Today's post is brought to you by a single sentence. A friend of mine called two hours ago, say. He was trying to get some writing done, but couldn't, for the life of him, settle on a topic he liked. I've come to him for the same advice, and have gotten results from it. The previous entry, actually, was inspired with his help. So when he asked for my help, I agreed, but decided we'd make a ... I hesitate to say competition, but no better word springs to mind. So for this game (aha!), we'd both start with the same sentence and write from there. My writing is after the break. As always, critique and enjoy.
The first mate wept bitter tears once he found his pants. An action made entirely more understandable by the shredded remains of his lower half still present in them. Another cannonball sailed overhead, slamming into the main mast and sending splinters the size of his hand arching down. One of the splinters pierced what was left of his right leg, breaking through flesh and bone with a sickening crack. The tears obscured his vision but he grabbed onto his legs with one arm and began to haul himself toward the closest cover he could find. The first mate had pulled himself only two feet when the next cannonball shattered both his spine and the hull beneath.
Captain Silverbeard stood as a statue at the helm, shouting orders to his runners who carried the messages to the other men aboard The Queen's Calamity. He watched with sadness as his first mate fell, but showed only strength. Though named Silverbeard, the hair on his face was a dark brown and hung in knots to his chest. The reason behind his name was a matter of speculation among his men. The prevailing theory told a story of a bullet that had been stopped by the sheer density of his beard. The bets ran up to almost five hundred silver pieces, and only grew as the captain refused to elucidate. Sea foam green eyes scanned constantly, piercing in their intensity. He had both calloused hands on the wooden wheel, fighting to keep his beloved vessel on course.
She ran parallel to the opposing ship, dwarfed by the sheer size of the other vessel, but The Queen's Calamity was faster. At least when she had her main sail. She tottered in the water paralyzed by the might of Krakken's many cannons. Krakken, flagship of Her Majesty's armada and the pride of Auroris. Silverbeard had been to Auroris once, many moons ago while he was still a young lad. His father had been a merchant traveling the many nations of Maragon. Most of his work was done between the landlocked Thea and the coastal Vale. Business had required, however, a trip to Auroris. He had been raised by his single father due to an illness that had claimed Silverbeard's mother before he could even remember. For the long trip, Silverbeard had been required to come with his father.
He remembered strongly the amazement he had felt as a boy when he first laid eyes upon the grand harbor city of Forvala. It was one of only two approachable harbors in Auroris, sharing that glory with its sister city, Feira. Metal towers cast rainbows as they caught the evening sun's light, looming over the then small Silverbeard. He remembered being small for his age, and scrawny to boot.
A cannonball struck the deck and pulled Silverbeard from his reverie. The lurching of The Queen's Calamity was reaching dangerous angles. Barring a miracle, he knew he and his men were sunk. Silverbeard continued to issue orders, "Tell 'em to aim low on the hull." It would be of little use, but if enough holes opened on the larger ship, she would have to flee to the safety of Auroris lest she be sunk with her foe. A brutal minute passed as Silverbeard struggled with the wheel, his knuckles white with fear and the strength of his grip. Then another while he watched Krakken closely.
Then the miracle.
Two cannonballs shot from The Queen's Calamity struck fore on the hull of Krakken, tearing into the larger ship just above where the keel met the water. A horrendous sound rent the air as the ship was torn asunder. The metal shots must have struck through some form of critical support beam as the entire front of the vessel began to dip toward the ocean. A moment later, the very prow touched the foaming waters and Krakken began to slow immensely. The ship dipped slightly forward and water began to rush the lower decks. As Silverbeard watched in what appeared to be slow motion, the marvelous ship sank lower in the water. Mere moments later the ship was many feet deeper than it had been. Soon the water swallowed the portholes for the cannons.
Men began to jump from the ship, hoping to swim far enough to avoid drowning; others climbed the mast to escape the cold clutches of the sea. Silverbeard stood dumfounded. The Queen's Calamity was moving slowly on her remaining mast, but she was afloat. Krakken was more than half enveloped by the sea and would soon be only a memory on the ocean floor. The sight registered with his men and they began to cheer. The noise was like thunder, and even Captain Silverbeard felt himself begin to be swept up in the moment.
A smile split the dark color of his beard with yellowed teeth, shining as bright as the sun.
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