Lance smiled at Alexandra. "It is a pleasure to meet you Madame Sorceress. He took a step back from her. And that is correct. Me and the captain have made a deal. I am sure she will try to work around our deal but then I will not be bound by it. I see no way you can hold up on our deal. Unless you have learned a magic to change people's hearts you can't meet our deal." He stopped and turned to look at Victoria. "And if she breaks our deal I will simply jump into the ocean. Killing one's self is rather easy and at least then the people wouldn't be dying because of me." He turned back to the sorceress. "I hope I have not mis-spoken milady." He bowed once again. He could see why Victoria did not like this lady. He might be better off with this woman but he knew there would be no chance to get away and he rather doubted life would be very good.

The sorceress, sighed. "I haven't had the education in those type's of potion's. I only know how to change people into certain animals...I know how to make a potion that would kill a human in a single drop to the skin. I specialize in dark magic." She turned to Victoria, who was still trying to speak. "I'm actually surprised she didn't kill you already Prince. Once I told her that our deal wouldn't be broken with you, I would suspect she'd kill you on the spot. Or at least threaten to kill you. Seems...She has a sort of attachment to you." She looked back at Lance. "Dear Prince, if you wish to change the dear Captain princess, then you'll have to learn what she is, and..." Alexandra stood up, and walked over to Lance. "You'll have to win her heart too, in order to change it." She whispered softly in his ear.

The sorceress snapped her finger's, and Victoria gasped. "...You...Trying to take my merchandise." "You're the one who offered him to me. But oh well, you go ahead and leave now." The woman grinned. "Princey, Let's go."

Lance smiled at the sorceress. "I imagine you are the best at what you do. Thank you for the kind words and the advice. I hope you have a fine evening milady." He bowed before turning and walking to Victoria and out of the house. "You keep very unusual company Victoria. I trust she isn't going to come after us?" He really didn't like the idea of black magic being used on him.

"She doesn't chase anyone for no reason. Right now, she has no reason to go after us." Victoria glanced back at the cottage. Looking back in her memories at the Sorceress whisper into the Prince's ear. "What did she say?" She asked, as she looked back at the prince. Her gold eye sparkled. "Whatever it was I know its not good. Is it?" Victoria raised an eyebrow.

Lance looked back too. "I am glad to hear that. He thought carefully on his answer but spoke quickly. "She said something about hearts. And I hardly see how that is bad." He looked over at her and smiled.

Victoria glared at him. "Hmph," It was obvious that he wasn't telling anything. But Victoria thought it'd be bothersome if she asked anymore.

Later, they got to the ship, and Victoria let out a sigh of relief. "I'm going to get changed. I can't handle this anymore." She called to her crew, who she noticed where having themselves a little party. The beer, and card's where being used. "Get back to work!" She hissed, "And you prince, clean it all up."

Then she was off to her quarters. "The captain' seems more irritated then usual."

(Mind if I brainstorm with you again?)

Lance sighed as he reached the ship and saw the mess. When he was told to clean he started right away. He worked quickly knowing that she would be upset if it wasn't clean. He knew she knew that he hadn't told her everything and it worried him that she hadn't said anything. He smiled at the crew while he worked.

((sure, you can brainstorm with me anytime))

Victoria came out of her quarters in her usual outfit. Her makeup was all gone, and it was obvious that she just washed her face. She looked a lot more comfortable without her corset, and with her hat. "I looked at my map, and I see an Island a bit south from here. Let's get some things to eat there. We're almost out of food." Victoria sighed, "Maybe we could stay there for the night too." The crew gave a hearty "Aye, Aye, Captain." Before they started to turn the ship.

A few hour's later they arrived. Victoria jumped off the ship before they could get the walking platform out. The small little village could be seen from where they where at. But...It looked quiet. "Come over here Princey. Let's go investigate. If I don't come back in thirty minute's, or if you see more then two people coming back, then sail away." "Aye, aye, Captain."

Lance smiled when Victoria came out dressed normally. While she made a pretty lady he liked her better in her normal attire. "Yes Captain." He followed after her and jumped off the boat. He looked at the town and noticed it was quiet. That was weird. A small town like this should have a lot of people bustling about. We should see people heading out to the farms, merchants, and kids running around. They must have seen the ship coming in and locked themselves up. "Well, where to Captain?"

"To the town. They will probably have some crops we can ste---" Victoria cleared her throat, before continuing. "That we can buy." She about barfed at the word.

