Chapter 17
„ Naval battle"
-„ They're coming closer…" – Topos said whilst watching the pirate frigates.
It was supposed to be a normal cruise, nothing more, just to get to their destination, however, it seems that Aizon and Topos Setterdeter will have to defend the ship from the pirates, who chase them seeking money, jewels and blood.
Meanwhile, our little heroes had gone to the lower deck, where the civilians were hiding for safety. Cait and Delgado could see the twins a by crate on the ship…
-„ Cait… what will happen now?" – Delgado asked his furry friend
-„ Hard for me to say" – Cait replied with his tinny voice -„ But I think it might get a little hot around here."
The frigates were a lot bigger than their ship; it had more masts and bigger windmills to propel the ship. The pirate ship also sported a black flag with a red skull over a saber and a bone, which were crossed to form an x-shape.
-„ I hear something…" – Cait said as he twitched his ears
-„ What?" – Delgado tried to concentrate his senses. He could just about hear some singing in the distance.
Cait Sith and Delgado couldn't hear what the song was, but Topos and Aizon, who were on the deck and prepared for action, could hear what kind of music the pirates were singing very well:
„ HOOOT BLOOD WILL POUR BYY JEET!! WILL WIN ONE, WHO WILL KEEP THE SHIIIP!! IN GUN'S BANGS, SOMEONE WILL COVER BY WAAVES!! IF GOD LETS, WE WILL SAVE THE SHIIIP!!!"
-„ At least they could sing something good" – Aizon muttered under his breath.
All the sailors were now at the ship's side. They had guns, sabers and bombs to throw at the frigates. Some of them were visibly scared, shaking noisily whilst waiting. Many sailors hadn't ever fought before in their lives, these were all young and inexperienced. Pirates were their opposites. They were born at sea and knew many ways to rob and kill.
„ OUUR SHIIP SAILED IN MIST AND THE FRIGATES TWO, HAAD SAAILED, OUR TRAIL IS NOT LOST IN THE MIST!! THEN THE SQUALL UNLOAD US FROM THE MILKY STRIP, AND THEN NO ONE, KNEW THAT FRIGATES WILL BRING FROM THEM THE DEATH FOR US, HOOT BLOOD…"
Suddenly there was a large bang, followed immediately by voices and screams of pain. Topos and Aizon looked in the direction of the screams, and saw splinters of the ship, blood and parts of bodies.
-„ DOWN!!" – Topos screamed, as the giant, dark balls obstructed the view of the sky and flew at their ship, which soon started to resemble Swiss cheese. There were screams and the masts were falling; the damage caused by the pirate's cannon was immense.
Some of the shots hit the cabins, killing all of the people hiding within them. Delgado wanted to cry when he saw what was happening, but Cait lay him down on the ground and covered his head.
The pirates were sending their salvo on their prey, but didn't stop singing their terrible song…
„ SUDDEN BANG, IN EARS PLAYED AND THE ATTACK LAST, THEY WERE FRIGATES!! ARMORED LINED WITH HUNDRED CANNON BALLS!! A BLACK SMOKE, COVERED US, THE DEATH TIME HAD COME!! SCREAM AND DIIRGE, OF MY COMMRADES, INTERRUPED BY TORTURERS, HOOT BLOOD…
Then, Aizon heard something impact the wood near his ear. When he looked, a metallic hook was stuck in the wood. He knew that one of the frigates was preparing to board the ship. Looking around, Aizon saw this line was only one of many. He was ready to cut the rope of the one that was close to him with his blade, but then something hit the deck. Aizon flew through the air and landed on the bloody fragments that were the remnants of a mast. Topos saw what happened, quickly ran to his brother and helped him get up.
-„ Are you alright Aizon?!" – Topos shouted, his voice was barely audible over the explosions.
-„ It's planned!!" – Aizon shouted to him back -„ They won't let any of us near the ropes!! They planned that attack!!"
-„ Then we must wait for them!! It's the only way to we'll get to fight them!!"
-„ Remember what I said earlier Topos!! We will fight, even if it means our death!!!"
Meanwhile, the captain of the ship ran out from his cabin. He was terrified when he saw his crew and passengers dead, and in some cases in several parts. However, he knew he needed to appear to be cold-hearted and start to give orders.
