"Under the Flag of Milord Kugel" by Alexey Pekhov, summary

This 2004 work tells the story of ruthless mercenaries on the high seas. Initially, the story was created as the first chapter of a larger novel. The co-authors later developed it as a standalone novella with a complete plot. This book meticulously conveys the everyday life of a pirate ship, masterfully combining naval battles, blood magic, and political intrigue.

Preparing for sailing

The ship prepares for the night’s departure, and the crew leaves the port of Aguillo. The crew consists of seasoned mercenaries from the coastal brotherhood. Gully van Shirkh commands the fast, three-masted schooner "Puga." First Mate Salvar van Doga ensures discipline. The enormous green-skinned orc Chuga serves as boatswain. Master Gunner Tom is in charge of the cannons.

The boarding party is led by the elegant Monsieur Bellefleur, whose subordinates belong to the Frouans race. These creatures possess a unique gift. In times of peace, they appear like refined aristocrats, reciting poetry and maintaining their manicures. However, in battle, the Frouans undergo a transformation and transform into enormous, bestial monsters.

A special place on the deck is occupied by the ship’s evil mascot, Milord Kugel, a rare k’nik species. He has a round body, red fur, eight spider-like legs, and a huge mouth with needle-like teeth. The creature constantly defecates on the deck and bites the sailors.

Captain Shirkh openly hates the k’nik and has tried repeatedly to get rid of it. But the superstitious mercenaries firmly believe in the good luck brought by the talisman. Any overt attempt to kill the pet threatens a mutiny, so the captain can only tolerate the animal’s antics.

The main problem before departure is the lack of a ship’s mage, as the old sorcerer Moritan has quietly died of old age. Van Shirekh has sent the giant Uya to find a replacement. This mountain troll serves as a cabin boy and possesses immense strength, but his mind is childlike.

Uy leaps over the side at the last minute and carries a bound woman over his shoulder. This immediately causes a panic attack among the seasoned pirates.

New magician on board

Gully van Shirkh is shocked by the foolishness of the cabin boy, who was tasked with finding a common sea mage. Instead, Uy brought a woman named Lnani, who was fleeing from the governor’s guards. She turned out to be a certified adept of the southern school of Nissa. This dark school deals exclusively with necromancy, the dead, and evil spirits.

The crew is terrified of dark magic, so Van Shireh decides to keep the sorceress’s specialty a secret. The contract cannot be terminated, and the ship sets sail. Lnani settles into the cabin Bellefleur has given her, trying not to attract the attention of the armed men. The evil Milord Kugel suddenly takes an incredible liking to his guest, falling blissfully asleep in her lap.

The Governor’s Task

The commissioner of the night flight was the island’s governor, Agilio Iucius. The mercenaries despise this petty official, calling him the "Agilian viper."

Yucius ordered the dark box to be delivered to the courier vessel Utugi, with whom Aguillo was waging war. The governor paid an advance and promised a huge sum for speedy delivery to the Horse Teeth Rocks. The captain agreed for the money, and the crew hoped to profit and break their contract with Yucius forever.

The gifted box imitates an ancient Ai craft, used by overlords to send silk cords to guilty vassals for suicide. During the voyage, Lnani suffers from throbbing pain and smells the stench of rotting tropical rain. The dark sorceress’s experience suggests the presence of a mortal threat on the ship. The invisible evil remains dormant, but the pain intensifies with each passing hour.

Clash at Horse Teeth

The schooner arrives at Horse Teeth Rocks ahead of schedule. Instead of a harmless courier, the mercenaries discover the twenty-gun war brig Utugi. Van Shireh realizes the deception and the trap. The captain orders the pirate flag hoisted with the silhouette of the k’nik and the approach.

Upon noticing the attack, the enemy mage activates a turquoise defensive field. The energy shield draws power from the waves and easily deflects regular cannonballs. Tom’s weapons become useless while the enemy fires at the pirates with impunity.

