Ch 1: Skull Island Skullduggery
The next day, Me and Kobe awoke in my old house in the hills of Skull Island. There was no food, for the house has been abandoned for 7 years. We decided to talk to Captain Avery in Skull Island Town's Fort, as Boochbeard told us to do. We walked down the Mountain path that went through thick vegetation. Yet, it was a good way to hide the large house in a place where many Pirates would be. We walked to the Fort and entered the office. "On the run from the Armada, you say? Well, I don't run a charity here. If you want me to hide you, you'll have to work for it," Avery said. "What'll I have to to do?" I asked. "A pirate named Fin stole my Jade Amulet. He also roused the Troggies. Now they're bombarding us! If you can stop the Troggy bombardment and retrieve my Jade Amulet, I'll give you a ship. Pirate's honor!" "Won't be long before you double-cross us.." I muttered as we left the office.
Me and Kobe went to the West Bastion. "Aye, ye were sent by Avery? Good, we need more help with the Troggy attack. Cross the bridge to find Bonnie Anne."
We crossed the bridge to Skull Mountain. We searched the jungle and I found a lady fox. We asked her: "can you help us find Bonnie Anne?"
" I'm Bonnie Anne!" The fox said.
"What did the fox say?" Kobe asked from the other side of a bush.
"Kobe, I found Bonnie Anne," I said. Kobe then walked to me and Bonnie.
"Avery sent ye?"
"Yes, he did. He wanted us to find Fin"
"Good, Fin riled up the Troggies till' they're mad as badgers! The slimy devils raided us last night, took half our powder stores, now they're flinging it back at the town! Go lower their numbers a bit and I'll help ye find Fin. Report to Lt. Smollet after." We walked to the Troggy village of tree huts and ropes. "Disgusting, slimy frogs all over! Let's fight 'em!" The 2 of us got in a battle and the Troggies kept coming! They managed to imprison us in wood cages hanging from trees. "Oh, crap! Now we're captured by savages," I said.
Kobe said: "imprisoned again?! Destiny must not be on our side!" "Wait, Kobe, they didn't take our swords!" We started to saw at the thick wood, but it was very slow progress we made. "Ug, Blake, this will take HOURS to break free!"
Just then, another pirate was below us. "Hey! Up 'ere!" we shouted.
"Oh, you're trapped! I can help." The young pirate used a staff to make the wood break. We then fell about 50 feet into a stream. "Sorry about that!"
"Thanks for the rescue. My name's Blake West and this is my firstmate, Kobe Yojimbo."
"Wait, your parents were legendary! Too bad they died. My parents died too!"
"Really?"
" Yeah… Anywho, I'm Matthew Collins. This is Kan Po, my firstmate. We're looking for my sister, Misty, and Egg Shen."
"Matthew, I'm sorry. I didn't see them."
"Well, we can keep looking. Maybe the Troggies know?"
"They don't speak our language."
"Guys, I know a little bit of Trogg." Kobe and Kan said.
" Kobe, you can go with Matthew and Kan to find Misty. I'll go report back to Bonnie Anne," I said
"Blake, I can come with you! I know the way!" Matthew said.
"Ok Matt, you can come with me."
As me and Matthew walked though the jungle, we told our stories. Matthew grew up in the hot sun of Krokotopia, where he learned magic and got a darker skin tone. He learned my story too. "So how'd you're parents die?" Matt asked.
"Well, I don't like talking 'bout the subject, but you're a friend. My parents died in a Sky Squid attack in Aquila."
"Oh, were they eaten? Or were they crushed by the tentacles of the beastie?!"
"Not exactly sure about that one, chap," I said laughing. "But I do know that one shipmate survived the attack."
"Who did?"
"I don't know, mate. But they're probably dead from being lost in the skyway!"
"Blake, my mum and pop died from the accursed Clockwork Armada! They were noble Resistance members, though"
"Aye, the Resistance is noble indeed, mate," I said as we came back to Bonnie Anne and Lt. Smollet.
"Thanks for the help!" Smollet said
" Blake, I said I'd help ye find Fin, an' I'm a girl o' me word! Do ye have room for another on your crew captain?"
We welcomed Bonnie Anne onto the crew. We were then given orders to map out the slingshots. I went to the east side of the jungle and Matthew,West Side. Bonnie stayed with Smollet.
I marked 7 different slingshots on my map
I came back to the post, but Matthew had yet to return.
" Hmmm, I would think our friends would've returned by now. Let's search the West Side!" Bonnie said.
Me and Bonnie found a small path leading deep into the thick jungle. We followed the path and came to a clearing in the Cloud Forest of the high elevations. We could see the whole of Skull Island from there! The clearing had a small wooden fort with 10 slingshots! They were the main source of Skull Island Fort's troubles. It was deep in the rainforest and there was a shroud of mist around. A light drizzle of rain started to fall in the humid, foggy afternoon. We snuck around the clearing and found our friends in the bushes.
" Hey guys!" I said
"Hello, Blake!" Matthew said. "I found Kobe and Kan Po."
"We discovered that Misty is in the Skull Cave!" Kobe explained
"We mapped all the other slingshots, but this fortress will have to be blown up. The fort could NEVER find this!" Matthew told us.
"Dragonflies, I have a plan." Kan Po said
"Wait, you talk?" I asked
"Yes, dragonfly, I do! Anyways, the fort is only 6 feet high and is crescent shaped. The fog will allow us to sneak around and place explosive barrels. Bonnie can shoot it with her gun and blow the place off the map!"
" Good plan, Kan!" Me and Matthew said simultaneously, "But the rain would make the powder wet making it less flammable."
"Again, dragonfly , the powder is in a barrel! It is safe. Don't you have a brain?"
