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@Mindrop (#2) [center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=24691810][img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/246919/24691810_350.png[/img][/url][/center] Osoroshi grinned at the other skydancer. "Well, you certainly picked the right dragon for the job." She gave a dip of her head in greeting. "Captain Osoroshi at your service. My ships...a bit busy at the moment, so I certainly wouldn't mind lending a hand to a fellow sailor." She turned and squinted down the docks. Her icy white gaze alighted on the fae. "Lollipop, you say? A curious name." Osoroshi turned and gave a bow in farewell. "I should like to know more. Farewell, Commodore."

Sorry, it took me a bit to write this all. I bit off a bit more than I meant to, at over 6,000 words. lol. I was behind in designing the adventures. I hope you enjoyed yours! I like these Pirate Adventures, and will continue to do them, but I will probably rotate in another one whenever I do this again. [img]https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/005/200/large/zhenya-slo-painting-the-sea-queen-anne-s-revenge-min.jpg[/img] @ForgottenWonders - Ship 1 - Windsinger’s Revenge under Commodore Sandbar “You said that your name was Commodore Sandbar, is that correct? I’m Atlas, nice to accompany you on your journey.” He said without waiting for a response. Seeing that the crew was light, Atlas liked this because larger crews are not always the best with unexperienced crew members. Atlas decides to help Commodore Sandbar out, and goes onto The Windsinger’s Revenge to accompany the dragon on the journey. Commodore Sandbar finally got them underway. Atlas learned quickly that the lighter crew meant more was expected from each sailor, no matter how much experience they had. The Nocturne, Edelweiss, took Atlas under his wing to literally show him the ropes. Captain Sandbar ran a tight ship. There was always something to do and so they were doing it. As night fell, the work lessoned. They had gotten the Windsinger’s Revenge in perfect condition to carry out her duty at night. Sleep didn’t last long though as the ships bell was rung by the crewmembers on watch. Everydragon, even Commodore Sandbar, was woken up and scrambled out of bed. On the horizon was a ship on fire. Their course had already been altered. The longboats were prepared for a rescue mission. As they got closer, they realized what they were responding to. It was apparently a merchant vessel who’s powder magazine had exploded. There wasn’t much left as the chunks of ship burned. Commodore Sandbar sent them out anyway. Atlas was at an ore, pulling, to help move the small boat through the wreckage in search of any living soul. Bodies were about, but that seemed to be all. One of the other boats actually boarded a sinking and burning chunk to check the inside. Atlas lost sight as smoke obscured the other vessels. They switched out rowers to give them a break as they circled back around to make one last pass before abandoning the ship. They took it as slow as the smoke could allow them. Atlas began to choke as the wing shifted and smoke poured over the longboat. It blocked out their sight and they could barely breath. They got clear as they heard the crackling groan of burning wood snapping. A flaming yardarm broke free, splashing into the water right in front of them. The boat rocked dangerously, but the only problem that they had was getting wet from the splash. Atlas, soak and coughing, was pulled aboard. He was helped to the center of the ship to rest. He was not the only crewmember to breathe in too much smoke. He had eight coughing companions as the Windsinger’s Revenge got underway. There were two others who had received burns and other injuries and were brought below deck for treatment. The nine of them just needed fresh air to clean their lungs out. As they got underway, the sound of a cannon firing broke over the burning wreckage. The cannonball slipped right over the Windsinger’s Revenge. Atlast watched it pass not ten feet above where he was laying. “BLASTED DEVILS CAN SEE US FROM THE LIGHT OF THE FIRE!” The First Mate yelled. “I CAN’T SEE THEM!” A Spiral on the top of the mainmast yelled down. “WE’RE BLIND TO ‘M SIR!” Commodore began to issue commands. The injured or those still coughing were told to stay put. As a bogsneak ran to do his job, he passed Atlas a bundle and was gone before Atlas could ask any questions. The bundle moved, and in his surprise, it caused Atlas to start a coughing fit. He finally stopped and undid the knot on the bundle. Inside was a small ridgeback hatchling. The hatchling latched onto Atlas as it shaked, nervously. More shots were fired at the Windsinger’s Revenge. Two struck home in the lower decks. The Windsinger’s Revenge crew’s discipline won the day as the even lighter crew coaxed the most out of the wind and got the ship moving into evasive action as they sailed to the safety of the dark. “I CAN’T SEE HER!” The dragon on the top mast yelled down after things had been quiet for a while. “SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE IS DOING.” “The blasted buccaneers didn’t hit a merchant vessel,” Commodore Sandbar spat, informing his crew of the situation. “That was a transport. It had no guns, and I doubt it had any treasure. The only thing of value was the ship itself. No pirate or privateer would murder everrydragon and then burn the ship, only to use it to lure in other ships. There is only one group on these waters that is that cruel.” All of the sailors said it with their Commodore. “Beckett’s Buccaneers.” Atlas was concerned about what he had gotten himself into. “We will return to port and link up with the rest of the fleet. We have the supplies, so we are going on the offensive against Beckett’s Buccaneers. We will hunt them out of these waters!” The crew cheered and hollered in support of the decision. With the announcement over, and the Windsinger’s Revenge safely on its way, Commodore Sandbar went to check in with his sailors who had breathed in too much