The Black Star by Allan Deya (books for 9th graders txt) 📖

his attack power.

The spaces between the teeth are what had trapped the momentum of his blades. He took a deep breath and waited; he knew better than to make any sudden moves. They were in a standoff.

She wouldn’t dare try and draw back; she was leaning forward precariously, and though the pivot added to the power of her charge, withdrawing would leave her open to any number of attacks.

Jon could also not venture an inch because the slightest change in position or power would send the claw straight into his chest. It was taking all he had to just keep it from advancing as it was.

The standoff would continue only as long as each could hold their ground and though his leg irked him considerably he knew that the angle at which the girl was leaning had to be more troublesome. It was just a matter of time; whether he lost too much blood and with it consciousness before she felt the effects of gravity remained to be seen.

Brechin watched the emotions play across the man’s face. She was impressed; it took him a few short seconds, maybe 20 or 30- she couldn’t tell exactly as the position she was in had started to annoy her, to work out what took most people at least 2 to 3 minutes. By which time they would be breathing their last.

Jon turned to face the girl just as she spoke to him. “You have been a worthy opponent.”

“Likewise little one.” He said and meant it.

“Yet I regret that I must bring this to an end, I cannot keep the captain waiting too much longer.”

Jon would have thought that it was just plain bravado on her part but having seen her play across the deck, play against him he knew better. Though he could not see just how she intended to end their stalemate he knew she could certainly do it.

He heard it before he saw it and his eye turned just in time to see her left hand fly from behind her with a speed unlike anything he had ever seen and barely managed to duck out of the intended path.

Thought it did not go through his neck the blade still met the solid mass of his right shoulder. It must have hit something because Jon’s hand suddenly became listless and the sword in his right hand clattered to the ground and when she turned the claw the degree of the ache was so intense it caused Jon to drop to his knees.

Dropping the blade in his left arm he brought it up to his right shoulder hoping to ease some of the pressure off the wound. Brechin raised the other claw and angled in for a decapitating blow.


chapter NINETEEN

Jon looked up at her and the only thought in his head was -after an illustrious career on the sea, I am to be felled by a child no older than my sister Martha’s first born.

Jonti turned away; he knew this was a part of growing up. It was a pre- requisite for joining the crew but he never wanted to see that particular moment; when one traded innocence for a life of murder and pillaging. It was necessary, he knew but that still did not stop him loathing it.

He was going to walk away, he should have walked away but he stole a glance at the woman who’d earlier snuck up on him. Her features were stricken; in a way that had he not felt a catch every time he glanced at her soft features would have been funny.

He stared just long enough to see the tears glistening in her eyes and the scream that could not get past the terror lodged in her throat. He felt bad, more for himself than for the man about to be struck down; it was apparent she cared for the man.

The feeling that elicited in him was foreign; Jonti was not prone to jealousy, he had never had cause for it. Yet looking at the tears on the woman’s face and the anguish wrenching at the heart she held in her trembling hand he felt it and though he did not much care for it, it wasn’t’t an altogether unwelcome feeling.

“Stop them please.”She pleaded, and though her eyes were fixed on the scene playing out before them, even though the words were barely above a whisper, Jonti had no doubt they were meant for him.

“Impossible!”He told her just as quietly. “I gave my word not to interfere with the duel.”

“You would make a murderer of a child this age? You are a worse monster than I feared.”

Jonti looked at her, took his time to really look at her. He saw the fancy clothes covering the healthy body underneath. Her posture was one of power, her very bearing screaming a life of privilege.

He knew she had no idea what really went on in the world; she was sheltered from the ills of those around her, protected from the ghastly and unthinkable. He thought about telling her that and realized words would make little difference.

“Cap’n.” Kamal called.

“Handle whatever it is K.” Jonti said facing his ship.

“Cap’n.”Kamal called again making Jonti pause, his first mate rarely ever interrupted him while conversing and e definitely never hesitated to carry out an order, not in front of the crew.

“She be crying Cap’n, Brechin is breaking.”


chapter TWENTY

Rushing towards the little girl, Jonti could tell that though her arm was about to deliver the death blow to her opponent, Brechin was no longer with them. She was in a world of her own; recalling her past happiness, recounting her losses, reliving her pain.

