This is a short story for Ynot's contest. Hope you like it.
He stood about 7 feet above the ground. I remember vividly what he wore: boots, a tri-corn hat, a cravat, overcoat, a shirt underneath, and britches. His facial features seemed human, yet grotesque. He held a cutlass to my throat as my blue eyes looked straight up at him.
“I’ll ask ye one more time. Where is yer master?”
I spat on his left boot defiantly. I would never tell Captain Perseus, son of the nobleman Keichi, the location of Klak. At least on this planet, Air Pirates are a higher breed than Sea Pirates, so I refused to answer to such scum.
Perseus laughed.
“A foolish choice, Ghost of the Air.”
Before his cutlass was able to slice into my neck, I reeled to the right. Slamming against the wall of the ship’s wooden deck, I nodded towards the heavens. Next thing I knew, the mob of pirates carrying guns and cutlasses was suddenly being cut down by several flashes of light.
Captain Perseus’s eyes widened. They looked like white and black balls of terror that were housed in an equally frightened face. Fog began to enshroud us, and I only heard 5 bumps coming from around me. Kurenitsu’s fingers snapped, and the shroud disappeared. A smile crept onto my face. We got the salty sea lover.
Ynot, Hokagetsu, Kurenitsu, Asumaru, Sasuken, and Urimetsu stood in a semicircle around Captain Perseus. The Captain’s cutlass was already on the floor. The others had their weapons pointed straight at his head.
“The Makuta Anima and the famous warrior Urimetsu. I didn’t think ye all were working with Klak,” spoke Perseus, attempting to hide the tremble in his voice.
“He pays good,” answered Kurenitsu, “and the Anima are some of his favorite mercenaries. Now, why is it that you wish to bother him?”
“More specifically, what do you want from him? He’s not exactly the prettiest guy in the galaxy, if you know what I mean,” said Hokagetsu, trying to sprinkle the interrogation with his terrible humor.
“The Tem Pahlar treasure. He has the map. With the treasure, I can take over this planet with ease, and send all you air pirates to Davy Robert Jones’s Locker. And when it comes to intergalactic relations, well, I hear there are several organizations that a salty sea rat like me could deal with.” Captain Perseus cackled, and reached for his coat, taking out a cigar.
Ynot maintained his deathly stare at Perseus. He was not amused.
I gulped and kept looking up at them.
“You’re not going anywhere, punk,” said Urimetsu, “There’s a nice jail cell with your name on it, and I hear you have a lot of friends who would be very happy to see you.”
Captain Perseus gulped. “I’d rather not…and ye all belong in that cell too.”
Sasuken shook his head, “I have been cleansed of my sins. I am now the ship’s clergy, and we do odd jobs for cash to maintain ourselves. The jobs usually are for the good of the people. Would you like to-?”
“Don’t try to bloody convert me,” Captain Perseus rudely retorted, “I’m fine going down my path.”
Ynot emotionlessly thrusted his arm forward, stabbing into Captain Perseus. The villainous pirate keeled over and died.
I thanked my crewmen.
“What are you doing here, Trixtin?” said Ynot, finally breaking the silence.
“I was at a cantina, sipping some ginger ale. This bugger kidnapped me,” I explained. It was true. Except, of course, I was actually drinking milk. But I couldn’t tell Ynot that. He would laugh at me. Instead, I just told them that I had run into trouble with one of Klak’s enemies. This was enough to convince them to help me.
The Anima and I then left to the main airship. Urimetsu told us to meet up with Klak on Air Station Nine. Sasuken set course.
We all were happy to see that Klak was okay. He had a high price on his head because of his knowledge of the Tem Pahlar treasure. Any mercenary less loyal than the Anima or Urimetsu would shoot him in the face, or in the knee. I hear the last part is more painful for adventurers.
“Good to see you all, Anima. Now, Urimetsu told me it was Perseus who was after me. Interesting. I didn’t think he was interested in the treasure of the Tem Pahlars. Sea Pirates prefer things on land,” said Klak.
“On land? But isn’t the treasure on an island?” asked Hokagetsu.
“No,” responded Klak, “This map here shows that it is hidden in space, away from the hands of both the Sea Pirates and the Air Pirates,” he handed the map to Ynot, and continued, “If the treasure falls in the wrong hands, well, we’ll have a three way or even four way war on the horizon. The most dangerous group of people after it is the FreeLancer Pirate League. It is an alliance between both Sea Pirates and Air Pirates. Their leaders are Captain Zev Raregroove, and Captain Blackout. They are ruthless, and have no code of honor like we do. Do not underestimate them.”
Asumaru retored, “They better not underestimate US!”
No one laughed or responded. I should have taken that as an omen. Oh how foolish we were in the days of our youth.
Klak smiled and nodded, “Good luck. I would help you all, but sadly, I am disabled.” He walked away limping on his peg leg.
Suddenly, an explosion rocked the station. The Anima and I rushed outside, and saw what was going on. Several airships were shooting lasers and missiles at each other. A volley hit the building Klak was in. The ensuing blast launched us back. I think I blacked out after that.
When I woke up, I saw that the Anima were all together, save Urimetsu and Hokagetsu. Ynot rushed to my side as I got up. There was rubble all around me.
“What the…?” I asked Ynot, bewildered and confused.
“The Freelancers attacked us. They killed Urimetsu, Hokagetsu, Klak, and countless others. It’s a wonder we survived,” Ynot said, quietly.
“And…the map?”
“Safe,” said Ynot, “For now. We have to find this treasure. Whatever it is, these people were willing to destroy an entire Air Station…. an entire village in the air…for it.”
Oh how we underestimated them. It was only going to get worse for us.
