Warrior Priest of Dmon-Li - Brian Pratt [13]
The captain is standing up by the helmsmen. Using the guide ropes to keep his footing, he makes it to the stairs and begins to climb up to reach him.
When the captain sees him climbing the stairs up to him, he asks, “Everything okay?”
Nodding, he climbs the last few steps and comes to stand next to him, holding onto the rail. “Just out for some air, is all.”
“Stomach bothering you?” the captain asks, grinning.
“A little,” he replies, “but the fresh air seems to be helping.”
The captain just nods at that.
“There doesn’t seem to be too many other ships out in this,” he mentions to the captain.
“Most don’t want or need to be out in this, so they don’t,” he explains. “But, if we just sailed in fair weather, we wouldn’t get too far.”
“True,” James replies. Then he looks down and sees Miko making his way along the guidelines. He hollers down to him until he gets his attention and then watches as he makes his way up to where he and the captain are standing.
When he reaches the steerage deck, James notices he’s a little green. “Just take some deep breathes, that should help,” he advises.
Miko goes over to the railing and tries to do just that, but his stomach rebels. Bending over the railing, he loses the contents of his stomach as he retches into the water below. When it’s over, he feels slightly better.
From overhead, a sailor cries out, “Captain! Sails!”
“Where away?” he hollers back.
The sailor points off to the left of the ship and hollers down, “To the port!”
They all look and see a ship out there, heading in their general direction. “Empirical warship,” the captain says, not too concerned.
“Is that a problem?” James asks.
“Unlikely,” the captain replies. “It’s most likely just on patrol.”
James doesn’t share the captain’s nonchalance about sighting a warship.
“Think it’s looking for us?” Miko whispers as he leans close to James.
“I hope not,” he replies as he continues watching the warship.
As time passes, the warship continues to close the distance between them, heightening James worries.
Suddenly, James hears the captain swear. “What?” he asks.
Gesturing to the warship, the captain says, “They want us to furl our sails and be prepared to be boarded.”
“Is that bad?” James asks as he looks over to the warship. He can see a sailor on the other ship signaling with two flags.
“Bad?” cries the captain. “With the waves crashing as they are, it’s unlikely we’d survive. Our ships would be smashed together.”
“Then why would they want to?” he asks.
The captain gives him an inquisitive look and says, “Why indeed?”
James turns to Miko and says, “Go get Jiron.”
When Miko has left, the captain says, “They know it to be suicide to link ships in this weather. They must want something, or someone real bad and are willing to risk their ship to get it.”
James just stands there silently, as he glances between the approaching ship and the captain.
“Is there something I should know?” the captain asks.
“They want us,” James tells him.
“I thought so,” Captain Caril says. “I’m not going to endanger my crew or my ship. You understand that?”
Nodding, James says, “Yes, captain, I do.”
Just then, Miko returns with Jiron and James says, “The warship means to board, and the captain here says that would most likely damage if not destroy his ship.”
“Why do they mean to board?” Miko asks. When he sees the look on James’ face, he says, “Oh, us.”
James nods his head.
“What do you mean to do?” Jiron asks the captain.
“I have to think of the safety of my ship first,” he explains. “You have to get off my ship.”
“What? In this storm?” he asks incredulously.
“I’ve got no choice,” the captain tells him. “If you’re gone, they’ll leave us alone.”
James looks over to the choppy seas and says, “That’s a death sentence!”
“We can lower you down in our dinghy,” the captain says. “At least that would give you some chance.”
“But what about the warship!” Miko cries out, realizing they’d be easy pickings sitting in a small boat.
Looking sad, but resigned to the situation, the captain says, “Not my concern, lad.