smoke. “Atlas my lad,” the Commodore smiled. “I am sad to see you were one of our unlucky uinjured. I hope you are feeling better.” “I am,” Atlas replied without coughing. “I am, Sir.” “Good. I also see you were the one who ended up with the rescue. The sailor who pulled the hatchling out received major burns. The parent was stuck in a corner of the broken vessel, injured and in a pool of her own blood and water. They got the hatchling out, which was her last wish. She had no clue we were privateers. None of us are going to be able to care for the hatchling. I assume you come from a good home?” “I do,” Atlas replied. “I will give you fair compensation to take the young thing back to your lair with you, where it can have a good home, and a real life. You though, you have promise on a ship if you desire. We won’t be setting sail right away. I have some big repairs to make for the Windsinger’s Revenge, and a few other ships. We were behind in getting them done. Before we sail to war, we will need to make those repairs. You are welcome back anytime once we are ready to sail once again.” “Thank you, Commodore.” “Rest up, lad,” The Commodore smiled. “We will be back at port in a few hours.” The Commodore moved down the line, speaking to the other sailors who were finally recovering from the smoke. He put them on light duty and sent them all to bed to rest up. At port, Commodore Sandbar bid farewell. “This is the best we can give you for all you did and for taking care of the hatchling. May your journey on land be safer than your one at sea just was.” [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=60484942] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/604850/60484942_350.png[/img] [/url] [item=Gilded Decorative Chest] Gilded Chest x 1 [img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/Brig_Niagara_full_sail.jpg/300px-Brig_Niagara_full_sail.jpg[/img] @Mypilot - Ship 2 - The Lollipop under Captain Lollipop Osoroshi grinned at the other skydancer. "Well, you certainly picked the right dragon for the job." She gave a dip of her head in greeting. "Captain Osoroshi at your service. My ships...a bit busy at the moment, so I certainly wouldn't mind lending a hand to a fellow sailor." She turned and squinted down the docks. Her icy white gaze alighted on the fae. "Lollipop, you say? A curious name." Osoroshi turned and gave a bow in farewell. "I should like to know more. Farewell, Commodore." Captain Lollipop was in the chart room when Osoroshi found her. Captain Lollipop flashed a smile at the Skydancer. "A little big for my crew, but I once had a guardian sailor on the Lollipop. I hope you are more useful than he was though. He worked great for getting things up and down." "I'm actually a ship Captain. Captain Osoroshi at your service. My ship is, a bit busy at the moment." Captain Lollipop glanced at the chart on the table. "An experienced sailor is a treat." She tapped on a spot on the chart. "Yes. I see a change in plans. Is the Black Pearl still here?" Osoroshi looked out and saw the black sails on their way out. "No, she has departed." "A pity. I would have loved to bargain with Jak. Oh well. I trust you won't hesitate to get the jobs done that need doing, but I also don't intend to use you as a normal deckhand. That would be a waste. Especially since my usual First Mate is on the Red Lilly for a job, and Jibb is still green in the command department." "Capt'n," a brown Fae said from behind Osoroshi. "Yes, Jibb?" "I procured us more shot." "Procured?" "It was left on the dock. The Black Pearl didn't grab it." Captain Lollipop sighed. "Jak is going to have fun then. Oh well. I am not chasing him down. He was late leaving as it was. Jibb, this is Captain Osoroshi, who will be joining us for this voyage." "A pleasure, Captain," Jibb said. "I'd rather spare her from the mundane work. We have enough deckhands. Plus, you need some more experience. Now is the perfect time." "Understood, Capt'n. Shall I get us underway?" "Please," Captain Lollipop said. The Captain turned her attention back to Osoroshi. "Captain, I'm sure you are aware of the Windswept Plateau Trading Company and their nautical trade network. Sure, the Commodore gives them some problems, but our biggest issue is their hired goods, known as Beckett's Buccaneers. "The Lollipop is a fast and light ship. The only downside to her is that we can't carry bigger guns. Unlike the other three ships, the Lollipop is a ship of war. I hunt Beckett's Buccaneers, for the Commodore and for fun." "What did they do to you?" Osoroshi asked. "Normally I don't tell the greenhorns this, but you would understand as a Captain. Beckett's Buccaneers are supposed to, at least by what the WPTC's official statements, are to combat pirates and create safer seas for their ships, and by extension, other merchant vessels. Beckett's Buccaneers attacked my merchant vessel, slaughtered my crew, and left me for dead. I barely survived. It was Commodore Sandbar who picked me up on the debris in the water. "I devote my energy to using the Lollipop to hunt the scrum, which helps the rest of the Commodore's ships. They can all fight, and do, but that is what I do, fight, not raid. I sink, and rarely get the opportunity to capture the ships. “However, with you aboard, I am tempted to pursue the WPTC’s sloop, Swiftrunner. We are fast, but she is faster. And all because we carry more weight for shot than they do.” “Jibb!” “Aye Capt’n?” “Are we still in dock?” “They are hooking up the tugs right now,” Jibb stated. “Hold us here. I want canvas changed. Every single sheet needs to be the dark brown.” “Aye, Capt’n!” Captain Lollipop looked at Osoroshi. “Our white sails are well known. Very well known. By running a false flag and a change in canvas, we can get in close. If we can board, we will win. Eliminating the Swiftrunner will be a deep blow to the WPTC. With the dark canvas rigged and the bleached white canvas safely stored ashore, the Lollipop was ready to sail. The wind wasn’t in their favor, but they were not dead in the water. On the open water, Captain Lollipop