Before the sight of the nasty, tattooed, blade-wielding pirates on deck caught my eye, I was completely taken by the vessel that they entered from.
"I don't believe it..." I muttered to myself as a spray of blood just missed my face from a brutal fight.
The ship the pirates attacked from was suspended in the air. A ship at least twice the size of our crappy tub was floating 20 feet above the water, giving me a perfect view of it's mighty hull and the, grappling ropes anchored to our deck. I immediately thought of Knives snatching a duck from the lake in his talons, and soaring just above the pond in triumph. It wasn't just the size, the design was so sleek, so hypermodern truly fitting of the steam technology that undoubtedly elevating it.
After giving the airship a long fascinated stare,It was safe to say that it was love at first sight.
"SAILOR! PROTECT THE CARGO!" shouted a voice that sounded like the captain in my general direction.
I finally started to pay attention to the fight around me, and it wasn't pretty. There is very little fancy swordplay in a real fight to the death, especially when one side has almost no weapon training. A lot of slashing, beating and cursing, and all the blood and guts you could imagine to go with it. Despite my previous indifference to the conflict, it was certainly a wake up call.
"SAILOR, YOU FUCKING WASTE OF-HURRK"
The captain's final sentence was cut short by a sword to the chest. I never particularly liked him, but I felt an obligation to follow his last order, as if it was a final request. His killer retracted the blade so quickly his body did a pirouette before hitting the damp wood of the deck. As I readied my cutlass I finally got a decent look at the slayer in question.
It was a young woman, and a pretty tall one at that. I'd place her at about 5'11 on a single glance, not counting a large hat on her head that looked like it could only belong to a pirate captain. Her hair was a dark red; curly and wild in all directions like brushfire, it covered most of her forehead but left a set of pale blue eyes and a violent grin frighteningly visible.
Apart from a white undervest that barely covered the top half of her torso, the brightly coloured tattoos that adorned her skin were on full display. Tucked between a flat stomach and a bright gold buckle was a large flintlock pistol with the handle hanging casually over the beltline. She had ropey toned muscles that made me think of a mountain climber, though she carried herself like she had only known ships her entire life.
In short, she was dangerous-looking and really hot.
"You don't look like a sailor..." she said, as she locked her eyes on to me, "But go ahead and point me to that 'cargo' anyway."
Her voice was deep, yet feminine, dripping with confidence and control. Despite being a murderous criminal, I can see how she would make an effective captain. Despite my curiosity I decided not to stay and listen to any more, and to finally do my duty.
"Can't help you, Lady. I'm just a postman," I said before making a dash for secret cargo hatch on the other side of the ship, hoping to lose her in the melee. It certainly wasn't the best plan, but I'm not exactly trained for this kind of shit. As my ankles sprang into a sprint, I tossed my cutlass aside, knowing it would only slow me down.
The pirate lady attempted to block my path with a swing of her weapon, but my height made my agility deceptive and I was able to evade mid-dash and narrowly keep my scalp in the process. I distinctly heard some words of mild annoyance as I continued my pursuit through the full blown war that had broken out on the Bronze Bastion.
Thanks to my instincts I didn't run into the pointy end of any steel or trip spectacularly over the many corpses that paved the way to the hatch. A few sailors called me name right before dying or killing, understably confused as to why I was running instead of fighting. I was completely sure myself, I was been driven by a sense of pointless duty and a curiosity about what the hell this cargo was. After leaping over Smith's corpse behind the main mast, I came to the hatch. Ducking low, I trailed my hand along the damp wood to find the hidden latch and tucked myself into the opening as soon as It was open.
I'm pretty sure nobody saw me.
Scrambling around the dark, I tried to place my still frozen feet on the rungs of the hatch's ladder, but my balance has its limits. A clumsy misstep was all it took for me to loose grip and fall fast into the unknown depths of this secret room that I knew of but never entered before. I hit the floor with a thudding crash, the surface around me felt like a mix of wood and copper.
Despite a back throbbing with blunt pain, I was able to climb to my feet pretty quickly, so I concluded nothing was broken.The space around me was dimly lit by a flickering orb of light that was known as a lightbulb. Probably the most advanced piece of technology on this pathetic excuse of a ship. Under calmer circumstances I would have taken the time to explore a little more, but I knew the cargo took priority so I started to feel around for the crates. As my eyes adjusted to the dim light I was able to find a pile of broken wood around the area I was standing.
Then I realised that it was a crate and my fall had busted it open.
"Only one box? Must be some pretty important cargo..." I muttered to myself as I pushed aside the debris.
Ignoring the threat of splinters I shifted all of the wood pile until I saw it. A glint of brilliant metal that was able to reflect what little light was in the room. It had somewhat circular plate shape and was adorned with multiple textures of metal that looked like bronze, silver and gold. After I finally found it's edges I lifted it's impressive weight as close to the lightbulb as I could. It was a shield.
