• A pale silver moon shone over the sea, reflected as if by a by a giant mirror. The reflection of an immense, four masted ship flickered on the tide, the image twisted and contorted with the rise and fall of the waves. A figure stood on the shore above the tide line. The figure was a large man who went by the name Dervanada. He shouted across the dark waters. “Bring ‘er in! D’ya hear me?” A voice from the ship answered him. “Aye we hear yer!” Dervanada stood in the shallows, now. When the ship finally came near Dervanada, six crew members jumped the rails, climbed down the side of the ship, and joined him. Ropes were thrown to them from the deck. The seven men on shore then beached the giant vessel. The ladders were let down and the crew climbed down to the sandy beach. When the last of the crew was on land, the captain scaled gracefully down the net-like ladder. “Tis a fine ship ya have, mate,” Dervanada said as he shook hands with his king’s soon- to- be- fleet captain. “Wot is it they call yer?” “Tellbarnit” “Well then Tellbarnit, sir, shall I take yer to my King?” “Lead the way.” Now, Tellbarnit was a sly, sharp witted man. He really hadn’t wanted the job he was being lead to. He knew little of this King. Only that he would have Tellbarnit hunted down if he didn’t accept this captaincy. “What is the name of this king that I’m being ‘employed’ by?” “Can’t tell yer that, cuz I’m only a servant” “What if you were to tell me as one former pirate to another?” (Tellbarnit knew that this Dervanada character wasn’t all to bright.) “Well as one former pirate to another, I s’pose I could tell yer.” “Well then?” “King Arvansi” “Interesting.” “Wot’s interesting?” “Nothing, carry on, mate.” “Aye.” Though he hadn’t mentioned it, Tellbarnit knew this king. Not only did he know King Arvansi, he hated him. Arvansi was the man who had shut down Tellbarnit’s trading business. Tellbarnit knew he had to get out of this. But how? “I don’t like this place Cap’n,” whispered one of Tellbarnit’s crewman. “Aye, I don’t either, Trawlis.” “Wot’s that you said, sir?” “Nothing. Nothing at all.” “Awright” “Neanderthal,” muttered Tellbarnit under his breath. “Oi! Sumthin’s got me leg!!!” yelped member of the crew. “Don’t move,” whispered Dervanada. “It’s probably just a snake.” As if on cue, a large snake slithered across the path in front of the crewman it had touched. “Ain’t much of a threat if’n ye don’ agitate ‘em,” Dervanada explained. After giving the crew men a warning glance, Tellbarnit caught up to Dervanada. “Are we near the palace?” he inquired. “As a matter of fact, we are pretty close now,” Dervanada answered. Tellbarnit fell back again. “Marson,” he muttered to the sailor walking beside him. “Aye Cap’n?” “Shh! Keep your voice down. I want you to take seven men. Follow the coast line. Beach the ship near the cliffs. Stay there until you get the signal.” “Cap’n, what’s the signal?” “I’ll send someone to the ship.” “Aye Cap’n.” “Go silently and quickly while this dolt ahead of us is distracted. Go!” Marson took the seven crewmen and crept silently back south. “Just beyond this cove is the palace,” whispered Dervanada. Tellbarnit didn’t want a fight, so he figured he should leave now. But, by the time he had finished thinking his plan over, a score and a half of men, clad in leather armor dyed a rich purple had surrounded them. “What’s all this about?!” Tellbarnit asked angrily. “Royal guards,” was Dervanada’s muttered answer. “Not much to my liking,” he grumbled. The appearance of the guards had squandered Tellbarnit’s plans, it was as if the King knew he’d try to escape…“Trawlis, fall back. Go to the Northern Cliffs. Tell Marson we’re headed his way.” “Aye aye Cap’n.” With Trawlis gone, Tellbarnit was left with two score men. “Drawls, get the men ready to fight.” “Cap’n?” “We end this now.” “Aye aye Cap’n.” Tellbarnit then walked up to Dervanada, put his arm around Dervanada’s shoulders “It’s been, well not quite nice, but interesting all the same.” Tellbarnit then skillfully and quickly slit Dervanada’s throat. “Now boys!” At these words, the crew turned on the guards. Tellbarnit found himself facing a behemoth of a man who was wielding a short sword and shield bearing the royal crest. Tellbarnit took out three throwing knives. He impaled the man’s stomach with one. After he dealt swift kick in the throat to another man, he snuck up behind a man who was locked in a duel with Drawls. Tellbarnit thrust another of his knives in the soldiers back. He turned and chucked his third dagger before the murdered soldier had hit the ground. The battle carried on for what could have been minutes or hours. Drawls spun around and thrust his cutlass into another huge guardsman. As he was pulling his blade out the carcass a lean, foreign looking man swiftly hewed off his head. Tellbarnit witnessed this but said nothing. He mustn’t show weakness. He did not cry out. As if to avenge his crewman, he turned on the royal guard and threw himself at them, sticking them like animals on his long, notched blade. The rest of the crew followed him. They came down like a whirl-wind on their armor clad enemies. Then suddenly it was over. Tellbarnit stood, injured, with half his crew. “Come men! The king has probably already found out about this. To the ship!” The seriously diminished crew wound their way to the coast and boarded their ship. As they looked back they saw a single man on the coast. It was the king. He had not won. Tellbarnit stood proudly at the bow of his ship as the Fleeter sailed west into the dieing moonlight.