Book 1: Chapter 47: Patch 8.0: How to Train Your Crew

Bonekraka’s fist sends Fenrir flying backward into Cassiel, almost knocking her over, but Fenrir spins around to make sure that she doesn’t fall.

“The hell was that for, you bastard?!” Cassiel shouts at Bonekraka.

“Stay back,” Fenrir tells her, looking at Serra and Rock as well.

“Are you two really doing this?” Oleander asks.

“Does it look like I have a choice?” Fenrir asks.

Bonekraka charges at Fenrir!

Despite how high the emotions are in this fight, neither men are drawing their blades.

Fenrir ducks below Bonekraka’s fist. The orc’s movements feel slow after training with Cassiel so much.

“Do your friends usually do this?” Corwin asks Oleander.

“It happens every now and then. It’s been a while since the last one, so it was bound to happen again soon,” Oleander answers.

“Which one of them is right or wrong?”

“Honestly? Fenny is in the right here. Bone is being an asshole. He’s probably stressed out from something in reality.”

Fenrir continues ducking and dodging all of Bonekraka’s attempts at hitting him. He retaliates every now and then with a punch or kick but never puts much force behind it even if he’s really tempted to. Of course, that just makes things worse.

“Fuck you, piece of shit! Not even take fight seriously!” Bonekraka shouts.

“Because you’re not worth taking seriously,” Fenrir replies, evading to the back of Bonekraka and kicking in the back of his right knee. “Why do you always have to be such an asshole?! I’m fucking tired of always doing what you want, and I never ask you to do something I know you wouldn’t enjoy!”

Bonekraka swings an arm around which manages to nail Fenrir right in the side of his head, knocking him away and onto the deck.

“Only friends in first place because you used to be fun! Used to kill everybody, make whole worlds hate us! Now you just want to be lazy and fish! No fun in that! Need to man up and go back to how used to be!” Bonekraka shouts, jumping onto Fenrir to pin him down and repeatedly punch him in the face.

Fenrir slides out from underneath the orc and does the exact same thing to him, pinning Bonekraka down and punching him in the face over and over.

Both men have bruised and bloodied faces before long.

“I’m,” Fenrir punches Bonekraka in the face again, “fucking,” and again, “sorry,” and again, “that I got bored of doing the exact same thing,” and again, “thing in every single fucking game,” and again, “game that we play! The brigade isn’t fucking,” and again, “coming back!”

Bonekraka thrusts his head upward and headbutts Fenrir right in the face.

The men collapse on the deck next to each other, each one panting heavily and looking up at the sky.

“I told you before, Viktor, to just fucking find another group to play with if all you want to do is what we used to,” Fenrir says between heavy breaths. “I know you want to play with me still, but I’m seriously so tired of doing the same thing over and over. It’s nice every now and then, but it’s less exciting every single time. Even taking on Coastedge was nowhere near as fun as it used to be.”

“Maybe is time I stop playing with you then,” Bonekraka says.

“Yeah, maybe. That’s what I’ve been telling you. We both want different things now, so wouldn’t it be for the best to play with different groups?”

“Da.”

Silence.

Oleander looks like he wants to say something, but he knows that there isn’t really anything to say that wouldn’t be pointless. He knows that they’re unhappy playing with one another nowadays. As much as Oleander would like everybody to get along like they used to, the Divine Brigade’s golden days are over.

“Will help in stupid tournament, then leave,” Bonekraka says. “Don’t need drama of dealing with you after work every day.”

“You don’t have to—” Fenrir is interrupted.

“Fuck you, will help whether want me to or not.”

“Do whatever you want. I’m not going to stop you.”

Bonekraka swings an arm into Fenrir’s gut.

Fenrir does the same thing to him.

“You said would not stop me.”

“Didn’t say I wouldn’t hit you back.”

Cassiel and Serra look at each other. They don’t know what they should be making of this whole situation, but they do know they feel bad. Nobody likes seeing a friendship basically get torn apart. If Bonekraka is going to leave, what about Oleander? If they both leave, what if Fenrir decides to leave them? Each of the girls already feels more at home in this group of friends than they’ve felt in any other online group before, and now there’s already drama splitting it apart.

