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Why is the Rum Always Gone? [M]

Started by DragonSong, May 06, 2016, 10:54:42 AM

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DragonSong

Her grin was almost sharkish. "Excellent point."

She leaned out over the rail toward the main deck and called, "Run out the guns! We're coming along broadside!"

Her order was met with a rather raucous cheer and she smirked, looking up to her first mate. "Care to fly the colors, Mister Gar?"

DaGlobster

Gar laughed, and he started descending the stairs to the main deck.

"Thank you for the honor once again," he teased, and he stepped up to the primary mast and hoisted up the flag, even as he bellowed commands to the crew manning the guns. In a way, he was the perfect gunnery commander, as his voice carried even below the decks, which meant he could command the lower deck of guns without having to move.

DragonSong

The Storm was a well-oiled machine, moving through the water almost like a living thing as the crew scurried to their posts and seemingly effortlessly made the ship ready to fight.

Isabeau drew her cutlass and moved up onto the port rail as they came up on the merchant vessel. She could hear alarm bells ringing- they must have caught sight of the pirate flag- and smirked.

"Run out the guns!"

Her voice wasn't near as booming as the ogre's, but it got the job done.

DaGlobster

And the guns were run out. The sound of every gun cover slaming open filled the air.

"Come about a few degrees!" Gar yelled, and the ship turned so the merchant was in its sights.

"Aim for their cannons. Ready! Fire!"

At their range, it was a bit of a long shot, but the Storm had good guns, and if they were lucky, they could score some serious damage before the fight even started.

DragonSong

Luck, and just a bit of magic, was on their side. Isabeau's brow furrowed as she lifted a hand, clenching her fingers into a fist as though she was grabbing onto an invisible rope.

The currents swirling around the two ships shifted, just slightly, slowing their prey while simultaneously giving the Storm that little extra speed she needed to get properly in range. Cannon fire ripped into their hull in an explosion of wood and gunpowder.

The merchant ship's crew was in a panic, she could see that even from here. As they drew closer, she shouted, "Prepare to board!"

DaGlobster

As the Storm closed in, a few disorganized shots from the other ship burst forth. One scored across the deck, damaging the railing, but it stopped there. The other shots either missed or hit water.

"Top deck, Load those guns one last time! Grapeshot! Lower deck prepare to board!" Gar commanded, and the sailors started rushing. The large ogre started readying a rope to swing across on.

"Ready hooks!"

DragonSong

In a lot of ways, Isabeau was a great captain. She was usually level headed, adaptable, easily mediated disputes, and somehow managed to inspire a sense of loyalty and comraderie in a group of pirates, of all things.

But in some ways, she was still very young for the job.

Which was probably why she leaped across the gap between the two ships before the ropes and small planks had been run out, blade and eyes glinting.

Gods but she did love the excitement.

DaGlobster

A cannonade of grapeshot from the Storm heralded Isabeau's arrival on the merchant ship, and in the chaos caused by a grapeshot broadside, the enemy was nowhere near organized enough to efficiently combat her.

It didn't help that wherever Isabeau went, Gar wasn't far behind with the crew. With a holler, Gar swung across on a rope, leading the charge of sailors. When he landed on the merchant's deck, the wood splintered under his weight, and he quickly went to work.

DragonSong

The standard crew on the merchant vessel was no match for her own. It was the mercenaries that started to give them a bit of trouble, a few harrying them from afar with pistols and thrown knives while the rest simply charged forward with a roar.

Dear gods, Isabeau could've sworn one of them was part orc- he was massive. She flicked her cutlass out, slicing the throat of the man lunging from her left, and fell back to stand beside her first mate.

"The big one," she called over the commotion of the fight. "If you can take him out quick-like, the others might not be so confident."

DaGlobster

Gar nodded at Isabeau's words, even as he fired one of his pistol-muskets at a mercenary, severing his arm at the shoulder. He quickly holstered the weapon and made his way through the combat.

Indeed, the big one seemed to be a point of cinfidence for the mercenaries. He struck down a pirate, laughing like a braggart as he waded into combat. Perhaps it was through sheer bloodlust that he didn't notice Gar until the ogre was upon him, and when he did notice, he was oddly silent.

The man was indeed a beast, standing at more than six and a half feet tall and rippling with muscle. Indeed, he might have been the biggest man the mercenaries had to offer. However, Gar stood a full foot taller than him, and was considerably larger.

If anything, the man needed credit for his spirit, as he charged Gar like he would any other opponent. Gar parried the man's swing with his anchor blades, catching the sword and bringing the man close. A headbutt from Gar sent the man reeling, clutching at his shattered nose, and with a yell loud enough to catch the entire boat's attention, Gar grappled the man and lifted him clear over his head, slamming him down headfirst on the deck with a sickening crack.

DragonSong

It was hard not to pay attention to the two giants fighting in the middle of the deck, but she still had to defend herself. The Raiders were falling fast under the blades of the Storm's crew, but they were tenacious bastards, and the crew of the merchant ship seemed bolstered by their presence.