was looking for a needle in a haystack. But she also knew the shipping routes and began to sail along them. They were flying a flag from the Southern Icefield. It let them calmly sail past other merchant vessels on their hunt. They even passed two Buckett’s Bucks vessels, but they were not bothered. They finally spotted the Swiftrunner. Osoroshi and Jibb were brought into the chart room. “Jibb, are things stowed?” “Aye,” Jibb nodded. “And the chosen crew are putting on uniforms.” “Captain Osoroshi, you will play the Captain of the Amirah. We are going to light a fire in the bow and get some smoke going. They should come over, hoping for an easy nab under the guise of rescuing us. We are on our way back to port after trading in the Viridian Labyrinth.” “I can handle that,” Osoroshi said. “It won’t be long,” Captain Lollipop said. “My team is very well trained.” It wasn’t long before smoke was billowing out of the forward gun ports and bow’s forward hold grating. The half of the crew that was in “uniforms” were running around, looking like they were trying to stop the fire. They were bringing up buckets of water to “splash” below and other tricks. None of this was new to them. The Swiftrunner was by their side quickly and they roped the ships together, with enough room so that they didn’t smack hulls and damage either ship. A spiral and several other sailors flew over. “What is going on! Who is in charge here.” “I am,” Osoroshi said. “Captain Osoroshi, of the Amirah. We had a little fire. It seems a lantern broke in our bow. We have things under control.” “I would really hate to find out that you lost control of it and sank from a fire when we could have helped,” he pressed. “I assure you we are fine,” Osoroshi replied. “But if you wish to head below and check, by my guest.” Right as the spiral ducked below deck, the crew on the top deck jumped, opening their wings and making the quick cruise to the Swiftrunner. The rest of the crew jumped out from below deck, or popped out of gun ports and slipped through the Swiftrunner’s gunports. There was the initial chaos that only lasted two minutes before it turned into a slaughter as the merciless fae’s slaughtered the entire crew. There was no accepting surrender. The captain of the Swiftrunner was beaten and bruised from his fight before they finally captured him. Bound by rope, they dragged the Coatl out to stand visible for Captain Lollipop. “Ah, it is Gremalis,” Captain Lollipop stated. “I guess you got a promotion. Tell me, what ship does Captain Kokoa sail these days?” He spat blood out of his mouth. “Kokoa? Why should I tell you, Fae?” “Because I chose how much mercy you get,” Captain Lollipop said. He thought about it as he tested his captor’s grip. “Fine. She sails the WPTCN Gale. A merchant vessel.” “So, she went clean,” Captain Lollipop chuckled. “No matter. I will find her and exact my revenge.” “Revenge for what?” He shouted across the divide. Captain Lollipop was sweet as she reminded him. “Why, for you all killing my crew, tying me to the mast, and blowing my ship out from under me.” It was obvious he remembered the ship, although not Captain Lollipop. “I should really tie you to a cannon and drop you overboard, but you were kind. The blade is nicer.” The Faes thrust their blades into him and threw him overboard. It didn’t take long before the rest of the crew was cleaned out. “Captain Osoroshi,” Captain Lollipop said. “Would you please take command of the Swiftrunner and follow me to port?” “Aye, Captain,” Osoroshi replied. “It will be my pleasure.” The crew who had put on the uniforms were transferred to the swiftrunner and to Captain Osoroshi’s command. The ties were cut and the ships turned away from each other as they bagan to make their way back to port. The faes under Osoroshi’s command were quick and efficient sailors. They were loyal to the Captain of the ship. They also were quick to clean up the mess that the fight had left. Within a few hours, all of the decks had been scrubbed clean and a full account of supplies on board was presented to Captain Osoroshi. The Windsinger’s Revenge was docked when they returned. They looked disturbed. Commodore Sandbar met the two Captains on the Dock. Captain Lollipop sang Osoroshi’s praise to the Commodore. “Thank you,” Commodore Sandbar told Osoroshi. “You are welcome back anytime. Unfortunately, we won’t be setting sail right away. There are some overdue repairs we need to get done on all our ships first. Please, take this chest as not just compensation for your work, but as an extra bonus for such a well done job. [item=Gilded Decorative Chest] Gilded Chest x1 [img]https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/pirates/images/6/60/Black-pearl.jpg[/img] @Bxy26 - Ship 3 - The Black Pearl under Captain Jak "Why no, of course you've never seen me before, and I think I'll fit in very well with the other Faes on the Good Ship Lollipop..." The poorly disguised Imperial tries to sneak onto the much-too-tiny corvette, when he hears a hoot of laughter from behind him. "Tryin' ta sneak away from your old pal, Jak?" The Pearlcatcher juggles his pearl from claw to claw, and waves the Imperial over. "Come on, messmate, we've got another adventure brewin'!" Sheepishly Quartzite removes his Fae masque and heads over to the Black Pearl, where Mr. Gibbs the Snapper and Cap'n Jak the Pearlcatcher hang over the side, laughing at him. "All right, all right," he says. "I'm ready to have another go! I got plenty of practice during the Mistral Jamboree, so throw me a bowline, lads, and let me at 'em!" “GOOD!” Captain Jak declared. “Then Mister Gibbs, cast us off! And...uh...who did our friend work with last time?” “Cotton, Capt’n,” Mr. Gibbs replied. “To Cotton with him then! He will need an experienced sailor by his side if he is to survive this.” “Capt’n, I don’t like the look in yer eye!” Mr. Gibbs exclaimed as he looked back to check that Quartzite had made it on board. The boats were already beginning to tow them out from the docks. “Just do what you are told,” Captain Jak said, opening his compass and