Lnani proposes a radical solution using chicken eggs and Milord Kugel’s dung to create a pentagram. The sorceress opens a gate to the realm of undeath and binds demons to the spirits of unborn chickens. Blood gushes from her nose as the nine eggs bind to the nine cores. Phantom skulls fly from Tom’s guns, easily bypassing the magical shield. The ensuing explosion destroys the enemy wizard, removing his defenses.

The ships collide, and a dozen Fruans leap onto the brig, shedding their silk doublets. The transformation occurs instantly, transforming the refined officers into hulking black monsters. The werewolves wield enormous cleavers and inflict brutal slaughter. The troll Uy easily tosses enemy soldiers overboard, and Lnani casts a spell that destroys the inner ear of an approaching enemy.

In the hold of the captured brig, the mercenaries find a chest of gold intended for the Okhorian mages. It becomes clear that Jucius had planned a cunning provocation. The governor hoped to destroy the pirate ship with someone else’s help and provoke a conflict between Utuga and Okhora. The pirates hastily take their new treasure and blow up the damaged brig.

Demon from the Box

Van Shirkh inspects the Ai box, the metal burning his fingers. When the captain brings the chest onto the deck, Lnani is overcome by the smell of rot. The sorceress snatches the box and throws her full weight against the lid. She wraps the object in a bone necklace, and the black pearls begin to glow ominously.

Lnani explains that the wild rain demon Oash is trapped inside. The governor’s restraining spell is rapidly fading, and the hungry demon will soon tear the crew to shreds. At the same time, three Utugi war frigates, summoned by the slain mage, appear on the horizon. The battered schooner is unable to escape its pursuers, making destruction by enemy cannonballs seem inevitable.

Lnani voices a terrifying rescue plan. The demon cannot be tamed without a human sacrifice, but a sated creature can be turned against the enemy. Van Shirkh makes an agonizing choice for the crew. The captain gives a silent order to sacrifice the dying van Doga.

Blood ritual

Bellefleur helps the sorceress perform a dark ritual in the captain’s cabin. Lnani draws magical triangles with ash and puts van Doga to sleep with a touch. Fruan slits the first mate’s throat with a crooked knife, splattering the floor with blood. The sorceress’s life force is absorbed into her bracelets, silencing the demon. The officer carries the exhausted Lnani back onto the deck.

Lnani rips off the necklace, letting the black pearls scatter across the planks. The sorceress opens the lid, wafting the pirates with the smell of damp rot. A purple whirlwind emerges from the box, and the rain demon Oash immediately rushes toward their pursuers.

The events paralyze the mercenaries with pure terror. An invisible hand tosses a thirty-gun frigate high into the air, where the ship bursts from the internal pressure. The sky instantly turns purple, and the raging sea spawns tornadoes. A rotting typhoon cuts the second ship in half, while the third frigate desperately tries to escape. The sea beneath it swells into a huge bubble, and the abyss swallows the vessel forever.

Pay

The flotilla is completely destroyed, and the demon rumbles contentedly. Lnani gathers her remaining strength and binds the creature, plunging her bloody knife straight into the deck planks. Regaining control, she breathes heavily and asks for rum. Van Shirekh surprises the crew with an offer of a permanent contract for the necromancer. A stunned Lnani promises to think about it, and the crew happily accepts their savior.

The problem of storing the demon remains, as the necklace is broken. Gully van Scheirch carries out an elaborate plan of revenge, locking the creature in a box using Bellefleur’s yellow silk scarf. At that moment, the troll Uy fills the deck with a joyful cry. The cabin boy has found Milord Kugel hiding on the bowsprit. The skipper curses darkly, genuinely upset by the survival of the hated talisman.

Late in the evening, an impeccably dressed Bellefleur knocks on the door of Governor Aguillo’s mansion. Frouant introduces himself as a longtime admirer of Jucius’s political talent. The butler respectfully accepts the expensive gift for his absent host, after which the guest vanishes into the night without a trace. A servant places an elegant Ai box on the governor’s desk. The butler notices with slight bewilderment that the carved lid barely warms his hands.