"Oh shit!"

Tsarra dives out of the way as the water bullets fire and destroy some of the cargo behind the cell. She manages to grab the keys off of the floor, but Atolla is right by the door and likely wouldn't give her the chance to actually unlock the cell. 

Moraya was down for the count, if only for a moment, so Tsarra was on her own. Damn. With her trapped, it was literally like shooting fish in a barrel for the captain. Good thing this fish still had some tricks up her sleeve, or rather, tattooed on her back. 

She uses the water whip again to put the captain on the defensive before she touches her back causing the tattoo there to glow with magical light. Focusing on the spot right above the captain's head, suddenly a turtle manifests there!^[1] Summoned into being by the fish woman's will and the magical runes etched into her skin. 

The turtle grows large and falls, landing right on the captain's head with its flippers flapping in the air helplessly. 

Rushing to the door of the cage, Tsarra starts fiddling with the keys and the lock to free herself in the few seconds she managed to buy herself thanks to the turtle's unexpected appearance. 

---

[1] Turtle Tattoo

Atolla let out an annoyed, slightly gurgling roar as he swung his crab claw, sending the annoying, flapping turtle flying to the opposite side of the brig from Moraya where it burst into tiny glowing jellyfish that bounced and rolled across the floor before fading into nothing. He turned his attention back to Tsarra, who was now fiddling with the lock of the cell door.

"Let me get that for ye!"

His claw launched forward, shoving right through the bars of the cell door, breaking them and bending them out of his way. With the sound of twisting metal, the door was broken clean off its hinges as he lunged for Tsarra. The steam on the corners of his mouth intensified again as he rampaged toward her, into the cell.

Off to the side, Moraya slowly lifted her head to watch the fight. Her everything hurt, especially her back and her rapier arm which she thought might be broken. This ambush wasn't going nearly as well as she was hoping for. She couldn't even swing her weapon anymore. She could hardly move at all, really.

She raised her arm slowly, electricity starting to arc between her fingers. She readied a shot for an opportune moment, hoping Tsarra could pull something out to save this situation.

---

Boiling Aqua Bullets (Atolla)
Lightning Bolt (Moraya, waiting)

Tsarra pulls back quickly as the giant crab claw bursts through the metal bars and nearly cleaves her in half. 

"Dammit!"

She dives backwards, slamming against the bars at the end of the cell. There was no where to run. If she didn't do something quick, she was crab food. She draws up the water from the floor of the deck and swirls it around the crabman until he is encapsulated in a floating bubble of water.^[1] It wouldn't drown the man, but it would at least stop him from getting any closer. 

"Ye bastard, ye had this comin' to ye." 

Tsarra tries to scoot around the bubble to get out of the cell. She'd love to trap him in there, buuuuut with the door being as crumbled as a piece of flimsy paper that wasn't going to happen. She manages to inch her way out only to see Moraya gathering electricity in her hand. 

"Light 'im up!"

The triton woman jumps over some crates to get out of the puddles of water gathered on the deck, preferring not to get fried into a fish stick along with the captain. If Moraya couldn't make this happen, then they were both as good as dead. 

---

[1] Water Prison

Atolla glared furiously at Tsarra as he struggled, suspended in the sphere of water. He swung his claws out, attempting to grab anything to pull himself from the swirling current. The boiling water in his mouth mixed with the sphere of water, unable to fire out at the Triton.

Moraya aimed straight at the sphere, the electricity starting to crackle across her palm before suddenly firing, the bolt of lightning shooting directly into the water, smaller bolts arcing off across the metal bars of the cell and lighting the whole room in a bluish glow.

Captain Atolla roared, his voice gurgling and muffled by the swirling water as he convulsed from the lightning coursing through his body. The beard of crab legs flailed madly. Finally, the crabtain went limp, his body still being tossed around inside the sphere like a ragdoll in a whirlpool.

Moraya shakily stood back to her feet, her hand on the wall to keep herself steady. Her rapier was left on the ground, her arm hanging at her side.

