Six of Crows One-shots

No Mourners, No Funerals

Part 2 of Pirates of the True Sea. Enjoy!

Jesper turned sharply to motion to Wylan. "Stay down!"
"But I wanna help."
"And you can! You've fought with us before, Wy, so stand with us now." Nina lead them to Inej and Kaz's side. Kaz's dark eyes stared stoically at the sight of five slaver ships, three were trying to run. The other two were readying to cover them with cannon fire.
"Kaz,"
"I see 'em. My scouts are already checking the firing ships for slaves."
"See why I needed your help?"
"What— you didn't bargain this because you missed me?"
As Kaz teased Inej, a man made half out of coral approached from the watery boards. His skin was still moist from the sea. His face was just a fleshy base to the coral spines.

"Dirtyhands. One on the left has no one. The right has six or so." Kaz smiled sharply.
"Send in the Kraken. We take the right alone. Wraith, give chase to the fleeing three, we will catch up when we can."
"I don't like it."
"Didn't ask."

Before Inej could argue further, Kaz dived into the waters, his body quickly vanishing under the surface, dorsal fin disappearing below the waves.
Inej huffed, crossing her arms. "Saints, I hate him when he does that."
"Captain? Orders?" Specht called from the helm.
"Full Sail! Make for the fleeing, they have our people!" Inej rose her blade to the sky. "No mourners."
The crew replied in a hearty unison "NO FUNERALS!"

As they started to make haste Wylan turned his head just in time to watch the Thieving Crow descend in the water like its captain. The front dipping down first, and the rest following sleekly. He stood there, agape with shock until a gently firm hand clutched his shoulder. He twisted sharply to see Inej, she seemed stern and focused. How she always got when lives were at stake.
"Wylan! At the cannons, get the special bombs."
"Yes Ine- I mean Captain!"

Inej didn't pause at Wylans' mistake but instead helped the crew untie ropes and ready the cannons. Wylan ran down below deck, taking a sharp turn he found himself in the large area where the crew slept. Skidding over to his hammock, Wylan dropped to his knees and wrenched a metal box from under his stuff. Unlocking it he snatched the tiny bombs from their sleeves, shut it tight and ran to the men and women handling the cannons.

They followed his instruction and readied the bombs to be fired. Wylan scrambles to the top deck once more, only to stumble at the sight that beheld his eyes.
Yes, he had heard tales of the Kraken, and he didn't know of another one, but he thought maybe when Kaz had said it... he meant a weapon.
Wylan watched the large slimy black tentacles slither along the hull of the ship, slowly applying pressure. The suction to the boards sickly popped and could be heard from where he was as it tore holes in the hull. The ship creaked and groaned under the strain, then in a split second the ship snapped into bits. The boards splintered and ripped and the water around it funneled upward and rained down, covering the scene. Within a few moments, the ship was gone. The waters were slightly foamy and choppy, but all other remains were gone.

"Oi! Wylan! Snap out of it, come help me!" Wylan responded near immediately to Nina's call. She and Matthias were mounting a gun. Wylan helped lock it into place. They were approaching their first target. The ship was fat, with an armored hull. "Remember, there are people in there. We move as painlessly as we can." The crew nodded, Inej took in a deep breath and unsheathed her knives. "Then let's get to work, FIRE!" She pointed at the ship. The front cannons shot out, striking the mast and killing any speed it had. Leaving the slavers dead in the water.
The wraith approached, the boat didn't have any guns, so that it could hold more slaves. The slavers waved their swords and screamed curses into the night like wild animals. Torches were held aloft, creating a ferocious and wild glow about the angry men.

"Fire." Inej gave the order, and the side cannons shot out, the tiny balls couldn't even be seen, but when they made a hit on the other ship, smoke burst out in great plumes and flashes of white left the slavers blinded.
Curses turned into screams. Most dropped their weapons to protect their eyes. Inej used a hanging rope to swing onto the other ship as the Wraith grappled and hauled it in. The crew flooded after their captain and the air was filled with gun smoke, and the wicked sound of steel biting into steel. The world was foggy- the smoke becoming orange as the torches stained their color, bleeding it into the air.