#brwr

"Excuse me! Coming through!" The young boy squeaked as he pushed his way through the crowded street. Cries of "Watch it!" and "Look where you're goin'!" surrounded him as he brushed past people. He gave short apologies as he rushed to his destination. Louder shouts could be heard after him, getting closer with each step. Luckily, he had arrived in a few more minutes.

The mousy boy swung the door to the restaurant open, panting as he rested his hands on his knees. The lunch rush was in motion, plates and drinks rotating in and out of the kitchen, but his sudden burst through the doors allowed a moment of silence allowing him to utter "Help!"

The room seemed to darken due to the the number of people blocking the the light as the two waitresses, one dressed in cherry red and the other in lime green, looked up at the boy. Each person had the same tattoo on a visible spot on their body, many looking rough and fairly dangerous.

The two waitresses glanced at each other before excusing themselves, the bell on the door giving a jingle as they exited. Some of the men and women stepped back, forming a semi-circle that surrounded the girls, who were clearly out numbered 2 to 30. 

Sliding a curly lock of golden hair beyond her right ear, the one in red scanned the crowded with her piercing evergreen eyes. Giving a tap of her silver earring, in a flash of light the piece of jewelry extended into a silver staffed spear with swirling red edges. "I'll take the ones on the right," Her voice was confident as she gave a twirl of her weapon.

The girl beside her snickered, golden orbs flashing as she looked from person to person to pick her first victim. She tapped her bracelets on her wrists, the accessories shooting in the air in a similar beam of light, spinning in the air as they turned into curved obsidian blades. "Not if I get to them first, Bundie." 

"And what do you two think you are doing?" Came a motherly tone behind them. One of the cooks had now come out to see the commotion, her face twisted into annoyance. The darker skinned teen stepped in-between her co-workers to survey the group before them. Some of them must have recognized the cook, for they attempted to take a step back.

"We haven't done anythin', Surrie," The waitress in green, a short girl with cherry red hair, muttered under her breath. 

It was a good thing that they hadn't, for at that moment the owner of the joint restaurant and inn had arrived from her errands.

"What in the Great Spirit is going on here?" An overwhelming pressure followed the question, the crowd parting by the force. Walking down the new path was a tall, darkly tanned, muscular man, his ears mouse-like and protruding from his face were whiskers.

He was carrying a large amount of groceries, apologizing as he past by. His wife, a stout and mousy Black woman, was fuming mad while a threatening energy pulsated from her small body. She shot a fercious glare at the crowd as she faced them, finally standing before her employees.

"You lot are either coming in to eat or getting out of my sight by the count of five." As soon as the she said "One!" half had ended up in the restaurant and the other have had scattered back into the streets. With the unwanted crowd dispersed, Gemini McLane smiled and kissed her husband, James, on the cheek. "And if I so much as find a hair out of place on my boy--" She hollered as she entered the restaurant, right hand resting on her stomach. 

Petricia Panelle, the waitress in green, was in silent awe of how the woman had diffused the situation, but huffed at one of her lengthening red bangs. She muttered a spell and her blades returned back to bracelets. 

"Well that's no fun," She pouted, actually glad she didn't have to ruin her outfit. James gave a tired sigh as he looked at through the glass door to his wife. 

"Well at least she's a lot calmer with this pregnancy than she was with Phil's." He visibly cringed at a memory, trudging in after he beau, who was now interacting with the customers and yelling at the cooks in the same breath. Philip McLane entered the restaurant just as his father entered, looking at the trio.

"Why were they after you, young one?" The cook asked the younger boy. He turned his gaze towards the ground, somewhat ashamed. 

"They some of them remembered me from last time, you know with that orange-haired kid? I think they're still mad about what he took, Suraja."

Suraja, or Surrie as she was called by Petricia, bristled at the memory. Her normally chocolate brown eyes ignited orange as she suddenly started cursing in a different language.

Alicia, the maid in red, pushed the angered girl back into the restaurant and towards into the kitchen. Petricia chuckled at the scene. The ginger boy from their previous journey still got under the calm girl's skin, even after not seeing him for a while. 