They headed up the small hill into the village, which seemed much like an abandoned village. Except the fact that the houses didn't look too old. Victoria started to whistle like she was calling something. She glanced back at Lance wondering if he thought it to be strange. "Bound to have farm dogs right?" Suddenly, she heard a loud bark, and then the villagers came running out with revolver's, and pitchforks. "Bothersome."

~

Victoria got thrown into the prison, slamming against the wall. Lance got thrown in after her. "If it wasn't for you, I'd burn this town down. Would that be called fighting back?" Victoria scratched the back of her head, before she looked at Lance. "Just wanted to confirm that before I burn this village to the ground."

Lance sighed at Victoria's little change of words. Lance knew the reason for the whistle. He had been around a lot of farm dogs afterall. When the towns people came rushing out weapons ready he thought for a moment they were trying to rescue him. Then they threw him into the prison too and those hopes were dashed.

Lance stood up and scratched his head. "Burning the entire town down would break our deal. Not everyone was involved in throwing us in here afterall. And the ones that were involved weren't really fighting. They were doing a lot more grabbing and throwing. With the deal you could get away with burning down select houses I suppose, but then would need to make sure the innocent houses didn't burn."

"That's really bothersome." Victoria shrugged. "Hey Princey. You know what? You don't really look like a Prince anymore." She pointed out his worn out, dirty clothes, and his messed up hair. "They probably thought you where one of my crew." She crossed her arms, and laughed. A few minutes later, some guys came in, and took Victoria out of the cell.

"Drink this." A villager placed the drink to her lips, and tipped it up. She drank willingly, thinking it'd be bothersome to refuse. "Thank you lad, I was feeling a tad thirsty." She grinned, actually saying the truth. "This it worked?" "I don't know. Let's try it out. Do you enjoy killing?" "Of course!" "Did you come here to burn this village down like you did some of the other's village's you visited?" "I was thinking about it actually. I was thinking about killing some of you, secretly, and steal some of your food. But now, I feel like torturing your children in front of you, and then burn your village down in front of your eyes. Then slaughter you all but one, leaving him to suffer for the rest of his life." She smiled. "Do you think you deserve a hanging?" "Of course she's going to say no--" "Yes. I do. I've been hanged before...But, it's never worked. I can't die you see. It's a curse." She laughed. "Strange isn't it?" "She's mad!" "She's such a monster!" "Why thank you for the compliment."

It actually took three hours. Mostly because people where punching her in the face as she was tied down. But, after she got thrown back into the cell. "Hello Princey." She had bruises all over her face. She struggled to stand up, sore from the beatings.

Lance watched as Victoria was dragged off then looked down at himself. He really was starting to look bad. Maybe I can talk them into letting me take a bath. He thought about trying to tell the commoners that he was the prince but he decided they probably wouldn't believe him and if they did Victoria would just get out and kill everyone since he broke his word.

He couldn't tell time but he knew it had been a long time when he heard the sound of people coming. He stood up and waited for them to come. The door was thrown open and Victoria was thrown inside. He ran to her and noticed how beat up she was. "What the hell did those monsters do to you?!" He forced her to sit down and gently grabbed her face. He looked into her eyes and looked at her face carefully. Suprisingly he didn't think her nose was broken. She was just beaten badly.

"Monsters? Heh...You can call them that. That's called revenge, I love it." Victoria strangely, Laughed. "I just killed some of their family members...You know, I can never forget a face..." She stared into his eyes. "I can...Never forget a face." She repeated before jerking away from his grip. "I killed that guy's father a few years back...I killed that other guy's wife...and his daughter. I can never forget a face." She dragged herself to the wall, and sat up, placing her back against the somewhat soothing cold wall. "Did you know most sorceress's, and witches only act evil because they are treated like they are just born to be evil...But the other's are just pure evil." She randomly stated out.

Lance gasped. He knew she wasn't a good person but killing people like that. "How can you love revenge? It only ends in pain." He paused and looked at her. She kept repeating that line. "Do you feel bad about killing them?" Lance knew she wouldn't answer and that it would be one more thing for her to yell at him for. He knew the rules but he couldn't help it. He moved over in front of her and sat.

Victoria tilted her head to the side, and stared into his eyes. "I...Don't know...I, don't feel anything really. But when I kill them, I feel something." She smiled. "That's why I enjoy it so much." She laughed. "But you know what? I think I might burn this place down. They probably already took away the so called 'innocent' people. So you won't have anything to worry about." She, surprisingly stood up. "Even though they haven't committed murder physically Princey, they've still actually committed murder. They have killed me over, and over in their head...Isn't that the same thing as murder princey?"

