[2ndPower]

Battle was in the air. Claude could smell it. The distinct stench of sweat, steel, and smoke, mixed in with the natural stench of booze from the bar. Good. Claude could use a battle. People had been smoking, and the residue had been driving Claude crazy. Made him think of fire. Fire. It was a wonderous thing, dancing, living, growing. Beautiful. But none of that right now, Claude had to get the treasure map before those goons did. They did not know it, but they were going to die tonight. Claude DeMorte had decided. He stood, drew his epee, and strode towards the men, aggression obvious in his pose. Seeing that Marquis at the least was ready for battle, he shifted his epee into his off hand, then strode towards the nearest thug, tapped him on the shoulder with his blade, and said, "Tu connais je serai avoir mise a mort tu, non?" At his confused expression, Claude lifted his pistol from his side, and shot the man in the head. The shot rang out, and before the man fell to the floor, the whole tavern went wild.

Claude ducked under a roundhouse punch, then retorted with a slash of his epee at the man's throat. The man gurgled a little as blood bubbled out of the thin line in his throat, then Claude shoved him out of the way to find his next opponent. That was the fourth person he had killed thus far, and Claude was happy. His epee was covered in blood, as it rightfully should be. Now where was the one with the map? They needed to get that map first. Treasure was life among pirates, and thus, that man would be in high demand. He had lost sight of the other crewmen of the Morte Negro when this maelstrom started, but that was ok. He could handle things on his own. Reaching out to an empty table, he picked up a half empty glass of rum, and started drinking from it as he walked around, looking. There!!! No, that was the bartender. There!!! No, that was a table. Ah, there he is! Crawling around, trying to escape through the back entrance. Claude snickered and hurled the rum at the man, stopping him short, then jumped over the bar, landing in front of him. As he recoiled in fear, Claude spoke. "I'll trade you ze map for tu zafety, oui?" The man, obviously scared to death of the whole situation, stammered something incomprehensible, then nodded and stood. Claude herded him out the back door, and into the bar's storage shed. "Now hand me ze map, then bar the door behind you. I stay out here and fight." The man complied. Claude picked up a thick tree branch, and shoved it into the handle of the shed door, so that it could not be opened from the inside. The shed was blazing before he reached the tavern again.

Three more men died by Claude's epee before he reached Captain Blacksoul. "I have la carte, the map." He reported simply, before walking towards the bar door.