Alyssa, Salty Dog of Ruathym
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The air was cold as it always was in the last month of fall, the wind biting, as it filled the sails of the sleek sailing ship. Onboard sat a man huddled under a blanket, sitting in the crow's nest and his eyes scanning the darkness, desperately wishing he was somewhere else.
"Facking bloody Auril's arse but I'd rather have a bed than this facking ship'd nay be fit for the Bitch's pup's toenail.." a steady stream of more curses ensuing, "Bloody wish I still lived in Calmishan.." his teeth chattering.
Unluckily for him, he was the only one cold, all the other's on the deck were either to hardy to acknowledge the chill air and biting wind, or far too drunk. The ship was the Mermaid's Blade, the captain's cheerful little name for the pirate ship. In tales, it was because the ship would appear from the blue, fighting and looting and dissappear so suddenly that those robbed could only watch in awe, as any sailor would feel after seeing a mermaid. The real reason, was because of the Captain's particular fancy of picking up a woman at each dock, filling their head's with grand idea's of being "his Ocean Queen", giving them a blade as if he'd teach them to fight, then dumping them at the next port after the crew had had their fill of her in the most humiliating ways possible.
The woman onboard for the time being was a girl from Ruathym, near to the age of twenty, and by the name of Alyssa. She'd made it two ports already, and the crew seemed very well attached to her. The girl was crass and rude, her curses made even some of the other pirates blush, she was still learning with a sword, but she had little hesitation about breaking noses with her fist, or anything else either if she could get a hold of it. She could outdrink all but the most experienced of sailors, and since she had next to no shame or sense of commitment to a single lover, morale was never low for long on the Mermaid's Blade.
Recently, the crew was making it's way to Waterdeep, the City of Splendors, to sell its "shipment" of recently received casks of Moonshae brews. Invariably, they would be a few, or many, casks short as "its was heaven compared to swill" as one man put it comparitively to the ale they had on board. So far, they were nearing the eighth night of drunken revels, only the men on watch forced to keep sober, and the navigator of course despite that he was nursing a flask whenever no one was watching.
In the cabin, a tiny little table was set up with two of the crew and Alyssa sitting at it, many others crowded around to watch. Off to the side, their arms bound behind their backs, were two women each no older than eighteen. The men were leering at them, and truth be told Alyssa gave them a glance or two, but only grinned each time she looked at the cards. The game was purely for fun, the winner would get to decide which girl stayed on board the ship, and coincidently, which girl got tossed overboard when they were done with her.
"Ha! Five aces!" the crookedly grinning man across from Alyssa said, showing five aces, two aces of clubs and a single one from the other suits..he wasn't the brightest obviously. "Now, which'll you lassies will'ie pick tonoight.." he leered at the girl, which only caused them to shake with fear, one even urinating on herself as he touched her.
"Ach, bloody hells! The wench fackin pizzed on the Capn's bed! oohh.. you're in for it now dearie…" The man started drawing a knife, a wicked gleam in his eyes. That gleam soon faded as a sharp crack sounded as an empty ale cask was slammed against the back of his head, splintering and knocking the man far from consciousness.
Alyssa nonchalantly dropped the empty cask amid a corus of laughter, nudging the man slightly with her boot, then spitting on him and slipping his dropped dagger into her own boot. "Fackin cheater, Tymora herself'd nay get her arse outta a cheat like that.. so, now which of ye lasses are willing to keep the lads company tonight?" a wicked gleam of her own in her eyes.
Both girls struggled, tears leaking down their faces, the redheaded woman's eyes squeezed tightly shut as if waiting for a headsman's axe to fall. Oblivious, or simply not caring, Alyssa yanked that one up by her hair, the girl screeching and struggling. "Sorry lass, need to punish ye for pissing on the capn's bed.." dragging her out the cabin and over to the rail, the men frowning slightly that their fun was being carried away. Though they soon forgot as the blonde struggled and whined, now the target of their attentions.
When she reached the rail, Alyssa spoke softly to the girl, "I'm really doing ye a favor you know.." the girl looked at her curiously. "well, ye're a virgin ain't ye?" the girl nodded, not trusting herself with speech, "Ye'd nay want a fark like that to be yer first, did ye? Plus ye might be able to swim to shore if ye're a good swimmer.."
The tiny little smile on the girls face and the little glimmer of hope in her eyes was brutally crushed in the next instant, as Alyssa whispered quietly, "but more likely, you meet the one bitch bigger'n me." with that, Alyssa bodily picked up the girl and tossed her into the water, the girl's arms still tied behind her back. Grinning to herself, Alyssa went to pour herself another mug, then settled down somewhere comfortable to sleep.
