Brothers Goblin - Chapter 8

Chapter 7 - Snatch N Grab

Chapter 8
Okeah's Anger

The crew of The Barnacle Tree used their pulleys to hastily pull the small boat out of the water. The first mate threw the bound woman onto the deck. The crew were scrambling for their battle stations, and rightfully so. Three Sudak warships were fast approaching. "Raise anchor and hoist thu sails!", barked Captain Schmee. "Load them cannons! Bring crossbows to bear, they'll be gettin close before long!", cried someone else. Frazzle yelped as the sails were raised, his leg caught in one of the knots. He was quickly lifted high into the air. Noticing this, the Captain called to him, "Ye see anything else?!" "Five more ships!", Frazzle called back. "Crew below, break out thu oars an start rowin' like yer life depends on it, cause it be that way fer sure, Arrr!", the Captain shouted into a pipe that lead down into the bowls of the ship. Suddenly, large wooden oars emerged from the sides of the ship, pushing the ship faster still. Cannons splashed all around the ship, drenching the crew on deck. Crewmen scurried to reload and fire their own cannons as quickly as possible. Frizzle and Slazzle helped the close range team knock as many crossbows as possible. They also strapped weapons to themselves, as they would serve as the boarding party should the other ships get close enough to make the jump. "Ready! Steady! Steady! Fire at will!", cried a Lieutenant." "Which wun's Will?", Frizzle asked with a bewildered expression on his face. Slazzle smacked him in the back of the head quickly. "Just shoot at sumbudy not on our boat dummy!", Slazzle barked. They fired the first volley of quarrels into the closest ship, ducked the incoming volley, picked up another loaded crossbow, and prepared to repeat the maneuver. Suddenly, another ship flanked the Barnacle Tree, sending a volley of quarrels onto the deck. The Captain took one in the shoulder and went down. Frazzle up top took one in the chest. The force hit him hard enough to knock him loose from the rope tangled around his ankle, and down he fell, hitting the deck with a loud thud that almost sounded like cannon fire. Frizzle looked upon his fallen brother with horror. "NOOOO!" he screamed. Raising his hands, he began to chant quickly. A thick fog enveloped the entire area. He cursed loudly and chanted again. The winds began to pick up, pushing the barnicle tree quickly out into the open sea, and pushing back the Sudak warships at the same time. Slazzle looked upon him in amazement. "Good work! How yous think o' that?", Slazzle asked. "I still messed up, spose ta be big fireball ta blow ums up. Brother!", Frizzle stammered as he ran over to Frazzle. Frazzle's eyes were glazed, his breathing terribly slow. His skin began turning from it's normal, sick green color, to a pale shade of yellow. Frazzle began to cry. "Brother! No! You canna dies! You only family I gots! Please dun go! Please!" Slazzle checked on the Captain. Blarney nodded gravely and said, "I'll live, tend to thu lil one yonder." Blarney grunted as he yanked the quarrel out of his shoulder. Slazzle nodded, and approached Frazzle. Frizzle yanked the quarrel from his brother's gut, and used the rest of the cloak he still had to try and stop the blood that gushed forth. Slazzle placed a comforting hand upon Frizzle's shoulder and whispered, "You needn't fear." Slazzle pulled a brightly glowing crystal from his pack. Holding it high into the air, he chanted the sacred words that had been passed down from one Oracle to the next. Bright magics flashed forth as the wounds on both Blarney Schmee, and Frazzle began to heal quickly. The Captain stood up immediately. "Arr! Good werk lad! An extra ration o' ale fer ya." Slazzle saluted proudly. While still weak, Frazzle sat up slowly, his normal green shade beginning to return. Frizzle hugged him tight and blubbered, "Brother! I thoughts you gonner fer good!" "Neh, I too green ta go likes that Arr!", replied Frazzle. Suddenly, Frizzle began to smack his brother around. "Don't yous ever ever ever scares me like that again, never ever ever!", he shouted. "Oww! Oww! Oww!", Frazzle yelped. Finally, Frazzle was able to subdue his attacker by tackling him, and gave his brother a hug. "A-hem!", Captain Schmee cleared his throat. Both goblins stood up, blushed, and saluted. "Sir!" "Nuff o' thu mushy stuff, there be werk ta be done.. Arrr...", replied the Captain. "Aye aye sir!", the goblins shouted, as they scurried off to continue their duties.

