Tale of Four

”Isis.” Farid threw open the door to his quarters, where Isis lay on a small leather blanket. Unlike the rest of the crew, who slept under the deck, Farid allowed her to sleep in his room, knowing that even if he trusted his men not to do anything, it was still best not to give them any temptation. ”We spotted some.” Isis jumped up and ran to the deck. Looking across the open sea, she stared out at the vastness of it all and pulled out her journal.

Hundreds of thoughts ran through her mind on how to decipher the sea, but when she compressed it all, the scale, the beauty, the feeling, it all came down to one thing.

’Freedom. The Freedom to go anywhere. That is the sea, an endless blue expanse that provides endless freedom.’

Closing the journal, she followed Farid’s gaze and saw a few ships in the distance, sleek and small, but ones that could outrun most ships on the sea. ”Are you going to...” Her words trailed as Farid nodded.

”Our job isn’t only hunting but also clearing the path. If you make it clear that the waters are guarded, it discourages those less confident.” Holding his hand out, one of the crew handed Farid a telescope. Putting it to his eye, he looked at the ships and smiled, ”It’s a new group.”

”How can you tell?” Isis asked, but before getting an answer, Farid barked out commands and signalled the other two ships to continue their normal route, but prepare for battle. The flags of Kript were lowered, and in their place was a minor merchant company. One other ship in the fleet did the same, leaving the final one to pretend it was its guard and move to the front. Despite being outnumbered by a ship, Farid showed no concern. Turning back to Isis, he signalled her to follow him.

”The flag and ship. The ships are new; they lack the scars more seasoned ones have. As for the flag, I don’t recognise it.” Farid quickly spoke, took control of the ship, and guided his fleet to act like a merchant convoy

Isis watched and frowned. ”If you must focus, just tell me, but how can you be sure it isn’t a trap. That it isn’t a different crew flying a fake flag.” Farid nodded and chuckled.

”A flag to them holds much more importance than the banner of a lord. These scum are prideful, but more importantly, rely on their reputation, the infamy their name carries. To fly a false flag to trick your enemy is proof that you rely on trickery rather than strength. Now there is the possibility it’s a trick, but their ships say otherwise. I am near certain it’s not a trick. They are either fresh to the lifestyle or to this part of the sea. My guess is the former. Most likely, their captain has ridden these routes before taking up the life for whatever reason.”

”I assume you say that because of where they are.” Farid nodded.

”This part of the sea is popular becuase of its good winds. Someone who sailed it knows this. Secondly, it is far enough out that it avoids patrols along the coast.” Farid smirked, ”Finally, no one wishes to follow an untested captain, unless they are desperate or idiots. Even if they’re new, they’ve likely been on these waters before.” Farid narrowed his gaze and watched as the distant fleet began to move, noting their arrival and their approach. ”They are all idiots. Falling for such a simple trick. The fact that they can’t tell these are warships confirms my theory.”

”I still find it strange. Surely a seasoned captain, even if not a pirate, would know.”

”Some would, but some would assume we are hauling heavy cargo.” Farid’s lips curled happily as his hands clenched around the wheel, clearly excited, ”Once again, a seasoned pirate knows, and wouldn’t attack a ship they haven’t already planned to attack, unless they are that confident in their abilities. They likely see they outnumber us, but those boats are best used for hit and run, not boarding.” Isis went to talk again, but Farid raised his hand as the pirate fleet got closer, ”You can decide where you wish to watch from, but I will warn you again. Your life is not mine or any of my crew’s concern.”

Isis nodded and walked off, going back into Farid’s quarters and grabbing the crossbow he provided along with a few arrows. Climbing the steps back up to the captain’s deck, sitting at the far back railing, leaning against it. Resting the crossbow on her knee in a way she could swivel it around and load, she placed the journal on the other and held the pen, smiling at Farid when he gave her a nod.

Counting down the moments, Isis readied her pen. The majority of the sailors stopped their role in controlling the ship and got into position ready for the boarding. ”BRACE!” Farid cried out, and Isis let go of the lever on the crossbow, in case she accidentally fired it. With a pen ready, she began writing the moment the ship crashed into theirs, always keeping an eye open for any potential danger.

’An eruption of wood and cries. Hooks fly across the sea, dragging the ships closer to one another. Cheers echo from the pirates at the potential bounty, whilst cold order governs Farid and his men. Tension fills the air in the brief moment of inaction as both sides ready themselves. Few arrows fly from both sides, only the best archers are able to land a hit on the bouncing waters, the cries of their victims drowned by the cheers.’

Rapidly writing, her gaze turned left as a hook latched onto the railing, a group of sailors ready, allowing it to happen, waiting for their enemy to pull them closer. Lifting her head, she saw the pirates looking back and wrote again.

