Tonight I was playing the solo chicken merchant, taking only chicken delivery quests from the Merchant Alliance. I took extra care not to have anything else on my boat. As I sailed to Sailor's Bounty to pick up my clucking compatriots, I noticed a galleon anchored at Sanctuary Outpost, the very spot where I would have to deliver my chickens.
Immediately I was on high alert, hoping that by the time I was finished gathering chickens they would have moved on. To my astonishment, by the time I raised anchor two other galleons had entered the area and were doing battle with the original galleon I assumed had been outpost camping.
One of the new galleons sailed off to Smuggler's Bay, seemingly uninterested in continuing a multi-ship battle. The other two circled each other just off Sanctuary Outpost, firing the occasional shot. Hoping to go unnoticed, I sped in to the dock where the Merchant Alliance representative waited to receive my chickens. Between frantic sprinting with cages, I noted somewhat disbelievingly that the first galleon, who I thought was an outpost camper, stayed between my sloop and the other galleon until I sailed away.
I thought it might just be a fluke, but my next chicken delivery was to take place at Golden Sands Outpost, still within sight of the other ships. While I gathered chickens on Mermaid's Hideaway, the galleon that had stood between me and the other ship began circling around Golden Sands Outpost.
Still, I was doubtful. It was entirely possible that they were simply trying to bait the other galleons into attacking and considered a sloop below their notice. It was possible they were trying to lure me in for the slaughter. But I figured, nothing ventured, nothing gained. I raised my cannons to the "friendly" position, turned on all my ship lanterns, and sailed toward Golden Sands Outpost.
Immediately the galleon pulled away from the outpost, circling their ship around to face mine. I rang my ship's bell frantically, doing everything I could to signal that I was a friendly ship. Amazingly, they turned around and sailed to a nearby island, letting me deliver my chickens in peace.
Thank you, nameless galleon guardians, (perhaps unwitting) protectors of lonely chicken merchants. /salute
