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[Iituem]

You let out a bellow (which sounds terrifying, even in your rather high pitched voice) and launch yourself over the table, driving into a series of blows and forcing Duncan onto the back foot.  One - two - three strikes are parried, and Duncan ripostes, slashing at you.  You are vaguely aware of a hot pain in your left arm, but you ignore it and drive through with the sabre, sliding the blade into the flesh between his shoulder and chest and withdrawing it to a great gout of blood.  Duncan seems shocked by the spillage, and you follow through with a slash to his belly, resulting in an explosion of guts that leaves him wailing on the floor.  You slash out his throat, silencing him, and draw back to let him die.

You glance down to your left arm and notice a deep cut, dribbling fresh blood down your sleeve.  You pull one of the captain's scarves from a rack and tie it into an impromptu bandage/tourniquet.  Flexing your fingers, it hurts to move but you can still do so.

"Herring," a weak voice calls from behind you.  You turn to see the captain tugging weakly at one of the pockets of his coat.  You stumble over, a slight lightness to your head and legs that you were not expecting.  You tug open the coat pocket for him and withdraw a golden ring on a necklace.  It is of a peculiar design; seven golden hands emerging from behind seven golden objects, each one held by another hand.  You start to ask Murdock for advice, but his eyes have become glassy and still.

You spare a moment to close them with your uninjured hand, then unbuckle his scabbard and fasten it around your waist, sliding the still-bloodied sabre within.  You loop the ring-bearing necklace over your head and pick up the captain's feathered hat, placing it over your head.  It does not fit perfectly, being a little large, but that can be fixed later.

There is a foul smell in the cabin, and it takes a moment for you to realise that its source is Duncan's spilled intestines.  Well, that is something to worry about later.

You pull open the cabin doors and step out onto the deck, where things are as chaotic as before.  A ballista bolt sails through the air above deck, punching a hole in one of the sails but otherwise leaving the ship undamaged.  One of the sailors, Carrock, runs towards you.

"Where's Captain Murdock?" he asks.

"Dead," you reply.  He looks up at your hat, questioningly.  "Duncan killed him," you add, "and I killed Duncan."

"Right then," says Carrock.  He gives a very brief pause of respect, touching his cap.  "What are your orders, Captain Herring?"

[Sheb]

Check the disposition of the enemy ships. Order the cannons manned, and send one of the ship's boys to get you some rum, to clean your wound and help you get rid of that dizziness.

[Strife26]

Go loot Duncan's body. That necklace will probably be important later.

[InZane]

ptw

[Sheb]

Go loot Duncan's body. That necklace will probably be important later.

Nah, the Ring is the story's McGuffin.

[Iituem]

"Man the cannons, men!  They've got fucking giant crossbows, they shouldn't be winning this fight!  Carrock, Duncan's got a funny necklace, get it for me, and someone get me some whiskey!"

Some of the men run to the cannons under your direction, and a few more barked orders gets the ship back into a semblance of order.  You head up to the ship's wheel and take command.  The enemy ship is unmolested, but the heavy storm is making it difficult to keep the ship sailing straight, or even from being tipped over by the winds.  Another ballista bolt grazes the poop deck, sending splinters and jagged planks in every direction and exposing Murdock's cabin (your cabin, you suppose) to the elements.  By sheer chance, it misses you entirely.

Two of the cannons are ready, their gunners waiting.  You draw the sabre and gesture at the enemy ship.

"Fire!"

Thunderous roars accompany your command, leaving your ears ringing.  One of the shots goes wide, but the second clips the enemy ship, tearing apart the deck and disabling one of the ballistae.  Your men get to work re-arming the guns and you start turning the ship around to fire with the other side.

There is a moment when the sheets of rain come far enough apart that there is a sort of corridor of unobstructed air between you and the enemy ship.  In that corridor you see a figure with a long grey beard, in dull grey robes with a broad-brimmed grey hat.  The figure is holding what looks like an oak quarterstaff.

The man strikes the deck of his ship with the staff, once.

