05-22-2018, 07:14 AM
Through the gaping hole in the side of the Sea Sprite, Captain Deudermont saw the approaching ship. Swarming with enemies waving cutlasses and shouting unintelligible curses, the sloop-of-war cut nimbly across the water perpendicular to the Sea Sprite, bearing a flag emblazoned with the skull and crossbones of a pirate vessel. Seeming poised to run right into the side of Deudermont’s ship, the pirate ship cut a hard turn at the last moment, unleashing a broadside with no fewer than ten cannons.
Deafened and disoriented, Captain Deudermont nevertheless managed to sprint across the room and dive into Tia Dalma, the pair rolling away as a second cannonball arced through the hole made by the first. It struck the opposite wall with another thunderous blast and explosion of wood.
“Get her out of here,” Tia shouted above the cacophony. The priestess and the sea captain each grabbed one of Whirda’s arms, dragging her unconscious form out of the captain’s chambers and into the relative safety of the adjoining corridor.
“I have to--” Deudermont began, staring anxiously up the corridor toward the sound of ringing swords and the retort of pistols above deck.
“Go,” Tia said calmly. “I will join ya shortly.”
Deudermont managed a nod as he rushed toward the fighting, leaving Tia and Whirda behind.
Exiting the corridor, Captain Deudermont emerged into a scene of sheer chaos. His crewmen engaged a score of pirates, the air full of the screech of steel on steel and thick with the metallic stench of gunpowder. The deck quaked beneath his feet as the Sea Sprite’s own cannons returned the volley from the pirate vessel. He noted with grim satisfaction as one cannonball obliterated the railing of the enemy ship and crushed a charging pirate, carrying him skidding across the deck and over the far edge of the ship. Above Deudermont, the foremast drooped at a dangerous angle, cracked at its midpoint by enemy cannonfire. The sails hung in tatters, evidently the first target for the marauders to prevent the nimble vessel from outdistancing its pursuers.
Shaking his head to dispel his reverie, Deudermont unsheathed his cutlass and examined the field of battle. He caught sight of Gribble, an aging deckhand who had served on the Sea Sprite for many years, backed up against a nearby railing, his muscular arm darting and weaving to fight back a trio of grinning pirates. A gash along Gribble’s forehead poured blood into his eyes.
Deudermont leveled his flintlock pistol and squeezed the trigger. One pirate dropped to the deck, the other two turning to regard their new enemy. Undaunted, the valiant sea captain waded into the fray. One pirate stepped forward, bringing his sword overhead in a wide arc, evidently meaning to cleave Deudermont’s head in two. Deudermont neatly sidestepped the blow and bullied in, using his weight to throw the pirate off balance and driving a deceptive knee into his groin.
The pirate’s eyes crossed, his forgotten sword clattering to the deck at his feet. “Yer dishonorable,” he wheezed, dropping to his knees.
“And you’re dead,” Deudermont said matter-of-factly, as his sword drew a red line across the pirate’s throat.
Having dealt with the third marauder, Gribble stepped up beside Deudermont with a hearty guffaw. “Thanks fer that, cap’n,” he said, wiping the sleeve of his shirt across his forehead to clear the blood from his eyes. “Thought ol’ Gribble mighta seen his last fight fer a second there.”
“Guard this railing!” Deudermont shouted over the din. “Let no more of these sons of whores onto my ship!” He cocked the hammer on his pistol and turned from the grimly nodding Gribble, charging toward the next cluster of combatants. Against the backdrop of cannon fire and the screams of the dying, the sea captain wove a tapestry of destruction, putting the combination of pistol and cutlass to their deadly use.
Squaring off against two of the marauders, Deudermont brought his cutlass across left to right in a deft parry, twisting the weapon so it ran down the flat of his enemy’s sword with a hiss of sparks. The sea captain forced his opponent’s weapon out wide and capitalized on the moment of imbalance, punching forward with the pommel of his cutlass and the butt of his pistol. Cartilage and bone gave way beneath the force of the twin blows, blood spraying from the pirate’s face as he staggered backward and plunged into the waters below.
Before Deudermont could recover, he felt a flash of pain in his side. He ignored the implications and turned to meet his second foe as the pirate dashed in, tossing aside the handheld crossbow he had just fired. Twirling the gore-soaked pistol, Deudermont squeezed the trigger, but did not feel the familiar recoil of the weapon’s blast. The hollow click of the weapon indicated it had jammed.
The sea captain brought his cutlass up just in time to deflect the pirate’s first attack. But this foe proved more capable than the others, recognizing Deudermont’s weakness. With his free hand, the pirate grabbed the wrist of the captain’s sword arm and held it fast, using his bulk to impede Deudermont’s other flailing arm. The two locked eyes in their deadly embrace as the pirate, with all the leverage, inched the blade of Deudermont’s cutlass against its owner’s throat, drawing a single red bead of blood.
Just as Deudermont felt his grip on the sword hilt slipping, a screeching monkey dove through the air onto the pirate’s shoulder, sinking its teeth into the man’s neck. The pirate howled, releasing his grasp on Deudermont’s wrist to swipe at the monkey. Too late he realized his mistake as a swift kick from the sea captain doubled him over and Deudermont’s cutlass darted between clavicle and scapula to find the vulnerable organs beneath his chest.
