Chapter 2

A Chapter by Sarah

Skyler almost jumped out of her boots when she heard the cannon shot.

“Cap’n!” she heard Colton cry, “There’s another ship on the horizon!"

Skyler ran to the Bow and pulled out her spyglass as Colton ran up beside her holding his own spyglass.

“Looks like a Navy ship, Cap’n.” he said.

Skyler grimaced, “That’s no Navy ship, Master Colton. He may be able to fool some people but not me.”

Colton lowered his spyglass, “He, Cap’n? Do you know ‘im?”

Skyler didn’t answer and ran down bellow the Foremast,

“Miss Marie!” she called up to the Crows Nest, “How far be the ship on the horizon?”

Marie looked through a spyglass, “Which one Cap’n? The pirate or the Navy bird?”

Skyler sighed, “The Navy lookin’ ship!”

“About two or three leagues, Cap’n!”

“And how far be the Navy lookin’ ship to the pirate ship?”

“They’re right next to each other, Cap’n! They’re engaged in battle!”

Skyler groaned and turned to the deck, “BEAT TO QUARTERS!” she cried, “Cut out the sails! Make ready the guns! Run out the sweeps! I want to be side by side with The Curse in less than Half-Glass!”

Skyler felt The Skyrunner lurch forward and she started to run towards the gun hull when she suddenly remembered a command that she’d forgotten.

“SOMEBODY!” she yelled, and half the crew turned to her, “HOIST THE COLORS!”

Her flag shot up the Mainmast; a golden Phoenix with wings spread cut by double-crossing swords and surrounded by flames.

Skyler blood surged through her veins; this is what she lived for.

She flew the steps to the cannon galley planning the coming attack in her mind.

“Trench! Where are you? Get your hide in here!” she screamed.

A boy, seventeen years of age, emerged from behind the row of cannons.

“Aye, Cap’n? What be on your mind? You seem a bit flustered.” The Master Gunner said.

“Trench we are about to attack The Curse! Or didn’t you hear the hundreds of commands I just made up on deck?”

“Cap’n by my reckoning I was down here and I can’t very well hear you if "“

“Just let it be, Trench! You know now, so I want the top cannon row to all be filled with double shots, the middle row to be filled with trundle shots and dust of those cannon " petro in the lower decks and fill them with cannon shot. I want to inflict maximum damage on her hull.”

“Aye Cap’n!” Trench said and turned around to yell orders to the rest of the gun crew.

“Cap’n Skyler!” Colton’s voice shouted above the hub. “Another ship has been spotted! We recognize her as The Black Heart! It’s Captain Anna’s ship!”

Skyler rolled her eyes, was everyone getting in on this fight?

“Alright just . . . be sure we don’t hit her. How much longer until we are at The Curse’s side?”

“Not long Cap’n, come have a look for yourself!”

Skyler ran up to the main deck and looked out at the sea and smiled; only twenty fathoms away from The Curse.

“Who is it Cap’n?” Colton asked beside her. “The Navy lookin’ ship?”

“Cap’n Bragg,” Skyler answered, “He likes to disguise himself as a Navy like bird but you’ll see that his colors flying it at the top.

“How do you know ‘im?”

“He’s part of the Breaker.” Skyler said.

“Breaker, Cap’n?”

Skyler smiled, “A story for another time.” She turned around to her crew, “CLEAR THE DECK FOR ACTION! LOAD TO CANNONS! AND PREPARE TO BOARD!”