The Elegant Pirate Part II (A Pirate is Born)

Several years of hard work aboard the Phantom helped Boris grow physically and heal the psychological wounds suffered in Britain at the hands of the academy. He spent all his free time practicing with swords. He quickly obtained the respect of his shipmates and Captain Roca. The Captain taught Boris all he knew about these seas mainly how to avoid pirates on their travels between Cove, Vesper and Trinsic. The Phantom mainly transported reagents, ore and a few discreet passengers who did not want their travel destinations known. It also provided relative safety to its passengers since its design would allow for maximum speed. One day, a storm left the main mast and sail damaged, which caused the phantom to limp along at a dangerously low speed. A much bigger ship started to gain ground on the Phantom as the crew made frantic repairs. The captain asked Boris to climb to the crow's nest to look for the flag of the approaching vessel. When he saw the flag, Boris did not recognize the design: a silver lich on a black background. Boris looked bewildered as he noticed a black flag with a silver lich outlined was waving in the wind and when he yelled the description of the flag heard the reply "The Lich" at which point everyone took their positions on deck awaiting the worst.
Repairs had been made yet the Phantom would have to engage the Lich and they were outmanned and outgunned. Now it was time to see if the training Boris had tried to instill in the crew would pay off. What the Phantom lacked in cannons and manpower they would make up with speed, discipline, and war maneuvers as Boris had taught the crew all these traits in this last year when he had been named first mate of the Phantom. The engagement became a game of cat an mouse that lasted into the night, the Phantom barely managing to stay out of the Lich's canon fire. After a long while, an opening allowed the Phantom to swing toward the back of the Lich and fire the four-port side cannons. The first volley exploded the Lich's captains quarters, the second broke their main mast. Captain Roca smiled at Boris, seeing their cunning have such a huge payoff. It was time to make decision: let the listing pirate ship flounder or board it. Before a command could be given, a silver streak of reflected moonlight bolted over the Phantom and continued on towards the Lich. Fire erupted among the pirates on its deck. The crew whispered, "'tis the Sea Goddess!" The dragon disappeared as quickly as she had appeared, fading into the moonlight. Even so, Boris heard a whisper, "take that ship and make her yours. I have looked out for you since you were left at the orphanage, and one day will share your true heritage. For now let them fear you for they will know the Sea Goddess protects you." The whisper faded into a mental image of a black flack emblazoned with a silver dragon. Boris knew a pirate had been born.