The Man who walks and the Woman who talks

The water reflected against the cave roof as he stepped onto the small walkway, leaving his Bosun to tie up the boat.  He walked with conviction and purpose his fine Leather boots clicking on the stone floor.   The Cavern narrowed until an ornate door with heavy chains loomed into view, flanked by two Armoured black Knights, their red eyes glowing deep behind their visors, standing as sentinels against the inner sanctum.

With a flick of his wrist, he acknowledges the Knights and activates the arcane lock mechanism and the chains slither to the side into the walls and the door swings open.  Inside was a dome-roofed cavern, a stone walkway led to a small tropical island with palm trees as turquoise blue waters rippled in the artificial sunlight held aloft by giant chains.  Upon the highest point of the Island was a small flat plinth, upon which was a large wooden desk, festooned with scrolls and papers, a Dagger was impaled into one corner and a three feathered Tricorn hat resting atop it.

She had her chair swiveled away from the desk, he could just make out a few blonde wisps of hair from the crown of her head as he approached her desk and waited. A plume of smoke was exhaled into the air over her head.
"You lost them?"  she asked with a slice of incredulity.  
There was no point attempting deception, he nodded and bowed his head in shame 
"Aye." he replied solemnly.
She lifted her clay pipe to her lips and inhaled deeply, before swiveling the chair to face him. She was wearing her black Admirals coat and a pair of loose black hose, clipped into pointed leather boots.  In one hand she held her glowing pipe, in the other a small parrot which perched on her finger.  She exhaled the smoke through both nostrils, causing twin plumes of smoke to billow, like a Dragon cooling its flame.
"Good."  she smiled slowly as her good eye focused on him, the patch obscured the other but he knew it peered closely at him too.
"You used me as bait?"  he asked slightly confused.
She shrugged her slender shoulders slightly "Pirate Queen"  she said matter of factually as if that explained everything.  He was used to her devious and cunning ways but this was something new, he had never been her pawn before.
"You were a necessary diversion, Butterfly was able to secure her objective.  Now we can eradicate the Elves and Dwarves in one fell swoop and we can lay the blame squarely at the feet of these Fuckheads or whatever they are called?"
"The F.U.C.K.'s, Ferocious utter cunt killers"  he offered as a way of explanation, "They think it sounds cool."
"Then we must let Butterfly visit them, she is the coolest of them all.  I will inform our liaison in Karse to expect her arrival."
Vhid gritted his pointed teeth and looked at his employer.  He was being usurped by his apprentice again, Butterfly had been groomed for his role and the Duchess was intent on having him replaced.  That much was clear now and as he silently plotted against his employer he realized she was looking at him with that one raised eyebrow of inquisition and penetrating gaze again.  It was like she could read his thoughts, damn her!  He saluted grimly and pivoted on one heel to stride away from her, his cloak snarled as it drifted after him.
"No!"  He exclaimed quietly and quickened his pace moving with alacrity towards his rowboat.  
The Duchess watched him leave, waited until the heavy doors had clicked shut, before pressing a concealed button on her desk.
"Begin fleet operation Mushroom soup is a go. Pass the word to the chef"

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