seymoure

Chapter 15

The Master of the Sea

The silence of truce hung heavy on the crew. The Captain had decreed no shot be taken while the Death’s Head fleet sent out long boats to recover the survivors of the battle.

The tense minutes passed as The Black Corsair stood on the prow of his ship facing The Scarecrow, who was standing defiantly on the prow of his.

After what seemed an hour, a man rushed up to Jack Scythe and said something private into his ear. Scythe turned and gave an order.

The Fleet hoisted their anchors and moved to full sail. Within ten breathes they were visibly moving away.

A cheer arose from the crew of the Slug. Sabre turned and smiled. He strode triumphantly into his cabin, where he was joined by his passengers and his wizard.

“This has been a most satisfactory day,” the pirate said, as he opened a cast of rum, “For today I am Master of the Sea.”

Slip took a full cup of liquor and said, “For as long as that lasts, I drink to the Master of the High Seas.”

“Today is all I know,” Sabre said. “But today is enough for today.”

There was much toasting and singing.

Sandor fed the child, and rocked it to sleep. Then he and the others joined in singing songs that they had known from childhood, but had never thought they would sing on a pirate ship.

The only one who did not celebrate was Hawk. He knew the battle had been hard fought, but still, it was too easy. A man like the Scarecrow did not make a reputation on single strikes.

Hawk marched the deck, waiting for something to happen. But even he was rocked into placidity by the moonlight and the waves.

He sat down and allowed himself a quiet smoke.

If he had taken one more circuit around the deck he might have spotted the silver claws of the first of the Death’s Head fleet’s amphibian warriors as they ducked into the hull and pulled themselves up.

With skin that shone in the moonlight like milky opal, each of the dozen was armored and deadly.

And they were here to finish the business that had only begun earlier.

These were the fighters that had sunk a thousand ships as they rounded the Cape at the End of the World. It was only when their homeland had been blasted out of existence by Queen Maxima’s fleet, that they had joined forces with Jack Scythe and began an undeclared war on all vessels that were not part of that force.

Since the Queen’s fleet would never be part of The Death’s Head, it was assured that they would be prime targets for the amphibians.

Now they were going to sink this ship, but only after gaining its precious cargo for their own ransom.

And heaven help anyone foolish enough to stand in their way.