Chapter Eight: Parley

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Benny hurried back to the Sea Cow and located the sailor he'd impaled, retrieving his sword (and the sailor's trousers, as his own had shredded during his transformation). Modesty restored and once again armed, he climbed back up onto the ship to rejoin the fighting.

The Sea Cow had taken a beating in the few minutes he'd been gone, looking almost more like swiss cheese than a proper ship. The Scalans had also boarded the Prize, and Lucy's crew were unable to keep up their barrage as they fought for their lives. And if that wasn't bad enough, the Diligente was now also within firing range. He fought his way over to Metalbeard, kicking away one of the Scalans. "Cap'n?"

"There ye be, lad. Methinks it be time to cut our losses, the ship can't take much more of a beating."

"Cap'n, we're taking on water!" Jonesy shouted over the thunder of the warship's cannons.

"Are you freaking kidding me?!" they could hear Lucy scream as the Diligente began to fire.

"Wait," Benny said. "Wait! They're not firing at us!"

"What-"

"Callaghan probably thinks we still have Emmet on board! They're shooting at the Scalans!"

And they were, with a ferocity Benny had never seen directed at them before. He watched as something lifted away from the Diligente- their siren?- and flew with alarming speed toward the warship, smirking when he heard the sailors' alarmed cries as whatever it was landed among them. Realizing their crewmates, and their captain, were in trouble, the sailors scrambled to return to their ship. Metalbeard was quick to take advantage of the distraction, barking orders to return to shore before the Sea Cow sank. An unexpected gust of wind hurried them along away from the battle.

Benny could only stare as he caught sight of massive, colorful wings whirling about on the deck of the Triumph (an apt name, he thought idly), with flashes of an unsettlingly familiar red uniform between them. "Is that-"

"Callaghan?" Metalbeard finished. "The lad suggested it were him we heard."

Benny swallowed hard. "Well. That explains a lot." He could only continue to stare, mesmerized, as the Captain fought for another minute, the Dragon's Prize starting up its barrage again. It seemed just enough to get the Scalans to retreat, and Callaghan beat his wings down hard, flying back to his own ship for a brief moment, likely to give his crew orders, before heading their way.

The pirates scrambled away as he landed hard on the Sea Cow's deck, expression thunderous. "Where is the prince?" he barked. "WHERE'S EMMET?!"

"Easy!" Benny yelped as Callaghan whirled on him, golden eyes glaring down at him in obvious fury, wings flaring up behind him in a clearly threatening manner. "He's safe!" he managed to squeak out. "I promise, he's safe, just... calm down, okay? He was down on the beach last I saw him, hopefully hiding like I told him to..." A snarl, and then Callaghan was gone again.

"I think I soiled myself," Skeeter complained.

"I think I soiled myself," Skeeter complained

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