The Tale of Cap'n Gerard

[Christers]

The Tale of Cap'n Gerard

Part 1


The tavern was situated on the island of Sartosa, it wasnt very large, and on each table groups of three or four sat and talked over half empty mugs of rum. Occasionally there was a loner who sat at a table, and by looking at him you could tell that you really shouldnt try giving him company. The rum is usually watered down to it cannot really be called "rum" anymore, and the taste is worse than filth. Most of the men here was really down on their luck, or needed the place to be discrete and discuss things that if you overheard, you would probably end your days at the bottom of some dung infested well or something like that, within the next hour or so.
The men here is everything from common pirates to dicgraced noblesons, humans, dwarfs, elves and even the occasional greenskin. The bartender himself seems to have some ogre blood in him, perhaps even some trolls blood, hes large and strong, and he dont seem to have much going on in his head. The tables seems to patches from ships, houses and other things that you perhaps is better off without knowing. Spots of rum, blood and various holes from pistol shoots and cutlasses seems to cover them, and you can perhaps faintly recognice the original colour if you have a good imagination.
It was here that Gerard Sleihaart resided, former sergeant of the empire and now little less, in his own eyes, than a vermin. He had fled to Sartosa, and he didnt care if he lived or died. His uniform was patched and bloody, and he still had most of the letters "Sergeant" on it, even though it now said " erg an ".
He had few money, and had let his rum stay near untouched for most of the last hour, only sipping from it occasionaly.
Memories were haunting him,

"Stand and fight men! For the Emperor!" Gerard cried through the dim of battle, and his men gathered to him. Only a third of the original regiment remained, but still they pushed on against the growing hordes of marauders.
The Warrior Priest was surrounded, and even while swinging his massive hammer, he said forth prayers to his god.
Gerard could feel the fear of his men, and he could feel his own fear. He could hear his heart ring, and he breathed heavily. But he could not fail, he knew the men looked up to him, even though he was younger than most of them. He could not fail now.
"Forward, to glory!" he heard his own voice shout, and he saw his legs moving forward. Still a part of him shouted that this was madness, he should run or else he would surely die.
"Come on, men! Are you men or are you mice?!" he again heard his own voice shout, he had to make the men take to heart, or else they would be doomed. He had heard what this chaos sect did against prisoners, and that was a fate worse than death.

Gerard was suddenly awakened by his daydreaming by a silhouette who sat down on the opposite end of, in lack of a better word was called, table. Gerard felt nervous by the man, he had an aura that he could not recognise. And somehow Gerard could not see or hear that he breathed, he also gave a horrible smell.
Gerard was nervous, but didnt say a thing, instead he sipped from his cup again, but he couldnt take his gaze of the man.
After several minutes of silence, the man said:
"I'm currently looking...for men who wants to...join me and my current...crew, recently I have...lost many of...them." he said with a cold voice, often having to draw breath.
"I'm no longer a Sergeant, but why are you hiring men one by one?"
"Well you carry...the uniform of a sergeant...at least most of...it. And I have...already hired alot...of men...but I need just...one more to fill...it."
"Fill what?"
"The required...quantity..."
"Why do you need an exact number? And why did you come to me?"
"The first question...is none of your business...the second...I have no idea...but the moment I saw...you my intuition told me...to hire you...and my intuition...have proved to be...oddfully correct so many times...that I wont stop listening to it...now."
Gerard thought this answear was less than satisfactory, but right then he had another thing to think about regarding this offer.
"Whats the pay?"
"As much as...you deserves..."
"That tell me nothing!"
"You get a fifth...of all you loot..."
"What kind of ship do you command?"
"Sartosa is a...pirate island you know..."
Gerard shouldnt have been surpriced by the word loot, he knew after all Sartosas history well.
"So will you...join me?"
Gerard thought about it for several minutes, well something he had to do, but there was something about the man that made Gerard become unnervous.
"There is just one thing I want to know before I decide..." Gerard said
"What is that?" the man answeared
"Why dont you breathe?"
Suddenly the man laughed, it was a cold, short laughter, a laughter Gerard had heard once before. And he knew the answear before the man told it.
"Hehe...thats easy to...say. I have no...lungs..."
"Your a Undead..." Gerard whispered
"Aye"
That explained why Gerard had been so unnervous, he had fought Undead once before, and it wasnt something he wished to repeat.
"What kind?" Gerard asked the Undead
"To be honest...I have no idea...perhaps a zombie, except...that I think...and isnt cannibalistic..."
Gerard had gone pale, the Undead was something he had feared from when he was a little child. He had lived near the Sylvania border, and he had seen the undead before, once.
But, if the...creature...wanted to kill him it would prove difficult for it. He had the protection he needed.
Gerard took a deep breath before saying:
"Aye, but first i want to know your name, Cap'n."
The Undead seemed to think about it for a while, before saying:
"I cant remember...my birth name...but I call myself for..." he took a long dramatic break before saying "Bony Jones".
The name was weird, Gerard thought, and he seemed to have heard it before, until he remembered.
"You know there is a bounty on you in the Empire?"
"How high?" Bony asked
"50 golden coins."
Suddenly Bony laughed again, before saying:
"Thats way to...low...now my ship...sails at daybreak...tomorow"
Bony handed Gerard a small note.
"This tells the...place...be there... or else we'l sail...before you come..."
With those word the undead pirate Bony Jones raised from the chair, and he walked, or it looked a little like shambled, out the tavern. erard was left with a small note it said "Go right" on. He could just as well start searching now.


Gerard went up to his room, which he had bought just the day before, and gathered what remained of his belongings. A few clothes, two daggers, a sword, a shield and his armour. It was also a little food left, and a rather starnge looking book. There were also several other small belongings. He had packed within half an hour, and went searching for the ship.
The note was weird, Go Right, seemingly the undead was either stupid, slightly insane or had a starnge sence of humour. He doupted the first, but the other two he wasnt so sure about.
When he went out the tavern he started to go right, until he came to one of the many harbours in the small town. Instantly he tried lookign for a ghostly ships, but he couldnt find any.
Perhaps he had gone to far, or taht the note was completely useless. He continued searching, until it was only an hour until sunrise.
He asked a nearby beggar if he had heard about Bony Jones.
"Ma mem'ry is a li'l cloudy now a days, me think it cud be age ya know?"
Gerard searched his pockets and found a coin, he threw it to the beggar.
"Ah, know me mem'ry suddenly became clearer. Bony Jones, eh? The undead Cap'n?"
Gerard said yes.
"Oh, why ye searching for 'im? 'Es mad ya know, hes been in port 'ere in a week or so. I saw him talkin' ta his first mate, and overheard the name. And i even saw 'is face. It was a skull, mate. He appearantly attempted hiding the fact, fer sum reason, but 'e isnt the only undead here, there are a lot, but 'es one of the few with living crew. 'e of course have undead to, i saw sum of them with him. Zombies."
Unwillingly Gerard almost shivered in fear.
"Where is his ship?"
"Well, ma memory isn as good as it used ta be..."
Gerard threw another coin to the old beggar
"Ah, I heard he they discussed the placement. Appearantly the first mate thought it was foolish position..." the beggar told the position
"Why did the first mate think it was a foolish position? Isnt any place as good as the other?"
"Not when you are a undead. He had taken the harbour where there are more priests of Mannan than there are more priests of Morr in Sylvania, lad. Not good when you are undead, or are commanded by one."
Gerard thanked the beggar, and went to the ship, when he arrived he wondered what to do now, should he just go aboard?
Almost like an answear, Bony came from a nearby pub, saw Gerard, stopped to think for a moment, and continued.
When he got up into the ship, he turned and said:
"Are ye comin'...or what?"
Gerard then entered the ship, and started his new life as a pirate...



