The Tail of Thorns

The call rang out from the crow’s nest. “Two ships spotted! Both flyin’ the colors of the Kaokuro Empire!”

As word of the sighting spread across the ship, the deck began to teem with the sailors on board. Escorted by two warships, the ship christened The Star-Bound Bounty hailed from the Empire of Thorns, and carried with it a mission of grave importance. Those onboard were proud members of the Dodeeja race, a species of evolved rodents resembling bipedal rats. The Empire of Thorns was heralded as the most advanced among those in the known world.

The Star-Bound Bounty rolled up its sails, and slowed to a crawl until it met on Port-Side with the ship sent by the Kaokuro Empire, the Fleur de Mer, and her sailors began to secure planks between the ships. It was escorted by a single warship, though neither side anticipated trouble.

Members of the Ri’pado, a species of advanced humanoid hares, stood upon the deck of the other ship, their long ears and short tails dramatized by frilly attire.

A dodeeja dressed in the finery of a noble stood up before the main plank that connected the ships. His outfit with mostly in greens and blacks, the colors of his kingdom, and was topped off with a short but elegantly curved hat. He tugged at his whiskers and cleared his throat before unfurling a long parchment. “By the decree of King Jaojin Dujada Do’uzzan, and by the signing of the Trade Agreement between our Lord and the glorious Queen Galencia Torimay which was observed during the dawn of the 4th of Summer in the grand port city of Kun’doajjee…” he paused, and took note of the sudden fog. A quandary to him, when endless clear skies were seen only moments ago. “The Empire of Thorns christened ship The Star-Bound Bounty will hereby unload its cargo of gold into the care of the Kaokuro Empire in exchange for their cargo of grain, wheat, jerky meats, and sun-dried fruits upon this, the 63rd of Fall in the seas between our two nations.”

The Kaokuro Ambassador called out from his ship, “What trickery is this, dodeeja?”

The dodeeja ambassador looked around him, as the mist thickened to the point where he could only see the blurry silhouettes of his brethren around him. “This magic is not of our making!”

The response was interrupted as the mist lit up a violent red, accompanied by three thunderous explosions. The seas roused in turmoil, throwing both of the ships with crashing waves. The planks connecting the ships were scattered into the ocean, and the ambassador stumbled back, barely keeping his footing.

The mists parted, pushed away by an unseen force. The crews stared in awe and disbelief, as the escorting warships from both empires were gone! In their place remained only floating debris: Cracked wooden planks, tattered sails, and lifeless corpses littered the swiftly rolling waves.

Not far away, a massive vessel loomed. It wore crimson paint with blackened edges, and its dark grey sails were tugged by the wind upon each of the three masts. The black flag strung upon the main mast fluttered in the breeze and prominently displayed the red symbol of twin daggers.

“Battle stations!” the Star Bound Bounty’s captain cried, as confusion and panic struck the crew. With their warships demolished, many of them were terrified of what possible chance the lightly equipped cargo ship could stand against the massive pirate vessel. They unfurled their sails, but it was as if the wind had been stolen away. The captain’s gut wrenched with dread.

As the pirates drew closer, the waters around the Fleur de Mer began to swirl. The ship spun uncontrollably, and its bow crashed into the Star-Bound Bounty’s port-side. The cries of the crew being knocked off of the ship overlapped with the screams of those already in the violent waters.

Red lights burned the deck of the Fleur de Mer, drawn in long bright patterns. As these lights passed under panicking ri’pado, they fell to the ground screaming, as their feet were ripped apart from the dread magic, painting the planks in their spattered blood. The lights converged on the forward mast, and a bright red eruption of energy threw more of the crew overboard as the mast itself fell forward and tangled in the fabric and ropes of the Star-Bound Bounty’s canopies.

The crew abandoned ship in panic, but those who dove overboard found themselves boiled alive by waters that burned with magical energy.

As the Star Bound Bounty’s captain tried to assess the situation, he looked upon the pirate vessel. It loomed larger and larger above him, and the ocean’s waves were becoming taller than castle towers. His attempts to make sense of the situation ended in vain, as a bright flash of light clouded his vision.

The waters calmed, and the fog dispersed completely. Boiled corpses littered the sea where both ships had been, but there was no woodwork left to be seen. The pirate ship turned its sails eastward to make way back to home port.

So ended the trade between the two empires on the 63rd of Fall, 205 P.D.

An old dodeeja in a dark green cowl sat in a dimly lit room far below the deck of the pirate ship, and with his gnarled hand wrote delicately in ink with a quail quill. His words were crisp and clear to read, and were written upon the back of the parchment once found in the hands of the noble working for the Empire of Thorns. Satisfied with his accomplishment, he rolled the parchment up and tied it with a red cord to a decorative hand-sized purple bag which was labeled “Star-Bound Bounty.”

***

A year passed by… and both empires ended up at attrition with one another. Both sides blamed one another, but neither one was willing to expend the resources to attack the other, especially after decades of peaceful relations before this. The Kaokuro Empire was bitter about the loss of gold, but the Empire of Thorns and the dodeeja residing in the vast yet crowded land of Dodanjuka would be hit with harsh rationing, and an especially cold winter.