Shields were rarely seen anymore outside of war galleries and museums. As gun based weapons were becoming more readily available (and easier to use), the traditional 'sword and board' combos were becoming obsolete. The only swords you could really find in circulation these days was the cutlass, and even that was mainly seen as a backup weapon. I could only imagine this shield was some family heirloom, and it certainly looked fancy enough to be worth something.
Not having anywhere to stash it, I slid my arm through the straps on the inside and closed my hand around the grip. It was heavy, but there was something comfortable about the weight, it felt almost practical. With whatever bruises were on my body finally calming down I decided to make my way back up the hatch ladder. Every time I raised my 'shield' arm to climb the rungs the more attached I felt to it. I not only wanted to keep it out of the hands of the pirates, but anyone. It felt right with me.
My plan was to make another sprint to the other end of the ship as soon as I got above the deck, my chances weren't great, but their might have been a spare diving boat left. Again, not the best plan, but something. Once I got to the top of the ladder I carefully lifted the hatch open just wide enough to peer around. The noise had died down quite a lot, clearly one side had almost won and I had no reason to believe it was the crew of the Bastion. I could still hear the clashing of steel though, and some melee was better than no melee for my cover. I took a deep breath and pushed the hatch open to escape.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
"So, we meet again." a chillingly familiar female voice said as I looked up.
It was the lady pirate captain again, standing right above the hatch waiting for me to emerge. I guess I wasn't as discreet as I thought. I was only halfway on deck when she raised her cutlass ready to plunge it into my head. All things considered I was impressed with myself, I never expected to survive this long anyway. I closed my eyes as I braced for whatever pain would come before death and thought of home.
"Kyeehhh!!!"
I knew that sound. It can't be...
"Argh, fuck! Get away! Fucking pest!"
The calm controlled voice of the pirate lady were now shrieks of annoyance and pain. I couldn't believe it, but it could only mean one thing. I opened my eyes to see my would be-killer thrashing at the sky with her cutlass, faced with a new opponent, an opponent I knew all too well!
"Knives!"
I shouted as I pumped my fist high in triumph, almost losing my balance and falling back to the hatch. My trusty DireHawk's talons were kicking away at her arms and shoulders while flapping furiously to evade her panicked counter-attacks. I tried to process what scenario would have brought my trusty friend back to me, and the only explanation was that he followed the ship for the last 2 weeks. He must have decided to track me from shore, but stayed smart enough to keep out of sight. I would have cried tears of joy if I had the time.
I was able to ungracefully pull myself back on to the deck at the feet of the pirate lady with just enough time to see two more pirates approaching the new fight. As awesome as Knives may be, he remains a massive target, barely able to dodge one cutlass with the element of surprise, but not three. My escape would have to wait. I'm going to save my best friend.
Rising to my feet I stood in the path of the charging pair of pirates, each dressed in tattered rags, with their heads covered with black bandannas. I took a 'battle' stance and raised my new shield to protect my body, having no idea what I was going to do with it. It was hard to hear over the mayhem but I could swear I heard them both chuckling. Not that I would blame them for laughing, I must have looked ridiculous, half dressed and probably holding an ancient shield incorrectly. But that sure as hell wouldn't stop me.
They closed in at once,one going high and one going low. almost as if this pair was rehearsed in double attacks. I decided my best bet was to block the low attack while ducking under the high one before even thinking about mounting my own attack. I dropped to one knee and lifted the shield so it would cover as much of my body as possible, hoping I was strong enough to take the impact.
It seems I was.
The was a 'Klang' sound when the blade met my board and I didn't even flinch, it was as if a small child had tapped it with a pipe. Was I that strong or was he that weak? Before I could contemplate I felt another tap along with the Klang sound that came with the first. I peered out from the edges of my protector to see the 2nd attacker recoiling from a blocked attack as well as the 1st. I wondered how or why he attacked low as well after aiming high.
Both pirates were able to rise to their feet as quickly as I stood but there was a difference now; their smirking faces had become wild eyed gapes of fear and confusion. Whatever their plan of attack was it clearly went very differently than they expected. Bracing myself for the next attack I stepped forward trying to move the skirmish further away from Knives' battle with the pirate captain behind me. This time they attempted to attack from left and right, and I wasn't sure on how to defend that.
Trying to keep my knees steady I shoved my shield into the 'left' attack in an attempt to aggressively parry. It worked, but the result was strange. Not only did the attacker from the right seem to awkwardly throw his sword in the path of my shield but both him and his buddy nearly toppled backwards after the impact. I know I didn't push that hard and they still bounced back like they tried to swing a rubber axe at a steel tree.
"Fucking sorcery, what's with tha' shield?!" grunted the pirate from the left.
"Look at the front, it's like all steam-powered or summat!"
Steam-powered? Well that would explain the design, but why would a shield be steampowered, and how?
It was then when I saw the lever on the inside. It was a switch small enough for a finger to flick right near the handgrip. There was a small label plate above it that I couldn't quite read, but that sure as hell didn't stop me from flicking it. I mean, what did I have to lose?
