First fight of the day

"Well James, moving on." Rick says. "That there is the barracks you'll be sleepin in there, over there is the middle deck that's where all the cannons ammo and powder is."

"Oi that the new guy?" A guy with a weird accent asks.

"Yes Vinny it is."

"Why hello lad names Vinny from the roots of Germa Kingdom good and proud of it I am."

"Hi I'm James" I say holding my hand out for a shake.

"We got a young feller here but he still knows proper manners. how old you are I'd say about 9." Vinny says grabbing my hand with a strong grip. "Listen here kid." He says leaning in close whispering my ear. "I ain't very nice if you come in my kitchen and mess with my stuff hear me?"

"What?" I say confused by the sudden hatred in his voice.

"Ah hell you wouldn't do that though would you? Doesn't matter what matters is feeding you and the crew it's almost lunchtime better be hungry." He says in the cheery mood he was in earlier.

"What's for lunch Vin?" Rick asks.

"I tell you many times to stop callin me Vin yet you keep doin it just for that not gonna tell you."

"Oh please it's a joke Vin."

"Shut up!" Vinny says. "I'm makin lunch and spitten in yours."

Rick laughs a little when Vinny's gone.

"He don't like it when I call him Vin always makes me laugh. I don't think he minds it so far he hasn't killed me. He always makes the best food though gotta give him that."

"Have you two known each other for a while?" I ask.

"Since I was 5 him 3. Been callin him Vin since he was 4 always screamed at me for it and made a big deal."

"So you guys are close?" I ask.

"Yeah I like to think of him as my brother. Taken care of him since he was 7 after his mom died." Rick says. "His mom taught him to cook when he was big enough to hold a knife."

"CAPTAIN CAPTAIN!" Someone came running. "Hey new guy I'm Jonas but this is important where's Chris, Rick?"

"What's goin on?" Rick says looking around.

"Just tell me where the damn captain is!" Jonas says breathing hard.

"I think he went over to the hall for some lunch, we can help what's the news?"

"Two marine ships battle ready south side about 8 minutes before contact."

"HOLY!" Rick says scrambing "James if you see the captain tell him, got it?"

"Yeah I got it." I say running to the captain's quarters. "CAPTAIN CAPTAIN!" I yell pounding on the door. 'Not here.' I think to myself before running around.

"James? James was that you?" Chris says.

"Captain? Yeah captain, Jonas said two marine ships battle ready south side." I say out of breath.

"Well James your about to get your first taste of combat and assignment on the 'Barbarian.'" The captain walks out on a balcony overlooking the upper deck of the ship. "MEN GET READY FOR THE FIRST FIGHT OF THE DAY!" The captain yells with a smile on his face. The crew cheers and pull out their swords and put them all in one big clump before yelling "BARBARIANS" and running to the middle deck. "James go with them to the middle deck and start getting bags of powder to the men understand?"

"Yes captain!" I say before running down the stairs as fast as I can. I run down the stairs to the middle deck and see chaos people are screaming holding onto chains and ramming the powder and cannon balls into the cannons.

"HOLD UNTIL MY SIGNAL!" Rick yells. "JAMES GET OUTA HERE!"

"But the captain said I should help." I say.

"You can't and i'm the captain on the middle deck get the hell out of the middle deck." Rick says pointing to the door.

"Fine." I say walking out of the door.

"THEY'RE TURNING BROADSIDE OPEN PORTS NOW!" Rick yells yanking on his own chain.

"PORT 17 JAMMED!"

"15 DOWN!" a guy sitting down yells.

"FIRE AT WILL!" Rick yells. Then a secession of cannon fire emerges not from the 'Barbarian' but from the marine ship. Immediately after the 'Barbarian' opens up.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!" Rick yells before the ship gets hit.

"WHAT'S THE DAMAGE?"

"One hole leaking water, two other holes no other damage and no casualties sir." A man says in a very calm voice.