She doesn't feel anything. He found that statement very sad. "You will not burn this town down. They couldn't have gotten everyone innocent out. Their poor commoners it isn't like they have many options." He watched her as she stood up. "People have the right to think whatever they want. They haven't killed you yet and there must be a reason for that." He looked away from her before standing and placing his back against the wall. "Why aren't you upset about my questions? What did they do to you?"

Victoria sighed. "They didn't kill me because they want to turn me to the authorities. They will get a lot of money then. Enough to make them all aristocrats." She stated out, as she turned her head to the door. "They gave me some sort of drug that makes me tell the truth, and only the truth. So when I open my mouth, all I speak of is the truth. And actually, it's making me a wee bit tipsy." She laughed, and then quickly changed the subject. "Can't I burn this Village down? Pleasee? Princey? Pleaseee, Lance?" She finally said his first name.

Lance thought for a moment. The authorities... that could cause problems for everyone. If it was ones controlled by the worse nobles they might take Victoria and just kill everyone else. They wouldn't have to pay them then. "No you can't burn the Village down Victoria." Lance like the sound of his name in her mouth. He thought about the drug. He knew it would wear off and she would probably kill him for asking but he would probably die anyways. "Why did you become a pirate?"

Victoria pouted as he told her no. "Fine, Fine I won't burn it down." She said truthfully. "Why did I become a pirate? Hm...Not for the gold for sure." She laughed. "I became a pirate so that I could find something precious. Gold, is not precious, so I keep looking. Gold Apple's were not precious...Golden eggs were not even close...A swan maiden...Wasn't beautiful, nor precious. Just a selfish person with a curse. A prince, surprisingly wasn't precious either. I thought that a pure blooded royal would match up to a Swan maiden. But, alas I was wrong."

Lance was suprised he won that argument so fast. Truth was not the same as bending someone's will after all. "Something precious? Have you ever thought that the most precious things aren't things? You've found things that are valuable but they haven't been what you have needed. Most people consider people to be precious but you just treat them like objects." He pulled the locket out of his shirt. "This is precious to me not for what it is but that someone cared enough for me to give me something they loved." He laughed. "It is nice to hear that I don't measure up to a Swan Maiden though."

"They are just objects. You. My crew. Those villagers. All of them are objects for me to get what I want." Victoria raised an eyebrow to the necklace. "You might be on to something!" She snatched the locket from his grip. "Ha! Since that pathetic girl put her love into this, it should be a precious item. Alas! I can give this to that old Sorceress." She was completely oblivious to what he was trying to say. Her eyes shown the determination she had, like she had with the golden egg, golden apple, the swan maiden, and the prince. Maybe this was it...She thought. "Maybe this could be the precious thing to break the curse!" She gasped, and covered her mouth. Blast.

Lance felt pity for her that she didn't understand what he said. He shook his head. "You are wrong. That necklace is only precious to me and that girl. It holds no more meaning than any other necklace to anyone else." He thought of the last thing she said. "What are you talking about? What curse has been placed on you?"

"Mind your own business!" Victoria was about to say, but the drug changed her words. "The curse has been placed on me by Alexandra. My mother was a Sorceress, and my father was a dragon, so my true form is that of a black dragon. Our kin despises man-kind. I offended Alexandra, for her changing from putting curses on human's, to helping them. I insulted her, so she turned me into this. This is what I would look like if I had taken my mother's appearance. But Victoria said if I tried to kill her, or find other means of changing me back into a dragon. She'd find me, and change me completely into a human." Victoria started breathing heavily. She used up all her breath for something she didn't mean to say. "I don't want to be human. I know for what they truly are. My sister fell in love with a human, and then they tried to kill her! I don't even know if they succeeded or not! Once they take sight of us, they grab the pitch forks, and the torches! We hate humans. After I turn back into a dragon, I'll kill that sorceress, and then I'll wipe out your whole kind with my father!"

Lance gasped. He really hadn't expected that. He started to say something about not helping her if that was all she wanted but instead he shouted "not everyone is like that! Some people are evil but it sounds like that is the same for dragons. But most of those people that attacked you were just scared. Just like those poor people out there. They are hurt just the same as you. Would your sister really want you to waste your life like this? To hurt so many people like the person she loved. And the same is true for your father. He apparently didn't hate all humans or you wouldn't be here." He stopped then whispered "I know what you are and I still don't wish your death."