Post by Ruinaru on May 22, 2007 17:57:00 GMT -5
Well, I've been told by many teachers over the years that I'm a rather good writer, so here's one of my recent works. It's about pirates. Who are cats... It's about pirate cats.
The Pirate Cats’ Last Stand
A long time ago, before the age of computers, television, and soap, pirates roamed
the seas.There were tall pirates, short pirates, fat pirates, and skinny pirates. Some pirates
had hooks, and some had peg-legs. Some had both. And all pirates were scary, except for
maybe the Girly Pirates of the pond down the street. But of all the scurvy seamen who
sailed the salty sea, the fearsome Cat Pirates were by far the most merciless and
terrifying. Why were they called the Cat Pirates, you ask? Why, because they were cats,
of course! Their captain, the Two-Headed King of the Pirate Cats, Captain Tunabreath,
was the most evil, horrible pirate who ever sailed the seven seas. However, all great
things must end eventually, and all pirate crews must join Davey Jones in the briny deep
when their time comes. Of course, they don’t go down without a fight, especially if
they’re cats.
It was early in the morning, long before the sun would rise, but the captain had a
tingly feeling in his whiskers. All twelve of them. His right side was alert and ready to
check on things, but his left arm and leg seemed comatose.
“Wake up, ya bum,” he said, and flicked his second head on the nose.
The other head immediately jerked up and looked around, rubbing its nose. He
finally figured out who hit him. It shouldn’t have been too hard, considering he was the
only one in the room.
“Whaddya do tha’ fer?” he asked groggily.
“Oh, wake up, ya good fer nothin’! Somethin’s weird this mornin’.”
“It ain’t even mornin’ yet , though! It’s still dark outside; did ya even bother
lookin’?”
“Yeah, I know. Get yer lazy bum up. We’re going outside for a wee bit.”
“Awright, awright! I’m up!”
The two-headed cat, similar to a mountain lion or a cougar, except with two
heads, got up, pulled on his ragged vest, strapped on his sword belt, and tied a black
bandanna over the still half-asleep side’s head. The side that apparently carried the
authority adjusted its eye-patch, and they were on the deck a moment later.
They looked to the east, where the first signs of sunrise were just barely visible.
The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight, but there was a thick fog rolling in.
“’Ey bro, why’d ya make me get up, anyway? There’s nuttin’ but fog out ‘ere,” the
lazy head asked.
“I’ve just got this feelin’ in me whiskers. Somethin’ bad’s gonna happen today,
Lionel.”
Lionel knew better than to doubt his brother’s intuitions. They had saved the ship
many times before, and he had never been wrong about this kind of thing before.
“Should we wake the crew, then, Felix?”
“Yeah, that’d probably be best.”
Soon after this conversation, and after a bell had been rung for a few minutes, the
deck was bustling with activity. Sleepy cats were wandering around aimlessly, trying to
figure out where they were and what they were doing up so early. There were rugged,
scruffy cats of all shapes and sizes stumbling back and forth across the deck, but not one
of them would purr if you scratched them behind the ear. They might purr after they cut
off your hand, but that’s not exactly the same thing. One cat however, seemed to be
composed and ready to carry out orders. She stood behind the main mast, watching the
more brutish seadogs (read: cats) getting into little scraps here and there. She glanced
toward the east, but couldn’t see much of anything. The fog was as thick as pea soup, and
if she wanted, she could probably cut a square out of it and
throw it at someone.
“All right, ya blokes, listen up! Felix’s been feelin’ weird this mornin’, an’ he
figures somethin’s gonna happen. Get to the mess hall an’ eat yer breakfast quick, then
get back out here and get the ship in order. I want all paws on deck as soon as possible!”
Lionel shouted.
“’Ey, Felix?” Lionel said.
“Yeah?”
“Don’tcha reckon it should be a bit brighter out ‘ere by now? I know the fog’s
thick an’ all, but it’s like the sun decided not to come up or somethin’.”
“Maybe some storm clouds rolled in.”
“Not half an hour ago the sky was clear as crystal.”
“They skies have a will of their own over the ocean. You should know that by
now.”
Several hours later, the sky was filled with cats repairing ropes, cleaning cannons,
climbing the masts, and scrubbing the deck. Everyone seemed to know their place.
Suddenly, as thunder started to roar in the distance, the female cat that seemed so calm
and collected earlier was shouting from the crow’s nest.