"What's that?" The boy asked and Petricia's eyes followed his arm as he pointed to something overhead. A falcon was circling above them, a note attached to it's talon. Before extending her arm for it to land, Petricia shooed the mouse-boy inside. The bird landed gracefully and gently enough, Petricia untying the note with her free hand. 

The note read: Come to the harbor. 7 P.M.

Petricia extend her arm once more, the animal taking it's cue to fly back to it's master. Once it was out of sight, Petricia tucked the note into her breast pocket. She still had a shift to finish.

The three girls had been in Port HavoK for over a month now. After Petricia had received a mysterious summons intermediately following their adventure in Wunderscion, the thief had them return to Dreamaway Inn. 

"If we gotta wait a month for transportation, might as well get paid to do so." The thief had explained as they took the train out of the kingdom's capital. Her friends had questions why she of all people wanted to work, only to realize that Petricia loved stealing people's hearts almost as much as she did stealing jewelry.

While she would never admit it, for she did have a reputation to keep, the shorter girl thrived as a waitress. It was easy for her to get people open up. Petricia found herself striking up conversation with all of the customers, the diner coming more lively than most bars.In truth, she was kind of sad to leave, but duty called. So as soon as their shift ended, she pushed her friends towards her room. 

"Petricia, what--" Alicia started as they were shoved into the space. "No time Bundie, get dressed and packed. We're headin' out!" 

Sparing them an explanation, the other two girls complied and slipped out of their work clothes. Alicia turned her items into tiny, golf ball sized capsules, which she placed into her messenger bag. Both Petricia and Suraja's gear was in latter's magical bag, which seemed to have seemingly endless space.

"For the last time," Suraja whined as she wrapped bandages around Petricia's chest, "It's not a magical bag!"

Petricia waved it off as she gave one last sweep off the room before sliding her green shirt on. Though she hadn't worn the covering in a month and they weren't traveling very far, Petricia certainly felt safer with them on.

They headed downstairs, giving the key James while Gemini was busy.

"Remember to keep up your exercise routines while your away," He reminded them as he put their key away. They assured him that they would, thanking him for taking his time out of his mail runs to train with them over the month.

They stopped inside the restaurant, Alicia being sure to serve one of favorite customers before they called Philip, who was working as a busboy, over to them. Alicia hugged the boy goodbye, Suraja gave him a kiss on the forehead, while (even though they were almost the same height now) Petricia ruffled his hair with a smile.

"Oh, Ms. Panelle," A gentleman called out to Petricia just as she was about to leave the restaurant. Petricia froze as she turned her head to look at him.

This man whom Alicia had served moments before was tall and lanky even sitting down, his skin dark and his hair in long dreadlocks beneath a top hat. His black and violet suit seemed kind of menacing in the brightly colored booth.

Zanazike the Wise, Port Havok's resident fortune-teller, was a common sight in the restaurant every day. Petricia walked over to him and slid into the opposite side of the booth.

"Yes, sir?" She said, her teeth gritting slightly. His irises were dimmed from his disability but he smiled all same, hearing the stress in her voice.

"Don't be so harsh to Sheep. And as for your losing your Fairy, please try not to weep." He took a sip of his coffee as Petricia's nose wrinkled in confusion at the first half before her eyes widened at the second. 

"What do you mean?" Petricia hissed.

The thief didn't trust this man's words, no matter how great a seer he was. The last time they had went on his advice, he had spoke that someone was going to betray Alicia, but it hadn't come to past. And yet she couldn't help but looking out the window to Suraja, who happened to be a fayri, someone of the animal-human hybrid race.

"Spelling, while fundamental, can be most detrimental." 

Before Petricia could order him to cut it out with the riddles, Suraja re-entered. She greeted Zanazike politely before pulling at her friend. They exited in a hurry, Petricia glancing back at him as he winked at her before they dashed off. 

While they navigated through the evening streets, Suraja and Alicia both questioned her about what the fortuneteller had said. Petricia, through a variety of colorful words, merely said that it was of no importance what the Spider fayri had said. The subject was dropped once they entered the harbor, many ships looking out towards the ever expanding sea.

