Pirate Legacy
Chapter Eleven
A few hours later, as we docked the Aquila near the Waponi village at Waponi Wu, I and the rest of my crew were now waiting outside the village.
"We'll have to fight our way up to the volcano!" Rena said as she drew her saber. The others drew their weapons, and we led the attack on the village.
Avoiding the women and children, the crew knocked out many of the Waponi warriors, caught off guard, with their sparquebuses and cutlasses.
"You go on ahead, Captain! We'll take it from here!" David Clutterbuck called to me as we neared securing the village.
I nodded and I called, "Rena, Bonnie, Emmett, Jack, Scratch, let's go!"
As the others followed me up the ramp built around the volcano, Bonnie said, "What a view! It looks like we'll have to fight our way to the top, Captain. I hope you're not afraid of heights!"
"I've balanced atop the main mast of a first-rate before. This is nothing!" I said as we raced up the mountain.
As we entered a cave in the volcano and onto a stone path overlooking the boiling hot lava, we dodged lava fish were jumping out of the lava, lava trailing from their fins, and they looked hungry!
Bonnie and Emmett stunned a few of them with their guns, and we made our way out of the volcano and onto another platform, where several Waponi warriors with spears and slings were waiting for us.
As we dodged the spears and rocks hurled at us, we began whacking them with the flats of our blades and blasting them with our guns, and they soon scattered in retreat.
We made our way up the volcano through carved passageways filled with Waponi carvings. We soon arrived at the top, where Ratbeard was dangling from a rope tied to his foot above the volcano.
A wooden crane on the rim of the volcano held the rope Ratbeard was tied to.
"Help me! I beg you, get me down from here!" Ratbeard pleaded.
"Tough luck for Ratbeard, I'm afraid." Jack said, laughing, and then he suddenly stopped. "The Waponis are destroying the treasure!"
I looked to see two Waponis throwing the gold into the volcano. "Stop them before they destroy all of the treasure!"
A loud grunt made us spun around to see the biggest Waponi I've ever seen, flanked by two normal ones. "Chumba Wumba!"
While the other Waponis had silver hair, this one had dark gray and was built like a sumo wrestler, with purple markings painted on his body.
He wore his long hair in a bun with two black feathers as decoration, a carved necklace, coconut fiber bracelets, and a leaf skirt.
"He doesn't miss many meals, does he?" I muttered under my breath. "Let's go!"
Bonnie and Emmett fired their guns at Chumba Wumba, but he didn't fall down. He's tougher than he looks, I'll give him that.
Jack and Rena knocked the Waponis destroying the treasure away with their swords, but more were coming up the ramp to aid Chumba Wumba.
"Break his idols and you break his will! Throw them into the lava, quick!" Ratbeard called. I looked to see wooden carvings of Waponis at the corners of the platform.
I quickly grabbed one of the idols and threw them into the lava, and Chumba Wumba shouted.
Rena and Jack followed suit with the other idols, and Chumba Wumba fell down, pounding his fist against the platform.
His eyes burning with a frothing desire for revenge, Chumba Wumba redoubled his efforts to squash us, and as he ran towards me, Rena ran at me from the other side.
Immediately understanding, I sheathed my sword and laced my fingers together, and as Rena stepped onto my hands, I heaved upwards and she kicked Chumba Wumba in the face.
He quickly got up again, and Old Scratch waved his staff and two giant glowing skeletal hands rose out of shadows on the platform and seized Chumba Wumba.
I drew my pistol, and we fired upon Chumba Wumba, finishing him.
"Now Captain, we make Chumba tell us what happened here." Old Scratch said as we turned to face Chumba Wumba.
As Chumba Wumba came to, he looked around at all of us, and he immediately got up and ran towards the volcano.
"Wait, what're you doing?" I called as Chumba Wumba jumped off the platform into the volcano. I immediately felt sick in my heart.
"He chose death before dishonor. Maybe Ratbeard will tell us what happened." Rena said sadly.
"I'll tell you everything! Now get me down from here, please!" Ratbeard pleaded.
"It looks like he got what he deserved to me. Let's get him down – we have unfinished business…" Emmett said darkly.
"Try swinging towards us!" I called. Ratbeard began to gain momentum, and Old Scratch called, "The old Rat, here him come!"
