It was as if the Gods had rewarded Star-Moon Bay for defeating the Frost Giant with a bounty of Spoils of War. The pirates had brought not only three intact sailing ships, but also the treasure they had plundered from Glacier Harbor, saving Annan a great deal of trouble.
Annan opened a Portal. After confirming that the Origin One was safe, he sent the Water Elementals back and told them to find the red-haired pirate woman.
Twenty minutes later, Annan stood on Coast Street and opened another Portal. The red-haired pirate woman happened to be beside the Bay, a parrot perched on her shoulder. The parrot raised its head at the sight of the Portal and flapped its wings to fly over, but she grabbed it and pulled it back.
"I caught a group of pirates..."
Annan pointed to the three pirate ships docked in the harbor and their crews. The red-haired pirate woman sounded impressed. "Wow. You didn't just beat them, you took them alive? That's amazing."
"Do you want to ransom them back?" Annan asked.
"What does that mean?"
"It means paying to get these pirates back."
"You're paying me?"
Apparently, the red-haired pirate woman didn't care whether they lived or died. Annan turned his words on the Pirates, making them deliberately harsh. "Why are they so stupid? My Star-Moon Bay is prosperous and strong, yet they thought a few Elites, three wrecks, and a hundred-odd Pirates could raid it in broad daylight. Their leader even called himself the third-smartest Sea Hawk..."
To test the pirate ships, Annan had sent fifty Water Elementals aboard. They had subdued the pirates with ease.
Supposedly, these pirates had inflicted heavy losses on Glacier Harbor and made even Gema's face go stiff with anger. How had she managed that?
"Because I killed