The Defense of Glory

Tempest

The Silverflint was not the only pirate ship Admiral Ridge had summoned-- if any renegade like Beck Vane could be "summoned". Far out of the storm tossed waves, Ash Leadhook reached up and ripped a handful of knife-edged feathers from the Ironwing's tail without any fear of being sliced across the palm. Leadhook had long since lost both his hands to a rival pirate lord, and his right hand was now a silver gauntlet of gears and plates, while his left was a rusted hook. Crumbling them with a fist, he watched the splints of metal fall into the ocean with a gob of spit.

"Take my answer, war hawk. Port Glory can burn."

Cawing with a screechy mechanical voice, the ironwing sliced through the pulsing storm clouds and banked north, towards the harbour several miles away.

Ridge saw the missing feathers as it swooped low and perched on his outstretched arm. It's beak opened and burbled forth the crash of waves, the hissing of the storm and the creaking of the ship. And Leadhook's voice, warm and dangerous as his breath on the back of Ridge's neck.

"Port Glory can burn."

"Then burn it will," Ridge whispered. His fist tightened. Leadhook commanded the Tempest, a ship with an iron hull and manned with a crew larger than most of the admirals's ships. In fact, the Tempest was one of the admiral's ships. Called the Dawnwake before it had been captured, it had been one of the largest war ships in the navy. And Ridge needed it if he was to win this battle.

The crack of thunder sounded like a herald and Ridge's gaze swept across the sea. There, speeding through the waves, was the Silverflint, pure white flags billowing. 

A grim smile touched the admiral's hard mouth. So Beck Vane had responded to the call. Who else would? There were three pirate ships known to frequent the waters around Port Glory. Here was the Silverflint; here was the Tempest's answer. And somewhere among the roiling storm was The Sea's Pride. Would she answer?

Captain Jacquotte Erezbelle had even less reason to trust Ridge than Leadhook did. But she commanded the most powerful ship of them all, a war ship of some special design planned by her and built by a private shipbuilder in a foreign country. It was the only one in existence, and she guarded the plans to its superior design jealously. When Ridge had heard that the enemy had added a new ship to its armada, he had feared that Jacquotte had sold out. However, subsequent reports had confirmed the enemy's ships were not as fast, not as sleek, not as compact. 

No, Captain Erezbelle remained her own master. But Ridge must convince her to join him.

"Ready a boat!" He screamed suddenly to the captains that huddled behind him.

"Sir?" One asked with wide eyes, gripping his sword.

"Ready a boat!" Heels kicking up wet sand, he strode down onto the beach. Salty water sprayed his face as lightning lit the jagged coast.