Aboard the Jackdaw: Under Edward Kenway And The Black Flag

31: Death and Diamonds

With three quick motions, she pushed the Sage's blade away from her throat. Before her attacker even comprehended her action, she was standing up as he was reeling from her savage defense.

The village behind the Sage was crawling with the his men. His fresh troops mercilessly ran through the village and cut down the Templar.

The Sage narrowed his unatural eyes and began another advance towards Anna when Edward appeared from thin air, and dropped down between them from the roofs,

"She's with me, Roberts!" Edward growled.

The Sage stopped his advance with surprise, and chuckled as he sheathed his sword,
"Netted yourself a fancy little sea mermaid, have you, captain?"

Edward paced a few steps as he grimly spoke,

"Bartholomew Roberts, Sage of the Indies, what brings the snake of the entire Carribean to my doorstep?"
He sneered.

In response, the Sage mischievously chuckled to Edward as if it was their secret.

Anna's anger mounted as she stepped besides Edward and glared at the untrusted Sage,

"Why are you here?" She demanded.

" 'Tis a fine way to welcome the gent who saved all your lives, little mermaid."
The Sage retorted with his voice lined with humor.

Edward shifted his feet,
"I'm done doing you favors, Roberts."
He warned.

The Sage smirked,
"Of course ya are! All their is left to do is steal some simple little blood vials then it's straight sailing to the Observatory!" He smiled eerily.

Anna began to realize the prize in front of her.

The Assassins have been after the Sage and the Obervatory for years... If I could capture him and take him to Ah-Tabi..

Edward spat on the ground,
"To hell with the Observatory! I've just run into all the coin I could ask for!"
He threw his hands up and chuckled.

The Sage quickly recovered from his earth-shattering surprise at Edward's words and grinned knowingly at Captain Kenway.

The Sage jeered,

"Oh, you will come, Kenway. You've been set on that prize since you've sailed the Jackdaw. You have the ambition, and I have the way. That's what makes such a deadly team, you and I."

Anna sensed that Edward had had enough of his talking, and Anna shared his feeling. Knowing her pistols had no ammo at the moment, she drew one of Edward's and pointed it at the Sage,

"The captain's had enough of your talking. He's not interested."
She growled.

"Oh, by the devil he ain't!" The Sage oozed with sarcasm.

Anna cocked the deadly pistol and the Sage playfully help his hands up in surrender. With Edward's pistol aimed at his chest, Anna advanced towards the Sage to relieve him of his weapons. When her hand grabbed his sword hilt, the Sage grabbed her and threw her to the merciless ground where the air slammed out of her lungs. She gasped for air and the Sage chuckled. When Anna looked up at him, she realized that he had stolen Edward's pistol from her hand.

The crews of both The Royal Fortune, the Sage's ship, and the Jackdaw gathered around the spectacle.

Edward stood by and watched Anna and the Sage with a face of stone.
The Sage casually threw Edward's pistol back to him and demanded,