Captain Darkwater leaned forward, resting his head on his thin, spindly little fingers as his one good eye looked at Jasmine up and down.

“Ya make it sound like ya don’t want to pay me, lass,” the Captain said. “That’s not a very good thing, ya know?”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” Jasmine said quickly. “Something came up, so I have to leave Warfort. I’m just afraid that it will be seen as me running away, so I came to let you know that I’m not. I’ll just be gone for a year at best.”

“Hmm,” Captain Darkwater seemed to be a deep thought. He turned toward one of the women and asked, “What’s remaining for little Jas here?”

The woman he asked quickly flipped through a small accounting book and came back with the answer. “51,832 gold coins.”

“That is a lot of money, lass,” the Captain turned around. “If you don’t pay it for a year, I will assume that you are intending to not pay at all. To live out the rest of your life without ever having to pay me.”

“I already pay you,” Jasmine said. “It’s just a year. I am sure I can earn a lot in this time, which is why I’m leaving.”

“Still, that is one great source of income that we will lose, little lass,” the captain said, thinking for a bit. “Anyone got any idea what we can do here?”

A few of the people shook their heads, but one man moved forward.

“Captain, why don’t we have the girl pay us interest for just the year she will miss paying,” the man said. “Force it by having her return with the payment at the end.”

“Hmm, that’s a sound idea,” the captain said. “Lass, move forward.”

Jasmine looked worried and confused as to what was happening. Interest? Was she going to have to start paying interest now?

The captain stood up and waited for Jasmine to arrive right on the other side of the table before leaning forward close to her.

His rotting teeth and breath made her wince as he stared at her right into her eyes. “I will let you go for a year, but you will have to pay me a 1% interest at the end of the year before it ends. Do you agree?”

Jasmine waited for a second, letting the numbers run in her head. “518 coins?” she shouted out loud before calming herself down. “518 gold coins? You want me to pay that for just missing a year?”

“You need to pay interest when you can’t pay the whole sum,” the Captain said.

“But…” Jasmine was troubled. “Wasn’t everything I paying already the interest? Why are you adding—”

The captain laid his palm on the side of Jasmine’s neck, his rough hands scratching her neck, his sharp nails scraping along the skin. “You say what I do you say,” the Captain said. “You got that, lass?”

Jasmine felt the tears forming in her eyes but held them back before quickly nodding.

“Good,” the Captain sat back down on his seat and snapped his fingers. “Bring out the cup.”

Jasmine’s eyes widened in surprise. “You’re going to make me swear an oath?”

“I make everyone swear an oath, lass. For everything,” the man said. One of the women brought out the Chalice of Oaths on a silver platter.

The Chalice was a dirty gold colored wine up, with swirling imagery engraved along a ring and base, with 8 emeralds placed along the upper ring, and 3 somewhat large rubies placed along the lower ring.

The man pulled open the cork to a rum he had by his side and poured it onto the Chalice. He then closed his eyes for a second and spoke out the oaths.

“In exactly 1 year, I will return back to Captain Darkwater and pay back 518 coins, which I owe him. After that, for everything I earn, I will give 99% of it to the Captain until the rest of my debt is over or I die.”

The Captain opened his eyes and pushed forth the cup. “Drink it.”

Jasmine looked at the cup, her eyes wide in terror. “Wait, you added another clause to the oath,” she said. “I didn’t agree to that at all.”

If she had to pay 99% of everything she earned, then she would be dirt poor. How was she to take care of any of the children with that little money?

She had accepted Ning’s help but even so, she needed to keep a way out for herself if everything fell apart in the end. However, if she accepted this… “What’s wrong, lass?” the Captain hissed in her ears. “Are you going to defy my orders?”

“Alright, that’s too close,” Ning walked up to the man. “God, your breath stinks like **. Do you not know what toothpaste is?”

The Captain slowly turned his single eye, looking at Ning. The other people around him had their guns out and were ready to shoot if given the order.

“And who might you be?” the Captain asked.

“The name is Ning,” Ning said. “And you are?”

“Captain Darkwater,” the man answered.

“Surely that’s not your name,” Ning said. “But whatever.” He turned back around to Jasmine. “Just drink it. You will pay it back by the end.”

Jasmine looked perplexed. “Will I?” she asked.

“Of course,” Ning said.

Jasmine looked at Ning and then back at the Captain and quickly drank it down. She felt the rum burn her throat as it made its way down and then the oath settled on her chest, around her heart.

The Captain smiled and took back the chalice. “Good, lass,” he said. “And is this man trying to help you earn for the year?”

Jasmine nodded while trying not to grimace at the taste.

“Good,” the Captain said and poured some rum into the Chalice again. “I will help pay all of Jasmine’s debt in a single year,” the Captain said before presenting the cup to Ning. “Drink!”