On any other day when Bethany was serving the pirates and clearing/cleaning
off tables in the cavernous, loud and boisterous tavern area of the castle
ruins, there was nothing that could even be slightly interesting to her.
But today was different; today, every scalawag was gathered in the cave
that served as the galley/dining hall/watering hole. Thus, Beth was totally
busy, filling and serving beer & ale mugs, wine goblets for the senior
pirates and leaders and occasional platters of dead animals that no sane
human could even glance at. Every blagard had been summoned to the hall to
hear of the news that was expected anytime soon. What Bethany had been able
to learn was that several of the 25 ships that made up the Flint family
pirate fleet had encountered some warship that had appeared mysteriously
and trailed one of the scout ships. Everyone was abuzz with questions and
rumors about what had happened. Most likely, the mystery ship had been
destroyed. After all, this was not the first time any craft had dared to
enter the pirate's territory. But if that was the outcome, why was this
meeting called so suddenly? Why wasn't one of the seven Flint Brother's
saying anything? Nobody had seen Gray, Sherven, Gafter, Carter, Kashir,
Jamal, Pekerth or Kearsarge Flint since a messenger had come running into
the planning room. Within a few seconds of the hideous creatures admittance
into the Flint brothers' presence, Pekerth had given the order for all the
inhabitants to gather in the main dining hall/tavern while they were
informed and divulged whatever news had come. Half of the "Razorbacks", the
Flint's infamous and utterly bloodthirsty clan of fierce, war-loving half-
hog/half-wolf bodyguards had forced everyone to obey or be shredded alive
by their numerous sharp instruments that caused gut-wrenching, teeth-
grinding pain before death. And so, the creepy, slime-emitting, violent,
grumbling, muttering, bad-breathed company of nearly three hundred and
sixty-five galoots sat drinking, sometimes shouting, sometimes cursing and
sometimes punching or hitting.
Until a gigantic, heavy wooden door slammed open and made everyone jump and turn towards the sound. In marched the seven pirate brothers—each was the spitting image of their infamous predecessor and inhabited by the same cutthroat, merciless, wild and unpredictable spirit. They took their seats on a stage carved out of the cave rock. In fact, their "seats" were tarnished golden and jeweled thrones that were spoils-turned-heirlooms from the days of Captain Nathaniel Flint. Once they were all seated, Gray Flint the oldest stood up and paced silently for about three long minutes. Finally, he turned with a fierce, wild and furious look in his six eyes. "FOR AS LONG AS THIS FORTRESS OF OURS HAS BEEN OUR GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT- GREAT-GRANDFATHER'S POSSESION, WE HAVE BEEN THE RULERS AND MASTERS OF THIS PORTION OF THIS WRETCHED GALAXY!!!!!! Preying upon humble, rotten ships, snatching and plundering, looting without mercy, taking without succumbing, DEFEATING WITHOUT LOSSES!!! And ALL the time emerging Victorious!!!!" He stopped and looked around at the speechless yet inquisitive audience. But Gray never let go of his murderous glare. "As some of you have heard...there was a ship, in our domain. But NOT just any kind of ship, it was a Warship, A vessel that was sent by the Interstellar Navy!!!" The listening buccaneers booed, growled, rattled and shook swords, cutlasses, long knives, maces, spathas and axes adorned with trinkets and spoils. The eldest Flint waited for a few moments and then thrust out his arms as a gesture for silence. When their was quiet again, he waited. "And ye all know quite well what the Pirate's Code say concerning any ships that try to subjugate any of us!!" The whole company roared, screeched, yelled, squawked, whooped and made up a storm before quieting to his arm gesture again. He snapped his fingers and two of the Razorbacks dragged a bloody, whimpering and fearful sloth-like creature onto the stage and set him on his haunches before Gray Flint. "WELL, What have you to say? SPEAK UP!!!" roared the callous leader. The poor fellow calmed down just enough to take a few deep breathes before answering in a shocked and dazed voice.
