Octavius

• Andrew Samuel, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2014

The sky ship Kransky flew across the cloud strewn sky, steam streaming from her engines, emitting the obvious sounds of clockwork in motion. As Captain Sausage shouted commands:
"HOIST THE SAILS! FILL THE OVEN! BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES! WHERE IS THAT DAMMED OCTAVIUS?"
young Privateer Octavius snoozed, completely oblivious to the attack of the Spanish Armada. Oblivious until a cannonball whizzed past his nose, singeing his epic Mo.

“Great balls of fire!” Octavius sluggishly emerged from his bed, donning his tricorne hat and scarf. Once he reached the deck, he noticed the captain growling. He stealthily crept past Sausage, but to no avail.
"Octavius, what took you so long?" Sausage growled. "Never mind. I need my best gunman. MAN THE CANNONS! FIGHT FOR KING KRANSKY’S GLORY!"

Octavius flinched at these words. The King was a gulping fool who cared about nothing but his precious gold. He taxed the people heavily, and left them with little more to eat than a slice of bread. A MONTH! Things were made worse by their horrible working conditions. Work began at five, and many died each year from the effects of the putrid smog. They risked life and limb to make the sky ships, steam trains and steam automobiles that the rich enjoyed.

Although they were literally dragged from the streets and forced to do their King’s bidding, sky privateers had certain privileges. All of their relatives were treated like aristocrats and they enjoyed a plentiful and varied diet, at least when they were at home. Sausage was a perfect example of the overprivileged privateer. A glutton, with an insatiable appetite for beer and rum, Sausage practically ate and drank as much in a day as a common villager ate in a lifetime. Some privateers were treated as close friends of King Kransky, close enough to kill him. Octavius sighed with satisfaction as he pictured his sword piercing Kransky's flesh, bringing an end to his reign of terror.
"WHAT ARE YOU DREAMING ABOUT YOUNGSTER? GET TO WORK!"
Octavius exhaled slowly, and set to work.

Octavius had always been a good shot, even as a child playing toy steam constructed from spare parts discarded by the factory. He always hit his target and today was no exception. He concentrated his fire on the hull of the massive airship Santa Maria. Two shots from his cannon were enough to down the ship, as hundreds of Spanish curses filled the air. Octavius almost flinched at the captain's words
"GOOD RIDDANCE SPANISH SCUM! AARRGH!"
Octavius left his station, ran to Sausage and almost fainted. Although he was an egocentric fatty, Sausage was a good, honest man, and Octavius grieved to see him dying from wounds inflicted by a stray Spanish bullet.
"Sorry...kid..I..guess...I...was...too...reckless....first.....mate......dead..too. I ..think..you...are....best...man...for...job...I'm...sorry.........,"
and then he died.

Despite his sadness, Octavius smiled as his dreams came true. H.M.S.S. Kransky was the kingdom’s most revered privateer ship. As its captain he would be frequently called into King Kransky’s presence. He could and would kill King Kransky.