The Tale of Cap'n Gerard

Part 2

Three days after Gerard had signed into Bony Jones crew, he started to regret it slightly. So far the most exciting thing he had done was to swab the decks, he had before wondered where sailors went to the toilet, now he wished he would never see it again.
He still wore his patched and bloody sergeant uniform, he had swore that he wouldnt take it of until he had avenged his men. They had received a fate far worse than death...

Gerard was the first to charge into battle, and he knew that his men followed behind him, the bald, grim and extremely bloodied Warrior Priest was fending of by the least six marauders and cultists, and even then seemed to win the fight. The Warrior Priest was a clergy man, most of the town had known him as a quiet man who liked spending his time in deep meditation, what Gerard and his men had seen of him they saw him as a crazed fanatic with an oversized hammer.
The town that Gerard had been tasked to defend against the increasing marauder raids had been more like a small village, roughly sixty villagers. Twenty-one of them had proved to be Chaos Worshippers in secret.
Gerard had merely thirty men with him, and they had suddenly been attacked by a warband numbering by the least two houndred, perhaps three houndred. They were now fighting their glorious last stand, even though most of them more wished to fight a tactical withdrawal if they had the chance.
Only ten of Gerards men was alive, and only six of the towns militia was alive and still loyal to the empire. It was hopeless.
Gerard had decided to try a breakthrough, it was their last chance. If it didnt work, he would take as many chaos worshipping scum with him as possible, giving him an honourable death.
But he couldnt fight the panic that started to grow in his heart, he was afraid of Death, he had been so since his childhood and he still was. The Warrior Priest seemed to challenge the enemy warlord through the clashes of battle, and the warlrod accepted.
It was a large northern savage, the only cloth he wore was bear fur pants, at least Gerard quessed it was bear fur, and a helmet who covered most of his face. His skin had a slight blue undertone, and his left arm had mutated into a tentacle, which seemed to live its own life.
The Warrior Priest swinged his massive, oversized and bloody warhammer against the warlords head, with near supernatural speed the walord catched the oversized warhammer in his tentacle, and with his other hadn, in which he also carried an oversized weapon, but this an axe, he swung it against the warrior priests head. It gave a sickly sound, and fell of. Blood poured from it, and the heads eyes was widened in surprise. The priest had beleived until the very end, where he seemingly had started to doupt, that his god would protect him form any danger possible.
The Warlord let loose a terrible war cry, and the northern barbarians fought on with renewed feriosity.
Soon only Gerard, three of his men, and a single militia man was the only ones remaining. What was odd was that the bodies of the slain screamed in agony, something that was extremely demoralizing for the remaining imperial men. It was to much for Gerard, and he paniched. Desperately he tried to see a way to flee, and oddly enough, he found a way.
He turned tail and run, just before the enemy closed the line, and the three remaining of his men was amazed, and terribly dissapointed. And angry to.
The chaos worshippers managed somehow to capture them alive, and from a nearby hill top Gerard saw how they were slowly tortured to death...He had failed them...He could hear them shout "TRAITOR..!" when he turned, and he wasnt sure if it really was them, or if it all was in his head...

Without knowing he had stopped swabbing, and the first mate got him back to work with a few swears and a few hits with a stick.
Gerard realised he had daydreamed, and that the memory was even clearer than when it happened. He knew that he would have troubled dreams some time from now.
Five days later, Gerard got a chance to prove his worth, a small high elven vessel was ahead. It seemed pretty large, a fully armed warship, and Gerard could swear that he saw an mage commanding it.
Bony got up from his cabin, saw the ship, and more importantly the mage, and howled in rage. Gerard could clear out several curses, the name of the mage "Quel" something, and something about bloody revenge.
Bony ordered to board, and reluctantly the men obeyed. To be outnumbered by fully armed elves was not a good sign.
But only one dared to question his orders among the crew, the first mate, but he seemed as intent on slaying elves as the Cap'n was.
But surprisingly, the elves attacked first, hail after hail of giant arrows smashed into the pirate ships, it was in dissarray. But the first mate hastily ordered to load the cannons, and they answeared the fire.
Soon the elven warship boarded, and a bitter fight on the deck ensued, the elves outnumbered the pirates by 3 against 2, by the least. And to be outnumbered against elves was almost a sure sign of failure.
Gerard had drawn his sword, and with a quick prayer to Morr and Mannan, he threw himself into melee.
A young looking elf had just killed a small goblin, and was now turning against Gerard, the elf launched a quick strike, which Gerard parried, but the elf hastily launched another, which hit Gerard in the head with a sudden lash.
He felt the blood coming from the wound, it was not very deep but deep enough. Gerard frustrately tried to attack, but it was easily parried, and the elf launched another attack, this hit Gerard in the left arm, and it opened a deep wound, the blood seemed to flow.
Gerard again frustartely tried to counter-attack with his sword, but that to were parried, followed by another attack by the elf, which Gerard barely dodged.
And before Gerard could get himself into position again, the elf had kicked his sword out of his arms, and then pushed him down.
The elf took his foot onto Gerards throat, and raised his sword to give the killing blow.
Gerard drew one of his daggers, and cut it deep into the elfs foot. The elf screamed with a clear voice, and took to his feet. Gerard got up, and when the elf writhed in agony, he kicked him in the stomach, and took the elves sword from the ground, and chopped of his adversaries head.
Suddenly, a elf pierced his left arm with his spear, and then drew his sword. Gerard shouted in pain, and then. He went berserk.
He turned around, with murder in his eyes, ands aw the elf. He launched himself with his full weight against the elf, the elf hadnt anticipated that and soon they wrestled on the ground.
Elves may be faster, older and wiser than men, but in pure strength men and elves are equals, and Gerard was a veteran of some battles, but the elf seemed to only have his combat experience from training grounds.
Gerard headbutted the elf, the kicked him between its legs. He wasnt sure if what gender the elf was, but he quessed it was a male.
The elf suddenly lowered his quard and took between his legs, and then Gerard drew his other dagger and pierced it through the elfs throat.
He looked around for a weapon, and found a rather large war axe from the corpse of a orc pirate.
He took the axe in both hands, and charged in, but no the addrenaline slowed down, and he wake from the berserk. He once again felt panic growing in his heart, but he couldnt let it over take him. He remembered what who happened the previous time.
Suddenly the axe felt heavier that it was just a moment before, and he threw it at a nearby elf, then he picked up a cutlass from the deck, from the cold hands of a fallen pirate.
He then caught sight of Bony, he fought like mad, and now Gerard saw his face. It was a skull, with a few age old pieces of flesh clunged on. He grinned in battle, even though as a skull face he had little choise in that matter, but he also laughed. HE caught sight of the archmage, who launched a series of magical bolts against random pirates in all directions.
The elves and the pirates of assorted races fought like mad, and it seemed like the deck was filled with blood and moaning wounded.
The elf tried to launch a blue fire against Bony, but strangely it stopped and fainted in mid air.
The elf was surpriced, but then she seemed to catch the glimps of a wizard among the pirate ranks. She seemed to prepare to launch a spell against him, and seemed to forget Bony for a second. That was her undoing. Bony charged right into here, and...took a deep bite of her left hand. He ripped it clean of, and the archmage screamed in pain.
Bony's skull face was bloodied, and elven flesh clunged to his teeth. Gerard wondered for a moment were it went, and then Bony draw his pistol, aimed at the elfs head. His mouth moved, like if he said something to her.
Her eyes widened before Bony pressed the trigger, and she dropped down dead.
The elves saw this, and for an instant they lowered their guards. The pirates saw this and pressed on, and soon the elves fled to their ship, demoralized.
The pirates, followed and they slaughtered elves to the last. They left no prisoners, and they caught much loot.
Gerard noted that the pirates only kept a small part of it for themselves, a fifth or so, and the rest they gave to Bony. Then Gerard remebered the deal, and he grudgingly took out his fifth of what he had taken.
The rest he gave to the treasure master, the one that seemed to keep account of all the loot.
Gerard had roughly taken for about ten coins, but when the battle was over, and he had thought about it, he felt like he had done something wrong. He had stolen, even though he had been raised to the belief that it was wrong. But it didnt last long, for it seemed like the others started to celebrate the victory. They had lost a large number of men, but Gerard noted that it seemed like most of them was the ones who was hired in Sartosa, only a few who had just joined, including Gerard, had survived. Seemingly most of these pirates was veterans of many fights, and didnt have much morale to speak about. To fight honourable was idiocy in most of these mens opinion.
But Gerard started to forget most of these things after he had taken some rum or three.


