“You should believe me when I tell you that you have made a grave mistake. You see, on that ship, we're not a crew, we're a family. Oh you may laugh and call ponies just sentimental fools, but that's where your wrong. That ship is not full of softhearted ponies who resolve their problems with friendship and understanding. It's a pirate ship crewed by creatures of an entirely different nature. They have mercy only when they want to; their skills as fighters were not taught to them in a barracks or classroom but in brutal and bloody combat. Without regret or compassion, they will slaughter anypony, anybody that threatens them. They are pirates, nothing less.
“Had you taken me and me alone, the crew might be willing to listen, maybe even negotiate. They realize that hostage situations can be tricky. However, you took something more, something precious to the entire crew, and they will burn the very oceans to bring her back. Your downfall is held in my hooves, blissfully unaware that all her fathers and mothers are preparing for a war. There is no fortress they will not storm, no sea they will not cross, no beast they will not slay to bring her home safely. She may be my daughter by blood, but the bond forged between her and the crew is just as strong, perhaps even stronger.
“The next time you see that ship, it will be breathing fire. The next time you see the crew, they will be covered in the blood of your soldiers. The next time you see me, I will be standing with my husband. And the next time you see my daughter, she will be standing over you. You will be asking yourself how we defeated you, and let me give you the answer: Trade Breaker, Captain of the Marblehead.”
Mare's Point wasn't a paradise by any stretch of the imagination, a small port city with limited access to Mustania through tough mountain roads. However, its harbor was well protected by a mountain range to the southern side as well as a natural trench that acted as a wave break. Even a tsunami would be hard pressed to do any lasting damage to the port.
In the winter, heavy snows blocked the mountain roads and prevented any trade from being conducted through the port save for a little bit of local business. However, when the snows melted in the spring, almost all of Mustania's trade passed through Mare's Point, giving the city a healthy income to last it through the winter months.
Although not the prettiest city on the continent, crime was kept to a minimum by various methods and the city had a sanitation service that kept the streets clean. The businesses were arranged by the waterfront while the housing was built further inland, slowly growing in size as the wealthier tended to try and build on the higher ground while still maintaining a close distance to the city.
The farthest house up and by far the largest was the governor's house. The pegasus who lived there was a bit of a mystery, having shown up one day without warning and enough gold to buy the entire town. He had built his mansion on a rocky outcrop that stood high over the city, giving him a perfect view of the harbor while also giving the sailors aboard the incoming ships a view of his house.
It seemed to speak that he was a powerful figure, one that should not be messed with. When the leading crime lord mysteriously disappeared one night after threatening the governor, that image was only reinforced.
Of all the servants in the house, none knew the master by his true name save for his personal butler, Godfrey the griffon. While most just called the governor Purse Strings, the name he had told them, Godfrey knew his master's secret and in private would address him by his real identity; 'Storm Killer, Pirate Lord of the Seas.'
Former pirate lord. Storm Killer had given up his life of crime a few years ago, retiring to Mare's Point and settling down to live out the rest of his days in comfort. He had run for governor out of sheer boredom, but when he was elected he took to the job like a shark that smelled blood, firing any of the corrupt or useless creatures in office and hiring professionals that he trusted to do a good job.
However, with competent help and a city that was moderately well run in the first place, Storm Killer quickly found himself getting bored quite quickly again. His leisure activities no longer interested him, the paperwork was passed on to secretaries, the crime lords no longer bothered with sending assassins.
Godfrey was beginning to worry about him. Recently, Storm Killer had fallen into a melancholy state that he seemed to be unable to break out of. Not even the wild parties he sometimes threw were enough bring a smile to his face. He slept in and was dangerous in the mornings if woken improperly.
It was on one such morning that Godfrey was getting ready to open the door to the master chambers and offer him breakfast in bed. The griffon was rather cautious when doing so, last time Storm Killer had tried to use his throwing knives to skewer his butler to the wall. Fortunately for Godfrey, the irritable pegasus had still been half asleep and his aim was off.
Straightening his servant's jacket and sweeping off some nonexistent dust, Godfrey balanced the tray of food on one talon and prepared to carefully open one of the double doors to the room. He never stood a chance.
The door slammed open with the force of a speeding train behind it, a dark blue pegasus with gray mane and tail now standing in the open frame. He had a powerful frame that belied his age and a fake wooden foreleg. His gray mane was neatly combed back and he had a thick, bushy beard that curled down from his chin. The only reason he didn't have an eye patch was because he had worn one in his old pirating days, and for some reason the fact that he appeared to have one eye seemed to save both of them from any harm.
“HAHA!” The pegasus yelled triumphantly. “THE MAIL SHIP'S BAECK! GODFRAAAAAEY!”
“Here sir.” A weak voice called from behind the door.
Storm Killer grabbed the door and practically ripped it off its hinges as he slammed it shut, knocking the other door down in the process. The unfortunate griffon was flattened against the wall, an assortment of breakfast foods and hot coffee covering most of his body.
“Wha'aar yew doin' baeck there?” The former pirate asked.
“A violent upheaval in the balance of nature.” Godfrey gasped, wishing it didn't hurt so much to roll his eyes.
“E'nuff o' tha'!” Storm Killer carried on oblivious to his butler's pain. “Go an' ge' mah suit ready! We're goin intae taown!”
“Yes sir. Right away sir.” The butler whispered painfully, unable to move from his position in the wall.
Throwing the windows open, Storm Killer took in a deep breath of ocean air. The morning was already a bright and blue sky with Celestia's sun rising quickly. Ships were making their way in and out of the bay at a leisurely pace.