-„ COMMRADES!! PREPARE THE DYNAMITE!!!" – he screamed
The sailors that were still alive listened to their captain. They lit the sticks of dynamites that they had in their hands. The pirates from the first frigate were ready to board. As a few of them started to move onto the lines, the sailors threw their dynamites at the frigate. The force of the explosions dislodged the pirates crossing from the frigate. Unfortunately that wasn't enough; many pirates were still alive and proceeded to board and start the close-combat attack.
The sailors were attacked in two ways: close combat with the pirates on board whilst those left on the frigate shot at them with their rifles; many sailors got hit in the head, arms, legs, chests and even backs, ending their lives in pain.
-„ Here they come…" – said Aizon coldly as he saw a man in blood-coloured clothes coming towards them on the line to the deck. Aizon quickly jumped and cut off the pirate's feet. The pirate screamed fell into the ocean. Still more pirates came across from the frigates. He started to spin his dual-pointed lance. He felt the blood that landed on his face. He was cutting legs, skin, sabers, hands and clothes. He could have just cut the line, but he was enjoying himself.
Topos was terrified when he saw the fight between the pirates and sailors. The captain was one of the few people who had something sharp in his hand. Most of those who had weapons had died in the artillery fire. Most of the crew had to fight with fists, which gave them a huge disadvantage. The pirates were cutting their heads off, and Topos saw how the blood from the end of the necks was bubbling out onto the deck.
He couldn't watch this. He jumped in the air, spun and landed in a group of the pirates, starting to fight with them. Many of them pointed their sabers at him to attack, but Topos was fast. He easily cut the blades and injured their bodies. An aggressor behind Topos tried to stab his saber into the warrior's back, but Topos turned and kicked the pirate in the chin. They had no chance with Topos, who had much more skilled them then when it came to fighting.
Topos soon realized, though, that his ship had no chance. The 2nd frigate started to fire at them. Topos saw that a cannonball was heading for him, if it were to hit his skull would be smashed and flattened like a pizza, so Topos dodged, but was too slow. The shot passed too close to his left ear; he heard the sound of it shoot by, and then nothing. He had gone deaf in his left ear. He fell to the ground, avoiding the balls that were blasting through the ship.
Aizon heard something as he fought. When he turned he saw a cannonball heading towards him. Aizon jumped in the air, letting the ball hit the pirates coming across on the line.
The sea was red from the blood of the dead and injured. Both in the sea and on the ships there were bodies and with parts still moving from cut nerves. Some of the victims were alive and were screaming for help.
Meanwhile, Cait Sith got up off of Delgado's head. As Delgado looked around, he started to cry; there were so many dead people. Severed limbs, guts and bodies surrounded him. The occasional survivor could be heard screaming in pain. Cait Sith, despite being a robot, was also terrified and horrified, but had grown accustomed to such scenes whilst traveling in Cloud's party.
-„ We must find Topos and Aizon" – Cait said to him, trying to distract Delgado from crying -„ I think they will need our help."
Delgado sniffed his tears back and grabbed Cait's hand. They were going through the under deck, past open-eyed bodies, all with their faces distorted by terror. When Delgado looked at those dead eyes, he began to shake. There were men, women and children… all dead. Their bodies were left contorted from the attacks, hands were twisted, eyes were cold and wide-open, and lips had been twisted by the agony endured during their last minutes. Delgado had never seen a human corpse before, and he felt that such a sight was the worst imaginable, especially when death was so cruel and unnatural.
They felt the drops of water that were falling from the holes in the hull of the ship. Blood was mixing with the seawater, meaning the water lapping against the side of the passageway was a brown colour. Cait felt Delgado's hand shaking from his fear, so he clutched it tighter. A scream then rang out:
-„ SOMEBODY HELP MEEE!!!!"
-„ COME HERE TO ME!!!" – a creepy voice called
Cait reacted instantly, breaking into a run, pulling Delgado with him. When they reached the source of the scream, they saw some of the passengers and pirates. The pirates were distinguishable from the others by their with red clothes and bandanas. The passengers were huddled together in fear. One of the pirates was trying to get a woman, but she was fighting back.
