Tap hurls his hook across, but it clangs off of the side of the opposing ship and falls down to the water with a splash. Jack, meanwhile, expertly hurls his across and hooks it on the railing, ties it off, and hands the rope to Belliott as he prepares another throw.
Belliott climbs over the rope easily, grinning with a malicious glee as he thinks of the battle awaiting him on the other deck. And a battle it is – for half a dozen mercenaries coalesce out of the fog. The two on the aft deck pull their short swords and swing at Belliott the second his boots hit their deck. The first man misjudges Belliott’s position due to the fog and very nearly takes off his ally’s head. The second man, ignoring the first, scores a deep cut on Belliot’s tricep.
The four men on the sterncastle look across the span at the Wormwood and aim their crossbows, ready to rain fire on anyone trying to cross the rope.
Kerruk doesn’t fare as well as the mighty Belliott. He curses as his hands, slick with the condensation brought by the fog, slip from the rope…and he falls to the roiling waters below.
Jack looks down to see Kerruk swimming to a nearby ladder. Good man, hurry. He then jumps overboard, neatly catching on the rope stretched between the two ships. Moving hand over hand, Jack inches across, and with a final twist, pulls himself up over the gunwale, and immediately draws his weapon. He looks up, at bleeding Belliot, and past him toward the the six men with their swords and crossbows pointed their way.
Mother. Jack curses.
Remaining prone, Tap rolls to the other sideof Jack to obtain optimal range, and the begins to sing!
I be the sea man old & gnarly & I never be to school,
But I can take the bacon from this worn out merchant mule;
I's got no education, but I's brimmin full O'fight,
& Bill will feed on merchant mule tonight!
Mommy, Mommy, call the doctor
Mommy, Mommy, call the doctor
You're all in, down & out!
feel the power
Belliott doesn't like music when he's angry. Drowns out the screams of his enemies.
He does, however, like to swing his greataxe at mercenaries.
After sloshing about in the water for a moment, Kerruk pulls himself together and hauls himself back onto the Wormwood.
Fear makes for a better climber, I guess. Here's hoping it lasts...
Back on deck, Kerruk returns to his own rope and nerves himself to climb again.
Kerruk, use your spells from here, or your crossbow. They are within range of most..
Jack shouts. Kerruk, do as Tap recommends. And shoot the ones with crossbows first, if you can.
....
Jack immediately realizes the peril of their situation and the futility of retreat. Fortune favors the reckless, I guess.. With that, Jack immediately leaps up the stairs to attack. With a swift feint, Jack expertly evades the mercenaries guard to slice his thigh.
The enemy crossbowmen, having held their attacks until someone crosses the rope, let loose with their bolts.
The two swordsmen slash at Belliott, trying to bring the big man down.
As the chaotic sounds of battle carry through the fog elsewhere on the ship, Taptap's tune carries across the water to the enemy ship. Jack expertly carries himself along the rope and lands on the opposite deck, unsheathing his cutless in one deft move. He doesn't even notice the bolt stuck in his leg until a few seconds after.
His hit takes an enemy in his thigh, and the poor man nearly blacks out from the pain. Blood pours from what looks to be a major, severed artery.
Belliott's rage takes his swing two far, and the sword weilding duo opposite him is able to duck under the mighty blow.
Kerruk makes his way back up the ship, only to slip off of the rope once again and plunge to the waters below.
The enemy sword wielders swing at Belliott, and both score deep cuts on the bellowing barbarian's torso. Though superficial, they bleed profusely.
Tap continues his inspiring tune:
I be the sea man old & gnarly & I never be to school,
But I can take the bacon from this worn out merchant mule;
I's got no education, but I's brimmin full O'fight,
& Bill will feed on merchant mule tonight!
Mommy, Mommy, call the doctor
Mommy, Mommy, call the doctor
You're all in, down & out!
while lazily break dancing from the floor!
Jack laughs grimly. Death! Death! he shouts, and renews his attack. He nearly stumbles on the stair, but his years of training serve him well, as he manages to strike at his opponent.
Kerruk, not really seeing any opportunity to utilise his more spectacular spells - - and not wishing to fire into the melee opposite, nerves himself to try and cross to the other ship once more.
Belliott grunts as the swords slice into him, but shrugs it off and takes a massive swing of his greataxe at the soldier directly in front of him.
Taptap’s song hits the mercenaries hard. Though one starts to laugh at the somewhat questionable dance moves, the others appear to get drowsy, and then slump down to the deck. The lone man left standing curses, and brings his crossbow up to aim at Taptap, obviously figuring him to be the cause.
Jack’s slash is low due to his slip on the stairs, but still high enough to properly disembowel the poor mercenary that was already covered in blood from Jack’s first attack. The man looks at his insides spilling onto the deck, then falls to the side, tumbling down the steps to lay dead at the bottom.
Belliott takes the attack stoically, then nearly beheads the man who dated swipe at him last. A spray of blood flies through the air as the greataxe opens the man’s neck. Somehow, perhaps on sheer foolishness, the man remains standing.
The lone standing crossbowman fires at Taptap, though his shot is well off target
The sword wielding mercenary holds one hand to his bloody throat, and slashes at Belliott with the other. His own state of nearly dead leaves his strike without any potency, and the flat of the blade slaps at Belliott's chest harmlessly.
Death! Death! None are innocent. Death!