With a sound like the cry of some unimaginable leviathan, the air splits and a jagged pillar of light strikes the midship, blasting apart the deck and setting mast, sail and men aflame.  The lightning, this close, leaves a purple after-image in your eye.

[Strife26]

Go loot Duncan's body. That necklace will probably be important later.

Nah, the Ring is the story's McGuffin.

It'll be important when we sell out the crew and ship later!

[StrawBarrel]

PTW

[TheBiggerFish]

"They've got a wizard!  Take him out!"

[Iituem]

"Holy shit, it's a wizard!" you cry.  "Gunners, kill that man!"

You steer the ship around, but you can hear heavy creaking and cracking from below deck.  Horrified, you see that the gunners on the port side are dead or wounded (one, on fire, dives into the drink in desperation).  With no choice and no men nearby, you abandon the wheel and take control of the fortunately loaded cannon.

You take aim, trying to compensate for the rocking of the waves, and fire.  You momentarily lose your sense of hearing to the blast, but amidst the ringing you see the distant ball crash into the deck around the robed man.  Whether or not it hits him you are uncertain, as your returning sense of hearing draws your attention to the strokes behind you.

CRACK - CRACK - CRACK - CRACK

It is said that lightning never strikes twice.  In fact, you see four consecutive bolts shatter the middle of the ship before they seem to exhaust themselves.  With sickening cracks and crunches, the ship begins to tear itself apart.

[TheBiggerFish]

Oh geez.  I hope we can swim.  Either way, try to take them down with you.

That necklace is important though.

And not for the loot!

[Strife26]

((Noooo. . .  We're going to lose the lootable necklace!))

[Iituem]

You try to get to the second cannon for a parting shot, but the deck tears open ahead of you, forcing you back.  Men are screaming, abandoning ship either by the handful of lifeboats or just jumping into the water to escape the flames spreading across the deck, running towards the... powder... kegs.

You leap off the edge of the ship just in time to hear the first powder barrel go off.  You plunge into the water, the breath knocked out of you by the impact, and for the second time you lose conciousness.  Six seconds later (you think) you regain consciousness and struggle up to the surface, dragging choked breaths into your lungs.  The sea hurls you backward and forward, constantly trying to drag you under.  You spot the charred, broken body of Carrock, jade necklace about his throat, and try to grab hold of him for support - you slip, and the necklace comes away in your hand.  You take half a breath and water tries to force its way into your throat as you are dragged under.

You cough involuntarily, trying to force water out, but your lungs burn like the ship above.  The tides drag you deeper and deeper, as you try to swim upwards, fire coursing through your muscles, jade necklace still gripped in your hand.

A long time of struggle passes.  Too long.  Easily two minutes (if your sense of time can be trusted in the slightest) go by, your lungs and whole body aching with the effort of swimming, before you manage to surface and take a deep lungful of breath.

The ship has completely broken apart, scattered flotsam formed of its few remains.  There is no sign of the other ship, and though still thick the storm is beginning to lessen.  You swim over to part of the ship's hull, still floating and tossed about by the waves, and clamber on top of it with the last of your strength.  Slumping onto the not-really-a-raft, you give yourself over to God's will and pass out.

As you lose consciousness, the strokes of thunder grow more regular, more measured.

Thuum-thuum-thuum-thumm.  Thuum-thuum-thuum-thumm...

----

Deet-deet-deet-deet!  Deet-deet-deet-deet!

You awake with a start, breathing the vaguely lemon-scented air of your flat into your lungs.  You scrabble idly with your hand until you find your phone and hit the alarm app to silence it.  You sit up, rubbing sleep from your eyes.  Already the details of your dream are starting to fade, so you grab the dream journal by your bedside and start scribbling what notes you can.

Sun, September 12th, 2004 - Drowning.  On a ship.  Cannon fire?  Some sort of storm.  I think there was a ring, and maybe some sort of other jewellery?

You pause, pen in mid-stroke.  Nope.  Gone.

[TheBiggerFish]

And... Magic...
So just who are we again?

[Strife26]

Hit the snooze button to attempt to continue dream.