FSE

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Chapter 1

In recent years trade with oversea lands had become virtually non existent, the waters too dangerous to cross without a readied fleet. So the city survived on trade with neighboring occupied kingdoms and the Golden King's rule flourished.

In the back alleyways of Avarice, one could find a city lost within a city. Here the lowest class of citizens could remain forgotten, left alone amongst the filth and stink. The nobles and even working class found it easier to ignore what went unseen. It remained an unspoken rule that none but those who had nothing would dare venture into these slums.

One such soul laid sleeping in a small corner of the world he could call his own. Very little in the way of possessions actually resided in the little space. A rusted candle holder, lacking any actual candle. A crudely made shiv, discarded among filthy rags. And finally a cardboard box, it's frame flattened on the ground to operate as a bed. It provided a poor barrier between its occupant and the mud underneath.

A black back jackal was who claimed this meager alcove. His slightly labored breathing was just one of several testaments to his poor health. While many would scoff at what he called a bed, it had not come to him easily. He had fought to earn this place and on more than one occasion was forced to defend his right to keep it. Sometimes to the death.

By now, enough had tangled with the wiry and crafty canine to earn him a reputation. His space verged on the better part of nothing, but any wanting it for themselves had best be ready to fight tooth and claw for it. To the majority of those interested, it just wasn't worth the effort.

Earning such rep came with a rare privilege in that this jackal did not need to be a light sleeper. Which was good, considering many of his nights and often days were spent passed out from whatever drink he could bargain for.

It would do him no favors on this afternoon. Had he been younger, more fearful of his environment, he might have noticed the well dressed grizzle that stood over him. He would have mused at the fact that any other trespasser to this labyrinth of squalor would have been robbed and beaten near a dozen times by now. But not this visitor. The obvious nobel had made this journey many times, so much so that the inhabitants knew to leave him to his business.

None of these thoughts were able to the enter the jackal's mind however. He went right on slumbering on what he called a bed, blissfully unaware as the bear raised a bucket of water and dumped its cold continence onto him

The downtrodden silence was broken by the jackal's cry, quickly followed by a series of curses and threats. On instinct, he began to thrash his arms and legs about, a trick he'd learned to hold off multiple attackers intent on holding him down. With surprising speed, he grabbed the nearby shiv, swinging it blindly as he sat up.

"Come on!" The jackal growled, baring his teeth in challenge. "Ye want what I got yer gonna bleed fer it!" He was fully awake now, eyes blazing with indignation as he searched for the party responsible!

"Rise and shine Urch," the bear said with an amused grin.

At hearing his name, confusion replaced the anger on Urch's face. Rubbing the blurriness from his eyes finally allowed him to recognize the figure that loomed over him. "Vic? Bloody 'ell mate, wha' time is it?" Urch was unable to hide the horse dryness of his voice. It no doubt tipped Victor off to the fact he had enjoyed a liquid dinner...or had it been breakfast? His head was still cloudy enough that the finer details escaped his memory.

"It's well past eleven," Victor informed him, not taking any care to keep the volume of his voice down. "And unfortunately for you friend, I have no time to wait on you sobering up."

With a groan, Urch grabbed his throbbing head. He wanted nothing more than to just go back to sleep. To his half coherent mind, he could think of no reason why Victor would be bothering him. The two didn't exactly share social calls and Urch was fairly certain they had planned no schemes in recent days.

Urch knew Victor well enough to recognize the sadistic amusement in his gaze. The bear was taking a small amount of pleasure in watching his oldest friend struggle to get properly coherent and aware. If the goal had been to annoy Urch into action, then he'd have to admit defeat to the intruding royal.

Falling into a brief coughing fit, Urch spat out the phlegm that had been lining his throat before forcing himself to rise on semi steady legs. Wiping the water from his face, he leveled a displeased glare at Victor, making sure his irritation could be felt.

"Whadda ya want stuffed shirt?"

As expected, Victor showed no visible sign of offence to the insult, nor any hint of intimidation for Urch's glaring.

"We can discuss that along the way," the bear assured him. Victor seemed to be in high spirits, which Urch took as a sign to be worried. "I assume you will be following as is?"

As if confused by the distasteful look he was getting, Urch glanced down at his appearance. To say he was shirtless would imply he actually owned such clothing. His fur was matted, a heavy layer of dirt and grime coating his exposed upper body. He looked malnourished and underfed, which was Urch's standard appearance. The only clothing he did have was a pair of trousers, tattered and legs ripped from the knees down.

"Aye, less ye be lendin' me yer fancy jacket."