The Tale of Cap'n Gerard

Part 3


After some days on the ship, Gerard had noticed something quite peculiar. Seemingly there were men, and even females, of all races on board. He saw humans from both the empire and brettonia, and even a norse or two, there were elves who walked around with sad faces, and quitly doing their work. There were gnoblars and goblins who when not doing the less glorious works oten fought eachother or small animals.
There were a few dwarfs or two, who carried a run who Gerard recogniced as "oathbreaker". He thought that it would fit him to. Most surprisingly though, was the zombies. Somehow they did have a free will, not like the zombies that Gerard had fought before. They spoke slowly, and only rarely went berserk and shouted "BRAINS!", in which they were beaten until they calmed themselves.
He even saw an ogre or two, who carried large burdens.
All in all he could see someone from nearly every race he had known, and even one which he had never seen, and never beleived in. A man sised rat who walked on two legs, a Skaven. He had heard tales of them before, but laughed them off. When he saw the four or five skaven who served Bony Jones just like him, he was astononished to say the least.
They sometimes repeted single words, like "Swab-swab that deck!" or "Arr-Arr" but other than that they seemed to be just like other, apart that they spoke with quite squeeky voices.
After the battle, it seemed that by the least two thirds of the men had been slain, so now the remaining had to do more work. Gerard saw that Bonys first mate, was quite furious. Of what Gerard knew he was the only man brave enough to confront Bony on matters, like the lack of good toilets, and the only one that Bony seemed to actually listen to.
Gerard overheard one of those confrontations while discretely swabbing beneath them.
"Its madness, Cap'n, we soon will lose more that we can hire. Last time it was just barely that we did'nt get one man short." Gerard heard the first mate tell Bony
"Aye, but we...couldnt just let...them sail there...either you remember...what that she elf...did..." Bony told his first mate with a few breaks to seemingly draw his breath
"I do, but we was outnumbered, Cap'n. By elves, they were better equipped and better trained. If you hadnt slain the mage we would have received a wet grave, all of us except you."
Bony again laughed his chilly laughter, before telling:
"We need more...recruits...sail for...Sartosa...Vulgar my friend..."
Gerard wondered who this Vulgar was, until he realised it had to be the first mate.
"Aye, Cap'n" Vulgar said quitly "But if it continues like this, i beleive we will outpopulate Sartosa" he said with a small laughter, bereft of anything called humour. He then walked down, and Gerard tried his best to look busy.
Vulgar was seemingly in a bad mood, and pointed at a brown spot on the deck.
"You missed that" he said "Clean it up, now" he ordered
Gerard immediately done as he said, one who didnt fear the undead had to be pretty brave, he thought to himself. He watched Vulgar as he gave out Bonys orders.
Another peculiar thing that Gerard had noted, was that none of the men seemed to fear Bony, only had a sort of respect for him. It was much clearer than most crews or regiments had for their Captain.
Gerard wondered why, since he feared Bony of all his heart. It had started the day he was five...

Gerard ran down the hill as fast as his legs could carry him, laughing and playing with his friends. It was soon night time, and Gerards mother had told that they always had to be back before the sun went down.
The sky looked reddish, and Gerard knew that it was a matter of minutes before it went dark. He had never disobeyed his mother on this before, and he didnt want it to be a first time.
Suddenly he tripped over a root, his friends didnt see him and continued running down to the village.
Gerard frustrately tried to get his foot of the root, and ever time he irched it away, it seemed like the root...moved to trap him again.
It went dark, and then Gerard managed to get his foot out of the root. He slowly went down, since his foot was bleeding and a red line went behind were he had walked.
He told some words that he had heard his father tell when he was hurt, and then Gerards mother yelled at him that I was near for some reason.
Gerard had caught the village in sight, and what he saw he would remember until the day he would die, or so he thought.
Men had surrounded it completely, and the palisade gate was closed. Armed men from the village had manned the walls, and Gerard recognised his father among them.
He also recognised one of the silhouttes in the beseigers, his grandfather...
But he had died seven months ago! Gerard remembered the funeral, it always was during mid day and both a priest of Sigmar and a priest of Morr was there, to lead it. It was tradition that two priest attended.
Soon he recognised others in the besieging army, but all of them was dead. When his eyes got more used to the darkness he saw that part of them had rotted away. Moving corpses, he thought, the undead. Zombies.
He had never really believed in the stories before, now he knew they was true. He also saw that the dead outnumbered the living by the least four to one, perhaps more.
One of the undead looked different than the others, he was tall and none of his body parts had rotted away. His face, or perhaps it was a she, was fair and he was leanly builded. He weared elegant cloths, and he carried an cruel looking sword in his right hand.
A Vampire, the predator of the night. An aristocrat of the night. The villagers was doomed. And all Gerard could do was watching through tear wet eyes, that the undead broke through the gate, that they moved into the city, and the screams of the slain men, ripped apart by the ones they had once known.
He turned, he had to flee, when he heard the scream of a woman. A voice he had heard so many times before. His mother. Gerard started to run...

Gerard awoke from his dreams quickly, and again started to swab, slowly. When one of the overseers noted it, he quickly started to work harder. Without knowing he had a tear in his eye, and when he noticed it he quickly dried it.
Three days later, an empire war ship saw them, and it was clear that it was engaging. It was smaller than the elven vessel had been, and it seemed that the numbers was more equally matched.
Bony shouted the order to open fire, and as one twenty handgunner armed pirates from different locations on the ship fired their deadly volley.
Gerard saw that four or five of the imperial soldiers fell, but what did they do here, he thought, this is far from the empire southern border.
Bony again signalled to fire, and six cannons fired like one. Seemingly the men were prepared for this, to prepared. How did Bony know that a ship waited for him here?