“Oy, Cap’n! There’s a ship approachin’ from starboard! I can’t make out their
flag, but their ship looks to be at least as big as ours! Maybe even a little bigger!”
One of the pirates on deck muttered to a neighbor, “I don’t see ‘ow she can see
anythin’ through this fog.”
“Shut up! Tha’s Hawkeye up there. They say she can see a bullet flying an’ catch
it with ‘er teeth!”
“How far away are they, Hawkeye?” Felix shouted.
“Looks like about a hundred fifty or two hundred yards, cap’n. Hard to tell,
though.”
Even as she said this, a bright flash of lightning lit up the sea. For a brief instant,
Hawkeye saw the enemy ship’s flag. On the black background, a white snake was
painted. In the snake’s mouth was what appeared to be...
A cat.
After this brief moment of visibility a monstrous thunder clap shook the cats’
galleon. The rain started falling in sheets. It wasn’t long at all before the crew was soaked
through their fur and slipping on the wet wood. Another flash burned through the fog, but
this time it came from the enemy’s cannon. There was a splash on the portside of the ship,
as the cannonball overshot its mark.
The captain shouted, “All men to their stations! If it’s a fight they want, then it’s a
fight they’ll get!”
Lightning flashed, followed by another bout of roaring thunder.
Hawkeye half-climbed, half-jumped from the crow’s nest, deciding it was in her
best interest to stay as low as possible.
Flash! Another cannonball missed its mark, this time firing too short.
Hawkeye rushed to where the captain was standing, and informed him that the last
thing she saw before she came down was their flag.
“I’ve never seen that crest before, Cap’n. Do you know anything about it?”
“Nay, I’ve not heard of such a thing before either, lass.”
“What could it mean, sir?”
“We’ll just have to wait and see.”
The boat rocked slightly as the crew finally shot off the first cannonball. They
managed to hit the other ship’s side railing, but just barely. It was then that they noticed
that the mysterious ship was coming closer. By now it was only about one hundred yards
away.
“Cap’n! I think they’re planning on boarding the ship!” one of the crew members
shouted over the wind.
“Well then sink ‘em before they can get that close!”
“You heard the captain! Sink ‘em now!”
The big galleon rocked as two more shots were fired at the oncoming ship. One
hit the other ship at the bow, just behind their figurehead. The other one fell short.
Another bolt of lightning cracked the sky, and hit the mast of the cats’ ship. Splinters
rained down on the pirates and the mainsail caught fire.
By this time, the enemy ship had planks raised, preparing to board the burning
ship. The heavy wooden planks crashed through the railing, and the cats couldn’t manage
to push them off before the pirates began to cross over.
Their faces were shrouded in shadow, cloaked by the swirling fog and whipping
rain. Their clothes were black, save for the left sleeve of their tunics, which was a deep
crimson, the color of blood.
Their eyes reflected the light of the fire, burning pinpoints of light shining through the
darkness.
The entire crew, except for those working the cannons focused on holding back
the advancing pirates. While the cats outnumbered them greatly, the mysterious attackers
were strong. It took at least two cats to bring down one of the dark pirates.
“What are they?!” one pirate shouted. “Are they some kind of demons?”
Lionel and Felix were busy fighting their own battle with the pirates. They were nothing in comparison to him, but still. They were having entirely too much trouble taking these
guys down.
Captain Tunabreath, as he was known, tore through a pair of the demon pirates
and began to proceed across the planks toward the other ship. He easily overpowered
anyone he met going across. Cats do have superior balance, after all. And he wasn’t
captain just because he had two heads.
Back on the burning ship, Hawkeye had pulled out her crossbow and was taking
the enemies from a distance. With her incredible vision and excellent aim, she didn’t
waste a single shot. One second, two swords would be grinding against each other,
looking for an opening, the next moment one of the pirates would have an arrow sticking
out of its forehead.
Hawkeye noticed the captain crossing over one of the planks and decided it would
be better to be wherever he was than on a burning ship full of dying cats. She snuck her
way across the ship, darting between individual skirmishes and taking out an enemy here
and there, finally making it to where the planks had landed. Most of the pirates were
already on the burning ship, so she didn’t have much trouble getting across. Compared to
the heat and noise of the ship she came from, this ship seemed oddly calm. Hawkeye
glanced toward the bow of the ship and noticed the damaged figurehead. It appeared to be
a skeleton, arms crossed over its chest, with a snake writhing in and out of its skull. She
shuddered at the sight of it. She wasn’t the type to be easily frightened, but there was
something ominous about this ship. She noticed Felix and Lionel and quietly made her
way over to him, or them, or whatever.