"CAPTAIN! ship to starboard!" came the call from the crow's nest, there was no need to ask what flag would be flying. It would be Waterdeep's, and there was no reason to ask what they wanted as in the next few minutes a burning ball of pitch lit the sky, and crashed into the water a hundred yards behind the ship.
The captain, bleary eyed and thoroughly drunk waved his hands and made a few rude gestures at the ship from Waterdeep, apparently finally figured out their real trade after three years of exclusive trade with Waterdeep. "Fack em! Ta Calimshan!" a cheer rang up after the order.
All on board knew few ships could match the speed of the Mermaid's Blade and soon they were all full sail,burning balls of pitch flying but none getting close to the retreating ship. The crew were even more excited about visiting Calimshan again, land of harlots, slaves, and anything illegal in all the realms. Pirate's Paradise the man in the crow's nest called it, and perhaps he was the most excited of all, as it wasn't nearly so bloody cold.
//more to come, have a class to go to and can't finish it right now.
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Normally I would lock this and award xp. What would I do with this now? I suggest copying the story over to tales by the fire, but will not lock it for now. Try to reach me on IRC for a talk.
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Awe-some, I love it, I do I do I do!
Hah! Wish I took the time to flesh out ol' deac that well. Keep it up! Very good.
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Many days later, as Lathander's Glory was just peaking above the swells, the crew of Mermaid's Blade cheered. In the distance, they saw a ship, it was by far too far away to tell what colors it flew, but then that wouldn't really matter in the long run. They were near enough to Baldur's Gate at this point, perhaps two days north, just far enough to avoid most patrolling ships.
As they got closer, the crew eyed the ship greedily, seeing that the ship was definately bearing cargo, showing the colors of Luskan, they had definately travelled a long way. To the pirates, this only meant it would take longer for word of their death to reach their fellows.
"Full speed boys! Get some wind in the sails, fart in it if ya got to!" the Captain yelled out, grinning from ear to ear. The ship was big, but was hardly the same threat that would be trying to fight one of Waterdeep's Caravels. The ship would be slow, Mermaid's Blade could sail circles around it, raining arrows and catapult fire at it the whole time.
Within an hour, the ships had nearly closed enough for volleys to be exchanged. The men waited with bows nocked, the catapults were ready to be lit and fired, and all around fingers touched blades and daggers.
"Nothin be makin ye feel more alive then to be waitin ta stick yer sword in there gullet, aye capn?" Alyssa grinned, her fingers curled around the cutlass he'd given her, impatiently waiting to do exactly as she said.
Then they were close enough, and a volley of arrows left the ship, looking like so many swooping birds towards the Luskan ship. The wind picked up, almost as if in answer to the gasps and screams of those hit by the volley. Anothe was fired, more screams, then the catapults fired, and suddenly the big ship had a hole in it's mast and flames rising from its stern. The men were cheering, loving the seemingly easy victory, the cheer was cut short as heads appeared over the railing of the bigger ship, then a return volley shooting towards the crew. Arrows stuck from chests, shoulders, legs, and throats, some killed instantly, those not dead either grinning or cursing.
"Ready ta board lads! She be a stubborn bitch, nay need ta be gentle, hit 'er a couple til she lay still!" The Captain called out, still unconcerned by the resistance. In the next instant, the deck rocked as one of the catapults exploded, fire leaping from it and instantly killing the men who manned it.
"Facking Beshaba's kiss.. wizard!" several of the men took up the cry of wizard, all arrows being concentrated near where they thought the fireball come from. None of them hit. After another moment, webs sprung up from the deck, wrapping themselves around the men and holding more than a few tightly. To make matter's worse, the resistance shot it's next volley, this was no unorganized bunch, they had waited for the wizard's spell, and the following attack took many of the crew. Men died and still stood, the webs not letting them fall to the deck. Nearly a quarter of the crew was dead, and one of the catapults utterly destroyed.
Scuddy Militan, the artillery commander of Mermaid's Blade had been paying plenty of attention to the fight, he saw where the fireball had come from, and what's more he saw a figure in the throes of spellcasting just before the webs sprung up. A figure in blue robes, and Scuddy smiled to himself as the catapult had been redirected. He was the best shot with a catapult anywhere on the Sea of Swords, his nickname was Giantshot, for his ability to seemingly imitate a giants skill with thrown boulders. He knew he only needed one shot, and as the mage was casting his next spell, the catapult fired. Panic in his eyes, the mage tried to abandon his spell to cast a defensive one, and then his form was smashed and burned as the burning pitch hit him directly.
