Trouble In Klugetown

My crew and I had been hard at work pulling down the old buildings that we deemed unfixable and using the scrap wood to reinforce the useful ones. We also set up a water cleaning cauldron; clean water was going to be essential for this place.

I was standing near the fire we had built outside the warehouse with my first mate Boyle and his little brother Grin.

“You think this new bearing we’re headed in is a good one Cap'n?” Boyle asked.

“It's gotta be better than where we were before we were servants of the Storm King. Getting by on mere scraps is not how I wanted to live,” I answered.

They nodded in agreement. “Then again, at least we knew what we were doing back then,” Grin stated.

“I'll give you that one. Capper’s plan is... ambitious,” I admitted. “But I feel like we have the best way out of this deal should it go south.”

“Are we really trusting the whole basis of this deal on whether or not that pony bitch can kill that diamond dog? I trust her less than Murdock could throw her,” Boyle pointed his hook over to Murdock, who had found a tarantula to play with. “Which isn’t far at all.”

“You were saying something about the bitch?” a very familiar oily voice came from behind us. Oops.

We turned to see Tempest with company. She and Capper had two dragons following behind, and a number other creatures following behind them. A good number of them were Avians like my crew and I.

“How’d things go?” I asked.

“The General killed that mutt, blew his head clean off!” the big black and red dragon answered excitedly before Tempest could.

“General?” I asked.

Tempest shrugged. “Captain Celaeno, meet Commander Agreh, and Harbinger to his Clan Hilk. They have agreed to be our first warriors.”

“And the rest?” Grin asked.

“Some are of his clan, and the rest are the civilians from the Cistern. We are turning the Cistern and mines into a prison, for the right ponies this time. One of Agreh’s clanmates is working on tunneling their way here, and we are gonna start on this end to meet in the middle.”

“We are gonna need to expand this little canyon getaway, I for one don’t plan on being cramped here for long,” Capper commented, stretching and laying down next to the fire.

“What are we gonna call it? Clifftown?” Boyle joked.

“If that catches on, I’ll eat a live scorpion.” Agreh laughed. We all laughed.

I sighed. “Well, Agreh. Am I saying that right?” I asked, he nodded. “If you happen to have a healer among your clan, we best get the sick into one of the shacks for healing.”

“That would be wise,” he agreed. He signaled to the creatures behind them and started to lead the sick and injured into the closest shack. There were...oh. Wow, there’s a lot of them.

“Set up a two dragon watch for the night. Shift change hourly, I want every creature to get as much sleep as they can,” Tempest ordered. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

“This isn’t enough,” the healer dragon grunted. Her name was Vahraan. I’ll never understand dragon names.

I had just finished bringing in the last of the medical cargo I had on my ship. “What isn’t enough?” I huffed, rubbing my knee above the peg leg. Damn leg still feels like it’s still there sometimes.

“The medicine from your ship. I can stabilize some of the patients who are worse at most, but without more medicine, most of these sick will die before the end of the month,” she explained, still sorting the medicine into piles.

I looked out across the sea of sick faces, some sharing similar features as my crew; a chick who couldn’t have been more than five coughed up black spittle and shivered.

As a captain, I’ve always known that the crew is everything; take care of your crew, and they’ll take care of you. Well, now these creatures were my crew. And besides, I can’t just stand by and let these creatures die, especially kids.

“We want these creatures on our side. Do what you can for now, we’ll find you more,” I told her. She nodded and set to work.

I went out to speak with Capper and Tempest, who were standing in the shack that they’d set up as their command center. The walls and tables were covered in maps, sketches and notes, and the General and future Mayor were both bending over a map on another table.

“Well Capper, I’d say step one of your plan was a success. But whatever step two you had cooked up, needs to be getting the people on our side. Starting with getting these people better,” I commented.

“The guards in the cistern are working on cleaning out the water supply, but it’s gonna take some time. Time we likely don’t have,” Tempest informed us.

“We need medical supplies. Mount Aeris is nearby; maybe we could get Queen Novo to help out.” Capper suggested. “We only saved her people from the Storm King, after all.”

“Long term, that is a good idea, but we need something now,” Tempest argued.

“Excuse me!” a voice came from one of the medical tents. A young dragon-pony-griffon looking creature was trotting towards us with an eager expression. He had green-grey griffon on wings, similar color on his dragon body and hind hooves with pony fur sticking out between the scales going down to his claws, a pony face mane and a Griffin thin tail.

“Yes?” I asked.