Without turning around, Felix said to her, “I think their captain is in that cabin
over there. He must be pretty confident that they’ll beat us if he’s not out ‘ere surveyin’
the fight. An’ from the looks of it, I’d say he might have good reason to be that way.”
“Do you plan on fighting him?” Hawkeye asked.
“Aye, but I’m not so sure I’m strong enough to beat him. In case things go sour, I
want you to sink this ship from the inside. If we’re going down, we’re takin’ them with
us.”
“Got it, Cap’n.”
“One more thing,” Lionel added.
“What is it?”
“Try not to die,” he said with a small grin.
At this, he began to approach the captain’s quarters, prepared for whatever
monster he may find inside. Hawkeye made her way down into the ship, and found where
they stored the gunpowder.
“This’ll do,” she said, and began piling the barrels and sacks in one corner.
Captain Tunabreath looked into the dimly lit room. It was unpainted. There were
no maps on the wall, no treasures hanging from the ceiling or scattered across the floor.
Only two black candles were burning on the back wall. Behind a large, dark, wooden
desk, was a high-backed chair. The chair was turned so that the back was facing the door.
As he stepped in, a gust of wind blew through the room. The candles flickered and went
out. It was as dark as night, even though it was midday. The chair turned slowly, and in it
sat a tall, slim man. He had a somewhat flat face, with a small nose. His eyes were thin,
and his pupils were shaped like slits. He smiled at Tunabreath, revealing sharp fangs and
a very long tongue. As the snake man stood and strode slowly towards him, Tunabreath
knew these were his final moments. He drew his swords, and his fur bristled, but there
was nothing he could do to stop the man’s lightning fast attack. As his blood dripped to the floor, he smiled with content. He knew this day would
come eventually. The ship rocked with a great explosion. Hawkeye always did have a
good sense for that kind of thing. She somehow knew that it was time to sink the ship.
As the two ships were slowly swallowed by the ocean, a small dinghy could be
seen moving slowly through the now significantly calmer waters. The fog finally started
to dissipate. Hawkeye looked back with a smile, and she continued rowing towards the
nearest port.
The Pirate Cats’ Last Stand
A long time ago, before the age of computers, television, and soap, pirates roamed
the seas.There were tall pirates, short pirates, fat pirates, and skinny pirates. Some pirates
had hooks, and some had peg-legs. Some had both. And all pirates were scary, except for
maybe the Girly Pirates of the pond down the street. But of all the scurvy seamen who
sailed the salty sea, the fearsome Cat Pirates were by far the most merciless and
terrifying. Why were they called the Cat Pirates, you ask? Why, because they were cats,
of course! Their captain, the Two-Headed King of the Pirate Cats, Captain Tunabreath,
was the most evil, horrible pirate who ever sailed the seven seas. However, all great
things must end eventually, and all pirate crews must join Davey Jones in the briny deep
when their time comes. Of course, they don’t go down without a fight, especially if
they’re cats.
It was early in the morning, long before the sun would rise, but the captain had a
tingly feeling in his whiskers. All twelve of them. His right side was alert and ready to
check on things, but his left arm and leg seemed comatose.
“Wake up, ya bum,” he said, and flicked his second head on the nose.
The other head immediately jerked up and looked around, rubbing its nose. He
finally figured out who hit him. It shouldn’t have been too hard, considering he was the
only one in the room.
“Whaddya do tha’ fer?” he asked groggily.
“Oh, wake up, ya good fer nothin’! Somethin’s weird this mornin’.”
“It ain’t even mornin’ yet , though! It’s still dark outside; did ya even bother
lookin’?”
“Yeah, I know. Get yer lazy bum up. We’re going outside for a wee bit.”
“Awright, awright! I’m up!”
The two-headed cat, similar to a mountain lion or a cougar, except with two
heads, got up, pulled on his ragged vest, strapped on his sword belt, and tied a black
bandanna over the still half-asleep side’s head. The side that apparently carried the
authority adjusted its eye-patch, and they were on the deck a moment later.
They looked to the east, where the first signs of sunrise were just barely visible.
The sky was clear, not a cloud in sight, but there was a thick fog rolling in.