looking at it. He narrowed his primal eyes and then lifted his eyebrow at the compass. “Cotton!” Mr. Gibbs called. “Quartzite! Step sharply maties!” They both met him by the main mast. “Cotton, I do believe you will recall the good lad Quartzite. Apparently he has been practicing. But that isn’t what has me concerned. It is the extra swirl in the Capt’n eye. He has somethin brewin, and that never seems to bode well about half the crew. So make sure the lad survived.” “Aye, Sir!” Cotton replied. “FULL CANVAS!” Captain Jak ordered from the wheel. “I intend to make good time for this appointment.” “Come with me, lad,” Cotton said, as the spiral grabbed onto the rigging. “Up we go so you can learn the sails.” Cotton showed Quartzite how to loosen the sails and set them to full canvas. He continued to teach from up on the rigging the different sail positions and what each order meant. He ignored what each order would do for the ship. It was enough to teach him how to work the sails. The day dragged on and the sun began to set. A small island was spotted and was the obvious intended destination. They arrived after dark and the order was immediately to pull in the sails and drop anchor. “Rest up,” Captain Jak ordered the crew. “Mr. Gibbs, I believe we will need only a minimal watch tonight. Especially with the anchor dropped.” “I reckon so, Capt’n.” First watch was set for Cotton and Quartzite. With anchor dropped and the sails drawn, they were going nowhere. Cotton took to passing the hours by teaching the Imperial how to actually control a ship and how the rudder worked. “It is amazing the rudder is so small to turn such a large ship.” “Aye, lad, it is.” Cotton agreed. “But it is time to pass the watch off. It is a cool night, so sleeping below shouldn’t be bad. Get yer sleep, cause you are going to need it.” “What is so important?” Quartzite asked. “It has everydragon concerned.” Cotton sighed, tired from the day, but he might as well prepare him. “This island we be by gives us cover. Ships can’t see us if they sail from that a way. Whatever the Capt’n seems to be after, it is going to said by us on the morrow. And then we will claim our prize, after the guns force them to give it up that is.” The night went smooth enough, but the dawn was bright when you were not sleeping in a lair. Quartzite was up early. A good breakfast, for a pirate ship anyway, was given out. After, powder kegs and shot was rolled out, in preparation for what was to come. After that, it was a lot of waiting around on the deck. The Black Pearl had been well prepared before she set sail, so there was nothing to do but wait. “Mr. Gibbs,” Captain Jak said. “I think I feel a shift in the wind.” “Perhaps, Captain, but I don’t.” Mr. Gibbs replied. Captain Jak held up his claw. Not 30 second later the first of the breeze passed by. As the breeze picked up, they waited, quietly. Fifteen minutes later, the breeze turned to a wind. And on that wind, came the Shrewsbury. It was Captained by Wavecrest, one of Beckett’s Bucks top officers. The massive 80 gun frigate sailed right by the island, unaware that they had just sprung a trap. Captain Jak was going to get revenge for a dozen different things. “DRAW ANCHOR AND FULL CANVAS!” Captain Jak ordered. The crew roared with enthusiasm as they set about getting the Black Pearl underway. Cotton took Quartzite to the windlass to put his stronger size to use raising the anchor. As soon as the anchor was off the seabed, they began to move. Once the anchor was out the water, the Black Pearl took off. The Shrewbury was onto them almost immediately. She pulled in her sails to slow down. The Black Pearl was the faster ship, but she was the stronger. Her best tactic was a broadside hit. It didn’t matter if the Black Pearl sailed past her, she could stop her with that alone. “Load the long 9’s!” Mr. Gibbs ordered. “Prepare the starboard cannons!” “Belay the starboard!” Captain Jak yelled. “Load the Port cannons! And free fire on the long 9s!” “Port?” Mr. Gibbs asked, confused. “Port!” Captain Jak exclaimed. Mr Gibbs shrugged and issued the new orders. “LOAD THE PORT CANNONS!” The long 9s off the bow exploded, sending their cannon balls speeding off in pursuit of the Shrewsbury. One went wide and short, the other was straight but short. “You better fix that!” Captain Jak ordered the crew. “I want you hitting the ship!” The two guns thundered again. The left one went wide again, but the right one struck the Shrewsbury just above the water. “Mr. Gibbs,” Captain Jak asked. “Yes, Captain.” “Does she look, taller?” “Taller, Sir?” “Yes. Taller.” Captain Jak confirmed. “I don’t understand, Sir.” Mr. Gibbs said. “To hell with it!” Captain Jak exclaimed. “I’m sticking to the plan!” “Aye, Captain!” The long 9s fired again. “Mr. Gibbs,” Captain Jak called. “I think our left long 9 is broken. She isn’t shooting straight.” “I’ll fix it, Capt’n,” Mr. Gibbs said. He rolled his eyes after his back was to the Captain. He stuck his head below for an update on the loading of the port cannons. Cotton and Quartzite were topside, working one of the short 9s. At their current approach vector, they would end up with the Shrewsbury on their starboard side, on the unloaded cannons. “Why are we on this side?” Quartzite asked. “At times like these, lad, I have learned just to trust the Capt’n and let him do his thing. That is how I keep surviving these adventures we have.” “What does the Capt’n want from such an armed ship?” “The Shrewsbury flies under the sail of Becket’s Buccaneers,” Cotton explained. “They are paid to halt us privateers who mess with the company’s cargo vessels. But, they are really just a bunch of paid pirates, and it is they who sink or raid half the ships in these waters. Still, the Commodore is their only, established, resistance. “Last week the Shrewsbury raided the vessel we were after, and then sunk it anyway. We were just going to get the treasure. That is just the most recent thing we have against her. From what I understand, Jak has a much longer, and more personal, history with that vessel than the few