"PATCH IT UP THEN!" Rick yells. "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING!? FOR KEEP FIRING!" The cannons fire nonstop and damage reports keep flooding in.

"3 holes leaking water."

"SHIP DOWN, SHIP DOWN!" Rick yells. "TELL THE CAPTAIN TO TURN THE SHIP AROUND JAMES!"

"Yes sir!" And I run up the stairs and see holes on the deck. Weaving past them I make it up to the stairs. 'Crap.' I think to myself seeing half the stairwell blown apart. "CAPTAIN, CAPTAIN!" I yell. "CAPTAIN!" Still no answer.

"CHRIS!"

"WHO THE HELL CALLED ME CHRIS!?" The captain yells running out the door.

"Captain, Rick needs the ship turned around." I say.

"Well dammit why didn't you tell me!"

"I TRIED!" I say. Chris turns grabs the wheel throwing it clockwise. Cannons are still firing and cannon balls are whizzing past us hitting parts of the ship.

"JAMES GET BACK TO MIDDLE DECK NOW!" Chris yells. I don't think twice before turning around and running down the stairs to get to the middle deck. The ship makes a sharp turn when I'm going down the stairs causing me to tumble around and fall down the last half of the stairs.

"Take a break guys. We ain't done though." A loud crashing sound makes it's way to the ship bringing a cannon ball with it.

"PORTS 4-10 HIT!"

"WATER LEAKING FAST!"

"RETURN FIRE DAMMIT!" Rick yells firing a cannon.

"FIRE WE GOT A FIRE!" Someone yells grabbing a bucket and splashing it on a flame starting to spread around the middle deck.

"IF YOU AREN'T FIRING A CANNON MOVE WOUNDED AND POWDER BAGS!" People immediately start moving grabbing groaning men and dragging them to the stairs. I grab a powder bag and drag it with everything I have to the stairs.

Cannons are still firing and Rick is yelling out orders and firing his own cannon. "DIRECT HIT SHIP GOING DOWN!" Rick yells laughing.

"Finally!" Someone else says.

"I want half of you to pack up the cannons and lower the shades. James that includes you." Rick says before going up the captains quarters.

"Ay James is the name then. I'm Lenny good to meet ya." Lenny says pulling a cannon into little notches in the deck of the ship. "Cannons go here doubt you're gonna be able to pull them though." Lenny says pointing to the notches in the floor. "Cannons are heavy I can hardly pull this thing." He said pulling a third cannon into the notches.

I grab a little handle attached to a rope on the back of the cannon and pulled. My feet slide out from under me and I fall.

"Look behind you." Lenny says in between laughs, I do and see a little bump on the floor. "Heels go on it like this." Lenny says showing me how to do it. "Then you squat down a little." I repeat everything he says. "Lean back until your arms are locked out and PULL!" Lenny says thrusting his legs and curling his arms. The cannon wheels creak and move a little when the cannon goes into the notches and comes to a stop. "Then you unwrap the chain and you're done." Lenny says when the shade slams to the boat covering the cannon port.

I get ready and pull with everything I have trying to get the cannon to move even a little.

"Look at this!" People say laughing at me.

"Can't be a pirate if you can't pull a cannon." I throw the handle to the ground before grabbing corners of a gunpowder bag and dragging it bringing it to the rest of the bags.

I look at the fire being suppressed by 5 men throwing bucket after bucket of water on it until it's nothing but smoke.

"Get the repair team and get those guys to the medical deck." Rick says coming back down the stairs. "Captain says we aren't eatin lunch until the ships fixed so get on it!"

"Yes sir!" The crew says in unison before putting men on planks and carrying them somewhere on the ship.

"Never had this much damage to the ship. To many new guys they don't listen and pull the chains a little which reveals that there's hidden cannons. Captain says that every new guy has to go through a class on how to run the ship and listen to orders. That includes you." Rick says walking away. "Oh forgot to say, this class isn't going to be hard just listen to the teacher and you'll be fine."