-„ Hurry up Smithy" – the pirated laughed –„ Get her and we will have a busy night"
-„ Or get her clothes off now and have a quickie here" – the second pirate laughed louder
Cait and Delgado hid behind some barrels. Cait was very worried about what was happening. He didn't like it when people were going to get hurt.
-„ What are they doing?!" – Delgado whispered to the cat
-„ Something that makes them unworthy to be considered men" – Cait hissed –„ We have act quickly" – he added as he saw that the pirate the pirate had caught the woman.
-„ There are only two of us" – Delgado said –„ And six of them. They will kill us!"
-„ We have no choice" – Cait said angrily –„ I have seen pain and death too many times. I may be a robot, but I still think it is wrong to take another's life" – and he quickly jumped out from his hiding place…
-„ TOPOS!!" – Aizon shouted as he saw a pirate aiming his saber at Topos, who was still down. He rushed forward to save his brother from the attack. He was ready to strike, but it was too late and the pirate was too fast; the end of the saber was very near Topos's body. Aizon shouted.
Something flashed.
Aizon stopped. The pirate had wide opened ezes and he slowly fell to the ground, with his throat clearly cut. Topos slowly stood, covering his left ear. He almost fell again, but Aizon supported him.
-„ The missile flew too close to my ear…" – Topos whispered
-„ Show" – Aizon said into Topos's right ear
Topos took his hand from his ear. When he did, Aizon hit it with his open hand. Topos felt that something like a cork had pooped free of his ear and he could heard the screams of the fight through it again.
-„ YAWW!!" – the regained ability to hear caused great distress to Topos, similar to that cause by being stabbed in the eye by a stiletto –„ THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!" – he said angrily.
-„ No problem" – Aizon replied as he sliced an enemy's stomach from behind…
-„ What's that?" – the pirate asked while staring at he cat in crown.
-„ My name is Cait Sith" – the cat gripped his paws –„ And leave that lady alone"
The pirates looked at each other and burst out laughing.
-„ What will ya do ta us?" – a fat pirate moved close to Cait -„ Give us a shellacking??"
-„ Watch out Burney" – a second pirate said to the fat one, who was evidently called Burney –„ He's got little fangs!"
And they started to laugh again.
-„ Why do they always laugh when I want to fight…" – Cait sighed –„ I might be little, but I can kick your dirty butts!"
Burney came closer.
-„ Ya betta say da truth" – Burney started cracking his fingers –„ Cuz I can make from ya a rag for floor"
Cait then felt that he had made a mistake. When Burney came close to him, the cat felt tiny – really tiny. The pirate was so fat, that he could easily squash Cait as thin as a pancake. Cait gulped and looked at the passengers. They were so frightened, even the girl who had been teased by the pirates, that they couldn't look.
-„ Hey"
Burney and Cait turned in the direction of the voice.
-„ I can't allow you to beat my friend" – the pirates turned their heads to Delgado, who had startled them by talking -„ I will fight with Cait and we will beat you together"
-„ No, take cover!" – Cait hissed to the boy
The pirates laughed yet again.
-„ Burney, be careful. They can throw you onto the mat!"
-„ BUAHAHA!! Anotha one! I see ya very brave boy" – he looked at Delgado's shaking legs and smiled –„ Then I will fight ya first. Move out tha way cat!!"
The fat pirate hit Cait's head forcefully, knocking the cat away and into the other pirates, who were waiting to beat him up. Burney moved towards to Delgado.
This made Delgado felt very little. He heard the sounds of the punches and kicks that Cait was taking. He couldn't move to him. Burney was too big to sneak around.
Delgado tried to punch him. It felt like Burney's skin was like some kind of rubber that he was going to fall into. His whole arm was stuck from fingers to shoulder. The boy tried to free his arm, but couldn't. The fat that surrounded the pirate's body had engulfed the arm fully, making it nigh on impossible to remove. The boy's face was damp from sweat, but he could do nothing.
Burney laughed. The boy's arm was like some kind of branch that was tickling him from within. The fat pirate took a deep breath, with an effect akin to that of blowing up a balloon. Suddenly Delgado was shot back through the lower deck and hit the barrels, breaking all of them…
The massacre was terrifying. The sailors couldn't do anything because they had too few weapons.
