Evelyn just stood in the opening of Gunn's tomb, her jaw practically on the floor. Around her, her crew was also staring at the cave completely and utterly dumbfounded. The tomb was an incredibly large cave with a pair of yum juicers stationed at the side of the room, as well as a large golden chair with red velvet upholstery. In the seat was a well-dressed skeleton, its head nestled in its arm, obviously Captain Gunn. However, there was one critical element to this tomb that was missing.
"The…. The treasure…." Barnabus stammered.
"It's gone…." Gaspard whispered.
Evelyn's fists were clenched so tightly her knuckles were white. She screamed in anger punching the wall of the cave, shouting multiple expletives in the language of the bears. Kobe, Anne, and Barnabus all just stood back and waited for her to calm down while Gaspard and Old Scratch just stared.
"Does she do that often?" Gaspard asked.
"Only when someone double crosses her." Anne replied.
"You should have seen her reaction to Captain Avery's deception." Kobe added.
Evelyn finally stopped shouting, panting heavily and plopping down in the sand of the cave.
"It's gone…. All gone… Ratbeard beat us…" she snarled.
Old Scratch then stepped forward, approaching the body of Captain Gunn.
"The treasure be gone, my Captain, but we can still learn what happen here."
Evelyn perked up, getting up from the floor and dusting herself off.
"We can?" she asked.
"Aye, Captain." Old Scratch replied. "Cap'n Gunn, him tell us himself. Let me work me art."
Old Scratch waved his voodoo staff over Captain Gunn's body, that purple mist covering the dead pirate. Evelyn slowly approached, the rest of the crew following behind.
"Looks like you were right Captain." Barnabus commented. "The skeleton does have his uses."
The last of the purple mist had disappeared into Captain Gunn's skull, which began to twitch and clack.
"Hello?" The skull asked. "By Jove… I can talk to you! Fascinating."
"Captain Gunn." Evelyn said softly. "I'm Captain Evelyn Teach, and this is my crew. We were wondering if you could help us."
The skull turned to her.
"Hello there, Captain Teach." He greeted. "I congratulate you on successfully completing my tests. Sadly, you are too late to find my treasure…"
"We know." Evelyn replied. "Can you tell us what happened?"
If skulls had emotions, Evelyn was sure that Captain Gunn's would be pouting.
"What happened? I tell you what happened. After all the trouble I went through to write all my lessons and construct this elaborate tomb, a cheating rat and his water mole cronies break in here and spoil it all."
"Ratbeard…" Kobe said angrily. "That honor-less crook."
"So Ratbeard is his name." the skull commented. "That blackguard sent the Waponis through that flooded tunnel over to your starboard side. They came in droves and stole every last gold coin of my treasure… I knew I should have barricaded that tunnel…."
Barnabus went over to the flooded tunnel, and sure enough, he spotted multiple water mole tracks in the sand. From the number of them, it was obvious an entire tribe had come in here.
"Ratbeard had an entire tribe of Waponi's help him, Captain." Barnabus called.
"Well, if he did, he won't for long." The skull replied. "The Waponi's plan on giving my treasure to their Fire God, and I'm almost certain that wasn't what Ratbeard planned to do with it."
"Fire God?" Gaspard asked.
"That's right." Evelyn remembered. "The Nui Chief told us that the Waponi's worshipped an evil Fire God."
"I don't know about any Fire God, but from personal experience, I would suspect that they mean the volcano at Waponi Wu." The skull explained. "If you hurry, you should be able to stop them before they begin their ritual."
"Thanks Captain Gunn." Evelyn told him. "Old Scratch, send him back to Valhalla."
Old Scratch began the reversal spell.
"Good luck, Captain Teach." He said. "Get my treasure back and teach that rat a lesson."
The skull went still as the mist left it, returning Gunn to death. Evelyn straightened up, turning towards the door of the cave.
"Don't worry…" she growled. "I will."
…..
Waponi Wu wasn't hard to find. The volcano was incredibly large and was visible even from the Beach of Bounty Island. Climbing onto the Red Hunter, Evelyn took the wheel, making for the volcano. Nobody spoke. Instead, they all prepared for a fight. Anne cleaned her gun, Kobe sharpened his sword, Barnabus and Gaspard sharpened their axes and Old Scratch performed a small ritual of luck.
