The roar of the restless waves crashing against the hollow ship carcasses could alert a deaf man. The smell of smoke from the raging fires of last night still permeated the air and the thin white smoke blended perfectly with the overcast sky on this day.
Jordan awoke from his drunken stupor with an empty rum bottle in his hand.
He sat up to oversee the beach front littered with dead bodies and wrecked ships. He stood up to dust himself off.
"Man, I don't know what happened last night but I bet it was awesome." He said
He walked over to his girlfriend who was lying face down in the sand. He nudged her with his foot.
"Spendy, Spendy? Are you alive?" He asked
Spendy then let out a deep exhale and emerged to her feet. She put both her hands on his shoulders as she began coughing.
"I'm okay, I'm okay." She said with a hoarse voice
Jordan then looked again out onto the beach to see that a few members of his crew seemed to still be breathing.
"Wake up ya drunkards!" He yelled with enthusiasm.
In mere moments, Ethel, Chini, Rosser, and Sannah awoke.
Ethel arose drenched in cold dry blood from a pile of Greencoat bodies. Chini woke up and instantly began to search for bodies to recollect her ninja throwing stars, and Rosser immediately ran over to check on his sister Sannah who was unharmed.
"Jordan what in the name of the Gods were you thinking? You could've gotten us all killed." Rosser said
"Do you remember what happened?" Jordan asked him
"Not particularly, All I remember is you squawking about gold only to wake up to most of the crew being dead and our ship being badly damaged."
"What in the underworld are you talking about? Our ship is fine."
Jordan looked over to his ship on the water. It was a small sloop. The entire side of the ship had been blown apart. There were holes throughout the deck and Hull, and thin white smoke lofting out from below the deck.
"Looks like the Hookers Touch has set sail for the last time." Jordan said
"Where are we anyway?" He asked
"Judging by the dark forest right next to the beach and the disembodied whispers coming from within I'd say we're on Hilles." Spendy answered
"Dammit. We're going to need another ship. There's no chance this bundle of sticks makes it back to Derzy."
"Try to use your rum rotted brain captain! All around us are the bodies of dead greencoats. There's a naval port nearby, we could sneak in and" Rosser exclaimed before he was rudely interrupted by Jordan himself
"We could sneak in and steal a ship."
The entire crew erupted into applause.
"What are you all cheering him for? That was my idea." Rosser boasted
"Well maybe you should've said it first." Ethel chided in.
"Quick everyone finds a uniform." Jordan exclaimed.
Everyone looted the corpses of the deceased men, taking their clothing.
After everyone was fully disguised they made the long trek through the dark forest towards the nearest port.
When they finally arrived they came upon a small fishing village with a small dock adjacent to its pier. Anchored in the dock was a first rate corvette decked out with cannon and puckle guns on the quarterdeck.
"Look at her. She's a beauty." Captain Jordan spoke
"It's a nice ship Captain." Ethel added
"We'll be nigh unstoppable sailing that." Sannah chimed in
"You're all forgetting something. There are six of us. That ships gonna need a lot of hands on deck." Rosser said
"Don't dash our hopes yet Rosser. Take a look over there." Spendy said
She pointed to the far side of the village to the one stone building in the entire town. A town story medieval like building with one window for each floor. Above the door it read
"Ye old Jail"
"So you're suggesting that we bust out the criminals and make them part of our crew?" Rosser asked Spendy for reassurance
"Aye." Spendy replied
"What's your plan Jordan?" Rosser asked
"To free the prisoners and take the ship." Jordan answered
"No, I meant... Nevermind. Here's my plan. Me and Spendy go and free the prisoners. While you and the others go and infiltrate the ship."
"Sounds like a good plan. As the Captain approves."
"Uh."
The two teams then split up and went into the town.
# Jail
Rosser and Spendy easily walked into the jail. Once entering the main room, they were struck with the putrid smell of week old excrement, dead rats, and rotting food. The stench was so repugnant that Spendy nearly fell to her knees and vomited.
"Aye! What are you two doing here?" The head jailer asked
"Excuse us sir, we're just members of the King's navy." Rosser explained
"I can see that clearly. What's your business in my jailhouse."
"We are looking for a notorious pirate. His ship was seen wrecked nearby."
"No pirates here I can assure you of that. Also what's with your elven compatriot? Why is she losing her guts? Why is a woman in military dress at all?"
"She's a former Shadow Knife. She defected during the war and her skills are greatly needed in the armed forces."
Just then spendy pulled out her pistol and fired it into the stomach of the jailor. The man cried out in pain as blood forcefully shot out of his fresh wound. He fell to the floor dead.
Rosset grabbed the key and began unlocking the cell doors.
"Come free. Let's go." He said
The inmates scurried like rats out of the dungeon. One prisoner stopped to shake Rosser's hand.
"Gods bless you sir, who are you?" The inmate asked
"No time to explain. Can you sail a ship?"
"I was never a pirate, but I did work as a ship builder."
"Close enough."
Spendy, still holding down her guts, grabbed the keys to the armory and opened it up to the prisoners.
They grabbed muskets, blunderbusses, cutlasses, bombs, and other types of melee weapons. They then spill out into the streets.
# Ship
The other part of the gang didn't have it so easily. They walked up to the docked ship only to be stopped dead in their tracks by other soldiers.
"Halt who goes there." One of the men asked
"Steady there. We're just fellow soldiers looking to join your crew."
"Join our crew?"
"Yes."
"Soldiers don't just get to decide what ships they want to be on. Any soldier would know that you'd have to be assigned!" The other soldier stated
"They are frauds! Apprehend them!" The first soldier stated
The two swords went for their cutlasses but were instantly struck down by Chini's throwing stars.
"No quarter!" Jordan shouted at the top of his lungs.
They then all stormed the vessel. Chini backflip onto the ship. Men stormed the main deck from the lower decks, within seconds the deck was swarming with swarthy sailors and soldiers. Chini unleashed her katana and began to slice through the enemy soldiers.
Ethel then came in and rushed with her two sides battle axe. With one swing she lobbed off the heads of two men. Jordan got out his pistols and fired them consecutively. He shot all five of his pistols, killing five men in an instant.
Sannah took out her dagger and planted it into the backside of a preoccupied man, who was fighting with Chini.
Despite their best efforts they were far too outnumbered to win this melee. Just in the knick if time the inmates poured over the side of the ship. The slaughter then commenced. Sword clashing sword. Guns firing. Blood gushing from the wounds of men. Grown men crying like babies as their flesh is simply ripped apart by sharp objects.
After a while it was over. All of the ship's previous inhabitants lay dead on the ground. Jordan ran to the wheel. Looking over everyone standing below, he raised his cutlass to the sky and shouted.
"Today we are victorious! Tonight we shall drink the finest rum!"
The crowd erupted into cheer.
"But as for now! We sail off into the gorgeous pink sunset!" Jordan continued
The sails fell in place and the ship took off, navigating around the Island and sailing towards Derzy.