The Tale of Cap'n Gerard

Part 4


Cannon and gun shots filled the air, and around Gerard men felled down with lethal injuries, the blood seemed to flow on the deck. Gerard took the handgun of a man who had fallen beside him, he crouched, lifted himslef slowly up, aimed at one of the imperial soldiers and pulled the trigger.
The shot missed, instead he gave the enemy ship a small bulk, nothing more. He cursed and reloaded, the next shot gave more results, he hit one of them in the leg, he seemed to could hear the scream but was already reloading, when suddenly his left arm went numb, and the pain seemed to seep from it and up to his brain.
He looked at it, and it was pierced by a crossbow bolt, dammit he thought to himself. But he wouldnt scream, he wouldnt show the enemy that he had hit. He searched for the enemy ship for the man he thought had hit him, when he saw a large burly man, reloading a crossbow.
Gerard aimed, and fired, he hit the man in the belly. He heard the scream, and smiled to himself.
But both ships continued firing at each other for by the least a few minutes, before Bony ordered, rather loudly, to board.
Again the question appeared in Gerards mind, how did Bony know that the enemy waited? It seemed like they had appeared out of no where, but Bony had already given the order to ready the cannons, he had also prepared most of the men.
But the question vanished when they boarded, Gerard only felt a minor sting of quilt because he fought his own, but he quickly repressed it.
Gerard had learned that to fight honourable meant that he would receive a rather short, and painfull, life, so he headbutted a soldier that he was currently fencing with, the other man went dizzy for a moment, and lowered his guard. Gerard used the time to lash his sword against the mans belly, but the light armour that he wore seemed to save the man for most of the blow.
Gerard then drew one of his daggers, he prepared to throw it, when the other lashed out with his sword, Gerard parried it with ease, to fight humans was far easier than to fight elves, and these seemed like rookies.
He threw the dagger in the mans head, and he collapsed, dead. Now Gerard felt the crossbow bolt more, and he tried to drag it out, but the pain was to much. HE had to lower his left arm, and continue with only his right usable.
Suddenly he felt a large thunk in his back head, dizzily he turned, it was a young man, more like a boy, who had swinged a club against him.
Or it looked more like a stick, and Gerard kicked the boy in between hi legs, the boy screamed, and took to there, and then Gerard raised his sword, and with all his strength struck it down.
The boys head fell of with a sickly sound, and Gerard turned. His cloths satrted to get wet from the blood that poured from his left arm, and he felt that his vision seemed to fade.
He saw that two rather large looking men had just killed one of his fellows beside him, and now turned to him. Gerard attempted in vain to raise his sword, but it seemed heavier.
The men closed in, and one of them raised a large halbeard, to crush it against Gerards head.
Suddenly the man stopped, through his forehead Gerard saw a rather large hole, someone had shot him.
The man dropped down, stone dead, and the other turned to see who had shot him. Right behind him, Bony stod. The man semed first to panic, but the he raised his sword, to launch an attack against Bony.
But Bony had his sword drawn, and it was rather bloody to, and launched an attack against the man. The man raised his sword to parry, and then...
His sword broke in two, and Bonys sword mercilessly cut down into the mans throat. But Bony took a deep bite of the mans neck, and continued on his bloody path. Gerard could swear that he heard him laugh and tell jokes.
Then he blacked out.

Gerard tried to run down the village, he had to save his mother nor matter the cost. He ran faster than he had anytime did in his life, and soon was at the gates to the village. Inside he heard the dead butcher the living, he even saw it. He tripped in something, he looked to see what it was. It was the corpse of his father, it was drenched in blood, and his left arm had been ripped off. His face seemed crushed, and Gerard could swear he could hear his father scream.
Then his mother screamed again, along with a lot of other women and children, and Gerard took up his fathers sword, from his fathers corpse.
With teary blurred eyes he entered the burning village, which he called home...

Gerard suddenly wake up, with a scream. Someone had dragged out the crossbow bolt, and he noticed he was in his cabin.
"Where...am i?" he whispered
"Aboard my...ship...mate..." Gerard heard a voice say, a cold voice, but not bereft of life as many other...
Suddenly Gerard remember, and he could see a dark silhouette satnd above him. The Cap'n, Bony Jones.
Gerard didnt know why he was here, but was thankfull that he still lived.
"What happened?" he said weakly
"Well you was about...to be killed by...two men, when...I came...you fainted after...and missed the victory...I found your body....and took you...here..."
"Why?" Gerard asked
"As I said...I trust my intuitioun very...welll...or else we would be...dead by now..." Gerard heard Bony tell
Gerard attempted to get up, but couldnt. He felt like all his strength had been sapped out of him.
"Stay there...for the next...few days...mate, you have...lost alot of...blood..."
Gerard heared that Bony walked out, and he also heard a voice aske the Cap'n.
"Why do you care so much about his health, Cap'n?" it was Vulgar's voice
"You know of...my intuition...I trust it more...than most men do...and I think mine...is sharper to..."
"I know Cap'n, but still..."
"My intuition tells me...that he will prove usefull...very usefull..." Gerard heard Bony say, before he again fell asleep...


Christers

 

[Christers]

The Tale of Cap'n Gerard

Part 5

Gerard slowly walked into the village, mostly because his fathers sword was extremely heavy for a five year old. Around him he saw mutilated corpses of villagers, men and women which he had seen every day lay in...disgusting poses. Above them he saw long dead feast on them, luckily none had noticed him...yet. His chins was wet by tears, he saw the cropses of his friends, which who he had played with.
He continued, his heart beated fastly by fear. The undead feasted on the living, cannibalistic bastards...Gerard thought.
He continued into the village, but why didnt the zombies to anything against him? Were they to busy with their...meal?
He suddenly heard the sound of fighting, near the churches...
In Gerards village there were two priests, one which was devoted to Morr and one to Sigmar. Even though they worshipped different gods they were appearantly friends, often hanging around in the local pub.
Now he heard the clashes of the sigmarite priests warhammer, and the Morrian priests scythe.
Gerard ran for the church, where he saw the two priests stand side by side, fending of the undead. Appearantly the Morrian priest fought with the greatest zeal, his eyes was wide by pure hatred. He scythe cleaved through the zombie ranks, like a farmer do with his harvest.
He constantly uttered prayers to Morr to not judge them harshly, often the same moment he sent a zombie to the afterlife.
Suddenly a dark silhouette emerged behind the priests, and the zombies backed away, slowly.
Both priests turned their heads as one, and the Morrian priests eyes seemed like two black pitches of pure hatred, he raised his scythe and uttered a prayer, but before the blade fell...Everything happened so fast that Gerard only vaquely managed to see it, the scythe seemed to be chopped in half by the dark figure, but he reacted so fast that Gerard hardly beleived his own eyes.
Then the dark figure took the Morrian worshippers throat, and slowly raised him to the air.
The priest frustarly tried to break free, and kick the dark figure at the same time, the sigmarite raised his hammer to crush the dark figure down, but then roughly six zombies took him, the priest werent prepared, and Gerard saw the zombies slowly tear him to pieces and feast on his flesh.
The dark figure had his full concentration on Morrian now, and he slowly leaned down towards his face...