About an hour of sailing later, they arrived at the docks of Waponi Wu. Kobe and Barnabus dropped the anchors and the crew climbed off the ship and onto the island. Almost immediately, there were angry Waponi cries as an entire swarm of Waponi's came towards them.
"Looks like they were expecting us." Barnabus commented.
"That, or they remember us from when he blasted a few of their ships to smithereens." Anne commented.
"Either way, they're obviously looking for a fight, so let's give them one."
Weapons raised, the six of them charged into the swarm of oncoming Waponi's. Spears, spells, stones, and sparks were flying as the pirates made their way through the ranks. Swords and axes cut through where sparks and spells couldn't reach as one by one, the Waponi's fell.
"How you holding up Kobe?!" Evelyn shouted as her swords sliced through a pair of Waponi's tried to blindside her.
"I shall not fall!" He replied, cutting down a sling man before he could load a stone.
"How about you Anne?!"
Anne let off a scatter shot, striking a whopping six Waponis, before giving a thumbs up.
"Barnabus?! Gaspard?!"
The two were back to back, axes striking enemies left and right. By the time Evelyn turned to check on Old Scratch, the Waponi's were already beginning to fall back, fleeing for the volcano's summit.
"GREAT FIRE GOD! PROTECT US!" The Waponi's all screamed as they fled.
"After them!" Evelyn called out.
They followed the Waponi's to a hoist, where the last one was being pulled up. Luckily, they were too panicked to think about cutting the hoist free. They climbed on and pulled themselves up to a path cutting right through the center of the volcano. They could barely make out the tails of fleeing Waponi's through the haze caused by the magma below.
"Looks like we go through here." Evelyn surmised.
They carefully made their way across the skinny pathway, forced to go single file for safety. As they walked, strange creatures came flying out of the magma, jumping right over the pathway and nearly splattering the crew with drops of lava.
"What in the name of Elik was that?!" Evelyn sputtered.
"Lava fish." Anne whispered in surprise. "I didn't think they were real."
"Dey be signs of great mojo, Captain my Captain." Old Scratch explained. "Perhaps de Waponi's Fire God be more real den we believe."
Careful to avoid any more Lava fish, the crew made it to the other side of the volcano, where a large wooden ramp had been built into the side of the volcano, leading all the way around and up to the top. At the top, they could hear a strange chanting coming from the top of the volcano.
"It sounds like the ritual has begun." Barnabus commented. "We need to move."
Without further ado, the crew ran up the ramp, following the chanting as it steadily grew louder. They eventually reached the top of the volcano, and were greeted by a very unusual sight. Ratbeard was tied up and hanging upside down (though somehow he had managed to keep his hat on his head) over the volcano while several Waponis were below him, tossing handfuls of treasure into the magma.
"The treasure!" Evelyn screamed.
The water moles stopped their scooping, turning angrily towards the pirates. Ratbeard also twisted his head towards her, his one good eye widening at the sight of the crew.
"HELP! I BEG YE, GIT ME DOWN FROM HERE!"
"Looks like Captain Gunn was right." Anne remarked. "The Waponis must have turned on the rat."
Evelyn didn't say anything. Instead, she twirled her swords in her hands, a vicious look on her face.
"Come on…" she threatened. "Fight me!"
The Waponis did no such thing. Instead, they parted ranks, revealing a GIGANTIC Waponi easily twice the size of Evelyn. He stomped hard on the platform, shaking it slightly as he pounded his chest.
"Whoa that guy's big." Gaspard gasped.
Evelyn shrugged.
"Fought bigger."
"Gugu! Goonigugu!"
The rest of the Waponi's formed a makeshift barrier between the pirates and the exit. Linking arms, they all began chanting.
"CHUMBA! WUMBA! CHUMBA! WUMBA!"
The large Waponi, obviously Chumba Wumba, gave a great shout and got into what looked like a fighting stance. Evelyn and Barnabus shared a nod, the two of them being the stronger members of the crew, then dropped their weapons and charged at Chumba. Barnabus grabbed his left arm while Evelyn grabbed his right. It took all of their strength to keep the large Waponi at bay.