As Ratbeard passed by me, I sliced the rope with my sword, and he fell onto the platform, stunned. He got up and he looked around at our unsmiling faces.
"I thank you for saving my hide, young captain, though I'm sure I don't deserve it." Ratbeard said.
"You sure don't." We all said at the same time.
"I tricked the Waponis into making me their king so they'd steal me Gunn's gold, but they turned on me and tried to destroy the treasure!"
"Surely I'm the lowliest blackguard that ever sailed the sky, but I see the error of my ways. I'd join your crew if you'll have me."
I hesitated for a few moments, and then I nodded. "Very well then, I accept your offer. Welcome to my crew, Ratbeard."
"What?" The others cried. Despite their protests claiming otherwise, I could tell he was sincere, and it wasn't an act of blind forgiveness or mercy on my part.
Although I will never forgive him for the deaths of his crew, I accepted him into the crew to help guide him down the right path.
"I renounce my claim to Gunn's gold. There's so little of it left – but what there is, it's yours. You've earned it." Ratbeard said humbly.
"I don't like this at all, Matt. But you're in charge, and I trust your judgment. More than I'll ever trust him." Rena said, putting a hand on my shoulder.
The rest of the crew rejoined us at the peak of the volcano, and it was a cheerful affair as we brought the gold down the volcano and onto the Aquila.
Though most of Captain Gunn's gold was destroyed, there was enough to give a generous pay and a few trinkets to everyone, except Ratbeard.
"Well, would you look at that? It's ours! Well done, everyone!" Jack cheered as we all raised our tankards and bottles of Yum.
"There, wrapped in sailcloth – what be that?" Old Scratch asked as he pointed to a chalice wrapped in sailcloth.
"Look here! It's that Chalice Avery wanted. I'll keep this safe for when we return to Skull Island." Rena said, smiling at me as she went below deck to store it in her sea chest.
I had spotted an interesting trinket among Captain Gunn's treasure: a silver ring shaped to look like an eagle with the wing tips meeting to form the ring.
I slipped it onto my right ring finger and after the party was over, I took my position at the helm with Rena beside me.
"Set course for Skull Island!" I called. As they raised the anchor and brought the Aquila to half sail, we were underway to Skull Island.
"I hear you found Gunn's treasure – well done! A shame so much of the loot was lost. Confounded Waponis! So did you happen to find…" Captain Avery said as we were in his office a few hours later.
I brought out the chalice wrapped in sailcloth and handed it to Captain Avery.
"It's the Chalice! You have my thanks, good Captain. I've good use for this. And I have another job for you, if you're willing." Captain Avery said as he removed the sailcloth covering the Chalice.
"We're listening." I said, looking to Rena, who nodded.
"For years I've strived to get an imperial power to trade openly with us. A treaty would transform Skull Island into a true republic."
"This cup's an heirloom of the Ortegas, a great family in Monquista. The Governor in Puerto Mico is an Ortega – he'd be grateful to get this back."
"Take this treaty to Puerto Mico with the Chalice as a gift. This letter will get you past the blockade. I'll pay you handsomely for this. Agreed?" Captain Avery asked.
"Agreed, but it'll have to wait a few days. We all need some rest from hunting Ratbeard." I answered.
"Speaking of Ratbeard, what happened to him?" Captain Avery asked.
"He's joined our crew." I answered, and Captain Avery recoiled a bit.
"What? Well, you sure are the trusting sort, aren't you?" Captain Avery said. I shrugged.
"Maybe or maybe not, but either way, if he tries anything, it'll be my sword that makes him walk the plank." I answered as we stood up to leave.
"So what do when we do get to Puerto Mico?" Rena asked as we left.
"I don't know, but if anything happens, I'm sure we can take it." I said smiling as the sun began to set as we walked back to Nikolai's general store.
We all deserve a chance to relax before we go on another adventure together. And like I said, if anything happens, we can take it. After all, we're pirates.
Author's Note: So ends the first installment of Pirate Legacy. Look for the second installment, Tail of the Gold Monkey, coming soon! Please review and I hope you enjoyed the first part. If you have any questions, send a private message or leave it in a review, and I'll try to answer it. Thank the wonderful people at Kingsisle Entertainment for creating Pirate101, and thank you for reading! – Nroque18