engagements we have had against each other.” The long 9s fired. The left one exploded in its place, breaking free from the lines and gouging the deck as the hot barrel skidded backwards. Quartzite jumped over to try and stop it, forgetting that the metal was hot, and put his claws on the barrel to stop it. He screamed as he pulled his claws back, burned. “Yer goin to be needing those still,” Cotton said, wrapping his claws in wet rags. “That will calm them down.” He dragged Quartzite back to their post. Captain Jak walked up to them, glancing back at the cannon barrel. “Everydragon makes mistakes with the hot cannons, Lad. Even the old ones do at times. That’s why I don’t touch them. I get to be Capt’n.” “And who is at the wheel?” Cotton asked. Captain Jak turned around casually. “Why Ridd- nobody is.” Captain Jak scrambled to get back to the wheel he had abandoned in his quest to figure out what had happened to the long 9. At the wheel, he spun it, cutting them across the back of the Shrewsbury. “HOLD! STEADY!” Crew from the Shrewsbury came up onto the quarterdeck with muskets and opened fire. It was rather ineffective outside of making those on the top deck duck. Captain Jak spun the wheel the other way, causing them to turn sharply back at the Shrewsbury. It was a tense moment as they slid by the giant, 6 decked frigate, watching the motley crew scramble to load their starboard cannons. As soon at the Black Pearl had a full broadside, the order was given all of her portside guns opened up their fury. Several guns on the Shrewsbury responded, ripping holes in the Black Pearl. “STOP BLOWING HOLES IN MY SHIP!” Captain Jak yelled at the Shrewsbury. The Shrewsbury’s crew opened their sails back out to full canvas. “Not good,” Captain Jak said. “GET THOSE CANNONS TO FIRE AGAIN!” They were too fast and the Black Pearl slipped past the Shrewsbury. The Shrewsbury was in close pursuit. Their long 9s began to fire upon the Black Pearl as they chased her down. Mr. Gibbs bounded up to the quarterdeck. “Capt’n! We aren’t losing them, and the wind is in our favor.” “I told you she looked taller,” Captain Jak stated. “Wait, do you mean to tell me they were hunting us?” Mr. Gibbs asked. “Possibly. Or, this might have been a pre-arranged engagement.” “Pre-arranged?” “Well I didn’t expect them to forego supplies to keep up with us!” “That means they have less ammo than we do!” Mr. Gibbs exclaimed. “The long engagement is suddenly in our favor!” Captain Jak spun the wheel, cutting to the port for a full turn. “They might have dropped weight, but the Pearl is still the more maneuverable ship. As soon as we have her in our sights, give the order to fire.” The Shrewsbury let her turn, their starboard side loaded and ready. The Black Pearl lost all power as they began to face the wind. They were forced to wait for the Shrewsbury’s well prepared side. As soon as the Black Pearl’s first guns had a piece of the Shrewsbury in their window, they opened up. Quartzite waited for the ship to come so they could fire their cannon. He watched as the cannons began to blow holes in the bow of the Shrewsbury. The massive ship took them admirably, staying steady and strong as the small holes were punched through the wooden shell. The Shrewsbury began to respond back. Several early shots were taken by cannons not in line, expending their shot into the open water. Still, the carnage of the larger guns ripped into the bow’s top deck and destroying the bowsprite and then pulling the foremast with it. “Steady,” Cotton ordered Quartzite. “Those cannon balls are not that big!” Quartzite fired the cannon on signal and watched the cannonball collide with a cannon, ripping it free and destroying it, among other things. He had no time to celebrate as the railing next to him disappeared as return fire obliterated. “You survived,” Cotton stated like it was a shock. The front of the Black Pearl was shredded, but the Shrewsbury was past the pearl. “Damage report Capt’n,” Mr. Gibbs reported. “Did we actually need the front part of my ship?” Captain Jak asked first. “Uh, well, we can still sail. Albeit, slowly. The bigger problem is the fact that we seem to be low on shot. And by low, I mean apparently it never got fully restocked-" "And who's fault is that, Mr. Gibbs?" Captain Jak asked. Mr. Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Mine. We have the powder, but only a few various types of shot available.” “Then we load anything and everything,” Captain Jak declared. “In the starboard side. They won’t be able to turn that tightly. If it can fit in the guns, then put it in there. Stuff the silverware, break the empty rum bottles and put the glass in the cannons, and whatever else we can fit in there.” “AYE, CAPT’N!” Mr Gibbs shouted before beginning to relay the orders to the crew who were still at guns. Quartzite and Cotton loaded their cannon with a regular cannonball and then loaded the cannon next to them, with a clawfull of nails and glass shards. They would be in charge of both of them while other crew members tended to the ship or prepared to board or be boarded. The Shrewsbury had at least double the sails as the Black Pearl. She took in the sails that would work against her and was able to still move against the wind because of others. There was nothing they could do but wait. “Capt’n!” Mr. Gibbs reported. “Only half the guns have anything loaded.” “I said load everything and anything,” Captain Jak shot back. “We did. But it turns out that we didn’t have much to start with. The only thing that can fit that we didn’t load was the Faes.” “Then load the Faes!” “Capt’n!” "Mr. Gibbs, why do I have Fae's on my ship?" Mr. Gibbs was lost. "To help sail the ship sir?" Captain Jak laughed. “Load the Faes Mr. Gibbs. That is an order.” “Yes, Captain.” There were six Fae’s aboard the Black Pearl. They hastily scrambled to assemble on the top deck in front of their Captain. Each one was in full armor and carrying at least 2 cutlasses. “Good lads,” Captain Jak praised. “Don’t forget the butt plates or you will get burned. Of course, that isn’t a guarantee