Disclaimer: Vampirates belongs to Justin Somper.
Most of you are probably thinking that I just threw Rodger in for the sake of having someone to kill. But I'm going to say in advance that this is not the case because I don't want you thinking that.
Don't we all hate cliffhangers? Oh well.. lol
Chug chug chuuuuuuuuuuuuuug.
The longboat ran aground.
In Grace's longboat were Connor, Bart, Rodger and herself.
"We just have to wait for Cate's signal, now." Bart mumbled, mostly for Rodger's benefit.
"What we doing again?" Rodger mumbled, scratching his head.
"You have to be joking," Connor gasped, "No one's that thick."
"Shush!" Bart snapped.
Everything was silent for a moment, and all that could be heard was the waves lapping up against the boat from behind, but then Rodger's murmuring commenced once more. Though no one paid attention.
Grace's heart raced with anxiety as she awaited the signal, with Rodger mumbling from behind her.
There was something odd about Rodger. Yes, Grace knew he was a little slower and not as on-the-ball as the other pirates, but she felt something…different about him, though she couldn't quite finger it.
Then, a couple of white flashes came from about five hundred meters away and everyone on the longboat took a sharp intake of breath.
The game was on.
Grace's heart could have ripped out of her chest as she silently leapt from the boat to the shore. It was hammering so strongly she was almost certain that everyone else could hear it.
As the last person, Rodger, left the boat, another pirate came creeping behind them to secure it with perfect timing.
Grace glanced right and left, and saw a few other pirates running up the beach in the pale moonlight. Everyone was trying to keep to the shadows as much as possible, but the trees were a little further up the beach, so not many people could stay within them.
The hard leather cases strapped to Grace's back clunked dully together as she ran, and she grimaced as she heard it. Cheng Li had loaned Grace her twin swords that lived on her back holster, since she had been the one to stay with the ship, which Grace had found rather odd, but had decided not to question her. She could not stand any more unanswered questions.
However, Grace had no intentions of using the swords, but it would be absurd to send her in weapon less. She guiltily hoped that the other pirates would cope with the fighting without her, though she knew if she had to use them, she would.
Grace's little party stooped to an abrupt halt just by the beginnings of the forest, all heads turned Eastwards ready for the second signal which would send them in.
The second signal would not be as discreet as the first, in fact, no where near as discreet as the first, and Grace was worried about the result of it.
Everyone waited patiently, almost dreading the sign to go. But it was going to come, sooner than they were hoping.
BANG!
A red orb exploded in the sky, raining bright light onto the surrounding trees and sand. Following the flare came a horribly arranged synchronization of pirate yells and screams. Then, following that came the booming of guns, clung of blade striking blade, and the low hum of disturbance in the ruins of the castle a few hundred meters in front of them.
Vampires poured from the castle by the hundred, and Grace couldn't help but wonder in shock where they had all come from. They most certainly were not from The Nocturne. But there was no time to sit and ponder, as before long she felt Connor prod her hard in the back, pushing her on.
"I thought you said there shouldn't be too many, Grace!" Bart yelled from up front, over the battle noises.
"I'm sorry!" She cried back, "I have no idea where they have all come from!"
They rapidly covered the ground separating them from the castle, and they hadn't been spotted by the vampires yet, but looking at the numbers Grace felt it wouldn't be long before they did.
"And how exactly do we get in?" Connor whispered in a hoarse voice, as they stopped just before the trees began to thin.
"Around the back," Rodger whispered back, "They'll be too surprised to think about what's coming from behind them."
Bart was just about to tell him not to think so stereotypically, but when he thought about it he realised that the thick skulled dufus was right!
"The back it is," Bart nodded, patting the big man on the back, "Nice thinking, Rodger."
Another small party of four had also stopped before the trees thinned, and were throwing Bart confused looks.
Around the back, Bart mouthed at them.
They too had pathetic expressions plastered onto their faces before they realised he was right.
The message was slowly passed up the groups waiting by the treeline, and they all filed through the shady areas in single file and reached the back.
"OK," Bart whispered, as they all took in the mostly deserted back of the ruin, "Stay together, alright?"
Everyone nodded.
"Follow me." He whispered.
But just before he was going to begin running again, Rodger stepped in once more.
"See that guy over there, standing on the balcony?" He mumbled.
Bart just looked at him for a moment, wondering what he was going to come up with next.