Tap levels his crossbow carefully at the remaining crossbowman and pulls the trigger. However the man seeing the impending danger manages to twist his body just enough for the bolt to only graze the leather protecting his ribcage.
Jack steps over the still bleeding corpse to finish the victim of Belliot's mighty blow.
Belliott is inspired by the blood lust that Tap Tap is calling for
He roars, runs up to the second level and attempts to push one of the offending crossbowmen off the railing to the sharks below. Any crossbowman will do.
YOU ARE WEAK AND YOU ALL WILL PAY! THE GREAT BELLIOTT!!!!!!!!!
Take the rope and tie them up! If we got all of them.
Though Taptap misses, Jack definitely does not, and his sword bites through the remains of the mercenary's neck to sever his head completely.
Belliott's roar warns his opponent, but the man can do nothing when faced with the towering barbarian's charge. He attempts to hold his crossbow in front of him in a futile gesture, but the weapon is crushed under the weight of Belliott's blow and sent flying, along with its wielder, into the sea. The crashing waves drown out the man's pleas for help.
Tap crosses over to join his friends as they tie up the three sleeping prisoners with sturdy rope. Taptap then searches them for loot, and weapons, or signs that they could be capable of casting a spell.
Could be we should gag them. Tap tears strips of cloth off the fallen decapitated man's shirt and begins gagging the three men.
Good work, all! Now, recover thy weapons, and take thee up these crossbows and ready them. We will hold the sterncastle, as our life tomorrow depends on it. Do not stand in the open where thou might get an arrow in thy gullet.
You’re able to bind the soldiers well enough that they’ll not be a threat. As you work, you can see the fog parting slightly on the main deck, allowing you a view of Captain Harrigan and two of the officers rushing madly for the doors to the captain’s cabin just below the aft deck, slashing and hacking at sailors while they move.
I owe that man nothing Taptap turns the other way.
...but his death Taptap turns back, loads a bolt into his crossbow and aims it, not wanting to spoil the sailor's attempt with an early shot.
Jack shouts. Captain Harrigan! Behind you!
Tap curses.
Belliott is satisfied with his accomplishments, and calms down to take stock of the situation (leaving rage)
He also calls for the captain's immediate attention.
I'll take this crossbow but I won't like it
Jack’s voice cuts through the clamor on the ship, and the captain turns around just in time to see the sailor sneaking up on him. He cuts the man down with one wicked swipe, then looks back up to Jack and nods in recognition. The captain and his fellow officers burst through into the captain’s cabin, and loud shouts follow from within.
Immediately after the group enters the cabin, four of the enemy sailors appear out of the fog. They look into the cabin, but wisely decide that the captain is too much of a risk to take on directly. Instead, they look to the sterncastle and, weapons raised, charge up the steps!
damn
better
Surprise targeting enemy nearest to our boat, same side as Kerruk
growling
round1 targeting the other closest enemy
Jack attacks with his sword.
Kerruk stands around looking somewhat bewildered.
See them there! Tap points, hoping Kerruk will soon throw his spear or cast a charm.
Kerruk's eyes widen, and he readies himself to throw a spear.
Recovering from his confusion, Kerruk wheels around and heaves a shortspear straight into one of the charging villains.
Surprise round:
Taptap fires, but his shot flies over the heads of the attackers. Jack sees the miss and adjusts, taking one of the men in the torso. The man doubles over in pain.
Belliott charges down the stairs to the Aft deck, roaring in anger.
Kerruk can’t seem to get sight of the enemy through the fog; he curses as his allies launch their assault.
First round:
Taptap also adjusts, and his next shot hits the man that Jack wounded, sending him down and bleeding out on the deck.
Jack swiftly drops his crossbow and draws his cutlass in one smooth motion. He slashes at the man charging him, and scores a vicious hit. The man gasps in pain, his right arm now useless. He switches to his left to take one swipe at his attacker.
Belliott swipes across with his mighty axe, very nearly taking the head from the shoulders of the sailor opposing him. The man’s head hangs to the side at an impossible angle, his throat severed and spine shattered. He slumps to the deck, his blood mixing with that of his fellows.
Kerruk launches his spear at the man charging at him, and it catches him in strike as the man mounts the steps. The spear lodges itself in his right side, but the man is still able to top the stairs and swipe at Kerruk.
As the battle goes on, an explosion rocks the ship from somewhere belowdecks! Though no damage or victims are readily apparent, smoke from below mixes with the shifting fog
Salty men are we, and we will cut thee down, for you to never again see your girl in town
You might surrender, then live. Tap says. If you live long enough to try
Tap takes a 5' step back, and reloads his crossbow.
Kerruk jabs his second spear at the mercenary directly opposite
The jab strikes home, puncturing the unfortunate's armour and entering his thigh with a grisly, wet squelch
I see you have been kind enough to return my other spear Kerruk gloats, a little cruelly.
Not waiting for their response to Tap's offer of mercy, Jack presses his attack. He lunges, whirling his blade to dodge his opponents feeble parry. The sword cuts deep, but slices through flesh cleanly. A well made blade, indeed.
These poor men, what villians we are now.
For now, it must be one of us. May I never be caught for such crimes, but that I will be keelhauled tomorrow unless, perhaps I prove to be worth more alive and whole than otherwise. A dirty business, this life. If only I had not kissed the old limper's daughter, I might still have a steady job, steady drink, and plenty of wenches!