Gerard woke up, he swetted all over him, and his bed was wet by it. It took him some moments to remember were he was, and then he slowly got up on his feat. He started to dress himself when he heard a voice behind him:
"So you are...up?" the voice told
Gerard quickly turned around, and he saw Bony. He was as normal heavily dressed, he seemed more like just an assortment of cloth that had figured that they should start walking around. His sword was at its sheath, and he had a pistol in his belt.
"Aye, Cap'n. I am, may i ask a question?"
"Werent you...just asking...one? But you can...ask another...if you want..."
"Why do you dress so heavily?"
Bony started to laugh again, the laughter gave Gerard a freezing down his back. He had heard that laughter many years ago.
"Well I am an....undead as you...know...." Bony told "Well the sunlight...hurts to all the...undead these cloths....protect me from it....mostly...."
The explanation was well enough for Gerard and he continued dressing himself, Bony went out. That Cap'n was strange, Gerard thought and he didnt only mean that he wasnt living. Why did he pay so much attention to Gerard?
Gerard went out, and immediately got chores to do. Seemed like there was far more work on a ship, than Gerard had previously believed. After a few weeks aboard Bonys ship he learned everything a competent sailor need to know, and a few other tricks to. But he also became more and more impetious, most of the chores he recieved was slow and tedious, and Gerard felt that he almost missed to fight, at least it was quicker than this...
Gerard also noted that the Cap'n Bony seemed to pay extreme attention to individuals on the ship, instead of just seeing it as an overall number he seemed to know everyone by name and personality. All in all he was very strange, and often his madness showed more than other times. Sometimes he threw himself into the sea, just to reappear some hour later. None asked what he had done down there. Gerard realised very quickly that his Cap'n was perhaps insane, but not stupid. His raids was well thought out, almost like his brain functioned on more levels, and it wasnt often that they went wrong.
But one time it did, horribly wrong to. Bony had spent several hours planning the raid, pillaging and general desecration of a church of the brettonian goddess, just that it was one thing he had forgotten in his calculations...
Gerard and about twenty others, including Bony which seemed to want to join all the fights he could, slowly marched towards the church.
It was midnight, and Bony led his men with surprising effiency, Gerard unsheated his sword, he had lost most of his morals during the weeks on Bonys ship, he aslo had learned a few tricks.
He had a daggers on about every part of his clothing, one in his belt, one in his boot, one in his back and so on. Seemingly he always needed one, he was a competent soldier, but nothing above that. Most opponents lowered their guard when they was about to deliver the finnishing move, and then Gerard usually threw a dagger in them. He had practised with his daggers for some time now, and he had become quite accurate with them.
The road was dirty, and it rained, which seemingly was part of Bonys plan. He knew that there lived a hermit in the church, and a considerable amount of zealots, lunatics and madmen, this was a large church, filled with holy treasures. The amount of treasures was considerable to say the least, but Bony trusted in discretion instea do pure force.
He decided to take a small amount of men, instead of his whole crew, during night. He also somehow knew that it was going to rain, and the sight was very bad. Luckily this didnt stop bony, or those among the crew that were undead. They didnt see the world the same way as living.
They moved slowly, and as quitly as a band of pirates can, meaning that probably they had heard them by now. But it didnt really matter, since the creatures in the forest made as much sound, and then the guards wouldnt notice until they had a sword through them.
The church was peculiary very well defended for some reason, more so than usual. The worst thing was that a brettonian duke had just arrived, to pray there. With his whole court of knights.
Gerard and the others moved, without knowing this fact, closer to the church. When they were close enough, they loaded their pistols and handguns.
"Aim..." Vulgar muttered
The twenty pirates raised their guns.
"FIRE!" Vulgar shouted, and twenty guns went off.
Five of the guards dropped down dead, but one survived, and he sounded the alarm.
"Damn..." Vulgar muttered
"It doesnt matter..." Bony said and smiled, he drew his blade. "Draw yer weapons...lads its time...to teach these peasants...how to really fight..."
The twenty pirates drew their blades, and rushed towards the church, a group of ten peasants armed with flails, sticks and other such things rushed to stop them. Surprisingly they carried the remains of a dead knight, and a bitter struggle ensued.
Gerard charged into one of the peasants, the peasant raised his flail and tried to hit Gerard, but Gerard barely dodged it. Gerard then swinged his sword in a arch, and cut down the peasant were he stood. He looked around for more, but all was slain.
Bony started to laugh, and said "Is this...it?"
When he said that, roughly thrity fully armoured brettonian knights ran out of the church, with swords and war-axes raised.
Gerard immediately threw a dagger at the closest knight, but it just bounced of the armour.
The pirates was worse equipped, and they had next to nothing of armour. It was a butchery, the pirates were cut down, and only three or four knights fell.
Bony fought like what he was, a madman, and slew three knights single handedly before relaisng he was losing.
"Dammit...retreat!" he shouted, and Gerard, Vulgar and two others was more than happy to obey. The rest had fallen, and would never again rise.
They ran like dogs, and Gerard could swear that he heard one of the knights laugh. He took up his gun, which was already loaded, and fired at one of the knights. He dropepd down screaming, and it seemed like the rest of the knights rushed to him.
Gerard ran after the others, and took them agains a minute later.
One of the other pirates was so wounded taht he couldnt keep up, and he dropped down.
Bony suddenly turned, picked up the man, took him on his back and continued after the others. Gerard then earned a deep respect for his Cap'n, few others would risk their lives for one man.
The knights now pursued them on horses, about ten of them. Gerard could hear that they got closer, and closer...



The Tale of Cap'n Gerard

Part 6

The knights closed in, and Gerard realised they would soon get to them. He ran faster than he had ever done before, and his breath was fast and paniced. He took up one of his daggers, and awaited for them to catch up.
Suddenly he couldnt hear the horeses any longer, it seemed like they had stopped for something...
He then heard the sound of fighting, and of dying screams. He looked around, but everyone was there, even Bony ran faster than any of the others even with a man on his back. But each time he got to far ahead he waited for the others to caught up with him.
But what was the knights fighting then? He looked bakc and saw what it was, and that brought him to his knees. Crying...

The dark figure's face went closer to the Morrian priest, which now trembled in fear and hatred. The dark figure leaned to the Morrian priests neck, who frustrately hit the figure again and again, and then...the priest screamed, or howled in agony. He screamed for several seconds, until he suddenly stopped. The dark figure stood there, with his face in the priests neck for several seconds, until throwing the man aside, as if he didnt weigh a thing.
Gerard's eyed widened as he saw that the figure had blood on his lips, and face. The priests blood. It was a vampire.
Gerard turned to flee, but the path had been blocked by zombies without knowing. And now they had been joined by the ones recently slain.
Gerard saw his father among them, he cried out his name, but his father didnt react.
He gulped, he tried to move to his father, but then he felt a hand on his shoulder. A white hand, which held him in a strong, firm grip.
He turned around, and saw the face of the vampire. He looked fair, apart from the blood surrounding his mouth. He had two sharp teeth at the sides of his mouth, and Gerard could see a cold intellect in his eyes.
He tried to raise his sword to fight, but the vampire threw away the sword like if it was a stick, it broke on the wall of a house.
The vampire leaned towards him, he smiled. He then laughed, a cold laughter, but not bereft of humour, even though it was a dark one that Gerard thought then he would never understand, even though the future would show he once will.
"whats your name, boy?" the vampire aksed with a playfull tone. He had butchered his family, friends and his world.
He didnt say a thing, in long minutes before his mouth suddenly said:
"Gerard." but it wasnt completely his voice, like if the answear was forced out of him.
"Hehehe, Gerard eh?" the vampire said "Well, why did you come? Why didnt you just run? I saw you enter the gates, even though you knew what was within..." the vampire asked, he was actually interested
"I heard my mother scream, I come to find her..." he said, and again it seemed like the answear was forced out of him
"How did your mother look like?" the vampire asked, the strange thing was that he actually seemed interested
Gerard described her pretty acurately to the undead, the vampire listened and then he laughed
"Why do you laugh?" Gerard asked, this time of his own will
"Well, I killed her, boy. She tasted very well, compared to many others in this village..." and as an aftertought he said "Perhaps you taste like her."
Gerard raised his fist to hit the vampire, but the undead stopped him before his fist fell, Gerard then tried to kick him, but the vampire easily dodged it...Gerad tried againa nd again to hurt the vampire, for a quarter he tried until he was nearly exhausted. Even in this state he wondered why the vampire drew out the time, something about this wasnt right.
The vampire again laughed his cold laughter, and Gerards back froze. He would never forget that laughter.
"You fight bravely, boy. I will let you go if you can do one thing..." the vampire said quitly
Gerard didnt really believe it, but he asked "What?"
"Kill your father..." as he had ordered something, the corpse of his father shambled to them. Gerards eyes was blurred by tears. He was afraid, but how could he do that?
The vampire gave him a heavy stick, he laughed. The zombie of his father crouched, and surprisingly it talked.
"Son...." the zombie said slowly, of course this was something the vampire had ordered it to say.
Gerard stood there, it was like a dream, so he took on a stone, and it felt real. Slowly he raised the stick, and the zombie again said "Son...why..?"
Gerards eyes was blurred, and with all his strength he crushed his fathers head with the heavy stick.
Now he prepared to die, since he belived the vampire would kill him now. He waited for a minute or two.
The vampire finally said "Why are yous till here, boy?"
"Arent you going to kill me?"
"I didnt really believe taht you would kill your father, or what remained of him, but I gave you my word." the vampire said slowly "Go before I redecides"
Gerard hardly believed what he heard, even though the vampire in truth had a backthaught with the genrous offer. He wanted the nearby village to tremble in fear, since lately a group of militia had tried to kill him during day, and nearly succeeded. H didnt want that to happen again, and he needed someone to tell the tale of what happened in the village.
But Gerard didnt know that, and taught the vampire showed him mercy.
He ran out of what he had once called home, glad that he was free, but weeping of his lost family, friends and home...

