Voyage of War

Chapter 2

Drakar stood against the rail on the main deck, feeling odd among the rugged sailors scurrying around on the deck. The salty wind blew through his hair and extinguished any attempt of conjuring a flame. He would be hopeless at protecting Princes Sybil with winds like this.

Zack came running from the lower quarters, with Resa scurrying after him. He hureled himself towards the rail. Afraid Zack might throw himself overboard Drakar made a desperate grab for his shirt, when he was alongside him at the rail. Zack made a terrible gurgling sound and vomited. Resa came to pat him on his back as he dumped his morning meal into the waters.
"Hopefully he'll get over his sickness after a few days." Resa said.
"Me to, otherwise Captain Ulric might just make him clean the outside of the ship."
That comment made Zack forget his sickness and stand straight up with big eyes.
"You feeling better?"
"Just a bit. I'll go lay down now."
"I'll be with you in a bit."
Resa leaned against the railing with her back to the busy deck. The wind tugged at her loose shirt and hair, framing her femininity. Drakar saw the sailors eyes subtly drift over her figure, then landing on the knives strapped around her waist and abruptly looking away.
"Princes Sybil offered to learn Zack and I to use our weapons properly." Resa spoke suddenly.
"There is a problem with that?"
"Carrying these daggers around knowing I can't possibly kill someone is different from knowing I have the ability to kill." The words were out before Resa could stop them. She clearly remembered the day that Drakar had burned a soldier of Deimos and she first saw Death looking at her. By the grim expression on Drakar's face he also remembered it vividly.
"It would be good for you to know how to defend yourself and others. Otherwise you are just a liability on the ship not an attribute."
Resa stared out at the vast amount of water and nodded.
"And knowing how to kill does not mean you have to kill. You always have a choice." Drakar continued with no hint of regret for the life he had given to Death.

                       *   *   *

Princes Sybil sat and stared out at the waters surrounding them from all sides. She had been couped up in her chambers for the entire voyage so far. At least she had found something to keep her busy. Resa and Zack were fast learners and the fact that Resa's throwing knives were enchanted helped a lot, they only had to learn how to use a bow and arrow and some basic sword fighting. They would make nice friends, they were concerned about each other and her sometimes, but could bicker like brother and sister.

Princes Sybil did not have the privilege of making friends. She was born to a different, higher privilege and with that came specific obligations. But she was on the Great waters not in a castle. A sudden wave of freedom washed over Princes Sybil and she abruptly stood up and walked across the room with fierce determination, only wavering with her hand above the door handle for a second before opening it and stepping out into the hallway leading to steps...to the main deck. She strolled through the hallway and climbed the steps. When she emerged on the main deck a waft of fresh salty air hit her and it blew her hair in all directions. The entire deck froze to gape at her sudden appearance, but only for a second before Captain Ulric barked at them to go back to their duties.

                       *    *    *

Captain Ced stood behind the wheel and heard a far off clap of thunder. He sighed and started to whistle a cheery tune. The sky darkened drastically in a matter of minutes.
"How come yer in such a goo' mood amongs' all these dark clouds Cap'in?"
"We will be catching up soon they may have encountered the Water hexes." A grin spread across Captain Ced's face and he hoped that they would make it to the ship before it sunk and took it's valuable cargo with it.

                       *    *    *

Princess Sybil heard a splash of water from the side of the ship and hurried to inspect. There was nothing there, not a fish nor another kind of water creature. She stared at the blue waves breaking against the hull of the ship.
"Would you like to have lunch on deck your Highness!"
"That would be nice." Princess Sybil called over her shoulder, momentarily looking at who had asked the question.

Her gaze shifted back to the water below and she glimpsed a horrific face, if it could be called that. Princess Sybil staggered backwards in shock. She tried to shake the image from her inner eye but could not. A creature unlike she had ever seen before. Grey scaly skin, with big round eyes with the pupils slit like a snake's. It's mouth was agape with large sharp teeth similar to the Blood Fairy's just bigger. It used webbed fingers to push itself forward, it's body ended in a swirl of netted grey scales blending in with the water.

"Princess Sybil are you okay?"
Princess Sybil gradually came out of her haze and noticed black clouds had covered the once bright blue sky. They were simply just there, when a few minutes earlier they had not been. A clap of thunder sounded and a lightning bolt struck the main mast and it caught fire.
"Can't you stop it Drakar?" Princess Sybil asked near hysterical.
"I've only ever controlled flames I conjured."

Drakar got up from his crouched position and concentrated on what he wanted the flames to do.
"Princess you must go to your chambers immediately!" Captain Ulric barked. Princess Sybil gave no indication that she was going to move.
"That's an order Miss, I will not be held liable if you get hurt."
Princess Sybil once again snapped out of a trance and walked down to her chambers.

                      *    *    *

Drakar wrestled with the flames. They had a more wild streak and he struggled to keep them under control until they burned out. They let sparks loose, that started to devour another part of the ship.

Huge waves crashed against the ship rocking it from side to side. Strange water creatures swam alongside the ship and distracted the sailors with their screeching and howling that could be heard above the rumbling thunder and crashing waves.

                       *    *    *

Everything went quiet, the screeching and thunder even the waves stopped crashing into the ship, and then soft rain started to pour down. Everybody stood frozen, with muscles taunt and tense waiting for something to happen. And happen it did, something big hit the hull of the ship. The ship rocked to the side and sent people crashing to the ground. The ship creaked and started to sink. Captain Ulric didn't order the small boats to be prepared, he merely stood on the upper deck with his hat in hand. No ship had ever survived an attack from Water hexes and every Captain must go down with his ship. The only way anyone would survive was if another ship sailed by in the after math of the attack and saved the ones that had not been flung overboard. By then the hexes would have quenched their thirst for blood.

                        *   *   *

Resa was tossed from side to side in Zack and Drakar's cabin. Grabbing for all manner of objects to keep herself standing. Zack turned when the first screams drifted down to them.

Water started to fill the cabin, leaving Resa and Zack no choice but to climb to the main deck. Resa would've liked to avoid Zack being seen in this form because under normal circumstances it would cause panic. Now he was bound to get hurt or killed although he wasn't any threat.

They hurried up the steps. Resa stepped out first, with Zack behind her. A sailor came charging at Zack , Resa attempted to block him from Zack but was harshly pushed aside by both the sailor and Zack. Resa hit her head hard against the steps and saw the sailor pushing Zack to the ground before everything went black.

                        *   *   *

"Proceed with caution men!" Captain Ced yelled.
The Equesrtia was pulled up alongside the Clouthea and the pirates were boarding what was left of the once marvellous ship.
"Take as much as you can before the ship sinks."
"May we take prisoners?" Keiden asked excitedly.
"Only if the will be worth something."
Captain Ced stood atop the main deck of the Equesrtia and kept watch over the scavenging pirates, smiling at his luck.