It takes longer than I would like. My control slips in just the wrong moments for the bolts to shift sometimes, and others the water just doesn't seem to like the density I'm forcing it into taking, for the metal to shift at all.
But, after some long minutes, I manage.
I get up slowly, allow the blood to circulate properly after sitting these long hours in the same position. Checking on the pirate, I realise he's still alive. Well. I have some very nice shackles lying around here, it'd be a shame to waste them.
Mai watches with some satisfaction.
Then, regarding my work, I see the teeth I keep in my pockets for mostly sentimental reasons strewn about on the ground. Circus Girl must've gone through my pockets to find something useful. There lies Hahn's mother's picture. He had her eyes. They always made him seem to look down on people, but with her, all they do is regard you very closely. I never met her. But I'm grateful to her for giving me a friend like Hahn. And guilty.
With careful fingers that I wipe of any staining substances, I fold the paper along its creases and tuck it back into my tunic. Then I gather the teeth one by one and tuck them back into my pockets. Lastly, I take up the long dagger and short sword. Not the finest quality, either of them, but sufficient. Best of all, I know how to use them.
Mai shifts when I turn my attention to her and her shackles.
After the last fiasco of freeing one of the girls, I think I should wrangle some sort of promise from her. But with me not having, er, honoured our agreement, I'm not sure how much she thinks her promises to me should weigh.
I think for a moment. "We need each other to get out of this alive," I state, and wait for her nod.
It's only a short jerk of her head, but it's enough, and we're in agreement.
I kneel before her, take her bleeding hand and heal her with more ease than with opening my shackles. As soon as I let her hand go, she wipes it clean and inspects it. A thin pink line is all that remains of the cut.
Next are the shackles on her ankles.
It takes far too long. The one on her right foot pops open. Dear Spirits, three more and I'm more than ready to take a day long nap.
Once more, there are boots coming down the steps. She freezes, and I only now realise how much she relaxed.
Silently, and as quickly as I dare, I move to the entrance, dagger and sword in hand.
It's another pirate, and he's cautious, but a sharp tug on his knee, and he's falling.
Catching him just enough to prevent noise, my dagger is at his throat. "Look over there," I tell him, and he sees his crewmate in shackles. "He's still alive. If you do as I say, you'll be too."
He nods.
"Now, have you captured the other girl again?"
Another nod. He could be lying, but I don't think so.
"You'll shout now, and shout to your friends that we've all escaped, and shackled whatever his name is. That you think we've gone for a swim since you haven't seen us on deck."
He opens his mouth. Before he can release a sound, I press the dagger more firmly to his neck. "And remember that one wrong word earns you a cut throat."
He shivers under my hands, Does as he's told.
"Much obliged," And with a sharp knock of the sword's hilt to the back of his neck, he's out, too.
He gets the same treatment as his friend, and is stripped of his possessions. Multiple blades hidden all over his body, no keys. They were too much to hope for in the first place.
I get back to Mai's shackles.
"I expect they'll be waiting for us on deck," I tell her once her other foot is free, and she nods.
I don't think I like her this silent.
The third shackle opens. "They've both the princess and your friend, probably knocked out, so it'll be just us against the entire crew. They'll threaten their lives to force our compliance. We will have to free them first, and then manage to protect them and your brother."
She nods.
With the fourth, I offer my hand to get her upright, and to my surprise she takes it. She also gathers up the knives from the pile I made. Right, she mostly fights with stilettos and small projectiles.
I decide to inform her of my capabilities. She will need to know. "I can probably give us about half a minute to free the others. It'll be the same thing you saw with him."
Her lips thin as she nods.
...
"No damaging the merchandise!"
Azula is being held above her knees by her hair. She is unable to gain purchase on the ground due to her unfortunate shackling. Her pain is evident, but she makes no noise. Stubborn. But you never know when some sadistic fuck wants more than just noises out of you until it's far too late.
Beside the amnesiac princess, Circus Girl is in a similar position. She has no qualms about whimpering. Pride only goes so far for her.
The noise, even though it comes from her who was very much malicious towards me not too long ago, is cause for the emergence of some small amount of anger on her behalf. We all have our lapses in judgement, I suppose.
The brat is… in a young boy's arms. Looks like even pirates have cabin boys. Or was it especially them? I wonder if he was kidnapped or ran away.
Between the girls and Mai and I are five pirates, three of whom are obviously injured, two of whom are holding the girls up by their hair. Behind them stands the cabin boy.
"Aw, c'mon Gorou, you never let me have any fun!"
The first speaker, Gorou looks at him sharply. "For good reason. We only want our money, not a permanent manhunt out for our heads. If you want your fun, try the next port and pay for it out of your own pocket."
Smart. He's not the captain, but the first mate, I'd wager. His arm is bandaged heavily. Despite that, I'm sure he's a terrifying opponent. He's that earthbender who took on two or three? firebenders a few hours ago.
I've never gone up against a competent earthbender, and I don't want to, either. On a ship, I have much of an advantage, but he's a pirate and lives on it. He's bound to have a few tricks up his bandages.
When you know what Toph can do, all earthbenders become intimidating by proxy.
Both Azula and Circus Girl are released at Gorou's words, and dropped to the ground. One cries out, while the other clenches her jaw with a furious look on her face.
The pirate who wanted some… fun, and his friend move to stomp off, but Gorou stops them again. "Stay where you are. Kenji and Nobu have been gone for too long."
It's now or never. We'll never get a better opportunity. If anything, Gorou delivered us the perfect queue. One glance is shared between us, and Mai and I ready ourselves for the coming fight.
I concentrate once more, take deep breaths, and stretch my senses. Five standing in front of us, two further to the bow, four more above us, by the stern.
All of them need to choke on their spit.
Not only for practical reasons, but also for what they've done, what they plan to do, what they want to do and most of all, because they deserve it.
I spread my arms, my fingers, twist my wrists and yank hard, closing my fists. Immediately, their hands go to their throats.
Mai moves. Her knives glint in the moonlight, her hair streams behind her as she rushes to her brother, takes him from the cabin boy's startled arms, and kicks him squarely in the chest.
My control strains, and I know I have a choice. Kill them all, or allow them to fight.
If I do, I'll have killed them all.
If I don't, there's a chance they could kill or heavily injure any one of us.
I don't know why. I have no clue why the girls rank so much higher in my mind, lives are lives and should never be taken lightly. But they do. (They do, because I've seen them struggle for each other. Because I have met them, and gained some understanding and insight, they are no longer abstract concepts of people to me, they are individuals. To a degree, I know them.)
I decide to gamble anyway. One last, hard yank to all of their throats, in particular Gorou's and I let go.
...
Don't forget to throw some power stones :)
...
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