#darkgatefortress

Good... she counts, "Three left." Piper mutters and continues her search.

She checks the rear of the ship!

The other members of the Rimrunner's crew are not slacking, taking out the 'customers' with violence and they've saved two more kids. Piper goes to the rear of the ship and sees a life boat of sorts being prepped, a woman with pearls about her neck and a nice sundress. . The young girl with her is NOT her daughter, not because their looks are so different, but because the lady has a knife pointed at her throat as she makes the child prep the boat "Now now, baby. You and I have had some fun right, but I need you, see, if anyone comes for me, you get cut, so you're going to stay REAL quiet right?"

Piper pauses and ducks to one side... and then clatters up to the boat, fluttering her hands in dismay.

Her tone slightly breathless as if she's been running. "Oh my gosh, you’re so smart to have a lifeboat ready! Can you believe this mess? Let me help you—I’ve got a better route to get us out of here safely, but we’ve got to go fast! Those jerks had another boat with a motor! They didn't want us to know about it!" She offers a hand to the woman to help her back up.

"Freakin men, whatever happened to ladies first?!"

IF the woman had time to think of it, she might ask where Piper came from. After all, it's not THAT big a yacht. She thought she'd met the other guests..discretely. But maybe this woman is one of the crew she ignored? Either way, Piper is so smooth, who seems SO sincere, that the would be escapee takes her up on it "Those assholes. did that? Oh.. I can't even" She takes the offered hand, putting the knife away "We have a hostage... we'll want to take her too"

It is perhaps one of the finest short term cons of Piper's life

The child swallows nervously but is glad the knife is no longer at her throat

Piper gives her a boost, then a shove, tripping her with a hoof even as she shoves the lifeboat into the water, with the girl in it!

Th boat, hopefully, drops to the water with a splash but otherwise safe with it's occupant - leaving Piper on the yacht with Miss Knifey.

"Oh, did I say second boat? There's no second boat." Saccharine.

The life boat bobs safely on the water

Piper lifts her fingers to her lips and blows a sharp whistle!

Not sure who she is calling, but hopefully someone is around.

and the knifey lady has been conned so well she looks like she doesn't understand "hellicopter wouldn't fit on this yacht"

"Oh, there's ah... inflatable heli pad. We'll roll it out in a minute." Stalling.

Do those exist? She spares a wonder for?

"Why did you whistle? there are maniaccs here"

She just works on keeping Miss Knifey’s focus just long enough for help to arrive.

Behind her, a sluagh seems to appear out of nowhere. He tilts his head then looks to Piper

"I know, right? Ain't it terrible?"

She gives the sluagh a delighted smile. (What? Who is ever happy to see a sluagh?)

"What did you say the girl's name was?" She asks the woman casually.

"Oh I forget what it was, didn't like it, made her go by Perlita, it means 'little pearl'" she answers

The sluagh makes gestures behind the woman. then touches her.

The woman gasps as she looks at her hands "What.. I don't... "Wrinkles begin to spread, liver spots... her teeth start to fall out, one by one as she appears to age rapidly, instantly.

It's all an illusion, Piper is sure, but the woman screams

"Wrong answer." She says, ruthlessly. "Pardon me." She turns, and jumps overboard, aiming for the boat. Or if she splashes, so what, the water is carribbean and warm. She can swim to it!

The slaugh tuts and whispers even as she is enchanted "From dust thou came, and to dust you return, but never will you rise again, for your dust shall be cast at the floors of hell where the devils trod to punish those who were so very evil to the innocent"

The now enchanted woman sees a SHE Devil say 'wrong answer' and 'pardon me'..horns and all! SHe looks at the sluagh who gives a toothless and mirthless smiile

She screams. The slaugh makes an expression not unlike a displeased cat, but nods to the passing satyress who lands in the water and swims to the boat easily.

Piper may or may not hear "Now, let us begin your education... damnation deserved, 101"

Reaching the boat, she peers up at the girl on board. "Can I join you? I know your name isn't Perlita... even if it was, it would have been pearls before swine." She treads water easily. "If you feel more comfortable, I'll stay out here, and push the boat over to our ship. Oh, by the way, we're rescuing you."

The girl in the boat, geez she's even younger than the others stares at piper as she approaches the life boat

"my name is Mary...is that okay?" And she..cautiously makes room for Piper

"It's okay as long as that's what you want to be called." Checking for oars as she climbs aboard. "Sorry, I'm a bit soggy. Did that horrible lady hurt you?"

A pause, realizing she may have the clarify. "With the knife."

"A cut here .." she says tapping her hand, "To show she meant it"

the cut is, thankfully, shallow

On the ship, the boarding party of the Rimrunner have seen to the transfer of the saved kids , and captured the slavers

There may also be some old fashioned piracy, looting some really quality goods and wealth

Captain Shi is not above making this a profitable venture it seems. Also, the kids will need help, they'll get more help if they have cash support

Piper rips a piece off her shirt and carefully wraps Mary's hand before rowing over to the Rimrunner. "Ahoy, Rimrunner! Can I get a rope?"

"Say please" Someone yells but throws one end of a rope. Inky grins over the side. It was her. She's the fun one.

Piper picks up Mary and winds the rope around and under a hoof. "Hoist... PLEASE!" She calls with a grin.

"Weigh ho and up she rises" Inky says "Hey, I'm Inky. I do hair. " She ays to the girl "You pick any color any styl;e if you want and I WILL make it work or catch fire in annoyance for my failure. A rainbow fire, for even my failures are fabulous"

"She means she will cut and dye your hair if you want her to. She did mine... which looks great, if it wasn't all wet." To Mary./

"Still doesn't look bad" mary assures, perhaps taking haven in a hair crisis situation by focusing on the minor

And up they go.

"Oh thank Artemis, you found the last one" Captain Shi says

“What’s your favorite color?” She asks each of the kids, if mostly to distract them. To Shi, she quietly asks if they have a healer.

“Also…. Unless you have room on your crew for 6 Lost Boys, I think it might be time for me to call home.”

"You've a point" Shi says "And I'll get the healer on it"

The kids eagerly share their favorite colors... Blue is popular, but there is one girl who claims Purple is superior..always!