Shinobi Train
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Chapter 13:
~The Calm Before The Storm~
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Fan Art:
A very special thanks to LonelyAssassin and Scion
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Author's Note:
Welcome back, bitches. If you're new to Wolfe, strap in...if you've been down from the beginning, all I can say is, thanks, time to push the button.
Chapter 13:
~The Calm Before The Storm~
“Zane, time to get up,” Brailen said, shaking his cousin awake.
The man didn’t come in making a racket as usual, instead the tamers were all getting up quietly so as not to alarm the other ship. The sky was still dark, and a chill wind blew on them as everyone made their way on deck. Most of them went ahead and took their places already.
“What am I supposed to do?” Zane whispered to his cousin, “I can’t even control my ability let alone fight out at sea.”
“You’re registered as one of us, which means you have to be present. If this does turn into a fight, you help anyone that’s injured. Drag them below so they aren’t targeted as easy prey. The crew will be doing the same, so you’ll be helping them.”
“Aye, aye.”
Everyone stayed low so their silhouettes couldn’t be seen, and many were completely invisible to a vessel passing by. Zane spotted the twins who were crouched behind some barrels with their dogs, but Jama only had one with him. It meant he would be ready to board them and unleash its full size since doing so over here would cause too much damage.
It felt like the calm before the storm as dawn broke, revealing the potential threat. It was easy to make out the ship, and someone was standing on the bow. Captain Roberts threw open his door and marched up to the stern; his heavy boots were thunderous in this silence. The only other sounds were that of water lapping against the hull and the uneasy creak of the wood arguing with its rigging.
“Ahoy there!” He called out.
There was no answer.
“Maybe they can’t hear you, sir. The wind isn’t really carrying your voice…” Hughes paused and thought about that when the captain turned to look at him; there were probably schools of fish below fleeing from that booming call, there was no way they didn’t hear at this distance.
“If they were…you know…wouldn’t they just try to pick off one of the galleons instead of make their way up here?” Zane asked.
“No, they’d first need to deal with us if they wanted any chance of escape.” Brailen answered.
Now the sun was starting to illuminate things a bit more, and it was clear to see even from the teen’s angle that their deck looked empty too. Either they had a skeleton crew or were using the same tactic so as not to cause alarm. The man standing on the bow was joined by what looked like a woman, and they both stared endlessly at their flagship.
“Ahoy!” Roberts called again, somehow louder than the last time.
They were getting awful close now, and the lack of response sent a chill through everyone’s bones. Finally, as if the delay was just to mess with their minds, a reply was heard.
“Ahoy!” The man said, but his voice wasn’t reassuring anyone at this point.
“What be your business?” Roberts returned, at the very least glad that they were communicating.
They went silent again though, not answering the question. On their present course they’d be in boarding range in a minute or two. Something was being raised up on the mast, a flag of some sort, but it hadn’t caught the wind yet and wasn’t viewable. All eyes were now glued to it as it slowly climbed up into place.
“Ahoy there,” the man didn’t need to shout now, but he paused for a moment.
The flag made its way up to the top, and a few gusts of wind started blowing it about. Any moment now and it would reveal its symbol.
“Ahoy…” the man said again, “We’ll be takin’ your cargo now…if’n ya’ don’t mind…”
The banner flipped open and flapped in the breeze. It was black and bore a red ball in the middle which had flames on top. Everyone stopped breathing for a moment; that was a clan emblem for an infamous family known only for their ruthlessness. The fear could be felt in the air, and the menacing grin on the man’s face told that he could taste it.
The only person who seemed unfazed by this at all was Roberts, “Captain Julius Brazen…I had a hunch it might be you.”
“Arrr, nobody calls me by that name, swine!” The pirate captain’s voice had the same weathered nature as Roberts, but his words were quicker and held the last in each sentence for a while. “You’ll be calling me Captain Grave if ya’ know what’s good for ye!”
For some reason Zane expected the fighting to commence immediately, but no one on either boat stirred in the least except for Layla. She tossed a rope off starboard and slipped down without being noticed to position herself for battle. She needed to be in the water to maximize her influence over the denizens that dwelled within, though it was more than likely someone was doing this on the other ship as well.
The two captains walked their ships as they talked, Roberts headed for the bow and Grave headed for the stern. Both vessels were close to matching speed as the pirates slowed down to come along side.
“We know they’re pirates, why don’t we just fight them?” Zane whispered to Brailen.
“I don’t think you understand, these aren’t ordinary pirates,” he told him. “Besides, neither captain has given the order to attack. The skipper knows what he’s doing.”
“To be frank, I’m surprised you’re trying this so early in our voyage.” Roberts said as he walked.
