Chapter 167 The Pirate Lord (2/2)

Aegin's eyes widened as he caught some of the pirates throwing a rope down over her, ”Look out!”

He powered through the water back to her as she screamed, fighting to free herself from the rope as they hauled her back onto what was left of the deck of their ship.

Aegin grabbed a hold of the hull and hauled himself up, fishing a couple of daggers from his belt to stab into the hull. He was up in a matter of a seconds as he listened to Ebony struggle on the deck above.

”Ebony!” he shouted, only to be whacked forward by a wooden staff of some kind. They'd been expecting him. He stumbled forwards towards where Ebony was being tied with several other members of The Miranda's crew.

A battered Tank and Isaac were among them, barely conscious. Clearly they'd put up a fight.

Aegin turned over and kicked out at those who wanted to capture him. They backed off, giving him enough room to use the momentum of throwing his legs to allow his body to follow through and right itself. He stood with his daggers up ready to attack.

”I wouldn't do that, boy,” said the gravelly tone of one of the pirates who held a sword to Ebony's throat, ”Rare to find a girl out here, I'd hate to have to mar her pretty face”.

Aegin glared at him, then at those around him, then looked at Ebony, her eyes pleading with him.

Rassa was still nowhere in sight, and as he glanced over at The Miranda, he could see many other members of the crew, including Jeremiah and Midas, in the process of being captured.

Aegin growled and threw down his daggers, they embedded themselves in the broken deck and the pirate grinned, ”Good choice”.

”With those skills, he'll make a good fighter,” said another.

”All in good time,” replied the first, ”We'll see what our Lord has to say first”.

Through some not-so-gentle manhandling, those who were left out of The Miranda's crew, about half of it, were gathered together onto what was left of their ship. The Miranda, who had sailed across the seas for years, would likely not survive this encounter. Surveying the state of her, she was on her last legs, barely floating on the suface.

Aegin looked to Jeremiah as the Captain was thrown in with the rest of his crew, kneeling on the deck.

”Rassa?”

The Captain looked up at Aegin, his eyes sad. But Aegin's answer didn't come from Jeremiah.

”Dead”.

The Pirate Captain, or no doubt the 'Lord' the other Pirates had referred to, swaggered onto the deck confidently, the sparks of his Vanguard intimidating all who saw it.

”He was a tenacious bastard, I'll give him that,” the Lord said, ”I doubt he was human from how quickly he moved, but he died anyway”.

”No,” whispered Ebony.

”A little shock and he was as useless as they come. He sunk to the depths of the ocean just like the other useless members of your crew,” the Lord said.

”No!” cried Ebony, moving forward as best she could. The Pirate Lord grabbed her collar and hauled her to her feet.

”You best believe it little girl,” he hissed, ”And you best believe that you and everyone else here will join them if you aren't useful to me. So I suggest you behave”.

He threw Ebony back down amongst the remaining crew, and she cried out at the pain in her ankle. The Pirate Lord didn't look in the least bit sympathetic to her pain, if anything, he seemed to relish it, ”Get 'em all in the brig! We're bringing a haul back this time boys!”

A cheer rose up amongst the pirates, as Aegin did his best to help Ebony up.

There was no way Rassa was dead. No way.