me? You won’t like it in here I
suppose; these accommodations lack the comforts you might expect.
Shall we pop up to your cabin for a spot of tea?”
“ Silence!” Pelegrin gave his officer a nod.
The whip swung
forward. Delik stepped to the side, the whip cracked and missed.
The ogre keened a low moan from his cell.
“ Why let your underlings have all the fun, come and get me
yourself. Or are you too smacked out?”
Pelegrin would
not be lured into another fight with Delik. He stewed from a safe
distance with eyes for revenge and a body incapable of dealing the
brutality he hungered for.
“ You two, take the shiner.” Pelegrin motioned for the marines
guarding the door.
“ The lad’s got nothing to do with this, he’s just a stupid
adventure-hungry boy,” said Delik.
“ If he isn’t especially important, you won’t mind if I ask
what he knows. Nothing like a keelhauling in the morning to freshen
the Lord’s spirit. Brightens the day for sailing.” Pelegrin
straightened with confidence; he was in control now.
Elrin wasn’t
sure what a keelhauling was, but it didn’t sound all that
pleasant.
“ Fine, take him,” Delik shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know
him. What do I care?”
“ You don’t fool me, Scrambletoe,” Pelegrin smiled then waved
his good hand at the guards. “Come on then, make it happen! Grab
the lad. Just watch the grub doesn’t bite.”
Elrin backed
into the corner of the cell while the Jandan with the whip unlocked
the door. The two marines marched into the cell. Delik rushed the
door, but the officer had it shut before he could escape.
The marines
skirted Delik and advanced on Elrin.
Minni stalked
out of the shadows behind Pelegrin and grabbed his good arm by the
wrist, twisting it high behind his back. Her knee arced up and
slammed into his kidneys, doubling the Jandan over.
She shoved
forward, using Pelegrin’s body to wedge the officer with the whip
against the cell door. Her dagger struck out and blood coursed from
the wretched officer's neck, spurting onto Pelegrin's blue jacket.
The whip dropped from the officer's dead hands and the ogre wailed,
thumping his fist on the deck.
Delik backed
up to the bars so Minni could cut his bonds.
The two
marines inside the cage were panicked by the speed at which things
were going against them. One grabbed Elrin while Delik took
Minnie’s blade and advanced.
Minni had
another dagger on Pelegrin and spoke to the two Jandans stuck in
the cell with Elrin and Delik. “Hand over your steel, boys, or the
Commodore’s dead. And if you don’t like him all that much, you can
take your chances with us.”
Neither man
surrendered their weapons.
Delik kept
edging forward, closing the distance between him and the guards.
“Elrin, walk to me.”
Elrin didn’t
want a blade in his back from a desperate guard. Instead of
following Delik’s instruction, he shoved all his weight to the
right, knocking over one of the men. Delik charged forward and
pierced the remaining guard in the gut, grabbing the man’s short
sword as he slumped forward holding his abdomen. Elrin rolled away
from the marine he knocked aside and Delik moved in, slashing at
the marine's legs with dagger and short sword. The marine screamed
in agony and crumpled back to the deck, grasping at his wounds to
try and stem the flow of blood.
Delik cut
Elrin’s bindings and together they stripped the guards of their
weapons and locked them in the cell. Pelegrin withered on the floor
in limp defeat while Minni tied his wrists. He watched the prison
hold door; his last hope, but no reinforcements came to the
rescue.
“ Always keep your guards at the door,” Minni chided. “What
were you thinking, Commodore?”
Elrin rubbed
his wrists, encouraging the circulation. “Can either of you explain
what is going on?” This mess was spiralling out of control.
“ We are going to commandeer dear Pelegrin’s ship,” said Delik.
“What do you think Minni? Better we
suppose; these accommodations lack the comforts you might expect.
Shall we pop up to your cabin for a spot of tea?”
“ Silence!” Pelegrin gave his officer a nod.
The whip swung
forward. Delik stepped to the side, the whip cracked and missed.
The ogre keened a low moan from his cell.
“ Why let your underlings have all the fun, come and get me
yourself. Or are you too smacked out?”
Pelegrin would
not be lured into another fight with Delik. He stewed from a safe
distance with eyes for revenge and a body incapable of dealing the
brutality he hungered for.
“ You two, take the shiner.” Pelegrin motioned for the marines
guarding the door.
“ The lad’s got nothing to do with this, he’s just a stupid
adventure-hungry boy,” said Delik.
“ If he isn’t especially important, you won’t mind if I ask
what he knows. Nothing like a keelhauling in the morning to freshen
the Lord’s spirit. Brightens the day for sailing.” Pelegrin
straightened with confidence; he was in control now.
Elrin wasn’t
sure what a keelhauling was, but it didn’t sound all that
pleasant.
“ Fine, take him,” Delik shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know
him. What do I care?”
“ You don’t fool me, Scrambletoe,” Pelegrin smiled then waved
his good hand at the guards. “Come on then, make it happen! Grab
the lad. Just watch the grub doesn’t bite.”
Elrin backed
into the corner of the cell while the Jandan with the whip unlocked
the door. The two marines marched into the cell. Delik rushed the
door, but the officer had it shut before he could escape.
The marines
skirted Delik and advanced on Elrin.
Minni stalked
out of the shadows behind Pelegrin and grabbed his good arm by the
wrist, twisting it high behind his back. Her knee arced up and
slammed into his kidneys, doubling the Jandan over.
She shoved
forward, using Pelegrin’s body to wedge the officer with the whip
against the cell door. Her dagger struck out and blood coursed from
the wretched officer's neck, spurting onto Pelegrin's blue jacket.
The whip dropped from the officer's dead hands and the ogre wailed,
thumping his fist on the deck.
Delik backed
up to the bars so Minni could cut his bonds.
The two
marines inside the cage were panicked by the speed at which things
were going against them. One grabbed Elrin while Delik took
Minnie’s blade and advanced.
Minni had
another dagger on Pelegrin and spoke to the two Jandans stuck in
the cell with Elrin and Delik. “Hand over your steel, boys, or the
Commodore’s dead. And if you don’t like him all that much, you can
take your chances with us.”
Neither man
surrendered their weapons.
Delik kept
edging forward, closing the distance between him and the guards.
“Elrin, walk to me.”
Elrin didn’t
want a blade in his back from a desperate guard. Instead of
following Delik’s instruction, he shoved all his weight to the
right, knocking over one of the men. Delik charged forward and
pierced the remaining guard in the gut, grabbing the man’s short
sword as he slumped forward holding his abdomen. Elrin rolled away
from the marine he knocked aside and Delik moved in, slashing at
the marine's legs with dagger and short sword. The marine screamed
in agony and crumpled back to the deck, grasping at his wounds to
try and stem the flow of blood.
Delik cut
Elrin’s bindings and together they stripped the guards of their
weapons and locked them in the cell. Pelegrin withered on the floor
in limp defeat while Minni tied his wrists. He watched the prison
hold door; his last hope, but no reinforcements came to the
rescue.
“ Always keep your guards at the door,” Minni chided. “What
were you thinking, Commodore?”
Elrin rubbed
his wrists, encouraging the circulation. “Can either of you explain
what is going on?” This mess was spiralling out of control.
“ We are going to commandeer dear Pelegrin’s ship,” said Delik.
“What do you think Minni? Better we
Similar Books
