A Pirate's life for me (Rania Lark & rskde)

[Rania Lark]

The sky was bright blue, the waters to match. The summer had been hot and humid, the seas calm. The perfect environment for pirating. There were many more merchant ships attempting their short and long haul sailings through the glassy seas, many of them carrying goods and people that could fetch high prices at ports both merchant and pirate. And many pirates were taking advantage.

But the most known of those who sailed beneath the black flag was Charlotte Gramercy. Once a street rat and petty thief, she was taken aboard the ship, The Greed of Hades as a deckhand when she was barely a teenager by the Captain Robert Bond, who took pity on the starving girl and decided to do his one good deed of life. Charlotte worked hard, thankful for the warm hammock and daily food aboard the ship. The treasures helped to keep her aboard as well. Eventually, she rose up through the ranks, moving from deckhand and swabber to first mate about the Greed, helping Captain Bond to become the most feared pirate in the West Indies.

However, Captain's Bond time was short and within a few months of Charlotte's service, he took ill with scurvy and perished aboard his beloved ship, leaving his first mate to bury him at sea and take over the mission. And that's what Charlotte did. Taking the skull and crossbones to heart, she sailed just as fiercely as her predecessor, quickly making a name for herself amongst the most feared pirates of the seas.

Though she wasn't only feared. Charlotte also had the reputation of being one of the most beautiful women on the high seas. She was known for using her womanly wiles to seduce men in order to rob them blind. Like a siren luring sailors to their watery graves, Charlotte did the same with her pirate crew, playing prisoners numerous times to disarm those that they plundered. She had long blonde hair that shone in the bright light of the noon day son, her skin was tanned, and her eyes were the cerulean blue of the ocean. She wore tailored men's clothes and the corsets that women would usually wear beneath their clothes, atop her tunics. Her trousers were always made of the finest leather and hugged tightly to her curves, accentuating her womanhood with every step she took. Her hat was the only thing that denoted her status as captain.

So there she was, her ship not sailing any colours as she surveyed the calm sea, searching for her next ship, her next plunder. And just like clockwork, a ship sailing merchant colours breached the horizon. Smiling as she peered through the spyglass, Charlotte lowered the magnifier and turned to her own first mate and fellow crew members.

"Well boys, looks like we've got another large pay day today," she declared happily, "merchant ship sailing low in the water. Lower the sails! Raise the colours and lets get ourselves from booty!"

Her crew let out a collective cry of acknowledgement and excitiement as they obeyed her orders, the motley crew of criminals and bandits truly terrifying upon the high seas.

 

[Risky]

The ship HMS Daunting sails towards one of the many ports of the Caribbean, onboard are many goods worth quite a bit of money to the American Colonists that were onboard, sailing under the King's colors and the colors of the East India Trading Company, a power not to be meddled with when sailing he the high seas.

Unknown to almost everyone on board is a man named Ryan Whitrose, he took the job on the shop as a Privateer, but instead of being handed a musket to keep the ship clean of Pirates, he was handed a mop and bucket to keep it clean of shit on the deck from seagulls and seaweed. This certainly wasn't the job the young man from New York had been expecting, but at least it was work nonetheless.

Ryan stands at 6'1 and has a muscular athletic form, large muscles and a powerful back for manning ships, plus the uniform of a British Marine, the standard uniform of the Privateer.

"Captain! Ship on our aft!" A call cries from the crows nest. "They bear the Jolly Rodger!" He calls once more, Ryan can hear the murmuring of the crew, as the only real defenses the Daunting had were four cannons on Port and Starboard and the Privateers on board, but it would not withstand the attack of a pirate vessel.

"Pirates!" Someone calls, this brings panic amongst the crew, booted footsteps run on the deck, the Captain attempting to get order, some even abandon ship at the sight of the ship trailing behind them. Ryan throws down his mop and bucket, running to the armory and grabbing a musket, loading it quickly before running topside, just now catching sight of the ship.

"Turn to bear! Starboard side prepare to fire!" The captain orders as the ship turns to fight, as the Pirate vessel was much faster than their own. "Steady! Fire!" The captain yells, three of four cannonballs smash through the hull of the pirate vessel on their starboard side, as if it would make a difference.