you won’t either. But now, into the cannons you go. Keep those wings tucked in at all times and then rip the Shrewsbury to shreds! You know what to do." "Aye, Capt'n!" The all yelled with a salute before rushing off to get loaded into the cannons. “SAIL HO!” A sailor yelled. “Starboard side! Coming right at us.” Captain Jak pulled out his telescope and took a look. “That’s the Red Lilly. But the wind’s isn’t in her favor. She may be fishing us out of the water.” The Shrewsbury came up on their starboard. The Faes were loaded into the stern cannons. They were fired first. They punched right through the wooden walls. The Shrewsbury opened up in response, but the loaded guns suddenly fell silent as the cannon Faes caused unexpected chaos. A roar came from the Black Pearl as sailors leaped across, using their wings, and began to fight the Shrewsbury’s crew in claw to claw combat. Captain Jak looked at his compass and then jumped, grabbing a loose rope and swung across. Captain Jak landed on the quarterdeck of the Shrewbury with his sword drawn. “Captain Wavecrest, your time sailing is up!” Captain Wavecrest, another Pearlcatcher, appeared to be unphased by Jak’s entrance or sword. “Ah, Jak. It has been quite a few years now, since we stood face to face. You always were rash and a loose cannon. And your life if not the only one that has to pay for it. You silly little gambit has led to the death of your crew. Sadly, I don’t think I can spare your ship. I’d tell you to send my regards to Sandbar, but you won’t be leaving here alive.” Wavecrest’s sword was out in a flash and the captains locked blades. Cotton turned to Quartzite and tried to speak over the blasts of cannons. “I hope you know how to fight!” Crew from the Shrewsbury flew over to the Black Pearl in an effort to ensure she couldn’t make pursuit. A Fae charged Quartzite, who tried to swat the buccaneer out of the air. The Fae dodged, but wasn’t able to get in to strike as Quartzite just kept slashing at the tiny thing. An explosion deep inside the Shrewsbury stopped all action. The creaking of wood cut through the silence as it was put under great stress. Slowly the groaning increased as the main mast cracked and broke. It began to list and finally snapped. The mast tore a huge hole open in the Shrewsbury and broke the starboard railing before it crashed into the sea. “Your time on the seas is done!” Captain Jak declared. Captain Wavecrest darted in. It was a sloppy parry for a pirate captain, but the sword was deflected. Captain Jak clocked Wavecrest on the head with his pearl. Wavecrest crumbled and Captain Jak thrust his blade into Wavecrest. He sheathed his sword and grabbed Wavecrest’s pearl. He turned to leave but spun around. He bent down and also picked up the fine blade Wavecrest had been using. He found a spot in his belt and slid the other sword into it. Captain Jak was back on the Black Pearl with a few flaps. The Shrewsbury’s foremast exploded with a thud. The rear, mizzen, mast also cracked as the assault Faes had cut cannons, loaded them with chain shot, and destroyed the masts from the inside. The six of them came pouring out topside. Their presence turned the tide on the top of Shrewsbury. The crew members that had tried to board the wounded Black Pearl gave up. They had boarded as a part of 8, but that was down to 4. “Mr. Gibbs,” Captain Jak called, spinning Wavecrest’s pearl on the tip of his claw. “Take the prisoners to the brig.” “Aye, Sir.” “They are lucky I am letting them live after what they did to my ship,” Captain Jak commented, rather pointedly. “That they are, Capt’n,” Mr. Gibbs said. “Get the irons!” Captain Jak went to the wheel, where he was once again looking at his compass. He looked up, at the direction of the Red Lilly, and closed it. The Black Pearl was severely damaged. The top two decks at the bow were in splinters. Her foremast and boom were gone. There also were a multitude of other holes and wounds to the Ship. When the Red Lilly arrived, they set about getting the Black Pearl under tow. All the canvas was brought in tight. They got rid of every damaged or destroyed cannons. All of the non essential crew were transferred to the Red Lilly. They raided the Shrewsbury’s carcass for new cannons, but put them on the Red Lilly so that they didn’t drag the Black Pearl down and help her take in water. As they sailed away, Quartzite watched from the Red Lilly as the Shrewsbury’s powderkeg was detonated. It was a fantastic explosion of wood and water. The wind was blowing in the direction home. They made good time for towing another ship. Both ships anchored further out in the bay. The sailors had to load things into the dingies and row to shore in order to be able to carry the supplies. Captain Jak stopped Quartzite before he could board the dingy. “Admirable job my good fellow! We couldn’t have taken her down without your stalwart help. You are becoming a fine sailor, and you are a brave pirate. Mr. Gibbs will give you your share of the booty ashore. I am afraid that we have no need of you at the time. The Pearl needs too many repairs before we can set sail again. But when that time comes...well you know where you can find me.” “Aye, aye, Capt’n!” Quartzite said with a salute. On the docks, Mr. Gibbs was dealing with multiple things. When he saw Quartzite, he grinned. “Come here, lad. The Captain was most impressed of your skills this time around. I am to give you this chest. I don’t know what the Red Lilly was doing before she intercepted us, but she appears to have had her fun.” [item=Gilded Decorative Chest] Gilded Chest x1

