Perhaps many of those present saw the female mage named Melindra as nothing more than an ordinary minor pirate chief, much like themselves.
The only difference was that she was one of the rare Moon Elf spellcasters among pirates, and seemed to possess a fastidious aversion to passion.
Over the years, more than one person had tried to do something to her that everyone supposedly delighted in, yet by the next day, their blood-smeared corpses would often be found tossed onto the street.
At first, however, this not only failed to deter the pirates—it instead stirred their interest even further, becoming a perilous peak they competed to conquer.
Until one day, when a wretch with blood all over his lower body appeared on the street, still howling without cease, all the pirates tacitly lowered their banners and silenced their drums.
For "adventurers" like them, who risked their lives for wealth upon the sea year-round, death was not frightening. But losing certain abilities while remaining alive was rather hard to accept. It concerned not only their right to pleasure, but also their dignity and reputation.
Yet Eric was among the few who truly knew something of her background. He also understood that if Melindra and the Arcane Brotherhood she represented did not take part in this operation against Elisa, the "Queen of the Sword Coast," then even if they succeeded by luck, they might well face retaliation from Water-Drawing City afterward.
According to the intelligence he had gathered, Hogg Chamber of Commerce and Water-Drawing City most likely stood behind Elisa's unusually aggressive move this time.
The Seven Heroes of Burning Steel, who had not accepted a commission for years, had chosen this very moment to board their ship. No matter how one looked at it, it did not seem like a