’Shock slowly fills the pirates as they realise their harvest hides snakes. Easy plunder replaced with steel. Yet they can’t disengage; the boarding has already started, and Farid and his men will not let the chance slip. Wooden planks crash between the two ships to ferry men over as the more daring, brave the jump between ships, to win either glory or gold, cut down the moment they land.’

Her pen scribbled, and looking left again, she saw the pirate crew trying to jump over, faced with the small wall of sailors defending their ship, allowing their enemy to damn themselves. Isis turned to see the fourth pirate ship that had yet to start a boarding, sailing around to get to the other side of the Farid ship, realising it was the flagship.

’Men cry, their screams echoing acorss the sea. Blood flies, lost in the carnage.’ Despite the battle, her hand didn’t stop as she watched everything unfolding, ’Duty against ambition. Order against chaos. Service over riches. A battle of ideals, a battle to prove whose way of life is correct.’

Isis looked right and saw the hooks fall, pulling the fourth ship over. Farid expertly ordered his remaining men to prepare the boarding, having expected the manoeuvre from his enemy. Pulling out his own sword, a curved steel blade, he threw his hat off, knowing it would get in the way.

’A battle on two sides. A desperate attempt from pirates with no goals. Cold order as cold as the steel they carry holds, and pushes back, disciplined and angry. Their cheers for each kill, a motivator for the rest of the men.’

Looking right, she saw a pirate break through the thin line and meet her gaze. Without hesitation, Isis grabbed the crossbow and swivelled it around her knee, aiming and pulling the lever as hard as she could. The arrow flew true and struck deep into the man’s chest, who couldn’t understand why she was there, before a sword stabbed through his back. Reloading the crossbow, Isis quickly returned to her journal.

’A kill, one myself, his eyes, confused and bewildered. My heart races not of regret or sadness, but for the same reason the men around do. Every moment, every mistake will cost me. Had I been late, I would be dead. Had he acted, he might have survived. This feeling. At the border of life and death, it is indescribable. I feel alive, a feeling I have felt before, but one I shouldn’t chase.’

Isis’s eyes darted around as she watched the battle. Seeing no threats, she refocused.

’My arrow was quick and lethal. Piercing his chest, the sword was to finish what I did. A story ended in an instant, one that could have been in here.’

”BOARD!” Farid’s voice cried out as he finally took to battle, his curved sword cutting through the air before digging its way into a man’s shoulder.

’The pirates break, wishing to escape, desperately pulling the boards and hooks free. Men, they ate and drank with, left behind in a desperate scramble to save themselves. But the desert moves, chasing them, hunting them. They jump across the waters when there is no path, and they cut down those who get in the way. The pirates try to flee, but that opportunity was lost the moment they boarded.’

Isis looked down at her journal and smiled, closing the book and standing up once she felt it was safe. Stretching, she patiently waited until Farid gave the all clear. Once he did, she accepted his invitation to come aboard and watched as the sailors tended to their wounded, the dead chucked overboard. Those who surrendered were bound to be ransomed at a later time. Around them, the other Kript ships were awarded with similar victories, finishing up the final bit of their work.

From under the deck, the sailors stole the goods the pirates had stolen themselves, laying out two chests. Farid smiled and slammed the but of his sword on the weak lock, breaking it apart and opening the chest. It was almost bare, with a few gold coins, jewels, silks and ornaments.

Despite what looked like a small haul, none of the sailors felt sad; instead, they smiled as Farid called over a man to distribute the riches. Yet as it slowly emptied, his face fell, seeing a small stone statue hidden at the bottom.

When no one moved to pick it up, Isis did, holding the cold stone, staring at the deity it depicted. ”This is?”

”You don’t know Lady Chronicler.” Despite his attempt to be humorous, Isis heard the annoyance in his voice directed at the statue. Looking down at it, Isis stared at the deity the statue depicted. A woman wrapped in silks with a hood over her face that hid it. The silks wrapped themselves in a way to hide her entire body, revealing nothing beneath other than her figure, which proved her gender.

In one hand, she held a syth that wrapped around her neck in an almost effectionate way. In her other hand was an orb that looked like a planet. It was a beautiful artwork, one that Isis was sure could fetch hundreds of gold coins from the right buyer, but looking at it, she felt it was sacrilegious to sell it for gold alone.

”Well?” Isis asked, intrigued.

”I’m not too sure. All I know is it’s a God worshipped in a part of Oros.” Farid said with a cold tone, ”They shouldn’t have been able to get a statue of it; those fanatics pay with blood to keep hold of these things.” Taking a deep breath, he looked into Isis’s eyes, ”The name she has over there, I don’t know, but it arrived in Veston recently with one. Lady Death.”