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Friday, December 13, 2013

Today's #flashfiction #TheTerrifyingPurplebeard

“That's a brain teaser.”
Igor* #quote


       While taking our daily walk father and I saw a guy practicing tight-rope walking in the park we go through. This is the second day we've seen him. He ties the rope between two trees so that it hangs low to the ground when he walks on it. He seems to be doing decent. I wish 'em luck to mastering it.

The Terrifying Purplebeard

       The human prince kept laughing and laughing. He kicked his legs like a child in a tantrum since he was laughing so hard. They tied him to the bottom of the wood column holding up the ship's sail and through no intention of his own he may just wiggle free of his bindings. Except one pirate crew member tightened the knot. The tighter ropes would probably ruin the delicate white royal outfit that cost more than some houses. A hefty price tag does come with magic fabric that hides the blemishes on the wearer's skin. Because of this outfit his ink-black skin looked like an artist carved it from marble.
      “How dare you laugh at me,” the elf pirate captain yelled at him. “I am the feared Captain Purplebeard! I'm a terror of the seas that causes nightmares in even the bravest of sailors! My ship is imbued with magic that lets it travel faster than any other and travel through worlds!” He smiled, “All cast by myself, a wizard of the highest caliber, the best the elven race can produce. People faint from fear when they even hear the name Purplebeard. Why don't you foolish human?”
         The prince laughed. “It's because you've got that beard!” He took a few deep breaths before continuing, “I've always seen elves take their different colored hair, make it long and pretty, and even braid it, and here I see you, with a beard. It's hilarious!”
       “You find my beard funny? The elf captain clenched his fist. The beard was full and thick, like Santa Claus's, and his otherwise his other hair was messy and long. It often covered the incredibly high class captain's outfit he wore. “Many elves don't want to have beards so they don't look like me! Ignorant boy! Remember our lifespan...I've lived for two hundred years making an elf with a beard a symbol of death for 150 of them.”
The prince laughed. “I'm sorry I can't help it.”
       “I'm starting to debate whether you're worth the ransom money.”
        The prince kept chuckling as a fleet of ships started to surround Purplebeard's ship. Then the prince stopped laughing.
       “So what made you stop laughing wise guy?” Purplebeard saw the ships, he first assumed that he must have stopped laughing because the rescue party came, but the prince seemed more distressed.
        “Those are elvish royal ships. They wouldn't be the ones to deliver ransom.”
Purplebeard realized his error. “No, we let them get close so they could deliver ransom!”
The elvish ships cared more about killing Purplebeard, the menace to their lands, than anything else. They shot up the ship immediately.
        And so the terrifying Purplebeard did his only good deed on the high seas during his final moments as his proud and powerful ship began sinking to the depths. As it was sinking the Purplebeard released the prince and placed him on a lifeboat. He knew that the prince would be the only one saved if caught. Him and his crew would be tortured and put to death.

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