War Of The Seas

• Ashlea Broadbent, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2019

“Get off my ship, Pistol, or I’ll shred your ugly face!”.
Fidget growled at his opponent, his cream-coloured fur spiking. His captain, Zoe, spat out more insults and threats at her lifelong enemy Pistol, who had attacked their ship, claiming they had catnapped his daughter. This was not true, because Nimona had asked for their help, but Pistol would not listen to reasoning.
“Let my daughter go and I’ll reconsider”, the black and white tom hissed back.
“Stop! Dad, stop!”, Nimona rushed out from below deck in a tortoiseshell blur, “I asked Zoe to help me. I don’t want to be a pirate. I’ve chosen my part of the story and it includes someone who's not you”.
“What?”.
“I-I was going to run away with Paxton”. Nimona looked at the ground.
“How dare you! What makes you think that fish- faced kitten is better than me?”, yelled Pistol, slicing his claws across Nimona’s face.
Fidget, Zoe and his best friends Owlet and Jinx, jumped in to stop him. Zoe and Jinx pounced on Pistol while Fidget and Owlet shielded their friend.
“Nimona should be given a chance to find love, Pistol. I know I would support my daughter in a situation like this”, Zoe mewed, glancing at her daughter Jinx.
“You can protect my daughter, but I want to see if you can protect yours! Daystorm, attack!”. Cats closed in on each other from all sides, yowling and screeching.
Fidget stood back to back with Owlet and Jinx, slicing ears and kicking chests.
The oak-wood deck of the Nightstar was soon splattered with blood.
“Fidget! Mum needs help!”, Jinx coughed out to him.
The two pelted across to fray to where Pistol had Zoe backed against the railing. Jinx’s mother was still standing strong, her left metallic arm slashing at Pistol’s fur like a knife through butter.
“Mum!”, called out Jinx, her brown and white tabby fur rippling as she jumped over a pair of fighting cats. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Fidget noticed a cannon fire from the Daystorm, it’s kylon blast heading straight for Jinx.
Everything seemed to slow down.
Fidget leapt onto Jinx, pulling her down to the deck. The blast exploded past Pistol and Zoe, knocking them both over the railing. Zoe sliced her claws across Pistol’s neck, then turned to smile at Jinx, just as she disappeared beneath the churning water.
“No!”.
The cats around them had stopped fighting, waiting to see if anyone’s head poked up.
No one’s did.
Nimona padded up to Jinx and bowed her head.
“The Daystorm is grateful for you to be our captain”.
“Really?”, asked Jinx.
Fidget placed the captain’s hat on her head, then nudged her cheek. “Yes”.
“Well… I want to finish what my mother started”, began Jinx, “Tomorrow Carter’s forces will try to destroy every last piece of freedom Paxton gave us. So tomorrow, I want us to fight. For our freedom!”.