Chapter 14

Curve of the Moon

The crisp and cold of the air rushed past me , picking up my hair and slinking over my ears as the cannon fire exploded around me.

My eyes were glued to the horizon. The setting sun giving way to dusk as my eyes focused upon the sky.

Shooooo-

I turned as soon as I heard the whistling air , flicking my eyes to the cannonball piercing the air. In one motion I raised my pen.

Puuummmmme!

Beam met ball in midair, piercing through into the evening sky, one instant passed, another,-

The flame danced outward in green and purple . Imploding in on itself and swallowing itself as the explosion reached into the air.

Then it burst.

Booooommmmm!

It almost looked like fireworks I thought idly, whistling at the devastation. Then my eye flicked to the back of the ship where the charred hull still smoked a little from the first shot.

I shook my head. “We gotta get out of here. Those things hurt. “

From my right came the light peal of Lysa’s voice. “Their firebomb cannon balls.” Her eyes flicked through her book. “ Quite annoying.”

I turned. “Any easy was to blow them up? “

Lysa thumbed through a few pages. A gold light flickering through the words of her encyclopedia as she searched. “It says the internal firebomb is quite sensitive and can sometimes detonate early when the right force is applied to the inner core. “ she dropped the book, “ Any help? ”

The right force huh.

Whirrrrr-rrr-r-rr

In my hand the pen flickered out of life, laying a pale tan instead of the lively gold it was moments before. ‘Well can’t use this.’ I idly threw the pen behind me , where it fell into the ocean with a sploosh , ready for whoever could find it.

I reached into the side of my pants, finger palming the handle of one of three daggers that I won earlier clasped to my side. In a motion I freed the dagger from its sheath and spun it across my palm. The leather filling my fingers as I eyed the moonlight colored vessel divide the sea as it marched powerfully across the water.

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From its front a wooden carving of a mermaid was inlaid into the boat. Her beauty ethereal , her visage prominent and her arms clasping a steel barrel that pointed directly upon us.

The barrel was a dark steel but as I watched, the barrel slowly gained a tint of red. It crept up the back of the barrel singing it with steam that fell off in a light cloud.

Then it loosed its charge.

I eyed the fire , drew my dagger and swung.

The collision went as so-

From a low arc the dagger raised. It’s edge in line with the moon that had begun to peek it’s celestial body from the clouds above. Like the curve of the dagger could see the edge of the moon, it curved , perfectly ascending . A roar echoing as it finished its arc.

“Squeak!”

“Watch out Peeps. “ I yelled below.

I laughed a little. “It’s coming.”

At this time the cannon ball had made it halfway across the gap between this moonlight vessel and my ship. It’s whistle a call of destruction for the moment ahead.

The cannon ball called for destruction.

My blade rose to the edge of the moon.

Together they tangled for dominance.

The ball fell from the sky.

Lysa eyed the dagger in my hand. Her fingers flicking through her Encyclopedia.

“Divine Artifact. Moon dagger. Borrows the power of the moon to send out a slash capable of harnessing the weight of the moon. Note- Power depends on strength of the wielder. “

Lysa looked up. “You would think the strength of the moon sword would be a little stronger than that. “

Then she tripped , fell to the side as it were as the ship turned and jostled . Water rushing past the ship in waves that seemed to quicken without rhyme or reason.

My eyes fell on that briefly , my hand scratching my chin, wonder what that was all about? Then my eyes went back to the ship.

“Ahaha! I hit. “

The moonlight vessel was struck. A perfect looping arc had curved upward and caught the mermaid through her middle. Now the cannon and it’s clinging companion slid free from the deck.

I watched this through narrowed eyes. Satisfaction In my chest as I saw a silver haired man walk to the deck's end where the mermaid had just departed. He looked down at the destruction for a second then he looked up. My eyes were magically enchanted which is why I could see him from across the distance of 100 yards quite well.

It didn’t explain why it looked like he could see me. The man chuckled a little and in a flicker of movement was gone.

“Ya really got us good huh. “

“Suver!!!!!!! “

“Saueakkkk!!!!”

The blade pierced through my chest. I could feel it. A numb pain that spread through my body.

“What? Too fast for you? “

The man laughed as he pulled his blade from my chest.

“You’re calling yourself Suver? Laughable. That’s a title for the strongest in the ocean. If that’s anyone. It’s me. “

Thunder in the distance cracked and snarled as its fingers reached down to the earthly realm. The wind picking up lightly and the clouds darkening, I felt the drops of water stream down my hair in a light drizzle as I fell to the deck.

Damn. I thought, my vision blackening.

We’re in for a storm.