speak for the Valencians?"
"No, he does not," Silas growled.
"Good, then your answer…"
"No, I think not. Your crimes have gone on long enough, self-proclaimed Pirate King. I sentence you to death," Silas raised his spear in a cross guard and prepared to lunge.
It had come at last. There was no avoiding it. Derrin had known that since the moment he first registered the Pirate King's appearance. There would be a battle between them because neither side was willing to surrender.
Not yet, at least.
Derrin did not like their chances of victory in this battle. He knew the power differences better than most, and that was enough to tell him their chances. He had dueled with Zara before. That had been a fantastic experience. However, he had ultimately lost despite the closeness in the fight.
However, this fight was completely different. There were two of them now, and Silas was far more powerful than he was. Combined, their efforts should have been enough to prevail.
But Derrin knew otherwise.
In fact, he knew that in his fight against Zara, she hadn't even gone all out, not even close. They were simply having a friendly duel. This fight would be anything but friendly.
The Pirate King would not give them the same luxury. He would be going for the kill from the start. He wouldn't care to try, and keep them alive, but only about winning the battle.
Derrin had some idea of his powers, but not enough to even give him a chance of countering them. He had no idea what seas the man had conquered beyond Montrel, and there was still the power gap to contend with.
Both he and Silas may have been more skilled than the Pirate King, but in a battle, skill wouldn't matter. You could be as skilled as you wanted, and all it would mean is that you stayed alive slightly longer. When fighting powerhouses like this man, any semblance of skill went out the window. He would simply be too fast and too strong to contend with. So they were going to need to improvise a solution and fast.
Derrin quickly surveyed their surroundings. If they wanted any chance at success, then they were going to need every advantage they could get. Unfortunately, he didn't like their odds. They had moved away from most of the civilians, which was good. However, in the process, they had also retreated from the other soldiers.
None of the nearby buildings was worth bringing the fight into. The mess hall would just end in destroyed food and upturned tables, while the engineering room would likely result in all of them being killed in an explosion. Well, the pirate king would likely survive, but they would most likely not.
Everything was stacked against them, but that didn't matter. They would just have to focus on the fight in front of them.
The Pirate KIng sighed as a long, curved blade hummed into life in his grip, "As you wish."
Then he attacked.