Ending a life with such heavy thoughts would just not do. Brechin’s speed was incredible but the captain’s was godlike; before the blade got to it’s intended victim Jonti had yanked her off her feet and drew her across the deck as Kamal dragged the wounded marine away.

“I’m sorry uncle J, I really wanted to do it, for them, for you.”
“Hush child. You fought well, better than I would have imagined. You have been paying close attention. Not being able to take a life is not a weakness, it's strength and one you should be proud of baby.”
“But I wanted to join the crew so bad, I just wanted…”

“The battle proves that you are meant to join us, there is no doubt that you definitely belong on the Black Star. You will get the chance to seal that soon, just don’t rush it, let it come to you; not everyone can take a life on their first attempt.”

“But you did Uncle J, the first time and you were younger, much younger.” Brechin said as the strain of the battle took over and caused her to pass out.

“Difference is I had no choice baby girl.”

“Sir?”One of the deckhands called and Jonti knew the crew was awaiting his orders.

“Sack it and then sink it, leave no trace that it ever existed.”

“The crew?”

“Throw them overboard, give them enough food to last them a week. The rest we will leave to fate.”

“And him?”

Jonti needn’t have looked; he knew they were speaking of Jon, “Him you can kill.”

“No, you mustn’t! ”Marian shrieked.

“I take it you presume you can tell me how to run my crew because I chose to show a little mercy to this bunch of lowlifes?”

“You speak of giving your word and of honour but where is the honour in what you are doing?”

The look Jonti threw her was dark and dangerous; nobody ever questioned his code of honour. Even in those times, turbulent as they were he kept a strict check on the conduct of his crew.

“You would have killed them all, Jon included wouldn’t you?”

“Had he won and taken the life of my charge, I would have let him live jus as dictated by the rules of a proper duel.”

For some reason Marian was certain the man spoke the truth, had Jon won against the little girl he would have been released.

“But in my grief I would personally have slaughtered the rest of the crew.”

That, Marian was also certain, was not an empty threat.

“Then I will make you a deal pirate.”She informed him in a far braver voice than she was feeling.

“I am listening.” Jonti informed her, curious to hear what she would offer for the man’s life.

“Allow Jon to live, let him leave with the rest of the crew and I will come with you of my own free will.”

“And what value pray tell would your joining my crew provide?”

“Surely sir you cannot be that daft!”She told him rather too fast. “In this day and age you must feel the change set in; the navies of the world grow stronger in terms of military power and less afraid of pirates.”

“So what exactly are you proposing.” The captain asked a smirk on his face.

“You will shortly need a body that could negotiate on behalf of your people. You must have heard of the revolution in the western waters?”

“Unlike the trash that don pirate insignia in the west seas and go around murdering and raping for creature comforts, the Sundance pirates have a much loftier goal and we would as soon die as make a deal with devils.”

“Aye!”The crew shouted from wherever they stood.

The man had said it matter of factly, not like the utterances of a mad man but rather the conviction of a leader and the way his people went back to their tasks after that declaration left no doubt that they would live and die by those very words.

“I offer myself to you,” Marian said desperately, “For whatever you deem me fit, just let the man live. He is one of the few men of valour the world has left.”

“Cap’n,”Kamal said. “One life is as good as another and besides if you take out all the strong ones very soon we will have no one to play with.”

Jonti was quiet as he thought about it. He looked first to the woman, then to his first mate and then to the unconscious body on his shoulder before turning his gaze to Jon.

“Killing one with potential as yourself would be the smart thing to do; it would save me a headache in the future. But then that would make me out to be a coward, wouldn’t it; nipping a threat in the bud.”

Turning to Kamal he gestured at Marian and launched himself off the marine vessel with a last remark.

“I have never been a coward and I certainly haven’t ever been called smart.”

“Milady.” Kamal bowed as he scooped Marian up like a mere pebble and headed to the side of the boat.

He stopped a moment to address Jon. “Your life has been spared by the impassioned plea of this wench; I will allow you a moment to say your goodbyes.”

Jon and Marian both knew what her actions meant. By the code of the sea, if one offered their life in place of another there was no reason for anyone to go looking for them or start a war because of them.

The two locked eyes; in her eyes was the