"NOW GUYS!" Evelyn shouted.
Kobe charged forward first, bringing his swords down on the Waponi. Gaspard came next, performing his belly bounce attack followed finally by a scatter shot from Anne. Much to everyone's surprise though, it didn't do anything to him. In fact, the large Waponi seemed to laugh at their efforts.
"Captain!" Old Scratch called out. "De mojo! It be making de Waponi stronger!"
Almost as if to prove the skeleton right, Chumba Wumba stomped down hard, then swung his arms forward, dislodging himself from Barnabus and Evelyn's grip. He then spun around, whacking the two of them aside as if they were gnats.
"CAPTAIN! BARNABUS!"
Barnabus' size stopped his momentum, but Evelyn nearly went toppling off the edge of the platform and into the magma below. A large stone idol, one of three that decorated the platform, stopped her from going over, but when she struck it, it was knocked aside and went falling. The Waponis all cried out in horror and Chumba also seemed a bit panicked. When it struck the lava with a fiery splash, Chumba howled in what seemed to be pain. Anne quickly caught on to what was happening.
"THE IDOLS!" She shouted. "SMASH THEM AND HE WON'T BE INVINCIBLE ANYMORE!"
Old Scratch readied a spell and sent it flying towards one of the remaining two idols. A blast from Anne's gun also helped to shatter the stone into shards. Chumba Wumba howled again, making his way to the final idol and placing himself between it and the crew.
"GOONIGUGU!" He shouted.
"I think he's saying stay away." Barnabus commented. "I speak Waponi."
"Doesn't matter what he's saying." Evelyn replied, getting up and grabbing her swords. "That idol needs to go down."
At the word down, Evelyn began smiling.
"I have an idea. On three, we charge, okay?"
Not sure what their captain was planning, but trusting her, they all nodded.
Evelyn got down in a running stance while everyone readied their weapons.
"One…. Two…."
Chumba Wumba growled loudly, thumping his chest as if daring them to come forward.
"THREE!"
Everyone ran forward, Kobe, Anne, Barnabus, Gaspard and Old Scratch all tackled Chumba, grabbing him and pulling him away from the idol. Evelyn, however, dove in between the Waponi's legs, aiming directly for the idol. She got to her feet and smirked, placing both hands on the idol, much to Chumba's, and all the other Waponis, horror.
"Oops."
She pushed the idol with all her strength, sending the stone falling down towards the sandy beach below where it shattered with a loud crash. Chumba's power fully disappeared, leaving a significantly weakened Waponi for the group to deal with. Luckily, they already had him mostly pinned and with his sudden lack of superior strength, he was an easy target.
"FIRE GOD HAS ABANDONNED US!" The Waponis cried.
All the Waponis, save for the captive Chumba, all began fleeing down the volcano. The crew let them, focusing instead on their oversized friend.
"Alright Chumba." Evelyn said as she squatted down to meet the hulking behemoth face to face. "I'm going to assume you can understand us, so here's what's going to happen. We're going to let you up, then you're going tell us what happened here."
Chumba looked up at Evelyn with an angry expression.
"Goonigugu! Goonigugu!"
"He said fine, just let him up." Barnabus translated.
Evelyn gave a small nod and the crew slowly let the Waponi up. No sooner had they gotten off of him when Chumba jumped to his feet, running towards the volcano's edge.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhh!"
With a mighty yell, he jumped off the edge, into the molten magma.
"NO!" Evelyn screamed, running to the edge.
"Stop Captain!" Kobe insisted, grabbing ahold of her arm. "There is nothing you can do."
Evelyn stared at the edge, her face a mixture of grief and confusion.
"Why?" she finally asked. "Why did he jump?"
"He chose death before dishonor." Kobe told her. "An admiral decision."
Evelyn perked up at Kobe's words, her eyes turning to glance over at Ratbeard. He had apparently passed out, whether from the heat or from the fumes of the magma was anyone's guess. Everybody was staring at his unconscious form.
"What do you want to do Captain?" Anne asked.
