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 (Myth)
The 15th 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!
“That be why the masks exist, lass. They be the ancient terror that gave humanity their foothold in the world, they be the ones that thumbed their noses at the Eight above and Forty-Two below. They be powerful sorcerers, one even carved an empire away from the ancient desert nation. Be glad we be on water, I hate to be there when those nations fight,” The sailor said to Myrilda as she looked over the deck from the wheel.
“The masks are nothing but a myth! There are no ancient boogie men who have outlived mythical angels and demons! Parents use those stories to make their children behave and your people are using the Nimeria legend to rally one another against Hyril instead of propagating the myth,” Myrilda replied.
Before the navigator could respond, the door beneath their feet slammed open. Myrilda peered over the railing to spot a glowing green figure dragging a thrashing Brynn, her wild kicks and stamping did nothing but pass through the figure and injure her more. Myrilda turned to the navigator as she pointed at the green man, “Something’s trying to kidnap the captain!”
“To arms, boys! There be a mutiny!”
Myrilda turned back to spot a young boy walk out through the door, his naked body a startling surprise that forced her to look away due to modesty, “There’s a boy? Where did the boy come from, did we have a stowaway?”
“A boy? There be no boy onboard! There be a breech, boys! Shoot to kill!”
“Wait! What if they kill Brynn? We can’t risk losing her to an errant shot!”
The navigator as he looked over the wheel to spot the glowing green man struggling with Brynn, “I don’t think the captain be makin’ it anyway if that magic is as powerful as it looks. Whatever came onboard without us knowing isn’t going to let her live. If we can wound the boy or sever the link to the spell, we stand a chance of staying alive.”
“Did you say magic? Where’s Fodd?” Myrilda asked.
The navigator spat at the deck in disgust, “He should still be on the fore, chained like the dog he is!”
“Give me your gun, Hirum.”
“Why would a delicate lass as yourself need a gun?”
Myrilda sighed, reached out with her right hand and stole a gun from Hirum’s sash. He tried to take it back but refused to leave the wheel when Myrilda raced away. She leaned over the railing and aimed the gun at Brynn as she shouted across the deck toward the fore, “Fodd! This is Princess Myrilda Septsan of the Southern Kingdom. I declare this vessel to be property of my father and as such execute the Southern law forthwith! You have tenth candle to release Captain Brynn Raedwolv from your clutches and accept your death sentence!”
The chains rattled loud enough to be heard over the commotion on deck as every available crewmember formed a half-circle around Brynn and her captors. Her eyes were wide with panic as she tried to wave them away but more than a few guns were aimed at her. The green man turned his head toward Myrilda as the real Fodd moved as close to the rail as he could. Myrilda shuddered as she glanced at the chained mage, catching the crimson gore that coated his body. As the chained Fodd spoke, the ghastly green image spoke as well, “Southern justice. You have no idea what that means, do you? You have sat in your comfortable palace with servants waiting on you, slaves without chains who follow your every whim. Your father, his father and his father’s father have slain more mages than you could imagine. You do not speak to me of justice, little girl! Where is my justice for her betrayal?”
“Brynn did nothing to deserve your ire, she imprisoned you because you murdered her crewmember!”
Fodd’s laughter was filled with malice as it split the sky, causing the crew to drop their weapons, fall to their knees and shriek in pain as they covered their ears, “You believe my life revolves around this wretched captain? I do not care if she is the long lost lineage of a suicidal king that sailed to his death, my concerns are with my twin. Unne is more powerful than you can imagine, her power surpasses mine. She searches for your blue rat. She has the power of Hyril at her fingertips. Those vessels that found you; they did not find you because I controlled the weather, they found you because she commanded the world to listen to her.”
“I am commanding you to listen to me! Release Brynn at once!” Myrilda said.
“Unne will kill your blue friend, this I promise. If she cursed her nephew with lycanthropy due to my inability to kill LaCramoix years ago, she will do anything to administer justice to the traitorous captain. If she discovers Raedwolv is the last of royal blood and knows the Southern princess is onboard this vessel, she will slaughter you with a thought.”
“One last time, you will release Brynn and accept your fate!”
“Do your worst, your highness. You cannot kill me.”
“I’m not going to kill you, I am going to get your attention,” Myrilda shifted her gun and fired, flinging her backward until she slammed on her backside. The crew watched in horror. Hirum turned his head and winced. sharp cry. Fodd screamed. Natt crumbled to the deck, holding his right flank as he coughed blood. The green form instantly phased and returned with Fodd freed from his chains. He moved to break Brynn’s neck. The crew scrambled to their guns. Natt’s hand trembled. Five men fired their weapons. Two bullets punched through Brynn’s right shoulder and left thigh. The shoulder bullet lodged in Fodd’s torso near his heart. He released his grip. Brynn fell to the deck and cursed her crew as blood pooled under her. Natt cried in fear. Fodd’s eyes rolled up in his head. He fell back. His body fell overboard as more shots were fired.
The crew made their way toward Brynn with fresh weapons pointed at Natt. The boy turned to a great cat and leapt over the side of ship as they fired at him. Three men knelt and attended to Brynn while two more peered over the rail at the sea. Hirum called out to the men as he motioned for someone to take the wheel, “What do you see, boys?”
“I don’t see nothin’, Coxswain. No blood, no splash. It’s as if they disappeared,” one crewmember replied.
Hirum pointed that the men standing over Brynn, “Get her inside and treat her wounds. Use a gag if you have to, she be screaming at you no matter.” He turned to Myrilda and offered a hand, “That be some nice shooting, Princess. I doubt you will like the consequences.”
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!
