The Crystal soul sailed out from Etvers Island, ready to find the Ghost ship 'Flying Dutchpony', they took a beating from her the last time the crossed cannons but now Silver and his ship were prepared and they were going to make sure she sunk.
Captain Silver Helm used his spyglass to look for any clues of the Dutch pony's current location, wreckage from non phantom ships, random mist or stranded sailors that could tell their tale. Silver couldn't find anything and he felt like this was turning into a wild goose chase. Is first mate, Dart, trotted to his side eager to ask a question.
"Cap'n be straight with us, you have no idea where the Dutchpony is am I right?" Dart asked his unsure captain.
Silver lowered and put away his spyglass before replying "Yes I don't, I thought if I could find some clues of it's presence, we would find her easy."
Dart scratched the stubble on his chin before responding "It's too bad we don't know where she is intending of going, most tales of Ghost ships say the ship sails the waters surrounding its wreck location or that it constantly tries to sail to it's original destination" Dart stated.
'Constantly tries to sail to it's original destination' Silver thought over in his head, suddenly he remembered something "Dart, that's it!" Silver shouted with joy.
Dart looked puzzled "What part?"
Silver responded with "The Dutchpony tried to sail around cape harmony's hope for table bay. That's when she sunk in that violent storm, don't you see Dart, she's heading for table bay. That's were we need to go right now."
"We have our course captain?" Dart asked.
Silver replied "We sure do"
Dart walked over to the banister of the staircase and shouted out "We have a course men, set sail for Table bay!" The crew shouted their approval and began to move the soul forward to Table bay.
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The Soul was nearing Table bay and the Flying Dutchpony was nowhere in sight, Silver scanned the horizon from his spyglass and he still couldn't find anything to give them a clue of the ghost ship's presence. Silver was about to give an order when the lookout pony, scuds, shouted from above.
"Sails on the horizon captain!" Scuds shouted. Silver responded instantly, he focused his spyglass to the front and true to scuds, a set of sails were blowing on the horizon. These sails though, had a swirling mist surrounding them that meant only one thing, that was the Dutchpony.
But something else was odd, she wasn't sailing away, she was sailing towards the soul and she didn't look happy. "Bow chaser fire!" A crew member shouted breaking Silver from his stupor.
"Every pony brace!" Silver shouted as the chain shot hurtled by, only one managed to hit the soul, but the damage was minimal considering they were designed to destroy masts. The Dutchpony had made the first move but it wouldn't make the last.
"Battle stations, load all cannons and await for your superior's command to fire!" Silver commanded the crew. The many sailors scrambled to load the Soul's cannons for any ordered attack. "Turn the soul when we get closer enough to the Dutchpony's starboard side!" Silver ordered to the steering crew.
The soul pushed forward, the ghost ship was coming closer too and she seemed ready to fire a broadside as well. The soul sailed closer and closer until, she turned just several metres from colliding with the Dutchpony and sailed along the starboard side "Fire!" Silver shouted, the commanding officers then yelled the same command at the cannon crew. A volley of cannon balls fired at the Dutchpony's hull smashing wooden to pieces and taking out several of her cannons, the Dutchpony fired back, her cannon balls smashing wood work and taking out a few of the soul's crew.
The soul sailed off from the Dutchpony, Silver assessed the damage "Damage report!" he yelled. An officer responded after taking note of the recent damage.
"Slight damage to the hull but nothing to serious, four crew are dead unfortunately sir!" the officer said.
Silver cursed under his breath, "Turn her around to port. When she is in range, let loose the cannons. And make sure the Starboard's are loaded asap!" Silver ordered. The crew understood and they went ahead to be ready to fire.
As the soul steered around to port the cannons fired at the Dutchpony once more, doing much more damage this time. "Excellent work men!" Silver shouted. The ghost ship fired once more, also dealing great damage to the soul, "She doesn't miss when she doesn't want to" Silver said to no pony in particular.
Silver thought of the next move, "We could circle around the front and attack the other side, but then the Dutchpony might try to go for a ram or a near point blank chaser shot. I can't afford to risk that, so maybe we could slow down and let her sail around us then attack her port when we are in range"
Silver satisfied shouted out his orders "Slow her down to half sail, we need the Dutchpony to come around and attempt to attack us on the right, when she is nearly in range, we gun it forward to her port side and fire!" The crew didn't reply, they instead went to slowing the speed of the soul down so the Dutchpony would come around.