“We have a medical supply issue, right?” he asked. “I overheard some of Verko’s thugs say that he’s brokering a particularly large shipment of medical drugs for some crime bosses around the world. It is making a rest stop here in Kludgetown, then heading north to the badlands.”

“Well, that’s a golden opportunity if I ever heard one,” Capper purred, tail swishing.

“My crew and I will take it,” I stated. “Tempest, we need you here. Capper, you need to convince the Hippogriffs to send us some aid.” I suggested.

“I thought I was the General?” Tempest commented with a raised eyebrow.

“We’re all partners here, right?” I smirked. “Tempest, any way one of your dragons can give him a lift?”

“I’ll ask for a pair of volunteers,” Tempest nodded.

“I’ll recruit more hooves for my ship, and then set sail. You.” I pointed to the odd mutt of a creature suggested going after this cargo. “You're on my crew, go to Boyle for your assignment. We've got work to do.”

Ten additional pairs of claws and talons on deck, including the hybrid that set us after this shipment. One Shadow Dragon from Agreh's clan, two teenage Abyssinians, two Griffons, a very battle hardened Buck, a Kirin, and three more Avians had been added to the crew.

I had to learn their names, but for now I could settle for knowing where they were working; the shadow dragon was working the riggings with Grin. The buck and kirin were working in the kitchen with Lix. The Abyssinians and Avians were all under Boyle and mine's supervision on the upper and lower decks.

I was at the helm, Boyle was basically running a class on how to tie knots and tighten the life lines if necessary.

“If you can't tie a simple knot, how do you expect to have a future aboard this ship sailor!” Boyle shouted at a young Abyssinian girl. She yelped and scurried off below deck with her tail between her legs, ignoring Boyle’s shouting.

I tuned out the rest of Boyle's spiel. “Murdock! Come over here and hold our bearing,” I called the brainless bird over. He may be dumb, but he knows how to follow orders.

Murdock squaked and came over in a hurry to take the wheel from me. Once he had it, I made my way down into the hold to find that upset Abyssinian girl. The kid that had given us the info before setting off was at the bottom of the steps rearranging some cargo, making room for the haul to come.

“Did you see the Abyssinian girl come by?” I asked.

He nodded. “She hurried off to the bow, Captain. She seemed upset.”

I nodded back. “Yeah, say what’s your name again?”

“Everyone calls me ‘Mutt,’ on account I’m three different creatures rolled into one,” he explained. He frowned for a moment. “I...don’t really like it, though.”

“Mind if we call you ‘Reese?’” I suggested.

“I’d like that, Captain, thank you,” he smiled up at me.

“Alright, Reese, keep up the good work, it looks good so far. Be sure to secure it tight.”

“You got it Captain!” Reese said as I headed toward the bow.

As I got closer I could hear, the quiet sobs. It sounded as if she was trying to hold them back, to no avail. I peered over a crate. She had her back to me and she was wiping the tears from her eyes.

“He was a greenhorn once, too, ya know?” I said, startling her.

“Oh, I’m sorry Captain, I didn’t hear you come up,” she stammered, trying to calm down.

“Really? I have an emerald pegleg, I’m not exactly stealthy,” I joked, gesturing to the limb. She cracked a smile.

I coaxed her out of her little hole and into some better light. She was orange and white furred, looked kinda like a tiger. The hair on her head was longer than average as well, she had blue eyes, bringing her look together.

“Well, aren’t you a pretty one. Lix Spittle is gonna have some competition,” I told her. She laughed and looked up at me. “What’s your name?”

“Cybil,” she answered.

“‘Cybil?’ Nice name, simple, I can remember it.” I tapped the edge of my hat. “So Boyle was giving you a hard time?” She nodded. “It’s okay, I had a hard time getting my knots down too. It takes practice and we only have a few hours before you lot are gonna be in the thick of it.”

“I’m scared,” she admitted.

“I’d say you were lying if you weren’t scared. Come with me, I have something that I think you might be better at,” I said, leading her back to the helm.

“What?”

I smiled down at her. “Navigation.”

“...So if the sun is in the north sky, and is currently setting over there, we are heading?” I pointed to the sun off the back right of the ship.

“Northwest?” Cybil said in much higher spirits than when I found her.

“Yes! We keep you on this and we’ll have you navigating in no-time,” I said to her. She clapped happily, and started looking over the maps we had out.

It’s been a day and a half since casting off. We had to be getting close to the cargo ship. Cybil was taking up navigation very well; I daresay she will be able to steer the ship soon. Boyle, Grin, and Lix have all given me their first impressions on the greenhorns assigned to them. So far, they are doing well for their first voyage. We all agreed however that they will not be part of the boarding party; at best, they’d just get in the way, and at worse, they’d get themselves killed.

