08-05-2017, 03:15 PM
Caira looked down at her crippled “set-up” and tsked herself with monk-repressed rage as she talked to her mini orange dragon, “And if it were the other way around? Oh no, Zack would be coming even if he lost a leg. He’d get a peg, ha! Yeah, that’s it, summon one out of a little Omnillium and bam! Back into action! But they can’t expect me to just wait down here? Like some pet? Well, I least I have you, little dragon. I just hate feeling like some… Oh, uh, hi.”
The girl turned over her shoulder and smiled as a white lab coat stood idly in the corner of her eye, hearing her twisting fuse of complaints. However, it seemed, the white coat had the opposite problem.
“... Hi,” he said laden with awkwardness and sarcasm, “And if I were you, I wouldn’t complain, you’re likely in the safest part of the ship down here, I’m the one who has to go topside and it will likely lead to my death. Primes return, us secondaries always feel like you feel now in that wheeled office chair, kid.”
“I’m not a kid, I’m actually your age, if you count a few loose screws in time,” Caira said with a smile of shame to the middle-aged man. “You look like you don’t want to die and how can I blame you? My parents were in charge of a galaxy slaying empire and they took no survivors. So I fled, not wanting to be their puppet too. Not wanting to die for deceiving them. Running away from home? Ha! Talk about noble, I live a facade and a lie. Your logic is at least reasonable, what sort of human scientist wants to die?”
“Hmm, when you put it that way… Logic is my prime.” he reached for the pun and won a smile, “Hey, if that’s the case, why do you want to go up there? You don’t seem like the classic coward type and you almost seem frustrated to be bound by injury, that doesn’t sound like someone who runs away from their struggles.” The man with glasses mentioned, “Maybe there’s hope for you yet?”
“Well, I never called myself a coward, because I made a calculated decision. It was the wrong one though, by leaving I enabled my parents to continue their tyranny, and I sentenced all under their wrath to die. Not that I could stop it, but looking back, it was a cause I would’ve died for.” Caira admitted.
“Your words strike me, Prime-girl,” the scientist spoke, “If I’m gone any longer, they’ll notice. That’s almost worse than dying,” he said with a playful smile. “Say, if your parents ruled, albeit mercilessly, doesn’t that make you a princess?”
“I gave up the name a long time ago. But I don’t think I can blame the name for the person I previously was, nor the choice I made as her.” She said silently and the man set off to leave and the woman requested, “Share with me your name?”
“Rives, Limin Rives. Kind of an odd one, but you know.” he shrugged. Caira smiled, she did know.
“You’re one hundred percent unique, secondary or prime, Limin Rives. Good luck up there. And if they wonder where you are, tell them you were tying your shoe,” she pointed down and his shoe was untied. His standing idle had given her the chance to notice it.
“Ah, thanks! I wouldn’t want to trip on myself, will you be down here watching through the scope?” he said as he hunched over, quickly knotting his laces.
“Maybe.” She said with a curious smile. “I think I’ll find out which button releases the torpedoes. The ghosts in the walls still whisper.”
“Ghosts?!” the man became pale with fright.
“U-uh I mean, I know where the manual is, don’t scare yourself before battle! You’ll do great!” she said ruefully regretting the truth in her words.
“Okay… Prime, any advice for me?” he said with his hand clutching the first rung of the iron ladder.
“Make them remember your name. Both your comrades and your enemies.”
…
“Freaking pirates man,” Gary growled as his dark eyes glared over the horizon. Right now, they’d simply wait for it to loom closer and its inhabitants to board. That was terribly lame, especially when your company was Zack freakin’ Fair.
“Aren’t… You technically a pirate?” the sable haired youth said with a raised eyebrow as he assessed the situation. Gary was perched with his mighty gait, donned with his spectacular trench coat which had ample moth holes in it. Jad had even joined the fight, though he was never much of a frontman, he’d mounted on a turret that their captain had deployed for them prior to heading to the top of the steel-cold vessel.
