Author´s Note:
So, as some of you may have realized, it takes me just way too long to upload. One of the many reasons, including school, is that I try to make every chapter longer than the prologue (Which has a length of 2,848 words). So I´ll try to upload a chapter every Saturday. Now, which accent do you think it would be perfect for Finn? Scottish? Welsh? Swede? Russian? Comment your opinion. And if you have any question, which won´t be answered in the story, type it up in the comment section. I would gladly reply.
Enjoy!
Chapter 2: No place for Cowards
"Lift those damn cannons, and put them in 120 degrees position!"
"Aye, Captain!"
"Fire to my signal!"
The vessels were covering our sides, no place to turn back. Our ram won't be able to hit them, and the dreadnought can easily take it shares of beatings. It can easily penetrate ice thicker than two planks of wood, but it would do no harm to a metal covered bastard of a ship.
"Captain, the cannons are in position" Rus tells me the news, as I hold tight the helm which controls Ragnar.
But I can´t control him, he´s thirsty for blood today.
"Get ready!" I announce to the gunners under the feet of the crewmen in the deck.
Such a beautiful day, such a cold day. Crystal water, with a thin layer of ice over it. Floating. The sky is so clear, with very few clouds. Something you could expect of the northern sea´s.
My Sea´s
I look one last time to my right and left, as I must not lose sight of the dreadnought. I see the captain of the vessel to my right in the main deck, the other one hiding in the captain´s room. Gunners of both sides are charging their cannons.
"Reload!" Both sides scream
Take a deep breath
It smells like salt, and gun powder. It will smell like blood tomorrow.
"Fire!" Here´s your signal, make me proud.
As fast as the powder caught fire, the cannonballs were expulsed with astonishing speed. I saw them cracking, mashing, and drilling the wood as if they were salt crackers. Lots of men were hit, and as many bones were broken. All the men were battling with such courage, such heart. My crew.
"Aye, Aye my Captain!"
They may not be scholars.
"Fire my fellow men!" The lads were screaming with rage and courage.
They may not be fluent in many languages.
"Captain Finn, the vessels present holes and major shell damage"
They may not share a nation, a birthplace.
"Fire once more, my men. We´ll sink these motherfuckers!"
But they are fast
"Captain, they´re trying to retreat!"
They are brave
"Take no prisoners! Remember Lads, it´s to kill or be killed!"
And they are Loyal.
"All right Lads, fire once more. Those to the left, fire to the Captain´s room, those to the right, fire to the gunpowder storage!"
I bet my life on it.
"Die you bastards!"
The sound of cannons was tremendous, like the roar of a thousand tandem elephants. The sound only a beast made of Steel and Wood could ever roar. Then, the sound of gunpowder blowing up, and of a tiny wood room being massacred. Accompanied by the sound of smashed bones and muffled cries for help.
"All right men, take these ships. Leave them with nothing, and murder all those who oppose our flag!" The signal for our crew to raid the vessels, just one can be saved, the other one, will sacrifice its wood for the health of Ragnar.
"Captain, what about the dreadnought" Rus asks me, while commanding the men who raid the boats.
"We only need 3 things for it, Rus: You, Me and Ragnar."
"Are you sure?"
"What kind of a captain would I be if I can't trust my quarter master and my own barque?"
It surprises me how weak those vessels were. Only two reasons can explain it: Either the captain underestimated us, or his support fleet was destroyed. The answer does not matter, at least for now, as those vessels are now mine.
"Full speed comrades, let´s add that dreadnought to our fleet!"
You could say we have gone full insane. Full retard.
How can a wood and steel ship, which length is around 70 meters, sink a coal powered metal beast with a length of 180 meters?
Easy, you build your boat with a wood thicker than a two walls of brick and harder than concrete and bones, and you cover it with the most malleable and toughest metal of them all. Stronger than the sea itself, Ragnar will kneel to no other ship. I would burn it first.
"Captain, we´re only 100 meters close to the Dradnought." Rus tell me the news.
He was right. We were fairly close now to the dreadnought, close enough to take a good glance at their flag.
"Lionhearts" My whisper is quickly muted by an exploding vessel, yet Rus was able to hear me.
I look behind me, and I see the crew in the destroyed vessel quickly gathering all they could. We north men have a talent for pillaging. The good vessel was hooking the destroyed vessel, and the crewmen quickly saved all they could.
"Aye, Captain. The fleet that has tried to hunt us down." With a tone of nostalgia, Rus remembers me something really obvious.