"Fuck. That didn't go nearly as smoothly as I was hoping." she said as she felt her arm. Thankfully, it didn't seem like it had actually been broken. She couldn't feel any bone out of place, but it was still badly damaged. She wouldn't be surprised if the bone had been cracked. There would definitely be quite the bruise at least.

Tsarra peers over the crates and sees the captain floating limply in the bubble.

"Aha! It worked!"

Pre-empty cheering never ever backfired ever. She scoots back around the crates and over to the bubble. Peering through the swirling water, she can just make out the corner of the fancy sea shell book poking out from the sash around his waist. 

"He has the book on him!" Tsarra exclaims excitedly, oblivious to Moraya's injury for the time being. The fish woman finds a good angle and reaches through the water bubble, using her magic to warp the water current around her so she isn't dragged in.^[1] She can juuuust reach the book, which she snatches from the captain and quickly darts back like a child who just snuck a cookie from the cookie jar without their parent seeing. 

"I got the book! So, all we gotta do is finish fryin' this guy right?" She looks over at Moraya and sees her wincing. "Are you alright?"

Spotting her rapier on the ground, the triton goes and picks it up before walking over to the pirate woman. She offers the blade back to her while looking at the injury. "Ye took a nasty hit there. I don't know how ta heal you up at all. Sorry 'bout that."

---

[1] Shape Water

Moraya just watched with a bit of amusement as Tsarra giddily snatched the book from the Captain's limp grasp. She took the rapier with her good arm and tucked it back into its sheath. She nodded slowly and looked to the orb of water still floating in the middle of the cell.

"Aye. It's alright. We have a healer on board. Just need to wait until he's not entirely sloshed and I'll be fine. Now let's boil this cra-" Moraya gasped and looked absolutely horrified.

Behind Tsarra, Captain Atolla had snapped awake, still being tossed around inside the sphere. The electric shock had only knocked him unconscious for a short moment and now he awoke in a full fury! The Captain's form swelled even larger, a long lobster-like tail emerging from their back. His claws grew even larger and his legs and arms grew thicker. Large, barnacle-like spikes began to protrude from the armored plates down their spine while smaller, urchin-like spikes grew across the rest. Their head jutted forward like that of a shrimp, the beard of wriggling crab's legs spreading down their front.

Quickly, the watery sphere was no longer able to contain the growing amalgamation of sea creatures and burst, the water splashing and spreading across the floor. He looked at Tsarra and Moraya, his mouth curling into a smile filled with teeth like a shark's.

"Oh, ye thought this was over? This was me end? Ye have no idear." He spoke in a low, ominous voice. He turned and smashed his claw through the wall, blowing a huge hole straight through the side of the ship. He walked to the edge and took one last look at the two. "Enjoy it while ye can, cap'n Moraya. It won't last long."

The abomination jumped through the hole, splashing into the water below.

Tsarra readies herself to fight the Captain as he frees himself from her spell. Dammit, this was going to be a bloody massacre. But then the monstrous man takes his leave, taking a good chunk of the ship with him. 

The triton stands there stunned for a moment before looking at Moraya. "Did he just run away?"

It sounds wrong. No way that thing just gave up like that. Tsarra had used most of her magic and Moraya was clearly injured yet he just gave up and left them. Sure, he basically swore revenge but why wait? He could have still turned the crew against them for mutiny or just snap them in half right now. 

There was only one explanation. 

Captain Atolla must have been even dumber than Tsarra! Clearly her superior intellect had intimidated the man into fleeing for his life! Of course. It was so obvious. 

The triton woman puts her hands on her hips and stands proudly despite being of such short stature. "Well, good riddance. The ship is now yers and I got the book back. All that is left is gettin' my friend outta that barrel and our deal is complete."

Tsarra pats Moraya on the shoulder in a friendly manner before heading over to find and free Hyll from becoming pickled. 