"Well...we, I mean...the ship, you know, the old Brown Puss...we-""Stop your stuttering and GET ON WITH IT!!!", screamed the ready-to-disembowel Gray. "Yes, Sir, at once sir," apologized the timid, blood-matted mammal. "As I was saying...we, the ship's crew and the captain—God rest his soul—had just passed though the door where we all think we find, the...warship destroyed. Captured. Burning or in many pieces like others ships we take. But...they, I mean, our ships...they...not...not, not there. I mean, all we see was a big field of debris, our ships destroyed, not foe. We see remains of our brothers' ships: wood, ropes, metal and...some...I'm sorry...what-was-left-of- the-crews. And the ship, oh my goodness, I never see so much cannon or fast...vessel. I mean, one moment, she was dead ahead on our lee flank and then, quicker...than any can bat an eyelash-she disappear. I mean, she go right below our keel, she now underneath us. And, and...and then..." "And Then WHAT?!?!?!" "And then-suddenly...the deck, the whole ship-everything, begins to...to...destroy. The warship fire on us from below and...hit very hard, strike many dead, floor begin to break, shatter, masts fall, cannons blow up, the Brown Puss begins to break, come apart in the middle. Then, everything stops; there is no noise. But then..." the little creature covered his face and began to moan. But instead of lashing out again, Gray Flint waited to hear the rest of the event, as did everyone else including Bethany. "...the ship, she...now come up...right where, we can see that she is no very big, very deep-like oversize bathtub. But this bathtub have many, many cannon-no time to count- they all aimed at us...and then...they shoot everything at us and there is so much smoke, noise, fire, blood, crew is no alright, they die, they fall, make noise like they are dying, captain and first mate-they say to fire back. But the enemy ship, they get away, they go and we don't see them no more."
With this last word, the now-exhausted animal fainted from shock and horror. The moment he finished speaking, the whole room broke out into pandemonium: the pirates began muttering amongst themselves, standing up, asking questions, knocking over goblets and cups, yelling out their anger, slamming chairs, stools, tables and crying for revenge. "Bloody Navy thinks they can flog us like so 'n go unscathed!!!" yelled one. "I say we muster full force and go smash every port of theirs into nothing!!!" screamed another. "Aye, let's get them back, blow-for-blow!!!" "I'll blast that ship's captain into powder and torch that accursed vessel too!!!" "Drag da whole bloody fleet thru da portal and put our bloody guns on 'em!!!" "SILENCE!!!!!!!!" came the commanding voice of Carter Flint. Everyone quieted down in an instant. They had all seen what disobedience to the Brother's commands had brought; to this day, the walls were still spattered with blood, dried flesh and hair of every color, the owners long-dead and remembered for their final "errors".
Meanwhile, Bethany continued to shuttle pitchers of wine, ale, beer, burgundy, rum and brandy and refill the drinking vessels. But nothing escaped her perfect hearing; she just kept her averted gaze and put away the information to think over later.
"Take him away!" ordered Gray to the two Razorback guards. When they had removed the still-unconscious sloth from the room, the eldest brother snapped his head to glare out at the waiting 365 faces. "That ship that bested six, no, seven of our best ships was not just any unsuspecting vehicle. It was the Royal Interstellar Navy and now they know our whereabouts because those imbecilic vermin that dared call themselves crews COULDN'T EVEN LAY ONE SHOT ON THAT BLASTED PIECE OF DRIFTWOOD!!!!!!" He paused to turn and snap at his younger brother. "Jamal, See to it the guards finish the job the enemy began!!!" Jamal stood and saluted. He then turned and walked out with two Razorbacks. Everyone was silent as the meaning of the command sank in; there would never be any mercy or forgiveness for failure as long as any Flint brother lived. But Gray Flint turned back to the others and continued on. "From This day onward, the portal shall be disabled and no one, I repeat, NO ONE, shall activate it and pass through, either on his own or with any craft. FURTHERMORE, no One shall even be allowed to leave this planet in any way possible. Until I say so, we are now in hiding 'til the Navy gives up sniffing around. They may have discovered our presence in this realm, but they have not, AND WILL NOT, find out this planet or our fortress!!!!" The whole room cheered, whistled, roared, thumped and made other congratulatory noises. Gray waited for the applause to die down before continuing. "There is no prediction nor certainty about what is to come. But of this I am sure: Woe shall be unto them that would come against us with any intent to subdue us; Better for them to be caught in a Supernova than to face even one of us, THE REMNANT OF THE GREAT CAPTAIN NATHANIEL J. FLINT!!!!!! At this, all the members of the pirate audience, the other Flint Brother's and even the Razorback guards erupted in a near battle cry that made the rock floor, walls and ceiling tremble.
