"Tha's ALL ye got?!" Merik laughed loudly, as several of his men slipped and fell. The gunnery crew seated at the turret mounted weapons, however, were pretty much unaffected by the slick surfaces. Shaking his head, Merik murmured, "Fire," and his reply was the rear cannons which let fly a volley of, not cannonballs, but thin magic beams in a brief but deadly show of crimson and pure white light, compliments of the crystal below deck, each beam aimed for the main deck of the Black Widow.
Direlette let out a scream as the beams hit the main deck in several areas. The strikes rocked the schooner in the water like a child's toy in the bathtub, and she went stumbling back into one of masts, grabbing onto it as her ship rocked beneath her. The mage dropped to his knees, scrabbling back as he moaned in terror, and for a moment he was unable to do anything. Small holes appeared where the beams struck, and fires erupted, nibbling at the seasoned wood. Sailors began to run, slapping out what fires they could. Direlette screamed at her crew to let loose with their small cannons, aiming at the gunnery crew who had unleashed the magic beams. At the same time, the frightened mage held forth his hands, loosing a medium sized fireball straight at the Hellbringer's sails.
The fireball struck soundly, flames washing over the leathery surface of what was once wings to propel a dragon through the air at one time. Scorched, but undamaged in the long run, the wings continued to assist the massive vessel in following The Black Widow. Cannonballs every once in a while found a weak spot in the dragonhide hull, and small holes were left behind to pepper the hull itself.
Direlette grimly awaited the next attack as she rallied her crew, however the attack did not yet come. Another odd tactic, it seemed. The ship continued to keep pace with the smaller schooner, and moved until it was almost over the smaller ship, shadowing it from the moon above.
Direlette let her breath out shakily as she stamped out the last fire on the deck, feeling the Widow list slightly to the left as it began to take on water. Thank the Gods they were not too far from the Isles; if they could just slip away they might be able to make it before the ship sank. If not...well, if not, they had all known the risks they ran by smuggling. She hollered to Amil to head the ship to shore, and then she muttered to the mage, "Quit attacking, and get us the hell out of here." The mage nodded, took a deep breath, and then released it forcefully, breathing out a few words as well. In mere moments he had cast the spell "Solid Fog", and instantly the Hellbringer was engulfed in a thick, pea-soup fog.
The HellBringer's crew, those not manning cannons, rushed to the railings
on port and stern. Attaching odd-looking crossbows, they tipped them to
point straight down. Each small harpoon was attached to a long run of cable,
and, as the flying ship was already stationed over the smaller ship, the
fog did not appear to be detrimental to Merik's plans. The cables were
attached to the hull itself with a reinforced hold, and from the fog, each
one sounded off in unison, the harpoons
moving to imbed into the Black Widow's deck .
Direlette was knocked right off her feet by the jolt as four harpoons ripped into the upper deck, effectively snaring her ship and bringing it to a sudden, bone-jarring halt. As she shook her head to clear it, she knew that her crew would already have their weapons in hand, and she hurriedly stood and dug out her own poisoned daggers, one in each hand. Boarded, eh? Not without killing a few men on her way out! As she grimly studied her current situation, Cashis the mage released a Chain Lightning spell at the Hellbringer, watching as it flashed up one of the cables, the discharge bouncing from cable to cable and finally, to the men standing near the cable moorings.
The dragon's wings shifted, and the Hellbringer reversed quickly to tug on the cables and dig the harpoons deeper into the deck, trying to keep them neatly locked in place. The crew who were hit by lightning were effectively fried, but any further effects were negated by the crystal pulsing within the bowels of the ship itself. With harpoons holding tight, no man move to board the Black Widow, however the Hellbringer began to rise higher, the cables tightening as they began to lift the Widow out of the water.
Direlette felt the Black Widow shift beneath her feet, and she launched herself at the nearest mast, wrapping her arms around it tightly. As she did so, she screamed to her crew to fasten themselves to anything that would avail them of a handhold, or purchase of some kind. The dark smuggler then closed her eyes, determined that should, somehow, she survive this battle, she would personally cut off Merik's *own* weapon and stuff it down his throat.