"Prepare to be boarded!"

 

[Rania Lark]

A smirk expanded over Charlotte’s face at the sight of the woefully unarmed trading vessel they had come upon. It seemed that her payday was going to be easier than most ships. And it bore the colours of the East India Trading Company! It truly was the pirate’s lucky day for that company always bore the most fruit. Charlotte climbed halfway up one of the nets attached to the main mast of the ship as the black sails were extended, the ship slicing easily through the waves like a hot knife through butter.

The weak cannon fire the pierced the Greed’s hull but barely made a scratch on the wooden boards as her own ships multitude of cannons extended out, taking aim at the company ship. Charlotte lifted her cutlass, holding her men from swinging onto the other ship momentarily. She swung her sword down through the air as she cried out to those manning the cannons below.

“Fire!”

Cannons exploded from beneath the decks of the pirate ship, aimed directly at the company vessel, easily overcoming its own cannons as heavy iron balls ripped through the wooden slats of the hull. Charlotte’s men knew what they were doing and immediately climbed the masts and the sails to take up positions at the end of ropes, ready for the order to board a crippled vessel and take what they wanted, killing everyone except one to tell the tale.

“Swing boys!” Charlotte called out as she leaned out from the netting, watching with a dark smile on her face as the pirates swung through the air, leaving the pirate ship to plunder and raid, truly what pirates were made to do. However, Charlotte was not one to run with her crew. She would wait until many of the men were already dead or overboard before she swung herself aboard and this time it didn’t seem to take long.

After a matter of moments, Charlotte took hold of a swinging rope and sheathed her cutlass, jumping from the netting and swinging over the deck of the company vessel. She then let go of the rope and landed gracefully in the middle of the deck. Straightening up, her full ferocity was revealed wrapped within the very feminine form that seemed to take ownership with but a look as she glanced around at the mayhem that was ensuing around her.

 

[Risky]

"Brace for impact!" The Captain calls before a cannonball tears through his body, leaving behind a mangled torso and his cutlass on the deck. Ryan abandons his rifle after firing a shot at one of the Pirates swinging over, sending his body into the sea to be consumed by Davey Jones. He then runs over to the Captain's cutlass, scooping it up and preparing to defend himself as the first Pirates reached the deck.

The clashing of swords and metal overtake the calmness of the clear day, truly a beautiful one for sailing, ruined by this bloodshed. Screams of Pirates and sailors alike begin echoing over the waters as the fight ensues. Ryan defends himself from a woman, obviously just a deckhand. Not being one to kill women, he knocks the sword from her hand and punches her in the face, sending her overboard.

He turns to face a man, much bigger than himself, which caused him to be quite sluggish. This allows Ryan to easily run him through, then when the man doubles over he rips the sword from his chest and uses the flat of his arm to knock him overboard, allowing the blue sea to consume him.

The crew of the East India Trading Company were not doing so well against the Pirates, many were dead or dying as of this moment. Ryan runs from the wheel of the ship to the center deck, eyeing a woman dressed much too lavishly to be a worker of the ship, he points his sword to her and spins it, running at her in an attempt to stab her through her chest, hoping that if he could kill the Captain the crew would surrender.

 

[Rania Lark]

Captain Gramercy's crew hit hard and fast. They were well trained in getting rid of any resistance to get to the riches hidden within the brig. She moved slower, her sword drawn, but her movements were purposeful. Charlotte was always aware of her surroundings, even in the chaos of plundering a vessel. Sure, she knew she would lose a few of her own crew, but there were always more where they came from. She was well known enough for her riches that pirates lined up to join her crew.

Charlotte was well aware of the stupid man who decided to attack her. She turned, easily sidestepping his clumsy swing as he stumbled past her. Raising her sword quickly, a smirk curled the sides of her lips as her eyes darkened immensely.

"You just attacked the wrong woman, boy," Charlotte growled low, her sword swinging forward, intentionally missing him by centimetres as another member of her crew approached to stand behind his Captain, defending her to the death. Her eyes never leaving the foolish man that had so recklessly attacked her as the battle still raged around her, Charlotte addressed her crew member.