So many different choices came to Evelyn's mind, about 95% of them deadly to the helpless rat. The others began voicing their opinions as she thought.
"We should leave him there." Barnabus suggested. "Let him get his just desserts if you ask me."
"Frankly, I think we should dump him in Perdition's Caldron, let the spooks deal with him." Anne tried.
"We could ask the Frogfather to help us be rid of the rat." Gaspard said. "I'm sure he'd be willing to."
"The choice is not ours." Kobe voiced. "It is the Captain's."
"Kobe Yojimbo is correct." Old Scratch added. "And I an' I think de Cap'n have made her choice."
Evelyn looked over at her crew, then at Ratbeard.
"Bring him down." She commanded. "But keep him tied up."
Everyone blinked in surprise, but Kobe quickly went to follow her order. As he brought Ratbeard onto the safety of the platform, Barnabus approached Evelyn.
"What are you planning, Captain?"
"He's coming with us." She explained, then she turned to Kobe. "Get him loaded in the Red Hunter's brig."
Kobe gave a bow, then began his trek down the volcano with Ratbeard. Once he disappeared, Evelyn turned her attention to Gunn's gold, or what was left of it.
"Anne, Gaspard, Barnabus, Old Scratch… You all help me get this treasure down to the ship. It may not be all of it, but at least we have something to show for our efforts."
The five of them began grabbing chests and crate full of gold, silver, and jewels, preparing for the trek down the volcano. As Old Scratch prepared to close a chest, Anne stopped him.
"Hang on a minute." She muttered, pulling the chest open. "Captain, look."
Evelyn looked over as Anne pulled out a large parcel wrapped in sailcloth. The shape was instantly recognizable.
"It's the monkey chalice Avery wanted." Anne explained. "Looks like it survived the Waponi's sacrificial offering."
Evelyn smiled.
"Excellent. Make sure to keep an eye on that."
"Aye-aye captain."
Without further ado, the last of the treasure was gathered up and the crew made their way back to the ship.
….
Ratbeard didn't know what to expect when he opened his eyes. However, he most definitely didn't expect to be waking up in what appeared to be the brig of a small ship. Rubbing his face, he found himself bound by a pair of irons, and he was also attached to the wall by another iron locked around his good leg.
"What in the…." He muttered.
"Look who finally woke up." A female voice coated with malice snarled.
Looking up with a start, Ratbeard peered through the bars to see Evelyn, who was sitting on a crate outside his cell sharpening her sword.
"Ye…. Ye be that pirate lass that's been chasin' me across Skull Island skyway."
"Aye." Evelyn replied.
"And… ye also be the one who showed up at the volcano."
"Again, aye."
Ratbeard let that sink in, then a realization dawned on him.
"Ye… Ye saved me hide… though I'm sure I don't deserve it."
Evelyn snorted in contempt, setting her sharpening stone aside.
"That's an understatement." She told him. "But so long as you're still breathing, how's about you tell me how ya came to be strung up like roast over an open flame."
Ratbeard settled back, looking down at his shackled hands as he began his tale.
"I tricked the water moles into makin' me their king so they'd steal me Gunn's gold, but they turned on me an' tried to destroy the treasure." He suddenly perked up, as if remembering. "The treasure… did they succeed in destroying it?"
"Most of it, yeah." Evelyn replied. "What's left of it is mine."
Ratbeard leaned back again, sighing in relief.
"You've earn what's left of it, that much is true." He remarked. "Ye probably even completed all of Captain Gunn's tests."
"Yep…. Every. Single. One."
"And me, I cheated, lied, and stole, and got just wha' I deserved… Surely I'm the lowest blackguard that ever sailed the skies."
Evelyn looked over at the rat, a small, yet cruel, smile on her face.
"Well what do ya know? You can tell the truth."
There was a long silence as the two pirates just sat there, until finally, Ratbeard spoke once more.
"So, what's ta happen te me?" he asked. "Where're we headed?"
"Blood Shoals." She replied. "There're a few boys who I'm sure are just waiting for you."
"Lasko…." Ratbeard whispered. "I thought those boys would have found a way off that hunk of rock by now."
Evelyn stood up suddenly, gripping the bars of the cell.