"Up the boards lads! Up the boards!" the captain yelled, the men fighting their way free of the webs as the now disoriented men looked agape at the smashed pulp that was once a wizard. Grappling hooks were thrown across, and boarding planks were laid across, the pirates rushing over with swords bared and malice in their eyes. The defenders were not to be completely overtaken, however, and the charge was met with resistance, the fight to win ground onto the opposing deck being far bloodier than the arrow volleys.
Alyssa came towards the rear of the charge, the skilled pirates already having pushed through the planks and winning ground on the deck. She grinned to herself and looked for something to kill, her eyes widening a little as an arm was cut from a man just beside her. The hand still clutched a dagger, and only when the man was cut down and her rescuer giving her rear a pinch did she realize that it was her the now dead man had intended to kill. More than a little outraged, and possibly even a bit frightened, Alyssa rushed towards the nearest person she didn't recognize as crew, the cutlass cutting a deep slash across the man's back. He stood straight up as she did, and the man he was fighting drew his dagger across the wounded man's throat. Blood gurgling out as the figure collapsed quietly.
Spinning around, looking for the next target, Alyssa saw a man with a shortsword approaching her. She charged, screaming what she hoped was a warcry, cutlass high above her head as she hoped to cut the man down with a single strike. The man was no novice to battle, and his booted foot caught her stomach in mid-charge. The air knocked from her body, and the cutlass slipping from her hands as her body doubled over. She felt the air from his next slash go just beside her neck as the deck rolled hard to port, that perhaps being the only reason she still had a head attached to her shoulders.
As the deck rolled back, so came that wicked shortsword the man had, though she ducked it as she scrambled to retrive her lost cutlass. Screaming as her hands closed on it, and she drove it hard upward at the fighter's chin, then screaming again in frustration as the man knocked the blade from her hands in a deft twist of his own sword. It didn't matter though, she had decided this man was going to die, even if it took her bare hands.
Most of the fighting had died down on the rest of the ship, only blood and bodies left of the Luskaners. The remaining crew either put the last couple defenders to the knife quickly, numbers overwhelming the few skilled fighters remaining, or crowded around to watch the mini-duels, either getting entertained or helping to get a bigger share for themselves. A small group was watching Alyssa and the man fight, Gyrgas already circling behind the fighter with the shortsword to stab him down with his dagger.
"Umberlee has a use for ye, ye squid testacled fack of pig-facker" her face a snarl as curses poured from her lips without her even acknowledging that she was even speaking. The fighter, concerned about being surrounded, lunged with a thrust towards her breast, thinking her easy to finish off without a weapon. To his surprise, she dodged, then caught his sword hand in her left, twisting it hard until she heard a pop. The man grunted and tensed as shoulder popped from it's socket, Alyssa grinned and punched him hard in to nose, then kicked him between the legs for good measure. The man's nose instantly started bleeding, and his knees buckled as she connected with his groin, and then he slumped lifelessly as Gyrgas dragged his dagger across the man's throat.
Her rage cleared and Alyssa looked around the ship, seeing the crew cheering and drinking whatever ale and wine they could find on the Luskan ship while others tossed bodies overboard. In the cargo hold, Calik, the bookeeper, was tallying up how much worth of goods the ship had been carrying. From the smile on his face as he came out, it obviously must have been worth a lot.
"Alright lads, we still be goin ta Calmishan, nay? Well hurry tha fack up and get these ship's hitched lads, then we best be bloody stopping in the next port and sell this big-shite of driftwood. Our hold'll hold the goods they got from Baldur's Gate, don't ye worry about that… I said git yer arses moving!" The Captain yelled, the grins and cheerful voice fading as he did, the crew leaping to obey.
Alyssa only smiled, she had dreamed of seeing the great cities of Calmishan, and now she was going to, and what's more she even got a share of the loot when they sold it all. Life couldn't get much better, she enjoyed being part of the crew probably far too much for her own good. Apparently the fact that nearly a third of the crew had died in the taking of the ship escaped her notice, or quite simply didn't bother her.
"Kill em all.." she grinned and muttered, as she went to see if she could help unwind the captain any, a few of the crew smirking and leering at her, guessing her intentions.
//stopping here for now, still a couple more parts coming. comments are always appreciated by the way.