“’Ey bro, why’d ya make me get up, anyway? There’s nuttin’ but fog out ‘ere,” the
lazy head asked.
“I’ve just got this feelin’ in me whiskers. Somethin’ bad’s gonna happen today,
Lionel.”
Lionel knew better than to doubt his brother’s intuitions. They had saved the ship
many times before, and he had never been wrong about this kind of thing before.
“Should we wake the crew, then, Felix?”
“Yeah, that’d probably be best.”
Soon after this conversation, and after a bell had been rung for a few minutes, the
deck was bustling with activity. Sleepy cats were wandering around aimlessly, trying to
figure out where they were and what they were doing up so early. There were rugged,
scruffy cats of all shapes and sizes stumbling back and forth across the deck, but not one
of them would purr if you scratched them behind the ear. They might purr after they cut
off your hand, but that’s not exactly the same thing. One cat however, seemed to be
composed and ready to carry out orders. She stood behind the main mast, watching the
more brutish seadogs (read: cats) getting into little scraps here and there. She glanced
toward the east, but couldn’t see much of anything. The fog was as thick as pea soup, and
if she wanted, she could probably cut a square out of it and
throw it at someone.
“All right, ya blokes, listen up! Felix’s been feelin’ weird this mornin’, an’ he
figures somethin’s gonna happen. Get to the mess hall an’ eat yer breakfast quick, then
get back out here and get the ship in order. I want all paws on deck as soon as possible!”
Lionel shouted.
“’Ey, Felix?” Lionel said.
“Yeah?”
“Don’tcha reckon it should be a bit brighter out ‘ere by now? I know the fog’s
thick an’ all, but it’s like the sun decided not to come up or somethin’.”
“Maybe some storm clouds rolled in.”
“Not half an hour ago the sky was clear as crystal.”
“They skies have a will of their own over the ocean. You should know that by
now.”
Several hours later, the sky was filled with cats repairing ropes, cleaning cannons,
climbing the masts, and scrubbing the deck. Everyone seemed to know their place.
Suddenly, as thunder started to roar in the distance, the female cat that seemed so calm
and collected earlier was shouting from the crow’s nest.
“Oy, Cap’n! There’s a ship approachin’ from starboard! I can’t make out their
flag, but their ship looks to be at least as big as ours! Maybe even a little bigger!”
One of the pirates on deck muttered to a neighbor, “I don’t see ‘ow she can see
anythin’ through this fog.”
“Shut up! Tha’s Hawkeye up there. They say she can see a bullet flying an’ catch
it with ‘er teeth!”
“How far away are they, Hawkeye?” Felix shouted.
“Looks like about a hundred fifty or two hundred yards, cap’n. Hard to tell,
though.”
Even as she said this, a bright flash of lightning lit up the sea. For a brief instant,
Hawkeye saw the enemy ship’s flag. On the black background, a white snake was
painted. In the snake’s mouth was what appeared to be...
A cat.
After this brief moment of visibility a monstrous thunder clap shook the cats’
galleon. The rain started falling in sheets. It wasn’t long at all before the crew was soaked
through their fur and slipping on the wet wood. Another flash burned through the fog, but
this time it came from the enemy’s cannon. There was a splash on the portside of the ship,
as the cannonball overshot its mark.
The captain shouted, “All men to their stations! If it’s a fight they want, then it’s a
fight they’ll get!”
Lightning flashed, followed by another bout of roaring thunder.
Hawkeye half-climbed, half-jumped from the crow’s nest, deciding it was in her
best interest to stay as low as possible.
Flash! Another cannonball missed its mark, this time firing too short.
Hawkeye rushed to where the captain was standing, and informed him that the last
thing she saw before she came down was their flag.
“I’ve never seen that crest before, Cap’n. Do you know anything about it?”
“Nay, I’ve not heard of such a thing before either, lass.”
“What could it mean, sir?”
“We’ll just have to wait and see.”
The boat rocked slightly as the crew finally shot off the first cannonball. They
managed to hit the other ship’s side railing, but just barely. It was then that they noticed
that the mysterious ship was coming closer. By now it was only about one hundred yards
away.
“Cap’n! I think they’re planning on boarding the ship!” one of the crew members
shouted over the wind.
“Well then sink ‘em before they can get that close!”
“You heard the captain! Sink ‘em now!”
The big galleon rocked as two more shots were fired at the oncoming ship. One
hit the other ship at the bow, just behind their figurehead. The other one fell short.
