The Scarlet Rose
As I lay in my bed on that warm summers night, the steady rocking of the boat closing my eyes, I start to wonder if the ship I'm on has a captain at all.
My name is William Renner. I was a blacksmith in Valencia. Everything was well in my life. I lived in a small community. And had business Dailey by Armada soldiers. I made a good price on everything I crafted. And best of all my wife and kids were safe and healthy. This was the case until April, 2nd 1830. When a bundle of Armada soldiers came into my shop, "Renner's Blacksmithing" and started to rumble everything I owned. Stealing my swords, cannons, daggers, and steal. I tried to stop them but I didn't have the numbers. It was me, a cleaner boy and a donkey vs. 26 Armada soldiers. They said your merchandise or your family. I said take everything in the shop. So they did. Then they took my family, killed my son and took my wife to their ship and sailed off.
I started to find pirating deals, and it was quite easy. For a blacksmith was a necessity on a ship. I started to first sail on a ship named the Amiable Lion. They smuggled goods from Mooshu to Skull island. But they never fought the Armada. I left the ship after 2 years of sailing on it. Next I sailed on The Silent Hunter. A smaller ship. But a faster one. They were petty thieves looking for trouble. They would shoot at Armada ships and run. They fought for a cause. But I didn't think putting holes in ships and running was enough. I wanted to see ships at the bottom of the ocean. I again stayed with the Silent Hunt for 2 years. On July 8th 1834 I found a ship called the Dianna's Revenge who would rob Armada ships of everything they owned and bring the loot to Monquista. With this ship, in 1 ½ years they sunk 27 Armada ships. And then were sunk. I was at land pulling in loot from the ship when the Armada sailed right into the harbor and released hell unto the Dianna's Revenge.
Finally on march 23rd 1836 I found the Scarlet Rose. A True Pirating ship. Even the ship itself was stolen. I could swear saying the name of that ship was illegal anywhere but Skull Island. It was a huge Spanish Galleon that could easily hold 700 men. It had 250 Cabins and a third floor Estate. It had 5 masts and a crow's nest 260 feet above the water. Also mind I mention the 200 cannons on each side, 40 in front and 60 in back. That's 300 cannons. "Matey". This ship was a Colossus. The man in charge of the Ship was Leon De Blanc. A French explorer who had sailed with Captain Gunn at one point. He was considered the captain to us. But he was only the first mate. The Captain was unknown to anyone But Leon. And whenever Leon was asked who the captain was he would reply. "If I were to name the Address of that Black souled Creature. Then I doubt I'd own legs in the morning" So nobody asked. The 538 men on board loved Leon. He was a true gentleman and a duelist with a Cutlass, Sabre, or Broadsword. He was a dead eye strait from Marleybone, and could take the hat off a Englishman from 30 yards away.
The Ship seemed unstoppable. The crew were the greatest of friends, it seemed like the whole crew grew up together. The only thing keeping us in check was that mysterious "Captain"
Did he really exist? Or was Leon the captain? Our question was answered on May 17th 1836. One man by the name of Joshua Tilton had started talk about storming the third floor estate. Or, Mutiny. To see if the "Old Wash-up" was really on this Ship. Nobody dared listen. But that night. We awoke to Tilton's head nailed to the mast over a paper that had said. "Talk of mutiny will leave you speechless." At this point we knew this boat had something. Whether it was a Captain or an insane man. My friend Daniel Fortson named our captain sicker than Blackbeard the pirate.
After 5 months of sailing on the Scarlet Rose, we had already sunk 38 Armada ships. And collected over 34 million dollars in gold. We had not even docked to stash our loot. Today was my turn to climb the dangerous nets to the Crow's nest and man watch. When I was about half way up I looked down. The pure sight of how high I was made me jump. I had never been up. Bless Benjamin Edders for going up 6 days of the week. Once I reached the top I unlatched the nest and got in. it was a good 10 feet in diameter. You could fit a table and some playing cards up here. I latched the nest. In 3 different places and started my 6 hour watch. Once I was safe around 5 foot walls, I loved being up there. The pure sight of it. You could see for miles. There were 4 telescopes attached to the walls, and 5 extras non-attached in a bag stuffed in the Circular Platform. I went through the bag. Huge coats and burley pants, telescopes, heavy fine wool bandanas. I could just imagine how cold it would get up here at night. Or winter for that matter. The bag also had foods, Weapons and other trinkets. I loved the view so much I decided to take a look out the telescope. The first thing I saw was a small black dot. As a watched it as it got closer and closer. It was a ship. An Armada ship.
During every gun fight I was safe in the cabin putting gunpowder into the cannon, while my partners Andre Grogner and Thomas Duggan would light the cannon, stuff the ball and put the ball in. But for this fight I felt extremely vulnerable. I grabbed the Musket. Leon had told me to shoot the other ships Crow's nest man. If he fell of the nest it was a fear factor for that ship. So I did exactly that. I was skilled with a Cutlass and Sabre. But not a gun. I shot in his direction and missed twice. I loaded up and shot again. I saw him grab his leg and start bouncing around like a wind-up toy. Then he hit the edge of the crowns nest and fell. Not off of the nest but into it. I threw a dagger into the nest. Waited. The dagger came zinging back. Then he threw his gun. Then he threw a dagger. They all missed. I couldn't see him because he was lying in the nest. All the while the cannons where going at each other. It wasn't long until I shot into the Crow's nest and the whole mast fell down. Obviously this wasn't my small bullet. Someone on my Ship had shot a chain shot at the boat. Finally the boat split and sunk to the ocean bottom. I watched with a smile as each one of those evil men thrashed around in the ocean. And eventually sunk.
It was a victory for me because I actually saw what I was doing. In the cabin I never got to see what we hit because my job wasn't to aim. Leon had told us that soon enough we would be boarded by a coming Armada fight. That would be my time to show the armada what I have come for. I told Leon I wanted to kill 26 Armada members by myself. There was a reason for this number. I don't know if you remember or not.