[b]Doors in the Desert[/b] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=59864500] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/598646/59864500_350.png[/img] [/url] Three dragons have been transported in front of a suspicious imperial. [color=indigo]“Welcome to the Haunted Desert.”[/color] Astral showed the dragons to a deserted area not far from where they arrived, welcoming them into this seemingly abandoned desert. Astral explained to them what they were to do:[color=indigo]“You all will find out the meaning of the desert’s name soon enough. Now each of you, please pick one of these doors. Choose wisely~”[/color] The dragons saw no doors in sight. They thought Astral must be crazy..until Astral suddenly disappeared, and three oddly shaped doors were in front of the dragons. [color=navy]The first door was lined with animal fur. It was covered in sand, and something seemed to be moving behind the door. A shadow showed under the door, and it glowed green. It seems to put you into a trance, leading you into what could be a trap.[/color] [color=green]Further away, there was a small box. It didn’t look like a door, but it seemed to have a knob that was able to be turned. The box was no bigger than a hatchling, and there were cacti surrounding the box. There seemed to be no way to the box, expect under or over. Thing is, [b]flying was restricted[/b] in this desert.. Your only choice is to go underground in this case.[/color] [color=red]The third door seems to be buried in the sand halfway. There were strange red and orange lights illuminating the area around the third door. There were no light sources in sight, yet it illuminated the area perfectly. Other than that, the door was normal, which was unusual because of what has been happening so far. Dare to explore?..[/color] A voice sounded out of no where: [color=indigo]“Pick one. Your fate awaits you..[/color]

[center][url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=58481452] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/584815/58481452_350.png[/img] [/url] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=58523528] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/585236/58523528_350.png[/img] [/url][/center] Skava wrinkled up her nose; an adventurer always expects the unexpected, but disappearing guides, appearing doors, and doors-that-were-not-doors were not expected at all. Her mate Skali shuddered next to her. "I don't like deserts." She tilted her crests towards him in an affectionate manner. "You don't like most things." His frills flattened worriedly. "Oh dear. And that door is sinking under the sand." The two Faes looked over at the third door, which did indeed appear to be slowly sinking into the desert without a trace. It was difficult to tell if the door was in fact moving, or if the winds were just blowing more sand over it. "Quick, grab it," Skava said. Somehow the tiny Faes were able to slow the door's progress; Nature and Shadow magic were not very effective in the desert. [i]Why couldn't one of us be an Earth dragon[/i], Skava griped to herself. "I guess we open this one," she said aloud. Skali nervously adjusted his woodmask, and gulped. "Okay," he said. It was a bit of a struggle, but the Faes finally managed to clear enough sand away from the door so that it could be opened. Skali's shadow magic came in useful for picking the lock, and then the two Faes slipped through... ((Door 3)) Edit: oh man, I forgot to ping! @forgottenwonders

@ForgottenWonders [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=59881418] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/598815/59881418_350.png[/img] [/url] [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=59766022] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/597661/59766022_350.png[/img] [/url] Paradiso stared at them mysterious imperial. He seems to do no harm, but that's not guaranteed. The more he looks at him, the more weirder it becomes. "Lets pick the 1st door." Sirocco uses his sharp claws to point at the fur-lined door. Paradiso is skeptic. "What about door 3?" "Nah. Not intresting enough. Besides, the faes from clan Aquaurora is already handling it." Paradiso looked at the faes that went into the door. "Alright then.." He and Sirocco neared the door, and the shadow moved vigorously. Paradiso stopped and stared, like being hypnotized.. The shadow dragon did not get hypnotized, and snapped Paradiso out of it. He gripped the knob and it was locked. "Sirocco, can you-" Sirocco smashed the door open, and the shadow ran deeper into the "room". Paradiso glared at Sirocco and he returned a malicious grin. Peeking at the imperial for the last time, they went into the room, alert of their surroundings.. (Door 1)

Bump, still need one more person

bump! Need one more person!

@forgottenwonders [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=47003549] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/470036/47003549_350.png[/img] [/url] Enki watched at the pair of Faes and Spirals headed to their choice of door, fire orange eyes blinking from behind the safety of his eyewear. The metal parts of his clothing warming under the intense sunlight, though that was more comforting than anything. Once more the orange and brown pearl catcher examined the doors, or at least the one left to him by the others. Cacti surrounded the extremely small box like door, and usually that would have caused others to tunnel under to reach the door. However, despite what others thought of the archeologist, Enki was a born under the Fire flight and not Earth. So he would perfectly comfortable in the heat that burning the cacti down would bring. Enki grinned, air whistling through the gaps in his teeth and head rearing back as he prepared a powerful Sear to clear a path to the door. Once the cacti had been cleared enough, Enki slammed his mouth closed, immediately putting a stop to the intense flames. Tongue running over his teeth and around the rest of his mouth to get rid of the smoke and char taste that the flames always left behind. Taking careful steps towards the door, feet carefully wading across burnt sand and glass only to stop at the hatchling sized door. Once more flame eyes flickered over it before moving to the Imperial just as the other vanished from sight. Blinking a few times, Enki accepted that the only way for him to possibly leave (without contacting Mammon and paying through the nose for it) was for him to use the door. Claws easily wrapped around the small nob as he opened the door and stuck his head into the doorway.

