Chapter 2
Mutineers

    Lying on the hard, wooden bench that seamen called a “cot,” Tymat began to feel uneasy. “Why was that pirate so pushy?” he thought. “I guess I’ll have to watch the way I act around this crowd.” Slowly and after much debate, he finally decided to make one more appearance on the deck before the sun fell below the horizon.
    He opened his dark brown eyes and pushed himself up on the cot. One foot after the other, he finally lifted his body to its full height and walked out of the cabin door. As he got onto the deck, he had to squint to see the other sailors. It was getting dark and the suns rays shone purple on the dark, shifting clouds. Tymat walked over to the starboard side. He looked back up into the sky. It had a whole new look without the sun shining through the clouds. As his mind drifted into the cloudy sky, a voice interrupted his thoughts for the second time that day.
    “Aha! So you’re the boy who took down Snaketooth taday. Very impressive, I must say. Snaketooth is definitely one of our better sword fighters.”
    Tymat turned his head. He was just about to blurt some rude comment because he was interrupted in thought, but then remembered what happened the last time he did that.
    “ Excuse me sir, but who are you, and why are you talking to me?” Tymat said.
    Half-chuckling, the man replied, “Why, ye don’t know who I be? Well! I be the captain of this vessel!” He reached out his hand. “The name’s Captain Griel. Pleasure to meet ye.”
    “Oh, uh… pleasure to meet you too.” Replied Tymat, stunned.
    “So yur one of the new recruits I take it. Aye, I never know who’s on and who’s off of this ship. Seems we have pretty fair weather tanight. If the wind be pickin’ up, we should be to Crescent Moon by late tamorrow.”
    Tymat would’ve acknowledged the captain, but once again he was honing in on his own thoughts about the pirate that he had fought just hours ago and the people that accompanied him. Something wasn’t right about them. Just thinking about them sent shivers up his spine. He lay his hand on the hilt of his sword. He was very uneasy. His thoughts then slowly drifted back to reality.
    “So mate, ye have much experience sailin’? asked the captain. A curious look spread across his face.
    “Uh…no sir, this is my first time. I am very new to sailing.” Replied Tymat
    “So, tell me boy, have ye always wanted to be sailin’?”
    “Well sir, I really have had nothing else to live for after my village was destroyed by the Dread Dwarves. I guess I just want my revenge for what they did to my family and friends, and everything else they destroyed.”
    “Ah, I see me boy. Well, We’re sure to wreak our revenge on those blasted Dread Dwarves. They will pay for everything they have done, mark my words."
    Tymat could only nod. The sun was nearly all the way under the water and he was getting very tired after his first day at sea. The chores of maintaining a ship were more than the young man was used too and his muscles were aching terribly. Slowly, he made his way back to his cabin. He had had enough fresh air for one day.
    As the door to his cabin slowly creaked shut, he practically collapsed on his hard wooden bunk, exhausted. His mind wandering off, his eyes flickering shut, Tymat slowly drifted off to sleep. Though it seemed less than a minute had gone by, four hours had, and after those four hours came the sounds of angry men.
    Tymat woke suddenly hearing sounds of shouts and banging on the floor. Quickly, he grabbed his rapier and rushed out the door. Turning his head to the left, he saw a horrific sight. The captain and about half of the crew were panic stricken as Snaketooth and the rest of his posse, with swords drawn, charged at the commander of the ship. Without a thought, Tymat raced with his rapier outreached toward the battle. With a cry of anger he ran up to one of the mutineers and jabbed the sword through the back of his body all the way through the front of his chest.
    When Snaketooth finally realized the presence of another combatant and who it was, he fixed his eyes on Tymat and locked them there, narrowing the space between his eyelids. His blood cached sword trembled with fury in his hand.
Snaketooth left the heat of the battle and turned his attention toward Tymat.
    Tymat spoke, “Snaketooth! What are you doing?!”
    “We’re takin’ over this ship boy! We can’t have a captain that just lets swashbucklers like you on to his ship. From now on, I be layin’ down the law on this boat and nobody else is gonna stop me!” replied Snaketooth, his teeth grinding in rage.
    “We can see about that Snaketooth! Come on! I’ll finish you off for good.” Taunted Tymat back to him.
    Snaketooth could take in no longer. He rushed mindlessly at Tymat and took a violent stab at him, but a damaging blow can easily counter a mindless stab, and that is what happened. Before Snaketooth could retract his sword, Tymat’s rapier came down hard on Snaketooth’s hand, slicing it off at the wrist.
    Snaketooth’s sword clattered harmlessly to the ground. He writhed and shouted in a profound pain. Blood sprang out of his wrist and soaked his sleeve thoroughly. He fell passively to his knees in surrender.
    Tymat raised his sword with a valiant look upon his face. This was to be the end of Snaketooth the pirate. But just as Tymat was about to deliver the final blow, he fell cold to the ground. A mutineer had pummeled him in the back of the head with the hilt of his sword just before getting slaughtered by one of those loyal to the captain. The last thing seen by Tymat’s eyes was a lone flame streaking up the mast.

Main • Introduction • Chapter One (Struggling to Start) • Chapter Two (Mutineers)
Chapter Three (A New Life) • Chapter Four (In the Court of the King)
Chapter Five (Good Night…It Will Be Your Last) • Chapter Six (Holding the Fort)
Chapter Seven (The End of an Alliance) • Chapter Eight (Journey to the Pirate Islands)