By now everyone on the ship was awake, though some of them were still drowsy from the sudden awakening and so, several yawns could be heard across the deck.
Rufus turned to Eramus.
"You are our leader, what do you suggest we do?"
The Faun tugged on his goatee as he looked with serious eyes on the approaching menace.
"I say that our most apt course of action would be to try to shake off our pursuers."
Rufus nodded and turned to the others.
"You heard him" he said, voice rising. "Heave the anchor and hoist the mainsail! We are getting out of here!"
At once, the members of the troupe discarded their weariness as though it was an old coat and scrambled to their positions. Soon, the theater-ship was riding on the waves again,with Rufus at the helm. However, the pirates were not willing to let such a choise morsel slip out of their grasp so easily and gave chase.
"We have to scare them off" Eramus said. "Hopefully, a warning shot will suffice."
Among other things, the theater-ship also happened to be outfitted with a small cannon. Eramus now headed down the hold where the cannon was located, accompanied by Isso and another member of the troupe. Shortly thereafter, a thunderous noise could be heard and a black object came flying through the air, nearly hitting the broadside of the pirate ship.
Unfortunately, this did not deter the pirates and they answered by firing off a shot of their own. However, whereas Eramus had only fired the cannon in order to frighten their pursuers, the pirates had done so with the full intention of hitting their target. It was only thanks to Rufus' skilled captaining that the theater-ship was able to escape any damage. But how long would he be able to evade their antagonists and which side would run out of cannonballs first?
The Chase continued for what seemed like an eternity, with both pirates and actors caught up in a dance of endless attacks and evasions. Eventually, Eramus emerged from the hold and walked up to Rufus. They talked in hushed voices for awhile and then Eramus called for everyone to gather around, while Rufus kept steering the ship.
"My friends" he began. "We don't have much time and so, I shall be brief: Our situation is dire, we are almost out of ammunition and our pursuers seems intent on following us to the very end's of the World."
"Yeah, they're on us like flies on shit" muttered Leorin.
"Don't be so vulgar" Risha admonished him. "Where did you learn such an expression anyway?"
The Black kitten gazed up innocently at his sister.
"I heard you use it once" he said, in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Yes, well" Risha replied, flustered, feeling her cheeks turn red. "You should do as I say not as I do."
"Once they've caught up with us" Eramus continued, paying no heed to the sibling's whispered conversation. "Who knows what the pirates will do? There's a chance that they will show mercy and will only strip us of our valuables and then let us proceed on our way. If we are lucky, that is. However, I somehow doubt that we'll be that lucky. Rather than stay still and wait to be boarded, we have tried to escape the pirates and have even fired upon their ship! I think its more likely that once they reach us, they will either slaughter us, or sell us as slaves."
"Then let us fight" growled a canine member of the troupe. "We have working weapons aboard this ship, besides the canon and even if they haven't been used in awhile, we've always kept them in good shape."
Everyone agreed to this and with their leader at their head they went into the captain's cabin. There, a large cabinet filled with various weapons were being kept. Eramus hastily opened it and began handing out the weapons in questions. Just then, a voice spoke up:
"One moment."
It was Griselda. Eramus turned to her.
"Yes?"
"Surely, dahling, you can not mean for the youngest among us to risk their lives as well?" She pointed with her sun-feather, first at Leorin and then at the youngest member of the troupe; a female porcupine about the age of ten.
"You are quite right" Eramus agreed and turned to the girl. "Sara, do you remember where the hidden compartment in the hold is?"
"I do."
"Go there and hide. Lock the compartment from the inside, do not open until you hear a knocking like this..." Eramus knocked twice in rapid succession. Paused, and knocked once more.. "Understood?"
Sara nodded, her face serious. She walked up to Leorin and took him by the paw.
"Come" she said.
"I want to stay and fight" he said, petulantly.
"Don't be silly" his sister said. "You are going to stay where its safe."
"I don't want to" Leorin whined. He stomped his foot and seemed to be on the verge of crying.
Resisting an urge to slap her brother, Risha crouched in front of him.
"Leo, this is not a game, this is real."
"I know that..." He began, but his sister cut him off.
"Then you must know that people are going to die. I don't want there to be any possibility that you will be among them."
Leorin looked at Risha. For a moment, he thought about arguing further, but then his more mature side won out.
"Fine" he said, nodding and as he did, a terrible thought came over him. "Just, promise me something."
"Whatever you want."
"Don't die." Leorin then turned to Merees. "Look after my sister" he said, with a serious look on his face.
"I will."
Moments later, everyone stood on deck, weapon in hand.
The Pirate ship approached slowly, as if to draw out the tension. The Pirates grinned menacingly, brandishing the tools of their trade. Towering over them was their chief; a huge walrus, terrible to behold: His coat was the color of blood and one of his long teeth were made out of steel; the original had been lost many years ago in a fearsome battle with another buccaneer.
Now, the pirate captain inhaled, put his flippers at the side of his mouth and bellowed in a voice which caused the sails to shake.