As the the ghost ship started to circle around, Silver shouted out to go all sail for her port side. The Dutchpony was caught of guard as she was turning, as the soul came into range of her port side Silver bellowed "Fire!" The cannons roared their ammunition out at the enemy, smashing her hull and taking out more cannons. "Yes, we have her where we want her now!" Silver said with glee. Or he did until the Ghost ship fired back, with a powerful volley that took out some of the soul's cannons this time, a few more crew and the biggest injury...her aft mast. The mast closest to the stern fell down smashing some of the deck before snapping rigging and plunging into the raging sea.
Dart ran over to Silver "Cap'n are you okay, the aft mast is gone. and we lost some heavy cannons too. We can't take another hit like that or we will sink for sure!" Dart stated to Silver. "What do we do!?"
Silver helm thought for a moment. He looked to the crew surrounded by shards of wood, he looked to the Dutchpony sailing around, preparing another attack and lastly he looked at Dart's slightly worried face. Then he came up with only one option they could carry out that would insure their victory.
"Dart, we're ramming that son of a bitch!" Silver shouted.
Dart's face changed to that of a grin "Yes sir!" he saluted. "You heard the captain, turn the soul over to ramming speed, if that ghost ship wants to take us down, then it's coming with us!" he yelled to the crew. The crew in return cheered out before going back to work to turn the ship so she rammed the Dutchpony's hull and essentially sink her.
The soul sailed forward, her sails were open completely and blowing hard making her sail faster into the hull of the Dutchpony. She got closer and closer until....*crash!* a loud wood splintering crash could be heard. The soul was firmly lodged in the Dutchpony's Starboard side, a massive gash was apparent and if the Soul let go, the Dutchpony would sink. "Alright men, lets board her!" Silver commanded. The crew wasted no time running about grabbing weaponry and leaping over to the Dutchpony and begin to fight. Silver followed behind with just a cutlass, slashing down the occasional enemy, Silver trotted up to the poop deck where he found....him.
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Horsdrick von der Decken. The captain of the infamous ghost ship, wore a fine navy captain's jacket, brown pirate boots, a large hat with a few feathers stuck in the side and a large beard. Der Decken's eyes looked like they had seen hell itself and they weren't afraid of it either, Silver stood a few mere feet from the ghost captain his sword drawn and at the ready.
"Captain Horsdrick von der Decken I presume?" Silver said in a serious tone. Der Decken gave a scowl to the living Captain before speaking in an unholy voice You have prevented me from arriving at my destination. I have stopped many others from going into table bay....but you! Der Decken practically spat the word 'you' Have been nothing but trouble to me!"
Silver responded "Why are you destroying ship's like mine, are you just jealous because they can meet port but you can't?"
Der Decken growled I have been destroying ships so they never can arrive in Table bay. If I can't enter the bay, than No one can!" Der Decken shouted before lunging at Silver. The two captains clashed swords, Der Decken would slash overhead or thrust, while Silver would counter Der Decken and attack down below. This went on for about another minute until Silver managed to get Der Decken off guard and sweep his sword out of his grasp, Silver kept his sword directly in front of him as he began to speak "Stop this Horsdrick, why can't you give this up? You may be dead but that doesn't mean you can just continue to rob others of their life" Silver stated in an attempt to persuade the ghost captain.
Horsdrick lowered his scowl to a frown "I see that now, I was just angry that I failed to make it to the bay and to see those other ships sail in like it's no great deal. I thought, if I stopped them I would feel satisfied....but I don't I feel even more empty" Der Decken sighed, he turned around and looked at the carnage "You can leave, I can now and go to rest ...finally."
Silver nodded "It was a pleasure to meet you" Silver said as he began to leave for the soul. "Men pack it up, we are gone!" Silver ordered his boarding crew. The crew stopped their fighting and followed Silver back to the soul. "Dart pull her out of the Dutchpony" Silver asked his first mate.
"By your orders Cap'n" Dart replied, the soul backed out of the hull of the ghost ship and began to sail off. As the soul sailed into the horizon, Silver looked on as the Dutchpony sank below the crashing waves never to be seen again.
"What now Silver? The Dutchpony is no more, do we head for our original course or do you want to head somewhere first?" Dart questioned the contemplating captain.
Silver scratched his chin, then he smiled "I know exactly where to go first" he replied.
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At the Etver's island inn, Dax was wiping down the bar top when a customer entered. He looked to the door and went to greet the customer, when he noticed who it was. "Well well well, look who we have here" Dart said to the newcomer as he came up to the bar.
He placed a shiny gold bit on the bar top and pushed it over to the bar pony. Silver looked up and smiled "A deals a deal"