The Reign of the Pirate Queen

Chapter 4

Updated 1/18/2020

The woman known to Leo as Selina let herself be dragged above deck, the rough, calloused hands pinching her arms as they held her tight. Her eyes met those of the pirate Gabriel, an unspoken question within them.

"Oh, don' look at me that way," he said once they were standing on deck. "I know ya wanted to spend more time wit cha lovey dovey prince, but we've got a situation. Need our good cap'n Fiora to put the fear o' the goddess in 'em."

A slow smile formed on her face. "Well, if you need me, guess I can't refuse. What's wrong?"

"We've been spotted, cap'n. A navy brig's hot on our tail, an' we're gettin' close to base. We could try an' outrun 'em, but I won't be sleepin' easy if some navy bastard knows where I lay down my head at night."

"I agree. Battle might be our only option." She paused, looking seaward and walking toward the starboard rail. "Where is she?"

"Two points off the starboard quarter," Gabriel said, pointing. "She's gainin' fast."

The Pirate Queen nodded, putting her spyglass away. "Well, you know what to do. Get the men ready for a fight."

A grin appeared on her first mate's face. "Aye, ma'am." Turning to the men, he hollered, "There be a ship upon us! Let's show them navy bastards what the crew o' the Arcfyre can do, ey?" Her crew voiced their approval and went to work as their first mate yelled out commands.

Meanwhile, Fiora weaved between the pirates, making her way to her cabin. Opening the door above which danced golden hieroglyphs, she stepped into the room, closing her eyes. The silence filled her with a sense of peace, the kind of peace she needed right before a battle.

With a sigh, she stripped down to her undergarments and slipped out of her dress, which had become rancid from her time in the cell. Taking some clothes out of a nearby trunk, she changed into tan trousers and a white cotton v-neck. With one hand, she strapped a pistol and cutlass to her hip, before collecting her thoughts and stepping out of the room.

Gabriel walked up to her immediately. "The brig's just outta range. It won't be five minutes 'fore they start firing."

"Are the gunners ready?"

"All cannons're manned and prepped."

"Good," Fiora said. "And the stern chasers?"

"Prepped an' ready to be fired on yer command."

Fiora nodded. "When they're in range, have the sterners fire the chain shot. I want their masts destroyed, but make sure the men know the captain's mine. You know why." Gabriel was about to respond when the sound of cannons firing filled the air, followed by splashes. Their enemies had missed, but by what she could tell, they hadn't missed by much. Whipping around to her first mate, she said, almost shouting, "How many guns have they got?"

"Near forty maybe? No more'n fifty. We can take 'em."

"Broadside?"

"Maybe."

Raising her voice, she shouted, "Make ready and prepare to jibe! I want her broadside these royal Adrenian bastards before the next volley!"

A resounding cry of "Yes, ma'am," filled her ears as she turned to address her first mate.

"Tell the sterners to fire as soon as they've got a clear shot." Gabriel nodded and began yelling out commands to the men. The deck was a flurry of action as every pirate set about their own tasks.

The Arcfyre swayed underfoot as the helmsman steered the ship hard to port as per his captain's orders. Two simultaneous cannon blasts could be heard as the stern chasers fired, followed by the sweet sound of wood being broken. Fiora looked past the stern. The shot had torn through their enemies' rigging, crashing into the foremast and taking a few navy sailors to their watery graves. Not as many as she would have liked, but better than nothing, she supposed.