The Cursed Fleet: A Sea of Thieves Story

Chapter 10: In Pursuit

     Wind billowed at the back of Mooney's sails as she made way out of the Devil's Roar and into the deep blue depths of the Ancient Isles. After she convinced the merchant crew to lend her their ship, she and Dan immediately set off seeking vengeance on the Wicked Revenge and her crew. Monkey-Business could almost taste the bounty...

     "Dan! How's the horizon look?" she asked.

     "Clear as can be ma'am, nothing to report." He replied. "We're on a good course for Thieves Haven, no ships spotted."

     "Hmm, where could they have gone?" The brigantine continued to barrel closer to Thieves Haven, passing a small island on their starboard. Just then she spotted it, the bowsprit of a galleon, seemingly wedged in the island.

     "Dan look! She's run aground on the island!" Dan rushed to the bow of the ship, spotting the bowsprit, and grinning ear to ear.

     "I do sees 'em cap'n. Looks like theys wedged pretty good!" They tacked northward to approach from the beached ship's aft.

     Like clockwork the two of them rigged their ship to make a beautiful hard turn to the starboard, and began wrapping around to the northern part of Thieves Haven. Mooney began to inflate with confidence as she bared down on the ruthless pirates. The Merchant Alliance had raised the bounty on the crew to a glittering 575,000 gold, and Monkey-Business was prepared to take it. Just then however, she was met with a surprise. Rather than seeing the aft of the galleon on the opposite side of the island, she was met with the port side cannons, all aimed right at them. She heard a call from the distance.

     "Fire all! Open fire!"

     The galleon's portside became shrouded in a cloud of cannon smoke and flashes of fire as the shots soared through the air and straight for the undermanned brigantine. One by one cannonballs ripped through the hull of the borrowed ship, as Mooney and Dan rushed below to pail out all the water they could.

     "Ma'am they do be puttin' some damage on us, we should be goin'!" shouted Dan

     "They just got a jump on us Dan, we'll pull through!" growled Mooney as she stumbled to the barrel containing the ships repair materials. She began viciously repairing the damage done by the galleon, as Dan continued to bail out water.

     "We's almost dry cap'n, how's them repairs comin'?" he asked.

     "Almost patched up Dan, keep bailing!" shouted Mooney before muttering to herself. "We'll be on the offensive soon..."

     Just then the sound of a wave crashing against the hull caught the bounty-hunter's eye. She was all too familiar with the sound.

     "Dan, finish patching the ship, someone is here..." she said, as she tossed her planks to Dan, and ran to the stairs. As she reached the top, she turned to the bow to see a shirtless, tattooed pirate, with blazing red hair, releasing their anchor bringing the brigantine to an immediate stop, and whipping her ninety degrees to the port side. She drew her cutlass as the rogue drew his flintlock.

     "You brought a cutlass to a gunfight? Seems a poor choice!" he shouted as he aimed down the deck. Mooney dove over the railing behind her, and took cover behind the helm as the rogue fired. The shot panged against the golden trim on the helm. She chose to make her move as the pirate reloaded his pistol. She sprinted to the bow, and the pirate knew what she was doing. He tossed his pistol aside, and dove out of the way, drawing his cutlass as she turned around.

     "You want a sword fight? So be it. Let's dance miss." He said, smirking.

     The two erupted into battle, as each threw a blow it was countered by the other. Only then did Mooney understand who she was dueling.