>>You are once again whisked away to...
[The Raw Deal, Fore Deck]
"We done as you said Cap'n." one of the scarred-sailors grumbles "Ain't nobody touched a briny little scale on him at all."
"Aye! But now the morn has come an he's got to live up to his bargain."
"Yar!" a few of the crew sound their support.
The Rakash speaks slowly, his eyes sweeping the gathered faces.
"You question me?" he asks. "I, who plucked you off that rock and set you on a path for fortune? I, whom accepted you into my crew when all others had shunned you?"
"Shame on you all." he says as he glares at them.
"This creature killed your friends, yes. But he also killed my crew, MY crew." he begins to walk towards the chained Merlew, glaring down at the captive.
"You know what your punishment will be, fish?" the Rakash muses.
"I do not care, simply be done with it." the Merlew snaps back.
"You will hang." the young captain says curtly. "You will see the waves below you, as the life leaves your body, and you will be unable to feel their embrace. You will know we, of the land, have given you the justice you have deserved."
The sailors cheer at the sound of this foreboding message.
The Rakash eye's a pile of rope, looking for one in particular. Spotting it, he hand it to some of the crew and says with a sneer, "Use this, make me a noose and climb up on that yardarm. We'll string our catch from there."
The men do as their captain commands, tying the line into a noose and draping it over the yardarm, leaving it to dangle just above the deck boards.
As the Rakash leans over to wrap the rope around the Merlew's neck, he slips something into his hand. Speaking softly the Rakash asks him, "Are you ready for this?" The Merlew nods slightly.
Stepping back from his captive, the Captain loudly proclaims his judgment on the poor creature.
"For crimes against this crew, for the killing of my men, and for your skullduggery... I demand that you will hang. This is my right as Captain, and I will have my justice!"
The sailors cheer.
"Hoist up this barnacle, so that we may scrape him from our hull and continue the journey we set out to accomplish."
As the sailors hoist up the line, the Merlew beings to choke and gasp for air. He struggles, but the chains binding his arms budge only in the slightest. He hangs there over the waves, squirming and wiggling like a fresh catch from the sea. Suddenly the rope breaks...
::SNAP::
The Merlew is dropped into the crashing waves pounding at the sides of the vessel, disappearing into the ocean blackness.
The men turn toward their Captain, suspicion in their eyes as they finger the hilts of their cutlass' and daggers. The Rakash slowly backs away, a look of pure confusion worn across his face.
"Whoa, there." He says nervously, "What is on your minds, lads? Why do you look at me with such devilish intent in your brow?"
"Don't play coy with us, Rakash!" one of the sailors says in a menacing tone.
"We knew we shouldn't trust you.." another says,"we heard the stories about your other "crews" and how they never made it back to shore."
"We thought you were like us, but it seems that your honor is nowhere to be found."
"Yes, you even helped the fish-man who killed my brother..."
"You are no Captain of us. You are a traitor!"
"A traitor and a liar."
"Perhaps there will be a hanging today..."
The men advance on the Rakash, backing him into the handrail and threatening to stampede him over the side of the ship.
"Please..." The Rakash says slowly, "Please, do not do this. You will not get the outcome you seek. In fact, I expect these actions will lead to your very demise."
"We've had enough of your silver tongue and smooth talk. Now it is time for your blood, sea-dog."
The Rakash narrows his eyes at the gathered faces. With swift movements, he produces a kaft and cuska made out of dark glaes from inside the folds of his clothing.
"So be it..."
>>Fin?
No comments:
Post a Comment