"Don't kill this one," she said low pointing the tip of her cutlass towards him, "If he's this stupid, we could use him. Put him in the brig on the Greed!" she then turned back to the rest of the crew as they battled with the company men, "As for the rest, leave no survivors!"

Charlotte's crewmen immediately began to scream and laugh as their attacks instantly became more vicious, more pointed towards the company men as they abandoned all decorum. The deck was stained with blood within seconds as the screams echoed throughout the deck. When those that were freed up from their attackers, the pirates began to descend into the brig, reappearing with chests and barrels of supplies and riches which they promptly began moving back onto the Greed of Hades.

After only a few moments, the screams stopped, the deadly silence of pirate victory fell over the entangled ships as Charlotte turned her head slightly to her first mate. "Get this one over to the Greed. He may be of use to us."

 

[Risky]

Ryan stumbles past the Captain, his sword falling from his hands as he hits the center mast for the ship, he turns to see the point of a cutlass aimed for him. He looks to the woman holding the sword, terrified of what she might end up doing to him, but she instead tells her crewman to leave him alive, and to take him to the brig of their ship.

Great, so now his death is just delayed.

He sighs and raises his hands in defeat, his eyes closing as he hears the screams of his fellow crew members, men and women that he had gotten to know over the last couple of months on the sea. Strong hands take him and drag him to the grapples, securing him before swinging him on to their ship, where his hands and feet are tied and he is dragged down to the brig, locked in a cell.

He walks over to the corner of his cell, sitting down into it and folding his body into the corner, his head resting against the wall as he thinks about all of the horrible things they might do to him.

And how could he of all people be of use to them? He thinks to himself.

 

[Rania Lark]

Charlotte was one of the last of her crew to depart the burning merchant ship. The sails were set on fire along with below decks. The captain always remained to the end of the raid, ensuring that all her surviving crew were back on her ship before destroying another of the East India Company’s schooners. It was her trademark and the burned out hulls of the vessels had been enough to scare many seafarers and pirates away from her waters, extending her reign of fear.

After the ship had been emptied of everything of value, Charlotte swung herself back onto the Greed of Hades, landing heavily yet balanced on the wooden deck of the pirate ship. Her crew were reveling in their riches, their drinks as they divvied up the wealth between them, while her first mate ensured that what was intended for the Captain was set aside and safe against any type of robbery. Not that any of her crew would attempt it anyways but it was always better to be proactive.

Charlotte returned to her own quarters and sat down at a large wooden desk set in the middle of the room. On it was a map of the Caribbean seas as well as charts containing the waters both north and south of her reach. Captain Gramercy ensured that every ship she had attacked was mapped on the charts, each one with a symbol indicating their crew, be they pirate, privateer or company. Despite the chaos of her attacks, each one was carefully planned and executed according to the lessons she had learned from her own Captain.

She spent hours indicating the headings and compass points of her latest conquest, carefully mapping out where the ship had been destroyed. The sun was setting when she finished her work, staining the sky and the sea red as she rose from her desk. Pulling her hat from her head, Charlotte lay the feathered headpiece down before leaving her quarters. Perhaps it was a good time to begin questioning the prisoner.

She walked across the deck of the ship and descended the heavy wooden steps into the brig. Walking across the floor, Charlotte was alone as she stopped before the cell containing the new prisoner. She stood inches from the iron bars of the cage holding the young, foolish man. Crossing her arms across her leather clad chest, she watched him with a slight smirk dancing across her lips before she began to speak, loudly and gruffly, just as any pirate captain would.

“So, cabin boy,” Charlotte exclaimed, “Why do you think I’ve brought you here?”

 

[Risky]

Ryan sits in the brig and stares down at the hard wooden floor of his cell, wondering to himself how he was still alive, they didn't want his Captain or any of his superiors, but for some reason they wanted him, so he would attempt to reason why that was the case.

He hears heavy footsteps coming down the stairs and looks up to see the woman that he had charged earlier, his eyes locking to her as she approaches his cell to move to the bars that keep him inside of the brig. He listens to her words, she seemed to be willing to offer what he wanted to know almost immediately.

Ryan shakes his head. "I haven't a clue." He admits. "I'm not worth anything to anybody, even my own ship hired me as a Privateer and made me a deck hand." He says with the shake of his head.