A scoffing laugh was all Victor offered before he turned, making his way back to more civilized surroundings.

With a grumbling sigh, Urch considered not following. He had known Victor for years, all thanks to a chance meeting when they were barely teens. In all that time, Urch had learned that whenever Victor wouldn't just say what he was planning, it usually spelled trouble. Mixing that with a hangover was not what Urch considered a good time...however it would likely be profitable trouble.

Curiosity now started to work its way into the jackal's mind. Finally giving in, Urch began to follow, tucking his shiv into the waist of his trousers.

Despite Victor getting a head start, Urch caught up with him quickly.

"Well, ye got me followin' ya like some stray. Gonna share what this about?" His voice still laced with scratchy dryness, Urch regretted not checking the cursed bucket that had been used to assault him for lingering remnants of water.

"You are a stray." Victor mused. "How's your sailing knowledge?"

Urch's ear involuntarily twitched at the odd question. "Is crap, better than yer's though."

"Elaborate, I need details here Urch."

He had to suppress a groan of annoyance. This was way too early for him to be remembering such trivial things.

Urch had never actually been on a ship before, but he had been around them. Growing up, the docks were a safer place to spend time rather than the back alleys. As a pup, Urch was able to find a number of odd jobs for coin. This allowed him to hear stories from the sailors who liked to talk like a fish breathes water.

There was one Captain that Urch always remembered fondly. The old wolf had been in the Navi for some kingdom or another. After retiring he took up a fishing crew that was really just a smuggling ship. When he wasn't sending Urch off to deliver letters to the number of mistress' he had, the wolf would explain all the finer points of sailing.

"I be knowin' the terms and such, important positions and their duties. Been told all the reasons why drillin be important. Course all that be head knowledge," to get his point across, Urch tapped the side of his head with a claw. "Never put any theory to action."

While Urch could think of no reason why Victor would care about this information, the bear seemed to ponder over it. Something was definitely being planned in that brain of his.

"That will have to be good enough," Victor commented more to himself than to Urch.

Succumbing to another coughing fit, Urch did his best to look around, his eyes squinting from the sunlight. He recognized the path they were taking. Victor was leading him to the docks.

Most activity on the Avarice Docks took place in the morning and evening. It was at these times that ship paws were busy with loading or unloading their cargo. Many vendors could be seen bargaining and making deals for goods that would later be sold in the local market. For someone like Urch, it was the perfect time to try your paw at some pickpocketing as well as being overlooked while dealing in less than legal intrapreneuring.

This close to noon however, the docks were nearly deserted. Such a drastic change from the normally lively area left the place feeling empty and some would even claim haunted. Urch did not like coming to the docks at this time, to do so felt like he was tempting fate. As far as Urch was concerned, he didn't need any more than his fair share of bad luck.

"Ye know gangs keep tabs down 'ere fer idiots wandering 'round."

Victor hardly seemed concerned by Urch's warning. "Being that I am not an idiot and you have nothing to steal I dare wager that we will be fine."

Urch frowned at this, fairly certain he had just been insulted. Normally he'd have several sharp retorts, but for this morning it required more effort than his brain was willing to put in.

"Fer the record, this better be worth ma time."

Victor said nothing to give away what this was about. Obviously the bear wanted this to be a surprise, knowing full well that Urch hated surprises. Finally getting the last bits of rheum from his eyes, Urch resigned himself to just wait and see.

It wasn't long before Urch found himself standing before a ship that was known to all of Avarice. She was no Man-O-War, but certainly deserved the respect of a Great Frigate. Just with Urch's quick inspection, he figured the vessel could easily hold a crew of two hundred plus.

He was unable to suppress a laugh."Startin' ta feel I been takin' by a press gang." While Victor would never admit it, Urch recognized the brief look of confusion on the bear's face. "Tha' be folks paid to kidnap mooks fer sailin'."

"Aw, of course." Victor nodded as if he had known that all along. "Well in a way you are right. This is why I dragged you from that mud hole of yours," Victor paused for dramatic effect. Urch made a circular motion with his paw for Vic to get on with it. "Had a little meeting with the King earlier and I am more than proud to say that the Aureum is now mine."

Bewilderment was the first thing to overtake the jackal. "If ma tail be here to help ya steal the King's flag ship than ye must think I a fool," Urch's voice had lowered as he glanced around, now alert for spying eyes.

Victor's amused smirk did little to ease Urch's growing worry. "Why steal what I have already bargained for? When I say it's mine I mean just that, no catch."

