«While youre thinking, your sword will become a warrior in your place,» she joked.
«Fly back to me!» Patricia commanded, but the sword wouldnt obey her. Maybe its a good thing. Its more useful in battle. If he wants to fight, let him fight. Its even more convenient for her. She can save her own energy.
Patricias crew only managed to sink a couple of Opals ships, and there are dozens more. What kind of valuable cargo are they carrying? The King of Opal probably sent them to war. Their equipment is just perfect for war.
Patricia noticed a magical creature aboard the flagship. Its probably the reason they cant use magic to win a battle. Everyone knows how powerful wizards work for the King of Opal. The graceful peri in her oriental garb resembled a piece of jewelry rather than a warrior. The wings behind her slender back seemed to be made of multicolored mist. Precious pendants hung from her belt and jingled with every movement, like a dancers. Among these pendants were vials containing poison. Surely Patricia knew of Peris cunning.
Peri noticed it too and grinned slyly. Patricia would give anything to capture the ethereal creature and teach it a lesson. Is it possible to kill a peri? Theyre supposed to be immortal.
The peri walked along the side of the boat, then flew over the deck where the fight was going on. What was she up to?
«Theres another fairy on board besides her,» Netopyrina determined. «She is the one blocking the magic of our ship.»
«Is it just one fairy?»
«We have to get her,» Netopyrina showed her sharp claws. «Ill interrogate her.»
«We dont need prisoners. The ship feeds only on the blood of the slain.»
«The only way to capture a magical creature is to take it prisoner, and the ship will be spared.»
«How do we not get captured? Am I seeing double, or is Opals fleet multiplying?»
Patricia couldnt tell if it was magic or optical trickery. Or maybe the black ships growing behind the fleet were ghost ships?
Suddenly, multicolored fins flashed in the water between the ships, and a hypnotizing singing sounded. The mermaids had come to help. If it werent for them, Opals fleet could not have been sunk. The tailed maidens proved to be aggressive and powerful. They summoned a kraken that encircled the Opals ships with all its tentacles. The cocky peris face stretched in disappointment. This was a turn of events she had not expected. She herself had barely managed to escape the krakens tentacles, and that was only because she could fly.
«As long as youre on the water, youre lucky,» the flying peri grinned predatorily. «And what will be not on the water?»
The mermaids were triumphant. Their whole flock swirled around the drowning shipwrecks on the water.
«All the valuables that you have not managed to drag on board, we get!» The mermaid in the most bizarre crown made the stipulation. She is probably the leader of the mermaid pack.
Patricia nodded in agreement. Her sword returned to her. It was a good thing it could fly like a steel bird. The sword had drunk so much blood that it would not fight again. The gargoyles, too, had turned back into fancy brass ornaments on the sides, but if there was a battle again, they would come to life again and rush into battle.
Peri had long since flown away, and the trail of iridescent mist left by her wings still hung over the sea. She would report what had happened to the King of Opal. Well, good! Let him know of the avenger who had recruited a team of foulness, and tremble. Theyre equals now. Patricia is no longer a weak little pussycat, but a pirate.
Her monstrous crew was hauling barrels and chests from the sinking flagship. The mermaids were writhing in displeasure.
«All the riches that have sunk are rightfully theirs,» Netopyrina explained. «That is the law of the sea. What sank went to the treasury of the sea king or the sea queens. In this case, they are the Princesses.»
«I thought they were princesses.»
«Do you tell by the crowns?» Netopyrina grinned.
«Well, yes. And you need to determine by the color of the mermaids tail?»
«Be quiet, or they will take offense and make a storm to flood us.»
«Why on earth would they want to help me? I didnt even call them,» Patricia marveled.
«They probably dont like the King of Opal either. Ever since the dragon burned one of the sea queens, they cant stand all strong wizards.»
«Is the dragon a strong wizard?»
«Dragons are prone to greed and to magic,» Nethopyrina weighed on her clawed palm a gold coin that had rolled out of a chest brought aboard by a goblin.
Patricia breathed in a full breath of fresh sea air. This is a triumph! She had won! How gratifying is it to watch the goblins working as porters and the sinking ships of the enemy.
Patricia felt very lucky until one goblin hefted a sack glistening from within onto a pile of barrels and chests. Was there really fire in the sack? Or is it a firebird?
«Oh, they have taken a prisoner!» The delighted Netopyrina flapped her wings joyfully.
The bag shone brighter and vibrated.
«The captive fairy is trying to free herself,» said the bog lady.
«Is there really a fairy in the bag?»
«Apparently, there was no cage on the Opals ships, so they put her in the sack.»
«Cant we throw her overboard?»
«It wont sink.»
«Then what are we going to do with her?» Patricia was as frightened of the fairy as death itself. She knew what fairies were capable of when they served to the King of Opal. If we dont get rid of the sack, the fairy will enslave the entire crew. She must have a talent for mass hypnosis and could mesmerize the whole crew for a while, fly up behind the wheel of the ship and drive it straight to her employer the king. And thus all the dashing pirates will be captured by the magician. They could be collected from the deck while still sleepy and taken to the dungeons.
«Interrogate her,» advised Netopyrina. The crew was also waiting for orders.
Patricia did not want to talk to the cunning fairy from Opal, but there was nowhere to go.
A fairy hostage
There was no worse trophy than a fairy. She sang and summoned spells. She had to gag her. The dunghill weaved a cage of gray charms. Theyre stronger than iron bars.
Patricia knew that the fairy was an agent of the King of Opal and could contact him from a distance, but Netopyrina blocked her. How useful it is to have a fairy bat of your own!
The captive fairy, on the other hand, was a massive inconvenience. Everything shook and rang near her, and objects flew in the air.
«Stop it! You wont get free,» Patricia shouted at her.
The fairy gave her a sinister smile that made her blood run cold. The dagger, forgotten by someone, flew into the air and swooped down on Patricia like a bird of steel.
While Patricia fought back, the fairy managed to summon a storm. The ship rocked from side to side.
There was no end to the captive fairys mischief. The sharp objects began to attack, the ropes twisted into loops and tried to kill the whole crew, and compasses, maps, and telescopes were dancing in the air. This continued until Zeligena and Netopyrina conspired and began to block the fairy together.
Thats when the captive beauty felt a severe headache. Her iridescent eyes blurred. The large spotted wings that made her look like a butterfly sagged.
«Take her into the hold with the cage and lock her in there,» Netopyrina ordered.
Patricia ignored the fact that the assistant had taken over as captain. To save herself from the fairys antics, she could give the ships command to the devil for a while.
«Wouldnt it be better to throw her overboard?» Patricia asked hesitantly.
«She could start a mutiny in the Underwater Kingdom. That would be undiplomatic. The mermaids would remember such evil.»