He stood about 7 feet above the ground. I remember vividly what he wore: boots, a tri-corn hat, a cravat, overcoat, a shirt underneath, and britches. His facial features seemed human, yet grotesque. He held a cutlass to my throat as my blue eyes looked straight up at him.
“I’ll ask ye one more time. Where is yer master?”
I spat on his left boot defiantly. I would never tell Captain Perseus, son of the nobleman Keichi, the location of Klak. At least on this planet, Air Pirates are a higher breed than Sea Pirates, so I refused to answer to such scum.
Perseus laughed.
“A foolish choice, Ghost of the Air.”
Before his cutlass was able to slice into my neck, I reeled to the right. Slamming against the wall of the ship’s wooden deck, I nodded towards the heavens. Next thing I knew, the mob of pirates carrying guns and cutlasses was suddenly being cut down by several flashes of light.
Captain Perseus’s eyes widened. They looked like white and black balls of terror that were housed in an equally frightened face. Fog began to enshroud us, and I only heard 5 bumps coming from around me. Kurenitsu’s fingers snapped, and the shroud disappeared. A smile crept onto my face. We got the salty sea lover.
Ynot, Hokagetsu, Kurenitsu, Asumaru, Sasuken, and Urimetsu stood in a semicircle around Captain Perseus. The Captain’s cutlass was already on the floor. The others had their weapons pointed straight at his head.
“The Makuta Anima and the famous warrior Urimetsu. I didn’t think ye all were working with Klak,” spoke Perseus, attempting to hide the tremble in his voice.
“He pays good,” answered Kurenitsu, “and the Anima are some of his favorite mercenaries. Now, why is it that you wish to bother him?”
“More specifically, what do you want from him? He’s not exactly the prettiest guy in the galaxy, if you know what I mean,” said Hokagetsu, trying to sprinkle the interrogation with his terrible humor.
“The Tem Pahlar treasure. He has the map. With the treasure, I can take over this planet with ease, and send all you air pirates to Davy Robert Jones’s Locker. And when it comes to intergalactic relations, well, I hear there are several organizations that a salty sea rat like me could deal with.” Captain Perseus cackled, and reached for his coat, taking out a cigar.
Ynot maintained his deathly stare at Perseus. He was not amused.
I gulped and kept looking up at them.
“You’re not going anywhere, punk,” said Urimetsu, “There’s a nice jail cell with your name on it, and I hear you have a lot of friends who would be very happy to see you.”
Captain Perseus gulped. “I’d rather not…and ye all belong in that cell too.”
Sasuken shook his head, “I have been cleansed of my sins. I am now the ship’s clergy, and we do odd jobs for cash to maintain ourselves. The jobs usually are for the good of the people. Would you like to-?”
“Don’t try to bloody convert me,” Captain Perseus rudely retorted, “I’m fine going down my path.”
Ynot emotionlessly thrusted his arm forward, stabbing into Captain Perseus. The villainous pirate keeled over and died.
I thanked my crewmen.
“What are you doing here, Trixtin?” said Ynot, finally breaking the silence.
“I was at a cantina, sipping some ginger ale. This bugger kidnapped me,” I explained. It was true. Except, of course, I was actually drinking milk. But I couldn’t tell Ynot that. He would laugh at me. Instead, I just told them that I had run into trouble with one of Klak’s enemies. This was enough to convince them to help me.
The Anima and I then left to the main airship. Urimetsu told us to meet up with Klak on Air Station Nine. Sasuken set course.
We all were happy to see that Klak was okay. He had a high price on his head because of his knowledge of the Tem Pahlar treasure. Any mercenary less loyal than the Anima or Urimetsu would shoot him in the face, or in the knee. I hear the last part is more painful for adventurers.
“Good to see you all, Anima. Now, Urimetsu told me it was Perseus who was after me. Interesting. I didn’t think he was interested in the treasure of the Tem Pahlars. Sea Pirates prefer things on land,” said Klak.
“On land? But isn’t the treasure on an island?” asked Hokagetsu.
“No,” responded Klak, “This map here shows that it is hidden in space, away from the hands of both the Sea Pirates and the Air Pirates,” he handed the map to Ynot, and continued, “If the treasure falls in the wrong hands, well, we’ll have a three way or even four way war on the horizon. The most dangerous group of people after it is the FreeLancer Pirate League. It is an alliance between both Sea Pirates and Air Pirates. Their leaders are Captain Zev Raregroove, and Captain Blackout. They are ruthless, and have no code of honor like we do. Do not underestimate them.”
Asumaru retored, “They better not underestimate US!”
No one laughed or responded. I should have taken that as an omen. Oh how foolish we were in the days of our youth.
Klak smiled and nodded, “Good luck. I would help you all, but sadly, I am disabled.” He walked away limping on his peg leg.
Suddenly, an explosion rocked the station. The Anima and I rushed outside, and saw what was going on. Several airships were shooting lasers and missiles at each other. A volley hit the building Klak was in. The ensuing blast launched us back. I think I blacked out after that.
When I woke up, I saw that the Anima were all together, save Urimetsu and Hokagetsu. Ynot rushed to my side as I got up. There was rubble all around me.
“What the…?” I asked Ynot, bewildered and confused.
“The Freelancers attacked us. They killed Urimetsu, Hokagetsu, Klak, and countless others. It’s a wonder we survived,” Ynot said, quietly.
“And…the map?”
“Safe,” said Ynot, “For now. We have to find this treasure. Whatever it is, these people were willing to destroy an entire Air Station…. an entire village in the air…for it.”
Oh how we underestimated them. It was only going to get worse for us.
Last edited by Klak on Mon Apr 20, 2015 7:51 am; edited 1 time in total