[Fiction] Damaged Goods, Part ???

Snow winced and pushed cordage and other debris from his head.  The topgallant sails were aflame, and the fire was racing down the masts.  The dragon, flying ahead of the ship, turned abruptly in midair and for a brief moment its silhouette appeared to fill the sun.

Every starboard gun was exploded.  Shrapnel and dead bodies lay everywhere.  But the barky wasn't sunk yet, and she still had half her teeth.  The stench of burning sailcloth mixed with charred flesh, burnt metal, and the slow-match burning in its tubs.

"Larboard guns!" screamed Snow.  "Fire as she bears!"  He gave the orders to turn the ship, but the pilot was dead.  Snow ran to the wheel and watched the dragon, waiting.

The dragon dived for the ship, reaching an astonishing speed in seconds.  Snow waited until the beast was within pistol shot before turning the ship hard to starboard, bringing the larboard guns to bear on the monster, one by one.  And one by one they fired, a tremendous rolling broadside that could be heard over the horizon.  More than half of them hit home.  But the creature's fiery breath still bathed each cannon in flame and set the entire larboard side of the ship aflame.

Great heaps of burning sail fell to the deck.  The ship was consumed by fire.  Nearly every man above the waterline was burnt to death and everyone below it was as good as lost.

But they had wounded it.  It was hard to see through the smoke, but the dragon was clearly limping.  It made a strange, half roar, half cawing sound.

The dragon was gearing up for another pass.  Snow leapt from the quarterdeck and ran along the enflamed ganways.  By the time he reached the forecastle his clothing was on fire and his sword hilt was hot to the touch.  It didn't matter.  The beast was bearing down on the ship, mere seconds away from prying the ship in two.

One strike is all Snow needed.  One man, one sword, one strike.  He drew his sword and leapt from the railing, just as....



And then Snow woke up.