A Buccaneer in Breaker's Boots

[Breaker]

"Thanks, but I really shouldn't," Breaker said, thinking of the last time he imbibed while aboard a ship. He doubted that the Peregrine contained enough alcohol to get him blackout drunk, but even so he wanted to stay away from the habit. The Deadman's Trove on the other hand, valued only one thing over treasure, and that was drink. Josh glared across the waves at the pirate ship. As the Peregrine's crew piled on fresh sail she began to catch the Trove, cutting the water like a sharp knife through silk. Before long the lead vessel jibed, turning with the wind, lining up for another broadside.

"If you can get me in front of them," Josh called over the whistling wind, "I'll swim over and board their ship." Cain nodded and bellowed a fresh string of orders to his crew. Rather than challenge the Trove broadside for broadside, the Peregrine swooped around windward to cut the other vessel off. Cannon fire roared from the Trove but many of the shots missed the angled corvette. Heavy splashes echoed all around as the Peregrine came about, gaining a short lead.

"Keep them engaged as long as you can!" Breaker said to Cain as a heavy wave broke over the bulwark, "I'll see what I can do to stop them blowing holes in your boat!" With that he vaulted over the railing and slipped beneath the waves. He swam beneath the Peregrine and then surfaced, coughing and sputtering as a swell rose over his head. As the Deadman's Trove bore down on him, a small iceberg formed in the water next to Josh. He rested his hands on it as it grew to the size of a small horse, and clambered on top of it as the pirate ship drew nearer. The Trove's lookout saw the strange iceberg and called a warning, but too late. As the pirate ship passed him by Josh leaped and grasped its gunwale, clinging to the side of the boat like a barnacle.

"We're bein' boarded!" Roared a nearby pirate. Both of the tattooed man's hands were occupied pulling on a long rope, so he took a sideways step and kicked out as Breaker swung over the bulwark. Josh caught the kick and twisted the pirate's leg powerfully, dislocating the ankle. The corsair cried out and fell to his knees, maintaining his grip on the rope as if his life depended on it.

Josh left him there and stalked toward the mainmast. The pirates were operating with a skeleton crew and for the most part, could not afford to leave their positions to challenge him. He padded past the mainmast and gained the quarterdeck just as a pair of pirates burst up from below, their cutlasses flashing in the sunlight. Breaker slid past the first stab and gained control of the buccaneer's arm, countering his crew mate's slash with the short blade. He shoved the second pirate powerfully into the mainmast. The man's head hit the thick pole and he fell to the deck and lay still. Breaker disarmed the other swordsman with a flick of his wrist and applied painful pressure to the pirate's ensnared limb.

"Where's Marigold the Freebooter?" He demanded, "where's your first mate?"

"Yeeeargh, yore breakin' me arm!" The pirate cried, "ack, he's below, below manning the guns!" Josh pivoted and tossed the pirate over his hip, slamming the man to the deck hard enough to stun him. He turned toward the stairs leading down in time to see the captain of the Trove leveling a pistol at his chest.

"What're yew doin' on my ship?"

[jdd2035]

When the pirate ship came around all present strategy Cain had was thrown out the scuttle but that didn't mean that he was out of capers. Grabbing the helm Cain gave it a great heavy ordering "Brace for a collision!" The Peregrines guns fired right into the pirates bow knocking away the top bowsprit yard both of her bow anchors and sent splinters and shot ripping down the length of the ship to crash into quarter gallery's doors. Cain heaved once again on the helm and the pirates bow crashed into the stern of the Peregrine a glancing blow but enough to unset the sterns starboard side four ponders.

"Four feet in the well!" Shouted the carpenters mate right before the Peregrines chain pumps started their wheeze, wheeze, wheeze rhythm with a jet of water. Cain nodded to him self and ordered "Grape shot! Then we board her!" Five of the Peregrines still working guns fired in unison a full broadside that was the very meaning of shiver my timbers.

Boarding hooks were tossed over from the Peregrine at the same time the top men lashed the Peregrines yard arms to the Pirates Yard arms to the pirate ships. Both ships scraped against one another and the Peregrines swarmed over the rails shouting and halooing. Cain stepped from his quarter deck to his to the pirate ships forecastle his cavalry saber drawn.