WIth a single motion of my finger, I pushed the tiny switch from up to down and I was nearly lifted off my feet while being deafened by an engine scream. Tiny exhaust holes around the edges of the shield that I hadn't seen until then expelled hot white smoke towards me and the shield 'propelled' forward, pulling me along with it. Before I had time to think I had charged into both pirates shield first and sent them both flying backwards at least 15 feet. Again, strangely, I barely felt any impact at all.
I held my shield up again expect a 3rd attack, but after my attackers hit the deck they weren't getting up. I looked at my shield again in mild horror wondering how the hell I was able to knock out two blokes at once and barely feel it? Before I had a chance to inspect this fascinating gadget further I heard Knives signature battle cry again, but this time it was laced with pain.
"HA!" Shrieked the woman.
I turned around in time to see her cutlass strike across Knives' chest area, leaving a shallow but ugly wound. I didn't waste any time in swinging my shield at her, hoping to keep her focus of Knives. Despite aiming for her shoulder she seemed to swing her cutlass in the path my attack defensively, though the impact caused her weapon to fly out of her hand. She paused briefly before squaring up to me confident as I scowled with my shield ready to do whatever I needed.
"So that's the cargo. Built-in magnets pulling weapons towards it make it easier to block don't it?" She asked.
So that's what it is.
"It doesn't just block," I said as I thumbed back to the two collapsed pirates behind me. "How about you just let me and my bird go? You can have the ship."
It was a desperate negotiation, but the best I could muster. Seeing Knives flap above me while blood dripped from him onto the deck made me want the peaceful option to work.
"You know, five minutes ago your offer might have had some leverage, not a lot, but some." the captain said before drawing her flintlock on me. "Now you might be able to block this shot, but not from all angles at once."
A simple nod of her head caused me to crane my neck in all directions and I quickly saw what she meant. The crew of the bronze bastion had been all but slaughtered and a couple dozen pirates spread across the deck all had their pistols pointed at me. I took a couple of terrified steps back and looked up at Knives waiting for my signal to re-engage. His flapping was getting slower and I could tell he was struggling to stay airborne due to his blood loss. I held up a hand to signal for him to hold. He'd throw his life away for me on a snap, and I wasn't allowing it.
"Here's my counter offer, boy. Hand over that shield nice and easy. And I might let you swim home. But your fucking turkey just scratched up my arm, so he aint going anywhere. Deal or no deal?"
I knew she was going to kill me either way, she just didn't want me and Knives risking a last stand. Between my shield and his talons, she knew what we could do. I held my shield close and my finger drew closer to the propellant switch, no reason to not go out with a bang, right?
"BROTHERS IN BATTLE, CASPER!!!"
"Wha?" was all I could say when I turned to see no other than Jerry Fucking Doolan emerge from behind a pile of barrels, pushing a freewheel cannon of all things in the direction of me and the crowd of pirates.
"How the fuck did he get there?! I thought you got all of them?!" the captain shouted at her subordinates who looked just as shocked as I was.
When I looked closer I saw that Jerry was covered in blood that was dribbling from multiple gashes in his torso. He was hunched over the cannon as if he could barely stand on his own two feet and he had a smile as bright as a candlelight before it went out. This was his last stand.
"Jerry!" I shouted as I dived out of the firing line waving at Knives to fly as far away as possible. Jerry took his time fumbling with the firing mechanism as the group of pirates began to charge him on their captain's order. At first I thought he was taking his time but I realised his hands were so soaked with blood he was struggling to work the cannon's trigger. I looked as his face as he tried to speak, but only blood left his mouth. That's when I heard the fizz of the cannon's charge and I covered my ears.
The mighty weapon erupted with a THOOM and the cannonball hurtled through the air, but at a completely upward angle. Poor Jerry tried to make his final action count but over shot the crowd by a wide overhead angle. A few pirates ducked but there was no need, it missed completely. I looked up to see the captain smirk as if she was about to breakout in laughter after what must have been a relief for her.
But that cannonball kept going, and with seemingly no drop, it made its way all the way to the floating pirate ship above us and blasted right through the hull. There was a distant crunch, and then a hissing sound I had never heard before. The captain raised an eyebrow as her eyes fixed on the small hole the cannonball made on entry.
"Nuffin more than a puncture!" .
"We'll patch it after we's done down 'ere!"
The pirates shouting to their captain didn't seem as bothered as she was as she was still watching the hole as if me and my shield didn't exist anymore. It was only when she threw her hands up and screamed I realised why.
"HE HIT THE FUCKING GENERATOR GET DOW-"
The sound that followed was indescribable, like a volcano going off in a collapsing mine, I think my mind must have tuned out all of the screams because all I could hear was my head rattling. The explosion came next, and it was so bright that I couldn't say what exactly happened or where the blast reached. Somehow in those seconds I was able to fling myself back into the secret hatch and accidentally tackled the captain down there with me. Everything went white at first, and then everything was black.