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Sailing Ether Tides
Book: 1 MissAdventures with Admiral Amy
Ch: 1 Scuppered.
Amy Ward, Pirate Princess of the Shallow Sea took a deep breath, filling her lungs with wet, sticky air. “Wilf, rig for action, get that dunnage secured! Rio, get ready! Prepare to come about!"
Her crew hopped to their stations and did it smartly… her wide smile of approval made her dark cheeks redden around two bright, plum purple dimples.
Her plump, pink, dusky lips, bared in a hungry smile, predator’s gaze and ridiculous tricorn hat seemed fit for the lead in a stage play, rather than guiding a small boat through a dark swamp, hunting a monster.
The rest of her was all business. Her unique seafarer’s armor of triple knit trapdoor spidersilk and enchanted wooden laminate plates was functional and well fitted, and ready for battle. Also ready for business was a heavy naval arbalest, mounted amidships with Rio manning the enormous crossbow.
“Port side, off the bow…” Wilf called from near the tall, majestic horsie figurehead of Adventure yacht, Seahorse, sailing out of Wheatford.
With a loud *Clack*, a yard long, inch thick, miniature spear went hurtling across the marsh, too swift to be perceived by mundane human eyes. Something enormous bellowed a terrible cry of pain and rage into the wetland, sending birds winging skyward for a mile around.
A tall, slim young man with dark skin and a close cropped nest of jet black, kinky curls tipped his weapon forward until it clicked loudly. With a quiet grunt, the lightly armored youth of around sixteen brought his weapon back up and fired again, sending another horrific roar into the sky.
“It’s big! Really big.” Wilf called out from the bow. “Head for deep water!” He leapt to the deck with a surprisingly graceful movement, especially considering the heavy armor of bloody red and golden amber striated, haunted plumwood he wore.
“Deep water?” Amy called back. “Are you sure?” Wilf nodded, since his mouth was busy. He bit the python hide fingertip of his armored gauntlets and pulled them off, tucking them carefully away on his belt. He brought his favorite weapon up and began to work his foe’s ending in sweet, piercing notes of music.
“Really Wilf? Down under?” Rio sighed as he brought his weapon up and began to tap and thump on the wooden box of his crossbow mount, keeping time for his younger brother.
Traveling in a fried out kombi,
On a hippy trailhead full of zombies!
Amy sang brightly, her sweet voice drawing songs from the reptiles, birds and insects that either weren’t smart enough or weren’t able to flee.
Rio drew another yard long shaft from his supply, he checked the leather fletchings, sighted his weapon and satisfied himself that it was suitable…
“Pfft.” Amy blew a raspberry at him, between verses.
“Papa made those, they’re fine.”
“I’m just nervous…” Her brother grumbled.
“We won’t get in trouble…” Wilf muttered around his flute, Forest’s Breath. “It’s hunting us.” He murmured, before picking his tune back up.
“Yeah… it’s hunting us.” Amy said with a little too much conviction.
“Amy…” Wilf grumbled. “This was supposed to be a training journey. I’m not registered as an Adventurer, yet.”
“Well, then don’t ‘Venture… you can just play the flute while we kill… it…” Her words trailed off into shocked silence as something enormous staggered into view among the trees and reeds.
Twenty feet tall and roughly humanoid, a nightmare amalgam of swamp muck, moss, plant matter and human bones staggered into sight.
“Gahh!” Rio yelled angrily at his sister. “Not again!” He growled. “We aren’t rated for class D threats! They’re gonna suspend us for a month!”
“I’m gonna get demerits before I get my badge.” Wilf grumbled unhappily, as he pressed the flute back to his lips and glared at Amy.
She cut her little boat around, leaving a roostertail of spray in the sunshine that filtered through the trees. She motored for the deep channels where the mangroves ended, as Rio hurled another bolt into the thing… Drawing out another world shaking roar of insensate fury.
