“No time to rest. We are in third now; we need to be ready for the two ahead of us,” Senior said, pointing to the now heavily scarred war galleon ahead of them.
“Raghhhh!!!” Sir Bearington roared angrily as he looked at the now-approaching ship.
“Very good sir, we shall eliminate them post haste,” the Bak Stah’Ber answered.
—---------------------------------------------
“What do we do?” Kline called out as he could see more and more of the weapons on the back of the galleon start to be pointed at the now unarmoured Trouser Surprise.
“We can only press on, lad!” the Old Gnome declared as he eyed up the new enemy.
“Why should we trust you?” Daisy demanded.
“Simple, I can still win a victory. It matters not the ship you finish on, only that you finish first. An unwritten rule of this race is if you get nabbed, well, you have a new boss,” he casually replied as he opened the hatch to the below-deck area.
“You think we would just accept-”
“He’s not lying, Junior,” Senior said, cutting off his son’s remark. “If any of us were grabbed, we would either submit ourselves to being a prisoner or actively help the ship we were now on.”
“But why?!” Maxwell complained as he reloaded a ballista.
“To be on the winning ship. Some racers will hop ships and change allegiances to the winning ship just to be a part of their crew when they cross the finish line,” Merl replied, shrugging.
“Yah know you got way too much ballast down here?” the Old Gnome asked as he popped his head back out of the hatch he had jumped down in.
“Really?” Mel asked.
“Yeah, way too much. I saw your ship; it was all armoured. The armour should’ve been able to act as partial ballast. Gimme a moment, and I can do something with the crap you got here. Should help with a speed boost.”
“Manny, can you burn that ship while avoiding its weapons?” Klien asked.
“IF MINE MASTER COMMANDS IT!!”
“Then go ahead… Tasha, you can’t ride him into battle.”
“Awhhh,” the elf looked positively sullen; even her ears drooped.
“Whatever you do best, you do it quickly!!” Senior shouted as a volley of bolts flew at their ship. A few of the bolts impacted and began to detonate with a fiery explosion.
“They’ve got blast bolts!!!” Senior shouted, half in surprise and half in awe.
“I’ll whip up a wind ahead of the ship!!!” Daisy shouted as her hands blurred as she conjured up a pair of wind walls to block the incoming projectiles.
“Raghhhhh!!” a roar from the bearlike captain of the ship they were now pulling aside echoed out.
“M’lord bids you welcome and asks if you’d kindly sink?” his butler translated, leading to a hearty cheer from the rest of the crew.
“We would like to respectfully reject the offer,” Senior said, stepping forwards.
“Ragh,” a sad-sounding growl escaped his jaw… mouth.
“M’lord regrets that is your decision.”
“MINE MASTER HATH COMMANDED ME; NOW IS THE TIME FOR ME TO ACT!!!” Manny roared as he flew above the galleon and began breathing fire onto the deck.
“Raghhhh!!!!”
“Open fire, men!!!”
Bolts from every direction began flying at the Trouser Surprise and Manny. Half of them blew up in mid-air as they collided with Daisy’s wind wall. Looking at her, the class could see she was starting to visibly sweat at the effort to maintain the barrier was taking.
“I’ll help!!!” Kline shouted as he ran to the railing and thrust out his new spear that he had obtained from Gunter’s parents’ workshop.
With a strong and clean thrust, the spearhead shot forwards and embedded itself in the hull of the galleon just below the waterline. Immediately the spearhead began to violently spin and drill a hole in the hull.
“Raghhh!!!!”
“Shipwrights repair the hole!!!”
“Raghh, Raghh, Raghhh?”
“M’lord asks for your name, werebeast?”
“Kline Rabbiton.”
“Raghhry?”
“Yes, really?” Kline replied before the butler could translate.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“Raghhh…”
“M’lord has served with your parents and knows your name… he offers you a chance to join his crew.”
Looking up at Sir Bearinton, Kline could see him hold out a large paw-hand towards him. Kline froze, wondering if the offer was genuine or not.
“On one condition!” Kline shouted.
“Raghh?”
“You leave my friends and this ship alone. Let them claim third or second.” Kline held firm under the baleful gazes of the rest of Sir Bearingtons crew as the large bear… man considered his proposal.
“Raghhhh.”
“Mlord says he will-” the butler began, only for the galleon to shake violently as an explosion struck the ship's rear.