"I never seen a Lion eat a Bear before, and I´m sure as hell I won't see it now" I never forget my enemies.
"Loose trim and catch the north wind!" I signal the few men on the deck to help us speed up.
The Ram won´t destroy the dreadnought, but it will make a hole in it. All we need.
"One…" Countdown for the party
"Two…" Men from the dreadnought started to shoot at us.
"And…" All the cannons were ready.
Three
"Open the gates of Hell and fire!" Signal to cut hell loose.
We took our position, and Ragnar looked small for the first time since it was build. Yet, it size was never equal to its fire power.
"They are shooting back captain!" Rus tells me, while the boat was shaking, as their cannonballs were hitting Ragnar´s shields.
But it was only that, shaking. I held tight to the helm, and saw Rus holding onto the border of the ship.
"Oi, Lads, lower the speed!" I had to scream as hard as I could, as cannonballs explosions were muting any sound coming from both ships.
The speed was lowered, and I steered a little bit to the left, as getting to proper bombarding position was key to this ship´s battle.
"Captain, we´re in proper position now!" Crewmen screaming the good news.
"Fire the mortars!" One last task to my crew, before boarding the dreadnought.
Fireworks were leaving my boat, and I saw our powerful phoenix mortars crush the little few pieces left floating on top of the cold, crystal, and icy water. Fire falling from the sky, crushing the home of privateers just like us.
We are the Hunters
Men were getting anxious, Ragnar too, as it was becoming difficult to hold the helm. Their blood was in fire, as we have never take a prize as big as a Dreadnought. My blood is also in fire. Is to steal, or to be the one getting stolen. The Lionheart fleet won´t be destroyed by a single dreadnought being stole, but be sure, as I´m that I will take that vessel to myself, that they will cry for it. I will make sure of that.
The Rest are Prey
"Board this beast, Lads. He who wants to Captain this metal abomination, must bring me the captain's heart or head. Let´s hunt, Lads" With a tone that could only belong to a thirty for blood beast, I tell my privateers their goal.
In the sea´s, you must never stay as a simple, low, short time pirate. You have to go up, level up. And you must earn it. I know that there are capable men, and women, in my crew that could easily captain a vessel. But they must prove themselves worth of the vessel.
"Are you ready Rus?" I ask Rus, with a mischievous smile and a mocking tone.
"Already ahead of you Captain" I turn back, and see nothing. Then I turn front, and see Rus hiking it´s way to the main deck of the dreadnought.
"Alright" I turn to the lads in front of me, and walk to the front deck.
"Let´s race for that Boat Lads!" The scream of battle.
With all the power I had in my legs, and spirit, I rushed to the side of the cold, hard and dead dreadnought. Fellow crewmen and Captain Aspirants rushed with me, the idiot ones quickly fell into the water. Now we now who is crew, and who is captain. With little to no effort, I was able to jump into the main deck. Instead of directly fight the crewmen and soldiers, which were having the time of their life fighting my mates, I decided to one of its chimneys.
It wasn´t a long climb, but it was messy, as it was hard to grasp to any metal dent, because it was covered in ashes and oil. The sweat of a metal beast. The desire of fighting cause the climbing to be tortuous, as I heard my fellow crewmen slay the filthy lake privateers that make up this half-assed crew. The sound of clashing swords, screams, fists and broken bones, were calling me to battle. But I had to find something, someone.
When I finally rose to the top, first thing on my agenda was to look at the smoke. It was pointing to the south west, that´s where the winds are coming from. Next, I had to find the prey, the leader of this monster. What I saw at the top of the chimney, was something to scare death itself. Men massacring other men, some ripping hearts out, sometimes were eyes, other times were limbs being ripped off. The lucky ones jumped into the water and were quickly eaten by a sea-jaguar. There was blood in the water, and in the deck. I looked at my own vest, and saw little drops of blood. But it wasn't my blood.
He must be close
Like a beast instinct, I felt something approaching me. Something small and deadly. I quickly jumped off the chimney, and fell over one of the enemies. After having a successful landing, and shooting the lad in the head with one of my pistols, I looked over my shoulder, and saw him, on top of the mastiff which hanged the Lion flag.
"You fucking coward, come and fight me like a man! Like a true privateer!" With my head up, I looked at him in the eye, and screamed at him.
He was wearing a long and black raincoat. It wasn´t buttoned up, and underneath it had a white shirt, with a long, red tie. Black trousers and a red shark skin belt, boots and a top hat. His skin was white, like if he was dead. Black filling in his eyes, and red iris´s. He wore a red cross stitched to the back of his coat. He had white gloves, and used a silver dagger with his left hand.