Meanwhile, Jamal Flint reentered the room with at least 20 of the Razorbacks leading along 29 bloody stained, stumbling, limping, moaning, trembling sailor-pirates chained to a very long chain-link line. Jamal came and stood straight as his older brother turned to look. "For your pleasure, Brother," he said with a malicious gleam and sneer. Bethany knew what was going to happen and quickly finished up her serving. She then fled in a fast walk as Gray ordered, "Take off their irons and hold them at bay!" Beth reached the galley, shut the heavy, wooden door and then turned and sank to the floor with her ears covered. Even through the mahogany wood and her hands, the screams and cries of pain and dying reverberated everywhere. Bethany could only close her eyes as tears of heartache came to her beautiful eyes. She vowed to herself that she would never be so evil or callous or hurtful like that—ever!
Until a gigantic, heavy wooden door slammed open and made everyone jump and turn towards the sound. In marched the seven pirate brothers—each was the spitting image of their infamous predecessor and inhabited by the same cutthroat, merciless, wild and unpredictable spirit. They took their seats on a stage carved out of the cave rock. In fact, their "seats" were tarnished golden and jeweled thrones that were spoils-turned-heirlooms from the days of Captain Nathaniel Flint. Once they were all seated, Gray Flint the oldest stood up and paced silently for about three long minutes. Finally, he turned with a fierce, wild and furious look in his six eyes. "FOR AS LONG AS THIS FORTRESS OF OURS HAS BEEN OUR GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GREAT- GREAT-GRANDFATHER'S POSSESION, WE HAVE BEEN THE RULERS AND MASTERS OF THIS PORTION OF THIS WRETCHED GALAXY!!!!!! Preying upon humble, rotten ships, snatching and plundering, looting without mercy, taking without succumbing, DEFEATING WITHOUT LOSSES!!! And ALL the time emerging Victorious!!!!" He stopped and looked around at the speechless yet inquisitive audience. But Gray never let go of his murderous glare. "As some of you have heard...there was a ship, in our domain. But NOT just any kind of ship, it was a Warship, A vessel that was sent by the Interstellar Navy!!!" The listening buccaneers booed, growled, rattled and shook swords, cutlasses, long knives, maces, spathas and axes adorned with trinkets and spoils. The eldest Flint waited for a few moments and then thrust out his arms as a gesture for silence. When their was quiet again, he waited. "And ye all know quite well what the Pirate's Code say concerning any ships that try to subjugate any of us!!" The whole company roared, screeched, yelled, squawked, whooped and made up a storm before quieting to his arm gesture again. He snapped his fingers and two of the Razorbacks dragged a bloody, whimpering and fearful sloth-like creature onto the stage and set him on his haunches before Gray Flint. "WELL, What have you to say? SPEAK UP!!!" roared the callous leader. The poor fellow calmed down just enough to take a few deep breathes before answering in a shocked and dazed voice.
"Well...we, I mean...the ship, you know, the old Brown Puss...we-""Stop your stuttering and GET ON WITH IT!!!", screamed the ready-to-disembowel Gray. "Yes, Sir, at once sir," apologized the timid, blood-matted mammal. "As I was saying...we, the ship's crew and the captain—God rest his soul—had just passed though the door where we all think we find, the...warship destroyed. Captured. Burning or in many pieces like others ships we take. But...they, I mean, our ships...they...not...not, not there. I mean, all we see was a big field of debris, our ships destroyed, not foe. We see remains of our brothers' ships: wood, ropes, metal and...some...I'm sorry...what-was-left-of- the-crews. And the ship, oh my goodness, I never see so much cannon or fast...vessel. I mean, one moment, she was dead ahead on our lee flank and then, quicker...than any can bat an eyelash-she disappear. I mean, she go right below our keel, she now underneath us. And, and...and then..." "And Then WHAT?!?!?!" "And then-suddenly...the deck, the whole ship-everything, begins to...to...destroy. The warship fire on us from below and...hit very hard, strike many dead, floor begin to break, shatter, masts fall, cannons blow up, the Brown Puss begins to break, come apart in the middle. Then, everything stops; there is no noise. But then..." the little creature covered his face and began to moan. But instead of lashing out again, Gray Flint waited to hear the rest of the event, as did everyone else including Bethany. "...the ship, she...now come up...right where, we can see that she is no very big, very deep-like oversize bathtub. But this bathtub have many, many cannon-no time to count- they all aimed at us...and then...they shoot everything at us and there is so much smoke, noise, fire, blood, crew is no alright, they die, they fall, make noise like they are dying, captain and first mate-they say to fire back. But the enemy ship, they get away, they go and we don't see them no more."