"Heh.. surrender, Direlette, or see jus' 'ow much th 'water 'urts when 'ittin 'it from up 'igh," called Merik, holding the railing, and peering over to the ship dangling precariously below as the 'Bringer rose higher still. Direlette leaned back, the winds whipping her long black hair as she called back to him furiously, "Surrender what, you puss-filled son of a whore? There is nothing on here for you, you stupid pissant, nothing but my ship itself. Go to the Abyss, and take your putrid crew with you!"
"Exactly. I do need another ship. 'owever I need a Cap'n t'go with it. Ye c'n run a smuggling trade all ye wan', an' fer a small fee, say 60% o' yer earnins.. I'll nae raid ye." Merik stated, a grin curving his lips. Now THIS was how piracy was done.
Direlette began to stammer, rage freezing her throat and denying her words. She finally let out a scream of fury, letting go with one arm to shake her fist at him. "Work for you? Sixty percent?? You're *&^#$_* insane, Merik! I'll see you AND your ship in the Abyss before I surrender the Black Widow to you, smuggling be damned! I work for NO man!"
"Wrong answer, darlin.. try again?" he stated, motioning with a hand. One cable was released, making the Widow dangle at a more precarious angle beneath the 'Bringer.
Direlette listened to her crew as they began to murmur amongst themselves, and for a moment...she almost considered his offer. She had enough wealth to last a lifetime...but work for *him*? Never. Not at that price. Swivelling her head so she could look at Amil, the first mate who has been with her for the past few years, Direlette saw him shake his head. Loyal old Amil, good to the end. "Merik. Have reason. What's to stop me from agreeing to your terms, then sticking you in the back?" she called up to him.
"Because I'm already dead, darlin. Ye c'n nae kill a ghost." the black-hearted pirate stated flatly as he motioned for a second cable to be cut free. "Yer between a rock an' a 'ard place, Direlette. Choose quickly." As he spoke, two cables were all that remained to hold the Black Widow from a horrible, ship shattering crash with the waters below.
Direlette smiled slowly, wickedly as a plan began to take shape in her mind. She looked up at the pirate, and then nodded, just once. "Alright then, Meric. It shall be as you say. Spare the Widow and my crew, and the ship is yours."
"An' wot assurances, Direlette, d' I 'ave tha' yer nae gonna doublecross me?" he asked, one brow lifting as he paused and leaned on the rail.
Direlette shrugged eloquently, slim shoulders speaking for her. "There aren't really any I can offer you Merik, are there? Anything I say can be believed...or not. Tis your choice." She felt bile, an aftermath of her rage, sneaking up the back of her throat, and she turned and spat on the deck beside her.
Merik smirked as another cable snapped free and fell into the water below. The Black Widow dangled by only one cable now, and it could be seen straining under the weight of the schooner. "Doublecross me, Direlette, an' this night.. will be NOTHIN' compared t'next time." He pointed a finger directly at her as her ship swayed beneath the Hellbringer.
Direlette looked up at him coolly, her black eyes flashing. "First you must tell me all of your terms, Merik. How else can I comply if I don't know how, exactly, you wish to work your *deal*?"
"I stated it simply already. Ye run smuggling, pay me sixty percent o' yer earnings. In turn, I dinna sink ye," he replies, drumming his fingers on the railing.
"Alright. It is done then. Put the Widow back in the water, and I agree to your terms," she allowed, lowering her dark head so that the ghostly pirate could not see the defiance glittering in her black eyes.
"I'm glad ye c'n see th'lighter side o' this." Merik stated as The Hellbringer slowly lowered itself, finally depositing the Black Widow in the sea again as the last cable detached.
Direlette snapped her head back and glared at her crew, listening to them bicker back and forth. While a few were eager to save their scabby hides, the majority of them stared at her silently, sullenly. With a subtle tilt of her chin, she returned their glares with an icy gaze of her own. Nay, their captain had not sold out, nor had she gone soft. She would never endanger her men's lives, not like this, but...tomorrow night, they would meet, the crew and herself, for there was much to plot.
Chuckling triumphantly, Merik motioned to the pilot, and the Hellbringer
sailed off into the air. Direlette watched it silently as it sped away,
then she turned and wearily motioned to Amil to set for shore, her black
eyes shifting from sailor to her ship. Her shoulders slumped slightly as
she reached out one hand and lovingly caressed the wheel of the helm, now
held by Amil, and then she straightened. Tomorrow..., yes tomorrow she
would put her plan in place.