“Oh, I’m not trying. It appears to me that I’m doing…”
“Wouldn’t it have been better to wait till we had been through some other battles, maybe lost a few numbers or something? At least wait till we were tired of sailing and not been up to par?”
“Nonsense, this isn’t even a challenge, more like a stroll on my ship.” Grave answered, gesturing with a sweeping hand to show the irony of that statement. “Besides, you weren’t planning on being so foolish as to fight me, now were you?”
“Funny, I was about to ask you the same question…”
“Bahahaha! Quite the comedian I see. By the way, I didn’t catch your name. I do like to know exactly whose ship I’m taking.”
“Captain Roberts Stride and this ship is the Gliding Maiden, if you must know. Though I doubt you’ll care about either of those things soon enough.”
“True, I’ve forgotten half the names I’ve taken, but I do remember every boot to the arse I’ve given.”
“You’re a very over confident fellow, you know that?” Roberts said.
“And with good reason, mind you. Ya’ see, my first mate alone has sunk more ships than most do in their entire careers.”
“Is that so…well, I didn’t know dinghies counted as ships these days.”
Captain Grave’s face frowned at that, “You watch your tongue, knave. Speak ill of my wife again and I’ll cut it out myself.”
The two stopped walking and turned to face each other now that the ships had matched speed. One could almost jump from deck to deck at this distance, any closer and they’d be in severe danger of scraping. In fact, that danger was already present.
“And a temper to boot,” Roberts said; he was enjoying this conversation to some degree, but he knew what would come next could be the end of this short-lived journey. “So, am I to presume that, if we simply hand over our cargo, you’ll let us go free?”
“The way I see it ye can either take me word on it, or try yer’ chances in a fight. Your call…captain.”
“From one captain to another, I would ask the chance to confer with my crew. See, I have to make sure they’re fine with surrender or they might try something and get us all killed.”
“Oh, by all means, but try yer’ best to hurry things along, I’d rather not waste unnecessary time on this.”
Roberts dragged Hughes and Brailen into his cabin so they could talk in private.
“Sir, you aren’t seriously planning on giving in to the demands of this…pirate?” The first mate asked.
“The hell I’m not, I’ll be drawn and quartered before I surrender to that heathen.” The captain said, pacing to and fro. “Besides, he isn’t about to let us live anyway.”
“We’re here to discuss a plan, you idiot.” Brailen told Hughes.
“I resent you speaking to me in such manner...”
“You’ll get over it. Now what’s our options for attack, skipper?”
“I assume Layla is already in the water?” The captain asked.
“Aye.”
“Good, but they probably have a counter for that in place. Hughes, I need you to lead a boarding party, but I don’t want it to be announced. You have to get over there with a handful of trainers and start tearing that ship apart. Take those twins…whatever their names are…I’ve heard good things about them.”
“Aye, aye.”
“Brailen, you’re our secret weapon in this, I don’t want them to know what you can do until it’s too late for them to do anything about it.”
“What about this first mate of theirs? She sounds like a problem in a half. We also don’t know what their abilities are at all.” Brailen noted.
“At any rate we have more to throw at them. Once this gets ugly, tamers from the galleons will join in.” Hughes spoke up.
“True, but they’ve been given orders to defend their station, if we can expect anything from them it’s to abandon ship when they see the overwhelming power of the enemy.” Roberts stopped and put his hands on the table, looking at the two men. “This battle rests with us. If we fail, every man, woman and child back home will suffer for it.”
“Then let’s kill us some pirates.” Brailen said.
Captain Grave’s shout of impatience was heard outside. He knew they were planning on defense, he just didn’t care. He was going to kill them all one way or the other, but preferred they surrender in false hope to make it easier. A few moments passed while the three discussed an alternative plan of attack should this prove to be a losing battle, but it was decided to be used as a last resort.
They emerged from the cabin, but they each casually took places on the deck. Hughes managed to relay a message to a small group of land based trainers. Brailen took up a position that would best allow him to call out orders. Roberts went back to facing the pirate as before. A woman joined Grave’s side, which was obviously his first mate and wife. She had an evil look about her, and a boa constrictor wrapped around her body and down one arm with its head sticking just past her hand.
“So, are ye ready?” The pirate captain asked.
Roberts looked around at the people on his ship. Unknown to the enemy, he was actually signaling to a certain group that it was time.
“Zane, get down below, the plan just changed, this is a battle for survival now.” Brailen whispered to his cousin.
The teen obeyed and slipped through the door.
“As ready as we’ll ever be.” Roberts replied, looking his adversary straight in the eye.
I'm just not good at that stuff. Trying my best though. ^_^
You're real funny, Cobra. ^_^