Boyle and I were now trying to teach the Abyssinians and Avians all some swordplay, not enough to be good, but enough to survive this encounter. The others, especially the dragon, said a sword would be more of a handicap than a boon with their natural weapons. Seeing their point I had them work on their Claw-to-Talon work.

“Move your feet, footwork is important. You need to be steady so they can’t knock you over, and you need to be quick so they can’t out maneuver you,” I instructed the Avain I was sparring with. We took to calling him ‘Golem’ on account we couldn’t pronounce his real name.

He clashed his sword with mine, and he stumbled, allowing me to trip him and drop him to the deck. “Owch,” he grunted.

“Sloppy, but you are improving. Next!” My next student and I started to square off but we never got to the lesson.

“Ship sighted! Twenty points to starboard!” Grin shouted from above the balloon.

Looking to the horizon, I could see the ship. I got out my spyglass and peered through it. It was a oaken ship, dark hull, wide girth, large balloon. Cargo ship. Verko’s logo painted on the side.

I put away my spyglass. “That’s her! Twenty degrees to starboard, Murdock! Boyle, get the forward cannons ready to disable their engines and prep the harpoons. Grin, let loose the sails! I want every last scrap of wind! The rest of you, get ready to board!”

As everyone scrambled to their station, the dragon approached me. “Captain, I might be able to cripple the crew once we get closer,” he grunted.

“How?” I asked.

“Shadow Dragons have a sonic attack in place of fire breath that is deafening to anyone not wearing ear protection or other Shadow Dragons. We will need earplugs for the rest of the crew,” he explained.

“Right. Cyble! Get below, and find everyone something to use as ear protection!” I shouted. “Good thinking…”

He shrugged. “Call me Echo. It’s what my given name means anyway.”

“Good thinking, Echo. Now go help Grin with the riggings.”

“Aye Captain!” He flapped off to the sails.

I hurried back up to the helm and had Murdock go help finish batten down the cargo. I watched as my crew, new and old, worked together. Every one of them did their jobs, cannons were loaded proper, boarding hooks loaded into the ballistas, and every member of the crew who wanted one had a weapon.

We were approaching the enemy ship’s tail end now. They hadn’t accelerated yet which meant that they had yet to see us. Good; they were almost in range.

“Get below and tell Boyle to fire as soon as he is sure he has a sure shot,” I instructed Cyble.

“Aye, ” she nodded and ran below deck.

We all waited. That first cannon shot was always the loudest, and made everyone jump even though you expect it.

BOOM, BOOM went the forward cannons and the only indication we could hear that they hit their mark was a resonating CRACK, the sound of wood splintering.

The ship started to slow as we pulled up beside her, smoking rising from the rear. My crew gave thunderous battlecries as we pulled up beside the ship. As soon as we were alongside them, the ballistas were fired, skewering the ship so we could reel her in.

“Ear protection on. Echo, you’re up! Get ready to board!” I shouted.

Swords were drawn. As everyone swung over on ropes, Echo perched himself above and let out a spine tingling roar that I could hear even through my earplugs. The enemy crew were holding their ears and trying to fight at the same time. Trusting my crew for the next few seconds, I quickly found their captain, a slow, lumpy Molen, near the helm with his first mate, some two-legged shark thing.

Seeing me coming, the captain hid behind his first mate, who confidently crossed his blade with mine.

I started with three attacks, an attempt at his head a stab to his midsection and a swipe to his left. He blocked frantically; so he wasn’t as good as I first thought.

He countered with two stabs and an upward strike that I saw coming a mile away. I stepped aside and swung my sword through the air. A moment later, the first mate’s sword hit the deck, followed by his arm. I finished him off with a pommel strike to his head that knocked him out.

I held my sword to the captain’s throat, and he threw his arms up in surrender. Echo’s barrage of sound ended as well. I looked out the corner of my eye and the enemy crew had been subdued. I took off my ear protection.

“Boyle! Take these bilge rats to the brig, I’m sure Tempest wouldn't mind a few more workers for the mines. The rest of you, get their cargo unloaded and stored. Let’s move!” I ordered.

“Aye, Captain!” they all shouted.

I gestured to Echo, keeping one eye on the captain. The dragon flapped over.

“Is something the matter captain?” he asked.

“Quite the opposite. Instead of the brig, tie this one to the railing on the upper deck. We are gonna see if this one can tell us anything.” I gave a grin.

The little mole creature gulped in fear.