Below Zack’s feet was the squelch of still-sliding water under his rubber soles. Gary was watching him, a snicker under his breath. Their rivalry continued and yet, they united in arms. The Prime fell to one knee and procured a long scoped ebony rifle, “I’m not just a one trick pony,” Zack said, grinding salt as he examined the rising moon backdrop against the grossly dark sales of the ship.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re a grea’ prime and all that,” Gary huffed and Zack loaded thick, heavy looking bullets into the rifle. “Do ye’ any idea what’s coming?”
“I think I’ll take a peek and see,” Zack said confidently to the secondary who thought himself superior in every aspect of the word.
“I think I’ll tell you, because I’m likely to die.” Gary stated plainly.
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Zack rolled his eyes, pulling his attention away from the crosshairs of the scope he’d been looking down. “You thought you could take me on. What’s a couple of freakin’ pirates to you?”
On the prime lad’s lips a smile boasted, “Hmph, suit yourself. You’ll see.” Then Gary recited an old tale.
If ye ever find yourself at the brink,
Ov sailing past the Vasty’s sink,
Tha deathly pirates’ pungent stink,
‘Ll be the last thing ye know b’fore death’s sacred blink.
With darkness in their sails,
Blood will run thick and deep,
Monsters at yer tails?
They’ll never sleep.
The darkness of their curse o’ death,
Will n’er set in this Vasty Deep.”
“What’s that, some old pirate’s tale? Is it supposed to scare me?” Zack scoffed, “Nice try Gary, but my nerves aren’t so easily…”
As the Prime peered down the scope, using the moon’s own silhouette, he thought he saw something not man, but more akin to a ghastly monster with decaying skin and patches of rib instead of flesh for a torso, no lungs in sight. “What…” the ex-SOLDIER blinked to clear his eyes.
“See somethin’ unique laddie?” Gary gloated.
“What are we up against?” Jad called out from his location, mounted in the turret, meanwhile the lab coats were armed with their elite technology, most carbines were made by their own devices.
“If you see them starting to aim cannon balls, that’s when you’re likely in range enough to fire back,” Gary said, “I’m glad you’re out here, we will need every man we can get.”
“I know how range and velocity work, physicist, scientist, doctor, and astronomer ring a bell?” Jad bantered back to his old pal. “You still didn’t say what we were up against.”
Gary walked over, “I didn’t want to spook the other boys, but this’ll be a fight for the books. Their ship gets ever closer. Theirs is the ship of the Crimson Tide’s fallen brother. They ain’t livin’ creatures on that ship.”
Clowney’s face fell, paralyzed by frigid fear, “That’s got to be a joke, brutha?”
“I’m afraid not. Fight to remember,” he said with a not-so-comforting pat on the back. “Turret is a safe place to be though!”
“They’ll be gunnin’ for me!” Jad complained and that was when the first cannonball rocketed toward them, falling just shy and splashing fresh saline on the iron deck in the half-darkness.
“Ha, only if you let them! Now shoot!” Gary encouraged as he lit the shadows of his might, they were flickering, still tired from that tricky procedure he’d performed on that island with the Amazonian tribe.
The foothold underneath the scientists feet was a slippery deck, but at least it was more well-lit than straight-up moonlight. Gary’s ship had some lights lining where the not-so-safe safety railings were, signifying if you passed that point, you’d fall off the bridge of the ship and into the water.
“Oi! What was that boy?” Gary’s eyes dazzled as they caught the sight of a flaming collision on their ship.
“Not a boy,” Zack corrected. “Looks like something exploded on their ship.”
“WASN’T ME YET!” Jad claimed loudly, overhearing their dog-fight of a dispute.
“Well then have at it! We don’t have all night, they’ll be here any minute!” Gary said and he heard the noises of mechanisms chiming underneath them.
“Not just something,” Gary stated with a smile, “The girl found the torpedoes. She’s got good aim too, built-in sonar in her head.”
“How do you know these things?” Zack stated, trying to call his bluff.