One of the sailors was lying down on the ground. When he tried to stand up, a pirate with blood-coloured clothes and a saber was looking at him. The sailor covered his face when he saw the saber moving towards to his forehead, but when he heard the pirate being stabbed, he lowered his arms again The pirate's eyes rolled back in his head as he fell.
-„ You ok?" – Topos retrieved his blade from pirate's body and looked at the sailor. The man only nodded and ran away.
Three more enemies tried to attack Topos. When they dashed at him, he jumped up, spun his blades and killed them all. He heard a shout and he killed another enemy from behind, then sliced another one, then two more that tried to kill him, then the next one, and the next one, and the next one that stood in his way. Suddenly he heard Aizon's voice:
-„ Another frigate is coming" – he said whilst killing another pirate.
Topos looked at the ocean. Behind him there was dust, screams, blood and wild killing. On the ocean, he saw the third frigate, the biggest and mightiest of them all – "Persephona", the ship of the cruelest captain, Bloody Moustache, who sails between the mainland and the Mytheristos continent. His nickname came from his long moustache and the blood that he spilt. He has no mercy, is sinful and has sunk many passenger ships for gold and other loot.
-„ This will be hard" – Topos commented as he looked at The Persephona…
Delgado was barely standing when the porky pirate pulled his hair and lifted him up. Delgado tried to free himself, but to no avail. Burney enjoyed this scene, and hit the boy in the stomach. Delgado spat out saliva and grabbed his stomach.
-„No…" – Cait groaned from under a pirate's knee, which was pinning his head down. He reached out for Delgado, who was hanging onto Burney's hand, but a boot smashed his paw.
Delgado looked up and he saw Topos, who was looking elsewhere, and a crate.
-„ T… Topos…" – he reached out to the man.
-„ Ya know…" – Burney said to the pirates, while looking on the boy –„ They're nuthin. It'd be betta if we kill these twats".
Burney put his hands on Delgado's neck and tightened his grip. The boy couldn't breathe. He started to panic. He was hitting Burney's hands and kicking his fat belly as his lungs started to burn. The pirates were laughing. His vision was fading. Then he fell down.
Cait Sith, still under the knee, smiled. It was Topos. He had heard Delgado and came to help. He had his dual lance in his hands. Burney was lying on the floor.
-„ I forbid you to hurt them" – and he pointed his weapon at the group of pirates –„ Let him go, or you will die".
-„ He's got a weapon" - one of the pirates said.
-„ That's nothing" – answered a second and pulled out his saber -„ I'll kill him…"
He charged at Topos, but the brave, young man jumped in the air, somersaulted and cut the pirate's spine, instantly killing him. When he landed, he looked at the rest with cold eyes.
-„ I gave you a chance. Prepare to die…"
The grouped flinched as Topos said that. The young man ran towards the group. The pirates tried to fight him. Cait Sith covered his head as he heard the screams of the pirates that were falling to Topos's blades. When it was over, Cait uncovered his eyes and saw the dead bodies. Topos squatted down next to Cait and touched his back.
-„ Are you okay, Cait?" – he asked calmly
-„ D… Delgado" – he pointed at the boy.
Burney stood up and looked angrily at Topos.
-„ Ya… ya want me to smash ya?!" – he ran at Cait Sith and Topos with fists ready -„ DIIIEEE!!!!!"
Topos threw Cait into a corner, then rolled onto the ground, and kicked Burney into the air. When Burney stood up he looked for Topos, but felt a kick in the nape of his neck. There was a loud crack. Burney softly fell to the ground. Topos kicked Burney's neck and broke it in few places, instantly ending his life.
People, who had been watching this, had blanched and huddled in the corner, hiding their faces in their hands.
Cait Sith came to Delgado and lifted his head. Topos came to him too and checked that he was still alive.
The boy slowly opened his green eyes and raised his hand up to his forehead. Cait smiled and helped his friend get to his feet.
-„ You okay, Delgado?" – Topos asked
-„ It felt like my head was going to explode" – he said while looking at the dead pirates.
Topos then stood up.
-„ Hide somewhere" – he said to Cait and Delgado -„ It's not safe now. These pirates won't show you mercy. It was lucky I saw you from the deck. You better stay with those people. A third ship is coming to and it will be a difficult battle"
-„ Thanks for helping us" – Cait Sith replied, with a large smile -„ And give those naughty boys a good beating for us!"
