Alright, here I am with another chapter! Now to reply to reviews!!!
Desert Lynx- yea, I thought something was amiss… I'll use that from now on!!
Kevin C- I hoped you would! ^_^
Saridaru-chan (#1) praise is good!
Saridaru-chan (#2) Why thank you!
Note: This chapter will introduce… (Cue dramatic music) The……… bad guy!! Yay!!! Additionally, it will include something else! Something I should have included long before this!!! A description of the main character! I feel stupid………
And now, welcome to chapter four!
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Patricia Axedeath hefted her battleaxe and waited as her ship pulled even with the merchant craft. She had gotten her name from the huge two-handed axe that was her weapon. She was a Black Pirate, the newest to become the 'scourge of the skies' around Sailor's Island. Her ship, the Bladeprow, had caught the unarmed trader's ship coming from the Nasr kingdom. Once they were in position, her crew would board the craft and plunder the goods from it. She smiled just thinking about it…
She could see on the deck of the other ship that the merchant's guards were assembled to fight them. She laughed. They had no hope of stopping her! Fools, she thought.
They were in position. She lifted her axe and roared out a battle cry. Her crew swung across to the other ship. She grabbed a rope and jumped off, swinging diagonally to the other ship. Once she touched down, she immediately went into battle, splitting an unsuspecting guard almost in half with her blade. She laid about with her weapon, left and right. No one could escape her axe!
Suddenly, a tremendous explosion rocked the ship. She tore her gaze away from the battle, turning toward her own ship. A hole had been torn in the deck, and a fire was starting. Where?, she wondered, but her question was cut short by the answer. A Valuan cruiser was flying above them, on its side to allow them to shoot downwards. At first she thought it was a patrol, but she spotted an unfamiliar flag flying from the mast. It was a hawk, clutching lighting in one claw and an eyepatch in the other, on a blue background. She recognized the flag as one she had heard of. It belonged to a local crew of Blue Rogues, called the Blue Hawks. They had become famous lately, striking without warning against Black Pirates and Valuan patrols alike.
Her thoughts were cut short by another blast, hitting the mainmast of her three-masted vessel. She raced across, jumping back onto her ship. She must stop the fires, save her ship… But it was no use. The fire was out of control, and they had no time to quench it. There was only one option left: Escape. She dashed down, into her ship, racing down hallways, past fires, until she reached the lifeboat bay. She hastily boarded a lifeboat, pushing off and starting the engine, hoping to make a fast getaway.
She launched out, just as another blast sent tremors through the ship. She aimed away from the burning hulk, as fast as the boat would allow. Someone would be interested in this…
*****
As Mark watched, the Black Pirates either surrendered or were knocked unconscious by his crew. The merchants had given them part of their stock out of gratitude for saving them. After destroying the Black Pirates' ship, they had docked with the merchant vessel and subdued the pirates. They went down easily after seeing their captain abandon them. His first mate, Jackney, approached him.
"Captain, we've captured all the Black Pirates. What do you want us to do with them now?" He asked.
"Do you really have to ask? What we always do, of course." He replied.
"Check that, sir. I'll give a shout to helm to set a course for Sailor's Island."
A few minutes later, the pirates were unconscious and hanging from the lighthouse on Sailor's Island, and the ship was sailing away.
*****
After he had rounded up his main crew, Mark had hired more basic men to fill the remaining slots: gunners, sailors, and the like. He had chosen Guidestones Isle for his base, hollowing it out and docking the ship inside. As they entered the base through the hidden door in the side, he viewed his surroundings. Wallace had directed the workings, and there were caves that served as buildings. There was the dormitory; a weapon and armor shop, a storeroom, and even a workshop where Wallace made items that would be helpful. Surprisingly, he was good at magic, and made not only mechanical devices but crystals and magic boxes as well.
He got off the ship and went towards his captain's quarters. They were on the first level of the cave, along with the dormitories. He opened the door, and went over to his window. It was camouflaged so that it was invisible to anyone on the outside. From it, he could see most of the open sky between Sailor's Island and Valua.
He glanced over at his mirror. He noticed that he looked… different from what he used to be. More mature, he thought. Being a captain did that to you, he guessed. His short brown hair seemed neater, less wild, from when he was living on the streets of Sailor's Island. He stood taller, straighter. It looked like he had aged ten years in the short time between when he first became a Blue Rogue.
It had been six months since he had started, and he had made the area around the island a dangerous place for evil. The storeroom was piled high with loot taken from ships. Their main prey was Black Pirates, as few Valuan patrols had come into the area. The merchants loved them, as many a ship had been saved from raiders by them. And children on Sailor's Island idolized them, playing 'Blue Rogues and Valuans' in the streets. It was the best of times for many of them.
But it was not to last…………
*****
The Valuan battleship Daggerblade had a visitor. As Patricia Axedeath was guided through the halls by a pair of Valuan guards, she made sure to take in her surroundings in exact detail. You never know when it might be useful, she believed. She had been picked up by the ship and had demanded to see the captain, thinking that if she told them what she knew, they might let her go. When she reached the bridge, she was brought up to see a man standing at the top level, with the markings of a Valuan captain.
"You are the captain of this ship? Good." She said, acknowledging his nod. "I have information that might interest you…"
She began to tell her story, albeit a version that had her being outnumbered, chopping down mass numbers of enemies, and only having to flee as a last resort. She was nearing the end when her story was interrupted. She felt a prickling on the back of her neck. She turned. The man who was behind her was tall and slim, dressed in fine silks. He had blond hair, and pale skin.
He was the last thing she ever saw!
As Vedrain Belugas removed his throwing dagger from the back of the pirate's neck, his advisor, Cadrian Golas, approached him.
"Was that really necessary, my lord?" She queried. "The pirate might have given us more information."
"Not anything that we didn't already know. We're already aware of the Blue Rogue activity."
He went down to the bottom level of the bridge, looking out of the large view port. The bridge was situated at the back of the battleship, on the top level. The battleship had been made custom for him. It was shaped like a dagger, with the engines on the cross hilt, and the main cannon protruded from the front, where the point would be. Other cannons were mounted on turrets sticking out of the ship's slope. It was styled that way because of his skill with throwing daggers. He was an impeccable shot with them. He carried them along with him wherever he went.
Vedrain was the Third Admiral of the Valuan Armada. The previous one, Vigoro, had been found dead under 'mysterious circumstances'. At the promotion ceremony, Galacian had said he was "an officer who shows initiative". Galacian liked initiative!
He had been assigned to keep the peace in the Sailor's Island territories. His fleet was the first line of defense against any attacker. He prized technique; his fleet was commanded by the most skilled captains in the Armada.
"We shall have to do something about this…" he mused.
"Could we not just let them alone and not send patrols into that area? They would take care of all the Black Pirates for us." Cadrian advised
"No," he replied. "That would be a sign of weakness. I will not tolerate weakness in my fleet." He thought for a moment. "Send the battleship Teodora out to find and destroy the Blue Rogue base. They will bow down to the all-powerful Valuan Armada……"
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Hehehehehe… so, ya like it? If this does well, I'll make this fic the first in a series…
R&R, please! And if you must flame, gentle flames please!!!