Russell Jackdaw
Best bounty hunter in the 5 seas, never missed a kill. And I know who he´s after. The finger running across his neck tells me his target. One must feel proud when Jackdaw comes after you, because is the signal that you´re a true pirate. Someone wanted, in the bad way.
Breath. Think. Run. Kill.
Once more, I head up to the mastiff located in the middle of the boat. With speed, I climbed my way to the mastiff in which he was standing. He was prepared, as he started shooting with one of the hidden guns in his raincoat. Last time he tried that, he was able to shoot me in the thorax. Not now, not anymore.
I was now on top of the last chimney in front of the mastiff, and saw him really close. Close enough to shoot the bastard in the face. But both of us know that I won't shoot him, and he won't shoot me either. It would be too easy, and easy is for Cowards. The sea is not a place for Cowards.
"Liam Cormac. Captain of the Ragnar, leader of the Norse men. He who raises the white bear flag. Boreas. Are you ready?" Jackdaw gave him classic before killing speech.
Without any effort at all, he jumped backwards and walked to the stern deck of the dreadnought. This was a fight for our lives, which would be fought with our own hands.
I jumped off the chimney and slowly walked to the stern. Through my journey, I shot, stabbed and killed as many as I could. Leaving the famous bloody trail of my fleet. When I finally arrived to the stern, I saw piles of corpses everywhere. And I saw him in the center, surrounded by enemy fleet. Walking through the stern, I approached him, and my fleet quickly approached me, creating a barrier of people behind me. To protect me.
"I´m ready Jackdaw, let´s finish this." Here´s your answer, Jackdaw.
"Drop everything" He replies.
I removed my coat, my shirt, boots, and gloves, basically everything but my necklace and cargo pants. And he did the same, leaving everything in the floor but his gloves and Dagger.
"We have more similarities, than differences. Don´t we Cormac?"
He´s right. We´re both murderers, we´re wanted by any legal government, and have supported anarchist leaders. We have stolen people their own lives, for nothing. Both of us have scars in our pectorals and abdominals. He has an X, starting from both shoulders, and finishing at the beginning of his hips. I have my slanted scar. Both of us crack our knuckles, creating a sound of what is going to come.
"Ready?" He asks
"Yes. You?" I reply
"Yes" He replies
"Let´s begin" I say
"Ok" He replies.
The fight begins, and both of us ram into each other, sending fast, blind fists at each other. I´m able to dodge this first fist, and connect the fist at his left cheek. Yet, he takes my hand, and drags me to himself, and head-butts me right in the nose, and the knee kicks me in the ribs. I fall to the floor and he kicks me, but I rise and head-butt him right in the jaw, and send him to the floor. He rises up, and sharps his dagger while spitting blood. I clean my bleeding nose.
I take off my necklace, and with just a click, I turn it into the small hidden dagger it is. We start to walk in circles, watching our eyes, trying to predict the next movement. I decide to start and run into him. He sends a left jab with his dagger, but I dodge it, and stab him in the lung. He kneels down, and I use that opportunity to jump on top of him and choke him. He struggles to free himself from me, but he stands up and throws me into the air.
When I fall, and hear some ribs crack, I realize that this won´t last long. Next 5 or 7 movements will decide who will be killed, and who will kill.
First
I head up to him, and kick him in the face, but he dodged it, and lifted me, and threw me again into the hard, cold metal ground that lay under our feet.
Second
He lifts me over his head, ready to let me fall into his rising knee. But I free myself, and elbow kicks him in the eye, causing him to bleed.
Three
"Fuck this" I say with anger
He is angry too, and decides to approach me this me. Blinded by rage, coated with the feeling of invisibility raging idiots have. I must be an idiot too, as I´m as angry, and feel as invincible. We attack each other, sending blind jabs with sharp ends to each other neck´s. Nothing happen, until he connects. A hole in my left tight.
Four
He then kicks me in the left tight, making me lose my balance. Rage accumulates in my mind, blinding from everything, even what makes me human. He kneels and starts to punch me in the face.
Five
But I´m able to insert my thumbs into both of his eyes, and we roll. Now I´m on top.
Six
I send a hammer punch to his nose, and break it
Seven
One more, but this time to his jaw
Eight
Another one, this one breaks his cheek bone
Nine
I know break his forehead bones
Ten
I´m starting to loose count, as my punches start to get coated with this bastard's blood and little skull pieces fly all over the place.