Gerard attempted to gte up, but couldnt. All the memories flushed back, and as he saw the vampire slaughter the knights he trembled in fear.
The vampire was merciless, butchering every single one of the knights, and soon they were all dead.
The vampire crept down to one of the corpses, and started feast on the blood of his victim.
The other pirates also stared, Bony had turned to see why Gerard had stopped, and the others had followed. Vulgar muttered a few swears about Gerards stupidity.
The vampire then slwoly raised, and first now saw the pirates. He started walking towards them, Vulgar and the other surviving pirate readied themselves, but Gerard was still on his knees trembling in fear.
Bony had dropped the pirate on his back on the ground, and drew his sword. He screamed a challenge against the vampire, while pointing at him with his sword. The vampire understanded what Bony said, and he decided that he could as well have a little fun.
Bony and the vampire slowly circled each other, the vampire had now drawn a cruel looking blade, it was completely black and covered in blood even though the vampire had not yet used it.
Bony laucnhed himself, with dranw sword, laughing. The vampire easily parried, and then he stabbed Bony in the belly.
The vampire thought he had killed him, but to his surprice Bony just looked down and laughed.
He took of the clothing that covered his face, and revealed his skull. The vampire looked baffled for a moment, before he drew out the sword, and uttered dark words.
Bony waited for a moment, before he laughed.
"You mistake me...for a common skeleton...warrior dont you?" Bony said "To try gain...control of me wont...do you any good...vampire..."
"What?" the vampire hissed
Bony continued to laugh
The vampire lashed his sword and Bonys face, but Bony parried it. Bony then attempted to kick the vampire in the gut, but the vampire doged it with baffling speed. Bony the launched another attack against his undead foe, but this time the vampire parried it to.
The vampire suddenly uttered more dark words, but these were different. Suddenly they heard a noice from where the dead knights lay, Gerard looked in the direction with panicked eyes and saw the knights slowly raise.
Gerard finally got on his feet, this time his eyes was filled iwth pure hatred, he drew his sword and charged into the dead knights. He heard that Vulgar and the remaining pirate followed, the first zombie shambled towards Gerard, but he mercilessly cut it down. It dropped down dead to, Gerard didnt anticipate that. Seemingly zombies fell as easily as men, their only strength seemed to be the fear that they inspired in men...
Renewed he turned against two other zombies, he dodged their blows with ease and cut them down. He saw that Vulgar had already slain two other, but when he caught eye on the other pirate he was disgusted.
Three zombie knights had thrown of their helms and was...eating the pirate alive. He could her him scream, and Gerard rushed to aid, but it was to late.
He chopped of one of the knights head, and Vulgar stabbed down another.
Now only two zombies remained, Vulgar and Gerard slaughtered them with ease. Vulgar seemed to smile at Gerard for a second, before going into his usual mood, and looked back at Bony and the vampire. Gerard did the same, and he was amazed at what he saw.
They fought so fierce and speedily, that Gerard and Vulgar only saw half of the fight. They fought on like that for minutes, but then Bony managed to get his foot on the vampire's throat.
"Throw away...your sowrd mate...or I will kill...you slowly..." Bony said between clenched teeth.
The vampire's sword suddenly vanished in the hands, Bony looked at it and muttered "Fair enough..."
Bony seemed to know exactly what he was doing, he had fought vampires countless times before. His sword was directly over the vampires heart, one stab and the vampire would be gone for good.
Gerard and Vulgar closed in, and now Gerard saw the vampires face completely, and he recognised it...
It was the same vampire that had slaughtered his village! Murdered his mother and fathered, and probably his brother to! Gerard looked at him, and he felt an urge to draw his blade again.
The vampire looked closely at Gerard, and then searched his mind. Gerard felt like if someone else looked into his thoughts, searched through his memories. Basicly the vampire knew everything about Gerard now, and what he could do as a fitting revenge...
"Hello, boy..." the vampire spoke "You survived i see..."
Bony was slightly confused, until he realised which whom the vampire spoke to, he looked at Gerard with question in his two black eyehooles.
"That...bloodsucker slaughtered my whole village when i was a boy..." Gerard muttered
The vampire laughed, but Bony stamped harder with his boot until he stopped
Bony turned to Gerard and asked "Do you want to...kill him?" he aksed, with a kind undertone. He said it like if he had just given Gerard a present, and Gerard felt like if he had.
"Yes..." Gerard said, and drew his blade
"Hit the...heart..." Bony said, and gave room for Gerard to swing his sword.
Gerard raised his sword, and he smiled, and started to laugh a small laughter, but bereft humour.
Suddenly the vampire laughed to, it was a dark laughter, with a dark humour. The vampire kne that he would not survive this, and after searching Gerards mind he know how to give a revenge. An eternal revenge.
The vampire bit his lip, and blood poured into his mouth. He aimed and spitted at Gerard, right into his mouth.
Gerard then stabbed the vampires heart, piercing it and the vampire seemed to age houndreds of years within a matter of seconds.
Gerard smiled, but suddenly he felt something. Something wasnt right. Bony looked at him, and Gerard felt that Bony started slightly, and his gaze seemed to tell him that something had happened. Something bad.
Gerard suddenly fainted, even though he didnt know why, he felt that he was picked up, and then he was trapped in a dreamless sleep.



The Tale of Cap'n Gerard

Part 7

Gerard woke up, slowly. His head felt heavy, and his eyelids felt even heavier, he got slowly up from his bed and looked around. He was in a cabin, and after a few moments thought he remembered that it was his. He had a foul taste in his mouth, and he felt awkwardly thirsty.
He closed his eyes, and tried to remember what had happened, and then it all came to him again, and he started to shiver. He looked around the small cabin in case anyone was there, but he couldnt see anyone.
He felt sleepy again, and tried to sleep, after a few moments struggle he managed it.