With this last word, the now-exhausted animal fainted from shock and horror. The moment he finished speaking, the whole room broke out into pandemonium: the pirates began muttering amongst themselves, standing up, asking questions, knocking over goblets and cups, yelling out their anger, slamming chairs, stools, tables and crying for revenge. "Bloody Navy thinks they can flog us like so 'n go unscathed!!!" yelled one. "I say we muster full force and go smash every port of theirs into nothing!!!" screamed another. "Aye, let's get them back, blow-for-blow!!!" "I'll blast that ship's captain into powder and torch that accursed vessel too!!!" "Drag da whole bloody fleet thru da portal and put our bloody guns on 'em!!!" "SILENCE!!!!!!!!" came the commanding voice of Carter Flint. Everyone quieted down in an instant. They had all seen what disobedience to the Brother's commands had brought; to this day, the walls were still spattered with blood, dried flesh and hair of every color, the owners long-dead and remembered for their final "errors".
Meanwhile, Bethany continued to shuttle pitchers of wine, ale, beer, burgundy, rum and brandy and refill the drinking vessels. But nothing escaped her perfect hearing; she just kept her averted gaze and put away the information to think over later.
"Take him away!" ordered Gray to the two Razorback guards. When they had removed the still-unconscious sloth from the room, the eldest brother snapped his head to glare out at the waiting 365 faces. "That ship that bested six, no, seven of our best ships was not just any unsuspecting vehicle. It was the Royal Interstellar Navy and now they know our whereabouts because those imbecilic vermin that dared call themselves crews COULDN'T EVEN LAY ONE SHOT ON THAT BLASTED PIECE OF DRIFTWOOD!!!!!!" He paused to turn and snap at his younger brother. "Jamal, See to it the guards finish the job the enemy began!!!" Jamal stood and saluted. He then turned and walked out with two Razorbacks. Everyone was silent as the meaning of the command sank in; there would never be any mercy or forgiveness for failure as long as any Flint brother lived. But Gray Flint turned back to the others and continued on. "From This day onward, the portal shall be disabled and no one, I repeat, NO ONE, shall activate it and pass through, either on his own or with any craft. FURTHERMORE, no One shall even be allowed to leave this planet in any way possible. Until I say so, we are now in hiding 'til the Navy gives up sniffing around. They may have discovered our presence in this realm, but they have not, AND WILL NOT, find out this planet or our fortress!!!!" The whole room cheered, whistled, roared, thumped and made other congratulatory noises. Gray waited for the applause to die down before continuing. "There is no prediction nor certainty about what is to come. But of this I am sure: Woe shall be unto them that would come against us with any intent to subdue us; Better for them to be caught in a Supernova than to face even one of us, THE REMNANT OF THE GREAT CAPTAIN NATHANIEL J. FLINT!!!!!! At this, all the members of the pirate audience, the other Flint Brother's and even the Razorback guards erupted in a near battle cry that made the rock floor, walls and ceiling tremble.
Meanwhile, Jamal Flint reentered the room with at least 20 of the Razorbacks leading along 29 bloody stained, stumbling, limping, moaning, trembling sailor-pirates chained to a very long chain-link line. Jamal came and stood straight as his older brother turned to look. "For your pleasure, Brother," he said with a malicious gleam and sneer. Bethany knew what was going to happen and quickly finished up her serving. She then fled in a fast walk as Gray ordered, "Take off their irons and hold them at bay!" Beth reached the galley, shut the heavy, wooden door and then turned and sank to the floor with her ears covered. Even through the mahogany wood and her hands, the screams and cries of pain and dying reverberated everywhere. Bethany could only close her eyes as tears of heartache came to her beautiful eyes. She vowed to herself that she would never be so evil or callous or hurtful like that—ever!