Copyright J.B. Norman
“Wow,” Nolan says, his gaze falling on the colossus of a pirate captain the pirate captain the Lyte Brigade has been deputised to bring to justice by the Porthaven Marines. “He’s big.”
The six members of the Lyte Brigade are all peering around a corner in the Dock District, trying to assess the situation and their target and come up with the best plan. For the moment, though, they’re all largely paralysed with fascination and dread at the sight of the huge pirate captain they’ll need to fight.
“And he’s got an entire crew of pirates to help him,” Matilda notes.
Falcata nods thoughtfully. “A direct attack would be unwise,” the Amazon notes.
“Agreed,” Tancred says. ‘We’ll have to rely on some brilliant stratagem or other. We can overcome their numbers if we start the fight on our terms. We need to find a way to throw their ranks into disarray.”
“We should spook them somehow,” Matilda offers. “Do something really scary or surprising or whatever. If most of them don’t run away, at least we can just go charging in while they’re still freaking out.”
“Okay, but how do we do that?” Nolan asks.
“And what is a crew of vicious pirates even afraid of in the first place?” Amara says. “If they were easily frightened, they wouldn’t have become renegade pirates.”
“Well, I’m scared of spiders big enough to git over my face,” Pela muses. “And, like, I’m small, so it wouldn’t even have to be that big a spider.”
She shudders.
“Ugh. That just makes it worse!”
“Those teenagers are spying on us, Captain!” one of the pirates cries, pointing to the Lyte Brigade’s corner.
“I’m 21, stupid!” Matilda cries back. “And…”
Her face falls as she realises that was the wrong thing to do.
“… Uh oh.”
“Get ‘em!” the huge pirate captain bellows and two of the pirates being stalking forward.
“Now, I know they’re going fairly slowly, but perhaps we should start running?” Tancred offers.
“Well, Captain,” Amara says as the Lyte Brigade begins backpedalling. “A plan would be appreciated.”
“Uh…” Nolan stammers.
“Do something!” Amara cries.
“Spiders big enough to fit over your face!” Pela blurts out suddenly.
The pirates falter mid-stride. Their cutlasses fall from numb, trembling fans. The colour drains from the pirates’ faces. “What? Where? Here? Are they crawling on me already?”
The first pirate desperately turns to the other. “Get it! Get it!”
“I don’t see it!” the second pirate cries. “What if it’s crawled into your boot?” He gasps in horror. “What if it crawled into my boot?”
“Are they venomous?” the first asks. “Would we even know that before they bite us?
“I don’t want spiders covering my faaaaace!” the second wails.
BLAM!
A fireball strikes the cobblestones and the two pirates go flying.
“At least they got the spiders,” one of the dazed and smouldering pirates groans.
“Just like we planned,” Matilda says with a smirk as she lowers her hand.
Nolan blinks away his surprise and clears his throat.
“Lyte Brigade, move out!”
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