When the pirate ship appeared, the crew prepared to repel boarders. The captain rubbed hands together solicitously and begged my assistance as a traveling mage. He couldn’t afford me, but I made an exception.
As the ship drew alongside, a cry went up among the superstitious defenders. The derelict vessel was crawling with skeletal horrors!
While the crew panicked, I looked for the necromancer. He was standing on the rotted forecastle, directing his puppets. I called forth a great wave and swamped the ship, knocking the pirates into the water.
Undead pirates are terrible to behold, but skeletons can’t swim.

“Pirate” by ~Sincere Stock~ is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Everyday Drabbles © 2025 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0