For several hundred years Gant has tried to claim our islands. They send men every summer season to demand money in taxes and give us orders they have made into laws. For those same hundreds of years we have denied them what is ours and ignored their laws. The men they send to govern us we force to leave in tiny ships.

I am an Oblayst farmer in a isolated and rocky bay. Oblayst are a type of shell fish that can grow to a very large size. One can reach a pace across and half that tall. I normally only cut a few each week and take them across to another island to the market. The rocks and coral on the bottom of the bay held thousands but for each I took I put a dozen seeds in and around the rock.

I towed the net with the Oblayst beside the long canoe. The leagues to the other island had large fish that could be dangerous. I was not worried, more than once I have had them come up to take a bite of my net. That is more than enough, the strong and thick shell that protected the Oblayst make the predator leave.

I glanced at the dozen large ships heading towards the island and sighed, “they never learn.”

I pulled the net up and in and rode a wave over the outer reef. I paddled fast to make the next as the following waved lifted me. This time I used the paddle to steer and turned to the right. Gant would try to land on the beach like every time. I paddled into the break in the rocks and let the current pull me through and into the crystal bay beyond.

I paddled to the rocks that were our dock and tossed a braided seaweed rope to the man that came out, “Gant is coming.”

He snorted as he tied the rope around a rock post. I shifted and climbed out before I turned to hoist the net out. I had three Oblayst to sell and with Gant here I wanted to get it done and leave. I bent under the weight as I headed for the end of the dock, “this time they brought a dozen large ships.”

I told everyone when I reached the market just off the dock. I cut the back membrane and opened one of the shells. Thirty minutes and I had sold all three and was leaving. I glanced to the other side of the bay and saw columns of soldiers. I untied my canoe and climbed in and pushed off before I picked up my paddle.

I heard a shout and turned my head to see soldiers aiming rifles at me. I snorted and put my paddle in the water and started for the break. There was a rippling crash and I felt a burning tearing pain in my right shoulder. The canoe rocked and I saw several holes in the side. I glared at the soldiers before I began to paddle hard, “if you want a war you just got it.”

I reached the break just as they fired again but the bullets only struck the rock. When I came out the other side I saw dozens of side boats full of men moving to the shore. I turned and headed toward the ocean as men yelled. I timed the waves to cross the reefs and saw one of the ships raising anchor.

I shook my head as I went over the outer reef and turned toward the channel between islands. I paddled hard to reach the deep water and then turned a little to cross to the other side. I glanced back to the see the large warship beginning to follow. It had all sails up and was slowly gathering speed.

Men lined the front and I could barely make out rifles. A couple of minute and the distance between us was doubled. Finally they began to close and I shook my head, “I hope you can swim.”

I paddled hard and glanced at the Norw spikes just below the surface. They were not really rocks but they were more than strong enough to hole the ship behind me. I kept going and glanced back when one of the men fired at me and the round struck the ocean to my right. I lifted the paddle and coasted as I looked back and watched as someone yelled.

They tried to turn but it was to late. The huge ship slammed into the Norw and came to a sudden stop. Men yelled and screamed as they went over and the ship groaned. I shifted and used the paddle to turn the canoe as the rear settled and then the ship tilted. Men fell screaming into the ocean and the first of many large predators appeared.

A man vanished in a spreading stain of red and I knew that would only attract others. Minutes and only the forward tip of the ship was still above the surface and men were screaming. I turned and began to paddle towards my island and touched my bloody shoulder. I changed direction and headed toward another island with a small village.

I spun when I heard a girl’s scream and looked at the ship. In the very prow was a girl stabbing one of the predators with a spar as it lunged out of the water. I cursed and turned and started back and paddled as fast as I could. There were no men in the water but there were body parts. I slipped through and right up to the prow and gestured, “get in.”

The girl hissed as she held up her wrist to show a chain and manacle. I stabbed the paddle into the water and hit a circling predator and then shifted and stood. I caught the prow that was barely above the water and leaned over. I grabbed the girl and pulled and caught the chain. I tugged and then braced myself and pulled hard.

The chain was cheap tin and slowly stretched and then snapped. I shifted and turned and caught the girl as the ship suddenly slipped under the water. I turned as I crouched and sat her down on her knees. I checked around us as I sat and began to paddle again. I looked at the girl and she was pretty and in her mid teens.

I was not thinking as I turned and headed towards my island. The girl looked at me, “you led them onto Norw spikes.”

I grinned, “I sure did.”

She smiled back, “I am Nemu.”

I nodded, “Thomas.”

I went around to the north side and slipped over the shallow reef. Three more and I was crossing the bay. I slipped into the fresh water stream and paddled up to a set of short falls before I beached the canoe. I stood and stepped out and then turned to help her. I pulled the canoe up onto the shore before I headed for the forest path.