“Ugh, don’t just hesitate, take the shot lad! I can see you’ve had ‘im in your sights for a while. Now go! They won’t give us the same mercy. They’re gunning for Jad!” Gary stated.
“HEARD THAT!” Clowney yelled from across the slate-colored deck.
Another torpedo rocketed off with a Ka-thunk! and it too, landed right on target. “Soon we’ll be too close for her to fire ‘em, so it’s good she’s firing now.” Gary analyzed.
Ka-POW!!!!! the loud scream of his rifle sounded and through the scope, though his sniper had kicked, he saw the enemy go down. It was a good shot, Zack even felt prideful about it, considering the sway of waves and the distance and distinct darkness of the night. His jaw dropped, though, when suddenly, his fallen target stood up, a fresh puncture mark in its skull that the moonlight gleamed through. He shook his head, no, it had to be another one, some sort of explanation, darkness, yeah, someone had just been standing near the guy he’d pinpointed.
Sirens began to blare from the tunneling canals that lead to down below, “What was that?” Zack turned to ask Gary, both regarding the sirens and the necromancy he thought he’d witnessed.
“They’ve boarded.” Gary deduced at the sirens.
“Gary what the Hell?! Are these things… Dead?” Zack hissed.
“Shh, not so loud,” Gary hushed him viciously and then turned around to face the men he’d be leading, some to death, others to victory, and all to a battle they soon wouldn’t forget.
“Listen up men, we’ve been boarded. These creatures are not regular pirates, and they’re a lot harder to kill. Pay no mind to their horrific appearance, they’re no better than you or I.” Gary said, “And I’d say we’ve got the better shots, eh boys?”
There were some small cheers, and one keen scientist asked, “What do you mean we’ve been boarded?”
“Ready your aim at all sides. I mean exactly what I said.” Gary said, annoyed at the interruption.
“Their ships all the way over there!” logic told the scientist. Logic did not rule these seas.
Suddenly, the rusted grime of an anchor shot out from the dark waves and like a grappling hook, rested on the safety railings and the orange, barnacle infested chains grew taut as the infiltration began.
“BATTLE STATIONS!” Gary shouted and he and his canopy of shadows went over to the grappling-anchor to sever the first iron-wrought tie.
The girl turned over her shoulder and smiled as a white lab coat stood idly in the corner of her eye, hearing her twisting fuse of complaints. However, it seemed, the white coat had the opposite problem.
“... Hi,” he said laden with awkwardness and sarcasm, “And if I were you, I wouldn’t complain, you’re likely in the safest part of the ship down here, I’m the one who has to go topside and it will likely lead to my death. Primes return, us secondaries always feel like you feel now in that wheeled office chair, kid.”
“I’m not a kid, I’m actually your age, if you count a few loose screws in time,” Caira said with a smile of shame to the middle-aged man. “You look like you don’t want to die and how can I blame you? My parents were in charge of a galaxy slaying empire and they took no survivors. So I fled, not wanting to be their puppet too. Not wanting to die for deceiving them. Running away from home? Ha! Talk about noble, I live a facade and a lie. Your logic is at least reasonable, what sort of human scientist wants to die?”
“Hmm, when you put it that way… Logic is my prime.” he reached for the pun and won a smile, “Hey, if that’s the case, why do you want to go up there? You don’t seem like the classic coward type and you almost seem frustrated to be bound by injury, that doesn’t sound like someone who runs away from their struggles.” The man with glasses mentioned, “Maybe there’s hope for you yet?”
“Well, I never called myself a coward, because I made a calculated decision. It was the wrong one though, by leaving I enabled my parents to continue their tyranny, and I sentenced all under their wrath to die. Not that I could stop it, but looking back, it was a cause I would’ve died for.” Caira admitted.
“Your words strike me, Prime-girl,” the scientist spoke, “If I’m gone any longer, they’ll notice. That’s almost worse than dying,” he said with a playful smile. “Say, if your parents ruled, albeit mercilessly, doesn’t that make you a princess?”