At least until Gar piledrove the massive mercenary into the deck. There was a stuttering sort of moment when just about everyone seemed to glance over, enemies' faces paling while Isabeau's crew started to grin.

Then the fight resumed. Though by now it was barely a fight at all. She saw Cooper pass on her left in a whirl of blades and heard a shot, then two men fell- a single billet had passed through their heads. Raven. The kid was damned good shot.

Her own blade dealt with plenty of the enemy force, until finally someone- he looked to be a part of the official crew, not a mercenary- threw his hands up and called desperately, "Surrender. We surrender, mercy please!"

"Guns down!" Isabeau called to her crew, holstering her own weapon. She moved toward the man who'd spoken with a rather charming grin. "Smart move, m'lad." A snap of her fingers. "Tie 'em up boys, and let's get to business."

DaGlobster

With practiced ease, the surrendered crew and remaining mercenaries were tied up.

"Take the pistols, swords, and gunpowder," Gar said, motioning to one swath of pirates.

"Get below deck. Pilfer all the cargo you can carry!" he said to another. As the hustle and bustle started up, Gar merely took a position by the lined up prisoners. He looked to Isabeau, and smiled.

DragonSong

Isabeau grinned at him in reply, leaning back against the deck rail as her crew got to work with an air of nonchalance, though to a practiced eye it was clear she was ready to pounce with one wrong move.

As the pirates began to wrap up their work, she gave a sharp whistle that indicated they should return to their own ship. She gave the bound crew of the merchant vessel a jaunty mock salute and bowed at the waist.

"The crew of the Poison Storm thanks you for your generous contributions," she said cheerily. Her eyes flicked up to Gar. "Whaddya think, leave 'em a knife so they can get out in a few hours?"

DaGlobster

Gar looked about at the gathered crew and mercenaries, and put a hand on his chin.

"Leave them a small knife," he added, and he pat Isabeau on the shoulder, stepping across a small plank and back onto the Storm. They were fortunate today. Out of all the wounded, only one had died, and the rest were being ferried below deck to the doctor.

Gar's smile straightened out slightly, and he looked to Izzy.

"We lost a man. We'll have to honor him tonight."

DragonSong

She chuckled and tossed a rather pathetically small blade at the feet of one of the bound crew members before sauntering back to her own ship.

Gar's words sobered her a bit and she nodded. "Aye. And the boys'll be even more anxious to come to port so they can honor him with a last drink." She had very strict rules about the amount of alcohol kept on the ship.

With a small sigh she dragged a hand down her face and muttered. "Poor bastard. Alan was what, twenty-four? If that."

Gods she hated losing a man. It was unavoidable in their profession, but she hated it all the same.

But she couldn't let the crew see her get all mopey. She shook her head and tossed Gar a tired smile. "Tell the helmsman to set course for Harrowden. Closest port, I think. I'll head below and check on the boys."

DaGlobster

Gar nodded, and ascended up to the helm. Rather than give the helmsman the directions, Gar took the helm himself, and directed the ship towards Harrowden. He knew these waters like the back of his hand, so he was more than comfortable steering.

DragonSong

[What do you think about a time skip soonish- to the port or thereabouts?]


Isabeau made her way belowdecks to check on her wounded crew, smiling and cracking jokes in an effort to keep up morale. No one was too seriously injured, the ship's doctor pulling her aside to murmur that only one of the men would need medical care best found on land, but even they would hold out for a good few days before it was necessary.

She nodded and climbed the stairs back onto the main deck, where she began helping two of the crew wrap their fallen comrade in a shroud.

Definitely her least favorite part of the job.

DaGlobster

[I'm down. Maybe we can even do it within the next few posts]

Once the ship was on a good heading and the helmsman informed, Gar descended to the main deck to observe the funerary processions for Alan. He came up next to Isabeau, and laid a hand on her shoulder.


DragonSong

[Well... I can do it now?]


She started slightly, not expecting the familiar touch, then glanced up and offered him a small smile.

Those who'd known Alan best spoke fondly of him. Then she was called forward to murmur a blessing over the body.

Isabeau called up a thread of magic as the shrouded form was cast down into the sea, wrapping their comrade up in a gentle wave that glinted almost too cheerfully in the sunlight before disappearing back into the vastness of the ocean.

Then she turned and barked, "All hands to stations! Let's bring this girl into port."

The trip was only a few days, and soon enough she found herself overseeing the unloading of the Storm in the Harrowden port, leaning back against the deack rail as raucous pirates filed past her onto land for their first shore leave in weeks.


[I can change this if you want!]

DaGlobster

[You're good!]

"Alright boys, stay out of trouble. We leave port in two days!" Gar called over the ruckus of excited pirates, and soon enough, it was just him and Isabeau on board the ship.

He turned to his captain, and adjusted his hat.

"So, what'll you be doing to spend yer shore leave, Izzy?" Gar said.

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