Below the deck they rush to th'armoury,
and Captain takes a pair of cutlasses
whilst our Pariah loads a crossbow up
and takes a single cutlass from the rack.
The Captain grabs his shoulder as he slides
the blade into his belt and says to him:
"Ye go around the starboard, I the port,
to make for sure the piercers be releas'd
before impacting with this other ship,
which by me estimate should be in three— 10
four minutes at the most, or not a day
I've travell'd on the Sea in all me life."
Pariah nods and runs into the hall
to find a section of the ship in which
there's many sailors winching massive spikes
to rise up from their storage vertical
and take a horizontal-poising stance
before the cylinders are slid through gaps
in th'hull and lock'd in place t'remain outside
should anything—but namely th'other hull 20
of their attacking ship—press on the spikes,
so they're more like to snap like slivers in
its side than slide returning to their place.
Pariah rushes down the corridor
and takes a rope unmann'd to hoist a spike
on creaking winches til it's lying flat
whereat the sailor who began to watch
him pull the rope now takes the cylinder
and rams it through its gap and pulls the clasp
beginning now to twist its tight'ning crank 30
before a crash of splint'ring wood and steel
erupts and pierces into th'hull, which throws
the sailor to the wall upon the end
of th'enemy's opposing naval spike
to cough and bleed his life upon its length.
Pariah stands again and puts a hand
upon the wall to stabilize himself
throughout the shaking of the clashing ships.
A panic takes a hold of him and he
now rushes up a ladder, down a hall 40
toward the quarters that he shares with Spouse
whereat he finds her pulling back her hair
with shaky hands, a ribbon in her teeth,
which skilfully she ties to hold it back.
She turns to him and ere a word is spoke
he takes her in his arms and says to her:
"I'm glad thou'rt safe. A worry took my mind
when th'enemy collided with our hull,
that thou wert pierc'd. But thankfully thou'rt whole." 50
To which she says: "I'll need an arm to fend
th'attackers off if we should hope to keep
the ship intact and crew to pilot her,"
whilst rolling up her sleeves behind his back.
Pariah shakes his head. "Thou wilt remain
in safety here whilst we the men defend
the ship and drive th'attackers off our deck,
for I've a vow to keep thee safe from harm
to raise my Progeny, no matter where,
and never could I live to bear the thought
of failing in my duty, losing thee." 60
The Spouse now pulls away to say to him:
"If thou respect this oath that thou hast took
then understand that I have made the same
to thee and couldn't bear to raise our babe
upon a planet fatherless for thim."
Pariah grits his teeth, but doth concede
to give the crossbow to his Spouse with th'words:
"Keep low and at a distance. Defilade
is of th'utmost importance lest their bows
do spot thee firing and retaliate. 70
Thou understand these orders that I give?"
She nods and both depart the room toward
the stairs t'emerge into the clamorous,
chaotic pandemonium above
upon the deck, whereat Pariah points
toward the stairs that lead toward the helm,
commanding Spouse to take her cover there
beside the cabin just below the wheel.
She rushes for the stairs as, with harpoons
attach'd to ropes, the enemy doth latch 80
upon the masts to reinforce the hold
provided by th'embedded spikes in th'hull;
and now with both the ships securely rigg'd
to one another do th'invaders leap
from balustrade to deck to start th'assault
with roars and clashing blades and blood to shed
beneath the visage full of moon above,
who lights the splatters like the red of wine
across the boards as men are slash'd and stabb'd,
impaled on the bolts of snipers up 90
in nests of crows and spreaders of the masts
whilst those who're fell'd are thrown to splash below
to join again their souls within the sea.
Vociferous, the din that's all around
attacks Pariah's senses such that he
can't think as clearly as he usu'lly
is able to. He looks upon his hand—
lit by the moon, revealing him his mark—
lifts up his palm as if to draw his will,
and drops it—grinding teeth remembering 100
the animals he kill'd without control.
Instead of thinking he can end this now
on but his single hand, he draws his sword,
not letting what he dothn't understand
take precedence above where he is train'd,
for even though he knows th'ability's
inside of him to utilize at will,
he dothn't know just yet how to direct
this power in his palm, so he decides
it must be best to fight them how he knows. 110
Or so he hopes, perhaps. What's wrong with him?
Pariah draws himself back t'what's around
and—slashing through a man before he's struck—
he turns to see how th'other sailors fare.
The Captain roars and sweeps across a man's
two ankles as th'opponent charges him,
and on his fall he stabs into his chest
with th'other cutlass, brandishing them both
in either hand at once t'increase his threat,
moreover his intimidating force, 120
perchance to scare their enemy away,
electrified with roaring energies
to tear another down at his advance;
upon which yet another doth replace
one after yet another on his ship,
unbidden in th'invasion, try'ng to force
submission of this battle-harden'd man
not ready to allow a pirate crew's
effacement of his ship off from the sea.
So on he pushes back against this threat, 130
surrender never once across his mind,
and just to prove as much to th'enemy
he, with a roar, declares into the night:
"We'll tear ye pirates limb-from-limb apart
and toss yer flesh to Sea to feed the sharks
who circle down below! Me words ye mark,
we'll shred yer ship to pieces for the parts
and burn the rest to ashes! Best ye hark,
this aging dog hath more than just a bark;
I'll bite yer flesh and rend yer blazin' hearts!" 140
With lust for blood the Captain leaps across
the gap betwixt the balustrades to fight
upon the ship of th'enemy. His crew
now bolster'd by his cry, do cheer and join
their Captain in the fray, despite that they
surrender their advantage with the move
to take the fight to them upon their deck.