Another bolt of lightning cracked the sky, and hit the mast of the cats’ ship. Splinters
rained down on the pirates and the mainsail caught fire.
By this time, the enemy ship had planks raised, preparing to board the burning
ship. The heavy wooden planks crashed through the railing, and the cats couldn’t manage
to push them off before the pirates began to cross over.
Their faces were shrouded in shadow, cloaked by the swirling fog and whipping
rain. Their clothes were black, save for the left sleeve of their tunics, which was a deep
crimson, the color of blood.
Their eyes reflected the light of the fire, burning pinpoints of light shining through the
darkness.
The entire crew, except for those working the cannons focused on holding back
the advancing pirates. While the cats outnumbered them greatly, the mysterious attackers
were strong. It took at least two cats to bring down one of the dark pirates.
“What are they?!” one pirate shouted. “Are they some kind of demons?”
Lionel and Felix were busy fighting their own battle with the pirates. They were nothing in comparison to him, but still. They were having entirely too much trouble taking these
guys down.
Captain Tunabreath, as he was known, tore through a pair of the demon pirates
and began to proceed across the planks toward the other ship. He easily overpowered
anyone he met going across. Cats do have superior balance, after all. And he wasn’t
captain just because he had two heads.
Back on the burning ship, Hawkeye had pulled out her crossbow and was taking
the enemies from a distance. With her incredible vision and excellent aim, she didn’t
waste a single shot. One second, two swords would be grinding against each other,
looking for an opening, the next moment one of the pirates would have an arrow sticking
out of its forehead.
Hawkeye noticed the captain crossing over one of the planks and decided it would
be better to be wherever he was than on a burning ship full of dying cats. She snuck her
way across the ship, darting between individual skirmishes and taking out an enemy here
and there, finally making it to where the planks had landed. Most of the pirates were
already on the burning ship, so she didn’t have much trouble getting across. Compared to
the heat and noise of the ship she came from, this ship seemed oddly calm. Hawkeye
glanced toward the bow of the ship and noticed the damaged figurehead. It appeared to be
a skeleton, arms crossed over its chest, with a snake writhing in and out of its skull. She
shuddered at the sight of it. She wasn’t the type to be easily frightened, but there was
something ominous about this ship. She noticed Felix and Lionel and quietly made her
way over to him, or them, or whatever.
Without turning around, Felix said to her, “I think their captain is in that cabin
over there. He must be pretty confident that they’ll beat us if he’s not out ‘ere surveyin’
the fight. An’ from the looks of it, I’d say he might have good reason to be that way.”
“Do you plan on fighting him?” Hawkeye asked.
“Aye, but I’m not so sure I’m strong enough to beat him. In case things go sour, I
want you to sink this ship from the inside. If we’re going down, we’re takin’ them with
us.”
“Got it, Cap’n.”
“One more thing,” Lionel added.
“What is it?”
“Try not to die,” he said with a small grin.
At this, he began to approach the captain’s quarters, prepared for whatever
monster he may find inside. Hawkeye made her way down into the ship, and found where
they stored the gunpowder.
“This’ll do,” she said, and began piling the barrels and sacks in one corner.
Captain Tunabreath looked into the dimly lit room. It was unpainted. There were
no maps on the wall, no treasures hanging from the ceiling or scattered across the floor.
Only two black candles were burning on the back wall. Behind a large, dark, wooden
desk, was a high-backed chair. The chair was turned so that the back was facing the door.
As he stepped in, a gust of wind blew through the room. The candles flickered and went
out. It was as dark as night, even though it was midday. The chair turned slowly, and in it
sat a tall, slim man. He had a somewhat flat face, with a small nose. His eyes were thin,
and his pupils were shaped like slits. He smiled at Tunabreath, revealing sharp fangs and
a very long tongue. As the snake man stood and strode slowly towards him, Tunabreath
knew these were his final moments. He drew his swords, and his fur bristled, but there
was nothing he could do to stop the man’s lightning fast attack. As his blood dripped to the floor, he smiled with content. He knew this day would
come eventually. The ship rocked with a great explosion. Hawkeye always did have a
good sense for that kind of thing. She somehow knew that it was time to sink the ship.
As the two ships were slowly swallowed by the ocean, a small dinghy could be
seen moving slowly through the now significantly calmer waters. The fog finally started
to dissipate. Hawkeye looked back with a smile, and she continued rowing towards the
nearest port.