“I gave up the name a long time ago. But I don’t think I can blame the name for the person I previously was, nor the choice I made as her.” She said silently and the man set off to leave and the woman requested, “Share with me your name?”
“Rives, Limin Rives. Kind of an odd one, but you know.” he shrugged. Caira smiled, she did know.
“You’re one hundred percent unique, secondary or prime, Limin Rives. Good luck up there. And if they wonder where you are, tell them you were tying your shoe,” she pointed down and his shoe was untied. His standing idle had given her the chance to notice it.
“Ah, thanks! I wouldn’t want to trip on myself, will you be down here watching through the scope?” he said as he hunched over, quickly knotting his laces.
“Maybe.” She said with a curious smile. “I think I’ll find out which button releases the torpedoes. The ghosts in the walls still whisper.”
“Ghosts?!” the man became pale with fright.
“U-uh I mean, I know where the manual is, don’t scare yourself before battle! You’ll do great!” she said ruefully regretting the truth in her words.
“Okay… Prime, any advice for me?” he said with his hand clutching the first rung of the iron ladder.
“Make them remember your name. Both your comrades and your enemies.”
…
“Freaking pirates man,” Gary growled as his dark eyes glared over the horizon. Right now, they’d simply wait for it to loom closer and its inhabitants to board. That was terribly lame, especially when your company was Zack freakin’ Fair.
“Aren’t… You technically a pirate?” the sable haired youth said with a raised eyebrow as he assessed the situation. Gary was perched with his mighty gait, donned with his spectacular trench coat which had ample moth holes in it. Jad had even joined the fight, though he was never much of a frontman, he’d mounted on a turret that their captain had deployed for them prior to heading to the top of the steel-cold vessel.
Below Zack’s feet was the squelch of still-sliding water under his rubber soles. Gary was watching him, a snicker under his breath. Their rivalry continued and yet, they united in arms. The Prime fell to one knee and procured a long scoped ebony rifle, “I’m not just a one trick pony,” Zack said, grinding salt as he examined the rising moon backdrop against the grossly dark sales of the ship.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re a grea’ prime and all that,” Gary huffed and Zack loaded thick, heavy looking bullets into the rifle. “Do ye’ any idea what’s coming?”
“I think I’ll take a peek and see,” Zack said confidently to the secondary who thought himself superior in every aspect of the word.
“I think I’ll tell you, because I’m likely to die.” Gary stated plainly.
“Don’t be so dramatic,” Zack rolled his eyes, pulling his attention away from the crosshairs of the scope he’d been looking down. “You thought you could take me on. What’s a couple of freakin’ pirates to you?”
On the prime lad’s lips a smile boasted, “Hmph, suit yourself. You’ll see.” Then Gary recited an old tale.
If ye ever find yourself at the brink,
Ov sailing past the Vasty’s sink,
Tha deathly pirates’ pungent stink,
‘Ll be the last thing ye know b’fore death’s sacred blink.
With darkness in their sails,
Blood will run thick and deep,
Monsters at yer tails?
They’ll never sleep.
The darkness of their curse o’ death,
Will n’er set in this Vasty Deep.”
“What’s that, some old pirate’s tale? Is it supposed to scare me?” Zack scoffed, “Nice try Gary, but my nerves aren’t so easily…”
As the Prime peered down the scope, using the moon’s own silhouette, he thought he saw something not man, but more akin to a ghastly monster with decaying skin and patches of rib instead of flesh for a torso, no lungs in sight. “What…” the ex-SOLDIER blinked to clear his eyes.
“See somethin’ unique laddie?” Gary gloated.
“What are we up against?” Jad called out from his location, mounted in the turret, meanwhile the lab coats were armed with their elite technology, most carbines were made by their own devices.
“If you see them starting to aim cannon balls, that’s when you’re likely in range enough to fire back,” Gary said, “I’m glad you’re out here, we will need every man we can get.”
“I know how range and velocity work, physicist, scientist, doctor, and astronomer ring a bell?” Jad bantered back to his old pal. “You still didn’t say what we were up against.”