Both crews turned to look to the source of the fire only to see a ship that should not have been there rapidly approaching. The Artistes ship that had been cleanly cut in two by a falling piece of the Trouser Surprise’s armour was now patched back as one.
Standing on the prow of the ship wielding a large lance-sized paint brush wearing a beret and smoking out of a cigarette holder was Yuu Ironforge.
“Big Chief?” Gunter muttered in disbelief, seeing one of his teachers.
“Greetings, enemies. I am afraid you are in the way of the newly christened Artistic Vision. Please be so kind as to move!” Yuu shouted as the artists on deck ran around preparing paint guns.
“RAGHHHHH!!!!!”
“HOW DARE YOU!!!”
“Guys?!!!” Maxwell muttered, just as confused as the rest of the class.
“She must’ve landed on their ship,” the Old Gnome suggested. “The rule would’ve applied, and if that is the lunatic I think she is, then it’s no wonder she could fix a broken ship in the middle of this mess.”
“Indeed, that is the wonderful Lady Yukiko Ironforge!!!” Mell gushed.
“Then is sir with her?” Bea asked as her copies rushed around with spyglasses looking for any sign of their other teacher.
“No sign of him… HEY, BIG CHIEF, IS THE CHIEF WITH YOU?!!” Gunter shouted.
“Ah, Gunter… The dork isn’t with me!!!!” Yuu replied as a volley of fiery red pain splattered against both ships. Immediately under the influence of the strange nature of the painter's skills, the fiery red paint literally ignited and began burning both boats.
“Why is she attacking us?!” Tasha asked as she tried to put out the persistent flames with a bucket of water.
“I told yah. She landed on their ship and joined the crew. That’s how the race works!”
“RAGHHHHHHH!!!!”
“Yes, M’lord… BRING ALL WEAPONS TO BEAR ON THE INTERLOPER!!!”
Immediately the newly named Artistic Vision began to come under focused attacks from every member of Sir Bearingtons crew. Even Manny had joined in on the effort burning the ship from every direction in retaliation for threatening his master.
“Ignore them,” Daisy suggested. “We would never come out on top against a real warship. We can pull ahead while they are focused on Miss Yuu.”
“Good Idea… Mel full speed ahead!!!”
“WAIT!!!” the Old Gnome shouted. “I got a little gift for the bastard to bear with!!!” he said with a malicious grin as he dragged a hook connected to a chain from below the deck.
Running to the railing next to the galleon, he threw the hook, which latched itself onto the hull and sank in cleanly. Immediately the chain it was linked to began to fall overboard every so often, a sizable chunk of metal would follow. After a minute of this, the last chunk sailed over the edge, and the Trouser Surprise began to cleanly pull ahead.
Looking behind them, they could see the galleon was now sitting at a precarious tilt while they continued to trade blows with the Artistic Vision. This continued for a few minutes before the entire Galleon shattered to pieces as Angrathond trying his best attempt at doggy paddle, smashed through it.
Looking above the dragon, they could see the Swimming Paul was now on his back resting. Even his seemingly limitless stamina indeed did have a limit. Surprisingly though, it also seemed Sir Bearington and his Butler had also landed on the dragon's back.
“Crap, it's not good them joining forces!” Kline groaned as the figure of Manny flying back to them approached.
“How far along are we?” Maxwell asked, looking up at Mel and Senior.
“We have just reached the three-quarter mark. Though during that fight, I think we passed the record time for this race, so no bonus winnings,” Senior groaned.
“How in the hell did they set that record?”
“Skinny canoe with a hundred water sails. Damn lunatic did it solo,” the Old Gnome explained as he went about checking the ship for damage. “If the rumours are to be believed, she has the blood of wind nymphs and got lost on her way to the shops.”
The class paused to think who could that could possibly be; one name immediately came to mind. A member of the Elementals that was notorious for getting lost even on a straight road and often letting the wind guide her.
“Of course, she could win this,” Maxwell grumbled.
“So, how far ahead is Dorian?” Kline asked as Manny settled down on the deck of the ship.
“Not too far ahead,” Bea answered as three of her copies pointed forwards after looking down their spyglasses.
Looking at where she was pointing, they could make out the outline of a small ship in the distance. It was impressive he had been able to stay so far ahead, let alone avoid the majority of the fighting after they had escaped the Ouroboros.
