CARIBBEAN SEA JUNE 1698
Flying Dutchman could see they had the advantages of crossing the T and the weather gage.
The weather gage meant that when Flying Dutchman came up alongside, she'd be stuck in their lee, out of the wind.
Crossing the T meant they could bring all their guns to bear across Flying Dutchman's bow as she came in close.
At least, that's how it would work if she was a normal ship.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Flying Dutchman asked the Kraken.
"Time to get wet and get dirty!" The Kraken laughed.
Flying Dutchman grinned and dove down beneath the waves, gaining speed as she went.
She could travel much faster under the water than she ever could on the surface.
Approaching to the point blank range of 25 yards, she thrust her bow above water and before the enemy ships could get over their confusion, she opened fire.
Two ships had their single masts toppled and were dead in the water at once.
The rest shot a barrage of canon at where they'd last seen Flying Dutchman.
Quickly, Flying Dutchman dove but she wasn't fast enough.
A lucky shot hit the tip of her mainmast, causing the tip to break.
Unfortunately it held the topmast sail and Flying Dutchman, bleeding heavily from the wound, was forced to surface.
About 150 cannons were waiting for her when she breached, the sloops and the brigs having lined up broadside.
They had no intentions of giving her a chance to settle before they fired.
Flying Dutchman closed her eyes and braced herself to die.
Canon fire did come, but not at her.
Fierce fire rained down on the gathered sloops.
A voice shouted "Get away from her!"
Flying Dutchman opened her eyes to see Britannia charging in, firing guns on both sides.
"Britannia!" Flying Dutchman cried.
Britannia changed course towards her.
"Are you crazy?!" She shouted.
She gave her apprentice a fierce nudge.
"We've got to get out of here!" She growled.
"Britannia, these are the rogues. I'm not letting them get away after all this time!" Flying Dutchman shouted back.
Britannia looked unsure.
"Come on, we can take 'em." Flying Dutchman insisted.
Britannia nodded. "Alright, stay close to me." She growled and turned back to face the opposing fleet.
"It's time to face your dues, devil spawn!" She snarled and attacked.
Flying Dutchman charged in ahead of her, being lighter and faster than her mentor.
"Kraken!" She cried to her pet.
The Kraken raced in alongside, taking out two ships with her tentacles.
Cannon shells rained down on all sides and a few made their mark but the damage was minor, their effect minimal.
"That all you got?!" Flying Dutchman taunted and swung her bow around hard, unleashing a broadside.
Two sloops were forced to fall out of line.
Once Flying Dutchman drew close enough, chaos began.
Teeth were used in place of guns as she went head to head against the enemy fleet.
One ship lunged at her, bowling her over on her back.
It was Carolina. The sloop had blood dripping down into her eyes and her teeth were bared, just inches from Flying Dutchman's throat.
Then she recognized who she was attacking and backed off.
Flying Dutchman took the opportunity and pounced.
She pinned the struggling sloop underneath her keel.
"I've got one word of advice to you, run!" Flying Dutchman snarled in her ear.
Carolina nodded meekly, her eyes flashing her gratefulness.
Flying Dutchman let her go and she raced off the battle field heading west for Tortuga.
"Good girl." Flying Dutchman thought.
She launched herself back into the battle.
Britannia had four ships on her and Flying Dutchman raced in to help.
A brig blocked her way.
Snarling, Flying Dutchman engaged her.
Cannon's fired their deadly ammo, smoke obscured both ship's vision and teeth flashed as they bit and nipped at each other's hulls, hoping to strike a sensitive spot.
Flying Dutchman sank her teeth into the brig's deck and was rewarded with a yowl.
She let go and the brig raced off.
Flying Dutchman turned and met Britannia's gaze.
Her mentor had blood running down from a broken nose and her jaws were parted as she gasped for air.
That's when it happened.
One moment of distraction was all it took.
Flying Dutchman saw the muzzle flash and a second later Britannia gasped as her man in mast was struck.
Incredibly, it remained standing.
More flashes followed until, a fierce crack and an agonized scream filled Flying Dutchman's ears.
Time slowed down. It seemed to take an eternity for the mainmast to hit the water but when it did, Flying Dutchman could feel its resounding splash deep within her soul.
HMS Britannia, pride of the Royal Navy, appointed Protector of the mighty British Empire, was left dismasted and bleeding out on the water.
YOU ARE READING
The Damned: Part 1~ Innocence
Historical FictionIn the late 1600s, a new ship is commissioned into the Dutch Navy and is mysteriously lost on her maiden voyage. Only, she wasn't lost, merely taken and re-purposed to ferry the dead. The story of the Flying Dutchman, as told by the ship herself.
