The Gathering

[Gavner_Nahs]

Gavner took a deep draught from the bottle of rum in his right hand, enjoying the sting as it went down. Vir said that rum would take away the edge from his seasickness. Vampires metabolized alcohol at ten times the rate of humans, so one bottle wouldn’t do much. Gavner sat on a chest that he had pulled up next to Vir’s rack, and the two swapped stories for the majority of the day. He asked Vir about war strategy, and commandship, as well as leadership over an entire region. Vir told him all about the pitfalls of conflict, and the code of ethics that his clan followed. Overall he led a very noble clan of vampires. They kept to their territory, and aided their allies when necessary. The sun posed a major problem, as the atmosphere made its rays especially deadly in Dheathain. The vampires combated this by living in the side of a mountain. They dug underground tunnels to the major hubs and cities where they could feed and carry out missions.

“Do you have any regrets?” Gavner asked.

“Countless,” Vir replied. “But only a fool keeps track of that which he cannot change. Staying upset about the past only causes pain to me. Nobody else can feel your hurt, so it is better to be apathetic to it all.”

Gavner noticed a growing sense of commotion manifesting on the weather deck. Footsteps and voices carried all the way to the second deck. “Vir,” Gavner said, “I think the captain just called General Quarters. I will go and investigate.”

“Be careful, dusk isn’t for another twenty-three minutes.”

“Very well,” Gavner responded. Climbing the stairs aggravated his headache, and as he stepped foot on the weather deck, a searing pain hit his face. The final rays of the day flew over the waters and burned Gavner. He quickly drew his hood, but his face already sported a pink burn.

“General Quarters! General Quarters! All hands man your battle stations!” Somebody called out. The well trained crew scurried fore and abaft the frigate, carrying powder kegs and rolling carts full of ammunition. The boatswain’s mates prepared the sheets for hoisting, and the Gunner’s mates primed the carronades for battle. The marines carried grappling hooks and boards, while the archers were climbing aloft. Gavner slammed back the bottle of rum, drained it and threw it at the base of the mast, smashing it into tiny bits and pieces.

"Yaar!" he said, wiping his mouth before he rushed aft and climbed the ladderwell to the quarterdeck.

Upon arriving, Gavner saw the captain and the first lieutenant quarreling, and Black Shadow next to them listening intently. The major, off to the side, casually sharpened his saber, as the Quartermaster hoisted both the Beinost crest, and the Raiaeran colors. Young gunner’s mates readied the two pound guns off the side of the quarterdeck, and the captain’s servant boy scurried past Gavner with an armful of maps and navigation instruments.

“I don’t give a rat’s ass about your ‘allocations and triage’ Lieutenant, I need the Gunner down in the powder stores, and the Carpenter down in the bilge!” The captain shouted.

“Sir, respectfully, back the fuck down!” The first lieutenant shouted back, “If the carpenter is down in the bilge he can’t oversee mast and sail repairs should we need it. Send the carpenter’s mates and a few midshipmen down there instead, we can’t afford to lose the carpenter to flooding.”

“Fine. I need somebody to send word to the master to heat the chains and 5 pounders in the galley fires. I want the Boatswain amidships, and tell the Surgeon to take on a few extra midshipmen. We can’t afford to lose many more crew members, or we will be sub-operational,” The captain commanded. “MAJOR!”

“Sir.” The major replied, standing up and approaching the group.

“Have you found a suitable replacement for the Captain Aloft? I heard your marines lost a good commander.”

“Right now we don’t have a head archer to be the Captain Aloft.” The major responded, “But my marines are the sharpest bowmen on the seaward coast of Raiaera. I’d put them up against any adversaries.”

“Actually captain,” Gavner interjected, “Black Shadow is a fine commander. He was a prince back in his kingdom, and he happens to be the finest archer that Raiaera has seen in centuries”

“Agh great,” The captain exclaimed in disgust, “Who let this blood sucker on my quarterdeck?”

“Sir, Black Shadow and I would like to help.” Gavner stated.

“And what do two backwoods Raiaeran adventurers like yourselves know about naval warfare strategy?” The captain said while rushing to the aft of the quarterdeck to the Navigation table. “You’re passengers, not sailors.”

“I am a General for my clan, and have commanded scores of infantry. Black Shadow has commanded an army at war. He can command aloft, and I can lead the boarding parties.” Gavner shot back. “We are here to help.”

The captain stopped and looked at Gavner for a moment. “Aye, well, I suppose we can always use more savagery, General. MAJOR!”

“Sir,” the major responded, still 2 feet away from the captain.

“Place the General in command of the boarding parties, and you assume command of the shipboard defense forces. Reallocate the infantry by 20 percent in favor of defending, the best offense is a good defense. Am I right?” The captain said. “We’ll give those Pirate bastards the fight that’s coming to them.”