Gary walked over, “I didn’t want to spook the other boys, but this’ll be a fight for the books. Their ship gets ever closer. Theirs is the ship of the Crimson Tide’s fallen brother. They ain’t livin’ creatures on that ship.”
Clowney’s face fell, paralyzed by frigid fear, “That’s got to be a joke, brutha?”
“I’m afraid not. Fight to remember,” he said with a not-so-comforting pat on the back. “Turret is a safe place to be though!”
“They’ll be gunnin’ for me!” Jad complained and that was when the first cannonball rocketed toward them, falling just shy and splashing fresh saline on the iron deck in the half-darkness.
“Ha, only if you let them! Now shoot!” Gary encouraged as he lit the shadows of his might, they were flickering, still tired from that tricky procedure he’d performed on that island with the Amazonian tribe.
The foothold underneath the scientists feet was a slippery deck, but at least it was more well-lit than straight-up moonlight. Gary’s ship had some lights lining where the not-so-safe safety railings were, signifying if you passed that point, you’d fall off the bridge of the ship and into the water.
“Oi! What was that boy?” Gary’s eyes dazzled as they caught the sight of a flaming collision on their ship.
“Not a boy,” Zack corrected. “Looks like something exploded on their ship.”
“WASN’T ME YET!” Jad claimed loudly, overhearing their dog-fight of a dispute.
“Well then have at it! We don’t have all night, they’ll be here any minute!” Gary said and he heard the noises of mechanisms chiming underneath them.
“Not just something,” Gary stated with a smile, “The girl found the torpedoes. She’s got good aim too, built-in sonar in her head.”
“How do you know these things?” Zack stated, trying to call his bluff.
“Ugh, don’t just hesitate, take the shot lad! I can see you’ve had ‘im in your sights for a while. Now go! They won’t give us the same mercy. They’re gunning for Jad!” Gary stated.
“HEARD THAT!” Clowney yelled from across the slate-colored deck.
Another torpedo rocketed off with a Ka-thunk! and it too, landed right on target. “Soon we’ll be too close for her to fire ‘em, so it’s good she’s firing now.” Gary analyzed.
Ka-POW!!!!! the loud scream of his rifle sounded and through the scope, though his sniper had kicked, he saw the enemy go down. It was a good shot, Zack even felt prideful about it, considering the sway of waves and the distance and distinct darkness of the night. His jaw dropped, though, when suddenly, his fallen target stood up, a fresh puncture mark in its skull that the moonlight gleamed through. He shook his head, no, it had to be another one, some sort of explanation, darkness, yeah, someone had just been standing near the guy he’d pinpointed.
Sirens began to blare from the tunneling canals that lead to down below, “What was that?” Zack turned to ask Gary, both regarding the sirens and the necromancy he thought he’d witnessed.
“They’ve boarded.” Gary deduced at the sirens.
“Gary what the Hell?! Are these things… Dead?” Zack hissed.
“Shh, not so loud,” Gary hushed him viciously and then turned around to face the men he’d be leading, some to death, others to victory, and all to a battle they soon wouldn’t forget.
“Listen up men, we’ve been boarded. These creatures are not regular pirates, and they’re a lot harder to kill. Pay no mind to their horrific appearance, they’re no better than you or I.” Gary said, “And I’d say we’ve got the better shots, eh boys?”
There were some small cheers, and one keen scientist asked, “What do you mean we’ve been boarded?”
“Ready your aim at all sides. I mean exactly what I said.” Gary said, annoyed at the interruption.
“Their ships all the way over there!” logic told the scientist. Logic did not rule these seas.
Suddenly, the rusted grime of an anchor shot out from the dark waves and like a grappling hook, rested on the safety railings and the orange, barnacle infested chains grew taut as the infiltration began.
“BATTLE STATIONS!” Gary shouted and he and his canopy of shadows went over to the grappling-anchor to sever the first iron-wrought tie.
![[Image: mqdefault.jpg]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/yEac52Ck_1A/mqdefault.jpg)