On the horizon, the crew glimpsed three black specks. Like tiny black flies on an emerald blue canvas.
Officer Tek looked to his Captain. “Sir? What are they?”
“I don’t know.”
They adjusted their heading fifteen degrees to the west. The next morning, the three specks still appeared on the horizon.
“What are they, Sir?”
“I don’t know,” said the Captain. “But they’ve been following us.”
They were a Merchant Ship coming from Carib. Our hull packed with frozen fruit, spices, rum and sugar. High priced goods for Vinland and NeoAnglia. The risk of such an extended journey was more than a worthy risk.
By the next morning, cold winds blew hard from the east and the black ships were still on their trail. There were hunting us now. The narrow forms of the speeding ships could easily overtake our tanker.
“Shit…” whispered the Captain.
“Sir?” asked Tek.
“How far are we from the closest port?”
Tek checked their heading with the Carib Helmsmen, a man with skin was black as coal, he shook his head. Sweat beading across his brow.
“Two days, sir.”
“Can we make it?”
Another calculation followed. All crew members in the cabin watched. “Maybe. I don’t know, Sir.”
The Captain wiped his face with the back of his hand. He was trembling.
“Orcs…”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded. The Cabin was as silent as a crypt.
Orc Pirates didn’t just search for prey to loot, they wanted people to fight or just things to kill. They would massacre them all and make sport out of it.
“Full speed ahead,” said the Captain. “Be ready to drop cargo.”
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ZFSigurdson 