The bulk of the Peregrines had swarmed into the waist of the pirate ship. Two pirates had mistakenly engaged Cain and were instantly shocked when they crossed blades with him. Their bodies flopped to the deck shaking and convulsions. Cain was living truly in the moment and seemed to be larger his blue sea coat seeming to add to his size as he fought on the forecastle.

The fighting began spilling into the lower decks of the pirate ship with the Peregrines shouting, hollering like animals, and taking oaths. At no time during the action was Cain fighting against less than two pirates and the rest of the Peregrines were holding their own pushing the entire throng of pirates back towards the quarterdeck.

[Breaker]

Breaker used the pirate captain as a meat shield when the Peregrine's crew fired grapeshot. Bits of metal peppered the captain's body and he slumped to the deck a bloody mess. Breaker ducked down below, intent on finding the first mate. He heard the Peregrine's crew swarming aboard the buccaneer vessel in his wake. He heard frantic footsteps at the far end of the ship. He heard a familiar voice as he drew nearer.

"Out of me way, out of me way! The Breaker's come and I don't want to play!"

Josh arrived just in time to see his boots disappear up through a closing hatch. He leaped up after them and chased Marigold the Freebooter across the deck. The pirate's long dreadhawk trailed behind him, his silk clothing flapping like sailcloth, as he ran past the rear mast toward the bow of the boat. Realizing he had nowhere to go, the freebooter used the boots to run straight up the mast.

"Oh no you don't!" Josh leaped high and grabbed the pirate by his collar, pulling him away from his purchase as he raced toward the rigging. They landed together on the deck with Breaker pinning the pirate easily.

"Josh, matey," the pirate grinned, "whatever brings yeh to our neck of the sea? Strange seeing yeh again so soon!" he gulped as Breakers forearm slid closer to his throat.

"You know why I'm here," Breaker growled. He released the pirate and stood up. "For my boots!"

"What?" The the corsair gasped, feigning surprise, "these ol' things?" He looked down at his fashionable black metal footwear. "Yeh gave these to me matey!"

"I would never," Josh said.

"No, yeh did! After yeh drank that barrel of whisky and serenaded us with all those songs, yeh insisted I should have a gift, for insisting you get drunk. 'Twas might kind of yeh matey."

"Give them to me," Josh said, trying to ignore the surfacing memories of him singing sloppily for the crew. "Now."

"Alrigh', alrigh', don't go snappin' me neck now Breaker." The pirate unclasped the boots and passed them back to their owner.

Josh put them on, the leather interior molding to the size of his foot. "Thank you," he shouted over the melee, "now order your men to surrender before the crews slaughter each other! Oh, and one more thing..." he seized a coin pouch tied to Marigold's belt and pocketed it. "This is mine."

"Alrigh' matey, yeh got me on that one. I picked yer' pocket when we offloaded yeh on the beach. At yer' request I swear!"

"I believe you," Josh sighed, "but I meant that. Your captain is dead - you're in charge now. So order your men to surrender."

The freebooter hesitated a moment, but he could see the fight was not in his crew's favor. He jumped up on a nearby block and put two fingers in his mouth, emitting an earsplitting whistle.

"Ahoy buckoes! Lay down yer' arms! It be time to parley!" He pulled a white handkerchief out of his sleeve and waved it emphatically. All across the deck the pirates stopped fighting and dropped their weapons with a rolling clatter. A rousing cheer went up from the Peregrine's crew. Josh paced through the ranks until he arrived at Cain's side. He swept a wide palm toward the pirates.

"Well fought Captain Jodin. What shall we do with this sorry lot?"

[jdd2035]

Sorry lot was a matter of perspective the pirates gun crews were well practiced and the ship never missed a stay. Nevertheless they were pirates and Cain had a duty. Looking at the first mate Cain said "Mr. Freebooter please strike your colors, hand over your cutlass, and muster your crew." Mr. Freebooter complied the pirate crews were soon standing in the waist of the ship. Each name was called and as they were called their weapons were placed into a chest on the quarterdeck before they went below decks.

After the last member of the pirate band went below Cain turned to Mr. Freebooter "You, your boatswain and quartermaster will be my guests aboard the Peregrine. Should your crew behave themselves I'll see to it the head money we earn from you will go to a representative when you go on trial and my prize crew will vouch for your civility. You can not hope for better conditions of your surrender don't you agree?"