Nemu followed as I went to my house. I checked under the stairs before I climbed them and crossed the wide covered porch. The whole inside was completely open with no walls. I went to a cabinet and pulled out a few medical supplies. I glanced at the girl and moved to my work area.

I gestured and when she came closer I caught her hand and pulled. I put her wrist on the rough bench and looked at the manacle and snorted and turned to get a file. I was careful as I started cutting the manacle and when it broke I pried it open. I tossed it on the bench before walking to my sink.

It was made from a large Oblayst shell and the water was piped in using a clay pipe from the stream. I turned and looked at the hole in my right shoulder and bent to wash it. Nemu hissed and moved my hands and started doing it for me. I held still as fresh pain hit me and then gestured, “use the alcohol to clean it and then sew it closed.”

She snorted, “silly fish farmer.”

She did use the alcohol but used a knife to cut the wound open and fished for the bullet. She pried it out and then washed the wound before she sewed it closed. I was more than ready for that and sighed when she wrapped my shoulder in sea moss. She looked at me and smiled before pulling me to the bed.

She bent to look under since it hung from two beams. She shook out the blanket that had been hanging up and then pushed me into bed. I grinned, “I dream of a girl putting me to bed.”

She grinned and then opened my shorts and pulled them off. She stared at my large cock and then looked into my face before she wiggled and pushed her skirt down and off. She straddled me and slowly impaled her pussy and sighed. She sat up and began to roll her hips and thrust back and forth.

I reached up her blouse and cupped her breasts and her pussy clenched as she shuddered. I watched her eyes as she began to breath hard and shake. Her eyes closed to slits and a moment later she was jerking and spasming as she wailed, “aaaahhhh!”

Her pussy constantly grasped and squeezed and I pulled her down and rolled. I started to fuck her firmly with deep, grinding thrusts. She hugged me tight and continued to howl as she kicked in the air, “yyyeeeesssss!”

I was using firm strokes and her slippery pussy kept gripping my cock. She bucked and struggled while clutching me, “ooohhhh!”

Finally I was fucking her hard and deep and she began to convulse. I shoved into her and held her under me as my cock spewed huge spurts of sperm. She wiggled and squirmed and kept hugging me while her pussy grasped and tightened, “YES!”

When I was done I gave her a kiss and pulled out and pulled her up to remove her blouse. She grinned as I rolled her onto her knees and moved behind her and sank my cock back into her. It was awhile before I stopped and held her until I fell asleep. I woke to the smell of food cooking and looked across the room.

I felt my shoulder before I moved off the bed. I crossed to Nemu and looked at what she was cooking, “you went fishing?”

She grinned, “I speared it while wading.”

I looked at what else she had and went to set the table. We ate and I thought of the Gant ships and soldiers. Nemu was not from our islands but a few smaller ones just off the Gant coast. She was what her people called a sea witch, meaning she knew the sea and the creatures under it. She could also read the reefs and shoals under the water.

She told me each ship had a sea witch or lord like her, a sea lord was a male. I grinned as I looked out towards the bay, “perhaps I will pay the ships a visit and free them.”

She looked at me, “the soldiers would try to kill you.”

I finished eating and stood to start cleaning up, “as soon as it gets dark.”

She stood to help me, “we could...”

I looked at her and she blushed, “I am going with you. We could set the supplies on fire in the hold.”

I grinned as I thought of what that would do, “now that sounds like a good idea.”

After cleaning up I dressed and found her a long shirt to wear like a dress. I gave her a knife and took my file and then went out onto the porch. The sun was setting as I led Nemu to my canoe. Before we even reached the bay it was dark and only the stars and a sliver of moon showed the way.

I continued to paddle and the canoe ghosted over the rocks in the bay and then the outer reefs. I turned to head to Trin and the Gant ships. More than once one of the huge predators surfaced beside the canoe. They did not attack but seemed to follow along beside us. I crossed the deep channel and turned to follow above the reef around the other island.

We saw the ships anchored beyond the reef and I slowed to watch for a moment. At least with the tide in we did not have to worry about the reef ripping the bottom of the canoe out. I started for the closest ship and pulled in the paddle to drift the last little bit. I caught the anchor rope and stopped the canoe and looked at Nemu, “stay here.”

I testing the wound before I carefully stood. I only used my arms as I went up hand over hand and then caught the ship deck. I lifted and look back down the deck and a man lifted his head and looked at me from a pace away. I rose up and reached for the rail and pulled myself over.

I knelt beside the man and reached for his arm. I pulled out my file and looked back before I started working on the cheap tin manacle. The man shifted and turned so he could watch the deck while I worked. Finally I broke through and pulled it apart. I gestured and whispered, “over the rail and into my canoe.”

He stood and moved to look before he climbed over and then down the anchor rope. I followed and once in the canoe I pushed away and used the paddle to head to shore. I whispered to the man and told him where to go. The canoe slid onto the sand and he jumped out and moved to the trees.