Moraya stood there in disbelief, leaning against the wall for support. There was no way the Captain didn't know he could have just killed them both right then and there with hardly any difficulty. Moraya was barely able to stand and couldn't even hold her weapon after a single hit from his claw and that was before he had become even more monstrous. She doubted she could have survived a hit from that gargantuan claw of his now even at her full strength. Why would he just leave like that?

Moraya knew the Captain wasn't the smartest man. He had others do the thinking for him most of the time. But he wasn't that dumb. She also knew he was a vindictive man who would swear revenge on anyone who wronged him until the day he died. She could practically feel him breathing down the back of her neck, the boiling water threatening to scald her when she least expected it. Was she going to have to live the rest of her life in fear? Was that what the Captain wanted? Damnit. And why did she still call him Captain when she thought of him? Would she never truly be the Captain?

She sank back to the floor as Tsarra ran off. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach and her legs felt too weak to lift her anymore.

Tsarra manages to find the right barrel...after a few tries that is, and hauls Hyll out from the bottom. "Poor lil' fella." She slings Hyll onto her back and then goes back over to Moraya. 

"Hey, why're ye all slumpy? We won, didn't we?" Tsarra's obliviousness is rearing its head once more. She doesn't understand why Moraya looks like she someone just hung her best friend in front of her. 

"C'mon, yer captain now! Ye better start actin' like it before the ship sinks from that giant hole in the side of the hull." She gestures towards the damage. The ocean waves lap against the wooden boards as the ship lazily sails across the sea. "What're ye even going to tell the crew anyway? Do ye think they'll just go along with things?"

To be honest, she wasn't sure how Moraya would take over control of the ship with Atolla still out there in the world. Sure, he ran away like a yellow-bellied coward, but it would be hard to sell the crew on why he left. The crew may even want revenge on Tsarra for playing a part in chasing him off. She hadn't thought about that. But maybe that is best, that way Moraya can play the hero right?

Ugh, this was too much thinking for the triton. Why couldn't they just call it a day and have everything be simple.

Moraya looked up at Tsarra with a lost expression. Before she could say any response, the boat suddenly shuddered and a loud groan and cracking noise came from below them. A scream came from the deck above them.

"What-" Moraya started but her words were interrupted again as she realized the water in the room was rising. Looking to the giant hole in the side of the ship, the bottom of the hole was now at sea level and the water was rushing in. Realization dawned on Moraya. The ship was sinking! The Captain was sinking the ship!

Was he really that spiteful? The answer was a resounding yes. The cries of the crew above could be heard and one man suddenly burst through the door of the brig, his hands covering his face. He was covered in blisters, his skin turning red as if someone had thrown a pot of boiling water over him. He tripped over a stool and cracked his head on the ground, knocking him out.

With all the noise no longer being muffled by his barrel prison, Hylltywyll finally awoke, rising groggily on Tsarra's shoulder and looking around in confusion. He was still too drained to fire that beam again, but he wasn't so tired anymore.

"Ugh. What's going on?"

"We're dead.... This was all a mistake...." Moraya mumbled to herself.

"Well, shit. Can't stay 'ere any longer. C'mon, up with ye." Tsarra reaches down and drags Moraya up onto her feet. She doesn't let the woman protest as she drags her over to the open hole in the hull. "We're going for a swim." 

The triton taps both Hyll and Moraya, casting the same spell that she used on Hyll before to grant him the ability to breathe underwater before.^[1] She then jumps out of the hole with them both and summons forth her turtle from her tattoo again.^[2] The summoned turtle grows large enough to ferry them away from the sinking ship as the crew panics and tries to get their life boats in order.

Captain Atolla doesn't give them much of a chance, having apparently lost his mind and instead choosing to take his fury out on the unsuspecting crew rather than the women who have made a fool of him.

What an asshole. 

