Posted by Leif G.S. in Fantasy, Flash Fiction, The Wicked Cat Series, The World of Niris (Manuscript World) | 0 Comments
Pirate Fantasy Flash Fiction: The Wicked Cat (An Offer)
The 13th entry in the Pirate Fantasy Flash Fiction series The Wicked Cat, the high seas adventure involving pirate, cursed birds, princesses and a little magic too. Thanks for reading and enjoy!
Bluefeather perched near the carved bell, his black eyes watching as the bell swung back and forth. He turned his head toward the sea, watching as a shooting star shot overhead. He took in a deep breath and bowed his head as he released his breath in a hiss, “Such be the life of a cursed cap’n. Ye memory will fade, Ol’ Bluefeather. Ye curse will consume ye soon enough.”
He heard mocking laughter behind him. The chains rattled when the crewmembers guarding Fodd kicked him in the abdomen once more, as they did every hour that passed for the last sunrise. Bluefeather turned his head and watched Fodd spit blood on the deck, his murmurs forcing the gore to sizzle and hiss before it evaporated from existence. Fodd lifted his head, catching Bluefeather’s eye as he wiped the blood from his lip, “You are losing your mind, are you not?”
Bluefeather ruffled his chest feathers as he turned his head back to the sea, “It matters not to ye, sea witch. Ye have bigger fish in ye kettle.”
“I know your curse, LaCramoix. I know it far too well. I have seen many loved ones turned to wild beasts because they cross the ancient gods or powerful mages. The curses have not be prevalent in the past twenty years now that Hyril has my kindred in chains but the curses still exist all the same. I too seek a cure for the curse that afflicts me,” Fodd commented.
“That’d be so? What curse would ye be sufferin’ from other than the Eight’s wicked humor?”
Fodd shrugged, lifting his hand to his hair and scratching an itch as the chains attached from his wrist to the deck hooks rattled in response, “There are many things people do not know about me or my plight. You have forgotten far more than you can remember, even after being in that macaw form over the past three-hundred years. Tell me, do you remember anything from your last voyage?”
Bluefeather lowered his head as he remained silent. The boat groaned as it rocked, the noise grew louder with every passing moment. One of the crewmembers watching Fodd coughed, turned his head and spat. The other laughed as the spittle hit the captured mage in the face. Fodd ignored their gibes as he kept his eyes locked on Bluefeather, waiting for an answer. Bluefeather turned and hopped from the railing, approaching the mage as he spoke, “I nary remember much, lad. Me king betrayed me country. Stranded I was, left to fend ‘ganst wild creatures and black souls from beyond.”
“Do you remember the compliment of your crew, Captain? Do you remember any strange passengers beside your king?” Fodd pressed.
The bird shook his head as he hopped closer to the chained spellcaster, “Nay, I cannae say I do. Ye be fishin’ for somethin’. Ye not fond and feckless, spit it out lad!”
Fodd laughed as he straightened. The tension from the chains around his wrist, ankles and neck prevented him free movement but they did allow him to sit cross-legged. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and began to recount the tale, “There was a sea mage brought on board ‘The Last Hope’, a young man who had twins and needed the investment the king placed in him to feed his family. Live was tough for one mage, much less a family of them. Men had to do what they could to support their abominations, as they were called. That man was proud to serve the greatest king Lyonhead Bay ever knew and was honored to be at the right hand of the heroic captain.
“He set out that fateful day, ignoring the warning his wife gave him. She warned him the blid’ras would turn on him when they received what they wanted. She told him to stay home and help her tend to their twins. He denied her. They fought. Magic was cast. Scars were left. He left on that voyage angry. She wept for days without end. She knew he would never return to her. The family’s fate was sealed.
“When ‘The Last Hope’ lost their captain to insubordination, the man did everything in his power to make up for his loss. He sacrificed much to make an impression on the king. The king paid no heed as he pressed to remove the threat to the Bay. They finally crossed paths with the Dead King’s fleet. The great Ghost Captain slew the king with one swipe from her blackened cutlass as hordes of demons and undead swarmed the ship. The man knew it was the end. He accepted it. He decided to cast one last spell to save the men from a fate worse than death. That spell failed.”
Bluefeather cocked his head as he hopped forward. He narrowed his eyes as he looked Fodd, “Wait, ye tell me ye are the mage’s boy? Ye surely be daft! I knew ye witches live long but three-hund’d years is mad!”
Fodd laughed as his earthen eyes flared a light green before the magic faded, “Yet a cursed captain in a long-lived macaw form is acceptable. The deterioration in your mind is far worse than I expected, LaCramoix. You will not have much longer if you cannot break the curse.”
“I’ll cut ye throat to the neckbone if ye lie, boy! I might be a bird, but I still ‘member how to wield a cutlass!” Bluefeather said.
Fodd lifted his hands. The chains rattled enough to cause the sailors on guard to clutch their weapons as the mage spoke, “Release my bonds and set me free. I will break your curse in exchange. My mother placed that curse on your head. She knew if you stayed loyal to your king and your men, my father would have survived. I, however, understand the odds were against your ship even if you were still on board. Even the great LaCramoix has his limits.”
Bluefeather looked at the two crewmembers, each waiting for his response. He turned his vision back to Fodd and snapped his beak once, “Damn ye eyes, sea witch! Damn ye to the forty-two, ye be in nary a position to barter with ye life! I will find me own way to break th’ curse.”
“Have it your way, Captain. The offer was true, I am sad to see you would choose a crew that despises you over your goal to be human again. Loving a princess makes a cursed man do strange things, does it not? Tell me, does the ability to sleep between her tits make up for the fact you cannot please her as a man?” Fodd retorted.
Bluefeather squawked and flapped his feathers as a line of epitaphs spewed from hi beak. One crewmember raced to his side and scooped him up as the other crewmember slammed kicks against Fodd’s body hard enough to make the chains rattle. Fodd laughed between violent coughing fits and spitting blood, his eyes flaring a sickly green once more.
If you enjoyed this piece and are new to the series, please click on the link below to start from the beginning. Thanks for the interest and I hope you enjoyed the piece!