The pirate could not hope for better Cain had been more than fair; many a pirate hunter, Navy Captain or Privateer would have filled the waist with musket fire and grape shot until all the crew was a heap bodies. Mr. Freebooter nodded "Aye I agree."

Both ships had to be re-rigged with the pirate ship having to be jurry rigged, but in time both ships were underway to Serenti. Cain let the three pirates on his ship up on deck, as the walked around and looked upon their ship there was a defeated pall that crossed their face. They were given the best deal that they could have but at the end of the day they were still prisoners. Time went on both crews were well fed especially the suppers.

The supper before the Peregrine and her prize pulled was quite spectacular with rum, wine, mead, large beer, and small beer, a saddle of roast beef with a pie made of skinned and boned quail stuffed with four kinds of mushrooms and baked in wine. There were sides of plum duff, dried peas, sourdough bread and sea biscuits. Cain had a large mug of chilled butter milk at his station at the head of the table with a decanter of it that sweated from condensation in the middle of the table.

The next morning both ships stood into the port of Serenti and the pirate crew was off loaded and the pirate ship was impounded as a prize.

Turning to Breaker Cain said "we will resupply here and set sail on the evening tide. The pirate crews most likely will be worked in the quarry or logging camps after all is said and done." An easy sentence especially with the Captain having already been killed in the act of piracy. An aspiring pirate would easily escape from such a punishment if they so choose.

"Should you want to be taken back to Radasanth we will be glad to have you." Cain said as he looked over the rail the offer being quite genuine.

[Breaker]

"I should be glad to join you for the voyage," Josh said. He had remembered his original purpose in Radasanth; he was attempting to meet up with some contributors interested in backing the Gunpowder Games. Breaker enjoyed the overnight sail back to Corone's capital; he spent most of it leaning on the bulwark, enjoying the breeze playing in his hair and the familiar feel of his metal boots on his feet. They didn't seem any worse for having spent a few days with a pirate.

Josh yawned and scratched his chest. He had not truly slept since his boots went missing, settling for the occasional bout of meditation. His mind lingered on the pirates. They had been a well trained crew, and strong fighters all. Something told him that the prison camps of Serenti would not hold them for long, especially the scallywag Marigold the Freebooter. Breaker chuckled at the memory of Cain calling him "Mr. Freebooter". In the end the combination of Cain's expert seafaring skills and Breaker's brash determination had proven too potent for the pirates to contend with.

The first rays of another red dawn scratched at the edge of the horizon as the Peregrine sailed back into Radasanth's port. Breaker met with Cain on the quarterdeck and pulled his coin pouch out of his back pocket.

"I believe I owe you some gold," Josh said. He began to count out the coins and then gave up and handed Cain the entire pouch. "It should be more than enough to pay for the repairs to your ship, and to keep the crew content. My thoughts go with the wounded. It's been a pleasure sailing with you, captain."

"It has been a unique pleasure watching you work, Mr. Breaker." Cain replied.

"If ever I, or one of my compatriots needs to hire a vessel," Josh said, "we will know where to look."

"It may be I could use a man of your talents on a mission of my own one day," Cain pointed out.

"In that case I should be glad to help," Breaker grinned, "send word to me at the inn called Last Night's Maiden in Underwood. I'm not often there, but someone will see fit to contact me."

The sea captain and the demigod shook hands, and then Josh vaulted over the railing. He landed on the long jetty with a comforting thwack of metal on wood. His footsteps had a harsh voice as he strode towards Radasanth proper. He pulled water from the sea as he left the docks and cleansed his clothing and hair. Nothing was out of place as he made his way onto the capital's cobblestone streets. His hair appeared combed, his clothing freshly pressed, and his boots pinged on the stones with every step.

jdd2035 receives Breaker's gold reward for this thread as payment for IC services rendered.

[jdd2035]

OOC: I'd like my XP converted to gold and please don't forget about gains gold bonus.please

[Philomel]

Judgement Title: A Buccaneer in Breaker's Boots
No Judgement

Rewards:

Breaker receives:
1530 EXP
0 GP

Jdd2035 receives:
457 GP
343 GP

As requested: maximum EXP was converted into GP for jdd2035, and Breaker's GP was given to jdd2035.
Inclusive of GP gaining abilities.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

All rewards added!