Tsarra pays it little mind though, they needed to escape while they could. It sucked, and Moraya was distraught. But she could be distraught on dry land, far from the wrath of the crustacean man. Without a second thought, Tsarra forms a current in the water that carries them swiftly away from the sinking ship, leaving the crew to fend for themselves.^[3]

---

[1] Breathe Water
[2] Turtle Tattoo
[3] Shape Water

Atolla slammed his claw into another drunken crewman, sending him flying overboard after smashing straight through the railing. The crew meant nothing to him anymore. Playing captain had been fun, but now he'd lost interest. He didn't want to play with these drunk fools anymore, so he would just get rid of the lot of them, including the ship. He could keep living in it once it was underwater, unlike the rest of the crew. He'd claim this ship entirely for himself from now on, and the crew could only blame Moraya.

Once he was done decimating the crew, he stalked back downstairs. The doorway had become too small for him to fit, so he just widened it a bit with a wave of his claw. The wood splintered and chunks of it flew across the brig. He looked around, but the treacherous eel was nowhere to be found and neither was her accomplice, that damned Triton. He just grinned. A chase. Now a chase was fun. He'd see them again. They could bet on it.

Moraya sat on the turtle, her gaze unfocused. She'd lost everything. She was no longer first mate and she damn well wasn't the captain. Why had this woman even taken with with them? She was too wounded to be useful if they faced anything let alone Captain Atolla. Damnit, he's not captain anymore! The ship had already sunk down into the waves. It was gone along with the crew. There was nothing left to be captain of. She looked at Tsarra suspiciously.

"Why even save me? I've got nothing to offer you now. There goes my dream of being captain..."

"Are ye stupid?" Tsarra looks at Moraya like she said something crazy. "Ye can find a new crew and ship, but ye can only do that if yer alive."

Tsarra sits back and props her arms up on the back of the turtle's shell as they cross the open sea. "I saved ye because I wanted to. Would have tried to save more of ye crew if it were possible. But yer hurt, my friend is tired, and my magic doesn't work well against him."

The triton is silent for a moment before looking over her shoulder at Moraya. "I'm sorry we couldn't save 'em. Ye don't have to give up on yer dream though. We got what we wanted, but ye didn't, so our deal ain't over. I'll help ye become a captain however I can."

She takes the book made of scales and sea shells and shows it to Moraya. "This is our ticket into the fancy Mage's Guild. They got lots of books and magic stuff. All sorts of powerful things we can use to get buckets full of Solars. Maybe enough to buy a whole fleet one day. It'll just take some time. Ye waited this long, what's a little longer?"

Moraya kept staring at Tsarra for a few more moments before letting out a sigh. She lied back, resting on the turtle's shell. She couldn't sense any insincerity from Tsarra, something she just wasn't used to living a life of piracy and dealing with Cap- with Atolla for so long. It was strange to meet someone so... upstanding. That probably wasn't the right word, but she couldn't think of another one. She hadn't gotten her part of the deal, so she was going to make sure she did. Who would do that for someone they'd barely met?

"Alright. I suppose I can wait a little longer. But, first thing we need to do is get the hell out of the water for a while. Neither of us can do much of anything if Atolla catches us. And then I need to find a healer. That part I can handle myself." Moraya said, a little bit of her former confidence returning to her voice. Luckily, she kept a bit of treasure on her person for emergencies. It should be more than enough to pay someone to heal her arm up.

"Hell, maybe I could get into that Mage's Guild myself. I do know magic. Probably not as much as you though. I thought you were just going to sell that book off." Moraya looked over at the fuzzy creature taking up its own little corner of the turtle's shell and realized something. "Did you say our ticket?" Tsarra had said that this little thing was what killed the octoshark, but she'd thought it was a joke... was it not...?

Hylltywyll gave a little smirk and a wave. "Yeah, our ticket." He said with a chuckle.

Moraya turned her head to look up at the sky again. She'd only saved the sea monkey from the captain because she thought it was a cute pet. She'd never gotten a parrot or a monkey like some captains had. But, now that she knew it could talk and use magic, she didn't think it was quite so cute anymore.