"Which one are looking for exactly?" Alicia asked as they walked along the piers, scoping out each ship. The strong scent of sea water seemed to envelope everything and was so thick, Suraja wasn't looking so swell with that green tinted on her brown cheeks. Petricia's eyes were straight ahead, looking up every now and again as they lead them.

"You'll know when you see it," She replied. Then Petricia paused and straightened up her back before dashing off ahead. Her friends followed closely behind before stopping before a giant double masted galleon. Dark blue flags with a coat of arms of a hatchet and oceans waves embellished on it waved in the air.

"Never meet someone who got seasick just by bein' near the ocean," A silky voice called over to them. They looked over up to find a young woman leaning against the railing, grinning down at them.

The wind rustled the skirt of her long aquamarine coat before she hopped over the railing into the port beside her. Her boots heels clicked against the stone-cement as she stalked over to them, standing taller Suraja. Silver hooped earrings glinted in the afternoon light, as she moved face to face with Suraja. A curved scar ran along the right side of the olive toned girl's face, Suraja catching her reflection in the silver pools that stared into her own brown eyes.

"I have a great remedy for it, love."

Wanting to simply get this horrible feeling over with, and before Petricia could get a word out, Suraja simply nodded. Their transporter closed the distance between them, placing a chaste kiss on the fayri's lips. Petricia groaned loudly so that they parted quickly, and though she was miffed by the embrace , Suraja was looking noticeably less green.

"Pardon my forwardness, but that little pill you just swallowed is best prescribed mouth-to mouth," The sailor licked her lips with a sly smile as she glanced to Petricia, "You didn't tell me you were travelling with a fay, chica."

Petricia crossed her arms and stepped in front of Suraja, looking up at the taller girl before her.

"It's not important what she is, Daphne, but who."

Noticing the protective look in the girl's eye, Daphne frowned before put her hands up in a calming gesture with a sigh.

"Petricia, I'm insulted that the thought even crossed your mind. Daphne Ellane Fernadez, privateer." Daphne gave a small cursty, Petricia giving a roll of her eyes at the action. Suraja looked warily at Daphne before stepping up to shake her hands.

"You are a pirate?"

"Only when a loophole has presented it's self doing a adventure," Daphne stated with a knowing chortle and extended to her hand, "Most of my requested work is bounty hunting and treasure recovery, but you know sometimes a girl's gotta eat. Though while I know what most of my trade deal in, I'm not the type."

Instead of going for a shake, Daphne's hand clamped onto the fayri's arm. Alicia and Petricia watched as Suraja's sleeve was pulled back.

Turning over the fayri's wrist, a small black circle with an X in the middle was tattooed there. Suraja yanked her limb away, pushing her sleeve up quickly and holding her inked arm with her other hand.

"What do you--?" Suraja paused, her eyes having flashed orange from anger.

"I know firsthand that people are not property or cattle," Daphne pulled back her coat's sleeve to reveal the same mark in the exact same place. Suraja's rage gave to teary eyes and was about to cry.

"Okay, before ya start the water works, Surrie, can we at least get on the ship?"

"This, ladies, is the Mighty Cazadora or the Huntsman," Daphne lead them to a ramp that was connected to her ship. To Alicia and Suraja's surprise, there wasn't a single crew member aboard the wooden floor.

Daphne gave a simply flick of her index fingers, with a grin on her face. The vessel then sprang to life with ropes started knotting and flags unfurled. Beneath them the rumbling of canon balls rolling along the lower sections, mops beginning to dance around them to polish and wash the deck.

"How are you doing this," Alicia questioned as her eyes followed buckets in the dimming sunlight.

"Family secret, I'm afraid. But maybe I'll tell ya after we get more acquainted." Daphne winked at the blonde. Alicia shyly averted her gaze from the pirate at the gesture, Daphne giving a laugh. "Alright, enough games. It's late and I know for a fact that petirrojo likes to get her beauty sleep. This way to--"