"The way you left them, they weren't going anywhere!"
Ratbeard was taken back by Evelyn's violent outburst, backing as far away from her as his binds would allow. She snarled at him, pushing herself away from the door and stalking towards the brig's exit. She turned towards the old rat as she pushed the trap door open.
"It's monsters like you that give pirates like me a bad name." she told him. "I can't wait to see you get what you deserve."
She left the brig, slamming the trap door behind her and plunging the brig into darkness.
…..
Anne stood at the wheel, slowly maneuvering the Red Hunter through the treacherous skies of Blood Shoals. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she secretly wished they still had the raft. Its smaller size made navigating these waters much easier.
"We're nearing the docks, Captain!" she called as she veered away from a particularly nasty shoal.
Evelyn looked up from where she had been brooding at the bow of the ship.
"Bring us in Anne." She ordered. "Barnabus, you and Kobe go and fetch Ratbeard."
Barnabus looked at Evelyn with a confused look on his face.
"Why are we bringing him here, Captain?" he asked. "Why not throw him in a prison somewhere?"
Evelyn leaned against the side of the ship, looking up at the clouds.
"Back in Grizzleheim, when someone was murdered, the suspected murderer was made to look upon the body of the one he had slain. We believed that if they were guilty, the spirit of the fallen warrior would rise to exact righteous vengeance."
Gaspard approached, raising a bushy eyebrow.
"And you think this will happen if we bring Ratbeard to see his fallen crew members?" he questioned.
"I know it will." Evelyn replied. "It's Lasko that sent me after him in the first place, or at least his spirit that did."
Barnabus, satisfied with the answer, followed Kobe down to the brig. They emerged a few minutes later with the shackled Ratbeard in tow. The old rat looked at the craggy island and everyone could see his entire body sighing in what seemed to be regret.
"Blood Shoals…" he muttered. "Never thought I'd step foot on this island again."
Evelyn didn't even bother to acknowledge his comment. Instead, she made her way off the Red Hunter and onto the beach. The rest of them followed suit, Ratbeard trailing behind. One he stepped foot on the island, the air seemed to get colder despite the warmness of the season.
"You feel dat, Cap'n my Cap'n?" Old Scratch asked. "Dere be restless spirits in dis place."
Gaspard shivered, holding himself as the unnatural chill. The four original members brushed it off, already knowing the source of this cold. Undeterred, Evelyn and her crew marched towards the cave. When they entered that first chamber, Ratbeard's eyes quickly locked on the small graves that dominated the small space. His eyes widened as he froze in his tracks.
"What in blazes…"
Kobe and Barnabus pushed him forward, causing the rat to fall to his knees before the graves. On the rough wood, he could see the names carved into the makeshift gravestones.
"Lasko… Lads… Tell me this is a joke."
Evelyn grabbed Ratbeard by his shirt, hoisting him into the air.
"This ain't no joke, ya two-faced son of a crow!" she snapped, her thick accent coating her words. "Ya killed Lasko an' 'is mates! Ya murdered them in cold blood, all so ya wouldn't hafta share dat blasted treasure!"
The cave darkened as the graves began glow with an eerie blue light. Everyone turned as the ghostly forms of five wharf rats came slowly flying out of the graves. Evelyn instantly recognized one of them.
"Greetings Lasko." She said, dropping Ratbeard in front of the dead rat. "I brought you and your boys a gift."
Ratbeard looked up from where he had fallen, a look of horror on his face.
"Lasko… Is that really you?"
"Aye, 'Captain'." Lasko replied, bending down to look at the rat. "Or what's left of me after ye poisoned me and me boys!"
Ratbeard's eyes widened as he scrambled back. When he did, Evelyn noted that he seemed genuinely confused as to what was going on.
"Poisoned?!" Ratbeard exclaimed. "I never poisoned ye! I just meant te put you to sleep, not… well, 'put you to sleep'."
"You lying, vile, black-hearted traitor!" Lasko screamed, causing the wind in the cave ta whip around like mad.
"I speak naught but the truth!" Ratbeard insisted. "I'd never harm a hair on you or yer boys' heads! Sure I'd trick ye out of yer share o' the treasure, but that's just piratin'!"