They also feel bad for Fenrir. It’s clear to everybody here, except maybe Corwin, that Fenrir is in the right here. He didn’t do anything wrong, and they all can tell how deeply he cares about doing things for his friends while rarely if not ever selfishly asking anybody to do anything for him, yet Bonekraka made him sound like a selfish asshole always making others do what he wants. That couldn’t be farther from the truth, and they know it has to hurt Fenrir to be accused of anything like that.

Each of the men gets up.

Bonekraka stomps his way off the ship while Fenrir straightens out his clothes and leather vest.

Rock is the first to check on Fenrir followed by Serra and Cassiel.

“Are you okay?” Serra asks.

“Better than ever,” Fenrir says with a smile. They can tell he’s forcing it.

Cassiel comes up from behind and presses her hands against Fenrir’s back. He can feel her healing him, but she doesn’t say anything.

“Well, that happened,” Oleander says.

“Sorry, Olly. I know what sort of position this puts you in,” Fenrir says.

“Don’t worry about it. I knew it was going to happen eventually, and I already know I’d rather stay with you. I can only handle his shitty homophobia if you’re there to support me.”

“He really is an asshole, isn’t he?”

“Yeah, he is.”

Despite them agreeing that Bonekraka is a bad person, they sound sad and disappointed.

“Anyways, Cor, can you teach me about fishing? I haven’t done much of it before, and it’d be a nice distraction,” Oleander asks his new apparent boyfriend.

“Is – is it alright to leave things like this?” Corwin asks.

“Don’t worry about it. Nothing lasts forever. It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve lost an important friend group member.”

“If you say so. Now, we will need to acquire some rods and bait if you wish for me to teach you. There are several piers on the shop I know of that could be of assistance to us.”

Corwin and Oleander step back off The Shoebill to find a fishing shop.

“I don’t feel right about this. I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sorry,” Cassiel apologizes. “I… caused the fight, didn’t I?”

Fenrir turns around to face her. She can’t look him in the eyes.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Cass Cass. Now, if you don’t stop sounding so sad, I’m going to poke you and make you squeak again. You’re supposed to be a tsun, remember? Call me a bastard and threaten to kill me,” Fenrir says.

“Shut up. Stop trying to act tough, you bastard.”

“Guys have to be tough around the girls they like, don’t you know that? Like that old man said earlier, gotta give you my all,” he says, turning back around and straightening Serra’s hat so that it’s sitting properly atop her head. The girls don’t know how to react to what he just said. They both feel bad about everything that just happened, yet it’s the first time he’s ever admitted to liking them – at least, liking them in an implied way that’s more than just friends.

“You picked a shitty time for a confession,” Cassiel says.

“Yeah, I know. I never have been good with 3D girls.”

“I’m with Cass Cass,” Serra says.

“Which means Rock is going to be against me as well. Next thing I know and Tabs down there is going to be agreeing with you two,” Fenrir says.

“I do! I’ve heard everything! Ya don’t confess to the girls ya like when you’re soundin’ all depressed!” Tabitha shouts from below deck.

“Alright, alright. I already admitted I’m not good at this stuff. I’ll redo it properly soon, alright? I’ll guarantee your satisfaction or you’ll get all money back.”

“You’re digging yourself a deeper hole right now,” Cassiel says.

“I know. It’s a coping mechanism.”

“Bastard. Let me finish healing you.”

“Hey, Serra. How do you want the fish cooked? You caught the most, so you get to choose,” he changes the subject as Cassiel forcibly heals him.

“However Cass Cass wants,” Serra says.

“That’s no fun. Fine, Cass Cass, how do you want the fish cooked?”

“However you want,” Cassiel says with a pout.

“Will you lovebirds just choose how to cook your fish?!” Tabitha shouts. “And do it away from here! I don’t need ya catchin’ my baby on fire!”

Fenrir lets out an earnest laugh. “Alright, let’s figure out what to do with these fish,” he says, transferring the fish from their barrel to the now-empty-of-shrimp bucket.