One of these ships was the Foal's Delight, a small freighter whose captain had landed a contract with the Bugganville Regional Authority to carry mail between Mustania and Bugganville Island. It took the ship three days to make the trip and then usually spent a good week in port.
As the Foal's Delight pulled up alongside the dock, the pony crew threw a pair of mooring lines to the two minotaurs on the dock. As the minotaurs tied the thick ropes to the fish eyes anchored to the dock, a motley band of creatures began assisting the crew in offloading the cargo. Due to Mare's Point rather friendly attitude towards foreigners, a large amount of creatures tended to make their home in the city should they get tired of the sea.
Although the majority of the city consisted mostly of natural born Mustanians, there were quite a few griffons in the city as well as minotaurs and zebras. A few yaks lived up in the mountains, quite comfortable to live in the colder climates. There rumors that even some changelings had taken up residence in the city, but the rather poor reception to the news prompted the shapeshifters to either move on or take the form of a more accepted species.
Not that this really concerned Storm Killer at the moment as he divebombed the dock. Flaring his wings at the last moment, he landed on the dock heavily enough to shake some of the boxes nearby. The dockworkers and sailponies were startled by his sudden appearance, and his sudden shouting did nothing to alleviate their fears.
“Where be tha' mail!” He demanded, stomping forward and checking every pouch he could see.
Godfrey landed behind him, careful not to get to close.
“Sir, you can't just grab your letters, they have to pass through the postmaster's office.” The griffon pleaded.
“Fid'dal sticks! Ah'm tha' goveh'nor, if'n he don' lahk eet, then Ah'll fire him.” The old pirate said while sticking his head into a sack carefully balance on a pony's back.
Godfrey rolled his eyes. “The postmaster is a mare sir, and I don't think-”
“Is she pret'y?” Storm Killer paused momentarily. “Ne'ermind! Ah gotta' fin' mah letter.”
The dockworkers were quite confused as to what they should do. Normally, they would stop anybody that tried to interfere with the mail, but the pegasus had a rather official looking uniform on and none of them wanted to get in his way.
Storm Killer pushed his way onto the deck of the freighter and was satisfied to see a brown burlap sack with the words “MAIL OFFICIAL USE ONLY” written on the side being carried up from below by a sailpony.
“You thare! Ih' that tha' mail?” He said eagerly.
The unfortunate sailpony nodded, unable to talk due to the sack in his mouth.
“Giv' it here!” Storm Killer demanded, lunging for the sack.
Much to the surprise of all those present, the sailpony dodged out of reach and dropped the sack off to his side.
“I'm sorry sir, but I can only turn this mail over to an officially recognized postal worker.” The stallion said desperately, clutching the sack with a foreleg.
“Ah don' 'ave tim' tae waste!” Storm Killer said angrily. “Giv' it tae me!”
“I'm sorry sir! But I can only turn this mail over to an officially recognized postal worker!” The sailpony repeated, trying to decide whether his job was worth the trouble.
“WHY YEW-” Storm Killer started to advance on the sailpony, but stopped as an idea struck him. “Yew say yew can onlae giv' it tae a posd worker?”
The stallion nodded hesitantly.
“An' someponay gave tha' sack tae yew?” The pegasus asked.
Again, the stallion nodded.
“Well then! Yew can get mah letter!” Storm Killer grinned broadly.
“Um-” The sailpony's brain was suddenly falling off a bridge.
“Yew're a re-co-nized post member, sin' yew're carryin' tha' sack, ain' yew?”
“Well no-” The sailpony started.
“Get tae i'then!” Storm Killer ordered, slamming his hoof down on the sailpony's back.
The poor stallion had run out of courage and quickly undid the twine hold the sack closed. He stuck his head into the opening and sifted around for a moment before lifting his head back out.
“Uh, what's your name again?”
Storm Killer puffed up and smiled. “Purse Strings. Goveh'nor Purse Strings.”
As the pony searched through the burlap sack for the letter, Storm Killer turned to the nearest creature, which happened to be Godfrey, and shrugged.
“Nahce colt, a li'el slow bu' Ah respeck 'is spirit. Not many Ah know woul' challenge mah orders.” He commented.
Godfrey let out a low hiss. “He just hasn't seen your weapon collection yet.”
Storm Killer let out a loud laugh that died as soon as he saw the sailpony remove his head from the sack, a letter held delicately in his teeth.
“AHA!” He exclaimed, ripping the letter out of the sailpony's mouth.
“Talon!” The pirate demanded.
With a sigh, Godfrey held up his claw with a single talon outstretched. The griffon's sharp claw sliced through the letter's top cleanly, allowing Storm Killer to pull the piece of parchment out and unfold it. He looked at it for a moment before using a hoof to pat his suit down.
Godfrey came prepared and pulled out his master's reading glasses, offering them to him.
“Thank yew.” Storm Killer grunted before placing the spectacles on his muzzle.
“Dear da, Ah'm writin' tae yew from. . .” The pirate began reading out loud, but slowly quieted down below an audible level.
“. . . oil levels be too low tae visit yew.” He finished out loud.
Storm Killer continued to stare at the letter, sucking in a deep breath.
“GODFREY!” He bellowed.
“Here sir.”
“Oh.” The pegasus started, looking at the griffon. “Pack mah bags, we'rae goin' tae take a trip!”
“Trouble sir?” Godfrey asked uninterestedly.
“Aye! Mah bonnie wee girl cannae come tae visit 'er dear ol' da'!” Storm Killer said dejectedly, but instantly brightened up. “So Ah'm goin' tae visit her instea'!”
Godfrey slumped slightly. “Of course sir. Shall I charter a boat to Bugganville?”
“Nae, Ah'll be needin' tae maek some social calls tae mah ol' pals firs'.” The pirate smiled.