"No catch!?" Urch scoffed at the poor explanation. "There always a catch with yer family. Come on, what ye not sayin'?"

"Hmm, I may have agreed to forfeit all birthrights," Victor explained. Urch only raised a brow at his friend, knowing there had to be more. Victor sighed. "And essentially agree to be banished from the castle and Avarice."

At the full explanation, Urch began to cackle madly with glee. "Y-ye gave up everything f-fer a ship ye can't even sail!? Hahaha! Ya more homeless than me now!"

"Oh shut up!" Victor growled, cuffing the side of Urch's head just hard enough to make the jackal wobble on his feet a bit. "It's not that funny."

"Is pretty hilarious!" Urch challenged.

Despite his glaring eyes, Victor finally let out a chuckle himself. "Fine, it's mildly amusing. But as for not being able to sail her, that's what I have you for."

The high spirited grin on Urch's face started to fade. He studied Vic's expression a moment, looking for any of the telling signs that the bear was messing with him. Finding only sincerity, he looked to the Aureum. A new wave of intimidation suddenly washed over Urch as he really studied the ship and all she was worth.

"Me?" The singular word came out with such a level of sobriety that none would believe it came from the jackal. "Ye want me to Cap'ain her?"

A quick clearing of Victor's throat signaled that no, that was not what he had in mind. "Not exactly. I'll obviously be Captain, but I'm going to need your help and support to do it right. You know I've never been on a ship before. However I learn fast and you have just enough knowledge for me to use and cultivate."

"R-righ, yeah obviously." Urch quickly rid his mind of the insane thoughts of captaining a ship. It was too overwhelming to entertain. Even Victor's actual proposition was more responsibility than the jackal had ever had in his life. "I guess, I don' know wha' ta say."

He felt Victor's paw suddenly rest on his shoulder, gripping it just tight enough the way a true friend would. "Say yes. This city holds nothing for us and never has. The political houses and crime families own every spec of Avarice and every one of them answers to Marcus," the bear held back a growl, pointing out to the open waters. "But with the Aureum, with freedom out there! We will make the rules and we will forge our own paths."

Most of Victor's words were cannon fodder and Urch knew it. It didn't make them any less inspiring though.

"Alrigh'...haha alrigh'! Le's do this before I can change me mind!" Somehow Urch knew he would regret this, but so what? He spent his days and nights in filth and bars. There was nothing to lose and everything to gain.

"Good man!" Victor slapped him on the back, grinning like the mad bear he was. "I will go round up the rest of the crew, you get our new girl ready to set sail."

In all the excitement, Urch was certain he heard that wrong. "Ha, funny."

The slight tilt to Victor's head was not a good sign. "Pardon?"

There was nearly silence on the docks in that moment as the two only stared at one another. The methodic melody of waves and rocking wood played as accompaniment to the sinking look of horror taking shape on Urch's face.

"...I can't prep the damn ship meself!" His normally lazy slurred words seemed to diminish slightly at hearing the outrageous request.

Victor actually seemed offended by the outburst. "Why not?"

"Why not?! Are ya seriously that clueless?!" The harsh words earned him a warning glare from the larger and more powerful mammal, but in his outrage Urch really didn't care.

"Watch your tone then calmly explain."

Through gritted teeth Urch let out a sigh. "The ship be bloody huge, I don't know if she bein' stocked with rations or what. Far as I ever see the gal's never been sailed out of port. She might not even be seaworthy. That's not even getting into checking canons and sails, all of which I can't do on ma own. Ya get?"

His words seemed to be getting through to Victor as the bear slowly nodded. "Alright, I 'get'. Just do what you can and you can have help when I get back."

"Fine." Urch reluctantly agreed. He began to recall when he'd see ship paws, easily a dozen or two hard at work to prepare for sail. And that was on ships smaller than the Aureum. "Ye get me few worthy sailors and maybe we be ready in a couple days."

"You have until nightfall."

"WHAT!!?" Urch was ready to attack the idiot he called a friend, consequences be damned. Unfortunately Vic was already making a hasty retreat away from the docks. "Victor!"

"Nightfall Urch!" He called back.

"You're a real bastard ya know that?!"

Urch was left to grumble to himself as Victor pretended not to hear him. Had Urch been wiser and maintained a sense of self preservation then he would have returned to the squalor Victor made him crawl out of. Unfortunately, Urch was just the fool for this errand and he knew it.

With heavy foot step he boarded the Aureum. Regardless of the impossible task ahead, the ship still looked as grand and marvelous as it's fine name.

It was time to get to work, so Urch set about his first and most important task. Picking out the best quarters for himself.