The fog began to clear just as the crew finished securing the cannons. They floated peacefully somewhere off the coast of Sharylaunn. As the rest of the crew continued to make minor repairs hear and there, the Captain turned to the lady bound in magical ropes. "Godspit! This isn't the right one! First mate, front an center!", Blarney yelled. The first mate staggered up to Blarney. "Yesshh shir? Hic..", he stammered. "Ye blunderin fool! Ye got thu wrong wun! That wun thar looks like a priestess o' Okeah!" "Notsh hic muh fault. Hic... Goblins dids it.. hic..." "Not yer fault!? Ye were in charge!" Blarney squats down and removes the gag from the woman's mouth. "Ye be alright miss?", Blarney inquired. It quickly became clear that the woman was extremely angry for being bound and gagged. "You brute! I curse you and your ship! Hear me! By Okeah's hand I curse thee!" Blarney stood, took a step back, and looked around warily. "No need ta be gettin' angry miss. Come 'morrow we'll set ya free. You not be thu wun we afters.", he stammered. The priestess spits, and continues to spew forth foul oaths at the pirates. "Arr... I be needin rest. Yer mess mate, yers ta deal with.", he told his first mate, and returned to the Captain's quarters. The first mate just slumped over and passed out.

Several hours later, after the sun had set, the first mate awoke. He rubbed his eyes and stood. The goblins sat over by the mast, and giggled. The first mate stood over the priestess. "Ye've caused me a bit o' trouble with thu capn'. Leme get a good look at ya..." He bent down, putting his dirty face inches from the priestess's face. "Well now, ye are a pretty wun. Thu goblins got taste, I'll give um that." He brushed his had accross her cheek, leaving a smudge behind. "I think I be havin' a bit o' fun with ye tonight, har har har!", he cackled. She spat in his eyes and cursed, "Ye nuthin but a sack o' troll dung! Ye touch me again an ye won be needin' a codpiece when I get done with ye, savage brute!" The first mate cursed, wiped his eyes, and growled angrily. He reared back and slapped the woman hard, knocking her to the deck. "Wench! A woman's place is in thu kitchen er in thu bed! I be teachin' ya sum respect, er cut out yer tounge I will!" The woman began to wimper softly. "Okeah... Please hear my prayers. Deliver me from these ruffians, I beg..." In the distance, a low rumble sounded as dark clouds rolled in. Lightning flashed accross the night sky as the wind began to houl. "Praise Okeah, praise him...", the woman whispered. "Shetup wench!", the first mate commanded as he kicked her in the stomach. No sooner had he kicked her, the winds picked up dramaticly, quickly reaching hurricane force. Rain began to dump from the sky as though large buckets hovered overhead. Immediately the first mate became frightened. Fighting the winds, he slowly made his way to the captain's door. Frizzle hung on tightly to the mast. Frazzle began to slide sideways, and grabbed Frizzle's feet to hang on. Slazze grabbed Frazzle's feet to prevent himself from being blown away. The first mate caught a glimpse of this out of the corner of his eye, and pounded upon the cabin door franticly. "What's all thu ruckus? This better be good er ye be walkin thu...", spoke the captain as he opened the door, his voice becoming lost in the winds. "Capn'! 'Tis thu priestess! We're doomed!", screamed the first mate, barely being heard over the fierce gale. "She's called Okeah down upon us!" The first mate's face began turning green, nearly matching the goblin's color as sea sickness set in. "Arrr.. It be yer fault. I told ye ta get thu 'oer wun. Least then we coulda offered Okeah a sacrifice. But takin' wun o' his holy, 'tis bad luck!" Suddenly, the wind strengthened again. Frizzle lost his grip, sending all three goblins into the darkness. The wind picked up the priestess as well, carrying her past the two pirates, still crying and spewing forth foul curses at them. Blarney made his way over to the mast, and hung on for dear life as the wind lifted his feet from the deck, threatening to send him into the darkness. The first mate wasn't so lucky however. The winds drove him back, sending him crashing through the railing and off the side of the ship. The rain was pouring down in stinging torrents. Blarney cried out, "Lunias! Aid me! Calm his anger, I beg ye!" Suddenly, lightning arced from the sky, hitting the ship and tearing it to shreds. Wood flew everywhere, and Blarney plunged into the sea. A sharp pain filled his head as the salt water splashed over him. Touching his face, he realized a piece of wood had pierced his eye, still protruding from his skull. As his world began to grow dark, he grabbed hold of something floating by, and lost conciousness...

As the storm began to die, the three goblins struggled to remain afloat. Pieces of wood floated all around them, yet each time they tried to grab one, a wave would send it further away, keeping it out of reach. As if by miracle, the small landing craft they had used earlier floated by, unharmed by Okeah's anger. The goblins quickly grabbed hold of it, and pulled themselves inside. To their surprise, the bound priestess lay in the bottom. The goblins looked at each other, completely dumbfounded. "Wuts we do wif her now?", Frizzle asked. "We nots pirates no more I guess. We lets her go now, yep.", replied Frazzle as they began to untie the ropes. The priestess rubbed her sore wrists, and looked upon the goblins with a bit of confusion. "Your not really pirates? How did you fall in with that bunch?", she asked them. Frizzle replied, "Well... it all began..."

Chapter 9 - Change of Faith