Vesper was feeling a bit daring today, ambitions magnified by the passions of the other townsfolk he's helped around town. There was a notice at the guild hall, a little more adventurous than what he was accustomed to, but even still, he would simply be a reserve member, keeping watch at the harbor. The objective? Pirates! Now, Vesper is a good boy, but even he could not deny that he was a bit excited to encounter real life pirates. The freedom that they embodied was wonderful in theory, but not so much in practice. No different than petty criminals, marauding and pillaging defenseless villages, trampling on the weak with complete disregard for lives in exchange for plunder. Purely despicable! And so, Vesper would defend his new home no matter what.

He meets up with town guard and other concerned citizens that volunteered to keep watch for the criminals that were spotted sailing in the vicinity recently and he's assigned a position near the outskirts of town. Vesper keeps a vigilant watch over the ocean, the sun gleams off the gently billowing waves - a picturesque scene with the echo of seagull cries emanating from all around. Vesper closes his eyes for a moment, soaking up this enchanting atmosphere. "Wahhh! Who the heck are you guys!? Stay away from me, weirdo! I'll bite- AHHH HELP ME!!" The beautiful ocean, the fresh air and girls pleading for... help!?

Vesper's body jolts and springs into action, sprinting towards the sound of the distressed voice. They must have slipped through a blind spot? It doesn't matter right now! The important thing is to save this girl no matter what! He clenches his fist tight, wrapped in its iron shell and inscribes his magic sigil upon one of his treats, stuffing it in his mouth, ready to strike down those villainous rogues as swift as lightning.

[315]

"Please! Someone!! PIRATES!!!"

The pleading voice of the child gets louder as the dog barrels through the winding alleys. He's almost upon them, hair bristling on end, fear quelled by the adrenaline pulsing through his veins and desire to save the girl in danger. Unacceptable! Unforgivable! "HELP!" The wailing is just around the corner now! Vesper crunches down on his candy, raging sparks escape his lips as his body vibrates with a static glow. "KEEP YOUR DAMN HANDS TO YOURSELF!" He roars at the top of his lungs as he rounds the corner, jolting forward, arm already drawn back with his iron gauntlet shrieking from the pressure and strain of galvanized muscles. A strike of lightning and boom of thunder as the first pirate slams into a dumpster.

The first of two, struck down and the little damsel shrieks and falls to the floor. "Oh no. I'm sorry! Try to stay back while I deal with the bad guys, okay?" Vesper kneels down and smiles at her, brushing her up as he helps her back to her feet. The child scampers to the entrance of the alley, peeking around the corner, silently spectating the upcoming battle.  He exhales, focusing on maintaining his magic as long as his body can handle, sequestering away the nerves that try to marionette his body. There's too much at stake. The remaining pirate draws his cutlass and points it at the would-be hero, petty taunts to goad him into action, but Vesper hears nothing. Just the faint hum of lightning.

Do or Die.

The villain lunges forward, swiping his blade downward to cleave the hero in two but his sturdy gauntlet deflects the blow. A flurry of slashes to catch the boy, grazing him again and again, droplets splattering the stone pavement and brick walls. Focus, Ves. You can die. You will die! This is a real fight! He's doing all he can to just dodge the flailing swordsman, looking for any opening, but he realizes something very important as he struggles. This is his first real fight. His legs shake and he barely dodges a thrust. "K-kick their butt, nii-chan!" A tiny voice rings out, lifting him back up from the abyss that was skulking about, waiting for the chance to draw him away. Vesper can't fail here. Someone is relying on him - cheering him on.

Vesper howls and steels his body, running to intercept the pirate charging at him once more, whipping his fist back as he twists to simultaneously dodge and attack the pirate. The sword cuts into the boy, shallow but just as stinging. but he can live with that pain, propelling his body like a missile to smash the vulnerable freebooter's face in. Vesper puts everything into the punch, losing his footing and hearing only another loud clang and thrum of throbbing iron.

Vesper fades to black for a short while, exhausted and injured from his battle. He can feel himself be nudged by tiny hands and squeaky sobs, but he can't open his eyes. "Please, don't cry..." is all he can muster. He feels the rumble of footsteps on the stone ground, increasing in number as they swarm closer, but he can do nothing but lay there. When Vesper comes to, he is being carried by an adult - a face he recognizes from somewhere. Ah, the town guard. That's nice... They carried the little hero to a medical tent to get his wounds treated and explain to him that he had saved that little girl and both pirates had been apprehended for questioning, though the rest of the crew were nowhere to be seen. Gerald, the guard, also made sure that the little girl wanted to make sure her hero knew how grateful she was. Vesper leans back onto the bed, pawing at his bangs and twirling an unkempt strand while he tries to hide his rosy cheeks.

"I wish I could have seen her smile."

[699]