CHAPTER 3

I turn and jump onto the deck. Tori is cradling his ever swelling, solid purple hand. Tao is looking at me like he is trying to solve a puzzle. The captain is walking toward me as fast as his little legs will carry him. The captain's 'regulars' are working their way to the banister trying to get an angle on the pirates below, who have completely ignored me in their haste.

As Captain Piggy gets about halfway to me, Tao runs and jumps in front of him to stop him. “My captain, I think we should keep our distance from this man until we know what he is planning to do.” Well, I guess that's my cue.

I turn and point the gladius threateningly at the part of the crew I was a part of, “I know none of you are willing to die for this prick of a captain, so I suggest you all drop your weapons.” They all look at each other, mumble a couple words, and throw down their weapons, except for one. The sailor that has been trying to be my friend for the last month. He raises his pistol and half cocks it. “Ya know, I've been nothing but nice to you, and you have walked all over my poor ass. So, I think I'm gonna personally end this little one person show you got going on here.”

I just shake my head, and grin at him, “Just remember, whatever I do to you, it's not on me. I warned you.”

I see his arm tensing as he pulls the striker all the way back. I realize if I don't do something I very well could get shot. I can't use my blunderbuss without hitting everyone else over there, so, I guess I gotta use this stupid fucking gladius. In one quick motion, I raise the sword and chunk it at him.

I'm pretty good at throwing blades, but this rusted piece of junk is completely unbalanced, and the sword hits him square in the chest... sideways. After he realizes he didn't get impaled, he looks up with a smirk, which immediately disappears as he sees I'm only about 6 feet away running full tilt at him. I was going to punch him, but I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to beat his gun, so I do the first thing that comes to mind. I lead with my feet, and dropkick him as hard as I can in the chest. His pistol goes off, hitting one of the crew crouched at the railing. I feel my feet continue into him, as his sternum caves in under my bare feet, he flies off his feet over the opposite railing. I hit the ground on my back and spin over to prone, looking up at the situation.

The rest of the regular crew is fleeing to the front of the ship, and the captains regulars are still in shock. I jump up to my feet and start to run at the front swivel cannon. The gunner realizes I'm coming for him and starts to spin it around, but he is much too late. When I get just outside of arms reach, I slam the stock of my gun into his chin. He falls overboard. I take control of the cannon, spinning it around pointing it parallel to the banister, at the opposite swivel gun and all of the captains regulars lined up between here to there. I was gonna try and warn them, but they are all in the process of cocking their strikers. So, I jerk the pull cord, the pre-charge sparks, and the cannon fires. Not waiting for the copious amounts of smoke to clear, I rip the bandage holding my blades under my clothes and take them both in my hands. I knew the small cannon would do damage, but this was more than I expected.

Through the thick acrid smell of the spent gun powder, I can pick up the sharp metallic smell of blood. I look down and see why, after only a couple seconds blood has already reached my feet. A few seconds later, I start hearing the moans and screams of the men on the other side of the wall of smoke, and I hear the blood trickling off the side of the ship into the water. As the smoke clears, I start to get a true grasp of the carnage I inflicted. Strewn out 50 feet in front of me are the horribly mangled corpses of everyone against the banister of the ship. A few men try in vain to grab at guns to retaliate. Some are trying to cover holes ripped open from the iron shot flying through them, and others are either too shocked to do anything or lying dead still.

As I stare at the bodies, blood, gore, and carnage, I start to feel that all too familiar feeling creep into my head from the base of my skull. My heart rate starts to go wild, my muscles feel like they are tensing but relaxing at the same time, and I feel a wild euphoria flood my body. It's not blood lust at all; I don't get the urge to hurt other people to see blood. It's closer to a blood fetish, but that's not quite right either. There isn't a sexual aspect to it.

It started a few years earlier when I was in a horrible accident. I laid there in a literal pool of my own blood for more than 45 minutes. I watched the blood as it spurted from my mangled limbs, forming a small stream running away from me, leaving me. I remember it all, I remember the feeling, the smell, the sounds every fucking bit of it. I remember being utterly and completely defeated, as I heard whispers of people debating about if I'd lose my legs or not. In that moment, I knew my life would never be the same. I had countless opportunities ripped away from me in a matter of seconds, whether I liked it or not, I was less of a person from that moment on.

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So, I guess my mind could have done one of two things with that. It could have made it a scarring and traumatic experience, or it could focus on the immense levels of adrenaline and endorphins which flooded my brain. I remember it almost like a high that is stronger than any other high. Being that close to death, knowing that you are going to lose blood, flesh, limbs or even your life puts you in a place that cannot be comprehended unless you have personal experience. So, now when I see blood it feels like driving a car 120 mph down the highway or jumping out of a plane at first. Then, if I'm in danger, it becomes a euphoria, it washes over me in waves. I hardly feel pain, things seem to move slower, and I feel like I'm invincible. It's intoxicating and extremely hard to control at times.

