The Cursed Fleet: A Sea of Thieves Story

Chapter 6: The Prize

              Waves crash against the hull, as the sun beats down on the crew of the Wicked Revenge. They set sail just over two days earlier, on course for their first prize, a merchant brigantine, carrying sixty thousand or more in treasure. Les stood at the helm, keeping the ship on course, as Christopher and Nick worked the rigging, and John manned the crow's nest. It was roughly two o'clock in the afternoon, as they sail past the southern shores of Crooked Masts, approaching their tacking point.

       "Captain!" shouted Nick over the waves. "We should be approaching our tacking position any minute now, and there's no sign of a ship!"

       "Patience mate, the skies in The Wilds are dim and cloudy, once we get a clearing in the clouds, we may see something." Replied the captain. "Master Loobe, have you spotted anything yet?" he shouted to the crows nest.

       "Nothing yet captain, the horizon is clear." He replied.

       "Well, then come on down!," said Les "Nick will switch spots with you!" John slid down the tall and shaky rope ladder, to the deck of the ship, and walked up towards the captain, as Nick began to climb the mast.

       "Starting to think we maybe should have found them at Krakens Fall, hmm?" he asked. Les glared back.

       "This voyage isn't over yet mate, I need you to focus, and quit trying to find problems with my methods!" he shouted angrily. John proceeded down to the deck, and Les began turning the wheel to the port side. "Chris, man the foremast, John, take the mains, and I'll take the mizzen! All sails to the starboard side, we've reached our tacking point!"

       The ship's masts, in beautiful unison, slowly changed sides, from the port to starboard of the ship. Once they had turned all the way, Les straightened out the wheel, and the ship lurched forward, and to the starboard, as the sails regained their billow.

       "She's really movin' now mates!" he shouted, with a smile from ear to ear. They proceeded quickly through the gloomy, and dark skies, as they neared the outer reaches of The Ancient Isles, and John walked once more back up to the captain.

       "Still no ships, and we're reaching a clearing in the fog." He said. As he turned to point to the barren horizon, Nick shouted from the crow's nest.

       "Sails captain! She's a brigantine for the Alliance!" Les looked at John, and smirked.

       "I told you we'd find them." He said, before looking up to the crow's nest. "Which outpost is she sailing for Nick, can you see?"

       "Nay captain, she's too far, but we're gaining quickly!" he shouted back "Turn us a few degrees to the south, and we'll catch up in no time!" Les turned the ship to the starboard, as Nick recommended, and John, disgruntled, proceeded down the stairs, and further on to the mid deck, and readied for combat. Chris shouted at the captain.

       "What would you have me do captain?!" he asked

       "Ready the guns, on the port side." He answered. John proceeded up the stairs, pistol on holster, and cutlass in sheathe. By now the Revenge was almost on top of the brigantine, approaching on its starboard side.

       "John, get aboard their ship, and tell them we wish to speak with them, Chris, be ready to grab the helm for me. Nick! Hoist the colors, and bring the mains and fore in!" commanded Les. Nick slid down the ladder, and worked with Chris on hauling in the mainmast, and the foremast, as Les pulled the mizzen to half. John lunged off the ship, and grabbed onto the starboard ladder of the brigantine. As he climbed to the top, he sprinted to the bow, and dropped the anchor, before being noticed by her captain.