//------------------------------// // Chapter 13 // Story: Nine Millimeter Vorpal Sword // by totallynotabrony //------------------------------// The bait sailing ship that had lured in the guard airship was near to where the wreck had fallen into the water.  To get there, though, Nancy was going to have to swim. She could already tell that was going to be easier said than done with a seven pound rifle, a two pound handgun, ammunition for both, and steel-toed boots.  It hadn't been a good idea to jump from the airship and she plunged much deeper than she expected and had a harder time resurfacing. However, as she struggled, something grabbed her hand. Captain Magnus had reached out a hoof to her and was towing Nancy across the surface of the water towards the ship with hard beats of his wings.  He had a spear clutched in his other foreleg and didn’t pause to actually look at Nancy, eyes peeled for attackers from above. The two airships that had attacked - presumably pirates - were still closing in, even as the guard airship had already settled into the water.  Those guards that could fly had already gotten off and were taking the fight to the pirates, carrying various spears, bows, and swords. “If this ship is complicit,” Captain Magnus said, addressing Nancy, “then there might be hostiles onboard.” She had already considered that. Still, they both knew that getting aboard it was better than drowning.  Nancy didn’t think he, as a flier, could waste time picking everyone else from the water the way he had for her with plenty of pirates still willing to fight.  Hopefully ponies had no problems swimming, even with their armor. As he pulled harder and actually managed to lift her to the deck of the ship, she also wondered how the pegasus guards were going to fare against the pirates.  Surely they were good fighters, but they were also surely outnumbered. Nancy got up, soaking wet but with a deck under her feet. Captain Magnus left her there without another word.  Unburdened of her weight, he zoomed towards the fight, which had already started to involve flying pirates trying to keep the guards from their airships. Not all of them seemed to be ponies, but in the distance Nancy couldn't immediately tell what they were. She didn’t have time to watch.  She scanned the deck of the ship where she had come aboard, seeing no one.  By feel, she racked the bolt on her rifle and tapped the forward assist, shaking the weapon slightly if it might help to remove some water. The stern of the ship was raised up one deck with a set of stairs, and from her angle, Nancy couldn’t see if there was anyone there.  That was not to mention anything or anyone that might be below deck.  She started forward, but paused to kick a coil of rope over the side of the ship, knotting the end on the railing. Carefully mounting the stairs to the aft deck, as her head rose above the higher deck, she found a creature there that resembled half a cat and half a bird.  It was observing the battle through a spyglass. “Hey!” Nancy called, still half on the stairs but holding her rifle ready.  The thing jerked in surprise and looked at her, bird eyes wide.  She took a couple of steps forward and jerked her head skyward.  “Whose side of this are you on?” “Uh...who are you?” it asked, a masculine voice. “I’m a space alien that just landed here and I’m trying to figure out who I can trust.” “If you’re from outer space, then how do you speak the language?” “Does it matter? You still haven’t answered my question.” “Uh...okay, so those guys in the shiny armor are bad.” He gestured. “Wrong answer.  Get on your face and spread out your limbs.” Nancy heard something behind her which sounded like someone climbing onto the deck and dripping water.  Not taking a chance on it, though, she advanced up the stairs and turned to cover her prisoner, chancing a glance back towards where she had put out the rope. It was Patina Polish.  She spotted Nancy and hurried over, climbing the stairs.  “What did this griffon do?” she asked. “He’s with them,” Nancy replied.  “Or at any rate, he’s not with us.” “Wait, you’re with them?” said the griffon. “Was it a trap?” Patina asked. “It might still be.  I haven’t checked below decks yet. We need to do something with this guy first.” Patina nodded and picked up a nearby piece of rope, starting towards the griffon prisoner.  Whatever kind of bird or cat he was made of, his reflexes were excellent, as just before Patina reached him, he rolled, slipping through her grasp and getting behind her.  She turned, but a knife had come out of nowhere and he put it to her throat, grabbing her and lifting her in front of him as he turned towards Nancy. “What kind of moron are you!?” Nancy shouted at him.  “You have wings, you could have escaped, but now you made it a hostage situation!” “Put down your weapon!  Get on your face and spread out your limbs.” “No, you drop it.  I’m not going to ask again.  You either drop it, or you die!” “I’ll cut her throat!” Nancy pulled the trigger. From across the narrow deck, through her rifle sights, there was no way she could miss, even if the griffon had part of his head hidden behind Patina. Shooting the dragon had been in the chaos of night and panic.  This was deliberate, focused, and in broad daylight.  Nancy had a front row seat for the back of the griffon’s head blowing out, leaving brain and blood all over the deck and Patina’s face. This was no time to pause and reflect on it, though.  “Let’s clear the rest of the ship,” Nancy said. Patina apparently shared the same feeling, regardless of her interpretation of it.  She unsteadily wiped her face with a foreleg, though was still wide-eyed.  The two of them started down the stairs.