[Author’s Note: This was originally two separate scenes that have been combined for ease of reading.]
© J.B. Norman — Published by Emona Literary Services™
“Wow,” Nolan says, his gaze falling on the colossus of a pirate captain – very 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!”
“You call that a flèche?” the hulking pirate captain growls at Nolan attacks. “Bah! You fight like a girl!”
Nolan raises his shield to block the pirate’s counterattack. “Clearly you haven’t met the girls I have,” he answers from behind the rim of his shield. “There’s nobody else I’d rather have fighting beside me in my guild.”
“Aww, Nolan,” Pela says, looking up from where she’s tying one of the other pirates’ shoelaces together.
While Tancred is glad to hear Nolan’s support for the female members of the Lyte Brigade, he can’t help but feel just a little left out as the only other male in the guild.
“And Tancred’s great, too,” Nolan adds, taking a swing at the pirate captain. “And he’d say the exact same thing.
“Quite right, Nolan!” Tancred calls happily. “That’s my Captain!”
The pirate rolls his eyes and attacks again. “What kind of idiot are you, son? You’re not supposed to respect your crew! You’re supposed to boss them around and then kick them when they don’t listen — and even sometimes when they do? How else are they supposed to live in constant fear of you?”
“No offence,” Nolan counters — with his sword as much as his words. “But you sound like a terrible person. I’m kinda glad we got hired to take you down.”
“Wow,” Matilda says, seated comfortably on the chest of one of the defeated pirates. “This guy must be a jerk. Even Nolan thinks so.”
“Yes,” Falcata agrees, tossing another stunned and groaning pirate to the ground. “That is the most insulting thing I’ve ever heard Nolan say to somebody.”
Matilda momentarily lifts her feet and rests them on the second pirate.
“Thanks.”
“I will go help Nolan,” Falcata declares.
Matilda nods. “I’ll hold down the fort here.”
The pirate Matilda is using as a footrest stirs and tries to grab Falcata’s ankle as she steps forward. Matilda boots lashes out and kicks him back into submission.
“See? I’m helping!”
The pirate captain scoffs as Falcata and Tancred join Nolan’s battle with him. “And you’re a coward, too! Hiding behind your little buddies!”
“Hey!” Pela cries, taking a shot at him with her crossbow.
“Didn’t you tell your crew to all attack us first while you just stood there and watched?” Nolan asks.
“When I do it, it’s smart!” the pirate captain bellows.
“How does that make sense?” Nolan exclaims.
“Good hustle!” Matilda calls to the others. “You’ve got this!”
“I have had quite enough of this,” Amara mutters to herself as the pirate captain continues to insult her and her guildmates.
She manoeuvres herself in position and takes aim. Magic begins to coalesce around her fingers.
A blast of magic from the Elf’s hand topples the pirate captain and he falls like a chopped-down tree. As the pirate pitches forward and falls, Nolan, Tancred, and Falcata leap back out of the way.
“Well,” Amara says, flipping her hair dismissively. “Nolan may fight like a girl. But you run your mouth like a chatty parrot!”
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