Deudermont caught Jack’s eye and gave a weary wink as the capuchin scampered away, marveling at the human intelligence behind the creature’s darting eyes.
“Second ship!” came a scream from the crow’s nest of the mainmast above, a scream then echoed from that of the mizzenmast to the stern of the ship. “Second ship!”
Deafened and disoriented, Captain Deudermont nevertheless managed to sprint across the room and dive into Tia Dalma, the pair rolling away as a second cannonball arced through the hole made by the first. It struck the opposite wall with another thunderous blast and explosion of wood.
“Get her out of here,” Tia shouted above the cacophony. The priestess and the sea captain each grabbed one of Whirda’s arms, dragging her unconscious form out of the captain’s chambers and into the relative safety of the adjoining corridor.
“I have to--” Deudermont began, staring anxiously up the corridor toward the sound of ringing swords and the retort of pistols above deck.
“Go,” Tia said calmly. “I will join ya shortly.”
Deudermont managed a nod as he rushed toward the fighting, leaving Tia and Whirda behind.
Exiting the corridor, Captain Deudermont emerged into a scene of sheer chaos. His crewmen engaged a score of pirates, the air full of the screech of steel on steel and thick with the metallic stench of gunpowder. The deck quaked beneath his feet as the Sea Sprite’s own cannons returned the volley from the pirate vessel. He noted with grim satisfaction as one cannonball obliterated the railing of the enemy ship and crushed a charging pirate, carrying him skidding across the deck and over the far edge of the ship. Above Deudermont, the foremast drooped at a dangerous angle, cracked at its midpoint by enemy cannonfire. The sails hung in tatters, evidently the first target for the marauders to prevent the nimble vessel from outdistancing its pursuers.
Shaking his head to dispel his reverie, Deudermont unsheathed his cutlass and examined the field of battle. He caught sight of Gribble, an aging deckhand who had served on the Sea Sprite for many years, backed up against a nearby railing, his muscular arm darting and weaving to fight back a trio of grinning pirates. A gash along Gribble’s forehead poured blood into his eyes.
Deudermont leveled his flintlock pistol and squeezed the trigger. One pirate dropped to the deck, the other two turning to regard their new enemy. Undaunted, the valiant sea captain waded into the fray. One pirate stepped forward, bringing his sword overhead in a wide arc, evidently meaning to cleave Deudermont’s head in two. Deudermont neatly sidestepped the blow and bullied in, using his weight to throw the pirate off balance and driving a deceptive knee into his groin.
The pirate’s eyes crossed, his forgotten sword clattering to the deck at his feet. “Yer dishonorable,” he wheezed, dropping to his knees.
“And you’re dead,” Deudermont said matter-of-factly, as his sword drew a red line across the pirate’s throat.
Having dealt with the third marauder, Gribble stepped up beside Deudermont with a hearty guffaw. “Thanks fer that, cap’n,” he said, wiping the sleeve of his shirt across his forehead to clear the blood from his eyes. “Thought ol’ Gribble mighta seen his last fight fer a second there.”
“Guard this railing!” Deudermont shouted over the din. “Let no more of these sons of whores onto my ship!” He cocked the hammer on his pistol and turned from the grimly nodding Gribble, charging toward the next cluster of combatants. Against the backdrop of cannon fire and the screams of the dying, the sea captain wove a tapestry of destruction, putting the combination of pistol and cutlass to their deadly use.
Squaring off against two of the marauders, Deudermont brought his cutlass across left to right in a deft parry, twisting the weapon so it ran down the flat of his enemy’s sword with a hiss of sparks. The sea captain forced his opponent’s weapon out wide and capitalized on the moment of imbalance, punching forward with the pommel of his cutlass and the butt of his pistol. Cartilage and bone gave way beneath the force of the twin blows, blood spraying from the pirate’s face as he staggered backward and plunged into the waters below.
Before Deudermont could recover, he felt a flash of pain in his side. He ignored the implications and turned to meet his second foe as the pirate dashed in, tossing aside the handheld crossbow he had just fired. Twirling the gore-soaked pistol, Deudermont squeezed the trigger, but did not feel the familiar recoil of the weapon’s blast. The hollow click of the weapon indicated it had jammed.
The sea captain brought his cutlass up just in time to deflect the pirate’s first attack. But this foe proved more capable than the others, recognizing Deudermont’s weakness. With his free hand, the pirate grabbed the wrist of the captain’s sword arm and held it fast, using his bulk to impede Deudermont’s other flailing arm. The two locked eyes in their deadly embrace as the pirate, with all the leverage, inched the blade of Deudermont’s cutlass against its owner’s throat, drawing a single red bead of blood.
Just as Deudermont felt his grip on the sword hilt slipping, a screeching monkey dove through the air onto the pirate’s shoulder, sinking its teeth into the man’s neck. The pirate howled, releasing his grasp on Deudermont’s wrist to swipe at the monkey. Too late he realized his mistake as a swift kick from the sea captain doubled him over and Deudermont’s cutlass darted between clavicle and scapula to find the vulnerable organs beneath his chest.
Deudermont caught Jack’s eye and gave a weary wink as the capuchin scampered away, marveling at the human intelligence behind the creature’s darting eyes.
“Second ship!” came a scream from the crow’s nest of the mainmast above, a scream then echoed from that of the mizzenmast to the stern of the ship. “Second ship!”
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