Boat Race
I wrote this to aldersprig's eleventh prompt.
Vann, also called Uisge, was waiting for the boats. He understood races and winning. Also the things some people would do to win and how much they would pay, which was why he was here now. Lurking below the water’s surface with extended claws and fins. Being careful to do only what he was paid to do.
The boat he wasn’t to touch was marked with stripes below the water line. There were ten others to play with though and he was going to have so much fun.
The striped hull was nowhere near him yet and the leader had a pretty blue keel. Vann broke it. The helmsman said afterwards that it had felt like they were hitting a whale.
Two more boats down the leading flank said the same thing and then, for variation, he batted the fourth one’s rudder and it turned sharply into one of its competitors, fouling and cracking the fifth vessel. A crewman fell overboard from one of the boats but Vann was being paid for this so he didn’t stop to eat but moved on to the next marker.
The boat he wasn’t to hurt was coming second now so he took out the third placed boat with a claw to its rudder cable. He chuckled at the swearing he could hear from boat above then moved into position beyond the last marker.
The striped hulled boat was neck and neck with a white hulled one as they raced towards the finish line and, deciding to be subtle, Vann latched onto the white hull with his claws and extended his fins for as much drag as possible. The striped hulled boat drew ahead and crossed the finish line first. His job done, Vann let go of its competitor and swam away. His payment would be waiting for him or the one who’d hired him would feel his wrath.
It was odd though. He hadn’t been hired by the boat’s owner or a member of its crew. He’d been hired by someone called a sponsor. He would have to find out what that meant.
Vann, also called Uisge, was waiting for the boats. He understood races and winning. Also the things some people would do to win and how much they would pay, which was why he was here now. Lurking below the water’s surface with extended claws and fins. Being careful to do only what he was paid to do.
The boat he wasn’t to touch was marked with stripes below the water line. There were ten others to play with though and he was going to have so much fun.
The striped hull was nowhere near him yet and the leader had a pretty blue keel. Vann broke it. The helmsman said afterwards that it had felt like they were hitting a whale.
Two more boats down the leading flank said the same thing and then, for variation, he batted the fourth one’s rudder and it turned sharply into one of its competitors, fouling and cracking the fifth vessel. A crewman fell overboard from one of the boats but Vann was being paid for this so he didn’t stop to eat but moved on to the next marker.
The boat he wasn’t to hurt was coming second now so he took out the third placed boat with a claw to its rudder cable. He chuckled at the swearing he could hear from boat above then moved into position beyond the last marker.
The striped hulled boat was neck and neck with a white hulled one as they raced towards the finish line and, deciding to be subtle, Vann latched onto the white hull with his claws and extended his fins for as much drag as possible. The striped hulled boat drew ahead and crossed the finish line first. His job done, Vann let go of its competitor and swam away. His payment would be waiting for him or the one who’d hired him would feel his wrath.
It was odd though. He hadn’t been hired by the boat’s owner or a member of its crew. He’d been hired by someone called a sponsor. He would have to find out what that meant.