"So, you've decided to quit running?! Good! Surrender and we'll promise that we shall only kill half of you for having inconvenienced us!"
"Go to Hell! Came the answer.
"So be it" the captain said, his voice was lower now, but no less menacing. Quite the opposite, actually.
On deck, Risha could feel Merees fingers brush against her own.
"Are you ready?" The Dragon asked.
Risha took a deep breath. Whatever happened, she was glad that Merees was by her side and that Leorin was safe. Before entering the hold, he and Cara had taken some biscuits and fruit from the galley's stores, so the two of them wouldn't go hungry.
Assuming a stance her father had taught her, the lynx-girl took a firmer grip on the blade which had been issued to her.
"Ready as I'll ever be" she replied.
The Chase continued for what seemed like an eternity, with both pirates and actors caught up in a dance of endless attacks and evasions. Eventually, Eramus emerged from the hold and walked up to Rufus. They talked in hushed voices for awhile and then Eramus called for everyone to gather around, while Rufus kept steering the ship.
"My friends" he began. "We don't have much time and so, I shall be brief: Our situation is dire, we are almost out of ammunition and our pursuers seems intent on following us to the very end's of the World."
"Yeah, they're on us like flies on shit" muttered Leorin.
"Don't be so vulgar" Risha admonished him. "Where did you learn such an expression anyway?"
The Black kitten gazed up innocently at his sister.
"I heard you use it once" he said, in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Yes, well" Risha replied, flustered, feeling her cheeks turn red. "You should do as I say not as I do."
"Once they've caught up with us" Eramus continued, paying no heed to the sibling's whispered conversation. "Who knows what the pirates will do? There's a chance that they will show mercy and will only strip us of our valuables and then let us proceed on our way. If we are lucky, that is. However, I somehow doubt that we'll be that lucky. Rather than stay still and wait to be boarded, we have tried to escape the pirates and have even fired upon their ship! I think its more likely that once they reach us, they will either slaughter us, or sell us as slaves."
"Then let us fight" growled a canine member of the troupe. "We have working weapons aboard this ship, besides the canon and even if they haven't been used in awhile, we've always kept them in good shape."
Everyone agreed to this and with their leader at their head they went into the captain's cabin. There, a large cabinet filled with various weapons were being kept. Eramus hastily opened it and began handing out the weapons in questions. Just then, a voice spoke up:
"One moment."
It was Griselda. Eramus turned to her.
"Yes?"
"Surely, dahling, you can not mean for the youngest among us to risk their lives as well?" She pointed with her sun-feather, first at Leorin and then at the youngest member of the troupe; a female porcupine about the age of ten.
"You are quite right" Eramus agreed and turned to the girl. "Sara, do you remember where the hidden compartment in the hold is?"
"I do."
"Go there and hide. Lock the compartment from the inside, do not open until you hear a knocking like this..." Eramus knocked twice in rapid succession. Paused, and knocked once more.. "Understood?"
Sara nodded, her face serious. She walked up to Leorin and took him by the paw.
"Come" she said.
"I want to stay and fight" he said, petulantly.
"Don't be silly" his sister said. "You are going to stay where its safe."
"I don't want to" Leorin whined. He stomped his foot and seemed to be on the verge of crying.
Resisting an urge to slap her brother, Risha crouched in front of him.
"Leo, this is not a game, this is real."
"I know that..." He began, but his sister cut him off.
"Then you must know that people are going to die. I don't want there to be any possibility that you will be among them."
Leorin looked at Risha. For a moment, he thought about arguing further, but then his more mature side won out.
"Fine" he said, nodding and as he did, a terrible thought came over him. "Just, promise me something."
"Whatever you want."
"Don't die." Leorin then turned to Merees. "Look after my sister" he said, with a serious look on his face.
"I will."
****
Moments later, everyone stood on deck, weapon in hand.
The Pirate ship approached slowly, as if to draw out the tension. The Pirates grinned menacingly, brandishing the tools of their trade. Towering over them was their chief; a huge walrus, terrible to behold: His coat was the color of blood and one of his long teeth were made out of steel; the original had been lost many years ago in a fearsome battle with another buccaneer.
Now, the pirate captain inhaled, put his flippers at the side of his mouth and bellowed in a voice which caused the sails to shake.
"So, you've decided to quit running?! Good! Surrender and we'll promise that we shall only kill half of you for having inconvenienced us!"
"Go to Hell! Came the answer.
"So be it" the captain said, his voice was lower now, but no less menacing. Quite the opposite, actually.
On deck, Risha could feel Merees fingers brush against her own.
"Are you ready?" The Dragon asked.
Risha took a deep breath. Whatever happened, she was glad that Merees was by her side and that Leorin was safe. Before entering the hold, he and Cara had taken some biscuits and fruit from the galley's stores, so the two of them wouldn't go hungry.
Assuming a stance her father had taught her, the lynx-girl took a firmer grip on the blade which had been issued to her.
"Ready as I'll ever be" she replied.