Evelyn didn't know why, but she found herself believing Ratbeard. She'd always been able to tell when someone was lying, a trait that had gotten her out of many scrapes, and her senses were telling her that Ratbeard was being honest.
"If what yer saying is true, then what did ya put in the food?" she asked.
Ratbeard turned to her, surprised she was willing to believe him.
"I bought a vial of knockout drops in Port Regal!" he explained. "Someone must 'ave switched dem for poison."
"As if I'd believe anything you say." Lasko snapped.
It was obvious that Lasko and the other ghosts didn't share Evelyn's belief. They seemed poised to kill the old rat, which forced Evelyn to step forward.
"Lasko." She insisted. "If Ratbeard is telling the truth, then let him prove it."
Everyone was surprised. Especially Ratbeard.
"Ye- Ye believe me?"
"I don't know why, but I do." She told him, before returning her attention to Lasko. "Look, I understand yer need fer vengeance, but if Ratbeard truly did just mean ta knock you out rather than kill ya, then he's not yer murderer."
Lasko floated towards Evelyn, a skeptical look on his face.
"What are you suggesting, pirate?"
"I'll take Ratbeard on my crew-"
"WHAT?!" Anne and Barnabus both interrupted.
"Have ya lost yer mind, Cap'n?!" Anne questioned.
"He's a lowlife that doesn't deserve mercy!" Barnabus added.
Evelyn turned to them, her face practically screaming 'Shut up and don't question me'. Facing Lasko once more, she tried again.
"Like I said, I'll take Ratbeard on my crew. He'll serve under me fer the remainder of his days. It will give him a chance to prove he's not the murderous bilge rat we all think him to be. More than that, if our paths ever reach Port Regal, I'll be sure to look into the knockout drops personally."
Lasko still seemed unconvinced, but he trusted Evelyn far more than he ever had Ratbeard.
"Very well, Pirate." Lasko said after a moment. "If ye truly think he's worth savin', then me an' the boys will hang on a bit longer."
Evelyn smiled as the ghosts faded away, the warmth returning to the cave. Ratbeard slowly got to his feet, a look of relief on his face.
"Thank ye, Cap'n." he told her.
Evelyn turned to him, producing the key to his shackles. She unlocked them, tossing them to Barnabus.
"You want to thank me?" she asked. "Don't make me regret sparing you."
Ratbeard gave a eager nod, determined to prove himself. Anne and Barnabus were still staring at Evelyn like she'd gone mad.
"Are you sure we can trust him?" Anne asked.
"My instincts haven't been wrong before." Evelyn replied. "I've learned to trust them, and they're telling me he's being honest."
They were still uneasy, but Evelyn was the Captain, and thus her word was law.
"Now." Evelyn said with a clap of her hands. "Now that the unpleasant business is out of the way, let's bring Avery his trinket and be done with this blasted treasure hunt."
Everyone smiled.
"Couldn't agree more, Captain." Barnabus replied.
…..
Avery's face lit up as Evelyn and her crew entered his office. He could see that their numbers had grown, much to his surprise, and that Bonnie Anne was holding something in her hand.
"Hello good Captain!" He greeted, standing up. "I've received word that you successfully found Gunn's gold, as well as putting an end to Ratbeard's crusades."
Evelyn shrugged.
"Yes and yes." She replied. "Though most of the treasure was destroyed by the Waponis."
Avery's face fell.
"Curse those Water Moles." He snarled.
"Keep yer beard on." Evelyn told him. "A good bit was still left, including yer monkey chalice."
Anne tossed the wrapped chalice over to Avery, who caught it in trembling hands. He slowly unwrapped the treasure, letting out a sigh of relief.
"Thank the Titans." He said. "I thank you for your services good Captain. I hope I can call upon your services in the future."
Evelyn shrugged.
"Perhaps." She allowed. "But if you try to double cross me again, I show you how my kinsmen deal with traitors and backstabbers."
On that cheerful note, Evelyn turned on her heels and headed for the door.
"Come on guys." She called. "The Kraken Skulls tavern awaits us. Drinks are on me!"