Looking towards the ship, they could see a wake start to form ahead of them. This had happened a few times so far when predators that lived in the Jormunganda River surfaced to attack the ships passing by. With an exhausted sigh, the class and the rest of the crew all got ready.
Bursting through the water's surface, a green-hued ship that was covered in holes appeared. It was the ship crewed by the Never-Finishers. The undead crew had always been at a distance, so the most they had made out of the crew were the skeletons.
But now it was within immediate eye line they could see there was a medley of undead serving as the crew. Skeletons, zombies even ghosts were all working and doing their jobs with clinical efficiency. It was as they looked the ship over a figure began to appear at the rear of the ship.
The figure was obscured by the ship's shadows, but they could still make out the silhouette. It was a tall, lanky figure close to the skeletons or maybe a zombie. It was wearing a great captain's coat that had a slightly faded green colour to it with equally faded gold epaulettes.
“Green…” Maxwell muttered with an audible gulp. One of the countless, almost too many books he had been forced to read covered history. The green captain's coat was the colour of an infamous pirate that ravaged every continent and hid all his treasure in one place. What was worse was it was said he was entirely without mercy for anyone. It was no wonder someone so evil was damned to undeath.
The figure continued to step forwards, and more of his appearance became clearer. Atop his head was a large tricorn hat with a skull and crossbones emblazoned upon it. Hidden in the shadow of the hat was a face with a clear beard and one shining green eye, with the other hidden behind an eyepatch.
“Guys, they are bad news!!”
“Nah, they are harmless,” the Old Gnome dismissed Maxwell’s concerns. “The Never-Finishers have their nickname for a reason.”
“DO WHAT YOU WANT BECAUSE A PIRATE IS FREE!!!” The figure of the captain shouted as he drew a rusty cutlass from his hip.
“YAR HARR FIDDLE TEE DEE!!!!” The entire crew chorused in response to his jaunty shout.
As the captain finally reached the rotting railing at the back end of the ship, he stood up on it; the class had to collectively contain an exhausted sigh. Of course, it was him.
“Sir, are you here to help us?” Tasha asked.
“HAR HAR HAR HAR, YEH LAND LUBBERS, I AM DAH CAPTAIN OF DIS SHIP!!!” Their teacher roared back as his crew of undead joined him in laughing.
“The captain’s right. We may be so few in number that we can be classed as a skeleton crew, but we will win this time!!” a skeleton declared.
“I swear when the cap’n landed on our ship, my eyes nearly popped out my skull… they would have if I had any!!!” the crew again broke into a fit of laughter.
“Were… were they always like this?” Daisy asked, looking at the Old Gnome.
“I had always heard it was unbearable being near them… never realised this is why.”
“SIR, COME DOWN HERE!!!” Bea shouted.
“NO YAH LAND LUBBERS, THEY MADE ME CAP’N, AND I WILL LIVE UP TO THAT ROLE!!! I SUPPOSE I AM THE ONLY ONE ON THIS SHIP THAT CAN DO THAT!!” Again another round of laughter.
“How is he controlling them, though?” Mel asked, looking up at the mad teacher in full pirate garb who, till a few hours ago, hadn’t seemed anywhere as unhinged.
“Well, he does have four specialities,” Daisy remembered.
It had been an open conversation between the students and their teacher during one of their lessons, where he revealed his specialities. Well, to them, it was more that he was bragging. But he had revealed he had four specialities. Two elementals being Earth and Air. With two school specialities being Illusions which he got thanks to Sloth and Necromancy, which he developed himself.
“He is a very skilled Necromancer,” Daisy elaborated for the confused adults.
“Come on, men, let’s win this!!!” Alex shouted as he thrust his cutlass forwards.
The undead ship began to move forwards at a far greater speed than it had previously, and it was only when the rear of the ship clipped the Trouser Surprise’s front that they realised why. Their teacher had made the ship into a literal ghost ship. It was now incorporeal and no longer had any weight to it. It would be able to start travelling at absurd speeds soon enough.
“Look, he’s making it go physical every so often to catch the current,” Bea pointed out.
Rushing to the front of the ship, they could see every so often; the waters of the Jormunganda would create a wake as the ghostly ship pressed forwards.
“It doesn’t matter. We need to keep going!!!” Senior shouted as he manoeuvred the ship to cut off the advancing Artistic Vision.
“Great, we’re pinned between both our teachers!!!” Kline bemoaned.