//------------------------------// // Pirates on the Run // Story: How I started a war in a children cartoon // by Netap //------------------------------// On the edges of Abyssinia, acting as a natural barrier between the Cat Kingdom and the Unclaimed Wilderness, sat Crimson Cat Canyon, or Red Canyon for short. A Long and winding gorge in the sands, 300 Kilometers in length, made of red Stones and sand. Down the center of the Canyon, a winding River flowed rapidly, breaking against the solid rocks of the canyon and cutting into the cliffs at its side. "Hah!" It was in the midst of the rapidly flowing river that a certain Bird popped her head out of the water as she gasped for air, struggling against the current, trying her best not to get pulled under the rapids and drown. "Captain! Over Here!" Captain Celaeno turned her head to see her crew hanging on to a steady-looking rock, trying to reach for her. Celaeno fought against the rapids, gritting her teeth as her beak shivered in the cold water, the bruises and aches on her body only hurting so much more, but she made it. With an outstretched hand, her crew caught her and pulled her up to safety. She was alive. She escaped The Storm King. "We need to hurry," One of her crewmates said, she couldn't recognize which over the pounding in her head, "We follow downstream, and we should reach the Abyssinian badlands, From there we should be able to get to Klugetown and take a ship back to Ornithia," "We'll be out of The Storm King's Territory, Once we're there we should be safe," Another member of her crew added, followed by agreements and nods from all around. "So It's settled, once this rain is over, we make our way to Klugetown, as fast as we can," Celaeno felt a smirk coming over her face. They had a plan, and like any good Pirate Crew, they'll make it work. Because she can't imagine what she'll do if she fails. "My Liege, The preparations are in place," I took a deep breath as I sat in a lotus position in a dark and empty room, The only source of light being the magical artifacts I kept on my body. I could no longer use the communications hub of the castle as my peaceful sanctuary, seeing as how it is now actively passing along my orders all across my Empire. And isn't that a weird thing to say, My Empire. The Storm King's empire. I'm in too deep to change course now, I can't risk the chance of breaking character. If I fail, Everything is lost... "Strife," I speak, the cloud levitating at the doorframe behind me, "Tell the armies to keep hidden, not to engage unless given explicit permission, and not to show themselves. If the Zebra understand what my Plan is, we'll have no choice but to attack directly." "...And what is the plan?" Strife asked after a few seconds of silence. I answered by chuckling menacingly. "Oh, You'll see..." I whispered, "Nobody will miss it... Heheheh... Hehahahaha... HahahaHAHAHAHAHA!!!" Is that menacing enough? I hope it is... This fits my Dark Lord who rules from the shadows only to step in at the last moment vibes, right? I hope I'm not overacting... Oh, screw it! "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!" "Major Sir! The Rain stopped!" High above the Red Canyon, Three airships circled the location the trackers stopped moving. Looking down, The crashed remains of a stolen airship could be seen stuck on the rocks, blocking much of the river down below. Stepping to the edge of the largest ship of the three, A Silent Storm-Creature stared cooly at the remains of the ship below. "Tell our Hounds to start the search." Major Deggan told the large green Hippo to relay his message, "I want their footprints, their claw marks, their feathers, and even their spit. We will find these Pirate scum, and they will pay for their transgressions." "Sir Major Sir!" Lt. Roughhouse saluted his shorter superior before running into the ship, his heavy stomps echoing across the deck. Soon, several trained trackers jumped into the Canyon, long ropes following after them in order to pull them back up. Under his mask, Major Deggan's glare intensified. There was no more Escape, The Hunt had begun. The Moment the rain stopped, Celaeno and her crew wasted no time as they grabbed onto the rock cliffs at the side of the river and started their climb. They had no time to wait, they could plan as they went, but more important than anything. Was getting away from the Storm King's Army. At the edge of the Zebra nation of Farasi, just beyond the border, a small airship that waved no flags landed in the midst of a village. The village's few residents all left what they were doing and stood in awe as they watched the front of the ship open like the maw of an animal, a walkway landing on the dry grass of the village. Whispers echoed around the village as the residents looked on, some in fear and others in wonder, before several footsteps sounded as they made their way off the ship. "Hey, Asclepius, you didn't tell me your village was so cute!" The first to walk off the ship was a Sphinx Cat, Her body was covered in belts instead of clothing, making the cat lady look more like a bandit from the desert than a soldier, and her left hand was covered in a leather glove with sharpened metal fingernails. The second person to walk off the ship was another cat, this one covered in fluffy brown and orange fur, a pair of belts were wrapped around his torso like a harness, holding a giant chakram onto his back and four more of the bladed wheels were hanging around his wrists like bracelets. After the two cats crawled an old Crocodile, a bizarre device hanging onto his back, resembling a crossbow of some kind. Behind him came a short Hyena, no, it was an Aardwolf, her eyes looking all around her in a panic, as if something was on her mind. A Pair of roped fish hooks hung from her hips, and A red bandana covered her hair. Following her, walked out a muscular creature none of the townspeople could recognize, his body covered in white fur, black armor wrapped around his torso, his thick arms held onto a Bident as a triangular shield rested on his back. His face was covered by a mask, and on his shoulders and belt was an unrecognizable symbol resembling two blue horns. As the unidentified creature reached the dry earth of the border town, he turned his head back to the ship as he waited for the last member of his elite group to join him. Taking a deep breath to compose herself, the last member made herself known. Gasps sounded from the village as an Okapi walked down, a green cloth hanging on her back with an illustration of a yellow serpent wrapped around the edges. As the Okapi reached the bottom of the walkway, she tapped her hooves on the dirt a few times, dragging them in particular patterns, before whipping her tail to symbolize she was done, a small smile on her face. "The Chieftess is home!" Someone in the crowd of onlookers cheered, soon followed by the rest of the village. Asclepius of the Argonauts, otherwise known as the young chieftess of the Okapi village, has returned home. "Let's Party!!!"