Gerard ran quickly out of the village, and he heard the undeads laughter behind him. His fathers corpse and his mothers scream was etched into his memory, but he couldnt do anything than run.
He knew that there was another village not far from his own, and he tried to remember the way. His father had taken him there, to buy several things that wasnt in the village.
The road was dark, and Gerard could barely see where he was going, but onwards he went.
After what felt like days he arrived at the village, the militia guards asked who he was and where he was from. Gerard told them the whole story of what had happened, the youngest of the guards laughed at his story, he had never seen the undead himself. But the other guards took him seriously, because they had fought undead before.
Gerard was allowed in, and was taken to see the village mayor. He was aksed to tell the whole story, and Gerard did. The mayor listened patiently, he was a aging man, and had seen much in his long life.
When Gerard finnished, he ordered two men to mount horses and investigate the Gerard's village, to see if it was true.
Gerard was then taken to another family, where he was raised. But at his sixteenth birthday, he went to Altdorf, to join the army...

Gerard felt that someone shaked him up, and he wearily woke from his dream. Above him he saw a man, but he smelt completely awfull. Gerard got up quickly, and then remembered who stood before him. The cap'n, Bony Jones.
Gerard felt that the captain saw at him oddly, and then give him a cup. Gerard tried to drink it, but it tasted awfull. Without thinking he spitted it out, and Gerard saw that Bony sighed gravely.
"What the hell was in that cup?" Gerard exclaimed
"Water..." Bony responded, but his voice was somewhat different
"Thats impossible, it tasted...horrible..."
"Try this..." Bony handed him another cup
It tasted different, but still tasted horrible. He spitted that out to.
Bony sighed again, and he said:
"This one...was rum..."
Something was weird, Gerard noted. He had tasted all these things before, and they deffinately didnt taste that way.
Bony gave a quiet order to one of the men, and soon he came with a mug with something else.
"Try this...one..." Bony said slowly
Gerard tested this one, and starngely it tasted good. It was actually the best thing he had ever tasted, and he gulped it down whole.
"It tasted great..." Gerard said
Gerard could hear that Bony cursed quietly to himself, on a wide array of languages to. Some of them Gerard had never heard before, but he vaqualy recognised some as common, orcish, estalian, kislev, some warped form of elvish and a various other. But it was clear that he sweared.
"What was in that mug?" Gerard finally asked
"You dont want...to know...but I quess...I have to tell...you..." Bony waited for a moment, before he asked "Do you know...how vampires...are made?"
"Not really no." Gerard answeared quickly
"Well, the one...who are turned have...almost no choise...its called...the "Blood Kiss"..."
Gerard didnt like how this turned out...
"It happens when...a person drinks...the blood of a...vampire..."
What had happened before stayed clear in Gerards mind, and he saw where this thing went.
"Thirteen days ago...a vampire...spitted his own...blood into your...mouth...I had hoped it was...to watered out..." Bony said slowly "But it...wasnt...he gave you...the "Blood Kiss"...for some reason..."
Gerard started to tremble, and howled.
Bony was obviously slightly surprised by the reaction, but he started to quess.
"Did the vampire...search your mind?" Bony asked
"It felt like someone watched my thoughts, my mind and even my personality..." Gerard said after some seconds thought, and then something appeared to him "Did you say thirteen days?"
"Ay, you have....slept deeply, impossible...to wake you until...now. But seemingly...the vampire wanted revenge...it was a starnge...way of revenge in my...oppinion..."
"Does this mean that I..?"
"Are undead? I'm afraid...so..."
Now it was Gerards time to swear, his vocabulary wasnt as colourfull as Bony's but he gave an honest try.
"Hey cheer up...at least your not...dead..." Bony said
"I could just as well have been..." Gerard said
"Stop pitying yourself...like that...you sound like a...child..." Bony said, slightly angered "You do know...that this mean...you will live until...slain?" Bony also said
Gerard realised that Bony actually tried to comfort him, but it didnt work. His whole life he had hated and feared the undead. They had slaughtered his family, his friends and his whole...world. And now...he was one of them.
"Now get up...you have a lot...of work to catch up with..." Bony said and left the small cabin
Gerard stood there, and a taer went down his chin. Then he dressed himself, and went out.
Nothing could have prepared himself for the feeling of the sun, it felt almost like being sunburnt, but not only physically but mentally to. If Bony had lived with this the whole time, he must really be used to standing pain.
Gerard quickly went inside again, and remembered what Bony had told him. He weared a lot of clothes to protect against the sun...
Gerard looked around for his spare cloths, and found what he needed. Soon he was nearly completely covered in cloths, they were not thick, but it covered him, mostly.
He went out again, and he still felt it, but it was weaker and only one a few parts. Like his face.
Someone threw him a mop, and he started swabbing the deck. One thing that he noted was that the mop seemed to weigh less, and everyone around him seemed to move so slowly. Like if they was extremely tired, or just didnt want to work. He went on as normal, and it frustrated him slightly that the others walked, and even worked so immensively slowly.
Then he realised that it wasnt them that did it slowly, but he that did it faster. That thought scared him, for some reason and he started to work slower to.
While he worked he started to go through what had happened thriteen days ago, and he realised what he had done wrong.
He had smiled, opened his mouth and given the...creature a chance to take revenge, Gerard again started to give a long tirade of curses...
The Tale of Cap'n Gerard

Part 8


Gerard continued the tiresome job of both having the mind on swabbing, and continuing the stream of curses. He was extremely angry at himself, he had wasted his very humanity, even though he could have done little to prevent it, it was meagre comfort in that.
When he had repeated about every swear in his vocabulary three or four times he started to imrpovise, inventing new ones along the way, until he just fell silent. He noticed that many of the other crew members seemed to try to be on a few metres distance from him, and Gerard thought he could quess what it was.
He was in a bad mood while he continued the work, when he suddenly heard a converastion going on in one of the cabins.
He recognised the voice of Bony and Vulgar, and also another unknown voice.
"So this map...leads to our destination?" Gerard heard Bony ask
"Yes, Cap'n, I found it by chance. I had almost lost hope, when I suddenly came across it in a shop in Altdorf." the unknown voice told
"Hmm, and are you...absoluteloy sure? I wont...risk so many...lives for nothing..." Bonys asked
"Cap'n, I think we could trust this map. It appears real, and the language seems perfect. It have to be the map." Vulgars voice spoke
"Hmm, i'm still not...really sure...this is not something we....should make mistakes about..." Bonys voice said, coldy
"I assure you, do you really think I would have dared to come back, if i wasnt houndred percent sure that it was real?" the unknown voice said again
"I dont really....trust your judging in....this matter, Louis..." Bonys voice spoke
"I know that I failed last time, but I isnt the only one who have confirmed it." the unknown voice then spoke up many names, that Gerard had never heard before. After a while Gerard heard Bony say:
"Very well then...Vulgar set sail....for Naggaroth..."
Gerard had never heard the location before, and wondered slightly were it was, before continuing the work. Soon his mind was again set on how bad he had fared, and nearly completely forgot the conversation he had just listened to.
When night fell, Gerard didnt even notice it, for him it looked completely like normal, but he saw that many of the rest of the crew went sleepy, and he noticed that his sin no longer hurt.
He gladly removed most of his extra clothing, and he felt renewed by the night, a feeling he had never felt before. He did not feel sleepy at all, continued with the work, with renewed strength. But his mind was still set on what he had become, and he thought very sorry for himself.
A sudden change in direction woke himself from his self pity, why did they suddenly change direction like that?
Suddenly he saw something in the horizon, it was an extremely large ship. Gerard could almost swear that it looked like a floating fortress, but thats impossible. He looked to where Vulgar stood, he had a spy glass and looked at the ship. Gerard noted that Vulgar had started to sweat. Gerard had also learned that it was few things who made Vulgar afraid, and somehow Gerard could smell his fear.
Gerard had worked with the sails, and without thinking he jumped down, while he fell Gerard cursed at his foolishness, but he landed on his legs, unhurt.
Seemingly this undead thing had its bonuses.
He went for his sword, and then he heard the ships bell, and Vulgar shouted that everyone should arm themselves.
The fortress like ship came closer, and closer, and soon Gerard could see that the crew was elves. But somehow they looked different from the elves that he had seen before, more grim. Suddenly he saw a large group of them move towards the edge of their ship, they were armed with a weird looking crossbow.
The fortress-ship soon had came into range, and Gerard heard a sound of half houndred crossbow bolts be unleashed, and then only few seconds later another wave. And then another.
"What the..?" he thought, and saw that the elves fired their bolts with graeter speed than Gerard could believe.
The saw men around him be hit around him, but strangely many of the crossbow bolts bounced of the pirates though leather clothing. Gerard felt suddenly a sharp sting, and saw that one of the crossbow bolts had hit him in the leg.
But it didnt feel as hard as it should be, and he dragged it out. Then he noticed something he didnt like, he did not bleed.
"Well, well..." he thought, at least that was good. But it was...unnatural somehow, but he had noticed that these crossbows was not fired with the power that usual crossbows came, but their numbers more than made up for that.
Vulgar orderd to aim, with a big shout. The pirates who had, and could, raised their handguns.
"FIRE!" Vulgar shouted, and the pirates returned fire.
Gerard was pleased to see that a large number of the wicked elves fell, but he also saw that many of the men missed completely, even though they normally was like marksmen.
The Gerard remembered that it was night, but why could he see even clearer than he had ever done during full day?
The answear was of course simple, and Gerard liked it less, and less. He was no longer human.
He took a handgun from a dead crewmember nearby, loaded it, aimed and hit his mark. The handgun felt unusually light, and he didnt feel any recoil.
He looked after more bullets, and found it on the dead corpse. He reloaded it as quickly as he could. And aimed, and fired.
Another elf fell, to newer again raise, and Gerad again reloaded the handgun, he looked at the other pirates and they reloaded so immensively slow.
No, he corrected himself, it is I that reloads fast.
But the two ships got closer, and closer, and Vulgar gave a rather loudy order to draw their weapons, it was time for bitter melee...