Eleven, Twelve, Fifteen, Twenty-Seven, Seventy-Nine, etc…
It doesn´t matter anymore, I´m concentrated in punching the hell of his skull. I already ripped out his eyes, nose and ears and blew his teeth with my fists. Then something cracks.
"You son of a bitch!" I scream in pain with rage, as my left fist is now broken.
I prepare once more to punch the bloody brain, skull and tissue pulp that was once Jackdaw´s skull, but someone touches my shoulder. I look at that person.
"Captain, he´s dead" Looking me dead in the eye, I see Rus covered in blood, with the heart of someone in his left hand.
I stand up, and take a glance at the monstrosity of a murder I just committed. His head smashed, bruises all over it, his neck looks now like…I honestly don´t know. What was once a human looking body is now just a…corpse?
"So you did it, Rus." Seeing that heart in his hand, I know to whom it once belonged.
"I did, Captain Finn" He replies
"Captain Finn? Since when did you call me by my name?" Simple question
He just nods, and lowers his head. Then, he takes my hand, opens it and put the heart in it.
"You´ll have to look for another quarter master, Captain Finn" With sorrow in his voice, he tells me the news.
"Aye, Captain Rus" With sadness in mine, I reply.
"It was fun, I learned a lot from you" He extends his hand for a handshake
"Aye, but it´s time for you to learn on your own." And extend mine too, and grab his hand.
Our handshake is not long. And I turn to my crew behind me.
"A´right Lads, now, the ones that want to stay in Ragnar under my command go to the right.!" Those who stay, to the right.
The mass of people started to divide, and lots of men went to the right
"Oi! Now, those who want to stay here with Rus and be under his command, go to the left!" Those who leave, to the left.
I counted the total. If my mind serves me well, the whole crew Ragnar holds is 80 people. A total of 50 went to raid the vessels. 30 stay.
"Rus, how many are now under your command?" I ask Rus, not because I don´t know, but because I don´t know if he knows.
"Nineteen men, total." He answers with confidence and pride.
"Twenty, if you count the Captain" With my words, I see him smile.
"All right my men, let´s go back to Ragnar" We star to leave, and some start to jump already to Ragnar´s main deck.
"Wait, Captain Finn" Rus stops me right at the verge of the boat.
"What?" I ask
"Her name. What´s her name?" He asks with a drop of curiosity in his tone
I start to think. We have never had a dreadnought before, and in this moment this is the largest ship we own.
"So?" He asks again
I smile a little grin for him, then, I go back to the fight zone, and dress up. When I´m done with my uniform, I past in front of him and jump to ragnar. When I fall, I decide to go to the captain´s room, and open a little chest filled with pride.
When I go out, I go to the right of the Helm Deck, and throw Rus our pride.
The White Bear Flag
Rus quickly catches it, and opens it. He probably has never seen our flag so close, and he´s so happy that he starts to shed some small tears. I take the helm, and start to move Ragnar to the left, looking for our other new vessel. I see Rus looking at me, so I decide to answer his question.
"Her name is Yavanna."
"That´s a good name" He whispers back something I was not able to hear, but I could read his lips.
"All right boys, full speed and let´s get back to position" My order to the Lads who still belong to the Ragnar.
We arrived the War Zone, and see to my left a sinking ship, and to my right, a new vessel that belongs now to the fleet. I repeat the process and send a flag to the vessel. He´s a good barque, almost as big as Ragnar. 3 mastiffs and a total length of 61 meters. Good start for a new Captain.
"Who´s the Captain of this vessel?!" I scream to the crew of our new friend.
The new Captain came out of the captain's room, all dress up with military clothes and a top hat. He walks to the verge, to speak to me. While he was doing that, Lads from both sides started to climb back to Ragnar. Now we´re only 46 in Ragnar.
"I am, Captain Finn" With strength and pride in his voice, I hear our second in command, Lucius Krell.
Krell comes from the 4th continent, he´s taller than me and even Rus. But he´s thin, and strong, but not as much as the other captains are. He has long white hair, a really pale skin, like porcelain, and green cat eyes.
"Alright, he belongs to you now now. Be a good Captain"
"What´s he´s name?" He asks the same question.
A tradition and duty of privateers, is that the Captain of the whole fleet must name every single vessel. And I have the right name for this one.
"Häya. That´s his name, Krell."
"Captain, were do we go now?" Krell asks.
I saw Rus quickly following us, he was behind us now.
"All right. Oi, Lads, maximum speed! We´re heading to the Kingdom Continent!