-Jack
jack.crosby25@gmail.com
Chapter 1 – Ahoy Matey
“Cappin’ Fletch,
we got a vessel approachin’ we do.”
I pulled out my brass spyglass and
looked in the direction First Mate Anders pointed in. Sur enough, off the portside of the ship was
a merchant cruiser. “Anders, get the
boys ready. We got ourselves a pay day
coming!”
Anders looked alive. “Aye aye cappin’!”
The short man scurried off to rouse
the crew. I knew my band of bloodthirsty
animals would be willing and ready to do whatever it took to capture that
ship. With that in mind, I retreated
below deck to my quarters to grab my pistol and blade. None were as feared on these waters as me,
Captain Argus Fletcher. Though those who
knew me just referred to me as Captain Fletch, the Merciless.
When I returned topside, Oggles was
steering my ship, The Black Cat, towards our target. “Get us in range of the long cannon. I want to make a good first impression.”
He gave me a lumpy look and spun
the wheel hard. As the ship turned, I
looked down and screamed, “Prepare the Cat’s Tail! I want these merchants to cower in fear.”
The Douglas Triplets signaled at my
command and began preparations. The
thrill of the chase and capture was on.
I returned to the highest point, ready to watch everything play out. The Black Cat was the fastest pirate ship on
the Eastern Seas. I had no fear that my
target would escape.
The winds favored us this day,
blowing hard with the ship, allowing us to gain great ground. Through the spyglass, I could now see their
captain shouting orders to his crew. I
couldn’t read lips, but I gathered he was giving them orders to prepare to be
boarded and to protect their cargo. Good
– I never liked it when sailors gave up without so much of a fight.
“Prepare to fire!” It was one of the Douglas Triplets, but I
didn’t know their individual names.
Hell, I didn’t care to be honest.
“Fire in the hole!”
A few seconds later and the water
rocked with the sounds of the Cat’s Tail.
The long cannon sent its ammunition towards the other ship and the aim
was true. The iron ball shattered their
main mast, leaving them a downed duck in the water. With nowhere to go, it was time to fight.
In no time, our ship caught up to
theirs and the boarding party was ready.
I joined the team and tossed the first rope across. No one wanted to be the first, but if the
captain was willing, his crew was inspired.
At six foot one and close to two hundred pounds, I had little fear of
being overpowered. Two sailors rushed me
as soon as my feet touched down on their wooden deck. I shot one in the chest with my pistol and
engaged the other with my sword.
He was skilled no doubt, his sword
play kept me on my feet. As we were
dueling, my crew stormed forward and fights were breaking out everywhere.
Parrying away the sailor’s blow,
“You have good form. It’s a shame it
won’t serve you much longer.”
“Fuck off ye bugger!” He lunged with a jab, leaving himself wide
open for a counter.
I slapped away the attack and
sliced him from chest to hip. Shock
appeared on his face and for good measure, I kicked him overboard. The amount of blood rushing out of him would
no doubt attract sharks to complete nature’s cycle. With that attacker out of the way, I
continued forward.
Hacking down opponent after
opponent brought me face to face with the captain. He was an older man, chiseled hard from a
life at sea. “So, you be Fletch the
Merciless eh?”
“That am I captain. Command your crew to stand down and no more
need to become chum in the water.”
He had a duty to his employers, but
dead men have no masters. “Aye, we’ll
stand down.” He hollered his directive
to the crew and each of them after a moment laid their weapons down. “The ship is yours.”
I circled my finger in the air,
giving my crew notice to take everything of value. “Your mast is broke but Sannigel Island is
not but a day’s row from here. Send for
help.”
“Merciless they say, yet you’re
giving me a chance to live.” He looked
on skeptically. “What’s in this for
you?”
I did a quick count; he had about
ten survivors left on his ship. “You
spread the word about my pirate crew.
Your recollection of this attack will strengthen my grip on the Eastern
Seas and leave no question what ship is the most dangerous.”