The Tale of Cap'n Gerard

Part 9


The fortress like ship was soon within boarding range, and it seemed that both ship's crews was ancious. Gerard quickly reloaded his handgun, he thought he might have an use of it later on. But suddenly the elves did something unexpected, they divided their ranks, and at the druchii centre, the pirates saw something that almost made them turn tail, if the didnt know that there was no way out. It seemed like an enourmous lizard, but with about five or six heads, it was a true beast. It screamed in fury an dpain, and Gerard noted that a group of elves goaded it into battle, with some very painfull looking devices.
The giant beast slowly lumbered towards the pirate ship, and soon he ships would obviously be withing range for boarding.
It was to late to turn, and Gerard suddenly noticed that they were heavily outnumbered, since now more elves came unto the deck.
"Reload the cannons!" Vulgar shouted, and then gave a serie of other orders, mostly involving the term "Shoot that thing to hell!"
Gerard aimed, and fired his gun at the beast, but the bullet just bounced of its heavy scales, he reloaded and did it again, but with same results. The other pirates had now reloaded their handguns, and was also firing at the beast, but none of the bullets was even close at penetrating the scales.
The beast lumbered forward, and Gerard took an unwilling step back, when suddenly Bony appeared.
"Kill the...herders!" Bony shouted, and Gerard understood.
The ones goading the beast seemed to be the ones controlling the beast, Gerard hastily reloaded, fired. But his nervousity made him miss, and instead he hit one of the other elves. Most of the other pirates missed to because of nervousness and the darkness, but a few of the herders dropped down, a few got back up, but some would never again raise.
Gerard hastily looked around for more bullets, but he couldnt find any. In desperation, he drew one of his daggers and threw it at one of the herders. He hit his arm, and he dropped his cruel looking weapon, suddenly one of the lizard's heads snatched out at the wounded elf, and ate him alive.
The toher herders unluckely got the beast on its path again, but now the pirates had got one of the cannons up on deck.
It was loaded, and the ships engineer, Jald, shouted to fire. The cannon ball hit one of the hydra heads, and with a fell scream it fell of, the cannon ball the proceeded to kill about three or four elves, and wounding several.
Jald frustrately lead the cannon crew in the reloading process, but it would take some time to reload it, and witha thump the beast had gotten on the ship.
It ran with a speed that was surprising for its great size, even though in Gerards eyes it was as slow moving as his mates, and soon it had slain two pirates, who had covered themself in fear instead of fighting back.
At a distance from the great lizard, part of the elven crew had juped aboard on the ship, and were now having a routinally butchery of the crew members in their way, and then...Bony joined the free, he seemed to laugh, and he carried his deadly sword in arches of blood. The elves in his way was slaughtered like cattle, and no elf seemed to be any match to him.
But he couldnt be everywhere at once, and the hydra and the elves' numbers slowly pushed the pirates back.
Gerard noticed that he was stronger than before, he was in a sword fight with a elf, and he swinged his sword as strongly as he could, in a deadly arch towards the elfs head.
The elf raised his sword to parry the blow, but when the swords impacted, but swords broke in half.
Gerard looked surpriced at the swords, and the elf did to, but the elf got to his sences quickly, and took gracefully up one of his dead mates spears up, and attempted to stab Gerard in the chest with it.
Without thinking Gerard dodged the blow instinctively, and it happened so fast, that the elf stabbed into air, seemingly surpirced. Gerard then hit the elf in the head with his fist, and a cracking sound told that both the armour and the skull of the elf had cracked, by pure instinct Gerard the kicked the elf in the chest, and the elf lay there mangled and dead.
Gerard looked around for more elves, he saw one and immeditaely runned for him, ripped his head clean of, and was covered in the elfs blood. Suddenly roughly three elves attempted to surround him, but Gerard quickly darted their strikes, and then butchered them one by one, he left their bodies mangled and broked on the ground, and did not care if they lived or died.
Soon his sight seemed to go foggy, and the only thing in his sight was the elves, but somehow they looked different. Without even thinking, he clashed himself into the fray, and soon he had lost cound of the elves he had killed.
Soon a pile of dead corpses lay around him, and he crouched down one of the corpses, and Gerard saw the blood that poured from the elfs broken body.
He crouched further down at it, but his concounes seemed to fight it, instinct against mind. He didnt want to go so low, as to drink their blood, but somehow it seemed as the urge was greater than his self control.
But why do I try to resist it? Why not just do it? They are already dead, so they cant have any objections? He thought, but another part of him said against that.
I cannot just feast on another persons own blood? Thats their very life force, and wouldnt that just make me as bad as the vampire who slaughtered my village? Another part of Gerard objected
I cannot just go on with nothing to drink can I? If i dont do it, wouldnt I die then? the other part of Gerard said against that
Well if they are already dead, why not just do it? Is it really that bad compared to killing them normally, and let their corpses rot? At least I will have something else from it. The first part of Gerards mind spoke against
Such it continued, until Gerard was completely unsure what to do, the fighting around him seemed something distant, and the different parts of him had their own fight inside him.
And then he finally decided, and it was a decision he wasnt just driven by the pure hunger. He crouched closer down to the mangled elves bloodstream...


Christers

PS: Sorry about double post, but the full story exceeded the one post character limit.