Dark Waters Rising

Raid

A/N

Welcome, my children. This is an LGBTQ+ themed historical fantasy, so if you are not interested in a romance between two men, I suggest you find a different book to read.

If you are interested, then buckle up my friends, because we've got a pirate here and he's looking for some booty.

-Mora Montgomery

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The ship shuddered violently as a cannon ball ripped through the hull, throwing up thousands of tiny splinters in its wake. Wesley Roberts gripped the banister tightly to keep himself upright in that moment before he was once again flying down the steps to the main deck.

"Fire at will!" he shouted to the crew members frantically loading the cannons.

A chorus of aye captains followed him as he raced down the deck, checking that each man was armed and ready for what was to come. Once satisfied, he hurried up to the helm.

"Get us turned around!" he shouted to his first mate, Castor Williams. "If they come full broadside, they'll be able to board!"

"Captain, we won't be able to outrun them," Castor voiced his concerns, doing his best to steer the ship away from the attackers.

Wesley knew there was little hope. His double masted brigantine was meant for trading, not fighting. It only had twelve guns. The frigate firing at them was a triple masted vessel built for speed and war. It had at least thirty-six guns and could sink them in a heartbeat. The only reason they were still floating was because of the cargo in their hold.

"I know," Wesley said to the man. "But it might keep us alive for a bit longer."

The ship groaned as it started to turn and the pirate vessel pushed to overtake it from the outside of its arc. Much to Wesley's dismay, it was catching up. The drooping sails above him were proof that they were losing the wind.

Descending to the main deck again, the merchant captain addressed his crew.

"Prepare to be boarded," he bellowed. "That ship out there is the Blight of the Sea! There will be no mercy from them, so there will be no mercy from us! Let's show them that the crew of the Queen Adelaide will not go down without a fight!"

Wesley drew his sword from the sheath at his hip with the last words of his speech, eliciting a response of determined cheers from his men.

They all knew the odds weren't good. There were only seventeen of them. The oncoming ship probably had at least thirty pirates, all of which more experienced fighters than the merchant crew.

They were outmanned, outgunned, and soon would be overtaken by the enemy crew.

"It was an honor sailing with you, Captain," the sailing master said, standing beside him at the taffrail as they watched the Blight of the Sea glide up beside them.

Cannons still fired from either side, making both vessels tremble from the impacts. However, the frequency of the shots slowed significantly once the enemy crew started swinging onto the merchant ship.

Wesley gripped the hilt of his sword firmly as he started to fight off the first pirate that landed near him. The man was brutish and fought with his strength, doing everything he could to overpower his opponent. Wesley grunted with the effort it took to block each of the powerful blows. He could feel the vibrations of each strike rattling deep into his shoulders and it unnerved him. He'd never fought a man of such caliber before.

The sound of metal on metal rang all around the merchant captain as he fended off his attacker.

When an opening presented itself, Wesley lunged forward and pierced the pirate beneath the ribs with a sickening squish. He quickly pulled back to deflect the sword as it fell toward him for a final time. As the pirate registered the pain, the weapon slipped from the his fingers and he instinctually moved to hold his wound. His knees cracked against the deck moments before his skull did.