@MinnowFox They followed the retreating shadow/light. Walking inside the first door, the two feel something brush against them, wanting to go through. Startled, you both jump, since that was not expected even on alert. The imperial, Astral watches you, wondering how dragons could be so prone to surprises in a place like this. Then, Astral moves to the second door to watch the pearlcatcher. The two dragons continue their walk. The further they went in, the more narrow the hallway seemed to become. The thing seemed to still be following them, as there was a green light that moved wherever they moved. Suddenly, the dragons arrived at a dead end. The light solidified, which was definitely not a normal thing for lights to be doing. [color=green]”Hello. I am an Aer Phantom.”[/color] The phantom seemed pretty nice. It helped lead them out of the desert, and the dragons gave it a new home. The imperial was walking out of the second door, staring at the two dragons and the phantom. Then, Astral dismissed it, and walked into the third door. *•* Back at the lair, the two dragons wanted to introduce the phantom to the others, but it was no where in sight. Then, it appeared in front of them, dropping some random apparel, and a handful of insects. The phantom was friendly than they thought. It could have always been like this, or this all could have been set up by that “suspicious” imperial, who knows.. [item=Aer Phantom] [item=barbed tail]x40 [item=simple copper bracelets] [item=simple iron necklace] @FlamesEmbrace Sticking your head into the doorway, Enki felt small talons grab onto his snout. The talons pulled him into a room. The room was much bigger than what Enki imagined it to be, judging from the outside of the small door. A hatchling watched Enki observe the room, then tugged on his leg. Enki stared down at the source of the pulling, wondering how something so small could be so strong, not startled at all. It led him to a corner of the room where all was dark. The imperial stuck his head into the small door, watching Enki and the hatchling. Seeing they were doing fine, and Enki was not frightened, it became boring, and Astral moved to the final door. In the dark corner, the hatchling pulled out a light in the shape of an angler fish’s bulb. It glowed purple, like there was danger, but nothing else was in sight. The purple light illuminated the dark corner, then, a giant hippogriff loomed over the two pearlcatchers, getting ready to launch itself at them. The hatchling closed its eyes, whispering something to the hippogriff. The hippogriff understood, and broke the wall behind the dragons, opening an escape route. The two dragons ran, and Enki heard the screeching of the hippogriff behind them. An even greater threat was approaching, so they had to run fast.. [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=60665198] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/606652/60665198_350.png[/img] [/url] [item=violet deepsea bulb] [img]http://www1.flightrising.com/static/layout/icon_treasure.png[/img]x10,000 @Bxy26 The door stopped sinking in the sand when the two faes grabbed onto it. It immediately opened after sensing the presence of two dragons. They walked into the hallway that the door opened to. The lights had disappeared, and the hallway was lit with torches. Exploring the hallway, the faes find a stone with the word “Accent” on it. The rest of the words that were once on the stone seemed to be gone after many long decades of erosion. They take the stone, getting ready to go deeper into the hallway, when a spider crawled onto one of them. They looked around them. The hallway was now infested with bugs, and dust. They tried to leave, but the spiders blocked every exit. Then, the biggest bee they ever saw popped out of no where, and grabbed the two faes. It flew them to the end of the hallway, and through the exit door, avoiding all of the bugs. The faes thanked the bee. It seemed to want to go back with them, so they allowed it to. It brought some scorpion tails that it killed along the way, and followed the faes home, all while the imperial was watching them. [item=barbed tail]x40 [item=Bumble] [item=Accent: Flow]

Howling winds tore through the forest, the once beautiful sound of wind rustling through leaves replaced by the haunting scratch of skeletal white branches rubbing against each other. No life remained in the massive forest anymore and the only sound came from the haunting sounds that the wind made. You and two others had been sent to this forest to search for the cause of the growing starkness of the land that had once been so prosperous and fruitful, but that had been weeks ago and the desolate nature of your surroundings was beginning to get to you. More and more fights began to erupt between the three of you, the causes of said fights getting more insignificant with each passing hour. [url=https://flightrising.com/main.php?dragon=31643614] [img]https://flightrising.com/rendern/350/316437/31643614_350.png[/img] [/url] A harsh laugh distracted you from your thoughts, the sound sending a shiver down your spine and causing you to snap your head up in the direction of the sound. In front of your path a blood red Wildclaw stood, its form covered in blood-stained clothing, and face covered in the equally bloodstained birdskull and furious headdress. Even with those pieces of apparel covering the other dragon's face it didn't hide the manic gleam in it's eyes as it examined you and your companions. A sharp cry from above you drew your gaze away from the demented form as a Riot Hazebeacon let out another piercing cry, the green lantern dangling from its mouth nearly knocking against one of the adventurers heads. "It's been a while since I've had adventurers in [i]my[/i] forest~" The dragon sang, face tilted up enough that you could see the manic expression on their face. The temperature dropped suddenly as the others mood shifted from excitedly deadly to scarily calm. "I won't let you stop me from completing my goals though. I won't stop you of course, that would be a far too boring way for your adventure to end and wouldn't satisfy me in the least. So I will allow for you to have a chance in purifying my curse from [i]my[/i] forest." The skeletal bird at his side cried out loudly, the eerie green flames that acted as its eyes sharpening, as its lantern began to release a putrid rust tinted green fog. "Don't let me down little adventurers, and give me a [i]show[/i]." The eerie blue of the Wildclaw's eyes was the last thing that you saw of the other before the fog enveloped you and your companions. As it disappeared it revealed that you were all in a completely different location from where you had seen the Wildclaw. Where there had once been a clear cut path was now split into three different ones, each of them leading to a different crystal spire that could tower over even the tallest of Imperials. [color=green]The first crystal spire was made of brilliant green emerald, though its beautiful appearance was greatly marred by the massive shrubs of love lies bleeding and marigold that was growing around the base and from the cracks in the stone. The downward falling wine colored flowers swaying ever so slightly in the breeze alongside the bright orange pom-poms that were the marigolds. A great sense of loss and helplessness radiated out from this spire, so much so that your own heart ached so deeply even though you didn't have a reason for it.[/color] [color=red]A brilliant red ruby made up the second spire, its surface completely hidden beneath snowdrops and black dahlia's. The red tint to the black dahlia's black petals were emphasized by the faint glow that the ruby gave off, and even gave the fragility of the snowdrop flower take on a sinister appearance. A sense of betrayal so strong that it felt like a stab in the back hit everyone and everything that even dared to approach, but underneath all of that was a very fragile sense of hope.[/color] [color=darkorange]The final spire was that of amber that appeared to radiate an aura of light and warmth even with all of the preserved creatures and dragons stuck inside of it. Though the warmth that it brought was greatly decreased by the massive black roses and thorns that were wrapped so thoroughly around it that it was hard to see the crystal beneath them. A vicious red liquid dripped from the petals and the thorns of the flowers, though the origin of the liquid was unknown. An aura of death radiated from the flowers, and with every pulse of the amber spire the flowers seemed to grow larger and drip more of that vicious red liquid.[/color]