"Yes?" Grace whispered, knowing that he wasn't as thick as he seemed.
"There's an open window beneath him, see?" Rodger said, then fell quite again.
Grace looked and saw that Rodger was right. Again.
"Bart?" Grace asked, as if requiring conformation.
"Yeah…good call." Bart said slowly, before setting off at a fast pace towards the guy standing on the balcony facing the opposite direction.
One by one, Bart, Connor, Rodger and Grace thudded into the wall next to the window.
They all held their breath, praying the vampire above hadn't seen or heard them…
…too bad.
Heavy, steady footfall was heard above them, and none of them beneath dared to even breathe.
"Hello? Is that you, Ken?" He said in a low, gruff voice.
More footsteps, creeping closer to the edge of the balcony.
"Ken?" The voice asked again.
Everyone grew horribly tense.
Silence. Everlasting silence…
"Chuck! Get over here!" A distant voice called, "We've got another invasion!"
The footsteps immediately commenced again, but this time away from the edge, and following the footsteps came a slammed door.
Everyone let out a breath of relief, but still no one dared to move.
"That man said another." Grace whispered to no one in particular, "What did he mean by that?"
No one took notice, and Bart was already half through the open window.
Everyone watched Bart go in fear for him. As his feet disappeared there came a loud metal clutter, followed by a low groan.
Tension claimed the atmosphere again.
"Coast's clear," Bart croaked from behind the glass, which was gleaming in the moonlight.
"Just mind the god damn pans underneath you." He added grudgingly.
Connor was the next to slide in through the window. No clutter.
Then it was Rodger.
"Ladies first," He stepped to the side.
"Uh, thanks." Grace mumbled, unsure of how to react. Was it common to practise manners in this kind of situation? It didn't seem likely, but Grace couldn't know for sure.
She slid through the window with ease, being smaller in frame than Connor or Bart, and landed with a soft thud onto a worktop.
Connor offered her a hand down, which she accepted.
She noticed the pans and saucepans littered on the tiled floor with amusement.
"Come on, Rodger," Connor hissed.
Rodger got half way through, then got stuck, the window not allowing anything past his beer-belly through.
Bart handed Grace the lantern he had obtained from heaven knows where, and proceeded to help Rodger through the window with Connor.
Grace stood there, feeling rather helpless as she stood there idly with the lantern, watching Rodger in his struggle to get through the window, which wasn't particularly small.
She observed the room in the weak lantern light. In spite of the fact that she was standing in the midst of a ruin, she was also standing inside a fully equipped kitchen.
What would vampires want with a kitchen? she asked herself.
There was a lot that was odd about this place, but she knew it was best if she just got on with it without question.
There was a shuffle from behind the wooden door.
The boys at the window stopped, filling with dread.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
"What is it, Ken?"
"I heard something…"
"I didn't."
"It was a minute ago. Crashing."
"Yeah, well, there is a battle going on outside, in case it's escaped your attention. A load of bloodthirsty pirates raiding us at the dead of night - they don't know what they're in for. More blood for…Ken?"
"I'm going to check it out…"
"Fine, it's probably just a rat."
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Footsteps were getting closer by the second, and they had a rather large pirate lodged inside a window. Not very discreet.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Hide. Was the first thing that came to Grace's mind. But what about Rodger?
Thump. Thump. Thump.
He was at the door. The other side of the door. She was still standing in the middle of the kitchen.
She could still jump into a hiding place, she could see a space large enough for her beneath a worktop. Rodger crossed her mind again.
Eeeeeeek.
He turned the door handle.
Grace was rooted to the spot in absolute horror.
Then she felt a soft warm palm take hers and drag her forcefully down to the floor.
Creek.
The door swung open, and Grace was practically sitting on Connor's lap in the worktop. She swiftly switched off her lamp.
As the door clicked shut, and footfall echoed throughout the kitchen with the tiled floor, Grace looked over to the window, to see the horrified round Rodger hanging out of it.
"Hello, there," The pirate laughed in a subdued, husky laugh, "How's it hanging?"
He laughed at his own cruel joke, and Rodger gulped loudly.
"Luckily for you, I already ate tonight," The vampire added in the same laugh.
Cold, icy fear bit into Grace at the heart as she heard the soft tinkle of a sword being dragged from it's sheath, and the wail of the blade as it sailed through the air.
Chud!