Pariah, baring teeth, doth follow suit,
for staying here would make him useless now.
He turns to Spouse and tells her to remain 150
before he steps upon the balustrade
and jumps across the gap to land aboard
the vessel of the enemy, where he
at once is swung at with a naked sword
which meets a pair of blades to block its path
before it rends his flesh. The Captain kicks
th'opposing pirate hard with boot to side,
which sends him tumbling overboard betwixt
the ships to fall beneath the onyx waves.
Pariah turns toward the Captain who's 160
about to say some words before behind
his back another enemy's approach
is spotted by Pariah, who reacts
by stabbing past the Captain into him,
impaling gut to drop him to the floor,
which Captain notices and laughs aloud
as though bewitch'd by spirits of the mad.
"Me lad, ye're quick upon yer toes, I see.
Ye stick with me; we'll show 'em just the stuff
we hearty, weather'd sailors be allow'd 170
proclaim we two be made of. Ready sword
and cover me as I'll be cov'ring ye."
He charges forward with his laughing roar
as though enjoy'ng the carnage all around,
and for moment our Pariah thinks
to wonder whether Captain's eagerness
to kill his enemies denotes a heart
of evil, or perhaps it's meant to help
him cope with what is necessary here.
But ere he can decide morality 180
possess'd by Captain, yet another sword
doth swing on him, which now he catches with
his own. But balance gives, for this assault
arrives from one with shoulders twice his width
who bares his teeth of gold and browning rot
whilst pushing on their blades so lock'd in place.
Pariah tries to twist to parry him,
but th'enemy's aware, adjusting with
these movements so th'encounter doth remain
a test of strength Pariah's set to lose 190
until a missile sprouts out from the neck
of th'enemy, who stumbles forward now,
and when Pariah looks to see where that
could possibly have come from doth he spot
his Spouse now taking cover once again.
He turns toward the battle, focus'd now
to find the Captain beating the defence
a pirate keeps—with swords which doth it seem
he handles more as clubs—until the man's
defence is broken, opening his flesh 200
to stabs with both the Captain's blunted blades.
Pariah makes to join the man when from
the helm a pirate jumps upon his back;
the Captain falls upon his face as he's
pinn'd down upon the deck by th'other man,
impaled time and time again with knives.
Pariah lunges forward, charging down
the killer with his cutlass up his pit
as once again he raises up a knife,
and once that threat is gone Pariah turns 210
and rolls the Captain over, coughing blood.
The Captain peers at him through hazy eyes
and croaks to him: "I thought ye had me back."
He chuckles ere more coughing doth ensue.
Pariah nods at this, expression grim.
"Forgive me, Captain. No excuse could give
me leave for leaving ye expos'd t'attack
when twas commanded clearly to protect."
With rolling, dizzy motion, Captain shakes
his head, his spinning vision taking hold. 220
"Tis nothing, lad. I'll die a man at Sea
and join again me brethren souls below
to be reborn anew when next I wake.
Already I am old; this life is fast.
Enjoy it whilst ye can and love yer wife
and raise some younguns; leave a legacy
if that is what ye want. But as for me,
I never wish'd to die so old I could
not leave me bed; that's not a peaceful death,
but rather one contstrain'd within yer flesh 230
too weak to move, so trapp'd and not at peace.
I've always wanted death so glorious,
spectacular and animated that
it'd give contended folk uneasiness
to hear about. And that's just what I got,
so blame ye not, me lad, but do I ask
ye be the one to land the final blow
'cause I'll not die by bastard pirate sneak;
I'd rather die by one that I respect,
and add to this the fact that I'll not go 240
not by a sword but knife, the shadow's quill."
Pariah stands, agreeing to th'request.
Reversing grip on th'hilt he raises up
his blade and plunges down into the heart
of Captain, beating weakly in his chest,
and with a final breath to pass his lips,
deflating chest so large, the Captain dies.
Pariah turns his gaze toward the clash
that rages all around and sees it now
the pirates are the victors of the night 250
as more and more the sailors here are slain.
There's one that charges him and nicks his side
upon his dodge mistim'd, which opens up
the Torturer's old scar he left when he
did threaten Pilgrim ever long ago
to smarten up or die of open'd flesh.
Pariah kicks th'assailing pirate down
and dashes for the balustrade and leaps
t'return to th'other ship; and signing Spouse
to wait in place, he rushes through the door 260
to enter Captain's cabin, wherein he,
through all the clutter having slid around,
doth spot a chest. He opens up the lid
to find some sacks of coins, which here he dumps
upon the floor to only take the chest.
He exits from the cabin, joining Spouse
upon the stairs, whereat she says to him
with tears upon her face: "The pirates won.
I saw the mercy that thou gave upon
their ship and give condolences for that, 270
but now we need to think of what to do
to save ourselves, as it's too late for them."
To this Pariah gives as his response:
"The ship is lost. It's time for us to jump.
We'll float upon this chest, or so I hope,
perhaps to drift toward an island shore,
or else be swallow'd by a carnivore."
The Spouse now bites her lip and swallows hard.
"Suppose th'alternative is certain whilst
this plan of thine at least possesses hope, 280
however little may it seem to be."
With both agreed he hands the chest to her,
instructing how they both should hold to it
for greatest chance that both retain their grips
on impact with the waters down below,
and once they have their holds they place a foot
each on the balustrade, whereat says Spouse:
"I love thee, Pilgrim, with mine heart and soul."
Together do they thrust their planted legs
upon the balustrade and leap toward 290
uncertainty within the black abyss. 291