"Hey, don't talk to my friend that way!" Kobe shouted
"Kobe, you git! The Troggies will find us!" Bonnie whispered
"Ooops, I am sorry."
As we turned around to execute the genius plan planned by Kan Po, Troggies had found us! We sliced, diced, and chopped the Troggies as silently as we could.
"Dragonfly, you may be rude and have a lack of common sense, but you are good with the blade!" Kan Po said.
"Thanks, Kan" I said sarcastically. Kan must've thought I was serious.
The fog was getting thick and the rain heavier. It allowed us to walk in without any Troggies seeing us. We found the barrels. Kan Po and Kobe went to place the barrels, Matthew was sprinkling Greek Fire powder that will catch fire when Bonnie shoots it. Bonnie went with me attacking Troggies outside the fort. We all met at the edge of the clearing.
"Okay guys. I can barely see the fort in this fog but I can see it enough to aim it." Bonnie said.
"Aim," I said as she aimed. "And, FIRE!" Bonnie shot an electrical burst through the canopy. We couldn't see it for a few seconds because of the fog. A few seconds later, it hit the fort setting the clearing into a blazing inferno, killing all Troggies within a 50 foot radius! The Sun was setting as we all retuned to the post.
"Ah. You're all back safely," Smollet said. "I was beginning to get worried! Do you have the maps?" We handed the Lieutenant our maps.
"There was a secret Troggy fort that we blew up in the high Cloud Forest! We knew that the Fort couldn't be hit by cannons, for it was too high and hidden, so we set it to blazes!" Matthew explained.
"Great job guys, you stopped the Troggy bombardment, but Captain Avery still needs his bauble back!"
"Where can we find Fin, sir?" I asked with respect.
"Well lads, and lass, I sent 2 of my best scouts, Livsey and Shepherd, up the trail. You can probably still find them!
"Thanks! We shall be going now!"
"Would you like to stay with us to eat supper?"
I just realized how hungry I was. I hadn't eaten since yesterday on the Armada Ship!
"Yes!" all 5 of us said.
We sat around a campfire telling ghost stories and eating fruit and ham. The best story of the evening was the story of the late Governor Shrewsbury haunting Port Regal to this day and the skeletal Monkeys and Carnivorous Plants in the cursed Diablo Cut in Monquista. We decided to stay for the night at the camp
Matthew Collins' point of view
At sunrise the next day we all were eating breakfast with the other volunteer military troops. All of a sudden, I noticed that Blake was missing! "Kobe, where is Blake?"
"Matthew, He took a midnight walk and never came back!" Kobe said
"The Troggy devils probably took 'm," Bonnie suggested. "There's a low chance, if any, to save him."
"He might be with my sister! We need to find the Skull Cave."
The 4 of us walked West towards a large Skull shaped rock.
"This Must be the Skull Cave. Fin is probably inside, as well as Blake and Misty!" Kobe said.
A little frog walked up to us. "Why 'ello there! I'm Ensign Livsey, a scout."
"Ah, yes, we know about you!" I said "Where can we find Fin, as well as any prisoners inside this cave?"
"The prisoners," Livsey continued, "Were 2 pirates. One was a girl, and another was a boy. They were taken inside the Temple of Gloom inside he cave. That is also where Fin is. You can start a distraction while I sneak around looking for clues about which area!"
We then started attacking Cutthroats
Misty Collins' Point of View:
I woke up and saw that someone new was in the cell next to me in the Cutthroat prison. It was a boy of about 16 years. He looked very hurt and was still asleep. So, I decided to send a little Rouse Bird into his cell to heal him. He soon woke up. "How did I heal so quickly?" He asked himself, puzzled.
"I healed you," I told him.
"Thanks!" He said, "by the way, I'm Blake West."
"No way, Blake! You're the son of the most legendary pirate captains!"
"Well, too bad they're dead now."
"Oh, that's awful! Well, I'm Misty Collins"
"Hey, I know your brother, Matthew! He's been looking for you!"
"Yeah, we were looking for the Jade Amulet. Ironically, were trapped in the same room as it!"
Matthew Collins' point of view:
After defeating some Cutthroats, we returned to Ensign Livsey:
"Good job! During your diversion, I found this note:
Bring all prisoners to the Throne Room. I will deal with them, Personally... Love, Fin Dorsal
My partner, Sargeant Shepherd, is outside that room!"
We then entered the Skull Cave. We cleared the vines blocking the Temple Entrance. The interior of the Temple of Gloom was flooded.
"This temple is crawling with Cutthroats and Crockagators!" Bonnie warned, "stay to the walls to avoid a fight!"
We then waded along the walls and made it to Shepherd. "How do we get in?" I asked.
"That's what this is for!" He said as he showed me a raft. " It will fit all of us. I'll help ye defeat Fin!"
We then rowed on the raft across the deep, rough water and opened the door to the Throne Room...
Blake West's Point of view:
Fin Dorsal and his henchmen were harnessing energy from the Amulet for something. Just then the door opened and Matthew, Kobe, Bonnie, Kan and a Dog Pirate came in. "Matthew! Help us!" Misty shouted.
While the others were fighting the sharks, Matthew used a spell that rusted the bars on our cells, making them weak. The bars crumbled and I ran out with Misty. "Thanks, mate!" I said to Matthew.
"No problem, Blake!" he said back.
I grabbed my sword and Misty grabbed hers and joined the battle! Soon the water was red from the blood of our foes. " I'll go back and report to Lt. Smollet, you bring the amulet back to Avery," said the dog pirate who was apparently Sargeant Shepherd according to Matthew. I took the Jade Amulet and walked with the others, laughing all the way back to the Fort.