I walk over to the other side of the ship to get away from the blood; I don't need to be slipping all over the place. I feel my feet sticking to the deck, as leave bloody footprints behind me. I look around, and Tori is clutching his hand backing up with the remaining crew huddled at the front of the ship, and Tao has moved himself and the captain to the back of the ship. Then all of a sudden, I hear the patter of feet coming up from the hold. I put my blades down and bring my gun up to my shoulder. Four people emerge from below, and as they turn to face me, I pull the trigger.

Now, most people don't realize that early guns take a second after you pull the trigger to actually fire, and even though I know this, I still relax when it doesn’t immediately fire. When it finally does go off, it slams into my shoulder with what feels like the force of a sledgehammer. My arm goes numb for a second, and I can't help but drop the gun. I guess loading it with extra powder and shot really did come back to bite me.

Luckily for me, the double load of shot takes out all four of the men, and the numbness only lasts a few seconds. Then the massive adrenaline rush from all of the blood earlier deadens the pain. But I know my right arm is not going to work at a 100 percent after this for a week or so.

I look out to the rigging of the ship, and there are dozens of people watching me now. I pick up my blades and look around at who’s left. None of the crew I was a part of look interested in fighting; so I guess all who are left are Tao and the captain. As I start walking toward them, Tao stands up and holds up his hand to stop me, “I don't know what you are trying to prove, traitor, but I am this man’s protector. I will not allow you to harm him.”

I still don't understand why Tao is protecting him. Tao is very respectful to everyone on board, and he seems compassionate. Hell, half the time when Captain Piggy talks Tao looks disgusted with him. I wish I could ask him, but there isn't time. So, I try to diffuse the situation.

“Well, I don't guess you'll let me and my new friends take everything on the ship do you? I think that would be very beneficial for my new crew and I.”

Captain Piggy explodes into a boisterous and annoying bout of opposition. Screaming that his livelihood is on this ship and he will not become a pauper on the whim of mangy vagrants or something to that effect. Tao tries to calm him but to little avail.

I start to get angry now, “Captain, would you shut the fuck up? Don't forget, I'm not the only one you are fighting against. Even if I stop right now, you have dozens of pirates already tethered to your ship. Lemme say this slowly, You. Are. Going. To. Lose. Your. Cargo.”

“Well, I may very well lose my cargo, but I will have your head for it. Tao kill him.”

Tao nods his head slightly and turns to me pulling his swords. Oh fuck, I was hoping they were for show, but he holds them in obviously well-practiced hands, plus his swords are immaculately maintained. He is clearly dangerous; twin hook swords are incredibly hard to use due to the fact they are sharpened everywhere except where your hands go on the handles. The finger guard is sharpened, the pommel is sharpened, and the actual blade is double sided along its length. Any lack of concentration or misstep and you could inflict a massive gash on yourself.

Knowing that there is little chance of me not getting cut, I let myself slip a little deeper into my blood rush. All it takes is a quick look at the scene I created earlier. The blood creeping ever further across the deck, like a stream flowing from their mangled limbs. The smell of the powder mixing with stench of bodies blown apart. I feel it, the rush, I feel alive. I could very well die here and that sinks me even deeper. Ah yes, I live for moments like these, and it has been far too long since I've experienced one.

Tao decides to begin first. He starts off at a slow trot towards me, not in any hurry. I had taken up a defensive stance just waiting for him to get close enough to strike, then I would parry, nothing fancy. He unfortunately had other ideas, as he gets about two sword lengths away he links his left sword together with his right sword behind his head, effectively doubling his reach. I see the razor sharp hand guard and pommel flying towards the left side of my neck. I react by jerking my head back but not quite quick enough. The pommel cleanly slices through the bony bridge of my nose, and holy fucking son of a whore it hurts.

I lose concentration which, Tao tries to capitalize on by spinning around in a very graceful pirouette. If he wasn't trying to kill me it would look a lot like a ballerina spinning. As the finger guard is about to lodge itself into my head I lower my head and just enough to avoid being scalped. I come up with my left kuhkri to slice the wrist holding the swords linked together but he flicks his wrist down to guard his hand with the finger guard. Luckily the force tilts the sword towards the sky and the other swords slips out of the hook, sending it flying across the deck. I come from the left side of my body with my right kuhkri to slash his stomach but Tao sees it coming. He leans forward and my blade finds his chest instead. My blade slices though his skin from the start of his right ribs, across his sternum ending at his collar bone, but his ribs keep me from hitting anything vital. We both take advantage of the moment and jump back from one another. Looking at each other we realize this fight is going to end up with both of us dying if we keep going. In less than 3 seconds, he all but cuts off my nose, and I sliced his left pectoral in half. Our reflexes, honed from years of combat, are the only reason either of us are alive. I look him in the eyes as I give him my wildest smile. Moments like this give meaning to a life devoted to violence.