Topos smiled and ran towards the entrance, to get onto the deck and fight the next enemies…
-„ AAGHHH!!!!" – Aizon looked in the direction of the shout, he saw the captain of their ship on the floor, with a large red hole in his stomach. Someone had shot him with a rifle.
Whilst Topos was helping Cait Sith and Delgado, Aizon was busy on the deck. Which had been stained red by all of the blood. Pirates and the crew of their ferry were slipping on the blood. There were many bodies on the floor, along with hands, legs and heads. Most of them were sailors. Some of the sailors were fighting with their hands only, some got sabers from the pirates, but the pirates of Bloody Moustache were more experienced and unafraid of the sailors, so had a massive advantage.
The pirates from "Persephona" saw the mistake that the crew from the second ship had made. They boarded by crossing on the lines. When Aizon saw some of the pirates coming, he threw his weapon like a boomerang. His spinning blades cut the lines and pirates landed in the water, which was now deep ochre from the blood. Aizon then just had to lift his hand up and catch his deadly weapon.
Aizon heard shouts. He looked down, his eyes widened in shock.
-„ Sea monsters!" – he almost shouted when he saw what was going on down there.
The pirates that landed in the water had met with sea monsters, which were attracted by the blood. Hungry beasts sank their sharp teeth into their prey, enjoying the fresh, human meat. It was a terrible bloodbath with people being torn up by the beasts.
Suddenly, a monster with a long neck, big forehead and really sharp teeth bit the ship's side and shook the wooden part in front of Aizon. The monster saw Aizon and prepared to attack. Aizon jumped in the air. The monster opened his jaw and was waiting for his prey to fall in and become dinner. Aizon was planning on entering the monster's maw.
-„ Bon apetit" – he said as he entered the mouth, twisted and made a "T"-shaped slash. By this point the monster had closed his jaws, meaning that the blades had penetrated the flesh of his mouth. Aizon stepped on the monsters head and pulled his blade with all of his strength breaking the monster's jaw. The monster emitted a loud moan as his head started to land in the water. Aizon quickly jumped on board and watched how the monster splashed into the water to be eaten by the other beasts.
Aizon heard some whistles. It was from Topos's blades as they cleared a way through the enemies. Topos came to Aizon.
-„ Cait Sith and Delgado are under the deck" – he reported -„ But I think it's going to be really messy"
-„ I just killed a sea monster" – Aizon replied -„ If this continues, we will fight three whole frigates alone, because the crew of our ship has no chance".
They looked up when they heard that pirates had landed on the masts and started to destroy the windmills that were propelling ship during the cruise. The crew of the windmills tried to fight the attackers, but many of them were shoved screaming tot the deck. Then Topos and Aizon looked at the first two pirate ships that were now getting closer to their own ship.
-„ Let's do it like this" – started Topos -„ You will go up the masts and defend our ship, Cait Sith and Delgado, along with the civilians. I will try to sink the first two frigates. We will take the last one together, because it's their flagship and it will be well protected. Good luck" – he tapped Aizon's shoulder and disappeared into the smoke that was made during the battle.
Aizon looked up. He saw a rope. He got on it and started to climb to the biggest mast where the enemies were. But the wind blew him, so he had to strengthen his grip to avoid falling. Aizon looked up at the sky. He saw dark clouds…
It seems that even in this hard battle, Topos and Aizon are going to carry out their plan, to save Cait Sith, Delgado, innocent people and themselves. But will their brave gesture succeed? If it doesn't, they will die. And what do the dark clouds portend? A storm? Will the bloody pirates be defeated in this naval battle, despite the difficulties that must be overcome?
Author's note:
You probably noticed that my last submission was two months ago. That's because I was very busy with my school. I had to study and pass many hard exams. By hard work I graduate to next class and now I have vacations and I was able to finish this chapter. I hope you're still interested and you want to know what next will happen to our heroes. I promise that next time I will warn you about brake in this fanfic and I apologize for delays. When Laura will correct this chapter, I'll try to make bigger horizon and send your "Rage of Bauergard" to FFVII Citadel. Wish me luck by big L :). Author