A Pirate's Life

A Pirate’s Life
By Rebellion


"Permission to come aboard, Sir!" John called to his friend George. Before him stood a pirate ship, christened Neptune’s Saber which was painted in old high Elf on the side below the bow. George had hoisted the flag Clan Midwinter Equinox.
Mary's face appeared over the bow. "Ahoy, Matey! Come on up. Wait until you see what George brought! It's so cool!"
John climbed up the plank and jumped down into the ship. Captain George had on a pirate captain's hat and had a obsidian thunder cutlass strapped to his waist. He was bent over a strong oaken box that had once held tourmalines, sorting through a pile of clothes.
"What's that?" John asked.
"Pirate costumes." George stood up, and John could see he had a gold earring pinned to his hat. "What do you think?"
John whistled admiringly. "Why didn't you pierce your ear?"
"Dunno, I couldn't figure out how to put it on my ear." He took off the earring and held it out. "I brought you one too."
Mary crawled out from the galley, dragging a bag with her. "I packed some snacks. Anyone want a cookie?" She had also put on a jester's costume, with a beautiful scarf wrapped around her neck and blue silk balloon pants tied tight at the ankle.
"Who're you supposed to be?" John tried not to laugh.
"I'm a pirate! I just took my sword off because it got in my way."
"Those cookies summon elementals!" George exclaimed with a frown, "I hope you have something else."
John picked a gold bandana and tied it over his head and added a tattered eye patch pinning the earring George had given him to it. Then he tucked a dagger of death in his Darkland belt; now he felt like a real pirate.
"Let's cast off." George climbed up to the forecastle with his bronze spyglass. "Ship anchor."
"Aye, aye Captain." John pulled in the line that had been tied to the pier.
Mary lifted the gangplank, pulled it in, and they set sail.
Soon Captain George called the crew to climb up and see what he saw. Looking through the spyglass, John could see another ship on the horizon. Mary saw it too, bearing down on them from towards the whirlpool.
"Prepare for battle!" called Captain George. "I wonder what treasure they bring us?"
Excitement filled the air as the crew drug out the cannons and pointed them through portholes. Then Mary revealed her secret weapon; she had filled the hold with leather pouches of sulfur mix and black powder! Now they could use the fire-launcher.
"Let's put some by each porthole so we can attack from anywhere," she suggested.
"Ship rigging combat," yelled George.
"Okay," agreed George, "but let's bring some up here too." They distributed their ammunition. Just in time too! The enemy ship was almost upon them!
"I'll man the harpoons," said Mary.
"I'll oversee the other weapons," John said with a hard stare.
"Ship target merchantman," George yelled. "Ship fire harpoon!"
The harpoon banks fired with one hitting and one missing. Now the merchantman was tethered.
"Ship fire fire-launcher," screamed George. The fire-launcher spewed fire across the merchantman.
"Ship fire basic, ship fire medium, ship fire heavy-cannon, ship fire light, ship fire heavy-ballista" George ticked off the weapons banks. Cannon balls and wooden bolts ripped into the merchantman.
The merchantman was taking heavy damage and putting up little resistance. Smoke was rolling off the deck and the ship began listing to port. Suddenly it broke free from the tether and began a run to patrolled waters.
"Ship fire harpoon," yelled George fearing the ship would get away.
John who was near the fore yelled, "Good shot Mary, both harpoons landed."
Mary screamed "Let's reel her in, Cap‘n!"
George yelled "Ship fire light-ballista, ship fire basic, ship fire medium, ship fire heavy-cannon, ship fire fire."
The various banks fired off and the merchantman had nought a chance. Suddenly there was a loud crack as the mast gave way. The ship rolled over to it's port side and the battle was over. Treasure began floating away from the wreckage.
"Ship salvage," exclaimed John, "Let's see what we can get."
The nets were let out and pulled in. Inside the nets were a large steamer trunk along with other bits and pieces. A couple of soggy scrolls and a book bound in heavy leather fell to the floor of the hold. Inside the trunk there was gold, ship weapon supplies, and jugs of rum. He and Mary saved the rum and the gold and had the workers store the supplies.
"What book is that John," Mary asked.
"It says it's a manual of luck," said John, "Do you need it? I have enough luck."
Mary beamed with a smile and said, "Thanks!"
John said, "Thank you for the good shots. George what scrolls were those? I need some priestly scrolls."
George, who was shaking water out of the scrolls peered at them intently and soon it became clear what they were. One was a smudged sticky scroll and the other was a mottled vomit-yellow scroll, both of which were worthless for a priest.
"Not your day for luck," snickered George.
"This calls for a celebration, mates. Mary, didn't you say something about food," Captain George asked.
"Yes sir." Mary opened her bag and passed around some apples.
John opened the rum, "Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!" he sang.
Captain George poked the Mary with the tip of his sword. "You did good with those harpoons. You want to be a regular crewman?"
Mary shook her head, "I want to explore Alyria. Maybe I will buy a ship of my own one day."
"We could use her in the clan," suggested John. "Maybe she doesn't want to be a pirate but she can be a clannie."
"I can do that," answered Mary. She took out a cookie and ate it.
Suddenly a huge water elemental appeared splashing water all over the deck and all over John and Rebellion and which joined Mary who grinned evilly.
"Eww, a salt sea shower. Yuck!" complained John.
"Okay, Mary has to walk the plank, to pay for spraying us!" commanded Captain George.
John propped the gangplank over the side.
George said, "Ship plank Mary, ship plank elemental," and before either could react both were dumped into the sea.
They let Mary back on board, gave her a towel, and told her she was Acolyte Mary.
Sailing on through the Arcanian Isles, they reached Sigil just as John had to leave for work.
Waving goodbye, he called, "Tomorrow let's sail to Decara!"