He comprehended my wishes. A pirate’s reputation is his calling
card. Having fear before we even come
into view is a victory in itself. With
this captain telling his story, mine would increase tenfold.
When we had plundered all we could,
my crew returned to The Black Cat, all except for me. “What is your name captain?”
“Levenworth. What’s it matter to you?”
I would commit that name to
memory. “Whether you believe it or not,
you’ve made a friend today Levenworth. I
appreciate a man who is honorable, but knows when to yield.”
As I returned to my ship, I gave
one last glance to the disabled ship floating.
The crew would have to wait a bit; three great whites were fighting over
the remains of the body I sent to the depths.
Once the sharks left, they would be clear to row to help. They may call me Merciless, but I’m no
heathen.
Chapter 2 – The Hurricane
We made good time
returning back to Lost Haven, the pirate port town at the far reaches of the
Eastern Seas. Few pirates called this
port home, which made it perfect for me.
My crew, filled with pride after a successful raid, stormed off the ship
to their favorite watering holes. As for
me, I still needed to add up the total haul and plot our next course.
A strange wind blew across the deck
of The Black Cat. I wandered out of my
quarters to take measure of the breeze.
As soon as the wind buffered my face, I had a very ill feeling. “Mother Nature, you wicked vixen! It is far too early in the season for a
hurricane.”
I’d been on the seas far too long
to be surprised by any occurrence.
Still, spring was no time for weather like this to whip up – unless
there was something supernatural behind it.
The seas were filled with hidden spirits and monster alike. Though what would cause this to happen, well
even that was beyond my purview.
Based on the speed and direction,
we maybe had five to six hours before the powerful storm hit the island. That was plenty of time to get the ship
ready, even if I could only scrounge up two or three of the crew.
“Cappin’! I have ill feelings in me bones.”
I located the source of the voice,
Anders. The first mate was as reliable
as any could be. “I’m glad you returned
Anders. We need to get The Cat
prepared. I’ll begin the preparations
while you go get some of the crew.”
He gave me a half drunken salute
and ran off into the streets. In no more
time than it took me to get the first mast tied down, Anders returned with the
Douglas Triplets and Oliver, our youngest member. They needed no direction and the five of them
went to work like busy bees tending to The Cat.
In less than an hour’s time, we finished and were off ship.
The Black Cat had been my ship
since the previous captain wiled it to me.
Long John Shanks was my mentor to the pirate game, but he succumbed to a
bad case of the plague. Shanks had no
reservations about eating suspect meats and drinking spoiled wine and it caught
up to him. I wouldn’t make the same
mistakes.
With the ship secure, I sent the
crew back into the night for more debauchery.
The tavern life never really suited me, but this evening called for a
drink. I followed the cobblestone street
up to the last establishment in town, Whore’s Tap.
The name was very misleading; there
were no whores in the bar. The keep,
Finnegan, was an old Irishman who was hiding from the Royal Navy. He preferred to be left alone, hence the bad
advertisement. I too enjoyed the quiet,
so we bonded over quality ale and lack of spoken word.
My second ale had been poured when
another entered the establishment. It
was a lady, but she wasn’t dressed like a proper wench at all. She wore an open tan shirt with leather pants
and proper pirate boots. Attached to her
belt was a long thing sword, a rapier I believe they’re called. She took off her hat and put up one finger. Without a word, she sat down next to me.
Red hair cascaded down her pale
face. There was something of amusement
in her eyes as she kept gaining my attention.
After her first sip of ale, “Argus Fletcher, I’ve been watching you.”
I tipped my cup towards her and
drank as well. “Well met my lady. And who do I have the pleasure of sharing a beer
with?”
Her laugh was angelic, not fitting
her figure at all. “Honestly, I doubt
you’d believe me. For the meantime,
please just call me Roxanne.”
To Be Conitinued in Merciless!
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